Reader Jonathan Hendry wrote in with some interesting backstory related to my post about Apple, Inc. becoming a defense contractor:

Actually, [Steve] Jobs isn't a stranger to selling to the Pentagon. While his products are thought of as consumer electronics, there was a time when his best customers were in very serious industries like defense and high finance (UBS, Swissbank, Merrill Lynch, First Chicago, Soros, etc).

Jobs' company NeXT Computer (which Apple bought in 1997, bringing him back into the fold) sold quite a few machines to the spooks in the early 90s. The spy agencies liked how quickly software could be developed on the NeXT operating system. I personally interviewed for a defense-oriented NeXT programming job with, I think, Lockheed-Martin back in 1994, my senior year of college. (I don't recall what the system was, but I know I would have needed a security clearance - they gave me the forms to fill out. I wound up taking a job in Chicago that put me on a contract at Swissbank.)

Around 1993, NeXT stopped making computers, changing to an OS-only strategy. Supposedly they had to run the assembly line for a little while longer, in order to fulfill the spare-parts stock requirements of their defense contracts.

I expect Mr. Jobs is feeling a little deja vu right now.

Jonathan's email reminded me that the Pentagon has recently begun integrating Apple computers to bolster its network security. So, high-profile defense contracts are nothing new to the most powerful man in business.

Steve Jobs's shop recently announced the $278 million purchase of a small computer-chip maker named P.A. Semi—a takeover that most analysts assumed was designed to shore up efficient chip technology for future versions of the iPhone.

But it turns out some of P.A. Semi's best customers are defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, and they're not at all comfortable with the company's new latte-drinking, yoga-practicing, peacenik boss. Rumors are flying that Apple will shut down production of a key processor used in "more than 10" different defense systems.

EE Times reports: 

Apple Inc. may have to face the ire of the U.S. Department of Defense following its planned acquisition of P.A. Semi Inc. The startup's PWRficient processor is designed into DoD programs in every major branch of the armed services, said one P.A. Semi customer who expects Apple will end production of the parts.

"We've had customers saying they are going to the DoD on this one," said a source in one of the several companies making embedded computer boards with the processor.

Lends new meaning to the term "iPod Killer," doesn't it?

The details of the 2006 “Liquid bomb” plot have finally been spilled. The Guardian reports that yesterday the prosecution in the trial of eight men charged with hatching the plot, revealed a diary belonging to one of the alledeged conspirators. Inside police found specific details of the explosive cocktail.

The plan was to create an explosive mixture of hydrogen peroxide, Tang and some other easily-obtainable chemicals. The mixture was to be detonated with the power supply from a disposable camera. The aim was  probably to produce an explosive called HMTD, which has been used in previous suicide attacks and was the most likely explosive used in the 7/7 London bombings. Tang, a powdered citrus drink, would have both disguised the liquid explosive, as well as provided chemicals needed for the explosion.

Bruce Schneier’s blog is hosting a compelling debate on the likelihood that the bombers could have assembled these bombs in-flight, and how much damage they would have done. So far the consensus judgment seems dubious.
 

A couple weeks back, we pointed out that John McCain likes to refer to America as "She," a habit that I assume builds some linguistic distance between himself and Hillary Clinton. Hillary could never refer to America as "She," so McCain subtly infers that a president Clinton could never protect the country in the same way that a masculine figure could.

David Corn over at Mother Jones took the analysis a step further:

Could the implication be that Barack Obama is not quite American and that he is not interested in protecting our country, which the ad describes with the feminine pronoun. In other words, the half-black dude with a funny name--who might be a secret Muslim--can't protect her. Has Lee Atwater been resurrected? This smacks of the George H.W. Bush smear-tossing campaign against Michael Dukakis in 1988--but also of Hillary Clinton's claims that Obama is not yet ready to be commander in chief.

Here's McCain's latest ad with the gender-specific language. Is this subtle racism, sexism, or just traditional political language? You be the judge.

Great business minds can agree on one thing these turbulent days: The United States is in danger of losing its competetive edge. Bill Gates has complained about it. Tom Friedman is worried America has fallen behind in the green technology race. Intel Chairman Craig Barrett wrote about the United States' research and development void for FP a couple of years ago.

So when Fast Company published its list of The 50 Most Innovative Companies in the world, I expected it to be loaded with Bangalore and Shenzhen-based startups. But to my surprise, 38 of the 50 most innovative companies in the world are still in the United States. Only three hail from India or China, and only four from all of Europe.

But it's not all good news for the buy-America crowd. Not a single U.S. car company makes the cut (the only two listed are Toyota and Tata motors). There's not a single U.S. airline, telecom, oil, or chemical company. Of course the list tends to favor young companies and Internet darlings, but that's no excuse for the stagnation that has kept once-great giants like General Motors, Ford, and AT&T off this list.

Here are the top 10 from Fast Company's list of 50. For the rest, be sure to visit the Web site.

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Facebook
4. General Electric
5. IDEO
6. NIKE
7. NOKIA
8. Alibaba
9. Amazon
10. Nintendo

Of course, anytime someone publishes a list, it's our duty to debate what was left off. Here are three innovative, non-U.S. companies that immediately come to mind: Virgin Atlantic, Honda, and Canon. Whom am I missing?

Mohammed Abbas of Reuters reports on the ever-expanding influence of Chuck Norris:

Norris' appeal is not restricted to U.S. troops either. At an Iraqi police graduation ceremony in Falluja, graduates called out for their "Chuck Norris" to pose with them for photos.

"Truthfully, I didn't know who he was. I asked the Americans, and they said he was a great fighter, and that's why they named me after him. They showed me a video, and it's true, he's a great fighter" said police trainer Mohammed Rasheed. With his handle-bar moustache, Rasheed has a vague resemblance to Norris.

Another police trainer said Chuck Norris was a role model for the police in Falluja, which until 2007 was an al Qaeda stronghold and the scene of fierce battles with security forces. "I've seen his videos, he's a hero. He saves the city, he protects women and children and he fights crime wherever it is. We should all be like Chuck Norris," Khaled Hussein said.

Since the beginning of the year, John McCain seems to have settled on a consistent set of closing remarks for his most important speeches. Whenever he talks about America, he refers to his favorite nation with the feminine pronoun, "her." But in three out of the last four primary and caucus victory speeches he's delivered, McCain has stepped up his invocation of Lady Liberty. Here are the last few lines of McCain's New Hampshire victory speech:

So, my friends, we celebrate one victory tonight and leave for Michigan tomorrow to win another. But let us remember that our purpose is not ours alone; our success is not an end in itself. America is our cause -- yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Her greatness is our hope; her strength is our protection; her ideals our greatest treasure; her prosperity the promise we keep to our children; her goodness the hope of mankind. That is the cause of our campaign and the platform of my party, and I will stay true to it so help me God.

This is hardly the first time anyone invoked America in the same way they might refer to a great ship, and it isn't even the first time for McCain. But the use of the word "her" seems to have taken on a greater frequency and urgency in his oratory since January. I tend to think that this subtle change in McCain’s language is calculated to establish two things.

First, using "her" shows McCain as a traditionalist. He talks about great causes the way a founding father might have spoken. And second, McCain establishes himself as a paternal figure: a man who has the power to protect, honor and provide for a woman -- when that woman just happens to be the USA. It's a subtle way to imply that a woman would not be able to do the same job as president as a man. Certainly, it would sound strange for Hillary Clinton to refer to America as "her." In this way, McCain can covertly raise the gender issue without ever sounding overtly sexist.

From this morning's press conference with President Bush:

Q What's your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing --
 
THE PRESIDENT: Wait, what did you just say? You're predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?
 
Q A number of analysts are predicting --
 
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yeah?
 
Q -- $4 a gallon gasoline this spring when they reformulate.
 
THE PRESIDENT: That's interesting. I hadn't heard that.
 
Q Yes, sir.
 
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I know it's high now.

Check out this offering from Operationcheckpoint.com, a Web site devoted to "airport security education for children":

Scan It®is an educational and creative play toy that helps children become acclimated with airport and public spaces security. The device is both a fun toy and an educational tool.  It detects metal objects and simulates an X-ray scan via a functioning conveyor belt that glides articles over its metal detector path. When metallic items are present the unit beeps and lights up.

(Hat tip: Boing Boing)

But wait, there's more. Playmobil has a security checkpoint on Amazon.com:

Here are a few customer reviews:

I think this was good. I use it with my Playmobil getaway car al the time. I hope that they make a Playmobil Enemy Combatant Detention Center soon. That would be great!

One little oddity to point out is that the xray monitor displaying the bag contents shows what appears to be a fire extinguisher, a duck and several brown poo-shaped objects.

I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger's shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger's scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up.

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All photos by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

A contestant lines up for the Partial Beards Freestyle category

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All photos by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Former Beard World Champion Gerhard Knapp prepares his beard prior to the World and Moustache Championships at the Brighton Centre on September 1, 2007 in Brighton, England. 

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All photos by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

The new world champion in the Full Beard Natural Category, Jack Passion holds hiswinning prize mug during the World Beard and Moustache Championships at the Brighton Centre on September 1, 2007 in Brighton, England. The World Beard and Moustache Championships is a biennial event participated by beard and moustache wearers from all over the world.

Contestants are presented to the audience in the sideburns category.

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All photos by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

A neatly cut beard is of enormous importance in life, believe me. It produces an extraordinary effect. Look at me. I have my beard cut regularly twice a week and I am certain that a great deal of my popularity is due to it." - King Edward VII

I found the above quote on the blog of Phil Olsen, founder of Beard Team USA and the World Beard and Mustache Championships. I've never been a fan of shaving, so I find these photos from the 2007 WBMC in Brighton, England to be... well, inspirational.

Mark your calendars for May 23, 2009, when the the next championships will be held in Anchorage, Alaska. It's the second time the 6-year-old competition has taken place in North America.

(All of these extraordinary photos are by Daniel Berehulak of Getty Images.)

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Debuting this week on the Pentagon channel: The Grill Sergeants

Here in the United States, we're about two weeks away from living on a restricted media diet of nothing but reruns, reality TV, and YouTube. The Writers Guild of America is still on strike, and the networks are running out of new content fast. It's anybody's guess how long the strike will last. So, I'm wondering what kind of effect a stillborn fall TV season could have on the presidential election? Here are some guesses:

1. This year, fewer people will watch campaign ads
   Long considered the most powerful tool in the candidate’s toolbox, the 30-second spot will likely lose ground to viral online ads. Yes, tens of millions of Americans will still watch TV, but as their shows run dry, thousands of others will opt for the internet, Netflix, or the X-Box. Who does this benefit? Probably the frontrunners, because the other candidates will have less of a chance to go on the attack.
2. More people will watch the debates
   In 2005, many FOX networks ran American Idol up against the State of the Union address. Guess which won the ratings war? This year, there will be fewer arrows in the networks' quivers, so they'll be unlikely to go after such meager prey as a presidential debate. They'll want to save their best blockbuster shows for sweeps. So, debate performance will matter more than ever before. Who does this benefit? The best podium-slappers: Huckabee, McCain, Obama, Biden, and Edwards. 
3. No 24
   Jack Bauer won't be whipping out the waterboard this year. FOX has put 24, its action-packed security thriller, on indefinite hold. Who does this help? The Democrats and John McCain. And evildoers everywhere.
4. No Leno or Letterman
   Arnold famously announced his candidacy for California governor on the Tonight Show. Fred Thompson not-so-famously followed suit. The late-night talk shows are a great forum for humanizing candidates, and right now, they're all sitting dark and empty. Who this hurts: Hillary and Romney, who both have a "robot sent from the future specifically designed to win the U.S. presidency" quality about them. They would both benefit from some humanizing time on Dave's couch.
5. No "Indecision 2008," or Saturday Night Live takedowns of the candidates
   Would the 2000 or 2004 elections have been so close without the Daily Show's award-winning campaign coverage, or Will Ferrell's George W. Bush impression? No way. Shortly before going off the air, Saturday Night Live took a parting shot at the Democrats. The Clinton camp should be thankful that Amy Poehler's Hillary wig is locked away in storage—for now. Who this helps: Just about everyone.
6. Voters might be better informed
   Last week, Nightline beat out reruns of Leno and Letterman in the ratings from Wednesday through Thursday. You can bet Dateline, 20/20 and 60 Minutes are all putting additional shows into production to help fill the vacuum left in prime-time programming. Assuming that some of those shows will cover the campaigns, we might just have a better-informed electorate. 

Taking TV out of the election will probably be a great equalizer. Suddenly, the ad dollars spent on Iowa and New Hampshire airtime are less valuable, and the underdogs have a chance to harness the Internet, the debates and other nontraditional outlets to get their messages across.

So what's a campaign media strategist to do? Take advantage of other, nontraditional broadcasts where your candidate could be featured. Expect more candidates popping up at sporting events, on daytime talk shows, or even on the reality circuit. Will Mike Huckabee do a guest appearance on the Biggest Loser? We can only hope.

(FP's Joshua Keating helped research this post.)

In December, a German and Italian-made laboratory module will be added to the International Space Station. This development raised some interesting questions about the legal frameworks that govern the cosmos during Humans in Outer Space – Interdisciplinary Odysseys, a conference held in Vienna in October by the European Science Foundation.

Dr Frans von der Dunk, a scholar at the International Institute of Air and Space Law at the University of Leiden, rejected the notion that U.S. law applies to the entire station:

It was agreed that each state registers its own separate elements, which means that you now have a piece of the US annexed to a piece of Europe annexed to a piece of Japan in outer space, legally speaking."

But what laws cover other outer space territories? The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits earth-bound nations from claiming outer space territories. The moon, for instance, cannot be claimed by any country. But this ambiguity raises other questions. As conference attendees noted, "It is also not clear what legal nationality a child born on the Moon would have."

(Hat tip: Slashdot)

I've categorized this blog post where it belongs: Disasters.

A steam roller destroys bottles of alcohol, during a ceremony in Jakarta, 04 October 2007. Jakarta authorities destroyed some 35,065 bottles of alcohol seized by police in the capital from illegal alcohol vendors, during [the] Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, when practicing devotees abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and any sexual activity from dawn to dusk.

More photos, including the giant beer vacuum, after the BREAK

Back in 2004, NASA sounded the alarm. Recent satellite measurements showed that the great conveyor belt of the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream, had weakened by as much as 30 percent over the previous 12 years—presumably due to global warming. The implications of such a decline, according to NASA, would be catastrophic for northern Europe, as warm waters would no longer feed tropical heat to the area and sustain the temperate climate. In short, it suggested London could be heading for an ice age.

But it appears there's no need to break out the mittens and galoshes just yet. A more recent study published in Science concluded that the Gulf Stream was merely undergoing a cyclical adjustment, and that the full effects of climate change on the behaviors of ocean currents are still too complex to predict.

Today's map was crafted by Benjamin Franklin and Timothy Folger sometime around 1786, and it's credited with being one of the earliest charts of the complete Gulf Stream system. Now in the collection of the Library of Congress, the map contains some great notes by Franklin:

The earliest known record of the current was in a log book kept by Ponce De Leon in 1513. The log noted: "A current such that, although they had great wind, they could not proceed forward, but backward and it seems that they were proceeding well; at the end it was known that the current was more powerful than the wind."

You can explore the Gulf Stream yourself via real-time data collected from buoys stationed in the Atlantic by NOAA. It can tell you the precise temperature of various points of the ocean, as well as wind speed and wave height. Ben and Ponce would have a field day with it.