The world’s first humanoid robot

Orbiters meet Baxter…..Baxter, orbiters. The world’s first humanoid robot, Baxter could soon be making an appearance in a workplace near you! This robot is meant to work alongside other human workers and can even apply common sense! Baxter has an LCD face and a 360 degree set of cameras as a head- which he uses to detect when a human is close, to guide himself, and to work on his own. However, Baxter does need his human co-worker to train him how to work with the implements coming down the assembly line. Manufacturers of the bot say they hope Baxter will be an innovative way to compete in our global economy. With a $25,000 price tag, Baxter costs less than paying an employee’s salary. Okay Red Orbit, don’t get any ideas! Here is a story that’s close and dear to my own heart….Russia revealed a field with trillions of carats of diamonds! Resting beneath an asteroid crater, Russia discovered the diamonds in the 1970s but decided to keep hush, hush. Called “impact diamonds,” these sparkly gems are harder than other diamonds and are useful in industry. Unfortunately, they’re of no use to jewelers. Ah man! This discovery will sustain the market for the next… oh 3,000 years and makes Russia a diamond super-power. I’ll forgive you Russia for keeping your diamonds a secret since I can’t wear one on my finger. A new study, appropriately named F is for Fat, reports that Americans will only get fatter by 2030. Currently 35.7% adults and 16.9% of children are obese in the US. The report projects that obesity rates will be at least 44% in every state and over 60% in 13 states by 2030. As a result, Americans will be facing more health complications like Type 2 Diabetes, chronic heart disease, and stroke. Mississippi weighed in as the worst with a projected obesity rate of 66.7% by 2030. However, researchers urge that this could be a turning point. They recommend adding health policies that would prevent this projected rise. So drop that double bacon cheddar burger and super-sized fries America before it’s too late! (Sound of toilet flushing). Dangit! There goes my cell phone again! According to third-party warranty company Square Trade, many an iPhone falls casualty to the loo. The company released statistics on cell phone repairs and replacements. They reported that Americans spend more on iPhone repair than any political candidate will spend on their campaign and $2.6 billion more than we spend on toilet paper. And not only is Mississippi the winner for the highest obesity rate, but it also racked up the most damage to iPhones. Well, I guess congrats are in order for Mississippi! A new study suggests that the federal model for estimating the costs of carbon pollution is faulty. Researchers say that they have found a more accurate accounting of costs which suggests that cleaner sources of energy may also be more economic. They go on to say that estimates by the government are incomplete because they ignore the climate damage costs that future generations will incur. These new findings suggests that benefits of carbon reduction range anywhere from 2.6 to 12 times higher than current government estimates redOrbit (http://s.tt/1nQ2m)