ZTE announces Grand Memo: first Android smartphone with 1.5GHz Snapdragon 800 processor

Today marks the third time we've come across ZTE's Grand Memo. Except now, the Chinese OEM's unveiling it as the first to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor. The Grand Memo's 5.7-inch display size has remained the same, but the screen on this new 8.5mm thick LTE variant will now pack a 1080p resolution -- a handy spec given its usability as a multimedia point of consumption. The audio experience on this tabletphone will also get a suitable premium bump with the inclusion of Dolby Digital Surround. Apart from all that, there's still a 13-megapixel camera module on back and healthy 3,200mAh battery inside its plastic shell. No specifics regarding pricing and regional availability were given, but we can expect to see it launch sometime "this year."

Update: ZTE's confirmed that the Grand Memo will initially launch in China and then Europe soon after. As for its US destiny, all we were told is that the company's exploring its options.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/zte-announces-grand-memo-snapdragon-800/

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SK Telecom's Atti learning robot hands-on (video)

SK Telecom was at Mobile World Conference last year with some early concepts of a learning robot -- aka, angry Beaker with a top hat -- which seems to have led to this year's final product: Atti. Atti is Korean for buddy or friend and judging by how he (or she?) and Brad got along we'd suggest robo is aptly named. Using a phone snapped into the top of the head, the robot reacts to your interaction with it via camera and a wand attachment that sits in Atti's hand while not in use. Educational games are another focus here using Qualcomm's Vuforia tech allowing youngsters to point the handset at printed words and get tips on pronunciation, multimedia examples and the like.

Atti was developed with the help of the Utah State University to help develop the edutainment content and expects to see this hit retail in overseas markets sometime in the first half of the year. Unfortunately we didn't have any preschoolers on hand so we used our own Brad Molen to put Atti through its paces. The end result? Brad nails a high score and gets a star. Video and gallery are just below the fold.

Gallery: SK Telecom's Atti learning robot hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DX0Ncn_ykBs/

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Researchers explore PKC role in lung disease

Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rita Sullivan King
news@rupress.org
212-327-8603
Rockefeller University Press

Study identifies possible therapeutic target to treat asthma and COPD

New research examines the role of PKC in airway smooth muscle contraction and raises the possibility that this enzyme could be a therapeutic target for treating asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.

In the lungs, pathological increases in the contraction of the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) lining airway wallsa process that decreases airflowcontribute to the chain of events leading to asthma and COPD, two common lung diseases. Jose Perez-Zoghbi and colleagues from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center designed a series of experiments to investigate the role of the enzyme PKC in this process. The results, which appear in The Journal of General Physiology, provide new insight into the mechanisms involved in regulating luminal diameter of small airways and reveal PKC as a potential target for drug therapies.

The researchers used phase-contrast video microscopy, confocal microscopy, Western blot analysis, and pharmacological activators and inhibitors to investigate the role of PKC in airway SMC contraction in mouse lung slices. Their results suggest that activation of PKC in small airways promotes an influx of calcium into SMC and subsequent intracellular release of calcium ions to generate low frequency SMC twitching. PKC activation also induces a strong calcium ion sensitization of contraction, eliciting a stronger contractile response to stimuli that increase free intracellular calcium. Consequently, PKC activation downstream of various molecules, such as thrombin, that are present in the airways in conjunction with inflammatory lung diseases, could sensitize the airway SMCs to contractile stimuli and contribute to the airway hyper responsiveness that is characteristic of asthma and COPD.

###

About The Journal of General Physiology

Founded in 1918, The Journal of General Physiology (JGP) is published by The Rockefeller University Press. All editorial decisions on manuscripts submitted are made by active scientists in conjunction with our in-house scientific editor. JGP content is posted to PubMed Central, where it is available to the public for free six months after publication. Authors retain copyright of their published works and third parties may reuse the content for non-commercial purposes under a creative commons license. For more information, please visit www.jgp.org.

Dixon, R.E., and L.F. Santana. 2013. J. Gen. Physiol. 141:161 Mukherjee, S., et al. 2013. J. Gen. Physiol. 141:165-178

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

Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rita Sullivan King
news@rupress.org
212-327-8603
Rockefeller University Press

Study identifies possible therapeutic target to treat asthma and COPD

New research examines the role of PKC in airway smooth muscle contraction and raises the possibility that this enzyme could be a therapeutic target for treating asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.

In the lungs, pathological increases in the contraction of the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) lining airway wallsa process that decreases airflowcontribute to the chain of events leading to asthma and COPD, two common lung diseases. Jose Perez-Zoghbi and colleagues from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center designed a series of experiments to investigate the role of the enzyme PKC in this process. The results, which appear in The Journal of General Physiology, provide new insight into the mechanisms involved in regulating luminal diameter of small airways and reveal PKC as a potential target for drug therapies.

The researchers used phase-contrast video microscopy, confocal microscopy, Western blot analysis, and pharmacological activators and inhibitors to investigate the role of PKC in airway SMC contraction in mouse lung slices. Their results suggest that activation of PKC in small airways promotes an influx of calcium into SMC and subsequent intracellular release of calcium ions to generate low frequency SMC twitching. PKC activation also induces a strong calcium ion sensitization of contraction, eliciting a stronger contractile response to stimuli that increase free intracellular calcium. Consequently, PKC activation downstream of various molecules, such as thrombin, that are present in the airways in conjunction with inflammatory lung diseases, could sensitize the airway SMCs to contractile stimuli and contribute to the airway hyper responsiveness that is characteristic of asthma and COPD.

###

About The Journal of General Physiology

Founded in 1918, The Journal of General Physiology (JGP) is published by The Rockefeller University Press. All editorial decisions on manuscripts submitted are made by active scientists in conjunction with our in-house scientific editor. JGP content is posted to PubMed Central, where it is available to the public for free six months after publication. Authors retain copyright of their published works and third parties may reuse the content for non-commercial purposes under a creative commons license. For more information, please visit www.jgp.org.

Dixon, R.E., and L.F. Santana. 2013. J. Gen. Physiol. 141:161 Mukherjee, S., et al. 2013. J. Gen. Physiol. 141:165-178

---

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?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/rup-rep022513.php

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Apple: 2013 Retina MacBook Pro

13in MacBook Pro with Retina display 2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)

Apple, apple.com/au

Pros?

Dazzling Retina display; reduced screen glare;?USB 3.0 support HDMI connectivity; drastic price reduction; faster processor over predecessor

Cons?

Users will need to adjust for missing features; memory and storage not user upgradeable; limited to 8GB of memory

$1849

15in MacBook Pro with Retina display 2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)

Apple, apple.com/au

Pros?

Reduced screen glare; top-notch performance; slim and lightweight;?USB 3.0 support;?HDMI connectivity; stunning Retina display

Cons?

Users will need to adjust for missing features;?1920-by-1200 creates small UI elements; memory and storage not user upgradeable

$2499

15in MacBook Pro with Retina display 2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)

Apple, apple.com/au

Pros?

Reduced screen glare; top-notch performance; slim and lightweight;?USB 3.0 support;?HDMI connectivity; stunning Retina display

Cons?

Users will need to adjust for missing features;?1920-by-1200 creates small UI elements; memory and storage not user upgradeable

$3199

Reviews

In the?latest update?to the?Retina MacBook Pro, some models got price cuts, some received slightly faster processors, and some got a healthy bump in the amount of RAM. Anyone who purchased a Retina MacBook Pro prior to this refresh shouldn?t kick themselves for making the leap, but the reduced cost for the 13in models and faster performance for the 15in models make these thin, light, and fast laptops a better deal than ever.

Let?s be specific

From the outside, the 2013 Retina MacBook Pros look identical to the 2012 models. Our previous reviews of the original?13in?and?15in?Retina MacBook Pros contain more details on the look and feel of these laptops. But here?s a short summary of the specifications.

All of the Retina MacBook Pros have two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, a MagSafe 2 power connector, a headphone jack, and an SDXD card slot. As with last year?s Retina MacBook Pros, RAM is not user-upgradable; but luckily, the standard 8GB of memory is sufficient for all but the most demanding users. If you require more than 8GB of RAM, you will need to move to a 15in Retina MacBook Pro which can be configured with 16GB of RAM.

The 13in models feature LED backlit screens with 2560-by-1600-pixel resolution and a pixel density of 227 pixels per square inch. This extremely high resolution ? four times higher than that of the MacBook Pros with standard screens ? makes the individual pixels in an image virtually undetectable. The 13in Retina MacBook Pro is just 1.9cm thick and weighs 1.62kg. The non-Retina 13in MacBook Pro is 2.41cm thick and weighs 2.06kg.

The 13in base model?s specifications remain unchanged, but its price has dropped to $1649. It has a 2.5GHz dual-core Core i5 processor with Intel?s?Turbo Boost?technology, which allows the processor to reach speeds of up to 3.1GHz for short periods of high demand. The Core i5 processors in the 13in MacBook Pros do not support?Hyper-Threading, an Intel technology that allows applications to access two virtual cores for each physical processor. The base model has 8GB of 1600MHz memory, 128GB of speedy flash storage, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000.

At $1849, the new high-end 13in Retina MacBook Pro costs $350 less than its predecessor. Even with the reduced price, the system comes with a slightly faster processor ? a 2.6GHz Core i5, versus the 2.5GHz Core i5 in the previous model. Like the $1649 model, this system comes with 8GB of 1600MHz memory (not upgradable) and Intel?s integrated HD Graphics 4000. The $1849 model includes 256GB of flash storage, twice the capacity of the $1649 13in Retina MacBook Pro.

The new 15in Retina MacBook Pros have 2880-by-1800-pixel resolution, with a slightly lower pixel density ? 220 ppi ? than the 13in Retina model. The 15in Retina MacBook Pro is actually 1mm thinner than the 13in Retina MacBook Pro, and weighs in at 2.02kg, about the same as the non-Retina 13in MacBook Pro.

The new 15in models cost the same as their predecessors ($2499 and $3199), but the base model now has a faster, 2.4GHz Core i7 quad-core processor and supports both Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost. It also features the same 8GB of 1600MHz memory (upgradable to 16GB for $240 more, but only at the point of purchase) and 256GB of flash storage as before, as well as both integrated and discrete graphics in the form of Intel?s HD Graphics 4000 and Nvidia?s GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory. The high-end 15in Retina MacBook Pro has a faster 2.7GHz Core i7 quad-core processor, a whopping 16GB of 1600MHz memory, and the same 500GB of flash storage and dual integrated/discrete graphics as the previous high-end standard-configuration Retina MacBook Pro.

All about performance

To see how these new updates affect performance, we ran our?Speedmark 8?overall system performance benchmark suite, which helps us compare the new system?s results to those of previous systems and other Apple portables. The new 13in 2.6GHz Retina MacBook Pro earned a Speedmark 8 score of 190, about 3 percent faster than the 13in base model with its 2.5GHz Core i5 processor. With both systems sharing so many specifications (graphics, flash storage, RAM), its not surprising that most tests results were very close, and some were even identical.

The high-end 13in 2.6GHz Core i5?Retina MacBook Pro?s Speedmark 8 score was 24 percent higher than that of the high-end 13in 2.9GHz Core i7?standard MacBook Pro, due almost entirely to the Retina MacBook Pro?s faster flash storage. The 13in Retina MacBook Pro was faster in seven tests, including a file duplication test that took five times longer to complete on the non-Retina MacBook Pro?s standard 5400-rpm hard drive. The standard MacBook Pro, with its discrete graphics and speedier Core i7 processor, was faster in seven tests, including MathematicaMark 8, Portal 2, and Cinebench?s OpenGL and CPU tests.

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Speedmark 8 Scores

	Speedmark 8 score
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	284
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	270
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	190
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	184
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	275
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	257
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	153
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	166
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	104
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	67

All results are scores. Higher scores are better. Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.?Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, Albert Filice, and Kean Bartelman.

If you?re trying to decide between a MacBook Air and a Retina MacBook Pro, you?ll be interested to know that the Retina MacBook Pro was 14 percent faster overall, with processor-intensive tests showing the biggest differences. The Retina MacBook Pro was 40 percent faster than the MacBook Air in our Handbrake test, 17 percent faster in the Cinebench CPU test, and 7 percent faster in the MathematicaMark 8 test. The extra RAM in the MacBook Pro helped it earn a 34 percent higher productivity score in PCMark running on Windows 7 using VMWare Fusion.

Despite having twice the amount of RAM and slightly faster processor, the new high-end 15in Retina MacBook Pro was just 3 percent faster than the previous high-end 15in model that had the same graphics and flash storage. The new high-end model was 5 percent faster overall than the new base 15in Retina model. When comparing the performance of the new low-end 15in Retina MacBook Pro and the new high-end 13in Retina MacBook Pro, you see a very large difference between the two, with the 15in model being 47 percent faster overall. In both Portal 2 and Cinebench?s OpenGL tests, the discrete graphics in the 15in model displayed more than twice as many frames per second as the 13in model?s integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Bottom line

The new Retina MacBook Pros represent a subtle refresh to the line of beautiful, ultra-high-resolution portables introduced last year. The price reductions for the 13in models make them a better bargain than before, while the 16GB of RAM in the high-end 15in MacBook Pro might help take the sting out of the $3199 price tag.

?

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Individual application scores

	Duplicate 2GB Folder	Compress 6GB Folder	Uncompress 6GB Folder
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	37.4	274.2	34.9
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	36.8	304.1	38.8
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	39.5	319.1	42.6
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	40.7	329.1	43.7
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	37.7	286.8	41.2
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	38.2	312.1	41.9
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	189.9	312.6	187.2
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	41.8	361.8	48.9
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	258.6	451.8	225.8
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	435.5	525.9	438.5

Results are in seconds. Lower results are better. Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.

?

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Individual application scores

	Import iMovie Archive	iMovie Share to iTunes	HandBrake Encode
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	42.7	55.4	79.7
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	47.2	57.6	80
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	81.7	66.6	107
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	85.1	70.3	108.7
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	45.1	59.3	81.3
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	48.8	66.9	84.3
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	98.6	67.8	107.3
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	95.1	74.9	177.7
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	88.1	104.3	117.7
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	210.9	160.7	161.3

Results are in seconds. Lower results are better. Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.

?

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Individual application scores

	iPhoto Import	Aperture Import	Photoshop CS5 Action
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	43.3	50.3	88.7
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	47	49.2	91.3
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	77	62.7	106.7
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	82.3	64.5	108.0
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	46.1	51.4	89.3
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	51.4	54.9	90.7
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	121.9	85.3	104.3
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	82	72.5	120.7
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	155.6	118.1	176.7
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	268.3	198.5	374

Results are in seconds. Lower results are better. Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.

?

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Individual application scores

	iTunes AAC to MP3 Encode	Cinebench CPU	VMware PCMark	Mathe- maticaMark 8
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	88	64	4061	2.01
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	93	67.3	3828.3	1.93
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	103.3	141	3286	1.07
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	108.7	147.0	3061.7	1.07
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	90.7	64.7	4184	2.0
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	96.3	73.7	3714.3	1.9
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	105.7	121.7	3495	1.2
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	115.7	170.3	2450	1.0
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	134	203	911.3	0.7
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	156.3	294	660	0.6

iTunes and Cinebench CPU results are in seconds (lower results are better). VMware PCMark and MathematicaMark 8 are scores (higher results are better). Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.

?

Early 2013 Retina MacBook Pros: Graphics tests

	Cinebench OpenGL	Portal 2
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.7GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	39.3	129.9
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.4GHz Core i7 (Early 2013)	36.7	122.4
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i5 (Early 2013)	17.7	49.6
13in Retina MacBook Pro/2.5GHz Core i5 (Late 2012)	17.7	49.3
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	39.2	128.6
15in Retina MacBook Pro/2.3GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	36.1	120.8
13in MacBook Pro/2.9GHz Core i7 (Mid 2012)	21.8	61
13in MacBook Air/1.8GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012)	17.8	52.3
15in MacBook Pro/2.53GHz Core i5 (Mid 2010)	12.4	49.8
15in MacBook Pro/2.6GHz Core 2 Duo BTO (Early 2008)	9.8	28

Results are in frames per second. HIgher results are better. Best result in?bold. Reference models in?italics.

Source: http://www.macworld.com.au/reviews/apple-2013-retina-macbook-pro-87570/

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Mauve ... 1 tissue paper pom // wedding decorations // diy // paper flowers // anniversary // birthday decorations by PomLove

Whether you're planning on outfitting your apartment or embellishing the upcoming bash, you'll love the finished look of PomLove poms...

In this kit:

1 large pom ... 18"

1 yard of clear thread
& pom opening instructions

see front page announcement for current wait times: pomlove.etsy.com

Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/40778307/mauve-1-tissue-paper-pom-wedding

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Flickr?s iOS App Is Still Playing Catch-Up

A blog post from Flickr about new updates to its iOS application went relatively unnoticed yesterday. The post announced a series of incremental improvements to an app which has so far barely managed to catch up to the competition after months of abandonment, but has yet to really impress. The latest build brings a few now-standard features like the ability to save photos to your Camera Roll, communicate with @ replies, and more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/S3js6vMGdao/

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Three die in shootout, fiery crash on Las Vegas strip

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Three people died on the Las Vegas strip early on Thursday when gunmen in a Range Rover sport utility vehicle opened fire on a Maserati, killing the driver and touching off a fiery multi-car crash.

The driver of the Maserati was slain in the pre-dawn shooting, and his car collided with a taxi carrying two people, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police spokesman Officer Jose Hernandez said.

The cab exploded into flames in the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road in front of several casino resorts, killing the driver and a passenger.

"They were trapped inside the taxi and tragically both lost their lives," Hernandez said.

The gunfire and collision in the busy intersection near the Bellagio and Caesar's Palace hotels triggered another crash involving four other vehicles that left at least four people injured, Hernandez said.

"There was a loud bang and I hear two other booms. I looked out my window at Caesars Palace ... and could see the fireball," witness John Lamb was quoted as saying on the news website of Las Vegas KLAS-TV's 8News Now.

Hernandez said investigators had not yet established a motive for the shooting or determined how many occupants of the Range Rover had opened fire on the Maserati.

The Range Rover sped from the scene. Hernandez said police had no leads on the suspects or their vehicle and were asking for help from the public. The intersection was expected to remain closed for much of Thursday due to the investigation.

An injured passenger in the Maserati and three people hurt in the crashes were taken to University Medical Center.

A hospital spokeswoman said three of the people had been treated and released. She declined to provide information about the fourth person.

The incident occurred not far from where rapper Tupac Shakur was shot in September 1996 while riding in a BMW being driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight.

Shakur, 25, was hit by gunfire from at least one assailant in a Cadillac while sitting in Knight's car at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane and died six days later at University Medical Center. The crime remains unsolved.

(Reporting by Tim Pratt; Additional reporting by Ian Simpson and Dan Whitcomb; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/three-dead-car-car-shooting-las-vegas-strip-160434295.html

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Daily iPad App: Imagewind shows you the images of the world

Imagewind gives you a glimpse of our fast-changing world by letting you admire photos from all around the globe. The app is an aggregator that pulls down photos in near real-time from services like Instagram, Twitter, and Flickr.

You can select which photo services you want to use and how long you want each image to display on your screen. When an image captures your attention, you can share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. You can also export it to your photo roll and save it foroffline viewing. I was skeptical at first about the information overload offered by Imagewind, but once I slowed the pace of the images, I was captivated by all the different photos passing through my stream.

Imagewind is available for free from the iOS App Store. It's a universal app, so you can get the iPad and the iPhone version with a single purchase.

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Source: http://feeds.tuaw.com/click.phdo?i=8d93089bdc901a658709357ab4b60707

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Caves point to thawing of Siberia: Thaw in Siberia's permafrost may accelerate global warming

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could see permanently frozen ground thaw over a large area of Siberia, threatening release of carbon from soils, and damage to natural and human environments.

A thaw in Siberia's permafrost (ground frozen throughout the year) could release over 1000 giga-tonnes of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, potentially enhancing global warming.

The data comes from an international team led by Oxford University scientists studying stalactites and stalagmites from caves located along the 'permafrost frontier', where ground begins to be permanently frozen in a layer tens to hundreds of metres thick. Because stalactites and stalagmites only grow when liquid rainwater and snow melt drips into the caves, these formations record 500,000 years of changing permafrost conditions, including warmer periods similar to the climate of today.

Records from a particularly warm period (Marine Isotopic Stage 11) that occurred around 400,000 years ago suggest that global warming of 1.5?C compared to the present is enough to cause substantial thawing of permafrost far north from its present-day southern limit.

A report of the research is published in this week's Science Express. The team included scientists from Britain, Russia, Mongolia and Switzerland.

'The stalactites and stalagmites from these caves are a way of looking back in time to see how warm periods similar to our modern climate affect how far permafrost extends across Siberia,' said Dr Anton Vaks of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences, who led the work. 'As permafrost covers 24% of the land surface of the Northern hemisphere significant thawing could affect vast areas and release giga-tonnes of carbon.

'This has huge implications for ecosystems in the region, and for aspects of the human environment. For instance, natural gas facilities in the region, as well as power lines, roads, railways and buildings are all built on permafrost and are vulnerable to thawing. Such a thaw could damage this infrastructure with obvious economic implications.'

The team used radiometric dating techniques to date the growth of cave formations (stalactites and stalagmites). Data from the Ledyanaya Lenskaya Cave -- near the town of Lensk latitude 60?N -- in the coldest region showed that the only period when stalactite growth took place occurred about 400,000 years ago, during a period with a global temperature 1.5?C higher than today. Periods when the world was 0.5-1?C warmer than today did not see any stalactite growth in this northernmost cave, suggesting that around 1.5?C is the 'tipping point' at which the coldest permafrost regions begin to thaw.

Dr Vaks said: 'Although it wasn't the main focus of our research our work also suggests that in a world 1.5?C warmer than today, warm enough to melt the coldest permafrost, adjoining regions would see significant changes with Mongolia's Gobi Desert becoming much wetter than it is today and, potentially, this extremely arid area coming to resemble the present-day Asian steppes.'

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Journal Reference:

1. A. Vaks, O. S. Gutareva, S. F. M. Breitenbach, E. Avirmed, A. J. Mason, A. L. Thomas, A. V. Osinzev, A. M. Kononov, and G. M. Henderson. Speleothems Reveal 500,000-Year History of Siberian Permafrost. Science, 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1228729

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/i1XG45Og6dQ/130221143910.htm

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My Biz University 02/20 by Home Based Business | Blog Talk Radio

On his show, Comedian Rodney Perry covers arts and entertainment, everything from comedy and politics to music and acting, with his signature comedic slant.

MashUp Radio is a 30-minute podcast that discusses the fusion of technology, life, culture and science. Host Peter Biddle, engineer and executive for Intel?s Atom Software, dishes up a thought-provoking discussion.

Joy Keys provides her listeners with insight to improve their lives mentally, physically, monetarily and emotionally. Past guests on the show have included Meshell Nedegeocello, Blair Underwood, in addition to an impressive list of CEOs, humanitarians and authors.

Host Barry Moltz gets small businesses unstuck. He has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years. This is a business radio show where he shares all the craziness of small business. It?s that craziness that actually makes it exciting, interesting and totally unpredictable.

The Bottom Line Sports Show is hosted by former NBA stars Penny Hardaway, Charles Oakley, Mateen Cleaves. Tune in to get the inside scoop on what's happening in sports today.

Deepak Chopra Radio provides an online forum for compelling and thought provoking conversations on success, love, sexuality and relationships, well-being and spirituality.

Hits Radio covers basketball, sports culture and entertainment with past guests including Jason Kidd, Robin Lundberg and Chris Herren.

Listeners get an earful on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show, Talk Radio for Fine Minds. Whether it?s the current political cocktail or the latest must-read award-winning book, Halli tackles all topics and likes to stir ? and sometimes shakes ? things up.

Official Internet radio show of forthcoming epic paranormal investigation book by Eric Olsen and "Haunted Housewife" Theresa Argie.

Award-winning World Footprints is a leading voice in socially responsible travel and lifestyle. Hosts Ian & Tonya celebrate culture and heritage and bring a unique voice to the world of travel.

Football Reporters Online is a group of veteran football experts in the fields of coaching, scouting, talent evaluation, and writing/broadcasting/media placement. Combined, the group brings well over 100 years of expertise in sports.

Host John Martin interviews the nation's leading entrepreneurs and small biz experts to educate small business owners on how to be successful. Past guests have included Emeril Lagasse and Guy Kawasaki.

The Movie Geeks share their passion for the art through interviews with the stars of and creative minds behind your favorite flicks and pay tribute to big-screen legends. From James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola to Ellen Burstyn and Robert Duvall, The Geeks have got'em all.

Sylvia Global presents global conversations pertaining to women, wealth, business, faith and philanthropy. Sylvia has interviewed an eclectic mix from CEOs and musicians to fashion designers and philanthropists including Randolph Duke and Ne-Yo.

Mr. Media host Bob Andelman goes one-on-one with the hottest, most influential minds from the worlds of film, TV, music, comedy, journalism and literature. That means A-listers like Kirk Douglas, Christian Slater, Kathy Ireland, Rick Fox, Chris Hansen and Jackie Collins.

Paula Begoun, best-selling author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, separates fact from fiction on achieving a radiant, youthful complexion at any age. She?s regularly joined by health and beauty experts who offer the latest on keeping your skin in tip-top shape.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/homebasedbusinessuniversity/2013/02/20/my-biz-university

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Megan Crafton, Indiana H.S. Cheerleading Coach, Pleads Guilty to Giving Student Oral Relief

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/megan-crafton-hs-cheerleading-coach-pleads-guilty-to-giving-stud/

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Egypt president's son may be earning $133 a month

CAIRO (AP) ? The head of Egypt's holding company for airports and aviation says President Mohammed Morsi's son has applied for a job that pays $133 a month starting salary.

Captain Magdi Abdel-Hadi dismissed accusations of nepotism and denied reports that the starting monthly salary would be $5,000. He said Saturday that Omar Morsi went through regular procedures to apply for the internally advertised job, including passing English and computer exams.

He says the president's son is still being evaluated for the position, which pays 900 Egyptian pounds, roughly $133 a month. Abdel-Hadi says after six months, salaries rise to some 1,200 pounds, or $180 a month.

The $5,000 figure is unheard of for new graduates in Egypt, where the starting salary for a government job can be as low as $75.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-presidents-son-may-earning-133-month-145103195.html

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Today in History

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Please try Yahoo Help Central if you need more assistance.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html

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Who owns seeds? Not you, Monsanto says.

US Supreme Court set to hear case of farmer using seeds grown from Monsanto's genetically modified seeds. Monsanto won the first round, claiming the farmer violated its patents, but his appeal has won a hearing in the Supreme Court.??

By Jane Wells,?CNBC Reporter / February 15, 2013

A farmer holds Monsanto's Roundup Ready soybean seeds at his family farm in Bunceton, Mo. The Supreme Court is set to hear the case of whether an Indiana farmer can harvest seed from his Monsanto soybean crop, a move the company says violates its patents.

Dan Gill/AP/File

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That would be against the law.

Can you make the same argument about buying patented seeds to grow a crop, and then keeping some of that first crop to reap seeds and grow a second crop? A third?

The United States Supreme Court will decide that in a case involving a 75-year-old farmer from Indiana named Vernon Bowman. Monsanto sued Bowman in 2007, claiming the farmer has for years used seeds reaped from a first crop of Monsanto Roundup Ready soybean seeds to grow another crop.

Monsanto?said that violates its patent, as farmers sign an agreement when they buy the seeds to only use them once. The resulting crop can be sold for things like feed or oil, not to create another generation of seeds.

From Monsanto's perspective, what Bowman has done is like the farming version of Napster. From the farmer's perspective, to force him to buy new seeds every year is a monopoly, and Monsanto's patent should "expire" after the first crop.

Monsanto won in lower court, but Bowman has appealed, and in a move that caught corporate America off guard, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case next Tuesday.

At stake is Monsanto's multi-billion dollar seed industry. The company dominates the soybean seed market with its Roundup Ready seeds, which have been genetically modified so that farmers can spray weed killer on the plants without impacting the soybeans. The seeds are the result of years of development and have helped farmers boost yields, which in turn keeps food prices down.

How long should a company be compensated for something that is difficult to create, but is easy to copy? Monsanto isn't the only party concerned about a potential loss at the Supreme Court.?(Read More:?Syngenta Upbeat for Spring Planting Season)

Filing briefs with the court on behalf of Monsanto is a broad array of industries, from the Business Software Association, representing companies like?Intel?andMicrosoft, to biotech firms, to other soybean farmers who fear the prices of Monsanto seeds could skyrocket, or the company could pull back investing in innovation.

A loss by Monsanto "would effectively eliminate the incentive to discover and develop new genetically-engineered plants," wrote the American Intellectual Property Law Association in a brief.

"We're also talking about DNA sequences used in vaccine development, biofuel reagents such as algae, and also software," said Cathleen Enright of the Biotechnology Industries Organization. She said investors may be less likely to fund research which could reap lower profits. "It can introduce uncertainty into their business models."

Bowman has his own supporters filing briefs on his behalf, including the Center for Food Safety, which wrote about "Monsanto Company's use of U.S. patent law to control the use of staple crop seeds by farmers." A?Facebook?page has been set up and a rally planned for Bowman next Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Monsanto has already been fighting patent expiration issues in Brazil, now the world's largest soybean producer. The U.S. Supreme Court could decide to let the lower court's ruling stand, overturn it, or send it back for a new trial.?(Read More:?Washington Apple Pickers Miraculously Defeat the Invisible Farm Labor Crisis of 2012)

Perhaps there could be some middle ground, where the patent expires after a second crop, but Enright of the biotechnology group noted that would put grain elevators in the difficult position of having to enforce new policies.

In the meantime, both sides have lawyered up preparing for Tuesday's arguments, a day that Cathleen Enright said her group never expected to happen. "We were surprised."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/nw0wyxs6ie8/Who-owns-seeds-Not-you-Monsanto-says

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Aquarium fights to get disabled turtle swimming again

KOBE, Japan (Reuters) - Life looked grim for Yu, a loggerhead turtle, when she washed up in a Japanese fishing net five years ago, her front flippers shredded after a brutal encounter with a shark.

Now keepers at an aquarium in the western Japanese city of Kobe are looking for a high-tech solution that will allow the 25-year-old turtle to swim normally again after years of labor and 27 models of prosthetic fins behind them without achieving their goal.

Yu, weighing 103 kg (227 pounds) and 82 cm (32 inches) long, first came to the attention of keepers at the Suma Aqualife Park in Kobe after she was rushed there from a port on the southern island of Shikoku in 2008.

"She was in a really bad way. More than half her fins were gone and she was bleeding, her body covered with shark bites," said Naoki Kamezaki, the park's director general.

After nursing the loggerhead - an endangered species - back to health, keepers enlisted the help of researchers and a local prosthetics-maker to get her swimming again.

Early versions of prosthetic flippers caused her pain or fell off quickly, and with money short, Kamezaki said he sometimes felt like packing it in.

"There have been times I wanted to give up and just fix her up the best we can and throw her back in," he told Reuters. "Then if luck's on her side she'll be fine, if not, she'll get eaten and that's just life. The way of nature, I suppose."

The latest version - made of rubber and fixed together with a material used in diving wetsuits - was unveiled on February 11 and proclaimed a success, with Yu swimming smoothly around her tank.

But on Friday, one flipper slipped out as soon as she hit the water, forcing keepers back to the laboratory again.

Though Kamezaki admits that it's unlikely Yu will ever live a normal turtle life, he still has hopes.

"My dream for her is that one day she can use her prosthetic fins to swim to the surface, walk about, and dig a proper hole to lay her eggs in," Kamezaki said.

"When her children hatch, well, I just feel that would make all the trauma in her life worthwhile."

(Reporting by Ruairidh Villar, writing by Elaine Lies, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aquarium-fights-disabled-turtle-swimming-again-121203475.html

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MANILA - American military forces' pivot in the Asia-Pacific will be affected by...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS/posts/10151252583615168

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Stocks in 'digestion mode'; oil, gold down 2%

Click chart for more market data

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq dipped between 0.1% and 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed just barely higher.

All three indexes were down slightly for the week, marking the first losing week for the Nasdaq this year.

Recently stocks have been pulling back from their solid start to 2013, but the Dow and S&P are still within range of new record highs.

The Dow is 1.3% shy of its all-time high, hit in October 2007, and the S&P 500 is about 4% below its record high, also set in October 2007. All three indexes are up between 5% and 7% for the year.

"We're in digestion mode," said Sal Catrini, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. "We've had a really nice run."

Related: 10 stocks you love

Investors remained wary of jumping into stocks Friday, despite a pair of positive economic reports.

The real action was in commodities, with gold and oil dropping 1.5%.

Billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros spooked gold bugs, after it was revealed that his fund cut its stake in a major gold ETF, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), at the end of last year.

Commodities moved lower across the board. Oil slid nearly 2% on renewed concerns over global growth following a weaker than expected report on industrial production in the United States.

The New York Federal Reserve report showed that manufacturing in the state picked up precipitously last month. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan's February report on consumer sentiment came in at 76.3, above a 74.8 forecast.

On the corporate front, investors had more earnings results to take in Friday.

About 65% of the companies in the S&P 500 that have reported fourth-quarter earnings so far have topped analysts' expectations, according to S&P Capital IQ. But the bulk of companies that have issued guidance for the first quarter have had negative outlooks.

Related: Fear & Greed Index stuck in extreme greed

Burger King (BKW) reported earnings that beat expectations. Shares closed up nearly 5%. Meanwhile, Kraft Foods (KRFT) posted weaker-than-expected revenue.

Shares of nutritional supplements company Herbalife (HLF) surged more than 12%, but closed up just 1% after activist investor Carl Icahn disclosed a 13% stake in the firm on Thursday.

Carnival (CCL) shares slid as the company's Triumph cruise ship docked and passengers were finally able to leave, just days after a fire and power outage left the ship and 3,000 passengers stranded at sea.

Shares of Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) dropped nearly 2%, after a research firm said that sales for the last four weeks look significantly softer at the big box retailer.

Shares of Gap (GPS, Fortune 500) surged on rumors that the retailer could be a takeover target.

European markets and Asian markets ended mixed.

The dollar was higher versus the euro and the Japanese yen, but dipped versus the British pound. The so-called currency wars will be a major topic of conversation at the G-20 summit in Moscow that kicked off Friday.

The price on the 10-year Treasury note declined, sending the yield up to 2.01% from 1.95% late Monday.

First Published: February 15, 2013: 9:50 AM ET

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/15/investing/stocks-markets/index.html?section=money_latest

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U.S. says well aware of Iran efforts to obtain sensitive materials

DEAR ABBY: My daughters are attractive young women, both doing well in their professional careers. "Melanie," who is 27, is married to "Sam," an extremely attractive and successful man.My 30-year-old daughter, "Alicia," has been divorced for a year. Her marriage failed two years ago because she and her husband had an appetite for sex outside their marriage. While I was disturbed about that, I was horrified to learn that Melanie allows her sister to occasionally have sex with Sam.Melanie's argument is that Sam is less likely to cheat given this situation. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-says-well-aware-iran-efforts-obtain-sensitive-161855996.html

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Rising sea levels more than just South Florida?s costly problem, officials say

South Florida lawmakers got a stark look Wednesday at how rising sea levels?could dramatically change Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade counties and the Keys in coming years, leading to calls for more state aid to stem the tide.

County planners and water managers?from officials presented an 84-page action plan to regional legislators that was compiled last fall. While climate change has caused sea level to climb nine?inches over the past?century, that rate is accelerating and could?advance an?at least an additional nine inches over the next 50 years, analysts have concluded.

Evidence of the changes are?already being seen across South Florida, where regional flooding and saltwater intrusion is becoming common in area canals and waterways.?Several?lawmakers said?a goal for this spring?s?legislative session should be to convince more?of their colleagues that South Florida?s?problems have a statewide impact.

?We?ve got to convince the rest of the state that?this is an economic disaster,? said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth. ?We can?t wait for sea levels to keep rising.?We?ve got to plan for the future.?

Making more funding available for the region is a likely push, said Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, chairman of the Palm Beach County legislative delegation, who organized Wednesday?s hearing. ?This demands our attention,? he said.

Officials speaking at Wednesday?s hearing offered plenty of anecdotes about South Florida?s changing coastline. In Broward County,?several waterside neighborhoods commonly flood?during high?tides;?on Stock Island, in the Keys, Monroe County officials are elevating the ground floor?of a new fire station, in anticipation of?future flooding, officials said. Roads, sewer systems and development decisions will all be affected by the changing water line across the region, officials said.

In Palm Beach?County, Everglades restoration efforts?could be?slowed by?rising saltwater intrusion, hurting water management efforts, said Ernie?Barnett of the South?Florida Water Management District.

?You can fight water with water,? Barnett said. ?We need to push more water through the Everglades toward the coast.?

The report by local officials included some sobering conclusions about the impact of rising water on the area.

The report found, ?The upper estimate of current taxable property values in Monroe, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties vulnerable in the one-foot scenario is $4 billion with values rising to more than $31 billion at the three-foot scenario. The greater values reflected in the financial impacts are coastal residential properties with ocean access and high taxable value.?

But Rep. Bill Hager, R-Boca Raton,?offered a darker view. He said lawmakers and?county officials will have a challenging time convincing many?Florida leaders?to direct dollars toward?fighting?what he said was an inevitable change.

?We can do this stuff,? Hager said. ?But inevitably, the cycles of the earth will overcome whatever we do.?

Tags: bnblogs, climate change, Rep. Bill Hager, Rep. Mark Pafford, sea level, Sen. Jeff Clemens, South Florida Water Management District

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2013 at 7:27 pm and is filed under environment, Everglades, legislature, Palm Beach County, state budget. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://www.postonpolitics.com/2013/02/rising-sea-levels-more-than-just-south-floridas-costly-problem-officials-say/

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Dragons on Parade

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Main Street Gazette: World News Roundtable - 14 February 2013

One bright spot, in the otherwise dull campaign, is the launch of a promotional hot air balloon touring the country leading up to the release of the film.? Not only is a giant ballon a rare sight (for most people anyway...especially considering it will be in Central Park at one point) but it also ties into the movie brilliantly! The balloons first stop is the premiere at the El Capitan Theatre, followed by Disneyland, before making its way out west.

Disney is keeping quiet about a gem released on YouTube this week: the first full-blown trailer for Pixar's Monsters University. The film, releasing June 21, will tell of Mike and Sulley's college days, long before they were the most dynamic scaring duo Monsters, Inc. had ever seen. The trailer debuted on Walt Disney Studios' UK YouTube account, and as such hasn't had any buzz from official Disney social media based in the US. It's unknown whether a completely different American trailer is on the way, if the UK trailer will remain basically the same for its US push, or even why American Disney sources are staying mum about it.

We haven't heard anything out of Monsters University since the teaser dropped back in June, so this new trailer is a welcome treat. I, for one, can't wait to enroll.

As Disneyland Paris is my ?home? park nowadays, I thought I would report with some of the latest news from the beautiful European theme parks. Parc Disneyland is currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary (now extended until 30th September 2013), and as part of the celebration the beautiful Castle show Disney Dreams! was introduced. It has just been announced that there are going to be two additional scenes to the existing Disney Dreams! show: The Lion King and Brave. I, of course, am very excited for this addition of Brave! Although there are rumours that the parts that will be replaced is Mary Poppins (currently ?Step in Time?) and Jungle Book (?I Wan?na Be Like You?). If you are visiting Paris before the end of March 2013, however,? you should still be able to see these existing segments, before the new Simba and Merida parts are added.

Alan Mize

If you've been a Walt Disney World fan for any length of time, you've probably heard your fair share of monorail rumors. They're getting new trains. They're going to expand the line to include every deluxe resort. They're going to expand the line to include every resort and Downtown Disney. While I admit that it would be extremely awesome for those things to happen, it's pretty unlikely that those things will happen. However, the newest rumor that I've heard is a lot more plausible.

There are rumors that the WDW monorail system will get a $75 million overhaul over the next two years. The main part of this overhaul will include making all of the trains fully automated. There will still be "pilots" on board the trains, but they will act more as attendants to monitor the functions of the train as opposed to actually piloting the trains. In addition to that, the control of the trains will now belong to operators inside the station as opposed to the pilots. These operators will decide when to close the doors and when to launch the trains. Perhaps the most interesting detail of the rumors is that each one of the lines will reverse course. The express loop will now travel clockwise moving from the TTC past the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian resorts before unloading at the Magic Kingdom. The resort loop will travel counter clockwise moving from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, the TTC, and the Contemporary. Lastly, the Epcot loop will now also travel counter clockwise which means instead of traveling through the park before arriving at Epcot, you'll travel through the park on your way out of Epcot. All of this is being done with safety in mind. By switching the direction of the trains, all track switches will happen with the trains traveling forward as opposed to backward, which was a contributing factor to the tragic monorail accident in 2009.

As with any rumor regarding Walt Disney World, and especially the monorails, take this information with a grain of salt. Having said that, if this overhaul actually happens and it not only increases the safety for guests and cast members in addition to providing the WDW monorails with some much needed TLC, then I'm all for it.?

All aboard! This week, Disney Cruise Line announced its itineraries for 2014 including a new stop in Venice, Italy for European cruises, and (most exciting to me!) stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the first time ever! Guys, I also really want to go to Antigua, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and St. Kitts. (This is what I get for visiting an airport this weekend.)

I love that the Disney Cruise itineraries are always expanding (sadly with a price that is forever increasing too), even if I was hoping for another announcement that one of the beautiful ships was taking the journey back to New York. Oh well, there?s always 2015. Or I could write a super adorable complaint letter like this young child did when it came to his cruisin? experience.

This bit of news didn?t make any headlines, but there were those out there who noticed that Robert Sherman was not part of the In Memoriam section at last week?s Grammy Awards. Robert and his brother Richard, collectively known as the Sherman Brothers, crafted the music that would become the soundtrack to generations of children. Many of these were tracks laid down for Disney animated films, live action features, and park experiences, but their reach was, and continues to be, far beyond just the Disney canon. Included amongst his individual and collaborative awards, of which there are far too many to list, are a Grammy Award (1965 Best Original Score for a Motion Picture ? Mary Poppins) and two other nominations (1972 Best Original Score for a Children?s Show ? Snoopy Come Home and 1974 Best Original Score for a Musical Show ? Over Here!).

With a musical legacy more than a mile long, Robert Sherman is not a name that should have been forgotten by an organization that once bestowed one of their prestigious awards upon him. It may seem a bit morbid to wish to see someone included in an In Memoriam segment of an awards show, but with his passing, it is only fitting that his lifelong passion and achievements be included amongst the other legends of the music industry and it is disgraceful that such a luminary was forgotten. There may not be any way for the Grammy Awards to make amends at this point in time, save a public apology, but I hope that they take a look at their review process for such portions of their awards show to stem the likelihood of further slights in future programs.

Source: http://www.mainstgazette.com/2013/02/world-news-roundtable-14-february-2013.html

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