When someone buys a Ferrari, they are probably not too concerned with the fuel economy that they are going to get from their Italian exotic. However, fuel economy is something that Ferrari has to to worry about, even if their customers don’t care. Rumor has it that in order to help lower their average emissions ratings Ferrari is considering developing a turbocharged V6 for future models. However, the question remains that a direct-injection V8 could be equally as efficient, clean, and powerful. All automakers are feeling the pressure to make cleaner, more efficient cars, and apparently Ferrari is no exception.

BMW has released official information on the all-new 2009 7 Series. Powered by BMW’s new 400 HP twin-turbo V8, the big sedan should scoot to 60 in under six seconds. Also new is an updated iDrive system, which has been designed to be more straightforward and easy to use than it’s predecessor. More details should follow when the car is officially revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

Truemor has it that voting is open in the Alltop badge contest. Just go here to start the process. The top five vote getters will win an iPod Touch. Rumor has it that Alltop serves over 200,000 badges per day already.

Did you know that watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger the production of a compound which helps relax the body’s blood vessels? It is found in the flesh and rind of the watermelon. Now don’t get carried away by the title of this Truemor, because watermelons are not organ specific, however watermelons have several health benefits for the heart, circulatory and immune systems. Also, it is a sweet and tasty summertime fruit!
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New research shows us that when we imagine something, our imagination can change the way we visually perceive things, during imagination and later on. In other words, a powerful perceptual experience can change the way a person sees things later. Therefore although imagery and vision are related, imagery directly influences what we see. So then is it possible that sometimes when we are biased, we are actually imagining too much?
(Photo Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen /iStockphoto)

Have you ever accidentally tossed your cell phone into a glass of iced tea, a pool, or (eek!) the toilet? According to the Le Mars Daily Sentinel in Le Mars, Iowa (where this is apparently a big problem), you can wash off your phone and stick it in a bag of uncooked rice for a few days. The rice will suck up the water and there is a 50% to 70% chance your phone will work again!

San Jose’s favorite son, Joey Chestnut, defeated Takeru Kobayashi in overtime at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Tied at 59 hot dogs apiece after 10 minutes in regulation, they raced to eat 5 hot dogs in overtime. Chestnut is the first back to back winner of the contest since Kobayashi strung six consecutive wins together from 2001-2006. Some analysts credit Chestnut’s strong upper abdominal muscles for his success.

Larry Harmon, the guy who bought the rights to Bozo the Clown and made Bozo the distinctive American icon that he became, passed away today at the age of 83. Harmon was also a great entrepreneur, licensing his Bozo character and training Bozos for local television markets. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama both pledged to carry on Bozo’s legacy.

Did you know that the colorless gas called nitrogen trifluoride that is used in the manufacture of flat screen televisions, is 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide? It is believed that the impact of this gas towards global warming is much larger than the impact from the worlds coal fired power plants. No one knows how much of this gas is being released into the atmosphere especially because emissions of the gas are not restricted by the Kyoto protocol or any similar agreements.
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It appears that certain mysterious figures have been spotted at a few high profile events like the Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta in England. No one knows the identity of these faceless figures. Could they be aliens from another planet?
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A woman woke up to find that one of her toes was missing and later discovered that her pet dachshund was responsible. She did not feel a thing because of nerve damage she suffered from diabetes. For the safety of others, the dog had to be euthanized. Certainly dogs and diabetes don’t mix.
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A woman from Ontario, in Canada, suffered a stroke and recovered from it after a long therapy. But after she regained her speech, she began to speak with a Newfoundland accent although she has never been anywhere close to that part of Canada. Isn’t that fascinating? This is the first case of its kind in Canada and there are only about fifty people around the world with this very rare condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome.
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Mercedes-Benz is readying a final special edition of their SLR supercar. This new version, dubbed the Speedster, will be more lightweight than the regular version of the car. The car also doesn’t have a windshield, instead using just an F1 style wind deflector to move air over the driver’s head at speeds of over 200 MPH. Expect the official unveiling to occur at the Paris motor show.

Scientists have found a calculus computing center which tells primitive roundworms how to navigate towards food and away from poison. By understanding the behavior of these roundworms, researchers are seeking to find suitable treatment for the hundreds of thousands who have problems related to taste and smell. Are we learning more about ourselves from roundworms?
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The latest development in the Viacom case against Google’s YouTube means that the Viacom legal team will know how many times you viewed that darn drama prairie dog (or gopher, whatever) video. A U.S. court has ordered that Google must disclose the viewing habits of each and every user who has ever plopped down in front of their computer and watched a YouTube video. The ruling means Viacom will have over 12 terabytes of data to prove their claim that allegedly infringing videos hold more appeal than non-infringing flicks.

In Canada, they have just found what is considered to be the largest gem-quality diamond ever to be recovered from a diamond exploration drill program. It looks like an ice crystal and is valued at $17,500 a carat making it worth $440,000.
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When Cosmopolitan launched in 1886, the glossy’s editor called it a “first-class family magazine.” Indeed, early issues of the mag featured articles by the likes of Jack London and Theodore Roosevelt, and covered topics like climbing Mount Vesuvius and the life of Mozart. In recent decades, Cosmo moved away from family fun towards a level of sexual explicitness that makes third wave feminists cringe and hapless women fixated on pleasing men.

If your tween daughter has a penchant for short-shorts and half-shirts, you may want to consider investing in some threads from a new website launched by the fashionistas of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints. Yep, the same FLDS sect recently raided by Texas authorities. Originally the site only featured pictures of clothing as many of the polygamous sect’s children remained in state custody, but now smiling FLDS kids mug for the camera in the dresses, overalls and other ankle-to-wrist gear. Nothing makes kids happier than multiple husbands, polyester and gargantuan bangs.

Sometimes you just want to take a bite out of communism or at least a little lick. Satisfy your sweet tooth and nutty desire to know what the former head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic tastes like with Vladimir Lenin head pops. The Lenin lollipop apparently tastes like cola, which would mean a Woodrow Wilson sucker would likely taste like Orange Crush.

Beer cravings can make an otherwise sane person go a little bonkers. Take, for example, the case of a knife-wielding prisoner at a minimum security lock-up in Germany who demanded five bottles of beer after taking a woman hostage. Or the 74-year-old woman in LA that crashed through the window of a convenience store, stumbled out of the wreck and proceeded to try and buy a six-pack of brewskies. Looks like something’s in the hops.

Did you know that the sound quality of the Stradivarius is actually determined by the growth rings in the wood used to make the violin? For a long time music lovers and researchers have tried to understand the real reason behind the melodious sound of the Stradivarius, especially when compared to violins made from modern wood. Using CT scans, Dutch scientists are now able to determine how the microstructure of the wood can influence the way vibrations travel through it.
(Photo Credit: David Carrick /iStockphoto)

Wrap your noggin around this: a team of researchers has created the world’s first complete high-resolution map that shows how the outer brain layer’s neural fibers connect and communicate. The mapping marks a major step towards understanding how the highly complex part of the brian responsible for higher level thinking operates and could help other other scientists continue mapping the brain’s trillions of neural links. Understanding how the brain is connected may allow for successful predictions as to what the brain will do.

A solar and wind-powered electronic billboard will debut in New York’s Times Square in December, becoming the flashy intersection’s first eco-friendly ad. Forty-five solar panels and four wind turbines will power the nearly 6,000 square foot billboard, resulting in a reduction of carbon dioxide usage by 18 tons a year. Relying solely on alternative energy, the sign’s floodlights will go dark on gloomy and wind-less days in the Big Apple.

Eddie Murphy has hinted he wants to retire from acting. The Norbit star told Extra, “Thirty years and I have close to 50 movies and it is like, ‘Why am I in the movies? I’ve done that part now. I’ll go back to the stage and do stand-up.” Apparently the amount the movie studio wanted to pay him was seven digits. Can we pay him eight digits to not do stand up either?

For the third consecutive year, Mississippi has claimed the title of fattest state, while Colorado repeats as the leanest. West Virginia passed Alabama to grab a chubby spot towards the top (or bottom, depending on your perspective) as the second fattest state in 2008. Washington DC was the only region to boast a slimdown while Delaware seemed to suffer an influx Krispy Kreme and White Castle with the east coast state jumping eight places. Step away from the computer and go for a jog!