Irish iPhone developer, Steven Troughton-Smith who had figured out a way to enable Emoji icons on the iPhone using a simple hack (even if you aren't on Japan's SoftBank network) has revealed plans to bring the Dashboard to the iPhone which is supposed to work like Dashboard on a Mac; giving you easy access to your favorite widgets.

"It does not matter how beautiful your theory is,
it does not matter how smart you are.
If it does not agree with experiment, it's wrong."

Nobel Physicist Richard P. Feynman

Generators that convert Zero Point Energy are expected to provide sufficient power to demonstrate replacement of the plug needed by a plug-in hybrid car. This will be a harbinger of automobiles that need no conventional fuel or recharge. A prototype system is anticipated to replace an automobile engine. That goal might be achieved much more rapidly if development involves four teams of engineers and technicians working 24/7. The prototype will lead to mass production of an entirely new variety of automotive power plant.

Electric vehicles powered by these generators will breathe new life into auto manufacturing.

Skepticism is anticipated and understandable. However, Independent laboratory validation, Demonstration Devices and toys are included in the program.

Who will not want to own an electric car that never requires fuel or recharge? Car companies will see demand in excess of production capacity. A beacon of hope can be found here for the entire world economy.

The next step will be Vehicle to Grid (V2G) power sufficient to pay for many vehicles over a reasonable period of time. Today, prototype V2G systems are being prototyped that use a hefty two way plug. In one direction, the batteries are recharged. When suitably parked, a local utility can purchase power stored in the vehicles’ batteries. It has been estimated car owners might earn up to $4,000 per year from such payments.

Now imagine vehicles that need no batteries and can supply far more power - in some cases up to 150 kW. That is a power plant that can earn considerably more. And the connection to the utility will need no wires!

Who will not be interested in a car or truck that pays for itself and possible more! This technology can kick-start the economy and will provide a multitude of new jobs!

Drew Barrymore to Direct Twilight 3?

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Drew Barrymore knows a thing or two about extraterrestrials, so vampires shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

The E.T. actress is in talks to direct Eclipse, the third entry in the Twilight franchise.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Barrymore is among the top choices to follow in the footsteps of Catherine Hardwicke, who helmed Twilight, and Chris Weitz, who's about to start filming the first sequel, New Moon.

Hardwicke opted out of the franchise because she felt she didn't have enough breathing room to do the follow-up justice. And because of producer Summit Entertainment's tight release schedule—New Moon is set for a Nov. 20, 2009, release and Eclipse just six months later, on June 30, 2010—Weitz will be in post-production on New Moon while Eclipse is filming.

Barrymore has just wrapped her feature-directing debut with Whip It!, starring Ellen Page.

A rep for Barrymore declined to comment on the report.

Meanwhile, in the day's other big movie news:

• Eddie Murphy is attached to star as his idol, Richard Pryor, in a new biopic being written and directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls). Murphy is reportedly taking a big paycut for the potentially Oscar-bait project, according to Entertainment Weekly.

• Antonio Banderas has been wooed for Woody Allen's next project, per Variety, joining an all-star ensemble that includes Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins. As usual, the Oscar-winning auteur is keeping a tight lid on the plot of the untitled flick, which starts shooting this summer in London.

• Returning to his stand-up roots for the first time in seven years, Robin Williams will do a brief five-night residency at Broadway's Neil Simon Theater April 28-May 3 as part of his latest solo show, Weapons of Self-Destruction. The funnyman kicked off an 80-city trek earlier this month in Santa Barbara, Calif.

• Per the Hollywood Reporter, Seth Green has signed on to star in Disney's Mars Needs Moms, the Robert Zemeckis-produced CGI adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's children's book about a boy who stows away aboard a UFO to save his mom (Joan Cusack) from a bunch of ETs. Dan Fogler and Mindy Sterling costar.

• Chris O'Donnell coming aboard CBS' NCIS spin-off opposite LL Cool J. The actor will play Callen, the troubled, mysterious lead agent of a squad of naval investigators whose reputation for undercover work is impeccable. The show debuts later this season as a two-hour special.

College is viewed by many people these days as a diploma factory. You show up go to certain classes in a certain order, and eventually receive a diploma. There’s not a lot of love for learning for learning’s sake anymore. But that hasn’t stopped many colleges from offering plenty of quirky unique classes that go over non standard educational topics. A lot of the odd courses we found sound like lots of fun, but with tuition costs skyrocketing is it really worth it to spend thousands of dollars on fun diversions? Read on and decide.

15. Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows

University of California, Berkeley

Not quite what one would expect, the professor of this course emphasizes repeatedly in the course listing that this class is “NOT a course about law or “legal reasoning.” It is instead an exploration of logical fallacies that are often presented by defendants and plaintiffs on court television shows like Judge Judy and The People’s Court. Seems right up the alley of most college students, as they are squarely in the demographic of afternoon television programming (which also targets the elderly and unemployed).

>>> Course listing (scroll down a bit)

14. Underwater Basket Weaving

University of California, San Diego

The course that is used interchangeably with “waste of time college class”, but surprisingly it actually exists, both at UC San Diego and at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. According to Wikipedia anyway. Underwater basket weaving involves making wicker baskets by dipping reeds or stalks of plants into water, and letting them soak. Full body immersion is optional I suppose.

13. Learning From YouTube

Pitzer College

This college course literally involves watching YouTube videos to study the impact on culture that the video sharing site has had. Students also upload their own videos to the class YouTube channel. The teacher started the course after being “underwhelmed by the quality of the video content on the site”. You can actually see some of the classes if you’re so inclined, here’s 10 minutes from their November 16, 2007 meeting.

>>> Pitzer Class YouTube Channel

12. Philosophy and Star Trek

Georgetown University

Philosophy classes often use pop culture to start discussion, there are even plenty of books out there with similar themes as this college class (here’s Seinfeld and Philosophy for instance), but still, when it comes down to it, this course and the philosophical under trappings are just being used as an excuse to talk a little Star Trek. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

>>> Course Listing

11. The Art of Walking

Centre College

This might sound like the epitome of college fluff, but it’s actually a class dealing with Immanuel Kant’s “Critique of Judgment”. The course offers a mixture of lectures and walks around the Danville, Kentucky area including strolls through “nature preserves, battlefields, cemeteries, the nearby Shaker Village, campuses and farms”. Students are also given freelance walking assignments in addition to more traditional college work like reading and term papers.

10. Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles

University of Wisconsin

While I’m sure most guys would rather gouge out their own eyes than take a course on soap operas, this is probably right up many young women’s alley. This is part of UW’s Women’s Studies program, which I think is kind of unfortunate given the view some people have of that major already. Talk about giving them more ammunition. The course isn’t really about soap operas per se, it’s actually about the role they play in family and work lives of the people who watch them.

9. Joy of Garbage

Santa Clara University

The Joy of Garbage is a Santa Clara University course that actually deals with real science through the lens of garbage. Students study decomposition, what makes soil rot, the chemicals that give garbage an unpleasant odor, and they also learn about sustainability when it comes to the things we throw away. Classes don’t just study household garbage either, there’s also a section on nuclear waste. And topping things off there are even field trips, with students visiting local sanitation plants and landfills.

8. The Science of Superheroes

University of California at Irvine

Students at UC Irvine can learn about physics by using familiar superhero icons such as Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. The professor teaches the physics of flying and fluid dynamics using Superman as his example, and the students also learn about super strong spider silk as used by Spider-Man. The professor explains it saying “It gives me a chance to talk about real science but in a context that is very familiar to the students”.

7. Zombies in Popular Media

Columbia College, Chicago

Here’s one I’d have to consider signing up for, the history of zombies in popular media. Lest you think it’s just about zombie movies, it should be emphasized that the course also covers the history of voodoo in Hait, and video games like Resident Evil as well as zombies in cinema.

>>> Course Listing

6. The Science of Harry Potter

Frostburg State University

Not only does Frostburg State offer a course on the science of Harry Potter - it’s an honors course. The class discusses topics such as whether or not Fluffy the three headed dog could be explained by genetic engineering or if antigravity research could actually produce a flying broomstick. The course is modeled after (and uses as a textbook) the book “The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works,” by Roger Highfield. The class is geared towards non-science majors and, probably not surprisingly, there is no lab work.

5. Cyberporn and Society

State University of New York at Buffalo

Students taking this course watch porn. At school. There are actually quite a few porn courses in the US, as outlined in this Time article, including a class at Northwestern that deals with obscenity where the professor screens the Italian movie Saló, a film that has a great argument for being the sickest movie ever made. Seeing it in a college course would be extremely bizarre.

4. Simpsons and Philosophy

University of California-Berkeley

This one is probably predictable as you’ve got a twenty year old show with plenty of rich fairly intellectual material and a main character with the name of “Homer”. UC-Berkeley claims this isn’t at all a dumbed down class, but a fairly rigorous philosophical course. The text of the class is the book “The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh of Homer,” edited by William Irwin and features weighty questions such as “Can Nietzsche’s rejection of traditional morality justify Bart’s bad behavior?”.

3. Far Side Entomology

Oregon State

The comic strip “The Far Side” featured a rich universe filled with interesting animals and bugs. Far Side Entomology professor Michael Burgett uses the comic strip as a teaching tool to explore interactions between humans and insects. About the course, Burgett says “The anthropomorphism in the cartoons makes an immediate connection between insects and people … Students take those connections farther, connecting to ideas and relationships they wouldn’t have imagined in a straight systematics course.”

2. Myth and Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings

Centre College

Tiny Centre College makes their second appearance on our list, this time with a class focusing on contemporary epics. Students not only study Stars Wars, The Matrix, and The Lord Of The Rings, they also discuss television shows like Star Trek, Stargate, Dr. Who, The X-Files, and Babylon 5. The course weds these modern day tales to classical myths, showing that many of the narrative devices and patterns employed then are still used in today’s epics.

1. The Strategy of StarCraft

University of California, Berkley

I’m sure that in South Korea one could major in StarCraft, but it’s a bit strange seeing a college course about the game here in the US. The class uses StarCraft to teach the art of war, discussing strategy and tactics in the famous game. This is actually a student led program in Berkeley’s alternative education program, but we give it major props for creativity. The class has even received a fair amount of publicity with GamePro documenting the first day of class.

THE father of a young Slumdog Millionaire star BEAT the lad yesterday — for wanting to have a rest.

Mohammed Ismail slapped and kicked his ten-year-old son Azharuddin in front of shocked neighbours and passers-by.

Hero ... Azharuddin's return home

The tearful boy — who plays young hero Jamal — ran back inside his home, cowering and begging his father to stop as he tried to hide in a corner.

Azharuddin had just flown back to India from Los Angeles, where he and the movie’s other young stars watched as it picked up eight Oscars.

Attention

He had been given the day off school after his long flight and wanted to rest, but his father — who hopes child star Azharuddin could be his ticket out of Mumbai’s Dharavi slum — wanted to show him off outside their home.

The boy refused to co-operate — and said so out loud — and his 45-year-old father launched his attack as his mother pleaded with the thuggish dad to stop.

Tears ... boy after beating

One stunned onlooker said: “Azharuddin’s father was upset that he was asking to be left alone because he was so tired. He didn’t attend school today so that he could recover from his long flight from LA and simply wanted all the attention to stop. However, when Azharuddin put his foot down and said that was it and there was to be no more talking, Ismail just flipped.”

The ugly scene was in stark contrast to Azharuddin’s triumphant return to the slums, when his father lifted him up and paraded him like a trophy.

Hours later Ismail — who suffers from tuberculosis — apologised for the attack.

He said: “I was very sorry I did what I did. “I was confused and stressed by my son’s homecoming and I did not know myself for a minute. I love my boy and I am very happy to have him home.”

As an illustration of luck, it doesn’t get much more explosive.

This remarkable picture shows how two bullets from opposing troops fused after striking each other in mid-air.

The odds of the clash are said to be a billion-to-one and it could well have saved the lives of two soldiers.

Billion to one chance: Two bullets (one French, one Russian) which fused in mid-air during the Crimea War. It is almost impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins

What makes the discovery more incredible is that the bullets are 150 years old and were found on the battlefields of the Crimean War, now in Ukraine. One has been identified as Russian, the other French.

The discovery is said to have been made close to Balaclava, site of the notorious Charge of the Light Brigade, one of the most notorious events in British military history.

The finder of the bullets - a walker whose name has not been disclosed - is said to be seeking to sell the unique war memorabilia to a military museum.

Conflict: French troops march on Russian lines in the Crimean War

The Ukrainian authorities were unable to throw any light on the exact circumstances of the find or who had validated the discovery as being genuine Russian and French bullets.

A spokesman for the local authority in the Crimea said: 'We have no official information about this discovery.'

Nor has the exact site of the discovery been disclosed, though there has been a wide discussion of the bullets in blogs.

Warfare at its most courageous and tragic: The Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 during the Crimean War

The Crimean War, between 1853 and 1856, was fought between tsarist Russia and an alliance of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire.

More than 374,000 perished in the campaign, including 2,755 British killed in action, 2,019 from wounds and 16,323 from disease.

At issue was European influence over the territories controlled by the declining Ottoman Empire.

The bullets would originally have looked like this

The Crimea War also brought to public attention the pioneering nursing of Florence Nightingale - called 'The lady with the lamp' - who cared for soldiers killed in battle but also from diseases such as typhoid, cholera and dysentery.

The Charge of the Light Brigade was seen as highlighting the failings of aristocratic, self-centred generals who appeared to have little concern for casualties.

My brother got a 0/10 on his 10th grade research paper thesis. You won't believe why.