tasmania
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Brain scans shed light on an extinct species
It's not exactly easy to study the Tasmanian tiger. The marsupial has been extinct for over 80 years, and it wasn't given much scientific attention when it was alive -- settlers saw it as a threat to their livestock, not a curiosity. However, that isn't about to stop scientists from learning more about the sadly neglected species. Researchers have scanned two preserved Tasmanian tiger brains and discovered that the creatures were considerably more intelligent than many thought. While their brains were similar to those of Tasmanian devils, their larger frontal lobes suggest they were better at planning and making decisions. That backs the belief that they were hunters, not scavengers like their genetic cousins.
iPhone app helps Tasmanian cops nab crooks
Tasmanian cops are using some pretty sophisticated technology to catch criminals down there -- they have hardware in their cars now that will not only catch pictures of criminals, but upload them to a database, track down any outstanding warrants or other red flags, and update GPS information and location data of where the checks are made. Oh, and there's apparently an app for that. When the cops realized that they could do all of those same functions with department-issued iPhones, they built an app that replicates the functionality seen in the cop cars. So even while the police are walking a beat, they can pull out an iPhone and check up on any drivers they happen to see. Very interesting. Unfortunately, there's not much information available about how long it took them to build the app, or just who put it all together -- the article from Australia's The Mercury seems mostly intended as a warning to criminals everywhere that even though a cop may not recognize you, an iPhone will. But this is just another reminder that we're all walking around with a little handheld device that has the ability to replace most of the technology we were using just a few years ago. When we hear about a cop making an arrest while on a phone call, we'll let you know. [via Obama Pacman]
Trapped miners given iPods
Two miners are trapped underground in Tasmania, and they have been trapped for 8 days. The good news is that efforts to rescue them are moving along well, and authorities are confident that within the next 48 hours the men will be freed.Why is this on TUAW, you ask? Well, they were able to get a PVC pipe into where the men are trapped, which they have used to give the men food, blankets, dry clothes, and the like. Amongst the items meant to make their wait more pleasure is an iPod (with their favorite music on it).Everyone likes a free iPod, but I am willing to bet these fellows would have rather gotten them in a raffle.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
