Pope reluctant to be pope: What does it mean?

Pope Francis, bottom left, greets the faithful at the end of his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, bottom left, greets the faithful at the end of his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis is given a paper cut-out heart with writing reading "Hurray Pope Francis" as he driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis kisses a baby handed to him as he is driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis is driven through the crowd during his first general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Francis has called for an end to the violence and looting that has accompanied the weekend coup in the Central African Republic in his first such appeal for peace since becoming pope. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis' ring is seen as he delivers his blessing as he is driven through the crowd during his general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? He still goes by "Bergoglio" when speaking to friends, seems reluctant to call himself pope and has decided to live in the Vatican hotel rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

It might seem as if Pope Francis is in a bit of denial over his new job as leader of the world's 1.2-billion Catholics. Or perhaps he's simply changing the popular idea of what it means to be pope, keeping the no-frills style he cultivated as archbishop of Buenos Aires in ways that may have broad implications for the church.

The world has already seen how Francis has cast aside many trappings of the papacy, refusing to don the red velvet cape Benedict XVI wore for official occasions and keeping the simple, iron-plated pectoral cross he used as bishop and archbishop.

On Thursday, his belief that a pope's job is to serve the world's lowliest will be on display when he washes the feet of a dozen young inmates at a juvenile detention center in Rome. Previous popes have celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual, which re-enacts Christ's washing of his disciples' feet before his crucifixion, by washing the feet of priests in one of Rome's most ornate basilicas.

Such moves hint, even at this early stage, only two weeks into his papacy, at an apparent effort by Francis to demystify the office of pope.

Unlike his predecessors, he doesn't sign his name "Pope Francis," ending his official correspondence simply "Francis."

To those closest he is still Bergoglio, and this week, Italian state radio broadcast a voice mail he left wishing a friend Happy Birthday. "It's Bergoglio," the pope said, using the surname he was born with.

Even on Day One, Francis didn't acknowledge he was pope.

Speaking on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica after his election the night of March 13, Francis told the tens of thousands gathered there that the cardinals' task during the conclave had been to "give Rome a bishop."

And bishop of Rome is the title he has emphasized repeatedly ever since ? not vicar of Christ, or any of his other official titles.

"I do think there is something about trying to reduce the awesomeness, the grandeur and majesty of the papacy," said John Allen Jr., Vatican columnist for the National Catholic Reporter. "Part of this is just his personality. He's never liked pomp and circumstance."

Indeed. Even after he became Argentina's top church official in 2001, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio never lived in the ornate church mansion that Pope John Paul II stayed in when visiting, preferring simple rooms in a downtown building, warmed by a small stove on frigid weekends when the heat was turned off. He did his own cooking and rode the bus to get around town.

In that same vein, Francis announced this week that he wasn't moving into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace and would stay instead in the Vatican's Santa Marta residence, the antiseptically clean, institutional-style hotel where he and the 114 cardinals who elected him pope were sequestered during the conclave.

Calling the hotel home, Francis indicated that he wants to live in a community with ordinary folk, not the gilded cage of the Apostolic Palace.

He will eat in the common dining room as he has for the past two weeks, and celebrate 7 a.m. Mass in the hotel chapel as he has each day, inviting Vatican gardeners, street sweepers, hotel workers and newspaper staff to attend.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the decision to stay put in the hotel had been taken "for now."

"We'll see how it works," he said.

In one concession, Francis did move in recent days from the hotel's cramped Room 207, where he had stayed as cardinal, into Room 201, the larger papal suite, which has a study and sitting room to receive guests. The furnishings are a step up from the simple fare of the rest of the hotel: dark wood armoires and a bed with a matching headboard carved with an image of Christ's face.

Francis' initial refusal to move into the hotel's papal suite is perhaps understandable, given the reluctance with which he accepted the job in the first place.

On Wednesday, the Vatican revealed what Francis said in the Sistine Chapel when he was formally asked if he accepted the outcome of the vote. "I am a big sinner. Trusting in the mercy and patience of God, in suffering, I accept," he answered.

The decision not to take up residence in the Apostolic Palace might also signal a desire to keep his distance from the dysfunctional Vatican government Francis has inherited. One of his major tasks will be to rid the Vatican bureaucracy of the mismanagement, petty turf battles and allegations of corruption that were revealed in leaks of papal documents last year.

Francis does go to work each day at his "office" in the Apostolic Palace, where he meets with various Vatican officials. He uses the ornate Clementine Hall for larger audiences, such as his first formal addresses to representatives of the world's religions and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

In his March 20 audience with religious leaders, Francis sent an important signal about his view of the papacy and its relationship with other Christians. He addressed the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, as "my brother" ? a fraternal nod to a church that split from Rome 1,000 years ago and has remained separated in part over disputes about the primacy of the pope.

To make that message abundantly clear, Francis' chair was on the ground ? the same level as all the other religious leaders ? and not on a raised platform. Two days later, when Francis greeted diplomats accredited to the Holy See, his chair was up on a platform.

"To have a simpler view, less grandiose sense of the trappings of the papacy might be saying, 'I want to be able to relate to you at a different level,'" said Anton Vrame of the Greek Orthodox archdiocese in the U.S.

Francis' gestures, choices and emphasis were clearly an indication of his personality and the simplicity for which Jesuits are known, Vrame said.

"Is it a further simplification of the papacy that we've seen over the years? Potentially. It remains to be seen," he said.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-27-EU-Vatican-Reluctant-Pope?/id-e5a7180b15934e7f8474a74d1e251640

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Saudis say have evidence of spy suspects' links to Iran

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudis-evidence-spy-suspects-links-iran-170038597.html

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Obama appoints first woman Secret Service director

By Tabassum Zakaria and Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose veteran agent Julia Pierson to lead the Secret Service, the first woman to head the agency, a year after its reputation was tarnished by a scandal involving male agents and prostitutes in Colombia.

Pierson will replace Mark Sullivan, who was in charge during the Colombia scandal - one of the worst in the agency's history. He retired as director in February.

The Secret Service has been criticized for having an insular, male-dominated culture, and Pierson's appointment also comes as Obama fends off criticism that his second-term picks for high-level posts have not included enough women and minority candidates.

Pierson, a native of Florida, is currently chief of staff at the Secret Service and began her career as a special agent with the Miami field office in 1983. The director's position does not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

"Julia is eminently qualified to lead the agency that not only safeguards Americans at major events and secures our financial system, but also protects our leaders and our first families, including my own," Obama said in a statement.

Starting in 1988, Pierson served four years with the Presidential Protective Division, and she became deputy assistant director of the Office of Protective Operations in 2005.

The Secret Service has been trying to rebuild its image after the April 2012 scandal when agency employees in Cartagena ahead of a visit by Obama took prostitutes to their hotel rooms.

It led to an official investigation that concluded that the president's safety had not been compromised, but the scandal was a big embarrassment for the agency.

Sullivan apologized to Congress last year for the episode, which he said reflected poor decisions by agents and was not representative of the agency's culture.

In a statement Tuesday, he said Pierson would excel in the role. "I have known and worked with Julie for close to 30 years," Sullivan said about his successor. "This is a historic and exciting time for the Secret Service and I know Julie will do an outstanding job."

Pierson also received accolades from a key Democrat in Congress. Her appointment "is welcome news and a proud milestone," Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Tom Carper said in a statement.

SPECULATION OVER FORMER OFFICIAL

Sources had told Reuters earlier this month that Obama had chosen retired Secret Service official David O'Connor to head the agency. Former law enforcement agents said they had heard he had withdrawn his name, but that was not officially confirmed and O'Connor did not respond to several attempts to reach him.

The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, or NOBLE, had written to the White House in opposition to O'Connor.

O'Connor's name had cropped up in a long-running racial discrimination lawsuit after one email that used racially charged language was sent to him, but his attorney said he did not distribute it further.

Ronald Kessler, who has written a book about the Secret Service, said black agents applied pressure that went all the way up to Obama to torpedo O'Connor's appointment.

Kessler predicted that Pierson's appointment will not change the Secret Service. "Only an outside director can shake up the agency," he said.

(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Deborah Charles; Editing by Christopher Wilson and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-chooses-first-woman-secret-director-officials-185243781.html

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Chimps, gorillas, other apes struggling to survive

BANGKOK (AP) ? The multibillion-dollar trade in illegal wildlife ? clandestine trafficking that has driven iconic creatures like the tiger to near-extinction ? is also threatening the survival of great apes, a new U.N. report says.

Endangered chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos are disappearing from the wild in frightening numbers, as private owners pay top dollar for exotic pets, while disreputable zoos, amusement parks and traveling circuses clamor for smuggled primates to entertain audiences.

More than 22,000 great apes are estimated to have been traded illegally over a seven-year period ending in 2011. That's about 3,000 a year; more than half are chimpanzees, the U.N. report said.

"These great apes make up an important part of our natural heritage. But as with all things of value, great apes are used by man for commercial profit and the illegal trafficking of the species constitutes a serious threat to their existence," Henri Djombo, a government minister from the Republic of Congo, was quoted as saying.

The U.N. report paints a dire picture of the fight to protect vulnerable and dwindling flora and fauna from organized criminal networks that often have the upper hand.

Apes are hunted in their own habitats, which are concentrated in central and western Africa, by sophisticated smugglers who transport them on private cargo planes using small airstrips in the African bush. Their destination is usually the Middle East and Asia.

In countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, great apes are purchased to display as show pieces in private gardens and menageries.

In Asia, the animals are typically destined for public zoos and amusement parks. China is a main destination for gorillas and chimpanzees. Thailand and Cambodia have recorded cases of orangutans being used for entertainment in "clumsy boxing matches," the report said.

Lax enforcement and corruption make it easy to smuggle the animals through African cities like Nairobi, Kenya, and Khartoum, Sudan, which are trafficking hubs. Bangkok, the Thai capital, is a major hub for the orangutan trade.

Conditions are usually brutal. In February 2005, customs officials at the Nairobi airport seized a large crate that had arrived from Egypt. The crate held six chimpanzees and four monkeys, stuffed into tiny compartments. The crate had been refused at the airport in Cairo, a well-known trafficking hub for shipment to the Middle East, and returned to Kenya. One chimp died of hunger and thirst.

The proliferation of logging and mining camps throughout Africa has also increased the demand for primate meat. Adults and juveniles are killed for consumption, and their orphans are captured to sell into the live trade. Villagers also pluck primates out of rural areas to sell in the cities.

Humans also have been encroaching upon and destroying the primates' natural habitats, destroying their forest homes to build infrastructure and for other purposes. That forces the animals to move into greater proximity and conflict with people.

Sometimes animals are even the victims of war.

Arrests are rare largely because authorities in Africa, where most great apes originate, do not have the policing resources to cope with the criminal poaching networks. Corruption is rampant and those in authority sometimes are among those dealing in the illegal trade. Between 2005 and 2011, only 27 arrests were made in Africa and Asia.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates the trade of animals and plants to ensure their survival. Under the agreement, trade in great apes caught in the wild is illegal. But traffickers often get around that by falsely declaring animals as bred in captivity.

The orangutan is the only great ape found in Asia. One species, the Sumatran orangutan, is critically endangered, with its population having dropped by 80 percent over the last 75 years. Their numbers are in great peril due to the pace of land clearance and forest destruction for industrial or agricultural use.

The report estimates that nearly all of the orangutan's natural habitat will be disturbed or destroyed by the year 2030.

"There are no wild spaces left for them," said Douglas Cress, a co-author of the report and head of a U.N. sponsored program that works for the survival of great apes. "There'll be nothing left at this rate. It's down to the bone. If it disappears, they go, too."

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chimps-gorillas-other-apes-struggling-survive-051137577.html

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Increasing Your Personal Worth Through Self Improvement ...

TIP! You can use your willpower to make your life more positive, which means that the wishes you have for others can impact your circumstances, as well. For this reason, it is important to wish only positive things for the people in your life.

Self improvement means working to improve awareness and build your identity. Self awareness is improved by reaching personal goals and growing spiritually. This article is your source for top-flight self-improvement strategies. Take it slow, there is no rush and soon you will begin to understand yourself in a more positive light.

TIP! Avoid shopping as a way to comfort yourself. Taking up a hobby is a better alternative.

Go to the movies with a friend. This allows you to be in a social setting without the added pressure of talking to a lot of people. This will help get you used to being in the same vicinity with lots of different people.

TIP! Try and improve one thing at a time rather than broadening your focus. There may be multiple things that you would like to improve about yourself, but by limiting your focus to one item at a time, you improve your chances for success.

Get as much work done as you can during the day. The simple trick is to take more breaks when you work. It can seem like the opposite would be true, but taking mini breaks frequently will allow you to feel less bored, and get more done during the times you are working.

TIP! Write down your goals to help you grow on the inside. If you hope to boost your self-confidence, include this on your list.

You should always strive to be the best in your area. You should always try to be the best you can be. While it is almost impossible to be the best at everything we do, aspiring to inspire other people is an admirable and worthy goal for oneself. Increase your professional skillset, and you will feel a lot better about yourself.

TIP! Look for different sources of encouragement, like books. Religious books are very uplifting to some, while others may prefer inspirational quotes, autobiographies or poetry.

Employers usually don?t care where you went to college. They only care that you got your degree and are capable of doing the work. Larger companies, such as financial institutions, may be the exception to this. The degree is what is critical, and what will produce opportunity.

TIP! Measure your progress by organizing as much as you can. You may find it easier to achieve your goals if you break them down into smaller components.

Unless you take care of yourself, you won?t be able to care for anyone else. Whether you?re just starting your self improvement plan or are well down the road and regardless of whether you?re succeeding or failing, you have to set aside time for yourself to rest, relax, and regroup.

TIP! It can be difficult to reach goals that are too hard or vague, and this may discourage you on your path to personal development. Set a clear, well-defined goal for yourself.

You need to have an emergency fund. The only constant in life is change, and sometimes those changes require use to take on unexpected expenses. If you take a few dollars and put them into an emergency fund every week, you will build a nice amount of money to use whenever something unexpected arises. Having an emergency fund in place can help provide a safety net throughout all the phases of one?s financial life.

TIP! Watch successful people; learn and follow their habits. Start with a couple habits and then practice them until they?re permanent parts of your life.

Are you a steady drinker? Do you smoke or participate in other actives that can harm your body? Your body is sacred, and you have to learn to respect it. Sometimes, eliminating bad habits is what it takes to make your life better. Look at how you are living your life, and check if you are participating in any negative habits that should be eliminated.

TIP! It is normal to find unhealthy foods tempting. Admit your poor choices, and move on with your life.

Ultimate happiness may lie in assuming a manageable amount of risk. It is not uncommon for an individual to avoid the feeling of rejection or failure while at at the same time, leading a life that they feel is confining and unfulfilled. Have the courage to take some risks so that you can find your happiness.

TIP! A useful personal development tip is that you always cherish the things you believe are most valuable. Therefore, you must value your best and make it an important aspect of your life.

Always be up for a challenge. Trying new things is a way to broaden your horizons. You can learn new skills and gain knowledge. You could end up creating something new or doing something no one else has done. Unique challenges can help to yield more satisfaction down the road.

TIP! As you ascertain your needs and how you will approach them, there is one thing that must be done. You need to participate in life and not watch from the sidelines.

Gauging how far you?ve come and how far you have yet to go is a crucial part of self improvement. The advice in this article should be implemented into your quest for reaching your personal goals. Write down your goals and compare your achievements regularly.

Stephanie Deltor is a Spelman College student aiming to achieve her dreams of becoming a licensed psychologist and author. With her ambition here she write to inspire and encourage others in any way she sees fit. To learn more about her, her business, and her words, Click the following link: http://letters2thesoul.blogspot.com/

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/sdeltor/blog/increasing-your-personal-worth-through-self-improvement/

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KDE releases first version of Plasma Media Center

Linux devotees need media too, don'tcha know? Designed to cater to "media enthusiasts," Plasma Media Center has been released today for those looking to place photos, videos and audio clips on the highest pedestal. The build (v1.0.0) was crafted on Plasma and KDE technologies, and as you might expect, it aims to deliver a "unified media experience on PCs, tablets, networks, TVs and any other device capable of running KDE." PMC can be used to view images, play music or watch videos, and developers are free to create custom plugins for the software as well. The release -- as well as installation guides for Ubuntu and Fedora -- are housed in the read link, and if you're willing to give it a go, let us know how it turns out in comments below.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

Comments

Via: Slashdot

Source: KDE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/21/kde-releases-first-version-of-plasma-media-center-download/

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YouTube says has one billion monthly active users

By Steve Keating ORLANDO, Florida, March 20 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy's decision to skip the Arnold Palmer Invitational surprised the tournament host, who expressed his disappointment on Wednesday that the world number one was not at Bay Hill this week. The 83-year-old Palmer said he had jokingly suggested he might break McIlroy's arm if he did not show up but did not try to force the young Northern Irishman into making an appearance. "Frankly, I thought he was going to play, and I was as surprised as a lot of people when he decided he was not going to play," said Palmer. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/youtube-says-one-billion-monthly-active-users-031506291--sector.html

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Watch Out For These Holiday Packages Scams

Over the years, Indians on-the-whole have been come to know as a people who are always looking to strive a hard bargain when shopping. It is not much different when it comes to choosing between holiday packages. But this penchant for wanting to save some money in every purchase can sometimes lead to landing in a soup. So do watch out for these commonly perpetrated scams and do not fall for them:

Gift Vouchers: Really guys, there is nothing like a free lunch. If someone is giving away holiday gift vouchers, chances are that they would find the devil hidden in the fine print! It may involve an initial down payment, a lateral purchase of some commodity or service, etc. Even in cases where there is no apparent exchange of monetary gains, remember that one would still be parting with private data, valuable information about their habits and preferences that could then be sold to unscrupulous third-party marketers.

Spot Deals: Many-a-times, a call is received that mentions a now-or-never kind of a discount on that alluring holiday. All that is required is credit card verification and the deal is yours. Familiar? Then youll do well to calmly hang up on the caller. Such scams operate on the gullibility of people and use the credit card details for their own, personal gains.

Mobile Apps: Given the proliferation of web enabled handheld devices, the instances of malicious apps skimming user data are increasing with every passing day. All the major Mobile Operating System platforms are trying to stay on top in an attempt to weed out the nuisance, but they can only do so much. This is why, one must be ultra-careful when dealing with third-party apps that havent passed official muster.

The Social Conundrum: Social media platforms have become quite the rage as more and more people start to share their personal information online. Security is often lax as things are meant to be out in the open, but one could end up sharing more than they can imagine. For the greed of a social media discount code, they could end up giving control to brands with less than honourable intent.

So the next time that one decides to pack their bags and head out to the destination of the season do make sure that the due diligence is done. For a discount is not enough a reason to compromise sensitive personal information for the rest of life.

About the Author:
Holiday Packages should be a complete package of enjoyment. Choose the best Holiday Package which is budget friendly along with the benefits you deserve for the price you pay for your trip.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Watch-Out-For-These-Holiday-Packages-Scams/4492402

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Highly effective communities of bacteria in the world's deepest oceanic trench

Monday, March 18, 2013

An international research team announces the first scientific results from one of the most inaccessible places on Earth: the bottom of the Mariana Trench located nearly 11 kilometers below sea level in the western Pacific, which makes it the deepest site on Earth.

Their analyses document that a highly active bacteria community exists in the sediment of the trench - even though the environment is under extreme pressure almost 1,100 times higher than at sea level.

In fact, the trench sediments house almost 10 times more bacteria than in the sediments of the surrounding abyssal plain at much shallower water depth of 5-6 km water.

Deep sea trenches are hot spots

Deep sea trenches act as hot spots for microbial activity because they receive an unusually high flux of organic matter, made up of dead animals, algae and other microbes, sourced from the surrounding much shallower sea-bottom. It is likely that some of this material becomes dislodged from the shallower depths during earthquakes, which are common in the area. So, even though deep sea trenches like the Mariana Trench only amount to about two percent of the World Ocean area, they have a relatively larger impact on marine carbon balance - and thus on the global carbon cycle, says Professor Ronnie Glud from Nordic Center for Earth Evolution at the University of Southern Denmark.

Ronnie Glud and researchers from Germany (HGF-MPG Research Group on Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology of the Max Planck Institute in Bremen and Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven), Japan (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology), Scotland (Scottish Association for Marine Science) and Denmark (University of Copenhagen), explore the deepest parts of the oceans, and the team's first results from these extreme environments are today published in the widely recognized international journal Nature Geoscience.

Diving robot

One of the team's methods was to measure the distribution of oxygen into these trench sediments as this can be related to the activity of microbes in the sediments. It is technically and logistically challenging to perform such measurements at great depths, but it is necessary in order to get accurate data on rates of bacterial activity. "If we retrieve samples from the seabed to investigate them in the laboratory, many of the microorganisms that have adapted to life at these extreme conditions will die, due to the changes in temperature and pressure. Therefore, we have developed instruments that can autonomously perform preprogrammed measuring routines directly on the seabed at the extreme pressure of the Marianas Trench", says Ronnie Glud. The research team has, together with different companies, designed the underwater robot which stands almost 4 m tall and weighs 600 kg. Among other things, the robot is equipped with ultrathin sensors that are gently inserted into the seabed to measure the distribution of oxygen at a high spatial resolution.

"We have also made videos from the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and they confirm that there are very few large animals at these depths. Rather, we find a world dominated by microbes that are adapted to function effectively at conditions highly inhospitable to most higher organisms", says Ronnie Glud.

The remaining "white spots"

The expedition of the Mariana Trench took place in 2010. Since then, the research team has sent their underwater robot to the bottom of the Japan Trench which is approximately 9 km deep, and later this year they are planning a dive in the world's second deepest trench, the 10.8 kilometers deep Kermadec-Tonga Trench near Fiji in the Pacific.

"The deep sea trenches are some of the last remaining "white spots" on the world map. We know very little about what is going on down there or which impact the deep sea trenches have on the global carbon cycle as well as climate regulation. Furthermore, we are very interested in describing and understanding the unique bacterial communities that thrive in these exceptional environments. Data from multiple deep sea trenches will allow us to find out how the general conditions are at extreme depths, but also the specific conditions for each particular trench ? that may experience very different deposition regimes. This will contribute to our general understanding of Earth and its development, says Ronnie Glud.

###

See the article "High rate of microbial carbon turnover in sediments in the deepest oceanic trench on Earth" in Nature Geoscience.

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NGEO1773

University of Southern Denmark: http://www.sdu.dk/

Thanks to University of Southern Denmark for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127333/Highly_effective_communities_of_bacteria_in_the_world_s_deepest_oceanic_trench

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Brazil's business travel spend to see double digit growth | News ...

The Global Business Travel Association (?GBTA?), the world?s premier business travel and corporate meetings organisation, has released its latest GBTA BTI? Outlook report on Brazil as part of its semiannual series.? Sponsored by Visa, key highlights include:

*? GBTA BTI? indicates that strengthening domestic and global economies will place Brazil on a strong growth path in 2013, with the index increasing by over 40 points
*? Brazilian total business travel spending is expected to grow 14.3% in 2013 to $34.5 billion
*? Domestic business travel spending has grown 8.3% a year over the last 12 years, and is forecast to grow 12.9% to $27 billion in 2013
*? International outbound travel spending is on target to expand by 20.2% in 2013, reaching $7.1 billion
*? Demand for hotel rooms and air travel has been strengthening from both domestic and international outbound travelers; however there is an increasingly large gap in supply

Brazil currently ranks 8th in the business travel global rankings, and is on track to surpass Italy, France and the UK over the next two years

Wellington Costa, President of GBTA Brazil commented: ?Brazil has shown remarkable economic resilience and we see this reflected in the latest GBTA business travel data. Although business travel spending slowed toward the end of 2012, growth rates for both travel spend and the economy are now rising again. The major challenge facing the Brazilian business travel market is whether the country?s travel infrastructure and supply can keep pace with its growing demand.??

?Brazil continues to be a bright spot globally when it comes to travel, with both domestic and international travel spending continuing to see strong growth,? said Diego Rodr?guez, Head of Commercial Solutions, Visa Inc. Latin America and Caribbean. ?According to the findings, Brazilian business travelers will surpass Italy, France and the UK over the next two years, as it continues rapid economic growth and development. With events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games helping fuel both business and tourism travel, Visa is committed to helping Brazil maximize their economic potential with electronic payment infrastructure.?

While it appears that the current economy is weighing on the minds of travelers, for the first half of this year, we saw U.S. and international travelers increasing their spend on Visa accounts,? said Tad Fordyce, head of global commercial solutions at Visa Inc. ?From January to June of 2012, international travelers increased travel spend on their Visa accounts by nine percent in the U.S. to $20.1 billion. U.S. travelers were also active for the first six months, increasing travel spend on their Visa accounts by seven percent to $17 billion. 2012 has the ability to be the year of the traveler if we can continue this momentum of business and leisure travel.?

The path to growth
Despite the recessionary years of 2008 and 2009, Brazil?s business travel spending has continued to grow at an impressive rate, and has nearly tripled since 2000. From an estimated $11 billion in 2000 travel spend expanded at an average rate of 8% per year to over $30 billion in 2012.

In 2013 growth rates are expected to return to double digit figures, boosted by upward trends in key economic indicators ? particularly business confidence and employment ? both highly correlated with business travel spend. Business travel spending is forecast to increase by 14.3% to $34.5 billion in 2013.? This growth momentum will continue, with total business travel spending forecast to grow another 16.1% to $40 billion in 2014.?

Moving up the world rankings
Brazil?s business travel industry has been performing strongly compared to other developed markets. Brazil is currently ranked 8th in the world, up one place from 2011. With current growth rates, Brazil is forecast to continue its rise through the rankings as a major business travel market, overtaking Italy, France and the UK over the next two years.?

Challenges ahead
The forecast for Brazil is positive; however there are challenges which must be addressed if the business travel market is to reach its full potential. The demand for hotel rooms and air travel has been strengthening from both domestic and international inbound travelers, and is set to increase over the next few years in the run-up to the World Cup and Olympics. The key challenge will be whether this demand can be met going forward. Currently the supply of hotel rooms and air travel remains constrained, and the manner in which this is addressed will impact the continued growth of the business travel market in Brazil.

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/brazils-business-travel-spend-to-see-double-digit-growth/

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Candice Glover: The American Idol Favorite?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/candice-glover-the-american-idol-favorite/

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Pinterest Web Analytics Puts Third-Party Developers And APIs Into Focus

Pinterest Web Analytics, the site's traffic measuring tool for website owners that was unveiled earlier today, is a foray into services that could help the social network generate revenues some day -- for now, it's free with "no plans to charge," with the main aim being "help pinners see what content is resonating best on Pinterest", the company tells me. But the launch raises some questions, too, around where the company stands regarding third parties, specifically those that also offer Pinterest analytics; and how this will play into Pinterest's (as-yet unreleased) API.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/2nevrqzAk8w/

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6 tips for marketing your book online ? Kobo Writing Life

by Rob Tucker, Co-founder at ReadWave

In the current publishing climate, writers (whether published or self-published) are increasingly responsible for their own marketing. For the last four years I?ve been running an online digital publishing platform which we?ve recently rebranded as ReadWave,that aims to help writers build up a readership online. During that time I?ve had access to a lot of data on what people read online, when they read, and most importantly, why some writers are successful in getting readers and others aren?t. Here are some of the key insights that I?ve learned over the last four years, which hopefully will help you plan a marketing strategy for your writing.

1) The Importance of Short Stories?(even for novelists)

Even if your eventual goal is to sell your novel, start by writing some great short stories and hosting them as free giveaways online. If you?re not yet a well-known author, then readers are 300 times more likely to read a short story of yours rather than the first chapter of a novel. When it comes to online reading, try to keep your stories under 1,500 words as these get by far the most traction.

2) The Limitations of Personal Websites
When most writers decide to market their writing, they usually start by building their own website. If you decide to make your own website the centre of your marketing campaign you?re going to come up against some fairly large problems. Not only is getting people to visit your website extremely difficult, but normally people visiting your site will look around for a few minutes and then leave, never coming back again. You need to RETAIN your visitors and keep them coming back again and again. One solution would be to put a newsletter sign up form on your website (I would recommend MailChimp if you decide to go for this route) but you might be disappointed with the result ? getting newsletter sign ups is hard. A better option is to make one of your social networks the centre of your marketing campaign; that means your Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads or ReadWave page. If you decide to make your Facebook page the centre of your marketing campaign then have a go at building your website on Facebook itself using the Static HTML app. There are plenty of?guides?on how to do this yourself if you?re a bit tech-savvy (it might be easier than you think!), otherwise hire a pro. You can even set it up so that readers get a free giveaway if they ?like? your Facebook page. This will be much more effective than driving traffic to your personal website.

3) Building a Mailing List
Every writer needs a database of the names and email addresses of their grassroots supporters, and whether you?ve written anything new this month or not, you need to keep those supporters engaged every month through newsletters. Really you should put the same time and effort into writing your newsletters as you do in writing your stories. Building a mailing list is difficult, there?s no doubt about it. After speaking to lots of writers, we decided to make newsletters a built-in feature at ReadWave since at the moment there are almost no services that are specifically geared towards helping writers get more sign-ups. A word of warning though, beginners at email marketing tend to get a bit scared by sending out thousands of emails in one go and compensate for this by being stiff, or even worse, sounding corporate. If you do this, people will very quickly unsubscribe. It?s better to send out no newsletter than a bad newsletter. Be funny and easy to approach in your newsletters. Think of it as a chance to build a positive brand around yourself, rather than to sell, sell, sell.

4) A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
When it comes to digital content, pictures really are key. Readers are more than five times more likely to start reading stories with interesting pictures than those without. It?s also worth noting that the peak time for online reading is mid-week when people are bored at work. This means that readers don?t want to be seriously engaged with your magnum opus, they just want to flick through something that is quick and easy to read whilst their boss isn?t looking. Think about your online and offline content as two fundamentally different things; online content is very much about surface values. Readers won?t have a lot of time to ponder the hidden depths of your story.

5) Embedding and Linking

The more times a link to your story appears online the better your Google ranking will be, so you should openly share the link to your free online content in as many places as possible. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are a no-brainer, but try to be more creative, think of other blogs and online communities where you might share your link. At ReadWave we?re building an embedding service to help out with this, which means that you can post your story onto blogs and other websites in exactly the same way that you can post a YouTube video. If you?re approaching bloggers to try to get them to post up your story then take the time to actually get to know them, read their blogs, write some comments on their previous blog entries, sign up to their mailing list. Online marketing operates on a?favor?for?favors?system, so be generous and you shall receive.

6) Self-promote
Finally I just wish to comment on a strange writer?s affliction that I?ve noticed time and time again whilst running ReadWave. Whereas musicians and artists have no problem shamelessly promoting themselves, the majority of writers tend to be fairly conservative about getting their name out there, as though marketing is too vulgar for them. Often it?s simply a lack of confidence. Whether it?s a colleague; a friend of friend; or just a stranger that you got chatting to, every single person you?ve ever met or will ever meet is potentially a part of your fanbase. This is how marketers think and, without being pushy about it,?you should try to embrace that philosophy as much as you can. Don?t be shy.
Best of luck to you all in building your readership, and if you have any questions you can contact me at:

rob[at]readwave[dot]com
Join us on Facebook

@readwave

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Source: http://kobowritinglife.com/2013/03/13/6-tips-for-marketing-your-book-online/

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For A Crazy $5.99 A Month, The $99 TiVo Mini Will Pull Recordings From A TiVo Premiere

Remember 2005 when the term TiVo meant something? It was a synonymous with DVRs. Crappy Comcast boxes were called TiVos because consumers didn't know any better. TiVo subscribers were locked into the TiVo lifestyle by a sort of Stockholm syndrome, fulling willing to pay the huge retail cost of a TiVo and then a relatively high monthly fee to use the system. Well, TiVo apparently didn't get the notice. It ain't 2005 anymore and the $99 TiVo Mini with its $5.99 monthly fee is a bit crazy.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4Jepsx18HsY/

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Man sought in 2 deaths captured in Ore. motel - KWQC-TV6 News ...

By LAUREN GAMBINO
Associated Press

LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) - Police stormed a motel room in a seaside town Tuesday evening and captured a Washington state man suspected of killing his grandparents, ending a multistate search and a tense daylong standoff at the motel.

"Everyone's safe. No one's hurt," Lincoln City Police Chief Keith Kilian said.

Police had spent much of the day trying to persuade Michael Boysen to surrender. After breaching the motel room door, they stormed in and captured him.

Boysen was found lying on the floor on his back with a self-inflicted cut, Kilian said. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

Boysen was alive, but the severity of his injury was not immediately clear, Kilian said.

Law enforcement authorities in Washington state confirmed Boysen was alive.

"We're certainly glad it's over and nobody else got hurt. We're glad they were able to take him into custody alive," said King County Sheriff John Urquhart.

"It sounds like they got to him in time," Urquhart said.

The bodies of Boysen's grandparents were found Saturday in their suburban Seattle home, a day after Boysen was released from prison and was greeted with a welcome home party.

During Tuesday's siege in the Oregon tourist town of Lincoln City, police pointed rifles at the motel, fired blasts from a water cannon and used a bullhorn to try to persuade Boysen to give up.

Police used a robot equipped with a video camera and a microphone to communicate with him. The robot was sent onto a balcony outside the motel room. Police breached the door and were able to communicate with Boysen through the robot.

When Boysen didn't come out on his own, police went in after him.

"We tried to negotiate," Kilian said. "We saw an opening that didn't compromise the safety of our officers."

Boysen checked into the motel Monday night under his own name but wasn't recognized until Tuesday morning, when a desk clerk saw a television story about the case and called police, Kilian said.

Boysen, 26, made threats against members of his family and law enforcement while behind bars, Corrections Department spokesman Chad Lewis said Tuesday. But authorities didn't learn of the threats until after the bodies of the grandparents were found and authorities had started looking for Boysen.

"Sources went to our staff at the Monroe Correctional Center and told us he had been threatening to do all this," Lewis said.

The information was passed on to King County deputies, and that's why Sheriff Urquhart called Boysen extremely dangerous at a Monday news conference. Investigators also determined that Boysen had been searching the Internet for gun shows.

Boysen just finished serving nine months in prison on a burglary conviction, Lewis said. He had no violent infractions in prison - "nothing extraordinary," Lewis said.

He served a previous sentence between 2006 and February 2011 for four robbery convictions. Those convictions were related to an addiction to narcotic painkillers, Lewis said.

Boysen's grandparents picked him up from prison Friday and drove him to meet his probation officer and to get an identification card from the Department of Licensing. They held a welcome home party for him Friday night.

Boysen's mother discovered the bodies Saturday evening. She had been called by a family member who became concerned that the couple hadn't answered their door.

Authorities haven't said how they died.

The motive for the killings remains unknown, King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said.

"Between the family and detectives we have no idea," she said. "It's just bizarre. The family loved and supported him the whole time he was in prison."

On Tuesday, the King County medical examiner's office identified the couple as Robert R. Taylor, 82, and Norma J. Taylor, 80. They died Saturday. The cause and manner of their deaths remains under investigation, the medical examiner said.

Urquhart said it was not known why Boysen fled to Oregon.

"We didn't know he had gone to Oregon, had no particular reason to look there."

King County sent two detectives to Oregon to talk with Boysen, Urquhart said. He'll have to go through extradition, then King County hopes to "get him back here for trial," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jeff Barnard in Grants Pass, Ore., and Doug Esser in Seattle contributed to this report.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kwqc.com/story/21580475/man-sought-in-grandparents-deaths-in-wash-state

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Slickdeals' best in tech for March 11th: 60-inch Panasoinic Viera HDTV and Brother HL-2240 laser printer

Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this round-up, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.

Well folks, it's time to open those wallets once again. In today's edition of our twice-weekly gadget deals roundup, a 6o-inch Panasonic display may take the top spot, but a handful of other worthy buys lie just past the break, too. There are a number of coupon codes and a requisite rebate on one link in particular, so pay close attention so that you don't miss out.

Filed under: Misc, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Peripherals

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Source: Slickdeals

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/slickdeals-best-in-tech-for-march-11th/

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Sandy-damaged homes hit market at bargain prices

LONG BEACH, N.Y.?? It sounds like the premise for a new reality TV series: "Hurricane House" ? people scouring waterside communities looking to buy homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy at a deep discount.

While there are bargains out there, ranging from 10 percent off pre-storm prices for upscale homes on New York's Long Island and the Jersey Shore to as much as 60 percent off modest bungalows Staten Island and Queens, it's still very much a game of buyer beware.

Not only are buyers are on the hook for repairs and in some cases total rebuilds, they're also wading into a host of potentially expensive uncertainties about new flood maps and future insurance rates, zoning changes and updated building codes.

"It's totally changed the way I sell real estate," said Lawrence Greenberg, a sales associate with Van Skiver Realtors, whose own Mantoloking, N.J., office was wrecked in the storm.

Prior to Sandy, prospective buyers rarely mentioned issues such as flood maps and building elevations until the matter of flood insurance came up ? often at closing. "Now, everybody asks the question of elevation," Greenberg said. Even if potential buyers plan to tear down and build new, they ask about the pending changes in flood maps proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, because flood insurance rates will depend upon the new zones.

There is no sign of a mass exodus from shoreline communities. The number of for-sale listings in January in the 380 zip codes hit by the storm was about 2 percent below the same time last year, according to online real estate information company Zillow Inc. That indicates that most homeowners are rebuilding, or have not yet decided how to proceed.

But real estate agents in New York and New Jersey say the majority of homes for sale in these areas have some damage from the Oct. 29 storm, and it appears to them that a rising number are being put on the market as the spring home-buying season approaches.

New listings range from destroyed oceanfront properties being sold for the land, to flooded bayside homes untouched since the storm that must be gutted. Even the few undamaged homes in affected neighborhoods are listing at prices about 10 percent lower than they would have been pre-storm.

Some sellers are overwhelmed by the daunting prospect of restoring a damaged home. Some are older homeowners who had stayed in the houses where they raised their families, but now are relocating. Some didn't have flood insurance.

"They either don't have the funds or don't have the energy to go through the renovating and rebuilding process," said Jeff Childers, a broker with Childers Sotheby's International Realty in Normandy Beach, N.J.

Lisa Jackson, broker and owner of Rockaway Properties in the Belle Harbor section of Queens, N.Y., said a number of her new listings are homes owned by senior citizens. One 85-year-old client was living alone in her 1940s-era six-bedroom, six-bath brick home right on the beach. The house was hammered by Sandy, and must be at least partially demolished, but will still command a hefty price. "Everything on the water is big money," Jackson said.

But the $3 million listing price is nevertheless a huge discount from the roughly $4.25 million it would have commanded before the storm.

Another set of sellers were in the process of getting out before the storm hit. Jackson had 18 properties in contract prior to Sandy, but all of those sales either fell through or were renegotiated for a lower price.

One 1930s-era three-bedroom, two-bath house with a view of the bay was in contract for $665,000, but the entire first floor was gutted after it took on about four feet of water. The buyer, a single woman, was unwilling to take on the renovations. The property is back on the market for $550,000. That's a 17 percent discount, but the eventual buyer will have to pay for new floors and walls, plus a new kitchen and bathroom.

Still, that sort of cut might make the neighborhood affordable for a family that was priced out in recent years, when houses were selling for $750,000 and more.

And in one sense, buying a storm-damaged home can offer an advantage, said Tom Tripodi, president of the Tripodi Group/ Douglas Elliman Real Estate in the Long Island city of Long Beach, where damaged houses are selling for about 10 percent less than before the storm.

"If it's all gutted out, you can do what you want," he said. "You can own the house with a brand new kitchen, new appliances, new floors."

In addition to people looking to create their dream house out of a damaged home, Tripodi has seen investors eyeing the area. In Long Beach's West End neighborhood, for example, investors are looking to tear down gutted 1920s-era ranch homes and build bigger houses with multiple stories at higher elevations in their place.

The shorefront sections of Staten Island are also seeing accelerating turnover of homes that are likely to eventually get torn down.

Lee Venezia, a broker with Neuhaus Realty Inc., recently sold three adjacent bungalows owned by a longtime resident of Staten Island's Midland Beach for $240,000 cash ? about $20,000 less than each one might have garnered before the storm. "The homeowner refused to go back," she said.

The buyer will fix the properties up and rent them "until the dust settles," Venezia said. Once new flood maps are finalized and new building codes sorted out, she expects the houses to be sold again to a developer who will replace them.

Cash deals are the only ones closing right now in Staten Island's storm-damaged neighborhoods, Venezia said, which means the buyers are almost all investors, even though the area's small houses are selling for $85,000 to $100,000. "Banks are not going to lend," she said. "The banks are waiting for the dust to settle to see what the building requirements are going to be."

The new flood maps must go through public hearings before they are finalized, a process likely to take two to three years.

Meanwhile, public officials and homeowners are trying to look to the future.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced a plan to buy out the entire Staten Island neighborhood of Oakwood Beach and allow the land to revert back to the marshland it once was, because the homes there have flooded multiple times. It remains unclear if any other neighborhoods might get bought out.

That may be the best hope for homeowners like Michael Kuhens, who has been trying to sell his bungalow in Staten Island's Ocean Breeze section, which was ripped off its foundation by the 14-foot storm surge.

A buyout would be attractive because, instead of dealing with bargain hunters, the state is offering pre-storm value.

"I know a lot of people in my neighborhood don't want to stay, and if they were offered a buyout they'd take it," said Kuhens, who is staying at his parents' house with his wife and 1-year-old daughter. "We just want to get on with our lives. It's a hundred-something days after the storm, and we're still stuck in limbo."

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51124191/ns/weather/

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'God particle': Confirmation is 'achingly close'

FILE - This 2011 image provide by CERN, shows a real CMS proton-proton collision in which four high energy electrons (green lines and red towers) are observed in a 2011 event. The event shows characteristics expected from the decay of a Higgs boson but is also consistent with background Standard Model physics processes. Physicists in Italy said Wednesday, March 6, 2013 they are closer to concluding that what they found last year was the elusive "God particle." But they still haven't reached that "Eureka moment" when they can announce the Higgs boson is found. The long theorized subatomic particle would explain why matter has mass and has been called a missing cornerstone of physics. (AP Photo/CERN)

FILE - This 2011 image provide by CERN, shows a real CMS proton-proton collision in which four high energy electrons (green lines and red towers) are observed in a 2011 event. The event shows characteristics expected from the decay of a Higgs boson but is also consistent with background Standard Model physics processes. Physicists in Italy said Wednesday, March 6, 2013 they are closer to concluding that what they found last year was the elusive "God particle." But they still haven't reached that "Eureka moment" when they can announce the Higgs boson is found. The long theorized subatomic particle would explain why matter has mass and has been called a missing cornerstone of physics. (AP Photo/CERN)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Physicists in Italy said Wednesday they are achingly close to concluding that what they found last year was the Higgs boson, the elusive "God particle." They need to eliminate one last remote possibility that it's something else.

The long theorized subatomic particle would explain why matter has mass and has been called a missing cornerstone of physics.

With new analyses, scientists are closer to being certain they found the crucial Higgs boson. But they want to be 99.9 percent positive, said Pauline Gagnon, a physicist with the European Center for Nuclear Research.

Last July scientists with the world's largest atom smasher, the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border, announced finding a particle they described as Higgs-like, but wouldn't say it was conclusively the particle. Now thousands of checks show them even closer.

"It looks more and more like a Higgs boson," said Gagnon after an update presented Wednesday at a conference in the Italian Alps.

Gagnon compared finding the Higgs to identifying a specific person. This looks, talks, and sings like a Higgs, but scientists want to make sure it dances like the Higgs before they shout "Eureka."

She said there is only one last thing the particle they found could also be: a graviton. That's another subatomic particle associated with gravitational fields, not mass.

By checking the spin of the particle, scientists will be able to tell if it is a Higgs boson, which is far more likely, or a graviton. If it has no internal spin, it's the Higgs boson; if it has a lot of spin it's a graviton.

Wednesday's presentation was by one team of researchers and another team will present more findings next week.

Physicist Sean Carroll of the California Institute of Technology, who isn't involved in the research, said scientists are just being careful, covering all bases.

Without the Higgs boson to explain why electrons and matter have mass, Carroll said, "there would be no atoms, there would be no chemistry, there would be no life, so that's kind of important."

___

Online:

http://public.web.cern.ch/public/

___

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-06-God%20Particle/id-bd4850460fa944009bb94f6fefd3741c

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Curiosity rover out of safe mode, still recovering

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) ? NASA says the Curiosity rover is returning to normal after a computer problem limited its activities.

The space agency said Monday that the car-size rover exited safe mode over the weekend, meaning it suspends its science activities but is still in contact with Earth.

Curiosity is now preparing to resume its science experiments ? perhaps by next week.

Engineers still don't know what caused Curiosity's memory glitch.

The rover was in the middle of analyzing powder from a rock it recently drilled into.

Curiosity has been purposely taking it slow since it landed last year in an ancient crater near the Martian equator. Scientists still plan to order the rover to head toward a mountain in the middle of the crater. The trip is expected to take at least nine months.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-03-04-Mars%20Curiosity/id-22a0735aa9434fb3b4c6a7ad624d72fc

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Cox Digital Solutions Shutters Platform Services, Former Adify ...

Cox Digital Solutions, which houses the white label vertical ad network and ad serving business formerly known as Adify, will no longer offer platform services to outside media companies, the company has told clients.

In a letter sent last month to customers, obtained by AdExchanger, Andy Levi director, Publisher Operations at CDS, as part of the unit's restructuring, CDS will focus solely on its product offerings.

"Over the next 60 days, CDS?s platform services will remain open to allow you time to transition to a new provider," the letter said. "Our platform services will remain available until April 12, 2013, but you may discontinue the platform services at any point over the next 60 days. We understand that this is a big transition for you and we will work with you to make it as seamless as possible."

A Cox representative told AdExchanger that the company was not shutting down its ad serving business, but declined to elaborate, saying the company was planning a formal announcement for Tuesday.

Customers said that they appreciated the platform services, but several said they suspected it "never made them any money."

Sources also said that while ad serving was the primary service CDS performed for them the past few years, it initially also provided campaign optimization functions.

Adify was acquired by Cox Enterprises, through its subsidiary Cox TMI, a brand that was eventually erased as its parent company decided to combine it with the digital arm of Cox Cross Media. Adify was cobbled together into CDS, which itself was an arm of yet another subsidiary, Cox Reps. The move was done to reduce ?redundancies" and, as you can see, avoid confusion.

The Atlanta-based media company, which owns the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as well as TV and radio stations, paid $300 million, plus earnouts, for Adify. About three years ago, Adify began working with its Cox Enterprises sibling AutoTrader.com on a vertical ad net targeting in-market car shoppers. As Adify began handling digital chores for other parts of Cox, the company decided it was time to fully blend the brand in.

But the past few years has not been kind to the ad network model as online media migrated toward exchanges. When Adify was started in 2006 by Larry Braitman and Richard Thompson, who were among the pioneers of the ad network model during the days before the dot-com crash in 2000 with Flycast, it was seen as a challenger to another self-serve ad network that appeared to be gaining traction at the time, adBrite.

Coincidentally, last month, adBrite itself was in the process of shuttering its ad exchange and attempting to sell off its marketplace business and its intellectual property.

The apparent failure of these ad tech businesses, which had once flown so high in the eyes of investors and industry observers, highlights the difficulty faced by ad tech companies pressured to adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace, especially once its founders and early leaders have left for other opportunities.

As one serial entrepreneur, who also asked not to be named, told us, the past four years of ad tech deals? have often not fulfilled expectations. Examples include Yahoo's operating of early real-time bidding platform Right Media, which ought to have been bigger than it is, to Akamai's surrender of its experiment in the ad business with Acerno to MediaMath in? January, to Microsoft's inability to make something more out of Atlas, which is now being given another try in Facebook's hands, in a deal announced last week. "It seems like, other than Google, which has carried DoubleClick, YouTube, Invite Media, AdMeld and many other smaller acquisitions to new heights, everyone has ultimately f'd up whatever they buy," the entrepreneur observed.

However Tolman Geffs, co-president of media investment bank The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc., offered several examples of what has gone right, such as DoubleClick?s acquisition of Klipmart, an early video ad server, prior to Google. He offered that deal as a case study for both sides of an M&A transaction.

"The key to success? Careful integration and human resources planning before the deal closed," Geffs said of DoubleClick/Klipmart. "Management and bankers spent as much time on this as on deal terms, although the two were linked given the additional incentives baked into the transaction structure."

Adding that "this will sound very self-serving coming from a banker," Geffs estimated that "the last 10-20% on price is insignificant in comparison to the importance of thorough integration planning before the deal closes.? When you look back on transaction success (and impact on the careers of the buyer execs who sponsor the deals), the last few million bucks does not matter ? the acquisition either was a success and well worth the money, or it would have been a disaster at half the price."

Still, those lessons are a little late for CDS and what became of Adify. It's also a little late for its customers -- and employees, though it's not certain how many jobs will be affected by the shuttering of the platform business. In speaking with a number of CDS platform customers, there was a mix of surprise and inevitability with the closing down of the platform.

"I think we all saw it coming at some point -- but you never know how long a giant corporation like that is willing to let something coast along," said one customer, who asked not to be identified, echoing the sentiments from others we've heard from. "We have heard from our customers that moved over that the platform really stagnated after the purchase and that new features weren't being added, or old problems resolved."

For the most part, the news is also being seen as a hardship for some, who say that 60 days isn't a lot of time to find a new home for their business. "Moving an ad network, which can consist of hundreds of sites, isn't an easy task. You have to coordinate with all of those publishers to update their ad code, move your campaigns, etc."

But there are still companies eager to pick up where CDS is leaving off.

In a recent?blog post?Adzerk, a publisher-side ad technology company, is offering a "disaster recovery program" for CDS customers left in the lurch.

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Source: http://www.adexchanger.com/platforms/in-major-reorg-cox-digital-solutions-shutters-platform-services-former-adify-business/

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Google Maps Update Brings a ?Cocktail Button? to iOS

Google Maps on iOS has been updated with a new cocktail button. Eat your heart out Apple Maps.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/x-0SIIrd1G4/

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