safflower jennine: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Inside Breezy Point: An inferno in a flood

REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK

By Keturah Gray and Jim Dubreuil

When we were sent out on Monday afternoon to report on the "holdouts" of Hurricane Sandy - those who refused to leave their homes despite New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's mandatory evacuation orders - we expected winds and rain, but thought it was nothing that we couldn't handle.

We had our bottled water, our rain gear, our chips and were ready to tough out the storm with the citizens of Breezy Point, a beach town in Queens on the far end of New York City, and a place where Jim has family.

We were two of the last to arrive over the Marine Parkway Bridge before it closed to the public at 2 p.m. ET, and we joined up pretty quickly with 30-year-old Mary Lepera. She gave us a tour of the neighborhood and explained why she, like so many others, planned to stick out Hurricane Sandy at home: She'd spent her whole life there and wasn't about to abandon her home.

"We're sticking it out," she said. "Even if we have to go up on our roof, we'll do it."

A lot of people kind of felt that they had jumped through hoops for Irene, and this time, they weren't going to do it. And there was just this feeling that the storm was going to be like any other storm that hits the East Coast. It wasn't going to be the Super Storm that had been portrayed - but that's not what happened.

Over the course of the next few hours, though, Breezy Point became a literal lightning rod in the storm, battered by winds, rain and fire. At least 80 homes were destroyed in the beachfront neighborhood and we got caught in the chaos.

The last thing anyone imagines is a fire breaking out. But that's exactly what happened.

Jim DuBreuil: I remember looking out the window around 8:30 at night, and all of a sudden, we just saw this ? it seemed like we were in a national forest where you see all those fires with timbers flying around. It was off in the distance and at 8:20 at night, I wasn't thinking this is going to affect us. But as each hour progressed, the storm, the fire was just coming closer and closer and God, you [Keturah Gray] looked at me and said, "We're getting the hell out of here," and I was like, "Yeah, let's go." I got a trash can and we threw in garbage bags and all of our camera equipment in it. The family we were with did the same and we were out the door.

Keturah Gray: I just remember when I first saw that fire thinking we have water on one side of the house, we have a TON of water on the back side of the house, and we have a fire that is inevitably going to get closer because of all of the winds. I was just like, "What do we do? Where do we even begin? Do we take this route or this route?" I was so worried about the people that I knew, because we had been down that beach earlier that afternoon. There were a lot of people in that line of fire, and I just didn't know how they were going to get out.

Jim DuBreuil: I kind of think where we got lucky was the tide started going down. The water was much higher at 8 o'clock and then by 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock it was just easier to get around. Where the water would've been up to our chins, the water was finally at our waist. We put on our backpacks and got our trashcan and headed out of there.

Keturah Gray: I think I was the first one that was like, we need an escape plan, but I also didn't know if I was going to be strong enough to walk through the water.

Jim DuBreuil: Timbers are flying and there's 80 mph winds coming at you as you're going through the waves. You're trying to get through the flood and the fire's behind you and I just remember looking at you and going "don't look back, don't look back."

Keturah Gray: The water was receding, but the fire was becoming stronger. We were walking against the current, which was really hard, and we're carrying a trash can and a lot of other people had babies they were carrying and bags.

Jim DuBreuil: I think it could've been absolutely chaotic and hell on earth at one point, but everyone got together. People were helping each other and going "OK, we're going to get you out." We were moving from one spot to the next. When we got to our first evacuation spot, which was maybe 100 meters away from the first house we were at, I could smell kerosene. They told us there's a gas pump nearby. At that point, the fire has moved and the embers are now coming in to the fire and Keturah looked at me again and was like, "Let's get the out of here." It just seemed the fire was following us. We finally got to a Roman Catholic Church and, for me, that was the moment when I was like, "We're going to be all right. These people are going to be all right and we're going to get out of here."

Keturah Gray: That's when they said nobody can stay. You are leaving this time. And everybody that we were with, for the most part, were happy to hear those words.

Jim DuBreuil: I think it's easy to look at people like this and say, "Gosh, why didn't they heed the warning," but I think these people just love their community so much and they take care of each other, that they just didn't want to leave and they didn't think it was going to be bad and I think they realized that they made a mistake. But again, they could've never predicted a huge fire. The people of Breezy Point will come back and rebuild.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Iraq bombings, house raids leave 40 dead

People gather at the scene of a bomb attack in the neighborhood of Bawiya in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. A bombing near a playground and other insurgent attacks killed 18 people including several children in Iraq on Saturday, police said. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

Iraqi children play during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Baghdad's Fadhil neighborhood, Iraq, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. A bombing near a playground and other insurgent attacks killed 18 people including several children in Iraq on Saturday, police said. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

Children ride a donkey cart in Baghdad's Fadhil neighborhood, Iraq, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, as the nation marks the Eid al-Adha festival. A bombing near a playground and other insurgent attacks killed 18 people including several children in Iraq on Saturday, police said. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraqi insurgents unleashed a string of bombings and other attacks primarily targeting the country's Shiite community on Saturday, leaving at least 40 dead in a challenge to government efforts to promote a sense of stability by preventing attacks during a major Muslim holiday.

The bloodshed appeared to be the worst in Iraq since Sept. 9, when insurgents launched a wave of bombings and other attacks that left at least 92 dead in one of the country's bloodiest days this year.

The attacks underscored the difficulties facing the country's leadership as it struggles to keep its citizens safe. Authorities had increased security in hopes of preventing attacks during the four-day Eid al-Adha celebrations, when people are off work and families gather in public places.

The deadliest attacks struck in the evening in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City. Police said a car packed with explosives blew up near a market, killing 12 people and wounding 27. Half an hour later, a second car bomb went off in one of Sadr city's bus stations, killing 10 and injuring 31.

Earlier in the day, a bomb exploded near playground equipment that had been set up for the holiday in a market on the capital's outskirts in the eastern neighborhood of Bawiya. Police officials said eight people were killed, including four children. Another 24 people, including children, were wounded, they added.

"Nobody expected this explosion because our neighborhood has been living in peace, away from the violence hitting the rest of the capital," said Bassem Mohammed, a 35-year-old father of three in the neighborhood who was startled by the blast.

"We feel sad for the children who thought that they would spend a happy time during Eid, but instead ended up getting killed or hurt."

Elsewhere, a bomb attached to a bus carrying Iranian Shiite pilgrims killed five people and wounded nine, according to police. The bomb, hidden on the underside of the bus, detonated as the pilgrims were heading to a Shiite shrine in Baghdad to mark the holiday.

Authorities have said they planned to increase the number of checkpoints, shut some roads and deploy extra personnel during the holiday period.

They are also relying more on undercover intelligence agents, said Lt. Col. Saad Maan Ibrahim, a spokesman for the interior ministry. He emphasized that both bombings took place on the edge of the capital rather than in densely populated areas.

"The terrorists apparently weren't able to get to the heart of the city. So they chose to attack soft targets on the outskirts," he said.

In the northern city of Mosul, gunmen broke into the houses of two Shabak families, killing a boy and his parents in one and a mother and daughter in the other, according to police. A bomb exploded near the house of another Shabak family, wounding six family members.

Shabaks are ethnically Turkomen and Shiite by religion. Most Shabaks were driven out of Mosul by Sunni militants during the sectarian fighting a few years ago.

In Tuz Khormato, about 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near in a neighborhood with a Turkomen Shiite majority. Mayor Shalal Abdoul said 11 people were wounded, including three children.

Medics in nearby hospitals confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, is a major Muslim holiday that commemorates what Muslims believe was the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, the Biblical Ishmael, as a test of his faith from God. Christians and Jews believe another of Abraham's sons, Isaac, was the one almost sacrificed.

The holiday, which began Friday, marks the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims worldwide typically slaughter lambs and other animals to commemorate the holiday, sharing some of the meat with the poor.

Violence has ebbed across Iraq, but insurgents frequently attack security forces and civilians in an attempt to undermine the country's Shiite-led government.

Holidays are a particular time of concern for security forces. A wave of attacks shortly before another Muslim holiday in August, Eid al-Fitr, killed more than 90 people in one of the deadliest days in Iraq this year.

___

Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-27-ML-Iraq/id-5d8f099ee6d14da886c44d99d2670be5

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

DotAfrica:Your Online African Identity ? DotConnectAfrica ICANN-45 ...

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Subject:

General Comment on the ICANN Multi-Stakeholder ?Model & DCA?s Contribution to the ICANN Africa Strategy

Presented by:

Ms. Sophia Bekele, Executive Director, DotConnectAfrica

I?wish to congratulate ICANN for a successful meeting outcome, and the host country Canada for their superb hospitality.? The CN Tower was amazing!. ?I also thank the ICANN leaders for the opportunity to share my comments at this Public Forum.DCA Trust has been participating in the ICANN Global Community and attending the ICANN International Meetings regularly and actively within the past few years.

DCA Trust is also a new gTLD applicant, and has submitted an application for the .Africa generic Top-Level Domain.

This ICANN-45 Meeting in Toronto has provided a landmark opportunity for the presentation of the initial draft of the ICANN Africa Strategy. ?We are thankful for the increased attention that is now being given to Africa, in order to put it more firmly on the ICANN Global Map.

ICANN thrives on its multi-stakeholder, transparent and consensus-based approach to policy development and implementation. ?Meanwhile, the same multi-stakeholder approach is often criticized, but the critics of this model are unable to devise an alternative approach that could effectively replace the multi-stakeholder model, and serve the global public interest on issues of Global Internet Governance. A global Internet requires that different stake-holders participate in its governance, and that a proper forum is provided for any interested party to participate ensure that such voices are heard. At the very minimum, the debate will be enriched based on democratic principles. DCA will continue to support the multi-stakeholder concept, without needing to over-emphasize that in the absence of the multi-stakeholder model, DCA Trust, as a private, non-profit, non-partisan, independent organization will not have the opportunity to be heard in matters of Global Internet Governance and as an active participant in the global ICANN Community.

At the ICANN-44 Prague meeting, DCA Trust had been concerned that a preliminary meeting was held between some ICANN officials and certain group(s) of the African constituency at ICANN. ? DCA Trust was not invited to that meeting, for which reason we demonstrated our grievance by writing a letter to ICANN to protest our exclusion. It later transpired that the meeting was to lay the initial framework? for commencing the ICANN? Africa Strategy, and we interpreted our apparent exclusion from participating in that meeting as a prelude to our non-involvement in the process of the ICANN Africa Strategy ? both in formulation and implementation. We complained again based on multi-stakeholder principles. We strongly believe that all those participating as recognized constituents of the African Community at ICANN should be involved in any ICANN Africa Strategy. Even whilst maintaining that our initial complaints were valid, we also believe that all that is now in the past and that DCA Trust was able to make its point.

Accordingly, in moving forward towards future and positive cooperative endeavors, we are thankful to Mr. Tarek Kamel, the Senior Adviser to the ICANN President & CEO, who also has the primary responsibility for leading the formulation and implementation of the ICANN Africa Strategy. Mr. Kamel has been gracious enough to meet with DCA Trust here in Toronto and discuss the framework under which DCA Trust will participate in the ICANN Africa Strategy. To this end, DCA Trust is pleased to announce that it has developed a new initiative ? the Internet Business Council for Africa (IBCA) ? that is aimed at increasing the African private sector participation at ICANN; to be implemented as a component part of the ICANN Africa Strategy.

The principal objective of this initiative is to help promote and increase the multi-stakeholder diversity at ICANN in line with the broader strategic objectives of the ICANN Strategic Plan covering the three-year period that spans July 2013 to June 2016.? We envision that the inclusion and early adoption of the proposed IBCA initiative as a key component of the ICANN Africa Strategy will strengthen ICANN?s multi-stakeholder model; as the organization increases the visibility of its work and overall outreach/communication activities in Africa, and

DCA Trust is proud to propose this as a strategic input that would enable it achieve further levels of cooperation with ICANN in the implementation of its Strategic Plan. The private sector is seen as the key driver of socio-economic transformation and enabler of economic growth in an emerging Africa, therefore, any initiative that attempts to increase the participation of this important business and non-governmental constituency in Global Internet Governance will no doubt strengthen the multi-stakeholder work of ICANN. DCA Trust has already submitted a copy of the IBCA proposal to ICANN through Mr. Tarek Kamel, and will also avail copies to the ICANN leaders.

In closing, DCA Trust is thankful for the opportunity afforded by this ICANN-45 Public Forum in Toronto to share its proposed IBCA initiative.

Thank you once again.

Source: http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/2012/10/dotconnectafrica-icann-45-toronto-public-forum-comment-on-the-multi-stakeholder-model-the-presentation-of-the-initial-draft-of-the-icann-africa-strategy/

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Texas to end health program if Planned Parenthood participates

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A Texas health program that serves more than 100,000 low-income women will shut down if Planned Parenthood is allowed to continue participating, the state's health and human services chief said on Thursday.

Planned Parenthood has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider a lower court ruling that allows Texas to ban it from the program.

"If they prevail in that case, and the courts say, ?You have to include Planned Parenthood,' then, yes, (the program) goes away," Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Dr. Kyle Janek said.

The Texas program is at the heart of a dispute between the Republican-dominated state government and the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama. Several other states have tried to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.

The federal government, which pays for 90 percent of the $39-million-a-year program, has said it will not renew the funding because Texas decided to enforce a law that had been on the books for several years barring funding for abortion providers and affiliates.

Texas is creating its own program for 115,000 low-income women using state funds. It is set to begin November 1.

State officials previously had said the program would not continue if Planned Parenthood participates, but rules unveiled by Janek on Thursday for the state-funded program make that official.

The current federal-state health program provides contraception and health screenings. The state-funded program will provide those services plus treatment of certain sexually transmitted diseases, Janek said.

Rochelle Tafolla, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which serves Houston and surrounding areas, said ending the program would be devastating for patients.

"It's shocking that they would rather end a program for low-income, uninsured women than to allow Planned Parenthood to provide these services," she said in an interview.

Planned Parenthood, which is still serving women through the program, says it does not provide abortions at clinics that participate in the program. The state objects to the family planning group's affiliation with clinics that do provide abortions.

Nearly half of the women in the program are served by Planned Parenthood, Tafolla said.

A study released this month by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services raised questions about whether other facilities would be able to absorb the patients now served by Planned Parenthood.

"There is no evidence that they are prepared to sustain the very large caseload increases that would be required to fill the gaps left after Planned Parenthood affiliates are excluded," the study said.

But state officials say they have added hundreds of new providers to the program.

"I have every expectation we'll be ready on November 1," Janek said. He added: "We're peddling as fast as we can, trying to get a good, robust network."

(Reporting By Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Greg McCune and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-end-health-program-planned-parenthood-participates-000151428.html

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White House review reportedly clears Huawei of spy charges

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-review-reportedly-clears-huawei-spy-charges-232751872.htmltenebrae the lake house petrino arkansas roy williams matt lauer divine mercy chaplet albert pujols

Archaeologists plan new dig at Troy

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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Tropical Storm Rafael tracks toward Bermuda

This NOAA satellite image taken Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 10:45 AM EDT shows Tropical Storm Rafael north of the Lesser Antilles. Rafael has maximum winds of 60 mph and is moving northward towards Bermuda and is expected to strengthen into a Hurricane over the next 48 hours. (AP PHOTO/WEATHER UNDERGROUND)

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) ? The outer bands of Tropical Storm Rafael drenched the Caribbean's Northern Leeward Islands on Sunday as its center steadily moved over open ocean on a possible track toward Bermuda.

There were no immediate reports of any significant damage or injuries in the Caribbean islands as the center of the tropical storm churned toward the north-northwest at about 10 mph (17 kph). By late Sunday afternoon, it was about 185 miles (295 kilometers) north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was packing winds of roughly 60 mph (95 kph).

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Rafael could strengthen into a hurricane by late Monday as it spins over the open Atlantic.

Rafael could then approach the wealthy British Atlantic territory of Bermuda late Tuesday. The Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for the storm-hardened territory of about 70,000 people late Sunday morning.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Elton Lewis, the territory's emergency management director, said authorities "don't anticipate any significant impact" from the passing storm. There were off-and-on showers during much of the day.

Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued for Caribbean islands. But the possibility of flooding and mudslides are still a concern in some islands, particularly in mountainous terrain, since Rafael has been forecast to dump between 4 to 8 inches of rain over the Lesser Antilles, small islands that include Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia.

Rain ranging from 1 to 3 inches was expected in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the outlying Puerto Rican islands of Culebra and Vieques.

Swells generated by Rafael were expected to impact eastern-facing beaches of the Bahamas during the next few days. But forecasters said the storm's center will remain well east of the sprawling archipelago.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-14-Tropical-Weather/id-4bccdcd821ca480fa9a356e6cc40b31d

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Deutsche Telekom: T-Mobile / MetroPCS merger to be completed by June 2013

Just precisely how the T-Mobile / MetroPCS merger will pan out still seems yet to be decided. What is clear, however, is that majority share-holder, Deutsche Telekom, hope to have the deal done and dusted between April and June next year. CFO for the German giant, Timotheus Hoettges, told Boersenzeitung that we'll have to wait until the second quarter of 2013 before one of the parties will have to start ordering new stationary and corporate polo shirts. In the meantime he was keen to point out that not all current financial arrangements should feel ause for concern, noting shareholders wouldn't have their remuneration policy affected by the merger, thanks to the spiffy financial year it's had.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile

Deutsche Telekom: T-Mobile / MetroPCS merger to be completed by June 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/13/deutsche-telekom-t-mobile-metropcs-merger/

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"Hell's Brink"

Hell?s Brink

Zombies became a reality in 2012 with what started as the ?Bath Salts? attacks. Random citizens attacked civilians and first responders in what appeared to be the side effect of a manufactured recreational drug. It was not until 2013 that a scandal was uncovered involving the American Intelligence community, Guantanamo Bay, and a plot to destroy enemy nations from within.

Patient X was shot to death by Miami-Dade Police in the first attack. The media and the global audience lost interest in the attacks after several weeks, with only diehard conspiracy theorists and the occasional media outlet monitoring what had waxed and waned as a fad of entertainment.

The facility that manufactured the contagion was reformed after the initial escape of Patient X, and its operations were permitted to continue in the secrecy they had held. It would later be revealed that Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp housed that facility in its underbelly, unbeknownst to even the compound?s operators.

In 2013, a terrorist attack, which was discreetly funded by Al-Qaeda, sought to liberate the Al-Qaeda sympathizers and members who were detained at Guantanamo. Mercenaries uncovered the contagion manufacturing facility in the process of their attack and unwittingly released the infectious material throughout the camp. As a result, two hundred detainees and a hundred American military personnel, and twenty mercenaries were infected.

Within days of the attack on Guantanamo, the entire surrounding Naval Base was also infected. Within a week, the infection had spread to the rest of Cuba. A misinformation campaign was launched by the CIA to hide news of the attack and its consequences as much as possible. American troops were shown unloading at Guantanamo Bay and were presented to the world as damage control for the terrorist attack. In fact, those Americans were sent to contain what was then colloquially called the ?zombie virus.?

While working to contain the virus, American personnel became infected. Many were killed by American military members, but some were subdued, sedated, and sent back to the United States for court martial and incarceration. It was then that some attacks were reported in those facilities, and many ?zombie? prisoners were relocated to facilities for the criminally insane.

The nature of the spread of the infection was initially mysterious, though it was quickly realized that it was not spread through contact with a victim of the contagion. It seemed that direct contact with the infected material (a powder with a texture similar to common household dust) was required.

What scientists realized far too late was that the virus grew within the respiratory system of its victims over a slow period. A victim could be sedated and treated, though treatment would only cause the virus to become dormant for a short time. As ?zombies? were arrested, sedated, tried, and incarcerated, prison attacks became more common. Sedation served as a temporary reprieve whereby victims could become rational again, though to less and less effect with the passage of time.

By the year 2020, the zombie virus had remained in its living victims long enough to mutate into what entertainment had caused delusional extremists to fear. The infection was spread in ways comparable to HIV/AIDS, which the public recognized before the government would admit it. ?Zombie? became less of an obsession with entertainment and more a common household term, as all lifestyles had some connection to zombie outbreaks.

Legal battles ensued over whether to treat victims of the zombie contagion or execute them after they had been subdued. The virus did not cause any physical hindrances for the victims of the contagion, but those who were subdued and made to speak rationally with law enforcement claimed no memory of the actions they carried out. Essentially, the zombies were enraged psychopaths with gaps in their memories.

As the infection spread and the attacks grew larger and larger, the government made the decision to deal with zombies with extreme prejudice. Rather than risk housing all of the zombies in separate facilities after subduing them, they were to be considered a threat to life and executed with extreme prejudice. This decision did not sit well with many members of the American population, and further steps had to be taken to quell the riots.

Despite efforts to eradicate zombies, the infection spread. A squad of mercenaries banded together to fight the zombies. Known as The Nameless, they work to kill zombies where they find them. The mercenaries are mostly former American military members, though some come from other countries as well as civilian backgrounds. Their base of operations is currently on a container ship they endearingly call The Romero.

?Hell?s Brink? focuses on the efforts of The Nameless to eradicate zombies from ?The Big Island,? Hawaii, which is The Romero?s current port. They begin in Hilo, where the zombie infestation is at its worst. Ten men and women versus two hundred thousand zombies.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/G6vfoMXuz-o/viewtopic.php

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Saturday, October 13, 2012

Growing mobile ad firms nip at Google's heels

By Sayantani Ghosh , Reuters

When Auntie Anne's, the pretzel chain, wanted to tempt moms in Atlanta shopping malls with free offers, it dished out coupons through smartphones that could be redeemed immediately for a free drink or other specials.?

But while the moms received the coupons on their iPhone or Android device, the power behind the campaign was not Google or Apple ? it was Millennial Media, a nimble 6-year old independent that has grabbed the No. 2 spot in mobile advertising.

Google is No.1, but the flexibility of smaller rivals is helping them catch up in a market that is expected to triple in size to more than $20 billion in the next three years, according to market research firm Gartner.

Smaller firms have the freedom to reach users who use any mobile operating system, unlike Apple, which promotes advertising on its Apple iOS platform, and Google, which handles advertising across all devices but also has its own platform, Android.

"Advertisers want to be able to reach the broadest population they can and in the mobile world, where the platforms are fragmented, this gives an opening to the providers who are truly platform neutral," Gartner analyst Andrew Frank said.

Google held 24 percent of the U.S. market last year, while Millennial had 17 percent and Apple 15.5 percent, according to market research firm IDC. Jumptap held 9.5 percent, Yahoo 7.5 percent and India's InMobi 2.2. percent.

Ireland-based Velti Plc is also chasing market share.

Investors are taking notice.

While Facebook has been pilloried for lacking a mobile strategy, shares of Millennial have jumped 76 percent from a low of $9 in early August. Shares of Velti have leaped 59 percent from a life low of $4.99 on July 25.

Millennial, a roughly $1 billion company, is a great bet for someone looking for investments in mobile advertising, said Steven Dray, a portfolio manager at investment firm AlphaOne Capital Partners LLC.

"When you get to brand advertising, which is eventually going to be a huge pile of money that's going to move from traditional advertising to mobile, I think that's where Millennial and some of the smaller players could have very good success," Dray said.

AlphaOne bought into Millennial after its initial public offering in March and holds about 40,000 shares in the company.

Despite the run-up in their shares, the smaller firms have not run ahead of the sector. Millennial trades at 4.3 times forward 12-month sales and Velti trades at 1.3 times.

While their businesses are obviously much bigger and more varied, Google trades at a multiple of 4.6 and Facebook at 6.7.

As consumers increasingly surf the Web on the go, advertisers are looking to ply them with targeted information about nearby restaurants, pubs, theaters, shops and salons.

But there's no point pitching a shampoo to a skinhead, so the secret sauce for advertisers is user information ? and Millennial's trove of user data is what CEO Paul Palmieri is counting on to give his firm an advantage.

Millennial gathers "first-party" data ? information that users provide to a publisher, or that is gleaned from surfing habits that website owners share with advertising companies.

"It is also valuable to users because the more targeted-advertising they get, the more relevant their experience ends up being," Palmieri said, although analysts say the privacy issues this raises are yet to be resolved.

The smaller companies tout their tight focus on the mobile sector, rather than worrying about how that fits in with online advertising.

"We only focus on mobile. Google on the other hand has many different things to worry about. Yes mobile is important, but is it the most important? Probably not," said InMobi CEO Naveen Tewari, although he is not complacent about the challenge.

"The only way to compete with (Google) is by innovating faster," said Tewari, who expects his 850-person company to report billions of dollars in revenue in a couple of years.

Rising competition
But the big guns are not far away. The entry of Facebook and Twitter is expected to change mobile advertising.

Facebook, which declined to comment for this story, is investing heavily in improving mobile applications and creating new metrics to measure the success of mobile advertising ? a move expected to give a fillip to the wider market.

"There is a lack of maturity in the metrics that are available for measuring mobile campaigns," Gartner's Frank said.

"That's where there's an opening for innovation that some of the larger companies are not able to satisfy today."

Twitter, too, expanded its advertising program for the iPhone and Android devices and now sells promoted tweets and advertises promoted accounts on its mobile applications timeline, rather than only on a search page.

And Google is determined not to lose its No.1 spot. It bought mobile ad platform AdMob in 2009 and its YouTube video service recently launched a new iPhone app that carries video advertisements.

The success of iPhones and Android smartphones and the fact that Google owns many popular mobile applications also helps push its mobile advertisements.

Google reported a revenue run-rate of $2.5 billion from advertisements viewed on mobile devices when it announced second-quarter earnings in July.

Road blocks
The mobile advertising model has its detractors, and some have groused that the small screen on mobile devices makes viewing advertisements difficult, while a lack of good mobile websites might keep away potential viewers.

Users tend to spend less time on their mobiles in one go and advertisements have to be designed for short attention spans.

"I think it's still a struggle. Most of the advertising that you see on mobile devices today is still predominantly not very well targeted or not very granually targeted," Frank said.

Uncertainty about how best to advertise on mobile platforms is holding back the valuations of mobile advertising firms, Baird and Co analyst Colin Sebastian said.

While industry-standard measurements are lacking, the companies argue that mobile advertising has five times the click-through rate of online advertising.

"You can touch the ad, flip the ad, move the ad, you can do things that you cannot do on a PC. Your interactivity levels are very high," Tewari said.?

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Source: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/12/14396504-google-no-1-but-smaller-firms-grabbing-share-of-mobile-ad-market?lite

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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Citro?n cuts emissions on hybrid diesels ? Automotive Industry Digest

CITRO?N?S flagship DS5 is now more efficient and environmentally considerate than ever.

All three Hybrid4 200 Airdream EGS6 models in the DS5 range have received technical updates to deliver carbon dioxide emissions from 91 g/km with improved fuel economy.

New management software has been developed for the full-hybrid diesel powertrain with a number of technical improvements to optimise DS5?s efficiency. Key enhancements include improved energy recovery when decelerating and braking, and a new battery management system.

On sale now, the newly re-homologated DS5 Hybrid4 drivetrain reduces the official emissions for the DSign model from 99 g/km to 91 g/km. DStyle and DSport versions see their emissions reduce from 107 g/km to 102 g/km.

As previously announced in July, 17-inch ?Houston? alloy wheels are available as a no-cost option on Hybrid4 DStyle and DSport versions. The smaller diameter alloy wheels reduce the cars? emissions from 102 g/km to 91 g/km ? the same as the entry-level DSign.

Source: http://www.automotiveindustrydigest.com/2012/10/10/citroen-cuts-emissions-on-hybrid-diesels/

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Kindle Paperwhite Available To Pre-Order In UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain

Amazon had another European announcement today. The Kindle Paperwhite is now available to pre-order in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Canada won't get it for now.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RZQt3wb9Nmw/

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2 U.S. scientists win Nobel chemistry prize

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Two American researchers won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for studies of protein receptors that let body cells sense and respond to outside signals like danger or the flavor of food. Such studies are key for developing better drugs.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka had made groundbreaking discoveries, mainly in the 1980s, on an important family of receptors, known as G-protein-coupled receptors.

About half of all medications act on these receptors, including beta blockers and antihistamines, so learning about them will help scientists to come up with better drugs.

The human body has about 1,000 kinds of such receptors, structures on the surface of cells, which let the body respond to a wide variety of chemical signals, like adrenaline. Some receptors are in the nose, tongue and eyes, and let us sense smells, tastes and light.

"They work as a gateway to the cell," Lefkowitz told a news conference in Stockholm by phone. "As a result they are crucial ... to regulate almost every known physiological process with humans."

Lefkowitz, 69, is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Kobilka, 57, worked for Lefkowitz at Duke before transferring to Stanford University School of Medicine in California, where he is now a professor.

Lefkowitz said he was fast asleep when the Nobel committee called, but he didn't hear it because he was wearing ear plugs. So his wife picked up the phone.

"She said, 'There's a call here for you from Stockholm,'" Lefkowitz told The Associated Press. "I knew they ain't calling to find out what the weather is like in Durham today."

He said he didn't have an "inkling" that he was being considered for the Nobel Prize.

"Initially, I expected I'd have this huge burst of excitement. But I didn't. I was comfortably numb," Lefkowitz said.

Kobilka said he found out around 2:30 a.m., after the Nobel committee called his home twice. He said he didn't get to the phone the first time, but that when he picked up the second time, he spoke to five members of the committee.

"They passed the phone around and congratulated me," Kobilka told AP. I guess they do that so you actually believe them. When one person calls you, it can be a joke, but when five people with convincing Swedish accents call you, then it isn't a joke."

He said he would put his half of the 8 million kronor ($1.2 million) award toward retirement or "pass it on to my kids."

The academy said it was long a mystery how cells interact with their environment and adapt to new situations, such as when they react to adrenaline by increasing blood pressure and making the heart beat faster.

Scientists suspected that cell surfaces had some type of receptor for hormones.

Using radioactivity, Lefkowitz managed to unveil receptors including the receptor for adrenaline, and started to understand how it works.

Kobilka and his team realized that there is a whole family of receptors that look alike ? a family that is now called G-protein-coupled receptors.

In 2011, Kobilka achieved another breakthrough when his team captured an image of the receptor for adrenaline at the moment when it is activated by a hormone and sends a signal into the cell. The academy called the image "a molecular masterpiece."

The award is "fantastic recognition for helping us further understand the intricate details of biochemical systems in our bodies," said Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, president of the American Chemical Society.

"They both have made great contributions to our understanding of health and disease," Shakhashiri said. "This is going to help us a great deal to develop new pharmaceuticals, new medicines for combating disease."

Drugs such as beta blockers, antihistamines and various psychiatric medicines have been around for some time, but before Lefkowitz and Kobilka's discoveries, their impact on the human body wasn't fully understood, said Sven Lidin, chairman of the prize committee.

"All we knew was that they worked, but we didn't know why," Lidin said. There is hope that the Nobel-winning research will lead to new medicines, he added.

Mark Downs, chief executive of Britain's Society of Biology, said the critical role receptors play is now taking for granted.

"This groundbreaking work spanning genetics and biochemistry has laid the basis for much of our understanding of modern pharmacology as well as how cells in different parts of living organisms can react differently to external stimulation, such as light and smell, or the internal systems which control our bodies such as hormones," Downs said in a statement.

The U.S. has dominated the Nobel chemistry prize in recent years, with American scientists being included among the winners of 17 of the past 20 awards.

This year's Nobel announcements started Monday with the medicine prize going to stem cell pioneers John Gurdon of Britain and Japan's Shinya Yamanaka. Frenchman Serge Haroche and American David Wineland won the physics prize Tuesday for work on quantum particles.

The Nobel Prizes were established in the will of 19th-century Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. The awards are always handed out on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death in 1896.

___

AP Science Writer Malcolm Ritter in New York and AP writers Amanda Kwan in Phoenix, Jack Jones in Columbia, South Carolina, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-us-scientists-win-nobel-chemistry-prize-095345202.html

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Monday, October 8, 2012

Falcons (5-0) edge 'Skins

Turner runs 13 yards for go-ahead score with 2:46 to play to beat Redskins

Evan Vucci / AP

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III walks off the field after being hit by Atlanta Falcons defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi.

updated 6:29 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2012

LANDOVER, Md. - Robert Griffin III isn't the type of quarterback to run out of bounds, and Sean Weatherspoon knew it. The Atlanta Falcons linebacker kept up the pursuit and went for the tackle. His upper body rammed into the helmet of the rookie who doesn't shy from contact.

Griffin was down and done. A mild concussion, according to Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. On a day in which the Falcons' usually powerful offense was a bit out of sync, the defense had made a play that changed the game.

Matt Ryan went on to lead three scoring drives in the fourth quarter Sunday, scraping together enough points for a 24-17 win that gave the Falcons their first 5-0 start in franchise history.

"I felt like he was still turning upfield, so I was just trying to make a play," Weatherspoon said. "Most quarterbacks would probably slide out of bounds or run out of bounds, but he's a tough guy."

And there was no dispute. It was a clean hit.

"It felt like a good play," Weatherspoon said. "I think it gave us a little energy."

The play turned a third-and-goal from the 3 to a fourth-and-goal from the 5 late in the third quarter. The Redskins then kicked a field goal to take 10-7 lead, and Griffin's replacement, fellow rookie Kirk Cousins, managed one big play in his NFL debut that put Washington in front one more time in the fourth quarter.

But, otherwise, the post-Griffin section of the game belonged to the Falcons. Julio Jones dexterously got both feet inbounds on an 18-yard catch just beyond the pylon. Matt Bryant stayed perfect on the year with a 53-yard field goal. Michael Turner ran 13 yards for the go-ahead score with 2:46 to play. The defense intercepted Cousins twice in the final two minutes.

The Falcons, mistakes and all, remain the only unbeaten team in the NFC.

"I don't know why you want to ask me any questions," Atlanta receiver Roddy White joked as he stood at his locker. "We stunk it up in early in the game."

The Falcons didn't score until the final minute of the first half, but Ryan kept throwing and throwing and throwing. He finished with 34 completions on 52 attempt for 345 yards with two touchdowns and one interception - a screen pass picked off by Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and run back 28 yards for the game's first score. Ryan also fumbled away a snap, Atlanta's first lost fumble of the season.

Tony Gonzalez caught 13 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Jones had 10 receptions for 94 yards. White snagged four passes for 68 yards. Turner ran for 67 yards on 18 carries. Impressive numbers - until you remember that Washington has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

"We were our own worst enemies in the first half," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said.

The Redskins (2-3), losing their eighth consecutive home game, were meanwhile left to deal with an ironic wound. There was abundant concern that Griffin was susceptible to injury when he was taking hard hits while running option plays frequently in his first three games.

But Shanahan scaled back the option over the last two weeks. Griffin didn't have a designed run play Sunday. He ended up getting hurt while scrambling because he couldn't find an open receiver - something that every quarterback does.

Team spokesman Tony Wyllie said the Heisman Trophy winner was examined by an independent neurologist before being sent home from the stadium and will be evaluated again Monday. Griffin also got a cut on his chin.

"When he wasn't really sure what the score was, what quarter it was, we knew he had a mild concussion," Shanahan said.

Cousins, a fourth-round pick from Michigan State, went three-and-out in his first possession. Sav Rocca shanked the punt, and the Falcons drove 47 yards to take a 14-10 lead on Jones' catch.

But Cousins put the Redskins ahead again about a minute later, when Santana Moss ran deep down the middle without a defender anywhere near him. The 77-yard pass made the score 17-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Ryan came back with two drives that gave the Falcons the win. Bryant's field goal tied the game, and Turner's run was the decisive score.

Cousins had two more chances to rally the Redskins, but Dunta Robinson and Thomas DeCoud picked him off to end Washington's final two drives.

"With Robert not being in there, definitely allowed them to change up their scheme," said Redskins running back Alfred Morris, who ran 115 yards on 18 carries. "They were flying downhill a lot faster. It definitely affected our running game. Once he wasn't in anymore, they were just able to pin their ears back."

NOTES: Washington K Billy Cundiff - already on thin ice after missing three field goals the previous week - was wide right from 31 yards in the second quarter. ... Falcons injuries: RB Antone Smith (hamstring) and LB Stephen Nicholas (ankle).

More news

Saints celebrate, but issues remain

PFT: Drew Brees passed John Unitas in the record books and passed New Orleans to its first win. But defensive issues will continue to plague this team throughout the season.

Brees passes Unitas, Saints win ? |? ??Highlights

Drew Brees broke a half-century-old NFL record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 48th straight game, and the New Orleans Saints won for the first time this season, 31-24 over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49322019/ns/sports-nfl/

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Thursday, October 4, 2012

AARP: Not backing any presidential candidates

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aarp-not-backing-presidential-candidates-212533698--election.html

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Sea urchin's spiny strength revealed

ScienceDaily (Oct. 2, 2012) ? For the first time, a team of Australian engineers has modelled the microscopic mechanics of a sea urchin's spine, gaining insight into how these unusual creatures withstand impacts in their aquatic environment.

The skeleton of the purple-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii), found in tidal waters along the coast of New South Wales, has many long spines extending from its core. These spiky features are used for walking, sensing their environment, and for protection against predators and rough surf.

The long hollow spines are made from a single crystal of calcite -- which is essentially glass -- arranged in a porous, intricate structure. Material scientists are interested in the chemical composition of these spines, but there has been no exploration of how they respond to mechanical stress.

In this latest study, published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, researchers from UNSW and the Australian National University explain how this unique and intricate structure enables an advantageous blend of elasticity and brittleness, which allows the spine to better absorb impacts and stress under some conditions, and snap off under others.

In addition to offering some new insight into this curious marine animal, researchers say the finding could offer clues for creating new bio-inspired materials and more efficient engineering designs, which often strive to improve strength-to-weight efficiency.

The sea urchin's spine strength is particularly interesting given the brittleness of its constituent materials, says lead author Dr Naomi Tsafnat from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW.

"While we're not certain that this evolutionary feature is optimised, it certainly works -- the longevity of this creature, having survived hundreds of millions of years, is a testament to that," she says. "The spine is both strong and lightweight, and has mechanical characteristics that suit the sea urchin's needs."

"It can withstand some types of loads, like compression, which allows the sea urchin to manoeuver and walk around, but snaps easily when the urchin needs to protect itself from predators."

Using a process known as microtomography, the researchers created a high-resolution 3D microscopic image of a segment of spine, which allowed them to identify unique features in its architecture. These included protruding wedges and barbs on their surface, linked together by tiny bridging structures that spiral around the spine's axis.

The team used this 3D image to create a computer model of the spine segment, and then simulated various mechanical load scenarios. They observed that different types of stress concentrate at different points within the architecture. This contributes greatly to its strength and unusual elasticity under certain strains.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of New South Wales.

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

Journal Reference:

Naomi Tsafnat, John D. Fitz Gerald, Hai N. Le, Zbigniew H. Stachurski. Micromechanics of Sea Urchin Spines. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (9): e44140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044140

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/x9IFnPY9qg4/121003094642.htm

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