Monday, March 18, 2013

Solar storm near Earth caused by fast CME

Solar storm near Earth caused by fast CME [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Mar-2013
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Contact: Susan Hendrix
Susan.m.hendrix@nasa.gov
301-286-7745
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

On March 17, 2013, at 1:28 a.m. EDT, the coronal mass ejection (CME) from March 15 passed by NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) as it approached Earth. Upon interacting with the giant magnetic bubble surrounding Earth, the magnetosphere, the CME caused a kind of solar storm known as a geomagnetic storm. The storm initially caused a mild storm rated on NOAA's geomagnetic storm scales as a G2 on a scale from G1 to G5, and subsequently subsided to a G1. In the past, storms of this strength have caused auroras near the poles but have not disrupted electrical systems on Earth or interfered with GPS or satellite-based communications systems.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (http://swpc.noaa.gov) is the United States Government official source for space weather forecasts. For this storm, they predict:

  • "Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 60 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
  • Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
  • Spacecraft - Minor impact on satellite operations possible.
  • Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes, i.e., northern tier of the U.S. such as northern Michigan and Maine."

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/nsfc-ssn031813.php

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Disable Windows 8?s Adaptive Brightness to Fix Dark Screen Problems

In the newly installed Windows 8, you might feel the Brightness level is not updated or according to user choice, the reason behind it that the relating brightness feature?doesn?t?work in proper manner. Now how to disable it follow the following:

More occasionally, it is a positive response that your feature is working so that one can make sure that the driver is working in a proper manner, still here is some points for you.

Dark Screen of windows 8Adjusting the Brightness in Windows 8

To start with the process, press the Win + I and you will see the Brightness control bar on the screen.

Brightness control bar The MacBook settings vary up and down.

Disabling Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8

Use the combination of keys, Win+D, to call up the power management icon, navigate to the more power options of the menu.

More Power OptionsNote: Metro screen should be used to access to the power options Panel.

Now, hit the ?Change Plan settings? and choose the Plan for it.

Power Options windowOnce here, you need to hit the ?Change Advanced Power settings? link.

More advanced power settingsAfter reaching at the right place, scroll down to Adaptive settings, and make the changes like turn on the settings from off to on.

Power optionsThrough the above stated settings, all the brightness issues are resolved and now you can alter the brightness of your PC by above stated discussions.

Source: http://techmell.com/how-to/disable-windows-8-adaptive-brightness-fix-dark-screen-problems/

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

Lenovo bringing contactless payments to certain NFC-enabled ThinkPads in 2013

Lenovo bringing contactless payments to certain NFCenabled ThinkPads in 2013

Select ThinkPad owners may be making online purchases simply by tapping a compatible credit card to an embedded NFC reader before 2013 is through. Lenovo reps confirmed that the tech would be coming to a yet-to-be-announced array of NFC-enabled ThinkPad tablets or Ultrabooks sometime this year -- processing partnerships are still in the works, so we don't have any details to share there, but if all goes to plan, you could be submitting your card details securely and with ease very soon. The company shared the news during today's Expand conference in San Francisco, shortly after unveiling two new ThinkPad models, including the T431s Ultrabook. Lenovo hasn't confirmed whether that model will offer tap-to-pay support, too, but we certainly wouldn't rule it out. We've seen contactless payments in plenty of smartphones, of course, but widespread tablet and laptop implementation has yet to arrive.

Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/17/lenovo-thinkpad-contactless-payments/

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travel & leisure: Top Tips for Travelling with Babies

By Steve Alexander

Having a baby can sometimes put people off travelling, but this doesn't have to be the case. Whether you've got the one baby or a few children, there are a few tips to make travelling with the kids an absolute doddle.

A plane journey can often be quite uncomfortable, and your baby is sure to agree! In order to keep them at a comfortable temperature, think about layering up your baby in comfortable and loose clothing. Packing a blanket or a lightweight scarf from home will give them a familiar smell to help them settle on the plane.

When you arrive at your destination, hailing a local taxi or negotiating the local trains can be a hassle and time consuming, especially with a baby, so book your transfer before you travel. There are many different options available to you and it will make your lives much easier to pre-book a transfer to your hotel.

After you've arrived at your resort in Puerto del Carmen or anywhere else, it's time to start enjoying your holiday and to do this, preparation is key. Take a few moments to get everything sorted for the baby, even if it means missing out on moments in the sun. When travelling with a baby, a parasol is an absolute must along with a high factor SPF, lots of water, and plenty of shade.

You want your baby to enjoy their new surroundings and play, but safety must come first with a baby especially when the sun is strong. Pack a cooling spray, which can be purchased from many High Street stores, to spray onto your baby to cool them down when necessary. This is also a great time for teaching your baby how to swim and become acquainted with the water. Let them splash around with your supervision and they'll soon become a water baby.



Source: http://bidding-travel.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-tips-for-travelling-with-babies.html

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

Kelsey Grammer Blew 6 Figures Investing in Windmills

A Hollywood actor/financial genius attempts to profit by "helping the environment."

Jessica Chasmar reports:

Former Frasier star Kelsey Grammer told TMZ on Tuesday that wind technology was the worst investment he?s ever made.?
Grammer told the tabloid that though his finances are good, he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on a small wind investment.?
?I?m OK, but I didn?t make up for it. It?s just one of those things that?s just a straight loss,? he said. ?You?d think it would be lucrative, but it?s not really a friendly environment for new technology, it really isn?t.?
And, oh yeah, he is way millions of dollars underwater relative to the price he paid for his Beverly Hills house that that he is now trying to sell. Details here.

Source: http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/kelsey-grammer-blew-6-figures-investing.html

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Egypt says 7 Palestinians deported to Gaza

CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptian authorities deported seven Palestinians to the Gaza Strip after they were detained for security reasons upon their arrival to Cairo airport, the state news agency said Saturday.

It was the latest indication of growing tension between the Palestinian militant movement Hamas in Gaza and Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi, who hails from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group from which Hamas is an offshoot.

The Palestinians were arrested in the same week that a state-owned Egyptian magazine published a report accusing Hamas of orchestrating the killing of 16 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula in August 2012 ? one of the bloodiest attacks against the Egyptian army in decades.

Hamas officials deny involvement in the deadly attack and also say the seven Palestinians were wrongfully held.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said in a statement that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal assured the group's supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, that "Hamas and all the Palestinians respect Egypt's security and do not intervene in its internal affairs."

The two met at Badie's office in Cairo on Saturday.

Mashaal also told Badie that the Palestinians consider Egypt a "strong pillar of support for the Palestinian issue and appreciate the sacrifices of Egypt and the Egyptian army."

Hamas had poor relations with former longtime Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak, who cooperated with Israel in imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip after the Islamist group seized control there following elections in 2005.

After Egypt's 2011 uprising that ousted Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood rose to power in Egypt, raising hopes in Gaza that Cairo's relationship with the enclave would improve.

The Palestinians, who were flying from Syria to Cairo, were detained on Tuesday because they did not have exit stamps, the state-run MENA agency reported. They were released three days later after investigations showed no illegal activity.

Syrian authorities do not stamp passports issued by the Palestinian Authority, which has a measure of limited self-rule over Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Instead, they stamp papers that Palestinians hold as proof of entry and exits instead.

"Thank God for their safe arrival," leading Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk wrote on his Facebook page.

Cross-border tunnels are another issue that has raised tension between Egypt and Gaza.

For the past several weeks, Egyptian authorities have been destroying smuggling tunnels that crisscross the Egypt-Gaza border. Gaza smugglers use the tunnels to ship cheap fuel, scarce construction materials and commercial goods into the territory, which is largely under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Other tunnels are used to haul in weapons and sneak in militants.

The Egyptian effort appears to be aimed at closing down the illegal routes to better control what is going in, but Hamas has accused Egypt of destroying the tunnels in order to halt a thriving smuggling trade that has propped up the local economy for the past five years.

Egypt's military, in particular, appears to view Hamas with suspicion, in part because the smuggling network into Gaza appears to overlap with Islamist militant groups in the Sinai Peninsula. The defense minister recently warned that the military is prepared to confront "anyone who dares to harm Egypt's security or armed forces."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-says-7-palestinians-deported-gaza-101650647.html

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Japanese P2 study shows potential of combined vaccine and steroid drug in castration-resistant PCa

Japanese P2 study shows potential of combined vaccine and steroid drug in castration-resistant PCa [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Mar-2013
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Contact: Ivanka Moerkerken
i.moerkerken@uroweb.org
31-026-389-0680
European Association of Urology

Arnhem, 11 March 2013- Multi-peptide vaccination therapy combined with the low-dose steroid drug dexamethasone shows promise in treating chemotherapy-naive castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients.

The study, which won the third prize for best abstract in oncology at the 28th European Association of Urology Congress held in Milan, Italy from 15 to 19 March, showed the promising benefit of this combination therapy in patients who are chemotherapy-naive or those not yet exposed to specific antigens.

"Results of our randomized prospective study suggest that multi-peptide vaccination therapy in combination with low dose dexamethasone has the therapeutic potential as a safe and efficient option for chemotherapy-nave CRPC patients," said lead study author Dr. Takahiro Kimura, of the Jikei University School of Medicine, Dept. of Urology, Tokyo, Japan.

Since immunotherapy does not have a strong ability to decrease tumour burden, it is considerably difficult to evaluate the full extent of a significant therapeutic effect with peptide vaccines, explained Kimura. "Taking this into consideration, the present evidence is promising," he said.

The researchers have previously developed MHC class-I restricted peptide vaccines for prostate cancer and carried out a phase 1 trial to assess safety and immunological evaluation. In the present study, Kimura and his colleagues conducted a randomized phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of peptide vaccine therapy for chemotherapy nave CRPC patients.

Early stage CRPC (PSA

Kimura said that although percentage PSA decline is the same in both vaccination/dexamethasone and dexamethasone alone group, PSA-PFS was significantly longer (p

"This means that the anti-tumour immune response may play an important role in suppressing disease progression. This therapeutic strategy using peptide vaccines is likely to be comparable as that from currently developed anti-androgenic agents such as abiraterone acetate, MDV3100," Kimura noted.

Castration resistant prostate cancer is a difficult patient group to manage since although a number of therapeutic modalities have been developed, none have lived up to the full expectations and treatment options remain limited.

Kimura added that although the concept of immunotherapy for cancer is not new, recent technological advances have opened new avenues to explore and optimize peptide-based immunotherapy.

"Since the anti-tumour effects of peptide vaccination are driven by different mechanisms as those from ADT and chemotherapy, we may circumvent many of the pitfalls experienced with the current therapies. We believe that this treatment approach will be key in order to achieve a breakthrough as a new therapeutic option for CRPC," he said.

###



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


Japanese P2 study shows potential of combined vaccine and steroid drug in castration-resistant PCa [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Ivanka Moerkerken
i.moerkerken@uroweb.org
31-026-389-0680
European Association of Urology

Arnhem, 11 March 2013- Multi-peptide vaccination therapy combined with the low-dose steroid drug dexamethasone shows promise in treating chemotherapy-naive castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients.

The study, which won the third prize for best abstract in oncology at the 28th European Association of Urology Congress held in Milan, Italy from 15 to 19 March, showed the promising benefit of this combination therapy in patients who are chemotherapy-naive or those not yet exposed to specific antigens.

"Results of our randomized prospective study suggest that multi-peptide vaccination therapy in combination with low dose dexamethasone has the therapeutic potential as a safe and efficient option for chemotherapy-nave CRPC patients," said lead study author Dr. Takahiro Kimura, of the Jikei University School of Medicine, Dept. of Urology, Tokyo, Japan.

Since immunotherapy does not have a strong ability to decrease tumour burden, it is considerably difficult to evaluate the full extent of a significant therapeutic effect with peptide vaccines, explained Kimura. "Taking this into consideration, the present evidence is promising," he said.

The researchers have previously developed MHC class-I restricted peptide vaccines for prostate cancer and carried out a phase 1 trial to assess safety and immunological evaluation. In the present study, Kimura and his colleagues conducted a randomized phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy of peptide vaccine therapy for chemotherapy nave CRPC patients.

Early stage CRPC (PSA

Kimura said that although percentage PSA decline is the same in both vaccination/dexamethasone and dexamethasone alone group, PSA-PFS was significantly longer (p

"This means that the anti-tumour immune response may play an important role in suppressing disease progression. This therapeutic strategy using peptide vaccines is likely to be comparable as that from currently developed anti-androgenic agents such as abiraterone acetate, MDV3100," Kimura noted.

Castration resistant prostate cancer is a difficult patient group to manage since although a number of therapeutic modalities have been developed, none have lived up to the full expectations and treatment options remain limited.

Kimura added that although the concept of immunotherapy for cancer is not new, recent technological advances have opened new avenues to explore and optimize peptide-based immunotherapy.

"Since the anti-tumour effects of peptide vaccination are driven by different mechanisms as those from ADT and chemotherapy, we may circumvent many of the pitfalls experienced with the current therapies. We believe that this treatment approach will be key in order to achieve a breakthrough as a new therapeutic option for CRPC," he said.

###



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

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/eaou-jps031113.php

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'Metasurfaces' to usher in new optical technologies

Mar. 14, 2013 ? New optical technologies using "metasurfaces" capable of the ultra-efficient control of light are nearing commercialization, with potential applications including advanced solar cells, computers, telecommunications, sensors and microscopes.

The metasurfaces could make possible "planar photonics" devices and optical switches small enough to be integrated into computer chips for information processing and telecommunications, said Alexander Kildishev, associate research professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University.

"I think we know enough at this point that we can realistically start to develop prototypes of devices for some applications," he said.

The promise of metasurfaces is described in an article appearing March 15 in the journal Science. The article was co-authored by Kildishev; Alexandra Boltasseva, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Vladimir M. Shalaev, scientific director of nanophotonics at Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center and a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The metasurfaces are extremely thin films of "metamaterials," assemblies that contain features, patterns or elements such as tiny antennas or alternating layers of oxides that enable an unprecedented control of light. Under development for about 15 years, the metamaterials owe their unusual potential to precision design on the scale of nanometers.

Optical nanophotonic circuits might harness clouds of electrons called "surface plasmons" to manipulate and control the routing of light in devices too tiny for conventional lasers.

The metasurfaces are typically created using electron-beam lithography or focused ion beam milling and may also be made of materials that are compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing and industrial processes.

"That is one of the attractive features of metasurfaces," Kildishev said. "If we use certain types of plasmonic material, they can be integrated into existing semiconductor processes, which makes them practical for commercialization."

Plasmonic metamaterials are promising for various advances, including a possible "hyperlens" that could make optical microscopes 10 times more powerful; advanced chemical sensors; new types of light-harvesting systems for more efficient solar cells; computers and consumer electronics that use light instead of electronic signals to process information; and a cloak of invisibility.

The metasurfaces can be combined with thin sheets of carbon called graphene.

"If you apply voltage the optical properties of graphene change, and if you couple a graphene layer with a metasurface, these properties then change dramatically," Kildishev said.

Metasurfaces could make it possible to use single photons -- the tiny particles that make up light -- for switching and routing in future computers. While using photons would dramatically speed up computers and telecommunications, conventional photonic devices cannot be miniaturized because the wavelength of light is too large to fit in tiny components needed for integrated circuits.

Nanostructured metamaterials, however, could make it possible to reduce the size of photons and the wavelength of light, allowing the creation of new types of nanophotonic devices, Shalaev said.

Some of the new materials may have applications involving near-infrared light, the range of the spectrum critical for telecommunications and fiberoptics. Other materials also might work for light in the spectrum's visible range.

Unlike natural materials, metamaterials may possess an index of refraction less than one or less than zero. Refraction occurs as electromagnetic waves, including light, bend when passing from one material into another. It causes the bent-stick-in-water effect, which occurs when a stick placed in a glass of water appears crooked when viewed from the outside.Being able to create materials with an index of refraction that's negative or between one and zero promises a range of potential breakthroughs in a new field called transformation optics.

Development of new technologies using metamaterials has been hindered by two major limitations: too much light is "lost," or absorbed by metals such as silver and gold contained in the metamaterials, and the materials need to be more precisely tuned so that they possess the proper index of refraction. Ultrathin metasurfaces made of novel low-loss plasmonic material components is a promising way to address this challenge.

Researchers are working to replace silver and gold in materials that are created either by making semiconductors more metallic by adding metal impurities to them; or adding non-metallic elements to metals, in effect making them less metallic. Examples of these materials include transparent conducting oxides and titanium nitride, Boltasseva said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Purdue University. The original article was written by Emil Venere.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. A. V. Kildishev, A. Boltasseva, V. M. Shalaev. Planar Photonics with Metasurfaces. Science, 2013; 339 (6125): 1232009 DOI: 10.1126/science.1232009

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/klOizXFWIno/130314180309.htm

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A Must Read If You Are Planning On Traveling Abroad | Content for ...

Author: Edna D. Kudeta | Total views: 117 Comments: 0
Word Count: 691 Date:

Sometimes, you may want to take a break from the same vacation to the beach that you take every year. This year, why not try a haunted vacation. There are many travel destinations that cater to the supernatural. This article will give you tips for finding the best spooky travel destinations.

Check the alarm in your hotel room when you arrive. Whether by simple accident or obnoxious prank, many a traveler has been awakened early in the morning or worse, in the middle of the night, by the alarm clock at their bedside. If you want to ensure a relaxing start to your vacation, make sure the alarm is off, or at least, set to when you would like to awaken.

If you are staying at a hotel while traveling, be sure to figure out where all of the emergency exits are located. You never know when there might be a fire drill or even a fire. Your map reading skills aren't going to be at their best when you are woken by the alarm at 4 AM, so it's better to know in advance.

A great travel tip is to wear headphones if you want to be left alone when you're traveling. When people see you wearing headphones, they'll be less apt to talk to you because they'll think you're busy listening to music. This can be a great way to keep your personal space.

If you enjoy traveling a fun tip is to make a traveling wish list. Make a list of the top ten places you want to visit when you go, and make it a challenge to go see them all. This makes sure you get the most out of your trip, and gives it a little extra pizazz.

Do some research ahead of time and look for dining credits and coupons for your destination. You can also save a lot of money by getting advice about where to eat before you depart. This is better than asking for recommendations when you are already hungry and in a strange place.

Don't be so tight with your time on a road trip, especially if someone needs you to pull over so that they can go to the restroom. An extra 10 minutes will not destroy your trip or completely ruin your plans. This will also help you avoid grumpy or whiny travelers on the trip.

Use a good quality suitcase or bag when traveling. Cheap suitcases or bags can be flimsy, easily damaged and difficult to maneuver. When you are traveling on public transportation, the last thing you want is for your suitcase or bag to split open and have all your personal belongings fly everywhere.

As a general rule, never take anything with you on a journey that you would be devastated to lose. Items in this category could include jewelry, family photographs and documents. Under normal circumstances, you will not need to carry things like your social security card and extra credit cards. Leave these at home to avoid having to replace them in case of loss or theft.

When packing for a long trip, limit yourself to about two colors of clothing. This will help to ensure that everything you bring to wear on your trip will match with everything else. It will also limit the number of shoes and accessories you need to match with your outfits.

Pack some plastic bags when going on a longer trip. Plastic bags always come in handy when you spill something, for toiletries or if you have some dirty laundry. Meanwhile, some places have laundry opportunities, so it is always useful to carry a plastic bag with you to keep your dirty laundry in.

No matter where you are going or how you plan to get there, the information in this article will offer a fresh perspective to consider as you make your travel plans. Keep these tips in mind as you plan your next recreational trip, and you are sure to discover something new.

To learn more about last minute hotel deals Toronto and Toronto hotel deals, visit Edna D. kudeta's site today for complete information.n

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1: Turn This Year's Renter Into An Annual Vacation Rental Guest

In the business world, success depends on repeat customers and their referrals - the vacation home rental business is no exception. Which is why it is startling to note that repeat renters in this business account for only 10% of all bookings.

2: Top Ten Sights To Visit In Munich

First-time travellers to Munich will marvel at the amazing sights and places of this beautiful city As Munich is very compact and small with a good and reliable transport system, it is an easy city to travel around

3: Nights Out In Exeter ?an Exeter Guide To Pubs And Clubs

Exeter is a busy and vibrant city with nightlife to match The majority of the Nightclubs are located down on the old Exeter Quay and this provides a pleasant backdrop to some of Exeter?s Nightclubs

4: 5 Top Snow Boarding Destinations

Now let me tell you about some of the greatest places that there are to snow board in the world. I really mean I am going to tell you about the places, that if you are a snow boarder you simply must visit if you want to have experienced the greatest snow boarding that is out there.

5: Booking Your Hotel Through a Travel Site? Wait Until You Read This

Travel sites offer an extremely convenient way to check fares and reviews of hotels. You just enter your location and you are presented with a list of hotels in that area with user reviews and the lowest fares. What can get better than this, isn't it? That's what I felt when I booked my hotel through MakeMyTrip.com, a popular travel site. What awaited me was something I never expected in my wildest dreams...

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/recreation-and-leisure/travel/a-must-read-if-you-are-planning-on-traveling-abroad.htm

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Smallest vibration sensor in the quantum world

Mar. 15, 2013 ? Carbon nanotubes and magnetic molecules are considered building blocks of future nanoelectronic systems. Their electric and mechanical properties play an important role. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and French colleagues from Grenoble and Strasbourg have now found a way to combine both components on the atomic level and to build a quantum mechanical system with novel properties.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

In their experiment the researchers used a carbon nanotube that was mounted between two metal electrodes, spanned a distance of about 1 ?m, and could vibrate mechanically. Then, they applied an organic molecule with a magnetic spin due to an incorporated metal atom. This spin was oriented in an external magnetic field.

?In this setup, we demonstrated that the vibrations of the tube are influenced directly when the spin flips parallel or antiparallel to the magnetic field,? explains Mario Ruben, head of the working group at KIT. When the spin changes, the resulting recoil is transferred to the carbon nanotube and the latter starts to vibrate. Vibration changes the atomic distances of the tube and, hence, its conductance that is used as a measure of motion.

The strong interaction between a magnetic spin and mechanical vibration opens up interesting applications apart from determining the states of motion of the carbon nanotube. It is proposed to determine the masses of individual molecules and to measure magnetic forces within the nano-regime. Use as a quantum bit in a quantum computer might also be feasible.?

According to the supplementary information published in the same issue of nature nanotechnology such interactions are of high importance in the quantum world, i.e. in the range of discrete energies and tunnel effects, for the future use of nanoscopic effects in macroscopic applications. Combination of spin, vibration, and rotation on the nanoscale in particular may result in entirely new applications and technologies.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Marc Ganzhorn, Svetlana Klyatskaya, Mario Ruben, Wolfgang Wernsdorfer. Strong spin?phonon coupling between a single-molecule magnet and a carbon nanotube nanoelectromechanical system. Nature Nanotechnology, 2013; 8 (3): 165 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.258

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/u9hITJ-ld-0/130315095919.htm

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Protection of Sharks and Rays Threatens to Divide CITES (Voice Of America)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/290404975?client_source=feed&format=rss

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People Who Inspire The World's Most Innovative ... - Business Insider

Elon Musk is arguably the most innovative man in technology, or even the world. He's the founder of electric car company Tesla Motors, he's chairman of Solar City, and he created NASA rival SpaceX.

Who inspires the man who inspires everyone else?

Today at a big tech conference, South by Southwest, Elon Musk told thousands of listeners that he has great admiration for Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos.

"I've been inspired by a lot of historical figures," Musk said. "One of my favorite guys is Ben Franklin. He just thought about what are the problems that need to get solved and worked on those. He seemed like a good guy all around. I like historical figures in science and literature."

Next, Musk was asked for the best advice he's ever received.

Musk says it didn't come from a person. It came from studying physics.

"The physics training is very good training," he said. "It's a good framework for reasoning. You break things down to the most fundamental truths, and break them down to try and figure out what reality is. You have got have a framework for getting there. Quantum Mechanics is incredibly counter-intuitive, but it's true. It's a lot of advice, and it's the right framework."

Overall, Musk is a fan of critical thinking.

"Just in general, critical thinking is good," he said. "Does the logic connect? What are the range of probably outcomes? You want to figure out what those probabilities are and ideally be the House. It's fine to gamble, as long as you're the House. Also, listen to critical feedback, particularly from friends. Generally they will be thinking it but they won't tell you."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/people-who-inspire-the-worlds-most-innovative-billionaire-2013-3

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Video Game Analyst Michael Pachter Announces His Next ...

Michael Pachter, renowned video game analyst, held a presentation at South by Southwest (SXSW), where he shared his predictions about the upcoming generation of video game consoles.

Images of Pachter's presentation come care of Geoff Keighley on Twitter. Among his many predictions, Pachter said that this will be the last generation of home consoles, games will cost an extra $10 than the previous generation, and he shared his lifetime sales predictions for the Wii U, PlayStation 4, and whatever Microsoft's next console will be.

Pachter believes that the Wii U will under-perform, and sell about half as many units as the Wii. For the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's next console, he is predicting that both consoles will outsell their predecessors by about 20 million units.

What do you think about Pachter's latest batch of predictions?

Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/03/09/video-game-analyst-michael-pachter-announces-his-next-generation-predictions-at-sxsw.aspx

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Big storm heads east from Rockies

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

A winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of Arizona and nearly as much on the mountains of Southern California was headed eastward Saturday, forecasters said.

Weather.com reported that conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as snow spread from the Rockies into the Front Range and High Plains of Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.

It said accumulating snow and strong, gusty winds would affect Denver, Colo., where 6 to 12 inches of snow were expected, and Cheyenne, Wyo. on Saturday.

Read more from weather.com

Travel conditions ?will be poor? on stretches of I-70, I-80 and I-25, weather.com said.

Blizzard conditions were possible in western Nebraska, southeast Wyoming, northwest Kansas and northeast Colorado, it added.

Snow and some ice was expected from parts of Nebraska to South Dakota and northern/central Minnesota.

Thunderstorms could also hit from southern Minnesota to southern Wisconsin, and southwestward to portions of Texas.

The National Weather Service said there would be ?widespread precipitation? from the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley to the upper Great Lakes region Saturday and Sunday.?

?Heavy downpours and potentially severe thunderstorms will be the main threat across the southern tier of the nation as an organized line of convection fires up along a cold front marching from the southern plains to the lower Mississippi/Tennessee valley,? it said.

?Moderate to heavy snows developing to the north and west of the anchoring surface low are expected to combine with strong and gusty winds to create blizzard conditions over portions of the central high Plains on Saturday,? it added.

Possible snow or freezing rain could also create ?hazardous? conditions in the central Plains and upper Midwest, according to the NWS.

More than 20 inches of snow fell on parts of New England and waves pounded the shoreline as the latest winter storm hit a region already battered several times since October. Weather Channel Meteorologist Eric Fisher reports.

The latest storm comes after New England was hit by up to two feet of snow.

That storm, which moved out to sea Friday afternoon, also brought high winds that battered Nantucket, Martha?s Vineyard, and Long Island, the Weather Channel reported.

A seaside house on Plum Island, about 40 miles north of Boston, was listing at a 45-degree angle after being battered by waves, WHDH reported.

??I?ve owned the house for a long, long time,? homeowner Stephen Bandoian told WHDH in a phone interview from Florida. ?It was a great home, it was a great place, and now it?s gone.?

Matt DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News, contributed to this report.

Related

?Snowstorm misses Washington, pounds areas west of nation's capital

'Wave after wave of snow' to hit New England hard, forecasters warn

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/09/17247626-big-storm-heads-east-from-rockies-bringing-snow-heavy-rain?lite

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Security threats, fractures plague US and Afghans

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A series of security problems and difficult fractures in relations with Afghan leaders plagued Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's first trip here as Pentagon chief, including the Afghan president's accusations that the U.S. and the Taliban are working in concert to show that violence in the country will worsen if most coalition troops leave.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Joseph Dunford, quickly rejected the charges President Hamid Karzai made Sunday as "categorically false." But the accusations were just the latest in a series of disputes that have frayed relations between the two nations as the U.S. works to wind down the war and turn the country's security over to the Afghans.

Speaking to reporters shortly after Karzai made the comments, Dunford said the Afghan leader has never expressed such views to him but said it was understandable that tensions would arise as the coalition balances the need to complete its mission with the Afghans' move to exercise more sovereignty.

"We have fought too hard over the past 12 years, we have shed too much blood over the past 12 years, we have done too much to help the Afghan security forces grow over the last 12 years to ever think that violence or instability would be to our advantage," said Dunford.

Dunford's comments came, however, soon after U.S. officials cancelled a news conference with Hagel and Karzai because of a security threat ? just a day after a suicide bomber on a bicycle struck outside the Afghan Defense Ministry, killing nine Afghan civilians and wounding 14 others. Hagel heard the explosion from the safe location where he was meeting with Afghan officials but was never in danger.

The security problems compounded a series of flare-ups in recent weeks, including a dispute that has stalled the transfer of a U.S. prison to Afghan authority as well as Karzai's order to expel U.S. special operations forces out of Wardak province, which lies just outside the capital, because of allegations that Afghans working with the commandos were involved in abusive behavior.

Hagel and Karzai still planned to meet privately Sunday, and some of the ongoing issues were likely to come up. The U.S. and Afghan leaders are in the midst of negotiations over the long-term presence of American forces in Afghanistan beyond the end of 2014, when all combat troops are scheduled to leave.

U.S. officials would not provide details on the security concerns that led to cancelling the news conference. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly. But Pentagon press secretary George Little said the cancellation was not due to Karzai's earlier comments about the U.S. and the Taliban.

During a nationally televised speech, Karzai said two suicide bombings that killed 19 people on Saturday ? the one outside the Afghan Defense Ministry and the other near a police checkpoint in eastern Khost province ? show the insurgent group is conducting attacks to help show that international forces will still be needed to keep the peace after their current combat mission ends in 2014.

"The explosions in Kabul and Khost yesterday showed that they are at the service of America and at the service of this phrase: 2014. They are trying to frighten us into thinking that if the foreigners are not in Afghanistan, we would be facing these sorts of incidents," he said during the speech about the state of Afghan women.

Karzai is known for making incendiary comments in his public speeches. And Dunford on Sunday said that some of the recent disputes between the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan leaders "strike at the heart of sovereignty" and could be more political in nature. He said Karzai may be doing what he needs to do to communicate with the Afghan people and their political leaders outside the government.

Dunford also rejected the suggestion that the recent friction reflects an erosion in the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan.

"We do not have a broken relationship, we do not have a lack of trust," said Dunford, adding that none of the political dust-ups have bled over into his dealings with his Afghan security force counterparts. He said efforts to train and advise the Afghan security forces have continued and that plans for them to be in the lead for security across the country later this summer are on track.

Dunford would not detail why the scheduled transfer of the Parwan Detention Center was delayed again and called it a difference in perspective. But he made clear that the U.S. believes it must retain the power to insure that detainees who are deemed to be security threats remain in custody.

Currently, there is an Afghan administrator of the prison, which is located about an hour outside the capital, but the Americans have veto power over the release of detainees. The prisoners held under American authority do not have the right to a trial because the U.S. considers them detainees held as part of an ongoing conflict.

Regarding the move to expel the special operations forces, Dunford said he spoke to Karzai about the issue on Saturday and told him the U.S. is working on a plan to transition security in the Wardak region to Afghan forces. He would not directly say whether the commandos will stay in Wardak when the deadline to leave comes on Monday. But he said Karzai knows they are working on the plan and has not yet issued a directive to the force.

___

Associated Press writers Heidi Vogt and Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

___

Follow Lolita C. Baldor on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbaldor

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/security-threats-fractures-plague-us-afghans-153405073--politics.html

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Saturday, March 9, 2013

PERSPECTIVE: Technology at root of disappointing job prospects ...

By Jordan Buie
Guest Writer

When I started attending Union University in 2006, Movie Gallery was the second largest movie rental company in the United States and Canada. By the end of April 2010, Movie Gallery had filed for bankruptcy.

One thing seemed certain: The quick disappearance of a company at the top of its market seemed less to do with the Great Recession ? which was well under way ? and more a result of companies? reaction to the recession and the tool with which they had chosen to combat it.

That tool was technology.

Technology?s defeat of human employment seemed to be growing terabyte by terabyte, as the lone attendants in grocery stores man self-check-out stations, once the job of workers now laid off because of machinery.

Noticing these changes, I wrote an editorial for the ?Cardinal & Cream? as a student at Union in April 2010 about technology taking over jobs. I think the former newspaper adviser chuckled, but the piece ran in the paper.

Fast forward three years.

In January, the Associated Press wire service ran a three-part series about why jobs are not coming back after the Recession.

The headline on the first piece read: ?AP IMPACT: Recession, tech kill middle-class jobs.?

Right there it was, the idea from my college perspective piece reported three years later, not as mere conjecture but the consensus of many economic experts.

In the first story, reported on Jan. 23 by Bernard Condon and Paul Wiseman, the writing almost restates my original thesis.

?Increasingly, jobs are disappearing in the service sector, home to two-thirds of all workers,? the story reported. ?They are being obliterated by technology. Year after year, the software that runs computers and an array of other machines and devices becomes more sophisticated and powerful and capable of doing more efficiently tasks that humans have always done.?

The point the article raises is that when times were hardest during the Great Recession, companies started using computers not only to replace the jobs of blue collar workers but also those of accountants, secretaries and other white-collar, degree-requiring jobs that previously were assumed to be safe careers.

The article reports that of 3.5 million jobs lost during the Recession that paid employees between $38,000 and $68,000 a year, only 2 percent returned.

The series continued with a second article, titled ?Practically human: Can smart machines do your job?? and the third, ?Will smart machines create a world without work??

Those articles bring up self-driving cars, a robotic library that finds any book and technology that makes electric company meter readers irrelevant.

The case these articles make is that the jobs most at stake are ones that are repetitive and require less creativity and critical thinking.

The article states people will still need to manage machines. But these jobs require extensive training.

In my 2010 piece, I cited Kurt Vonnegut?s 1952 novel ?Player Piano.?

?In Vonnegut?s world, capitalism?s drive for an industry driven by automated assemblies led to an overall decline in the quality of life,? I wrote. ?As automated industry eliminated the need for human laborers, the lower class was left at the mercy of the upper class in hopes that they might receive some of the few available managerial positions. However, most of the jobs available required intensely-specialized, doctorate-level degrees.?

I like to think that as a writer, I have job security against a machine. But the second article said a company in Durham, N. C., is using computers to produce automated sports stories, so maybe no job is safe.

But one thing seems certain. People who live their lives awake and sincere, as creators and innovators and people who make a difference in the lives of others, these people are much harder to replace.

Perhaps the answer for not being replaced by a machine is to not live like one.

Jordan Buie, class of 2010, is a writer for The Jackson Sun and has started a website to cover the technological revolution at www.thedailyfuture.com. You can reach Jordan at jbuie@thedailyfuture.com.

Source: http://www.cardinalandcream.info/2013/03/07/perspective-technology-at-root-of-disappointing-job-prospects/

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Voices from Catholic Africa: Church modernization is a mistake

LUWERO, Uganda (Reuters) - Over the past century, the Catholic Church has been growing fastest in one of the regions other Catholics know least. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for only one percent of the world Catholic population in 1910. By 2010, that had jumped to 16 percent.

The faith here has a strength and exuberance that reminds some of early Christians. "These people are living a kind of New Testament experience," says U.S. theologian George Weigel.

It is also highly conservative. Interviews in Luwero, a town in central Uganda, elicited moral stands so strict they would surprise Catholics in the West, as well as deep concern about poverty and justice.

"Modernisation has spoiled Catholics a little bit and they think they have to do whatever they want," said Joseph Lwevuze, 58, who grows pineapples, coffee and other crops in a nearby village and teaches catechism at his local church.

"Homosexuality is a globalization issue," he said to illustrate his point. "It's a virus, if I can use today's computer language. It's a computer virus that's spreading. Even animals do not do it."

Demands from Europe or the United States for reform of Church attitudes meet stiff opposition here. "The new pope needs to maintain and even tighten traditional Church teaching," said brickmaker Frederick Lule, 25, who struggles to feed his wife and two children but honors the Catholic ban on artificial birth control and abortion.

"I think those pills they give women bring diseases," said Joanina Nansubuga, a 35-year-old mother of seven, one of few who did not object to the idea of married priests.

"If you allow priests to marry, then the Catholic Church will start to crumble," objected Edward Sindamanya, 64, who walked from his hamlet to Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral to pay his tithe and say a rosary. "I've also heard women want to be allowed to be priests. That can't be."

What these Catholics wanted most from the next pope was more help to fight poverty and provide better education and health facilities.

"The Gospel should be translated into action so there are equal opportunities for the African farmer to sell coffee to Europe and get better prices," said Rev Gerald Wamala, 36, a local priest and head of the local church AIDS program. "It would be great for the new pope to speak out on equity in international trade."

(Edited by Tom Heneghan and Sara Ledwith)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/voices-catholic-africa-church-modernization-mistake-070733897.html

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Friday, March 8, 2013

What will Venezuela do with its oil? Top five energy challenges after Ch?vez.

With the passing of Hugo Ch?vez, the issue of what Venezuela chooses to do with its oil moves to center stage for the energy industry ? and for environmentalists. Venezuela?s future leaders face key questions, including who to sell to and barter with and how aggressively to develop the country?s huge tar sands (oil sands) deposits. Here are five energy challenges that Venezuela will have to grapple with, many of which will have repercussions beyond its borders.

- Laurent Belsie,?Staff writer

Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez takes a sample of crude during his weekly broadcast at a nationalized oil field at Orinoco's belt in the southern strip of the eastern Orinoco River in 2008. One of the biggest dilemmas facing Venezuela's post-Chavez leaders is what to do with the country's immense deposits of tar sands, which offer a huge possible source of oil that would be costly and difficult to extract. (Miraflores Palace/Handout/Reuters/File)

1. The Orinoco Belt

The biggest issue for Venezuela is what to do with its immense deposits of tar sands (also known as oil sands). If one counts the technically recoverable oil estimated to lie in a 375-mile stretch of land along the Orinoco River, then Venezuela has bigger oil reserves than anybody, including Saudi Arabia ? some 296.5 billion barrels of oil, by one estimate. The big question: Is it economically feasible to produce that oil? The process is energy intensive, costly, and environmentally questionable. Environmentalists have attacked Canada for producing oil from its tar sands ? and have mounted a highly visible campaign to stop a planned pipeline that would carry its oil product to US refiners in the Gulf of Mexico. Venezuela's effort could turn out to be even bigger.

Venezuela needs to do something. Under Mr. Ch?vez, its economy became even more reliant on the oil industry even as production fell. In the mid-1990s, Venezuelan production peaked at around 3.5 million barrels of oil a day. Today, it's closer to 2.5 million barrels a day.

In the 1990s, Venezuela created four projects to begin to convert its tar sands into a lighter crude, known as syncrude. The facilities have the capacity to produce 600,000 barrels per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, but they are estimated to be producing less than 500,000 a day. Venezuela could use more investment to develop its tar sands, but that would require outside help.

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fJSmCXlQfKI/What-will-Venezuela-do-with-its-oil-Top-five-energy-challenges-after-Chavez

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How an S-Corp Can Reduce Your Self-Employment Taxes ...

Updated for Tax Year: 2012

If you're self-employed, one way to help avoid higher Social Security and Medicare taxes is to organize your business as an S-corporation.

If you're self-employed, you'll usually have to pay higher Social Security and Medicare taxes, collectively known as self-employment taxes, than if you were an employee of a company. One way to help avoid these higher taxes is to organize your business as an S-corporation. The Internal Revenue Service may take a close look at your taxes if you choose this route, as you could end up lowering your overall tax liability while generating the same net income.

Self-employment taxes

Whether you're self-employed or an employee, you'll have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes to the government. When you work for someone else, you're only responsible for part of these taxes, while your employer pays the balance. However, if you're self-employed, you have to pay both portions of this tax. The combined employee and employer portions of this tax amount traditionally amounted to 15.3 percent, although the rate was dropped to 13.3 percent for tax years 2011 and 2012.

S-Corp distributions

If you organize your business as an S-corporation, you can classify some of your income as salary and some as a distribution. You'll still be liable for self-employment taxes on the salary portion of your income, but you'll just pay ordinary income tax on the distribution portion. Depending on how you divide your income, you could save a substantial amount of self-employment taxes just by converting to an S-corporation.

Risks of S-Corporations

The IRS tends to take a closer look at S-corporation returns since the potential for abuse is so large. For example, if you make $500,000 in one year but only designate $20,000 of that as salary income, you might trigger an IRS inquiry, since you are avoiding so much self-employment tax. The guiding principle is that you must designate a "reasonable" amount of your income as wages, rather than a distribution. What constitutes "reasonable" can often be a gray area, but if you push the envelope too far, you put yourself at risk for an IRS audit and potentially penalties and interest on any back taxes assessed by the IRS.

Additional costs for S-Corporations

While an S-corporation may save you in self-employment taxes, it may cost you more than it saves. As with larger corporations, an S-corporation has both start-up and ongoing legal and accounting costs. In some states, S-corporations must also pay additional fees and taxes. For example, in California, an S-corporation must pay tax of 1.5 percent on its income with a minimum annual amount of $800. This tax is not required for sole proprietors.

Source: http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Small-Business-Taxes/How-an-S-Corp-Can-Reduce-Your-Self-Employment-Taxes/INF22938.html

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Satellite detects third radiation belt around Earth

NASA's twin Van Allen Probes caught the temporary formation of an third ring of high-energy particles in the Van Allen radiation belts.

By Nancy Atkinson,?Universe Today / March 1, 2013

Two giant swaths of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, surrounding Earth were discovered in 1958. In 2012, observations from the Van Allen Probes showed that a third belt can sometimes appear. The radiation is shown here in yellow, with green representing the spaces between the belts.

NASA/Van Allen Probes/Goddard Space Flight Center

Enlarge

In September of 2012, scientists with the newly launched Van Allen Probes got permission to turn on one of their instruments after only three days in space instead of waiting for weeks, as planned. They wanted to turn on the Relativistic Electron Proton Telescope (REPT) so that its observations would overlap with another mission called SAMPEX (Solar, Anomalous, and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer), that was soon going to de-orbit and re-enter Earth?s atmosphere.

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Now, they are very glad they did, as something happened that no one had ever seen before. A previously unknown third radiation belt formed in the Van Allen Radiation Belts that encircle Earth. The scientist watched ? in disbelief ? while their data showed the extra belt forming, then suddenly disappear, like it had been cut away with a knife. They have not yet seen a recurrence of a third belt.
?

?First we thought our instruments weren?t working correctly,? said Dan Baker, a member of the Van Allen Probes team from the University of Colorado at Boulder, ?but we quickly realized we were seeing a real phenomenon.?

What happened is that shortly before REPT was turned on, solar activity on the Sun had sent energy toward Earth that caused the radiation belts to swell. The energetic particles then settled into a new configuration, showing an extra, third belt extending out into space.

?By the fifth day REPT was on, we could plot out our observations and watch the formation of a third radiation belt,? says Shri Kanekal, the deputy mission scientist for the mission. ?The third belt persisted beautifully, day after day, week after week, for four weeks.?

Since their discovery in 1958, we?ve known that the Van Allen radiation belt is composed of two donut-shaped layers of energetic charged particles around the planet Earth, held in place by its magnetic field.

The scientists are now incorporating what they saw into new models of the radiation belts ? a region that can sometimes swell dramatically in response to incoming energy from the Sun, impacting satellites and spacecraft or pose potential threats to human space flight.

The belts are normally between 200 to 60,000 kilometers above Earth; the new ring was much further out.

Launched on August 30, 2012 as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission, the twin probes were renamed in honor of the belts? discoverer, astrophysicist James Van Allen. Observations of the belts have shown they are dynamic and mysterious. However, this type of dynamic three-belt structure was never seen, or even considered, theoretically.

The Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma (ECT) suite of instruments on board the probes were designed to help understand how populations of electrons moving at nearly the speed of light and penetrating ions in space form or change in response to variable inputs of energy from the Sun.

Already, what the team has learned is re-writing the textbooks of what is known about the Van Allen belts.

?These events we?ve recorded are extraordinary and are already allowing us to refine and confirm our theories of belt dynamics in a way that will lead to predictability of their behavior,? said astrophysicst Harlan Spence, principal investigator for the ECT, ?which is important for understanding space weather and ultimately for the safety of astronauts and spacecraft that operate within such a hazardous region of geospace.?

At a press briefing today, the team was asked why this third ring had never been observed before.

?We?ve never had the capability before to see something like this, said Nicky Fox, Van Allen Probes deputy project scientist. ?The fact that we had such an amazing discovery within days of turning them on shows we still have mysteries to discover and explain. What the Van Allen Probes have shown is that the advances in technology and detection made by NASA have already had an almost immediate impact on basic science.?

Baker added, ?As the philosopher Yogi Bera once said, you can observe a lot just by looking. This shows that when you open new eyes on the Universe you can invariably find new things.?

The team will be seeking to understand what the third ring mean for astronauts and satellites, even though the new ring is farther out, the regions in Earth orbit are magnetically connected to the new region that formed.

?Knowing more about this and understanding more about the belt is important for having better models and being able to predict the lifetimes of spacecraft,? said Fox.

?The rings, satellites, the space station are all affected by space weather,? said Mona Kessel, Van Allen Probes program scientist. ?We don?t completely understand what we?ve seen, but we are modeling it and trying to piece this all together, so stay tuned.?

The team has published a paper in the journal Science.

Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the?NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast?and works with the?Astronomy Cast?and?365 Days of Astronomy?podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

Connect with Nancy on?Facebook?|?Twitter?|?Google +?|?Website

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow?@universetoday?on Twitter

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/tjwgOrdgbuw/Satellite-detects-third-radiation-belt-around-Earth

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Thursday, March 7, 2013

Hands-on with Fujitsu's waterproof, dustproof Stylistic M702 tablet (video)

Somehow we missed this at Mobile World Congress last week. We were so busy playing with Fujitsu's GPS cane and 5-inch F-02E phone that we didn't even notice the company introduce a waterproof, dustproof Android tablet. As you can see in that shot above, the Stylistic M702 is more than just water-resistant: it meets the standards for IPX5, 7 and 8, which is to say it can withstand immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. (That, and the occasional jet stream.) A close inspection of the tablet will show that all the ports are sealed with rubber-coated doors, which should keep out liquid as well as dust particles.

Other than that, this more or less has all the specs you'd expect on a high-end Android tablet, including a 1.7GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, a 10.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200, IPS display, 2GB of RAM, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, MHL, dual 8MP / 1.2MP cameras and LTE connectivity. The built-in storage tops out at 32 gigs, but fortunately there's a microSD slot to give you more leeway. Out of the box it will run Android 4.0, but an upgrade to Jelly Bean is coming. Interestingly, there's also a small door housing an antenna, but that'll only be offered on the Japanese model; the European config we handled here at CeBIT had just a blank slot. Most impressive of all, potentially, is the claimed battery life: the 10,000mAh cell is rated for 15 hours of runtime, which would be a coup indeed. And at 590g (1.3 pounds) the tablet isn't even that heavy, considering the gigantic battery squeezed inside. It's available now in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East for €999, which is expensive, sure, but perhaps it's a price corporate customers can swallow anyway.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/PZH4chhGDnk/

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