Thieves steal five Apple iPads from Microsoft, leave everything else

According to a newspaper article from the Palo Alto Daily Post, some discriminating thieves broke into Microsoft’s campus in Silicon Valley. There was good news and bad news for the folks there. The good news is that nothing with the Microsoft name was taken. The bad news is that the thieves made away with five Apple iPads. Talk about adding insult to injury.

It must really feel pretty bad to have thieves make off with your competitors products and not even want one of your own. Two Apple iPad 2s were stolen and two third-generation Apple iPads and one fourth-generation Apple iPad.

The paper said that the thefts occurred between December 19th-26th and the value of the tablets added up to over $3,000. The inclusion of the Apple iPad 4 in the report was a typo. Your own stuff is safe Microsoft. Just protect your iPads.

Apple Says Do No Disturb Bug Will Fix Itself

There have been a number of reports about a bug in iOS 6 over the last few days, related to Apple’s ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature in iOS 6, the problem with the feature is that it has not turned itself off when it was set to do so.

Apple has now released a support document relating to the bug, and suggested that the issue will fix itself manually by the 7th of January, in the meantime you will have to manually turn the feature off yourself.

After January 1st, 2013, Do Not Disturb mode stays on past its scheduled end time.
Resolution

Do Not Disturb scheduling feature will resume normal functionality after January 7, 2013. Before this date, you should manually turn the Do Not Disturb feature on or off.

To turn off the scheduling feature, tap Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and switch Scheduled to Off.

You can find out more information about the issue with the Do Not Disturb feature on iOS 6 devices over at Apple.

RARE WATER-RICH MARS METEORITE DISCOVERED

A rare Martian meteorite recently found in Morocco contains minerals with 10 times more water than previously discovered Mars meteorites, a finding that raises new questions about when and how long the planet most like Earth in the solar system had conditions suitable for life.

The rock is believed to be similar to those studied by NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed on opposite sides of Mars in 2004 to look for signs of past water. Spirit is no longer operational, but in August Opportunity was joined by the new and more sophisticated Curiosity rover, which will be searching for chemistry and environmental conditions necessary to support microbial life.

The meteorite, known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034, is the second-oldest of 110 named stones originating from Mars that have been retrieved on Earth. Purchased from a Moroccan meteorite dealer in 2011, the black, baseball-sized stone, which weighs less than 1 pound, is 2.1 billon years old, meaning it formed during what is known as the early Amazonian era in Mars' geologic history.

"It's from a time on Mars that we actually don't know much about," geologist Carl Agee, with the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, told Discovery News.

The only older Mars meteorite found so far is the 4-billion-year-old Allan Hills 84001 Antarctica stone that was the source of speculation about microfossils in 1996.

Early Mars was believed to be warm and wet, but the planet lost most of its atmosphere and its surface water to become a cold, dry desert that appears today.

"The time from when our meteorite is from is maybe a transitional period in the climate, when Mars was losing its atmosphere, losing its water on the surface," Agee said.


The meteorite is relatively rich in water -- about 6,000 parts per million -- compared with typical Martian meteorites that contain about 200- to 300 parts per million. It is similar to basaltic rocks on Earth that form in volcanic eruptions.

"The fact that this meteorite formed in the presence of water suggests that maybe this water hung around for a while, maybe a bit longer than previously thought. It at least opens our minds to the idea that maybe Mars climate change was more transitional, rather than an abrupt loss of atmosphere and water," Agee said.

Like other Mars meteorites, NWA 7034, nicknamed "Black Beauty," also contains tiny bits of carbon, formed from geologic, not biological activity, said Andrew Steele, who studies Mars meteorites at the Carnegie Institution of Washington DC.

Steele, who also is a member of the Curiosity science team, would like to do more analysis on the meteorite with instruments that are similar to those on the rover.

Scientists don't know why more meteorites like Black Beauty haven't been found on Earth. The period of time from which they originated may be relatively short, or most may not survive the trip through Earth's atmosphere.

"(Mars meteorites) are tough, but by the time they get here they're quite friable and brittle," Steele told Discovery News.

"This one does look completely different," he added. "It's jet black. The others are slightly greenish cast."

After an initial battery of tests revealed the rock's unique nature, meteorite hunters returned to the area where it was found to search for other similar stones, Agee said.

"It took several months to get an idea of what it was," Agee said. "We eventually realized there was no other conclusion but that it was Martian and that it was different from all the other ones."

"If it were similar, we would have known within one day," he added.

Four more pieces, all smaller than the original, have now been found.

The research appears in this week's journal Science.

A MUMMY SWITCHEROO

Min, the ancient Egyptian god of phallus and fertility, might have brought some worldy advantages to his male worshippers, but offered little protection when it came to spiritual life.

Researchers at the Mummy Project-Fatebenefratelli hospital in Milan, Italy, established that one of Min's priests at Akhmim, Ankhpakhered, was not resting peacefully in his finely painted sarcophagus.


"We discovered that the sarcophagus does not contain the mummy of the priest, but the remains of another man dating between 400 and 100 BC," Egyptologist Sabina Malgora said.

According to the researchers, the finding could point to a theft more than 2000 years ago. The relatives of the mysterious man may have stolen the beautiful sarcophagus, which dates to a period between the 22nd 23rd Dynasty (about 945-715 BC), to assure their loved one a proper burial and afterlife.




"It's just an hypothesis. However, this was a rather common practice, especially during periods of economical and political crisis, when the necropolis were left without much surveillance," Malgora, co-director of the Mummy Project with Luca Bernardo, director of Maternal and Child Unit Operations at the Fatebenefratelli hospital, told Discovery News.

Indeed, by the end of the 20th Dynasty, tomb robbery was such a serious problem at Thebes (the modern Luxor) that royal mummies and their relatives were secretly moved to a secure hidden tomb in Deir el-Bahri, now known as Theban Tomb (TT) 320.

Discovered near the end of the 19th century, the Deir el-Bahri cache revealed an extraordinary array of mummified remains belonging to more than 50 kings, queens and nobility.




Kept at the Archaeological Museum in Asti, where it arrived in 1903 from a private collection, the sarcophagus boasted a mysterious history -- it is not known how it arrived to Italy -- and a puzzling mummy.

"It had a simple bendage with no amulets at all. We know that a high priest would have been buried differently," Malgora said.

Finally, CTscan images revealed that inside the wrappings rested a skeleton placed on a reed support. This suggests that the body was recovered some time after the death, placed on a kind of stretcher and then wrapped.

While the fate of Ankhpakhered's mummy remains unknown, Malgora and colleagues have managed to shed new light on the man that for more than two millennia usurped the priest's coffin.




Named by the researchers Wehem-ef-ankh, the one who comes back to life, the man died at about 40, and was 5 feet 9 inches tall -- quite old and tall for the time.

He did not use drugs, did not suffer from any particular disease, and did not die from any violent or traumatic event.


Some 2950 images from the CT scan made it possible to reconstruct a 3D life size image of his skull. Carried by Jonathan Elias, director of the Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium, the subsequent face reconstruction revealed a man with a prominent nose, a slightly asymmetric eye and eyebrow and a slightly hollow left cheek, caused by the lack of some teeth.

"He had nothing to do with a high priest. He was a hard worker. His knees show signs of wear and tear, as if he was carrying weight or stones," Malgora said.

TOUR THE PYRAMIDS ONLINE

The most realistic and complete virtual rendition of Egypt's Giza Plateau is now available online, allowing anyone with a computer to wander the necropolis, explore shafts and burial chambers, and enter four of the site’s ancient temples, including Khufu's and Menkaure’s pyramids.

Engineered by software design firm Dassault Systèmes, in collaboration with Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the free application is available on multiple devices, including 3-D-enabled computer monitors and TVs, and immersive environments.


Indeed, this is not just another too-clean looking and ultimately boring 3-D virtual tour of Egypt's famous archaeological site.

"Many 3-D models of ancient sites have more to do with fantasy and video games than with archaeology. The colors, surfaces and textures are not researched and appear quite flat or unrealistic," Peter Der Manuelian, Philip J. King professor of Egyptology at Harvard University and director of the MFA's Giza Archives, told






According to Manuelian, Giza 3D focuses on reality and reproduces one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World on sound scholarly data.

"Our reconstructions strive to reflect as much existing excavation data as possible, and that includes a meticulous study of ancient colors, inscriptions, textures of walls, buildings and objects," Manuelian said.


The project draws on the work of George Andrew Reisner (1867-1942), an American Egyptologist who directed the work of the Harvard University—Museum of Fine Arts Boston Expedition at the Giza Plateau more than a century ago.

One of the first archaeologists to apply photography to excavation, Reisner is the main reason that the MFA boasts one of the finest Egyptian collections outside Egypt.





In 40 years of excavations, Reisner unearthed thousands of remains and works of art and left a thorough catalog of his explorations, with some 45,000 photographic glass plate negatives, tens of thousands of pages of diaries, manuscripts and reports, countless maps, diagrams, notes, and copious correspondence.

Practically unused until the beginning of the 1970s, this immense resource has been completely digitized and is now accessible within the Giza 3D project.


"We tried to be as scientifically accurate as possible when re-creating the plateau. At the same time, we focused on creating an authentic experience for every visitor," Mehdi Tayoubi, vice president of design and experimental strategy at Dassault Systèmes, told Discovery News.

According to Tayoubi, the new possibilities offered (e.g., aerial 3-D views, cross sections of the ground, passing through walls), "far from being gimmicks, take on new meaning in the service of research."





As visitors to the 3-D virtual Giza Plateau enter tombs and mastabas (flat-roofed, rectangular burials), they can look for the remains found there by the Reisner expedition, view 3-D objects and get instant interactive access to all the relevant information. These include field journals, maps and ancient pictures.

Moreover, the reconstruction of vanished temples or tombs from available information makes it possible to trace the entire history of the Giza Plateau during different eras and follow its development through the centuries.


"Visualizing Giza from previously impossible angles, such as from underground, or at different periods in time and stages of development -- conception, construction, completion, excavation, restoration -- provides both a unique teaching tool in the classroom and on the Web, and a new research tool for modern scholarship," Manuelian said.

Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Rihanna Top Our List of Biggest Fash-Holes of 2012

Katy Perry, we like you as a person. You make cute music. You do your best to reform complete losers into suitable boyfriends, with mixed results. You've got great hair.

But...you're a Fash-Hole. That's not us talking. That's your wardrobe. You wore green sheer floor-length lace to a restaurant. And that's not even your worst offense of the year!

Joan Rangers, hear this: Perry, along with Rita Ora and Miley Cyrus, have made our list for the biggest Fash-Holes of 2012, and they aren't alone. Read on for our official roster of People Who Would've Been Better Off Going Naked All Year.

Rihanna. Such a beautiful girl. Such ugly taste...and not only in men.

Miley Cyrus. Yes, we get it already, you got a haircut this year. Good for you. Now please do something about your pants.



Rita Ora. The girl never met a Muppet pelt she didn't love. But at least her lips always looked great this year. Nothing wrong with stealing a look wholesale from Gwen Stefani.

Britney Spears. Judging from the expressions on her face in 2012, even she knew that she needed to hire a new stylist. Let's all chip in and buy her one, shall we?Rachel Zoe can't possibly be charging the same rates as she was 10 years ago.

Top 10 boats News Stories for 2012

1 Yogi sinking



The loss of the superyacht Yogi, the 60.2 metre superyacht, off the coast of Greece in February, was the most viewed story on the site by a considerable distance. Built by Proteksan Turquoise in 2011, the yacht was reported to be in difficulties between the islands of Skyros and Psara, 19 nautical miles off the Greek coast. A ‘mechanical failure’ was blamed for the incident which happened in strong seas and Force 8 winds. No one was injured and all on board were rescued by the coastguard helicopter.


2 Lurssen 180 scoop



In May we got our first glimpse of Project Azzam, a 180m Lurssen, as she left the main shed at its yard in Bremen. At the time we knew little about her, but what was clear was that she was nearer to 180m than the 170m she was rumoured to be, and significantly larger than Eclipse, the largest yacht in the world at the time.


3 First glimpse inside Amaryllis



Another popular story was the first look inside the spectacular 78m Abeking & Rasmussen yachtAmaryllis. Project managed by Hill Robinson, and launched in November 2011, she is decorated in the Belle Époque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Reymond Langton Design created both her interior and exterior design. The result is a work of art, featuring a unique collection of loose furniture and wall panels by Silverlining among a range of simply beautiful features.


4 Flying Fox (re)launched



In fourth place is the slightly unusual story of Flying Fox, nee Graffiti. In November 2011 we were the first to announce the launch of Graffiti, a 73.55 metre superyacht launched at Nobiskrug only two months after her sistership Mogambo. But Graffiti remained at the German yard, with rumours of an imminent sale circulating around the industry. In June the rumours were confirmed with the (re)launch of Graffiti under a new name, Flying Fox.



5 Vava II leaves Pendennis



The largest private motor yacht ever built in the UK attaracted a lot of page views in 2012. The 96m motor yacht Vava II, was delivered to her owner in March and left the Pendennis Plus (formerly Devonport) yard for her maiden cruise to St Maarten in the Caribbean. This spectacular six-deck superyacht was built in utmost secrecy to a design by Redman Whiteley Dixon, with an interior by Remi Tessier and is SOLAS-36 classed to passenger ship standards.



6 Futuristic trimaran Adastra launched



After a four year build at McConaghy Boats in Zhu Hai, China, the launch of the fuel efficient 42.5m trimaran Adastra was another popular story. Designed by UK-based John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs,Adastra is the second largest trimaran yacht ever built (the 61m White Rabbit being the biggest), and is the fourth largest powered multihull in the world.


7 Topaz launch



The launch of Topaz was also an oft-viewed story. Superyacht Topaz was technically launched in May when she emerged from her floating shed at Lürssen’s Aumund yard. Very little was known about the motor yacht and even her exact length was a matter of speculation, although she was believed to be the second largest yacht to be launched by the German yard. While Lürssen were unable to confirm or deny any details about the project due to strict confidentiality agreements, we had it on good authority that she was longer than 144m with a beam of 21.5m.


8 Mogambo joins charter fleet



In March we reported the delivery of Nobiskrug’s 74m motor yacht Mogambo and her availability for charter through David Price in the Antibes office of Hill Robinson. Mogambo accommodates up to 12 guests with a spectacular master suite on the main deck which includes a private terrace, a VIP cabin on the bridge deck plus two double and two convertible cabins on the lower deck.



9 More details of Project Azzam



Unsurprisingly, Project Azzam continued to attract attention through the year, and as we published more details and photos, the page visits continued to rise. We got these photos in June, and interest in this exciting project continued unabated.



10 Seanna joins the charter fleet



When stunning new superyachts come on to the charter market, it tends to attract a lot of attention, andSeanna was no different. The 65m Benetti motor yacht Seanna, launched in 2011, embarked on her inaugural Mediterranean charter season, represented by Burgess as central charter agents. Seanna accommodates 12 guests in seven cabins and is served by a crew of 16. The master cabin features his-and-hers bathrooms and dressing rooms, steam room and spa bath, lounge and study.