Sunday, June 30, 2013

Vanderbilt University football players suspended in sex crimes investigation

Four Vanderbilt University football players have been dismissed from the team during an investigation of alleged sex crimes at a university dormitory. This follows other recent instances of sex crimes tied to football players.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / June 29, 2013

Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The university announced that four football player have been dismissed from the team and temporarily suspended during an investigation of sex crimes alleged to have taken place in a dormitory.

Vanderbilt University

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Vanderbilt University has dismissed four football players from the team and suspended them from the university as the result of a sex crimes investigation.

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A statement on the school?s web site says only that the four were dismissed from the team and suspended ?for violation of team rules.?

?The well-being of our students is of paramount concern to us, and we will not tolerate any actions that threaten student safety and security,? Beth Fortune, Vanderbilt vice chancellor for public affairs, said in a statement Saturday.

In its brief statement, the school noted that ?Vanderbilt first reported the matter that led to the dismissals to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and is fully cooperating with the Metro Police investigation.?

?They may not return to campus for any purpose without explicit permission from the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity,? according to the statement.

The Tennessean?newspaper in Nashville reported Saturday that ?Metro police and Vanderbilt?s administration were keeping a tight lid on details of the incident and no arrests had been made as of Friday night.?

?I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police Department?s Sex Crimes Unit began an investigation on Wednesday in regard to a matter that was alleged to have occurred at a Vanderbilt University dormitory,? Don Aaron, spokesman for Metro police, told The Tennessean. ?Our sex crimes detectives became involved as the result of a notification to us on Wednesday from Vanderbilt University police. The investigation remains very much in progress.?

Named for shipping?and?rail?magnate?"Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt,?the private university in Nashville has about 12,000 students.

?Under head coach James Franklin, the Commodores enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent history in 2012,? writes columnist Tyler Conway on the ?Bleacher Report? sports web site. ?In his second season, the 41-year-old Franklin led a renaissance in a program that has historically struggled. After starting the campaign off 2-4, the Commodores reeled off seven consecutive wins?. Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina State 38-24 in the?Music City Bowl?to cap off the late-season run, just their third bowl win in school history.?

?Franklin returns next season with expectations high for a repeat performance,? writes Conway. ?While there is still plenty to be investigated in this matter, the Commodores will certainly feel the blow of losing four players should the suspensions last into the 2013 season.? So far, Coach Franklin has not commented on the matter.

The news from Vanderbilt follows several other recent instances of football players charged with sexual misconduct.

The US Naval Academy last week charged three Navy football players with sexually assaulting a female midshipman at an off-campus house last year. The academy said in a news release that the male midshipmen are being charged with rape, sexual assault or other sexual misconduct, and making a false official statement.

?We teach our guys more than blocking and tackling, trying to do what?s right,? Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said this week, as reported by the Washington Post. ?All we want is the truth to come out. We believe in the judicial system. We believe in our country and its judicial system. Our main concern is that the truth comes out, and whatever it is, that justice is served.?

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports, two Connecticut high school football players have been charged in sexual assault cases that, like a recent high-profile Ohio rape case, have led to online taunts directed at an accuser.

The two 18-year-old Torrington High School players were charged with felony second-degree sexual assault and other crimes last month in cases involving different 13-year-old girls.

In the Ohio case, two Steubenville High School football players were sentenced to at least a year in juvenile jail after being found guilty of assaulting a drunken 16-year-old girl. The case bitterly divided the city and led to accusations of a cover-up to protect the athletes.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UCNNwgiZjbo/Vanderbilt-University-football-players-suspended-in-sex-crimes-investigation

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Attack on security convoy kills 16 in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A car bomb exploded as a convoy of paramilitary troops passed through the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Sunday, killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, police said.

Most of the dead and wounded were civilians. The blast struck one vehicle in the convoy of paramilitary Frontier Corps troops, but the other passed by safely, said police official Shafiullah Khan. It is unclear whether it was a suicide bombing or the explosives in the vehicle were set off by remote control.

The blast damaged many vehicles and shops in the area, according to local TV footage. Frontier Corps vehicles rushed to the scene to help after the attack, as a police officer collected evidence from the crater caused by the bomb.

No one has claimed responsibility. But suspicion will likely fall on the Pakistani Taliban. The group has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for years that has killed thousands of security personnel and civilians.

Peshawar is located on the edge of Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region, the main Taliban sanctuary in the country, and has been hit by scores of bombings over the years.

The attack in Peshawar came as British Prime Minister David Cameron was visiting the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Cameron told his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, that Britain would do all it can to help fight extremism, a battle that requires both a tough security response and measures to fight poverty and promote education.

"The enemies of Pakistan are enemies of Britain, and we will stand together and conduct this fight against extremism and terrorism together," Cameron said in a joint press conference with Sharif.

Cameron also welcomed Pakistan's stated commitment to help promote a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan is seen as key to any deal because of its historical links with the insurgents. Pakistan pushed the Taliban to carry through with its recent step to set up a political office in the Gulf country of Qatar, although acrimony between the insurgents and the Afghan government has hampered the negotiation process.

"I will assure Prime Minister Cameron of our firm resolve to promote the shared objective of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan to which the 3 million Afghan refugees currently living in Pakistan can return with honor and dignity," Sharif said at the press conference.

Sharif has also pushed for peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, although a series of attacks by the group since he took office in early June have led many to question that approach.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting to death 10 foreign mountain climbers and a Pakistani guide in northern Pakistan a week ago, an attack the group said was retaliation for a U.S. drone strike that killed the Taliban's deputy leader.

____

Associated Press reporter Sebastian Abbot contributed to this report from Islamabad.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/attack-security-convoy-kills-16-pakistan-092518039.html

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AP PHOTOS: Images of the western US heat wave

AAA??Jun. 29, 2013?5:56 AM ET
AP PHOTOS: Images of the western US heat wave
By The Associated Press?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?By The Associated Press

A jet looks like it is melting into the runway as it is distorted by the heat waves rising up from the north runway at Sky Harbor International Airport, Friday, June 28, 2013, the hottest day of the year so far. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

A jet looks like it is melting into the runway as it is distorted by the heat waves rising up from the north runway at Sky Harbor International Airport, Friday, June 28, 2013, the hottest day of the year so far. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

Elephants at Utah's Hogle Zoo are cooled off with a water hose Friday, June 28, 2013, in Salt lake City. The heat wave that is gripping the western U.S. is one of the worst in years, with desert locations in the Southwest seeing temperatures approach 120 degrees. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Michael Jackson impersonator Juan Carlos Gomez drinks some water as he takes a break from posing for photos with tourists along The Strip, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Ten-year-old Easton Martin, of Mesa, Ariz., stops to cool off in a misting fan while walking along The Strip with his family, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Bess, an orangutan at the Phoenix Zoo, keeps cool under a wet sheet and a hose, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Phoenix. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

A heat wave across the western U.S. was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed.

Here are pictures of the heat wave:

___

Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-29-Heat%20Wave-Photo%20Gallery/id-8ccca876dc974f1c9c79213228307498

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Fresh Sony Xperia i1 'Honami' leak shows more hardware details

Xperia i1

A couple of days back we got our first look at what could be Sony's upcoming 20-megapixel "cameraphone," the Xperia i1, or "Honami." In addition to a beastly rear camera, alleged specs for the future Sony flagship include a Snapdragon 800 CPU and a 5-plus-inch display.

Today we're seeing fresh images of the device cropping up on Just Another Mobile Blog. The site shows a device matching the earlier "Honami" leaks, while revealing new hardware details, such as a microSD slot, an Xperia Z Ultra-like magnetic charging port and a dedicated camera key (natch). The report also claims the final version device will ship with a Xenon flash rather than the LED flash pictured.

Aside from the specs, Sony's clearly still utilizing its "Omnibalance" design language in its latest product, and the device pictured would look right at home alongside the manufacturer's current line-up. We've heard through our own sources that a Q3 launch is likely for the product, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long to find out more.

Source: Just Another Mobile Blog; via: GSMArena

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/a9k2Pcrx12Q/story01.htm

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Borderlands 2 updated for PC, breaks Mac multiplayer compatibility

Borderlands 2 updated for PC, breaks Mac/PC multiplay

Gearbox has updated Borderlands 2 for Windows. Unfortunately, the update breaks multiplayer compatibility with the Mac version, which is published and maintained by Aspyr Media.

We pinged Aspyr Media to find out what's going on, and here's their statement:

"The Borderlands 2 update released on June 26, 2013 for the PC will cause an out of sync [error] with the Mac version of the game. We are working tirelessly to ensure the Mac version is caught up with the PC with this new update, but please be aware that the Mac and PC versions will be out of sync for a very short time, disabling cross platform play. We hope to be back in sync as soon as possible. Any questions please contact us at http://support.aspyr.com and log a ticket for one of our agents!"

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/gRlWU-ngL4I/story01.htm

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Fed bond-buying could be more aggressive than new timeline: Dudley

By Jonathan Spicer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's asset purchases would be more aggressive than the timeline Chairman Ben Bernanke outlined last week if U.S. economic growth and the labor market turn out weaker than expected, the influential head of the New York Fed said on Thursday.

Pushing back hard against market concerns over the withdrawal of quantitative easing, William Dudley stressed in a speech that the newly adopted timeline for reducing the pace of bond buying depends not on calendar dates but on the economic outlook, which remains quite unclear.

Turning to the question of when the Fed will ultimately raise interest rates, Dudley, a close ally of Bernanke, went so far as to say that recent market expectations for an earlier rate rise are "quite out of sync" with the statements and expectations of the policy-making Federal Open Market Committee.

"Economic circumstances could diverge significantly from the FOMC's expectations," Dudley told reporters at a briefing at the New York Fed's headquarters in downtown New York.

"If labor market conditions and the economy's growth momentum were to be less favorable than in the FOMC's outlook ? and this is what has happened in recent years ? I would expect that the asset purchases would continue at a higher pace for longer," he said.

Following a Fed policy meeting last week, Bernanke surprised markets by saying the central bank expected to reduce the $85-billion monthly pace of bond buying later this year and to end the QE3 program altogether by mid-2014, if the economy improves as expected.

Global markets have since fallen sharply, with yields on the 10-year U.S. Treasury spiking to near a two-year high.

Dudley, who has a permanent vote on monetary policy, repeated and backed the timeline Bernanke articulated last Wednesday.

But he appeared to want to bolster efforts by some of his Fed colleagues this week to calm investors' worries that less Fed accommodation will hurt the slow U.S. and global economic recovery.

The labor market, which the Fed is targeting with QE3, "still cannot be regarded as healthy," Dudley said, adding "there remains a great deal of slack in the economy."

He expects Gross Domestic Product growth of about 2.1 percent this year, about the same as it has been since the recession ended in 2009. But Dudley expects that to pick up next year.

LEANING AGAINST HIGHER RATES

Frustrated with fitful U.S. recovery from the Great Recession, the central bank has kept the federal funds rate near zero since late 2008 and has promised to keep it there at least until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5 percent from 7.6 percent now, as long as inflation stays below 2.5 percent.

Even under the timeline for reducing QE3, "a rise in short-term rates is very likely to be a long way off," Dudley said.

"Not only will it likely take considerable time to reach the FOMC's 6.5 percent unemployment rate threshold, but also the FOMC could wait considerably longer before raising short-term rates," he said.

According to futures contracts at the Chicago Board of Trade, traders had pushed forward expectations for the first interest-rate hike to late 2014 despite published forecasts that show most Fed policymakers don't expect to tighten until 2015.

The Fed's two main stimulus efforts - QE3 and low rates - are tied in different ways to sustainable economic growth.

Dudley and others at the central bank have long complained that U.S. government spending cuts and higher taxes could undercut the U.S. recovery, which has stumbled in each of the last few years.

Economic growth was revised lower on Wednesday to a below-average 1.8 percent in the first quarter, another worrying sign for the world's largest economy.

"I continue to see the economy as being in a tug-of-war between fiscal drag and underlying fundamental improvement, with a great deal of uncertainty over which force will prevail in the near-term," Dudley said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-bond-buying-could-more-aggressive-timeline-dudley-142837206.html

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USC finds that D-Wave's quantum computer is real, maybe

D-Wave processor wafer

D-Wave has had little trouble lining up customers for its quantum computer, but questions have persisted as to whether or not the machine is performing quantum math in the first place. University of Southern California researchers have tested Lockheed Martin's unit to help settle that debate, and they believe that D-Wave's computer could be the real deal -- or rather, that it isn't obviously cheating. They've shown that the system isn't based on simulated annealing, which relies on traditional physics for number crunching. The device is at least "consistent" with true quantum annealing, although there's no proof that this is what's going on; it may be using other shortcuts. Whether or not D-Wave built a full-fledged quantum computer, the resulting output is credible enough that customers won't feel much in the way of buyer's remorse.

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Source: Wired

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/28/usc-finds-that-d-wave-quantum-computer-is-real-maybe/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Tammy Smash (Open Thread) (Balloon Juice)

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Friday, June 28, 2013

No more leakage of explosive electrolytes in batteries

No more leakage of explosive electrolytes in batteries [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Eunhee Song
ehsong@unist.ac.kr
82-522-171-224
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST)

Konnyaku-like electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and cationic transference number

Ulsan, South Korea-- A research team at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), S. Korea, found a new physical organogel electrolyte with two unique characteristics: an irreversible thermal gelation and a high value of the Li+ transference number.

A Recent fire on a Boeing 787 on the ground in Boston, US, was caused by a battery failure, it resulted in the release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage and smoke. If they had used a safer electrolyte, the risk would have been reduced.

Electrolytes are essential components of supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells. The Most widely used electrolyte is a liquid type since its overall ionic conductivity and value of transference numbers are better than solid-type electrolytes. However, safety concerns caused by its leakage and explosive nature, caused an extensive call for the research on the development of solid-type electrolyte.

The development of solid-type electrolytes, safe from explosion caused by high temperature and overcharge, is urgently needed to replace the liquid electrolytes. The solid electrolyte enables batteries to be safer as well as the use of higher energy electrode materials.

The most important parameter of electrolytes used in electrochemical cells is ionic conductivity. The use of solid-state electrolytes has been limited due to low ionic conductivity caused by their immobile matrix regardless of their own merits such as no leak, non-volatility, mechanical strength and processing flexibility.

Another parameter we should consider is transference of the number of ions. Electrolytes are characterized by their ionic conductivity, It is desirable that overall ionic results from the dominant contribution of the ions of interest. However high values of the cationic transference number achieved by solid or gel electrolytes have resulted in low ionic conductivity leading to inferior cell performances.

The research team of Profs. Hyun-Kon Song and Noejung Park of UNIST, presented an organogel polymer electrolyte characterized by a high liquid-electrolyte-level ionic conductivity with high a cationic transference number for Lithium ion batteries (LIB).

The research team acquired the two required properties simultaneously in polymer gel electrolytes: a liquid-electrolyte-level conductivity with a high transference number. Cyanoethly polyvinyle alchohol (PVA-CN) played a key role in the highly conductive gel electrolyte while another cyano resin, Cyanoethlyle pullulan (Pullulan-CN), was used as a control representing a liquid electrolyte containing cyano chains. The PVA-CN-containing liquid electrolyte was thermally gelated even without any chemical crosslinkers or polymerizations initiators.

Hyun-Kon Song and Noejung Park, both, professors of the Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, UNIST, South Korea, led the effort. Fellow authors include: Young-Soo Kim, Yoon-Gyo Cho, and Dori Odkhuu from UNIST.

"We believe that this new type of electrolyte gel provides us with design flexibility in devices as well as enhanced safety and stability to electro-chemical devices," said Prof. Song.

###

*Konnnyaku: a thermo-irreversible gelatin which is used in Japanese food, maintains its gelatin physical statue at high temperatures.

This research was funded by the World Class University (WCU) programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and published on May 29, 2013 in the (Nature Publishing Group) Scientific Reports. (Title: A Physical organogel electrolyte: characterized by in situ thermo-irreversible gelation and single-ion-predominent conduction, DOI: 10.1038/srep01917)

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) http://www.unist.ac.kr

Homepage of Prof. Hyun-Kon Song http://echem.kr

Homepage of Prof. Noejung Park http://dkphysics.cafe24.com/sub_kor/index.php

The original research article can be found at http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130529/srep01917/full/srep01917.html


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

?


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


No more leakage of explosive electrolytes in batteries [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Eunhee Song
ehsong@unist.ac.kr
82-522-171-224
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology(UNIST)

Konnyaku-like electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and cationic transference number

Ulsan, South Korea-- A research team at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), S. Korea, found a new physical organogel electrolyte with two unique characteristics: an irreversible thermal gelation and a high value of the Li+ transference number.

A Recent fire on a Boeing 787 on the ground in Boston, US, was caused by a battery failure, it resulted in the release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage and smoke. If they had used a safer electrolyte, the risk would have been reduced.

Electrolytes are essential components of supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells. The Most widely used electrolyte is a liquid type since its overall ionic conductivity and value of transference numbers are better than solid-type electrolytes. However, safety concerns caused by its leakage and explosive nature, caused an extensive call for the research on the development of solid-type electrolyte.

The development of solid-type electrolytes, safe from explosion caused by high temperature and overcharge, is urgently needed to replace the liquid electrolytes. The solid electrolyte enables batteries to be safer as well as the use of higher energy electrode materials.

The most important parameter of electrolytes used in electrochemical cells is ionic conductivity. The use of solid-state electrolytes has been limited due to low ionic conductivity caused by their immobile matrix regardless of their own merits such as no leak, non-volatility, mechanical strength and processing flexibility.

Another parameter we should consider is transference of the number of ions. Electrolytes are characterized by their ionic conductivity, It is desirable that overall ionic results from the dominant contribution of the ions of interest. However high values of the cationic transference number achieved by solid or gel electrolytes have resulted in low ionic conductivity leading to inferior cell performances.

The research team of Profs. Hyun-Kon Song and Noejung Park of UNIST, presented an organogel polymer electrolyte characterized by a high liquid-electrolyte-level ionic conductivity with high a cationic transference number for Lithium ion batteries (LIB).

The research team acquired the two required properties simultaneously in polymer gel electrolytes: a liquid-electrolyte-level conductivity with a high transference number. Cyanoethly polyvinyle alchohol (PVA-CN) played a key role in the highly conductive gel electrolyte while another cyano resin, Cyanoethlyle pullulan (Pullulan-CN), was used as a control representing a liquid electrolyte containing cyano chains. The PVA-CN-containing liquid electrolyte was thermally gelated even without any chemical crosslinkers or polymerizations initiators.

Hyun-Kon Song and Noejung Park, both, professors of the Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, UNIST, South Korea, led the effort. Fellow authors include: Young-Soo Kim, Yoon-Gyo Cho, and Dori Odkhuu from UNIST.

"We believe that this new type of electrolyte gel provides us with design flexibility in devices as well as enhanced safety and stability to electro-chemical devices," said Prof. Song.

###

*Konnnyaku: a thermo-irreversible gelatin which is used in Japanese food, maintains its gelatin physical statue at high temperatures.

This research was funded by the World Class University (WCU) programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and published on May 29, 2013 in the (Nature Publishing Group) Scientific Reports. (Title: A Physical organogel electrolyte: characterized by in situ thermo-irreversible gelation and single-ion-predominent conduction, DOI: 10.1038/srep01917)

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) http://www.unist.ac.kr

Homepage of Prof. Hyun-Kon Song http://echem.kr

Homepage of Prof. Noejung Park http://dkphysics.cafe24.com/sub_kor/index.php

The original research article can be found at http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130529/srep01917/full/srep01917.html


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

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/unio-nml062713.php

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Reusable e-Ink Luggage Tags Improve the Chances Of Your Bag Arriving

Reusable e-Ink Luggage Tags Improve the Chances Of Your Bag Arriving

Outside of the fear of flying, the most anxious part of traveling around the world is hoping your bags get to the same destination as you do. The paper tags in use today work, but if they get accidentally torn off your luggage, who knows where it might end up. So starting next month, British Airways will begin testing a brilliant re-usable luggage tag featuring an e-ink display that can be reprogrammed again and again using your smartphone.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/huxcostRIEA/reusable-e-ink-luggage-tags-improve-the-chances-of-your-596337769

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Twitter Sees a Surge in Government Information Requests

Twitter,government,privacy,surveillance

NO KIDDING: Twitter CEO Costolo, a former improvisational comedian, believes his company is obligated to ?reach everyone on the planet.? Image: Courtesy of Joi Ito, via WikiMedia Commons

  • Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

    Read More??

Twitter sees itself as the digital incarnation of the town square, eliminating time and distance as barriers to unfiltered communication among citizens. In this role as the world?s unofficial open idea exchange (in 140 characters or less, of course), the company is finding that governments, law enforcement agencies and even its own Twitterverse are increasingly holding it accountable for how people use its microblogging service.

The social network appears to be taking this newfound responsibility seriously. During a Webcast conversation on Wednesday with Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Jonathan Rauch, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo discussed how his company responds to this growing scrutiny. He also talked about Twitter?s attempts to help users filter the fire hose of information they face each day as well as the pros and cons of pseudonymous tweeters.

Although he declined to comment specifically on the U.S. National Security Agency?s PRISM digital surveillance program, Costolo articulated Twitter?s stance on cooperating with government and law enforcement requests. ?When we receive a valid, specific request in the countries [where] we operate, we will honor it,? he said. ?Those that are not legal and valid, we will push back on.? Twitter is conspicuously absent from the list of tech companies?including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo?accused of complying with the NSA?s requests for user data.

Twitter?s computer servers?like those of many Web sites?automatically record information generated by users. This may include a user?s IP address, location, mobile carrier and the device used to access the Twitter account. The company says it deletes this data or removes any common account identifiers?such as username, full IP address or e-mail address?after 18 months.

In the past year Twitter has begun to publish a biannual transparency report highlighting trends in government requests it has received for user information and content removal. (Google publishes a similar report). ?We would like more companies to do this,? Costolo said. ?Our users have a right to know when their information has been requested so they can fight the request if they wish.?

The Twitter report also indicates how the company responded to those government requests, which have increased steadily in the past year. Twitter received 849 such requests during the first half of 2012 and 1,009 during the second half?the lion?s share coming from the U.S. government. The latest report will be published in a few weeks. ?When you don?t have any idea what information is being requested, you can only imagine what the government wants,? Costolo said. ?More organizations should participate in these transparency reports because they help people understand exactly what is going on. Then you can disagree or agree with the specifics rather than assumptions.?

Mobile devices offer people a means of ubiquitous online communication?they also give companies a way to track those people using the devices? geolocation capabilities. This raises questions about privacy that have been little more than an afterthought to this point, Costolo noted. Still, he pointed out that there?s no need to be fatalistic about the future of privacy, given that Twitter and many other social networking sites require users to opt in for features such as geolocation that broadcast a user?s whereabouts whenever they log on.

One of Twitter?s main goals, not surprisingly, is improving its ability to curate important events so the most relevant information is easy to find. ?Right now you get the reverse chronological order of the tweets, but it would be nice to see a graphic of spikes in the conversation,? Costolo said. ?It would be nice to be able to scroll back to [a] particular moment.? He likened this capability to a digital video recorder for social media that would help Twitter users more quickly get to the substance of a conversation.

Twitter has experimented with ways to filter out some of the background noise that obscures more relevant reporting and reactions to important events. ?We tried a couple of things during the [London 2012] Olympics, such as curating tweets from the more important sources [such as broadcasters and analysts], but it felt like you were in a very quiet studio,? he said. ?You lost that roar of the crowd that makes [Twitter] the public town square. We became more of an aggregator.?

Twitter is also looking at ways to preserve user anonymity without facilitating troll-like behavior where pseudonymous account-holders use their tweets to harass other users. Anonymity is especially important when Twitter is used as a tool for social change, with protests in Turkey being the latest example, said Costolo, who did not comment further on the situation in that country. The ability to use a pseudonym is crucial to enabling open political discourse, he added. ?You can use our platform to say what you believe.? Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned Twitter as a way to spread lies about his government, which has asked Twitter to reveal the identities of users who posted ?messages deemed insulting to the government or prime minister or which flouted people's personal rights,? according to Reuters.

Anonymity does create headaches for Twitter beyond governments demanding user identities, Costolo acknowledged. Pseudonymous tweeters are a problem when they engage in cyber bullying and can be particularly vicious in what they say about celebrities and other public figures. He added, ?We have to do a better job of filtering out egregious and repeated harassment.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/ScientificAmerican-News/~3/fxFVofqfZ1E/article.cfm

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