Day & Night

This striking photo by Christina Crowner was the winner of Gizmodo's recent Shooting Challenge, Day to Night. Gizmodo gave photographers the ambitious task of combining day and night into a single shot. To capture this transition, participants took at least one photo during the day and at least one at night at the exact same spot. Then, using post-production software, they merged the images to create one photo. 

This wind farm was shot at 10:30am and 8:00pm. The photographer happened to capture a nearby storm in the second shot.

Chicago in a whole new light...and night!

This image combines daytime and sunset.

A day and night spent at the fair

Seen here is Canary Wharf in London.

Planet Like 'Star Wars' Tatooine Discovered Orbiting 2 Suns

It's a real-life Tatooine. A spectacle made popular by the "Star Wars" saga — a planet with two suns — has now been confirmed in space for the first time, astronomers revealed.

Scientists using NASA's Kepler space telescope captured details of a giant planet in orbit around the pair of binary stars that make up the Kepler-16 system, which is about 200 light-years away.

"This discovery is stunning," said study co-author Alan Boss at the Carnegie Institute in Washington. "Once again, what used to be science fiction has turned into reality

When Tatooine was depicted on film, many scientists doubted that such planets could really exist. Now there's proof.

"It's possible that there's a real Tatooine out there," said John Knoll, visual effects supervisor at the special-effects firm Industrial Light and Magic, which was behind the "Star Wars" films. "Kepler 16b is unambiguous and dramatic proof that planets really do form around binaries."

The new discovery is expanding the bounds of what scientists, as well as filmakers, can conceive, he said.

"Again and again we see that the science is stranger and cooler than fiction," Knoll said during a NASA press conference today. "The very existence of these discoveries gives us cause to dream bigger, to question our assumptions."

The planet, dubbed Kepler-16(AB)-b, passes in front of both stars in view of the satellite, regularly dimming their light. Each star also eclipses its companion as they orbit each other. Altogether, these motions allow scientists to precisely calculate the masses, radii and trajectories of all three bodies. 

The newfound planet keeps a distance from its stars nearly three-quarters that of the distance between the Earth and the sun. It is somewhat like Saturn in size, although nearly 50 percent denser, suggesting it is richer in heavy elements. [10 Real Alien Worlds That Could Be In 'Star Wars']

"Kepler-16(AB)-b is not habitable as we know it," said study lead author Laurance Doyle , an astrophysicist at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, Calif. 

This alien world travels on a nearly circular 229-day orbit around its two parent stars, Kepler-16A and Kepler-16B, which are about 69 and 20 percent as massive as the sun, respectively. The stars keep  close to each other — only a fifth of the distance between Earth and the sun on average, which is closer than Mercury gets to the sun — completing an orbit around each other every 41 days, researchers added. [Infographic: New Planet is Like "Star Wars'" Tatooine]

Worlds that orbit around two stars, known as circumbinary planets, had been hinted at before. Stars in pairs both orbit around a point in space called barycenter, and researchers at times saw these orbits were slightly off, suggesting the presence of a planet tugging at both stars. However, Kepler-16(AB)-b is the first planet that scientists have detected directly passing in front of, or transiting, its stars, temporarily dimming their light.

Since the movements of this world and its two stars are all virtually confined to the same plane, the researchers suggest they all formed from the same disk of dust and gas. Planets that were captured from other star systems might be expected to orbit at a range of angles.

10 Most Hated Jobs

At one time or another, we have all known at least one person who has hated his or her job. That person may have suffered silently or vented constantly, but at the end of the day there was no question this person was truly unhappy with where they spent at least 40 of his or her waking hours every week, for 51 weeks a year.

10 most hated jobs

The reasons for job dissatisfaction vary. Low pay, irregular hours, and lack of a window seat are all assumed to be culprits, and to be sure they can all contribute to a bad attitude on the job. These are actually not the primary factors driving a worker to regard tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock sharp with dread and ill will, however, according to one resource.
CareerBliss is an online resource that bases job satisfaction on multiple factors, including workplace culture, coworkers, and the boss.
According a survey of hundreds of thousands of employees conducted in 2011, CareerBliss determined the 10 most hated jobs, rated on a scale of 1 to 10. In almost all cases, respondents reported that the factors causing the most job dissatisfaction were not lousy pay or a desk near the bathroom. CareerBliss found that limited growth opportunities and lack of reward drove the misery index up more than anything else.
Read about the 10 jobs with the highest levels of employee unhappiness. The results may surprise you.
1. Director of Information Technology
For all the press that teachers and nurses get for their long hours, low pay and thankless tasks, it may be surprising to see the most hated job was that of information technology director, according to CareerBliss. After all, the salary's pretty good and with information technology such a prevalent part of everyday business, an IT director can hold almost as much sway over the fate of some companies as a chief executive.
Still, IT directors reported the highest level of dissatisfaction with their jobs, far surpassing that of any waitress, janitor, or bellhop. Of those who responded to the survey, one simple, five-word response summed up the antipathy very well: "Nepotism, cronyism, disrespect for workers."
2. Director of Sales and Marketing
A director of sales and marketing plans implements efforts to promote companies and generate business. Responsibilities often include budget management, public relations, and employee training.
Sales and marketing directors reported the second-highest level of job dissatisfaction of all survey respondents. The majority who responded negatively cited a lack of direction from upper management and an absence of room for growth as the main sources of their ire.
3. Product Manager
"Product manager" is a wide-ranging job title that takes on many meanings, depending on the company and its sector. In some cases, the job requires simply evaluating what products are best suited to a company's business model, and in others marketing, resource management, and scheduling are involved.
The level of job dissatisfaction was very high for this position. One respondent complained that it restricted growth, saying that it was "very hard to grow up the ranks." Another was less polite and said "the work is boring and there's a lot of clerical work still at my level."
4. Senior Web Developer
Senior web developers design, maintain, and develop applications for the Internet. With every business expected to have some kind of Internet presence these days, developers are found working in every type of company, in a full-time, part-time, or freelance capacity.
A senior developer is expected to be fluent in client-side and server-side contexts, and know his or her way around Python, Ruby, or whatever other arcane technology requires taming. Senior developers reported a high degree of unhappiness in their jobs, attributable to a perception their employers are unable to communicate coherently, and lack an understanding of the technology.
5. Technical Specialist
A technical specialist "leads the analysis, definition, design, construction, testing, installation, and modification of medium to large infrastructures," according to CareerBliss. This means that if a company wants to design a project, the technical specialist evaluates it to see what's possible and what isn't.
The job is a lead position that requires intimate knowledge of engineering; familiarity with Linux helps, too. However, technical specialists reported that for all their expertise, they were treated with a palpable level of disrespect. They cited a "lack of communication from upper management" and felt their "input was not taken seriously."
6. Electronics Technician
Electronics technicians maintain, troubleshoot and collect monthly measurement data for electronic systems. They work in every sector and can be employed with the phone company, a chain of fast-food restaurants, or the U.S. Navy. Whatever the case, technicians work on-site and off-site, have constant contact with clients, and must have an ability to quickly solve complex technical problems under intense pressure.
Employee dissatisfaction in this job is attributable to several factors. One respondent complained of having "too little control," while another had a litany of complaints: "Work schedule, lack of accomplishment, no real opportunity for growth, peers have no motivation to work hard, no say in how things are done, hostility from peers towards other employees."
7. Law Clerk
Clerkships are among the most highly sought-after positions in the legal profession. A law clerk assists judges as they write opinions, and the ones who get the job are almost always near the top of their class at law school. Six justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, including Elena Kagan and current Chief Justice John Roberts, were all law clerks early in their careers.
The job clearly beefs up a resume. Yet law clerks still report high levels of dissatisfaction. The hours are long and grueling, and the clerk is subject to the whims of sometimes mercurial personalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the job brings in a median salary of $39,780 a year—not exactly striking it rich—and those looking for advancement within the position simply will not find it.
8. Technical Support Analyst
Technical support analysts help people with their computer issues. This typically amounts to calmly communicating technical advice to panicked individuals, often over the phone, and then going on site to find the client simply hadn't turned the printer on.
Technical support analysts often work in a variety of environments, and they may be required to travel at a moment's notice, sometimes on holidays or weekends. After all, there's no telling when a client's computer-whiz nephew might make a minor tweak to his machine, with disastrous results.
In the words of one of the respondents, "You can do better, really."
9. CNC Machinist
CNC machinists operate computer numerical control machines. For the uninitiated, this is a machine that operates a lathe or a mill. On the upside, it renders obsolete processes that used to be performed by hand, at a slow pace and with high risk to the operator's life and limb.
Now that the CNC operator has had most of the physical hazards of manufacturing replaced by a machine, there's not a lot to do but push buttons and perform equipment inspections to make sure the coolant is at a safe level. Since it's a specialized skill, the job offers no room for advancement, which caused respondents to report a high degree of dissatisfaction.
10. Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is responsible for overseeing advertising and promotion. This involves developing strategies to meet sales objectives, based on the study of such factors as customer surveys and market behavior.
According to CareerBliss, respondents in this position most often cited a lack of direction as the primary reason for job dissatisfaction. The most optimistic respondent described it as "tolerable," and gave it the faintest praise possible by saying, "It's a job." (In this labor market, that's not such a bad thing.)

Luxury retailer introduces solid gold phone with a $60,000 price tag

Feature-rich smartphones aren't cheap, and critics of pricey mobile devices often claim that they are too expensive, despite their wide-ranging capabilities. Those people will want to look away now, as the newest device from Danish luxury retailer Aesir is sure to make their blood boil. Introducing the limited edition AE+Y phone — an 18-carat solid gold handset that can't use apps, email, or mobile internet, but still carries a ridiculous price of 42,000 euros (roughly $60,000).

The Aesir AE+Y is more shiny than smart

The lavish device boasts groundbreaking features such as speed dial, call forwarding, and even a built-in calculator. Its LCD screen measures a modest 2", and its battery can handle a measly 5 hours of talk time — compared to the Droid Bionic's 11-hour, and iPhone 4's 14-hour limits. But Aesir is focusing more on form than function, and the manufacturer is quick to point out that the edge-to-edge key design is a first in mobile handsets. The AE+Y's barebones user interface was shaped by renowned designer Tom Hingston, and the phone's unorthodox keypad is laser-engraved and features "advanced LED backlighting." We're not quite sure how that varies from regular LED backlighting, but I guess we have to take Aesir's word on that.
Aesir's target market is clearly the super rich, but do the wealthy not also desire useful gadgets? Then again, if you're affluent enough to drop $60,000 on a solid gold phone, you're probably too busy playing polo and ordering around your servants to care about apps or email anyway.
For those of you who are only rich — as opposed to super rich — Aesir is also making a stainless steel version which will retail for a slightly less mind boggling $10,000. Both devices will debut this fall in Europe, and shortly thereafter in the U.S.

WORLD BEST CITIES

No. 10 Paris

Ah, Paris. Every cobbled lane, every street-side café, every patisserie window seems to have been art-directed by some impossibly savvy set designer. Yet for all that elegance and drama, Paris’s greatest pleasures are arguably its simplest ones: the hum of a neighborhood bistro; the tranquility of a churchyard; the crunch of a perfect baguette. After all, you come to Paris to eat. Indulge serious cheese fantasies at Laurent Dubois, a fromagerie with seemingly endless options.

Barcelona, Spain

Javier Salas

No. 9 Barcelona

Barcelona has long been famous for its art and architecture, with Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and Antoni Gaudí all leaving their marks. But this is the first year that the Catalan city has broken into the World’s Best Cities top 10 list. Though diversions like wandering the Gaudí-designed Parc Güell have a timeless appeal, it’s new hot spots like Tickets, from mad-scientist brothers Ferran and Albert Adrià, that are creating the worldwide buzz. Where to stay? At the new Mandarin Oriental, where the Hong Kong hotel group’s legendary service is paired with Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s 98 bright, cream-on-white rooms.

Sydney, Australia

Mikkel Vang

No. 8 Sydney

Part outsize beach resort, part culture capital, Sydney, the perennial World’s Best City winner Down Under, exemplifies the art of relaxed cosmopolitanism: urbane but not pretentious; cutting-edge but not stressed-out. New restaurants and boutiques are channeling that Aussie energy in some oft-overlooked neighborhoods such as beachside hangout Manly. And an initiative to liven up the side lanes in the trendy Surry Hills and Darlinghurst neighborhoods has led to a slew of lounge bars opening up; try the lychee-infused tequila at Hunky Dory Social Club.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

iStock

No. 7 Siem Reap

Siem Reap is best known as the gateway to the Angkor Wat temple complex and other 12th-century Khmer ruins such as Ta Prohm, which remains as archaeologists found it in 1860, with banyan and kapok trees slowly reclaiming its sandstone carvings. But now the city has evolved from a cluster of riverfront villages into a full-fledged destination complete with art galleries, boutique hotels — and a World’s Best Cities designation. Sample the local cuisine at the FCC Angkor, a 31-room Art Deco hotel and restaurant, and drop by McDermott Gallery for black-and-white photographs of Angkor Wat.

Cape Town, South Africa

Courtesy of Twelve Apostles Hotel

No. 6 Cape Town

Cape Town is sometimes labeled the least African of African cities — which, depending on who’s doing the labeling, is said with enthusiasm or disparagement. But whatever you think of the must-see destination, post-World Cup, the city radiates a palpable cool, and now it’s surged back onto the World’s Best list with a higher score than in 2009 (the last time it appeared). Split your time between urban pursuits (browsing the trendy Neighbourgoods Market and local artists’ galleries) and excursions to see wildlife, sample wines, and stroll the beaches of the Cape of Good Hope reserve.

Istanbul, Turkey

iStock

No. 5 Istanbul

Straddling the Bosporus — and thus the only major city that occupies both Asia and Europe — Istanbul also spans the ancient and modern worlds. The sounds of construction compete with the call of the muezzin, and the skyline, a glittering ribbon of palaces and mosques, is dotted with rooftop nightclubs. One reason the city skyrocketed back onto the World’s Best Cities list after two absent years? The appeal of Istanbul’s latest culinary trend: resurrecting ancient Ottoman recipes, such as garlicky lamb’s trotter served on toast at Asitane and juicy kubbes — dumplings filled with beef and pignoli — at Cercis Murat Konaği, on the city’s Asian side.

New York

David Nicolas

No. 4 New York

For all New York’s bright-lights-big-city grandeur, one can always find a quiet neighborhood. The trick is balancing the city’s outsize spectacle with intimate experiences. The latest neighborhood to pull it off is the Chelsea arts district, between 10th and 11th avenues, most notable for the just-expanded High Line, a landscaped strip of elevated public space. On nearby blocks you’ll find buildings by Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, and Shigeru Ban, as well as marquee galleries such as Pace and Gagosian. For a picnic lunch, stop into Chelsea Market, a food-court-on-steroids, and savor a piece of the city that’s been voted No. 1 within the U.S. and Canada every year since 2000.

Rome, Italy

David Cicconi

No. 3 Rome

The Eternal City has ranked in the top 10 cities overall every year for the past decade, all while catapulting itself into the 21st century with a series of starchitect-designed buildings. Emblematic of the bold new look are the Ara Pacis, a travertine-and-glass building by Richard Meier, and Zaha Hadid’s Maxxi (Museum of 21st Century Arts), which debuted in 2010 in the northern Flaminio zone. Even the Colosseum has had a spruce-up, opening its dungeons and third-floor gallery to tours for the first time.

Florence, Italy

iStock

No. 2 Florence

With a charismatic mayor leading the way, a new generation of tastemakers is injecting a welcome dose of contemporary culture into this much-loved Renaissance city, set amid rolling hills studded with towers and churches. New galleries and aperitivo bars share the compact city center with more than one million works of art — among them Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Factor in high-fashion brands like Gucci and Cavalli, succulent steaks, and the traditional artisan workshops of the Oltrarno, and it's no wonder that Florence beat out European cities many times its size.

Bangkok, Thailand

Cedric Angeles

No. 1 Bangkok

Frenetic and sultry, this Asian metropolis of 10 million seems like a city on overdrive. High-rises jostle for space; down below, cabs and tuk-tuks inch through the gridlock. But there are moments of calm. At dawn, saffron-robed Buddhist monks collect alms, while women thread the marigold and jasmine garlands that festoon temples and shrines. And when it comes to shopping and food, the city is an endless, and often affordable, bacchanalia. It’s no wonder that Bangkok has nabbed the No. 1 spot overall for two years running — and been listed in the top 10 every year since 2002.

HISTORICAL PLACES OF PAKISTAN

 MINAR-E-PAKISTAN

 SIKH TEMPLE LAHORE

 BADSHAHI MOSQUE LAHORE

 BADSHAHI MOSQUE LAHORE

BADSHAHI MOSQUE LAHORE

PDN's Great Outdoors photo contest

12 Scary Products: Which to Eliminate, Cut Back On or Quit Worrying About

 Memorize the numbers 3, 6 and 7. These recycling codes mean plastic may have BPA, Dr. Landrigan says. Instead, store food in glass or plastic with codes 4, 5 and 12. But no plastic is "microwave safe." The claim means a container won't melt, not that chemicals won't seep into your dinner.

 "The word fragrance on a label may stand in for hundreds of chemicals," Dr. Solomon says, including phthalates and musks, endocrine disrupters that have been linked to reproductive dysfunction. The laundry room is a good place to cut back. Seek out unscented detergents and dryer sheets, as coating clothes with chemicals means you're exposed all day, all over your skin.

 Despite Internet rumors, a National Cancer Institute study of nearly 500,000 people discerned no link between consuming this sweetener and developing leukemia, lymphoma or brain cancers. Nor is it tied to multiple sclerosis or lupus. (But remember, most soda cans do contain BPA.)

 Even though conventional cotton farmers use high levels of potentially planet-harming pesticides, there's no evidence that simply wearing the fabric harms consumers, testing by the Bremen Cotton Exchange in Germany reveals. As for tampons, they expose us to 13,000 to 240,000 times fewer dioxins than our everyday diet does, according to a report in Environmental Health Perspectives. Be confident choosing any brand that works for you, organic or not.

 The debate over water fluoridation shouldn't have you questioning your Crest. The feds have advised utilities to lower the amount of fluoride allowed in tap water, due to studies linking fluoridation with bone fractures and stiffness; however, both environmentalists and dentists agree that fluoride toothpaste is safe and necessary for everyone older than 2. Check the label for a paste without triclosan—some brands add it, supposedly to prevent germs, plaque or gingivitis.

 The EPA is working to phase out perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used in making Teflon coating. Nonstick cookware, however, doesn't expose you to PFOA, even when you subject it to extreme heat, confirms a study in Food Additives & Contaminants. Scratched parts are fine, too, so flip your flapjacks fearlessly.

 Triclosan, the chemical used in hundreds of germ-fighting products, may damage the liver and disrupt thyroid hormones. These products contribute to drug resistance, and people using antimicrobial soap get sick as often as regular suds users, a review in the American Journal of Public Health finds. Toss triclosan. Gotta sanitize? Opt for alcohol-based gels.

 Tobacco smoke contains ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and 50 chemicals known to cause cancer. "Plus, smoking damages your lungs, kidneys and liver, the body's detoxifiers, which protect you from other chemical exposures," notes consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Toxic Free.

 "Fresh" paint smell signals volatile organic compounds, solvents that can trigger breathing issues, headaches and dizziness, and that research links to reproductive problems and birth defects, says Gina Solomon, M.D., senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in San Francisco. Low- or no-VOC paints from brands such as Benjamin Moore have a similar texture but less toxicity.

 "Essentially, they're air pollution," Dadd argues. Up to 20 percent of all people (and 34 percent of asthmatics) say they've had headaches, trouble breathing or other problems after inhaling room sprays, says researcher Anne Steinemann, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. To get smells out of soft materials like sofas, Dadd advises, spritz on straight vodka from an atomizer.

 BPA, the synthetic estrogen linked to cancer and abnormal brain development, is in the lining of most food and beverage cans, and it can leach out. Whether the food is organic doesn't matter, USDA tests show. When possible, buy fresh or frozen items; there's no BPA in plastic freezer bags, says Sarah Janssen, M.D., senior scientist at the NRDC.

Using chlorine bleach, cleaning sprays and disinfectants more than once a week is linked to asthma, says the author of a 2010 Spanish review of studies. Dr. Solomon adds, "There is a role for strong cleaning agents if used with care." Save them for serious mold and mildew, and never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, because the combo produces toxic fumes. Wear gloves, open the windows, and dilute every cup of bleach you use in 10 cups of water.

Checkerboard Slightly warped.

This image appears to bulge in the middle, but all of the lines are completely straight and parallel! The apparent warping is caused by the placement of the black and white pips in the corners of the squares. See the next image for an overlay that will make the illusion more obvious.

Pouring Faucets Pour it on.

Because of distortion caused by the grey bars, this still image has a strobing effect that makes it appear as if the water is flowing.

Green and Blue Two colors or one?

Believe it or not, the "green" and "blue" colors in this spiral are exactly the same. They appear different because of the way our eyes perceive them in relation to the contrasting orange and pink stripes. Our eyes contain millions of 'cones' which decode light wavelengths to determine colors. When certain colors are combined, our brain is unable to process the information properly.

What We Just Learned About Windows 8

The new look of Windows 8 has been known for a few months — ever since Windows President Steven Sinofsky and VP Julie Larson-Green showed it at D9 in June. However, much of the operating system has remained top secret until this week, when Microsoft is sharing the details at its Build developer conference in Anaheim.

AllThingsD is covering the event, including live coverage of Monday’s Tuesday’s keynote speech.

In the mean time, here are a few new things that Microsoft is detailing about Windows 8 this week:

Picture log-ins
Windows 8 allows users to log in using either a PIN or password, but adds an option allowing users to look at a photo and make dots or lines on it as their log-in. (Hint: Using a face and dotting the eyes and drawing a line where the mouth is represents the equivalent of making your password 1-2-3-4.)

New way to connect apps
Microsoft calls these “contracts” and they allow applications to talk to one another without either having to be aware of the other. Instead, one app agrees that it wants to be a search engine and another app decides it wants to build in search into its application.

“Lucky” Charms
By swiping a finger in from the right edge of the screen, users have access to a consistent set of options, including search, a settings menu as well as persistent options for sharing content via various tools.

Microsoft will use its suite of online services to allow users to access photos stored on SkyDrive, Facebook and Flickr just as if they were stored locally. Windows 8 will similarly blend instant messaging, contact information and calendars across multiple services via the cloud.

Connection to other Windows PCs

Users will be able to easily transfer all of their settings from one machine to another just by logging into Windows Live. Furthermore, Windows 8 supports direct access to all of a user’s PCs. (I would assume the other PC has to be running in order to access it).

The Windows Store
An app store icon was visible in the D9 demo, but Microsoft didn’t comment at all on it. Now we know how the store looks — it’s a Metro-style app — as well as how it will work for both consumers and for developers. Also, it will stock both new-style programs as well as classic Desktop applications. Microsoft wasn’t forthcoming on the business details, such as what percentage it plans to take, but some documents make reference to a revenue-sharing arrangement. The store will support free and paid apps, as well as in-app payments.

The Windows Store will be the exclusive way for consumers to get Metro-style apps and for developers to sell such programs, I’m told. (Businesses will be able to create and distribute internal Metro-style apps for employees.) Traditional-style desktop apps will continue to be sold in the same ways they have been, though developers can create a landing page in the Windows store for such programs.

Built-in antivirus software
Windows has had anti-malware built-in for some time and has offered free, downloadable antivirus software for a while now. However, with Windows 8 the antivirus component is built into the operating system as well. The company does promise that the security program, Windows Defender, will play nice and take a back seat if a user installs third-party antivirus software.

ANIMATED PICTURES