Boeing forecast assumes little impact from 787 problems

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Wednesday it was sticking with the troubled lithium-ion battery technology that this month grounded its high-tech 787 Dreamliner, and that the grounding had no significant financial impact on its 2013 forecast.

Boeing said it will speed up production of the new plane as planned, responding to revelations that the battery has had more problems than previously disclosed.

CEO Jim McNerney said it was "business as usual" and that the company also had not advised suppliers to slow down their shipments of pieces of the 787, the most widely outsourced jet in the company's 97-year history.

"Nothing that we have learned has told us that we have made the wrong choice on the battery technology," McNerney said on a conference call with analysts and journalists.

"We feel good about the battery technology and its fit for the airplane. We have just got to get to the root cause of these incidents and we will take a look at the data as it evolves, but there is nothing that we have learned that causes us to question it at this stage."

The probe into the cause of two burnt batteries this month involves hundreds of experts from Boeing and outside the company but is "highly compartmentalized" and "it's not drawing any critical resources from any other growth programs we've got," McNerney added.

"Our plan is to continue production of the 787 and to continue the development of the wide-body airplanes," McNerney said.

The statements came as Boeing posted higher-than-expected profit.

Its shares were up 1.2 percent at $74.52.

Aviation safety agencies in the United States and Japan are investigating what caused lithium-ion batteries to burn on two 787 passenger jets earlier this month, prompting the worldwide grounding.

Boeing has since halted 787 deliveries, and analysts have raised concerns about the cost of the grounding and fixing the battery problem on about 125 jets that Boeing has built so far.

But Boeing released a forecast for 2013 that included no significant impact from the 787.

The company said it expects to deliver at least 60 Dreamliners in 2013 -- fewer than the 80 jets or more that some analysts expected -- but a figure that implies a four-month delay in delivery, since Boeing is making five 787s a month.

McNerney said Boeing still plans to increase 787 production to seven a month by mid-year and 10 a month by year-end.

The new production forecast raised some eyebrows. Russell Solomon at Moody's Investors Service was forecasting 100 787 deliveries, and said Boeing's forecast of more than 60 was "significantly weaker than we had expected."

Concern about the battery rose on Wednesday after Japan's two biggest airlines said they had repeatedly replaced sub-par lithium-ion batteries on their Dreamliners in the months before the two incidents that led to the 787 groundings.

The comments from All Nippon Airways Co Ltd, the biggest 787 customer to date, and Japan Airlines Co Ltd indicated problems with the battery system reliability long before one caught fire on a JAL 787 at Boston's Logan Airport on January 7. A second was badly charred and melted on an ANA domestic flight a few days later, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing and evacuation.

The two airlines operate 24 of the 50 787s in service. United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier currently flying the 787.

McNerney said the earlier battery replacements were not made because of safety concerns.

"There's been no incidents that we're aware of where a battery has been replaced for any sort of safety concerns," he said. "It's a replaceable unit designed to be replaced and a matter of routine maintenance."

He said the replacement rate had been "slightly higher" than predicted.

McNerney declined to give any cost estimates for the 787 problems or discuss the investigation in any detail. The NTSB, which is leading the investigation in the U.S. has not yet established a cause for either of the two battery incidents.

NET FALLS, STILL BEATS

Meanwhile, Boeing said net income fell to $978 million, or $1.28 per share, in the fourth quarter, from $1.39 billion, or $1.84, in the year-ago period, when it posted a special tax gain.

Analysts expected earnings of $1.19 a share.

Ken Herbert, an analyst at Imperial Capital, said wider profit margins from Boeing's commercial airplanes unit helped the company beat estimates, even as defense revenue declined slightly.

But he was disappointed by the 2013 profit outlook of $5.00 to $5.20 a share, compared with his target of $5.60. The figures include pension charges.

The consensus Wall Street estimate was $5.13 a share for 2013, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Total revenue for the quarter rose 14 percent to $22.3 billion.

The company said it booked 394 net aircraft orders in the quarter, adding that its total order book was nearly 4,400 planes valued at $319 billion, a record tally. In the third quarter, it recorded 369 net orders and had an order book of about 4,100 airplanes valued at $307 billion.

For the first time, Boeing released so-called core results, which exclude most pension expenses that are part of standard accounting measures. Boeing said core earnings rose 9 percent to $1.84 billion in the quarter from $1.69 billion a year ago.

Core earnings per share fell 24 percent to $1.46 from $1.92, but the year-earlier figure included a one-time tax benefit of about 52 cents a share.

Boeing said the new measures better reflected its operating performance by factoring out market fluctuations and interest rate assumptions that can make pension expenses change significantly from quarter to quarter.

(Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Marguerita Choy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-profit-drops-sees-no-significant-impact-787-125728755--finance.html

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Justin Bieber Really Loves His Young Fans (Photos)

Justin Bieber Really Loves His Young Fans (Photos)

Justin Bieber really loves his fans, appearing to grab a teen’s left breast as they posed for a picture together. The girl in the photo with Bieber smiled for the cameras, but said things are not as they appear on her Twitter page. The teen girl, who tweets under the handle JocelynnBieber, took to the ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/01/justin-bieber-really-loves-his-young-fans-photos/

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We've Been Eating Chinese Takeout Wrong This Whole Time

Your heart fell out of your butt when you learned you'd been eating ketchup wrong. Prepare to lose it yet again, because we've been borking our Chinese food containers too. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bzkJ2_xSWHM/weve-been-eating-chinese-takeout-wrong-this-whole-time

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Police chiefs, sheriffs split on Obama gun initiative

President Barack Obama says he's looking forward to a "robust conversation" on reducing gun violence.

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

In urging law enforcement leaders to back new gun control efforts, President Barack Obama is asking police chiefs and county sheriffs to unite behind a cause they don't even agree about among themselves.

Obama said Monday that he was seeking a "basic consensus" among law enforcement executives to pressure Congress for legislation to ban assault-style weapons and restrict high-capacity ammunition magazines, among a score of other measures.

But it turns out the two national groups representing police and sheriffs at a?meeting of law enforcement officials?Monday at the White House ??the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Major County Sheriffs Association ??disagree on the initiative. The chiefs back it, while the sheriffs oppose it.

---

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, president of the police chiefs group, said the deaths of 20 students and six teachers and staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month had settled the issue.

"If the slaughter of 20 babies does not capture and hold your attention, then I give up, because I don't know what else will," Ramsey said last week. "We have to pass legislation."

But?in a letter to Vice President Joe Biden (.pdf), who is leading the White House lobbying effort, the sheriffs group argued that "a ban on assault weapons alone will not address the issues of gun violence we are facing in our country today."

Nor would limiting magazine capacity, it said: "The problem is not the law-abiding citizen that will follow the restrictions; the problem again is one of access. ... (E)ven if you can?t buy in bulk, you can still buy multiple boxes of smaller quantities."

Similarly, the International Association of Chiefs of Police said?in a position paper (.pdf)?that it was "a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban" and measures to limit ammunition capacity. But the?Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association?applauded what it called efforts to "uphold and defend the Constitution against Obama's unlawful gun control measures."

Chiefs vs. sheriffs
The divide reflects a cultural and political gulf between police chiefs and sheriffs in a number of areas, criminal justice experts told NBC News.

Police chiefs run departments in cities where most gun crimes take place, according to FBI crime statistics over the past decade. Sheriffs run departments in counties, some or all of their jurisdictions covering rural areas where hunting and sport shooting are cherished rights. As a result, "you have these wildly different views of guns," said Gary Kleck, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

In counties, particularly heavily rural ones, "guns equal hunting, fishing, father-and-son-bonding-type things," he said, while in cities, "guns equal crime."

Those community views have real political effects, according to Kleck and another expert, Scott H. Decker, a professor of criminology at Arizona State University in Tempe.

"The big difference is a sheriff is elected and has to face the voters every four years," Decker said, but police chiefs are almost always appointed.

"If you're a police chief, you're not responsible to an electorate," Kleck said, and are therefore more free to advocate for politically unpopular policies like bans on certain kinds of weapons.

Sheriffs vs. sheriffs
Decker suggested that there was likely to be a wide range of opinion among sheriffs, because it's not just elections that keep sheriffs in touch with community sentiment. They also run jails ? "perhaps their most important function," he said ? which brings them face to face with their constituents on a daily basis.

So while?many sheriffs say they wouldn't enforce new federal gun control laws, there are other sheriffs who call those sheriffs misguided.

Last week, Milwaukee County (Wis.) Sheriff David Clarke issued a public service announcement urging residents to learn how to handle a firearm "so you can defend yourself until we get there."

"With officers laid off and furloughed, simply calling 911 and waiting is no longer your best option," Clarke says in the spot,?which you can listen to here.

Just a few counties over, Ron Cramer, sheriff of Eau Claire County, objected that Clarke was sending the wrong message.

Clarke could have gotten across his point that residents could take more responsibility for their own safety "without having to say it's time to join our team and pick up a gun," Cramer told?NBC station WEAU of Eau Claire.

Related links:

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16740488-police-chiefs-sheriffs-divided-over-gun-control-measures?lite

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Center-based child care: Long hours do not cause aggression and disobedience

Public release date: 29-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Julie Johansen
julie.johansen@fhi.no
Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Spending many hours in centre-based child care does not lead to more aggression and disobedience in children, according to a new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

Data from 72,000 mothers and their children, including siblings, were obtained from MoBa. Using questionnaires, mothers were asked about aggression and obedience at both 18 and 36 months and the amount of time their children spent in child care. In addition to comparing children from different families, the researchers compared siblings who had different amounts of child care.

"These are exciting findings because they contradict research from the USA. There are two likely reasons for this; one is the nature of Norwegian centre-based child care, the other concerns research methods" says primary author Henrik Zachrisson, researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Centre for Child Behavioural Development.

Favourable work-family policy in Norway

"Norwegian families have easy access to good quality centre-based child care. Each carer is responsible for fewer children than in most other countries. We also offer paid parental leave which means that children usually begin child care at one year old or later, in contrast to the USA where children may start when they are just a few months old. So the Norwegian work-family policy could be part of the explanation," explains Zachrisson.

The researchers found no increase in problematic behaviour among the siblings who spent more hours in child care. They also found that when children were followed over time, increases in the amount of child care were not linked to deterioration in behaviour. This is in stark contrast to findings from the USA that indicate that longer hours in child care are associated with higher levels of aggression and disobedience compared to children who have had little or no child care.

Unique data source

"Using data from MoBa gives us unique possibilities. For example we were able to compare siblings who spent different hours in child care. This means that we can effectively account for many family factors that influence both how long children spend in child care and at the same time have an effect on their behaviour. We are the first to study this association using these methods. It is important to note that when we used the same methods as earlier studies, we found similar results to other researchers, although the association was not as strong. MoBa gives us the possibility to dig deeper and achieve more accurate results" concludes Zachrisson.

###

Co-authors of the study are Eric Dearing from Boston College, Claudio O. Toppelberg from Harvard Medical School and Ratib Lekhal from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Reference

Zachrisson HD, Dearing E, Lekhal R, Toppelberg CO.Little Evidence that Time in Child Care Causes Externalizing Problems during Early Childhood in Norway Child Dev. 2013 Jan 11. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12040. [Epub ahead of print]

---

[ | E-mail | 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.

Public release date: 29-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Julie Johansen
julie.johansen@fhi.no
Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Spending many hours in centre-based child care does not lead to more aggression and disobedience in children, according to a new study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

Data from 72,000 mothers and their children, including siblings, were obtained from MoBa. Using questionnaires, mothers were asked about aggression and obedience at both 18 and 36 months and the amount of time their children spent in child care. In addition to comparing children from different families, the researchers compared siblings who had different amounts of child care.

"These are exciting findings because they contradict research from the USA. There are two likely reasons for this; one is the nature of Norwegian centre-based child care, the other concerns research methods" says primary author Henrik Zachrisson, researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the Norwegian Centre for Child Behavioural Development.

Favourable work-family policy in Norway

"Norwegian families have easy access to good quality centre-based child care. Each carer is responsible for fewer children than in most other countries. We also offer paid parental leave which means that children usually begin child care at one year old or later, in contrast to the USA where children may start when they are just a few months old. So the Norwegian work-family policy could be part of the explanation," explains Zachrisson.

The researchers found no increase in problematic behaviour among the siblings who spent more hours in child care. They also found that when children were followed over time, increases in the amount of child care were not linked to deterioration in behaviour. This is in stark contrast to findings from the USA that indicate that longer hours in child care are associated with higher levels of aggression and disobedience compared to children who have had little or no child care.

Unique data source

"Using data from MoBa gives us unique possibilities. For example we were able to compare siblings who spent different hours in child care. This means that we can effectively account for many family factors that influence both how long children spend in child care and at the same time have an effect on their behaviour. We are the first to study this association using these methods. It is important to note that when we used the same methods as earlier studies, we found similar results to other researchers, although the association was not as strong. MoBa gives us the possibility to dig deeper and achieve more accurate results" concludes Zachrisson.

###

Co-authors of the study are Eric Dearing from Boston College, Claudio O. Toppelberg from Harvard Medical School and Ratib Lekhal from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Reference

Zachrisson HD, Dearing E, Lekhal R, Toppelberg CO.Little Evidence that Time in Child Care Causes Externalizing Problems during Early Childhood in Norway Child Dev. 2013 Jan 11. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12040. [Epub ahead of print]

---

[ | E-mail | 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/2013-01/niop-ccc012913.php

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ABC News story on gun theft nominated for ?Excellence in Axiomatic Journalism? award (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279902236?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Dollar was trading in narrow ranges against European currencies ...

For the most part of the previous week the dollar was trading in narrow ranges against European currencies, and only in the end of trading session it started showing some preferences. As a result ?green back? fell against the euro and strengthened against the pound. At the beginning of trading session American currency came under pressure against the yen, but till the end of the week it leveled all losses and fixed ?profit?. A single currency was supported by economic data, mostly indexes on Germany and EU, and low-interest loans of the CB of outlying countries. And the pound came under pressure because of investors? unconfidence in stability of the positions of British CB concerning easing program, which testified to transparent economic growth as a result of weak economic statistics. There were a few US economic statistics, which showed as usually conflicting results of economic indexes. The US production activity worsened according to the data from regions ? Chicago PMI just got revised down, under the level of 50.0, according to the report of the Richmond FRS for January, the index fell to -12 from +5 a month earlier, Kansas City FRB index fell for the third month in succession. But, the US PMI, researched by the Markit, rose to the level of 56.1 in January. Houses sale fell by 7.3% m/m in the housing market, but it is obvious that 20.0% y/y rise smoothed over the situation, leaving positive emotions concerning the housing market?s dynamics. According to the employment rates index, a number of unemployment insurance claims decreased two week in succession, but in this case there are some doubts about its authenticity, because of misrepresentation of economic data at the beginning of the year. This week mews package is rather rich in important information. It might seriously influence the market?s mood. First of all, it includes the topic of the US employment rates, represented by the labor market report for January, preliminary GDP data for the 4^th quarter and publication of the protocols of the last FOMC meeting. Forecasts expect positive results, a number of working places is expected to increase by +156/160 thousands, and the main economic index is also expected to rise to by +1.3% q/q. It can support the dollar if the released results do not disappoint the market. Concerning the protocols, on the threshold of publication of the economic data, it is possible that dollar selling might be observed as there are strong expectation which testify to mild policy of the EU Central Bank. But, signs of conflicts between the members of the committee might amend the situation.

EUR

A single European currency managed to rise against the dollar and other main opponents last week, the euro was mostly supported by the economic statistics and increased demand for the loans of outlying countries, particularly Spain. Preliminary data of Germany?s and Euro zone PMI indexes for January improved, but it kept decreasing in EU as a whole. The reports of German ZEW and Ifo presented positive dynamics ? ZEW noted improvement of economic mood and rose to 6.9 from 31.5, and Ifo announced about rise of the Business conditions index to 104.2 from 102.4 in December, when only 103.0 was expected. As a result of positive dynamics, the market didn?t pay attention to the negative part of the news such as producer price decrease, the rising unemployment rate in Spain, which rose to new record high, and also decrease of demand index in Italy, Holland and other EU countries. According to the forecasts, this week news might keep good mood concerning European currency. It is assumed that a monthly report of the European Commission about business mood would present improvements ? the economic mood index, the manufacturing confidence index, the consumer confidence index and the business climate index for January are expected to show positive dynamics. But, such important index as employment rates index might bring negatively part, as a number of unemployed is expected to increase, and unemployment rates in Euro zone is expected to rise to 11.9% after 11.8% earlier.

GBP

British pound turned out to be in the cohort of outsiders last week. As the yen it fell against the dollar and the euro, being fixed in negative territory. The pound came under pressure because of market?s unconfidence in the stable recovery of British economy and doubts that the Bank of England would not widen the easing program, and also announcement of British officials about their intentions to hold a referendum on whether Britain should remain in European Union. The protocol of the last meeting of the Bank of England did not bring special surprises, and was positive ? the decision to keep interests rates unchanged was made unanimously, but the announcement of D. Mills about increased assets-buying program negatively influenced the market. there were a few economic statistics, but its results caused the opinion that apprehensions concerning economic trends are well-founded ? budget deficit turned out to be bigger than last year, the UK GDP for the 4^th quarter decreased by 0.3% q/q, when -0.1%q/q was expected, industrial production fell by 1.8%, the UK production orders indicators for January sharply worsened to the level of -20 in comparison with -12 In December, when only -10 was expected. At such moment the pound was supported by unemployment rates data, which showed decrease but only for a short time. This week News package contains very few information, and it will be released in the second part of trading session. According to the forecasts, the indexes which testify to house price dynamics in January might rise ? Nationwide index is expected to increase by 0.3% m/m, consumer and mortgage crediting for December is also expected to increase, as the Gfc Consumer confidence index, which in expected to fix -27 after -29. But, the main focus of attention is directed to the Manufacturing PMI for January, which opens the cycle of the publication of economic activity indexes in the first month of the year. The index is expected to decrease to 50.8 from 51.4 in December. It can?t bring the perspectives as approaching to the level of 50.0, which is dividing border of upward and downward zones, this branch might face downward trend.

JPY

Long-awaited meeting of the Bank of Japan didn?t come up to the market?s expectations of aggressive quantitative easing program and disappointed the market. As a result Japanese currency strengthened against the dollar at the beginning of the last week. But, later information about Japan?s trade deficit in 2012 and increased apprehension that easing program would be implemented caused yen selling. What is more, Japanese government announced that sharp weakening of the national currency would not bring big problems and that the government would keep discussing changes in the Bank of japan law in order to provide the conditions of further quantitative easing policy. Concerning economic data, it showed negative trends and foreign trade data ?machinery orders, -27.5% y/y in December, activity index in all branches of economy, -0.3% in November after + 0.2% in October, and also leading and Coinciding indexes for November. Consumer prices in December remained in negative zone, -0.1% y/y. Today the data, which testifies deflation, was published ? corporation prices index remained in negative zone in December, -0.4% y/y. Later this week information about the results of the last month previous year will be released ? retail trade is expected to rose according to monthly statistics and decrease per annum, 0.4% m/m, 0.4% y/y after 0.0% m/m, 1.3% y/y earlier, industrial production is expected to show the same results, 4.2% m/m, -5.6% y/y after -1.4% m/m, -5.5% y/y, household spending is also expected to reduce to -0.1% y/y? from 0.2% y/y in November, and unemployment rate is expect to be unchanged ? 4.1%. Concerning the perspectives, general negative mood on the yen will more likely remain, but technical factors, which testify to resale of Japanese currency, and strong levels of support, which the currency pairs that includes the yen approach, might cause the next correction.

Source: http://blog.forex4you.com/dollar-was-trading-in-narrow-ranges-against-european-currencies/

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App-driven life: When in Rome, you can turn lights on back home

Want to know how to change your smart phone into a light switch? Philips Hue bulbs are controlled by your Android or iPhone, letting you turn them on and off from another room or another country.?

By Chris Gaylord / January 27, 2013

Your phone -- you want it to be a light switch? There's an app for that. The search for new apps spurs demand for creative app designers like Ben Johnson and Michelle Chen, pictured, at Raizlabs in Boston.

Enlarge

Now that most phones connect to the Internet, how about your light bulbs? Dutch electronics giant Philips trotted out a new kind of bulb last year ? one of the first to come with its own Internet router.

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These Philips Hue bulbs can be controlled by your Android or iPhone, allowing you to turn them on and off from the couch or ... from another country. The Hue application lets you adjust the brightness and color of each bulb individually and then program different settings for certain situations.

Dinner time? Maybe dim the lights to 70 percent brightness and give them a slightly reddish tint. New painting that you want to show off? Take a photo of the artwork with your phone and then tell the lights to match certain colors from the image.

In tests done by the Monitor, the Hue bulbs seem well designed, even though the app is not that intuitive. Perhaps foreseeing this problem, Philips opened up the software that runs these lights, allowing programmers to craft their own Hue apps. Already, Apple's online store has a 99-cent homemade disco app called Magic Hue that can take control of the Philips bulbs and tell them to pulsate in tempo with music.

Each of the LED bulbs shines with the strength of a 50-watt incandescent, but sips just 8.5 watts of power ? an energy efficiency similar to that of curlicue compact fluorescents.

However, Wi-Fi lights aren't cheap. A starter kit of three bulbs and a router costs $200. Each additional light is $60. Competitor GreenWave Reality offers a four-pack of colorless, app-powered lights and a router for $200, with extra bulbs costing $20 apiece.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/idTVEfCFjNM/App-driven-life-When-in-Rome-you-can-turn-lights-on-back-home

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iMore editors' Choice: Scribblenauts, Ghostbusters, Trapit, Trall, and more!

Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a ton of games, a smart news aggregator, and... did we say a ton of games?

Scribblenauts Remix - Michelle Haag

My daughter actually discovered this game on the iPad, and has played it non-stop ever since. Your goal is to help Maxwell get through each level by inventing objects to pass obstacles and challenges. Your imagination is the only limit in this game, as you come up with new and original ways to solve the puzzles. For example, in one level you might need to cross a river, so you type in the word 'bridge' and one appears for you to place in the right spot. Or maybe you need to get over a large cliff, so you type 'butterfly wings' and use them to soar over, unscathed. Scribblenauts Remix contains 40 levels from the original game plus 10 original levels and the Playground where you can create to your heart's content in a sandbox environment. The game has just been updated for Valentine's Day with all new content, too. Play on multiple devices with iCloud allowing you to seamlessly switch between them, share your scores with your Game Center friends, and so much more. You don't want to miss trying out Scribblenauts, just be warned that you'll be hooked right away!

• $.99 - Download Now

Ghostbusters - Chris Parsons

If you're a fan of the Ghostbusters cartoon from the 80's then you'll want to check out the latest Ghostbusters game in the app store. History hasn't been all that nice to the franchise when it comes to video games but this latest rendition does a lot better than previous iterations out there of offering something for fans. Assemble your Ghostbuster team and take on some ghosts, you'll need to fight your way through numerous levels using an array of weapons and if those aren't sufficient, you'll have to power up and get better ones. Yes, there is a money making scheme here that suggests you get through the game fast by buying 'power cores' but overall it's not a bad game to sit back and play, especially if you're a fan of the cartoon. Now, who you gonna call?

• Free - Download Now

Trapit for iPad - Joseph Keller

Trapit for iPad is news aggregator that learns what you like. Like Siri, Trapit was born out of DARPA?s CALO project, an effort to make an intelligent digital assisstant. Trapit works by asking you for a topic, Apple, for instance, and then asking you to find stories you like in order to teach Trapit what it should pull into that section. The more stories you like, the more Trapit is able to learn about how it should refine what news it shows you. If it shows you a story that isn?t relevant, might be spam, or is from a source you dislike, simple press the dislike button to get rid of it. As a service, Trapit is currently in beta, though the app itself is available for free on the App Store. Be sure to check it out, because it?s definitely worth a look.

• Free - Download Now

Momonga Pinball Adventures - Ally Kazmucha

Every once in a while I find a game with a decent story line and easy game play that's a great time killer. Momonga Pinball Adventures is a super cute game that's a pretty cool spin off of classic pinball.

Momonga is the last squirrel left that wasn't' taken by a gang of owls. Panda trains him to go rescue is tribe. Training and rescuing equals pinball action. You'll have to hit targets, dodge objects, and come out alive in order to save your tribe.

It's an easy enough game for children to play but stimulating enough to keep the big kids in the house entertained as well. If you're looking for a twist on an old classic, definitely check out Momonga Pinball Adventures. It's a universal download for both iPhone and iPad too so you can enjoy on whichever you prefer.

• $1.99 - Download Now

Traal - Simon Sage

Traal is simple, free, and altogether intense stealth game. You control an abstract, nameless character through a dark maze full of treacherous obstacles and monstrous aberrations. Players have to collect scrolls written in an incomprehensible language in order to figure out where they are and where they're going. You have to be careful where you shine your light though, as the inhabitants will chase you down if you shine it on them. The dark music and stark, 8-bit-style graphics create an atmosphere perfect for a few jumps and frights. There's a refreshing absence of ads or in-app purchases here, which makes Traal a cozy, intimate get-together with you and your fear.

• Free - Download now

Your choice?

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DNA in stolen kisses could reveal sex offenders

SO ROMANTIC... when you kiss your partner passionately, not only do you exchange bacteria and mucus, you also impart some of your genetic code. No matter how fleeting the encounter, the DNA will hang around in their mouth for at least an hour. This means that women's saliva could contain evidence of unwanted attention in cases of assault, or even telltale signs of infidelity.

Nat?lia Kamodyov? and her colleagues at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, recruited 12 couples who agreed to kiss each other passionately for at least 2 minutes. Afterwards, saliva samples were collected from the women at 5, 10, 30 and 60-minute intervals. Because Kamodyov?'s method relies on detection of the Y chromosome, it can only be used to identify a man's DNA in a woman's saliva.

The results show that the man's DNA was still present and could be detected through amplification after at least an hour, and possibly longer. "We've shown it's possible to get a full profile, which could be useful in crime investigation to pinpoint the possible perpetrator among suspects or exclude those innocent," says Kamodyov?. Her team is investigating whether the DNA survives longer than an hour and whether it's obtainable from the mouths of women who have died (Forensic Science International: Genetics, DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2012.07.007).

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Bigfoot in Oregon? New Sasquatch "Sightings," Rumors Emerge

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/bigfoot-in-oregon-new-sasquatch-sightings-rumors-emerge/

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Researchers A-C-T On DNA Storage

Using a technique with multiple accuracy checks, researchers have stored large amounts of digital information on tiny volumes of synthetic DNA. Sophie Bushwick reports.

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Scientists have used synthetic DNA to store digital files?including a photo, Shakespeare's sonnets and an audio recording of Martin Luther King. The work is published in the journal Nature. [Nick Goldman et al, Towards practical, high-capacity, low-maintenance information storage in synthesized DNA]

Unlike many forms of information storage, DNA is extremely long-lasting and does not require constant electrical power. Plus, it's tiny?a small cup of DNA can store one hundred million hours of high-quality video.

But until now, this storage method has faced too many obstacles: DNA synthesis is expensive and only works for short strings, and the decoding process creates lots of errors.

To avoid these problems, British researchers broke a long string of information into many overlapping short sequences, each tagged with its position in the overall sequence. American collaborators then synthesized short pieces of DNA to match the strings, and shipped the material overseas. Finally, researchers reconstructed the digital files with complete accuracy.

DNA storage is still very expensive. But the scientists predict advancing technology will lower prices and make their method cost-effective within a decade.

?Sophie Bushwick

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

Scientific American is part of the Nature Publishing Group.
?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1095be2e1b56cf1f8a7fd086926cc755

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Video: With markets near record high, is now the time to invest?

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

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50597559/

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Frugal Family Tree: Friday Coupons!!!

Friday Coupons!!!

Breakfast

• SAVE 75? when you buy ONE BOX Multi Grain Cheerios? OR Multi Grain Cheerios? Peanut Butter cereal
• SAVE 50? ON TWO when you buy TWO BOXES any Nature Valley? Granola Bars (5 count or larger) OR Nature Valley? Granola Thins
• SAVE $0.75 off ONE Welch's? Light Grape Juice Beverage (any flavor)
• SAVE 40? ON SIX when you buy SIX CUPS any variety Yoplait? Yogurt (Void in LA, NJ, ND, NV & TN)
• SAVE 40? when you buy ONE BOX any flavor Fiber One? 90 Calorie Chewy Bars OR Fiber One? 90 Calorie Brownies
• SAVE 75? when you buy any ONE BOX Fiber One? cereal listed: Fiber One? Original ? Fiber One? Honey Clusters? ? Fiber One? Raisin
• SAVE 50? when you buy any flavor Yoplait? Fruplait? Yogurt Multipacks (Void in LA, NJ, ND, NV & TN)
• SAVE 75? ON THREE when you buy THREE any flavor/variety L?RABAR?, ?BER? OR JOCALAT? bars
• SAVE 50? when you buy any flavor 32 OZ. Mountain High? Yoghurt (Void in LA, NJ, ND, NV & TN)
• SAVE $1.00 off any ONE Kashi? Berry Fruitful or Blackberry Hills? cereal

Snacks

Meals at home

In the Home

Personal Care

Source: http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2013/01/friday-coupons.html

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US jobless claims drop to 5-year low of 330,000

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to the lowest level in five years, evidence that employers are cutting fewer jobs and may step up hiring.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment benefit applications dropped 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000. That's the fewest since January 2008.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 351,750. That's also the lowest in nearly five years.

The decline may reflect the government's difficulty adjusting its numbers to account for layoffs after the holiday shopping season. Layoffs spike in the second week of January and then plummet. The department seeks to adjust for those seasonal trends, but the figures can still be volatile.

If the trend holds up, fewer applications would suggest the job market is improving.

"Encouraging news on the U.S. jobs front, even when you remove all of the noise," said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets. "Weekly data are noisy, particularly at this time of year, so keep that in mind."

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 for most of last year. At the same time, employers added an average of 153,000 jobs a month. That's just been enough to slowly push down the unemployment rate, which fell 0.7 percentage points last year to 7.8 percent.

There have been other positive signs for the economy and job market.

The once-battered housing sector is recovering, which is boosting construction and home prices. Home builders started work in 2012 on the most new homes in four years. And sales of previously occupied homes reached their highest level in five years last year. Still, home building and sales remain below the levels consistent with a healthy economy.

More home building will likely increase job growth. In December, the economy gained 30,000 construction jobs ? the most in 15 months. And economists expect construction firms to add more jobs this year as the housing recovery strengthens.

Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight, forecasts that construction companies will add 140,000 jobs this year, up from a meager 18,000 in 2012.

The number of people continuing to claim benefits is also falling. There were nearly 5.7 million people receiving unemployment aid in the week ended Jan. 5, the latest data available. That's down from almost 5.9 million in the previous week.

The overall economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the July-September quarter. But economists believe activity slowed considerably in the October-December quarter to a rate below 2 percent or less, in part because companies cut back on restocking.

Less restocking leads to slower factory production, which weighs on economic growth.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-jobless-claims-drop-5-low-330-000-133434316--finance.html

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International Business Machines Earnings Call Nuggets: Linearity and

International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) recently reported its fourth quarter earnings and discussed the following topics in its earnings conference call.

Linearity

Bill Shope ? Goldman Sachs: On your prior earnings call, you had mentioned that the month of September was more challenging than the first two months of the third quarter. Can you talk about how the broader environment and your execution evolved into the December quarter and was there anything unusual this time around that you?d call out in terms of linearity?

Mark Loughridge ? SVP and CFO, Finance and Enterprise Transformation: Good question bill. Really, if you look at the monthly performance across the quarter, it was really pretty constant. We saw a good performance through the quarter. Obviously within that, we feel very, very good about the performance we saw in our Software business with key branded middleware of 6%. Breakout performance from our z series content, revenue up 56%. Within that the growth markets up I think a spectacular 65%, MIPS up 66%. The biggest MIPS performance in the history IBM Corporation and its ongoing contribution from our base businesses, and with all that to generate half of our free cash flow in the quarter and a total of $18.2 billion, the largest ever, up $1.6 year-to-year, I think that was just a very, very strong quarter. But if you look across the months, it was fairly constantly month-to-month.

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Source: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/international-business-machines-earnings-call-nuggets-linearity-and-services-revenue-growth.html/

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'Sister' movie review: Stirring Swiss import finds hope in chilly ...

Louise is supposed to be the big sister in her relationship with 12-year-old Simon, but she's only pretending. In fact, even though she's more than a decade older -- and even though they have no one else in their lives to be the adult in the relationship -- if anyone's doing the care-taking, it's Simon.

Louise spends her days hopscotching between menial jobs that she will eventually get fired from, then spends her nights carousing with the boyfriend du jour. Meanwhile, the resourceful Simon makes his way daily up to the Swiss ski resort near their small town, and proceeds to steal -- then sell -- ski equipment to put food on their table.

The only thing more tragic than the fact that he's been forced into such a larcenous life is the fact that he's so darn good at it.

It is their story that is told in writer-director Ursula Meier's "Sister," a simple but emotionally laden slice-of-life drama that made the shortlist for this year's foreign-language Oscar (but was left off the list of five final nominees), and that opens Friday (Jan. 25) for a weeklong run at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center.

Alternately heartbreaking and hopeful, Meier's film is built around nice performances from Lea Seydoux and Kasey Mottet Klein. The engine that really makes her snowy character study go, however, is her deft writing and direction. She doesn't burden her film with cumbersome exposition - or with much dialog at all, really. Rather we simply watch as Simon silently - almost invisibly - goes about his light-fingered business.

He's a remarkable kid - smart, confident, charming and brave. But he has to be, given that he's go no one else to rely upon. Whether at home or at "work," he spends his life being told to go away, that he doesn't belong here, that he's not wanted.

He's a tragic figure, to be sure, but not as tragic as Louise. One gets the feeling that Simon will be all right one way or the other - he's a survivor if nothing else. She, on the other hand, is damaged and weak and, should Simon ever stop taking care of her, in possession of an entirely uncertain future.

Just as "Sister" settles in, Meier throws audiences the kind of cinematic curveball that is rare for a film like this, but one that ups the emotional stakes exponentially. All the while, though, she avoids indulging in any overly saccharine sentimentality or holier-than-thou preaching.

Rather, in "Sister," she lets her characters tell the story - and, brother, is it a stirring one.

______

SISTER
4 stars, out of 5

Snapshot: A quiet, slice-of-life drama about a 12-year-old boy who supports his family by stealing ski equipment from a nearby resort. In French, with English subtitles.

What works: Writer-director Urusla Meier's deft direction keeps things engaging, despite the film's long stretches of oddly engaging silence.

What doesn't: The pacing might be too slow for impatient moviegoers.

Cast: Lea Seydoux, Kasey Mottet Klein, Gillian Anderson. Director: Meier. Rating: Unrated, warrants PG-13 for scenes of smoking, alcohol use and juvenile delinquency. Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes. Where: Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center.

Source: http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/01/sister_movie_review_stirring_s.html

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New Survey Reveals Travelers Think Grocery Stores Offer Better ...

Loyalty has gone out the window, a new Deloitte survey finds. Only eight percent of survey respondents say that they always stay at the same hotel brand, while just 14% say they always fly the same airline.

"With heightened competition and eroding customer loyalty, hotels and airlines, now, more than ever, need to focus on enhancing and personalizing the consumer experience," said Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. Travel, Hospitality and Leisure leader in a release.

Despite most hotel brands touting that loyalty and reward programs drive travel, these programs ranked low on the list of consumer influences ? value and past experience were much higher priority items. That said, more than half of survey respondents (55%) ranked loyalty programs "high importance" for airlines and just under half (45%) ranked loyalty programs high importance for hotels.

Why? Perhaps it's because travelers find that loyalty programs just don't offer that much. Most consumers actually believe that grocery store loyalty programs offer more bang for their buck than their travel reward program of choice.

Deloitte researchers also suppose that travelers have become more pragmatic in light of the economy, seeking value for money, comfort and location when choosing a hotel, while on-time arrivals and departures, safety and value for money are the most important factors for choosing an airline. One thing is for sure ? value rules. In this vein, half of survey respondents (49%) said that they have used flash sale sites, although most admit to booking directly (61% for hotel; 59% for air travel).

What does this mean for the consumer? Not much ? yet. But it doesn't bode well for the travel industry. Brands wanting to up their loyalty membership engagement should focus on those things that really matter to the traveler ? experience and value ? rather than perks that sound good on paper but offer no real benefit.

The web-based survey was commissioned by Deloitte and polled 4,000 hotel and airline customers, based on hotel stay and/or airline travel during the past 12 months.

[Image Credit: American Airlines]

Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines, News

Source: http://www.gadling.com/2013/01/23/new-survey-reveals-travelers-think-grocery-stores-offer-better-l/

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New book encourages readers to 'Know Soil, Know Life'

Public release date: 24-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Madeline Fisher
mfisher@sciencesocieties.org
608-268-3973
American Society of Agronomy

Madison, WI Think of all the things we need most for daily living: food, clothing, shelter, water. Have you ever considered how each of them, in turn, depends on soilthat without soil there would in fact be no life?

Unfortunately, most people haven't, says North Carolina State University soil science professor David Lindbo, although the lack of awareness is perhaps understandable. Unlike air and water, we don't take soil directly into our bodies, making it less obvious how we rely on it. Nor is it easy for us to tell when soil is polluted.

"We don't see soil. We walk on it, but we don't see it," says Lindbo, who is current president of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), an international scientific society headquartered in Madison, WI. He and a team of co-authors now hope students, teachers, and the public will take a fresh look at this hidden yet vital substance in the SSSA's new book, Know Soil Know Life.

Targeted to high schoolers and college students in introductory courses, the 206-page book tells the story of soil through engaging, accessible language and hundreds of full-color photos and illustrations. It begins with a chapter that challenges readers to view soil not as inert "dirt", but as a living material that carries out many critical functions for the environment and for people.

Soil filters our drinking water, for example, and supports the plants that feed, clothe, and shelter us. "Without soil we'd be hungry, naked, and homeless," quips co-editor Clay Robinson, a New Mexico soil scientist who has taught tens of thousands of school kids about soil as the persona, 'Dr. Dirt.'

"Also, breathless," he adds, "because it's the plants growing in soil that produce our oxygen."

Know Soil Know Life then takes readers through a traditional sequence of soil science topics, including soil chemistry, biology, and classification, before drawing a direct line between people and soils once again. In chapter 8, "Soil and Society," the authors describe the impact of soil on human endeavors ranging from art to warfare. This section also details soil's role in the collapse of past civilizations, such as the Easter Islanders, and modern-day concerns like desertification and deforestation.

The book concludes with a chapter on the soil science careers available in research, land management, education, and environmental consultingoptions that many of today's soil scientists didn't learn about until they were almost through school, Robinson says. This includes Deb Kozlowski, a soil scientist and grade school art teacher who co-edited Know Soil Know Life with Robinson and Lindbo.

"I didn't even know that there was such a thing as soil science until I went to college," Kozlowski says. "So, we want kids to grow up knowing about soil science, and that it is a bona-fide field of science you can make a living at."

Lindbo, Robinson and the other contributors to Know Soil Know Life belong to the Soil Science Society of America's K-12 education committee: a group of college professors, professional soil scientists, and educators who've devoted themselves to getting many more people to understand and appreciate soils. And this, the committee knows, means grabbing their attention early on.

Thus, the group's first book project was a text for 4th graders, SOIL! Get the Inside Scoop, which goes with the traveling exhibit for kids, "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" (now showing at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis, MN). Later, the team worked with the North American Envirothon, a national environmental education program based in Texas, to revise the learning objectives for its annual event, the Canon Envirothon.

That effort produced a detailed outline of soil-related topics, which the K-12 committee subsequently decided to expand into Know Soil Know Life, Lindbo says. The group also recently launched a website for K-12 educators, www.soils4teachers.org, and will soon launch one for children.

Where does a group of extremely busy soil science professionals and professors find the time and energy to teach young kids, too? "The pat answer is that they're our future," Lindbo says with a laugh. "I do it because I enjoy it. I enjoy working with students of all ages as well as adults because I feed off their enthusiasm."

He and the others now hope that Know Soil Know Life spreads the enthusiasm for soils far and wide. True, the relationships between soils, plants, climate, water, and humans aren't always easy for people outside the soils profession to grasp. Nevertheless, says Robinson, "Those connections can be madeif people are just asked to make them."

###

Know Soil Know Life is available for $40 in softcover from the Soil Science Society of America at www.societystore.org, or by calling 608-268-4960 or emailing books@sciencesocieties.org.

Clay Robinson is available to talk about the book at c.drdirt.robinson@gmail.com or 806-236-5956.

---

[ | E-mail | 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.

Public release date: 24-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Madeline Fisher
mfisher@sciencesocieties.org
608-268-3973
American Society of Agronomy

Madison, WI Think of all the things we need most for daily living: food, clothing, shelter, water. Have you ever considered how each of them, in turn, depends on soilthat without soil there would in fact be no life?

Unfortunately, most people haven't, says North Carolina State University soil science professor David Lindbo, although the lack of awareness is perhaps understandable. Unlike air and water, we don't take soil directly into our bodies, making it less obvious how we rely on it. Nor is it easy for us to tell when soil is polluted.

"We don't see soil. We walk on it, but we don't see it," says Lindbo, who is current president of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), an international scientific society headquartered in Madison, WI. He and a team of co-authors now hope students, teachers, and the public will take a fresh look at this hidden yet vital substance in the SSSA's new book, Know Soil Know Life.

Targeted to high schoolers and college students in introductory courses, the 206-page book tells the story of soil through engaging, accessible language and hundreds of full-color photos and illustrations. It begins with a chapter that challenges readers to view soil not as inert "dirt", but as a living material that carries out many critical functions for the environment and for people.

Soil filters our drinking water, for example, and supports the plants that feed, clothe, and shelter us. "Without soil we'd be hungry, naked, and homeless," quips co-editor Clay Robinson, a New Mexico soil scientist who has taught tens of thousands of school kids about soil as the persona, 'Dr. Dirt.'

"Also, breathless," he adds, "because it's the plants growing in soil that produce our oxygen."

Know Soil Know Life then takes readers through a traditional sequence of soil science topics, including soil chemistry, biology, and classification, before drawing a direct line between people and soils once again. In chapter 8, "Soil and Society," the authors describe the impact of soil on human endeavors ranging from art to warfare. This section also details soil's role in the collapse of past civilizations, such as the Easter Islanders, and modern-day concerns like desertification and deforestation.

The book concludes with a chapter on the soil science careers available in research, land management, education, and environmental consultingoptions that many of today's soil scientists didn't learn about until they were almost through school, Robinson says. This includes Deb Kozlowski, a soil scientist and grade school art teacher who co-edited Know Soil Know Life with Robinson and Lindbo.

"I didn't even know that there was such a thing as soil science until I went to college," Kozlowski says. "So, we want kids to grow up knowing about soil science, and that it is a bona-fide field of science you can make a living at."

Lindbo, Robinson and the other contributors to Know Soil Know Life belong to the Soil Science Society of America's K-12 education committee: a group of college professors, professional soil scientists, and educators who've devoted themselves to getting many more people to understand and appreciate soils. And this, the committee knows, means grabbing their attention early on.

Thus, the group's first book project was a text for 4th graders, SOIL! Get the Inside Scoop, which goes with the traveling exhibit for kids, "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" (now showing at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis, MN). Later, the team worked with the North American Envirothon, a national environmental education program based in Texas, to revise the learning objectives for its annual event, the Canon Envirothon.

That effort produced a detailed outline of soil-related topics, which the K-12 committee subsequently decided to expand into Know Soil Know Life, Lindbo says. The group also recently launched a website for K-12 educators, www.soils4teachers.org, and will soon launch one for children.

Where does a group of extremely busy soil science professionals and professors find the time and energy to teach young kids, too? "The pat answer is that they're our future," Lindbo says with a laugh. "I do it because I enjoy it. I enjoy working with students of all ages as well as adults because I feed off their enthusiasm."

He and the others now hope that Know Soil Know Life spreads the enthusiasm for soils far and wide. True, the relationships between soils, plants, climate, water, and humans aren't always easy for people outside the soils profession to grasp. Nevertheless, says Robinson, "Those connections can be madeif people are just asked to make them."

###

Know Soil Know Life is available for $40 in softcover from the Soil Science Society of America at www.societystore.org, or by calling 608-268-4960 or emailing books@sciencesocieties.org.

Clay Robinson is available to talk about the book at c.drdirt.robinson@gmail.com or 806-236-5956.

---

[ | E-mail | 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/2013-01/asoa-nbe012313.php

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