A smartphone solution to childhood obesity

The best weapon in the battle against obesity may already be in the hands of children and teenagers.

That?s the thinking behind the work of several researchers and technologists around the country who hope to turn cell phones into devices that can help young people make healthier food and lifestyle choices.

A recent Pew Internet study found that 78 percent of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half of them ? 47 percent -- own smartphones with computing capability.

?It?s interesting because most people think using technology is part of the problem,? said Dr. Susan Woolford of the Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center at the University of Michigan, pointing to video games and other uses of technology that have made teens more sedentary. ?We?re actually using this new technology to help us.?

Woolford leads a team that sends highly tailored and targeted text messages to obese adolescents to help them change their behaviors. The messages urge teens to reduce their time in front of TV and computer screens, eat a healthy breakfast and more fruits and vegetables, and reduce the number of sweets and sugary beverages in their diets.

The initial test program had bout 25 volunteer participants -- overweight teens who are participating in university's weight management program.

To get the most effective messages to individual teens, participants in the pilot program filled out an online survey with questions about their activity level, what kind of support they have, what kind of foods they prefer and what inspires them to lose weight.

From there, the team has developed a database of 100 or so unique automated messages that are sent daily. Their goal is to get the right message at the right time to the right person.

?We aren?t going to suggest you play basketball as an activity if you said your interest was in water sports,? Woolford said.

Or if a teen prefers dairy for breakfast, the team?s text might suggest low-fat yogurt.

Woolford said the feedback from the participants has been crucial in shaping the messages.

She pointed to a text suggesting alternative snacks that said, ?Instead of ice cream try frozen yogurt today." But some teens in the study were quick to point out when they see the words ?ice cream? in a message they don?t see see the healthy alternative that comes later.

So, Woolford said, the text message simply became "Try yogurt this morning."

?I think technology is definitely going to help us,? she said, ?It?s not just sending a text message, it?s send the right text message. And if we pay attention to the content the success is greater.?

In Massachusetts, Dr. Nicolas Oreskovic is using another common smartphone feature ? the Global Positioning System ? to study where in a city and when young people are active.

?What urban spaces do they use for physical activity and what spaces they do not use for physical activity?? Oreskovic asked.

Oreskovic and his team based at Massachusetts General Hospital?s Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy had teens in Revere, Mass. wear GPS devices on their wrists and accelerometers on their hips for several months over three seasons to collect data on the location and activity of their daily routines.

By plotting the results on a city map, Oreskovic noticed that children tend to be active in outdoor spaces like parks, playgrounds, streets and sidewalks rather than indoor spaces like their home and school. He also charted when they are most active and where and when they walked to a park or playground.

Oreskovic said he hopes such studies help urban planners design cities and towns to promote a more healthy and active lifestyle in children.

If city officials had good data about how children use their sidewalks, parks and open areas, they can redesign communities with the right walking paths to the right parks, Oreskovic said. Decisions could be made using scientific data, which in turn should encourage more use of a city's parks, playscapes and open space.

Oreskovic said a next step could be to use location mapping to help teens find healthy food options and places to spend their time. The GPS on their cellphones and texting technology could be combined to point teens to a safe park to play or suggest a healthier restaurant near their favorite fast food joint.

?I think the wave of the future in these not traditional areas,? Oreskovic said. ?Intervention in schools has had a limited impact. These novel technology areas are where we can individualize obesity counseling may be helpful.?

Technology is making great strides in the fight against obesity according to Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Schauer said hundreds of applications on mobile and desktop and computerized devices, like smart watches and digital jewelry, are being developed to help users maintain a healthy lifestyle.

?Some of these smart watches can help us with weight, they can keep track of the steps day we take each day, the calories burning and track our weight on daily basis," Schauer said.

"There?s all kinds of apps, more and more come out each day and it?s hard to keep track of them,? Schauer said. ?I even think they are working on one where you can take a picture of the food eating with the camera on your smartphone and an app tells you how many calories it is.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/researchers-combat-obesity-tech-tools-popular-teens-135530214.html

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PST: U.S. achievement a bit of skill, and luck

It takes some luck to prevail inside the intimidating cauldron that is Estadio Azteca, and the United States did find its share of good fortune in Tuesday?s 0-0 draw with suddenly beleaguered El Tri.

Two penalty appeals were denied and Javier ?Chicharito? Hernandez missed twice from in close ? the kind of chances ?Chicharito? generally finishes with ruthless efficiency, which is why he went to Manchester United at such a young age.

To be sure, the young United States back line (well, three inexperienced defenders plus converted midfielder DaMarcus Beasley) were generally in the right spots and almost always accurate in the challenges. Michael Bradley did good two-way work, identifying the vital passing central lanes to screen out much of the danger and then assisting the United States in possession.

The Americans never moved enough men forward to bother or test Mexico?s back line, but those useful moments of possession were critical in taking just enough pressure off the back line and pushing the Mexicans back.

For the second consecutive contest, goalkeeper Brad Guzan did everything he needed to do. Surely U.S. fans who fretted last week about a U.S. goal unguarded by trusty Tim Howard are feeling better after seeing Guzan calmly go about his chores over two memorable nights.

Still, Klinsmann?s men needed a break here or there to draw a point out of Azteca, a place where Mexico has traditionally been so stingy with them.

(MORE: United States fights to a scoreless draw)

In the first half, Bradley raised two hands and pushed Chicharito in the back as the Mexican markman streaked into the 18, looking for a ball off Giovani dos Santos? foot along the right. The nearby referee?s assistant raised his flag to indicate a foul but Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez ignored the waving yellow flag.

But the refereeing choice? that will surely drive Mexican fans even more nutso ? when they aren?t debating the job status of increasingly embattled Jos? Manuel ?Chepo? de la Torre ? was a 76^th minute penalty kick appeal unheard by Lopez. Edu bundled aggressively into Javier Aquino from behind as the Mexican attacker prepared to shoot.

The visitors from up north definitely got away with something there.

(MORE: Mexico?s turn to defuse crisis)

As for the missed shots:

In the 28^th minute, Chicharito went high with a header from inside the six ? but the sequence perfectly illustrated how so much of the night would go. ?Mexico?s Jorge Torres Nilo was able to scoot free along the U.S. right side; there was quite a bit of that Tuesday, especially early. But U.S. center back Matt Besler got just enough of a body on Chicharito as they both sprinted toward goal, so the Mexican striker didn?t have anything uncontested.

Later, Chicharito missed from even closer; that one was something that looked like genuine serendipity.

Of course, the United States made some of its own luck. Prime example, Graham Zusi?s tremendous tracking in the 72^nd minute, a 30-yard dash to heroically head away a ball and prevent a point blank header from Angel Reyna.

Besler and Omar Gonzalez were ball-clearing beasts ? which was absolutely no luck at all. That was on Klinsmann, whose choice to start the LA Galaxy center back to begin the final round looks like the right one now.

(MORE: Man of the Match, Omar Gonzalez)

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/tuesdays-big-u-s-achievement-took-a-bit-of-luck-too/related/

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Source: http://accessconference.org/of-use-facts-about-consulting-business/

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Reminder: How Mexico Treats ?Undesirable? Foreigners (Michellemalkin)

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Saturn is like an antiques shop, Cassini suggests; Moons and rings date back to solar system's birth

Mar. 27, 2013 ? A new analysis of data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft suggests that Saturn's moons and rings are gently worn vintage goods from around the time of our solar system's birth.

Though they are tinted on the surface from recent "pollution," these bodies date back more than 4 billion years. They are from around the time that the planetary bodies in our neighborhood began to form out of the protoplanetary nebula, the cloud of material still orbiting the sun after its ignition as a star. The paper, led by Gianrico Filacchione, a Cassini participating scientist at Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics, Rome, has just been published online by The Astrophysical Journal.

"Studying the Saturnian system helps us understand the chemical and physical evolution of our entire solar system," said Filacchione. "We know now that understanding this evolution requires not just studying a single moon or ring, but piecing together the relationships intertwining these bodies."

Data from Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) have revealed how water ice and also colors -- which are the signs of non-water and organic materials --are distributed throughout the Saturnian system. The spectrometer's data in the visible part of the light spectrum show that coloring on the rings and moons generally is only skin-deep.

Using its infrared range, VIMS also detected abundant water ice -- too much to have been deposited by comets or other recent means. So the authors deduce that the water ices must have formed around the time of the birth of the solar system, because Saturn orbits the sun beyond the so-called "snow line." Out beyond the snow line, in the outer solar system where Saturn resides, the environment is conducive to preserving water ice, like a deep freezer. Inside the solar system's "snow line," the environment is much closer to the sun's warm glow, and ices and other volatiles dissipate more easily.

The colored patina on the ring particles and moons roughly corresponds to their location in the Saturn system. For Saturn's inner ring particles and moons, water-ice spray from the geyser moon Enceladus has a whitewashing effect.

Farther out, the scientists found that the surfaces of Saturn's moons generally were redder the farther they orbited from Saturn. Phoebe, one of Saturn's outer moons and an object thought to originate in the far-off Kuiper Belt, seems to be shedding reddish dust that eventually rouges the surface of nearby moons, such as Hyperion and Iapetus.

A rain of meteoroids from outside the system appears to have turned some parts of the main ring system -- notably the part of the main rings known as the B ring -- a subtle reddish hue. Scientists think the reddish color could be oxidized iron -- rust -- or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which could be progenitors of more complex organic molecules.

One of the big surprises from this research was the similar reddish coloring of the potato-shaped moon Prometheus and nearby ring particles. Other moons in the area were more whitish.

"The similar reddish tint suggests that Prometheus is constructed from material in Saturn's rings," said co-author Bonnie Buratti, a VIMS team member based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Scientists had been wondering whether ring particles could have stuck together to form moons -- since the dominant theory was that the rings basically came from satellites being broken up. The coloring gives us some solid proof that it can work the other way around, too."

"Observing the rings and moons with Cassini gives us an amazing bird's-eye view of the intricate processes at work in the Saturn system, and perhaps in the evolution of planetary systems as well," said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist, based at JPL. "What an object looks like and how it evolves depends a lot on location, location, location."

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The visual and infrared mapping spectrometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. G. Filacchione, F. Capaccioni, R. N. Clark, P. D. Nicholson, D. P. Cruikshank, J. N. Cuzzi, J. I. Lunine, R. H. Brown, P. Cerroni, F. Tosi, M. Ciarniello, B. J. Buratti, M. M. Hedman, E. Flamini. The radial distribution of water ice and chromophores across Saturn's system. Astrophysical Journal, 2013; (accepted) [link]

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/r2bvS0rQl3A/130327170155.htm

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Astrology 102 03/26 by Starseed Radio Academy | Blog Talk Radio

The Down & Dirty welcomes comedian/writer/podcaster Neal Brennan. He's known as co-creator of the Chappelle's Show and is appearing at the Laugh Factory this weekend.

IBM X-Force research team and professionals pause to read their own report on the trends and risks affecting IT Security.

Spencer Hughes is joined by television game show host legend, American pop icon, and Conservative Chuck Woolery!!

Philosopher Dr. Diana Hsieh will interview Professor Robert Garmong about "Should We Fear or Embrace China?"

Matthew A. Cherry debuts "The Last Fall" a coming of age sports drama about the difficulties an NFL player faces when transitioning to life after his playing days are over.

Raychelle Cassada Lohmann?, M.S., L.P.C?., is a professional counselor, author, speaker, blogger for ?P?sychology Today?.

Molly Fienning talks about her "aha" moment while on the flight line when she conceived the concept of "Babiators" sun-protecting aviator sunglasses for children.

Dr. Robert Hopper, PhD, the author of the book ?Stick With Exercise?, to talk about the best practices to guarantee exercise success.

Laura Theodore welcomes cookbook authors and chefs Nava Atlas, Leslie Cerier and Fran Costigan, to hear about how plant-based diets are good for your overall health.

Get Focused Radio welcomes special guest Elliot Tiber, the man who was instrumental in arranging the site for the original Woodstock Concert.

Debbi Dachinger is an expert in goal achievement. Debbi is a radio and TV personality; a three-time bestselling author, keynote speaker, and coach.

Best-selling authors Mali Apple and Joe Dunn discuss their award winning book, The Soulmate Experience and share what it takes to find your soulmate at mid-life.

Expert freshwater guide Gregg Silks jons the show with tips for you to become a great freshwater angler.

Alexis Babini is more than an average singer/songwriter, he's positioned to make a major impact on national music scenes.

Media Nite Radio welcomes actor, producer, director Patrick Kilpatrick to discuss his new film, "Active Shooter".

Sultry, hip and passionate best describes the lyric and music of the singing sensation the talented, victorious and beautiful Darnaa!

Matthew Ward is a Historian, an Edutainer and runs History Needs You, appeared in three series of the successful television show Horrible Histories and alsoThe Da Vinci Code.

Afronerd Radio welcomes iconic saxophonist, Maceo Parker to the show to discuss his new memoir, 98% Funky: My Life in Music.

Nigel McGuinness is a former Ring of Honor Wrestling World Champion and TNA Superstar, Nigel will discuss his self-made documentary "The Last of McGuinness".

Marsha Ambrosius a sought after songwriter and revered platinum-selling artist reinventing herself as a solo artist with her J Records debut disc Late Nights.

In this episode from The Lynch Series actress Laura Harring discusses her experiences working on the acclaimed film Mulholland Dr.

The King Jordan welcomes guest Mickey Sherman, who will be breaking down the Jodi Arias trial, Cannibal Cop, The Ohio Rape Case, and George Zimmerman Case.

Visit with Flula Borg. He has millions of YouTube views, many fans, a few albums, two books, celebrity interviews, yet Starbucks baristas still can't spell his name right on cups.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/starseed-radio-academy/2013/03/26/astrology-102

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Samsung Galaxy S4 wallpapers, ringtones and 'S Voice' app leak

The Samsung Galaxy S4 launch might be over a month away, but if you're looking to bring a touch of SGS4 to your current device, a freshly-leaked selection of goodies may be able to help.

SamMobile has obtained a sampling of ringtones and wallpapers, along with the "S Voice" voice assistant app. S Voice works much the same as it does on any other Samsung device, though it does seem to have undergone some cosmetic changes since we last saw it. Note as this is presumably taken from pre-release firmware, things may be broken or slow, even if you're using it on a Samsung handset.

The wallpapers and ringtones are in line with what we'd expect form a Samsung phone, and eagle-eyed readers may remember some of the images from our hands-on coverage of the Galaxy S4. There's an abundance of primary colors, which we imagine is designed to show off the S4's saturated Full HD SuperAMOLED display. And the ringtones are dominated by the same mix of gentle, nature-inspired tones found on the Galaxy S4.

Download locations for the ringtones, wallpapers and S Voice app can be found at the source links below.

Update: The system image from which this stuff is taken is now available to download too.

Source: SamMobile (2), (3)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6ffjUrZ87ZU/story01.htm

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Aye-ayes: Endangered lemurs' complete genomes are sequenced and analyzed for conservation efforts

Mar. 25, 2013 ? For the first time, the complete genomes of three separate populations of aye-ayes -- a type of lemur -- have been sequenced and analyzed in an effort to help guide conservation efforts. The results of the genome-sequence analyses will be published in an early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online during the week of March 25.

The team of scientists is led by George H. Perry, assistant professor of anthropology and biology at Penn State University; Webb Miller, professor of biology and of computer science and engineering at Penn State; and Edward Louis, director of conservation genetics at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and director of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, NGO.

The aye-aye -- a lemur that is found only on the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean -- recently was re-classified as "endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "The aye-aye is one of the world's most unusual and fascinating animals," said Perry. "Aye-ayes use continuously growing incisors to gnaw through the bark of dead trees and then a long, thin, and flexible middle finger to extract insect larvae, filling the ecological niche of a woodpecker. Aye-ayes are nocturnal, solitary and have very low population densities, making them difficult to study and sample in the wild."

Perry added that he and other scientists are concerned about the long-term viability of aye-ayes as a species, given the loss and fragmentation of natural forest habitats in Madagascar. "Aye-aye population densities are very low, and individual aye-ayes have huge home-range requirements," said Perry. "As forest patches become smaller, there is a particular risk that there won't be sufficient numbers of individual aye-ayes in a given area to maintain a population over multiple generations. We were looking to make use of new genomic-sequencing technologies to characterize patterns of genetic diversity among some of the surviving aye-aye populations, with an eye towards the prioritization of conservation efforts."

Louis, with his team at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership, worked to locate aye-ayes and collect DNA samples from three separate regions of Madagascar: the northern, eastern, and western regions. To discover the extent of the genetic diversity in present-day aye-ayes, the researchers generated the complete genome sequences of 12 individual aye-ayes. They then analyzed and compared the genomes of the three populations. They found that, while eastern and western aye-ayes are somewhat genetically distinct, aye-ayes in the northern part of the island and those in the east show a much more significant amount of genetic distance, suggesting an extensive period of time during which interbreeding has not occurred between the populations in these regions.

"Our next step was to compare aye-aye genetic diversity to present-day human genetic diversity," explained Miller. "This analysis can help us to gauge how long the aye-aye populations have been geographically separated and unable to interbreed." To make the comparison, the team gathered 12 complete human DNA sequences -- the same number as the individual aye-aye sequences generated -- from publicly available databases for three distinct human populations: African agriculturalists, individuals of European descent, and Southeast Asian individuals. Using Galaxy -- an open-source, web-based computer platform designed at Penn State for data-intensive biomedical and genetic research -- the team developed software to compare the two species' genetic distances. They found that present-day African and European human populations have a smaller amount of genetic distance than that found to exist between northern and eastern aye-aye populations, suggesting that the aye-aye populations were separated for an especially lengthy period of time by geographic barriers.

"We believe that northern aye-ayes have not been able to interbreed with other populations for some time. Although they are separated by a distance of only about 160 miles, high and extensive plateaus and major rivers may have made intermingling relatively infrequent," explained Miller. He added that the results of the team's data further suggest that the separation of the two aye-aye populations stretches back much longer than 2,300 years, which is when human settlers first arrived on the island and started burning the aye-ayes' forest habitat and hunting lemurs.

The team members hope that their findings will help to guide future conservation efforts for the species. "This work highlights an important region of aye-aye biodiversity in northern Madagascar, and this unique biodiversity is not preserved anywhere except in the wild," said Louis. "There is tremendous historical loss of habitat in northern Madagascar that is continuing at an unsustainable rate today. This study is an excellent example of how a comprehensive and coordinated effort in the field and laboratory can identify previously unknown patterns of biodiversity for an endangered species, which then can be used by conservation organizations to base their management strategies."

The authors added that, in future research, they would like to sequence the genomes of other lemur species -- more than 70 percent of which are considered endangered or critically endangered -- as well as aye-ayes from the southern reaches of the island of Madagascar.

In addition to Perry, Miller, and Louis, other scientists who contributed to this research include Stephan C. Schuster, Aakrosh Ratan, Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina, and Richard Burhans from Penn State; Runhua Lei from the Center for Conservation and Research at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; and Steig E. Johnson from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

Funding for aye-aye sample collection was provided by Conservation International, the Primate Action Fund, and the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, along with logistical support from the Ahmanson Foundation and the Theodore F. and Claire M. Hubbard Family Foundation. Additional support comes from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Katrina Voss.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. George H. Perry, Edward E. Louis, Jr., Aakrosh Ratan, Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina, Richard C. Burhans, Runhua Lei, Steig E. Johnson, Stephan C. Schuster, and Webb Miller. Aye-aye population genomic analyses highlight an important center of endemism in northern Madagascar. PNAS, March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211990110

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/top_science/~3/th-V7_WkuQM/130325160507.htm

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T-Mobile Goes Contract-Free

The imagined post-industrial wasteland, projected at the T-Mobile event, from which T-Mobile offers an escape.

"Please?stop the bullshit!" squealed T-Mobile CEO John Legere this morning. In introducing T-Mobile's new prepaid plans, he billed himself and his company as the "uncarrier," the anti-cellular company cellular company, one that's now doing away with contracts in favor of unlimited talk plans tiered according to data limits.

Wearing a T-Mobile T-shirt under a suit jacket and jeans, John Legere excitedly proclaimed his company's empathy for weary smartphone customers. "The industry's broken," he said, and in dire need of change. Legere offered his idea of that change in the form of T-Mobile's "value plans"?plans that seem prepaid but aren't. Instead, they're just simplified: Each comes with unlimited texts and minutes. (You can pay ahead of time, avoiding credit checks, but you won't get any subsidization on phones. Instead, you'd pay a downpayment on the phone and T-Mobile would tack on a monthly fee until you pay off the cost of the phone.)

Note that though Legere says the new plans come with "unlimited data," they don't. Data is still tiered: the company offers a choice of a 500 MB for $50, 2 GB for $60, and unlimited (with limited hotspot usage) for $70. Add new lines for $10 each.

Besides the possibility of going contract-free, the other news that got the bearded and hunched crowd to cheer was the $99 iPhone T-Mobile is now offering. (That, and John Legere's teasing as he tempted bloggers to flirt with his daughter?but what else would you expect from a cellphone event?). A small Apple crew showed up to give demos of the phone?which, Legere says, is better than the iPhone 5 everyone else has because it works on multiple bands (though it is, of course, the same iPhone 5 everyone else has). The company also introduced the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4?each for $99, too.

Making fun of AT&T was well-received, with cackles galore as CMO Andrew Sherrard held up the company's brochures, play-struggling to hold onto them all. "This is what we've been inspired by," he said. "We're here to change it all." All? That's a lot to promise, but it sure sounds good.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tech-news/t-mobile-goes-contract-free-15268978?src=rss

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Brown University student missing

Sunil Tripathi, a 22-year-old philosophy major at Brown University was last seen in the campus area on March 15, 2013, according to spokesman Gregory Comcowich. The FBI is helping Providence police in the search. Sangeeta Tripathi, the student's sister, told the Providence Journal that Sunil's wallet, ID cards, credit cards and cell phone were found in his room. Sunil, who grew up in Bryn Mawr, Pa., was living in Providence since 2008 and was on approved leave from the Ivy League school. The search for Sunil has expanded outside Providence to Boston, Connecticut, New York and Philadelphia.

Author: Stephanie Slifer

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FedEx Is Shipping 2 Pandas Across The Globe. Here's How

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FedEx Is Shipping 2 Pandas Across The Globe. Here's How
Weird, giant, endangered stuff sometimes must be shipped. Meet the "loadmaster" who has FedExed tigers, gorillas, eagles, penguins, lions, rhinos, and even beluga whales across the globe. On March 25, he's shipping a couple of Pandas from China to Canada.

Source: FastCompany
Posted on: Monday, Mar 25, 2013, 8:48am
Views: 6

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127434/FedEx_Is_Shipping___Pandas_Across_The_Globe__Here_s_How

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Ford apologizes for ads showing bound, gagged women

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau ? ? ? 17 hrs.

Ford Motor Co. is taking heat for a series of ads it released in India showing caricatures of several celebrities behind the wheel of a Ford car with three women bound and gagged in the cargo bay.

With critics declaring the campaign offensive and misogynistic, Ford and its global ad agency WPP have quickly backtracked, apologizing and admitting the campaign ?should never have happened.?

In one of the three images, released to the website Ads of the World, a cartoon Paris Hilton winks from behind the wheel of a Ford Figo with the three Kardashian sisters tied up in the cargo compartment of the hatchback. Another ad uses a satirical image of Italy?s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi driving with three other scantily clad women, who were bound and gagged.

An ad for the Figo puts Formula One driving champ Michael Schumacher behind the wheel. In this one, however, three of his long-time (male) rivals are tied up: Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The WPP campaign appears to have been designed to show the large cargo capacity of the small Figo, a car Ford has hoped will help it gain a large share of the booming Indian automotive market.

?We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened,? Ford said in a statement responding to criticism. ?The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners.?

WPP added that the ads ?were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency.? The agency?s statement hinted that the three ads were originally created for in-house use and, ?were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the Internet.?

Whether intentionally made public, the ad campaign is unusual considering Ford has traditionally avoided generating controversy with its advertising. The maker responded to a conservative protest campaign a few years ago by pulling its advertising from gay, lesbian and bisexual publications ? although Ford later decided to resume that campaign.

It?s unclear what impact the ads ? and the apology ? will have on sales in India where the Figo has been gaining significant traffic since its launch in 2011. Ford has invested about $1 billion in that market since then, with the Figo anchoring the roll-out of eight new models.

Ironically, the controversy could generate more interest in the Ford line at a time when sexual violence has become an issue of national concern in India. Several high-profile gang rapes, including one earlier this month targeting a Swiss tourist, led the Indian Parliament last week to approve a new anti-rape law.

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Syrian rebels advance, oblivious to infighting

FILE - In this undated file photo, Syrian Commander Riad al-Asaad, who heads a group of Syrian army defectors appears on a video posted on the group's Facebook page. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday March 25, 2013 a bomb stuck to his car targeted Col. Riad al-Asaad during a visit to the town of Mayadeen in eastern Syria. The Observatory cited conflicting reports on al-Asaad's fate, with some saying he had been killed and others saying he lost a leg. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. (AP Photo/Free Syrian Army) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS VIDEO IMAGE.

FILE - In this undated file photo, Syrian Commander Riad al-Asaad, who heads a group of Syrian army defectors appears on a video posted on the group's Facebook page. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday March 25, 2013 a bomb stuck to his car targeted Col. Riad al-Asaad during a visit to the town of Mayadeen in eastern Syria. The Observatory cited conflicting reports on al-Asaad's fate, with some saying he had been killed and others saying he lost a leg. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. (AP Photo/Free Syrian Army) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS VIDEO IMAGE.

BEIRUT (AP) ? A dual picture of Syria's rebellion is emerging: Fighters on the ground make advances, seizing territory in the south and even firing one of the heaviest mortar volleys yet into the heart of Damascus on Monday. But at the same time, the would-be opposition leadership is falling deeper into disarray.

The dichotomy underlines the difficulties as the U.S. and its allies try to shape the course of the fight to oust President Bashar Assad ? and, more importantly, avert chaos in the event the regime is toppled.

As the Syrian civil war enters its third year, hopes that the perpetually fragmented opposition would coalesce to form a real leadership for the fighters on the ground seem more elusive than ever.

Instead, divisions broke out this week in the main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition. Its head announced he was stepping down, complaining of restrictions on his work. Amid infighting, 10 other members said they were suspending their membership.

The resignation by Mouaz al-Khatib, a respected Muslim preacher seen as a uniting figure and a moderate against the rising influence of Islamic extremists among Syria's rebels, came only days after the SNC narrowly elected a little-known information technology professional from Texas to head a planned interim government as its prime minister.

In another blow, the head of the SNC's military branch, Gen. Salim Idris, said his group refused to recognize the new prime minister, Ghassan Hitto, because he lacked broad support among the opposition. Hitto was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood and the Gulf nation of Qatar; many prominent opposition figures boycotted the vote that installed him.

Amid the disarray, the Coalition, largely comprised of exiles, has made little mark among the hundreds of independent rebel brigades that are doing the fighting against Assad's forces. Most rebel groups still cobble together their own funding and arms and give little more than lip-service to the authority of Idris' Office of the Chiefs of Staff.

Still, rebels have recently been running up successes on the ground. Fighters have been steadily gaining more ground near Syria's southern border with Jordan and Israel. In the north, they have been expanding the territory they hold, recently capturing the city of Raqqa, a series of military bases and the country's largest dam.

Rebels have also seized footholds on the edge of the heavily guarded capital and, while they have been unable to break into the city, they have used their positions for mortar barrages, trying to shake the government's grip.

On Monday, they fired off a volley of mortar shells that crashed near a landmark downtown traffic circle in the capital, killing two people and wounding several others, state TV said. It was some of the worst shelling in the heart of the city since the rebellion against Assad began in March 2011.

Such sporadic strikes on Damascus have grown more common in recent weeks and often appear to target government buildings. Most cause only material damage, but spread fear in Damascus that the capital, which has so far managed to avoid the widespread clashes that have destroyed other cities, could soon face the same fate.

Damascus residents reported hearing intensive shelling on Monday, though it was hard to tell where it was coming from.

"We have gotten used to the sounds, but it saddens me to see the streets of Damascus empty after 6 p.m.," said Youssef al-Ashhab, a 47-year-old civil servant.

The mortar barrage struck Damascus' Umayyad Square, at the center of a large intersection west of downtown near the government TV headquarters and less than a kilometer (mile) from Assad's formal residence. The office of Syria's general military command is also nearby.

It is also near the famous Opera House, often frequented by Assad and his British-born wife, Asma, before the uprising, and the Sheraton hotel, used by U.N. workers in Syria.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Monday that the U.N. is temporarily relocating some Damascus-based staff of the office of joint U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to Beirut and to the office's main office in Cairo following mortar fire that damaged the hotel and a U.N. vehicle.

He said all national staff from Brahimi's office have been asked to work from home until further notice.

The international community has been at a loss for ways to stop the bloodshed in Syria, complicated by the lack of cohesive opposition leadership. Hitto's election as interim prime minister of rebel-held territory is unlikely to create greater unity on the battlefield.

On Sunday, a rebel military leader was wounded in the foot by a bomb planted in his car in eastern Syria, according to activists and rebels.

Col. Riad al-Asaad, a former colonel in the Syrian air force who defected and fled to Turkey in 2011, was the leader of a now-sidelined rebel umbrella group known as the Free Syrian Army. Al-Asaad was said to be hospitalized in Turkey, and there were conflicting reports on whether his foot was amputated after the attack.

Al-Asaad was among the first to call openly for armed insurrection against Assad. Initially, most Syrian activists were inspired by the uprisings that had successfully toppled dictators in Tunisia and Egypt and thought popular protests would bring about the same result in Syria. But the Syrian government's vast, violent crackdown on opposition caused many to resort to arms.

Today, hundreds of independent rebel groups are fighting a civil war against Assad's forces across the country, and many activists no longer bother to stage unarmed protests. The U.N. says more than 70,000 people have been killed since the first protests in March, 2011.

Also Monday, the Syrian National Coalition said a delegation was heading to Doha, where the Gulf state of Qatar will host a two-day Arab League summit starting Tuesday.

Foreign ministers of the League's member states decided Monday to grant Syria's seat in the body to the opposition. The Syria government's membership was suspended earlier in the uprising.

Al-Khatib will head the delegation despite his resignation this week as head of the SNC. He said in a post on his Facebook page that he would address the summit "in the name of the Syrian people." He said the move had nothing to do with his resignation, "which will be discussed later."

____

Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed reporting from Damascus.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-25-Syria/id-cfde98ac295447c4a86fc387dd5b9d96

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Worldwide Travel Healthcare Insurance coverage: ?Exactly Why ...

International travel for the retired is here and booming! As a consequence so is the require for International Travel medical insurance. But no matter whether you are 6 or 60 the require for international travel insurance is accurate for absolutely everyone, regardless of age or length of time abroad. Suppose you fall ill just a couple of hours right after arriving at your destination. Or you make a trip to an overseas nation and you are injured in an accident? Or one particular of your young children is part of a group generating a paying a visit to abroad, gets food poisoning and calls for hospitalization. In all instances, without having sufficient travel insurance with medical coverage, you will be responsible for the costs above and beyond the limitations of your existing health-related plan.

International travel insurance coverage is commonly utilized by short-term travelers, mainly on holidays and pleasure cruises. Apart from covering healthcare expenses for a short travel time, it also covers emergency healthcare evacuations and trip cancellation refunds.

Travel insurance reviews are useful for international travelers who have to go to foreign countries really typically. There are a number of travel insurance companies that give assistance to thousands of traveling folks on medical travel insurance plans. These programs are meant to offer healthcare protection and help services in circumstances where folks create health-related issues outdoors the country.

To steer clear of any possible health-related disasters, wise travelers are ready by carrying AAA travel insurance coverage. Check to see regardless of whether your standard health insurance takes care of healthcare fees in other nations. If it does, what is the extent of your coverage?

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Be fully open and sincere about your medical history and any activities you happen to be most probable to participate in, whether you believe they?re risky or not. As with any insurance policy if in doubt declare it anyway. One of the most common defenses made by insurers when declining a claim is that information was not disclosed or not properly disclosed. Declare everything and document it.

So, if you are organizing to travel, regardless of whether it is for business or for pleasure, you must undoubtedly assume about obtaining a single trip insurance coverage policy. The comfort, peace of mind and assurance you will take pleasure in whilst traveling, far outweigh the premiums you will spend. In the situation that something goes wrong, you know that you will obtain the greatest compensation and rewards.

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Rebels enter Central African Republic capital

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? Hundreds of rebels penetrated the capital of Central African Republic on Saturday, posing the gravest threat to President Francois Bozize's government in a decade.

The rebels, who signed a peace agreement in January that was to allow Bozize to stay in power until 2016, have threatened to overthrow the country's leader unless he meets their demands.

The rebels come from several different armed groups that have long challenged the government. They are now accusing Bozize of failing to abide by the terms of the latest deal signed two months ago, with the help of mediators from neighboring countries.

Fighters rapidly seized a dozen towns in December and January but never entered the capital of Bangui before agreeing to negotiations.

Guy Moussa, who lives in the PK12 neighborhood on the north side of the city, told The Associated Press that hundreds of rebels had entered the city around 6 p.m.

Panicked residents cowered in their homes, many shrouded in darkness after rebels took out a power station supplying parts of Bangui.

Earlier in the afternoon, non-essential United Nations personnel taking a bus to the airport were stopped by a group of angry youths.

"No one leaves this country. You will stay here. If we die, we all die together," the youths shouted, according to U.N. employee Debonheur Deotar.

The unrest is the latest threat to the stability of Central African Republic, a desperately poor nation of 4.5 million that has long been wracked by rebellions and power grabs. The president himself took power in 2003 following a rebellion, and his tenure has been marked by conflict with myriad armed groups.

Bozize's whereabouts late Saturday were not immediately known. On Friday, state radio announced that he had returned from South Africa where he was meeting with that country's president, Jacob Zuma.

South Africa has sent troops and equipment to support Central African Republic forces.

The rebels insist the foreign troops leave, and, as part of their demands, they want their own fighters integrated into the national army.

On Friday, the rebels seized Damara, which had been the boundary line drawn up by regional forces before the January peace accord was signed.

The move marked a serious escalation by the rebels, who went on to take the town of Bossembele early Saturday, said military spokesman Lt. Evrard Tekremoyen.

The insurgents then drove to the neighboring town of Boali and took control of three power plants that serve the town and the capital, residents said.

The rebels also cut off the electrical grid, plunging some of Bangui into darkness, Elisabeth Kofio, the director of Central African Republic Energy, said on the radio.

Earlier in the week, Bozize had offered to release some political prisoners, but the rebels said the gestures were too little, too late.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebels-enter-c-african-republic-capital-181734866.html

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On spring break, Southern Baptist college students help clean up Sandy debris: h...

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Boyle: Queen volunteered for Olympics Bond spoof

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is shown round the carriage of a parked train at Baker Street underground station in London, for a visit to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The Queen made her first public engagement in more than a week Wednesday after cancellations following her hospitalization for a stomach bug. The British head of state joined her husband Prince Philip and their granddaughter-in-law, Kate, for the event marking the 150th anniversary of London's sprawling subway system, affectionately known as the Tube. (AP Photo/Chris Radburn, Pool)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is shown round the carriage of a parked train at Baker Street underground station in London, for a visit to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The Queen made her first public engagement in more than a week Wednesday after cancellations following her hospitalization for a stomach bug. The British head of state joined her husband Prince Philip and their granddaughter-in-law, Kate, for the event marking the 150th anniversary of London's sprawling subway system, affectionately known as the Tube. (AP Photo/Chris Radburn, Pool)

LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II needed no convincing to appear in a James Bond-themed skit during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics ? in fact, she volunteered, according to the show's director.

Director Danny Boyle says he had initially thought a lookalike ? possibly actress Helen Mirren ? would play the role of Elizabeth alongside Bond actor Daniel Craig.

He tells ITV's Jonathan Ross in an interview to air Saturday night that when he sought permission from officials to film the skit he heard back that not only was the video a go, but the monarch herself wanted to be in it.

Boyle says that when filming began, the queen asked him if he thought she should have a line, to which he replied "O.K., what do you suggest?"

"She said 'I'll do something' and we started shooting and she turned round and she said her lines beautifully," he said, according to excerpts of the interview released in advance.

The queen's star turn in the skit was considered one of the highlights of the opening ceremony last year.

In the skit, a tuxedo-clad 007 strides into Buckingham Palace to escort his VIP guest to the Olympic ceremony. In her acting debut, Elizabeth swivels around in her desk chair to face the legendary spy and declares: "Good evening, Mr. Bond."

Two of queen's corgi dogs also appeared in the clip.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-23-Britain-Queen-Olympics/id-f92a80eb3fdc46f99bbd0d18885cdd51

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