New Housing Market Starting to Bloom - Marshall Stearns Property ...

Feb 26, 2013, Posted by: Summer Bowen

Last month Las Vegas Valley?s new home market showed signs of starting to bloom with rising sales and construction plans.

Las Vegas-based Home Builders Research reported 513 new home sales in January which is up from just 217 a year earlier. ?This is also the highest January total since 2008. ?Local builders pulled 610 permits in January which is up from 222 a year ago.

The research firm President Dennis Smith reported that most sales are now ?at or above? the listing price, and about 94 percent of sales are cash transactions. If prices continue to rise, Smith wonders if Las Vegas will again see apartment-rental buildings transformed into for-sale condos.

Smith also wrote the following, ?These are indeed amazing changes?After 35 years tracking the housing market, we have learned never say never or always when it comes to housing.?

If you are interested in buying a new home, it would be a good idea to have a Marshall Stearns Real Estate Agent represent you.

Source: ?New Housing Market off to Strong Start? Vegasinc.com?

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Source: http://www.marshallstearns.com/las-vegas-real-estate/new-housing-market-starting-to-bloom/

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Ultra-stretchy battery to power bionic life

An experimental type of tiny lithium-based batteries promised to wirelessly charge wearable gadgets, implantable brain-wave monitors, or other bionic devices.

By Tia Ghose,?LiveScience / February 26, 2013

Our cyborg future may not be far off.

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An ultra-stretchy battery could one day be used to power bionic eyeballs, brain-wave monitoring devices and robotic skins, new research suggests.

The new device, which embeds tiny lithium-based batteries in a silicone sheet, can stretch up to three times its initial length and could be recharged wirelessly, Yonggang Huang, study co-author and a mechanical engineer at Northwestern University, wrote to LiveScience in an email.

The new battery is described today (Feb. 26) in the journal Nature Communications.

Powering devices

For decades, science-fiction writers have envisioned dystopian worlds in which humans and machines are seamlessly integrated with bionic implants. But powering the?cyborg?future requires a way to conform power sources to these futuristic devices. [9 Cyborg Enhancements Available Right Now]

Other researchers have developed stretchy and?paper-thin batteries?before, but most didn't deform much or have the ability to recharge wirelessly, Huang wrote.

Toward that end, Huang and his colleagues embedded tiny lithium-ion batteries in a framework of conducting wires arranged in a repeating S-shaped pattern that, like a fractal, looks similar at several scales. The whole arrangement is printed onto a stretchable silicone sheet. The wires themselves are brittle, but uncoil like a spring, allowing the whole device to be flexible without forcing the delicate lithium-ion batteries to break.

To demonstrate that the concept actually worked, the team powered a red light-emitting diode (LED) while stretching and twisting the battery.

The researchers envision the battery being used for?wearable gadgets, implantable brain-wave monitors, or other bionic devices.

While the new design is incredibly innovative, it wouldn't produce enough power to keep a laptop, or even a large light bulb, running, said Gao Liu, a chemist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who is developing stretchable batteries for transportation systems, but who was not involved in the study. That means it mainly would be useful for a few narrow applications, such as biological implants that don't require very much power, Liu said.

"It's for a niche market," Liu told LiveScience. "You really need to find a market where you don't really need much energy, but you need to deliver the energy on the spot, where you couldn't use a wire."

Follow LiveScience on Twitter?@livescience. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.?

Copyright 2013?LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/EzL9OFehwk8/Ultra-stretchy-battery-to-power-bionic-life

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Self help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patients

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Patients with severe depression show at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions, such as self help books and interactive websites, as less severely ill patients, according to new research by The University of Manchester.

Depression is a major cause of disability worldwide and effective management of this is a key challenge for health care systems.

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), confirmed evidence that 'low-intensity' interventions provide significant clinical benefit. Initial severity of depression is one of the key variables determining who gets 'low' or 'high' intensity treatment, but this is largely based on epidemiological studies and clinical experience rather than high quality evidence.

Researchers from an international collaboration carrid out a meta-analysis of several studies involving 2470 patients with depression, all treated in a non-hospital setting. All studies were from the year 2000 or later with a sample size of more than 50 patients. The mean age in all studies was 35-45, and studies included patients with lower levels of depressive symptoms, as well as those with quite severe depression.

'Low-intensity' treatment was defined as interventions designed to help patients manage depressive symptoms such as self-help books or interactive websites, often with limited guidance and support from a health professional. Self-help groups were excluded.

The researchers found that patients with more severe depression at baseline derive "at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions as less severely ill patients." They recommend including 'low-intensity' interventions in the first step of treating severely ill patients and encouraging the majority of patients to use them as the initial treatment option.

Professor Peter Bower, from The University of Manchester who led the research, said: "To better manage depression in the community, many services seek to provide simple forms of psychological therapy (so called 'low intensity' interventions) to depressed patients. We assessed whether more severely ill patients demonstrated better or worse treatment effects from 'low-intensity' treatments. We found no clinically meaningful differences in treatment effects between more and less severely ill patients receiving 'low-intensity' interventions. Patients with more severe depression can be offered 'low-intensity' treatments as part of a stepped care model."

The researchers also say that an important research question for the future is whether low-intensity treatments are cost-effective and if "initial experience with low intensity interventions could act as a barrier to further treatment."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Manchester.

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. Peter Bower et al. Influence of initial severity of depression on effectiveness of low intensity interventions: meta-analysis of individual patient data. BMJ, 2013; 346 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.f540

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/top_news/~3/EpZw92v9ku4/130226194010.htm

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Aereo branches out to the 19 million people in greater New York and PA

Aereo's fledgling broadcast streaming service is getting a huge boost today with the news that it's now available to the 19 or so million residents in the New York "designated market area." In short, that means that it can now be used in New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania as well as within the five boroughs. Aereo's still intending to reach a further 22 cities later this year, and you'll soon be able to see adverts for the service popping up all over NYC -- so if your luddite colleagues suddenly start talking about "this Aereo TV thingy," you know why.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/aereo-expands-to-nyc-region/

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13.02.24 08:00 Spaghetti Dinner Boy Scount Troop 151 - Sunday February 24, 2013 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am @ Asbury Church

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Source: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popup.php?op=view&id=57521374&crd=wmdt

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Reforming US research ethics: System that works for all stakeholders

Monday, February 25, 2013

At a time when the U.S. government is contemplating changes to federal guidelines governing research with humans, serious questions are being raised about the role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in overseeing such research. Particularly, vocal critics have cited lost time, money and even lives under a system that they claim consumes scarce resources and stifles academic freedom. In response, defenders of the IRB system point to the need to protect research participants from abuse.

Carnegie Mellon University's Alex John London, an internationally renowned expert in research ethics, calls for a system that works for all stakeholders. In a paper published in the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, London argues that both sides of this debate are in danger of undermining aspects of the current system that are critical to its success.

"I present a non-paternalistic justification for the practice of submitting research protocols to prospective review by arguing that, contrary to critics, it plays a central role in ensuring that the institutions of scientific advance in the U.S. are justifiable on basic liberal, political grounds," writes London, professor of philosophy in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and director of the university's Center for Ethics and Policy. "In particular, it helps to provide a 'credible social assurance' to the American people that social institutions, funded by their tax dollars and empowered to advance their health and well-being, work to: respect and affirm the moral equality of all community members; prevent the arbitrary exercise of social authority; and help create a 'market' in which the diverse stakeholders, often working to advance diverse ends, collaborate in a way that advances the common good."

Currently, for every study, researchers are required to write and submit a protocol to an IRB for approval before they can recruit participants. If the IRB does not approve the study, the researchers are unable to proceed, which is seen by critics as stifling research. The most common justification for the system is that it is necessary to protect participants and prevent abuses such as what happened with the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. The infamous study that lasted from 1932-1972 followed the progression of syphilis in rural African-Americans who thought they were receiving free health care from the government. It was controversial because researchers failed to treat participants with penicillin after it was discovered to be an effective cure for the disease. The fallout led to the establishment of the Office for Human Research Protection, which manages IRBs.

"Both sides think that the basic justification for the current system is paternalism: protecting people who can't protect themselves," said London, who is a member of the Working Group on the Revision of the CIOMS 2002 International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects. "My work shows that oversight is needed for reasons that are not paternalistic. It is needed because it creates a system in which the incentives of the diverse players are aligned in socially and individually beneficial ways. By showing how research oversight helps to do this, I'm trying to highlight features of the current system that need to be preserved so that we don't throw out the baby with the bathwater."

In the paper, London argues that IRBs and regulations have been crucial to creating a functional "market," or a system in which different parties ? funding agencies, researchers, participants and corporations ? interact and try to advance their individual interests while still producing something of social value. He encourages regulators to preserve the features of the current system that have worked in order to create a research system that respects the rights and interests of all stakeholders.

"Reforming research oversight, reducing unnecessary delay and busywork, are critical to the preservation of a viable research environment," London wrote. "But preserving and enhancing the capacity of research to generate socially valuable information and better meet the diverse health needs of our diverse population may also require rethinking the foundations of research ethics."

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Carnegie Mellon University: http://www.cmu.edu

Thanks to Carnegie Mellon University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126987/Reforming_US_research_ethics__System_that_works_for_all_stakeholders

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UK cardinal quits amid priests' allegations

The leader of the Scottish Catholic Church, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, has resigned amid allegations of inappropriate behavior, involving four priests in the 1980s. The Cardinal used his resignation to apologize to those he'd offended. ?ITV's Lewis Vaughan Jones report.

By John Newland, Staff Writer, NBC News

LONDON ? Britain?s most senior Roman Catholic cleric has resigned amid allegations of inappropriate behavior made by priests.

The Vatican said Monday that Pope Benedict XVI had formally accepted the resignation of Cardinal Keith O?Brien, archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh. The Observer newspaper reported Sunday that the Vatican had been notified of allegations of inappropriate behavior stretching back 30 years.

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Three priests in Scotland, as well as a former priest, have lodged complaints to the Vatican's ambassador to Britain and demanded O'Brien's immediate resignation, according to the newspaper.

The 74-year-old cardinal has contested the claims and said he is taking legal advice.

O?Brien had been prepared to resign, citing his age as the cause. He turns 75 on March 17, and the Vatican said the pope had in November accepted a resignation letter under the condition of ?nunc pro tunc,? meaning ?now for later.?

The Vatican said Monday, however, that the pontiff had now accepted the resignation ?definitively.?

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images, file

The Vatican confirmed Monday that it had accepted the resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien, 74.

It means O'Brien will not take part in the conclave to elect the pope's successor - a process that could begin earlier than March 15 after the rules governing the process were changed in a move announced Monday.

O?Brien said in a statement that it was the pope himself who had decided his resignation would take effect immediately.

?Approaching the age of 75 and at times in indifferent health, I tendered my resignation ? some months ago,? he said. ?The Holy Father has now decided that my resignation will take effect today.?

O'Brien would have been Britain's only elector in the papal conclave that will gather to decide on a successor to Benedict XVI.

"I will not join them for this conclave in person," O'Brien said. "I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me -- but rather on Pope Benedict XVI and on his successor."

A hint of O?Brien?s accelerated resignation was found Sunday in Edinburgh, when the cardinal did not appear as scheduled to lead a Mass at St. Mary?s Cathedral. Instead, Bishop Stephen Robson made a statement on O?Brien?s behalf.

?A number of allegations of inappropriate behavior have been made against the cardinal,? the statement said. ?The cardinal has sought legal advice, and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course.?

Robson is an auxiliary prelate in the Edinburgh diocese.

O'Brien's statement went on to say: "I have valued the opportunity of serving the people of Scotland and overseas in various ways since becoming a priest. Looking back over my years of ministry: For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologize to all whom I have offended."

Controversy
O?Brien had gained a reputation as a hard-line conservative and opponent of gay rights.

In 2009, O?Brien urged the Scottish National Party to abandon plans to give gay couples the same foster-parenting rights as straight ones, calling the idea ?misguided? and saying that gays were known for unstable relationships.

Scandals are still on the minds of Catholics as Benedict's time as pope grows short. NBC's Ann Thompson reports.

Last year, he wrote an editorial in the Daily Telegraph in which he urged people to stand up against a proposal to allow gay marriage, which he said was ?madness.? He referred then to same-sex marriage as a ?grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right.?

O?Brien?s stance and other comments led the gay rights group Stonewall UK last year to nominate him for its ?Bigot of the Year? award.

?Ten-thousand people overwhelmingly, decisively voted that he should be given that award,? said Colin MacFarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland. ?We don?t call people a bigot because they disagree with us. We reserve that for people who use the kind of language the cardinal has used. He has gone out of his way. It has not been fair discourse. His language has been cruel, hurtful and pernicious.?

The group's response to news of O'Brien's resignation was unsurprising.

?We trust there will now be a full investigation into the serious allegations made against Cardinal O?Brien,? MacFarlane said. ?We hope his successor will show a little more Christian charity towards openly gay people than the cardinal did himself.?

Two weeks ago, the pope?s brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, said scandals had troubled Benedict XVI and may have contributed to his decision to retire.

He specifically mentioned that Benedict had been bothered by the "Vatileaks" scandal in which a butler leaked secret documents, as well as the "the relationship to the Pius Brotherhood."

That organization, formally known as the Society of St. Pius X, fell into a harsh public spotlight in December when its leader, Bishop Bernard Fellay, said Jews were "the enemies of the church." His comment drew criticism from all corners of the church and from the public in general.

Georg Ratzinger said he thought his brother had handled those problems well but that they had taken their toll.

Related:?

LA's Cardinal Mahony says he is a 'scapegoat'

Inside the Vatican: The $8 billion global institution where nuns answer the phones

Vatican history of 'cover-ups and disarray' will challenge new pope

This story was originally published on Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:55 AM EST

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17086012-britains-top-catholic-cleric-resigns-amid-allegations-of-inappropriate-behavior?lite

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 3 Trailer Reveals A Dragon, Mance Rayder And The Unsullied (VIDEO)

Winter is coming and finally, so is "Game of Thrones" Season 3, which premieres March 31 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

As the hour grows near, the first full-length trailer for the new season has been released, and whether you're a longtime fan of George R. R. Martin's epic saga or simply a loyal viewer of the cable network's adaptation, there's plenty to whet your appetite for the show's impending return.

All of your (surviving) Season 2 favorites put in an appearance, from Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) -- now sporting a scar from the Battle of the Blackwater -- to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) as she and her dragons try to stay alive across the Narrow Sea. Eagle-eyed viewers and fans of "A Storm of Swords" might also spot newcomers such as Mance Rayder (Ciar?n Hinds) and Brynden ?The Blackfish? Tully (Clive Russell), and a very important moment for Jon Snow (Kit Harington).

"Game of Thrones" Season 3 premieres March 31 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO.

What are you most looking forward to when "GoT" returns?

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Clive Russell as Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Thomas Brodie Sangster as Jojen Reed

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Kit Harington as Jon Snow

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Rose Leslie as Ygritte

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Dianna Rigg as Olenna Tyrell

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Richard Madden as Robb Stark, Oona Chaplin as Talisa Maegyr

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Carice van Houten as Melisandre

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

• 'Game Of Thrones' Season 3

  Paul Kaye as Thoros

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/23/game-of-thrones-season-3-trailer-video_n_2747020.html

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Ara?t?rma : Windows Azure testlere g?re en iyi performans veren bulut depolama hizmeti

Son d?nemlerde ?nemi giderek artan ve bireysel kullan?c?lar?n yan?nda kurumsal kullan?c?lar i?in de ?nemli ??z?mler sunan bulut altyap?s? hizmetlerinde teknoloji devleri aras?nda rekabet ya?an?yor. Bulut altyap?lar?nda okuma, yazma, silme h?zlar?, tepki s?releri, eri?ilebilir olma oranlar? gibi performans? etkileyen pek ?ok fakt?r bulunuyor. Ba??ms?z test merkezlerinden Nasuni, sekt?r?n en ?nemli 5 bulut depolama hizmetini masaya yat?rd?.

Teste al?nan hizmetler Windows Azure, Amazon S3, Google Cloud, HP Cloud ve Rackspace Cloud ?eklinde s?ralan?yor. Hizmetler farkl? testlerde en iyi performans? sergilese de Windows Azure 23 testin 14'?n? ba?ar? ile tamamlayarak genel anlamda lider oldu. Ge?en y?l ayn? testte Amazon S3 liderli?i g???slemi?ti.

Baz? ?nemli testlere bak?ld???nda t?m dosya boyutlar? i?in yazma h?zlar?nda Windows Azure y?zde 100 performans sergilerken, Amazon S3 y?zde 64, HP Cloud y?zde 62, Rackspace y?zde 34, Google Cloud y?zde 22 performans sergiliyor. T?m dosya boyutlar? i?in okuma h?zlar?nda ise Windows Azure yine y?zde 100 performans sergilerken, HP Cloud y?zde 72, Amazon S3 y?zde 58, Rackspace y?zde 53, Google Cloud y?zde 48 performans oran?nda bulunuyor.

Dosya silme h?zlar?nda ise Windows Azure yine y?zde 100 performans sergiliyor. Amazon S3 y?zde 46, HP Cloud y?zde 42, Google Cloud y?zde 12, Rackspace y?zde 7 olarak performans g?steriyor.

Sunucular?n eri?im tepki s?relerine bak?ld???nda Windows Azure 0.48 saniye ile liderken, Amazon S3 0.64 saniye, Rackspace 0.97 saniye ile onu takip ediyor. HP 1.49 saniye, Google Cloud ise 1.87 saniye ile olduk?a ge? tepki s?relerine sahip.

Hem kendi altyap?s? i?in hem de kiralama yoluyla firmalara depolama alan? sa?layan Amazon'un S3 servisi 1.5 trilyon nesne bar?nd?r?yor ve ge?en y?l d?nyan?n en h?zl? 42. s?per bilgisayar?na sahipti. Ancak bulut altyap?s?na ?nemli yat?r?mlar yapan Microsoft'un bunun meyvelerini toplamaya ba?lad??? g?r?l?yor.?

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Source: http://www.donanimhaber.com/Arastirma__Windows_Azure_testlere_gore_en_iyi_performans_veren_bulut_depolama_hizmeti-40229.htm

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Need to revive university cricket, says Rahul Dravid

Dravid said he couldn't have finished a two-mile run like Shah Rukh Khan but was happy that the Bollywood actor was promoting sports not only at the elite level with the Indian Premier League but also at the grass root level.

Indian cricket great Rahul Dravid on Saturday said it was important to revive university cricket and thought using the T20 format was the best way to go about it.

"It is important that university cricket becomes popular and boys play. We have seen in the last 20 years, university cricket has died a bit. It has become dead. So to revive it, if T20 is needed then there is no problem," Dravid said.

"It is a good thing that boys would get an opportunity to play and cricket will revive. Then taking it forward, three-day four-day cricket can come also come. But you need to revive university cricket first," he said at the Toyota University Cricket Championship event.

The inter-university tournament played in the T20 format, is an extension of the existing Rohinton Baria Trophy and will feature eight teams.

"I think university cricket and especially Rohinton Baria at one time was one of the most high profile elite tournament in? this country. A lot of cricketers came and played for India from their performances in university cricket. That over the years has died down.

"With initiatives like this and competition like this there is a great opportunity to revive cricket in the universities and give people a chance to play in universities.

"For me it is special because it allows children -- the young boys and girls -- the opportunity to study as well to play sport. I think that is very important in today's day and age," the former Indian skipper said.

Asked if people prefer the shorter format, Dravid said, "Obviously T20 cricket is easy to come and watch in the evenings. You don't have to spend the whole day so that makes a big difference. I think people still follow Test cricket and support it in their own way. They might not be able to come to the ground," he said.

Dravid said he couldn't have finished a two-mile run like Shah Rukh Khan but was happy that the Bollywood actor was promoting sports not only at the elite level with the Indian Premier League but also at the grass root level.

Story first published on: Saturday, 23 February 2013 09:02 IST

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ndtv/qJNd/~3/dbPpbyTQ2sk/204059-need-to-revive-university-cricket-says-rahul-dravid

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?An iPhone Saved My Life?: Soldier Recounts Unbelievable ?Good Luck? In Afghanistan

Last May, 22-year-old Joel Stubleski from Alaska found himself in a fire-fight in Eastern Afghanistan. If he hadn?t been carrying his iPhone in his pocket, he probably would not be alive today.

Stubleski was shot in the upper thigh, was bleeding heavily, and thought he was going to die. It wasn?t until he was airlifted by helicopters out of the area and medic cut off his pants that they discovered his iPhone still in his pocket ? with a bullet hole through it. ?The medics came up to me and they were like, ?this is the coolest thing I?ve ever seen,?? he recalled recently to KTVA in Anchorage.

Doctors later told Stubleski that the iPhone likely changed the trajectory of the bullet, preventing it from going deeper into his leg and hitting his femoral artery, which could have killed him.

The young soldier is still recovering from his injuries months later and as a memento uses a photo of his old phone as the cover for his new one. ?Some people are saying it?s bad luck,? he said. ?But it helped me out, so I think it?s good luck.?

Watch video below, via KTVA:

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>> Follow Matt Wilstein (@TheMattWilstein) on Twitter

Source: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/an-iphone-saved-my-life-soldier-recounts-unbelievable-good-luck-in-afghanistan/

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Metro Denver Crime Blotter: Rock-paper-iPhone

Click on a pin to read the report; view YourHub Crime Blotter Map in a larger map

AURORA, Feb. 10: Rock-paper-iPhone
Officers were dispatched at 7:13 a.m. Feb. 10 to a parking lot on the 10900 block of East 16th Avenue on a disturbance call. According to a report, a 20-year-old man was upset because his roommate took his iPhone. The man, who was intoxicated, went outside and hit his roommate?s car with a rock several times. The two briefly fought, but neither wanted to pursue charges.

AURORA, Feb. 18: House fire the least of their concerns
A 45-year-old Aurora man was arrested Feb. 18 on suspicion of possession of an explosive device. Fire crews were dispatched at about 10:30 p.m. to the 1400 block of South Bahama Street on a report of a house fire. Once the fire was extinguished, several items were found inside the home, including illegal fireworks, apparent homemade explosive devices and other bomb-making materials. Pipe bombs also were discovered in a shed. A bomb squad removed the items.

AURORA, Jan. 25: Adding fuel to the fight
Officers were dispatched at 1:55 a.m. Jan. 25 to Shell, 2199 S. Havana St., on a report of a large fight. According to a report, several people were fighting at a nearby bar, which then spilled over to the gas station. One of the suspects involved ran into the station to wash pepper spray off his face, but was followed inside where two to three suspects threw him to the ground and stomped on him. In all, police arrested six suspects, most of whom were cited for assault and battery.

DENVER, Feb. 7: Carjacker thwarted by screaming woman
A woman was able to stop a carjacker by screaming at him Feb. 7 on the 2300 block of Federal Boulevard. The victim told Denver police that she started her car and got out to scrape off ice. She said a man approached, pulled a gun and demanded the car. Once the man entered the vehicle, the woman began screaming, causing him to exit the car and run away.

DENVER, Feb. 9: Man gives a smoke, gets a choke
A man was robbed by a suspect who asked for a cigarette Feb. 9 near the intersection of 35th Avenue and St. Paul Street. The victim said he was walking when he was approached by a man, who asked him for a cigarette. While the victim was getting the cigarette, the man struck him and another man began choking him. They emptied his pockets and fled on foot.

DENVER, Jan. 23: Sneaky sneaker thief
A burglar made off with 10 pairs of unworn Air Jordan tennis shoes from an apartment on the 600 block of South Forest Street in Glendale on Jan. 23. The shoes, valued at about $1,750, were stacked in a hall closet. A neighbor, who acted ?nervous and jumpy,? was questioned, but no evidence was found to link him to the crime.

DENVER, Feb. 9: A little short
Three patrons left Denny?s, 900 W. Alameda Ave., on Feb. 9, but left only $3 toward their bill that was more than $40. The waitress told Denver police about the items they had ordered and gave a description of their vehicle.

GOLDEN, Feb. 3: Throw the book at ?em
On Feb. 3, Golden police went to the 900 block of Eighth Street where officers contacted a man who was reportedly yelling at residents. He was delivering phone books and, after dropping one off, the resident took the phone book and threw it in the passenger window of the delivery van, hitting the passenger.

LAKEWOOD, Feb. 6: There?s no Crate & Barrel at Colorado Mills
On Feb. 6, police were contacted by mall security at Colorado Mills, 14500 W. Colfax Ave., for a possible shoplifter. A man was walking into stores with a Crate & Barrel bag and one employee saw a shirt from Eddie Bauer inside the bag. While being watched by police, the man returned to Eddie Bauer and went into a fitting room. When he left, employees found numerous items from other stores in the room. The man was cited for shoplifting.

ARVADA, Feb. 5: iPad under the bed
Police received a report of theft Feb. 5 on the 6600 block of Vivian Street. A woman told police her Apple iPad had been stolen but a friend had traced it to a residence on the 6100 block of Routt Street. Officers contacted the homeowners on Routt, both of whom owned iPads. The tracking device on the stolen tablet, however, led officers upstairs to the homeowners? son?s room, who claimed to have found the iPad under his bed. The son was jailed on an unrelated warrant.

ARVADA, Jan. 31: Laundromat cleaned out
Police received a report of a burglary Jan. 31 on the 5300 block of Everett Street. Ten washers and dryers had been broken into and $1,000 in change was stolen. The damage to the machines was estimated at $700. The laundry room was open and accessible to anyone. No suspects were identified.

ENGLEWOOD, Feb. 16: Where there?s smoke, there?s fire
On Feb. 16, an Englewood police officer on patrol near the 3600 block of South Bannock Street noticed smoke billowing out of a small garage area. There was a small fire burning to keep four people warm. Another man sleeping upstairs was checked out by the fire department. The officer found small amounts of methamphetamines and heroin, and found the same drugs and drug paraphernalia on three of the men.

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Feb. 11: ?For sale? sign victim of shotgun blast
On Feb. 11, a Douglas County Sheriff?s deputy was dispatched to the 9900 block of Deer Creek Street, where a woman found the real estate sign in her front yard had been shot at. She also noticed a piece of plastic next to the post, which the deputy saw was wadding from a shotgun shell. Someone had placed the shotgun muzzle close to or on the post, the powder residue showed. The sign owner had no one mad at them.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Feb. 6: Woman reports ?flying spider?
On Feb. 6, Jefferson County Sheriff?s deputies went to the 9500 block of Bear Claw Drive, unincorporated Jefferson County near Ken-Caryl, where a woman said she noticed something flying around outside her window that she described as a ?flying spider? or ?an unmanned drone? of sorts. She ran outside and saw two men standing next to a tripod. She confronted one of the men who told her to calm down. She told the deputy she feared the men were taking photos of her home.

To see all Denver metro area crime blotter reports from the Feb. 21 YourHub editions, along with an interactive map, click here.

Source: http://blogs.denverpost.com/crime/2013/02/22/metro-denver-crime-blotter-rock-paper-iphone/4800/

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Nevada governor approves online gambling, touts economic benefit

(Reuters) - Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has signed legislation legalizing online gambling, after quick approval of the bill by state lawmakers, in a move that comes as New Jersey weighs a similar measure.

"This bill is critical to our state's economy, and ensures that we will continue to be the gold standard for gaming regulation," Sandoval said in a statement after signing the bill on Thursday.

The bill removes the provision requiring federal legislation or Department of Justice approval before online gaming licenses are made active, the statement said.

It comes as New Jersey - another major gambling hub - considers a similar move to legalize online gambling. Governor Chris Christie rejected a measure earlier this month that would have allowed Internet gambling, but has said he would consider approving such a law if it was framed properly.

The law requires the Nevada Gaming Commission to adopt regulations authorizing the governor to enter into agreements with other states to conduct interactive gambling.

The signing came after a joint Judiciary committee hearing on Thursday morning and approval by the legislature in the afternoon, the statement said.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nevada-governor-approves-online-gambling-touts-economic-benefit-162912613--finance.html

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FORTRUST to Sponsor Special Event on Cyber Security at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Today

Denver, CO, February 21, 2013 --( PR.com )-- FORTRUST, the Rocky Mountain Region?s premium data center and colocation services provider, announced that they will be sponsoring the Future of Technology event on Cyber Security...

Denver, CO, February 21, 2013 --(PR.com)-- FORTRUST, the Rocky Mountain Region?s premium data center and colocation services provider, announced that they will be sponsoring the Future of Technology event on Cyber Security at Sports Authority Field at Mile High today. The event is being put on by the Communications Technology Professionals (CTP) organization. The CTP is a non-profit, communications technology organization that focuses on promoting growth, innovation and leadership of communications and technology companies and individuals in Colorado. The CTP professional association provides forums wherein companies and individuals may collaborate through networking and other events.

The Future of Technology event will address current issues surrounding cyber security including emerging threats, innovations and policies. The event will be in a panel format and is intended to focus on educating the audience on cyber security, the government?s role in protection and best practices for companies to remain safe in this technologically driven era. Panel discussions will include insights from Mike Marcotte, CIO of Echostar, Scott Hicar, CIO of Digital Globe, Steve Foster, COO of GTRI, Chris Roberts, Founder and Ethical Hacker of One World Labs, Monisha Merchant, Policy Influencer and Senior Advisor of Business Affairs for U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet?s office and Michael Locatis, former Assistant Secretary of Cyber Security and Communications.

FORTRUST is a leading provider of data center and colocation services for companies with mission critical IT environments. The FORTRUST team will be there in support of the CTP in addition to understanding current cyber security initiatives that are important to their customers.

Sponsoring the event was important to FORTRUST?s Vice President, Rob McClary for that reason. ?The security of our customers? data is of the utmost concern for FORTRUST. We are in the business of protecting our customer?s IT environments through various risk mitigating factors and cyber security is a topic of concern for all of our customers. We are proud to be a part of the Future of Technology event in order to better serve our customers? needs as we stay abreast on potential threats and how FORTRUST can assist in further mitigating risk for our customers critical IT environments.?

About FORTRUST
FORTRUST is a premium high-availability data center services provider, progressively designed and precisely managed to preserve business continuity for its customers. FORTRUST?s premier offerings include adaptable colocation space for any-size enterprise supported by optimal power infrastructure, connectivity and physical security to safeguard mission-critical business services. Leading companies choose FORTRUST to gain a trusted partner who will preserve and protect their IT infrastructure as well as serve as an essential extension of their operations. Established in 2000, FORTRUST is privately held and based in Denver. More information is available by visiting www.FortrustDataCenter.com.

Kara Miller
Director of Marketing
FORTRUST
303.607.6045 office
kmiller@fortrustllc.com

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Source: http://news.brothersoft.com/fortrust-to-sponsor-special-event-on-cyber-security-at-sports-authority-field-at-mile-high-today-64530.html

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Expos? of Chinese Data Thieves Reveals Sloppy Tactics

Electronic war: China?s People?s Liberation Army is accused of having a unit dedicated to stealing secrets from U.S. companies and even breaching a company whose software controls energy infrastructure.

A beige office block in Shanghai?s suburbs belonging to the Chinese army became world famous on Tuesday after Mandiant, a Washington-based computer security company, released a 60-page report alleging that it houses a group routinely stealing information from U.S. companies. While there?s no direct proof that the Chinese army sponsors the campaign, one thing the report makes clear is that the people carrying it out weren?t the slickest of operators.

The group often didn?t bother to hide where a network was being infiltrated from. Mandiant?s investigators caught attackers logging into Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail accounts using the computers they had attacked, and then stole the hackers? passwords.

Mandiant?s report comes a week after President Obama announced a new effort to defend the U.S. against computer attacks that he said were being used to steal corporate secrets and even lay the groundwork for sabotage of energy infrastructure (see ?Obama Announces Plan to Shore Up Cyber Defenses?). Mandiant reports that the group it tracked, dubbed APT1, has stolen hundreds of terabytes of sensitive commercial data from at least 141 companies since 2006, and also breached Telvent, a Canadian company whose software is used to remotely manage energy infrastructure. Mandiant alleges that APT1 is part of Unit 61398 of the Chinese army, and is engaged in a campaign to perform industrial espionage to aid Chinese companies and gather intelligence that could be used for computer-based attacks against U.S. energy infrastructure. Most victims were in the U.S. but companies in Canada, the U.K., South Africa, and Israel were also targeted.

Mandiant, which helps companies respond to targeted attacks on and infiltration of their computer networks, bases its claims on information from many cases involving the APT1 group over the past six years. In many cases, Mandiant employees covertly watched APT1 operatives at work inside victims? computers.

Many tactics discovered that way seem poor choices for a group whose work depends on avoiding detection. Operatives were seen to routinely log into Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail accounts using their victims? computers.

Those accounts were primarily used to send out spoof e-mails used to trick people into installing malicious software used to breach new systems. Watching that?and stealing the passwords?provided valuable evidence that linked together attacks made on different companies. It even allowed Mandiant to infer the existence of several distinct online personas, assumed to represent particular members of APT1.

Mandiant explains this risky tactic as being used to sidestep the restrictions of China?s Internet censorship system, which blocks access to Facebook and many other western sites. (The company hasn?t explained why computer security experts working for the army on covert missions wouldn?t be provided with alternative ways around China?s ?great firewall.? Many tourists and business visitors to China use commercial VPN services to avoid Chinese Internet censorship.)

Mandiant also found evidence that a member of the APT1 team was using an online identity?UglyGorilla?that he or she had used for years online. Google searches revealed that the handle had been used in 2004 on a Chinese army online Q&A session, asking ?Does China have cyber troops??

That the APT1 group often made little apparent effort to hide its physical location provides the main underpinning of Mandiant?s claim that the group was, in fact, part of Unit 61398, and inside that newly famous office block. The company says that many clues point toward the Pudong New Area, a suburb of Shanghai where, Mandiant says, the Chinese army building is the only significant facility with high-grade communications infrastructure.

The attackers in many instances made no attempt to hide the IP address?a number unique to every Internet-connected computer?being used to access systems compromised by the group, Mandiant claims. The IP addresses collected as a result were mostly associated with the Pudong New Area. Web domain names used by the group were also found to be registered to addresses and phone numbers in the same area.

Both types of clue could have been hidden or obfuscated relatively easily. Domain registration data is not checked for accuracy when registering a domain, and techniques exist for clouding the true originating IP of Internet data.

Many techniques could have made the group?s operations more covert, says Dmitri Alperovitch, a cofounder and chief technology officer of security startup company Crowdstrike, which is working on new ways to detect and deceive attackers like those used by the APT1 group. Alperovitch helped lead the investigation into the Aurora attacks that originated in China and breached U.S. companies including Google (see ?Google Reveals Chinese Espionage Efforts?). However, sloppy operation security doesn?t rule out Unit 61398, he says. ?That is very common with Chinese actors, including those tied to the PLA [People?s Liberation Army],? he says, ?probably because they don?t much care if they get caught.? Alperovitch says that his company has identified other units in the Chinese army carrying out attacks similar to those by APT1.

Chinese officials have denied their country has any link to the operations described by Mandiant, without offering specific counters to the points raised by the company. Jeffrey Carr, founder of computer security analysts Taia Global and author of the book Inside Cyber Warfare, believes those protestations may be true. He doesn?t doubt that China?s army carries out computer-based attacks and surveillance, but believes it would operate more professionally than APT1 does.

?Sophisticated is a very loosely used term,? he says of Mandiant?s labeling of the attacks. ?I don?t believe that the Chinese military or their intelligence services would use such obvious methods and be so frequently found out,? he says. ?If the Chinese government really was behind all of the attacks that Mandiant claims, they?re terrible at it.?

Source: http://feeds.technologyreview.com/click.phdo?i=11756e31013443bb4b80bb195aaa20f4

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Prince William to follow in Kate's footsteps at parade

PRINCE William is expected to be the guest of honour at the St Patrick?s Day parade in Aldershot next month.

The Duke of Cambridge is rumoured to be the royal visitor to the annual military parade on Sunday March 17 at Mons Barracks, which last year hosted his wife Kate for the same event.

The Duke, 30, was appointed Colonel of the Irish Guards in May 2011, his first honorary position within the Army.

He has been Commodore-in-Chief of Scotland and Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines since 2006, and Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Coningsby since 2008.

A search and rescue pilot in the RAF, the Duke is the Irish Guards? first royal colonel, replacing Major General Sir Sebastian Roberts.

A spokesman for the British Army was unable to confirm the Duke?s attendance at the parade, with details not due to be officially released until the beginning of next month.

However, anticipation is building among other invited guests, many of whom will have the chance to meet the royal visitor as Shamrocks are presented to the officers and guardsmen from 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, who are stationed in Aldershot.

The Duchess? attendance last year marked her first solo military engagement since marrying Prince William in April 2011, while her husband completed a mission in the Falkland Islands.

The 31-year-old, who is pregnant with the couple?s first child, presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to 40 members of the Irish Guards and watched more than 400 soldiers perform a traditional military parade in full ceremonial uniform.

Dressed in emerald green and wearing a gold shamrock-shaped brooch, an heirloom inherited from the late Queen Mother, the Duchess also gave a shamrock to the regimental mascot, Conmeal, an Irish Wolfhound.

Prince William?s rumoured visit will be the continuation of a 112-year-old tradition of giving shamrocks to the men on St Patrick?s Day, which was started by Edward VII?s wife, Queen Alexandra, in 1901.

Source: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2129459_prince_william_to_follow_in_kates_footsteps_at_parade

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ESPN Films' SEC "Storied" Series Continues with Documentary on Atlanta Tornado During 2008 SEC Basketball Tournament

ESPN Films' SEC "Storied" Series Continues with Documentary on Atlanta Tornado During 2008 SEC Basketball Tournament

ESPN Films' next SEC "Storied" documentary, Miracle 3, will premiere on Sunday, March 3, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The film chronicles the dramatic events that ensued after a tornado hit downtown Atlanta as the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament was being played at the Georgia Dome.

About Miracle 3

On March 14, 2008, Alabama found itself trailing Mississippi State 59-56 in the final seconds of the first quarterfinal game of the evening session. Crimson Tide guard Mykal Riley sank a last-second three-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime. That shot not only extended Alabama's season for the moment, but it may have prevented thousands of fans from pouring into the city streets just as a tornado touched down outside the Georgia Dome a few minutes later.

Though no one in the Georgia Dome was injured, the building felt the effects of the twister. Enough damage was done to the Georgia Dome to not only delay the completion of the Alabama-Mississippi State game and eventually cause a postponement of the last quarterfinal game of the day, but also to force SEC officials to find a new home to finish the tournament on schedule. Ultimately the University of Georgia Bulldogs, who finished last in the regular season, managed to win three games in a 30-hour period to earn the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth.

In Miracle 3, director Rory Karpf explores how a stunning and potentially devastating weather event touched off a series of situations that tested all involved like never before.

Directed by Rory Karpf, Miracle 3 features interviews from various people involved in the events surrounding the tornado, including: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi St. and Georgia players and coaches, Georgia Dome executives, SEC executives and staff, game producers and broadcasters, referees, meteorologists and fans in the arena.

"SEC 'Storied' Series aims to illustrate defining moments, events and people in the Southeastern Conference, and Miracle 3 tells a unique story in the conference's rich history," says ESPN Films executive producer John Dahl. "The story's ability to transcend sports makes the film a perfect addition to the series while diversifying the scope of films in the collection."

Quotes from Miracle 3:

Broadcaster during Alabama/Mississippi State game, Joe Dean Jr., on the atmosphere when the tornado hit: "And at that moment we hear an unbelievable sound that sounds like a train riding over the top of the Georgia Dome... The entire building froze. Everybody stopped; the officials, the players the crowd and everybody looked up. Scaffolding was swaying back and forth, lights were swaying and it was very scary. And nobody really knew what to do."

Meteorologist Paul Ossmann on the rarity of a tornado in Atlanta: "More than 90% of the tornadoes that hit America are in rural areas that no one ever sees. So to get one to hit in a populated area - not only that but a downtown area - is very rare."

Georgia State Fire Marshal John Oxendine on if the game ended in regulation: "This could have been a massive human catastrophe had that game not gone into overtime and you had thousands and thousands of people milling the streets right where the center of that tornado came."

Georgia Bulldogs player Dave Bliss on the team's double-header: "If we acknowledge the fact that we just played a game and we're tired, then we're gonna lose. And we're not going to be able to beat this team that slept all day and is already more talented than us. What's stronger, your excuses or your desire?"

Ryan McGee, ESPN Senior Writer, on the outcome of the tournament: "The biggest winners in the '08 tournament were Georgia. The second biggest winners were the people that work in that SEC office. Because what they pulled off was every bit as miraculous as what Georgia pulled off."

Miracle 3 is also slated to air on Sunday, March 3, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

ESPN Films launched the "Storied" documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the Southeastern Conference. From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the "Storied" series features films from the SEC's recent and more distant past.

About ESPN Films

Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces high-quality films showcasing compelling sports stories. In October 2009, ESPN Films launched the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated 30 for 30 film series. Inspired by ESPN's 30th Anniversary, the films that made up the series were a thoughtful and innovative reflection on the past three decades told through the lens of diverse and interesting sports fans and social commentators. Additional projects from ESPN Films include, among others, the critically acclaimed and Television Academy Honor-winning 16th Man, Cannes Film Festival official selection The Two Escobars, and the Peabody Award-winning Black Magic. More recent projects include Catching Hell, from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, and The Announcement, from filmmaker Nelson George. 30 for 30 Volume II has featured documentaries Broke, directed by Billy Corben, and 9.79*, directed by Daniel Gordon. For more information on 30 for 30, go to espn.com/30for30/.

SEC on ESPN

ESPN, Inc., and the Southeastern Conference entered into a landmark 15-year agreement for extensive football, men's and women's basketball, Olympic sports and conference championship content across multiple ESPN entities beginning with the 2009-10 academic year. As a result, ESPN Regional Television became the over-the-air syndication home for Southeastern Conference programming and the largest college sports syndication television package in the country. In 2012, SEC Network basketball games were distributed in 77 local television markets, representing 50.4 million homes, which is 44% of the U.S.; 2011 SEC Network football games were distributed in 99 local television markets, representing 79.1 million homes, which is 69% of the U.S.

Source: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2013/02/21/espn-films-sec-storied-series-continues-with-documentary-on-atlanta-tornado-during-2008-sec-basketball-tournament-883500/20130221espn01/

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New imaging device is flexible, flat, and transparent

Feb. 20, 2013 ? Digital cameras, medical scanners, and other imaging technologies have advanced considerably during the past decade. Continuing this pace of innovation, an Austrian research team has developed an entirely new way of capturing images based on a flat, flexible, transparent, and potentially disposable polymer sheet. The team describes their new device and its possible applications in a paper published February 20 in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.

The new imager, which resembles a flexible plastic film, uses fluorescent particles to capture incoming light and channel a portion of it to an array of sensors framing the sheet. With no electronics or internal components, the imager's elegant design makes it ideal for a new breed of imaging technologies, including user interface devices that can respond not to a touch, but merely to a simple gesture.

"To our knowledge, we are the first to present an image sensor that is fully transparent -- no integrated microstructures, such as circuits -- and is flexible and scalable at the same time," says Oliver Bimber of the Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria, co-author of the Optics Express paper.

The sensor is based on a polymer film known as a luminescent concentrator (LC), which is suffused with tiny fluorescent particles that absorb a very specific wavelength (blue light for example) and then reemit it at a longer wavelength (green light for example). Some of the reemitted fluorescent light is scattered out of the imager, but a portion of it travels throughout the interior of the film to the outer edges, where arrays of optical sensors (similar to 1-D pinhole cameras) capture the light. A computer then combines the signals to create a gray-scale image. "With fluorescence, a portion of the light that is reemitted actually stays inside the film," says Bimber. "This is the basic principle of our sensor."

For the luminescent concentrator to work as an imager, Bimber and his colleagues had to determine precisely where light was falling across the entire surface of the film. This was the major technical challenge because the polymer sheet cannot be divided into individual pixels like the CCD camera inside a smartphone. Instead, fluorescent light from all points across its surface travels to all the edge sensors. Calculating where each bit of light entered the imager would be like determining where along a subway line a passenger got on after the train reached its final destination and all the passengers exited at once.

The solution came from the phenomenon of light attenuation, or dimming, as it travels through the polymer. The longer it travels, the dimmer it becomes. So by measuring the relative brightness of light reaching the sensor array, it was possible to calculate where the light entered the film. This same principle has already been employed in an input device that tracks the location of a single laser point on a screen.

The researchers were able to scale up this basic principle by measuring how much light arrives from every direction at each position on the image sensor at the film's edge. They could then reconstruct the image by using a technique similar to X-ray computed tomography, more commonly known as a CT scan.

"In CT technology, it's impossible to reconstruct an image from a single measurement of X-ray attenuation along one scanning direction alone," says Bimber. "With a multiple of these measurements taken at different positions and directions, however, this becomes possible. Our system works in the same way, but where CT uses X-rays, our technique uses visible light."

Currently, the resolution from this image sensor is low (32x32 pixels with the first prototypes). The main reason for this is the limited signal-to-noise ratio of the low-cost photodiodes being used. The researchers are planning better prototypes that cool the photodiodes to achieve a higher signal-to-noise ratio.

By applying advanced sampling techniques, the researchers can already enhance the resolution by reconstructing multiple images at different positions on the film. These positions differ by less than a single pixel (as determined by the final image, not the polymer itself). By having multiple of these slightly different images reconstructed, it's possible to create a higher resolution image. "This does not require better photodiodes," notes Bimber, "and does not make the sensor significantly slower. The more images we combine, the higher the final resolution is, up to a certain limit."

The main application the researchers envision for this new technology is in touch-free, transparent user interfaces that could seamlessly overlay a television or other display technology. This would give computer operators or video-game players full gesture control without the need for cameras or other external motion-tracking devices. The polymer sheet could also be wrapped around objects to provide them with sensor capabilities. Since the material is transparent, it's also possible to use multiple layers that each fluoresce at different wavelengths to capture color images.

The researchers also are considering attaching their new sensor in front of a regular, high-resolution CCD sensor. This would allow recording of two images at the same time at two different exposures. "Combining both would give us a high-resolution image with less overexposed or underexposed regions if scenes with a high dynamic range or contrast are captured," Bimber speculates. He also notes that the polymer sheet portion of the device is relatively inexpensive and therefore disposable. "I think there are many applications for this sensor that we are not yet aware of," he concludes.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Optical Society of America.

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Journal Reference:

1. Alexander Koppelhuber, Oliver Bimber. Towards a transparent, flexible, scalable and disposable image sensor using thin-film luminescent concentrators. Optics Express, 2013; 21 (4): 4796 DOI: 10.1364/OE.21.004796

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/AFj84I9abyw/130220113901.htm

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Floral signs go electric: Bumblebees find and distinguish electric signals from flowers

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, according to a new study, published February 21 in Science Express by researchers from the University of Bristol. However, for any advertisement to be successful, it has to reach, and be perceived by, its target audience. The research shows for the first time that pollinators such as bumblebees are able to find and distinguish electric signals given out by flowers.

Flowers often produce bright colours, patterns and enticing fragrances to attract their pollinators. Researchers at Bristol's School of Biological Sciences, led by Professor Daniel Robert, found that flowers also have their equivalent of a neon sign -- patterns of electrical signals that can communicate information to the insect pollinator. These electrical signals can work in concert with the flower's other attractive signals and enhance floral advertising power.

Plants are usually charged negatively and emit weak electric fields. On their side, bees acquire a positive charge as they fly through the air. No spark is produced as a charged bee approaches a charged flower, but a small electric force builds up that can potentially convey information.

By placing electrodes in the stems of petunias, the researchers showed that when a bee lands, the flower's potential changes and remains so for several minutes. Could this be a way by which flowers tell bees another bee has recently been visiting? To their surprise, the researchers discovered that bumblebees can detect and distinguish between different floral electric fields.

Also, the researchers found that when bees were given a learning test, they were faster at learning the difference between two colours when electric signals were also available.

How then do bees detect electric fields? This is not yet known, although the researchers speculate that hairy bumblebees bristle up under the electrostatic force, just like one's hair in front of an old television screen.

The discovery of such electric detection has opened up a whole new understanding of insect perception and flower communication.

Dr Heather Whitney, a co-author of the study said: "This novel communication channel reveals how flowers can potentially inform their pollinators about the honest status of their precious nectar and pollen reserves."

Professor Robert said: "The last thing a flower wants is to attract a bee and then fail to provide nectar: a lesson in honest advertising since bees are good learners and would soon lose interest in such an unrewarding flower.

"The co-evolution between flowers and bees has a long and beneficial history, so perhaps it's not entirely surprising that we are still discovering today how remarkably sophisticated their communication is."

The research was supported by the Leverhulme Trust.

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Journal Reference:

1. Dominic Clarke, Heather Whitney, Gregory Sutton, and Daniel Robert. Detection and Learning of Floral Electric Fields by Bumblebees. Science, 21 February 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230883

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/vRQOXy-rX5E/130221143900.htm

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TransCanada: Pipeline would not affect climate

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a shift in strategy, the company that wants to build an oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas said Tuesday that the project will have no measurable effect on global warming.

Alex Pourbaix, TransCanada's president for energy and oil pipelines, said opponents of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline have grossly inflated its likely impact on emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Canada represents just 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pourbaix said at a forum sponsored by a manufacturing group that supports the pipeline. Oil sands concentrated in Alberta, where the 1,700-mile pipeline would start, make up 5 percent of Canada's total, Pourbaix said.

"Simple math tells us, therefore, that the oil sands represent only one-tenth of 1 percent of global greenhouse emissions," he said. "Even if production from the oil sands were to double, the (greenhouse gas) contribution from the oil sands would be immaterial to global" greenhouse gas production.

Pourbaix's comments came two days after a rally Sunday by pipeline opponents drew an estimated 35,000 people to Washington. Organizers, including the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, billed the event as the largest climate rally in U.S. history. Thousands of people marched past the White House to urge President Barack Obama to reject the $7 billion pipeline and take other steps to fight climate change.

Opponents say the pipeline would carry "dirty oil" derived from tar sands that requires significantly more energy to produce than conventional crude oil and emits up to 20 percent more greenhouse gases.

At Tuesday's forum, organized by the National Association of Manufacturers, Pourbaix took on the climate argument head-on. He and other TransCanada executives have previously emphasized the pipeline's safety, the jobs it will create and the fact the oil comes from a U.S. neighbor and ally.

"Our opponents are trying to make this debate about GHGs," he said, referring to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that are emitted as oil is produced and refined. "So let's look at Canada's contribution to global GHGs."

Pourbaix called Canada a leader on climate change and noted that Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The province also has imposed a carbon tax, an action the Obama administration has said it will not propose.

Oil carried by Keystone will displace heavy crude from Venezuela, Nigeria and other countries that also contributes to global warming, Pourbaix said. "You could shut down oil sands production tomorrow and it would have absolutely no measurable impact on climate change," he said.

Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Pennsylvania State University, said Pourbaix's comments appeared to be based on "some rather rosy assumptions" about oil sands production. First, the calculation does not take into account the energy cost of refining and transporting the oil from tar sands, not does it account for a huge reserve that could make the Alberta tar sands a key contributor to global warming in the future, he said.

By approving the Keystone XL pipeline and other projects, the U.S. would be encouraging increased development of the heavily-polluting tar sands oil, Mann said.

"We may be insuring that a much larger amount (of the oil reserves) will be economically viable," he said.

Obama calls climate change a serious threat and has urged Congress to combat it. In his State of the Union address last week, Obama said he will use executive authority to cut greenhouse gas pollution if Congress fails to act.

Obama has twice thwarted the Keystone XL pipeline because of concerns over its route through sensitive land in Nebraska, but has not indicated how he will decide on the pipeline since Nebraska's governor approved a new route last month. The State Department has authority over the project because it crosses an international border, but both sides on the issue expect Obama to make the final decision.

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Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/transcanada-pipeline-not-affect-climate-204935602.html

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Hazardous weather outlook, from the National Weather Service, Amarillo, Texas (includes Oklahoma Panhandle)

on February 19, 2013M at 5:21 pm

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
441 PM CST TUE FEB 19 2013

CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-
HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-
GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
441 PM CST TUE FEB 19 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES.

.DAY ONE?TONIGHT.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. NEITHER STRONG NOR
SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SLEET OR SNOW ACROSS MAINLY THE NORTHERN
HALF OF THE PANHANDLES. ANY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE AROUND A
HALF INCH OR LESS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN?WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY. NEITHER STRONG
NOR SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED?THOUGH A FEW INCIDENCES OF SMALL
HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY MORNING.

SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS WILL CHANGEOVER TO SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT?WITH
ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY IN THE NORTHEAST PANHANDLES. A WINTER STORM
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS?WHERE 4 TO 8 OR MORE INCHES OF
SNOW ARE POSSIBLE BY NOON THURSDAY. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHTER
FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST?WITH VERY LITTLE ACCUMULATION IN THE FAR SW
TEXAS PANHANDLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT?

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

Thank you for joining our conversation on Oklahoma Weather Blog. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.

Source: http://blog.newsok.com/weather/2013/02/19/hazardous-weather-outlook-from-the-national-weather-service-tulsa-75/

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