For everything from family to computers…
A privacy notice is finding its way onto many Facebook profiles, as it supposedly offers protection from Facebook’s claim to the copyright of users’ individual posts. It’s unofficial, doesn’t actually do anything, and you should not post it if it crosses your path. Here’s what the fake notice looks line: More » 
from Lifehacker
UBS was at the center of a regulatory crackdown, as bodies in Switzerland and the U.K. announced punitive measures following the unauthorized trading scandal that led to losses of $2.3 billion at the bank.
The holiday staple/bane of gift wrappers’ existence is now a water-collecting gripper.
Scotch tape is indispensable this time of year, even for the least-skilled gift wrappers among us. Now it may have another use that lasts well beyond the wrapping paper frenzy: a shape-changing gripper.
It turns out Scotch tape curls up when exposed to humidity, so it can be used as a water-grabbing claw. This could be used to monitor water quality, according to the scientists at Purdue who developed them. The cellulose-acetate side, the slick clear film you rub with your finger, is water-absorbent. The adhesive side you stick on wrapping paper is water-repellent. So when one side absorbs water, it expands while the other side remains the same. The result is a curled-up piece of tape.
Researchers led by biomedical engineering professor Babak Ziaie machined some Scotch tape so it was one-tenth of its original thickness and sliced up the pieces into four slender fingers. These were attached to a small handle that could be used to immerse the whole thing in water. They can also be deployed without a handle, curling up into tape-balls. The gripper would close in on a sample and pick it up, like a claw in one of those stuffed toy arcade games. The researchers even added some magnetic particles to the tape, so they could be retrieved with a simple magnet.
Purdue doctoral candidate Manuel Ochoa came up with this idea when he was using Scotch tape for another improvised task: Picking up pollen grains. He noticed the tape curled in response to moisture. Ochoa and his colleagues were scheduled to present their findings at a Materials Research Society meeting in Boston this week.
[Purdue]
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from Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now
A thermostat has tremendous power: It controls heating and cooling, the most expensive, energy-guzzling system in a house. Until the Nest, thermostats wielded that power blindly. The Nest learns a household’s schedule and preferences after just one week and programs itself (and if those preferences change, the Nest adapts accordingly). It uses activity, humidity, and temperature sensors to monitor the indoor climate and adjust it for maximum efficiency.
The Nest can also shut down the air conditioner’s compressor a few minutes early to make the most of the cool air still available after it cycles off. The homeowner can always adjust the device from home or the road, but will rarely need to-which makes this the first thermostat truly compatible with people’s lives.
Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Compatibility: 95% of 24-volt systems
Price: $249
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from Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now
Wearers of the eye prosthetic would visualize Braille lettering instead of alphabets.
The makers of the Argus II retinal prosthetic have devised a way to help blind people read Braille. Their first reported tests with a person wearing an Argus II indicate that this method could help blind people with the implant read signs and short sections of text.
As the internet buzzes in anticipation of results revealing organic molecules on the Red Planet, ex-NASA scientist Gilbert Levin is more nervous than most
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