US Vets Mix Regret, Detachment on Iraq ViolenceBy Associated Press

Just months after the U.S. military departed, violence in Iraq is increasing. Hundreds of people have died in recent weeks in bombings and drive-by shootings, some claimed by al-Qaida insurgents.

How do the U.S. troops who fought in Iraq for nearly nine years, and in December completed withdrawing from what was supposed to be an emerging democracy, view the turmoil? What do they feel it means to the legacy of their time on the ground? Associated Press reporters who cover military bases and communities in the U.S. asked some of those veterans.

More than 1.5 million Americans served in the Iraq War, and these are just a handful of voices from among those ranks, offering a range of perspectives. Some worry the sacrifices may have been for nothing. Others have put all news of Iraq behind them as they focus on their civilian lives. Some take a long view and say history has yet to decide the war’s outcome. Here are their views.

Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ

NASA hosts a battle of "Wills"Former Star Trek stars narrate videos describing latest Mars lander.

NASA's Mars Science Lander, nicknamed Curiosity, is scheduled to put its wheels down on August 6, 2012, around 1:30am EDT. In preparation, the agency has prepared a video that describes a bit about the landing process, as well as the science mission that will ensue if everything goes well. Apparently, however, there has been some debate about who would be best to narrate the video, so NASA has set up what can only be called a battle of Wil(l)s: Shatner vs. Wheaton.

There are two versions of the video up on NASA's site: one with Shatner and one with Wheaton. The graphics and even the script are identical, but the two definitely bring different approaches to their narration.

Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ

Digital pills make their way to market

Digestible microchips embedded in drugs may soon tell doctors whether a patient is taking their medications as prescribed. These sensors are the first ingestible devices approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To some, they signify the beginning of an era in digital medicine.

“About half of all people don’t take medications like they’re supposed to,” says Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla,California. “This device could be a solution to that problem, so that doctors can know when to rev up a patient’s medication adherence.” Topol is not affiliated with the company that manufactures the device, Proteus Digital Health in Redwood City,California, but he embraces the sensor’s futuristic appeal, saying, “It’s like big brother watching you take your medicine.”

The sand-particle sized sensor consists of a minute silicon chip containing trace amounts of magnesium and copper. When swallowed, it generates a slight voltage in response to digestive juices, which conveys a signal to the surface of a person’s skin where a patch then relays the information to a mobile phone belonging to a healthcare-provider.

Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ

Romney to reveal vice presidential pick via smartphone app

Smartphone users will be the first to know who Mitt Romney has chosen as his vice presidential pick, the Romney campaign said Tuesday as it unveiled a new smartphone app.

Mitt’s VP app, available for Apple and Android devices, promises “an exclusive notice of his VP selection before anyone else,” according to an email to supporters from campaign adviser Beth Myers. It will unveil “America’s comeback team,” the Romney campaign’s name for the GOP ticket.

(Or you could find out just by going to any news website or watching any news show)