Apple’s stock market value topped the $500 billion mark in early trading Wednesday, another record high for what was already the world’s most valuable company.
The half-trillion dollar valuation puts Apple in some extremely exclusive territory, making it one of the five most-valuable companies at any point in history. Only Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Cisco (CSCO, Fortune 500) and General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) have ever surpassed that mark.
Exxon did it most recently in late 2007, when oil prices were soaring. Microsoft, Cisco and GE reached half a trillion dollars in market capitalization in 1999 during the height of the tech bubble.
Microsoft was the only company ever to have a valuation of $600 billion. Its market cap now sits about $267 billion.
Apple’s valuation is now higher than the gross domestic product of Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, or Taiwan. (For more comparisons, check out this excellent blog: Things Apple is Worth More Than.)
A new craze is sweeping Japan that involves underwear, a promise to burn calories and a mesmerizing infomercial to back it all up.
Introducing MXP Calorie Shaper Pants, the shiny boxer briefs that hold claim to a revolutionary technology that purportedly enables users to burn extra calories by simply wearing them around.
The makers of these “Calorie Shapers” say their product is built with “honeycomb spring,” a special resin coating, that adds resistance while you walk, thus allegedly increasing the number of calories you burn.
Priced at $32 per pair and holding out the promise to lose weight with no effort, it seems the spandex biker short-like product would sell itself.
The “Calorie Shaper” is being pitched across Japan with an infomercial that looks like a 1980s flashback, complete with choreographed dance routines – in the park, on the street and in the office – and all.
In Japan, where the obesity rate is just 5 percent but alarm-raising headlines have spurred citizens’ concerns, the infomercial has worked and the product is a best-seller.
An Idaho Falls man has been told not to wear his bunny suit in public anymore after neighbors complained that he was frightening small children.
The Idaho Falls Police Department received calls on Monday of a man in a black bunny suit that was being a public nuisance and scaring children in a neighborhood. Police responded to the 400 block of Third Street where they advised 34-year-old William Falkingham not to wear his bunny suit costume in public.
According to reports, a resident told authorities that her son had been frightened by Falkingham who was wearing a black bunny suit and hiding behind a tree. The neighbor also told police that the 34-year-old male pointed his finger like a gun at her son.
Officers also spoke to other neighbors who expressed that they were greatly disturbed by Falkingham and his bunny suit. Neighbors also reported that the 34-year-old occasionally wears a tutu with the costume.
Falkingham told authorities that he enjoys wearing the suit, but understands the neighbors’ concerns and complaints.
A 23-year-old British man died from what the coroner said was a dangerous dose of caffeine, according to British media reports.
Information from the coroner’s inquest revealed that Michael Lee Bedford ingested two spoonfuls of pure caffeine powder that he washed down with an energy drink. Coroner Dr. Nigel Chapman said the dose Bedford consumed was equivalent to 70 cans of Red Bull.
“This should serve as a warning that caffeine is so freely available on the Internet but so lethal if the wrong dosage is taken,” Chapman said at the inquest.
A warning label on the product said only one-sixteenth of a teaspoon should be taken, but Bedford far exceeded that amount.
“He wasn’t doing anything wrong, it was just the danger of the dose he took,” said Chapman.
Though toxicologists in the U.S. say they’re not aware of any cases of people overdosing on caffeine powder, they say that caffeine overdoses are on the rise thanks in large part to the wide availability of caffeine-loaded energy drinks. They believe that increased consumption of these drinks can lead to caffeine abuse, which can lead to significant illness, injury and even death.
“It’s already a big problem,” said Bruce Goldberger, professor and director of toxicology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. “we’re a chemical-based society, because so many of us rely on psychotropic drugs to get by every day.”
“We’re seeing a lot more of it, and one of the reasons is, it’s difficult to figure out how much stimulant is in some of these products,” said Dr. Robert Hendrickson, medical toxicologist and emergency physician at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Hendrickson explained that there may be other ingredients in many energy drinks and supplements, such as taurine and guarana, that also have caffeine in them, but there’s no indication of how much caffeine they contain.
Experts say there’s been a rise in the number of caffeine-related illnesses because more and more people are taking caffeine for a variety of reasons.
“Students are using it for studying, people are using it to try and stay awake and participate in late night social activities,” said Dr. Richard Clark, director of medical toxicology at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, Calif.
Medical experts agree that the amount of caffeine that led to Bedford’s death is clearly fatal, and they can only speculate about why someone would choose to ingest that much caffeine.
“It’s a stimulant, so if you’re looking for a stimulant high, caffeine is perceived to be a lot safer,” said Hendrickson.
They aren’t sure how much caffeine is considered life-threatening, although they say there are ways to tell when you’ve reached the caffeine breaking point.
“Caffeine increases our heart rate and our blood pressure and in some people, their degree of anxiety,” said Goldberger.
“[You can also] develop a tremor and feel restless,” Clark added.
When people start to experience these symptoms, it’s a sure sign they’ve had too much caffeine. With extremely high doses, people may start to experience a rapid and irregular heart beat and may eventually have seizures. Death can occur within hours.
“In a life-threatening situation, it’s not unlike the effects of other well-known stimulants like cocaine and amphetamine,” said Goldberger.
Despite the dangers of very high doses of caffeine, studies have shown that caffeine can offer some benefits in small doses.
“We’re seeing a lot more of it, and one of the reasons is, it’s difficult to figure out how much stimulant is in some of these products,” said Dr. Robert Hendrickson, medical toxicologist and emergency physician at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Hendrickson explained that there may be other ingredients in many energy drinks and supplements, such as taurine and guarana, that also have caffeine in them, but there’s no indication of how much caffeine they contain.
Experts say there’s been a rise in the number of caffeine-related illnesses because more and more people are taking caffeine for a variety of reasons.
“Students are using it for studying, people are using it to try and stay awake and participate in late night social activities,” said Dr. Richard Clark, director of medical toxicology at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, Calif.
Medical experts agree that the amount of caffeine that led to Bedford’s death is clearly fatal, and they can only speculate about why someone would choose to ingest that much caffeine.
“It’s a stimulant, so if you’re looking for a stimulant high, caffeine is perceived to be a lot safer,” said Hendrickson.
They aren’t sure how much caffeine is considered life-threatening, although they say there are ways to tell when you’ve reached the caffeine breaking point.
“Caffeine increases our heart rate and our blood pressure and in some people, their degree of anxiety,” said Goldberger.
“[You can also] develop a tremor and feel restless,” Clark added.
When people start to experience these symptoms, it’s a sure sign they’ve had too much caffeine. With extremely high doses, people may start to experience a rapid and irregular heart beat and may eventually have seizures. Death can occur within hours.
“In a life-threatening situation, it’s not unlike the effects of other well-known stimulants like cocaine and amphetamine,” said Goldberger.
Despite the dangers of very high doses of caffeine, studies have shown that caffeine can offer some benefits in small doses.
Even if a person suffers no ill effects from consuming an energy drink, experts advise they should not be consumed regularly or over a long period of time because of all the unknowns.
They also urge people to consume any caffeinated foods and drinks in moderation.
“There is no recommended amount, so the key is to know your body and how caffeine affects it,” said Goldberger.
Experts also expressed concern over the growing trend of mixing alcohol and caffeine. This combination can be dangerous, as one recent incident showed.
A group of Central Washington University students became extremely ill after drinking Four Loko, a legal beverage that’s a mix of alcohol and caffeine. Another popular drink is a mixture of Red Bull and vodka.
“Some folks think they can drive better by mixing caffeine with alcohol, but no study confirms that,” said Clark. “Believing you can go drive this way has all kinds of problems associated with it.”
The family of Michael Bedford also has a strong message about the dangers of products like the caffeine powder that led to his death.
“I feel like it should be banned,” his grandmother told British media outlets.
“I think there should be a warning on it saying it can kill,” his aunt said.
Vermont State Police Sgt. Michael Roy noticed something odd on a decal on his police car: One of the spots on the cow in the state seal had taken on the shape of a pig. Investigation found that it had been that way for several years; a prison inmate-artist had changed the insignia on the prison-made decals. Authorities initially responded that they would hunt down all the altered decals. “It’s going to be ‘Where’s Porky?’ instead of ‘Where’s Waldo?'” said an ex-cop turned state legislator; they guess there may be about 60 in circulation. Replacing them will cost taxpayers $13 per decal. What, if anything, it costs the offender may depend on whether he’s still inside and thus subject to prison discipline. “I don’t know if there is a criminal charge,” said the state corrections commissioner.
The investigation is now closed. It was determined that the alteration was made in November 2009 by an unknown female inmate at a prison work center in Windsor, Vermont.
“At this point all we can tell is how many women had access to the file, and who they were,” said Corrections Commissioner Andy Pallito. “Really being able to tell who manipulated the file last is virtually impossible without somebody stepping forward and saying ‘I did it’.”
At least one resident is campaigning for the state police to keep the altered decal as official.
“It is a really good opportunity for us to band together as Vermonters and show that we can have a laugh in a little bit of an awkward situation,” says Cid Sinclair, who has created a Facebook group, Save the Vermont Pigs. Well over 1,000 people have “Liked” the page. Sinclair has also created a petition to demand that the governor adopt the decal, rather than spend tax money to fix it. Hundreds have signed.
He has the backing of Lt. Governor Phil Scott, at least. He “loves” the idea, and says the prisoner’s alteration was “disrespectful,” but “We cannot let them win and if you let it bother you then they’ve won.”
Thanks, Ellen, for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.
It was Valentine’s Day in Portlandia — should anyone have been upset about a little friendly bondage action in the back of a Subaru?
Well, yes. The Portland Police Bureau was plenty upset, and the lovers, identified as Nikolas Harbar, 31, and Stephanie Pelzner, 26, are under arrest on charges of disorderly conduct in the second degree.
Portland may be a city that has always prided itself on its eccentricities, but police said the red alert that went out when Pelzner was glimpsed bound and naked in the back of the car was a Valentine too far.
It began shortly after noon on Tuesday, when someone at the New Seasons Market in north Portland reported that they had seen a naked female with duct tape on her mouth tied up in the back of a blue Subaru Legacy.
The man driving the car had told the witness they “were just having some fun,” police said in their report, but the woman in the back of the car “seemed hazy.”
The witness phoned in the license plate to the car, and the search was on.
Authorities in Washington state were alerted, in case the car traveled north across the state line on Interstate 5. Portland police began combing the city’s streets, while a patrol car zeroed in on the address where the car was registered.
By 12:56 p.m., the Subaru drove up, and when officers closed in, Harbar told them the couple was “doing some Valentine’s Day role-playing,” the police report said. Police confirmed from Pelzner “that she was voluntarily bound and nude in the back of the Subaru,” it said.
Not feeling in a loving mood — especially since at least nine police cars were tied up for 20 minutes during the search — authorities booked both of them into the Multnomah County Jail.
Since then, the Portland Police Bureau’s Facebook page has been flooded with comments, most from citizens wondering why people can’t be left to their own devices in the backs of their cars.
“Nothing wrong with that, they were just trying to have some fun, you monsters,” one man wrote.
“Keep Portland weird, man,” urged another.
Others offered helpful suggestions for pursuing the case: “She should be booked for not wearing her safety belt.”
Police say they had no way of knowing they weren’t looking for a potential murder victim.
“The concern is their actions created a pretty substantial public alarm, to the point where you have a 911 caller saying she’s concerned about this person tied up naked in the back of a car,” Lt. Robert King, bureau spokesman, told the Los Angeles Times.
“Why would the officers think it was a Valentine’s Day thing?” he said. “This kind of stuff, whether it’s being naked in the back of a car tied up, or running down the street with an airsoft gun pretending to shoot at people, it’s not OK, because it creates a lot of concern from the public.”
The ACLU Wednesday filed a lawsuit against various agencies of the Obama administration — the Justice and Defense Departments and the CIA — over their refusal to disclose any information about the assassination of American citizens. In October, the ACLU filed a FOIA request demanding disclosure of the most basic information about the CIA’s killing of 3 American citizens in Yemen: Anwar Awlaki and Samir Khan, killed by missiles fired by a U.S. drone in September, and Awlaki’s 16-year-old son, Abdulrahman, killed by another drone attack two weeks later.
The ACLU’s FOIA request sought merely to learn the legal and factual basis for these killings — meaning: tell us what legal theories you’ve adopted to secretly target U.S. citizens for execution, and what factual basis did you have to launch these specific strikes? The DOJ and CIA responded not only by refusing to provide any of this information, but refused even to confirm if any of the requested documents exist; in other words, as the ACLU put it yesterday, “these agencies are saying the targeted killing program is so secret that they can’t even acknowledge that it exists.” That refusal is what prompted Wednesday’s lawsuit (in December, the New York Times also sued the Obama administration after it failed to produce DOJ legal memoranda “justifying” the assassination program in response to a FOIA request from reporters Charlie Savage and Scott Shane, but the ACLU’s lawsuit seeks disclosure of both the legal and factual bases for these executions).
Firefighters had to cut through an exterior wall to rescue a man who became stuck in the bathroom of his cluttered, second-story apartment on Long Island, NY, officials told local media.
According to authorities quoted by Newsday, a rescue team used a series of ladders and a rope system Thursday to lower the man, identified as a 55-year-old former postal worker, to safety on a stretcher around 12:30 p.m. — about three hours after someone called 911. His weight is unknown.
The man, who was not identified by police or firefighters, was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the paper said. Officials said the man fell in his bathroom and could not get back on his feet. He was listed in stable condition.
Stacks of boxes blocked firefighters from bringing rescue equipment up to the man’s apartment, prompting them to cut a way out through the wall, Brookhaven Town spokesman Jack Krieger said in an email to Newsday. The narrowness of the space in some places added to their difficulty, authorities said.
“From what I’m told stuff was stacked to the ceiling in most of the rooms” on the second floor, Krieger told the paper.
The second floor of the wood-frame home was condemned by the town after the rescue, Krieger said. Officials deemed it unfit for human occupancy because of what he called hoarding. The home’s owner declined to comment.
After the rescue, a massive pile of junk and collectibles — including stacks of newspapers and figurines of dragons and “Star Wars” characters — lay in the yard, Newsday said.
Most people being treated for heart disease can safely have sex, according to research that also suggests the risk of sudden cardiac death may rise for men when the amorous activity occurs during an extramarital affair.
Having sex is linked with less than 1 percent of all heart attacks and less than 5 percent of incidences of chest pain, the American Heart Association reported today. More than 27 million Americans have heart disease and it is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The act of intercourse is generally comparable to climbing two flights of stairs, said Glenn Levine, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the paper’s lead author. The scientific statement, published in the Dallas-based heart organization’s journal, Circulation, may provide a road map for doctors to counsel patients, Levine said.
Levine’s research group reviewed more than 100 studies to determine the risks. In autopsy reports of 5,559 cases of sudden death, 0.6 percent occurred during sexual intercourse, they found. Of those who died, 82 percent to 93 percent were men and 75 percent were having extramarital sex, in most cases with a younger partner and after excessive food and alcohol consumption, the report said.
The video, posted on YouTube and other websites, shows four men in camouflage Marine combat uniforms urinating on three corpses. One of them jokes: “Have a nice day, buddy.” Another makes a lewd joke.
President Hamid Karzai’s government “strongly condemned” the video and called the actions by American soldiers “insulting” and “insane.”
“The Islamic republic of Afghanistan is demanding the investigation and punishment for the solders from the U.S. government regarding this film as soon as possible,” the presidential palace says in a statement released Thursday.
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