Acne app developers in a spot of bother

Two developers look set to be ordered to stop making bogus claims about smartphone apps that could supposedly treat acne.

AcneApp and Acne Pwner both “worked” by emitting red or blue lights from the screen. The user was supposed to hold the screen next to the spotty skin for several minutes a day, with suggestions it could “kill” or “eliminate” the condition.

AcneApp even claimed to be based on a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology showing such treatments could reduce skin blemishes by 76 percent because the light killed off Propionibacterium acnes, a bacteria that secretes chemicals that damage the walls of blocked pores.

The Federal Trade Commission found that the developers had misrepresented the study. While the bacteria can indeed be killed by ultraviolet light, the light produced by a smartphone screen is neither the right frequency nor anywhere near the intensity required for such treatment.

Earlier this year, the British Association of Dermatologists said ” “The study mentioned from the British Journal of Dermatology doesn’t refer to the kind of light that would be emitted by a cell phone. This application won’t take care of acne and isn’t a substitute for clinically proven treatment options readily available from a physician.”

The FTC has now unanimously proposed a compulsory settlement in place of taking legal action. Under the settlement, the AcneApp creators would pay a fine of $14,294 while the person behind Acne Pwner would pay $1,700. Both would be formally barred from repeating the claims in the future. They’d also be legally barred from making any future scientific claim without evidence, or misrepresenting any scientific study; doing so would immediately make them liable to legal action.

The two cases are the first time the FTC has taken action over health claims in mobile apps.

Surprisingly the fines don’t appear to be the entire amount the developers made from the apps. AcneApp alone sold around 11,600 copies in the iTunes store at $1.99 a time, meaning the developers’ take was more than $16,000.

The settlement is out for public consultation before a second formal vote to approve next month, at which point it would take legal effect.



Doctor Who Mashup: “The Journey So Far” (2005-2011)

Youtuber LastWhovian has created this absolutely amazing Doctor Who mashup using footage from the last 6 seasons of the show, and the result is, I must say, absolutely epic. Check it out:

[Via The Nerdist]

Prettiest Supergirl Ever V. 2.0

Ok, so I tought this lady was one of the prettiest Supergirls I’ve ever seen, but she has competition now. Here are a few awesome pictures featuring Deviantart user EnjiNight costumed as the “girl of steel.” Enjoy!

Edit: Nope, the girl isn’t jailbait. Her Facebook fan page states that she is 20 years old. ;)

[Source: EnjiNight]



Harry Potter’s Resume [Pic]

Woe is the job candidate going up against Harry Potter for an open Auror position. Can you imagine walking into a room where a bunch of other applicants are waiting and spotting that famous scar? You might as well just turn around and go home. You’re not going to get the position. Maybe Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes is hiring.

[Via]

A Tale of Two Moons

Last month, planetary science suggested a new explanation of the dramatic asymmetry of our Moon’s two sides; one, “our” side, is flat and low, while the other (the “dark side”) is a mountainous terrain. The dichotomy could arise, researchers say, from a collision between our moon and a smaller companion. As a smaller body, had the companion moonlet crashed into the moon at a low enough speed, it would have cooled more quickly, avoiding vaporization and simply smearing itself across the impact crater it created. Visually, it would go something like this:

The Two Moons theory would explain the vast differences in both composition and geography, but can it be proven?

Perhaps so. Early this morning, high-level winds delayed the launch of NASA’s GRAIL mission (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory), a twin spacecraft designed to determine the structure of the lunar interior.

The twin spacecraft are now scheduled to begin their mission to the moon on Sept. 9, lifting off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Launch Complex 17B aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II heavy rocket. There are once again two instantaneous (one-second) launch windows. Friday’s launch times are 8:33:25 a.m. and 9:12:31 a.m. EDT. The launch period extends through Oct. 19, with liftoff occurring approximately 4 minutes earlier each day.

Friday, NASA will attempt another launch, sending the GRAIL on its four-month journey to the moon by way of a new route that takes the spacecraft pair first on a one-lap tour of the planet, then after separating, toward the Sun. At the point when the Earth’s gravity balances the pair in orbit, they’ll hang out for a couple months before heading to the moon. The timing is important–the spacecraft have to avoid two lunar eclipses, which would block the sunlight needed to power the GRAIL probes.

Once there, the twin probes will utilize the same technology as GRACE, the mission which mapped the Earth’s gravity. Information from a full lunar gravity scan will give clues to the Moon’s composition, and, just maybe, tell us whether or not we did in fact once have two moons.

Live launch coverage will begin tomorrow morning (Friday, Sep 9) at 5:45 a.m. on NASA TV and on the web at www.nasa.gov/ntv and www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/grail/launch/grail_blog.html.

[sources: 1|2|3]