Month: December 2011

It started June 25, 2008: “Testing, testing. Is this thing on?” My first tweet. I began by trying to make a few friends laugh. I had no idea how quickly tweeting would consume me. Before long I was posting 20 to 30 times a day, seven days a week. Some of my posts were funny, some sad, some vaguely existential — “Living happily ever after is killing me” — some flirty, some filthy. I posted daily for three years with only one exception — the day my father-in-law died. Eventually, I attracted about 25,000 followers. Not bad for a noncelebrity.

Read more…

And what are these researchers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Boston, New York, North Carolina, Beijing, Poland and the Netherlands finding? That exposure to air pollution, particularly to vehicle exhaust, can be linked to brain damage, anxiety, depression, attention problems and autism, and also possibly heighten the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and speed the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Read more…

According to Bing searches, 2011 was the year of musical superstars, continued celebrity fascination, concern for human tragedy and new royalty. From rising stars and weddings to intense trials and natural disasters, Bing has captured history through the searches that mark the year’s most important people, places and moments in time.

Based on the aggregation of billions of search queries conducted on Bing this year, here are the much-anticipated top 10 lists for the most searched people, news stories, sports stars, musicians, celebrity events, consumer electronics and TV shows.

1 Justin Bieber Kim Kardashian
2 Kim Kardashian Sandra Bullock
3 Jennifer Aniston Lady Gaga
4 Lindsay Lohan Tiger Woods
5 Jennifer Lopez Barack Obama
6 Britney Spears Justin Bieber
7 Katy Perry Kate Gosselin
8 Megan Fox Jesse James
9 Lady Gaga Jennifer Aniston
10 Miley Cyrus Michael Jackson

Other Top Search Results

Top News Stories• Casey Anthony trial
• Osama Bin Laden death
• Hurricane Irene
• Japan earthquake and tsunami
• Amy Winehouse death
• Joplin Tornado
• Michael Jackson–Conrad Murray trial
• 9/11 10th anniversary
• Republican primaries–Herman Cain, Rick Perry
• Haiti anniversary

Top Sports Stars• Maria Sharapova
• Tiger Woods
• Serena Williams
• Brett Favre
• Caroline Wozniacki
• Kobe Bryant
• LeBron James
• Lamar Odom
• Hope Solo
• Carmelo Anthony

Top Musicians• Justin Bieber
• Katy Perry
• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears
• Lady Gaga
• Selena Gomez
• Nicki Minaj
• Rihanna
• Beyonce
• Taylor Swift

Top Celebrity Events• Royal wedding
• Final “Harry Potter”
• Kim Kardashian wedding
• Beyonce baby bump
• Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson dating
• Demi Moore–Ashton Kutcher scandal
• Kate Hudson baby bump
• Lady Gaga coming out in the egg
• Lindsay Lohan arrested
• Russell Armstrong suicide

Top Consumer Electronics• Xbox and Kinect
• Kindle
• PlayStation
• iPhone 5
• iPad
• Wii
• iPad 2
• Nook
• Windows Phone 7
• Macbook Pro

Top TV Shows• “American Idol”
• “Dancing With the Stars”
• “Glee”
• “Jersey Shore”
• “Family Guy”
• “Chelsea Lately”
• “The Young and the Restless”
• “True Blood”
• “Audrina”
• “Big Brother”

Read more…

It is a condition that blights the lives of millions of teenagers and young adults. Now scientists have made a breakthrough in the hunt for something of a medical holy grail – a treatment for acne.

A vaccine which promises to halt a key cause of the unsightly and painful condition could be available within as little as five years, they say. The breakthrough approach is a departure from current treatments, which mostly rely on antibiotics to ‘blitz’ the bacteria that cause spots.

The medicines can upset the skin’s natural balance and leave some sufferers at risk of scarring. Scientists at the University of California at San Diego are working in partnership with the world’s biggest vaccine company, Sanofi Pasteur, to create the jab.

Read more…

This is the heart rate monitor that wirelessly transmits pulse readings to an iPhone. The monitor straps comfortably to a forearm and automatically transmits readings via Bluetooth to an iPhone. A free app displays real-time pulse readings, target heart rate zones, calories burned, distance traveled, and speed.

The app allows you to input your weight, age, and gender to ensure accurate readings and provides audible prompts to help you maintain the ideal target heart rate. You can select a workout based on time, speed, or calories burned, it provides full access to the iPhone music library, and workout progress can be monitored through graphical workout summaries.

Click here for more information…