NEW YORK (AP) ? Facebook's stock has passed its $38 IPO price for the first time since its rocky public debut last May, crossing a symbolic hurdle that has eluded it for more than a year.
Shares of Facebook Inc. increased 1.2 percent to $38.08 in morning trading Wednesday. That's the highest the stock has traded since the company's highly anticipated initial public offering ended with a thud. The stock is up by more than 50 percent since last week.
The world's biggest online social network has been on a roll since reporting stronger-than-expected earnings on July 24. Investors are especially upbeat about its fast-growing mobile advertising revenue.
Facebook's ability to grow mobile revenue was one of the biggest concerns in the weeks leading up to its IPO last year. Investors were worried that its ad business was not migrating to mobile gadgets as quickly as its user base. Facebook urged patience.
In the April-June quarter, Facebook derived 41 percent of its ad revenue from mobile advertising, or about $656 million of $1.6 billion. That's up from zero in the spring of 2012 and from 30 percent in the January-March quarter of this year. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week that the company has "made good progress growing our community, deepening engagement and delivering strong financial results, especially on mobile."
Still, Facebook has room to grow. Research firm eMarketer expects Facebook to increase its mobile advertising revenue more than fourfold to more than $2 billion this year. This would give the Menlo Park, Calif., company a 13 percent share of the global mobile ad market, up from about 5 percent last year.
Facebook is currently No. 2 in mobile ads, well behind Google. EMarketer estimates that Google had a 52 percent share of the global $8.8 billion mobile ad market last year. This year, the firm expects Google's share to grow to 56 percent.
Gearing up for the fantasy football season? You're going to want to grab the updated version of today's first App Worth Downloading, Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Football. The app ties you in to everything fantasy football-related and lets you track your team, and just got an update with a revamped user interface. We've also got Cartoon Network Video, which allows cable subscribers to watch Cartoon Network shows and has just been optimized for tablets, and Ending, a chess-like, minimalist puzzle-action game in which players have to avoid death across 60 dungeon levels.
What?s it about? Get everything you need for a killer fantasy football season with Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Football, which has just gotten a redesign for the 2013 season.
What?s cool? Taking part in fantasy football each year requires having a lot of information and being very much tapped in to everything that's happening on the football scene, which is why Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Football is a valuable resource. The app ties directly into Yahoo!'s fantasy football infrastructure, so you can access all your league information, as well as compare player info, create mock and live drafts, and follow your team in real time. You also get to see breaking player news and matchups for upcoming weeks, and have the ability to manage your roster from wherever you are. Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Football just got a big update for the 2013 season, with a new user interface and the ability to draft your team from your Android device.
Who?s it for? If you're a fantasy football fan, and especially if you're using Yahoo!'s fantasy football setup on the web, you'll want the mobile app to go with it.
What?s it like? You can find some fantasy football alternatives in ESPN Fantasy Football and NFL.com Fantasy Football 2013.
What?s it about? Cartoon Network Video gives users the ability to watch full Cartoon Network episodes on their Android devices by streaming them over an Internet connection.
What?s cool? Cartoon Network has some great programming for cable subscribers, and Cartoon Network Video brings lots of that programming to you on your mobile devices as well as your TV. The app includes a number of full shows users can stream on their devices, whether over a Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection. You'll need to be a cable subscriber to access the shows, and once you're set up, you'll be able to watch Cartoon Network live, view shows the day after they air, and find shows available for longer than they are through on-demand services. The app's latest update optimizes it for 10-inch and 7-inch tablets.
Who?s it for? Fans of Cartoon Network who want more access to its shows should grab this one ? provided you have a compatible cable subscription.
What?s it like? Stream more great shows and movies with HBO Go and Crackle.
What?s it about? Puzzler Ending is a game with some rogue-like elements, in which players move around a grid in turn-based action and try to explore and stay alive.
What?s cool? ?Rogue-like? titles tend to share a certain set of characteristics. They generally feature tough difficulty, permanent death that results in players having to start over from scratch, and turn-based play as players make their way around levels built on grids. Ending has all those elements but is more of a puzzle title. You control an @ symbol in each of the game's 60 dungeons, and your goal is to stay alive as you try to get to an E symbol that represents the dungeon's exit. You have to move on each turn, so you'll spend a lot of time anticipating and avoiding enemies that work their way toward you in an attempt to destroy you. Ending also limits the number of moves you can make in a given dungeon, so planning your route and strategizing ahead of time is key.
Who?s it for? Players who enjoy puzzlers with elements of games like chess should try their hands at Ending.
What?s it like? Of course, if you like Ending's chess-like qualities, you should grab Chess, and you can get some serious rogue-like action out of Dungelot.
McLEAN, VA. ? Americans have historically low views of Congress, but House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says Republicans have fueled that disgust for political reasons and Democrats can win elections by highlighting GOP obstructionism.
?Nothing deters voting more than confusion, ?a pox on both your houses,? and that confusion is one of the successes of the Republican Party, to make it look equivalent in terms of who is holding up jobs. It?s not equivalent, and we have to make that clear to the American people,? Pelosi said Tuesday at a meeting with the USA TODAY editorial board.
Heading in to confrontations with Republicans this fall on implementation of the Affordable Care Act, funding the government, and raising the debt ceiling, Pelosi said congressional Democrats and President Obama are positioning the party as the bipartisan, cooperative alternative to what she described as the ?anti-government ideologues? in the Republican Party.
?One thing that is amazing that I don?t have an answer for people for is, why is it there can?t be a bipartisan jobs bill passed that is significant?? she said. ?One (reason) is, they don?t want this president to have any successes.?
Pelosi praised Obama as ?one of the most practically non-partisan presidents I have seen in the White House? who is intent on finding bipartisan agreement, particularly to head off another round of fiscal crises. She said she is willing to support the president?s efforts to reach a broad bipartisan agreement with Republicans, and praised the White House proposal Tuesday to overhaul the corporate tax code ? a GOP priority ? in exchange for more spending on infrastructure projects to spur job growth.
?I think that there?s some glimmers that there?s a possibility of coming to a grand bargain, and the grander the better,? she said.
Pelosi said Democrats will continue to seek additional revenues in fiscal negotiations to reduce the deficit, and she said Democrats were willing to consider changes to Social Security and Medicare that do not fundamentally alter the entitlement programs by, for example, privatizing retirement accounts.
Painting the GOP as unwilling to cooperate to solve problems is key to Democratic efforts to win back control of the House next year, Pelosi said. ?I see a revival of bipartisanship, of people saying, ?What is this thing that they are opposed to everything?? This is not a manifestation of most Republicans in the country. This is an ideological wing.
?There?s really a heightened awareness (from voters) of Republicans? obstructing, obstructing, obstructing everything that comes down the pike,? she said. ?They see these extreme measures and they realize that this is different ? this is an over-the-edge crowd that is unlike any other.?
Pelosi was harshly dismissive of the House GOP agenda, particularly an effort this week to pass a series of bills intended to reign in the federal government and increase transparency. ?These ? what I would call ?cheap shot agenda? things ? are nothing. We should be voting on a jobs bill,? she said. ?This is a waste of the taxpayers? money, all this stuff. Is there occasionally an appealing idea that may creep in one place? Maybe. But it?s really not worth the business of the House to call that an agenda to reduce the size of government.?
Pelosi said Republicans are resistant to agree with Democrats on any issue, noting that she and 181 Democrats sent Obama a letter Tuesday pressing the administration to respond to ongoing concerns about National Security Agency surveillance programs. While Republicans have led efforts in the House to end the surveillance, no Republican House members signed the letter.
A spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., defended House Republicans against Pelosi?s criticisms. ?Minority Leader Pelosi has voted against every jobs bill we?ve put forward this Congress, including construction of the Keystone pipeline, the SKILLS job training bill and the Working Families Flexibility Act, which offered working parents a more flexible work schedule. Rather than obstruct and play politics, perhaps she is ready to constructively work with us as some in her conference appear eager to do, and drop the extremism,? said Rory Cooper.
Cooper further defended the GOP?s agenda this week on reining in the federal government. ?Rather than waste taxpayer money, this legislation is specifically designed to protect it by making agency heads approve lavish conferences and allowing public employees to be put on unpaid leave when they are under investigation for serious ethical abuses. Who could oppose that?? Cooper said.
Democrats face significant headwinds in 2014. Historically, the ?six-year itch? for a second term president has hurt his political party in Congress. In addition, a 2012 process redrew congressional districts and made fewer seats competitive for either party, so there are fewer chances for Democrats to unseat Republicans.
Republicans have made clear they intend to make the Affordable Care Act a defining issue of the 2014 elections as the two parties continue to battle over the merits of the health care law that has open enrollment starting in October.
Pelosi, who played a critical role in passing the law in 2010 when she was speaker, acknowledged that the government faces a challenge in getting people to sign up because of negative attitudes toward the health care insurance industry. But she dismissed criticism that the law is unworkable, despite the administration delaying enforcement of the employer mandate for one year.
?There?s no bill that?s ever been written that you could say that every single thing in it, on its timetable, and in its specifics, should never be changed,? she said, ??It?s a good balance and it?s going to help people?s lives.?
She also dismissed the notion that Democrats would suffer at the polls as the law goes into effect. ?Why are we here? We are here to do the job for the American people. Social Security. Medicare. Health care for all Americans as a right not a privilege. Who of us is more important than that? Elections? Let the chips fall where they may.?
Copyright ? 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 at 2:14 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
If you're going to indulge in a bacon cheeseburger, you might as well go whole hog (sorry for the pun) and get the most bacon flavor out of it. Serious Eats shows us how to do that.
The first part of the puzzle is how to arrange the bacon for the most coverage and stability (no bacon-less bits or valuable pieces falling off your burger). Comparing several methods, including the simple X shape, triangle shapes, parallel placement, and the bacon quilt, Kenji Lopez-Alt found weaving the bacon before cooking it is the best solution. (We mentioned this technique before for BLTs.)
Don't just stop at topping your burger with bacon, though. For more bacon flavor that surprisingly doesn't overwhelm the burger taste, sear the meat patty in the bacon fat, toast the buns with a layer of it, and also add a dab of the rendered bacon fat to your special sauce.
Hit up the link below for the full guide and a step-by-step slideshow to take your burgers to the next bacon level.
The Burger Lab: How To Make The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger | Serious Eats
We have already given Obama, and his lunatic party, too many chances.? So far they have only blown it, and much appears to be purposeful mismanagement if not outright embezzlement.
I realize that people who are consmed with hate and scream blasphemy in church cannot be helped at all, but that is the full sum worth of the Democrats -- and they know it.
If you updated your Verizon Galaxy S4 to the latest over-the-air build, or bought one after it was already installed, you might already be aware that it's been especially resistant to root attempts. Savvy power users have stayed well away from the updated VRUAME7 firmware, which makes rolling back to an earlier build impossible. But as is so often the case, two enterprising XDA-Developers posters have solved at least some of the problems, and released a new rooting method for the latest OTA.
The exploit comes from XDA members hiikezoe, DoomLoRD, and PWM978, among others. It's a bit unconventional: you'll need to use a custom-formatted MicroSD card with the root exploit files loaded up, plus a terminal emulator on the phone itself. The process isn't all that difficult if you're used to the more typical forms of rooting (as opposed to one-click solutions and the like) but it's clear that this technique took a lot of work. You'll want to follow the steps in the XDA post to the letter.
While this will restore access to root apps for those running the latest Verizon firmware, these users are still out of luck when it comes to an unlocked bootloader, and the wider custom ROM capabilities that come with it. At the moment there's also no custom recovery option. Locked bootloaders are notoriously difficult to work around, and while developers have become better at cracking them, it's certainly possible that no solution will be found. There's currently a $3,915 community bounty being offered for a full modding solution.
As always with this sort of thing, it's best not to proceed if you want to hang on to your warranty. If you're ready to take the plunge, hit up the source link below for the necessary files and instructions.
For every 4 inches of height, 13 percent increase in cancer risk. Over 40 thousand people line the streets of St. Louis walking in the Koman Race for the Cure on June 15, 2013. UPI/Bill Greenblatt?
License photo
NEW YORK, July 28 (UPI) -- The taller a postmenopausal woman, the greater her risk for developing cancers of the breast, colon, kidney, ovary, rectum and thyroid, U.S. researchers say.
Geoffrey Kabat, senior epidemiologist in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York, said the study involved 20,928 postmenopausal women, identified from a larger group of 144,701 women recruited to the Women's Health Initiative.
"We were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height. In this data set, more cancers are associated with height than were associated with body mass index," Kabat said in a statement.
"Ultimately, cancer is a result of processes having to do with growth, so it makes sense that hormones or other growth factors that influence height may also influence cancer risk."
Some genetic variations associated with height are also linked to cancer risk, and more studies are needed to better understand how these height-related genetic variations predispose some men and women to cancer, Kabat said.
The study found for every 10-centimeter -- 3.94 inches -- increase in height, there was a 13 percent increase in risk of developing any cancer. Among specific cancers, there was a 13 percent to 17 percent increase in the risk of getting melanoma and cancers of the breast, ovary, endometrium, and colon, while there was a 23 percent to 29 percent increase in the risk of developing cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid and blood.
The study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
In January 2012, Colombia (population 46.2 million) is the 2nd country in Internet penetration growing rate, 43.4 million people have cell phones and it is at the top of social networks adoption with more than 25 million online users. Bogota (population 7.07 million) ranks 7th in Facebook users worldwide.
96% of the Internet population in Colombia is using social networks, 94% search online, 83% consume multimedia content, and 78% use email. The World Economic Forum ranks Colombia 26th in the world market, 4th in Latin America, and 3rd in digital business potential after Brazil and Mexico and before Argentina.
Our discussion will highlight why Colombia is a promising market for new digital companies that can establish operations quickly. In addition, we will review aspects of Colombian consumer behavior such as the key opportunities and major concerns and objections when adopting new digital services.
Latin America is clearly the area where should expand any online business system. ?A 600 MM People Market with the fastest Internet Grown -Rate Worldwide.
In the past year the internet population in Latin america has Increased 15% to 112.7 Million, ?Current 20 Million buy Online?normally,?with an unstoppable growth in the number of online buyers.?it is estimated that the number of of buyers in 2015?will be 60 million
Finally?, Consumers are 5 times more likely to buy on a site in their own language
- See more at:?http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/2359
We are a Global Network of eCommerce Agencies working in partnership with entrepreneurs and local business want to take their physical business to internet in a sustainable way
By our eCommerce Agency for Colombia ? eCommerce Investments PLC Latin America. We transform ecommerce ideas and physical business in ecommerce businesses that sell providing the technical kowdelage and handle all processes on internet for the sales activation while the entrepreneur runs the real business,
Main difference?between us and other ecommerce agencies,?is that we first create the internet business and then the website,?and other agencies first create the website and then try to sell
Really Achieve success in a new ecommerce business requires a 50% of Internet Skills to get a proper ecommerce business development, and the another 50% has to be a proper ecommerce business management.
Our team consists of more than 100 professionals,?the best specialists in each of the technical processes required to create an online business, ?all of us have created our own businesess,?and participated in many others during the last 15 years.?so we know what to do?and when to do it,?to set up an internet business .
We launched this company to meet a great objective, develop the Online businesses?of Local Companies and Manufacturers as the Internet partners
We really try to be simple in the operation of our business, and used this simplicity to develop each new project, each new alliance, always looking for a long term relationship with?each Entrepreneur.
We work in a very clear way. Showing from first time how we work and what we want to get from, and we want to get the same?of each new Partner
To Develop each new ecommerce project we use five main lines of work:
1- ecommerce investment: We Invest economic and Technical resources over Internet businesses with solid ecommerce and expansion process,
2- ecommerce Consulting:?We fully develop internet business of entrepreneurs and local businesses,?covering all creation and development costs for?a percentage of the internet sales?by an agreed time.?
3-Online Business Consultants:?We manage the Internet business development?for companies that looking to?create online business and adapt your company to this new business. We?providing our expertise to adapt the people and processes of the company to new business?, normally?leading a team that is already part of the company. ?Adapting the Internet operations of the company processes.
4-eCommerce DropShipping Services:?We build and develop the Online business of Manufacturers and Local Business for Online sales Percentage.?Working in a ?Dropshipping way ?.
we manage the internet sales generation and the company team will be responsible for customer attention, payments and logistics in?a simple and effective agreement.
We cover all the cost of creation -edition-insertion and full development of each internet Business handle all technical processes on the Internet , while the company team handle the real business .?And when the project start to?generate sales we will receive a percentage of sales?during agreed time to recover our investment?and of course to earn money.
5- eCommerce for Online Sales Percentage?
We Build a new and parallel Online Presence for online businesses that are already active. building a new and neutral image for the end Customer, getting new traffic segmented and a substantial position improvement in the client?s main website.
We will create new sources of segmented traffic and?visits with?purchase intention to your website,?by our?eCommerce For Online Sales Percentage business system
Our system consists of two processes:
a)- Build a parallel Online Presence:
We will build a Online business system parallel to your current internet business?and that through neutral promotion of your brand and products generate lots of quality traffic
b)-eCommerce Affiliation program
Once created platforms and mini sites or blogs, sumary new online presence, and new sources of quality traffic ?,?must maintain and enhance the positioning of these sites?using the keywords used by the target audience, by posts, press releases and social -viral expansion, we will?take the cost of this processes getting a commission on your sales.?and do this using an affiliate program with a?monitoring software?that records visits from the new sites to your online store and?recording purchases and their amounts
This is clearly our Work system, Currently our network of e-commerce agencies are?developing?projects with our five ecommerce programs in 8 countries?and growing?if you fit with our work philosophy and want to boost or create your internet business in partnership with us let us know you want to collaborate
Source: previous.delicious.com --- Saturday, July 27, 2013 The Baltimore Ravens were hoping tight end Dennis Pitta could be a reliable possession receiver this season, filling a hole left when Anquan Boldin was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Those plans hit a snag when Pitta dislocated his hip in Saturday's practice. That came just hours after Philadelph ...
AIMING TO HELP GOLFERS MAKE THE GRADE: Legacy High and Stanford alum Steve Ziegler, pictured at the 2009 Palmer Cup at Cherry Hills Country Club, is joining with other local high school graduate golfers to present a college prep golf clinic next week at Eagle Trace Golf Course. (Karl Gehring / The Denver Post)
Learn more
For more information on the college prep golf clinic, call Eagle Trace Golf Course at 303-466-3322 or Steve Ziegler at 303-589-5825.
Steve Ziegler has been there and done that.
The former Legacy High School state champion golfer is now giving back to the community and the game that has opened so many doors for him.
He and former area players Lara Pocs (Holy Family), Ryan Eres (Broomfield) and Bryce Babcock (Legacy) are putting together the first annual College Prep Clinic Wednesday through Friday at Eagle Trace Golf Club.
"We were all successful collegiate golfers and the thing we are stressing is what it takes," said Ziegler, who played his college golf at Stanford. "This is all about what they need to do to achieve their next goals.
"It's a junior golf clinic at heart, but the main things we are stressing are education and integrity."
Kids ages 12 and younger will attend the clinic from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and those 13 and older from 1 to 4 p.m.
There is just going out and hitting balls on the range and then there is having a practice routine that could take your game to a whole new level. That is some of the instruction and knowledge the foursome will look to impart on willing minds. And it come at just the right time for would-be high school players.
With tryouts just around the corner, Ziegler hopes the clinic can give those kids a slight advantage.
"There are many high school coaches that are avid golfers and they are good golfers, but they don't have the tangible experience of having been there and knowing the different things that will arise," said Ziegler, who has spent some time playing on mini tours throughout the country.
" It is very difficult to balance school and golf. The collegiate golfer goes through things the professional doesn't, and I know that because I've done both ? I've played in Q-school and played in a Tour event. I really think it is something the kids can benefit from and we can offer it to them at a price in which you would normally get one lesson."
The prestigious Stanford Junior Camps, the model Ziegler will use for his three-day camp for $150, went over the basics of the game from putting, chipping, pitching and sand shots. But more importantly the mindful aspects from course management, rules and etiquette.
"All along we are stressing the core education values, the stuff that actually goes into being a collegiate golfer, beyond just shooting scores," said Ziegler, who graduated from Stanford in 2011. "That is very important and we want them to be able to get to that point, too. That's a pure joy we know. But basically what I'm trying to do is to emulate what my experience was at Stanford and those junior clinics were just phenomenal."
Ziegler's years in Palo Alto afforded him the opportunity not only to play golf at a higher level, but the chance to mingle with dignitaries, financial gurus and some of golfs greatest names ... including former Cardinal Tiger Woods. All things he dreamed about as a child, but through hard work and dedication turned into a reality as an adult.
"It sounds weird to correlate a game with life, but it is so true. I never realized how much has been afforded to me by the game. That is why I feel so indebted to it and giving back," he said.
"I want other kids to achieve that and see where it can go and if I can help proliferate that some way."
Kolton Houston (75) takes the field at G-Day, UGA?s annual spring game, in 2012.
Earlier this week, I wrote about the plight of University of Georgia football player Kolton Houston, whom the NCAA declared ineligible for play for three years because of a steroid that a doctor injected into his body when he was in high school.
On Thursday, Houston received the news he has been awaiting since 2010: he can play between the hedges for the Bulldogs this fall.
Kolton Houston?s three-year struggle to regain NCAA eligibility is finally over.
The Georgia offensive lineman passed his most recent NCAA drug screening, allowing him to join the Bulldogs? active roster for the first time in his college career.
He learned of his reinstatement in a call from UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson on Thursday.
?I took the test last Thursday,? Houston told ESPN?s DawgNation. ?I was moving out of my house when Ron called me with the news. I was stunned. I didn?t know what to think. All the past years? emotions hit me at once.?
The icing on the cake (literally)? Thursday was Houston?s birthday.
?This is the best birthday present I?ve ever had,? Houston said about his reinstatement. ?I had almost reached the point where I thought this situation would never end. When I got the call, I broke down and cried for about 30 minutes. I had that much emotion stored up and it felt good to get it out. I?m ready now to show what I can do.?
Study explains Pacific equatorial cold water regionPublic release date: 25-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Moum moum@coas.oregonstate.edu 541-737-2553 Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. A new study published this week in the journal Nature reveals for the first time how the mixing of cold, deep waters from below can change sea surface temperatures on seasonal and longer timescales.
Because this occurs in a huge region of the ocean that takes up heat from the atmosphere, these changes can influence global climate patterns, particularly global warming.
Using a new measurement of mixing, Jim Moum and Jonathan Nash of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University have obtained the first multi-year records of mixing that permit assessment of seasonal changes. This is a significant advance beyond traditional shipboard measurements that are limited to the time that a ship can be away from port. Small instruments fueled by lithium batteries were built to be easily deployed on deep-sea equatorial moorings.
Moum employs a simple demonstration to show how mixing works.
He pours cold, white cream into a clear glass mug full of hot, black coffee, very carefully, using a straw to inject the heavier cream at the bottom of the mug, where it remains.
"Now we can wait until the cream diffuses into the coffee, and we'll have a nice cuppa joe," Moum says. "Unfortunately, the coffee will be cold by then. Or, we can introduce some external energy into the system, and mix it."
A stirring spoon reveals motions in the mug outlined by the black/white contrasts of cream in coffee until the contrast completely disappears, and the color achieves that of caf au lait.
"Mixing is obviously important in our normal lives, from the kitchen to the dispersal of pollutants in the atmosphere, reducing them to levels that are barely tolerable," he said.
The new study shows how mixing, at the same small scales that appear in your morning coffee, is critical to the ocean. It outlines the processes that create the equatorial Pacific cold tongue, a broad expanse of ocean near the equator that is roughly the size of the continental United States, with sea surface temperatures substantially cooler than surrounding areas.
Because this is a huge expanse that takes up heat from the atmosphere, understanding how it does so is critical to seasonal weather patterns, El Nino, and to global climate change.
In temperate latitudes, the atmosphere heats the ocean in summer and cools it in winter. This causes a clear seasonal cycle in sea surface temperature, at least in the middle of the ocean. At low latitudes near the equator, the atmosphere heats the sea surface throughout the year. Yet a strong seasonal cycle in sea surface temperature is present here, as well. This has puzzled oceanographers for decades who have suspected mixing may be the cause but have not been able to prove this.
Moum, Nash and their colleagues began their effort in 2005 to document mixing at various depths on an annual basis, which previously had been a near-impossible task.
"This is a very important area scientifically, but it's also quite remote," Moum said. "From a ship it's impossible to get the kinds of record lengths needed to resolve seasonal cycles, let alone processes with longer-term cycles like El Nino and La Nina. But for the first time in 2005, we were able to deploy instrumentation to measure mixing on a NOAA mooring and monitor the processes on a year-round basis."
The researchers found clear evidence that mixing alone cools the sea surface in the cold tongue, and that the magnitude of mixing is influenced by equatorial currents that flow from east to west at the surface, and from west to east in deeper waters 100 meters beneath the surface.
"There is a hint although it is too early to tell that increased mixing may lead, or have a correlation to the development of La Nia," Moum said. "Conversely, less mixing may be associated with El Nio. But we only have a six-year record we'll need 25 years or more to reach any conclusions on this question."
Nash said the biggest uncertainty in climate change models is understanding some of the basic processes for the mixing of deep-ocean and surface waters and the impacts on sea surface temperatures. This work should make climate models more accurate in the future.
###
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, and deployments have been supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Continued research will add instruments at the same equatorial mooring and an additional three locations in the equatorial Pacific cold tongue to gather further data.
Editor's Note: A digital image of researchers working at sea is available online: http://bit.ly/1aISoWW
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study explains Pacific equatorial cold water regionPublic release date: 25-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Moum moum@coas.oregonstate.edu 541-737-2553 Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. A new study published this week in the journal Nature reveals for the first time how the mixing of cold, deep waters from below can change sea surface temperatures on seasonal and longer timescales.
Because this occurs in a huge region of the ocean that takes up heat from the atmosphere, these changes can influence global climate patterns, particularly global warming.
Using a new measurement of mixing, Jim Moum and Jonathan Nash of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University have obtained the first multi-year records of mixing that permit assessment of seasonal changes. This is a significant advance beyond traditional shipboard measurements that are limited to the time that a ship can be away from port. Small instruments fueled by lithium batteries were built to be easily deployed on deep-sea equatorial moorings.
Moum employs a simple demonstration to show how mixing works.
He pours cold, white cream into a clear glass mug full of hot, black coffee, very carefully, using a straw to inject the heavier cream at the bottom of the mug, where it remains.
"Now we can wait until the cream diffuses into the coffee, and we'll have a nice cuppa joe," Moum says. "Unfortunately, the coffee will be cold by then. Or, we can introduce some external energy into the system, and mix it."
A stirring spoon reveals motions in the mug outlined by the black/white contrasts of cream in coffee until the contrast completely disappears, and the color achieves that of caf au lait.
"Mixing is obviously important in our normal lives, from the kitchen to the dispersal of pollutants in the atmosphere, reducing them to levels that are barely tolerable," he said.
The new study shows how mixing, at the same small scales that appear in your morning coffee, is critical to the ocean. It outlines the processes that create the equatorial Pacific cold tongue, a broad expanse of ocean near the equator that is roughly the size of the continental United States, with sea surface temperatures substantially cooler than surrounding areas.
Because this is a huge expanse that takes up heat from the atmosphere, understanding how it does so is critical to seasonal weather patterns, El Nino, and to global climate change.
In temperate latitudes, the atmosphere heats the ocean in summer and cools it in winter. This causes a clear seasonal cycle in sea surface temperature, at least in the middle of the ocean. At low latitudes near the equator, the atmosphere heats the sea surface throughout the year. Yet a strong seasonal cycle in sea surface temperature is present here, as well. This has puzzled oceanographers for decades who have suspected mixing may be the cause but have not been able to prove this.
Moum, Nash and their colleagues began their effort in 2005 to document mixing at various depths on an annual basis, which previously had been a near-impossible task.
"This is a very important area scientifically, but it's also quite remote," Moum said. "From a ship it's impossible to get the kinds of record lengths needed to resolve seasonal cycles, let alone processes with longer-term cycles like El Nino and La Nina. But for the first time in 2005, we were able to deploy instrumentation to measure mixing on a NOAA mooring and monitor the processes on a year-round basis."
The researchers found clear evidence that mixing alone cools the sea surface in the cold tongue, and that the magnitude of mixing is influenced by equatorial currents that flow from east to west at the surface, and from west to east in deeper waters 100 meters beneath the surface.
"There is a hint although it is too early to tell that increased mixing may lead, or have a correlation to the development of La Nia," Moum said. "Conversely, less mixing may be associated with El Nio. But we only have a six-year record we'll need 25 years or more to reach any conclusions on this question."
Nash said the biggest uncertainty in climate change models is understanding some of the basic processes for the mixing of deep-ocean and surface waters and the impacts on sea surface temperatures. This work should make climate models more accurate in the future.
###
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, and deployments have been supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Continued research will add instruments at the same equatorial mooring and an additional three locations in the equatorial Pacific cold tongue to gather further data.
Editor's Note: A digital image of researchers working at sea is available online: http://bit.ly/1aISoWW
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
While the poles are shifting away from the Middle East in terms of oil production, global economic concerns and conditions remained anchored solidly to the region, Graeber writes.?
By Daniel J. Graeber,?Guest blogger / July 23, 2013
The Zueitina oil terminal is shown in Zueitina, Libya, about 75 miles west of Benghazi after protestors shut down the port last week, demanding better employment prospects.
Esam Al-Fetori/Reuters/File
Enlarge
Labor demonstrations in eastern Libya have forced the closure of a key port for nearly a week. A small band of protesters have created big problems for the country as it tries to chart a sustainable course nearly two years after revolution. The revival of some oil developments in Libya in early July helped pull oil prices back from 15-month highs. The post-revolutionary government, however, has shown it doesn't quite have the foundation built to succeed economically this early in the game. The internal failures of Arab governments, meanwhile, are starting to have global implications that extend beyond foreign affairs. Without some advances, the region may start to bring the rest of the world down with it.
Skip to next paragraph OilPrice.com
offers extensive coverage of all energy sectors from crude oil and natural gas to solar energy and environmental issues. To see more opinion pieces and news analysis that cover energy technology, finance and trading, geopolitics, and sector news, please visit?Oilprice.com.
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
Libyan authorities?said?the situation in the eastern port of Zueitina is much as it was last week when a small group of protesters managed to shut the port down, demanding better employment prospects.?Oil production?from Libya hasn't yet returned to its pre-war levels. The problem is exacerbated further when considering facilities tied to the port handle about 20 percent of Libya's oil exports. When war closed most of Libya down in 2011, the International Energy Agency called for a release of strategic petroleum reserves. There's no immediate sign that will happen this time around because political tensions appear more of a market driver than supply issues.?(Related Article:?Australia ? Next Petro Superstate?)
U.S. crude oil prices July 8 fell from a 15-month high to settle at $103.14 in response to word the Sharara oil field in Libya was about toresume?operations after authorities there reached a deal with armed bandits, who closed it down in June. Oil markets by then had been reacting to the July 3rd ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. By?Monday, crude oil was trading at $107.10, nearly 4 percent higher than when analysts were?predicting?the bulls had run out of steam because of Libyan expectations.?
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe expects economic expansion of 3.4 percent in 2013 from the 5 percent seen earlier and needs next week's elections to be free and fair to help rekindle growth, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said on Thursday.
"The bulk cause of the underperformance of the economy has had to do with elections," Biti told a news conference, adding that output in the mining and agriculture sectors had plunged.
Biti is a senior official in the Movement for Democratic Change, which will square off against President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF in polls next week. Biti has previously said the government has no money to pay for the poll.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Scattered rain and above-normal temperatures continued to boost crop development in South Dakota over the past week.
The Agriculture Department says in its latest crop and weather report that there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork on average. Topsoil moisture supplies are rated 4 percent very short, 21 percent short, 70 percent and 5 percent surplus.
Spring wheat turning color was at 69 percent, behind 100 percent at this time last year.
Pasture and range conditions are 1 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 59 percent good and 15 percent excellent
Nichaon Jindapon claims Women?s Singles crown at Canada Open 2013 ? Badminton News
Thailand?s talented and spirited shuttler, Nichaon Jindapon, sailed smoothly and clinched Women?s Singles crown at the Yonex Canada Open 2013 in Richmond, on Sunday, July 21.
The top seeded Jindapon showed a great performance in the final encounter and outplayed Hong Kong?s Pui Yin Yip in a completely commanding fashion.
Jindapon elevated her level of play at crucial stages and remained successful in overpowering her lower ranked challenger in 37 minutes. She won the final battle in straight games with a remarkable 21-18 and 21-16 score on the
board.
On the contrary, the second seeded Pui Yin fought really hard but could not get any considerable advantage especially in the ending points of both games. She eventually lost the final clash without winning any game.
Right from the starting points of opening set, both ladies locked horns in an aggressive manner by playing attacking badminton. They were fast in taking the bird early and stayed close to each other in starting points.
Pui Yin did not let her higher ranked opponent to dictate the pace as her movement was really fast. However, she could not create gap as her opponent was also playing at the same level.
However, the in-form Nichaon did not lose her focus on court and she also remained calm. Until the one-minute interval, she was in slightly better position.
After the interval, the Hong Kong lady tried to play with aggression but could not create gaps and also remained struggling at net area.
Meanwhile, Nichaon maintained her focus in the arena all the way and remained successful in grabbing the first game with a decent 21-18 score on the board.
In the following set, the aggressive Thai shuttler got a wonderful flow in the following set as she dominated the pace of rallies in the opening half. However, she could not get a comfortable lead until the break as her rival remained
close on the board.
After the interval, the impressive Nichaon controlled all affairs with her remarkable skills and started to stretch the lead. The positive play and aggression enabled her to wind up the second game with a convincing margin of 21-16.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is considering nominating Federal Reserve Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin to replace the U.S. Treasury Department's No. 2 official, Neal Wolin, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Raskin, a former state banking regulator, has served on the U.S. central bank's board since October 2010. She would bring bank regulatory experience to the job to complement the budgetary expertise of Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
The source said Raskin, 52, appeared to be a leading candidate to replace Wolin, one of the Obama administration's point people on financial regulatory reform. The White House said it had no personnel announcements to make and the Fed declined to comment. Bloomberg reported on Monday that the White House was considering Raskin.
The Treasury on Tuesday announced that Wolin would step down from his post at the end of next month after more than four years in the job.
Wolin, 51, has been a key behind-the-curtains figure during his tenure, best known for helping lead the push for the Dodd-Frank financial reform law and for overseeing implementation of the new rules it put in place. He has yet to announce his future plans.
"Neal has played a key role on my economic team," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "His deep knowledge and excellent judgment helped us prevent a second Great Depression, pass tough new Wall Street reform, strengthen our financial system, foster growth here at home, and promote economic development around the world."
If Obama nominates Raskin, it would open up a second vacancy on the seven-person Fed board. Fed Governor Elizabeth Duke, another banking expert, said earlier this month that she was stepping down on August 31.
Two vacancies would allow Obama to potentially package a slate of nominees in way that would be politically palatable to the closely divided Senate, which would need to confirm them.
To fill the previous two vacancies, Obama selected one Republican and one Democrat.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is widely expected to step down when his four-year term expires on January 31.
(Reporting by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Bill Trott)
Astrologers have predicted that Kate and William's baby will have a "very Cancerian personality" even if it is born late this evening or tomorrow, making it a Leo
Kate Middleton's mum Carole reportedly gave away the royal baby's due date by telling friends her first grandchild would be born under the star sign Leo.
But as the Duchess of Cambridge went into labour in the early hours of this morning, the future king or queen's birthday could fall under the zodiac sign of Cancer if it is born today.
If the new prince or princess keeps the world waiting until very late this evening or tomorrow, it will be a Leo.
Astrologers have predicted that Kate and William's baby will have a "very Cancerian personality" even if it is born a Leo.
Astrologer Patrick Arundell said the future king or queen would be more conventional if a Cancerian, but more of a groundbreaker if born tomorrow.
"Either way, he or she is going to be larger than life, charismatic and glamorous but they will have a very Cancerian personality, whether under the sign of Leo or not, and be sensitive and caring," Mr Arundell said.
He added: "If the baby's born today it will have a slightly more conventional and conservative personality, but if it's born tomorrow it will be more groundbreaking and more in tune with modernity."
William, who was born on June 21, is a Cancerian as was his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, whose birthday was July 1.
Other famous names who have the same star sign include former South African president Nelson Mandela, Hollywood actors Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, and Edward VIII, who gave up the throne for American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Princess Margaret was a Leo, who are considered more gregarious than Cancerians. Other famous Leos include Madonna, US President Barack Obama and the Princess Royal.
Mr Arundell said the baby would also have a lot of "go-get energy" and star quality.
"Mars and Jupiter are conjunct in Cancer and that will give the baby a tremendous amount of go-get energy and that is already in motion," he said.
He added: "Venus and the Sun are also in a magnetic connection which will give the baby a star quality and a sparkling charisma."
One of game development's most used engines is adding support for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Blackberry 10 today in its latest version, 4.2. Some support was already offered in the latest version's beta run, but today Unity 4.2 drops out of beta and into primetime. That brings Unity's mobile platform support up to four: Android, iOS, Windows Phone 8 and BB10 (for both free and paid version of the engine). Of course, the implications here are what matters -- Unity powers major mobile titles like Temple Run 2 and Republique, not to mention the new Deus Ex mobile game. As for Windows 8, games like Surgeon Simulator 2013 (trust us -- look into that one) and Interstellar Marines are powered by Unity. There are also a smattering of previously paid functions going free -- head past the break for the full list.
AMMAN ? The Jordanian People?s Democratic Party (Hashed) on Sunday said the US? ?continued biased position? in support of Israel threatens the future of the Palestinians.
A statement issued by the political party said the US does not recognise UN Security Council Resolution No.194 which stipulates the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland.
Moreover, the Israeli government has issued licences for building 165 new settler housing units in the occupied city of Jerusalem and rejected the resumption of negotiations on the basis of the 1967 borders.
Hashed cautioned against the Palestinians being drawn into peace negotiations on terms set by Israel and the US.
NORTH BALTIMORE, O.H.--A court sentenced an Ohio woman to nine months in jail Friday after she faked having cancer and then collected thousands of dollars to pay for medical bills.
Kimberlie Gustwiller pleaded guilty in May to lying about having cancer and taking about $9,000 in donation?to help cover her medical expenses, according to reports.
The single mother said on her "Support Kimmie"?drive that doctors had diagnosed her with Stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The drive also contained pictures of Gustwiller with her hair dyed pink and shaved into a Mohawk, sources say.
Gustwiller still had this?hair style when police arrested her in September, 2012 for allegedly stealing from an elderly person or disabled adult. A grand jury reportedly indicted Gustwiller that November.
North Baltimore residents expressed outrage after learning about Gustwiller's charges, according to sources.
"This whole community was pretty much hoodwinked," North Baltimore Police Chief Allan Baer reportedly said.
Gustwiller told?judge Alan Mayberry?she had been battling addiction when her lie about the cancer diagnosis swung out of control. Mayberry reportedly replied by saying her lie was an insult to all those who?had battled cancer?and that he wished she would have received a longer jail sentence.
Authorities also demanded that Gustwiller return more than $4,600 of the donations she had received, sources say.
Source: drivers.softpedia.com --- Monday, July 22, 2013 This utility installs the originally shipped version of the Sony Firmware Extension Parser Device driver. This driver also resolves the yellow exclamation point error that may appear in Device Manager next to "Unknown Device" which indicates that a driver is not installed for that device.It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.Do not forget to check with our site as often as possible in order to stay updated on t... ( read more ) ...
July 20, 2013 06:20:35 GMT People who were hired by Taylor to guard her Rhode Island house reportedly called local authorities and accused members of a Fourth of July parade of 'pelting' them with candy.
Security team hired by has been reported for being too much. After the guards were said preventing people from going to a public beach near the singer's house, a new report suggested that the security team called local authorities because they felt a Fourth of July parade held near the area was out of control.
A local resident told Radar online, "Tensions are running high between Taylor's security team and volunteers for the East Beach Association. At the Fourth of July parade, some of the guards accused some of the EBA kids of 'pelting' them with candy but they were just passing it out. It was a parade!"
"The guards got super pissy and called the supervisors of the whole program to complain about it. It's the silliest thing I've ever heard!" the source added. Previously, they also clashed with volunteers who wanted to clean the beach.
"The guards are begrudgingly allowing the volunteers to clean up trash from the beach in front of Taylor's property for now. It's progress, I suppose!" the source gave update on the reported clash.
In other news, the "Everything Has Changed" singer was mentioned by a man who is believed to be during a rant in a dinner event following 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. "I went back and rewrote my ('Run This Town' verse) for two days. Because I wrote my verse in two days, Taylor Swift cannot beat ," the speaker said, according to an audio clip obtained by Gawker. The man also talked about who performed two songs while he was not asked to perform his hit "Heartless".
SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) -- No one knows exactly how Ye Meng Yuan ended up on the runway just 30 feet from the wreckage of Asiana Flight 214, but officials say one thing is clear now: She somehow survived the crash.
As the plane burned, the 16-year-old Chinese student was buried by the firefighting foam rescue workers were spraying to douse the blaze.
And in the chaotic moments that followed - flames devouring the fuselage, those aboard escaping by emergency slides, flight attendants frantically cutting away seat belts to free passengers - a fire truck ran over Yuan, killing her.
The new details, released Friday by the coroner's office, compounded the tragedy for her family in the aftermath of the July 6 crash at the San Francisco airport that killed two other teenage girls from China.
"There's not a lot of words to describe how badly we feel, how sorry we feel," said San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.
Yuan's family was upset after learning the details of their daughter's death and wants her body returned to China, San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said. "It was a difficult conversation," he said.
Hayes-White said she was trying to arrange a meeting with them and that the "tragic accident" would prompt a review of how the fire department uses the foam and responds to emergencies at the airport.
"There's always room for us to evaluate and improve our response," she said. "(There's) very unfortunate news today. However, many, many lives were saved, and we made a valiant effort to do so."
In a statement, the Chinese Consulate called on authorities to determine responsibility for Yuan's death.
Online comments by Chinese citizens, while expressing sadness at the girl's death, praised the U.S. authorities for revealing the truth and contrasted that transparency with frequent cover-ups by their own governments.
Hayes-White said she did not immediately foresee any disciplinary action. San Francisco police and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Families of the three teens killed have hired a New York law firm to represent them, the San Francisco Chronicle ( http://tinyurl.com/n6xk79f ) reported Saturday.
Relatives of Yuan, the girl killed by the fire truck, issued a statement through their attorneys saying they were "devastated and heartbroken," the paper reported.
"She was their only child," said attorney Anthony Tarricone. "It's especially painful knowing that she survived the crash."
The third fatality was found alive her seat, but Liu Yipeng, 15, died at a San Francisco hospital on July 12.
In all, 304 of the 307 people aboard the Boeing 777 survived the crash at San Francisco International Airport.
Yuan and her close friend, 16-year-old Wang Linjia, who also died, were students at Jiangshan Middle School in Zhejiang, an affluent coastal province in eastern China, Chinese state media has reported. They were part of a group of students and teachers from the school who were heading to summer camp in Southern California.
Yuan and Linjia were seated at the back of the plane. Authorities say the jetliner came in too low and too slow, clipping its landing gear and then its tail on a rocky seawall just short of the runway.
Linjia's body was found near the seawall at the edge of the runway. It was unclear how Yuan got from the airplane to the spot where she died. Investigators believe she was down on the ground and not standing up during the "volatile" and "dangerous" aftermath of the plane crash, the fire chief said.
Foucrault declined to go into detail on how he determined the teenager was alive before she was struck, but said there was internal hemorrhaging indicating her heart was still beating at the time.
Authorities confirmed last week that Yuan was hit by a vehicle racing to extinguish the flames in the plane. Police said she was on the ground and covered in the foam that rescuers had sprayed on the wreckage.
Firefighting crews apply the foam not only to stop the fire and cool the fuselage but to suppress fuel vapors. They continue to spray it to maintain the blanket because it can break down under certain conditions, fire department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said.
Fire trucks usually start shooting foam while approaching the fuselage from 80 or 100 feet away. The foam is also used to clear a safe path for evacuees, experts say.
"This is very rare. I've never heard of it before. I'm not aware of any other similar incident in my 35 years in the fire service," said Ken Willette, a division manager for the National Fire Protection Agency, which sets national standards for training airfield firefighters.
Willette said that amid the chaotic scene that included a burning aircraft, hundreds of survivors running for their lives - as well as those who needed to be rescued - the firefighters' other primary objective was to put down a foam blanket to suppress the fire.
"Their training kicks in at a time like that, and they focus on what they see on scene," Willette said. "Their mission going into that operation was getting into the aircraft, to save as many lives as possible and avoid hitting any of the people who may have been going away from the scene.
"But for reasons unknown, the coroner has confirmed that this young lady who was in the area of the crash was run over by a fire apparatus. This was a very tragic accident."
---
Associated Press writers Mihir Zaveri in San Francisco and Didi Tang in Beijing contributed to this report.
What?s it about? Get everything you need for a killer fantasy football season with Yahoo! Fantasy Sports Football, which has just gotten a redesign for the 2013 season.
What?s it about? Cartoon Network Video gives users the ability to watch full Cartoon Network episodes on their Android devices by streaming them over an Internet connection.
What?s it about? Puzzler Ending is a game with some rogue-like elements, in which players move around a grid in turn-based action and try to explore and stay alive.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Jul-2013
Share ] 