Drone Station lets you pilot an AR.Drone with your Mac originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 04:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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@SusanChen1 talk recently flared up again over rumor of GOOG evaluating again. but I don't comment on this on blog/Twitter most of the time 
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ATLANTA -- The Atlanta suburb of Smyrna plans to fuel some of its city trucks with a mix that includes biodiesel, which is repurposed cooking oil the city plans to collect from dozens of restaurants that fry food.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/sZWyAM) that Smyrna joins at least two other Georgia cities - Roswell and Tybee Island - in using Department of Energy federal stimulus funds to start and run biodiesel programs for their fleets.
Ann Kirk, executive director of Keep Smyrna Beautiful, said her city's program will begin in January. It was modeled on a program in Hoover, Ala.
Kirk said it will be phased in as supplemental fuel for the city's fleet, with the idea that eventually some of the city's trucks will run entirely on the repurposed cooking oil.
Source: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/26/1839109/ga-towns-aims-to-fuel-trucks-with.html
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Proof of concept though this is, Airtight purports to be the first app that will enable Apple's Airplay on the Google TV. Priced at a mere 99 cents, the app allows you to stream non-DRMed movies to your TV via any Airplay-enabled device like an iPad or iPhone. Music and mirroring are not yet supported and you have to have an update Google TV with the Android Market available.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5IS-eqaA60M/
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Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
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Picking up the older girls for Christmas Eve (@ New Haven Union Station (NHV) - Metro North & Amtrak w/ 8 others) 4sq.com/towgRt 
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Jenn and Travis Photography are a husband and wife duo based in Los Angeles, California and they are ready to capture and share your wedding with you. Read on to learn a few things about Jenn and Travis in the hopes you can get to know them a little better. Be sure to see way more of their work on their website and their blog and of course go say hi over on their facebook page.
We?re Jenn and Travis. Photographers. Artists. Thrill seekers. We?re parents to one (but definitely more to come). Christians. Lovers. Believers in all things good. We?re fun, light hearted and bask in the beauty we call life. We still cry at weddings?and we?ll cry at yours. We see the world through our lenses?and it?s beautiful, with endless possibilities. We?re story tellers and who we are is reflected in how we?ll tell yours. Couples invite us into their lives because they connect with our interpretation of life. Get to know us?we?d love to return the favor.
A few things we believe:
?A day without laughter is wasted.? ? Charlie Chaplin ? Love is a verb. Happiness is a decision?and we make it everyday. Our marriage has made us better photographers. The best is yet to come.
Source: http://www.weddingchicks.com/2011/12/22/jenn-and-travis-photography/
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Cobalt International Energy, Inc. reported that the Ensco 8503 drilling rig, contracted to Cobalt, has returned to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following a sublet of the rig to drill a well in French Guiana. Cobalt received the required U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Compliance and has subsequently received APD approval from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement for the Ligurian #2 exploratory well. Cobalt plans to spud Ligurian #2 by year end. Ligurian is located in the Southern Green Canyon Area immediately adjacent to the 2009 Heidelberg discovery in which Cobalt is a part owner. After drilling Ligurian #2, Cobalt plans to move the rig to the North Platte #1 well location in the Garden Banks Area to drill that prospect. Cobalt anticipates that each of the Ligurian #2 and North Platte #1 exploratory wells will take approximately six months to drill.
?Obtaining the approved APD for Ligurian #2 represents another significant milestone for Cobalt?.
?Obtaining the approved APD for Ligurian #2 represents another significant milestone for Cobalt?, said Van P. Whitfield, Cobalt?s Chief Operating Officer. ?Ligurian #2 will be our first company-operated well drilled in the Gulf of Mexico since the deepwater drilling moratorium was enforced in May 2010. We are definitely excited about our return to drilling and are confident in our ability to drill this well safely. Additionally, we look forward to obtaining the additional permits required to drill and evaluate the multiple other significant world class prospects we have in our Gulf of Mexico portfolio.?
Source: http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/news/cobalt-international-reports-resumption-of-gulf-of.shtml
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Source: www.newscientist.com --- Thursday, December 22, 2011
New research may be able to tell which online product reviews are from genuine users, and which were penned by paid professionals ...
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COLUMBIA, S.C. ? The Justice Department on Friday rejected South Carolina's law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, saying it makes it harder for minorities to cast ballots. It was the first voter ID law to be refused by the federal agency in nearly 20 years.
The Obama administration said South Carolina's law didn't meet the burden under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which outlawed discriminatory practices preventing blacks from voting. Tens of thousands of minorities in South Carolina might not be able to cast ballots under South Carolina's law because they don't have the right photo ID, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez said.
South Carolina's law was passed by a Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Nikki Haley. The state's attorney general vowed to fight the federal agency in court.
"Nothing in this act stops people from voting," said Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is also a Republican.
South Carolina's new voter ID law requires voters to show poll workers a state-issued driver's license or several other alternative forms of photo identification.
"The U.S. Department of Justice today blocked implementation of a new law that would require South Carolina voters to present a photo ID in order to vote," the state Election Commission said in a statement late Friday. "Therefore, ID requirements for voting will not change at this time.'
South Carolina is among five states that passed laws this year requiring some form of ID at the polls, while such laws were already on the books in Indiana and Georgia, whose law received approval from President George W. Bush's Justice Department. Indiana's law, passed in 2005, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2008.
Those new laws also allow voters without the required photo ID to cast provisional ballots, but the voters must return to a specific location with that ID within a certain time limit for their ballots to count.
Most of the laws have been promoted and approved by Republicans, who argue they are needed to avert voter fraud. Democrats say the measures are actually aimed at reducing minority votes for their candidates.
The Justice Department must approve changes to South Carolina's election laws under the federal Voting Rights Act because of the state's past failure to protect the voting rights of blacks. It is one of nine states that require the agency's approval.
The last time the Justice Department rejected a voter ID law was in 1994 when Louisiana passed a measure requiring a picture ID. After changes were made, it was approved by the agency.
Justice officials are reviewing Texas' new law. Kansas, Tennessee and Wisconsin also passed laws this year, but they are not under the agency's review.
South Carolina's law also required the state to determine how many voters lack state-issued IDs so that the Election Commission can work to make sure they know of law changes. The Department of Motor Vehicles will issue free state photo identification cards to those voters.
"Minority registered voters were nearly 20 percent more likely to lack DMV-issued ID than white registered voters, and thus to be effectively disenfranchised," Perez wrote, noting that the numbers could be even higher since the data submitted by the state doesn't include inactive voters.
The number of active and inactive voters that should be used to determine how many people would be affected by the law has been in dispute. Department of Motor Vehicles executive director Kevin Shwedo said the state Election Commission knew it was using inaccurate data when it released reports showing nearly 240,000 active and inactive voters lacked driver's licenses or ID cards.
Shwedo sent the state's attorney general an analysis showing that 207,000 of those voters live in other states, allowed their ID cards to expire, probably have licenses with names that didn't match voter records or were dead. He said the commission created "artificially high numbers to excite the masses."
Earlier in the week, commission officials said the agency will eliminate nearly 60,000 deceased people and individuals whose names didn't match DMV records.
Haley said the decision was more proof President Barack Obama is fighting conservative ideas like voter ID laws or immigration reform.
"The president and his bullish administration are fighting us every step of the way. It is outrageous, and we plan to look at every possible option to get this terrible, clearly political decision overturned so we can protect the integrity of our electoral process and our 10th amendment rights," Haley said in a statement.
South Carolina ACLU executive director Victoria Middleton applauded the Justice Department's decision, saying the "misguided" law represented "a dramatic setback to voting rights in our state and we are pleased to see it stopped in its tracks."
The decision also was welcomed by civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, who planned to talk about how voter ID laws are an effort by conservatives to keep blacks from voting in his hometown of Greenville, S.C., next week. He said the laws are like modern day poll taxes, targeting elderly people that can't afford to get IDs and students.
"We're fighting wars for democracy overseas and we're fighting democracy at home," Jackson said. "What a contradiction."
___
Associated Press writers Jim Davenport and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
___
Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
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The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS
1. (New) Kanye West / Jay-Z; $2,243,684; $120.57.
2. (1) Cirque du Soleil ? "Michael Jackson: The Immortal"; $1,924,258; $116.04.
3. (2) Taylor Swift; $1,302,209; $68.69.
4. (3) Enrique Iglesias; $806,680; $69.00.
5. (4) Journey; $687,843; $58.05.
6. (New) Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; $671,909; $67.88.
7. (5) Foo Fighters; $668,629; $48.76.
8. (6) Keith Urban; $581,289; $62.47.
9. (8) Caifanes; $500,310; $48.01.
10. (9) Jason Aldean; $481,111; $38.00.
11. (New) Sting; $475,037; $92.43.
12. (10) Furthur; $457,480; $51.73.
13. (New) Guns N' Roses; $416,872; $52.63.
14. (11) Andr? Rieu; $335,203; $75.34.
15. (13) Deadmau5; $328,370; $45.81.
16. (12) Tiesto; $298,721; $49.48.
17. (14) Duran Duran; $288,046; $73.98.
18. (15) Paul Simon; $252,673; $77.14.
19. (16) Jeff Dunham; $251,471; $46.79.
20. (17) Roger Daltrey; $240,036; $78.37.
For free upcoming tour information, go to http://www.pollstar.com
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It's been an up and down year for LightSquared, as the company lined up plenty of customers for its wholesale LTE network, but GPS interference issues have put the would-be wireless provider's plans on hold while it waits for FCC approval. According to a report by Reuters, LightSquared's finances may prevent it from exercising the patience needed to wait that long, as it posted a $427 million net loss during the first nine months of 2011. Apparently, the company needs a cash infusion by Q2 of 2012 to pay the hundreds of millions it owes Sprint under their agreement, make its debt payments and continue with its business plans. Naturally, it'll be hard to get the dollars it needs without FCC approval, so LightSquared has filed a petition with the FCC asking the commission to confirm its rights to the spectrum LightSquared licensed over eight years ago. Now, we play the waiting game to see if the FCC full-court press gives LightSquared's LTE network the green light. In the meantime, check out a copy of the petition at the second source below.
LightSquared not looking so good sans FCC approval, files petition to confirm its spectrum rights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ? Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for 200 asylum seekers still missing after their wooden ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. So far only 33 people have been plucked alive from the choppy waters alive.
Survivors told authorities they had been trying to reach Australia, said Lt. Alwi Mudzakir, a maritime police official who was heading rescue operations.
He blamed Saturday's accident on overloading, saying the vessel ? packed with 250 men, women and children from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Turkey ? appeared to have been carrying more than twice its capacity.
When the boat became unsteady 20 miles (32 kilometers) off Java's coast, people started panicking, causing it two sway violently back and forth, until finally it capsized.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation of 240 million people, has more than 18,000 islands and thousands of miles (kilometers) of unpatrolled coastline, making it a key transit point for smuggling migrants.
Those on the ship that sank Saturday had passed through the capital, Jakarta, three days earlier without any legal immigration documents, according to police.
An unidentified group loaded them onto four buses and brought them to a port, promising to get them to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
One of the survivors, Esmat Adine, told the official news agency Antara that when the ship started to rock, triggering the panic, people were so tightly packed they had nowhere to go.
"That made the boat even more unstable, and eventually it sank," said the 24-year-old Afghan migrant, adding that he and others survived by clinging to parts of the broken vessel until they were picked up by local fishermen.
He estimated that more than 40 children were on the ship. Mudzakir said that two children and a woman were among the 33 who had been rescued.
The police official was giving up hope of finding more survivors, saying weather was bad and four fishing boats and a navy war ship involved in the operation were battling 4-meter- (13-foot-) high waves.
"We fear that a large number of victims will not be rescued," he said.
Last month, a ship carrying about 70 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan capsized off the southern coast of Central Java province, and at least eight people died.
___
Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.
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DENVER (AP) ? Colorado?s campaign finance rules are either roadblocks to free speech or necessary to keep big money in check when it comes to campaigns, according to testimony Thursday from supporters and critics of proposed changes.
?Our goal is to create safe-harbor rules so people know what they?re doing,? Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler said at the beginning of public testimony. He is proposing a sweeping rewrite of Colorado?s campaign finance rules, what he calls a simple clarification of state election rules.
His proposals include limiting some campaign-finance fines, raising the cap on donations to certain political groups before they have to report to the state and other changes.
Critics argued that Gessler?s changes would make it easier for deep-pocketed donors to influence elections.
?Our voices would be drowned out by special interests with fat wallets,? said the Rev. Dawn Riley Duval of Denver?s Shorter AME Church.
Other activists said Gessler was trying to clarify campaign-finance rules to make it easier for average folks to participate in politics.
?They will be helpful for people like me, who are part-time activists, so they don?t lose their shirts in a campaign-finance lawsuit,? said Diana Hsieh, who campaigned last year against an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have banned abortion.
Among the changes would be a new cap on fines for campaign-finance violations. Gessler argued that it was unfair not to set any statute of limitations on a fine, because other areas of the law set maximum fines.
Democratic Sen. John Morse, who testified against Gessler?s changes, argued that setting that cap, which could be as little as $9,000 in total for a single violation, would invite advocacy groups to consider the fines as the cost of doing business. Morse said hefty fines are an important safeguard.
?You have to follow the rules of transparency if you?re going to be involved in the political process and telling people how to vote,? Morse said.
Gessler has also proposed that groups wouldn?t have to report campaign spending on ballot initiatives unless that amount exceeds 30 percent of ?the organization?s total spending.? Critics argued that setting a percentage threshold, instead of a numerical cap, would allow corporations to spend millions for or against a ballot measure without oversight, while smaller advocacy groups would have to file reports on lesser sums.
Gessler told one activist he?d consider changing that suggestion, but he pointed out that no amount exists now and he was only trying to suggest a clear guideline.
?I agree with you 100 percent that it treats small organizations and large organizations the same,? Gessler said.
The hearing drew testimony from both political parties, with the state Democratic Party?s lawyer, Martha Tierney, arguing against many of the rule changes.
?The net effect of the rules is to create less disclosure of political activity in the state of Colorado,? Tierney said.
The chairman of the state GOP, Ryan Call, said revising campaign finance rules have ?been a long time coming? and that Gessler?s suggestions would make it easier for non-lawyers to participate.
Call said that current rules are ?muddy guidelines that invite litigation ? or chill speech.?
Residents who couldn?t make Thursday?s hearing have until Dec. 23 to submit comments. After that, Gessler has 180 days to decide whether to change the rules.
If critics don?t like the changes, they would have to sue the secretary of state?s office or suggest new rules.
By Kristen Wyatt, AP Writer (? Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/12/16/colorado-considering-big-campaign-finance-changes-2/
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At the moment they were underground, in a subway tunnel beneath New York City and despite Detective Lauer?s request, the mayor had decided that the trains would continue to run during his investigation of the crime scene, and as a result the tunnels were packed with people. He had little to no privacy during his search, and every fifteen minutes or so a light tremor would shake the ground beneath him as another subway train went by. But regardless of his situation, Lauer managed to keep his cool and made his way over to the direction the other officer had pointed out earlier.
As he continued walking he realized that his path was leading toward the women?s bathroom. It was beginning to make sense now how the killer could?ve accomplished such a feat in such a public setting. Lauer thought to himself, 'The man must have captured her while she was in one of the stalls, locked the door, and... and uhm...' The man began to pale at the thought of what went on in the stalls earlier that night.
Once he opened the doors, he was surprised to find that there was no odd stench to be smelled, but it also made sense, seeing as the victim had been dropped in such a public place, she was bound to be found rather quickly, which never allowed her body the proper amount of time to sour.
He walked into the lavatory with hesitance, as if his mind knew that he didn't want to see what lay ahead, but his curiosity egged him on. And so he motioned for the all of the lower level officers to get out before he continued toward the body. He scratched around the base of his brunette hair, trying to grasp every detail of the scene before making an assumption. The only reason that he was not queasy from the sight was because he had been on the same case for several years now, and after seeing the murderer?s first kill the rest of them became less of a shock as time went on. The only person that he ever allowed near him while he went to work was his partner, and that was only because he had too. Nolan was much more of an introverted sort of person, and he often found that his partner's presence was more of a deterrence to him than a benefit.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/oRHlzw27hJM/viewtopic.php
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TALLAHASSEE (CBS4/NSF) ? Internal changes could reduce Citizens Property Insurance Corp. potential losses by up to $1.5 billion, but its governing board on Wednesday approved a legislative agenda that, if approved, would make further, more significant reductions in risk.
Meeting in Orlando, Citizens? board of governors said it would ask lawmakers to rein in what types of property the insurer must cover and speed up the process by which it can raise premiums, which company officials and many lawmakers believe are now artificially low.
Gov. Rick Scott has called on Citizens officials to push a legislative agenda aimed at shrinking the state-backed property insurance company, which now has about 1.5 million policies. Realistically, Citizen?s officials would like to see its number of policyholders reduced to about 800,000 policies.
The governor and other policy makers generally want Citizens to shed risk because if the company can?t pay claims, it could be financially ? and politically ? problematic. Once Citizens? cash and reinsurance is exhausted, private insurance customers would first pay assessments, raising their rates, and if that weren?t enough to cover Citizens? losses or insurance customers balked, state taxpayers might have to pick up part of the tab.
Generally, the Citizens board on Wednesday approved the same provisions that were included last year in a proposal that failed to become law, including allowing Citizens to increase rates by up to 25 percent a year.
Earlier this month, Citizens chairman Carlos Lacasa outlined a series of proposals to help the company reduce its exposure. Among the changes Citizens can make without legislative approval is reducing coverage for ancillary buildings or reducing the liability insurance cap.
On Wednesday, Citizens staff estimated that in-house efforts to limit exposure could reduce the potential maximum loss by more than $1.5 billion, a 7 percent reduction. Of that, $1 billion would be saved in coastal areas, a 15 percent cut.
?It may not be a mile but it is certainly more than an inch,? said Citizens board member John Rollins
But any major depopulation and reduction of risk cannot come without action from legislators, who have been reluctant to make drastic changes. In fact, lawmakers a few years ago capped rate increases for the state-backed insurer, which has allowed the gap between actuarially sound rates and premiums to widen.
On Wednesday, the board said it wants lawmakers to accelerate the path to bringing Citizens rates more in line with what company officials say is its risk. Lawmakers have capped residential policy increases at 10 percent. Citizens board members want the cap increased and also want to be able to pass on re-insurance costs on to customers over and above the cap.
Other proposals would revise eligibility requirements to reduce the number of residential and commercial properties eligible for coverage.
(TM and ? Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.)
Source: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/12/14/potential-changes-could-citizens-insurance-potential-risk/
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BERLIN ? Rebels in Germany's junior governing party on Friday failed to turn it against eurozone efforts to set up a permanent rescue fund, an outcome that averts a possible political crisis for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Dissenters in the struggling pro-market Free Democratic Party had forced the ballot on whether lawmakers in the party should support the euro500 billion ($650 billion) European Stability Mechanism, which is due to take start work next year.
However, the party's embattled leader, Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler, said that their motion was defeated by 10,841 votes to 8,809. There were 280 abstentions in the ballot, conducted by mail over recent weeks.
"The FDP is, and remains, a party with a clear pro-European direction, with the necessary economic policy good sense," said Roesler, who is also Germany's economy minister.
Leaders of the party have talked tough on Europe's debt crisis but support the rescue fund, a cornerstone of efforts led by Merkel to get the situation under control.
Health Minister Daniel Bahr, an FDP member, questioned earlier this month whether the governing coalition could continue to work if party members voted against the fund. No date has yet been set for a parliamentary vote on it.
Had the ballot gone the other way, rebels would have needed a third of party members, which number 65,000 in all, to participate for the result to be valid. But they also missed that target.
The rebels' failure gives Roesler, 38, a respite after a difficult week in which speculation swirled that his days as party leader were numbered.
Roesler took over only in May, promising that the FDP would "deliver," but he has failed to lift the party out of a poll slump.
Roesler annoyed dissenters by declaring on Sunday, two days before voting ended, that they had failed because it appeared too few votes had been cast in the ballot. A complicated voting system also attracted criticism.
One of the FDP's top officials, general secretary Christian Lindner, quit unexpectedly on Wednesday, saying that he wanted to "make possible a new dynamic."
The FDP joined Merkel's conservatives in government in 2009, winning nearly 15 percent of the vote after an election campaign focused heavily on income tax cuts ? a pledge that has been ground down to almost nothing.
The party has attracted much of the blame for frequent infighting in the coalition and has been punished by voters in state elections this year. Nationally, it regularly polls below the 5 percent needed to win seats in parliament.
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By Msnbc.com staff and wire
The list of women CEOs in the U.S., never very long, is losing one of its most prominent names.
Avon Products Inc., the global beauty company, said it has begun a search to replace?chief executive Andrea Jung, who will remain as?chairman. Jung has attracted the ire of investors because of slumping sales and a federal?probe about whether the company broke bribery laws overseas.
Jung will be named executive chairman beginning in the new year, Avon said Tuesday, adding that Jung will work with the board to find a replacement.
"The stock has been cut in half this year," Ali Dibadj, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, said. "The trust between investors and management has been severed. There have been a few times where expectations have been laid out there and have not been met."
Avon in October said that the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company's contact during 2010 and 2011 with certain analysts and other representatives of the financial community. The company also reported third-quarter profit that fell below analyst expectations, with Brazil weighing on earnings as the result of implementation of a new computer system, while tough economic conditions also hurt sales in other markets.
Jung has been Avon's CEO since 1999 and is credited with helping to grow the company in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as it continued to expand, bringing the prospect of a career or even just some extra pocket money to women from South Africa to South Korea.
But in the past several years, Avon has turned in poor performances in key markets such as Brazil and Russia, poured tens of millions of dollars into its international bribery investigation and struggled to stem declines in a sluggish U.S. market.
Aside from saying in October that the SEC was conducting its own bribery probe, the company also said the commission was looking into whether the company violated disclosure laws in contacts with analysts and others.
Avon shares have fallen 44 percent this year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index is down only 2.5 percent.
Though the stock rallied on the announcement of a CEO change on Tuesday, analysts were skeptical about the impact of the move.
"What you can say is the company is going to look for a CEO who hopefully will be able to right-size the fundamentals. But it's too soon to say anything about the turnaround itself," BMO Capital Markets analyst Connie Maneaty said.
Jung is popular with the representatives who sell the company's products, and at one time were known as "Avon Ladies."
That popularity might be one reason Jung is staying on as chairman, Dibadj said.
"Andrea is extraordinarily good at working with the representatives, and letting them down in some sense, very hard, might not be the best business decision," he said.
Jung's successor will need to be somebody who can also inspire the representatives, but at the same time improve operations and set out a vision beyond the "boom and bust" cycle Avon has endured, he said.????
Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/14/9440827-avons-andrea-jung-loses-ceo-title
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Xbox upgrades aim to be 'future of TV'
Source: CNN
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Tuesday, Dec 06, 2011, 8:00am
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115774/Xbox_upgrades_aim_to_be__future_of_TV_
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WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration is pressuring Congress to ease the potential impact of crippling sanctions on Iran's Central Bank, arguing that the restrictions will drive up oil prices and be a financial boon for Tehran.
The Senate voted 100-0 last week for the penalties that would target foreign financial institutions that do business with the Central Bank of Iran, barring them from opening or maintaining correspondent operations in the United States. The sanctions would apply to the sale or purchase of petroleum or petroleum products.
House and Senate negotiators are working on the measure as part of a broader defense bill. The administration is seeking changes to delay the sanctions. Republican Sen. Mark Kirk and Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez sent a letter to the negotiators late Monday arguing against any changes.
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By STUART CONDIE
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 9:33 a.m. ET Dec. 5, 2011
LONDON (AP) -After providing the Champions League with half its finalists over the last seven years, England could face the embarrassment of having just one team in the knockout round when the group stage concludes this week.
Manchester United needs only to avoid defeat at FC Basel to join Arsenal among the last 16 sides, but Chelsea and Premier League leader Manchester City are both vulnerable in their final group matches.
Chelsea is likely to need a victory over in-form Valencia to progress, while even a win over four-time European champion Bayern Munich may not be enough to take City through.
There are a total seven places still up for grabs, with Marseille and Ajax also in contention to fill them.
With three final appearances in the past four years, Manchester United were expected to be the first English team to advance to the next round. But Arsenal clinched progress last week with victory over Borussia Dortmund and United still must take at least a point Wednesday against a Basel side that came from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 at Old Trafford in September.
"A lot of people, including opposition teams, underestimate us," Basel midfielder Scott Chipperfield said. "But we have a good squad and a lot of us have played international football. In the Champions League, we play with an attitude of having nothing to lose.
"Nobody expects us to do well, so we like to go out there and play entertaining football."
United manager Alex Ferguson is hoping Basel's need to win its final Group C match means there will be space to attack.
"The only advantage is they do need to win and they have to try to beat us," Ferguson said. "We've always kept good possession of the ball and made that a dominating factor of our game. It can take the temperature out of the game."
United will be without Javier Hernandez after the Mexico striker was hurt in Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win at Aston Villa. He is expected to be fit in time for the latter stages if the team progresses.
Benfica also needs a draw to be sure of progress from Group C when the Portuguese side hosts eliminated Otelul Galati.
Chelsea, runner-up in 2008 to United, could progress with as little as a 0-0 draw Tuesday if Group E leader Bayer Leverkusen beats last-place Genk. But Leverkusen has already advanced and may take its foot off the gas, so the Blues must win to be sure.
"They are favorites because they are one of the world's major clubs," Valencia defender Adil Rami said. "But they are also going to be under a lot of pressure."
Chelsea trained without Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka and Alex on Monday, with Bosingwa injured and Branislav Ivanovic likely to play at right-back. Anelka and Alex have been made to train separately after asking for transfers.
Valencia is also targeting the next round after routing Genk 7-0 two weeks ago to join Chelsea on eight points and secure a superior goal difference.
"They could have a small advantage since they are playing at home," Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves said. "But when the game begins, everything can change."
With Napoli expected to beat Villarreal, City's expensively assembled squad must beat Group A winner Bayern to have any chance of progress. City is cruising unbeaten at the top of the Premier League but has struggled to adjust in its first Champions League season.
Edinson Cavani scored twice and Ezequiel Lavezzi and Blerim Dzemaili were also on target as Napoli warmed up for its trip to Spain by beating last-place Lecce 4-2 in Serie A on Saturday - ending a four-match winless streak in the Italian league.
"It's going to be the most important match of the year," Lavezzi said. "This win over Lecce can help increase our self-confidence."
Villarreal eliminated Napoli from last season's Europa League but the injury-hit Spanish club is coming off a 1-0 defeat at Racing Santander - which had been bottom of the Spanish standings - that left it just two points above the relegation zone.
"We have to show more anger, courage and effort," coach Juan Carlos Garrido said.
Lille is among three clubs chasing progress behind Inter Milan in Group B. Victory over Trabzonspor would take Lille through ahead of the Turkish club and CSKA Moscow.
Lille coach Rudi Garcia will be without Brazilian striker Tulio De Melo because of a torn hamstring and is sweating over the fitness of central midfielder Benoit Pedretti. Joe Cole and Eden Hazard are likely to start in midfield, with Moussa Sow up front.
"It's an important match for the club and for the players," midfielder Florent Balmont said. "We owe it to ourselves to win and to carry on in this competition."
Marseille can finish as Group F runner-up to Arsenal with victory at Borussia Dortmund. Any other result could let Olympiakos sneak into second place.
Marseille will be without striker Andre-Pierre Gignac because of a groin injury but should be boosted by the return of key striker Loic Remy, who sat Friday's 2-1 win at Caen after twisting his ankle last week.
Group H is already settled - defending champion Barcelona has won the group and AC Milan will advance in second place - but a place in both Group D and G is still open.
Zenit St. Petersburg and FC Porto go head to head to see which of them will advance from Group G with APOEL, the first Cypriot side ever to make the knockout rounds. Ajax needs only a point to be sure in Group D but is up against record nine-time European champion Real Madrid.
The Spanish league leader won 3-0 at Sporting Gijon on Saturday with goals from Angel Di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo.
Luckily for Ajax, Madrid already has an eye on next weekend's "clasico" against second-place Barcelona.
"Imagine if we had four injuries in Amsterdam," Madrid captain Iker Casillas said.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has only called up six first-team players for the game against BATE Borisov, resting stars Lionel Messi, David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta among others.
? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44481732/ns/sports-soccer/
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Brain areas send signals back and forth to generate conscious thoughts
?| December 5, 2011?|
Scientists have long hunted for a pattern of brain activity that signals consciousness, but a reliable marker has proved elusive. For many years theorists have argued that the answer lies in the prefrontal cortex, a region of high-level processing located behind the forehead; neural signals that reach this area were thought to emerge from unconscious obscurity into our awareness. Recent research, however, supports the idea that consciousness is a conversation rather than a revelation, with no single brain structure leading the dialogue.
The most recent to challenge the prevailing theory is Simon van Gaal, a neuroscientist who investigates the borders of conscious awareness at the Neurospin Institute in Paris. He asks participants in his ongoing experiments to push a button every time they see a symbol flash on a screen, except when they see a certain icon that means ?stop.? During some of the trials van Gaal flashes the stop signal in a way that the subjects cannot consciously perceive. Although they do not see the stop signal, they hesitate to push the button, as though some part of the brain were choking on the information. As he runs the test, van Gaal measures brain activity with functional MRI and electroencephalo?graphy (EEG). He has found that the unconscious inhibitory signal seems to make it all the way up to parts of the prefrontal cortex.
The results indicate that ?activity in a certain region is not sufficient to generate consciousness,? van Gaal explains. Instead, he posits, different regions must exchange information before consciousness can arise.
A study in Science in May bolsters the claim that awareness emerges when information travels back and forth between brain areas rather than from ascending a linear chain of command. Researchers in Belgium recorded EEG signals in patients with brain damage as they listened to stimulating tones. All the patients were awake and alert, but with a range of responsiveness. Mathematical models built from the data suggest that feedback between the frontal cortex and the lower-level sensory areas is crucial to producing conscious experience. These results agree with previous work done with monkeys and healthy human volunteers.
Understanding consciousness has a universal philosophical appeal, but it is also clinically urgent, according to lead author M?lanie Boly of the University Hospital Center of Sart-Tilman in Li?ge, Belgium. ?The diagnosis of patients in a vegetative state or minimally conscious state is extremely difficult, and the misdiagnosis rate can be as high as 40 percent,? she says. By defining a neural correlate for con?sciousness, Boly and her colleagues hope to improve those patients? quality of care.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=860005b73e06a62481aa3caaa4188ab3
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ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) ? Rioters burned dozens of alcohol shops and damaged several hotels in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region after Friday prayers, prompting an attack a pro-Islamic party office, authorities and witnesses said Saturday.
Iraq's Kurdistan in the north of the country has enjoyed more stability and security since becoming largely autonomous in 1991, and has been governed by two ruling parties who have shared power since Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003.
After Friday prayers, during which one religious leader criticized the sale of alcohol, protesters burned more than 30 liquor shops and bars and damaged three hotels in Zakho, 440 km (275 miles) north of Bagdad, officials and witnesses said.
"Dozens of people came out after Friday prayers and burned alcohol stores," one eyewitness said.
Fahad Mulla Saleh, a member of the Kurdish Islamic Union, said the party's headquarters had been attacked after the riots. But his party denied any responsibility for the attacks on stores in Zakho.
Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani in a statement condemned the attacks, which he said appeared to have been triggered by religious leaders.
Kurdistan has enjoyed investment and growth even as the rest of Iraq still struggles with power shortages and the stubborn violence from Sunni Islamist insurgents and Shi'ite militias more than eight years after the U.S. invasion.
But many Kurdistan residents say they have seen little of the region's new wealth, complaining the two ruling parties have concentrated power in their hands. Two months of protests earlier this year demanded the two parties loosen their grip.
(Reporting by Baghdad newsroom; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Sophie Hares)
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