Ill. nuclear reactor loses power, venting steam (AP)

BYRON, Ill. ? A nuclear reactor at a northern Illinois plant shut down Monday after losing power, and steam was being vented to reduce pressure, according to officials from Exelon Nuclear and federal regulators.

Unit 2 at Byron Generating Station, about 95 miles northwest of Chicago, shut down at 10:18 a.m., after losing power, Exelon officials said. Diesel generators began supplying power to the plant, and operators began releasing steam to cool the reactor from the part of the plant where turbines are producing electricity, not from within the nuclear reactor itself, officials said.

The steam contains low levels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, but federal and plant officials insisted the levels were safe for workers and the public.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission declared the incident an "unusual event," the lowest of four levels of emergency. Commission officials also said the release of tritium was expected.

Exelon Nuclear officials believe a failed piece of equipment at a switchyard caused the shutdown. The switchyard is similar to a large substation that delivers power to the plant from the electrical grid and that takes power from the plant to the electrical grid. Officials were still investigating the equipment failure.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng said officials can't yet calculate how much tritium is being released. They know the amounts of tritium are small because monitors around the plant aren't showing increased levels of radiation, she said.

Tritium molecules are so small that tiny amounts are able to pass from radioactive steam from the reactor into the water used to cool the turbines and other equipment outside the reactor. The steam that was being released was coming from the turbine side.

The amount of releasing steam helps "take away some of that energy still being produced by nuclear reaction but that doesn't have anywhere to go now." Even though the turbine is not turning to produce electricity, she said, "you still need to cool the equipment."

Tritium is relatively short-lived and penetrates the body weakly through the air compared to other radioactive contaminants.

Candace Humphrey, Ogle County's emergency management coordinator, said county officials were notified of the incident as soon as it happened and that public safety was never in danger.

"It was standard procedure that they would notify county officials," she said. "There is always concern. But, it never crossed my mind that there was any danger to the people of Ogle County."

Unit 1 was operating normally while engineers investigate why Unit 2 lost power, which comes into the plant from the outside power grid, Mitlyng said. Smoke was seen from an onsite station transformer, she said, but no evidence of a fire was found when the plant's fire brigade responded.

Mitlyng said Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors were in the control room at Byron and in constant contact with the agency's incident response center in Lisle, Ill.

In March 2008, federal officials said they were investigating a problem with electrical transformers at the plant after outside power to a unit was interrupted.

In an unrelated issue last April, the commission said it was conducting special inspections of backup water pumps at the Byron and Braidwood generating stations after the agency's inspectors raised concerns about whether the pumps would be able to cool the reactors if the normal system wasn't working. The plants' operator, Exelon Corp., initially said the pumps would work but later concluded they wouldn't.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_re_us/us_nuclear_plant_illinois

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NFL Communications - NFL Introduces Communications System For ...

\ '); $('#wpl-mustlogin').hide().slideDown('fast'); } ); $('#wpl-mustlogin input.input').live( 'focus', function() { $(this).prev().hide(); }).live( 'blur', function() { if ( $(this).val() == '' ) $(this).prev().show(); }); $('#wpl-mustlogin input#wp-submit').live( 'click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); $.post( 'http://nflcommunications.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', { 'action': 'wpl_record_stat', 'stat_name': 'loggedout_login_submit' }, function() { $('#wpl-mustlogin form').submit(); } ); }); $('#wpl-mustlogin a#wpl-signup-link').live( 'click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); var link = $(this).attr('href'); $.post( 'http://nflcommunications.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', { 'action': 'wpl_record_stat', 'stat_name': 'loggedout_signup_click' }, function() { location.href = link; } ); }); }); /* ]]> */

Source: http://nflcommunications.com/2012/01/30/nfl-introduces-communications-system-for-super-bowl-xlvi-ticket-holders/

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The good news about carbon storage in tropical vegetation

Public release date: 29-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ian Vorster
ivorster@whrc.org
508-444-1509
Woods Hole Research Center

New wall-to-wall carbon storage map can help developing nations track deforestation and report on emissions

A study published in Nature Climate Change today finds that tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previous studies had suggested. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists from Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), Boston University, and the University of Maryland were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America. Colors on the map represent the amount of carbon density stored in the vegetation in a continuum fashion (Figure 1). Reliable estimates of carbon storage are critical to understanding the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by changes in land cover and land use.

Tropical deforestation is considered a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, releasing as much as 1.1 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year. Based on new data in this study, researchers believe that current models may overestimate the net flux of carbon into the atmosphere due to tropical vegetation loss by 11 to 12 percent. For countries trying to meet their greenhouse gases reporting requirements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), these new data are particularly important.

Lead author Alessandro Baccini, an assistant scientist at WHRC, explained that the new data set provides a spatially and temporally consistent estimate of carbon stock and a stronger foundation for estimating carbon emissions by better characterizing the carbon density of the forest that has been lost. "For the first time we were able to derive accurate estimates of carbon densities using satellite LiDAR observations in places that have never been measured," said Baccini. "This is like having a consistent, very dense pantropical forest inventory."

In many developing nations, deforestation is the largest source of emissions of greenhouse gases. In order to reliably report emissions to the UNFCCC, and to participate in international schemes such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), which provides compensation for avoiding deforestation, these countries need an accurate way to calculate stored carbon and to track deforestation and reforestation. "We worked closely with collaborators in 12 countries around the tropics to collect the field data needed to calibrate the satellite measurements and ensure relevance for their national reporting," said co-author Nadine Laporte, a WHRC associate scientist, who coordinated field measurements in Africa.

"The paper is important for two reasons," said co-author and WHRC senior scientist Richard A. Houghton. "First, it provides a high-resolution map of aboveground biomass density for the world's tropical forests. Previous maps were of much coarser resolution and yielded wildly different estimates of both regional totals and spatial distribution. Second, the paper calculates a new estimate of carbon emissions from land-use change in the tropics."

This was done using the co-location of biomass density and deforestation to assign a more representative carbon density to the forests cleared. Previous estimates used 'average' biomass densities that may have biased emissions' estimates. In short, the approach will lead to better tracking of changes in biomass density resulting from degradation and growth.

This will in turn help nations, projects, and groups of all kinds determine better estimates of carbon emissions. These estimates are required nationally for UNFCCC reporting and would support REDD+ should it be implemented. "The study represents a major step forward in the effort to map the current state of global tropical biomass stocks," commented Greg Asner, an ecologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science. "The 500m resolution of the map will help countries implement activities to improve forest management and to help fight climate change through reduced carbon emissions from deforestation."

The scientists estimated that tropical forests in America store around 118 billion tons of carbon, a fifth more than indicated by previous findings. For the first time in a large-area mapping effort of this kind, an end-to-end approach was constructed quite literally from the ground up, beginning with a pantropical field campaign, relying on the work of scholars in many different countries, and designed for the optimal integration of field and satellite data. The result is a carbon density map for the tropics with a level of consistency and accuracy never before achieved

Global measurements of where carbon is accumulating and where it's being lost will be used to better quantify how many carbon credits would be needed to reduce carbon emission under the UNFCCC and, when carbon is valued, to quantify financial rewards. As Richard A. Houghton said, "Your forest may be worth more if it's accumulating more carbon than another forest."

"Coupling the Lidar and field measurements is what makes this study and our map so unique, and powerful" notes study co-author and WHRC senior scientist Scott Goetz. "Without measurements from a satellite-based Lidar, a study of this nature would not have been possible. We need that capability going forward."

###

The study used field measurements collected across the tropics to calibrate light detection and ranging (LiDAR) satellites models and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua and Terra to map the carbon densities in the tropics. The carbon density data set is available for download at http://www.whrc.org/mapping/pantropical/carbon_dataset.html. Satellite processing algorithms and data are available at http://earthengine.google.org/#state=search&q=tag:mcd43a4

For more information, please contact: Ian Vorster, Associate Director of Communications

Woods Hole Research Center ivorster@whrc.org / 508-444-1509

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ian Vorster
ivorster@whrc.org
508-444-1509
Woods Hole Research Center

New wall-to-wall carbon storage map can help developing nations track deforestation and report on emissions

A study published in Nature Climate Change today finds that tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previous studies had suggested. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists from Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), Boston University, and the University of Maryland were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America. Colors on the map represent the amount of carbon density stored in the vegetation in a continuum fashion (Figure 1). Reliable estimates of carbon storage are critical to understanding the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by changes in land cover and land use.

Tropical deforestation is considered a major source of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, releasing as much as 1.1 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year. Based on new data in this study, researchers believe that current models may overestimate the net flux of carbon into the atmosphere due to tropical vegetation loss by 11 to 12 percent. For countries trying to meet their greenhouse gases reporting requirements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), these new data are particularly important.

Lead author Alessandro Baccini, an assistant scientist at WHRC, explained that the new data set provides a spatially and temporally consistent estimate of carbon stock and a stronger foundation for estimating carbon emissions by better characterizing the carbon density of the forest that has been lost. "For the first time we were able to derive accurate estimates of carbon densities using satellite LiDAR observations in places that have never been measured," said Baccini. "This is like having a consistent, very dense pantropical forest inventory."

In many developing nations, deforestation is the largest source of emissions of greenhouse gases. In order to reliably report emissions to the UNFCCC, and to participate in international schemes such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), which provides compensation for avoiding deforestation, these countries need an accurate way to calculate stored carbon and to track deforestation and reforestation. "We worked closely with collaborators in 12 countries around the tropics to collect the field data needed to calibrate the satellite measurements and ensure relevance for their national reporting," said co-author Nadine Laporte, a WHRC associate scientist, who coordinated field measurements in Africa.

"The paper is important for two reasons," said co-author and WHRC senior scientist Richard A. Houghton. "First, it provides a high-resolution map of aboveground biomass density for the world's tropical forests. Previous maps were of much coarser resolution and yielded wildly different estimates of both regional totals and spatial distribution. Second, the paper calculates a new estimate of carbon emissions from land-use change in the tropics."

This was done using the co-location of biomass density and deforestation to assign a more representative carbon density to the forests cleared. Previous estimates used 'average' biomass densities that may have biased emissions' estimates. In short, the approach will lead to better tracking of changes in biomass density resulting from degradation and growth.

This will in turn help nations, projects, and groups of all kinds determine better estimates of carbon emissions. These estimates are required nationally for UNFCCC reporting and would support REDD+ should it be implemented. "The study represents a major step forward in the effort to map the current state of global tropical biomass stocks," commented Greg Asner, an ecologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science. "The 500m resolution of the map will help countries implement activities to improve forest management and to help fight climate change through reduced carbon emissions from deforestation."

The scientists estimated that tropical forests in America store around 118 billion tons of carbon, a fifth more than indicated by previous findings. For the first time in a large-area mapping effort of this kind, an end-to-end approach was constructed quite literally from the ground up, beginning with a pantropical field campaign, relying on the work of scholars in many different countries, and designed for the optimal integration of field and satellite data. The result is a carbon density map for the tropics with a level of consistency and accuracy never before achieved

Global measurements of where carbon is accumulating and where it's being lost will be used to better quantify how many carbon credits would be needed to reduce carbon emission under the UNFCCC and, when carbon is valued, to quantify financial rewards. As Richard A. Houghton said, "Your forest may be worth more if it's accumulating more carbon than another forest."

"Coupling the Lidar and field measurements is what makes this study and our map so unique, and powerful" notes study co-author and WHRC senior scientist Scott Goetz. "Without measurements from a satellite-based Lidar, a study of this nature would not have been possible. We need that capability going forward."

###

The study used field measurements collected across the tropics to calibrate light detection and ranging (LiDAR) satellites models and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua and Terra to map the carbon densities in the tropics. The carbon density data set is available for download at http://www.whrc.org/mapping/pantropical/carbon_dataset.html. Satellite processing algorithms and data are available at http://earthengine.google.org/#state=search&q=tag:mcd43a4

For more information, please contact: Ian Vorster, Associate Director of Communications

Woods Hole Research Center ivorster@whrc.org / 508-444-1509

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/whrc-tgn012712.php

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Flurry: Amazon?s Kindle Fire Is Already Starting To Smoke Samsung?s Galaxy Tab

Wuh oh, Samsung ? better watch your tail. While Apple might not be seeing any impact (be it positive or negative) on iPad sales from the launch of the Kindle Fire, Samsung's Galaxy Tab ought to be feeling the heat. Tapping into the data provided by their app analytics platform (which they estimate has found its way onto around 90% of the Android devices out there), Flurry highlights a few surprising numbers.

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

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British police arrest 4 in tabloid bribery probe (AP)

LONDON ? British police say they have arrested four people, including a police officer, on suspicion of corruption as part of an investigation into police bribery by a tabloid newspaper.

London's Metropolitan Police said two men aged 48 and one aged 56 were arrested early Saturday at homes in and around London.

The fourth, a 29-year-old police officer, was arrested at the London station where he works.

The investigation is running parallel to a police inquiry into phone hacking by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.

Police said the arrests were made as a result of information provided by Murdoch's News Corp.

A dozen people have now been arrested in the bribery probe, though none has yet been charged.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_phone_hacking

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Legal exemplars cited in Michael Mann's UVA email case | Watts Up ...

Mann alludes to his ?dirty laundry? which cannot come out, requesting his correspondent to not pass the email or the data attached to it to anyone else (PE-22).

The Environmental Law Center of the American Tradition Institute

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C.

January 25, 2012

On Tuesday the American Tradition Institute?s Environmental Law Center sent the University of Virginia and Michael Mann copies of 40 emails selected as examples of the 27 categories identified as benefitting from the Court?s review of UVA and Mann?s claims that emails in the taxpayer-funded school?s possession are properly subject to the specific exemptions under Virginia?s Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA). These categories range from discussions of professional retaliation against other scientists who challenged Mann?s work, to those sent to or from Mann from or copying an email account covered by other FOI laws, such as the federal Freedom of Information Act.

This was part of a process agreed to by ATI, the University and Mann?s attorneys as ATI continues to seek Thomas Jefferson?s university to release a cache of 12,000 emails covered under VFOIA that tell an important part of the history of climate alarmism and the often unsettling ways taxpayer money was spent in promoting it.

?The UVA emails are a key part of a history that taxpayers are trying to piece together to place the early climate alarmism, and taxpayer financing of it, in context,? said Dr. David Schnare, Director of the ATI Environmental Law Center. ?The alarmist professors who in some of these emails speak about ?the cause? have complained that their emails have been taken out of context. Release of the full UVA email collection, all sent or received by Mann after expressly agreeing he had no ownership of or expectation of privacy about them, will provide that context. Considering the behavior of this former UVA professor as documented in many emails already available to the public, these emails are the only means he has to claim exoneration without being accused of a whitewash.?

The selected emails include graphic descriptions of the contempt a small circle of largely taxpayer-funded alarmists held for anyone who followed scientific principles and ended up disagreeing with them. For example, in the fifteenth Petitioners? Exemplar (PE-15), Mann encourages a boycott of one climate journal and a direct appeal to his friends on the editorial board to have one of the journal?s editors fired for accepting papers that were carefully peer-reviewed and recommended for publication on the basis that the papers dispute Mann?s own work. In PE-38, he states that another well respected journal is ?being run by the baddies,? calling them ?shills for industry.? In PE-39 Mann calls U.S. Congressmen concerned about how he spent taxpayer money ?thugs?.

PE-18, 20 & 27 illustrate the typical fashion with which Mann used a UVa email account to accuse co-authors and other respected scientists of incompetence, berating them in emails copied to colleagues living throughout the world. UVA claims this is somehow exempt from VFOIA as scientific research.

In PE-22, Mann alludes to his ?dirty laundry? which cannot come out, requesting his correspondent to not pass the email or the data attached to it to anyone else (UVa has claimed no attachments to any emails were preserved on their system). In this email, Mann admits he has failed to follow the most basic tenet of science, to keep a record of exactly what he did in his research, and thus himself could not reproduce his own results.

PE-24 & 25 characterize the efforts of this small group of academics to hide what they are doing and to avoid their work being held up to inspection under the Freedom of Information Act. In PE-26, Mann goes so far as to ask a federal employee ? impossibly, as he send it to an email account subject to the federal FOIA ? to ?treat this email as confidential? though all the email does is complain about a Wall Street Journal author?s efforts to report the science impeaching Mann?s early work. PE-26, like many other emails UVA wishes to keep secret, is subject to release under the federal FOIA.

These emails, if honestly representative of the entire collection, do not make Virginians proud of having paid Mann?s salary.

?ATI, like Greenpeace and its peers, as well as the media, is committed to using transparency laws to make science and government policy open to the citizens who underwrite it, to the exclusion of properly exempt information such as proprietary material,? said Chris Horner, ATI?s Director of Litigation. ?Universities are routinely asked to produce emails under FOIA, and most do so quickly. This has recently been proved true at another Virginia university when the media sought emails of a Mann critic. Why UVA wishes to boast of such outlier status within the academic community makes one ask, ?what is it they are trying to hide???

The Petitioners? Exemplars are available at ATI?s site.

If you wish an interview with Dr. Schnare or Mr. Horner, please contact ATI at info@atinstitute.org.

- 30 ?

h/t to reader Peter Bromberg

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Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/01/26/first-look-at-michael-manns-uva-emails/

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The 10 most anticipated PlayStation Vita games (Digital Trends)

The North American launch of the PlayStation Vita is just a few short weeks away, so for those of you considering picking up Sony?s new uber-device, it?s time to start thinking about what you will do with it. As you might expect from a device of its sort, the Vita will have all the bells and whistles of a modern handheld media device: It will stream Netflix, have access to the PlayStation Store and all that it offers including video and music rentals, and have other neat-o things like Facebook. It would be odd if it didn?t. It will also play your own video and music files, and it even has front and back cameras. And oh, hey, it can also play games! Who knew?

If you?ve read DT for a while now, then you probably know that we?ve been underwhelmed by the Nintendo 3DS?s weak launch title selection. It was like buying a brand new 55-inch OLED flat screen TV and only being able to watch CSPAN on it. Assuming you didn?t go insane outright, it would still feel like a waste of money and a waste of 55 inches of your wall. It doesn?t matter how great the hardware is if the software isn?t there to back it up. Sony, like genius people, saw this and decided to address that.

The Vita?s launch window line-up is strong like bull, and the rest of the year ? including games that may or may not be out this year but have been officially announced ? is robust. In fact, you should go ahead and begin saving money for games now. Or ideally, about six years ago.

So here is our list of the top 10 most anticipated games on the way for the Vita. A few of these are launch title games, some will fall within the launch window (within the first month or so) or the first year. Others do not have a release date, but still have enough shine to get excited about.

?

Touch My Katamari

(February 22, 2012; Namco Bandai; Namco Bandai)

For those that haven?t played the Katamari titles, it is hard to describe them ? they are extremely weird, and in many ways, quintessentially Japanese. Basically you are the son of the King of the Galaxy. In the first game, he got blackout drunk and kinda lost a bunch of the stars in the sky. In another Katamari game, the King hit a tennis balk through reality and created a black hole that destroyed most of the stars. In order to make things right he sends his?beleaguered?kid to various planets, where the Prince then rolls around and collects junk in an increasingly massive ball. That ball of assorted things is then taken to make stars ? it?s best not to think too much about it. But moving past the bizarreness of it all, the game is just fun. It?s a blast to turn into a giant ball and suck up things like pencils, erasers, and kittens. It is a matter of gameplay over story, and it just works. Make no mistake, this game is not for everyone. It has issues with repetition, the graphics won?t blow anyone away, and it is more of a cult game than anything. But for fans of the series, and for those looking for something a bit different, this game is definitely worth the look.

?

Uncharted: Golden Abyss

(February 22, 2012; SCE Bend Studio/SCE)

If we really have to explain why this game is a must own for Vita owners, then there is something wrong with the world. Sure, not everyone likes the Uncharted series. Even though they are some of the best games on the current generation of consoles. And even though they are exceedingly well written. And even though they are basically movies you play for 10+ hours. And even though ? well, you get the point. Even if this game turns out to be tragically awful (which it won?t be), it is the biggest launch day release for the handheld, and if you are looking for a single-player game with an engrossing story, look no further.

?

Street Fighter X Tekken

(March 6, 2012; Capcom; Capcom)

There are a surprising number of fighting games due out for the Vita within the first year ? at least six have been announced (although not all have a release date yet). Something about the system is just attractive to fighting developers. Perhaps they see the Vita as the one, true handheld. The one portable gaming system to rule them all. The Vita is precious to them? Oddly, Capcom?s Street Fighter X Tekken will actually be competing against another Capcom fighting game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, a port of the console game. You can?t really go wrong with either if you are looking for a fighting title, but SFXT is the new kid on the block. Honestly, it is a toss-up between Capcom?s two fighters, but in terms of anticipation, the potential of the unknown beats the familiarity of the known.?

?

Silent Hill: Book of Memories

(Spring 2012; WayForward Technologies/Konami)

Typically, survival-horror games have never been all that atmospheric on a handheld system. It is one thing to be at home alone with the lights turned off and the stereo amplifying the spooky noises, and another to be on, say, the bus. Granted, that can be equally scary depending on where you live, but usually for other reasons. Still, if someone was really into these games and looking for somewhere to play that would add to the tone, they could go somewhere like a cemetery, thanks to the Vita. Now that would be atmospheric. Also a little stupid and creepy, but definitely atmospheric. Regardless, the Silent Hill franchise is alive and well, and will be heading to your pocket in the next few months with a new type of game, including a focus on multiplayer gameplay.?

?

Dust 514

(Summer 2012; CCP Games; CCP Games)

Set in the universe of Eve Online, this game is interesting for a few reasons. The PS3 version of the game is listed as an MMOFPS, and will likely feature a 32 v. 32 multiplayer matchup. The real question is where does the Vita version fit in? Will it be a direct port of the game, meaning you can switch your game from your PS3 to the Vita on the fly? After all, that is the dream of the portable system. Say you are at home playing a game like Dust 514, and are forced to go outside and enjoy that pesky ?fresh air? that people are always talking about. Maybe you are scheduled to go for a long hike or something. And sure, the mountains are majestic, and the forests are beautiful and blah blah blah, but seeing an acorn on the ground isn?t nearly as cool as being able to sit down next to it and dominate an incoming wave of real-life players. If that is how this game is developed, nature better learn its place.

Call of Duty

(November 2012; TBA; Activision Blizzard)

So far, Activision has only announced that there is a Call of Duty game in the works for the Vita, and that is it ? but we can make some vague guesses. It will be based on the upcoming game that Treyarch (we assume) is developing, and it will be released on either November 6 or 13. Oh, and it will probably be Black Ops 2. Ok, so maybe that isn?t all that vague. Of course, that is all just educated guesswork. Perhaps there won?t even be a Call of Duty game this year. Sure, Activision may just decide that it doesn?t really need to release this year?s iteration of the annual franchise that has consistently made a billion dollars each year for the last few years. Perhaps in its place, it will release Popeye 3: The Revenge. But probably not. The odds are that it will be Treyarch developing this year?s game, which makes it likely that we?ll see Black Ops 2. Whatever the name on the box though, you can count on there being a Call of Duty title later this year.

?

LittleBigPlanet

(2012; Double Eleven & Tarsier Studios/SCE)

Sackboy returns, but despite the regifted name of this game, this is a totally original entry into the series?this will actually be the fourth game in the franchise, but the third game in the series with the exact same name. Seriously, for the next game in the series, how about LittleBigPlanet 5: The Reckoning. Or maybe LBP 5: Sackboy?s Revenge. Just give us something. But what the games lack in originality when it comes to the titles, they make up for in content ? thanks in no small part to the numerous creation options that allow users to make their own levels. In theory, with enough people involved,?LBP could continually produce new content forever. Well, at least for several years until Sackboy 6: The Sackening hits shelves. For fans of the series, the Vita should offer pretty much everything its grown-up PS3 cousin can, plus Vita-created levels will be shareable on the PS3, and vice versa.

?

BioShock

(TBA; Irrational Games/2K Games)

This may seem like a bit a stretch, since all we really know about the game is that it has been announced, but it makes this list for good reason. Beyond the fact that it is coming, the other thing we have heard is that the game will be totally original for the Vita. That alone should be worth your attention. The thing that really sells new hardware isn?t the fancy controls, or how powerful the hardware it is ? at least not on its own. The thing that sells new hardware is exclusive titles that you can only play on that hardware. How many PS3s were sold just so people could continue the Metal Gear Solid franchise or the God of War games? Probably a bunch. Of course, having Netflix, music, and all that jazz in a handheld device helps, but knowing that developers like Irrational are taking the Vita seriously enough to create brand new games in popular franchises is a great sign. Plus, ya know, BioShock is awesome. So there?s that.

??

Killzone

(TBA; Cambridge Studio/SCE)

The biggest advantage that the Vita has is the stable of exclusive hits that Sony has at its command. Sooner or later you can be sure that there will be a new God of War and possibly a Gran Turismo on the Vita, but both are in the middle of development cycles of their own, so it may be a while (especially?Gran Turismo). Thankfully for Sony faithful, there are plenty of other long-standing franchises to get people to chuck down their cash on, including Killzone. This will mark the second time that the Killzone series has headed to a portable device ? 2006?s Killzone: Liberation for the PSP has the honor of first. That game is notable for shying away from the standard FPS genre that the other games in the series operate in, and instead shifting to a third-person POV that played a bit like a dungeon crawler. From what we?ve seen it looks like the Vita game will follow the more familiar FPS path of the other games, but there isn?t much confirmed yet. Regardless, you get to shoot the space Nazis (aka the Helghast), so it is a win-win.

?

Resistance: Burning Skies

(TBA; Nihilistic Software/SCE)

One of the premier franchises on the PS3 since the day the system was released has been Resistance. The series has spawned three console games, one PSP game, novels, comics, possibly the odd and much-regretted tattoo, and more is on the way. Set in an alternate Earth where a race known as the Chimera invaded and diverted the timeline, the Resistance games offer a twisted look at familiar settings. Set in the 1950s, the landmarks of America and Europe are warped reflections of their real counterparts, which means one thing: it is time to kick alien ass. As with the PSP game Resistance: Retribution, Resistance: Burning Skies is a spin-off story with a new character following his own path. In this instance, you play a firefighter watching New York take it on the chin before the events of Resistance 3. If you played Resistance 3, then you know things did not work out so well for the city. In Burning Skies you can make them pay for it.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120126/tc_digitaltrends/the10mostanticipatedplaystationvitagames

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Why Your Business Needs to Be on Google+ Now - Search Engine ...

Here was my reaction to the introduction of Google+ around six months ago:

?Sweet, Google?s rolling out its own improved version of Facebook. Wait, it doesn?t look like there?s anything going on for businesses with this. Wow, not many clicking on the +1 buttons. Hmmm, none of the cool kids are playing much here ? guess we?ll wait and see if this thing grows legs.?

Today, 90 million users later, wait mode is over. Google+ is running on fresh legs - and beckoning us to join while the echo from the starting gun can still be heard.

Jury?s still out, you say? Don?t really want to hear it, as you?ve hit a good stride with other social media activities you must manage? If this aligns at all with your thinking, then now is the time to pretend you have been a bad salesman, and I am Alec Baldwin, who has been sent on a mission of mercy?to help set you straight.

The New Necessity of Google+ for Business

Regardless of your experience with Google+, you may still find yourself needing to articulate, even justify (to yourself, your clients or boss), why attention must be paid to this effort.

The most significant reason to get your business on Google+ is simple: The quality and corresponding engagement around your search engine visibility stands to either noticeably improve or gradually decline.

At the heart of this lies the new ?Search Plus Your World? algorithm (also referred to as ?Search+?), which relies on data collected from logged in Google+ users. The output is search results that display/promote People and (business) Pages in Google+.

This is a bold direction for Google, delivering search results based on a new range of personalization signals that include elements of user engagement we?re familiar with in Facebook (comments, shares, likes - or in Google?s case, +1?s).

Yes, this is still relatively early-stage, but make no mistake. New patterns are being established for the long term. Now, more than ever, is go time.

2 Top Advantages of Google+ Pages for Business

Although related changes to search results were an easy prediction several months ago, there?s now plenty more visible evidence from recent Google algorithm updates that demonstrate the importance of Google+ practices effecting search results both inside and outsidethe Google+ environment.

To clarify on the significance of that last sentence, consider for a moment the work that goes into maintaining status updates and community response on an active Facebook fan page.

Can you get relevant, topical access to Facebook engagement via a Google search? No way. But guess what? You can?t on Facebook either.

Status updates/wall posts come and go. Got a post on your Facebook fan page that got over 350 comments? Cool, but too bad it?s here today and gone tomorrow ? soon to vanish with no commonly known way for anyone to look for or happen upon it in the future.

Like Facebook, you?ll see updates from those you follow (Circle) in Google+. But unlike Facebook, the content in your Google+ posts may turn into highly ranked search results on Google (again, inside or outside the Google+ environment) ? providing keyword and topic-relevant search engine visibility that improves based on your ?AuthorRank? and content-specific engagement levels.

A second key advantage relates to how you can target your messaging and more directly interact with your followers, organizing those you follow into the circles (groups) of your choosing. Google+ has done a good job of enabling a fairly intuitive way to track and engage with segments of an audience curated by you.

Learning From Early Adopters

Perhaps the most valuable piece of advice I can share with you as a marketer who is just getting setup in Google+ or wants to learn more is to create a circle called ?Google+ Resources?, then begin to add people and pages who are on the cutting edge of this subject matter.

A good first Google+ page to add would be Google?s own Google+ Your Business page. Toby Stein, the Pages and Mobile Community Manager for Google+, is great about referencing helpful articles and other expert resources in the field.

Just this week, Gideon Rosenblatt?created a circle that now has over 100 G+ influencers who have demonstrated various levels of thought leadership around social media in the context of this platform. You can follow all of them in the click of a button.

Additional Next-Step Recommendations

I?ve summarized some favorites here, many spelled out in greater detail on Mark Traphagen?s post regarding the ?First 5 Things You Should Do with Your Google+ Business Page?:

• Optimize your page for SEO by completing the verification process, adding recommended links and being smart about keyword placement in your Introduction and Subtitle areas. Thanks to people like AJ Kohn, you can get a deeper understanding of this, and take a closer look at the Google+ anatomy from an SEO perspective, for both personal and business pages.?
• Take advantage of the ?Scrapbook? photos and text editing features to make your page visually appealing and consistent with your brand identity.?
• As always, the quality of your content is of paramount importance. Post pictures and videos when possible. Make your first few posts very rich so new potential followers will be attracted by their first impression of what you?re putting out. Don?t assume what resonates on Facebook will also appeal to your audience here.?
• Promote your business page by leveraging personal profile pages on G+, announcements/requests to follow on other social networks and by using the Google+ Badge on your web pages.?
• Be thoughtful about how you segment your audience with circles, considering how you might post frequently and differently to targeted interests.?
• Monitor your stream, and be intentional about +1?s, comments, and shares of your follower?s posts. As Traphagen notes, ?such engagement seems to be more valued on G+ than on other networks, and will induce your followers to do the same for you.?

Search Results I See Are Looking Less Like Search Results You See

Despite the strong opinions in this post, and in hopes of convincing you I?m really not a Google groupie fan boy ? I will acknowledge that Google?s changes, even with our ability to control multiple query settings, have continued to evolve in a manner that arguably supports the ?filter bubble? problem presented in Eli Pariser?s Ted Talk.

Helen Brown?recently referenced this, along with a statement I?m empathetically compelled to quote: ?Just to do one search in Google the way I used to just last year, I have to turn off two things and turn one on. Every. Single. Time. This is progress??

We face a slew of other issues and challenges as Google and digital marketing in general continue to evolve. For today, hopefully you gained something that will inspire your next action on Google+.

Register now for SES London 2012, the Leading Search & Social Marketing Event, taking place 20-24 February, 2012. SES Conference & Expo features presentations and panel discussions that cover all aspects of search engine-related promotion. Hurry, early bird rate expires February 3!

Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2141454/Why-Your-Business-Needs-to-Be-on-Google-Now

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Lady Gaga Opens Italian Restaurant With Her Dad

Joanne Trattoria named in honor of her late aunt.
By Gil Kaufman

Lady Gaga
Photo: Alo Ceballos/FilmMagic

Lady Gaga is know for being ostentatious, outrageous and making the biggest entrance possible. But for a star that has made her name for shocking our senses, Mother Monster's newest venture is decidedly low-key.

After dropping several mentions in interviews over the past few months about a new restaurant she planned to launch with her father, Joseph Germanotta, Joanne Trattoria will finally open its doors on Wednesday.

The modest Italian neighborhood eatery on West 68th Street in New York was described by The New York Times as having a "well-stocked bar, a cozy back patio and seating for about 70 people." The walls are covered with scenes of the Tuscan countryside and near a fireplace at the entrance diners will see some Germanotta family photos hanging by a front booth.

The restaurant will be run by Joseph and Gaga's mother, Cynthia, and her proud pop admitted that his daughter "just generates a lot of sizzle," helping to get the word out about the venture. The chef and partner in the business is Art Smith, who met Gaga at a taping for the "Oprah Winfrey Show." Smith was Winfrey's personal chef for several years.

The name was inspired by Joseph's late sister, Joanne, who died of lupus at age 19. Not only is Joanne Gaga's middle name, but in a number of interviews the singer has opened up about her strong connection with her late aunt.

"I thought I was gonna die," she said she said last year. "I wanted to be the artists I loved, like Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol -- and I thought the only way to do it was to live the lifestyle. But then I realized my father's sister Joanne, who'd died at 19, had instilled her spirit in me. She was a painter and a poet -- and I had a spiritual vision I had to finish her business."

The Times noted that Gaga is not officially a part-owner of the restaurant, which Joseph said the family could have afforded to open even if his daughter had not risen to global fame. It has long been his dream to open the eatery, he said, and visitors at Joanne will dine on "Southern Italian," given that Smith is from the South and the Germanotta's are Italian.

That means they will chow down on dishes such as "Papa G's chicken," traditional offerings like osso buco inspired by Joanne and Cynthia's salad, named for Gaga's mother.

Hoping to temper fans' expectations, Joseph said he wasn't sure if he'd post current pics of Gaga among the family photos. Maybe, he said, just and old one in which she's not as recognizable. And though he's happy to have his eldest get the word out about the family business, if fans make the trek expecting to see a trophy case with VMAs and Grammys, "it's not going to happen," he warned.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677929/lady-gaga-dad-italian-restaurant.jhtml

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Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos dies in accident (AP)

ATHENS, Greece ? He was known for his slow and dream-like directing style and had enough stamina at 76 to be working on his latest movie.

But award-winning Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos was killed in a road accident Tuesday after being hit by a motorcycle while walking across a road close to a movie set near Athens' main port of Piraeus.

The driver, who was also injured and hospitalized, was later identified as an off-duty police officer.

The accident occurred while Angelopoulos was working on his upcoming movie "The Other Sea."

Angelopoulos had won numerous awards for his movies, mostly at European film festivals, during a career that spanned more than 40 years.

In 1995, he won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for "Ulysses' Gaze," starring American actor Harvey Keitel. Three years later, he won the main prize at the festival, the Palme d'Or, for "Eternity and a Day," starring Swiss actor Bruno Ganz.

"The atmosphere, symbolism and historical context of his cinematic storytelling went beyond the art form that he worked in and inspired young filmmakers," Greek President Karolos Papoulias said Wednesday. "(This) occurred at a time when he was extremely creative and the country was in need of his insight, making his absence all the more painful."

Survived by his wife Phoebe and three daughters, Angelopoulos is to be buried Friday at Athens' First Cemetery.

Greece's state Ambulance Service, meanwhile, has ordered an inquiry into reports that paramedics arrived at the scene of the accident 45 minutes after they were called.

Born in Athens in 1935, Angelopoulos lived through the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II and the ensuing 1946-49 Greek civil war ? recurring themes in his early films.

He studied law at Athens University, but eventually lost interest and moved to France where he studied film at the Institute of Advanced Cinematographic Studies in Paris.

After returning to Greece, he worked as a film critic for a small, left-wing newspaper and started to make films during Greece's 1967-74 dictatorship.

Described as mild-mannered but uncompromising, Angelopoulos' often sad and slow-moving films mostly dealt with issues from Greece's turbulent recent history: war, exile, immigration and political division.

It was not until 1984 with "Voyage to Kythera" that his scripts were written in collaboration with others.

Angelopoulos attracted mostly art-house audiences, using established actors including Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau in two of his most widely acclaimed films, "The Bee Keeper" and "The Suspended Stride of the Stalk."

His bleak landscapes, slow editing pace and long spells without any dialogue meant his movies did not always please filmgoers or critics.

American film critic Roger Ebert wrote of "Ulysses' Gaze": "There is a temptation to give 'Ulysses' Gaze' the benefit of the doubt: To praise it for its vision, its daring, its courage, its great length. But I would not be able to look you in the eye if you went to see it, because how could I deny that it is a numbing bore?"

In a rare television interview last year, Angelopoulos said his next film was to be about Greece's major financial crisis. He publicly called on rival political parties to work together to try and ease the hardships facing many Greeks.

"I remain a leftist in total confusion," he told state-run NET television.

Several months later, the country's two main rival political parties agreed to form a coalition government to tackle Greece's enormous debt problems.

"This is an emergency situation. We must realize this. So we must all examine what can be done ? the left and right. This is my plea," he said in the interview. "I am afraid of what tomorrow will bring."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obits/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_ot/eu_greece_obit_angelopoulos

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Jailed NY fraudster admits plot to kill witness (AP)

NEW YORK ? The convicted mastermind of a $100 million mortgage fraud scheme admitted Monday to plotting the death of a key witness in his trial while behind bars, with an undercover investigator posing as a hit man.

Former AFG Financial Group Inc. President Aaron Hand pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors had said he gave the phony contract killer money to buy a gun, issued detailed instructions ? including how to make the murder look like a gang attack ? and agreed to pay $2,000.

"I wish I was there to ... watch him suffer," Hand told the investigator in a recorded conversation at the prison, according to prosecutors.

He was already serving 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison and is facing an additional sentence of 8 to 16 years to run consecutively when he is sentenced Feb. 6. He had faced 25 to life if convicted on the more serious charge of attempted murder.

His attorney told the New York Post the deal was a "more appropriate" way to resolve the situation. The attorney didn't immediately return a call seeking comment from The Associated Press.

The witness, whom prosecutors wouldn't name, was one of several who cooperated and testified against Hand in the case. They detailed an expansive scheme in which a troop of corrupt mortgage brokers and lawyers pocketed money that banks lent people to buy real estate, duping both sellers and buyers along the way. Hand, 39, was convicted in July 2010 of racketeering and other charges.

The witness was one of the 27 who pleaded guilty or were convicted in connection with AFG Financial Group, prosecutors said, but they declined to discuss the outcome of the witness' case.

Authorities had gotten a tip earlier that Hand was interested in arranging a hit, so they sent the undercover investigator his way, prosecutors said.

He laid out a detailed plan to the undercover officer, telling the supposed hit man to block the witness's driveway so he couldn't escape, to kill the man's wife and children if they were home at the time, to wear gloves and to leave no DNA, prosecutors said. He later decided against staging the killing at the witness's home, prosecutors said.

To get the investigator $150 to buy a gun, Hand told his parents and an associate he needed to bribe a prison guard to avoid being transferred to an undesirable cell, prosecutors said.

The undercover investigator visited Hand again, saying he'd gotten the gun, had followed the witness a few times in preparation and was ready to go ? and there would be no turning back once he left the prison that day, prosecutors said.

Hand told him to do it, prosecutors said, telling the officer to paint gang symbols on the intended victim's car so the murder would seem gang-related.

The Garden City, N.Y.-based company AFG Financial Group isn't related to American Financial Group, of Cincinnati, an insurance company that goes by AFG.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_us/us_mortgage_fraud_hit_plot_case

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HIV-infected man fights to become Atlanta officer (AP)

ATLANTA ? A former investigator with the city of Los Angeles claims Atlanta police rejected his job application solely because he has HIV, a decision he said breaks the law and perpetuates stereotypes about people with the virus.

Atlanta police argue hiring the man poses a threat to the health and safety of the public, setting up a legal fight that is being followed closely by gay rights groups and police agencies.

A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case Wednesday, and judges will have the chance to pepper both sides with questions.

"It's shocking and frustrating and very saddening that in 2012 this is still going on," said the 40-year-old man who sued the city of Atlanta in 2010 under the pseudonym Richard Roe. "People are living with HIV and, for the most part, they are living normal lives and productive lives."

Roe spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because he believes his medical condition could prevent him from other job opportunities.

Roe's anonymous lawsuit mirrors a battle that has largely been waged quietly, without high-profile protests or marches. Several similar lawsuits have been dismissed by judges who sided with the police departments, or the cases were settled out of court, the agreements kept confidential.

A lower judge sided with the city of Atlanta in November 2010 and threw out the lawsuit, ruling that Roe failed to prove he didn't pose a "direct threat" to the health and safety of others. Roe appealed the decision.

Atlanta attorneys said in court documents Roe didn't disclose his condition and warned he couldn't perform "essential functions" of an officer. The police department and city officials have refused to comment beyond court filings.

Roe said he was a criminal investigator with the city of Los Angeles, though he did not work with the police department. He discovered he had HIV in 1997 but said it didn't hinder his ability to perform his duties. He said his infection never came up with the city.

He moved to Atlanta to find a better job, and in January 2006 began the lengthy process to join the city's police force. He passed a written test, a psychological exam, computerized voice stress analysis and a background check. The roadblock came after a blood test during a physical revealed he had the virus that causes AIDS, his lawsuit said. The doctor did not do any further tests.

Roe said the physician, Dr. Alton Greene, told him Atlanta police had a policy of refusing to hire officers with the virus. Roe said the doctor's statement violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which he said prevents employers from dismissing anyone because they have HIV.

The city said they do not systematically reject job applicants because of HIV, but instead they look at each individual on a case-by-case basis.

In Roe's case, the city said, the doctor recommended that he have "no physical contact or involvement with individuals."

Catherine Hanssens, executive director of the Center for HIV Law and Policy, said the Roe case centers on the "belief that, 30 years into the epidemic, HIV is easily transmitted and results in a death sentence when it is transmitted."

"And neither of those are remotely close to the truth," she said.

Nurses, paramedics and other first responders with HIV have faced similar challenges over the years by employers, said Hanssens, but she said legal fights in those professions don't often surface much anymore because decades of litigation and medical research shows those with HIV can work in higher-risk fields.

Scott Schoettes of Lambda Legal, the gay rights group that represents Roe, said the city will not be able to show that someone with HIV presents a public threat.

"And maybe other departments will realize that they should create a policy that explicitly says HIV should not disqualify you from getting a job," he said.

Police departments often don't have a policy about whether to hire an officer with HIV, and those that do are loath to advertise the decision to protect the privacy of their officers.

Darrel Stephens, the executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, said his group has no guidelines for members on how to treat applicants with HIV. The Fraternal Order of Police also doesn't have a policy, but president Chuck Canterbury said his group argues that officers with the virus should be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Roe, who is in school studying criminal justice, said he's waging the legal battle because he wants to serve the city.

"Because of my desire to serve my community, I wouldn't want to be anywhere but out in the public," he said. "Making the streets safer for the underdog is one of the most rewarding things I can do."

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_us/us_police_hiv_lawsuit

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We'll tolerate 15 seconds for online ads

Poll Position

By Suzanne Choney

There may be 15 seconds of fame (15 minutes is so 2011), but there's also 15 seconds of tolerance for an online ad. That's what a recent survey finds.

On websites where content is free ? no subscription or charge required?? ad revenue is crucial to financially supporting a site. Just about everyone understands that. But there is a limit to patience when it comes to ads that play before a story or content is shared, a new survey from Poll Position finds. The organization polled 1,179 registered voters nationwide on Jan. 15.

More than half, or 54 percent, say it's "acceptable" to have ads of 15 seconds. Longer ads were OK by some: 30 seconds was the limit for 12 percent, 45 seconds for 4 percent; and 60 seconds for 3 percent (the last group must be students of advertising or people with way, way too much time on their hands).

Yet, 27 percent said they had no opinion on the matter. They either must be offline or busy streaming ad-free movies to their TVs.

Related stories:

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10217665-well-tolerate-15-seconds-for-online-ads

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Huawei Honor Review

With a new Android device announced ever hour, it takes a lot to make a device stand out from the crowd. Some devices are marketed heavily, some bring new features and others just fall to the wayside after announcement, and the Huawei Honor is a handset that falls in the middle of a bunch of these categories. Claims of three-day battery life certainly piqued our interest, but we'll have to get this in the States first before we'll celebrate too much. But that didn't slow us down at all. We got the Honor in our hands, and it's time to put it through its paces.

Could the Huawei Honor bring enough to the table to make some folks want to import the device, or to make it a daily driver for those who are able to purchase and make use of it? Let’s hit the break and take a look at how it rates.

The Huawei Honor offers a solid build quality, large screen, fast processor and a demo ICS ROM already.	The self-proclaimed amazing battery life was anything but, and the 8-megapixel camera disappointed. Currently unavailable in the U.S.
The hardware is very well built and the Honor runs rather smoothly. We can expect to see support for ICS on this device since we already saw the demo ROM available, and with multiple colors available the device is sure to meet your style requirements.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/xWv14iWuiPg/story01.htm

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Complication in first triple limb transplant

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? A Turkish doctor whose 25-member team performed the world's first triple limb transplant ? two arms and a leg ? says the leg has been removed due to tissue incompatibility.

Dr. Omer Ozkan says 34-year-old Atilla Kavdir is in stable condition after the removal of the leg on Sunday, a day after it was attached. Kavdir lost his arms and right leg when he was 11 after he hit power lines outside his home with an iron rod to scare away pigeons and received an electric shock.

Ozkan said another patient who received a full face transplant from the same donor is in stable condition. It was Turkey's first face transplant.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-22-EU-Turkey-Multiple-Transplants/id-29257d913ecc4d699891db8cf613360b

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Mitt Romney's Stance On Dream Act Threatens To Turn Off Hispanic Voters In Florida

By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MIAMI--Mitt Romney's promise to veto a measure that would create a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants threatens to turn off some Hispanic voters, whose support could be critical in a general election match-up against President Barack Obama.

The issue is gaining prominence as the GOP front-runner heads toward the Jan. 31 primary in Florida, even though most of the state's Hispanics are Puerto Rican or Cuban-American and, thus, aren't affected by U.S. immigration law, nor view it as a priority. Still, it's a state where 13 percent of registered voters are Hispanic, where the nation's largest Spanish-language TV networks are based, and where the nation's third-largest number of undocumented immigrants live--intensifying the focus on Romney's position.

"Latino voters, like all voters in this country, are interested in America being an opportunity nation," Romney said Monday night during a debate in South Carolina, when asked if his promise to veto the so-called Dream Act was alienating voters. "In my view, as long as we communicate to the people of all backgrounds in this country that it can be better, and that America is a land of opportunity, we will get those votes."

Maybe not.

His veto promise ? first made in the days before the Iowa caucuses--has hit a nerve with prominent Hispanics, and some Republicans worry that the position will turn off the growing number of Latino voters in swing-voting states, particularly in the west, who are now on the fence after backing Obama in 2008. These Republicans suggest that Romney was trying to curry favor with hardline Republican primary voters at the expense of Hispanics whose support he would need come the fall.

"If Romney's the nominee, he's going to have to come to the center and make some decisions about how to resolve that issue," said Republican Herman Echevarria, a Cuban-American who is the CEO of a Miami-based bilingual advertising agency and a longtime local political player. "He's trying to be a conservative candidate. And if you don't become a conservative candidate, you cannot be the candidate of the Republicans. But you cannot be elected president just as a conservative candidate."

Already, there are signs of backlash.

For Colombia native Ana Rodriguez, a Miami-based graphic designer who received political asylum and will become a U.S. citizen this year, Romney's comments are precisely what motivated her to vote--against him. "Because of what I went through," Rodriguez said, "I want more people (elected) who are interested in supporting immigrants and want a more equal and fair system of immigration."

Florida Dream Act activists, who have been among the most visible in the nation, also are promising to keep the heat on Romney as his campaign comes to the state.

And last week, at El Tropical restaurant in Miami, Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who has endorsed Romney, told a group of mostly Cuban-American GOP primary voters that the former Massachusetts governor was the only candidate who could fix the economy and protect U.S. security interests. Then, a young Colombian immigrant stepped forward and asked Diaz-Balart, who has championed immigrants' rights including the Dream Act, how the congressman could support Romney.

"You have been such a friend to us, I just don't understand," said Juan Rodriguez, a student at Florida International University who was among a half-dozen students who walked from Miami to Washington in the winter to raise awareness of the legislation.

The exchange was caught on tape by several Spanish-language media outlets that reach viewers around the world.

Romney has arguably the toughest immigration position of any of the Republican candidates. Newt Gingrich would give legal status to undocumented immigrants who have deep roots in the U.S. and lived otherwise lawfully.

Conversely, Romney has been adamantly opposed to any type of amnesty for undocumented immigrants since his first White House run in 2008. Previously, he called reasonable a bipartisan proposal to allow immigrants to seek green cards in exchange for certain penalties, though he says he never officially supported such legislation.

Last year, Romney objected to the Dream Act. But he went further in the days before the Iowa caucuses when asked if he would veto the measure.

"The answer is yes," Romney told voters then.

While he said he does not oppose creating a path for those who serve in the U.S. military to become permanent residents, he also said he doesn't believe such individuals should be able to adjust their status by attending school, nor should they receive in-state tuition.

Since narrowly winning the Iowa caucuses, Romney has been sending Hispanics mixed messages.

He's working to woo Hispanics and convince them he's sincere in fighting their causes, recently launching TV commercials in Florida featuring Cuban-Americans Diaz-Balart and fellow U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, as well as his son Craig speaking in Spanish.

But, in South Carolina, he's also been campaigning with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the leading architect behind the tough Arizona-style immigration laws. Even many Latinos who support tougher immigration laws worry such measures will lead to racial profiling because they give broad leeway to law enforcement to stop anyone whom they suspect of being in the country without documents.

"This is all about his primary right now," said Benjamin Bishin, a University of California, Riverside political science professor who has long studied Cuban-American and other Latino political attitudes.

Jennifer Korn of the center-right group the Hispanic Leadership Network, which is co-hosting a GOP primary debate and Latino conference this month in Florida, said Romney took a risk in alienating Hispanic voters. But, she added, he's also made clear he wants to fix the broader immigration system.

"If he explains it correctly, he definitely has a chance to have the Hispanic community listen to what he has to say," she said.

He seemed to try to do just that during recent debates, saying: "I love legal immigration," but that "to protect our legal immigration system we have got to protect our borders and stop the flood of illegal immigration."

That appeared to be enough for Peter Gonzalez, a Cuban-American commercial attorney and fiscally conservative Democrat.

"It's nice to hear a guy who the media has said is taking a harsh turn to the right on immigration say they love legal immigration," he said.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/mitt-romney-dream-act_n_1220624.html

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