Sunday, June 23, 2013

New Shopping And Dining Options For International Travelers ...

International travelers will have a new luxurious experience when they travel in and out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand to kick off preview activities for the New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). The new terminal includes a 150,000-square-foot Great Hall, with more than 60 premier dining and luxury retail shops ? including 22 local L.A. brands ? and world-class amenities. Westfield?s dining collection features 31 exciting new options.

Global restaurateur HMSHost will introduce seven of Los Angeles? most celebrated local dining venues into the New TBIT with L.A. favorites and global flavors by Border Grill, ink.sack, Larder at Tavern, Umami Burger, Chaya, 800 Degrees and Vanilla Bake Shop ? part of a dining collection by Westfield that features 17 homegrown L.A. concepts. Top local restaurateurs featured include ink?s Michael Voltaggio, Border Grill duo Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, ?and Suzanne Goin of Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern & the Larder. Each has adapted their signature style to suit the needs of airport travelers and the terminal will offer both take-away and dine-in options.

HMSHost will also open one of the first Starbucks Evenings in the country in the New Tom Bradley International Terminal. Now travelers will be able to grab a cup of their favorite coffee during the day and a glass of wine or beer in the evening. This Starbucks will feature a wider selection of Starbucks? popular culinary offerings, including savory snacks and small plates such as bacon-wrapped dates, flatbreads with artichoke and goat cheese, and truffle mac and cheese. HMSHost will also be opening a second, traditional Starbucks location in this terminal.

On Saturday?s LAX Appreciation Day, some 10,000 members of the general public will join construction workers, airport employees and their families to get a first look at the facility they helped to build. The day?s activities will include special entertainment; architecture, aviation and USO displays; multi-sensory media experience; art tours; raffle prizes; and the canine teams of the popular PUP (Pets Unstressing Passengers) Program. Also on Saturday morning, officials will be joined by the family of former Mayor Tom Bradley for a ceremonial rededication of the newly refurbished 10-foot-tall bronze bust that welcomes departing passengers as part of a remodeled terminal entry.


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About Deidre Woollard

Deidre Woollard has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for years. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Spalding University and her short fiction has been published in literary magazines and anthologies. She served as the lead editor on Luxist.com for six years writing about real estate, auctions, jewelry and luxury goods. Follow author Deidre Woollard on Google +.

Source: http://pursuitist.com/new-shopping-and-dining-options-for-international-travelers-visiting-lax/

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

The Bump and PEOPLE Team Up for Royal-Worthy Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a Kate Middleton-inspired giveaway featuring prizes worth up to $5,000.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/7epKHaQ7LDM/

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Autopsy reveals Gandolfini died of heart attack

Celebs

6 hours ago

ROME -- A family friend of actor James Gandolfini announced at a news conference Friday that an autopsy showed "The Sopranos" star died of a "heart attack of natural causes" and "nothing else was found in his system."

The 51-year-old Emmy-winning actor suffered the heart attack in the bathroom of his room at the Hotel Boscolo in Rome while on vacation with his teenage son, Michael, and sister, Michael Kobold told reporters.

"James came here on vacation with family," Kobold said. "On Wednesday he went to visit the Vatican, and had dinner at the hotel with his son while waiting for his sister ... All are devastated for his loss. He was a loving father."

Kobold said that it could take up to 10 days of red tape to repatriate Gandolfini's body, but the family is hoping that, with the help of Italian authorities, it will happen in the middle of next week so that a funeral could be held in New York next Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

"He was happy, healthy, on vacation with his son," Kobold said. "He was fine."

Medical staff attempted to resuscitate Gandofini after his son found him in the bathroom, but he was pronounced dead at about 11 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) Wednesday at Policlinico Umberto I hospital, which is a three-minute drive from the hotel.

Famous for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano in hit HBO show "The Sopranos," Gandolfini was on a celebratory trip to Italy with his 13-year-old son, who had just graduated from junior high school and won a soccer championship.

Experts said a heart attack was a common cause of death for a man in his 50s.

Dr. John Harold, president of the American College of Cardiology and a heart specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said that ?in many patients who have a heart attack, the first symptom is sudden death and they don?t even make it to a hospital.?

Tributes have flooded in for the actor, who won three Emmy Awards and three Screen Actors Guild awards for playing Soprano from 1999-2007.

He also appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow, who directed Gandolfini in ?Zero Dark Thirty,? said she was devastated by the news of his death.

"James was such an enormous talent, and an even greater spirit. I will be forever grateful for the privilege of working with him, and shall cherish his memories always," she said in a statement.

Nicole Kidman said Gandolfini was ?such a great actor,? describing his death as ?a big loss.?

?Sending love and prayers to James? family. He will be greatly missed,? she said in a statement to eonline.com.

Brad Pitt described Gandolfini as ?a ferocious actor, a gentle soul and a genuinely funny man." ?I am fortunate to have sat across the table from him and am gutted by this loss.?

Gandolfini also made a good impression on the ordinary people he met.

An employee at the Hotel Boscolo told Italy's la Repubblica newspaper that during his stay the actor had signed autographs and was ?very friendly with us from hotel's staff and with other guests in the restaurant. A nice person.?

NBC News' Ian Johnston, Reuters and Mads Frese contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/james-gandolfini-autopsy-reveals-actor-died-heart-attack-6C10407874

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The Facts & Myths Of Spaying & Neutering Your Pet | Life with ...

When it comes to making a decision about a pet?s health, we naturally all want to make the best decision possible. Unfortunately, there?s a great deal of wrong information out there when it comes to spaying or neutering your pet, and that wrong information can make a complicated decision even more difficult.

Photo courtesy MowT.

So before you make a decision one way or another, take a moment to run through these myths ? and facts ? surrounding spaying and neutering.

First, take a moment to go over the?basics about spaying and neutering. And now, on to the myths, and the truths behind those misconceptions:

Myth: Spaying or neutering a cat can result in undesirable changes, including laziness, obesity, and more.

Fact: Most cats become fat and lazy simply because they are fed too much and don?t get enough exercise.

Reevaluating your cat?s diet and activity level as he grows will help prevent unwanted weight gain and lethargy. Also, taking the time to play with your cat on a regular basis will help him learn to enjoy exercise more often and will help build your bond.

Myth: Neutering a male cat will make him feel less ?manly? ? less of a male.

Fact: While it?s understandable for people to process a neutering this way, the fact is cats don?t have the same sense of sexual identity as we do.

A cat won?t face an identity crisis once he?s neutered. This holds true with females as well.

Myth: Female cats should have at least one litter before spaying.

Fact: This is a dangerous myth, and the opposite is true.

Photo courtesy slworking2.

Medical evidence shows that cats who are spayed before their first heat very rarely develop mammary tumors. This is a dangerous myth because cats? mammary tumors are much more malignant than those seen in dogs, and they have a worse prognosis.

In addition, spaying your female early can help reduce the risk of uterine infections and breast cancer.

Myth: I have to wait until my pet is 6 months old to be sterilized.

Fact: The American Veterinary Medical Association endorses ?Early Age Neutering,? which means an animal can be spayed or neutered at the age of two months ? or the weight of two pounds.

Sterilizing your pet at an early age not only protects their health, as mentioned above, but it also means they can recover more quickly.

Myth: Spay and neuter surgeries are risky.

Fact: If you go to an experienced vet, spays and neuters are some of the safest surgeries they can have, considering those surgeries are done so often. While there are always risks with any surgery, with a sterilization, the risk of complications is very low.

Myth: Spaying or neutering a cat deprives her or him from experiencing the joy of parenthood.

Fact: Again, this is simply an emotion or desire we as humans apply to our pets.

Animals don?t feel a sense of fulfillment by giving birth or being a mother or father; they won?t mourn their inability to reproduce. For them, reproduction is simply nature taking its course. Although mother cats do take care of their kittens for several weeks, it?s only to prepare them for life on their own. Similarly, father cats don?t recognize kittens as their children.

Myth: Breeding a cat will result in kittens that are exactly like the mother.

Fact: Just like with people, you can?t ever duplicate someone.

Even if you breed two purebreds, there?s no guarantee that the kittens will turn out exactly as their parents. This is even more true if mixed breeds are involved. Each cat is special in his own way. It?s important to enjoy your cat for who she is as long as she?s in your life. Grant her kittens the same respect, and appreciate them for their individual personalities and characteristics, too.

Myth: Watching a cat give birth and raise a litter of kittens can be a valuable life experience for you or your children.

Fact: This myth is particularly disturbing. As the ASPCA says, ?The idea that a cat should have a litter so that children can witness the miracle of birth is troubling.? And I agree.

Photo courtesy eaghra.

If you want your child to learn about birth, there are many other resources (books, videos, etc.) that allows them to learn about the topic in a responsible way. Allowing a cat to birth a litter of kittens simply for education or life experience is irresponsible and ignores the very real issue of overpopulation in the world. If anything, it teaches the child that our selfish motives are more important than the cat?s well-being and her offspring?s.

Myth: Spaying or neutering is too expensive.

Fact: Many vet clinics around the U.S. offer low-cost spay and neuter surgeries.?Click here to find a low-cost spay/neuter facility in your area.

If your current vet is very expensive, shop around and speak to other vet clinics in the area to find out their rates. While the cost may initially seem prohibitive, consider how much you?ll actually be saving in the long-run, considering your cat won?t need to visit the vet for other health issues that will arise from not being sterilized ? not to mention the costs that will come up if your cat has a litter of kittens.

Myth: Low-cost spay/neuter programs can?t be trusted.

Fact: Although some people are skeptical about low-cost programs, they must understand that the costs are low simply to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets. These clinics want to make the surgeries affordable to everyone. Many clinics that offer low-cost programs actually spay and neuter hundreds, if not thousands, of pets each year, which makes them experts.

Need a bit more convincing? Check out these?eight reasons to spay or neuter your cat.

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Source: http://lifewithchcats.com/2013/06/21/the-facts-myths-of-spaying-neutering-your-pet/

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Samsung Book 9 Plus Is the Latest Dope Ultrabook

Samsung Book 9 Plus Is the Latest Dope Ultrabook

At its event in London, Samsung announced two new to add to its lineup: The Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus and the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Lite.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/v4wK3zMFhL8/samsung-book-9-plus-is-latest-dope-ultrabook-520332581

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Idaho town holds out hope for soldier's return

A tattered yellow ribbon honoring captive U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is tied to a utility pole along Idaho State Highway 75 near Hailey, Idaho, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. The Taliban on Thursday proposed a deal in which they would free Bergdahl, a Hailey resident who has been held prisoner for four years, in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

A tattered yellow ribbon honoring captive U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is tied to a utility pole along Idaho State Highway 75 near Hailey, Idaho, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. The Taliban on Thursday proposed a deal in which they would free Bergdahl, a Hailey resident who has been held prisoner for four years, in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

A yellow ribbon honoring captive U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is tied to a utility pole along Idaho State Highway 75 near Hailey, Idaho, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. The Taliban on Thursday proposed a deal in which they would free Bergdahl, a Hailey resident who has been held prisoner for four years, in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

This undated image provided by the U.S. Army shows Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The Taliban proposed a deal in which they would free the U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai eased his opposition Thursday June 20, 2013 to joining planned peace talks. (AP Photo/U.S. Army)

Stefanie O'Neill, right, and Donna Thibedeau-Eddy, two organizers of this Saturday's "Bring Bowe Back" event in Hailey, Idaho, are pictured at the town's Hop Porter Park on Thursday, June 20, 2013, with one of four Norway maple trees planted to commemorate U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's four years in captivity after being taken prison in Afghanistan. The Taliban on Thursday offered to release Bergdahl, in exchange for five of their own prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

A bank in Hailey, Idaho, displays a "Bring Bowe Home" sign on Thursday, June 20, 2013. The Taliban on Thursday proposed a deal in which they would free a U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, who has been held captive since 2009, in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

(AP) ? The yellow ribbons, some tattered, some faded, can be seen long before state Highway 75 spills into Hailey, Idaho ? home to America's only prisoner of war in its conflict with Afghanistan. They hang from roadside utility poles and in front of homes near the one where Bowe Bergdahl grew up. They adorn virtually every tree and light post on Main Street, where signs in shop windows issue pleas to "Bring Bowe Home."

The ribbons may be the most visible sign that the people of Hailey haven't forgotten the Army sergeant who, four years ago June 30, disappeared from his base in southeastern Afghanistan and was taken captive by the Taliban.

But there are other reminders, too: The Norway maple trees? one for each year Bergdahl has been held ? planted in the local park. Even Bergdahl's father, once the town's clean-shaven UPS deliveryman, has grown a long beard, a personal monument to his son's plight, not likely to be shorn until he is freed.

The Afghan war, and the taking of this POW, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts."

And now, for the first time in a long time, this place has reason to hope that the 27-year-old soldier could soon be home.

On Thursday, the Taliban proposed a deal in which they would free Bergdahl in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. The proposition came just days ahead of possible talks between a U.S. delegation and Taliban members in Qatar. And while the idea of a swap has been raised previously, the news electrified Bergdahl's parents, Bob and Jani, who see it as a far more serious sign that the Taliban is willing to let their son go.

"They are very hopeful and very positive that this is a huge step in the right direction," said friend Donna Thibedeau-Eddy, who was with the Bergdahls at their home outside of Hailey when they got the news. Only weeks ago the couple received the first, handwritten letter from their son since his capture, channeled through the International Committee of the Red Cross. That, along with this latest revelation, has boosted their optimism, Thibedeau-Eddy said.

Two hours east of Boise, Hailey sits just down the road from upscale Sun Valley, America's first destination ski resort. Celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger land their private jets at Hailey's airport. Actor Bruce Willis has a second home nearby. It isn't exactly your typical small town in rural America.

The 7,000 who live here are a mix of long-timers and newcomers drawn by the region's beauty and outdoor diversions: fly-fishing in the Big Wood River, mountain biking along the same high-desert trails where Bergdahl once rode his motorcycle.

Many here had never even met the young soldier who was homeschooled and joined the Army at 22. But that matters little, residents said. Perhaps in a big city, Bergdahl and his family's ordeal would have remained out of sight, out of mind. Not so in a close-knit place such as Hailey.

One reason the community has remained focused on Bergdahl's return is the steady, unwavering faith of his parents, said preschool teacher Betsy Castle as she supervised a group of children playing on the swings at Hailey's Hop Porter Park, near the place where Bergdahl's maple trees are planted.

"His parents have kept hope, and that's just rippled out into the community," said Castle, who didn't know Bergdahl. "There's also something about him being captured that has kept our minds focused on what's going on in Afghanistan.

"It's brought it home."

On Saturday, the park will serve as the venue for a rally and fun-run in Bergdahl's honor that organizers predict will attract as many as 1,000 motorcycle-riding POW-MIA activists. The event, called "Bring Bowe Back," had been planned before Thursday's news, a community affair meant to honor an absent, but not forgotten, member.

Before their son's capture, Bob and Jani Bergdahl sought out a relatively isolated existence for themselves and their son and daughter, Sky. Their modest home is off a dirt road about 5 miles outside of Hailey. Surrounded by sagebrush-covered hills, the place is now guarded by a closed gate, two barking dogs and a "No Trespassing" sign. They have repeatedly declined requests for media interviews.

But town residents said the couple are now two of the most-recognized members of the community ? in large part because of the way they've dedicated themselves to their missing son. Bob Bergdahl learned some Pashto, the language spoken by his son's captors; he made a video, distributed via the Internet in May 2011, in a bid to appeal directly to the Taliban for his son's freedom.

Though Bob Bergdahl has retired from his UPS delivery job, he is still seen going about business in town. Mark Kashino, who owns an art gallery on Hailey's Main Street and has since befriended the family, said it's impossible to see the father and not think of his son.

Back in 2009, Kashino said, some people were admittedly skeptical of Bergdahl's chances of surviving his ordeal, but that's given way to a stubborn, if realistic, kind of optimism that has been buoyed over the years by the sporadic release of video footage showing Bergdahl alive. The military has never detailed circumstances of his disappearance or capture, and he is not classified as a deserter. He was initially listed as "duty status unknown" and is now considered "missing-captured."

"Any of the cynicism is superseded by the hope," said Kashino, whose front window sports a "Bring Bowe Back" sign. "As humans, we tend to hope for the best. On top of that, the reality is, the terrorists have found out that Bowe is worth a lot in trade." (Among the five at Guantanamo being considered for the swap is Mohammad Fazl, a former Taliban chief of army staff and the deputy minister of defense, U.S. and Afghan officials have said.)

Though the Bergdahls generally have shunned the spotlight, they have spoken to crowds on several occasions over the years, including a motorcycle rally last May on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where Bob made a public promise to his son: "We will not leave you behind."

They are scheduled to speak again during Saturday's rally at Hop Porter Park, where Bob Bergdahl planned to ride his son's motorcycle to the park alongside a group of bikers. They will travel north on Highway 75, past all of those yellow ribbons still lining the road.

Stefanie O'Neill, a Hailey mother who is one of the organizers of the event, said the four maples planted to commemorate Bergdahl's years in captivity will get permanent yellow ribbons at Saturday's ceremony ? the kind that never fade.

Still, she hopes the next event will be a homecoming celebration, because this Hailey resident has no intention of seeing yet another tree planted marking another year of Bergdahl's captivity.

"We've always told everybody, we don't want a fifth tree," O'Neill said. "We've left no room for a fifth tree."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-21-Captured%20Soldier-Hailey's%20Hope/id-fe9c131e34f64b3bb627c669982869dd

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Quake hits Iran, Pakistan; Death toll in question

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? A major earthquake flattened homes and offices on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border Tuesday, rattling buildings as far away as New Delhi and Dubai. Iranian state media said at least 46 people died, but later Iranian reports offered a far milder picture.

The discrepancies and apparent backtracking in the Iranian reports could not be immediately reconciled, but Iran has faced two large quakes in less than week and authorities could seek to downplay casualties.

Iran's state-run Press TV initially said at least 40 people were killed on the Iranian side, but later removed the figure from its website and news scroll. Other state-controlled outlets, including the official IRNA news agency, mentioned no deaths and only injuries, quoting a local official.

The website of Tehran Geophysics Center said the quake, measured at least magnitude 7.7, lasted 40 seconds and called it the strongest in more than 50 years in one of the world's most seismically active areas. Press TV called it "massive."

It also was the second deadly quake to hit Iran in less than a week after a magnitude 6.1 temblor struck near Bushehr, on Iran's Persian Gulf coast, killing at least 37 people and raising calls for greater international safety inspectors at Iran's lone nuclear reactor nearby.

Press TV said the quake was centered near Saravan, about 50 kilometers (26 miles) from the Pakistani border. The U.S. Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude at 7.8 and at a depth of 15.2 kilometers (nine miles).

Press TV said least 40 people were killed, but gave no other immediate details on the extent of damage or casualties. Later, the reference to the death toll was dropped from Press TV's website and the news agency IRNA said only that at least 27 people were injured.

State-run Pakistan Television, meanwhile, said at least six people were killed on its side of the border and at least 47 others were injured. Up to 1,000 mud homes were damaged, it added.

A Pakistani police officer, Azmatullah Regi, said nearly three dozen homes and shops collapsed in one village in the Mashkel area, which was the hardest hit by the quake. Rescue workers pulled the bodies of a couple and their three children, aged 5 to 15, from the rubble of one house, he said.

The Pakistani army ordered paramilitary troops to assist with rescue operations and provide medical treatment. Additional troops are being moved to the area, and army helicopters were mobilized to carry medical staff, tents, medicine and other relief items.

In Iran, the Red Crescent said it was facing a "complicated emergency situation" in the area with villages scattered over desolate hills and valleys.

The quake was felt over a vast area from New Delhi ? about 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from the epicenter ? to Gulf cities that have some of the world's tallest skyscrapers, including the record 828-meter (2,717 -foot) Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Officials ordered temporary evacuations from the Burj Khalifa and some other high-rises as a precaution.

A resident in the quake zone in Iran, Manouchehr Karimi, told The Associated Press by phone that "the quake period was long" and occurred "when many people were at home to take a midday nap."

Pakistani news channels showed buildings shaking in the southern city of Karachi, where people in panic came out from offices and homes.

In a message posted on Twitter, British Foreign Secretary William Hague sent condolences to families of those lost in the Iran earthquake.

In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern Iranian city of Bam.

___

Associated Press writer Abdul Sattar in Quetta, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/quake-hits-iran-pakistan-death-toll-160024780.html

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Supplier woes stir Apple demand fears, stock drops below $400

By Poornima Gupta and Noel Randewich

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc's shares fell below $400 on Wednesday for the first time since December 2011 after a chip supplier's disappointing revenue forecast fanned fears about weakening demand for the iPhone and iPad as competition intensifies.

The stock dropped below $400 briefly before bouncing back to end 5.5 percent lower at $402.80, losing more than $22 billion of market value in a single day.

Cirrus Logic, which makes analog and audio chips for the iPhone and iPad, on Tuesday warned of a reduced product forecast from one customer - which it did not name. But 90 percent or more of its business comes from Apple, making it a key indicator of demand for iPhones and iPads.

The surprise warning fueled fears that demand for the iPhone - which makes up more than half of Apple's revenue - is falling faster than expected as Samsung Electronics and other rivals who use Google Inc's Android software flood the market with cheaper phones. Typically, many Apple fans also hold off on buying the gadgets if they believe a new model will be introduced in the next few months.

Apple is to report quarterly results on Tuesday. Analysts say Cirrus Logic's reduced outlook lends weight to arguments that consumers' love affair with the iPhone is waning as challengers such as Samsung vie for their attention.

"This is a tough environment. Apple is in transition between products," said Michael Yoshikami, a portfolio manager at Destination Wealth Management, which owns about 50,000 Apple shares. Cirrus's warning "makes it more likely Apple's not going to surprise on upside."

Since its September 2012 peak, Apple has lost 40 percent of its market value or more than $280 billion - slightly more than Google's entire capitalization - battered by worries about the effect on Apple's industry-leading margins if it's forced to do faster updates of its products to keep up.

Some believe Apple will not be able to sustain its high gross margins as competition in the tablet and smartphone markets leads to lower prices. Shorter product cycles limit Apple's ability to bring down component costs, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note to clients.

Cirrus's weak forecast follows a 19 percent decline in first-quarter sales at Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Apple's main contract manufacturer.

"It's a reminder of weakening demand and the challenges around product transitions," Shannon Cross, of Cross Research, said. "There's not a lot of conviction about what the second half is going to look like."

Verizon Communications Inc, which with Vodafone controls the No. 1 U.S. wireless carrier Verizon Wireless, reports results on Thursday and may offer more clues to iPhone and iPad demand in the quarter.

NERVES

Investors are growing increasingly nervous about Apple's growth prospects.

Shares of other chip makers and Apple suppliers, including Qualcomm, Avago Technologies, Broadcom and Skyworks, fell between 2 and 6 percent on a day that saw broad weakness in financial markets.

Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope said in a note on Wednesday that Apple's momentum could weaken further before it launches new products later this year.

Apple, which relies heavily on new products to drive its revenue growth, has not had a launch since last October when it unveiled its 7.9-inch iPad mini and an updated full-size iPad.

The company typically launches a new iPad in the spring, but it is unlikely to do so because of the October update. Looking forward, investors now expect an upcoming new iPhone to power earnings in the second half. The two versions of the iPad are also likely to get an update in the fall.

In the past week, analysts had reduced their estimates for Apple's March quarter revenue on average to $42.53 billion from $42.68 billion. Following Cirrus' warning on Tuesday, some think Apple's results could miss those already reduced expectations.

Apple is expected to report a 9 percent increase in quarterly revenue, with net profit expected to decline 17 percent to $9.59 billion, or $10.08 a share, for its fiscal second quarter, according to average analysts' estimates.

Sacconaghi, who lowered his revenue estimate to $41.1 billion from $42.4 billion, said he expects mixed results with Apple's revenue coming in below consensus and earnings per share largely as expected.

Apple's implied volatility, which measures perceived risk of future stock movement, shot up on Wednesday. The implied volatility for the next 30 days for Apple stood at 43.73 percent, a 16.7 percent increase.

Share price volatility should increase into earnings and surpass an annual high in the next few days, said Ophir Gottlieb, managing director of options analytics firm Livevol.

(Additional reporting By Edwin Chan; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Andrew Hay, Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-shares-slide-supplier-cirrus-logics-weak-outlook-155459868--finance.html

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Yahoo's ad slump overshadows 1Q earnings gain

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, file photo, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, listens during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Yahoo Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market closes. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, file photo, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, listens during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Yahoo Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market closes. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)

(AP) ? Yahoo's Internet advertising revenue crumbled further during the first three months of the year, renewing doubts about the company's turnaround efforts despite a surge in earnings.

The results released Tuesday seemed to dim some of the aura surrounding Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who was lured away from a top job at Google Inc. nine months ago to revive revenue growth at a company that has been mired in a malaise for years.

Mayer, though, assured analysts that her plans are falling into place. She characterized her strategy as a "series of sprints" that will eventually produce a "chain reaction" of more appealing online services, more engaged users and, eventually, more advertising sales. She cautioned it will be several more years before Yahoo is growing anywhere near the rate as other major Internet players such as Google and Facebook.

"We are on course to do what we said we would do: stabilize and grow with the market," Mayer said during a Tuesday conference call.

There have been signs of encouragement since Mayer's arrival, most notably the first increase in Yahoo's annual revenue since 2008. Although the 2012 gain was just 2 percent, it raised hopes that growth would accelerate this year.

Instead, Yahoo's total revenue shrank by 7 percent in the latest quarter from the same time last year.

The weak spot was in one of Yahoo's former strengths ? display advertising. After subtracting the commissions that Yahoo pays its partners, the company's display advertising revenue fell by 11 percent from last year to $402 million. That development suggests that Yahoo is losing more ground in a key area of Internet advertising to Google Inc., which already dominates search advertising, and Facebook Inc., whose online social network is becoming a more powerful marketing magnet.

Yahoo's revenue from ads appearing alongside search results rose 6 percent from last year, excluding commissions. But that wasn't enough to prevent a 3 percent decline in Yahoo's total ad revenue, minus commissions.

On the plus side, Yahoo's first-quarter earnings climbed 36 percent to top analyst estimates. But much of the higher profit flowed from investments such as Yahoo's 24 percent stake in Alibaba Group, a rapidly growing Internet company in China. Yahoo's earnings from its investments totaled nearly $216 million in the first quarter, outstripping its operating income of $186 million.

"They are making more money (as) an investment house," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said.

Yahoo also is benefiting cost-cutting measures imposed by some of the five other CEOs, including interim leaders, who have run the company since mid-2007.

Investors seemed more dismayed with the downturn in Yahoo's display advertising than the growth in earnings. Yahoo's stock fell $1.08, or 4.5 percent, to $22.71 in extended trading. The shares had been up by more than 50 percent since Mayer's arrival.

Yahoo Inc. earned $390 million, or 35 cents per share, in the first quarter, compared with $286 million, or 23 cents per share, at the same time last year.

If not for expenses covering employee stock compensation and certain other costs, Yahoo said it would have earned 38 cents per share. That was well above the average estimate of 25 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue totaled $1.14 billion, down from $1.22 billion at the same time last year.

After subtracting ad commissions, Yahoo's revenue stood at $1.07 billion, about $30 million below analyst projections.

Analysts accepted Mayer's assessment that change will take time.

"You have to remember that turnarounds take a long time and we are still in the early innings of that," Gillis said.

Some of Mayer's predecessors also had stressed that it would take years for Yahoo to snap out of its financial funk.

Gartner analyst Andrew Frank noted that first-quarter earnings were stronger than expected and "they didn't miss revenue by a lot." He called the results positive overall and said he didn't see any alarming signs.

Mayer, 37, has been trying to make Yahoo's online services more compelling in hopes that the improvements will encourage Web surfers to visit more frequently and stay for longer. That would help Yahoo sell more advertising to marketers who have been funneling more of their online budgets to Google and Facebook. Mayer also has been trying to recast Yahoo's services so they are better suited for the growing audience consuming content on smartphones and tablet computers.

As part of a makeover under Mayer, Yahoo has redesigned its home page, email service and Flickr photo-sharing service. The company, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., also has made a series of small acquisitions aimed primarily at attracting more engineers with expertise in mobile applications and social networking.

Mayer told analysts that her efforts to infuse Yahoo with more talent and energy are paying off. She said the number of candidates applying for jobs has doubled and the attrition rate has been cut in half from a year ago.

Despite those changes, Yahoo still appears to be falling further behind its biggest rivals in the Internet ad market. Google's ad revenues have been climbing by about 20 percent in recent quarters while Facebook's has been surging by about 40 percent. Google is scheduled to report its first-quarter results Thursday, while Facebook plans to post its numbers on May 1.

Yahoo still has a long way to go just to attain Mayer's goal of matching the growth of the overall Internet ad market. In Yahoo's main market, the U.S., the company's ad revenue this year is expected to increase by about 3 percent, according to the research firm eMarketer. That contrasts with an anticipated 25 percent gain in overall spending on digital ads in the U.S. this year, eMarketer said.

___

AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay in New York contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-16-US-Earns-Yahoo/id-02ccc115eada4066a1639c2fa9695747

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Monday, April 1, 2013

PFT: Bills sign Kolb for maximum $13 million

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis looks for the ball during Jets training camp practice in Cortland, New YorkReuters

It has been several weeks since it became clear that the most serious (and possibly only) suitor for Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who apparently remain willing to pay Revis what he wants on a long-term deal even as the cornerback market has disintegrated.

But a trade bogged down with the Jets wanting a package headlined by the 13th overall pick in the 2013 draft and the Bucs hoping instead to send a 2014 first-rounder that, if the team from Tampa has its way, will be much lower than No. 13.

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune believes that, as the draft approaches, talk of the trade going down ?will heat up again.?? Cummings writes that the Bucs continue to refuse to part ways with their 2013 first-round pick ?in part because it?s too soon to know how this year?s draft will play out.?

That?s a great point.? A player the Bucs would have drafted with a much higher pick could squirt through the first 12 selections, making them more inclined to use it.? Conversely, there may be no one Tampa really wants at No. 13, making a trade to the Jets more likely.

That would actually help the Jets, since getting the 13th pick after 12 have been made would ensure that no one would try to leap past New York and take the player the Jets would possibly be targeting at No. 13.

There?s a third path that could get the deal done, giving the Jets the 2013 first-round pick G.M. John Idzik feels compelled to obtain.? The Bucs could slide back from No. 13 if they aren?t thrilled with any of the players available at that point, and then offer the lower pick to the Jets.

The fact that the Bucs have yet to sign another cornerback, coupled with the belief in league circles that ownership in Tampa wants Revis, means that this deal isn?t dead, yet.? In the end, it could make for some unexpected twists on the night of Thursday, April 25.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/30/kolb-deal-worth-a-maximum-of-13-million/related/

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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Obama: 'Shame on us' (CNN)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Pick 6: A look at the NBA's late-season races

The races are on in the NBA, both on and off the court.

With now less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, the eight teams that will be in the Eastern Conference playoffs are nearly set. Miami is on the verge of the No. 1 seed, though the jockeying for position beyond that will take a while.

Things are less certain out West. The Lakers have recovered from their turbulent first few months to grab a tenuous hold on the No. 8 spot, while the other race in Los Angeles has the Clippers trying to hold off Denver and Memphis for the No. 3 seed.

These other races could be tight right to the finish:

___

LAKERS VS. JAZZ AND MAVERICKS. Los Angeles will either make the playoffs as one of the most intriguing underdogs ever, or go down as one of the biggest flops in NBA history. An expected title contender after Dwight Howard and Steve Nash were brought in to join Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is instead just trying to hold onto the eighth and final spot in the West ? a task that might've grown tougher with the loss of Metta World Peace for the remainder of the regular season because of knee surgery.

___

HEAT VS. SPURS. This would've said Heat vs. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers before Wednesday, when Chicago stopped Miami's 27-game winning streak, six shy of the Lakers' record 33-game run. But the Heat won enough during the streak to move two games ahead of the Spurs for the best record in the league and home-court advantage throughout the NBA Finals, and they've said all along another title is what they're really after.

___

KEVIN DURANT VS. CARMELO ANTHONY. Durant is leading the league with 28.2 points per game as he tries to join Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as the only players to win four straight scoring titles. Anthony is at 27.5 but may have blown his chance when he struggled while trying to play through a recent knee injury, totaling 29 points in three games, but insisted last week he doesn't care about the scoring title, anyway.

___

SACRAMENTO VS. SEATTLE. Winner gets the Kings franchise. A Seattle group has a deal to purchase 65 percent of the team from the Maloof family, with plans to move it back to the Pacific Northwest and restore the SuperSonics name. But the NBA gave Sacramento a chance to submit its own bid, and Mayor Kevin Johnson is adamant that his city, which approved plans for a $448 million arena, is keeping the team. Both sides will make their case at a meeting in New York on April 3, with owners expected to vote on it during their meetings two weeks later.

___

KNICKS VS. NETS. Or, Manhattan vs. Brooklyn, as fans in New York might say. The Knicks have led the Atlantic Division virtually all season, but the Nets actually clinched a playoff berth first and have cut New York's lead to 2? games as they try to hang a banner in their first season since moving from New Jersey. Both franchises have also submitted bids to host the 2015 All-Star game, a decision that could be announced sometime around the NBA Finals.

___

MAGIC VS. BOBCATS: Loser gets the best chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft. Charlotte is a half-game behind for the league's worst record, and staying there gives Michael Jordan's team a 25 percent chance of winning the lottery and the right to draft someone like Kentucky's Nerlens Noel. Then again, the worst record didn't help the Bobcats last year, when they fell to No. 2 and missed a shot at Anthony Davis. The last team to win the lottery with the best chance? The Magic themselves, when they took Dwight Howard in 2004.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pick-6-look-nbas-season-races-081703421--spt.html

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Enterprise-Class 3D Printers To Drop Under $2,000 By 2016, Says Report

3d-printer-kiosk-fuji-163D printing is still in its infancy. But, to use an overused phrase, it is the future. From home use to enterprise use, 3D printing will continue to grow and break into new areas. With that comes price reductions. So much so that Gartner predicts enterprise-class 3D printers (read: 3D printers not made by hipsters in Brooklyn) will drop under the $2,000 mark by 2016. The report pegs continued adoption and progression in 3D technology as the cause for the price drop. It's all rather predictable but still a welcomed whisper of the future.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7epBsqIO448/

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SKorea cuts growth forecast, plans stimulus

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korea's government cut its forecast for growth in Asia's fourth-largest economy this year as exports stumble due to muted global demand and a weaker yen.

The finance ministry said Thursday that South Korea's economy will expand 2.3 percent this year. Three months ago it forecast 3 percent growth for 2013.

The lower forecast stems from the slower-than-expected global recovery, still weak investment and consumption at home and lack of consumer and corporate confidence, Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok, told reporters.

"Vitality in South Korea's economy has fallen sharply," Hyun said. "Situations ahead look tough. We cannot expect a significant improvement in exports."

South Korean manufacturers are struggling with weak overseas demand and increased competition from Japan where a new government has talked down the value of the yen, giving a boost to its exporting powerhouses such as Toyota Motor Corp.

The ministry said it will aid an economic recovery with a stimulus plan and spending more than 60 percent of the annual budget during the first half of the year.

Details of the stimulus spending will be announced next month, it said.

Hyundai Research Institute estimates that South Korea needs 11 trillion won ($9.9 billion) of extra government spending to add half a percentage point to growth. South Korea's last major stimulus was under former President Lee Myung-bak in 2009.

South Korea's economy grew 2 percent last year, the slowest pace in three years. The country's small domestic market means it is reliant on exporting to major economies such as China, Europe and the United States. None of those countries has fully recovered from the global recession in 2009.

"A full-scale recovery is being delayed," the finance ministry said in a statement.

The government estimates South Korea's exports were nearly flat during the first three months of 2013 over a year earlier, after a meager 0.3 percent growth in the final three months of 2012.

It attributed the slow improvement in exports to the uncertain economic situations in the U.S. and Europe, as well as the weak yen that made South Korean products less competitive in key overseas markets than Japanese goods.

The bleak economic picture adds to the challenges facing President Park Geun-hye during her first year in office. Park took office in Feb. 25 promising hefty welfare spending, more jobs and an increase of the country's middle class to 70 percent of the population from around 60 percent.

The finance ministry said it needs a bigger budget to aid recovery, to create jobs and to carry out Park's policies and welfare programs during her five year, single term. However, it estimated tax revenues will be lower than expected because of slower growth.

The ministry also pared its job market forecast as businesses remain reluctant to hire when the future is uncertain. South Korea will add only 250,000 new jobs this year, 70,000 less than its previous estimate.

It forecast the surplus in the current account, which is a broad measure of trade and investment balances with the rest of the world, to fall to $29 billion from $43 billion last year.

Inflation pressure will be lower as consumer prices will likely increase 2.3 percent, not 2.7 percent.

___

Follow Youkyung Lee on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skorea-cuts-growth-forecast-plans-stimulus-053404541--finance.html

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Google opens Shopping Express pilot with free same-day deliveries in San Francisco

Google launches Shopping Express pilot, offers free sameday deliveries in San Francisco

Looking to refresh your polo shirt collection -- today -- without making a trip to the store? There's a Google venture for that, and it's called Shopping Express. The service, which offers same-day delivery from Target, Walgreens, Toys R Us, American Eagle, Staples, Office Depot and a few local shops, has just opened its doors to testers in the San Francisco Bay Area. After signing up on Google's microsite, you'll be on your way to six months of unlimited free deliveries from select retailers. The service competes with similar offerings from Amazon and eBay, and, well, doesn't exactly seem like an obvious fit for Google. We're eager to see how it pans out -- hopefully, if it does turn out to be a worthwhile venture, it won't succumb to the search giant's annual "spring cleaning" ritual. The company is only accepting "a limited number of shoppers" right now, so if you're eligible, sign up at the source link ASAP.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/google-shopping-express/

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UPS pays $40M to end online pharmacies probe

(AP) ? Shipping company UPS has agreed to pay $40 million to end a federal criminal probe connected to its work for online pharmacies.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that the Atlanta-based company would also "take steps" to block illicit online drug dealers from using their delivery service.

The DOJ says the fine amount is the money UPS collected from suspect online pharmacies.

UPS won't be charged with any crimes. Its biggest rival, FedEx Corp., has also been a target of the federal investigation.

The investigation of the two companies stems from a global campaign to shutter illicit online pharmacies launched in 2005. Since then, dozens of arrests have been made and thousands of websites closed worldwide as investigators continue to broaden the probe beyond the operators.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-29-Online%20Pharmacies-Shippers%20Investigated/id-6987fd7901ad4a01ab3708370479e1d9

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

ZTE Posts Second-Straight Quarter Loss, To Round Off First Annual Loss

zte-logo-001As it already warned, ZTE posted its second-straight quarterly loss, due to contract delays and falling handset sales in China. It made a net loss of 1.14 billion yuan ($183 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with its net income of 991.16 million yuan a year prior. Sales in the fourth quarter also fell 16 percent to 23.5 billion yuan ($3.78 billion). This rounds off its first yearly loss, at 2.84 billion yuan ($456 million). The company blamed the decrease in profit margin on low-margin contracts in emerging markets like Africa, South America and Asia, as well as its home market of China. ZTE has spent the last 20 years aggressively expanding overseas, but often at the cost of profitability because of its slim profit margins as it undercuts European equipment makers in emerging markets such as India. It recently said it will try to cut costs and make a profit in the first quarter by focusing on developed markets, instead. ZTE has been lagging behind fellow Chinese rival, Huawei Technologies. The former recently announced it will increase its investment in 4G infrastructure, in order to catch up with Huawei, as the two compete for most 4G contracts from the three major carriers in China?China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/jaZT_6X9KJY/

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Newtown gunman had access to huge weapons cache

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a police cruiser sits in the driveway and crime scene tape surrounds the home of Nancy Lanza in Newtown, Conn. Nancy Lanza was killed in the home by her son Adam Lanza before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 26 people. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a police cruiser sits in the driveway and crime scene tape surrounds the home of Nancy Lanza in Newtown, Conn. Nancy Lanza was killed in the home by her son Adam Lanza before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 26 people. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

FILE - This undated file photo circulated by law enforcement and provided by NBC News, shows Adam Lanza, who authorities said Lanza killed his mother at their home and then opened fire inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized in the Lanza home. (AP Photo/NBC News, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, a police officer leads two women and a child from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., shortly after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III asked a judge in Danbury Superior Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2013 to limit the information to be made public from warrants in Newtown school shooting, due to be released Thursday. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks, File) MANDATORY CREDIT: NEWTOWN BEE, SHANNON HICKS

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, Connecticut State Police lead a line of children from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III asked a judge in Danbury Superior Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2013 to limit the information to be made public from warrants in Newtown school shooting, due to be released Thursday. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks, File) MANDATORY CREDIT: NEWTOWN BEE, SHANNON HICKS

Supporters of both sides of the gun debate gather outside the National Shooting Sports Foundation headquarters in Newtown, Conn., Thursday, March 28, 2013. Search warrants released Thursday, March 28, 2013, revealed that an arsenal of weapons including guns, more than a thousand rounds of ammunition, a bayonet and several swords was seized at Adam Lanza's home. Lanza killed his mother, Nancy Lanza in their home before he forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn, killing 26 people.(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

(AP) ? When Adam Lanza walked out of his house for the last time, he left behind firearms and knives and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition ? taking only four guns. They would suffice.

He loaded the weapons into his car, drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School, blasted his way into the building and within five minutes fired off 154 shots with a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle. Having slaughtered 20 first-graders and six educators, he killed himself with a shot from a Glock handgun. He still had more than 100 rifle bullets at hand.

Warrants released Thursday provide the most insight to date into the world of the 20-year-old gunman, a recluse who played violent video games in a house packed with weaponry that was all too real. The inventory of items found in the spacious, colonial-style home included books on autism, a vast array of weapon paraphernalia and images of what appears to be a dead person covered with plastic and blood.

The weapons used in the shooting had all apparently been purchased by Lanza's mother, Nancy, with whom he lived, said prosecutor Stephen J. Sedensky III, in a statement accompanying the warrants.

She was found dead in her bed; Adam Lanza had shot her the morning of the massacre, Dec. 14. Authorities also found a gun safe in his bedroom and a holiday card from Nancy Lanza containing a check made out to her son for the purchase of yet another firearm.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy expressed incredulity over the access that the troubled young man had to a cache of weapons.

"There are parts of this story that are unfathomable," he said. "How anyone would have maintained that household that way is difficult to understand."

Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son, Daniel, was killed at Sandy Hook, said he was not surprised by anything revealed Thursday.

"Most of this is pretty high level stuff that we were aware of already and it just reminds me of what happened, that a gunman stormed his way into an elementary school and shot to death 26 people, 20 of which were first-grade boys and girls," Barden said.

The shooting elevated gun safety to the top of President Barack Obama's agenda; at an event in Washington on Thursday, joined by the families of four children killed at Sandy Hook, he urged lawmakers not to get "squishy" in the face of opposition to gun control.

"Shame on us if we've forgotten," Obama said. "I haven't forgotten those kids."

The debate has extended to Newtown, a rural community of 27,000 people in western Connecticut that is also home to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. A protest and counter-protest were held outside the foundation's offices Thursday.

If it's possible to determine a motive for the massacre, there may be clues in Adam Lanza's journals, which state police seized from the house and turned over to the FBI for analysis. But authorities say that so far no conclusions have been reached. Sedensky estimated that the investigation will be finished this summer.

At the Lanza house, investigators found books about autism and Asperger's syndrome, as well as one with tabbed pages titled "Train Your Brain to Get Happy." Adam Lanza was said to have been diagnosed with Asperger's, an autism-like disorder that is not associated with violence.

But the warrants also reveal an intense interest in weaponry and violence.

A gun locker in the house was open when police arrived in the aftermath of the shootings, and there was no sign it had been broken into.

Investigators found a 7-foot pole with a blade on one side and a spear on another, a metal bayonet, three samurai swords, a .323-caliber bolt-action rifle, a .22-caliber Savage Mark II rifle and a .22-caliber Volcanic starter pistol. There was a military-style uniform in Lanza's bedroom; literature seized from the house included a news article on a 2008 shooting at Northern Illinois University and a National Rifle Association guide to pistol shooting.

News outlets including The Associated Press reported previously that Lanza showed interest in other mass killings. Some, including The Hartford Courant, reported that he had a particular interest in Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in twin attacks in 2011 in Norway's worst peacetime massacre.

In a duffel bag, investigators found ear and eye protection, binoculars, numerous paper targets and an NRA certificate that belonged to Adam Lanza. The NRA said Lanza was not a member.

An unnamed person told investigators that Lanza was an avid gamer who played "Call of Duty" and rarely left his home. The affidavit, which is partially blacked out, also has that person saying that Sandy Hook, the school Lanza attended as a child, was his "life."

On the day of the massacre, Lanza took two loaded handguns to the school along with the Bushmaster rifle. A fourth gun, a loaded 12-gauge Saiga shotgun, was found in the passenger compartment of his Honda Civic, along with 70 shotgun rounds.

Lanza went through six 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster, although half of them were not completely empty, and police said he had three other 30-round magazines in addition to one that was in the rifle.

A judge's order to seal the warrants expired on Wednesday, and a Danbury Superior Court judge granted a request by Sedensky to withhold some details. Sedensky asked to redact the name of a witness, saying the person's safety might be jeopardized if the name were disclosed. He also asked that the release not include other information such as telephone numbers, serial numbers on items found and a few paragraphs of an affidavit.

Malloy, a Democrat in his first term as governor, said the fact that Lanza left smaller magazines at the house should boost support for a state ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

"That somebody could get 154 shots off in less than five minutes, kill 20 children and six adults, is disturbing," Malloy said.

Connecticut House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., a Republican, said he expects the General Assembly will be ready to vote next week, possibly Wednesday, on a package addressing gun control and other issues raised by the shooting.

___

Associated Press writers John Christoffersen, Dave Collins and Susan Haigh in Hartford and John Christoffersen in New Haven contributed to this report. Melia reported from Hartford.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-28-US-Connecticut-School-Shooting/id-40a5fd9dbf2040818901d0c2882e8806

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Cold cities less sustainable than warm cities, research suggests

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Living in colder climates in the US is more energy demanding than living in warmer climates. This is according to Dr Michael Sivak at the University of Michigan, who has published new research today, 28 March, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters.

Dr Sivak has calculated that climate control in the coldest large metropolitan area in the country -- Minneapolis -- is about three-and-a-half times more energy demanding than in the warmest large metropolitan area -- Miami.

Dr Sivak calculated this difference in energy demand using three parameters: the number of heating or cooling degree days in each area; the efficiencies of heating and cooling appliances; and the efficiencies of power-generating plants.

Not included in the analysis were the energy used to extract fuels from the ground, the losses during energy transmission, and energy costs.

"It has been taken for a fact that living in the warm regions of the US is less sustainable than living in the cold regions, based partly on the perceived energy needs for climate control; however, the present findings suggest a re-examination of the relative sustainability of living in warm versus cold climates."

Heating degree days (HDDs) and cooling degree days (CDDs) are climatological measures that are designed to reflect the demand for energy needed to heat or cool a building. They are calculated by comparing the mean daily outdoor temperature with 18?C.

A day with a mean temperature of 10?C would have 8 HDDs and no CDDs, as the temperature is 8?C below 18?C. Analogously, a day with a mean temperature of 23?C would have 5 CDDs and no HDDs.

Based on a previous study, Dr Sivak showed that Minneapolis has 4376 heating degree days a year compared to 2423 cooling degree days in Miami.

In the study, Dr Sivak used a single measure for the efficiency of heating and cooling appliances, as most are currently rated using different measures so they cannot be directly compared. His calculations showed that a typical air conditioner is about four times more energy efficient than a typical furnace.

"In simple terms, it takes less energy to cool a room down by one degree than it does to heat it up by one degree," said Dr Sivak.

Grouping together climatology, the efficiency of heating and cooling appliances, and the efficiency of power-generating plants, Dr Sivak showed that Minneapolis was substantially more energy demanding than Miami.

"In the US, the energy consumption for air conditioning is of general concern but the required energy to heat is often taken for granted. Focus should also be turned to the opposite end of the scale -- living in cold climates such as in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Rochester, Buffalo and Chicago is more energy demanding, and therefore less sustainable from this point of view, than living in warm climates such as in Miami, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando and Las Vegas," Dr Sivak concluded.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Physics (IOP), via AlphaGalileo.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Michael Sivak. Air conditioning versus heating: climate control is more energy demanding in Minneapolis than in Miami. Environmental Research Letters, 2013; 8 (1): 014050 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/014050

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/NNa2up0jJI4/130328075710.htm

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