Physical therapy student develops program for Girl Scouts

2:17 p.m., Jan. 29, 2013--As a Girl Scout, Jazmine Tooles participated in activities like self-defense classes and mock space shuttle missions, so it?s not surprising that she chose the organization as a way to teach young girls about the field of physical therapy.

Now a student in the University of Delaware?s doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program, Tooles and her colleagues in the class of 2013 recently hosted a workshop called ?Explore the Magic of Motion? for Girl Scouts ranging from 6th to 12th grade. ?

Legislative Fellows

UD students are working with the Delaware General Assembly as part of the Legislative Fellows Program.

In Memoriam

Wenbo V. Li, professor of mathematical sciences at UD, died of a heart attack on Jan. 26.

Tooles also created three Scout badges and had them approved by Girl Scouts USA last fall.

The Magic of Motion badge teaches 6th to 8th graders how to be physically active and demonstrates the role exercise plays in healing the body and maintaining health. It also invites girls to investigate professions that use exercise for healing.

The Healing through Motion badge teaches 9th and 10th graders how physical therapy improves the quality of life for many people and encourages girls to promote healthy living through exercise as physical therapists. ?

The Healing People, Changing Lives badge is a career-oriented patch that teaches 11th and 12th graders about the profession of physical therapy and the steps involved in becoming a physical therapist.?

?Jazmine did an amazing job designing these new Girl Scout badges, and she developed a great program for the 40 girls who attended the workshop,? says Laura Schmitt, associate director of clinical education in UD?s physical therapy department.

The workshop used four stations ? ?Technology that Treats,? ?Muscles and Machines,? ?Follow Your Heart,? and ?Stress Strategies? ? to teach the participants many of the principles incorporated into the badges. The scouts also toured UD?s PT Clinic, made their own stress balls, and created information cards about stress management so they could promote wellness to family and friends.

?The event stemmed from an idea sparked at an American Physical Therapy Association conference I attended in 2011,? Tooles says. ?A prominent topic was how physical therapy professionals could better promote the field and show that it entails much more than just giving massages. As we brainstormed in small groups, I reflected on the many experiences I had as a Girl Scout. That?s when I decided that creating Girl Scout badges would be a great avenue for promoting the profession to young girls and their parents.?

Tooles hopes to see the program continue at UD after she graduates in December.? Her bigger dream is for it to be shared with other physical therapy programs around the nation. ?

?I think the Girl Scouts is a great way to reach girls who are beginning to think about not only what what they want to pursue in college but also how to gain control of their own health,? Tooles says.

UD?s DPT curriculum includes a service learning requirement that comprises four categories: diversity, promoting the profession, promoting primary and secondary prevention in health and wellness, and volunteerism.

Article by Diane Kukich

Source: http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2013/jan/scouts-physical-therapy-012913.html

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Brandi Glanville: LeAnn Rimes Can Go F--k Herself!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/brandi-glanville-leann-rimes-can-go-f-k-herself/

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Tear Down the Swing Sets

Imagination Playground in New York

Photograph courtesy of Imagination Playground.

In 1888, the psychologist Stanley Hall published a story about a sand pile. A minor classic, it describes how a group of children created a world out of a single load of sand. These children were diligent, they were imaginative, they were remarkably adult.

More than a century later, at the architect David Rockwell?s Imagination Playground in lower Manhattan, small humans scurry back and forth all day long, carrying Rockwell?s oversized blue foam blocks from self-devised task to self-devised task. These children are intent, they are cooperative, they are resourceful. The scene resembles nothing so much as Stanley Hall?s sand pile?with each grain of sand much bigger and much bluer. (Except for the bits of actual sand, that is.)

More than any playground in recent memory, the Imagination Playground has inspired an outburst of excitement. It?s a hit with the hip parents who take their kids to Dan Zanes concerts, and is just as crowded as one. But it also represents something much more mundane: the triumph of loose parts. After a century of creating playgrounds for children, of drilling swing sets and plastic forts into the ground, we have come back to children creating their own playgrounds. Loose parts?sand, water, blocks?are having a moment.

The resurgence of loose parts is an attempt to put the play back in playgrounds. The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of exuberant playground design, culminating in the great Richard Dattner adventure playgrounds in New York City. Then the grownups got skittish. Down came the merry-go-rounds and the jungle gyms, and in their place, a landscape of legally-insulated, brightly-colored, spongy-floored, hard-plastic structures took root. Today, walking onto a children?s playground is like exiting the interstate: Regardless of where you are, you see the exact same thing.

A lot of people agree that playgrounds are now too boring, and for years there?s been talk about how we should make them more challenging, more risky. But so far, that talk hasn?t turned into more interesting playgrounds. The most adventurous playgrounds tend to be singular projects, often built through fundraising, for the rich. (A genuine exception is this amazing project in Philadelphia.) ?People talk about making playgrounds more risky,? says Susan Solomon, the author of American Playgrounds, which charts their demise. ?But there?s this sense that if you talk about it, that?s enough. There?s this very real reluctance to get involved in anything that might at least potentially cause an injury.?

In Europe, the assumptions are radically different. Even the head of play safety at England?s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents?a man whom you?d assume would be paranoid about preventing all accidents?has said that ?children should be exposed to a certain degree of risk, not because an activity is risky per se but because it is fun, exciting, and challenging.?

As the psychologist Ellen Sandseter has pointed out, the American attitude is a fundamental miscalculation of the risks: Kids who are bored stay inside and staying inside is ultimately far worse for your health than a broken arm. Talk about why we can?t have nice playgrounds here typically begins and ends with lawsuits. But potential legal action is too easy an excuse for not rethinking playgrounds, says Darell Hammond, head of the play-promoting nonprofit KaBOOM!. Change ?requires all of us doing something different, not just a few law changes.? In short, it requires all of us to be a little less panicked, and honestly, that?s probably too much to ask, at least in the short term. Which is why loose parts may be the best hope for the future of playgrounds right now.

Rockwell?s playground is still an adventure playground?a construction site with all the splintery edges sanded down. It?s what an adventure playground looks like in a risk-averse culture. And it promotes the kind of play we think children should be doing now: not with just their bodies, but with their minds. The Imagination Playground is a much more cognitive vision of the playground. No one would confuse it with a jungle gym.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=67aa3d62412c8bdd99fffa01295cf58e

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Gore hits corporate media, defends Current TV sale

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Al Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his television channel to Al-Jazeera.

The Qatar government-owned news network earlier this month struck a deal to buy Current TV, the cable news network co-founded by the former vice president. The price tag was $500 million.

Gore told The Associated Press that he had no reservations about selling the channel to Al-Jazeera, which has won U.S. journalism prizes but has been criticized by some for an anti-American bias. The new owner plans to gradually transform Current into a network called Al-Jazeera America.

"They're commercial-free, they're hard-hitting," he said in a phone interview. "They're very respected and capable, and their climate coverage has been outstanding, in-depth, extensive, far more so than any network currently on the air in the U.S."

The 64-year-old Gore said he considers Current TV, which was largely outflanked by MSNBC in its effort to be a liberal alternative to Fox News Channel, to have been a success.

"We won every major award in television journalism, and we were profitable each year," said Gore, who has a home in Nashville. "But it's difficult for an independent network to compete in an age of conglomerate."

In a new 592-page book titled, "The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change," Gore makes only a fleeting reference to Al-Jazeera, calling it "the feisty and relatively independent satellite television channel" that played a key role in bringing about the Arab Spring.

Gore in the book likens the influence of money in the political process to a "slow-motion corporate coup d'etat that threatens to destroy the integrity and functioning of American democracy."

"Corporations are not people," Gore said in the interview. "Might doesn't make right. Money is not speech. And those who advocate the dominance of American politics by large corporations, special interests and anonymous donors are working against the original design by our founders."

"Our democracy has been hacked," he said.

Corporations have enlisted politicians and lobbyists to further their goals and have also "recruited a fifth column in the Fourth Estate," he said in the book.

"The one-way, advertising-dominated conglomerate-controlled television medium has been suffocating the free flow of ideas necessary for genuine self-determination," he writes.

The Internet provides a path for breaking the corporate stranglehold on the media, Gore said in the interview, as it "is less vulnerable to the dominance of special interests, because individual voices play a larger and more influential role."

Gore, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness about climate change, also calls for a carbon tax, though he acknowledged that passage does not appear to be imminent.

"Well, I wouldn't go to Vegas and bet on it right now," he said. "But neither would I say that it's impossible ... The day has passed when we can use the earth's atmosphere as an open sewer."

"Yes it's tough, because we've been relying on these fossil fuels for 150 years. But the cost of solar and wind is coming down rapidly and energy efficiency saves money while it reduces pollution," he said. "And we need to move in that direction quickly."

Gore, who represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and House before he was tapped by President Bill Clinton as his running mate, blames procedural rules in the Senate for blocking popular measures.

"I fully appreciate the virtues of the filibuster, but it's gotten so out of control that I do think that it needs to be dialed back significantly," he said. "It has been abused to the point where American democracy is paralyzed.

"Nothing can pass the Senate that is opposed by special interests," he said. "And that's not right."

Gore points out in the introduction of his book that as a "recovering politician," the chances of his returning to public office become slimmer the more time passes. Gore won more popular votes than George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential contest, but was defeated in the electoral college after the Supreme Court stopped a hotly debated recount in Florida.

So the book shouldn't be seen as a "manifesto" for a future political campaign, he writes in the book.

But he's not shy about making a series of policy recommendations.

"We should have more progressive taxation, we should have higher inheritance taxes. I've always believed that," Gore said. "I advocated that during my political career and I continue to advocate it."

"We need to restore our democracy, we need to reform markets so they operate the way they're supposed to," he said. "And the U.S. leadership of the world needs to be restored."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-29-Gore-Book/id-f0c22d4246b340d6bd8370b0205f402a

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Obama: Gun-control advocates should listen more

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says gun-control advocates have to do a little more listening than they do sometimes in the debate over firearms in America.

Obama tells The New Republic that he has a profound respect for the traditions of hunting that date back for generations.

He also says that moving forward on the topic means understanding that the realities of guns in urban areas are very different from the realities of guns in rural areas.

The president says it's understandable that people are protective of their family traditions when it comes to hunting.

Has Obama himself ever fired a gun? Yes, he says, he and others shoot skeet frequently at the president's Maryland retreat, Camp David.

The interview appears in the Feb. 11 issue of The New Republic.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-gun-control-advocates-listen-more-060214484--politics.html

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UK: Imminent threat against westerners in Benghazi

LONDON (AP) ? Britain's Foreign Office urged U.K. nationals to immediately leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi in response to an imminent threat against Westerners.

The Foreign Office has advised against all travel to Benghazi since September, and on Thursday it said is aware of a "specific and imminent threat."

It urged all British nationals still in the eastern city of Benghazi to "leave immediately" and declined to comment on the nature of the threat.

The warning comes a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton testified to U.S. lawmakers about the handling of the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the American mission in Benghazi. The attack killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

In addition to the attack on the U.S. consulate, an Italian diplomat's car was fired on by militants

Britain's Foreign Office said it does not have a diplomatic presence in Benghazi, where the Libyan uprising against longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi began in 2011.

Libya's security sharply deteriorated after Gadhafi's ouster and killing.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-imminent-threat-against-westerners-benghazi-125509324.html

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Controlled crumpling of graphene forms artificial muscle

Jan. 23, 2013 ? Duke University engineers are layering atom-thick lattices of carbon with polymers to create unique materials with a broad range of applications, including artificial muscles.

The lattice, known as graphene, is made of pure carbon and appears under magnification like chicken wire. Because of its unique optical, electrical and mechanical properties, graphene is used in electronics, energy storage, composite materials and biomedicine.

However, graphene is extremely difficult to handle in that it easily "crumples," which, depending on circumstances, can be a positive or negative characteristic. Unfortunately, scientists have been unable to control the crumpling and unfolding of large-area graphene to take advantage of its properties.

Duke engineer Xuanhe Zhao, assistant professor in Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, likens the challenge of controlling graphene to the difference between unfolding paper and wet tissue.

"If you crumpled up normal paper, you can pretty easily flatten it out," Zhao said. "However, graphene is more like wet tissue paper. It is extremely thin and sticky and difficult to unfold once crumpled. We have developed a method to solve this problem and control the crumpling and unfolding of large-area graphene films."

The Duke engineers attached the graphene on a rubber film that had been pre-stretched multiple times of its original size. Once the pre-stretch in the rubber film was relaxed, part of the graphene detached from the rubber while other part kept adhering on the rubber, forming an attached-detached pattern with a size of a few nanometers. As the rubber was relaxed, the detached graphene was compressed to crumple. Once the rubber film was stretched back, the adhered graphene will pull on the crumpled graphene to unfold it.

"In this way, the crumpling and unfolding of large-area atomic-thick graphene can be controlled by simply stretching and relaxing a rubber film, even by hand," Zhao said.

The results were published online in the journal Nature Materials.

"Our approach has opened avenues to exploit unprecedented properties and functions of graphene," said Jianfeng Zang, a postdoctoral fellow in Zhao's group and the first author of the paper. "For example, we can tune the graphene from being transparent to opaque by crumpling it, and tune it back by unfolding it."

In addition, the Duke engineers layered the graphene with different polymer films to make a "soft" material that can act like muscle tissues by contracting and expanding on demand. When electricity is applied to the graphene, the artificial muscle expands in area; when the electricity is cut off, it relaxes. Varying the voltage controls the degree of contraction and relaxation, giving actuation strains over 100 percent.

"Indeed, the crumpling and unfolding of graphene allows large deformation of the artificial muscle." Zang said.

"New artificial muscles are enabling diverse technologies ranging from robotics and drug delivery to energy harvesting and storage," Zhao said. "In particular, they promise to greatly improve the quality of life for millions of disabled people by providing affordable devices such as lightweight prostheses and full-page Braille displays. The broad impact of new artificial muscles is potentially analogous to the impact of piezoelectric materials on the global society."

Zhao's work is supported by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Triangle Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, NSF Materials and Surface Engineering program, and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other members of the team are Duke's Qiming Wang and Qing Tu.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Duke University. The original article was written by Richard Merritt.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Jianfeng Zang, Seunghwa Ryu, Nicola Pugno, Qiming Wang, Qing Tu, Markus J. Buehler, Xuanhe Zhao. Multifunctionality and control of the crumpling and unfolding of large-area graphene. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3542

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/OvIiUOFjQuc/130123165042.htm

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Cisco Builds Videoconferencing System for Ukraine's State Tax ...

Cisco has provided a communications system for video and audio conferencing, data sharing, text-to-speech, decision support management and uninterrupted power supply for the Ukrainian state tax service.

?The project of building a highly secure special communications system for STSU has been performed within very limited time,? said Vladislav Maslo,?AMI CEO. ?For instance, in just seven working days we launched the central system, connected all offices, tuned and verified the solution.?

According to a company release, AMI, a Cisco? select certified partner in Ukraine, provided 43 STSU regional offices across the Ukraine with the system.

Alexander Chemerys,?Cisco Ukraine account manager, said the company?s video services supporting interactive employee collaboration are becoming more popular with?Ukrainian?government?agencies because they work to save time and?eliminate travelling expenses.

The STSU videoconferencing system includes HD transmission and recording and supports up to five conferences with 40 participants.

The system includes two Cisco TelePresence? MCU 5320 video servers, the Cisco TelePresence video communication server, Cisco VCSE external calling server, Cisco TelePresence content server and Cisco TelePresence management suite.

The STSU conference hall has three rotating cameras with 12? optical zoom that automatically focuses on the person speaking and shows the close-up image on video terminals.

A decision support system helps users plan meetings, register minutes and provides access to sections of video library for better execution and control.

Source: http://blog.executivebiz.com/2013/01/cisco-builds-videoconferencing-system-for-ukraines-state-tax-service-alexander-chemerys-comments/

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The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 2pm ET!

"Hello Galaxy. Set up reminder to listen to the Engadget Mobile Podcast at 2:00pm ET this afternoon." Join us!

January 23, 2013 2:00 PM EST

Filed under: Announcements, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/23/engadget-mobile-podcast/

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PFT: Bill Belichick isn't going anywhere

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When 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh decided to bench quarterback Alex Smith after he recovered from a concussion and to elevate Colin Kaepernick to the starting job, many proclaimed that anything less than a Super Bowl berth would be evidence that Harbaugh made the wrong decision.

Under that standard, Harbaugh knocked it out of the park.

It was a decision made both for the present and the future.? Indeed, the future of the position was secured when Harbaugh and G.M. Trent Baalke made Kaepernick a second-round pick during the lockout, before Harbaugh was even able to meet with his veteran players.

The fact that Harbaugh is such a good coach delayed Kaepernick?s debut, because Harbaugh lifted Smith to new heights as a quarterback.? The first pick in the 2005 draft, who amazingly was still with the team seven seasons later, played better than ever, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record, a thrilling win over the Saints, and very nearly to the Super Bowl.

Harbaugh flipped the switch knowing that he would be exposed to short-term criticism if the 49ers didn?t at least match what they had done a year ago.? But Harbaugh never wavered.

?After the [Bears] game, Jim and I sat down [in his office] and I asked him, ?What?s your gut??? owner Jed York told Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports after Sunday?s win.? ?He said, ?Kaep. You OK [with that]??? I said, ?It?s your team.? You?ve got to go after it.? Whatever you think works.? I can defend either decision, and I understand either decision.?

?I trust Jim.? You either trust your coach or you don?t.? Obviously time will tell.? I think it proved to be a good move.? You see the evidence.? He?s playing well.? Jim made a gutsy, gutsy call.? And I don?t know that there?s any other coach in the league that would have made that call.?

There?s at least one ? John Harbaugh would have done it.

Others may have, too.? Because the head coach and his staff have the unique perspective of knowing how a quarterback performs in practice, how he works in the meeting room, how much time he spends watching film, and whether he?s just spinning his wheels or whether he?s learning and growing.? That?s the biggest point I made when defending the move:? Jim Harbaugh knows his guys, and he realizes which quarterback is more likely to succeed, now and in the future.

Of course, Harbaugh didn?t feel so strongly about Kaepernick in March to refrain from ?evaluating? Peyton Manning.? And every 49ers fan should now be happy that the ?evaluation? didn?t become an acquisition.

Kaepernick is only 25, more than a decade younger than Manning.? And Kaepernick is four months younger than Joe Montana was when he led the team to the first of four Super Bowl wins.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/21/bill-belichick-isnt-going-anywhere/related/

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Top DIY Plumbing Mistakes That Will Cost You - Nixco Plumbing Inc.

It seems like we talk a lot on our blog about DIY plumbing being a bad thing. We should clear this up now: we?re not against DIY for small projects ? in fact, for certain things like minor faucet leaks or small drain clogs, we recommend it! Once you start getting into more complicated repairs and installations, however, it?s best to leave it to the pros. We can?t tell you how many times we?ve talked to people at their wits end who, after five trips to the hardware store, had to give up!

We see a number of common mistakes that people make frequently when taking on DIY plumbing jobs. If you?re planning on a little home improvement project this weekend, don?t let one of these happen to you!

1) The ?Just Enough? ? this is probably the most common DIY plumbing mistake we see. Whether someone?s been struggling with a task for a long time and finally got it to kind of work, or they almost finish and get lazy, it seems like the end of a lot of plumbing projects turns out pretty sloppy. But when it comes to unclogging a drain, repairing a toilet or installing a faucet, a sloppy project can quickly turn unforgiving, leaving you with a bigger problem that you started with! Using the wrong sized equipment or piping, or trying to jury-rig something into place because you think it will save you time can often lead to disaster ? if you don?t think you?ll be able to see a project through to the end, you?re better off calling a plumber!

2) Using mismatched materials ? do you know the difference between copper and galvanized steel piping? Between PEX and PVC? Knowing the material your pipes are made of, along with having a decent working knowledge of your piping system, is important if you?re planning on taking on some DIY pipe repair. And while there are ways of connecting pipes of different materials, it?s difficult to do and can quickly lead to dangerous corrosion if not done correctly.

3) Installing fixtures without proper tools ? there?s no surer way of guaranteeing something won?t work right than by trying to install it without the proper tools. We?re not saying it CAN?T happen ? after all, you can install a toilet that looks like it works well, but if you don?t bolt it down with the proper wrenches and use a level to make sure it sits properly, your bathroom is going to be under water in no time and you?ll be calling the plumber for toilet repair!

4) Odd designs in remodeling ? we?ve seen some pretty crazy configurations over the years ? bathrooms stuck in attics and basements seemingly at random, with no attention paid to the home?s plumbing structure. A lot of times, people move piping to areas where it won?t be seen in the main living areas, as opposed to routing the plumbing based on their home?s actual layout. This leads to leaks, spotty water pressure and a host of other problems ? don?t do it!

5) Racing through a project you?re not experienced with ? this one happens to everyone: it?s the day before Thanksgiving, you?ve got 20 people coming over tomorrow and the toilet on the main floor is totally messed up! Thinking you don?t have enough time to call a plumber, you hastily take the toilet apart, try to fix it and end up with a bunch of toilet components scattered on the floor and no time. Don?t let this happen to you! Most plumbing companies offer emergency toilet repair ? you?re much better off calling one of them, or waiting and taking on the project when you have more time.

If you know how to fix a problem with your plumbing system, go ahead with it ? you may save money, and you?ll get the satisfaction of a job well done. If you think you?ll end up with bigger problems than you started with, however, call your local plumber!

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Tags: diy plumbing, how to fix plumbing leaks, mason ohio plumbers, Mason plumber, Nixco, Nixco Plumbing, nixco plumbing mason, nixco plumbing mason ohio, plumbing help, plumbing problem, plumbing problems, plumbing repair

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2013 at 6:53 pm under DYI Mistakes. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.nixcoplumbing.com/2013/01/20/top-diy-plumbing-mistakes-that-will-cost-you/

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French seize control of key Mali town of Diabaly

Malian soldiers check identity papers at a checkpoint set on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Malian soldiers check identity papers at a checkpoint set on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

French troops inspect the charred remains of military vehicles used by radical Islamists on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Residents walk past the charred remains of a truck used by radical Islamists on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian soldier mans a checkpoint on the outskirt of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian soldier checks identity papers in the center of Diabaly, Mali, some 460kms (320 miles) north of the capital Bamako Monday Jan. 21, 2013. French and Malian troops were in the city whose capture by radical Islamists prompted the French military intervention. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

DIABALY, Mali (AP) ? French and Malian troops took control Monday of the town of Diabaly, patrolling the streets in armored personnel carriers and inspecting the charred remains of a pickup truck with a mounted machine gun left behind by the fleeing militants.

The armed Islamist fighters from northern Mali seized Diabaly a week ago, making it the southernmost town they held. But they left after days of being pounded by French airstrikes, a tangible victory for the French intervention forces.

The military operation is aimed at stopping the Islamists from encroaching toward the capital in Mali's south from their strongholds in the vast, desert north of Mali where they amputate the hands of thiefs and force women to wear veils.

Diabaly, located about 320 miles (460 kilometers) north of the capital, fell into rebel hands on Jan. 14. Residents said those who fled in the aftermath were forced to escape on foot through rice fields.

"We are truly really grateful to the French who came in the nick of time," said Gaoussou Kone, 34, the head of a local youth association. "Without the French, not only would there no longer be a Diabaly, there would soon no longer be a Mali. These people wanted to go all the way to Bamako."

Islamists had seized the town just days after the French began their military operation on Jan. 11.

Malian military officials reported late Saturday that they had retaken the town after Islamists fled, but French officials later said Sunday that the town had not been recaptured.

On Monday, about 200 French infantrymen supported by six combat helicopters and reconnaissance planes made their way to Diabaly.

Associated Press reporters saw French troops in camouflage uniforms take up positions in front of a Malian military camp in the town on Monday. About six burned out cars lay in ruins on the outskirts of town.

The Islamist fighters had insinuated themselves with civilians before leaving, so there was a possibility that some had remained. Malian soldiers on Diabaly's outskirts set up a roadblock south of the town where they checked the identity papers of travelers.

In an interview with France-5 TV, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the air strikes had caused "significant" ? though unspecified ? losses among the jihadists, and only minor skirmishes involved French forces on the ground.

Meanwhile, the extremist group behind the deadly hostage crisis in Algeria threatened more attacks against foreign targets if France does not bring an immediate halt to its military operation in Mali.

In a statement, the Masked Brigade warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in Mali.

"We promise all the countries that participated in the Crusader campaign ... that we will carry out more operations if they do not reverse their decision," it said, according to a transcript released by SITE Intelligence Group.

France has said that African nations must take the lead though it could be some weeks before they are ready to do so.

On Sunday, France said that some 400 troops from Nigeria, Togo and Benin had arrived Sunday in Bamako to help train an African force for Mali. Troops from Chad, who are considered hardened fighters familiar with the desert-like terrain of northern Mali, also have arrived, Le Drian said.

A top official with the West African regional bloc said Sunday the cost of the African intervention could top $500 million.

ECOWAS Commission President Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, who gave an interview to state television in Ivory Coast, said the initial estimate "may vary depending on the needs" of the mission and the situation on the ground.

___

Associated Press writers Krista Larson in Segou, Mali; Jamey Keaten in Dakar, Senegal; and Robbie Corey-Boulet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-21-Mali-Fighting/id-5e676bbcc3894f299c91afb12f425d5b

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Hot Home Feature: Farmhouse Wood Floors - Articles :: Networx

Nothing could be cozier than farmhouse wood floors. Reclaimed floor boards from a barn that's been torn down are the ultimate in sustainable wood beauty. It's sort of crazy to think about creating your own floorboards from reclaimed lumber, but people are doing it. If reclaimed lumber is out of your price range, there are a few ways to fake the look of reclaimed lumber, using inexpensive wooden boards. The floor has such a visual impact. If you are going for the rustic look, start with the floor and work upwards. Here's how to get that rustic farmhouse floor look, whether you have access to actual reclaimed barnwood, or not.

Fake it 'til you make it: ?OK, so in totally affluent DIY blogger land, we all have money and transportation to purchase reclaimed floor boards from a farm up in the Hudson Valley that just went up for auction. Um, yeah right. I myself would be working that day, and would be unable to skip work for the day, rent a truck to transport the lumber, and drive up to the farm on auction day to buy and pick up the lumber. For me, as for most working stiffs, doing such a project would take a literal miracle. That does not mean that I could never install my own farmhouse wood floors. It just means that I'd need to fake it 'til I make it. This DIY flooring project by Gina at the Shabby Creek Cottage is a fake barnwood wide plank floor that looks so real...that it is real. I mean, it might not be "real reclaimed barnwood", but it is definitely a real farmhouse wood floor. Gina and her DH bought regular old pine planks and screwed them to the subfloor (I personally would have installed a green floor underlayment, but hey, they like their floor so who am I to argue).

Buying reclaimed lumber, already laquered and ready to go: Steve, a home improvement and remodeling expert from Denver, posted this link to Viridian Reclaimed Wood on Hometalk.com. If you're going the conventional flooring installation route, all you need to do is purchase nice, normal flooring lumber that just happens to be made from reclaimed wood and stained to look like conventional (and rustic, if you're into that) flooring, and then have your flooring contractor install it. For some people, time is money, and there is something to be said for convenience.

Installing an actual reclaimed barnwood floor, from your own barn: Right, so then there are those people who actually own an old barn, like Rachel from The Rehomesteaders. I'm not romanticizing it, since I know that tearing down a barn and harvesting floorboards from it is not exactly a walk in the park?, but at the same time, let us all take a moment to sigh.

Chaya Kurtz writes for Networx.com.

Source: http://www.networx.com/article/hot-home-feature-farmhouse-wood-floors

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Obama seeks "fuller understanding" of what happened in Algeria siege

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama offered on Saturday to provide any assistance the Algerian government needs after a deadly hostage siege at a desert gas plant and said the United States was seeking a "fuller understanding" from Algerian authorities of what took place there.

"The thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the families of all those who were killed and injured in the terrorist attack in Algeria," Obama said in his first comments on the hostage crisis.

Obama's written statement was issued by the White House after the Algerian army carried out a dramatic final assault to end a siege by Islamist militants in which 23 hostages were killed, many of them believed to be foreigners.

The statement made no mention of Americans who were caught up in the hostage crisis. One American has been confirmed dead, and a source close to the crisis said two Americans were among those freed as the Algerian army closed in.

Some Western governments had expressed frustration at not being informed of the Algerian authorities' plans to storm the remote complex, but U.S. officials had remained cautious in their comments as the situation unfolded.

"The blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out," Obama said. "We have been in constant contact with Algerian officials and stand ready to provide whatever assistance they need in the aftermath of this attack."

"We also will continue to work closely with all of our partners to combat the scourge of terrorism in the region," he added.

"This attack is another reminder of the threat posed by al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups in North Africa," Obama said. "In the coming days, we will remain in close touch with the government of Algeria to gain a fuller understanding of what took place so that we can work together to prevent tragedies like this in the future."

Obama, who takes the official oath of office on Sunday for a second term at the White House and will then be sworn in again publicly on Monday, juggled inauguration preparations and briefings from his national security aides on the hostage situation in Algeria.

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-seeks-fuller-understanding-happened-algeria-crisis-230413502.html

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Smartphone Apps Can Fall Short in Detecting Skin Cancer, Study ...

(PITTSBURGH)

Relying on health-care smartphone apps to detect skin cancer can postpone diagnosis and cause harm, a new study has found.

When researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center tested four popular apps for detecting melanoma -- the most serious form of skin cancer -- they found that on average three of them incorrectly classified 30 percent or more melanomas. The findings were published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association-Dermatology.

Of the 188 moles the researchers studied, 60 of them had already been diagnosed as melanoma by a board-certified dermatologist. The study found that the accuracy of the apps varied drastically -- the best-performing apps diagnosed cancerous moles correctly 98.1 percent of the time, while the worst-performing detected melanoma only 6.8 percent of the time.

Typically, in employing these apps, users photograph the skin lesions they would like analyzed, and the app generates a response.

"Patients do bring these in and ask about them," Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, told ABC News. "I tell them that the difference between these and 'real' in-office melanoma diagnostic devices is the difference of a toy car versus a real car. One you play with, and the other works."

The app with the highest sensitivity for melanoma detection, the study found, did not use automated algorithms to analyze the images. Instead, the images were sent to board-certified dermatologists, and users received a diagnosis within 24 hours.

None of these apps, though, are not subject to regulatory oversight, and although disclaimers state they are for educational purposes only -- to help users track their lesions, for example -- dermatologists worry that people, particularly those who are lower-income and uninsured, might substitute the apps' findings for medical advice.

"It is very concerning that these apps are used for diagnosis by patients, as it could lead to delay in diagnosis of melanoma, the cancer which is perhaps the most critical in early diagnosis being important for survival," said Rigel.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has responded to the explosion of health-related smartphone apps and announced in July 2011 plans to regulate smartphone apps that paired with medical devices the agency already regulates, such as cardiac monitors and radiologic imaging devices. In 2012, Congress passed the FDA Safety and Innovation Act, allowing the FDA to regulate some medical apps on smartphones. But which apps will come under this regulation and which will not remains unclear.

Given their accessibility, these apps could hold tremendous potential once they have been evaluated, said Dr. Meg R. Gerstenblith, an assistant professor in the department of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University.

"If a patient were insistent on using one of these apps," said Gerstenblith, "I would inform him/her that the current study suggests that those apps that involve a board-certified dermatologist evaluating images of lesions may be superior to those that do not employ a board-certified dermatologist to evaluate the lesions."

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Source: http://www.iq1069.com/2013/01/19/smartphone-apps-can-fall-short-in-detecting-skin-cancer-study-finds/

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Online dating: Can you fall in love with someone you have never met?

While it is possible to have feelings of love for a person you have never met, experts caution about dishonesty in online dating. (Shutterstock photo)

The Internet has changed the world in a number of ways; not only are people able to access unlimited resources of knowledge in a manner of seconds, but they are also able to connect with other individuals who are sometimes thousands of miles away and even engage in online dating.
In fact, through the Internet, long distance relationships have taken on a new meaning.
But can you really fall in love with someone you have never met?
According to a report from TIME, the brain process involving what people consider to be love is very complex, and while it is a mixture of cognitive, chemical and behavioral processes, the foundation of love is the well-being sensation people develop. This pleasant feeling is associated with the release of ?dopamine, the chemical in the brain linked to positive reward and reinforcement.
?Love is a powerful mental state that has different manifestations, such as euphoria, loss of appetite, hyperactivity, delay of the onset of fatigue and loss of self-control,? Stephanie Cacioppo, an associate professor at the Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago told TIME ?People who are in love with love rather than with the person would read their [online] messages as they want them to be, rather than as they really are.?
A relationship based solely on online dating rather than personal interaction can be very misleading, caution experts, which is why it is important for individuals pursuing online relationships to have some form of visual contact.
Barbara L. Frederickson, a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and author of the soon to be released book Love 2.0, told TIME people can detect sincerity easily?but only if they can make eye contact.

While not a foolproof method of detecting honesty, online dating should include video interaction so facial expressions and eye contact can be made (Shutterstock photo)

But a lack of physical or in-person contact during online dating is not necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to love, as many people are not placing as much stock in physical appearance as once were.
It is very possible to experience feelings of love for someone you have never met, but the question then becomes, not can you fall in love online, but how risky is it to fall in love online?
Rosanna Guadagno, Ph.D. from Psychology Today conducted one of the first controlled studies looking at how people present themselves online. What she found was women tend to be more honest in presentation over the Internet compared to men, who presented themselves as more agreeable, emotionally stable, and attractive than they really were.
?Clearly men know what women want and if they have a chance to meet their date online, at least those in our study were willing to deceive,? she stated in a blog about the study. ?So, what is an honest online dater to do? Take time to get to know a prospective romantic partner over email. Look for inconsistencies in his or her communications. And, if attractiveness is important to you, get a lot of photographs!?
Because the majority of online dating is based on profiles, experts recommend individuals always push for a personal meeting in a public place. Only in person, or sometimes through video communication where facial reactions can be witnessed, can you tell if you are truly compatible with someone.
According to Harry Reis, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York said in a CNN report, there is almost no substitute for spending two minutes with someone over a cup of coffee.

Read more: http://www.voxxi.com/psychology-of-online-dating/#ixzz2IXK3Ca1r

Source: http://noahsarkconsulting.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-dating-can-you-fall-in-love-with.html

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Blockbuster is the next high street casualty of 2013 | Chiltern Debt ...

After news that HMV and Jessops collapsed into administration this month, Blockbuster has been the next high street chain to call in the administrators after failing to keep up with the competition.

Experts say their demise was ?inevitable?, Ian Maude at Enders Analysis said: ?Why would you go to a store for a frankly limited selection of films when you can browse Netflix for any film that?s ever been released, or watch it on Sky or Virgin??

?This has been the worst Christmas period on the high street in living memory,? said Glyn Mummery at the insolvency specialist FRP Advisory. ?The new age of online retailing has caused a bloodbath in the electronics and entertainment markets for old-school retailers.?

Source: http://www.chilterndebtmanagement.co.uk/chiltern-press/blockbuster-high-street-casualty-2013/

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Confession may lead to legal woes for Armstrong

FILE - In this July 5, 2004, file photo, US Postal Service team leader Lance Armstrong sits by the registration bus before the second stage of the 91st Tour de France cycling race between Charleroi and Namur, Belgium. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this July 5, 2004, file photo, US Postal Service team leader Lance Armstrong sits by the registration bus before the second stage of the 91st Tour de France cycling race between Charleroi and Namur, Belgium. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? By admitting to Oprah Winfrey that he doped during his professional cycling career, Lance Armstrong potentially opened himself up to a stream of litigation that could hurt his pocketbook for years to come.

And then there's the big question: Will his mea culpa result in the reopening of a criminal investigation by the U.S. government?

Some legal experts believe the disillusionment and anger now directed at Armstrong will force the government to re-examine its evidence in light of his admissions, but others say revisiting the criminal case is unlikely.

"There are no formal guidelines on reopening one, and the discretion is left to the prosecutor," said Matthew Levine, a former federal prosecutor and a white-collar defense attorney in New York. "But generally there's a lot of pressure not to reopen, especially where the declination has been made public. It does happen, but it's quite rare."

Last February, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles announced they were dropping their investigation into Armstrong. A federal grand jury heard testimony from the cyclist's former teammates and associates that could have helped prove Armstrong and some of his fellow cyclists violated federal conspiracy, fraud or racketeering charges.

No reason was given for the decision. Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, declined comment Friday.

In the portion of his interview with Winfrey that aired Thursday, Armstrong refused to implicate anyone else. Winfrey asked Armstrong if he felt victorious when the government declined to file charges against him.

"It's hard to define victory," Armstrong said. "But I thought I was out of the woods."

Unlike fellow sports superstars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens who faced criminal charges, Armstrong never spoke with federal authorities or testified before Congress, either or which could have led to obstruction or making false statements charges.

Clemens was acquitted last year on six counts that he lied and obstructed Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds was found guilty of obstruction of justice in December 2011 and sentenced to 30 days' home detention. His case is under appeal.

Peter Keane, a law professor at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, is convinced the criminal case will be reopened.

Because of a fraud, "he became very famous, very rich," Keane said. "The idea of him getting a pass on it is going to be looked at with a degree of there's a double standard here. It's something (the government) takes very seriously and they want to discourage people from doing it."

If prosecutors try reopening the case, they do face a hurdle, possibly one that hampered the initial investigation. Any charges may have fallen outside the statute of limitations, but some legal observers said there may be some wiggle room.

"On the criminal side, there are certainly timing issues, but I've never met a prosecutor who didn't try to find a creative way around a statute of limitations," said Marc Mukasey, also a former federal prosecutor and New York-based defense attorney.

Most legal experts agree, however, that Armstrong's confession will expose him to various civil lawsuits.

Already, the London-based Sunday Times has filed a suit to recoup about $500,000 it paid Armstrong to settle a libel case. Dallas-based SCA Promotions, which tried to deny Armstrong a bonus it promised for a Tour de France win, has threatened to bring another lawsuit seeking to recover more than $7.5 million awarded by an arbitration panel.

Most damaging could be a whistleblower lawsuit against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis, who claims the seven-time Tour de France winner defrauded the U.S. government by repeatedly denying he used performance-enhancing drugs.

The suit could require Armstrong to return substantial sponsorship fees and pay a hefty fine.

Justice Department officials were likely to join the suit, an attorney who works outside the government told The Associated Press earlier this week. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record about the matter.

Levine, the former federal prosecutor, said Armstrong's lawyers would likely push for a "non-prosecution" agreement in settlement talks, one that essentially promises the government won't ever charge the cyclist in connection with the doping probe.

A potential deal also may require Armstrong to provide details about those who were running the doping program, but any revelation might not go very far, Levine said.

"Even if they do get him to cooperate, he's damaged goods," Levine said. "Who is going to believe this guy?"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-18-Armstrong-Legal%20Woes/id-91fbb9837bb44051b8f941461862613d

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Durant scores 52 as Thunder top Mavs 117-114 in OT

DALLAS (AP) ? Kevin Durant's miserable fourth quarter ended with a final miss that gave Dallas a chance to finish a rally in overtime Friday night.

The Oklahoma City star took care of things in the extra period instead, and ended up with a career high and the first 50-point game in the NBA this season.

Durant scored 52 points, including the go-ahead basket with 16.9 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Thunder held on for a 117-114 victory that extended their winning streak to six games and ended the Mavericks' season-best run of four straight.

A night after getting voted a starter for the All-Star game, Durant missed six straight shots and was 2 of 11 from the field while the Mavericks were rallying in the fourth quarter. When Durant missed at the buzzer after O.J. Mayo's tying 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in regulation, he had to remind himself to keep shooting.

"In overtime, I knew if I got down on myself that I was going to put my team in a tough position to win," said Durant, whose previous career high was 51 against Denver last February. "They look at me in crunch time to come through for them. When I don't have confidence in myself, they make sure they pump me up a little."

Durant was still scoring because he couldn't miss at the free throw line. He was 19 of 19 in regulation, which he finished with 43 points.

Vince Carter, who kept the Mavericks close when Oklahoma City threatened to blow them out in the first half, had a season-high 29 points. He hit three free throws to start overtime when he was fouled on a 3-pointer, but Durant answered with a pair on the other end.

Durant went on to score nine of Oklahoma City's 12 points in overtime and had three go-ahead buckets to help the Thunder avoid losing for the first time in 28 games when leading after three quarters. The Thunder blew a 14-point lead in the second half.

"Experience has helped me a lot," said Durant, who was 13 of 31 from the field but made all 21 of his free throws and also had nine rebounds. "If I look like I'm out there panicking, my teammates will look at me and feel the same way. I've got to be cool. If I miss a shot, so be it. I'm sure opportunity will come back around sooner or later."

Dirk Nowitzki bounced back from a dreadful shooting night to score 12 in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks couldn't get him the ball trailing by two in the final seconds of overtime. Mike James, who came in shooting less than 20 percent but had hit a go-ahead 3 earlier in the extra period, ended up with the ball well behind the arc with the shot clock dwindling. His shot barely hit the front of the rim.

Russell Westbrook, who scored 31, missed a free throw to give the Mavericks one more chance to tie, but Carter's desperation 3 at the buzzer was short.

"The play blew up and Mike ended up with it, and it was unfair to him," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was a play that didn't work, and it was my responsibility."

Nowitzki finished with 18 points after starting 1 of 11 from the field, salvaging his 10th straight double-figure game after scoring in single digits the first four games once he returned from missing 27 games due to right knee surgery.

The Mavericks had six players in double figures for the fourth straight game. Mayo had 18 points and seven assists, and Darren Collison scored 15.

Elton Brand had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Dallas, while Serge Ibaka had 11 points and 14 boards for the Thunder.

Durant, who has scored at least 40 three times in the past week, put Oklahoma City ahead 99-98 on a pair of free throws after he was fouled on a drive with 1:32 left in regulation. He hit two more after he was fouled following a rebound of a miss by Nowitzki, and Oklahoma City kept the lead until Mayo's 3-pointer with two defenders in his face forced overtime at 105-all.

"There are some things that we obviously could have done to limit him," Carlisle said of Durant. "He had a great game, and he is the best shooter on the planet."

Neither team led by more than three in the final 6 minutes of regulation and overtime.

The Mavericks, who earlier this season tied an NBA record with their 10th straight overtime loss, fell to 1-8 in overtime games this season. Two of the losses have been to the Thunder, who improved to 4-0 in overtime.

"It was one of those games no one deserved to lose," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "I'm glad we came out with the victory because that's not an easy win."

The Mavericks trailed 87-79 when Carter hit a free throw and Nowitzki had a tip-in to start a 13-2 run that gave Dallas its first lead since the first quarter. Nowitzki's free throws put the Mavericks up 90-89 with 6:41 left.

NOTES: Nowitzki was called for a technical foul during a timeout, and Thunder C Kendrick Perkins picked up one when he got in Chris Kaman's face after Perkins was called for a foul for bumping Kaman while they were battling for a rebound. ... Brand recorded the 400th double-double of his career Wednesday against Houston. He had 11 points and 10 rebounds. ... Durant will start in the All-Star game Feb. 17 in Houston. His coach, Brooks, won't be in charge. Brooks is ineligible to lead the Western Conference stars because he did it last year. "It was pretty cool to be able to meet some of the players and see how they are off the court," Brooks said. "Whoever gets it will have a great experience in a great city."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-19-BKN-Thunder-Mavericks-Folo/id-a8a72de28b6245238389ece4324a0bb5

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Windows 8 Will Cost You $120 After Jan. 31

Microsoft launched Windows 8 in the fall with attractive pricing -- just $39.99 for Windows 7, Vista or XP users -- but come February the price goes up. Way up.

After the promotional upgrade offer ends on Jan. 31, anyone running an older version of Windows will have to pay $119.99 for the privilege of running Windows 8, a Microsoft blog post reveals. And that's just the basic edition; if you want Windows 8 Pro, it'll cost you $199.99.

[More from Mashable: Developers: Microsoft Wants to Put Your App in a TV Ad]

While it's a steep increase, jacking the price up on Windows 8 upgrades makes some sense. Although Microsoft has provided few details about how many machines are actually now running Windows 8, reports suggest the platform isn't performing as well as expected. By giving users a deadline, it encourages anyone on the fence to buy now, potentially giving adoption of the new OS a final big push.

[More from Mashable: IllumiRoom Turns Your Entire Living Room Into a TV Screen]

The new pricing plan has options than just the basic and Pro upgrade products. If you buy a PC with basic Windows 8 and decide to upgrade after the deadline, that'll cost you $99.99. And Windows 8 Pro users can add Windows Media Center and DVD playback via the Media Center Pack for $9.99.

If you're building a PC from scratch, none of these options are what you're looking for. Microsoft says you'll want the Windows 8 System Builder -- a product usually reserved for OEMs -- which typically runs around $100-$165.

If you're interested in upgrading to Windows 8 for cheap, there's still time. Windows 8 Pro costs just $40 for the next 13 days, or if you really want the DVD copy, you can buy one at retail for $69.99.

The full breakdown on the new pricing is below. Tell us what you think of Microsoft jacking up the price in the comments.

Windows 8 Pricing After Jan. 31:

• Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition (for Windows 7, Vista and XP users): $199.99
• Windows 8 upgrade edition (for Windows 7, Vista and XP users): $119.99
• Windows 8 Pro Pack (for Windows 8 users): $99.99
• Windows 8 Media Center Pack (for Windows 8 Pro users): $9.99
• Windows 8 System Builder (for DIY PC builders): $100-$165

Windows 8, Fully Formed

The new Windows is here. Windows 8 is a dramatic departure from Windows 7, blowing up the Start menu into a vibrant Start Screen that's electric with activity and well suited for touch devices like tablets. Despite some inconsistencies (particularly with the traditional desktop, which still exists), the new interface is powerful, fast and convenient.

Click here to view this gallery.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/windows-8-cost-120-jan-31-181308019.html

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Myanmar should repeal laws and develop a code of conduct for...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/uzbekistannewsnet/posts/470661672994790

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World stocks rise as US, China economies improve

BANGKOK (AP) ? World stock markets rose Friday after signs that the U.S. economic recovery is gaining traction and a rebound in China's growth emboldened investors to plunge back into equities. The Nikkei soared as the yen continued to weaken.

China's economy grew 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, up from the previous quarter's 7.4 percent. Stronger quarterly growth was widely expected after earlier data showed retail sales, factory output and other indicators rising.

"Such an outcome should put to rest any remaining doubt about China escaping a hard landing and sailing smoothly through the troubled global waters," Dariusz Kowalczyk of Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in an email.

European stocks rose in early trading. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent to 6,150.63. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 7,748.77 and France's CAC-40 added 0.4 percent to 3,757.85.

A day after Standard and Poor's 500 index hit a five year high, S&P 500 futures rose nearly 0.1 percent to 1,476, signaling more gains to come on Wall Street. Dow Jones industrial futures rose marginally to 13,549.

Stocks across Asia were solidly higher.

Japan's Nikkei 225 soared 2.9 percent to close at 10.913.30, the highest finish in nearly three years, as the yen slipped against the dollar. The dollar rose above the 90-yen line for the first time since June 2010 as expectations intensified that the Bank of Japan will take steps to ease credit next week, Kyodo News Agency reported. A weaker yen is a significant boost for Japan's powerhouse exporters.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.1 percent to 23,601.78. South Korea's Kospi added 0.7 percent to 1,987.85. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3 percent to 4,771.20.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.4 percent to 2,317.07 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 935.7. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia rose. Malaysia and New Zealand fell.

Among individual stocks, mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd. got a 2.7 percent boost following the resignation of its chief executive. Japan's export-linked companies, which generally benefit from a weaker currency, surged. Mazda Motor Corp. jumped 11.7 percent and Ricoh Co. soared 7.2 percent. Sony Corp. bounded up 12.2 percent.

Analysts say they don't expect to see new stimulus measures or radical policy changes by the new Chinese leadership, especially after what Friday's figures showed.

"They are going to continue to make sure growth continues but at a sustainable rate and part of that for the new leadership is to make sure money isn't wasted on corruption or on roads that go nowhere. They are trying to be prudent in their policies," said Andrew Sullivan, a Hong Kong-based market analyst.

Investors became more optimistic Thursday after the U.S. Commerce Department issued a strong report on housing starts for December. Builders broke ground on houses and apartments at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000 ? more than 12 percent higher than November.

Unemployment figures were a further sign of economic recovery. The U.S. government said the number of Americans seeking unemployment aid plummeted to a five-year low last week.

"US economic data continued to show steady and gradual growth, and that gave a fresh boost to market sentiment," said Gary Yau of Credit Agricole in a market commentary.

Benchmark oil for February delivery was down 3 cents to $95.46 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.25 to finish at $95.49 a barrel. That was the highest close for crude on the Nymex since Sept. 17 and a result of the positive economic reports out of the U.S.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3358 from $1.3384 late Thursday in New York. The dollar was at 89.97 yen.

___

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Associated Press

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Cameron to tackle thorny issue of Europe

LONDON (AP) ? Prime Minister David Cameron will make a long awaited speech on how he thinks Britain's relationship with the EU should change, a move that many fear could backfire and leave Britain increasingly isolated in Europe.

Britain's relationship with the European Union has been fraught since the creation of the bloc.

Several Conservative leaders ahead of Cameron, including Margaret Thatcher and John Major, have all tried to carve out more sovereignty for Britain inside the EU.

The question is whether Cameron's speech Friday will answer how he proposes renegotiating Britain's relationship with the EU and whether that bartering will result in Britain's ultimate exit from the bloc.

Many view the speech, which will be delivered in the Netherlands, as an attempt to shore up support from euroskeptics in Cameron's Conservative Party. But with the EU largely focused on stemming its debt crisis, playing to internal politics could backfire and anger nations like Germany, which has taken a lead in untangling Europe's economic woes.

"The U.K. at the moment is marginalizing itself in the European debate," said Fabian Zuleeg, chief economist at the Brussels-based European Policy Center think tank. "The debate is very Britain centric, there is very little consideration of what other countries might think about this."

A chorus of international voices from Brussels to Berlin has been quick to stress the importance of Britain's presence in the EU and offer thinly veiled warnings about potential consequences.

Even the U.S., which normally stays out of disputes among EU states, has weighed in on the debate.

"We have a growing relationship with the EU as an institution, which has an increasing voice in the world, and we want to see a strong British voice in that EU," said Philip Gordon, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. "Every hour at a summit spent debating the institutional make-up of the European Union is one hour less spent on how to deal with the common issues of jobs, growth and international peace around the world."

One German lawmaker, Gunther Krichbaum, warned Cameron not to "blackmail" Europe and said any vote on EU membership would isolate Britain. Chair of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, Ruprecht Polenz, said he "would recommend that our friends in Britain take a proper look at how closely Britain is linked economically and politically to what they call the continent, and what would happen if you cut all those links."

Making demands on key trading partners isn't expected to get much traction, said economist Jeffrey Frankel, a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School.

"The euro is fighting for its life, and now there are these nuisance demands from Britain," Frankel said. "There's presumably not much support for any specific demands he might make."

Cameron is also struggling to win back voters who abandoned the party in favor of the UK Independence Party, which advocates EU withdrawal. Britain's next general election is scheduled for 2015.

But Cameron's speech could set off a chain of events beyond his control.

The president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz compared the situation to a German poem about a sorcerer's apprentice who calls forth spirits who thwart his plans in the end.

"David Cameron would do well not to feed the spirits he has called," Schulz said Wednesday in Strasbourg.

By deciding to take on Europe, Cameron has drawn comparisons to Thatcher, who often seemed at odds with her own government's policy of developing European integration. The dispute contributed to her downfall.

While many expect Cameron to announce a possible referendum on Britain's future in the EU, the prime minister has offered few specifics on what he'll address in Friday's speech.

That vagueness coupled with a long run-up to the speech could hurt Cameron's future, according to EU expert Iain Begg, a professor at the London School of Economics.

"He's talked himself into a trap," Begg said. "By signaling this speech for several months euroskeptics are anticipating specifics. At the same time, he has to appear reasonable to his European partners and therefore say nothing."

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Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London, Raf Casert in Brussels and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cameron-tackle-thorny-issue-europe-135622374.html

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