Technology Slice Blog

Pete Townshend Memoir - In a statement released Tuesday, Townshend called the book an "essential rite of passage," adding, "I am lucky to be alive and to have such a crazy story to tell, full of wild adventures and creative machinations. I am happy that I am able to write my book myself, in my own 'voice' that many readers will be hearing for the first time." The book will be edited by Harper Collins executive editor David Hirshey. Townshend's book agent is Ed Victor, who also repped Keith Richards' 2010 bestselling memoir "Life." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Rock memoirs have been a hot category for publishers of late with both Sammy Hagar and Steven Tyler's tomes reaching the bestseller lists. Rolling Stone reported that Townshend began work on the autobiography in the late 1990s and that he had posted a small segment online in 2008. In 2003, when rumors circulated that Townshend was involved in a police investigation ...

Rabid Fox Bites Golfer - Dennis Kincaid was chipping onto the green at hole 17 of the Granada Farms Country Club Golf Course on River Drive May 11 when it happened. "I had my head down," the 76-year-old Hickory man said. "[The fox] clamped down on my leg and wouldn't turn loose...I couldn’t throw it off and I couldn’t knock it off and I hollered for help." His golfing buddies came running, swinging golf clubs at the fox - and his leg - over and over. "One of the guys finally hit him in the back of the head and killed him. I’d say it wrestled with him for probably two minutes," Kincaid marveled. He and his friends had the presence of mind to bring the dead animal with them to urgent care. Animal control sent the carcass off to Raleigh for testing immediately, and got word back Friday that the animal was, in fact, rabid. The fox is the third confirmed report of rabies in Caldwell County this year. "If you see abnormal behavior out of wild...

Amanda Knox Trial - Amanda Knox, the US student convicted of murdering her British housemate in Italy, faces a fresh trial, charged with slandering police officers. The claims stem from the inquiries into the death of Meredith Kercher in 2007. At her murder trial, Knox, 23, claimed police hit her on the head during her interrogation. The police denied this. Knox, who is currently appealing against her murder conviction, told an earlier hearing she never intended slander and was just defending herself. If the American - who was due to appear in court on Tuesday - is found guilty, any additional jail term would be added to her existing 26-year sentence. Raffaele Sollecito, Knox's former boyfriend, is also appealing against his conviction for Miss Kercher's murder. Both Sollecito and Knox are awaiting the outcome of an independent examination of the forensic evidence in the case, which they say will prove their innocence. Knox's parents are also due to stand tri...

Jill Scott Loses 50 Pounds - According to Ebony Magazine, singer Jill Scott has lost more than 50 pounds and is at her smallest size in over 20 years. Scott will be featured in the magazine's June issue and told Ebony she lost the weight by eating healthier and doing "playful" workouts with her trainer and her family. "Anything that makes me feel like I'm not working out," the single mom of one says. "We go outside and throw footballs, go for walks." The neo-soul artist seems to be happy and motivated in anticipation of the release of her first album in four years, "The Light of the Sun." The album is expected to be released June 28. Jill Scott Loses 50 Pounds

Danielle Staub Real Housewives - Danielle Staub, the former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star, is returning to her roots. The former stripper, who demonstrated her chops on the show last season, has signed a deal with New York gentleman’s club Scores to make one live appearance at the club and appear on its website occasionally, according to TMZ. The website even posted photos of a topless Staub shimmying (rather grimly, I might add), apparently for the Scores website. (A step up from Shakers in Carlstadt, where Staub was a favorite back in the day? You tell me.) Staub left "Real Housewives of New Jersey" at the end of the second season, saying she was "too good' for it, although the show had painted itself into a corner, dramatically speaking, with her relationship with the other three housewives about seven restraining orders past salvagable. She was replaced by Melissa Gorga, who is married to Teresa Giudice's brother Joe, and the newcomers quickly amp...

Dougie Rapper Killed - Preliminary police reports show that M-Bone, whose real name is Mante Ray Talbert, was sitting inside his car parked outside a liquor store in Los Angeles when another car pulled in near his and started shooting around 10:30 p.m. "Another car pulled alongside, gunshots were fired, and the victim was struck twice in the head," Lieutenant James Madia said, according to the Associated Press. The police official added that the man in M-Bone’s passenger seat not injured. Talbert was rushed to the nearby hospital but was declared dead upon arrival. Motives for the killing have remained unclear and the LA police vowed to look into all possibilities. Different motives for shooting have emerged in social networking sites and the authorities said they are investigating validity of various claims. Dougie Rapper Killed

Situation Sues Dad - The Situation's lawyers have sent an email to the elder Sorrentino warning him of a lawsuit and an emergency injunction to shut down the website broadcasting the videos, according to TMZ sources Tuesday. A rep for Frank Sorrentino said that the website would not be taken down and claimed they were not threatened by the email from The Situation's rep -- especially since the correspondence allegedly referred to a "lawsuit." Frank Sorrentino, divorced from The Situation's mother, posted the videos last week after the star of the hit MTV show allegedly ignored his request to help pay for medical insurance. "I've been a diabetic for 25 years and my insurance was running out and I called up my son and said, 'Listen, Mikey, I'm between jobs right now, can you help me out? I don't want to lose my health coverage'," he said in one video. "What I expected was a call back saying, 'Dad, are you OK?' I didn...

Blood Test Shows How Long You Live - The controversial test measures vital structures on the tips of a person's chromosomes, called telomeres, which scientists believe are one of the most important and accurate indicators of the speed at which a person is ageing. Scientists behind the €500 (£435) test said it will be possible to tell whether a person's "biological age", as measured by the length of their telomeres, is older or younger than their actual chronological age. Medical researchers believe that telomere testing will become widespread within the next five or 10 years, but there are already some scientists who question its value and whether there should be stronger ethical controls over its wider use. In addition to concerns about how people will react to a test for how "old" they really are, some scientists are worried that telomere testing may be hijacked by unscrupulous organisations trying to peddle unproven anti-ageing remedies and other fak...

Worst Speeding Ticket Excuses - These extravagant excuses include alien hypnosis, low-flying aircraft, a dying hamster and bouts of diarrhoea. Here is the top 10: 1) I had passed out after seeing flashing lights, which I believed to be UFOs in the distance. The flash of the camera brought me round from my trance. 2) I was in the airport's flight path and I believe the camera was triggered by a jet overhead, not my car. 3) I had a severe bout of diarrhoea and had to speed to a public toilet. 4) There was a strong wind behind my car, which pushed me over the limit. 5) My friend had just chopped his fingers off and I was rushing the fingers to hospital. 6) The vibrations from the surfboard I had on the roof rack set off the camera. 7) I had to rush my dying hamster to the vets. 8) A violent sneeze caused a chain reaction where my foot pushed down harder on the accelerator. 9) There was a suspected case of foot and mouth and I had to rush to see the cow concerned. ...

Highest Speed Limits - Texas gained the title of highest speed limit being set at 85mph in places when the bill takes effect. Before the bill was passed by the Texas House they still had the highest speed limit with some roads being 80mph. In Maine for Interstate 95 which leads from Old Towne to Houlton a bill has been purposed to raise the speed limit to 75 since reports of drivers already going that speed is in the masses. Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas has also recently signed a legislature raising the speed limit to 75 miles as well recieving information of people going that speed anyway. Many are happy at the rise in speed but still some are weary of the safety issues. Highest Speed Limits

Tylenol Blood Cancer - It's one of the most frequently used medications worldwide, and if you use it, you could be putting your health at risk. The concern is that chronic acetaminophen use -- best known as Tylenol -- may be linked to blood cancer. A new report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that those who used acetaminophen at least four days a week over four years had two times the risk of blood cancer. The risk was not seen with the heavy use of other painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Scientists say, even though the risk is relatively small, more studies should be done to prove if there is a cause and effect. Tylenol Blood Cancer

Brown v Board of Education Anniversary - Some members of the Cal Poly faculty will take time to honor the 57th anniversary of a monumental date in American history Tuesday. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that it was unconstitutional to racially segregate public schools. Universities around the country are observing the important anniversary, including Cal Poly. Nation-wide, faculty are holding "watching parties" where they will watch a live web-cast of the Washington DC launch event of the "Campaign for the Future of Higher Education". In all, 30 universities will watch. The goal of the initiative is to fight back against inequalities public higher education. Faculty presidents from various universities will lead the web-cast, including Lillian Taiz, President of the California Faculty Association, California State University. Brown v Board of Education Anniversary

Buddha Day May 17 2011 - Sri Lanka has made all arrangements to commemorate on a very grand scale the 2600th Anniversary of the Sri Sambuddhatwa Jayanthiya, which denotes the attainment of Buddhahood by Prince Siddhartha 2600 years ago, which falls tomorrow on the Wesak Fullmoon Day. Wesak Full Moon day, being the beginning of the 5th month of the Buddhist Calendar, is a very significant day for Buddhists since it coincides with the Birth of Prince Siddhartha, his attainment of Buddhahood and the death all falling on the same day. The Sri Lanka government has declared the year beginning with tomorrow as the Sri Sambuddhatwa Jayanthi Year. This declaration was made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a special ceremony held at the Sri Mahabodiya last Saturday. Sri Mahabodhiya, at the sapling of the Bo-Tree, under which Lord Buddha attained Buddhahood. This sapling was brought to Sri Lanka by the Buddhist monk Sangamitta Samanera, the daughter of King Asoka as a special gift for the B...

Oregon Man Diary Froze - It was a Valentine's Day that went unmarked on his otherwise-detailed log, a reused calendar from the 1970s in which he had crossed out bygone dates and filled in the current year. McDonald noted that he drove his blue 1997 GMC truck into the remote foothills of the Cascade Range on Feb. 7 and made camp, then woke up one day to find himself in the middle of a fast and heavy snowstorm. If McDonald had been awake, said Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller, he might have been able to see the flakes piling up, made plans to get out, deal with it. McDonald's body was discovered Thursday by a U.S. Forest Service survey crew, about 60 miles east of the state capital of Salem. An autopsy conducted Friday showed he died of hypothermia and starvation, Mueller said. Oregon Man Diary Froze

America's Most Wanted Canceled - The Fox program, hosted by John Walsh, is responsible for capturing more than 1,000 criminals, including some of the biggest fugitives wanted by the FBI and DEA. But "AMW" isn't gone for good. Fox will air four, two-hour specials throughout the year, in addition to repeats. "We haven’t made money on the show in quite awhile," says Fox Entertainment president, Kevin Reilly. "It wasn’t particularly viable. We wanted to keep the franchise alive." "America's Most Wanted" has been canceled before, albeit temporarily. In 1996, Fox decided to air a block of "Married...With Children," "Martin" and two other shows in "AMW"'s timeslot. But after protests from the public, law enforcement and the governors from 37 states, Fox brought it back. America's Most Wanted Canceled

Genetic Link to Depression - Scientists believe they have discovered a genetic link to one of the world's most common and costly mental illnesses. They are calling it the first solid evidence that variations on some people's genes may cause depression. Also, in a rare occurrence, a British led international team's findings of a DNA region linked to depression has been replicated by another team from the u-s. They were studying an entirely separate group of people. Both groups found exactly the same region in two separate studies. Scientists are hoping the findings will bring them closer to developing more effective treatments for patients with depression since currently available medicines for depression only work in around half of patients. Both studies are published in the Journal of Psychiatry. Genetic Link to Depression