Meet Nadine, the World’s Most Human-Like Robot

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The world’s most human-like robot has begun work as a university receptionist as scientists predict the new technology will eventually provide childcare and offer friendship to lonely elderly people.

With her soft skin and flowing brunette hair, Nadine does not only meet and greet visitors, smile, make eye contact and shake hands, but she can even recognise past guests and spark up conversation based on previous chats.

Unlike conventional robots, Nadine has her own personality, mood and emotions. She can be happy or sad, depending on the topic.

Powered by intelligent software similar to Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana, she is the brainchild of scientists at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is based on her creator Prof Nadia Thalmann.

Prof Thalmann, the director of the Institute for Media Innovation who led the development of said robots such as Nadine are poised to become more visible in offices and homes in future. (Read more from “Meet Nadine, the World’s Most Human-Like Robot” HERE)

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Wall Street’s Forecast for 2016

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Many Wall Street strategists are dusting off their 2015 targets for the S&P 500 index and trimming them for 2016.

Crashing-oil prices and fears of a global recession threw cold water on the index’s performance in 2015, causing it to fall short of the average expected gain of about 10%. With a handful of trading days left in the year and the S&P 500 SPX, -0.22% closing at 2,061 on Thursday (for a 0.1% gain year to date), only a handful of the more bearish analysts can hope to meet their 2015 targets — and only if a Santa Claus rally plays out.

(Read more from “Wall Street’s Forecast for 2016” HERE)

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This Is Where Trump Placed in Poll for Most Admired Man in the World – the Surprise Is Who He Tied with

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Donald Trump and Pope Francis are tied for second in a new survey that asks Americans to name their most admired man in the world.

The only guy in front of them is President Obama, who received 17 percent of the mentions in the annual Gallup survey, while Trump and his Holiness each received a 5 percent share.

Topping the women’s list will be Trump’s Democratic rival, if each frontrunner wins their party’s primary contest, with Hillary Clinton receiving 13 percent of all mentions.

Gallup has asked this question of Americans since 1946 for men and 1948 for women and Trump has finished in the top 10 four times before . . .

Clinton has also appeared on the list before, in fact, she holds the record for the most times a woman has been No. 1. (Read more from “This Is Where Trump Placed in Poll for Most Admired Man in the World – the Surprise Is Who He Tied with” HERE)

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Man’s Cellphone Causes Unfortunate Death on Christmas Day

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Emergency responders were at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego, California, on Friday after a man fell over, local media reported.

Bill Bender with San Diego Lifeguards at Sunset Cliffs told NBC San Diego: ‘Witnesses stated seeing someone distracted by an electronic device and he just fell over the edge . . .

NBC San Diego reported the victim was in his thirties and plummeted 60 feet.

Bender told the NBC affiliate station, referring to three people who tried to assist: ‘They acted quickly, they found a way to get down the cliff.

‘They put themselves at jeopardy… They administered CPR to the person in attempt to save a life.’ (Read more from “Man’s Cellphone Causes Unfortunate Death on Christmas Day” HERE)

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Suspected Arson at Bill Clinton’s Birthplace

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Arson is suspected in a blaze that damaged the birthplace of Bill Clinton early Christmas morning, reports CBS Shreveport, Louisiana affiliate KSLA-TV . . .

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the fire was quickly extinguished and only one room was damaged by flames, although there were also signs of smoke and water damage . . .

Among the evidence, according to Wilson, is graffiti on the sidewalk leading up to a door, as well as on the door itself. Wilson said this is near where the fire appears to have initially been set, and that there was “a strong odor of accelerant.”

When firefighters first arrived, Glanton says the back wall on the east side of the home was on fire, spreading up through the walls and up to the second floor of the house. They were able to douse the flames in a matter of minutes . . .

Other buildings on the property, including the National Park headquarters and gift shop, weren’t involved. (Read more from “Suspected Arson at Bill Clinton’s Birthplace” HERE)

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Monkey STEALS Bus in India

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One of the most bizarre traffic accidents of the year has taken place in northern India, where a monkey stole and crashed a bus.

The monkey managed to start the engine of the bus while the driver was taking a nap – and even got it moving.

The bus hit two other vehicles parked in the garage in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh state, before the driver was able to regain control.

The chicle had been parked at the local bus station between routes, and the conductor had stepped off for a break.

The driver, seizing an opportunity for a nap, and stretched out in the back, leaving the keys in the ignition. (Read more from “Monkey STEALS Bus in India” HERE)

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The Spit Test That Can Predict How Long You Will Live

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A saliva test could predict how long we have got left to live.

Researchers found that levels of a particular antibody falls the nearer a person gets to death.

To reach their conclusion, took samples from 639 adults in 1995 and tracked them over 19 years.

They found that the levels of secretory immunoglobin A (IgA) fell the nearer the person got to death.

Antibodies are used by the body to fight infection and are secreted by white blood cells. (Read more from “The Spit Test That Can Predict How Long You Will Live” HERE)

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Austrian Radio Jockey Punished for Playing ‘Last Christmas’ 24 Times

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An Austrian radio station has punished one of its moderators after he locked himself in the studio only to play the song ‘Last Christmas’, a cult hit from the 1980s by British band Wham!, 24 times in a row.

Only once the moderator’s daughter called the studio to beg her father to stop because the song made everyone “mad” did he finish his one-song marathon, according to a video on Youtube.

(Read more from “Austrian Radio Jockey Punished for Playing ‘Last Christmas’ 24 Times” HERE)

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At Least 6 Killed as Strong Storms, Tornadoes Slam Midwest, Southeast

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At least six people were killed Wednesday and at least two others were reported missing as a storm system forecasters called “particularly dangerous” swept across the heartland.

Officials confirmed that three people, including a 7-year-old boy, were killed in Mississippi, where multiple tornadoes were reported. An 18-year-old Arkansas woman was killed when a tree blew over onto a house and crashed into her bedroom.

In Tennessee, the state’s Department of Health confirmed that a man and a woman were killed in severe storms in Perry County, southwest of Nashville, but had no further details. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says the county has reported debris across roads and some communications issues.

In Benton County, Miss., where two deaths occurred and at least two people were missing, crews were searching each house and in wooded areas to make sure residents were accounted for. Police there said several homes were blown off their foundations.

A 7-year-old boy died in Holly Springs, Mississippi, when the storm picked up and tossed the car he was riding in, officials said. Marshall County Coroner James Anderson says the boy’s relatives in the car with him were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. (Read more from “At Least 6 Killed as Strong Storms, Tornadoes Slam Midwest, Southeast” HERE)

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Now the TSA Can Force You to Go Through the Body Scanner

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Your next flight might include a mandatory trip through the body scanner, with the US government quietly changing the opt-out rules for searches. In a document published earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security outlined an update to the Advanced Imagery Technology protocols used by the TSA at US airports, adding a clause which allows officers to insist travelers go through the controversial machines.

Previously, though the body scanners were present at many airports across the country, travelers were free to opt-out of the process. Billed as a privacy consideration, it meant a physical screening was mandatory, but alleviated concerns held by some that the technology could “see them naked” and store photographs of that.

Now, though, that option is being diluted, though not completely retired.

“TSA is updating the AIT PIA to reflect a change to the operating protocol regarding the ability of individuals to opt opt-out of AIT screening in favor of physical screening,” the DHS writes. “While passengers may generally decline AIT screening in favor of physical screening, TSA may direct mandatory AIT screening for some passengers.”

No more detailed explanation for the change is given. However, it seems likely that the scanners’ ability to single out metallic objects hidden around the body – and that might have been missed by a physical search from a TSA agent – is seen as invaluable for whoever security services believe presents a greater-than-normal risk. (Read more from “Now the TSA Can Force You to Go Through the Body Scanner” HERE)

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