MallWeGo is launching at the Disrupt NY 2013 Startup Alley today with a social, gaming shopping experience for web and mobile. The company has built a virtual world for socialising with friends in avatar form, which looks like a simplified Second Life or The Sims, but the kicker is it's built for ecommerce, with a virtual mall where people can buy real-world products.
NEW YORK (AP) ? The China Institute Gallery has been transformed into an ancient cave, taking visitors back more than a millennium to a dazzling world where Buddhist worshippers adorned the walls with colorful frescoes, silk prayer banners and lavishly painted life-size clay sculptures.
"Dunhuang: Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road" features a replica of an 8th century cave carved into the limestone cliffs at the edge of the Gobi Desert southeast of the oasis town of Dunhuang from 366 to about 1300.
It is one of 735 Mogao Caves constructed during what is known as the high Tang period (705-781), designed for devout Buddhists to gather and worship. Nearly every inch is covered in art, with a canopy ceiling resplendent in floral and diamond shapes. One end is filled with life-sized sculptures of a Buddha flanked by two monk disciples wearing luxuriously patterned robes, two bare-chested figures and two ferocious-looking guardians in military armor.
While there have been exhibitions that have featured individual pieces from the Mogoa Caves, this is the first exhibition in the United States to put all the elements of the cave shrines into context, said Annette Juliano, a professor of Chinese art history at Rutgers University.
It shows the "relationship between the architecture, the pictures, the subject matter and the (ritual) practices . the actual use of the cave, rather than just an abstraction," added Juliano, who visited the caves for the first time in 1980.
Many of the caves are exquisitely preserved but others are fragile due to neglect over the centuries and the conditions of the surrounding desert and sand dunes. To protect them from further erosion, tourist access is limited to several dozen caves a day that are rotated regularly.
The exhibition also features a 6th-century replica of an elaborate square altar called the Central Stupa Pillar that highlights the religious ritual of circumambulation ? an act of veneration ? in which the faithful walk clockwise around the altar that contains four niches, each holding a Buddha.
"Walking around the stupa pillar helps to empty your mind to allow visualization, to focus on the images of the Buddhas," said Juliano, who contributed an essay to the exhibition catalog.
Exact, hand-painted reproductions of wall motifs and story scenes complete the exhibition space in this gallery. Among the highlights is a Thousand Buddha pattern that covers an entire wall and is symbolic of the deity's omnipresence. Among the narrative paintings is the tale of the Deer King and his journey toward enlightenment.
Authentic silk prayer banners, a handwritten Buddhist scripture in near mint condition, a Yuan dynasty fragment of a mathematical document, small clay figurines, Persian silver coins that bear witness to foreign travelers on the Silk Road, patterned floor tiles and oil lamps used to light the dark caves round out the small two-gallery exhibition.
The Mogao Cave shrines, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, were largely unknown in the West until they were discovered in 1900 by a Hungarian archaeologist, Sir Aurel Stein.
Dunhuang, located at the north and south crossroads of the Silk Road, was a strategic hub of trade and religion. Stein, who made several treks through Central Asia, had heard rumors of a cave room sealed in the 11th century containing tens of thousands of manuscripts, scrolls, silk paintings and textiles dating in Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit and other languages.
A local caretaker had uncovered the treasure trove after discovering a crack in the wall of a corridor leading to a larger cave. It's not clear why the room was sealed, but scholars speculate they were walled up to protect them from the threat of invasion from nomadic people.
Stein was able to persuade the caretaker to sell a portion of the material in exchange for money for the cave's upkeep. In subsequent years, almost 80 percent of the contents were taken out of the country by foreign adventurers. Today, the treasures are found in various museums and libraries around the world.
The exhibition, organized by the Dunhuang Academy, runs through July 21. A second exhibition in the fall will focus on paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists inspired by the caves.
Marcella Butler has joined Think Finance as Chief Human Resources Officer. Butler joins Think Finance from Google where she worked in a variety of directorate-level roles across corporate development, finance and people operations.
PRESS RELEASE
Think Finance, a company that develops online financial products that bridge the gap between payday loans and credit cards, today announced it has named Marcella Butler as its Chief Human Resources Officer.
Ms. Butler joins Think Finance from Google, where she spent five years in a variety of directorate-level roles across corporate development, finance and people operations. Prior to that, Ms. Butler was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for Pershing Square Capital Management and Chief Administration Officer for Sanford Bernstein, LLC. She has also held positions with Egon Zehner International, McKinsey & Company and Morgan Stanley & Co, Inc. ?We?re delighted to welcome Marcella to Think Finance,? said Think Finance Global Chief Executive Officer Ken Rees. ?Her impressive background and expertise will help us navigate the challenges of rapid growth and create a truly great place to work for all our employees.? ?I?m excited to work with the talented individuals at Think Finance,? said Ms. Butler. ?The Think Finance team is vibrant and growing with the business, and together, we will continue to lever the unique aspects of Think Finance?s culture as we build a great place to work and grow.? Ms. Butler graduated with highest distinction from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where she was a Morehead scholar and holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University?s Kennedy School of Government. About Think Finance Think Finance develops online financial products that bridge the gap between payday loans and credit cards. Using our technology and analytics platform, Think Finance and the lenders we work with have provided over $3.5 billion in credit to 1.5 million consumers in the U.S. and abroad and have saved customers over $1 billion compared to payday loans. Think Finance is privately held and is backed by some of Silicon Valley?s most respected venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital and Technology Crossover Ventures. The company was recently named No. 2 on Forbes? America?s Most Promising Companies list. Learn more at?www.ThinkFinance.com.
Among the many patent cases currently ongoing between Motorola and Microsoft is one in US District Court in the state of Washington concerning standards-essential WiFi and h.264 patents. AllThingsD reports that while Motorola was requesting billions in royalties for the technology it owns, Judge James Robart -- who invalidated a number of its patent claims a few months ago -- ruled it's entitled to around $1.8 million per year. The reason given? There's so many patents in play, the judge determined that the amount Motorola sought would cost more than the Xbox 360 they're being implemented in, and also that it hadn't proven its patents were more valuable than those of other companies included in the same pool. All 207 pages of the decision are available beyond the source link if need more info on the hows and whys of today's decision. ATD also has quotes from each company and while Microsoft called it a good decision for consumers, Motorola chose to acknowledge the decision, but didn't hint at any reaction or future moves.
24 April 2013Last updated at 08:55 ETBy Jason PalmerScience and technology reporter, BBC News
The quest to understand why our Universe is made of matter rather than antimatter has received a boost at the Large Hadron Collider.
The LHCb experiment has for the first time observed decays of particles known as Bs mesons that end up as more matter particles than their antimatter twins.
However, the difference is still not enough to explain the preponderance of matter over antimatter in the cosmos.
The work, published online, has been submitted to Physical Review Letters.
Every member of the zoo of particles we know about has an antimatter cousin, identical in every way except for an opposite electric charge - the electrons and protons that in part make us up have positrons and antiprotons as their antimatter matches.
The current theory for how the Universe got its start holds that equal amounts of matter and antimatter were initially created. But whenever the two meet, they destroy each other in a flash of light.
Simply put, the Universe should have come to a blazing end just then. Something must have made for a slight excess of matter in order to lead to the matter-dominated Universe we see today.
It is the subtle details of this preference for matter that the LHCb experiment is hunting for as it tracks particles created when protons are smashed together.
Just like the long-running hint for the particle called the Higgs boson, clues arise in the showers of particles created by these violent collisions.
'Puzzle continues'
Previous work at the LHCb had seen hints of an excess of matter - called CP violation - in combinations of the fundamental particles called quarks.
At other experiments around the world, the family of particles called mesons had been tackled, and small amounts of CP violation had been seen in two of the four meson types that have no electric charge.
A third type, D0 mesons, showed early hints of CP violation at LHCb in 2011, but more recent studies suggest those hints were mistaken.
The new work considered the fourth: Bs mesons. The LHCb team tracked how these particles decayed further into either the matter or antimatter version of particles called kaons.
"If one decays more often to this final state... than the other one, then it shows a fundamental difference between matter and antimatter," said Chris Parkes of the University of Manchester, spokesperson for the UK contingent of the LHCb collaboration.
"That's what we've seen - a difference of about one in four of these decays," he told the BBC.
But that difference still neatly fits within existing theory - the Standard Model - leaving a mystery unresolved.
"However, the amount that we see is still compatible with the amount inside the Standard Model picture of particle physics, and this amount is just simply too small to explain why we're all here, and why everything is still made of matter - so the puzzle still continues."
The answer to that puzzle will require considering different ways in which these particles and others decay into yet more particles from the zoo that may finally show enough CP violation to close the antimatter question.
"The last thing people want is long lists of particle names - one's got to relate it to the bigger picture, and I think today is sort of a milestone in that picture - it's the first time that we've seen anything in Bs mesons," Prof Parkes told BBC News.
Mostly known for its extravagant speaker systems, KEF is finally taking a whack at ear gear. Today, the company announced two new types of HiFi headphones, known as the M Series, which include a pair of on-ear cups (M500) and a set of in-ear buds (M200). Priced at $300, the M500 sports a full aluminum frame and sweat resistant padding, along with a 10mm driver for lows and a 5.5mm driver for mids and highs in each earcup. If enclosed head gear isn't your thing, the $200 M200 offers an aluminum housing and a pair of silicone ear tips with an adjustable arm for improved comfort. Like their pricer sibling, these earphones also feature a dual-driver system. While we've yet to spend time with the M500 or M200, their press pictures and specs aren't too shabby. Call it a hunch, but we doubt they'll need any celebrity endorsements. For more info on KEF's new headphone line, hit the presser after the break.
It's a work-around, but there is a way to delete those pesky empty Google+ albums from your Gallery
Has your Gallery gone haywire with blank and duplicate Google+ albums? Don't worry, you're not alone. Since the implementation of Google+ Instant Upload and its deep integration into the included Gallery app, more and more of the photos you see on your device aren't actually... on your device. This all works great until there's an issue -- and what many people have been experiencing is duplicate, blank, and mislabeled albums showing up in their Gallery.
The problem is there's no way from the Gallery to manage these photos, it has to be done on the web. If you've been having issues with weird albums showing up in your Gallery, hang tight after the break and see if we can do something about that.
You just replaced Hollywood executives. Amazon released its first wave of TV show pilots and is pushing them all out to viewers and letting them decide which ones get made.
Kalamazoo center of geologic focus this MayPublic release date: 18-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christa Stratton cstratton@geosociety.org Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America North-Central Section Meeting
Boulder, Colorado, USA - Geoscientists from the north-central U.S. and beyond will convene in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, on 2-3 May to celebrate GSA's 125th Anniversary and discuss new science, expand on existing science, and explore the unique geologic and historic features of the region, with a special emphasis on the Great Lakes. Events include a showing of Scott Tinker's film, Switch, and a keynote address by William F. Ruddiman titled, "When Did We Transform Earth's Surface?"
Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into 23 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Go to http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/techprog.htm to learn more.
THURSDAY, 2 MAY
CO2 Storage and Greenhouse Gases
Charles W. Rovey II of Missouri State University, presiding, 8 a.m.noon (session 1)
Paleontology as a Murder Mystery: How the Study of Predation and Taphonomy Reveals the Means, Motives & Opportunities of Ancient Perpetrators and Their Victims
Karen A. Koy of Missouri Western State University and Joseph E. Peterson of the University of WisconsinOshkosh, presiding, 8 a.m.noon (session 27)
Paper 31-9: Water Resource Impacts Associated with the Sand-Mining Boom in Western Wisconsin: A Comparison between Agricultural Activities and Sand Processing. First author: Kent M. Syverson of the University of WisconsinEau Claire: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NC/webprogram/Paper218689.html (4:30 p.m.).
###
View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NC/webprogram/start.html. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Find complete meeting information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/.
Find local contact information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/contact.htm.
MEDIA REGISTRATION
Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter or business card from the publication.
Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2012 or 2013.
PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Present media credentials to William Cox onsite at the GSA registration desk to obtain a badge for media access. Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.
For additional information and assistance, contact Christa Stratton, GSA Director of Communications, at the address above.
http://www.geosociety.org
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
Kalamazoo center of geologic focus this MayPublic release date: 18-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christa Stratton cstratton@geosociety.org Geological Society of America
Geological Society of America North-Central Section Meeting
Boulder, Colorado, USA - Geoscientists from the north-central U.S. and beyond will convene in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, on 2-3 May to celebrate GSA's 125th Anniversary and discuss new science, expand on existing science, and explore the unique geologic and historic features of the region, with a special emphasis on the Great Lakes. Events include a showing of Scott Tinker's film, Switch, and a keynote address by William F. Ruddiman titled, "When Did We Transform Earth's Surface?"
Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into 23 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Go to http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/techprog.htm to learn more.
THURSDAY, 2 MAY
CO2 Storage and Greenhouse Gases
Charles W. Rovey II of Missouri State University, presiding, 8 a.m.noon (session 1)
Paleontology as a Murder Mystery: How the Study of Predation and Taphonomy Reveals the Means, Motives & Opportunities of Ancient Perpetrators and Their Victims
Karen A. Koy of Missouri Western State University and Joseph E. Peterson of the University of WisconsinOshkosh, presiding, 8 a.m.noon (session 27)
Paper 31-9: Water Resource Impacts Associated with the Sand-Mining Boom in Western Wisconsin: A Comparison between Agricultural Activities and Sand Processing. First author: Kent M. Syverson of the University of WisconsinEau Claire: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NC/webprogram/Paper218689.html (4:30 p.m.).
###
View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NC/webprogram/start.html. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Find complete meeting information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/.
Find local contact information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/nc/2013mtg/contact.htm.
MEDIA REGISTRATION
Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter or business card from the publication.
Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2012 or 2013.
PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Present media credentials to William Cox onsite at the GSA registration desk to obtain a badge for media access. Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.
For additional information and assistance, contact Christa Stratton, GSA Director of Communications, at the address above.
http://www.geosociety.org
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Apr. 16, 2013 ? University of British Columbia researchers have found a new potential use for the over-the-counter pain drug Tylenol. Typically known to relieve physical pain, the study suggests the drug may also reduce the psychological effects of fear and anxiety over the human condition, or existential dread.
Published in the Association for Psychological Science journal Psychological Science, the study advances our understanding of how the human brain processes different kinds of pain.
"Pain exists in many forms, including the distress that people feel when exposed to thoughts of existential uncertainty and death," says lead author Daniel Randles, UBC Dept. of Psychology. "Our study suggests these anxieties may be processed as 'pain' by the brain -- but Tylenol seems to inhibit the signal telling the brain that something is wrong."
The study builds on recent American research that found acetaminophen -- the generic form of Tylenol -- can successfully reduce the non-physical pain of being ostracized from friends. The UBC team sought to determine whether the drug had similar effects on other unpleasant experiences -- in this case, existential dread.
In the study, participants took acetaminophen or a placebo while performing tasks designed to evoke this kind of anxiety -- including writing about death or watching a surreal David Lynch video -- and then assign fines to different types of crimes, including public rioting and prostitution.
Compared to a placebo group, the researchers found the people taking acetaminophen were significantly more lenient in judging the acts of the criminals and rioters -- and better able to cope with troubling ideas. The results suggest that participants' existential suffering was "treated" by the headache drug.
"That a drug used primarily to alleviate headaches may also numb people to the worry of thoughts of their deaths, or to the uneasiness of watching a surrealist film -- is a surprising and very interesting finding," says Randles, a PhD candidate who authored the study with Prof. Steve Heine and Nathan Santos.
While the findings suggest that acetaminophen can help to reduce anxiety, the researchers caution that further research -- and clinical trials -- must occur before acetaminophen should be considered a safe or effective treatment for anxiety.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of British Columbia.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
D. Randles, S. J. Heine, N. Santos. The Common Pain of Surrealism and Death: Acetaminophen Reduces Compensatory Affirmation Following Meaning Threats. Psychological Science, 2013; DOI: 10.1177/0956797612464786
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
FILE - Three Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., in this Feb. 23, 2011 file photo. Dish Network is offering to buy Sprint Nextel Corp. in a cash-and-stock deal it values at $25.5 billion, saying its bid is superior to that of Japanese phone company SoftBank. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
FILE - Three Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., in this Feb. 23, 2011 file photo. Dish Network is offering to buy Sprint Nextel Corp. in a cash-and-stock deal it values at $25.5 billion, saying its bid is superior to that of Japanese phone company SoftBank. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Dish Network Corp. is trying to snag U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel away from a Japanese suitor, the latest sign that satellite dishes are losing their relevance in the age of cellphones that play everything from YouTube videos to live TV.
Dish offered $25.5 billion in cash and stock on Monday for Sprint, which Dish says beats an offer from Japan's Softbank Corp.
If the Dish deal goes through, it would create a unique combination of pay-TV and wireless operator. Dish's hope is that it would lure customers with the promise of a TV service that they can take with them out of the house, on their phones. It has already broken ranks with the pay-TV industry by providing a set-top box that can send recorded shows to iPads.
"You want to be in your home with video, broadband, and data, and voice, and you want to be outside your home with those same things," said Charlie Ergen, Dish's executive chairman. "And while the cable industry does a really good job in your home, and the current wireless industry does a really good job outside your home, there's really no one company on a national scale that puts it all together. The new Dish-Sprint will do that."
Sprint Nextel Corp.'s stock jumped on the news, as investors anticipated a bidding war between Dish and Softbank. Sprint had accepted the Softbank offer and was expecting to close on it this summer. Sprint, the country's third-largest cellphone carrier, said it would evaluate Dish's offer.
For years, Dish has been able to grow rapidly by luring cable TV subscribers with better deals. But its subscriber numbers have been flat for the past three years. Unlike TV cables, satellite dishes aren't good conduits for Internet access. That means that Dish and larger rival DirecTV have been left behind in the rush to connect homes to broadband, while cable has been able to retain customers by offering TV, Internet and phone bundles.
Ergen has been looking for a way into the wireless world to counter that. Dish has been buying space on the airwaves, so-called spectrum rights, for cellphone service or wireless broadband. But the Englewood, Colo., company has been repeatedly rebuffed in its efforts to partner with cellphone companies to put its spectrum to use.
"People have generally blown him off and not taken him seriously," technology consultant Tim Farrar said. "This is really saying 'We are serious.'"
The latest bid comes amid a ferment of deal-making in the wireless world. The two largest carriers, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., are trying to bolster their spectrum holdings, while the next largest, Sprint and T-Mobile USA, are trying to make alliances to better compete after years of seeing their subscribers move to the bigger players. T-Mobile USA has struck a deal to merge with No. 5 MetroPCS Communications Inc., and Sprint's deal with Softbank would give Sprint a much-needed cash infusion.
On a conference call Monday, Ergen said that Dish is a better fit for Sprint because it can combine its spectrum rights with Sprint's. Dish can also use its army of satellite dish technicians to install antennas for wireless broadband on customer's roofs, creating a competitor to cable and phone-line broadband. It could also save money by combining its call centers and back-end functions with those of Sprint.
Dish has 14.1 million TV subscribers, making it the No. 2 satellite-TV company after DirecTV. Comcast Corp. is larger than both and is the nation's largest subscription-TV provider. Sprint, which is based in Overland Park, Kan., has 55.6 million wireless devices on its network.
Dish said that its proposed transaction includes $17.3 billion in cash and $8.2 billion in stock, leaving Sprint shareholders with 32 percent of the combined Dish-Sprint. Dish put the total worth of the offer at $7 per Sprint share, which is a 13 percent premium to its Friday closing price of $6.22.
Softbank is offering $20.1 billion in cash, and shareholders get to keep 30 percent of Sprint.
Shares of Sprint rose 84 cents, or 14 percent, to close Monday at $7.06. Because that's above Dish's offer, it indicates that investors are expecting a sweetened bid from Softbank or Dish. Dish shares fell 86 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $36.77, as the broader market retreated and investors figured that to own a piece of the combined company, it would be cheaper to buy Sprint shares instead.
The fight over Sprint pits two high-stakes gamblers against each other. Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Softbank, is a famously aggressive deal maker. Dish's Ergen is a former professional poker player and the engineer of risky deals such as the acquisition of the Blockbuster video-store chain.
"It appears to us that Sprint is in a solid position from a negotiating standpoint," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher King wrote in a research note.
He said Softbank could comfortably raise its bid. Dish isn't as strong as Softbank financially, but King said Dish is a "strategically desperate" bidder and might be forced to raise its offer, as it needs Sprint to gain a foothold in wireless.
Sprint might not be Dish's last chance, however. Farrar said that if Dish is outbid by Softbank, an alternative might be to buy T-Mobile USA instead.
Cable companies, Dish's chief competitors, have also repeatedly sought an entry into the wireless world but have largely abandoned those efforts, daunted by the high cost of setting up a network. Instead, some of the largest ones have partnered with Verizon Wireless to co-market wireless and cable-TV service. Because cable modems are the most popular way to connect a home to the Internet, cable companies are also able to capitalize on the popularity of the Internet in a way satellite companies can't.
Ergen said during the conference call that Dish believed that Softbank undervalued Sprint. Although he would not say whether Dish would raise its bid for Sprint if Softbank came back with a higher offer, he said that Dish would be more than will to pay the $600 million breakup fee for Sprint and Softbank to terminate their proposed transaction.
Another component of the Sprint purchase is wireless network operator Clearwire. In December, Sprint agreed to buy the portion of Clearwire it didn't own for $2.2 billion.
That deal would give Sprint control of an affiliate it depends upon to provide high-speed "Sprint 4G" data services on some of its phones. The Clearwire deal is contingent on the Softbank deal going through, as Sprint lacks the money to complete it on its own.
Dish made its own bid of about $5.15 billion for Clearwire in January. Ergen said that Dish has not formally withdrawn its Clearwire offer and that its Sprint buyout bid is not contingent on Clearwire going through with the Sprint offer.
Further complicating the picture, Clearwire revealed Friday that it has received an offer of $1 billion to $1.5 billion for some of its spectrum rights from an unnamed company. The Wall Street Journal on Monday identified the prospective buyer as Verizon Wireless. Verizon declined to comment.
___
AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman contributed to this report.
I'm glad that you approve of it all. :D I understand completely about the whole age thing, she will most likely be eighteen.. newly legal, hehe. Thanks, I will have you a sample by tomorrow evening, if that's alright. I definitely like your style on how you go about things! :T Is there a certain situation or anything you'd like my writing sample to be about? Or just whatever, as long as it involves the character I'll be portraying in this role-play? I don't mind if you have a certain scenario in mind for me. I'm flexible.
(And I'll keep that in mind (question asking, that is). I'll probably have a couple for you eventually. I like making sure I have everything down so I can portray the role of my character correctly. ^-^)
NEW YORK (AP) ? It was a hair-raising experience for actor Hugh Jackman at a New York City gym.
WCBS reports that Jackman was working out in a gym Saturday morning in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood when a woman rushed in, crying and shouting that she loved him.
The "X-Men" star told the radio station on Sunday that the run-in was frightening.
Police say 47-year-old Kathleen Thurston pulled out a razor filled with hair and threw it at him, then fled and was arrested several blocks from the gym. Jackman wasn't hurt.
Thurston is charged with stalking and awaits arraignment. It's unclear whether she has a lawyer.
Police say she has gone near the victim and his family before.
(Reuters) - Activist hedge fund Barington Capital Group is urging fashion company Jones Group Inc to sell parts of its portfolio, the Wall Street Journal reported citing a person familiar with the matter.
Barington Group, which owns about 2 percent of the company's stock, also suggested other options such as cutting costs and adding directors to the board, the journal reported.
The paper reported that Jones confirmed its Chief Executive Wesley Card met with Barington at Barington's request, earlier this month.
The New York-based company behind brands such as Nine West and Jones New York had reported a higher-than-expected profit for the holiday quarter in February, as sales of its shoes and jeans to U.S. department stores picked up.
Jones had then said that as part of its efforts to improve margins, it would be careful about building up too much inventory in 2013.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Barington urged Jones to hire financial advisers to focus on its core and emerging brands.
The company in recent years has benefited from its shift to higher-end brands with the acquisition of names such as Stuart Weitzman and Kurt Geiger and forecast revenue above analysts' estimates for 2013.
(Reporting By Aditya Kondalamahanty in Bangalore; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Instead of personally giving his weekly address to the nation, President Barack Obama has asked Francine Wheeler, whose son was killed in the Dec. 14 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school, to deliver remarks this week.
Obama tweeted the news after it was first announced by White House press secretary Jay Carney at Friday's briefing:
Carney earlier in the day noted that family members of the Newtown, Conn., shooting have been lobbying lawmakers in Washington, D.C., this week to pass legislation to reduce gun violence. "He believes their voices and resolve have been critical to the continued progress we've seen in the Senate," Carney said of the families. "With that in mind, the president has asked Francine Wheeler, who lost her 6-year-old son, Ben, on that terrible day, to speak to the American people in this week's weekly address."
Carney said this is the first time in this administration that someone other than the president or vice president has been asked to deliver the weekly address, which is broadcast each Saturday to the American public on radio and television.
With only 6 days to go, the Grip Clip Kickstarter project is already fully funded. This small injection molded?silicone clip slides onto the temple of your glasses and provides??an open gripper that can hold a pencil, pen, or other similarly sized object. The look is akin to sticking a pencil behind your ear, but it [...]
BOSTON (AP) ? The caffeinated concoctions sound like something out of a mad scientist's lab: coffee infused with bacon or caramelized tangerine; spiced orange reduction or liquefied cheesecake.
After months of preparation and percolation, the country's top baristas are giving it their best shots in Beantown.
The United State Barista Championship got started Thursday at the Boston Convention Center and runs through Sunday, when one contender's brewing brilliance will reign supreme.
Fifty of the county's best baristas get 15 minutes to prepare and serve four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature beverages of their choice to a panel of judges. Competitors are judged on taste, procedure, consistency, cleanliness and technical details including whether they are wasting precious coffee.
Competitors are expected to demonstrate their art and skill to deliver the best coffee and espresso-based beverages to customers.
"Great coffee preparation is at the heart of the competition, certainly, but it is not the only thing that barista competitors are judge on," said Tara Shenson of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which organizes the contest. "So ultimately, we are looking for them to create a certain experience as well, just the same way you would expect the same specialty in your local cafe."
The customer experience can be just as important as the coffee, Shenson said. The competitor's choice of ambient music, dress and how they tell the story of their beverages can factor into their performance.
The baristas qualified for the national championship after coming on top at six regional contests. The winner of the national title will bag an all-expenses-paid trip to the World Barista Championship next month in Melbourne, Australia.
Katie Carguilo of New York City's Counter Culture Coffee is the reigning U.S. champ. The New Hampshire native making her third appearance in the competition said being a top barista requires much more than a casual interest in coffee.
"It's sort of just like being a great chef or a great mixologist, you have to love the products that you are working with and really want to serve people something great and you have to experiment with them in order to understand what makes something good and what makes something not so good," Carguilo said.
Being a barista can be a very challenging and very rewarding, said Dan Streetman, chairman of the Barista Guild of America and head judge at the competition.
"Most barista work in a cafe where they are the first person someone has to interact with every day and, I don't know about you, but for me, I'm not a very happy person before I've had my coffee," he said. "And sometimes that interaction can be a little bit tough, but a great professional barista should be able to smooth that over and give someone a really great beverage and make them smile before they even start their day."
The barista competition, now in its 10th year, is much more than an entertaining part of the premium coffee industry, which accounts for 37 percent of the volume of coffee sold in the United States and half of an industry valued at about $30 billion annually, according to the industry group.
"One of our slogans is that great coffee doesn't just happen, and so this is a great way for us to work at it and to really put it out there to improve what's in the cup of specialty coffee customers every day," Streetman said.
So what exactly is great coffee?
"It's kind of like drinking a really fine wine or a fine malted scotch ? you drink it and you notice really intricate nuances, and it's something that can be a compelling experience for 20 minutes, rather than just, you know, a medicinal 'I need caffeine' kind of experience," Streetman said.
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Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ngowi
Hybrid cars have become extremely popular in the auto industry. These cars get very good gas mileage and are also environmentally friendly. Since hybrid cars are the popular choice in the auto industry today, this has a direct correlation to students in the engineering field. For students seeking an online masters in engineering management, it is important to learn about these hybrid cars because they are a sign of the evolving technology in the automotive industry.
One of the major differences in hybrid cars compared to other cars is power. Hybrid cars are a cross between a gasoline and electric car. It increases the mileage and gets rid of emissions of a gas powered car without the weaknesses of an electric car. Traditional gasoline cars produce pollution and normally have poor gas mileage. Recharging an electric car can be a difficult process at times.
A hybrid car is able to merge both gas and electric powered cars. When students pursue an online masters in engineering management, they will learn the technology used to make hybrid cars.
The structures are different between gasoline powered cars or electric powered cars compared to hybrids. Hybrids have smaller engines and have the technology needed to reduce emissions and increase overall efficiency. The electric motor on a car works as a motor and a generator. The car will get energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. When the car works as a generator, it slows the car down and gives energy to the batteries.
Hybrid cars stay warm through their technology. When the engine starts getting cold, hybrids store coolant similar to thermos that keep the fluid warm. Brakes last longer with hybrid cars as well. Most hybrids regenerate electricity with a regenerative brake instead of standard brakes. Because of this, brakes on hybrid cars don?t require the maintenance that traditional cars do. The battery also lasts longer in hybrid cars.
When the car wants to slow down, the driver puts on the breaks, which leads to the car?s wheels being engaged to a generator. The generator creates mechanical energy to help the car?s batteries. Also, if the car gets stuck in traffic and is at a complete stop, the car will not use gas at all, whereas traditional cars may waste fuel.
The basic reason that hybrids work the way that they do is synergy between the electrical engine and the gas powered engine. If the hybrid needs more power, then the computer in the car that was likely designed by students with a masters in engineering management will let the electric motor provide the extra power.
Hybrid cars are a symbol of the ever changing technology that allows things to perform at a higher level than ever. Students must be able to adapt to the different changes. Students pursuing an online masters in engineering management have the ability to learn more about the ever changing technology.
Critics Consensus: 42 Is Earnest and Inspirational - Rotten TomatoesNews ? Columns ? Critics Consensus ? Critics Consensus: 42 Is Earnest and Inspirational
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Plus, Scary Movie V wasn't screened for critics -- guess the Tomatometer!
Also opening this week in limited release:
Ken Loach's The Angels' Share, a dramedy about a working class man in trouble with the law who has one more shot to go straight, is Certified Fresh at 89 percent.
It's a Disaster, starring Julia Stiles and David Cross in a comedy about a group of couples whose brunch is interrupted by an attack on their city, is at 78 percent.
Disconnect, starring Jason Bateman and Hope Davis in a drama about a group of people who have complicated relationships with their computers and smartphones, is at 74 percent (check out our interviews with the Disconnect cast
Paris Manhattan, a romantic comedy about a French Woody Allen fan who's looking for Mr. Right, is at 71 percent.
Brandon Cronenberg's Antiviral, a sci-fi thriller about a clinic that specializes in injecting fans with the diseases of celebrities, is at 69 percent.
Into the White, starring Rupert Grint in a drama about a pair of World War II fighter pilots who've been shot down in a remote area, is at 56 percent.
Terrence Malick's To The Wonder, starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams in a romantic drama about a young couple struggling with commitment issues, is at 38 percent.
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MallWeGo is launching at the Disrupt NY 2013 Startup Alley today with a social, gaming shopping experience for web and mobile. The company has built a virtual world for socialising with friends in avatar form, which looks like a simplified Second Life or The Sims, but the kicker is it's built for ecommerce, with a virtual mall where people can buy real-world products.
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Public release date: 18-Apr-2013
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