Late Night iPad Reading Could Keep You Up at Night

The iPad could be causing restless nights for many who use it to read e-books before lights out. According to the Los Angeles Times, the light that's emitted from the iPad's screen inhibits the release of melatonin, a chemical that tells your body to wind down for the evening. This holds true for any device that emits unnatural light -- be it a TV or a cell phone. But Frisca Yan-Go, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center in Santa Monica, told the Times that the iPad has a greater effect on preventing the release of melatonin in the body because users hold it so close to their faces. The same, then, goes for cell phones and other gadgets with screens. Thus, watching reruns of 'Family Guy' on the couch is less likely to keep you up than reading a John Girsham iBook under the covers, because of your eyes' proximity to the light's source.

But you don't have to give up your e-books. The Kindle and Nook can be used at night with little or no effect on melatonin secretion, Yan-Go says. That's because these devices use e-ink, which doesn't emit light. It also means you can use a Kindle or Nook, unlike the iPad, in direct sunlight -- a crucial fact as summer rears its head. By no means do we think this discovery will cause Apple to lose ground in the e-book market. More than likely, it just means iPad users will look more sleep deprived during the morning commute. [From: The Los Angeles Times]

First "Hobbit" film on track for 2012 release

Warner Bros. is scheduling Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro's two-part adaptation of "The Hobbit" for December 2012 and December 2013.

Confusion over release dates surfaced Wednesday when Imax announced an overall, 20-film, three-year deal with Warners. In outlining which films would be included, Imax incorrectly indicated 2013 as the release date for the first "Hobbit" movie.



But 2013 is two years later than the 2011 release date that New Line and MGM targeted for the first installment when the two companies originally announced the movies in December 2007.

However, 2011 proved not to be a realistic date and instead served more as a guideline, according to insiders, because when it was first announced, no scripts were written, nor schedules or budgets drawn up.

While the project is taking a bit longer than the filmmakers anticipated, it is now on track for 2012 -- rather than the 2013 date mentioned in the Imax release.

Coffee: Is it healthier than you think?

Elaine Murszewski is a self-proclaimed coffee addict.

"I have been a coffee drinker for more years than I can remember," she says. "My coffeemaker must have an auto-start feature so that when I wake up, it's ready."

The 53-year-old former software company representative from Aurora, Colorado, never uses cream or milk because they just "spoil the taste." She prefers coffee over alcohol -- even at a bar.

Murszewski has a lot of company. More than half of adults in the U.S., or 54 percent, are habitual coffee drinkers, according to the National Coffee Association. In fact, 146 billion cups are consumed in the U.S. each year, nearly three times more than tea.

But for years, coffee had a bad reputation. Linked in many people's minds with smoking, coffee is associated with over-caffeination and insomnia.

The caffeine found in coffee can stay in your system for up to 12 hours, making it more difficult to fall asleep, and it affects your quality of sleep as well. Caffeine is also a diuretic, meaning that it increases urine output, which can lead to dehydration.

Health.com: 12 surprising sources of caffeine

The general consensus used to be that tea was the better bet in terms of health benefits. But recent research suggests that despite the downsides of coffee, the "devil's brew" does have an upside: Coffee drinkers may be at lower risk of liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.

Health.com: The many perks of coffee

And in 2009, two coffee studies suggested additional benefits: Coffee-drinking men seemed to have a lower risk of advanced or lethal prostate cancer than other men, and middle-aged people who drank moderate amounts of coffee -- three to five cups a day -- had the lowest risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life compared to less (or more) frequent drinkers.

Can drinking coffee even help you live longer? Maybe. A 2008 study found that women who drank coffee regularly -- up to six cups a day -- were less likely to die of various causes during the study than their non-coffee-drinking counterparts. Because consumption of decaf coffee showed similar results, researchers don't think caffeine is at work.

Coffee contains antioxidants

While coffee drinkers may have other lifestyle habits that could explain the potential health benefits, researchers are also looking for compounds in coffee that explain the results.

One possibility? Antioxidants, those healthy compounds most often associated with fruits and vegetables. While the amount of antioxidants per serving is indeed much higher in things like berries, beans, and pecans, these foods are consumed less frequently than coffee.

Sandra Bullock's Divorce Likely Won't Be Messy

Facebook Twitter Yahoo Buzz E-mail Sandra Bullock's split from Jesse James will likely be a clean break, a legal expert tells PEOPLE, and the actress's new son Louis won't be an issue in the case.

Bullock filed for divorce on April 23 in Austin, Texas, where she maintains a home and discreetly used her backwards initials "B.A.S." and James's initials "J.J.G" on the paperwork.

"Her legal filing indicates that both she and Jesse are seeking an amicable settlement and that there will be no children at issue in this divorce," says Daryl Weinman, an Austin-based family law attorney who's not involved with the case. "I wouldn't be surprised if this divorce wraps up quietly within two months."

Ahmadinejad seeks to address U.N. conference on nuclear weapons

UNITED NATIONS -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has requested a visa to travel next week to New York to address a U.N. conference aimed at stemming the spread of nuclear weapons, a move that sets the stage for a potential confrontation with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton over Tehran's nuclear intentions.

Ahmadinejad's decision to address the nuclear conference comes as the United States and other key U.N. powers are engaged in delicate negotiations over a U.N. resolution calling for sanctions against Iran for failing to comply with U.N. obligations to curtail its enrichment of uranium. Those talks -- involving the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- are expected to play out on the sidelines of the four-week-long conference.

Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Iran's nuclear program provides an ominous backdrop for the eighth review conference for the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which opens Monday at U.N. headquarters. Rice, who described the treaty as "a cornerstone of our national security," said the United States would use the four-week session to strengthen the Cold War-era pact. Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation. Rice also confirmed Ahmadinejad's visa request.

The development fueled expectations that Tehran may seek to undercut the Obama administration's efforts to pursue reforms aimed at strengthening U.N. inspections of states' nuclear programs and punishing states that abruptly withdraw from the treaty to evade their nuclear obligations. All decisions by treaty members must be reached by consensus, giving Tehran effective veto power over any outcome.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters at a luncheon Wednesday that it would be "helpful" if the Iranian leader came to New York with some "constructive proposal to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue." But he said he is "unaware of any concrete ideas" Ahmadinejad intended to unveil before the nuclear conference.

Ban said that the "onus" of assuring the international community that Tehran is not developing nuclear weapons rests on the Iranian leader. "The burden is on you," he said. "You have not satisfied the request of the international community" to demonstrate that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

Peanut Butter & Choc Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches with Fresh Banana

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 bananas, ripe but firm

1 quart of good quality chocolate chip ice cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy – about 8 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce mixer to low, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop (1 3/4 inch), scoop dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat evenly and place on baking sheet about 2-inches apart. Gently press the cookies with the back of a fork to create a crisscross pattern (if tines stick, dip fork in cup of warm water in between each cookie). Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake 12–15 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to cooking racks and let cool completely before making sandwiches.

Slice bananas into 1/8-inch thick slices and fan slices on bottom sides of 12 cookies. Place 1 small scoop of chocolate chip ice cream on top of the banana slices and top with remaining cookie. Serve immediately or wrap cookies individually in plastic and freeze.

Tricks That Prevent 'Old Lady Hair'

Prevent Thinning
Did you know that 50 percent of us will suffer from female-pattern hair loss at some point in our lives? Caused by genetics (thanks Mom) or hormones, this can sometimes be alleviated with birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy or topical Minoxidil products. Other factors such as stress, pregnancy, significant weight loss, immune system imbalance or illness can contribute to thinning hair. The key is to seek treatment from a professional dermatologist and to treat your locks with love. Reduce chemical processing, maintain a healthy diet, exercise frequently and use protein-fortified hair products. Also, avoid styles that pull on your hair such as tight ponytails, braids or weaves -- not only will this cause breakage, it can permanently damage the roots leaving them unable to regrow