Groupon's brilliant response to Amazon's drones: Catapults

Take that, Amazon.

(Credit: Groupon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

By now, you'll have come to realize that the idea of Amazon sending your diapers by drone is brilliant. A brilliant public relations idea, not a brilliant idea for actually delivering diapers.

Groupon, however, clearly sees this as a threat to its business and our society. So, the company put its collective craniums together in order to come up with a new delivery method that will be fast, but more people-friendly than Amazon's drones.

The Grouponderers decided that the best way of looking forward was to look back. History has already seen some excellent ideas for propelling objects from one point to another, so why not take advantage of that?

"We're talking about principles of package delivery systems that have been around since the time of King Arthur," explained Everett Weiss, Groupon's SVP of innovations, in new video.

"That guy knew something about keeping precious cargo safe," continued Weiss.

So Groupon will be delivering your precious cargo by catapult. These devices have stood the test of time. They come in all sorts of sizes.

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"We draw the line at creating autonomous robots that buzz by your house, wake up your sleeping baby and, who knows, take pictures of you while you're in the shower," said Weiss.

This shows a truly sensitive pioneering spirit. However, you might wonder how guinea pig customers are responding to their packages being projected.

"So I heard this whistling, this ominous whistling," customer Jeanette Colan said in the video. She thought it might be a flaming bale of hay or a hot cauldron of oil.

This is understandable, as she looks like she lives in Brooklyn. In fact, it was just her wireless headphones, catapulted by Groupon.

The Groupon catapult will be live in 2014, far sooner than Amazon's putative drones.

"From our dungeon to your doorstep," ends the video. This could turn out to be one of the world's greatest ever taglines.

Jeff Bezos is quaking in his loafers.

(Credit: Groupon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

Buckle up -- the year's best meteor shower peaks on Friday

The Geminid meteor shower is slated to be even more impressive than this Perseid shower.

(Credit: NASA/JPL)

It's time to break out the blankets and troop outside of city lights -- the annual Geminid meteor shower will arrive toward the end of this week and promises to be a spectacular show.

Geminid meteor showers are the most vivid of all showers -- full of fireballs and between 100 to 120 meteors per hour. They're also viewable from any point on Earth. So, remember thePerseids shower in August? This one could be even better.

Most astronomers believe that the Geminid light show originates from the remnants and dust of a rocky object known as 3200 Phaethon -- rather than from comets, like most meteor showers. Every year around mid-December the Earth passes this object's debris, giving Earthlings the opportunity to witness the stunning showers. The 3200 Phaethon, which is 3.2 miles in diameter, is still a bit of a mystery to scientists.

"The Geminids are my favorite because they defy explanation," NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office head Bill Cooke said in a statement. "Of all the debris streams Earth passes through every year, the Geminids are by far the most massive. When we add up the amount of dust in the Geminid stream, it outweighs other streams by factors of 5 to 500."

That's no reason to stay home, however, there will still be plenty of bright meteors to see. This year's Geminid meteor shower is slated to peak on the night of December 13 and into December 14. The show officially started on December 4 and will last through December 17. The best time of night to see the meteors is at moonset, which is around 4 a.m. PT.While the Geminid showers are the best around, this year's won't be as show-stopping as years past. That's because it nearly coincides with the full moon, which is on December 17. The light from the moon is supposed to mute out nearly half of the meteor sightings.

For those viewers who want to know more as they gaze, on December 13 they can tune into alive Ustream feed from NASA that will host Cooke and two people from his team of experts in a Web chat from 8pm to 12am PT. A live feed of the skies over the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will also be embedded into the Ustream feed.

Neymar amazed me in Messi role – Martino

Gerardo Martino has heaped praise on hat-trick hero Neymar after Barcelona's 6-1 Champions League thrashing of Celtic on Wednesday, saying the Brazilian amazed him in Lionel Messi's central role.The Brazil international became the first player to score a three-goal haul in both the Copa Libertadores and the Champions League as he struck three times in 14 minutes during a sparkling display.Neymar has now found the net eight times in all competitions since joining Barca from Santos in June and Martino was quick to hail the 21-year-old for his contribution to an excellent performance from the Catalan club on Wednesday.'Neymar didn't start well, he had to adapt to the centre-forward position, but after the first goal he showed what he can do,' the Barca coach told reporters.'What amazes me most about Neymar is how he's involved with the team, how he helps to recover balls - that's rare for such a player.'Martino also suggested that Barca delivered their most complete showing of the campaign against Celtic and is hopeful that his side can continue to perform at the same level.'I think this was our most complete game this season,' he added. 'I'm especially happy that we could keep up the level for a long time.'Our goal is to play every game like we played tonight.'Barca are back in action on Saturday in La Liga against Villarreal.

Materazzi hits out at Benitez over Cannavaro

Former Italy international Marco Materazzi has hit out at Napoli coach Rafa Benitez over his treatment of club captain Paolo Cannavaro.

The 32-year-old defender has not featured for the Partenopei since his dismissal in October's Serie A defeat at Roma, in which he picked up two yellow cards in the space of 25 minutes after being brought on as a substitute.

Materazzi, who clashed with Benitez during their time together at Inter, feels the Spaniard has treated Cannavaro unfairly.

'Discrediting Paolo Cannavaro in such a short time didn't seem right because he's done a lot for Napoli,' the World Cup winner told Radio CRC.

'Paolo is no less talented than any of the other players in that role. In my view, Benitez has won a lot, but he's too presumptuous.'

Napoli face a tricky week, as they face a must-win Champions League clash with Arsenal at the San Paolo on Wednesday before taking on Inter in Serie A on Sunday night.

Materazzi, though, is expecting the Partenopei, who recruited the likes of Gonzalo Higuain during the summer, to rise to the challenges at hand.

'Napoli have bought so many players and spent a lot of money,' he reasoned. 'The squad is of higher quality than last season, so they have to do better than last season.

'The Azzurri have been strong in the league, but they've had too many setbacks. The problem is that when the key players aren't in shape, the whole team suffers.

'I expect them to play a good match against Inter. There's also the return of [Inter coach Walter] Mazzarri to Naples, and the coach wants to win.'

Demi Moore sells $250,000 engagement ring

Demi Moore has sold her $250,000 engagement ring from Ashton Kutcher. 
The 51-year-old actress sold the five-carat, emerald-cut diamond she was given by her ex-husband to a Beverly Hills high-end jeweller to help her get rid of any reminders of their romance. 
A source told the new issue of America's Star magazine: 'Ashton broke her heart. Anything that reminds her of him makes her sad, and she wants to be happy.'
Ashton and Demi - who married on September 24, 2005 - split in November 2011 amid claims the 'No Strings Attached' star enjoyed a fling with student Sara Leal, 23, in San Diego on his sixth wedding anniversary but their divorce was only made official last month. 
The 35-year-old actor filed for divorce in December 2012 but it dragged on because they were reportedly at odds over how to divide their assets and $300 million fortune.
Ashton has since been with his former 'That 70s Show' co-star Mila Kunis, 30, and the couple, who began dating in April 2012, have been inseparable since they got together.
'Ghost' star Demi has been married twice before. She wed Freddy Moore - 12 years her senior - in 1980 but by 1985 they were divorced. In 1987, she then tied the knot with Bruce Willis, with whom she has three daughters, Rumer, 25, Scout, 22, and Tallulah, 19, but they split in 1998, eventually divorcing in 2000.

Afghans study in Germany to combat corruption

'Erfurt certainly is not Berlin,' Edris Arib, above left, laughs. The 27-year old Afghan is a student in the city of Erfurt, but his first stop in Germany was the capital. There, he spent half a year completing a language course and developed quite a liking for the capital. But his actual destination in Germany is Erfurt.

'Going from Kabul to Berlin was even more difficult,' he said. For Edris Arib, Berlin's art and culture scene take a back seat to his studies, so living in quiet Erfurt isn't much of an issue. The young man has come to Germany to earn a university degree in political science. His ultimate goal? Return to his home country in two years' time to help rebuild Afghanistan.

In Kabul, Edris Arib worked as a judicial consultant to the European Union. He was able to take a break from his job but had to leave his family behind in order to come to Germany. He was accompanied by Abdul Wahab Sarwary, a 33-year old who already has a degree in economics from Kabul University.

Both Arib and Sarwary are completing a Masters in Public Policy and Good Governance at the Willy Brandt School in Erfurt. The program is a joint venture with the German Acadamic Exchange Program (DAAD).

'Good governance is still a big problem in Afghanistan,' Sarwary said. There's a lot of corruption and poor security for people working for the government and the army, he adds. Soon, he's hoping to put his political theory skills to practice in his home country.

Training the future elite

Some 75 students from 40 countries have enrolled in the program for the winter term. They come from Western countries, as well as the developing world. All courses in the degree program are taught in English by people like Heike Grimm, a professor for public policy and founding member of the school. 'Most people later want to work in public administration and want to prepare themselves for a leadership position,' Grimm said.

Courses like Strategic Marketing or Financial Management are mandatory but there's also a focus on ethical questions - like how to tackle corruption. 'This is not only about local corruption but also in reference to development aid,' Grimm said. This was an issue they discussed with the students. She asked them to talk about their home countries so that she can get the perspective of those affected. 'We develop a picture of what the situation in the country is like and then develop a political approach that would work there,' she said.

Key elections

Afghanistan, Liberia, Egypt, Syria and many other countries rocked by conflict are the focus for the Willy Brandt School. What measures can be taken in the home country? What are positive approaches in administration and politics that will reduce violence? What changes will eventually lead to more democracy? For Arib and Sarwary those are the questions that matter.

Both describe the situation in Afghanistan as extremely difficult. The year 2014 will be a crucial one, as international troops are set to withdraw and the country will have to stand on its own feet. Afghanistan has already mastered many challenges in its history, they say, but there's still a long road ahead.

'I am sure that Afghanistan can make it,' Sarwary said. The biggest problem he sees at the moment are the upcoming presidential elections next year. 'This will be crucial for the future and will have a direct impact on everything happening in Afghanistan.'

Giving the people a voice

The cost for the Erfurt degree is 1,500 euros ($2,056) per semester, and most of the students are funded by a grant. Both Sarwary and Arib are sponsored by DAAD. As soon as Sarwary is finished with his degree, he wants to go back to Afghanistan and work for a development program. When he departed Afghanistan, it was still difficult to reach people and integrate them into the country's political process, to give them a voice.

'We have to mobilize them,' Sarwary said. 'We need more transparency and good governance.'

Many projects didn't work in the past because they didn't take into account the real needs of the 

Vin Diesel comforted by Paul Walker’s mother

Vin Diesel raced to the home of Paul Walker's mother after learning about his death.
The 46-year-old actor has revealed he instinctively turned to Cheryl Walker for support and jumped on plane to California to be by her side as soon as he heard that his 'The Fast and the Furious' co-star had died in a fiery car accident last Saturday (30.11.13).
In a heart-breaking post on his Facebook page on Friday (06.12.13), Vin wrote: 'When I heard, I immediately flew back to California, and went directly from the plane to his mother's house...
'I thought they needed my strength, but realised when I got there and broke down before his family, that it was I who needed theirs.
'His mother hugged me and said I am so sorry... I said sorry? You're the mother who lost a son?... She said yes, but you lost your other half...'
Paul has left behind his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, and his girlfriend of seven years Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell, 23.
A coroner has concluded the deaths of both Paul and his business partner, Roger Rodas, who was driving, were an accident, but investigators are currently looking into the cause of the single-car smash up, with speed believed to have been a factor. 
The family and friends of the Hollywood star held a private memorial at the site of the crash in Santa Clarita, California, on Mond