Microsoft disconnects Xbox gamers

Thousands of gamers may have been cut off from Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live for modifying their consoles to play pirated games.

Online reports suggest that as many as 600,000 gamers may have been affected.
Microsoft confirmed that it had banned a "small percentage" of the 20 million Xbox Live users worldwide.
Microsoft said that modifying an Xbox 360 console "violates" the service's "terms of use" and would result in a player being disconnected.
"All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live," Microsoft has said in a statement.
"The health of the video game business depends on customers paying for the genuine products and services they receive from manufacturers, retailers, and the third parties that support them."
Many gamers modify their consoles by installing new chips or software that allows them to run unofficial programs. Some chips are specifically designed to play pirated games.
Microsoft has not said how it was able to determine which gamers to disconnect.
"We do not reveal specifics, but can say that all consoles have been verified to have violated the terms of use," the firm said in a statement.
Affected gamers were met with a message during the login process. It read: ""Your console has been banned from Xbox".
Reports suggest that the ban does not stop the console from working and only affects a gamer's Xbox Live account.
Industry figures suggest that piracy may cost the video game industry as much as £750m a year.
In other news, a UK court has dismissed a man's appeal against an earlier conviction for selling modification chips - "modchips" that allow gamers to play illegal games.
Christopher Gillham's earlier conviction was upheld by Hereford Crown Court which found that playing counterfeit games on a modified console infringed copyrights.

'Road trains' get ready to roll

Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on European roads.

An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways.
Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and trucks will be mixed in each one.
The EU hopes to cut fuel consumption, journey times and congestion by linking vehicles together.
Early work on the idea suggests that fuel consumption could be cut by 20% among those cars and trucks travelling behind the lead vehicle.
Spanish trials
The lead vehicle would be handled by a professional driver who would monitor the status of the road train. Those in following vehicles could take their hands off the wheel, read a book or watch TV, while they travel along the motorway. Their vehicle would be autonomously controlled by the lead vehicle.
Funded under the European Commission's Framework 7 research plan, Sartre (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) is aimed at commuters in cars who travel long distances to work every day but will also look at ways to involve commercial vehicles.
Tom Robinson, project co-ordinator at engineering firm Ricardo, said the idea was to use off-the-shelf components to make it possible for cars, buses and trucks to join the road train.       
"The goal is to try and introduce a step change in transport methods," he said.
"We're looking at what it would take to get platooning on public highways without making big changes to the public highways themselves," said Mr Robinson.
A system that involved wiring up motorways with sensors to help control the road trains would be prohibitively expensive, he said.
"Each of the vehicles will have their own control and software monitoring system," said Mr Robinson. "There may well be a platoon sensor envelope that collates information and presents it to the lead vehicle so it can understand what is happening around all the vehicles."
The idea is to make platoons active so vehicles can join and leave as they need. Mr Robinson speculated that those joining a platoon or road train may one day pay for the privilege of someone else effectively driving them closer to their destination.
Sartre will run for three years. The project partners are currently doing preliminary research to find out all the elements needed for a working system and the situations in which it might be used.
There were also behavioural elements to consider, said Mr Robinson, such as whether all the vehicles will need to have their hazard lights on while in a platoon.
Also, he said, there had to be a way to ensure the vehicles in a platoon are organised to make drivers feel safe.
"Car drivers do not want to be between trucks," he said.
Towards the end of the research project trials will be held on test tracks in the UK, Spain and Sweden. There are also plans for public road trials in Spain. The first platoon will involve two trucks and three cars.

Play.com hit by ordering glitch

Customers of Play.com have contacted the BBC to report problems with the online retailer's ordering system.

Many customers have received e-mails from Play.com reporting the despatch of an order they did not place.
Those opening the orders found contact details, including names and addresses, for other Play.com customers.
The problem appears to be widespread with many reporting Play.com help lines were jammed as they called to find out what had happened.
Simon Hurley from Clevedon near Bristol said he woke up this morning to find more than 80 e-mails from Play.com.
"I'm a big customer of theirs but not that big," he said. "I opened up each individual e-mail and it came up with another customer's name and their order."
Although there were no credit card details visible in the e-mails, Mr Hurley said all the messages had scrambled text at the bottom that could hide some information.
"People are being told to shred documents and then you have a big company like Play.com sending out hundreds of wrong e-mails to their customers," he said.
Mr Hurley said he rang Play.com to find out more but it took a long time to get through because the lines were "jammed solid".
Once he reached someone in customer services he was told that Play.com had a "massive problem."
So far it is not clear how many Play.com customers have received other people's e-mails nor how many e-mails have been sent out.
However, in other discussion forums on the web some customers talked about how many erroneous e-mails they had received.
On some forums customers said they were told that a "system error" was behind the sending of the e-mails.
In a statement a Play.com spokesperson said: "We were alerted to an incident that appears to have affected some customers for a short period of time in the early hours of this morning, and the first thing we'd like to say is that we apologise for any inconvenience our customers have experienced as a result.
"We'd like to reassure our customers that the cause of the incident has been identified and resolved.
"We take these matters very seriously and are now investigating how this incident occurred in the first place, so that we can prevent it happening in the future."
Play.com is among the most popular online shops in the UK for DVDs. CDS, games and movies. In February 2009, Play.com was the top retailer in the National Consumer Satisfaction Index.

Nokia abandons N-Gage gaming

Handset maker Nokia plans to shut down its N-Gage games service in 2010, the firm has announced.N-Gage was a mobile gaming platform launched by Nokia in April 2008 with about 30 games available for download direct to certain Nokia handsets.
No new N-Gage games will be released, although users will be able buy existing games until the end of September 2010.
The N-Gage community website will be available until the end of the year.
N-Gage had a difficult birth - an earlier version which launched in 2003 also failed to capture the market.
In the future all games available to Nokia handset owners will be shifted to its apps store, Ovi Store.
"It's much more convenient to have one place to get all your mobile games, and this it what Ovi Store provides," said Nokia on the N-Gage blog.
"Mobile gaming is one of the most popular activities in the Ovi Store, with games being the second most downloaded category for premium content."
People commenting on the blog were generally saddened by the news.
"Sorry to hear it, N-Gage was a pioneer in many ways," posted a blog reader called Jo.
But not everybody was in mourning.
"I am so happy that we get into this point," wrote Frax. "N-Gage2 was simply a joke..."
Nokia has recently taken a financial hit after sales dropped by one fifth in the last quarter.
The Finnish company made a net loss of 913m euros (£838m) between July and September 2009 - during the same period in 2008 it made a profit of 1.1bn euros.

Scareware launched from tech blog

Visitors to technology blog Gizmodo are being warned that they could have picked up more than tips about the latest must-have gadget.

According to security firm Sophos, the website was delivering advertisements "laced with malware" last week.
A statement on the Gizmodo website admits that it was tricked into running Suzuki adverts which were in fact from hackers.
It follows a similar problem on the New York Times website.
Last month the New York Times' website was targeted by a gang of hackers who purchased ad space on the site by posing as internet telephone company, Vonage.
In both cases the adverts served up fake anti-virus software - known as scareware.
Scareware attempts to convince users that their computer is infected with viruses and trojans, and tricks them into downloading "remedies" which are harmful and can be used by criminals to get at information such as credit card details.
Really sorry
Gizmodo gets a huge amount of traffic with more than 3.1 million page views per day.
It has issued an apology to readers.
"I'm really sorry but we had some malware running on our site in ad boxes for a little while last week on Suzuki ads. They somehow fooled our ad sales team through an elaborate scam.
"It's taken care of now, and only a few people should have been affected, but this isn't something we take lightly as writers, editors and tech geeks," it said in a statement on its site.
Blaming the fact that staff used Linux operating systems on their production machines for "not noticing sooner", it advised concerned users to load some up-to-date antivirus software and "make sure your system is clean".
"By hitting one of the biggest blogs in the world, these hackers are aiming high," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.
"What is particularly audacious about this plot is that the criminals appear to have posed as legitimate representatives of Suzuki in order to plant their dangerous code on Gizmodo's popular website," he added.
According to security firm Symantec more than 40 million people have fallen victim to scareware scams in the past 12 months.
The firm has identified 250 versions of scareware and estimated that criminals can earn more than £750,000 each a year via such scams.

his Is It makes $20m in one day

The Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It earned $20.1m (£12.1m) at worldwide box offices in its first day, the studio that made the film has said.

The movie, which is based on rehearsal footage for the star's ill-fated comeback shows, was premiered around the world on Tuesday.

Steve Elzer from Sony Pictures said the movie is a "reaffirmation of the global appeal of Michael Jackson".

The film made $7.4m (£4,4m) in the US and $2m (£1.2m) in the UK.

Oscar nomination

"The studio believes that the worldwide launch, with very strong performance across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, represents an amazing beginning for the film," Mr Elzer said in a statement.

He has also revealed that the studio will submit the movie to the Academy Awards for consideration this year in the best picture category.

To be a contender for Oscar shortlisting, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and film-makers would need to "submit the proper paperwork," Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said.

Director Kenny Ortega said the late star "deserves" to win an Oscar. Jackson's brothers attended the film's screening in LA on Tuesday and simultaneous premieres were held in 18 other cities around the world.

The movie was then released to cinemas on Wednesday for a two-week run only.

However, Sony has said the movie will be extended beyond its planned stint if ticket demand is high.

The movie, which runs to nearly two hours, features Jackson singing and dancing to his biggest hits, including Beat It, Black or White and Man in the Mirror.

Jackson, who died on 25 June aged 50, had spent the previous four months rehearsing in LA for the record 50 concerts which were to be held in London.

More than 800,000 tickets had been sold for the concerts, with organisers promising one of the "most expensive and technically advanced" live shows ever.

He was just two weeks away from the opening night at the time of his death.

By the weekend, it will be shown in 110 countries.

3G Apple iPod nano

Apple launched its third generation of the iPod nano. the new model features a larger, 2-inch screen with a 320x240 resolution that supports video playback as well as the high-quality games that first shipped with the fifth-generation iPod; Sudoku, Vortex, and one other game are included out of the box, according to Apple. The design completely eliminates the use of plastic end caps while becoming even thinner than before at 0.25 inches.

Significantly, the new model is also one of the first homes of Apple's new, click wheel-driven iPod interface. The higher 204 dots/inch resolution ( the most ever for an Apple-made device ) includes a new split-screen interface that shows album art and other content on one side while scrolling through menus on another. Cover Flow is now a part of the design and lets users brows music and videos by album covers or video previews, viewing track details after selecting the album.

Apple promises 24 hours of continuous music and 5 hours of video on the new models, which ship in black, cranberry, light blue, light green, silver, and silver colors alongside a new Product (RED) model. Models should be available in 4GB for $149 and 8GB for $249.

Nokia N96 SmartPhone

Nokia's long-awaited sequel to the N95 smartphone may have been spotted, according to a leak posted in Mobile-Review's forums. It looks like Nokia N81, though the form is close to Nokia N95: the numeric keyboard sliding from the bottom and the panel sliding from the top (it is empty on the photo, so we don’t know its destination, probably it carries sensor media player buttons). Taking into account the pictures, Nokia N96 is powered by S60 3rd Edition FP2 (Symbian OS 9.5), the platform hasn’t been announced yet. The rear panel hides a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash. The source hasn’t provided more details about the specs or the release date.

Nokia N96 Specifications:
* Networks - GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and UMTS/HSDPA 850/2100 MHz
* Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP 2
* Display – 2.8” QVGA, 16M colors
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* AGPS
* DVB-H Class C
* Camera - 5-megapixel, Carl Zeiss lens, video capture at VGA 30 fps (double LED flash at video shooting)
* Memory - 16 GB
* microSD-slot
* 3.5-mm jack
* microUSB port
* Battery - 950 mAh
* Dimensions – 103x55x18 mm
* Weight - 125 g

Teksta V2 Robotic Puppy Makes a Great Cheap Aibo Alternative

We get it - you were crushed when they discontinued the Aibo, especially since you never got the chance to scrounge up enough moola to splurge on one. For £36.75 ($69 USD) you can soothe your pain with the Teksta V2 Robotic Puppy which does look strikingly similar to the AIBO. Sure, the Teksta V2 Robotic Puppy may not be as advanced as the Aibo was, but he is sophisticated enough to be activated by voice, touch and light. His eyes also light up and his tail will wag to show you how he is feeling, just like a real AIBO, errr, or should we say just like a real dog? He also barks, whines and whimpers. And an included handheld translator will help you understand what exactly he is trying to convey when he barks, whines and whimpers.

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Zoë Castillo is about to get involved in a conspiracy that spans parallel worlds and hundreds of years. Something is affecting our world: static interference disrupts technology, and it seems to be linked to a ghostly presence seen only by a few – a presence inhabiting a black house in a wintry landscape. As Zoë begins her search for a lost friend, she discovers that there is a magical world behind our own – and the search is now on for the one person who may help Zoë unravel the dangerous web she has become entangled in: April Ryan.

Features:

Dreamfall is...

a thrilling action-adventure featuring three playable characters, dozens of locations spanning three worlds, exciting set-pieces with multiple outcomes, action-packed adventure gameplay, and an epic and emotional storyline.

Unparalleled Gameplay Variety

You will never run out of new things to do! Explore exotic locations, travel between three worlds, embark on epic quests, converse with fully voiced characters, fight intelligent monsters, sneak through dark shadows and past dangerous enemies, solve intriguing puzzles, and play fun mini-games.

Three Playable Characters

Experience the story from three separate perspectives, and use abilities unique to each character: strength, street-smarts, and dexterity.

Three Worlds

From vast cities to deep forests, across the seven seas and into endless caverns, above and beyond anything you have ever seen – the twin worlds of science and magic are filled with challenges and adventure. But in the world outside the worlds – in the Winter – logic does not apply, and nothing will have prepared you for the ultimate truth...

Play It Your Way!

Multiple solutions and multiple outcomes place you in charge of the story. Make choices that affect how people relate to you; solve conflicts with cunning or with violence; and speak your mind in branching dialogues.

Powerful World Interaction

Interact with the environment through the use of the brand new Focus Field feature, an easy-to-use context-sensitive interface, and fully analog character controls – giving you total power over your character.


Minimum System Requirements :

Windows XP
Processor: PIIII
DirectX 9.0c
512 MB RAM
Free hard drive space: 7.8 GB
3D Accelerator 128MB DirectX 9.0c
DirectX-compliant Sound Card

License:

Free Trial Version , 120 minutes gameplay, No Internet connection needed to play, No CD-ROM necessary, Convert to full version with no additional downloads

publisher:

Funcom

i-LIMB bionic hand

A new hope has arrived for amputees that would make Luke Skywalker feel right at home: a highly advanced bionic hand controlled by a patient's mind and muscles.

The newly released iLimb is the first prosthetic hand to have fully functional motorized digits that move and bend independently, its makers say. Electrodes taped to the skin transmit signals to tiny motors that power the fingers.

Previous artificial hands had only a thumb and forefinger that worked in a clawlike grasping action. But the new device allows amputees to carry out more delicate movements such as peeling a banana, typing on a computer, or eating with a knife and fork.

The iLimb is also covered by a semitransparent "cosmesis" that is computer modeled to look like human skin.

The technology has been tested by a number of people, including US soldiers who lost limbs in the Iraq war.

The hand, manufactured by Touch Bionics of Scotland, went on sale in Britain for £8,500 (U.S. $17,454). An entirely lifelike version is on sale privately for around £13,000 ($26,695).

Traffic Assist Pro - Ferrari Navigator

About this product:

Ferrari and Harman/Becker mutual commitment has resulted in the creation of an accessory of great technology and design: the portable navigation system of the Prancing Horse.

The attractive look of this item, produced in the official colours of Ferrari Gran Turismo cars, matches the technological excellence to guarantee a practical and exclusive product.

This satellite system includes many functions, in fact it is not only a high-performing portable navigator featuring a 400 MHz processor, but also an MP3/WMA player, a receiving TMC traffic information channel, and a picture viewer.

The 2 GB SD card contains the pre-loaded NAVTEQ maps of 37 European countries.

The 4" touch-screen display with anti-glare coating and integrated picture viewer, is characterised by the driver-friendly raised shape.

The mount allows all-round adjustments of the viewing angle and the "Birdview" function consent to display a 3D representation of the way.

As an additional feature, purposely developed to increase the comfort during the drive, the innovative "Audio out" function interrupts the radio emissions and communicates the road markings.

The startup popup is an exact reproduction of the tachometer of Ferrari F430.

NAVTEQ maps only for Europe.

Please note that in GB the price of Traffic Assist Pro is higher due to an extra licence fee for the Traffic Message Channel service.

SPECIFICATIONS

Last-Address-Memory (the unit stores most recent settings)

400 MHz processor, CISC architecture

Low-reflection 4" TFT touch screen with 16 bit colour depth; 65,536 colours

Day-/Nightrepresentation for best readability according to lighting

Dimensions in mm (W x H x D): 137 x 88 x 19.5

Weight: 272 g

CONNECTIONS/OTHER

64 MB SD RAM

External GPS connection

Headphones jack

Host 1.1, USB 2.0 for Client

SD card slot: supports cards up to 2 GB

Batteries replaceable (for increased operation time)

Internal speakers: 2 watts max.

Specially sensitive folding SIRF III GPS receiver (12 channel)

Connection cable for cigarette lighter socket (12 V/24 V)

2 GB SD-Card (pre-programmed)

Universal mounting system

AC Adapter (110 - 230 V mains voltage to 5 V)

Docking Station (base unit, TMC receiver)

• TMC function*
• Mute (Car-Soundsystem will be muted meanwhile navi announcements)
• Audio Out

* Dynamic route guidance with TMC in connection with Docking Station

in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France (the Paris area), Germany, Great Britain,

Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

MP3/WMA PLAYER

Compression formats: MP3/WMA9

Display of elapsed track time, directories, ID-3 tags (title and artist)

MP3 sound by SD-Card or USB-Stick

PICTURE VIEWER

Picture viewer, slide show (JPG picture format)

Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight Edition

Verizon and Nokia teamed up and announced the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition mobile phone, celebrating the upcoming July 18, 2008 theatrical release of “The Dark Knight”. it is preloaded with Dark Knight’s wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer. This clamshell comes with touch-sensitive external music keys, making it easier to access tracks purchased from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service.

The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available online for $69.99 after a $50 online instant rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Following the premiere release of The Dark Knight edition, the standard edition of the Nokia 6205 phone - containing all of the same features and a striking metallic blue and silver color scheme - will be available both online and at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores next month.

Nokia 6205 Specifications:

• 1.3-megapixel camera with flash and 4x digital zoom
• 58 MB internal memory; expandable up to an additional 4 GB with an optional microSD memory card
• Support for text, picture and video messaging
• Get It Now
• VZ Navigator
• Mobile Web for access to the latest news, sports, weather and more
• Voice dialing and voice commands for touch-free phone operation
• Built-in speakerphone
• Bluetooth.

Calif. Firefighters Get Backup From NASA Drone

Fire crews battling nearly 300 blazes burning across California are getting help from a pilotless plane that transmits real-time images of hot spots and flare-ups to commanders in the field.

The unmanned drone developed by NASA scientists discovered a hot flare-up in a canyon near the town of Paradise, prompting fire officials to issue evacuation orders for 10,000 people in Butte County last week. Thick smoke and heat had prevented other aircraft from patrolling the area.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday toured the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, where he credited the NASA technology with saving lives and pushed an initiative to charge homeowners a fee to pay for emergency response equipment.

"This unmanned plane is a true life-saver. But even though we get all this terrific help, California needs more resources, there's no two ways about it," the governor said.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said 288 blazes were still burning around the state, most of them in the mountains ringing the northern edge of the Central Valley.

So far this fire season, flames have blackened about 1,300 square miles and destroyed about 100 homes across California. Most of the blazes were sparked by a June 21 lightning storm across the northern part of the state.

The current complex of fires is "the largest single fire event in history for California," said Kelly Houston, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

The previous record was set in the October 2003, when wildfires scorched more than 1,155 square miles, Houston said. State record-keeping on wildfires began in 1936.

The state defines a "fire event" as a grouping of blazes that fall within the same location or time period.

While the October 2003 fires killed 24 people and destroyed more than 3,600 homes, Houston said officials point to acreage when quantifying wildfires to point to the strain on firefighting resources.

A massive wildfire in the Los Padres National Forest continued spreading northward and eastward Monday, relieving the danger to the storied coastal town of Big Sur but forcing residents of another community to stay away from their homes for a third day.

Yamaha YZF-R1

Starting with the FZR1000 in 1987, Yamaha introduced several motorcycle engineering firsts including the boxed aluminum "DeltaBox" frame, advanced intake and exhausts technologies including a 5 valve-per-cylinder head and an exhaust EXUP power-valve. The engines usable power output was dramatically improved throughout the entire RPM range and featured one of the flattest power curves ever seen on a motorcycle. The aluminum Deltabox frame was very light and rigid when compared to steel and both handling and braking were vastly improved over the old-style steel cradle frames. These numerous advances made the FZR1000 a veritable "tour de force" and it was voted "bike of the decade" by many who found it to be quite capable both on and off the track.

For the next four years Yamaha enjoyed significant sales and racing success, however in 1992 Honda introduced the CBR900RR Fireblade which was essentially a marriage of the chassis used for their 600cc motorcycles with an over-bored 750cc engine. Even though the Fireblades weren't as powerful as the FZR1000, it was lighter and shorter which resulted in much quicker handling. It took Yamaha four years to realize the significant weight and power changes that were introduced in the short-lived YZF1000R "ThunderAce". Still, the YZF1000R was based on the original Genesis engine which was canted forward sharply causing the wheelbase to be longer than the Fireblades An all-new YZF-R1 for the 2007 model year was announced on 9 October, 2006. Key features include an all-new inline four-cylinder engine; going back to a more conventional 4-valve per cylinder rather than Yamaha's trade mark 5-valve genesis layout. Other new features are the Yamaha Chip Control Intake (YCC-I) electronic variable-length intake funnel system, Yamaha Chip Control Throttle (YCC-T) fly-by-wire throttle system, slipper-type clutch, all-new aluminum Deltabox frame and swingarm, six-piston radial-mount front brake calipers with 310 mm discs, a wider radiator, and M1 styling on the new large ram-air ports in the front fairing. 2008 brought BNG and the ability to buy limited edition Fiat plastics.

Watermelon Has Viagra-Like Effect, Say Scientists

A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra -- but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems.

"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. "Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."

Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.

"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment," Wehner said.

The nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More citrulline -- about 60 percent -- is found in watermelon rind than in the flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.

Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow-fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.

She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level.

"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said.

Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread.

Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream --a jolt that could cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.

Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon.

The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects -- among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does -- are beginning to be revealed in research.

Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.

Third of Coral Reefs Threatened

A third of reef-building corals worldwide are threatened with extinction due to climate change and water pollution, according to the first global assessment on the marine creature by 39 scientists.

Destructive fishing and the degradation of coastal habitats also posed threats, said the study published Thursday involving the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Conservation International.

"The results of this study are very disconcerting," said Kent Carpenter, lead author of the study which examined 845 coral reef species.

"When corals die off, so do the other plants and animals that depend on coral reefs for food and shelter, and this can lead to the collapse of entire ecosystems," he added.

Roger McManus from Conservation International said that reef-building corals in particular were "most vulnerable to the effects of climate change".

Sea temperature rises bleach and weaken the algae that give the underwater sea life its vibrant color, and make it more susceptible to diseases.

As they are home to over 25 percent of marine species -- including fish stocks -- loss of reefs could also impact coastal fishing communities.

"The loss of the corals will have profound implications for millions of people who depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods," said McManus.

According to the study, the Caribbean region has the highest number of highly threatened corals.

Due to huge human populations in the region, the Indo-Malay-Philippine archipelago also has the highest proportions of vulnerable and almost threatened species in the Indo-Pacific.

"We either reduce our CO2 emission now or many corals will be lost forever," warned Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN Director General.

SONY WALKMAN NWZ-S618F

If you paid good money for a thing, it should at least look the amount, yes? This, perhaps, is the biggest disappointment with this little critter. It doesn't look like the 17+ grand it costs. It looks like a toy, or worse, like a knock-off from China.The S618F is a media player so features come aplenty... but expected.

Turn it on and some semblance of its price comes in full view. Blue-lit icons twinkling in the black backdrop scream of class. Because the Walkman's display is one of the more vibrant around, you'd want to maximize its photo album.

Its wide, flat keyboard is a joy to use. The problem comes in controlling music while deep in navigation. There's a special play and pause button embossed in the middle, but pressing it won't control the music. You need to go back to the music folder and work your magic from there.

Music quality doesn't stand out. What stood out is the loudness. Note: Loudness is different from volume. This one is merciless on the ears, regardless of the headphones used but especially with what it comes with.

With something that looks and feels like a toy, with less-than- exciting features, add-ons like... STORAGE 8GB Flash Memory
FORMATS MP3, WMA, AAC, Linear-PCM, AVC H.264, MP4, AAC-LC)
FM TUNER Yes
BATTERY LIFE (Music/Video) 33 hrs./9.5 hrs.
SIZE/WEIGHT 79.5x42.0x11.5mm/50g.

Red Fox Mini Boombox

The Red Fox mini boombox brings back the nostalgic appeal of the 80's cassette-playing radio, repacked, resized, and remodeled to the standards of the new millennium. It comes in a striking metal finish; the mini speakers on both sides. It plays MP3 and WMA files, and like the original boombox, it's got a built-in radio.

Turning the boombox on is a challenge. Only after fiddling with it do you understand that the "play" button powers this gadget up.

Weighing about two average compact cameras, this literal lightweight is an aural heavyweight. For its size, it managed to drown a decent-size room with clear, quality audio. It has 1GB of internal memory and a memory expansion slot; both good for at least 300 songs. The controls are easy to use too.

this mini gives justice to the classic boombox. Eighteen hours of continuous acoustic drowning ain't so bad, too.

SPYDER TRIKE

The Can Am Spyder roadster is a very strange beast indeed. For one, it doesn't fit in any established vehicle category. Perhaps it's easier to imagine that it descended from a snowmobile and ended up as a reverse trike; two wheels up front, one at the rear. The spyder's performance is comparable to a superbike, but its ATV-derived chassis gives it greater stability and handling. Beneath its unique look is a performance-oriented 106 hp, 998cc engine.