Google Earth Comes to the iPhoneGoogle Earth Comes to the iPhone

Google Earth. On the iPhone. That is, I would imagine, all you need to know to send you careening off to the App Store, from where you can grab the free download of Google’s Aerial Opus.

What’s surprising about this iteration of Google Earth is the speed at which it runs. A few years back my Mac notebook (an iBook) struggled to run Google Earth without glitching. This version speeds along at a fair clip, although a bad data connection will certainly slow things down — like the desktop version, the application is constantly streaming data from the web.

The iPhone niceties you’d expect are here. Pinch to zoom, twist to, well, spin the map. This should be a boon for German tourists in Barcelona, whose over-accurate maps depict the coastline as running on a diagonal, just as it is in real life. This leaves locals baffled when helping the Germans out with directions — all our maps reference the sea as “down” and the mountains as “up” and sticks the blue strip of water straight across the bottom of the map, throwing everything off by an innacurate – yet easier to use – 45º.

Tilting the iPhone will tilt the horizon and you can then use a finger to “throw” the landscape below you. There’s also a compass in the top right corner which moves as you spin the maps. And of course, the app can find you using the location functions of the iPhone.

The app lacks a lot of features of its big brother: No road markings, for example. But results for both Wikipedia and Panoramio pop up — an easy way to find places of interest nearby. Go try it. It’s free, and fun.

source: WIRED.com

U.S. Army Says Blogging Site ‘Twitter’ Could Become Terrorist Tool

The U.S. Army is flagging the popular blogging service Twitter as a potential terrorist tool, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported Sunday.

A recently released report by the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion contains a chapter entitled “Potential for Terrorist Use of Twitter,” which expresses concern over the increasing use of Twitter by political and religious groups, the AFP reported.

“Twitter has also become a social activism tool for socialists, human rights groups, communists, vegetarians, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, political enthusiasts, hacktivists and others to communicate with each other and to send messages to broader audiences,” according to the report.

“Twitter is already used by some members to post and/or support extremist ideologies and perspectives,” the Army report said.

The blogging service and social networking site has previously sent out messages known as “tweets” faster than news organizations during such major news events as the July Los Angeles earthquake and the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

“Terrorists could theoretically use Twitter social networking in the U.S. as an operation tool,” the Army report said.

sourse: FOXNews.com

The Fat Tax

Alabama tells its workers to slim down or pay. What’s wrong with that?

The state of Alabama has issued a warning to its state workers: Get fit or pay up.

In August, the Alabama State Employees’ Insurance Board approved a plan that will charge workers  an additional $25 to cover their insurance premiums, if they don’t take advantage of free health screenings available to all state employees. The program, to begin in January, will require state workers to receive medical screenings for body mass index and health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

Critics have panned this as a “fat tax”  that unfairly punishes people for their genetic predispositions. Others argue that the measure amounts to lawful discrimination that infringes on the right of free will, much like the state’s 2004 decision to offer a discount to non-smoking employees.

Nonsense. This is an opportunity, not punishment. It is an important step toward better preventive care at a time when health costs are soaring and Americans are in increasing denial  about their ever-ballooning weight. And the state is offering a free—yes, free—jumpstart. Under the plan, state employees are being asked to go to a free health screening, and if necessary, a free doctor’s consultation. If those screenings show that a person is predisposed to illness due to their weight or other conditions, they will be offered help to begin to address their health issues. Only if workers fail to take advantage of the free screening will they be charged the additional $25.

Alabamans are clearly in need. Varying reports place Alabama with the second or third highest rate of obesity  in the country. The Birmingham News confirms this southern state has the country’s highest rate of stroke and third-highest rate of infant mortality.

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Suspicious Package Found Outside Cleveland Restaurant Detonated

Police shut down the area around the Chick-Fil-A on Keith Street in Cleveland [TN] after a suspicious package was found outside the building.  Customer discovered the suitcase placed behind the restaurant just before noon Wednesday.

Members of the Chattanooga police bomb squad were call to the scene. They used a robotic device to pull the suitcase away from the restaurant then a bomb tech wearing protective gear set up the device for detonation. After the suitcase was exploded, officers determined that nothing was inside it.

The building had been evacuated and nearby intersections were been shut down. The area was reopened by 2:45pm. Investigators do not know yet how or why the suitcase was left behind the restaurant.

source: WRCBTV.com

Companies step up to fitness test

Winners of the first-ever Atlanta Corporate Fitness Challenge were announced recently at an awards ceremony at the World of Coca-Cola museum.

Chick-fil-A took top honors as the Overall Most Fit company. North Point Ministries won for the Most Participation, and Cox Enterprises garnered the Most Improved award.

The eight-week-long competition pitted nine Atlanta companies and more than 2,200 participants in a fitness challenge designed to improve body composition, cardiovascular health, flexibility and muscular strength. Aggregate results determined the winners.

The program began in July with each participant receiving a Polar Body Age test and selecting one area of improvement to target. Commitment cards outlining specific goals and recommended activities were distributed to help employees make incremental changes and achieve desired results.

“The Atlanta Challenge allowed individuals from each company to work together competing for something that was bigger than themselves,” Elizabeth David, Chick-fil-A’s wellness director, said in a written statement. “The outcome was positive for both the company culture, in creating a morale boost, and the individual, creating healthy habits.”

Other participating companies included CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Pacific, Georgia Power, UPS and Verizon Wireless.

source: AJC