MIO Alpha BLE

Heart rate, as athletes know, indicates fitness and exercise intensity better than most other metrics. Until very recently, the only reliable way to measure heart rate was to wear a chest strap, as I did while testing the Digifit iCardio Multi-Sport Heart Rate Monitor. I can say from personal experience that they're not only uncomfortable, but also require another device to read their output, and try doing that while maintaining speed and watching where you're going. A new wristwatch, the MIO Alpha BLE ($199 direct) reads heart rate through an optical sensor on its back and displays it in real time. Simple as that.

For running, cycling, and plenty of other endurance sports, the Alpha represents a huge upgrade in comfort and ease-of-use in heart rate monitors. It includes a number of useful features and settings, too, such as stopwatch functionality during which you can record your heart rate and keep track of your time spent in the zone (between the low and "up" heart rate you set for yourself). Considering the $200 price, though, the MIO Alpha BLE is somewhat expensive. Because I follow the rapidly growing field of activity trackers and other personal fitness gadgets, I wanted the Alpha to do a little more, such as measure distance traveled or steps taken, which it does not. You can get some of these stats by pairing the MIO with a compatible app, such as MapMyRun or RunKeeper, but I'd ideally like to see a pedometer-like reading right on the device itself.

Design
Much more comfortable than a chest strap, the MIO Alpha looks like a chunky sports watch, with a pliant, durable silicone band. The watch face, available in two accent colors, "shadow" (black) and "arctic" (white), displays data in large format using a negative dot matrix LCD, which makes it easy to read even in strong sunlight. On both the left and right of the watch is a single button that's flush against the watch face, for navigating the features and changing the settings.

It also comes with a USB charging station for the rechargable lithium polymer battery, which attaches magnetically to the back of the watch.

I find the device rather attractive, and especially like the row of three holes in the band, for securing with a three-pronged clasp, that travel its entire length. The MIO Alpha should be worn a little higher on the arm and more snugly than a typical watch, as it needs to be in close contact with your skin to accurately read your heart rate. Of course, when you're not taking your heart rate, you can readjust it to wherever it's most comfortable.

How it Works
The MIO Alpha BLE works by using an optical sensor, located on the back of the watch, to read the volume of blood under your skin, and therefore take your pulse. The heart rate function does not run constantly. You have to turn it on and off. Press and hold the right side button, and it will read your current heart rate, displaying it on the watch face in real time. When you?re not taking your heart rate,the MIO Alpha displays only the time.

Accuracy
In testing the MIO Alpha BLE, I took several readings of my resting heart rate just to get a sense of how the device worked and found it to always be within two beats per minute of my own reading (using the rudimentary two-fingers-to-the-neck method).

Then, I wore the watch to the gym and took a few more readings that I compared with the readings from the hand-grip sensors on some cardio equipment, which are sometimes accurate and sometimes ghastly off. I jumped on an elliptical trainer, took a few readings using the hand sensors to make sure they were at least within the range of my expectations (they were), and worked up a sweat. I turned on the Alpha MIO and started comparing. Every reading was once again within two beats per minute. Impressive.

Additional Features
The button to the left of the watch face activates additional features that make the MIO Alpha BLE a true athletic gadget. You can adjust your minimum and maximum desired heart rate (it defaults to 110 to 130 beats per minute), and while you're working out, the Alpha will beep if you're not in the desired zone. It also flashes a colored light to indicate whether you're over (red), under (blue), or within (green) the zone you set.

You can also turn on a stopwatch feature that lets you time an activity while reading your heart rate in the background, which is where the colored lights and audio cues really help, as you can hear them and see them from the corner of your eye without slowing down to focus on the precise reading.

To integrate your heart rate stats into other data from health and fitness apps, you'll need a mobile device with Bluetooth 4.0, and one of the following compatible apps: Adidas MiCoach, Endomo, MapMyRide, MapMyRun, RunKeeper, Strava, or Wahoo Fitness.

While the watch is waterproof and you can even swim while wearing it, the instructions warn against pressing the watch's buttons while underwater. You'll need to turn on the heart rate function and set up the timer before hopping into the pool.

Pricey, but Among the Best
I highly recommend the MIO Alpha BLE over a chest strap for any athlete or fitness buff looking to add heart rate to their personal data measurements. For the price, however, I do wish it had at least one or two more features for tracking activity directly, although for the time being, at least you can pair it with an app.

If in its second or third iteration the MIO Alpha can add a few key personal fitness tracking features, such steps taken and total distance traveled, it might be a five-star product. The question is whether it will get there first, as the competition is fierce?which is a good thing for consumers.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/RAppJDT9BMU/0,2817,2414600,00.asp

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Jacob Rudolph, LGBT New Jersey Teen, Meets George Takei On 'Anderson Live'

Anderson Cooper had a special surprise for the New Jersey teen whose impassioned coming out speech at a high school ceremony made him a viral video superstar.

Eighteen-year-old Jacob Rudolph, who identified himself as LGBT while accepting an award for class actor in front of his graduating class, told Cooper that "Star Trek" actor George Takei was his idol.

Fortunately for Rudolph, Takei was waiting backstage. Watch the clip to see what happened!

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/jacob-rudolph-new-jersey-teen-george-takei-_n_2575803.html

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Silibinin, found in milk thistle, protects against UV-induced skin cancer

Jan. 30, 2013 ? A pair of University of Colorado Cancer Center studies published this month show that the milk thistle extract, silibinin, kills skin cells mutated by UVA radiation and protects against damage by UVB radiation -- thus protecting against UV-induced skin cancer and photo-aging.

"When you have a cell affected by UV radiation, you either want to repair it or kill it so that it cannot go on to cause cancer. We show that silibinin does both," says Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, co-program leader of Cancer Prevention and Control at the CU Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The first study, published in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology worked with human skin cells subjected to UVA radiation, which makes up about 95 percent of the sun's radiation that reaches Earth. The Agarwal Lab treated these UVA-affected cells with silibinin. With silibinin, the rate at which these damaged cells died increased dramatically.

"When you take human skin cells -- keratinocytes -- and treat them with silibinin, nothing happens. It's not toxic. But when you damage these cells with UVA radiation, treatment with silibinin kills the cells," Agarwal says, thus removing the mutated cells that can cause skin cancer and photo-aging.

Specifically, the study shows that pretreatment with silibinin resulted in higher release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the UVA-exposed cells, leading to higher rates of cell death.

The second study, published this month by the same authors in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis shows that instead of beneficially killing cells damaged by UVA radiation, treatment with silibinin protects human skill cells from damage by UVB radiation, which makes up about 5 percent of the sun's radiation reaching Earth.

Again, remember Agarwal's suggestion that the prevention of UV-induced skin cancer can happen in two ways: by protecting against DNA damage or by killing cells with damaged DNA. With UVA, silibinin kills; with UVB, it protects, in this case by increasing cells' expression of the protein interleukin-12, which works to quickly repair damaged cells.

"It has been 20 years of work with this compound, silibinin," Agarwal says. "We first noticed its effectiveness in treating both skin and solid cancers, and we now have a much more complete picture of the mechanisms that allow this compound to work."

Agarwal and colleagues continue to test the effectiveness of silibinin in cancer prevention and treatment in cell lines and mouse models, and are working toward human trials of silibinin-based therapeutics.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado Denver. The original article was written by Garth Sundem.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Sreekanth Narayanapillai, Chapla Agarwal, Gagan Deep, Rajesh Agarwal. Silibinin inhibits ultraviolet B radiation-induced DNA-damage and apoptosis by enhancing interleukin-12 expression in JB6 cells and SKH-1 hairless mouse skin. Molecular Carcinogenesis, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/mc.22000

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/wRU_1K3abM0/130130143636.htm

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Mexico's new president mostly mum on drug violence

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto laughs as he meets with members of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Jan. 25, 2012. Leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean are gathering in Santiago for the CELAC-EU economic summit Jan 26-27. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Caballero)

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto laughs as he meets with members of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile, Friday, Jan. 25, 2012. Leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean are gathering in Santiago for the CELAC-EU economic summit Jan 26-27. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Caballero)

Presidents, from left, Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, Jose Manuel Santos, of Colombia, Sebastian Pinera, of Chile and Ollanta Humala, of Peru, speak as they walk together after meeting during the CELAC summit in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo)

Nuevo Leon state police stand guard on a dirt road leading to a ranch near the town of Mina, in northern Mexico, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. At least eight bodies were found in a well near this ranch on Sunday near the site where 20 people went missing late last week, including members of a Colombian-style band, according to a state forensic official. Officials could not confirm whether the bodies belonged to 16 members of the band Kombo Kolombia and their crew, who were reported missing late last week after playing a private show in a bar in the neighboring town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazquez)

Nuevo Leon state police stand guard on a dirt road leading to a ranch near the town of Mina, northern Mexico, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. At least eight bodies were found in a well near this ranch on Sunday near the site where 20 people went missing late last week, including members of a Colombian-style band, according to a state forensic official. Officials could not confirm whether the bodies belonged to 16 members of the band Kombo Kolombia and their crew, who were reported missing late last week after playing a private show in a bar in the neighboring town of Hidalgo north of Monterrey. (AP Photo/Emilio Vazaquez)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Two months after President Enrique Pena Nieto took office promising to reduce violent crime, the killings linked to Mexico's drug cartels continue unabated.

Only the government's talk about them has dropped.

Eighteen members of a band and its retinue were kidnapped and apparently slain over the weekend in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon by gunmen who asked them to name their cartel affiliation before they were shot and dumped in a well. Fourteen prisoners and nine guards died in an attempted prison escape in Durango state. Nine men were slain Christmas eve in Sinaloa. In the state of Mexico, which borders the capital, more than a dozen bodies were found last week, some dismembered.

The difference under this administration is that there have been no major press conferences announcing more troops or federal police for drug-plagued hotspots. Gone are the regular parades of newly arrested drug suspects before the media with their weapons, cash or contraband.

Pena Nieto has been mum, instead touting education, fiscal and energy reforms. On Monday, he told a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Chile that he wants Mexico to focus on being a player in solving world and regional problems.

Some political observers praise him for trying to change the conversation and presenting an alternative face of Mexico. Critics suggest the country's new leaders believe that the best way to solve a security crisis is to create distractions.

"What Pena Nieto is doing is ... sweeping violence under the rug in hopes that no one notices," said security expert Jorge Chabat. "It can be effective in the short term, until the violence becomes so obvious that you can't change the subject."

The Pena Nieto government didn't immediately respond to requests for interviews. Secretary of Interior Jose Osorio Chong had a closed-door meeting with the governors of Mexico's central states about security on Monday. In a press conference afterward, he promised to increase patrols along a highway system already bristling with military and police roadblocks and checkpoints.

The apparent weekend killing of 18 members of Kombo Kolombia, which had played at a private performance late Thursday, was the largest mass kidnapping and killing since 20 tourists disappeared and were later found dead in 2011 near the resort city of Acapulco. Searchers this week were pulling bodies from a well in northern Mexico that they said likely belonged to the band.

An area known as the Laguna, where Coahuila and Durango states meet, has been the scene of numerous battles between factions of the Sinaloa the Zetas cartels.

The State of Mexico has had 70 slayings so far this year, according to Gov. Eruviel Avila. La Familia has moved in from the neighboring state of Michoacan and is fighting for territory with a smaller gang known as the United Warriors. Meanwhile, masked vigilantes patrol towns in the southern state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast, where citizens have grown tired of organized crime usurping local authority.

Communications expert Ruben Aguilar said the Pena Nieto government is right to change the focus from security, which had been the main topic throughout the six-year administration of President Felipe Calderon, who left office on Dec. 1.

"On the subject of security, President Calderon went against all logic and turned it into the country's only issue," said Aguilar, who was spokesman for previous President Vicente Fox. "The theme itself is addictive for the media, and generates a negative social mood."

It's difficult to say if drug violence has risen because the government no longer provides numbers, something that started under Calderon, who last released drug-war death statistics in September 2011.

The newspaper Reforma, one of several media outlets that count murders linked to organized crime, said that in December, the first month of the new government, there were 755 drug-related killings, compared to 699 in November. In Calderon's six-year term, some 70,000 people lost their lives to drug violence, the newspaper reported, with at least 20,000 believed missing.

Pena Nieto's election marked the return to power of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ran Mexico for 71 years. Under Calderon, violence exploded and cartels splintered. Many Mexicans believed drug violence would start to wane with the return of the PRI, assuming it would negotiate to keep the peace ? something party leaders have consistently denied.

Upon taking office Dec. 1, Pena Nieto announced that he would work to restore peace, saying the government would change its security strategy to reducing murders, kidnappings and extortion more than going after cartel leaders . He released a security plan that was not clearly different from Calderon's. Among the few specifics was a plan to establish a gendarmerie to patrol dangerous areas, a force that will take several years to build. Meanwhile he is keeping the military on the streets, just as Calderon did.

The Pena Nieto government also said that it will only talk about violence in terms of "hard data."

Eduardo S?nchez, the undersecretary for media in the Interior Ministry, told Mexico's official news agency last week that the federal government will no longer present detainees to the media or mention prisoners' aliases ? be it "the Squirrel" or "El Brad Pitt" ? a highly criticized practice under Calderon.

The idea, Sanchez said, is to avoid glorifying violence, which is already celebrated in some circles through music and clothing styles.

"We don't want the youth in this country to feel like crime is attractive or a good place in increase your social economic status," Sanchez told local reporters last week.

He said the government has arrested 854 people for drug-related crimes its first month in office, and said 69 criminals were killed in confrontations with the armed forces. But he would not say to which organized crime groups they belonged or the circumstances of their deaths or capture.

Carlos Reyes, spokesman for the congressional delegation of the opposition Democratic Revolution Party, was critical of the new approach.

"The actions of the government need to be transparent in terms of being precise about the level of the problem and how you're going to address it, not evade or disguise it," he said.

Edna Jaime, director of the policy analysis firm Mexico Evaluates, it's too early to criticize the new government's approach.

"The dynamic of violence is not going to change in a month or a month and half," she said, though she added that the government should have a strategy by now. The narrative will change "when it's accompanied by real change," she added.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-29-LT-Drug-War-Mexico-Presidential-Silence/id-cc18b5f586cb456bb6ad4d4676124e64

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Rightware finds a home for its Kanzi user interface in car computers ...

Finnish startup Rightware is finding more and more homes for its Kanzi user interface, a fancy 3D layer for web sites and mobile devices. It is available with an improved version today.

The second generation of the Kanzi user interface development platform is being adopted in a variety of products. That?s because users need a nifty, smooth, and eye-catching way to view the increasingly complex information displayed on their tablets, smartphones and car dashboards. And the user interface has to move fast as users change screens or drill down on menus, said Tero Sarkkinen, co-founder of Rightware, in an interview with VentureBeat.

?We?ve got a new generation of Kanzi coming, and it will be used in a new generation of devices,? Sarkkinen said. ?The graphics will be fluid and fast. We?re becoming the gold standard in user interfaces.?

The flow of new customers for Kanzi version 2.6 is gaining momentum. Kanzi is being used for the in-dash infotainment systems in the whole fleet of cars made by Audi. Johnson Controls is using Kanzi to design the user interface screens for car computers, such as instrument panels or navigation screens.

It is also available as an interface for apps on smartphones and tablets. One of those is the Nabi XD kids tablet computer from Fuhu. And Qualcomm has adopted Kanzi for its QRD reference platform for mobile devices. And RKS Design, an industrial design firm in Thousands Oaks, Calif., is using Kanzi for the design of tablets, smart TVs and other embedded gadgets.

To make a user interface the right way, the creators have to craft the screen so it can be refreshed constantly and pixels have to match precisely. App makers license the technology to do that from Rightware and use Kanzi to create custom user interfaces. Those interfaces can take advantage of high-end 3D graphics effects, but they run smoothly. That?s because Rightware optimized Kanzi for OpenGL ES, the open-source graphics standard technology. With OpenGL ES compatibility, Kanzi can tap the 3D graphics hardware in a device to draw its eye-catching imagery in a speedy way.

Espoo, Finland-based Rightware started as a part of graphics benchmarking firm Futuremark in 2004. Its goal was to create user interfaces for mobile computing. Sarkkinen left Futuremark in 2009 and immediately spun Rightware out of it. He raised $4.5 million, and on Jan. 3, he announced that he had recruited former Nokia executive Jonas Guest as Rightware?s chief executive. Sarkkinen, meanwhile, heads the company?s business in North America. Guest served as a member of Rightware?s board before taking the position, and he spent 15 years at Nokia.

Earlier, Rightware said its customers included Wikipad, a mobile tablet gaming company (interface pictured at bottom), has licensed it so players can browse through a game library quickly. Asus uses it in its Transformer convertible tablet/laptop. Fantasy Dice uses Rightware as a gaming interface.

Rightware supports any platform, including Android, iOS, Windows and anything else that runs OpenGL ES.

Rightware has a small team that designs user interfaces for a fee, but for the most part, it supplies tools for developers to use themselves. The interface tool allows developers to see changes they make to a design in real-time. The tools are available for sale now for $10,999 at the high end. Rightware is also providing a version for app developers for $999.

Rightware has 52 employees in Finland and offices in the U.S. and China. Sarkkinen said the company plans to raise a new round of funding later this year.

Filed under: Business, Gadgets, Games, Mobile, VentureBeat

This article originally appeared on VentureBeat Read More

Source: http://www.iphoneeinstein.com/2013/01/29/rightware-finds-a-home-for-its-kanzi-user-interface-in-car-computers-and-mobile-devices/

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Pentax expands ruggedized series with Optio WG-3, Target-exclusive WG-10

Think it might be time for a new ruggedized Pentax? It looks like the company agrees -- two new models are making their debut this week at CP+. The first is actually a rebranded WG-1, now called the WG-10, which will be available exclusively at Target stores and the website beginning in April. It's identical to the WG-1, save for the obligatory red finish and a $180 price tag. The second model is more of an original number -- it's an update to last year's WG-2. The new compact, dubbed the WG-3, maintains the unique design of the other two Optios, including a nifty LED ring around the lens for lighting macro shots.

There's a 16-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, a 4x lens with an f/2 wide-angle maximum aperture, along with options for 1080/30p and 720/60p video capture. It's waterproof to 14 meters (46 feet), shockproof to 2 meters (6.5 feet) and freeze-proof to -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). The basic version will run you $300, while a tricked-out $350 model adds GPS and Qi wireless charging, along with a secondary LCD that displays the current time, barometric pressure, a compass, altitude and underwater depth. Snag a peek in the gallery below.

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PENTAX Introduces 15th Generation Ruggedized Camera -the WG-3 GPS and WG-3

Performance meets photographic demands with fast F2.0 lens, in-camera shake reduction, and increased waterproof, crushproof and shockproof ratings

Denver, CO (January 29, 2013)- Leveraging its long-standing and comprehensive expertise in the waterproof category, PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION (PENTAX) has introduced the 15th generation in its adventureproof line-up of point and shoot cameras, the WG-3. Boasting a diverse set of new features and improved specifications, the WG-3 is the ideal companion to capture life's planned and unplanned adventures.

The WG-3 boasts a rich feature-set that has been optimized to meet the rigorous and demanding needs of the adventurous photo enthusiast, whose travels and exploits can take them into a variety of scenarios too challenging for the traditional point-and-shoot. Its newly designed, large-aperture, 4x optical zoom lens (with the maximum aperture of F2.0 at wide-angle end), high-sensitivity, back-illuminated 16 megapixel CMOS image sensor, and sensor-shift Shake Reduction system ensure sharp, high-quality, low-noise images.

The rugged features of the WG-3 include an improved waterproof depth rating to 45 feet, while the WG-3 GPS offers enhanced GPS functionality for geo-tagging images that can be mapped back to your journey and a dedicated second display showing compass direction, elevation or depth below water. Additionally, the WG-3's category defining Digital Microscope mode and six LED lights surrounding the lens barrel enable focusing as close as one centimeter from the subject producing bright, shadow-free macro images.

For the unplanned adventure, the WG-3 offers a worry-free shooting experience with an increasingly ruggedized body that is shockproof from drops of up to 6.6 feet, coldproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and crushproof, withstanding up to 220 foot pounds of force. The WG-3's rugged design is enhanced by its folded optical zoom lens that reduces its vulnerability to moisture and dust while ensuring a compact and pocketable size without the protrusion of a lens barrel. Finally, the sturdy construction and sharp design, unique to the WG-3, features a texturized grip for a controlled ergonomic grasp and colorful grip accents to further enrich its rugged styling.

"The WG-3 GPS truly leverages our experience in this category," said John Carlson, Sr. Marketing Manager, PENTAX. "New features like the easy-to-read second LCD, dedicated video record button, double-locking battery door and wireless charging capabilities show PENTAX's dedication to improving our offering in this category."

To enhance creative expression during shooting PENTAX offers an optional lens adapter with wide-angle coverage to 20mm, and the SportMount Chest Harness which allows for the hands free capture of adventures and features a quick and easy mechanism to review your images and footage without having to remove the camera from its mount.

Pricing and Availability

Priced at $349.95 the new WG-3 GPS is available in a choice of purple or green. The WG-3 is available in black or orange for a price of $299.95. Both models will be available at retailers nationwide and online in March 2013. To find a retailer near you, please visit: http://www.pentaximaging.com/where-to-buy

PENTAX Announces 14th Generation Adventure Proof WG-10, Expanding Image Capturing Possibilities Beyond the Traditional Point and Shoot Camera

WG-10 offers compact pocketability with advanced features suitable for almost any environment

Denver, CO (January 29, 2013) - PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION (PENTAX) has today announced the availability of the compact and highly portable WG-10 adventureproof point and shoot camera, an ideal option for the on-the-go shooter who requires a capable yet sturdy image and video capturing device. Its durable assembly and robust feature-set makes the WG-10 the ideal companion camera for life's explorers; striking the perfect balance between a point and shoot and PENTAX's category defining adventure-ready features.

Waterproof to depths of 33 feet, the WG-10 can withstand the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of an active shooter. The WG-10 bridges the gap between the common point and shoot and life's more challenging photo opportunities that might require waterproofing or the ability to function in a very cold environment; like a trip to the waterpark or an impromptu snowball fight. The WG-10 offers a 14 megapixel backlit CMOS image sensor and a state-of-the-art imaging processing engine assuring rich and detailed imagery.

"The WG-10 is a compelling offering for the active family or dynamic shooter," said John Carlson, Sr. Marketing Manager, PENTAX. "With the WG-10 you no longer need to sit on the edge of the pool at the waterpark or flinch when your six-year-old grabs the camera to take a picture. It is durable enough to withstand the elements, yet still capture vibrant images worthy of framing or sharing."

Within its compact body, the WG-10 also features a 5X optical zoom lens with coverage from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent to approx. 28mm wide angle to approx. 140mm medium telephoto in the 35mm format). This versatile zoom lens comes in handy for a wide variety of scenes and subjects, from wide-angle snapshots, to telephoto images. Additionally, the WG-10 features PENTAX's category defining LED Macro lights coupled and Digital Microscope mode enabling focusing as close as one centimeter from the subject producing shadow-free, evenly-lit images.

Pricing and Availability

The WG-10 will be available in mid-April in red for $179.95.
Additional information including product specifications is available here: www.pentaximaging.com/news

Filed under: Cameras

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xIejffX7JnA/

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Mastering the Stresses of Survivorship : Notes from the Doc Talks

Posted By SHL Librarian

Presented by: David Spiegel, MD
Willson Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
November 6, 2012

Watch the video

A diagnosis of breast cancer used to imply a terminal condition. But new understanding of the molecular and cellular processes behind the disease has led to more effective diagnostic tools and vast improvements in treatment. The result is that breast cancer now is considered more of a chronic condition rather than a terminal disease.

In the 1970s there were about 3 million cancer survivors in the United States; today those numbers have grown to more than 12 million. In fact, more than half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer tend to die of something else rather than the cancer.

?Survivorship is growing,? said David Spiegel, MD, associate chair of Stanford?s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, director of the Center on Stress and Health, and medical director of the Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine, who spoke at a presentation sponsored by Stanford Hospital Health Library. ?But that?s a good problem to have.?

But with these positive changes come some different challenges. How do you maintain a good quality of life while living with the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis? How can survivors learn to deal with the stress associated with the disease and live well?

?It?s important to take care of your total health,? Dr. Spiegel said. ?Follow Grandma?s advice: Eat well, sleep well, and get plenty of exercise.?

Caring for Mind and Body

The psychosocial needs of cancer survivors should be an integral part of quality cancer care, he said. While conventional cancer therapy is increasingly effective, interventions such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can cause additional distress. Additional stress can come from dealing with pain and fear, diminished capabilities, changing family roles, a sense of mortality, and multiple other factors.

?For cancer survivors, it?s not a matter of just one source of stress, but a series of stressors. It?s an especially important time to explore your feelings and figure out ways to deal with them,? said Dr. Spiegel. ?The key is taking stressors one at a time and developing a plan for dealing with them. Feeling overwhelmed by stressors is yet another stressor.?

While sadness is a natural response to a cancer diagnosis, for some women these stresses can lead to depression?a long-term condition that affects a person?s physical and mental health and sense of worth. Sadness can easily morph into depression, which extends into hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. While about 3 percent of the general population suffers from depression, more than 25 percent of cancer patients deal with the condition.

Depression, Dr. Spiegel said, is neither a normal nor acceptable part of cancer survivorship. It is a serious problem that has been shown to affect longevity?one study, published by Dr. Spiegel?s group in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that breast cancer patients who reduced their depression increased their lives by an average of two years. Another study showed that long-term depression predicted mortality and that depressed cancer patients showed significantly higher mortality than non-depressed cancer patients.

Dealing with chronic stress creates changes in the brain?s neural pathways can be alleviated through a number of therapeutic approaches, including antidepressants, transcranial magnetic stimulation, hypnosis, and various types of psychotherapy. Proven techniques include individual sessions, peer counseling, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Avoiding Depression
Dr. Spiegel?s expertise is in integrative medicine, which merges conventional and alternative therapies to address the complex and interconnected aspects of health and illness. His 30 years of working with breast cancer patients has shown that mind-body interventions can improve mood, quality of life, and coping skills.

He established a guideline that he calls FACES to help women deal with the stress of cancer survivorship while avoiding lapsing into depression:

• Facing issues?not fleeing from them
• Altering personal perceptions
• Cope actively?find some aspect of the situation that you can do something about
• Express emotions?acknowledge that something is amiss
• Social support?making connections is a critical aspect of mental well-being

Social connections appear to have an especially powerful influence on a person?s mental outlook. ?Loneliness is as bad as smoking is for your health, and it?s even worse when you have cancer,? he said. ?Social isolation is a key aspect of stress.?

Social Connections
In the 1970s Dr. Spiegel established support groups for women with metastatic breast cancer to create an opportunity for them to share and deal with their emotions. His landmark study found that the women involved in a support group, along with traditional medical care, experienced reduced anxiety, depression, and pain, and survived an average of 18 months longer than women who did not take part in a support group. More recent studies looking at both quantity and quality of life have found similar findings or no change in survival rates, but noted that participants showed less overall distress.

Participants were able to share their feelings about death and dying, express their emotions, build bonds, reorder their life priorities, manage symptoms, and clarify their roles.

?They could learn from other people?s perspectives, so they could understand their own ability to see that they did have some control over how they lived, which was very empowering,? he said. ?The goal of group therapy is to help manage their stressors. By changing depression into sadness and anxiety into fear, a person can begin to deal with their stress.?

Dr. Spiegel cited another study that found group therapy helped breast cancer survivors acknowledge their emotions: once they stopped trying to control their feelings, their stress levels dropped dramatically. Dealing with strong emotions allowed them make important decisions to make priorities and redefine their lives. This type of therapy also helped reduce depression and anxiety, and encouraged women to participate more actively in decisions related to their health.

?It?s healthy to feel anger or sadness,? said Dr. Spiegel. ?Women who check out by trying to constantly control their emotions are under more stress because they have difficulty figuring out what to do to reduce their distress.?

Self-hypnosis also has been shown to have a positive effect on managing symptoms because it can alter how pain is perceived and modulated. ?One study found that women in a support group using self-hypnosis reported half the pain levels as women not practicing self-hypnosis.

?Research has shown that women with advanced breast cancer involved in psychotherapy were less depressed and felt better about facing the possibility of death,? said Dr. Spiegel. ?It can help them deal with stress so that they feel better about life in general and also appears to improve survivorship. Stress management remains an important component of treating cancer. ?

About the Speaker
Dr. Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of Medicine and associate chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is internationally known for his research on the relationship between mental and physical health. He is also the medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford, which provides alternative and complementary services, such as meditation, acupuncture, and self-hypnosis, to help patients cope with cancer and other diseases. Dr. Spiegel has authored more than 475 research papers and chapters in scientific journals and 10 books on the mind-body connection. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

About the Series
The Ernest Rosenbaum Cancer Survivorship Lecture Series is named after the noted oncologist who established the cancer supportive care program at Stanford and the comprehensive cancer care program at UCSF?s Mount Zion Hospital. He wrote more than 25 books on cancer, most of them about living through treatments and life after cancer. The series is sponsored by the Stanford Supportive Care Program.

For More Information:
Stanford Health Library can do the searching for you. Send us your medical questions.

About Dr. Spiegel
http://stanfordhospital.org/profiles/frdActionServlet/David_Spiegel.profile?choiceId=printerprofile&&fid=3789&profileversion=full

Cancer Supportive Care
http://www.cancersupportivecare.com

Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine
http://www.stanfordhospital.com/clinicsmedServices/clinics/complementarymedicine

Source: http://www.shlnews.org/?p=697

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Vine, Hardcore Porn Should Not Be An Editor?s Pick Video

Video sharing app Vine came under fire this past weekend for having a bit of a porn problem. That it has adult content on the network shouldn't surprise anyone, and as long as it's something you have to look for, I think criticizing them for it is as sensible as criticizing Google. But today (right now, as of this writing) the top featured pick on my home feed, and on the feed of many users judging by Twitter, is a porn video. Labelled "Editor's Pick."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NKhcV0pq8Uo/

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Stop looking at your retirement accounts

Tinkering with your retirement accounts costs you money, Hamm writes, and looking at your retirement accounts makes it tempting to tinker.

By Trent Hamm,?Guest blogger / January 28, 2013

John Longo, 88, swims his daily mile training for the Masters national championship in Sun City, an active retirement community in Arizona. By switching around retirement accounts, you?re probably not gaining much at all, Hamm writes, and you?re likely losing compared to just sticking with a small portfolio of investments.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/File

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Vitaly writes in:

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

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My problem is that I can?t stop looking at my retirement accounts. Whenever I see an investment option that?s doing a little bit better than whatever I?m doing, I start to feel sick to my stomach and I panic and I have to switch my investments over. Then a week later I see something else that?s doing a little bit better.

There?s no tax implications for this because it?s all inside my retirement account. Still, I feel like I?m obsessing and not really gaining anything.

Your suspicion is right. With all of this switching around, you?re probably not gaining much at all and you?re likely losing compared to just sticking with a small portfolio of investments.

Here?s what I would suggest doing. Go back and see how much you earned in returns in 2012. Ideally, your investment house will help you with this kind of calculation. Then, compare that percentage return to what you would have earned just sitting in some of the investment options.?

Fix Your Credit History With These Tips - Finance

The results of a poor credit score are traumatic to deal with. This can be especially frustrating when your credit mistakes are far in your past. Rebuilding a good credit score is an uphill climb, but the trail does exist. Get ready to rebuild your credit with the following proven tips.

Any of your credit cards with balances that are above 50% of your overall limit need to be paid off as soon as possible, until the balance is less than 50%. When balances are over 50%, your credit rating goes down significantly, so try to either spread out your debt or, ideally, pay off your credit cards.

Credit Score

Opening too many lines of credit negatively affects your credit score. Avoid obtaining checkout credit cards that offer huge discounts. If you continue to increase your debt, your credit score will continue to drop.

Some sound advice to follow, is to be sure to take the time to contact your credit card company and work with them. If you do this you?ll find that your debt doesn?t increase and your credit is improved. Don?t be afraid to ask for alterations in interest rates or dates of payment.

Debt consolidation programs are one option that can help you get your credit in order, but that should only be used as a last resort. If you can, concentrate your debts into a single payment. Having all of your bills together in one payment makes it more likely that your payment will be on time, which in turn helps your credit rating go up.

An imperfect credit rating can make financing a home even more difficult than normal. If possible, apply for an FHA loan; these loans are backed by the United States government. FHA loans are a good option regardless of your down payment amount or funds available for closing costs.

Credit counseling can be a sound first step if you are seeking credit repair. They can show you a better way to manage and pay down your debt, making it much easier for you to live. You have to agree to dispose of all your credit cards, as well as to pay your creditors on a monthly basis.

Making your payments on time is key to improving your credit rating. If this is all you can afford, pay the minimum balance. Even if you only miss one payment, it will hurt your credit.

Keep the balances on your credit cards low if you want to repair your credit. You can still hurt your credit score by keeping the balance on your card only slightly less than your limit, even if you always pay on time.

Always examine your monthly credit card bill to make sure everything is accurate. if you find any, then you need to get in touch with the company right away so this does not become a blemish on your credit record.

The first step to credit restoration is making the minimum monthly payments on your credit cards. Anytime you have a late payment on any account, it will be reported to the credit agencies. Consistently meeting the minimum payment demonstrates that you take your obligations seriously.

Credit Score

If you credit score is good, you should have no problem purchasing a house and obtaining a mortgage. Paying mortgage notes on time will keep your credit scores high. Owning a home is a great thing to have to help with your credit score. The house secures your finances and adds to your assets. This will be beneficial when you apply for loans.

Building your credit back up is the number one way to fix a bad credit score. Prepaid credit cards offer a risk and worry free opportunity to slowly increase your credit score. Doing this shows lenders that you can be trusted with credit.

A first step in fixing your credit is to close all credit card accounts that are unnecessary. Aim to only have one account. Try to make a payment or transfer your balance to your open credit account. Paying off one main credit card will be easier than paying off several cheaper ones.

The first step to repairing your ailing credit is to create a manageable, feasible financial plan. If you want to change then you have to work hard and stick with it. Don?t buy anything unless you absolutely need it. If the thing you?re looking at is not both necessary and within your budget, then put it back on the shelf and walk away.

Credit Score

If you go with a repair company to improve your credit score, be sure it is legitimate. There are lots of disreputable credit score improvement agencies out there. Slimy operators are quite common, so beware of credit improvement scams. Read all the reviews that you can find and you should be able to make a decision about who you can trust.

If you come across a mistake on your credit report, don?t hesitate to dispute it. Draft a dispute letter that will go to each credit rating agency that shows an error, and prepare any supporting documents. Ask for a return receipt so that you can prove that the agency got your package.

If you are able to negotiate a repayment plan with your creditor, be sure to get it in writing. This is for your protection. It allows you to have valid documentation of the terms in the event that a creditor reneges on its offer or changes owners. When you pay it off, send a written copy of proof of payment to all three credit reporting agencies.

Apply these tips to fix your credit quickly. Consistency and dedication are the keys to credit restoration. Put in a steady effort and keep a tight hold on your financial responsibilities. It is possible to repair your credit, so get to work!

When you understand discover here, it is much easier to master. You never know when this knowledge about discover here will be useful in your life. Pay heed to the useful information here and apply it as appropriate to your own situation. Make use of the advice you?ve learned here to assist you in formulating a plan for tackling discover here.

Related Posts:

Source: http://www.thestocktradinginvestment.com/2013/01/26/fix-your-credit-history-with-these-tips/

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International Political Economy Zone: Antigua & Online Gaming ...

The United States likes to throw its weight around the international political economy; that much is obvious. Given the sheer girth of its residents, this is not something to be easily ignored. However, like all bullies, the United States can be put in its place if you stand up and fight for a principle. Don't relent: bloody them up, and they'll soon be crying home to the land of apple pie and Guantanamo Ghraib. The North Vietnamese famously sent the Yanks home for supporting the exceedingly corrupt South Vietnamese leadership. Why should it have taken 58,220 dead Americans to figure out that this was primarily a conflict for Vietnamese independence as opposed to another chip to fall in "domino theory"? A regrettable fact remains that an inordinate number of African-Americans died due to the white man's delusion--as Muhammad Ali said, "No Viet Cong ever called me nig**r." Thankfully, a majority of more pragmatic Americans are not ideologues; they are more interested in commerce. By 1995 despite all that history, the Yanks normalized relations with the folks who had justifiably run them out of where they did not belong since--surprise!--Vietnam was becoming economically dynamic due its policy of doi moi of opening up to the rest of the world.

This long-winded introduction brings me to another instance of global injustice being perpetuated by the Americans. The long-running case (DS 285) of the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda (Antigua) against the United States over online gambling services was well underway before I started blogging in 2007 [1, 2]. In broad strokes, the United States implemented restrictions that hindered offshore gambling services from plying their trade Stateside. In 2003, Antigua took the United States to the World Trade Organization dispute settlement mechanism (DSM) over these restrictions and won its case. However, instead of complying with the WTO ruling, the US appealed and lost in 2005. Worse still, in 2006 its lawmakers passed the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" (UIGEA) which prohibited offshore gambling services from the US altogether. Antigua once again sued the US at the WTO for non-compliance and won in 2007. However, in the almost six years since then, the United States has failed to meet its WTO commitments to allow online gambling.

What remedies can Antigua resort to? Since 2007, it has effectively had the right to inflict cross-retaliation on the United States over its non-compliance. That is, it obviously cannot retaliate in the same industry since the US does not offer gambling services to Antigua--least of all in an amount equivalent equal to the economic damages caused by the United States' non-compliance with international trade law. (The WTO authorized $21 million annually.) It is generally believed that the US arrived at side deals not made public to prevent Antigua from hitting the US where it hurts most: seeking redress by trespassing on America's beloved intellectual property. (Joe Falchetti has a good summary of the still-ongoing UIGEA saga.) Some things have changed in the US legal sphere, but UIGEA remains active in prohibiting offshore gambling firms alike those headquartered in the Antigua from operating Stateside.

However, I suppose you can only take so much US bullying: Reuters now reports that Antigua is going to notify the WTO that it will cross-retaliate by flouting US copyrights:

The tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda will tell the World Trade Organization on Monday that it intends to use trade sanctions against the United States, which it could enforce by allowing movie downloads without protecting U.S. copyright...Antigua won the right to hit back with trade sanctions and - with little hope of persuading Washington by threatening to block U.S. imports to the nation of 70,000 - it was given permission to use intellectual property instead.?

"American intellectual property rights holders are fighting piracy across the globe. They hate the theft of their intellectual property rights and they spend enormous sums trying to prevent it," Mark Mendel, a lawyer representing Antigua in the case, told Reuters. He declined to say exactly how Antigua might act, but said it could include copyrights, patents or trademarks.

The possibilities are endless for justifiably kicking the Yanks in the balls...of commerce; think for instance of a "WTO legal" torrent site. I relish the thought of...wait for it..."Antiguanoid":

A website that allowed users to download U.S. software or movies without paying anything to the copyright holders was one possibility, as was selling Manchester United T-shirts - the soccer club is owned by the American Glazer family. "If, when, how it's going to happen, people will just have to wait to find out." Although the WTO awarded Antigua the right to impose only $21 million in annual sanctions, Mendel said the size of the award was not an obstacle.

If Antigua were to begin a state-sponsored website to download Hollywood movies and U.S.-made computer software, it could still inflict a lot of damage on U.S. rights holders. "When you think about it, $21 million could be all accomplished in one go or in 50 million goes. The dollar figure is not important," he said. Asked if a site charging one cent per download would be a way to accomplish Antigua's aims, he said: "That is an intellectual possibility..."?

Could there even be a "domino theory" of more poor countries getting back at the big, bad US of A this way? Antigua's lawyer (American) Mark Mendel thinks so:

The United States should be worried about other WTO members following Antigua and using the same tactic to get their way in trade disputes, Mendel said. "If they aren't worried enough about Antigua they should be worried about someone else coming along. If we do something inventive that could pose a lot of problems for intellectual property holders, if we create that precedent, the consequences could be enormous," he said.

"With Antigua, it's $21 million. Maybe with China it's going to be $21 billion," said Mendel. "One of the messages we want to get across is that the WTO was sold to smaller countries as a level playing field and a way for them to expand the reach of commerce, subject to a set of rules that apply to everybody. I think more than anything else this case is about fairness. The WTO is supposed to be fair."

Whether in geopolitics or trade, Americans like to abuse their power and tell you it's fair. I think it's high time the rest of the world stood up to this bullying and roughed up Mickey Mouse and his buddies real good. Even while blatantly cheating at world trade through shenanigans like these, the US economy is on the ropes and it will not take much to do significant harm--which it fully deserves in this case anyway

Source: http://ipezone.blogspot.com/2013/01/antigua-online-gaming-fighting-us.html

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Real Estate Property Management ? The Fai Salj

Property Published January 27, 2013 at 5:08 pm

Working with a property management company can be a great resource for owners of residential, commercial, or industrial real estate. Property management works the same as management in any other field by monitoring what needs to be accounted, monitored, and cared for with any type of real estate. We will work to locate quality tenants who respect and care for the property and always pay promptly. We will act as a liaison between the owner and the tenant easing the responsibility of busy owners. Choosing a responsible property manager can make the real estate process a breeze. We have the skills and know-how to make your ownership experience simple and painless. Take comfort in the knowledge that we will always treat your property as if it were our own. Residential Property Management Company Alpine

Source: http://thefaisalj.com/real-estate-property-management/

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NY dad forgets baby in car for 8 hours on cold day

COLONIE, N.Y. (AP) ? Authorities say a New York man who left his 1-year-old son in his car for eight hours in frigid weather only realized his mistake after a call from his wife.

Police in the Albany suburb of Colonie say the man forgot to drop off his son at day care and left the child strapped in the back seat of the car when he parked outside his office Thursday morning.

Officials say the man received a call from his wife at about 4 p.m. inquiring about their child. He called for an ambulance and the boy was checked out at a hospital and released. Police say the baby didn't suffer any injuries despite temperatures that didn't top 15 degrees.

Police said Friday they haven't determined if the father would be charged.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-dad-forgets-baby-car-8-hours-cold-141614429.html

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Indonesia readies for $1 trillion trade talks

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? Indonesia may hold the key to a $1 trillion injection into the global economy.

That's how much the World Trade Organization believes is riding on talks later this year in Bali, when trade ministers hope to cut through some of the red tape that slows global commerce.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told The Associated Press that failure is not an option and that a strong effort is being put in to ensure that the WTO meeting in Bali is "crowned with success."

The current trade talks, known as the Doha Round, began in 2001, and after a decade of little progress for a range of reasons, many had pronounced the negotiations to reduce global trade barriers as dead.

There are hopes that the current fragile state of the world economy, including the debt crisis afflicting the 17 European Union countries that use the euro and unspectacular U.S. growth, may add impetus to the discussions.

"It's very critical now, especially with the difficulties in the global economy, especially in the eurozone," he said of efforts to reach a new global free trade pact. "Trade facilitation becomes a key driver for economic recovery, so this is now even ever more important to what it was before."

Trade ministers from 24 nations met Saturday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos in an unofficial gathering hosted by the Swiss government.

Afterward, Swiss Economic Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the group agreed they could reach a tentative agreement on some of the key elements of a global trade deal this summer, in preparation for the ministerial talks in December at Bali.

Schneider-Ammann said he sensed some "optimism" that efforts to streamline customs procedures and other rules to reduce the costs of trade "will be successful."

The ministers agreed to resist protectionism, focus on elements such as trade facilitation and agriculture, and to "take stock" around Easter of the progress being made, Schneider-Ammann said.

"Serious attempts to deliver results in Bali have already started," he added.

The Doha negotiations have been billed as a way of boosting economic development among the poorest countries, by reducing barriers on their exports to wealthier markets.

The WTO's director general, Pascal Lamy, has been telling the Davos gathering of political, business and academic elites that an international trade deal would provide a $1 trillion boost to the global economy. He estimates world trade is worth about $22 trillion.

Flanked by Schneider-Ammann, Lamy told reporters that he believes it is technically "do-able" to craft draft agreements on some of the key elements of a deal by next summer.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said he had to "temper" his enthusiasm for a deal since it has eluded the world for a decade.

Areas of dispute include tariffs on manufactured good, agricultural subsidies, market access and intellectual property rules. Brazil, China and India have resisted U.S. demands to lower taxes on imports of manufactured goods.

"But, at least of the 24 countries represented today, it felt like we had made more substantive progress," Kirk said in an AP interview. "The good news is we've spent a lot of work on a smaller, more realistic package centered around trade facilitation, which can be a huge benefit to developing economies. And it feels like that is starting to bear fruit."

Kirk, who leaves his job next month, said the ministers renewed their commitment "to double down, do what we need to do" to reach a deal in Bali. "I'm as hopeful as I've been in a long time."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-readies-1-trillion-trade-talks-173735474--finance.html

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S&P 500 closes above 1,500 for 1st time in 5 years

1 day

From wire services , NBC News

The S&P 500 index on Friday closed above the 1,500 level for the first time in more than five years as strong U.S. earnings reports from Procter & Gamble and others helped the benchmark extend its rally to eight days.?

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 70.50 points, or 0.51 percent, at 13,895.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 8.11 points, or 0.54 percent, at 1,502.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 19.33 points, or 0.62 percent, at 3,149.71.?

For the week, the Dow rose 1.8 percent, the S&P climbed 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq rose 0.5 percent. It was the fourth straight week of gains for all three indexes.?

Data showed sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell in December but rose in 2012 to the highest level since 2009, a sign the troubled U.S. housing market has turned a corner.?

"Economic data in the U.S. has been trending higher, albeit modestly. Things are incrementally better," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.?

"The market was able to move forward despite deterioration in Apple and that's also a positive."?

Apple shares dropped 1.2 percent to $444.99, and the iPhone maker was swapping places as the most valuable U.S. company with ExxonMobil Corp through the afternoon.?

Adding to the bullish tone, German business morale improved for a third consecutive month in January to its highest in more than six months. In addition, European banks said they will repay the European Central Bank much more than expected of the loans the bank gave them during the crisis.?

"Good news in credit markets helps set the stage for (more investment in) riskier assets," Krosby said.?

Procter & Gamble shares rose 3.6 percent to $72.99 after the world's top household products maker's quarterly profit soared past expectations. The company also raised its sales and earnings outlook for the fiscal year.?

The benchmark S&P 500 index is up more than 5 percent so far in January. The equity market's strong start this year has been attributed to solid corporate results, an agreement in Washington to extend the government's borrowing power, encouraging signs from the global economy and seasonal inflows into stocks.?

Helping to lift the Nasdaq Composite, Starbucks , rose 4.5 percent to $57.01 after the coffee retailer reported stronger-than-expected sales in the United States and Asia.?

Thomson Reuters data through Friday showed that of the 147 S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings, 68 percent exceeded expectations. Since 1994, 62 percent of companies have topped expectations, while the average over the past four quarters stands at 65 percent.?

Halliburton Co shares jumped 5 percent to $39.69 after the world's second-largest oilfield services company reported higher-than-expected earnings and sales for the fourth quarter.?

Reuters contributed to this report.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/sp-500-closes-above-1-500-1st-time-5-years-1C8119718

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Mistle thrushes 'missing' from UK

25 January 2013 Last updated at 00:01 By Ella Davies Reporter, BBC Nature

Mistle thrushes have disappeared from UK gardens at a "staggering" rate, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Results from the charity's annual survey suggest the birds are seen in fewer than half the number of gardens they were 10 years ago.

Population estimates published at the end of last year confirm there are now just 170,000 breeding pairs.

The warning comes on the eve of the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch.

Experts compare the decline to that of the closely related song thrush.

Both thrush species have become rarer sights in UK gardens, with populations falling by more than half since the 1970s, according to the ongoing Breeding Bird Survey carried out by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and partners.

But the continuing trend of decline among mistle thrushes is a key concern.

"If you look at the decline in the short term, from 1995 to 2010, we see that mistle thrushes have declined by 28%," said the RSPB's Graham Madge.

Over the same period, the song thrush, which has been recognised as a species of serious conservation concern, increased by 13%, according to figures from the The State of UK Birds report jointly published last November by the RSPB, BTO and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

"We've still got a lot to learn about why the [mistle thrush] is declining," said Mr Madge.

"It's reaching rates where as a community we should begin to develop some concerns because its population does seem to be haemorrhaging from our gardens, woodlands and countryside."

He described reports from the annual Big Garden Birdwatch as "startling".

"Over the last six or seven years of Big Garden Birdwatch, the participants have been telling us that mistle thrushes have been declining - even over that short period."

The survey, described as the largest citizen science project in the world, sees volunteers count the bird visitors to their garden for an hour over the last weekend in January.

Mr Madge describes the "snapshot" of UK bird populations provided by the survey as an "effective early warning system" to highlight future trends.

Mistle thrushes are named for their fondness for berries, particularly those of the mistletoe plant.

Continue reading the main story

How to spot a mistle thrush

• Listen out for their distinctive rattling call
• They are a cold, grey brown whereas song thrushes are a warm, earthy brown
• Spots are "scaly" and join up unlike the perfect round spots of the song thrush
• You can see white tips to the feathers of a mistle thrush flying away from you
• Song thrushes are blackbird sized; mistle thrushes are 10-15% bigger

The birds sing throughout the winter to defend territories that are rich in fruit, making their song the easiest way to recognise them.

"It's a species that very often people will mistake for a song thrush. They're both medium sized, brown and white birds with large spots," said Mr Madge.

"But mistle thrushes are great characters and they will very often give their presence away by their call."

The birds are early nesters and their mournful songs can be heard in February. They are also known as stormcocks due to country legends that the birds are the last to be heard before a storm.

"It's not particularly a bird that has come up on the radar of declining species. That's not out of lack of concern for the mistle thrush but it's an indication that so many other birds are also declining," said Mr Madge.

The RSPB's 2012 survey recorded the lowest number of starlings in UK gardens for 30 years. Conservationists suggested that a decline in traditional pastures and modern building design have restricted feeding and nesting areas for the birds.

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch survey runs from Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 January 2013. BBC Nature is streaming live webcams of UK garden bird action, helpful identification guides and expert analysis across the weekend.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21143664

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Liquid crystal's chaotic inner dynamics

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Scientists have unearthed a new dynamic process induced by strong electric fields in thin liquid crystal cells.

Liquid crystal displays are ubiquitous. Now, Polish physicists have demonstrated that the application of a very strong alternating electric field to thin liquid crystal cells leads to a new distinct dynamic effect in the response of the cells. The theory of spatio-temporal chaos explains this effect. It was elucidated by Wojciech Je?ewski and colleagues from the Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, in Pozna?, Poland, and is about to be published in EPJ E. This effect has implications for the operation of liquid-crystal devices because their operation is based on the electro-optic switching phenomenon, subject to the newly discovered effect.

The authors first applied an alternating electric field to semi-transparent, conducting plates of cells containing a liquid crystal substance. Such systems are characterised by a spontaneous electric polarisation that can be reversed by the application of an external electric field.

The Je?ewski team then registered the resulting molecular reorientations by recording changes in the intensity of light transmitted by the liquid crystal sample, or spectra. In particular, the authors experimentally identified a distinct high-frequency band in the response, reflecting the activation of a specific dynamic process inside the sample.

Theoretical studies of the complex molecular reorientation dynamics confirmed experimental observations. The team explained the response of the sample by numerically solving the equation describing the motion of molecules subjected to very strong alternating fields. Unlike previous approaches, these simulations did not make any assumption about the sample dynamics.

The effect they showed was associated with a chaotic molecular reorientation induced by a strong field of sufficiently high frequency. Furthermore, a unique experimental setup led to signals, due to strong excitations of liquid crystals at frequencies less than the frequency of the external electric field, being registered.

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Journal Reference:

1. W. Je?ewski, I. ?liwa, W. Kuczy?ski. Strongly nonlinear dynamics of ferroelectric liquid crystals. The European Physical Journal E, 2013; 36 (1) DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2013-13002-7

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/Nxk9J0IXCzw/130124092147.htm

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'Dallas' Tourism Bubbles Up At Southfork Ranch

PARKER, Texas (AP) ? The white two-story home with stately pillars overlooking a green Texas pasture where longhorns roam is instantly recognizable: This is the power seat of television's famous Ewing family.

Tourists from around the world have been flocking to Southfork Ranch since the early years of the classic series "Dallas," which ran from 1978 to 1991, and the ranch is only getting more popular. With the premiere last June of a new "Dallas" series, the number of visitors at Southfork has doubled from 150,000 annually to more than 300,000, according to Jim Gomes, general manager of the Southfork Ranch & Hotel and vice president of Forever Resorts, which owns the property.

"We are obviously thrilled the new fans love Southfork as much as the original fans of 'Dallas,'" said Gomes.

The new show starts its second season Monday on the TNT cable channel. The recent death of Larry Hagman, who starred as conniving Texas oilman J.R. Ewing in both the original series and the new show, has also spurred fans to visit.

The 340-acre (138-hectare) ranch is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of downtown Dallas in the suburb of Parker. Patrick Duffy, who has returned to the role of J.R.'s brother Bobby, said that the biggest changes since he first filmed on the ranch are new tourist-related buildings and event facilities for weddings and meetings, along with the buildup of the surrounding town, including housing additions and a high school.

But any time he's back at Southfork, it doesn't take long for the magic to take over. "You drive down that road and you look across this pasture and there's the front of Southfork and it looks like the opening credits of the show and I know why people love it so much," Duffy said.

Duffy remembers a time when fans watching them film consisted of small groups of 20 to 30 people. Those crowds grew to the hundreds as the "Who Shot J.R.?" mania built in 1980 when a cliffhanger left fans in suspense. The answer came on Nov. 21, 1980, when the shooter was revealed to be Kristin ? J.R.'s vengeful mistress, who was also his sister-in-law ? in an episode that was seen by more people than any TV program in history until that time.

When the series first began filming at Southfork, the family that built the house in 1970 still lived there. And while they hosted tourists as the show's popularity grew, it didn't become an official tourist attraction and event location until 1985 after they sold it. Forever Resorts bought Southfork in 1992.

Most of the shooting for the original series was done in Los Angeles, though some of it was filmed in Texas, but the new show is being filmed in the Dallas area ? with locations ranging from the flagship Neiman Marcus downtown to the gleaming Cowboys Stadium.

Cynthia Cidre, executive producer of the reboot, said she knew when she started developing the new series that Southfork would again be an integral part of the plot.

"The ranch had been in the previous show, it was almost a character in the story. I knew that I wanted to use that as something that the family was fighting over again," she said.

The struggle over ownership of the ranch became the central plot point in the first season of the new series, with J.R. telling his son, John Ross: "Southfork isn't just a piece of dirt. It's as much a part of me as my blood and my bones and I'd pay a hell of a price for it."

Visitors start their tour in a museum featuring everything from the gun that "shot" J.R. to scripts from the original series to the wedding dress of Lucy, the niece of J.R. and Bobby, who was played by Charlene Tilton. For those puzzled about the complicated relations of the Ewing family, there's a family tree to peruse.

As tour guides take visitors through the barns and pastures on their way to the house, they point out where scenes from both the old and new series were filmed ? from the cottage where Elena Ramos, played by Jordana Brewster, lives, to the spot from the original series where the funeral was held for Bobby, who was later famously revealed to still be alive. The story of his death turned out to be part of a prolonged dream sequence.

Around the house, the pool and patio have provided spots for countless shots. And while interior scenes for the home on the series were never shot inside the 5,900-square-foot (548-square-meter), four-bedroom house, visitors can still walk through and take in the rooms decorated in homage to the Ewings, with rooms reflecting the tastes of different characters.

Sally Peavy, tourism sales manager at Southfork, said scenes from reunion shows have been filmed in the house and that a scene in the second season of the new show was also filmed in one room, though details of the scene have not been revealed.

There's also a restaurant and two gift shops on the grounds. One sells items including hats and belts and has as its centerpiece family patriarch Jock Ewing's silver Lincoln Continental, which features "trunk sales."

Josh Henderson, who plays John Ross, was born in Dallas and spent much of his childhood here. Henderson said that when he got the part of J.R.'s son, his mother informed him that he'd already been to Southfork once, at age 3.

"I don't remember it but my mother definitely made sure I had that information," said Henderson.

Janice Johnstone of Vancouver visited Southfork in November while sightseeing in Dallas. An avid fan of the original series, she enjoyed hearing tidbits from the tour guides.

"I think just hearing the history of how people found out that that's where it was and they had all these people driving by constantly, I thought that was kind of interesting because those are things that you don't hear," she said. "I think it's definitely worthwhile going, anybody who has watched the show I think would really appreciate it."

When Larry White, who lives near Springfield, Mass., was in Dallas in November, a friend drove him by Southfork. Since he had a flight to catch, he didn't have time for the tour, but did make a quick stop in a gift shop and took a picture of the house complete with a longhorn.

"It's just clearly a piece of American history at this point," said White.

___

If You Go...

SOUTHFORK RANCH: 3700 Hogge Road, Parker, Texas, http://www.southfork.com , 972-442-7800. Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tours depart from the visitor center every 30 to 45 minutes. Adults, $13.50; $11.50 for senior citizens; $8.50 for children ages 6-12; children 5 and under free.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/southfork-ranch-draws-da_n_2543432.html

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