US researchers have found that the examination of the back of the eye may offer an insight into the health of someone’s brain.
A small study, published in the journal Neurology, linked damage to the retina with declining brain function.
Researchers believe issues with the blood supply may be damaging both the eye and the brain.
The eye condition the researchers were looking at was retinopathy, which is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. Damage to the retina can eventually lead to blindness.
Scientists followed 511 women, who were 65 or older, for a decade. Some 39 were diagnosed with retinopathy.
Those with the eye condition tended to have lower scores in tests of brain function, including memory and abstract reasoning exams.
The eye condition the researchers were looking at was retinopathy, which is common in patients with Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure
Brain scans also showed up more areas of damaged brain tissue, ischemic lesions, in those with retinopathy.
Dr. Mary Haan, from the University of California, San Francisco, said: “Problems with the tiny blood vessels in the eye may be a sign that there are also problems with the blood vessels in the brain that can lead to cognitive problems.
“This could be very useful if simple eye screening could give us an early indication that people might be at risk of problems with their brain health and functioning.”
There was only a small number of patients with retinopathy in the study. Much larger studies would be needed to see if the findings could be used as a clinical test for declining brain function.
While there was no suggestion of dementia in the patients, brain decline can be an early sign of the disease.
Dr. Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, who was not involved in the research, said: “Accurate early detection of the cognitive decline that can be associated with dementia could unlock our ability to treat it.
“This small study offers clues for another possible route doctors could consider when monitoring for the signs of cognitive decline.
“The study adds to mounting evidence linking vascular health to cognitive decline, and underlines the importance of looking after our hearts. It will be useful to see whether the people in this study went on to develop dementia.”
Bo Xilai, one of China’s most prominent politicians, has been removed from his post as Chongqing’s Communist Party leader, state news agency Xinhua reports.
Bo Xilai, 62, was a strong contender for promotion to China’s top rungs when the party changes its leadership later this year.
However, a scandal erupted when his former chief of police Wang Lijun spent a day at a United States consulate last month.
Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang will replace Bo Xilai, said the Xinhua report.
The move comes just a day after the end of the country’s annual parliamentary session, the National People’s Congress (NPC), where Bo Xilai’s absence from a meeting sparked speculations about his future.
After a long silence, Bo Xilai spoke last week about the incident involving ex-police chief Wang Lijun, answering questions from journalists at a meeting on the sidelines of the NPC.
Bo Xilai said he had not imagined Wang Lijun would run off. It came suddenly, he said.
“I feel like I put my trust in the wrong person,” Bo Xilai added, speaking at a meeting of Chongqing delegates.
Bo Xilai, one of China’s most prominent politicians, has been removed from his post as Chongqing's Communist Party leader
Wang Lijun has also been sacked from his job as deputy mayor of Chongqing, said another Xinhua report following the earlier announcement on Bo Xilai’s removal.
Wang Lijun’s visit to the US consulate in the city of Chengdu sparked rumors that he had intended to defect. State media reported that he was on vacation to recuperate from stress.
Wang Lijun, who led the crackdown on organized crime in Chongqing that propelled both him and his boss into the limelight, was later placed under police investigation for the incident.
Premier Wen Jiabao, answering a question at a news conference on Wednesday at the closing of the NPC session, said ”progress” had been made in the investigations, but did not reveal details.
He said local authorities must ”seriously” reflect and learn from the incident and that Beijing regarded this ”very seriously”.
Reactions to the brief announcement of Bo Xilai’s removal from his post in state media have been swift. The news spread quickly, prompting thousands of posts on the Sina Weibo microblogging site on Thursday morning.
“Swift and thorough! The ultra-leftish stronghold has finally come to an end. It’s a big fortune for China, a big fortune for the people!” posted a writer for Xinhua.com, Wang Ruogu.
“Bo Xilai might have his personal mistakes, what he has been pushing for might be problematic… but he has truly done a lot of great things for the people,” said another comment by a former journalist.
Bo Xilai is the nearest thing China has to a Western-style politician, correspondents say.
Like China’s leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping, Bo Xilai is the son of a famous communist hero, but he has gone on to forge his own unique public personality. Correspondents say the suave and charismatic Bo Xilai seems at home in front of the cameras and appears to enjoy pushing his policies in public.
Bo Xilai ran the big coastal city of Dalian and then became commerce minister, before moving to the post in Chongqing, a sprawling city in western China.
The remains of at least five individuals from a previously unknown human species have been identified in southern China.
The bones have been dated to between 11,500 and 14,500 years ago.
Scientists are calling them simply the Red Deer Cave people, after one of the sites where they were unearthed.
The team has told the PLoS One journal that far more detailed analysis of the fossils is required before they can be ascribed to a new human lineage.
“We’re trying to be very careful at this stage about definitely classifying them,” said study co-leader Darren Curnoe from the University of New South Wales, Australia.
“One of the reasons for that is that in the science of human evolution or palaeoanthropology, we presently don’t have a generally agreed, biological definition for our own species (Homo sapiens), believe it or not. And so this is a highly contentious area,” he said.
Much of the material has been in Chinese collections for some time but has only recently been subjected to intense investigation.
The remains of at least five individuals from a previously unknown human species have been identified in southern China
The remains of some of the individuals come from Maludong (or Red Deer Cave), near the city of Mengzi in Yunnan Province. A further skeleton was discovered at Longlin, in neighboring Guangxi Province.
The skulls and teeth from the two locations are very similar to each other, suggesting they are from the same population.
But their features are quite distinct from what you might call a fully modern human, says the team. Instead, the Red Deer Cave people have a mix of archaic and modern characteristics.
The Red Deer Cave people have a mix of archaic and modern characteristics, say scientists
In general, the individuals had rounded brain cases with prominent brow ridges. Their skull bones were quite thick. Their faces were quite short and flat and tucked under the brain, and they had broad noses.
Their jaws jutted forward but they lacked a modern-human-like chin. Computed Tomography (X-ray) scans of their brain cavities indicate they had modern-looking frontal lobes but quite archaic-looking anterior, or parietal, lobes. They also had large molar teeth.
Dr. Darren Curnoe and colleagues put forward two possible scenarios in their PLoS One paper for the origin of the Red Deer Cave population.
One posits that they represent a very early migration of a primitive-looking Homo sapiens that lived separately from other forms in Asia before dying out.
Another possibility contends that they were indeed a distinct Homo species that evolved in Asia and lived alongside our own kind until remarkably recently.
A third scenario being suggested by scientists not connected with the research is that the Red Deer Cave people could be hybrids.
“It’s possible these were modern humans who inter-mixed or bred with archaic humans that were around at the time,” explained Dr. Isabelle De Groote, a palaeoanthropologist from London’s Natural History Museum.
“The other option is that they evolved these more primitive features independently because of genetic drift or isolation, or in a response to an environmental pressure such as climate.”
Dr. Darren Curnoe agreed all this was “certainly possible”.
Attempts are being made to extract DNA from the remains. This could yield information about interbreeding, just as genetic studies have on the closely related human species – the Neanderthals and an enigmatic group of people from Siberia known as the Denisovans.
Whatever their true place in the Homo family tree, the Red Deer People are an important find simply because of the dearth of well dated, well described specimens from this part of the world.
And their unearthing all adds to the fascinating and increasingly complex story of human migration and development.
“The Red Deer People were living at what was a really interesting time in China, during what we call the epipalaeolithic or the end of the Stone Age,” says Dr. Darren Curnoe.
“Not far from Longlin, there are quite well known archaeological sites where some of the very earliest evidence for the epipalaeolithic in East Asia has been found.
“These were occupied by very modern looking people who are already starting to make ceramics – pottery – to store food. And they’re already harvesting from the landscape wild rice. There was an economic transition going on from full-blown foraging and gathering towards agriculture.”
Quite how the Red Deer People fit into this picture is unclear. The research team is promising to report further investigations into some of the stone tools and cultural artefacts discovered at the dig sites.
The co-leader on the project is Professor Ji Xueping of the Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.
A new species of frog has been found living in Staten Island, New York City, say US scientists.
While new species are usually discovered in remote regions, this so-far unnamed type of leopard frog was first heard croaking on Staten Island.
Jeremy Feinberg of Rutgers University in New Jersey noticed the frogs there had a call he had never heard before.
They look identical to other species, but genetic analysis showed they are a new species of leopard frog that probably once lived in Manhattan.
While studying leopard frogs Jeremy Feinberg noticed that instead of the long “snore” he was expecting, he heard a short, repetitive croak.
“When I first heard these frogs calling, it was so different, I knew something was very off,” Jeremy Feinberg said.
While new species are usually discovered in remote regions, this so-far unnamed type of leopard frog was first heard croaking on Staten Island
The frogs are currently found in Staten Island, mainland New York, and New Jersey, sometimes in sight of the Statue of Liberty.
By analyzing their current range of habitats the scientists believe they would have lived all over New York, with the centre of their population at the Yankees Stadium on the Bronx, to the north of Manhattan itself.
The research by scientists at the University of California, Rutgers, UC Davis and the University of Alabama has been published online in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
“For a new species to go unrecognized for all this time in this area is amazing,” said Professor Brad Shaffer, one of the authors from the University of California Los Angeles.
“Many amphibians are secretive and can be very hard to find, but these frogs are pretty obvious, out-there animals,” Prof. Brad Shaffer said.
“This shows that even in the largest city in the US there are still new and important species waiting to be discovered that could be lost without conservation.”
There are more than a dozen species of leopard frog found from Canada to Central America.
Jennifer Lopez was seen on the set of her music video Follow The Leader yesterday in Mexico, alongside her male stunt double.
The pair struck remarkable similarities with both their physiques clad in tight black leggings and matching black zip tops.
The male extra even had his long brown hair braided at the side, just like Jennifer Lopez.
The stunt double watched intently as Jennifer Lopez hopped into the back of a pick-up truck for the music video clip.
Jennifer Lopez was seen on the set of her music video Follow The Leader yesterday in Mexico, alongside her male stunt double
Jennifer Lopez has been filming the clip for the last couple of days, and it hasn’t been just her male stunt double that has had his eyes on the gorgeous Latina lovely.
Casper Smart has been with his girlfriend on the Acapulco set since she filming started over the weekend.
He was seen sharing an amorous moment with Jennifer Lopez, staring into her eyes as he stood shirtless showing off his tanned and tattooed torso.
The back-up dancer also lovingly fed Jennifer Lopez some donuts in-between takes, whilst also indulging in the tasty treats.
In return Jennifer Lopez gave her beau a tight squeeze as she continued her grueling action-packed day of singing and dancing.
Stacy Francis, the former X Factor contestant who once had so much to say about her run-in with Whitney Houston is suddenly keeping her mouth shut.
Just days before Whitney Houston‘s tragic death, the pop icon had a physical altercation with Stacy Francis over her rumored on-and-off again boyfriend Ray J.
When the incident was brought up during Oprah Winfrey‘s interview with Patricia Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and best friend, she made no effort to hide the fact that something had in fact transpired between the singers.
“[Stacy Francis] was wherever Whitney was at the party,” Patricia Houston told the talk show queen.
“Whenever I turned around, there she was!”
Stacy Francis, the former X Factor contestant who once had so much to say about her run-in with Whitney Houston is suddenly keeping her mouth shut
Following the interview, HollywoodLife.com reached out to Stacy Francis’ legal representative, Ed Shapiro, for a comment.
He said: “Stacy called me last night and told me that if anyone wanted a response from her with regard to Oprah’s interview with the Houstons, to tell them, <<I have nothing to say>>.”
Then, on March 12, someone tweeted: “They giving @stacyfrancis hell LOL!,” presumably about the Oprah’s Next Chapter interview, which aired March 11 on Oprah’s OWN Network.
Stacy Francis replied moments later, saying: “actually they r not.. I really really don’t care.. That’s how it is when u know the truth..”
Bobbi Kristina Brown has broken her silence on Twitter for the first time since December 26 to admit her romance with Nick Gordon.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, and Nicholas Gordon, 22, are proud to be together.
“I’ve proved my loyalty to [Krissy] and the Houston family,” Nick Gordon tweeted on March 13.
“I don’t owe any of you anything. Ha I don’t even know y’all haters. And Kriss is doing really well, I’ve been so happy with her strength.”
Nick Gordon went on to say discuss that he is not blood related to Bobbi Kristina: “For the stupid ppl out there she gave birth to 1 child. And she trusted me with EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Bobbi Kristina Brown has broken her silence on Twitter for the first time since December 26 to admit her romance with Nick Gordon
Bobbi Kristina Brown tweeted for the first time in three months about her relationship with Nick Gordon. The 19-year-old retweeted tons of positive tweets about her relationship by fans.
“@ndgordon I don’t understand why the world is so against LOVE!!!” Bobbi Kristina tweeted.
“Let @ndgordon love and support @REALbkBrown! Stop hating people.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown also retweeted this comment from a fan: “@ndgordon its no ones business what you and @REALbkBrown do. If people don’t understand that’s their problem. Do what makes you happy.”
Earlier reports claimed that Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown has been dating Nick Gordon – Whitney’s unofficially adopted son – but now it sounds like their relationship may be further along than anyone thought.
A Houston family friend told Star magazine that Nick Gordon actually proposed to Bobbi Kristina on March 10 and she said yes.
The family friend says Nick Gordon is taking advantage of “vulnerable” Bobbi Kristina Brown, but his grandmother says he’s actually “very protective” of Whitney Houston’s daughter.
“Nick took care of Whitney and Kristina,” Nick’s grandmother Maxine Gordon told Star.
“He’s always been extremely protective of Kristina.”
A Houston family friend told Star magazine that Nick Gordon actually proposed to Bobbi Kristina on March 10 and she said yes
However, the family friend believes that Nick Gordon is only proposing to Bobbi Kristina because she is about to inherit Whitney Houston’s 10 million dollar fortune.
“Krissy said Nick is the only person she trusts in the world,” the friend reveals.
“He’s always been extremely protective of Kristina. [They] have blurred the boundaries between a platonic relationship and a romantic one for some time. They’ve even been sleeping in the same bed.”
The friend believes they’re both making a terrible mistake.
“Nick is getting her at her most vulnerable,” the friend says.
“If he really loved her, he’d back off the engagement and just be her friend.”
Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina recently took the Twitter to defend their controversial relationship.
Wanting to pick a baby name with meaning, Jessica Simpson makes a quirky, but cute, choice.
You’ll never guess what Jessica Simpson’s naming her daughter!
Choosing a baby name is difficult for any parents-to-be, but it’s especially challenging for celebrities in the spotlight like Jessica Simpson and fiancé Eric Johnson.
“They tossed around a lot of names, including some wacky ones like Zinfandel, but couldn’t agree on anything,” a family friend tells In Touch. But now they’ve finally chosen.
Wanting to pick a baby name with meaning, Jessica Simpson makes a quirky, but cute, choice
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have finally decided what they’re naming their baby-to-be: Maxwell!
“They’re going to call her Maxwell, Maxi for short,” the friend reveals.
But why Maxwell?
Maxwell is Eric Johnson’s middle name, and also his grandmother’s maiden name.
“Jessica wanted a name with meaning,” the friend says.
Jessica Simpson, 31, has been spotted out wearing a diamond “M” necklace in honor of the newcomer. The couple has even ordered monogrammed onesies for the baby, who is due on April 20.
“[Jessica’s] gained so much weight and the baby is so big that doctors pushed up the date,” the friend explains.
“Jessica and Eric are so eager to meet Maxwell!” the friend says.
Nick Gordon denies he is dating his “sister” Bobbi Kristina Brown, but he says they are “just close”.
Last week ,HollywoodLife.com reported that Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon were holding hands and kissing on the lips while shopping at Target near their home in Johns Creek, Georgia.
“We’re just close,” Nicholas Gordon told ABC.
“Just going through her mom’s passing and grieving together.”
On March 9, Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon were also spotted walking around Target and kissing on the lips and holding hands, which clearly showed the two are more than just friends.
Nick Gordon is not blood related in any way to Bobbi Kristina Brown, but Whitney Houston took him in 10 years ago when his dad went to prison.
Nick Gordon denies he is dating his “sister” Bobbi Kristina Brown, but he says they are “just close”
Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon have been living in Whitney Houston’s town home in Atlanta for years and they’ve even tweeted that they sleep in the same bed sometimes.
Plus, Nick Gordon’s grandmother told Star magazine that he is very close with Bobbi Kristina and took care of both her and Whitney Houston.
In a report put out by E! News, a source close to Bobbi Kristina Brown explained that Nick Gordon is a great person and friend and has always been supportive of the 19 year-old beauty.
The insider also dished that the pair first met when they were younger, when Nick Gordon explained to Bobbi Kristina that he wanted to enlist in the army after high school due to family problems – but, to avoid this from happening, Whitney Houston stepped in to take him in as her own son.
Since Whitney Houston fostered Nick Gordon, he has been the man of the house, and by the looks of his recent tweets, he feels the same way about this relationship.
Since the release of Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon photo together, there have been many controversial tweets and he is firing back, as he wrote: “All the haters that dont know us or th real story can’t un follow me. I don’t give a f**k.”
He also added: “Some ppl have no lives so they gotta be in ours.”
Whitney Houston’s adopted son also made his place in the family known, stating: “She called me her <<God Son>> I swear some ppl in this world act like they don’t have a brain…”
Nick Gordon closed out his defensive remarks by writing: “I’ve proved my loyalty to her and the Houston family. I don’t owe any of you anything. Ha I don’t even know y’all haters.”
Man vs. Wild’s Bear Grylls has been fired by Discovery Channel after he reportedly refused to work on two upcoming channel’s projects.
A Discovery Channel spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter exclusively that they have ended their relationship with the wilderness guru.
“Due to a continuing contractual dispute with Bear Grylls, Discovery has terminated all current productions with him,” the spokesperson said.
Sources told the Hollywood Reporter website that Bear Grylls has been unwilling to participate in two upcoming projects, in violation of his contract.
British Bear Grylls, 37, has been starring in the series since 2006, and has travelled all over the globe, from Nambia to Zambia, and from the Arctic Circle to China.
The sixth season of the series wrapped up production last August.
The show documented the British adventurer’s travels as he made his way through some of the most inhospitable places on Earth.
While the news comes as something of a shock, Bear Grylls will hardly be scraping for his next project.
He has garnered something of a cult following for his blood-and-mud-covered adventures, and has several projects on the horizon.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Bear Grylls’ memoir, “Mud, Sweat, and Tears” is due out in the U.S. this May. In the UK, it is already a best-seller.
On top of celebrity endorsements for brands like Dockers and Degree deodorant, Bear Grylls’ clothing brand is sold at Wal Mart and outdoor adventure store REI.
Man vs. Wild’s Bear Grylls has been fired by Discovery Channel after he reportedly refused to work on two upcoming channel’s projects.
Man vs. Wild show – aired as Born Survivor in the UK – ran into considerable controversy in 2007 when it was revealed that Bear Grylls and his camera crews would spend the night in hotels, rather than camping in the wild, as the show depicted.
The series was briefly taken off the air and returned with a disclaimer reading: “Bear Grylls and the crew receive support when they are in potentially life threatening situations, as required by health and safety regulations.
“On some occasions, situations are presented to Bear so he can demonstrate survival techniques. Professional advice should always be sought before entering any dangerous environment.”
Bear Grylls told the AP in 2008: “I think the new shows will reassure (fans). Everything is strong and double-checked. Discovery is so cautious of everything. If I so much as break wind on these shows, it’s acknowledged now.”
Bear Grylls said he slept in the hotel to spend time with his family.
The scandal wounded Bear Grylls’ public image as being a rugged survivalist, and he was publically lambasted by Les Stroud of Survivorman.
Les Stroud said before he ended his popular show that being in the wilderness was incredibly demanding on his mind and body.
“It takes a lot out of me as I really do what I do for real, with no camera crew, no nights in hotels like others do, and it takes a toll on my body,” Les Stroud told Reuters.
“I need to move on,” he added.
Bear Grylls has also come under fire for his surmounting wealth – the reality star owns and lives on a private island in Wales and owns properties in Malibu and has a house barge on the Thames.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Bear Grylls was not part of the network’s upfronts – the all-important week when television executives pitch their upcoming season programming.
Kim Kardashian remained uncharacteristically silent after Mad Men actor Jon Hamm referred to her as “a f***ing idiot” last week.
However, Kim Kardashian has finally spoken out and hit back at Jon Hamm’s comments, calling them “careless”.
Kim Kardashian, 31, took to her Twitter page to express her opinion over his choice words.
The reality star wrote: “Calling someone who runs their own businesses, is a part of a successful TV show, produces, writes, designs, and creates, <<stupid>>,is in my opinion careless.
“I respect Jon and I am a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that not everyone takes the same path in life. We’re all working hard and we all have to respect one another.”
Kim Kardashian has finally spoken out and hit back at Jon Hamm's comments, calling them “careless”
Jon Hamm referred to Kim Kardashian when he recently hit out at the cult of celebrity in an interview with April’s Elle UK magazine, saying that it made “idiots” like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian into millionaires.
“Whether it’s Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated,” Jon Hamm told April’s Elle UK magazine.
“Being a f***ing idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you’re rewarded significantly.”
Jon Hamm referred to Kim Kardashian when he recently hit out at the cult of celebrity in an interview with April's Elle UK magazine, saying that it made “idiots” like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian into millionaires
Jon Hamm added that the success of reality TV stars “doesn’t make any sense” to him.
The actor added that he also didn’t understand why blonde, skinny women have become the epitome of beauty by modern society, saying curvy women like his Mad Men co-star Christina Hendricks are more beautiful.
His comments come as the new series of successful TV show Mad Men, in which he plays womanizing advertising exec Don Draper, is due to air.
The fifth series follows on from his character’s shock proposal to his secretary Megan at the end of series four.
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a dark, planet-sized Death Star-like object flying close to the sun on Monday.
The black Jupiter-sized orb is briefly engulfed in light from the sun, then flies off into space.
A video edited from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s photos inspired a wave of speculation on YouTube.
The imagery was captured by NASA’s space telescope and edited together by a YouTube user, Sunsflare, who challenged experts to explain the strange “visitor”.
Naturally, the space agency has a rather more ordinary explanation for the strange, black orb.
It’s not a visitor from another solar system – or a planet being born out of the surface of the sun, as others had speculated.
Instead, it’s a solar “prominence” or “filament” – a feature extending out from the sun which forms over the course of a day, and can extend hundreds of thousands of miles into space.
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a dark, planet-sized Death Star-like object flying close to the sun on Monday
Scientists are still puzzled as to why these features form. The “dark” parts are material cooler than the surrounding solar matter.
C. Alex Young, a solar astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre said, in a reply to Sunsflare’s video: “Filaments appear to be dark because they’re coolerin relation to what’s in the background. When you look at it from the edge of the sun, what you see is this spherical object and you’re actually looking down the tunnel.”
NASA says: “A solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disc) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun’s surface.
“Prominences are anchored to the Sun’s surface and extend outwards into the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, called the corona.
“Scientists are still researching how and why prominences are formed.
“An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.”
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory frequently captures the phenomenon – although often as violent eruptions, rather than the eerie sphere of this week’s activity.
“It is not uncommon for prominence material to drain back to the surface as well as escape during an eruption,” says Holly Gilbert a Goddard solar physicist.
“Prominences are large structures, so once the magnetic fields supporting the mass are stretched out so that they are more vertical, it allows an easy path for some of the mass to drain back down.”
ARM Holdings, one of the leaders in microprocessor Intellectual Property, has unveiled what it describes as the “world’s most energy-efficient microprocessor” design.
ARM Holdings says that microcontrollers based on the “Flycatcher” architecture will pave the way for the “internet of things” – the spread of the net to a wider range of devices.
It suggests that fridges and other white goods, medical equipment, energy meters, and home and office lighting will all benefit from the innovation.
Two companies have licensed the technology.
They are NXP Semiconductors and Freescale.
“It opens up all devices to the potential of being connected all the time,” said Freescale’s Geoff Lees.
“It’s allowing us to provide connectivity everywhere. So anything from consumer appliances, MP3-music audio docks, kitchen equipment with displays right through to remote sensors in rain monitoring equipment or personal medical devices – an area where ultra-long battery life allied to high performance and safety is becoming more and more important.”
The Flycatcher chip is the most energy efficient in the world and works on ultra-low power
The Cortex -M0+ architecture is designed to provide chip-makers with the means to build microcontrollers that require “ultra low power” but are capable of 32-bit processing.
ARM says it went back to the drawing board to create the new processor cores which measure 1mm by 1mm in size.
It says the microcontrollers should draw around a third less energy than their predecessors, which only offered 8 and 16-bit capabilities.
It adds that its design has been created to be a low leakage part – meaning it consumes almost no power when it is in sleep mode. The firm says that means devices can offer wireless connectivity when paired with modern bluetooth or radio equipment, offering years of life from a single battery-pack rather than months.
ARM’s director of embedded marketing Gary Atkinson says it could herald a new generation of smart energy systems.
“Every developed nation country has a graph showing electricity demand is going to outstrip supply at some point in the next 20 years unless we do something different,” Gary Atkinson said.
“What we need to do is something called design response – where all the devices on the network can make a decision as to whether or not to come on in order to smooth out peaks and troughs in electricity demand.
“So you should add connectivity to things like fridges, washing machines, freezers and dishwashers. If the wider electricity network is being very heavily used and if the element in your dishwasher could go off for two or three minutes to alleviate that – well then that would make a big difference.”
ARM says it expects the microcontrollers will sell for around 13-20 pence per device – and it will charge its clients about a 1-2% royalty fee from that price on top of a license charge.
Although the sums may appear small, the firm notes that Ericsson recently forecast there would be 50 billion connected devices by 2020 compared to 10-15 billion at present.
ARM says much of that growth will come from types of equipment that are not connected to the net at present – presenting the firm and its customers with a huge growth opportunity.
However the Cambridge-based company does not have the market to itself.
Arizona-headquartered Microchip Technology designs and builds a rival range of 32-bit “Pic” microcontroller, while California-based Atmel offers 32-bit “Avr” products.
Almost half of India’s 1.2 billion people have no toilet at home, but more people own a mobile phone, according to the latest census data.
Only 46.9% of the 246.6 million households have lavatories while 49.8% defecate in the open. The remaining 3.2% use public toilets.
Census 2011 data on houses, household amenities and assets reveal that 63.2% of homes have a telephone.
Analysts say the data show the complex contradictions of the Indian system.
They say the census reveals a country where millions have access to cutting-edge technology and consumer goods but a larger number of poor who lack access to even basic facilities.
About 77% of homes in the eastern state of Jharkhand have no toilet facilities, while the figure is 76.6% for Orissa and 75.8% in Bihar. All three are among India’s poorest states with huge populations which live on less than a dollar.
“Open defecation continues to be a big concern for the country as almost half of the population do it,” Registrar General and Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli said while releasing the latest data.
“Cultural and traditional reasons and a lack of education are the prime reasons for this unhygienic practice. We have to do a lot in these fronts,” he said.
Almost half of India's 1.2 billion people have no toilet at home, but more people own a mobile phone, according to the latest census data
The data also reveal that Indians now largely live in nuclear families with 70% of homes consisting of only one couple – a dramatic change in a country where joint families were always the norm.
The census figures also show changes in how people access information and entertainment.
More than half of population – 53.2% – has a mobile phone.
There has been a 16% rise in the number of homes with television sets, while the use of radios has declined by 15%.
The data show that 47.2% of households have a television while only 19.9% have a radio.
And the reach of computers with internet access is still miniscule, with only 3.1% of the population connected.
Bobby Brown earned a fortune after his album Don’t Be Cruel became one of the biggest hits of the 80’s, but now it appears he has fallen on hard times, as he was forced to use an airport shuttle bus in Los Angeles yesterday.
Bobby Brown, 43, also had to push his own luggage when he touched down at LAX airport with his current squeeze Alicia Etheridge.
It would be no surprise if Bobby Brown, who looked decidedly grumpy when he climbed on the bus, is struggling financially.
For it was revealed earlier this week Bobby Brown had claimed in court that possession he owned, which were kept in a storage facility he shared with ex-wife Whitney Houston, had to be auctioned off because they could not afford the bill.
Bobby Brown was forced to use an airport shuttle bus in Los Angeles yesterday, as he is struggling financially
In a sworn declaration submitted during their contentious divorce in 2007, Bobby Brown said the former couple had mounting cash worries.
He said: “It was no secret that I (as well as Whitney) had financial commitments we could not meet.
“In fact, just after the first of the year, our possessions held in storage were auctioned off due to a default judgement obtained for unpaid fees.
“Additionally, after Whitney and I separated I had no where to go and very little money to live on. I was for all intents and purposes, homeless.”
However, money troubles are not the only worries Bobby Brown will have on his mind at the moment.
For it has also emerged his daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown wants to change her surname to Houston and write him out of her life completely.
Whitney Houston left all of her estate to her daughter Bobbi Kristina, 19, and left nothing to her former husband Bobby Brown.
Thomas Lubanga, the Congolese warlord, has been found guilty of recruiting and using child soldiers between 2002 and 2003 by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
It is the court’s first verdict since it was set up 10 years ago.
Thomas Lubanga will be sentenced at a later hearing.
The warlord headed a rebel group during an inter-ethnic conflict in a gold-rich region of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thomas Lubanga, the Congolese warlord, has been found guilty of recruiting and using child soldiers between 2002 and 2003 by the International Criminal Court
The prosecution accused Thomas Lubanga of using children as young as nine as bodyguards, sex slaves and fighters.
In a unanimous decision, the three judges said evidence proved that as head of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) and its armed wing, Thomas Lubanga bore responsibility for the recruitment of child soldiers who had participated actively on the frontline.
Thomas Lubanga, who was arrested in 2005, could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The court cannot impose the death penalty.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Afghanistan in a surprise visit after a NATO soldier shot dead 16 civilians.
According to the officials, Leon Panetta’s trip to Afghanistan was planned before 16 Afghan civilians were shot dead by an American soldier on Sunday.
Leon Panetta is due to have talks with President Hamid Karzai, provincial leaders and senior officials.
Correspondents say his visit has taken on a new meaning as political pressure mounts on Afghan and US officials over the unpopular war.
Leon Panetta is also due to speak with US troops in Afghanistan as fears mount that they could be the victims of a Taliban-led backlash over the killings of villagers, including nine children, by the rogue US soldier.
His arrival at Bastion Airfield in Helmand province came a day after protests over the massacre flared in the eastern city of Jalalabad.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Afghanistan in a surprise visit after a NATO soldier shot dead 16 civilians
Leon Panetta is the most senior US official to visit Afghanistan since the shootings.
He told reporters ahead of his trip that he believed that American strategy in Afghanistan was working and would withstand repercussions from the killings.
“I think we’re on the right path now and what we’ve got to do is convince people that despite these kinds of events we ought not to allow [them] to undermine that strategy,” Leon Panetta said on Monday.
“It’s important that we push on, and that we bring this war to a responsible end and achieve the mission that all of us are embarked on,” he said.
Leon Panetta’s trip coincides with discussions in the US between UK Prime Minster David Cameron and President Barack Obama over a possible “endgame” to the war in Afghanistan.
The leaders are expected to agree that Afghan forces should take over a lead combat role by mid-2013 – earlier than planned – but the US president has said there will be no “rush for the exits”.
Correspondents say that anti-Americanism was rampant in Afghanistan even before the shootings.
Last month there was outrage over US troops inadvertently burning Korans on an American base.
Fury also followed the posting of a video on the internet in January apparently showing four US marines urinating on Taliban corpses.
Blue Ivy was wearing a pair of golden booties as her mother Beyoncé walked her around Manhattan yesterday.
Tucked up in her Baby Bjorn, two-month-old Blue Ivy was safe and warm as she discovered the streets of the city she’ll soon call home.
The only hint of Beyoncé’s fabulous stage presence were those sparkling shoes which dangled from Blue Ivy’s warm cocoon, hinting at the fabulous outfits to come.
Beyoncé, 30, was fashionable even in the final stages of her pregnancy, so it isn’t a shock that she could turn a baby sling into a sensational accessory.
The singer also took baby Blue Ivy for a stroll around New York City the day before yesterday with her mother, Tina Knowles.
She’s been giving her beloved high heels a rest in recent weeks, and taken to wearing a flattering sort of footwear.
It isn’t easy to stroll in sky-high stilettos, which is why Beyoncé wore a pair of black leather penny loafers for her walk around her neighborhood of TriBeCa on Monday, and a pair of Charlotte Olympia Kitty flats on Tuesday.
Blue Ivy was wearing a pair of golden booties as her mother Beyoncé walked her around Manhattan yesterday
On Monday, Beyoncé looked glam in a black tuxedo blazer, enormous gold hoop earring and oversized glamorous shades, and she opted for muted tones on Tuesday, when she stepped out in funky triangle pattern trousers, and though she looked city chic, her best accessory, of course, was her newborn daughter.
Beyoncé gave birth to her little one on January 7 at New York City’s Lenox Hospital, it is the first child for the singer with hip-hop superstar Jay-Z.
Blue Ivy is already following in her famous parents’ footsteps, as well.
At two days old, Blue Ivy’s cries were included on her father’s hit single, Glory.
Blue Ivy officially became the youngest person to ever appear on a Billboard chart when the single debuted at number 74 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Sultan Kosen, the world’s tallest man, may have finally stopped growing at a towering 8ft 3ins (251.4 cm) thanks to a pioneering new treatment.
Turkish farmer Sultan Kosen, 29, suffers from the rare disorder acromegaly which causes his body to continually produce the growth hormone.
Sultan Kosen’s condition was thought to have been caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland which is located in bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain.
Doctors though they had cured him in 2008 when they removed the tumor but he continued to grow at a rate of half of inch a year.
Sultan Kosen, the world's tallest man, may have finally stopped growing at a towering 8ft 3ins (251.4 cm) thanks to a pioneering new treatment
However, researchers at the University of Virginia Medical Center, who have developed a new treatment after he visited in 2010, say Sultan Kosen has finally stopped growing.
Sultan Kosen’s hands measure 10.8 in across and his feet are 13.7 in long – which are also world records.
The man, who wears size 28 shoes, is one of only ten people ever to top 8 ft and the first in a decade.
Sultan Kosen grew normally until he was ten but the tumor then caused him to develop the medical condition.
When other children were little more than 4 ft, he was already well over 6 ft.
“The kids used to tease me and I found that very difficult,” Sultan Kosen said on a trip to the UK in 2010.
Reference book firm Encyclopaedia Britannica has decided to stop publishing its famous and weighty 32-volume print edition after 244 years of tradition.
Encyclopaedia Britannica will now focus on digital expansion amid rising competition from websites such as Wikipedia.
The company, which used to sell its encyclopedias door-to-door, now generates almost 85% its revenue from online sales.
It recently launched a digital version of its encyclopedias for tablet PCs.
“The sales of printed encyclopedias have been negligible for several years,” said Jorge Cauz president of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
“We knew this was going to come.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica has decided to stop publishing its famous and weighty 32-volume print edition after 244 years of tradition
Companies across the globe have been trying to boost their online presence in a bid to cash in on the fast-growing market.
Various newspapers, magazines and even book publishers have been coming up with online versions of their products as an increasing number of readers access information on high-tech gadgets such as tablet PCs and smartphones.
Britannica said while its decision to focus on online editions was influenced by the shift in consumer pattern, the ability to update content at a short notice also played a big role.
“A printed encyclopedia is obsolete the minute that you print it,” Jorge Cauz said.
“Whereas our online edition is updated continuously.”
At the same time, frequent users of the encyclopedia said they preferred using the online version more than the print one.
“We have to answer thousands of questions each month through chat, through telephone, through email and we have to do that as quickly as humanly possible,” said Richard Reyes-Gavilan of Brooklyn Public Library.
“In many instances doing a keyword search in an online resource is simply a lot faster then standing up looking at the index of the Britannica and then finding the appropriate volume.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, the company, has largely moved away from its encyclopedia work focusing most of its energies in recent years on educational software.
At least 28 people, including 22 children, have been killed after a Belgian coach crashed in a tunnel in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.
Another 24 children were injured in the crash near Sierre, close to the border with Italy. The children were travelling from Val d’Anniviers and were returning to Belgium.
The coach, carrying 52 people back to Belgium, hit a wall in the tunnel head-on. Both of the coach’s drivers were among those killed.
The children, from the Belgian villages of Lommel and Heverlee, were returning home after a skiing holiday.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, who is travelling to the scene of the crash, said: “This is a tragic day for all of Belgium.”
The bus crashed shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
At least 28 people, including 22 children, have been killed after a Belgian coach crashed in a tunnel in the canton of Valais, Switzerland
In Brussels, the Belgian foreign ministry said most of the children were aged around 12, and the bus was one of three hired by a Christian group, AFP news agency reports.
The two classes of schoolchildren, from two schools in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, had spent a week skiing in Val d’Anniviers, in the Swiss Alps.
Some of the injured were flown by helicopters to hospitals in Lausanne, Bern and other Swiss cities.
Swiss prosecutor Olivier Elsig told a news conference the bus was new, or nearly new, and was equipped with safety belts.
In a tunnel where the speed limit is 100km/h (62 mph), Olivier Elsig said the bus collided with the right-hand side and then hit a concrete wall head-on. An investigation is under way.
Swiss journalist Ruth Seeholzer said some 300 rescuers were working at the scene of the crash.
She said that the two-lane tunnel was not busy with traffic when the accident happened and driving conditions were normal.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said: “It is incomprehensible. There were three buses and only one was in an accident, without any contact with another vehicle.”
The coach, carrying 52 people back to Belgium, hit a wall in the tunnel head-on
A helpline for families has been set up, and many relatives are expected to arrive in Switzerland later.
Belgium has made two aircraft available to take them to Switzerland.
Belgium’s ambassador to Switzerland, Jan Luykx, has travelled to the crash site.
Jan Luykx said: “This tragedy will hit the whole of Belgium. The magnitude of the accident is difficult to take in. For the moment I am concentrating on the practical aspects. The emotional side will come when we meet the families.”
The head of the Valais region, Jacques Melly, expressed his deep sadness at the accident, sending his condolences to the families of the victims and praising the rescuers for their work in “extremely difficult conditions”.
The White House has announced today that First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the official U.S. delegation to the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
It has become somewhat of a tradition for first ladies to lead the U.S. delegation.
Laura Bush performed the duty at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, and Hillary Rodham Clinton headed up the delegation at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the official U.S. delegation to the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London
The announcement comes during a three-day visit to the U.S. by Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron, in which he and President Barack Obama intend to focus on foreign policy issues.
Michelle Obama will host a mini-Olympic competition with physical activities for D.C.-area children at American University today.
The competition is part of her “Let’s Move!” initiative promoting fitness and healthy eating.
Michelle Obama will be joined by Samantha Cameron.
Olympians and Paralympians expected to attend the event include: Kortney Clemons, Dominique Dawes, April Holmes, Lisa Leslie, Lori Ann Lindsey, Dan O’Brien, Becky Sauerbrunn and David Wagner.
The Olympics opening ceremony will take place in London on July 27.
New reports claim that Demi Moore is struggling following her discharge from the rehab centre and is attempting to win her estranged husband Ashton Kutcher back.
It was previously reported that Demi Moore’s split from Ashton Kutcher after claims of his infidelity was the reason for her plummeting weight and the eventual hospitalization which led to her going to rehab.
And now Demi Moore’s friends are said to be concerned that the actress is following a similar path once more, after setting her sights on reuniting with her estranged husband.
One friend told Grazia magazine: “Demi definitely isn’t over him yet. Her mood right now relies solely on Ashton and how responsive he is to her messages and phone calls.
“If he doesn’t message her back for a couple of hours or seems distant in a text, she starts freaking out. While she won’t admit it, she is still completely infatuated with him and it’s clear she wants him back.”
Demi Moore, 49, is also said to have been thrown off after Ashton Kutcher visited her in rehab.
The friend added: “Demi is her own worst enemy, because she was doing great in rehab until Ashton came to visit her.
“He didn’t actually make it down until a couple of weeks ago, after promising to go numerous times before that. As everyone expected, his visit really threw her off and she went from being relatively calm to very anxious and edgy.”
Demi Moore is struggling following her discharge from the rehab centre and is attempting to win her estranged husband Ashton Kutcher back
Meanwhile, it has also been claimed that Demi Moore is “in denial” over Ashton Kutcher’s reported relationship with Lorene Scafaria, after the pair made their public debut heading to a game of laser tag in Los Angeles on March 3rd.
A source told Grazia magazine: “Demi doesn’t know much about Lorene, as she’s been shielded from the media while in rehab. Demi and Ashton have been texting regularly. She seems to be in denial about the fact he is thinking of settling down with another woman and is looking forward to seeing him. Demi’s friends are worried she doesn’t seem to have acknowledged Ashton’s new relationship.”
Despite the fact that Ashton Kutcher and Lorene Scafaria looked very friendly as they stepped out in LA earlier this month, a representative for the actor has maintained the pair are “just friends”.
Demi Moore’s return from rehab was the first time the actress has been seen in public since she was hospitalized after having a seizure and collapsing in January.
She had reportedly been smoking “an incense-like substance” as well as inhaling nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas.
