Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287850195?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
New technology for animation film experts
Feb. 27, 2013 ? Hollywood devotes great effort to chasing monsters through realistic-looking environments. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbr?cken have now developed a technology that greatly simplifies the production of such scenes. Actors' movements are captured with a few cameras in a real scene and then transferred extremely realistically to virtual characters. This will not only simplify the work of cartoon makers, but also assist doctors and sportsmen with motion analysis.
Whenever computer-animated characters roam through wild landscapes, such a Gollum in Lord of the Rings, there were real actors at work. Film studios usually use a procedure called 'motion capture'. The actors wear skin-tight suits with markers attached to them reflecting beams of infrared light that are sent out and received by a special camera system. In this way, the movements of a real actor are recorded and can later be transferred to a virtual character, using animation software. "However, the suits are very uncomfortable for the actors, and the markers interfere with their movements," says Nils Hasler from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbr?cken. For this reason, the Computer Graphics researchers there have developed a method that eliminates the need for markers but captures the movements quickly and realistically.
This method allows actors in their normal clothing to be filmed with ordinary cameras. The movements are then analysed with special computer software and transferred to a virtual character in the form of a skeleton. "We require only a few cameras instead of the several dozen cameras needed for the special effects in Hollywood. The movements are computed so quickly that we can transfer them directly to the animated character without time delay," Hasler explains. The meanwhile patented computation method has been further refined in the past months. It can now deal with scenes in which several participants are simultaneously active and body parts overlap. "The system even detects a person's movements when they are covered up by other objects or when there are disturbances in the background. This will allow us to shoot visual effects outside of the studio in the future, for example, out in open nature," the Saarbr?cken-based researcher reckons.
The computer scientists in Christian Theobalt's "Graphics, Vision & Video" team were able to solve yet another problem in the past few months, as Hasler explains proudly: "It was difficult for our software to reconstruct the body movements of actors wearing big coats or women entering a scene in long ballroom dresses. Our new computation method enables us to capture surfaces in such precise detail that, e.g., the draping folds of clothing can be reproduced realistically." The new technology is also useful in areas outside the film and game industry. Athletes could use it to analyse specific, individual body movements without bothersome markers. Sports journalists would be able to comment on motion sequences, like in pole vault and discus competitions, in live television broadcasts.
"The field of medicine would also profit. It would be easier for doctors to depict and track the degree of recovery after operations on joints," Hasler explains. The researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics wants to establish a company together with Professor Christian Theobalt and his research colleague, Carsten Stoll, in order to offer their software as a commercial product. "We have already had quite a few inquiries from companies in the film and sports marketing industries," Hasler reveals.
Technical Background
The technology used in this method is quite affordable. Anywhere from five to twelve ordinary video cameras are needed. The computer scientists use their software to produce a 3-D model of the depicted person from a skeleton with 58 joints. In order to capture the movements, the computation method continuously works on overlaying the two-dimensional image from the video camera and the 3-D model as exactly as possible. The researchers can solve the necessary equations for this task efficiently and quickly. With this method, they capture filmed movements and visualize them in the virtual characters within just a few milliseconds.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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Heading a soccer ball may affect cognitive performance
Feb. 27, 2013 ? Sports-related head injuries are a growing concern, and new research suggests that even less forceful actions like 'heading' a soccer ball may cause changes in performance on certain cognitive tasks, according to a paper published February 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Anne Sereno and colleagues from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
The researchers tested the effects of non-injurious head-to-ball impacts on cognitive function using a tablet-based app. They found that high school female soccer players were significantly slower than non-players on a task that required pointing away from a target on the screen, but showed no difference in performance when pointing to the on-screen visual target.
According to the study, tasks that involve pointing away from a target require specific voluntary responses, whereas moving toward a target is a more reflexive response. Based on their observations, the authors conclude that sub-concussive blows to the head may cause changes specifically linked to certain cognitive functions.
The authors say that the app used in their research may be a quick and effective way to screen for and track cognitive changes in athletes. They add that a tablet-based application for such quick screens may also have broader applications in the clinic or the field.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.
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Journal Reference:
- Marsha R. Zhang, Stuart D. Red, Angela H. Lin, Saumil S. Patel, Anne B. Sereno. Evidence of Cognitive Dysfunction after Soccer Playing with Ball Heading Using a Novel Tablet-Based Approach. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e57364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057364
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/~3/hjbndy797cY/130227183458.htm
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PSA: Kindle iOS app users should not update to version 3.6.1
This one's coming straight from the horse's mouth. Amazon is acknowledging a "known issue" with version 3.6.1 of its Kindle app for iOS -- the company is recommending that current users avoid the latest update, which hit the App Store today. According to TUAW, the new version may completely erase a user's book library. How this passed the e-book giant's QA team is anyone's guess, but until a revision hits the cloud, we suggest you stay away.
Update: Amazon has reached out to clarify this issue. The update causes the app to "deregister," and as a result, items are removed from the smartphone or tablet. All of your content remains in the cloud, however, and can be re-downloaded after you re-register the device with Amazon. The update has been re-submitted to Apple and should appear soon. Consider us re-lieved. You'll find the official word below:
We have identified an issue with the app update that may cause your app to become deregistered. To register, enter your Amazon account e-mail address and password and all your Amazon content will be available in the cloud. We have submitted an update fix for this issue and are working with Apple to release.
Update 2: As of Wednesday afternoon, the app has been replaced with version 3.6.2, with listed improvements including "Fix for Registration Issue." The source link will now direct you to that latest version, which, presumably, won't make all your books disappear.
Via: TUAW
Source: Amazon (iTunes)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/27/kindle-ios-issues/
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2 police officers shot dead in Santa Cruz, Calif.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) ? Two police detectives were shot and killed while investigating a sexual assault complaint, and a suspect was also fatally shot after a brief chase, authorities said.
The veteran officers, one male and one female, were shot around 3:30 p.m. as they went to a suspect's home to follow up on the case. Their deaths were confirmed by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak.
A suspect was shot and killed a short time later while authorities were pursuing the gunman, the sheriff's office said.
After the officers were shot, nearby residents received an automatic police call warning them to stay locked inside. About half an hour later, more than a dozen semi-automatic shots echoed down the streets in a brief barrage of gunfire that killed the suspect.
Police Chief Kevin Vogel said Sgt. Loren Butch Baker, a 28-year veteran, and Detective Elizabeth Butler, a 10-year veteran, were shot and killed.
"There aren't words to describe this horrific tragedy," he said. "This is the darkest day in the history of the Santa Cruz police department."
The suspect who was killed in the shooting was identified as 35-year-old Jeremy Goulet, who was arrested Friday after a co-worker at a Santa Cruz coffee shop alleged he went to her house and made inappropriate sexual advances. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that he was fired the next day.
To investigate the complaint, the detectives went to the house where Goulet was living and an altercation ensued, leading to the officers being fired upon, authorities said.
The detectives called for backup and neighbors also summoned police. Responding officers located Goulet a short time later. The sheriff's office said he was killed in the gunfire that followed.
After the shootings, police went door-to-door in the neighborhood, searching homes, garages, even closets to determine whether there might be additional suspects.
Police, sheriff's deputies and FBI agents filled intersections, some with guns drawn, in what is ordinarily a quiet, residential neighborhood in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco.
A store clerk a few buildings away from the shooting said the barrage of gunfire was "terrifying."
"We ducked. We have big desks so under the desks we went," said the clerk, who spoke on condition of anonymity and asked that her store not be identified because she feared for her safety.
Two schools were locked down during the shooting. The students were later evacuated by bus to the County Government Center about half a mile away.
As darkness fell, helicopters and light aircraft patrolled above the neighborhood, which is about a mile from downtown Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The campus of University of California, Santa Cruz, is about five miles away.
The city's mayor, Hilary Bryant, said in a statement that the city was shocked over the shootings.
"Tonight we are heartbroken at the loss of two of our finest police officers who were killed in the line of duty, protecting the community we love," the statement said. "This is an exceptionally shocking and sad day for Santa Cruz and our Police Department."
Goulet worked as a barista at a coffee shop in the Santa Cruz harbor. He was convicted in Portland, Ore., in May 2008 of peeping at a 22-year-old woman who was showering in her condominium and of carrying concealed weapon, according to a Portland newspaper, The Oregonian. He was put on probation but, after a dispute with his probation officer, was sentenced to two years in jail.
The violence comes amid a recent spate of assaults in the city, which community leaders had planned to address in a downtown rally scheduled for Tuesday. That, along with a city council meeting, was canceled after teary-eyed city leaders learned of the deaths.
Those shootings include the killing of a 32-year-old martial arts instructor who was shot outside a popular downtown bar and restaurant; the robbery of a UC Santa Cruz student who was shot in the head; a 21-year-old woman who was raped and beaten on the UC Santa Cruz campus; and a couple who fought off two men during a home invasion.
___
Associated Press writer John S. Marshall in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-police-officers-shot-dead-california-053657177.html
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Fierce clashes near landmark mosque in Syria
A Syrian woman walks past a house destroyed from a government airstrike, at Jabal al-Zaweya village of Sarjeh, in Idlib, Syria, Monday Feb. 25, 2013. Syria is ready to hold talks with the armed opposition trying to topple President Bashar Assad, the country's foreign minister said Monday, in the government's most advanced offer yet to try to resolve the 2-year-old civil war through negotiations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A Syrian woman walks past a house destroyed from a government airstrike, at Jabal al-Zaweya village of Sarjeh, in Idlib, Syria, Monday Feb. 25, 2013. Syria is ready to hold talks with the armed opposition trying to topple President Bashar Assad, the country's foreign minister said Monday, in the government's most advanced offer yet to try to resolve the 2-year-old civil war through negotiations. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Displaced Syrian children play with cleaning tools in the Azaz camp for displaced people, north of Aleppo province, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. According to Syrian activists the number of people in the Azaz camp has grown by 3,000 in the last weeks due to heavier shelling by government forces. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
This citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows an unexploded rocket from a Syrian warplane, in the neighborhood of Karam Alqasir, near Aleppo International Airport, in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. A car bomb near the Damascus headquarters of Syria's ruling party killed scores on Thursday, while a government airstrike on a rebel field hospital in southern Daraa left several dead, opposition activists and state media reported. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
A citizen journalism image provided by Aleppo Media Center AMC which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows people searching the rubble for dead bodies and injured victims at a site were houses were hit by a missile attack by Syrian government forces, in the neighborhood of Ard Al-Hamra, Aleppo, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Aleppo Media Center AMC)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels battled government troops near a landmark 12th century mosque in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, while fierce clashes raged around a police academy west of the city, activists said.
The fighting near the Umayyad Mosque in the walled Old City threatened to further damage the historic structure, part of which was burned during clashes last year.
Since July 2012, government forces and rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad have been battling over Aleppo, the country's largest city and a major prize in the civil war. While rebels have gradually expanded the amount of turf under their control, seven months of street fighting, airstrikes and shelling have left much of the city, considered one of Syria's most beautiful, in ruins.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported intense clashes with heavy gunfire and explosions near the mosque. Syria's state news agency said "terrorists" had detonated explosives near the building's south wall, causing "material damages."
Assad's regime refers to the opposition as "terrorists."
The mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Aleppo, sits near a medieval covered market in the Old City, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The mosque was heavily damaged in October, 2012, just weeks after a fire gutted the market.
Syria's nearly 2-year-old civil war has left its mark on other gems of the country's rich archaeological and cultural heritage.
At least five of Syria's six World Heritage sites have been damaged in the fighting, according to UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural agency. Looters have broken into one of the world's best-preserved Crusader castles, Crac des Chevaliers, and ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra have been damaged.
Both rebels and regime forces have turned some of Syria's significant historic sites into bases, including citadels and Turkish bath houses, while thieves have stolen artifacts from archaeological excavations and, to a lesser extent, museums.
To the west of Aleppo, activists reported fresh fighting Tuesday near the police academy that has become a key government military installation.
The Observatory said the two sides were shelling each other's positions while the government launched airstrikes in the area.
Video posted online in recent days shows rebel groups firing homemade rockets and mortars at the academy and blasting it with captured tanks. The videos appeared genuine and corresponded with other Associated Press reporting.
The Observatory said the dead in the last two days of fighting in the area included 26 rebel fighters, 40 soldiers and five pro-government militiamen.
The police academy, which activists say the government has turned into a military base, has recently emerged as a new front in the battle for Aleppo. Losing the facility would hinder the regime's ability to shell opposition areas and support its troops inside the city.
An Aleppo activist who goes by the name Abu al-Hassan said via Skype that rebels coming from Idlib province to the west are now trying to clear the army from residential areas near the academy before they attack it.
"Yesterday and today they have been trying to go forward but there are lots of shelling and airstrikes," he said.
The fighting has largely destroyed Aleppo and caused humanitarian conditions for the city's remaining civilians to plummet.
On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said more than 141 people, including 71 children, had been killed in at least four missile strikes by the Syrian government in and near the city of Aleppo last week. The New York-based group said the strikes hit residential areas and called them an "escalation of unlawful attacks against Syria's civilian population."
A Human Rights Watch researcher who visited the sites said up to 20 buildings were destroyed in each area hit by a missile. There were no signs of any military targets in the residential districts, located in rebel-held parts of Aleppo and its northern countryside, said Ole Solvang, the researcher.
"The extent of the damage from a single strike, the lack of (military) aircraft in the area at the time, and reports of ballistic missiles being launched from a military base near Damascus overwhelmingly suggest that government forces struck these areas with ballistic missiles," HRW said in its report.
It added that the Aleppo neighborhoods hit were Jabal Badro, Tariq al-Bab and Ard al-Hamra. The fourth strike documented by the group was in Tel Rifat, north of the city.
UNICEF said in a statement that it is "appalled" by the deaths of children, and called on all parties in the conflict to "ensure that civilians ? and children especially ? are protected, at all times."
Syria has never acknowledged the strikes, and portrays the conflict as a foreign conspiracy carried out by "terrorists" to weaken the country.
The missile attacks have outraged the leaders of Syria's exiled opposition who have accused their Western backers of indifference to the suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict.
Also Tuesday, the Observatory said the death toll in a car bomb attack in Damascus had risen to eight. All were regime security officers, it said.
The blast late Monday struck a security checkpoint in the neighborhood of Qaboun, less than a kilometer (mile) from Abbasid Square, northeast of downtown. It was followed by several other smaller blasts thought to be mortar shells landing in various districts of the capital.
The explosions and subsequent gunfire caused panic among residents who hid in their apartments.
Syria's state news agency said the blast was caused by a suicide car bomber and caused an unspecified number of casualties.
The U.N. says some 70,000 have been killed since Syria's conflict began in March 2011.
___
Associated Press writer Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.
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World markets mostly up on Fed's low rates support
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? World stock markets mostly rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve chief played down risks from low interest rate policies, offsetting worries that Italy's indecisive election result will rekindle Europe's debt crisis.
The Asian heavyweight, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index was the rare loser as the yen strengthened against the U.S. dollar following several months of weakness that boosted exporters. The Nikkei fell 1.3 percent to 11,253.97.
Other Asian markets gained ground. Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 0.3 percent to 22,577.01 and South Korea's Kospi added 0.2 percent to 2,004.04. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7 percent to 5,036.60. Shares in mainland China, Taiwan and Indonesia also rose.
European markets stabilized after diving the day before on Italy's indecisive election result. The FTSE 100 index of leading British companies was up 0.3 percent to 6,292.06 and Germany's DAX was up 0.1 percent to 7,607.16. France's CAC 40 rose 0.3 percent to 3,634.03.
U.S. stocks were poised to move marginally higher. Dow futures were up 0.1 percent at 13,873.00 and broader S&P 500 futures rose 0.1 percent to 1,493.60.
In testimony to Congress on Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke expressed confidence that the central bank's low-rate policies currently pose little risk of causing runaway inflation or a stock market bubble. That eased recent jitters the Fed would start to withdraw its super easy monetary policy.
U.S. economic indicators also gave Asian markets a lift. Home sales rose to the highest level in more than four years last month and American consumers showed confidence for the first time in three months in February.
"Asian markets held up well after U.S. stock markets showed little impact to Italy's election results," said Kwak Joong-bo, a Seoul-based analyst at Samsung Securities.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest maker of memory chips, televisions and mobile phones, closed flat while Hyundai Motor Co. climbed 0.7 percent. Taiwan-based phone maker HTC Corp. added 0.2 percent. In Japan, electronics firms led the decline. Panasonic Corp. fell 1.8 percent and Sharp Corp. was down 1.3 percent.
Yet stock market gains in Asia remained modest, showing that investors have not fully regained their appetite for risky assets ahead of looming automatic spending cuts due to start Friday in the U.S.
And with Italy emerging from elections on Tuesday with no clear winner, there are lingering uncertainties about the fate of deficit and debt reduction measures in one of Europe's biggest economies.
The Italian election result drove markets in Europe markedly lower. If Italian parties fail to form a governing coalition, new elections would be required, causing more uncertainty and a leadership vacuum.
In currency markets, the euro was trading at $1.3090. The dollar weakened 0.5 percent to 91.65 yen.
Benchmark crude for April delivery was up 37 cents to $93 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-markets-mostly-feds-low-rates-support-091717338--finance.html
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i-mate talks up the Intelegent, a 4.7-inch slab of vaporware
Don't worry if Dubai-based smartphone maker i-mate had slipped your mind. The business unceremoniously collapsed back in 2009 after allegedly suffering a "major fraud" that led it to fire all of its employees. Fortunately, CEO Jim Morrison is back with a new mobile device that, he claims, runs full-fat Windows 8 in the same way that Ubuntu for Android will behave. The i-mate Intelegent is a 4.7-inch handset running the desktop OS on a Clover Trail CPU with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage. The secret, however, is that the $750 handset will slot into a Webtop-esque desktop dock to become your work machine when you get into the office. Morrison has said that there's a factory in California ready to produce 10,000 units a week, and told the Seattle Times that he'd be showing off the device here at MWC. We can't find it on the exhibitor list, but we're about to go hunting...
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: The Seattle Times
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/26/i-mate-intelegent/
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Vitamin D & Calcium May Not Prevent Postmenopausal Fractures
Taking vitamin D and calcium supplements may not help prevent bone fractures in postmenopausal women, according to a new report from a government-appointed panel of experts.
The report found no evidence that taking up to 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D and 1,000 milligrams of calcium supplements a day reduced the risk of fracture in healthy postmenopausal women. In fact, the report found that these doses of vitamin D and calcium slightly increased the risk of kidney stones. Because of this lack of benefit, the panel, known as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, said healthy postmenopausal women should not take vitamin D and calcium supplements at or below these dosage levels (400 IUs for vitamin D and 1,000 mg for calcium) for the purpose of preventing fractures.
However, more research is needed to determine whether or not higher supplement doses can prevent fractures, the task force said.
There was also insufficient evidence to recommend for or against use of vitamin D and calcium supplements at any dose level to prevent fractures in men, or in women before they enter menopause, the task force said.
The recommendations are only intended for healthy people, and not for individuals living in nursing homes or other institutionalized settings, the task force said.
Ultimately, the decision about whether or not take vitamin D or calcium supplements should be made between a patient and his or her doctor, said Dr. Linda Baumann, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, and a member of the task force panel.
The Institute of Medicine said people need between 600 and 800 IUs of vitamin D a day, and between 700 and 1,300 mg of calcium a day, depending on their age. While most people in the United States get enough vitamin D and calcium, older adults sometimes fall short of the recommendations and need to increase their intake through food or with a supplement. [See New Rules on Vitamin D and Calcium: Most People Get Enough.]
The task force recommends taking a vitamin D supplement containing about 800 IUs for the prevention of falls in older adults ages 65 and over who are at risk for falls because they are vitamin D deficient or because they have a history of a recent fall.
The task force also recommends screening women ages 65 and older for osteoporosis as well as younger women who are at an increased risk for fractures.
About 50 percent of postmenopausal women will suffer a fracture related to osteoporosis during their lifetime, and fractures in older adults increase the risk of death, the task force said. ?
Because calcium helps build bone, and vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium, doctors frequently recommend taking vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent fractures. Surveys estimate that close to 60 percent of women ages 60 and over take vitamin D supplements or calcium supplements. However, whether these supplements actually prevent fractures was not clear.
The new report reviews the results of six trials in which adults were randomly assigned to take daily vitamin D and calcium supplements or a placebo.
The largest study involved 36,282 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 who took either 400 IUs of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium daily or a placebo. After seven years, women who took vitamin D and calcium supplements were just as likely to sustain a fracture as women who took the placebo. Individuals in the supplement group were slightly more likely to develop a kidney stone compared with those in the placebo group (2.5 percent versus 2.1 percent). For every 273 women who took the supplements, one developed a kidney stone, the researchers said.
After the development of the new task force recommendations, a new review study was published that suggested that vitamin D doses of 800 IUs or more reduced the risk of fractures in people ages 65 and older. But this finding did not always hold when the researchers took into account other factors that may have influenced the risk of fractures, such as whether or not participants were taking calcium supplements as well. More studies need to be conducted with higher vitamin D doses to confirm the results, Baumann said.
An across-the-board recommendation for vitamin D and calcium supplementation in adults is hard to make because people differ in their risk for fractures and kidney stones, said Dr. Neil Roth, an orthopedic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the new report. Among doctors, recommending these supplements seemed logical because they are low-cost, relatively low-risk, and provide a potential benefit, Roth said. But before recommending supplements, doctors should take into consideration how much vitamin D patients get from their diet, from multivitamins and from time spent in the sun, as well as their risk of future fractures and kidney stones, Roth said.
The best way to get vitamin D is through foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese and foods fortified with calcium, according to the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Healthy adults who get enough vitamin D through their diet and sunlight exposure don't need to take supplements for bone health, said Dr. Cliff Rosen, past president of the ASBMR. But those at high risk of facture, such as elderly adults living in nursing homes who get little sunlight exposure, should be taking supplements, Rosen said.
The new task force recommendations will be published tomorrow (Feb. 26) in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Pass it on: Postmenopausal women should not take low doses of vitamin D (400 IUs or less) and calcium (1000 mg or less) to prevent fractures.
Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner, or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vitamin-d-calcium-may-not-prevent-postmenopausal-fractures-221000671.html
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KR SteakBar opens big | Food and More with John Kessler
Chef Kevin Rathbun?s eagerly anticipated casual Italian-inspired place, KR SteakBar in Peachtree Hills, surprised fans with a stealth bar opening on Feb. 19.
Kevin Rathbun
The entire restaurant was open for business the next day, and inundated with reservations all week, as anxious crowds elbowed in around the bar.
?We got clobbered on Friday,? Rathbun said, grabbing a brief break on a bar stool early on Saturday evening before hustling back to the kitchen.
Executed by chef de cuisine Chris McDade, who Rathbun allowed, ?has ?taught [him] a few things,? the KR menu focuses on small plates, pasta, and wood-grilled meat, fish and poultry.
In many ways, the menu ? not to mention the open and casual ADAC space and the more sophisticated bar program ? appears as the fourth refinement in the evolution of what has become Kevin Rathbun?s Restaurants.
The ?official? website (kevinrathbun.com/restaurants) links to Rathbun?s, Krog Bar, Kevin Rathbun Steak and KR SteakBar.
Clicking the links and scrolling through the different menus can be an entertaining exercise in culinary stratigraphy, revealing successful restaurant layers going back to 2004, when Rathbun opened his flagship namesake, Rathbun?s, then Krog in 2005, Steak in 2007, and KR in 2013.
On Saturday, a couple at the bar sipped a Negroni, then worked their way through the KR menu in classic Italian fashion, ordering glasses of wine and sharing each dish ? a simple artichoke and lemon appetizer; a pasta course of trenette, clams, white wine and parsley; eye of ribeye with aged balsamic and arugula; soft ricotta cake, sorghum strawberries and basil; cappucinos.
But with all the new Italian takes, Rathbun seemed most excited about simply getting to grill over wood.
?It?s something I?ve always wanted to do in Atlanta,? he said. ?It?s like going back to my Texas roots.?
KR SteakBar, 349 Peachtree Hills Ave., 404-841-8820, krsteakbar.com.
? By Bob Townsend, Food and More blog
Source: http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2013/02/25/kr-steakbar-opens-big/?cxntfid=blogs_food_and_more
Deformed otter penises a concern for humans
Al Grillo / AP file
This Alaska sea otter from the waters off of the Aleutian Island of Adak looks healthy enough. Its brethren in England aren't faring so well.
By Marc Lallanilla
LiveScience
Scientists are concerned about the deformed sex organs of England's otters ? and what it might mean for humans.
The furry mammals are found in rivers throughout Britain, but male otters aren't what they used to be. An alarming number of them now have shrunken penis bones (baculum), as well as undescended testicles (cryptorchidism) and cysts on sperm-carrying tubes, according to a new report written by Cardiff University scientists.
The results are based on analyses of samples from 755 otter carcasses collected around England and Wales between 1992 and 2009.
"We were surprised to see the reduction in the baculum weight," Elizabeth Chadwick, project manager at the Cardiff University Otter Project, told the BBC. "(It's) certainly something that needs further investigation."
Though scientists aren't yet able to identify a single cause for the deformed sex organs, one leading suspect is a class of chemical pollutants known as endocrine disruptors.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals?(EDCs) alter the hormone balance of humans and animals. An unborn fetus is particularly vulnerable to the effects of endocrine disruptors, since the development of sex organs in the womb is largely controlled by hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.
The plastic additive Bisphenol A, or BPA is one hormone disruptor that's consistently been cited as a concern for women of childbearing age and their babies. Other endocrine-disrupting compounds are found in pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other common household products.
Though scientists are still sifting through the evidence, there are many researchers who believe the prevalence of endocrine disruptors might be linked to a worldwide drop in sperm quality and quantity in humans. [Sexy Swimmers: 7 Odd Facts About Sperm]
As the top predator in England's rivers and lakes, the BBC reports, otters are an indicator species whose health reveals much about the well-being of the entire aquatic ecosystem. Health problems discovered in otters, Chadwick said, "could be a warning for all mammals really, which include us humans."
"These findings highlight that it is time to end the complacency about the effects of pollutants on male reproductive health, particularly as some of the effects reported in otters may be caused by the same EDCs that are suspected to contribute to the declining trends in men's reproductive health and cause testicular cancer, undescended testes and low sperm count," Gwynne Lyons, director of Chemicals, Health and Environment Monitoring Trust (CHEM), which co-authored the report with Cardiff University, said in a statement.
Contact Marc Lallanilla at mlallanilla@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcLallanilla. Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?and Google+.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Considering a New Cell Phone? How About a PR Company? Here ...
Last August as a ?Founder? of Solavei?and Leader of the Presidential Team, before they launched to the general public on September 21, 2012, I purchased a HTC One S ? which I was told was the best Android phone on the market. ?At first I was very happy with it. ?With the Solavei cell service (using the same network at T-Mobile) I could use my new phone in places that I was not previously able to get reception with Verizon using an iPhone 4.
Before long, my HTC One S began failing me. ?I?d go to make a call and it wouldn?t work ? I had to frequently reboot the phone throughout the day just to make calls. ?Many times calls would go directly to voicemail without ringing ? and I would not get the voicemail until I had rebooted the phone. ?I?ve called HTC several times, but they said the only thing I could do is to send it in for repair ? and then I?d be without a phone for 2-3 weeks. ?That obviously won?t do.
Today I was almost forced into sending it in ? or trying to. ?After setting my alarm last night, I woke without one this morning to discover my phone was dead. ?Would not boot up, would not accept a charge. ?Nothing.
The only way I had to contact HTC was a phone number on their website ? but I had no workable phone. ?The only email address I could find was for their PR company Waggener Edstrom Worldwide right here in Bellevue. ?I promptly emailed them asking for help. ?I got the dreaded and useless automatic reply email ? that included a consumer link to contact info that did not exist. ?Later I received an email saying that the email address I had written to was reserved for ?accredited media? ? I?ve never really understood what that statement means, but do know that media has been my business for many years ? and that I have helped WagEd promote many of their clients over the years. ?(But of course, when I need help they turn their back on me).
Then after my 3rd email to them and explaining that I am ?accredited media? ? and their 3rd useless and painful automatic reply, I got the following email (notice there is no real email address or phone number in which to respond)
Hi Joe,
Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, this email is reserved for questions not related to customer service. Thanks for letting me know that the link in our reply does not work, have you tried this one?
Please try the above link to reach HTC customer service, and if that doesn?t work please let me know and I will do my best to escalate your request.
Thanks,
Elena
?
Elena Caldwell
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
225 108th Avenue NE. #600
Bellevue, WA 98004 USA
www.waggeneredstrom.com
?
This email definitely was not helpful and did not make me feel any better about the problems with my HTC cell phone. ?Yes, I am looking for ?special treatment? ? I HAVE to have a working cell phone and am not happy with my HTC phone. ?I want a refund so I can buy a phone that is actually reliable ? like the great cell phone service from Solavei.
Thanks to a fellow Solavei member who answered my call for help on the Solavei dashboard, I finally found a link to call HTC on the web ? and without a phone ? which was good because I didn?t have one. ?Once I went through the waiting process the person from HTC gave me instructions on how to do a hard reboot. ?It didn?t work. ?Then she said the only thing they could do is to have me send it in for repair. ?GREAT ? so I send in the $500+ phone only to not have a phone for 2-3 weeks and then get the same crappy phone back again ? ?Only it wasn?t even that good ? she said that I will have to call back tonight because ?their system was down and they could not create a return ticket?. ?Nice.
The long and the short of it is that both HTC and Waggener Edstrom Worldwide are too big to provide even adequate service. ?This seems to be a very common occurrence these days ? but is no excuse and not acceptable. ?My vote is to avoid HTC cell phones and Waggener Edstrom public relations all together. I know I won?t ever buy another HTC product in my lifetime and won?t be hiring Waggener Edstrom any time soon either. ?You might want to consider the same.
Note: ?I will keep posting about this and letting people know about my crappy experience with HTC until they decide to buy back this really lousy (and expensive) HTC One S cell phone. ?They can email me at Joe(at)BellevueBusinessJournal.com but cannot call me because I do not have a working phone ?.
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Health Insurance Tips That Are Practical And Easy ? Social ... - Valkry
Many people avoid obtaining health insurance until they need it, which is often much too late. The reasons for this vary. For some people, the thought of purchasing health insurance never enters their minds. Others don't fully comprehend how it works or how important it is, and then there are those who simply don't have the money to buy a policy. This article is packed with tips and tricks that will help you to understand various aspects of health insurance coverage.
To save the most money possible on health insurance premiums, consider catastrophic coverage instead of a more comprehensive one. While comprehensive covers doctor visits and prescriptions, catastrophic coverage covers hospital visits and emergency care.
Research your particular situation thoroughly if you're attempting to purchase health insurance with a pre-existing health problem. You might not even be eligible for health insurance from some companies if you have one of these conditions; others charge people with chronic or serious conditions far more each month than people who don't have these conditions. By researching all of your options, you'll be able to choose the best coverage for the lowest premium.
Expect health insurance policies to have hidden loopholes within the fine print. Read every page of the policy, so you won't be surprised when the company tells you that something isn't covered. There will be things you have to pay for yourself, and knowing what these are ahead of time will save you the headaches.
Tips To Help You Select The Most Suitable Health Insurance Plan Don't pay your health insurance bill with your credit card. Many insurance providers will tack on as much as a 15 percent fee if you use your credit card, and they might also charge an administration fee.
If you have a family history of needing vision correction, or if you have already been prescribed glasses or contacts, it's important to include vision coverage in your health insurance plan. Vision insurance can cover a majority of your checkup costs as well as the costs of any frames, lenses or contacts you may need. Of course, nobody is forced to have vision insurance, and you can save a few bucks a month by not having it.
The Easy Way To Find The Right Health Insurance Ask your health provider if they are giving the necessary mandated records to the Medical Information Bureau. If they are, you can obtain a copy of these records for free one time per year.
Comparison shopping is a smart idea when it comes to buying health insurance. There are numerous insurance companies and plans available, unless you are bound by the limited group insurance choices offered by your employer. Compare rates and policies from different insurers, as well as different coverage within each company.
If you receive a telephone call from a health insurance provider during the application process, do not volunteer information. Be sure that you are only answering the questions that they ask. If you volunteer extra information they will make a record of it, and may use it to raise your premiums, or even deny you insurance coverage at all.
There is no question about the importance of having good health. In order to stay healthy, you need reliable health insurance. Apply the tips you have just read to select the best policy available for your budget. Reaching All Of Your Web Design Goals On Time
Source: http://crew.valkry.com/blog/84314/health-insurance-tips-that-are-practical-and-easy/
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HP Slate 7 Android tablet rocks Beats, $169 price tag; due out in April
Mobile World Congress isn't just about the phones. Sometimes a company's got a little tablet love to give as well. HP's out in Barcelona talking up the new Slate 7, a Jelly Bean-sporting tablet with a 1.6GHz dual-core ARM processor inside. The tablet's got a (you guessed it) seven-inch display, plus front and rear facing cameras and, as the red backing not-so-subtly suggests, built-in Beats Audio. The device's biggest selling point, however, has to be that $169 starting price. The Slate 7's due out in April. In the meantime, have a read of the press release after the break.
Source: HP
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/hp-slate-7-android-tablet-rocks-beats-169-price-tag-due-out-i/
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
[Yahoo Sports: Big League Stew] - Spring Headlines: Mariano Rivera faces live hitters, Johan Santana?s first start pushed back
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://sportspyder.com/teams/new-york-yankees/articles/8538188
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Russia sends aid to Mali, worried by militant Islam
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia expressed concern about the spread of militant Islam and growing tension in Mali on Friday as it sent humanitarian aid to the West African country.
The dispatch of the aid signaled Moscow's growing unease about the situation in Africa since the Arab Spring popular revolts, which Russian officials have long warned may strengthen the hand of radical Islamists and fuel violence.
The Emergencies Ministry said a transport plane had left for Mali with 36 tonnes of food and household items, blankets and tents.
The Foreign Ministry warned about growing tensions in the region following talks on Thursday between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Romano Prodi, the United Nations envoy to the Sahel region of Africa.
"The sides paid particular attention to the situation in the Republic of Mali. They expressed particular concern about the activity of terrorist organizations in the north of the country which represents a threat to regional peace and security," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
"The sides agreed the uncontrolled proliferation of arms in the region after the conflict in Libya creates grounds for an escalation of tension throughout the Sahel," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
The statement underlined the need to resolve the situation through the United Nations Security Council.
The ministry released the statement before a trip to Russia next Thursday by French President Francois Hollande, whose country has sent troops to its former colony Mali.
An Islamist alliance of al Qaeda's North African wing AQIM and home-grown Malian groups captured northern Mali last year, armed with weapons seized from Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
The aim of the foreign intervention is to prevent northern Mali from becoming a launchpad for international attacks by al Qaeda and its allies.
Russia backed a U.N. Security Council resolution authorising military intervention in Mali but Lavrov told a news conference last month that the rebels fighting French and African troops were the same fighters the West had armed against Gaddafi.
(Reporting by Timothy Heritage; editing by Andrew Roche)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-sends-aid-mali-worried-militant-islam-131933197--business.html
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6th Annual Bowl-A-Prom | Marina del Rey Sports & Recreation, Art ...
8731 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA | Get?Directions??
$40.00
Join us for the 6th Annual Bowl-A-Prom?on March 2nd for a fun filled event benefitting Walk With Sally's mission to provide mentoring support programs to children of parents or siblings with cancer.?
Sign up for a fundraising team at www.walkwithsally.org/bowlaprom or rsvp to Brittany Keohi at bkeohi@walkwithsally.org to attend the day of for a $40 donation!
Bring your friends and family and enjoy the festivities, have lunch and watch Justin Willman, magician, actor and host of Cupcake Wars and Last Cake Standing, perform his magic! Dress up in your finest prom attire for a chance to win a prize!
Sign up to be a fundraising team as the Highest Fundraising Team wins a 3 night stay at a cabin in Big Bear!
Fun times for a great cause! Join today!
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Source: http://marinadelrey.patch.com/events/6th-annual-bowl-a-prom
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
India vs Australia Day-1 analysis: Off colour Bhajji spoils Ashwin's party
Losing toss looked in favour of India as R Ashwin sent half of the Aussies top order packing in pavilion for just 153.
Skipper MS Dhoni?s decision to put spinners into the attack within 15 overs of the match turned out to be a wise one when Ashwin claimed two wickets in the opening session of Chennai Test here at MA Chidambaram, Chepauk Stadium on Friday.
However, Shane Watson and David Warner scored quickly to take Australia 126/2 at lunch break. However, Ashwin struck in quick succession again to help India take full command over the game. But what gone wrong at the end of the day-1? Australia finished the Day-1 for 316/7 with skipper Michael Clarke unbeaten for 103 and Peter Siddle not out for 1.
Clarke?s 23rd Test ton on a turning track left the game evenly poised. Chepauk track has history of getting slow and low as the game progresses. If Australians managed to take their first innings total around 400 on Day-2, the advantage will go in favour of Kangaroos.
India need to wrap up Australian innings within 350 runs otherwise pressure will be transferred to batsmen. Skipper Dhoni knows it very well that if Australia manage to take lead in the first innings, batting will become very difficult in the last innings.
In the post match press conference Ashwin said, ?We need to pack Australians off within 30 runs on Day-2.?
India throw away opportunity to bundle out Australia within 300
Here is the complete autopsy of India?s mistake on Day-1, which helped Australia to save pride.
Off-colour Harbhajan Singh
India?s ace offie Hrabhajan Singh, who today appeared in 100th Test, was completely off colour. On a turning track where, R Ashwin claimed Six wickets out of seven fall, the Turbanator went wicketless on Day-1. Bhajji looked confused and the confidence level was also down. Even he bowled with altered line and length but failed to put pressure on Aussies. He allowed Australians to score freely. However, Harbhajan was little bit unlucky when a strong LBW appeal against ED COwan was turned down. TV replay shown that Cowan was plumbed.
Virender Sehwag?s slip ups
Sehwag?s slip ups at slip continued in this Test too. After dropping few catches in slips during Test series with England, Sehwag dropped David Warner for 18 off Ashwin. Later, Warner scored 59 runs.
Umpiring blunder
Umpire M Erasmus (South Africa) first turned down strong LBW appeal off Harbhajan Singh against ED Cowan, the biggest blunder was turning down Clarke?s sureshot dismissal off Ashwin. There was bat-pad catch but Erasmus was not convinced. Later, Clarke not only rescued his side from early slump but also scored hundred.
After post match conference, Ashwin said that Michael Clarke's sureshot dismissal could have? reduced Australia's score by at least 70 runs.
"We could have reduced their score by 60-70 runs if he'd (Michael Clarke) been given out. But it does happen, it's part of the game."
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Egyptian opposition politician demands election boycott
CAIRO (Reuters) - An opposition leader called on Saturday for Egyptians to boycott elections due to start in April, saying the process under Islamist President Mohamed Mursi would be "an act of deception".
Islamists, who have won every election since the 2011 overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, dismissed any suggestion that the parliamentary polls would lack credibility and predicted a strong turnout.
While divisions between the Islamists and opposition remain deep, Mursi appeared ready to soothe anger among the Christian minority over the election schedule. The speaker of Egypt's upper house said Mursi would change the dates to avoid Coptic Christians having to vote during their Easter celebrations.
Mursi called the lower house elections on Thursday, aiming to conclude Egypt's turbulent transition to democracy.
However, liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei drew comparisons with the last parliamentary polls to be held under Mubarak in 2010, a vote which was widely seen as rigged.
ElBaradei, a former U.N. nuclear agency chief, noted he had called for a boycott in 2010 "to expose sham democracy".
"Today I repeat my call, (I) will not be part of an act of deception," he said on his Twitter account.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which backs Mursi, rejected any call to boycott the voting which has been scheduled in four stages from April 27 to June. Essam Erian, a senior member of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, said the polls would be carried out under "complete judicial supervision" as well as being followed by Egyptian, regional and international media.
Voting would be monitored by Egyptian and foreign civil society and human rights organizations, he said on his Facebook page, adding that he expected wide participation.
COPTIC ANGER
Egyptian elections have been supervised by judges since the revolution. The relatively small numbers of judges have required the drawn-out process, allowing them to oversee voting in different regions on different days.
The opposition says Mursi should not have called the elections until a number of disputes had been settled, chiefly a new constitution produced by an Islamist-dominated assembly which contributed to serious street violence last year.
Mursi's announcement of the dates drew fire from Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population, as the schedule would interfere with their Easter festival.
Ahmed Fahmy, the speaker of the Shura Council, said Mursi would respond to these worries. "The president answered the requests of the Coptic members and will issue a statement changing the dates of the elections," he told lawmakers.
The state news agency MENA quoted a presidential aide as saying a statement on new dates would be issued "within hours".
Islamists have used well-organized campaign operations to win every election since the revolution, while the liberal and leftist opposition has been beset by divisions. Previous opposition boycott threats have failed to materialize.
The National Salvation Front (NSF), which groups a number of parties opposed to the Islamists including ElBaradei's, is due to decide in the coming week whether to join a boycott.
"This is Dr. ElBaradei's own position and own opinion," said NSF spokesman Khaled Dawood, but he added that other NSF leaders were sympathetic to the idea of a boycott.
"This is yet another individual move by the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mursi, establishing facts on the ground and then asking you to basically go with the rules of the game they've set on their own," he said.
(Writing by David Stamp; Editing by Rosalind Russell)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-elbaradei-calls-election-boycott-095347005.html
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What iPrefs are and why they could make sense for Apple
If you?ve been following the drama surrounding David Einhorn and his firm, Greenlight Capital, then this is all familiar stuff. If not, we?ve got the quick recap for you. A big hedge fund that owns Appel stock wants Apple to stop being so stingy with its cash and give some back to shareholders.
Yes, Apple pays a dividend on common shares, but Einhorn from Greenlight Capital argues that it isn?t enough. He?s probably right since Apple has way more cash than it needs. The business currently holds $137 billion in cash and is generating way more than it pays out in dividends these days. The cash pile is more than 30% of Apple?s market value, a higher ratio than Cisco, Microsoft, or Google (all cash-rich companies).
Einhorn feels that Apple shareholders aren?t seeing the value of all this cash. That?s because if a company holds tons of cash and isn?t paying out the cash (or using the cash), it tends to get discounted by the market. As evidence, he shows the ex-cash price to earnings multiples for several tech stocks. Apple trades at a lower valuation than Microsoft! The insanity of this seems obvious to me. It represents hidden value. Einhorn wants Apple to unlock this value.
One way to do this is just increase the dividend. But Einhorn has another fairly clever way to handle it. At first I didn?t really see the benefit, but I think I understand it better now and thought I?d share my simple explanation here.
Einhorn thinks Apple should consider issuing perpetual preferred stock to all shareholders. These perpetual prefs are something he has coined as being ?iPrefs?, which is just a clever name.
Normally preferred shares have a maturity date. At some point in the future the company would have to buy them back from the shareholder. So a perpetual pref is just a preferred share with no maturity date. It?s an equity instrument that pays a fixed dividend every quarter.
Why is this a neat idea? Because the way these perpetual prefs would be valued is similar to how a perpetuity is valued. It?s a series of cash flows (dividends) with no growth. The value of a perpetuity is equal to the annual cash flow divided by the discount rate. In a very low interest rate environment (like we have today), and with a very low risk of default (because Apple is mega rich), the iPrefs would trade at quite a high price per share relative to the dividend.
Importantly, they also preserve Apple?s cash balance. Because the prefs pay out dividends annually, they leave Apple with nearly all of its cash intact, while still being valued fully in the market. For example, if the iPrefs had a $2 annual dividend and traded at $50 per share (this implies a 4% discount rate), then shareholders would get the extra $50 up front but Apple keeps its cash too. It still pays out cash slowly.
If Apple issued one iPref to shareholders for each common share, it definitely could unlock a lot of value immediately. And by separating the dividend from the common shares, investors could choose for themselves whether to keep the iPrefs (and the income from them), or sell them in the open market and, for example, reinvest in more Apple stock.
Einhorn thinks Apple should start slowly, issuing one $50 iPref for each common share. His firm believes each iPref issued would unlock about $30 of value per share. Apple could eventually issue about 5 iPrefs per common share, unlocking $150 per share. This would be similar to doubling the current dividend, which his firm calculates would unlock only $65 per share (this assumes Apple stock would trade at a 4% yield, but I think it could easily trade at a lower dividend yield)
If Apple gave me this option I?d gladly sell the iPrefs and buy more AAPL common. No question. But I don?t really have a need for the extra dividend income at this point in my life.
It?s worth pointing out that if Apple traded at a lofty price to earnings multiple, people wouldn?t say the value of the company?s cash was being ignored. This idea is only a good idea because of the extremely low interest rate environment combined with the extremely low price to earnings multiple on Apple stock.
I say ?only? ... but that doesn?t take away from the fact that it is actually a good idea despite the ?silly sideshow? lawsuit (Tim Cook?s words) that Einhorn has initiated against Apple.
 |  |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ArivrrEqkgY/story01.htm
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Ding Zhaochen: the Features and Expression ... - CAFA ART INFO
Abstraction: In these digital times, it is common that there is a combination of new media with performance, creating a lot of new stage performances. A lot of projections are taken place on the stage, and the application and development of a variety of imaging systems, which promote the stage performance to be brilliant with the effects of technology and art.
Keywords: new media, performing art, projection, entertainment
The CCTV Evening Party of the Spring Festival in 2012 was really highlighted with brilliant lighting effects, ambitious stage scenes, as well as the applications of the most prominent innovation: the stagecraft of a combination of 3D projections and virtual images ? from the deep green in the valley with clouds in a 3D effect, projected on a background in the dance ?Peacock Love? by Yang Liping, to ?Legend of New Year?s Eve?, a fighting performance of interaction with ink and wash animation by Han Geng, from the blue sky and white clouds spreading to the top of the studio hall in ?Hometown Cloud?, performed by Fei Xiang, to the Great Wall projected onto the full stage in the ?My Chinese Heart? by Zhang Mingmin, from the robot in ?Toy Story? by Harbin Institute of Technology and the panoramic electronic music background dancing to music, to the ?Tree of Life? displaying vividly on a huge LED, in a crystal ball stunt ?Think Fondly? by Hu Qizhi, all of which show the infinite charm of the perfect combination of performing arts and technology, and digital image and stage. In fact, it is technology that has brought a new vitality and performance to stage, it is also the performing arts of the new media that brings the audience brilliant stage effects.
What is Performing Arts of the New Media? In brief, it is the performing art works that are composed of new media and performing arts. There is a wide range of performing arts, including theater, dance, acrobatics, magic, etc., as well as drama, opera, musicals and ballet, they all belong to the performing arts. New technology and new performance are collectively referred to as new media. The performing arts created by new technology or new performance style are called New Media performing Arts.
I Features of New Media for Performing Arts
In the new media performance, the projection technology is most widely used, and there are not only two-dimensional images but also three-dimensional ones on the projection. The performances such as the interactive performance of hip-hop in Taipei created by an art group from Taiwan, and the performance by Kagemu, an artist from Japan, leads two-dimensional images onto their performances. In the interactive performance, an actor dances together with the projection of virtual images, which really highlights a person along with different groups of people. The content is prearranged, and the actor plays with the projection figures through stepping on a point-in-time, dancing according to the designed dance. The performance of the Japanese artist Kagemu seems to be a live TV screen performance. There are a lot of animated image projections, such as monsters, robots, etc., through the projections, an artist transforms himself into a superhero, with the capability of emitting light and a pair of wings, which can launch shock waves? in the performance, he fights against the animated images of his ?super power?, and finally defeats the monsters to become the winner. It combines the elements of modern dance, martial arts, and animation, etc., creating a performing stage into a cartoon-style.
3D projection is also applied extensively on the stage. It mainly imitates realistic scenes and objects, so that the stage shows a three-dimensional real space, such as the petals swaying in the wind, the flowing river, and the fluttering clouds, on the other hand, it produces virtual figures, such as a concert of the holographic virtual idol Hatsune in Japan, which uses 3d projection technology to create a three-dimensional image of a cartoon character ? Hatsune, singing on the stage and talking and blinking her eyes like a real person, with the capability to communicate with the band on stage, and to interact with the audience. In addition, in 2006, Alexander McQueen, a famous British fashion designer used holographic imaging technology on his fashion catwalk platform, placing the 3d image of Kate Moss on the stage: wearing a white dress, Kate Moss suspended in the air, slowly rotating, folded hem waving, as beautiful as a wizard sleeping in the water. 3D projection technology leads stage performances to become more dreamy and beautiful.
In addition, some special dresses often appear in the performances of the new media. These clothes are equipped with LED lights, worn by an actor, emitting different lights. There are also some clothes that can adjust in size, color and brightness, according to the physical movement of the actors. Zola Jesus, an American singer, wore a giant ?collar? of LED lights at the performance of the Guggenheim Museum, San Francisco in 2012. The ?collar? is made by a skeletal structure and film materials, therein equipped with LED lights. Its shape is beautiful, and like a giant conch, around Zola Jesus?s neck, like jellyfish emitting beautiful white light, elegant and pure. In the ?Abnormal Noise?, a performance of tap dancing, created by a Taiwan dance factory in 2010, there is a gown with LED lights, emitting white and red lights, while the white one is soft and warm, flashing and vivid, is a symbol of love and the throbbing red is a glare and magnificent, like a puffer bulging thorn that hits throughout the stage, expressing pain and a struggle.
Artists often add some special installations in the new media performances, to complete their performances. These installations are specially designed, the mechanical equipment custom-made for the stage art. In 2011, Chunky Move, a modern Australian dance company created a new media dance ?Connected 2011?, with the use of a purely mechanical installation of wooden structure. It could work through a structure capable to be spun in lines. It is called ?motion sculpture? by Chunky Move, which is made from multiple recycled wooden blocks, connected by camshafts and wheels, The gaps between each part of fine design, the completion of the mutual coupling motion. In 2012, Bj?rk, a singer from Iceland, made use of a lot of new media arts in her concert ?Biophilia?, including a series of unique musical instruments: a 10-foot-tall harp, a digital organ refitted with Mailan brass sheets jointed together, as well as two groups of Tesla musical coils.
II Introduction of the Cases of New media Performance Art
?Interactive Performance In Taipei 2006?
By artists from Taiwan, China
Premiere location: Taipei, Taiwan, China
The works featured on the 1st Taipei Digital Art Festival. It was divided into four parts: opening, hip-hop, a display of motion capturing art and the final part. At the beginning, actors played the drums, the sound of which interacted with the projections on the floor, the projections change according to the change of the sound and speed of the drum, in the hip-hop, the actor interacted with the projected figures, performing a competition of dance; in the final part, dancers performed with instruments, which were able to trace the motion of the dancers and created light patterns, finally there was a show of the interaction between dancers and the projections on the floor.
?Black Sun 2009?
By Kagemu from Japan
Premiere country: Japan
Kagemu sees stage as a screen from TV or theater, dressed in white, standing in front of the white screen, the actor performs in cooperation with a variety of images projected on the screen. The story is mainly composed of three parts, firstly an account of the dancer?s identity, secondly Kagemu wrangles with the devil spirit, transformation of his shadow, thirdly he fights with a giant monster like a spider?s body and skull head and eventually victory. At the beginning there is a black-and-white image of the ridge and rising sun, a group of cranes slowly flying over. Followed by the sound of beating drums, a dancer begins to demonstrate the martial art, the projections become deformation and displacement of geometry according to the stimulation of energy, the dancer slowly transforms the accumulated energy into energy balls and lines, even shattering walls, the projection is the image of the fallen surfaces of the broken wall, secondly the dancer fights with the evil spirits, a wall collapses with the transition. A dancer separates from his shadow, the shadow transforming into a black incarnation, fighting with the dancer on the same stage, the defeated shadow reverses the contour to the upper edge of the white background, then deforming into a group of blackbirds, rushing into the lens, the actor fights with these evil spirits, succeeding and growing black wings, expanding the huge wings covering the whole stage, thirdly, the stage is dark, holding green fluorescent nunchuck, the dancer fights with a green fluorescent giant monster of a spider body and skull head, and eventually victorious with the bright sun behind his body.
?The Animals and the Children Took to the Street 2010?
The dramatic type: musicalAuthor: (UK theatre company 1927)
Premiere country: Australia
Premiere location: Sydney Opera House in Sydney
This is a crazy story that happens at the apartment in the slums of the estuary. In the evening, all the children and animals would run rampant on the streets. The protagonist was the gatekeeper of the estuary apartment and a mother and daughter, who were the newcomers. In order to leave the estuary apartment without a social status, the gatekeeper saved up money to buy a one-way train ticket. One day a young mother moved to the apartment with her daughter, and the gatekeeper secretly loved her. On the other hand, the children in the apartment took to the streets to assembly for sabotage in order to resist the unfair treatment of the poor diverted from the urban areas. Once a day they took to the street during the day, destructing city park, which only the upper class was allowed to enter in, and was also the mayor?s private social location. Thus the children were captured and forced to eat candy, which would destroy the human?s brain, leading humans to be unresponsive, and without self-consciousness. The daughter of the newcomers was taken too. The gatekeeper bought a ticket to the prison with the money he saved to rescue her and other kids. Finally the children were rescued, and the estuary apartment restored to its former calm, the children become restless, while the mother and her child moved out. The gatekeeper continued to stay in the estuary apartment, working hard for the next one-way ticket.
Zola Jesus?s live performances in Guggenheim Museum in San Francisco
Performance type: live concertModeling designers: Jenni Hensler
Premiere time: May, 2012
Premiere country: USA
Premiered Location: Guggenheim Museum, San Francisco
This was a special performance at the Guggenheim Museum, San Francisco on May, 2012, by Zola Jesus. With a white dress, Zola Jesus wearing a spiral ?collar? of LED lights during the performance. In addition to building its design, the winding collar is also based on something like a gold split series, nautilus shell shape in nature, as well as marine life such as the glowing jellyfish. The glowing LED collar, and her white dress were lining her like a real blonde angel.
?Abnormal Sound 2010?
Performing type: American tap dance
Author: Dance factory (Taiwan)
Premiere time: ?Abnormal Sound 2010?: December 25, 2010
?Abnormal Sound + 2011?: June 25-26, 2011, Experimental Theatre, National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center
Premiere country: China
Premiere location: Taiwan
This is an American tap dance performance, including the use of new media technology and the dress of LED lights, through some new media technology such as the equipment of sound loop effect, sensors of light and vibration, it transformed the rhythm of the tap dancer to be the digital, transmitting the rich and diverse electronic sound and the change of light lines? colors, with vagaries texture of the live music and unrestrained dance, creating a stage for an atom to soar.
?Connected 2011? (60 minutes)
Dramatic type: dance
Author: Chunkymove, Australia modern dance company (Australia)
Premiere time: March 11-20, 2011
Premiere country: Australia
Premiere venue: Merlyn Theatre, The CUB Malthouse, Melbourne
This is a new media dance created by Chunkymove, Australia modern dance company in 2011.
The specialty was by placing a huge motion sculpture on the stage, it completes the show by interacting with the dancer. The giant sculpture was composed of multiple recycled wooden blocks, connected by camshafts and wheels, the gaps between each part of fine design, the completion of the mutual coupling motion. In the performance of ?Connected 2011?, a huge living sculpture was hung in the air at the center of the stage, being able to freely elevate and move down, and at the same time, due to it was construction of fragmented blocks, it could freely transform the plain structure of the main body.
Singer Bj?rk used a refitted instrument in her concert ?Biological Love? (Biophilia)
Performing type: live
Author: Andy Cavatorta and engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Premiere time: February 2012
Premiere country: US
Premiere locations: New York Hall of Science, and Roseland Ballroom, New York
?Biophilia? is the concert of Bj?rk, a singer from Iceland in 2012, and there are ten continuous nights of performances at New York Hall of Science, and Roseland Ballroom at February. She makes use of a lot of new media arts, including a series of unique musical instruments: a 10-foot-tall harp, a digital organ refitted with Mailan brass sheets jointing into it, and two groups of Tesla music coils, as well as the mixed visual effects of stage in the program of Biophilia. Included in this, ?Gravity Harps? a huge harp designed for her concert by the American artist Andy Cavatorta and his team, it is a combination of a pendulum and an harp, ten feet high. She hopes that the pendulum is capable of exhibiting a feeling of notes, to convey the idea of ?music, so that designer and electronic technicians combine the harp and pendulum together, to create a special instrument through this transformation.
?While Going To A Condition 2002? (23 min.)
Performing type: modern dance
Author: Hiroaki Umeda (Japan)
Premiere time: 2002
Premiere country: Japan
Premiere location: Landmark Hall, Yokohama
Hiroaki Umeda thought that his own physical appearance was just one of the elements of various phenomena. Therefore, in this work, he appeared in a standing silhouette, the geometrics of interwoven black and white stripes were projected onto the screen behind him, interacting with the electronic music. The motions flowing on the body of the soloist, as if the current echoes the pulsating electronic music, constantly accumulating energy, motion starting from the feet moving to the legs then bending and becoming deformed, and then to the body like flexible rubber.
III SummaryThe performing arts of the new media are flourishing and developing, artists from different countries introduce different technology such as projections and LED lights to the performing arts, leading to a richer and more brilliant stage effects.
By means of the new media, it is a starting point for the combination of performing arts, technology and image, the stage is created to become another fantastical space.
Works Cited
Chu Chu. ?Burst and limitations: exploration of new media video in theatrical stage. Art and Design(theory), vol. 2010.08
Yuan Lianbo. ?About Hallucinatory and theatricality on the Performances of Drama ? Discussion on ?Illusion? between Huang Zuolin and Ma Ye?. Dramatic Art. Vol. 2004.03
Wang Weiyu, Interaction of Art and Stage Design by the Transmutation in the Dimension. Shanghai Theatre Academy, 2005
Xu Peng, etc. ?New Media Art Theory?. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2008.
Kellner Douglas. Media Culture: Identity of Cultural Study and Politic Between the Modern and Postmodern?. Commercial Press, 2004
The views expressed in this column are the author?s own and do not represent those of CAFA ART INFO.
Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
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