Nokia caught faking TV ad

ESPOO (UPI) -- Finnish phone company Nokia admitted that it had been caught red-handed faking a television ad for its new Lumia 920 mobile phone.An article in The Verge called Nokia on the ad after spotting a reflection of a camera filming for the advertisement that was said to be an example of how great the phone‘s video technology looked.Nokia was touting the phone camera’s “PureView” capability, which makes it possible to film a moving object from a moving platform.The Los Angeles Times repor

Sept. 7, 2012

Green tea good for the memory

 The chemical properties of green tea affect the generation of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning, researchers in China say. Professor Yun Bai of the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China, and his team focused on the organic chemical epigallocatechin-3 gallate, known as EGCG, an antioxidant in green tea.  "Green tea is a popular beverage across the worl

Sept. 7, 2012

Study: Death of dinosaurs was second event

The dying of dinosaurs 65 million years ago may have been the second of two extinction events, following one that killed marine life, U.S. scientists say.The extinction of dinosaurs is thought to be due to an asteroid at least 6 miles in diameter slamming into Mexico‘s Yucatan Peninsula, but new evidence shows life on the seafloor was already perishing at the time of the impact because of the effects of huge volcanic eruptions on the Deccan Plateau in what is now India.Researchers at the Univers

Sept. 7, 2012

Vietnam Agent Orange victims get Scientology 'detox'

 Dozens of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange on Thursday embarked on a controversial detoxification treatment plan developed by the Church of Scientology, a Hanoi hospital director said.US aircraft sprayed chemical defoliants such as Agent Orange over vast swathes of jungle during the Vietnam War in an attempt to flush out Viet Cong communist guerrillas by depriving them of tree cover and food.Th

Sept. 7, 2012

Samsung hits 20 million Galaxy S3 sales

Tech giant’s products to ‘come out strong’ despite legal challenges with Apple, analysts saySamsung Electronics, the world’s largest tech company by revenue, saw record sales of its flagship Galaxy S3 in a short period of time, despite recent difficulties over legal issues with its rival Apple.The company said Thursday that it sold more than 20 million Galaxy S3 smartphones globally in 100 days since its introduction in late May.In the first 50 days, Samsung sold 10 million Galaxy S3 smartphones

Sept. 6, 2012

Tick-borne virus, new to Americas, identified in Missouri

Federal scientists have isolated a virus in ticks that has never before appeared in the Western Hemisphere and are calling on other scientists to look for evidence of the disease-causing pathogen.Virus hunters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus causes an illness nearly identical to ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease that is caused by a bacterium.The newfound pathogen, known as a phlebovirus, was isolated in 2009 in two Missouri men who doctors knew had been bitten

Sept. 6, 2012

Guard against colon cancer

Many think that colon cancer is something that people aged over 50 should be worried about, but it pays to be on guard against the disease at a much earlier age, doctors say. A study released Thursday by the Korean Society of Coloproctology found that over 20 percent of men in their 30s who underwent colonoscopies between 2009 and 2011 had one or more polyps, the primary seed of colon cancer. It was a surprisingly high rate for the age group, which was regarded as less vulnerable, researchers sa

Sept. 6, 2012

Cystitis

Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder lining which can be caused by microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa or viruses), allergies, radiation and pharmacological agents. The most common mechanism of cystitis is bacterial infection through the urethra. Because women have shorter urethras than men, they are more prone to urinary tract infections. This is because the bacteria from the urethra, vagina or the cervix can flow back to the bladder. In this case, the main bacterial organisms are those of

Sept. 6, 2012

Apple ups offensive against Samsung in Korea

Watchdog probes Korean firm’s alleged 3G patent abuseThe nation’s antitrust watchdog is looking into whether Samsung Electronics’ patented wireless networking technologies could violate a fair licensing agreement within the industry, following a complaint filed by Apple Inc. in June. The investigation by the Fair Trade Commission is expected to cover the two companies’ market shares in the smartph

Sept. 6, 2012

Study: Heavy drinking rewires brain

(123rf)A study using mice found heavy alcohol use rewires the brain making it harder for alcoholics to recover from a traumatic experience, U.S. researchers say. Study author Thomas Kash of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine said those who drank heavily were at increased risk for traumatic events such as car accidents and domestic violence, but that only partially explained the co

Sept. 6, 2012

‘Galileo thermometers’ said not Galileo’s

Galileo didn’t invent a colorful, iconic thermometer that bears his name, a chemistry professor at a South African university says in a U.S journal.Peter Loyson of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University says so-called “Galilean thermometers” are sealed tubes of liquid in which glass spheres float and sink with changes in ambient temperature.However, Loyson says in an article in the American Chemicals Society’s Journal of Chemical Education, although Galileo may have originated the idea in a

Sept. 6, 2012

‘Bad Piggies’ is ‘Angry Birds’ follow-up

ESPOO (UPI) -- Rovio, the Finnish maker of “Angry Birds,” has announced a follow-up starring the popular video game’s villains, dubbing it “Bad Piggies.”The company’s “Angry Birds” game has seen re-releases in different formats and extra level packs, but a game featuring the piggish bad guys of “Angry Birds‘ might not seem on obvious choice.”We consider this the launch of a new franchise [rather than a sequel].“ Rovio Vice President Petri Jarvileh told the business magazine Fast Company.Game-pla

Sept. 6, 2012

Voyager I poised to leave solar system

NASA's Voyager I space probe, launched 35 years ago, is about to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space, scientists say.The spacecraft has detected two changes in the surrounding expanse of empty space around it, exactly as scientist expected it to, before it enters interstellar space, The Register Web site reported Wednesday.This artists rendering provided by NASA shows This image sh

Sept. 6, 2012