Google ads Amazon-style products to search results – in a big revenue grab

An interesting update by Google which seems directly targeted at Amazon. These new Product Ads from Google will compete with Amazon’s commission model, and may come down to who has the better search. With billions of dollars in revenue the stakes…   In the early days of Google, users would type in a query, we’d …

Maps of Southern California’s – Marine Protected Areas

A map of all the Southern California MPA’s (marine protected areas), defined as: A space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters – similar to parks we have on land. They are supposed to form a network of safe areas for marine life ro repopulate and bring back …

The best beach & sports sunscreens

The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals for the skin to absorb, no questions about whether the product works, no bogus claims like “sunblock.” (No conventional product blocks out all rays. That’s why the FDA is trying to ban the term. ) But when you can’t avoid exposing your skin to …

Amazing Species: a carnivorous plant – Nepenthes rigidifolia

Nepenthes rigidifolia is not yet listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, however a provisional evaluation classes this species as ‘Critically Endangered’. Known only from a single location in Sumatra, Indonesia, this spectacular carnivorous pitcher plant produces mottled brown and yellowish green pitchers up to 21 cm tall and 8 cm wide, borne from unique, …

Earth Day: the savior of California’s coast

Since today is Earth Day I want to honor a special man who recently passed away, Peter Douglas. For more than 34 years he protected the coasts of California with spectacular success. “A World Bank team that visited California last year rated it as having the best coastal protection in the world and expressed amazement …

Save the Sea Otters!

I know you have a favorite animal. Mine is the Sea Otter! These furry little creatures are smart and devilish. They have pouches like kangaroos where they store their toolset. After diving to the bottom for some tasty crustaceans they head back to the surface and lay on their backs to crack open their delights …