How fitting that RIM and Porsche Design has chosen one of the world?s most famous luxury department stores, Harrods in London, as the exclusive seller of its luxury BlackBerry P?9981 phone.
Announced at the tail end of October but with no firm release date attached, the flashy device has now gone on sale there, where it?s priced at a mere ?1,275, or a touch under $2,000.
That?s SIM-free of course, but admittedly the price would probably only be considered ?mere? by regular Harrods patrons, as it?s considerably more than the standard Bold 9900 on which it?s based.
Like its cheaper cousin, the P?9981 has a 1.2Ghz processor, 768MB RAM, a 2.8-inch 640 x 480 resolution touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording. It?s separated by that eye-catching design, the brushed metal fascia and the hand-wrapped, all-leather rear panel.
BlackBerry OS 7 has been treated to a Porsche Design makeover too, as it uses a custom UI and has the popular augmented reality app, Wikitude World Browser, pre-installed.
Available with either English or Arabic as the standard language, anyone keen to get their hands on this genuinely exclusive BlackBerry will have to make the journey to Harrods ? or at least their flunky will anyway ? as it?s only available in-store and not online. However, we?re willing to bet they would send one out with your weekly order of Dom Perignon if you asked nicely.
Phonearena.com spoke to a Harrods representative, who described the P?9981 as ?in very high demand and selling fast.?
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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Betting on mixed martial arts is getting more sophisticated with each card. Gone are the days where sports books could fall victim to savvy bettors who had better knowledge of the undercards than the supposed experts did. The bookmakers have gotten wiser, but they're also battling the best minds from all over the sports betting world.
The players who traditionally pounded the major sports like NFL, college football and NBA, are taking their time to find middles, value scenarios and less than sturdy numbers in the world of MMA betting.
A closer look at the line movements for UFC 141 reveals some interesting cases for this Friday's fight card (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET).
The important number to look at is the percentage of bets taken and where the original odds have moved. The numbers listed are the opener, current and then percentage of bets place on each side with Bovada (former Bodogsports):
UFC 141 betting odds:
Diego Nunes (-325 to -380) 43.44% Manny Gamburyan (+250 to +290) 56.56%
Jacob Volkmann (-265 to -200) 87.45% Efrain Escudero (+205 to +160) 12.55%
Danny Castillo (-200 to -200) 48.18% Anthony Njokuani (+160 to +160) 51.82%
Ross Pearson (-260 to -225) 93.64% Junior Assuncao (+200 to +175) 6.36%
Nam Phan (-230 to -225) 82.84% Jim Hettes (+180 to +175) 17.16%
Jon Fitch (-230 to -200) 94.42% Johny Hendricks (+180 to +160) 5.58%
Donald Cerrone (-280 to -325) 59.31% Nate Diaz (+220 to +250) 40.69%
Alistair Overeem (-145 to -115) 65.24% Brock Lesnar (+115 to -115) 34.76
The translation here is that anytime the higher percentage of bets are placed on one side, the line should be moving in that direction, but that's not the case in several fights.
In the Fitch-Hendricks fight, the majority of the bets (94%) are on the favorite yet the number has dropped. That suggests that the bigger money amount is on the side of Hendricks. It's your classic public versus the big bettor scenario. The same goes for Overeem vs. Lesnar, Phan vs. Hettes, Pearson vs. Assuncao and Volkmann vs. Escudero.
Maybe the "sharps" know something in these fights. Maybe not. Either way, it's interesting to see where the big money is going.
The editors of Gadget Lab recap the tech industry news stories that had the biggest impact in 2011. Apple and Google led the way, but that doesn't mean other companies didn't capture a few news cycles -- if only for nefarious reasons.
All Critics (174) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (161) | Rotten (12)
As usual with the series, the movie combines a plot line a toddler could understand with gadgets that would baffle an engineering Ph.D.
I'm thinking it, so I might as well say it: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is no Fast Five.
...it's pretty much state-of-the-art.
[Bird's] fresh touch gives breathless energy, tremendous excitement and, above all, humor to what could have been a wearying genre exercise.
Powered by Cruise's moxie, Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol proves that in a Hollywood action-ride culture drenched in fake adrenaline, it's cathartic to encounter the real thing.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is top-notch popcorn entertainment, chock-full of dazzling stunts and heroic moments, played out at a near-hysterical pitch.
Ghost pulls off the impossible.
Film number four has found its optimum screen display, its best director for the job and its sense of humour while increasing the gadgets and death-defying stunts.
Something goes wrong and the entire Kremlin blows up. 'The wattage of my smile has overpowered the antiquated Russian electrical grid,' explained Tom.
The cinematography is rewarding enough for a travelogue. The good guy vs. the world with a hateful bad guy is involving. This is another film where you should just leave your brain at home, relax, and enjoy it.
Welcome to the post-Pixar action movie.
Best line of 2011 delivered by Jeremy Renner: "That's it. Next time I get to seduce the rich guy." Why is MI4 so terrific? I screamed out in the theater: "The pants are gonna rip!"
o Bird energa daneisthke kai merikes selides apo to skhnothetiko biblio toy Nolan, me pio ofthalmofanh kai dhlwmenh, th pisth pws to IMAX, kai oxi to S3D, mporei na epanaferei ayth thn apostomwtikh kallitexnikh flasia
It's actually pretty entertaining... but a certain genericness is creeping in.
A mature Tom Cruise is in top form here, displaying a relatively-sophisticated savoir faire in lieu of the easy boyish charm that's served him so well in the past.
It's a great mix that feeds an action junkie's need for death defying stunts but reminds us how dangerous it all really is so that we remain engaged in the tension of the scene.
Exhilarating, nerve-wracking, vertigo-inducing, action-packed popcorn picture, filled with spectacular feats of derring-do.
This is some Star Trek level techno-nonsense, but the locations, stunts, and ambient batsh*ttedness of the entire endeavor provide ample distraction.
Could be the poster boy for disposable films.
By turns eye-watering, knee trembling, heart-pounding and rib-tickling, this gravity-defying blockbuster is what popcorn was invented for. Chomp away!
...a perfectly watchable (yet undeniably overlong) entry in an almost remarkably consistent series...
This franchise has never dazzled with brilliance but it certainly baffles with something else. Mostly it's video game-style violence... occasionally pausing for necessary exposition that at home would be times to rest your thumbs.
Perhaps we shouldn't expect too much in the way of character in this kind of thing - but action always seems more fun when it's done by real people.
What the script lacks in plausibility - almost everything - it compensates with all-guns-blazing fun.
M:I4 proves to be a sugar rush of pure, unadulterated entertainment. Even with a running time of two-plus hours, there's not an ounce of fat.
Always a favorite, the compact Mazda3 comes back for 2012 with a facelift, an upgraded interior and an optional new engine technology with the inscrutable name Skyactiv that boosts both power and fuel mileage.
Mazda3 is the Japanese automaker?s top-selling car, so that?s the one that gets the first taste of Skyactiv, which will be introduced in a raft of the Mazda?s upcoming gas and diesel engines. For this application, the 2-liter engine gets 155 horsepower, seven more than the standard 2-liter 4, and a torque increase of 10-15 percent to a maximum 148 pound-feet.
Most impressive, though, is the fuel mileage. According to the aces at EPA, the Mazda3 Skyactiv gets 28 city and 40 highway for the six-speed automatic-transmission version, which is quite a feat for a 3,000-pound car. Mileage with the six-speed manual is slightly lower, at 27 city and 39 highway.
Skyactiv technology is a suite of engine and transmission updates to gain power and fuel mileage. (Photo: Mazda) Part of the Skyactiv gain comes from a direct-fuel-injection system with multi-hole injectors, designed to provide the most-effective spray pattern, and dual sequential timing for its 16 valves. The big trick, though, is found in the uniquely shaped pistons and combustion chambers that allow a compression-ratio boost to an exotic 12:1, which is solidly in performance-car range.
Mazda says that the piston cavity shapes engineered for the Skyactiv-G engine ?ensure a shorter combustion time and suppresses the impact on power and torque from engine knocking.?
That compression ratio is for the U.S.-spec cars, where they will be able to run on 87 Octane without pinging themselves apart. The ratio gets even higher for Japan and European models, which run with a remarkable 14:1 compression ratio with a commensurate increase in power, although they must use high-octane gas. Too bad we can?t get that here.
The result for U.S. is the Skyactiv-G engine, which is lively and efficient, and it makes the already enjoyable Mazda 3 even more fun to drive without as many stops to gas up. The standard 2-liter engine remains available in the base model, and there?s still the 2.5-liter four banger that produces 167 horsepower.
Mazda3 is already one of the most fun compacts to drive, with its solid chassis and firm suspension begging to be run through the turns like a sports car. Driving enthusiasts will appreciate the stiff ride though regular folk might find it a too buffeting. The extra power from the lightweight engine adds to the zest.
The Skyactiv-G engine comes standard in the Mazda3 i Touring and Grand Touring models, which is the one in the four-door sedan that I drove. A cool-looking four-door hatchback version is also available, which would be my choice for the extra cargo space.
The test car also came with the new Skyactiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission that shifts crisply and cleanly whatever the demands. The torque converter includes a lock-up for ?minimal decrease in fuel economy and an increase in direct drive feel,? Mazda says.
Sure, I would prefer the driving precision of the six-speed manual, which Mazda sportingly makes available for all Mazda3 models, even though the new automatic functions extremely well and gains gas mileage compared with the manual. But for a car with the sporty drivability of Mazda3, I?d say that stickshift would be right on.
The styling update is fairly mild, though I think the designers have managed to tone down that maniacal grin that their cars have been wearing for the past few years. The pronounced front wheel arches are a good look that?s finding its way into competitors? cars.
The upgraded interior has a premium feel, especially for this modest price range, and the Grand Touring Model comes loaded with features, including leather trim, power driver seat, a 286-watt Bose audio system with 10 speakers, Bluetooth and a compact navigation system, all for a base price of $22,300.
The base model starts at around $19,000 and the top-dog Mazdaspeed3 performance model is priced at $24,000, which you?d have to agree is a lot of car for the cash.
The tester also had an optional Technology Package with a blind-spot monitoring system, satellite radio, rain-sensing wipers and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, all for $1,400. With $795 shipping, the Mazda2 Skyactiv sedan came out to $24,495.
An enjoyably sporty compact car with a boost in power and gas-saving technology sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Mazda once again seems to have hit the sweet spot.
Details
Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door sedan, front-wheel drive. Engine: 2-liter Skyactiv-G inline-4, 155 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 148 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. Transmission: Six-speed automatic with manual shift. Wheelbase: 103.9 inches. Overall length: 108.9 inches. Curb weight: 2,950 pounds. EPA mileage rating: 28 city, 40 highway.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
Time for a change? Public release date: 27-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa DeNike Lde@jhu.edu 443-287-9960 Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins scholars say calendar needs serious overhaul
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have discovered a way to make time stand still -- at least when it comes to the yearly calendar.
Using computer programs and mathematical formulas, Richard Conn Henry, an astrophysicist in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and Steve H. Hanke, an applied economist in the Whiting School of Engineering, have created a new calendar in which each new 12-month period is identical to the one which came before, and remains that way from one year to the next in perpetuity.
Under the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar, for instance, if Christmas fell on a Sunday in 2012 (and it would), it would also fall on a Sunday in 2013, 2014 and beyond. In addition, under the new calendar, the rhyme "30 days hath September, April, June and November," would no longer apply, because September would have 31 days, as would March, June and December. All the rest would have 30. (Try creating a rhyme using that.)
"Our plan offers a stable calendar that is absolutely identical from year to year and which allows the permanent, rational planning of annual activities, from school to work holidays," says Henry, who is also director of the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. "Think about how much time and effort are expended each year in redesigning the calendar of every single organization in the world and it becomes obvious that our calendar would make life much simpler and would have noteworthy benefits."
Among the practical advantages would be the convenience afforded by birthdays and holidays (as well as work holidays) falling on the same day of the week every year. But the economic benefits are even more profound, according to Hanke, an expert in international economics, including monetary policy.
"Our calendar would simplify financial calculations and eliminate what we call the 'rip off' factor,'" explains Hanke. "Determining how much interest accrues on mortgages, bonds, forward rate agreements, swaps and others, day counts are required. Our current calendar is full of anomalies that have led to the establishment of a wide range of conventions that attempt to simplify interest calculations. Our proposed permanent calendar has a predictable 91-day quarterly pattern of two months of 30 days and a third month of 31 days, which does away with the need for artificial day count conventions."
According to Hanke and Henry, their calendar is an improvement on the dozens of rival reform calendars proffered by individuals and institutions over the last century.
"Attempts at reform have failed in the past because all of the major ones have involved breaking the seven-day cycle of the week, which is not acceptable to many people because it violates the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath Day," Henry explains. "Our version never breaks that cycle."
Henry posits that his team's version is far more convenient, sensible and easier to use than the current Gregorian calendar, which has been in place for four centuries ever since 1582, when Pope Gregory altered a calendar that was instituted in 46 BC by Julius Caesar.
In an effort to bring Caesar's calendar in synch with the seasons, the pope's team removed 11 days from the calendar in October, so that Oct. 4 was followed immediately by Oct. 15. This adjustment was necessary in order to deal with the same knotty problem that makes designing an effective and practical new calendar such a challenge: the fact that each Earth year is 365.2422 days long.
Hanke and Henry deal with those extra "pieces" of days by dropping leap years entirely in favor of an extra week added at the end of December every five or six years. This brings the calendar in sync with the seasonal changes as the Earth circles the sun.
In addition to advocating the adoption of this new calendar, Hanke and Henry encourage the abolition of world time zones and the adoption of "Universal Time" (formerly known as Greenwich Mean Time) in order to synchronize dates and times worldwide, streamlining international business.
"One time throughout the world, one date throughout the world," they write in a January 2012 Global Asia article about their proposals. "Business meetings, sports schedules and school calendars would be identical every year. Today's cacophony of time zones, daylight savings times and calendar fluctuations, year after year, would be over. The economy -- that's all of us -- would receive a permanent 'harmonization' dividend."
###
View a website about the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar here:
http://henry.pha.jhu.edu/calendar.html
Read Hanke and Henry's January 2012 Global Asia article about calendar reform here:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13940
For interviews, you may contact Steve H. Hanke at hanke@jhu.edu or 410-516-7183, and Richard Conn Henry at henry@jhu.edu or 410-516-7350
[ | 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.
Time for a change? Public release date: 27-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Lisa DeNike Lde@jhu.edu 443-287-9960 Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins scholars say calendar needs serious overhaul
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University have discovered a way to make time stand still -- at least when it comes to the yearly calendar.
Using computer programs and mathematical formulas, Richard Conn Henry, an astrophysicist in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and Steve H. Hanke, an applied economist in the Whiting School of Engineering, have created a new calendar in which each new 12-month period is identical to the one which came before, and remains that way from one year to the next in perpetuity.
Under the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar, for instance, if Christmas fell on a Sunday in 2012 (and it would), it would also fall on a Sunday in 2013, 2014 and beyond. In addition, under the new calendar, the rhyme "30 days hath September, April, June and November," would no longer apply, because September would have 31 days, as would March, June and December. All the rest would have 30. (Try creating a rhyme using that.)
"Our plan offers a stable calendar that is absolutely identical from year to year and which allows the permanent, rational planning of annual activities, from school to work holidays," says Henry, who is also director of the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. "Think about how much time and effort are expended each year in redesigning the calendar of every single organization in the world and it becomes obvious that our calendar would make life much simpler and would have noteworthy benefits."
Among the practical advantages would be the convenience afforded by birthdays and holidays (as well as work holidays) falling on the same day of the week every year. But the economic benefits are even more profound, according to Hanke, an expert in international economics, including monetary policy.
"Our calendar would simplify financial calculations and eliminate what we call the 'rip off' factor,'" explains Hanke. "Determining how much interest accrues on mortgages, bonds, forward rate agreements, swaps and others, day counts are required. Our current calendar is full of anomalies that have led to the establishment of a wide range of conventions that attempt to simplify interest calculations. Our proposed permanent calendar has a predictable 91-day quarterly pattern of two months of 30 days and a third month of 31 days, which does away with the need for artificial day count conventions."
According to Hanke and Henry, their calendar is an improvement on the dozens of rival reform calendars proffered by individuals and institutions over the last century.
"Attempts at reform have failed in the past because all of the major ones have involved breaking the seven-day cycle of the week, which is not acceptable to many people because it violates the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath Day," Henry explains. "Our version never breaks that cycle."
Henry posits that his team's version is far more convenient, sensible and easier to use than the current Gregorian calendar, which has been in place for four centuries ever since 1582, when Pope Gregory altered a calendar that was instituted in 46 BC by Julius Caesar.
In an effort to bring Caesar's calendar in synch with the seasons, the pope's team removed 11 days from the calendar in October, so that Oct. 4 was followed immediately by Oct. 15. This adjustment was necessary in order to deal with the same knotty problem that makes designing an effective and practical new calendar such a challenge: the fact that each Earth year is 365.2422 days long.
Hanke and Henry deal with those extra "pieces" of days by dropping leap years entirely in favor of an extra week added at the end of December every five or six years. This brings the calendar in sync with the seasonal changes as the Earth circles the sun.
In addition to advocating the adoption of this new calendar, Hanke and Henry encourage the abolition of world time zones and the adoption of "Universal Time" (formerly known as Greenwich Mean Time) in order to synchronize dates and times worldwide, streamlining international business.
"One time throughout the world, one date throughout the world," they write in a January 2012 Global Asia article about their proposals. "Business meetings, sports schedules and school calendars would be identical every year. Today's cacophony of time zones, daylight savings times and calendar fluctuations, year after year, would be over. The economy -- that's all of us -- would receive a permanent 'harmonization' dividend."
###
View a website about the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar here:
http://henry.pha.jhu.edu/calendar.html
Read Hanke and Henry's January 2012 Global Asia article about calendar reform here:
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13940
For interviews, you may contact Steve H. Hanke at hanke@jhu.edu or 410-516-7183, and Richard Conn Henry at henry@jhu.edu or 410-516-7350
[ | 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.
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HONOLULU ? President Barack Obama blended his roles as a father and commander-in-chief this Christmas, exchanging presents and singing carols with his family, then greeting U.S. service members stationed at a Marine base in Hawaii.
The president and his family woke up early Sunday to open gifts, the White House said, then had breakfast and sang Christmas carols at the multimillion-dollar house they rent in Kailua Beach, near Honolulu.
Obama made two trips on Christmas to nearby Marine Corps Base Hawaii, first to attend church services at the base chapel. The president dressed casually in dark khaki pants and a short-sleeve blue shirt, and his wife and daughters donned sundresses for Christmas services on a bright, breezy day on the island of Oahu.
After spending a few hours at their rental home, the president and Michelle Obama returned to the base to visit with several hundred service members and their families, as they have done in past years.
The Obamas posed for photos, signed autographs and stopped to chat with the military families gathered in the dining hall, where roast beef, salad and apple pie were on the Christmas Day menu.
Eight-month-old Cooper Wall Wagner, son of Capt. Greg Wagner, got up close and personal with the president, grabbing his face, then sticking his fingers in Obama's mouth.
An amused Obama said he thought the baby just liked his "big nose" ? a comment that drew laughter from several of the Marines.
Many of the service members stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii have deployed to Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, where the last American troops were withdrawn earlier this month.
Back in the Washington area, Vice President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden spent Christmas visiting wounded service members and their families at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Obama also called 10 service members stationed around the world ? two from each branch of the military ? on Christmas Eve. The White House said he thanked them for their service and the sacrifice of being away from their families at the holidays.
The Obamas were wrapping up their Christmas festivities with dinner at the rental home with friends and family. Among those joining the first family in Hawaii are the president's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who lives on Oahu, and several friends Obama has known since high school.
The president has kept a low profile since arriving in Hawaii on Friday evening to start a vacation delayed by the stalemate in Washington over extending payroll tax cuts. He has no public events planned, and his only outings are expected to be to the golf course or to take his daughters for shave ice, a Hawaiian snow cone.
The Obamas are expected to return to Washington shortly after New Year's Day.
___
Associated Press writer Jaymes Song in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, contributed to this report.
Who hasn't caught a snowflake in a mitten and marveled at its star-like detail, and then recalled that no two snowflakes are alike? But these crystals of ice are even more varied than one might imagine ? there are needle-like snowflakes, hollow-column snowflakes and flakes that look like delicate dumbbells, with two joined together by a column.
Caltech physicist Kenneth Libbrecht, who studies the crystalline structure of snowflakes and has published seven books of snowflake photographs, talked to The Times about what we do, and don't, know about them.
What's so strange about snowflakes?
If you grow ice crystals ? snowflakes ? just below freezing, then you get thin, plate-like crystals. These include the canonical snowflakes, the star-like crystals. But if you get a little colder (around 5 degrees Celsius below freezing), then instead of plates, you get long thin columns ? which is really almost the opposite of a plate. Think wooden pencils, little hexagonal columns, as opposed to a hexagonal plate. In the star type, the faces grow slowly and the edges grow quickly, and in the pencil type, the edges grow slowly and the faces grow quickly.
And so in just a few degrees of temperature change, the growth changes from plate-like to columnar. And as you go colder, to 15 degrees below zero, it changes back to plate-like.
At even lower temperatures, below 30 degrees below zero, the shape changes back to columnar.
So there are these transitions as a function of temperature, and that's really hard to explain. It's been a puzzle for 75 years, and it's still really not known what causes this.
There are also variations in humidity. And the higher the humidity in the clouds, the faster the crystals grow and the more structure they develop and the bigger they get. So at low humidities, you get simple, small crystals, and at high humidities, they're more complex.
In your lab experiments, what have you been able to find out?
What I found is that there's what I call a "sharpening effect." When the edge of an ice crystal gets sharp, actually the molecular structure of its edge changes, and it makes it grow faster, which makes it sharper, which makes it grow faster, and which sharpens it more ? so you end up with a very thin plate as sharp as a razor blade. That sharpening effect is why the crystals are so thin and flat.
So if you change the temperature, all you're doing is changing the way the sharpening effect works. If the sharpening effect goes in the edge direction, it'll make a thin plate. If the sharpening effect goes in the upward direction, you get a hollow column. A very small temperaturechange can make it flip directions. The sharpening effect amplifies that small change.
Why is every snowflake different?
As an ice crystal falls, it will move from one part of the cloud to another, and the temperature and the humidity will be changing as it falls. Every time there are these small changes in the conditions, the growth of the arms changes. So you get all these branches and facets and all these different shapes ? and by the time it lands on the ground, it's had a very complicated history because of all these changes in temperature and humidity. And because no two crystals follow exactly the same path as they fall, they all look a little different.
So snowflakes come in more shapes than your garden-variety hexagon. Which is your favorite?
One of my favorites is the capped column. That's a crystal that first forms as a column, and later on it changes and has plates on the ends of a column. So it's an odd looking thing ? like two wheels on an axle.
When I started reading the literature on the subject, I found pictures of these capped columns and just found them really interesting. I mean, I grew up in North Dakota ? how come I've never seen one of these before? On a trip to visit family at Christmastime, I took along my magnifying glass and I went outside and looked and the falling snow ? and there they were, capped columns all over, and these other shapes too. You just don't notice if you don't pay any attention.
That's what got me into popularizing the science of it, because it seemed like if you live in snow country you ought to know a little a bit about what's falling out of the sky.
Are there advantages to studying ice crystals rather than other, perhaps more exotic, materials?
Not only is the physics of ice crystals particularly rich, but experiments are pretty cheap and easy. As you can imagine, ice doesn't have a lot of safety issues. For almost anything else you can think of growing, experiments are confounded by safety issues. Just about any chemical has hazards, so you have to spend a lot of money and time worrying about that.
I just love the ability to be able to pour your experiment down the drain or just evaporate it into the air without any thought of safety.
And the fun part is, in the end, it's not like some esoteric thing that nobody ever sees. Most physicists study black holes or Higgs bosons ? things that that never appear in ordinary experience ? whereas this stuff falls out of the sky, literally. So it's kind of fun to think about the puzzles surrounding it.
This interview has been edited for space and clarity.
LAGOS, Nigeria ? An oil spill near the coast of Nigeria is likely the worst to hit those waters in a decade, a government official said Thursday, as slicks from the Royal Dutch Shell PLC spill approached the country's southern shoreline.
The slick from Shell's Bonga field has affected 115 miles (185 kilometers) of ocean near Nigeria's coast, Peter Idabor, who leads the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, told The Associated Press. Idabor said the slick continued to move toward the shore Thursday night, putting at risk birds, fish and other wildlife in the area.
Shell, the major oil producer in Nigeria, said Wednesday the spill likely occurred as workers tried to offload oil onto a waiting tanker. The company published photographs of the spill, showing a telltale rainbow sheen in the ocean, but said it believes that about 50 percent of the leaked oil has already evaporated.
The source of the leak has been plugged and experts from Britain were coming to help with the cleanup, Idabor said. Nigerian Navy ships also had been sent into the area to help control the spill, he said.
Shell estimates the Bonga spill likely was less than 40,000 barrels, or 1.68 million gallons. That's about the same amount of oil spilled offshore in 1998 at a Mobil field. The 1998 spill saw oil slicks extended for more than 100 miles (some 160 kilometers) to Lagos, the country's commercial capital.
"Since the Mobil spill, this is just about the most major one," Idabor said.
Nigerian authorities hope to use oil booms and chemicals to disperse or collect the spilled oil, Idabor said. In a statement, Shell said its Nigerian subsidiary already had sent ships out to the slick to use dispersant on the oil sheen. The company also said it would use infrared equipment to trace places where the sheen is the thickest.
However, the size of the spill may be even larger. SkyTruth, a nonprofit group based in West Virginia that uses satellite imagery to detect environmental problems, estimated the oil spill might stretch across roughly 350 square miles (920 square kilometers) of ocean ? three times what Nigerian authorities believe.
"The spill could be near the upper limit of what Shell has stated," John Amos, SkyTruth's founder and president, told the AP on Thursday. However, he said he needed more information to determine the spill's true scope.
Bonga sits about 75 miles (120 kilometers) off Nigeria's coast. It can produce about 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 million cubic feet of gas a day, according to Shell's Nigerian subsidiary. Production at the field, which Shell operates in partnership with Italy's Eni SpA, Exxon Mobil Corp., France's Total SA and the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., has been halted since the discovery of the spill.
Environmentalists blame Shell and other foreign oil firms for polluting the country's oil-rich Niger Delta. Some environmentalists say as much as 550 million gallons of oil poured into the delta during Shell's roughly 50 years of production in Nigeria ? a rate roughly comparable to one Exxon Valdez disaster per year. An estimated 11 million gallons was released during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.
Shell in recent years has said most of the spills in the delta are caused by militant attacks or thieves tapping into pipelines to steal crude oil, which ends up sold into the black market or cooked into a crude diesel or kerosene. Company statistics kept by Shell show spills have dropped as militant attacks in the region subsided, though this single spill at Bonga roughly doubles the amount of oil spilled by Shell this year.
Apparently predicting interest in the spill would grow, Shell already had taken out Internet advertising Thursday on search engines, directing those searching for the spill to their website. Jonathan French, a Shell spokesman in London, said the advertising came in the "interests of full transparency" so people can read the company's updates on the spill.
Nigeria, an OPEC member nation producing about 2.4 million barrels of crude oil a day, is a top supplier to the U.S.
Beginning on December 24, the Iranian Navy will hold a 10-day drill near the Strait of Hormuz in international waters.
The AFP reports that Fars news agency announced the drill will cover east of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Aden (via Defense News).
Iranian Naval Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayari said "This is the first time that we are covering such a large area."
While the country's official stance is that closing the Strait of Hormuz is "not on the agenda," the concern lingers after the Dec. 14 rumor from an Iranian lawmaker that Tehran intended to do just that.
From DefenseNews:
When asked Dec. 22 if the strait will be closed as part of the impending naval drill, Sayari said, according to the ISNA news agency, "The ability to do so exists. Whether to go ahead lays with the regime's top officials."
Adm. Sayari said the upcoming drill will be a chance to employ Iran's "newest missile torpedo system." What he's likely referring to is the Valfajr (The Dawn), a short-range marine missile and torpedo system it unveiled in August 2011.
Named after an Iranian offensive during the Iran-Iraq war, the Valfajr has a payload of 485 pounds and can be employed in shallow, or deep, water.
Matt Barkley, a projected high first-round NFL pick, led USC to a 10-2 record and No. 5 ranking in 2011.
Kirby Lee/US PRESSWIRE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley believed he was prepared to play in the NFL and the draft prognosticators agreed with him.
He had skillfully guided the program through two years of NCAA sanctions, put up big numbers to add his name to the list of great Trojans quarterbacks.
Barkley just wasn't ready to leave. He still had some unfinished business at USC.
Setting off a round of cheers at USC's Heritage Hall, Barkley announced Thursday that he's returning for his senior season, putting off the NFL for a chance to lead the Trojans from under the cloud of NCAA sanctions to a BCS bowl.
"I am staying so I can finish what I started," Barkley said.
At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and with a game that matured over three years at Troy, Barkley was projected as a high first-round draft pick the NFL draft, an enticement that had lured his predecessor, Mark Sanchez, after his junior season.
Instead of following Sanchez's footsteps, Barkley took the route of former USC quarterback Matt Leinart and Stanford's Andrew Luck.
Leinart returned to USC after winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship, and led the Trojans to the 2005 BCS title game, where they lost to Texas. Luck came back this season after being the Heisman runner-up last year and took the Cardinal to the Fiesta Bowl while finishing second to Baylor's Robert Griffin III in this year's Heisman voting.
Like those two, Barkley felt as if he still had goals he wanted to accomplish after leading the Trojans to a 10-2 record and No. 5 in The Associated Press poll.
Barkley let USC coach Lane Kiffin know about his decision with a Christmas ornament that had a picture of the two together during this season's game against Colorado on one side and the words "One More Year" on the back. His announcement Thursday in front of about 200 people, including his family and Kiffin, set off a rousing cheers and a quick burst from USC's band as a group of cheerleaders danced along.
"That's not an easy decision," Kiffin said. "Not many people would do what Matt has done."
Barkley is the latest in a heralded lineup of USC quarterbacks that includes Carson Palmer, Leinart and Sanchez.
He had an uneven first season with the Trojans, making some questionable decisions that led to 14 interceptions. Still, Barkley threw for over 2,700 yards and 15 touchdowns to become the only freshman semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback.
Barkley developed into a mature leader by his sophomore season, again throwing for over 2,700 yards, with 26 TDs, a completion rate of 62 percent and 12 interceptions. He also handled questions about USC's sanctions with poise, never shying away from talking about the program's difficulties.
As a junior, he developed into one of the country's best quarterbacks, throwing for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns with only seven interceptions on a team that one of the best in the country the last half of the season. The Trojans won seven of their final eight games, though had to endure a second straight bowl-less season thanks to postseason sanctions that end next season.
USC left tackle Matt Kalil declared for the NFL draft last week, but on Wednesday safety T.J. McDonald said he was returning for his senior year. Now with Barkley, the Trojans are loaded and likely one of the front-runners to win next year's national title.
Barkley also will enter next season as the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy - much the way Luck did when he made a similar decision after the 2010 season - and can firm up his place as one of the best quarterbacks in the history of a program filled with great ones.
"I think looking at the team that we have there is that chance," Barkley said of playing in a BCS game next season. "We're on the rise and like I said in my (opening) statements, I feel like there is unfinished business."
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
It's been teased for sometime now, but it's now been revealed that the 10 year anniversary mobile edition of the epic Grand Theft Auto III shoots it's way onto selected Android handsets on Dec. 15.
It'll set you back a measly $4.99, way less than we paid for it 10 years ago but sadly, at launch at least, not everyone will be able to enjoy this masterpiece.
Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus EeePad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Toshiba Thrive
There are going to be a lot of disappointed people out there, not least anyone who's just bought or planning on buying a Samsung Galaxy Nexus. But, our guess is that more devices, especially the Nexus, won't be far behind. Meanwhile if you're fortunate enough to own one of these devices, salivate over the Android version screenshots after the break, and try to wait patiently for the next 9 days.
Nowadays is becoming more and more important to lead a simple life even though it is the era of technology and speed. Saving cash and living on a budget has proved to be tough for lots of people however it doesn?t have to end up like that. Having the plan can ease the pressure of struggling to save every penny.
Putting in balance what?s gained using what is purchased and spent can give a fair evidence of the budget situation. Living out of debt is becoming peoples? goal but few can manage to do that and it isn?t just the a lot blamed system or the financial crisis. Many people simply don?t have a savings plan ? and from there come all the problems. Being on debt doesn?t include headaches unless one looses his/her job. While being on debt is the most important to begin saving.
Making a checking account and earning from that deposit will prove to be highly beneficial and in time will offer you the possibility of reimbursing earlier the credit for the house, for the car and so on. Once some money is set aside, the cycle starts again with savings. It is necessary to pay for the house before children grow because then, other expenses show up. Tuitions, more costly clothing, books and laptops, rent and utilities and all these will prove to add up to important sums of money.
The children going to school shouldn?t however be a problem since at this time money ought to be already set aside for them. When youngsters are already in school, the time is right to think about their wedding, and where they?ll live from now on. However, continually some money should be put aside in case of emergency. Retiring funds shouldn?t be touched under any circumstances. These are the money for those people who?ve worked a lot, that have paid their part and struggled to maintain their job and deserve a decent life.
Special software might help people build a budget and maintain between its boundaries. When spending less than anticipated, more income should be put aside. When spending more, you ought to consider the need and not about the ?want?.
When going out, one should consider free events that take place throughout the year and many good taste events can be found for free. Local libraries and museums can be a great place to get out of the house, meet new people and share interesting ideas with. Going for a walk in the park with the entire family is a great way to spend an evening and even save some money in a fun, healthy and natural way.
Saving cash can offer the chance to build a budget for entering a Poker Room. People gain experience by playing and they might also win a Poker Bonus. Entering a Poker Site and being responsible about ones? finances are the key for a successful and entertaining experience which will also have the benefit of winning and upgrade ones? lifestyle.
Betting on mixed martial arts is getting more sophisticated with each card. Gone are the days where sports books could fall victim to savvy bettors who had better knowledge of the undercards than the supposed experts did. The bookmakers have gotten wiser, but they're also battling the best minds from all over the sports betting world.
Skyactiv technology is a suite of engine and transmission updates to gain power and fuel mileage. (Photo: Mazda) ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tgOeAd5HxIUx534sMMutF0HB-G4j5z0rc5T4CAdCAq95e8dbvTyvhQCHIX-tZCcMZQ74KAQCUkKELuvnEq-HIaitcs80U50GhBhjIrSvg=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 27-Dec-2011
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