Svetlana Yashina, from the Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy Of Sciences, led the regeneration effort. She said the revived small herbaceous plant, which displays petite white flowers when in bloom, was preserved at a depth of 125 feet (38 metres) at sub-zero temperatures below the present surface in layers containing bones of large mammals, such as mammoth, wooly rhinoceros, bison, horse and deer. Although it looks very similar to its modern-day counterpart, it is slightly smaller – as big as the pendants on stainless steel necklaces.

The experiment findings, which proves that permafrost serves as a natural depository for ancient life forms, was published on Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

“We consider it essential to continue permafrost studies in search of an ancient genetic pool, that of pre-existing life, which hypothetically has long since vanished from the earth’s surface,” the scientists said in the article.

Safari is configured to block third-party cookies by default. But Google used a special computer code that tricks Apple’s Safari Web-browsing software into letting them monitor many users, the WSJ further said.

Google has denied the allegations. “We used known Safari functionality to provide features that signed-in Google users had enabled. It’s important to stress that these advertising cookies do not collect personal information,” according to Rachel Whetstone, Google’s Senior Vice President for Communications and Public Policy.

However, the company admitted that the code allowed additional Google Web advertising cookies to be installed against users’ wishes. Google assures the public that it has started removing the advertising cookies from Safari browsers.

Security firm Sophos polled 4110 respondents to find out what Facebook users think of the new Timeline. The response was overwhelmingly negative.

In its Naked Security blog, Sophos points out, “We can’t claim that the poll was scientific – and the kind of people who participate in our polls might be more conscious of privacy and security-related issues than the average man in the street. Nevertheless, it does seem to me that there are some genuine reasons to pause before embracing the Facebook Timeline as an entirely positive thing.”

Facebook users are worried that their data accumulated on file might possibly be accessible to strangers. It will be much more easier for identity thieves to profile people and impersonate someone.

Facebook may still be safe to use. All one needs to do is study the new Timeline profile format, especially on how to use the privacy controls. And the most important thing, learn the value of Self Control. Control the urge to post anything and everything about yourself. Believe me, no one is interested to know that you bought a new trailer hitch or you’re eating pizza with 10 other people in this particular restaurant (complete with geo-tagging).

Your safety on Facebook actually depends on you.

Paul McDonald, engineering manager on the Timeline team, wrote on Facebook’s official blog, “When you get timeline, you’ll have 7 days to preview what’s there now. This gives you a chance to add or hide whatever you want before anyone else sees it.”

Here are some important things you should know before this new forced upgrade takes effect:

Only you can see your activity log. This is where you can see all your posts and activities from when you started using Facebook up to the present time. With the use of the dropdown menu beside each story in your activity log, you have the power to feature, hide or delete any of your posts.

If you want to limit your past posts to “Friends” only, go to Privacy Settings then go to Limit the Audience for Past Posts. You can change the audience by clicking the small pencil icon at the top right of individual posts to edit or hide them from the Timeline.

If you want the entire world to see your post, then you’re in luck because any post that you make defaults to Public. But if you want privacy, choose “Friends” in the inline audience selector when you post something. You can even select “Only Me” for posts that you don’t want to share with anyone.

You can check how your timeline appears to other people by clicking the small gear at the top of your timeline, then select “View As.” You can see how your timeline appears to a specific friend or the public by scrolling down to the box that says: Know what others see on your profile.

Some apps will share your activities without you pressing the “Share” or “Like” button. For example Spotify, it defaults to sharing details of the last song you’ve listened to. Be very careful with the Facebook apps that you use if you value your “privacy”.

Curious if video conferencing services are available on the new format? Learn more about all the controls that Facebook has added here: https://www.facebook.com/about/control.

If you want to switch to Timeline now, go to Facebook’s “Introducing Timeline” page, and click “Get Timeline.” You’ll be given one week to edit it before it goes live.

If you’re already on Timeline, do share what you like and don’t like about this new profile format.

There are a lot of speculations on what the next-gen tablet might possibly have. Dual core CPU? Higher-resolution “Retina Display”? WiFi+3G? One thing is for sure, it will have better specs than the iPad2.

Angelina Jolie will play Sleeping Beauty’s evil sorceress of a step mother. She has confirmed her being part of the movie when asked about her next career plan during an interview on her Land of Blood and Honey movie promotion. “I haven’t acted in two years, and I haven’t done anything else since this. The next thing I am looking at is a Disney movie.”

Robert Stromberg, a visual effects artist, would be directing the film. Shutter Island, Tropic Thunder, Pan’s Labyrinth, Avatar and Alice in Wonderland are some of the films he has worked on.

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told MTV News that Michael Bay will again, for the fourth time, be directing the new Transformers film. “Michael’s going to direct, and it’ll be in the summer of 2014. We’ll be releasing then,” di Bonaventura said.

“Transformers” franchise star Shia LaBeouf already confirmed he won’t be starring on a fourth Transformers film. In a recent interview with LA Times, he said, “I’ve been running for a team of people for a long time and I don’t take any of it back. I’ve learned a great deal about a certain type of filmmaking. But I have ambitions toward another type of filmmaking that I haven’t been allowed to engage in yet.”

Who do you think will best fit the role of Sam? Any actor in mind?

To be eligible to join, you must be 13 or older, have a Google Account (or sign up for one), and be ready to install the Google Chrome browser extension which will monitor everything you do online.

A $5 Amazon gift card code will be given instantly when you sign up and download the Google Screenwise browser extension. Then you’ll get an additional $5 Amazon.com Gift Card code every three months for staying with the project. A maximum of $25 is promised but Google is thinking of giving additional amount to people who last more than 12 months.

But a $5 gift card? Too small an amount in exchange for your online privacy, don’t you think so?

Included in the program, aside from the hot air balloon flights, are exhibitions such as paragliding, choreographed kite-flying and skydiving; air shows such as remote-controlled aircraft, ultralight formation flying, ultralight aircraft flyby and flour-bombing and stunts from our very own Philippine Air Force, Coast Guard and Philippine National Police.

The Hot Air Balloon Night Glow on the evenings of February 11 and 12 is a must-see because all the participating hot air balloons will be inflated in the ground for a spectacular feast for the eyes.

Entrance tickets are available at SM Ticketnet, ROX (Bonifacio Global City and Marquee Mall) and at the gate during the event for 200 pesos each. Those who want to experience riding a hot air balloon are required to pay an additional fee of 200 pesos on a first-come-first-served basis.

For more information, go to www.philballoonfest.net.

Twitter also stated that although freedom of expression is a human right and can have a positive global impact, it also carries with it responsibilities and has limits.

Twitter has been honest in saying that as they continue to grow internationally, they of couse will encounter countries that have different ideas about freedom of expression. And the only way to have access to those country’s limits (and population) was to remove content globally.

According to Alexander Macgilliviray, Twitter’s general counsel, a tweet will only be removed until an internal review shows that it did break a country’s law. The tweet will then be taken down in the said country but it can still be seen elsewhere. Previously, once a tweet is erased, it can no longer be viewed anywhere else in the world.

Macgilliviray also denied rumors that the new system has something to do with the $300 million investment by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Mac.

For purposes of transparency, Twitter has partnered with Chilling Effect to aid it in posting censorship notices which can be found at this new page: http://chillingeffects.org/twitter.