STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

Darker than Dark, this Carbon Nano-Material Must Be For the Men in Black

Scientists, in their never ending search for extremities that may find practical use in aiding humankind, have stumbled upon some fascinating discoveries in recent years.

Just to illustrate the point,while conductivity is cool, superconductivity is really cool. In a similar line of thought, computer components nearing microscopic dimensions allow less space to be occupied… so why not just go ahead and take computation into the nano-realm, and make things as small as they possibly can be? Eventually, experts believe that the implementation of such nano-technological computation will not only enable computers to become virtually pocket-sized; in theory, they could expend little or no heat in their operation, thus removing many of the burdens of entropic forces on our modern PCs (you know what we’re talking about, that noisy fan in the back of your laptop that churns endlessly while you’re running 14 programs at once).

Another recent discovery that seeks to take the physical universe to new extremes sounds like it came right out of the movies, and in fact, would arguably be fit for any MIB. In what is described as the creation of a “revolutionary” new carbon nano-material, scientists are touting the many benefits of working with a substance that is, quite literally, blacker than black. It’s so dark, it warrants an entirely new name: Vantablack.

Cnet.com describes the new substance below:

Called Vantablack, Surrey says the new material “is revolutionary in its ability to be applied to lightweight, temperature-sensitive structures such as aluminium whilst absorbing 99.96 percent of incident radiation, believed to be the highest-ever recorded.”

Vantablack is created through a low-temperature carbon nanotube growth process. It took two years of development and testing to achieve success in applying the material onto aluminum structures and pyroelectric sensors, readying it for use in actual imaging systems. It can be used to coat components like optical sensors, baffles, and apertures.

One can easily imagine the variety of technological applications for super-black materials like Vantablack (and to make it simpler on the overburdened imagination, some are already listed above). However, maybe there are other applications that will arise in the future, which would be of importance to the ever-curious minds among our military organizations.

When it comes to the creation of aircraft that are truly stealth, a number of creative ideas have been expressed over the years about how better to conceal airborne vehicles capable of carrying humans, or of greater importance, cameras, over enemy territory for use in gathering intelligence from all parts of the world. The history of stealth aircraft flight, especially following recent disclosures made by the CIA (strangely enough, a lot has been said about this via their Twitter account), tell us little more than what we already suspected: that since 1954, spy planes like the U2 have been in use, having made its inaugural flight over Russia on July 4th, 1956.

But as we examine the history of high-altitude and stealth flight, a prevailing question that might come to mind would be, “what should make us think there aren’t any number of secret aviation projects going on today that are of similar caliber?” Furthermore, with the inclusion of metamaterial technologies and the burgeoning scientific fields of transformation optics already being utilized for applications aimed at making objects, or even people, virtually invisible, its hard to believe that any technology of use in disguising already secretive projects would be overlooked.

In other words, when we say that Vantablack would be fit for the “Men in Black,” maybe we’re aren’t just speaking metaphorically!

[MIKA27]

Are Werewolves Taking Over a Philippine Island?

When over 200 members of a small Philippine island’s goat population end up strangled with their stomachs ripped open and vital organs removed and the killings just happen to coincide with occurrences of a full moon, there are plenty of mythical creatures to suspect. Filipino folklore has stories of the Sigbin, a goat-like blood sucker with large ears, and the Aswang, a vampire-werewolf combination. But on Sibale Island in the Romblon province, they blame werewolves.

Sibale Mayor Lemuel Cipriano reports in Manila Standard Today that 14 goats in Barangay Poblacion and 13 in Barangay San Vicente were killed in the past few weeks, usually between midnight and 2am, adding to the total of 200 killed since 2012 out of a total goat population of only 1,000. He has local police patrolling the villages, especially on full moon nights.

None of the 4,500 people living on Sibale Island have seen any werewolves, but the timing, frequency and brutality of the killings has residents and officials baffled.

It would be easy to dismiss the werewolf story if it weren’t for the other strange happenings in the area. Sibale Island is in the Romblon province which is one corner of the Romblon Triangle, a so-called graveyard of sunken ships where a number of maritime disasters have occurred over the past 60 years. They range from the sinking of Japanese warships during World War II to the Don Paz ferry, which collided with an oil tanker in 1987 and sank with 4,000 people on board. Sailors traveling in these waters have reported seeing ghost ships and receiving mysterious navigation guidance from fireflies and santilmos or St. Elmo’s Fire.

The Romblon Triangle

If that’s not enough, Sibale Island has serious economic problems and its human population growth is being outpaced by monkeys. It’s no wonder the locals are upset about losing their supply of meat and milk, whatever the cause.

Is Sibale Island doomed to be consumed by mythical werewolves, maritime disasters, monetary problems and monkeys? Only time will tell.

[MIKA27]

U.S. MARINES UHAC BEACH ASSAULT VEHICLE

In the race to develop the first the monster truck of the sea, victory goes to the U.S. Marines.

This is a fully-functional, half-scale prototype of a brand new amphibious transport vehicle, and you know it’s a military project as soon as you hear the name: Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connecter (UHAC). Whether it’s towing a distressed ship to shore or plowing over enemy defenses, the proposed full-size version is designed to strong-arm its way through many a tall task. It can carry a payload of nearly 200 tons at up to 23 mph, and once it hits shore it can drive over the top of anything up to 10 feet high. The UHAC gets its amphibious skills from the tank-like tracks that are fitted with captured-air foam cells to provide buoyancy when in the water. No word yet on whether a full-scale version will be produced, though.

[MIKA27]

SOLO SHELTER BY 5OWLS

Need to clear your head? Get away from it all? OK, so maybe you just got evicted…whatever. Either way, there’s a lot to be said for going nomad and living off the land (and the occasional 7-Eleven). And when it’s time to rest, the Solo Shelter from 5 Owls should do nicely.

This is a versatile, lightweight tent/sleeping bag combo for one that could be very valuable for anyone on a hiking, camping, hunting, or fishing trip. The upper half of your body stays inside the mosquito-proof tent, while your lower half is covered by the waterproof sleeping bag. The whole thing weighs less than 5 pounds and measures 6” X 15”. For $379, you can hit the road knowing you’ll always have a place to stay. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

CLOCK TOWER PENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

New York has no shortage of stunning penthouses, and it seems that we uncover a new one on a daily basis. Today brings us something extremely unique in the Brooklyn-based Clocktower Penthouse Apartment.

Located in the trendy DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, the project was developed by David Walentas. What originally started as a massive clock tower built by cardboard manufacturers has now gone on to become a beautiful three-level penthouse apartment. The residence spans 6,813 square feet, features 3 bedrooms along with 3.5 bathrooms, and offers up unprecedented views of the entire city, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the New York Harbor. Of course you also still have the four 14-foot high round windows housing the clocks, located on each of the 4 walls of the interior. Not only does this look amazing from the inside, but it also brings in plenty of natural light. The unit features 50-foot high ceilings, and also includes a center located glass elevator. The triplex was originally listed for $25 million, but is now going for a cool $18 million. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

2015 MERCEDES-BENZ S65 AMG COUPE

We knew it was on the way, and now we have our first official look at the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe. Everything you know and love from the iconic sedan, now in coupe form.

This monstrous luxury 2-door has been equipped with a bi-turbo 6.0-liter V12 engine pumping out an impressive 621 horsepower. This amount of power enables the land yacht to hit 62 mph from a standstill in just over 4 seconds (4.1 seconds to be exact), with a top speed of 186 mph. Oddly enough, that makes the S65 a bit slower than its S63 brethren (which clocked in at a 3.9 second 0-60 mph time). The S65 comes with Magic Body Control, ceramic brakes, a Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission, polished 20-inch forged wheels, and a slew of other updates throughout. As with all S-Class models prior, this thing has a decked out cabin which includes a large infotainment screen, luxurious Nappa leather lining the interior, and a heads-up display. No exact details on price, but we would guess somewhere just north of $200,000.

[MIKA27]

HYPERICE VYPER

It might not look like much, but if you're an athlete (or just an active person), theHyperice Vyper could make a huge difference in your workouts and recovery. Powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery, the Vyper delivers three speeds of vibration through a high-performance, air-injected polypropylene shell. The combination of the vibration and the pressure from the shell work to improve your performance by loosening muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion, and boosting your overall well-being.

[MIKA27]

The New Predator Drone Cockpit Looks Like A Dream Gaming Setup

General Atomics has a new cockpit for their MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers, two of the most common hunt-and-kill drones used by the USAF, capable of destroying basically any ground — and some air — targets. It looks like a dream gaming setup. Heck, it even includes a gamepad (check out that guy’s lap.)

According to General Atomics’ Christopher Ames, there’s “nothing like this in the world today.”

Operators sit in front of a bank of six 24-inch monitors arranged in two horizontal rows. The upper monitors provide a 120-degree view of the battlefield using a combination of live video, synthetic images and air traffic information. The wider field of view comes from digital-terrain data fed into the left and right screens complementing the live video in the center screen.

It sounds pretty damn sleek, although this also means that “pilots” will now have an even more acute “gamer syndrome” — it would be very hard to realise this is a thing that can kill actual people if the system is making everything look sci-fi synthetic and cool in the name of combat efficiency. There’s more:

The lower monitors display mission systems, maps including 3-D graphics and a general screen for chat, email and other mission applications. A quick tap of the finger to various boxes on the lower left screen brings up different systems, including the mission check list, command and control pages, and warning system.

So there you have it. Dropping laser-guided Paveway II bombs and firing Hellfire II missiles to vaporize targets — all while slurping on that 7-Eleven’s Big Gulp you bought at the mall on your way to your drone cockpit station — is now easier than ever.

[MIKA27]

Surfing In The Arctic Circle Is A Harsh But Beautiful Experience

This video captures photographer Chris Burkard’s journey to the Arctic Circle to film professional surfers braving sub-zero temperatures. The cold really hurts, but there are moments of raw and aching beauty despite the harsh unforgiving environment.

MIKA: Don't know about you but just watching that gives me shrinkage!

[MIKA27]

If You Fold A Paper In Half 103 Times It Will Get As Thick As The Universe

The myth: You can’t fold a paper in half more than eight times.* The reality: Given a paper large enough — and enough energy — you can fold it as many times as you want. The problem: If you fold it 103 times, the thickness of your paper will be larger than the observable Universe: 93 billion light-years. Seriously.

How can a 0.099mm-thick paper get to be as thick as the Universe?

The answer is simple: Exponential growth. The average paper thickness in 1/10th of a millimetre. If you perfectly fold the paper in half, you will double its thickness. Things get interesting quickly.

Folding the paper in half a third time will get you about the thickness of a nail.

Seven folds will be about the thickness of a notebook of 128 pages.

10 folds and the paper will be about the width of a hand.

23 folds will get you to one kilometre.

30 folds will get you to space. Your paper will be now 100km high.

Keep folding it. 42 folds will get you to the Moon. With 51 you will burn in the Sun.

Now fast forward to 81 folds and your paper will be 127,786 light-years, almost as thick as the Andromeda Galaxy, estimated at 141,000 light-years across.

90 folds will make your paper 130.8 million light-years across, bigger than the Virgo Supercluster, estimated at 110 million light-years. The Virgo Supercluster contains the Local Galactic Group — with Andromeda and our own Milky Way — and about 100 other galaxy groups.

And finally, at 103 folds, you will get outside of the observable Universe, which is estimated at 93 billion light-years in diameters.

Maths is wonderful, my friends. As much as the Universe itself.

And that’s all I have to say.

[MIKA27]

The Fighter Jet The US Could Have Built Instead Of The F-35

The mid-1990s found the US military in need of a low-cost, supersonic stealth fighter jet that all three armed services branches could field. Easy, right? The subsequent — and highly contentious — design competition between Boeing and Lockheed saw the winner take home a $US200 billion defence contract, which in turn became the debacle we know as the F-35. But what about the plane we could have had instead?

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program began in 1996, with the goal of producing a low-cost, multi-role tactical aircraft for the US military and its allies. To that end, it awarded four-year design contracts to both Boeing and Lockheed Martin on the grounds they produce concept demonstration aircraft, more commonly known as technology demonstrators. These aircraft would be required to not only show off their combat prowess but also their low-speed, carrier-approach handling, and STOVL (short takeoff, vertical landing) capabilities — specifically the ability to shift to and from hovering in mid-flight.

Boeing’s entries, dubbed X-32A and X-32B, measured 45 feet long, and were powered by a single 28,000 lbf Pratt and Whitney afterburning turbofan that provided speeds up to mach 1.6 and an operational range of 830 nautical miles. One of Boeing’s key innovations was going to be saving significant costs by producing the major structural component, the carbon fibre delta wing, as a single unit. The wing measured 36 feet across and could hold more than 20,000 pounds of fuel. Its severe 55 degree sweep angle served to limit transonic drag, while allowing for a thicker wing section. Unfortunately, this component would prove difficult to fabricate, much less cost-effectively produce at scale.

Boeing also attempted to cut production costs by using a direct-lift thrust vectoring system, which is what the venerated Harrier II (the one from True Lies) uses. This method only requires the addition of a single thrust vectoring module to the main engine, as opposed to Lockheed’s more complicated — but more powerful — shaft-driven lift fan, but also requires that the engine be moved forward from its traditional spot at the back of the aircraft up to just behind the cockpit to balance the plane’s weight distribution more evenly when hovering. The X-32′s direct lift system also demanded that the fighter incorporate that basking shark-esque air intake under its chin; otherwise the main engine wouldn’t get enough air when hovering.

Due to the excessive weight of the delta wing, Boeing had to exhibit the plane’s supersonic flight and STOVL capabilities on separate platforms. The X-32A would hand the conventional takeoff and supersonic demonstration, while X-32B would deal with the VTOL capabilities, with the promise by Boeing that they’d of course be unified should the design win. The X-35, conversely, could perform both tasks using the same prototype.

In September 2000, X-32A began four months of flight testing over 66 sorties, while X-32B commenced testing the following March. These flight tests concluded in July of 2001 with Boeing’s actual flight performance precisely matching that of computer model predictions made over the previous four years for the first time in aviation history.

However, Boeing’s performance prediction ability wasn’t enough to convince the Department of Defence, and in October 2001, the Pentagon awarded the JSF contract to Lockheed. The DoD made this decision based in large part to the X-32′s STOVL difficulties compared to the X-35; the Boeing prototype tended to suck hot air back in from the exhaust and cause the engine the overheat. As such the DoD determined the X-35′s more complicated thrust vectoring system to be worth the risk.

Overall, the X-32 simply failed to impress. Its delta wing proved too cumbersome, its STOVL system too ungainly to win the hearts and minds of the DoD brass. The X-35, on the other hand, passed its initial flight tests handedly. The resulting contract netted Lockheed Martin more than $US19 billion, while Boeing made due with “Strategic investments.”

“Whenever we hear about Lockheed’s difficulties with the JSF, we all look at each other, and say, “They didn’t pick the right product,’” Cynthia Cole, a former flight test engineer on the Boeing program from 1997 through 2002, told Biz Journals.

“I thought our vertical takeoff model was far superior,” she continued. “The design was definitely cutting edge, it was new technology. We really thought it was going to win the day for us.”

Given the numerous cost overruns, delays, and groundings that the F-35 fleet has suffered since being developed from the X-35 concept, not to mention the fact that the entire program has had to be restructured twice in just two years to keep from going bankrupt, it’s easy to see greener grass on Boeing’s side of the fence. On the other hand, who’s to say that the X-32 would ever have been able to incorporate both halves of its combat functionality?

And as Philip Ewing of DoD Buzz points out:

We’ll never know what 10 years of development and hundreds of billions of dollars could’ve done for the X-32 — maybe it could be flying in Marine squadrons off Navy amphibious ships today. (Doubtful.) The real lesson is that even when the Defence Department sets up a program designed to save money and be efficient by using the same basic aircraft for three services… it won’t. Instead it produced a very expensive “joint” program in which only one of the participants — the Air Force — seems truly pleased with the result. And if it did produce the perfect plane for the Marines, the nature of the competition also meant that DoD couldn’t buy it.

Still, the competition did allow Boeing to develop a number of new technologies that have already been incorporated to the F-18 Super Hornet — which has also benefitted from the F-35′s woes in the form of its continued production — as well as the prototype X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle. Even when they lose, Boeing seems to win.

[MIKA27]

Russia's World Cup Is Already Outrageously Expensive

Maybe you’re still mourning Brazil’s catastrophic loss to Germany (I'm not, I follow Germany! ), but the rest of the world has moved on — to discussing the impact of the next series, which will take place in 11 Russian cities in 2018. And according to their reports, it’s going to be very, very expensive. Like $US11,500 per seat expensive.

The next World Cup is still four years off, but according to Der Spiegel, Russia’s own estimate puts the budget at $US40.5 billion, or more than twice the cost of Brazil’s World Cup. Meanwhile, University of Zurich professor Martin Müller, who tallied up the numbers and estimated how much each individual seat being built for the matches will end up costing: $US11,500. Compare that to Brazil, which spent $US6,500 per seat, or Germany in 2006, which spent $US3,200 per seat. The stadium in St. Petersburg, which has been underway since 2007, will have a per-seat cost of $US16,500. All told, it will cost $US1.2 billion for the whole shebang:

Why are these stadiums going to be so outrageously expensive? Unsurprisingly, as Der Spiegel points out, delays and corruption issues are going to play a role, just like in Sochi:

When FIFA awarded the World Cup to Russia in 2010, a leading advisor to then President Dmitri Medvedev tweeted, “Dawaite bes otkatow,” in Russian. Loosely translated, it means, “let’s try to avoid corruption this time.” There’s much to suggest this was little more than a pious hope.

But there’s actually a lot more to it. Russia is spending on infrastructure too — not just stadiums. Across the cities participating in the World Cup, the event is seen as a driver of investment in new infrastructure that Russia desperately needs. But even within Russia, opposition leaders are questioning the price tag. “All of these factors, the geopolitical madness and sanctions, are of course a path to Russia’s bankruptcy,” one leader told The Moscow Times this week.

As Müller points out in his report, Russia’s economy is in trouble amidst the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The last thing they need is another $US40 billion wasted on pure spectacle.

[MIKA27]

How A Cat Poop Parasite Could Help Scientists Beat Cancer

This week, a team of researchers at Dartmouth announced an exciting, if terribly disgusting, medical discovery. A single-celled parasite usually found in cats’ intestines — and later in their poop — shows unique promise as a cancer treatment. The researchers even think the parasite could enable them to create personalised cancer vaccines.

The parasite, known as Toxoplasma gondii, is actually pretty dangerous to humans. However, the immune system attacks T. gondii cells the same way it should go after a tumour. Dartmouth professor David J. Bzik, who led the research, said that the parasite can “stimulate the exact immune responses you want to fight cancer.” The trick is getting the body to produce the natural cytotoxic T cells before a tumour grows, so that they can attack said tumour when it’s time.

In order to avoid the dangerous effects of the parasite, the research team created “cps,” an immunotherapeutic vaccine. The vaccine is supposed to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer vigilantly, and early results show that it works. According to a press release about a newly published study, they “tested the cps vaccine in extremely aggressive lethal mouse models of melanoma or ovarian cancer and found unprecedented high rates of cancer survival.”

Now, the scientists just have to figure out if it works in humans. Or, more importantly, they have to figure out how. As with any experimental treatment (much less one that involves parasites from poop!), it will take time to go from a promising result to a tested treatment. Still, it’s fascinating to think that the key to a potentially promising new vaccine exists right under our noses.

[MIKA27]

The New Thor Is a Big Deal, But Not Because She’s a Woman

In case you haven’t heard, Thor is now a girl. In an announcement on The View this morning, it was revealed that a woman will soon be wielding the Mjölnir in the Marvel comics. Naturally, people went nuts over the news. It was, to borrow a phrase from Vice President Joe Biden, a big f*cking deal. But as much as the importance of a new female superhero can’t be understated, the way the news traveled and how it spread might be the more game-changing event.

Think of it this way: This news broke on a daytime talk show. Like, the kind your parents/grandparents are probably tuned in to. View host Whoopi Goldberg actually told Middle America, “Thor, the God of Thunder, he messed up. He is no longer worthy to hold that damn hammer of his. And for the first time in history, that hammer is being held by a woman.” Host Jenny McCarthy also chimed in with “she’s got super-powered boobies!” (That last part is not true. Probably.) After the segment aired, Marvel released a statement from editor Wil Moss, heralding the groundbreaking change: “The new Thor continues Marvel’s proud tradition of strong female characters like Captain Marvel, Storm, Black Widow and more. And this new Thor isn’t a temporary female substitute—she’s now the one and only Thor, and she is worthy!” If ever there was a time to point out that the issue of diversity in comics has hit the mainstream, this is it.

In the last few years, there have been quite a few efforts to make comics not quite so monolithically white/male/straight/gender-normative/etc. In 2012, Green Lantern Alan Scott came out as ***. In 2011, it was announced that mixed-race teenager Miles Morales would be putting on the Spider-Man suit. Batwoman Kate Kane came out of the closet and took on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl) got a transgender roommate. The new Ms. Marvel is a Muslim teenager. And each time a change like this was announced, it made a blip on the radar, but it mostly circulated on newswires and blogs. Sure, Chris Hayes may herald the news of Batgirl’s transgender friend on MSNBC, but that happened after the fact. This time, message is being announced on The View, and Marvel itself is claiming that Thor “aims to speak directly to an audience that long was not the target for superhero comic books in America: women and girls.”

Of course, the fact that the news was on The View probably has a lot to with the fact that both the ABC network on which the show airs and Marvel are owned by Disney. But it’s hard to imagine this announcement feeling relevant to View viewers, say, five years ago. Let alone 10 years ago. But now even people who don’t read Marvel comics have been exposed to two Thor movies and The Avengers and know that Black Widow is the only heroine they’ve seen in that universe so far. (Whether or not they know that there is actually a Thor Girl is neither here nor there.) Basically, it’s now possible to talk about these issues in comics with a non-comic-book-reading audience without getting a confused stare in response. (It’s telling that Goldberg responded to McCarthy’s “super-powered boobies” comment with “she is actually in better proportion than a lot of the female comic superheroes.”)

So, yes, Thor becoming a female character—the comics hit in October and will be written by Jason Aaron with art from Russell Dauterman—is very cool, and is a very big deal. But you know what’s even cooler? The fact that everyone knows it.

[MIKA27]

Gaza crisis: 13 Israeli soldiers, scores of Gazans killed

Sunday saw the Israeli military's highest one-day death toll since the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel and Gaza have both suffered their bloodiest day since the beginning of the current offensive.

Israel says that 13 of its soldiers died since Saturday night, the biggest one-day loss for its army in years.

At least 87 Gazans were reported killed on Sunday - 60 of them in the district of Shejaiya alone. The total death toll in Gaza now stands at more than 425.

Hamas said on Sunday evening that it had captured an Israeli soldier, but Israel has issued a denial.

"There's no kidnapped Israeli soldier and those rumours are untrue," said Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor.

Celebratory gunfire and shouts could be heard in Gaza City after the claim was made.

Sunday's death toll for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is higher than that sustained by the IDF during the entire three-week duration of Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, the last time that Israel sent ground troops into Gaza.

It brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the current offensive to 18.

The deaths of so many soldiers on a single day will shock Israeli society, the BBC's Chris Morris reports from southern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue operations in Gaza "as much as we need to" despite the casualties.

He said the Israeli government felt "deep pain" over deaths of its soldiers, and that Hamas, not Israel was responsible for the escalation in Gaza.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Sunday evening in emergency session to discuss the situation.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to travel to the Egyptian capital Cairo on Monday to support regional efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Families 'devastated'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deaths in the Shejaiya district east of Gaza City were a "massacre".

The BBC's Yolande Knell, in Gaza City, says there have been scenes of panic in Shejaiya, with thousands of residents fleeing.

The UN says 83,695 people have now been displaced in Gaza and have taken refuge in 61 shelters and that the figure is "rising all the time".

Witnesses spoke of bodies lying in the street.

A humanitarian truce was agreed in the area, but lasted less than an hour with both sides blaming each other for violating the truce.

Paramedics said that rescue workers had not been able to get to the eastern part of Shejaiya, an area very close to the Israeli border and about three kilometres (1.2 miles) away from Gaza City, which has seen heavy shelling.

In an interview with BBC Arabic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Shejaiya a "terror stronghold" and a centre for rockets that are fired out to Israel.

Mr Netanyahu said Israeli troops had no choice but to enter densely populated areas and that they had asked civilians to leave.

The death toll in Gaza rose sharply over the weekend, with the number of Palestinians killed now standing at more than 425 since the operation began, according to Palestinian health officials.

They say the number of wounded from the operation now stands at more than 3,000.

The majority of those killed are civilians, the UN says.

In other developments:

• President Barack Obama has raised "serious concerns about the growing number of casualties" in the Gaza conflict, during a phone call with Mr Netanyahu
• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in Doha for talks, called the bombardment of Shejaiya "an atrocious action" and called on all sides to "respect international humanitarian law"
• The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Sunday evening at the request of Jordan
• The Israeli military said it "neutralised" two militants who "emerged from a tunnel" in southern Gaza, with no harm to Israeli troops
• Israel says 70 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, with an additional 16 intercepted by the Iron Dome. No casualties have been reported

At the scene:

Late on Sunday afternoon a thick, black column of smoke was still rising from Shejaiya, north-east of Gaza City. Earlier in the day there was constant, intense Israeli shelling but a shaky, brief, humanitarian ceasefire produced a period of relative quiet.

This enabled ambulances to enter the area. Medics pulled dead and wounded Palestinians from the rubble of their apartment buildings.

Television pictures have been showing horrific, bloody scenes of dead elderly women and children.

At the Shifa hospital, there is a traffic jam of emergency vehicles by the entrance.

"The hospital was totally overloaded. For many of us, these were the worst scenes we've ever had, not only for the density of patients and total overwhelming of our capacity but because of all this pain and agony," says Norwegian doctor, Mads Gilbert, who has been working in the emergency ward since last night and has been in Gaza during previous conflicts.

"There were children in enormous pain. Totally devastated families were bringing their dead children in and lying on the ground screaming."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sent ground troops into Gaza on Thursday after days of heavy air and naval barrages failed to stop rocket fire from Gaza.

Two Israeli civilians have died since the offensive began on 8 July.

Israel says the operation is necessary to target Hamas tunnel networks, which it says it could not do from the air alone.

Lt Col Peter Lerner, an IDF spokesman, said the offensive was being expanded "to restore security and stability to Israel's residents and citizens".

Meanwhile, the UN warned it was running out of supplies to help more than 50,000 Palestinians who have sought shelter at its schools in Gaza.

Qatar is expected to host a meeting between President Abbas and Ban Ki-moon on Sunday before the UN chief continues on to Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan.

Mr Abbas is also due to meet Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.

Hamas rejected an Egypt-brokered ceasefire last week, saying any deal with Israel must include an end to a blockade of Gaza.

[MIKA27]

The German officer who tried to kill Hitler

On 20 July 1944, a 36-year-old German army officer, Col Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, arrived at a heavily guarded complex hidden in a forest in East Prussia. His mission was to kill Adolf Hitler.

The Wolfsschanze, or Wolf's Lair, was Hitler's secret headquarters on the Eastern Front. Stauffenberg was attending the daily briefing between the Fuhrer and Germany's high command - but in his briefcase, he carried a bomb.

"We were standing around and Hitler came in, and then the conference began," recalled German army officer Gen Walter Warlimont in a BBC interview in 1967.

"Suddenly the door opened again, and I happened to turn around, and I saw that a colonel came in... he made a very deep impression on me, because his right eye was covered by a black patch and one arm was amputated, and he stood there quite erect, and he seemed to me to be the picture of a classical soldier."

"Hitler turned around and looked at him without any kind of benevolence and [Gen] Keitel introduced him."

Stauffenberg was an aristocratic, Catholic, career army officer. "Everyone says my father was extremely good looking - dark hair, blue eyes, slightly wavy hair, tall. He was a very cheerful man, he used to laugh a lot and we thought he was absolutely wonderful," says his son, Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who's now 80 years old.

In 1943, Stauffenberg was badly injured while serving in Tunisia - he'd lost an eye, his right hand, and two fingers from his left hand.

"You know wounds were so commonplace at the time and having lost an arm, having lost an eye, was quite normal. It was really a relief that he was alive," says Berthold.

Though not overtly political, Stauffenberg was a conservative and a nationalist. At times, he had supported Nazi policies, but as the war progressed, his opposition to the regime grew - he was horrified by German atrocities in the east and the realisation that Germany was losing the war.

"He was disenchanted with Hitler's strategic capabilities and that really Hitler was a different type of person from what we thought acceptable," says Berthold.

"I was a boy of 10, very interested in what was going on in the world. I was just about to become a little Nazi, like all of us. But we never discussed that with my father or my mother. If he had discussed politics with us he couldn't have shown his real feelings because it would have been too dangerous. Children give things away."

As he recovered from his injuries, Stauffenberg was approached by a group of conspirators led by Gen Henning von Tresckow, who wanted to kill Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. Stauffenberg became a leading member of the plot.

In the months that followed there were several abortive attempts to kill Hitler and there was a growing fear that the Gestapo was closing in on the conspirators.

But in 1944, Stauffenberg became chief of staff for the commander of the German Replacement Army. The post gave him access to Hitler and an opportunity to carry out the assassination.

A bust of Claus von Stauffenberg at the German Resistance Memorial Center

The conspirators' plan was fraught with risk. Stauffenberg would carry explosives in his briefcase, through the security checks surrounding the Wolf's Lair, prime the bomb and place his briefcase near Hitler during the daily briefing. He would then make his excuses and leave the room. After the explosion, Stauffenberg would dash back to Berlin where the conspirators would use the Replacement Army to take control.

"They were not sure they would succeed but Tresckow said the attack on Hitler must go on, if only to prove that not all Germans were his followers," says Berthold.

But if the plot failed, it was not just the conspirators who would be at risk. "My mother always said she knew what was planned. She'd found out and confronted my father and so he told her. But she didn't know that he was to plant the bomb."

"They knew the consequences, but in times of war, life is not as important as it is now in a peacetime environment. People die all the time and to sacrifice oneself seems to be an enormous thing, but in wartime it's different."

On Thursday 20 July, Stauffenberg arrived at the Wolf's Lair - the briefing was set for 12:30. But he was interrupted as he tried to set the bomb, so he put only one of two explosive devices in his briefcase before he entered the meeting.

"I remember that Stauffenberg had a big black briefcase under his good arm," said Warlimont in 1967.

"But then I didn't look at him anymore, so I didn't see him putting it under the table, or leaving the room shortly afterwards. About five to 10 minutes passed - I had forgotten about him when the explosion happened."

Stauffenberg saw the explosion as he left the compound to head back to Berlin. He was sure that Hitler was dead.

But just before the explosion, Stauffenberg's briefcase had been moved behind a table leg away from Hitler. The bomb was not as powerful as intended and Hitler was leaning over the thick oak table looking at maps when it went off which shielded him from the blast. Four died in the explosion and many were injured, but Hitler survived.

"When the bomb went off I just had this feeling that a big chandelier had fallen on my head. I went down. I saw Hitler was led out of the room, supported on the arm of Keitel and my first impression was that he was not injured at all, or at least not seriously," recalled Warlimont.

Mussolini and Hitler inspect the wreckage of the conference room after the bomb

When, hours later, it became clear the Fuhrer was still alive, the attempted takeover of Berlin fell apart. Stauffenberg and other leading conspirators were arrested at the War Office in Berlin and shot.

At the time, Stauffenberg's pregnant wife, Nina, and their four children were staying at the family's estate in the Swabian hills. Berthold didn't know what was going on.

"I heard reports on the radio, reports that an attempt on Hitler's life had taken place and something about a small clique of criminal and stupid officers. I was 10 years old and I read a newspaper every day, I wanted to know what was going on. The grown-ups tried to keep me away from the radio. Me and my brother were sent on a long walk with my great uncle, Count Uxkull, who told us a lot of things about his life hunting big deer in Africa."

"It was actually the next day that my mother took me and my brother aside and told me that it was our father who'd laid the bomb. I said 'How, could he do it?' And she said, 'He believed he had to do this for Germany.'"

"It was a total shock, I couldn't believe it. An attack on the Fuhrer! We were brought up in school and everywhere else, to believe that the Fuhrer was a wonderful man."

That night the Gestapo came - Berthold's mother, grandmother and great uncle were among those arrested. Berthold and his siblings were sent to a children's home.

"The reason why, was never discussed. We were given different names - there is a theory that these were the names of families where we would have been taken after the war, probably SS families."

In the aftermath, thousands were arrested and executed for their alleged connection to the resistance. Berthold's mother was taken to a Gestapo prison at the Ravensbruck concentration camp. She was reunited with her children after the war - she never remarried. "For my mother there was my father and that was just it. He was the man of her life."

Berthold went on to become a general in the West German army. He still lives in the family's home town.

"For me there is no question that the plot has saved a little of the honour of Germany."

[MIKA27]

JIBO: THE WORLD’S FIRST FAMILY ROBOT

Want your very own WALL-E? I sure as hell do. And that’s why I'm pretty stoked by this Indiegogo project that promises to bring a friendly, playful, and helpful robot into your homes by late next year.

Meet Jibo, billed as the “world’s first family robot,” this little guy (11 inches tall) aims to be an integral part of your daily life, with the ability to talk to you, recognize you, take pictures and video, perform tasks, entertain, and just overall be a much better friend to you than your current BFF. The current plan is for Jibo to feature an open platform to support any third party applications made for it. Jibo is the brainchild of Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, a pioneer of social robotics from the MIT Media Lab. Early adopters can put down $499 now and get theirs in late 2015, with a consumer release planned for 2016. Watch the video below to see JIBO in action. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

EIGHT | NATURAL ACOUSTIC AMPLIFIER

Eight is a beautifully designed acoustic amplifier for the iPhone 5/5s. Handmade from premium, sustainably-harvested walnut, Eight requires no electricity or batteries, it naturally amplifies the iPhone´s sound using the properties of wood and it´s innovative design inspired by the shape of an ear. The dock also includes a lightning cable to charge your iPhone, and amplifies your voice sound for phone calls. Each amplifier is made to order and should be delivered in 2 to 4 weeks.

[MIKA27]

SUUNTO ELEMENTUM TERRA

Sports watch manufacturer Suunto have introduced a few new styles to their robust Suunto Elementum Terra line of premium outdoor watches, including the newly revealed Elementum Terra Stealth. The superbly crafted Terra timepiece is perfect for urban use and ideal for mountain life, measuring altitude and weather trends. It includes an altimeter, a barometer, and a 3D compass for navigating trough your adventures in the great outdoors. Available in several styles.

[Fuzz]

The New Thor Is a Big Deal, But Not Because She’s a Woman

I'm sorry, but I'm in the camp that this is a stupid idea. I have no problems with strong female characters, but calling some new female character Thor is stupid. Thor is not a title bestowed upon somebody. Thor is the son of Odin. It is his name. Whether he be worthy to carry Mjolnir and the title God of Thunder is a different story.

Putting a female in place of Thor, and calling her Thor, is a cop out. Why not create an original female character, with her own background, and giving her the title and mantle of God of Thunder? Yes, yes, I know other characters have been given the power of the God of Thunder (eg Beta Ray Bill), or been hosts to "Thor" (eg Eric Masterson, later known as Thunderstrike), but none of them were specifically named Thor.

I'll wait to see what they dream up to make Thor unworthy to wield Mjolnir, but unfortunately, I cannot accept a female character going by the name Thor. This ain't some Rule 63 situation.

Next they'll be telling me Archie Andrews is going to be killed off... oh wait...

[MIKA27]

I'm sorry, but I'm in the camp that this is a stupid idea. I have no problems with strong female characters, but calling some new female character Thor is stupid. Thor is not a title bestowed upon somebody. Thor is the son of Odin. It is his name. Whether he be worthy to carry Mjolnir and the title God of Thunder is a different story.

Putting a female in place of Thor, and calling her Thor, is a cop out. Why not create an original female character, with her own background, and giving her the title and mantle of God of Thunder? Yes, yes, I know other characters have been given the power of the God of Thunder (eg Beta Ray Bill), or been hosts to "Thor" (eg Eric Masterson, later known as Thunderstrike), but none of them were specifically named Thor.

I'll wait to see what they dream up to make Thor unworthy to wield Mjolnir, but unfortunately, I cannot accept a female character going by the name Thor. This ain't some Rule 63 situation.

Next they'll be telling me Archie Andrews is going to be killed off... oh wait...

To me it's the same as replacing the Bruce Wayne Batman with **** Grayson (Of course Batman is more of a legacy) or killing off Peter Parker in Amazing Spiderman 700 and having a new one step in.

You also heard about Steve Rogers Captain America being killed off and replaced with Sam Wilson?

[MIKA27]

Watch A Detail-Oriented Man Carve The Eiffel Tower Into A Pencil Tip

We’ve seen plenty of tiny works of art hit the internet lately. But it’s truly rare to see how one of these impossibly small masterpieces is actually created. Architecture students in Mumbai offer us a glimpse at the mini sculpture skills of Vilas Lakkabathini in this video, though, and it’s transfixing.

In the span of about five minutes, Lakkabathini carves the Eiffel Tower into the tip of a pencil. It’s not a perfect replica, but since it’s the size of a finger nail, we’ll let some of the inconsistent detailing slide. It looks pretty good! Just don’t let anybody write with it.

[Fuzz]

To me it's the same as replacing the Bruce Wayne Batman with **** Grayson (Of course Batman is more of a legacy) or killing off Peter Parker in Amazing Spiderman 700 and having a new one step in.

You also heard about Steve Rogers Captain America being killed off and replaced with Sam Wilson?

Not exactly killed off, but the benefits of his super soldier serum have been neutralized, so he's now an old man.

[MIKA27]

'Predestination' Is 'Minority Report' Meets 'Looper', And The First Aussie Trailer Is Awesome

If you’re as into time-travel tales as I am, you’ll be amped up for Predestination. It’s about future cops fighting to preserve order in the universe, and it looks like the perfect blend of Minority Report and Looper. Here’s the first mind-bending trailer.

Predestination stars Ethan Hawke, and tells the story of a time cop tasked with preventing crimes before they can be carried out.

It’s directed by the same guy who made Daybreakers, and the first Australian trailer looks good.

Predestination was shot in Australia, too.

[MIKA27]

Cool New X-Wing Mark II Revealed In New Star Wars VII Video

A new J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars VII video shows a new version of the X-Wing starfighter. It may look like a Z-95 Headhunter because it doesn’t appear to have the classic s-foils that open to give it it’s X attack shape, butthis official tweet says it’s the real thing. So, ladies and gentlenerds, behold the X-wing Mark II!

The video is part of their promotional UNICEF campaign Force for Change. If you participate in their sweepstakes you can win a chance to appear in the new film — and watch it before everyone else. It still has one week left to run, so sign up!