Google Is Handing Out the Google Phone to Employees [Blockquote]

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The above is just one of many Google Phone tweets that made the rounds yesterday. Unless this is some giant Twitter prank, looks like Google is handing these things out to employees. And they're talking. Updated:

Update 2: Google speaks!

Update: We're hearing from our sources that it's the HTC Passion. We're not sure if it's the same Passion we saw a few weeks ago, but we're on the lookout for pics.

Assuming this isn't some sort of coordinated Twitter joke (trust me, it happens), here are the details we can extract:

• It's running Android 2.1 on HTC hardware (the Passion, see above)
• It should be coming out in January
• Employees were given unlocked versions
• "It's beautiful," "a sexy beast."

No one grabbed any concrete hardware details, but hopefully those are the next to come around. Great White Snark elaborated on his original tweet in the comments over at TechCrunch:

Yeah, it's a hot, sexy mess. And I mean that in a good way. Similar form-factor to the iPhone, but with a smooth-brushed-metal-looking shell instead of a glossy one. And perhaps a smidgen lighter.

Super fast, speech-to-text in EVERY app, awesome "live wallpapers" in the background that respond to touch in really beautiful ways. Like water ripples that emanate out from a touch.

Confirmation, or mass hysteria? It's confirmed, see above. Whatever it is, we'll be on the lookout for more details. [TechCrunch]







The Texthook Makes a Great Stroller For a Terrible Parent [Parenting]

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Be honest, parents. What's your least favorite part about parenting? It's all that darn parenting, am I right? Lucky for you there's Texthook, a smartphone mount that lets you totally ignore your child on pleasant afternoon strolls.

The worst part about this, if I had to pick just one, is that it actually positions your phone perfectly so that you can't see your baby and he or she can't see you, even when you're not texting. So enjoy swapping gossip with your buddies with your Texthook, Terrible Parent! And later explaining to your spouse why the kid calls your iPhone "dada." [Texthook via OhGizmo, Photo via NY Daily News]







No Shortage of Engineers After All!

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If you've been in or around engineering for any length of time, then you've heard the argument that we just don't have enough engineers in this country. This argument always rang hollow with me. If there was such a big shortage, I reasoned, shouldn't salaries be higher? Well, as it turns out, a new

Hydraulic Shapes and Reciprocating Machines

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Hi

I am presently teaching students about reciprocating machines like shaper, slotter etc.

One of the aspects that need elucidation is the quick return motion effected in a shaper driven by hydraulic mechanism. I consulted various textbooks available with me, but it is not very clear a

Since Obama elected "Worst Year" for Homegrown Islamic Terrorism

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"None of this proves Obama is really a Muslim. But it does all suggest that America has a pro-Islamist President." -- Melanie Phillips, Columnist, UK Telegraph, Author of "Londonistan"

The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning, that 2009 has been one of the worst years for Islamic Terrorism, and possibly the worst ever for homegrown Muslim Terror...

The surge in alleged terror cases has raised concerns among counterterrorism officials...

U.S. counterterrorism officials say 2009 has turned into the year of homegrown jihad...

* In September, terrorism investigators trailed Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old Afghan-born U.S. resident, as he made his way from Denver to New York City in what they later alleged was an aborted plot to carry out attacks using explosives made from beauty supplies.

* A month later, investigators arrested David Headley, a U.S.-born son of a Pakistani father and American mother, and charged him with plotting with al Qaeda-linked Pakistani militants to attack a newspaper in Denmark... he [also] helped a Pakistani group, Lashkar-i-Taiba, scout locations for the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

* Last month, U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan was arrested and charged with killing 13 people in a shooting spree at Fort Hood Army base in Texas. Prior to the attack, Maj. Hasan was in touch with an extremist Muslim cleric in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki, investigators say.

* Also last month, the U.S. unveiled charges against several men who allegedly recruited about 20 young men of Somali descent to join an Islamist insurgent group, al Shabaab, which is fighting Somalia's U.S.-backed government.

A common thread in these and other cases, terrorism officials say, is that they involve immigrants and second-generation Americans, who traditionally have been viewed as more resistant to extremist ideology. Many cases uncovered in past years have involved American converts to Islam, and officials say religious converts often are more zealous in their beliefs.

Meanwhile the LA Times is reporting that terrorist experts nationwide have said:

"2009 has been the most dangerous year domestically since 2001... Anti-terrorism officials and experts see signs of accelerated radicalization among American Muslims, driven by a wave of English-language online propaganda and reflected in aspiring fighters’ trips to hot spots such as Pakistan and Somalia."

Missed by both the Times and the WSJ the attack on the Little Rock, Arkansas last May, when a Muslim-convert Abdulhakim Muhammad (photo above) opened fire on a Military Recruitment facility, killing one soldier and seriously injuring another. Also not listed, the planned attack by a Jordanian-born Muslim extremist on a Dallas skyscraper back in September.

Finally, there were the 4 North Carolina Jihadists arrested with a serious weapons cache, who were training to wage War against the United States overseas.

Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer and other Middle Eastern experts believe that Obama may be setting a tone that would foster an environment of tacit approval for homegrown radical Islam.

Spencer ally Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs, on the five DC Muslim students tracked down and arrested in Pakistan by American authorities last week, commented:

They were plotting jihad. Obama spent a month in Pakistan during his college years ....perhaps he is, uh, sympathetic.

Photos from left to right Abdulhakim Muhammad, Nidal Malik Hasan, Najibullah Zazi, and below Barack Hussein Obama giving a speech in Cairo.

New Poll: 39% of Israelis believe Obama is a Muslim

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From Gersten-Langne Polling Firm, Dec. 10:

Q.38 Now, I am going to read you a list of words and phrases which people use to describe political figures. For each word or phrase, please tell me whether it describes Barack Obama very well, well, not too well, or not well at all.

The number of respondents who answered "Muslim" described Obama "well" was 39% compared to 49% who responded "not well."

On the description of Obama "Weak on Terrorism," 50% agreed with that label, while 42% disagreed.

Sausages in Financial Reform

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The old saw says that the two things no one wants to see being made are laws and sausages.  That's probably unfair to sausages:

Buried in a 239-page amendment to the U.S. House of Representatives' financial regulatory overhaul is a provision that appears to do just one thing: exempts financial-services company USAA from some of the bill's tougher provisions.

The carve-out is one of a number of exceptions that allow companies to avoid fresh scrutiny envisioned by the White House, which is aiming to overhaul the nation's financial-regulatory apparatus. The beneficiaries run from corporations such as General Electric Co. and Pitney Bowes Inc. to USAA, which caters to members of the military and their families, to so-called fraternal benefit societies.

But for those of you who think more financial regulation is necessary to avoid future financial crises, and that therefore exempting certain companies is problematic, no need to worry:

Referring to USAA, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D., Mass.) said ... "There's no remote prospect of them being a problem."

Minnesota DFL may have a Big Problem on its hands for 2010: Lynne Torgerson

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by Eric Dondero

American "Jane Six-Pack" vies for Congressional seat held by Radical Muslim

Talk about an odd duck Democrat. Well, not exactly a 'D' more like a Joe Lieberman sort running as an Independent in the Democrat primaries.

Meet firebrand anti-Islamist crusader and candidate for US Congress Lynne Torgerson. Ms. Torgerson ran once before, in 2008 for the Minnesota House of Reps. She sought the GOP nomination in District 59. Ironically, she was blocked by a cadre of Ron Paul supporters. The Paulists opposed her foreign policy views. Many suspect that might have been the reason for putting the squash on her candidacy.

From Minnesota Independent:

Carleton Crawford, who chairs the Republican Party of Minnesota’s Fifth District committee, told MnIndy by email that Torgerson failed to get the GOP endorsement in 2008 because delegates sought someone more in line with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential candidacy.

An Independent-Democrat, with a Conservative streak

Unfortunately, the move by Paul's followers, may have also pushed this attractive and outspoken candidate right out of the Republican Party. For 2010 Torgerson is planning to run in the Democrat primary as an "Independent." She may also simultaneously seek the Independence Party nomination for the general. (Jesse Ventura's old party.)

She shares a number of mixed views on a variety of issues. For example; She's stridently Anti-Bail Outs for big corporations, Pro-Gun and Pro-2nd Amendment, anti-Immigration in general, Pro-Life, Anti-Gay Marriage, and for Tax Credits for Oil Exploration. At the same time, she's almost liberal on Environmental Policy, and Health Care; favoring a public option, and policies that would promote "Clean Energy."

Fighting back against Minnesota's Somali Terrorists

It is her Foreign Policy views, specifically her views on Israel, and Muslim extremism, that put her in direct confrontation with the man she seeks to unseat.

There has been a recent wave of Somali immigrants to Minneapolis/St. Paul who have participated in homegrown terror plots, and American Somalis have traveled to Somalia to participate in Jihad.

StoptheACLU blog reported that might be a reason for the rise in anti-Islamist sentinment among regular Minnesotans:

The Huffington Post reports “the growth of anti-Muslim sentiment in Minnesota..." the tuberculosis they brought with them and their habit of never... integrating into society.

Yet the local media, and politically correct politicians have been almost completely silent on the increasing threat from the Somalis.

In Torgerson, regular Minnesota Joe and Jane Sixpacks may have found a new champion for more restrictive immigration policies for Somalis and other Muslim immigrants.

Going after the record of Radical Islamist Keith Ellison

From her website:

Who is Keith Ellison? He is my opposing candidate for the Fifth Congressional District seat. Keith Ellison is a Muslim, a person who was raised Christian and converted to Islam. He became associated with the Muslim faith and Louis Farakhan. Louis Farakhan also espoused hatred of Jews. Keith Ellison also has ties to CAIR. Its members donated to his campaign. Additionally, high ranking members of CAIR have been speakers of honor at his campaign fundraisers. Keith Ellison has spoken at CAIR's fundraising dinners. All people should definitely look at the list of Keith Ellison's donors. The list can be found at fec.gov, which is the Federal Election Commission website or opensecrets.org. Approximately $700,000 came from OUTSIDE THE STATE OF MINNESOTA into Ellison's campaign. Why would so many people outside of the State of Minnesota be so interested in a Minnesota congressperson?

Now, with all due respect, America, and its people, should be lauded for its goal of promoting to public office and other high ranks, people of color, women, minorities, etc. However, quite frankly, in our zeal, we simply went too far with Keith Ellison. Keith Ellison simply is not a proper person to have in our federal government. Ellison, in the past year or so, introduced a bill entitled "Global Peace." "Global." I think that word is telling. Globalization of Islam. It is also my understanding that when people of the Muslim faith use the word peace, that "peace" to them means the elimination of Christians and Jews. Yassar Arafat, a known terrorist who began the PLO (the Palestinian Labor Organization), also often called for "peace." Also, it should be pointed out that during a recent vote regarding funding to support the needs of our troops, Keith Ellison voted against the bill. He later has voted to fund many other things, but, again, he voted against funding for the needs of our troops at war.

So, we have Keith Ellison with ties both to Islam and to CAIR. We have him also voting against funding the needs of our military. Keith Ellison has no business in our federal government.

Radical Islam is anti-Constituion

Torgerson sees opposing Islamism as wholly Constitutionalist. Continuing from MinnIndy:

Indeed she frames several of her objections to Islam in terms of the U.S. Constitution. Islamic teachings advocate murder of non-Muslims, she charges, putting the religion at least partly outside the protection of the First Amendment, which is also contravened by Islam’s goal to “Islamize the entire world,” as she puts it. Islam’s oppression of women, she contends, violates the Constitution’s equal-protection clause.

Torgerson cites as well the 2004 assassination of Dutch director Theo Van Gogh for making a short film based on Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book “Infidel.”

Muslims “have teachings that are essentially criminal,” Torgerson said.

“Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.” (Sura 9:5)

"Idolaters are anyone who is not Muslim. Slay means to kill. Therefore, the Quran says to kill anyone who is not a Muslim. Simple."

Minnesota's 5th District is the most Progressive in the State, by far. Republicans have little hope of winning this seat. While candidate Togerson may not be a consistent libertarian, she may be the best hope for libertarians and conservatives concerned about the rising threat of Radical Islam.

TorgersonforCongress.com

Magnetic Dance of Titan and Saturn To Be Main Attraction during Flyby

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Artist's concept of Cassini's Dec. 11, 2009, flyby of Saturn's largest moon, TitanWhen it flies by Saturn's largest moon, Titan, this weekend, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will study the interactions between the magnetic field of Saturn and Titan. The flyby will take place the evening of Dec. 11 California time, or shortly after midnight Universal Time on Dec. 12.

As Titan plows through the magnetic bubble, or magnetosphere around Saturn, it creates a wake in the magnetic field lines coming away from the planet. This flyby will allow Cassini's fields and particles instruments to study that wake about 5,200 kilometers (3,200 miles) away from the moon, a relatively unexamined region. Other instruments will also be taking a closer look at Titan's clouds.

At closest approach to Titan, Cassini will swing to within about 4,900 kilometers (3,000 miles) of the surface of the moon.

Cassini last zoomed by Titan two months ago. Although this latest flyby is dubbed "T63," planning changes early in the orbital tour have made this the sixty-fourth targeted flyby of Titan.

Titan is a kind of "sister world" to Earth because it has a surface covered with organic material and an atmosphere whose chemical composition hearkens back to an early Earth.

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Connecticut Students Set for Cosmic Conversation with Space Station Commander

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Fifth grade students in Connecticut will talk science with International Space Station commander Jeff Williams as he orbits 200 miles above Earth on Dec. 15. The education downlink will take place from 12:50 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. EST from the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn.

Williams is a NASA astronaut and commander of the Expedition 22 mission to the station. He has been aboard since Oct. 2. The students attend McAlister Intermediate School in Suffield, Conn., and East Hartford Glastonbury Elementary Magnet School in East Hartford, Conn.

Student questions will focus on the importance of water recycling aboard the orbiting outpost and the effects of the space environment on the life cycle of the painted lady butterflies recently brought aboard the station. The conversation with the space station is part of an educational event at the museum.

Reporters interested in attending the event should RSVP to Caroline d'Otreppe at the New England Air Museum at 860-623-3305, ext.13, by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14.

Students have been preparing for the downlink by participating in activities that will help them identify the problems that need to be solved in order for people to live and work in space. Hamilton Sundstrand in Windsor Locks, Conn., and CUNO in Meriden, Conn., have partnered with the museum and participant schools to allow students to interact directly with scientists and engineers.

The downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, a NASA Education office. Teaching From Space promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of human spaceflight.

NASA Television will air video from the space station during the event. For NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about NASA's education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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Launch of NASA’s Wise Spacecraft Delayed Until Dec. 14

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The launch of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has been rescheduled for Monday, Dec. 14. The launch window extends from 9:09 to 9:23 a.m. EST. The first launch attempt scheduled for Dec. 11 was delayed because of a problem with the motion of a booster steering engine.

Mission managers have implemented a plan to resolve the issue. This plan includes removing and replacing a suspect component today. The current weather forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather at launch time on Monday.

NASA TV coverage of the countdown and WISE launch will begin at 7 a.m. on Dec. 14 and also will be available on the NASA Web site at:

http://www.nasa.gov

The WISE mission news center is operational at the NASA Vandenberg Resident Office. Reporters can call 805-605-3051 for launch information. Recorded status reports are available by dialing 805-734-2693.

For more information about the WISE mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/wise

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Water on the Moon, Drought on Earth: NASA Experts Available for Radio And Podcast Interviews During Major Science Meeting

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Two NASA researchers will discuss the agency's latest findings about our home planet and its nearest neighbor in live interviews from the 2009 fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco on Monday, Dec. 14, and Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Monday, Dec. 14, 5:30-7 p.m. EST (2:30 - 4 p.m. PST)

"Back to the Moon, With Water." Michael Wargo, NASA Headquarters
NASA's most recent missions to the moon have uncovered startling new information, including the confirmation of water in a permanently shadowed crater. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, now circling the moon, also is mapping Earth's dusty satellite in unprecedented detail from many perspectives. NASA's Chief Lunar Scientist Michael Wargo describes what we've discovered this year and previews next directions. To book, contact Grey Hautaluoma at 202-358-0668; grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 5:30-7 p.m. EST (2:30 - 4 p.m. PST)

"Where Has California's Water Gone?" Matthew Rodell, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
"Follow the water" has been NASA's mantra in solar system exploration, but what about our home planet? NASA hydrologist Matthew Rodell discusses new findings from the GRACE satellite that show the aquifers in California's Central Valley and the Sierra Nevadas have lost significant water volume since 2003. Rodell can discuss causes and implications of this loss and its impact on California and the U.S. To book, contact Steve Cole at 202-358-0918; stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov

The AGU meeting runs from Monday, Dec. 14, through Friday, Dec. 18, at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. NASA scientists and researchers will present a wide range of Earth and space science findings during the meeting.

For more information about NASA presentations at the meeting, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/agu/index.html

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