Saturday, December 31, 2011

Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance (AP)

Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance - Yahoo! News Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? AP By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? Thu?Dec?29, 11:50?am?ET
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage rose slightly to 3.95 percent this week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Last week's average 3.91 percent rate was the lowest on records dating back to the 1950s. Here's a look at rates for fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages over the past 52 weeks.
Current week's average Last week's average 52-week high 52-week low
30-year fixed 3.95 3.91 5.05 3.91
15-year fixed 3.24 3.21 4.29 3.21
5-year adjustable 2.88 2.85 3.92 2.85
1-year adjustable 2.78 2.77 3.40 2.77
All values are in percentage points.
Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.
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  • Copyright ? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates_glance

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    Thursday, December 29, 2011

    Jay-Z Lawsuit -- Sued for Risky Business | TMZ.com

    Jay-Z Sued for Risky Business

    Jay Z Yankees hat
    Jay-Z gambled with his employees' health and safety -- this according to a new lawsuit filed against the rapper ... by the Workers Compensation Board of New York.

    According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Jay-Z failed to pay workers' compensation insurance for three months in 2009 -- and sources close to the situation tell us, the insurance was supposed to cover domestic employees in Jay-Z's house ... cooks, maids, drivers ... that sort of thing.

    The government agency sued the rapper to collect $18,000 in fines for the transgression -- and a court has since ordered Jay to pay up.

    According to the docs, it was only a momentary lapse -- after the three-month period in 2009, Jay-Z acquired the right insurance and the problem was resolved ... with the exception of the outstanding $18,000 owed.

    A source close to Jay-Z claims the rapper never lapsed in his workers' comp payments -- telling us, the $18,000 bill is the result of a clerical error ... which is currently being sorted out.

    Source: http://www.tmz.com/2011/12/29/jay-z-lawsuit-workers-compensation/

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    Wednesday, December 28, 2011

    European markets eke out gains but Italy lags (AP)

    PARIS ? European shares eked out modest gains Tuesday despite an earlier retreat in Asia, amid hopes of a solid Christmas trading period around the world, but Italian shares dipped as the country's key borrowing rate ratcheted up to worrisome levels.

    Indicators out of the U.S., which can drive market sentiment the world over, have been stronger than expected, and there have been signs in Europe too of a solid trading. However, with the debt crisis in Europe still raging and growth expected to slow in China, investors have plenty to worry about.

    A run of strong data from the U.S. ahead of the long holiday weekend had buoyed investors around the world but particularly on Wall Street ? the Dow Jones index closed last Friday at a five-month high last Friday.

    In Europe, stock markets have recovered some ground of late too but most are still down on the year.

    On Tuesday, France's CAC-40 rose 0.3 percent to 3,110 while Germany's DAX was up 0.2 percent at 5,891. The FTSE index of Britain's leading shares remained closed.

    One market bucking the trend was Italy's FTSE MIB, which was trading 0.5 percent lower as the yield on the country's ten-year bonds struck 7 percent once again ? a level that is considered unsustainable in the long-run and eventually forced Greece, Ireland and Portugal into seeking outside financial help.

    Italy is the eurozone's third-largest economy and is considered to be too big to save under current bailout facilities. Mario Monti, the coauntry's new premier got Parliamentary approval last week for a big austerity package that is intended to save the country from financial disaster.

    Markets have grown increasingly fearful over the past few months that Italy will find it difficult to pay off its massive debts, which stand at around euro1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion).

    Despite ongoing worries over the spread of Europe's debt crisis to Italy, the euro remained relatively well-supported, trading 0.1 percent higher too at $1.3070.

    Ahead of Wall Street's open, Dow futures were flat at 12,222 while S&P futures were also broadly unchanged at 1,260.

    The narrow ranges across stock markets reflect light holiday trading conditions. Markets in Europe and the U.S. were closed Monday and trading is expected to be light most of this week though there could be some year-end movements on Friday as investors look to lock in any gains they may have made.

    Earlier in the day, Asian shares fell after a disappointing profit performance by Chinese companies and a warning that Japan faces "significant downside risks" due to Europe's debt problems. That warning came from a Finance Ministry representative at a November Bank of Japan meeting, the bank said Tuesday.

    Tokyo lost 0.5 percent to 8,440.56 while Seoul's Kospi shed 0.8 percent to 1,842.02. Taipei, Singapore and Jakarta also declined. Hong Kong and Sydney were closed.

    China's benchmark Shanghai index dropped nearly 1.1 percent to 2,166.21 after the country's government reported that profit growth slowed at its major industrial companies. Total profit in the January-November period rose 24.4 percent over a year earlier, down 0.9 percent from the growth rate for the first 10 months of the year.

    Oil markets were fairly subdued ? benchmark crude for February delivery was up 29 cents at $99.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

    ___

    AP Business Writer Joe McDonald contributed to this report from Beijing.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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    1 Florida Lotto player wins $50 million jackpot

    One ticket matched all six Florida Lotto numbers to win a jackpot worth $50 million, lottery officials said Sunday.

    The winning ticket was bought in Tallahassee, lottery officials said.

    A total of 80 tickets matched five numbers to win $3,932; 5,184 tickets matched four numbers for $50 each; and 90,817 tickets matched three numbers for $5 each.

    The winning Florida Lotto numbers selected Saturday: 2-11-15-19-24-26.

    Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/25/2561471/1-florida-lotto-player-wins-50.html

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    Thursday, December 15, 2011

    Kickstarter: Cam Crate, A Simple, Rugged, Waterproof Camera Case

    camcrateThe last few times I've brought my camera out into the wilderness, I've had a few fears regarding its safety. Sure, a foam case will prevent the lens from getting scratched and so on, but what it is mauled by a bear, or we are attacked by werewolves? Most hard cases, like those from Pelican, are reliable but bulky, designed for air travel with multiple lenses, but not hiking or climbing and quick access. This Kickstarter project, the Cam Crate, hopes to make a simple hardened case for your full-size SLR and its attached lens.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ywclMKrVqb0/

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    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Simmering Planet Keeps Heating

    60-Second Earth60-Second Earth | Energy & Sustainability

    Despite decades of warnings, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, warming the world. Can such pollution peak this decade? David Biello asks

    More 60-Second Earth

    As delegates gather in South Africa to determine what the world's nations should do about climate change, one might wonder how we're doing? After all, scientists have advised cuts to greenhouse gas emissions since at least the 1980s.

    The latest accounting shows that global CO2 emissions have increased by nearly 50 percent in the past several decades. 2010 now stands as the year with the most greenhouse gas emissions ever. The results were published today in the journal Nature Climate Change.

    Burning fossil fuels released more than 36 billion metric tons of CO2 last year, mainly due to growth in China and India combined with U.S. contributions. Ongoing deforestation is a big factor, too.

    Looking back to the 1960s, nothing seems to have set back emissions for long, and that includes the latest Great Recession. Other studies show that we've burned roughly half of the fossil fuels we can if we don't want the climate to warm by more than 2 degrees Celsius.

    In fact, we'll need zero or negative emissions at some point and emissions to peak sometime this decade to avoid any further warming. No time like the present.

    ?David Biello

    [The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]


    Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=74db9ff705427c4404a322d303d9d5f1

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    Tuesday, December 6, 2011

    News Desk: Top Five Legal Stories of 2012 : The New Yorker

    With 2011 just about behind us, it?s time, once again, to look ahead to the coming year?s big legal stories.

    1. The health-care cases. This one is an easy call. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges to the health-care-reform law, and it is hard to come up with another case that will be so important on so many levels. First, of course, there are the merits of the case. Is the most important piece of domestic legislation in a generation valid under the Constitution? Second, the implications for the power of the federal government are enormous, especially if the Court strikes down health care. If this law is unconstitutional, there are other dominoes that may fall. Third, the ruling will come next June, in the middle of the Presidential campaign. There are many theories about how the ruling will play out, but in my simple view, winning is good, and losing is bad. If the law is struck down, it?s very bad news for Barack Obama, on every level.

    marriage-equality.jpg

    2. Same-sex marriage in California. In August, 2010, the federal district court in San Francisco declared Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage, unconstitutional. Judge Vaughn Walker declared that Prop 8 violated the guarantee of equal protection of the laws. Since that time, the case has been caught in a procedural morass. The appeal has bounced from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to the California Supreme Court and now back to the Ninth Circuit. In 2012, the logjam will likely be broken. Based on what we?ve seen so far, it looks like the federal courts will strike down Prop 8, meaning that same-sex marriage will soon be legal in California, as it is in New York. Between those two states, that?s one-sixth of the United States. The pace of change may accelerate.

    3. Affirmative action, again. In January, 2011, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas. The case offers a golden opportunity for the conservatives on the Supreme Court to gut the most famous opinion of Justice Sandra Day O?Connor?s career, Grutter v. Bollinger, from 2003. The political constituency for race-conscious affirmative action is less than thriving. The Roberts Court may deliver the coup de grace.

    4. The Future of football. The health risks of football are becoming increasingly apparent. And a squadron of plaintiffs? lawyers are now looking to argue that the football-industrial complex?from helmet makers to high schools to the N.F.L.?knew that the game was simply too dangerous to play. At least some of this civil litigation will gel in 2012. The game may never be the same.

    5. Celebrity arrest. A celebrity will be arrested. Analysis will ensue.

    Illustration by Jim Stoten; photograph by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

    Read more from The New Yorker?s 2011: The Year in Review, at News Desk and at Culture Desk.

    Source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/12/top-five-legal-stories-of-2012.html

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    The story behind the world's most famous drawing

    Jamie Condliffe, contributor

    da-vincis-ghost-book_175.jpgLEONARDO DA VINCI'S Vitruvian Man is the most widely recognised drawing on the planet. A study of human form and proportion, the iconic depiction of a man standing with arms outstretched, framed by circle and square, has come to epitomise the notion of imitation as the sincerest form of flattery: it has been used by Disney, appeared on Euro coins, and even been parodied on The Simpsons.

    But the image wasn't a product of imagination alone. In his new book, Da Vinci's Ghost, Toby Lester uncovers its long and intricate history, revealing that da Vinci was in the business of imitation himself. Indeed, the drawing built on the idea that the human form was a precisely proportioned structure representing the measure of all things - a philosophy developed by the Roman architect Vitruvius during the rule of Caesar Augustus.

    As Lester shows, for the original Renaissance man, this idea had tremendous appeal. Skilfully tracing da Vinci's early talent for art through his passions for architecture, engineering and - crucially - human anatomy, Lester makes the case that it was this fusion of interests, and a chance encounter with a translated copy of Vitruvius's work, which culminated in the creation of the Vitruvian Man.

    He weaves a sparkling account of da Vinci's personal life with an intriguing history of studies of the human form. So entwined are these narratives that he speculates on a tantalising theory: that Vitruvian Man was a self-portrait. It is a fine revelation on which to round off a fascinating book.

    Book Information
    Da Vinci's Ghost
    by Toby Lester
    Published by: Profile Books/Free Press
    ?16.99/$26.99

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    Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1aac063b/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cculturelab0C20A110C120Cthe0Estory0Ebehind0Ethe0Eworlds0Emost0Efamous0Edrawing0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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    Monday, December 5, 2011

    Flood threat for Ark., Tenn., Ky., Ohio, even Texas

    By The Weather Channel and msnbc.com staff

    Heavy rain could bring flooding to parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and even drought-stricken Texas Sunday and Monday, The Weather Channel warned.

    In a posting on its website, Chris Dolce, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said some 1 to 3 inches of rain was expected across a swath of the central U.S., from Texas to Ohio, where the ground was already saturated with water.


    However, up to 6 or more inches are possible in some parts, he warned.

    "Excessive rains over saturated soils are not a good combination. As a result, we are looking at a flood threat Sunday into Monday," in the affected areas, Dolce said.

    "Flood watches have been issued for portions of the region, including the Little Rock, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., and Paducah, Ky. metro areas," he added. In an update to the posting, Dolce said there was also a flood watch for Cincinnati, Ohio.

    Some 83 percent of Texas is still affected by an extreme drought, the second worst category.

    However, Dolce said the weather front "has the potential to dump an inch or more of much needed rain in portions of the eastern and central Texas."

    "The swath of heavy rain also covers adjacent areas of northwest Louisiana, which could also use significant rains due to the prolonged drought. That said, too much rain too quickly could cause some flooding even in drought areas," he cautioned. "This is a case of potentially receiving too much rain to fast."

    A band of snow affecting the Midwest was lingering in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan early Sunday, but it was expected to diminish during the morning, The Weather Channel also reported.

    Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/04/9201608-flood-threat-for-ark-tenn-ky-ohio-even-texas

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    Sunday, December 4, 2011

    Thinner thermal insulation

    Thinner thermal insulation [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 2-Dec-2011
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Dr. Klaus Noller
    klaus.noller@ivv.fraunhofer.de
    49-816-149-1500
    Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

    In Germany, the rising cost of heating has sparked a renovation boom. In order to lower energy costs, more and more homeowners are investing in insulation facades. But the typical insulation layers on the market have one drawback: they add bulk. The 20-centimeter-thick outer skin changes the building's visual appearance and can result in significant follow-up costs with a need to fit new, deeper window sills and sometimes even roof extensions. Fraunhofer researchers are now developing films for a material that will insulate homes without much additional structural alteration: vacuum isolation panels, VIPs for short. The panels are only two centimeters thick and yet perform just as well as a classic 15-centimeter-thick insulation layer made from polyurethane foam. The inner workings of the VIPs are made mostly from pyrogenic silica. A high-tech film holds the material together and makes it air-tight.

    Dr. Klaus Noller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising and Prof. Gerhard Sextl from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Wrzburg have been involved with the development of VIPs since the very beginning. They now want to ready the panels for cost-effective mass production. "The key elements are the films: they dictate the quality, life span and price," acknowledges Noller. "The current production method is time-consuming and expensive: three of the five layers of plastic have to be coated with aluminum and stuck together. This requires seven production steps, which drives the price up." At present, these expensive VIPs are employed only where a space saving is worth the money: for example in high-end refrigerators and freezers.

    The new film is easier to produce because it is made up of just two plastic films with three barrier layers: one aluminum-coated plastic film is coated with a micrometer-thin layer of ORMOCER an ISC invention and then coated again with aluminum. ORMOCERs contain an organic-inorganic hybrid silicon-oxygen polymer matrix, which makes the material exceptionally tight and stable. "That's what makes it perfect for insulation panels," says Noller. "Gases and liquids cannot easily penetrate the ORMOCER layer." The new insulation films can be fashioned in just five stages. First a film is coated, then the ORMOCER layer applied, then coated a second time before the barrier film is applied to the sealing film. "The end product is better and cheaper than the insulation films already on the market," claims Sextl.

    Researchers have also optimized the production of the VIP insulation elements: at the Fraunhofer Application Center for Processing Machines and Packaging Technology AVV in Dresden they have developed an automated process for gently sealing the pyrogenic silica cores with the high-barrier film. The films and production process have now been patented. As soon as the new VIPs are being produced in large enough quantities, the price should fall. Sextl and Noller are convinced that the thin panels will then be of interest for the building industry.

    Now researchers want to simplify the production process further and carry out long-term tests. Until now the panels had to last just twelve years the average lifespan of a refrigerator. The building sector has higher expectations: a facade should last fifty years. Noller and his colleagues are now testing the stability of films and insulation elements in climate chambers, which simulate the seasonal changes in heat and frost and in humidity. The results should be available in just a few months.

    ###


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


    Thinner thermal insulation [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 2-Dec-2011
    [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

    Contact: Dr. Klaus Noller
    klaus.noller@ivv.fraunhofer.de
    49-816-149-1500
    Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

    In Germany, the rising cost of heating has sparked a renovation boom. In order to lower energy costs, more and more homeowners are investing in insulation facades. But the typical insulation layers on the market have one drawback: they add bulk. The 20-centimeter-thick outer skin changes the building's visual appearance and can result in significant follow-up costs with a need to fit new, deeper window sills and sometimes even roof extensions. Fraunhofer researchers are now developing films for a material that will insulate homes without much additional structural alteration: vacuum isolation panels, VIPs for short. The panels are only two centimeters thick and yet perform just as well as a classic 15-centimeter-thick insulation layer made from polyurethane foam. The inner workings of the VIPs are made mostly from pyrogenic silica. A high-tech film holds the material together and makes it air-tight.

    Dr. Klaus Noller from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising and Prof. Gerhard Sextl from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Wrzburg have been involved with the development of VIPs since the very beginning. They now want to ready the panels for cost-effective mass production. "The key elements are the films: they dictate the quality, life span and price," acknowledges Noller. "The current production method is time-consuming and expensive: three of the five layers of plastic have to be coated with aluminum and stuck together. This requires seven production steps, which drives the price up." At present, these expensive VIPs are employed only where a space saving is worth the money: for example in high-end refrigerators and freezers.

    The new film is easier to produce because it is made up of just two plastic films with three barrier layers: one aluminum-coated plastic film is coated with a micrometer-thin layer of ORMOCER an ISC invention and then coated again with aluminum. ORMOCERs contain an organic-inorganic hybrid silicon-oxygen polymer matrix, which makes the material exceptionally tight and stable. "That's what makes it perfect for insulation panels," says Noller. "Gases and liquids cannot easily penetrate the ORMOCER layer." The new insulation films can be fashioned in just five stages. First a film is coated, then the ORMOCER layer applied, then coated a second time before the barrier film is applied to the sealing film. "The end product is better and cheaper than the insulation films already on the market," claims Sextl.

    Researchers have also optimized the production of the VIP insulation elements: at the Fraunhofer Application Center for Processing Machines and Packaging Technology AVV in Dresden they have developed an automated process for gently sealing the pyrogenic silica cores with the high-barrier film. The films and production process have now been patented. As soon as the new VIPs are being produced in large enough quantities, the price should fall. Sextl and Noller are convinced that the thin panels will then be of interest for the building industry.

    Now researchers want to simplify the production process further and carry out long-term tests. Until now the panels had to last just twelve years the average lifespan of a refrigerator. The building sector has higher expectations: a facade should last fifty years. Noller and his colleagues are now testing the stability of films and insulation elements in climate chambers, which simulate the seasonal changes in heat and frost and in humidity. The results should be available in just a few months.

    ###


    [ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


    Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/f-tti120211.php

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    Saturday, December 3, 2011

    Newt Gingrich: One-on-One With New Frontrunner (ABC News)

    Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/169036743?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    Taylor auction tells story of life and loves (AP)

    NEW YORK ? From the colorful, couture frocks worn during her two weddings with actor Richard Burton, to the dazzling ruby and diamond Cartier jewelry set, a gift from her third husband, film producer Mike Todd, "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor" on display at Christie's auction house in New York tells a passionate story, spanning seven husbands and nearly five decades.

    "(Through the collection) you can see that all the men were really, really fundamentally in love with her," said Orianne Collins, a jewelry designer and Taylor aficionado who hosted a preview of the exhibition Thursday before it opens to the public on Saturday.

    Other tokens from admirers include jewelry and an autographed poster from Taylor's cherished friend, Michael Jackson. The 1987 print is signed "To my true love Elizabeth. I love you forever."

    Patrons of the exhibition, which runs through Dec. 12, will certainly flock to one of Taylor's most prized possessions ? a 33.19-carat, emerald cut diamond ring. The estimated worth of the gift Burton gave her in 1968 is $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

    Thomas W. Burstein of Christie's said the only time the famous ring left Taylor's hand was when she offered it up to friends to try on. "She really had this notion that the jewelry should be shared and loved by everybody," he said.

    One of the most precious items of the collection is a 16th century pear-shaped pearl, the centerpiece of a ruby and diamond necklace designed by Cartier and Taylor herself.

    "This is such a rare piece. I compare it to the Hope diamond," Burstein said.

    The necklace's estimated worth is $2 million to $3 million.

    The exhibition is also a journey through Taylor's evolving fashion sense, from her glamorous red carpet gowns to a chorus line of colorful kaftans and a bevy of beaded Versace jackets. The second floor offers a look at Taylor's vibrant purse and shoe collection, a sea of gold Hermes bags, sequin Chanel clutches and satin Louboutins.

    Meredith Etherington-Smith, curator of Taylor's fashion collection, called the exhibit a glimpse into Taylor's "tempestuous, fabulous, technicolor personality that epitomizes gutsy glamour."

    The collection will be up for auction both live and online Dec. 13-17. Part of the proceeds will go to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. The beloved actress died March 23 at age 79.

    ___

    Online:

    www.christies.com

    ___

    Nicole Evatt covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NicoleEvatt

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111202/ap_en_ot/us_people_elizabeth_taylor_auction

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    Friday, December 2, 2011

    At a crossroads: New research predicts which cars are likeliest to run lights at intersections

    ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) ? In 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2.3 million automobile crashes occurred at intersections across the United States, resulting in some 7,000 deaths. More than 700 of those fatalities were due to drivers running red lights. But, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, half of the people killed in such accidents are not the drivers who ran the light, but other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

    In order to reduce the number of accidents at intersections, researchers at MIT have devised an algorithm that predicts when an oncoming car is likely to run a red light. Based on parameters such as the vehicle's deceleration and its distance from a light, the group was able to determine which cars were potential "violators" -- those likely to cross into an intersection after a light has turned red -- and which were "compliant."

    The researchers tested the algorithm on data collected from an intersection in Virginia, finding that it accurately identified potential violators within a couple of seconds of reaching a red light -- enough time, according to the researchers, for other drivers at an intersection to be able to react to the threat if alerted. Compared to other efforts to model driving behavior, the MIT algorithm generated fewer false alarms, an important advantage for systems providing guidance to human drivers. The researchers report their findings in a paper that will appear in the journal IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

    Jonathan How, the Richard Cockburn Maclaurin Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, says "smart" cars of the future may use such algorithms to help drivers anticipate and avoid potential accidents.

    • Video: See the team's algorithm in action as robots are able to negotiate a busy intersection and avoid potential accidents.

    "If you had some type of heads-up display for the driver, it might be something where the algorithms are analyzing and saying, 'We're concerned,'" says How, who is one of the paper's authors. "Even though your light might be green, it may recommend you not go, because there are people behaving badly that you may not be aware of."

    How says that in order to implement such warning systems, vehicles would need to be able to "talk" with each other, wirelessly sending and receiving information such as a car's speed and position data. Such vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, he says, can potentially improve safety and avoid traffic congestion. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is exploring V2V technology, along with several major car manufacturers -- including Ford Motor Company, which this year has been road-testing prototypes with advanced Wi-Fi and collision-avoidance systems.

    "You might have a situation where you get a snowball effect where, much more rapidly than people envisioned, this [V2V] technology may be accepted," How says.

    In the meantime, researchers including How are developing algorithms to analyze vehicle data that would be broadcast via such V2V systems. Georges Aoude SM '07, PhD '11, a former student of How's, designed an algorithm based on a technique that has been successfully applied in many artificial intelligence domains, but is relatively new to the transportation field. This algorithm is able to capture a vehicle's motion in multiple dimensions using a highly accurate and efficient classifier that can be executed in less than five milliseconds.

    Along with colleagues Vishnu Desaraju SM '10 and Lauren Stephens, an MIT undergraduate, How and Aoude tested the algorithm using an extensive set of traffic data collected at a busy intersection in Christianburg, Va. The intersection was heavily monitored as part of a safety-prediction project sponsored by the DOT. The DOT outfitted the intersection with a number of instruments that tracked vehicle speed and location, as well as when lights turned red.

    Aoude and colleagues applied their algorithm to data from more than 15,000 approaching vehicles at the intersection, and found that it was able to correctly identify red-light violators 85 percent of the time -- an improvement of 15 to 20 percent over existing algorithms.

    The researchers were able to predict, within a couple of seconds, whether a car would run a red light. The researchers actually found a "sweet spot" -- one to two seconds in advance of a potential collision -- when the algorithm has the highest accuracy and when a driver may still have enough time to react.

    Compared to similar safety-prediction technologies, the group found that its algorithm generated fewer false positives. How says this may be due to the algorithm's ability to analyze multiple parameters. He adds that other algorithms tend to be "skittish," erring on the side of caution in flagging potential problems, which may itself be a problem when cars are outfitted with such technology.

    "The challenge is, you don't want to be overly pessimistic," How says. "If you're too pessimistic, you start reporting there's a problem when there really isn't, and then very rapidly, the human's going to push a button that turns this thing off."

    The researchers are now investigating ways to design a closed-loop system -- to give drivers a recommendation of what to do in response to a potential accident -- and are also planning to adapt the existing algorithm to air traffic control, to predict the behavior of aircraft.

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    Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130120106.htm

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    LL Cool J preps for Grammy nominations double duty (AP)

    LOS ANGELES ? Don't call it a comeback. It's a tribute.

    "NCIS: Los Angeles" star and rapper LL Cool J is nervously excited to pause from his duties as host of the Grammy nominations concert special Wednesday to perform with a multigenerational group of rappers.

    "We're doing a special dedication to `The Message,' which is one of the seminal hip-hop records," a sweaty LL Cool J said during a break from rehearsals Tuesday afternoon. "It launched the genre. I'm getting to perform with Grandmaster Flash, Scorpio, Melle Mel and then we brought in Common and Lupe Fiasco. It's this really cool version of `The Message.'"

    The group practiced their rendition of the Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five 1982 classic in the Nokia Theatre lobby Tuesday before taking the stage to rehearse. Under flashing red and white lights, Grandmaster Flash manned the tables, while Furious Five members Melle Mel and Scorpio shared verses with Common, Lupe Fiasco and LL Cool J.

    Other musicians set to perform during the concert special include such possible nominees as Lady Gaga, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Sugarland and Rihanna.

    Despite hosting and performing at each of the previous three Grammy nominations concerts, LL Cool J said he still feels pressure commanding the show, which is scheduled to air live Wednesday on CBS.

    "It's live TV," he said. "I never take it for granted. You gotta be ready for it."

    ____

    CBS is a division of CBS Corp.

    ___

    Online:

    http://www.grammy.com

    ___

    AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at www.twitter.com/derrikjlang/.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111130/ap_en_mu/us_people_ll_cool_j

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    Monday, November 28, 2011

    German protesters to block nuke waste transport (AP)

    BERLIN ? Protesters have braved overnight cold in northern Germany as they try to stop 11 containers of reprocessed nuclear waste from reaching a storage facility.

    Workers transferred the containers early Monday from the train that brought them to Germany from France to trucks that are to bring them to their final storage place in Gorleben.

    Thousands of protesters managed to delay the transport's arrival, chaining themselves to the railway tracks or otherwise blocking the route. Hundreds spent the night outside preparing to block the way when the convoy sets out.

    Activists in Germany say the waste containers, and the temporary storage facility, are not safe.

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111128/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_nuclear_waste

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    Sunday, November 27, 2011

    Dutchman, South African, Swede confirmed kidnapped in Mali (Reuters)

    AMSTERDAM (Reuters) ? Three people kidnapped in Mali were from South Africa, the Netherlands and Sweden, their governments said Saturday, a day after their abduction in a region where al Qaeda agents operate.

    Gunmen seized the three and killed a fourth person as the group walked along a street in the northern Mali town of Timbuktu Friday.

    In Berlin, the German foreign ministry said that "in all probability" the person killed in Mali was a German citizen.

    Timbuktu, famous as a major trading center for gold and salt, was once one of Mali's biggest tourist attractions.

    But the increased risk of kidnappings, either by Islamists or by local gunmen cooperating with them, has made large tracts of Mauritania, Mali and Niger no-go areas for Westerners.

    The Dutch, South African and Swedish foreign ministries each confirmed the nationalities of the captives. Officials said the Dutch victim was a man and the South African was originally from Britain.

    "We have clearly warned against travel to this area in light of the increased number of kidnappings," Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Saturday on his blog.

    In Mali, President Amadou Toumani Toure said his country would do its utmost to improve regional security but he said international partners had to play a role, notably by addressing the implications of the Libyan war for its close neighbors.

    "If some say the Libyan war is over, then I welcome that. But they must know that other wars will certainly be started if all the necessary measures are not taken," he told state media.

    He did not specify what measures were needed. Neighboring states have for months raised concerns about a spillover of looted weapons from Libya into a region which has several rebel groups as well as al Qaeda-linked guerrillas.

    Earlier in the week, two French nationals were kidnapped from their hotel in the same remote desert region.

    No one has claimed responsibility for either kidnapping.

    (Reporting by Roberta Cowan and Ed Cropley, Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako. Writing by Alessandra Rizzo; Editing by David Cowell)

    Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111126/wl_nm/us_mali_kidnapping_victims

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