Monthly Archives: February 2010

Patent for Hardware Antivirus Device Granted To Russian Inventor [Security]

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Kaspersky Labs, a cybersecurity group based in Russia, was recently awarded the patent for a hardware antivirus device that aims to keep your computer secure by attaching directly to the disk drive, below rootkit access.

Software can always be compromised, and solution proposed by the mad geniuses at Kaspersky is to put an antivirus system deeper in your computer than your infected software can reach. Here's the device, as explained the abstract for the patent:

An anti-virus (AV) system based on a hardware-implemented AV module for curing infected computer systems and a method for updating AV databases for effective curing of the computer system. The hardware-based AV system is located between a PC and a disk device. The hardware-based AV system can be implemented as a separate device or it can be integrated into a disk controller. An update method of the AV databases uses a two-phase approach. First, the updates are transferred to from a trusted utility to an update sector of the AV system. Then, the updates are verified within the AV system and the AV databases are updated. The AV system has its own CPU and memory and can be used in combination with AV application.

As some people are pointing out, the device's lack of network access means that it has to be updated via some software, somewhere on your machine, which ostensibly is just as susceptible to attack as anything else.

Still, the idea of putting a teeny tiny shield right at the heart of my computer definitely makes me feel safer from viruses. And it would also probably be a lot less annoying than my current AV software. [PC Mag via CrunchGear]


NCBI ROFL: Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge. | Discoblog

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parachuteParachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

“OBJECTIVES: To determine whether parachutes are effective in preventing major trauma related to gravitational challenge. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases; appropriate internet sites and citation lists. STUDY SELECTION: Studies showing the effects of using a parachute during free fall. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Death or major trauma, defined as an injury severity score > 15. RESULTS: We were unable to identify any randomised controlled trials of parachute intervention. CONCLUSIONS: As with many interventions intended to prevent ill health, the effectiveness of parachutes has not been subjected to rigorous evaluation by using randomised controlled trials. Advocates of evidence based medicine have criticised the adoption of interventions evaluated by using only observational data. We think that everyone might benefit if the most radical protagonists of evidence based medicine organised and participated in a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover trial of the parachute.”

Read the full article here.

parachutearticle

Thanks to Janneke, Eugene, Andy, Christy, and Ann for today’s ROFL!

Image: flickr/The U.S. Army

Related content:
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Hijacking a plane flown by euthanized pigs: a beginner’s manual.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: BMJ week.


The Trouble With Adult Stem Cells—and Why They Won’t Displace Embryonic Ones | 80beats

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test tubes220When scientists first created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) three years ago, they were hailed as a game-changing advance for medicine: Scientists hoped the engineered cells could duplicate the talents of embryonic stem cells, which can develop into any kind of cell in the body, while avoiding the destruction of embryos. However, a new study by one of the leading U.S. cell labs suggests that iPS cells, at least right now, have serious problems keeping them from reaching their potential.

Advanced Cell Technologies, the Massachusetts lab led by stem cell guru Robert Lanza, released a study of 25 embryonic lines and eight iPS lines in the journal Stem Cells last week. At first they found that human iPS cells could indeed generate blood vessel, blood precursor and retinal cells with characteristics similar to ones derived from embryonic stem cells, albeit with significantly reduced efficiency [Scientific American]. But the blood and retinal cells showed much higher rates of cell death and premature aging. According to Lanza, “there was a 1,000- to 5,000-fold difference” between the iPS cells’ ability to keep growing and dividing and the true embryonic cells’ ability, he says. “In terms of whether you can use the cells therapeutically or to study disease, that’s the difference between getting the study to work and being dead in the water” [Newsweek].

So what’s the problem? Lanza suspects that it comes from the use of viruses to insert genes into cells and make them revert to that pluripotent state. But, Newsweek reports, there are other ways to create iPS that show promise for creating healthier cells. Biologist Maria Blasco says that perhaps telomeres are the issue: These lengths of genetic material that protect genes from damage each time they reproduce may be shortened in induced cells. “If telomere length is not fully reprogrammed to that of embryonic stem cells during induced cell generation, this could be certainly a possible explanation for the difference” [USA Today].

Whatever is happening, it’s a major setback for iPS research. Lanza’s team had wanted to apply to use iPS cells in clinical trials, but now, he says, that’s not going to happen. While scientists had already tried to test drugs on iPS cells, this level of cell death and early aging means that researchers can’t know for sure whether effects they see in experiments come from problems with the drugs or the cells. And it means that fights over embryonic stem cells could intensify once more. Says Lanza, “it would be premature to abandon research using embryonic stem cells until we fully understand what’s causing these problems” [Newsweek].

Related Content:
DISCOVER: Fighting For the Right to Clone
DISCOVER: Have We Entered the Stem Cell Era?
DISCOVER: Second Act For Stem Cells
80beats: Bring on the Research: NIH Approves New Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
80beats: Obama’s Guidelines for Stem Cell Research Dodge Controversial Bullets
80beats: A Safer Way to Transform Skin Cells Into Stem Cells Brings Medical Trials Closer

Image: iStockphoto


Microsoft Rejoins the Smart Phone Revolution With the Windows 7 Phone | 80beats

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MS-phoneAfter being bypassed and outclassed by other companies in the mobile-technology space, Microsoft has announced plans to chuck its old Windows Mobile operating system and start afresh with the Windows 7 Phone Series. Judging by company’s big reveal at the Mobile World Congress–and the ensuing buzz in the blogosphere–the rebooted Microsoft phone may already be a surprisingly strong contender.

After the successful launch of Windows 7 operating system last year, Microsoft announced on Monday that the company will soon be launching its Windows 7 Phone Series. No date was mentioned at the Barcelona announcement yesterday, but some expect the phones to be out in late 2010–just in time to be a holiday offering. The Windows Phone 7 launch caps a year of product launches met with critical praise. There was the launch of Microsoft’s impressive new search engine (Bing), a popular new operating system suite of cloud-based products (Office Web Apps), and a revitalized Web presence (MSN.com) [PCWorld].

At the phone’s launch at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the operating system will integrate deeply not just with current social networking sites likes Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn but will also bring Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience to the mobile phone. With this phone, the world’s largest software manufacturer hopes to make a serious dent in a consumer market already populated with Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry, and phones using Google’s Android operating software.

A few bloggers who got their hands on the Windows 7 Phone Series report breathlessly that the display is like nothing they have seen before. The interface, they say, is clean and simple with no busy backgrounds, no drop-shadows, shaded icons, or faux 3-D. The whole look is strangely reminiscent of a terminal display (maybe Microsoft is recalling its DOS roots here) — almost Tron-like in its primary color simplicity[Engadget].

Content is organized in “hubs”–and unlike the iPhone, where users have to switch between different apps for Facebook and Twitter, you can use one “hub” for different accounts without leaving the home page. Hit up a contact in the People hub and you have everything relevant, from their contact details (tap to call) to their Facebook or Twitter status. It’s surprisingly natural [Wired]. The “Pictures” hub integrates pictures from your social networks and your PC, making them all available in one single place–your Windows 7 phone.

The Windows 7 phone also delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone which allows access to games and other sources of entertainment (like Netflix) that can be streamed using Xbox LIVE. However, Microsoft will be relying on the likes of Dell, HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Sony-Ericsson, and Toshiba to build phones around its software. Microsoft has laid down some guidelines on what the phones that are built around its software will look like. Each of these companies, however, will want to make its product unique. That could make the iPhone’s tight integration between software and hardware difficult to replicate [Forbes].

Microsoft says the phone is still a work-in-progress, and though it doesn’t appear to be quite the game-changer that the iPhone was, experts say the new phone is cool enough to shake up the smartphone market. They also predict that the big gainer in all of this will be Microsoft’s own search engine Bing, which ties in with the new phone and also, according to rumors, may become the iPhone’s default search engine.

Check out the hands-on preview here:

Related Content:
80beats: Google Buzz: The Search Giant’s Attempt at a Facebook-Killer
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80beats: 5 Buzz-Worthy Storylines from the Consumer Electronics Show
80beats: Amazon’s New Kindle E-Reader Aims to Shake Up Academia and Journalism
Discoblog: Weird iPhone Apps (our growing compendium of the oddest apps out there)

Image: Microsoft


Windows Phone 7: Aphrodisiac [Gingers]

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When Matt volunteered to apear on Canadian TV, he thought he was going to talk about Windows Phone 7—you know, explain the design philosophy, Microsoft's market position, lay out the competitive landscape. And for a while, that's what he did. Then things got weird.

Michael: Thanks, Matt. Our guest has been Matt Buchanan, Contributing Editor at Gizmodo.
Susan: I can see why you have a man crush on him.
Michael: He knows his stuff
Susan: He's kind of cute
Michael: You think he's cute do you?
Susan: I do.
Matt: I can still hear you.
Michael: Oh.
Michael: ...
Susan: Michael?
Michael: ...
Matt: I should go.
Michael: WAIT!
Susan: It's too late, Michael. He's gone.

To be continued...

UPDATE: Looks like they cut the end of the clip for some reason, from "man crush" to "I do." Canadaaaa!!!


Remainders – The Things We Didn’t Post: The Truth Edition [Remainders]

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In today's Remainders: the truth. These entries get to the heart of the following matters: free speech on Facebook; what everyone's Buzzing about on Google Buzz; the nature of infographics; and where we stand in Dante's Internet Hell.

Freedom of Facebook
Back in 2007, a high school student in Miami created a Facebook group titled, "Ms. Sarah Phelps is the worst teacher I've ever met." The school did not like this and suspended the student. Since then, they've been fighting back and forth in court, the female student suing the school to expunge the suspension and the school trying to stop her effort to do so. Today, a judge ruled that the student's Facebook posting is protected by the First Amendment, which seems like a no-brainer to me, especially considering the relative tameness of the initial barb (as someone who has written some weird stuff on RateMyProfessor, I've followed this case closely). On a serious note, it's nice to see the law shifting to keep up with the times. Angry Facebookers, post away! [CNN]

The Internet
If the Internet is Hell, you might as well figure out where you stand. Full version here

Buzz Off
The funny dudes at Upright Citizens Brigade put together this funny video on Google Buzz's defining feature: its ability to confuse. If over the past few days you've asked, "Wha...?," "Why...?," or "How...?" in relation to Google's new social media service, then give this a watch. As they say, misery loves company. [UCB Comedy]

Important Infographic
What do we have here? A very important infographic, showing some very important trends. Note the normally undiscussed social and political issues it illuminates. It's amazing to see this data visually, for a change—it really gives you perspective on things. For more insight on this matter, be sure to check out the full size version. [Digg]


Chris Mooney, vaccines, and Morning Joe | Bad Astronomy

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My Hive Overmind co-blogger Chris Mooney was on the Morning Joe show with Dr. Nancy Snyderman to talk about all the recent news about vaccines and autism. They hit all the high points: there is no connection, the science is unequivocable, the antivaxxers are letting emotions take over when they should be looking at the evidence, and how hostility toward science is making this worse.

It’s really good to see the mainstream media not only taking on this issue, but doing it correctly too: no antivaxxers spreading their lies to give a notion of "balance", just calm, clear, rational discourse on a critical issue where the noise tends to swallow up the signal. Well done!


Taking Space Exploration Beyond Traditional Partnerships

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NASA plans more outreach to Muslim countries, Orlando Sentinel

"NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday that President Barack Obama has asked him to "find ways to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries" as the White House pushes the space agency to become a tool of international diplomacy. "In addition to the nations that most of you usually hear about when you think about the International Space Station, we now have expanded our efforts to reach out to non-traditional partners," said Bolden, speaking to a lecture hall of young engineering students."

What's next for US spaceflight, if not the moon?, Christian Science Monitor

"Why bother with human spaceflight at all? For many people and countries, human spaceflight represents a pinnacle of human technological achievement and prestige. Others point to potential economic and environmental benefits that could come from activities ranging from space tourism and tapping resources on the moon to use as fuel for fusion energy to mining asteroids or producing pharmaceuticals in microgravity conditions."

To Catch a Predator Barbie [Toys]

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There are things Man was meant to do and there are things Man wasn't meant to do. Putting a spycam inside a Barbie, for instance? Such can only unbalance the subtle harmonies of nature in perverse ways.

Essentially a Flip cam shoved into an adiposeless torso cavity, the Barbie Video Girl Doll can record up to 30 minutes of footage through her concealed necklace before playing it back through an LCD embedded in her trapezius. Meanwhile, a mini USB hub, fit in Barbie's lower back, creates what's most likely the closest rendition to an anatomically correct Barbie we've seen yet.

Barbie Video Girl Doll will run $50 when she's put on sale this July. Tragic hilarity will follow from later summer into fall. [ChipChicklets via OhGizmo!]

Note: The headline was compliments of intern David Chaid.


Windows Mobile’s Incredible Death Spiral [Data]

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Before Windows Phone 7 was even an embryo of a concept, Windows Mobile was king: It powered nearly half of smartphones in use, a led the industry in features. Then, in 2007, things started to go wrong. Very, very wrong.

Silicon Alley Insider has charted Windows Mobile's platform share, which is to say the proportion of users who were using it at a given time, over the last four years. For showing decline, figures like these are more telling than sales—they mean that, for years now, people haven't been buying Windows Mobile phones nearly as fast as they've been ditching them.

More interesting than what it shows is what it projects: Windows Mobile 6.x phones have been collectively kneecapped by Microsoft's announcement yesterday, and rendered spectacularly unbuyable outside of enterprise circles. In other words, that line—the one that dragged down past RIM in 2008, and that dropped past Apple last year—is going to keep plunging for the rest of this year, until Windows Phone 7 tries to haul it back up. And until then, it's only going to get steeper. [Silicon Alley Insider]


A DIY Lego Segway Built Entirely From NXT 2.0 Parts: Wall-E Gets New Wheelz [DIY]

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We've seen Segways built partly from Legos before, but a Segway built entirely from the Legos in a standard NXT 2.0 set? That's something special.

What's particularly cool about the NXT Segway is how it balances itself: instead of using a gyro sensor, it leans on the NXT Color Sensor in light sensor mode to detect its angle relative to the ground. It's controllable via Bluetooth, and has that certain Wall-E-esque feel that makes me feel all fuzzy inside. Complete instructions to make your own are riiiiiggghhhht here. [NXT Programs via The NXT Step via Make]


Doctor, Is My Diabetes Medicine Supposed to Smell Like Gym Socks? | Discoblog

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Dead_fish_on_the_beachDoes your diabetes medication smell like dead fish or smelly socks? You’re not alone.

Many patients who took the common diabetes drug metformin report being so disgusted by its smell that they stopped taking it altogether, doctors say. Patients who do take the drug often feel nauseated and report burping up an unpleasant after-taste.

The problem of the malodorous medicine came to light after scientists decided to check whether nausea, commonly reported among patients on metformin, was a physical side effect caused by the drug’s ingredients or simply a result of the stink the pill was raising. Their results, published in the February issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, revealed that the tablet’s smell just made people want to throw up.

Researcher J. Russell May told HealthDay News:

“Metformin is an excellent drug, but the immediate-release formulation may have an odor to it. The smell is fishy or like the inside of an inner tube, and in a patient’s mind, because it smells like something that has gone bad, they may think the drug isn’t good.”

The doctors observed that patients who took the coated, extended-release version of the medication did not report any trouble with smell or unpleasant after-taste, but the ones who took the regular version were loathe to swallow the stinky pill. Some pharmacists said they recognized metformin by its unique “old locker-room sweat sock” odor.

Doctors suggest that instead of turning away from the medication altogether, patients could ask for an extended-release version of metformin. If that’s not available and if they don’t want to switch medications, they may have to suck it up, hold their noses, and swallow their fishy-smelling pills.

Related Content:
Discoblog: Rare Genetic Condition Makes Woman Smell Like Fish
Discoblog: Go To Jail—You Smell Like Drugs
DISCOVER: A Pill for Diabetics

Image: Flickr/mahalie


Meet the Rubik’s Slide: New Shape, New Frustrations [We Love Toys]

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I'm not one of those people who ever figured out the secrets of the original Rubik's Cube, so it was with some trepidation that I tried out the Rubik's Slide, the newest take on the classic toy. It was hard.

Instead of a cube, the Techno Source Rubik's Slide is a thick slab with only one face. You'd think that reducing the number of blocks to keep track of from 54 to 9 would make things easier, but the slide provides its own unique challenges: the top of the slab can be slid up, down, left, or right to nudge the colored blocks in that direction or it can be twisted to rotate the blocks into a new orientation. When blocks get nudged over the edge, they pop back on the other side, like the tunnels in Pac Man.

It's confusing when you try to explain it with words and only slightly less so when you see it demonstrated in action:

To play, you press a "check" button that displays a solution and then try to rearrange the blocks into that configuration. Not all of the blocks are lit at once—the less you're managing the easier—and you can play against the clock or just see how many solutions you can rack up. As they're solved, the puzzles give you more blocks to slide into the correct place.

My spatial reasoning isn't the strongest, and even though my brain didn't understand exactly what I was doing, I still managed to figure out a couple of the easiest puzzles after only a few seconds of playing with the toy.

Whereas last year's Rubik's TouchCube seemed like all of the frustration of the original with none of the tactile satisfaction, the Slide's sliding feels pretty pleasing in your hands and keeps you wanting to fiddle even when your mentally spent.

The Rubik's Slide packs over 10,000 puzzles and will be available soon for $17.99 [TechnoSource]

Toy Fair is the annual event where we get to completely regress back to childhood and check out all of the awesome toys coming out for the rest of the year. And well, we love toys.


Where Did Saturn’s Rings Go? [Image Cache]

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Oh Saturn, you keep being the prettiest planet of them all. Even while Cassini crosses your orbital plane, and your rings become proportionally thinner than a razor blade.

The photograph was discovered by Spanish amateur Fernando García Navarro, from the raw stream of images sent by the Cassini spacecraft in 2005. Awesome, in the actual meaning of the word.


All the Smartphone OSes: A Beginners’ Guide [Smartphones]

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Windows Phone Series 7 is here, and it's like nothing we've seen from Microsoft—or anyone else—before. But how does it measure up? And where does every other smartphone OS stand?

If you want to skip the gallery format, click here.

iPhone OS 3.x

The third major release of the iPhone's software, and the second since the platform got its App Store, iPhone OS 3.x has succeeded on the strength of simplicity, intuitiveness and a tremendous selection of applications. It serves as the basis for the OS that will ship with the new Apple iPad.

Available: June 2009
Open Source/Free: No
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: No
Multitasking: No
Multitouch Interface: Yes
Browser/Engine: Safari/WebKit
Video Recording: Yes
Upgrades: Sync/Patcher
Syncing Software: Yes
App Store Size: 100k+
App Sideloading: No
Jailbreaking/rooting: Yes
Flash Support: No

Android 2.x

In just over a year, Google's Linux-based Android OS has gone from a rough-edged software experiment to a smartphone powerhouse, running atop some of the most powerful hardware available. Version 2.1 is the software platform for Google's own first phone, the Nexus One. Android phones vary in both hardware configurations and software versions, but are generally increasing in popularity.

Available: October '09
Open Source/Free: Yes/Yes
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: Yes
Multitasking: Yes
Multitouch Interface: Yes
Browser/Engine: Chrome/WebKit
Video Recording: Yes
Upgrades: Over the Air
Syncing Software: No
App Store Size: 20k+
App Sideloading: Yes
Jailbreaking/rooting: Yes
Flash Support: Within six months

Palm webOS 1.x

Palm's webOS represented a complete reboot for the company, whose aging Palm OS found itself outpaced by more modern, finger-friendly offerings from Apple and Google. At the core of the OS is a novel multitasking system, with which users can cycles through apps, or "cards." Another webOS selling point is the deep integration of social networking directly into the OS, and an emphasis on messaging.

Available: June '09
Open Source/Free: No/No
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: No
Multitasking: Yes
Multitouch Interface: Yes
Browser/Engine: webOS/WebKit
Video Recording: Coming soon
Upgrades: Over the Air
Syncing Software: No
App Store Size: 1400+
App Sideloading: No
Jailbreaking/rooting: Yes
Flash Support: Within six months

BlackBerry OS 5

RIM is known for issuing frequent updates for its mobile OSes, but they are minimal, and at heart, BlackBerry OS 5 is deeply similar to its early, decade-old predecessors. BlackBerry OS is inclined towards messaging—its inboxes feature prominently—with web browsing and apps as secondary focuses. RIM's recent success with the consumer (as opposed to enterprise) market shows they've taken pains to improve the usability and aesthetics of the OS, though its corporate roots still show through.

Available: November '09
Open Source/Free: No/No
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: No
Multitasking: Yes
Multitouch Interface: No
Browser/Engine: BlackBerry/Proprietary (WebKit forthcoming)
Video Recording: Yes
Upgrades: Sync/patcher/over the air
Syncing Software: Yes
App Store Size: 3k+
App Sideloading: Yes
Jailbreaking/rooting: No
Flash Support: Within six months

Windows Mobile 6.5.x

Windows Mobile 6.5 is the last predecessor to Windows Phone 7 Series, and it will coexist with WP7 for the foreseeable future, as a bridge for corporate customers. Its basic design and codebase harks back to the early 2000s, and while it featured multitasking, copy and paste and a significant number of 3rd party apps well before the iPhone or Android did, WinMo failed to keep up with its competitors. Even with version 6.5, which added new, finger-friendly interface elements and an app marketplace, success was not to be. Despite its successor's seemingly related name, this is the end of the road for the WinMo OS.

Available: October '09
Open Source/Free: No/Licensed
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: Yes
Multitasking: Yes
Multitouch Interface: No
Browser/Engine: Internet Explorer/Trident
Video Recording: Yes
Upgrades: Sync/Patcher
Syncing Software: Yes
App Store Size: Under 500 1000+, depending on handset
App Sideloading: Yes
Jailbreaking/rooting: No
Flash Support: Yes

Windows Phone 7 Series

Windows Phone 7 Series is a total revamping of Microsoft's mobile strategy, drawing more on design philosophy of the Zune HD than of Windows Mobile. The interface is designed primarily for touch input, and eschews icon grids and menus for a series of paneled hubs. The unreleased OS features deep integration with Xbox and Zune services, as well as a completely new app store.

Available: Holiday '10
Open Source/Free: No/No
Multiple Handset Manufacturers: Yes
Multitasking: No, probably! (With possible exceptions.)
Multitouch Interface: Yes
Browser/Engine: Internet Explorer/Trident
Video Recording: Yes
Upgrades: TBD
Syncing Software: Media
App Store Size: TBD
App Sideloading: TBD (Unlikely)
Jailbreaking/rooting: TBD
Flash Support: TBD (Probable)


Enough Stars Wars Toys to Drive Even the Most Understanding Spouse to Divorce [We Love Toys]

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The Star Wars universe is basically infinite, but out of thousands of stories, the original trilogy is still the heart. So I'm really excited Hasbro's 2010 toys focus on Empire for its 30th anniversary, down to vintage figure packaging.

None are quite as epic as this hulking AT-AT, but the Boba Fett helmet and vintage Vaders are gems.

HASBRO STAR WARS'™ 2010 TOY LINE CAPTURES THE EXCITEMENT AND ADVENTURE OF POPULAR STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS ANIMATED SERIES
Hasbro Also Celebrates 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK? with Dramatic Re-Imagining of Iconic AT-AT Vehicle

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (February 12, 2010) - The FORCE remains strong at Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) which continues to bring all the action, battles and fantasy of STAR WARS to life with a full array of toys and games. In 2010, STAR WARS fans can celebrate the launch of the third season of the highly-rated STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated series with toys that replicate the battles between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This year, Hasbro also commemorates the 30th anniversary of fan-favorite Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back with toys, special packaging and promotions that recreate the excitement fans experienced when the film stormed into theaters "a long time ago."

2010 is the year of the LIGHTSABER! Kid-favorite villain GENERAL GRIEVOUS, introduced initially in the live-action films and prominently featured as the villain in the STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated series, has put his own twist on the noble weapon of the JEDI by spinning multiple LIGHTSABERS simultaneously. Utilizing completely new technology, the new STAR WARS GENERAL GRIEVOUS LIGHTSABER allows kids to have the power of the dark side warrior's signature move by spinning two LIGHTSABERS in one hand.

Stomping onto the scene in 2010 is the new STAR WARS AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport), which captures the size and power of this seemingly impenetrable Imperial vehicle prominently featured in Episode V. Hasbro's design team packed this vehicle with a mind-blowing array of features! Large enough to hold up to 20 action figures (sold separately) inside, the exceptionally detailed vehicle features LED lights, authentic movie phrases, projectile-firing cannons, a deployable speeder bike, and even a retractable zip-line in its belly to recreate one of LUKE SKYWALKER's signature scenes from the movie. Despite YODA's declaration in the movie that "size matters not," fans will agree that this largest-ever ?AT-AT vehicle is a great way to bring home the action from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

The mysterious Boba Fett played a key role in the original STAR WARS trilogy, firmly establishing him as a favorite villain for generations of fans. For the first time ever, kids can pretend to be this legendary bounty hunter with the new BOBA FETT HELMET, which features key phrases from the STAR WARS trilogy and includes a light-up tracking scope.

STAR WARS BOBA FETT HELMET
(Approximate Retail Price: $34.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
Show off your bounty hunting skills like Boba Fett, the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, with the
STAR WARS BOBA FETT HELMET. Impressively designed and styled, the STAR WARS BOBA FETT HELMET allows children to pretend to be their favorite bounty hunter as featured in both the movie THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and the new animated series STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. The helmet also features electronic sounds and phrases and a light-up tracking scope!

STAR WARS R/C MILLENNIUM FALCON?(Approximate Retail Value: $49.99; Ages: 8 & up; Available: Fall 2010)?Han Solo once bragged that the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs…and now fans can give it their best shot with the all-new STAR WARS R/C MILLENNIUM FALCON!  For the first time ever, the MILLENNIUM FALCON – the most beloved and iconic STAR WARS ship of all-time – is available as an indoor flying remote control vehicle.  Measuring an impressive 11 inches long and 8 inches wide, the largest flying STAR WARS R/C to date is highly detailed, easy to fly and includes a charging controller and vehicle battery for up to five minutes of flying time.
STAR WARS HAILFIRE DROID R/C VEHICLE
(Approximate Retail Price: $59.99; Ages: 8 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
A Separatist droid's value in battle is based on two factors: firepower and aggression. And with the
STAR WARS HAILFIRE DROID R/C VEHICLE, you have both! The first STAR WARS R/C vehicle to be offered in the 3 ¾ inch scale, this powerful droid vehicle is armed with 18 projectile-firing cannons that can be fired from the handheld remote to take on opponents from a distance. Sensitive remote-controlled handling makes this droid great for flips, stunts and taking down the 3 ¾ inch clone army. Between its versatile maneuverability and high-fire power, no galactic army should be without it! 3 ¾ inch CLONE TROOPER action figure included.

STAR WARS GALACTIC BATTLE GAME
(Available: August 1, 2010)
STAR WARS fans, prepare to battle your friends in head-to-head action and unlock the hidden powers of your favorite action figures. In 2010, a wide selection of Hasbro's STAR WARS 3 ¾ inch action figures will include the all-new STAR WARS GALACTIC BATTLE GAME. Each figure is packaged with a competitive gaming base, a unique battle attributes card and a die to play the game, allowing kids to interact with their STAR WARS action figures in a whole new way. Game on!

Fans can collect the GALACTIC BATTLE GAME components with STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS 3 ¾ inch ACTION FIGURES, STAR WARS SAGA LEGENDS 3 ¾ inch ACTION FIGURES, STAR WARS
DELUXE FIGURE AND VEHICLES and STAR WARS BATTLE PACKS.

STAR WARS 3 ¾ INCH VINTAGE ACTION FIGURES
(Approximate Retail Value: $7.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
In 2010, Hasbro is taking STAR WARS fans back to "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" with 28 STAR WARS 3 ¾ inch VINTAGE ACTION FIGURES. The selection includes all-time favorite characters from throughout the six-film Saga, such as LUKE SKYWALKER, 4-LOM, DENGAR and HAN SOLO. Each of the figures in this assortment will feature the exceptionally accurate design and superb articulation customary to Hasbro's action figures, and they will be offered in packaging reminiscent to that of the original 1978-1984 STAR WARS packaging!

Additionally fans are also encouraged to collect five of the marked figures in the new vintage lineup to send away for their very own "Rocket Firing" BOBA FETT action figure, identically styled after the 1980 mail-away figure.

GALACTIC HEROES AT-AT PLAYSET
(Approximate Retail Price: $39.99; Ages: 3 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
The youngest STAR WARS fans continue to enjoy action figures inspired by the Republic and Empire thanks to Hasbro's wildly popular GALACTIC HEROES lineup. And now, children can celebrate the 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK with the GALACTIC HEROES AT-AT PLAYSET! The largest vehicle ever introduced in the GALACTIC HEROES toy line features electronic lights and sounds, poseable legs, a speeder bike and AT-AT DRIVER figure.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS R2-D2 IS IN TROUBLE GAME
(Approximate Retail Price: $14.99; Ages: 5 & up; Available: Spring 2010)
Usually C-3PO needs help and R2-D2 comes to the rescue, but this time, the roles have been reversed with the R2-D2 IS IN TROUBLE GAME. This is the classic game of TROUBLE featuring a new fun STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS twist and R2-D2 is in the pop-o-matic bubble. Includes authentic R2-D2 electronic sounds.

Toy Fair is the annual event where we get to completely regress back to childhood and check out all of the awesome toys coming out for the rest of the year. And well, we love toys.


1999 Honda Accord – No Heat, No A/C

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I have a problem with the air conditioning and heater not working at all.

I performed a basic check of the problem:

Check all the fuses under the hood, and inside the car, they were all OK, check to see that the compressor was turning, and that the belts were not broken, everything