With Ch?vez gone, what do his young opponents want now?

A vibrant youth movement played a major role in Venezuela's?beleaguered opposition during the rule of Hugo?Ch?vez.?

By Ezra Fieser,?Correspondent / March 10, 2013

Pedestrians walk past a spray painting of Venezuelan opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, from the 2012 presidential election campaign which he lost to President Hugo Chavez, in Caracas March 7. Just months after the exhausting presidential race, Capriles, 40, is the overwhelming favorite to represent the opposition Democratic Unity coalition in an election following Chavez's death from cancer.

Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters

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Weeks before Hugo Ch?vez died, while he was holed up in a Cuban hospital with details of his condition unknown to the public, youth protesters chained themselves together in front of Cuba?s embassy here, demanding answers.

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?The people deserved to know what was happening,? says Vanessa Eisig, a 21-year-old communications student who participated in the February protest. ?We thought we could raise attention by doing it in front of the Cuban embassy.?

Two days later, the government released photos showing Ch?vez?sitting up in his hospital bed, flanked by his two daughters and reading the Cuban daily Granma. The public would not see Ch?vez, who died Tuesday, again until his body was displayed at a Caracas military academy.

Whether or not the protests helped push the government to release the photo (some have suggested the influence they exerted was minimal), the demonstrations underscored the important role youth play in Venezuela?s beleaguered opposition. The groups are filled with young people raised in a Venezuela in which Ch?vez?was the defining figure. Many came from families who fled the country or whose businesses or lands were expropriated as part of Ch?vez's?so-called 21st-century socialist revolution.?

?These are the sons and daughters of the opposition,? says Miguel Tinker Salas, a Venezuelan-American professor at Pomona College in California who largely defends Ch?vez's?record. ?They are not the typical Latin American student movement.?

'We just want freedom'

The youth movements of Latin America?s yesteryear were largely born in public universities in opposition to right-wing dictatorships. Members of these Venezuelan groups may come from different backgrounds ? graduates of private schools and members of well-off families ? but they say their goal is similar.

?We just want freedom here,? says Julio Cesar Rivas Castillo, the controversial leader of one of the main youth groups, United Active Youth of Venezuela [known by its Spanish acronym JAVU]. ?We want economic freedom. We want free elections. We want a?free press.?

In their push to reform the system, Ch?vez?was always enemy No. 1. Even as the president lay on his deathbed earlier this month, the group called a protest.

In the heat of Venezuela?s summer, they chained themselves together in front of a Supreme Court office in Caracas.

?All we want to know is if Ch?vez can govern. If not, we want new elections,? Gabriel Boscan, 23, a law student, said at the time. ?Not only the president is sick, the country is sick. There are serious problems that need to be solved: crime, food shortages, and the economy. We can't be without a president for longer."

Their protests were later buttressed by throngs of disenchanted middle-class Venezuelans who marched in the street last Sunday.

Two days later, the government announced Ch?vez's?death.

?Nobody in Venezuela believes Ch?vez?died when they said he died,? Mr. Rivas says. ?I think the demonstrations put pressure on them to come out and say it.?

A youth praised and vilified

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/0xf6inXL8LM/With-Chavez-gone-what-do-his-young-opponents-want-now

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Libya TV channel owner, ex-director held after attack | Morocco ...

TRIPOLI, March 8, 2013 (AFP) -

The owner and former director of a private Libyan television seized by gunmen in a raid on the channel?s headquarters were being held in an unknown location on Friday, the station said.

Unknown assailants stormed the building of Alassema TV on Thursday, abducting the owner Jomaa Al-Osta and the former executive director Nabil al-Shebani, as well as four members of staff, including journalists and anchors.

The staff members, who were all later released, said the kidnappers were angry about the editorial policies of the TV station, which is known to be close to Libya?s liberal coalition that came ahead of Islamists in last July?s legislative elections.

Mohammed al-Sharkassi, an anchor at Alassema TV who was among those released, said the assailants ?identified themselves as former rebels.?

They objected, in particular, to a draft law that would exclude from political life officials under the regime of former dictator Moamer Kadhafi, who was ousted and then slain in the 2011 uprising.

The law has caused a stir among Libya?s ruling elite as it threatens to sideline senior political figures, including Mahmud Jibril, who heads the National Forces Alliances coalition and was an architect of the 2011 revolt.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders on Friday condemned the attack and expressed deep concern about the fate of Osta and Shebani, calling on the

Libyan authorities to ?take all necessary measures to obtain their release.?

Libya?s national assembly called on Thursday evening for the interior ministry ?to intervene immediately to release the prisoners.?

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/03/81433/libya-tv-channel-owner-ex-director-held-after-attack-2/

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Pentagon chief Hagel makes 1st trip to Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel walks with U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, commander of the International Security Force, upon Hagel's arrival near Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 8, 2013. Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel walks with U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, commander of the International Security Force, upon Hagel's arrival near Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 8, 2013. Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel walks with U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham, left, and Gen. Joseph Dunford, Commander of the International Security Force, upon Hagel's arrival in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, March 8, 2013. This is Hagel's first official trip since being sworn-in as Obama's Defense Secretary. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel greets U.S. troops stationed at Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan, Friday, March 8, 2013, before he boarded a C-17 military aircraft en route to Kabul, Afghanistan. Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel steps aboard a C-17 military aircraft before departing from Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan, en route to Kabul Afghanistan, Friday, March 8, 2013. Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to the traveling press aboard his military aircraft, traveling between Andrews Air Force Base, Md. and Manas Air Force Base, Kyrgyzstan, en route to Afghanistan, Friday, March 8, 2013. Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans. (AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans.

"We are still at war," Hagel said, warning the U.S. and its allies to remain focused on the mission while noting that the U.S. never intended to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely.

"That transition has to be done right, it has to be done in partnership with the Afghans, with our allies," said Hagel, who took over the Pentagon job a little more than a week ago. "Our country as well as Afghanistan, the region, and the allies have a lot at stake here. And our continued focus and energy and attention on Afghanistan is going to be very important."

He said it was vital to remember why the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in the days after the 9/11 attacks, including the need to rid the country of terrorists and a hostile government.

On the day of Hagel's arrival, there was a fresh reminder of the conflict. Defense officials said three men wearing Afghan army uniforms and driving an Afghan army vehicle forced their way onto a U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan at midday and opened fire, killing one civilian contractor and wounding other U.S. troops.

Hagel told reporters traveling with him that he plans to talk to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the recent order expelling U.S. commandos from Wardak Province. He would not say what his message to Karzai might be.

Karzai ordered that U.S. special operations forces leave within two weeks because of allegations that Afghans working with the commandos were involved in abusive behavior and torture.

The order comes despite worries that it could leave the region more vulnerable to al-Qaida and other insurgents. U.S. officials have said they have seen no evidence that American forces were involved in the abuse of Afghan civilians. Hagel is slated to meet with U.S. commanders and Afghan leaders and plans to make his first detailed assessment of the increasingly unpopular war.

His unannounced visit comes at a turning point in the conflict, as U.S. and NATO allies set their timetable for the withdrawal of combat troops and pressure mounts on the U.S.-led effort to train the Afghan forces. Hagel must manage the transition as the U.S. steps up what will be a difficult and expensive extraction of equipment from the country even as Congress slashes billions of dollars from the defense budget.

"I need to better understand what's going on there," Hagel told reporters during the flight to Kabul. He said he wants an assessment on the progress of the Afghan forces as they prepare to take over the security of their own country.

Hagel traveled to Afghanistan four times during his two terms as senator for Nebraska, including once in 2002 shortly after the war began, in 2006 and twice in 2008. His final two visits were in 2008, once in February with then Sens. Joe Biden and John Kerry ? now the vice president and secretary of state, and in July with then-Sen. Barack Obama.

While Hagel initially supported the Afghanistan war when he was senator, his enthusiasm diminished as the conflict dragged on for more than 10 years. He pointedly observed that militaries are "built to fight and win wars, not bind together failing nations." And in a radio interview this year, he acknowledged the nation's growing weariness with the war that has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 U.S. troops and wounded another 18,000, saying that "the American people want out" of Afghanistan.

His review of the war will likely be colored in part by his own military service. Hagel is the first Vietnam veteran to lead the Pentagon, and the first man to become defense secretary after serving only in the enlisted ranks. All the other secretaries with military service eventually served as officers. Hagel served in Vietnam alongside his brother, was wounded twice and was awarded two Purple Hearts.

There are currently about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 in 2010. The U.S. troop total is scheduled to drop to about 32,000 by early next year, with the bulk of the decline coming over the winter months.

And, while there has been no final decision on the size of the post-2014 force, U.S. and NATO leaders say they are considering a range between 8,000 and 12,000. The size of that residual force is sharply smaller than what the top U.S. commander in the Middle East recommended. Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week that his personal recommendation was for a U.S. force of 13,600, with the expectation that NATO allies would contribute another 6,000 to 7,000.

Hagel would not say what his assessment of the final post-2014 numbers is yet. But, he added that, "it is the Afghan people who need to make, and will make, their own decisions about their future. We can help. We have helped, as well as our allies. But there does come a time when that should be transitioned."

And the transition, he said, is happening in a way that gives the Afghan people "a very hopeful future."

The U.S. is currently in the early stages of negotiating a bilateral security agreement with Kabul that would set the legal parameters for America's continued military and diplomatic involvement with the nation.

Another source of anxiety among the allies is Afghanistan's 2014 presidential election; Karzai, who has led the country since U.S. forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001, is not running and there is no obvious successor.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-08-AP-AS-US-Afghanistan/id-52a81ac2cdeb41a5a03dbd8ef5227d14

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Spring forward: It's daylight science time

Brian Snyder / Reuters

Peter Shugrue checks four custom-made clocks, destined for installation in Kansas City, Mo, at the Electric Time Company factory in Medfield, Mass. Daylight saving time begins in the United States at 2 a.m. Sunday.

By David Ropeik and Alan Boyle, NBC News

It's that time of year, when most Americans lose an hour's sleep setting their clocks ahead. (Remember? Spring forward, fall back.) So here are answers to questions about the time switch and about sleep.

In most of the United States, we'll be moving our clocks ahead for daylight saving time in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The official switch comes at 2 a.m. Sunday, which instantly becomes 3 a.m. Most people, however, move their clocks ahead just before going to bed Saturday night or just after getting up Sunday morning.

---

The day of the big switch used to be the first Sunday of April, but in 2005, Congress changed the rule to make it the second Sunday in March, as an energy-saving measure.

What's the rationale?
As the year progresses toward the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere gets longer periods of sunlight. Timekeepers came up with daylight saving time ? or summer time, as it?s known in other parts of the world ? to shift some of that extra sun time from the early morning (when timekeepers need their shut-eye) to the evening (when they play softball).

The idea is that having the extra evening sunlight will cut down on the demand for lighting, and hence cut down on electricity consumption ? and that few people will miss having it a little darker at, say, 6 o'clock in the morning. At least that's how the theory goes.

Who's in on the switch?
Not everybody goes along with the plan. Arizona sticks with Mountain Standard Time, which turns out to be the same as Pacific Daylight Time. (The Navajo Nation, however, goes along with the summertime switch.) Hawaii and U.S. possessions such as American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also staying on standard time.

Most European countries don't switch to summer time until the last weekend in March. That means the usual time difference will be out of sync for three weeks. For example, when it's noon in New York, it'll be 4 p.m. in London. But starting March 31, the five-hour difference between the two cities' clocks will be back in force.

Some countries in the Southern Hemisphere move their clocks back an hour at this time of year. In Brazil, for example, the switch from daylight saving time to standard time took place in mid-February.

How can we cope?
If you?re in the ?spring forward? mode, don?t lose any sleep over the hour you?re losing. But do try to get back into your regular sleep routine. Rosalind Cartwright, a sleep expert at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, says that if you lose too much sleep, even a couple of hours for just two or three days, your immune system will suffer and you'll be more susceptible to colds and viral infections.

A couple of small-scale studies have suggested that heart attack rates go up during the switch to daylight saving time, perhaps because of the sleep-cycle disruption. But the evidence is too meager to make a solid connection to that issue or other purported health effects of the time change.

Generally speaking, if you get to sleep too late, or get up too early, your body will find a way to get the deep sleep it needs for rest. But Cartwright says you lose the stage of sleep during which you dream, which is important for mood. Which explains why you might feel groggy and grumpy after we "spring forward" to daylight saving time.

More about the time changeover:

---

David Ropeik is a consultant and author specializing in risk perception and risk communication. Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. This is an updated version of a report originally published in March 2000.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/08/17239708-spring-into-daylight-science-time?lite

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Jobless rate drops to lowest in 4 years

NBC News staff and wire reports ? ? ? 4 hrs.

Hiring accelerated in February as the nation's economy created a better-than-expected 236,000 jobs and the unemployment rate slipped to 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008, government data showed Friday.

The report from the Labor Department is likely to help extend the stock market rally that has pushed the Dow Jones industrial average to its highest level in history.

It is also further evidence that the recovery, which has been sluggish at best, is showing the potential to improve, although plenty of hurdles remain.

"While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides evidence that the recovery that began in mid-2009 is gaining traction," Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said in a statement.

As upbeat as the report was, more hiring is needed to swiftly reduce the unemployment rate further. Job gains of at least 100,000 a month are needed just to keep up with population growth and prevent the unemployment rate from rising.

From November through January, monthly job growth has averaged 200,000, up from 150,000 for the previous three months. Most economist expect job gains of about 180,000 a month this year. That's about the same as last year, when the rate fell 0.7 percentage point.

Related story: Jobless rate for post-9/11 veterans running heavy

One negative detail: Employers added fewer jobs in January than first estimated. Job gains were lowered to 119,000 from an initially reported 157,000. Still, December hiring was a little better than first thought, with 219,000 jobs added instead of 196,000.

Some analysts say the snowstorm that struck several Northeast states in early February might have held down hiring last month by about 30,000. Others note that the storm hit on a weekend and might not have kept that many people from work.

Several other reports this week have raised hopes that hiring could soon accelerate.

A four-week average of applications for unemployment aid fell to its lowest level in five years. Applications are a proxy for layoffs. When they fall, it suggests that companies are cutting fewer jobs. More hiring may follow.

And payroll services provider ADP said its survey showed that businesses added 198,000 jobs in February, above most analysts' expectations. And January's hiring was revised higher by 23,000 to 215,000.

Small businesses have stepped up hiring in the past two months after lagging behind hiring by bigger companies since the recession ended in June 2009.

Services firms, including retailers, restaurants and construction companies, added jobs at a healthy pace in February, according to the Institute for Supply Management's monthly survey. An index of hiring by service companies slipped but remained near January's seven-year high.

The ISM's manufacturing survey found that factories also added workers in February, though more slowly than in January.

Strong auto sales and a steady housing recovery are spurring hiring and economic growth. So far, higher gas prices and a Jan. 1 increase in Social Security taxes haven't caused Americans to cut back on big-ticket purchases.

Across-the-board government spending cuts also kicked in March 1 after the White House and Congress failed to reach a deal to avoid them. Those cuts will likely lead to furloughs and layoffs in coming weeks.

New-home sales jumped 16 percent in January to the highest level since July 2008. And builders started work on the most homes last year since 2008.

Home prices rose by the most in more than six years in the 12 months that ended in January. Higher prices tend to make homeowners feel wealthier and more likely to spend.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/unemployment-rate-drops-lowest-four-years-1C8767810

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Deal of the Day: 51% off Belkin Grip Max Case for iPhone 5

Today Only: Purchase the Belkin Grip Max Case for iPhone 5 and save $17.99!

This contemporary, yet classic design features a light texture that adds visual and tactile appeal for a completely customized look. The thin, yet durable skin is a stylish way to keep your iPhone's surface free of scratches and scuffs, without adding extra bulk. This case combines a durable skin with a hard polycarbonate all in one, perfect for all occasions.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Udh8_h7sMAs/story01.htm

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General: Heart attack killed a suffering Chavez

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Hugo Chavez' mother Elena Frias, third from left, and brothers Adan, second from left, Argenis, first right, and Adelis, fourth from right, stand next to the flag-draped coffin containing the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez on display during his wake at a military academy where his body will lie in state until his funeral in in state in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Seven days of mourning were declared, all schools were suspended for the week and friendly heads of state were expected for an elaborate funeral Friday. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Hugo Chavez' mother Elena Frias, third from left, and brothers Adan, second from left, Argenis, first right, and Adelis, fourth from right, stand next to the flag-draped coffin containing the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez on display during his wake at a military academy where his body will lie in state until his funeral in in state in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Seven days of mourning were declared, all schools were suspended for the week and friendly heads of state were expected for an elaborate funeral Friday. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

Supporters hold a doll depicting of the late President Hugo Chavez as they wait in line to see his body outside the Fort Tiuna military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Chavez's body will lie in sate at the academy until his funeral, scheduled for Friday. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, Venezuela's interim President Nicolas Maduro, second from left, Uruguay's President Jose Mujica, third from left, Bolivia's President Evo Morales, fourth from left, and Mujica's wife, Uruguayan Senator Luc?a Topolansky stand next to the flag-draped coffin containing the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez on display during his wake in Fort Tiuna military academy where his body will lie in state in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Seven days of mourning were declared, all schools were suspended for the week and friendly heads of state were expected for an elaborate funeral Friday. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? President Hugo Chavez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard said late Wednesday.

"He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips ... 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country," Gen. Jose Ornella told The Associated Press.

The general said he spent the last two years with Chavez, including his final moments, as Venezuela's president of 14 years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region.

Ornella spoke to the AP outside the military academy where Chavez's body lay in state. He said Chavez's cancer was very advanced when death came but gave no details.

Ornella did not respond when asked if the cancer had spread to Chavez's lungs.

The government announced on the eve of Chavez's death that he had suffered a severe new respiratory infection. It was the second such infection reported by officials after Chavez underwent his fourth cancer surgery in Cuba on Dec. 11.

Venezuelan authorities have not said what kind of cancer Chavez had or specified exactly where tumors were removed.

During the first lung infection, near the end of December, doctors implanted a tracheal tube to ease Chavez's breathing, but breathing insufficiency persisted and worsened, the government said.

Ornella said that Chavez had "the best" doctors from all over the world but that they never discussed the president's condition in front of him.

The general said he didn't know precisely what kind of cancer afflicted Chavez, but added: "He suffered a lot."

He said that Chavez knew when he spoke to Venezuelans on Dec. 8, three days before his final surgery in Cuba, that "there was very little hope he would make it out of that operation."

It was Chavez's fourth cancer surgery and previous interventions had been followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

Ornella echoed the concern of Vice President Nicolas Maduro that some sort of foul play was involved in Chavez's cancer.

"I think it will be 50 years before they declassify a document (that) I think (will show) the hand of the enemy is involved," he said.

The general didn't identify who he was talking about, but Maduro suggested possible U.S. involvement on Tuesday. The U.S. State Department called the allegation absurd.

Maduro, Chavez's self-anointed successor, said Chavez died Tuesday afternoon in a Caracas military hospital.

The government said Chavez, 58, had been there since returning from Cuba on Feb. 18.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-07-LT-Venezuela-Chavez's-Death/id-41240fd53e34437a8883ff24bbb6dd72

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Rupert Murdoch's News Corp unveils its own Android tablet ...

By Dan Eldridge

We learned today that the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corporation has unveiled a 10-inch Android tablet designed specifically for schoolchildren. Known as the Amplify Tablet (Amplify is also the name of the News Corp?s education division), the $299 slate was presented earlier today at the?SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas. Amplify sales reps are said to be currently knocking on the proverbial doors of public schools nationwide.

Joel Klein

According to a press release:

The Amplify Tablet and related services are being piloted this year in school districts across the country in collaboration with AT&T. Tablets purchased by June 30 will be ready for use in classrooms in time for the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

For $299, students will receive training and customer care along with the tablet; a two-year subscription to Amplify?s educational content clocks in at an additional $99 per year.?The Amplify Tablet Plus, meanwhile, is a second option; it comes with a 4G data plan, and because the Amplify is meant to be taken home at night by students, this is the model that will be pitched to those kids who don?t have Wi-Fi access at home. That model?s price tag is $349. On top of that, users will have to agree to a ?two-year mandatory subscription which includes AT&T service for $179 a year,? according to an item from Engadget.

Steep price tags aside, however, the Amplify is said to be?the first ?open tablet-based learning platform designed specifically for K-12 education.? It comes pre-loaded with apps featuring educational quizes and games, and the News Corp?s Amplify educational division will also be providing schools with the infrastructure necessary to store their students? data.

Joel Klein, the chief executive of the Amplify division, is largely credited as being the driving force behind the project; he previously worked as?chancellor of New York schools. ?There?s a huge opportunity if you can get kids excited about educational games,? he says, in a?New York Times?article?about the Amplify.??You can change the learning curve.?

?

Source: http://www.teleread.com/education/rupert-murdochs-news-corp-unveils-its-own-android-tablet/

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Getting around the uncertainty principle: Physicists make first direct measurements of polarization states of light

Mar. 3, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of Rochester and the University of Ottawa have applied a recently developed technique to directly measure for the first time the polarization states of light. Their work both overcomes some important challenges of Heisenberg's famous Uncertainty Principle and also is applicable to qubits, the building blocks of quantum information theory.

They report their results in a paper published this week in Nature Photonics.

The direct measurement technique was first developed in 2011 by scientists at the National Research Council, Canada, to measure the wavefunction -- a way of determining the state of a quantum system.

Such direct measurements of the wavefunction had long seemed impossible because of a key tenet of the uncertainty principle -- the idea that certain properties of a quantum system could be known only poorly if certain other related properties were known with precision. The ability to make these measurements directly challenges the idea that full understanding of a quantum system could never come from direct observation.

The Rochester/Ottawa researchers, led by Robert Boyd, who has appointments at both universities, measured the polarization states of light -- the directions in which the electric and magnetic fields of the light oscillate. Their key result, like that of the team that pioneered direct measurement, is that it is possible to measure key related variables, known as "conjugate" variables, of a quantum particle or state directly. The polarization states of light can be used to encode information, which is why they can be the basis of qubits in quantum information applications.

"The ability to perform direct measurement of the quantum wavefunction has important future implications for quantum information science," explained Boyd, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Nonlinear Optics at the University of Ottawa and Professor of Optics and Physics at the University of Rochester. "Ongoing work in our group involves applying this technique to other systems, for example, measuring the form of a "mixed" (as opposed to a pure) quantum state."

Previously, a technique called quantum tomography has allowed researchers to measure the information contained in these quantum states, but only indirectly. Quantum tomography requires intensive post-processing of the data, and this is a time-consuming process that is not required in the direct measurement technique. Thus, in principle, the new technique provides the same information as quantum tomography but in significantly less time.

"The key to characterizing any quantum system is gathering information about conjugate variables," said co-author Jonathan Leach, who is now a lecturer at Heriot-Watt University, UK. "The reason it wasn't thought possible to measure two conjugate variables directly was because measuring one would destroy the wavefunction before the other one could be measured."

The direct measurement technique employs a "trick" to measure the first property in such a way that the system is not disturbed significantly and information about the second property can still be obtained. This careful measurement relies on the "weak measurement" of the first property followed by a "strong measurement" of the second property.

First described 25 years ago, weak measurement requires that the coupling between the system and what is used to measure it be, as its name suggests, "weak," which means that the system is barely disturbed in the measurement process. The downside of this type of measurement is that a single measurement only provides a small amount of information, and to get an accurate readout, the process has to be repeated multiple times and the average taken.

Boyd and his colleagues used the position and momentum of the light as the indicator of the polarization state. To couple the polarization to the spatial degree of freedom they used birefringent crystals: when light goes through such a crystal, there is a spatial separation introduced for different polarizations. For example, if light is made of a combination of horizontally and vertically polarized component, the positions of the individual components will spread out when it goes through the crystal according to its polarization. The thickness of the crystal can control the strength of the measurement, weak or strong, and determine the degree of separation, correspondingly small or large.

In this experiment, Boyd and his colleagues passed polarized light through two crystals of differing thicknesses: the first, a very thin crystal that "weakly" measures the horizontal and vertical polarization state; the second, a much thicker crystal that "strongly" measures the diagonal and anti-diagonal polarization state. As the first measurement was performed weakly, the system is not significantly disturbed, and therefore, information gained from the second measurement was still valid. This process is repeated several times to build up accurate statistics. Putting all of this together gives a full, direct characterization of the polarization states of the light.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jeff Z. Salvail, Megan Agnew, Allan S. Johnson, Eliot Bolduc, Jonathan Leach, Robert W. Boyd. Full characterization of polarization states of light via direct measurement. Nature Photonics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.24

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/matter_energy/physics/~3/gnTyWqxqd1s/130303154958.htm

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Elderly Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses to Give Her CPR

A 911 dispatcher pleaded with a nurse at a Bakersfield, Calif., senior living facility to save the life of an elderly woman by giving her CPR, but the nurse said policy did not allow her to, according to a newly released audiotape of the call.

"Is there anybody there that's willing to help this lady and not let her die?" the dispatcher asked in a recording of the 911 call released by the Bakersfield Fire Department.

"Not at this time," the nurse said.

The incident unfolded on Tuesday when 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless collapsed at Glenwood Gardens, a senior living facility in Bakersfield.

In the seven-minute, 16-second recording, the nurse told the dispatcher it was against the facility's policy for employees to perform CPR on residents.

With every passing second, Bayless' chances of survival were diminishing. The dispatcher's tone turned desperate.

"Anybody there can do CPR. Give them the phone please. I understand if your facility is not willing to do that. Give the phone to that passerby," the dispatcher said. "This woman is not breathing enough. She is going to die if we don't get this started."

After several minutes, an ambulance arrived and took Bayless to Mercy Southwest Hospital, where she died.

Glenwood Gardens released a statement confirming its policy prohibiting employees from performing CPR.

"In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community, our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives. That is the protocol we followed," the statement said.

Despite protocol being followed, the nursing home said it would launch an internal investigation into the matter.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/elderly-woman-dies-nurse-refuses-182806550.html

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Star Tribune poll: Most Minnesotans want tax hike only on wealthy (Star Tribune)

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8 of the best tech products from Mobile World Congress

Staff , LAPTOP ? ? ? 9 hrs.

Mobile World Congress remains the world?s biggest dedicated mobile technology event, and this year?s show saw more than 70,000 people converge in Barcelona to find out what?s next in smartphones, tablets and more. From upstart operating systems and the world?s thinnest slate to a whole new way to make your own apps, these are the eight best mobile products from Mobile World Congress 2013:

Best smartphone: LG Optimus G Pro

These days, high-end features like a quad-core processor and 1080p screen are just table stakes in the Android superphone game. That?s why with the Optimus G Pro, LG focused on delivering uniquely compelling software that makes work more efficient and play more fun.

With LG?s updated QSlide technology, users can run important apps in small windows on the 5.5-inch full HD screen, allowing them to multitask in a way never before available on a phone. Dual Recording, which allows you to capture video using both the front HD camera and back 13-MP shooter at the same time, takes family video to a whole new level. Then there's QTranslate, which provides real-time offline translation of words viewed through the camera lens. Add in a whopping 3,140mAh battery and you have an Android phone ready to take on the world.

More:LG Optimus G Pro Pairs 1080p Screen with Powerful Multitasking Features (VIDEO)

Best budget smartphone: Nokia Lumia 520

With the Lumia 520, Nokia has proved its dedication to bringing high-end features to lower price points, making the Windows Phone 8 experience available to an entirely new set of users worldwide. The 520 sports a 5-MP camera that supports Nokia's fun lens apps and offers super-sensitive touch technology for controlling the display even when you're wearing gloves. The phone cuts a few corners compared to the powerful Lumia 920, with a screen resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and no LTE support, but these compromises bring the price down to just 139 EUR, or around $180 USD unsubsidized. Overall, the Lumia 520 looks like a fantastic deal.

More:Nokia Debuts Lumia 520 Entry-Level Smartphone and Three Other Budget Options (VIDEO)

Best large tablet: Sony Xperia Tablet Z

At just 0.3 inches thick, Sony?s Xperia Tablet Z may be the ?world?s thinnest tablet,? but that isn?t the only reason it takes home the prize for Best Large Tablet of Mobile World Congress 2013. This 10-incher packs a gorgeous 1920 x 1080-pixel display with a 20 percent greater color gamut than Apple?s iPad, thanks to Sony?s Bravia Engine technology. And with a powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, the Xperia Z has enough muscle to take on the toughest tasks.

Oh, and did we mention the whole thing goes underwater? That?s right, the Xperia Z can take a dip in up to 6 inches of water for 30 minutes. Rounding out this tablet?s top-tier features are an integrated IR blaster and Sony?s SideView app, which allows you to see what?s on TV and change the channel.

More:Sony Xperia Tablet Z is World?s Thinnest Tablet, Goes Underwater (VIDEO)

Best small tablet: Samsung Galaxy Note 8

If Goldilocks were shopping for a tablet, she?d say the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is just right. Samsung?s powerful new quad-core tablet was modeled after a notepad, making it ideal for taking notes in meetings using the built-in S Pen. The Galaxy Note 8 also packs a host of compelling software features, from Samsung?s Dual View multi-window feature to Idea Sketch, which provides clip art images based on words you scribble on screen. Other highlights include Smart Remote for controlling your TV and a Reading Mode that automatically adjusts the display for enjoying e-books.

More:Samsung Galaxy Note 8: The Pen Tablet You?ve Been Waiting For (VIDEO)

Best car tech: AT&T and GM 4G LTE

AT&T and General Motors want your next car to provide a truly connected experience. The two companies announced a new partnership at Mobile World Congress 2013 that will see GM?s 2015 model year vehicles equipped with AT&T's 4G LTE modems. With all that bandwidth, you can stream video to your car?s rear seat displays and keep the kids from asking "are we there yet?" every five minutes.

GM is also considering installing cameras at all four exterior corners of select vehicles, which users will then be able to access via the Web in order to get a live look at their cars from a mobile app. The system can also determine when your car has been hit and send you an alert.

More:AT&T 4G LTE Brings Live TV, Apps, and More to GM Vehicles

Best mobile software: AppMachine

These days everyone wants a mobile application, but software development can be a lengthy and complicated process. AppMachine is an online software platform that takes the pain and high learning curve out of creating applications for Android and iOS. Users can enter a website, social media page or RSS feed and populate an app in seconds. You can customize your app?s appearance using one of the included themes or more advanced settings. The company will even submit your application to the Apple App Store or Google Play, usually a long and tedious process, allowing you to create and sell your app in hours rather than weeks or months.

More: AppMachine Helps Anyone Create Native iPhone and Android Apps (VIDEO)

Best innovation: Firefox OS

We?ve had high hopes for Mozilla?s HTML 5-powered Firefox OS for quite awhile, and when it finally made its big debut here at Mobile World Congress 2013, it didn?t disappoint. Mozilla designed the attractive operating open system to break down the barriers between apps and Web pages and between developers and users. Unlike other platforms that rely exclusively on walled garden app stores to distribute software, Firefox OS will allow software publishers to sell their wares directly to consumers while also providing a vibrant market for app discovery.

To Mozilla, local apps and remote Web pages deserve equal treatment. So Firefox OS? most unique feature is a dynamic search function that scours websites and HTML 5 apps at the same time. If you want information on your favorite musician, the search engine will show a screen with background wallpaper of that artist and icons representing both Web pages and apps with ticket info, biographies and songs. So far, we?ve only seen the Firefox OS running on entry-level smartphones, but it should be coming to mid-range and high-end handsets soon.

More:Firefox OS Breaks Barrier Between Web and Apps (VIDEO)

Best accessory: Samsung HomeSync

We?ve seen network-attached storage drives and we?ve seen set-top boxes, but we?ve never seen anything quite like the Samsung HomeSync, a home media center that runs a full version of Android 4.1 Jellybean while providing 1TB of storage for sharing media across all of your devices.

Using a Bluetooth input device or a Samsung smartphone as your keyboard/mouse, you can play demanding games, watch movies or run any app from Google Play on the device?s 1.7-GHz, dual-core processor. Fire up the AllShare app on your phone or tablet and use it to browse photos, videos or songs from the HomeSync?s massive hard drive.

More: Samsung HomeSync 1TB Media Center Doubles as Android Station (VIDEO]

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

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/8-best-tech-products-mobile-world-congress-1C8645570

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Toby Keith's bassist killed in Oklahoma car crash

SLAUGHTERVILLE, Okla. (AP) ? Authorities say the bassist for country music star Toby Keith has been killed in a two-car crash in Oklahoma.

The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office says 54-year-old Carl "Chuck" Goff Jr. was killed in the crash Wednesday night in rural Cleveland County, about 35 miles south of Oklahoma City.

Keith said in a statement that he's "deeply saddened" by Goff's death. Keith says Goff was a close friend for more than 25 years, serving as band leader and bass player.

Goff shared writing credits on "Upstairs Downtown" and "You Ain't Much Fun" on Keith's 1994 album "Boomtown."

The two-vehicle crash remains under investigation. Authorities say the driver of the second vehicle wasn't seriously injured.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/toby-keiths-bassist-killed-oklahoma-car-crash-132811436.html

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LG Spirit 4G Review: The Best, Cheap Pre-Paid Phone We've Ever Used

Metro PCS isn't exactly known for its selection of cutting-edge devices. Yes, it has the Galaxy S III now, but they charge 500 bucks for it. Pardon us for generalizing, but we're going to posit that people on Metro PCS are looking to save money. That's where the LG Spirit 4G find its sweet-spot. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Gjd66NPfme8/lg-spirit-4g-review-the-best-cheap-pre+paid-phone-weve-ever-used

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Lindsay Lohan Lawyer Destroyed By Judge: You're INCOMPETENT!

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Pope Emeritus' last day

MADRID, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked. The four-times World Player of the Year and leading scorer in one of the greatest club teams of all time, was a shadow of his usual self at the San Siro in a Champions League last-16 first leg last week, when Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/pope-benedict-xvi-1360597946-slideshow/

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New Jersey 'sea monster' is likely a lamprey (+video)

Photos of an eel-like creature captured in New Jersey have gone viral, prompting speculations of a 'sea monster.' The animal appears to be a sea lamprey, a type of parasite common in northern Atlantic waters, experts say.

By Mai Ng?c Ch?u,?Contributor / February 27, 2013

Just one week after they appeared on the social news site Reddit,?photos of a strange, bloody animal caught in a New Jersey river have drawn more than one million views. The eel-like creature has a large, round mouth, thick lips, and rows of jagged teeth.

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A sea monster? Probably not.?For Doug Cutler, a New Jersey fisherman who speared the creature in the Raritan River nearly two years ago, it is nothing he hasn't seen before in New Jersey waters, although that was the first time he'd actually caught one.

?A friend recently posted those pictures because we were having a contest about who had the weirdest catch. It?s nothing new to the Raritan," Cutler told the Newark Star-Ledger.

A spokeswoman of New York Department of Environmental Conservation told the paper that the animal was likely a type of sea lamprey, a parasite native to?northern Atlantic waters.

Experts say sea lampreys can grow up to 3.9 feet in length, weighing up to 5.5 pounds. Cutler said the one he caught was about 3 feet long and weighed about 4.5 pounds.

Cutler, who works at a state fish hatchery, also denied rumors that he faked the photos.?

?It shows just how disconnected people are from nature,? he told the Star-Ledger.

The sea lamprey, whose scientific name is?Petromyzon marinus, is native to the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. They can be found in the coastal seas off the Northeast USA, Nova Scotia, southern Greenland, the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia. In the 20th century, the species spread through the Great Lakes, where they drastically reduced populations of native fish.?

Lampreys use their suckers to attach to herring, mackerel, salmon, trout, and even some sharks. They use their rough tongue to suck out fluids and tissues for food. As few as one in every seven host fish are thought to survive.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/0nhKvd1xY90/New-Jersey-sea-monster-is-likely-a-lamprey-video

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