BREAKING NEWS ‘New’ Species of Mammal Discovered in South America

American Scientists from the Smithsonian Institute of Washington DC have discovered a new type of carnivorous mammal previously unknown to Western science.

The creature, known as the olinguito, is the first such animal to be discovered on the American continent in 35 years.

Zoologist Dr. Kristofer Helgen, who works as the curator of mammals in Washington DC’s National Museum of Natural History, discovered some stored remains in a Chicago museum and was reportedly ‘stopped in his tracks’ upon seeing them.

Following further examination, Helgen says that, “The skins were a rich red colour and when I looked at the skulls I didn’t recognize the anatomy. It was different to any similar animal I’d seen, and right away I thought it could be a species new to science.”

DNA testing eventually proved that, whilst the 35-cm long olinguito is a type of olingo (a relative of raccoons), it is definitely a distinct species in its own right. However, not content with simply describing the species from the remains, the real challenge for Helgen was to attempt to observe this new mammal in the wild.

Using educated guesswork and clues obtained from the specimen drawer, Dr. Helgen and his team were able to theorize a possible habitat for the olinguito. Their ideas proved to be correct and the animal has since been established as inhabiting a number of protected areas from Central Columbia to Western Ecuador.

This is not the first time that Dr. Helgen has identified new species by examining museum remains. In fact, throughout his distinguished career, he has discovered around 100 new species of animals. As an example, Helgen’s work has demonstrated that the hog badger, presumed simply to be a single, widespread species, was in fact three different species, albeit with similar attributes.

Historical records show that Washington National Zoo actually had an olinguito specimen in the 1960’s, but it was never identified as such. The animal was exhibited as an olinga, but its keepers were puzzled when it failed to breed. Sadly, the captive olinguito died without ever being correctly identified.

It should also be noted that just because an animal is considered ‘new’ to Western science, the term rarely denotes a species completely unknown to Humankind. People native to the areas inhabited by these animals are usually well aware of its presence and indispensable in locating individuals for observation and study by Western researchers.

A host of other new species have already been discovered this year, including the Cambodian tailorbird, a new type of hero shrew, a reef fish from the Caribbean, a beautifully patterned bat from the Sudan and two new spider species (including a grey and black tarantula the size of an open palm).

To Dr. Helgen, this is hardly surprising, “Conventional wisdom would have it that we know all the mammals of the world. In fact, we know so little. Unique species, profoundly different from anything ever discovered, are out there waiting to be found.” He says


SOURCES

http://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/explorers/bios/helgen-kristofer/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23701151

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/23716967

http://blog.getaway.co.za/travel-news/new-species-discovered-2013/

imagine a country without hard drives

We live increasingly virtual lives. As I type this, my external hard drives are home to a library of music, books in PDF form, several movies and my every photo I’ve taken in the last five years.

Once upon a time, floppy discs were adequate enough to store all data, which could be retrieved as and when needed. Now, however, with computers enhancing so much of our daily lives, the storage capacity required is simply too much.

Unless you’re expecting to build an extra wing of your house from CD-Rs, you need external hard drives. If your computer is lagging (by which I mean taking so long to open a document that you can hear it chugging and whirring as it listlessly longs for death during the ten minutes required to perform this simplest of functions) then you should probably buy external hard drives.


The benefits of an external hard drives are numerous. In addition to backing up all your irreplaceable stuff (baby photos, home movies et al) external hard drives will give your computer a new lease of life.

If you have documents you don’t need to see every day (that steamy romance novel you’ve been working on, for example), then external hard drives are for you. You can store your band’s demos on your external hard drives now and recover them years later for nostalgia (or blackmail) purposes. Why not organize your own desktop a little more?

If you"ve bought a apple ipad, is it worth purchasing a google nexus 10?

It actually holds up pretty well. Actually, there is little to choose between the two.

I must state that both devices are absolutely fantastic. Neither one would make for a bad tablet option, so anyway you are onto a winner.

Due to a closeness of the competition, a lot of the answer is going to get subjective. Because I’m a bigger enthusiast of Apple’s iOS than I am of Google’s Android (although I do like Android a great deal) I’ll say that the iPad is the better package. Again, that’s just my opinion. I’ve been using Apple computers for several years now and I’d personally never go over to anything else.

So, in order to answer this title in more detail, I went in for a second opinion. To this end, I spoke to Seb Warren, who is the founder of that brand new online consumer tech group AppleFanBoii, as well as a tech expert and all-round nice guy.

For Seb (who, admittedly, is really a little biased) the Nexus 10 has instant reward over the apple ipad in the areas of price and also the customizability of Android (contrasted with iOS). “Personally, and this is coming from an Apple fanboy, Android wins” he said, “The iPad 4 continues to be running iOS 6, which includes a monotonous, stale layout. However, you may make the Google nexus 10 your own”

He followed on to redeem himself in the eyes of his fellow ‘Apple-ites’ (they dislike it when I call them that) by admiring the iPad’s user-friendliness “If you need a tablet for ease of use, then its apple ipad 4 obviously” he laughed, before adding “…and the display is fantastic”.

When it comes to basic stats, the Nexus 10 is lighter than the apple ipad 4 by some 50g, which is significant and renders the Nexus 10 as the more transportable of the two. However, the apple ipad 4 has a slightly better battery life. The iPad has an choice for up to 64GB of storage space, whereas the Nexus only goes as great as 32GB.

Which really stunned me is that the Nexus 10 in fact has a superior screen resolution than the iPad 4. The Retina Screen may become a great bit of branding, but recent tablets, like The Microsoft Surface, have equalled it (and even bettered it a few times) by way of screen quality.

Oddly, very tech minded amongst you might find the Google nexus 10 to be a better experience; it’s also the choice to make if money can be a large reason in your decision. However, the iPad, with its winning mix of reliability, sterling popularity, ease of use and access to best app store around is certainly well worth the extra money in my opinion.

Every year we are offered a new batch of PS4 games, when will this stop! with any luck never.

Where do the latest Playstation 4 games sit on the Pantheon of the Playstation 4? Let’s have a look-see.

“Well, with a little trepidation I’ve finally done it” the update read “I’ve bought my own detached house. It has all appliances I could need and a beautiful thatched roof”

Only a little bit older than I am and we’re both writers, only he’s had a bit more success than yours truly. I didn’t know he’d had that much success, however. Quite what (or who) he’d pulled off to suddenly get this kind of money. Was employed as a street sweeper, which meant he got to see his friends all day. I used to take long lunches.  He moved away and I only met him a few years later, whilst we were on the same train. Working as writers. I went to offer my congratulations until I realized I’d been had by two words. Dork.

Bob is not alone, loads of people had great fun last year with PS4 games. Skyrim destroyed the social lives of half of my friends. With its immersive mix of story. Each. The barbarian followed me about actually, and I caught him.

Fell victim to this little number, is FIFA12. Fans. F13, for example, might disappoint F1 fans expecting an upgrade. It is the sequel to…Don’t make me tell you!, with updated squad lists and slightly better graphics. Its not a massive improvement.

Another one that did well towards the end of last year. I think it involves sake and a forceful reach around), much less an ‘ultimate’ edition (maybe the sauce is flammable?. I hate Dragonball Z. Have you ever actually tried to watch previous. Madder. Finally, once all the major characters have died AGAIN. The end. hours of my life I’m not getting back any time soon to get there. What’s that? Oh, the game? {I have no idea, I got sidetracked|Distracted|Taken off on a tangent…Actually, I should issue an apology before DBZ’s legions of fans stand around getting angrier.

Icom Earpieces – Show Them Some I.D or You’ll Have to Leave

Flash back with me to a point in my time when I still had not gotten my act together…

At age 20, I was shaggy haired, absent minded and keen on rock n roll in a large way (waitaminute – I’m still shaggy haired, absent minded and into rock n roll in a huge way…). I was dating a pole dancer, singing within a grotty group and telling anybody who’d pay attention that I wanted to get out of the crappy little township and really make a bit of my life. I guess, in some respects I was a little like George Bailey of Bedford Falls, (if George Bailey was kind of a dick and made a point of saying the ‘F’ word in every second sentence…)

To make ends meet, while I waited in frustration for George Carlin to turn up in his time travelling phone box and help me usher in an era of global peace, I worked at a couple of jobs. Particularly, one evening a week, I was employed as the Youth Worker.

To my shock, I found the job to be really fun, as well as very gratifying. Since I was an authority in all things media (having a Uni Certificate to show it), I began a project that would educate the youngsters all about film creation, music and also the press in general.

Among my best students was a rather worried boy and a hard stare and a ‘brick sh!thouse’ body. When I was not pulling him off various youths who may or may not have mouthed off his sister, we got along pretty well. After I left the position a few years later, we actually became firm mates. He has also become particularly close to my brother (who was also a Youth Worker for a time) and my parents.

And not using a hint of sarcasm, watching this tough, conflicted boy grow up to become a decent, hard working man is both an honour and also a privilege. However, he floundered for a very long time as he sought for work. It just appeared that there was not anything he was able to use himself to.

Then, all of a sudden, he found his profession. My friend is now a completely certified bouncer, working the door in a number of pubs, clubs, venues and bars.

In order to communicate easily without causing a lot of a fuss, bouncers like my buddy often use Icom Earpieces. These units are available in numerous forms, with 2-pin, multi pin, straight pin and high angled forms all catered for. You can also find an Icom earpiece for almost any style of Icom 2 way radio imaginable.

There’s no fuss, as the earpieces might be operated plainly and discreetly and, being reinforced with Kevlar, they’re every bit as hard wearing as the 2 way radios they work with.

Icom have been building in quality 2 way radio equipment since 1954, so they know very well what they are doing and how to make customers happy whilst doing it. Icom Earpieces are sturdy, reliable and high spec, so it is no wonder that so many in the safety industry decide to wear them.

 As for my pal, it looks like he has himself on track; he’s found employment that he is good for as well as one which is excellent for him. I could have made my share of blunders in the past, but I was certainly right about 1 or 2 things.

Koudounaris’ book, ‘Heavenly Bodies’ is out there now.

Paul Koudounaris, who is also known by his nickname ‘Indiana Bones’ is an novelist, photographer and top professional on bone-decorated places and ossuarys. Earlier this year, Koudounaris released a hardback that includes high definition imagery of that 400-year-old ‘catacomb saints’ of Rome, a bunch of corpses that was carefully ornamented with charms and finery prior to being offered as the remnants of saints to congregations across Europe.

Through the Protestant Reorganization of the 16th Century, Catholic church buildings were routinely stripped of these relics, cryptogram and finery. So they can counter this, The Vatican had antiquated skeletons removed from the Catacombs of Rome and generously adorned as a remains of recognized saints.

Though mostly forgotten until Koudounaris published his book, the catacomb saints continue to fascinate fascinated parties; they may still encourage religious zeal. In 1977, the settlement of Ruttenbach in Bavaria worked hard to raise sufficient funds to buy back 2 of the original saints from undisclosed collectors, the decorative skeletons had originally been auctioned off in 1803.

The book, which Koudounaris has surreptitiously titled ‘Heavenly Bodies’ sees its writer try to locate and photograph each of these present catacomb saints.

In his prime (a age that lasted over 200 years before decisively coming to a close within the 19th century), the saints traversed far and wide, being transported at great expense by the Church. They were adored as things of affection, or conduits for prayer.

Though the saints could appear strange to contemporary eyes (one Telegraph reporter described them as ‘ghastly’), it’s imperative that you realise those that prayed at the feet of those gilded cadavers were a great deal closer to demise than their contemporary counterparts. In the wake of The Black Death (which recurred frequently all through Europe from the 14th to the 17th Centuries), art, literature and worship had moved to embrace such ghoulish, macabre metaphors.

The remnants were typically decorated by nuns and sometimes placed in different realistic poses, before being secured in glass cabinets. Some of the careful decoration took as long as 5 years to finish, with jewelry and costumes being exceptionally grand.

Koudounaris’ book, ‘Heavenly Bodies’ is available now.

Does the Xbox kinect offer no-controller action?

The Xbox One Kinect is a marvellous thing. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wanted to fight the in-game characters one-on-one instead of relying on moves and combos.

“If I didn’t have to rely on these buttons so damn much” I frequently grumble, “I’d grab that monster and kick it in myself!”

For example: the fat bloke from Pokemon. In every single version of that game, there’s some fat chug blocking your way until you’ve done something he wants you to do. If a fat bloke did that in real life, I know that I for one would be first in line to smack him in the gob. We’re not that violent as a society, but we’re busy, y’know?

Maybe that’s how Team Rocket and that lot get started? I can’t say I blame anybody in the world of Pokemon for turning evil if their reasons were frustration at constant road blockage, except the cycle lanes, because they kind of make sense. Team Rocket are cat lovers, no harm ever came from cat lovers, did it?

Well, with the Kinect, your body is the controller. When you’re boxing or fighting, its your own fist you’re swinging, when you’re running, its your own legs you’re pumping. Today, the Xbox one with kinect bundle can give you everything you need to get started in one cut price purchase.

That’s right, the Xbox one with kinect bundle is the future of gaming technology. You can, at last, take matters into your own hands. You can at last use your reflexes and natural instincts rather than relying on controllers and other peripherals. Yep, the future is here and its Kinect-shaped…I know what you geeks are thinking, because I’m thinking it too, we’re one step closer to the invention of the Holodeck…Yay! 

’Earth-Like’ Asteroid Devoured by Dead Star

The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded an intriguing event some 150 light-years from Earth.

A large asteroid was pulled into the White Dwarf star (named ‘GD 61’ by astronomers) and utterly destroyed. This is not an unusual event, as even dead stars still exhibit a very high level of gravity. However, scientists are interested because the chemical signatures left in the star’s atmosphere indicate the presence of water and a rocky surface, both considered to be key building blocks for the creation of life on our planet.

Until this event was observed, water and a rocky surface had never been found together on an object outside our solar system.

The asteroid consisted of the elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen, all of which are usually found in rock minerals, but scientists believe that the abundance of oxygen indicated the heavy presence of H20.

The object was at least 90KM across and as much as 26% of that is thought to have been water. Earth is considered to be just 0.02% water.

This discovery is important because it gives scientists a vindicating glimpse of how inhabitable environments may have been formed, receiving key components (such as water) from outside sources such as meteorites.

It is thought that water first arrived on our planet by similar means and that other planets in the GD 61 system would once have received water this way as well. According to BBC News, scientists consider the presence of rocky planets in the GD system to have been “very likely”.

Scientists have observed over 1,000 planets outside our solar system, but none is thought to contain water.

Closer to home, some planets and heavenly bodies are thought to contain water. Mars is considered by many to once have had liquid water, but if this is still the case, it is a greatly reduced amount.

Elsewhere, Jupiter’s moon Europa raises a tantalizing prospect that there are oceans under its icy surface. This has led to some convincing research into the possible presence of ocean currents there. However, Europa is not alone, its fellow moons Callisto and Ganymede have also been suggested as candidates for liquid water.

In addition, Rhea (moon of Saturn), Titania (moon or Uranus), Oberon (also orbiting Uranus), Triton (moon of Neptune), Pluto (dwarf planet), Eris (dwarf planet), Sedna (possible dwarf planet) and Orcus (another possible dwarf planet) are all speculated to have oceans, some of which may be in contact with the rocky core of the respective body, which would hypothetically result in a steady stream of minerals and salts into the water – an important factor in creating life.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has geysers, which is seen as proof of the presence of water or at least water vapours. It has even been theorized by some that Neptune contains oceans of liquid diamond.

The heavy presence of water on this asteroid is a vital clue for scientists and their understanding, not only of the cosmos, but also of how our home planet came into being.

SOURCES

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24491845

The new iphone 5s is announced, what do we predict?

Given the reliability, capacity to entertain and user-friendliness of the iPhone, its a small wonder more people don’t fall in madly love with them. You love your iPhone, it’s only natural to want to protect her. You can start by buying some iphone covers from this very site!

Your iPhone is beautiful, gets on with your friends and is always there when you need her. She’s smart, funny and the envy of everybody you know. So who wouldn’t hire a bodyguard for their iPhone? She’s in constant danger!

iPhones need iphone covers to keep them safe. In the course of a day iphone covers protect her from being dropped, waterlogged, smashed, cracked, burned and otherwise mistreated. In fact, sometimes the only thing standing between iPhones and their total annihilation are iphone covers.

iphone covers come in a variety of colours, designs and prices, so why not look around and see our selection of iphone covers? Ultimately, you may end up cradling your iPhone whilst leaving a busy London nightclub crooning “And iiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeiiiiiiiieeeeeeiiiiiiii wiiiiiiiil alwaaays loooove youuuuuuuu!!!!” at the top of your lungs, but this only happens in very rare cases.

The rest of us, after nestling our little beauties safely in their iphone covers, go on to lead mostly normal lives and in no way ever end up sitting behind a dumpster in Soho, holding our iPhones ever-so-tenderly. “Hey, why are you singing to that iPhone?” “Uh…No reason, officer…”