The Texas Forest Service reported more than 60,000 acres burned and 40 homes lost in one blaze that raced through West Texas and into the small mountain town of Fort Davis. The fire rushed across 20 miles in 90 minutes.
Officials at the scene, however, estimated at least 100,000 acres in two counties had burned from the shaded pold motor fire, which continued to grow Sunday evening.
"I can only describe it as an ocean of black, with a few islands of yellow," State Representative Pete Gallego said.
Flames "licked at the edges" of the town but did not burn their way through its center, sparing more buildings than expected, he said.
But 17 to 20 homes were destroyed, and as many as 30 more buildings were burned, he said after visiting the town, including a more than 100-year-old historic wooden ranch home. Residents had worked overnight to save their homes and moved on to help their neighbors, he said.
Hot spots still burned along the highway, and a glow from miles away was visible at night, he said.
"Even now, the flames in some places are 15 to 20 feet high," Gallego said.
The town was without impact crusher power Sunday evening. Gallego said many of the residents may not have been insured for fire.
Presidio County Emergency Management Coordinator Gary Mitschke said it was the first fire to scare him in 13 years of fighting grass fires. The blaze crossed railroad tracks and state highways as it roared past Fort Davis, he said.
Without a change in winds, which were keeping aircraft from helping firefighting efforts, the fire could burn for days or weeks, he said.
"Frankly, it moved almost as quick as a truck," Mitschke said. "When you hear the word firestorm, this is what I imagine."
A federal emergency management spokesman said a fire grant for the county had been approved Saturday and that the agency stood by to support as needed.
Wildfires fed by dry, windy conditions have charred more than 270,000 acres in eight days across Texas, burning homes, killing livestock and drawing in crews and equipment from 25 states.
Plants that thrived in wet weather turned to tinder under a cold, dry winter. Weeks of high winds and little moisture have made every spark dangerous.
A Texas firefighter was in critical condition with severe burns Sunday afternoon after electronic ballast fighting an estimated 60,000-acre fire in the northern Panhandle.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but it started in an isolated area near a natural gas plant and a few other industrial sites in an empty town called Masterson, said David Garrett, an emergency management spokesman for Moore County.
"Kind of like a wide spot in the road that has a name," Garrett said. "The fire started in open country and stayed in open country."
Two nearby communities were considered threatened but were not evacuated late Sunday afternoon, according to the forest service.
A Midland County wildfire burned 40 homes and at least 15,000 acres, according to the service.
Crews had stopped from crossing a highway a sprawling 71,000-acre fire that killed almost 170 head of cattle in Stonewall County, spokesman Lee McNeely said.
Air tankers had dropped 60,000 gallons of retardant to help slow the blaze.
Firefighters had most of the day to prepare for a cold front with gusting winds, McNeely said.
High winds and dry conditions were expected to persist into the evening across West Texas, the National Weather Service warned.
In Oklahoma, where Governor Mary Fallin has extended a 30-day state of emergency she declared on March 11, firefighters and helicopters on Sunday mopped up the smoldering remains of two fires that stainless steel pipe erupted Saturday.
One wildfire in Cleveland in north central Oklahoma charred more than 1,500 acres and forced 350 people to evacuate while another struck near Granite in southwest Oklahoma, said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Emergency Management.
Showing posts with label seamless steel pipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seamless steel pipe. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
'Catch Me' doesn't capture art of the con
Frank Abagnale Jr., the former con artist whose memoir inspired a Steven Spielberg movie, managed to pass himself off as an airline pilot, a pediatrician and an attorney before turning 21.
One feat that Abagnale did not attempt was writing and bridge rectifier starring in a stage musical about his youthful adventures. And now we know why.
Not that Catch Me If You Can(* * ½ out of four), the new Broadway show based on the aforementioned film and autobiography of the same name, is a dud. Boasting a score by the famously witty team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally, Catch Me is too ambitious and stylish in its efforts to entertain and move us to induce boredom.
The main problem with this production, which opened Sunday at the Neil Simon Theatre, Coach Bags is that only one of the two leading men is consistently compelling. And it's not the one playing Abagnale (Aaron Tveit).
Rather, it's the actor cast as his nemesis. Norbert Leo Butz is predictably marvelous as Carl Hanratty, the schlumpy federal agent who stalks and eventually nails the underage schemer — though not as handily as Butz walks away with the show.
Don't blame Tveit, the square-jawed young actor who plays Frank Jr. — at least not entirely. A robust singer and fluid dancer, Tveit exudes the kind of slick charm that surely helped Abagnale finagle his way into diverse fields, not to mention considerable fortune.
But that charm wears thin over 2½ hours in which Frank Jr. and veterinary syringes his exploits are so dominant. The musical is structured so that we see our mischievous finagler crafting his own story, introducing some numbers and then literally trying to sing and dance his way out of trouble. It's a canny conceit, but one that only emphasizes the character's disingenuousness.
Frank Jr.'s troubled family background also is documented, with a poignant Tom Wopat as Frank Sr., a less successful player who is nonetheless idolized by his son. But Tveit is most authentic when trying to seduce or impress us; he doesn't reveal the kind of vulnerability that would make us care about the younger Frank, as Leonardo DiCaprio did in the screen version.
In contrast, Butz imbues Carl (played by Tom Hanks in the film) with wry humor and bittersweet humanity. It's no accident that Tveit's Frank Jr. is more sympathetic in his scenes with Carl, who emerges both as a father figure and a fellow lonely soul.
Butz also handles the musical numbers with an ease that often trumps Tveit's more aggressive virtuosity. Certainly, Butz is more adept at milking Shaiman's jazzy nuances, which nod tothe more sophisticated side of '60s pop culture, from James Bond to Sinatra.
There are other elegant and frisky flourishes, from William Ivey Long's eye-candy costumes to Jerry Mitchell's vampish choreography — both of which draw attention to the leggy, voluptuous figures in the female ensemble.
Still, in failing to deliver a youthful protagonist you can really cheer for, this Catch Me If You Can may leave you feeling a bit cheated.
One feat that Abagnale did not attempt was writing and bridge rectifier starring in a stage musical about his youthful adventures. And now we know why.
Not that Catch Me If You Can(* * ½ out of four), the new Broadway show based on the aforementioned film and autobiography of the same name, is a dud. Boasting a score by the famously witty team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by Terrence McNally, Catch Me is too ambitious and stylish in its efforts to entertain and move us to induce boredom.
The main problem with this production, which opened Sunday at the Neil Simon Theatre, Coach Bags is that only one of the two leading men is consistently compelling. And it's not the one playing Abagnale (Aaron Tveit).
Rather, it's the actor cast as his nemesis. Norbert Leo Butz is predictably marvelous as Carl Hanratty, the schlumpy federal agent who stalks and eventually nails the underage schemer — though not as handily as Butz walks away with the show.
Don't blame Tveit, the square-jawed young actor who plays Frank Jr. — at least not entirely. A robust singer and fluid dancer, Tveit exudes the kind of slick charm that surely helped Abagnale finagle his way into diverse fields, not to mention considerable fortune.
But that charm wears thin over 2½ hours in which Frank Jr. and veterinary syringes his exploits are so dominant. The musical is structured so that we see our mischievous finagler crafting his own story, introducing some numbers and then literally trying to sing and dance his way out of trouble. It's a canny conceit, but one that only emphasizes the character's disingenuousness.
Frank Jr.'s troubled family background also is documented, with a poignant Tom Wopat as Frank Sr., a less successful player who is nonetheless idolized by his son. But Tveit is most authentic when trying to seduce or impress us; he doesn't reveal the kind of vulnerability that would make us care about the younger Frank, as Leonardo DiCaprio did in the screen version.
In contrast, Butz imbues Carl (played by Tom Hanks in the film) with wry humor and bittersweet humanity. It's no accident that Tveit's Frank Jr. is more sympathetic in his scenes with Carl, who emerges both as a father figure and a fellow lonely soul.
Butz also handles the musical numbers with an ease that often trumps Tveit's more aggressive virtuosity. Certainly, Butz is more adept at milking Shaiman's jazzy nuances, which nod tothe more sophisticated side of '60s pop culture, from James Bond to Sinatra.
There are other elegant and frisky flourishes, from William Ivey Long's eye-candy costumes to Jerry Mitchell's vampish choreography — both of which draw attention to the leggy, voluptuous figures in the female ensemble.
Still, in failing to deliver a youthful protagonist you can really cheer for, this Catch Me If You Can may leave you feeling a bit cheated.
Female reporter is allowed to enter masters locker room
A female columnist said she was denied access to interview in the players locker room Sunday. A Masters spokesman said it was a misunderstanding and that the locker room is open to female journalists.
Tara Sullivan, columnist veterinary syringes for the Bergen Record of New Jersey, said on Twitter: "Bad enough no women members at Augusta. But not allowing me to join writers in locker room interview is just wrong."
Steve Ethun, director of communications for the Masters, issued an apology.
"It was a complete misunderstanding by a security guard," Ethun said. "Our policies fall in line with all of those of major sporting events in that she should have been rightfully allowed access to our locker room. … That was a misunderstanding by that particular security guard. … We offer our apology. It should not have happened, and that's not our policy whatsoever."
Ethun was asked if the fact that Augusta National Golf Club has no female members was a factor in the "misunderstanding?"
"Only our chairman (Billy Payne) can talk about membership issues," Ethun said.
Melanie Hauser, a woman covering her 28th Masters (currently for Coach Bags pgatour.com), said the locker room has been open to female journalists since 1985. She said the access was gained with support from the Golf Writers Association of America.
"I can tell you've I've been in that locker room a number of times," Hauser said. "I've stood there with Greg Norman many times."
Added Ethun: "When you hire this many people, miscommunication does take place. While we do our best to control all of our communications with the right amount of training, this specific person bridge rectifier misunderstood our policy. … It shouldn't have happened."
Tara Sullivan, columnist veterinary syringes for the Bergen Record of New Jersey, said on Twitter: "Bad enough no women members at Augusta. But not allowing me to join writers in locker room interview is just wrong."
Steve Ethun, director of communications for the Masters, issued an apology.
"It was a complete misunderstanding by a security guard," Ethun said. "Our policies fall in line with all of those of major sporting events in that she should have been rightfully allowed access to our locker room. … That was a misunderstanding by that particular security guard. … We offer our apology. It should not have happened, and that's not our policy whatsoever."
Ethun was asked if the fact that Augusta National Golf Club has no female members was a factor in the "misunderstanding?"
"Only our chairman (Billy Payne) can talk about membership issues," Ethun said.
Melanie Hauser, a woman covering her 28th Masters (currently for Coach Bags pgatour.com), said the locker room has been open to female journalists since 1985. She said the access was gained with support from the Golf Writers Association of America.
"I can tell you've I've been in that locker room a number of times," Hauser said. "I've stood there with Greg Norman many times."
Added Ethun: "When you hire this many people, miscommunication does take place. While we do our best to control all of our communications with the right amount of training, this specific person bridge rectifier misunderstood our policy. … It shouldn't have happened."
Iowa tornadoes destroyed about 100 homes. After reeling
A tornado a quarter-mile wide flattened a grain elevator and destroyed homes and buildings on Saturday in the small western Iowa town of Mapleton.
The tornado damaged more stainless steel pipe than half of Mapleton, a town of 1,200 in western Iowa, Mayor Fred Standa said yesterday. He estimated that 20 percent of the town was razed, but no serious injuries were reported.
Many of the huge, centuries-old trees that the town was named for were pulled from the ground and wrapped around houses and tossed atop cars, Standa said. A huge motor home flipped on its side.
The tornado destroyed 12 to 15 blocks in the southwest corner of Mapleton when it struck about 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt said.
About a hundred homes were destroyed and 500 to 600 residents displaced, he said.
The tornado was on the ground for 3 1/2 miles and measured electronic ballast three-quarters of a mile wide at one point, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley, Neb.
The twister was measured to be on the lower end of an EF3, which carries wind speeds of 136 to 165 miles per hour.
The twister was one of several reported in Iowa.
The National Weather Service said it was assessing damage in Sac, Pocahontas, and Kossuth counties yesterday after unconfirmed reports of tornadoes there as well.
In Mapleton, the roof was blown off a high school, power impact crusher lines were downed, and gas fumes filled the town after utilities were damaged, prompting officials to shut off service. Pratt said gas service will remain off for the next two weeks, but electricity should be restored in the next day or so.
Governor Terry Branstad issued an emergency proclamation covering Mapleton and surrounding Monona County on Saturday so the state could spend money to respond to the storm, his office said. He toured Mapleton on yesterday afternoon.
The smell of natural gas hung thick in the air yesterday as forklifts and pickup trucks hauled debris down streets lined with fallen trees.
Tamara Adams, 37, piled branches on the curb, next to the 30-foot-tall tree that rested on top of her house. She said she closed her outside basement door just as the tornado tore the roof off a store that sits diagonally from her house.
“That sound,’’ she said. “I’ll never get it out of my head. It had a life. You could hear cold room it breathing and growling.’’
Terry Siebersma, who runs a liquor store with his wife, was in his shop when he heard the tornado sirens and saw the sky turn green. Siebersma, 53, said he rushed to the basement. Upstairs, he heard autoclave bottles breaking.
He emerged several minutes later, walked to a back storage room and discovered the roof missing and one wall on the verge of collapse
The tornado damaged more stainless steel pipe than half of Mapleton, a town of 1,200 in western Iowa, Mayor Fred Standa said yesterday. He estimated that 20 percent of the town was razed, but no serious injuries were reported.
Many of the huge, centuries-old trees that the town was named for were pulled from the ground and wrapped around houses and tossed atop cars, Standa said. A huge motor home flipped on its side.
The tornado destroyed 12 to 15 blocks in the southwest corner of Mapleton when it struck about 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, Monona County Sheriff Jeff Pratt said.
About a hundred homes were destroyed and 500 to 600 residents displaced, he said.
The tornado was on the ground for 3 1/2 miles and measured electronic ballast three-quarters of a mile wide at one point, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley, Neb.
The twister was measured to be on the lower end of an EF3, which carries wind speeds of 136 to 165 miles per hour.
The twister was one of several reported in Iowa.
The National Weather Service said it was assessing damage in Sac, Pocahontas, and Kossuth counties yesterday after unconfirmed reports of tornadoes there as well.
In Mapleton, the roof was blown off a high school, power impact crusher lines were downed, and gas fumes filled the town after utilities were damaged, prompting officials to shut off service. Pratt said gas service will remain off for the next two weeks, but electricity should be restored in the next day or so.
Governor Terry Branstad issued an emergency proclamation covering Mapleton and surrounding Monona County on Saturday so the state could spend money to respond to the storm, his office said. He toured Mapleton on yesterday afternoon.
The smell of natural gas hung thick in the air yesterday as forklifts and pickup trucks hauled debris down streets lined with fallen trees.
Tamara Adams, 37, piled branches on the curb, next to the 30-foot-tall tree that rested on top of her house. She said she closed her outside basement door just as the tornado tore the roof off a store that sits diagonally from her house.
“That sound,’’ she said. “I’ll never get it out of my head. It had a life. You could hear cold room it breathing and growling.’’
Terry Siebersma, who runs a liquor store with his wife, was in his shop when he heard the tornado sirens and saw the sky turn green. Siebersma, 53, said he rushed to the basement. Upstairs, he heard autoclave bottles breaking.
He emerged several minutes later, walked to a back storage room and discovered the roof missing and one wall on the verge of collapse
Monta Ellis hurt as Warriors lose to Kings
The Warriors' drive toward a feel-good ending to this season took a nasty hit Sunday.
Guard Monta Ellis' head slammed against the hardwood with exercise bike less than a minute left as the Warriors fell 104-103 to the Sacramento Kings at Oracle (ORCL) Arena.
Ellis will not travel with the team for Monday night's game at Denver. As the rest of the Warriors headed for the airport, he was on his way to a hospital for further examination.
Ellis was driving to the basket with 58.9 seconds left when he was undercut by big man DeMarcus Cousins, who was trying to take a charge. Ellis remained down for a few moments. When he tried to get up, he staggered and had to be supported as he stood. He eventually was helped off the court and checked out without taking his free throws.
"You could tell by the look in his eyes he had no idea where he was at," Warriors forward David Lee said after totaling 24 points and 14 rebounds. "He was trying to go to the free-throw line to shoot free throws and kind of walked toward the fans for a second. I was like, 'Come on, trainer. Get out here.' "... You've got to be careful with those kinds of things because that's not like a twisted ankle or something. It can be real serious."
Ellis, who was nursing a tender ankle to begin with, finished with seven points on 2-for-9 shooting
with four assists in 26 minutes. It appeared as if coach Keith Smart was going to sit Ellis the rest of the autoclave night after he took him out with 3:36 left in the third quarter. But Smart put his best player back in with 3:19 left after the Kings took a 97-93 lead on a 3-pointer by guard Tyreke Evans and a fast-break layup by guard Marcus Thornton.
Ellis immediately nailed a jumper, and point guard Stephen Curry cut Sacramento's lead to 98-97 with a 15-footer with 2:30 left.
But that's as close as the Warriors would get.
The Warriors entered the game on a three-game roll over playoff-bound teams -- the Dallas Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers -- before suffering this disappointing loss axial fan against one of the worst teams in the league.
With two games left, Monday night at Denver and Wednesday against Portland, the Warriors still can reach the 36-win plateau, which would mark a 10-game improvement over last season. But what could have been looms too large for some to overlook.
"Our goal in training camp was to get to the playoffs," said forward Dorell Wright, who had 19 points and a career-high six steals while playing all 48 minutes. "When you fall short of that, it's never something you're proud of. We've improved. We definitely did that. We're a young team. We're still growing. But our ultimate goal in training camp was playoffs."
Another school of thought exists, however. The Warriors had significant roster overhaul, including two new starters. Their key offseason acquisition, Lee, was acclimating to a new position in a new system. The coaching staff was basically cone crusher put together the day before training camp.
Still, the Warriors made strides on the court together and moved closer to becoming a playoff team. They are hoping to have at least a 10-win improvement to show for it.
"I would say anywhere else other than here would say it's a good season," Smart said. "It's not what we want. But I think I've done everything I can possibly do. "... We know the ultimate success is getting this team to the playoffs."
Guard Monta Ellis' head slammed against the hardwood with exercise bike less than a minute left as the Warriors fell 104-103 to the Sacramento Kings at Oracle (ORCL) Arena.
Ellis will not travel with the team for Monday night's game at Denver. As the rest of the Warriors headed for the airport, he was on his way to a hospital for further examination.
Ellis was driving to the basket with 58.9 seconds left when he was undercut by big man DeMarcus Cousins, who was trying to take a charge. Ellis remained down for a few moments. When he tried to get up, he staggered and had to be supported as he stood. He eventually was helped off the court and checked out without taking his free throws.
"You could tell by the look in his eyes he had no idea where he was at," Warriors forward David Lee said after totaling 24 points and 14 rebounds. "He was trying to go to the free-throw line to shoot free throws and kind of walked toward the fans for a second. I was like, 'Come on, trainer. Get out here.' "... You've got to be careful with those kinds of things because that's not like a twisted ankle or something. It can be real serious."
Ellis, who was nursing a tender ankle to begin with, finished with seven points on 2-for-9 shooting
with four assists in 26 minutes. It appeared as if coach Keith Smart was going to sit Ellis the rest of the autoclave night after he took him out with 3:36 left in the third quarter. But Smart put his best player back in with 3:19 left after the Kings took a 97-93 lead on a 3-pointer by guard Tyreke Evans and a fast-break layup by guard Marcus Thornton.
Ellis immediately nailed a jumper, and point guard Stephen Curry cut Sacramento's lead to 98-97 with a 15-footer with 2:30 left.
But that's as close as the Warriors would get.
The Warriors entered the game on a three-game roll over playoff-bound teams -- the Dallas Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers -- before suffering this disappointing loss axial fan against one of the worst teams in the league.
With two games left, Monday night at Denver and Wednesday against Portland, the Warriors still can reach the 36-win plateau, which would mark a 10-game improvement over last season. But what could have been looms too large for some to overlook.
"Our goal in training camp was to get to the playoffs," said forward Dorell Wright, who had 19 points and a career-high six steals while playing all 48 minutes. "When you fall short of that, it's never something you're proud of. We've improved. We definitely did that. We're a young team. We're still growing. But our ultimate goal in training camp was playoffs."
Another school of thought exists, however. The Warriors had significant roster overhaul, including two new starters. Their key offseason acquisition, Lee, was acclimating to a new position in a new system. The coaching staff was basically cone crusher put together the day before training camp.
Still, the Warriors made strides on the court together and moved closer to becoming a playoff team. They are hoping to have at least a 10-win improvement to show for it.
"I would say anywhere else other than here would say it's a good season," Smart said. "It's not what we want. But I think I've done everything I can possibly do. "... We know the ultimate success is getting this team to the playoffs."
Microsoft future Windows phone 7 development of host
Its smartphone software has only a sliver of the market, after the company redesigned it from the ground up and gave it a new name, Windows Phone 7. Still, many are watching and waiting after Nokia, the world's largest phone maker, said it plans to make Windows Phone 7 its primary smartphone platform.
This week, Microsoft will try to get developers off the electronic ballast fence to make more applications for Windows Phone 7.
At Mix 2011, a Web and Windows Phone app development conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft plans to hold workshops on building apps for Windows Phone 7. Boot-camp sessions begin Monday, and Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president with Microsoft's mobile business, is expected to give a keynote speech on Wednesday.
Microsoft frustrated users recently when it fumbled a software update to Windows Phones that was supposed to add copy-and-paste and other performance enhancing features to speed phone performance. Belfiore said on Microsoft's website, "We are sorry the process has been rocky."
"They need to show that they are emphasizing quality in the platform" at Mix after the update problems, said Rob Sanfilippo, research vice president at Directions on Microsoft, an independent analyst firm in Kirkland. "Then the secondary thing will be what are the new features coming this year?"
At Mobile World Congress in February in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced several new features that will be coming to Windows Phone 7 this year: Twitter integration with the phone's address book, multi-tasking and Internet Explorer 9. He also showed an experimental project showing an Xbox Kinect game that a second player could stainless steel pipe control with a Windows Phone 7.
The company will likely give a progress report this week on when those features will be arriving and how developers can start building them into phone applications.
The Mix conference used to focus more narrowly on Web development, but it has grown to include Windows Phone 7 app development. The conference drew about 1,000 people in 2010. On Tuesday, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Dean Hachamovitch is scheduled to talk about progress with Microsoft's newly introduced Web browser, Internet Explorer 9.
Microsoft will hold workshops on designing websites in HTML5, cloud computing on Windows Azure, development of its video and animation software Silverlight and mobile software.
Microsoft said it now has 11,500 apps available for Windows Phone 7. The company also dropped hints in a blog post that its competitors double count apps published in different languages and "lite" apps such as wallpaper. Apple boasts 350,000 apps on iTunes. Google says the Android marketplace has more than 150,000 free and paid apps.
Phone sales have not added up to a blockbuster, but bridge rectifier observers say progress has been decent for a new entrant. Microsoft said at the end of January that phone manufacturers bought 2 million software licenses for Windows Phone 7. Microsoft has not given numbers on how many customers have bought phones with the software installed on it.
Google said its Android platform is growing by 300,000 phones a day, and analysts expect Android to become the dominant smartphone platform this year.
Microsoft had 5 percent of the mobile-smartphone market share in 2010, according to research firm IDC in Framingham, Mass., and is expected to grow to 5.5 percent in 2011.
Symbian, Nokia's operating system, had the largest share with 37 percent in 2010 but it's expected to fall to 21 percent this year. Android, which had 23 percent share in 2010, is expected to grow to 40 percent. Research In Motion's Blackberry, which had 16 percent in 2010, is projected to fall slightly to 15 percent. Apple iPhone's iOS, with 16 percent share in 2010, is expected to stay level in 2011.
Research firm Gartner in Stamford, Conn., Coach Bags released similar projections for Microsoft and Android growth on Thursday, but predicted iPhone would grow by a few percentage points.
Will Stofega, IDC analyst, said what could change everything is the Microsoft-Nokia partnership announced in February, an arrangement that has yet to be completed and which hasn't produced phones people can buy. While Nokia's smartphones are not as popular in the U.S., the Finnish phone maker has immense market share in the rest of the world.
"What everybody is waiting for is still the big bang," Stofega said. He thinks Microsoft could move into second place behind Android in 2015 if the partnership comes out the way the companies say it will.
Neither company has said when Nokia would begin selling Windows Phone 7 units. Stofega says he expects large numbers of those sales to start in the first half of 2012.
"We'll have a better understanding of what's happening toward the end of the year," he said. "It's going to take them quite some time to sort out what they need to sort out, get everyone on the same page and optimize the veterinary syringes design, but we know they're really, really racing to sort of put together the complete package."
This week, Microsoft will try to get developers off the electronic ballast fence to make more applications for Windows Phone 7.
At Mix 2011, a Web and Windows Phone app development conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft plans to hold workshops on building apps for Windows Phone 7. Boot-camp sessions begin Monday, and Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president with Microsoft's mobile business, is expected to give a keynote speech on Wednesday.
Microsoft frustrated users recently when it fumbled a software update to Windows Phones that was supposed to add copy-and-paste and other performance enhancing features to speed phone performance. Belfiore said on Microsoft's website, "We are sorry the process has been rocky."
"They need to show that they are emphasizing quality in the platform" at Mix after the update problems, said Rob Sanfilippo, research vice president at Directions on Microsoft, an independent analyst firm in Kirkland. "Then the secondary thing will be what are the new features coming this year?"
At Mobile World Congress in February in Barcelona, Spain, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced several new features that will be coming to Windows Phone 7 this year: Twitter integration with the phone's address book, multi-tasking and Internet Explorer 9. He also showed an experimental project showing an Xbox Kinect game that a second player could stainless steel pipe control with a Windows Phone 7.
The company will likely give a progress report this week on when those features will be arriving and how developers can start building them into phone applications.
The Mix conference used to focus more narrowly on Web development, but it has grown to include Windows Phone 7 app development. The conference drew about 1,000 people in 2010. On Tuesday, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Dean Hachamovitch is scheduled to talk about progress with Microsoft's newly introduced Web browser, Internet Explorer 9.
Microsoft will hold workshops on designing websites in HTML5, cloud computing on Windows Azure, development of its video and animation software Silverlight and mobile software.
Microsoft said it now has 11,500 apps available for Windows Phone 7. The company also dropped hints in a blog post that its competitors double count apps published in different languages and "lite" apps such as wallpaper. Apple boasts 350,000 apps on iTunes. Google says the Android marketplace has more than 150,000 free and paid apps.
Phone sales have not added up to a blockbuster, but bridge rectifier observers say progress has been decent for a new entrant. Microsoft said at the end of January that phone manufacturers bought 2 million software licenses for Windows Phone 7. Microsoft has not given numbers on how many customers have bought phones with the software installed on it.
Google said its Android platform is growing by 300,000 phones a day, and analysts expect Android to become the dominant smartphone platform this year.
Microsoft had 5 percent of the mobile-smartphone market share in 2010, according to research firm IDC in Framingham, Mass., and is expected to grow to 5.5 percent in 2011.
Symbian, Nokia's operating system, had the largest share with 37 percent in 2010 but it's expected to fall to 21 percent this year. Android, which had 23 percent share in 2010, is expected to grow to 40 percent. Research In Motion's Blackberry, which had 16 percent in 2010, is projected to fall slightly to 15 percent. Apple iPhone's iOS, with 16 percent share in 2010, is expected to stay level in 2011.
Research firm Gartner in Stamford, Conn., Coach Bags released similar projections for Microsoft and Android growth on Thursday, but predicted iPhone would grow by a few percentage points.
Will Stofega, IDC analyst, said what could change everything is the Microsoft-Nokia partnership announced in February, an arrangement that has yet to be completed and which hasn't produced phones people can buy. While Nokia's smartphones are not as popular in the U.S., the Finnish phone maker has immense market share in the rest of the world.
"What everybody is waiting for is still the big bang," Stofega said. He thinks Microsoft could move into second place behind Android in 2015 if the partnership comes out the way the companies say it will.
Neither company has said when Nokia would begin selling Windows Phone 7 units. Stofega says he expects large numbers of those sales to start in the first half of 2012.
"We'll have a better understanding of what's happening toward the end of the year," he said. "It's going to take them quite some time to sort out what they need to sort out, get everyone on the same page and optimize the veterinary syringes design, but we know they're really, really racing to sort of put together the complete package."
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Registered Facebook, sharing energy-saving code
Facebook Inc. on Thursday launched an open-source hardware project to electronic ballast share what the company has learned about designing energy-reducing, cost-efficient computer servers and data centers with the entire technology industry.
"We think coal is actually a small issue in the grand scheme of energy efficiency," said Jonathan Heiliger, Facebook's vice president of technical operations. "Instead of worrying about what energy source you may choose and the impact of that source on the environment, the best way of improving CO{-2} (emissions) and improving the environment is to cut energy consumption."
"We're not doing this in a dark closet somewhere, but we're sharing it with the world, we're sharing it with our peers," Heiliger said.
Although the environmental activist group Greenpeace International still criticized the social media giant for relying on coal-generated electricity, Facebook officials said their Open Compute Project stainless steel pipe has already delivered a 38 percent increase in energy efficiency for 24 percent less cost.
Data center energy costs are a major concern for Internet companies like Facebook , which has an estimated 600 million members worldwide. Facebook said that if one-quarter of U.S. data centers used Open Compute specifications, the energy saved could power more than 160,000 homes.
The company's $188 million, 147,000-square-foot Prineville center saved money by using less material, including paint, logos and stickers, and engineers examined details such as how to reduce power loss inside servers.
Facebook believes publishing technical specifications for the company-designed equipment used in its new Prineville, Ore., bridge rectifier data center will inspire faster development of even more efficient servers, power supplies, server racks and buildings.
The equipment was co-developed with other tech heavyweights, including Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Dell Inc., Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Dell has already built servers based on the Open Compute specifications.
But Greenpeace has long criticized Facebook and the plant's utility provider, Pacific Power, which supplies some of the electricity from coal-burning plants.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Casey Harrell praised Facebook for its efforts, but said "efficiency is simply not enough."
The Palo Alto firm compared the project to the open-source software movement, which allows widespread collaboration on computer programs instead of relying on individual, proprietary development.
"As the global warming footprint of the IT industry, and Facebook specifically, continues to grow significantly, a focus on energy efficiency alone will only slow the speeding train of unsustainable emissions growth," Harrell said in a statement. "If Facebook wants to be a truly green company, it needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Coach Bags the way to do that is decouple its growth from its emissions footprint by using clean, renewable energy to power its business instead of dirty coal and dangerous nuclear power."
"We think coal is actually a small issue in the grand scheme of energy efficiency," said Jonathan Heiliger, Facebook's vice president of technical operations. "Instead of worrying about what energy source you may choose and the impact of that source on the environment, the best way of improving CO{-2} (emissions) and improving the environment is to cut energy consumption."
"We're not doing this in a dark closet somewhere, but we're sharing it with the world, we're sharing it with our peers," Heiliger said.
Although the environmental activist group Greenpeace International still criticized the social media giant for relying on coal-generated electricity, Facebook officials said their Open Compute Project stainless steel pipe has already delivered a 38 percent increase in energy efficiency for 24 percent less cost.
Data center energy costs are a major concern for Internet companies like Facebook , which has an estimated 600 million members worldwide. Facebook said that if one-quarter of U.S. data centers used Open Compute specifications, the energy saved could power more than 160,000 homes.
The company's $188 million, 147,000-square-foot Prineville center saved money by using less material, including paint, logos and stickers, and engineers examined details such as how to reduce power loss inside servers.
Facebook believes publishing technical specifications for the company-designed equipment used in its new Prineville, Ore., bridge rectifier data center will inspire faster development of even more efficient servers, power supplies, server racks and buildings.
The equipment was co-developed with other tech heavyweights, including Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Dell Inc., Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Dell has already built servers based on the Open Compute specifications.
But Greenpeace has long criticized Facebook and the plant's utility provider, Pacific Power, which supplies some of the electricity from coal-burning plants.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Casey Harrell praised Facebook for its efforts, but said "efficiency is simply not enough."
The Palo Alto firm compared the project to the open-source software movement, which allows widespread collaboration on computer programs instead of relying on individual, proprietary development.
"As the global warming footprint of the IT industry, and Facebook specifically, continues to grow significantly, a focus on energy efficiency alone will only slow the speeding train of unsustainable emissions growth," Harrell said in a statement. "If Facebook wants to be a truly green company, it needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Coach Bags the way to do that is decouple its growth from its emissions footprint by using clean, renewable energy to power its business instead of dirty coal and dangerous nuclear power."
CDC said before going abroad, babies need MMR vaccine for measles
The Centers for Disease Control announced today that it is investigating seven cases of measles in American babies who traveled overseas and caught the disease. None had received the MMR vaccine cone crusher for measles, mumps and rubella.
This comes one day after reports that some tourists to the Orlando area returned home with the measles — and could have caught the disease here.
Although measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, it is still present in other regions of the world, including Western Europe. Imported cases continue to occur among U.S. residents returning from foreign travel and among foreign visitors to the United States.
The risk of complications or death from measles is highest among young cold room children. In the first two months of 2011, seven cases of measles were reported among 6- through 23-month-old American infants who traveled abroad. Four of the children were hospitalized due to severe measles-related complications.
Although all seven children had been eligible for vaccination before travel, none had received the MMR vaccine, the only measles-containing vaccine currently available in the United States.
The CDC is reminding parents that travelers of all ages should be up to date with their vaccinations before traveling abroad.
Considering the high risk of measles complications in children, infants aged 6 to 11 months should receive one dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine before traveling internationally, and children aged 12 months and older should autoclave receive two doses (separated by at least 28 days).
Physicians should consider measles as a possible diagnosis of rash illness among patients with a recent history of international travel.
This comes one day after reports that some tourists to the Orlando area returned home with the measles — and could have caught the disease here.
Although measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, it is still present in other regions of the world, including Western Europe. Imported cases continue to occur among U.S. residents returning from foreign travel and among foreign visitors to the United States.
The risk of complications or death from measles is highest among young cold room children. In the first two months of 2011, seven cases of measles were reported among 6- through 23-month-old American infants who traveled abroad. Four of the children were hospitalized due to severe measles-related complications.
Although all seven children had been eligible for vaccination before travel, none had received the MMR vaccine, the only measles-containing vaccine currently available in the United States.
The CDC is reminding parents that travelers of all ages should be up to date with their vaccinations before traveling abroad.
Considering the high risk of measles complications in children, infants aged 6 to 11 months should receive one dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine before traveling internationally, and children aged 12 months and older should autoclave receive two doses (separated by at least 28 days).
Physicians should consider measles as a possible diagnosis of rash illness among patients with a recent history of international travel.
Nobody saw this coming: An 'American Idol' shocker
American Idol viewers eliminated their fifth consecutive female singer Thursday. In a development that left contestants, judges and the studio audience stunned, Pia Toscano was exercise bike sent packing. Though the judges had told her she needed to work on her stage presence and had criticized her for singing too many ballads, many considered Pia to have given Wednesday's best performance and to be almost a lock for the finals.
Jennifer's in tears. "I have no idea what just happened here. I'm shocked. I'm angry. I don't even know what to say."
"What a shock, what a surprise," Ryan says as boos axial fan rain down from the audience.
"A mistake is one thing, but a lack of passion is unforgivable," Steven says. "They're wrong."
"We're all in shock," says Randy. "I'm gutted."
Pia's exit almost guarantees a male winner for the fourth consecutive year. But with such unpredictable voting from week to week, a once-promising season suddenly looks much, much different.
As her swansong, Pia sings The Pretenders' I'll Stand by You, breaking down at the end and receiving a standing ovation impact crusher from everyone in the room, many of them in tears.
Jennifer's in tears. "I have no idea what just happened here. I'm shocked. I'm angry. I don't even know what to say."
"What a shock, what a surprise," Ryan says as boos axial fan rain down from the audience.
"A mistake is one thing, but a lack of passion is unforgivable," Steven says. "They're wrong."
"We're all in shock," says Randy. "I'm gutted."
Pia's exit almost guarantees a male winner for the fourth consecutive year. But with such unpredictable voting from week to week, a once-promising season suddenly looks much, much different.
As her swansong, Pia sings The Pretenders' I'll Stand by You, breaking down at the end and receiving a standing ovation impact crusher from everyone in the room, many of them in tears.
Crave Caffeine? It May Be in Your Genes
DNA may play a large role in determining how much caffeine people consume in beverages such as coffee, tea, and soda and food such as chocolate, new research indicates.
Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, the National Cancer Institute, electronic ballast and other institutions say they have discovered two genetic variations that influence the metabolism of caffeine and are associated with how much caffeine people consume. People with particular variations of two specific genes are more likely to consume caffeine, and to drink more of it when they do, study leader Marilyn C. Cornelis, PhD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, tells WebMD.
The researchers say in a news release that their conclusions are based on an analysis of five studies conducted between 1984 and 2001. Average caffeine consumption via coffee, tea, caffeinated sodas, or chocolate was recorded.
So what does this mean?
Caffeine is implicated in a number of medical and physiological conditions. Caffeine affects mood, sleep patterns, energy levels, and mental and physical performance.
“Clearly these genetic variants are affecting stainless steel pipe how our body processes caffeine,” she tells WebMD.
About 80% of the caffeine intake among participants involved in the analysis was from coffee, similar to the adult caffeine consumption in the U.S. “We propose that those with the genotype corresponding to ‘higher caffeine consumption’ are metabolizing caffeine at a different rate vs. those with the ‘lower caffeine consumption’ genotype, and so require a different level of intake to maintain or achieve physiological caffeine levels that produce pleasurable effects,” Cornelis tells WebMD.
“Caffeinated products, particularly coffee, have long been implicated in various health conditions.”
She says that “studying the effects of caffeine, say, on the cardiovascular system, would be challenging if the group of subjects we’re studying process caffeine differently.”
The genes are identified as CYP1A2, long known to play some role in caffeine metabolism, bridge rectifier and another called AHR, which affects regulation of CYP1A2.
Cornelis says her own father may carry the variations that correspond to higher caffeine consumption because he drinks “at least 10 cups” daily.
“He’s not trying to achieve pleasurable effects,” she tells WebMD. “Rather, he’s trying to maintain levels as a means to avoid the withdrawal symptoms. Without a cup he’d wake up in the middle of the night with a headache.”
All people have both genes, but the study, involving more than 47,000 middle-aged Americans of European descent, finds that people with the highest-consumption variant for either gene consumed about 40 milligrams more caffeine than people with the lowest-consumption gene varieties. Forty milligrams is the equivalent of 1/3 cup of caffeinated coffee or one can of soda.
That suggests he “could possibly have the genetic profile of a fast caffeine metabolizer,” she says in an email.
The researchers say it’s likely that genetics plays a major role in other behaviors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
This genetic knowledge could be used “to advance caffeine research and potentially identify subgroups, Coach Bags defined by genotype, of the population most susceptible to the effects of caffeine,” Cornelis tells WebMD. “More research on the precise function of these variants is needed, however, and there are likely more ‘caffeine genes’ to be identified.”
She tells WebMD that her team’s findings “demonstrate that our search approach -- scanning the entire human genome -- works.”
Also, it shows for the first time that genetics may be responsible for inherited differences in how people drink coffee.
Scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, the National Cancer Institute, electronic ballast and other institutions say they have discovered two genetic variations that influence the metabolism of caffeine and are associated with how much caffeine people consume. People with particular variations of two specific genes are more likely to consume caffeine, and to drink more of it when they do, study leader Marilyn C. Cornelis, PhD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, tells WebMD.
Coffee Consumption
The researchers say in a news release that their conclusions are based on an analysis of five studies conducted between 1984 and 2001. Average caffeine consumption via coffee, tea, caffeinated sodas, or chocolate was recorded.
So what does this mean?
Caffeine is implicated in a number of medical and physiological conditions. Caffeine affects mood, sleep patterns, energy levels, and mental and physical performance.
“Clearly these genetic variants are affecting stainless steel pipe how our body processes caffeine,” she tells WebMD.
About 80% of the caffeine intake among participants involved in the analysis was from coffee, similar to the adult caffeine consumption in the U.S. “We propose that those with the genotype corresponding to ‘higher caffeine consumption’ are metabolizing caffeine at a different rate vs. those with the ‘lower caffeine consumption’ genotype, and so require a different level of intake to maintain or achieve physiological caffeine levels that produce pleasurable effects,” Cornelis tells WebMD.
“Caffeinated products, particularly coffee, have long been implicated in various health conditions.”
She says that “studying the effects of caffeine, say, on the cardiovascular system, would be challenging if the group of subjects we’re studying process caffeine differently.”
Genes and Coffee
The genes are identified as CYP1A2, long known to play some role in caffeine metabolism, bridge rectifier and another called AHR, which affects regulation of CYP1A2.
Cornelis says her own father may carry the variations that correspond to higher caffeine consumption because he drinks “at least 10 cups” daily.
“He’s not trying to achieve pleasurable effects,” she tells WebMD. “Rather, he’s trying to maintain levels as a means to avoid the withdrawal symptoms. Without a cup he’d wake up in the middle of the night with a headache.”
All people have both genes, but the study, involving more than 47,000 middle-aged Americans of European descent, finds that people with the highest-consumption variant for either gene consumed about 40 milligrams more caffeine than people with the lowest-consumption gene varieties. Forty milligrams is the equivalent of 1/3 cup of caffeinated coffee or one can of soda.
That suggests he “could possibly have the genetic profile of a fast caffeine metabolizer,” she says in an email.
The researchers say it’s likely that genetics plays a major role in other behaviors, such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
More ‘Caffeine Genes’ May Be Identified
This genetic knowledge could be used “to advance caffeine research and potentially identify subgroups, Coach Bags defined by genotype, of the population most susceptible to the effects of caffeine,” Cornelis tells WebMD. “More research on the precise function of these variants is needed, however, and there are likely more ‘caffeine genes’ to be identified.”
She tells WebMD that her team’s findings “demonstrate that our search approach -- scanning the entire human genome -- works.”
Also, it shows for the first time that genetics may be responsible for inherited differences in how people drink coffee.
Lawyers want grim Jackson autopsy photos excluded from trial
Showing the pictures of the "Thriller" singer's autopsy risk jeopardizing the trial in May of Dr. Conrad Murray, they said. Murray is charged with inadvertently causing Jackson's June 2009 death by giving him the bridge rectifier powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid, as well as other sedatives.
They argued that "admission of these photographs to the jurors will jeopardize Dr. Murray's right to a fair trial because of the significant risk that the jury will base their decision not on the evidence presented, but on emotional grounds which play no part in a criminal action."
Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Opening arguments in the trial are scheduled for May 9. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor is expected to rule later this month on the defense request.
"These photographs are graphic, gruesome and highly prejudicial," Murray's attorneys wrote in the court papers.
Murray's attorneys, Ed Chernoff and Nareg Gourjian, stainless steel pipe argued that, "there is absolutely no relevance whatsoever to all of this sexually scandalous information."
Jackson, 50, chose Murray as his personal physician as he rehearsed for a series of comeback concerts in London.
v
Murray's lawyers also want references to Murray's trips to strip clubs, where he met at least one woman with whom he had an affair, to be excluded from evidence at the trial.
Jury selection for the trial has been underway for more than two weeks.
Murray's attorneys have suggested in electronic ballast previous court hearings that Jackson had grown dependent on propofol, and plan to argue at trial that the singer administered the fatal dose of the anesthetic to himself.
A 29-page questionnaire, publicly released on Thursday, asks potential jurors if they are fans of Jackson or his family. It also asks whether they know anyone with addiction to prescription medication; if they think celebrities are jaw crusher treated differently in the court system; and if they are familiar with the anesthetic propofol and other medications.
They argued that "admission of these photographs to the jurors will jeopardize Dr. Murray's right to a fair trial because of the significant risk that the jury will base their decision not on the evidence presented, but on emotional grounds which play no part in a criminal action."
Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Opening arguments in the trial are scheduled for May 9. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor is expected to rule later this month on the defense request.
"These photographs are graphic, gruesome and highly prejudicial," Murray's attorneys wrote in the court papers.
Murray's attorneys, Ed Chernoff and Nareg Gourjian, stainless steel pipe argued that, "there is absolutely no relevance whatsoever to all of this sexually scandalous information."
Jackson, 50, chose Murray as his personal physician as he rehearsed for a series of comeback concerts in London.
v
Murray's lawyers also want references to Murray's trips to strip clubs, where he met at least one woman with whom he had an affair, to be excluded from evidence at the trial.
Jury selection for the trial has been underway for more than two weeks.
Murray's attorneys have suggested in electronic ballast previous court hearings that Jackson had grown dependent on propofol, and plan to argue at trial that the singer administered the fatal dose of the anesthetic to himself.
A 29-page questionnaire, publicly released on Thursday, asks potential jurors if they are fans of Jackson or his family. It also asks whether they know anyone with addiction to prescription medication; if they think celebrities are jaw crusher treated differently in the court system; and if they are familiar with the anesthetic propofol and other medications.
FOREX-Yen downtrend pauses,euro rally pause file
* Yen off lows but downtrend firmly in place
* Euro rally takes a breather after expected ECB rate hike
* Aussie also pauses after scaling fresh peak vs USD
The broad selloff in the yen stalled early in Asia on Friday as shaded pold motor investors took profit on short positions following a major aftershock in northeast Japan, while comments from the European Central Bank head saw the euro retreat from 14-month highs.
Following a widely expected 25 basis-point interest rate hike to 1.25 percent, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the central bank had not decided that Thursday's rate rise was the first in a series of moves.
"The EUR experienced a classic "buy the rumor, sell the fact" reaction to the ECB rate hike ... which proved to be one of the most universally expected events of the year," said Michael Woolfolk, analyst at BNY Mellon.
Economists polled by Reuters expect the ECB to stand pat for a couple of months before raising rates again in July.
"With Trichet failing to provide any guidance on further rate hikes and the phrase "strong vigilance" removed from the policy statement, players took profit on long EUR positions."
The euro last traded just under $1.4300, having slipped to a low of $1.4240, down from a 14-month peak around $1.4350 set on Wednesday.
Its downside, however, was limited by a calm bond market reaction to Portugal's plea autoclave for financial help from the European Union. Fears of contagion to Spain also eased after Madrid comfortably sold 4.1 billion euros of a new three-year bond.
Indeed, traders said there is demand for short-term upside strikes in the $1.4400 region as market players looked to protect against a further rise in the euro.
On the charts, a break of the key $1.4280 level is positive for the euro and BNP Paribas analysts expect the euro to next aim for $1.4375.
Still, some analysts expect a deeper pullback given exercise bike the common currency had risen 3.8 percent since early March when Trichet first hinted at an April rate hike, far earlier than markets had then been expecting.
Meanwhile, the yen's decline stalled as investors booked some profits after a 7.4 magnitude quake hit northeast Japan late on Thursday.
* Euro rally takes a breather after expected ECB rate hike
* Aussie also pauses after scaling fresh peak vs USD
The broad selloff in the yen stalled early in Asia on Friday as shaded pold motor investors took profit on short positions following a major aftershock in northeast Japan, while comments from the European Central Bank head saw the euro retreat from 14-month highs.
Following a widely expected 25 basis-point interest rate hike to 1.25 percent, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the central bank had not decided that Thursday's rate rise was the first in a series of moves.
"The EUR experienced a classic "buy the rumor, sell the fact" reaction to the ECB rate hike ... which proved to be one of the most universally expected events of the year," said Michael Woolfolk, analyst at BNY Mellon.
Economists polled by Reuters expect the ECB to stand pat for a couple of months before raising rates again in July.
"With Trichet failing to provide any guidance on further rate hikes and the phrase "strong vigilance" removed from the policy statement, players took profit on long EUR positions."
The euro last traded just under $1.4300, having slipped to a low of $1.4240, down from a 14-month peak around $1.4350 set on Wednesday.
Its downside, however, was limited by a calm bond market reaction to Portugal's plea autoclave for financial help from the European Union. Fears of contagion to Spain also eased after Madrid comfortably sold 4.1 billion euros of a new three-year bond.
Indeed, traders said there is demand for short-term upside strikes in the $1.4400 region as market players looked to protect against a further rise in the euro.
On the charts, a break of the key $1.4280 level is positive for the euro and BNP Paribas analysts expect the euro to next aim for $1.4375.
Still, some analysts expect a deeper pullback given exercise bike the common currency had risen 3.8 percent since early March when Trichet first hinted at an April rate hike, far earlier than markets had then been expecting.
Meanwhile, the yen's decline stalled as investors booked some profits after a 7.4 magnitude quake hit northeast Japan late on Thursday.
Snooki And JWoww Reveal 'Jersey Shore' Spin-Off Details
On Thursday (April 7), MTV announced that we will be seeing a lot more of Snooki, JWoww and Pauly D. The three "Jersey Shore" castmembers will be featured in two untitled reality projects cold room set to debut on MTV in 2012.
"The 'Jersey Shore' cast is at the center of the show's ongoing success, and Nicole, Pauly D and Jenni have become household names as a result of their unique, sometimes outrageous and often hilarious personalities," said Chris Linn, MTV executive vice president of programming and head of production.
The inseparable dynamic duo of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and best friend Jenni "JWoww" Farley will give viewers a look at what life, love and friendship is like away from Seaside Heights.
"It's pretty much just the concept of me and Jenni being on our own without our roommates," Snooki told MTV News recently.
The two best friends mobile crusher will be living in a yet-announced location, but it seems the girls planned to be roommates even if the cameras weren't rolling.
"It was a concept before the show [was green-lit]. We legitimately just wanted to buy a house together,"
JWoww revealed. "She wanted to get out of her dad's, and I wanted to move out of the home that everyone could see on TV, so they were like, 'Let's shoot it!' "
JWoww and Snooki will share the spotlight with fellow castmember DJ Pauly D. The cameras will follow him (and his blowout) as he continues to pursue his dream of becoming one of the most successful and recognized DJs in the music business.
"I used to be this DJ in Rhode Island, DJing two sets a week, hustling, promoting," he earlier this year, "and all of a sudden, I'm on this show, and now they're sending private jets for me to DJ for these electronic ballast huge crowds, yet I'm still the same guy that was DJing for 200 people, just loving life."
Both untitled series will be 12 episodes, and production begins later this year.
"The 'Jersey Shore' cast is at the center of the show's ongoing success, and Nicole, Pauly D and Jenni have become household names as a result of their unique, sometimes outrageous and often hilarious personalities," said Chris Linn, MTV executive vice president of programming and head of production.
The inseparable dynamic duo of Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and best friend Jenni "JWoww" Farley will give viewers a look at what life, love and friendship is like away from Seaside Heights.
"It's pretty much just the concept of me and Jenni being on our own without our roommates," Snooki told MTV News recently.
The two best friends mobile crusher will be living in a yet-announced location, but it seems the girls planned to be roommates even if the cameras weren't rolling.
"It was a concept before the show [was green-lit]. We legitimately just wanted to buy a house together,"
JWoww revealed. "She wanted to get out of her dad's, and I wanted to move out of the home that everyone could see on TV, so they were like, 'Let's shoot it!' "
JWoww and Snooki will share the spotlight with fellow castmember DJ Pauly D. The cameras will follow him (and his blowout) as he continues to pursue his dream of becoming one of the most successful and recognized DJs in the music business.
"I used to be this DJ in Rhode Island, DJing two sets a week, hustling, promoting," he earlier this year, "and all of a sudden, I'm on this show, and now they're sending private jets for me to DJ for these electronic ballast huge crowds, yet I'm still the same guy that was DJing for 200 people, just loving life."
Both untitled series will be 12 episodes, and production begins later this year.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
New Book on Google Shows Gaffes in China
When Google opened for business in China in 2006, Eric E. Schmidt, its chief executive, said, “Google has 5,000 years of patience in China.” Coach Bags but its divorce from the country just four years later was inevitable because operations there were troubled from the start.
That is the conclusion of Steven Levy, a longtime technology journalist who spent three years reporting inside the company to write “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives.” The New York Times obtained a copy of the book, which arrives in stores April 12.
The book, a wide-ranging history of the company from start-up to behemoth, sheds light on the biggest threats Google faces today, from the Chinese government to Facebook and privacy critics.
Though Google, which declined to comment for this article, bridge rectifier left China after accusing government officials of breaking into company computers and activists’ Gmail accounts, a long sequence of problems led to that decision.
There were missteps from the start. When the Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, visited China in 2004, they needed coaching on how to behave, Mr. Levy writes. On a visit to India, they had been compared to college backpackers, riding in rickshaws. Al Gore, the former vice president, had to warn them that they were politically na?ve and that the Chinese would think they were arrogant if they acted like that in China.
Many Chinese Internet users preferred the search engine Baidu out of patriotism, and the government even redirected traffic from Google to Baidu, according to Mr. Levy. Google never figured out how to manage business customs in China. It fired the head of government relations in China after she gave iPods to Chinese officials, which she charged to her Google expense account.
Google itself made it hard for its workers in China to succeed, Mr. Levy writes. It refused to grant the money to advertise in China, and the founders never visited the country once Google opened an office.
But one problem was bigger than all the rest, according to the book. Though Google prides itself on giving engineers access to its code base to invent new products, it blocked the engineers in China because it said government seamless steel pipe officials might force them to reveal private information. Experienced engineers, who felt distrusted, could not work on new products and had to spend time on tasks like testing Google searches, something that less-qualified people do at other Google offices.
A year before Google discovered the break-in that spurred it to leave the country, a group of executives, led by Andrew McLaughlin, the former head of public policy, and David C. Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, began pushing for Google’s departure.
Other battles that Google is fighting today, against Facebook and critics of its privacy policies, also had their roots years ago.
Mr. Schmidt, Google’s outspoken chief who will be replaced by Mr. Page on Monday, has made public gaffes when speaking about privacy. Mr. Levy reveals that he has made gaffes inside the company, too. Mr. Schmidt asked that Google remove from the search engine information about a political donation he had made. Sheryl Sandberg, a Google executive who is now Facebook’s chief operating officer, told him electronic ballast that was unacceptable.
The fight against Facebook began in earnest last year, when Urs H?lzle, the company’s first engineering vice president, wrote a memo, which insiders called the Urs-Quake, warning that Google was behind in social networking and needed to recruit people to work on it immediately.
They named the project Emerald Sea and recreated an 1878 painting by that name in front of the elevators where they worked, according to the book. It showed an enormous wave knocking over a ship. That ship could be Google, it warned — the company would either sail on the social networking wave or drown in it.
In an interview, Mr. Levy attributed Google’s social networking failures to its inability to play catch-up with a competitor.
“They’re supernervous about Facebook,” he said. “Google’s not strong in the rear view cone crusher mirror. Google’s strong when they’re looking out their windshield.”
That is the conclusion of Steven Levy, a longtime technology journalist who spent three years reporting inside the company to write “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives.” The New York Times obtained a copy of the book, which arrives in stores April 12.
The book, a wide-ranging history of the company from start-up to behemoth, sheds light on the biggest threats Google faces today, from the Chinese government to Facebook and privacy critics.
Though Google, which declined to comment for this article, bridge rectifier left China after accusing government officials of breaking into company computers and activists’ Gmail accounts, a long sequence of problems led to that decision.
There were missteps from the start. When the Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, visited China in 2004, they needed coaching on how to behave, Mr. Levy writes. On a visit to India, they had been compared to college backpackers, riding in rickshaws. Al Gore, the former vice president, had to warn them that they were politically na?ve and that the Chinese would think they were arrogant if they acted like that in China.
Many Chinese Internet users preferred the search engine Baidu out of patriotism, and the government even redirected traffic from Google to Baidu, according to Mr. Levy. Google never figured out how to manage business customs in China. It fired the head of government relations in China after she gave iPods to Chinese officials, which she charged to her Google expense account.
Google itself made it hard for its workers in China to succeed, Mr. Levy writes. It refused to grant the money to advertise in China, and the founders never visited the country once Google opened an office.
But one problem was bigger than all the rest, according to the book. Though Google prides itself on giving engineers access to its code base to invent new products, it blocked the engineers in China because it said government seamless steel pipe officials might force them to reveal private information. Experienced engineers, who felt distrusted, could not work on new products and had to spend time on tasks like testing Google searches, something that less-qualified people do at other Google offices.
A year before Google discovered the break-in that spurred it to leave the country, a group of executives, led by Andrew McLaughlin, the former head of public policy, and David C. Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, began pushing for Google’s departure.
Other battles that Google is fighting today, against Facebook and critics of its privacy policies, also had their roots years ago.
Mr. Schmidt, Google’s outspoken chief who will be replaced by Mr. Page on Monday, has made public gaffes when speaking about privacy. Mr. Levy reveals that he has made gaffes inside the company, too. Mr. Schmidt asked that Google remove from the search engine information about a political donation he had made. Sheryl Sandberg, a Google executive who is now Facebook’s chief operating officer, told him electronic ballast that was unacceptable.
The fight against Facebook began in earnest last year, when Urs H?lzle, the company’s first engineering vice president, wrote a memo, which insiders called the Urs-Quake, warning that Google was behind in social networking and needed to recruit people to work on it immediately.
They named the project Emerald Sea and recreated an 1878 painting by that name in front of the elevators where they worked, according to the book. It showed an enormous wave knocking over a ship. That ship could be Google, it warned — the company would either sail on the social networking wave or drown in it.
In an interview, Mr. Levy attributed Google’s social networking failures to its inability to play catch-up with a competitor.
“They’re supernervous about Facebook,” he said. “Google’s not strong in the rear view cone crusher mirror. Google’s strong when they’re looking out their windshield.”
The eu to Microsoft Google filed antitrust litigation fire
Microsoft is filing a formal complaint with the European Commission, insisting that arch-rival Google’s competitive practices unfairly dominate the European search market.
“We’re concerned by a broadening pattern of conduct aimed at stopping anyone else from creating a competitive stainless steel pipe alternative,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in a March 30 statement posted on the Microsoft on the Issues blog. “We’ve therefore decided to join a large and growing number of companies registering their concerns about the European search market.”
Smith then unleashes a litany of complaints against Google: that the company restricts other search engines from properly cataloging YouTube videos in search results, that it prevents those YouTube videos from running well on Windows Phones, that it blocks access to book publishers’ content, that it restricts advertisers’ access to their own data.
“Advertising revenue is the economic propellant fueling the billions of dollars needed for ongoing search investments,” he wrote. “By reducing competitors’ ability to attract advertising revenue, this restriction strikes at the heart of a competitive market.”
Microsoft also claims that Google “contractually blocks leading Websites in Europe from bridge rectifier distributing competing search boxes,” and that it “discriminates” against competitors by ratcheting up the price for prominent placement in Google advertisements.
This represents Microsoft’s first-ever antitrust filing with the European Commission. It comes as something of an irony, considering how that same regulatory body pursued Microsoft for years over the supposed anti-competitive practices related to Internet Explorer. Under pressure, Microsoft eventually released a “Web browser choice screen” designed to give Windows users in the European Union a selection of browsers other than IE.
Google already had a response to Microsoft’s filing.?
“We’re not surprised that Microsoft has done this, since one of their subsidiaries was one of the original complainants,” a Google spokesperson wrote in a March 31 email to eWEEK. “For our part, we continue to discuss the case with the European Commission and we’re happy to explain to anyone how our business works.”
By “one of their subsidiaries,” the spokesperson is referring to Ciao! from Bing, an online-community portal aimed at a handful of Western European markets. In February 2010, the European Commission notified Google that Ciao, Coach Bags along with U.K. price-comparison Website Foundem and French legal search engine ejustice.fr, had filed complaints about Google’s effect on European search-engine competition. Foundem is a member of ICOMP, a lobbying group sponsored by Microsoft.???
“We’re concerned by a broadening pattern of conduct aimed at stopping anyone else from creating a competitive stainless steel pipe alternative,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in a March 30 statement posted on the Microsoft on the Issues blog. “We’ve therefore decided to join a large and growing number of companies registering their concerns about the European search market.”
Smith then unleashes a litany of complaints against Google: that the company restricts other search engines from properly cataloging YouTube videos in search results, that it prevents those YouTube videos from running well on Windows Phones, that it blocks access to book publishers’ content, that it restricts advertisers’ access to their own data.
“Advertising revenue is the economic propellant fueling the billions of dollars needed for ongoing search investments,” he wrote. “By reducing competitors’ ability to attract advertising revenue, this restriction strikes at the heart of a competitive market.”
Microsoft also claims that Google “contractually blocks leading Websites in Europe from bridge rectifier distributing competing search boxes,” and that it “discriminates” against competitors by ratcheting up the price for prominent placement in Google advertisements.
This represents Microsoft’s first-ever antitrust filing with the European Commission. It comes as something of an irony, considering how that same regulatory body pursued Microsoft for years over the supposed anti-competitive practices related to Internet Explorer. Under pressure, Microsoft eventually released a “Web browser choice screen” designed to give Windows users in the European Union a selection of browsers other than IE.
Google already had a response to Microsoft’s filing.?
“We’re not surprised that Microsoft has done this, since one of their subsidiaries was one of the original complainants,” a Google spokesperson wrote in a March 31 email to eWEEK. “For our part, we continue to discuss the case with the European Commission and we’re happy to explain to anyone how our business works.”
By “one of their subsidiaries,” the spokesperson is referring to Ciao! from Bing, an online-community portal aimed at a handful of Western European markets. In February 2010, the European Commission notified Google that Ciao, Coach Bags along with U.K. price-comparison Website Foundem and French legal search engine ejustice.fr, had filed complaints about Google’s effect on European search-engine competition. Foundem is a member of ICOMP, a lobbying group sponsored by Microsoft.???
Opposition hopes to get the information who famously Libyan fled
A member of the rebels fighting forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says members of the Transitional Council have begun efforts to gain “strategic” information from defecting Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa in their objective to axial fan force the embattled leader from power.
Awad Juma says recent defections are, in his words, the beginning of the end of Gadhafi’s over four-decade year rule.
“I don’t think a foreign minister defecting [from] his government is insignificant. The guy [Moussa Koussa] has got a lot of information to tell; he’s got information about [the 1988 Pan Am] Lockerbie bombing. He was [the] hand to carry out a lot of dirty jobs for Gadhafi. So, saying it is not significant, I think Gadhafi is playing down the loss as if it’s not important,” Juma said.
“They [Transitional Council] are already trying to get in touch with him [Moussa Koussa]. But, he is watching his steps carefully because he didn’t declare that he is joining the rebels yet. I don’t know if he wants some guarantees,” he added.
Juma says the defections are growing signs of weakness of the Gadhafi administration despite its sharp denial that the defections have had no effect on the ongoing crisis.
“There is Ali Treki [who] refused appointment to replace the representative to the United Nations. He declared his resignation from Gadhafi’s regime. And, this is another beginning of his fall because they have been with cone crusher him for 42 years,” Juma said.
“We know that Gadhafi is holding the whole cabinet at gunpoint in his barracks with their families. Even if one of them goes on a mission, he goes by himself, while his family is held at gunpoint until they come back. This sounds like fiction, but this is what Gadhafi does,” he added.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has repeated his strong opposition to putting any American forces in Libya.
Gates insisted Thursday there will be no U.S. military boots on the ground “as long as I am in this job.”?He spoke as U.S. media reported that the Central Intelligence Agency has small teams working with anti-government rebels in the North African country,
Reports say the teams were sent to gather intelligence and make contact with opposition forces.?Gates said he could not “speak for the CIA” about its role.?He acknowledged the United States has information only “on a handful of [the] rebels” trying to topple Gadhafi.
Gates told a U.S. congressional hearing that political and economic pressures will eventually drive Gadhafi from power. He says the NATO-led operation now under way can degrade the Libyan leader's electronic ballast military capacity, but that Gadhafi's removal will happen only over time and by his own people.
Awad Juma says recent defections are, in his words, the beginning of the end of Gadhafi’s over four-decade year rule.
“I don’t think a foreign minister defecting [from] his government is insignificant. The guy [Moussa Koussa] has got a lot of information to tell; he’s got information about [the 1988 Pan Am] Lockerbie bombing. He was [the] hand to carry out a lot of dirty jobs for Gadhafi. So, saying it is not significant, I think Gadhafi is playing down the loss as if it’s not important,” Juma said.
“They [Transitional Council] are already trying to get in touch with him [Moussa Koussa]. But, he is watching his steps carefully because he didn’t declare that he is joining the rebels yet. I don’t know if he wants some guarantees,” he added.
Juma says the defections are growing signs of weakness of the Gadhafi administration despite its sharp denial that the defections have had no effect on the ongoing crisis.
“There is Ali Treki [who] refused appointment to replace the representative to the United Nations. He declared his resignation from Gadhafi’s regime. And, this is another beginning of his fall because they have been with cone crusher him for 42 years,” Juma said.
“We know that Gadhafi is holding the whole cabinet at gunpoint in his barracks with their families. Even if one of them goes on a mission, he goes by himself, while his family is held at gunpoint until they come back. This sounds like fiction, but this is what Gadhafi does,” he added.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has repeated his strong opposition to putting any American forces in Libya.
Gates insisted Thursday there will be no U.S. military boots on the ground “as long as I am in this job.”?He spoke as U.S. media reported that the Central Intelligence Agency has small teams working with anti-government rebels in the North African country,
Reports say the teams were sent to gather intelligence and make contact with opposition forces.?Gates said he could not “speak for the CIA” about its role.?He acknowledged the United States has information only “on a handful of [the] rebels” trying to topple Gadhafi.
Gates told a U.S. congressional hearing that political and economic pressures will eventually drive Gadhafi from power. He says the NATO-led operation now under way can degrade the Libyan leader's electronic ballast military capacity, but that Gadhafi's removal will happen only over time and by his own people.
Standards Set for Joint Ventures to Improve Health Care
The Obama administration proposed long-awaited regulations on Thursday encouraging doctors and hospitals to band together, coordinate care and cut costs.
In return, Coach Bags the government offered financial rewards to health care providers that slow spending growth and meet detailed federal standards for the quality of their services.
The proposed rules explain how doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies can qualify for federal bonus payments by forming joint ventures known as accountable care organizations.
Proponents — Democrats and some Republicans — see these entities as a potential boon to patients, a way to transform a health care system that is notoriously fragmented.
Federal officials predicted that 1.5 million to 4 million of the 47 million Medicare beneficiaries would be involved in the program, with the creation of 75 to 150 accountable care organizations.
“These organizations will increase coordination among doctors and hospitals, improve the quality of care and help lower costs,” said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services. Better care can cost less, she asserted, because diagnostic tests are not duplicated and fewer patients are readmitted to hospitals.
Until now, accountable care organizations were like unicorns, creatures that flourished in the bridge rectifier imagination but proved persistently elusive in the natural world. The rules define the new entity as a team of doctors, hospitals and other providers that “work together to manage and coordinate care” for people in the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program.
The new entities are specifically authorized for Medicare patients under the health overhaul that President Obama signed in March last year. However, federal officials and health care executives said the standards would also guide similar efforts in the private sector, for people with commercial insurance.
The new law has already set off a wave of mergers, joint ventures and alliances in the health care industry, as providers try to position themselves to cash in on the new incentives.
Officials from the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday that they would relax enforcement of antitrust laws to promote collaboration by doctors and hospitals that could show seamless steel pipe how consumers would benefit.
In a joint statement on enforcement policy, the two agencies acknowledged that, “under certain conditions, accountable care organizations could reduce competition and harm consumers through higher prices or lower quality of care” — a fear expressed by some consumer advocates as well.
To minimize this risk, the antitrust agencies said they would closely review any proposed accountable care organization that would have more than 50 percent of the local market for any service.
In an interview, Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the trade commission, said that doctor-hospital collaborations would be subject to “a relaxed form of antitrust scrutiny” if they met Medicare’s standards for clinical cooperation.
Melinda R. Hatton, senior vice president and general counsel of the American Hospital Association, said her electronic ballast group was disappointed with the joint statement. “The antitrust laws still appear to be a barrier to clinical integration among health care providers who try to coordinate services for patients,” Ms. Hatton said.
Doctors and hospitals would have to inform Medicare beneficiaries if they were going participate in an accountable care organization. And they would have to tell patients that the providers might profit from the arrangement.
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the new entities would not restrict the ability of patients to choose their doctors and hospitals.
“Medicare beneficiaries retain all the rights they have to see any Medicare provider they wish,” Dr. Berwick said. “There’s no loss of choice at all.”
Nora Super, a lobbyist for AARP, the organization for older Americans, said it was good that patients would be informed. But she said, “We are concerned that the draft regulation may not provide patients with timely information, leading some to learn about an A.C.O. only after arriving at a doctor’s office.”
Medicare beneficiaries can opt out, but may pay a price. If a beneficiary’s doctor becomes part of an accountable care organization and the patient does not wish to receive care coordinated by the new entity, the beneficiary can go to a different doctor, the rules say.
Medicare will distribute 50 percent to 60 percent of its savings to hospitals and doctors who meet its quality standards and hold costs below benchmarks set by the government.
Federal health officials predicted that the government impact crusher would pay $800 million in such shared savings to providers in the next three years. Even after these payments, they said, Medicare would save $510 million, and its savings could be as much as $960 million over three years.
Under the proposed rules, each accountable care organization must agree to take responsibility for at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The government could cancel its contract with any organization that stints on care or tries to save money by avoiding high-risk, high-cost patients.
In return, Coach Bags the government offered financial rewards to health care providers that slow spending growth and meet detailed federal standards for the quality of their services.
The proposed rules explain how doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies can qualify for federal bonus payments by forming joint ventures known as accountable care organizations.
Proponents — Democrats and some Republicans — see these entities as a potential boon to patients, a way to transform a health care system that is notoriously fragmented.
Federal officials predicted that 1.5 million to 4 million of the 47 million Medicare beneficiaries would be involved in the program, with the creation of 75 to 150 accountable care organizations.
“These organizations will increase coordination among doctors and hospitals, improve the quality of care and help lower costs,” said Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services. Better care can cost less, she asserted, because diagnostic tests are not duplicated and fewer patients are readmitted to hospitals.
Until now, accountable care organizations were like unicorns, creatures that flourished in the bridge rectifier imagination but proved persistently elusive in the natural world. The rules define the new entity as a team of doctors, hospitals and other providers that “work together to manage and coordinate care” for people in the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program.
The new entities are specifically authorized for Medicare patients under the health overhaul that President Obama signed in March last year. However, federal officials and health care executives said the standards would also guide similar efforts in the private sector, for people with commercial insurance.
The new law has already set off a wave of mergers, joint ventures and alliances in the health care industry, as providers try to position themselves to cash in on the new incentives.
Officials from the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday that they would relax enforcement of antitrust laws to promote collaboration by doctors and hospitals that could show seamless steel pipe how consumers would benefit.
In a joint statement on enforcement policy, the two agencies acknowledged that, “under certain conditions, accountable care organizations could reduce competition and harm consumers through higher prices or lower quality of care” — a fear expressed by some consumer advocates as well.
To minimize this risk, the antitrust agencies said they would closely review any proposed accountable care organization that would have more than 50 percent of the local market for any service.
In an interview, Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the trade commission, said that doctor-hospital collaborations would be subject to “a relaxed form of antitrust scrutiny” if they met Medicare’s standards for clinical cooperation.
Melinda R. Hatton, senior vice president and general counsel of the American Hospital Association, said her electronic ballast group was disappointed with the joint statement. “The antitrust laws still appear to be a barrier to clinical integration among health care providers who try to coordinate services for patients,” Ms. Hatton said.
Doctors and hospitals would have to inform Medicare beneficiaries if they were going participate in an accountable care organization. And they would have to tell patients that the providers might profit from the arrangement.
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the new entities would not restrict the ability of patients to choose their doctors and hospitals.
“Medicare beneficiaries retain all the rights they have to see any Medicare provider they wish,” Dr. Berwick said. “There’s no loss of choice at all.”
Nora Super, a lobbyist for AARP, the organization for older Americans, said it was good that patients would be informed. But she said, “We are concerned that the draft regulation may not provide patients with timely information, leading some to learn about an A.C.O. only after arriving at a doctor’s office.”
Medicare beneficiaries can opt out, but may pay a price. If a beneficiary’s doctor becomes part of an accountable care organization and the patient does not wish to receive care coordinated by the new entity, the beneficiary can go to a different doctor, the rules say.
Medicare will distribute 50 percent to 60 percent of its savings to hospitals and doctors who meet its quality standards and hold costs below benchmarks set by the government.
Federal health officials predicted that the government impact crusher would pay $800 million in such shared savings to providers in the next three years. Even after these payments, they said, Medicare would save $510 million, and its savings could be as much as $960 million over three years.
Under the proposed rules, each accountable care organization must agree to take responsibility for at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The government could cancel its contract with any organization that stints on care or tries to save money by avoiding high-risk, high-cost patients.
Is there proof the dyes are safe?
Although there is no clear indication that artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity or other behavioral problems in children, enough uncertainty exists to justify more research, an cold room advisory panel told the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.
The panel of medical and environmental experts narrowly voted against recommending that more information about dyes be added to food labels. But panelists acknowledged the chemicals can cause problems for some children, including those who already have hyperactivity disorders.
The FDA had asked the panel whether existing research supported the agency's conclusion that there is no proof food coloring causes hyperactivity among children in the general population.
Critics said the FDA asked the wrong question.
"The question they should have asked is, 'Is there proof the dyes are safe?'" said Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a public advocacy group that petitioned the FDA to ban the dyes.
Examples of foods with artificial coloring include Jell-O, Skittles, M&M's, Mountain Dew and Fruit Loops, the center said.
"I'm skeptical that FDA will take any action," Jacobson said after the advisory impact crusher panel acted. "It's probably settled for some number of years."
The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory panels, but it usually does so.
The panelists, meeting in suburban Washington, wrestled with murky data, much of it old, and with the difficulty of gauging the accuracy of research that tried to measure sometimes subtle changes in children's behavior based on observations of parents and other adults.
"It's not like measuring blood pressure," said panelist Lisa Lefferts, an environmental health consultant.
Still, she said, even studies that fall short of conclusive proof don't exonerate the chemicals. "There's something going on," Lefferts said. "Parents know that. But it's hard to measure."
Lefferts supported bolstering food labels, which failed on an 8-6 vote.
All but three of the 14 panelists agreed that a causal relationship between dyes and hyperactivity has not been established. All but one voted to recommend more studies on the safety of color additives.
The panel's discussion frequently turned on whether the standard for action should be scientific certitude, which is clearly lacking, or enough evidence to prompt public health warnings.
Panelist Charles Voorhees, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, said he was electronic ballast struck by the persistent but inconclusive evidence of possible harm.
"After 35 years, [the hypothesis] won't quite go away," Voorhees said. "It's within the latitude of the FDA to express to consumers that there may be a concern."
Other panelists objected to the suggestion that a warning label could specify possible problems for only some children.
"That's not how a mother or father reads it. They read it as 'my child,'" said A. Wesley Burks, a professor at Duke University Medical Center. "It's scary more than it's educational."
The petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to remove the dyes, filed in June 2008, asked the FDA to ban eight of nine approved synthetic food colorings and to put warning labels on food containing the dyes until they could be bridge rectifier removed from the market. Dozens of other FDA-approved dyes, made from natural ingredients such as plants, animals and minerals, were not included in the center's request.
The panel of medical and environmental experts narrowly voted against recommending that more information about dyes be added to food labels. But panelists acknowledged the chemicals can cause problems for some children, including those who already have hyperactivity disorders.
The FDA had asked the panel whether existing research supported the agency's conclusion that there is no proof food coloring causes hyperactivity among children in the general population.
Critics said the FDA asked the wrong question.
"The question they should have asked is, 'Is there proof the dyes are safe?'" said Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a public advocacy group that petitioned the FDA to ban the dyes.
Examples of foods with artificial coloring include Jell-O, Skittles, M&M's, Mountain Dew and Fruit Loops, the center said.
"I'm skeptical that FDA will take any action," Jacobson said after the advisory impact crusher panel acted. "It's probably settled for some number of years."
The FDA is not required to follow the advice of its advisory panels, but it usually does so.
The panelists, meeting in suburban Washington, wrestled with murky data, much of it old, and with the difficulty of gauging the accuracy of research that tried to measure sometimes subtle changes in children's behavior based on observations of parents and other adults.
"It's not like measuring blood pressure," said panelist Lisa Lefferts, an environmental health consultant.
Still, she said, even studies that fall short of conclusive proof don't exonerate the chemicals. "There's something going on," Lefferts said. "Parents know that. But it's hard to measure."
Lefferts supported bolstering food labels, which failed on an 8-6 vote.
All but three of the 14 panelists agreed that a causal relationship between dyes and hyperactivity has not been established. All but one voted to recommend more studies on the safety of color additives.
The panel's discussion frequently turned on whether the standard for action should be scientific certitude, which is clearly lacking, or enough evidence to prompt public health warnings.
Panelist Charles Voorhees, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, said he was electronic ballast struck by the persistent but inconclusive evidence of possible harm.
"After 35 years, [the hypothesis] won't quite go away," Voorhees said. "It's within the latitude of the FDA to express to consumers that there may be a concern."
Other panelists objected to the suggestion that a warning label could specify possible problems for only some children.
"That's not how a mother or father reads it. They read it as 'my child,'" said A. Wesley Burks, a professor at Duke University Medical Center. "It's scary more than it's educational."
The petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to remove the dyes, filed in June 2008, asked the FDA to ban eight of nine approved synthetic food colorings and to put warning labels on food containing the dyes until they could be bridge rectifier removed from the market. Dozens of other FDA-approved dyes, made from natural ingredients such as plants, animals and minerals, were not included in the center's request.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
U.S. gets tough on privacy protection
With social networking emerging as the most potent force on the Internet, federal regulators are moving to limit how companies can exploit personal information.
Google Inc. just became Exhibit A.
In a settlement hailed as the first of its kind, the Federal Trade Commission said laminating machine Google had agreed to strict new measures to protect the privacy of its users. Moreover, the company agreed to submit to independent audits for the next 20 years to ensure that it is following the rules.
The agreement settles claims that Google used deceptive tactics in recruiting its Gmail customers last year for its Buzz social network, a competitor to Facebook. In signing up for Buzz, many Gmail users unwittingly agreed to make public a list of the people with whom they emailed most frequently.
FTC officials said it was the first time the government had required a company to put in place a sweeping privacy policy to protect consumer data.
"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in announcing the terms Wednesday. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations."
Privacy advocates said the action has far-reaching implications beyond Google, as Internet search and social network ventures rely heavily on the mining of user information to sell advertising.
Facebook, for example, sells targeted advertising to its users based on their stated preferences in movies and music. Google computers scan the contents of Gmail messages, looking for key words such as "camping," say, to hit users with ads for camping gear. In both cases, the companies explain those features in their privacy notices.
"This will limit the data mining of social media companies that try to do it without a clear-cut explanation of what they're doing," said Joseph Turow, a professor at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. "The FTC is trying to stake out territory to say that when a company says it's doing something to keep data private, it better do it."
Even so, privacy experts said the FTC's recent actions were evidence of Stainless Steel Pipe a greater industrywide problem. The absence of strong federal privacy laws has allowed many technology companies to freely gather a great deal of information about consumers without their explicit permission — and without federal oversight.
The agreement came as Google once again launched into the social networking arena Wednesday with a tool, called +1, that lets users tag search results and advertisements so they can recommend them to friends.
The feature, aimed at competing with Facebook and getting a bigger foothold in social networking, connects to the same list of personal contacts that Buzz did. The idea is that users will trust Web page recommendations from friends over those from the computerized search engine.
Several of Google's best-known products have attracted intense scrutiny and even penalties in the U.S. and abroad.
Google was fined 100,000 euros — about $141,300 — by the French government last week for improperly gathering private data for its Street View feature, which allows users of Google's maps to view street-level photos of hundreds of thousands of homes and locations around the world.
Last year, officials discovered that the camera-equipped cars Google uses to gather the photos also had been collecting data from private Wi-Fi networks — in some cases passwords, personal emails and Web browsing histories.
Google has said it didn't realize that it had been gathering that data and said it would erase the information as soon as possible.
The company also has come under pressure recently over whether its search engine unnecessarily shares data about users searches with commercial websites, as well as whether software on its Android smartphones too easily shares exercise bike data about users' geographic locations with advertisers.
Google's settlement with the FTC emphasizes the government's stepped-up scrutiny of privacy issues.
The FTC said this month that it settled with short-message site Twitter Inc. for "serious lapses" in which the company "deceived consumers and put their privacy at risk" by failing to adequately protect their information.
Twitter admitted the episode was a "very serious breach of security" and agreed to create a comprehensive information security plan, as well as to allow the FTC to audit the company every other year for 10 years.
Facebook andApple Inc. each have come under scrutiny from lawmakers over concerns that they were sharing user information with third parties. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who is drafting a broad privacy bill, said the Google settlement showed the need for tough new laws.
"Google has admitted error, but Google is far from alone in the collection, use and distribution of immense amounts of our information," Kerry said. "Every company should adhere to this kind of standard, not just Google.
Google has admitted that Buzz was beset with problems.
"The launch of Google Buzz fell short of our usual standards for transparency and user control — letting our users and Google down," Alma Whitten, its autoclave director of privacy, product and engineering, wrote in a blog post Wednesday.
The settlement "thankfully put this incident behind us," she said.
Under the terms, Google will be required to give users "clear and prominent notice" and obtain "express affirmative consent" before sharing the users' information with any third party "in connection with a change, addition or enhancement to any product or service."
The independent review every two years for two decades will certify that Google's privacy policy adheres to standards set in the settlement. Google faces civil penalties of up to $16,000 for each violation.
"It's a broad reaching order, applicable to all their products," said Jessica Rich, deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
She noted that the FTC dismissed a complaint against Google for its Street View data collection last year because there was no violation of law. If a similar incident comes up now, it could violate the settlement and allow the FTC to take action, she said.
The Google case arose from a complaint filed last year with the FTC by the cold room Electronic Privacy Information Center.
"The message to companies is they're going to have to be more careful about the collection and use of information from users," said Marc Rotenberg, EPIC's executive director.
Google Inc. just became Exhibit A.
In a settlement hailed as the first of its kind, the Federal Trade Commission said laminating machine Google had agreed to strict new measures to protect the privacy of its users. Moreover, the company agreed to submit to independent audits for the next 20 years to ensure that it is following the rules.
The agreement settles claims that Google used deceptive tactics in recruiting its Gmail customers last year for its Buzz social network, a competitor to Facebook. In signing up for Buzz, many Gmail users unwittingly agreed to make public a list of the people with whom they emailed most frequently.
FTC officials said it was the first time the government had required a company to put in place a sweeping privacy policy to protect consumer data.
"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in announcing the terms Wednesday. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations."
Privacy advocates said the action has far-reaching implications beyond Google, as Internet search and social network ventures rely heavily on the mining of user information to sell advertising.
Facebook, for example, sells targeted advertising to its users based on their stated preferences in movies and music. Google computers scan the contents of Gmail messages, looking for key words such as "camping," say, to hit users with ads for camping gear. In both cases, the companies explain those features in their privacy notices.
"This will limit the data mining of social media companies that try to do it without a clear-cut explanation of what they're doing," said Joseph Turow, a professor at University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. "The FTC is trying to stake out territory to say that when a company says it's doing something to keep data private, it better do it."
Even so, privacy experts said the FTC's recent actions were evidence of Stainless Steel Pipe a greater industrywide problem. The absence of strong federal privacy laws has allowed many technology companies to freely gather a great deal of information about consumers without their explicit permission — and without federal oversight.
The agreement came as Google once again launched into the social networking arena Wednesday with a tool, called +1, that lets users tag search results and advertisements so they can recommend them to friends.
The feature, aimed at competing with Facebook and getting a bigger foothold in social networking, connects to the same list of personal contacts that Buzz did. The idea is that users will trust Web page recommendations from friends over those from the computerized search engine.
Several of Google's best-known products have attracted intense scrutiny and even penalties in the U.S. and abroad.
Google was fined 100,000 euros — about $141,300 — by the French government last week for improperly gathering private data for its Street View feature, which allows users of Google's maps to view street-level photos of hundreds of thousands of homes and locations around the world.
Last year, officials discovered that the camera-equipped cars Google uses to gather the photos also had been collecting data from private Wi-Fi networks — in some cases passwords, personal emails and Web browsing histories.
Google has said it didn't realize that it had been gathering that data and said it would erase the information as soon as possible.
The company also has come under pressure recently over whether its search engine unnecessarily shares data about users searches with commercial websites, as well as whether software on its Android smartphones too easily shares exercise bike data about users' geographic locations with advertisers.
Google's settlement with the FTC emphasizes the government's stepped-up scrutiny of privacy issues.
The FTC said this month that it settled with short-message site Twitter Inc. for "serious lapses" in which the company "deceived consumers and put their privacy at risk" by failing to adequately protect their information.
Twitter admitted the episode was a "very serious breach of security" and agreed to create a comprehensive information security plan, as well as to allow the FTC to audit the company every other year for 10 years.
Facebook andApple Inc. each have come under scrutiny from lawmakers over concerns that they were sharing user information with third parties. Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who is drafting a broad privacy bill, said the Google settlement showed the need for tough new laws.
"Google has admitted error, but Google is far from alone in the collection, use and distribution of immense amounts of our information," Kerry said. "Every company should adhere to this kind of standard, not just Google.
Google has admitted that Buzz was beset with problems.
"The launch of Google Buzz fell short of our usual standards for transparency and user control — letting our users and Google down," Alma Whitten, its autoclave director of privacy, product and engineering, wrote in a blog post Wednesday.
The settlement "thankfully put this incident behind us," she said.
Under the terms, Google will be required to give users "clear and prominent notice" and obtain "express affirmative consent" before sharing the users' information with any third party "in connection with a change, addition or enhancement to any product or service."
The independent review every two years for two decades will certify that Google's privacy policy adheres to standards set in the settlement. Google faces civil penalties of up to $16,000 for each violation.
"It's a broad reaching order, applicable to all their products," said Jessica Rich, deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
She noted that the FTC dismissed a complaint against Google for its Street View data collection last year because there was no violation of law. If a similar incident comes up now, it could violate the settlement and allow the FTC to take action, she said.
The Google case arose from a complaint filed last year with the FTC by the cold room Electronic Privacy Information Center.
"The message to companies is they're going to have to be more careful about the collection and use of information from users," said Marc Rotenberg, EPIC's executive director.
Google adds +1 for recommendations
Taking a cue from Facebook's popular "Like" button, Google (GOOG) on Wednesday announced a new option for its users to recommend individual search results to their friends and contacts.
Google's new program, known as "+1", represents the Mountain View search giant's latest move to capitalize on the growing power of online social networks exercise bike, as it also tries to fend off the increasing competitive threat posed by Facebook and other rivals.
Recommendations have become a key part of online interactions, said industry analyst Hadley Reynolds, director of search and digital marketplace technologies for the IDC research firm. "It's becoming almost a standard of web commerce."
The new program works by letting a Google user click on a "+1" button to recommend a particular search result or search ad; eventually it will let them click on a similar button when they visit a web page. When someone else in that user's circle of contacts conducts a search on a similar topic, they will get the usual list of results and ads, but those endorsed by their friend will be flagged with a note that says their friend "+1'd this."
Google said the recommendations will eventually become one of the factors used to calculate search rankings, although a spokeswoman said it "will take some time to figure out how strong a signal or how useful it is."
But after the recent outcry over privacy concerns related to its Google Buzz initiative last year, Google stressed that "+1" has safeguards to protect users from revealing information they don't intend to share.
Coincidentally, Google reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over the Buzz issue on Wednesday.
"You have the option to never '+1' something," said Google spokeswoman Katie Watson. Users who click on the button will be reminded that their recommendation will be made public to others, she added. "If you're not prepared to share it with the world, you shouldn't '+1' it, and we're being very explicit about that."
Users must create a Google account and a profile to participate in the program. If a recommendation autoclave comes from outside their circle of contacts, users may see how many people endorsed a site, but not the endorsers' names.
The new program expands on earlier moves that Google has taken to add social networking features to its services. Since 2009, for example, users who search while logged into their Google account have been able to see results that are flagged if they include blog posts,Twitter links or other content created by friends in their circle.
Google plans to eventually show "+1" endorsements from users' contacts in other public networks, such as Twitter or Flickr. For now, participants will only see endorsements from the people listed in their Gmail contacts, Gmail chat buddy list or people they're following on Google Reader or Buzz. The program won't include Facebook friends because Facebook does not make that information public.
Facebook has a similar program that lets its users recommend posts, pages or even ads to their friends, by clicking a "Like" button. It recently launched a partnership with Microsoft that lets Facebook "likes" show up in results from Microsoft's Bing search engine.
The power of recommendations can be seen in their increasing use by a variety of Internet companies, from Amazon to Yelp, said IDC's Reynolds. "Many web commerce businesses are now much more dependent on the presence of recommendations, and the tone of recommendations, than they have ever been before."
The exploding popularity of Facebook has created a huge audience for advertisers, which analysts say could pose an increasing threat to Google's ad business. That's led to speculation that Google is attempting to build its own social network with programs like "+1."
But at this point, Reynolds noted that Google still dominates the Internet search business, handling cold room nearly two-thirds of all searches in the United States.
"Having that kind of audience, that can now consume a recommendation feature, gives Google yet another way of influencing commerce that it's not clear to me that Facebook can match," said Reynolds.
Google's new program, known as "+1", represents the Mountain View search giant's latest move to capitalize on the growing power of online social networks exercise bike, as it also tries to fend off the increasing competitive threat posed by Facebook and other rivals.
Recommendations have become a key part of online interactions, said industry analyst Hadley Reynolds, director of search and digital marketplace technologies for the IDC research firm. "It's becoming almost a standard of web commerce."
The new program works by letting a Google user click on a "+1" button to recommend a particular search result or search ad; eventually it will let them click on a similar button when they visit a web page. When someone else in that user's circle of contacts conducts a search on a similar topic, they will get the usual list of results and ads, but those endorsed by their friend will be flagged with a note that says their friend "+1'd this."
Google said the recommendations will eventually become one of the factors used to calculate search rankings, although a spokeswoman said it "will take some time to figure out how strong a signal or how useful it is."
But after the recent outcry over privacy concerns related to its Google Buzz initiative last year, Google stressed that "+1" has safeguards to protect users from revealing information they don't intend to share.
Coincidentally, Google reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over the Buzz issue on Wednesday.
"You have the option to never '+1' something," said Google spokeswoman Katie Watson. Users who click on the button will be reminded that their recommendation will be made public to others, she added. "If you're not prepared to share it with the world, you shouldn't '+1' it, and we're being very explicit about that."
Users must create a Google account and a profile to participate in the program. If a recommendation autoclave comes from outside their circle of contacts, users may see how many people endorsed a site, but not the endorsers' names.
The new program expands on earlier moves that Google has taken to add social networking features to its services. Since 2009, for example, users who search while logged into their Google account have been able to see results that are flagged if they include blog posts,Twitter links or other content created by friends in their circle.
Google plans to eventually show "+1" endorsements from users' contacts in other public networks, such as Twitter or Flickr. For now, participants will only see endorsements from the people listed in their Gmail contacts, Gmail chat buddy list or people they're following on Google Reader or Buzz. The program won't include Facebook friends because Facebook does not make that information public.
Facebook has a similar program that lets its users recommend posts, pages or even ads to their friends, by clicking a "Like" button. It recently launched a partnership with Microsoft that lets Facebook "likes" show up in results from Microsoft's Bing search engine.
The power of recommendations can be seen in their increasing use by a variety of Internet companies, from Amazon to Yelp, said IDC's Reynolds. "Many web commerce businesses are now much more dependent on the presence of recommendations, and the tone of recommendations, than they have ever been before."
The exploding popularity of Facebook has created a huge audience for advertisers, which analysts say could pose an increasing threat to Google's ad business. That's led to speculation that Google is attempting to build its own social network with programs like "+1."
But at this point, Reynolds noted that Google still dominates the Internet search business, handling cold room nearly two-thirds of all searches in the United States.
"Having that kind of audience, that can now consume a recommendation feature, gives Google yet another way of influencing commerce that it's not clear to me that Facebook can match," said Reynolds.
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