Apple Shares Fall on IPhone Numbers
AT&T Inc. (ATT) wiped some of the glow off Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone on Tuesday, releasing numbers that showed fewer people than expected signed up for service in the first two days of the multimedia cell phone’s release.

Another Failed Doping Test on the Tour De France
Another Tour de France rider has failed a doping test, this time for testosterone, a senior French doping official said Wednesday.

Men Speak, Women Stay Silent?
The common stereotype is that women like to talk more than men. One neuropsychiatrist even reported in The Female Brain that women use 20,000 words per day compared to only 7,000 for men. A recent article, The Last Word: Men Talk As Much As Women, along with a study reported in Science, refuted these findings. Turns out women and men both speak about 16,000 words a day, or 15 words per waking minute. (Individuals vary, naturally.)

Taliban Claim to Kill 1 Korean Hostage
A police official said Wednesday that Taliban militants told him they shot and killed one of 23 South Korean hostages, while two Western officials said some others from the group of captives were freed and taken to a U.S. military base.

German Entrepreneur’s Glamour Airline: Nicotine Niche or Pipe Dream?
At the international airport in this western German city, smokers are shunned. If you want to light up, you’re restricted to a handful of bars in the terminal, or else stuck puffing on the dingy street outside.

Airports Warned About Terror Dry Runs
Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September.

Iran nuclear plant not operational before 2008: Russian contractor
A nuclear plant Russia is building for Iran will not be completed before autumn 2008 at the earliest, Russian news agencies quoted one of the companies building the plant as saying Wednesday.

California mortgage defaults hit 10-year high
ders sent California homeowners the highest number of mortgage default notices in more than a decade during the second quarter, the result of flat or falling prices, anemic sales and a market struggling with the excesses of the 2004-2005 home-buying frenzy, a real estate information service reported.

Fears as floods loom in new areas
Fresh floods have hit Oxford while residents further along the River Thames have been warned that water levels are likely to peak later.

It’s amazing that Washington can’t get things done even when there’s bipartisan understanding that something is terribly broken.

Farm subsidies have been identified by liberals, conservative, humanitarians, capitalists, socialists and everybody else in between as problematic. The fact that we as a society are incapable of making any real reform happen, in spite of widespread understanding of the issues involved with the subsidies, is a significant indictment of our process.

The fact is, the people who score big with the subsidies turn a lot of that money right back around to politicians (through lobbyists). The subsidy beneficiaries haven’t gotten too greedy (they generously turn around a lot of money instead of hoarding it) so the subsidies are likely to continue.

So the secret to advancing personal interests at the expense of the public good - make sure to turn around a fair share of your benefit to the politicians who gain that benefit for you. Don’t get greedy and you’ll be set for at least a generation.

This is super cool:

The design of these devices is very elegant but is it sculpture?

PS3 sales pass Xbox 360 a week after price drop
Playstation 3 sales passed the Xbox 360 last week, largely due to it’s $100 price cut and strong showing at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Wave of Homicide Bombings Leave 51 Dead Across Pakistan
Homicide bombers hit a convoy of Chinese workers in southern Pakistan and a police academy and an army camp in the northwest, killing at least 51 people in the latest violence in the week since the army stormed a mosque held by Islamic extremists.

Scientists Find Genetic Link for a Disorder (Next, Respect?)
Imagine you keep waking up with a fierce urge to move your legs, each time further eroding your sleep quota and your partner’s patience. You have restless legs syndrome, a quaintly named disorder whose sufferers may get more respect now that its genetic basis has been identified.

Debate on Child Pornography’s Link to Molesting
Experts have often wondered what proportion of men who download explicit sexual images of children also molest them. A new government study of convicted Internet offenders suggests that the number may be startlingly high: 85 percent of the offenders said they had committed acts of sexual abuse against minors, from inappropriate touching to rape.

The Note: Iraq Hangover
Bleary-eyed Democrats Pass Nothing, but Republicans Should be Scared of What’s Next

California Mom Accused in Gang Murder
Mothers have lied, spun elaborate alibis and hidden evidence for their gang-member sons. But investigators say Eva Daley went to murderous lengths.

Japan closes nuclear plant damaged by earthquake
The Japanese authorities on Tuesday shut down a nuclear power plant after a radiation leak and other damage from an earthquake in the nation’s northwest raised new concerns about the safety of Japan’s nuclear industry.

Dollar Falls Against Major Currencies
Dollar Falls Against Euro, Pound As Housing and Economic Concerns Pressure Currency

Nuclear Secrets Allegedly Stolen From Tenn. Lab
Investigators are calling the theft a serious breach of security at one of the country’s most important nuclear research labs. Officials said there was serious concern the documents could have fallen into the hands of enemy states or even terrorist organizations.

Flesh-eating bacteria put man’s life at risk
A Nacogdoches man who was infected by flesh-eating bacteria while swimming off Galveston County’s Crystal Beach still faces the threat of losing a leg — and possibly his life — despite three surgeries.

Duke: iPhone May Be Disrupting Network
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s flashy new iPhones may be jamming parts of the wireless network at Duke University, where technology officials worked with the company Wednesday to fix problems before classes begin next month.

Slumber Party in the Senate?
In the dead of night, the Senate apparently turns into something other than the oft-cited greatest deliberative body in the world.
It becomes a “circus, a “mockery,” “Kabuki theater,” a “carnival” and a “charade,” Democrats have said. Not only that, but “a colossal waste of time.” And given the increasingly geriatric nature of the chamber as a whole, the Senate in all-night session amounts to “elder abuse.”

US: Top al-Qaida in Iraq Figure Captured
The highest-ranking Iraqi leader of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested and told interrogators that Osama bin Laden’s inner circle wields considerable influence over the Iraqi group, the U.S. command said Wednesday.

Oprah Winfrey to Raise Money for Obama
Forget the girl of YouTube videos. The real Obama girl is doing her part for the candidate. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey plans to hold a Sept. 8 fundraiser for Democratic hopeful Barack Obama at her palatial estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., according to campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.

Company: Japan radioactive leak bigger
The operator of an earthquake-ravaged nuclear plant said Wednesday a radioactive leak from the plant was 50 percent bigger than first reported two days ago. The mayor ordered the facility closed until its safety could be confirmed

Merkel Open to Missile Shield Due to Iran Threat
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she does not oppose U.S. plans for an anti-missile shield to counter any future attack by Iran.

One giant leap for space fashion: MIT team designs sleek, skintight spacesuit
In the 40 years that humans have been traveling into space, the suits they wear have changed very little. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility.

Microsoft researchers show off wireless projects
Microsoft Research workers showed off some of their projects, including several that find new uses for mobile phones, on Monday at a summit in Redmond, Wash.

Save the date: August 7 for new iMac, iLife to emerge early?
Reliable sources have zeroed in further on the release date for Apple’s revamped iMac since our last report, pointing to an announcement on August 7. Meanwhile, preliminary signs suggest Apple may be ready to release its next-generation iLife suite around the same time in an effort to further bolster the iMac’s appeal ahead of the back-to-school buying season.

Harry Potter 5: The Book Vs. The Movie
Considering this thesis came out to 17 single-spaced pages in Word, I’ll make this intro here brief. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — I’ve read the book, I’ve seen the movie, now here’s the differences …

Huge Steam Pipe Blast Kills One in NYC
An underground steam pipe explosion tore through a Manhattan street near Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday, swallowing a tow truck and killing one person as hundreds of others ran for cover amid a towering geyser of steam and flying rubble. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said the explosion was not terrorism.

A Worm for Your Apple
A small controversy is brewing over claims that an independent researcher going by the moniker Information Security Sellout (or InfoSec Sellout) has developed the framework of a worm that targets a currently undisclosed vulnerability affecting the Intel versions of OS X. The worm is expected to extend to PPC versions as soon as the author is able to test against that architecture. With the author dubbing it ‘Rape.osx’, the evolution of the worm is likely to be keenly watched by Apple watchers, security researchers, and malware developers.

Teen Girls Accused Of Setting Kitten Ablaze
A three-month-old kitten is fighting for his life after allegedly being set afire by two teenage girls last week.

Is VW considering a new logo?
Volkswagen has a very simple and instantly recognizable logo which has seen subtle change through the years. In the end, though, it has remained generally the same.

F***ing With Perception - Hirst’s “For The Love of God” Diamond Skull
Placed outside of the White Cube Gallery Masons yard at 3.30 am on Sunday night in response to the Damien Hirst’s “For The Love of God” diamond skull exhibition.

USB Can Cooler And Warmer
Does your hot drink getting cool or cold drink getting warm while you drink it slowly? USB Can Cooler And Warmer can help you to solve such problem. This cool USB gadget combining with both chilling and warming technology, you can keep your beverage chilled or warmed and stay at your computer for longer time.

Nev. Couple Blame Internet for Neglect
A couple who authorities say were so obsessed with the Internet and video games that they left their babies starving and suffering other health problems have pleaded guilty to child neglect.

Bin Laden Appears in New al-Qaida Video
A new al-Qaida videotape posted Sunday on a militant Web site featured a short, undated clip of a weary-looking Osama bin Laden praising martyrdom.

N. Korean diplomat confirms shutdown of nuclear reactor
A North Korean diplomat confirmed that his country had shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor after receiving an initial shipment of oil aid and said U.N. inspectors would start verifying the closure on Sunday.

Japanese pool with a secret
Underwater Pool In Art Museum At Kanazawa City

Ready, aim, fire and rain
After weeks of watching the mercury soar, hardening the already cracked earth of their wilting orchards and farms, a group of farmers on the outskirts of Beijing gather in the Fragrant Hills that line the western fringe of China’s capital city. Unlike their ancestors, they do not assemble to perform a rain dance or gather in a temple to pray to the Lord Buddha to bring the rain. Instead, they grab rocket launchers and a 37-millimeter anti-aircraft gun and begin shooting into the sky.

Worlds apart: The moment the tallest man met the shortest

Al-Qaida Works to Plant U.S. Operatives
Al-Qaida is stepping up its efforts to sneak terror operatives into the United States and has acquired most of the capabilities it needs to strike here, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment, The Associated Press has learned

Meet the Incredible Hulk of Hounds

Intel, `$100 Laptop’ Project Make Peace
The nonprofit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp. (INTC), the project’s most powerful rival.

Little Annoyances Still Big Vista Issue
Chris Pirillo leaned away from his webcam and pointed to his printer/scanner/fax machine, which stopped scanning and faxing after he installed Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s new Windows Vista operating system.

’nuff said.
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