ZAP INFO

By Dan Fletcher Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 In an Oct. 26 blog post, Max Kelly, Facebook's head of security, announced the company's policy of "memorializing" profiles of users who have died, taking them out of the public search results, sealing them from any future log-in attempts and leaving the wall open for family and friends to pay their respects. Though most media reports claimed this was a new Facebook feature, a spokeswoman for the company told TIME that it's an option the site has had since its early days. The company decided to publicize the policy because of a backlash caused by a new version of the site's homepage that was rolled out on Oct. 23, which includes automatically generated "suggestions" of people to "reconnect" with. Within days of the launch, Twitter users and bloggers from across the Web complained that some of these suggestions were for friends who had died. "Would that I could," complained a user on Twitter...

Wed Aug 25, 7:54 pm ET MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities have begun enforcing tougher rules designed to ensure that people have a doctor's prescription to buy antibiotics. It has long been common practice in Mexico for pharmacies to supply antibiotics to anyone who asks for them even though the law requires a prescription. Officials announced in March that new procedures would be imposed to crack down on the practice as a way to address the growing problem of drug-resistant infections from overuse of antibiotics. The Health Department estimates half of Mexicans self-medicate without checking with a doctor. Miguel Toscano, director of Mexico's federal commission on product safety, announced the start of the crackdown Wednesday.

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Airlines Writer – Wed Aug 25, 5:25 pm ET NEW YORK – There are a few bits of information to pay close attention to on an airline ticket: the flight number, gate number and boarding time. Fare basis code? Not a common concern. But the single-letter code can make a big difference in some parts of the travel experience, even though most passengers don't pay any attention. A fare basis code further divides passengers into classes based on how much they paid and how far out they booked. There are about a dozen in coach class alone. When you're on the plane, there's no difference in service between a passenger who has a "Y" or "Q" — a full-fare and a discounted ticket — if you're both in coach. But the codes are still important: Some indicate your trip isn't eligible for frequent-flier miles or an upgrade; others tell a ticket agent where to rank you on a standby list. Deciphering the code The letters airlines assign to certain l...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – An international team of researchers using computer time lent to them by Google has found every way the popular Rubik's Cube puzzle can be solved, and showed it can always be solved in 20 moves or less. The study is just the latest attempt by Rubik's enthusiasts to figure out the secrets of the cube, which has proven to be altogether far more complicated that its jaunty colors might suggest. At the crux of the quest has been a bid to determine the lowest number of moves required to get the cube from any given muddled configuration to the color-aligned solution. "Every solver of the Cube uses an algorithm, which is a sequence of steps for solving the Cube," said the team of mathematicians, who include Morley Davidson of Ohio's Kent State University, Google engineer John Dethridge, German math teacher Herbert Kociemba and Tomas Rokicki, a California programmer. "There are many different algorithms, varying in complexity and number of moves re...

Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010 9:29am PDT by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks The past nine "American Idol" seasons have been filled with enough versions of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" to make even rumored prospective "Idol" judge Steven Tyler blanch. But on Simon Cowell's U.K. talent show "The X Factor," which starts airing in Britain on August 21, there are a few other oversung songs that contestants will be reportedly forbidden to perform. British paper News Of The World reports that Simon is concerned that viewers will be bored if the songs remain the same on "The X Factor," so he has advised contestants not to perform typical reality standards. A source told the paper: "This is about people's real honesty and personality. It's about them and their stage presence." The list of Simon's banned songs includes: Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire" Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours" Paolo Nu...

August 6th, 2010 William Shakespeare had it right: “To thine own self be true.” Authentic men tend to end up with women who are more accommodating, communicate better, and are more trusting, say researchers from Ohio State University. They studied 62 undergraduate dating couples and determined that when men were self-aware and acted in a way that matched their beliefs and values, the women they dated were more likely to behave in ways that benefited the relationship. “When your partner is open and honest about how he feels, it’s easier to communicate your own feelings,” says study author Amy Brunell, Ph.D. http://blogs.menshealth.com/health-headlines/why-you-should-always-be-yourself/2010/08/06

By: Adam Campbell www.menshealth.com For decades, the dumbbell curl has been helping us build bigger biceps—but it also seems to have stripped us of our imagination. After all, how often do you try a new variation of this classic arm exercise? If it's not every 4 weeks, then you need to shake up your workout to achieve faster results. Start today with this simple guide from The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises. By mixing and matching any of the five hand positions and five body positions described here, you can instantly create 25 different versions of the curl. The upshot: You'll never run out of new ways to build your biceps. The right way to curl: Let the dumbbells hang at arm's length straight down from your shoulders. Then, without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, and slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Each time you return to the start, straighten your arms completel...

The muscle-building ideal is 20 grams of protein, half before and half after your workout. Bring these convenient snacks to the gym to fuel growth. Chicken, Turkey, or Tuna (3 oz) 14-22 grams protein 66-100 calories Wrap one of these standbys in a piece of bread. Four slices of chicken or turkey provide 14 grams of protein, while half a can of tuna has nearly 22 grams. Eggs (three) 19 grams protein 232 calories They're still incredible after all these years. Hard-boiled eggs are most convenient, but it's also easy to scramble a few in the a.m. and scoop them into a microwavable container. Don't sweat the fat: It's healthy and filling. Chocolate 2% Milk (16 oz) About 17 grams protein 333 calories Refresh and rebuild at the same time. A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition shows that chocolate milk may be the ideal postworkout beverage for building muscle. Whey Powder (30 g scoop) 24 grams protein 110 calories This milk-derived product continues to ru...

menshealth.com Taking a daily vitamin D supplement might stave off sickness, according to a new article in the USA Today. Researchers from the University of Tampere in Finland instructed 164 male military recruits to take either a placebo or 400 IU of vitamin D for 6 months. At the end of the study, the scientists discovered that the men popping the pill were more likely to not miss work and less likely to report having cold-like symptoms. The researchers theorize that vitamin D can help mobilize the body’s defense against respiratory pathogens.

Amy Bell Sunday, August 1, 2010 In today's tough economy, consumers are pinching pennies by choosing generic over big name brands in their supermarket aisles. From chips and dips to pain relievers and peanut butter, there's a cheaper generic version of almost every product. Of course, some of these no-name products are second-rate. For example, if you've ever bought generic diapers, you probably ended up dealing with a messy leak the size of Old Faithful. Generic diapers can certainly save you a bundle, and some even offer the same absorbency as the big name brands - but in my experience, they simply don't fit your baby's bottom as well. And all parents know that an ill-fitting diaper is a recipe for disaster. Another product you probably don't want to skimp on? Toilet paper. Most generic paper products are less absorbent, so you can end up using more. But unlike diapers and toilet paper (not to mention cheese, ketchup and soy sauce, if you want my opinion), the...