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Rare but Real: People Who Feel, Taste and Hear Color
By Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 22 February, 2005
7:00 a.m. ET


When Ingrid Carey says she feels colors, she does not mean she sees red, or feels blue, or is green with envy. She really does feel them.

She can also taste them, and hear them, and smell them.

The 20-year-old junior at the University of Maine has synesthesia, a rare neurological condition in which two or more of the senses entwine. Numbers and letters, sensations and emotions, days and months are all associated with colors for Carey.

The letter "N" is sienna brown; "J" is light green; the number "8" is orange; and July is bluish-green.

The pain from a shin split throbs in hues of orange and yellow, purple and red, Carey told LiveScience.

Colors in Carey's world have properties that most of us would never dream of: red is solid, powerful and consistent, while yellow is pliable, brilliant and intense. Chocolate is rich purple and makes Carey’s breath smell dark blue. Confusion is orange.

Scientific acceptance

Long dismissed as a product of overactive imaginations or a sign of mental illness, synesthesia has grudgingly come to be accepted by scientists in recent years as an actual phenomenon with a real neurological basis. Some researchers now believe it may yield valuable clues to how the brain is organized and how perception works.

"The study of synesthesia [has] encouraged people to rethink historical ideas that synesthesia was abnormal and an aberration," says Amy Ione, director of the Diatrope Institute, a California-based group interested in the arts and sciences.

The cause remains a mystery, however.

According to one idea, irregular sprouting of new neural connections within the brain leads to a breakdown of the boundaries that normally exist between the senses. In this view, synesthesia is the collective chatter of sensory neighbors once confined to isolation.

Another theory, based on research conducted by Daphne Maurer and Catherine Mondloch at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, suggests all infants may begin life as synesthetes. In this way of thinking, animals and humans are born with immature brains that are highly malleable. Connections between different sensory parts of the brain exists that later become pruned or blocked as an organism matures, Mondloch explained.

Maurer and Mondloch hypothesize that if these connections between the senses are functional, as some experiments suggest, then infants should experience the world in a way that is similar to synesthetic adults.

In a variation of this theory, babies don’t have five distinct senses but rather one all-encompassing sense that responds to the total amount of incoming stimulation. So when a baby hears her mother’s voice, she is also seeing it and smelling it.

Technology lags

Maurer and Mondloch’s pruning hypothesis is intriguing, says Bruno Laeng, a psychology professor at the University of Tromso, Norway. But he adds a caution.

"At present, we do not have the technology to observe brain-connection changes in the living human brain and how these relate to mental changes," Laeng said in an email interview.

Like other scientists, Laeng also questions whether synesthesia needs such extra neural connections in order to occur. Advancements in current brain imaging techniques may one day allow the pruning hypothesis to be tested directly, he said.

According to another theory that does not rely on extra connections, synesthesia arises when normally covert channels of communications between the senses are exposed to the light of consciousness.

All of us are able to perceive the world as a unified whole because there is a complex interaction between the senses in the brain, the thinking goes. Ordinarily, these interconnections are not explicitly experienced, but in the brains of synesthetes, "those connections are ‘unmasked’ and can enter conscious awareness," said Megan Steven, a neuroscientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Because this unmasking theory relies on neural connections everyone has, it may explain why certain drugs, like LSD or mescaline, can induce synesthesia in some individuals.

'Like I'm crazy'

Many synesthetes fear ridicule for their unusual abilities. They can feel isolated and alone in their experiences.

"Most people that I’d explain it to would either be fascinated or look at me like I’m crazy," Carey said. "Especially friends who were of a very logical mindset. They would be very perplexed."

The study of synesthesia is therefore important for synesthetes, says Daniel Smilek, an assistant psychology professor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

Research is revealing synesthetes to be a varied bunch.

Smilek and colleagues have identified two groups of synesthetes among those who associate letters and numbers with colors, he explained in a telephone interview. For individuals in one group, which Smilek calls "projector" synesthetes, the synesthetic color can fill the printed letter or it can appear directly in front of their eyes, as if projected onto an invisible screen. In contrast, "associate" synesthetes see the colors in their "mind’s eye" rather than outside their bodies.

In Carey’s case, the colors appear in quick flashes right behind her eyes, blinking in and out of existence as quickly as ocean foam. Other times they linger, coalescing and dividing like sunlight on the surface of a soap bubble.

'No mere curiosity'

Other subgroups have also been identified.

The synesthesia of those in the "perceptual" category is triggered by sensory stimuli like sights and sounds, whereas "conceptual" synesthetes respond to abstract concepts like time. One conceptual synesthete described the months of the year as a flat ribbon surrounding her body, each month a distinct color. February was pale green and oriented directly in front of her.

Richard Cytowic, a neuroscientist and author of "The Man Who Tasted Shapes" (Bradford Books, 1998), has watched the scientific shift in attitudes toward the condition in recent years.

"Many of my colleagues claimed that synesthesia was ‘made up’ because it went against prevailing theory," Cytowic told LiveScience. "Today, everyone recognizes synesthesia as no mere curiosity but important to fundamental principles of how the brain is organized."

 

The Sexy, Healthy Scent of a Man
By Robert Roy Britt
LiveScience Senior Writer

02:06 pm ET


The scent of a man, at least among mice, can reveal the state of his health and determine whether a female gets pregnant, a new study shows.

The research suggests that other animals, perhaps even you, choose mates in part based on the strength of their immune systems.

Previous research had shown mice prefer to breed with mates whose immune-system genes -- which produce chemicals that help the body fight invading cells -- are different from their own. Such selective sex leads to healthier offspring.

The new study shows how the selection occurs.

Researchers at the University of Maryland examined molecules known as peptides that come from the immune system and end up in urine. Each mouse's disease-fighting peptides are unique, like fingerprints. A female records and remembers the scent of a mate's peptides using its vomeronasal organ, inside the nose.

"Exposure, during a critical period, to urine odor from another male, will prevent embryo implantation, leading to loss of pregnancy, while exposure to the familiar odor will not," said Frank Zufall of the university's School of Medicine.

Spiking the punch

"We can trick this odor memory and the outcome of the pregnancy-block test by adding peptides to urine," Zufall told LiveScience. "In other words, we can switch an unfamiliar urine odor to a familiar one (and vice versa) by spiking the urine with only a few peptides."

Other studies have shown that vomeronasal organs in many animals detect pheromones and other molecules that pack information on sexual and social status. Pheromones were first discovered in the 1950s to be sex attractants in insects.

"We believe that detection of [immune system] peptides via the nose may be of general significance for social behaviors in all vertebrates," Zufall said.

The study was led by Trese Leinders-Zufall and will be detailed in the Nov. 5 issue of the journal Science.

Picky, picky

Similar peptides exist in human immune systems. But our vomeronasal organ has apparently been rendered defunct by evolution, many scientists believe, though there's some uncertainty about this. In fact the question of how and whether scent affects a woman has been widely debated in recent years.

Since discovering powerful sex pheremones in silkworms decades ago, scientists have been hot to learn whether humans could be similarly stimulated. The investigation has proved frustrating.

"Compared to insects, whose behavior is stereotyped and highly predictable, mammals are independent, ornery, complex creatures," notes writer Maya Pines of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Like any animal, we humans are picky. And that provides a line of investigation.

Stinky T-shirts

In 1996, Claus Wedekind, a zoologist at Bern University in Switzerland, conducted what's become known as the stinky T-shirt study. Wedekind had 44 men each wear a t-shirt for two nights straight, then tested how women reacted to the smelly shirts.

Like mice, women preferred the scent of men whose immune systems were unlike their own. If a man's immune system was similar, a woman tended to describe his T-shirt as smelling like her father or brother.

Since then, companies have developed pheremone-based perfumes and cologns, with promises of increased sexual attraction. Researchers don't agree on their effectiveness.

More research is needed to figure out how and to what extent a woman's nose leads her to sex, and how adept she is at picking a healthy partner.

"We cannot rule out that other parts of the human nose are able to detect the peptides," Frank Zufall said. "We can now ask whether these peptides are present in human secretions such as sweat and saliva, whether they can be detected by the human nose, and if so, whether they have any influence on our own social behavior."

 

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Dimension
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Dimensions)
Jump to: navigation, search

For other senses of this word, see dimension (disambiguation).

In common usage, a dimension (Latin, "measured out") is a parameter or measurement required to define the characteristics of an object—i.e. length, width, and height or size and shape. In mathematics, dimensions are the parameters required to describe the position and relevant characteristics of any object within a conceptual space —where the dimensions of a space are the total number of different parameters used for all possible objects considered in the model. Generalizations of this concept are possible and different fields of study will define their spaces by their own relevant dimensions, and use these spaces as frameworks upon which all other study (in that area) is based. In specialized contexts, units of measurement may sometimes be "dimensions"—meters or feet in geographical space models, or cost and price in models of a local economy.

For example, locating a point on a plane (e.g. a city on a map of the Earth) requires two parameters — latitude and longitude. The corresponding space has therefore two dimensions, its dimension is two, and this space is said to be 2-dimensional (2D). Locating the exact position of an aircraft in flight (relative to the Earth) requires another dimension (altitude), hence the position of the aircraft can be rendered in a three-dimensional space (3D).

If time is added as a 3rd or 4th dimension (to a 2D or 3D space, respectively), then the aircraft's estimated "speed" may be calculated from a comparison between the times associated with any two positions. For common uses, simply using "speed" (as a dimension) is a useful way of condensing (or translating) the more abstract time dimension, even if "speed" is not a dimension, but rather a calculation based on two dimensions. Adding the three Euler angles, for a total 6 dimensions, allows the current degrees of freedom —orientation and trajectory —of the aircraft to be known.

Theoretical physics often experiments with dimensions - adding more, or changing their properties - in order to describe unusual conceptual models of space, in order to help better describe concept of quantum mechanics —ie. the 'physics beneath the visible physical world.' This concept has been borrowed in science fiction as a metaphorical device, where an "alternate dimension" (ie. 'alternate universe' or 'plane of existence') describes Extraterrestrial places, species, and cultures which function in various different and unusual ways from human culture.

The physical dimensions are the parameters required to answer the question where and when some event happened or will happen; for instance: When did Napoleon die? — On the 5 May 1821 at Saint Helena (15°56′ S 5°42′ W). They play a fundamental role in our perception of the world around us. According to Immanuel Kant, we actually do not perceive them but they form the frame in which we perceive events; they form the a priori background in which events are perceived.

Spatial dimensions

Classical physics theories describe three physical dimensions: from a particular point in space, the basic directions in which we can move are up/down, left/right, and forward/backward. Movement in any other direction can be expressed in terms of just these three. Moving down is the same as moving up a negative amount. Moving diagonally upward and forward is just as the name of the direction implies; i.e., moving in a linear combination of up and forward. In its simplest form: a line describes one dimension, a plane describes two dimensions, and a cube describes three dimensions. (See Space and Cartesian coordinate system)


[edit] Time

Time is often referred to as the dimensional "fourth time repeated dimension." It is, in essence, one way to measure physical change. It is perceived very differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that movement seems to occur at a fixed rate and in one direction according to the Conjunction Theory by Andrew O'Desky in 1973.

The equations used in physics to model reality often do not treat time in the same way that humans perceive it. In particular, the equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy).

The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity (and extended to general relativity), which treats perceived space and time as parts of a four-dimensional manifold.

[edit] Additional dimensions

Theories such as string theory and m theory predict that the space we live in has in fact 10 or 11 dimensions, respectively, but that the universe measured along these additional dimensions is subatomic in size. As a result, we perceive only the three spatial dimensions that have macroscopic size.

[edit] Units

In the physical sciences and in engineering, the dimension of a physical quantity is the expression of the class of physical unit that such a quantity is measured against. The dimension of speed, for example, is length divided by time. In the SI system, the dimension is given by the seven exponents of the fundamental quantities. See Dimensional analysis.

[edit] Mathematical dimensions

In mathematics, no definition of dimension adequately captures the concept in all situations where we would like to make use of it. Consequently, mathematicians have devised numerous definitions of dimension for different types of spaces. All, however, are ultimately based on the concept of the dimension of Euclidean n-space E n. The point E 0 is 0-dimensional. The line E 1 is 1-dimensional. The plane E 2 is 2-dimensional. And in general E n is n-dimensional.

A tesseract is an example of a four-dimensional object. Whereas outside of mathematics the use of the term "dimension" is as in: "A tesseract has four dimensions," mathematicians usually express this as: "The tesseract has dimension 4," or: "The dimension of the tesseract is 4."

The rest of this section examines some of the more important mathematical definitions of dimension.

[edit] Hamel dimension

For vector spaces, there is a natural concept of dimension, namely the cardinality of a basis. See Hamel dimension for details.

[edit] Manifolds

A connected topological manifold is locally homeomorphic to Euclidean n-space, and the number n is called the manifold's dimension. One can show that this yields a uniquely defined dimension for every connected topological manifold.

The theory of manifolds, in the field of geometric topology, is characterized by the way dimensions 1 and 2 are relatively elementary, the high-dimensional cases n > 4 are simplified by having extra space in which to 'work'; and the cases n = 3 and 4 are in some senses the most difficult. This state of affairs was highly marked in the various cases of the Poincaré conjecture, where four different proof methods are applied.

[edit] Lebesgue covering dimension

For any topological space, the Lebesgue covering dimension is defined to be n if n is the smallest integer for which the following holds: any open cover has a refinement (a second cover where each element is a subset of an element in the first cover) such that no point is included in more than n + 1 elements. For manifolds, this coincides with the dimension mentioned above. If no such n exists, then the dimension is infinite.

[edit] Inductive dimension

The inductive dimension of a topological space may refer to the small inductive dimension or the large inductive dimension, and is based on the analogy that n+1-dimensional balls have n dimensional boundaries, permitting an inductive definition based on the dimension of the boundaries of open sets.

[edit] Hausdorff dimension

For sets which are of a complicated structure, especially fractals, the Hausdorff dimension is useful. The Hausdorff dimension is defined for all metric spaces and, unlike the Hamel dimension, can also attain non-integer real values [1]. The box dimension is a variant of the same idea. In general, there exist more definitions of fractal dimensions that work for highly irregular sets and attain non-integer positive real values.

[edit] Hilbert spaces

Every Hilbert space admits an orthonormal basis, and any two such bases have the same cardinality. This cardinality is called the dimension of the Hilbert space. This dimension is finite if and only if the space's Hamel dimension is finite, and in this case the two dimensions coincide.

[edit] Krull dimension of commutative rings

The Krull dimension of a commutative ring, named after Wolfgang Krull (1899 - 1971), is defined to be the maximal number of strict inclusions in an increasing chain of prime ideals in the ring.

[edit] Negative dimension

The negative (fractal) dimension is introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot, in which, when it is positive gives the known definition, and when it is negative measures the degree of "emptiness" of empty sets. [2]

[edit] Science fiction

Science fiction texts often mention the concept of dimension, when really referring to parallel universes, alternate universes, or other planes of existence. This usage is derived from the idea that in order to travel to parallel/alternate universes/planes of existence one must travel in a spatial direction/dimension besides the standard ones. In effect, the other universes/planes are just a small distance away from our own, but the distance is in a fourth (or higher) spatial dimension, not the standard ones.

[edit] Penrose's singularity theorem

In his book The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, scientist Sir Roger Penrose explained his singularity theorem. It asserts that all theories that attribute more than three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension to the world of experience are unstable. The instabilities that exist in systems of such extra dimensions would result in their rapid collapse into a singularity. For that reason, Penrose wrote, the unification of gravitation with other forces through extra dimensions cannot occur.


LINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensions


1) Kaluza-Klein theory is in 5 - dimensions and brings together Maxwell's Electromagnetic Equations and Einstein's General Relativity Field Equations in 4 dimensional Space-Time.

2) 11 dimensions would have 4 unfolded Space-Time dimensions and 7 folded dimensions.

3) 11 dimensions arises out of M-Theory. A string theory requires 10 dimensions to be self consistent. The problem is there are 5 different types of string theories with 10 dimensions. Witten proposed and proved that all these theories can be expressed as one theory in 11 dimensions. The theory is called M-Theory and with it equations in one string theory can be converted into equivalent but different equations in another theory. Since some problems are easier to compute in one theory than another, one can consistently move among the theories where the problem more easily solved.

4) Einstein and not Kaluza that tried to unify all the forces using principles similar to Kaluza-Klein. He did not succeed.

5) Calabi-Yau manifolds arise directly from the symmetries that most exist in the folded dimensions for the strings to be consistent - not generate infinities or contradictions. They are an integral property of the cosmic fabric of space described by the theory.

Now to answer your question given the above corrections - hopeful the question is still relevant. The strings and folded dimensions are on the order of Plank's length - 10^-33 cm for the theory to provide a consistent theory of gravity. This is far too small to be observed within a "lab" any time within the future of mankind.

However there may ways of observing it indirectly and proving the theory. If you are interested I would suggests Brian Greene "The Fabric of the Cosmos" to understand how the theory applies and how it may be tested in the future. It is higly readable and will keep you straightened out ;-)

Source(s):
Kaluza-Klien - http://www.matter-antimatter.com/kaluza-...

String Theory - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/string_theo...

M Theory - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/m-theory...

Edward Witten - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/edward_witt...

Calabi-Yau manifolds - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/calabi-yau...

Plank's Length - http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/...
6 months ago - Report Abuse

 

What is sexsomnia?

Falling asleep after sex is common, but falling, sleeping and staying asleep during sex is another matter. The condition is called sexsomnia.

Sexsomnia occurs when a person is asleep and yet proceeds to initiate sexual activity with their bedmate. Sexsomnia is also known as "somnambulistic sexual behaviour".

The first use of "sexsomnia" for this condition was by Dr C M Shapiro and two colleagues from the Sleep Alertness Clinic of the University of Toronto and the Toronto Western Hospital in a June 2003 article in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Sexsomnia is described as a mix of sleepwalking and adolescent wet dreams.

According to the researchers, amazingly, not all partners of sexsomniacs are distressed or irritated by the novel experience of having an unconscious person make love to them. In fact, some seem to prefer it. The researchers describe sexsomnia as a "distinct variation" of sleepwalking.

The researchers discovered it by interviewing patients referred to their sleep clinic for normal sleep-related problems. According to the Shapiro team, "[o]nly subsequently did the issue of sexual behaviour during sleep emerge", although they noted prior cases of indecent exposure during sleep.

They add: "We anticipate that the number of potential cases is large but sexual behavioUr in sleep is not yet recognised by physicians as a behaviour of note or a problem."

There were 11 case studies, mostly male. One married man, aged 35, had sexual dreams and "enacts these by having intercourse with his wife, who is convinced he is asleep...[he] is only aware of his behaviour from his wife's reports".

Two girlfriends of another man, aged 43, "independently confirmed that he frequently engages in sexual behaviour while asleep". One describes him as a "different person" during these activities - apparently he is a more amorous and gentle lover and more orientated towards satisfying his partner.

By contrast, another man, aged 37, according to his wife is "more aggressive and more amorous. He indulges in behaviours while asleep that he does not undertake when awake...there is no stopping him. But when he once grabbed her neck, she had to slap him."

In the May 2006 Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine, Dr I O Ebrahim of the London Sleep Centre describes a recent sexsomnia case in England "where the defendant was acquitted on three charges of rape on the basis of automatism due to somnambulistic sexual behaviour".

Stephen Juan, Ph.D. is an anthropologist at the University of Sydney. Email your Odd Body questions to s.juan@edfac.usyd.edu.au

 

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Lethal bird flu hits Britain, consumers told it's 'safe to eat'

Britain recorded its first outbreak of potentially lethal H5N1 bird flu in poultry Saturday, as tests confirmed it is the highly pathogenic Asian strain similar to that found in Hungary last month.


"Tests from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency have confirmed that the sample from the poultry found dead on a farm near Lowestoft in Suffolk contained the H5N1 avian flu virus, and that it is the highly pathogenic Asian strain," the environment ministry said in a statement.

Scientists fear the H5N1 virus -- which has killed more than 160 people globally since 2003, mostly in south-east Asia -- could mutate into a form easily transmissable between humans, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

But British government scientists said the outbreak was being contained and posed no immediate danger to human health. Farmers insisted that well-cooked meat was still safe to eat.

Government vets were called to the turkey farm in Holton, eastern England, earlier this week after the unexplained deaths of more than 2,000 turkeys.

A tight cordon was thrown up late Friday after preliminary tests confirmed the presence of the H5 strain of the disease. Further tests confirmed the H5N1 strain Saturday.

Last month's Hungarian outbreak of Asian strain H5N1 was detected among geese and was the first within the European Union since mid-2006.

It led to the slaughter of 9,400 birds and a poultry export embargo from some neighbouring countries.

Britain's national emergencies committee COBRA met twice Saturday to discuss the official response, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair's office told AFP, although he could not confirm whether ministers were present.

The virus was detected at a factory farm run by Europe's biggest turkey producer, Bernard Matthews, which also has subsidiaries in Germany, Hungary and New Zealand.

The farm is in the heart of England's chicken and turkey-rearing region in East Anglia. Some 160,000 birds are to be slaughtered to contain the virus.

It is not yet clear how H5N1 infected the animals, which are kept in warehouses.

But Fred Landeg, Britain's deputy chief veterinary officer, told a press conference that he believed it had been carried by a wild bird and was a "recent introduction".

"No birds have left the premises and no product has left the premises so the disease on that basis has been contained," he said, adding that all birds on the site were about 56 days old.

He said that there were "no plans" to vaccinate birds and described the risk to members of the public as "negligible".

Virologist John Oxford told the BBC that a small bird probably had come in through a ventilation shaft, infecting the turkeys.

News of the outbreak -- found in just one of the 22 turkey houses -- prompted Norway to issue restrictions on poultry.

Pigeon racing, bird shows and markets have now been banned while workers at the farm and those involved in the cull have been given anti-viral drugs.

Bernard Matthews told customers it had strong biosecurity measures in place and said none of the affected birds had entered the food chain.

Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union, told BBC television that farmers were being told to be extra vigilant but shoppers could continue buying poultry.

"There's enormous concern, both for the whole farming community, the producers of poultry in the United Kingdom, and making sure we get the message about how well this will be managed and controlled," he said.

A three-kilometre (1.8-mile) protection zone and 10-kilometre surveillance zone is in place around the farm as well as strict movement controls. Farmers are being told to keep poultry indoors.

The farm has been cordoned off and officials were disinfecting vehicles at a neighbouring meat factory as they moved on and off the site.

In March 2006, a swan found in Cellardyke, on the east Scotland coast, became the first wild bird in Britain to be found to have the H5N1 variant of the virus.
http://www.physorg.com/news89800966.html

 

who will be there from afterdawn?

Dutch gym to introduce 'Naked Sunday'



By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 2, 5:33 PM ET

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Self-conscious about what you wear while working out? A Dutch gym plans to introduce "Naked Sunday" for people who like to huff and puff in the buff.
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Patrick de Man, owner of Fitworld gym in the town of Heteren, said he got the idea in part from two of his customers who are avid nudists.

"I heard that some other gyms are offering courses on 'pole-dancing' as a sport, so I thought: Why not bring something new to the market?" de Man said.

He said the response had been overwhelming — positive and negative.

The 70,000-member Dutch Federation of Naturists was curious to see if Fitworld's plan would work, spokesman Bernd Huiser said.

"We recently conducted a large survey among our members, and most prefer to exercise with their clothes on," he said. "The most popular activities (for nudists) are things you do outdoors, like walking on the beach, or swimming in a lake, or maybe gardening."

De Man said the first question Fitworld customers were asking was whether it would be sanitary.

Nude exercisers would be required to put towels down on weight machines and to use disposable seat covers while riding bikes. All machines would be cleaned and disinfected afterward. "We clean them every day anyway," he said.

The first "Naked Sunday" is scheduled for March 4.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/ap_on_fe_st/netherlands_nude_gym_2

 

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- Ability to send files to Recycle Bin (selected as default - DMFF module).
- Remove track number from song file name - can add exceptions for artists begining with a digit (QMFR module).
- Remove delimiters at the begining and end of a file name (QMFR module).
- Ignore text in brackets if it matches a certain criteria (DMFF module).
- Automatic check for updates.
- Added help files.

01/13/2007 - Spyme Tools v. 1.5
- IMPROVED Registry Snapshot speed.
- Snapshot files open (a lot) faster.
- Changed Registry Snapshot file format (old snapshot files - v. 1.4 - can be converted to the new format).
- Take snapshot of multiple subkeys & directories.
- Filter results displayed in realtime file monitor.
- Log actions to a log file.
- Can now delete new keys/undo key deletions and restore old key contents in Registry while in Comparison Mode.
- Added progress view for scanning & comparison processes.
- See what's changed in new versions before choosing to update program.
- Changed some icons.
- Fixed some bugs in the comparing algorithm.
- Fixed displaying correct key/folder paths in Scan Dump Files.

10/21/2006 - Spyme Tools v. 1.4
- The program is now FREEWARE. Enjoy it!
- Scan Dump Files can now be encrypted to prevent others from viewing them.
- Added automatic update feature.
- Improved Realtime Registry Monitor.
- Files/Key values can now be custom sorted.

 

FREE,GIGA TRIBE..........GigaTribe is software that allows you to exchange files with your friends on a private network. You create your private network by inviting your friends. No one can join your network unless invited. You can dismiss or banish your guests at any time. Your guests can't see each other on your network.....(free).....GO THERE!

http://www.gigatribe.com/tour/accueil.php


TribalWeb is also marketed as GigaTribe for English speaking users. This name change does not change anything for current TribalWeb users, you can add people to your network that use GigaTribe and vice-versa. The username/password info, and the friends/family you have in your network remain 100% intact.



Happy New Year!

December 11th : Shalsoft releases GigaTribe software



Easy, Secure and …Free!
Easy
# Install GigaTribe, select the folders you want to share and invite your friends to join your private network!
# Share all your files (movies, pictures, documents…) no matter how large they are.
# Interrupted exchanges automatically resume with no data loss.
# All files are exchanged at maximum speed.


Secure
# No one but the users of your network can see the files you share.
# When exchanging a file, only the sender and the receiver are aware of the exchange.
# All data exchanged on your network is encrypted (Blowfish encryption with a 128-bit key).


Free
# All these features are included in the standard version and are totally free.
# GigaTribe contains no adware and can be uninstalled easily.

 

HDClone Free Edition 3.2.4
Author: miray
Date: 2007-02-05
Size: 4 Mb
License: Freeware

HDClone copies the content of hard disks on a physical level from one disk to another hard disk. Depending on the sizes of the hard disks, a complete or abridged image of the source disk will be created.

To give users the possibility to move their system from an older (smaller) disk ono a newer (larger) hard disk, miray offers the Free Edition of the HDClone, which is made for this purpose. The later correction of partition sizes can be done with a number of tools, but the migrated system is usable even without these modifications.

To copy a system on the same disk or a disk of the same type, you should purchase and use the Personal Edition or the Business Edition, especially for companies and technicians.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3809.html

 

Microsoft has no plans to close Vista upgrade loophole

It just hopes you'll feel naughty if you exploit it

By INQUIRER newsdesk: Tuesday 06 February 2007, 11:08
MICROSOFT CAN'T BE bothered to close the loophole that allows users to install Vista upgrade versions even when they're not upgrading.

"People without a licensed copy of XP that use this workaround are violating the terms of use agreed to when they purchased the upgrade version of Windows Vista," a spokesvole told vnunet.com.

"As such, we believe only a very small percentage of people will take the time to implement this workaround, and we encourage all customers to follow our official guidelines for upgrading to Windows Vista."

The vole said it does not have any plans to disable the workaround. Which is handy. The upgrade version is around two-thirds the price of the unupgrade version. µ
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37453

 

US movie biz is booming: MPAA

p2pnet.net News:- You know how Hollywood is on the verge of collapse because of the depredations of p2p file sharers and counterfeiters, lumped together as the most evil entities since Ghengis Khan?

At least, that's what the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), owned by Time Warner, Viacom, Fox, Sony, NBC Universal and Disney, declares. Over and over and over .....

Well, "The industry maintains a positive balance of trade, resulting in a $9.5 billion surplus, which represents 12% of the entire U.S. private sector service trade surplus in 2005," says the first Hollywood analysis and compilation of data from, "studios, networks, payroll companies, guilds and government agencies," trumpets the MPAA.

And you know how scores of support workers are in desperate plights because they've lost their jobs, a tragedy attributed to the same evil forces?

"The industry creates more than 1.3 million American jobs" and, "Direct employees of the industry earn an average salary of $73,000 annually, not including highly compensated talent," says the report, also stating.

"Export of U.S. films earned $10.4 billion in 2005, a 20% increase since 2000."

In other stats, according to the MPAA:

* The industry produces $30.2 billion in revenue for 160,000 U.S. vendors, 85% of whom employ 10 people or less.
* The industry generates $10 billion in state and federal taxes
* On-location motion picture and television production generates economic benefits at the state and local level.
* Production occurs in nearly every state each year creating a dramatic economic impact on their communities.
* 30 states have enacted incentive laws to increase production in their states.
* The industry invests in infrastructure and community development nationwide.
* On-location filming is estimated to increase tourism by up to 54%.

Don't bother to stay tuned.
http://p2pnet.net/story/11238?PHPSESSID=d1e6c15d9390024d6e1770f

 

ITS ABOUT TIME...

How Kodak intends to wipe the floor with HP

On the Mohney Ink wars

By Doug Mohney: Tuesday 06 February 2007, 12:58
EASTMAN LODAK, the company best known for film and pretty photos, has decided to enter the consumer inkjet market. Needless to say, it’s picking a fight with HP – but one it is confident it can win.

Kodak has announced the Easyshare All-in-One printer line today and they’re doing a big launch in the Big Apple at NBC Studios with CEO Antonio Perez with special guest Molly Shannon doing something or other. The company is announcing hardware, yes, but it’s the underlying philosophy of razors and blades, er printers and ink, that is the real story.

How does it intend to dethrone the reigning king of inkjets? Price and quality. Kodak is underlining the fact that the company has been in the bulk chemicals business and printing for oh, since it started, while HP has been in the calculator business. This means Kodak intends to start offering ink jet refills at around half the price of the competition. A cartridge of black ink will cost $9.99 while a five ink colour cartridge will cost $15, so Kodak is saying a 4 x 6 inch photo will cost as little as 10 cents a print.

Cost is a great start, but Kodak is pounding the table consumers will get a better print due to the company’s Kodakcolor technology built into the Easyashare process. You start with pigment-based inks, add micro-porous photo paper, colour and image science, then finish with a MEMS print head to deliver high-quality and long lasting sharp and vibrant photos.

Exactly how good will, no doubt, be a matter of some discussion between HP and Kodak marketing people for the next year or so.

Hardware on the Easyshare series is priced to move. The entry level 5100 starts at $150 and includes print, scan, and copy capabilities, and Pictbridge support. Print speed is up to 32 pages per minute in black and 22 pages per minute in color. One bump up, the 5300 costs $200 and adds a three-inch colour LCD with the ability to view and crop photos directly on the printer, plus memory card slots for printing without a PC. At the top of the line, the Easyshare 5600 lists at $300 and includes fax support, a 2.4-inch colour LCD display, automatic document feeder, and a duplexer attachment.

The 5100 and 5300 printers hit Best Buy shelves exclusively in March 2007, while the 5500 is expected to begin shipping in May 2007.

Let battle commence. µ
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37458

See Also
Kodak takes on HP with low cost printer ink

Kodak takes on HP with low cost printer ink

Ink-jet wars begin

By Nick Farrell: Tuesday 06 February 2007, 08:33
EASTMAN KODAK is releasing a line of inkjet printers with low-cost replacement inks in a bid to kick market leader HP in the bottom-line.

From March, Kodak will flog three EasyShare All-in-One printers, ranging from $150 to $300. These will print, scan and copy document and photos.

So far the prices are more or less equal to HP, but where Kodak is probably going to scare HP, Cannon and Lexmark is in the cost of its ink cartridges which will sell for $10 for black and $15 for colour. This will undercut the standard market cost by about half.

So far HP, Canon and Lexmark have been flogging inexpensive printers at a loss, and profits are earned over the long term in sales of replacement ink cartridges.

Kodak reckons that it can make a profit on both the printers and the ink.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37450


Kodak launches printer to compete with HP, others



By Franklin Paul 10 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:EK - news) introduced a line of desktop printers on Tuesday that use low-cost replacement ink cartridges, entering a market dominated by Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ - news)
ADVERTISEMENT

For the camera and photography company, the long-awaited launch of inkjet printing products kicks off a year in which it hopes to end the tough and expensive three-year transformation that has seen Kodak shed tens of thousands of workers.

Kodak will start sales in March of 3 EasyShare All-in-One printers, ranging from $150 to $300, which will print, scan and copy document and photos. Black replacement ink cartridges will sell for about $10, and color cartridges for about $15, about 50 percent less than its rivals, Kodak said, adding that it will profit on sales of both printers and ink.

Kodak said this strategy is meant to disrupt the market dominated by HP, Canon Inc. (7751.T) and Lexmark (NYSE:LXK - news), where inexpensive printers are sold at a loss, and profits are earned over the long term in sales of replacement ink cartridges.

In that model, consumers purchasing ink unknowingly also buy expensive brand-specific technology that is built into each cartridge, Kodak says.

Each Kodak ink cartridge prints more pages than a comparably priced rival cartridge, the company says.

"You are throwing that (technology) away and buying a new one every time you buy one of their cartridges, which is pretty expensive stuff," said Cheryl Pohlman, a marketing director at Kodak. "With our system we have put that print head right into the printer... so all you have to buy is ink."

She notes that the products close a loop, of sorts, for Kodak, such that customers can now use Kodak services to print in any of the three most common ways: online, at one-stop kiosks at retail stores, or at home.

"What we want to do is give people who want to print at home a choice," Pohlman said in interview. "We believe that this is a profitable business model for Kodak and that for a consumer it is freeing the way they can print at home."

INVESTORS MEETING THIS WEEK

Citigroup analyst Matthew Troy said the news could in the near term benefit Kodak's shares, which have vacillated between $20 and $30 for the better part of two years. Kodak rose about 10 cents in early trade on Tuesday to $26.36 on the
New York Stock Exchange. Lexmark fell 1.7 percent and HP fell 0.8 percent.

"While official launch will not be financially material for Kodak until 2008 at the earliest, expect shares to be active on (the) perceptual positive," Troy said in a client note.

The product unveiling comes just two days before Kodak meets in New York with investors who are certain to ask tough questions about whether its shift away from traditional film -- a declining market -- to digital products and services will soon pay off.

There are positive signs: last week Kodak reported a fourth-quarter profit, versus a loss in the previous year. Still, much of that profit was driven by royalties from licensing patents and technology, and overshadowed a 25 percent decline in digital camera and related accessories.

Analysts, who had been told since late 2003 to look for an inkjet strategy from the Rochester, New York-based company, are skeptical about how Kodak will be able to compete with companies that have millions of printers sitting alongside personal computers owned by families and small businesses.

"We remain concerned that the upfront costs of establishing an installed base will be high, and that the mature and competitive nature of consumer inkjet requires considerable research and development and (operating cost) commitments," said analyst Shannon Cross of Cross Research, in a client note published in anticipation of the inkjet launch.

The printers are set to sell at Best Buy stores exclusively at first, and should be more widely available by the winter holiday season, Kodak said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206..._o2f7CEBvwjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-

 

this will give ye all the info ye need
http://www.cpuid.org/cpuz.php#download

CPU-Z is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system.
CPU

* Name and number.
* Core stepping and process.
* Package.
* Core voltage.
* Internal and external clocks, clock multiplier.
* Supported instructions sets.
* Cache information.

Mainboard

* Vendor, model and revision.
* BIOS model and date.
* Chipset (northbridge and southbridge) and sensor.
* Graphic interface.

Memory

* Frequency and timings.
* Module(s) specification using SPD (Serial Presence Detect) : vendor, serial number, timings table.

System

* Windows and DirectX version.

 

Wal-Mart movie download farce

p2pnet.net News:- Why would anyone want to waste good money (about $13 and $20) to download a DVD on the day of release when they could zoom on over to the local rental store and get it for a few dollars?

And we won't even mention the p2p networks.

But Hollywood and Wal-Mart figure you'll be stupid enough to do exactly that, also paying close to eight bucks for an old movie and $2 per episode for TV shows.

That's the 'deal' under the new partnership between Wal-Mart the Big Six Hollywood studios, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony, 20th Century Fox and Universal on www.walmart.com/videodownloads.

This, "plunges Wal-Mart into competition with several established sites, like Amazon.com, CinemaNow and iTunes, and given the chain's penchant for price cutting, could drive down the cost of a digital download," says The New York Times.

It would have to, and very considerably if it hopes to attract surfers.

"Wal-Mart says it has used its clout to pull together all the right Hollywood players, create an easy-to-use Web site with Hewlett-Packard and develop a broad library of videos," says the story.

Wal-Mart will have access to films such 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Little Miss Sunshine' and TV series like 24 and Veronica Mars.

Yes. Well ......

Meanwhile, let's hope the service functions a little more efficiently than the web site. When we went for a look at 8:13 am PST, the pic on the upper right shows you what we saw after three attempts and 15 minutes waiting for the page to finish downloading.

. Slashdot Slashdot it!

Also See:
The New York Times - Wal-Mart and Studios in Film Deal, February 6, 2007
http://p2pnet.net/story/11241?PHPSESSID=a9f7b1a170af0c20922e5fd9f4b94f07

 

Apple warns iPod users against Vista

By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 10:44am GMT 06/02/2007

IPods could be damaged by Microsoft’s new computer operating system, the company behind the popular digital music players has warned.

Apple, the long-standing rival of Bill Gates’s Microsoft, is urging users not to upgrade their PCs to the Vista system until it comes up with a compatible version of the software that runs iPods.

Microsoft launched its long-awaited Vista operating system in a blaze of publicity last week and claimed that more than 5,000 hardware and software products would work with it.
advertisement

But Apple, which has sold 90 million iPods since 2001, says many users of the iconic portable music players have had problems when connecting them to PCs using Vista.

It claims some have found that songs bought on its iTunes Store will not play on the new system, and that other Vista users have even seen their iPods corrupted when they try to unplug them. The contacts and calendar functions on iPods are also said to be affected.

A statement on Apple’s website reads: “iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP.

“Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the Safely Remove Hardware feature may corrupt your iPod.”

Microsoft has already released a software update for Vista users so they can play their iTunes Store songs.

But Apple is still warning PC users not to use Vista until it can release a completely new version of the iTunes software.

Apple’s website states: “Apple recommends that customers wait to upgrade Windows until after the next release of iTunes which will be available in the next few weeks.”

Microsoft said it has a dedicated team working on problems with Vista and iTunes, and insisted users should not stop using the new operating system.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/06/napple106.xml

 

Russian schools abandon Windows after piracy scare

Linux is the winner

By Nick Farrell: Tuesday 06 February 2007, 14:52
LINUX IS THE clear winner out of a dispute between the Russian legal authorities and schools over who should carry the can over the use of pirated Windows software.

Rather than attacking mobsters who peddle pirated copies of Windows directly to companies, the Russian coppers decided to lock up a Sepich headmaster who bought hot Windows software which came from Perm region’s Capital Construction Administration.

Microsoft says that the incident has nothing to do with them, but it appears that Russian schools in the area are so scared about being shipped off to a Siberian Gulag, that they are buying Linux gear instead.

Schools in the Perm region will soon quit buying software from commercial companies, said the region’s Education Minister Nikolay Karpushin. The announcement was made in line with the report on ensuring 'license purity' in the region’s schools.

According to Karpushin, schools would start using freely distributed software like the Linux OS, Russky office and Open office desktop apps, Ekho Moskvi reports.

The flavour of Linux being used will be one of the cheap localised Russian Linux distributives in Russia.

Teachers are not that happy about it. Apparently not many of them know much about Linux and there are no specialists around to teach them. Of course if they go on bulletin boards to ask questions they will be dubbed 'stupid noobs' by Linux boffins. µ

See Also
Please Bill Gates, save this Russian pirate from the gulag
Microsoft snubs Gorbachev over piracy plea
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37460

 

Does Dan's MPAA crown rest easy?

p2pnet.net News:- Is Dan Glickman a little wobbly in his role of Hollywood's Main Man?

After unsuccessfully trying for Hilary Rosen's old job as head of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), in 2004 he replaced Jack Valenti as boss of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), bringing with him years of experience. In the US agricultural sector.

His move from, "corn and sow bellies to Internet piracy and movies," as the Hollywood Reporter put it at the time, demanded certain qualities, among them a sense of humour. He was known as "one of the funniest men in Congress," according to the story, which also had him saying of himself, "I don't know how funny I am. I think I'm funny."

The MPAA today released an economic impact study designed to spin Time Warner, Viacom, Fox, Sony, NBC Universal and Disney as vital mainstays of the American economy, thus justifing their increasing use of tax-payer funded resources, for example various US law enforcement agencies, to serve and protect themselves.

The numbers, which give the lie to MPAA claims that its masters, the Big Six studios, are being ruined by file sharing and counterfeiting, will be officially revealed at today's Business of Show Business business meeting.

And, "as the conference seeks to generate reams of statistics and talking points that paint Hollywood as a powerful nationwide economic engine, it also might mute the questions being raised inside the Beltway about Dan Glickman, the venerable organization's chairman and CEO, and his vision for the MPAA's future," says another Hollywood Reporter piece, going on:

"Since taking over for Jack Valenti 2 1/2 years ago, questions have been raised about whether Glickman is up to the task. While everyone knew that following a legend like Valenti would be tough, entertainment industry executives here have been wondering if they got the right guy.

"While they won't speak for the record, many top executives in town privately criticize Glickman. They contend that he has been too dazzled by the star power of his new position, is unwilling to do the heavy lifting required for the job and effectively has marginalized the MPAA's presence here by ceding too much power to Los Angeles and Bob Pisano, whom Glickman hired as COO in September 2005."

" 'What has he done?' asked one critic. 'He's too busy giving screenings for his friends instead of being up on the Hill doing what he's been hired to do'."

Say it aint so !!!! But not to worry because, "Glickman takes the sniping in stride," the story goes on.

He also figures he'll be able to overcome certain tax issues which have been troubling Hollywood.

"Quite frankly, [last year] we didn't have the closest of allies and friends on the tax committees," he says, but, "It's much, much better this year."

Glickman said he's so far, met with more than two dozen members of Congress, including House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel and senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

"Any tax legislation will first have to go through Rangel's committee and then the one chaired by Baucus" and, "Glickman calls both men friends," says the story.

And what are friends for?

"They don't promise anything, of course, but they are sympathetic to our tax issues," Glickman says in the Hollywood Reporter. "I'm not saying that this Congress is going to be heaven on Earth, but it makes it easier for me to breathe in the new atmosphere with my relationships there."

. Slashdot Slashdot it!

Also See:
Hollywood Reporter - Glickman relishes new role, July 2, 2004
I think I'm funny - New MPAA boss a comedian, July 2, 2004
economic impact study - US movie biz is booming: MPAA, February 6, 2007
Hollywood Reporter - Glickman's had tough Hill to climb, February 6, 2007
http://p2pnet.net/story/11243?PHPSESSID=2a67e9fc93b6ff1b1ed4ddfa4b013c71

 

Super Bowl Virus Spreads
The game's over and patches are available, but many sites are infected with malicious code.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
Monday, February 05, 2007 07:00 AM PST

Security experts are finding an increasing number of Web sites hosting malicious JavaScript code first detected on Super Bowl-related sites last week.

Sites covering topics ranging from health care to government have been hacked to host the JavaScript, SANS Internet Storm Center Director Marcus H. Sachs wrote on the SANS blog, listing some of the hacked sites.

"System administrators might want to check their network flow logs for any traffic to these sites and for any traffic to the five sites that hosted the hostile JavaScript," Sachs wrote.
Patches Available

The attack targets two known vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, for which Microsoft introduced patches in April and in January.

Computers with unpatched software are vulnerable to the attack. If one of the hacked sites is visited, the JavaScript code directs the browser to a second Web server, based in China, and tries to install a Trojan Horse downloader and password-stealing program on the victim's computer.
Bowl Site Hit First

Initially, the exploit appeared isolated to Web sites related to U.S. football, as hackers tried to capitalize on the surge of traffic to sites concerning the Super Bowl sporting event, which was played on Sunday. The site of the Miami Dolphins team, and another site for its stadium, were hacked, although they were eventually cleaned up.

Security company Websense reported the problem on the stadium site on Friday. Websense recommended users stay away from the affected sites until they had been cleaned up.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128758-page,1/article.html