An iWatch may still be a distant dream, but at least Microsoft fans have a glimmer of hope. According to "sources familiar with Micosoft's Surface plans," a translucent, aluminum smart watch could soon be hugging wrists everywhere.
According to The Verge, the Surface team is busy engineering the wrist-worn tech, which was originally meant to be a Joule heart rate monitor. There have already been reports that Microsoft's been sucking up 1.5-inch displays from various manufactures, but The Verge's source also claims that the new smartwatches will be hitting shelves with removable bands in several different colors. Separately, AmongTech claims that those itty bitty screens will be coming cased in Oxynitride Aluminum?a material three times harder than glass.
All this hardware will be running a modified version of Windows 8 and come with 6GB of storage, LTE support, and?of course?major reliance on the cloud. And now that Microsoft is slowly molding itself into a single, cohesive unit, this little piece of tech will be just another link in the coming autonomous, Windows orgy of an ecosystem. [The Verge]
Gangnam Style came out a year ago today. I still remember exactly where I was the first time I heard (and saw) Gangnam Style. It was at my desk, in front of a computer. Not very exciting, I know. But ...
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Country duo Florida Georgia Line is coming to Springfield this fall.
Drury University on Monday morning announced the concert, which will take place Oct. 16 at Drury's O'Reilly Family Event Center. The Springfield stop is part of Florida Georgia Line's "Here's to the Good Times" tour.
Florida Georgia Line is a rising country duo that has cracked the Top 40 with "Get Your Shine On" and "Cruise."
Colt Ford will join Florida Georgia Line on the tour.
Tickets will go on sale Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. at drurytickets.com, by phone at (417) 873-6389 or by visiting the O'Reilly Family Event Center box office.
Greener Pastures, a sustainable travel company based in Northeast India, has successfully concluded its first responsible tourism project, a fundraiser to assist the forest man of India in planting trees.
DIBRUGARH, INDIA ? Jadav Payeng, a milkman in the state of?Assam?in Northeastern India, has for most parts of his life lived solitarily, along with a wife and later, two children, to accompany him in a life in an island in the Brahmaputra River. His mission was and continues to be to grow trees. So, for the past 3 decades, Jadav has been growing trees, and his efforts have resulted today in a marvelous forest, which impossibly happens to be the creation of one sole individual. Unbelievable as it is, it was only a few years back when Jadav came into the limelight as people across the world learned about and appreciated his efforts. Since then, loads of accolades have come to him.
More than a year back, members of?Greener Pastures, a startup ecotourism company based in Assam, learned about Jadav?s endeavor and like anybody else, were left inspired. So much so, as their first responsible tourism project, they started a fundraiser for Jadav to help him grow more trees. This endeavor of the small startup concluded successfully recently when two of the team members took the road less traveled and arrived at Kokilamukh Village deep in the heart of Assam to meet Jadav Payeng.
The small team at Greener Pastures is proud and enthusiastic about the achievement. As Vaivhav Todi; the director of the startup, explains ?It has been a remarkable learning and inspiring experience to have got to meet Jadav. I was very much looking forward to it, but waited for the fundraiser to finish. It took some time though and much of the funds are from our profits. We wanted to give back something of value to Jadav in return for his long philanthropic endeavor for the environment. Even with all the publicity he has received recently, it was little upsetting to see that Jadav is not so well financially. I am sure the funds given to him will help him and more trees will be grown. The gravity of what Jadav has created comes to light when you actually see the forest. I was left speechless, as the jungle, known locally as Mulai Forest, is more than 1000 acres big and as Jadav explained, it has an astounding biodiversity, which includes tigers, elephants, rhinos and deer. I was lucky to spot deer. Eventually, meeting him has been a boost to the team?s morale. We are now all the more inspired to grow trees and plan to engage in such activity in the future. It has been satisfying to complete our first responsible tourism project, a first step towards the aims our business has set out for.?
There is a?report on the ecotourism project?in the company?s blog, with pictures and a profile on Jadav Payeng. Though the fundraiser has now ended, Greener Pastures will still be glad to help individuals who want to reach out to Jadav Payeng.
About the Company
Greener Pastures is a fresh two year old sustainable travel company based in Northeastern India. Run by local enthusiasts, the outfit responsible tours and adventures to remote and exotic places in the East Himalaya landscape.
Entrance to Jadav's House Jadav in front of his forest
The best investment ideas rarely come from the latest news item or brokerage research report. They're often found on the fringes of finance or outside the?field?altogether. Right now, everyone is focused on China's poor economic data and the potential for a hard landing in future. This is fair enough given the possible fallout. But despite what some think, China's credit crisis will end at some point.?And?perhaps it will be?sooner than most?believe if the new leaders are serious about tightening policy rather than reflating the?credit bubble.
Asia Confidential is going to explore an issue which has the potential to have a larger impact on China's future than the current credit crunch.?Few?in the investment industry and even fewer in China itself are aware of it. But it is well-known in the?world of technology.
That is, the internet is currently transforming the manufacturing industry in a similar?way to what it did to the publishing world before. Anyone with internet access and?desktop fabrication tools can?become a manufacturer nowadays.?That's lowered the barriers to entry and resulted a deluge of smaller entrepreneurs becoming manufacturers.?Previously, you'd have?needed millions of dollars or a much larger company to manufacture your ideas. Today, it can all be done with a few clicks of a mouse.
This transformation?may have far-reaching consequences. Large manufacturers?are on notice given the number of small entrepreneurs entering the space. As are mass production companies which deal with large orders. That's where China comes in, being?the world's largest mass manufacturer. For start-up manufacturers won't want the expense of large orders or the transportation costs associated with small orders from China. They're likely to look for more nimble suppliers who are closer to home. That means China's manufacturing dominance could be under serious threat, and soon. And manufacturers in the developing world may be the ones to benefit.
The potential impact from this change on China will be the focus of this week's newsletter and we'll follow up with the broader economic and investment implications in?our next issue.
The internet enters the real world
There are two powerful, yet opposing?forces?which?are likely to drive?the global economy going forward. The first is significant over-indebtedness in the developed world continuing to?weigh on?economic growth, despite what the Paul Krugmans of the world would have you believe. The second is extraordinary technological change which?has the potential to?propel future economic growth.?Which?of these forces?will have the greater impact in the long-term?
It's?unsurprising?that Chris Anderson,?a former editor of technology magazine Wired, thinks that changes in the tech world will be key driver of future economic growth. In his book, Makers: The New Industrial Revolution, Anderson makes a?strong?case that the digital revolution is about to move beyond our laptop screens into the real world of physical goods, with dramatic consequences:
"The past ten years have been about discovering new ways to create, invent, and work together on the Web. The next ten years will be about applying those lessons to the real world."
What exactly does he mean by this? Well, manufacturing has gone digital. Physical objects can be designed on laptops and the designs can?be shared online as files. Factories have been able to do this for decades but the?big change is that now anyone with a regular computer can do it :
"...anyone with an invention or good design can upload files to a service to have that product made, in small batches or large, or make it?themselves with increasingly powerful digital desktop fabrication tools such as 3-D printers. Would-be entrepreneurs and inventors?are no longer at the mercy of large companies to manufacture their ideas."
Anderson likens this change to what happened?to the publishing industry almost three decades ago. In 1985, Apple released?LaserWriter, the first real desktop laser printer, which combined with the Mac, revolutionised publishing. Up until then, publishing had?used extensive manufacturing including printing plants and so forth.
Desktop publishing took publishing out of the factories into the online world. And thousands of professionals and amateurs?entered the industry which was once dominated by large media groups.
Anderson suggests that 3-D printers and other digital fabrication tools are to manufacturing what the LaserWriter and Mac were to publishing 28 years ago.?While these tools are somewhat expensive and difficult to use at the moment, that'll change as it did for the LaserWriter.
As Anderson sums up:
"Transformative change?happens when industries democratize, when they're ripped from the sole domain of companies,?governments, and other institutions and handed over to regular folks.
We've seen this picture before: it's what happens just before monolithic industries fragment in the face of countless small entrants, from the music industry to newspapers. Lower the?barriers to entry and the crowd pours in...
... The Internet democratised publishing, broadcasting, and communications, and the consequence was a massive increase in the range of both participation and participants in everything digital - the Long Tail of bits.
Now the same is happening to manufacturing - the Long Tail of things."
The new industrial revolution?
Anderson goes much further than these changes just impacting manufacturing, however. He reckons this is the start of a new industrial revolution which will drive increased productivity and economic growth for decades to come. A big call, to say the least.
To see why he thinks this way, we need to step back several hundred years,?to the first industrial revolution in the mid 18th century. Then, the great empire of Great Britain was struggling under the weight of its many colonies abroad.
That changed in 1766 with the invention of the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves, a weaver in Lancashire. The pedal-powered machine allowed a single person to spin eight cotton threads at a time rather than just one. The spinning jenny, along with the steam engine and better power looms invented later on, transformed manufacturing productivity. Increased mechanisation meant you could do much more with less.
To put this in context, better machines had been made before, but economic growth had been stagnant for several hundred years prior to this. But these inventions proved very different. They resulted in Great Britain's trebling between 1700-1850. From 1800-200, average per capita income increased 10x. There were many reasons for the cause and effect, which we won't go into?here for wont of space.
The second industrial revolution happened from 1850-1918 when the rise of factories was joined by technological breakthroughs. Namely, the building of railroads and?steam powered ships, which?resulted in similar productivity gains to transportation.
Anderson sees the internet age as the third industrial revolution. You may be somewhat sceptical given that the?Web has been around for some time. But Anderson isn't saying that the Web itself?is creating the revolution. Instead, he's suggesting that its application?to the real world?is:
"Computing and communications are ...?"force multipliers," doing for services what automation did for manufacturing.?Rather than amplifying human muscle power, they amplify brain power. They can?also drive productivity gains in existing industries and create new ones. And by allowing us to do existing jobs faster, they free us up to do new ones."
Manufacturing won't be the same
I happen to largely agree with Anderson that the internet is transforming the world of manufacturing. And if this is right, it's worth thinking about some of the implications:
As alluded to earlier, as everyone had become a blogger today, everyone will become a manufacturer tomorrow. Supply will pour into the space. Every amateur handyman and inventor has the tools to run wild now.
Larger manufacturing companies will inevitably lose significant market share. They'll have to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
It will result in an abundance of niche products. Consumers?will benefit from this choice, even if there'll be too much of it! Prices of?mid-to-low end manufacturing goods could well come down. They did for newspapers, so why not physical?goods?
Manufacturing supply chains will?see substantial changes. Small producers will want small batches. They'll also prefer not too hold inventory ie. manufacturing on demand. And they'll?obviously want to reduce costs,?such as transportation.
"Made in China" under threat?
If you're thinking that point 5. above may relate to China, you'd be right. After all, the country is the world's largest mass manufacturer. China's business model, relying on low cost, productive workers to deliver goods largely to the developed world, has worked brilliantly for decades. But if Anderson is right, as I suspect he is, then that could all be about to change.
There are bound to be interjections at this point, suggesting that China's low costs will still be unrivalled going forward. That's not entirely true anymore. Double digit rises in wages in recent years, along with a much stronger yuan, have significantly bridged the gap.
And don't forget that Chinese manufacturing productivity still lags many developed world countries. For instance, the U.S. is 3x more productive than China. In fact, the Boston Consulting Group estimates that the net manufacturing costs of China will equal the U.S. by 2015. Also, the manufacturing costs in Mexico, neighbouring America, dropped below that of China last year.
Consider also that labor is becoming a less important component of manufacturing costs due to the increased use of robots. For example, labor is just 15% of the cost of making a car in the U.S. That percentage is likely to decline further, making other costs such as transportation more important. That makes geography crucial?and?where low cost, skilled manufacturers in Mexico and the U.S. may have a further edge over those in China.
All of this points to the potential for a radical shift in market share from China back to?developed countries?and those?close to these countries.
What China can do about it
If you believe that this shift will happen, then the obvious question is: what can China do about it? I'd suggest that China needs to quickly upscale its manufacturing base. In economic parlance, it needs to move up the value chain.
It could do worse than look at the example of South Korea, which has become a manufacturing powerhouse,?the Germany of Asia if you like. It's moved from being a simple, low cost manufacturer to a sophisticated, world class?maker of electronic products, cars, steel, industrial machinery, robotics and?biotech.
To follow this path, China needs significant changes though, such as:
Government-owned?companies which dominate much of manufacturing need to be privatised.
Small entrepreneurs?need?greater incentives including grants, tax breaks in key areas.
The legal system needs to be changed to allow competition to flourish and re-dress when it's not allowed too.
Better and?more transparent licensing to give?great security to manufacturers in their endeavours.
Changes to?education to encourage innovation and creative thinking. Currently, high schools and universities in China?put far too much emphasis on learning via memorisation. I'd argue that this explains much of why China?has excelled?at copying the inventions of others in recent years, rather than creating their own.
The other obvious change that should happen is for China to decrease its reliance on exports in favour of consumption to drive future economic growth.
Much of the debate about future reforms in China have focused on this consumption issue. But any switch towards consumption will take a long time. In the meantime, manufacturing will remain a dominant driver of growth.
If I'm right about China's manufacturing dominance soon being under threat, the issue warrants far more attention than it's received to date.
This post was originally published at Asia Confidential: http://asiaconf.com/
NAPANEE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - 12 juillet 2013) - Les membres des m?dias sont invit?s ? participer ? un important ?v?nement en mati?re d'infrastructure en pr?sence de Daryl Kramp, d?put? de Prince Edward-Hastings, au nom du ministre des Transports, de l'Infrastructure et des Collectivit?s, ministre de l'Agence de d?veloppement ?conomique du Canada pour les r?gions du Qu?bec et ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales, l'honorable Denis Lebel, de Grant Crack, d?put? provincial de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell et adjoint parlementaire au ministre des Affaires rurales, ? la ministre de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation et ? la ministre d?l?gu?e aux Affaires francophones, et du pr?sident du caucus de l'Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus, Rick Phillips.
Grammy-winning country singer Randy Travis, who has been hospitalized in Dallas since Sunday, suffered a stroke Wednesday and underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, his publicist said in a statement.
Later Wednesday, the Baylor Health Care System said in an update on its web site that the singer was out of surgery and in critical condition.
Travis, 54, was being treated for viral cardiomyopathy, an infection of the heart muscle. He suffered the stroke as a complication of his congestive heart failure, an earlier statement said.
That announcement came just hours after doctors spoke publicly for the first time about his condition, saying the singer had been responding to treatment three days after being hospitalized.
"His family and friends here with him at the hospital request your prayers and support," the statement said.
The singer, who lives in Tioga about 60 miles north of Dallas, was in excellent health until three weeks ago when he developed a viral upper respiratory illness, one of his doctors said.
Travis has won multiple Grammys, Country Music Awards and other honors, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His successful music career led to multiple roles on television and in movies. He is best known for his hits "Three Wooden Crosses" and "Diggin' Up Bones."
A federal judge Wednesday found that Apple violated antitrust law in helping raise the retail price of e-books, saying the company ?played a central role in facilitating and executing? a conspiracy with publishers.
?Without Apple's orchestration of this conspiracy, it would not have succeeded as it did in the spring of 2010,? the judge, Denise Cote of U.S. District Court in Manhattan, said in her ruling. She said a trial for damages would follow.
Government lawyers argued in court last month that Apple had colluded with five big U.S. publishers to raise prices for electronic books across the publishing market.
The Justice Department brought the antitrust case against Apple and the publishers a year ago. The publishers settled their cases, but Apple executives insisted that the company had done nothing wrong, and the company continued to insist that Wednesday.
?Apple did not conspire to fix e-book pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations,? said Tom Neumayr, an Apple spokesman. ?When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong, and we will appeal the judge's decision.?
The Justice Department said the judge's decision was a victory for e-book buyers.
?Companies cannot ignore the antitrust laws when they believe it is in their economic self-interest to do so,? the Justice Department said in a statement. ?This decision by the court is a critical step in undoing the harm caused by Apple's illegal actions.?
It appears unlikely that the ruling will have an immediate effect on the book-buying public. The publishers who have already settled with the government are operating under the settlement's terms, which prohibit publishers from restricting a retailer's ability to discount books.
In his testimony, Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, who was in charge of negotiating deals with the publishers, conceded that Apple opened the door for book publishers to raise prices in its own e-book store. But he said that the company was not intending to push Amazon to raise its prices, too.
?Amazon could have negotiated a better deal,? Cue said in his testimony. ?They had a lot more power.?
But the Justice Department said Apple's deal with the publishers left Amazon with no choice but to raise prices. When Apple entered the e-book market in 2010, it changed the way publishers sold books by introducing a model called agency pricing, where the publisher ? not the retailer ? sets the price, and Apple took a cut of each sale. As a result, the publishers were able to set e-book prices higher. Apple proposed price caps of $12.99 and $14.99.
Apple also included a condition in its contracts, called the most-favored nation clause, requiring the publishers to allow Apple to sell e-books at the same price as the books would be sold in any other store. Apple has said the clause was intended to guarantee that its customers got the lowest e-book prices, but the government argued that it defeated price competition.
The Justice Department said that the publishers used their relationship with Apple, combined with the most-favored nation clause, to threaten Amazon to switch to the agency model so they could raise prices. If Amazon did not agree to those terms, the government said, the publishers intended to withhold their e-books from the retailer until the more expensive hardcover books had been on the market for a while.
You might think that a military fighter pilot is going to have access to a lot of high tech equipment, but when it comes to flying, most pilots still have to use paper notebooks in the cockpit. Today, as part of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, a new solution was shown that's based on a Windows 8 tablet.
During the day 3 keynote address, a video was shown of a Windows 8 tablet with a software solution that replicates the paper notebook content for a fighter pilot. The tablet and software were created by a company called PaceBlade, which has offices in the Netherlands and the US.
After the video was shown, Microsoft's partners division leader Jon Roskill brought up former fighter pilot and current PaceBlade representative Erik Cornelisse on stage to talk more about the Windows 8 tablet solution. Cornelisse said that he and other pilots tried to use the iPad as a replacement for their notebooks while serving in Afghanistan, but the 'iPad didn't work" for three reasons.
One was that the regular iPad was too big and the iPad mini is too small to use, while PaceBlade has an eight inch tablet that is apparently "just right" for fighter pilots. The second reason was that the iPad's software made it hard to organize the content needed for pilots. Finally, the iPad's security features were not good enough compared to those found in Windows 8.
PaceBlade is hoping to expand its secure Windows 8 tablet products beyond its military use to civilian aircraft, along with police, emergency responders, government and health care uses.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]An innovative neurocognitive study shows that the individual variability that exists in brain connections affects people?s learning ability and, in turn, the learning process produces a change in brain networks associated with the trained areas.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers have shown how tiny graphene sheets can be big trouble for cells. Sharp corners and jagged edges on the sheets puncture cell membranes, allowing the sheet to enter the cell and disrupt function. The new understanding of how graphene interacts with cells could lead to safer production of this important nanomaterial.
Exactly what is the current status can be your own overall health? This great method of aiding health has existed for hundreds of years,500 many years, so you can now read about the benefits associated with it on this page.
You shouldn?t expect to see outcomes in terms of acupuncture. Many people discover a positive change soon after the first day, although some demand several treatments to have alleviation. Don?t be concerned if no adjustments take place soon after the first visit doesn?t cause most of nearly anything. Physical exercise determination and allow a little while to your therapies to adopt their course.
In case you are contemplating homeopathy however they are fearful of tiny needles, do anything you can to get more than that fear. Traditional chinese medicine is recognized to aid ease soreness and acquire existence to savoring your lifestyle. Don?t let your anxiety keep you remove homeopathy.
You need to be certain you?re not having a major food prior to going to an chinese medicine therapy. Try to eat something modest several hours in advance to ensure you don?t successfully pass out, but don?t adhere to a whole dish. The reason being because of the fact that it must be not comfortable to lie on your abdomen is total.
Possess the determination and wherewithal to adhere along with your whole acupuncture prepare. Your loved ones may possibly try and encourage you that acupuncture has no true benefits.The constant marketing and advertising of conventional American treatments does not think about ancient healthcare strategies. Keep on track and view exactly how much greater you sense far better.
They are employed in medical care and usually not offered right here.
Ask your acupuncturist should they accept your protection plan. Chinese medicine is usually high priced, even more if you demand treatment over a period of time. When your plan for treatment has to be extensive, shop around on an insurance coverage that can include the treatment options you require.
If you want to exercise, it may seem difficult to not figure out during the day of the treatment method. Doing exercises a little is fine, but you must go a little bit easy on it. If you?re a runner, try wandering. You shouldn?t be seeking new workout routines when you have a scheduled visit together with your acupuncturist timetabled.
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Traditional chinese medicine can sometimes trigger frustrating emotional reaction. You could expertise some unforeseen emotions on your period.Your acupuncturist has seen anything from laughing or sobbing sufferers on a regular basis. Emotional launch ought to be seen as a sign that your treatment is functioning.
Take the time to relax right after an chinese medicine remedy.Try resting 8 time of rest the night time following your period.
Dress in reduce or quickly removable clothes to keep as cozy as you can on your therapy. You need to be positive that your acupuncturist can get to any part very easily. You may generally remove your clothing if needed, but you will probably feel more comfortable in loose outfits alternatively.
direct debit payday loans secure payday loans Verify on-line for reviews on acupuncturists. Accomplish a Internet search for your personal location to find an acupuncturist in your town. There are websites to finding a registered acupuncturist.The NCCAOM will provide you with will find experts that are certified is NCCAOM.
Talk to your buddies when they have knowledge of chinese medicine practical experience. Question them the way it gone and its particular consequences on our bodies. See how they characterize their overall wellness and properly-simply being. Be available minded and don?t forget about to ask queries.
Discuss acupuncture with buddies or family that have gotten this kind of remedy.Find out about it and just how it produced them really feel. Ask them regarding how it has impacted their nicely-simply being. Make your brain open and get the questions you could have.
Homeopathy functions a smart idea to are centered. Transform your cellular phone away from during remedy and provide the practitioner?s quantity just to a single speak to for emergency reasons.Relax ahead of your remedy to be effective.
Expect to respond to some queries from the first acupuncture visit. The initial appointment will last greatest for the reason that practitioner should learn your health background.
1 important thing to not forget on your homeopathy treatment is to chill out. The process won?t succeed should you be not nervous or tighten. If you think discomfort during the procedure, like burning or itchiness, tell the acupuncturist immediately. Scratching or otherwise unsettling the procedure can make you to reduce all the benefits.
Bring along anything to comfort item. These matters may help reduce tension.
Your classes can be a bust from reality. You could have a restful break.Check with your family when they allows you relax in peace for some time.
Who definitely are you most secure one particular to cope with? Who do you prefer speaking to probably the most? Who sounded like usually the one offering the very best attention and consideration? Go with your gut to make the main one you sense is appropriate.
Acupuncture helps remove the toxic compounds inside your body. By eating McDonald?s when you get property, you?re essentially placing harmful toxins back in your whole body.
truth about payday loans payday loans pa Were actually you aware of the truth that household pets can even be assisted by chinese medicine. It can also support your youngsters if you feel the method could be beneficial in helping what ever is completely wrong with particular troubles. Make sure you seem one particular up that is experienced with what you?re wanting.
Don?t invest time and effort fretting around tiny needles before you decide to do the first traditional chinese medicine therapy. Numerous people are fearful of tiny needles ahead of the method. These tiny needles are minutely lean and not agonizing whatsoever. They don?t have to be big simply because they aren?t utilized to inject something so they?re only about 25 to 30mm in size generally.
Typical acupuncture treatments may help you do away with sleeping disorders.Sleep at night troubles are one of the most common reasons for pursuing these treatment options. Acupuncture also can alleviate pressure, abnormal stress and emotionally charged troubles. Request your specialist for aid in your rest issues.
Your pulse is an indicator of the condition, and coffee can alter your pulse and stop your acupuncturist from appropriately detecting you.
Instead of avoiding chinese medicine as you believe it will do more harm than good, continue to inform yourself about the subject. You might just see that it can reduce anxiety and pain in a big way. Make use of this report to enhance some great benefits of acupuncture.
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania wants energy firms to speed up production of natural gas that it hopes will help end poverty in east Africa's second-biggest economy.
Discoveries in Tanzania's and Mozambique's waters have led to predictions the region could become the world's third-largest exporter of natural gas. Tanzania alone estimates it has 41.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable natural gas reserves.
"Preparations for drilling should not take a long time, such as 10 years ... that is too long, because the people want to see benefits of the natural gas as soon as possible," President Jakaya Kikwete said in a statement issued by his office on Monday.
"We want this gas to benefit our people - to lift them out of poverty. If we earn $1 billion in annual revenues from the gas, then we can transform our country into (a) paradise."
Although the gas finds are large, facilities need to be built to enable the development of the gas.
Britain's BG Group, its exploration partner and Norway's Statoil, which have all discovered gas, say they plan to build a $10 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. The terminal would be well placed for exports to Asia.
Tanzania's cabinet plans to approve a national gas policy as well as a set of new laws soon to regulate the gas industry, which could quicken the pace of development by defining how the country's citizens would share in the gas boom.
In the southern region of Mtwara, residents have held deadly protests against the construction of a 532 km (330 mile) pipeline, financed by a Chinese loan, calling for a bigger share of benefits from gas development.
The pipeline runs from the south of the country to the commercial capital and main port in the country, Dar es Salaam.
An unidentified family member of one of two Chinese students killed in a crash of Asiana Airlines' plane on Saturday, cries at the Airlines' counter as she and other family members check in a flight to San Francisco at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, Monday, July 8, 2013. The Asiana flight crashed upon landing Saturday, July 6, at San Francisco International Airport, and the two of the 307 passengers aboard were killed. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
An unidentified family member of one of two Chinese students killed in a crash of Asiana Airlines' plane on Saturday, cries at the Airlines' counter as she and other family members check in a flight to San Francisco at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, Monday, July 8, 2013. The Asiana flight crashed upon landing Saturday, July 6, at San Francisco International Airport, and the two of the 307 passengers aboard were killed. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
In this undated photo made available Monday, July 8, 2013, Ye Mengyuan, left, and Wang Linjia, right, pose for photos with other classmates in the classroom in Jiangshan city in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Chinese state media and Asiana Airlines have identified the two victims of the Asiana Airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport girls as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, students in Zhejiang, an affluent coastal province in eastern China. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT
In this undated photo made available Monday, July 8, 2013, a supporter of Wang Linjia, holds up a photo of her with her name during a talent show at a school in Jiangshan city in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Chinese state media and Asiana Airlines have identified the two victims of the Asiana Airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport girls as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, students in Zhejiang, an affluent coastal province in eastern China. (AP Photo) CHINA OUT
An unidentified family member of one of two Chinese students killed in a crash of Asiana Airlines' plane, on Saturday, stands alone at an empty Asiana Airlines passenger queue line at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, Monday, July 8, 2013, en route to San Fransisco. The Asiana flight crashed upon landing Saturday, July 6, at San Francisco International Airport, and the two of the 307 passengers aboard were killed. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Unidentified family members of one of two Chinese students killed in a crash of Asiana Airlines' plane on Saturday, arrive at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China, Monday, July 8, 2013, en route to San Fransisco. The Asiana flight crashed upon landing Saturday, July 6, at San Francisco International Airport, and the two of the 307 passengers aboard were killed. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Amid the marvel of nearly all aboard Asiana Flight 214 surviving a crash landing, authorities here are investigating an unspeakable tragedy that may have unfolded during the frantic rescue ? whether a teenage girl made it out of the plane only to be run over by a rescue vehicle.
Federal and local officials on Monday addressed the possibility that the Chinese girl, who along with a classmate comprised the crash's two fatalities, might have been killed accidentally on the runway as the first firefighters raced to the scene of a wrecked, smoking airliner.
"One of our fire apparatus may have come into contact with one of our two victims," Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said during a news conference called to highlight the heroic efforts of first responders. "I assure you, we are looking closely at this."
Findings of what caused the 16-year-old's death ? the plane crash, the fire truck, or both ? may not come for several weeks.
A firefighter first reported to a superior on Saturday that a passenger who was on the ground roughly 30 feet from the wreckage and near the escape slide may have been run over as fire crews were shifting from dousing the flames to taking victims to hospitals, officials said.
Police, FBI agents, the coroner and other officials were notified after the firefighter at the scene reported his concerns, officials said. The drivers of the first five trucks to respond to the emergency were given drug and alcohol tests, which they passed.
It's not clear why the firefighters thought someone had been run over. Fire Department officials said they did not want to provide details because of the ongoing investigation by city police, the county coroner whose office received the body and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Airport video surveillance footage reviewed by federal accident investigators proved inconclusive, NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said.
"It is a very serious issue and we want to understand it," she said. "We want to make sure we have all the facts before we reach conclusions."
The job of gathering those facts ? including determining whether the evidence shows that the girl was hit by the truck and if she was still alive when it happened ? has fallen in large part to San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault.
Fourcrault said Monday the two Chinese girls have been identified through fingerprints. Their autopsies were completed and their bodies prepared to be claimed by their parents, who were expected to arrive in San Francisco on Monday.
Foucrault originally had planned to release a preliminary cause of death for each of them on Monday, but decided to wait until he could do a broader inquiry that will include reviewing written information from the public safety agencies that responded to the crash, audio dispatch files and perhaps interviews.
"This is a very high-profile case and has obviously generated a lot of attention," Foucrault said at his office located a few miles south of San Francisco International Airport where the plane crashed Saturday. "I want to make absolutely sure my conclusions are correct."
He said he made the decision to hold off independently and that neither city officials nor federal accident investigators had asked him for a postponement.
Chinese state media and Asiana have identified the girls as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, students at Jiangshan Middle School in Zhejiang, an affluent coastal province in eastern China.
They were part of a group of 29 students and five teachers from the school who were heading to a summer camps in Southern California, according to education authorities in China.
Meanwhile, firefighters and police officers on Monday gave their first accounts of what they encountered in the first minutes after the Saturday's crash.
Most of the passengers had exited the crippled craft before firefighters arrived, but four passengers were still trapped in the back.
Three firefighters ? and two police officers without safety gear ? rushed onto the plane to help evacuate trapped passengers, including one who was trapped under a collapsed bulkhead. They had gotten everyone off the craft except one elderly man, who was in his seat, moaning and unable to move.
"We were running out of time," San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Dave Monteverdi recalled. "The smoke was starting to get thicker and thicker. So we had no choice. We stood him up and amazingly, he started shuffling his feet....We were able to get him out and he was pretty much the last person off the plane."
Monteverdi and his two colleagues boarded the plane by charging up the front, left emergency chute that most of the passengers had already used to exit the burning craft.
"If he can do it, I can do it," Fire Department Lt. Chrissy Emmons said she told herself before clambering up the chute after Monteverdi.
As the firefighters made their way to the back of the plane, they saw San Francisco Police Officer Jim Cunningham racing up the aisle toward the cockpit without safety gear.
Cunningham said he was just finishing a patrol of an unoccupied airport building when he heard a fellow officer calmly report over the radio that a Boeing 777 had crashed. Cunningham said he screamed at the driver of an ambulance that happened to be nearby to follow him onto the runway, where he could see the smoking wreckage.
When he arrived, he and another officer tossed their sheathed knives up to crew members yelling from the door that they needed to cut passengers from their seatbelts. Just then, the officers noticed jet fuel spewing from one of the wings "like it was coming out of a fire hose."
That's when Cunningham and Lt. Gaetano Caltagirone made the decision to enter the burning plane through the back of the aircraft, which had a large opening since the tail had broken off.
The two helped clear debris out of the way and helped carry passengers off the burning plane. Cunningham even recovered two iPhones, figuring that "worried loved ones" would be trying to contact their owners.
Once everyone was off the plane, Cunningham required about 15 minutes of oxygen treatment. It was then that his wife, home with their 18-month-old daughter called.
"I told the paramedic to answer and tell her I was all right," he said. But he said he could hear her voice rising when told that he was undergoing oxygen treatment, so he took the phone to tell her he was fine.
Anti-abortion protesters holding placards walk through Ireland's capital, Dublin, in an anti-abortion protest Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)
Anti-abortion protesters holding placards walk through Ireland's capital, Dublin, in an anti-abortion protest Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)
Thousands of anti-abortion protesters fill Dublin's major thoroughfare, as they march against Ireland's abortion bill Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)
Stephen and Pauline O'Brien, foreground, hold Catholic rosary beads as they march through Ireland's capital, Dublin, in an anti-abortion protest Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)
Thousands of anti-abortion protesters fill Dublin's major thoroughfare, as they march against Ireland's abortion bill Saturday, July 6, 2013. More than 35,000 activists marched to the parliament building to oppose Irish government plans to enact a bill legalizing terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies. The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is expected to be passed into law next week. (AP Photo/Shawn Pogatchnik)
DUBLIN (AP) ? Bearing rosary beads and placards declaring "Kill the bill! Not the child," more than 35,000 anti-abortion activists marched Saturday through Dublin to demand that the Irish government scrap plans to legalize terminations for women in life-threatening pregnancies.
Demonstrators from across Ireland, a predominantly Catholic island of 6.5 million, marched for two hours through the capital to Leinster House, the parliament building, where lawmakers next week are expected pass the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. Speakers demanded that the government put its bill to a national referendum. "Let us vote!" the crowd chanted.
The two-year-old coalition government of Prime Minister Enda Kenny drafted the bill following last year's death of a miscarrying woman in an Irish hospital. Three investigations since have determined that Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist, died from blood poisoning one week after admission for a miscarriage. Doctors denied her pleas for an abortion, even though her uterus had ruptured, because the 17-week-old fetus still had a heartbeat. By the time it stopped, investigations concluded, Halappanavar already had contracted a lethal dose of septicemia.
Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Saturday that, had the bill been law last year, Halappanavar might have received a prompt abortion and survived. He appealed to anti-abortion rebels in the main government Fine Gael party to accept the bill or abstain from the final vote expected Wednesday night. The bill received overwhelming backing in an initial vote this week.
Ireland outlaws abortion, a position underscored by a 1986 referendum amending the constitution to declare that the unborn have a right to life. But the Supreme Court in 1992 ruled that the constitution equally defends the pregnant woman's right to live, therefore life-saving abortions were legal.
Crucially, Ireland's highest court said this meant a woman should receive an abortion even if the only threat to her life was caused by her own suicide threats. Six governments since have refused to pass legislation backing that 1992 judgment, leaving obstetricians divided and confused over whether certain life-saving abortions can be performed legally.
In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland's failure to legislate meant pregnant women in dangerous medical conditions were forced to travel overseas, chiefly to neighboring England, for abortions. It said travel and bureaucratic delays meant some women's medical conditions worsened unnecessarily.
The government bill would permit an abortion for a suicidal woman if a panel of three doctors ? one obstetrician and two psychiatrists ? unanimously agree that the woman's threats are real. Abortion rights advocates say this rule means women in such circumstances still will travel to England, where abortion was legalized in 1967.
But those marching Saturday warned that women would conspire with sympathetic doctors to fake suicide threats, putting Ireland on a slippery slope to wider abortion access. Ireland is just one of two European Union members, alongside Malta, that outlaws the practice.
Before the march, Catholic Archbishop Diarmuid Martin led a central Dublin church in prayers for Ireland to keep abortion illegal. But in a nuanced sermon Martin told the crowd, among them families sitting on the floor beside packed pews, that pro-life campaigners must be careful not to come across as heartless to those on the other side of the debate.
Martin said those seeking to keep abortion out of Ireland must make their case "not through slogans but through the witness of life that we give." If not, he said, "what we say will appear, to quote Pope Francis, as being cold, impersonal and oppressive for people's day-to-day lives."
JNS.org -?Israel should do all it can to help the new secular government in Egypt beat the Muslim Brotherhood, even if that means amending the Military Annex of the Camp David peace accords to allow more Egyptian military assets into the Sinai Peninsula, the former director of the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister?s Office Brig. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Nuriel told?Army Radio on Sunday.
A new Islamist terrorist group in the Sinai calling itself Ansar al-Shariah announced its formation on Friday,?Israel Hayom reported. The group, in a statement posted on an online forum for terrorists, said it would gather arms and start training its members.
Israeli Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman (Likud-Beytenu) warned over the weekend that jihadists in the Sinai are taking advantage of the current turmoil in Egypt to stage attacks on Israel. The Sinai-based Sunni terrorist group Jamaat Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis took responsibility for a rocket attack on Eilat last Thursday.
?What is transpiring in Egypt should in no doubt be worrying us,? he said. ?This is our largest neighboring country, the first one we signed a peace agreement with, and clearly instability over there carries implications for the entire region.?
I scooped this card during a recent shopping adventure on Sportlots.com.
I had seen it many times before, both on the web and at card shows, but I never really felt like I needed it for my collection.
But on Sportlots.com, where many cards can be had for as little as $0.18 each, there is a little less thought about the investment so I tend to just go after stuff that I think would make for a neat addition to my collection.
And now that the card has arrived, it makes me wonder what Mantle was doing in this picture.?
Obviously he is?in the infield.? And he appears to be throwing to another base.? But, Mantle was an ouyfielder??
I just don?t get it.
Does anyone out there have more information about this picture and what it may actually be that we?re seeing??
I?m puzzled and would love a little more clarity!!!
Thanks.
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With High River, Alberta still under a partial evacuation order, Aviva Canada, one of the country?s leading providers of home, auto, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance, has established a temporary office in nearby Aldersyde to better serve area customers.
Aviva?s new temporary office will be open for customers starting Tuesday, July 2 at 9am local time and will be located in a motor home parked at the Petro Canada gas station/A&W restaurant at 64273 Highway 547 East, Aldersyde.
Aviva?s Catastrophe Response Team has been in Calgary visiting area residential and business customers since Monday, and the team is eager to extend that support to High River customers. The team has already spoken with most High River area customers and the outreach will continue over the weekend.
Once the High River evacuation order is fully lifted and a more suitable location for the mobile office can be found, the vehicle will move closer to residents? homes. Also at that time, Aviva adjusters will start visiting High River area customers in their homes and businesses.
Safety First
Aviva urges residents to use extreme caution when returning to their property.? Anytime that water damage is experienced, the first steps for property owners are to notify their broker or insurer and protect your property from further damage. It is important for homeowners to be aware that overland flooding is not covered by home insurance policies anywhere in Canada as it is a risk for only a small amount of the population. Sewer Backup coverage is widely covered in home insurance policies either as a standard inclusion or an add-on.
More information about flood coverage can be found in a press release issued by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.? For regularly updated and relevant information about the situation in Southern Alberta, please visit the Government of Alberta 2013 Alberta Floods webpage.
There are several other preliminary actions you may take before your insurance adjuster arrives. First and foremost, ensure the area where the backup occurred is safe to enter because:
Water damage may seriously weaken wall and ceiling structures.
Residents could be exposed to highly contaminated water with disease or bacteria from raw sewage and other pollutants.
Water may affect electrical and gas systems including related appliances, creating the possibility of serious electrical shock or explosion.
If in doubt about safety to perform any actions within homes, residents should contact their local authorities.
Actions
If necessary and it is safe to do so, turn off electricity, natural gas supply, furnace or air conditioner and water main, and stay away from electrical equipment.
Take photos of the damage caused by the flooding ? include pictures of the water?s entry point.
Be careful while cleaning up, wear gloves and dress appropriately ? remember the water may be contaminated.
Move as much furniture and other property as possible to a dry area.
Throw out any fresh, packaged or frozen foods and personal hygiene products which may have been affected by the water.
Make a list of all damaged property and note which property is permanently damaged and unusable.
Keep any damaged property so claims adjusters may inspect it before having it removed.
What to expect in the coming days:
If they have not already, residents should contact their insurer and/or insurance broker who will assess their claim. This is done to prioritize the damages of those most adversely affected.
Damages, if covered by an insurance policy, will be quantified through a visit with an adjuster and arrangements will be made to complete repairs and replace damaged property.
Adjusters and contractors will move to complete the emergency repairs to minimize further damages and to make damaged homes habitable.
The high level of damage caused by the water has put significant pressure on the local infrastructure and contractors will be focusing on those most badly hit first. As such, residents with lesser damage are asked to be patient with the repair timing.
About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. A wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the company has more than 3,000 employees, 25 locations and 1,700 independent broker partners. Aviva Canada and its employees invest in positive change including through the Aviva Community Fund and Eva's Initiatives, its partner in Aviva's global Street to School program to help homeless and other at-risk youth reach their potential.
For more information visit AvivaCanada.com, our blog or our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
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Media Contact: Glenn Cooper Senior Manager, Public Relations and Social Media Aviva Canada Inc. Desk: (416) 288-2685, Mobile: (416) 523-3225 glenn_cooper@avivacanada.com
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A prosecutor in George Zimmerman's murder trial on Tuesday tried to pick apart the statements of a Sanford Police detective who had been called as a prosecution witness a day before but gave testimony that seemed to benefit the defense.
Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda began by asking the judge to strike from the record a statement Detective Chris Serino made Monday in which he said he found credible Zimmerman's account of how he got into a fight with Trayvon Martin. De la Rionda argued the statement was improper because one witness isn't allowed to give an opinion on the credibility of another witness. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara argued it was proper because Serino was vetting Zimmerman's veracity in his probe.
Judge Debra Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement.
"This is an improper comment," the judge said.
De la Rionda then questioned Serino about his opinion given Monday that he didn't believe Zimmerman displayed any ill will or spite to Martin. Prosecutors must prove there was ill will, spite or a depraved mind by the defendant to get a second-degree murder conviction.
De la Rionda played back a police call Zimmerman had made to report Martin in the neighborhood: Zimmerman uses an expletive and "punks" and then says, "These a-------. They always get away." The prosecutor asked the investigator if those words showed some spite, and Serino said "a little."
Next, de la Rionda challenged Serino's contention that he found Zimmerman's story without major inconsistencies. The prosecutor played back Zimmerman's police interview in which investigators question Zimmerman about small differences in the neighborhood volunteer's story. The prosecutor also pointed out Zimmerman claimed that after he shot Martin, he spread out the teen's arms. But a photo taken immediately after the shooting shows Martin's arms under his body.
"Is that inconsistent with the defendant's statement he spread the arms out?" de la Rionda asked.
"That position, yes it is," Serino said.
It was Serino's second day on the witness stand. He and another investigator, Doris Singleton, testified Monday about their investigation as jurors heard a series of police interviews in which the detectives grew more pointed in their questioning.
In an early interview, just hours after the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting, Singleton recounted that Zimmerman noticed a cross she was wearing and said: "In Catholic religion, it's always wrong to kill someone."
Singleton said she responded, "If what you're telling me is true, I don't think that what God meant was that you couldn't save your own life."
But in an interview days later, Singleton and Serino suggest that Zimmerman was running after Martin before the confrontation. They also ask Zimmerman why he didn't explain to Martin why he was following him. The officers insinuate that Martin may have been "creeped out" by being followed.
"Do you think he was scared?" Singleton asked Zimmerman in one video interview.
Under cross-examination, though, Serino said Zimmerman seemed straightforward in his answers and didn't show any anger when talking about Martin. Serino said the increasingly pointed questioning is a tactic known as a "challenge interview," where detectives try to break someone's story to make sure they're telling the truth.
Zimmerman has said he fatally shot the unarmed black teen in self-defense in February, 2012, because he says Martin was banging his head into a concrete sidewalk behind townhomes in a gated community. Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
The state argued during its opening statement that Zimmerman profiled and followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teenager got into a fight. Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed. A 44-day delay in Zimmerman's arrest led to protests around the nation; he was ultimately charged by a Florida special prosecutor. Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Hispanic.
In his first interview at the police station, Zimmerman said he saw Martin walking through his neighborhood on a dark, rainy night while Zimmerman was driving to the grocery store. He told Singleton that he didn't recognize Martin and that there had been recent break-ins at his townhome complex.
Zimmerman told the police officer that he lost track of Martin and got out of his truck to look for a street name he could relay to a police dispatcher. When the dispatcher suggested Zimmerman didn't need to follow Martin, Zimmerman started to head back to his vehicle. At that point, Zimmerman alleged, Martin jumped out of some bushes, punched him and he fell to the ground.
Zimmerman said Martin began hitting his head against the sidewalk as Zimmerman yelled for help and that Martin told him, "You're going to die tonight."
With Zimmerman's shirt and jacket pushed up during the struggle and his holstered gun now visible, he thought Martin was reaching for his firearm holstered around his waist. Zimmerman told the officer that he shot Martin and the teen said, "You got me."
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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower.
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP.
Android 4.2.2 and root are required for camera app installation
The rumored Sony "Honami" -- Sony's potential flagship phone for 2013 -- is said to be a camera-centric smartphone with a 20-megapixel camera and a 1/1.6-inch sensor. While this sounds like it will make for some amazing pictures, software can be just as important as hardware when it comes to digital photography.
Owners of the Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, and Xperia Tablet Z can preview some of this software now on their own devices. Thanks to krabappel2548 of XDA Developers, users on Android 4.2.2 that have a custom recovery installed (i.e. are rooted) can check out the "Honami" camera app in action. Flash and HDR were recently fixed, and a script was added to remove the old camera app upon installation.
An iWatch may still be a distant dream
