Another key member of Zynga's team has left the beleaguered social game maker. This time it's chief game designer Brian Reynolds, as first reported on Polygon. The company confirmed Reynolds' departure, but did not offer any details about why Reynolds is leaving or his last day.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/83zYfNnB7-w/
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NASA launched a new communication satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Wednesday evening. This satellite is one of three expected to reach space between now and 2015, upgrading the agency's communication network.?
An Atlas 5 rocket carrying NASA's TDRS-K next-generation satellite launches from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:48 p.m. ET on Jan. 30, 2013.
NASA TV
EnlargeA next-generation NASA relay satellite was launched into orbit Wednesday (Jan. 30) on a mission to upgrade a vital communications network linking the space agency to its spacecraft orbiting the Earth.
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The U.S. space agency's first launch of 2013, the new?Tracking and Data Relay Satellite K?(TDRS-K for short) soared spaceward atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:48 p.m. EST (0148 Jan. 31 GMT).
"We have a customer that's quite thrilled right now to have a healthy satellite on orbit," Tim Dunn the TDRS-K flight director said in a NASA TV interview after the launch.
The TDRS-K satellite is bound for an orbit 22,300 miles (35,888 kilometers) above Earth, where it will join a constellation of five other satellites currently in orbit to help NASA and other space agencies stay in touch with orbiting spacecraft.
NASA's TDRS communications network began in 1983 and has not received an upgrade since 2002, when the space agency launched its 10th TDRS satellite. Five satellites are currently in use today, with the TDRS-K launch adding one more that number, mission managers said. [Launch Photos: NASA's TDRS-K Satellite Blasts Off]
The TDRS-K satellite is expected to spend at least 15 years, but agency officials expect that the satellite will exceed its projected life-expectancy. Many of the network's satellites have?outlived their expected mission lifetimes, ?said Jeffrey Gramling, NASA's TDRS project manager.
But that does not mean that TDRS-K is unnecessary. One of the satellites currently in active service is slated be retired in the next few months, and other satellites in the aging network are getting older, said Badri Younes, a scientist in NASA's Space Communications and Navigation office.
The satellite launched today was the first of three new satellites expected to enter service between now and 2015 that should further bolster the network. The TDRS-K mission costs between $350 million and $400 million, not including the price of its rocket.
The TDRS-K satellite is 26 feet long (8 meters) and weighs about 7,615 pounds (3,454 kilograms). It was expected to separate from its Atlas 5 rocket one hour and 46 minutes after liftoff, with a Centaur upper stage rocket engine slated to carry it the rest of the way to its geosynchronous orbit.
The satellite is expected to deploy its solar arrays and giant antennas about 11 days after launch, according to a mission description. ?
NASA's TDRS satellite network?is part of the larger "Space Network" used keep space agencies on the ground in constant communication with orbiting spacecraft. The International Space Station sends all of its data and messages through the network using the TDRS satellites. The rocket that sent TDRS-K into orbit even uses the space network to beam down data, Vernon Thorp, a program manager with NASA said.
TDRS-K is now entering into a three month period of testing and calibrations, but once those tests are complete the NASA research team will decide if the satellite is ready for service.?
Follow Miriam Kramer on Twitter?@mirikramer?or SPACE.com?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.?
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Coast To Coast Tickets LLC provides an online ticket marketplace offering premium event tickets for sale on the secondary market. Prices reflected on this site are determined by the buyers and sellers and may be substantially higher than the face value printed on the ticket. CoastToCoastTickets.com contains event and concert tour dates, as well as team information and game schedules for every sport. We are not affiliated with any box office, venue, sponsor, team, performer, Ticketmaster.com, or other organization. Any trademarked terms that appear on this page are used for descriptive purposes only.
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Genomics is a transformative technology that already has a key role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing society today. It is also becoming widely recognized as a critical foundation for numerous applications that will contribute to the emergence of a Canadian bio-economy.
Genome Canada and Canada's Genome Centres are focusing a significant amount of effort to build and improve ways of translating discoveries into new applications that lead to economic and social benefits as quickly as possible. In particular there is a strong need to involve industry so that research targets and results can find a useful home to bring those results into everyday use and generate practical social and economic value.
To reach these goals 7 sectors have been targeted for areas where genomics tools and technology are already being used or where there are new opportunities to use the technology to solve problems and overcome obstacles. Energy and Mining are 2 of the sectors where genomics tools are only beginning to be used and where there are definite advantages to deploying the new technology to help in production or environmental remediation.
Genome Alberta and the?Ontario Genomics Institute are championing a national Hydrocarbon Energy/ Metal Mining Genomics Strategy. The main goal of the strategy is to identify the challenges that the hydrocarbon energy and metal mining sectors are facing and to assess the role for (micro) biology/genomics/biotechnology to mitigate such challenges, including how to address the environmental impact. As part of Phase I, we have developed a?draft Strategy Document and you are invited to download the document and comment on the objectives and the technology:
Advancing Operations in the Canada Energy and Mining Sector through State-of-the-Art Genomics Applications
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday improper maintenance was the likely cause of a December 7, 2011, sightseeing helicopter crash near Las Vegas that killed the pilot and four passengers.
The board said its investigation of the crash of a Sundance Helicopters Eurocopter AS350 found inadequate maintenance, including degraded material, improper installation and inadequate inspections.
"This investigation is a potent reminder that what happens in the maintenance hangar is just as important for safety as what happens in the air," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said in a statement.
The helicopter, operating as a "Twilight City Tour" air tour, crashed in mountainous terrain about 14 miles east of Las Vegas on December 7, 2011, less than 10 minutes after it left Las Vegas McCarran International Airport en route to Hoover Dam.
The NTSB said the accident occurred after one critical flight control unit separated from another, which sent the helicopter first higher, then into a sharp descent at a rate of at least 2,500 feet per minute.
The NTSB found that the crash was the result of Sundance Helicopters' improper reuse of a degraded self-locking nut, and the improper or nonuse of a split pin to secure the degraded nut, in addition to an inadequate post-maintenance inspection.
The investigation found that both the mechanic and the post-maintenance inspector were fatigued and did not have clearly delineated steps to follow on a "work card" or "checklist."
As a result of the crash, the NTSB said it made, reiterated and reclassified recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration about the need for improved maintenance documentation.
"One of the critical lines of defense to help prevent tragedies like this crash is improved maintenance documentation through clear work cards, or checklists," Hersman said. "Checklists are not rocket science, but they can have astronomical benefits."
A synopsis of the NTSB report, including the probable cause, findings, and a complete list of the safety recommendations, is available at www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2013/las_vegas_nv/index.html
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Jackie Frank)
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(Reuters) - Apple Inc said on Tuesday that it will sell a version of its iPad tablet computer with 128 gigabytes of storage, which is twice the capacity of its existing models.
Apple, which has sold more than 120 million iPads so far, said that the new iPad will go on sale February 5, in black or white, for a suggested retail price of $799 for the iPad with just Wi-Fi model, and $929 for the version that also has a cellular wireless connection.
(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-announces-ipad-double-storage-capacity-150439073--finance.html
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"Little Elvises" (Soho Press), by Timothy Hallinan
Ever since Dashiell Hammett introduced us to Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon" 83 years ago, hundreds of writers have adopted his formula, flooding the bookshelves with wisecracking private eyes who work both sides of the law, disrespect authority, icily stare down gun barrels and conceal an immutable code of honor beneath a cynical outer shell.
This can get awfully tiresome, but every now and then a writer comes along with the imagination and skill to make the whole thing feel fresh and new again. That's what veteran crime novelist Timothy Hallinan has accomplished with his latest series of novels featuring Junior Bender, full-time Los Angeles burglar and part-time private eye-style fixer for the city's criminal element.
The first book in the series, "Crashed" (2012), was great fun. The new one, "Little Elvises," is even better, with an intricate high-stakes plot, a compelling subplot and heart-pounding suspense.
As the story opens, Junior is in a fix, or rather, a bunch of them. The ex-wife he still yearns for has a new man in her life. His precocious daughter, who just turned 13, has acquired her first boyfriend, and Junior doesn't approve. The daughter of Junior's eccentric landlady has run off with a cad, and she needs Junior's help to bring her home. And an L.A.P.D. detective is going to frame Junior for invading a judge's house, pistol-whipping his honor's wife and stealing their jade collection unless Junior finds a way to get the cop's elderly uncle out of a murder rap.
The uncle, a record producer in Philadelphia back in the 1950s, got rich by recruiting a bunch of no-talent pretty boys, fixing their hair and teaching them to curl their lips to make them look like Elvis Presley, and foisting their abysmal howls on teenage record buyers. (Those with the misfortune of remembering the likes of Len Barry, Johnny Caswell and Johnny Madara know this really happened.) Hence, the book's title.
Along the way, Hallinan introduces us to a drugged-out, pain-impervious hit man, a nonagenarian puppet master who rules the L.A. underworld, a tabloid reporter who uses his job as a cover to blackmail the rich and the famous, and a host of other characters as dangerously outrageous as the murderous crew obsessed with obtaining the black bird in Hammett's 1930 masterpiece.
___
Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award, is the author of "Cliff Walk" and "Rogue Island."
___
Online:
http://brucedesilva.com/
http://www.timothyhallinan.com/
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/review-little-elvises-compelling-suspenseful-222832955.html
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Jan. 29, 2013 ? Hydrogen sulfide* (H2S) may play a wide-ranging role in staving off aging, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology. In this review article, a team from China explores the compound's plethora of potential anti-aging pathways.
"H2S has been gaining increasing attention as an important endogenous signaling molecule because of its significant effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems," the team writes. The evidence is mounting, they note, that hydrogen sulfide slows aging by inhibiting free-radical reactions, by activating SIRT1, an enzyme believed to be a regulator of lifespan, and probably through its interactions with a gene, klotho, which appears to have its own market basket of anti-aging activity.
Hydrogen sulfide is produced within the human body, and has a variety of important physiological effects. For example, it relaxes the vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells, which is important to maintaining clean arteries as one ages, says first author Zhi-Sheng Jiang, of the University of South China, Hunan. It functions as an antioxidant. And it inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory factors, all of which "imply an important role in aging and age-associated diseases," according to the paper. For example, mice lacking CSE, the gene for an enzyme involved in producing H2S, manifest extensive, premature arteriosclerosis, an inevitable consequence of aging, says Jiang.
The gene, klotho, which appears to be upregulated by hydrogen sulfide, is thought to extend lifespan via a number of different pathways, some of which promote production of endogenous antioxidants, according to the report. Produced in the kidneys, it has direct angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting activity; that is, it's an ACE inhibitor, just like certain drugs that mitigate high blood pressure. Not surprisingly, plasma H2S declines with age, and is lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in those with normal blood pressure. More generally, a lack of H2S is implicated in cardiovascular disease.
A decline in H2S is also thought to undermine neurological health. Endogenous H2S has been found wanting in an animal model of Parkinson's disease, and is found to be depressed in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. There are even suggestions, mostly in animal models, but also in human studies, that H2S may be protective against cancer, according to the report.
"Data available so far strongly suggest that H2S may become the next potent agent for preventing and ameliorating the symptoms of aging and age-associated diseases," concludes Jiang. In the future, he says, people may take H2S via food, or as an anti-aging supplement.
* Hydrogen sulfide (British English: hydrogen sulphide) is the chemical compound with the formula H2S. It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas that gives off the odor of rotten eggs.
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/jEAT1lRShRo/130129121945.htm
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Jan. 28, 2013 ? In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms -- principally bacteria -- in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above Earth's surface.
Whether the microorganisms routinely inhabit this portion of the atmosphere -- perhaps living on carbon compounds also found there -- or whether they were simply lofted there from Earth's surface isn't yet known. The finding is of interest to atmospheric scientists, because the microorganisms could play a role in forming ice that may impact weather and climate. Long-distance transport of the bacteria could also be of interest for disease transmission models.
The microorganisms were documented in air samples taken as part of NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) program to study low- and high-altitude air masses associated with tropical storms. The sampling was done from a DC-8 aircraft over both land and ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and portions of the Atlantic Ocean. The sampling took place before, during and after two major tropical hurricanes -- Earl and Karl -- in 2010.
The research, which has been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, was scheduled to be published online January 28th by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"We did not expect to find so many microorganisms in the troposphere, which is considered a difficult environment for life," said Kostas Konstantinidis, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "There seems to be quite a diversity of species, but not all bacteria make it into the upper troposphere."
Aboard the aircraft, a filter system designed by the research team collected particles -- including the microorganisms -- from outside air entering the aircraft's sampling probes. The filters were analyzed using genomic techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing, which allowed the researchers to detect the microorganisms and estimate their quantities without using conventional cell-culture techniques.
When the air masses studied originated over the ocean, the sampling found mostly marine bacteria. Air masses that originated over land had mostly terrestrial bacteria. The researchers also saw strong evidence that the hurricanes had a significant impact on the distribution and dynamics of microorganism populations.
The study showed that viable bacterial cells represented, on average, around 20 percent of the total particles detected in the size range of 0.25 to 1 microns in diameter. By at least one order of magnitude, bacteria outnumbered fungi in the samples, and the researchers detected 17 different bacteria taxa -- including some that are capable of metabolizing the carbon compounds that are ubiquitous in the atmosphere -- such as oxalic acid.
The microorganisms could have a previously-unidentified impact on cloud formation by supplementing (or replacing) the abiotic particles that normally serve as nuclei for forming ice crystals, said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
"In the absence of dust or other materials that could provide a good nucleus for ice formation, just having a small number of these microorganisms around could facilitate the formation of ice at these altitudes and attract surrounding moisture," Nenes said. "If they are the right size for forming ice, they could affect the clouds around them."
The microorganisms likely reach the troposphere through the same processes that launch dust and sea salt skyward. "When sea spray is generated, it can carry bacteria because there are a lot of bacteria and organic materials on the surface of the ocean," Nenes said.
The research brought together microbiologists, atmospheric modelers and environmental researchers using the latest technologies for studying DNA. For the future, the researchers would like to know if certain types of bacteria are more suited than others for surviving at these altitudes. The researchers also want to understand the role played by the microorganisms -- and determine whether or not they are carrying on metabolic functions in the troposphere.
"For these organisms, perhaps, the conditions may not be that harsh," said Konstantinidis. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is active life and growth in clouds, but this is something we cannot say for sure now."
Other researchers have gathered biological samples from atop mountains or from snow samples, but gathering biological material from a jet aircraft required a novel experimental setup. The researchers also had to optimize protocols for extracting DNA from levels of biomass far lower than what they typically study in soils or lakes.
"We have demonstrated that our technique works, and that we can get some interesting information," Nenes said. "A big fraction of the atmospheric particles that traditionally would have been expected to be dust or sea salt may actually be bacteria. At this point we are just seeing what's up there, so this is just the beginning of what we hope to do."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology. The original article was written by John Toon.
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/cYVLxy1Cfts/130128151912.htm
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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) ? Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown is under investigation for an alleged assault in a West Hollywood parking lot, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said early Monday.
Deputies responding to a report of six men fighting Sunday night found the scene clear, but were told by witnesses that there had been a brief fight over a parking space.
"The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim," the department said in a statement released early Monday morning.
The "victim" wasn't identified but the celebrity website TMZ ? which first reported the fight outside the Westlake Recording Studio ? said it also involved Frank Ocean, one of the top nominees at Grammy Awards next month.
In a Twitter posting later, Ocean said he "got jumped by (Brown) and a couple guys" and suffered a finger cut.
It wasn't Brown's first problem in the run-up to the Grammys. His attack on singer Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 awards event overshadowed the show.
Last June, he was injured in a brawl with members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage at a New York nightclub.
No arrests were made. Brown was gone by the time deputies arrived but the department said the investigation is ongoing and Brown would be contacted later.
Email messages to Ocean's publicist and Brown's lawyer were not immediately returned. A man answering the phone at the recording studio declined to comment.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chris-brown-investigated-possible-assault-090656620.html
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11 hrs.
NEW YORK?- U.S. stocks have been on a tear in January, moving major indexes within striking distance of all-time highs. The bearish case is a difficult one to make right now.
Earnings have exceeded expectations, the housing and labor markets have strengthened, lawmakers in Washington no longer seem to be the roadblock that they were for most of 2012, and money has returned to stock funds again.
The Standard & Poor's 500 Index has gained 5 percent this year - climbing to the spot where Wall Street strategists expected it to be by mid-year. The Dow Jones industrial average is less than 3 percent away from all-time highs reached in October 2007.
"Once we break above a resistance level at 1,510, we dramatically increase the probability that we break the highs of 2007," said Walter Zimmermann, technical analyst at United-ICAP, in Jersey City, N.J. "That may be the start of a rise that could take equities near 1,800 within the next few years."
The most recent Reuters poll of Wall Street strategists estimated the benchmark index would rise to 1,550 by year-end, a target that is less than 4 percent away from current levels. That would put the S&P 500 a stone's throw from the index's all-time intraday high of 1,576.09 reached on Oct. 11, 2007.
The new year has brought a sharp increase in flows into U.S. equity mutual funds, and that has helped stocks rack up four straight weeks of gains, with strength in big- and small-caps alike.
That's not to say there aren't concerns. Economic growth has been steady, but not as strong as many had hoped. The household unemployment rate remains high at 7.8 percent. And more than 75 percent of the stocks in the S&P 500 are above their 26-week highs, suggesting the buying has come too far, too fast.
All 10 S&P 500 industry sectors are higher in 2013, in part because of new money flowing into equity funds. Investors in U.S.-based funds committed $3.66 billion to stock mutual funds in the latest week, the third straight week of big gains for the funds, data from Thomson Reuters' Lipper service showed on Thursday.
Energy shares led the way with a gain of 6.6 percent, followed by industrials, up 6.3 percent. Telecom, a defensive play that underperforms in periods of growth, is the weakest sector - up 0.1 percent for the year.
More than 250 stocks hit new highs on Friday alone on the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones Transportation Average recently climbed to an all-time high, with stocks in this sector and other economic bellwethers posting strong gains almost daily.
"If you peel back the onion a little bit, you start to look at companies like Precision Castparts, Honeywell , 3M Co and Illinois Tool Works - these are big, broad-based industrial companies in the U.S. and they are all hitting new highs, and doing very well. That is the real story," said Mike Binger, portfolio manager at Gradient Investments, in Shoreview, Minn.
The gains have run across asset sizes as well. The S&P small-cap index has jumped 6.1 percent and the S&P mid-cap index has shot up 6.8 percent so far this year.
Exchange-traded funds have seen year-to-date inflows of $15.6 billion, with fairly even flows across the small-, mid- and large-cap categories, according to Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at the ConvergEx Group, in New York.
"Investors aren't really differentiating among asset sizes. They just want broad equity exposure," Colas said.
The market has shown resilience to weak news. On Thursday, the S&P 500 held steady despite a 12 percent slide in shares of Apple after the iPhone and iPad maker's results. The tech giant is heavily weighted in both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 and in the past, its drop has suffocated stocks' broader gains.
In the last few days, the ratio of stocks hitting new highs versus those hitting new lows on a daily basis has started to diminish - a potential sign that the rally is narrowing to fewer names - and could be running out of gas.
Investors have also cited sentiment surveys that indicate high levels of bullishness among newsletter writers, a contrarian indicator, and momentum indicators are starting to also suggest the rally has perhaps come too far.
The market's resilience could be tested next week with the release of the January non-farm payrolls report. About 155,000 jobs are seen being added in the month and the unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 7.8 percent.
"Staying over 1,500 sends up a flag of profit taking," said Jerry Harris, president of asset management at Sterne Agee, in Birmingham, Ala. "Since recent jobless claims have made us optimistic on payrolls, if that doesn't come through, it will be a real risk to the rally."
A number of marquee names will report earnings next week, including bellwether companies such as Caterpillar Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Ford Motor Co and Pfizer Inc .
On a historic basis, valuations remain relatively low - the S&P 500's current price-to-earnings ratio sits at 15.66, which is just a tad above the historic level of 15.
Worries about the U.S. stock market's recent strength do not mean the market is in a bubble. Investors clearly don't feel that way at the moment.
"We're seeing more interest in equities overall, and a lot of flows from bonds into stocks," said Paul Zemsky, who helps oversee $445 billion as the New York-based head of asset allocation at ING Investment Management. "We've been increasing our exposure to risky assets."
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/bears-hibernation-u-s-stocks-near-record-highs-1C8133666
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Jan. 27, 2013 ? Rice University scientists have taken an important step toward the creation of two-dimensional electronics with a process to make patterns in atom-thick layers that combine a conductor and an insulator.
The materials at play -- graphene and hexagonal boron nitride -- have been merged into sheets and built into a variety of patterns at nanoscale dimensions.
Rice introduced a technique to stitch the identically structured materials together nearly three years ago. Since then, the idea has received a lot of attention from researchers interested in the prospect of building 2-D, atomic-layer circuits, said Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan. He is one of the authors of the new work that appears this week in Nature Nanotechnology. In particular, Ajayan noted that Cornell University scientists reported an advance late last year on the art of making atomic-layer heterostructures through sequential growth schemes.
This week's contribution by Rice offers manufacturers the possibility of shrinking electronic devices into even smaller packages. While Rice's technical capabilities limited features to a resolution of about 100 nanometers, the only real limits are those defined by modern lithographic techniques, according to the researchers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.)
"It should be possible to make fully functional devices with circuits 30, even 20 nanometers wide, all in two dimensions," said Rice researcher Jun Lou, a co-author of the new paper. That would make circuits on about the same scale as in current semiconductor fabrication, he said.
Graphene has been touted as a wonder material since its discovery in the last decade. Even at one atom thick, the hexagonal array of carbon atoms has proven its potential as a fascinating electronic material. But to build a working device, conductors alone will not do. Graphene-based electronics require similar, compatible 2-D materials for other components, and researchers have found hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) works nicely as an insulator.
H-BN looks like graphene, with the same chicken-wire atomic array. The earlier work at Rice showed that merging graphene and h-BN via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) created sheets with pools of the two that afforded some control of the material's electronic properties. Ajayan said at the time that the creation offered "a great playground for materials scientists."
He has since concluded that the area of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene "has grown significantly and will play out as one of the key exciting materials in the near future."
His prediction bears fruit in the new work, in which finely detailed patterns of graphene are laced into gaps created in sheets of h-BN. Combs, bars, concentric rings and even microscopic Rice Owls were laid down through a lithographic process. The interface between elements, seen clearly in scanning transmission electron microscope images taken at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, shows a razor-sharp transition from graphene to h-BN along a subnanometer line.
"This is not a simple quilt," Lou said. "It's very precisely engineered. We can control the domain sizes and the domain shapes, both of which are necessary to make electronic devices."
The new technique also began with CVD. Lead author Zheng Liu, a Rice research scientist, and his colleagues first laid down a sheet of h-BN. Laser-cut photoresistant masks were placed over the h-BN, and exposed material was etched away with argon gas. (A focused ion beam system was later used to create even finer patterns, down to 100-nanometer resolution, without masks.) After the masks were washed away, graphene was grown via CVD in the open spaces, where it bonded edge-to-edge with the h-BN. The hybrid layer could then be picked up and placed on any substrate.
While there's much work ahead to characterize the atomic bonds where graphene and h-BN domains meet and to analyze potential defects along the boundaries, Liu's electrical measurements proved the components' qualities remain intact.
"One important thing Zheng showed is that even by doing all kinds of growth, then etching, then regrowth, the intrinsic properties of these two materials are not affected," Lou said. "Insulators stay insulators; they're not doped by the carbon. And the graphene still looks very good. That's important, because we want to be sure what we're growing is exactly what we want."
Liu said the next step is to place a third element, a semiconductor, into the 2-D fabric. "We're trying very hard to integrate this into the platform," he said. "If we can do that, we can build truly integrated in-plane devices." That would give new options to manufacturers toying with the idea of flexible electronics, he said.
"The contribution of this paper is to demonstrate the general process," Lou added. "It's robust, it's repeatable and it creates materials with very nice properties and with dimensions that are at the limit of what is possible."
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JAKARTA (Reuters) - ExxonMobil
"Initially we were expecting the project would deliver (full) production in May 2014, but I'm not sure if we can deliver it in May or not ... Probably going up to August or September," said Gde Pradnyana, operations controller at the regulator.
Cepu is producing 24,000 barrels per day and its target production of 165,000 is hoped will boost Indonesia's dwindling crude output.
Pradnyana said Cepu was a top priority for the government, and that its management and delays in production were one of the reasons why the regulator had decided not to extend its assignment for ExxonMobils local CEO, Richard Owen.
(Reporting by Fergus Jensen)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exxonmobil-indonesias-cepu-faces-setbacks-ceo-replaced-075335664--finance.html
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ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Nikolaos Dertilis, the last jailed member of the military dictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967-74, has died. He was 94.
Dertilis had been transferred in December from the maximum security Korydallos Prison, where he had spent the past 38 years, to Athens' Erythros Stavros Hospital with heart problems after suffering a stroke. He died Monday, the hospital said.
As a colonel, Dertilis was among a group of middle-ranking officers who seized power in a bloodless coup on April 21 1967. The dictators imposed martial law and cracked down heavily on political opponents, imprisoning or exiling thousands of mostly left-wing supporters, many of whom were tortured by military police.
After the restoration of democracy, Dertilis was sentenced to life in prison for the execution of a youth during the bloody suppression of a student uprising in 1973.
He never repented for his acts and refused to request clemency ? even to attend his son's funeral last year.
The country's extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party, which rose from the political fringes to enter Parliament last year, issued a statement saluting Dertilis as "an exceptional Greek and a soldier who shed his blood for his country on the battlefields."
"(Dertilis) died without signing a declaration of repentance to his jailers, and fully honoring his word ? that they could nail his jail release papers to his coffin," the party statement said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/last-jailed-member-greek-dictatorship-dead-200909802.html
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Okay, so we don?t have flying cars yet. But, we do have video conferencing. And, in growing numbers businesses are adopting video conferencing into their overall Unified Communications strategy. But, I?m not so bullish on the video conferencing market as most people might be. Why? Well one word??Cloud?.
Yes, Video is here to stay and will continue to be deployed more and more. But, what company in their right mind today would want to invest in a video conference or ?Telepresence? system that costs $100k +? I know, people will argue that ?you can set-up a conference room with intelligent cameras that follow the discussion, that produce high-quality HD video, that can see the entire room, etc., etc.
However, with the rapid adoption of Cloud services and the ?as a Service? model, I think you?re going to see video sold more as an add-on to Hosted PBX offerings. In fact, Polycom already recognizes this because many enterprise Hosted VoIP companies are already using their bridging equipment in their cloud environments making video bridges an ?as a Service? offer.
More and more people are becoming road warriors or work from home employees. With the advent of cloud based video bridges it makes location a moot point. That?s the beauty of the Cloud.
The discussion of image quality and intelligent cameras doesn?t outweigh the benefit of mobility. Most people would prefer to be untethered and unrestricted as opposed to sitting in a stuffy conference room.
The large players like Polycom, Cisco and LifeSize will continue to sell their equipment. I just think the face of their customer is going to change and the sales numbers will be coming more and more from the many enterprise hosted VoIP companies that are growing exponentially.
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12.30pm ToryDiary: Warsi - under a quarter of Britons think Muslims are compatible with the British way of life
10.30pm ToryDiary UPDATED: GDP shrank by 0.3 per cent in the last quarter of 2012
9.30am ToryDiary: GDP shrank by 0.3 per cent in the last quarter of 2012
9.30am As the world goes bonkers about the brilliance of Clare Foges, David Cameron's speechwriter, ConservativeHome republishes her Comment article on the death of political rhetoric: Antiseptic oratory
ToryDiary: Ruth Davidson moves to distance Scotland's Conservatives from England's
On ConservativeHome's culture column, Paul Goodman peers at Pinter's adolescent views and mature art as he reviews the playwright's Old Times
Andrew Lilico on Comment: What would we need to renegotiate in order to stay in the EU?
Also on Comment: Peter Luff MP - Training more engineers should become a national priority
John Bald on Local Government: Elizabeth Truss is right about maths - why do some teachers disagree?
The Deep End: Heresy of the week: The Big Society leaves no room for the little platoons
WATCH: Osborne - not for turning on the economy
Today 1) Growth figures to be released.? And Osborne's not for turning as he snubs IMF plea to ease austerity...
"The Chancellor insisted he will plough ahead with spending cuts until 2017. The IMF?s chief economist Olivier Blanchard had called for the UK to slow down its austerity programme. But speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Osborne said: ?I don?t think it is right to abandon a credible deficit plan.?? ?We do have to carry on with the cuts,? he said. ?We?re not about to bring that programme to an end. It will go on until 2017. We are walking a difficult road but we are going in the right direction.? - Daily Express
...But the Curse of Clegg strikes again as LibDem leader agonises over Coalition policy in haplessly-timed House Magazine interview
"Mistakes have been made over the economy by the Coalition, Deputy PM Nick Clegg dramatically said last night. He risked a huge row with Chancellor George Osborne by admitting the Government should have spent MORE on big building projects to boost jobs. The Lib Dem leader?s startling honesty is terrible timing for the Treasury as it braces itself for a fresh dose of grim tidings today" - The Sun
> Yesterday: ToryDiary - Fraser Nelson is right ? the Tories should stop saying that they?re paying down Britain?s debts
Today 2) Same-sex marriage bill to be published.? "The most divisive vote of Cameron's leadership."
"The issue threatens to shatter the Tory unity that Mr Cameron engendered with his Europe speech this week. MPs have warned party whips that the issue of gay marriage is by far the most toxic for them among grassroots party members. The Times has spoken this week to MPs from all parts of the country, all of whom have reported that local association members are deserting the party over the issue. Opposition to gay marriage had dominated their postbags and was driving members to UKIP, the MPs said." - The Times (?)
Today 3) Ruth Davidson to distance Scottish Tories from English party
"She will say the Conservatives are unfairly characterised as controlled by Westminster, and they need to prove to voters ?beyond all reasonable doubt? they put Scotland first. Although many people north of the Border continue to share Tory values, she will argue the party?s hostile attitude to devolution has meant they are perceived as ?a brake on the aspirations of Scotland and not a torch bearer?. Senior sources close to Ms Davidson said she had not yet decided to cross the constitutional ?line in the sand? she promised to draw during her successful leadership campaign in 2011." - Daily Telegraph
> Today: ToryDiary - Ruth Davidson moves to distance Scotland's Conservatives from England's
No early poll bounce for Cameron's EU speech
"The first YouGov poll since the Prime Minister's speech, the?fieldwork for which was conducted between 5pm on Tuesday and 5pm yesterday, shows no sign of an early boost for the Tories. Instead, support for Labour has risen by two points to 43 per cent, while the Tories are unchanged on 31 per cent. We will, of course, need to wait until the weekend polls for a clear picture of what effect, if any, Cameron's speech has had on the Conservatives' standing." - The New Statesman
The Prime Minister meets Merkel in Davos.? She doesn't mention his speech during hers...
"Cameron held a 20-minute meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss his plan to negotiate a new deal for Britain. She had indicated a ?fair compromise? could be possible to allow the UK to loosen ties. He also met other EU premiers including Italy?s Mario Monti and Enda Kenny of Ireland. Mr Cameron made a passionate defence of his referendum plan in a speech to the Forum. He said: ?This is not about turning our backs on Europe ? quite the opposite." - Daily Express
...But Clegg suggests EU referendum wouldn't hold up a second Coalition...
"Nick Clegg, Britain?s deputy prime minister, said Mr Cameron?s proposals for a renegotiation were ?vague? and it was ?wholly implausible? that a future Conservative government could rewrite the rules to the sole advantage of the UK. However the pro-European Liberal Democrat leader did not rule out the possibility that he would back Mr Cameron?s call for an in-out referendum, if the 2015 general election propels his party back into a second coalition with Mr Cameron?s Tories." - Financial Times (?)
...Though Boris concedes it could split the Conservatives...
"Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, put a question mark over whether he would support continued EU membership in the referendum. ?I can?t say now,? he told an interviewer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ?But my overwhelming instinct would be that we can get sufficient changes, reforms and improvements to the treaty to make it sensible, for most people in my country to vote to stay in the single market.? - The Times (?)
...And meanwhile, Miliband has EU troubles of his own
"Labour?s rifts on Europe deepened yesterday when ex-minister Kate Hoey said party leader Ed Miliband had ?got it wrong? by declaring his opposition to a nationwide poll. Mr Miliband insisted he was acting ?in the national interest?. He said: ?It?s clear what the priorities of the British people are ? growth and jobs.? - The Sun
David Jones: Let's debate the EU in Wales
"The Welsh Government should not shut down a ?vitally important? debate about the future of Britain?s relationship with the EU, Secretary of State for Wales David Jones warned yesterday. The Conservative Clwyd West MP met with leading Welsh industrialists yesterday as the impact of the Prime Minister?s pledge to hold an in/out referendum on EU membership continued to reverberate through Wales and beyond." - Wales Online
UK may be fined over failure to honour single market agreement - The Independent
Over half of young people in Spain are out of work - Daily Mail
"Dear Britons, please stay!? You are so gloriously crazy!": European reaction to the speech - Daily Mail
The Daily Mail profiles Clare Foges, the woman who wrote the speech
"Clare is on the same traditionalist wing of the party as Mr Duncan Smith, with her beliefs forged as a young girl when she watched her mother, a foster parent, care for children in their family home. She has said: ?I used to think about what happened to the children when they left care, and how the State works in terms of welfare?A few years ago, she set out her beliefs about what was important in political speeches. In an article? for ConservativeHome? website, she lamented the death of rousing political speech making." - Daily Mail
Read Clare Foges's original ConservativeHome article here
Paul Goodman: Cameron's speech was a gamble to get the Euro-sceptic monkey off his back
"So why has this cautious politician, naturally restrained in temperament and outlook, taken such an extraordinary gamble, risking the very unity and future of his party? There is no great mystery about the answer. It is the only way he can think of to get the eurosceptic monkey off his back. Almost half his backbenchers voted for an EU referendum last year. The rightwing newspapers have clamoured for one. In some opinion polls, the UK Independence party has overtaken the Lib Dems as the third party of British politics." - Financial Times (?)
> Today: Andrew Lilico on Comment - What would we need to renegotiate in order to stay in the EU?
> Yesterday:
Cameron planning major speech to woo ethnic minority voters...
"Senior government sources say that David Cameron is so concerned that the issue of race is damaging support for the Tories that he is planning to address it head-on with a speech in the next two months. The Prime Minister chaired a Cabinet meeting last week at which ministers were shown evidence that the single biggest factor in voters not backing the Tories is race ? far outweighing wealth, class or where someone lives." - Daily Mail
...And in Davos, he calls for worldwide tax avoidance clampdown
"He said that firms have a moral duty to pay tax - in comments which angered global business leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Mr Cameron is to spearhead an international tax "transparency" drive this year which is expected to lead to firms being forced to publish details of where and how much tax they pay?The Daily Telegraph today publishes the responses of more than 50 FTSE companies. The letters show that 32 of the 52 members of the FTSE-100 who have responded warn against publishing more details of their tax affairs." - Daily Telegraph
General Houghton tipped to lead military - Financial Times (?)
Women on march towards frontline combat - The Times (?)
It's not sensible to predict Romanian and Bulgarian numbers, says Mark Harper
"Mark Harper, the immigration minister, has said it would not be ?sensible? to try and predict how many Romanians and Bulgarians are expected come into the country after getting the right to live and work in the UK. He insisted that the Government is not doing any research on their likely impact because ?there are so many variables??n an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live Mr Harper said the Government is ?not going to start speculating about numbers." - Daily Telegraph
Ministers consider clampdown on 'industrial users' of Freedom of Information - BBC
Crime plunges, but Iphone and Ipad thefts soar as the figures are questioned - The Sun
Truss prepares to issue childcare vouchers and slash childminder rules
"Working families are to be given an extra boost to help pay for childcare as the coalition tries to ease the burden on parents struggling to meet the soaring cost of nursery fees and encourage more mothers back to work. The coalition is working on a package worth up to ?1.5bn involving a new voucher scheme for families with young children as part of a wider overhaul of childcare. Each family is expected on average to receive at least ?1,000 per year in extra support." - Financial Times (?)
> Today: John Bald on Local Government - Elizabeth Truss is right about maths - why do some teachers disagree?
First-time buyers will need a ?60,000 deposit by end of decade - Daily Mail
Soubry latest: "It's disgusting eating lunch over a keyboard"
"Health minister Anna Soubry said busy workers should not eat over their computer keyboards, but should take a proper lunch break to give them time to 'enjoy' their food. But research has shown that 60 per cent of workers eat their lunch at their desk every day, with many admitting they would feel 'guilty' if they left the office for an hour. Ms Soubry's comments came after she sparked controversy by suggesting that poor people were more likely to be obese." - Daily Mail
Ministers and MPs who oppose hospital changes risk 'perpetuating mediocrity', says NHS Chief - The Guardian
Persistently high death rates at eight hospitals - Daily Telegraph
Looking back at the reshuffle, Heywood says sacked Ministers were harshly treated
"He disclosed that members of the Government are left in the dark to such an extent that they can be sacked following a year of ?silence? from their superiors. ?It would be quite good to think about how we can continue to give feedback to ministers between reshuffles because it?s a pretty brutal system,? Sir Jeremy said. ?Most ministers don?t really get much feedback about their performance until the moment they are reshuffled and they are either promoted or sacked or kept in place. That feels a bit binary.? - Daily Telegraph
Britons urged to flee Benghazi in terror alert - Daily Express
Bashar al-Assad's mother has fled Syria, US ambassador claims - Daily Telegraph
Free schools: Pickles helps Gove out
"Free schools will be able to open in offices, hotels and warehouses without planning permission under changes to be announced by ministers today. Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, will announce new rules that will allow proposed free schools to speed through red tape. This will include rewriting planning laws to allow schools to open before they have received council permission to occupy their new buildings. They will have 12 months? grace before requiring change-of-use approval." - The Times (?)
GCSE results set to accelerate drive to turn schools into academies - The Guardian
Inmates eat rats in the secret North Korean prison camps made public by Google Earth - Daily Mail
Hogan-Howe calls in outside force to police Plebgate response - The Times (?)
In the bleak mid-winter: more snow on the way - Daily Express
>?Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven't been given their own blog. Read our comments policy?here.
Source: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/frontpage/2013/01/newslinks-for-friday-25th-january-2012.html
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KCNA via Reuters, file
A banner reading "Accomplish task suggested by Workers Party Central Committee and Central Army Committee" appears at a rally commemorating the 65th anniversary of North Korean Workers Party in Pyongyang on Feb. 13, 2010.
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
North Korea?s leaders are ?peerlessly great? and capable of ?immortal feats,? Americans are ?imperialists? who use ?brigandish logic? and critics are just ?rats? scurrying about in a ditch.
And not to forget the gushing ode to the ?threadbare and discolored? parka worn by the late ?dear leader? Kim Jong Il or the discovery of a unicorn lair.
Official pronouncements from North Korea?s state-controlled media have always had a certain poetic quality -- although the poet in question would appear to be extremely angry, somewhat paranoid and possessed by an overly active imagination.
And more than a year after Kim Jong Un, son of Kim Jong Il, came to power, it is clear that the planet's only hereditary communist state is still pleased with its flowery rhetoric, despite mocking laughter from the rest of the world.
After all, foreign journalists who dare to criticize can be easily dismissed as ?a sordid hackwork of rubbish media,? according to one release Wednesday from the KCNA news agency.
Kcna / AFP - Getty Images
A pictorial look at the North Korean leader through the years
And not to worry. ?The sun will always give off its light even though rats make nonsensical remarks moving around ditch, while finding it hard to raise their heads to the bright human world.? So there.
On Thursday, KCNA's latest statement hailed its recent satellite launch as a demonstration of its ?space science and technology and its overall national power.? This ?stark fact? was ?favored by the world.?
No matter that the United Nations Security Council had agreed to a resolution to sanction North Korea over the launch, which is feared was actually a test of long-range missile technology.
This claim was simply the ?brigandish logic? of the U.S. and the Security Council was nothing more than ?a marionette.?
But, again, there is really no need for North Koreans to worry, given their country is ?a political, ideological and military giant? run by ?peerlessly great persons of [the sacred] Mt. Paektu.?
However, occasionally there are hints that not everyone is quite so on-message.
At a meeting of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade unions of Korea Wednesday, KCNA said that ?reporters and speakers? had ?underscored the need to dynamically conduct ideological education to firmly defend and glorify the sacred revolutionary careers and immortal feats? of said peerlessly great leaders.
Elizabeth Dalziel / AP
From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country.
Among Kim Jong Il?s accomplishments were: Shooting 11 holes-in-one during the first round of golf he ever played, writing operas, producing movies, and flying jet fighters.
His death, of course, was due to ?physical and mental over-work? on behalf of the nation.
Another reason why he was so great was that he wore an old jacket, which was the subject of a radio essay last month called the ?Parka of Kim Jong Il during his field guidance? on North Korean broadcasting service, Voice of Korea.
"His parka was that of a great father, with which he kept all the people on this land from snow, rain and cold,? the Voice of Korea report said.
Kim ? a "peerless sage of mankind, possessed with warm humanity, broad magnanimity and noble sense of moral obligation? ? had apparently worn the parka as a reminder of his country?s grim history after the death of his father Kim Il Sung.
'Outlandish superlatives'
Seoul-based North Korea expert Daniel Pinkston, North East Asia deputy project director for the International Crisis Group, said stories about unbelievable golfing prowess and the like were not really meant to be taken literally.
?The whole point is not that people necessarily believe it,? he said, noting there was also a degree of mythologizing about revered figures from the past in the West.
And Pinkston said what often sounds ?comical? or ?bizarre? in English ?doesn?t come off as the kind of stilted, strange language? in Korean.
But he said North Korea perhaps suffered from its isolation and the lack of feedback on its writing style.
?They do have a tendency to use outlandish superlatives? to emphasize a point, he added.
The main message, however, of many of the statements is seldom lost in translation, Pinkston said.
?It?s just very harsh and militant,? he said.
Related:
North Korea: Rocket launches, nuclear tests will 'target' US
Cigars, cognac and mass starvation: 10 facts that divide North Korea from world
ANALYSIS: 'Spoiled child' North Korea snubs key ally China with rocket test
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By Francisco Dao
On January 24, 2013
Unless I?m writing satire, I try to avoid making definitive proclamations, but social media entitlement has reached such ridiculous levels that it?s time we called a spade a spade and declare the entire world of social media, and so called influencers, as little more than a giant douchebag scam.
Platforms that began as a way for regular people to write honest reviews and interact with companies have been twisted into tools for extortion. Every day I see self-important social media wankers screw up and blame brands and companies for their mistakes. News tip, being big on Twitter does not entitle you to deride a business, because they didn?t bow down to your social media greatness and give you the free VIP upgrade. And if you think it does, you?re a colossal piece of shit.
This morning I read about some jackass who is selling restaurant reviewer cards so social media assholes can formally scare restaurant owners into rolling out the red carpet and giving them freebies under the implied threat that they?ll be lambasted on the Internet if they don?t. If these smankers are only getting good service, because they?re scaring restaurant owners with their reviewer card, doesn?t that invalidate any review they write since regular patrons wouldn?t get the same VIP treatment? Of course it does, but that doesn?t matter as long as the entitled social media jackoff gets their free dinner.
Instead of being a movement for empowering people who previously had no voice, social media has turned into a platform for bullies and tyrants where people feel entitled to publicly complain about everything, and even accuse businesses and brands of unfounded transgressions, just so they can get free upgrades and royal treatment. These scumbags claim they?re fighting for fairness and speaking out in the name of good customer service, when in reality they?re just using their blogs and Twitter followings to demand undeserved special treatment and abuse companies and people who don?t cater to their whims.
For example, I recently watched someone with a significant Twitter following go off on a car dealership because they wouldn?t let her full-sized dog in the waiting room. For three hours she accused the dealership, and the car maker as a whole, of all types of horrible offenses for the indignities she had to suffer waiting outside.
Why the fuck would she bring a full sized dog to a car dealership and assume it?s okay? Not everybody loves dogs. Apparently, she has service animal papers that she forgot to bring so she started accusing the dealership of not welcoming the disabled. I?ve known this person for several years and she is neither blind, deaf, nor has any visible disabilities that would require a dog. So why is it the dealership?s fault that she forgot her papers?
It was like someone blaming the cops for arresting them because they forgot their medical marijuana card at home. How would that be the cop?s fault? Of course, none of those facts matter because she has the power of social media on her side and can damage their brand despite the fact that it was her mistake.
Enough is enough with this bullshit. If you?re using social media to bully companies and brands to get VIP treatment or to blame them for your personal fuck ups, at least be honest about it.
You are an arrogant, entitled scumbag. Stop claiming you?re a voice for the downtrodden, fighting in the name of fairness. You?re an asshole, plain and simple. And people like you have turned the entire world of social media into a giant scam.
[Graphic by Hallie Bateman]
Source: http://pandodaily.com/2013/01/24/social-media-is-a-giant-scam/
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