10X Faster Wi-Fi Internet for Train Commuters

A proportion of the £90 million cost of the scheme will be funded by the government from a record-breaking fine being handed to Network Rail this week. Now ministers say they will make sure the cash will be used to help people get online. The new service, of Wi-Fi Internet for train commuters, which could be 10 times faster than the service available at the moment, should be available within three to four years.
     Commuters will in future be able to get a connection through equipment installed alongside the track, rather than the current system of having to find a satellite signal as they go along. Network Rail could face a potential penalty of about £70 million*.

Source: http://techboxofficial.blogspot.com/

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TSA Is Blocking Dead Devices At Airports

Charge your phone before flying, because TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will now block dead devices at some airports. 

The full announcement made by TSA is:

"Last week, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson directed TSA to implement enhanced security measures at certain overseas airports with direct flights to the United States.

As the traveling public knows, all electronic devices are screened by security officers. During the security examination, officers may also ask that owners power up some devices, including cell phones. Powerless devices will not be permitted onboard the aircraft. The traveler may also undergo additional screening.

TSA will continue to adjust security measures to ensure that travelers are guaranteed the highest levels of aviation security conducted as conveniently as possible."
Source: http://techboxofficial.blogspot.com/

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See different planets

The July night sky is filled with planets to the delight of stargazers and astronomers, but you'll have to know when and where to look to get your summer solar system fix. All through July, the planet Mars and the bright star Spica glow in the west-southwest sky during the evening hours. Saturn, the so-called "Lord of the Rings," can be found to that pair's left and will climb a bit higher (and set a bit later) each night.

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The only High-resolution picture of Mercury

First high-resolution image of Mercury transmitted by the MESSENGER spacecraft (in false color, 11 narrow-band color filters).

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Mars One wants to send your ideas on Red Planet

The non-profit Mars One organization wants to send a lander to the Red Planet in 2018. The lander will have seven different science payloads, and people everywhere can submit their ideas to the organization now. The Netherlands-based Mars One foundation aims to send a total of seven payloads: four demonstration payloads, one payload selected in a worldwide university competition and two payloads for sale to the highest bidder. The unmanned 2018 mission will serve as preparation for a planned human mission to Mars in 2024, Mars One organizers said.

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NASA is going to take heavy payloads on Mars

NASA will try again this weekend to launch the first test flight of new technology designed to help land heavy payloads on Mars.

In the Missile Assembly Building at the US Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility, a saucer-shaped test vehicle hangs during a measurement. The vehicle is part of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator project, is designed to land large payloads on Mars. The facility is located in Kaua‘i, Hawaii. The LDSD test vehicle is equipped with a 100-foot-wide (30.5 meters) parachute and a saucer-shaped device called a Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (SIAD). This gear is being developed to help slow the descent of big, heavy payloads — such as human habitat modules — through the thin Martian atmosphere.

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Stars Pulse rate can be used to find their age

Researchers have used data from satellites and ground-based observations to study young stars' oscillation. They have determined that the stars pulse faster as they grow older. This technique was thought to be only effective with older, main




 sequence stars.

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Cassini probe celebrates 10 years at Saturn

A NASA spacecraft marked a big milestone on June 30 — a decade exploring Saturn and its many moons. Cassini probe has made a number of unprecedented observations and discoveries. Although the spacecraft was originally approved for a four-year mission, it has been granted three mission extensions, allowing it to continue roaming the gas giant’s system. Cassini has helped scientists learn more about what kinds of molecules populate our solar system. The spacecraft discovered plumes containing water-ice shooting out into space from the south polar region of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

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Facebook launches friend-tracking feature "Nearby friends"

Your phone always knows where you are. And now, if you want, your Facebook friends will always know where you are, too. Facebook is introducing a mobile feature called Nearby Friends that taps into that steady stream of location information so friends can track each other in real time. In a refreshing change, the new Nearby Friends feature is not turned on by default. Friends will not be able to see where you are unless you decide and visit Facebook's settings to turn it on. You can choose to share your general location with all your Facebook friends, close friends or a customized list of people you feel most comfortable with. Further minimizing the potential stalking factor, your location is only shared with other people who are also using the feature and who have chosen to share their location with you.
   When turned on, Nearby Friends shows a list of approved Facebook friends who also use the feature and shows their approximate location. A push notification can tell you how many of your friends are nearby. Open the app to see a list of pals, the neighborhood or city where they are, how many miles away that is from your current location, and a time stamp of when they where there. There is an option to share your exact location with specific friends. Nearby Friends will be available on Facebook's iOS and Android apps.

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How to take screen shot on your Android Device?

If you're running Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) and above just press the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time, hold them for a second, and your phone will take a screenshot.

     If you're running android 2.3 and below (Android 2.3 and below doesn't have screenshotting built-in; However some devices like many Samsung phones do have these features, but you can install it) you can press the Home and Power buttons at the same time to take a screenshot.

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Smart Bulb

LG Electronics announced its first Smart Bulb. A pair of light bulbs will connect to Android and iOSdevices. LG says the low-wattage bulbs will run for more than 10 years, five hours a day. "LG Smart Lighting" will work with Android 4.3 and up, and iOS 6 and above. It'll feature a security mode to make it look like you're home when you're actually away, and a play mode for when you're playing music (Android only) and they'll also be able to flash when you receive a phone call. LG's new smart bulbs will retail about $32 each. 

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OS X

OS X is the operating system that powers every Mac. It was first released on March 24, 2001. It works with the processor in your Mac to deliver the best possible performance. It works with the super-responsive trackpad in Mac notebooks so Multi‑Touch gestures feel natural to use. Technologies like Power Nap take advantage of the Mac hardware to keep the entire system up to date while it sleeps.OS X gives you long battery life with advanced power-saving technologies like Timer Coalescing and App Nap. And it’s optimized for the high-resolution Retina display in the high-performance MacBook Pro. The Finder lets you browse and organize your files with ease. It is a simple way to access practically everything on your Mac. With Launchpad, you can see, organize, and open all your apps in one place. Spotlight search makes locating the file you’re looking for effortless. It lets you quickly find apps, files, and folders on your Mac.

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Twitter's COO Resigns

Twitter Chief Operating Officer "Ali Rowghani" resigned on Thursday. Twitter COO Ali Rowghani resigned after failing to significantly grow user numbers.

     "Goodbye Twitter. It's been an amazing ride, and I will cherish the memories"  Rowghani tweeted.

     "Thank you for being an incredible executive & partner. Twitter could not have succeeded without you." Twitter CEO Dick Costolo responded.

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Summer Solstice: Some Facts About

summer-solstice a couple enjoying

In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice begins at 6:51 a.m. EDT on June 21, according to Almanac.com, officially ringing in summer. The date brings the year’s longest stretch of daylight. Though the hours of sunlight depend on location, many areas will see 16 hours’ worth of light on Saturday.

Did you ever wonder why the days are so long in the summer and so short in the winter? The length changes throughout the year. In the summer, around June 20 or 21, we experience the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. And in the winter, December 21 or 22 is the winter solstice, or shortest day.

But wait! If you live in Australia, you experience the opposite—the longest day is in December and the shortest is in June. Why?

Earth's Angle 

The answer all depends on Earth's tilt. In the course of one year, Earth orbits around the sun. It does not complete this trip, however, with the North Pole at the top and the South Pole at the bottom because Earth is tilted. In fact, it's tilted just about 23.5 degrees. So at different times of the year, either the northern or the southern hemisphere is tilted toward and is therefore closer to the sun.

Solstice & Equinox

A solstice is different from an equinox, the two times each year when the sun is directly above the Earth's equator and day and night are of equal length. Equinoxes mark the beginning of spring (March) and fall (September).

Sun Stands Still

Solstice loosely translated in Latin is "sun stands still". For several days before and after each solstice the sun appears to stand still in the sky, i.e., its noontime elevation does not seem to change from day to day.

Celebrations

Historically, the solstice has been celebrated by numerous cultures around the world. Thousands of people annually celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England.

At sunrise at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the rising sun appears behind one of the main stones, creating the illusion that the sun is balancing on the stone.

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Apple's iWatch Is Coming In October

Apple will introduce a smartwatch with a display that likely measures 2.5 inches diagonally and is slightly

rectangular, one of the sources said. The source added that the watch face will protrude slightly from the band, creating an arched shape, and will feature a touch interface and wireless charging capabilities.

The source said Apple expects to ship 50 million units within the first year of the product's release, although these types of initial estimates can be subject to change. The watch is currently in trial production at Quanta, which will be the main manufacturer, accounting for at least 70 percent of final assembly, the source said.

While the watch is widely expected, the start date of its mass production and the extent of Quanta's involvement were not known until now. Mass production will start in July and the commercial launch will come as early as October, according to the source and another person familiar with the matter.

A third source said LG Display Co Ltd is the exclusive supplier of the screen for the gadget's initial batch of production.

It also contains a sensor that monitors the user's pulse. Singapore-based imaging and sensor maker Heptagon is on the supplier list for the feature, two other sources said.
Apple declined to comment. Quanta, LG Display and Heptagon also declined to comment.

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10 Teams Most Likely to Win the 2014 FIFA World Cup

10. France

France have a good chance of winning the whole thing because they have a world class offense paired with some of the best defenders in the world. 

9. Belgium

Belgium possess a complete first team, with plenty of high quality substitutes. The midfield is especially strong with plenty of tactical, physical and intelligent players.

8. England

Quality players coming in and finally an English manager, where the players can communicate properly with him.

7. Netherlands

Netherlands has good chance to win this world cup because she will meet Spain in the groups and might or not meet Brazil if they beat one of them sure no team can stop them

6. Portugal

Portugal deserve to win, they are a better team than Spain and after hard work they have always been in the top.

5.Italy

Italy should be favorites over anybody but Germany right now, if they face Brazil they will win it would be the 3rd time they played them in the past 2 years and prendalli is not a stupid man.

4. Spain

There are great teams in this world cup, Germany has a great squad, Brazil as well, but Spain is above being a "great" team.

3. Argentina

The fantastic four (leo, kun, dim, higz) is the undisputed strongest attack in the world

2.  Brazil

If it's the will of GOD, Brazil will surely win this time. The 1950 world cup loss to Uruguay at their home soil are still fresh in their minds. 

1. Germany

Germany has the most complete team. They could create two different teams, and they both will have a more than decent chance to win the World Cup.

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Guiness Records Nobody Would Want To Break

1. Farthest Distance Thrown By A Tornado And Survived. Matt Suter was a 19-year-old high school senior on March 12, 2006, when a storm rolled over his hometown of Fordland, Missouri.It was an F2 tornado and it carried Suter 398.37 meters (1,307 ft)—the length of four football fields.

2. The Most Prolific Parents. Feodor and two wives sired 22 sets of twins, 9 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets.

3. The Heaviest Humans. Of all the countries, the US had the highest percentage—34 percent—of obesity in 2013. Jon Brower Minnoch hailed from Washington state and at age 12 he weighed 135 kilograms (298 lb). His weight increased steadily until he reached a peak weight of 635 kilograms (1,400 lb) in 1978.

4. The Most And Biggest Kidney Stones. In December 2009, 45-year-old Dhanraj Wadile, a shop owner in Shahadah,  got removed 172,155 calcium oxalate and phosphate stones ranging in size from a millimeter to 2.5 centimeters (.039–.98 in). 

5. Longest Time Spent On A Gurney In A Hospital Hallway. Guinness created a new category when Tony Collins, a 40-year-old Brit, reported that he had lain on a gurney for 77 hours and 30 minutes.

6. Most Bones Broken. By the time he jumped for the last time in 1977, Robert Craig Knievel, known as Evel Knievel, had logged 150 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps over various obstacles. He crashed or had major mishaps during 18 of those jumps. As a result, he suffered more than 433 fractures of 35 different bones, a world record. 

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11 Mind-Blowing Facts About Video Games

1. Sonic The Hedgehog isn't only the name of Sega's speedy mascot, but also a gene on

chromosome 7 of the human genome.

2. In 1986, Nintendo released a special Disk System peripheral for the NES in Japan. Among its features was a microphone in the controller, which certain games used, including an updated version of the original Zelda. You could only destroy a certain enemy by shouting into the mic.

3. Homefront, a video game released in early 2011, based on a war against North Korean global power, has so far successfully predicted both the year of Kim Jong-Il’s death (2011) and North Korea’s nuclear test in 2013.

4. In Assassin’s Creed, every key character you assassinate was a real person, and the date and location of their death is accurate.

5. In 2011, a 46 year old man from Plymouth, England found and attacked a 13-year-old kid because the kid killed him too many times in Call of Duty.

6. Studies have found that surgeons, who regularly play video games make 37% fewer errors and perform tasks 27% faster than their peers

7. Steve Wozniak’s (co-creator of Apple) favorite video game is Tetris. He submitted so many high scores to Nintendo Power that they eventually stopped printing them, so he then sent in his scores under the name “Evets Kainzow”

8. It is illegal for kids 16 and under in South Korea to play video games past midnight

9. Brazil has a 120% tax on video games because of an old law that classifies all games as gambling.

10. Mortal Kombat(1992) was the first game ever to get a “Mature” Rating by ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). In fact, it was this game that was directly responsible for the creation of the ESRB.

1. PETA condemned a rat killing scene in the famous war shooter game Battlefield 3 by stating it can have, “a brutalizing effect on the target audience.”

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FIFA World Cup 2014 Facts

1. This Will Be The First World Cup Ever With Goal-Line Technology. Finally!

2. The Local Organisation Committee Includes Five Brazilian World Cup Champions

3. It’s The 2nd Time Brazil Will host A World Cup

4. Brazil Is The 5th Country To Host A World Cup For The 2nd Time

5. It Took 36 Years Before South America Will Host A World Cup Again

6. Argentina And Colombia Also Showed Interest In Hosting The 2014 World Cup

7. 17 Cities Showed Interest In Being A 2014 World Cup Host City




8. For The First Time 2 Consecutive World Cups Are Not Hosted In Europe

9. The 2014 World Cup Official TV Opening Is An Animation Video

10. Brazil Will Use Drones and US Robots During The World Cup

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10 Mind Blowing Killer Facts About Insurance

1 .Travelers is known to write the first liability car insurance policy in 1897.
2. The first known car insurance policy was written in the UK in 1895.
3. Prior to 1997 car insurance was pricier because people could not access the internet for better rates and had to rely on their local brokers.
4. The Internet changed everything on how people shop for insurance.
5. At first, every person was paying almost the same for insurance. Then companies made changes to the $ they pay depending how they drive and this way they can get more customers by lowering their rates because they are better drivers.








6. Farmers only sold car insurance to farmers for quite some time before branching out to other kinds of auto insurance.
7. Insurance generates more than $1 trillion.
8. Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance is a $420+ billion industry.
9. Personal auto insurance is a $160 billion industry sector.
10. Life/health (L/H) insurance is a $500+ billion industry.

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10 Facts About Eminem You Probably Dont Know

1. Eminem has three aliases: Eminem, The Slim Shady, and his original teenage stage name, which was M&M. His real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III.
2. Before he heard rap, he wanted to be a comic book artist.
3. Eminem's relatives used to call him 'Mickey' when he was a baby because he had big ears.
4. Eminem dropped out of school after failing 9th grade 3 times, mainly because he skipped school too many times to battle kids on the street corners
5. Eminem cuts his own hair
6.To be signed to Shady Records,one of the requirement is you to have battle Eminem.
 


7. IN the video "My Name Is," Eminem was not supposed to get hit in the face with the newspaper at the beginning and was not supposed to fall of the chair. They were both accidents but the directors decided to keep them in the video.
8. Eminem has been falsely reported dead by a car crash 4 times and a drug overdose once.
9. Eminem's all-time favorite movie is The Matrix.
10.Eminem is in the Guinness Book of world Records for being fastest selling hip-hop artist.

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Invention of Corn Flakes

When Will Keith Kellogg began helping his brother cook meals for patients at the Sanitarium at which he worked, he ended up accidentally

 stumbling across the recipe for Corn Flakes after leaving some bread dough sitting out for several hours. Upon finding the flaky dough he decided to see what 

would happen so he baked it anyway, and the rest is history.

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Vulcanized Rubber Invention, An Accident!

In the 1830s, natural rubber was a popular substance for waterproof shoes and boots, but its inability to withstand freezing temperatures and extreme heat soon left consumers and manufacturers frustrated. That led some to say rubber had no future, but Charles Goodyear disagreed. After years of trial and error trying to make rubber more durable, the scientist stumbled upon his greatest discovery by complete accident. In 1839, when showcasing his latest experiment, Goodyear

accidentally dropped his rubber concoction on a hot stove. What he discovered was a charred leather-like substance with an elastic rim. Rubber was now weatherproof.

Goodyear would never reap the benefits of his discovery and died $200,000 in debt. His surname and legacy live on, however, in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, which was named after him nearly 40 years after his death.

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Facts About Health Insurance Reform

1. For most people, the cost of health insurance premiums will exceed the cost of health care services required.

2. The relatively sick will find it easier and less expensive to obtain health insurance beginning January 1, 2014. The healthy will pay more as a result.

3. Younger people will pay higher premiums than in the past. Older people will pay less.

4. The cost of insurance for men and women will be much more comparable.

5. Mandated prevention coverage will increase the cost of health care, at least in the short-term.

6. Those who purchased “skinny” coverage in the past will pay more in the future.

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How Waitress Found Her Stolen License

Brianna Priddy, a waitress at an Applebee's in Lakewood, Colorado, lost her wallet one night. She began the laborious process of replacing its contents and ensuring that her identity wasn't stolen. Alas, someone used it to write hundreds of dollars in bad checks in Priddy's name. Fortunately, her driver's license came back to her when she asked a

customer who wanted to buy an alcoholic drink to show a photo ID. The patron handed Priddy her own missing driver's license."But I didn't say anything. I handed it back to her and said sure I'll be right back with yourmargarita. I went straight to the phone, and called the cops," Priddy said. Priddy acted like nothing was wrong. Lakewood police arrived in minutes.

The woman accused of using Priddy's stolen ID faces felony charges including theft, identity theft, and criminal impersonation

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Google Has Developed A Self-Driving Car!

There were 2.24 million injuries due to motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2010, with human

error largely to blame. Alcohol, distracted driving (texting/eating/talking), and driver decision error (speeding/driving aggressively/misjudgment of road conditions) account for over 85% of all accidents. A total of 35,332 lives were lost that year due to motor vehicle accidents, which is more than triple the amount of people lost to homicide involving a firearm. Google is hoping to make the streets a bit safer by introducing a car that can drive by itself. Initially, 100 prototype subcompact vehicles will be released and they could be ready to hit the road in less than a year.

The vehicle looks very similar to two-passenger subcompact “smart cars” currently on the market, but there are some distinct noticeable differences: no steering wheel or pedals to accelerate/decelerate. Human drivers actually play a very small role in operating the vehicle. To operate the car, the passenger merely presses a button to start the car and then inputs the destination into the car’s computer that utilizes Google Maps. The car does the rest. However, there is an emergency break available, to be used if necessary.

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In 2008 McDonald’s Saved $278,850,000

In 2008 McDonald’s management made a decision that was publicly criticized by all of the Dollar Menu enthusiasts. The fast food company decided to remove that second extra slice of cheese from the infamous fan-favorite Double cheeseburger. They have also experimented in various markets what the reaction would be when they introduce the McDouble burger with only one slice of cheese versus the Double cheeseburger.

                       

This decision of theirs resulted in a staggering global reduction of costs calculated to be nearly $279 million for 2008.

After all their tests of the Double Cheeseburger changes the McDonald’s global management discovered that most of the consumers prefer to keep the second slice of cheese and pay more cash for it.

All in all, it has been calculated that one piece of cheese would save the franchise about 6 cents per burger.
Evidently by just making a simple change removing a slice of cheese, the mega corporation was able to boost the cash flow globally by nearly $15,000 a year per restaurant.

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The Discoverer of Penicillin was Opposed to It!

Alexander Flemming accidentally discovered and isolated penicillin in September of 1928. This marked the start of modern antibiotics—everything before that were just hunches and rumors that molds and penicillin could inhibit bacteria growth. This hard evidence was great news for the sick and bacteria-ridden masses, but Flemming also saw something else interesting.

He noticed that the bacteria quickly developed antibiotic resistance when too little was used or it wasn't used long enough. Though he was revered for his discovery of penicillin, he often spoke out in his speeches against using it unless extremely necessary. And when it had to be used, he insisted that patients must not skimp on it or stop before the infection is gone, or the bacteria could grow to resist even the strongest stuff!

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Top 5 Gadgets of 2013

1. Leap Motion Controller

This pint-sized USB accessory for Windows PCs and Macs is an $80 preview of where man-machine interfaces may be headed. Plug it in, plop it on a flat surface, and you can perform tasks — from playing games to reading New York Times stories — by waving your hands in the air. It can even detect the angle your palms and how many fingers you’re sticking out.

2. Apple iPhone 5s
The iPhone 5s introduces two of the best smartphone features which Apple or anyone else has ever come up with. The Touch ID sensor lets unlock your phone with a quick press of your finger or thumb. And the camera sports a unique dual-LED flash which provides subtle, custom lighting for an array of picture-taking scenarios.

3. Pebble Smartwatch

The $150 wearable gizmo acts as a satellite for your iPhone or Android handset, receiving snippets such as text-message notifications via Bluetooth and displaying them on its power-efficient E Ink display. Third-party developers can write programs to let it do everything from playing games to tracking your fitness. Did we mention that it tells time?

4. Oculus Rift Development Kit

Oculus Rift is only available in a $300 kit aimed at game developers. But once you strap on this virtual-reality headset onto your noggin and experience it in action, you’ll get itchy for the consumer release, which is scheduled to release this year. Used with a PC or Android device, Rift will let games create 3D worlds which surround you — you can even look over your shoulder for enemies lurking behind. If the games live up to the hardware’s potential, it could be an epoch-shifting landmark.

5. Google Chromecast

Purchase price of $35, plug it into one of your TV’s HDMI ports, and you can fling videos and other content from your laptop, tablet or phone to the big screen, no wires involved. Lots of companies have built devices to do this; Chromecast is the first one that gets it right.

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Antibiotic Resistance Now A Global Threat

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a report that serves as a stark wake-up call to the growing worldwide problem of antimicrobial resistance. The report highlights the need for a concerted effort from both governments and society as a whole to tackle this ongoing issue which poses a “global health security threat.”

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when organisms such as bacteria and viruses evolve mechanisms to evade therapeutic agents, for example antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. We’re all familiar with the “hospital superbug” MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), but that just scratches the surface on this now incredibly widespread problem.

Not only does AMR make infections more difficult to treat, it also means that relatively minor injuries and common infections have the potential to become life threatening. If we don’t step up our game, the achievements of modern medicine are seriously at stake.

In order to compile this report, the WHO gathered and analyzed surveillance data from 114 countries which detailed resistance rates amongst common disease causing pathogens. Amongst the findings was the worrying fact that the bacterial species K. pneumoniae, which commonly causes infections in hospitals and the community, is becoming increasingly resistant to last resort antibiotics, and drug resistance was found in every region surveyed.

Other bacterial species demonstrating both widespread and high levels of drug resistance were E. coli and S. aureus, which can cause urinary tract infections and blood stream infections. Around 20% of tuberculosis cases were also found to have multidrug-resistant TB.

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You Wont Believe These Foods are Eaten

                                                      1. Rats

Rats are surprisingly common food in some parts of the world. In North Korea they are eaten because there is often little else to eat in the villages. They are generally field rats rather than the city rats that most of us are familiar with. They are described as being tough and stringly with a taste like chicken (surprise!)

2. Monkeys Brains

In parts of China, the monkey’s brain is eaten raw. While it is most likely an urban legend, some people claim that monkeys’ brains are, or were, eaten from the head of a live monkey

                                                       3. Spiders

They are bred in holes in the ground especially for eating and are deep fried. The texture is described as crispy-chewy and some say it tastes similar to crab. Like Tarantulas, these spiders can bite. They were a regular survival food of the Khmer Rouge. The photograph above is an actual photo of one of the spiders ready to be eaten.

4. Balut – Duck Fetus

Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. They are considered delicacies of Asia and especially the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors at night in the regions where they are available. They are often served with beer.

                                                      5. Snake Blood and Bile

This is less a food than a medicine, but it is so disgusting that it warrants a place on the list. In Central Jakarta, a man who calls himself the Cobra man specializes in preparing blood and bile for medicinal uses. Typically, he cuts off the head and drains the blood into a glass of arrack. He adds the bile and serves the drink as a treatment for respiratory ailments, skin problems, aches or indigestion.

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King Umberto I Co-Incidence

In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I, went to a small restaurant for dinner, accompanied by his aide-de-camp,  eneral Emilio Ponzia- Vaglia. When the owner took King Umberto's order, the King noticed that he and  he restaurant owner were virtual doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the striking resemblances between each other and found many more similarities.
a) Both men were born on the same day, of the same year, (March 14th, 1844).

b) Both men had been born in the same town.
c) Both men married a woman with same name, Margherita.
d) The restauranteur opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto was crowned King of Italy.
e) On the 29th July 1900, King Umberto was informed that the restauranteur had died that day in a mysterious shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, he was then assassinated by an anarchist in the crowd

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