Physical remote controls might be nice when it comes to precision, but they’ve got nothing on mind-control when it comes to awesome. Using an EEG headset, a computer, and some serious thought-power, researchers have developed a quadrotor you can steer with your brain. More »
NEW YORK — Serena Williams didn’t watch any video of her loss to Ekaterina Makarova at this year’s Australian Open as she prepared for their rematch at the U.S. Open.
She even hates looking at photos from defeats. But she is free to check out this match again after she won in straight sets in the third round Saturday.
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— The Michigan Wolverines have reclaimed their confidence, something Alabama did shortly after Nick Saban landed in Tuscaloosa and started winning national titles.
The eighth-ranked Wolverines have already earned some preseason acclaim going into Saturday night’s opening showdown with the similarly pedigreed and second-ranked Crimson Tide at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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WASHINGTON — A senior Obama administration political appointee and longtime aide to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano resigned Saturday amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior lodged by at least three Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees.
Suzanne Barr, chief of staff to ICE Director John Morton, said in her resignation letter that the allegations against her are “unfounded.” But she said she was stepping down anyway to end distractions within the agency. ICE, a division of the Homeland Security Department, confirmed Barr had resigned. The Associated Press obtained a copy of Barr’s letter.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Geno Smith threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 11 West Virginia to a 69-34 win over Marshall on Saturday in the Mountaineers’ highest-scoring season opener in school history.
Smith kept the momentum going from his six-TD performance from the Orange Bowl, when West Virginia beat Clemson 70-33.
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran and North Korea signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement Saturday, bringing the two nations deeply at odds with the U.S. closer together.
Iranian state TV did not provide further details on the document but said it will include setting up joint scientific and technological laboratories, exchange of scientific teams between the two countries and transfer of technology in the fields of information technology, energy, environment, agriculture and food.
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Colossal college football programs Alabama and Michigan have combined for 1,709 wins and 25 national titles but seldom tangle on the field.
When they do, it’s usually at some big bowl game not starting the season on Sept. 1.
The second-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 8 Wolverines are gearing up for their opener Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium with an address that fits the iconic history of these programs: One Legends Way.
ATHENS, Ga. — Freshman tailback Todd Gurley ran for three touchdowns, Aaron Murray threw three scoring passes and No. 6 Georgia overcame a sloppy first half to beat Buffalo 45-23 on Saturday.
Gurley didn’t start but may have emerged as the Bulldogs’ future at tailback with his eight carries for 100 yards, including scoring runs of 10 and 55 yards. He added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — This old railroad town in the heart of the Southern California foreclosure belt doesn’t attract many visitors these days, especially not in the blazing summer heat. Yet on a recent Thursday morning, a handful of well-heeled business travelers from the East Coast hurried along a sidewalk to address a government official they have come to know well.
Gregory Devereaux is the chief executive of San Bernardino County and its 2 million residents. At his urging, local authorities are considering a proposal that would allow local governments to exercise their power to seize private property without landowners’ consent in a dramatic — some say radical — new way.
Governments usually use this power, known as eminent domain, to acquire private land for public purposes, such as roads or utility lines. But this plan, proposed by a San Francisco-based venture fund Mortgage Resolution Partners, calls for government authorities to seize the mortgages of underwater borrowers, paying the investors that own them a fraction of what they are owed, using money borrowed from the fund. Homeowners could then refinance with a federal loan at a much lower rate, based on what their home is actually worth instead of what they owe.
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If you are like me bedtime means check the email once more, maybe play a game or read on a tablet. But it typically involves an electronic device. Researchers at Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute produced a report stating that…yep, electronic light before bed negatively impacts our sleep. Probably not a total shocker, but the logic as to why is interesting.
Melatonin, the hormone that occurs naturally in all of us, regulates our waking and sleeping patterns. Light leads to a decrease in melatonin – meaning it is time to be awake. Conversely darkness elevates our melatonin levels which makes us sleepy. Back in the caveman days when the sun went down, melatonin levels went up and they slept through the night. With the invention of fire and electric light our patterns began to change. Basically, light is robbing us of natural darkness meaning less melatonin and less desire to fall sleep.
So what is a technology guru supposed to do? The study states that exposure to backlit devices 2 hours before bed would impact melatonin production. If you must use your device they recommend dimming them. Let’s face it. The logic is there. So challenge yourself and those in your life. And for the children? Better stop them a couple hours before bed and give them a fighting chance at a good night’s rest.
[ Backlights Before Bed – A No No? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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