Antibiotic drought may be over

Credit: BGLH

There are two problems with antibiotics:
1. lack of new antibiotics — since 1987, no new antibiotic has been approved for clinical practice
2. resistance — hence, “superbug” — e.g. antibiotic-resistant strains of tuberculosis

Together, these two problems have raised the spectre of a future without antibiotics.

Now, a new method of identifying new antibiotics has been developed. Twenty five antibiotics have so far been discovered, using this method, with the promise of more to come.

Teixobactin, most promising of the new antibiotics, works in a way not seen before: by attacking fats which are essential to building the cell wall of bacteria.

Because of this unique method of operation, it is hoped that resistance won’t be a problem. While there are reasons to hope that this may be true, similar claims have been made for many, if not all new antibiotics & antiseptics.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30657486

More on antibiotic-resistance:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/antibiotics/superbugs.htm / decades long drought antibiotic discovery breakthrough US scientists novel method growing bacteria yielded 25 new antibiotics very promising new class antibiotics clinic discovered nearly three decades ago study Nature game changer game-changer experts antibiotic heyday antibiotic discovery 1950s and 1960s into doctor's hands microbes incredibly resistant extensiveley drug resistant tuburculosis medicine soil researchers researcher research Northeastern University Boston Massachusetts source nearly all antibiotics soil teeming with microbes grow grown laboratory lab team created subterranean hotel bacteria bacterium room device buried in soil unique chemistry of soil permeate room study scientists grow nearly half of all soil bacteria chemicals produced microbes dug up researcher's back yard tested for antimicrobial properties lead scientist Prof Kim Lewis 25 new antibiotics discovered method teixobactin latest most promising study shows uncultured cultured bacteria harbour novel chemistry not seen before promising source new antimicrobials revive field antibiotic discovery tests teixobactin toxic to bacteria not mammalian tissues clear deadly dose of MRSA tests on mice human tests needed researchers develop resistance teixobactin targets fats essential building bacterial cell wall difficult to evolve resistance antibiotic evolvedfree of resistance Professor Lewis several independent different tricks minimise resistance development /

Crude oil production costs up — petrol prices down — what's happening?

Credit: Eco News

Supply & demand tells us that rising costs of production lead to higher prices.

Crude oil is getting harder, & more expensive, to extract. Witness investment in tar sands & fracking.

Apparently in contradiction of the preceding 2 paragraphs, crude, petrol (gasolene) & other petroleum fuel prices are at long term lows.

Not surprisingly, those who have invested in the most expensive means of crude production are experiencing cost pressures, leading one commentator to claim that 97% of fracking operations are experiencing a loss at current oil prices:
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/06/1355814/-97-of-fracking-now-operating-at-a-loss-at-current-oil-prices#?detail=facebook

Gail Tverberg, an acturary interested in depletion of oil, natural gas, & water & climate change explains that decreasing quality of oil reserves accounts for falling prices:
http://ourfiniteworld.com/2014/12/29/how-increased-inefficiency-explains-falling-oil-prices/ / If the Saudis crush America America’s shale oil industry West Texas Intermediate 2014 peak $107.73 June dropping as low as $49.77 today New York Mercantile Exchange grade settled at $50.04 a barrel below break even break-even price 38 U.S. shale oilfields Bloomberg New Energy Finance shale oil fracking Canadian tar sand most expensive dirty oil production planet conventional Persian Gulf oil cheapest to produce Warren Henry spokesman Continental frackers spending money faster than they can make current oil prices not a sustainable long term trend Bob Tippeee editor Oil & Gas Journal Saudi Arabia Saudis no incentive lower supply defend price of crude oil not going to rescue the market other major producers Russia Iraq boosted oil production highest levels in decades seems certain low oil prices are here to stay at least for now oil patches red states Texas North Dakota projecting 100,000 layoffs energy sector slump painful regional recession Michael Feroli chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. New York report Texas pumps 37 percent of U.S. oil output IEA International Energy Agency data show oil and gas industry effects housing other businesses majority of Texas energy production conventional means relies heavily on fracking oil rigs shut down U.S. rig count at risk R.T. Dukes an upstream analyst Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Houston tough year for operators employment support services oil and gas operations oil and gas extraction most job creation fracking industry comes up-front job losses before production falls most labor-intensive labor labour intensive oil-field industry construction and completion process new wells bulk of investment provides most income local economy ramifications oil slide companies will complete works in progress according to contract price began crashing layoffs notices Dallas Federal Reserve projects Texas slowdown state budgets Texas Wyoming Louisiana Oklahoma North Dakota Alaska oil sales production sold months years ahead of time temporary drop steep immediate effect when oil futures agreed geology traditional oil drilling shale oil taps out very quickly average decline world's conventional oil fields booming Bakken shale oil field production declines of 70 percent or more in the first year shale gas wells swift depletion rateso drillers plumbing new wells shortfall 2,500 new wells into production every year just to sustain production increasingly become more expensive to drill supplies require a higher breakeven price current price of oil frackers sinking new wells out of business high-yield high yield debt cheap credit shut out of the bond market Gary C. Evans chief executive officer Magnum Hunter Resources Corp funding squeeze increased inefficiency reducd efficiency crowding out effect more resources are required for the increasingly inefficient sectors of the economy, fewer resources are available to the rest of the economy. As a result, wages stagnate or decline. Central banks find it necessary lower interest rates, to keep the economy going /

Samsung phone drop testing

Credit: Samsung/MobileSyrup

You’ve seen endless drop test videos on YouTube. This is how Samsung does it.



http://mobilesyrup.com/2014/10/08/galaxy-note-4-gets-drop-tested-on-camera/ / Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android OS operating system screen impact crack Galaxy Note 4 is Samsung’s second smartphone metal frame durable device but butt test bend deform sit phablet back pocket robot bum test resilience gravity damage resistant most common cause smartphone deaths fall falling from unsafe height onto hard floor playful animations butt test video real-world footage Samsung’s quality assurance procedures dropping phone smart phone smartphone various angles various heights withstand tumbles consumers Note 4 survives drop in-house testing users damage waterproof /

The Pilgrim's Progress — Kickstarter in 2014

Massoud Hassani’s wind-powered land mine sweeper, funded on Kickstarter, makes it to the Museum of Modern Art
Credit: Rene van der Hulst/Massoud Hassani/Museum of Modern Art, New York

22,252 projects were successfully funded by 3.3 million people with $529 million on Kickstarter last year. Backers were from almost every country on the planet, plus over $10,000 from 36 backers in Antarctica.

And it’s not just technology: other project areas include art, comics, dance, design, fashion, food, games, music, photography, publishing & theatre.

https://www.kickstarter.com/year/2014?ref=yir2014_email / project pledge reward design back backer successfully funded fund /

Smart band for your analogue watch

Montblanc e-Strap fitted to Timewalker Urban Speed analogue
Credit: Montblanc/Pocket-lint

Smartwatches have achieved a degree of popularity, but remain far from universal. There are a number of reasons for this, including:
• preference for the appearance of an analogue watch
• dislike of the high-tech appearance of many smartwatches
• sentimental attachment to an existing watch

A solution that has occurred to a few is a "smart band". I.e. a band for a conventional watch with “smarts” built into the band itself, or the clasp.

Mondillian smart-band failed to get funding on IndieGoGo:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/modillian-smart-strap-make-your-watch-smart

Kairos T-band Smartwatch achieved funding on IndieGoGo – with options of a band for an existing watch or a smart band complete with analogue watch. Only adjustment of the band is by once-only cutting, after which no further adjustment is possible. A deal breaker for some.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kairos-t-band-smartwatch-best-of-analog-digital

Montblanc, well known watch manufacturer, is developing an e-Strap for its Timewalker Urban Speed range, or separately, although it will be towards the top of the smart watch price range at around €250.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/132167-montblanc-e-strap-lets-you-upgrade-your-current-watch-to-make-it-smart

http://www.geek.com/mobile/montblanc-e-strap-turns-any-watch-into-a-smartwatch-1612706/

http://www.cnet.com/news/e-strap-puts-a-smartwatch-strap-on-a-dumbwatch/ / Geneva watch trade show SIHH 2015 watch luxury goods maker smartwatch market smart wearables Montblanc Timewalker Urban Speed collection timepieces optional strap e-Strapproduct reference 113827 first smart connected wearable established luxury company high-end leather strap carbon fiber texture Extreme Montblanc Leather produced Florence Italy electronic module DLC diamond like carbon coated steel grey gray steel colour color size options technology consumers want mechanical watch choice dilemma. strap smart wearable device 2015 Montblanc Timewalker Urban Speed watches available for purchase separately crowd-funded project e-Strap option NATO-style designed connects 42mm 43mm wide lug space sizes 22mm wide iPhone iOS Android /

Want to live longer?

If you do, there are a lot of things you can do about it, or avoid, including:

Do these:
http://theweek.com/article/index/274020/7-things-that-will-make-you-healthier-and-help-you-live-longer-according-to-science

Avoid these:
http://theweek.com/article/index/274021/7-things-that-will-make-you-sicker-or-kill-you-sooner-according-to-science / exercise stave off depression Swedish researchers genetically engineered mice high levels protein builds up in muscles during exercise control group to sustained low level stress protein PGC-1[alpha]1 metabolite linked to depression acid passed more easily out of the body Jorge Ruas study proves exercise should be prescribed prevention treatment depression coffee improve memory researchers research identify old new similar caffeinated group recognize very slight changes pictures dosage was crucial 200 milligram tablets improve memory doses caused headaches jitteriness standing up Swedish researchers moderate exercise program sit less scientists measured volunteers' telomeres caps on the ends of genes generally shorten and fray with age active group had grown longer sedentary behavior Mai-Lis Hellénius new health hazard of our time eating vegetables reduces your risk of dying fresh fruits or vegetables reduced risk of death 42 percent fresh vegetables most beneficial portion reducing overall risk of death 16 percent canned fruits increased the statistical risk added sugar processing living in Utah fist bumping shaking hands prevent spread of bacteria wearing sterile gloves dunked their hands mild solution of E.coli bacteria shook hands high-fived fist bumped wearing uncontaminated gloves handshake transferred about twice as much bacteria high five 10 times more than a fist bump greater contact area duration pressure low expectations boost happiness researchers monitored brain activity volunteers played a game degree of happiness players experienced won depended expectations lower expectations happier winning real world people with low expectations derive more pleasure receiving gifts vacation things better or worse than expected sugar artificial sweeteners gut bacteria pot smoking damage developing brains more potent strains cause structural changes brains levels of THC marijuana psychoactive compound abnormalities shape density volume nucleus accumbens pleasure pain core of motivation pop stardom substance abuse die in accidents commit suicide murdered die young culture glorifies outrageous behavior emotionally immature artists pop scene is toxic playing football damage brains concussions cognitive disorder low vitamin D levels increase risk Alzheimer's disease dementia /

Brando Bluetooth Speaker Hat

Credit: Brando

Bluetooth connectivity, built in battery, charging via microUSB. And as you can see from the photograph, the hat holds the speakers over your ears.

Not so obvious from the photograph: a microphone is included, so you can use it for phone calls as well.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/12/26/bluetooth-speaker-hat-keeps-your-head-warm-and-your-ears-filled-with-music/

http://shop.brando.com/Bluetooth-Speaker-Hat_p12451c0201d033.html

Good for cold weather, but you’ll want a different headset arrangement come summer. / 100% Acrylic Hat access phone function making a call noise reduction system high quality speaker microphone keep head warm colors black Bluetooth V3.0+EDR frequency 2.402 GHz transmission Distance: 10M battery 120mA LiIon lithium ion battery bluetooth speaker hat microUSB charging cable Bluetooth speaker hat Brando tech clothing item acrylic hat keep your head warm cold outside Bluetooth speaker phone capability charges via micro USB microphone three button touch interface control controls volume music playback /