Sigma USB Dock

By Jim Fisher

The Sigma USB Dock ($59 direct)?is an inexpensive accessory that allows you to take full control over the performance of your Sigma lenses. It's compatible with recent glass that's part of the company's Global Vision Line; you'll know that your lens is part of this generation by its Contemporary, Art, or Sports designation. It's available for lenses that use Canon, Nikon, or Sigma mounts. At this time that only includes five lenses; and only one of them, the 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM is compatible with the full breadth of customization options.

Other currently compatible lenses include the 35mm F1.4DG HSM, 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM, 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, and 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM. The software is compatible with OS X and Windows. All of the lenses support firmware updates and focus adjustment. Firmware updates are pretty self-explanatory, but focus adjustments take some understanding of how a camera's autofocus system works.

Essentially, light is bounced from the mirror to a dedicated autofocus sensor. In an ideal world, every camera from a specific manufacturer would be perfectly calibrated, but the world isn't ideal. Users who demand critical performance from lenses often encounter back-focus or front-focus, where a lens is focusing slightly in front of or behind the subject. If you've got a focus issue with your lens and body combination you can adjust the lens to correct it. Some higher-end bodies support in-camera focus adjustments, but they don't go as far as the software that works with the dock. It can adjust at different focal lengths and focus distances.

The rest of the functions are currently only compatible with the 120-300mm at this time. There's an OS setting that lets you adjust the way the lens stabilization system works. There are three modes: Dynamic View, Standard, and Moderate View. Dynamic View shows the effects of the stabilization system in the viewfinder, moving elements around as quickly as possible to capture fast action. Moderate View slows down the stabilization system, and is less jarring when you're taking your time to compose a scene. The Standard mode is somewhere in the middle, and represents the lens's default behavior.

From the AF Speed menu you'll be able to prioritize speed over accuracy, accuracy over speed, or revert to the default setting, which is somewhere in the middle. Finally there's a Focus Limiter setting that lets you limit the focus range over any distance. If you know that you're going to shoot a sporting event and you know that you're only going to be shooting action from a distance you can set the limit from 50 feet to infinity and speed the autofocus system. This function will only be enabled on lenses that have a toggle switch to enable or disable the focus limitation system, so setting this in the software can't prevent you from focusing across the entire range of the lens when in the field.

The Sigma USB Dock isn't an accessory that every photographer needs or will use. Its functionality is limited based on the lens you're using. If you've got a lens that's not quite focusing correctly, it's an inexpensive way to calibrate it for use with your camera. The more advanced features are most useful with the 120-300mm telephoto zoom, and future long telephoto and macro lenses are sure to benefit from the focus limiter and autofocus speed settings. It's easy to use, though some care should be taken when adjusting focus calibration. At $60, it's not an expensive accessory in the camera world, and it's a good tool to have if you own a compatible Sigma lens.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/h2bZW9_3cUs/0,2817,2423670,00.asp

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Japan brings North Korean kidnappings to UN mission

TOKYO: A United Nations team probing North Korea's human rights record was in Japan on Wednesday, as Tokyo campaigns to publicise the kidnapping of its nationals by Pyongyang agents.

The three-member Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Australian judge Michael Kirby spent five days in Seoul collecting harrowing testimony of rights abuses in the North from defectors.

The commission -- the first UN expert panel to officially examine North Korea's rights record -- will spend Thursday and Friday in Tokyo hearing more testimonies, particularly about Japanese nationals abducted by the North during the Cold War.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met Kirby on Wednesday morning and stressed to him that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was determined to resolve the emotive kidnapping issue.

Kishida also voiced concerns about "serious" and "organised" human rights violations in the North and said Japan would not normalise diplomatic relations with Pyongyang unless the abduction problem was settled, a foreign ministry statement said.

Pyongyang admitted in 2002 its agents had snatched young Japanese in what Tokyo said was an operation to train spies in Japanese language and customs.

Following a summit between then-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kim Jong-Il, the late North Korean leader, five of those who were taken were allowed to return to Japan, along with their Korea-born offspring.

But suspicions persist in Japan that the isolated state has not come clean about the scope of its abductions and the issue colours all of Tokyo's dealings on North Korea.

The North has been scathing about the UN panel, calling its witnesses in South Korea "human scum" manipulated by local authorities.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the commission's work would only set back recent progress towards engagement between North and South Korea after months of heightened military tensions.

The North, which strongly denies allegations of rights abuses, has refused to recognise the commission and barred it from visiting.

Kirby has repeatedly appealed to North Korea to grant his team access.

The Commission of Inquiry also plans to collect witness testimony in Thailand, Britain and the United States.

The final report is due to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in March next year, and Kirby said he expected the UN to act on any recommendations it might make.

Their visit to Tokyo coincided with a stopover by Robert King, the US special envoy for North Korean human rights, who was on his way to Pyongyang to seek the release of an ailing Korean-American sentenced to 15 years' hard labour.

King was scheduled to meet a Japanese minister-in-charge of the abduction issue later in the day.

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-brings-north-korean/792860.html

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A Cooler Pacific May Be Behind Recent Pause In Global Warming

Rock islands dot the ocean in Palau, Micronesia, May 26, 2012. The waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean have been relatively cool for the last 15 years.

Christopher Ward/Corbis

A study in the journal Nature could help explain why the Earth's average temperature hasn't increased during the past 15 years ? despite a long-term trend of global warming.

The Earth's average temperature has risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. But the temperature rise has not been moving in lock step with the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide ? mainly from burning fossil fuels ? traps heat in the air.

Now scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have more evidence that this global "pause" has to do with conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

"We started the study trying to resolve several contradictions," says Shang-Ping Xie.

He and a colleague asked why the global average temperature has bucked its long-term upward trend. And they also set out to explain why ? even during this hiatus ? there has been record melting of ice in the Arctic Ocean, and why there have been many new summertime heat records.

Xie says he can explain a lot of that simply by looking at what's been happening in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. Waters there have been relatively cool, and that means the ocean can take up more heat than usual.

"It's gaining extra heat during the past 15 years, and that heat is being stored" in the deep ocean, he says.

There's no telling how long this cool phase will persist. But the previous Pacific cool phase, which started in the 1940s, lasted about 30 years. It can't last forever ? the ocean will eventually return to a warm phase, "and when that happens, we will be seeing unprecedented rates of climate warming," he says.

Not only will we get the natural heat wave, but on top of that we'll get all the warming from greenhouse gases that have been building up during this cold cycle.

Xie says he can also explain the continuing summer heat records and melting Arctic ice. It turns out that the plateau in global average temperatures is mostly the result of lower temperatures during the wintertime.

That drags down the average, "but if you go to the summer season, actually the global mean temperature has kept rising for the past 15 years," he says. "That allows heat waves to set records, and it allows the Arctic Ocean to melt at a record pace."

In fact, when he runs a computer simulation that includes the cooling of the Pacific Ocean, he also sees a seasonal pattern that matches the real world ups and downs.

But Susan Solomon, an atmospheric scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says there's more to this story.

"I think the ocean's playing a role. I'm not sure it's playing the largest role, and don't think the Pacific Ocean alone is the only place to look," she says.

It could well be that the oceans aren't simply in a natural cycle, Solomon says. The water temperature could be affected by changes in the atmosphere, including air pollution.

"It's been really quite incredible how much air pollution has been going on in China, and that reflects energy out into space. And that certainly can be a cooling effect," she says. "In other places though, the amount of air pollution has actually decreased, in Europe and the United States for example," so it's not clear what the overall effect is.

Another factor is volcanic activity. There have been a string of small volcanoes since 2005, and those have produced a steady stream of sulfur particles, which also reflect solar energy back out into space.

"I don't think it's the whole story," Solomon says, "but the measurements are very clear that it's part of the story ? maybe 25 percent, maybe 30 percent."

Even with all this push towards cooler temperatures, Solomon points out, the global average temperature has still been rising decade by decade. "It just hasn't continued to increase as it was doing before," she says.

The 2000s were warmer than the 1990s, which were warmer than the 1980s. Put another way, the last decade was the warmest since scientists started taking methodical measurements around the world more than a century ago. So global warming is very much with us today.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/08/29/216415005/a-cooler-pacific-may-be-behind-recent-pause-in-global-warming?ft=1&f=1007

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UL DQS India Launches GC Mark Certification

UL DQS India, the Indian subsidiary of DQS Holdings GmbH and the provider of Management Systems Certification to various industries, adds yet another feather to its cap with the launch of Global Conformance Mark certification. To meet growing international marketplace demands for certification, UL DQS introduces GC Mark in India which provides independent, third-party services to industries across, irrespective of their size and kinds.

GC-Mark is a seal which indicates that a product, service or organization fulfills a number of relevant requirements. Based upon traditional national and international standards, UL DQS has identified and developed criteria for excellence in quality, safety, hygiene, sustainability, and customer-satisfaction. Each of the GC-Mark has a corresponding set of requirements. Companies and organizations can request a voluntary assessment that analyzes whether they meet the relevant GC-Mark criteria.

?We are indeed glad to introduce GC Mark certifications to the industries in the Indian market.? The GC-Mark shows customers and consumers that UL DQS India as an independent third party, has proven that products and services fulfill the specified requirements. The certification is based upon rigid standards and transparent criteria and obtaining the mark ensures the trust of the customer.? said Dr. Sied Sadek, Managing Director of DQS CFS Global, from Germany, who is the master brain behind this unique initiative.

?The GC Mark highlights the strengths of an organisation and informs customers and stake holders of the company?s prowess. The consumers at the end of the day need to trust the products and services available for them and our objective in initiating the certification is to gain this trust of consumers.? said Dr. K Murugan, Managing Director & CEO, UL DQS India.

With GC-Mark, customers have the unique opportunity to present their conformance with globally recognized programs to end-users, who may not be familiar with the details of international management system standards, thus increasing market visibility and recognition. The product-related programs under GC-Mark are complementary to CE, further supporting the trust customers can place in an organization.

UL DQS India
UL DQS India is the Indian Operation of UL DQS, which is a merger of UL Inc of USA and DQS of Germany, with over 47000 certified sites and presence in more than 100 countries globally. UL DQS India is head-quartered out of Bangalore having presence with offices and auditors across India.? UL DQS India provides over 70 Management System Certifications and Assessments covering a vast majority of standards and industries. Through its Knowledge Solutions Centre, UL DQS India offers Trainings, Seminars and Assessments to cover a whole lot of activities and industry standards and focuses in helping the customers with dissemination of knowledge on the subject.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uEIfW/~3/wxI73JNQn6E/ul-dqs-india-launches-gc-mark.html

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G20 Russia Summit: China Warns US Fed Reserve Over QE Tapering Threat to Emerging Economies

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Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Russia G20 summit to discuss repercussions of tight central bank monetary policy on emerging markets. ...

Source: http://www.ibtimes.comhttp:0//www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/501786/20130827/russia-g20-summit-china-stimulus-qe-taper.htm

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Tesla's market value now tops $20 billion: report

After a few rough quarters, Tesla and its Model S sedan seem poised for a breakthrough.?

By Matthew Shaer / August 26, 2013

A man gestures as he walks past a billboard-sized photo of the Tesla Model S car, outside the boarded-up Tesla's first China flagship showroom at an office-shopping complex in Beijing August 23, 2013.

Reuters

Enlarge

Earlier this year, Tesla founder Elon Musk and John Broder of the New York Times scuffled over a negative review Mr. Broder had written of the Tesla Model S. The controversy seemed a low point for Tesla, which had initially struggled to find a large audience for its line of electric cars (the Times, in a separate article, went so far as to question the the "long-term viability of the company").?

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How far we've come.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Tesla's market value had passed $20 billion on the optimism of investors. "Tesla?s the Apple of automotive ? it?s managed to cross the automotive and technology fields to become this hot commodity," Alan Baum, an independent auto analyst at Baum & Associates, told Bloomberg. "Justified or not, the expectations for this company are now very high."?

For Tesla, which recently announced it had delivered?5,150 Model S sedans to customers in Q2 of 2013, it was just more good news.

A week back, the company said the Model S had received?the highest possible crash test rating from the?National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?? a rating that should help bolster the Model S's standing among many consumers. In addition, the Model S ? starting price $59,000 ? won Motor Trend's 2013 car of the year.?

"In our first Models S range verification, a Model S with the 85 kW-hr battery traveled 234 miles on a single charge with an indicated 4 miles of range remaining before we had to power it up again," Motor Trend wrote in its review.?

In related news, Tesla is said to be considering building factories in Europe and Asia, as it looks to expand its footprint overseas.?

Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/0826/Tesla-s-market-value-now-tops-20-billion-report

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Former Joplin man pleads guilty to tornado fraud

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. ? John Williams, a former Joplin man, has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a wire fraud conspiracy after the 2011 tornado.

Williams, 31, of Memphis, Tenn., pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush in Springfield to the charge contained in a June 11 federal indictment.

According to the plea agreement, Williams engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the Economic Security Corporation of Southwest Area in Joplin of money for a rental assistance program, the Missouri Housing Trust Fund Disaster Relief Program. The program disbursed funds to landlords who rented to clients who had been displaced by natural disasters, including the Joplin tornado.

Williams, who was not a landlord or property manager of ESC clients, conspired with others to submit fraudulent applications for rental assistance, according to a statement issued Wednesday by Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Williams assisted in the scheme by serving as a purported landlord on two fraudulent applications for rental assistance, and also by accompanying other check recipients to banks to cash their checks, in order to collect the proceeds of the fraud.

The ESC issued two rental assistance checks to Williams totaling $3,050. The total financial loss from the wire fraud conspiracy totaled $8,565.

Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION about disaster fraud related to the Joplin tornado may call the National Center for Disaster Fraud hot line at 866-720-5721, the Joplin Police Department at 417-623-3131, or the FBI's Joplin office at 417-206-5700.

Source: http://www.joplinglobe.com/crime_and_courts/x1253327219/Former-Joplin-man-pleads-guilty-to-tornado-fraud

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Hollywood's Chinese Theatre to become world's largest IMAX cinema

Hollywood landmark the Chinese Theatre is to reopen to the public next month (Sep13) as the world's largest IMAX theatre.

The Hollywood Boulevard tourist attraction, which once hosted the world's biggest film premieres, is set to make history on 20 September (13) when it launches a run of movie classic Wizard of Oz in IMAX 3D.

The event will be held to mark the 75th anniversary of the beloved film's release.

The new TCL Chinese Theatre will not only be the world's biggest IMAX theatre, it will also be the first IMAX theatre in Hollywood.

Excited IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond tells WENN, "Steeped in Hollywood tradition and history, the TCL Chinese Theatre is arguably one of the most famous movie theatres in the world and we are honoured to bring The IMAX Experience to this iconic location."

Source: http://www.starpulse.com/news/Dave_Simpson/2013/08/22/hollywoods_chinese_theatre_to_become_w?ref_src=news_rss

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Megalodon Myths Dispelled: Sharks Deserve Better than 'Shark Week' (Op-Ed)

Perrin Ireland is senior science communications specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. This post was adapted from one that originally appeared on the NRDC blog Switchboard. Ireland contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Earlier this month, as I saw countless shark myths getting airtime during Discovery Channel's "Shark Week," I decided I needed a refreshing reality check on sharks' real lives and current population status.

These questions decidedly weren't being answered on the Discovery Channel (actor Wil Wheaton, among others, held them to task), so I dialed up NRDC's resident "sharkspert," Brad Sewell, who's been working to get great hammerhead and dusky sharks listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

"If sharks were in charge, they would call it 'Sharks' Revenge' instead of 'Shark Week,'" Sewell said."The titillating bone-crunching being shown on TV this week would be revenge for what humans do to sharks the other 51 weeks of the year. The reality is that we are a much greater threat to sharks than they are to us. There were a dozen fatal shark attacks in 2011. Around the world, it's been estimated that we kill that many sharks every four seconds, for their meat, liver oil and fins."

Sewell has blogged about the hammerheadand duskyshark petitions he is helping move forward, and I asked him to join me for an update and a few laughs about sharks and lawyers.

In the wake of Shark Week, my colleagues and I at NRDC have been floating in the deep end of the "Cooler than #SharkWeek" pool, a movement started by scientists who love Shark Week, but hate misinforming the public.

You might have seen some kerfluffle about the mockumentary that aired on night one of Shark Week about a long-extinct shark called megalodon. Discovery aired the episode without informing its audience that it was fake. The "scientific experts" that appeared on the show were, in fact, actors.

The Cooler than #SharkWeek army formed in rapid response to the unfortunate lack of science the documentary perpetuated. It was time for a science takeover. The movement was the brainchild of #sharkscienceadvocate Brian Switek, who promised to share real information about nature every day of Shark Week, and kept his word.

The upside of the Discovery Channel blunder is that informed authorities on this extinct shark are coming out of the woodwork to share their knowledge, and it's always satisfying when nature produces a reality that's even more awe-inspiring than the mockumentaries can drum up.

Take a break from the nonsense and tune in to some thrilling shark reality.The publicdeserves a science buffet of great Cooler than #SharkWeek contentto keep the power of sharks, in all their glorious reality, alive.

First, a personal favorite, Christie Wilcox (@NerdyChristie) of Science Sushi at Discover Magazine Blogs who had a cameo on CNN setting the shark science record straight. She tells it like it is in an open letter to Discovery Communications expressing the general sentiments of science-curious audience members who felt really let down by the falsehoods the network perpetuated ? they actually claimed that a shark that's been extinct might still be out there, and a threat to humans. The time of the megalodon is past, by the way. Very past. Like 2 million years past.

Wilcox posted an outstanding roundup of the best shark science content she came across during Shark Week. There are juicy links to blogs about how the sharks that we are familiar with today might not even be as cool as the coolest ancient sharks, how you're not going to get attacked by a shark, whether humans can build a shark-proof suit ? in case you actually do have a mistaken-identity accident where a shark mistakes you for a seal ? how complicated shark reproduction really is, and whether sharks form social networks.

To learn more about the real megalodon, check out Jacquelyn Gill's(@JacquelynGill) post on the Megatooth Shark, which contains some jaw-dropping factual information. There is also some extremely in-depth information from an authentic paleozoologist, Darren Naish, regarding the mighty megalodon and a piece from Brian Switek about how megalodons are thought to have hunted the large whales of their era.

And don't miss the world's largest group of scientists requesting that humans quit referring to mistakes sharks make when hunting prey ? mistakes that result in the sharks accidentally grabbing humans ? as "shark attacks." See David Shiffman's blog post on Southern Fried Science about the effort to rephrase those events as "shark accidents."

Another dynamite shark science repository is Ed Yong's post on #sharkscience: Like Shark Week, but with Actual Facts. Imagine that! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's YouTube channel is swimming with informational videos, as well.

So keep cool during the dog days of August reading some killer shark content, and remember: Don't be afraid to go back in the water. Really.

The author wishes to thank Hadley Greswold, Janna D'Ambrisi, Eunice Park and Serena Ingre for video production support. The original post, Cooler than #Shark Week: #SharkScience appeared on the NRDC blog Switchboard. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/megalodon-myths-dispelled-sharks-deserve-better-shark-week-183759137.html

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It never hurts to have a Microsoft executive vice president play with your app....

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Excitement Builds as Move-in Begins for College Students

ALLENDALE, Mich. ? The upcoming school year is fast approaching for students in Michigan?s public and private universities, and many of those students are moving into their temporary on-campus homes this week.

At Grand Valley State University, students have already begun the process of getting situated in their dorms, living centers, and apartments.? On Wednesday morning, GVSU President Thomas J. Haas ? along with hundreds of alumni and staff volunteers ? will welcome new and returning students by serving up free ice cream by Kleiner Commons on the Allendale Campus.

GVSU also has an interactive map of the university?s campus, complete with online virtual tours.? It is available here.

Specific move-in dates and schedules for some of the colleges and universities are available below.

Grand Valley State University

Western Michigan University

University of Michigan

Michigan State University

Aquinas College

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wxmi-news/~3/D7MKp5WIDDA/

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NYSE stocks posting largest percentage decreases

NEW YORK (AP) -- A look at the 10 biggest percentage decliners on New York Stock Exchange at 1 p.m.:

Barnes & Noble Inc. fell 13.0 percent to $14.50.

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network fell 12.3 percent to $8.76.

Spansion Inc. fell 7.3 percent to $10.18.

Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. fell 7.1 percent to $47.02.

Intrexon Corp. fell 5.9 percent to $24.42.

Silver Spring Netwks fell 4.9 percent to $21.33.

Alon USA Partners fell 3.7 percent to $14.50.

Northern Tier Energy LP fell 3.4 percent to $20.81.

SandRidge Mississippian Trust I fell 3.4 percent to $12.26.

Gray Television Inc. fell 3.1 percent to $6.52.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nyse-stocks-posting-largest-percentage-174225999.html

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LIMO INVESTIGATION COMPLETE: The California Highway Patrol is expected to releas...

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What Does the World Need More Of? Kid President Celebrates World Humanitarian Day

Sojourners Comment Community Covenant

I will express myself with civility, courtesy, and respect for every member of the Sojourners online community, especially toward those with whom I disagree, even if I feel disrespected by them. (Romans 12:17-21)

I will express my disagreements with other community members' ideas without insulting, mocking, or slandering them personally. (Matthew 5:22)

I will not exaggerate others' beliefs nor make unfounded prejudicial assumptions based on labels, categories, or stereotypes. I will always extend the benefit of the doubt. (Ephesians 4:29)

I will hold others accountable by clicking "report" on comments that violate these principles, based not on what ideas are expressed but on how they're expressed. (2 Thessalonians 3:13-15)

I understand that comments reported as abusive are reviewed by Sojourners staff and are subject to removal. Repeat offenders will be blocked from making further comments. (Proverbs 18:7)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sojourners/gods-politics/~3/X_--D5Lmffo/what-does-world-need-more-kid-president-celebrates-world-humanitarian-day

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Will the Next iPhone Have a Fingerprint Sensor?

And if it does, should you care?

The top rumormongers say the new iPhone will have a fingerprint reader built into the Home button. Some people think this could revolutionize the smartphone, but I am not one of them.

My skepticism has nothing to do with Apple or the iPhone. It's just that I have seen at least three iterations of fingerprint readers come and go since 1980. The last one showed up on various laptops and some sort of security device.

Disclaimer: there was a similar cycle with tablets but Apple cracked the formula to make them successful. The smartphone itself was similarly cracked to change the category's direction. Thus, it is possible that Apple has some new idea or use for the fingerprint sensor.

We know thieves target iPhones. People get mugged just for their phones. Maybe Apple is envisioning that with a fingerprint sensor, the phone would become more secure because it would not operate without the proper fingerprint ID.

But this raises many questions too. How many people will be allowed to use a specific phone? What happens if you want to sell the phone? What happens if the sensor fails?

There's also the potential for a virtual payment system that everyone supposedly wants. If fingerprint verification is involved, the transaction can be made with minimal effort. Apple can take this one step further by partnering with a bank to create a network of payment subsystems in stores. Pass the phone over a sensor, input your fingerprint, and the deal is done.

But if theft protection and virtual wallet functionality is all there is to it, this is going nowhere because it is nonessential. Do you absolutely have to buy a new phone for this? I don't know about you, but swiping a credit card through a reader is not that hard for me. Now if the sensor could, say, tell your blood pressure or blood sugar, that would be cool. But still not worth buying a new phone.

If instead there was an arrangement with the TSA for security line exemption and expedition using the iPhone's fingerprint mechanism, then I'd get a new iPhone immediately. And President Obama has gone out of his way to praise Apple's innovation, so why not give the company a real American edge with a special arrangement?

Carl Icahn met with Tim Cook and the next thing you know he bought a billion dollars' worth of Apple stock. I'm assuming there was some sort of wink, wink, nudge, nudge information exchanged and part of the conversation surely addressed the iPhone and this fingerprint technology.

But if all the technology is does is simple security and some payment stuff, then I don't see the appeal of such an investment. We'll find out soon enough.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2423292,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05039TX1K0000762

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The hardest working man in demagogy (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Man sentenced to 15-months in prison over Obama Facebook post

A federal jury found Christopher Castillo guilty of making death threats against President Barack Obama on Facebook. Read More (Orange County Jail / February 10, 2013)

By Barbara Hijek FloriDUH

7:50 a.m. EDT, August 4, 2013

A federal judge handed down a 15-month prison sentence to Christopher Castillo, who posted this message on Facebook, referring to President Obama: ?That?s the last straw, if he gets re-elected I?m going to hunt him down and kill him (and) watch the life disappear from his eyes,? reports WKMG CBS News-6 in Orlando.

The 29-year-old Melbourne man reportedly cried when he heard his fate.

His prison term is to be followed by three-years probation, time to continue anger management classes, the judge said.

What else did Castillo post? Check out The Smoking Gun for his full rant.

Get the DUHtails at WKMG CBS News-6 in Orlando.

More FloriDUH

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/strange/floriduh-blog/sfl-flduh-facebook-post-20130802,0,7350366.story?track=rss

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Cain Velasquez On Dos Santos Trilogy

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Source: http://mmaspot.com/redblack/comments/cain-velasquez-on-dos-santos-trilogy

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how to buy a shrt sale - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Have patience is the best advice, they can take a while to get a response from the banks, simply because there are so many short sales in their pipelines and it seems that the decision making process involves a lot of people. If you are doing a short sale from a local bank, the process, in my experience has been shorter, than that of a larger national bank. Using a Realtor is a definite positive in this case, you want to make sure you have someone protecting your interests.

Best of luck to you,
Liz

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/how-to-buy-a-shrt-sale/505176/

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Powerball jackpot reaches $400M for Wednesday

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Dreamers hoping to strike it rich quick plunked down $2 a ticket hoping to win a Powerball jackpot estimated to be at least $300 million.

The winning numbers for Saturday's drawing were 21, 24, 36, 42, and 45, with the Powerball 15. There were no jackpot winners for Saturday's drawing.

The next drawing will be Wednesday, and the revised estimated jackpot is $400 million, well below the record $590.5 million jackpot that was won in May by an 84-year-old Florida widow.

Saturday's pot was big enough, though, to attract casual players who only buy tickets when they think the payoff is big and potentially life-changing.

The odds of matching all six numbers are 1 in 175.2 million.

Powerball is played in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

___

Online:

www.powerball.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-08-04-Powerball%20Jackpot/id-78194a2c916c4fdc8edc2e8973acdc32

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Video shows every oil pipeline spill in US since 1986

In effort to raise awareness about the human and environmental cost to oil pipeline spills and rally opposition to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, a group called The Center for Biological Diversity put together this time lapse video documenting every significant oil pipeline spill in the US since 1986.

Here's how they describe the video:

This time-lapse video shows pipeline incidents from 1986 to 2013, relying on publicly available data from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Only incidents classified as "significant" by the agency are shown in the video. "Significant" incidents include those in which someone was hospitalized or killed, damages amounted to more than $50,000, more than 5 barrels of highly volatile substances or 50 barrels of other liquid were released, or where the liquid exploded or burned.

According to the data, since 1986 there have been nearly 8,000 incidents (nearly 300 per year on average), resulting in more than 500 deaths (red dots on the video), more than 2,300 injuries (yellow dots on the video), and nearly $7 billion in damage. Since 1986 pipeline accidents have spilled an average of 76,000 barrels per year or more than 3 million gallons. This is equivalent to 200 barrels every day.

Learn more at NoKeystone.org and Center for Biological Diversity.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/video-shows-every-oil-pipeline-spill-us-1986.html

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AAU coach identifies Duke as leader for Okafor/Jones package deal

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Low-cost iPhone 5C to feature an 8-megapixel camera: Report

While the purported low-cost iPhone is making waves with leaked pictures and videos surfacing online every now and then, not much has been said about its specifications. Until now.

A new report (via MacRumors) by Chinese website IT168, claims that the low-cost iPhone, which might be christened iPhone 5C, would sport an 8-megapixel camera and that the camera module on the phone would be similar to the iPhone 5's camera module complete with the blue lens glass.

The iPhone 5S, which is the next generation iPhone, is expected to get an upgrade interns of the camera resolution. It is rumoured to sport a 12-megapixel camera lens.

The purported budget iPhone has made several online appearances. The leaks hint at colourful back panels made of polycarbonate/ plastic and a 4.0-inch screen. The phone is likely to release in fall with iOS 7 and the next generation iPhone.

Previously, a leaked photograph of plastic retail packaging that appeared on a Chinese website featured white plastic boxes marked 'iPhone 5C' complete with the Apple logo, suggesting that the phone could be named iPhone 5C.

A video of the phone appeared on the blog of Techdy, showing the plastic polycarbonate body back panel of the alleged low-cost iPhone that appeared in recent leaks.

French website Nowhereelse.fr had earlier shared a couple of pictures that originally appeared on a Chinese website depicting Red, Yellow and Green plastic shell cases of what looks like the back of a new variant of iPhone.

Another picture of the rear shell appeared in April, and was shared by case manufacturer Tactus. The case maker had said that the cheaper iPhone would be available in Black, White, Blue, Red and Yellow colours, citing the 'factory producing this secretive project' as a source. Tactus had informed that the actual phone might be around 9mm thick, 120mm in height and around 62-65mm in width, making it both taller and wider than the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Apple-focused Japanese blog Macotakara had also suggested that the new low-cost iPhone will come in multiple colours.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NDTV-Tech/~3/zOGzfIkoi0o/story01.htm

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U.N. chief names former Bulgarian foreign minister as Iraq envoy

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday appointed former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov as his special envoy to Iraq, where security has deteriorated as Sunni Islamist groups step up an insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government.

More than 1,000 Iraqis - mainly civilians - were killed in sectarian violence in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Ban said on Monday that he was alarmed by the increased violence in Iraq that was "aimed at ripping apart the country's social fabric." He said Iraq was at another crossroads.

"Its political leaders have a clear responsibility to bring the country back from the brink, and to leave no space to those who seek to exploit the political stalemate through violence and terror," Ban said in a statement.

Mladenov, who was Bulgaria's foreign affairs minister from 2010 to 2013, replaces former German diplomat Martin Kobler, who has been has been appointed Ban's special envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-chief-names-former-bulgarian-foreign-minister-180444012.html

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A solo dos meses para partir a Rusia para representar a Puerto Rico en el certam...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/primerahora/posts/10151542461782727

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U.S. Issues Global Travel Alert Over al Qaeda Threat (WSJ)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/323554024?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Kenya: Gov't to pay $460k to rendition victims

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? A Kenyan court has awarded compensation to 11 victims of the largest illegal deportation of terrorism suspects in Africa to countries with appalling human rights records, a lawyer said Thursday.

The illegal deportations to countries that do not uphold human rights were meant to facilitate long periods for interrogations of the suspects ? beyond the prescribed periods ? by various security agencies including the FBI and CIA, said Mbugua Mureithi, who represented the 11 victims.

Some of the suspects deported to those countries had complained of torture, he said.

Judge Mumbi Ngugi ordered the Kenya government to pay nearly a total of $460,000 as restitution and ruled that their 2007 deportations from Kenya to Somalia and finally Ethiopia were unlawful and unconstitutional, Mureithi said.

The court announced the judgment Wednesday but the written report was to be released Thursday, he said.

The victims, eight Kenyans, two Tanzanians and a Rwandan, were part of a group of more than 100 who were detained in Ethiopia. Some were caught at different times sneaking into Kenya from Somalia, where they were escaping a U.S.-supported Ethiopian army offensive against an Islamic extremist group that controlled much of Somalia. Others were arrested in Kenya.

The Islamic Courts Union had seized control of much of southern Somalia in 2006. Ethiopian authorities worried the Islamic extremists had designs on Ethiopian territory that is ethnically Somali and the U.S. was concerned the Somali Islamists were harboring terrorists. The Ethiopians entered the country at the end of 2006 and drove the Islamists from power.

The CIA began an aggressive program in 2002 to interrogate suspected terrorists at an unknown number of secret locations from Southeast Asia to Europe. Prisoners were frequently picked up in one country and transferred to a prison in another, where they were held incommunicado by a cooperative intelligence service. But former President George W. Bush announced in 2006 that all the detainees had been moved to military custody at Guantanamo Bay.

Some of the more than 100 suspects held in Ethiopian renditions were detained for more than 18 months before being released without charge.

Mureithi said Ngugi found that the 11 suspects had been tortured although she exonerated the companies which provided the planes to ferry the suspects from liability. Mureithi said he was not happy with the amount of compensation the court awarded.

"In order to prevent this from happening again the court should have given higher compensation," Mureithi said. "The compensation is not commensurate to the experiences the victims were put through."

He said the decision is "precedent-setting" but is not enough for Kenya's government to stop carrying out future such rights violations.

"Unlike in the West where decisions of the court are taken seriously, and it changes behavior, I don't think things are taken seriously in this country. This is just another judgment. I am trying to be optimistic but I don't think this will change things," he said. "That's why substantial damages are necessary they should feel pain in the pocket."

Mureithi said he is waiting for instructions from his clients on whether to sue the United States for its role in the interrogations.

Human rights groups have long accused Kenyan authorities of having a tendency to circumvent the law when they face public pressure for action against crime or terrorism.

Rights groups have accused the police of a culture of executing terror suspects when they cannot secure convictions. The group Muslims for Human Rights says 13 people who were suspected of having links to terror groups have either been killed or have disappeared in unclear circumstances in Kenya so far this year. At least 18 people were killed or disappeared last year, it said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenya-govt-pay-460k-rendition-victims-103451761.html

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Country star Randy Travis discharged from hospital

PLANO, Texas (AP) ? Country music star Randy Travis is out of the hospital three weeks after he was admitted with congestive heart failure and later suffered a stroke.

A statement Wednesday says Travis has been discharged from The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano near Dallas, where he'd been admitted July 7.

The statement from publicist Kirt Webster goes on to say Travis has been moved to a physical therapy center for further treatment for a stroke he suffered July 10.

The 54-year-old singer developed the heart failure due to a viral illness. The stroke prompted surgeons to operate to relieve pressure on his brain.

Travis' fiancee Mary Davis gave thanks for the prayers and support the singer received from fans and friends for his recovery.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/country-star-randy-travis-discharged-hospital-234609283.html

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Ford India's July sales surge 48%

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Source: news.in.msn.com --- Thursday, August 01, 2013
The US auto major says it sold 7,867 units in the domestic market and shipped out 4,471 units in July. It also commenced shipments of the EcoSport to South Africa, Mexico and Aruba ...

Source: http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=253474040

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Extreme wildfires likely fueled by climate change

Public release date: 1-Aug-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andy Henion
henion@msu.edu
517-355-3294
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Climate change is likely fueling the larger and more destructive wildfires that are scorching vast areas of the American West, according to new research led by Michigan State University scientists.

These erratic fires are harder to contain and often result in catastrophic damage and loss of property and life. Although not analyzed in the study, the recent Arizona wildfire that began with a lightning strike and killed 19 firefighters appeared to be such an unpredictable, fast-spreading blaze, according to a state report.

The MSU-led study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, predicts the trend will continue in the western United States.

"Our findings suggest that future lower atmospheric conditions may favor larger and more extreme wildfires, posing an additional challenge to fire and forest management," said Lifeng Luo, MSU assistant professor of geography and lead author on the study.

The researchers analyzed current and future climate patterns projected by multiple regional climate models and their effect on the spread of fire in a mountainous region that includes Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The study focused on August, the most active month for wildfires in the western United States.

August 2012 saw 3.6 million acres burn in the region, the most of any August since 2000. However, there were only 6,948 fires in August 2012 -- the second fewest in that 12-year timeframe -- meaning the fires were much larger.

Large wildfires are mainly driven by natural factors including the availability of fuel (vegetation), precipitation, wind and the location of lightning strikes. In particular, the researchers found that exceptionally dry and unstable conditions in the earth's lower atmosphere will continue contributing to "erratic and extreme fire behavior."

"Global climate change may have a significant impact on these factors, thus affecting potential wildfire activity across many parts of the world," the study says.

###

Co-authors include Ying Tang and Shiyuan Zhong from MSU, and Xindu Bian and Warren Heilman from the USDA Forest Service.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 1-Aug-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andy Henion
henion@msu.edu
517-355-3294
Michigan State University

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Climate change is likely fueling the larger and more destructive wildfires that are scorching vast areas of the American West, according to new research led by Michigan State University scientists.

These erratic fires are harder to contain and often result in catastrophic damage and loss of property and life. Although not analyzed in the study, the recent Arizona wildfire that began with a lightning strike and killed 19 firefighters appeared to be such an unpredictable, fast-spreading blaze, according to a state report.

The MSU-led study, which appears in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, predicts the trend will continue in the western United States.

"Our findings suggest that future lower atmospheric conditions may favor larger and more extreme wildfires, posing an additional challenge to fire and forest management," said Lifeng Luo, MSU assistant professor of geography and lead author on the study.

The researchers analyzed current and future climate patterns projected by multiple regional climate models and their effect on the spread of fire in a mountainous region that includes Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The study focused on August, the most active month for wildfires in the western United States.

August 2012 saw 3.6 million acres burn in the region, the most of any August since 2000. However, there were only 6,948 fires in August 2012 -- the second fewest in that 12-year timeframe -- meaning the fires were much larger.

Large wildfires are mainly driven by natural factors including the availability of fuel (vegetation), precipitation, wind and the location of lightning strikes. In particular, the researchers found that exceptionally dry and unstable conditions in the earth's lower atmosphere will continue contributing to "erratic and extreme fire behavior."

"Global climate change may have a significant impact on these factors, thus affecting potential wildfire activity across many parts of the world," the study says.

###

Co-authors include Ying Tang and Shiyuan Zhong from MSU, and Xindu Bian and Warren Heilman from the USDA Forest Service.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/msu-ewl080113.php

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