Battle-bruised King Richard III hastily buried

University of Leicester

The remains of King Richard III showed a curved spine and signs of battle trauma. He apparently was hastily buried -- the grave was irregularly shaped, with sloping sides, and too small for the 5-foot-8-inch skeleton. That may have been because he had already spent days dead in the summer heat. .

By Stephanie Pappas
LiveScience

The body of King Richard III was buried in great haste, a new study finds ? perhaps because the medieval monarch's corpse had been out for three days in the summer sun.

The new research is the first academic paper published on the discovery of Richard III, which was publicly announced in February 2013. A team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester found the body beneath a parking lot in Leicester that was once the site of a medieval church. The full study will be available online on Friday evening.

The archaeological analysis contains details only alluded to in the initial announcement of the findings. In particular, the archaeologists found that Richard III's grave was dug poorly and probably hastily, a sharp contrast to the neat rectangular graves otherwise found in the church where the king was laid to rest. [Gallery: The Discovery of Richard III]

Richard III's journey to Leicester
Richard III ruled England from 1483 to 1485, when he was killed during the Battle of Bosworth Field, the definitive fight in the War of the Roses.

University of Leicester

The skull of the skeleton found at the Grey Friars excavation in Leicester, identified as that of King Richard III.

Historical records reveal that after the battle, Richard's body was stripped and brought to Leicester, where it remained on public display for three days until burial on Aug. 25, 1485. The church where the body was interred, a Franciscan friary called Grey Friars, was eventually demolished around 1538. A former mayor of Leicester built a mansion on the site, but by the 1700s, the land had been subdivided and sold off, the location of the church lost.

With it went all memory of where one of England's most famous kings was buried. Richard III was immortalized by a Shakespeare play of the same name and made out to be a villain by the Tudor dynasty that followed his rule. Today, however, there are societies of Richard III enthusiasts called Richardians?who defend the dead king's honor. One of these Richardians, a screenwriter named Philippa Langley, spearheaded the excavation that discovered Richard III's body.

Digging for Richard
The new paper, published in the journal Antiquity, outlines how archaeologists dug three trenches in a city government parking lot, hoping to hit church buildings they knew had once stood in the area. They soon found evidence of the friary they were looking for: first, a chapter house with stone benches and diamond-pattern floor tiles. This chapter house would have been used for daily monastery meetings.

South of the chapter houses, the excavation revealed a well-worn cloister walk, or covered walkway. Finally, the researchers found the church building itself. The church was about 34 feet (10.4 meters) wide. It had been demolished, but the floors (and the graves in the floor) were left intact. Among the rubble were decorated tiles and copper alloy letters that likely once marked the graves.

Brick dust suggested the outer church walls may have been covered with a brick fa?ade, which would have created a striking red-and-white look with the church's limestone-framed windows, the researchers wrote.

A hasty grave
Most of the graves in the Grey Friars church floor?are neat and orderly, with squared-off rectangle sides. Richard III's is an exception. The grave is irregularly shaped, with sloping sides. It was also too small for the 5-foot-8-inch (1.7 m) skeleton interred within: Richard's torso is twisted and his head propped up rather than laid flat. The body was also crammed against the north wall of the grave, perhaps because someone stood against the south wall to guide the body into its resting place. Whoever it was did not spend time afterward rearranging the body into a more symmetrical position.

"The haste may partially be explained by the fact that Richard?s damaged body had already been on public display for several days in the height of summer, and was thus in poor condition," the researchers wrote.

There was no coffin in the grave, and likely no shroud, judging by the loose position of the skeleton's limbs. However, the corpse's hands were crossed and perhaps tied in front of him.

The study also delineates the 10 injuries on the corpse's skeleton. Most are likely battle wounds, including two fatal blows to the back of the head. Two wounds on the face, one to the ribs and one to the buttock were likely delivered post-mortem, after Richard III was stripped of his armor, the researchers wrote. These "humiliation wounds" may have been designed to disrespect the king in death.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter?and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook?and Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Shooting the Wheeze: Whooping Cough Vaccine Falls Short of Previous Shot s Protection

Long considered a conquered childhood disease, pertussis has made a comeback in the U.S., in part because the combination vaccine, DTap, appears less effective than its predecessor, DTP

By Tara Haelle

Pertussis is a bacterial infection of the lungs that leads to uncontrollable, deep coughs. Image: Flickr/anjanettew

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Protection against the disease pertussis, or whooping cough, doesn?t appear to be as strong with the currently administered vaccine when compared with the older version administered up until the 1990s, according to a new study in Pediatrics. During a pertussis outbreak in 2010?11 in California teens who had received four doses of the current vaccine were at almost six times more likely to get pertussis as those who had received four doses of the older preparation.

The study offers more precise evidence that the earlier pertussis vaccine was superior to the current one, building on previous research that had already shown that the newer vaccine?s effectiveness wanes sooner than expected. The new formula?s reduced effectiveness is most likely driving the recent epidemics of pertussis, says the study?s lead author, Nicola Klein, co-director of Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, Calif. After more than three decades that never saw annual U.S. pertussis cases top 10,000 (they usually totaled fewer than 3,000), the number of cases began climbing rapidly in the late 1990s. The 27,550 cases in 2010 were the highest since 1959, and the preliminary 2012 numbers, at 41,880, were the highest since 1955.

The lower level of protection offered by the current vaccine, however, does not mean it isn?t effective, says Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia. ?You?re still eightfold less likely to get pertussis if you?ve gotten the acellular vaccine than if you didn?t,? he says. ?It?s an imperfect vaccine, but it?s the best that we have.?

Out with the old
Pertussis is a bacterial infection of the lungs that leads to uncontrollable, deep coughs. The condition can be fatal for very young children. The current vaccine is acellular, meaning it contains protein pieces of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium, given in combination with the tetanus and diphtheria vaccines in the DTaP formulation for infants and children up to six years old. The adolescent and adult booster is a similar compound called Tdap. The older vaccine, DTP, used whole cells of the pertussis bacterium but had more dramatic side effects, often causing high fevers and sometimes fever-induced seizures.

Although no evidence has shown that the seizures caused any long-term damage, they were frightening and led scientists to develop the acellular version. Phased in throughout the U.S. during the 1990s, the acellular vaccine was officially adopted in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control?s childhood immunization schedule in 1997. At Kaiser Permanente Northern California, which conducted the study, the first use of the new DTaP was in the vaccine?s fifth booster shot in 1991, followed by its use for the fourth booster the next year. The three-dose initial series of DTaP began in 1997; by 1999, all five shots for kids under age 10 used the DTaP.

This study focused on the children who got their five-shot series during that transitional period between vaccines. The researchers examined the medical records of all children born from 1994 to 1999 who received all five shots?the first four before age two and the fifth by age seven?and who were in the Kaiser Permanente system during the pertussis outbreak from January 2010 to December 2011.

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Fort Morgan Council hears master plan for Quail Dunes golf course

The Fort Morgan City Council on May 7 heard about the master plan for Quail Dunes at Fort Morgan golf course, which the city owns and runs.

About a year ago, Mayor Terry McAlister had issued a challenge to the Golf Advisory Board to find ways to make the course need to draw less money from the General Fund to cover expenses and operations.

Wells acknowledged that the mayor's concern was something many city residents shared.

"I think we have concerns from the community about what we spend out here," Wells said.

Consequently, Golf Pro Tyler Tarpley, who manages the course for the city, put together a presentation of the master plan for Quail Dunes.

"One of the things we do at the golf course is not play golf," Tarpley told the council.

He said the business plan for the course "is fluid."

"What we've had to come to realize over the last two years is we've had to make some hard decisions regarding rates," he said.

2012 numbers

Tarpley explained that the performance of the golf course "comes down to rounds" played.

The course had people play 15,885 rounds last year, but the budget had called for 16,876 rounds.

Still, the 2012 total rounds was up from the 14,716 playing in 2011.

Tarpley said that the 2012 season had fallen a little short on expectations, but he still called it a "successful" year.

This was because the course brought in more than $14,000 in other incremental revenue.

Another revenue source was the snack bar that opened in 2012.

"We opened the kitchen last year, and that put us up another $23,000," Tarpley told the council.

Tarpley said that youth programs had seen a dip in revenue, but that was because fees were cut in half in the hope of getting more kids involved with learning to play and enjoying playing golf.

"We don't look at youth programs as a revenue driver," he said. "They're going to be future customers for life."

Councilman Scott Bryan asked whether a profit had been made from extra merchandise that the council had approved buying for the pro shop for a specific golf tournament, and Tarpley said that it had made money.

All told, the course had projected for $478,484 in gross revenue, but brought in $487,533. In 2011, the total was $407,395.

Goals, objectives

Tarpley went over some of the changes he is making in hopes of bringing more people to the course this summer and in future years.

"96 percent of our play comes from Morgan County, but not just Fort Morgan," he said. "There's a population we need to target more and get people out here."

One of his top goals for 2013 is to increase the number of non-residents who play at Quail Dunes.

"We're finding that most of our non-daily play is coming from the Denver area," he said. "We can get people to drive out here weekly and play golf."

The way he advertises and markets the course is one thing that's changing and that could factor into achieving that goal.

"A new early trend in golf course management is to get away from print and radio" advertising, he said.

Instead, he's using social media and new technology to try to bring golf traffic to Fort Morgan.

The Fore Reservations Email campaign is one such technological tool that Tarpley said should help get more people to play.

Other examples of this are starting a Birthday Club and better utilization of letting people know by email when last-minute or upcoming tee times are available with the Quick 18 Online program.

Quick 18 will allow people to reserve/purchase tee times through the Quail Dunes website, as well as receiving emails about special tee times or rate deals.

Another of Tarpley's goals is to build up programs that help develop local golfers, such as Get Golf Ready, Junior Golf and Ladies League.

Get Golf Ready is a "special PGA program" that teaches "anything you want to know about golf," Tarpley said. "Our job is to take away the intimidating part of golf."

A big goal is maintaining golf course conditions, he said.

This means having the same type of turf on each green, fairway and tee box, as well as seeking to have green speeds be approximately the same.

"Irrigation improvements have been a huge asset," Tarpley said of the new sprinkler system the council had approved for the course.

He said that incremental improvements have already been made, and more will happen this year.

In other cases, "visually aesthetic improvements" are being made to the course.

Strengths,

weaknesses

Tarpley went over with the council what he saw as Quail Dunes' strengths and weaknesses.

He said the course staff members were a definite strength right now.

"I'm really happy with our staff," he said.

And he gave them a big task: evaluating everything that was being done and whether it needed to continue that way.

"Staff's really done a hard look at why we do the things we do and if they're really necessary," he said. "We found some (things) weren't."

Tarpley said that other resources provided by the city were another of the course's strengths.

And Quail Dunes' location was something Tarpley said worked in its favor.

"Location-wise, we're not that far from Denver, Greeley, Sterling," he said.

Tarpley said that the pace of place was another strength.

"We're probably one of the only places you can come out on a Saturday and play in three hours," he said.

Tarpley said the main weakness the course had was the clubhouse, which has limited seating for larger events, not much room for shelter when it rains and limited space for the growing snack bar.

Not having enough room in the parking lot plays into that issue, as well.

But the consistency of the golf course is a weakness until they can get that under control, Tarpley said.

"We're working on that," he said.

While he had the course's practice facilities listed as a weakness, improvements are underway to the driving range. But the practice putting green "could be a death trap" because of its proximity to the green on the ninth hole.

Opportunities, threats

The course's new name and logo seem to be having the desired effect of getting people excited about the golf course, Tarpley said, citing this as an opportunity for growth.

"All of a sudden they recognize it and say, 'That's a cool place,'" he said.

Improved customer service in the pro shop has helped, too, Tarpley said.

And more targeting marketing had led to more off-peak bookings.

He said that other opportunities this year included improving the overall appearance of the clubhouse facility, as well as improving the course as money and staff allowed and participating in or hosting community programs.

Some of the threats Quail Dunes faces include an oversaturated market for golf, ongoing drought concerns, a still somewhat down economy and overall industry decline.

Another threat is a decline in the number of pass holders, he said, although that may play into the business model for the future anyway.

Costs, revenue,

city transfer

Every year, the city subsidizes operations at the golf course, transferring money from the General Fund to the Golf Fund.

In 2012, that transfer was $276,454. In previous years, that number had fluctuated up and down.

"We want to minimize that and be as fiscally responsible as possible," Tarpley told the council.

Tarpley explained that last year, the total expenses at the course were $763,987 and the total revenue was $487,533.

With 15,962 total rounds played, it would have been necessary to have a minimum per-round cost of $47.86 just to break even, he said.

But the average revenue per round last year was $30.54.

While some increases to rates are inevitable, Tarpley said that other adjustments to how people pay to play golf might make more sense.

He explained that in 2012, 188 individual pass holders played 9,189 rounds, for an average of 49 rounds each.

"That accounts for 58 percent of total rounds played," Tarpley said, adding that 10 percent of the pass holders played more than 110 rounds each.

While rates and pass costs and types are already set for 2013, Tarpley proposed considering some changes for the 2014 golf season.

He suggested having an unlimited rounds single adult pass that costs $1,000 or a $450 individual value card, which would mean paying a $5 per day user's fee for a round.

He said the Golf Advisory Board had looked at rates and passes available at 68 different golf courses.

"The trend is the annual pass is going away," Tarpley told the council. "After looking at these 68 different courses, what we found is an annual pass is rare, and if there, the cost is extremely high."

With his proposed plan for 2014, Tarpley said the goal was "The more you play, the more you pay."

He said that annual pass holders might not like this, but if they were the ones playing the most on the course, they should be helping to support it the most, too.

"We need this customer category to generate more revenue in order for the course to remain open," he said. "The golf course operation recognizes we are not in a position to keep going with what we've been doing. We need to start recovering money on a daily basis. Unfortunately, your base customers have to pay, too."

Tarpley said that the pass structure he had proposed for 2014 likely would mean a boost of $18,000 in revenue.

"We do have a segment that identifies that $450 pass (with daily fees) as a good deal," Tarpley said. "This price structure is a good fit for us."

Council reaction

Mayor Terry McAlister asked Tarpley if he had seen "any problems competition-wise" from Brush's Bunker Hill Golf Course.

"One of the trends out here is a little bit of price-gouging," Tarpley said. "We can't afford to do that."

He said he looks at the Brush course as a competitor, but that Quail Dunes has an advantage because it's an 18-hole course with a driving range and clubhouse.

Wells pointed out that this presentation was the response to the mayor's challenge.

"Golfers understand that they still get a very good deal," Wells said.

Wells and Tarpley both said that the message that had been received at a public meeting about possible changes at the golf course was "let's support each other and keep the golf course here."

Councilwoman Deb Forstedt pointed out that the 2012 transfer had been "well under what we had budgeted," and she commended Quail Dunes staff for making that happen.

Councilman Scott Bryan told Tarpley that, "I think probably you are the strongest link out here."

But Bryan also pointed out that criticism of the course was "always about the numbers, not about you."

Wells said that he had found that "hands down, the amount of complaints I get about the golf course have been considerably less" than what past city manager had heard.

McAlister said he was "really happy" with what he had heard.

"I don't remember seeing a plan like this before," he said, calling it "impressive."

The mayor said he knew some people would not like the coming changes at the golf course, but "you can't have your way all the time."

He thanked Tarpley and other golf course staff for their hard work.

"You're making it pretty, making it playable," McAlister said. "You've done a good job."

He said that while the city is not a business, sometimes business-like decisions had to be made.

"We can only subsidize it for so long," he said. "We're fortunate that even though we have a golf course, we're still financially above and beyond a lot of cities."

--Contact Jenni Grubbs at jgrubbs@fmtimes.com.

Source: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-local-news/ci_23290248/fort-morgan-council-hears-master-plan-quail-dunes?source=rss_viewed

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3M, Nanosys ready to bring quantum dot film to LCD makers

3M and Nanosys have just announced that they'll start shipping qualification samples of their Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF) to manufacturers to bring a 50 percent wider color gamut and lower power consumption to LCD displays. Consisting of trillions of quantum dots tuned to create precise color hues, such films can be swapped in to replace existing backlighting tech, meaning manufacturers will need no special equipment to adopt it. The companies say they'll have samples for manufacturer design cycles starting "late second quarter this year" -- but if you can't wait that long, you'll be able to actually buy similar tech from Sony, likely very soon.

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Square Cash appears on invite-only site, lets you send money with an email

Square's been venturing beyond those tiny credit card swipers as of late. Last week, the company introduced its nifty $299 Stand POS system for iOS, and now it appears to be branching out to individuals, with a to-be-announced service called Square Cash. There's not much info to share at this point -- TechCrunch recently discovered a dedicated landing page for the new service, which looks to be invite only at this point. There does seem to be an option to request an invitation, but the button isn't properly linked, so we weren't able to make our way to the proper form in order to take a closer look.

A handful of help articles do shed some light on the service, though. To send money, you'll simply send an email to your recipient with the dollar amount in the subject line and "pay@square.com" in the cc field. Once your friend or associate receives the email, they'll type in the debit card account number of their choosing and Square will fund the associated checking account within 48 hours. Each payment costs just 50 cents to send, and there's no cost to receive -- it's not quite clear whether or not you can use a credit card to fund the transfer, but with fees of less than $1, we imagine you'll need to use a checking account. Square has yet to formally introduce the service, but we're guessing an announcement will be coming soon.

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Curious About Shapes and Colors for iPhone and iPad review: Learn about colors and shapes with everyone's favorite monkey

Curious About Shapes and Colors is Curious George's newest iPhone and iPad app that helps teach kids about shapes, colors, sorting, tracing, and more. The entire app is narrated and directed by The Man With The Yellow Hat while George cheers you on.

The premise of the game is that you're helping George build toys by putting all the shapes where they belong. There are 5 different toys (or levels) that you help George with. The activities include matching shapes with cutouts, tracing shapes, organizing based on color, and more.

At the end of each level, you get to play with the toy that you helped George built in a little mini game. These include helping a robot with a jetpack collect falling bananas, sorting fish that are various colors and shapes into groups, a traditional Simon Says memory game with a train, shooting arrows (or plungers) at balloons to gather bananas, and controlling an astronaut car on the ground to collect bananas.

The good

• Teaches kids about basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles, as well as more complex shapes like diamonds, ovals, and hexagons
• Includes primary and secondary colors, along with varying tones
• Introduces pattern recognition and sequencing, and builds skills like sorting, construction, tracing, and coloring
• Narrated by "The Man With The Yellow Hat"
• Includes fun, short 30 second video
• 5 different "levels" with fun game at the end of each one
• No in-app purchases
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• The controls for some of the games are a bit difficult for children in the targeted age group

The bottom line

If you have a little kid who likes Curious George, you can't go wrong with Curious About Shapes and Colors for iPhone and iPad. It's well made, does a great job at teaching about shapes and colors, and is just plain fun! It's also designed in a way that can be fun to sit and play with your child -- this is always a plus!

• $2.99 - Download now

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INO'Real Prevails in Trademark Case Against Nutra Pure

TAMPA, FLA.?A federal court last month ordered Nutra Pure LLC, a weight-loss supplement company, to discontinue use of a trademark that belongs to INO'Real.

In a press release, INO'Real said it brought the lawsuit in Tampa, Fla. to prevent Nutra Pure from using the trademarked Satiereal name in promoting and selling saffron-containing products. INO'Real, based in France, was started in 2006 to develop nutrition and health ingredients.

According to INO'Real, Satiereal's saffron extract may encourage weight loss by inducing a satiated feeling.

The court ruling impacts any person or entity working in colloboration with Nutra Pure LLC, which also was ordered to transfer its Internet domains incorporating the Satiereal name to INO'Real, according to the press release. INO'Real and Nutra Pure also entered into a settlement agreement, although terms of the pact were not disclosed.

"We are pleased that the United States District Court issued this judgment. We have spent the past decade developing Satiereal and we are committed to defending the product and supporting our valued customers," Cedric Bourges, the CEO of INO'Real, said in a statement.

P.L. Thomas, a New Jersey-based ingredient supplier and marketer, markets Satiereal in North America.

"This product has a unique mechanism that not only creates satiety but helps avoid snacking and compulsive eating behaviors, which in turn leads to reduction in weight and inches," P.L. Thomas states on its website.

A spokesperson for Nutra Pure did not immediately respond Monday to an emailed request for comment.

Source: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/05/ino-real-prevails-in-trademark-case-against-nutra.aspx

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Boston bombing: Man accused of lying to investigators asks to be released

One of the three men who visited Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarvaev's dorm room after the bombing is seeking release from jail. Robel Phillipos, 19, is charged with lying to investigators.?

By Associated Press / May 5, 2013

This courtroom sketch shows defendant Robel Phillipos appearing in front of Federal Magistrate Marianne Bowler at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston, Mass. on May 1. Phillipos, and two other college friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, were arrested and Phillipos was charged with lying to investigators about visiting Tsarnaev's dorm room.

Jane Flavell Collins/AP

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Lawyers for a man charged with lying to investigators after the Boston Marathon bombings are asking a federal judge to release him from jail, saying he had nothing to do with the deadly bombings and isn't a flight risk.

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Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, faces a detention hearing Monday in US District Court. Defense attorneys said in court documents filed Saturday that authorities' claim that Phillipos gave them conflicting accounts is "refutable."

"This case is about a frightened and confused 19-year-old who was subjected to intense questioning and interrogation, without the benefit of counsel, and in the context of one of the worst attacks against the nation," lawyers Derege Demissie and Susan Church wrote. "The weight of the federal government under such circumstances can have a devastatingly crushing effect on the ability of an adolescent to withstand the enormous pressure and respond rationally."

Phillipos was charged last week with lying to investigators about visiting bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's college dorm room on April 18, three days after the bombings. Two other friends were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice by taking a backpack with fireworks and a laptop from Tsarnaev's dorm room.

Phillipos was at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where all four men had studied, by coincidence on April 18, his lawyers said in the court papers. He had taken a leave of absence in December and hadn't spoken to Tsarnaev or the other two men for more than two months, they said.

"By sheer coincidence and bad luck, he was invited to attend a seminar on campus on April 18," the night the three allegedly went to Tsarnaev's dorm room, according to the documents. "As such, he did not have much to offer the authorities regarding the investigation of the suspect."

To support their request for bail, the lawyers filed affidavits from friends and relatives of Phillipos who described him as a considerate, thoughtful and friendly young man, the son of a single mother who emigrated to the United States from Ethiopia. They said he wasn't a flight risk, noting that he is lifelong resident of Massachusetts and has many relatives there.

Phillipos faces a maximum of eight years behind bars and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

Tsarnaev and his 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, are accused of carrying out the April 15 bombing, which used pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails, ball bearings and metal shards. The attack killed three people and injured more than 260 others near the marathon's finish line.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died after a gunfight with police days later. Dzho

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Syria news agency: Israel strikes near Damascus

This photo released on the official Facebook page of Syrian President Bashar Assad, shows Syrian president Bashar Assad, right, surrounded by bodyguards as young people, wave at him during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday of a statue dedicated to "martyrs" from Syrian universities who died in the country's two-year-old uprising and civil war, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, May. 4, 2013. Assad's second public appearance in a week came as Israeli officials confirmed the country's air force carried out a strike against Syria, saying it targeted a shipment of advanced missiles bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. (AP Photo)

This photo released on the official Facebook page of Syrian President Bashar Assad, shows Syrian president Bashar Assad, right, surrounded by bodyguards as young people, wave at him during the inauguration ceremony on Saturday of a statue dedicated to "martyrs" from Syrian universities who died in the country's two-year-old uprising and civil war, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, May. 4, 2013. Assad's second public appearance in a week came as Israeli officials confirmed the country's air force carried out a strike against Syria, saying it targeted a shipment of advanced missiles bound for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this June 3, 2012 file photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad delivers a speech at the parliament in Damascus, Syria. Israel launched an airstrike into Syria, apparently targeting a suspected weapons site, U.S. officials said Friday night, May 3, 2013. (AP Photo/SANA, File)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Israeli missiles struck a research center near the Syrian capital Damascus, setting off explosions and causing casualties, Syria's state news agency reported early Sunday, citing initial reports.

If confirmed, it would be the second Israeli strike on targets in Syria in three days, signaling a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war.

There was no immediate Israeli comment. However, Israel has said it will not allow sophisticated weapons to flow from Syria to the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and a heavily armed foe of the Jewish state.

Two previous Israeli airstrikes, one in January and one on Friday, targeted weapons apparently bound for Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials have said.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported early Sunday that explosions went off at the Jamraya research center near Damascus, causing casualties. "Initial reports point to these explosions being a result of Israeli missiles that targeted the research center in Jamraya," SANA said.

A Syrian activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also reported large explosions in the area of Jamraya, a military and scientific research facility northwest of Damascus, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Lebanese border.

An amateur video said to be shot early Sunday in the Damascus area showed a huge ball of fire lighting up the night sky. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other Associated Press reporting.

Israel's first airstrike in Syria, in January, also struck Jamraya.

At the time, a U.S. official said Israel targeted trucks next to the research center that carried SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. The strikes hit both the trucks and the research facility, the official said. The Syrian military didn't confirm a hit on a weapons shipment at the time, saying only that Israeli warplanes bombed the research center.

On Saturday, Israeli officials confirmed that a day earlier, Israeli aircraft targeted advanced surface-to-surface missiles in Syria that were apparently bound for Hezbollah.

The missiles were believed to be m600s, a Syrian version of Iran's Fatah 110 missile, an extremely accurate guided missile capable of traveling roughly 300 kilometers (190 miles) with a half-ton warhead, an Israeli official said

The Israeli officials spoke anonymously because they had not been given permission to speak publicly about the matter.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokeswoman said she had no information relating to Sunday's report of a new Israeli airstrike in Syria.

President Barack Obama said Saturday, before the latest incident, that it was up to Israel to confirm or deny any strikes, but that the U.S. coordinates very closely with Israel.

"The Israelis, justifiably, have to guard against the transfer of advanced weaponry to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah," Obama told the Spanish-language TV station Telemundo.

Israel has said it wants to stay out of the brutal Syria war, but could inadvertently be drawn in as it tries to bolster its deterrence and prevent sophisticated weapons from reaching Hezbollah.

Since the conflict in Syria erupted more than two years ago, fighting has repeatedly spilled into Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

Renewed concern about a wider conflagration come as Washington considers how to respond to indications that the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons in its civil war.

Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options ? including possible military action.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has drawn his own red line, saying repeatedly that the Jewish state would be prepared to take military action to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining new weapons that could upset the balance of power.

Israel believes Hezbollah has restocked its arsenal with tens of thousands of rockets and missiles since a 2006 war between the two ended in a stalemate.

Israel is concerned that Hezbollah will take advantage of the chaos in Syria to smuggle advanced weapons into Lebanon.

These include anti-aircraft missiles, which could hamper Israel's ability to operate in Lebanese skies, and advanced Yakhont missiles that are used to attack naval ships from the coast.

In recent days, there were signs of mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

In a warning to Israel earlier this week, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said his militia "is ready and has its hand on the trigger" in the event of an Israeli attack on any targets in Lebanon.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, called up several thousand reservists earlier this week for what it called a "surprise" military exercise on its border with Lebanon.

Details about Friday's strike remained sketchy.

The U.S. officials said the airstrike apparently hit a warehouse, but gave no other details.

Israeli officials did not say where in Syria the Israeli aircraft struck or whether they fired from Lebanese, Syrian or Israeli airspace.

Israel possesses bombs that can travel a long distance before striking their target. The use of such weapons could allow Israel to carry out the attack without entering Syrian skies, which would risk coming under fire from the regime's advanced, Russian-made anti-aircraft defenses.

The Syrian government said it had no information on an Israeli attack, while Hezbollah and the Israeli military spokesman's office declined comment.

Amos Gilad, an Israeli defense official, would not confirm or deny the airstrike, but played down cross-border tensions.

Hezbollah has not obtained any of Syria's large chemical weapons arsenal and is not interested in such weapons, Gilad said. Instead, the militia is "enthusiastic about other weapons systems and rockets that reach here (Israel)," he said Saturday in a speech in southern Israel.

Assad "is not provoking Israel and the incidents along the border (between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan) are coincidental," Gilad said.

With Israel apparently enforcing its red lines, much now depends on the response from Hezbollah and Syria, analysts said.

Israeli officials have long feared that Assad may try to draw Israel into the civil war in hopes of diverting attention and perhaps rallying Arab support behind him.

But retaliation for Israeli airstrikes would come at a high price, said Moshe Maoz, an Israeli expert on Syria.

"Bashar has his own problems and he knows that conflict with Israel would cause the collapse of his regime," Maoz said. "He could have done that long ago, but he knows he will fall if Israel gets involved."

Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside Assad's troops, appears to have linked its fate to the survival of the Syrian regime. Nasrallah, the Hezbollah chief, said this week that Syria's allies "will not allow Syria to fall into the hands of America or Israel."

On the other hand, Hezbollah could endanger its position as Lebanon's main political and military force if it confronts Israel, and it's not clear if the militia is willing to take that risk.

The U.S. concerns have focused on Syria's chemical weapons.

Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would have "enormous consequences," but has also said he needs more definitive proof before making a decision about how to respond.

Obama said Friday that he didn't foresee a scenario in which the U.S. would send troops to Syria. Instead, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said Washington is reviewing its opposition to arming the opposition.

The U.S. so far has balked at sending weapons to the rebels, fearing the arms could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-linked groups or other extremists in the opposition ranks.

Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, is heading to Moscow next week to try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to support, or at least not veto, a fresh effort to impose U.N. penalties on Syria if Assad doesn't begin political transition talks with the opposition.

Russia, alongside China, has blocked U.S.-led efforts three times at the United Nations to pressure Assad into stepping down.

___

Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, and Bradley S. Klapper and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-04-ML-Israel-Syria/id-11fe95b09a124b568b895d8e2238cbb0

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For Obama, Costa Rica offered rare 'safe bet' trip

Costa Rica's strong tradition of democracy and longtime friendship with the United States ensured President Obama would enjoy a smooth - if uneventful - trip this weekend.?

By Tim Rogers,?Correspondent / May 5, 2013

President Barack Obama and Costa Rica's President Laura Chinchilla shake hands at the end of their joint press conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, Friday. Obama's three-day visit to Mexico and Costa Rica is his first to Latin America since winning a second presidential term.

Moises Castillo/AP

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Latin America?s least popular president finally has something to cheer about. Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, whose approval ratings barely register in double digits, could receive an ?Obama bounce? in the polls after the US president traveled to the capital city of San Jos? and heralded her country as an exemplary leader for Central America.

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In just his second visit to Central America and his first trip to Costa Rica, President Barack Obama this weekend called for new partnerships and increased integration with the region ??especially in the areas of trade, innovation, and energy. Mr. Obama, who arrived in San Jos? Friday afternoon to a rock star?s welcome of people lining the streets to cheer his motorcade, lauded Costa Rica for its historic commitments to democracy, peace, human rights, education and socio-economic development.

Costa Rican government officials and local pundits are proudly interpreting Obama?s visit as first-world recognition of their country?s new standing as an international player. Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo said Obama?s visit puts Costa Rica in a ?better position to become a modernized country on the path to progress.?

Nuria Mar?n, a political analyst for Teletica Channel 7 News, echoed those sentiments, calling Obama?s visit an acknowledgement of Costa Rica?s ?regional protagonism? and the country?s ?return to the geopolitical map.? Just by spending 24 hours in the capital city of San Jos?, Obama has helped to ?strengthen Costa Rica?s brand name for attracting more US tourism and investment,? Mar?n predicts.

Other analysts, however, are still scratching their heads over what the summit was all about. Some are even questioning whether Obama?s stop in Costa Rica was just part of an extended layover on a circuitous return flight to Washington after a tough two-day working trip in Mexico

?This has been one of the most mysterious presidential visits I have witnessed in the last two decades,? says Costa Rican political analyst and 2014 presidential hopeful Luis Guillermo Sol?s. ?Nothing seemed to make sense about the objectives of Obama?s visit.?

Costa Rica as vanilla ice cream

During his stay in San Jos?, Obama met privately and publicly with President Chinchilla, held a private dinner with his counterparts from Central America and the Dominican Republic, and participated in an investment forum with nearly 200 MBA students and Central American business leaders. The agenda items ranged erratically from trade, drugs, and immigration, to clean energy, gender equality, education, infrastructure, and gay marriage. The summit ended without a joint declaration and with no agreements, resolutions, or even a clear sense of what comes next.

Even the most innovative proposal that was discussed during the meeting (the possibility of using the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement [CAFTA] as a platform for the US to sell liquid natural gas to Central America to reduce the region?s soaring energy costs) was delivered with an asterisk when Obama said he still has to make an executive decision whether or not the United States even wants to export liquid natural gas.

Some analysts are calling Obama?s trip to Costa Rica an empty-handed courtesy call after being criticized for neglecting the region during his first term in office. And when it came to deciding which Central American country to visit, Costa Rica was viewed as a safest choice to get in and out without incident, says Nicaraguan political analyst Arturo Cruz.

?It?s difficult to go wrong with Costa Rica ??It?s a democracy with a vibrant economy and a friendly government that will always be friendly to the US,? Cruz says. ?Costa Rica is like vanilla ice cream; it?s a safe bet. How can you go wrong with vanilla ice cream??

Costa Rica also holds the pro tempore presidency of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which gave Obama the excuse of not playing favorites.

But given Central America?s current cast of presidents???Guatemala?s Otto Perez is a leading critic of the US drug war, El Salvador?s Mauricio Funes has failed to assume a regional leadership role that the US had hoped he would step into, Honduras? Porfirio Lobo is viewed as a political byproduct of the 2009 coup, Nicaragua?s Daniel Ortega is democratically challenged and prone to ?anti-yanqui? political ranting, and Panama?s Ricardo Martinelli is considered a loose cannon autocrat who is well-suited for his nickname, ?El Loco????Chinchilla was an easy pick, despite her unpopularity and socially conservative views.

Central America?s troubled integration

Though the presidents of the region managed to gather at the same dinner table for a meal with Obama, Central America?s strained integration process started to show through the smiles soon after desert was served. Few details were made public about the presidents? private meeting on Friday night, but by Saturday morning the presidents of Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras had already left the country before Obama?s meeting with Central American business leaders.

Central America?s political integration, which has been a nonstarter since the early 19^th Century, has become even more strained in recent years as the various political leaders of the isthmus lead their countries in diverging directions. As Nicaragua seeks closer ties with countries such as Russia, Iran, and the leftist Latin American nations belonging to the Bolivarian Alliance for Our Americas (ALBA), Costa Rica is celebrating what former president and Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias this week called his country?s ?extraordinary new chapter in the long history of friendship? with the United States.

Ironically, Nicaragua in some ways is on an equally good footing as Costa Rica to talk with Obama about the issues of renewable energy technologies, growing trade and investment under CAFTA, and citizen security???three areas in which Nicaragua is excelling. But politics being what they are, President Ortega, the former socialist firebrand whose revolutionary government battled US-funded counterrevolutionaries in the 1980s, remained quiet during the summit while Costa Rica grabbed the spotlight. Ortega departed Costa Rica early Saturday morning for another summit in Venezuela, where attitudes toward the Obama administration are markedly different than they are in Costa Rica.

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/lXupwLIpgKs/For-Obama-Costa-Rica-offered-rare-safe-bet-trip

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Casio Signature XJ-M255

The Casio Signature XJ-M255 sports the company's unique hybrid LED/laser technology, plus a good range of connectivity choices including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and the ability to run presentations straight from USB thumb drives. It has solid data image quality, and video quality suitable for basic business and classroom presentations.

The XJ-M255's light source is rated at 3,000 lumens, and the projector has WXGA (1,280 by 800) native resolution. Instead of producing red, green, and blue using a standard lamp and a color wheel, it produces red with LEDs, blue with lasers, and green by shining blue laser light on a phosphor. Its optical system directs the red, green, and blue light to the DLP chip, and out the front lens. We've seen a couple of generations of Casio projectors with this promising technology.

A big advantage of the hybrid light source is its whopping 20,000-hour expected lifetime?long enough to run the projector 8 hours a day every business day for 10 years. The lifetime of standard lamps typically ranges from 2,000 to 5,000 hours, and bulbs can cost several hundred dollars to replace.

Size and Connectivity
The XJ-M255 measures 3.3 by 12.2 by 9.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.6 pounds. It comes with a soft carrying case, complete with a pocket for cables, for storage or in case you need to take it with you, though it's heavy enough that you won't want to travel frequently with it.

This projector has a solid set of ports, including a VGA-in port to connect with a computer; HDMI; S-Video, composite video; audio in, audio out, serial, Ethernet; and a USB type A port, which fits a USB thumb drive. The XJ-M255 can read JPG and AVI files from a USB memory key, to support computer-free presentations. Plug in a USB key, and the projector will automatically switch to it as the current source, and then give you a menu of options to find the files on the key and show them. (Casio includes a Casio-specific version of ArcSoft MediaConverter to move most common formats to JPG or AVI.)

The projector includes a wireless LAN adapter. It can connect wirelessly with WiFi-enabled Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile smartphones and computers running MobiShow software, so you can run a presentation from any of these devices.

The XJ-M255 includes auto brightness adjustment, that uses built-in light sensors to automatically adjust the brightness level of the projection to suit the lighting conditions in the surrounding environment, which can save energy and make for a more comfortable viewing experience as well.

Data Image Quality
I did our still and video image testing under theater-dark conditions, projecting an approximately 60-inch diagonal image on our test screen with the projector placed about eight feet away. The projector is bright enough that adding a fair amount of ambient light didn't notably hurt image quality.

Data image quality, as tested using the DisplayMate suite of projector tests, was suitable for typical business and classroom presentations. In graphics color mode, the colors were somewhat muted, with dull reds and somewhat mustardy yellows. I saw some mild green tinting I some gray areas, and mild yellow fringing around the edges of bright areas. White-on-black type was blurred at the smallest size and fuzzy at the second smallest. Pixel jitter was visible in a few images when I tested over a VGA connection; when I switched to HDMI the jitter disappeared, though image quality was otherwise largely the same. Switching to standard color mode made the colors brighter, though it also increased the tinting.

I noticed the rainbow effect in some data images: The tendency for little red-green-blue rainbow-like flashes to appear, particularly in brighter areas against dark backgrounds. Like most DLP projectors that have this issue, it's not likely to be too distracting in data presentations, even to people who are relatively sensitive to the effect.

Video
Video quality is suitable for shorter clips as part of a presentation. The XJ-M255's rainbow effect was more apparent in video than in data images, and people who are sensitive to it are likely to find it distracting. Unlike with a home projector, where it's easy enough to determine whether you are sensitive to the effect, in a school or business situation there's no way of knowing which students or clients will be sensitive to it.

I noted some other issues. In a few places I saw posterization, tendency for abrupt shifts in color rather than a gentle gradient. There was green tinting in a couple of scenes. But the rainbow effect is the dominant issue.

A bright spot is that audio from the XJ-M255's single 5-watt speaker is loud and clear enough to be easily heard in a small to mid-sized classroom or conference room. Although the projector has an audio-out jack for connecting to powered, external speakers, you may not need to use it.

It comes with a generous three-year warranty?not uncommon in the projector world but still a nice touch?plus 6,000 hours for the light source.

The XJ-M255 is a 3D-capable projector. It requires active-shutter DLP-link compatible 3D glasses. Casio sells its own branded glasses for $129.99 (direct) per pair, and active-shutter DLP-link glasses are available from other manufacturers for considerably less. Still, the price of glasses can quickly add up if you're trying to equip, say, a classroom with them.

The XJ-M255 is very similar to the Casio Signature XJ-M245, though brighter (3,000 lumens, to the M245's 2,500) and with a higher price. The XJ-M255's rainbow effect in video was milder than the XJ-M245's (where the effect was notably severe), though still apparent enough that I'd avoid using it in business video presentations in which you're trying to impress a client.

Although the Editors' Choice Epson PowerLite 1761W Multimedia Projector is lighter than the XJ-M255, and has a more barebones set of ports befitting an ultraportable projector, it shares a couple of the Casio's more distinctive connections: a Wi-Fi adapter and a port for a USB thumb drive. The Epson 1761W has excellent data and video image quality, and as an LCD projector is free of the rainbow effect. Its audio is softer than the XJ-M255's, and its 4,000-hour bulb life, though good for an LCD projector, is far short of the Casio's. The Epson 1761W has a much lower sticker price, though.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/OnxidSbVHik/0,2817,2418315,00.asp

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We've Figured Out How To Make Robot Birds Fly, Up Next: Humans?

Mankind is decades away from taking to the skies in an Iron Man-like suit, but now that researchers at the University of Maryland have cracked the secret to building robot birds that can dive and swoop like the real thing, maybe those crazy human wing designs of yesteryear are worth trying again?

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jrlOBDodcCI/weve-figured-out-how-to-make-robot-birds-fly-up-next-489481200

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Can the Immigration Bill Be Fixed? Marco Rubio Responds (Powerlineblog)

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Wind-fueled wildfire erupts east of Los Angeles

BANNING, Calif. (AP) ? A Southern California wildfire fueled by strong winds was raging through 4? square miles of Riverside County on Wednesday in the biggest of a series of statewide fires that broke out amid dry, gusty conditions.

The fast-moving wildfire about 90 miles east of Los Angeles broke out just after noon and was moving westward through largely undeveloped foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, but it was dangerously close to subdivisions to the south, in Banning.

At least 425 firefighters were working to gain control of the fast-moving fire, which has destroyed one home and is 35 percent contained, said Jody Hagemann, spokeswoman for the county fire department. Six helicopters and six air tankers were making water drops.

Hundreds of people from Banning neighborhoods including all the residents of a mobile home park had evacuated in the afternoon, but all had been allowed to return home by late Wednesday night.

Joe Kiener, 53, was on his lunch hour at the childhood home where he still lives when he saw smoke approaching. He and his dog were already pulling out when a deputy came up and told him to evacuate. A few hours later the house was destroyed.

"It's a total loss," Kiener told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. "It really hasn't hit me yet. But it hurts me to lose the house."

The house next door was untouched after a timely wind change.

"It was close!" Kiener's neighbor David Pena said. "God's grace, man. It's a miracle."

Winds of 29 mph were driving the fire, and if they continued, the fire could reach communities in Cherry Valley and Beaumont.

Much of Southern California was under red flag warnings for fire danger due to heat, wind and low humidity levels.

In Northern California, firefighters were battling fires fueled by gusty winds in wine country north of San Francisco.

In Sonoma County, a fire north of Calistoga was fifty percent contained after burning 125 acres. Another fire in nearby Napa County was fully contained after burning 75 acres.

State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said neither fire was threatening structures, but the blazes across of California could be an ominous sign.

"Statewide, our fire activity is up over 60 percent of normal," Berlant said. "It has everything to do with the fact that conditions are so dry, then you add wind, making the perfect conditions for a fire."

Forecasters said high pressure over the Great Basin would send Santa Ana winds through and below passes and canyons and near coastal foothills until Thursday afternoon.

"We're a bit drier than normal at this time and seeing conditions that we would usually see in June," Berlant said. "If this is an indicator of what's to come, then we're going to be in for a very busy fire season."

In Butte County, a fast-moving blaze called the Panther Fire has burned about half a square mile since it was sparked Wednesday morning, state fire officials said.

A fire in the Central Valley county of Madera that burned 274 acres was fully contained.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wind-fueled-wildfire-erupts-east-los-angeles-003320845.html

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Talking tissue boxes and other smart objects may be welcomed by most people

May 1, 2013 ? Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to Penn State researchers.

"Smart objects will become more and more a part of our daily lives," said S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory. "We believe the next phase is that objects will start talking and interacting with humans, and our goal is to figure out the best ways for objects to communicate with humans."

As sensors and computers increasingly become smaller and cheaper, smart objects will appear in more homes and offices and not be hidden or shielded from interacting with people, according to the researchers. For example, smart refrigerators could talk or send tweets to signal when certain food items are almost out, or when expiration dates are nearing, according to the researchers.

"We regularly communicate with objects by collecting data from those objects," said Haiyan Jia, doctoral candidate in mass communications, who worked with Sundar. "But we wanted to test what happens when objects talk directly to us in a social situation."

Researchers videotaped participants as they reacted to a talking box of tissues that was on a desk in the laboratory. Once a laboratory worker sneezed, the tissue box said, "Bless You." The tissue box also responded with two follow-up messages: "Here, take a tissue" and "Take care!"

Participants from two other groups heard the same messages from either a laboratory worker or a talking tabletop robot, according to the researchers, who presented their findings at the 2013 Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in Paris today (May 1).

The participants found the talking tissue box just as human-like and as autonomous as the robot, even though robots are more human-looking and human-acting. In actuality, a research assistant operated both the robot and tissue box by broadcasting the pre-recorded statements to the devices.

Researchers invited the 63 subjects to participate under the guise that they were taking part in a cognitive games study. In addition to watching their reactions on videotape, researchers asked the participants to fill out a questionnaire about the lab environment, including questions on the smart objects.

People seem to strongly respond to the voice of the object, said Jia. Sundar and Jia also worked with Mu Wu and Eunhwa Jung, graduate students in mass communications, and Alice Shapiro, graduate student in learning and performance systems.

Sundar said that the study may also help manufacturers design smart objects. While designers tend to make robots look human, many people consider robots that are too humanlike creepy.

"This study shows that speech is a social cue," said Sundar. "It may be enough to make the objects more social and not necessarily more human-like in appearance."

At least tentatively, Jia said this shows that people will accept smart objects. However, she added that future research should investigate if people will strongly connect with these objects and if long-term exposure to smart objects as social companions may change people's attitudes toward these objects over time.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/e56S6L4fEXo/130501091841.htm

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