Friday, December 2, 2011

Mayo Clinic research improves diagnosis and potential treatment of neuromyelitis optica

Mayo Clinic research improves diagnosis and potential treatment of neuromyelitis optica [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Dec-2011
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Contact: Brian Kilen
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers have identified critical steps leading to myelin destruction in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a debilitating neurological disease that is commonly misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could lead to better care for the thousands of patients around the world with NMO. The paper was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

NMO is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that damages the optic nerves and spinal cord, causing vision loss, weakness, numbness and, sometimes, arm and leg paralysis and loss of bowel and bladder control. NMO was historically misdiagnosed as a severe variant of MS until 2005 when a team led by Vanda A. Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic research immunologist, identified an antibody unique to NMO, and discovered that its unexpected target was the major water channel of the central nervous system (aquaporin-4). A blood test emerging from this discovery has revolutionized the diagnosis of NMO, allowing its distinction from multiple sclerosis and introducing more appropriate treatments.

The NMO antibody targets astrocytes, which are 10 times more numerous in the brain and spinal cord than neurons. In addition to providing nutrients to neurons and supporting the repair and scarring process, other critical functions of astrocytes include regulation of tissue water and electrical activities of neurons, and the stabilizing the protective covering of nerves (myelin). By attacking the water channels on astrocytes, the antibody disrupts all related dynamic functions of the astrocyte and in acute attacks kills many astrocytes.

The new findings advance the understanding of the basic mechanisms of NMO, critical to the ultimate development of optimal treatment or even a cure. Key findings include:

  • The antibody associated with NMO affects two forms of the aquaporin-4 water channel: M1 and M23. M1 more readily escapes from antibodies, but antibody binding to M23 causes aggregation of M23 on the astrocyte surface which amplifies cell damage.
  • As a consequence of antibody interfering with the transfer of water in the brain, water accumulates in the myelin sheath, preventing rapid transmission of nerve messages) and causing breakdown of myelin, a traditional hallmark of MS, thus contributing to the diagnostic confusion.
  • Traditional therapies used to treat MS may actually make NMO worse.

"These findings build on our initial research and greatly advance our understanding of disease development and progression in patients with NMO," Dr. Lennon says. "Only by learning more about NMO can we develop new therapies and new approaches to treat people with this terrible disease."

About Neuromyelitis Optica

Because NMO has only recently been identified as a syndrome distinct from MS, it is difficult to know how many people have it. To date the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory has detected the antibody in three thousand patients in the United States. Thus NMO is more common than was previously thought. Disease progresses with each new attack, and there is no cure. For most patients, a combination of drug and physical therapy is required to manage NMO, with the focus being on preventing recurrent attacks after treatment of the first attack, thus reducing disability and preventing relapses.

###

Contributing scientists include: Shannon Hinson, Ph.D.; Claudia Lucchinetti, M.D.; Michael Romero, Ph.D.; Bogdan Popescu, M.D.; James Fryer, M.S. and Tuebingen University (Germany) scientists led by Petra Fallier-Becker, Ph.D.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org/about/ and www.mayoclinic.org/news.

VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources, including excerpts from an interview with Dr. Vanda Lennon describing the research, are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog.


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Mayo Clinic research improves diagnosis and potential treatment of neuromyelitis optica [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Brian Kilen
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers have identified critical steps leading to myelin destruction in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a debilitating neurological disease that is commonly misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could lead to better care for the thousands of patients around the world with NMO. The paper was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

NMO is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that damages the optic nerves and spinal cord, causing vision loss, weakness, numbness and, sometimes, arm and leg paralysis and loss of bowel and bladder control. NMO was historically misdiagnosed as a severe variant of MS until 2005 when a team led by Vanda A. Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic research immunologist, identified an antibody unique to NMO, and discovered that its unexpected target was the major water channel of the central nervous system (aquaporin-4). A blood test emerging from this discovery has revolutionized the diagnosis of NMO, allowing its distinction from multiple sclerosis and introducing more appropriate treatments.

The NMO antibody targets astrocytes, which are 10 times more numerous in the brain and spinal cord than neurons. In addition to providing nutrients to neurons and supporting the repair and scarring process, other critical functions of astrocytes include regulation of tissue water and electrical activities of neurons, and the stabilizing the protective covering of nerves (myelin). By attacking the water channels on astrocytes, the antibody disrupts all related dynamic functions of the astrocyte and in acute attacks kills many astrocytes.

The new findings advance the understanding of the basic mechanisms of NMO, critical to the ultimate development of optimal treatment or even a cure. Key findings include:

  • The antibody associated with NMO affects two forms of the aquaporin-4 water channel: M1 and M23. M1 more readily escapes from antibodies, but antibody binding to M23 causes aggregation of M23 on the astrocyte surface which amplifies cell damage.
  • As a consequence of antibody interfering with the transfer of water in the brain, water accumulates in the myelin sheath, preventing rapid transmission of nerve messages) and causing breakdown of myelin, a traditional hallmark of MS, thus contributing to the diagnostic confusion.
  • Traditional therapies used to treat MS may actually make NMO worse.

"These findings build on our initial research and greatly advance our understanding of disease development and progression in patients with NMO," Dr. Lennon says. "Only by learning more about NMO can we develop new therapies and new approaches to treat people with this terrible disease."

About Neuromyelitis Optica

Because NMO has only recently been identified as a syndrome distinct from MS, it is difficult to know how many people have it. To date the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory has detected the antibody in three thousand patients in the United States. Thus NMO is more common than was previously thought. Disease progresses with each new attack, and there is no cure. For most patients, a combination of drug and physical therapy is required to manage NMO, with the focus being on preventing recurrent attacks after treatment of the first attack, thus reducing disability and preventing relapses.

###

Contributing scientists include: Shannon Hinson, Ph.D.; Claudia Lucchinetti, M.D.; Michael Romero, Ph.D.; Bogdan Popescu, M.D.; James Fryer, M.S. and Tuebingen University (Germany) scientists led by Petra Fallier-Becker, Ph.D.

About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org/about/ and www.mayoclinic.org/news.

VIDEO ALERT: Additional audio and video resources, including excerpts from an interview with Dr. Vanda Lennon describing the research, are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/mc-mcr120111.php

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Is Kaitlyn jealous of AJ?

In this month?s ?WWE Magazine,? AJ gives dating advice on how to move out of the ?friend zone.? Well, AJ, your own ?friend zone? may have gotten a little bit smaller.?Cue the Taylor Swift break-up song. It's cry time.

There?s an unwritten law that women BFFs like to use: sisters before misters. No matter who comes in your life and shows romantic interest ? your best friend should never be left out to dry. And with the budding romance between Mr. Money in the Bank Daniel Bryan and the pint-sized warrior, Kaitlyn is the BFF letting the "mister" come in between her "sister."?

1295509008001|02:54Now, it's become increasingly evident that AJ's recent run of losses at the hands of Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and her cohort Natalya have left the season three WWE NXT winner fed-up. On commentary, it was said Kaitlyn felt Daniel Bryan was taking away AJ's focus from the matches at hand - and costing them valuable wins in the Divas division.

Why are these wins so important? With Beth Phoenix and Natalya running roughshod over the division, a chance to show their stuff against the pin-up strong duo is quite the opportunity - one Kaitlyn feels AJ squashed.

Kaitlyn knows AJ's dream - ever since sitting in Madison Square Garden with her father (READ), AJ has wanted to become a Diva. Best friends know the 411. They encourage you to reach your dreams. They tell you when you hair might be a little bit too "poofy," chastize you for listening to Kreayshawn's "Gucci, Gucci," on repeat while travelling and tell you that "of course your plaid matches your outfit."?But, best friends do not walk away when the other is in trouble. Once as a lesson, maybe. But twice? Kaitlyn may be letting the evil eyes of jealousy dictate what's happening in the squared circle.

1283586974001|02:23

So, all you "Chickbusters" fans, it might be time for Kaitlyn and AJ to get out of the mall photo booth and onto Dr. Phil. Kaitlyn was given an amazing opportunity by winning WWE NXT and earning a coveted spot in the Divas Division. But if she keeps letting "puppy love" fuel the flames in the ring, she might just be squashing her opportunity of a lifetime.

Chicks. Busted.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/superstars/divas/divas/is-kaitlyn-jealous-of-aj

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China's demand for oil will equal US demand by 2040

ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2011) ? Despite aggressive demand-management policies announced in recent years, China's oil use could easily reach levels comparable to today's U.S. levels by 2040, according to a new energy study by the Baker Institute.

The study's authors said this finding has timely significance because China's growing energy use could continue to pose a major challenge for global climate deliberations in South Africa this week.

The study, "The Rise of China and Its Energy Implications," finds that China's recent efforts at centralizing energy policy do not appear to be significantly more successful than the makeshift patchwork of energy initiatives devised by the United States. In fact, the study said, the U.S. system of open and competitive private sector investment is stimulating more innovation in the American energy sector than in the Chinese energy industry, especially in the area of unconventional oil and gas.

That, ironically, is attracting Chinese state investment to U.S. shores and prompting Beijing to consider further opening of its oil and gas exploration activities to partnerships with U.S. firms, the study said.

China, like the United States, has substantial potential shale gas resources but faces technical, regulatory and market infrastructure challenges that are likely to delay rapid development. Were China to mobilize investments in shale gas more quickly, the study said, it could greatly reduce the country's expected large import needs for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia and the Middle East and contribute to a future glut in global natural gas markets.

Despite sporadic government policies to discourage private car ownership, the growth in the number of vehicles on the road in China has more than quadrupled in recent years to more than 50 million. The Baker Institute report projects that this number could increase to more than 200 million vehicles by 2020 and 770 million by 2040 under a scenario where China's real gross domestic product growth averages 6 percent between now and 2030. Even under a scenario where the number of electric cars rises to 5 million a year by 2030, which is in line with ambitious targets announced by China's National Development and Reform Commission, China's oil use from the transportation sector will grow significantly, the Baker Institute study said.

"Given the scale of vehicle stock growth in China, it is going to be extremely difficult to move the needle of the country's rising transport fuel outlook," said Kenneth Medlock, a study author and the James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at the Baker Institute.

The study noted that China's "going abroad" strategy has also encountered recent difficulties in light of geopolitical events and rising global political risks in oil-producing regions.

"China is learning that owning equity oil in risky regions may not be as effective an energy security strategy as it had previously imagined," said Amy Myers Jaffe, an author of the study and the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute. "China is now finding itself mired in more energy-related foreign diplomacy than it bargained for.

"But this could be good news for the United States," Jaffe said. "It may mean China will be more inclined to act in concert with other members of the international community in conflict-prone regions."

The study noted that China has tried to offset some of this risk by increasing investments in the United States and Canada, which gives the U.S. more leverage in seeking China's collaboration in international diplomatic matters.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201132521.htm

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance (AP)

Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance - Yahoo! News Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? AP By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? Thu?Dec?1, 5:17?pm?ET
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage hovered just above its record low for the fifth straight week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Here's a look at rates for fixed and adjustable mortgages over the past 52 weeks.
Current week's average Last week's average 52-week high 52-week low
30-year fixed 4.00 3.98 5.05 3.94
15-year fixed 3.30 3.30 4.29 3.26
5-year adjustable 2.90 2.91 3.92 2.90
1-year adjustable 2.78 2.79 3.40 2.78
All values are in percentage points.
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
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  • Copyright ? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates_glance

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    Slowdown sparks scramble to shore up China growth (AP)

    SHANGHAI ? China's leaders are reversing their two-year effort to cool the economy, seeking to counter slowdowns in manufacturing and property that are dragging growth lower and threatening to spur unrest.

    In the latest sign the world's No. 2 economy is weakening faster than thought, business surveys released Thursday showed manufacturing contracted in November for the first time in nearly three years.

    That news came a day after Beijing moved to invigorate business activity by easing credit curbs, ending a long campaign to take some fizz out of rapidy expanding economy. China's leaders had resisted easing lending curbs out of fear that opening the spigots might revive an outright investment boom and re-ignite inflation.

    High living costs are risky for China's communist leaders because they erode the economic gains that underpin the ruling party's claim to power. But slowing growth is another peril: already news of labor unrest at factories in the south suggests that workers are being squeezed as exporters juggle tight credit and slowing demand.

    The decision by the People's Bank of China to reduce the amount of money that China's commercial lenders must hold in reserve by 0.5 percent of their deposits "is a clear signal that Beijing now sees the balance of risks as lying with growth rather than inflation," said Stephen Green, an economist with Standard Chartered in Shanghai.

    The European debt crisis and feeble U.S. recovery have weakened demand in China's biggest export market, while at home efforts to curb inflation by cooling the property market are hurting a wide range of industries heavily dependent on housing and other construction.

    The worsening conditions are no surprise to Chen Xiaoyan, a saleswoman at the Cangnan Qianku Qingfeng Pet Supplies Craft Factory in Wenzhou, a manufacturing base that has been hit especially hard by tight credit policies, leaving many factories short of operating cash.

    "It was hard enough to do business last year. This year is the hardest," said Chen. "Our profit was 30 percent lower last year and it will be down another 10 percent this year," she said. Materials costs have come down in recent months, but labor costs have not, said Chen.

    Worries over erring on the side of too fast growth are being overshadowed by greater alarm over a deeper slump as conditions worsen overseas.

    "They're stuck," Patrick Chovanec, an associate professor at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing said of China's policymakers.

    That explains a comment by Vice Premier Wang Qishan to U.S. trade negotiators last week that "an unbalanced recovery is better than a balanced recession," he said.

    The Chinese economy is one of the few still growing at a respectable pace, and Beijing's leaders intend to keep it that way.

    China's economic growth eased to a still-robust 9.1 percent in the quarter ending in September from 9.5 the previous quarter. But indicators showing export industries and some other areas of the economy were cooling more sharply raised fears of job losses and possible unrest.

    In the manufacturing sector, the activity gauge of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing fell an greater-than-expected 1.4 percentage points to 49 in November, well below the 50-level that signifies expansion. That was the first contraction in manufacturing activity since early 2009.

    Another manufacturing survey by HSBC showed an even steeper decline, with its PMI dropping to 47.7 in November from 51.0 in October.

    The property market also appears to have reached a turning point, at least in the biggest cities. New home sales fell 17 percent by transaction volume in China's top 20 cities in July-September compared with a year earlier.

    Sharp discounts by some property developers have angered home buyers who bought when the market was at its peak, with some staging protests or storming real estate company offices.

    "They promised us the price of our apartment would never go down, that it would only increase," complained Zhu Hongxia, a property owner in Shanghai who was standing with others outside the office of China Vanke, the country's biggest developer.

    "You can't decrease the price suddenly by such a big amount," Zhu said.

    While many homeowners have been angered by the drop, the government is seeking to prevent prices from surging further out of reach of most families. Leaders say property curbs will stay in place despite signs the effort to deflate the bubble is reverberating throughout an economy that already was slowing.

    The construction slowdown has prompted builders to cut jobs ? losses that have fallen heavily on unskilled migrant laborers.

    Beijing Xuanyu Construction Co. in Shunyi on the outskirts of Beijing, a subcontractor on apartment projects, has cut its workforce of construction site laborers from 100 a year ago to about 70, according to Liu Jun, a manager.

    The core staff of about 200 engineers, project managers and administrators so far is unaffected, Liu said. He said bricklayers are paid about 200 yuan ($32) a day and lower-skilled workers at least 140 yuan ($23).

    "The volume of business has declined," Liu said. "Our workforce costs are too high."

    China is striving to shift its economy toward greater dependence on consumer demand, rather than construction investment and exports. But they remain key drivers in this developing economy, and the job-scarce U.S. recovery and Europe's recent upheavals do not bode well: export growth has fallen steadily since hitting a peak of nearly 36 percent in March.

    China's monthly trade surplus with the 27-nation European Union fell 10.3 percent from a year earlier to $13 billion in October as countries that use the euro common currency struggle to contain a sovereign debt crisis.

    ___

    China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (in Chinese): http://www.cflp.org.cn

    ___

    Business Writer Joe McDonald contributed from Beijing and researcher Fu Ting from Shanghai.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_economy

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    Your Smartphone Is Spying on You (The Atlantic Wire)

    An Android developer recently discovered a clandestine application called Carrier IQ built into most smartphones that doesn't just track your location; it secretly records your keystrokes, and there's nothing you can do about it. Is it time to put on a tinfoil hat? That depends on how you feel about privacy.

    Related: Facebook and Google Join Forces to Oppose Privacy Bill

    The reason for this invasive Android app seems reasonable enough at face value. Even though it's on most Android, BlackBerry and Nokia devices, most users would never know that Carrier IQ is running in the background, and that's sort of the point. Described on the company's website as software to gain "unprecedented insight into their customers' mobile experience," Carrier IQ is ostensibly supposed to help?mobile carriers and device manufacturers gather data in order to improve their products. Tons of applications do this, and you're probably used to those boxes that pops up on your screen and ask if you want to help the company by sending your data back to them. If you're concerned about your privacy, you just tap no and go about your merry computing way. As security-conscious Android developer?Trevor Eckhart realized, however, Carrier IQ does not give you this option, and unless you were code-savvy and looking for it, you'd never know it was there. And based on how aggressive the company has been in trying to keep Eckhart quiet about his discovery, it seems like Carrier IQ doesn't want you to know it's there either.

    Related: Did Eric Schmidt Step Down Because He 'Screwed Up' on Social Media?

    Eckhart first raised a red flag about Carrier IQ about two weeks ago when he started investigating reports that a software update on the HTC EVO 3D included "user behavior logging" code. The code had worried some geek bloggers when it showed up a couple months ago, but HTC and Sprint insisted that it wasn't much different than normal error-logging software and certainly didn't gather granular data like "contents of messages, photos, videos, etc." Eckhart wrote an exhaustive blog post about his startling findings -- CarrierIQ collected lots?data, including keystrokes, and there way for the user to opt out "without advanced knowledge" -- and CarrierIQ flipped out. The company sent Eckhart a cease-and-desist letter demanding that he keep his mouth shut and threatening legal action. But after the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) took a look at the case and determined that Eckhart was working within his First Amendment rights, it backed off but still denied that they recorded keystrokes.

    Related: Google's Ice Cream Sandwich Will Make Android All Better

    This week, Eckhart fired back with a 17-minute long video showing in painstaking detail how much data CarrierIQ collects, effectively undercutting the company's denial. It was even logging contents of text messages! Wired posted the video on Tuesday night and cemented its status "as one of nine reasons to wear a tinfoil hat." The magazine explains how CarrierIQ even undercuts other companies' security measures:

    The video shows the software logging Eckhart?s online search of ?hello world.? That?s despite Eckhart using the HTTPS version of Google which is supposed to hide searches from those who would want to spy by intercepting the traffic between a user and Google. ??It?s not even clear what privacy policy covers this. Is it Carrier IQ?s, your carrier?s or your phone manufacturer?s? And, perhaps, most important, is sending your communications to Carrier IQ a violation of the federal government?s ban on wiretapping?

    Oh, we're definitely in tinfoil hat territory now. CarrierIQ and the carriers have yet to respond to the latest claims -- we're doing our best to chase them down -- but if past smartphone tracking scandals are any precedent, they could end up answering to Congress.

    Related: The First Signs of Mutiny in the Android Brigade

    Like many things in life, there are a couple of different ways to think about smartphone tracking. One way approaches privacy from a forward-thinking, technology-trusting and, heck, even progressive perspective. GPS-equipped smartphones are incredibly powerful tools that enables mankind to do all kinds of amazing things, thanks to the perpetual stream of data from the Internet. However, that stream runs both ways, and sometimes, the folks that build and maintain the network sometimes need to monitor your data in order to improve the technology. Who wouldn't want better service??

    Related: The Great Facebook Privacy Disconnect

    This brings us to the second approach. Tracking is creepy. In an Orwellian kind of way, it makes people nervous -- especially Americans -- that the government or the corporations or the system?is closing in on them and stealing their freedom. Of course, not everybody feels so strongly about privacy, but as long as you can opt out, it's fine. Last week, Sen. Charles Schumer spoke out about a program at some malls in Virginia and Southern California that were anonymously tracking shoppers' movements by?tracking their?cell phone signals, and the only way to opt was by not going to the mall. Schumer did not approve. "Personal cell phones are just that -- personal," the New York senator?said in a statement.?"If retailers want to tap into your phone to see what your shopping patterns are, they can ask you for your permission to do so."

    The CarrierIQ software is not dissimilar to the shopper tracking program. In fact, it's arguably worse since it follows you everywhere. In the age of social media, everybody is becoming increasingly aware of and often angry about the amount of private data companies are scooping up with or without their consent. This week, the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook came to an agreement that the social network must make all of their new programs opt-in so as not to break the law by violating users' privacy. Even Mark Zuckerberg admitted in a sincere-sounding blog post that his company had "made a bunch of mistakes" on the privacy front in the past. He went on to detail how "offering people control over the information they share online" was a top priority. This is Mark "Privacy is Over"?Zuckerberg we're talking about here. With Facebook reportedly building its own mobile phone platform, wouldn't it be super ironic if people started defecting from the Android army and switching to the Facebook phone in the name of privacy?

    Your move, Google.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111130/tc_atlantic/yoursmartphonespyingyou45575

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    Robo cops to start guarding prison with an iron fist (Yahoo! News)

    South Korean prison to use friendly-looking robots as night guards

    In South Korea, the era of real robo cops will soon begin when the country's month-long $864,000?robotic guard project trial kicks into gear. Three 5' tall four-wheeled robots developed by the Asian Forum for Corrections ? a group of South Korean researchers specializing in criminality and?prison policies ? will take on the role of night prison guards at the city of Pohang.

    A real-life robo-cop

    The?robots will relieve human workers of their guarding duties not to replace them, but to allow them to focus on rehabilitation efforts. Sensors on the robots can determine behaviors among inmates that usually lead to violence or even suicide, so the human workers can be alerted quickly. Cameras attached to their torsos also come with a remote conversation function that inmates and guards can use to talk to each other.

    Professor Lee Baik-Chu who leads the design process says they're "almost done with creating [the robot's] key operating system, [and they] are now working on refining its details to make it look more friendly to inmates." He fails to elaborate what he means by making it look "friendly," but a computer render suggests an affable, smiling robotic face. The month-long project, slated to launch in March 2012, is part of a series of investments by the South Korean government in an effort to develop its robotics industry.

    [Image credit:?Asian Forum for Corrections]

    Korea Herald via?BBC,?Telegraph,?PopSci

    This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

    More from Tecca:

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/techblog/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20111129/tc_yblog_technews/robo-cops-to-start-guarding-prison-with-an-iron-fist

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