Gizmodo: cloning

Panayiotis Zavos Has Cloned Dead Humans, Implanted Other Cloned Embryos

Mark Wilson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:40:00 EDT

This is Cady, who died at age 10 in a car accident. More recently, Dr. Panayiotis Zavos infused her DNA into a cow's egg to study human cloning.

Dr Zavos assures the public that this human/cow hybrid model for study only—he'd never implant anything but human to human tissue, even though Cady's mother would allow it. But according to a documentary filmmaker who witnessed these procedures, Zavos has implanted 11 other cloned 100% human embryos into four women prepared to give birth to the first human clone.

None of the pregnancies took.

Regarded as a quack in 2004 when he claimed to have implanted the first human cloned embryo into a woman, Dr. Zavos has returned to the media spotlight through film documentation. Read lots more on the story over at The Independent, and apparently there will be a Discovery Channel special airing tonight (though we haven't spotted its listing in US broadcast). If you have scheduling info, let us know in the comments. [The Independent]

Six Cloned Labradors Enter the Korean Customs Service

Chris Magor — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:55:00 EDT

Six cloned male golden Labradors named Toppy look set to be sniffing suitcases for the Korean Customs Service. The cloning method was developed by a team at Seoul National University led by Lee Byeong-chun, former lieutenant of disgraced scientist Woo-Suk Hwang, who was found to have fabricated research. Their father was chosen due to his exceptional drug sniffing abilities and good temperament. While still a ways off from sniffing out contraband, the six Toppies have already passed the first of round of genetic and behavioral testing and look set to continue the family tradition. As long as they can keep their noses out of passengers' crotches, they should be fine. [Chosun via Far East Gizmos and The Niche]

Move Over Meizu: China's Clone "Gods" do Nokia N95 Too

Kit Eaton — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:34:02 EDT

It's not just the iPhone that's being cloned: now this black 8GB Nokia N95 clone has joined the party. With dual slider keypads, a two megapixel camera with flash, another small camera, media player, Bluetooth and microSD card slot, it's actually not all that bad. It doesn't have the 8GB, of course. But you've got to admire the brazen advertising: "STRAIGHT FROM THE CLONING GODS OF CHINA! WE BRING YOU THE ALL NEW N95 DUAL SLIDE VERSION!" It gets worse.

"A CLONE THAT IS TRULY WORTHY TO BE CALLED AN EXACT REPLICA! SAME DIMENSION, MARKINGS, FEEL .... OVER ALL CLOSEST TO THE REAL N95 BLACK 8 GIG."

Looks like a very professional piece of tech-copying, doesn't it? Detailed right down to the Nokia logo splashed on the front. Those naughty Chinese cloner "gods" have even packaged the phone up with a "Nokia" charger, handsfree earpiece, a 256MB microSD card and a manual. An actual manual. Plus a one-year warranty! Talk about laugh-out-loud.

It's available in the Philippines, apparently, for just $161. [RedFerret]