Sandstorm pushes Beijing pollution off the charts

Air quality in Beijing and other areas of northern China is reaching dangerous levels due to smog conditions and sandstorms. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

By Ed Flanagan, Producer, NBC News

BEIJING -- Beijing and other parts of northern China were stung by hazardous air pollution levels Thursday as strong winds blew a sandstorm through the region.

Air in the capital turned a yellowish hue as sand from China's arid northwest blew in, turning the sky into a noxious soup of smog and dust.

At 6 a.m. local time, the U.S. Embassy's air quality index showed a reading of 516 for particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Known as PM2.5, such particles are considered particularly dangerous because they can lodge deeply in the lungs. On the American air pollution index, the air at that time and throughout much of the morning was classified as "beyond index."

Feng Li / Getty Images

A composite photograph shows Beijing's skyline during Thursday's sandstorm, top, and during good weather on Feb. 19.

The developers of the U.S Embassy's air monitoring station had planned for an index capped at 500. The World Health Organization suggests that 24-hour exposure to PM2.5 should be limited to levels of 25 on that scale.

Beijing's municipal government issued a yellow-haze warning late Wednesday while state media urged citizens to stay indoors or to take precautions such as donning face masks before venturing outside.

Across northern China in provinces including Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu and Inner Mongolia, air monitoring stations recorded readings over 500, and visibility across the region was severely curtailed. In some places visibility was below 3,200 feet, leading to highway closures, suspension of high-speed train services and the cancellation of flights from Beijing International Airport.

By mid-afternoon, pollution levels had fallen and strong winds had pushed much of the remaining cloud cover from the capital.

Geographically close to the Gobi Desert, Beijing and other northern cities are particularly susceptible to sandstorms such as Thursday's. Sandstorms are prevalent in late winter and spring as melting frost frees sand and strong winds kick it up and push it eastward.

The start of 2013 has brought chronic bad air to much of China. In January, air pollution readings were so bad that they were compared to living in an airport smoking lounge. That comparison was underscored by record high levels of PM2.5 on Jan. 12, when readings topped out at 755 on the air quality index.

Frustration over China's continued pollution problems popped up across Chinese social media. But irritation over the long-brewing issue was perhaps best summed up by a viral photo originally posted on popular Web portal QQ.com of an unhappy looking Yao Ming, grimacing at the Beijing sky.

Adrian Bradshaw / EPA

People in Beijing endure a noxious and potentially dangerous mix of sand and fine particulate pollution on Thursday, after a sandstorm blew in from the Gobi Desert.

Yao, the former NBA All-Star and current member of a Communist Party advisory board known as the China People's Political Consultative Conference, is currently in Beijing in the lead-up to next month's National People's Congress.

The congress will mark the final step in China's once-in-a-decade leadership change as party heads Xi Jinping and Le Keqiang formally take over as China's president and prime minister, respectively.

Since taking over China's ruling Communist Party late last year, the new leaders have spoken repeatedly about improving the mainland's environment.

Many China watchers believe that China's environmental degradation -- underscored by severe air pollution, contaminated soil and dirty waterways -- will be a focal point during the congress.

This story was originally published on Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:46 AM EST

Source: http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17130220-sandstorm-pushes-beijing-pollution-levels-off-the-charts?lite

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Hair Loss Quiz - What is Normal Hair Loss, Male Pattern Baldness ...

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Source: http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-02-2013/hair-loss-quiz.html

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Two officers, suspect shot and killed in Santa Cruz, California

SANTA CRUZ, California (Reuters) - Two police officers were shot dead in northern California in a mostly residential area of the city of Santa Cruz on Tuesday in a shootout with a gunman who was later killed by police, authorities said.

Police did not immediately release details on what led to the shooting involving the officers in the city 60 miles south of San Francisco, other than to say the officers were conducting an investigation before they came under fire.

"Two Santa Cruz police officers were shot and are deceased," Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak told reporters. "One suspect was involved in the shooting. That suspect was shot and is deceased at this time."

A statement from the Sheriff's Office said the suspect was found by police "shortly after the initial shooting." Authorities did not immediately release the names of the officers or the suspect.

The deaths of two officers follow a pair of shootings in Santa Cruz this month that put residents on edge.

On February 9 a resident died in a drive-by shooting outside a bar, and two days later a University of California, Santa Cruz, student was wounded by a shot to the head during a mugging, police said.

(Reporting by Ryan Boysen, Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-officers-suspect-shot-killed-santa-cruz-california-045752100.html

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Commercial Real Estate Finance Manager CBRE - SelectLeaders

About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world?s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2011 revenue).? The Company has approximately 34,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our Web site at www.cbre.com.???

To be considered for a position with CBRE, please apply online at http://cbre.com/careers.? Click on ?Search and Apply? on the left side of the screen.? If a pop-up window does not open, please check your browser?s settings.? On the login window either login with your existing username and password or click on ?Register Today? to create one.? Once you are logged in you can either apply for specific jobs or submit your general application using the link at the bottom of the page.

Current CBRE employees should apply online through the myHR section of Employee Self Service.

EOE & AA Employer M/F/D/V

The Financial Consulting Group (FCG) provides sophisticated financial underwriting and analytical services to investors and occupiers of real estate including Real Estate advisory companies, REITs, private investors, financial institutions, private companies and public corporations. As a division of CB Richard Ellis, the Financial Consulting Group leverages the proven experience and local market knowledge of CBRE real estate professionals worldwide to provide custom analyses, which allow their clients to make informed real estate decisions. In 2011, the Financial Consulting Group was engaged in over 2,800 assignments with combined market values of $108 billion.

Responsibilities:

CBRE, the nation?s largest commercial real estate services firm, is seeking qualified individuals for its Financial Consulting Group (FCG). FCG is used to facilitate an informed decision-making process for all stages of the valuation, underwriting and tenant/corporate advisory services process. FCG designs and customizes its work to communicate information in the consistent professional manner required by real estate investors, financial institutions and Corporate CFOs.

Specific responsibilities will include:

Work with the DC Area tenant representation sales professionals to develop financial models and deliver business strategies to CBRE clients for their real estate decision making needs.

Prepare various financial analyses used for both landlord and tenant representation; analyses include corporate occupancy strategy, lease vs. own, and lease renegotiation analysis.

Provide sophisticated financial analysis which models a client?s current and future occupancy costs by providing cash flow projections and pricing of various leasehold interests across multiple property types

Create financial models which use a variety of decision making metrics to help clients make real estate occupancy decisions, those metrics would include pre- and after-tax cash flows, US GAAP profit and loss impact, and earnings per share impact, on total and discounted basis.

Gather and track critical financial data points for research and negotiation purposes

Review, analyze, comprehend, abstract and interpret various types of real estate documents, including leases, rent rolls, budgets, operating statements, expense reconciliations, loan agreements, and other information used in the analysis process.

Strategize creative alternatives with co-workers and clients

Ability to present analysis results in a formal setting to audiences with a wide range of financial acumen.

Qualifications:

Qualifications:

Strong hands-on experience of financial terms and principles Discounted Cash Flow, IRR, NPV, Time Value of Money, Return on Equity, etc.

Strong knowledge of US GAAP and an understanding of how real estate lease obligations impact a company?s P&L and Balance Sheet

Requires immediate to advanced Excel experience with formula auditing, VBA macros, template building, and Pivot Tables.

Team player and strong work ethic

Ability to understand and carry out general instructions in standard situations.? Ability to solve problems in complex situations.?

Ability to think creatively to resolve problems

Solid organizational skills and ability to manage multiple assignments with changing priorities

Highly developed verbal and written communication skills ? ability to interact effectively and professionally with a wide variety of internal parties (managers, analysts, sales professionals, clients)

Willingness to work hard in a transaction oriented environment

Close attention to detail and strong organizational skills.? Ability to multi-task in order to meet client deadlines

Decisions made with general understanding of procedures and company policies to achieve set results and deadlines.

Intermediate to advanced skills with Microsoft Office Suite including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Access.

Bachelor?s degree (BA/BS) in Real Estate, Finance, Accounting, or Economics from four-year college or university required.

5 to 10 years of financial analysis experience in commercial real estate

Real Estate License required.

?

Required Skills

Source: http://www.selectleaders.com/candidate/viewjobdetails.do?jid=27909

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LG buys WebOS from HP to use in smart TVs

Devin Coldewey , NBC News ? ? ? 5 hrs.

Palm's ill-fated WebOS has been bought again, this time by Korean electronics giant LG, ostensibly to support the company's development of smart TVs. But don't expect a Palm TV ? the once-admired OS is more likely to just fade into the background.

The purchase includes the OS itself and most of its critical components, including patents (although not its meager app catalog). Fans of the OS will be happy to hear that the open source projects started by HP will continue as before, albeit under the "stewardship" of LG. Still have a WebOS handset? HP will continue to provide support.

The financial terms of the deal were not announced, suggesting the purchase price was not particularly high; HP would probably like to avoid highlighting a poor return on their investment in Palm. Regardless, neither party believed the transaction would affect either of their stock prices.

HP acquired Palm for $1.2 billion three years ago ? a short time in the business world, but an eternity in software and technology. Palm's WebOS, widely hailed at its 2009 launch as an innovative and powerful alternative to both iOS and Android, was slated to power a new generation of HP consumer devices, none of which ever materialized.

LG states that WebOS was purchased to augment their next wave of smart TVs, and certainly the intuitive interface and patents in Palm's swan song could help with that. The world may be eagerly awaiting an Apple TV set, but in the meantime existing companies are fighting tooth and nail for space in the living room, and a novel and user-friendly OS (as LG seems to be planning) could be a coup.

But a few ideas and interface patents are likely all that can be salvaged from WebOS at this point for LG's purposes. Anyone who's hoping for a second (or third) coming of WebOS in the form of a smart TV will likely be disappointed.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/lg-buys-webos-hp-use-smart-tvs-1C8540546

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Sequester-related job cuts could prove costly

Mark Koba , CNBC ? ? ? 5 hrs.

Without a deal in place yet to avoid Friday's sequester ? the start of mandatory cuts in defense and discretionary spending ? companies with U.S. government contracts must figure out which workers will likely be laid off as the funds to keep them on the payroll will disappear.

The federal government spends more than $500 billion a year? or roughly 14 percent of the federal budget ? on private-sector contractors, and an estimated 7.5 million people are employed through government contracts.

Hundreds of thousands of workers face being let go after Friday in order to reach reductions in defense by $500 billion and nondefense by $700 billion to reduce the deficit this year and over the next decade by at least $1.2 trillion.

In many cases, it won't be easy, said Connie Bertram, a labor and employment lawyer at Proskauer, as firms have to consider issues like benefit packages, accrued leave pay and possible legal action from laid-off workers.

"Sequestration can't be used as a tool to lay people off. Firms have to follow state and federal laws when it comes to letting people go," Bertram said. "That means they have to justify the layoff beyond sequestration in many cases. A worker would have to be told why he or she is being let go."

Read More: Are You Ready for Pain of Sequestration?

"Given the scope of program cutbacks, the risk of litigation is high," Bertam said. "Contractor employees often work in highly specialized fields, so if entire programs are eliminated or substantially reduced, it will be difficult for former employees to find comparable employment. This is a recipe for workers to sue the firm."

"And If you're making a decision between two people, the one let go could legally challenge it," Bertam added.

Deciding how to pay laid-off or furloughed workers is major headache for companies.

"Do they get unpaid leave or take a reduction pay scale or work only certain hours of the week? Do salaried workers become hourly workers and lose health benefits? There's a lot to consider," Bertram said.

The list of government contractors is long, and it's not just defense companies like Northrup Grumman and Lockheed Martin. Companies like Verizon, AT& T and Hewlett-Packard are among government contractors.

And their role is often dominant. The Department of Energy spends 90 percent of its budget on contractors that manage the agency's sites and other duties, according the Government Accountability Office.

At this point, it's difficult to know what action to take for workers and sequestration, said Randy Belote, a Northrup Grumman spokesman.

"We can't really plan what workers might or might not need to be laid off because we just don't know," Belote said. "We are waiting to hear from the Defense Department which areas will shut down."

"Obviously we have communicated to our workers the possibility of layoffs or furloughs, but we haven't put anything in place yet to plan for who might be let go," Belote said Tuesday.

Read More: 5 Reasons Not to Worry About Sequestration

Companies would be wise to take at least one action now ? and possibly save money and avoid legal headaches ? instead of waiting, said Dave Kurtz, a partner in Edwards Wildman's Labor & Employment group. He said firms should be issuing WARN notices to workers.

That's the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires most employers to provide a 60-day notice in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs to nonunion workers.

"The White House has issued a wavier on WARN because of sequester, but it's not clear if that's completely legal, so firms would be wise to issue one now," Kurtz said. "Otherwise they could face legal action from workers and the associated costs."

Those costs could be an economic hot potato between Congress and the contractors, said Bertram.

"As part of the White House waiver, they said firms could add costs associated from not issuing WARN notices to their contracts and charge the government," Bertram said. "But Congress is balking at that, so it's in [the companies'] best interests to get them out, even if sequestration doesn't happen."

Union workers at firms with government contracts could also take legal action as a result of a sequester, said Kurtz.

"Those workers could, through their unions, file unfair labor suits against the firms because of sequestration," Kurtz said.

"But the irony is that those actions would likely end up in front of the Labor Relations Board but because of sequestration, there wouldn't be anyone there to hear their case," said Kurtz.

What's left between now and Friday and possibly beyond if a deal to stop the sequester is not reached is a lot of agony for everyone, say experts.

"Workers laid off will likely go into their savings if they have any or use their retirement funds to live and lose their health benefits," said Kurtz. "it's not a pretty picture."

"The sequester could impact companies for a long time and close down whole areas of production," said Bertam. "And imagine if a worker is told he's not coming back even if the sequester ends. It won't be easy trying to find another job."

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/sequester-related-job-cuts-could-prove-costly-firms-1C8568899

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How to Sync Contacts Between Two Gmail Accounts

These days, it's hard to get by with just one email address. If you want to sync your contacts between all your email accounts, it's actually very easy to do with a free tool called Soocial. Here's how.

We've talked about Soocial a few times before, because it can sync your contacts between multiple services. However, I never thought of it when trying to sync my contacts between two Gmail addresses?even though it works amazingly well. Here's what you need to do:

1. Sign up for a Soocial account if you don't have one already. Soocial is free for up to 250 contacts and three different sources. Above that, it'll run you $4.99 a month.
2. Head to the Sources tab to add a new source. Under "Add a Source," pick "Add Gmail."
3. Grant Soocial access to your Gmail contacts and choose "Merge Gmail with Soocial" when prompted.
4. When the wizard is complete, it'll take a few minutes to sync your contacts. Head back to the Contacts page and keep an eye on it. Once it's synced all of them, you're ready to move on.
5. Head back to the Sources tab and scroll down to "Add a Source." Repeat steps 2 and 3 with your second Gmail account.

When the wizard is finished, head to your second Gmail account and open up the contacts. You should find that everything's been synced beautifully, including pictures. I had all my contacts on one account, but if you had some on each, you may have to go through and fix some duplicates before everything's in tip-top shape. From here on out, though, any changes you make to one address book will be synced to the other, and vice-versa, meaning your contacts are never out of date on just one account.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/F_ZNlPkbO4g/how-to-sync-contacts-between-two-gmail-accounts

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Meet The Siberian Husky On Dog Sledding Holidays

There are few experiences as awe-inspiring as gliding across the Arctic landscape on dog sledding holidays. Humans and dogs have been working together since time immemorial in the northernmost regions of the world, and the chance to take part in this wonderful legacy is considered by many who embark on it to be the holiday of a lifetime. While there are a few different breeds that traditionally trained to pull sleds, one that can be found at most destinations is the Siberian Husky - an enduringly popular dog thanks to its hardworking, friendly nature, as well as being extremely beautiful.

Characteristics

As their name suggests, Siberian Huskies have their origins in the Siberian Arctic, and were originally bred as sled dogs by the indigenous people of North-East Asia, the Chukchi, long before dog sledding holidays were a reality. They have several key characteristics that make them highly well-adapted Arctic conditions. Firstly, their size and stature give them the strength they need to traverse the snowy landscape. Also vital is their double coat, with a layer of thick, shorter hair under a topcoat of longer hair, which helps the dogs to control their body temperature extremely efficiently. Their striking coats are usually a blend of white with black, grey, red or copper, often with bold markings on the face colours that allow them to fit in with their surroundings, as well as reflecting heat in the summer. They are known to be affectionate, curious, and intelligent.

History

Having been bred as sled dogs, Siberian Huskies are a popular choice for dog sledding holidays - with good reason. The harsh conditions of the Siberian Arctic made many aspects of life a challenge for the regions indigenous people, including travelling and transporting goods, but with the introduction of husky-drawn sleds, the possibilities for moving around were greatly increased. This greatly increased their chances of survival, as well as allowing them to hunt more efficiently, travel further, and settle in new areas. They were later used in Arctic exploration, as well as being imported to Canada and Alaska to perform a similar role in pulling sleds. Thus any holiday that includes husky sledding is engaging in an age-old history of Arctic adventure.

Sled Dogs

Thanks to their heritage, Siberian Huskies have a high degree of endurance and willingness to keep working, and are able to pull sleds over great distances for long periods of time although, of course, they need to be treated well. The bond between these dogs and those they carry is an ancient and vital one, and those who take dog sledding holidays should spend time getting to know them before setting off. The relationship of the dogs on a team with each other, and their ability to perform their different roles alongside each other, is also important.

About the Author:
Philippa Westwood is Marketing Manager at Windows on the Wild, a specialist of wildlife watching tours and dog sledding holidays. Destinations include Canada, Lapland and Sweden where dog sledding holidays can take you on adventurous experiences across the world.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/-Meet-The-Siberian-Husky-On-Dog-Sledding-Holidays/4454998

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To Beat Back Pain?Strengthen Your Core | Jes Reynolds...Your ...

I recently received this question which I thought reflected a general consensus among most people whether postpartum, amateur athlete, or the average joe who spends most of his time in an office chair?

Since being pregnant, breast feeding, and now carrying my baby around all the time I have a lot of lower back pain.? I know it?s important to strengthen my core in order to strengthen my back, but am not sure the best ways to go about actually doing this without needing a heating pad every night.

I can relate to back pain!!! ?When I was 19 years old I ran 6 miles about 3 times a week,?worked out almost every day, and played in?competitive?volleyball tournaments on weekends. ?One day during a tournament I jumped up to hit the ball, landed, and felt this horrendous pain shooting through my lower back. ?I could not stand up straight or lie down without excruciating pain. ?I had to go to the emergency room! ?I was given muscle?relaxers?and pain killers but no explanation as to what this pain was! ?Later I learned that I had extremely weak core muscles causing extreme stress on my lower back which eventually lead to severe muscles spasms and soft tissue damage.? I?m telling you?back pain is NO JOKE!!!! ?Whether an athlete, new mother, or moderately active person? you should aim to have a strong core and learn to engage it properly, protect your back, and keep you on your feet!

An article from Web MD states: About 25% of Americans are affected by back pain in a given year, and they spend more time at the doctor?s office for back pain than for any other medical condition except high blood pressure and diabetes.

Instead of jumping for pills or surgery, says Kelly, people with chronic back pain should first seek out a thorough functional assessment from a qualified trainer with experience in sports medicine.

Some main causes of back pain are:

• Poor posture and alignment
• Weak core muscles
• Improper use of core muscles
• Structural damage like a herniated or ruptured disk

If there is no structural damage, the keys to alleviating lower back pain are:

• Posture (during all exercise and during regular life)
• Core Strength Exercises
• Training the Nervous system to fire muscles correctly

Why does core strength matter: Your core is made up of muscles ligaments and tendons.? The structure of the back & core is made up of bone, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves.? There are a multitude of factors that can impact these elements to cause lower back pain.

4 exercises to strengthen your core:

Side Plank: The side plank requires alignment and core activation to be done correctly. Lineup ear, shoulder, hip, knee & ankle, draw navel in, and hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Side Angle Pose: Side angle pose is a yoga pose requiring balance, leg strength, and core activation. I am not a yoga teacher or expert, just a participant so I have included a link? with instructions to help you do this pose.
Plank Using Exercise Ball: Plank using an exercise ball requires shoulder strength and core activation. Line up ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, draw navel in, and hold for 30 -60 seconds.
Chest Press Using Exercise Ball: Chest press using an exercise ball requires core stability, upper body strength, and balance. ?It?s a great exercise to help you learn to activate the core during strength training.

You should not feel lower back pain during any of these exercises. ?If you do, they are too advanced or you are holding them too long. ?If you have chronic back pain, I recommend scheduling a session or two with a qualified exercise specialist just to focus on core strengthening exercises, flexibility, and posture. ?With the right professional, it can dramatically improve your core strength and reduce lower back pain. ?Let me know if you would like more information about this by sending an email to: Jes@jesreynolds.com!

Source: http://jesreynolds.com/to-beat-back-pain-strengthen-your-core/

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Sony Xperia Tablet Z launching globally: 6.9mm thin, quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and 1,920 x 1,200 display

Sony's newest tablet, known as the Xperia Tablet Z, launched in Japan last month, but it still hasn't been seen outside of the Far East. Mobile World Congress is the perfect venue to show it off to the entire world, it seems, as it's now expanding to other parts of the globe. As we had hoped, the super-thin Tablet Z doesn't wander off from Japan's variant spec-wise, though this model will offer your choice of 16 or 32GB internal storage, rather than simply the latter. (Sony also announced that a WiFi-only version with 64GB space will come to the US.) Otherwise, it still boasts Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB RAM, a 6,000mAh battery, 8.1MP rear camera and 2MP front-facing cam, NFC, PlayStation Certified, four speakers and a 1,920 x 1,200 display.

Also, the MWC launch gives us a peek at a few minor details we didn't get in the first go-round: the slate includes MHL, up to 64GB of microSD expansion and DLNA, but oddly we haven't seen any specifics on battery size. And just like its cousin, the Z will come with Jelly Bean installed but Sony promises that 4.2 is on its way, though no ETA was given for the update. Finally, we won't hold back on the pricing and availability, even if we kept you in suspense until the end: the black model will be sold in Sony stores and authorized sellers this May, and the white model (which only comes in a 32GB flavor) will be exclusive to official company outlets. A 16GB will put you back $499 and 32GB will be $599. If you're up for a deeper look into the tablet, our hands-on is a great place to get started.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Qn5d8JR5eoE/

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Cuba: Raul Castro Plans To Retire In 2018, Signaling The End Of An Era (VIDEO)

HAVANA -- It's been more than 54 years since someone not named "Castro" led Cuba, and it will likely be five more.

But now islanders and exiles alike have finally been given a date for when the sun will set on brothers Fidel and Raul's longtime rule: 2018.

In accepting a new presidential term on Sunday, the 81-year-old Raul Castro announced that it would be his last. And for the first time, he tapped a rising young star, Miguel Diaz-Canel, to be his top lieutenant and possible successor.

"This will be my last term," Castro said, his voice firm.

Castro also said he hopes to establish two-term limits and age caps for political offices including the presidency, though he didn't specify what age.

As the new first vice president of the ruling Council of State, the 52-year-old Diaz-Canel is now a heartbeat from the presidency and has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the heady days of the 1959 revolution.

In his 35-minute speech, Castro hinted at other changes to the constitution, some so dramatic that they will have to be ratified by the Cuban people in a referendum. Still, he scotched any idea that the country would soon abandon socialism, saying he had not assumed the presidency in order to destroy Cuba's system.

"I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba," he said. "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it."

Castro fueled interest in Sunday's legislative gathering after mentioning on Friday his possible retirement and suggesting lightheartedly that he had plans to resign at some point.

It's now clear that he was serious when he promised that Sunday's speech would have fireworks, and would touch on his future in leadership.

Cuba is at a moment of "historic transcendence," Castro told lawmakers in speaking of his decision to name Diaz-Canel to the No. 2 job, replacing the 81-year-old Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought with the Castros in the Sierra Maestra.

Castro praised Machado Ventura and another aging revolutionary for offering to leave their positions so that younger leaders could move up.

Their selflessness is "a concrete demonstration of their genuine revolutionary fiber ... That is the essence of the founding generation of this revolution."

Castro said that Diaz-Canel's promotion "represents a definitive step in the configuration of the future leadership of the nation through the gradual and orderly transfer of key roles to new generations."

"Our greatest satisfaction is the tranquility and serene confidence we feel as we deliver to the new generations the responsibility to continue building socialism," he added.

On the streets of Havana, where people often express a jaded skepticism of all things political, there was genuine excitement.

"This is the start of a new era," said Roberto Delgado, a 68-year-old retiree walking down a street in the leafy Miramar neighborhood. "It will undoubtedly be a complicated and difficult process, but something important happened today."

"I'm mesmerized," added Regla Blanco, 48. "You thought that with all these old men, it would never end. I am very satisfied with what Raul said. He is keeping his promise."

Since taking over from Fidel in 2006, Castro has instituted a slate of important economic and social changes, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and relaxing hated travel restrictions.

Still, the country remains ruled by the Communist Party and any opposition to it lacks legal recognition.

Indeed, several dozen anti-government protesters were detained across the island Sunday and held for a few hours for public disorder before being released, according to Elizardo Sanchez, a dissident who monitors human rights in Cuba.

Castro has mentioned term limits before, but he has never said specifically when he would step down, and the concept has yet to be codified into Cuban law.

If he keeps his word, Castro will leave office no later than 2018. Cuban-American exiles in the United States have waited decades for the end of the Castro era, although they will likely be dismayed if it ends on the brothers' terms.

Nevertheless, the promise of a change at the top could have deep significance for U.S.-Cuba ties. The wording of Washington's 51-year economic embargo on the island specifies that it cannot be lifted while a Castro is in charge.

In Florida, home to hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles, some were skeptical that Castro's eventual retirement will change much.

"First we have to see if he lives another five years, and after we have to see what happens," said Raul Lopez Mola, an 81-year-old who abandoned Cuba in 1966 for a new life in Miami. "No one can predict what will happen in five years. For me, I don't think it has great importance."

"It would be more meaningful if Fidel Castro died," Lopez Mola added.

Fidel Castro is 86 and retired, and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He made a surprise appearance at Sunday's gathering, receiving a thunderous ovation from lawmakers.

Some analysts have speculated that the Castros would push a younger member of their family into a top job, but there was no hint of that Sunday.

While few things are ever clear in Cuba's hermetically sealed news environment, rumblings that Diaz-Canel, an electrical engineer by training and ex-minister of higher education, might be in line for a senior post have grown.

In recent weeks, he has frequently been featured on state television news broadcasts in an apparent attempt to raise his profile.

He also traveled to Venezuela in January for the symbolic inauguration of Hugo Chavez, a key Cuban ally who had been re-elected president but was too ill to be sworn in.

The 612 lawmakers sworn in Sunday also named Esteban Lazo as the National Assembly's first new chief in 20 years, replacing Ricardo Alarcon.

Lazo, who turns 69 on Tuesday, is a vice president and member of the Communist Party's ruling political bureau. Parliament meets only twice a year and generally passes legislation unanimously without visible debate.

The legislature also named as vice presidents of the ruling Council Machado Ventura; comptroller general Gladys Bejerano; second Vice President Ramiro Valdes; Havana Communist Party secretary Lazara Mercedes Lopez Acea; and Salvador Valdes Mesa, head of Cuba's labor union.

___

Associated Press writers Anne Marie-Garcia and Paul Haven in Havana, and Christine Armario in Miami, contributed to this report.

___

Peter Orsi on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/end-of-castro-era_n_2757191.html

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NRA uses Justice Dept. memo to accuse Obama on guns

The National Rifle Association is using a Justice Department memo it obtained to argue in ads that the Obama administration believes its gun control plans won't work unless the government seizes firearms and requires national gun registration ? ideas the White House has not proposed and does not support.

The NRA's assertion and its obtaining of the memo in the first place underscore the no-holds-barred battle under way as Washington's fight over gun restrictions heats up.

The memo, under the name of one of the Justice Department's leading crime researchers, critiques the effectiveness of gun control proposals, including some of President Barack Obama's. A Justice Department official called the memo an unfinished review of gun violence research and said it does not represent administration policy.

The memo says requiring background checks for more gun purchases could help, but also could lead to more illicit weapons sales. It says banning assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines produced in the future but exempting those already owned by the public, as Obama has proposed, would have limited impact because people now own so many of those items.

It also says that even total elimination of assault weapons would have little overall effect on gun killings because assault weapons account for a limited proportion of those crimes.

The nine-page document says the success of universal background checks would depend in part on "requiring gun registration," and says gun buybacks would not be effective "unless massive and coupled with a ban."

The administration has not proposed gun registration, buybacks or banning all firearms. But gun registration and ownership curbs are hot-button issues for the NRA and other gun-rights groups, which strenuously oppose the ideas.

Justice Department and White House officials declined to provide much information about the memo or answer questions about it on the record.

The memo has the look of a preliminary document and calls itself "a cursory summary" and assessment of gun curb initiatives. The administration has not release it officially.

But the NRA has posted the memo on one of its websites and cites it in advertising aimed at whipping up opposition to Obama's efforts to contain gun violence. The ad says the paper shows that the administration "believes that a gun ban will not work without mandatory gun confiscation" and thinks universal background checks "won't work without requiring national gun registration" ? ideas the president has not proposed or expressed support for.

"Still think President Obama's proposals sound reasonable?" Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief Washington lobbyist, says in the ad.

Last month, White House spokesman Jay Carney said none of Obama's proposals "would take away a gun from a single law-abiding American." Other administration officials have said their plans would not result in gun seizures or a national gun registry.

A Justice Department official who would only discuss the issue on condition of anonymity said the NRA ad misrepresents Obama's gun proposals and that the administration has never backed a gun registry or gun confiscation.

While the memo's analysis of gun curb proposals presents no new findings, it is unusual for a federal agency document to surface that raises questions about a president's plans during debate on a high-profile issue such as restricting firearms.

Obama wants to ban assault weapons and ammunition magazines exceeding 10 rounds that are produced in the future. He wants universal background checks for nearly all gun purchases. Today, checks are only mandatory on sales by federally licensed gun dealers, not transactions at gun shows or other private sales.

His plan also includes tougher federal laws against gun trafficking and straw purchases, which occur when a person legally buys a firearm but sells it to a criminal or someone else barred from owning a weapon.

Interest in the gun issue has intensified since the December shootings in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 first-graders and six staffers at an elementary school. The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee plans to write legislation addressing some of Obama's proposals in the next week or two.

The NRA's Cox declined to say how his organization obtained the memo.

He said the commercial is running online in 15 states, including many Republican-leaning states where Democrats will defend Senate seats next year, such as Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. There are also ads in papers in five states.

The memo was written under the name of Greg Ridgeway, acting director of the National Institute of Justice, the Justice Department's research arm. It is dated Jan. 4, nearly two weeks before Obama announced his plan for restricting guns, and Ridgeway's first day as acting chief.

Justice Department officials said Ridgeway was not granting interviews. He came to the institute last July from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research institution where he studied criminal justice issues, and has a Ph.D. in statistics.

The memo says straw purchases and gun thefts are the largest sources of firearms used in crimes, and that such transactions "would most likely become larger if background checks at gun shows and private sellers were addressed."

Gun control supporters said the NRA ad and the Justice memo don't mention that the current federal background check system blocked gun sales to 2.1 million criminals and others barred from owning guns between 1994, when the checks began, and 2010. Also ignored is that Obama has proposed cracking down on straw purchases to prevent a growth in illegal transactions, they said.

Advocates of restricting guns also said the memo omitted mention of several studies that affirm the effectiveness of firearms curbs. These include a 2010 police group analysis showing more than one-third of police departments found increased criminal use of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines since the 2004 expiration of the ban on those items.

"It doesn't appear to be a serious discussion of gun violence prevention policy, never mind an expression of administration policy," said Joshua Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

The memo says that out of 11,000 annual gun homicides, an average of 35 deaths yearly are from mass shootings, defined as those with four or more victims.

"Policies that address the larger firearm homicide issue will have a far greater impact even if they do not address the particular issues of mass shootings," it says.

It says there were an estimated 1.5 million assault weapons before the 10-year ban on those firearms began in 1994, so their sheer number would weaken a new ban exempting existing weapons. Such guns accounted for just 2 percent to 8 percent of crimes before the 1994 ban, so eliminating assault weapons "would not have a large impact on gun homicides," the memo said.

Recent data on the assault weapons ban impact is scarce because since the 1990s, Congress has blocked most federal research on the effect that firearms have on public health. As part of the gun restrictions Obama proposed last month, he ordered federal scientific agencies to research gun violence.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nra-uses-justice-memo-accuse-obama-guns-084745794.html

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Virgin and Boost add LTE handsets to their pre-paid rosters

Just because you don't have a contract tying you down doesn't mean you don't deserve LTE speeds, right? Boost and Virgin Mobile will be getting their very own 4G handsets, with help from Sprint's network. You can pick up Samsung's Galaxy Victory 4G LTE over on Virgin's site, starting today for $300 a pop (with more retailers getting in on the action in the middle of next month). Over on Boost, they've got HTC's One SV and the four-inch Boost Force, both dropping on March 7th. Those handsets will run you $300 and $200, respectively.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/virgin-boost-lte/

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PowerbyProxi debuts wireless charging solution, aims to fully integrate it into future smartphones (video)

The pathway to innovation is paved with failed attempts to produce wireless charging solutions that a) actually work and b) people genuinely want to use, but we've got yet another upstart here at Mobile World Congress willing to give it a go. PowerbyProxi's solution looks pretty similar to renditions we've seen from Fulton Innovation, but it's quick to point out the differences. The loosely-coupled method uses a bantam receiver that's "efficient enough to be integrated into the processor board of a smartphone without causing over-heating."

While previous industry designs have resulted in longer charging times than if the device were plugged into a wall socket, PowerbyProxi's solution reportedly "provides charging at the same speed as wired charging." In fact, it claims to offer the only system that can rejuvenate up to three devices at the same time at full power. If you're wondering what working group these guys are going to side with, that much is still up in the air -- it's remaining "agnostic towards the selection of an ultimate standard" for now.

We spoke with the company here at Mobile World Congress, and it confirmed to us that it's working with the top five major battery manufacturers, and we should see wireless AA and AAA cells "within 12 months." It wouldn't confirm how soon we'd see it in phones, tablets or laptops (yeah, it'll work in all of 'em), but it's clearly working with some of the top OEMs and hoping for the best. In the demo we witnessed, specially equipped Galaxy S III handsets charged alongside one another, even when barely clinging to the charging pad. Despite a bunch of metallic objects being heaped on the pad, it was intelligent enough to only send power to the phones, keeping gum boxes and coins cool, calm and collected. Head on past the break for quick video tour as well as a press release.

Dana Murph contributed to this report.

Gallery: PowerbyProxi debuts wireless charging solution at MWC 2013 (hands-on)

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile

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Source: PowerbyProxi

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/24/powerbyproxi-wireless-charging-solution-demo-mwc-2013-video/

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Lenovo outs three Android tablets, the 7-inch A1000 and A3000, and the 10-inch S6000 (hands-on)

Mobile World Congress might be the world's premier smartphone show, but that doesn't mean you won't find a bunch of tablets on display. In fact, that's pretty much all Lenovo is showing -- that, and the K900 phone, which you've already seen. All told, the company is introducing three new tabs, all of which run Android Jelly Bean, and fall into the budget / mid-range category. At the highest end is the S6000, which really isn't "high-end," per se, given that it has a 10-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display and a quad-core MediaTek's 8389 / 8125 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz. The tablet, which measures 8.6mm (0.34 inch) thick and weighs in at 560 grams (1.23 pounds), is rated for eight hours of battery life, and there's an optional HSPA+ radio too.

Similarly, the 7-inch A3000 (pictured above) has a 1.2GHz quad-core MTK processor, IPS display and optional HSPA+ , but its resolution is a lower 1,024 x 600. Though it's smaller, it's also a tad thicker, at 11mm (0.43 inch). Finally, at the entry level, there's the A1000, a 7-inch tablet with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and Dolby Digital Plus audio (it's being marketed toward music enthusiasts as well as first-time buyers). Both models have microSD expansion, but the A3000 supports cards up to 64GB, while the A1000 can only handle 32. (The A1000 maxes out at 16GB of built-in storage, by the way.)

The tablets will all be available sometime in Q2, with worldwide availability (yes, that includes the US). We won't find out prices until later, but we do expect to see these on display here at MWC, so stay tuned for the usual hands-on treatment.

Gallery: Lenovo A1000

Gallery: Lenovo A3000

Gallery: Lenovo S6000

Filed under: Tablets, Lenovo

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Source: Lenovo

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A bone to pick with the Oscars (Washington Post)

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