Technology Slice Blog

Clowns Boost IVF Success - Laughter may not be the best medicine, but it might help women who are trying to become pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a small study suggests. In a study of 219 women undergoing IVF, Israeli researchers found the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by a professional "medical clown" right after they had the embryos implanted in the womb. Overall, 36 percent became pregnant, versus 20 percent of women who'd had a comedy-free recovery after embryo implantation. The findings appear in the journal Fertility and Sterility, and expand on research the Israeli group had presented earlier at a conference. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/13/send-clowns-boost-ivf-success/#ixzz1CkbOgW9a Clowns Boost IVF Success

Punxsutawney Phil 125th Anniversary - Punxsutawney Phil gives his annual Groundhog Day weather forecast, his handlers say the show will go on despite a winter weather warning. The National Weather Service is calling for as much as seven inches of snow in Punxsutawney, followed by a possible mix of sleet and freezing rain overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning when Phil “forecasts” either an early spring or six more weeks of winter. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle’s spokesman Luke Webber says nothing will prevent Phil from celebrating a milestone since his first appearance in 1887. Webber says Wednesday “is our 125th anniversary of Punxsutawney Phil, and his fans will come out. The hotels are well-booked.” Punxsutawney Phil 125th Anniversary

Jihad Jane Pleads Guilty - A Pennsylvania woman known as "Jihad Jane" pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting to kill a Swedish cartoonist, providing material support to terrorists, and other criminal charges, the U.S. Justice Department said. Colleen LaRose, at a federal hearing in Philadelphia, admitted her role in a plot with others to kill the cartoonist, who had depicted the Prophet Mohammed in a way that is offensive to Muslims. LaRose, 47, who has been in U.S. custody for more than a year, could be sent to prison for life when she is sentenced March 3. Justice Department prosecutors said LaRose, who is from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, used online pseudonyms such as "Jihad Jane," "Fatima LaRose," "ExtremeSister4Life" and "SisterOFTerror." They said she used multiple e-mail and YouTube accounts, other websites and various online usernames to publish violent jihadist literature and videos, to raise funds for militants and recrui...

Jaime Pressly Charged - Actress Jaime Pressly was charged today with two misdemeanor DUI counts stemming from her arrest last month in Santa Monica. Pressly's arraignment is scheduled for next Monday at the Airport Branch Courthouse in Los Angeles, but she can opt to send an attorney to enter a plea on her behalf. The misdemeanor complaint filed by Santa Monica Deputy City Attorney Melanie Skehr alleges that Pressly had a blood-alcohol content of .20 percent or greater, well above the legal limit of .08. Jaime Pressly Charged

Man Arrested 250 Times - A 53-year-old man arrested more than 250 times was in custody again Thursday night, accused of trespassing at O'Hare International Airport, according to Chicago police. Elijah Goodlett, whose last known address was on the 1000 block of North Central Avenue, was charged with criminal trespassing and soliciting unlawful business, both misdemeanors. Goodlett was arrested at about 11:30 a.m. after trying to get travelers to let him carry their luggage. Man Arrested 250 Times

Jane Lynch Memoir - Jane Lynch will offer up her insights on life in a memoir titled Happy Accident, Hyperion's Voice imprint announced today. The Glee star's book is scheduled for publication in September. It will focus on her career, from The Second City to Christopher Guest movies and Judd Apatow projects, and how getting sober and embracing her sexuality helped her find personal and professional joy. Said Lynch in the release: "If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my 18-year-old self, the first thing I'd say is, 'Lose the perm.' Second, I would say, 'Relax. Really—just relax. Don't sweat it.' Jane Lynch Memoir

Facebook Hedgehog Mascot - Facebook could have had a mascot. A blue, hedgehog, mascot. Visions of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog might come racing to mind. The reason? Well, it seems Facebook was at one time considering creating a Yelp-like feature for businesses. In an effort to get those businesses on board, Napster founder and former Facebook President Sean Parker wanted to pitch the concept using a likeable animal mascot, namely a blue hedgehog, according to former Facebook employee Ezra Callahan, who wrote about the scenario on the website Quora. Callahan explained the ordeal in response to a question posed by a user of the website named Samir Ghobril. As Callahan wrote on Quora: True story: in the very early days of Facebook, Sean Parker wanted to make Facebook's mascot a hedgehog. We had early plans to build a local business program around each college on the site (a Yelp-like service similar to what later became Facebook Pages). As part of that, Sean wanted us t...

Obscure Enzyme may Predict which Cancers will Spread - In a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, high levels of a protein called CPE-delta N accurately predicted 90 percent of the time whether a tumor moved on from its original site in patients with liver cancer or some rare forms of adrenal cancer. "We can tell from the levels [of the protein] whether the tumor has spread, and we can predict whether the tumor is likely to recur in the same tumor or tissue or in other parts of the body," senior study author Y. Peng Loh, of the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said during a Thursday news conference on the finding. "Currently, there are no accurate biomarkers that can achieve such predictions." Cancer that has spread, or metastasized, is often fatal, and scientists have long tried to find ways to predict whether metastasis is likely to occur, not only to help guide and individualize treat...

Ideas for Decorating Office Cubicles - So you're looking for office decorating ideas. Just the word office implies work. Almost anyone will tell you that it is much easier to work in a functional workspace. When incorporating your office decorating ideas in your home, look to create a space that is not only beautiful, but also work-friendly. We can provide you with a foundation you can expand upon and let your creativity burst out. You may need a room with a dual purpose. Perhaps it needs to be a home office that easily converts to a guest bedroom. In a sluggish economic market, sometimes letting go of leased office space and moving your business into your home is practical. Regardless of why a home office is required, having a few tips for your home office decorating will only help to make the task easier. Ideas for Decorating Office Cubicles

Feds Recommend Jail Survivor Winner Richard Hatch - Former Survivor winner Richard Hatch could be serving even more prison time, at least if federal prosecutors in Rhode Island have their way. The prosecutors are recommending that Hatch receive a jail sentence for violating the terms of his supervised release. For those of you who haven’t seen Hatch since his stint on Survivor, you have some catching up to do. Hatch served more than three years in prison after not paying taxes on the million dollar prize he took home for winning the show. Yes, really. Hatch decided his luck would keep going and didn’t bother filing his taxes for the years 2000 and 2001. Hatch is now facing a maximum of two years behind bars, or the remainder of his supervised-release term. Feds Recommend Jail Survivor Winner Richard Hatch

U.S. Bill Internet Kill Switch - It's something that's been discussed before: am Internet "kill switch" to give the President power to reduce the impact of a cyber-attack. While it passed a committee on Dec. 15, 2010, the full Senate did not act on the measure. Despite what may appear to be bad timing, based on the actions of Egypt, it appears the bill is set to return. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). In a email to Wired sent last Friday, Collins said the following: “My legislation would provide a mechanism for the government to work with the private sector in the event of a true cyber emergency. It would give our nation the best tools available to swiftly respond to a significant threat.” There has been rampant speculation that the U.S. could already do the sort of disabling of the Internet that Egypt has done, but those thinking along those lines have to remember the scale differences between the tw...