Students in Birmingham City Schools, Ala., are building their technological skills and interests while engaging in collaborative learning thanks to XO laptop computers. XO computers are rugged, low-cost, low-power laptops that have become familiar to people around the world through the One Laptop Per Child project. In Birmingham, the laptops were distributed by the local government to help reduce a “digital divide” separating Birmingham students from those in more affluent areas in terms of available technology and the opportunity to become proficient in its use.

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A chance meeting and a common interest in tectonic faults took Cristiano Collettini and Chris Marone to the Isle of Elba to sample a tectonic fault that breaks most of the rules of fault mechanics. Their work reveals why these faults slip.

In May 2008, Cristiano and I were at a workshop in the Italian Apennines to discuss a possible drilling project into the low-angle, normal faults (ones that occur when the Earth’s crust is stretched) in that region. The faults in that region are an enigma because standard analysis shows that they shouldn’t exist.

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Most people are familiar with the various X Prizes that have been offered for achievements in flight and space travel, but how many know that the US Government has offered an L Prize for energy efficient lighting? The idea is to come up with a 21st century replacement for the 60 Watt light bulb, with the goal of saving 34 Terawatt-hours of power nationwide per year.

Entries must deliver at least 900 Lumens output, with a consumption of less than 10 watts, and must have a lifespan of at least 25,000 hours. There are also rules about light quality and color temperature. The top prize is $10 million.

Philips is the first company to submit an entry, and they showed off their baby Thursday evening at the EcoFocus event in New York.

I think the real question is how much the bulbs will cost to buy. It’s hard to convince people to spend big bucks on a bulb, even after you explain the long term savings on their electric bill. I asked if they would sell me the prototype, and they said sure, but it would cost me $10 Million.

L Prize

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Holly is now looking great but that wasn’t the case when she first came into rescue. She was in a terrible state and needed loads of care. Fortunately, she went to a fantastic foster home where she got everything she needed and soon she was on the road to recovery. Now this lovely 8 year old has shown herself to be a sweet, friendly girl who is well trained and is now ready to find her forever home.

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12 year old Ben is a GSD who, through no fault of his own needs a new forever home. He’d be an ideal dog for many households – he’s healthy and active and fine with other dogs, cats and children! You can’t ask much more than that.

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Willow is a sweet bearded collie, around 11 years old but no one has told her that she’s no longer a youngster. At the moment she’s enjoying 4 mile walks accompanying a husky. As you will have guessed from that, she’s fine with other dogs. She came into rescue in a bad state and is now recovering so she’d love a caring home to call her own.

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Little Jim is a 9 year old Cairn who is looking for a home where he can be the only pet. He’s had a rather confusing time recently and would love to get all the love and attention for himself. He would make a fantastic companion – he just needs a little bit of lead and recall training.

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Are you harboring an energy hog without even knowing it? Sure, all of the appliances and gadgets in your house — your television, DVD player, set-top box, toaster, game console and more — are constantly sucking energy. But some are worse than others.

We’ve rounded up five of the worst offenders in terms of energy efficiency. Now, there’s no question that each of the products named here does wonderful things, making them unique among their peers. The thing they have in common, however, is the task they perform best: burning through energy. Like, a lot.

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Sophie is a lovely Lab cross, only 9 years old and perfect in so many ways. She is in rescue through no fault of her own and really needs to get back into a loving home as soon as possible. She’s very affectionate and loves a cuddle. She’s great with children and with other dogs. Have you got a space for her – she’ll love you forever.

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Baz is a 10 year old GSD who’d love to come and live with you. He’s full of love and fun and gets on well with other dogs. If you’d like a loyal companion to accompany you on long walks, Baz is your man.

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We’d like to thank you, dear readers, for your spectacular responses to our T Power contest. We asked you to describe to us exactly how this seemingly miraculous T Power USB thumb drive works. Little did we realize that you were all so imaginative!

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