officiator weeds: July 2013

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Microsoft Wants Google to Censor?. Microsoft.com

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Torrent Freak
July 28, 2013

In an attempt to make pirated content harder to find copyright holders ask Google to remove millions of search results every week. While these automated requests are usually legitimate, mistakes happen more often than one might expect. For example, in an embarrassing act of self-censorship Microsoft recently asked Google to censor links to its very own Microsoft.com.

Earlier this week we reported that Google has already received takedown requests for more than 100 million URLs this year.

While most of the submitted URLs do indeed link to infringing content, not all requests received by Google are correct.

The automated systems used by many of the copyright holders often trigger notices that include links to perfectly legitimate content, and sometimes even their own work. The latter happened in a recent DMCA takedown request sent by LeakID on behalf of Microsoft.

Instead of listing URLs of infringing material, Microsoft asked Google to remove links to their own websites, as can be seen below. The six links point to Microsoft?s store, support pages and product descriptions. A pretty embarrassing mistake to say the least.

Whoops..

google-dmca-ms

Luckily for Microsoft, Google spotted the error, meaning that the pages in question have not been removed from the search results, although it would have been a fitting punishment if Google had decided to comply with the request.

While the above error is rather entertaining, matters gets more serious when copyright holders censor legitimate content produced by others. It?s hard to say how frequently this happens, but just by browsing through the many DMCA notices we have been able to find dozens of examples already.

Just two weeks ago we found that HBO had asked Google to remove a perfectly legal copy of the open source video player VLC, for example. The link in question was clearly submitted in error, but at the time of writing it?s still absent from Google?s search result.

Some individuals respond to these mistakes by blaming the search engine, and taking counter-action. For example, a person who uses the handle ?Google dicksuck? decided to respond to the VLC takedown request by asking Google to remove HBO.com.

How about this takedown?

google-ds

Unfortunately for him or her, Google did not remove the TV-network?s website.

Of course Google can?t really be blamed for responding to takedown requests because they are required to do so by law. Considering the millions of notices submitted to them every week, Google does a pretty good job at filtering out the most obvious mistakes.

The copyright holders on the other hand could take much more care to prevent these errors. Even if it?s just to avoid embarrassing themselves.

Source: http://intellihub.com/2013/07/28/microsoft-wants-google-to-censor-microsoft-com/

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Monday, July 29, 2013

10 Things to Know for Monday

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chairs a session of the Palestinian cabinet in the West Bank city of Ramallah, July 28, 2013. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shuttled between Israeli and Palestinian leaders for months seeking a breakthrough and announced last week that the Palestinians and the Israelis were willing to meet to discuss renewing talks. The Palestinians long refused to return to the negotiating table unless Israel agreed to several preconditions. (AP Photo/ Xinhua, Issam Rimawi, Pool)

In this July 12, 2013 photo, Deputy Edward Schinkal attaches an electronic monitoring unit to a woman who was sentenced to home incarceration, in Cincinnati. Changes and improvements in technology are helping authorities in southwest Ohio track crime suspects and convicts and freeing up scarce jail space. (AP Photo/The Cincinnati Enquirer, Carrie Cochran) MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES

This undated family photo provided by the Rockland County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, July 28, 2013 shows Mark Lennon. Authorities continued to search for Lennon after he fell into the Hudson River Friday night when the motorboat he was on as a passenger crashed into a barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge. (AP Photo/Rockland County Sheriff's Office)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday:

1. WHO'S AGREED TO RESUME PEACE TALKS

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet in Washington after Israel OKs release of 104 Palestinian prisoners.

2. EGYPT BRACES FOR MORE VIOLENCE

The interim government vows to crack down on two protest camps organized by supporters of ousted president Morsi.

3. NOT ENOUGH MONITORING OF MONITORING BRACELETS IN US

The AP finds that an avalanche of alerts is undermining attempts to check the whereabouts of sex offenders and others.

4. SEARCHERS FIND 2ND BODY AFTER HUDSON CRASH

It's believed to be Mark Lennon, who was to be best man at the wedding of Lindsey Stewart, also presumed dead.

5. NEW SIGN OF DETERIORATING US ECONOMIC SECURITY

More than 19 million white Americans have fallen below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four, accounting for more than 41 percent of the nation's destitute.

6. 'BRAVEST MAN I EVER KNEW' DIES AT 88

Medal of Honor recipient George "Bud" Day spent 5-1/2 years as a POW in Vietnam and was John McCain's cellmate.

7. TOUR BUS CRASHES INTO ITALIAN RAVINE

At least two dozen die as Italian pilgrims plunge off highway near Avellino.

8. WHERE YOUNG BLACK MALE HUMANITY GETS A RARE SHOWCASE

The film 'Fruitvale Station' dramatizes the real-life case of a 22-year-old African American man shot in the back by a police officer in 2009.

9. HOW SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS TRACK PROPERTY LOST IN HOLOCAUST

Israel-based genealogy company uses the Internet to match items stolen by the Nazis to heirs of victims.

10. ONE MORE REASON HE'S YANKEE CAPTAIN

Derek Jeter hits a home run in his first at-bat after coming off disabled list.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-07-28-10-Things-to-Know-Monday/id-6ba9c67a77a84020abf674eeb0e020d4

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Spanish train driver charged with 79 homicide counts

By Tracy Rucinski

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (Reuters) - The driver of a Spanish high-speed train that derailed and killed 79 people was released pending trial on charges of reckless homicide, a judge ruled on Sunday night.

Francisco Garzon, 52, had been under arrest since Thursday. He is suspected of driving the train too fast through a tight curve on the outskirts of the northwestern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela.

Examining Magistrate Luis Alaez formally charged Garzon with "79 counts of homicide and numerous offences of bodily harm, all of them committed through professional recklessness," the court said in a statement.

In a closed-door hearing before Judge Alaez, Garzon admitted taking the curve too fast, blaming it on a momentary lapse, according to media reports.

Alaez set the following conditions of release: Garzon must check in regularly with the court, surrender his passport and not drive trains.

None of the parties in the case, which include state train operator Renfe, state railway firm Adif and two insurance companies, had asked for Garzon to be jailed pending trial, and he was not seen as a flight risk, the court statement said.

At 8:41 p.m. on Wednesday the eight-carriage, high-speed train slammed into a concrete wall, crumpled, and some of the cars caught fire. The impact was so strong that one of the carriages was thrown several meters high over an embankment.

The death toll from Spain's worst train disaster in decades rose to 79 after one injured person - a woman from the United States - died on Sunday.

Seventy people remain hospitalized with injuries from the crash, 22 are in critical condition.

Garzon has worked for Renfe for 30 years, 10 as a driver. His father also worked on the rails and he grew up in Renfe-owned housing in the northwestern town of Monforte de Lemos and went to school with other train-workers' children.

After the accident he was hospitalized with a head injury. On Saturday he was released from the hospital but remained in police custody until he was taken to the hearing at Santiago de Compostela's main courthouse.

Neither lawyers nor members of Garzon's family could be reached for comment.

Alaez has been assigned to investigate the case and will also look at whether the train, the tracks or the security system that slows down the trains were at fault.

UP TO THE DRIVER

The Alvia train involved in the accident, one of three types of high-speed train services that run in Spain, received a full maintenance check on the morning of the journey, the head of Renfe said, and security systems were in good shape.

"As far as we know, the train was in perfect condition when it set off on its journey," Renfe President Julio Gomez-Pomar told newspaper ABC.

The Alvia trains run both on traditional tracks, where drivers must heed warning systems to reduce speed, and on high-speed tracks where a more sophisticated security system will automatically slow down trains that are going too fast.

At the section of the track where the accident happened, it was up to the driver to respond to prompts to slow down.

Gomez-Pomar rejected criticism that the safety system was insufficient, saying the debate "does not make much sense".

CELEBRATIONS CANCELED

The city of Santiago was meant to be celebrating the yearly festival of St. James on July 25, with thousands of Christian pilgrims arriving after walking the famous Camino de Santiago ancient pilgrimage trail.

A week of concerts and other cultural events were canceled after the train crash on the eve of the festival. On Sunday, black ribbons of mourning hung on the empty stages that had been set up.

Pilgrims, many of them fresh off the trail and carrying backpacks, crammed into a standing-room-only Mass in Santiago's centuries-old cathedral where they were asked to remember the victims of the accident.

At the cathedral gates, along with flowers and candles commemorating the dead, some people left walking sticks from their journeys and others placed shells, the symbol of St. James and badge of honor for the pilgrims who complete the journey.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who visited the crash site after the tragedy, is due to return on Monday to Santiago, the city where he was born, for an official funeral ceremony for the victims.

Dolores Mato, 57, a shopkeeper who works close to the ancient cathedral, expressed sympathy and grief for the victims and their families, but also for Garzon, who she said had been "crucified" in the media.

(Writing by Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Fiona Ortiz, Peter Graff, Sonya Hepinstall and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/driver-derailed-spanish-train-charged-79-counts-homicide-010916839.html

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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Omnicom, Publicis to combine into biggest ad firm

PARIS (AP) ? Omnicom Group Inc. and Publicis Groupe SA say they are combining in a "merger of equals" that will create the world's largest advertising firm, one worth more than $35 billion.

The combined company will be called Publicis Omnicom Group and be jointly led by Omnicom CEO John Wren and Publicis CEO Maurice Levy as co-chief executives. The move is designed to bolster the companies' focus on growing Asian and Latin American markets such as China and Brazil, where they each have ramped up operations to counter lackluster growth in weak European markets.

But although a combined firm will allow for more pricing power in general, the decrease in competition could present regulatory hurdles in the U.S. and Europe. Client conflicts also could be an issue, as rivals such as Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, McDonald's, Yum Brands' Taco Bell, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble now find themselves under the same umbrella.

Rich Tullo, an analyst at Albert Fried & Co. in New York, predicted pushback from regulators in both the U.S. and France. The U.S. could be wary of one company controlling such a large portion of the market, he said, while in France, authorities might not take warmly to any Americanization of a company that is a bright spot in the bruised French economy.

Tullo also questioned whether the combined company could live up to promises like the $500 million in cost savings touted with the announcement, given Europe's shaky financial condition. "That sounds like financial alchemy, if you ask me," he said.

Omnicom Group Inc., based in New York, owns BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide Communications Group and TBWA Worldwide, among other agencies. Paris-based Publicis Groupe SA runs its namesake agency as well as Leo Burnett Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi and DigitasLBi. Their merger creates a company with combined annual revenue of about $23 billion, leapfrogging them over current London-based industry leader WPP PLC.

For the first year, Omnicom Chairman Bruce Crawford will serve as non-executive chairman of the new company. He will be succeeded by Elisabeth Badinter, the current Publicis Groupe chairwoman, and daughter of its founder, for the second year.

Levy is slated to take the non-executive chairman's seat after 30 months, leaving Wren to continue as sole CEO from that point.

Omnicom, which also owns public relations firms such as Fleishman-Hillard, Porter Novelli and Ketchum, reported 2012 profit of nearly $1 billion on revenue of $14.22 billion. Earlier this month, the Madison Avenue giant posted second-quarter earnings that topped analysts' average forecast, though revenue growth of 2 percent fell just short of expectations.

Founded in 1986, Omnicom generates just over half of its revenue from U.S. clients, and about one-quarter from European and British markets combined. The company's stock has risen 31 percent in the last 12 months, recently peaking at $67.43 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Omnicom will benefit from Publicis' strategic shift in the last few years toward digital operations, as the French company beefed up its digital marketing profile with the acquisitions of Digitas, Razorfish, Rosetta, Big Fuel and LBi. Publicis, which had revenue of $8.78 billion in 2012, had targeted generating 75 percent of its revenue in digital and fast-growing countries by 2018, according to a recent investor presentation.

The move gives Publicis, which has faced questions about who will succeed 71-year-old Levy, access to Omnicom's well-regarded senior leadership, said James Dix, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

Analysts said the deal also represents even more consolidation in an industry that is already dominated by just a few players, a fact that might not sit well with U.S. regulators.

If the Omnicom-Publicis combination goes through, the combined company would account for nearly 40 percent of the U.S. ad industry, twice as much as the nearest competitor, WPP, according to Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group in New York.

Wieser said Sunday the deal came as a surprise to many in the industry. Omnicom, he said, has "always been viewed as too large to get any larger."

The combined company will have more than 130,000 employees.

One concern is whether Omnicom and Publicis can strike a harmonious balance of power ? something that can be difficult in mergers of similar-sized companies.

"It's not clear yet who really is in the driver's seat," Wieser said. "That will emerge over time."

The fact that the two firms are based in different countries could also become an issue, Dix said. "You have these fiefdoms that keep people from playing together. One company is based in Paris, one is in New York. Where is the power center?" he said in an interview Saturday.

Dix expects that top executives are comfortable with the structure of the deal, but the adjustment may be more difficult for the next level of executives who run the firms' units.

"Now they have to fit together into a broader organization," Dix said. "If you lose clients or have defections of senior executives then you have something that looked good on paper but didn't quite play out."

The combination has been approved by the boards of both companies, but remains subject to regulatory approval in both the U.S. and Europe, and to a vote by shareholders of both companies. The deal is structured so that the shareholders of Publicis Groupe and Omnicom, after special dividends, will each hold approximately 50 percent of the company.

Publicis Groupe shareholders will receive one new share of Publicis Omnicom Group for each Publicis Groupe share they own, together with a special dividend of 1 euro per share. Omnicom shareholders will receive 0.813 new shares of Publicis Omnicom Group for each Omnicom share they own, plus a special dividend of $2 per share. The new company intends to be listed in Paris and on the New York Stock Exchange.

The combination could have a domino effect on the industry, spurring marriages between other ad giants who might fear they can't compete otherwise, said Michael Corty, an analyst at Chicago-based Morningstar. "Within the ad agency industry, this is potentially an earthquake deal."

___

Business News reporters Christina Rexrode and Jon Fahey contributed from New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/omnicom-publicis-combine-biggest-ad-firm-220845588.html

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NFL notes: Rodgers says he was ?lied to? by Braun

NFL notes ? Green Bay QB ?disappointed? by friend?s PED admission.

Ryan Braun apparently has some work to do to repair his friendship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Describing himself as shocked and disappointed, Rodgers said Friday after the Packers? first training camp practice that Braun "looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations" that the Milwaukee Brewers slugger was using performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun this week accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension after admitting to violating baseball?s rules against using PEDs.

Rodgers felt duped by his buddy and business associate, a sentiment being expressed by many others in Wisconsin. A Milwaukee restaurant is named for two of the state?s most well-known athletes, and Rodgers last year defended his friend on Twitter, going so far as to bet his multimillion-dollar salary that Braun was clean.

"It?s disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans," Rodgers said before a throng of media surrounding his locker. "It doesn?t feel great being lied to like that, and I?m disappointed about the way it all went down."

Rodgers and Braun have spoken since the slugger?s suspension. Asked if he considered themselves friends, Rodgers didn?t answer directly but said in part, "I trusted him, and that?s the thing that probably hurts the most."

Vikings? Peterson eager for HGH testing

Embracing the challenge has always been a part of Adrian Peterson?s persona. Bring it on, the star running back has often said with a smile.

He set the NFL?s single-game rushing record as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings. His swift recovery from reconstructive left knee surgery last season included a jaw-dropping 2,097 yards rushing and the league MVP award. No matter how rare the feat he?s asked about, Peterson will usually insist it?s possible.

story continues below

There?s another test he?d eagerly take: for human growth hormone.

"I can?t wait until they draw my blood," Peterson said Friday after the team?s first workout of training camp.

The NFL and the players union have been working on an agreement for HGH testing procedures. Supplemental HGH is a banned substance that?s difficult to detect. It?s been used by athletes for what are believed to be a variety of benefits, whether real or only perceived, like increased speed and improved vision.

"To be honest with you, I?ve been hoping they did this a long time ago, you know, evening out the playing field and make guys be honest and truthful to themselves," Peterson said, later adding: "I?m all natural. I work hard. This right here, it?s a test for me personally, that I know that, ?Hey, I?m clean as a whistle,? and other guys as well. And then, like I say, it?ll bring some guys to the forefront and be like, ?Hey, I guess this is how this guy?s been performing so well.?"

Peterson said he believes HGH use is not uncommon around the league.

"You?ve got guys out there trying to provide for their families, they?re going to try to get that edge, get that advantage, especially if they?re not worried about trying to get caught," Peterson said. "Yeah, it?s being used."

Around the league

Bengals ? An MRI found that All-Pro receiver A.J. Green has a bruised knee that will force him to miss several days of practice. Green hurt his left knee near the end of Cincinnati?s first practice of training camp on Thursday. Green said an MRI that found no structural damage.

Next Page >

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56650040-77/rodgers-camp-peterson-training.html.csp

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Pippa Middleton: SO Excited to Be an Aunt!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/pippa-middleton-so-excited-to-be-an-aunt/

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Miley Cyrus Poses Nude For Marc Jacobs' Skin Cancer Campaign ...

Miley Cyrus leaves Hannah Montana further behind each day. The ?We Can?t Stop? singer?s latest antic? Posing nude for a t-shirt to be sold in select Marc Jacobs boutiques as part of the designer?s Protect The Skin You?re In campaign. At least it?s for a good cause (all funds raised will go to the New York University Skin Cancer Institute) and she had the good sense to cover her privates with well-placed hands and lettering. Miley 2.0 is taking no prisoners!

Is this high-fashion garment on your shopping list? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://idolator.com/7473635/miley-cyrus-poses-nude-for-marc-jacobs-skin-cancer-campaign/

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Prosecutors: Manning abused his country's trust

FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) ? U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning was a traitor with one mission as an intelligence analyst in Iraq: to find and reveal government secrets to a group of anarchists and bask in the glory as a whistleblower, a prosecutor said Thursday during closing arguments.

Maj. Ashden Fein said Manning betrayed his country's trust and spilled classified information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, knowing the material would be seen by al-Qaida. Even Osama bin Laden had some of the digital files at his compound when he was killed, the prosecutor said.

"WikiLeaks was merely the platform which Pfc. Manning used to ensure all the information was available for the world, including enemies of the United States," Fein said.

Manning is charged with 21 offenses, but the most serious is aiding the enemy, which carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison. Defense attorneys will present their closing arguments Friday.

Manning, 25, was not the troubled, naive soldier defense attorneys have made him out to be, Fein said. He displayed a smiling photo of Manning from 2010 when he was visiting relatives in Maryland on leave.

Fein said: "This is a gleeful, grinning Pfc. Manning" who sent battlefield reports to WikiLeaks, accompanied by the message: "Have a good day."

Manning, a native of Crescent, Okla., has acknowledged giving WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and videos in late 2009 and early 2010. But he says he didn't believe the information would harm troops in Afghanistan and Iraq or threaten national security.

Fein, the military's lead prosecutor, said Manning had a dog tag with "humanist" engraved on it, but "the only human Pfc. Manning ever cared about was himself."

"The flag meant nothing to him," Fein said in his nearly five-hour summation.

Prosecutors must prove Manning knew al-Qaida would see the material to get a conviction on the most serious charge of aiding the enemy. They presented evidence Manning knew "the enemy" in general used the Internet, and that leakers with evil intent might use WikiLeaks to spill secrets.

A military judge, not a jury, is hearing the case at Manning's request. Army Col. Denise Lind will deliberate after closing arguments. It's not clear when she will rule.

The verdict and any sentence will be reviewed, and could be reduced, by the commander of the Military District of Washington, currently Maj. Gen. Jeffery S. Buchanan.

Manning supporters showed up hours before court opened to protest outside the Army base. Inside the courtroom, about 35 spectators watched, many wearing T-shirts with the word "truth" printed on them.

Fein's cutting closing remarks, including calling Manning a traitor, struck a chord with supporters.

As court recessed for the day, a man said aloud, "You're a hero, Bradley, as far as I'm concerned." Several others murmured support for Manning in what became a loud buzz.

Lind, standing up to leave, angrily shouted, "Gallery, that's enough!" Then she walked out of the courtroom.

Outside, defense attorney David Coombs reassured Manning supporters.

"If it takes six, seven hours to go on a diatribe and try to piece together some convoluted story," he said, "if it takes you that long to get your point across, you know it isn't true."

Coombs said on Friday they would hear what truth sounds like

Manning sat quietly in his blue dress uniform and followed along as the prosecution showed slides, reading them off of monitor on the defense table.

Fein said Manning relied on WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for guidance on what to leak, starting within two weeks of his arrival in Iraq in November 2009.

Referring to a "Most Wanted Leaks" list the organization published, Fein said WikiLeaks sought almost exclusively information about the U.S.

"What is obvious is that Pfc. Manning pulled as much information as possible to please Julian Assange in order to get that information released," Fein said. He later described the group as "a bunch of anti-government activists and anarchists."

Federal authorities also are looking into whether Assange can be prosecuted. He has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden on sex-crimes allegations.

Also Thursday, the judge refused to dismiss theft charges against Manning after the defense said prosecutors hadn't proven the allegations.

A counterintelligence witness, in classified testimony, valued the Iraq and Afghanistan war logs at about $5.7 million, based on what foreign intelligence services had paid in the past for similar information, Fein said.

Manning pleaded guilty earlier this year to reduced versions of some charges. He faces up to 20 years in prison for those offenses, but prosecutors pressed ahead with the original charges.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/prosecutors-manning-abused-countrys-trust-194415733.html

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Friday, July 26, 2013

VIDEO: White House urges restraint by Egyptian military

The White House urged the Egyptian military to exercise ?maximum restraint? and to do its utmost to prevent clashes between rival protesters.

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India school poisoning: head held

Meena Devi went on the run after the poisonings in the village of Dharmasati Gandaman, in Bihar state, on 16 July.

She surrendered today. Police say she is key to solving the mystery of how pesticide ended up in the food.

Sujeet Kumar, police chief of Saran district, where the children died, said: ?We have arrested her for questioning.?? The children ate the food, provided under India?s Mid-Day meal scheme for poor pupils, on July 16. They were aged between four and 10. Thirty are still in hospital.

Blood tests on four children indicated ?acute poisoning?. A forensic report showed oil that the food had been cooked in contained the pesticide monocrotophos, which is banned in many countries.

A government official said: ?The substance was more than five times the commercial preparation available on the market.?

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/india-school-poisoning-head-held-8730329.html

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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Barriers to interventions to prevent malaria in pregnancy similar across sub-Saharan Africa

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Source: www.sciencedaily.com --- Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The main barriers to the access, delivery, and use of interventions that help to prevent malaria in pregnant women are relatively consistent across sub-Saharan African countries and may provide a helpful checklist to identify the factors influencing uptake of these important interventions, according to a new study. ...

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/s93o7MYFato/130723181213.htm

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Alvarion receives delisting notice from Nasdaq, seeks hearing

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli wireless broadband technology firm Alvarion said it received a letter from Nasdaq's Listing Qualifications Department indicating the company's ordinary shares are subject to delisting.

The department cited concerns stemming from the appointment of a receiver to enforce liens registered against the company as well as the residual equity interest of the company's shareholders, Alvarion said on Wednesday.

The company said it intends to request a hearing before the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel to review the decision.

The request must be filed within seven calendar days from receipt of the letter, or by July 24. Alvarion will remain listed on Nasdaq pending the outcome of the hearing. A hearing date has not been set.

Silicon Valley Bank had requested a Tel Aviv court to enforce liens and appoint a receiver to collect a loan issued to the company. The district court of Tel Aviv on July 15 decided to appoint a receiver.

Alvarion has struggled to gain a foothold in the long-range wireless Internet sector with its WiMax products and earlier this year sold its broadband wireless access business to Telrad Networks for $6 million.

Alvarion posted a 45 percent drop in first-quarter revenue to $8.5 million and posted a loss of 51 cents per share excluding one-off items.

(Reporting by Tova Cohen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alvarion-receives-delisting-notice-nasdaq-seeks-hearing-070825971.html

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Ryse: Son of Rome's E3 Demo Was Simplified, Says Crytek

Forum Posts: 162

Comment #1 by Darkrenegade25

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:14:36 AM

Looks fun!

Forum Posts: 7

Comment #2 by Darth Bad

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:17:14 AM

Hell yeah, day one buy. No doubt.... Going to try and get the four day 1 exclusives.... Might take a lot of begging to my woman but it will be worth it. :)

Forum Posts: 2132

Comment #3 by IEvil IMonkey

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:17:25 AM

Def like the look of this and have it on pre-order =)

Forum Posts: 162

Comment #4 by Darkrenegade25

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:18:06 AM

...for the first minute or so it seems generic and the same thing over and over.

Forum Posts: 1833

Comment #5 by cheevo360

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:24:53 AM

Ryse been removed from gimmicky Kinect then now less QTE. Great news about Ryse. I am sure Ryse going epic now then what original stories about Ryse game. :)

I am so happy it is more action without Kinect and less QTE.

SO exciting about Ryse. Keep good good work with this new IP game. Crytek. :)

Forum Posts: 76

Comment #6 by Emperor 95

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:33:59 AM

they finally realised they fucked up by turning it into a QTE-fest.
now they're going to make it slightly less so.

still wont save it from being shit.

(cue thumbs down ;)

Forum Posts: 61

Comment #7 by segagamer

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:34:31 AM

I'm genuinely looking forward to this...

Forum Posts: 7

Comment #8 by ziggy78900

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:35:48 AM

ill skip

Forum Posts: 158

Comment #9 by D0ctorNick

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:38:59 AM

Looks interesting enough for me to try

Forum Posts: 1

Comment #10 by iBlaise

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:44:22 AM

Even with the QTE's, I was impressed with the way the game looked and played, and now this news only makes the game even better! I'm really looking forward to Ryse, it seems like a fantastic launch title/exclusive!

Forum Posts: 0

Comment #11 by Malakarn

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 09:51:23 AM

Why show a brand new IP in "a simplified form" surely you'd want it to look as glorious as possible so people go WOW! I NEED THAT IN MY LIFE.

Forum Posts: 274

Comment #12 by Kite87

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 10:04:49 AM

@11 probably, because it wasn't in a "simplified form" the developers just read a lot of the hate directed at the QTE's and decided to change it.

If it was in a "simplified form" surely they would have mentioned that during or shortly after the conference.

Could be decent and it looks stunning, but I can't shake the feeling this will be the first mediocre Xbox one game.

Forum Posts: 11233

Comment #13 by Gackt

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 10:12:36 AM

Happy to hear its going to be less QTE focused. Game looks amazing and I look fwd to playing it.

Forum Posts: 8

Comment #14 by TheBrute1997

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 10:13:23 AM

Hopefully this a God of War styled game for the XB1. I'm a sucker for hack and slashes.

Forum Posts: 151

Comment #15 by Ginormous76

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 10:40:32 AM

Basically, no one at Microsoft or subsidiaries knows how to market themselves to the public.

Forum Posts: 29

Comment #16 by SUBLIMETROJAN5

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 11:07:22 AM

Got this paid off. This is one game i am looking forward too. Well i guess i will be missing work for a few days when X1 comes out..lol I think there will be alot of sick people when November comes around.

Forum Posts: 267

Comment #17 by LH Cerberus

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 11:28:50 AM

They ruined it with the E3 demo for me to 100%, I was so excited for that game...and then that video came up. They should have named it BAXY or ABYX.
A good game should go completely without QTEs, imo.
Just make a good combat system and dont give us pre-rendered fights.

Forum Posts: 154

Comment #18 by Yourburntstar

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 11:44:21 AM

I love the time period this is in, anything with Ancient Roman culture just pulls me in instantly.

Can't wait to get this and play it after watching the movie 300 and the new 300: Rise of an Empire which comes out next year.

Forum Posts: 592

Comment #19 by HorsemanOfWar16

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 11:55:46 AM

Thought the demo looked good - of what I saw at least.

Forum Posts: 86

Comment #20 by mad4ra

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 12:17:13 PM

This game will be ass. Why you ask? Because its from Crytek, they only make good looking games - the rest is generic bullshit.

...Maybe they surprise me and actually make a good game for once, but i wont hold my breath.

Forum Posts: 204

Comment #21 by Sanchezz4387

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 12:25:24 PM

whatever

Forum Posts: 222

Comment #22 by Cinderkin

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 12:32:53 PM

How can anyone believe that? The E3 demo ruined my want to buy this game. So now after hearing this news I will just rent this game. I have no idea how it will turn out now.

First it was a Kinect title, then it was what they showed at E3, now this. To much change for me to be excited about dropping $60 day one.

Forum Posts: 2

Comment #23 by Jaws as Crowns

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 12:40:35 PM

The QTEs were just one of the many problems. At least the game looks beautiful.

Forum Posts: 222

Comment #24 by Cinderkin

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 12:53:08 PM

@ Rich and the other X360A crew

Will this site continue to be the home of the Xbox One games and same with PS4 games on PS3T or will you guys move everything over to a new site for next gen.

Forum Posts: 30

Comment #25 by Launch

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 01:32:16 PM

Does anyone actually believe them?

Forum Posts: 75

Comment #26 by chizrocker88

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 01:33:57 PM

Yeah this is what I got with my day 1 XB1, but I'm really hoping they're right about it being simplified for presentation purposes. Def looked cool but I'm hoping there's a lot more to it.

Forum Posts: 60

Comment #27 by The Kingslayer

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 01:48:20 PM

Word from comic con is the QTE's ruin the game.

Forum Posts: 10

Comment #28 by creaper210

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 01:59:35 PM

Meh. This is the only exclusive that interested me. And with the look of the game, and as #22 said, the amount of change, I don't think I will be buying it. At least not day one. And DEFINITELY not until I see some reviews and maybe play a demo or rent the game.

Forum Posts: 1

Comment #29 by dbdikillhaji

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 02:43:00 PM

now maybe everyone will stop complaining

Forum Posts: 174

Comment #30 by Blue Thunder28

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 03:06:11 PM

I have no issue with QTEs in games.

Forum Posts: 0

Comment #31 by Malakarn

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 03:38:03 PM

@12 dude, the title of the article states that crytek themselves said it was a simplified version and that the final game would be much more complex.

Forum Posts: 0

Comment #32 by HolyTaco

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 04:28:13 PM

Killzone is a day one purchase, not this garbage

Forum Posts: 227

Comment #33 by Snowed

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 04:55:25 PM

@32 That was actually funny. Can't wait to see the fireworks you create as well.

Forum Posts: 112

Comment #34 by Creasy47

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 04:57:56 PM

Now, when they say 'much more complex,' does that mean the QTE's will still be in? I'm confused. If I don't have to sit through 'PRESS _' to get kills, I may get this game.

Forum Posts: 76

Comment #35 by Emperor 95

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 @ 05:17:34 PM

@12 we are not allowed opinions on this site. tut tut ;)

@31 yeah, they say that now. AFTER everybody has ripped the shit out of it including this site. it was not a simplified version, they just realised it was a QTE-fest. refer to my previous post.

look forward to your reply

Source: http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-15609-Ryse--Son-of-Rome-s-E3-Demo-Was-Simplified--Says-Crytek.html

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Even trip to Canada can't cool down Dodgers

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/dodgers/dodgers-517973-cool-gamer.html

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Ryan Braun accepts 65-game drug suspension

File-This Sept. 21, 2012 file photo shows Milwaukee Brewers Ryan Braun reacting while holding his elbow after missing his swing during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, in Washington. Braun, a former National League MVP , has been suspended without pay for the rest of the season and admitted he "made mistakes" in violating Major Leauge Baseball's drug policies. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the penalty Monday July 22, 2013, and released a statement by the Milwaukee Brewers slugger, who said: "I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

File-This Sept. 21, 2012 file photo shows Milwaukee Brewers Ryan Braun warming up before the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, in Washington. Braun, a former National League MVP , has been suspended without pay for the rest of the season and admitted he "made mistakes" in violating Major Leauge Baseball's drug policies. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the penalty Monday July 22, 2013, and released a statement by the Milwaukee Brewers slugger, who said: "I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

File-This Sept. 30, 2012 file photo shows Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun walking off the field after striking out to end a baseball game in Milwaukee. Braun, a former National League MVP , has been suspended without pay for the rest of the season and admitted he "made mistakes" in violating Major Leauge Baseball's drug policies. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the penalty Monday July 22, 2013, and released a statement by the Milwaukee Brewers slugger, who said: "I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions." (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Ryan Braun stood on a spring training field and proclaimed he was innocent of using banned testosterone.

"I would bet my life," he said back then, "that this substance never entered my body at any point."

Seventeen months later, he accepted a 65-game suspension from baseball and admitted, "I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions."

The 2011 National League MVP was suspended without pay for the rest of the season and the postseason Monday, the start of sanctions involving players reportedly tied to a Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

Attention quickly turned to who's next? Will Alex Rodriguez or any of the other players tied in media reports to the Biogenesis of America clinic get disciplined and, if so, when?

"I'm pretty sure Braunie won't be the last," Detroit All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter said. "It's going to be for the next 100 years, somebody's going to try to beat the system, and as long as they keep catching guys, the system works."

Braun, a five-time All-Star, accepted a penalty 15 games longer than the one he avoided last year when an arbitrator overturned his positive test for elevated testosterone because the urine sample had been improperly handled.

More than a dozen players were targeted by MLB following a report by Miami New Times in January revealing relationships between Biogenesis and major leaguers. When Yahoo Sports reported in February that Braun's name was listed in Biogenesis' record, Braun said his lawyer had retained clinic owner Anthony Bosch as a consultant. Braun issued a statement that said "I have nothing to hide."

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced Braun's penalty, citing the outfielder for unspecified "violations" of both baseball's drug program and labor contract. Braun's ban will cost him about $3 million of his $8.5 million salary. With the Brewers in last place in the NL Central, they aren't likely to have any playoff games for him to miss.

"I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed," Braun said. "I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

Under the agreement reached by MLB and the players' association the specifics of Braun's admission were not made public.

A person familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized, said 50 games of the penalty were connected to Biogenesis. The additional 15 games stemmed from Braun's actions during the grievance that overturned his positive test from October 2011. The suspension will count as a first violation of the drug program, the person said.

"I'm shocked, but people make mistakes every day," Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said. "He'll serve his time but, hopefully, he'll be able to continue his career."

Union head Michael Weiner said last week that arbitration hearings for players contesting suspensions likely would not start until September, which would delay any penalty until next season. But he also indicated the union would urge players to make a deal and get a suspension over with if there was strong evidence of guilt.

"I am deeply gratified to see Ryan taking this bold step," Weiner said in a statement. "It vindicates the rights of all players under the joint drug program. It is good for the game that Ryan will return soon to continue his great work both on and off the field."

Braun's acceptance of the suspension marks a 180-degree turnaround from his defiant spring training news conference in Phoenix last year, after his 50-game ban was overturned.

"We won," he said then, "because the truth is on my side. The truth is always relevant, and at the end of the day, the truth prevailed."

The 29-year-old Braun was hitting .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs this year, slowed by a thumb injury that limited him to one game between June 9 and Friday. He was at Miller Park before Monday's game against San Diego and addressed the Brewers, then left without speaking to reporters.

"He apologized," pitcher John Axford said. "Whatever else was said beyond that, I don't think we need to carry outside of the clubhouse."

Braun met with MLB investigators in late June. Baseball's probe was boosted when Bosch, who ran Biogenesis, agreed last month to cooperate with the sport's investigators.

The suspension is the latest in a string of high-profile drug cases across sports. Cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, ended years of denials in January, admitting he doped to win. Positive tests were disclosed this month involving sprinters Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.

By serving the entire penalty this year, Braun gains a slight monetary advantage. His salary increases to $10 million next year, when a 65-game suspension would cost him about $500,000 more.

"We commend Ryan Braun for taking responsibility for his past actions," Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president for economics and league affairs, said in a statement. "We all agree that it is in the best interests of the game to resolve this matter. When Ryan returns, we look forward to him making positive contributions to Major League Baseball, both on and off the field."

Negotiations over penalties for other players haven't begun, according to a second person familiar with the probe, also speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Rodriguez acknowledged using PEDs while with Texas from 2001-03, but has denied taking them since.

A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez has been sidelined all season following January hip surgery and was hoping to be activated this week. A quadriceps injury developed while he played at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and caused him to remain on the disabled list. He is not expected at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., until Wednesday.

Braun became the latest star tripped up by baseball's drug rules.

The sport was criticized for allowing bulked-up sluggers to set power records in the 1990s and only started testing in 2003. Since then, testing and penalties have become more stringent and last year San Francisco's Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games, just weeks after he was voted MVP of the All-Star game.

Four All-Stars this year have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis: Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon and Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

"I guess it is what it is," Cruz said of Braun's suspension. "I don't have any comment."

Other players tied to Biogenesis in media reports include Melky Cabrera, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and Seattle catcher Jesus Montero.

"It's frustrating to know that there are people who have played on performance-enhancing substances against us," Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson said. "Whether it was this year, last year, couple years ago ? even the guys who got caught, it's not like they got tested the day that they started doing it, so I feel like this is the first domino to fall."

___

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in San Francisco, AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Arlington, Texas, AP freelance writers Mark Didtler in Tampa, Fla., Joe DiGiovanni in Milwaukee, Jack Etkin and Mike Kelly in Denver, and Brian Sandalow in Chicago contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-07-23-Braun%20Suspended/id-a372c0aff92d44fbb2d401268a5e8c4f

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Bringing color to solar panels

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Covering a roof or a fa?ade with standard solar cells to generate electricity will change a building?s original appearance ? and not always for the better. At present only dark solar panels are widely available on the market.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/BnpWUuKUoBY/130722105549.htm

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Monday, July 22, 2013

Israel: Palestinian prisoners to be freed in talks

JERUSALEM (AP) ? A senior Israeli official says some Palestinian prisoners will be released as part of the new breakthrough by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in efforts to restart Mideast talks.

Israel's intelligence and strategic affairs minister, Yuval Steinitz, told Israel Radio on Saturday that some "hardcore prisoners" will be released. This has been a long-standing Palestinian demand.

Steinitz says the Mideast talks will re-start without other Palestinian demands such as settlement freeze or defining 1967 lines as borders ahead of negotiations.

It was the first Israeli comment since Kerry announced on Friday night that the two sides will meet soon in Washington to formalize an agreement on relaunching peace talks that collapsed in 2008.

Kerry said Israel and Palestinian negotiators should be going to Washington soon to hold initial talks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-palestinian-prisoners-freed-talks-102223951.html

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Mayor plans to hold beach signing for bills that expand smoking ban

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Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/20130721__Mayor_plans_to_hold_beach_signing_for_bills_that_expand_smoking_ban.html

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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Why NFL Coaches Can?t Stop Read Option

Fri 07/19/2013

.@KevinClarkWSJ looks at why great defensive minds in NFL can?t stop read option.? More of issue of stubbornness than intellect.? Also, rules against hitting QBs in head have eliminated way it used to be dealt with.? One strategy is to play rotational coverage and force QBs inside, but could open up plays downfield and these QBs can make throws.? Still, Mike Tomlin calls it ?the flavor of the month.? Link

.@PFF_Neil compares Titans and Redskins 2013 starting lineups.? Neither have an elite player.? Redskins have 2 more high quality players, but Titans have 3 more rated average or better.? Link

Washington Redskins VS Tennesee Titans 2013 Starting Lineup

.@ESPNNFL looks at 3 key issues facing every NFL team heading into training camp.? Link

Dan Gonzalez studies Chip Kelly?s Oregon Offense.? About different ways of creating numbers advantage in 1 back set.? Motion man faking a sweep, inside zone that looks like zone read, changing point of attack all ways of changing matchup.? QB NOT a designed runner.? One concern transitioning to NFL is Kelly?s QBs tended to set up in same shallow spot in pocket rather than changing depth as necessary vs NFL defenses.? Link

.@MikeClayNFL (RW) looks at how to approach your Fantasy Football draft to maximize starting lineup.? Using ADP and working backwards from round 8, you can find maximum value.? Tony Romo, Jonathan Stewart, DeSean Jackson, Kyle Rudolph available in round 8.? Using strategy, he ends up w RGIII, CJ Spiller, Stevan Ridley, David Wilson, Reggie Wayne, Eric Decker, Mike Williams, Rob Gronkowski.? Link

Speaking of 12 personnel, @TomRyleBTB (Blogging the Boys) says via Jason Garrett that Cowboys have scrapped fullback position and will be playing more two tight end sets.? Should help no huddle/hurry up O.? James Hanna could be used to split out.? Link

.@ThomasGower (FO) looks at how NFL teams matched up vs 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE).? Despite league wide trend vs 11 personnel to go to sub packages more than in past, teams holding steady on rate vs ?12.?? Played base 78.1% of time in ?12 vs 78.3% in ?11.? Break downs from every team.? Link

.@billbarnwell (GD) looks at who had the ?NFL Quarterback Championship Belt? in various eras.? Johnny Unitas (1959-61), YA Tittle (62-63), Unitas (64-67), Namatha (68-69), John Brodie (70), Griese (71-73), Stabler (74), Tarkenton (75), Stabler (76-77), Bradshaw (78)?Joe Montana (87-90)?Favre (95-98)?Manning (03-06, 08-09)?Aaron Rodgers (10-current).? Link

.@realrobertmays (GD) unveils his all pass rush team.? JJ Watt, Geno Atkins, Aldon Smith, DeMarcus Ware, Clay Matthews, Derrick Morgan, Ndamukong Suh, Jared Allen, Chris Clemons, Von Miller, Cameron Wake.? Link

.@Score_Tomlinson forecasts Jaguars Fantasy Football options.? MJD, Cecil Shorts marquee.? Middle of pack: Justin Blackmon.? Peons: Marceded Lewis, Mohammad Massaquoi.? Mop Up: Jordan Shipley, Justin Forsett, Denard Robinson.? Link

Source: http://www.profootballhotreads.com/why-nfl-coaches-cant-stop-read-option/

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Black bears return to Missouri indicates healthy forests

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Thanks to a reintroduction program in Arkansas during the 50s and 60s, hundreds of bears amble through the forests of southern Missouri, according to a new study by biologists, who warn that although the bear population is still small, outdoor recreationists and homeowners should take precautions in the Ozark forest to avoid attracting bears.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/8IyXY0adkfU/130719140002.htm

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Lamphier: Super sensitive seismic sensors boon for global oil exploration

Micralyne R&D engineer Josh Krabbe is one of the bright lights who is helping the local manufacturer of micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) win new business.

Photograph by: Candace Elliott , Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - Micralyne has suffered more than its share of bumps and bruises over the past two years.

After losing a key customer ? one that generated 40 per cent of its total revenues ? to an unidentified industry rival, Micralyne was forced to seek protection from creditors in March, 2012.

But under acting CEO Mike Ciprick, the Edmonton-based high-tech firm ? a leader in the design and manufacture of tiny Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, or MEMS ? is bouncing back.

After aggressively pursuing new business, company revenues jumped 30 per cent over the past year, Ciprick says. And on Wednesday, Micralyne won court approval to emerge from creditor protection.

With its balance sheet issues resolved, the 15-year-old U of A spinoff, which employs about 100 engineers and other staff at its 55,000-square-foot head office complex in the Edmonton Research Park, is back in growth mode.

?Thanks to the efforts of our highly talented employees, current customers and our stakeholders, we have enjoyed a very strong past year and our business has stabilized,? said Ciprick in an email. ?Productivity is at an all-time high, so I?d say we?re in good shape.?

Micralyne?s optical switches, specialized sensors and lab-on-a-chip devices ? which are so small, they?re measured in microns, or thousandths of a millimetre ? are used by a wide range of Fortune 500 companies in such industries as telecommunications, automotive, aerospace and life sciences.

But Micralyne is especially excited about the growth potential of a new-generation digital seismic sensor, or geophone, that it?s developing for the multi-billion-dollar global oil and gas exploration industry.

A prototype is currently being tested by a major international energy services firm, explains Joshua Krabbe, a brilliant young R&D engineer who heads up Micralyne?s four-person geophone product development team.

?As far as our client knows, this new digital geophone is the most sensitive in the world, with the lowest (background) noise floor. We?re now working on finishing the prototyping and starting a ramp-up with pilot manufacturing,? he says.

Krabbe, a lanky competitive cyclist with the Edmonton Road and Track Club who joined Micralyne in 2011, just days after completing a Masters degree in electrical engineering at the U of A, says he?s excited about applying his scientific smarts to make it easier to find new oil deposits, while potentially generating millions of dollars of new revenues for Micralyne.

?Our client is qualifying the new-generation geophone as something that they?re going to purchase in mass quantities ? hopefully, hundreds of thousands or maybe even a million parts per year ? and we hope to get it into production within the next year? he says.

?So we?re starting a ramp to production soon but it takes time. We have to control the processes to make sure they?re repeatable, because the client will only want to buy a million parts if they?re all identical or standardized. I?d say that?s what I?m good at ? figuring out how you can actually build something like this, using these real technical skills.?

Krabbe and his R&D team have had to overcome some huge challenges to make the new digital geophone economically viable, and cost-competitive with the cheaper analog sensors that have traditionally been used in energy exploration.

?What we?ve done over the last 18 months is take the product to the next level and really cut the cost, and at the same time take a step forward in sensitivity. So if you can make it more sensitive and cost less, our client is going to make a killing because they can squeeze all the analog sensors out of the market,? he says.

The key to slashing production costs? Krabbe and his team have devised a way to simultaneously produce 502 vacuum-sealed parts per silicon wafer ? the thin slice of semiconductor material that?s used in the fabrication of integrated circuits ? rather than one part at a time.

?The whole process is now done on 502 parts at a time, so that?s how we?re going to save all this money: by building 502 of them, chopping them up right at the very end and then selling them, instead of chopping them up halfway through and paying employees to move them through the production process one at a time.?

Once in the hands of clients, Micralyne?s product will be installed in a device that?s shaped like a tent peg, with electronic controls attached, and the devices will be strung out on grids at surface, and connected by cables.

By studying the echoes registered by the grid from vibrations created at ground level, geologists can study the structure and location of underground hydrocarbon deposits.

So if the product is a success, what?s next for Krabbe?

At the tender age of 27, he says it?s too early to say. He may start his own business, or he may stay at Micralyne for the next 30 years.

Either way, he?s got the kind of smarts this city?s burgeoning high-tech sector desperately needs to nurture ? and keep.

glamphier@edmontonjournal.com

? Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F264/~3/lN613dMGLHU/story.html

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