Tuesday, February 26, 2013

SideCar Says Three Philadelphia Drivers Caught In ?Sting,? But It Plans To Continue Operations

sidecar logoIt sounds like ridesharing startup SideCar is facing another regulatory challenge. According to a company blog post, the Philadelphia Parking Authority cited three SideCar drivers and impounded their cars in an "orchestrated sting operation." The citation supposedly describes SideCar as an "unauthorized service provider," which the company says is inaccurate:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/vHlYzXBxaA4/

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What Are You Reading? with Steven Sanders | Robot 6 @ Comic ...

by JK Parkin | February 24, 2013 @ 3:00 PM | 4 Comments | Gantz

Gantz

Hello and welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look at the books, comics and what have you that the Robot 6 crew have been perusing of late. Today we welcome our special guest Steven Sanders, artist of such comics as Wolverine and the X-Men, Wolverine, S.W.O.R.D, Our Love is Real, The Five Fists of Science and more. He?s currently using Kickstarter to raise funds for a ?Creative Commons art book? called Symbiosis.

?Symbiosis is a world-building art book that tells the story of a woman?s travels through a world where the symbiotic relationship that we have with technology is made much more visceral,? the Kickstarter page reads. ?All sources of power are generated by bio-etheric engines, with which the operators share a direct mental link. The story-telling is loose and mostly visual. It will be told with art that uses a variety of media and formats: fully painted, colored line art, black-and-white line art, and comic art. What you do with this story is up to you. Enjoy it on its own merits, or take it and spin it off into any of a million different directions.?

To see what Steven and the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click below:

*****

Mark Kardwell

One Trick Rip-Off

One Trick Rip-Off

This week I picked up a copy of Paul Pope?s The One Trick Rip-Off + Deep Cuts, a book I was initially reluctant to buy, because I thought I already owned a fair ol? chunk of it boxed up in an attic somewhere. I?m glad I did buy it, though, as it turned out there?s a lot of stuff in there that I haven?t seen before. This isn?t the book I?d recommend to absolute Paul Pope beginners (that?d still be Heavy Liquid, then quickly onto 100%, then Batman Year 100), but it is the book to demonstrate how good he got, and how quickly. There?s work in here from 1993 that?s just about alright, but by 1997 he?s on the verge of greatness. By 1999 he?s pretty much at full power.

Tom Bondurant

Folks, I gotta tell ya, it feels like I read all the comics this week. (All of them, Katie!) I read twenty-one big-publisher floppies, including Action Comics, JLA, Vibe, Green Lantern, GL Corps, Avengers, Superior Spider-Man, Indestructible Hulk, Thor, Justice League, Supergirl, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Star Trek, Star Trek: Countdown To Darkness, and the five I ended up saving for Saturday evening.

DC Universe Presents #17 (written by Joe Keatinge, drawn by Ricken) is an Arsenal spotlight. I haven?t read Red Hood and the Outlaws since the first issue failed to grab me, so I don?t know how representative this issue might be. For the first few pages it tries very hard to establish its badass bona fides, showing Arsenal as self-deprecating but capable, defiant as the bad guys beat on him, etc. Competing narrative streams (dialogue and internal monologue) also make it hard to get into the book. For a while, though, things settle down, and it?s not a bad issue. (That is, for a superhero-style comic marinated in attitude and violence, with a garnish of Starfire?s barely-contained dinners.) Then it gets into Arsenal?s ability to spit currency, and it never really recovers. Keatinge?s dialogue had a certain charm, and Ricken?s art is pretty decent (sketchy, but detailed, with a fine line). Pete Pantazis? bright, pastel-heavy colors are a nice complement too. Again, though, it didn?t make the sale.

It?s too bad that Sword Of Sorcery has been cancelled, because the Amethyst story in issue #5 (written by Christy Marx, drawn by Aaron Lopresti) was pretty good. It reveals how Amethyst?s dad died, and the political ramifications thereof, but it also ties fairly strongly into the larger DC Universe. (For one thing, it takes place just after the Justice League Dark Annual.) World-building is necessarily part of Amy learning the ropes of Gemworld, and here Marx uses backstory effectively to highlight the emotional consequences for Amy and her mom. Plus, Lopresti really puts a lot into his work here, giving the story a lot of visual appeal.

Daredevil #23

Daredevil #23

Speaking of emotional consequences, much of Daredevil #23 (written by Mark Waid, drawn by Chris Samnee) involves Matt and Foggy coming to grips with Foggy?s health issues, while Daredevil fights a gang of eerily familiar guinea pigs. The latter give the issue some very creepy moments, both for what was done to these men and for the kind of person who?d do such a thing. Another solid issue all around.

Same goes for Saga #10 (written by Brian K. Vaughan, drawn by Fiona Staples), which is full-to-bursting with great character moments and inventive situations. My favorite was the giant flaiming gorilla flipping the bird, but there?s probably at least a three-way tie for second place.

Finally, in Adventure Time #13?s lead story (written by Ryan North, drawn by Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb), Finn, Jake, and Marceline take to cyberspace to rescue BMO from an evil virus. Along the way, though, the story takes a detour into Star Trek territory (either ?The Changeling? or The Motion Picture will do), which naturally I found hilarious. It also gives Marceline a chance to explain why she knows so much about computers, when Ooo has become so magic-based. I hadn?t really wondered about that a whole lot, but it was nice to see.

And with that, my Wednesday haul is complete. Whew!

Brigid Alverson

I?m late to the party with this one, but I?m reading My Friend Dahmer for a roundtable, and I?m very impressed with Derf Backderf?s storytelling, the cinematic way he has of letting a scene unfold from a particular character?s point of view. I?m less enthused about the blocky style he uses to draw his characters, which makes them seem very static and also brings back memories of MAD Magazine, which I guess is appropriate in a graphic novel about teenage boys. Anyway, it?s a fascinating read and a good reminder to be grateful that I?m not in high school any more.

I picked up an advance copy of Popeye Classics, vol. 1, on Netgalley. This is an archive collecting the first four issues of the Popeye comics Bud Sagendorf did for Dell, and they date back to 1948. Pappy and Sweet Pea show up in some of the stories, and Popeye is a big spinach fan by now. The digital galley doesn?t include any frontmatter, but I hope the print book does; it would be helpful to place these stories in context, as I?m not a Popeye scholar by any means. However, they are pretty entertaining to read just as comics.

Finally, it?s not a quick read by any means, but I am really enjoying the first volume of American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1960s, by John Wells. It?s a close-up look at the comics industry, with a lot of emphasis on editors and creators, and you can see the characters and themes evolving?it?s sort of like a written version of time-lapse photography. It?s well written and lavishly illustrated, so it?s a lot of fun to read.

Steve Sanders

Collapse

Collapse

Collapse Vol VII: Culinary Materialism Edited by Reza Negarestani ? The ?Collapse? series are a favorite of mine. They call the journal ?Philosophical Research and Development.? It?s currently being edited by the writer/philosopher who wrote ?Cyclonopedia,? which is another excellent book worth looking at. (Black anti-sun of oil beneath the earth manipulating mankind! Dense philosophy! Skull thrones!) These books run in lots on 1000 only, and the tend to go for a couple hundred on-line as soon as they are sold out. Which isn?t why I buy them, but it gives me something to feel smug about for no good reason. This particular volume deals with combining philosophy and the culinary into a unified whole, vs just talking about the philosophy of the culinary. For instance, there?s an article that views war as eating/food production, and follows how we make war progressing along with how our society forms, and what happens when older forms of combat/eating collide with more modern ones. Like how in Vietnam, the older ?hunter-gatherer? style of guerrilla warfare completely subverted the more conventional style America was using. It completely changed the topography of warfare. Same with terrorism. It?s really a fascinating book.

Paradigms & Fairy Tales by Julienne Ford ? I chanced across this at a used book store. It addresses epistemology through the eyes of the social sciences, and does it in a very casual manner. A lot of the philosophy is outdated, (it presses for ?common sense? regarding phenomenology, which holds to a point.. ) but it?s a fun primer in studying how we construct meaning in society.

Berserk by Kentaro Miura ? This manga has ran as one continual story since the early ?90s, and is pretty amazing. It started out as sort of Clive Barker and H.R. Giger?s European fantasy love-child, and has progressed to be a more traditional fantasy work,but it is still incredible. The artwork is detailed without being distracting. This is something that is hard to pull off. The eye treats excessive detail in the same way it does open space. It just glazes over it. So if your entire image is drawing every single line and hair on everything, you just get a big mess. Miura and his studio avoid that trap. Their design sense is well honed, as well. Really top notch conceptual design.

from Berserk

from Berserk

Astounding Stories of Super-Science ? Archive.org has a lot of copies of these old pulps available and they are pretty fantastic. As per the medium, they are rarely ?great? stories, but they have a certain air to them that is very evocative of a certain time and place in America?s history, and the science-fiction of the ?30s has always captivated me with its machine age view of the world. It was frequently a much more optimistic view of the world. I also like the near-magical view they had of ?rays? back then. Since X-rays were still a fairly recent discovery, there was an anticipation of the discovery of all kinds of other rays with properties that would astound humanity. That obviously didn?t happen, but the thought of such things still holds a lot of appeal for me.

Gantz by Hiroya Oku ? I?m not really quite sure what to even say about this manga. It?s hyper-violent, epic, disturbing on a variety of levels, well executed in a number of ways but also kind of lazy and sloppy in others. They use a lot of direct 3D renders in the art, in a way that is not seamless at all, and there will be super obvious rip-offs (which I cannot talk about without spoilers), and story arcs that start, go for a while, and then are suddenly dropped and are apparently never to be addressed again. Nevertheless, I find it compelling and continue to read it as soon as I can get my hands on new issues.

Tagged: Aaron Lopresti, Adventure Time, Arsenal, Berserk, books, Braden Lamb, Brian K. Vaughan, Chris Samnee, Christy Marx, Collapse, comic books, Daredevil, dc universe presents, Derf Backderf, Gantz, Hiroya Oku, Joe Keatinge, John Wells, Julienne Ford, kentaro miura, kickstarter, manga, Mark Waid, My Friend Dahmer, Paul Pope, Popeye, Reza Negarestani, Ricken, Ryan North, Saga, Shelli Paroline, Steven Sanders, Sword of Sorcery, Symbiosis, What Are You Reading?

Source: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/02/what-are-you-reading-with-steve-sanders/

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Video: Secrets In the Mist, Part 6

Dateline NBC

'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3032600/vp/50915201#50915201

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Razzies put bite on 'Twilight' as worst picture

FILE- This undated file photo provided by Summit Entertainment shows, from left, Judith Shekoni, Tracey Heggins, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Christian Camargo, Peter Facinelli and Casey LaBow in a scene from the film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2." The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy. (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Andrew Cooper, SMPSP, File)

FILE- This undated file photo provided by Summit Entertainment shows, from left, Judith Shekoni, Tracey Heggins, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Christian Camargo, Peter Facinelli and Casey LaBow in a scene from the film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2." The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy. (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Andrew Cooper, SMPSP, File)

FILE - This film image provided by Columbia Pictures shows Adam Sandler, left, and Andy Samberg in a scene from "That's My Boy." On Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards, Sandler was named worst actor for ?That?s My Boy,? his second-straight win after 2011?s ?Jack and Jill,? which swept all 10 Razzie categories. (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Tracy Bennett, File)

FILE - This file film image provided by Summit Entertainment shows actresses Mackenzie Foy, foreground, and Kristen Stewart in a scene from "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2." The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy. (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Andrew Cooper, SMPSP, File)

FILE- In this file film image provided by Universal Pictures, Rihanna is shown in a scene from "Battleship." On Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards, Rihanna was awarded worst supporting actress for ?Battleship.? (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, File)

In this film image provided by Universal Pictures, Taylor Kitsch, left, and Rihanna are shown in a scene from "Battleship." On Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 at the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards, Rihanna was awarded worst supporting actress for ?Battleship.? (AP Photo/ILM/Universal Pictures)

(AP) ? The "Twilight" team finally has earned some love ? or loathing ? from Team Razzies.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2" was picked as last year's worst picture Saturday by the Razzies, an Academy Awards spoof that hands out prizes for Hollywood's lousiest movies on the eve of the Oscars.

The finale to the blockbuster supernatural romance dominated the Razzies with seven awards, including worst actress for Kristen Stewart, supporting actor for Taylor Lautner, director for Bill Condon and worst screen couple for Lautner and child co-star Mackenzie Foy.

Adam Sandler was named worst actor for the raunchy comedy "That's My Boy," his second-straight win after 2011's "Jack and Jill," which swept all 10 Razzie categories a year ago. Pop singer Rihanna won worst supporting actress for the action dud "Battleship."

"Twilight" movies had been well represented in Razzie nominations over the years but had not won any key awards there. Razzie voters joke that as with "The Lord of the Rings" finale winning best picture at the Academy Awards, they were waiting for the last "Twilight" flick on which to heap their scorn.

"I have a pet theory, which is that the box office on 'Twilight' films is very impressive, but my theory is that instead of 40 million individual girls going to see it, it's 8 million girls going to see it five times each. People who love those movies just adore them," said Razzies founder John Wilson. "I believe the attitude of people who really love 'Twilight' movies toward this subject is very similar to the pomposity with which the Academy Awards addresses the whole rest of the world. Our whole existence is all about making fun of pompous, so 'Twilight' really is right up our alley."

The "Twilight" finale also won for worst screen ensemble and worst remake, rip-off or sequel. For worst picture, it beat out "Battleship," ''That's My Boy," the family flick "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure" and Eddie Murphy's comedy flop "A Thousand Words."

Stewart's worst-actress prize came for both "Twilight" and her fairy-tale update "Snow White and the Huntsman."

In the five "Twilight" movies, Stewart stars as sullen teen Bella Swan, who falls for ageless vampire hunk Edward Cullen (worst-actor nominee Robert Pattinson) and finds herself at the center of a love triangle with him and her childhood pal, werewolf stud Jacob Black (Lautner).

Stewart set a consistent standard of emotional stoniness throughout the "Twilight" movies, Wilson said.

"Acting should involve having an expression on your face, and she is blank, other than the morose kind of half-Goth thing her character does," Wilson said. "I didn't realize Snow White and Bella were soul sisters, because of the very limited range of what she can do. I think it was Dorothy Parker who said about Katharine Hepburn that she runs the 'gamut of emotions from A to B.' Kristen Stewart is so expressionless she might as well be a brick wall."

Sandler's "That's My Boy," which also won the worst-screenplay Razzie, flopped at the box office and continues a gradual decline in receipts for the comic actor's movies.

"He's an enormous star who is on what I call the 'down-alator' of his career," Wilson said. "He's about to step off the same cliff Eddie Murphy stepped off about 10 years ago. Eddie Murphy has never come back, and Murphy is more talented."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-23-Oscars-Razzies/id-3d45487eb011493b89fbf44e5c6a19e6

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EPA findings at toxic California Superfund site concern area residents

By Stephen Stock and David Paredes, NBCBayArea.com

Some residents who live around Moffett Federal Airfield near Mountain View, Calif., say they are scared. Others say they?re not worried at all.

Depending on whom you talk to, the Environmental Protection Agency?s findings of higher than expected levels of TCE in the air and in the groundwater near the Mountain View property is either a cause for big concern or no big deal.

But one thing is certain. Everyone is talking about the new test results from the EPA showing a presence of toxic chemicals in the air and in the groundwater in and around the Middlefield, Ellis, Whisman (or M-E-W) Superfund site.

According to the EPA, the underground Superfund site include a wide variety of toxic chemicals including PCE and vinyl chloride, chemicals left over from the budding semi-conductor industry that got its start in the buildings along Middlefield and Whisman Roads and Ellis Street.

The chemical of most concern and most quantity in the toxic underground plume is a chemical called trichloroethylene, known as TCE.?It's a cleaning solvent once commonly used by the military and the budding semi-conducting industry 30 years ago.

The EPA says that TCE is a toxic solvent that causes cancer in people and heart deformities in unborn babies. According to EPA experts the toxic plume has been lurking underground for decades ever since nascent semi-conductor companies apparently dumped or allowed TCE and other chemicals to leak into the ground.

According to EPA officials the United States military also used TCE to clean airplanes and vehicles during that same time period.

The plume extends from under the runway at Moffett Field a mile and a half south and west under Highway 101 and past Middlefield Road. To the north it goes to Whisman Road and south to just past Ellis Street.

The plume of mostly TCE is believed by EPA investigators to be about a half-mile wide at its widest point.

After NBC Bay Area?s Investigative Unit began asking questions in April 2012 about possible health effects of the TCE plumes, the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC) opened its own probe.

After exhaustive research and analysis of three decades worth of health data, California?s state cancer registry announced that it found a higher than expected number of people living in neighborhood surrounding the M-E-W Superfund site who had contracted a group of cancers the registry?s scientists call non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The higher than expected incidence of these cancers occurred during the years 1996 to 2005.

NBC Bay Area

Now the EPA admits that until recently it had somehow missed some ?hot spots? of higher than acceptable levels of TCE in groundwater and in the air in several homes and more than 20 commercial buildings in the area. Two of the hotspots were found by EPA investigators along Evandale Avenue outside the original plume area.

That concerns some residents who live on that road. Residents like Theresa Larrieu, who has lived in a home along Evandale with her family for a quarter century. Larrieu said that the family always knew the M-E-W Superfund was nearby but figured it didn?t directly affect them since it wasn?t right next door. The Superfund site was far enough away, Larrieu thought, to be present but not an impact on her family?s health or life. Now, with these new EPA test results, the TCE plumes appears to actually be right next door and it may even be under Larrieu?s home. The EPA has conducted air, water and soil tests in and around the home but the results have not come back as of this writing.

Larrieu says she's worried and is holding her breath waiting on the results of those air and water sample tests the EPA took from her home. ?Scared. Nervous. Worried. Very worried,? Larrieu said when asked to describe her emotions. ?(There?s) way more suspense than I need in my life.?

?Your first thought is your health, is this affecting us is this affecting other neighbors that I know had health issues,? said Larrieu.

The EPA shares Larrieu?s concerns and M-E-W Superfund Site manager Alana Lee emphasizes they are working hard to address and clean up the mess. ?We cleaned up over 5 1/4 billion gallons of contaminated water and over 110,000 pounds of toxic contaminant,? said Lee.

But Lee also said that the EPA also missed these hot spots of TCE both in groundwater and in the air inside some buildings along Evandale Avenue including two homes outside the original plume area.

?The concentration (found there) is very high,? said Lee, ?A very high concentration.?

How high?

According to documents from test results, the highest TCE levels that the EPA measured in ground water in the area reached 130,000 parts per billion. The EPA considers anything over 5 parts per billion unsafe.

In the commercial buildings nearby, including two now occupied by Google, EPA tests found TCE in the air at levels 26 times higher than the level considered by the EPA to be acceptable and safe.

?Once we found these concentrations, which were a surprise, we took immediate action,? said Lee.

EPA

Bruce Panchal?s home is one of the two houses located on Evandale where the EPA found high levels of TCE. The companies responsible for the toxic chemical cleanup installed a series of four pipes in and around his home to ventilate the toxic TCE fumes leeching from the ground away from the house?s interior to the outside.

Even so Panchal said he?s not worried. ?They found a high concentration and with the system it pumps out all the fumes so it safe,? said Panchal.

Panchal and his family have lived in his home along Evandale for 45 years. He said he worked for the budding semi-conductor businesses that got their start in his neighborhood. He even said he handled the chemicals now in question and dumped them in the ground back then.

Despite the new contraptions now pumping air away from the inside of his house, he says he isn?t worried about his or his family?s health. ?I?m living proof that they have an issue with the fumes but it is not death defying or a detriment to your health,? said Panchal.

EPA officials said they also found high levels of TCE in more than twenty different commercial buildings between Whisman Road and Ellis Street. Included among those buildings are two new office complexes for Google employees where, the EPA says, renovations and construction allowed higher than expected levels of TCE to leech from the ground through the buildings? concrete slabs and into the air inside.

It is in some of these buildings where EPA investigators found levels of TCE vapors in the interior air that were as much as 26 times higher than acceptable safe levels with air conditioning systems off.

The EPA says it has systems in place in and around those buildings to keep vapors outside.

Google tells us they take this matter seriously and they?ve already taken measures to ensure that the buildings and the work area is safe.

Theresa Larrieu worries that it may be too late to keep her family from feeling the health effects of this toxic plume. She wonders how long they may have been exposed to these vapors and chemicals that went undetected until recently.

?It is scary,? said Larrieu. ?I?m very scared. I have children. I have grandchildren.?

Larrieu also remains concerned that not even the EPA can say how long the fumes have been leeching into the neighborhood or how long she and her family have unknowingly been exposed.

When we asked the EPA if they knew exactly how long have these newly discovered TCE hot spots had been there the EPA?s Superfund Site manager Alana Lee said, ?We don?t know.?

When we asked whether the toxic chemicals migrate underground or traveled down Evandale Avenue or whether those chemicals had been lurking there underground along with the rest of the toxic plume for decades, Lee had the same answer. ?We don?t know.?

The EPA said it will take decades more to clean up this toxic mess.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/23/17068747-epa-findings-at-toxic-california-superfund-site-concern-area-residents?lite

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A Look into the Future with Google Glass

Much like any piece of technology reminiscent of something seen in a retro edition of Star Trek, the Google Glass raises an eyebrow of apprehension ? a gimmicky looking device that instantly abolishes any notion of style before seeking out its function. Once explored however, the Google Glass ? an eyeglass hailed as the next era of computing ? may actually change the way we interact. Now in its early prototype stages, the wearable computer is being put to the test after only 18 months of product experimentation and around three years in concept. Explored first hand by theverge.com?s Joshua Topolsky, the Google Glass clearly paves a way for users to connect with each other and technology like never before, and in a hands-free, easy-to-communicate manner ? another step closer to the future depicted by bygone science fiction scenes. Watch the above video to fully explore the first ever look at the Google Glass.



A Look into the Future with Google Glass

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Urban-gear/~3/G0fzKmzQZks/

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Georgia: Criminal Charges against Tbilisi Mayor Spark Conflict

Tbilisi?s first popularly elected mayor, Gigi Ugulava, one of Georgia?s most powerful politicians, has been charged with embezzlement-misappropriation of budget funds and money laundering.

While the 37-year-old mayor, one of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili?s closest allies, has denied any wrongdoing, the February 23 indictment is another political blow to the president, and puts another yawning crack into efforts by the country?s divided national government to coexist peacefully.

The Georgian Ministry of Finance?s Investigative Service alleges that Ugulava was involved in a convoluted real estate transaction that cost ?the budget? 10 million lari (approximately $6 million) in a bid to place a private national broadcaster, Imedi, which had been critical of Saakashvili, under de-facto government control. Though they have not detailed their reasoning, investigators have termed the alleged misuse of funds ?money laundering.?

The case centers around the city?s sale and subsequent repurchase of a four-hectare plot of land in a popular Tbilisi neighborhood, Rike, that was aggressively promoted for development during Saakashvili's United National Movement's years in power.

The finance ministry maintains that Ugulava helped orchestrate the city?s sale of the land for 7 million lari ($4.24 million), but then had it repurchase the land, two years later, for 17 million lari ($10.3 million) to provide compensation for the alleged Imedi takeover to Georgian-American businessman Joseph Kay, who was then overseeing the station?s operations. Allegedly, 10 million lari from the sale was sent to an offshore account owned by Kay.

Another charge of embezzlement-misappropriation of budget funds stems from a student work program initiated by the Tbilisi city government that investigators maintain was used to pay 4.1 million lari ($2.48 million) to youth activists for Saakashvili?s United National Movement party.

Ugulava has denied the charges categorically, maintaining that the investigation is an attempt by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili?s Georgian Dream to usurp control of Tbilisi?s city government, and to lay the groundwork for dictatorship.

?I?m ready to prove my innocence,? he told media and supporters on February 23, asserting the day before that if the ?freedom of my country? means going to jail, he is ready to go.

Over the past five months, one former cabinet minister has been jailed, another charged in-absentia, and scores of lower-ranking former officials have been investigated and/or arrested.

At the same time, while UNM politicians remain a majority in the Tbilisi city government, a growing number have left the party over the past several weeks. The party has also lost power in regional governments since last October?s parliamentary election.

The combined effect has sparked growing allegations that the Georgian Dream is more interested in introducing ?political terror? than in working with an opposition or achieving justice.

In a February 22 television interview, President Saakashvili picked up that theme, claiming that the charges against Ugulava are linked to the fact that Prime Minister Ivanishvili, when a private investor, had been ?interested? in the Tbilisi property in question, which was eventually sold to another investor, and that a ?disagreement? with the billionaire had occurred.

For now, however, Uglava?s path does not lead directly to jail: General Prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili told journalists that there is no indication that Ugulava will be arrested at this point. He did note, however, that Saakashvili could be called in for questioning.

In what has been seen as a counter-move against more serious steps deemed likely to come (in particular, the mayor?s resignation from his post pending trial), former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili, the secretary-general of the UNM, has been named as one of Ugulava?s deputy mayors.

Senior members of the Georgian Dream coalition though, have asserted that no political persecution is taking place, and that the investigation into Ugulava was carried out ?normally.?

The fact that no concrete evidence against Ugulava yet has been released to the public has not, however, hindered the new government and other political parties from assuming the mayor?s guilt ? a practice common in Georgia during the UNM?s years in power as well.

The prime minister weighed in on the case on February 22, telling journalists, without citing grounds, that Ugulava ?spent the people?s money.?

Source: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66595

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HTC smartphone maker settles U.S. software security case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - HTC America, which makes smartphones and tablets that use Android and Windows software, will settle a U.S. regulator's charges it failed to take adequate steps to eliminate security flaws that put millions of users' data at risk.

The Federal Trade Commission said on Friday that HTC America, a subsidiary of HTC Corp in Taiwan, made millions of phones with programming flaws that allowed third-party applications to evade Android's permission-based security model.

This means that the Android operating system, which normally requires users be provided notice if sensitive data is given to third parties like data brokers, was prevented from giving notice to users, according to the FTC.

Sensitive data includes location or the contents of text messages. The settlement requires the company to establish a comprehensive security program and patch the software holes.

HTC spokeswoman Sally Julien said the company, working with carrier partners, has addressed the identified security issues on majority of devices released in the United States after December 2010.

"We're working to roll out the remaining software updates now and recommend customers download them once available," Julien said.

The regulator said in a statement that HTC America "failed to provide its engineering staff with adequate security training, failed to review or test the software on its mobile devices for potential security vulnerabilities (and) failed to follow well-known and commonly accepted secure coding practices."

It said millions of HTC devices were compromised, "potentially permitting malicious applications to send text messages, record audio, and even install additional malware" without the knowledge or consent of the user.

In a Twitter question-and-answer session, the FTC said that while the HTC America case was not the first on data security unfairness, it was the first that dealt with software security.

(Reporting By Diane Bartz and Alina Selyukh; Editing by Ros Krasny and Grant McCool)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/htc-settles-ftc-charges-fails-secure-software-170037066--finance.html

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Spanish monarchy's popularity hits new low

MADRID (AP) ? When King Juan Carlos appeared at a recent basketball game in front of thousands of subjects, he was greeted by persistent heckling and whistling. It was an unprecedented spectacle in a nearly four-decade reign over which the monarch has basked in the nation's love and respect.

What happened? The immediate cause is a corruption scandal engulfing Juan Carlos' son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, which has angered Spaniards in a time of crushing austerity. But the aging Juan Carlos himself has seemed increasingly out of touch with his people as they try to keep afloat in Europe's economic storm.

Urdangarin, married to the 75-year-old king's second daughter, Princess Cristina, is accused of using his position to embezzle several million dollars in public contracts assigned to a nonprofit foundation he set up.

The 45-year-old businessman, who denies any wrongdoing, faces questioning along with his wife's personal secretary. He gives closed-door testimony on Saturday before an investigating magistrate.

Juan Carlos, whose health has been declining along with his reputation, and the Spanish monarchy are facing one of their biggest crises ever.

"There is no deep-seated admiration for the monarchy as an institution as you'll find in the U.K. or in Holland," said Tom Burns Maranon, who has written several books about Juan Carlos. "The whole thing is almost a personal loyalty to the king. If the king's standing and reputation comes shooting down, then you're in a very sticky position."

The charismatic Juan Carlos, who took the throne in 1975 two days after the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco, is widely credited with helping the country usher in democracy ? and with saving it by staring down a military coup in 1981.

Yet the stories of greed emerging from the Urdangarin case have deepened the sense that the royals are living large at the expense of a suffering nation. Juan Carlos was vilified last year after going on a luxurious African safari to hunt elephants while his subjects were being battered by economic woes and sky-high unemployment.

There is no major movement in Spain to eliminate the monarchy and restore a republican form of government. So far, only the leader of the regional Catalan Socialist Party has called openly for Juan Carlos to abdicate and allow his son, Crown Prince Felipe, to take the throne and bring the monarchy more in line with the 21st century.

A palace official said Friday that Juan Carlos has no plans to abdicate and that no plan exists to fast track the succession of Felipe. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of palace rules forbidding the official's identification.

But the sense of the king's popularity propping up the monarchy ? a phenomenon known as "juancarlismo" ? appears to be fading. A January poll showed about half of Spaniards approved of the king, an impressive rating ? but sharply down from the three-quarters support he enjoyed a year before.

The king's health, meanwhile, has been a subject for concern over the past two years. He has had operations on both hips, a knee and for a benign lung tumor. On March 3, he will undergo back surgery, the royal palace said Thursday.

When Dutch Queen Beatrix, also 75, announced in January that she would abdicate and pass the crown to her eldest son, some wanted the same thing to happen in Spain.

But experts say the monarchies in the two countries are completely different. The Netherlands has a history of abdications for reasons of age, while in Spain it has been extremely rare.

Urdangarin is a former professional and Olympic handball medalist and the deals he landed were for things such as organizing seminars on using sports as a lure for tourism. Once presented to his countrymen as the perfect husband, Urdangarin has now become one of Spain's most detested figures.

A year after he first gave testimony, Urdangarin will return to a tribunal in Palma de Mallorca to answer more questions from investigating magistrate Jose Castro. Urdangarin hasn't been formally charged, but all indications point to a long and drawn-out trial that will keep suspicions of royal extravagance swirling.

The royal family has responded by barring him from official functions and pulling his profile from the monarchy's website. When both Urdangarin and his brother-in-law Prince Felipe attended the final of the world handball championship, which Spain hosted and won, they didn't even look at each other.

"He's been ostracized and separated from the royal family," said Burns Maranon. He said it will be a blow for the royal family if he's jailed but "even worse if he got off scot-free."

Meanwhile, the case is getting closer and closer to Princess Cristina, with her personal secretary, Carlos Garcia Revenga, set to make statements before the magistrate on Saturday.

Garcia Revenga hasn't been formally accused. The royal family has used this as an argument to keep him in his post as it waits for justice to take its course. But the question that arises is whether or not Princess Cristina knew about her husband's alleged activities.

"I don't see why Princess Cristina would be accused of anything," said Urdangarin's lawyer, Pascual Vives. "Her situation is radically different from those facing accusations."

Ironically, Urdangarin and his wife have the title of the Duke and Duchess of Palma, the same city investigating the case. Responding to popular revulsion, city hall said it removed the street name "Duques de Palma" ? one of the municipality's most central thoroughfares ? because of the "less-than-exemplary behavior toward the title."

It's only a symbol, but it reflects the loss of reputation the monarchy is suffering at an especially difficult time for Spaniards.

___

Associated Press writer Harold Heckle contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spanish-monarchys-popularity-hits-low-084333292.html

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Compose a New Email in Any Client with a Few Keystrokes

Compose a New Email in Any Client with a Few KeystrokesThere are a number of ways to quickly open Gmail's compose window, but reader germcd shares a handy tip that works with any mail client.

All it takes is a quick command in your address bar:

Typing mailto: into the address bar opens an empty compose window for me.

And, if you have a different program (like Thunderbird or Postbox) set as your default mail client, it'll open a compose window in those programs instead. Pretty handy! Just like our awesome custom searches you should enable in your browser, this is a quick shortcut that just requires a few keystrokes to complete (especially if you use Ctrl+L to focus the address bar). At least it's quicker than clicking on your email app!

Compose a New Email in Any Client with a Few Keystrokes | via germcd

Every week, we receive tons of reader tips, often in response to tips we've posted. Our Tip of the Week showcases our favorite tip from you that improves upon something else we've shared, shows us another way to do something, or otherwise deserves more attention than our regular tips roundups. Got a tip to share? Post it over at our tips forum or send it to us at tips@lifehacker.com.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/7iqtnZskQAs/compose-a-new-email-in-any-client-with-a-few-keystrokes

Winter Olympics 2014

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Former Meteorologist Loses Fight with Bone Cancer

By KBJR News 1

Former Meteorologist Loses Fight with Bone Cancer

February 22, 2013 Updated Feb 22, 2013 at 5:53 PM CST

Duluth, MN (NNCNOW.com) - A former Northland Television Meteorologist passed away this morning after a battle with advanced bone cancer.

Chris Snider used be a weather intern at KBJR 6 & Range 11 and went on to become Chief Meteorologist at FOX 21, before starting missionary work in the southern United States.

A Facebook message from his sister said they'd like to personally thank everyone who donated or took the time to send a message or video of support to Chris.

Snider just turned 29 years old.

The family has setup a benefit account:

Chris Snider
Benefit Account
c/o US BANK
130 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802

Kevin Jacobsen
Bio - Facebook - Twitter - E-Mail

Source: http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/Former-Meteorologist-Loses-Fight-with-Bone-Cancer-192601661.html

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OMV Posts 25% Jump in Libyan Oil Production

We apologise but an error has occurred on this server while processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator if the problem persists. On the ther hand, if you are fiddling with the server requests and got this error intentionally, remember you are being watched. Have a nice day.

Source: http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=2&i=9937

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Prairie View (SID): Baseball Drops MLB Urban Invitational Opener

Baseball Drops MLB Urban Invitational Opener

PV Sports Information

2/23/2013 12:35:00 AM

Urban Invite2013

BOX SCORE
Prairie View A&M dropped its first game of the MLB Urban Invitational 9-2 to Alabama State on Friday night under the lights of Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Panthers had their lowest scoring output of the season and couldn't overcome a four-run fifth inning by ASU en route to their second loss in a row.?

Panthers starter Michael Medina made it through four innings with just moderate damage and a 2-0 deficit to battle back from before Alabama State tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 5-0 lead. He was replaced by Chadd Flick out of the bullpen, who threw 3 2/3 innings with four runs (three earned) off of seven hits.

Alabama State held Prairie View A&M scoreless through 8 2/3 innings before an RBI single by junior first baseman Dominiq Harris was able to score sophomore short stop Walter Wells from third base. Designated hitter Greg Salcido reached on a throwing error by Alabama State's third baseman and Harris advanced three bases to score an unearned run. Harris finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and a RBI to lead Prairie View A&M offensively.?

The Panthers will play Texas Southern at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in Minute Maid Park as they look to bounce back with authority over their in-state rival.?

Source: http://www.bbstate.com/news/648884

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Madaxweyne Xasan oo Japan ay ku casuumtay Shirka hormarinta Africa ee TICAD

Muqdisho Feb 22 2013 (SDN)?Dowladda Japan ayaa ku martiqaaday Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyada Faderalka Soomaaliya shir caalami ah oo looga hadlayo hormarinta qaarada Africa.

Safiirka Cusub ee dowladda Japan ay u soo Magacaawday Soomaaliya aya soo gaarsiiyay Madaxweyne Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud warqada Casuumaada Shirkaasi oo lagu Magacaabo TICAD (Tokyo International Conference for African Development) kaasi oo ah shir Shantii sanaba Mar la qabto.

Shirkan caalamiga ah oo ay ka soo qeybgalidoonaan hogaamiyaal badan oo Africa ah ayaa waxa uu ka dhici doonaa Magaalada Tokyo ee caasimada dalka Japan waxaana la filayaan in uu bilaawado 1-bisha June isagoona soo idlaan doona sida qorshuhu yahay 3-bishaas.

Ambassador Atoshisa Takata oo ah danjiraha cusub ee Japan Soomaaliya u qaabilsan oo shalay warqadihiisa Aqoonsiga laga gudoomay ayaa waxa uu sheegay in Xukuumadda Japan ay ka go?antahay xoojinta xiriirka wada shaqeen ee kala? dhaxeeya dowladda cusub ee Muqdisho.

Waa markii ayay noqon doontaa oo hogaamiyee ka socda Soomaaliya uu ka qeybgalo Shirka TICAD ee hormarinta Africa looga hadlo kaasi oo soo bilaawaday qabashadiisa sanadkii 1993dii.

SDN-Muqdisho??

Source: http://www.qurbejoog.com/2013/02/22/madaxweyne-xasan-oo-japan-ay-ku-casuumtay-shirka-hormarinta-africa-ee-ticad/

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10 Antique Skeleton Key Lot Vintage Metal Key Rusty Ornate Gothic Old Industrial for Altered Art Steampunk DIY Jewelry Wedding by KeyLimeSupplies

This listing for for ten (10) antique skeleton keys perfect for your DIY jewelry projects, steampunk or gothic home decor, wedding decor, altered art, or whatever you can imagine!

This particular batch of rusty vintage metal keys came to me very rusty -- these old skeleton keys have been cleaned with a mild, all-natural rust remover. They still have bits of rust, for that lovely aged patina that old metal gets, but removing the rust allows the natural details to peek through.

I'm not sure of the exact age of these vintage metal keys or the exact metal content -- if it helps, these keys are magnetic. I believe them to be cast iron, but I'm no expert so I could be wrong!

Some keys have words etched into the top of the skeleton key or bent tabs at the part that enters the locket.

The antique skeleton keys measure between 1.5 inches (40 mm) - 3.5 inches (85 mm).

You will get ten (10) randomly selected keys. You will NOT receive a matching set of skeleton keys, but I may be able to find you a close-to-matching set if you convo me before your purchase.

Different quantities are available:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/KeyLimeSupplies?section_id=11453047

Enter the main storefront:
http://keylimesupplies.etsy.com

Combined shipping is available on all items.

(If you prefer very rusty keys -- I will be listing those uncleaned, as-found keys soon -- convo me if you don't see them available).


Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/124394794/10-antique-skeleton-key-lot-vintage

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Registry Cleaner Critique Of Current Computer Health Advisor ...

The variety one cause why children perform football is to have fun, if football is exciting and satisfying and the gamers want to keep on to play. This advantages the whole of their potential and allows them to reduce health hazards.

Depression: Depression is a frequently observed signal of too much pressure. The proportion of folks committing suicide at a very young age, has remarkably grown. Anxiety symptoms in guys and females want immediate health care consideration.

When the following political administration comes into place of work, I would like to see a nationwide ThermoRaz treatment summit in Washington D.C. Health care providers, insurance policies organizations, drug firms, the government, users of the American general public and all health care stakeholders want represented. Our nation needs to be ready to arrive collectively collaboratively to handle everyone's worries, and perform toward locating some agreeable consensus. We require methods to lower expenses without decreasing quality, health care entry, or outcomes. This is way too essential an issue to be remaining exclusively up to politicians and particular curiosity teams in Washington to take care of.

Health

Malpractice lawsuits and the cost for healthcare malpractice insurance have risen significantly above the several years. It is just one particular much more factor that has contributed to the general price of health care in this country. As modern technological innovation evolves, much more high-priced and specific diagnostic processes have replaced earlier utilized much less costly types. Technological innovation has considerably increased everyone's health care fees.

Soccer is the gorgeous sport played by tens of millions of women and boys (ages six to eighteen) in several continents, no matter whether on the shorelines of Rio, the streets of a big city or nearby park, you locate someone kicking a football around.

Be concerned: Stress may well preserve you worrying about each and each minute problem in day-to-day activities. Abnormal stressing will not truly resolve the problems. Overreaction to petty annoyances might produce problems.

Apart from standard exercises in the morning, you can head off to your school on your bicycle. Of training course, if it is located at a quick length! Cycling is among the greatest types of physical exercise. Or, an even far better alternative is to wander up to your university. These pursuits will help you burn off a good deal of extra calories, thereby contributing to a healthy life style.

Source: http://illicit-dreams.com/index.php?do=/blog/17482/registry-cleaner-critique-of-current-computer-health-advisor/

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NFL considers pushing back combine, free agency, draft in future years

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Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose And Baby Sebastian Get Fan Love

Fans and celeb friends send their congratulations to the brand-new trio.
By Emilee Lindner


Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702391/wiz-khalifa-amber-rose-baby-sebastian-fan-love.jhtml

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Global Digital Masters - Digital - London Warehouse Party - Any Good?

All times are GMT. The time now is 23:10.

Powered by vBulletin? Version 4.2.0
Copyright ? 2013 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
SEO by vBSEO ?2011, Crawlability, Inc.
vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 31.25%).

Source: http://www.partyvibe.com/forums/free-parties-teknivals/55796-global-digital-masters-digital-london.html

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Car bomb kills over 50 near Damascus ruling party office

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb killed more than 50 people and wounded 200 in central Damascus on Thursday when it blew up on a busy highway close to ruling Baath Party offices and the Russian Embassy, state media and activists said.

Syrian television showed charred and bloodied bodies strewn across the street after the blast, which it described as a suicide bombing by "terrorists" battling President Bashar al-Assad. It said 53 people were killed.

Central Damascus has been relatively insulated from almost two years of unrest and civil war in which around 70,000 people have been killed across the country, but the bloodshed has shattered suburbs around the capital.

Rebels who control districts to the south and east of Damascus have attacked Assad's power base for nearly a month and struck with devastating bombs over the last year.

The al Qaeda-linked rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra, which claimed responsibility for several of those bombs, says it carried out 17 attacks around Damascus in the first half of February, including at least seven bombings.

Activists said most of the victims of Thursday's attack in the city's Mazraa district were civilians, including children, possibly from a school behind the Baath building.

Opposition activists reported further explosions elsewhere in the city after the explosion which struck shortly before 11 a.m. (0900 GMT).

One resident in the heart of the capital heard three or four projectiles whistling through the sky, followed by explosions. At least one of them landed in a public garden in the Abu Rummaneh district, she said, but no one was hurt.

EMBASSY DAMAGED

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence via a network of sources inside Syria, said the Mazraa car bomb was detonated at a checkpoint close to the Baath Party building, located about 200 meters (660 feet) from the Russian embassy.

It said 56 people were killed, of which at least 15 were from Syria's security forces and the rest civilians. Eight other people were killed by a car bomb in the Barzeh district of northeast Damascus, one of several explosions which followed the Mazraa attack.

Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted a diplomat as saying the Mazraa blast blew out windows at the Russian Embassy, but no employees were wounded. "The building has really been damaged ... The windows are shattered," the diplomat said.

The vehicle was carrying between 1 and 1.5 metric tons (1.65 tons) of explosives, Damascus Governor Bishr Sabban told Reuters.

A correspondent for Syrian television said he saw seven body bags with corpses at the scene. He counted 17 burnt-out cars and another 40 that were destroyed or badly damaged by the force of the blast, which ripped a crater 1.5 meters deep into the road.

Syrian TV said security forces had detained a would-be suicide bomber with five bombs in his car, one of them weighing 300 kg (440 pounds).

In the southern city of Deraa, where the uprising against Assad erupted in March 2011, warplanes bombed the city's old district for the first time in nearly two years of conflict, killing 18 people, activists said.

A rebel officer in the Tawheed al-Janoub brigade which led a rebel offensive this week in Deraa said there were at least five air strikes on the city on Thursday.

"The (rebel) attacks on several major checkpoints in the Hay al-Saad neighborhood and its declaration as a liberated area have prompted this response," said Abdullah Masalmah, an activist from the city, via Skype.

Fighting has intensified in southern Syria in recent weeks, leading to a sharp increase in refugee flows to neighboring Jordan, according to officials. A Jordanian military source said 4,288 refugees arrived in the last 24 hours alone.

Nayef Hawatmeh, head of the Damascus-based Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was lightly wounded by an explosion in a mosque next to his office, a DFLP official said.

Talal Abu Tharifa told Reuters in Gaza that glass fragments had caused a slight wound to Hawatmeh's hand.

(Additional reporting by Marwan Makdesi in Damascus, Laila Bassam and Mariam Karouny in Beirut, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Alissa de Carbonnel in Moscow; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/explosion-central-damascus-casualties-reported-092416397.html

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Google's Chromebook Pixel: A high-end, high-priced touchscreen laptop

SAN FRANCISCO -- Betting that computer users are increasingly "committed to living in the cloud," Google (GOOG) on Thursday added to the line of laptops running its Chrome operating system by introducing a new high-end, high-priced notebook computer with touch-screen capability.

The new Chromebook Pixel laptop has an ultrahigh-resolution screen that's intended to outshine Apple's (AAPL) vaunted "Retina" screen. And unlike earlier Chromebook models that Google sells for $249 as second or third computers for workers, students and home users, the new machine is aimed at "power users" who might fork over $1,299 for a Wi-Fi model or $1,499 for a version that will connect to Verizon's high-speed LTE network.

That's a price many people would expect to pay for a MacBook Air or a premium Windows-based "Ultrabook," which come with more built-in storage and run widely used applications from Apple and Microsoft. One industry expert predicted the Pixel will have difficulty competing against that field.

"Even with beautiful hardware and a great screen, you're basically competing with very high-end, premium devices that at the end of the day can do

an awful lot more things that consumers want to do," said Michael Gartenberg, a personal technology analyst at the Gartner research group. "At that price point, I don't think we're going to see a whole lot sold."

But another analyst, Richard Shim of NPD DisplaySearch, said the Pixel capitalizes on trends that favor sleeker design, touch capability and other premium features. As consumers become accustomed to using smartphones and tablets alongside traditional PCs, he added, "that's providing an opportunity for nontraditional brands" including Google's Chromebooks.

Chromebooks have relatively small amounts of built-in flash memory -- 32 or 64 gigabytes -- and no hard drive, because the Chrome operating system was designed to use files and software applications that are stored "in the cloud," on servers reached via the Internet. With its new Pixel laptop, Google is offering a staggering 1,000 gigabytes of free online storage for three years.

"There's a set of users who spend money to buy full-fledged laptops, but this is targeted to a segment who have committed to living in the cloud," said Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president for Chrome.

Developed and built by Google, using a contract manufacturer in

The Chromebook Pixel laptop from Google. (Google photo)

Taiwan, the new laptop represents a further step by the Internet search giant into the business of making its own hardware devices. But the Chrome software is designed to encourage people to use Google's Web-based services, which are often integrated with its search and advertising business.

"I think it's less that they want to be in the hardware business and more that they want to guide the market toward new usage models" that rely on Web-based services, Shim added.

Pichai contended Thursday that many businesses and consumers are already embracing the cloud model. "Many companies have committed to using Google Apps," he said, referring to Google's suite of Web-based email, word-processing, spreadsheets and other programs.

Consumers are also using more Web-based apps, he added, joking that, "my mom and dad live in the cloud. They just don't know what the cloud is."

Google designed the Pixel for users who want premium features, including a full keyboard, an extra-tall touch screen and a high-speed Intel (INTC) processor, Pichai told reporters at a launch event. While other companies sell touch-screen laptops, he said none match the clarity of the new Chromebook's 239 pixels per inch.

"I'm pretty sure every laptop will have touch (capability) in the future, so we want to push that forward," he said.

While critics of earlier Chromebooks have complained about limited apps and inability to use popular software made by Microsoft and Apple, Pichai said the Pixel has new software that makes it easy for Chrome users to edit documents and spreadsheets that were created with Microsoft programs.

Google is developing more programs and working with independent developers to create more apps for the Chrome touch screen, he added.

By moving into touch computing, Chrome is potentially competing with Google's other operating system, Android, which powers a number of smartphones and tablets. "The lines do blur," Pichai acknowledged, but he said the two systems are compatible, so files and applications look the same on a Chromebook as they do on an Android smartphone.

"This helps us make apps look great across multiple screens," he said, adding that many users won't know or care which software they're using.

Google is selling the newest Chromebook through its online store and on Best Buy's website. Pichai did not answer directly when asked about rumors that Google is planning to open its own retail stores.

Contact Brandon Bailey at 408-920-5022; follow him at Twitter.com/BrandonBailey.

Chromebook Pixel specs

Screen: 12.85-inch touch-enabled, with 3:2 aspect ratio and pixel density of 239 ppi (2560 x 1700).
Storage: 32 or 64 GB solid state drive; one TB of Google Drive online storage free for three years.
Components: Intel Core i5 processor (1.8Ghz); 4 GB RAM.
Battery life: up to 5 hours active use.
Weight: 3.35 pounds.
Other features include full keyboard and touchpad; HD webcam.
Price: $1,299 for Wi-Fi model; $1,499 for Verizon LTE version.
Source: Google

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22637796/google-unveils-chromebook-pixel-touchscreen-laptop-high-end-cloud?source=rss_viewed

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Actor Lou Myers (Mr. Gaines On ?A Different World?) Dead At 77 (VIDEOS)

Actor Lou Myers (Mr. Gaines On “A Different World”) Dead At 77 (VIDEOS)

Lou Myers (center) in A Different WorldLou Myers, the actor probably best known for his role as the restaurant owner Mr. Gaines on the television series “A Different World” has passed away. Myers died Tuesday night at Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia. The 77-year-old actor had been hospitalized several times since Christmas and had been battling pneumonia for the ...

Actor Lou Myers (Mr. Gaines On “A Different World”) Dead At 77 (VIDEOS) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/02/actor-lou-myers-mr-gaines-on-a-different-world-dead-at-77-videos/

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Take a walk! Koreans reject Cuban ball switch

(Reuters) - A baseball game between Cuba's national team and a South Korean professional club had to be called off when they could not agree on which ball to use, leaving the two sets of players practising awkwardly next to each other in the stadium, an official from Korea's NC Dinos has told Reuters.

Cuba were set to play NC Dinos at the Dou Liou Baseball Stadium in Taiwan on Thursday as part of their preparations for the World Baseball Classic, which takes place from March 2-19.

"We have never experienced anything quite like this before," an NC Dinos official with the team in Taiwan told Reuters by telephone on Friday.

"It is customary for baseball teams from two different countries to have two different balls and to use balls of their choice (when fielding).

"But 40 minutes before the game, Cuba insisted both teams use the ball they chose," the official added. "We rejected that because our players could get injured by using balls they are not familiar with.

"We could not risk getting injured in a warm-up match like this one. Then they brought another ball, to which we again said no. They didn't give up and brought another one again and we turned them down once again.

"Finally, about 15-20 minutes before the game, they just abruptly notified us that they cancelled the game."

The official said Dinos had been taken aback by Cuba's decision to cancel the game.

"What they insisted was preposterous and goes against normal practice."

With no game to play, both sets of players started practising on the field.

"After the game was cancelled at the last minute, our team remained and practised in the stadium and the Cuban team didn't leave," the official added.

"So we practised there too for a while, the two teams in the same space, until we asked them to leave ... it was so awkward."

Dinos coach Kim Kyung-moon lamented the lost opportunity for his team to play one of the best international sides and said it would have been a valuable experience for his players.

Cuba are placed in Pool A of the WBC alongside champions Japan, Brazil and China.

(Reporting by Narae Kim in Seoul, writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/walk-koreans-reject-cuban-ball-switch-164325502--mlb.html

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Priority One Jets Announces Opening of New Los Angeles Office ...


Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/21/2013 -- Priority One Jets, Inc., a nationwide leader in private aviation services, today announced the recent opening of their newest office location, in Los Angeles, California. The new L.A. office will provide a base of operations for the company that directly complements their current headquarters located in New York City.

"We?ve been blessed as a company to have experienced tremendous growth over the past year; driven by the ongoing support from our deeply-valued Priority One Jets clients and an increasing number of referrals from their friends, family and colleagues to us,? said Alex Volis, Head of Priority One Jets? Los Angeles office. "The growing level of support from our private jet charter clients has been the foundation for our continued efforts, as we build our relationships with them as well as our many aircraft owners and operators."

In support of ongoing business expansion efforts, Priority One Jets opened their latest office in Southern California in late 2012 to better serve the needs of a quickly growing clientele. The new facilities will allow Priority One Jets to provide even higher levels of personalized service and attention to the many company clients who regularly travel to and from the West Coast and other surrounding regions.

The management team now in place at the new Los Angeles office brings many years of private jet charter industry expertise and knowledge with them, along with a passion to ensure that clients of Priority One Jets receive the absolute best air charter experience possible. This translates into providing clients with the safest, best-maintained aircraft for every flight, the perfect match based upon their specific travel itineraries, and always at the best available pricing.

?This new office is a clear sign that our business model - based upon providing highly-personalized, ?boutique? style attention to our clients who utilize private jet charters, while also bringing them the financial resources and sophisticated business relationships of much larger charter companies ? is resonating with jet charter consumers across North America and worldwide. Being in a financial and business condition where opening this facility was not only feasible, but a growing necessity, is a tribute to the increasing levels of success we have achieved over these last 12 months. We hope those jet charter consumers who have worked with other providers in the past will allow us the opportunity to provide them with a competitive quote for their next flight, so that they might experience the Priority One Jets difference for themselves,? added Volis.

The Los Angeles office of Priority One Jets is available 24/7 to all clients needing Business Charter, Group Charter, Air Cargo and Freight Charter, and all other on demand air charter needs. Consumers can reach the L.A. office by calling 310-622-9803 or toll free at 855-888-5387, where they can receive a quote on any flight domestic or international, and have their aircraft ready for their travel needs with as little as four hours? notice.

About Priority One Jets, LLC
Priority One Jets, LLC has become one of the fastest-growing private aviation companies in the nation, a full-service aviation company that provides air charter and aircraft sales for business aviation, leisure and government travel. Operating 24/7, the jet charter department has access to a network of over 7,000 of the finest private jet aircraft and can arrange aircraft for any domestic flight with as few as 4 hours? notice. Their experienced charter representatives can quote, dispatch and provide world class concierge services from the office or via their integrated mobile dispatch system. All carriers offered by Priority One are fully FAR Part 135 compliant, and every flight is helmed by two of the most experienced pilots possible, certified and type-rated for the aircraft they are operating and with a minimum of 3,500 hours of flight time, and an Airline Transport Certificate Instrument Rating. For more information, please visit http://www.priorityonejets.com.

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/priority-one-jets-announces-opening-of-new-los-angeles-office-210470.htm

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