বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৮ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Company goes to the dogs, to fight foul breath

Here's a story about a personal hygiene startup with a sense of humor, which may have figured out the way to big profits is through a dog's mouth.

Orabrush sells tongue brushes for humans using an unappealing mascot called Morgan the Talking Tongue. He's both creepy and hilarious.

The company said most bacteria that causes bad breath is on the tongue, not in the teeth. Tongue scraping is a common practice in other parts of the world, but Orabrush CEO Jeff Davis admits it's been a bit of a tough sell in the U.S. "We still have some work to do."

So the company is going to the dogs.

Read More: San Francisco's Puppy Problem

After customers suggested Orabrush create a tongue cleaner for dogs, the company started a crowdfunding page on IndieGogo to build awareness, gauge interest, and take pre-orders for what they called the Orapup.

"We had a target raise of $40,000," said Davis. "We were up for 60 days, and earned $60,000, exceeding our target. But most importantly we knew we had consumer demand and high interest from passionate dog owners."

That was last fall. It took several months for company founder Dr. Bob Wagstaff to perfect the Orapup brush and the syrupy paste, which kills bacteria. He needed to make sure the product would be easy to use and enjoyable for dogs.

Read More: Westminster's Most Successful Dog Breeds

How does it work? You don't have to put anything into the dog's mouth. Instead, dog owners squeeze a small bit of paste onto the large brush with short bristles, and then dogs voluntarily licks it for at least a minute.

"It takes what was a disastrous kind of frustrating experience for pet owners to try to clean their mouth and it's like a treat," CEO Davis said. The paste tastes like beef and bacon. "I've tried it myself," he added, "and it's not too bad."

Read More: Why Millionaires Prefer Dogs Over Cats

Six months later, the Orapup has launched with $750,000 in pre-orders. Davis was gushing about it to me. "I have to tell you, if you get a chance to use it Jane, it's an incredible bonding experience with your pet."

Really?

I decided to try the Orapup on my two dogs, Eeyore and Princess Leia. Being basset hounds, they have terrible breath. Terrible. Ter. I. Bull.

In the video, you'll see how it went. Eeyore was a little reluctant at first before going to town licking the brush. Leia jumped right in. One day later, their breath no longer triggers nausea, though they don't exactly smell of minty freshness.

Davis said Orabrush is considering developing tongue brushes for other domesticated animals. The company thinks pet products may be more profitable than tongue brushes for humans. "Based on Orapup's metrics today, on our online e-commerce model, Orapup will probably be bigger."

The CEO came to Orabrush after 23 years at Proctor & Gamble, and he said he had to learn to do everything in reverse. Instead of making a product and testing it before launch, Orabrush gets suggestions and feedback from consumers first, then builds a brand and takes pre-orders online before a product is manufactured. Its entire business model is built around social media.

"We are one of the top subscribed sponsored, branded channels on YouTube. I always say I like being sixth or seventh in this crowd because we have brands like Apple, OldSpice, GoPro, RedBull, Pixar, Disney ? these are incredibly iconic branded names," Davis said.

He believes Orabrush could eventually be acquired. "I would expect someone would want to take us to the next level."

But for the moment, the company is focused on building the brand and making new products, in that order. "Proctor & Gamble taught me a lot about strategy and discipline, and in the startups and smaller companies, it's a little bit about creativity and chaos."

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/company-goes-dogs-fight-foul-breath-1C8612643

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See Boeing's Hydrogen-Powered Phantom Eye Take Flight

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Real Racing 3 finally arrives in the US App Store with fremium model and lots of in-app purchase options

Its been a long wait for whatever reason but from today, Real Racing 3 has finally shown up in the US App Store. Real Racing 3 was released to other countries over a week ago but for for some strange reason it never showed up in the US App Store. That has now changed and you can now get your hands on this amazing looking driving game.

Hyper-realistic. Pure fun. And FREE. Real Racing 3 sets a new standard for mobile racing games ? it really must be experienced to be believed. Trailblazing new features include officially licensed tracks, an expanded 22-car grid, and over 45 meticulously detailed cars from makers like Porsche, Lamborghini, Dodge, Bugatti, and Audi. Plus, racing with friends gets kicked into another dimension with the reality-bending Time Shifted Multiplayer (TSM) technology.

The game is free to download and play but has received a lot of criticsm for its fremium model. Once you have the game you are then faced with a plethora of in-app purchase options which if you are not careful can soon mount up and make Real Racing 3 a really expensive experience. Of course you don?t need to buy any in-app purchases but its hard to resist getting your car a spec bump to help you win more races.

Real Racing 3 is currently compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch 4th and 5th gen, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 and iPad mini; you must be running at least iOS 4.3. The game has also been optimized for the iPhone 5?s larger screen as well as being a universal binary for iPhone and iPad full screen gaming.

Real Racing 3 looks like an awesome racing game and the graphics really are outstanding. If you grab this one, make sure to let us know how you enjoy playing it! Also let us know what you think of the in-app purchases.



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/xqozbO5HFAU/story01.htm

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বুধবার, ২৭ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

West wary, Iran upbeat after nuclear talks

Stanislav Filippov / AFP - Getty Images

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili speaks at a press conference after the talks on Iran's nuclear program in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Wednesday.

By Ali Arouzi, Correspondent, NBC News

ALMATY, Kazakhstan ? Another round of talks between six world powers and Iran over Tehran?s nuclear program ended Wednesday. And like the air in fog-engulfed Almaty, the Kazakh city where the meetings were held, nothing was very clear at the conclusion of the latest negotiations.

The only thing both sides seemed able to agree on was that they would meet again: The next high-level talks will be held on April 5 and 6, again in Almaty.


It is hard to know what exactly has been offered and rejected by Iran and the six powers ? France, Germany, the United States, China Russia and Britain ? because the negotiations are opaque by nature.

?

NBC's Ali Arouzi reports from Almaty, Kazakhstan, on the nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers, including the United States, that have ended with no tangible agreements other than to meet again in April.  

While Tehran maintains it is not seeking nuclear weapons, both sides seemed just as far away from an agreement to resolve the dispute that could lead to military conflict in the Middle East.

Israel has hinted that it could strike Iran's nuclear sites if current diplomatic efforts failed to stop its enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. Israel is thought to be the only country in the region with a nuclear arsenal.

An American diplomat speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity said that Iran was offered minor sanctions relief if Tehran was willing to scale back certain elements of its nuclear program. It is generally accepted that neither side wants a complete breakdown in talks.

Iran?s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was upbeat and smiling after the talks concluded, and said that the offers made by the world powers was more realist than previous ones.

"In this round of talks we have witnessed that despite all the attitudes during the last eight months, they tried to get closer to our viewpoints," he told journalists.

He also said Western powers had made no demands that Iran shut down a uranium enrichment facility in Fordow, which is hidden deep inside a mountain.

Jalili concluded by saying that Iran had made massive achievements since the last round of talks and that it would not give up its rights.

One Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that that halting enriching uranium to 20 percent fissile purity ? a short technical step from weapons grade ??shipping out current stockpiles and shutting Fordow was still a prerequisite for world powers.

Speaking to journalists for the six powers, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that she was glad that the Iranians saw this as a positive meeting.

"I hope the Iranian side is looking positively on the proposal we put forward," she said.

"We have to see what happens next,? she added, striking a cautious tone.

She only took three questions from journalists, replying with very short answers.

Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, one thing that the Iranian team has to look forward to is the approaching Persian New Year.? This, the most important holiday on the calendar, is a time for shopping, buying presents for family and friends and decorations for the festive season.

The sense that a deal is on the horizon could strengthen the Iranian currency, which has been in free-fall under pressure from Western sanctions.? A strengthened rial would give ordinary Iranians more purchasing power, and the government more breathing space.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

'Why Almaty?' Journalists at Iran nuclear talks wonder

Iran widens use of clandestine tanker fleet to bust oil sanctions, international officials say

Iran conducts tests to bring down 'hypothetical' drones

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17118643-west-wary-iran-upbeat-after-nuclear-talks?lite

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How can I make exercise more interesting?

How can I make exercise more interesting?Great discussions are par for the course here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

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To join or start great discussions on any topic, be sure to visit the Openthread forum.

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Santa Cruz Shooting: Two Police Officers Dead After Altercation With Suspect

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/santa-cruz-shooting-two-police-officers-dead-after-altercation-w/

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KBMOD | Keyboard + Mouse or Die, PC Gaming Community

Videos
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Published on February 26th, 2013 | by Dan

If you didn?t know, we?occasionally?do livestreams of video games. Sometimes moments or gameplays happen that we just need to highlight. We have three of those up on YouTube now. Check out some Isaac fail, Slender win and Thirty Flights of WTF.

Nikon and Dan go Isaac racing. Sure victory for Dan turns into epic failure:

?

Dan tackles one of the strangest games you?ll play, Thirty Flights of Loving:

?

Nikon meets up the Slenderman and he doesn?t scream like a little girl:

?

Tags: binding of isaac, slender, thrirty flights of loving, youtube


About the Author

Dan I put the OO in Swagoo. One of the founders of KBMOD. I stream 3 times a week on the Twitch channel and try to write many articles here on the site. I enjoy long walks on the beach and games about children being chased through their basement by their homocidal mother.

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Source: http://www.kbmod.com/2013/02/26/three-new-stream-highlights-now-on-youtube/

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মঙ্গলবার, ২৬ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

LG buys WebOS from HP to use in smart TVs

Palm's ill-fated WebOS has been bought again, this time by Korean electronics giant LG, ostensibly to support the company's development of smart TVs. But don't expect a Palm TV ? the once-admired OS is more likely to just fade into the background.

The purchase includes the OS itself and most of its critical components, including patents (although not its meager app catalog). Fans of the OS will be happy to hear that the open source projects started by HP will continue as before, albeit under the "stewardship" of LG. Still have a WebOS handset? HP will continue to provide support.

The financial terms of the deal were not announced, suggesting the purchase price was not particularly high; HP would probably like to avoid highlighting a poor return on their investment in Palm. Regardless, neither party believed the transaction would affect either of their stock prices.

HP acquired Palm for $1.2 billion three years ago ? a short time in the business world, but an eternity in software and technology. Palm's WebOS, widely hailed at its 2009 launch as an innovative and powerful alternative to both iOS and Android, was slated to power a new generation of HP consumer devices, none of which ever materialized.

LG states that WebOS was purchased to augment their next wave of smart TVs, and certainly the intuitive interface and patents in Palm's swan song could help with that. The world may be eagerly awaiting an Apple TV set, but in the meantime existing companies are fighting tooth and nail for space in the living room, and a novel and user-friendly OS (as LG seems to be planning) could be a coup.

But a few ideas and interface patents are likely all that can be salvaged from WebOS at this point for LG's purposes. Anyone who's hoping for a second (or third) coming of WebOS in the form of a smart TV will likely be disappointed.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/lg-buys-webos-hp-use-smart-tvs-1C8540546

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94% Zero Dark Thirty

All Critics (234) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (219) | Rotten (15)

What's striking is the absence of triumphalism -- Bigelow doesn't shy away from showing the victims shot down in cold blood in the compound -- and we come away with the overwhelming sense that this has been a grim, dark episode in our history.

Chastain makes Maya as vivid as a bloodshot eye. Her porcelain skin, delicate features and feminine attire belie the steel within.

No doubt Zero Dark Thirty serves a function by airing America's dirty laundry about detainee and torture programs, but in its wake, there's a crying need for a compassionate Coming Home to counter its brutal Deer Hunter.

While "Zero Dark Thirty" may offer political and moral arguing points aplenty, as well as vicarious thrills,as a film it's simply too much of a passable thing.

From the very first scenes of Zero Dark Thirty, director Kathryn Bigelow demonstrates why she is such a formidable filmmaker, as adept with human emotion as with visceral, pulse-quickening action.

A timely and important reminder of the agonizing human price of zealotry.

An exhilarating and compelling historical document worthy of praise.

Bigelow's latest proves a rewarding piece of filmmaking, one that, in its best moments at least, is as gripping and as troubling as anything the director's ever made.

Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal shape history -- those breaks, big and small, that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden -- into one of the finest fact-based thrillers since "All the President's Men."

Purely as cinematic exercise, Zero Dark Thirty is an exhilarating piece of work. But, beyond its for-the-times subject matter, the work does not linger whatsoever.

Zero Dark Thirty is interesting as opposed to enjoyable, intriguing as opposed to entertaining, and certainly less memorable than The Hurt Locker.

It's quite remarkable how Bigelow and Boal managed to take 12 years of information (including a conclusion that everyone knows) and packaged it into a coherent, intimate and intense movie.

We know the ending, yet remain mesmerized by familiar details, filmed with a harrowing sense of urgency. It's as close to being in the White House situation room that night, watching a closed-circuit broadcast, as anyone could expect.

The second half of the film IS the film.

Whereas Locker was less about war than what it is to have a death wish, ZDT is less about the suspenseful true-life search for Osama bin Laden than the red tape one woman must wade through to prove that a mean old bastard is living in suburban Pakistan.

Bigelow's great achievement is stripping down the action from the exaggerated theatrics in movies and television shows so the missions feel no less exciting and immediate.

One of the finest movies of the year is a thriller about the tracking and, finally, slaying of Osama bin Laden.

There is no Team America-style, flag-waving bravado behind this story - it is quite the opposite.

Bigelow has created the best film of 2012.

"Zero Dark Thirty" is less a celebration how terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was found and killed than an engrossing examination of why it took a decade to deal with him.

Following on from the great acclaim of The Hurt Locker, Bigalow's shaky cam and tough talking characters once again take us to the dark side of modern warfare.

In the absence of cinematic grandeur and didacticism, we're left as empty and as lost as Chastain's agent as she boards a symbolically empty plane for an uncertain future. Just what are we to think of the so-called War on Terror?

The viewer needs to stay sharp to stay on top of the details of the labyrinthine search, but Bigelow tackles the complex story with the same muscular urgency and incisive intelligence that won her an Oscar for The Hurt Locker.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zero_dark_thirty/

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Blackhawks' streak at 19 after OT win over Oilers

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81), of Slovakia, celebrates with teammates including Jonathan Toews (19) after scoring the winning goal during overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81), of Slovakia, celebrates with teammates including Jonathan Toews (19) after scoring the winning goal during overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Viktor Stalberg (25) stuff the puck in the net past Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (35), of Russia, and Corey Potter for a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 3-2 in overtime. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) is unable to get a rebound shot on Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Chicago Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp (10) battles Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner (89) for a loose puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry (2) celebrates with center Lennart Petrell, of Finland, after his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

(AP) ? Marian Hossa skated along the boards, pumping his right arm as the United Center roared its approval.

Go ahead and give two more points to the streaking Chicago Blackhawks.

Hossa scored 1:44 into overtime and the Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Monday night to stretch their NHL-record opening points streak to 19 games.

Patrick Sharp set up the winning goal with a quick turn along the boards and a drive to the goal that led to two stops by Nikolai Khabibulin. Hossa picked up the second rebound and was again stuffed by Khabibulin before he poked it in for his ninth goal of the season.

"It is a great feeling, obviously," Hossa said. "It doesn't matter who's scoring and lately we have a lot of different guys scoring. We try to enjoy the streak, keep playing a simple game and try to find a way to win."

Patrick Kane and Viktor Stalberg also scored for Chicago (16-0-3), which has won six straight and nine of 10. Ray Emery made 17 saves to remain unbeaten in eight starts this season.

The Blackhawks have earned 35 of 38 possible points so far this season.

"It was a great third period," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We had the puck in overtime, too. Great pay by Sharpie going to the net, great patience and presence with Hossa to finish."

Nail Yakupov and Jeff Petry had the goals for Edmonton, which carried a 2-1 lead into the third period but couldn't hold on for its fourth consecutive victory over the Blackhawks. Khabibulin had 31 stops in the opener of the Oilers' franchise-record, nine-game road trip.

"Of course you feel pain, having the lead going into the third period," Edmonton coach Ralph Krueger said. "It's definitely something you dream and believe you can close it. But they are an amazingly powerful team. They are very strong on the puck and they never, never let up, at all."

Edmonton grabbed the lead for the last time in the second, taking advantage when Brandon Saad was sent off for high sticking. Yakupov, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, one-timed a pass from Sam Gagner into the right side of the net at 14:17 for his fourth power-play goal and sixth overall.

Chicago looked listless for much of the second, but rebounded quickly in the third. Michal Rozsival was behind the net when he sent a pass in front to Stalberg, who poked the puck into the mouth of goal as Khabibulin went to his knees to try for the stop.

The call on the ice was no goal, but replays showed the puck crossed the line before Khabibulin could make the play and Stalberg was awarded his fifth goal of the season after a short review.

The pace picked up after the tying goal, and each team had a couple of solid chances to move in front. Yakupov shot off the post on one power-play opportunity, and Khabibulin stopped Hossa on a short-handed chance.

"I think for us it would have been a big statement game if we were able to break the streak," Gagner said. "But at the same time, once we didn't do that, we wanted to find a way to get it in overtime and were unable to do that as well. So it was unfortunate we kind of squandered the lead there."

Edmonton moved in front in the first period after Duncan Keith lost his footing and coughed up the puck deep in Chicago's end. Lennart Petrell picked it up and skated in all alone on Emery, who stopped his backhand attempt. The rebound went out to Petry, who sent it over the prone goalie at 4:28.

Just over a minute later, Kane skated to the middle of the ice and beat Khabibulin with a slick backhander for his 10th goal of the season. It was his first goal since Feb. 10 at Nashville, ending a six-game drought.

"We keep finding ways to win," said Sharp, who picked up his 400th career point on the assist in overtime. "That's important at any time of the year. Those one-goal games, we're on the right side of them. We were thankful to pull it out today."

NOTES: Chicago closed out a 6-0-1 homestand. ... Edmonton F Taylor Hall served the second of a two-game suspension for his hit on Minnesota's Cal Clutterbuck on Thursday. ... Blackhawks C Dave Bolland missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. Chicago also scratched D Sheldon Brookbank and LW Brandon Bollig for the second straight night. ... Ds Ryan Whitney and Theo Peckham were the other scratches for the Oilers. ... The Blackhawks improved to 10-0-3 in one-goal games.

___

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-Oilers-Blackhawks/id-87507bc136a441838c8803cefb4b38a4

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সোমবার, ২৫ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Fragments of continents hidden under lava in Indian Ocean: New micro-continent detected under Reunion and Mauritius

Feb. 22, 2013 ? The islands Reunion and Mauritius, both well-known tourist destinations, are hiding a micro-continent, which has now been discovered. The continent fragment known as Mauritia detached about 60 million years ago while Madagascar and India drifted apart, and had been hidden under huge masses of lava.

Such micro-continents in the oceans seem to occur more frequently than previously thought, says a study in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience.

The break-up of continents is often associated with mantle plumes: These giant bubbles of hot rock rise from the deep mantle and soften the tectonic plates from below, until the plates break apart at the hotspots. This is how Eastern Gondwana broke apart about 170 million years ago. At first, one part was separated, which in turn fragmented into Madagascar, India, Australia and Antarctica, which then migrated to their present position.

Plumes currently situated underneath the islands Marion and Reunion appear to have played a role in the emergence of the Indian Ocean. If the zone of the rupture lies at the edge of a land mass (in this case Madagascar / India), fragments of this land mass may be separated off. The Seychelles are a well-known example of such a continental fragment.

A group of geoscientists from Norway, South Africa, Britain and Germany have now published a study that suggests, based on the study of lava sand grains from the beach of Mauritius, the existence of further fragments. The sand grains contain semi-precious zircons aged between 660 and 1970 million years, which is explained by the fact that the zircons were carried by the lava as it pushed through subjacent continental crust of this age.

This dating method was supplemented by a recalculation of plate tectonics, which explains exactly how and where the fragments ended up in the Indian Ocean. Dr. Bernhard Steinberger of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Dr. Pavel Doubrovine of Oslo University calculated the hotspot trail: "On the one hand, it shows the position of the plates relative to the two hotspots at the time of the rupture, which points towards a causal relation," says Steinberger. "On the other hand, we were able to show that the continent fragments continued to wander almost exactly over the Reunion plume, which explains how they were covered by volcanic rock." So what was previously interpreted only as the trail of the Reunion hotspot, are continental fragments which were previously not recognized as such because they were covered by the volcanic rocks of the Reunion plume. It therefore appears that such micro-continents in the ocean occur more frequently than previously thought.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Trond H. Torsvik, Hans Amundsen, Ebbe H. Hartz, Fernando Corfu, Nick Kusznir, Carmen Gaina, Pavel V. Doubrovine, Bernhard Steinberger, Lewis D. Ashwal, Bj?rn Jamtveit. A Precambrian microcontinent in the Indian Ocean. Nature Geoscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1736

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/OaIWm9jLxY4/130224142725.htm

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Oscars Fashion Twitter Reactions: Style Community Reacts To The 2013 Academy Awards

This year's Academy Awards saw gorgeous dresses, questionable song-and-dance performances and a whole lot of talent. With all the goings on, you better believe that the fashion community had some serious thoughts on the awards ceremony -- and what better place to sound off than Twitter.

Between the account that was created on behalf of Anne Hathaway's nipples and the slew of reactions to Jennifer Lawrence's candid red carpet interview, there were no shortage of laughs in the Twittersphere this evening.

Click through the slideshow below for the best Oscars tweets from the fashion community.

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.
--
Do you have a style story idea or tip? Email us at stylesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/oscars-fashion-twitter-reactions-2013_n_2756401.html

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Live from ASUS' press event at MWC 2013!

Live from ASUS' press event at MWC 2013!

So far, we don't know much about what ASUS will be announcing here at Mobile World Congress, but we do know it has something to do with a spaceship landing on top of Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia. And also, a statue of Columbus talking on the phone in Spanish. Obviously, dockable gadgets are key -- in fact, if you watch that second video, ASUS even uses the tagline "Pad and Phone come together." So we're gonna go out on a limb and say a new PadFone is in order. But what about the specs? And how about some new Transformer tablets? Only one way to find out: stay tuned as we report live from the company's MWC press event, happening right now.

February 25, 2013 7:00 AM EST

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/BI7LBjvTvDg/

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রবিবার, ২৪ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Pope reflects on "evil" in last address to Curia

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI has lamented the "evil, suffering and corruption" that has defaced God's creation in a final address to the officials who run the Vatican bureaucracy.

Benedict spoke off-the-cuff Saturday at the end of a weeklong spiritual retreat coinciding with the Catholic Church's solemn Lenten season. For the past week, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi has led the Vatican on meditations that have covered everything from the family to denouncing the "divisions, dissent, careerism, jealousies" that afflict the Vatican bureaucracy.

Ravasi's blunt critique of the dysfunction within the Vatican Curia, exposed by the leaked document scandal, comes as cardinals from around the world are arriving for the final days of Benedict's papacy and the conclave to elect his successor. Bureaucratic reform is a major priority for the next pope.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-reflects-evil-last-address-curia-113902036.html

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Cuba's Raul Castro announces retirement in 5 years

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro and his brother Cuba's President Raul Castro talk during the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro and his brother Cuba's President Raul Castro talk during the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's President Raul Castro, right, and brother Fidel Castro attend the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro and his brother Cuba's President Raul Castro attend the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. Raul Castro fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's leader Fidel Castro attends the opening session of the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. He fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's President Raul Castro holds up the ballot of his brother Fidel, also present in the session, for president of the National Assembly during the opening session of the parliament in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's parliament reconvened Sunday with new membership and was expected to name Raul Castro to a new five-year-term as president. He fueled speculation on Friday when he talked of his possible retirement and suggested he has plans to resign at some point.(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

(AP) ? Raul Castro announced Sunday that he will step down as Cuba's president in 2018 following a final five-year term, for the first time putting a date on the end of the Castro era. He tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel as his top lieutenant and first in the line of succession.

The 81-year-old Castro also said he hopes to establish two-term limits and age caps for political offices including the presidency ? an astonishing prospect for a nation led by Castro or his older brother Fidel since their 1959 revolution.

The 52-year-old Diaz-Canel is now a heartbeat from the presidency and has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the heady days of the revolution.

"This will be my last term," Castro said, his voice firm.

In his 35-minute speech, Castro hinted at other changes to the constitution, some so dramatic that they will have to be ratified by the Cuban people in a referendum. Still, he scotched any idea that the country would soon abandon socialism, saying he had not assumed the presidency in order to destroy Cuba's system.

"I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba," he said. "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it."

Castro fueled interest in Sunday's legislative gathering after mentioning on Friday his possible retirement and suggesting lightheartedly that he had plans to resign at some point.

It's now clear that he was serious when he promised that Sunday's speech would have fireworks, and would touch on his future in leadership.

Cuba is at a moment of "historic transcendence," Castro told lawmakers in speaking of his decision to name Diaz-Canel to the No. 2 job, replacing the 81-year-old Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought with the Castros in the Sierra Maestra.

Castro praised Machado Ventura and another aging revolutionary for offering to leave their positions so that younger leaders could move up.

Their selflessness is "a concrete demonstration of their genuine revolutionary fiber ... That is the essence of the founding generation of this revolution."

Castro said that Diaz-Canel's promotion "represents a definitive step in the configuration of the future leadership of the nation through the gradual and orderly transfer of key roles to new generations."

"Our greatest satisfaction is the tranquility and serene confidence we feel as we deliver to the new generations the responsibility to continue building socialism," he added.

On the streets of Havana, where people often express a jaded skepticism of all things political, there was genuine excitement.

"This is the start of a new era," said Roberto Delgado, a 68-year-old retiree walking down a street in the leafy Miramar neighborhood. "It will undoubtedly be a complicated and difficult process, but something important happened today."

"I'm mesmerized," added Regla Blanco, 48. "You thought that with all these old men, it would never end. I am very satisfied with what Raul said. He is keeping his promise."

Since taking over from Fidel in 2006, Castro has instituted a slate of important economic and social changes, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and relaxing hated travel restrictions.

Still, the country remains ruled by the Communist Party and any opposition to it lacks legal recognition.

Castro has mentioned term limits before, but he has never said specifically when he would step down, and the concept has yet to be codified into Cuban law.

If he keeps his word, Castro will leave office no later than 2018. Cuban-American exiles in the United States have waited decades for the end of the Castro era, although they will likely be dismayed if it ends on the brothers' terms.

Nevertheless, the promise of a change at the top could have deep significance for U.S.-Cuba ties. The wording of Washington's 51-year economic embargo on the island specifies that it cannot be lifted while a Castro is in charge.

When Raul Castro hinted at his retirement plans on Friday, it earned a sharp response from Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American Republican from Florida, who called it a ploy.

"If dictator Raul Castro states that he will retire in five years, there will still be no real change for the Cuban people so long as the Castro brothers remain in any form of leadership position, even behind the scenes," she said. "The U.S. should not change its policy of isolation of the Cuban regime."

Fidel Castro is 86 and retired, and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He made a surprise appearance at Sunday's gathering, receiving a thunderous ovation from lawmakers.

Some analysts have speculated that the Castros would push a younger member of their family into a top job, but there was no hint of that Sunday.

While few things are ever clear in Cuba's hermetically sealed news environment, rumblings that Diaz-Canel, an electrical engineer by training and ex-minister of higher education, might be in line for a senior post have grown.

In recent weeks, he has frequently been featured on state television news broadcasts in an apparent attempt to raise his profile.

He also traveled to Venezuela in January for the symbolic inauguration of Hugo Chavez, a key Cuban ally who had been re-elected president but was too ill to be sworn in.

The 612 lawmakers sworn in Sunday also named Esteban Lazo as the National Assembly's first new chief in 20 years, replacing Ricardo Alarcon.

Lazo, who turns 69 on Tuesday, is a vice president and member of the Communist Party's ruling political bureau. Parliament meets only twice a year and generally passes legislation unanimously without visible debate.

The legislature also named as vice presidents of the ruling Council Machado Ventura; comptroller general Gladys Bejerano; second Vice President Ramiro Valdes; Havana Communist Party secretary Lazara Mercedes Lopez Acea; and Salvador Valdes Mesa, head of Cuba's labor union.

___

Anne Marie-Garcia and Paul Haven contributed to this report.

___

Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-24-CB-Cuba-President/id-0445484a0cd84303884239e909ba3ce1

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In South Carolina, disgraced former governor seeks a resurrection

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - The appearance by a candidate for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District here last week was delayed. The event's co-host, an undertaker, had been detained at his funeral home by an unexpected "delivery."

A couple of people in the audience laughed as they realized what sort of delivery a funeral home receives. Questions of life and death seemed oddly appropriate because the afternoon's guest of honor was a man who is trying to undergo a political resurrection: former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford.

As governor in early 2009, Sanford - a tanned conservative Republican who preached limited government - was widely seen as a potential candidate for president in 2012.

But then he disappeared for six days in June 2009, without telling his family or staff. It turned out he was in Argentina, visiting a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. The episode destroyed Sanford's marriage and earned him a censure from state legislators who agreed that he had brought "dishonor, disgrace and shame" to South Carolina.

And that, it seemed, was the end of the Mark Sanford story.

He served out his term as governor but left office in January 2011 and headed for his family's farm in Beaufort, South Carolina. He became a footnote in a state whose recent political history has been shaped by the rise of the conservative Tea Party movement and the legacy of the late Strom Thurmond, a one-time segregationist and governor who served in the U.S. Senate for nearly a half-century.

Now Sanford, 52, is back - in search of a dramatic comeback by running for the same congressional seat that he won almost two decades ago, before he was governor.

In talking about putting his life back together, Sanford gives off new-age vibrations. During an interview with Reuters, he seemed well-versed in the language of recovery and often referred to his "inner journey."

Even without Sanford and reminders of his scandal, the race has the makings of spectacle: It features 16 candidates in the Republican primary on March 19, including Robert "Teddy" Turner, the rebel conservative son of Ted Turner, the liberal cable television billionaire.

For Sanford, it was a surprising opportunity created by the unexpected retirement of U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, which caused a shift in the state's Republican leadership. Governor Nikki Haley appointed Representative Tim Scott to fill DeMint's seat. The opening of Scott's seat gave Sanford a chance to return to public life that Sanford said he found irresistible.

Given that voters are familiar with Sanford - some of whom have cast ballots for him five times - most analysts expect Sanford to outlast the Republican field, even in a district where some religious conservatives could find it hard to forgive him.

Many of the 15 other Republicans concede that they are hoping to finish second to Sanford, then have other candidates' supporters rally around them (and against the former governor) in a primary run-off vote.

There is another twist: The Republican primary winner is likely to face on May 7 in a special election Democrat Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, an official at Clemson University and sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, who has been known to bring his antics into South Carolina politics. Colbert was scheduled to join his sister at fundraisers in New York and South Carolina this weekend.

The conservative district has sent a Republican to Congress since Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. So most political analysts in South Carolina expect Sanford to eventually win back his old congressional seat despite his scandal and a celebrity presence on the Democratic side.

But first, Sanford is making the case that he has learned from his fall and moved past his mistakes.

During a coffee gathering on Thursday, Sanford pointed to a woman in the audience he had talked with earlier.

"She said, ?Mark, quit apologizing,' " Sanford recalled. "I know I need to do that. She said, ?You did that on the first day. People got that. You need to move on.' And I said, ?Indeed, I do.' "

HIS ?INNER JOURNEY'

During the interview, Sanford said the past few years have changed him for the better.

After confessing to cheating on his wife, he was stripped of his position atop the Republican Governors Association. Six months later, his wife divorced him. He is now engaged to Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentine journalist whom Sanford called his "soulmate" during a news conference after the scandal broke, and for whom Sanford gave up his old life.

Meanwhile, Sanford's ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, who used to manage his campaigns, published a memoir titled "Staying True."

After leaving the governor's office and returning to his farm, Sanford said he spent time building a bridge, a cabin and barn with his four sons. He showed off a bruised fingernail, which he said was caused by a falling plank of wood.

"In the wake of so much destruction, I wanted to construct," he said in the interview.

Sanford's longtime friend Tom Davis, his former chief of staff, said that Sanford's time in near-isolation was "Thoreauvian," comparing the former governor's days on the farm to the writer Henry David Thoreau's psychologically therapeutic years living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts in the 1850s.

Sanford seems to agree.

"I said to a buddy, 'You know, I'm becoming a Buddhist Christian,' which is sort of a weird way of putting it, but you know Buddhism focuses on the moment," Sanford said. "I think that ... Western society achievers, whatever your walk of life, are always focused on the next step."

For the most part, Sanford leaves his personal life out of the campaign. He thinks that voters are willing to do the same - even as some opponents' ads have questioned his honesty.

"I've experienced how none of us go through life without mistakes," Sanford said in his first campaign ad released this week. "But in their wake, we can learn a lot about grace, a God of second chances, and be the better for it."

One voter who heard Sanford speak on Thursday in Charleston said that times had changed, particularly among South Carolina Republicans who voted for former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich in last year's Republican presidential primary.

Many people in the state backed Gingrich despite fresh allegations that Gingrich had once asked a former wife for an open marriage. Gingrich supporters said they were less concerned with Gingrich's personal life than his politics, and that they favored him as a more conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, the Republicans' eventual nominee for president.

But, "if it had been 25 years ago ... good Lord," said Anne Keigher, 75, an architect from Charleston.

At a time when Washington is viewed by voters as a politically gridlocked failure, Sanford talks about his three terms as a congressman as a success.

He also says he was railing about government spending before it was stylish. His sunny disposition can turn apocalyptic when he talks about debt and the value of the U.S. dollar.

'I BLEED'

The unfolding drama in Washington over taxes, debt and spending seemed a bit distant, however, when Sanford and 12 other Republican candidates appeared Thursday at a Golden Corral restaurant in Blufton. Each was given five minutes to make a case to members of the Beaufort County Republican Club.

Sanford did not mention his family nor the scandal that put him in national headlines. He did brag about shortening the wait times at the state Department of Motor Vehicles as governor.

Some of Sanford's rivals are frustrated by the attention he gets. One candidate refused to answer questions about Sanford. Another dismissed the "air of celebrity" surrounding the race.

One challenger, Andy Patrick, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who praised his rivals for their conservative values, has sent out a mailer to voters attacking Sanford.

"Many will forgive," it reads, "But how can we forget? Mark Sanford. The trust is gone."

After the turmoil of the last four years, is Sanford comfortable with the attacks that are coming his way?

"No," Sanford said in the interview. "I'm a human being. I bleed."

(Editing by David Lindsey and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-carolina-disgraced-former-governor-seeks-resurrection-205305512.html

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A BATTING WITH BIMAL BREAKING REPORT: South Africa to tour Netherlands at the end of May

AB de Villiers will lead South Africa during the ODI against the Netherlands

South Africa will tour the Netherlands at the end of May in preparation for the Champions Trophy, which will be hosted by England in June, where their first match will be against India on June 6.

The two teams will be involved in team-building activities and three days worth of practice before an ODI is held on?May 31 in Amstelveen.

This will be the third ODI between the two countries, but the first outside of a World Cup.

South Africa have registered massive wins in every match they have played against the Netherlands.

?We feel we have pulled off a real coup in getting one of the top ODI Nations in the World to come to the Netherlands not only to play but also to act as their preparation-base for this major tournament,? Netherlands CEO Richard Cox said. ?We are looking forward to having some of the household names of world cricket on our doorstep.

?As a result of the Champions Trophy being held in the UK it has given many European countries the opportunity to maximise the chance to play a Full Member through the support of ICC?s TAPP funding policy.?

Netherlands coach?Peter Drinnen noted that it was an outstanding opportunity for his side to get some valuable match experience against one of the top ranked ODI sides in the world.

?I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this possible,? Drinnen said. ?It is a great opportunity to showcase the game in this country as well as provide an extremely valuable opportunity to our players to measure themselves against some of the best in the world.

?These opportunities are very important for our continued development and I know all parties here in the Netherlands involved in this series will be working hard on and off the park to ensure the South African touring party have a very beneficial stay with us.?

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Source: http://battingwithbimal.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/a-batting-with-bimal-breaking-report-south-africa-to-tour-netherlands-at-the-end-of-may/

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Love Letter - Charles Payne - Townhall Finance Conservative ...

There have been many wonderful letters written through time on a number of topics including love (Napoleon, Beethoven and Lewis Caroll), fatherly advice (Reagan and Fitzgerald), and condolence; perhaps none better than Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby, but my favorite letter of indignation, honesty, and dire warning came this week from the CEO of Titan (TWI) to the industry minister of France.

On January 31 of this year, Goodyear Tire made the decison to close its sprawling commerical and farm tire plant in north France. The company in fact decided to bolt Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It simply became too expensive.? In fact, the company lost $74.0 million in the fourth quarter on the plant and $230.0 million for the year. Although the company clearly cannot afford to operate the 54 year old plant, which has capacity to make 6 million units a year but eked out only 1.3 million in 2012, it still has to wait for approval to exit from the European Central Works Council. In the meantime, France has been scrambling for a savior. That took them to Titan, which is an American success story of a comapny that began in 1890 making wheels for wagons and farm implentments.

The letter from CEO Maurice "The Grizz" Taylor hit on so many things that all Americans should understand.

France has boxed itself into a corner. It's a giant social welfare state that only knows one solution, higher taxes, and that is obviosly backfiring. The notion we are looking to hike taxes more in America is appaluing. It's not an economic measure but a punitive one.

China is having its way with France, which coupled with so many regulations and high taxes has crushed its industry's might. In fact, its symbol of industrial expertise, Michlin, is now in danger of not being able to generate domestic jobs.

It was Titan that forced the US government to act against unfair advantages of China, and yet tariffs collected by the government stay with the government. What would the government do with taxes on emmissions? What about a carbon tax that increases our energy bills? What did the government do with the money paid back by AIG and Goldman Sachs? All of these great things for the public never put money into the pockets of the public, and take my word for it, there will be taxes on fracking and natural gas production to make alternatives more compeitive but mostly to fund this gargantuan government.

Union greed run amok can destory and become so belligerent as to chase away would-be saviors whether we're talking Hostess or the jobs of 1,173 tire workers in northern France.

I hope this letter makes the rounds and people see it for what it really is-a love letter. A love for capitalism, success, and achievement.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/charlespayne/2013/02/23/love-letter-n1518258

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Hackers target visitors to NBC's site

NBC.com has been found to harbor the RedKit browser exploit kit, which can deliver malware to vulnerable computers.?

By Paul Wagenseil,?TechNewsDaily / February 22, 2013

Jane Krakowski and Jimmy Fallon in a Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show.

Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/AP

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The main website for the NBC television network, NBC.com, was found yesterday to have been hacked so that it infected unsuspecting visitors.

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Specifically, it harbored the RedKit browser exploit kit, which triggers?drive-by downloads?of malware onto vulnerable computers.

The hack was one of a trio of security breaches yesterday, as the Aspen Institute think tank and the customer-support specialist Zendesk disclosed hacker intrusions into their networks.

NBC's problems arose when the head of Dutch security firm Fox-IT?tweeted his observations?about NBC.com, followed quickly by a posting on the?HitmanPro blog?run by the Dutch anti-virus firm SurfRight.

"There were two exploit links on the NBC website. The first one was on the main default (entry) page. And the second one was located on hxxp://www.nbc.com/assets/core/js/s_wrapper.js," said the HitmanPro blog. "It serves both Java (CVE-2013-0422) and PDF exploits. The exploit drops the Citadel Trojan, which is used for banking fraud and cyberespionage."

The?Java exploit?referred to, which affects Macs, Windows PCs and Linux boxes alike, was responsible for the recently announced hacks into Apple's, Facebook's and Twitter's employee networks.

[Why and How to Disable Java on Your Computer]

The HitmanPro posting noted that RedKit was also installing the ZeroAccess malware, which "moderates an affected user's Internet experience by modifying search results, and generates pay-per-click advertising revenue for its controllers," as well an unknown form of malware.

Stand-alone NBC TV network sites, such as those for "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" and one featuring "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno's collection of vintage cars, were also said to be compromised.

An NBC spokeswoman?confirmed the hacks to Bloomberg News. All the affected sites were cleaned and back up Friday morning.

(The NBCNews.com website, with which TechNewsDaily has a professional relationship, was not affected.)

Copyright 2013?TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/C_kLgwhVtAw/Hackers-target-visitors-to-NBC-s-site

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Genetically modified foods: Who has to tell?

Consumers who believe they have a right to know whether their food contains genetically modified ingredients are pressing lawmakers, regulators and voters to require labels on altered foods. But even if they succeed, experts say there's no guarantee that labels identifying genetically engineered foods would ever appear on packages.

"People are usually surprised to learn that there is no legal right to know," said Michael Rodemeyer, an expert on biotechnology policy at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

A variety of rules and regulations control the words that appear on food packages. Such rules must be balanced against companies' constitutionally protected right of commercial speech, experts said.

"It's an unsettled area in the law," said Hank Greely, director of the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences in Palo Alto. "If I were a betting man, I think the odds are good that the Supreme Court would ... strike down a GMO labeling requirement."

Consumers do have the right to know some things about foods, and it's the job of the Food and Drug Administration to enforce the various rules. Labels must carry an accurate name for the food, as well as its weight and manufacturer, a list of ingredients and, since 1990, that panel of calories and breakdown of basic nutrients that some people pore over and others blithely ignore.

And labels cannot be false or misleading. Consumers have a right to know that a product contains the nutrients they'd reasonably expect to find in a food with that name: An orange lacking vitamin C (should anyone desire to create such a thing) would have to be labeled as such.

They also have the right to know when a food contains something new that makes it materially different, such as an allergen or unexpected nutrient. Soybean varieties that are genetically engineered to contain high amounts of the monounsaturated fat oleic acid must bear labels that make that property clear, said FDA spokesperson Morgan Liscinsky.

But there is no requirement that food producers use those labels to say how they raised those oleic acid levels, according to the FDA. They could have done it through conventional breeding or by irradiating plant tissue to create mutations or by fusing cells together in a dish ? or with genetic engineering.

When Flavr Savr tomatoes became the first genetically modified plants sold in supermarkets in 1994, they had stickers that informed shoppers that they were "made from genetically engineered seeds." Calgene Inc., the company that produced the tomatoes, even provided brochures and a toll-free number that consumers could call to learn more about the product, said Belinda Martineau, a geneticist at UC Davis who worked at Calgene in the 1990s.

But those labels were there only because Calgene decided to put them there. The FDA had scrutinized the process by which the company engineered the DNA in the tomatoes and decided that the technology itself didn't amount to a material change. Regulators concluded that Flavr Savr had the appearance, nutrients, flavor and texture of a tomato (although not, as it turned out, an especially tasty one).

"It was still a tomato," said Fred Degnan, a food lawyer with the firm King & Spalding in Washington, D.C., who has worked on biotechnology and labeling issues at the FDA. "They couldn't require it to be labeled in a way that implied it was different from a regular tomato."

Courts have ruled that forcing companies to label GM products violates their 1st Amendment right of free speech. In a 1996 case, a federal appeals court blocked a Vermont law that required dairy producers to label milk from cows that had been treated with a growth hormone made by genetically engineered bacteria. The hormone helped cows produce more milk, but the milk itself was the same as milk from untreated cows, the FDA determined. Because the law required labels to contain information that wasn't "material" to the product, it was unconstitutional, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision.

Labels can be required only if they alert consumers to a change that affects a food's composition or nutrition, its physical properties (such as shelf life), or the qualities that influence the sensory experience of smelling, tasting and eating it, the FDA says.

It is not a definition that sits well with all.

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Washington-based advocacy group Center for Food Safety, said that approach reflects "19th century science." His group has petitioned the FDA to update its rules so that any product created via genetic engineering would be considered altered enough to require a label.

Such a change would also give companies more leeway to label their products as free of genetically modified ingredients: Today they can do so only if the label doesn't imply that there's something wrong with GM foods or that GMO-free foods are superior (although many companies skirt the rules).

"We need to know we have an agency using 21st century regulations to deal with 21st century technology," Kimbrell said.

The FDA's stance on labeling genetically modified foods differs starkly from that of European regulators, who require foods with genetically engineered ingredients to bear labels. Most scientists believe that the FDA's approach is rational ? but perhaps it's too rational if the goal is to encourage public acceptance of the technology, said Jennifer Kuzma, a science policy expert at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

"This is something that people want to see on labels," Kuzma said. "My view is that consumers deserve a choice when it comes to something that is important to them, even though there may not be a scientific basis for doing it."

Rodemeyer, the expert on biotechnology policy, says he thinks food producers made a tactical mistake by deciding not to label their genetically modified products voluntarily.

"When you don't label, you're always raising suspicion you're trying to hide something," he said.

Since most processed foods contain oil, sugar, syrups, emulsifiers, flour, cornmeal and protein that are derived from GM crops, virtually every product sold in the last 15 years would have carried a label. By now, those labels would have lost all meaning, Rodemeyer said: "If they would have all held their noses and jumped together, this wouldn't be an issue."

science@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/HTK_muygyEY/la-sci-gmo-labeling-20130223,0,1930459.story

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