Thursday, January 31, 2013

Vine launches ? best ways to use it for business marketing

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New social network Vine launched last week ? here are some of the earliest marketing posts shared by brands online, one week in?.

Twitter?s new video sharing app, Vine, was launched last week.? There aren?t many like it: simple apps, released with very little fanfare and publicity, that generate buzz.

But Vine is one such innovation.

Likened to Instagram but for video, it offers a simple way to give others an insight into your business, your life and your world through 6 second looping videos.? It?s not complicated, but does it offer potential for marketing your business?

The following short vids have been shared on Vine this morning:

  • someone taking an early flight and going through security
  • a little boy colouring in his homework
  • a coffee machine creating a delicious brew
  • a cat running around someone?s living room

None of them ground-breaking, none of them designed to promote anything.? But for business, there may be more to it.

Here are some of our favourite

NBC gives a sneak peek inside its building:

Gap tells a story with a look back at its advertising over the years:

General Electric gets back to basics with its creative process:

Tech magazine uses the new service to demonstrate its latest issue:

Chris Brogan invites his followers to join the fun by sharing a short of the contents of their desks:

And at Perfect Balance Marketing we?ve had a play with animation to create an advert:

How could you use the new app?

  • Create an ad
  • Drive engagement by inviting others to share their Vines
  • Tell the story of your business
  • Demonstrate a product
  • Show how to do something

Share your ideas in the comments below, and share your Vines on twitter, tagging them with #vine (and also tagging me @thorntonlucy so I can share them too!)

Source: http://www.perfectbalancemarketing.com/vine-launches-best-ways-to-use-it-for-business-marketing/

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Long-term review: 2012 Ferrari California - Week 5

Our long-term California?s final week at wheels towers has been a fittingly adventurous one. To give it the send-off that it deserves, we lined up two other stunning grand tourers for one last blast around magnificent dune-lined roads on the fringes of Dubai. Enter the new Aston Martin DB9 and the Maserati Gran Turismo Sport.

With a complement of two snorting V8s and a V12, our noisy cavalcade headed out of town and deep into the UAE desert. While I shall not delve into the finer points of the other cars for the fear of giving away too much about this upcoming story, the California proved every bit a stunning mile-muncher.

It shrugged off the 300km round trip and everything from the suspension to the gearbox is finely tuned for long-haul travels. Greeted with corners, the Cali does tend to lean a bit more than you?d expect, but never alarmingly so.

Although its awkwardly high stance would suggest otherwise, the Ferrari was clearly the quickest of all the cars congregated for our feature. The high ride height also meant it was less likely to scrape its belly while passing over speed bumps than the other two.

Article continues below

When we tested the previous California on the track years ago, the brakes felt spongy. It?s a problem that?s been resolved with the new carbon ceramic discs on our tester: even after hours of hard workout, they remained resolutely fade free. The best thing, by far, though is the 4.3-litre V8 revving to over 8,000rpm ? it makes a glorious noise.

There are some minor problems, however. The back seats are not designed to accommodate humans, the boot space is appalling, it?s thirsty when driven hard, and the infotainment system is straight out of a Jeep and looks completely out of place in the Poltrona Frau-dressed cabin.

However, having spent nearly six weeks with the California, I can say it with utter conviction that it?s a car you can easily live with every day. It?s feisty when you want it to be, but settles down when you?re not in the mood. Most of all, it?s not the temperamental Italian exotic of automotive folklore ? it?s a thoroughly dependable GT.

I know there?s the question of the price. A well-specced car, similar to our long-termer is hardly a snip at over Dh800,000. Furthermore, there are some serious rivals in the class ? such as the aforementioned Aston, which is better looking, although the Fezza looks pretty good in darker shades (avoid the garish yellows and reds; they only look good on the Italia) ? but the California strikes a great balance between sportiness and comfort.

If you?re in the market for, say, something like an M6 or an SL 65, I implore you to raid the back of your designer sofa, find the extra dirhams, and give the California a serious look. You won?t be disappointed.

Average fuel economy: 20 litres-per-100km

Highs: Superb grand tourer, engine, easy to use around town

Lows: Tiny back seats, lack of boot space, some ergonomics issues

Everyone?s in on the brand-name sound systems in cars these days ? you?ve got Lexicon, Mark Levinson, Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, you name it. Well, Volkswagen went with Fender (available exclusively in the new Beetle, Jetta and our Passat), maybe because it ran out of options or maybe because the system is actually really good. But VW?s bit, the software hiding behind the 6.5in screen, messes up the presets of my radio stations.

If I?m on the last preset and I pause to listen and then realise it?s Bieber playing, I scroll to the next station only to find that the thing starts again from the back and selects the last preset again and then, yes, it?s too late and I?ve got the Bieber stuck in my head all day.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/long-term-review-2012-ferrari-california-week-5-1.1139550?localLinksEnabled=false&utm_source=Feeds&utm_medium=RSS&utm_term=Life_RSS_feed&utm_content=1.1139550&utm_campaign=Long-term_review:_2012_Ferrari_California_-_Week_5

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

White Nexus 4 pictured, looks like a Nexus 4 in white

Android Central

The photo above could well be our first look at the LG Nexus 4 in white. The shot was sent in to PhoneArena by an anonymous tipster, and seems to show the current Nexus phone with a white exterior and silver-trimmed LED flash. As with any image of unknown origin, there's no way to guarantee its veracity, but we have to say it looks real enough to us.

The full 13MP original can be inspected over at the source link, and we've got an expanded view of the lens and flash after the break. If nothing else, the difficulty involved in fabricating an image of this size is a point in its favor.

We've also heard whispers of a white Nexus 4 being in the works in the weeks since the original black model launched. And remember that LG already offers a white version of the Optimus G, the phone upon which the N4 is based. The previous two Nexus phones have been available in white too, albeit in limited quantities.

Anyone in the market for a white Nexus 4? Shout out in the comments!

Source: PhoneArena

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/FAoO0MaUpQQ/story01.htm

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RIM fanboys and football fans: not so different

BlackBerry may have outdone Apple in regards to its frothing fan base.

BlackBerry may have outdone Apple in regards to its frothing fan base.

Two seemingly disparate events are happening this week: Wednesday?s long-awaited launch of BlackBerry 10 and Sunday?s Super Bowl. But believe it or not, they?re not that different. Both inspire fanatical devotion from legions of fans, some of which border on madness.

Anyone who has written anything on Research In Motion during the past little while is surely familiar with the attacks that inevitably follow. It doesn?t matter how scathing or glowing said piece was, the BlackBerry fanboys have been out with a vengeance once reserved only for Apple?s own iCult.

Even positive articles aren?t spared their wrath. My?largely favourable review?recently of the pre-release BlackBerry 10, for example, provoked one commenter on Twitter to affirm that I was ?pulling things out of my ass.? Really, there?s no pleasing these people.

To be fair, it?s not just RIM that inspires such loyalty/lunacy. I?ve seen it particularly bad from the Apple and Nintendo faithful, but everyone?s got them ? Microsoft, Google even Palm back in the day.

It got me wondering: what inspires such fierce brand loyalty? Surely there?s some sort of scientific reason behind it?

It turns out there is, according to psychologists at the University of Illinois. In a 2011 study, researchers found that fanboys often?confuse their own self image?with that of brands. As Ars Technica put it, ?You may think you?re defending your favorite platform because it?s?just that good. But? you may instead be defending yourself because you view criticisms of your favorite brand as a threat to your self image.?

In other words, if you pick a brand and it does poorly, you might get prickly about it because you?re effectively defending?your choice.

The researchers performed two experiments, one on a group of 30 women and another on a group of 170 undergrads, and divided them into a set with high self-brand connections and those with low SBC. Those with high SBC tended to suffer hits to their self esteem when their brands didn?t do well or were criticized. Those with low SBC? well, they were perfectly fine. As the study puts it:

Because the brand is seen as a part of the self by virtue of being intimately tied to the self, failure on the part of the brand is experienced as a personal failure. Therefore, in an effort to maintain a positive self-view, high SBC individuals react defensively to brand failure by evaluating the brand favorably despite its poor performance.

This isn?t so different from sports, which similarly cause individuals to associate their identities as part of a larger whole. A recent story on the NHL lockout?touched on this issue, with University of Illinois psychologist Edward Hirt pointing out the similarities.

?The groups that we belong to really signify to a great extent some large components of our own personal identity,? he said. ?Let?s take a Yankee fan. That may be one of the first things that somebody from (New York) says to somebody; ?I?m a Yankee fan.? That?s a key part of their identity.?

It seems there?s no easy way to bring someone out of fanboy-ism and into the realm of sanity, where their identity isn?t defined by a product or team. It has to happen naturally. I remember my own experience vividly, back in high school, when my favourite band Motley Crue kicked out its lead singer. It was the worst betrayal imaginable, but it taught me not to get emotionally invested in entities that exist only to take my money.

Most fanboys and sports fanatics will eventually encounter their own shocks to the system. Either a company betrays them or goes belly up or a sports team moves to another city or trades its best player. Until then, we?ll all have to keep enduring their obnoxious and often sociopathic behaviour.

Source: http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/01/30/rim-fanboys-and-football-fans-not-so-different/

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Vicke is watching NFL GameDay Morning

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Source: http://getglue.com/conversation/love4music/2013-01-30T05%3A24%3A12Z

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

'Dangerous precedent': Dead man faces trial in Russia

Misha Japaridze / AP, file

Russia is going to try lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in jail after being accused of fraud. Magnitsky said Russian officials and organized crime member conspired to frame him, and a report by Russia's presidential human rights council found in July 2011 that Magnitsky had been repeatedly beaten and deliberately denied medical treatment while in jail.

By Max Seddon, The Associated Press

MOSCOW -- Russia is preparing to put lawyer Sergei Magnitsky on trial, even though he died in 2009, in the latest twist in a case that has become a byword for Russian corruption and has severely strained U.S.-Russian relations.

The posthumous trial has already provoked outrage among rights groups who see the whistle-blower's case as indicative of the rampant judicial abuse, skyrocketing graft and blurred boundaries?between the state and organized crime that have plagued Russia under President Vladimir Putin.

"The trial of a deceased person and the forcible involvement of his relatives is a dangerous precedent that would open a whole new chapter in Russia's worsening human rights record," Amnesty International said in a statement last week.

Prosecutors accuse Magnitsky and his former client, London-based investor William Browder, of a $230 million tax fraud carried out through subsidiaries of Browder's company, Hermitage Capital Management.

Magnitsky claimed in 2008 that the fraud was committed by an organized crime group who colluded with the corrupt Interior Ministry to register themselves as the owners of three Hermitage subsidiaries and then claim a $230 million tax rebate. He was arrested shortly after by the same officials and accused of stealing the money himself.

Abused in prison
A year later, the 37-year-old Magnitsky died in jail of pancreatitis, after what supporters claim was a systematic torture campaign. A report by Russia's presidential human rights council found in July 2011 that Magnitsky had been repeatedly beaten and deliberately denied medical treatment.

"If they have the same investigators and judges try the case, then what are they going to say ? 'we're guilty and we should be punished?' It's obvious what's going to happen," Magnitsky's mother, Nataliya Magnitskaya, told The Associated Press last week.

Russia's top court ruled shortly after Magnitsky's death that posthumous trials were allowed, with the intention of allowing relatives to clear their loved ones' names. Though neither Magnitsky's relatives nor Browder say they asked for charges to be refiled, prosecutors reopened his case just days after the ruling.

A Moscow court on Monday set preliminary hearings in the case for Feb. 18. Browder is being tried in absentia; he has not been to Russia since he was banned from entering the country in 2005.

Evidence collected by Browder on a website, Russian Untouchables, indicates that the officials accused by Magnitsky became substantially wealthier after the tax rebate, spending vastly in excess of their meager official salaries on international travel, luxury cars, and prime real estate in Dubai.

Officials in Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are attempting to trace portions of the $230 million rebate to banks in those countries.

Last December, tensions between the U.S. and Russia flared when Congress passed a law named after Magnitsky sanctioning officials Browder accuses of involvement in the fraud.

Putin at that time said that Magnitsky died of a heart attack and accused Browder of politicizing his death to distract from his own crimes.

Russia responded to the U.S. law by banning adoptions of Russian children by Americans and dropping charges against a prison doctor on trial for negligence in Magnitsky's death.

Related:

PhotoBlog: Anti-corruption blogger challenges Putin

Thousands march in Moscow to protest adoption ban

Member of Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot: I've received death threats

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

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16737097-a-dangerous-precedent-russia-to-put-dead-man-on-trial?lite

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Misconceptions about a popular pet treat

Jan. 28, 2013 ? A popular dog treat could be adding more calories than pet owners realize, and possibly be contaminated by bacteria, according to a study published this month by researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the University of Guelph.

The treat in question: the "bully" or "pizzle stick." The American and Canadian researchers analyzed the caloric density and bacterial contamination of these popular items, made from the uncooked, dried penis of a bull or steer. They also administered a survey to pet owners to assess their knowledge of these treats.

The study, published in the January 2013 issue of the Canadian Veterinary Journal, examined 26 bully sticks purchased from retailers in the United States and Canada and made by different manufacturers.

A random subset of the 26 bully sticks was tested for caloric content. These bully sticks tested contained between nine to 22 calories per inch, meaning the average six inch stick packed 88 calories--nine percent of the daily calorie requirements for a 50-pound dog, and 30 percent of the daily calorie requirements for a 10-pound dog.

"While calorie information isn't currently required on pet treats or most pet foods, these findings reinforce that veterinarians and pet owners need to be aware of pet treats like these bully sticks as a source of calories in a dog's diet," said Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN, professor of nutrition at TCSVM who is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

Freeman was first author on the paper. Co-authors were J. Scott Weese, professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph, and Nicol Janecko, a research associate at the Canadian university.

"With obesity in pets on the rise, it is important for pet owners to factor in not only their dog's food, but also treats and table food," Freeman added.

All 26 treats were tested for bacterial contaminants. One (4 percent) of the sticks was contaminated with Clostridium difficile; one (four percent) was contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics; and seven (27 percent) were contaminated with Escherichia coli, including one tetracycline-resistant sample.

The number of treats sampled was small and not all of these bacterial strains have been shown to infect humans. However, the researchers advise all pet owners to wash their hands after touching such treats, as they would with any raw meat or raw meat diets. The very young, elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised and other high-risk individuals should avoid all contact with raw animal-product based treats and raw meat diets, note the scientists.

To learn more about veterinarian and pet owner perceptions of dog foods and treats, the research team developed a 20-question Web-based survey. The survey was posted online for public participation for 60 days and all responses were anonymous. It was completed by 852 adults from 44 states and six countries. Most respondents were female dog owners.

"We were surprised at the clear misconceptions pet owners and veterinarians have with pet foods and many of the popular raw animal-product based pet treats currently on the market," said Freeman. "For example, 71 percent of people feeding bully sticks to their pets stated they avoid by-products in pet foods, yet bully sticks are, for all intents and purposes, an animal by-product."

Another surprising finding was the large number of people who did not know what bully sticks actually were. A higher proportion of veterinarians (62 percent) were able to correctly identify the source of bully sticks as bull penis compared to general respondents (44 percent). Twenty-three percent of the respondents fed their dogs bully sticks.

Further research with a larger sample size is needed to determine whether the calorie content and contamination rate found in this study is representative of all bully sticks, or other types of pet treats, according to the authors.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Tufts University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Lisa M. Freeman, Nicol Janecko, J. Scott Weese. Nutritional and microbial analysis of bully sticks and survey of opinions about pet treats. Canadian Veterinary Journal, January 2013

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/mAJUX0F5Meo/130128082912.htm

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Sandy Victims Face Higher Insurance - Business Insider

New federal flood maps approved Thursday that will govern rebuilding in the state following superstorm Sandy leaves many residents with a tough choice: Go higher now or pay more later.

The new guidelines will force homeowners in flood zones to spend tens of thousands of dollars to raise their houses now or pay exorbitant premiums of up to $31,000 a year for flood insurance later.

"This rule protects the public and our residents by ensuring that the Jersey Shore and our coastal communities will be reconstructed smarter and more resilient," Gov. Chris Christie said in announcing the maps, which were recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to municipalities last month.

Some local officials have voiced concerns about the maps, including their accuracy.

The governor said he did not want to wait for FEMA to adopt new maps within the next two years and leave property owners unsure about what rebuilding standards to follow.

He cited the example of a property in an "A'' flood zone that is now in a "V zone" (where breaking waves are possible) under the new maps. The owner will eventually face flood insurance premiums of up to $31,000 a year if he does not elevate a home. But the owner would pay $7,000 a year if he rebuilds to the now-recommended elevation or $3,500 a year if he rebuilds 2 feet higher than that.

"Folks have to make decisions, and some of them are hard decisions," Christie said.

The governor's announcement came nearly three months after Sandy came ashore south of Atlantic City on Oct. 29, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The megastorm killed 40 people in New Jersey and spawned record coastal flooding. It damaged or destroyed more than 122,000 homes and other structures in New Jersey. The state is seeking billions of dollars from the federal government for rebuilding.

Christie stressed that the guidelines don't force anyone to raise their homes. But he laid out a stark choice: do the elevations called for under the FEMA maps or pay through the nose for flood insurance each year.

"If you choose not to, you'll have substantially higher flood insurance costs, which could be ... seven or eight times what you pay now," he said at a news conference in Seaside Heights.. "There's going to have to be some hard decisions made. But for the shore as a whole, I think that's the right decision to make."

The FEMA maps show that water levels could rise 1 to 5 feet higher than expected in most flood zone areas under previous maps, a FEMA official has said.

The New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management, a nonprofit group of flood experts, has urged municipalities to adopt the new maps.

Towns should consider adding 2 feet of "freeboard" (leading to buildings that are 2 feet higher) above the ABFE elevations, according to the group. The costs are usually 0.25 percent to 1.5 percent for each additional foot of height, according to the group.

John A. Miller, the group's legislative committee chairman, said the group "backs the Governor's decision today, especially in light of the repetitive major flooding that New Jersey has been experiencing in the last eight years."

The group agrees with Christie that using the maps "will save (people) a great deal in flood insurance premiums; and that most importantly, the Governor's actions will save lives and ensure less damage in future storms," Miller said in an email, noting that he had not read the emergency rule.

But Toms River Business Administrator Paul J. Shives said this week the maps have "serious errors."

The maps are a "problem for Toms River and we've made that known, reached out to FEMA and also to the Governor's Office," Shives said. "It really challenges residents at a point in time they don't need it."

Jeff Tittel, director of the Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter, said Christie's emergency rules didn't go far enough.

"Flood elevations are going up, not down," said Tittel, who also raised concerns about streamlined permitting and the need to protect against sea-level rise.

Christie said he thinks this is "what we need to do to build a 21st Century Jersey Shore. We don't want to go through this again."

He also thinks there are very few places at the Jersey Shore that couldn't be rebuilt, if appropriate standards are used and dune systems with appropriate protections are built.

"We're trying to keep the Shore affordable" for everyone, he said.

According to FEMA, Sandy and sea-level rise were not included in the analysis that led to the ABFE maps, but the maps take into account storms similar to Sandy.

FEMA is working on new flood insurance rate maps, and the preliminary versions will come out around August, according to Chris McKniff, a FEMA spokesman.

That will kick off a regulatory process that can last a year to 18 months, according to McKniff. Comments will be accepted, appeals heard and the maps governing flood insurance rates will be adopted around mid-to-late 2014.

"The higher you build, the less your insurance premiums will be going down the road. So we do encourage people to build higher," McKniff.

According to Christie's statement, the Advisory Base Flood Elevations could change or become lower.

----(AT)

(Contributing: The Associated Press, Gannett Washington Bureau and Asbury Park Press archives)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/sandy-victims-face-higher-insurance-2013-1

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Antigua gets OK to become copyright haven

(AP) ? Americans call it piracy. Antiguans call it justice.

The islands of Antigua and Barbuda are threatening to strip intellectual property protections from American goods as part of a long-running trade dispute over the U.S. embargo on the tiny Caribbean nation's online gambling industry.

U.S. officials say the proposed copyright haven - whose broad outlines were approved Monday at the World Trade Organization in Geneva - amounts to "government-authorized piracy." But Antiguans, who've won a series of legal victories against the U.S. at the international trade body, reject any suggestion that they're pirates.

"We have followed the rules and procedures of the WTO to the letter," Antigua's high commissioner to London, Carl Roberts, said in a statement Monday. "Our little country is doing precisely what it has earned the right to do under international agreements."

The U.S. and Antigua have been tussling for years over the ability of Americans to use online casinos based in the Caribbean nation. U.S. laws have long been interpreted to mean that Internet gambling is illegal if it crosses state lines.

The World Trade Organization, however, has come down on Antigua's side. In 2007, it allowed the islands to draw $21 million a year's worth of "nullification or impairments" from the United States as a penalty for the continuing refusal of the U.S. to allow American customers to place their online bets in Antigua.

Antiguan officials say they could make up the money through the operation of a copyright haven, although what that might look like and what its scope would be remains unclear. Antiguan officials have kept details vague and the move has little precedent.

Observers have suggested, for example, a subscription service to access copyright-free American music, or a pay-per-download site that charges pennies for Hollywood hits.

Mark Mendel, a lawyer for Antigua's government, cautioned that whatever ends up being set up, it wouldn't be an Antiguan version of The Pirate Bay, the free-for-all file sharing site whose name has become synonymous with illegal downloads.

"We aren't going to be flaunting the rules," he said in a telephone interview last week. "It's not piracy if you have the right to do it."

Right or wrong, American businesses aren't happy with the idea. Gina Vetere, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's intellectual property center, said such a move would only exacerbate the dispute and "sour the business environment."

The haven may still never see the light of day; Mendel said Antigua's goal remains a negotiated settlement with U.S. authorities over the gambling dispute.

Even if such a haven were set up, international fans of free downloads may want to exercise caution. Antiguans may be allowed to download freely, but for those outside the country the legal regime remains murky.

Nevertheless, the notion of a country of 89,000 people standing up to the powerful United States on intellectual property matters has caught the imagination of many - especially those who believe that U.S. copyright rules are too restrictive.

"It's time for small countries to be treated fairly in these organizations," said Mendel.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-28-Caribbean%20Copyright%20Haven/id-f73687586cbb4734a07c1f0de1e667d8

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Busy Philipps Glows In Navy at the SAG Awards

The Cougar Town actress (and mom-to-be!) glowed in a custom Gabriela Cadena navy column gown paired with Brian Atwood black satin sandals, a Judith Leiber clutch and Irene Neuwirth statement jewelry.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/zDUSPZqJpb4/

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Wintry weather hits dozens of flights - The Local

Lufthansa was forced to cancel 33 flights at Frankfurt airport on Sunday as snow and ice were expected to make runways unsafe. But last week's total shutdown is not likely to be repeated.

All the cancelled flights listed on Lufthansa's website were domestic or within Europe, with most scheduled in the afternoon and evening.

A spokesman for airport operator Fraport said that snow had been forecast in Frankfurt between 12 noon and 8pm. He said that would likely mean de-icing would be necessary, and flights would be delayed.

But he added that the dramatic situation of last Sunday, when all of Frankfurt's air traffic had to be shut down for two hours, would not be repeated.

Click here for The Local's weather forecast

Meanwhile, Hamburg's road-salting services were forced into a massive operation on Saturday night as snow showers caused extremely slippery conditions on the roads. Around 110 gritting trucks were called into action just after 8pm on Saturday evening, Reinhard Fiedler of the city cleaning department reported.

A further 270 vehicles were sent out at 4am, as temperatures of -3C caused icy conditions. Warm fronts moving in from the West meant that more precipitation was expected throughout Sunday.

The Local/DAPD/bk

Source: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130127-47585.html

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Asia's trend-setters feeling iPhone fatigue

12 hrs.

SINGAPORE?? Apple's iconic iPhone is losing some of its luster among Asia's well-heeled consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a victim of changing mobile habits and its own runaway success.

Driven by a combination of iPhone fatigue, a desire to be different and a plethora of competing devices, users are turning to other brands, notably those from Samsung Electronics, eating into Apple's market share.

In Singapore, Apple's products were so dominant in 2010 that more devices here ran its iOS operating system per capita than anywhere else in the world.

But StatCounter, which measures traffic collected across a network of 3 million websites, calculates that Apple's share of mobile devices in Singapore ? iPad and iPhone ? declined sharply last year. From a peak of 72 percent in January 2012, its share fell to 50 percent this month, while Android devices now account for 43 percent of the market, up from 20 percent in the same month last year.

In Hong Kong, devices running Apple's iOS now account for about 30 percent of the total, down from about 45 percent a year ago. Android accounts for nearly two-thirds.

"Apple is still viewed as a prestigious brand, but there are just so many other cool smartphones out there now that the competition is just much stiffer," said Tom Clayton, chief executive of Singapore-based Bubble Motion, which develops a popular regional social media app called Bubbly.

Leading indicators
Where Hong Kong and Singapore lead, other key markets across fast-growing Asia usually follow.

"Singapore and Hong Kong tend to be, from an electronics perspective, leading indicators on what is going to be hot in Western Europe and North America, as well as what is going to take off in the region," said Jim Wagstaff, who runs a Singapore-based company called Jam Factory?that's developing mobile apps for enterprises.

Southeast Asia is adopting smartphones fast ? consumers spent 78 percent more on smartphones in the 12 months up to September 2012 than they did the year before, according to research company GfK.

Android rising
Anecdotal evidence of iPhone fatigue isn't hard to find: Where a year ago iPhones swamped other devices on the subways of Hong Kong and Singapore, they are now outnumbered by Samsung and HTC smartphones.

While this is partly explained by the proliferation of Android devices, from the cheap to the fancy, there are other signs that Apple has lost followers.

Singapore entrepreneur Aileen Sim recently launched an app for splitting bills called BillPin, settling on an iOS version because that was the dominant platform in the three countries she was targeting ? Singapore, India and the United States.

"But what surprised us was how strong the call for Android was when we launched our app," she said.

Indeed, 70 percent of their target users ? 20-something college students and fresh graduates ? said they were either already on Android or planned to switch over.

"Android is becoming really hard to ignore, around the region and in the U.S. for sure, but surprisingly even in Singapore," she said. "Even my younger early-20s cousins are mostly on Android now."

BillPin launched an Android version this month.

Standing out from the crowd
Napoleon Biggs, chief strategy officer at Gravitas Group, a Hong Kong-based mobile marketing company, said that while Apple and the iPhone remained premium brands there, Samsung's promotional efforts were playing to an increasingly receptive audience.

For some, it is a matter of wanting to stand out from the iPhone-carrying crowd. Others find the higher-powered, bigger-screened Android devices better suited to their changing habits ? watching video, writing Chinese characters ? while the cost of switching devices is lower than they expected, given that most popular social and gaming apps are available for both platforms.

"Hong Kong is a very fickle place," Biggs said.

Janet Chan, a 25-year-old Hong Kong advertising executive, has an iPhone 5, ?but its fast-draining battery and the appeal of a bigger screen for watching movies is prodding her to switch to a Samsung Galaxy Note II.

"After Steve Jobs died, it seems the element of surprise in product launches isn't that great anymore," she said.

Shifting trends
To be sure, there are still plenty of people buying Apple devices. Stores selling their products in places such as Indonesia were full over the Christmas holidays, and the company's new official store in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay has queues snaking out of the door most days.

But the iPhone's drop in popularity in trendy Hong Kong and Singapore is mirrored in the upmarket malls of the region.

"IPhones are like Louis Vuitton handbags," said marketing manager Narisara Konglua in Bangkok, who uses a Galaxy SIII. "It's become so commonplace to see people with iPads and iPhones so you lose your cool edge having one."

In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, an assistant manager at Coca Cola's local venture, Gatot Hadipratomo, agrees. The iPhone "used to be a cool gadget, but now more and more people use it," Hadipratomo said.

There is another influence at play: hip Korea. Korean pop music, movies and TV are hugely popular around the region, and Samsung is riding that wave. And while the impact is more visible in Hong Kong and Singapore, it also translates directly to places like Thailand.

"Thais are not very brand-loyal," says Akkaradert Bumrungmuang, 24, a student at Mahidol University in Bangkok. "That's why whatever is hot or the in-thing to have is adopted quickly here. We follow Korea, so whatever is fashionable in Korea will be a big hit."

This report was written by Jeremy Wagstaff in Singapore, with additional reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Hong Kong, Khettiya Jittapong and Amy Sawitta Lefevre in Bangkok, and Andjarsari Paramaditha in Jakarta.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/android-rises-asias-trend-setters-show-signs-iphone-fatigue-1C8137474

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

50 Cent's 'Major Distribution' Video: Where Did That MMG Chain Come From?

'I thought it would be unexpected,' Fif tells MTV News, avoiding rumors that it came from the BET Hip Hop Awards scuffle between G-Unit, Maybach.
By Rob Markman


A scene from 50 Cent's "Major Distribution" video
Photo: Shady/Aftermath Records

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700833/50-cent-major-distribution-mmg-chain.jhtml

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Lengthy 787 probe, fixing problem, may cost Boeing dear

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The slow progress of investigations into battery problems on Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jets suggest the new plane could be grounded for months, raising fears that the financial hit to Boeing will be greater than had been initially predicted.

Wall Street had been working on the assumption that safety inspectors would find the root cause of two battery incidents in the United States and Japan within weeks and Boeing would implement a speedy fix costing no more than a few hundred million dollars.

But on Thursday, the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was only "early" in its investigation of a fire on a Japan Airlines Co Ltd jet in Boston on January 7, while Japanese aviation authorities appear no closer to resolving a battery problem that caused an emergency landing of a domestic All Nippon Airways Co Ltd flight last week.

"Saying we are in the early stages of the investigation sent a resounding message to those who thought this was a quick fix," said Carter Leake, aerospace analyst at BB&T Capital Markets.

"If it comes out that ultimately it's a six-month issue or a nine-month issue, everything changes. All of this optimism and all of this costing assumption, starts to become bigger numbers. Once you get past six months, you have to consider cancellations."

Investors do not appear to be in a panic yet. Boeing shares are down only about 2.5 percent since the 787 was grounded worldwide following the emergency landing in Japan on January 16.

"Wall Street reaction shows confidence in Boeing's ability to solve the 787 problem," said Michel Merluzeau, managing partner at G2 Solutions, an aerospace and defense consulting firm in Kirkland, Washington.

Boeing does make four other kinds of jets, including the best-selling 737, and the company earns 40 percent of its revenue from its defense arm.

Still, the world's biggest planemaker is producing 787s, but not delivering any, a situation that could stretch the company financially and test investors' faith.

"One of our big concerns is that this investigation continues to drag on, and it looks like it may be more than just the battery overheating itself," said Russell Solomon, an analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "You start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact and my guess is that they (Boeing) would have to potentially cut the production rate."

BREAKING DOWN THE COST

Besides the actual cost of fixing the 50 787s in service, plus another 50 or so in production or waiting for delivery, Boeing will have to compensate carriers unable to use 787s as planned and pay penalties for late deliveries, most likely in the form of discounts on future purchases.

It also is not clear whether any fix - particularly if the probes lead to the identification of a major design fault - would also be costly.

At the same time, it will be starved of the cash it was expecting for delivering 787s it is still producing at the current rate of five per month, which could add up to $300 million per month, analysts estimate.

And the longer the planes are grounded, the more Boeing is exposed, as airlines may start to reconsider orders and - in extreme cases - cancel some, especially if the battery fix adds weight to the plane and reduces its vaunted fuel efficiency.

Boeing, which is expected to report a drop in fourth-quarter earnings next Wednesday, is not talking specifically about costs of the 787 issue yet.

"It's too early to know the financial effects," said Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers. "We're focused on working through the process, getting to a resolution and returning the airplanes to service."

Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, puts the cost of a fix at no more than $350 million, or about 30 cents per Boeing share, in a worst-case scenario. Howard Rubel at Jefferies estimates the cost at somewhere between $250 million to $625 million, but notes that some of the cost may be borne by suppliers.

"There's still the hope of a relatively easy fix followed by a return to service within a week or two, but there's also the strong and growing risk that they'll need to redesign the battery system, which could mean another six to nine months," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aerospace research firm Teal Group.

PRODUCTION DELAY LOOMS

More important is the effect on Boeing's production rate, which is scheduled to jump to 10 a month by the end of this year, from five now.

That jump is crucial to Boeing's plans to eventually make a profit on the 787. Most of the investment in a new plane occurs early in the program, which means earlier planes cost more to build than later ones.

The quicker Boeing can refine the process and ramp up numbers of planes produced, the quicker it will reach the target of 1,100 planes, where it calculates it will break even on the program. At planned production rates that would take about a decade.

If Boeing makes fewer planes than it has budgeted for and is not getting cash in the door for deliveries, that could add up to more than $1 billion per month in "incremental working capital spend," according to Solomon at Moody's.

With $6 billion of cash on its balance sheet at the end of the third quarter, Boeing looks strong enough to deal with that, but the longer it goes on, the more the worries mount, said Solomon.

"If a billion to a billion and a half of incremental working capital consumption is the right number in terms of cash burn every month, you start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact," he said. "My guess is that they would have to potentially cut the production rate if that were the case."

Cutting production of 787s, or halting it altogether, would be a huge blow for a plane program that is already three years behind schedule.

"The market really only cares about one thing right now and that is, will production change?" said Leake at BB&T. "I believe it will not, Boeing can't afford to do that. It's too expensive to ramp down and ramp up again."

Production delays would ripple down the supply chain, could cost jobs and could even mean the loss of future orders if airlines lose patience with Boeing.

Rubel at Jefferies said this is unlikely, but in the worst case scenario could result in a $5 billion write-off for Boeing, if it loses orders it was counting on to offset expenses it has already laid out in building the 787.

That would take its toll on earnings and likely mean taking a provision against those losses.

"It will impact equity investors," said Solomon at Moody's. "The company will grow much more slowly if they can't ramp to 10 a month and the program is not successful."

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, Alwyn Scott in New York, Jim Wolf in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lengthy-787-probe-fixing-problem-may-cost-boeing-015027724--finance.html

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Geithner sees US economy strengthening gradually

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Outgoing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner thinks the U.S. economy will strengthen this year ? as long as Congress avoids cutting spending too deeply in a budget deal and Europe's economy gradually improves.

In an interview on his last day in office, Geithner tells The Associated Press, "The economy is stronger than people appreciate." He agrees with many private forecasters that economic growth will accelerate this year, in part because the U.S. economy is no longer being held back by oil shocks and Europe's debt crisis has subsided.

Asked about his future, Geithner rules out the possibility that he would return to Washington as chairman of the Federal Reserve next year, when Ben Bernanke's term ends, if asked by President Barack Obama.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/geithner-sees-us-economy-strengthening-181830657.html

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Southwest's 4Q profit slips on higher costs

DALLAS (AP) ? Southwest Airlines Co. said Thursday that fourth-quarter earnings fell by nearly half as costs rose for fuel, labor and maintenance.

The airline's revenue climbed slightly, however, as the average fare increased almost $8 from a year ago.

Southwest said that bookings for the first three months of 2013 look strong. It said that based on bookings and ticket prices so far, a key revenue measure should rise by between 2 and 3 percent in January compared with the same month last year.

Although the rate of airfare increases has slowed since 2011, fares are still going up partly because airlines are limiting the number of flights, making seats more scarce. Southwest expects the industry as a whole to run about 1 to 2 percent fewer flights in early 2013 than in the same period last year.

Southwest, the nation's fourth-biggest airline, will consider cramming more flights into the busier middle of the day and reducing daily flights on some routes that aren't profitable enough.

"I hope what we have less of is eliminating nonstop service between city pairs but ... that is a possibility," said CEO Gary Kelly. He didn't name the routes that could be affected.

On a conference call, analysts pressed Kelly on whether he might reverse Southwest's "bags-fly-free" policy. Kelly said the policy helps his airline draw customers away from competitors ? more than offsetting money lost by not charging fees ? and that charging for bags now would damage the company's image.

"Customers hate bag fees, so I think by definition there would be an impact to the brand," he said.

Southwest reported fourth-quarter net income of $78 million, or 11 cents per share. That's down from $152 million, or 20 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items such as fuel contracts, the net income would have been 9 cents per share, beating the 7-cents-per-share forecast among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue ticked up 1.6 percent to $4.17 billion but fell short of the $4.20 billion that analysts expected.

Expenses rose faster, however, by 3.1 percent. Labor costs rose and maintenance costs jumped significantly as the airline continued to overhaul the cabins inside many of its planes.

Spending on fuel, the airline's biggest expense, rose a modest 0.7 percent. Southwest is forecasting a welcome drop in its first-quarter fuel bill, to $3.30 per gallon from $3.44.

The cost increases were still less than some analysts expected. Standard & Poor's analyst Jim Corridore said he expects revenue to rise faster than most costs in 2013.

The average fourth-quarter fare on Southwest and its AirTran Airways subsidiary was $148.02, up 5.4 percent from $140.38 a year earlier.

Passengers flew 1.4 percent fewer miles on Southwest than a year earlier, and planes were less full ? 79.6 percent occupancy, down from 80.5 percent.

Southwest earned $421 million in 2012, its 40th straight profitable year, a streak that Kelly called "a remarkable feat and a record unmatched in the airline industry."

Southwest shares rose 3 cents to $11.39 in afternoon trading. They have gained about 50 percent since last August, rising along with other airline stocks. Investors have been encouraged by stronger financial performance at the airlines and the possibility that a potential merger of American Airlines and US Airways would increase the industry's ability to raise fares.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/southwests-4q-profit-slips-higher-costs-122155946--finance.html

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CSA Position Statement on Winter Storm Khan | Travel Insurance ...

Travel insurance providers often release position statements to identify how coverage applies to current events, most commonly when storms are named. The following is a position statements from the travel insurance provider,CSA:

Winter Storm Khan
1/25/2013
Winter storm Khan is moving through the southeast and mid-Atlantic states today, and the National Weather Service forecast predicts that the storm will move into the Northeast. ?The storm is predicted to bring treacherous road conditions and complicated commutes. ?Ice storm warnings have been issued in southern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee, and winter weather advisories spanned at least 12 states from Indiana to New Jersey. ?Freezing rain advisories were also issued for northern Georgia. ?Customers are strongly encouraged to read their Description of Coverage or Insurance Policy for details regarding their available coverage. ?For plans that do offer coverage for adverse weather and natural disasters, please note that there is no coverage for this specific storm under any plans purchased on or after Friday, January 25, 2013. ?Please contact CSA Travel Protection with questions.

Source: http://blogs.squaremouth.com/travel-advice/csa-position-statement-on-winter-storm-khan/

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Underwater CO2 shows potential as barrier to Asian carp

Underwater CO2 shows potential as barrier to Asian carp [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Debra Levey Larson
dlarson@illinois.edu
217-244-2880
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

URBANA As the Asian carp population grows and the threat of the invasive species entering Lake Michigan through one of the Chicago canals is monitored, a University of Illinois researcher believes using two barrier methods is better than one.

Cory Suski experimented with adding carbon dioxide (CO2) into the water as a supplemental tool to work in tandem with the electric fence, which has been used to divert the carp from entering the canal, with the goal of providing a second line of defense.

Suski found that carbon dioxide is quick and effective in repelling fish from an area.

"In one experiment using tanks, we could actually chase the fish with the gas," Suski said. "Once carbon dioxide reached a threshold, fish would 'choose' to leave the area of the tank that had CO2. The fish initially showed signs of being irritated or agitated after exposure, and eventually they lost equilibrium. If fish cannot leave or are slow to leave the carbon dioxide accumulates to a point where it will act like an anesthetic gas used for patients who are undergoing surgery."

Suski knew that CO2 had already been proven to be effective at fish hatcheries. The CO2 was used to move fish from one area to another, making it easier to harvest them. He wanted to see if the technique could be applied to the Chicago River canals and at other vulnerable entry points into the Great Lakes.

In addition to studies quantifying behavior and stress physiology in response to CO2, Suski used a laboratory tank called a shuttle box that contains two chambers and a connecting canal. The level of carbon dioxide can be controlled on either side of the box. Tests were performed on bighead carp and silver carp as well as bluegill and largemouth bass so the effects on native species of fish could be confirmed. CO2 had the same effect on all four species.

"What we learned is that CO2 does not appear to be species specific," Suski said. "This is good because there are other species besides Asian carp that we don't want swimming back and forth between the river and the Great Lakes. The electric fence is also a non-species-specific barrier, and all non-physical barriers have weaknesses. The CO2 barrier isn't intended to replace the electric fence. It's another tool, a redundant barrier that further increases the likelihood of stopping fish from getting through," he said.

Because carp are known to jump, Suski was prepared for the possibility that the carp would try to jump out of the shuttle box to escape the carbon dioxide. "We covered the tanks to keep them contained, but they didn't jump," he said.

Suski also conducted an experiment on a larger scale in a small, outdoor pond about 40 feet by 30 feet but without fish. "We wanted to see how easy it would be to put CO2 into a lot of water," Suski said. "As it turned out, it's shockingly easy. We did it with a hose and a gas source and just bubbled it in."

Suski said the next step will be to test it in the field on a larger scale, determining the costs and the effect it may have on non-target species and on the environment. The elevated CO2 makes the water slightly more acidic so Suski wants to learn how the higher acidity affects fish, the water, and other organisms.

"What we're working on right now is seeing how effective CO2 is on small fish," Suski said. "In theory, CO2 could eliminate all fish from an area, regardless of their size, whereas we know that for small fish, 1 to 3 inches, the electrical barrier becomes less effective. If smaller fish don't like the CO2 and choose to swim away, that's a potential shortcoming of the electrical barrier that CO2 can address."

According to Suski, Asian carp grow rapidly and totally disrupt the food chain. All fish depend upon zooplankton (small animals) and phytoplankton (small plants) when they are very small. "Asian carp eat these items that the other fish and other aquatic organisms depend upon, thus pulling the rug out from the bottom of the food chain," Suski said.

Suski said Asian carp are already in the Mississippi River all the way up to Minnesota as well as in South Dakota.

"Once they get into the Great Lakes, there is concern that they could do well there and further spread to other canals throughout eastern North America," Suski said.

###

Responses of native and invasive fishes to carbon dioxide: Potential for a non-physical barrier to fish dispersal was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The research was funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Underwater CO2 shows potential as barrier to Asian carp [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 23-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Debra Levey Larson
dlarson@illinois.edu
217-244-2880
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

URBANA As the Asian carp population grows and the threat of the invasive species entering Lake Michigan through one of the Chicago canals is monitored, a University of Illinois researcher believes using two barrier methods is better than one.

Cory Suski experimented with adding carbon dioxide (CO2) into the water as a supplemental tool to work in tandem with the electric fence, which has been used to divert the carp from entering the canal, with the goal of providing a second line of defense.

Suski found that carbon dioxide is quick and effective in repelling fish from an area.

"In one experiment using tanks, we could actually chase the fish with the gas," Suski said. "Once carbon dioxide reached a threshold, fish would 'choose' to leave the area of the tank that had CO2. The fish initially showed signs of being irritated or agitated after exposure, and eventually they lost equilibrium. If fish cannot leave or are slow to leave the carbon dioxide accumulates to a point where it will act like an anesthetic gas used for patients who are undergoing surgery."

Suski knew that CO2 had already been proven to be effective at fish hatcheries. The CO2 was used to move fish from one area to another, making it easier to harvest them. He wanted to see if the technique could be applied to the Chicago River canals and at other vulnerable entry points into the Great Lakes.

In addition to studies quantifying behavior and stress physiology in response to CO2, Suski used a laboratory tank called a shuttle box that contains two chambers and a connecting canal. The level of carbon dioxide can be controlled on either side of the box. Tests were performed on bighead carp and silver carp as well as bluegill and largemouth bass so the effects on native species of fish could be confirmed. CO2 had the same effect on all four species.

"What we learned is that CO2 does not appear to be species specific," Suski said. "This is good because there are other species besides Asian carp that we don't want swimming back and forth between the river and the Great Lakes. The electric fence is also a non-species-specific barrier, and all non-physical barriers have weaknesses. The CO2 barrier isn't intended to replace the electric fence. It's another tool, a redundant barrier that further increases the likelihood of stopping fish from getting through," he said.

Because carp are known to jump, Suski was prepared for the possibility that the carp would try to jump out of the shuttle box to escape the carbon dioxide. "We covered the tanks to keep them contained, but they didn't jump," he said.

Suski also conducted an experiment on a larger scale in a small, outdoor pond about 40 feet by 30 feet but without fish. "We wanted to see how easy it would be to put CO2 into a lot of water," Suski said. "As it turned out, it's shockingly easy. We did it with a hose and a gas source and just bubbled it in."

Suski said the next step will be to test it in the field on a larger scale, determining the costs and the effect it may have on non-target species and on the environment. The elevated CO2 makes the water slightly more acidic so Suski wants to learn how the higher acidity affects fish, the water, and other organisms.

"What we're working on right now is seeing how effective CO2 is on small fish," Suski said. "In theory, CO2 could eliminate all fish from an area, regardless of their size, whereas we know that for small fish, 1 to 3 inches, the electrical barrier becomes less effective. If smaller fish don't like the CO2 and choose to swim away, that's a potential shortcoming of the electrical barrier that CO2 can address."

According to Suski, Asian carp grow rapidly and totally disrupt the food chain. All fish depend upon zooplankton (small animals) and phytoplankton (small plants) when they are very small. "Asian carp eat these items that the other fish and other aquatic organisms depend upon, thus pulling the rug out from the bottom of the food chain," Suski said.

Suski said Asian carp are already in the Mississippi River all the way up to Minnesota as well as in South Dakota.

"Once they get into the Great Lakes, there is concern that they could do well there and further spread to other canals throughout eastern North America," Suski said.

###

Responses of native and invasive fishes to carbon dioxide: Potential for a non-physical barrier to fish dispersal was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The research was funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/uoic-ucs012313.php

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Foes of NYC soda size limit doubt racial fairness

FILE - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, a man leaves a 7-Eleven store with a Double Gulp drink, in New York. Opponents of the city?s limit on the size of sugary drinks are are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, a man leaves a 7-Eleven store with a Double Gulp drink, in New York. Opponents of the city?s limit on the size of sugary drinks are are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Opponents of the city's limit on the size of sugary drinks are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test.

The NAACP's New York state branch and the Hispanic Federation have joined beverage makers and sellers effort in trying to stop the rule from taking effect March 12. With a hearing set Wednesday, critics are attacking what they call an inconsistent and undemocratic regulation, while city officials and health experts defend it as a pioneering and proper move to fight obesity.

The issue is complex for the minority advocates, especially given obesity rates that are higher than average among blacks and Hispanics, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. The groups say in court papers they're concerned about the discrepancy, but the soda rule will unduly harm minority businesses and "freedom of choice in low-income communities."

The latest in a line of healthy-eating initiatives during Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration, the beverage rule bars restaurants and many other eateries from selling high-sugar drinks in cups or containers bigger than 16 ounces. Violations could bring $200 fines; the city doesn't plan to start imposing those until June.

The city Board of Health OK'd the measure in September. Officials cited the city's rising obesity rate ? about 24 percent of adults, up from 18 percent in 2002 ? and pointed to studies linking sugary drinks to weight gain. Care for obesity-related illnesses costs more than $4.7 billion a year citywide, with government programs paying about 60 percent of that, according to city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

"It would be irresponsible for (the health board) not to act in the face of an epidemic of this proportion," the city says in court papers. The National Association of Local Boards of Health and several public health scholars have backed the city's position in filings of their own.

Opponents portray the regulation as government nagging that turns sugary drinks into a scapegoat when many factors are at play in the nation's growing girth.

The American Beverage Association and other groups, including movie theater owners and Korean grocers, sued. They argue that the first-of-its-kind restriction should have gone before the elected City Council instead of being approved by the Bloomberg-appointed health board.

Five City Council members echo that view in a court filing, saying the Council is "the proper forum for balancing the city's myriad interests in matters of public health." The Bloomberg administration counters that the health board, made up of doctors and other health professionals, has the "specialized expertise" needed to make the call on limiting cola sizes.

The suit also argues the rule is too narrow to be fair. Alcohol, unsweetened juice and milk-based drinks are excluded, as are supermarkets and many convenience stores ? including 7-Eleven, home of the Big Gulp ? that aren't subject to city health regulations.

The NAACP and the Hispanic Federation, a network of 100 northeastern groups, say minority-owned delis and corner stores will end up at a disadvantage compared to grocery chains.

"This sweeping regulation will no doubt burden and disproportionally impact minority-owned businesses at a time when these businesses can least afford it," they said in court papers. They say the city should focus instead on increasing physical education in schools.

During Bloomberg's 11-year tenure, the city also has made chain restaurants post calorie counts on their menus and barred artificial trans fats in french fries and other restaurant food.

In general, state and local governments have considerable authority to enact laws intended to protect people's health and safety, but it remains to be seen how a court will view a portion-size restriction, said Neal Fortin, director, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University.

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-23-Sugary%20Drinks-Lawsuit/id-e4cf3a88aae24390817a4b86b0613c4e

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