In the world today:

First up - an interesting story circulating with implications for the "mark of the beast" - as we see yet another step in the development of this technology:

Electronic skin tattoo has medical, gaming, spy uses

A hair-thin electronic patch that adheres to the skin like a temporary tattoo could transform medical sensing, computer gaming and even spy operations, according to a US study published Thursday.

The micro-electronics technology, called an epidermal electronic system (EES), was developed by an international team of researchers from the United States, China and Singapore, and is described in the journal Science."It's a technology that blurs the distinction between electronics and biology," said co-author John Rogers, a professor in materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"Our goal was to develop an electronic technology that could integrate with the skin in a way that is mechanically and physiologically invisible to the user."

Earthquakes remain a story today. Without listing each big quake today, we have the seismic map which can be viewed and these articles:

Sizeable earthquake hits Fukushima region

A 5.9-magnitude quake shook Japan early Friday, hitting the region around Fukushima which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in March. There were no immediate reports of casualties and no tsunami warning triggered.

China quake injures 26, topples 30 homes

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck northwestern China on Thursday toppling 30 homes and injuring 26 people in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

5.7-magnitude quake shakes Pakistan

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Pakistan early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

Seismic Monitor

And here is an update on Japan quakes and nuclear situation that is worth reading.

NASA Sun-Watching Satellite Spots Comet Elenin in Deep Space

A NASA spacecraft aimed at the sun shifted its unblinking gaze to an approaching comet last week to snap a new photo of the icy object as it flew by.

The image shows the comet Elenin as it passed within 4.3 million miles (7 million kilometers) of one of NASA's twin Stereo sun-watching spacecraft during a series of deep space photo sessions that began on Aug. 1. NASA rolled the Stereo-B satellite to give its instruments a view of the comet flyby, officials said.

From Stereo's observations, the fuzzy comet Elenin can be seen streaking across a small portion of the sky. The comet was seen by Stereo's HI-2 telescope between Aug. 1 to 5, and by the higher resolution HI-1 telescope between Aug. 6 to 12, NASA officials said. Stereo mission scientists planned to take photos for one-hour every day through Aug. 12.

In the U.K.: Are we about to see the first example of a government shut-down of "social media"?

London riots: police could get powers over social media

The Prime Minister said that “everyone watching these horrific actions will be stuck by how they were organised via social media. Free flow of information can be used for good. But it can also be used for ill.”

He said that he has asked the police if they need new powers, and that Government is “working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services".

The Home Secretary later told Parliament that she will convene a meeting with the police and representatives from the social media industries to to discuss how to improve the technological and related legal capability of the police. They will discuss "whether and how we should be able to stop people communicating via these websites and services", she said.

In a related article:

London police use facial recognition to ID riot thugs

Facial recognition technology being considered for London's 2012 Games is getting a workout in the wake of Britain's riots, with officers feeding photographs of suspects through Scotland Yard's newly updated face-matching program.

And last - we see a chilling video report from Ron Paul regarding the status of the dollar and how the federal reserve is participating in dying dollar:

Ron Paul: The Dollar Is Dying And The Fed Is Killing It