Lumso News

5 NEW ARMORED SPIDER SPECIES DISCOVERED IN SOUTHEAST CHINA CAVES

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:38:00 +0000

Scientists have reportedly discovered five new species of armoured spiders in South-East China, according to a news release issued by Pen soft Publishers.

Armoured spiders are a "medium to small" species, who get their name from the pattern of the plates covering their abdomen, which resembles body armour.

The new species were discovered and described at length after scientists found them hiding in caves in South-East China, according to the release.

Spiders from the Tetrablemmidae family are usually found in litter and soil, but some are found in caves. Some cave spiders show adaptations of save spiders, such as the loss of eyes.

The genus Tetrablemma, is distinguished for having "only 4 eyes," according to the release.

The five new species of spiders were collected from the South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which spans the provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan.

Karst is a landscape created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, like limestone, gypsum, and dolomite.

It is known for their caves, underground drainage systems, and sink holes, according to The University of Texas.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have observed over 2,000 caves in the South China Karst, according to the release. Since they started examining those caves, the total known spider species of China increased from 2,300 species to 4,300 in the past decade.

Research was published in the open access journal Zoo Keys recently.

TV anchor: Russia can turn U.S. 'into radioactive dust'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:30:00 +0000

Russian television journalist Dmitry Kiselyov in 2011.

You know things are tense when people start talking about nuclear war.

A Russian television anchor has raised global eyebrows by noting in a commentary that Russia is "the only country in the world capable of turning the USA into radioactive dust."

Speaking on the Rossiya 1 news channel, Dmitry Kiselyov — who has supporters in the Kremlin — delivered a diatribe against critics of the Ukraine incursion with a picture of a mushroom cloud behind him.

At one point, Kiselyov attributed President Obama's increasingly gray hair to worries about Russia's nuclear arsenal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently appointed Kiselyov to lead an official news agency.

From The Washington Post:

"Kiselyov is no stranger to controversial statements. In the past he has used his show to argue that Russia's anti-gay propaganda laws should go further, and that homosexuals should be banned from giving blood or donating sperm. ...

"He may seem extreme, but Kiselyov apparently has the blessing of the Kremlin: He's been selected to head the new Russian state media conglomerate, Rossiya Segodnya, that is due to replace the well-respected Ria Novosti. He also has a point. Russia is still a major nuclear power, with an estimated 8,500 nuclear warheads, more than the United States."

USA Today

'Mr. Peabody' is No. 1 at the box office

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:26:00 +0000

(EW) -- It was not a good weekend to be a new movie in wide release at the box office. The world's smartest animated dog took the lead this weekend and left "Need for Speed" in the dust, while "Tyler Perry's The Single Mom's Club" missed the mark and now has the dubious honor of being his lowest opening ever.
"Mr. Peabody & Sherman" came out on top in its second weekend in theaters with $21.2 million from 3,951 locations. The $145 million DreamWorks Animation pic dropped 34.2 percent from last week's opening, putting its domestic total at $63.2 million.

The real test will be how it stands up to "Muppets Most Wanted" next weekend — its first real new competition. That could be an indicator of its long-term theatrical legs.

Last week's box office winner "300: Rise of an Empire" placed second with an estimated $19.1 million from 3,490 locations. That's down about 57.6 percent from its opening. The $110 million sword-and-sandals epic now boasts a $78.3 million domestic total for Warner Bros. and Legendary. The first film had made $130 million domestically by the close of its second weekend in theaters in 2007.

"Need for Speed" (B+ Cinema Score) failed to meet analyst expectations by a significant margin and opened in third with a disappointing $17.8 million from 3,115 locations. 3-D showings accounted for about 43 percent of the gross. Most predictions put the Aaron Paul-led pic in the mid-$20 million range. The audience skewed heavily male (70 percent), and about 56 percent of attendees were between the ages of 18 and 34.

Internationally, the video game adaptation is faring much better. It opened in 40 territories, including Italy, the U.K., Brazil, Mexico, China, Russia and Australia and took in about $45.6 million ($21.2 million of which came from China). Disney's Dave Hollis told EW: "Overall, having a $63 million weekend worldwide when the movie cost what it did — it cost $66 million — we're off to a fine start. The domestic number is a little disappointing."

The tracking agencies were counting on attendance from the youngest segment of the audience who did not, on the whole, end up turning out this weekend. Moviegoers aged 12 to 17 made up 13 percent of the audience.

"They've been really — and not even for just this movie, but for the industry — the toughest audience segment to predict and the toughest to depend on following through because of distractions that exist in their space. We're still trying to figure out how we'll get them into theaters," says Hollis. Distributor Disney is looking to the ones who did attend to spread the word about the film and hopes that spring break might see a domestic boost for the pic.
Hot Pursuits: 21 Great Movie Chases

Liam Neeson's thriller at 30,000 feet "Non-Stop" took fourth place with an estimated $10.6 million from 3,183 locations, bringing its domestic total to $68.8 million. Considering it's the film's third weekend in theaters and the fact that it has had to deal with significant new competition from flashy action newcomers like "Need for Speed" and the "300" sequel, the Joel Silver-produced pic is doing quite well.

Finally, "Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club" (A- Cinema Score) opened in fifth place with $8.3 million from 1,896 locations — a career low for Perry. The comedy follows five struggling single moms who find comfort in friendship and stars Nia Long, Amy Smart, Cocoa Brown and Wendi McLendon-Covey.

A whopping 79 percent of the opening weekend audience was female and 80 percent was over 25 years old. Marketing focused heavily on reaching women, Latinos, and African-Americans, and put a particular emphasis on networks like OWN, but this is a sure miss for Perry. His previous lowest opener was 2007′s "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls," which bowed at $11.2 million.

Here are the top 5:

1. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" -- $21.2 million
2. "300: Rise of an Empire" -- $19.1 million
3. "Need for Speed" -- $17.81 million
4. "Non-Stop" -- $10.6 million
5. "Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club" — $8.3 million
I
n the specialty box office world, Jason Bateman's vulgar spelling bee comedy "Bad Words" took in $120,000 from six locations. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" expanded in its second weekend in theaters and earned approximately $3.64 million from 66 locations — an impressive $55.2K per theater average.

Finally, the Kickstarter-funded "Veronica Mars" movie opened in 291 theaters and took in about $2 million across the weekend. Check back in to EW.com for more on Veronica Mars' theatrical debut.

See the original story on EW.com.

Iggy Azalea Performs ‘Fancy’ For The First Time, Remains The Thickest White Girl Around

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 06:01:00 +0000

Iggy Azalea showed off her killer curves at the recent 2014 mtvU Woodie Awards, performing her new single, “Fancy,” for the first time ever.

The Aussie rapstress kept up with the Clueless theme from the music video by rocking sunny yellow plaid, although this time ’round she opted for super-tight booty shorts over Cher Horowitz’s matching schoolgirl skirt and blazer.

Charli XCX joined Iggy on stage to sing her guest feature from the song, sporting a ’90s Goth babydoll style that couldn’t have been any more different to Iggy’s plaid hip-hop pin-up look.

“Fancy” is already a top twenty hit in Australia, and this week it became Iggy’s first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 after debuting at No. 88. We were beginning to think that she’d never break the States, but it looks it could finally be coming together for Iggy after years of hard work and endless buzz.

fancy by dm_52082dac3624e

Microsoft Office 365 Personal Coming This Spring for $6.99 a Month

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:57:00 +0000

This week, Microsoft announced the upcoming launch of Microsoft Office 365 Personal, a cheaper version of their existing cloud-based Office 365 Home Premium service.

The new Office 365 Personal service gives you the following features for $6.99 a month / $69.99 a year:

Office applications on one PC/Mac and one mobile device
20GB of OneDrive storage
60 minutes of Skype calls per month

Compare this with the existing Office 365 Home service, which has over 3.5 million subscribers, and costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Office 365 Home provides users with the full suite of Office applications on up to five PC’s or Macs and up to five mobile devices.

As an aside, Microsoft also announced that after Office 365 Personal is released, Office 365 Home Premium will lose its ‘Premium’ moniker and be rebranded as simply Office 365 Home.

A Microsoft spokesman offered the following explanation as reasoning behind the introduction of the new Office 365 Personal service:

“We recognize that there are households of all shapes and sizes and we’re committed to delivering the right Office for everyone – whether that be one person or an entire household”

Microsoft have also been quick to ensure that both their Personal and Home offerings will always include the latest and “most up-to-date” version of the software.

While the new Office 365 Personal is cheaper than the existing service, many pundits have been quick to point out that $6.99 a month is still a stretch for some – especially when there are 100% free alternatives available such as Google Docs, Zoho Docs and Open Office.

Office 365 Personal and Mac

Microsoft’s reference to “one mobile device” does not specifically indicate compatibility with iPhone/iPad. However, we’ve been waiting for a native iOS version of the Microsoft Office suite for some time so there’s a reasonable chance that their release could tie in with the launch of Microsoft Office 365 Personal. But there’s no guarantees yet.

What do you think of Microsoft’s new subscription-service? Would you sign up for Office 365 Personal?

Jamie Lynn Spears and Jamie Watson get married

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:55:00 +0000

Jamie Lynn Spears and fiance Jamie Watson will marry today, Friday March 14.

E! News confirmed on Thursday that Spears and Watson filed for a marriage license from their local county clerk on March 5.

They obtained the license from Tangipahoa Parish Clerk of Courts in Louisiana, and a source says the two will be wed today.

The couple have kept their wedding plans quiet, but little hints have shown up in their recent social media posts.

A picture of Las Vegas Watson posted on his Instagram over the weekend led some to believe the photo was from his bachelor party, and Spears had shared a picture of herself at I Do Bridal Couture in January and said she had found her dress.

The two Jamies have been engaged since March 2013. Spears posted on her Instagram and Twitter about the event, and captioned a photo of her engagement ring ":) #hedidgood."

As giant U.S. IPO nears, Alibaba's China e-commerce crown slips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:50:00 +0000

(Reuters) - Alibaba's dominance of online retail in China faces its biggest-ever challenge as the firm founded by Jack Ma in a one-room apartment 15 years ago lines up a U.S. initial public offering that could value the firm at around $140 billion.

In a rare blip, Alibaba Group Holdings lost market share last year while its nearest rivals all grew, according to Euromonitor. The market research firm sees China's internet retailmarket tripling from 2012 to over $300 billion in 2018 as the country's smartphone-savvy shoppers buy everything from plane tickets to sneakers online.

China's biggest social media company, Tencent Holdings Ltd, is leading the revolt, linking the country's most popular messaging app, WeChat, with the number two e-commerce player, JD.com.

An array of smaller rivals is also clawing away at Alibaba's lead, while household retail names like Nike Inc and Gap Inc are increasingly striking out away from the giant's Tmall electronic platform to set up more distinctive online stores of their own.

"In China shopping is a social activity. You want to tell friends about it, recommend it - it's a smartphone activity, and whoever owns that organizational ability also has a hold over how a person shops," said Frank Lavin, Hong Kong-based chief executive of Export Now. Lavin's company helps global firms set up shop in China through Alibaba's Tmall.

Alibaba's e-commerce prospects at home loom large after Ma's firm said on Sunday it was starting plans for a long-awaited listing in the U.S. - potentially the biggest-ever IPO by an Internet company - which could surpass the $16 billion raised by social media giantFacebook Inc in 2012.

Alibaba still held a sturdy 45.1 percent of China's e-commerce market last year, down from 46.1 percent a year earlier, according to Euromonitor, and remains bullish in the face of Tencent, JD.com and others. It is beefing up its mobile services to keep up with China's legions of smartphone users.

Alibaba did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story, though the firm's executive vice chairman Joe Tsai was upbeat about the firm's e-commerce prospects in an interview with Reuters in Hong Kong last week.

PEELING AWAY

Alibaba is now battling rivals on multiple fronts. Alongside JD.com, heading for a $1.5 billion IPO of its own in the U.S., are well-funded vehicles like household appliance retailer Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd and Wal-Mart Stores Inc's grocery retailer Yihaodian.

Smaller niche players like cosmetics specialist Vipshop Holdings Ltd are also growing in stature. And with global and local brands peeling away from Tmall, the trend is likely to see Alibaba's market share extend its fall, said Bryan Wang, Beijing-based vice president for Forrester Research.

"We have definitely seen a lot more customers asking us in the last year about how to get away from Tmall," said Wang.

Popular Internet clothing retailer HSTYLE has partly flown the nest. Competing with brands like H&M and Uniqlo, it has branched out from just having a Tmall outlet and now books half its sales through its own site and on JD.com and Tencent.

"As a mature Internet brand we're looking to provide more individual service to our shoppers," Zhao Yingguang, founder and chairman of HSTYLE, told Reuters in an interview, describing his brand as one of the leading women's apparel retailers on Alibaba's platforms. "We go and sell our products where the consumers are."

RIVALS RISING

Alibaba's vast resources have helped it see off weaker players so far such as Otto Group, 139shop.com, Mecox Lane, Newegg.com and others, but the remaining contenders are more seasoned in competition with Alibaba - and ambitious.

JD.com still lags some way behind Alibaba in second place with a 14 percent market share last year, up fractionally from a year earlier. But its IPO plans and the deal with Tencent - a less well-known name outside China than Alibaba, but worth almost $150 billion by market value - will give it new financial and operational resources.

Tencent, meanwhile, hopes its JD.com tie-up will help it to extend its presence in "the fast-growing physical goods e-commerce market", Tencent president Martin Lau said in a statement. The deal also arms JD.com with the 225 million monthly active users of the WeChat messaging service in China.

As well as technology leading change, consumers themselves are developing new habits, becoming more picky and looking to get more for their money.

"I am leaning toward specialist stores now, because the service is often better than the giant retailers and the delivery I always find is faster," said Grace Lin, 20, a student in Shanghai. "It's not necessarily that I use Tmall less now, but I do use other stores more."

Lin often shops on cosmetics specialist Vipshop's online site. The firm saw revenue climb 145 percent in 2013, while customer numbers shot up 130 percent over the same period, according to an earnings conference call this month. Vipshop almost doubled its market share to 1.8 percent last year.

Suning, a traditional electronics retailer with a strong bricks and mortar presence, is bulking up its online presence, as is rival Bain Capital-backed Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd. Both raised their market share last year.

Yihaodian leverages majority owner Wal-Mart's global name and product range, while other niche players such as Jumei and Yesmywine.com corner specific markets in cosmetics and alcohol.

MA VS MA

Alibaba's Jack Ma has locked horns repeatedly of late with his rival at Tencent, co-founder Pony Ma - a namesake but unrelated. Rhetoric from the two internet giants has grown increasingly barbed as competition has raged from gaming and microblogs, to taxi hire app price wars and online payment systems that are now the subject of close scrutiny by China's central bank.

When Tencent launched a "red envelope" feature for WeChat, which let users send money gifts by smartphone over the Chinese New Year, Jack Ma wrote it was a "Pearl Harbour attack" on his company's Alipay payment system, referring to the unexpected bombing of the American port during World War II. Tencent said over 8 million people used the WeChat feature.

Alibaba-invested Weibo Corp, a popular Twitter-like social media platform, filed for a $500 million U.S. IPO of its own on Friday, as it looks to defend its position against fierce competition from Tencent's WeChat.

WeChat does indeed present a threat to Alibaba. In a research report in December, Standard Chartered said its payment function, known in Chinese as Weixin, paired with its wide popularity, could be a "killer weapon" for Tencent to take market share in mobile e-commerce.

China has some of the most active mobile web users in the world. The country's mobile Internet users hit 500 million in 2013, and is estimated to hit 750 million by 2017, according to data from China-based consultancy iResearch.

"The wind is blowing against Alibaba and the biggest risk is coming from the mobile sector," said Zhang Chenhao, executive director at e-commmerce-focused investment advisory firm Gold Sand Capital.

"Firms are all lining up - the school of Tencent or the school of Alibaba - and the camps are forming," said Zhang.

($1=6.14 Yuan)

Reuters

Study: Mystery of contagious yawning remains unsolved

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:43:00 +0000

Warning: This article will make you yawn.

We all known yawning is contagious, but no one seems to understand exactly why that’s the case. And it now seems, according to a new study, that the mystery will remain unsolved.

According to a study published in PLOS ONE, empathy is not the cause of contagious yawning, ruling out just one more proposed cause.

“Empathy does play a role, but it’s just not the huge role people were thinking,” says Elizabeth Cirulli, an assistant professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, and lead author of the new study published on Friday.

The research included 328 healthy adults, ages 18 to 83. Participants took tests that measure empathetic traits, such as feeling distress over another person’s misfortune and easily identifying with fictional characters. They also took cognitive performance tests, because one previous study suggested contagious yawning might be linked with higher intelligence, Cirulli noted.

Participants then watched a three-minute video showing lots of people yawning, and clicked on a button each time they yawned. The results showed nearly 68 percent yawned at least once. The average was four times, with one person yawning 15 times alone.

When 129 of the subjects watched the video a second time, those who yawned the first time were likely to yawn again, suggesting that whatever causes contagious yawning is a stable trait.

Easy-yawners did score a bit higher on the tests of empathy and cognitive performance. Those differences faded away when researchers factored in age. In the final statistical analysis, only age was clearly associated with contagious yawning: Younger adults showed the most susceptibility.

Cirulli, a genetics researcher, leans toward some yet-to-be-determined genetic difference that will explain yawning susceptibility. She also hopes her findings shed some light on schizophrenia and autism, since people with those disorders don’t do much contagious yawning.

Previous research found that contagious yawning is most common among family members, followed by friends, acquaintances, and then strangers. In an unpublished study, Steven Platek, an associate professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College, says he found that whites and blacks tend to yawn together along racial lines.

Scientists aren’t sure why people yawn on their own, when tired or bored, though the leading theory is that it has something to do with cooling the brain.

Dancing With The Stars Season 18: What To Expect

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:39:00 +0000

The new season of “Dancing With The Stars” is ready to kick off on Monday, March 17, 2014 and we’ve got the scoop on what you can expect from season 18. In case you hadn’t heard, the show has already axed veteran co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet in favor of Erin Andrews. If that wasn’t enough to cope with, the producers have also introduced a new twist. Apparently, viewers will get the opportunity to vote to switch up who gets partnered with whom!

PARTNER SWITCH

Executive Producer Conrad Green revealed, “It’s always a question that superfans of the show have, which is, how much is the celebrity good because they’re with that partner, or how much is it because they’re good themselves?”

He went on to say, “It’s a very good test of the stars, how good they actually are at dancing. And also, it’s a real test for our pro dancers.”

The show’s host, Tom Bergeron said, “If I was the pro and suddenly I had a new partner, and then I knew that I was going to go back to my old partner later, I wonder if I’d choreograph to the best of my ability while I was with the other person. Which is not to cast dispersions on anybody’s professionalism. I’m just thinking diabolical strategy.”

VOTING

With regard to the voting, Green said, “Effectively, we will know who’s going home Tuesday morning. So what will happen is, every couple will compete the following week, but one of those couples will be the one who is carrying the black mark of elimination with them, as it were. And there’s really not much they can do. None of these systems are ideal…but I do think at least this way the public gets the final say and they get to vote in response to the judges, rather than the judges having effectively the final say.”

ERIN ANDREWS

Of Andrews taking over duties from Burke-Charvet, Green said, “I think Erin has a unique take on [the show] because not only has she been a competitor on it, but also her day job, a sideline reporter in the NFL, it means she’s very good at understanding what it is to be in a competition, and making live moments work with people who are in competition, and doing interviews.”

NEW BAND

Ray Chew of “American Idol” fame is replacing the band leader Wheeler and his band. Of that, Green said, “The decision to bring on Ray was partly a reflection of the kind of music we’ve been doing more recently, trying to get a band that is well able to cover those modern songs. We wanted to try and get the balance back a bit more towards as much live music as possible.”

Are you looking forward to this season of “Dancing With The Stars”?

Seoul Slams 'Provocative' North Korean Missile Tests

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:35:00 +0000

South Korea criticized North Korea for what it called "provocative behavior" after Pyongyang fired 25 short-range rockets into the ocean.

Seoul officials said the rockets were fired Sunday from North Korea's eastern coast and landed about 70 kilometers away in the Sea of Japan.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Monday the move was likely in response to ongoing U.S.-South Korea military drills.

"North Korea launched 25 rockets over three rounds directed towards the east from its eastern coast. Our South Korean military is considering this to be North Korea's firing demonstration, as an armed protest responding to Korea-US joint military exercises, and is additionally analyzing its specific intention. North Korea must not carry on with its provocative behavior that leads to military tension and regional insecurity. Our army is keeping a close watch on the possibility of additional launches and is now on military readiness posture," said Kim.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also urged North Korea to "refrain from provocative actions that aggravate tensions."

The so-called Foal Eagle South Korean-U.S. military exercises started in February and will run until mid-April.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such war games as rehearsals for an invasion, while Seoul and Washington maintain that they are purely defensive.

Since the drills began, North Korea has held several rounds of short-range missile launches.

Unlike its long-range missile tests, North Korea is not banned from testing short-range missiles under U.N. sanctions.

But the tests still keep Seoul authorities on alert, since North Korea has in the past shelled South Korean targets during military drills.

There are also concerns that the North Korean rockets could interfere with civilian airplanes passing nearby.

Earlier this month, Seoul officials said one of the rockets crossed the trajectory of a Chinese airliner with 200 people on board.

VOA

Ukraine could be a threat to markets 'for a while yet'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:31:00 +0000

Crimea, it's the most serious crisis in relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War. And until it's over, risk aversion should remain the play of the day, analysts say.

On Sunday, Crimea voted overwhelmingly in favor of leaving Ukraine and annexation by Russia in a referendum that Europe and the U.S. have said was illegal and would trigger sanctions.

The outcome of the vote was no surprise to financial markets. Still worries about escalating tensions between the West and Russia ensured that the new trading week got off to a rocky start.

U.S. stock futures fell as much as 0.5 percent in Asia on Monday and Japan's blue-chip Nikkei stock index hit a one-month low. Safe-haven gold briefly rose to its highest level in over six months.

"It looks like Ukraine will remain a threat for investment markets for a while yet," Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital, said in a note. "With worries around various emerging markets – notably China and Ukraine at present – 2014 is already shaping up as a more volatile year for shares."

Analysts said that with the referendum out of the way, focus is on what shape Western sanctions against Russia take and how Moscow reacts.

According to Reuters, Washington and Moscow on Sunday issued statements saying U.S. President Barack Obama and Russia's President Vladimir Putin saw diplomatic options to resolve the crisis. But Obama reiterated that Russian forces should end "incursions" into Ukraine and Putin repeated concerns about the safety of Crimea's Russian-speaking population after protests in Ukraine's capital Kiev last month led to the ousting of the country's pro-Russian president.

"It has to be acknowledged that most of the people living in Crimea, especially the Russian speakers, feel a stronger connection to Russia than Ukraine," Ben Goldsmith, an associate professor at the department of government and international relations at the University of Sydney told CNBC Asia's "Squawk Box."

"That said it's clear that there is broad and strong consensus in Europe and the U.S. that this is an illegitimate action so there are going to be meaningful and painful sanctions for Russia," he added.

Analysts point out that Europe relies on Russian gas imports and Russia's economy needs revenue from those imports so this should act as an incentive to reach a diplomatic resolution.

"What will be market-sensitive is if the West increases financial sanctions on Russia," said Evan Lucas, a market strategist at trading firm IG, in a note. "So far the West looks toothless to act as the reaction from Russia looks to be stronger and swifter on European assets particularly, and this will likely pressure Europe not to act financially, but rather diplomatically."

Jonathan Barratt, chief investment officer at Ayers Alliance Securities in Sydney said he expected tensions over Crimea to support oil prices, which rose for a third straight session on Monday.

"I don't think Russia will back down. How will this impact energy prices? I don't think we will see oil shoot up but it's likely to be supported," said Barratt.

CNBC

Egypt Revolutionary Singer Stopped From Performing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:35:00 +0000

Mohammed Mohsen, who is known for his anti-government material, said representatives from the presidency escorted him out of the Cairo Opera House before his performance was to begin and left him there as the concert went on without him

Mohamed ElBaradei: Egypt's Uprisings Foretold
(CAIRO) — An Egyptian singer known for his anti-government songs said Saturday that authorities stopped him from performing at an arts festival attended by the country’s interim president and military chief for “security concerns.”

Mohsen said representatives from the presidency escorted him out of the Cairo Opera House before his performance was to begin and left him there as the concert went on without him.The halted performance Thursday from young singer Mohammed Mohsen comes as the television network that airs a show featuring a popular satirist who skewers public figures said the program was deliberately jammed again during its broadcast.

Interim President Adly Mansour and military chief Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, a likely presidential candidate, both attended the concert, which marked the revival of an old arts festival.

Mohsen came to fame for singing during Egypt’s 2011 revolt. He performed in Tahrir Square, the center of the protests that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Mohsen told The Associated Press he thought officials might “specifically targeted” him over his revolutionary songs or because he participated in the 2011 revolt.

Concert coordinator Hany Mehana told the private television channel Al-Nahar that there were security concerns about Mohsen and there wasn’t “enough time to investigate.”

Mohsen called the situation “illogical.” He first wrote about his experience late Friday night on Facebook.

“I do not sing in the favor of anybody and I have never sung to praise a president,” Mohsen told the AP. “I will keep on singing for the revolution.”

Mohsen recently represented Egypt as a singer in festivals in Italy and Lebanon. He is a member of the youth committee in a government cultural council.

Meanwhile, the popular television program featuring Bassem Youssef, a satirist often compared to U.S. comedian Jon Stewart, was deliberately jammed again Friday, Dubai-based MBC group said Saturday in a statement published on its website.

It again was not clear who caused the jamming of the MBC Masr channel. Last week, an MBC Masr spokesman said its signal was jammed deliberately on March 7 as it broadcast “El-Bernameg,” or “The Program” in Arabic.

“I do not accuse anyone, but I wonder about the state’s inability to protect its satellite,” Youssef wrote on Twitter shortly after the jamming Friday. MBC Masr broadcasts on Nilesat, which is owned by the Egyptian government.

The channel offered alternative frequencies to watch the program during the jamming.

Several satellite broadcasters, including Doha-based Al-Jazeera, have faced similar jamming during mass protests that swept through the Arab world since 2011, toppling a number of leaders.

Times

Indian Ocean poses daunting challenge in search for missing Malaysia plane

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:33:00 +0000

(Reuters) - The southern Indian Ocean, where investigators suspect missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 may have come down, is one place where a commercial airliner can crash without a ship spotting it, a radar plotting it or even a satellite picking it up.

The empty expanse of water is one of the most remote places in the world and also one of the deepest, posing potentially enormous challenges for the international search effort now refocusing on the area, one of several possible crash sites.

Even Australia, which has island territories in the Indian Ocean and sends rescue planes to pluck stricken yachtsmen from the cold, mountainous seas in the south from time to time, has no radar coverage much beyond its Indian Ocean coast.

"In most of Western Australia and almost all of the Indian Ocean, there is almost no radar coverage," an Australian civil aviation authority source said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak on the record.

"If anything is more than 100 kilometers offshore, you don't see it."

The Indian Ocean, the world's third largest, has an average depth of more than 12,000 feet, or two miles. That's deeper than the Atlantic where it took two years to find wreckage on the seabed from an Air France plane that vanished in 2009 even though floating debris quickly pointed to the crash site.

So far, search operations by navies and aircraft from more than a dozen nations have failed to find even a trace of Flight MH370, which went missing a week ago after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing and diverting from its intended flight path.

The search effort has focused mainly on the South China Sea but is now switching to the Indian Ocean after investigators, having pieced together radar and satellite tracking data, began to suspect the Boeing 777-200ER had been deliberately flown hundreds or possibly thousands of miles off course.

Searchers still face a daunting array of possible last locations for the plane, including the northern end of the Indian Ocean as well as central Asia, though investigators say it is more likely to have flown to the south than through busier airspace to the north where it would likely have been detected.

With an estimated four hours fuel left when last spotted by radar off Malaysia's northwest coast, the plane could have flown a further 2,200 miles or so, assuming normal cruising speed and altitude.

Officials think, based on the available data, the aircraft flew south until it ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea, according to a source familiar with data the U.S. government is receiving from the investigation.

In the south, any debris from MH370 would have been widely dispersed by Indian Ocean currents in the week since it disappeared.

SCATTERING OF ISLANDS

The southern Indian Ocean, between Indonesia and Australia, is broken up only by the Australian territories of Christmas Island, home to asylum seeker detention facilities, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) northwest of Perth. The Cocos Islands have a small airport to serve the islands' combined population of just 3,000 people.

Further south, the only habitation is the handful of research stations on the scattering of tiny French-run islands including Kerguelen - a group of volcanic outcrops between Africa, Australia and Antarctica. While home to several powerful astronomical scanners and radar, there is no airport and it is seen extremely unlikely the aircraft could have made it that far.

The shipping route from Western Australia north to Asia and Europe is considered relatively quiet in global shipping terms, despite the large amount of iron ore and other resources that are shipped from Australia's northwest ports.

Ships track north staying close in to the West Australian coastline and then head north through Indonesian waters into the South China Sea or northwest toward the Red Sea.

Australia's civil aviation radar extends a maximum of just 200 nautical miles off the coast, the civil aviation authority source said, and was used only for monitoring scheduled aircraft on approach into the country and subsequent landings.

There are just two primary radars on the west Australian coast, one in Perth and one further north in Paraburdoo, which has even less range and is used to monitor mining traffic heading to the nearby Pilbara region.

Australia's Civil Aviation Authority relies on aircraft ADSB (automatic dependent surveillance broadcast) to ping information to commercial satellites, such as telecoms firm Optus' four telecommunications satellites, and back to ground control.

The source said that this was the case with flights by Emirates Airlines, which all fly over the Indian Ocean to Australia, but it did not provide a specific radar plot.

Australia does not have any government satellites.

The Australian military has an over-the-horizon radar network that allows it to observe all air and sea activity north of Australia for up to 3,000 km (1,860 miles). This encompasses all of Java, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

While the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) extends part-way across the northern Indian Ocean, government papers online describe it as a "tripwire" in Australia's northern surveillance system, helping underpin the defense of the country from any attack originating from the north.

Local media have said its main use recently has been to track illegal immigrants approaching Australia by boat through the region's largely unguarded northern waters.

The Australian Defense Force was not available for comment on Sunday.

A potential crash site around 1,600 km (1,000 miles) northwest or west of the Australian coast would be well within the search and rescue area of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), one of the largest in the world.

An AMSA spokesman said no request for assistance had been received from Malaysia as of Sunday.

Reuters

Driver Charged In Deadly Crash At SXSW

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:30:00 +0000

A 21-year-old Texas man is being charged with capital murder in the deaths of two people when he allegedly drove through a crowd at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

A district court judge set bail at three-million dollars for Rashad Owens. He was reportedly legally drunk when he plowed through a barricade and continued driving into crowd of people for nearly three blocks early Thursday.

According to police, Owens was attempting to flee from police who were trying to pull him over for suspected drunk driving.

Owens could still be facing aggravated assault charges for the 23 people who were hurt, including two listed in critical condition with head injuries.

Comedian David Brenner Dead at 78

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:28:00 +0000

Comedian David Brenner has died at the age of 78.

The funnyman, known for his standups on the Tonight Show, passed away "after a courageous battle with his final dragon, cancer," his rep Jeff Abraham told Us Weekly."Brenner died peacefully at his home in NYC surrounded by his family at his side. David is survived by his wife, Ruth, his three sons, Cole, Wyatt, Slade and his grandson, Wesley."

According to the mag, Brenner's final resting spot will read, "If this is supposed to be a joke—then I don't get it!" He also asked that one hundred dollars in small bills be placed in his left sock "just in case tipping is recommended where I'm going."

In addition to his 150-plus appearances on the Tonight Show, Brenner also was a regular on other TV talk shows and game shows and starred in four HBO comedy specials. He had also been working steadily through 2013 doing standup, with his last gig in December, which included a New Year's Eve show at a King of Prussia, Pennsylvania casino-resort, according to USA Today.

Upon hearing of the news of his death, fellow comedians Bobby Slayton, Joan Riversand Richard Lewis, among others, shared their tributes to the late star.

"RIP David Brenner. I adored him, and laughed more with him than anyone," The E!Fashion Police host tweeted. "Sad, sad, sad. Knowing David, he's now making the devil laugh."

"David Brenner was a huge star when I met him and he took me under his wing. To me, historically, he was the godfather of hip, observational comedy," Lewis said in a statement to USA Today. "He mentored me from day one. ... His passing leaves a hole in my life that can never be replaced."

"One of my best friends and a great comic is gone," Slayton added on his personal Facebook account. "David Brenner was always there for me and one of the first people to put me on national TV and was always around to give me great advice whether I wanted it or not. Always full of funny stories and and made my years in Vegas richer and gave me a reason to get off the strip and find new restaurants! My condolences to his family and all the people who had the pleasure of David in their lives. I miss him so much already. Rest in peace pal."

Pacers rally from 25-point deficit, beat Pistons in OT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:02:00 +0000

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Paul George scored 30 points and the Indiana Pacers rallied from a 25-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 112-104 in overtime on Saturday night.

Evan Turner added 20 points for the Pacers, and David West scored six of his 15 points in overtime. Indiana leads Miami by 3 1/2 games in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Josh Smith scored 23 points for the Pistons, who lost star center Andre Drummond in the first quarter to a neck injury. Drummond was able to walk off with some assistance, but he was expected to have further testing.

Detroit led 56-31 in the second quarter but couldn't hold on.

It was the second-biggest comeback victory in the NBA this season, according to STATS. Golden State rallied from 27 down against Toronto on Dec. 3.

George had eight rebounds and seven assists, although he missed a jumper from the left elbow that could have won the game at the end of regulation.

Drummond, Detroit's promising second-year center, left with 6:32 remaining in the first quarter. He appeared to be hit in the head inadvertently by the Pacers' Roy Hibbert during a scramble near the basket.

Drummond stayed down through an entire timeout, and a stretcher was eventually brought onto the court. But he was able to get up and walk off toward the tunnel with some assistance.

Even without him, Detroit dominated the first half. A putback dunk by Jonas Jerebko pushed the lead to 25, and it was 60-41 at halftime.

The Pacers started the second half with eight straight points, and George scored 14 points in the quarter. Detroit led 79-73 after three.

It was tied at 83 when Smith put Detroit back ahead with a layup. Then Detroit's Greg Monroe and Indiana's Luis Scola became entangled, leading to a brief skirmish and technical fouls on both players.

A three-point play by Turner put Indiana ahead, but the Pacers couldn't shake the Pistons until overtime. It was 100-all at the end of regulation, and with Indiana up 104-102, West made a couple jumpers to give the Pacers a six-point lead.

Game notes

It was Indiana's 17th victory of the season when trailing at halftime. ... Andrew Bynumscored 15 points with nine rebounds in 20 minutes for the Pacers. ... Detroit came into the game averaging an NBA-best 52.7 points in the paint. Indiana was allowing an NBA-low 35.4. Both teams ended up with 46 on Saturday.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to meet for Indian Wells title after winning semi-finals

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:58:00 +0000

Roger Federer ended the giant-killing run of Alexandr Dolgopolov on Sunday (AEDT) to book his place in the final at Indian Wells against Novak Djokovic.

Federer showed no mercy against his Ukrainian opponent as he cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory in a one-sided semi-final that lasted just a tick over an hour.

The Swiss master has already won the Indian Wells title four times and made it through to a fifth final without dropping a set in the California desert.

Federer, relaxed and super confident after winning his 78th singles title in Dubai earlier this month, pounced on Dolgopolov from the outset, breaking him once to snatch the opening set.

The Ukrainian had beaten three higher ranked players, including world number one Rafa Nadal, to reach the semis but was powerless to stop Federer, who fired down seven aces in a brilliant serving performance.

"(It was) Tough conditions for both of us," Federer said in a courtside interview. "I think I really served well when I had to and that allowed me to take more chances.

"Alexandr's had a wonderful tournament so it's really a big win for me today.

"I was going for it and I served a lot of aces, it was one of the best serving performances of my career."

World number two Novak Djokovic defeated John Isner 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1 in the other semi-final.

It will be the 33rd meeting between Serbia's Djokovic and Swiss great Federer.

Federer won their last encounter, beating Djokovic in the semi-finals en route to the title in Dubai.

ABC

Deep Earth Oceans Proven by Rare Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:36:00 +0000

Deep Earth oceans proven by rare diamond found in Brazil. A diamond containing the rare mineral ringwoodite has given ironclad evidence that there are massive pockets of water deep beneath the crust of the Earth, likely 250 miles or deeper. The diamond was found in shallow river gravel near the transition zone, an area of high tectonic activity, after being brought to the surface amongst volcanic kimberlite.

Ringwoodite is a form of the mineral perodite and is special for two reasons, one being that it is mostly composed of water, and the other being that it has never been found on Earth until now. Formed under very high pressure deep beneath the surface of the Earth, ringwoodite is changing the way scientists think about how minerals in the Earth move and shift, the addition of water where it was thought to be only molten rock being cause for head scratching.

Theories point to the immense pressure keeping the water liquid despite the mind-boggling high temperatures. The research is being carried out at the University of Alberta, where Graham Pearson leads the team that used infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction to confirm that the sample was indeed ringwoodite. Pearson’s team estimates that near the transition zone may hold as much water as the entirety if Earth’s oceans. Deep Earth oceans proven by rare diamond could be revolutionary news for prolifically dry areas of the world, especially after the particularly dry winter that has just passed.

It is thought that the water comes from fault zones on the sea floor, where tectonic plates are pulling away from each other as new molten rock rises from the Earth’s mantle. It has long been thought that sea water could enter the crust given the immense pressure found at those depths, but the ringwoodite sample points to larger amounts of water entering than was previously thought. Many working theories of how rock melts, shifts, and cools beneath the surface will have to be revised having added water to the mix, but it may lead to the answers of some difficult questions as well.

Although the likelihood of the deep Earth oceans existing is very high, finding a way to get at it may prove more difficult than proving its existence. Even the deepest hole drilled into the Earth’s crust, the Kola Super Deep Bore Hole in Russia, is only 7.6 miles deep, and that is only a small drill bit. Finding a way to dig over 30 times that depth, and safely get water to the surface will likely be an engineering nightmare. Of course, being able to solve these challenges and effectively double the amount of water on the planet would be a dream come true.

After deep Earth oceans are proven by rare diamond discovery, there are many questions to answer and decisions to make. Although aquifers and underground rivers are fairly common, finding water at these depths is a game changing discovery that will likely have an extremely large impact on how humanity moves into the future.

By Daniel O’Brien

Sources

The State Column
Auto World News
NVO News

SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon ISS cargo mission Sunday launch delayed till end of month

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:34:00 +0000

A SpaceX mission to resupply the International Space Station has been delayed for two weeks. When it gets there, a special passenger is going to get a new set of legs. Pictured here is a robonaut on display at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
(Photo : DLR, Thilo Kranz, CC-BY-NC-ND)

A Space X supply mission to the International Space Station, initially scheduled for Sunday launch, has been delayed until the end of March. A Dragon space capsule carrying two tons of goods for the astronauts aboard the space station was originally scheduled for launch Sunday 16 March at 4:41 a.m.

The Hawthorne, California-based private space company said they needed more time to prepare for the launch, postponing the start of the mission until 30 March.

The company stated they needed time to resolve "remaining open issues," but did not detail what those issues may include. In a statement, SpaceX managers said they would release more information as it becomes available.

"Both Falcon 9 and Dragon are in good health. Given the critical payloads on board and significant upgrades to Dragon, the additional time will ensure SpaceX does everything possible on the ground to prepare for a successful launch," SpaceX managers wrote in a statement.

Among the supplies aboard the planned SpaceX-3 mission are two legs for a humanoid robot, or Robonaut, being constructed aboard the station. There are currently four of these mechanical organisms, with more in development. The latest model is the Robonaut 2 (R2). The new model is four times faster than the R1, is more flexible and compact. The R2 aboard the space station is currently attached to a pedestal. Legs will allow that R2 to travel around the ISS. Future additions will provide the robot with the ability to go into space, and travel across the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.

This mission is the first to test new insect-like landing legs aboard the reusable rocket. This mission will land in the water for reasons of safety, but future trips to space will land at spaceports.

Along with the legs for the robonaut, the Dragon payload includes a smartphone-controlled satellite, a spacesuit, and a new laser communication system.
The Falcon 9 rocket set to bring the Dragon spacecraft to orbit appears to be ready for the mission. On 8 March, a two-second static test firing of the engines aboard the craft was successful.

The next human crew is due to arrive at the station on 25 March. Aboard the ISS, astronauts Rick Mastracchio from NASA and Japan's Koichi Wakata carried out docking drills in preparation for the rendezvous.

Space X was founded by PayPal founder and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk.

If the mission is unable to launch on 30 March, the next possibility is on 2 April.

TechTimes

Deepika Padukone to romance with Aamir Khan?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:32:00 +0000

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone may share screen space with superstar Aamir Khan in a forthcoming film, to be produced by Farhan Akhtar.

According to Filmfare.com, the 28-year-old actress, who has already worked with an array of big names including Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and most recently Rajinikanth, has already given a nod to work in the film.

The details about the film are reportedly being kept hush hush at the moment.

Meanwhile, the actress will next be seen in Homi Adajania’s ‘Finding Fanny Fernandes’ opposite Arjun Kapoor. It will be produced by Saif Ali Khan’s Illuminati Films and will also feature Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapur in prominent roles.

It is slated to release on July 4th, 2014.

Rihanna, Chris Brown back together, Karrueche Tran twitter note to Drake.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:30:00 +0000

The pair, who have not been seen together in public since Chris Brown’s rehab release, have finally unfollowed each other on Twitter. While Karrueche Tran is nowhere in sight with Chris Brown, it seems that he and Rihanna have rekindled old flames.

Chris Brown has reportedly reached out to Rihanna during his trying time between jail, rehab and court. One source revealed that “Chris Brown started texting Rihanna on her birthday [Feb. 20], and the two have been sending each other a flurry of texts ever since.”

“Rihanna didn’t write back right away … but later that night she started getting sentimental and texted back, ‘thank you,’ and asked how he was,” a source said. “Since then, the two haven’t stopped texting each other, and friends are freaked out that she’s going to start dating him again.”

Is it possible that Brown ended his relationship with “The Kill” fashion designer to rekindle his relationship with Rihanna?

To make the situation worse, Drake and Rihanna are rumored to be dating. The Canadian singeris allegedly “very much” in love with her and has been while she was last with Chris Brown.

“Drake has a lot of heart for Rihanna and only wants what’s best for her,” a source said. “He stood by — patiently, I might add — while she was with the other guy. He didn’t say anything. Drake didn’t try to c*ck block. He didn’t try to throw salt in his game. All he did was stay back and watch.”

“Robyn made her choice back then, and while it didn’t work out in the end, Drake still loves and respects her,” a source said.

Drake calls Rihanna by her given name, Robyn. Still, Brown is not ready to give up on Rihanna.

“I’m stressed out,” Chris Brown said in a 2012 interview. “You share a history with somebody, then you tend to fall in love with somebody else, and it’s kind of difficult. Is there a such thing as loving two people? I don’t know if it’s possible, but I feel like that… I’m being real. I don’t want to hurt either. I’m not trying to be a player. I’m not trying be a dog, none of that. My moms raised me different… It’s too much sometimes.”

Chris Brown was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder and was ordered by a California judge to stay in rehab for another two months. His next hearing is scheduled for April 23 after he appears in a Washington D.C. court on misdemeanor assault charges.

The love affair of Chris Brown, Rihanna, Drake, and Karrueche Tran will not end. Love triangle is more like it. Karrueche Tran deserves better and we know Drake would be heartbroken if Rihanna give her all to Chris Brown.

Dennis Rodman checks into alcohol rehab after N. Korea trip

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 03:33:00 +0000

(CNN) -- Former basketball star Dennis Rodman checked into an East Coast alcohol-rehabilitation center after facing backlash for his visit to North Korea, a source close to Rodman told CNN.

He entered the center Wednesday, according to the source. It's not clear how long he will remain in rehab.

Rodman -- a former standout on the NBA's Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls who is well known for his tattoos, piercings and colorful behavior -- recently returned to the United States after a tumultuous visit to North Korea, one of the world's most repressive governments.

Rodman, 52, said alcohol was one reason he shot from the lip earlier this month and told CNN that an American imprisoned in North Korea since 2012 may have done something to deserve his sentence of 15 years' hard labor.

After Kenneth Bae's family complained, Rodman apologized, saying he was under stress and had been drinking when he was interviewed.

Some observers have said Rodman's "basketball diplomacy" may have positive effects in North Korea by offering the people there a different view of the West, compared with its demonic portrayal in the country's tightly controlled state media.

But others, including human rights activists, say it's an embarrassing media sideshow that distracts attention from the North Korean regime's brutality. A State Department official said Rodman's visit was "marginally unhelpful" and Sen. John McCain said of the retired athlete, "I think he's an idiot."

Rodman led a team of former NBA players in a game in North Korea, which he called a birthday present to dictator Kim Jong Un, and, in a bizarre moment, sang "Happy Birthday" inside a packed sports stadium.

Upon leaving North Korea, Rodman was immediately criticized for his friendship with Kim. A mass of reporters met him at the Bejing airport and Rodman broke into tears while answering questions.

"I'm not the president," he told the reporters. "I'm not an ambassador. I'm Dennis Rodman."

Rodman also said, "I'm sorry for what's going on in North Korea, the certain situations," but he didn't apologize for his visit.

Rodman visited during a time of high tension between the two nations. North Korea has pursued a nuclear program, much to the Untied States' distress.

Rodman visited North Korea in February 2013 with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. Kim was known to be an avid basketball fan while attending school as a teenager in Switzerland.

LG unveils world’s first 105-inch curved ultra HD TV at CES 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:35:00 +0000

LG Electronics (LG) announced it will be unveiling the world’s first 21:9 aspect ratio CURVED ULTRA HD TV (Model 105UB9) at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. LG’s newest premium TV is also the company’s very first CURVED ULTRA HD model. The award winning groundbreaking 105-inch (measured diagonally) 105UB9 is officially the largest curved TV ever made.

This awe-inspiring TV offers magnificent picture quality and a wide viewing angle with the ability to render the minutest detail in breathtaking clarity to create an unprecedented level of viewer immersion. The 105UB9’s cinematically proportioned 21:9 CinemaScope screen is ideal for enjoying movies as they were meant to be enjoyed. Another advantage of the extra-wide screen is that it enables users to access viewing information on the side of the screen without blocking any of the ongoing action.

Boasting an 11 million pixel (5120 x 2160) screen resolution, the 105UB9 represents the successful collaboration between LG Electronics and LG Display. In order to realizethe TV’s curvature, new technology was introduced to resolve a number of issues, such as maintaining structural integrity and delivering uniform color and brightness across such a large screen. Until now, OLED panels were preferred for curved displays due to their ability to generate their own light. LG Display overcame the challenge of uneven backlighting by refining its Thin Film Transistor (TFT) pixel circuit technology to prevent color leakage and to ensure a superior viewing experience from virtually any angle.

“LG Display has kept its dominant position in the display market with innovative and differentiated technologies,” said Yong-kee Hwang, Senior Vice President and head of LG Display’s TV Business Unit. “With a resolution of 11 million pixels, the 105-inch curved LCD panel is proof of our continuedleadership in the next generation display market, offering exceptional world-class value to our customers.”

Visitors to LG’s booth at CES 2014 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall #8204) from Tuesday, January 7 through Friday, January 10will have the opportunity to see this unique product for themselves.

“We’re proud to reveal our 105-inch CURVED ULTRA HD TV at the world’s largest technology event,”said In-kyu Lee, Vice President and head of the Home Entertainment Company’s TV division at LG Electronics.“Claiming the world’s first and the world’s largest titles, LG’s 105UB9 employscutting-edge technology to provide a truly unique viewing experience. We will continue to drive the next generation TV market and demonstrate that with LG, it’s all possible.”

First batch of chemical weapons have left Syrian port, says UN

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:30:00 +0000

The Hague, Netherlands: The first batch of Syrian poison gas precursor chemicals was loaded onto a Danish cargo ship and taken out of the war-torn country Tuesday — a week later than initially planned, the United Nations announced.

The announcement that the raw materials had been loaded onto the ship at Syria's Latakia port marked a belated but crucial step in the international operation to rid President Bashar Assad of his declared chemical weapons program by mid-year. The most dangerous chemicals in Syria's stockpile were supposed to have been removed from the country by 31 December, but poor security, bad weather and other factors meant the mission missed that deadline. Sigrid Kaag, the Dutch diplomat coordinating the joint mission by the UN and Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said the chemicals were moved to Latakia from two sites in Syria and put onto the Danish ship. "The vessel has now left the port of Latakia for international waters," Kaag said in a statement. "It will remain at sea awaiting the arrival of additional priority chemical materials at the port." Security for the highly toxic cargo is being provided by war ships from Russia, China, Denmark and Norway. "This is an important step commencing the transportation of these materials as part of the plan to complete their disposal outside the territory of Syria," OPCW Director-General Mehmet Uzumcu said. "I encourage the Syrian government to maintain the momentum to remove the remaining priority chemicals, in a safe and timely manner, so that they can be destroyed outside of Syria as quickly as possible." The chemicals removed Tuesday will eventually be transferred to a US ship, the Cape Ray, which has been fitted with special machinery, and destroyed on board.

FIRST POST

Movie 'Dhoom 3' box office collections at upto Rs 500 crore

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 10:25:00 +0000

Amir Khan action seen and Katrina Kaif seen in Dhoom3

Aamir Khan's 'Dhoom 3' box office collections have scripted history by becoming the first Bollywood film to gross Rs 500 crore across the world, Yash Raj Films claimed today.

The blockbuster, starring Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Abhishek Bachchan, raked in Rs 500 crore by making Rs 351.29 crore in India and Rs 150.06 crore abroad, according to the production house.

It is the third instalment of 'Dhoom' series.

The movie was helmed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Aditya Chopra.

'Dhoom 3', saw Abhishek and Uday Chopra reprising their roles as Jai Dixit and Ali Akbar, respectively, while actors Aamir and Katrina were seen as the antagonist duo.

While analysts widely expected 'Dhoom 3' box office collections to surpass all records, the speed with which it has happened and the amount bagged has been a big surprise.

The movie has surpassed the previous highest-grossing Bollywood film "Chennai Express" starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.