A teenager in Nepal has invented a solar panel using hair instead of silicon that costs less than $40 to make. Not only is this new technology remarkable simply from its use of materials, but it may also hold the answer to solving the world’s energy problems.

The solar panel produces 9 V (18 W) of energy, which can charge a mobile phone or a pack of batteries capable of providing light all evening.

Read more at Mail Online on the original article here.

I just came across this outstanding post on Telegraph.co.uk looking at how some of today’s most popular websites looked when they were first launched.

It’s somewhat interesting that the more recent sites look worse than the older ones. Overall though, not too many surprises. The news company sites looked awesome (money will do that), and so did Amazon. And it’s funny how all today’s really successful sites like Google, Yahoo, YouTube, and Twitter looked terrible when they first started out, but not surprising. Oh, and Craigslist looks about the same.

Check out the post here.

Sadly, Erich Kunzel, the conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, died yesterday at the age of 74 as a result multiple forms of cancer. The internationally famous musician led the Pops for over three decades and was not only an incredible musician and performer, but also a remarkable person.

I had the honor of meeting Maestro Kunzel and performing under his directorship only two short years ago. He was an inspirational leader and working with him will always remain one of the most memorable experiences of my life. His energy and enthusiasm brightened the stage and motivated everyone involved to perform their best.

I also had the opportunity to personally talk with Kunzel (and sing for him) following the performances. Actually, I even carried his luggage out to his car for him when he left Orchestra Hall. His great personality and genuine kindness and interest in people will always be remembered.

Erich Kunzel was unarguably one of the best conductors to have ever lived, and while he will be missed greatly, he also leaves a legacy that will never be forgotten.

The 36th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, hosted by the lovely Vanessa Williams, took place yesterday in Los Angeles. The Daytime Emmy awards recognize outstanding performance and excellence in American daytime programming like talk shows, game shows, soaps, and even children’s programming.

Some highlights from this year’s results: Rachael Ray won in the “talk show entertainment” category, and “Sesame Street” won a lifetime achievement award. (As a side note, I am thrilled that Sesame Street won this award…I remember watching it as a kid and am happy that my kids will be able to watch it some day too.)

Here is the complete list of winners:

• Drama series: “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
• Lead actress in a drama series: Susan Haskell, “One Life to Live.”
• Lead actor in a drama series: Christian LeBlanc, “The Young and the Restless.”
• Supporting actress in a drama series: Tamara Braun, “Days of Our Lives.”
• Supporting actor in a drama series (tie): Vincent Irizarry, “All My Children,” and Jeff Branson, “Guiding Light.”
• Younger actress in a drama series: Julie Berman, “General Hospital.”
• Younger actor in a drama series: Darin Brooks, “Days of Our Lives.”
• Game-audience participation show: “Cash Cab.”
• Game show host: Meredith Vieira, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
• Talk show-entertainment: “Rachael Ray.”
• Talk show-informative: “The Tyra Banks Show.”
• Talk show host: Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters, “The View.”
• Morning program: “Good Morning America.”
• Directing in a drama series: “One Life to Live.”
• Writing in a drama series: “General Hospital.”
• Performer in a children’s series: Kevin Clash, Elmo in “Sesame Street.”
• Lifetime achievement: “Sesame Street.”

You can view the entire list of nominees as well as great photos and footage from the event on Examiner.com here.

It seems people using Yahoo! Mail are going to be sharing some random information with everyone they email whether they want to or not.

I’ve noticed today that all incoming email messages from people using Yahoo! mail have the following tag at the bottom:

start: 0000-00-00 end: 0000-00-00

I don’t know yet if this is an exploit or just a glitch with Yahoo! mail’s system, but if it’s an exploit, it could be changed and used by whoever figured it out for sending spam through mail that legitimate Yahoo! users are sending. Hopefully it’s just a glitch though and not someone hijacking the system.

At any rate, if you use Yahoo! mail you might want to periodically email yourself at a different address to make sure you’re not sending any unwanted data you don’t know about!

Two researchers have found that a pair of antifraud methods intended to increase the chances of detecting bogus social security numbers has actually allowed the statistical reconstruction of the number using information that many people place on social networking sites.

Read more Here