Gold iPhone 5S subjected to horrifying torture tests

Apple hasn’t even made its next-generation iPhone 5S official yet and the poor device is already being subjected to some horrifying torture tests. We have seen purported iPhone 5S housings examined on video a number of times now, but no one has abused the cases on film quite like Jailbreak Nation, which recently managed to get its hands on one of the many gold iPhone 5S housings that are currently making the rounds. The blog released a video on Wednesday in which it performs various scratch and scuff tests using coins and even a combat knife. So what can we learn from the nine-minute torture test video? If you dig a five-inch blade into an iPhone 5S, it will scratch.

Apple’s iPhone 5S is expected to debut next month in at least three or maybe even four different colors. Reports suggest it will feature a new A7 processor, a better camera and even a new embedded fingerprint scanner. The lower cost iPhone 5C will likely be unveiled at the same time and will be available in five different colors. According to countless reports, it will feature bright plastic housings, a price tag somewhere around $400 and a design that is slightly thicker than the flagship iPhone 5S.

Both new phones are expected to launch on September 20th but in the meantime, Jailbreak Nation’s nine-minute torture test video is embedded below, and it shows how the new gold iPhone 5S case stands up to a beating compared to the current black iPhone 5, which the blog subjected to the same abusive tests.

The World's First Basketball Watch Tracks How Good Your Game Is...

These days there's a new rumor or smartwatch announcement every time you fire up the internet. But they're all designed to work alongside a smartphone doing boring things like display caller IDs or rejecting a call. Not the Hoop Tracker. This is the first watch designed to keep track of your prowess at the rim so you can know for sure if your hoop dreams have any chance of coming true. And it doesn't need a smartphone assist.

The Hoop Tracker watch is worn on your non-shooting arm, and it wirelessly connects to an included shot tracker that attaches to the rim of a basketball hoop, without affecting the game in any way. Presumably based on the distance between the watch and the rim, the Hoop Tracker system is able to determine what and where you shot-a free throw, a field goal, or a three pointer-as well as whether or not it hit the rim, the backboard, or went in. The one thing it can't track is when you airball, so a dedicated button on the watch lets you use the honor system and note your complete misses.

All of your stats can be viewed directly on the Hoop Tracker watch, but the data can also be uploaded to a website which provides far more analysis and detailed views of your skills and your progress.

If you're staring down scholarships and a possible lucrative career playing basketball, the $200Hoop Tracker-available sometime in early 2014-seems like a great investment as you hone your skills. But if you're just mediocre, $200 sounds like a lot of money to hear what you probably already know: Stay in school and get yourself a good education instead

Facebook Gave 38K Users Data to Governments in 6 Months

Facebook divulged to governments data on about 38,000 users worldwide in the first six months of 2013, the social-networking site announced today.

The figures, released in its first report detailing such affairs globally, highlights that the United States led the way in demands for Facebook user data. The data, the social-networking giant said, concern basic subscriber information, such as name and length of service. “Other requests may also seek IP address logs or actual account content,” Facebook said.

The United States sought data from between 20,000 to 21,000 accounts. Facebook said the data included “criminal and national security requests to the maximum extent permitted by law.” It said it was prohibited from detailing exact numbers or types of national security-related requests, which would include National Security Letters and FISA court orders.

In all, 74 nations sought Facebook data. India came in second, demanding information on 4,144 accounts. The United Kingdom was next, followed by Germany, Italy and France.

“We continue to push the United States government to allow more transparency regarding these requests, including specific numbers and types of national security-related requests. We will publish updated information for the United States as soon as we obtain legal authorization to do so,” the report said.

Twitter and Google also release semi-annual transparency reports, which also highlight that the United States is among the leaders in user-data requests.

But whether they have any meaning is open for debate following the disclosures by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. That’s because the government has direct access to the internet and scoops up millions of communications annually.

“We are now aware of a terrifying reality — that governments don’t necessarily need intermediaries like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft to get our data. They can intercept it over undersea cables, through secret court orders, and through intelligence sharing,” Privacy International said in a statement.

Researcher controls colleague’s motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface

Hello, mind control! Researchers at the University of Washington say they've created the first non-invasive brain interface between two humans--i.e., they've basically achieved telepathy.

Previous work has allowed basic communication between two brains, but this is the first time it's been shown in two humans. In February, a Duke University team managed to link the brains of two rats, one in North Carolina and one in Brazil, to solve basic puzzles together. Then, earlier this summer, Harvard University researchers demonstrated a brain-to-brain interface between a human and a rat, allowing a man to control the rat's tail with his mind.

Here, Rajesh Rao, a UW computer science and engineering professor, used his thoughts to control the actions of Andrea Stucco, a research assistant professor in the school's psychology department. Rao wore an EEG cap that read his brain's electrical activity, while Stucco had a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil, which can stimulate brain activity, placed over his left motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls hand movement. A code translated brain signals from the EEG into commands for the brain.

Rao imagined moving his right hand (without actually moving it) to click the "fire" button that would shoot a cannon in a video game. Across campus, Stucco, who wasn't looking at the computer screen in his lab where the video game was unfolding, involuntarily moved his right hand and pushed the space bar on his keyboard to fire the cannon, as if experiencing a nervous tic.

"This was basically a one-way flow of information from my brain to his," Rao said. "The next step is having a more equitable two-way conversation directly between the two brains.”

One day, the researchers would like to develop technology that could allow a person who can't speak to communicate their needs, for instance. But a true mind meld is still the work of science fiction. It can only interpret very simple brain signals, and this experiment occurred under ideal conditions with equipment that no one wants to strap on outside the lab. And no, you can't control someone's body against their will, Rao says. But maybe one day?

Rupee hits new lows; FX majors hold ground

LONDON (MarketWatch) — The Indian rupee plumbed new depths Wednesday, as risk aversion swept global markets ahead of a possible U.S.-led military strike in Syria, while many other currency pairs moved in narrow ranges.

The rupee was among the hardest-hit of the emerging-market currencies, with the U.S. dollar USDINR +3.07%  rising to an all-time high of 68.72 rupees, before pulling back a little. The greenback was fetching 67.89 rupees by midday trade in Europe, compared with 66.19 rupees late Tuesday in North America.

The Indian rupee hits new all-time lows on problems both foreign and domestic.

The rupee now ranks among the weakest emerging-market currencies so far this year. At its current level, the U.S. dollar has risen 23.6% versus the rupee, more than its 23.2% gain against the South African randUSDZAR +0.40%  and the 15.6% increase versus the Brazilian real USDBRL +0.04% .

Business daily The Economic Times cited news-agency reports saying the Reserve Bank of India intervened in the currency markets Wednesday to stem the rupee’s weakness.

The losses for the Indian unit, while carrying on from weakness related to the country’s current account, also tracked rising expectations that the U.S. will launch a military strike against Syrian government forces.

On Tuesday, the rupee saw even sharper losses, with the dollar adding almost two full rupees during the day.

The Indonesian rupiah, which had also dropped significantly Tuesday, managed to halt the decline early Wednesday, as the U.S. dollar USDIDR -0.25%  held at the 10,900 rupiah where it traded late Tuesday.

Crédit Agricole said that while sentiment toward emerging-market assets had “deteriorated rapidly” on Tuesday on risks related to a wider Syrian conflict, the Indian and Indonesian units also suffered from “very weak” fundamentals” in those nations.

“Recent policy mistakes in India — including passage of the food bill in the lower house, and rising oil/gold prices — make rupee assets vulnerable,” they wrote, referring to a legislation that would provide cheap grain to the poor but would stretch India’s finances.

They also said rising oil prices could put downward pressure on the Indonesian rupiah, but they warned against selling it or the rupee Wednesday.

“We would not be short either currency today. We believe that there is likely to be a short-term pause in their depreciation trend, partly on policy initiatives which we expect following recent equity drops,” they wrote, noting Indonesia’s central bank has an emergency meeting planned for Thursday.

The Australian dollar AUDUSD -0.75%  was another major decliner, falling to 89.25 U.S. cents from late Tuesday’s 89.92 cents, ahead of the country’s Sept. 7 general election.

Greenback ticks higher

The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, edged upward after taking losses on Tuesday, with the ICE dollar index DXY +0.31% —a measure of the U.S. unit against six rivals — rising to 81.316 from 81.137.

Likewise, the WSJ Dollar Index XX:BUXX +0.42% , which uses a wider comparison basket than the ICE index, rose to 73.76 from 73.55.

Crédit Agricole said safe-haven buying of the dollar amid geopolitical uncertainty was supporting the greenback, in the face of dollar-selling by emerging-market central banks seeking to defend their currencies.

Among other major currency pairs, the euro EURUSD -0.37%  bought $1.3369, compared with $1.3390 Tuesday, while the British pound GBPUSD -0.57%  eased to $1.5478 from $1.5543.

The Japanese yen edged lower in Asian afternoon trade, with the dollar USDJPY +0.35% buying ¥97.36, compared with ¥97.09 Tuesday in late U.S. trading.

Simbu, Dhanush to Share the Screen

Having distinct fan base and a rich acting forte, Simbu and Dhanush are no less than youth icons that Kollywood is proud to sport. For years, the two have been giving consistent hits and now the time has come when the two will join hands for the same project.

An upcoming project based on the lives of slum dwelling kids, titled 'Kaakka Muttai' is helmed by Manikandan, coming as Dhanush's next production venture. The buzz is that Simbu will be playing the role as himself in the film. The shooting for this film will wrap up in a month and is expected to hit the big screen in December this year. Music for the film is composed by GV Prakash and with the presence of Simbu in the film, the movie has kindled speculation at various levels. The two are successful actors. Will they be seen together on screen any time soon?

END THE ENSLAVEMENT OF MILLIONS OF INDIAN CHILDREN

***URGENT*** Time is running out. The Indian Parliament is going to adjourn on Friday so we are in Delhi and planning to deliver the petition TOMORROW calling on the Indian Parliament to abolish child slavery in India by passing the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill”.

 Click to take action before 8pm on Wednesday so we can add your signature before we head to the printer!

Dear Viewers,

Every day, millions of children in India wake up to long hours of backbreaking labour, working everywhere from stone quarries to carpet factories to rice mills. These children—some as young as 5 years-old—are kept from school and forced to work 7 days a week for up to 18 hours a day in hazardous situations that leave them permanently injured or crippled by heavy loads and dangerous equipment. 

Because these children are often left illiterate and plagued with health problems, they are—in a cruel twist of fate—less likely to find employment once they reach adulthood. This continued enslavement of children traps generations of Indians in a vicious cycle of slavery, illiteracy and poverty.

Thankfully, Indian politicians are considering legislation called the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill," which: 1) prohibits employment of children under 14 years of age, 2) outlines harsh sentences for violators, and 3) provides for monitoring of suspected cases of child slavery. This legislation would put an end to the enslavement of children in India, but it risks not passing without a demonstration of mass public support. That is why we are personally delivering 1,010,917 signatures on the 29^th of August to the Parliament of India, calling on them to immediately pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill.

TAKE ACTION. Add your name to the petition calling on the Indian Parliament to abolish child slavery in India.  

Days from now, the Parliament of India will close the doors on its Monsoon Session. They need to know that any further delay in the passage of this historic law banning child labour in their country is simply unacceptable.

For every day that this bill is delayed, millions of children in India will continue to be trapped in the nightmare of modern slavery. While leaders in India remain inactive, an entire generation remains at risk of being bought and sold to work in unimaginable conditions of sex slavery, bonded labour and domestic servitude.

By keeping this crucial bill off the agenda, the Indian Parliament is allowing modern slavery to continue to rob children of the chance to be healthy, educated and free to build a bright future for themselves and for their country.

Tell Indian politicians to pass the "Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill" NOW.

We can end child slavery in India.

After you take action, will you take a moment to forward this email to your friends and family to make sure that as many people as possible join us in pressuring the Indian Parliament to protect millions of children from modern slavery? Thank you in advance for your help.

In solidarity,

Debra, Nick, Jessica, Kate, Mich, Amy and the Walk Free Team

I, S.Sathish Kumar proud to be a member of walkfree.org 

Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's greatest evils: Modern slavery.