p2pnet headline roundups | Last of the day

[OT] Scientists: Watermelon yields Viagra-like effects - Associated Press

A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra — but don’t necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long. Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation’s top producers of the seedless variety. Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart and the circulatory and immune systems. “Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it,” said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. “Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.”

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Government launches data mash-up - BBC

The UK government has launched a competition to find innovative ways of using the masses of data it collects. It is hoping to find new uses for public information in the areas of criminal justice, health and education. The Power of Information Taskforce - headed by cabinet office minister Tom Watson - is offering a £20,000 prize fund for the best ideas. To help with the task, the government is opening up gigabytes of information from a variety of sources.

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Google Ad Deal Is Under Scrutiny - Washington Post

The Justice Department has opened a formal antitrust investigation into a deal struck last month that would allow Internet titan Google to provide some search advertising for Yahoo, according to sources familiar with the inquiry. Investigators are planning to demand documents not only from Google and Yahoo, but also from other large companies in the Internet and media industries, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Google and Yahoo officials have said since the deal’s announcement that they would delay its implementation for a voluntary Justice Department review. But a formal investigation signals that the department may have found some cause for concern.

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U.S. contradicts itself over its own ID protection advice - Associated Press

When it comes to the risks of identity theft, the U.S. government isn’t taking its own advice. The nation’s Medicare agency and the Pentagon compel at least 52 million Americans to carry their Social Security numbers in their wallets, contrary to warnings by the Federal Trade Commission that people should avoid doing so. At least 44 million Medicare insurance cards include the beneficiary’s full Social Security number. Social Security numbers also appear on 8 million Defense Department identity cards used by active duty and reserve forces and their dependents, and on identification cards issued to military retirees. The Pentagon plans to remove the numbers but won’t complete the effort until 2014. And the Internal Revenue Service still tells taxpayers to write their Social Security number on checks used to make payments, a potential problem for those using the mail rather than filing electronically.

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Google in deal with Brazil to fight child porn - Reuters

Internet search company Google signed an agreement with Brazilian public prosecutors on Wednesday to help combat child pornography on its social networking site Orkut, an accord that the company believes is the first of its kind internationally. Under the agreement, Google will use filters to remove and prevent illegal content on Orkut, which has about half its users in Brazil. The company will also facilitate evidence gathering under judicial order in suspected crimes against children and teen-agers on Orkut without the need for international legal accords. Google will also preserve for six months access logs of users being investigated for illegal conduct.

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La. internet predator law constitutional - Associated Press

The Louisiana Supreme Court says police may pose as children and young teens on the Internet to hunt for sexual predators. It reinstated charges against 52-year-old Ray Hatton Jr. of Lafayette and sent the case back to district court. State District Judge Wilford Carter threw out charges against in October, saying the law deprived him of his right to due process. Hatton is accused of setting up a date for oral sex with someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl, but was actually an adult police officer.

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New law bans sale of tobacco online - Rutland Herald

In an age where almost anything can be purchased with a click of the mouse, there’s one thing that, by law, will no longer be available for online purchase beginning today — tobacco. On the same day the tobacco tax increases 20 cents per pack of cigarettes in Vermont, up to $1.99 per pack, state law has also outlawed the sale of tobacco products over the Internet and other delivery sales as part of Vermont’s Act 119. The law is expected to increase state tax revenue, decrease the number of smokers under the age of 18, increase revenue for Vermont retailers and discourage sales from online vendors that illegally fail to collect and pay state, federal or sales taxes, said Assistant Attorney General Christy Mihaly.

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Missouri governor signs Internet harassment bill - Associated Press

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt signed a bill Monday outlawing cyberbullying, just miles from where a 13-year-old girl committed suicide nearly two years ago after being harassed on the Internet. The bill updates state laws against harassment by removing the requirement that the communication be written or over the telephone. Supporters say the bill now covers harassment from computers, text messages and other electronic devices. “Social networking sites and technology have opened a new door for criminals and bullies to prey on their victims, especially children,” Blunt said. “This new law will ensure that we have the protections and penalties needed to safeguard Missourians from Internet harassment.”

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 am and is filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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