The Great Wine Swindle

Forget Facebook's redesign, here is an issue you should be really concerned about: According to Malcolm Gluck, wine producers use "a host of additives" to disguise the flavour or inferior grapes without listing them on the labels. The list includes sugar, hydrochloric acid, yeasts and ascorbic acid (sometimes they use harmful substances to raise alcohol content and traces of fertilisers have been found in some champagnes). I am not surprised here but what bothers me is that the Wine and Spirits Trade Association is exempt from labelling rules. Their spokesperson says that "it is possible for drinkers to find out what is in their wine by talking to the maker or importer". So the next time you are in Waitrose, make sure you brush up on your French or Italian to call the maker or importer of every bottle you are considering buying, should you find their phone number. Operators are on standby to confess that they top up their wine with ethanol... This is laughable in a pathetic way.

CARNAGE AS FACEBOOK MOVES EVERYTHING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT

The Daily Mash on the user-generated uproar following Facebook's slight redesign. For those who subscribed to the "bring the old Facebook" back groups, and those supporting the new design: Get a Life!

Six Technologies with Potential Impacts on US Interests out to 2025

From the National Intelligence Council. Fascinating read as a glimpse into our future.

uStart, your customisable start page

Developed by a small team of students from the University of Sheffield. UStart.org

Brands fight bloggers with 'fact' websites

Interesting article about companies setting-up dedicated websites to provide their point-of-view on rumours or perceptions relayed by bloggers.

Wikipedia founder launches Green Wikipedia

Wikia Green aims to build the best resource for citizens of the Earth to learn about the environment and how to live a more sustainable life. Commendable.

Eat less meat to fight climate change

UN figures suggest that meat production puts more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport (18% v. 13%). BBC.

Singapore Animated: First public screening of Singaporean animated short films at the ICA, London

If you like animation and short films, don't miss Singapore Animated at the Institute of Contemporary Art on the 25th of October.

Organised by the Singapore Creative Network UK, the event is the first public screening of some of the best animations from Singapore curated by Gavin Lim, an award-winning director in the Singapore International Film Festival.

Mysteries of the Universe to be solved next Wednesday

The Times' science editor reports on the Large Hadron Collider that will help us understand how the Universe works while creating a blackhole that will devour Earth.

Google v. Microsoft, the browser war

Microsoft's IE8 includes a feature to hide your tracks, making it harder for Google to collect data and to serve you targeted ads based on this data. Google's response? A new Google browser to compete with IE.

UK to become the biggest country in the EU in 50 years' time,

By 2060, the population of major Europen countries will be:

• UK 77 million
• France 72
• Germany 71
• Italy 59
• Spain 52

Article from the Guardian.

Qik.com: Stream video live from your phone

The power of a live broadcast studio in your hand. Love the concept. What is not answered in their FAQs is: How much does this really cost?

Update: Sandrine pointed to me that the service isfree. Data charges depend on your plan with your phone provider.

Met Police launches Google crime map

Regions in blue is where you want to live. http://maps.met.police.uk/

Beware of a new Facebook scam!

Today you may receive a message on your wall saying "Hey. Somebody wrote something about you in their blog.. everybody needs to see this.. Go here" followed by a blogspot URL. This will redirect you to a fake Facebook page where you will be prompted to enter your Facebook login details. DON'T FALL FOR IT! It is a scam designed by people keen to get hold of your personal data. I almost went for it but noticed the unusual URL at the top of the "fake Facebook page". Consider it a civic duty to spread the word.

Creativity and Personal Mastery, summarised in one video

A truly life changing elective I took at business school with Professor Srikumar Rao, here speaking at Google.

Why Microsoft and Intel tried to kill the XO $100 laptop

A very sad story. From the Times.

Apple removes I Am Rich, a $1,000 featureless iPhone application

"Eight people bought the software, which has no function except to alert other people that you have money"... so why did Apple blocked it? Story on the LA Times.

Google offers free music in China

The service will let users search songs by singer or song title then download them from partner website Top100.cn, a Chinese music site. From CNet.

Google Lively, a Second Life killer? Yes but a slow death.

Google launched Lively, a browser based Second Life style real-time 3d world. It looks good, clean and fun but if you thought Second Life was slow... wait till you try Lively. Will it kill Second Life? Most Second Life users don't speculate on virtual lands and use the platform to meet and chat. They are the ones most likely to be seduced by Google Lively. Especially if they are from South Korea, the country of mega-fast broadband. For everyone else, they will prefer not to use Second Life than not to use Google Lively until they get a 50MB broadband connection. Via Tech Crunch.

Nasa: There is water on Mars

From the Guardian.