Scientists see 'sloshing' galaxy cluster

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2012) ? A Naval Research Laboratory scientist is part of a team that has recently discovered that vast clouds of hot gas are "sloshing" in Abell 2052, a galaxy cluster located about 480 million light years from Earth. The scientists are studying the hot (30 million degree) gas using X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical data from the Very Large Telescope to see the galaxies.

"The X-ray images were amazing. We were able to see gas sloshing like liquid in a glass" explains NRL's Dr. Tracy Clarke. "Of course this would be one enormous glass since we see the gas sloshing over a region of nearly a million light years across!"

The Chandra data reveal the huge spiral structure in the hot gas around the outside of the image. Zooming in on the cluster reveals "cavities" or "bubbles" surrounding the central giant elliptical galaxy. The spiral began when a small cluster of galaxies collided off-center with a larger one positioned around that central galaxy.

The gravitational attraction of the smaller cluster drew the hot gas out of the central cluster toward the smaller cluster. Once the smaller cluster passed by the central cluster core, the gas movement reversed and it was pulled back toward the center of the main cluster. The hot cluster gas overshot the cluster center, creating the "sloshing" effect that is like the sloshing that occurs when a glass holding a liquid is quickly jerked sideways. In the cluster, gravity pulls back on the gas cloud, creating the spiral pattern.

For scientists, the observation of the "sloshing" motion in Abell 2052 is important for two reasons. First, the "sloshing" helps to move some of the cooler, dense gas in the center of the core farther away from the core. This cooler gas is only about 10 million degrees, as compared to the average temperature of 30 million degrees. This movement reduces the amount of cooling in the cluster core and could limit the amount of new stars being formed in the central galaxy. The "sloshing" movement in Abell 2052 also helps redistribute heavy elements like iron and oxygen, which are created out of supernova explosions. These heavy elements are an important part of the make-up of future stars and planets. The fact that Chandra's observation of Abell 2052 lasted more than a week was critical in providing scientists with the details detected in this image.

Besides the large-scale spiral feature, the Chandra observations also allowed scientists to see details in the center of the cluster related to outbursts from the supermassive black hole. The data reveal bubbles resulting from material blasted away from the black hole which are surrounded by dense, bright, cool rims. In the same way that the "sloshing" helps to reduce the cooling of the gas at the core of the cluster, the bubble activity has the same effect, limiting the growth of the galaxy and its supermassive black hole.

This research was published in the August 20, 2011 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. The authors were Elizabeth Blanton of Boston University, Boston, MA; Scott Randall of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA; Tracy Clarke of the Naval Research Laboratory, Remote Sensing Division, in Washington DC; Craig Sarazin of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA; Brian McNamara of the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada; Edmund Douglass of Boston University and Michael McDonald of the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Naval Research Laboratory.

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Journal Reference:

1. E. L. Blanton, S. W. Randall, T. E. Clarke, C. L. Sarazin, B. R. McNamara, E. M. Douglass, M. McDonald. A Very Deep Chandra Observation of A2052: Bubbles, Shocks, and Sloshing. The Astrophysical Journal, 2011; 737 (2): 99 DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/99

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172410.htm

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Egypt's military considers speeding up transition (AP)

CAIRO ? A spokesman for an advisory body to Egypt's military rulers says the army is studying ways to accelerate the transition to civilian rule, including moving up the timetable for presidential elections.

Mohammed El-Kholy said Monday the panel of civilian advisers wants to "ease the tension" following street protests on the anniversary of last year's uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, leaving the generals in charge.

The protesters want an immediate end to military rule, and accuse the army of mismanaging the transition and committing human rights violations.

El-Kholy says one suggestion is to hold presidential elections earlier than by the end of June ? the military's current schedule.

Activists say the new proposals could inflame tensions because they squeeze the time allotted for drafting a new constitution.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CAIRO (AP) ? An Egyptian security official says gunmen have stormed the branch of a major international bank and robbed an armored car in separate parts of Cairo.

The official said that seven gunmen charged Monday into the New Cairo branch of HSBC Bank on the city's outskirts, firing their weapons in the air, and took money from tellers.

The same day, he said, three gunmen robbed an armored car as it unloaded money at another bank in southern Cairo, fleeing with over 3 million Egyptian pounds ($542,000 dollars).

He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Armed bank robberies are rare in Egypt. Monday's daring daytime raids come amid reduced police deployments following the uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power last year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

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Who Won Big at the 2012 SAG Awards?

The cast of The Help had much reason to celebrate at the 2012 SAG Awards. The Civil Rights drama swept in all of its categories, winning outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role and the night's highest honor, outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/sag-awards-2012-winners/1-a-423173?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Asag-awards-2012-winners-423173

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Obama pokes fun during dinner for capital elites (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama told some jokes and poked a little fun at himself as he addressed the Alfalfa Club dinner, an exclusive annual black-tie get-together of some of the capital's movers and shakers.

The club's sole mission is to put on a steak-and-lobster feast while giving high-powered politicians and business leaders another opportunity to rub elbows and share some laughs. Saturday night's dinner was, as in years past, off limits to reporters.

"It is great to be here tonight, because I have about 45 more minutes on the State of the Union that I'd like to deliver tonight," the president told the gathering, according to excerpts released by the White House.

Among those attending were current and former senators, including John Kerry of Massachusetts and Pat Leahy of Vermont. Former President George H.W. Bush and his son Jeb, a former governor of Florida, were also on the guest list.

"You've heard it from the pundits: `Obama is cloistered in the White House.' `He's aloof.' `He's in the bubble.' `He's not connecting,'" the president said. "And that's why one of my big goals this year was to get out and be among everyday, ordinary Americans -- like the men and women of the Alfalfa Club."

His appearance at the dinner came at the end of a high profile week for the president, beginning with his address to a joint session of Congress and ending with a three-day tour of five states that included an exchange of words with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.

According to club history, the club is named after the alfalfa because the plant extends its roots far for a drink.

Obama was joined at the dinner, at a hotel near the White House, by his wife, Michelle.

It was the second club dinner the president addressed in four years. He last spoke at the dinner in 2009 but skipped the soiree last year and in 2010.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_alfalfa

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Statins May Stave Off Liver Cancer in People With Hepatitis B (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Popular cholesterol-lowering statins may also lower risk for liver cancer among people with hepatitis B, a new study shows. Hepatitis B, an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus, is one of the main causes of liver cancer.

This is not the first time that statins have shown promise in reducing risk for cancer. Other studies have hinted that these drugs may play a role in preventing certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.

In the new study of more than 33,000 individuals with hepatitis B followed from 1997 to 2008, those who took a statin were less likely to develop liver cancer, when compared to participants who were not prescribed statins. What's more, the longer a person took statins, the greater the liver-cancer risk reduction. Study participants were prescribed the statins to treat high cholesterol levels. Overall, 1,021 people developed liver cancer during the study period.

More research is needed to see how statins may lower liver cancer risk among people with hepatitis B, the researchers said.

"Statins have potential protective effects against cancers [and] carriers of hepatitis B virus infection have a substantial risk of [liver] carcinoma," said Dr. Pau-Chung Chen, a professor of environmental medicine and epidemiology at National Taiwan University, in Taipei. "Statin use is not only a benefit to preventing cardiovascular diseases, but also an additional, convenient and acceptable strategy for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma," or liver cancer, Chen said.

However, statins can cause a potentially dangerous rise in liver enzymes and liver damage. Regular liver function tests are required for all people who take statins.

The study appeared online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"This is exciting and unequivocally solid research," said Dr. Eugene Schiff, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

"One of the issues is that statins are relatively contraindicated in people with liver disease," Schiff said. But "the take-home message for people with hepatitis B or anybody with liver disease is that statins are safe. This re-emphasizes the point that if someone has chronic hepatitis B and there is an indication for statins, they should get them and they may be beneficial far beyond lowering cholesterol: They may also reduce their risk for liver cancer."

Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, N.Y., is more cautious. "In almost all other liver conditions, cirrhosis must be present before [liver cancer] develops," he said. During cirrhosis, scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. "Statins must be used with caution in patients with cirrhosis, which can limit their use in patients with liver disease at risk of developing liver cancer," he said. "Further studies are needed in this patient population to confirm these findings."

More information

For information on hepatitis B, visit the U.S. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120127/hl_hsn/statinsmaystaveofflivercancerinpeoplewithhepatitisb

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World Of Pets Expo: An Event For Pet Lovers & Their 4-Legged ...

TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ)? If you?re an animal lover, all roads lead to Timonium this weekend. You?ll find dogs, cats, birds and a whole lot more at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.

Ron Matz has more on one of the biggest animal shows on the East Coast.

Dogs can?t fly, but they?ll get close this weekend. Chesapeake Dock Dogs are just one of the great attractions at the 11th annual World of Pets Expo.

?We have hundreds of booths for you to shop for anything and everything for your pet,? said Jeanne Emge, World of Pets Expo. ?We have a cat show, dog agility trials, a guinea pig-a-thon. The bird whisperer is here from Australia to work with difficult parrots.?

Johnny Peers is back with his Muttville Comix. It?s a crew of 22. He loves making kids smile.

?We have many shelters and rescues representing almost every kind of pet and they would love to have you come talk to them about pets they have that need homes,? Emge said.

You can bring your pet too and learn about Thankful Paws.

?We are a nonprofit organization. We are a food bank for pets, so when people are going through a hard time and they?re deciding between paying BGE or buying food for their dog, we?re here to help provide temporary assistance to help them over the hump,? said Lynn Molnar, Thankful Paws. ?We love our veterans and we love our senior citizens and those are the people we primarily like to help, but the people we?re able to help depend on the number of donations we get.?

It?s a time to see how far a dog can go in the popular Chesapeake Dock Dogs agility trial.

?We have everything jumping for dock dogs, from a dachshund?to Great Dane, even a mastiff, but it?s primarily labs. We have at least five clubs represented here this weekend,? said Jim Linde, of Chesapeake Dock Dogs. ?The object is to see how far out in the pool they can go. If you break 15 feet, you?re a senior title. If you break 19 feet you?re a master title. If you break 22 feet, you?re an elite title. The record is 28 feet 10 inches.?

But there?s no title for just having a good time.

?It is a wonderful family friendly event. You can even bring your pet if your pet is well socialized. Kids love this show. It?s a great family venue,? Emge?said. ?Come on out and spend the weekend with us.??With great?food and free parking, it?s the place to be.?

The World of Pets Expo runs through 8 p.m. Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday. For ticket information, just click here.

Source: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/01/27/world-pets-expo-an-event-for-pet-lovers-their-4-legged-friends/

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Economy grew modest 2.8 pct. in Q4, best in 2011 (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The U.S. economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, the fastest growth in 2011.

Americans spent more on cars and trucks, and companies built up their stockpiles. But growth in the October-December quarter ? and all of last year ? was held back by the biggest annual government spending cuts in four decades.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the economy grew just 1.7 percent last year, roughly half of the growth in 2010 and the worst since the recession.

Most economists expect businesses to ease up on restocking in the first three months of the year. That should slow first-quarter growth. And consumers may cut back on spending if their wages continue to lag inflation.

In the final three months of last year, consumer spending grew at a 2 percent annual rate. That's up modestly from the third quarter.

Much of the growth was powered by a 14.8 percent surge in sales of autos and other long-lasting manufactured goods.

Incomes, which have been weak all year because of high unemployment, grew at a modest 0.8 percent rate. That followed two straight quarters of declining incomes.

Consumer spending is important because it makes up 70 percent of economic activity.

Spending by government at all levels fell at an annual rate of 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter and 2.1 percent for the year ? the biggest decline since 1971.

Sweeping federal defense cuts at the beginning and end of 2011 were a major factor.

Richard DeKaiser, a senior economist at Parthenon Group, expects just 2 percent annual growth in the January-March quarter. But Kaiser says that should be the weakest quarter. He expects the economy to gain strength in each quarter and grow 2.6 percent for the entire year.

Other data show the economy ended 2011 on a strong note. Companies invested more in equipment and machinery in December. The unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent last month ? the lowest level in nearly three years ? after the sixth straight month of solid hiring.

People are buying more cars, and consumer confidence is rising. Even the depressed housing market has shown enough improvement to make some economists predict a turnaround has begun.

Still, many economists worry that a recession in Europe could dampen demand for U.S. manufactured goods, which would slow growth. And without more jobs and better pay, consumer spending is likely to stagnate.

The Federal Reserve signaled this week that a full recovery could take at least three more years. In response, it said it would probably not increase its benchmark interest rate until late 2014 at the earliest ? a year and a half later than it had previously said.

The central bank also slightly reduced its outlook for growth this year, from as much as 2.9 percent forecast in November down to 2.7 percent. The Fed sees unemployment falling as low as 8.2 percent this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy

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KDE 4.8 released, wants to sashay its way into your computer

Sure, it might not have the marketing flair, nor mindshare of another Linux-based project we know, but that doesn't mean the folks behind KDE haven't been feverishly polishing their take on the perfect desktop environment. That dedication has resulted in version 4.8, which brings forth a bevy of tweaks big and small. Those upgrading will be treated to more layouts in Plasma Workspaces, a new display engine and file-manager, as well as redesigned power management settings. Also on the docket are refinements that improve stability and performance, including groundwork to enable more touch-friendly UIs in the future. Sounds like a win-win to us, so why are you still reading? More info awaits at the source.

KDE 4.8 released, wants to sashay its way into your computer originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot  |  KDE  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/kde-4-8-released-wants-to-sashay-its-way-into-your-computer/

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New Queen's University research sheds light on gene destruction linked to aggressive prostate cancer

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
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Contact: Michael Onesi
Michael.Onesi@queensu.ca
613-533-6000 x77513
Queen's University

Professor Jeremy Squire discovers unstable segment of DNA responsible for loss of key tumor suppressor genes

Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada have identified a possible cause for the loss of a tumour suppressor gene (known as PTEN) that can lead to the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

"This discovery gives us a greater understanding of how aggressive prostate cancer develops because we now have some insight into the mechanism by which the PTEN gene is destroyed," says Jeremy Squire, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine.

PTEN is one of a small class of tumor suppressor genes that closely regulates the growth of cells. When PTEN is altered or deleted in prostate cells, they lose the ability to make a protein that controls normal growth. Cells can then grow uncontrolled and can develop into a prostate cancer.

Dr. Squire, with his postdoctoral fellow Maisa Yoshimoto, examined cancerous tissue samples and determined that the loss of the PTEN gene occurred close to a large, unstable segment of DNA. Their discovery suggests that proximity of PTEN to this region makes cancer-suppressing genes more prone to being deleted or inactivated.

Researchers discovered the gene using a novel gene-detection technology developed by Dr. Squire and his laboratory. They identified and analyzed with unprecedented accuracy the loss of critical tumour genes using a highly sensitive fluorescent labelling system. The technology significantly improves on current methods for identifying PTEN loss and has the potential to lead to better treatment of prostate cancer patients.

The Del-TECT gene-detection technology was licensed to CymoGen Dx through PARTEQ Innovations, Queen's technology transfer office last year. CymoGen DX invented the labeling system.

The researchers' findings appear in the current edition of the journal Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer.

###

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?

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

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Onesi
Michael.Onesi@queensu.ca
613-533-6000 x77513
Queen's University

Professor Jeremy Squire discovers unstable segment of DNA responsible for loss of key tumor suppressor genes

Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada have identified a possible cause for the loss of a tumour suppressor gene (known as PTEN) that can lead to the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

"This discovery gives us a greater understanding of how aggressive prostate cancer develops because we now have some insight into the mechanism by which the PTEN gene is destroyed," says Jeremy Squire, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine.

PTEN is one of a small class of tumor suppressor genes that closely regulates the growth of cells. When PTEN is altered or deleted in prostate cells, they lose the ability to make a protein that controls normal growth. Cells can then grow uncontrolled and can develop into a prostate cancer.

Dr. Squire, with his postdoctoral fellow Maisa Yoshimoto, examined cancerous tissue samples and determined that the loss of the PTEN gene occurred close to a large, unstable segment of DNA. Their discovery suggests that proximity of PTEN to this region makes cancer-suppressing genes more prone to being deleted or inactivated.

Researchers discovered the gene using a novel gene-detection technology developed by Dr. Squire and his laboratory. They identified and analyzed with unprecedented accuracy the loss of critical tumour genes using a highly sensitive fluorescent labelling system. The technology significantly improves on current methods for identifying PTEN loss and has the potential to lead to better treatment of prostate cancer patients.

The Del-TECT gene-detection technology was licensed to CymoGen Dx through PARTEQ Innovations, Queen's technology transfer office last year. CymoGen DX invented the labeling system.

The researchers' findings appear in the current edition of the journal Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/qu-nqu012612.php

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Gingrich: Romney self-deportation plan a fantasy

DORAL, Fla. (AP) ? Republican Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney's call for self-deportation of illegal immigrants is an "Obama-level" fantasy that is inhumane to long-established families living in America.

The former House speaker ridiculed that part of Romney's immigration policy during a forum Wednesday with the Spanish-language network Univision. Gingrich laughed at the idea and said it wouldn't work.

Romney said during a recent debate that he favors what he calls "self-deportation" over policies that require the federal government to round up illegal immigrants and send them back to their home countries.

Gingrich says Romney's proposal reflects a candidate who lives, in his words, "in a world of Swiss bank accounts and Cayman Island accounts." That was a jab at Romney's wealth.

Romney was taping his own segment with Univision later Wednesday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-25-Campaign-Hispanics/id-652902a6f7464060bc6315d3d06e307d

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UN's new Afghan envoy heartened by talk of peace (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan ? The U.N.'s new representative to war-torn Afghanistan said Wednesday that he was encouraged by widespread discussion about prospects for making peace with the Taliban.

Jan Kubis, the new special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General, said that he thinks the Afghan people are tired of the 10-year war and are interested in supporting steps that would bring more stability and eventually peace to Afghanistan.

"Political forces are discussing it. The parliament is discussing it. Civil society is discussing it at all levels ? not only at the top level, but in the provinces," said Kubis, who arrived in Afghanistan about a week ago and has been meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other top Afghan and international officials. "People are trying to understand what can we do to support this."

The U.S. has engaged in talks with Taliban figures, and the Afghan government and other regional players have also opened lines of communication with the insurgency as a way to find a political resolution to the war.

Kubis said that no major, relevant party can be excluded from the discussion.

He cautioned that the country was still dangerous.

"It's obvious to everyone that the security situation is still volatile," Kubis said. "Unfortunately, suicide and terrorist attacks are a part of the life here. What is tragic and sad is that unfortunately, suicide attacks are targeting, indiscriminately, civilians, including children and women.

Kubis succeeds Staffan de Mistura, who headed the United National Assistance Mission in Afghanistan from March 2010 to December 2011. Prior to taking up his new position, Kubis was executive secretary of the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe.

He said his priorities were to link security and development, promote reconciliation and work on issues related to governance, human rights, election and legal reforms.

Kubis arrives as international development assistance is declining and foreign combat forces have started to withdraw ? a gradual process that is to be completed by the end of 2014.

Some countries, including France, are under domestic political pressure to pull out of the unpopular war early.

France halted its training programs for the Afghan military and threatened to withdraw its forces earlier than planned after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French troops last Friday in eastern Afghanistan. On Wednesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was scheduled to travel to southeastern France for a ceremony honoring the victims.

In recent days, top French officials in recent days have sought to dispel concerns abroad about a possible crack in the NATO-led alliance in Afghanistan and a hasty exit by France.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon told parliament Tuesday that France is keeping to plans to withdraw 600 troops this year ? in line with its previous schedule pegged in part to a gradual U.S.-led withdrawal by 2014.

France currently has about 3,600 troops in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is scheduled to visit France on Friday and meet with Sarkozy.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said Wednesday that an investigation is ongoing into the attack on the French. He would not confirm speculation that the attack was motivated by a video purporting to show U.S. Marines desecrating Taliban insurgents' bodies, or for some other reason.

He said the Afghan soldier, who is in custody, is 21 years old and had been in the Afghan National Army less than three months.

"Our initial investigation is not completely clear," Azimi said.

The 39-second video, which showed what appeared to be Marines urinating on the corpses of Afghans, drew immediate condemnation from all sides when it surfaced on YouTube earlier this month.

The attack was latest of several by an Afghan soldier on international troops working with the national army. There have been more than a dozen such turncoat attacks in two years, although the U.S.-led coalition says they are isolated incidents that do not point to a wider trend nor to organized Taliban infiltration.

French investigators are traveling to Afghanistan to assist in investigating the attack.

The NATO force in Afghanistan said one of the coalition's service members was killed by a roadside bomb on Wednesday in the country's volatile south. The statement gave no further details, including the nationality of the service member.

___

Associated Press writers Kay Johnson and Massieh Neshat in Kabul contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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HBT: Are Rangers out of bidding for Fielder?

Last week general manager Jon Daniels admitted that Texas was ?very unlikely? to sign Prince Fielder and now Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Rangers ?believe they are out of the bidding? for the slugging first baseman.

Fielder met with Rangers officials in Dallas earlier this month, but it?s unclear if talks even reached the offer stage and since then Texas spent $112 million on Yu Darvish.

If the Rangers are indeed out of the mix that seemingly makes the Nationals overwhelming favorites to sign Fielder, although based on various reports that?s probably been the case all along.

It?s possible a team like the Orioles could swoop in with a huge offer, but the Marlins, Mariners, Tigers, and now Rangers are said not to be involved and the usual huge-spending teams don?t really have a big need for Fielder even if they badly wanted him. And it doesn?t hurt that the Nationals? roster is already packed with prominent Scott Boras clients.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/24/rangers-believe-theyre-out-of-the-bidding-for-prince-fielder/related/

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#BlackoutSOPA: How 87,000 People Taught Us About The Future of Online Activism

At 1pm on Monday January 9th, Greg Hochmuth and I launched #BlackoutSOPA, a site that lets you alter your Twitter profile pic to display SOPA opposition. 15 minutes later the site went down due to more traffic than we expected. That demand was just the beginning. Over the next 10 days, tens of thousands of people used the tool to reach tens of millions of their followers. Since then, #BlackoutSOPA has received coverage in the Wall St Journal, TechCrunch, the New York Times and several other prominent sources. And the community members ranged from Ashton Kutcher to Occupy Wall Street. There was no 1% or 99% - just 100%. #BlackoutSOPA started because Greg and I wanted to see how we could find other people who cared about stopping the flawed ?anti-piracy? bill, but it ended up teaching us about the future of online activism. Here?s some of what we learned, plus a few thoughts on what SOPA was trying to do, and why were we fighting it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XakYNhzMJv4/

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BlackBerry maker's CEO: No drastic change needed

In this Feb. 5, 2009 photo, Research In Motion co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, left, and Mike Lazaridis talk to media after an Ontario Securities Commission hearing in Toronto. The company on Sunday, Jan. 22 2012 says Balsillie and Lazaridis are stepping down, and will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

In this Feb. 5, 2009 photo, Research In Motion co-CEOs Jim Balsillie, left, and Mike Lazaridis talk to media after an Ontario Securities Commission hearing in Toronto. The company on Sunday, Jan. 22 2012 says Balsillie and Lazaridis are stepping down, and will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

This undated photo provided by Research in Motion shows Thorsten Heins, who on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Research In Motion. Heins succeeds co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who announced they are stepping down. (AP Photo/Research In Motion via The Canadian Press)

TORONTO (AP) ? The new chief executive of Research in Motion said Monday that drastic change is not needed, even as the once iconic maker of the BlackBerry smartphone confronts the most difficult period in its history.

The Canadian company turned the smartphone into a ubiquitous device that many couldn't live without. But following the departure of Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, who stepped down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen, Thorsten Heins assumes the chief executive role at a time when Americans are abandoning their Blackberrys for flashier touch-screen phones such as Apple's iPhone and various competing models that run Google's Android software.

RIM's U.S. market share of smartphones dropped from 44 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2011, according to market researcher NPD Group. The company still has 75 million active subscribers, but many analysts believe the company will lose market share internationally, just as it has in the U.S.

Heins, formerly a little known chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, replaces RIM's founders after the company has lost tens of billions in market value. Balsillie acknowledged in December that the last few quarters have been among the most challenging times the company has seen.

Even so, Heins said on a conference call on Monday that he didn't think significant change was needed. He said the leadership change was not a "seismic" event. Heins said he's committed to switching the company's phones over to a new operating system, which is expected late this year. That's the same plan favored by Lazaridis and Balsillie, who announced Sunday they would step down from the top jobs, but serve in other roles.

Heins said RIM has to improve its U.S. marketing to go beyond the traditional corporate customer.

"I want us to have a bit more of an ear towards the consumer market, understand trends, and not just do what the Street is telling you," Heins said.

Shares of RIM fell eight percent, or $1.39 cents to $15.61, following his remarks. The stock had initially moved up almost 4 percent in premarket trading.

Heins said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that RIM doesn't have plans "right now" to put the company up for the sale or to split it up. He reiterated there is no reason for a "shake up" of RIM. He explained that he would consult with Lazaridis and Balsille on major decisions because they remain board members.

"I've worked really well with Mike in the past. He is a founder of an iconic company, a great innovator. For sure, I will seek his advice and his counsel where needed and I will have my discussions with him, but the company is run by the CEO and that's what you'll see," Heins said.

Heins' top priority will be to release smartphones that run the company's long-awaited Blackberry 10 software. "I will do everything I can to make that happen, but I cannot commit to a very specific date. But, yes, we will ship BlackBerry devices later this year on BlackBerry 10," he said.

Vic Alboini, president of Jaguar Financial Corp. in Toronto, which has been pushing for a change in leadership, said the drop in stock price on Monday meant the market saw the leadership adjustment as "more of the same."

Many shareholders and analysts have said a change or sale of the company has been needed, but the sudden departure of the two founders from their top jobs wasn't expected despite their promises that they would examine the co-CEO and co-chairmen structure.

Balsillie and Lazaridis have long been celebrated as Canadian heroes, even appearing in the country's citizenship guide for new immigrants as models of success. They headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.

Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board. The two remain two of RIM's biggest shareholders.

"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Analysts have said RIM's future depends on its new software platform as RIM has tried and failed to reinvigorate the BlackBerry.

RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future would be delayed until late this year. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to deeply discount it to move the devices off store shelves.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in late 2010 that RIM would have a hard time catching up to Apple because RIM has been forced to move beyond its area of strength and into unfamiliar territory of trying to become a software platform company.

BlackBerrys made email mobile and were dominant in the North American smartphone market until the iPhone came along. Under Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company struggled to adjust to the times and match the iPhone's facility with Web browsing, third-party applications and multimedia.

Heins, who is 54, said Lazaridis and Balsillie took RIM in the right direction and they are "more confident than ever that was the right path."

Barbara Stymiest, a former chief operating officer of the Royal Bank of Canada who has been a member of RIM's board since 2007, has been named chair of the board of directors. RIM also announced that Prem Watsa, the chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings, is a new board member. Watsa has become a significant shareholder.

Lazaridis said he was so confident in the future direction of the company that he intends to purchase an additional $50 million of the company's shares on the open market.

RIM was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago but now has a market value of around $8.2 billion. Some industry analysts believe RIM is following the same trajectory as struggling Finish handset maker Nokia or former Canadian tech giant Nortel, which declared bankruptcy in 2009.

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis agrees that a change in marketing is needed, but it will take more than that to reverse the decline. Gillis said the move is two years late and said he'll get more excited when RIM announces positive news about their new software platform.

"It's just a shuffling of the deck," Gillis said. "He's got a pretty rough road to drive up. The other part is that Mike and Jim are still around. Think about Jerry Yang in Yahoo. When he finally stepped down people said he was still a really big influence on the company."

Stuart Jeffrey at Nomura Securities said the management switch could remove an obstacle toward selling the company, but still believes a buyer is unlikely to surface. The value of the company is uncertain, since the new operating system, BlackBerry 10, is unproven.

Private-equity buyers might be enticed to buy the company for its cash flow, he said, but the fair value for the company is about $15 per share on that basis, meaning private-equity firms are unlikely to pay much above $10.

___

Associated Press Technology Writer Peter Svensson in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-23-RIM-CEOs%20Resign/id-738653c4bbf14c5ab7f36a851f164be7

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Egypt Islamists ease rhetoric on eve of power

CAIRO?? After decades of dreaming of power, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood finally comes face to face with the question of how to use it, as a new parliament that it dominates opens Monday.

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The fundamentalist group has eased off talk of Islamic-style legislation, saying it will focus on fixing Egypt's ailing economy, and it has even backed off introducing further explicit Islamic references in the new constitution it will have a major hand in writing. But it has other tools to push Egypt toward greater religious conservativism.

The Brotherhood's caution in its Islamic rhetoric and parliament agenda reflect its worries of a backlash against it at a time when Egypt's politics are still in major flux. Egyptians are eager to see quick improvements in an economy that has been battered by turmoil and mismanagement since the fall of Hosni Mubarak nearly a year ago.

They also want signs of long-term change in a system where corruption was rife, nearly half the population fell to the edge of poverty or below, young people searched in vain for jobs and for housing and neighborhoods were left to fall into dilapidation as Mubarak's regime built clean new suburbs for the few wealthy.

Moreover, how much authority the Brotherhood will have to bring changes remains unsettled. The military, which took over when Mubarak was ousted, holds ultimate power for at least six more months. The Brotherhood and ruling generals are expected to jostle and cajole each other over dividing power, and the Brotherhood is wary of moves that could cause a clash.

"We can't talk about implementing Islamic Shariah law when the country is experiencing such devastating economic problems," said Mohammed Gouda, a Brotherhood policymaker and member of the party's economic committee.

The Brotherhood feels little need to push through legislation enforcing an Islamic vision, he and other members say, especially since Egyptian society is already deeply religious and conservative. More effective, they say, is influencing the culture. Brotherhood members show a confidence that they can show a "correct" example of Islam that will bring the public into their way of life.

Indeed, Gouda said that the Egyptian public is "already convinced" and doesn't need much persuasion.

He pointed to the dramatic spread of the Muslim headscarf among women in past decades. In the past, few women wore it, but now it is nearly universal among Muslim women in Egypt as society has grown more conservative. He and others shrug off the need for laws on traditionally "Islamic " issues such as banning alcohol and encouraging or even requiring gender segregation and Islamic dress.

Critics in Egypt worry that the Brotherhood is only biding its time to bring a more Islamic agenda, and their greatest fear is of a long-term understanding between the Brotherhood and military to run the country, even after the generals step aside for a civilian president, due to take place by late June.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report Sunday that the West must recognize that Islamists are "the majority preference" in Egypt and other Arab countries and will naturally grow stronger in a democratic system.

But it said pressure must be maintained to ensure respect for human rights.

The Brotherhood has been "saying the right things" but "we have to see how they govern and how they deal with women, religious minorities. These are the big questions," said HRW's executive director Kenneth Roth.

By any measure, it will be an unprecedented moment on Monday with the convening of the first parliament since last year's dramatic wave of protests led to the Feb. 11 fall of Mubarak after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule. The protests were led by leftist and secular youth, but the free elections that resulted ? Egypt's first in living memory ? were a prize for Islamists, particularly the Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak.

In the parliament chamber Monday, 47 percent of the 498 lawmakers will belong to the Brotherhood, including the parliament speaker. Another quarter will be Salafis, a more radical Islamic group who only a year ago shunned democracy as a violation of God's law but who now see government as the way to bring it about.

Parliament's biggest upcoming task is the writing of the new constitution. It is to form a 100-member assembly to draft the document, though the military is pressing for a say as well, and the Brotherhood is under pressure to ensure secular and liberal voices have an equal say with Islamists.

The Brotherhood says it does not intend to enshrine further Islamic structures into the new charter, beyond its current Article 2, which says principles of Islamic law are "the main basis" for legislation in Egypt.

The phrasing is broad enough to mean almost whatever those in power want it to mean. Mubarak's nominally secular regime did little to legislate Shariah beyond family laws, but future decision-makers could cite the clause to insist on expanding Shariah's scope.

Instead, the Brotherhood's priority in the constitution is, again, political more than religious. It wants to restructure Egypt's system where the president had overwhelming power ? the legal grounding for Mubarak's authoritarian rule.

For months, the Brotherhood advocated a strictly parliamentary system. That raised criticism that it seeks to concentrate power in a body that it is likely to dominate for the foreseeable future, so it has shifted to advocating a mixed system sharing powers between president and parliament.

In parliament itself, the focus will be on the economy, said Gouda.

The Brotherhood's economic platform, as much as it is spelled out, is strongly liberal capitalist, reflecting the business and professional backgrounds of many of its members, so much so that it has come under criticism from the left for neglecting "social justice."

Gouda said the group's priority is stability to encourage investment. It wants to tackle corruption by activating a consumer protection law that was introduced under Mubarak but sat idle, and by making regulatory bodies independent so they can do their work without corruption.

"We will set up a system to encourage people to report those who offer bribes, and actually make sure laws that protect consumers be applied," he said.

For spreading its conservative ideology through the culture, the Brotherhood already boasts a nationwide system of charities and social work. If it gains positions in government as well as parliament, it could have further tools, including greater influence over the powerful state television and other media ? which it has always been shut out of. Some Brotherhood figures have spoken of the Education Ministry as a key sector.

The Brotherhood, however, may face a challenge to this gradualist approach from the right.

The Salafis who form the second largest bloc in parliament espouse a far more rigid, literalist and uncompromising stance on Shariah. The two blocs were often rivals in the election campaign over the past months, and pressing for more overtly Islamic laws could help the Salafi parties with their base.

"What we may see is that each side will try to out-Muslim the other," said Mohammed Abbas, a young former Brotherhood member who left the group after being frustrated with the group for not giving youth a stronger voice.

Nathan J. Brown, a professor at George Washington University and who studies Middle Eastern Islamist parties said the Salafis "are one of the biggest issues on their mind ? almost as big as the military."

The Brothers' worry is that they would be pushed into a more radical stance. They remember the experiences of Islamic movements in Algeria and Palestine, where Islamic groups that were too aggressive brought a backlash. They also don't want to lose their focus on showing they can bring good governance.

"They would never say they are de-emphasizing religion, and I think they are being sincere," Brown said. "For them good governance providing for the needs of people, this is Islam."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46092528/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Nanmaterial detects and removes arsenic from drinking water

ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2012) ? Prof. Dr. Sherif A. El-Safty, a Principal Researcher of the Materials Recycling Design Group, Research Center for Strategic Materials, National Institute for Materials Science developed a nanomaterial which enables simple detection and removal of arsenic from drinking water.

This nanomaterial responds to warnings that as many as 60 million people live in contaminated areas in Southeast Asia without safe drinking water.

The nanomaterial is a further developed for heavy metal ion sensors for lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), etc. and adsorbent materials, which Dr. El-Safty developed previously for a rare metal adsorption/recovery materials such as cobalt (Co), palladium (Pd), etc. and radioactive element adsorbents for cesium (Cs), strontium (Sr), etc. As a Principal Researcher whom he originally livid at the Middle East, where a clean water is particularly precious, Dr. El-Safty devoted himself to the development of this material in order to save the world's drinking water.

Groundwater in Asia, South America, and Africa is now widely contaminated with arsenic. Arsenic contamination of the drinking water for 35 million people in Bangladesh is especially well-known. Long-term ingestion of this water causes serious disorders of the skin, nervous system, and cardiovascular system, and can also cause health problems in the form of frequent development of cancers. Although the United Nations and the governments of individual nations have taken countermeasures over many years, it was difficult to develop an arsenic removal method that is inexpensive, simple, and easy to use in treatment of everyday drinking water.

In the developed technology, the inner walls of nanoporous substances, namely a high order mesoporous (HOM) structures, are densely packed with a functional group which is sensitive and selective for capturing arsenic. When even a trace amount of arsenic is present in water, these nanomaterial captors can quickly adsorbed and removed arsenic. As a distinctive feature, the detection/removal of arsenic can easily be confirmed because the color of the nanomaterial captors changes in the adsorption stage with the same frequency of human eyes, showing the user that the removal has occurred.

As one particular advantage of this technology, the potential use is not limited to large-volume water treatment plants. Because its features include high sensitivity, low cost, visualization of results, light weight, and high speed, it can also be used easily by individual persons. As a result, the threat of arsenic can be greatly reduced when the development of new water sources in the developing countries and elsewhere is achieved. Efforts will be made to popularize this new device in many urgent regions, as a technology that can secure the safe water on an everyday basis.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120121160443.htm

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These fantasy sports iPhone apps are worthy of their own store (Appolicious)

If you?re already tired of your group of friends who talk about their fantasy football teams like they?ve personally coached them, your life is about to get a little bit more frustrating. According to TechCrunch, CBS Sports is working on what is essentially an app store for fantasy sports apps.

As an avid and acknowledged fantasy sports nerd, an open platform for fantasy sports-related apps appeals to me in a very real way. But I?m sure I?d be scoffing a lot more if there was an app store for, say, car apps or something similarly niche, so I can understand the skepticism around this idea, too.

But if you?re already on board, there?s no reason to wait for CBS Sports? app store of sports apps. There?s plenty of valuable year round fantasy sports apps already available in your regular everyday iTunes App Store.

If you?re the type of fantasy sports player who has multiple leagues spread out over several different websites, Fantasy Monster Pro ($4.99) may seem a little pricey, but could be well worth the investment. The app lets you manage all of your Yahoo!, ESPN, and NFL.com fantasy teams under a single app. That?s a huge time saver if you?re got multiple leagues cooking, especially during the period of the year when the NBA, NFL and NHL are all going at the same time.

If that all seems a bit complex and you just need some news-centric apps to make sure you?re not going to be starting players that have been injured for a few weeks, there are a number of apps that might be of some use.

The free?Fanball.com Fantasy Sports News stands out not just because of its thorough video and text news updates, but also for its customizable player-follower. Users can create lists of the players on their fantasy teams to make sure the news they want is all easily accessible under one tab.

Rotoworld Fantasy News (also free) is another strong fantasy news option. You can quickly grab news, injury reports and well-researched analysis on players in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA golf and even NASCAR. Rotoworld?s player search function is also extremely easy to use, making finding players you?re curious about a breeze.

If you?d rather not limit your sources of information, the free?PlayerLine app brings together news from all over the web so you?ll always have the most varied and up-to-date info on your fantasy team. The app pulls news, bios and videos from Yahoo!, Digg, NFL.com, ESPN, MLB.com, CBS Sports and Fox Sports among other sources and feeds.

And if you just need some advice, well, get in line. But while you?re waiting in line, try out Fantasy Sports Coach (free). The app is essentially a forum for fantasy sports owners to ask for and offer advice to their fellow team owners. Now, if you make a bad decision to sit a guy who has a huge game, at least you can blame the crowd of strangers who offered you bad advice instead of your own poor research, and that?s always a good feeling.

While none of these apps will automatically take you from worst to first in whatever fantasy league you?re playing, they all should at least arm you with the knowledge you need to make better decisions. Heed the old proverb ? give a man fantasy sports advice, and he?ll win for a day, but teach a man how to properly navigate the tumultuous sea of fantasy football news, and he?ll win for a few more days.

Create a list of your favorite fantasy sports apps

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10825_these_fantasy_sports_iphone_apps_are_worthy_of_their_own_store/44254187/SIG=13hal7l84/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/sports/articles/10825-these-fantasy-sports-iphone-apps-are-worthy-of-their-own-store

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Man pleads no contest to stalking Halle Berry (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? A man with a criminal history who showed up at Oscar winner Halle Berry's house in the Hollywood Hills pleaded no contest on Thursday to a charge of stalking her, and a judge ordered him to stay 200 yards away from the actress for 10 years.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dennis Landin also handed down a 386-day jail sentence to the 28-year-old man, Richard Franco.

But Franco will soon be released because he has already served half that term behind bars since his arrest in July, and he is being given credit for the other half of the sentence under measures to reduce overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jail system, prosecutors said.

Franco, who according to Los Angeles police has a history of violence, theft and drug offenses, was found to have a book with "nonsensical ramblings" and Berry's name in his handwriting, the actress said in court papers filed last year.

Franco first approached Berry's home on July 9, 2011, when she was talking to her manager and saw through a glass door that Franco -- whom she does not know -- was in the gated backyard, the papers stated. Berry's manager yelled at Franco and he left, she said in the papers.

The actress further said that on July 10, she went to her kitchen to get a Diet Coke and noticed Franco was on the other side of a glass door, less than one foot away.

She said she ran upstairs to call police. That evening, arrangements were made to have armed security officers at her home, and Franco was caught when he returned the next day.

Los Angeles police Detective John Gregozek testified in court last year that he spoke to Berry a day after the defendant's arrest.

"She was afraid for her safety and that of her daughter, as well," Gregozek said. "She hired armed security to stay at her residence 24 hours."

As a result of his plea, a residential burglary charge against Franco was dismissed.

In addition to jail time and the stay away order, Franco was placed on five years probation and ordered to undergo one year of psychological counseling, said Los Angeles deputy district attorney Wendy Seagall.

(Reporting By Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/en_nm/us_halleberry_stalker

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26 homes lost in Reno fire and 2,000 evacuated (AP)

RENO, Nev. ? Reno hasn't seen a winter this dry in more than 120 years. So residents welcomed a forecast that a storm was due to blow across the Sierra Nevada this week.

Instead, as many as 10,000 found themselves fleeing their homes while howling winds gusting to 82 mph pushed a fire toward them, destroying 26 homes and torching thousands of acres.

As the fire eased Friday, residents faced another threat: the storm was expected to bring high winds and a burst of rain and snow that could cause flash flooding on the charred land.

"The weather poses a significant threat," fire commander Paul Washam said. "We've got a lot of work to do and a short time to do it. If it rains, we'll have flood concerns."

Emergency crews, meanwhile, escorted evacuees in two separate burn areas to see their houses. Officials said evacuation orders would continue ? even in areas unaffected by the fire.

Connie Cryer went to the fire response command post on Friday with her 12-year-old granddaughter, Maddie Miramon, to find out if her house had survived the flames.

"We had to know so we could get some sleep," Cryer said, adding her house was spared but a neighbor's wasn't. She had seen wildfires before, but nothing on this scale.

"There was fire in front of me, fire beside me, fire behind me. It was everywhere," she said. "I don't know how more didn't burn up. It was terrible, all the wind and the smoke."

The blaze started shortly after noon Thursday and, fueled by the wind gusts, mushroomed to more than 6 square miles before firefighters stopped its surge toward Reno.

"The fire moved very, very fast," Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said. "Firefighters did an enormously good job of holding the number of structures down to 26."

The fire's cause isn't known. It started in a valley along a highway, which was closed because the heat destroyed some of the guardrails. Those rails will need to be replaced, state officials said.

Three schools were closed Friday and about 200 customers were without electricity.

The fire held steady around 3,900 acres and was 50 percent contained. Of the roughly 10,000 people ordered to leave their homes, about 2,000 of them remained under evacuation orders.

The high, erratic winds caused major challenges for crews evacuating residents, Sierra Front spokesman Mark Regan said. "In a matter of seconds, the wind would shift," he said.

Fire officials said Thursday's fire was "almost a carbon copy" of a blaze that destroyed 30 homes in Reno during similar summer-like conditions in mid-November.

State Forester Pete Anderson said he has not seen such hazardous fire conditions in winter in his 57 years in Nevada. Reno had no precipitation in December ? the last time that happened was 1883.

An inch of snow Monday ended the longest recorded dry spell in Reno history, a 56-day stretch that prompted Anderson to issue an unusual warning about wildfire threats.

"We're usually pretty much done with the fire season by the first of November, but this year it's been nonstop," Anderson said.

Firefighters were taking advantage of a break in the weather Friday to make more progress against the fire. At least 700 people, including firefighters from California, were expected to fight the fire.

Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said there was one fatality in the fire area but declined to provide more details, saying an autopsy would be needed to determine the cause of death.

Kit Bailey, U.S. Forest Service fire chief at nearby Lake Tahoe, said conditions are so dry that even a forecast calling for rain and snow might not take the Reno-Tahoe area out of fire danger.

"The scary thing is a few days of drying after this storm cycle and we could be back into fire season again," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Sandra Chereb in Carson City, Nev., contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_us/us_reno_brush_fire

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Actor Wahlberg apologizes for 9/11 comments (AP)

NEW YORK ? Actor Mark Wahlberg has apologized for asserting that he would have stopped terrorists from flying an airliner into New York's World Trade Center on Sept. 11 if he had been on the plane.

The star of the film "Contraband" issued his apology Wednesday after comments he made to Men's Journal drew criticism.

He told an interviewer in the February issue that had he been on American Airlines Flight 11 with his children "it wouldn't have went down like it did." Terrorists flew the plane with 92 people aboard into the north tower on Sept. 11, 2001.

In his apology, Wahlberg said to speculate was "ridiculous to begin with." He said that to suggest he "would have done anything differently than the passengers on that plane was irresponsible."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_en_mo/us_people_mark_wahlberg

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Egypt entrepreneurs see new dawn post-Revolution (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Two months after mass protests ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak last February, Ahmed Essam resigned from his job at a well-established software company to set up a six-person venture developing applications for smart phones.

The economic turmoil which engulfed the country after Mubarak was overthrown played a part in his decision, says Essam, 28. With many firms freezing investments and shedding jobs, his salaried post no longer looked as stable.

"I felt the current situation might not continue after the Revolution. Most of the old companies will not make it in the new era," he said.

But the euphoria of the Revolution was also a factor. With the end of 30 years of rule by Mubarak, during which much of Egypt's economy was dominated by state-run companies and businessmen linked to the Mubarak regime, Essam thinks hard work and commercial vision have a greater chance of succeeding.

"People had lost hope -- you would walk along the street and nothing was yours, nothing was under your control. The Revolution created a feeling that people can change the world for the better."

In a 1920s apartment building across the street from the Giza Zoo outside Cairo, Essam now works 15-hour days to develop an application which rearranges social network feeds such as Facebook and Twitter according to their relevance to the user. He hopes the application will be used not just in Egypt or other Arab countries but around the world.

FLOWERING

A year after Mubarak's ouster, economic conditions in Egypt remain grim. The risk of a currency devaluation, and continued uncertainty over how much power the military is willing to hand over to a democratic government, are deterring new projects by many large businesses, including foreign investors.

Unemployment officially stands at 11.8 percent, according to the latest data from the second quarter of 2011, but this figure understates the problem as it does not include people struggling in part-time jobs outside the formal economy. Economists estimate unemployment among young people at around 25 percent.

At the same time, the new political landscape is encouraging a flowering of entrepreneurial activity among some Egyptians. Around the country, thousands of young people are developing ventures based on original business ideas or laying plans to do so -- efforts that could, if they prove successful, eventually help to solve Egypt's unemployment problem.

There are no comprehensive statistics for the number of new ventures but Abdelrahman Magdy, chief executive of Egypreneur, which helps entrepreneurs find the contacts and services they need, promotes their ideas and provides training, says the change in the past 12 months has been dramatic.

Before the Revolution, Egypreneur had between 2,000 and 3,000 followers on Twitter; now it has about 20,000, Magdy said. The number of public conferences for entrepreneurs in Egypt's big cities has increased eightfold, he estimated.

As in Essam's case, there is a push factor behind the growth of entrepreneurship: seeking a long-term job in a government bureaucracy or a big corporation, traditional avenues for educated Egyptian youths, no longer seems as possible or as attractive with the government in disarray and the economy sagging.

But many entrepreneurs say the Revolution has also been a pull factor for young people: the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square showed how, through cooperation and planning, it was possible to beat the established system.

Egypt had entrepreneurs and a growing information technology industry well before the Revolution, noted Ramez Mohamed, chief executive of Flat6Labs, a U.S.-style "startup accelerator" that was established last year to provide starting capital and support to ventures in their initial stage. But people's new sense of political empowerment is providing a boost, he said.

"The Revolution has affected the scene," he said. "People learned that they could set their hopes higher. They feel they can make it on their own, that anything is possible."

Many of the new entrepreneurs are focusing on software and information technology because those areas require relatively little capital, and in some cases because the anti-Mubarak protests, organized with the help of Facebook and Twitter, raised the profile of social media in Egypt.

But Magdy said he saw entrepreneurs operating in other areas too. One example is Mashaweer, a service which helps customers avoid the traffic in Egypt's gridlocked cities by running errands for them, from shopping and paying bills to arranging replacements for lost IDs.

With an average age of 26 among its staff, Mashaweer started in Alexandria in 2010 with three scooters and investment of 30,000 Egyptian pounds ($5,000). It launched in Cairo last month and now boasts 130 of its distinctive orange scooters, 15 cars and a speedboat. It aims eventually to operate airplanes.

Gilan Kamal, digital marketing manager at Mashaweer, said poor business conditions did not deter the firm's expansion as its cost base was lower in a sluggish economy. The political turmoil "motivates us because we want people in our generation to see how it is possible to increase productivity," she said.

OBSTACLES

There are big obstacles for entrepreneurs in Egypt. In the World Bank's annual 2012 rankings for ease of doing business, Egypt came 110th out of 183 economies: 21st for ease of starting a business, such as registering with the government and signing up to pay taxes, but 101st for obtaining electricity, 147th for enforcing contracts and 154th for handling construction permits.

"The pieces for the chess game are there. The board is not there yet," said Scott Gerber, a U.S.-based author who founded the Young Entrepreneur Council, a global group of entrepreneurs. He visited Egypt last year to meet businessmen and investors.

Egypt badly needs legal reforms -- "the tax laws are all over the place" -- as well as government support for entrepreneurs in areas such as public-private partnerships; "the banking system needs a complete overhaul" to prepare it to lend to smaller enterprises, Gerber said.

With Egypt's new, democratically elected parliament likely to remain distracted for months by political maneuvering and macroeconomic challenges such as coping with the state's budget deficit, the obstacles to new ventures may not be removed any time soon.

Ahmed El Alfi, chairman of Sawari Ventures, which invests Egyptian and foreign money in local start-ups and helped to fund Flat6Labs, acknowledges the difficulties. But he says the strong tradition of teaching engineering and computer science skills at universities gives Egypt huge potential.

According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt's exports in that sector grew at an average annual rate of 37 percent between 2007 and 2010, hitting $1.1 billion in 2010. It aims for $2 billion in 2013.

El Alfi said Egypt, with a population of over 80 million, by far the largest in the Arab world, had a chance to become the main source of innovation in information technology for the region. Israel's IT industry took off after a few globally recognized successes with start-ups in the 1990s, he noted.

"Over 50 percent of the good tech services guys in the Arab world are in Egypt," said El Alfi, who left the country in 1966 and returned from the United States in 2006 to pursue business opportunities. "They just need a chance to do their stuff."

(Editing by Sami Aboudi)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/lf_nm_life/us_egypt_entrepreneurs

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