LED Lighting: Starbucks saves millions on energy bills

When you're talking about retrofitting a large building like the Empire State Building or replacing bulbs in thousands of Starbucks stores, the energy savings can be huge.

That's just what Starbucks has found now that the replacing of incandescent and halogen lights in 7,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada has been completed. The company's Director of Environmental Impact said that the program is on target to cut lighting energy consumption by 80 percent.

The good folks at Greenbiz did the math and figured that each 1,000 square foot store was saving $600 a year and reducing CO2 emissions equivalent to 10 barrels of oil. The lights also cut total store energy consumption by 7 percent.

LEDs were installed in the sitting and beverage areas where the color of the light was most important and CFL bulbs were installed in the rest of the store. The energy and cost savings calculated were for the LED lights alone.

How long can food be kept in deep freeze?

How long will that casserole or whole chicken last in the freezer? According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, food stored in a freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit will stay safe indefinitely. But that doesn't mean the taste and texture will remain the same.

Here is a guide to how long you can freeze foods before you sacrifice quality. Keep in mind that quality does deteriorate the longer food sits in your freezer, so aim to defrost sooner rather than later.

* Bacon: 1 to 2 months
* Breads: 2 to 3 months
* Casseroles: 2 to 3 months
* Cooked beef and pork: 2 to 3 months
* Cooked poultry: 4 months
* Cookie dough: 3 months
* Fruit: 8 to 12 months
* Frozen dinners: 3 to 4 months
* Hot dogs: 1 to 2 months
* Lunch meats: 1 to 2 months
* Sausage: 1 to 2 months
* Soups and stews: 2 to 3 months
* Uncooked chicken (parts): 9 months
* Uncooked chicken (whole): 1 year
* Uncooked steaks, chops, or roasts: 4 to 12 months
* Uncooked ground meat: 3 to 4 months
* Vegetables: 8 to 12 months

Nasa: Moon's water is useful resource

There are oases of water-rich soil that could sustain astronauts on the Moon, according to Nasa. Scientists studied the full results of an experiment that smashed a rocket and a probe into a lunar crater last year.

The impacts kicked up large amounts of rock and dust, revealing a suite of fascinating chemical compounds and far more water than anyone had imagined.

A Nasa-led team tells Science magazine that about 155kg of water vapour and water-ice were blown out of the crater. The researchers' analysis suggests the lunar regolith, or soil, at the impact site contains 5.6% by weight of water-ice.

Aspirin 'helps protect against bowel cancer'

Aspirins are already widely used to help protect people against strokes and heart problems, although many healthy middle-aged people do not take them because of the risk of side-effects. But researchers said their findings - published by the Lancet - "tipped the balance" in favour of taking them.

They followed up four study groups over a period of 20 years to identify the impact of regular small doses of of the drug - the tablets given for medical reasons are often a quarter of a strength of those used to treat headaches.

They found it reduced the risk of the incidence of bowel cancer by 24% and of dying from the disease by 35%.

And even though regular aspirin use can have side-effects, the researchers said it was still worthwhile as on such low doses these tended to be relatively minor, such as bruising or nose bleeds.

One in 20 people in the UK develops bowel cancer over their lifetime, making it the third most common cancer. About 16,000 people die each year as a result of it.

The findings build on previous research on the issue, and come after the government announced earlier this month it was looking to start a new screening programme for bowel cancer for 55-year-olds.

Facebook, Amazon and Zynga bet on social web

Facebook, Amazon and Zynga will invest in a fund to help entrepreneurs develop applications and services for a new era of the social web. The lion's share of the sFund's $250m (£160m) will come from venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Details were announced at an event at Facebook's California headquarters.

"There's going to be an opportunity over the next five years or so to pick any industry and rethink it in a social way," said Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. "We think that every industry is going to be fundamentally re-thought and designed around people."

That was a view backed by KPCB partner John Doerr, best known for investing in Amazon, Google and Netscape.

"These social networks are going to go from a half a billion people to billions of people connected on the planet and so represents an extraordinarily exciting time on the internet," he told BBC News. "Think of it as a quarter-billion-dollar party. The third great wave of the internet is mobile and social together. It's going to be tectonic," added Mr Doerr.

Galaxy Found more than 13 Billion light years away

The oldest and most distant object in the universe - a galaxy so far away that its light has taken 13.1 billion years to reach the Earth has been discovered by Astronomers. The galaxy, which was spotted by Europe's Very Large Telescope in Chile, is the most remote cluster of stars, gas and dust ever measured.

It is so distant, scientists are observing it when the universe was in its infancy - aged just 600 million years old, or four per cent of its present age. Dr Nicole Nesvadba of the Institute of Space Astrophysics in Paris said: 'Measuring the most distant galaxy so far is very exciting in itself, but the astrophysical implications of this detection are even more important.

'This is the first time we know for sure that we are looking at one of the galaxies that cleared out the fog which had filled the very early universe.

The galaxy, named UDFy -38135539, was spotted by the Hubble space telescope last year. Its age has now been confirmed by the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere's Very Large Telescope.. The galaxy, which was spotted by Europe's Very Large Telescope in Chile, is the most remote cluster of stars, gas and dust ever measured.

Do My Assets Look Big?

Kim Kardashian has made sure that her curvy derriere was the main attraction as she shopped for a dress for her 30th birthday. The reality TV star was snapped in Las Vegas, checking out her curves in a white Hervé Léger dress in a dressing room mirror. And she made sure that the dress fitted snugly round her bottom and and bosom as she admired herself in the mirror.

But despite the dress fitting the star in all the right places, she settled for a very short and very tight metallic silver dress that did exactly the same thing.

Kim, who turns 30 next Thursday, was in the Nevada city to celebrate her milestone birthday when she and her sister Kourtney hit the shops. They visited a series of high-end stores hours before heading to a party in her honour at the popular TAO nightclub.

Wearing a similar black and white outfit to the one she travelled to Vegas in the day before, Kim visited the pool at the Venetian hotel and was greeted by a crowd of fans and photographers. Later she and Kourtney enjoyed lunch with friends around the pool in one of the hotel's private cabanas.

Shakira Shows off Her Killer Abs

In her new music video Shakira is back to what she does best. The Colombian singer squeezes into a gold bikini top and sequinned trousers, showing off her killer abs as she shakes those famous hips.

The music video was shot on a stunning Barcelona beach. Shakira, 33, duets with British rapper Dizzee Rascal for her latest offering, Loca. It is the first single from her upcoming album, The Sun Comes Out (Sale el Sol), which is due out on October 19.

In the video, Shakira gets up close and personal a male dancer as they put on a sultry routine together. The storyline see the pop star go on a madcap adventure that includes roller-skating, public wardrobe changes, motorbike riding and dancing around in a fountain.

She filmed the video during a visit to the Spanish city in August. It was directed by long-time Shakira collaborator Jaume de Laiguana. According to the New York Post, Barcelona's authorities are considering fining the singer for stopping traffic as she filmed sequences.

Our New Earth?

The chances that future generations will one day colonise the stars have just got higher. Astronomers tonight announced the discovery of the most Earth-like planet ever found - a rocky world three times the size of our own world, orbiting a star 20 light years away..

The planet lies in the star's 'Goldilocks zone' - the region in space where conditions are neither too hot or too cold for liquid water to form oceans, lakes and rivers.

The planet also appears to have an atmosphere, a gravity like our own and could well be capable of life.

The discovery comes three years after astronomers found a similar, slightly less habitable planet around the same star - described by astronomers as being 'in our backyard' in the Milky Way. Researchers say the findings suggest the universe is teeming with world like our own.

'If these are rare, we shouldn't have found one so quickly and so nearby,' Dr Steven Vogt who led the study at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

'The number of systems with potentially habitable planets is probably on the order of 10 or 20 per cent, and when you multiply that by the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way, that's a large number. There could be tens of billions of these systems in our galaxy.'

BlackBerry Maker Unveils 'Playbook' Tablet

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has unveiled its rival to the Apple’s iPad: the PlayBook. Research in Motion (RIM) showed off the tablet for the first time last night and is set to launch it early 2011 in the U.S., with an international rollout due later in the year.

The PlayBook is a smaller, lighter device than Apple’s iPad, which kicked-started the tablet market when it launched in April. It will have a 7-inch screen, making it half the size of Apple's device, and weigh about 0.9 pounds to the iPad's 1.5 pounds. And unlike the iPAd, it will have two cameras, front and back.

The PlayBook will be able to act as a second, larger screen for a BlackBerry phone, through a secure short-range wireless link. When the connection is severed - perhaps because the user walks away with the phone - no sensitive data like company emails are left on the tablet.

Outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be able to pick up a mobile service like 3G to access the web by linking to a BlackBerry.

But the tablet will also work as a standalone device. RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said its goal is to present the full web experience of a computer, including the ability to display Flash, Adobe's format for video and interactive material on the web.

What Catches A Man's Eye

When it comes to seduction, short skirts and high heels have long been women’s weapons of choice. But showing off a bit of leg isn’t the best way to catch a man’s eye, according to scientists.

Long, shapely arms, sported by the likes of Christine Bleakley, Madonna or Courtney Cox, are considered more attractive than endless legs, a study has found. The finding was made after tests on Australian and Chinese men and women by experts at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

During the research, volunteers were asked to watch videos of 96 women aged between 20 and 49 and then to rate each one according to her looks. Results showed that ‘long-armed women’ were consistently considered the most attractive.

Hip and waist size were also regarded as important, along with a woman’s weight and age, but the length of her leg ‘did not contribute significantly to the ratings’. Professor Robert Brooks, who led the study, said: ‘Attractive bodies have a suite of traits in the right combination.

Real Challenger to Apple's iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab

We heard rumors about the challenger to iPad for several months, now it is time to meet the first real challenger to Apple's iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It will launch in Australia in November for $999 for the 16GB version, the company has confirmed.

Meanwhile, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is preparing to announce its tablet next week at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, The Wall Street Journal reported.

And Dell overnight unveiled its second tablet computer, which like its previously announced Streak also runs Android. It has a 7-inch touchscreen compared to the 5-inch screen on the Streak, but Dell has not yet announced when either of the models would launch in Australia.

Apple has cornered the tablet market since the launch of its iPad but starting from late this year there will be a raft of challengers from companies including Acer, Asus, Dell, RIM, Lenovo, Samsung and Cisco.

Smartphone maker HTC is also working on a tablet but says it will take its time to develop a unique selling point before putting one on the market.

Some commentators have predicted that Apple will unveil a second iPad version with a smaller 7-inch screen to compete directly against this new competition and cheaper reading devices like Amazon's Kindle.

Planets found outside the solar system

Scientists say they've identified a sun-like star with as many as seven different planets — including one that might be the smallest ever found outside the solar system.

If confirmed, the planetary system around HD 10180, a star more than 100 light years distant, would be the richest ever discovered. One astronomer says it's part of a growing body of evidence that the universe is full of planets — and that several could be similar to our own.

"The really nice thing about finding systems like this is that it shows that there are many more out there," said Alan Boss, of the Washington-based Carnegie Institution for Science, who wasn't involved with the find. "Mother Nature really had fun making planets."

Although most of the planets identified are large — about 13 to 25 times the mass of our home — those behind the discovery, announced Tuesday at an international conference in France, say they're nearly certain they've identified one only 1.4 times the size of Earth.

Planets found outside the solar system are called "exoplanets" and this would be the smallest one ever spotted.

Do you know that Chocolate milk can keeps your abs flat?

A glass of skim chocolate milk delivers a great combo of carbs and protein, helping you recover after a workout. Athletes who drank it post-workout had lower levels of muscle damage after four days of intense exercising than those who guzzled water or other recovery drinks, according to findings presented at the American College of Sports Medicine meeting in Seattle.

That translates to less soreness and fatigue, so you can get back to the gym and those tummy-toning planks sooner. Simply stir 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder or syrup that has less than 20 g sugar into your milk and sip.

Orange juice, Chamomile tea, Beer and Cranberry juice

Orange juice guards against heart disease: Antioxidants in OJ help protect your ticker by fighting the inflammation that can cause blood vessel damage. Consider this: People who ate fast food with a glass of orange juice had fewer artery-harming free radicals in their blood afterward than those who had their burger and fries with water, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates. Isn't that a great reason to choose juice? Just watch the sugars—one cup contains 21 grams and 122 calories.

Chamomile tea can keep you calm: People who downed chamomile extract daily for two months felt significantly less anxious, a study from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia reports. Ease into mellow mode at night with a cup of chamomile tea.

Beer may prevent cardiovascular disease: File this under who knew? Compounds found in both regular and nonalcoholic brew may prevent blood thickening that can lead to cardiovascular disease, accord to a study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Our taste testers for SELF's 2010 Healthy Food Awards loved Budweiser Select 55—refreshing and full-bodied, with only 55 calories per bottle. Toast to your health!

Cranberry juice may prevent gum disease and urinary tract infections: Natural compounds in the juice may ward off gum disease by preventing bacteria from adhering to the teeth below the gum line. Cranberry juice also delivers 39 percent of the daily value for vitamin C per 8 ounces, raises levels of good cholesterol and keeps your urinary tract tip-top. A berry smart sip indeed!

Google announces Google Instant search

In a big-picture keynote at Berlin’s IFA home electronics event, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt said Google’s new guiding principle is in serving users automatic search results, all the time, super-quick.

“Our new definition of Google, we’re trying to get you something fast - never underestimate the importance of fast.

“Ultimately, search is not just the web but literally all of your information - your email, the things you care about, with your permission - this is personal search, for you and only for you.

“The next step of search is doing this automatically. When I walk down the street, I want my smartphone to be doing searches constantly - ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’, ‘did you know?’.

This notion of autonomous search - to tell me things I didn’t know but am probably interested in, is the next great stage - in my view - of search.”

Apple's New 'iWatch'

Dubbed the 'iWatch', the latest addition to the iPod family boasts a clock face which appears at the touch of the power button but still allows users to view pictures and track your movements.

The nattily designed new iPod nano measures just 1.48 inches by 1.61 inches by 0.35 inches and weighs in at a slender 21.1 grams. For such a small gadget, the battery life is also impressive, with 24 hours of music playback in addition to an FM radio.

'It’s very tiny and instantly wear­able,' said Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. 'It even has a clock - one of our board of directors says he’s going to wear it as a watch.'

The tiny player is similar in function to the iPod and iPhone also boasts a 'multi-touch' screen, allowing more than one finger to be used on the screen at once.

It's thought that manufacturers will be quick to exploit the clock function of the new player by flooding the market with detatchable watch straps.

Colorful Life of Indonesia Marine Life on the Ocean Floor

Scientists using cutting-edge technology to explore waters off Indonesia were wowed by colorful and diverse images of marine life on the ocean floor — including plate-sized sea spiders and flower-like sponges that appear to be carnivorous.

They predicted Thursday that as many as 40 new plant and animal species may have been discovered during the three-week expedition that ended Aug. 14.

More than 100 hours of video and 100,000 photographs, captured using a robotic vehicle with high-definition cameras, were piped to shore in real-time by satellite and high-speed Internet.

Verena Tunnicliffe, a professor at the University of Victoria in Canada, said the images provided an extraordinary glimpse into one of the globe’s most complex and little-known marine ecosystems.

The E Advantage

In a study, those who reported getting the highest amount of vitamin E 19 milligrams a day were about 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease over a 10-year period.

People in the study got much of their vitamin E from processed or sat-fat foods, like butter, margarine, and mayo. Our suggestion? Get your E from healthy sources, such as nuts, seeds, veggies, plant oils, and nut butters.

The bonus with nuts and seeds is that you also get a shot of hunger-quelling protein. Not to mention some heart-healthy fats.

Mechanics of a Memory Keeper. Vitamin E helps protect cells against oxidative damage, a helpful thing when it comes to foiling the onset and development of dementia and Alzheimer's. Animal research also suggests that E may help inhibit the negative effects of beta-amyloid a type of protein fragment that turns into Alzheimer's-triggering brain plaques.

Don't Leave Your Baby too Long, They stressed Out!

They may have barely mastered sitting up by themselves. But six-month-old babies become stressed out when they don't get the attention they feel they deserve.

Levels of the stress hormone cortisol soar when they are ignored by their mother, and even a day later they are worried about the same thing happening again.

A baby who is deprived of its mother's love for just two minutes is anxious about being ignored again the next day, a study found. Experts in child development said that repeated episodes of stress could have a huge effect on a youngster's health and on his or her course in life.

To investigate whether six-month-olds are capable of anticipating trouble, the Canadian researchers invited 30 mothers and babies into their laboratory and divided them into two groups.

Our "Tiny" Earth from the Eye of Messenger spacecraft

It is an image that should put us firmly in our place. Set against the inky blackness of space our Earth can be seen with the smaller Moon orbiting around it from a distance of around 114 million miles.

Taken by Nasa's Messenger deep space probe the incredible image illustrates how insignificant we really are. A beautiful, thought-provoking picture, this image was actually taken as part of Messenger's mission to search for vulcanoids, small rocky objects that scientists believe exist in orbits between Mercury and the Sun.

No vulcanoids have yet been detected, the Messenger spacecraft is in a unique position to look for smaller and fainter objects than have ever before been possible. Messenger searches for vulcanoids when the spacecraft's orbit brings it closest to the Sun.

It follows a path through the inner solar system, including one flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and three flybys of Mercury. Messenger and is using gravity from Earth and Venus to slightly alter its orbit over time before it moves into Mercury's orbit in March 2011.

Wiesmann MF5: Retro Sport Car

Many have just blown away by the look of this car. It is probably not the most macho looking car, and that perhaps is a big criteria for guys, but its design and color is definitely quite interesting. It has that retro look, plus a gloss that will definitely make heads turn in appreciation.

Not that you would take such a precious car on the road all too often. But when you buy something so expensive as sure as this car is, you feel like flaunting it at times. Called the Wiesmann MF5, this car will borrow BMW M5 and M6’s award winning V10 engine. So the car has got the looks and the power as well!

The next generation M models are moving away from the gas-guzzling V10 to a more eco-friendly and pocket friendly twin turbo V8 engines.

Good-Mood Comfort Food

The following, Oatmeal, Tea and Walnuts are good for your mood. Keep reading to find out why:

Oatmeal: This happy grain is rich in tryptophan, a building block for the feel-good chemical serotonin. And you won't feel hungry and grouchy an hour later, thanks to the filling fiber. (Turn your oatmeal into a power meal by adding this.)

Tea: A spot of tea may give you just the mood and performance boost you crave, thanks to the caffeine. Plus, research links tea drinking to lower rates of depression. And studies show that the very act of preparing tea may soothe nerves. Make your mouth happy with this take on iced tea: Green Jasmine-Mint Iced Tea with Lemon.

Walnuts: These nuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids a type of fat that your nerve cells and brain chemicals love. They need it to function. Research shows that omega-3s may also help ward off depression.

Global Communication

Unlike the last ten decades ago, now we live in one era where communication is a lot more advance, it is not only about some local networks, these days everyone almost get connected. Now we live in a global communication era and when it comes to communication then it is about international scale. There are international media that connect everyone, to mention few here are Yahoo Messenger, Skype, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. One is live chat while other is social networking; they connect people all around the world. With so many online media we can use them to spread many good news, sharing good things.

You get connected not only by live messenger or social network, online game also connects people all around the world, the game people play using the internet. There are huge collections of online game available in the internet nowadays, from educational games to Online casinos usa. While playing, you can chat and make more friends, having fun and expanding your social network at the same time, it makes online game become one pretty game that everyone wants to play. So you get connected through many online media and the range is global, utilize it for maximum purpose and do not forget to share good messages!

Take Your Vitamin D at This Time

No doubt about it, vitamin D has risen to the ranks of nutritional superstardom. But you need to give this talent the red carpet treatment to really get a good show.

What does that mean? Research suggests this nutrient will perform best if you take it during your biggest meal of the day - be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

D for Dinner?

About three-quarters of us are deficient in vitamin D. Too bad, because a growing body of research links this nutrient to an amazing list of health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, stronger bones, better immunity, and possibly even a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

One easy way to get your D is to spend some time outside each day; just 10 to 20 minutes of sun during peak hours is all you need. But a supplement is a great backup plan.

And when researchers examined D-deficient middle-aged and older adults, they found that pairing the supplement with the largest meal of their day -rather than small meals, snacks, or an empty stomach- doubled the participants' blood levels

From Quirky: The Evolution Of Pocket Knives

Swiss army knives have always been sort of a collector’s item and has been widely accepted as the most preferred utility knife across the world. Even thought the Swiss army knives are extremely useful and come handy at numerous occasions, yet what these knives lack is the ability to remove and replace tools as per the need of the users. However, one of the foremost names in the field of innovative product development, Quirky, has now come out with an all new pocket knife, that can only be termed as the most versatile of all pocket knives.

The all new Switch Modular Pocket Knife from Quirky is seen as a stroke of a genius, as this incredible little tool provides the users with the ability to switch the tools and blades of the knife as per their choice and requirements.

The Switch is comprised of two slotted caps, that keep the tools together in the knife and can be unscrewed very easily. Furthermore the Switch Modular Pocket Knife comes with eighteen essential tool attachments including. Standard Knife, Pliers, Scissors, Nail File, Tweezers.

Thin Flathead Screwdriver, Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Eyeglass Phillips-Head Screwdriver, Eyeglass Flathead Screwdriver, Wood Saw, Serrated Blade, Corkscrew, Combination Bottle Opener/Flathead Screwdriver, Combination Can Opener/Wire Stripper, Pen, Magnifying Glass, LED Flashlight and even an 1GB USB Memory Stick.

Two Drugs Fight HIV

The combination between two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration revealed to be an efficient treatment against HIV in mice. Scientists at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center have combined two drugs currently used against pre-cancer and cancer therapy, and found out that the HIV infection in the mouse model was eliminated, as the virus mutated itself to death.

This breakthrough is the result of a collaboration between molecular virologists Louis Mansky, PhD, and Christine Clouser, PhD, of the Institute for Molecular Virology and School of Dentistry, along with medicinal chemist Steven Patterson, PhD, from the Center for Drug Design.

The gemcitabine and decitabine concentrations used in pre-clinical trials in mice were effective below the current levels used for treating cancer.

As the two drugs are already FDA approved, researchers hope that if tests are also successful for other larger animal models, they might make a step forward in the development of drugs for human use. The HIV virus mutates very quickly and it is very hard to target and treat successfully, so instead of trying to stop the growth and replication of the virus, this new drug combination did the exact opposite: it made it evolve beyond control until “lethal mutagenesis”.

The Pop: Kia's Funky Plug-in City Car

Korea's car design revolution continues with Pop electric car. Kia has hinted it's ready to burst onto the electric-car scene with a new concept car called the Pop.

The plug-in city car will make its debut at the forthcoming Paris motor show, where the Korean car maker will reveal more details for what would be its smallest vehicle yet. The Pop is just three metres long but will accommodate three people - with the third occupant sitting behind the front passenger.

It's likely only the Pop's electric drivetrain and three-seat layout would ever make it into production. The car's design would be complex and expensive to build.

A huge section of glass forms both the roof and windscreen, the large doors feature a distinctive, angled side window and the wheels are encased in what appear to be unfeasibly thin rubber. The pictures also suggest a dark-tinted glass rear hatch door provides access to the boot.

Staycation

Not every one has the privilege that we call time! If you don’t have time and do not have budget, it doesn’t mean that you (and your family) cannot have a vacation. Nowadays there are many ways to have vacation. Vacation in present days doesn’t require you to have extra time and extra money. One type of vacation that gains more and more popularity is Staycation.

Staycation is gaining popularity in our busy world; it is a combination between vacation and staying at home or going somewhere near! There are many things you can do to cheer yourself up without traveling. If in old days, vacation is almost equal to traveling, nowadays since there are many forms of entertainment can be done right from your home, vacation can be started right from your home sweet home.

Here are few ideas about staycation. You alone or with family can start with visiting the public library. Ride your bike along a bike trail within your estate is also fun. If you get internet connection and a pc, then you can play online games. There are many websites that offer gaming. You can play farming games or even casino but first you need to read some manuals or Casino reviews to have the idea where to start your game. Have a great staycation!

Dark chocolate can be good for the heart, study says

Older women who eat dark chocolate once or twice a week could be lowering their risk of heart failure, says a US study. It found those eating chocolate once or twice a week cut the risk of developing heart failure by a third, but those eating it every day did not benefit.

The Boston study, in a journal of the American Heart Association, looked at nearly 32,000 Swedish women aged between 48 and 83 over nine years. Dieticians say eating chocolate too often can be damaging and unhealthy.

The study notes that one or two 19 to 30 gram servings of dark chocolate a week led to a 32% reduction in heart failure risk. This fell to 26% when one to three servings a month were eaten. But those who ate chocolate every day did not appear to reduce their risk of heart failure at all.

The researchers conclude the protective effect of eating chocolate reduces as more or less is eaten than the optimum one to two servings a week.
'Flavanoids'

Too much chocolate is unhealthy because it contains high levels of sugar and fat which can make people put on weight, the researchers say. But chocolate also contains high concentration of compounds called flavonoids which can lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease, previous studies have found.

Giant turtle's demise the fault of humans, study says

Humans helped drive a species of giant turtle to extinction almost 3,000 years ago, according to a study in PNAS. It is one of the first cases that clearly shows that humans played a role in the demise of the giant, extinct animals known as "megafauna". An Australian research team discovered turtle leg bones - but not shells or skulls - on an island of Vanuatu.

The bones date to just 200 years after humans' arrival, suggesting they were hunted to extinction for their meat.

However, the turtles lived far longer than other megafauna - which included the famed woolly mammoth; while Australian megafauna is thought to have died out almost 50,000 years ago, it appears that these turtles survived for far longer - until the arrival of a people known as the Lapita.

Debate over what caused the megafauna to die out has raged for 150 years, since Darwin first spotted the remains of giant ground sloths in Chile. Possible causes have ranged from human influence to climate change in the past, even to a cataclysmic meteor strike.

Bacteria can 'smell' their environment, research shows

Research has shown that bacteria - among the simplest life forms on Earth - have a sense of smell. Scientists from Newcastle University in the UK have demonstrated that a bacterium commonly found in soil can sniff and react to ammonia in the air.

It was previously thought that this "olfaction" was limited to more complex forms of life known as eukaryotes. The finding, published in Biotechnology Journal, means that bacteria have four of the five senses that humans enjoy.

The discovery also has implications in the understanding and control of biofilms - the chemical coatings that bacteria can form on, for example, medical implants.

Bacteria have already demonstrated the ability to react to light, in analogy to sight, and to change the genes that they express when confronted with certain materials, in analogy to touch.

'Most Dangerous Trojan Virus Ever Created'

Cyber criminals have raided the accounts of thousands of British internet bank customers in one of the most sophisticated attacks of its kind. The fraudsters used a malicious computer programme that hides on home computers to steal confidential passwords and account details from at least 3,000 people.

The internet security experts M86, who uncovered the scam, estimate that at least £675,000 has been illegally transferred from the UK in the last month - and that the attacks are still continuing. All the victims were customers with the same unnamed online bank, the company said. Last night online banking customers were urged to make sure their anti-virus software was up to date - and to check for any missing sums from their accounts.

The attack has been traced to a 'control and command' centre in Eastern Europe. However, the nationality of the cybercriminals is unknown. The attacks were carried out when hundreds of thousands of home computers were infected with a type of harmful computer code called a Trojan.

Trojans hide in websites, emails or downloads. Once installed on a computer they can record every type of the keyboard, steal confidential information or even open up a PC's security so that it can be controlled remotely from another country.

New brain scan to diagnose autism

A brain scan that detects autism in adults could mean much more straightforward diagnosis of the condition, scientists say.

Experts at King's College London said the test identified tiny but crucial signs of autism, only detectable by computer.

Current methods of diagnosis can be lengthy and expensive.

But some experts say further research will be needed before the new technique can be widely used.

Autism Spectrum Disorder affects an estimated 1 in every 100 adults in the UK, most of them men. It varies from mild to very severe, and people with the condition can find the world appears chaotic and hard to understand.

Conventional diagnosis involves a team of experts who analyse behaviour and make a complex series of assessments.

Warning over New 'superbug'

A new superbug that is resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics has entered UK hospitals, experts warn.

They say bacteria which make an enzyme called NDM-1 travelled back with NHS patients who had gone abroad to countries like India and Pakistan for treatments such as cosmetic surgery.

Although there have only been about 50 cases identified in the UK so far, scientists fear it will go global.

Tight surveillance and new drugs are needed says Lancet Infectious Diseases.

NDM-1 can exist inside different bacteria, like E.coli, and it makes them resistant to one of the most powerful groups of antibiotics - carbapenems.

Best Form of Stress Release

Don't reach for a glass of wine or watch your favourite soap at the end of the hard day. For research has shown that the most effective way to unwind is to spend time with the family dog.

It has been revealed that a dog's enthusiasm is infectious and that simply spending time with them leaves owners feeling more relaxed, more optimistic and less preoccupied with everyday worries.

The survey of dog owners also found that walking the dog is the best quality time that can be spent with the family, beating family mealtimes and even holidays.

Television presenter and dog owner Ben Fogle, 36, says his relationship with his dog has brought countless happy memories and also led to him meeting his now wife, Marina.

He said: 'Having a dog is rewarding in so many ways and I enjoy nothing more than coming home and being greeted by Inca, her daughter Lola, and Maggi.

Why Women Attracted to A MAN in Red

Forget candlelit dinners, bouquets of flowers and endless compliments. The way to a woman’s heart lies in wearing a red shirt, it seems.

Researcher Andrew Elliot, of Rochester University in the U.S., said that red is associated with power, passion and fertility in the animal kingdom – and people are no different.

‘This suggests that women’s thoughts and feelings toward men are, at least in part, primitive,’ he said. ‘The question “What do women want?” with regard to sexual attraction and desire has puzzled men and scholars for many years.

‘Our research suggests that the answer may be more provocative, than anticipated.’ Wearing red may also make a man feel more self-assured.

iPhone Faces Rising Challenge from Android Handsets

Apple’s iPhone will likely dominate the high-end smartphone market in the next five years but faces strong competition from handsets using Google’s Android platform, a research firm said Tuesday. By 2015, total mobile application downloads in the Asia-Pacific are forecast to reach 5.30 billion, of which 597.15 million, or about 11 percent, will be for the iPhone, technology industry consultancy Ovum said.

Downloads of iPhone applications are estimated at 62.16 million dollars in 2010, Ovum said in an analysis released four days before the launch of the new-generation iPhone 4 in another 17 countries and cities worldwide on Friday. The iPhone 4 is expected “to face much stiffer competition than its predecessors”, Ovum principal analyst Adam Leach said in a statement.

“The rise of Google Android over the last two years has been phenomenal and is allowing manufacturers to create appealing alternatives to the iPhone, critically at cheaper prices,” Leach said. Handsets using the Android operating platform are more than just clones of the iconic iPhone, he said. “The risk to Apple is that these devices offer greater freedom with available content and may prove more appealing, if it offers the right user and developer experience, than a device with Apple-approved content only,” said Leach.

Jon Bon Jovi with Four Naked Girls in Bed

He's known as the nice guy of rock and roll. But newly released photos show a different side of family man Jon Bon Jovi - the wannabe star trying to make it in the music industry.

The posed shots show the singer lying on a bed with four naked girls on top of him, in a provocative scene.

They were taken by famed photographer Ross Marino in 1985 when Jon was just 22, busy promoting second album 7800°Fahrenheit.

It wasn't until the release of Bon Jovi's third album, Slippery When Wet that the band shot to superstardom.

The never-published pictures were kept locked away for more than 20 years by the band's former tour manager, Rich Bozzett, who has included them in his new book charting his time with the band.

Churchill's dentures fetch nearly $24,000

A partial set of British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill's gold-mounted dentures has fetched 15,200 pounds ($23,770) at auction, over three times the estimate.

The false teeth, specially designed to disguise Churchill's lisp, were sold by the son of the technician who was commissioned to make them.

They had been expected to make a maximum of 5,000 pounds at Thursday's sale by Keys auctioneer.

"The atmosphere was electric," said a Keys' spokesman.

False alarm: Google search still working in China

Google Inc. triggered a false alarm Thursday by posting a notice that its search engine and several other services had been cut off from mainland China - a key market where the company has been locked in a high-profile battle over online censorship.

But what initially looked like a dramatic development turned out to be nothing more than a technological hiccup.

After the company's report of a complete blockage in China had been relayed by many media, Google backed off the claim.

Friendship A Prescription for Good Health

Do you know that having good friends can do wonders for your health? Research shows! A life of booze, fags and slothfulness may be enough to earn your doctor's disapproval, but there is one last hope: a repeat prescription of mates and good conversation.

A circle of close friends and strong family ties can boost a person's health more than exercise, losing weight or quitting cigarettes and alcohol, psychologists say.

Sociable people seem to reap extra rewards from their relationships by feeling less stressed, taking better care of themselves and having less risky lifestyles than those who are more isolated, they claim.

A review of studies into the impact of relationships on health found that people had a 50 per cent better survival rate if they belonged to a wider social group, be it friends, neighbors, relatives or a mix of these.

The striking impact of social connections on well being has led researchers to call on GPs and health officials to take loneliness as seriously as other health risks, such as alcoholism and smoking.

First aid kits and medical supplier

What do you need from a first aid kit and medical supplier? Everybody is going to give the same answer which is quality. We all need first quality product when it comes to first aid kit and its related products. That’s why we need first aid kits and supply that meet or exceed OSHA standards. The next thing is the complete range of product, if possible to find a store preferably an online store that has complete range of first aid kits and supply for homes, job sites, commercial offices and vehicles in case an emergency happens. It is not only stop just right there, a reliable first aid kits and supply supplier will also have refills for all first aid kits and cabinets.

The online store supposedly to have important articles about first aid and related subjects such as first aid training articles. So what are the products when it comes to first aid medical supplies? To name few important medical and supplies are burn care, CPR and AED products, blood borne pathogens, antiseptics, pain relief products, trauma kits, disaster preparedness and survival products, search and rescue tools, storage containers and protective equipment such as safety glasses, head and body protection, respirators and face masks, gloves, exam gloves and ear protection. A good and reliable supplier or store is expected to be able to deliver order in reasonable period of time.

Since there are many online stores selling first aid kits and medical, buyers expect to get quality products with affordable prices. What else? Most buyers expect the same thing which is to have good services when they get online or on the phone line with one of the store officer, it is expected that the officer know the products they are selling. And since no one can predict when emergency will occur, first aid kits and medical supplier need to be available 24/7. To get more information about fist aid kits and medical simply visit 1staidsupplies.com.

More Bacteria on Cell Phones than Toilet Handle

They are pretty much essential, but you may want to ditch your mobile phone for ever after reading this. The average handset carries 18 times more potentially harmful germs than a flush handle in a men's toilet, tests have revealed.

An analysis of handsets found almost a quarter were so dirty that they had up to ten times an acceptable level of TVC bacteria. One of the phones in the test had such high levels of bacteria it could have given its owner a serious stomach upset.

While TVC is not immediately harmful, elevated levels indicate poor personal hygiene and act as a breeding ground for other bugs. The findings from a sample of 30 phones by Which? magazine suggest 14.7million of the 63million mobiles in use in the UK today could be potential health hazards.

Hygiene expert Jim Francis, who carried out the tests, said: 'The levels of potentially harmful bacteria on one mobile were off the scale. That phone needs sterilising.'

Victoria Beckham Nabs Fifth Vogue Cover

Every young girl dreams of being on the cover of Vogue and now Victoria Beckham has done it for a fifth time. The 36-year-old designer and fashion model appears on the the Turkish edition of the magazine, holding a cocktail, while wearing a fringe-black dress and studded heels.

After starring alongside her husband David Beckham in the Emporio Armani adverts, Victoria Beckham got used to posing in her underwear. But after being replaced by Megan Fox in the role, the mother-of-three is now free to wear any lingerie she wants.

As she lands her fifth Vogue cover on the Turkish edition, the 36-year-old is peeling off again in a racy new shoot. Surrounded by handsome young men, the former Spice Girl shows off her svelte and tanned physique in a series of lingerie, swimwear and dresses.

While showcasing new collections from many Turkish designers, including Yildirim Mayruk, she also uses the opportunity to plug her own range by wearing a tan limited-edition trench coat from her Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.

Katy Perry Is Floating Pretty and Semi-Naked In Her "Teenage Dream"

Katy Perry poses naked on the cover of new album Teenage Dream, with just a few pieces of strategically-placed candy floss protecting her modesty.

The 25-year-old singer was painted by artist Will Cotton for the cover picture, and is seen reclining luxuriously on a bed of pink candy floss in the portrait, which was painted over a period of six weeks.

Unveiling the cover on her official website, Katy wrote: 'Oh my God, what will my mother think? It's so gorgeous. I'm so excited. I'm nervous. I'm shaking a bit. This will be my first piece of real art.'

And, because the image is so beautiful, the album cover won't feature any text. However Katy added: 'Hopefully they know it's me by the actual picture!'Katy has long been a fan of quirky artist Cotton, who also acted as artistic director on her most recent music video for single California Gurls.

She explained: 'The day I found Will Cotton, I knew I wanted to live in his cinematic cotton candy world. 'A fantastically art-directed music video and one piece of timeless album artwork later, I can proudly say I am more than a fan.

Long Ring Finger May Mean A Prostate Cancer Risk

Men with a long ring finger could be three times more likely to develop prostate cancer, research shows. Doctors found that the risk increases if the ring finger on the right hand is significantly longer than the index finger next to the thumb.

But men whose ring fingers are only slightly longer, or are about the same length, are much less likely to get the disease. The findings open up the possibility of screening men with longer fingers at an early age for signs of cancer.

In the study, blood tests showed that men with longer ring fingers on their right hand had higher levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA).

This chemical is sometimes found in high levels in blood when cancer is present. The right hand was studied because the difference between the length of its ring finger and index finger is often greater than on the left, as it is more sensitive to hormonal changes in the womb.

The results are the latest in a long line of studies linking finger length to men's health, most of which highlight the benefits of a long ring finger.

Daniel Radcliffe to star in The Woman in Black

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has landed the lead role in Hammer movie The Woman In Black.

Based on an adaptation of Susan Hill's best-selling novel, Radcliffe will play a young lawyer who finds himself embroiled in a ghostly hostage plot.

The script has been written by Jane Goldman, who wrote the recent box-office hit, Kick Ass. It will be directed by Eden Lake's James Watkins.

"I am incredibly excited to be part of The Woman in Black," Radcliffe said.

Hammer became synonymous with the horror genre in the 1950s thanks to films like Dracula and The Mummy.

Other famous Hammer films include The Curse of Frankenstein and The Curse of the Werewolf.

'Toxic trio' triggers gut disease

The precise cause of the immune reaction that leads to coeliac disease has been discovered.

Three key substances in the gluten found in wheat, rye and barley trigger the digestive condition, UK and Australian researchers say.

This gives a potential new target for developing treatments and even a vaccine, they believe.

Coeliac disease is caused by an intolerance to gluten found in foods like bread, pasta and biscuits.

It is thought to affect around 1 in every 100 people in the UK, particularly women.

The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from very mild to severe.

Possible symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, recurrent stomach pain, tiredness, headaches, weight loss and mouth ulcers.

Some symptoms may be mistaken as irritable bowel syndrome or wheat intolerance.

Look Good and Feel Good!

These days, it is so obvious that most of us are adoring beauty and power, and with this understanding many have done so many things to be able to stay slim and sexy, as they reflect to healthiness and power. Talking about slim and sexy is about great body shape and personality, and there are many ways to achieve them. What most people do are, they exercise regularly to balance their input and output calories, consume healthy food, or by doing some procedures. To look good on these days are equal to feel good!

Thanks to the technology we have these days, there are many specialists in liposuction procedures from california plastic surgeon to ethnic plastic surgery, they are now available to perform body sculpturing. For those of us who are not familiar with this procedure, liposuction is a body sculpturing procedure to remove excess fatty deposits from your body. The fact that not everybody can get rid of their excess fatty in certain body areas with diet and exercise alone has made liposuction become the best and only response to remove their excess weight.

Most of people who have this procedure rapidly gain back their confident, of course this help them to perform better for their everyday lives and activity. This investment is a great way to get the body shape you have always wanted. To get the result you desired, you need to visit the expert in this procedure. There is one place that most people are talking about when it comes to liposuction and other body sculpturing procedures and that is Los Angeles, California.

This city is where celebrities and red carpet events on almost every spot, that’s why they called it the capital of beauty! There are many experts in this city, but one name worth to consider when it comes to Botox procedure (or a mini liposuction), the name is Lloyd Krieger, MD. To learn more about body sculpturing procedures in general, you can easily get the information from the internet, but to have the details it is always recommended to get from the expert. Now is your turn to look good and feel good.