Sony gears up for PlayStation Vita's Japan launch (AP)

TOKYO ? Sony's long-awaited PlayStation Vita portable game machine hits stores in Japan on Saturday, with the company predicting brisk sales even though the launch has missed much of the holiday shopping season.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. President Andrew House told reporters Thursday that pre-launch orders had exceeded the allocation made for those keenest to get their hands on the device "extremely quickly" in Japan. He declined to reveal numbers.

The PS Vita goes on sale in North America and Europe on Feb. 22.

Enthusiasm for the new machine among gamers could lead to some shortages at first, House said. But he said Sony can handle the expected load.

"I'm pretty confident ... that there will not be major challenges in meeting demand, even though there may be short-term," House said.

For the Tokyo-based electronics and entertainment giant, the Vita is the biggest product launch since the PlayStation 3 console five years ago.

A successful debut would help Sony offset the rest of its struggling business. It projects a loss of more than $1 billion for the fiscal year through March 2012. That would be its fourth straight annual loss.

The next-generation device is a touch-interface and motion-sensitive handheld that Sony hopes will be a strong successor to the PlayStation Portable. Gamers can connect over cellphone networks and Wi-Fi hotspots, and use GPS location-tracking technology.

The Vita has front and back cameras, a touchscreen in front, a touch pad on the back and two knob-like joysticks. It will enable gamers to play against each other using PlayStation 3 consoles over the Internet-based PlayStation Network, a system that was hit with a massive hacking attack earlier this year.

House touted the Vita's advantages over rival Nintendo Co.'s 3DS, which had a disappointing start despite the company's efforts to market its 3-D technology. Critics complained about a lack of interesting games. Nintendo ended up slashing prices on the 3DS after less than six months.

In contrast, two dozen software titles will accompany the Vita's introduction ? the largest number of launch titles in PlayStation history, House said. Games include "Uncharted: Golden Abyss," "LittleBigPlanet," and "Wipeout 2048."

House also questioned whether 3-D actually makes gaming better.

"If you see people out on the blogs saying, 'I turned it off,' then it's not then really acting as a great game enhancer."

The Vita's Wi-Fi only model will cost $249.99 in the U.S. and euros 249.99 in Europe. The Wi-Fi and 3G-enabled Vita will retail for $299.99 and euros 299.99.

Game prices in Japan will range from 2,940 yen ($37.67) to 6,090 yen ($78).

Although the 3DS costs about 40 percent less than the Vita in Japan, House contends that the Sony device offers a "truly unique gaming experience" that will lure hardcore gamers as well as new gamers.

Both Sony and Nintendo are being challenged by the rise of smartphones and tablets, through which casual gamers can play inexpensive and simple games like the mega-hit "Angry Birds."

House, however, said people will pay if it's worth it.

"Clearly, if the experience merits it, I don't think price is necessarily the barrier to entry," he said, citing the $1 billion in sales racked up by the latest "Call of Duty" game by Activision Blizzard in just over two weeks. "The point is being able to give people a sense of value for money."

House, a U.K. national, took over as president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment in September. He has worked at Sony Corp. for more than two decades.

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_on_hi_te/as_japan_sony_playstation

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Obama sets campaign theme: Middle class at stake (AP)

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. ? Declaring the American middle class in jeopardy, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a populist economic vision that will drive his re-election bid, insisting the United States must reclaim its standing as a country in which everyone can prosper if provided "a fair shot and a fair share."

While never making an overt plea for a second term, Obama's offered his most comprehensive lines of attack against the candidates seeking to take his job, only a month before Republican voters begin choosing a presidential nominee. He also sought to inject some of the long-overshadowed hope that energized his 2008 campaign, saying: "I believe America is on its way up."

In small-town Osawatomie, in a high school gym where patriotic bunting lined the bleachers, Obama presented himself as the one fighting for shared sacrifice and success against those who would gut government and let people fend for themselves. He did so knowing the nation is riven over the question of whether economic opportunity for all is evaporating.

"Throughout the country, it's sparked protests and political movements, from the tea party to the people who've been occupying the streets of New York and other cities," Obama said.

"This is the defining issue of our time," he said in echoing President Theodore Roosevelt's famous speech here in 1910.

"This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class," Obama said. "At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home and secure their retirement."

For Obama, saddled with a weak national economic recovery, the speech was a chance to break away from Washington's incremental battles and his own small-scale executive actions. He offered a sweeping indictment of economic inequality and unleashed his own brand of prairie populism.

He spoke for nearly an hour to a supportive audience, reselling his ideas under the framework of "building a nation where we're all better off."

Billed as an important address that would put today's economic debates in context, Obama's speech seemed a bit like two packaged into one.

The first was that of the campaigner, full of loft and reclamation of American values. The second was the governing Obama, who recited his familiar jobs agenda, his feud with Congress over extending a Social Security tax cut, even his fight to get his consumer watchdog confirmed.

Obama tied himself to Roosevelt, the president and reformer who came to this town in eastern Kansas and called for a "square deal" for regular Americans. Roosevelt said then the fight for progress was a conflict "between the men who possess more than they have earned and the men who have earned more than they possess."

It is a theme Obama is embracing in a mounting fight for re-election against Republicans who, regardless of the nominee, will attack his stewardship of the economy.

One of the leading contenders for the GOP nomination, Mitt Romney, ridiculed Obama for comparing himself to Roosevelt.

Obama "said that he is like Teddy Roosevelt," Romney said at a campaign event in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "And I thought, `In what way is he like Teddy Roosevelt?' Teddy Roosevelt of course founded the Bull Moose Party. One of those words applies."

Kirsten Kukowski, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said, "Maybe instead of trying to be like other presidents, Obama should try being president."

Obama took aim at the Republicans, saying they would only return the same structures that led to America's economic downturn. "Their philosophy is simple: We are better off when everyone is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules," Obama said. "I'm here to say they are wrong."

The president conceded that the country is in the midst of a consuming re-examination on his watch, prompting national movements against both government spending and an economy that many feel disproportionately favors the elite. Obama went on the offensive about income equality, saying it distorts democracy and derails the American dream.

Responding to those who want to cut taxes and regulation in the belief success will trickle down, Obama said: "Here's the problem: It doesn't work. It's never worked."

Obama noted that Theodore Roosevelt was called a "radical, a socialist, even a communist" for putting forth ideas in his last campaign such as an eight-hour work day, a minimum wage for women, unemployment insurance and a progressive income tax.

Left unsaid: Roosevelt's Bull Moose campaign in 1912 failed to return him to the White House.

Obama attempted to sum up the pain and peril for a society where the middle class is struggling. But he also called for individual responsibility.

"In the end," he said, "rebuilding this economy based on fair play, a fair shot and a fair share will require all of us to see the stake we have in each other's success."

Obama also challenged the big banks that took bailouts from American taxpayers, pointing to "a deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street." He said banks that were bailed out had an obligation to work to close that trust deficit and should be doing more to help remedy past mortgage abuses and assist middle-class taxpayers.

___

Feller contributed from Washington. Associated Press writers Erica Werner and Kasie Hunt contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111207/ap_on_go_ot/us_obama

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Next legal step uncertain for O'Keeffe art at Fisk

FILE - This flie image provided by Fisk University shows the 1927 painting by Georgia O'Keeffe, "Radiator Building -Night, New York, " which is part of a 101-piece collection donated to the historically black university by the late artist. A state appeals court in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Nov. 29. 2011, threw out a judge?s requirement to reserve two-thirds of a $30 million sale of a 50 percent stake to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark., to maintain the collection when it?s housed in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Fisk University, File) NO SALES

FILE - This flie image provided by Fisk University shows the 1927 painting by Georgia O'Keeffe, "Radiator Building -Night, New York, " which is part of a 101-piece collection donated to the historically black university by the late artist. A state appeals court in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Nov. 29. 2011, threw out a judge?s requirement to reserve two-thirds of a $30 million sale of a 50 percent stake to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark., to maintain the collection when it?s housed in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Fisk University, File) NO SALES

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Fisk University's decade-long quest to generate cash from a 101-piece art collection donated by the late painter Georgia O'Keeffe is one step closer to fruition.

But it is unclear how quickly the historically black university in Nashville will be able to complete a $30 million deal to sell a 50 percent stake in the collection to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Ark.

Under the agreement, the artworks including O'Keefe's own 1927 oil painting "Radiator Building ? Night, New York ? would move between Fisk and the Arkansas museum every two years.

A state appeals court ruling Tuesday threw out a judge's requirement for Fisk to reserve two-thirds of the proceeds to ensure future upkeep of the collection amid the university's shaky financial circumstances.

Fisk officials argued at last year's trial that the school had mortgaged all of its buildings, was running a $2 million annual deficit and had no unrestricted endowment available. The opinion notes that when President Hazel O'Leary was asked whether Fisk was "viable" given the scope of its financial challenges, she responded, "No, not at all."

The 2-1 decision found the lower court didn't have the authority to require the creation of the $20 million endowment to guard against creditors should Fisk declare bankruptcy.

Appeals Judge Frank G. Clement Jr. disagreed.

"The record clearly reveals that that Ms. O'Keeffe never intended for the Collection to be sold or otherwise monetized in order for Fisk University to pay its general operating expenses," Clement wrote in his dissent.

Even with the endowment in place, Fisk would be able to use $10 million to "rise above its current financial predicament," while staying closer to O'Keeffe's original charitable intent, Clement said.

The Crystal Bridges Museum features artwork amassed by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton, including Asher Durand's landscape painting "Kindred Spirits" and Norman Rockwell's "Rosie the Riveter."

While the majority opinion rules out the judge establishing an endowment requirement, it does not preclude the court from approving one or another "dedicated source of support" for the collection. It also calls on Fisk to lay out how it will use a $1 million pledge from Walton to upgrade the display space and outline how it plans to spend the $30 million from the deal.

The state attorney general's office, which has fought to keep the collection from leaving Nashville, has not yet decided whether to seek an appeal to the state Supreme Court. A Fisk spokesman did not return a message seeking comment.

In 1949, O'Keefe donated 97 pieces to Fisk from the estate of her late husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. They include works by Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Maurer and Charles Demuth, among others.

O'Keeffe, who died in 1986, also gave the school four of her own paintings as part of the gift, which was made to Fisk because the school educated blacks at a time when the South was segregated.

The gift carried the stipulation that it could not be sold or broken up. But Fisk has argued that it can't afford even the $131,000 it currently spends to display the collection each year.

The school in 2002 sought to send the collection on a foreign tour to raise money for the school. Three years later, Fisk announced plans to sell O'Keeffe's "Radiator Building" and Hartley's "Painting No. 3."

That move was blocked by the state attorney general, whose office is responsible for overseeing charitable giving in Tennessee. The current case is the result of protracted legal fights over the collection.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-11-30-US-Fisk-Art-Collection/id-512168440a0f46f7bb4de6b057d1c40b

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For NASA's rover Curiosity, it's 'Mars or Bust!'

NASA's rover Curiosity lifted off Saturday for its?354-million-mile cruise to Mars. After its nearly nine-month trip, the six-wheeled robot will descend to begin studying the environment for a better understanding of the red planet's history.

For NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, it's "Mars or Bust!"

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An Atlas V rocket carrying the one-ton rover to the red planet lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 10:02 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Saturday morning in a flawless launch.

Some 45 minutes later, a video camera aboard the rocket's upper stage captured farewell footage of the lander and its cruise stage as the package separated and headed for Mars.

A short time later, the payload phoned home to report that all its systems are functioning well.

IN PICTURES:?Exploring Mars

"Ecstatic is the word," said Doug McCuistion, who heads NASA's Mars exploration program, when asked for his reaction during a post-launch press briefing. "We have started a new era of exploration of Mars with this mission."

Up to now, NASA's program has focused on "following the water" with missions designed to reconstruct from the planet's minerals the history of a liquid essential to life as researchers currently understand it.

But water alone isn't enough, researchers say. Other environmental conditions come into play, conditions that govern the ability of organic building blocks for life to remain stable on the surface or underground, for instance.

The record of environmental conditions early in the planet's history, when it was thought to have been at its wettest, is believed to be written in the layers of rock the Mars Science Laboratory's team has identified in Gale Crater, a 100-mile-wide impact feature with a mountain that soars three miles high from the center of the crater's floor.

After an eight-and-a-half-month cruise, a nail-biting final descent aims to place the six-wheeled robotic chemist squarely in the crater.

If all goes well, Curiosity will initially spend 98 weeks traversing some 12 miles or more ? driving, drilling, then analyzing the drill tailings to help build a picture of the environments that existed at the location as the planet made the transition from a wet planet, to a periodically wet planet, to the desiccated orb humans are visiting today.

"This mission is an important next step in addressing the issue of life in the universe," says John Grotzinger, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., and the project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/reW1BLEpRRI/For-NASA-s-rover-Curiosity-it-s-Mars-or-Bust!

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Chilly November? Not for US car sales (AP)

DETROIT ? People are finally replacing the cars and trucks they held on to during the economic slump, giving a big boost to U.S. auto sales in November.

Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai were among the companies reporting double-digit gains from last November, which is normally a lackluster month because of colder weather and holiday distractions. This November, buyers were lured by good deals, improving confidence in the economy and the need to trade in older cars.

"Consumers are just starting to say `it's time to start spending money again,' " says Larry Dominique, executive vice president of data for the TrueCar.com automotive website.

An early blitz of holiday advertising helped convince some people that it was a good time to buy. Ken Czubay, Ford's vice president for U.S. sales, says dealers saw the same rise in sales that other merchants did on Black Friday and the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Industry sales rose 14 percent to 994,721, according to Autodata Corp. It was also the fastest sales pace since August 2009, when the government offered big rebates for drivers to trade in their gas-guzzling clunkers. U.S. sales would hit 13.6 million this year if they stayed at the same pace they did in November. That's a far better rate than the 12.6 million in the first 10 months of this year.

Car companies expected sales to improve as people who held on to cars during the economic downturn return to the market. The average age of a car on U.S. roads is a record 10.6 years, according to Polk, an auto industry research firm. And the rate of cars that are scrapped has surpassed sales for several years.

Paul Ballew, a former GM chief economist who now works for Nationwide Insurance, notes the level of pent-up demand is unprecedented. "Unless this recovery is derailed, vehicle sales will continue to move upward," he says.

A better selection of cars at Toyota showrooms also brought more shoppers back into the market. Many buyers spent the summer waiting for those inventories to improve after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan squeezed supplies, says economist Jenny Lin, who works for Ford Motor Co.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s sales rose 7 percent for the month, the first time the company has seen a year-over-year increase since April. Sales of the subcompact Yaris more than doubled. Sales of the Prius hybrids ? which now include the original car as well as the new Prius V wagon ? were also strong.

But Honda Motor Co. continued to struggle, partly because of flooding in Thailand that forced the company to slow down U.S. production. Honda sales fell 10 percent for the month.

Chrysler Group LLC's sales rose 45 percent from a year earlier. They were led by the Jeep Compass small SUV, which had a nearly ten-fold increase in sales. Jeep brand sales rose 50 percent, while Chrysler brand sales nearly doubled on strong demand for its 200 and 300 sedans. Chrysler raised its incentives to nearly $3,300 per vehicle, up 6 percent from October.

At General Motors Co., buyers snapped up small cars and pickup trucks. Sales of the Chevrolet Cruze compact rose 64 percent, while the Silverado pickup, GM's top-selling vehicle, saw sales jump 34 percent.

"We are seeing a broad spectrum of customers return to the market," says Don Johnson, GM's U.S. sales chief. GM's overall sales were up 7 percent.

Ford's sales rose 13 percent, fueled by the new Explorer SUV, whose sales more than tripled over last November.

The increases reflect improving consumer confidence, which rose to its highest level since July last month, according to the Conference Board.

Attractive leases also spurred sales. Dealers offered good terms because low interest rates and high used-car values make leased vehicles worth more when they're returned. GM, for instance, is offering a Cruze lease at $169 per month for 39 months.

According to TrueCar.com, an auto pricing site, the average industry spending on incentives such as leases and low-interest loans was $2,534 per vehicle in November, up 2.5 percent from October.

Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of the auto information site Edmunds.com, estimates that 200,000 to 300,000 buyers who held off purchases over the summer and are coming back to the market now. But he thinks sales could soften this spring once those buyers are exhausted.

"I wouldn't view this as suggestive of a fundamental economic rebound," Anwyl says. Instead, he expects the recovery to continue the bumpy progress it has seen all year.

Other carmakers reporting Thursday:

? Nissan Motor Co. says sales were up 19 percent. The new Versa small car led sales with a 38 percent increase, but SUV and truck sales also rose 32 percent.

? Hyundai Motor Co. says sales rose 22 percent thanks to sales of the new Elantra, which jumped 44 percent.

? Volkswagen AG says sales were up 41 percent on the strength of the new Jetta and Passat sedans. Volkswagen sold 6,018 Passats in November, compared with 374 last November.

____

Auto Writer Bree Fowler in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_bi_ge/us_auto_sales

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Mars Science Laboratory: NASA launches most capable and robust rover to Red Planet

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2011) ? NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST).

"We are very excited about sending the world's most advanced scientific laboratory to Mars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "MSL will tell us critical things we need to know about Mars, and while it advances science, we'll be working on the capabilities for a human mission to the Red Planet and to other destinations where we've never been."

The mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place Curiosity near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life.

"The launch vehicle has given us a great injection into our trajectory, and we're on our way to Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Peter Theisinger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The spacecraft is in communication, thermally stable and power positive."

The Atlas V initially lofted the spacecraft into Earth orbit and then, with a second burst from the vehicle's upper stage, pushed it out of Earth orbit into a 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) journey to Mars.

"Our first trajectory correction maneuver will be in about two weeks," Theisinger said. "We'll do instrument checkouts in the next several weeks and continue with thorough preparations for the landing on Mars and operations on the surface."

Curiosity's ambitious science goals are among the mission's many differences from earlier Mars rovers. It will use a drill and scoop at the end of its robotic arm to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into analytical laboratory instruments inside the rover. Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science-instrument payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking the elemental composition of rocks from a distance, and an X-ray diffraction instrument for definitive identification of minerals in powdered samples.

To haul and wield its science payload, Curiosity is twice as long and five times as heavy as Spirit or Opportunity. Because of its one-ton mass, Curiosity is too heavy to employ airbags to cushion its landing as previous Mars rovers could. Part of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is a rocket-powered descent stage that will lower the rover on tethers as the rocket engines control the speed of descent.

The mission's landing site offers Curiosity access for driving to layers of the mountain inside Gale Crater. Observations from orbit have identified clay and sulfate minerals in the lower layers, indicating a wet history.

Precision landing maneuvers as the spacecraft flies through the Martian atmosphere before opening its parachute make Gale a safe target for the first time. This innovation shrinks the target area to less than one-fourth the size of earlier Mars landing targets. Without it, rough terrain at the edges of Curiosity's target would make the site unacceptably hazardous.

The innovations for landing a heavier spacecraft with greater precision are steps in technology development for human Mars missions. In addition, Curiosity carries an instrument for monitoring the natural radiation environment on Mars, important information for designing human Mars missions that protect astronauts' health.

The mission is managed by JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida managed the launch. NASA's Space Network provided space communication services for the launch vehicle. NASA's Deep Space Network will provide spacecraft acquisition and mission communication.

For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ .

For more information about the Deep Space Network, visit: http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn .

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111126155300.htm

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John Haydon: You Finally Have a Google Plus Business Page... Now What?

A few weeks ago, I had the awesome privilege of hanging out with Marc Pitman and Nathan Hand on Google Plus. At one point Nathan put a challenge on the table for the three of us to write a post about Google Plus Pages during the Hangout.

What follows is my version of the original document we collaborated on. Marc's version is here and Nathan's version is here.

So you have a Google Plus Page... Now What?

A couple months ago when Google plus originally came out a lot of people were hesitant to join because Google plus didn't offer business pages. But now that they're available the prevalent question is: "Now what?".

Now, there are two different kinds of people asking "now what":

1. People who've been using Google plus for months trying to understand how to use Pages strategically. These folks have already spent a few months creating circles, finding interesting conversations, and figuring out how to use the technology.
2. People who know nothing about Google Plus. These folks are trying to figure out what hangouts are.

Google Plus Pages vs. Facebook Pages

As we were talking, we decided that Google Plus Pages are very different from Facebook Pages (Google Plus Pages are also very different from Profiles):

• Google Plus Pages allow for more uses. A Google Plus business page has many of the same features as a Facebook Page, but also includes the collaborative utility of Facebook groups. With a Google plus business page you could create circles for board members, staff, or any other group of people where you want to share private information (like a Facebook Group). You can also publish public updates that can be commented on, +1'd and shared (like a Facebook Page). This feature consolidation makes the Google Plus experience much easier to manage.


• Google Plus is way more open than Facebook -- almost as open as Twitter. This means that finding people and organizations with shared interests is much easier than on Facebook.


• Google plus pages have no Edgerank. What this means is that when someone puts you in a circle they will always see your Google Plus posts in their stream. On Facebook, Edgerank determines if your content is seen in news feeds. But while you no longer have the pressure of improving your edgerank, you still have to keep people's attention. This will be more important as Google Plus grows simply because you'll have to compete with other organizations.


• Marc has many more reasons why Google Plus is awesome for nonprofits. :-)

Eight tips for success with Google Plus Pages

1. Create an awesome "About" tab -- Make it useful, compelling and memorable for visitors. Marc observes that many Google Plus users decide whether or not to put you in a circle based on your About section.


2. Use an attractive main image. It goes without saying that your main image on your Google plus business page is what will create the first impression for visitors.


3. Turn your avatar into a gallery -- One thing that's amazing about Google plus pages is that you can upload multiple photos for the main avatar. This creates sort of a photo flip-book like I did with the Inbound Zombie Google Plus Page (click on the main image to see this effect). Organizations can use this in a number of ways. For example, the Humane Society could upload a lot more cat pictures.


4. Seek to help your clients/customers/donors instead of only promoting your organization. Chris Brogan observed: "Brand pages are now open on Google+. Funny thing is, most of them seem set up to brag, not to honor their community."


5. Search for conversations around your cause -- Comment on those conversations as appropriate. Support other people's agenda before your own.
   


6. Hangout -- One of the best Google Plus features is Hangouts where organizations can connect with fans, volunteers and donors in a video conference. Hangouts allow for up to 10 people at a time to collaborate on shared documents or just have a casual chat. Read more tips about Hangouts from Nathan.


7. Do stuff with others -- it can get complicated, especially because Google has a habit of tossing new features out to users to see how they'll respond. Below is the three of us writing this post live, real-time, together. We ended up learning a lot from each other simply by doing stuff.


8. Order Chris Brogan's book -- "Google+ for Business: How Google's Social Network Changes Everything. Chris has written the definitive guide for businesses (and nonprofits) on using Google Plus.

What have you learned about Google Plus business pages?

?

Follow John Haydon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@johnhaydon

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-haydon/google-plus-business-pages_b_1114229.html

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[OOC] Final Fantasy VII: The New Turks

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May I reserve the SOLDIER? I'll go make him right now!

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I'm reserving the spot for one of the new Turks. The non-partner one.

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Supreme Court to decide whether lawsuits require harm (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? In a dispute pitting big business against consumer groups, the Supreme Court hears arguments Monday on whether a person has to suffer legal harm to sue a company over an alleged kickback it got.

Cleveland home buyer Denise Edwards sued her title insurance company under a 1974 federal real estate settlement law that bars kickbacks and certain referral fee arrangements.

At issue is whether Edwards has the legal right to sue, even though she does not claim the alleged kickback affected the price, quality or any other aspects of her real estate settlement service.

Edwards paid First American Financial Corp $455 for title insurance as part of a home purchase in 2006 while the seller paid an additional $273.

She alleges that First American had an arrangement with her Ohio settlement agency to refer title insurance business exclusively to First American -- the alleged kickback.

Her attorneys argued that Congress in adopting the 1974 law created a sufficient basis for her to sue and that courts have long recognized an individual's interest to receive services free of kickbacks or other conflicts of interest.

Edwards has the support of 11 states, the National Consumers League and the consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen.

Backing the title company are organizations representing home builders, title insurance companies, mortgage bankers, Realtor and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

BROAD OR NARROW?

Kevin Walsh, a University of Richmond assistant law professor, said the arguments could provide clues on whether the justices are likely to rule broadly or narrowly.

"A broad ruling could either vindicate or constrict statutory damages provisions in laws designed to protect information privacy, to regulate debt collection and to set standards for credit reporting," he said, citing some other laws that could be affected.

A narrow ruling based on the history of legal regulation of conflicts of interest would not necessarily affect other laws, he said.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case after conflicting rulings by U.S. appeals courts on the issue.

Celeste Hammond, director of the Center for Real Estate Law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, said in a written preview of the case for the American Bar Association that both sides viewed the dispute as significant for two reasons.

The first is whether an individual home buyer has the legal right or standing to sue for three times the charges paid for settlement services without alleging specific injury, she said.

Second, if Edwards can sue, then the case goes back to lower courts in California to determine if it can proceed as a class action, she said. The Supreme Court is not considering the class-action issue.

The Supreme Court case is First American Financial Corp v. Edwards, No. 10-708.

(Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Howard Goller)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111125/us_nm/us_usa_court_kickback

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Dyslexic adults have more trouble if background noise levels are high

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Dyslexia affects up to 17.5% of the population, but its cause remains somewhat unknown. A report published in the Nov. 23 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE supports the hypothesis that the symptoms of dyslexia, including difficulties in reading, are at least partly due to difficulty excluding excess background information like noise.

In the study of 37 undergraduate students, the researchers, led by Rachel Beattie of the University of Southern California, found that the poor readers performed significantly worse than the control group only when there were high levels of background noise.

The two groups performed comparably at the prescribed task when there was no background noise and when the stimulus set size was varied, either a large or a small set size.

According to Dr. Beattie, "these findings support a relatively new theory, namely that dyslexic individuals do not completely filter out irrelevant information when attending to letters and sounds. This external noise exclusion deficit could lead to the creation of inaccurate representations of words and phonemes and ultimately, to the characteristic reading and phonological awareness impairments observed in dyslexia."

###

Beattie RL, Lu Z-L, Manis FR (2011) Dyslexic Adults Can Learn from Repeated Stimulus Presentation but Have Difficulties in Excluding External Noise.PLoS ONE6(11): e27893. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027893

Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115460/Dyslexic_adults_have_more_trouble_if_background_noise_levels_are_high

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CO2 may not warm the planet as much as thought

The climate may be less sensitive to carbon dioxide than we thought ? and temperature rises this century could be smaller than expected. That's the surprise result of a new analysis of the last ice age. However, the finding comes from considering just one climate model, and unless it can be replicated using other models, researchers are dubious that it is genuine.

As more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere, more heat is trapped and temperatures go up ? but by how much? The best estimates say that if the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles, temperatures will rise by 3 ?C. This is the "climate sensitivity".

But the 3 ?C figure is only an estimate. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the climate sensitivity could be anywhere between 2 and 4.5 ?C. That means the temperature rise from a given release of carbon dioxide is still uncertain.

To pin down the sensitivity, Andreas Schmittner of Oregon State University, Corvallis, and colleagues took a close look at the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago, when the last ice age was at its height.

Icy cold

They used previously published data to put together a detailed global map of surface temperatures. This showed that the planet was, on average, 2.2 ?C cooler than today. We already know from ice cores that greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere at the time were much lower than they are now.

Schmittner plugged the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum into a climate model and tried to recreate the global temperature patterns. He found that he had to assume a relatively small climate sensitivity of 2.4 ?C if the model was to give the best fit.

If climate sensitivity really is so low, global warming this century will be at the lower end of the IPCC's estimates. Assuming we keep burning fossil fuels heavily, the IPCC estimates that temperatures will rise about 4 ?C by 2100, compared with 1980 to 1999. Schmittner's study suggests the warming would be closer to their minimum estimate for the "heavy burning" scenario, which is 2.4 ?C.

Sensitive models

Past climates can help us work out the true climate sensitivity, says Gavin Schmidt of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York City. But he says the results of Schmittner's study aren't strong enough to change his mind about the climate sensitivity. "I don't expect this to impact consensus estimates," he says.

In particular, the model that Schmittner used in his analysis underestimates the cooling in Antarctica and the mid-latitudes. "The model estimate of the cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum is a clear underestimate," Schmidt says. "A different model would give a cooler Last Glacial Maximum, and thus a larger sensitivity."

Schmittner agrees it is too early to draw firm conclusions. Individual climate models all have their own quirks, so he wants to try the experiment with several models to find out if others repeat the result.

Even if the climate sensitivity really is as low as 2.4 ?C, Schmittner says that doesn't mean we are safe from climate change. The Last Glacial Maximum was only 2.2 ?C cooler than today, yet there were huge ice sheets, plant life was different, and sea levels were 120 metres lower.

"Very small changes in temperature cause huge changes in certain regions," Schmittner says. So even if we get a smaller temperature rise than we expected, the knock-on effects would still be severe.

Journal reference: Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1203513

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US court won't block its Texas redistricting map (AP)

AUSTIN, Texas ? A federal court refused late Friday to block a congressional redistricting map it drew up for Texas, rejecting a request from the state's attorney general just hours after the Republican accused the court of "undermining the democratic process."

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had asked the San Antonio-based court to stay the implementation of its interim map, which the court drafted when minority groups challenged the original plan passed by the Republican-dominated state Legislature.

The court-drawn map would ensure minorities made up the majority in three additional Texas congressional districts. If the 2012 elections were held under the court's map, Democrats would have an advantage as they try to win back the U.S. House.

Abbott said he would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court-ordered map will remain in place until the legal fights are resolved.

The court drew the maps after minority groups filed a lawsuit, claiming a redistricting plan devised by Republican lawmakers didn't reflect growth in the state's Hispanic and black populations.

In a court filing earlier Friday, Abbott accused the court of overstepping its authority.

"A court's job is to apply the law, not to make policy," he wrote. "A federal court lacks constitutional authority to interfere with the expressed will of the state Legislature unless it is compelled to remedy a specific, identifiable violation of law."

Abbott argued that the Legislature's map "incorporate constituents' concerns about communities of interest and proper representation." He said the court's departure from that map "not only undermines the democratic process, it ignores the voice of the citizenry."

Lawmakers redraw boundaries for the state's legislative districts every 10 years to reflect changes in census data. Texas' population boom in the last decade gave it four new U.S. House seats, which will be filled in the 2012 election.

Like other states with a history of racial discrimination, Texas can't implement those new maps or other changes to voting practices without federal approval under the Voting Rights Act. No federal approval, and looming deadlines for county election officials, made it necessary for the court to issue its own plans ? which could be implemented immediately.

Minorities currently are the majority in 10 of Texas' 32 congressional districts. The new court-drawn map would raise that to 13 out of 36 districts.

Republican lawmakers insist the maps drawn by the Legislature merely reflect the Republican majority in Texas. Experts say that under the legislatively approved map, three of the new seats would likely be won by Republicans.

When drawing the interim map, the court gave priority to ensuring minority voting strength was protected in the 2012 election.

In its own filing Friday, the NAACP cheered the court-drawn interim map as a "step forward for Texas." The group said it, "recognizes the growth of the minority population and takes significant steps toward remedying some of the startling lack of proportionality in the prior plans."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_re_us/us_texas_redistricting

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Japan emperor to leave hospital Thursday (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Japanese Emperor Akihito, who was hospitalized nearly three weeks ago with a cold, fever and symptoms of bronchitis, will be discharged on Thursday afternoon, the Imperial Household Agency said.

Akihito, who will turn 78 in December, had initially been cleared to return to his palace on November 11, but extended his stay at the University of Tokyo hospital after his cough and fever worsened.

Kyodo news agency said on Thursday that his cough and fever had almost passed, however.

Akihito, who ascended to the throne after the death of his father Hirohito in 1989, has spent much of the past two decades working to close the gap between the imperial family and ordinary Japanese people.

Five days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan's northeast, Akihito made a rare public televised address and in April traveled to the disaster-struck area with Empress Michiko, 77.

Akihito had surgery for prostate cancer in 2003 and suffered stress-related health issues in late 2008, including irregular pulse and stomach bleeding. The following year, the royal agency said he would cut back on official duties such as speeches and meeting foreign dignitaries.

(Reporting by Rie Ishiguro; Editing by Joseph Radford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/wl_nm/us_japan_emperor

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German bonds fall; stocks, euro vulnerable (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? German government bond yields hit their highest in nearly a month and world stocks held near 7-week lows Thursday, a day after a weak debt sale in Berlin fanned fears the euro zone debt crisis is starting to threaten its biggest > falling 115 ticks on the day to 134.66, the lowest since October 31.

Ten-year German government bond yields rose as high as 2.14 percent compared with economy.

The euro remained vulnerable near a 7-week low against the dollar as investors eyed a meeting of leaders from France, Germany and Italy for any signs of cracks in Berlin's resistance to more concerted action to end the two-year-old crisis.

Repercussions from the auction, in which Germany found no buyers for almost half of the 6 billion euros on offer, extended into a second day, with Bund futures just 1.724 percent earlier this month.

That is higher than the equivalent U.S. Treasury yield of around 1.88 percent and Japan's 1 percent, although the difference also reflects the higher benchmark interest rate set by the European Central Bank.

"I think we are moving closer to a policy response probably, which could be either more aggressive ECB action or the idea of euro bonds could gain some traction," said Rainer Guntermann, strategist at Commerzbank.

"In either case the credit of the core countries could be increasingly diluted, including also German Bunds especially when it comes to euro bonds."

German, U.S. and UK 10-year real yields -- benchmark government bond yields minus consumer prices inflation rate -- are in negative territory, with Japan boasting the highest real yield among the four of around 1 percent.

The MSCI world equity index was up 0.15 percent. The index has fallen 15 percent since January.

European stocks rose 0.6 percent on the day while emerging stocks also added 0.6 percent. Wall Street is closed for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

U.S. crude oil rose half a percent to $96.60 a barrel.

The euro was up 0.3 percent at $1.3379, having fallen as low as $1.3318 Wednesday.

"It is a case of two steps down and one step up for the euro," said Carl Hammer, currency strategist at Nordea in Stockholm.

"The Bund auction got people wondering about how big German debt is and it coincided with (European Commission President Jose Manuel) Barroso talking about euro bonds.

Funding stresses for European banks escalated, with the cost to swap euros into dollars in the currency swap market rising to fresh three-year highs of 148 basis points.

The premium investors demand to hold Portuguese government bonds rather than benchmark German Bunds rose after Fitch downgraded Portugal's rating to junk status.

Citing large fiscal imbalances, high debts and large fiscal imbalances, Fitch cut Portugal to BB+ from BBB-, still one notch higher than Moody's rating of Ba2. S&P still rates Portugal at investment grade.

The dollar fell a quarter percent against a basket of major currencies.

(Editing by Patrick Graham, John Stonestreet)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111124/bs_nm/us_markets_global

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Occupy Wall Street: Can filmmaking website unify the movement?

By placing their own content on a 'cloud' server, Occupy Wall Street encampments can create a universal video, audio, and image database that all can use to create individual messages.

Amid the rumbling backdrop of incessant drumming in the 450-tent strong encampment here, Lisa Clapier is demonstrating the newest, high-tech tool that some in the?Occupy Wall Street?movement say may finally help them unify their message worldwide.

Skip to next paragraph

On her humming laptop in the media tent, Ms. Clapier navigates to StudioOccupy.org where activists have placed 17 pages (so far) of stamp-sized, clickable links, each taking the user to videos, images, or audio uploaded by participants. Some are of live demonstrations in?New York?or?Los Angeles, others are personalized messages of solidarity by random supporters (or celebrities such as Deepak Chopra), others are merely photographs of protesters having fun.

Think YouTube, but better, say its fans.

?This is amazing,? says Clapier, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Occupiers. ?Now every single person can become their own storyteller with their own cell phone or webcam. They can upload and edit their own content and have it be shared with all the other occupiers around the planet.?

By placing all their own content on a ?cloud? server ? with unlimited storage space that all can access ? various encampments can create a universal video, image, and audio database that all can use to create individual messages, using other?s footage as well as their own. Users can create ?call outs? ? wish lists of footage needed with specific content and specific dates ? and will eventually be able to find the return submissions by typing in key words such as ?pepper spray,? ?chanting,? or ?police on horseback.?

After three months of beta-testing, the new platform was unveiled Tuesday.?Soon to come are complete editing banks and tutorials that teach users how to edit, splice, and mix images and sound.

?This is such an advance over the old way, it?s hard to explain,? says Lee Jon Taylor, considered one of Occupy L.A.?s best editors. ?I used to have to call people and ask if they had any footage of this and that, and then get permission from them to access their hard drives. Some of them didn?t want to do that, and the process was so cumbersome.?

Mr. Taylor and?Clapier say the advantages are a quantum leap over such current sites such as YouTube, because the clips can be longer, can be labeled and cross referenced more easily, and the individual shooter retains copyrights.?

?This is the first, truly free media,? says?Taylor.

The new platform has been donated by Citizen Global, a Venice, Calif.-based firm that creates ways for businesses to communicate with their customers.

?[Citizen Global CEO] Steven Starr is betting his reputation on this as a true gift because he supports the movement politically, ideologically, and spiritually, ? says Occupy L.A. project coordinator, Jeff Vander Clute.

One of Citizen Global's existing applications has long been used by?Hollywood?film studios to put out pleas for various kinds of content footage, such as home movies and old photographs for use in major motion pictures.

?We are looking to be of service and for the demonstration of co-creativity,? says Mr. Starr, who has worked with musician activists such as Bob Marley and produced the film ?Flow? about water rights.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/qQhA640XOLY/Occupy-Wall-Street-Can-filmmaking-website-unify-the-movement

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Plan to bring back popular TV soaps nixed (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Sorry, soap opera fans; you have little to be thankful for as we head into the U.S. national day of gratitude.

Prospect Park has suspended its plans to revive "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" online, the company said on Wednesday.

Prospect Park's Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz cited "mounting issues" that make it "impossible" for the company to meet its "One Life to Live" deadlines.

Plans for its online version of "All My Children" were abandoned earlier this month.

The pair went on to say, "e always knew it would be an uphill battle to create something historical, and unfortunately we couldn't ultimately secure the backing and clear all the hurdles in time. We believe we exhausted all reasonable options apparent to us, but despite enormous personal, as well as financial cost to ourselves, we failed to find a solution."

Prospect Park announced its plans to revive the long-running sudsers after they were canceled by ABC earlier this year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111123/tv_nm/us_soapoperas

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Yemen president quits after 33 years

SANAA, Yemen?? Yemen's authoritarian President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed Wednesday to step down amid a fierce uprising to oust him after 33 years in power. The U.S. and its powerful Gulf allies pressed for the deal, concerned that a security collapse in the impoverished Arab nation was allowing an active al-Qaida franchise to gain a firmer foothold.

Saleh is the fourth Arab leader toppled in the wave of Arab Spring uprisings this year, after longtime dictators fell in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The deal gives Saleh immunity from prosecution ? contradicting a key demand of Yemen's opposition protesters.

Celebrations erupted in the capital Sanaa as Saleh inked the agreement. Yemenis danced in the streets, set off fireworks and waved flags.

Seated beside Saudi King Abdullah in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saleh signed the U.S.-backed deal hammered out by his country's powerful Gulf Arab neighbors to transfer power within 30 days to his vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. That will be followed by early presidential elections within 90 days.

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He was dressed smartly in a dark business suit with a matching striped tie and handkerchief, and he smiled as he signed the deal, then clapped his hands a few times. He then spoke for a few minutes to members of the Saudi royal families and international diplomats, promising his ruling party "will be cooperative" in working with a new unity government.

Slideshow: Yemen in the spotlight (on this page)

"This disagreement for the last 10 months has had a big impact on Yemen in the realms of culture, development, politics, which led to a threat to national unity and destroyed what has been built in past years," he said.

Protesters camped out in a public square near Sanaa's university immediately rejected the deal, chanting, "No immunity for the killer." They vowed to continued their protests.

President Barack Obama welcomed Saleh's decision, saying it is an important step forward for the Yemeni people. He urged all involved to move immediately to implement the agreement. Obama said the U.S. would stand by the Yemeni people "as they embark on this historic transition" to realize their aspirations for a new beginning, and he acknowledged "important work" done by Gulf allies.

Saleh has clung to power despite the daily mass protests calling for his ouster and a June assassination attempt that left him badly wounded and forced him to travel to Saudi Arabia for more than three months of hospital treatment. He was burned over much of his body and had shards of wood embedded in his chest by the explosion that ripped through his palace mosque as he prayed.

Shortly before Saleh inked the agreement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the president told him he will travel to New York for medical treatment after signing it. He didn't say when Saleh planned to arrive in New York, nor what treatment he would be seeking.

Since February, tens of thousands of Yemenis have protested in cities and towns across the nation, calling for democracy and the fall of Saleh's regime. The uprising has led to a security collapse, with armed tribesmen battling security forces in different regions and al-Qaida-linked militants stepping up operations in the country's restive south.

Timeline: Yemen in turmoil (on this page)

For months, the U.S. and other world powers pressured Saleh to agree to the power transfer proposal by the Gulf Cooperation Council, and he agreed then backed down several times before. All the while, the uprising raged, security and the economy deteriorated. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula grew more bold, even seizing some territory.

Even before the uprising began, Yemen was the poorest country in the Middle East, fractured and unstable with a government that had weak authority at best outside the capital Sanaa.

Security is particularly bad in southern Yemen, where al-Qaida militants ? from one of the world's most active branches of the terror network ? have taken control of entire towns, using the turmoil to strengthen their position.

The nation of some 25 million people is of strategic value to the United States and its Gulf Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia. It sits close to the major Gulf oil fields and overlooks key shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian seas.

Saleh addressed the country's troubles without mentioning the demands of protesters who have filled squares across Yemen calling for his ouster, often facing deadly crackdowns from his security forces.

He also struck out at those who strove to topple him, calling the protests the protests a "coup" and the bombing of his palace mosque that seriously wounded him in June "a scandal."

Saleh said his ruling party will be "among the principal participants" in the proposed national unity government that is to be formed between his party and opposition parties, who also signed the deal.

The deal to nudge him from power was denounced by some of the youth protesters who have emerged as a presence in Yemen's politics, and regard the parties that negotiated his exit partners in the crimes of which they accuse Saleh.

"We will remain on the streets until our demands are met," activist Samia al-Aghbari told Reuters. "Saleh's crimes won't end with time, so we will pursue him and all the killers."

But others welcomed the deal as a first victory of their uprising.

"This is a great victory," Badr Ali Ahmed, an activist at Change Square, said. "We have achieved one of the goals of the revolution, which is to bring down the head of the regime, and God willing we will achieve the rest."

Hamdan al-Haqab, a field organizer, said: "We were not part of this initiative, but since it happened, we consider it to be the first achievement of the revolution ... We will continue to achieve all our goals."

A Yemeni official said that renegade general Ali Mohsen, a longtime Saleh ally who turned on him after protests began, and Sadeq al-Ahmar, a tribal notable who also threw his weight against Saleh, could try to block the deal which excludes them.

Those figures, along with Saleh's son and a nephew who commands a key paramilitary unit, form a balance of forces on the ground that analysts say none is likely to tip, making a political resolution the only way out of Yemen's deadlock.

Witnesses said Ahmar fighters and Saleh forces traded shelling in the Soufan and al-Hasaba neighborhoods in Sanaa, where the tribal chief lives, and that sounds of explosions could be heard from a distance.

There were no reports of casualties. The area was the scene of heavy clashes earlier this year, where scores of people from both sides died.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45413404/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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ONR TechSolutions' rope ascender premieres in 'Modern Marvels' TV episode

Public release date: 23-Nov-2011
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Contact: Peter Vietti
onrcsc@onr.navy.mil
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Office of Naval Research

The History Channel to Feature ONR-sponsored, Batman-like device

ARLINGTON, Va. The History Channel will feature an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored device that could help Sailors and Marines scale walls like Batman during its "Modern Marvels" show Nov. 28.

Funded by ONR's TechSolutions program, the Powered Rope Ascender was originally designed for use by soldiers in urban combat and cave exploration. The handheld climbing tool allows warfighters to ascend and descend vertical surfaces quickly, at a rate of six feet per second.

As ONR's rapid-response science and technology program, TechSolutions funded the project to create a next-generation system for naval operations. The resulting technology, which is more compact and runs on a rechargeable battery, can assist maritime security teams in boarding ships and help helicopter rescue crews evacuate casualties, among other applications.

The Ascender will be spotlighted during a "Modern Marvels" episode called "Weird Machines."

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"Modern Marvels" airs on the History Channel on Monday nights. Check local listings for show times.

About the Office of Naval Research

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

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Public release date: 23-Nov-2011
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Contact: Peter Vietti
onrcsc@onr.navy.mil
703-588-2167
Office of Naval Research

The History Channel to Feature ONR-sponsored, Batman-like device

ARLINGTON, Va. The History Channel will feature an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored device that could help Sailors and Marines scale walls like Batman during its "Modern Marvels" show Nov. 28.

Funded by ONR's TechSolutions program, the Powered Rope Ascender was originally designed for use by soldiers in urban combat and cave exploration. The handheld climbing tool allows warfighters to ascend and descend vertical surfaces quickly, at a rate of six feet per second.

As ONR's rapid-response science and technology program, TechSolutions funded the project to create a next-generation system for naval operations. The resulting technology, which is more compact and runs on a rechargeable battery, can assist maritime security teams in boarding ships and help helicopter rescue crews evacuate casualties, among other applications.

The Ascender will be spotlighted during a "Modern Marvels" episode called "Weird Machines."

###

"Modern Marvels" airs on the History Channel on Monday nights. Check local listings for show times.

About the Office of Naval Research

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

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[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/oonr-otr112311.php

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