Tuesday, June 25, 2013

NREL drives toward the future with fuel cell EVs

NREL drives toward the future with fuel cell EVs [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
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Contact: David Glickson
david.glickson@nrel.gov
303-275-4097
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Efforts currently underway at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are contributing to rapid progress in the research, development and testing of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Building from more than 10 years of support from the Department's Fuel Cell Technologies Office on these topics, NREL has received four Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles Advanced (FCHV-adv) on loan from Toyota. These vehicles will help NREL enhance its research capabilities related to hydrogen fueling infrastructure, renewable hydrogen production, and vehicle performance.

Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Vehicles are Rapidly Evolving

The Toyota vehicle represents another step toward the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Hydrogen fuel is most often produced using domestic resources and can also be produced using clean renewable energy technologies. When hydrogen is used to power an FCEV, the vehicle has zero tail pipe emissions.

The fuel cells in the Highlander FCHV-adv are representative of the FCEV designs being demonstrated today by automobile companies around the world, making this design an excellent platform for NREL's research activities. Toyota also plans to introduce an FCEV sedan to the U.S. commercial market in 2015.

The zero-emission FCHV-adv, based on a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) platform, has an expected driving range of 325 miles and a fuel economy estimated at 60 miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (GGE). GGE is a method for measuring the fuel economy of alternative fuels compared to gasoline and represents the amount of an alternative fuel equal to the energy in one liquid gallon of gasoline.

The vehicle is powered by a fuel cell system with light weight, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, an electric motor, a nickel hydride battery, and a power-control unit that determines the split of power from the battery or fuel cell stack to power the vehicle.

NREL to Explore Wide Research Platform

A man stands in front of the open hood of the vehicle. A group is gathered around him looking at the components of the vehicle under the hood. Enlarge image

Refuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies Laboratory Program Manager Keith Wipke, (in red) explains what's under the hood of the Toyota Highlander fuel cell hybrid vehicle at the NREL Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Ride and Drive Event. These vehicles will help the lab enhance its research capabilities related to hydrogen infrastructure, renewable hydrogen production, and vehicle performance.

Credit: Dennis Schroeder

The four FCEVs, on a two-year loan from Toyota as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NREL, will be put through a wide platform of testing and analysis at the lab. The vehicles were originally deployed in California in 2009 and have been redeployed to NREL as part of this CRADA.

"We're looking at the whole system from renewable hydrogen production and vehicle fueling equipment to the impact of driving patterns and behavior on vehicle performance," said Keith Wipke, NREL Laboratory Program Manager for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies. "Because the vehicles will be four or five years old by the time our loan period ends, we will be able to observe extended durability and reliability, which are critical to the commercial success of these types of vehicles."

Testing will include observing how the vehicles interact with fueling infrastructure and fueling stations that operate at different pressures. While most hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas, at NREL, the vehicles will be fueled with renewable hydrogen made from wind and solar energy as part of the Wind-to-Hydrogen project at the lab's National Wind Technology Center. This project uses wind turbines and solar arrays to power electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

"These vehicles are emission free, but in most scenarios you still have emissions during the hydrogen production," Wipke said. "If you can make the hydrogen using renewable resources you have the potential for this to be a truly zero-emission fuel source. We're pleased to have the opportunity to further investigate this potential."

Other tests will investigate how drivers interact with the vehicles and influence performance over the test period. Researchers will look at the effects of environment and driving patterns on the vehicles' energy storage and propulsion systems, and demonstrate the vehicles operational capability in real-world activities.

On behalf of the Energy Department, NREL is also planning public outreach and education efforts to better prepare the market for the deployment of these types of vehicles. NREL will offer first-hand exposure to hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle technologies to a variety of audiences, including the general public, academia, and the automotive industry.

Getting Ready for Our Transportation Future

A white Toyota sport utility vehicle is parked in a parking lot. Two people are standing in the parking lot looking at the vehicle. Enlarge image

NREL employees investigate a Toyota Highlander fuel cell hybrid vehicle at the lab's Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Ride and Drive Event.

Credit: Dennis Schroeder

FCEVs use hydrogen, stored in high-pressure tanks made of carbon fiber resin, which is fed to the fuel cell stack where it combines with oxygen from the air. The electricity produced by this chemical reaction is used to power the electric motor and charge the battery.

"For someone like myself who is not an electrochemist, it's truly a fascinating technology," Wipke said. "Hydrogen atoms interact with a membrane coated with small amounts of platinum, which splits the hydrogen into protons and electrons. The protons pass through the membrane, and the electrons go around a different path and do the useful electrical work. Eventually, they meet on the other side with oxygen from the air, and form water, which along with a little heat is the only byproduct of the process."

Fuel cell technologies and the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel are becoming more visible as automotive manufacturers move these concepts closer to market.

But while these fuel cell technologies are proven and effective, there are still challenges in deploying them, particularly in terms of reducing cost and increasing durability. NREL's long-term durability testing for FCEVs will provide important data toward solutions to these two interrelated challenges.

Another significant issue with deploying these technologies is the need to develop infrastructure around hydrogen production, delivery, and fueling stations.

"We need a lot of infrastructure in place for FCEVs to have widespread consumer acceptance," Wipke said. "Most hydrogen fueling stations use delivered hydrogen instead of on-site production. That is the most economical pathway right now, but with our capabilities here at NREL we are able to fully explore the opportunities for on-site production."

Despite the challenges, Wipke sees a strong future for the FCEV technology.

"Most automakers are committing to get to market with these vehicles before this decade is out. That is encouraging," Wipke said. "The biggest reasons that they are so excited about this option for the future is that range and refueling time are not a concern compared to other new transportation technologies. This makes it a potentially very consumer-friendly transportation technology, one that will function much like what drivers use today."

"It's an exciting opportunity to help move these technologies forward, and we're pleased to have an important role here at NREL."

###

Learn more about NREL's hydrogen research.

David Glickson


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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


NREL drives toward the future with fuel cell EVs [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: David Glickson
david.glickson@nrel.gov
303-275-4097
DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Efforts currently underway at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are contributing to rapid progress in the research, development and testing of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Building from more than 10 years of support from the Department's Fuel Cell Technologies Office on these topics, NREL has received four Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles Advanced (FCHV-adv) on loan from Toyota. These vehicles will help NREL enhance its research capabilities related to hydrogen fueling infrastructure, renewable hydrogen production, and vehicle performance.

Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Vehicles are Rapidly Evolving

The Toyota vehicle represents another step toward the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Hydrogen fuel is most often produced using domestic resources and can also be produced using clean renewable energy technologies. When hydrogen is used to power an FCEV, the vehicle has zero tail pipe emissions.

The fuel cells in the Highlander FCHV-adv are representative of the FCEV designs being demonstrated today by automobile companies around the world, making this design an excellent platform for NREL's research activities. Toyota also plans to introduce an FCEV sedan to the U.S. commercial market in 2015.

The zero-emission FCHV-adv, based on a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) platform, has an expected driving range of 325 miles and a fuel economy estimated at 60 miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent (GGE). GGE is a method for measuring the fuel economy of alternative fuels compared to gasoline and represents the amount of an alternative fuel equal to the energy in one liquid gallon of gasoline.

The vehicle is powered by a fuel cell system with light weight, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, an electric motor, a nickel hydride battery, and a power-control unit that determines the split of power from the battery or fuel cell stack to power the vehicle.

NREL to Explore Wide Research Platform

A man stands in front of the open hood of the vehicle. A group is gathered around him looking at the components of the vehicle under the hood. Enlarge image

Refuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies Laboratory Program Manager Keith Wipke, (in red) explains what's under the hood of the Toyota Highlander fuel cell hybrid vehicle at the NREL Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Ride and Drive Event. These vehicles will help the lab enhance its research capabilities related to hydrogen infrastructure, renewable hydrogen production, and vehicle performance.

Credit: Dennis Schroeder

The four FCEVs, on a two-year loan from Toyota as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NREL, will be put through a wide platform of testing and analysis at the lab. The vehicles were originally deployed in California in 2009 and have been redeployed to NREL as part of this CRADA.

"We're looking at the whole system from renewable hydrogen production and vehicle fueling equipment to the impact of driving patterns and behavior on vehicle performance," said Keith Wipke, NREL Laboratory Program Manager for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies. "Because the vehicles will be four or five years old by the time our loan period ends, we will be able to observe extended durability and reliability, which are critical to the commercial success of these types of vehicles."

Testing will include observing how the vehicles interact with fueling infrastructure and fueling stations that operate at different pressures. While most hydrogen is currently produced from natural gas, at NREL, the vehicles will be fueled with renewable hydrogen made from wind and solar energy as part of the Wind-to-Hydrogen project at the lab's National Wind Technology Center. This project uses wind turbines and solar arrays to power electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

"These vehicles are emission free, but in most scenarios you still have emissions during the hydrogen production," Wipke said. "If you can make the hydrogen using renewable resources you have the potential for this to be a truly zero-emission fuel source. We're pleased to have the opportunity to further investigate this potential."

Other tests will investigate how drivers interact with the vehicles and influence performance over the test period. Researchers will look at the effects of environment and driving patterns on the vehicles' energy storage and propulsion systems, and demonstrate the vehicles operational capability in real-world activities.

On behalf of the Energy Department, NREL is also planning public outreach and education efforts to better prepare the market for the deployment of these types of vehicles. NREL will offer first-hand exposure to hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle technologies to a variety of audiences, including the general public, academia, and the automotive industry.

Getting Ready for Our Transportation Future

A white Toyota sport utility vehicle is parked in a parking lot. Two people are standing in the parking lot looking at the vehicle. Enlarge image

NREL employees investigate a Toyota Highlander fuel cell hybrid vehicle at the lab's Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Ride and Drive Event.

Credit: Dennis Schroeder

FCEVs use hydrogen, stored in high-pressure tanks made of carbon fiber resin, which is fed to the fuel cell stack where it combines with oxygen from the air. The electricity produced by this chemical reaction is used to power the electric motor and charge the battery.

"For someone like myself who is not an electrochemist, it's truly a fascinating technology," Wipke said. "Hydrogen atoms interact with a membrane coated with small amounts of platinum, which splits the hydrogen into protons and electrons. The protons pass through the membrane, and the electrons go around a different path and do the useful electrical work. Eventually, they meet on the other side with oxygen from the air, and form water, which along with a little heat is the only byproduct of the process."

Fuel cell technologies and the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel are becoming more visible as automotive manufacturers move these concepts closer to market.

But while these fuel cell technologies are proven and effective, there are still challenges in deploying them, particularly in terms of reducing cost and increasing durability. NREL's long-term durability testing for FCEVs will provide important data toward solutions to these two interrelated challenges.

Another significant issue with deploying these technologies is the need to develop infrastructure around hydrogen production, delivery, and fueling stations.

"We need a lot of infrastructure in place for FCEVs to have widespread consumer acceptance," Wipke said. "Most hydrogen fueling stations use delivered hydrogen instead of on-site production. That is the most economical pathway right now, but with our capabilities here at NREL we are able to fully explore the opportunities for on-site production."

Despite the challenges, Wipke sees a strong future for the FCEV technology.

"Most automakers are committing to get to market with these vehicles before this decade is out. That is encouraging," Wipke said. "The biggest reasons that they are so excited about this option for the future is that range and refueling time are not a concern compared to other new transportation technologies. This makes it a potentially very consumer-friendly transportation technology, one that will function much like what drivers use today."

"It's an exciting opportunity to help move these technologies forward, and we're pleased to have an important role here at NREL."

###

Learn more about NREL's hydrogen research.

David Glickson


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/drel-ndt062513.php

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Highly Visual 2.0: A Mobile Reader for the Visually Minded

Highly Visual 2.0: A Mobile Reader for the Visually Minded

Especially with the upcoming demise of Google Reader, RSS alternatives abound. But how do you pick the one that's right for you from all the riff raff? Well, if you're someone who's feed tends to stick to the more image oriented, Highly Visual 2.0 may be exactly what you're looking for?at least in a mobile reader, that is.

What does it do?

Lets you browse your feed with a heavy focus on the images. Or rather?the entire focus is on the images. Zip through the articles in your feeds' by browsing rows of pictures alone. You can choose for Highly Visual to auto-populate a topic on its own, or you can create your a customized feed all your own. Click on the image to see the full post, and share the article on a variety of social media should the feeling strike.

Why do we like it?

With so many new readers coming out, they're all starting to look more or less the same. Highly Visual, though separates itself from the pack with a major focus on images. This is perfect for someone heavy into photography or wants to add some Pinterest appeal(?) to their RSS. Of course, if you use readers to, you know, read articles, this probably isn't going to be fore you.

But as a mobile app, it could still be a nice way to swipe through and get a very quick, if not entirely thorough view of what's going on in the world. Highly Visual has been around for a bit, sure but Version 2 has seen the grid rebuilt from the ground up, giving you a fun, beautiful, and slightly different break from your normal news consumption.

Highly Visual 2.0, Download this app for: iOS, $3

The Best: Beautiful, easy to browse layout

The Worst: Would benefit from marking things as read/unread

Source: http://gizmodo.com/highly-visual-2-0-a-mobile-reader-for-the-visually-min-564276655

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Demi Lovato?s Estranged Biological Father Dies (VIDEO)

Demi Lovato’s Estranged Biological Father Dies (VIDEO)

Demi Lovato's biological father diedDemi Lovato didn’t attend a judge’s photoshoot for “X Factor” after the passing of her biological father Patrick. Lovato’s older sister Dallas tweeted, “Rest in peace daddy I love you…”. Patrick, who had been estranged from his daughters for over a decade, had battled cancer the past few years. Demi Lovato touched on her troubled ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/06/demi-lovatos-estranged-biological-father-dies-video/

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Gay marriage support reverberates for Republican senator (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/314937888?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Lawrence Wittner: When Education Is a Business

To what extent is education corrupted when it becomes intertwined with profit-making businesses?

This question becomes increasingly relevant as corporations move into key roles at American universities. In late June of this year, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo steamrolled a bill through the state legislature to establish tax-free havens for businesses on the campuses of the State University of New York (the largest public university in the United States) and on those of some private colleges. This legislation, he promised, would "transform SUNY campuses and university communities." Faculty, he said, should "get interested and participate in entrepreneurial activities." Indeed, "you'd be a better academic if you were actually entrepreneurial."

What can happen when education is run like a business is shown in a new, hilarious satire by Joel Shatzky: Option Three (Blue Thread Communications). Shatzky, a novelist and playwright who taught dramatic literature at SUNY/Cortland for 37 years, provides an unnerving, madcap, depiction of the corporatization of the university -- in this case, a university very much like SUNY.

The story begins when the novel's hero, Acting Visiting Assistant Professor L. Circassian, receives two letters from the administration: the first laying him off and the second taking him back on as an adjunct, with a 35 percent pay cut. Queried by a confused Circassian, Dean Lean explains that there are three options: "Option One is that you are an invaluable member of the faculty that has to be let go; Option Two is that you are a superfluous member of the faculty that can't be let go. Is that clear so far?" When Circassian replies that it is not, the dean continues: "Option Three was devised several months ago by Central Administration and what it means is that we don't have the funds to keep you but we can't let you go because you are too valuable." Circassian remonstrates that he can't survive on the reduced salary, especially as he can barely exist on the one he already receives, whereupon the dean retorts: "Of course, we understand that. That's why this is called `Option Three'; it's a combination of two unacceptable solutions to a problem."

This is only the beginning of the nightmarish, downward spiral of Circassian's life and that of the other faculty at this fanciful institution of higher education. Governor Putski (a nice mixture of former New York State Governor George Pataki and Cuomo, with a name suggesting the Yiddish word for a portion of the male anatomy), egged on by Operation Change (a conspiracy of the wealthy much like Change New York), repeatedly slashes funding for the state university, thereby giving campus administrators the green light they desire to proceed with its evisceration.

Circassian, much like Yossarian in Joseph Heller's Catch-22, looks on in amazement as irrationality proceeds unchecked by reason. Rival corporations buy up departments and compete for students, debasing teaching and knowledge. Finally, with the campus swept by chaos and madness, the administration announces that 95 percent of the teaching will be done by automated programs (holograms), with the 5 percent of the faculty remaining assigned to teach those students who have elected to have "live" instructors.

Circassian somehow survives all of this, although not before being kidnapped and brought, bound and hooded, to the office of Amber Slaughter, the head of Operation Change. In their ensuing conversation, Circassian seeks to defend the public university as a place of educational opportunity for all. But the wealthy Slaughter coolly rejects that notion, retorting that "democracy sucks." He explains the he and other members of his class have no desire to educate what he calls "the rabble."

And so Circassian and the reader ultimately learn what the privatization of public education is all about.

Despite this harsh premise, Option Three is a very funny book, enlivened by new and very creative words ("yibbled," "blicking," "charfled," "traffled," and many others) and ideas. Readers will certainly enjoy the novel's playful tone. When the English Department's corporate manager develops a course entitled "Shakespeare for People Who Hate Shakespeare," he suggests a revised version of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy to "make the product more marketable." It runs:

Should I live or should I die?
That's the riddle: tell me why.
Must I live with aggravation,
Or die if that's my inclination.
Yes, die and take an endless snooze,
That's the nobler way to choose.
But in death could I have a dream,
Perhaps that way's a bit extreme.
Still, who'd dare take all the crap,
That bitter life drops in your lap.
Live long enough, you'll get the shaft,
`Til all that's left to do is laugh;
But here's Ophelia, nymph is she,
By her my sins remembered be.

Although the book focuses on the unraveling of university life, it even has a relatively happy ending.

But what is happening to higher education today, as it undergoes a corporate makeover, is considerably less amusing. The sharply reduced government funding for public universities, the replacement of full-time faculty with low-wage, rootless adjuncts, the rapid development of mass, online courses for academic credit, and the increasingly pervasive corporate presence on campus all indicate more concern for the business-defined bottom line than for intellectual growth. Future satirists of university life will be hard-pressed to stay ahead of the emerging reality.

Lawrence Wittner (http://lawrenceswittner.com) is Professor of History emeritus at SUNY/Albany. His latest book is "What's Going On at UAardvark?" (Solidarity Press), a satirical novel about corporate takeover and rebellion at an American university.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-wittner/when-education-is-a-busin_b_3483407.html

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Analysis: For Obama, a world of Snowden troubles

By Warren Strobel and Paul Eckert

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Since his first day in office, President Barack Obama's foreign policy has rested on outreach: resetting ties with Russia, building a partnership with China and offering a fresh start with antagonistic leaders from Iran to Venezuela.

But the global travels on Sunday of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden highlight the limits of that approach. Leaders Obama has wooed - and met recently - were willing to snub the American president.

The cocky defiance by so-called "non-state actors" - Snowden himself and the anti-secrecy group, WikiLeaks, completes the picture of a world less willing than ever to bend to U.S. prescriptions of right and wrong.

Snowden flew out of Hong Kong, the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, early on Sunday after Hong Kong authorities rebuffed a U.S. request to detain him pending extradition to the United States for trial. Snowden has acknowledged leaking details of highly classified NSA surveillance programs.

Beijing may merely have wished to get rid of a potential irritant in its multifaceted relationship with Washington. But Snowden's next stop was Russia, a U.S. "frenemy" in which the friend factor has been harder to spot since President Vladimir Putin returned to power in May 2012.

WikiLeaks, which says it is helping the 30-year-old Snowden, said via Twitter that he intended to go to Ecuador, whose government has antagonistic relations with Washington. Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino Aroca, said, also via Twitter, that his government had received an asylum request from Snowden.

To be sure, the U.S. government is certain to marshal all of its diplomatic, legal and political powers to return Snowden to the United States, where he is charged with offenses under the Espionage Act and with theft of government property.

The United States has revoked Snowden's passport, sources familiar with the decision said on Sunday.

But Snowden has significant levers of his own, in the form of a cache of NSA secrets of unknown size and scope.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Sunday that the U.S. government apparently does not know the extent of the secrets taken by Snowden, whose last job was as a systems administrator at an NSA listening post in Hawaii.

"The only thing I've learned is that he could have over 200 separate items and whether that's true or not, that's what has been relayed to me," Feinstein said on CBS "Face the Nation."

Snowden told Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on Saturday that the United States hacks into Chinese mobile phone traffic and text messaging, as well as Chinese university sites that host some of the country's major Internet hubs.

It is unclear whether such revelations played a role in Hong Kong authorities' decision to let Snowden depart, despite the U.S. request to detain him and begin extradition procedures.

Privately, U.S. officials say they believe Beijing authorities made the call to allow Snowden to leave. In doing so, the Chinese may have simply been passing along a "hot potato," that could have grown into a diplomatic spat.

"For China, this is certainly a bit of a relief. They don't want to let him stay there for a prolonged stay," said Cheng Li, an expert on Chinese politics at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

"If things get out of control (with Snowden) that will certainly undermine any achievement made in the summit in California, so China is probably very happy that Russia will be the main target," Li said, referring to the meetings between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

FALLOUT

Obama, who took flak in recent months over the Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups and Justice Department subpoenas of media phone calls in other leak cases, has so far not faced major criticism of his administration's handling of Snowden.

Most U.S. lawmakers' ire has been directed at Snowden himself, as well as the systems that permitted him to get a sensitive job with contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and make away with evidence of some of the U.S. government's most shielded intelligence programs.

But U.S. Representative Peter King, a frequent Obama critic and Republican who sits on the permanent select committee on intelligence, said the president should be more aggressive in defending the surveillance programs that U.S. officials say have thwarted terrorist attacks, and more assertive with foreign partners.

"I find it troubling that the president has been so quiet on this. And again, I'm not saying he can control it, but there should be more of a presence including defending the NSA program," King told CNN. "It just seems as if we're adrift right now and I think that these countries are taking advantage of it.

"This is definitely a diplomatic hit at the president, at the U.S., but as Americans we have to support the president."

If Russia allows Snowden to continue on his journey toward Ecuador, it could wipe out what is left of Obama's policy, dating from 2009, of trying to "reset" relations with Moscow after they turned chilly under his predecessor.

Washington and Moscow have clashed recently over Russia's human rights, adoption by Americans of Russian orphans, missile defenses and, most consequentially, the civil war in Syria.

A photograph of Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin at last weekend's G8 summit, their hands clasped and staring unsmilingly into space, caught the mood of U.S.-Russian relations.

"What's infuriating here is Prime Minister Putin of Russia aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said New York Senator Chuck Schumer, like Obama a Democrat. "The bottom line is very simple. Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States, whether it is Syria, Iran, and now, of course, with Snowden."

"That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship," Schumer told CNN's "State of the Union" program.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, sought to keep the focus squarely on Snowden.

"He compromised our national security program designed to find out what terrorists were up to. So, the freedom trail is not exactly China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela," Graham told Fox News.

"So, I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the Earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there will be consequences if they harbor this guy," he said.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, Phil Stewart, Toby Zakaria and Tom Ferraro. Editing by Fred Barbash and Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-obama-world-snowden-troubles-215653183.html

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iOS 7 Preview: Control Center

iOS 7 Preview: New security features

Control Center provides one-swipe access to to all your settings and media controls from anywhere on your iPhone (or iPad).

Quick access to system-level toggles has been one of the most constant, consistent power-user feature requests -- nay, demands -- for years now. Everything from jailbreak apps like SBSettings to iOS 6's brief flirtation with URL Schemes for Settings made it a must-have on every geek list, come every Apple iOS keynote. And now, with iOS 7 and Control Center, it's finally a reality.

Here's how Apple describes Control Center:

Control Center gives you quick access to the controls and apps you always seem to need right this second. Just swipe up from any screen ? including the Lock screen ? to do things like switch to Airplane mode, turn Wi-Fi on or off, or adjust the brightness of your display. You can even shine a light on things with a new flashlight. Never has one swipe given you so much control.

Control Center icon

And, based on what Apple's shown off to date, here's how it works:

  • Like Notification Center, Control Center is a layer that you can slide out on top of the main iOS interface. It enjoys the same, bouncing, playful iOS 7 physics, and the same blur effect that mutes but doesn't entirely obliterate what's underneath. Unlike Notification Center, which comes from the top down, Control Center is activated by swiping up from beneath the screen, and rather than dark, smoked glass, it's given a light, frosted effect.

  • You can access Control Center from anywhere on your iPhone (or iPad), including from the Lock screen.

Control Center on Lock screen

  • The top row Control Center provides handy on/off switches for commonly used settings like Airplane mode (which, when turned on, will turn off the cellular radio), the Wi-Fi radio, and the Bluetooth radio, as well as toggles for Do Not Disturb mode, and the portrait/landscape orientation lock. Black means off, white means on.
  • Next is a slider for screen brightness, and a set of media controls that includes a positional scrubber, the title of the track/episode you're listening to or watching, the name of the album/series that track/episode is from, skip backwards or forwards buttons, pause/play, and a volume slider.
  • If available, AirDrop and AirPlay occupy the next layer, and allow you to quickly access sheets with their individual options.
  • The bottom row of icons consists of a Flashlight to toggle the LED flash on or off, and variants of Clock, Calculator, and Camera icons for quickly accessing those apps.

Control Center bullets

That Control Center functions so much like Notification Center, and even uses similar nomenclature makes it easy to understand, even for non-power-users who haven't been lamenting its absence on iOS for years. It'll give the obsessive compulsive among us nearly instant access to toggles we probably ought not be toggling all the time, but it'll also give plenty of regular people a fast, easy way to get at things as simple as media controls and even a flashlight when they need them.

Swiping up to reveal Control Center will be confusing for people who've spent any time on webOS, BlackBerry 10, some versions of Android, or even the iPad's gesture navigation system, and personally I do find the swiping up as a way to show the fast app switcher/multitasking cards much more intuitive than the double-button click. However, Android's current two-finger swipe down to switch from their version of notification center to their version of control center isn't as easy to use, and ultimately, as goes Apple and iOS 7 will go hundreds of millions of users.

As to the design itself, while I have concerns about the low contrast and thinness of the icons and typography used, overall the usefulness exceeds the usability, and hopefully the latter can at some point be brought up to match the former. Sadly, Apple hasn't said anything about the customizability -- or lack thereof -- of Control Center, but if the past is any indicator, we probably won't be able to change the settings, controls, or apps presented. At least not this go around.

I once wrote that iOS wasn't meant for geeks, and while I still think that's generally true, with iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, Apple is starting to show they now have more than enough love to go around.

Control Center will ship as part of iOS 7 this fall. Check out the resources below for more, and let me know -- how do you like what you've seen of Control Center so far?

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/lTuKW9fZnw0/story01.htm

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Nissan tightens safety watch after U.S. factory ... - Automotive News

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Editor's note: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect time of a fatal accident at Nissan's Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant on June 16, and the year a contract driver was killed in a trucking accident on the same site.

Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130624/OEM01/130629947/nissan-tightens-safety-watch-after-u-s-factory-fatalities

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There'll Be Nowhere to Hide When These Robot Apes Take to the Trees

If you thought the prospect of being chased down by one of DARPA's terminator-wannabes was horrifying, there's a whole new flavor of terror for you to consider: the iStruct robo-ape. It's just barely limping along for now, but it's easy to imagine it galloping out of your nightmares someday soon.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/geEw3IWeRQE/therell-be-nowhere-to-hide-when-these-robot-apes-take-512187351

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Through the eyes of a new mom - Rappler

ARYA. The author's first born, soon to be a big sister. Photo by Grethel UlangARYA. The author's first born, soon to be a big sister. Photo by Grethel Ulang

MANILA, Philippines - I?m a mom of a one-year-old toddler and another baby coming this September. I know my experience as a mom is just a speck when compared to other long-time mothers; but despite being fairly new in this role, it has changed me in so many ways I can talk endlessly about it.

One of my major realizations is that motherhood has made me more compassionate.

When I found out I was pregnant, it was like a button immediately switched on inside me. That same button switched off some things from my previous life, too, like community involvement.

I stopped volunteering and limited myself to "light" charity as my OB had advised me to limit my exposure. I shunned reading the papers as I easily became depressed with the sad realities of our society. I warded off writing because, every time I wrote, it would bring out the activist in me.

IN A MOUNTAIN SCHOOL. Kids from Sariaya, Quezon, beneficiaries of one of the author's fundraising projects. Photo courtesy of Sarah Bautista-AbanoIN A MOUNTAIN SCHOOL. Kids from Sariaya, Quezon, beneficiaries of one of the author's fundraising projects. Photo courtesy of Sarah Bautista-Abano

That switch pushed me to surround myself with everything positive and focus on taking care of myself, my baby and my family.

When my baby Arya finally came, my whole world started to revolve around her. She was my first, my ?most precious? and I devoted all my time and spent every opportunity to take care of her myself.

But the more I grew into my new role as a mother, the more my ?peace? was disturbed. I could no longer hold the bubble I had created for myself, and the world I had held off came crashing in. Because I already had my own child, every sick, impoverished, hungry, lost, maltreated and abandoned child I saw and heard about cast a shroud on my own small world.

A child crying for whatever reason was already a thorn that stabbed my heart. Being in a Third World country, it was something I couldn?t escape.

When my baby cried in hunger, it was a crime to even allow her to feel it in the first place. Every person in the house would panic and would do his or her share to feed my baby the soonest. Each time this happened, I would immediately attend to my baby, but half my mind also wandered to what it must be like for babies in the streets, in the slums. Did she get to eat? Did her mom have enough to feed her? Did she just go back to sleep, try to self-soothe and forget her empty stomach? How was she going to survive with so many siblings her mom had to care for?

When my baby was sick for the smallest of reasons ? a cold or a rash ? we would rush her to the doctor and give her everything she needed to get better. But on the way to the hospital, I would see malnourished and scarred children whose condition was much worse. The worst part was that they may never be attended to by a doctor or even by their own parents. My mind and heart couldn?t help but wander to these places and people.

It?s so hard to stop.

When you?re a mom, you see your child in every child you meet. Every child out there, through a twist of fate, could have been your own. Through a sudden turn of events, it could be yours who is in dire need. When you look at children in the streets, you know and feel their suffering because you have your own child and understand a child?s needs. When, if before you saw them as just another group of street children, possibly even members of gangs and syndicates, as a mom you see them in a different light.

They are children who should have loving parents to care for them. They should be in a safe home, wearing clean clothes, taking their milk and vitamins and sleeping in cozy beds ? not in the streets. They should have toys and books to stimulate and develop their minds. Every discomfort of theirs should be attended to immediately.

Motherhood can?t stop us from being involved in the lives of people outside our family. Motherhood can?t stop us from doing our share in the world. With motherhood comes a responsibility that encompasses the universe of our home. Charity begins at home because it shouldn?t end there. You are a mother and the home that you have to build is the world.

As a mother, there is this invisible thread that connects you to every child. With the recent news of rampant child kidnapping, child trafficking, babies thrown away here and there as if they?re pieces of trash, with my Facebook News Feed flooded with pictures of missing children, I always fear for the safety of my own child.

At the same time, I pray for these children every day as if they?re my own. Whether you?re a mom or not, I hope we make it our mission to ensure that every child in every corner of the world is loved and protected, is enjoying the carefree days of childhood, is given the opportunity to be the best they can be, and is provided with everything they need for a dignified life.

It doesn?t end with children. Suddenly, every person you meet is also a child with a mom whose fervent prayer is for the flesh of her flesh and the blood of her blood to be treated kindly by others. The Golden Rule has changed for me ever since I became a mother: ?Do unto others what you would want them to do unto your own child.?

Motherhood will easily make your heart bigger, making room in it for more people; motherhood will open your arms wide. Compassion defines motherhood and this is one of the many reasons why motherhood is a true gift. - Rappler.com

Sarah Bautista-Abano is a working mom. She works full-time in a food and beverage company but is still a hands-on mom to her first daughter, Arya. She co-authored her first book, ?Under the January Moon,? with her husband, published by Central Books Publishing, Inc. in 2011. Proceeds from the book went to two organizations who handle youth in poverty-stricken areas.

Source: http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/family/31963-through-eyes-new-mom

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'Monsters University' Box Office: Pixar Film Beats Out 'World War Z'

  • "Iron Man 3" (May 3)

    Tony Stark is back in "Iron Man 3," which picks up after the events of last summer's "Marvel's The Avengers." Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Guy Pearce and Don Cheadle all star. Shane Black replaces Favreau behind the camera as director.

  • "The Great Gatsby" (May 10)

    F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel gets the Baz Luhrmann treatment: 3-D and a soundtrack by Jay-Z. (Go all-in, however, on Joel Edgerton's mustache.)

  • "Peeples" (May 10)

    Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington star in the comedy "Peeples," produced and presented by Tyler Perry. (Tina Gordon Chism wrote and directed the film.)

  • "Star Trek Into Darkness" (May 17)

    Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and director J.J. Abrams all return for "Star Trek Into Darkness," the highly anticipated sequel to 2009's "Star Trek." Boldly go, especially with newcomers Alice Eve (as a potential love interest for Kirk) and Benedict Cumberbatch (as a terribly evil villain).

  • "Frances Ha" (May 17)

    Co-written by Noah Baumbach and star Greta Gerwig, "Frances Ha" focuses on Frances (Gerwig), a young woman navigating life and love in New York. "This is a celebration for me," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/frances-ha-new-york-film-festival_n_1928478.html" target="_blank">Baumbach said at the New York Film Festival last year</a>. "One idea for the movie was that we could make it like a great pop song, so that as soon as it's over, you want to play it again." Just as an FYI: You will.

  • "Epic" (May 24)

    From "Ice Age" director Chris Wedge comes an action-adventure about good and evil and all that stuff. What you'll want to note is the bananas vocal cast: Beyonce, Pitbull, Steven Tyler, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Aziz Ansari, Christoph Waltz, Chris O'Dowd and Jason Sudeikis.

  • "The Hangover Part III" (May 24)

    It all ends. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, John Goodman and Melissa McCarthy star.

  • "Fast & Furious 6" (May 24)

    The movie that will make you believe a car can drive through the cockpit of an exploding plane.

  • "Before Midnight" (May 24)

    The third film in Richard Linklater's "Before" franchise (following "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset"), "Before Midnight" is one of 2013's best movies thus far. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles, respectively, as Jesse and Celine.

  • "Now You See Me" (May 31)

    Magic bank robbers! No, really: "Now You See Me" is about magicians who rob banks. The cast is impressive here: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Isla Fisher, Melanie Laurent, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco.

  • "After Earth" (May 31)

    Will and Jaden Smith star in this post-apocalyptic thriller from M. Night Shyamalan.

  • "The East" (May 31)

    Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page and Brit Marling star in this "Fight Club"-y thriller about environmental terrorists and the law enforcement agent (Marling) who infiltrates their ranks.

  • "The Kings Of Summer" (May 31)

    Formerly called "Toy's House," "The Kings Of Summer" focuses on three friends who build a house in the woods after running away from home. Think "Stand by Me," "The Goonies" and "The Tree of Life," but with Ron Swanson as co-star. (Nick Offerman plays one of the boys' dads.) This excellent indie debuted at Sundance.

  • "The Internship" (June 7)

    Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson reunite for the first time since 2005's "Wedding Crashers" for "The Internship," a comedy about two middle-aged guys taking internships at Google. Is it OK to say that this looks really funny? Cool, thanks.

  • "The Purge" (June 7)

    One week after "Before Midnight," Ethan Hawke also stars in the horror thriller "The Purge," a film about home invasions on steroids.

  • "Much Ado About Nothing" (June 7)

    Joss Whedon takes on Shakespeare in this modern-day adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing." A charming diversion with no superheros in sight.

  • "Man Of Steel" (June 14)

    You'll believe a man can fly. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane and Russell Crowe star.

  • "This Is The End" (June 14)

    Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera, Emma Watson and dozens of other stars play themselves ("themselves") in Rogen's directorial debut, an all-out, R-rated apocalypse comedy. (Rogen co-wrote and co-directed with Evan Goldberg, his "Superbad" collaborator.) "This Is The End" has the most lol-worthy trailer of the year. (NSFW, of course.)

  • "The Bling Ring" (June 14)

    Sofia Coppola's take on the notorious Burglar Bunch, a group of Los Angeles teens who robbed from stars like Paris Hilton. Emma Watson and this movie for all the wins.

  • "Twenty Feet From Stardom" (June 14)

    This Sundance hit focuses on famed back-up singers like Darlene Love.

  • "Monsters University" (June 21)

    Mike and Sully are back in this prequel to "Monsters, Inc." Expect bank.

  • "World War Z" (June 21)

    Originally set for release last December, "World War Z" finally arrives in theaters this June. Will the Brad Pitt film overcome a troubled production (including last-minute rewrites and reported fights between Pitt and director Marc Forster) and find its audience? Since zombies are so hot right now ("Zoolander" reference), don't bet against that happening.

  • "The Heat" (June 28)

    "The Heat" was supposed to come out on April 5, but Fox was so happy with the film that the studio moved Paul Feig's comedy into the heart of the summer. The red-band trailer, shown here, helps explain that decision. (It's the best.) Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy star.

  • "White House Down" (June 28)

    Channing Tatum (as wannabe Secret Service agent) and Jamie Foxx (as the President of the United States) team up to stop the U.S. government from crumbling from the inside. Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") directs. Yep, in.

  • "I'm So Excited" (June 28)

    Get excited: This is Pedro Almodovar's first film in two years.

  • "Despicable Me 2" (July 3)

    "Despicable Me 2"; or, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching. (It's going to make a lot of money.)

  • "The Lone Ranger" (July 3)

    Disney's $250 million gamble: will audiences want to see "The Lone Ranger" with Johnny Depp when Johnny Depp isn't playing "The Lone Ranger"? (He's Tonto.) Gore Verbinksi (the "Pirates" franchise) directs, so don't be surprised if the answer is yes.

  • "Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain" (July 3)

    Sleeper hit potential: Kevin Hart's last concert film, "Kevin Hart: Laugh At My Pain," earned a surprise $7.7 million at the box office in 2011.

  • "The Way Way Back" (July 5)

    From Oscar-winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash ("The Descendants"), "The Way Way Back" looks like the type of charming indie that Fox Searchlight normally releases during the summertime. That's probably why the studio spent $10 million to acquire the film -- co-starring Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph and more -- at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

  • "Grown Ups 2" (July 12)

    Because you've always wanted to see a deer pee on Adam Sandler's face.

  • "Pacific Rim" (July 12)

    Robots vs. monsters! Guillermo Del Toro directs what will be your geeky cousin's favorite movie of 2013.

  • "Crystal Fairy" (July 12)

    Michael Cera play an American jerk searching for a mystical high in this Sundance comedy.

  • "The Conjuring" (July 19)

    This movie is so scary that the MPAA gave it an R-rating despite a lack of violence or bloodshed. Translation: Too scary.

  • "R.I.P.D." (July 19)

    Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds star in this high-concept adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790736/" target="_blank">From IMDb</a>: "A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him."

  • "Red 2" (July 19)

    Since "Red" left so many unanswered questions. (Hey, Helen Mirren!)

  • "Turbo" (July 19)

    <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860353/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Fun with real log lines</a>: "A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500."

  • "Girl Most Likely" (July 19)

    Kristen Wiig, Darren Criss and Annette Bening star in this comedy-drama about a New Jersey native (Wiig) who returns home to live with her mother (Bening) after faking a suicide attempt.

  • "The Wolverine" (July 26)

    Hope it's better than "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

  • "Blue Jasmine" (July 26)

    Woody Allen's annual film stars Cate Blanchett, Bobby Cannavale, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay.

  • "Fruitvale" (July 26)

    The Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner for 2013 tells the story of Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan, pictured), a Bay Area resident who was shot and killed by police on New Year's Day in 2009.

  • "2 Guns" (Aug. 2)

    Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg team up to star in what should be the best movie ever.

  • "300: Rise Of An Empire" (Aug. 2)

    Because you've always wanted to see a sequel to "300." <strong>UPDATE</strong>: MOVED TO 2014.

  • "The Smurfs 2" (Aug. 2)

    This again.

  • "The Spectacular Now" (Aug. 2)

    Another Sundance favorite, "The Spectacular Now" is an excellent coming-of-age drama that recalls "Say Anything." Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller lead the film, and will become superstars after this release.

  • "Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters" (Aug. 7)

    Surprise! This actually looks pretty fun.

  • "Elysium" (Aug. 9)

    Matt Damon and Jodie Foster star in Neill Blomkamp's first film since 2009's "District 9." Get excited now.

  • "Planes" (Aug. 9)

    Featuring the voices of Dane Cook and Val Kilmer.

  • "We're The Millers" (Aug. 9)

    Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis and Ed Helms star in this comedy about a pot dealer who uses a family to transport his drug supply into the United States from Mexico.

  • "In A World" (Aug. 9)

    Lake Bell won the Waldo Salt screenwriting award at Sundance this year for "In A World," a comedy about a vocal coach with dreams of becoming a voice-over artist.

  • "Kick-Ass 2" (Aug. 16)

    Chloe Moretz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jim Carrey star in this sequel to "Kick-Ass."

  • "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" (Aug. 16)

    Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck star in "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," another film that made waves at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/monsters-university-box-office-pixar-world-war-z_n_3486945.html

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    Gunmen kill nine foreign tourists and their guide in northern Pakistan

    PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen stormed a hotel in a remote part of northern Pakistan on Sunday and killed nine foreign tourists and a Pakistani guide near the foot of one of the world's tallest mountains, police and security officials said.

    Five Ukrainians, three Chinese, a Russian and their guide were killed in the attack in a remote resort area near the base camp for the 8,125-metre snow-covered Nanga Parbat peak, a popular destination for adventurous trekkers, officials said.

    "Unknown people entered a hotel where foreign tourists were staying last night and opened fire," Ali Sher, a senior police officer in Gilgit-Baltistan province, told Reuters.

    Sher had earlier said 10 foreign tourists were killed, but officials revised the tally as fresh reports arrived from the area.

    A Pakistani militant group known as Jundullah claimed responsibility for the attack.

    "These foreigners are our enemies and we proudly claim responsibility for killing them and will continue such attacks in the future as well," Jundullah spokesman Ahmed Marwat told Reuters by telephone.

    The same group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on members of Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslim minority, known as Shias, in northern Pakistan, including an ambush in February 2012 when gunmen shot 18 bus passengers by the roadside.

    The gunmen fled after the attack on the hotel, which took place at about 1 a.m. on Sunday, Sher said.

    A senior government official said a large number of security personnel had been sent to the area.

    "Since the area is very remote with no roads or transport, the bodies will have to be retrieved by helicopter," the official said.

    Gilgit-Baltistan, which borders China and Kashmir, had been considered one of the more secure areas of Pakistan, but has witnessed a spate of attacks by militants targeting members of Pakistan's Shi'ite minority in recent years.

    It was the first time foreign tourists had been attacked in the province, which is famous for its natural beauty.

    Pakistan receives few foreign tourists, but a trickle of visitors is tempted by the spectacular mountain scenery in its northern areas, where the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalaya mountain ranges converge.

    (Reporting By Jibran Ahmad; Writing by Matthew Green; Editing by Nick Macfie)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-10-foreign-tourists-northern-pakistan-police-041053224.html

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    Tick-caused bobcat fever can be deadly to domestic cats

    June 24, 2013 ? Kansas State University veterinarians are warning pet owners to watch out for ticks carrying a disease that could kill cats.

    Cytauxzoon felis, also known as bobcat fever, is a blood parasite that infects domestic cats and has a very high death rate. Susan Nelson, a veterinarian and clinical associate professor at Kansas State University's Veterinary Health Center, says this disease was thought to be carried only by the American dog tick, but now may be carried by the lone star tick, which is quite prevalent in northeast Kansas.

    "Most people have probably seen a lone star tick even if they're not familiar with them by name," Nelson said. "They're the ones that have a bright white spot on their back."

    Bobcat fever does not affect humans or dogs. It is called bobcat fever because bobcats are considered the main reservoir for the disease, as it is typically not fatal for them.

    Most cases of bobcat fever occur from March through September, which coincides with the times cats are most likely to encounter ticks. Late spring and early summer are the peak times for ticks in Kansas.

    Nelson says cats that live outside the city boundaries are at a higher risk of getting bobcat fever because they are more likely to encounter ticks in a rural environment; however, that doesn't necessarily mean that your city-living kitty can't get the disease. If your cat has contracted the disease, it can be anywhere from five to 20 days before symptoms appear.

    "First, you're probably going to notice they're going to be really lethargic and tired," Nelson said. "Their appetite is going to decrease. They may feel very hot to you as they will tend to run a high fever early in the course of the disease. As the disease progresses, you might see breathing problems, dehydration and the whites of their eyes or the inside of their ears might start looking yellow as they start getting jaundiced. Their body temperature will start to drop as they near the end stages of the disease."

    A cat may be infected even if you don't see a tick on the animal, because the tick may have already fed and dropped off the cat before the animal starts showing symptoms of the disease.

    No vaccine is available for this disease. Treatment can be expensive and often unsuccessful, so it is important to take precautionary steps to keep your cat from being bitten. Nelson says the best thing to do is to keep your cat indoors. If you can't do that, then keep your yard well maintained -- it's a myth that ticks from fall from trees.

    "If your cat likes to stay in the yard, try to keep your grass mowed down so it's not tall," she said. "The ticks tend to like the taller grasses. Keep the shrubbery trimmed short and remove debris around your house. Do daily tick checks on the cats and remember to look between their toes. If your cat lives with a dog, make sure you are using some type of tick control on the dog as it can bring ticks into your house, which can then feed on your cat."

    Nelson also suggests talking to your veterinarian about types of tick control medications to determine which is best for your pet.

    Tick expert Michael Dryden, university distinguished professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University, tracks the lone star tick and says they are mainly found in eastern Kansas and in the Southeastern states. So far, he has not found any lone star ticks west of Clay Center, Kan., but he expects its territory will expand.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/AqB-HnyRfKc/130624103807.htm

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    Russia will have to optimize spending: Medvedev

    By Darya Korsunskaya

    MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian government, facing an economic slowdown, will have to focus its spending efforts on priority areas, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.

    Medvedev was addressing a meeting of a fiscal planning commission at which new figures were released showing that federal spending would rise by only 3 percent in nominal terms next year.

    That represents a sharp slowdown from spending growth of 17.8 percent last year, stoked by pre-election spending that helped President Vladimir Putin win election for a third presidential term.

    "It's obvious that, in the difficult current circumstances, we need to concentrate resources on key programs," Medvedev said. "I also hope it is obvious to everyone that it will also be necessary to spend efficiently."

    Briefing reporters later, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Medvedev had backed the belt-tightening spending plan, which would uphold the terms of a so-called fiscal rule introduced last year to contain borrowing.

    Savings would come from reducing transfers to the state pension fund, a 5 percent in state procurement spending and unspecified changes to defense outlays, he said.

    "Taking into account the slowdown in the pace of growth, revenues falling rather than rising in relation to our earlier forecasts," said Siluanov.

    The downbeat comments echoed the tone set by Putin in his annual budget statement on June 13, when he said the government could not continue to raise spending for ever.

    Putin reshuffled his economic team on Monday, and his new economy minister, Alexei Ulyukayev, said his primary task in government would be to stave off a possible recession.

    Economic growth, at 1.8 percent in the first five months of the year, has fallen to its slowest pace in four years.

    Under the draft three-year fiscal plan, the pace of nominal spending growth will pick up in 2015 and 2016. The Finance Ministry expects to run a small budget deficit in the next three years, breaking Putin's promise to balance the budget by 2015.

    (Reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; Writing by Douglas Busvine; editing by Ron Askew)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-optimize-spending-medvedev-180513871.html

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    Square roots? Scientists say plants are good at math

    LONDON | Sun Jun 23, 2013 12:09am EDT

    LONDON (Reuters) - Plants do complex arithmetic calculations to make sure they have enough food to get them through the night, new research published in journal eLife shows.

    Scientists at Britain's John Innes Centre said plants adjust their rate of starch consumption to prevent starvation during the night when they are unable to feed themselves with energy from the sun.

    They can even compensate for an unexpected early night.

    "This is the first concrete example in a fundamental biological process of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation," mathematical modeler Martin Howard of John Innes Centre (JIC) said.

    During the night, mechanisms inside the leaf measure the size of the starch store and estimate the length of time until dawn. Information about time comes from an internal clock, similar to the human body clock.

    "The capacity to perform arithmetic calculation is vital for plant growth and productivity," JIC metabolic biologist Alison Smith said.

    "Understanding how plants continue to grow in the dark could help unlock new ways to boost crop yield."

    (Reporting by Nigel Hunt; editing by Keiron Henderson)

    Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/iSGuTJTP_1g/story01.htm

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    Why Yoga Should Be In Everyone&#39;s Fitness Plan | Fitness Health ...

    June 23, 2013 ? Posted by lisa 2 in Body Stretching, Featured, Fitness Health News, personal trainer exercises, Workouts ? Tags: exercise, fitness, muscle, wellbeing, yoga ? 0 comments ?

    ?

    A lot of people avoid yoga because they don?t see the benefit of it. After all, how helpful can it be to put your body into a lot of weird (and painful looking) poses? As it turns out, it?s more beneficial than you?d think.

    Here are just a few reasons as to why yoga should be included in everyone?s fitness plan:

    It?s good for your heart. Numerous studies have shown that people who do yoga on a regular basis tend to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke.

    It increases your flexibility. The poses that you perform in yoga make you more limber. Also, when you stretch your muscles, you cause them to release lactic acid which reduces your levels of stiffness and pain. It also improves your range of motion, making it easier to move in the course of doing your day to day activities.

    It helps you build strength. Most of the poses that you hold in yoga are weight bearing poses. That means that you have to hold up your own body weight, which increases your muscle mass. So, the longer you do it, the stronger you will become.

    It reduces your stress levels. Because yoga is based around breathing, performing this type of exercise on a regular basis is akin to meditation. It relaxes you and helps you remove anxiety and tension from your body so that you don?t have to suffer from the stress-related illnesses such as a low immune system or cardiac issues.

    It helps you focus. When you start to relieve your stress via focused breathing, you start to let all of your cares and worries slip away. This helps you concentrate on tasks that require a lot of focus as you?ve released any other thoughts that may have sidelined you previously.

    Yoga is beneficial to you in so many ways, you?re really doing yourself a disservice if you don?t do it. You work so hard to achieve health and wellness, make it almost a sure thing by adding yoga to your fitness plan ? starting today.

    Source: http://fitnesshealth.co.uk/why-yoga-should-be-in-everyones-fitness-plan.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-yoga-should-be-in-everyones-fitness-plan

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