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Thursday, April 23, 2026
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IBM and Apple are teaming up!

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WASHINGTON: Apple will partner exclusively with IBM to sell iPhones and iPads loaded with applications focused on enterprise clients. It is no secret that IBM’s hardware sales have diminished significantly and as a result they are trying to focus more on software and services. The announcement was made just two days before the release of the second quarter earnings.

IBM hopefully speculates that by 2015 software sales will form such a significant chunk of their business that it will account for half of its total profit. The company announced on Tuesday that it will release more than 100 apps related to very specific issues in particular industries concerning retail, health care, banking, transport and telecommunication.

Bridget Van Kalingen, the vice president of IBM said that they wanted to create an irresistible work flow and apps that can be used by every user in the organization.
IBM has also planned to develop cloud services optimized for Apple’s mobile operating system which as we all know is iOS.

Interestingly, following the announcement Blackberry’s shares fell by 3 percent. Blackberry has itself mostly withdrawn from the smart phone market and has focused on secure software for businesses and the corporate market. Now Apple’s partnership with IBM may focus on concerns regarding software security and data privacy, which in turn should further damage Blackberry.

In fact, IBM’s shares rose by 1.9 percent and Apple’s shares rose by 1.3 percent. One thing is for sure though, the partnership may damage Blackberry’s business but it will undoubtedly be a good thing for corporate consumers worldwide considering that both the companies are known for innovation and brilliance.

Novartis and Google Seek to Revolutionize Eye Care with the Smart Lens Technology

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Novartis has revealed that its eye care division Alcon has entered into an agreement with Google[x] which is a division of Google Inc devoted to find innovative solutions to global problems. The agreement is concerned with the development of a smart lens which is capable of adjusting to ocular conditions and a little more.

The agreement will provide Alcon an opportunity to use Google’s Smart Lens technology and combine it with their comprehensive knowledge of human physiology. When you think about it, the possibilities seem endless. This partnership of sorts between Alcon and Google represents a step towards integrating technology with medicine to manage and control diseases.

”We are looking forward to working with Google to bring together their advanced technology and our extensive knowledge of biology to meet unmet medical needs.” said Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez.

Novartis and Google have both repeatedly suggested that this lens will involve non-invasive sensors and will seek to improve people’s lives rather than create problems for them. The miniaturized electronics within the Smart Lens along with the non-invasive sensors will try to detect fluid levels and attempt to auto adjust the lens. Novartis’s main interest in this is grounded in two areas: helping diabetic patients manage their glucose levels by detection of glucose from the fluid in the eye in a non-invasive way and helping people with presbyopia (farsightedness) by accommodating the lens to fit the visual needs of the user. If they do achieve such a result, and it doesn’t seem doubtful considering their expertise in their respective fields, this will revolutionize diagnostics, pharmacology and medicinal science in general.

”Alcon and Google have a deep and common passion for innovation,” Jeff George, Division head of Alcon pointed.
So unless you are a paranoid conspiracy theorist with a suspicious view of the external world, this will definitely get you excited about the future.

Mid-Stage Failure Forces Targacept to Discontinue Alzheimer Drug Trials

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Targacept Inc has recently announced that it will not proceed with its Alzheimer’s drug trial because of apparent mid-stage trial failures. The reasons seem to be that it doesn’t exhibit an edge over standard Alzheimer medication which has had a significant impact on the company’s shares sending them down as much as 19.8 percent.lzheimer Drug Trials

Targacept Chief Executive Stephen Hill is reported to have said that the company no longer intends to invest in further development of TC-1734 (the Alzheimer drug).

TC-1734 was also being tested against Pfizer’s donepezil had previously also failed a mid-stage trial conducted by Targacept’s partners AstaZeneca Plc.
This new failure has had a devastating effect on Targacept, and is downright depressive for patients experiencing Alzheimer’s who were in hope of a better drug.

Research Links Tameness of Animals with Neural Crest Deficits

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Adam Wilkins from the Humboldt University of Berlin and co-authors Richard Wrangham of Harvard University and Tecumseh Fitch of the University of Vienna have proposed a hypothesis that begs much contemplation.

Tameness-of-Animals
They suggest that the cuteness and the tamed attitude of domesticated animals is a disadvantage. The have created an association of the docile traits in domesticated animals with a group of embryonic stem cells called the neural crest.
More than 150 years ago the genius in Darwin coerced him to ponder why domesticated animals were so different compared to their wilder cousins. Thus, the neural crest hypothesis may finally provide an etiological explanation for why.
Today, our pets are definitely tamer, they have floppier ears, softer – less menacing – jawlines and have a relatively docile look. The explanation that the neural crest hypothesis suggests is that the stem cells are formed near the spinal column and during the initial development stages and they affect jaws, teeth, skin pigment, ears and the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are linked with flight or fight responses and as a consequence of taming are curtailed or diminished.
Wilkins suggests that when humans started breeding these animals to become more docile they may have unintentionally selected animals with small neural crest abnormalities or deficits. That in turn would result in slow maturing adrenal glands which would limit their aggression and make them more resourceful for humans in multiple ways.

It is a rather interesting scientific hypothesis and if we are lucky it may reveal something further regarding mammalian genetics in general. It must be noted though, that it is rather reductionist. It doesn’t take into account environmental factors or slow behavioral conditioning that animals received as result of their interactions with humans. It does point out some cogent connections between breeding, genetics and resulting characteristics and is thus inherently valuable.
It also calls for a more philosophical contemplation of our relationship with animals, and how tremendously we have changed them and their lives. Domestication of animals has contributed in incalculable ways to civilization but a moral question comes to mind, are they only here as a resource for humanity or do they have independent existences?

LG to Release a Roll-able TV Screen

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When you hear about roll-able TV screens you know that the future you have been waiting for has perhaps already arrived. LG electronics announced a rather different kind of OLED TV on Friday, which can be rolled up like a newspaper or in to a tube. It has an incredibly flexible, 18 inch screen with a resolution of 1200 x 810 and it can fascinatingly be rolled into a cylinder measuring 3 cm across.

lg-rollable-tv

The company has revealed that the high flexibility is due to high molecular substance based polyimide film. As if that even remotely helps us understand how it works! Regardless, the fact that we can say with certainty that something like this will be available for use in the near future is exciting.
LG has said that it will be able to manufacture and release a 60 inch, semitransparent ultra-HD TV by 2017.

Even though price speculation this early is pointless, we can shed some light regarding its potential uses.
First things first, it will most probably look incredibly attractive and futuristic. But be that as it may, it also has a number of genuine uses. It’ll allow users to carry a TV in their bags and perhaps even their pockets. It will also save you the cost and physical stress of moving since it should be the very definition of portable. So the only additional expectation that we have from LG is that they release is sooner, because it seems like it’s going to be amazing!

Another Survival Tale from J.C Chandor

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Nowadays, plenty of Hollywood movies are based on real life incidents, horror movies are on top of it. In the same way J.C chandor the famous director has recently announced about his upcoming movie “A most violent year”.

J.C Chandor

This movie is formed on the unforgettable BP oil spill disaster which occurred in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. It was named as the second largest environmental disaster of U.S. The movie will not only find the people or government official liable for the oil spill, it would also be a story of 100 employees who were on the rig at that time and how they fought for their lives.

Chandor is hopeful that it will break all the records in the history of Hollywood firstly because he is popular for his survival stories like ALL IS LOST and secondly due to the confidence he has on the producer, of the famous movie transformer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Well nobody knows, this movie may give Chandor another Oscar and leave a mark on his career as well as one of the best films of his life.

Suicide at the Utah Festival Bonfire

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A man, later identified as Salt Lake City resident Christopher Wallace, died over the weekend at a bonfire at an Utah Festival. The police are pursuing the case as one of suicide which seems to be the rational conclusion as the man, as it appears, deliberately jumped in to the flames.

utah-festival-suicide
The shocking incident occurred at 11p.m on Saturday at an annual Element 11 festival which took place in Grantsville.
Element 11 is a non-profit organization which aims to ignite a culture of creativity and self-expression. It seems to be a counter culture community which claims to see art in all ways and in all people.

J.P. Bernier, a spokesman for Element 11 informed the Deseret News that there was no negligence or malpractice on part of anyone from the organization or otherwise. “He was very fast; he was very motivated.” he said. Regardless, firefighters tried to somehow douse the flames but remained unsuccessful.

Lt Steve Barrett from Grantsville police said that Christopher Wallace had informed some of attendees of what he intended to do. Furthermore, there seems to be reports that suggest that any form of drugs or alcohol were involved. Relatives of Wallace could not be reached on Monday.

Decrement in Gas Prices

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New Hampshire has witnessed falling gas prices, in fact prices have fallen 1.3 cents per gallon in the past week. Gasbuddy.com showed the average gas prices on Monday to be $3.65. Even more interesting is the fact that this is relatively higher than the national average whicdecrease-in-gas-pricesh seems to have fallen 3.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.61.
Even though these numbers appear to be encouraging let us see how much the prices have changed within the last year and the last month.
Gas prices in New Hampshire are actually 6 cents a gallon higher than they were last year and are also 3.6 cents per gallon higher than last month.
To further put things in perspective; average gas prices in Maine have fallen 2 cents per gallon in the last week and the average price of a gallon on Monday was $3.72 however that is 3.7 cents up from one month ago according to www.gasbuddy.com.

Also noteworthy is the fact that gas prices in Maine are 4.3 cents a gallon higher than they were last year.
This apparently hasn’t affected the national average, which seems to have decreased 4.3 cents per gallon in the last month or so and has defied change when compared to a year ago.

Novartis and Google Seek to Revolutionize Eye Care with the Smart Lens Technology

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Novartis has revealed that its eye care division Alcon has entered into an agreement with Google[x] which is a division of Google Inc devoted to find innovative solutions to global problems. The agreement is concerned with the development of a smart lens which is capable of adjusting to ocular conditions and a little more.

The agreement will provide Alcon an opportunity to use Google’s Smart Lens technology and combine it with their comprehensive knowledge of human physiology. When you think about it, the possibilities seem endless. This partnership of sorts between Alcon and Google represents a step towards integrating technology with medicine to manage and control diseases.

”We are looking forward to working with Google to bring together their advanced technology and our extensive knowledge of biology to meet unmet medical needs.” said Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez.
Novartis and Google have both repeatedly suggested that this lens will involve non-invasive sensors and will seek to improve people’s lives rather than create problems for them. The miniaturized electronics within the Smart Lens along with the non-invasive sensors will try to detect fluid levels and attempt to auto adjust the lens. Novartis’s main interest in this is grounded in two areas: helping diabetic patients manage their glucose levels by detection of glucose from the fluid in the eye in a non-invasive way and helping people with presbyopia (farsightedness) by accommodating the lens to fit the visual needs of the user. If they do achieve such a result, and it doesn’t seem doubtful considering their expertise in their respective fields, this will revolutionize diagnostics, pharmacology and medicinal science in general.

”Alcon and Google have a deep and common passion for innovation,” Jeff George, Division head of Alcon pointed.
So unless you are a paranoid conspiracy theorist with a suspicious view of the external world, this will definitely get you excited about the future.

Mid-Stage Failure Forces Targacept to Discontinue Alzheimer Drug Trials

By Leave a Comment

Targacept Inc has recently announced that it will not proceed with its Alzheimer’s drug trial because of apparent mid-stage trial failures. The reasons seem to be that it doesn’t exhibit an edge over standard Alzheimer medication which has had a significant impact on the company’s shares sending them down as much as 19.8 percent.

Targacept Chief Executive Stephen Hill is reported to have said that the company no longer intends to invest in further development of TC-1734 (the Alzheimer drug).

TC-1734 was also being tested against Pfizer’s donepezil had previously also failed a mid-stage trial conducted by Targacept’s partners AstaZeneca Plc.
This new failure has had a devastating effect on Targacept, and is downright depressive for patients experiencing Alzheimer’s who were in hope of a better drug.

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