Forget the Pharmacy: Thyme Might Be Your Best Pimple Cure

Growing up, you always assume you'll reach an age where you're pimple-free. Never happens. Don't fret! New research suggeststhat you can hit up your herb garden instead of shelling out bucks at the pharmacy. A little bit of thyme could clear your skin up better than any cream.

Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK have been testing out herbal treatments on Propionibacterium acnes—the bacteria which infect pores to produce all sorts of spots, from innocent white heads through to puss-filled cysts. In the process, they've found that thyme is more effective than most acne creams and washes.

Most commercially available treatments rely on benzoyl peroxide to work as an antibacterial. Turns out, thyme contains the exact same active ingredient in high concentrations. Across the researchers' tests, a tincture made from thyme beat remedies you'd find at your pharmacy, hands down. The researchers are presenting their work this week at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference.

But what the hell is a tincture, and how do you make one? Dr Margarita Gomez-Escalada, one of the researchers, explains to EurekAlert:

"The plant material is steeped in alcohol for days or even weeks to prepare a tincture. This process draws out the active compounds from the plant."

Whether a DIY tincture made using vodka and homegrown thyme will be up to the job, I'm not entirely sure. Worth a shot, though. More here.

The Miracle Drug That Could Kill All Cancers

It sounds like science fiction, but researchers have discovered a single drug that they think can shrink, or even completely cure, all human tumors. But how does a drug like that work, and when will it be available?

An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science explains that a new treatment—based on an antibody that blocks a "do not eat" signal normally displayed on tumor cells—helps persuade the immune system to destroy the cancer cells. To date, it's been shown to shrink or cure human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver, and prostate tumors that have been transplanted into mice.

The treatment targets and blocks a protein called CD47, a marker that tells the immune system to not kill healthy blood cells. But cancers use the same protein to avoid being destroyed by the body, too—so by strategically blocking the protein, it's possible to use one antibody to kill all types of cancer tumors.

Over the past few years the technique has been applied to treating lymphomas and leukemias, but this latest research suggests it could be used on all types of cancers. Irving Weissman, one of the researchers, explains to Science:

"What we've shown is that CD47 isn't just important on leukemias and lymphomas. It's on every single human primary tumor that we tested... We showed that even after the tumor has taken hold, the antibody can either cure the tumor or slow its growth and prevent metastasis."

Even though some normal, healthy cells are attacked as a result of blocking CD47, the researchers found this was short-lived, and negligible compared to the effects on the tumor.

Sadly, it will be some time before such a drug makes it to clinical practice. But with the researchers having just received a $20 million grant to move the findings from mouse studies to human safety tests, you can expect progress to be as quick as possible. More here.

Microsoft Is Blocking Pirate Bay Links in Instant Messages

The Pirate Bay goes to great lengths to keep itself widely available, but here's something it can't stop: Microsoft is now blocking links to the site in instant messages across all its systems.

"We block instant messages if they contain malicious or spam URLs based on intelligence algorithms, third-party sources, and/or user complaints. Pirate Bay URLs were flagged by one or more of these and were consequently blocked," explained Microsoft in a statement to The Register.

The Pirate Bay doesn't have a reputation for pushing more malware than any other torrent site, though—but Microsoft has declined to comment further on their banning of the site's URLs. The move signals Microsoft's joining of ranks with an already burgeoning collection of anti-Pirate Bay organizations.

With a rumored police raid in the offing, this could be an interesting time for Pirate Bay.

New Pain-Free Needles Will Actually Stab You Twice

It's counter-intuitive, but a new syringe design could eliminate the pain when getting a shot by using two separate needles that work in quick succession. A technique that could be hard to accept for those who hate being pricked.

The first needle is actually considerably smaller than the second, and delivers a small amount of local anesthesia that numbs the skin around the entry point. Its inventor, Oliver Blackwell, claims the first injection feels akin to a fly landing on the palm of your hand. And by the time the second larger needle delivers its payload, the patient shouldn't feel a thing.

Not only does the new needle design cut down on the number of syringes needed if a patient does require an anesthetic before a shot, but it should also make life for those who have to perform their own injections—like diabetics—a little less agonizing. More here.

How Do Cats Survive Massive Falls?

Everyone knows that cats can somehow survive falling out of a tree, but last week a cat survived a 19-story fall in Boston. So just how the hell did it manage it?

Science, as usual, can help explain: it's mostly anatomy. But sadly, there is a lack of empirical evidence—scientists seem reluctant to throw cats out of windows in pursuit of their studies—but there has been plenty of research into way they fall.

In comparison to most mammals, they have a large surface area for their weight, which means their terminal velocity is low. In fact, according to a 1987 study by veterinarians Wayne Whitney and Cheryl Mehlhaff, an average-sized cat with its limbs extended achieves a terminal velocity of about 60mph, while an average-sized man reaches a terminal velocity of about 120mph. The result? When a cat hits the ground, it's subjected to smaller forces and suffers fewer injuries.

But there's more. Cats have also evolved a keen sense for knowing which way is up. Weirdly, given a big enough fall, that means that they're capable of righting themselves in mid-air by spinning their tails, to ensure they land feet-first. "Everything that lives in trees has what we call an aerial righting reflex," explains Robert Dudley, a biologist at the animal flight laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, to the BBC.

Finally, when they do hit the ground, they have legs designed to soak up the impact. "Cats have long, compliant legs," explains Jim Usherwood of the structure and motion lab at the Royal Veterinary College, again to the BBC. "They've got decent muscles. In that they're able to jump quite well, the same muscles divert energy into decelerating rather than breaking bones." And by stretching out the duration of the impact, the forces transmitted through their bodies are once again greatly reduced.


Sadly, not all domestic cats can survive a massive fall, and that's for one reason: they're often overweight because they get fed treats and snacks all day long. But if your cat is lean and agile, it should happily survive a modest drop. Just please don't treat that as an experimental challenge, though. More here.

How Apple Plans to Define the Industry Standard in SIM Cards

Last week Nokia, Motorola and RIM were squaring up to Apple over a disagreement about the future of nano-SIM cards. Now, Apple is proposing that its patented design could be used for free, by anyone—dependent on one, rather large, condition.

Currently there are two competing nano-SIM card designs, and Motorola, Nokia and RIM are nervous that Apple's design might win out and lumber them with expensive ongoing licensing costs. Apple's response to ETSI, the European Telecoms Standards Institute, is simple.

According to Foss Patents, Apple is happy "to grant royalty-free licenses to any Apple patents essential to nano-SIM, provided that Apple's proposal is adopted as a standard and that all other patent holders accept the same terms in accordance with the principle of reciprocity."

So, while Apple might be happy to make no profit from the concept, in return it demands an increased dominance and power over the market. More here.

You’ll Always Have an Emergency Hood While Wearing This Backpack

You probably won't always remember to bring an umbrella when the weather is gloomy, but as long you're wearing thisPuma Urban Mobility Backpack from designer Hussein Chalayan, you'll always have a quick way to keep your head dry.

As an added bonus, when the backpack is particularly full and heavy-laden, you can put the hood up for some extra support. After all, haven't doctors been telling us to lift with our necks all these years? There's no word on pricing for the pack just yet, but it will be available as part of Puma's upcoming Spring/Summer line.

Instagram Opens Signup Page for Android Port, Release Date Still Unknown

It's no secret that one of the most popular apps to ever hit the App Store will soon be coming to Android, and if you'd prefer to be one of the very first on your block to be notified... well, there's a website for that. 

Instagram has just opened up a signup page for Android loyalists, enabling folks to input their email address and await word on the download going live. Sadly, there's no hint on the aforesaid page that gets any closer to a specific release date, but hey -- it's one less unspecified thing you have to remember, right? Get in line here.

Windows 8 Will be 'retina' Display Friendly

Microsoft didn't have to make Windows 8 play nice with the new rash of extremely pixel-dense displays. But, that would be tantamount to OS suicide. So, the latest and greatest Windows will support resolutions up to 2560 x 1440 on screens as small as 10.1 inches. That's a pretty impressive 291 pixels per inch. Of course, it's not quite as simple as it sounds. While in an ideal world, every UI element would be resolution independent, that's simply not the case and the infrastructure isn't there to support it. Instead graphical elements, including text, must be scaled to fill the available pixels. 

Microsoft's scheme will use 100 percent for standard density displays, 140 for HD and 180 for quad-XGA panels. Thankfully, the company was smart enough to include support for SVG files as UI elements, meaning that density and resolution independent future is at least one step closer. 

Cross-Stitched iPhone Cases

You might think cross-stitching is for bored Puritans and nursing home artists—and maybe you're kind of right—but you can cross-stitch yourself one of the coolest custom cases we've ever seen.

All it takes is $25, some thread, and the ability to cross-stitch. That last one is important! But if you've got the know how, you can craft yourself anything you think of. That bird-in-tree design is pretty rad, but imagine the possibilities! Your name. Your girlfriends name. A dino. An infinitely repeating smaller cross-stitched iPhone. More here.

Carbon Fiber Sunglasses Sound So So So Great

Sunglasses made out of molded carbon fiber with scratch-resistant lenses would fix a lot of standard sunglass-related problems. Like sitting on them. Or having them fall off your face. They're perfect! Kind of.

For all their engineering might, there are still two problems with the admittedly attractive Kolstom Classic sunglasses—neither of which are really their fault. First, hinges. Your frames and lenses might be nigh indestructible, but you can still destroy the glasses at their weakest points. The Kickstarter video mentions some advanced hinge techniques, but it sort of just sounds like a spring. A direct hit from your butt is still going to be trouble. The other problem is that these frames look rather large, and could (will) make your head look small and dumb.

But if you're not too worried about either of those, check out the Kolstoms over at Kickstarter, where they're already funded and you can lock in a pair for $150.

Angry Birds Space Won't Land on Windows Phone

While no doubt swathes of Android and iOS users have experienced massive productivity slumps since Angry Birds Space came out this week, Windows Phone owners will be left staring at their spreadsheets. Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer, at Rovio has told Bloomberg that there are no plans to release the latest iteration of the popular time sink on Microsoft's mobile platform.

Despite the original game still being the most popular app in the Marketplace, Vesterbacka claims that "...it's a big undertaking to support it, and you have to completely rewrite the application." So, until a Series 40version is confirmed, you bird slingin' Nokia fans will just have to wait.

Facebook Photos Just Got Bigger and Prettier

Facebook's photo viewer just got two overdue improvements. First of all, Facebook now supports high-resolution photos. When you click on an image in the photo viewer, it will display images at the highest resolution possible, which could be up to four times larger than the old size depending on the size of your display (the maximum size is 2048 x 2048). While you've been able to upload hi-res images for some time it's only now that you're able to actually view them in their massive glory.

The photo viewer is also getting fullscreen view, which you activate by clicking on a familiar-looking expand button in the top right corner.

Scientists Have Worked Out How to Stop You Going Bald

Going bald is the one big vanity concern among most men. But relax, it doesn't need to be that way; scientists have just worked out exactly why men go bald, and already have a way to stop it happening.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have been testing the scalps of men with male pattern baldness. They've discovered that tissue in bald areas has three times the concentration of a fatty compound called Prostaglandin—PGD2 to its buddies. The research is published in Science Transnational Medicine.

Fortunately, there are already 10 drugs available that can block the receptor that allows PGD2 to work—which means it shouldn't be too long before a baldness treatment, in the form of a cream or ointment, is available. Speaking to The Telegraph, Professor George Cotsarelis, one of the researchers, said:

"Our findings should lead directly to new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men."

Apparently, the next step is to establish whether similar treatments could work for women. Let's hope so! More here.

YouTube Auto Fix Makes Bad Video Suck Less

YouTube is expanding its video manipulation options with a new feature that will automatically fix up your crappy video footage. The edits include color correction and image stabilization.

But there's a catch: Any time video is manipulated digitally, it is degraded to some extent. Automating the manipulations, as opposed to making adjustments as the user's eye sees fit, often results in some wacky and gross results. Software stabilization in particular is an imperfect art—common methods to compensate for shaky movement can lead to pixelated or warped images.

It will be interesting to see how well YouTube's tools function when processing the vast diversity and quality of video content submitted. Luckily, the company had the sense to make the automatic fix optional, and to allow you to revert back to the original video if you are dissatisfied with the results.

Vietnam Considers Limiting SIM Card Access, Suggests 18 per Person is Enough

How many SIM cards do you have in your stash? If your answer is less than three per operator -- of every network provider -- then you may have trouble sympathizing with the apparent plight of some Vietnamese. Proposed legislation from the Ministry of Information and Commerce would effectively regulate each citizen to a maximum of three SIMs per carrier, leading to a theoretical limit of 18 SIM cards per individual, as the country as six operators. The draft law is intended to curb unauthorized distribution in that nation, where SIM cards with student discounts and the like are re-sold without carrier knowledge. 

The proposal could affect businesses too, limiting each company to a maximum of 100 SIM cards -- but there's no word on whether this cap is per network or absolute. Meanwhile, industry officials insist that a limit of five SIMs per operator would be more reasonable, given the number of SIM-enabled devices available to consumers. What's most clear, though, is that Vietnam is awash in marketing opportunity -- just imagine how popular Nokia could be with a mobile phone that supports 18 SIM cards.

All Your iPad Dictations Belong to Apple

Though the new iPad doesn't have Siri, it does have Dictation, which lets you dictate what you want to say to the email, notes, messages, and other apps. And like Siri, Dictation needs an internet connection in order to work, that's because Apple needs to send your phrases to its servers to make sense out of your yapping.

But Apple also stores your messages for an unspecified amount of time when you use Dictation on your iPad. ZDNet notes that though Apple is upfront with what they're doing (there are clear warning prompts), Apple is still unclear on why they're doing it. Specifically, the words and phrase Apple uses—'information like', 'your device will also send Apple other information' and 'Older voice input data that has been disassociated from you may be retained for a period of time'—is incredibly vague.

Of course it's not like Apple is going to use your voice messages against you or something. Apple is collecting data to improve Siri and Dictation. But it's important to remember, especially if you work in a sensitive workplace, that Apple will store your dictations on its servers and once they're on its servers, they pretty much belong to Apple at that point.

Breakthrough Opens Door for 60Tb Hard Drives

Seagate just shattered the record for storage density on hard drives by using a novel recording method to stuff 1 terabit into a square inch. That's nearly twice the old record. Hard drives are about to get huge.

Seagate squeezed all of that data into that tiny space by using "heat-assisted magnetic recording" instead of perpendicular recording to write data to disk. ExtremeTech reports:

HAMR, which was originally demonstrated by Fujitsu in 2006, adds a laser to the hard drive head. The head seeks as normal, but whenever it wants to write data the laser turns on. Reading data is done in the conventional way. Just so you understand how small the magnetic bits are in a HAMR drive, one terabit per square inch equates to two million bits per linear inch; in other words, each site is just 12.7 nanometers long - or about a dozen atoms.

In the short term the technology will result in new 6TB 3.5-inch desktop drives and 2TB 2.5-inch laptop drives. Currently the largest capacity drives are 1TB and 3TB respectively for laptops and desktops. That's already an impressive boost in capacity.

In theory, though, HAMR should allow hard drives to write up to 10 terabits per square inch, which means that in the future you could potentially cram about 60Tb onto a 3.5-inch drive. Seagate.

The New Worst Place for QR Codes: Burqas

They're controversial, confusing, and their presence creates tension across the western world. Now QR codes have found their way onto the burqa—but why? I can't wait to download this app!

The aptly named WTF QR CODES, where the imaged surfaced, provides no context for this strange sight. Is this a new trend in Islamist society? Was this taken at some booth of Consumer Electronics Association? App here.

Nokia Wants Your Call Alert To Be a Vibrating Magnetic Tattoo

Patents come and go all the time, but here's a crazy-ass one from Nokia: magnetic tattoos that vibrate to alert you to your phone. Talk about keeping in touch.

The patent proposes "a material attachable to skin, the material capable of detecting a magnetic field and transferring a perceivable stimulus to the skin, wherein the perceivable stimulus relates to the magnetic field."

Basically, that means a magnetic field would cause a tattoo to vibrate in a specific way. The tattoos, the patent suggests, would have to use "ink enriched by ferromagnetic or paramagnetic compounds"—not too tricky, given that tattoos already contain metallic compounds. Then, different magnetic fields could be used to provide different sensations, allowing the tatt-wearer to discern between different callers, or different kinds of alerts.

While the patent does suggest that similar technology could be rolled into something else wearable, like a badge, the obvious application is for something truly embedded. At least you can never lose a tattoo. The patent.