Quantum skyfall puts Einstein's gravity to the test

DIVIDING a falling cloud of frozen atoms sounds like an exotic weather experiment. In fact, it's the latest way to probe whether tiny objects obey Einstein's theory of general relativity, our leading explanation for gravity.

General relativity is based on the equivalence principle, which says that in free fall, all objects fall at the same rate, whatever their mass, provided the only force at work is gravity. That has been proven for large objects: legend has it that Galileo did it first by dropping various balls from the Tower of Pisa. Whether equivalence holds at quantum scales, where gravity's effects are not well understood, isn't clear. Figuring it out could help create a quantum theory of gravity, one of the biggest goals of modern physics.

Creating a quantum equivalent of Galileo's test isn't easy. In 2010 a team led by Ernst Rasel of the University of Hannover in Germany monitored a quantum object in free fall, by tossing a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) – a cloud of chilled atoms that behaves as a single quantum object and so is both particle and wave – down a 110-metre tall tower. Now they have split and recombined the wave – all before the BEC, made of rubidium atoms, reached the bottom. This produces an interference pattern that records the path of the falling atoms and can be used to calculate their acceleration (Physical Review Letters, doi.org/km6). The next step is to do the same experiment on a different kind of atom, with a different mass, to see if the equivalence principle holds.

The BEC can only be split for 100 milliseconds in the tower before hitting the bottom, so to allow tiny differences between the atom types to emerge, the work must be repeated in space, where the waves can be split for longer. By showing that a matter-wave can be split and recombined while falling, Rasel's result is a "major step" towards the space version, says Charles Wang of the University of Aberdeen, UK.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Quantum skyfall tests Einstein's gravity"

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New SDPC mark for cigarettes from 1 March

SINGAPORE: From 1 March, cigarettes sold in Singapore which do not bear the new Singapore Duty-Paid Cigarette (SDPC) mark will be deemed duty-unpaid and illegal.

The new SDPC mark features a series of vertical bars around the cigarette stick.

The Singapore Customs said this allows enforcement officers and the public to easily differentiate duty-paid cigarettes from duty-unpaid or contraband cigarettes.

This measure will also enhance the effectiveness of the anti-contraband cigarette operations that Singapore Customs conducts across the island to curb the selling, buying and possession of contraband cigarettes.

To give manufacturers and retailers sufficient time to phase in the new SDPC mark, cigarettes bearing the new SDPC mark were allowed to be sold from 1 December 2012.

Travellers who bring in cigarettes from overseas for their own consumption are required to declare them at the Customs Red Channel for payment of duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

And they are advised to keep the receipt issued by Singapore Customs as proof of payment of duty and GST.

Those who buy, sell, deliver, store, keep, possess or deal with duty-unpaid goods face stiff penalties.

They could be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded and jailed for up to six years.

Members of the public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of Customs duty or GST should contact Singapore Customs on its hotline 1800-2330000 or email customs_intelligence@customs.gov.sg.

- CNA/ck

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Firefox and Tizen make a move for Android

Likely by Samsung's design, the Tizen OS looks reminiscent of Android.

(Credit:
CBS Interactive)

Alongside a myriad of new tablets and phones, Mobile World Congress 2013 also gave us our first real look at Mozilla's Firefox OS and the Samsung and Intel collaboration, Tizen OS.

While
Android might dominate the smartphone landscape today, it's only five years old. I can recall plenty of headlines in 2007 and 2008 that doubted whether there was room for yet another player in the space. At that time, RIM was a powerhouse, the iPhone was brand new, Palm's WebOS was in development, and Microsoft's Windows Mobile was slipping into obscurity.

My, how things have changed. Now the question is, it can happen again? Will
Firefox OS or Tizen OS impact Android or the smartphone landscape?

Cutting a piece of the smartphone pie
I predict that both will find success in developing markets and could even prove to be a bee in the Microsoft Windows Phone 8 bonnet. In fact, the definition of success could be interpreted differently for those involved. With smartphone activations rising all the time, even a small piece of the pie might be considered tasty.

I'm not entirely sure how Mozilla plans to monetize its open-source platform; Mozilla doesn't have search and mobile advertising to fall back on. Nevertheless, there are at least 18 handset makers and carriers who have pledged support for it. Really, who could fault any company for at least sampling the new goods?

There are already four such phones on the way -- the Alcatel One Touch Fire, the ZTE Open, the Geeksphone Keon, and the Geeksphone Peak -- and, I suspect, a handful more before the year is out. As of now, these devices are nowhere near as powerful as today's typical Android but that may not matter to the average consumer. We shouldn't expect much Firefox OS in the United States, though it's possible the bigger players are taking a "wait and see" approach.

LG also did a bit of hedging this week when it added its name to Mozilla's list of partners. LG even gave WebOS a new lease on life when it announced a licensing deal for the nearly-dead platform. Currently offering a number of Google TV sets, it's unclear how WebOS fits into the big scheme of things. Though I guess that it can't hurt to try new things every once in a while.

Alcatel's Firefox OS phone

Even so, I get the feeling that for now LG's bread is buttered by Google and that Firefox OS may be employed on devices released in secondary markets. Based on its diverse Mobile World Congress announcements, LG has a lot of Android momentum right now so I don't expect the company to change things up too much.

Samsung plays the field

Samsung, for its part, seems to be doing a little bit of everything these days. It introduced the Galaxy Note 8 in Barcelona, but it saved the reveal of the Galaxy S4 for an exclusive event on March 14. And though the company told CNET that it would pass on Firefox, it also said that it would be the first manufacturer to sell a Tizen phone come July. What about Bada, you ask? Well, a Korean news outlet said that Sammy would fold its own Bada OS into Tizen.

The first images of Tizen OS are reminiscent of Android, most likely due to Samsung. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if future Galaxy experiences looked less like Android and more like Samsung. Should Samsung find success with the platform it may be possible to peel off a few Android users who have grown to use services such as Media Hub. In the big scheme of things, I imagine Samsung will create its own experience that looks the same on Android and Tizen.

It's too early in the game to forecast whether Tizen will impact its Android efforts, but whether Tizen makes it to the United States will make a big difference. While the platform has already drawn support from carriers around the globe, only Sprint has expressed interest for the U.S. market. And carriers aside, I'm more anxious to see which OEMs consider Tizen. It's hard to imagine a company like HTC, LG, or Sony, willing to use a platform created by a competitor.

Tizen OS gets early walkthrough in hands-on video

What's more, Samsung's new Knox is another signal that much attention is being paid to a broader consumer experience. Its bring-your-own-device (BYOD) solution would work well anyone who wants to want to use the same phone for work and personal use. Available for Android today, the feature might be available with other OSes like Tizen down the road. If that happens, Samsung would no doubt continue as one of Google's strongest Android partners, but the two companies may dance a little less frequently.

What's next?

Looking ahead, we may be in for more land grabs as hardware makers acquire software companies. We've seen this over the last few years with Apple, HTC, Samsung, and others. We've also seen jockeying from Amazon, Google, and other companies who scoop up services and apps. While some of these moves happen quietly and without much consequence, others are more overt and telling. One thing seems certain: nobody feels safe in this space. Rather, no one should feel safe.

In the short term, Firefox OS and Tizen will build a bit of steam; however, don't look for either to overtake RIM (especially following the launch of BlackBerry 10) or Windows Phone soon. And don't event think about a threat to iOS or Android. But then again, the growth of smartphone use in emerging markets is creating more competition. Android, after all, certainly surpassed the expectations of its early naysayers.

I am only too pleased that both of these new platforms are open-source as that should lead to more innovation. Here's to hoping that Android and iOS get some stiff competition in the future. Who doesn't want a less expensive smartphone that does incredibly cool stuff?

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Why African Rhinos Are Facing a Crisis

The body count for African rhinos killed for their horns is approaching crisis proportions, according to the latest figures released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

To National Geographic reporter Peter Gwin, the dire numbers—a rhinoceros slain every 11 minutes since the beginning of 2013—don't come as a surprise. "The killing will continue as long as criminal gangs know they can expect high profits for selling horns to Asian buyers," said Gwin, who wrote about the violent and illegal trade in rhino horn in the March 2012 issue of the magazine.

The recent surge in poaching has been fueled by a thriving market in Vietnam and China for rhino horn, used as a traditional medicine believed to cure everything from hangovers to cancer. Since 2011, at least 1,700 rhinos, or 7 percent of the total population, have been killed and their horns hacked off, according to the IUCN. More than two-thirds of the casualties occurred in South Africa, home to 73 percent of the world's wild rhinos. In Africa there are currently 5,055 black rhinos, listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, and 20,405 white rhinos. (From our blog: "South African Rhino Poaching Hits New High.")

Trying to snuff out poaching by itself won't work, said Gwin. The South African government is fighting a losing battle on the ground to gangs using helicopters, dart guns, high-powered weapons—and lots of money. (National Geographic pictures: The bloody poaching battle over rhino horn [contains graphic images].)

"Every year they get tougher on poaching, but rhino killings continue to rise astronomically," said Gwin. "Somehow they have to address the demand side in a meaningful way. This means either shutting down the Asian markets for rhino horn, or controversially, finding a way to sustainably harvest rhino horns, control their legal sale, and meet what appears to be a huge demand. Either will be a formidable endeavor."

Hope and Hurdles

The signing in December of a memorandum of understanding between South Africa and Vietnam to deal with rhino poaching and other conservation issues raises hope for some concrete action. Observers say the next step is for the two governments to follow through with tangible crime-stopping efforts such as intelligence sharing and other collaboration. The highest hurdle to stopping criminal trade, though, is cultural, Gwin believes. "In Vietnam and China, a lot of people simply believe that as a traditional cure, rhino horn works." (Related: "Blood Ivory.")

The recent climb in rhino deaths threatens what had been a conservation success story. Since 1995, due to better law enforcement, monitoring, and other actions, the overall rhino numbers have steadily risen. The poaching epidemic, the IUCN warns, could dramatically slow and possibly reverse population gains.

The population growth is also being stymied by South Africa's private game farmers, who breed rhinos for sport hunting and tourism and for many years have helped rebuild rhino numbers. Many of them are getting out of the business due to the high costs of security and other risks associated with the poaching invasions.

Those who still have rhinos on their farms will often pay a veterinarian to cut the horns off—under government supervision—to dissuade poachers, but the process costs more than $2,000 and has to be repeated when the horns grow back every two years. Even then the farmers are stuck with horns that are illegal to sell—and which criminals seek to obtain.

Room for Debate

Rhino killings and the trade in their horns will be a major topic at a high-profile conference, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which opens in Bangkok March 3. What won't surprise Gwin is if the issue of sustainably harvesting rhino horns from live animals comes up for discussion.

"It's an idea that seems to be gaining traction among some South African politicians and law enforcement circles," he said, noting that the international conservation community strongly opposes any talk of legalizing the trade of rhino horn, sustainably harvested or not. The bottom line for all parties in the discussion is clear, said Gwin: "The slaughter has to stop if rhinos are to survive."

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Arias Prosecutor Too Combative, Experts Say

He has barked, yelled, been sarcastic and demanded answers from accused murderer Jodi Arias this week.

And in doing so, prosecutor Juan Martinez and his aggressive antics may be turning off the jury he is hoping to convince that Arias killed her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in June 2008, experts told ABCNews.com today.

"Martinez is his own worst enemy," Mel McDonald, a prominent Phoenix defense attorney and former judge, told ABC News. "He takes it to the point where it's ad nauseam. You have difficulty recognizing when he's driving the point home because he's always angry and pushy and pacing around the courtroom. He loses the effectiveness, rather than build it up."

"He's like a rabid dog and believes you've got to go to everybody's throat," he said.

"If they convict her and give her death, they do it in spite of Juan, not because of him," McDonald added.

Martinez's needling style was on display again today as he pestered Arias to admit that she willingly participated in kinky sex with Alexander, though she previously testified that she only succumbed to his erotic fantasies to please him.

Arias, now 32, and Alexander, who was 27 at the time of his death, dated for a year and continued to sleep together for another year following their break-up.

Arias drove to his house in Mesa, Ariz., in June 2008, had sex with him, they took nude photos together and she killed him in his shower. She claims it was in self-defense. If convicted, Arias could face the death penalty.

Jodi Arias, Prosecutor Butt Heads in Cross-Examination Watch Video

Jodi Arias Maintains She 'Felt Like a Prostitute' Watch Video

Jodi Arias Admits to Killing Man, Lying to Police Watch Video

Martinez also attempted to point out inconsistencies in her story of the killing, bickering with her over details about her journey from Yreka, Calif., to Mesa, Ariz., including why she borrowed gas cans from an ex-boyfriend, when she allegedly took naps and got lost while driving, and why she spontaneously decided to visit Alexander at his home in Mesa for a sexual liaison.

"I want to know what you're talking about," Arias said to Martinez at one point.

"No, I'm asking you," he yelled.

Later, he bellowed, "Am I asking you if you're telling the truth?"

"I don't know," Arias said, firing back at him. "Are you?"

During three days of cross examining Arias this week, Martinez has spent hours going back and forth with the defendant over word choice, her memory, and her answers to his questions.

"Everyone who takes witness stand for defense is an enemy," McDonald said. "He prides himself on being able to work by rarely referring to his notes, but what he's giving up in that is that there's so much time he wastes on stupid comments. A lot of what I've heard is utterly objectionable."

Martinez's behavior has spurred frequent objections of "witness badgering" from Arias' attorney Kirk Nurmi, who at one point Tuesday stood up in court and appealed to the judge to have a conference with all of the attorneys before questioning continued. Judge Sherry Stephens at one point admonished Martinez and Arias for speaking over one another.

Andy Hill, a former spokesperson for the Phoenix police department, and Steven Pitt, a forensic psychiatrist who has testified as an expert witness at many trials in the Phoenix area, both said that despite his aggressive style, Martinez would likely succeed in obtaining a guilty verdict.

"When it comes to cross examination, one size does not fit all," said Pitt. "But if you set aside the incessant sparring, what the prosecutor I believe is effectively doing is pointing out the various inconsistencies in the defendant's version of events."

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Yahoo! fuels fresh debate on telecommuting

WASHINGTON: Telecommuting, a growing trend in the US workplace, is coming under fresh scrutiny following news that Yahoo! is curbing the practice.

The trend of working from home has been gaining steam for decades, as part of a workplace evolution which allows greater family-work balance and saves energy and commuting costs.

An internal Yahoo! memo from chief executive Marissa Meyer posted this week by the Wall Street Journal said employees will be required to come to their offices to "feel the energy and buzz" of the workplace.

"Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together," according to the report.

Asked about the memo, a Yahoo! spokesman said Tuesday, "We don't discuss internal matters," but essentially confirmed the news by saying: "This isn't a broad industry view on working from home -- this is about what is right for Yahoo!, right now."

The shift counters the overall trend: some 53 per cent of US employers offered flexible work options in 2012, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. That compares with 48 per cent in 2007.

A 2011 report by the US Labor Department found 24 per cent of employed Americans reporting that they work at least some hours at home each week.

The trend is particularly noticeable in IT firms, where companies take advantage of technology to have virtual access to what they would have at the office.

Cisco Systems, which develops virtual private networks for remote access, said 40 per cent of its employees are not in the same city as their manager, and the average employee telecommutes two days a week.

IBM, another strong telework advocate, said 29 per cent of its 128,000 employees participate in a flex-work or work at home program, and that in 2011, in the US alone, this saved 6.4 million gallons of fuel and avoided more than 50,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.

The move by Yahoo! "goes against the grain of where a lot of organizations are going today," said Cindy Auten, general manager of Mobile Work Exchange, a public-private partnership that promotes telework.

"This is especially important in the tech industry; they are focused on recruiting and retaining the best and brightest."

Auten said telework is "a huge recruitment and retention tool," seen as a near necessity at some firms now, with the option offered in 85 per cent of the employers rated as "best places to work."

She said telecommuting often improves productivity, but that in cases where it fails, "it may uncover other weaknesses" in an organization.

The Yahoo! decision drew criticism from others, including Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, who said in a tweet: "Perplexed by Yahoo! stopping remote working. Give people the freedom of where to work & they will excel."

Kelly Ann Collins, a Washington marketing consultant who blogs on work and family issues, called the Yahoo! move confusing.

"High-tech companies like Yahoo! that are completely digital have the ability to make the lives of their employees so much better," she wrote.

"Telecommuting is not only efficient, it is better for team morale and employee retention. It makes for happier employees that (actually like to) produce top-notch work."

But some analysts say Yahoo!'s move could be positive, even if it drives away those seeking a more flexible environment.

"Yahoo! is in a creative innovation race and they need to get back to their roots," said John Challenger, chief executive of the consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

"There are great benefits to telecommuting, and there are more companies that need to do more telecommuting, but (Yahoo!) is a case where they are seeking to pull themselves out from a position where they have been behind the curve."

Even before the Yahoo! news, some data suggested telecommuting was not the panacea it was cracked up to be.

The Labor Department report found that telecommuters often ended up working more hours than if they had come into the office, effectively doing overtime work without compensation.

"The ability of employees to work at home may actually allow employers to raise expectations for work availability during evenings and weekends and foster longer workdays and workweeks," the report said.

But Challenger said Yahoo! will not be able to turn back the clock completely, and that some employees are likely to do some of their work from home, despite the new policy,

"Some people have always worked from home," he said. "And now technology allows them to work on the weekends, at night or on vacation. There is no boundary between work and home anymore."

- AFP/ck

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Samsung Galaxy S4 rumor roundup

The next next big thing is almost here?

Editors' note: This piece was originally posted on January 24, 2013. We'll continuously update the roundup until the device's official launch. Please let us know if we missed any rumors ourselves.

Considering the popularity and success of the Samsung Galaxy S3, it's understandable that whispers of its successor (presumably called the Galaxy S4) are circulating. From iffy launch dates to spec upgrades, CNET tracks all the talk and rounds up the latest GS4 rumors here.

February 25, 2013
The invitations are out
Samsung issued the formal invitations for New York
Galaxy S4 reveal. As expected, it will take place March 14, at 7 p.m. ET. It also will be live-streamed on Samsung Mobile's YouTube page.

Visa on the Galaxy S4
Samsung said it would use Visa's PayWave mobile payment applet in its future devices and partner with Visa to make it easier for customers to tie their Samsung handsets to a financial institution and Visa account. While not referenced specifically, the Galaxy S4 will be the flagship product for Visa's program, according to a person familiar with the partnership.

February 24, 2013
March 14 will be the big day
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain Samsung confirmed that it would host a "Samsung Unpacked" event in New York on March 14 where it would unveil the Galaxy S4. Samsung told CNET that it is also was considering embedding its new security software, Knox, into the handset.

February 18, 2013
Or maybe it's March 14
Russian analyst and rumor-meister Eldar Murtazin told Sammobile that the Galaxy S4 will come on March 14, which is one day earlier than a previous rumor suggested. Sammobile also speculated that Galaxy S4's specs would include an Exynos 5 Octa (8-Core) CPU, Mali-T678 (8-Core) GPU, 4.99-inch SuperAMOLED display, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability, 2-megapixel front facing camera, and
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

February 6, 2013
March 15 presser in the works
Doubling down with its April sale date prediction, SamMobile is reporting that Samsung will hold a March 15 press event to unveil the handset. Citing a "trusted insider," the site said it should expect a presser invitation after MWC finishes. Here's hoping -- because there's nothing sadder than waiting for an invite to the coolest party of the year and staring down an empty mailbox instead.

Maybe we'll see it in March
Throwing his hat into the "March debut" ring is an analyst from Canaccord Genuity named T. Michael Walkley. He predicts that Samsung will launch the handset during that month to extand its market share lead during that quarter.

February 1, 2013
Scratch that September rumor; you won't see it at MWC after all
According to a source who spoke to CNET, it looks like the Galaxy S4 will be absent at Mobile World Congress this year. Instead, the company will probably put on its own event just for the device, similar to what it did last year with the S3 in May.

January 23, 2013
You may get your hands on the GS4 in April
It's always interesting when rumors start ball-parking a release date, but SamMobile does one better and gives an exact date: Tax Day. Not only did the outlet report its launch day will be on April 15, it also said the phone will have a larger 2,600mAh battery.

Samsung's Youm flex display at CES 2013. Will it be featured in the GS4?

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

December 6, 2012
Superstrong, bendy display?
Reuters reported that the new Galaxy phone may be equipped with a flexible, ultra-tough touch screen. Although this sounds far out, we've seen firsthand what Samsung can do with its flexible Youm display. That's not to say it'll definitely come to the market any time soon, but it is evident that the company is working with such technology.

December 4, 2012
It will get plenty of spec bumps
A 5-inch 1080p HD display, Android 5.0, and a 13-megapixel camera? Several S4 rumors from news outlets like Asiae.kr are popping up, reporting that the new handset is going to get several upgrades in hardware and software. With these rumors, a lot of cryptic code names are being associated with the handset as well, including the stale model number "Samsung GT-I9525" and the mysterious "Project J" label.

September 17, 2012
You'll see it in February, at MWC 2013
According to a "company official" cited by the Korea Times, Samsung plans to unveil the Galaxy S4 at this year's Mobile World Congress. MWC is a popular and global tech conference where many mobile companies debut their latest devices.

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A History of Balloon Crashes

A hot-air balloon exploded in Egypt yesterday as it carried 19 people over ancient ruins near Luxor. The cause is believed to be a torn gas hose. In Egypt as in many other countries, balloon rides are a popular way to sightsee. (Read about unmanned flight in National Geographic magazine.)

The sport of hot-air ballooning dates to 1783, when a French balloon took to the skies with a sheep, a rooster, and a duck. Apparently, they landed safely. But throughout the history of the sport, there have been tragedies like the one in Egypt. (See pictures of personal-flight technology.)

1785: Pioneering balloonist Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and pilot Pierre Romain died when their balloon caught fire, possibly from a stray spark, and crashed during an attempt to cross the English Channel. They were the first to die in a balloon crash.

1923: Five balloonists participating in the Gordon Bennett Cup, a multi-day race that dates to 1906, were killed when lightning struck their balloons.

1924: Meteorologist C. LeRoy Meisinger and U.S. Army balloonist James T. Neely died after a lightning strike. They had set off from Scott Field in Illinois during a storm to study air pressure. Popular Mechanics dubbed them "martyrs of science."

1995: Tragedy strikes the Gordon Bennett Cup again. Belarusian forces shot down one of three balloons that drifted into their airspace from Poland. The two Americans on board died. The other balloonists were detained and fined for entering Belarus without a visa. (Read about modern explorers who take to the skies.)

1989: Two hot air balloons collided during a sightseeing trip near Alice Springs, Australia. One balloon crashed to the ground killing all 13 people on board. The pilot of the other balloon was sentenced to a two-year prison term for "committing a dangerous act." Until today, this was considered the most deadly balloon accident.

2012: A balloon hit a power line and caught fire in New Zealand, killing all 11 on board. Investigators later determined that the pilot was not licensed to fly and had not taken  proper safety measures during the crash, like triggering the balloon's parachute and deflation system.

2012: A sightseeing balloon carrying 32 people crashed and caught fire during a thunderstorm in the Ljubljana Marshes in Slovenia. Six died; many other passengers were injured.

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Today on New Scientist: 25 February 2013

First fruits of a groundbreaking art-science tie-up

A pioneering collaboration between two of London's most prestigious cultural institutions shows that sci-art has come of age

The great illusion of the self

Your mind's greatest trick is convincing you of your own reality. Discover the elaborate illusions involved and what they mean in our special feature

Stunning seeds: a biological meteor wreathed in flames

Some seeds have a look that evokes all-consuming fire, says an artist who captures their portraits with a flatbed scanner

Armband adds a twitch to gesture control

The Myo band turns electrical activity in the muscles of a user's forearm into gestures for controlling computers and other devices

Treat malware as biology to know it better

Treating computer viruses as a biological puzzle could help computer scientists get a better handle on the wide world of malware

Take my taxi to the moon

Susmita Mohanty, the founder of India's first private space company, Earth2Orbit, wants India to claim bigger piece of the space-launch pie

How electrodes in the brain block obsessive behaviour

Why deep brain stimulation can help people with OCD was a mystery, but now it seems the treatment fixes brain signalling well beyond the stimulated area

Ancient continent hides beneath Indian Ocean

The sands on Mauritius's beaches are older than the island itself, suggesting a hidden continent is the source

New blood test finds elusive fetal gene problem

Take parents' DNA and make a computer model of their fetus's genome - comparison with the real thing will show up problems that other tests miss

Amazon to open market in second-hand MP3s and e-books

A new market for second-hand digital downloads could let us hold virtual yard sales of our ever-growing piles of intangible possessions

People in a vegetative state may feel pain

Scans have revealed activity in areas of the brain responsible for the emotional aspects of pain in people thought to have no subjective awareness

Sewage solutions: Six alternative toilet technologies

Two-and-a-half billion people don't have access to sanitary toilets, but standard designs aren't an option without a sewer network. See some alternatives here

Rusty rocks reveal ancient origin of photosynthesis

Iron oxide in the world's oldest sedimentary rocks suggest photosynthesis evolved 370 million years earlier than we thought, not long after life began

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DKNY apologizes for using photos without permission

NEW YORK: Donna Karan New York apologised Monday for having displayed, without permission, portraits taken by a New York photographer in its Bangkok shop windows.

The fashion house also announced, in its statement, that it was donating $25,000 to a charity chosen by and in the name of the photographer, Brandon Stanton.

Stanton, who was alerted to the Bangkok display by a fan, wrote a post Monday morning on the Facebook page of his blog "Humans of New York," condemning the use of his photos without his authorisation.

The photographer said that, several months ago, DKNY had offered him $15,000 to buy 300 photos to display in their shop windows around the world, but that he refused, judging the offer insufficient.

"I don't want any money. But please REBLOG this post if you think that DKNY should donate $100,000 on my behalf to the YMCA in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn," he wrote.

By Monday afternoon, Stanton's post was shared more than 35,000 times on Facebook, prompting DKNY's response.

The company apologised, saying the Bangkok store had mistakenly used the images from an internal mock-up.

"We apologize for this error and are working to ensure that only the approved artwork is used," the statement said.

Stanton, 27, launched his blog featuring his photos of people and life in New York City in 2010. The blog's Facebook page has more than 560,000 "likes."

-AFP/sb

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