JaxtrSMS Sends Free Text Messages to Any Mobile Number in the World (Android/iOS/Blackberry) There are lots of apps that can send free text messages but those usually aren't free or will send texts from numbers other than your smartphone. JaxtrSMS is a free service from Sabeer Bhatia, founder of Hotmail, that can send free texts to any mobile number in the world coming from your own phone number.
Greenfoot Provides a Visual Playground to Help Learn Java (Windows/Mac/Linux) When learning a programming language for the first time it can be difficult to see how lines of code translate to visual elements. Free educational webapp Greenfoot provides a structured sandbox where programming students create ?actors' that live in ?worlds' to build simulations, games, and and other visual programs.
Check If Your Android Phone Has Carrier IQ, No Rooting Required (Android) When we first covered Carrier IQ, the rootkit that can log everything you do on your phone, we detailed how to check and remove Carrier IQ on Android using an app from the developer who discovered the rootkit, but that method required rooting your phone. Voodoo Carrier IQ Detector is a free app available on Android Market that can check for-but not yet remove-the spying software, no root required.
iTether Is a Cross-Platform Wired Tethering Option for iOS, No Jailbreak Required (iOS/Mac/Windows) Get it while it lasts-iTether has somehow managed to get Apple's blessing and, for $14.99, offers easy wired tethering to your Mac OS or Windows PC from your iOS device without jailbreaking it. Up to now, no other tethering apps have been allowed in the iTunes App Store, so while it's expensive, it works as advertised and if you don't like the idea of jailbreaking your device to tether, this is the way to do it.
Netspot for Mac Makes Diagnosing Wi-Fi Signal Problems Quick, Easy, and Free (Mac) Everyone has decent Wi-Fi signal when they're sitting in the same room as their wireless router, but what about across the apartment, or in the basement? If you think you should have signal but don't, free site survey app Netspot is a utility that gives you the tools to draw out your floorplan, walk about your home or office with your laptop, and survey network strength, available networks, and channels in use along the way.
Track-and-Recover App Prey Can Now Find Your Lost or Stolen iOS Device (iOS) If you've lost your iPhone or had it stolen, free app Prey will find your phone, set off an alarm, and even take a picture of the thief.
4sqwifi Uses Foursquare to Map Locations that Offer Free Wi-Fi (iOS) If you're traveling and need to find a wireless network that you can use to log in to your VPN and check email, pull up a car reservation, or verify a hotel booking, 4sqwifi is a new iPhone app that-as long as you're already signed up to use Foursquare-can show you which check-in points have free Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi networks you can log in to.
PianoPub Is a Lightweight, Free Pandora Player for Mac (Mac) We've seen a few Mac desktop clients for Pandora, but all of them have cost money. PianoPub is a simple, small, and free desktop app that plays your Pandora stations.
FormatMatch for Mac Pastes Text in All Applications Without Formatting (Mac) We've mentioned before how Ctrl+Shift+V in Windows can strip the formatting from text and paste it in almost any application, but if you have a Mac, FormatMatch is the menubar utility for you.
Disable All Extensions for Chrome Manages Your Chrome Extensions with One Button (Chrome) Now that more of you are using Chrome than ever before, it's also likely you're using more Chrome extensions than ever before. Disable All Extensions, as the name implies, gives you one button to enable or disable all of your Chrome extensions quickly without restarting the browser, or select individual ones to toggle or uninstall whenever you choose.
(Reuters) ? Slower tumor growth in kidney cancer patients taking Pfizer Inc's experimental drug, Inlyta, in a clinical trial was driven by a subset of patients who are rare in the United States, U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers said.
In review documents released on Monday ahead of an expert advisory panel meeting on the drug, FDA staff expressed concern the Pfizer medicine appeared to work better in patients previously treated by cytokines that are rarely used in the United States, potentially limiting its appeal in the world's largest market.
U.S. kidney cancer patients are far more likely to be given Pfizer's Sutent as an initial treatment option rather than cytokines.
The FDA documents found the safety profile of Inlyta, clinically known as axitinib, to be similar to rival drugs. However, interim analysis of Pfizer's pivotal trial showed more overall deaths and more deaths related to treatment in patients who received Inlyta compared with those who took Nexavar, which is sold by Bayer AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Inlyta, which inhibits certain receptors that can influence tumor growth and progression of cancer, is one of several new drugs Pfizer is banking on to help replace lost revenue from its top-selling cholesterol fighter, Lipitor, which began facing generic competition last week.
FDA staff said Pfizer's kidney cancer drug showed the same degree of liver enzyme elevation and potential for liver failure as some other drugs in its class, but had lower rates of skin related side effects and anemia than Nexavar.
About 61,000 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year and one in five of them are expected to die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Most often, this cancer occurs in people over 55 years old.
The drug is awaiting an approval decision in Europe for use in patients who failed to be helped by prior treatment.
In November 2010, Pfizer released results of a study showing axitinib significantly delayed the time before the disease progressed compared with Nexavar in previously treated patients with advanced kidney cancer.
The trial also found the Pfizer drug delayed progression of the disease by some 5.6 months in patients previously treated with cytokines, but only by 1.4 months in those initially treated with Sutent, known chemically as sunitinib.
A panel of FDA advisers will consider whether the discrepancy affects Inlyta's risk-benefit ratio.
The drug is also being tested in another late-stage trial for kidney cancer as both an initial treatment option and in previously treated patients. It is also being tested as a treatment for liver cancer.
MIAMI ? A North Florida man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after authorities say he beat a man and a woman to death with a baseball bat and then photographed their bodies.
Authorities said Saturday that Craig Arron Lede, 40, of Spring Hill is being held without bond after telling investigators that he killed John Ketsemidis, 29, and Dana Nelson, 28, at Lede's house on Wednesday when he became enraged that a debt couldn't be repaid. The suspect also allegedly drove to the home of the male victim's mother the next day trying to get money while the female victim's body was stashed in the trunk.
"The defendant stated he killed John and Dana because he was tired of being `screwed over,'" Hernando County Sheriff's Detective Randy Wiliamson wrote in an arrest affidavit. "The defendant demonstrated how he swung the baseball bat and struck both victims. The defendant stated he photographed the bodies and intended to keep the picture as a trophy..."
According to a news release from the sheriff's office, Ketsemidis' mother called authorities Friday in a panic because she hadn't heard from her son in a few days. She told authorities that Lede had come by her house on Thursday, telling a bizarre story that her son was at a local hospital and that he needed money. Lede was driving her son's BMW, she said.
Hernando County sheriff's deputies headed to Lede's home that afternoon in an effort to locate Ketsemidis ? they had also traced him to the address through an ankle-monitoring device he was wearing because he was on probation. There deputies noticed what they believed was a body wrapped in a blanket on the garage floor, according to the news release.
"At that time Craig became very nervous and asked the deputies to leave unless they had a search warrant," according to the statement.
Lede, who is unemployed and had a warrant for a probation violation, was immediately taken into custody. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
As deputies pursued an arrest warrant, Lede began talking to investigators at the sheriff's office, authorities said,
Lede said the couple came to his house late Wednesday night and that Ketsemidis said he couldn't repay money he owed him, the news release said. Authorities said Lede became enraged and used a bat to strike Ketsemidis in the head, knocking him to the ground, and then to strike Nelson in the head.
"Once the victims were down and helpless, the defendant struck them in the head and upper body several times causing eventual death," the arrest affidavit says. "The defendant used his camera to photograph the deceased victims."
Authorities subsequently found both bodies in Lede's garage ? Ketsemidis' wrapped in a blanket, and Nelson's in the trunk of Ketsemidis' BMW.
The arrest affidavit says Lede acknowledged that he had "run errands with Dana's body still in the trunk."
Lede was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery. Authorities said Lede was wearing a gold Bulova watch that he removed from Ketsemidis' body.
Authorities believe Lede acted alone. He is currently being held without bond.
The St. Petersburg Times reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/uEtXPg ) that Lede has a history of domestic violence and a September 2010 battery charge. His father-in-law David Stenger told the newspaper that Lede once struck Stenger's daughter, prompting her to leave the marriage, file a restraining order against him and begin the divorce process.
Stenger said Lede's behavior worsened following a devastating car accident and he became addicted to painkillers.
Lede and the two victims had all been patients at Hope Pain Management Clinic, which was closed a month ago after a lengthy investigation by the sheriff's office.
"There is little doubt that (prescription drugs) significantly contributed to the deaths of these two young people," Sheriff Al Nienhuis said in a statement. "This is a perfect example that prescription drug abuse is not a victimless or a non-violent crime."
Disabled children do matterPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Press Office Pressoffice@esrc.ac.uk Economic & Social Research Council
Many disabled children fail to reach their full potential because they continue to be marginalised in schools, health and social care, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
"We found that disabled children often experience discrimination, exclusion and even violence," say Professor Dan Goodley and Dr Katherine Runswick-Cole, who implemented the study at the Manchester Metropolitan University. "The biggest barriers they meet are the attitudes of other people and widespread forms of institutional discrimination."
"Disabled children are seldom allowed to play and act like other children because of concerns about their 'leaky and unruly' bodies. But our study shows that many children who don't fit the narrow definition of 'normal' have untapped reserves of potential and high aspirations which can be fulfilled when their families receive effective support. There are also many amazing families who should be celebrated for the way they fight for their children." continues Professor Goodley.
The aim of the Does Every Child Matter, post Blair? project was to find out what life is like for disabled children and young people in the context of policy changes set in motion by the New Labour Government after 1997. The Aiming High for Disabled Children policy agenda was intended to enable disabled children to be 'healthy', 'stay safe', 'enjoy and achieve', 'make a positive contribution' and 'achieve economic well-being'.
The findings, which are based on a series of interviews with disabled children and their families, reveal numerous barriers to these goals, for example:
Disabled children are often perceived by educational and care professionals as "lacking" and as failing to fit in with the image of 'normal';
Families who do not match the norm are frequently excluded from friendships, education and work;
The support system is complicated and there are gaps in provision, particularly during the transition to adulthood;
Physical access and transport barriers to sport and leisure activities result in segregation, while participation in art and creative activities is limited;
Widespread discriminatory attitudes threaten to create a culture of bullying;
Families of children with life-limiting/threatening impairments often experience isolation and poverty
The researchers call for a change of attitude towards disability so that diversity is not only valued, but promoted. "There is an 'epidemic' of labelling children as disabled," Professor Goodley and Dr Runswick-Cole warn. "Parents are repeatedly under pressure to talk about what their children can't do in order to access services and support, but sometimes the label can obscure the individual. Families should be asked what support their child requires, not what is the 'matter' with him or her."
Their report recommends that policy should prioritise enabling disabled children to break down barriers by supporting their participation in education, the arts, leisure and their communities and by meeting their communication requirements. "We need to re-think the culture of individualism and performance which pushes disabled children out" continue the researchers. "Pressures on schools are getting worse. We found a case where parents of non-disabled children petitioned to exclude a disabled child. What does this say about the meaning of education and community?"
The study found that bullying is often accepted as inevitable when disabled children are perceived as vulnerable. There were several layers of violence, from manhandling in school to psychological bullying, which often goes unnoticed by adults. Some children do however stand up to bullies and refuse to be limited by labels that are imposed upon them.
One young person insisted on attending Brownies meetings alone, despite health and safety rules that required her mother to accompany her. "Kids seem to enjoy challenging people's expectations about their limitations," the researchers commented.
###
For further information contact
Professor Dan Goodley
Email: d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0161 247 2526
Dr Katherine Runswick-Cole
Email: K.Runswick-Cole@mmu.ac.uk
ESRC Press Office:
Danielle Moore
Email: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413122
1. This release is based on the findings from 'Does every child matter, post-Blair? The interconnections of disabled childhoods' funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and carried out by Professor Dan Goodley and Katherine Runswick-Cole at the Manchester Metropolitan University.
2. The project employed a variety of innovative methods including interviews with groups of children and parents, focus group interviews with professionals, longitudinal case studies and 50 days of ethnography involving observation in nurseries, schools, children's parties and other social activities over a period of 18 months.
3. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2011/12 is 203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrc.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Disabled children do matterPublic release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Press Office Pressoffice@esrc.ac.uk Economic & Social Research Council
Many disabled children fail to reach their full potential because they continue to be marginalised in schools, health and social care, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
"We found that disabled children often experience discrimination, exclusion and even violence," say Professor Dan Goodley and Dr Katherine Runswick-Cole, who implemented the study at the Manchester Metropolitan University. "The biggest barriers they meet are the attitudes of other people and widespread forms of institutional discrimination."
"Disabled children are seldom allowed to play and act like other children because of concerns about their 'leaky and unruly' bodies. But our study shows that many children who don't fit the narrow definition of 'normal' have untapped reserves of potential and high aspirations which can be fulfilled when their families receive effective support. There are also many amazing families who should be celebrated for the way they fight for their children." continues Professor Goodley.
The aim of the Does Every Child Matter, post Blair? project was to find out what life is like for disabled children and young people in the context of policy changes set in motion by the New Labour Government after 1997. The Aiming High for Disabled Children policy agenda was intended to enable disabled children to be 'healthy', 'stay safe', 'enjoy and achieve', 'make a positive contribution' and 'achieve economic well-being'.
The findings, which are based on a series of interviews with disabled children and their families, reveal numerous barriers to these goals, for example:
Disabled children are often perceived by educational and care professionals as "lacking" and as failing to fit in with the image of 'normal';
Families who do not match the norm are frequently excluded from friendships, education and work;
The support system is complicated and there are gaps in provision, particularly during the transition to adulthood;
Physical access and transport barriers to sport and leisure activities result in segregation, while participation in art and creative activities is limited;
Widespread discriminatory attitudes threaten to create a culture of bullying;
Families of children with life-limiting/threatening impairments often experience isolation and poverty
The researchers call for a change of attitude towards disability so that diversity is not only valued, but promoted. "There is an 'epidemic' of labelling children as disabled," Professor Goodley and Dr Runswick-Cole warn. "Parents are repeatedly under pressure to talk about what their children can't do in order to access services and support, but sometimes the label can obscure the individual. Families should be asked what support their child requires, not what is the 'matter' with him or her."
Their report recommends that policy should prioritise enabling disabled children to break down barriers by supporting their participation in education, the arts, leisure and their communities and by meeting their communication requirements. "We need to re-think the culture of individualism and performance which pushes disabled children out" continue the researchers. "Pressures on schools are getting worse. We found a case where parents of non-disabled children petitioned to exclude a disabled child. What does this say about the meaning of education and community?"
The study found that bullying is often accepted as inevitable when disabled children are perceived as vulnerable. There were several layers of violence, from manhandling in school to psychological bullying, which often goes unnoticed by adults. Some children do however stand up to bullies and refuse to be limited by labels that are imposed upon them.
One young person insisted on attending Brownies meetings alone, despite health and safety rules that required her mother to accompany her. "Kids seem to enjoy challenging people's expectations about their limitations," the researchers commented.
###
For further information contact
Professor Dan Goodley
Email: d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0161 247 2526
Dr Katherine Runswick-Cole
Email: K.Runswick-Cole@mmu.ac.uk
ESRC Press Office:
Danielle Moore
Email: danielle.moore@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413122
1. This release is based on the findings from 'Does every child matter, post-Blair? The interconnections of disabled childhoods' funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and carried out by Professor Dan Goodley and Katherine Runswick-Cole at the Manchester Metropolitan University.
2. The project employed a variety of innovative methods including interviews with groups of children and parents, focus group interviews with professionals, longitudinal case studies and 50 days of ethnography involving observation in nurseries, schools, children's parties and other social activities over a period of 18 months.
3. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2011/12 is 203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrc.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
WASHINGTON ? The House on Thursday passed legislation that would give more weight to the impact of federal regulations on small businesses, whose owners can be a powerful political force and are being courted by both parties.
The bill, which went to the Senate on a 263-159 vote, was the first of three Republican measures that attempt to curb what GOP lawmakers say are aggressive and sometimes costly regulations by the Obama administration.
Earlier this week, the White House budget office announced that if the bill passed Congress, senior administration advisers would recommend a veto.
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said, "Job creation is the key to economic recovery, and small businesses are America's job creators. In the current economic climate ... we simply cannot overburden small business with costly and wasteful regulations."
The committee's top Democrat, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, said the latest Republican attempt to stop the administration from issuing new rules was part of "an anti-regulation tidal wave."
He said Americans would suffer if the administration was prevented from protecting Americans' health and safety. "This is a very dangerous process," he said.
While the Republican-run House has passed numerous bills this year to overturn or delay proposed rules, most were aimed at specific proposals. The latest bills would not be limited to any particular rule or agency.
A 1980 law requires federal agencies to assess the economic impact of regulations on small businesses. If the impact is significant, less burdensome alternatives must be considered.
Republicans believe, however, that federal agencies are ignoring their obligation to do a thorough analysis. The House-passed bill would empower a small business advocacy office, part of the Small Business Administration, to make sure that requirement is being fulfilled.
The assessment would have to include indirect impacts of proposed rules that are not specifically designed to regulate small business.
Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., chairman of the House Small Business Committee, said the bill would force agencies to consider how their actions affect small businesses.
"Some may argue that agencies already do this when they draft regulations. However, nearly 30 years of experience ... shows that agencies are not considering the consequences of their actions. And it is about time that they do so," he said.
OMB Watch, a nonprofit advocacy organization that monitors federal regulations, objected to the legislation and said it was too broad.
"Virtually any action an agency proposes ? even a guidance document designed to help a business comply with a rule ? could be subject to a lengthy review process," the group said.
"By requiring additional and wasteful analyses, this bill would make it impossible for federal agencies to protect the public and respond to emerging hazards."
Using LEDs to display messages on the back of a car? Looks like we have yet another contender with the same idea, except this time all four sides get an LED panel each. The idea behind Daihatsu's Pico concept EV is that it can interact with surrounding pedestrians and drivers using messages with matching colors. For instance, the LED belt can issue a red warning on the back if a car is following too closely; or when driving past pedestrians in close proximity (think rascal scooters but with front and back seats), the belt can turn green and indicate that the car's limited to a safe top speed of 3.7mph.
Other than that, the Pico's very much just a cute little EV with a driving range of up to 31 miles (with a full two-hour charge), plus a top speed of 31mph. We also dig the touchscreen console inside the car, but with just the two LED bars acting as doors, we sure hope it'll withstand a bit of rain. Video after the break.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? President Barack Obama and his family will light the new National Christmas Tree on Thursday evening, the National Park Service said.
The ceremony at the Ellipse south of the White House will start at 5 p.m. local time, the agency said in a statement.
The new National Christmas Tree was planted in March. It is a 26-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce from a New Jersey nursery.
A storm felled the previous tree in February.
Television personality Carson Daly will host the lighting ceremony. It will include performances from the Black Eyed Peas, Kermit the Frog, Big Time Rush, Ellie Goulding and others.
The ceremony will mark the 89th year for the tree lighting. President Calvin Coolidge started the tradition in 1923.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Greg McCune)
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Public release date: 2-Dec-2011
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