রবিবার, ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২

New Apple Patents Hint At a Few Upcoming Camera Features [Apple]

With iPhone 5 announced and released, designers are back to the grindstone. In fact, they probably already have been for a while. A few new Apple patents filed just a few days ago provide some hints at what Apple cameras might do in the future. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Qnz9cbEY4wQ/new-apple-patents-hint-at-a-few-upcoming-camera-features

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Maya prophecies: What were they thinking?

As the clock winds down to Dec. 21, experts on the Maya calendar have been racing to convince people that the Maya didn't predict an apocalypse for the end of this year.

Some experts are now saying the Maya may indeed have made prophecies, just not about the end of the world.

Archaeologists, anthropologists and other experts met Friday in the southern Mexico city of Merida to discuss the implications of the Maya Long Count calendar, which is made up of 394-year periods called baktuns.

Experts estimate the system starts counting at 3114 B.C., and will have run through 13 baktuns, or 5,125 years, around Dec. 21. Experts say 13 was a significant number for the Maya, and the end of that cycle would be a milestone ? but not an end.

Fears that the calendar does point to the end have circulated in recent years. People in that camp believe the Maya may have been privy to impending astronomical disasters that would coincide with 2012, ranging from explosive storms on the surface of the sun that could knock out power grids to a galactic alignment that could trigger a reversal in Earth's magnetic field.

Mexican government archaeologist Alfredo Barrera said Friday that the Maya tried to make predictions, but perhaps about more humdrum events like droughts or disease outbreaks.

"The Mayas did make prophecies, but not in a fatalistic sense, but rather about events that, in their cyclical conception of history, could be repeated in the future," said Barrera, of the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Experts stressed that the ancient Maya, whose "classic" culture of writing, astronomy and temple complexes flourished from the year 300 to 900, were extremely interested in future events, far beyond Dec. 21.

"There are many ancient Maya monuments that discuss events far into the future from now," wrote Geoffrey Braswell, an anthropologist at the University of California at San Diego. "The ancient Maya clearly believed things would happen far into the future from now."

"The king of Palenque, K'inich Hanaab Pakal, believed he would return to the Earth a couple of thousand years from now in the future," Braswell wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "Moreover, other monuments discuss events even before the creation in 3114 B.C."

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Only a couple of references to the 2012 date equivalency have been found carved in stone at Maya sites, and neither refers to an apocalypse, experts say.

Such apocalyptic visions have been common for more than 1,000 years in Western, Christian thinking, and are not native to Maya thought.

"This is thinking that, in truth, has nothing to do with Mayan culture," said Alexander Voss, an anthropologist at the University Of Quintana Roo, a state on Mexico's Caribbean coast. "This thing about looking for end-times is not something that comes from Mayan culture."

Braswell compared the Maya calendar, with its system of cycles within cycles, to the series of synchronized wheels contained in old, analogue car odometers.

"The Maya long count system is like a car odometer," Braswell wrote. "My first car (odometer) only had six wheels so it went up to 99,999.9 miles. That didn't mean the car would explode after reaching 100,000 miles."

More about the Maya and 2012:

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49224135/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Facebook Embraces Bubbles in Messenger iPhone Upgrade

Bubbles. That?s the biggest change you?ll probably notice in Facebook?s upgraded Messenger. Gone is the flush-left alignment of the previous version of the app and the rectangles that sandwiched your messages.

The other big improvements are the ability to see your full contact list by swiping left and the option to push your most-messaged friends to the top of the list. The iOS version, which offers full support for iOS 6, went live on Friday about a week after the Android version hit.

Facebook Messenger 2.0

For Facebook, which has been under the gun by investors to monetize its mobile users, this is the latest upgrade to one of its mobile apps, following an upgrade to its flagship app in late August. The improved mobile experience provided by both apps is designed to keep Facebook relevant and to increase engagement via mobile.

Facebook released Messenger, its second mobile app, in August 2011. While the previous iteration seemed clunky compared to the iPhone?s MMS, there?s not a huge difference now, though the bubbles are a bit more squarish than Apple?s and appear in blue and white rather than Apple?s green and gray. On Android, even more integration is possible via SMS threading, which sends any text you receive to the app. (Though the texts won?t appear on the desktop or mobile version of Facebook as well.) However, that feature is only available on select Android models.

Image courtesy of Flickr, mjtmail

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/09/29/facebook-messenger-iphone-upgrade/

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California dairies going broke due to feed, milk prices

HANFORD, Calif. ? In nearly six decades of running a dairy in central California, Mary Cameron made a name for herself in a male-dominated industry: She led several dairy organizations and was honored as Outstanding Dairy Producer of the Year.

But the 82-year-old Cameron ? who still drives a tractor and supervises her Hanford dairy ? is on the brink of losing her life?s work. She can no longer pay the bills. Her bank has classified her loan as distressed. And she can?t afford enough feed for her 900 milking cows and 1000 heifers.

"I have been in this business for 57 years and I have never been in financial trouble like I am right now," said Cameron, who runs the Atsma-Cameron Dairy with her two sons. "I?m on the verge of bankruptcy. It?s horrible and inexcusable."

Cameron is not alone. Across California, the nation?s largest dairy state, dozens of dairy operators large and small have filed for bankruptcy in recent months and many teeter on the edge of insolvency. Others have sold their herds or sent them to slaughter and given up on the business.

Experts say California dairymen face a double whammy: exorbitant feed costs and lower milk prices. The Midwest drought has led to corn and soybean costs increasing by more than 50 percent this summer, stressing dairymen from Wisconsin and Minnesota to Missouri. But in California, milk prices have also lagged behind those in the rest of the nation, exacerbating the crisis.

And while milk revenues in California have soared to over $7.5 billion in 2011, making milk the top agricultural commodity, higher revenues mean little, famers say, because it costs so much more to produce the milk.

"I don?t think there?s a milk producer in the state who is profitable right now," said Michael Marsh, CEO of Western United Dairymen.

Since 2008, California has lost nearly 300 dairies, with 1,668 remaining as of January, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. There are no official estimates on how many dairies have shuttered in 2012 ? but interviews with dairymen and experts indicate several hundred dairies could be in danger of going under.

"It?s been like a floodgate," said Riley Walter, a Fresno-based agricultural bankruptcy lawyer who has worked on 58 cases of dairies in financial trouble this past year ? from bankruptcies, to liquidations, to operations taken over by receivers.

"Recently, I had two men over 60 years old who broke down and sobbed in court," Walter said. "You would be surprised how much these men care about their cows."

At the Overland Stock Yard in Hanford, owner Peter Belezzuoli said he sees two to three dairymen selling their entire herd every month, compared to about four per year before the crisis. More cows are being sold for slaughter, he said. And the value of dairy cattle has plummeted by as much as 50 percent in the past five years.

"It?s no different than the housing industry, where people lost all the equity," he said. "People have the same cow, but now it doesn?t have the same value."

Economists say milk and feed prices always fluctuate ? but it?s the margin between the two that counts, and how far apart the thin years are.

Only three years ago, falling milk prices forced many dairymen to go under. The current crisis, dairymen say, came too quickly. Many still have unpaid loans, have exhausted their equity, and can?t get new loans.

For Cameron, who grew up washing barns and feeding cows, costs of production vastly surpass revenues. She?s losing $40,000 every month, she said.

Her parents emigrated from Holland in the 1920?s and started a dairy in California?s Central Valley. After college, Cameron followed in their footsteps: Her office wall is filled with awards and news articles touting her successful dairy career.

? Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1061164036&srvc=rss

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Tenn. Christian College Sorry for Suppressing News of Sex Charges

September 29, 2012|10:49 am

"If we have upset or offended anyone relating to this situation, we apologize. It was not our intent," President Stephen Livesay of Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., said in a statement on Friday. "Our intent was to look at the situation as Christians and do what was right. As humans, we are fallible."

According to Chattanooga Times Free Press, Alex Green, editor of the student paper, the Bryan College Triangle, wrote a story about the resignation of Biblical studies professor David Morgan, who was arrested during an FBI child molestation sting. He was reportedly trying to meet underage girls for sex at a gas station in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

The college head didn't allow the newspaper to publish the story, saying he first needed to confirm the details of the professor's arrest, though the article quoted from public records. However, the editor chose to distribute the story himself, placing fliers across campus with the original story.

"In hindsight, this may have been a mistake," Livesay now admits. "We believed we were doing the right thing to protect the privacy of a man charged, but not convicted, of a crime. We have had no reports of any inappropriate behavior involving Dr. Morgan and our students, faculty or staff during his two years at Bryan. A thorough background check before he was hired showed a clean record."

The college president added he was unwilling to comment on the case earlier because it occurred during the summer when students were not on campus, and the professor resigned on his own. He said the Triangle is produced as part of a class, and students receive academic credit for their participation. Therefore, "the Triangle falls under the supervision and authority of the administration. This being the case, we did not believe the college should put itself or its publications in the position of commenting on pending criminal or judicial matters."

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The goal of Bryan College, he said, "is to teach our students to put Christ above all so that we can make a difference in today's world. It means doing the right thing. This is why we requested that our student paper not publish information regarding the resignation of a faculty member, Dr David Morgan, this past July."

Livesay said the college has learnt from the incident "as we continue to carry out our mission to put Christ above all and make a difference in today's world."

The student editor said the college has taken no punitive action against him and he feels supported by his professors and newspaper colleagues. "I have been treated gracefully," he was quoted as saying.

Source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/tenn-christian-college-sorry-for-suppressing-news-of-sex-charges-82404/

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শনিবার, ২৯ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২

Cookbook review: Cake Balls

'Cake Balls' by Robin Ankeny and Charlotte Lyon offers colorful step-by-step photo guides for creating the latest fad in sweet desserts.

By Carol Ramos,?The Pastry Chef's Baking / September 29, 2012

Chocolate cake balls with chocolate frosting are sweet little morsels ??maybe too sweet for some.

The Pastry Chef's Baking

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Have you tried a cake ball yet? ?According to Robin Ankeny and Charlotte Lyon, the founders and owners of the Cake Ball Company and cookbook authors of Cake Balls: Amazingly Delicious Bite-Size Treats, cake balls are ?crumbled bits of moist cake blended with rich icing, rolled into a ball, and then dipped in a deliciously wonderful chocolate coating." ?

Skip to next paragraph Carol Ramos

The Pastry Chef?s Baking

Carol Ramos trained to be a pastry chef at the Culinary Institute of America and has her certification in baking and pastry arts, but she has never baked professionally. Baking is just something she loves to do. Her blog chronicles her baking odyssey as she tests out different recipes. Her goals are to share her love of baking and convert people into becoming bakers, one dessert at a time.

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Think of them as a truffle-looking confection with endless flavor combinations. A cake pop is similar but has a lollipop stick stuck through it or, if you use a cake pop pan, it can also be a small ball of cake enrobed in chocolate. Cake balls seem to have become the latest craze in the confection world with the lofty possibility of replacing the cupcake craze. Small, versatile and sweet, they?re portion-controlled treats that lend themselves to a variety of flavors and occasions.

While I have jumped on the cupcake bandwagon with enthusiasm, I admit I had never tried a cake ball (or cake pop) before. But with an eye toward becoming more educated, I made my first foray using the "Cake Balls" cookbook. It gives a really nice introduction as to what cake balls are then has a basic chapter that most cookbooks have in talking about baking basics and equipment. The key chapter to read is about making cake balls, from baking the cake and making the icing to crumbling the cake, mixing cake crumbles with icing, rolling into balls and dipping, drizzling and decorating with chocolate.

Don?t skip this chapter as it also has tips and troubleshooting tricks should you flounder in cake ball-making.

There are three basic cake recipes in the book: chocolate, vanilla, and yellow cake; as well as three basic frosting recipes: chocolate, vanilla, and cream cheese. Once you get past the basics, the real fun of the cookbook begins. The recipes are chaptered somewhat by flavors: "Classics" such as Birthday Cake; "Chocolate Lovers" features Chocolate Salty Pretzel; "Fresh and Fruity" includes Strawberries and Cream; festive "Jingle Balls" boasts Creamy Eggnog; and "Fun with Cake Balls" concludes with Tres Leches Cake Balls. ?

Reading the recipe titles alone made my mouth water and reach for a mixing bowl. Beyond the basic recipes, the rest of the recipes are reminiscent of ?semi-homemade? type of baking in that they start with a base cake mix and rely on add-ons for the flavor combinations of the finished product. But the beauty of the recipes is you always have the option of making your own cake from scratch rather than a mix. The recipes merely suggest what type of cake you should start with to make the cake balls.

I tried the basic chocolate cake recipe and the basic chocolate frosting recipe. The cake was very easy to make and came out with a chocolatey, fluffy, cakey texture. Likewise, the frosting came out well. It was a bit sweet but I thought that would be a good complement to the dark chocolate flavor of the cake.

Then it came time to mix the two. I followed the instructions religiously on how to make cake balls: crumble, mix, roll, freeze, dip in chocolate, let set. Thanks to clear directions in the cookbook, I think I made credible cake balls. Unfortunately, however, much as I liked the cake and the frosting separately, it turns out I didn?t like them mushed together, even when enrobed in my favorite milk chocolate couverture. It was too cloyingly sweet and the texture, while looking trufflelike, lacked the creaminess I associate with truffles. Instead, it was like eating raw cake batter that had too much sugar. It?s possible I didn?t bake the cake enough, a common trap the book warns against, although for once I baked until the toothpick came out clean from the center. But, more than likely, cake balls are just not for me. ?I?m not a frosting person to start with and mixing it with cake lent it too much sweetness with not enough cake to offset. I also wanted and expected more cake than frosting in a cake ball and that wasn?t what I got.

However, if you are a frosting person, then cake balls might be for you and you would do well to try out this book to make your own. Beyond showing you how to make cake balls, "Cake Balls" provides a fantastic list of flavor combinations and ideas of how to use and decorate with cake balls. Candy Bar Overload with chopped up Snickers Bars inside and decorated on top would be perfect for a Halloween party. Pumpkin Spice might become a new Thanksgiving favorite. Southern Red Velvet Cake Balls can be dressed up for Christmas, Valentine?s Day, or a bridal shower. If you like pictures, there are so many mouthwatering ones in here I might convince myself to try again with another flavor combination. ?

But for now, it looks like the cake ball craze might pass me by.?

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of food bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/b5XFXmuCKX8/Cookbook-review-Cake-Balls

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iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Which one should you get?

iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Which one should you get?

Apple has released the taller, thinner, faster, lighter, brighter iPhone 5 -- and we've got your definitive iPhone 5 review right here -- and now Samsung is bringing their next-generation giant, the Galaxy Note 2 to market.

As much as Samsung has been labeled a "copyist" over the course of the last couple years, the Galaxy Note series has always been a big exception, literally. Due to its size, some have labeled it a "phablet", half phone, half tablet. While it's both of those things, it's also neither. It's really a Wacom-style digitizer put into highly mobile form. And as anyone who's ever used a Wacom knows, it resembles a stylus in shape only.

So what happens when you put Apple's precision up against Samsung's power? The iPhone 5's elegance against the Galaxy Note 2's enormity? Let's take a look.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Hardware and software

Android Central is working on a full review now, and we'll add a link to it here as soon as it's live. In the meantime, here are James Richardson's first impressions and hands-on with the Galaxy Note 2.

Powered by a quad-core 1.6 GHz Exynos 4 processor, the Galaxy Note 2 has some substantial horsepower behind it, along with a plentiful 2GB of on-board RAM. Combined with a whopping 3100mAh battery, we're expecting some serious longevity from this device. The Note 2 runs Jelly Bean out of the box, making Samsung's phone/tablet hybrid the first to ship with Android 4.1. And it now sports a 5.55-inch (non-PenTile) HD SuperAMOLED 1280x720 display, protected by Gorilla Glass 2. The extra size of the phone does add few of grams to its weight -- at 180 grams it isn't light, but it's not terribly heavy considering its monstrous size.

There are also numerous software enhancements, including the ability to command an on-screen cursor by hovering the stylus over the screen. This can be used to peek into gallery folders, calendar events expandable areas. And the usual selection of Samsung drawing and note-taking apps is included too, as are all of the software features of the Galaxy S3.

Apple iPhone 5: Hardware and software

The iPhone 5 has a newly re-designed unibody aluminum chassis to allow for a bigger 4-inch screen in a phone that's 12% smaller by volume. It's taller but not wider, thinner and also lighter. That 4-inch screen also uses in-cell technology to combine the touch sensor right into the LCD. At 1136x640 and 326ppi, it's still backlit LED, and still IPS, and technically the best, most advanced panel on the planet for now. Apple also rolled their own, custom Apple A6 processor this time, based on ARM v7s, for amazing performance and excellent power management. There's still no NFC, but there is CDMA, HSPA, and international LTE.

iOS 6 comes loaded on the iPhone 5, and includes a new, controversial Maps app, some great extensions to Siri, deep Facebook integration, Passbook, and enhancements to FaceTime, Mail, Safari, Photo Stream, and Accessibility. And because Apple makes both the hardware and the software, there's no integration, no added interface layers, and a seamless experience overall.

Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 2: The bottom line

While the story of the Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 might remain one of precision vs. power, when it comes to the iPhone 5 vs. the Galaxy Note 2, the elegance vs. enormity line requires deeper inspection. A 5.5-inch phone display is something that fits the needs of a very specific niche -- namely those that want more than a traditional phone -- those who essentially want a mobile notepad.

For this reason, for most people, the iPhone remains the default choice, and the perfect blend of killer design and absolute ease of use. If you don't like something about the iPhone, there are also a bunch of great alternatives to consider, including the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X, or the upcoming Nokia Lumia 920.

The Galaxy Note 2, due to its size and its Wacom technology, is a very, very specific one, and you'll likely know it you need it.



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/12eooS04kRw/story01.htm

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Herty Advanced Materials Development Center Names Alexander Koukoulas, Ph.D. President and CEO

Herty Advanced Materials Development Center has named Alexander Koukoulas, Ph.D. as its President and CEO. ?Koukoulas, a well-known scientist and entrepreneur, previously served as managing director of ANL Consultants, LLC, a private consulting firm supporting the pulp and paper, biomaterials and bioenergy industries. ? Koukoulas will begin his new role on Nov. 1.

?We are excited to have Dr. Koukoulas join Herty as its President and CEO,? said Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel, Ph.D. ??Not only is Alex an outstanding business leader, but he is an accomplished scientist and entrepreneur. ?His diverse experience will be a perfect fit as we work to expand Herty?s capabilities as a global leader in traditional and advanced materials innovation.?

Herty?s clients, which include global corporations as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies, are currently focused in the transportation, forest and paper related products, building materials, energy and the environment and bio-products industries. ?In April 2012, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal transferred management of the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center to Georgia Southern University with a goal of enhancing economic and business development in the state of Georgia.

?Dr. Koukoulas brings a wealth of technology management, business and new product development experience to Herty,? said Charles Patterson, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development at Georgia Southern University. ??His expertise in the chemical sciences and engineering, pulp and paper and bioenergy will enhance Herty?s existing relationships as well as forge strategic partnerships with industries in the region, the nation and beyond.?

Prior to his role at ANL Consultants, LLC, Koukoulas served as vice president and executive director of research and development at Albany International, a leading manufacturer of engineered textiles. ?Earlier in his career, he served in increasingly responsible leadership positions at International Paper, including chief scientist, where he directed research and was responsible for new product development and R&D supporting the company?s pulp, paper and packaging business units.

?Not only are we looking forward to welcoming Dr. Koukoulas to Herty, but we are excited to welcome him to Savannah and the Coastal Empire,? said Patterson. ??Our goal is to expand the center?s existing capabilities to help make Savannah and South Georgia an even more attractive market for research and development in the areas of pulp and paper, materials science, polymer science and composites, with an emerging interest in bio-derived materials and biofuels.?

One of Koukoulas? primary goals will be to enable Herty?s clients to achieve their R&D and financial goals while working to create an environment that cultivates opportunity for businesses to relocate or stay within Georgia. The result, according to Patterson and officials at Georgia Southern, will be more jobs and an expanded national reputation helping put Savannah on the map as a center for advanced materials innovation.

Koukoulas received his Bachelor of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from McGill University. ? He is currently pursuing an Executive Certificate from the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T. ? He has published numerous presentations and publications and holds numerous U.S. patents. ?He is a scientific advisor and bioenergy expert at the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture. ?He serves as a technical advisor and board member for numerous organizations including the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), the National Science and Engineering Council of Canada, and the European Union?s Energy Commission. ?Koukoulas is an active member of numerous professional societies including the American Chemical Society, the MIT Enterprise Forum, Sigma Xi and TAPPI.

For more information on Herty Advanced Materials Development Center, visit: www.herty.com.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor?s, master?s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. In 2012, the University was named one of the Top 10 most popular universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is a top choice of Georgia?s HOPE scholars. ?Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.

?

Source: http://news.georgiasouthern.edu/viewArticle.php?id=2302

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The business of the honey-suckers in Bengaluru (India) | Global ...

By WASH

A new IRC paper explores some contributions being made by honey-sucker tanker operators ? that renders a small-scale sanitation service informally and within the private sector ? on waste (faecal) extraction and, in some cases, reuse. Operating outside the legal framework of waste management, this paper provides preliminary insight into the limitations and potentials of the ?honey-sucker business? as a sanitation service model, based on selected experiences in Bengaluru (India). Through semi-structured interviews and the?application of?Osterwalder and Pigneur?s (2010) business model building blocks tool, this paper reveals that: a two-sided business model is being employed by the business (benefiting both septic tank/ pit owners?and?farmers); positive outcomes of sludge reuse in farms seem to outweigh negative outcomes; and the honey-sucker business seems to be a financially viable sanitation service model (especially amongst middle-class households with no piped connections). As an exploratory study, the authors of the paper encourage further research into aspects that interlink with the honey-sucker business to achieve greater clarity on its positive contributions to society, and its prospects of scaling up and replication across different contexts. Kvarnstr?m, E.

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The business of the honey-suckers in Bengaluru (India)

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Source: http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2012/09/27/the-business-of-the-honey-suckers-in-bengaluru-india/

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Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham is your knockout of the week

Dan Hardy usually fights well in his home country of England. For example, check out what he did to Rory Markham at UFC 95 in London.

On Saturday, he will fight Amir Sadollah in his hometown of Nottingham. He's gone 1-4 in his last five fights, but recaptured that knockout ability against Duane Ludwig in May. Will Hardy come up with another fine performance for the people of Nottingham? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/dan-hardy-vs-rory-markham-knockout-week-131950070--mma.html

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৭ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২

Single Celebrities We Want to See Hitched | Cupid's Pulse: Celebrity ...


Gerard Butler, Whitney Cummings, The Today Show, Flirting

Gerrard Butler and Whitney Cummings. Photo: Kevin Winter/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

By Nic Baird

Whether single by choice or by broken heart, the prospect of marriage for the unattached seems distantly hypothetical. If you?re a free spirit looking for flings, fun and flirting, you?ll avoid even the thought of it at all costs. For those recovering from a lost love, it?s important not to give up, because Prince Charming will come again. In fact, there are some Hollywood bachelors and bachelorettes who are in desperate need of true love as well. Others are devoted to such a carefree life of casual hookups that it makes one wonder if even the most glamorous single celebrity could lock them down. Here are the stars we?d like to push down the aisle:

1. Robert Pattinson: Shying away from public appearances, steady drinking and tales of heartbreak characterize the media vampire since his split from Kristen Stewart. Robert Pattinson is known for his legion of?Twi-hards, and it?s only a matter of time before a Hollywood lady gets close to ?Team Edward. Katy Perry, a mutual friend of Robsten, took the bruised?Twilight?hunk out to cheer him up shortly after news of Stewart?s affair broke. Whether it?s a shoulder to cry on or, less likely, a fresh love to sink his fangs into, Pattinson deserves the fairy tale romance he portrays.

Related:?Find Out How Robert Pattinson is Coping with Kristen Stewart?s Betrayal

2. Cameron Diaz:?She?s been romantically linked to the likes of Matt Dillon, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and Alex Rodriguez, but Cameron Diaz is currently single. The freshly 40-year-old actress is still a blonde bombshell at the box office, but her most recent appearance in the pregnancy comedy?What To Expect When You?re Expecting?makes us wonder if a?family?is on the horizon. ?I?ve never said I don?t want children,? Diaz explained to?InStyle?magazine. ?I just haven?t had children yet.? The simple truth is that a long marriage seems daunting to the powerful starlet, according to a?Stylist?interview. ?Have someone for five years and another person for another five years. Life is long and lucky and yes, love might last forever, but you don?t always live with the person you love forever.?

Related:?Celebrity Couples That Have a Kid-Free Marriage

3. Gerard Butler:?While his adoring female fan base would probably send truckloads of hate mail his way if it happened, we all wonder what type of woman could get this Hollywood bad boy to commit. Party antics got Butler fired as a lawyer and have also kept him from serious coupling. ?I?m not a big relationship guy,? the?300?actor told?Men?s Journal.??One of my vices is, I?m too wrapped up in myself and not always in a good way.? That said, as of last spring, Butler has been seen with Madalina Ghenea, a Romanian model who helped him promote a brand of razors. Is the rowdy Scott breaking his old habits?

4. Katie Holmes:?Not that the young actress has to start rehearsing her dating scene so soon after her summer?divorce, but Katie Holmes still has plenty of time for future love, and even marriage. As a single mother with Tom Cruise?s powerful shadow looming over her, future suitors might have an easier time trying to date Batman?s ex. Last week, she insisted in?Women?s Wear Daily?that the important things were to keep trying and not be afraid to fail. Holmes has welcomed some male attention since her split: a?friendly kiss?from an unidentified dinner date. It would be nice to see a happy ending follow her foray into Scientology.

Which Celebs would you like to see tie the knot? Share your comments below!


Connect With Cupid...

Source: http://www.cupidspulse.com/single-celebrities-hitched-marriage/

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Search for element 113 concluded at last

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? The most unambiguous data to date on the elusive 113th atomic element has been obtained by researchers at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-based Science (RNC). A chain of six consecutive alpha decays, produced in experiments at the RIKEN Radioisotope Beam Factory (RIBF), conclusively identifies the element through connections to well-known daughter nuclides.

The search for superheavy elements is a difficult and painstaking process. Such elements do not occur in nature and must be produced through experiments involving nuclear reactors or particle accelerators, via processes of nuclear fusion or neutron absorption. Since the first such element was discovered in 1940, the United States, Russia and Germany have competed to synthesize more of them. Elements 93 to 103 were discovered by the Americans, elements 104 to 106 by the Russians and the Americans, elements 107 to 112 by the Germans, and the two most recently named elements, 114 and 116, by cooperative work of the Russians and Americans.

With their latest findings, associate chief scientist Kosuke Morita and his team at the RNC are set follow in these footsteps and make Japan the first country in Asia to name an atomic element. For many years Morita's team has conducted experiments at the RIKEN Linear Accelerator Facility in Wako, near Tokyo, in search of the element, using a custom-built gas-filled recoil ion separator (GARIS) coupled to a position-sensitive semiconductor detector to identify reaction products. On August 12, those experiments bore fruit: zinc ions travelling at 10% the speed of light collided with a thin bismuth layer to produce a very heavy ion followed by a chain of six consecutive alpha decays identified as products of an isotope of the 113th element.

While the team also detected element 113 in experiments conducted in 2004 and 2005, earlier results identified only four decay events followed by the spontaneous fission of dubnium-262 (element 105). In addition to spontaneous fission, the isotope dubnium-262is known to also decay via alpha decay, but this was not observed, and naming rights were not granted since the final products were not well known nuclides at the time. The decay chain detected in the latest experiments, however, takes the alternative alpha decay route, with data indicating that Dubnium decayed into lawrencium-258 (element 103) and finally into mendelevium-254 (element 101). The decay of dubnium-262 to lawrencium-258 is well known and provides unambiguous proof that element 113 is the origin of the chain.

Combined with their earlier experimental results, the team's groundbreaking discovery of the six-step alpha decay chain promises to clinch their claim to naming rights for the 113th element.

"For over 9 years, we have been searching for data conclusively identifying element 113, and now that at last we have it, it feels like a great weight has been lifted from our shoulders," Morita said. "I would like to thank all the researchers and staff involved in this momentous result, who persevered with the belief that one day, 113 would be ours. For our next challenge, we look to the uncharted territory of element 119 and beyond."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by RIKEN, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kosuke Morita et al. New Result in the Production and Decay of an Isotope, (278)113, of the 113th Element. Journal of Physical Society of Japan, 2012 DOI: 10.1143/JPSJ.81.103201

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/ruxFPayy7nI/120926112719.htm

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Ahmadinejad blasts West for 'trampling' on rights of others

Ahmadinejad speaks at U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 26, 2012. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Amid warnings from other world leaders?and planned protests outside?Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, his last speech in front of the world body as president of Iran.

The outspoken Iranian leader called for a "new world order," criticizing capitalism and the United States and Europe for "trampling on the rights of others" and contributing to global poverty and humanitarian failures.

"The history of mankind is marked with failures," Ahmadinejad said in a speech that was not attended by the U.S. delegation in protest.

Ahmadinejad ticked off a long list of those failures?including environmental atrocities, the killing of "millions of innocent people" in U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the "throwing of [Osama bin Laden's] body into the sea" without witnesses and "Zionist"-led world media?before lamenting "how beautiful and pleasant our lives and the history of mankind would have been" without them.

"Poverty is on the rise, and the gap is widening between the rich and the poor," Ahmadinejad said, blaming the "current world order, founded on materialism, that aims to monopolize power, wealth, science and technology for a limited group.

"There is no doubt that the world is in need of a new order and fresh thinking," he said. "An order that aims to revive human dignity and believes in peace and welfare for all walks of life.

"Do people that spend hundreds of millions on election campaigns have the interests of people of the world at heart?" he asked.

[Slideshow: Images from the U.N. General Assembly]

Ahmadinejad's speech came a day after President Barack Obama issued a stern warning to Iran over its nuclear program.

"Make no mistake," the president said. "A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained. It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations and the stability of the global economy."

On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad scoffed at the notion of an Iranian nuclear buildup.

"A nuclear weapon? For what? For what purpose?" Ahmadinejad said in an interview with the Associated Press. "Why would we do that? What would we use it for?"

The leader of Iran?who refuses to refer to Israel by name?also dismissed talk of a U.S. or Israeli military strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities, Agence France-Presse said.

"Uncultured Zionists that threaten the Iranian nation today are never counted and are never paid any attention in the equations of the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said earlier this week.

Demonstrators who have been protesting this week outside the hotel where Ahmadinejad is staying were expected to be outside the U.N. while he spoke.

In a statement issued before Ahmadinejad's speech, Erin Pelton, spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said: "Over the past couple of days, we've seen Mr. Ahmadinejad once again use his trip to the U.N. not to address the legitimate aspirations of the Iranian people but to instead spout paranoid theories and repulsive slurs against Israel."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ahmadinejad-u-n-assembly-speech-video-155849849.html

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বুধবার, ২৬ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২

Why Building An Email List Should Be Your Number One Priority

Let?s talk about me for a moment (my favorite topic!).?I?ve been doing interviews with successful web designers and developers who run successful online businesses for the last couple of months.?I haven?t done too many interviews like that yet, but one thing caught my attention early on, and it seems that the more I analyze the web design/web development scene in blogosphere, the more my assumptions seem to be right.

Web designers and developers tend to leave a lot of money on the table simply because they don?t employ one of the most effective online marketing strategies out there: e-mail marketing.

Let?s take a closer look to this situation, shall we?

Two biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to e-mail marketing

In my humble opinion, it doesn?t matter which niche you are in (yup, even in online marketing), most people who run (or try to run) an online business make these two mistakes when it comes to e-mail marketing:

  • They don?t build an e-mail list at all.
  • They don?t make building an e-mail list their first priority.

Now, this is especially clear in niches where majority of people don?t know much about online marketing in general, such as, you have guessed it, web design and web development.?You can go through different websites of designers and developers, both personal and multi-author ones, to see that for yourself.

A lot of people aren?t building e-mail lists at all, and those who are, do it by putting up a barely visible opt-in form, and then use their e-mail list to simply send out updates to their subscribers.

Again, really, that?s A LOT of money being left on the table.

No. 1 regret that people who run successful online businesses have

You know, when I want to achieve something, I?m always curious to hear what people who have already achieved that same goal have to say about it, and especially about what they would do differently and what their biggest regrets are.

Now, since I want to build a successful online business, and I assume you want to do the same, I decided to share some interesting quote from a guy who actually runs a very successful six-figure online business:

Pat Flynn from?Smart Passive Income

When I started this blog back in October of 2008, I had made the newbie mistake of not including a way to accumulate email addresses. No newsletter, no opt-in form ? nothing. Over a year later, I finally got my head on straight?

Pat is not the only one though.

A lot of online entrepreneurs wish that they would have started building an e-mail list much earlier.

Here?s an another example:

Yaro Starak from Entrepreneurs Journey

The biggest mistake I made when building my blog was waiting so long to start building an email list.

This is a recurring theme in a lot of interviews and conversations with people who are very successful online.

The question is, why the obsession with e-mail marketing?

The reason behind e-mail marketing craze: it?s pretty damn effective!

Hard data clearly shows that e-mail marketing works.

Here are some statistics:

  • The DMA puts email marketing?s ROI for 2011 at $40.56 for every $1 invested. The figure for 2012 is predicted to ?fall? to $39.40, when email will account for $67.8 billion in sales (reference).
  • 72% of respondents to an Econsultancy survey in early 2011 described email?s ROI as excellent or good. Only organic SEO scored better (reference).
  • A 2011 MerchantCircle survey of over 8,000 local business owners in the US found email marketing cited by 35.8% as a Top 3 most effective marketing or advertising method. Only social network profiles and search engine marketing scored higher (reference).
  • A 2011 business survey by Ireland?s Marketing Institute saw 84% claiming email marketing was important or very important to their marketing strategy (reference).
  • In a 2011 Focus survey of marketers, the channel cited most often as the best performer over the previous 12 months was email (reference).
  • The ForeSee Results 2010 report on the effectiveness of social media found that promotional emails were the second biggest influence on retail website visits. The biggest influence was familiarity with the brand (reference).
  • In Datran Media?s 2010 Annual Marketing & Media Survey, 39.4% of industry executives said the advertising channel that performed strongest for them was email. This was the top result (reference).

Well, when you see the data, you might wonder why doest this particular online marketing method works so well?

The magic ingredient: trust

My guess is that the reason behind the effectiveness of online marketing is that it is an excellent way to build trust with your readers, which means that if you do it right, they are sold on something long before you make the offer.

Reading blog, subscribing to an RSS feeds, or following someone on Twitter on Facebook is far, far less personal than giving someone your e-mail address and getting their e-mails straight to the inbox, with an option of further e-mail communication.

All of that allows you to build relationships with your subscribers, which later turn into sales when you present them your offer.

You might wonder what trust has to do with making money online?

Most people don?t buy something online the first time they see it. It?s much more likely that they read some content first, maybe leave a comment, follow that person or company on social media, subscriber to their e-mail list, maybe even exchange e-mails with the person/people behind the website, and only after that they make a decision to buy something. This is a long sequence of actions which express an increasing level of trust and eventually lead to sale. Honestly, it?s very hard to sell something to someone who didn?t go through at least some of the steps in this sequence.

The level of trust your audience has in you is one of the most important factors that will determine whether your business will thrive or go bankrupt.

Too bad so many people scammers don?t see it that way, but oh, well, what can you do..

Anyway, back to e-mail marketing..

Make building an email list your first priority!

Image Source

I didn?t realize the importance of building an e-mail list for years, up until I watched this video with Derek Halpern.

Yes, I?m going to through another quote at you, this time a really long one.

What are some thing that haven?t caught on right now? The one thing that actually much to my dismay is the importance of building an e-mail list. I got a lot of people to start building e-mail lists, but they?re not focusing on that as their main goal. They?re really doing themselves a disservice.

They?re promoting their social media profiles, they?re talking about things like Pinterest, they?re talking about things like Twitter..And yeah, these things are great, they send traffic, but you don?t need to build your following on these particular outposts (I think that?s how Chris Brogan calls them) to get traffic from them: if your audience is on that particular network, they?ll share it for you. Yes, having a network on your own helps, but if you got an e-mail list, you can build a?Facebook?page over nigh.I got like 2700 likes on my Facebook page, there?s not one link on my blog anywhere. The reason I got 2700 likes is I focused on building an e-mail list and then said ?Hey, guys, by the way, I have a Facebook page? and I got a 1000 likes in 5 minutes. Focus on the e-mail list.

Now, why don?t people focus on building that e-mail list? Well, this comes down to psychology. When people start a blog and you start writing posts, it?s very disheartening in the beginning. You?re not getting very much traffic, you?re not getting any blog comments,you?re not getting much of anything and it feels horrible. It makes it feel like no one?s reading your hard work. You?re not getting any positive reinforcement for all of your hard work.

People promote social media on the other hand because they do get that reinforcement. They?ll send out a tweet, they?ll get one reply.They?ll see someone else?s tweet, they?ll reply. That conversation feels great, it lets people know, let?s the person who?s running their social media account know, that they actually exist in the universe.

Now, I do a lot of research, a lot of people e-mail me with what they?re struggling with, that?s another thing I focus on. A lot of people actually said this exact word, I?m running a blog, and I feel like I?m invisible. So, no one wants to feel like they?re invisible. They want to have recognition, they want people to acknowledge the fact that they?re putting hard work into their blogs. So I believe people aren?t building e-mail lists because they?re getting that positive reinforcement of conversation on social media and they?re not ready to focus on e-mail list because e-mail list is more of a long term play, it?s kind of why do people eat sweets today, but want to lose weight in three months. People can?t look at the long term. That?s why I believe e-mail list building hasn?t taken off as a main focus.

..And it also helps that there are many people who say ?Build social media followings!? and these people have never built social media following. So, that?s another issue.

The way Derek explained this made a light bulb appear above my head.

My conclusion was..

E-mail list first. Everything else second.

You might get very confused when experts tell you that so many things are ?very important?: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus,?YouTube, etc.

The problem is that most of these people don?t have a clue what they are talking about.

I suggest you to get that nonsense out of your head as soon as possible in order to prevent depression and suicidal thoughts that might come as a result of so many voices in your head.

Don?t over-complicate it:

  • Focus on building an e-mail list.
  • It?s really that simple.

What is the next step?

I hope I was successful in my attempts to convert you into the e-mail marketing religion.

Now, you know how there?s this popular saying in online marketing circles, ?Money is in the list!?, right?

Well, that saying is actually a very misleading one.

Here?s a more accurate description of the situation:??Money is in the list, unless your list doesn?t give a shit!?

You won?t be rolling in the dough if your list doesn?t give a damn about you or your offers.

You have to build a list and maintain it in the right way if you want to go and lay in the beach in Thailand sipping cocktails while the money is rolling in.

Now, don?t you worry, being the kind and generous person that I am, I will explain how to do exactly that in the coming few articles!

See you there! :D

Did you enjoy this post?

Do you want popular designers and bloggers to help you out?

Then this is your chance! We went ahead and interviewed 25 popular bloggers and asked them 5 questions that will surely help you out!

Source: http://foundertips.com/blogging/why-building-an-email-list-should-be-your-number-one-priority/

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Quick Rumba likely to be quick in William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes ...

Quick Rumba likely to be quick in William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes

Since June 2012, Quick Rumba has been at the top of his game. During this period, he has registered a number of podium finishes including five classic victories. Moreover, he took intense training during the last five days.

Keeping in view all these factors, we can hope that the G. Gibbinson trained blue dog will make a big impact in the high-voltage race of William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes that is set to be held at Newcastle on Tuesday night, September 25.

The grade A3 race will be run over 480 meters. Quick Rumba will break from the orange box to fight against five worthy rivals for the sake of the prize money worth ?123.

The four-year-old veteran hound possesses an impressive track record. After winning a T2 race on June 20, he nicely bagged a couple of consecutive conquests in July.

In the month of August, the talented son of Hondo Black out of Digestivebiscuit achieved a couple of thirds and a tremendous triumph that was the William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes.

The brilliant sprinter went ahead to finish first in the very next race entitled as A3 480m Flat. He fought well but finished third in the William Hill - The Home Of Betting.

These stats show that Quick Rumba is awash with form at the moment. He will surely apply this form tonight with a view to outpace his competitors.

Among the other hounds, Run For Glory is likely to perform well in the race. The J. Walton trained white and fawn bitch impressed all by winning the William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes of August 11. She competed exceptionally good to beat the hot favourite candidate, Stay On Lass, by the big margin of 3? lengths.

The brilliant bitch moved on to seal top spot in the William Hill Hotbox Bet Stakes that occurred on September 13. She stood third in her last start.

Thus, the daughter of Crash out of Cillbeara Blu will fight head-to-head against Quick Rumba. The fiery spar between the two will give the spectators an exciting event to enjoy. Good luck to all the six contestants.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not reflect Bettor.Com?s editorial policy.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Quick-Rumba-likely-to-be-quick-in-William-Hill-Hotbox-Bet-Stakes-a190097

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Nokia outs Asha 308 and 309, deems Series 40 smartphone-worthy

Nokia outs Asha 308 and 309, deems Series 40 smartphoneworthy

You don't hear much about Nokia's Asha Touch line, what with the industry spotlight focused tightly on quad-core processors, 720p displays and state-of-the-art optics. But with today's launch of the Asha 308 and 309, the smartphone genre's gaining two new members -- a classification recently bestowed on the budget-priced handsets by market research firms GfK and IDC. Positioned by Espoo as the go-to devices for those uninitiated in the ways of the mobile web, this pair of capacitive 3-inchers run the same Series 40 OS and even share the same specs: 800MHz processor, WQVGA resolution, 1,110mAh battery, 20MB internal storage plus included 2GB microSD (expandable to 32GB), 2-megapixel rear camera and EDGE connectivity. Where they differ is in the 308's additional support for GSM/EDGE 850, 1900MHz bands and Easy Swap dual SIM accommodation. Apart from that, both come loaded up with a newer version of the company's Xpress browser that allows for up to 90% compression, Nokia Nearby for local search, and the same swipe-based UI seen on the gone-but-not-forgotten N9. The phones are set to ship by year-end with a modest $99 off contract pricing in the emerging market space. Check after the break for the official presser and preview videos.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/25/nokia-outs-asha-308-and-309-deems-series-40-smartphone-worthy/

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মঙ্গলবার, ২৫ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২

What Will Ice-Free Arctic Summers Bring?

This summer's record melt suggests the Arctic may lose its ice cap seasonally sooner than expected. What impacts can we expect?


arctic-sea-iceARCTIC SEA ICE: The Arctic is losing sea ice rapidly. The varying thickness of the remaining ice can be seen here, from thin, nearly transparent ice to older, thicker, snow-covered ice. Image: Courtesy of NASA

On Sunday, September 16, the sun did not rise above the horizon in the Arctic. Nevertheless enough of the sun's heat had poured over the North Pole during the summer months to cause the largest loss of Arctic sea ice cover since satellite records began in the 1970s. The record low 3.41 million square kilometers of ice shattered the previous low?4.17 million square kilometers?set in 2007. All told, since 1979, the Arctic sea ice minimum extent has shrunk by more than 50 percent?and even greater amounts of ice have been lost in the corresponding thinning of the ice, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).

"There is much more open ocean than there used to be," says NSIDC research scientist Walt Meier. "The volume is decreasing even faster than the extent [of surface area] as best as we can tell," based on new satellite measurements and thickness estimates provided by submarines. Once sea ice becomes thin enough, most or all of it may melt in a single summer.

Some ice scientists have begun to think that the Arctic might be ice-free in summer as soon as the end of this decade?leaving darker, heat-absorbing ocean waters to replace the bright white heat-reflecting sea ice. The question is: Then what happens? Although the nature and extent of these rapid changes are not yet fully understood by researchers, the impacts could range from regional weather-pattern changes to global climate feedbacks that exacerbate overall warming. As Meier says: "We expect there will be some effect?but we can't say exactly what the impacts have been or will be in future."

On thin ice
Arctic ice influences atmospheric circulation and, hence, weather and climate. Take away the ice and impacts seem sure to follow. There's more warming to come, as well, particularly in the Arctic, which is warming faster than the rest of the globe. Given cumulative greenhouse gas emissions, there's likely at least as much warming to come as has occurred to date?a rise of 0.8 degree Celsius in global average temperatures, most of that in the past 30 years.

The biggest impacts of the loss of Arctic sea ice, of course, will be felt locally: from the potential for more snowfall (which can act like an insulating blanket keeping the ice warm and incapable of growing) to more storms with stronger winds. These will also whip up waves to pound the shore, eroding it, as well as bringing warmer temperatures to thaw the permafrost?leading to "drunken" trees and buildings as well as villages slipping into the sea. A loss of sea ice will also affect the largest animals in the Arctic: seals, walruses and polar bears. "My people rely on that ocean and we've seen some dramatic changes," said Inupiat leader Caroline Cannon at a Greenpeace event on the Arctic in New York City on September 19. "We are the gatekeepers of the ocean. We speak for the animals. They provide for us so it's our time to speak for them," by arguing to ameliorate climate change.

Noting the climate change in Cannon's backyard, the rest of the globe is indeed taking action?just not the type that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "The world is looking at the Arctic as a new ocean to be developed and exploited," notes Arctic system scientist David Barber of the University of Manitoba, most particularly oil as evidenced by Shell's bid to drill the first offshore well in the Chukchi Sea. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds an oil and gas bonanza?and companies from Russia to the U.S. are lining up to start exploiting it.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=54524fb74baaff91a34d7495825bfc1a

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#ScratchGate: iPhone 5 Owners Are Discovering Aluminum Is Softer Than Glass

iphoneThe iPhone 5 hit stores last Friday. It's the lightest, thinnest, most sleek iPhone yet. But owners are quickly discovering that with those advantages, there are some inherent downsides. The slender iPhone 5 has an anodized aluminum backplate rather than one made of Corning glass as in the iPhone 4/4S. And since aluminum is a relatively soft material, the iPhone 5 shows more wear and tear than previous models. The iPhone 4 was a magnet for fingerprints. The iPhone 5 attracts scratches and scrapes nearly as easily.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gRDwuSqBb0U/

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Consoles are out, cloud gaming is in: NVIDIA General Manager ...

Nvidia?s GeForce Grid Cloud Gaming general manager Phil Eisler is, understandably excited about the future of cloud gaming. So excited, in fact, that he thinks consoles are on their way out.

?They say this is the last console, and I am certainly a believer in that,? Eisler remarked to Venture Beat. ?The last one is almost 10 years old now in terms of the technology. As we go through time, the good thing about cloud gaming is it?s going to get better every year. One of the reasons we?re investing in it is we see that there are some issues today, but they?re all solvable and they?re all moving in the right direction. Bandwidth is going up. The cost of server rooms is going down. We?re bringing latency down. The experience will just get better and better every year, to the point where I think it will become the predominant way that people play games.?

Traditionally Australians have been reticent to embrace cloud gaming due to latency concerns, but Eisler believes NVIDIA?s new Grid technology will help to shave those precious milliseconds off. ?One of the things we?ve done with Grid is do a much faster capture and encode. We?re able to save about 30 milliseconds of latency, which helps a lot. We?re also working on client optimizations, which can save maybe another 20 milliseconds of latency.?

Source: Venturebeat (via VG247)

Source: http://games.on.net/2012/09/consoles-are-out-cloud-gaming-is-in-nvidia-general-manager/

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iPhone 5 Sells Over 5M In Opening Weekend, Limited Only By Device Supply

Apple - iPhone 5-1Apple broke records again opening weekend, with the iPhone 5 selling more than 5M in its first three days, compared to 4M for the iPhone 4S.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dcycAgNi2JE/

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Sliding to victory! Monster Energy's Billy Hamil wins U.S. Speedway National Cha...

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