Michigan governor to declare Detroit fiscal emergency: source

LANSING, Michigan (Reuters) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will officially declare a financial emergency for Detroit on Friday, paving the way for a state takeover of the city, a state government source said on Thursday.

At a forum in Detroit, the Republican governor will endorse the February 19 findings of a six-member review team that concluded the city's dire financial situation constituted an emergency, according to the source, who asked not to be identified.

Sara Wurfel, Snyder's spokeswoman, said the governor will outline "his determination on whether or not there is an emergency."

The official declaration of an emergency for Michigan's biggest city will trigger a 10-day deadline for Detroit officials to request a hearing with Snyder. It will likely result in the appointment of an emergency financial manager to manage its fiscal affairs.

The review team said the city is plagued by "operational dysfunction," but made no official recommendation on the need to appoint an emergency financial manager, leaving that to the governor.

Detroit, which has been struggling for years with a falling population, shrinking tax base and large payroll for city services, has been operating since April 2012 under an agreement that gave the state some oversight. But the slow pace of reforms led Snyder to launch a new review of the city last December.

If the state decides to appoint an emergency financial manager, that person could decide the city's only course for survival would be a bankruptcy filing in what would become the largest municipal bankruptcy in the United States.

The emergency manager would be officially chosen by a state board composed of the state treasurer, budget director, and licensing and regulatory affairs director - all of whom are Snyder appointees.

Snyder has publicly discussed qualifications he would seek in the manager and has said he had a short list of candidates for the job.

(Reporting By Dawson Bell; Additional reporting by Karen Pierog; Editing by Greg McCune and Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michigan-governor-declare-detroit-fiscal-emergency-source-231857763.html

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Smart watches gain interest and popularity

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. These new watches not only tell time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. These new watches not only tell time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connects to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connects to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) ? On a sunny day at a picnic table in Silicon Valley, Eric Migicovsky glanced down at his wristwatch. He wasn't checking the time, he was checking his email. Glancing up, he grinned. The message was from yet another journalist.

In this corner of a world obsessed with the latest tech gadget, Migicovsky is this week's hotshot as his start-up company rolls out its new, high-tech Pebble smart watches. The $150, postage stamp-sized computer on a band is tethered wirelessly to a wearer's Android or iPhone.

With hands truly free, wearers can also read texts, see who is calling them, scan Twitter or Facebook feeds and yes, check the time, while digging in their garden, barbequing a steak or ? as he was doing when he conceived of the idea ? riding a bike when his phone began to ring.

And that's just the first version. Apps are being developed that could eventually bring everything from Angry Birds to eBay bidding onto our wrists.

"I like it when I'm running," says Migicovsky, "I like it on the subway, on an airplane, anytime I want to see what's on my phone without pulling it out of my pocket."

Pebble, which began shipping in January, is not the first to make a play for the watch market, which dwindled when consumers added smartphones to their purses and pockets. But this little firm of 11 is the most popular in the smart watch sector today, bubbling up amid rampant rumors that Apple has its own iWatch in the works.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison declined to comment, but it wasn't the first time she'd been asked. Apple has several patents for high-tech watches.

Tim Bajarin, a Creative Strategies analyst who's followed Apple for more than three decades, said he's been waiting for an iWatch ever since the company introduced a tiny Nano in 2010 and consumers began strapping them to their wrists.

"I do believe that Apple could potentially disrupt the watch market if they took their innovative design and tied it to their smartphones and ecosystems," he said. "We have no knowledge that they are doing this, but the area is ripe for innovation."

Meanwhile, Bajarin has one of the first 6,000 Pebbles shipped out so far, and he was gushing over it.

"I love it," he said. "I have four or five people who message me consistently, mostly my wife. In the past, I was always being forced to look at the face of my smartphone to see who it was, now I just glance at my wrist."

The next step? He wants a "Dick Tracy watch" that he could verbally order around, instead of pushing buttons.

Even without Apple, Pebble already faces serious competition with a handful of other smart watches.

The Cookoo, selling for $130, has a battery that lasts a year, compared to Pebble's once-a-week charge. The Sony SmartWatch, at $129.98, has a touchscreen, Motorola's $149 MOTOACTV includes a heart rate monitor and MetaWatch's $299 STRATA has a more feminine design.

These newly emerging devices are innovative not only for what they do, but also for how they were funded.

Last April, after failing to convince venture capitalists to fund Pebble, Migicovsky pitched it on Kickstarter, a website where any Internet user can support a project. He asked for $100,000. He got $10.3 million before capping his request. Supporters who spent $115 were promised a watch, which means Pebble has already sold about 85,000 watches. Cookoo and STRATA also turned to Kickstarter for start-up funding.

Michael Gartenberg, research director for technology research firm Gartner Inc., warned all of these start-ups face major challenges.

"There's been a lot of failed efforts to create smart watches and the key will be for vendors to understand the watch isn't just another digital device," he said. "Consumers wear watches for many reasons that have nothing to do with telling time, as evidenced by watch companies such as Rolex."

Gartenberg said that so far, none of the smart watches are really designed for the mass market. "The real question is will Apple or Google get into this space?" he asked, noting that Microsoft tried some years ago with their failed SPOT watches.

Any new device, even a watch, also raises regulatory questions. Are they safe to use on airplanes? Could they interfere with other devices? California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Erin Komatsubara said drivers are allowed to glance at a smart watch but it's not recommended to try to read anything at all while driving.

"It's considered a distraction," she said. "Two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel, that's what we really, really want."

Manuel Yazijian, president of The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, said mechanical watches have a mystique of their own. But he said watchmakers may eventually turn their focus, attention to detail and ability to work on small items to smart watches.

"It's a different ballgame. I just don't know if they'll need maintenance and repair yet," he said. "Time will tell, no pun intended."

And the app Yazijian would like to see? "Our industry likes the old school mechanical stuff that ticks, like a heartbeat, like a live animal on your wrist," he said. "It would be so cool if the smart watch could make a ticking sound, right?"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-28-What's%20On%20Your%20Wrist?/id-36cabe55c072456ab0d241a0b5d1caaa

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farb889: Qualicum Sports | Recreation | Boating Basics Course

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Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
April 2, 9, 16 & 23 2013 Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

This is a four day course to obtain a Pleasure Craft Operators Card (PCOC).
Books may be picked up early from Bob Lineham at b_lineham@shaw.ca , or phone
250-757-8332.

You will also receive a one year Associate Membership in the Ballenas Squadron.

This course is open to the public and is geared for all ages.

Source: http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/boating-basics-course/2013-04-02/

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Source: http://farb889.blogspot.com/2013/02/qualicum-sports-recreation-boating.html

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Charity Spotlight: Young Performing Artists Seeks to Provide ...

Meet today?s charity spotlight Young Performing Artists (YPA), Inc. a nonprofit focused on youth, whose mission is to identify and address the specialized needs of young performing and visual artists and to provide creative solutions to youth development. The organization tells BCG their goals and objectives are to provide art education scholarships, provide opportunities for young people to access art, cultural &historical awareness, enhancement, training and education, to schedule performances, concerts and competitions for young artists, and provide assistance, resources and tools to launch careers of young artists in the Entertainment and Arts Industries.

Congratulations are in order as 2013 marks the 15th anniversary of the organization. And boy have they been busy, over the last 15 years, they have taken the?opportunity to develop some tremendous programs while providing positive character building activities, self-esteem motivation, enriching art activities, cultural awareness, and historic preservation.

Funding has abled YPA to establish Sumter County?s (FL) only African American cultural and historical facility. A facility that encapsulate the rich history of one of Florida?s oldest African American communities, the Community of Royal, which has a great potential to attract tourists.

Counted among Florida?s many fine art organizations and as one of the few Florida art organizations whose mission is to identify and address the specialized needs of the young artists. From the beginning, they ?realized that ?young artists needed more than just the opportunity to entertain and children, in general, needed more than just to scratch the surface of arts to appreciate the learning.?YPAs, Inc. annual school based project entitled ?School Cultural Art Education Program? ?has reached over 5,000 students over the past 11 years.

We here at BCG Salute?Young Performing Artists and wish them another 15 years of success!?Learn more about this organization online you can check out their work on Youtube, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and visit them online!

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Source: http://www.blackcelebritygiving.com/2013/02/charity-spotlight-young-performing-artists-seeks-to-provide-creative-solutions-to-youth-development/

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House to take up Senate's anti-violence act

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress appeared on a course to renew the expired Violence Against Women Act after House Republican leaders on Tuesday agreed to take up a version of the 1994 anti-domestic violence law that passed the Senate two weeks ago by a wide, bipartisan margin.

The decision to allow a vote on the Senate bill, rather than insist on the House GOP's more limited version, could help avoid a bitter partisan fight over an issue important to women at a time that Congress is already embroiled in an unbecoming political standoff over budgetary issues.

The House Rules Committee decided that the House on Wednesday will take up the Senate bill. The House alternative will be offered as an amendment and, if that is defeated, the House will then vote to pass the Senate measure, sending it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The Senate bill expands the law, which expired in 2011, to better protect lesbians and gays, immigrants and Native American women. House Republicans introduced a more limited bill this week, setting off cries of protest from Democrats, the White House, women's advocacy groups and some Republicans who said it was inadequate to meet the needs of anti-domestic abuse programs.

House Democrats said Tuesday that no one in their caucus would support the Republican bill, meaning that the opposition of a small number of Republicans could spell its defeat.

A similar scenario played out last year when the Senate passed a more ambitious bill by a wide, bipartisan margin and the House took a different course with a largely partisan bill. The year ended without a compromise and with Democrats making election-year claims that GOP actions on the bill exposed the party's lack of commitment to women's issues.

The Violence Against Women Act is regarded as the foundation of efforts over the past two decades to make the country more aware of the serious nature of domestic violence and to take steps to both prevent violence and better prosecute those who assault their domestic partners. The law provides grants to states and local governments for transitional housing, hotlines, law enforcement training and legal assistance.

The Senate bill explicitly extends more protections to lesbians and gays and immigrants and gives tribal authorities more power to prosecute non-Indians who assault Indians on reservations. It also has provisions regarding college campus safety and reducing the backlog of rape kit analyses and reauthorizes legislation dealing with human trafficking.

A major point of dispute was over the Indian courts. Native American women are assaulted at rates far higher than national averages, and more than half of cases involving non-Indians go unprosecuted because Indian courts do not have jurisdiction and federal prosecutors often do not have the resources to try cases on isolated reservations.

Some Republicans contended that subjecting non-Indians to Indian courts was unconstitutional.

The bill passed the Senate two weeks ago on a 78-22 vote, with every Democrat, every woman senator and 23 out of 45 Republicans voting for it.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-senates-anti-violence-act-020138128.html

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Sony begins exploring Firefox OS, dares Xperia E owners to experiment with new ROM

Well, that didn't take long. A mere couple of days after announcing it, too, would be jumping on the Firefox OS bandwagon, Sony's now let it be known that it's making an "experimental" ROM available to devs (or any common, daring owner) with an Xperia E device. According the company's Developer World blog post, this developmental version of Mozilla's fresh mobile software is being released in order to show the current progress of the OS project, as well as in hopes of receiving feedback that'll be beneficial toward the finished product. Folks interested in tinkering with the Firefox OS ROM can hit the source link below to see what it all entails, while those only looking for a quick peek will find just that in the video situated right after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Via: The Verge

Source: Sony Developer World

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/0glmnPA-0pU/

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Richard (RJ) Eskow: Lords of Disorder: Billions For Wall Street, Sacrifice For Everyone Else

The president's "sequester" offer slashes non-defense spending by $830 billion over the next ten years. That happens to be the precise amount we're implicitly giving?Wall Street's biggest banks over the same time period.

We're collecting nothing from the big banks in return for our generosity. ?Instead we're demanding sacrifice from the elderly, the disabled, the poor, the young, the middle class - pretty much everybody, in fact, who isn't "too big to fail."

That's injustice on a medieval scale, served up with a medieval caste-privilege flavor. The only difference is that nowadays injustices are presented with spreadsheets and PowerPoints, rather than with scrolls and trumpets and kingly proclamations.

And remember: The White House represents the?liberal?side of these negotiations.

The Grandees

The $83 billion 'subsidy' for America's ten biggest banks first appeared?in an?editorial?from?Bloomberg News?- which, as the creation of New York's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg, is hardly a lefty outfit.? That editorial drew upon sound economic analyses to estimate the value of the US government's implicit promise to bail these banks out.

Then it showed that, without that advantage, these banks would not be making a profit at all.

That means that all of those banks' CEOs, men (they're all men) who preen and strut before the cameras and lecture Washington on its profligacy, would not only have lost their jobs and fortunes in 2008 because of their incompetence -?they would probably lose their jobs again today.

Tell that to Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, or Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, both of whom have told us it's imperative that we cut social programs for the elderly and disabled to "save our economy." The elderly and disabled have paid for those programs - just as they paid to rescue Jamie Dimon and Lloyd Blankfein, and just as they implicitly continue to pay for that rescue today.

Dimon, Blankfein and their peers are like the?grandees?of imperial Spain and Portugal. They've been given great wealth and great power over others, not through native ability but by the largesse of the Throne.

Lords of Disorder

Just yesterday, in a rare burst of candor, Dimon said this to investors on a quarterly earnings?call: "This bank is anti-fragile, we actually benefit from downturns."

It's true, of course. Other corporations - in fact, everybody else - has to survive or fail in real-world conditions. But Dimon and his peers are wrapped in a protective force field which was created by the people, of the people, and for ... well, for Dimon and his peers.

The term "antifragile" was coined by maverick financier and analyst Nassim Taleb, whose book of the same name is subtitled "Things That Gain From Disorder." That's a good description of JPMorgan Chase and the nation's other megabanks.

Arbitraging Failure

Dimon's comment was another way of saying that his bank, and everything it represents, is?The Shock Doctrine?made manifest. The nation's megabanks are arbitraging their own failures, and the economic crises that flow from those failures.

These institutions are designed to prey off economic misery. They suppress genuine market forces in order to thrive, and they couldn't do it without our ongoing help. The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are making it happen.

We who have made these banks "antifragile" have crowned their leaders our Lords of Disorder.

Once Dimon told?reporters?that he explained to his seven-year-old daughter what a financial crisis is - "something that happens ... every five to seven years," which "we need to do a better job" managing.

Thanks to fat political contributions, Dimon manages them well. So do his peers. Misery is the business model. And by Dimon's reckoning another shock's coming any day now.

Money For Nothing

Bloomberg's use of the word 'subsidy' in this instance can be slightly misleading. Public institutions don't issue $83 billion in checks to Wall Street's biggest banks every year. But they didn't let them fail as they should have - through an orderly liquidation - after they created the crisis of 2008 through fraud and chicanery. Instead it allowed them to prosper from it, creating that $83 billion implicit guarantee.

As we detailed in 2011, the TARP program didn't "make money," either. Banks received a free and easy trillion-plus dollars from our public institution, on terms that amounted to a gift worth tens of billions, and possibly hundreds of billions.

That gift prevented them from failing. In private enterprise, this kind of rescue is only given in return for part ownership or other financial concessions. But our government asked for nothing of the kind.

Unpaid Debts

Breaking up the big banks would have protected the public from more harm at their hands. That didn't happen.

Government institutions could have imposed a financial transaction tax, whose revenue could be used to repair the harm the banks caused while at the same time discouraging runaway gambling. ?They still could.

They could have imposed fees on the largest banks to offset the $83 billion per year advantage we've given them. They still could.

But they haven't. This one-sided giveaway is the equivalent of an $83 billion gift for Wall Street each and every year.

Cut and Paste

$83 billion per year: Our current budget debate is framed in ten-year cycles, which means that's $830 billion in Sequester Speak.? You'd think our deficit-obsessed capital would be trying to collect that very reasonable amount from Wall Street. Instead the White House is proposing?$130 billion in Social Security cuts, $400 in Medicare reductions, $200 billion in "non-health mandatory savings," and $100 billion in non-defense discretionary cuts.

That adds up to exactly $830 billion.

No doubt there is genuine waste that could be cut. But $830 billion, or some portion of it, could be used to grow our economy and brings tens of millions of Americans out of the ongoing recession that is their daily reality, even as the Lords of Disorder continue to prosper. It could be used for educating our young people and helping them find work, for reducing the escalating number of people in poverty, for addressing our crumbling infrastructure, for giving people decent jobs.

It's going to Wall Street instead.

Trillion-Dollar Tribute

The right word for that is?tribute.?As in, "a payment by one ruler or nation to another in acknowledgment of submission ..." or "an excessive tax, rental, or tariff imposed by a government, sovereign, lord, or landlord?...?an exorbitant charge levied by a person or group having the power of coercion." (Courtesy?Merriam-Webster)

In this case the tribute is made possible, not by military occupation, but by the hijacking of our political process by the corrupting force of corporate contributions.

The fruits of that victory are rich: Bank profits are at near-record highs. Most of the country is still struggling to dig out from the wreckage they created but, as Demos' Policy Shop puts it, "for the banks it's 2006 all over again."

On Bended Knee

"Millions for defense," they said in John Adams' day, "but not one cent for tribute."

Today we're paying for both. That doesn't leave much for the elderly, the disabled, the impoverished, the children, or anybody else who doesn't?"benefit from disorder."?Nobody's fighting for them in this budget battle.

That leaves the public with a clear choice: Demand solutions that are more just and democratic - or submit willingly to the Lords of Disorder.

?

Follow Richard (RJ) Eskow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rjeskow

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/lords-of-disorder-billion_b_2771297.html

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Google+ Photos app for Chromebooks revealed in more detail, thanks to new screenshots

Chances are, you've been gawking at that gorgeous new Pixel Chromebook, but aren't planning on, you know, buying it. No matter. For those of you who enjoy software porn, we've got a few more shots of the Pixel's forthcoming Photos application, which will eventually make its way to other Chromebooks, too. A developer on Google+ named François Beaufort has uploaded a series of screenshots, giving us a more detailed look -- good news since we only had three screens to show you when the software was first announced. Included in Beaufort's gallery is the settings page, which confirms that automatic photo uploads from SD cards are actually optional. The one thing you won't see in those pics? A full illustration of the intelligent photo selector, which is supposedly smart enough to weed out your blurry and poorly exposed shots. Hopefully all you Pixel owners out there will see for yourselves soon enough.

Filed under: Laptops, Software, Google

Comments

Via: Android Central

Source: Google+ (Francois Beaufort)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1-zB8TnjPlg/

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Museum of Broadcast Communication Hosts WLS National Barn ...

The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) will celebrate the 89th anniversary of The National Barn Dance radio show in the actual historic WLS studio on March 23 at 3pm. The special event will feature an afternoon of classic country music, historic reflections and documentary clips from The Hayloft Gang: The Story of the National Barn Dance.Filmmaker Stephen Parry will host the anniversary celebration that will benefit The National Radio Hall of Fame, which is housed inside the MBC.

In 1924, The National Barn Dance made its debut over WLS Radio/Chicago. The show was the first to blend folk and country music with rural humor. The legendary Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, George Gobel, Andy Williams and Eddie Peabody were all regular members of the shows cast The National Barn Dance rapidly grew in popularity and was the idea behind Nashvilles Grand Ole Opry.

Duke Miglin, current building owner and noted Chicago developer, is making the space available for the celebration. The historic studio will soon be transformed into office space.

Celebration attendees will receive a limited edition poster commemorating the 89th anniversary of The National Barn Dance. The program was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.

WLS Radio is a promotional sponsor of the celebration. Rubschlager Baking Corporation is an event sponsor and will provide light refreshments.

Stephen Parry is the writer/producer of the PBS documentary The Hayloft Gang that chronicles the history of the WLS National Barn Dance. Highlights of the documentary will be presented.

Seminar speakers include:

• Scott Childers, radio personality, author of the book - Chicagos WLS Radio and host of - The History of WLS website.
• James F. Evans retired farm broadcaster, educator and author of Prairie Farmer and WLS: The Burridge D. Butler Years.
• Paul Tylermusician, folklorist and historian with the Old Town School of Folk Music and author of the lead essay in the book The Hayloft Gang; Tyler will also perform live.
• David Wyle historian of The National Barn Danceand early station history and contributor to The Hayloft Gang.
• Stephen Parry writer and producer of The Hayloft Gang, will moderate the discussion.

Attendees will receive a limited edition poster commemorating the 89th Anniversary the WLS National Barn Dance.

Saturday, March 23, 2013, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $89 each and can be purchased here or by phone at 312-624-8010. (Limited Seating). 1230 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607. The site of the historic WLS radio studio where the National Barn Dance once originated.

Source: http://www.cybergrass.com/node/2294

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Nielsen compares mobile consumers across the globe, details the differences in how we connect

Right in-time with MWC, Nielsen's latest report provides some insight into how folks in different regions are using their mobile devices. On the whole, many of the findings aren't exactly shockers. Among many highlights, owners of smartphones and feature phones don't use their respective devices for the same tasks, while developed areas are more likely to have upwards of 4G connectivity with higher smartphone adoption rates. As you'd might imagine, people in regions with under-developed infrastructure tend to gravitate toward the likes of simpler, less costly feature phones. Diving deeper with some specifics, Nielsen points out that US-based users of smartphones gravitate toward map and video apps, contrasting that those in China are hungrier for info about weather and news. If you'd like to confirm any more of your suspicions about how mobile devices are being used across the globe, you'll find all the details your noggin desires at the source link below.

Filed under: Mobile

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Source: Nielson

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/nielsen-mobile-consumer-usage-worldwide/

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Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presented

Feb. 25, 2013 ? Results of the PREDIMED study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine. They show that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

The study has been coordinated by the researcher Ramon Estruch, from the Faculty of Medicine of the UB and the Hospital Cl?nic -- affiliated centres with the health campus of the UB, HUBc -- and has had the collaboration of the professor Rosa M. Lamuela and her team from the Natural Antioxidant Research Group of the Faculty of Pharmacy -- located at the campus of international excellence BKC -- which determined the biomarkers of Mediterranean diet consumption.

The research is part of the project PREDIMED, a multicentre trial carried out between 2003 and 2011 to study the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The study was funded by the Carlos III Health Institute by means of the cooperative research thematic network (RETIC RD06/0045) and the CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn).

A total of 7,447 people following major cardiovascular risk factors participated in the study. They were divided into three dietary intervention groups: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), and a low-fat diet (animal and vegetable). A dietician visited the patients every three months and they attended dietary training group sessions, in which they received detailed information about the Mediterranean and the low-fat diet, and the food included in each one. Moreover, they were provided with shopping lists, menus and recipes adapted to each type of diet and each season of the year.

During the study, those participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet received freely extra-virgin olive oil (one litre per week), and nuts (30 grams per day; 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of almonds and 7.5 grams of hazelnuts).

After five years, it has been proved that participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet showed a substantial reduction in the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

According to the researchers, the results of PREDIMED study are relevant as they prove that a high-vegetable fat diet is healthier at a cardiovascular level than a low-fat diet. The authors state that the study has been controversial as it provides new data to reject the idea that it is necessary to reduce fats in order to improve cardiovascular health.

Hopefully, these results will provide new references to prevent cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the design and methodology used can be easily transferred to the biomedical sector.

The study had the collaboration of several researchers from the Hospital Cl?nic, the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), the faculties of Medicine of the universities Rovira i Virgili, Navarra, Valencia, Canary Islands and Malaga, as well as the University Hospital Son Espases of Palma, the Fats Institute in Seville, and the primary health care networks of Barcelona, Seville, Tarragona and Valencia.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universitat de Barcelona.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Ram?n Estruch, Emilio Ros, Jordi Salas-Salvad?, Maria-Isabel Covas, D.Pharm., Dolores Corella, Fernando Ar?s, Enrique G?mez-Gracia, Valentina Ruiz-Guti?rrez, Miquel Fiol, Jos? Lapetra, Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventos, Llu?s Serra-Majem, Xavier Pint?, Josep Basora, Miguel Angel Mu?oz, Jos? V. Sorl?, Jos? Alfredo Mart?nez, Miguel Angel Mart?nez-Gonz?lez. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 130225030008006 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1200303

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/G4xkheGPH-Y/130225181536.htm

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NYT: Barnes & Noble may be moving away from Nook hardware

Barnes & Noble's hardware division hasn't exactly been glowing recently, and if one New York Times source is to be believed, it'll take more than cute (and charitable) rhymes to keep investors happy. According to the NYT source, company executives want to shift from making Barnes & Noble branded hardware to licensing its content to other manufactures. "They are not completely getting out of the hardware business, but they are going to lean a lot more on the comprehensive digital catalog of content," the paper was told. The source went on to explain that the company will emphasize this new strategy in its Q3 2013 fiscal report next week, committing to building deeper relationships with device makers like Samsung and Microsoft. The unnamed informant didn't say which devices the bookseller planned to shelve, but we wouldn't be too surprised to see the more expensive SKUs fall by the wayside. Either way, we'll see the facts for themselves when the company posts its earnings next week.

Update: Barnes & Noble followed up with us to clarify the situation, stating plainly that it has "no plans to discontinue our award-winning line of Nook products."

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Source: New York Times

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/nyt-barnes-and-noble-less-hardware/

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Children and Families Bill ? the missing pieces | Special Needs Jungle

Earlier this month, we shared our Initial Views on the Children and Families Bill. ?Since then, we have had chance to look at the Bill in more detail and wanted to share our views and more importantly to discuss ?the missing pieces?.

As parents, we know the current system and its failings far too well so we welcomed the introduction of the Green Paper and the excitement of being involved in Pathfinders. ?However, the Bill that we have been offered isn?t quite all that we were hoping for.

The reforms offered, ?a new approach to special educational needs and disability that makes wide-ranging proposals to respond to the frustrations of children and young people, their families and the professionals who work with them? ?and a vision of reforms to, ??improve outcomes for children and young people who are disabled or have SEN, minimise the adversarial nature of the system for families and maximise value for money?.

What we?ve been given in the Children and Families Bill has not quite lived up to the hype.

The good bits:

• Children, young people and their families are to be true participants in all decisions affecting them
• A duty for health, social care and education to commission jointly (which theoretically means they will actually speak to each other)
• Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) to be available up to the age of 25
• Academies and Free Schools to have the same SEN requirements as maintained schools
• Independent Special Schools will be included on the list of schools that parents can request as a placement (although the proviso about ?efficient use of resources? is still in there)

What?s missing?

• Disabled children and young people?without SEN. ?Despite the Green Paper offering improved outcomes for children and young people who are disabled or have SEN, the Children and Families Bill is only offering the new EHCPs to those with SEN. ?This decision shows a real lack of understanding from the DfE about the difficulties that children and young people with ?just? a disability (and no SEN) face. ?The Children and Families Bill suggests that the needs of these group will be met by the Local Offer.
• Local Offer ? Minimum Standards. ?Currently, the DfE are suggesting a ?common framework? for the Local Offer. ?This could possibly (and will most probably) result in a postcode lottery. ?As the Local Offer is being offered as the alternative to EHCPs, there needs to be much clearer legal obligation of minimum standards for Local Authorities. ??Minimum? indicates that something is the very least which could or should happen. ?Framework? indicates?a?skeletal?structure?designed?to?support something.
• There does not appear to be, within the Bill, a ?duty to provide? the contents of the Local Offer, just to publish it and that a local authority ?may? wish to review it ?from time to time?. All a little bit wooly.
• School Action/School Action +. ?There is no mention within the Bill as to how the needs of children currently on SA/SA+ will be met. ?Again, if the Local Offer is to be the alternative then this ?needs to be much more prescriptive to Local Authorities. The DfE says the replacement structure for the present lower categories of SEN will be defined in the new Code of Practice which is now starting to be drawn up ? interestingly by a different team of officials to the one that drafted the bill. Hmmm.
• No duty on health or social care to provide the services within the EHCP ? just an obligation to jointly commission with the local authority. There needs to be an realisation in government that the words ?Joint Commissioning? aren?t a new magic spell ? a sort of Abracadabra for SEN. Optimistically repeating the ?Joint Commissioning? mantra doesn?t mean it?s, as if by magic, just going to happen.
• No specified time frames from when you apply for an EHCP assessment to when you receive an assessment and more importantly, a EHCP. ?Currently, it takes 26 weeks from applying for an Assessment of SEN to actually receiving a Statement of SEN. ?This, as a parent, can seem like a lifetime (especially if you only hear about the need for a statement a short time before your child attends school ? and yes, this is more common than people like to admit). However, you can see a light at the end of the tunnel with a deadline of 26 weeks. ?The new Bill does not provide any defined time scales and this is essential for families. It does say that the regulations may make provision for this ? but ?may? should really be replaced with ?must? as this is a key point.
• Key worker -?throughout the Green Paper, there was mention of a key worker for families. ?One person to go to, who would help the families through the jungle but there is no mention of this within the Bill. ?This is one of those key features that really excited a lot of families. ?The ability to have one person; one person who would repeat your story for you and point you in the right direction to access the support your family needs. This is one aspect of the initial aspirational Green Paper that needs to be clarified ? both for families and practitioners. Was this just an absent-minded omission from the Bill or has the DfE decided to quietly sweep this innovative and important role under the carpet? Note to DfE: if it?s the former, someone needs a slapped wrist, if it?s the latter, you?ve been rumbled so put it back in, pronto. Or is this another point for the ?regulations??
• Time ? the current Bill is scheduled for Royal Assent in Spring 2014 (i.e. passed into law) with September 2014 being proposed for when this will come into practice. ?How will Local Authorities and PCTs manage to train all the necessary staff in this short time (especially with a 6/7 week school holiday in that time)? Ask any parent and they will say the same: they would far rather wait for another six months so that LAs can get all their recruiting and training in place (not to mention their funding arrangements) than inherit a chaotic mess where no one knows what?s going on, where the money is coming from and half the staff still hanging on to the old adversarial ethos.

While we?re on the subject of culture change, a DfE official did mention to us that he thought re-training to effect culture change should be starting now. I would be really interested to know what funding or provisions or courses there are in existence or planned, to begin this process ? which is arguably one of the most important parts of the entire process. Indeed, it might be a little controversial to suggest, but if a root and branch programme of culture change within LA SEN departments had been put into practice to start with, there may have been less need to overhaul the entire system.

The new Children and Families Bill does have the potential to provide children and families with, ?A new approach to special educational needs and disability? and to, ??improve outcomes for children and young people who are disabled or have SEN, minimise the adversarial nature of the system for families and maximise value for money? but not without some more thought and considerable tweaking.

Tania & Debs

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Posted by Debs Aspland on February 25, 2013

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Afghan president to expel U.S. special forces from key province

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has given U.S. special forces two weeks to leave a key battleground province after accusations that Afghans working for them tortured and killed innocent people, the president's spokesman said on Sunday.

The decision by Karzai could further complicate negotiations between the United States and Afghanistan over the presence of Americans troops in the country once most NATO forces leave by the end of 2014.

Speaking at a news conference in Kabul, Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said villagers in Wardak province had lodged a series of complaints about operations conducted by U.S. special forces and a group of Afghans working with them.

The decision was reached at a Sunday meeting of the Afghan National Security Council, chaired by Karzai, Faizi said.

"The Ministry of Defense was assigned to make sure all U.S. special forces are out of the province within two weeks," he said.

A statement from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan said: "US Forces Afghanistan is aware of the reporting of Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi's comments today. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them.

"But until we have had a chance to speak with senior Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials about this issue, we are not in a position to comment further."

Sunday's announcement came days after Karzai issued a decree banning all Afghan security forces from using NATO air strikes in residential areas, in a bid to curb civilian casualties.

That was in response to an operation in Kunar targeting four Taliban members which resulted in the deaths of ten civilians, including five children, during an air strike.

Karzai has long warned his Western backers that the killing of civilians could sap support for the foreign troops in the country and fuel the insurgency.

(The story changes first paragraph, removes spokesman's quote from paragraph 6 to make clear accusations were made against Afghans working for U.S. special forces, not against members of U.S. special forces)

(Reporting by Hamid Shalizi and Washington bureau; Writing by Dylan Welch; Editing by Stephen Powell and Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-president-expel-u-special-forces-key-province-001404856.html

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5 Tips to Avoid/Help Lower Back Pain | Achieve Fitness Blog

It?s been estimated that 80% of all Americans have had or are currently experiencing lower back pain. There are so many different types of lower back pain as well as a multitude of factors that contribute to each condition that it?s impossible to have a quick and easy fix to the issue. Having said that, here are five tips that have helped the vast majority of our members who have come in complaining of back pain.

1) Avoid Stretching First Thing in the Morning

While you sleep, your discs ?hydrate? and expand over night ? it?s necessary and vital for nourishment and lubrication of the vertebrae. It?s also the reason why those with lower back pain always seem to feel ?stiffer? first thing in the morning.? It?s extremely important to resist the urge to stretch out the stiffness, because the expansion in the discs reduces the effectiveness of your spine to support you while in a flexed position.? You need to give your discs some time to ?dehydrate? ? most of which will happen in the first hour that you?re awake.? It?s the reason why you see so many people blowing out their backs first things in the morning performing seemingly innocuous tasks like picking up a pencil off the floor or unplugging their laptop.

?

2) Breathe Through Your Belly

Put one hand on your stomach, and the other on your upper chest. Take a deep breath in ? which hand rises first? For most of you, the upper chest probably did.? When you adopt this sort of improper breathing pattern, a few things happen. For one, the muscles around your neck and upper back get extremely tight from helping you perform a job (breathing) it wasn?t designed to do. Ideally, your diaphragm should contract and descend down in order to let your lungs and ribs expand fully. When you chest breathe, the exact opposite happens. The diaphragm cannot come down and the ribs and lungs are stuck in a position where they can?t fully expand, which makes for shorter and shallower breaths. In order to compensate for this and obtain a deeper breath of air, your body will naturally shift itself into a position where the bottom of your rib cage gets tilted forward and up, which places undue stress upon your lower back.

?

A Proper Breathing Pattern

To help correct this, try an exercise called ?crocodile breathing?. Lie facedown on your stomach and rest your forehead on the back of your palms. From there, try to breathe in through your nose and really think about sending the air down into your stomach. If you do it right, you should feel your stomach press into the floor and expand. Exhale through your mouth slowly. Try crocodile breathing every night before bed for 5 minutes, and your lower back and neck/shoulders will thank you!

Crocodile Breathing

3) Stretch out your hip flexors!

As a society, we spend way too much time sitting down whether it?s at a desk, or in a car, or on the couch at home. Because of this, those muscles at the front of your hips can get very tight. This stiffness in the hip flexors can wreak havoc on your posture by pulling you into a position of ?anterior pelvic tilt?.? When your pelvis dips forward, your lower back is in a constant state of extension and is unable to relax. It also puts your glutes and abdominal muscles in a disadvantageous position to contract and be used effectively.

Take some time every day to stretch out your hip flexors by performing a ?half kneeling hip flexor stretch with core engagement?. Get down on one knee like the picture shown below and grab the end of a broomstick. Push the stick down into the floor (this will engage your core), tighten and squeeze the glute of the knee that?s down, and push your hips forward. Hold for a count of two seconds, and then ease off the stretch and relax. Repeat that 10x per side. Engaging the core and glutes while performing this stretch will help counteract most people?s tendency to arch the lower back, which would take the stretch off the hip flexors and actually encourage anterior pelvic tilt.

Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch with Core Engagement

4) Stop doing crunches and sit ups!

I?ve had the opportunity to see Dr. Stuart McGill speak on several occasions. He is the professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo and one of the world?s foremost authorities on the lower back. His research has shown that the flexing the spine over and over is a surefire way to develop a herniated disc. Unfortunately, this isn?t mainstream knowledge, and it?s why you see the majority of commercial gym goers repeatedly crunch and twist their way towards a future of lower back pain.

Instead opt for these ?spine friendly?, but challenging core exercises:

From Top to Bottom: Side Plank, Front Plank, Wall Push Marching

5) Learn how to hip hinge!

Place a dowel along your spine with one hand behind your neck and the other behind your lower back. From try to maintain contact with the back of your head, upper back, and butt and sit your hips back as far as you can with your knees slightly bent and without letting your hips drop and without losing contact with the dowel.

Hip Hinge with Dowel

Learning how to hinge using your hips rather than flexing at the lower back during every day activities is extremely important.? Simple tasks like getting up or down out of a chair, picking up your child, and shoveling snow can all irritate your lower back if you?re in a flexed over posture. Instead do your best to keep the back flat in order to distribute the stress to your hips and rest of your lower body.

As always, make sure you get checked out by a qualified medical professional if you?re having lower back issues, or any pain for that matter. These exercises really only scratch the surface in terms of lower back care and you definitely don?t want to put off something as potentially debilitating as lower back pain.

Train Hard (and Smart!),

Jason

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Source: http://achievefitnessboston.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/5-tips-to-avoidhelp-lower-back-pain/

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Nine Inch Nails To Return In 2013

Trent Reznor announces NIN will tour the U.S. this year, ending a four-year hiatus.

Trent Renzor
Photo: Karl Walter/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702562/nine-inch-nails-tour.jhtml

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Must See HDTV (February 25th - March 3rd)

Among the usual returning shows we have a few all new entries, including two new Comedy Central series as well as ABC's Red Widow conspiracy drama. For something we truly have not seen on TV before, Syfy is tossing in Robot Combat League, while ESPN does its part with a couple of 3D broadcasts planned.Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Robot Combat League
If you were an avid Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots player or a huge fan of the movie Real Steel, Syfy's latest reality / game show is probably made for you. Robot Combat League is hosted by wrestler Chris Jericho and features competitors strapped into suits that translate their movements to eight-foot-tall robot avatars that actually do the fighting. Not sold? Take a peek now with not only a trailer embedded after the break, but also the first two episodes in their entirety (also viewable on the site in a larger window here). It's different to say the least and there's $100,000 on the line to make things interesting.
(February 26th, Syfy, 10PM)

Psych
One of our favorite shows returns for its seventh season as Shawn and Gus continue to operate their fake psychic detective agency. As always, we expect a number of nostalgic 80s and 90s throwbacks, complete with guest stars from the era. The show has manage to operate in a basic cable niche in a way network shows like Community don't get the chance to, although if you're not into its particular comedic flavor, it's unlikely to change gears at this point. Check out a trailer after the break.
(February 27th, USA, 10PM)

MLS
A new season of MLS kicks off this weekend and for US soccer fans all 20 matches will be aired ESPN channels, with 18 of them on Sundays for a more consistent -- and potentially subbing in for that other football -- schedule. Notable this season is that this is the first time the soccer league will be in 3D, with plans for seven live broadcasts plus an eighth that will be tape delayed. There are also plans for international matches, the All-Star game and the playoffs, dates and times TBD. the Portland Timbers vs. New York Red Bulls game this weekend will be the first in 3D, check the schedule for the rest.
(March 3rd, ESPN 2 / ESPN 3D, 7:30PM)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7G-WwUA15xg/

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Senate panel plans Tuesday vote on Lew nomination

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee says the committee will vote on Tuesday on the nomination of former White House chief of staff Jack Lew to be treasury secretary.

Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana says Lew has answered the committee's questions "in a thorough and fully transparent manner" and the committee has conducted a "thorough review" of the nominee.

Lew would succeed Timothy Geithner in President Barack Obama's second-term Cabinet.

Some of the toughest questions he faced during his confirmation hearing dealt with his short time at Citibank. Lew was a top executive during the height of the financial crisis.

On policy matters, he addressed Europe's debt crisis, U.S.-China relations and the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-24-Treasury-Lew/id-a8a73e440d6e4851a18ef750d0968571

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Sony shows PlayStation 4 capabilities, but no box

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Andrew House speaks at an event to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the Sony Playstation 4 speaks during an event to announce the new video game console Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

David Perry, CEO of Gaikai, speaks during a news conference to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Yoshinori Ono, of Capcom, speaks during a news conference to announce the Sony Playstation 4 Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Sony wants you to know that the PlayStation 4 is coming this holiday season, but not what it will look like.

The Japanese electronics giant talked about its upcoming console for the first time Wednesday and showed what it can do, without actually revealing the device itself during the two-hour event. Presenters played games that were projected on screens in a converted opera house, but the PlayStations themselves were hidden backstage.

"I don't know that the box is going to be something that's going to have a dramatic impact on people's feelings about the game. It will be a color and a size fairly comparable to previous consoles," said Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, the U.S.-based arm of the PlayStation business.

"There's a big story to tell here, and it's going to take between now and the holiday season to get all the details out there," Tretton said in an interview.

Tretton said the price of the PS4 hasn't been decided yet, but hinted that it wouldn't be as high as the PlayStation 3 was initially. The PS3 debuted in 2006 with two models for $500 and $600. It now sells for about $300.

The PS4 will be jostling for attention this holiday season with Microsoft's successor to the Xbox. Details on that device are expected in June. Xbox 360 came out a year before PS3 and has been more popular, largely because of its robust online service, Xbox Live, which allows people to play games with others online. Having an event this early allows Sony to grab the spotlight for a few months, though the lack of an actual device was noted by many people on Twitter and elsewhere.

Sony did reveal that the insides of the PS4 will essentially be a "supercharged PC," much like an Xbox. That's a big departure from the old and idiosyncratic PlayStation design and should make it easier for developers to create games. Sony Corp. is using processing chips made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

"One of the big challenges we faced in the past was that we created great technology that we handed over to the development community, and they had to go through a learning curve before they could harness it. And when they did, we saw some phenomenal games," Tretton said. "We wanted to lower that barrier of entry and really give them the ability to create tremendous gaming experiences from Day One."

The adoption of PC chips also means that the new console won't be able to play games created for any of the three previous PlayStations, even though the PS4 will have a Blu-ray disc drive, just like the PS3. Instead, Sony said gamers will have to stream older games to the PS4 through the Internet.

Other new features revolve around social networking and remote access. With one button, you can broadcast video of your game play so friends can "look over your shoulder virtually," said David Perry, co-founder of the Sony-owned Internet game company Gaikai. With remote play, you can run a game on the PS4 to stream over the Internet to Sony's mobile gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which debuted last year.

The goal is to make the PS4 so good at figuring out what games and other content you want that it can download it without being asked, so that it's available when you realize you do want it, Sony said.

"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.

The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 percent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract people who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.

Forrester analyst James McQuivey said Sony is missing the point by building what amounts to an upgraded PS3.

"Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the game console to prove it," he said. "Tablets and smartphones now engage more people in more minutes of gaming than consoles will ever achieve."

Sony showed an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.

The bulk of Wednesday's event was devoted to demos of games for the PS4, including a realistic team racing simulator, "Drive Club," super-powered action sequel "Infamous: Second Son," artsy puzzler "The Witness" and several first-person shooter games, including "Killzone: Shadow Fall." Beyond games, the PS4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller ? all in real time.

Last fall, Nintendo launched the next generation of gaming consoles with the Wii U, which comes with a tablet-like controller called the GamePad. The controller allows two people playing the same game to have different experiences depending on whether they use the GamePad or a traditional Wii remote, which itself was revolutionary when it came out because of its motion-control features.

Judging by Wednesday's event, Sony seeks to improve but not revolutionize game play. The games were updates to existing ones, with improved graphics.

"At the end of the day, this is a device by gamers for gamers," Tretton said. "The games that people go out and spend billions of dollars on are your traditional shooters."

The original Wii has sold more units since its launch than both its rivals, but it has lost momentum in recent years as the novelty of its motion controller faded. Nintendo said it sold 3.1 million Wii Us by the end of 2012. It was a disappointing start for the first of a new generation of gaming systems.

In some ways, notably its ability to display high-definition games, the Wii U was just catching up to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, the preferred consoles to play popular games such as "Call of Duty."

All three console makers are trying to position their devices as entertainment hubs that can deliver movies, music and social networking as they try to stay relevant in the age of smartphones and tablets. The PlayStation online network will have access to Sony's video and music services, as well as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, with paid subscriptions to those services. People will also be able to access Facebook.

___

Lang contributed from Los Angeles.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-20-Sony-PlayStation/id-a747e48ee07a4161a5256064ef8d6964

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Rihanna Attacked By Fan Outside London Nightclub

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Source: http://www.theboombox.com/2013/02/19/rihanna-attacked-by-fan/

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Live from HTC's 2013 launch event!

It's been less than a month since HTC sent out our invite -- but you're still a little early. The company's gone for the surprise attack, ahead of Barcelona's huge phone show, MWC. However, we're sure HTC will have plenty of interesting tidbits to show us, just one year since the One X set our hearts a-flutter. The event kicks off at 10am ET.

February 19, 2013 10:00 AM EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/19/htc-2013-liveblog/

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Thailand prepares for largest golf tourism convention in Asia ...

from left : Kullatorn Mesommonta, president of the East Coast Golf Courses Management Association; Juthaporn Rerngronasa, deputy governor for Europe, Africa, Middle East and America, Tourism Authority of Thailand; Itthipol Kunplome, mayor of Pattaya City; Vitaya Kunplome, chief executive of Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organisation (Chonburi PAO); Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, director of Domestic MICE Department, Thailand Convention & EXhibition Bureau.

BANGKOK, 19 February 2013 ? In just over two months? time, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) will stage the largest ever golf tourism convention to take place in the Asia-Pacific region, in the Award-winning destination of Pattaya. This without doubt will be the most important golf travel event ever staged in Thailand.

IAGTA?s 2nd Asia Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC) will take place at the Royal Cliff Hotel and PEACH Convention Centre from 29 April to 2 May 2013. IAGTO?s president, Peter Walton announced that already 142 golf tour operators from 36 countries had confirmed their attendance. These buyers are coming from China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia, Europe, Noerth America and from as far afield as South Africa, Argentina and Brazil.

Walton said, ?With more than 150 accredited buyers expected to attend, all promoting and selling golf destinations in Asia, this is without doubt a great opportunity for Thai hotels, golf resorts, golf courses and regional golf destinations around the country to meet, discuss and do business for the coming season. Already 45 Thai golf tourism suppliers have signed up to attend and we currently have capacity for 60 in total out of a total of 180 supplier companies from 18 countries in the Asia Pacific region. A total of 500 delegates are expected to attend AGTC this year.?

Established in 1997, IAGTO is the global trade organisation of the golf tourism industry, and its Thailand division already has 70 member companies, making it a truly representative body for Thailand?s golf tourism industry. All Thai companies attending the AGTC for the first time are automatically provided with IAGTO membership for 2013.

Walton added, ?IAGTO works 365 days a year to support and provide services for its members and the AGTC is just one of the many activities that we carry out during the year. All hotels, golf resorts, golf courses and licensed receptive operators who work in Thailand?s golf tourism industry, whichever markets they focus on, should consider becoming a member of IAGTO. We expect our Thailand division to soon increase to over 100 company members.?

IAGTO takes over 400 golf tour operators on familiarisation trips to 35 countries every year and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will be hosting 80 buyers and media on inspection trips in Pattaya in pre- and post-AGTC familiarisation tours.

Commenting on the benefits that golf tourism brings to Thailand, Walton said, ?On average, golf travellers spend 120 percent more per person per day in destination than general leisure travellers. This is more than double and therefore golf travel is without doubt High revenue-Low Impact tourism sector. With over 60 million golfers worldwide and some 25 percent of regular golfers take a golf holiday each year, golf travellers are influential in other sectors of the economy including Luxury Travel, Meetings & Incentive Events and Real Estate sales.? He then added, ?So golf tourism is much more than a niche market in Thailand.?

Walton also remarket on the important role that Thailand plays at the heart of the ASEAN Economic community, adding, ?All countries of AEC are important golf destinations and golf markets, and within this region Thailand is the leader in terms of golf tourism and therefore having AGTC in Thailand is a pivotal event for the countries of the ASEAN region.?

Established in 1997, the IAGTO is the global trade association of the golf tourism industry with more than 2,000 member golf resorts, golf courses, hotels, tour operators and tourist boards in 91 countries, including 487 golf tour operators in 61 countries.

These golf tour operators control more than 85 percent of all golf holiday packages sold worldwide, with annual sales exceeding US$1 billion.

288 of these golf tour operators in 52 countries sell golf destinations in the Asia Pacific region and of these 223 in 43 countries sell Thailand.

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