Italian president at center of storm as deadlock continues

By James Mackenzie

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's 87-year-old President Giorgio Napolitano will face the greatest test of his career during his final weeks in office as he tries to end the standoff preventing a new government being formed more than a month after elections.

Following widespread reports he may resign to open the way for a new vote, Napolitano pledged to remain in office at the Quirinale palace until his term ends on May 15, averting the immediate threat of further turmoil.

He named 10 "wise men" including European Affairs Minister Enzo Moavero and senior politicians from the main center-left and center-right blocs to propose a series of urgent measures that could be backed by all parties.

Details will be announced on Tuesday but are expected to include cutting the cost of the bloated political system and replacing the widely criticized electoral law to avoid a repeat of the deadlock in future elections.

"It would be a disaster to go back to an election without have reformed the electoral law," Valerio Onida, former head of the Constitutional court who is part of the advisory group, told La Repubblica newspaper.

With financial markets already concerned about instability in the euro zone's third-largest economy, the prospect of Napolitano leaving raised alarm and moves to escape the impasse received a cautious welcome from commentators on Sunday.

"It was the right decision, it will avoid sending a dangerous signal to the markets and will show Italian institutions are solid and functioning," Enrico Letta, deputy head of the center-left Democratic Party told Reuters.

However, there were few illusions that summoning the "wise men", in line with a long tradition in Italian politics, offered more than a slim hope of overcoming the deep divisions that have prevented the parties from coming to an agreement.

"Political history shows, alas, that whenever someone wants not to decide something, what happens? They set up a nice commission," Daniela Santanche, a member of parliament close to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, told La Stampa.

She said there was no alternative to Berlusconi's demand to share power in a coalition with the center-left formation led by Pier Luigi Bersani, which has repeatedly said it cannot deal with the scandal-plagued billionaire.

"Otherwise we go to elections, which we're sure of winning. There won't be any strange third ways," she said.

INSTABILITY

Napolitano, member of a student anti-fascist group during World War Two and a former communist, won wide respect in Italy and Europe for his handling of the 2011 political and financial market crisis which brought down the last Berlusconi government.

Newspapers reported on Sunday that European Central Bank President Mario Draghi called Napolitano to express concern his resignation would leave Italy without leadership at a time of mounting tension in financial markets.

However, Napolitano has acknowledged he has only limited power to force the parties to find a way out of political situation he said was "frozen between irreconcilable positions".

The three main blocs in parliament - Bersani's center-left, Berlusconi's center-right alliance and Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement - have all clung to demands that have prevented any government being formed.

Bersani, who won control of the lower house but fell short of the Senate majority that would allow him to govern, rules out a "grand coalition" with Berlusconi while Grillo refuses a pact with parties he blames for Italy's social and economic crisis.

Berlusconi and Grillo have both said they would not back a repeat of the kind of technocrat government led by Prime Minister Mario Monti, who will remain in office until a new government arrives.

The deeply divided parliament, along with regional representatives, will soon face the task of electing Napolitano's successor, who will have to oversee the birth of a new government or guide Italy into new elections.

Berlusconi, facing a verdict in his trial on charges of paying for sex with a minor as well as a decision on his appeal against a four-year sentence for tax fraud, has demanded the next president come from his side. He has already threatened to take protests to the streets if he does not get his way.

(Reporting By James Mackenzie; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italian-president-center-storm-deadlock-continues-152016472.html

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Rep. Peter King Compares North Korean Government to 'Organized Crime Family'

Below you can find some of the notable comments made Sunday on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Political roundtable guests included former Newark Mayor Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.; ABC News political analyst and special correspondent Matthew Dowd; ABC News senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny; and editor and publisher of The Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel. Our special religion and politics roundtable included writer and religious scholar Reza Aslan; Rev. Calvin Butts, Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York; author and atheist Susan Jacoby; Dr. Richard Land, of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; and Sojourners president Rev. Jim Wallis, author of "On God's Side."

King describes North Korean government as 'organized crime family'

KING: As far as I see, this is not even government. It's more like an organized crime family running a territory. They are brutal, he is brutal, his father was brutal, his grandfather was brutal. I don't see any purpose at all in [direct talks with North Korea] at all. It would demoralize our allies in Asia, certainly in South Korea, and it would - to me - serve no constructive purpose whatsoever.

Vanden Heuvel on gay marriage: 'justice delayed is justice denied'

VANDEN HEUVEL: "Justice delayed is justice denied. But I think that the Supreme Court is lagging so far behind now that marriage equality has won in this country? It is moving in states, it is moving politically. And I think you've seen, perhaps, the most rapid mass evolution on an issue, among our politicos as well. They know where the future of this country is. It is also a qualifier to win a next generation."

So I think whatever happens in the court, and it may well be that Kennedy's - Justice Kennedy's consuming affection for state rights does lead to overruling DOMA, I think we are going to see a social, moral, and political paradigm shift that is extraordinary.

King supports President Obama's position on guns

KING: Let me say, I support the president's position on guns. So I'll say that. Having said that, it's going to be very difficult to get very meaningful legislation through the congress, because despite what [Mayor Booker] was saying? is that you get a majority of Americans who don't seem to want this type of legislation. And I support it. So I'm - I am again, supporting legislation on gun trafficking, on background checks, assault weapons, all of that. But I just don't see the intensity building up.

Vanden Heuvel states 'the Republican Party is a values challenged party'

VANDEN HEUVEL: If they don't go along with immigration. I mean, as you head into 2014, the Republican Party is a values challenged party. They have big problems on immigration, on same-sex marriage, on gun reform, commonsense gun reform. So I think this is going to be a test case

Land thinks immigration reform 'needs to be done'

LAND: "Immigration reform is tearing the social fabric of the country. It needs to be done. The lack of doing it is causing havoc that will be difficult to repair in the social fabric of the country. And there is a way to do it, and a way to do it that's fair, and a way to do it that will heal the country."

Like "This Week" on Facebook here. You can also follow the show on Twitter here.

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a different take on the news at OTUSNews.com.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rep-peter-king-compares-north-korean-government-organized-163609641--abc-news-politics.html

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North Korea says it is in 'a state of war' with South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? North Korea warned Seoul on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

Analysts say a full-scale conflict is extremely unlikely, noting that the Korean Peninsula has remained in a technical state of war for 60 years. But the North's continued threats toward Seoul and Washington, including a vow to launch a nuclear strike, have raised worries that a misjudgment between the sides could lead to a clash.

North Korea's threats are seen as efforts to provoke the new government in Seoul, led by President Park Geun-hye, to change its policies toward Pyongyang, and to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could get it more aid. North Korea's moves are also seen as ways to build domestic unity as young leader Kim Jong Un strengthens his military credentials.

On Thursday, U.S. military officials revealed that two B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy munitions on an uninhabited South Korean island as part of annual defense drills that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for invasion. Hours later, Kim ordered his generals to put rockets on standby and threatened to strike American targets if provoked.

North Korea said in a statement Saturday that it would deal with South Korea according to "wartime regulations" and would retaliate against any provocations by the United States and South Korea without notice.

"Now that the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK have entered into an actual military action, the inter-Korean relations have naturally entered the state of war," said the statement, which was carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Provocations "will not be limited to a local war, but develop into an all-out war, a nuclear war," the statement said.

Hours after the statement, Pyongyang threatened to shut down the jointly run Kaesong industrial park, expressing anger over media reports suggesting the complex remained open because it was a source of hard currency for the impoverished North.

"If the puppet group seeks to tarnish the image of the DPRK even a bit, while speaking of the zone whose operation has been barely maintained, we will shut down the zone without mercy," an identified spokesman for the North's office controlling Kaesong said in comments carried by KCNA.

South Korea's Unification Ministry responded by calling the North Korean threat "unhelpful" to the countries' already frayed relations and vowed to ensure the safety of hundreds of South Korean managers who cross the border to their jobs in Kaesong. It did not elaborate.

South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said the country's military remains mindful of the possibility that increasing North Korean drills near the border could lead to an actual provocation.

"The series of North Korean threats ? announcing all-out war, scrapping the cease-fire agreement and the non-aggression agreement between the South and the North, cutting the military hotline, entering into combat posture No. 1 and entering a 'state of war' ? are unacceptable and harm the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.

"We are maintaining full military readiness in order to protect our people's lives and security," he told reporters Saturday.

The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Naval skirmishes in the disputed waters off the Korean coast have led to bloody battles several times over the years.

But on the streets of Seoul on Saturday, South Koreans said they were not worried about an attack from North Korea.

"From other countries' point of view, it may seem like an extremely urgent situation," said Kang Tae-hwan, a private tutor. "But South Koreans don't seem to be that nervous because we've heard these threats from the North before."

The Kaesong industrial park, which is run with North Korean labor and South Korean know-how, has been operating normally, despite Pyongyang shutting down a communications channel typically used to coordinate travel by South Korean workers to and from the park just across the border in North Korea. The rivals are now coordinating the travel indirectly, through an office at Kaesong that has outside lines to South Korea.

North Korea has previously made such threats about Kaesong without acting on them, and recent weeks have seen a torrent of bellicose rhetoric from Pyongyang. North Korea is angry about the South Korea-U.S. military drills and new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear test last month.

Dozens of South Korean firms run factories in the border town of Kaesong. Using North Korea's cheap, efficient labor, the Kaesong complex produced $470 million worth of goods last year.

___

Follow Sam Kim at www.twitter.com/samkim_ap.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-says-state-war-skorea-014344604.html

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Exxon has yet to excavate area of ruptured Arkansas oil pipeline

LAHORE, March 31 (Reuters) - Pakistan have dropped senior batsman Younus Khan from the list of 30 probable players announced for this year's ICC Champions Trophy on Sunday. Younus, 35, was the only surprise omission and the decision probably signals the end of his one-day international career which has spanned 253 matches. The former captain struggled in the recent one-day series in South Africa and has been out of form in this format of the game since last year. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exxon-yet-excavate-area-ruptured-arkansas-oil-pipeline-185433705--finance.html

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Roundup: Spurs go third, Wigan out of drop zone

Matchweek 31 delivered on the excitement it promised as Spurs moved into 3rd place with a win over Swansea (and Chelsea?s loss), Arsenal once again proved its desire for Champions League football and Wigan secured a vital three points that (for now) moves the Latics out of the relegation zone.

SUNDERLAND 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Stadium of Light)

An enemic offensive display from Sunderland dropped them to within one point of the relegation zone as Manchester United triumphed 1-0 at the Stadium of Light. The goal came via a Titus Bramble own goal from a Robin van Persie strike in the 27th minute and was all Sir Alex Ferguson?s squad would need to preserve its 15 point advantage over 2nd placed Manchester City.?

ARSENAL 4 READING 1 (Emirates Stadium)

Gervinho (11?), Santi Cazorla (48?), Olivier Giroud (67?) and Mikel Arteta (77?) were all on target as the Gunners showed real quality to defeat a desperate Reading side 4-1. The Royals cut Arsenal?s lead to 3-1 through Hal Robson-Kanu?s 68th minute header?but it wasn?t enough to spur a comeback in Nigel Adkins? first match as manager.

MANCHESTER CITY 4 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 (Etihad Stadium)

After a sound 2-0 defeat at the hands of Everton, Roberto Mancini?s men found their feet on Saturday with a clinical display against Newcastle. City received goals from Carlos Tevez (41?) David Silva (45?), Vincent Kompany (?56) while a 69th minute own goal by James Perch sealed the Magpies fate. With the win City holds a five point cushion over 3rd place Spurs while the loss drops Newcastle to 15th in the table, merely three points above the drop.

SOUTHAMPTON 2 CHELSEA 1 (St. Mary?s Stadium)

Another huge scalping for Mauricio Pochettino as goals by Jay Rodriguez (23?) and Rickie Lambert (35?) buried Chelsea 2-1. Since the Argentinian manager?s arrival on the south coast in late January he?s secured victories over Manchester City, Liverpool and now Chelsea, confirming that Southampton is a squad to be reckoned with.

SWANSEA CITY 1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 (Liberty Stadium)

Spurs held on for victory at the Liberty Stadium with Jan Vertonghen (7?) and Gareth Bale (21?) each producing stunning first-half goals before a Michu header in the 71st minute cut the lead in half. It was a massive three points for Tottenham, who leapfroged Chelsea into 3rd place after the Blues were outclassed by Southampton.

WEST HAM UNITED 3 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Upton Park)

West Brom?s hopes for an end-of-the-season push to qualify for the Europa League were dashed at Upton Park as a confident West Ham side destroyed the Baggies 3-0. A thunderous header from Andy Carroll opened the scoring in the 16th minute and four minutes later Gary O?Neill doubled the lead with a sweet curler from the top of the box. ?Carroll found his brace in the 80th minute and West Brom got one back through a Graham Dorrans? penalty but it was all West Ham as Sam Allardyce earned a much needed three points.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1 NORWICH CITY 0 (DW Stadium)

Arouna Kone was the hero for Wigan as his 81st minute strike from the edge of the penalty area being the difference at the DW Stadium. For now the win raises the Latics out of the relegation zone, heaping pressure on Aston Villa to get a result in?tomorrow?s?clash with Liverpool.

EVERTON 1 STOKE CITY 0 (Goodison Park)

Everton kept its European hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over Stoke City at Goodison Park. The difference came in the 28th minute when Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard punched Marc Wilson?s cross into the path of Kevin Mirallas, who collected the ball and exploded into a pitch-long counter-attack before slotting the ball past Asmir Begovic. The fantastic individual effort was the crown jewel of an otherwise drab contest and was enough to secure the Toffees stayed in 6th place, two points behind 5th place Arsenal and four points behind 4th place Chelsea.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/30/premier-league-wrapup-matchweek-31/related/

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Social Media Welcome To Reality On-line | Destination Raleigh

Posted on Saturday, March 30th, 2013

Although other people may possibly believe you are merely enjoying the several aspects of social networking, the truth of your interest might likely be tinged with a organization concentrate.

What that doesnt imply is that you post simply to leave a traceab?

The use of social media encompasses a broad range of on the internet media sorts. Whilst some might only assume of a social network like MySpace there are truly several social media formats that include substantial advertising and marketing prospective for on the web business.

Although other individuals might think you are simply enjoying the a number of aspects of social networking, the truth of your interest might probably be tinged with a enterprise concentrate.

What that doesnt mean is that you post merely to leave a traceable link back to your business web site. Individuals who go to any social media site see by way of posts that are overtly geared toward marketing and advertising. In several situations social media buyers view this as spam even if the social network owners do not. In the end, you can shed credibility of you dont operate as a meaningful contributor in a social media environment.

Social media can be presented in a lot of various types. Lets take a peak at a handful of of them.

YouTube and other equivalent video sites These movies can be funny, severe, off the cuff and sometimes political in nature. You can show your organization in a humorous light and let folks to be curious about you and your organization.

MySpace and other social networks This form of social media is well-known since it draws with each other numerous elements of social marketing and advertising and makes them accessible to the masses of individuals that may possibly view social networking as an on-line version of reality television.

Blogs This is a form of social media if only since it does allow interactive exchanges amongst the blogger and the reader.

Forums This can permit you to have an person voice willing to discuss topics of interest to the majority. As with all social media you can provide a link to your website. If you are viewed as a trusted source you will likely locate forum members following you to your internet site to learn far more.

Podcasting This is an audio stream that can let a visitor to hear a private message from you. This can have a pronounced effect in social advertising.

This isnt an exhaustive list, but it does supply something for you to consider as an addition to other advertising methods you may possibly have in place. Social media permits you to take your message to the individuals and have enjoyable even though you share your message.

I cant anxiety enough how important it is to be real. The complete Internet community has a low tolerance for supposed spam so make positive you dont use social media as basically one more type of on the internet marketing.

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Source: http://www.destinationraleigh.com/uncategorized/social-media-welcome-to-reality-on-line/

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Pope leads traditional Good Friday rite at Rome Colosseum

By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) - Thousands of people holding candles turned out at Rome's Colosseum to see Pope Francis mark the first Good Friday of his pontificate with a traditional "Way of the Cross" procession around the ancient amphitheatre.

Francis, who was elected on March 13, sat under a red canopy on Rome's Palatine Hill as representatives of the faithful from around the world alternated carrying a wooden cross on the day Christians commemorated Jesus's death by crucifixion.

"Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent," the Argentine pope said, speaking slowly in Italian and in a somber voice at the end of the evening service.

"And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness. It is also reveals a judgment, namely that God, in judging us, loves us," he said.

"Christians must respond to evil with good," he said, urging them to beware "the evil that continues to work in us and around us".

The meditations for the 14 "stations of the cross" which commemorate events in the last hours of Jesus's life - from when Pontius Pilate condemned him to death to his burial in a rock tomb - were written by young people from Lebanon.

The wooden cross was passed from one group and person to another - including a person in a wheelchair. Those who carried it came from Italy, India, China, Nigeria, Syria, Lebanon and Brazil.

Several of the meditations, read by actors, referred to conflict in the Middle East and the suffering of its people.

One meditation called the Middle East "a land lacerated by injustice and violence".

Francis praised those Lebanese Christians and Muslims who tried to live together and who, he said, in doing so gave a sign of hope to the world.

Prayers were read out for exploited and abused children, refugees, the homeless and victims of religious intolerance, war, violence, terrorism, poverty, injustice and drug addiction.

There were also prayers against abortion and euthanasia.

Good Friday is the second of four hectic days leading up to Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar.

On Holy Thursday, two young women were among 12 people whose feet the pope washed and kissed at a traditional ceremony in a Rome youth prison, the first time a pontiff has included females in the rite.

After celebrating an Easter eve service, on Easter Sunday he will deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message in St. Peter's Square.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-leads-traditional-good-friday-rite-rome-colosseum-220528001.html

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IRS knowingly sends Billions in Fraudulent Refunds to Illegal ...

A WTHR-TV Indianapolis investigative report exposes a fraudulent scheme wherein the IRS is sending $4.2 billion per year to illegal immigrants as an "additional child tax credit" for children who don't even live in the U.S.

Further, the IRS and Congress have been ignoring the scheme for years. ?The Inspector General's office has repeatedly identified the problem in audit after audit.? The IG, Russell George says, "The magnitude of the problem has grown exponentially," but the IRS is doing nothing to stop it.

"It's so easy it's ridiculous," the tax preparer whistleblower who exposed the fraud admits.? Names are simply listed on the IRS form. "The more you put on there, the more you get back." No questions asked?the check's in the mail.

Below is the video of the shocking report.

The whistleblower notified the IRS of dozens of returns that were "fraudulent, 100% fraudulent tax returns." But, no response was ever received from the IRS. Out of frustration he went to WTHR investigative reporter Bob Segall.

"If the opportunity is there, and they can give it to me, why not take advantage of it?" admits one of the undocumented perpetrators to Segall on camera.

Segall found that there are "2 million?undocumented workers right now who are getting tax refunds because of this loophole."

Meanwhile, American school kids hoping for the opportunity of a lifetime to see the inside of the White House find the doors are closed supposedly because we can no longer afford to let them in.?

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/bobbeauprez/2013/03/30/irs-knowingly-sends-billions-in-fraudulent-refunds-to-illegal-immigrants-n1553242

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Risk and reward at the dawn of civilian drone age

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The dawn of the age of aerial civilian drones is rich with possibilities for people far from the war zones where they made their devastating mark as a weapon of choice against terrorists.

The unmanned, generally small aircraft can steer water and pesticides to crops with precision, saving farmers money while reducing environmental risk. They can inspect distant bridges, pipelines and power lines, and find hurricane victims stranded on rooftops.

Drones ? some as tiny as a hummingbird ? promise everyday benefits as broad as the sky is wide. But the drone industry and those eager to tap its potential are running headlong into fears the peeping-eye, go-anywhere technology will be misused.

Since January, drone-related legislation has been introduced in more than 30 states, largely in response to privacy concerns. Many of the bills would prevent police from using drones for broad public surveillance or to watch individuals without sufficient grounds to believe they were involved in crimes.

Stephen Ingley, executive director of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, says resistance to the technology is frustrating. Drones "clearly have so much potential for saving lives, and it's a darn shame we're having to go through this right now," he said.

But privacy advocates say now is the time to debate the proper use of civilian drones and set rules, before they become ubiquitous. Sentiment for curbing domestic drone use has brought the left and right together perhaps more than any other recent issue.

"The thought of government drones buzzing overhead and constantly monitoring the activities of law-abiding citizens runs contrary to the notion of what it means to live in a free society," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said at a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

With military budgets shrinking, drone makers have been counting on the civilian market to spur the industry's growth. Some companies that make drones or supply support equipment and services say the uncertainty has caused them to put U.S. expansion plans on hold, and they are looking overseas for new markets.

"Our lack of success in educating the public about unmanned aircraft is coming back to bite us," said Robert Fitzgerald, CEO of the BOSH Group of Newport News, Va., which provides support services to drone users.

"The U.S. has been at the lead of this technology a long time," he said. "If our government holds back this technology, there's the freedom to move elsewhere ... and all of a sudden these things will be flying everywhere else and competing with us."

Law enforcement is expected to be one of the bigger initial markets for civilian drones. Last month, the FBI used drones to maintain continuous surveillance of a bunker in Alabama where a 5-year-old boy was being held hostage.

In Virginia, the state General Assembly passed a bill that would place a two-year moratorium on the use of drones by state and local law enforcement. The measure is supported by groups as varied as the American Civil Liberties Union on the left and the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation on the right.

Gov. Bob McDonnell is proposing amendments that would retain the broad ban on spy drones but allow specific exemptions when lives are in danger, such as for search-and rescue operations. The legislature reconvenes on April 3 to consider the matter.

Seattle abandoned its drone program after community protests in February. The city's police department had purchased two drones through a federal grant without consulting the city council.

In Congress, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., co-chairman of the House's privacy caucus, has introduced a bill that prohibits the Federal Aviation Administration from issuing drone licenses unless the applicant provides a statement explaining who will operate the drone, where it will be flown, what kind of data will be collected, how the data will be used, whether the information will be sold to third parties and the period for which the information will be retained.

Privacy advocates acknowledge the many benign uses of drones. In Mesa County, Colo., for example, an annual landfill survey using manned aircraft cost about $10,000. The county recently performed the same survey using a drone for about $200.

Drones can help police departments find missing people, reconstruct traffic accidents and act as lookouts for SWAT teams. Real estate agents can have them film videos of properties and surrounding neighborhoods, offering clients a better-than-bird's-eye view though one that neighbors may not wish to have shared.

"Any legislation that restricts the use of this kind of capability to serve the public is putting the public at risk," said Steve Gitlin, vice president of AeroVironment, a leading maker of smaller drones.

Yet the virtues of drones can also make them dangerous, privacy advocates say. The low cost and ease of use may encourage police and others to conduct the kind of continuous or intrusive surveillance that might otherwise be impractical.

Drones can be equipped with high-powered cameras and listening devices, and infrared cameras that can see people in the dark.

"High-rise buildings, security fences or even the walls of a building are not barriers to increasingly common drone technology," Amie Stepanovich, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Council's surveillance project, told the Senate panel.

Civilian drone use is limited to government agencies and public universities that have received a few hundred permits from the FAA. A law passed by Congress last year requires the FAA to open U.S. skies to widespread drone flights by 2015, but the agency is behind schedule and it's doubtful it will meet that deadline. Lawmakers and industry officials have complained for years about the FAA's slow progress.

The FAA estimates that within five years of gaining broader access about 7,500 civilian drones will be in use.

Although the Supreme Court has not dealt directly with drones, it has OK'd aerial surveillance without warrants in drug cases in which officers in a plane or helicopter spotted marijuana plants growing on a suspect's property.

But in a case involving the use of ground-based equipment, the court said police generally need a warrant before using a thermal imaging device to detect hot spots in a home that might indicate that marijuana plants are being grown there.

In some states economic concerns have trumped public unease. In Oklahoma, an anti-drone bill was shelved at the request of Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who was concerned it might hinder growth of the state's drone industry. The North Dakota state Senate killed a drone bill in part because it might impede the state's chances of being selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as one of six national drone test sites, which could generate local jobs.

A bill that would have limited the ability of state and local governments to use drones died in the Washington legislature. The measure was opposed by the Boeing Co., which employs more than 80,000 workers in the state and which has a subsidiary, Insitu, that's a leading military drone manufacturer.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently drew attention to the domestic use of drones when he staged a Senate filibuster, demanding to know whether the president has authority to use weaponized drones to kill Americans on American soil. The White House said no, if the person isn't engaged in combat. Industry officials worry that the episode could temporarily set back civilian drone use.

"The opposition has become very loud," said Gitlin of AeroVironment, "but we are confident that over time the benefits of these solutions are going to far outweigh the concerns, and they'll become part of normal life in the future."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Va., contributed to this report.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-03-29-Everyday%20Drones/id-2898ef918ddb4166839776f7d86a1295

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Deal for Martin to replace Hamlin blows up

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? A deal to loan Mark Martin to Joe Gibbs Racing as a replacement driver for injured Denny Hamlin fell apart Friday, when Michael Waltrip Racing said Martin will fulfill his commitment to its team.

When the dust settled for both teams, Brian Vickers wound up as Hamlin's replacement driver for at least four races. He was already scheduled to drive Martin's car for MWR at Martinsville next week and will keep that commitment, with Martin driving Hamlin's car.

Then Martin will go back to MWR, and Vickers will drive Hamlin's car until he's medically cleared to return from a fractured vertebra in his lower back.

The about-face came down from MWR roughly 24 hours after JGR said Martin will take over the No. 11 Toyota until Hamlin returns. He's out at least five races.

"We were a bit premature in determining Mark's status past Martinsville," J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, said in a Friday night statement.

MWR said Martin will return to his regular car after Martinsville and "resume his previously scheduled run of events with MWR" for the rest of the season.

"I think it is great that a driver of Mark's caliber is available to support our fellow Toyota team during this difficult time for them. We wish Denny a speedy recovery" said MWR founder and co-owner Michael Waltrip. "Mark is a big part of our organization and is committed to our sponsors, especially Aaron's and Toyota. We have a lot of goals yet to reach this year and we are very focused on accomplishing them."

It's believed a deal between the teams to swap Martin for Vickers in the Sprint Cup Series races had been completed, but JGR prematurely announced it before MWR sponsor Aaron's had given its approval. No reason has been given why Aaron's didn't approve the swap.

MWR has been eyeing Vickers as a potential replacement for Martin in the No. 55 Toyota, and Vickers is scheduled to run nine races for Martin this year. Because Vickers is seen as an option for that ride, MWR was in favor of loaning Martin to the Gibbs camp to get an extended look at Vickers in its equipment.

Instead, JGR turned to a Plan B, which is Vickers, a day after Gibbs said the team wanted to use just one driver for consistency sake.

Vickers had the commitment to MWR for the first race, and Elliott Sadler, the second driver in JGR's Nationwide Series camp, already has commitments to drive the Cup races at Kansas and Talladega in a fourth car for JGR.

"Obviously, having to find someone to fill in for Denny is not an ideal situation to have to be in, and when you start a process like this you obviously begin to look at the drivers that are not only available but also able to drive for your race team and manufacturer," Gibbs said. "We're real happy to have the opportunity to get Brian in our Cup cars and with him driving Nationwide for us we think we have some continuity there that is beneficial.

"We really appreciate everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota for working with us through this process. The good thing for us is that we have drivers the caliber of Mark and Brian to help fill in until Denny comes back."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/deal-martin-replace-hamlin-blows-003814704--spt.html

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Guest Post: The Knowledge Economy's Two Classes of Workers ...

Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,

The knowledge economy has important implications for both workers and organizations.

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Setting aside that our economy is by and large organized to benefit a State-financial Elite and the technocrat Caste that serves them,?let's consider the two classes of worker in what Peter Drucker labeled the Knowledge Economy in his 1993 book?Post-Capitalist Society.

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At the risk of simplifying Drucker's nuanced account, here is a precis:

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The Marxist class division of labor vs. capitalist/management no longer adequately describes the new economy, as knowledge workers own "the means of production" which is first and foremost knowledge. Corporations and government offer an organization within which workers can apply their knowledge (i.e. the means of production in a knowledge economy).

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Since the new economy is no longer characterized by capital vs. labor, it is a post-capitalist economy.

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Knowledge workers are a minority of the workforce; the majority are service workers, either skilled or low-skilled.

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Economist Robert B. Reich divides the workforce into similar categories: "symbolic analysts" (knowledge workers) and two classes of service workers: "routine producers" and "in-person servers."

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Since the service workers own and leverage less capital (knowledge), their ability to create surplus value and thereby demand high wages is intrinsically lower than the knowledge workers.

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This creates a structural tension, as society has to establish a way to maintain the wages of the service workers in an economy where the value and income they can generate by their labor is capped.

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The other root cause of our present difficulties with the workforce might be termed a general lowering of employees' frustration tolerance.Many employees, particularly the younger ones, are increasingly reluctant to put up with factory conditions.?Despite the significant improvements we've made in the physical environment of our plants. Because they are unfamiliar with the harsh economic facts of earlier years, they have little regard for the consequences if they take a day or two off.

For many, the traditional motivations of job security, money rewards, and opportunity for personal advancement are proving insufficient.

Large numbers of those we hire find factory life so distasteful they quit after only brief exposure to it.?The general increase in real wage levels in our economy has afforded more alternatives for satisfying economic needs.

There is also, again especially among the younger employees, a growing reluctance to accept a strict authoritarian shop discipline. This is not just a shop phenomenon, rather is a manifestation in our shops of a trend we see all about us among today's youth.

More money, time and effort than ever before must now be expended in recruiting and acclimatising our quality control programs have been put to severe tests; large numbers of employees remain unmoved by all attempts to motivate them; and order in the plants is being maintained with rising difficulty.

That this is not simply a bosses' problem was expressed by youthful Gary Bryner, President of the Lordstown local of the UAW (July 25, 1972):

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There are symptoms of the alienated worker in our plant-- the absentee rate, as you said, has gone continually higher. Turnover rate is enormous. The use of alcohol and drugs is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. So has apathy within our union movement towards union leaders and towards the Government ... (The worker) has become alienated to the point where he casts off the leadership of his union, his Government...?He is disassociated with the whole establishment.

Here's the key quote from this excellent historical essay:

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Modern capitalism can, by and large, cope with the traditional type of economic problem, for instance those dealt with by Marx, it can continue to develop production.?It is in difficulties, however, when confronted with a massive resistance to its values, priorities and whole pattern of authority.

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In the traditional labor vs. capital framework, we expect the resistance to come from labor;?in the knowledge economy, that resistance is arising from those who own and control the means of production, the knowledge workers themselves.

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This has important implications for corporations, non-profit organizations and government alike.?In Drucker's view,?"Every organization has to build in organized abandonment of everything it does. Increasingly, organizations will have to plan abandonment rather than try to prolong the life of a successful policy, practice or product."

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In other words, creative destruction is the necessary result of constant, purposeful innovation. Any organization which fails to do so will become obsolete. The same can be said of those providing the knowledge capital to the organizations, the knowledge workers.

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One consequence that none dare speak is the absolute reduction of any functional need for layers of management, or anything resembling traditional management.The Internet is a tool for eliminating management, along with generally needless/useless meetings and the other sources of unproductive friction in modern corporate and government organizations.

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Management exists to minimize the problems created by its own hiring mistakes.Valve says the secret of their management-free environment is hiring good people. That sounds right to me. We don't have any weak contributors in our start-up so we have never felt a need for management.
One of the interesting aspects of better global communications, better access to information, and better mobility is that collectively it reduces the risk of making hiring mistakes. When employers were limited to hiring people who lived nearby, and the only information at their disposal was lie-filled resumes, every growing company would necessarily absorb a lot of losers. But now that entrepreneurs can hire the best people from anywhere in the world, we have for the first time in human history the ability to create teams so capable they require no management structure. That's new.

I think the manager-free model only works for a business that has high margins and depends more on creating hits than cutting costs. The videogame business fits that model, as do many Internet businesses. And in both cases entrepreneurs can hire from anywhere in the world.

So here's my summary: Management only exists to compensate for its own poor hiring decisions. The Internet makes it easier to locate and then work with capable partners. Therefore, the need for management will shrink - at least for some types of businesses - because entrepreneurs have the tools to make fewer hiring mistakes in the first place.

Management won't entirely go away, but as technology makes it easier to form competent teams without at least one disruptive or worthless worker in the group, the need for management will continue to decline.

Even organizations based on rigid command hierarchies such as the U.S. military are finding that decentralized command decisions based on proximity to information flow, field intelligence and detailed knowledge of local assets trump sclerotic centralized command structures in getting demonstrable results.

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If this is true in sprawling bureaucracies, it is certainly true in smaller organizations.

This is the economy that every worker has to understand if they want to navigate it to their own benefit.?Every enterprise and organization that wants the most productive workers has to understand that their task is not "managing labor," it is offering workers of all levels opportunities to be effective and to contribute.

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In my view, each worker is an enterprise, and the less time, energy and money wasted on management and friction, the more time and energy there will be for wealth creation or value creation, and as a result, more money available for wages.

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Via correspondent Rui N.P.:?America: A Nation of Permanent Freelancers and Temps.

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Your rating: None Average: 2.3 (15 votes)

Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-03-29/guest-post-knowledge-economys-two-classes-workers

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Rethinking the US Economy: Part 3 | Slog

As I said before, the US replaced economists with financial mathematicians. The difference between the two is significant. The former is concerned with eradicating scarcity/poverty and liberating a society "from pressing economic cares"?and as a Marxist vanishes at the very moment capitalism vanishes, an economist vanishes at the moment a society is unchained from its economy. The latter is simply about the mathematics of making money and nothing more. At one point in US history, around late 60s and early 70s, economists were no longer needed (the Keynesian years are the twilight of economics) and vacuum was quickly filled by those whose main project was creating an ideal environment for entrepreneurs and investors. What we have today is the result of this project: ownership society.

In ownership society, everyone is an entrepreneur (Gary Becker's human capital) and all that we do is tied to the fluctuations of the market (Carlo Vercellone's "becoming-rent of salary"). We are rational actors in the speculative paradise of an efficient market. True, this utopia took a hit in 2008, but its structure remained intact. But even if we found a way to dismantle ownership society, we couldn't just go back to Keynesian economics because we already live in a society that has eradicated poverty, a society whose scarcity is caused by cultural and not natural forces?meaning, we no longer need economics. (One solution to the death of this profession has been behavioral economics; but this solution turns out to be nothing more than a response to the flaws in the rational actor theory at the heart of the neoclassical mode?behavioral economics does not provide answers to what to do "when accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance.")

But what kind of profession should replace economics? Recall that Marx saw the universal as the metabolic relationship between humans and nature. It's this relationship that needs the attention of our best thinking. At present, we have too many good minds tied with up the mathematics of transforming pennies into nickels for those who have "semi-criminal, semi-pathological propensities" (what we call economics today), when what we really should be trying to solve is the bad state of the current interchanges between the urban and nature, between human life and all other life forms, nations and biogeochemical cycles. This kind of work does not need an economist (whose main concern is, after all, economic growth and development) but men/women who specializes in the manipulation and invention of human behaviors. Human plasticity is the resource of concern for this profession. The social engineer replaces the economist.

Source: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2013/03/28/rethinking-the-us-economy-part-3

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Texas retail gas prices drop 4 cents this week

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Retail gasoline prices across Texas have dropped 4 cents this week.

AAA Texas on Thursday reported the average price at the pump fell to $3.53. The national average also has fallen, down to $3.64.

The association survey found Beaumont has the cheapest gasoline statewide at $3.39 per gallon. Dallas and Fort Worth have the most expensive retail gasoline in Texas at $3.62 per gallon.

Texas drivers on average are paying 28 cents less than this time last year.

AAA says it's too soon to determine whether retail prices have peaked for the spring because there's still refinery maintenance to be completed and much of the country has yet to transition to summer-blend gasoline.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-retail-gas-prices-drop-163846501.html

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How to Source Affordable Car Insurance in 3 Easy Steps - Auto Candy

Posted by Rob on March 28, 2013

While experts continue to suggest that the UK economy is experiencing turbulence, the countries automotive trade is continuing to boom. As a result of this, it remains a vital part of wider economic growth, with an estimated ?50 billion generated in turnover every single year.

While the automotive trade may be booming, however, the task of sourcing affordable car insurance remains extremely challenging. This is especially true if you are purchasing your first car, as you will be faced with the prospect of high premiums and significant annual outgoings.

Obtaining Affordable Car Insurance: 3 Steps to Success

?With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to minimise the cost of first time car insurance? Consider the following: -

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• Choose a Viable and Affordable Model of Car: Before you even begin to compare insurance prices, you can strive to minimize potential costs by finding a suitable and affordable model of car. While this may mean striking a compromise between your desired vehicle and something that is more practical, it still affords you the opportunity to take control of your financial situation. Less costly and powerful cars often incur higher insurance premiums, especially if you are purchasing one as a newly qualified driver.

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• Think Outside of Price Comparison Sites: While price comparison websites are often marketed as the ideal medium through which to find cheap insurance providers, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, a growing number of the market?s leading firms now choose not to advertise their rates on comparison sites, as this ensures that they are able to gain a critical advantage. As a result, you must commit to searching both price comparison resources and independent websites, as this will help you to target the best possible deal.

• Add an Experienced Driver to your Claim: When you process your claim, there are innovative and thoughtful ways through which you can lower your annual liability. If you are keen on a time effective solution, however, then you should consider adding an experienced driver to your insurance claim. So long as they are qualified to drive within the UK and a clean points history, then their addition as a second driver could trim the cost of your monthly repayments. While this may save you pence rather than pounds each month, it certainly adds up over a period of two to three years.

?The Bottom Line

Purchasing your first car can be a difficult challenge, especially if you are hoping to keep your insurance premiums to a minimum. With this in mind, you will need to access a host of online resources and visit sites such as www.carshop.co.uk in order help minimise your overall cost.

Source: http://www.auto-candy.com/how-to-source-affordable-car-insurance-in-3-easy-steps/

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GOP moves to catch up with Democrats on technology

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans are moving aggressively to repair their technological shortcomings from the 2012 election, opening a new tech race to counter a glaring weakness against President Barack Obama.

With the blessing of party leaders, a new crop of Republican-backed outside groups is developing tools to improve communication with voters, predict their behavior and track Democratic opponents. After watching Obama win re-election with the aid of an unprecedented technological machine, GOP officials concede an urgent need for major changes in the way they reach voters. They are turning to a younger generation of tech experts expected to play a bigger role in the 2014 midterm elections and beyond.

"I think everybody realized that the party is really far behind at the moment and they're doing everything within their realistic sphere of influence to catch up," said Bret Jacobson, a partner with Red Edge, a Virginia-based digital advocacy firm that represents the Republican Governors Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Heritage Foundation.

Alex Skatell, former digital director for the GOP's gubernatorial and Senate campaign operations, leads a new group that has been quietly testing a system that would allow Republicans to share details about millions of voters ? their personal interests, group affiliations and even where they went to school. Democrats began using related technology years ago, giving Obama a significant advantage last fall in personalizing communication with prospective supporters.

With no primary opponent last year, Obama's re-election team used the extra time to build a large campaign operation melding a grass-roots army of 2.2 million volunteers with groundbreaking technology to target voters. They tapped about 17 million email subscribers to raise nearly $700 million online.

Data-driven analytics enabled the campaign to run daily simulations to handicap battleground states, analyze demographic trends and test alternatives for reaching voters online.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in contrast, had only a few months after a lengthy primary fight to try to match Obama's tech advantage. He couldn't make up the difference. Romney's technology operation was overwhelmed by the intense flow of data and temporarily crashed on Election Day.

A 100-page report on how to rebound from the 2012 election, released last week by Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus, includes several technology recommendations.

"The president's campaign significantly changed the makeup of the national electorate and identified, persuaded and turned out low-propensity voters by unleashing a barrage of human and technological resources previously unseen in a presidential contest," the report said. "Marrying grass-roots politics with technology and analytics, they successfully contacted, persuaded and turned out their margin of victory. There are many lessons to be learned from their efforts, particularly with respect to voter contact."

Skatell, 26, is leading one new effort by Republican allies to fill the void. His team of designers, software developers and veteran Republican strategists is now testing what he calls an "almost an eHarmony for matching volunteers with persuadable voters" that would let campaigns across the country share details in real time on voter preferences, harnessing social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Other groups are working to improve the GOP's data and digital performance.

The major Republican ally, American Crossroads, which spent a combined $175 million on the last election with its sister organization, hosted private meetings last month focused on data and technology. Drawing from technology experts in Silicon Valley, the organization helped craft a series of recommendations expected to be rolled out later this year.

"A good action plan that fixes our deficiencies and identifies new opportunities can help us regain our advantage within a cycle or two," said Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio.

A prominent group of Republican aides has also formed America Rising, a company that will have a companion "super" political action committee that can raise unlimited contributions without having to disclose its donors. Its purpose is to counter Democratic opposition research groups, which generated negative coverage of Romney and GOP candidates last year.

America Rising will provide video tracking, opposition research and rapid response for campaign committees, super PACs and individual candidates' campaigns but does not plan to get involved in GOP primaries. It will be led by Matt Rhoades, who served as Romney's campaign manager, and Joe Pounder, the research director for the Republican National Committee. Running its super PAC will be Tim Miller, a former RNC aide and spokesman for former GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman.

Romney and several Republican candidates were monitored closely by camera-toting Democratic aides during the campaign, a gap that Miller said American Rising hopes to fill on behalf of Republicans.

Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said his party has "a several years' lead on data and analytics infrastructure and we're not standing still."

Of the GOP effort, Woodhouse said, "We don't see them closing the gap anytime soon."

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Peoples reported from Boston.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-moves-catch-democrats-technology-065816379--election.html

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D-Link ships its AC1200 802.11ac WiFi router / thermos doppelganger

True, D-Link's AC1200 may better resemble the container keeping your coffee hot at work than a traditional WiFi router, but it remains a rare take on networking design that's frankly appreciated. We're glad to report, then, that it's shipping to stores. The device (seen in the middle) is the more affordable of D-Link's two 2013-era 802.11ac routers at its $130 street price, keeping costs in check by peaking at at more modest 867Mbps speed with the new standard and 300Mbps on old-fashioned 802.11n. It still dishes out wireless on either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands, offers wired connections to four gigabit Ethernet devices and shares content from drives attached to its lone USB 3.0 port. When devices like the HTC One and Galaxy S 4 are arriving with 802.11ac built-in, we'd say the AC1200 is a timely solution -- just don't pack it with your office lunch.

Filed under: Peripherals, Networking

Comments

Source: Newegg

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/d-link-ships-its-ac1200-802-11ac-wifi-router/

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Nuclear-capable stealth bombers sent to South Korea amid Kim Jong Un's threats

Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, drop inert munitions during a "long-duration, round-trip" training missing from Missouri.

By Jason Cumming and Matthew DeLuca, NBC News

Two American B-2 Spirit stealth bombers practiced an attack on the Korean Peninsula Thursday as part of a military exercise that has sparked angry threats from North Korea.

The U.S. military said the planes involved in the firing drill left Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on a "long-duration, round-trip training mission."

Inert munitions were dropped on a range facility on the Jikdo islands off the western coast of South Korea before the jets returned to the continental U.S. in a single continuous flight.

B-2 Spirit bombers are capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear weapons.

In a statement, the United States Forces Korea?said the mission "demonstrates the United States? ability to conduct long-range, precision strikes quickly and at will."

Dubbed "Foal Eagle," the training exercise involves about?200,000 South Korean troops and 10,000 U.S. forces and is due to continue until the end of April.

Sin Young-Keun / Yonhap via Reuters

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber (left) flies over Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Thursday.

The Korean Central News Agency, the official state news agency, did not immediately have a response to the stealth bomber mission on Thursday. Previously, KCNA hit out at flights made by U.S. B-52 bombers.

The mission comes at a time of raised tensions between North Korea, its neighbors and the U.S.

A propaganda video posted on the country?s Uriminzokkiri website in February showed New York City under attack from North Korean rockets ? a scenario thought to be far outside the reach of the poverty-stricken nation.

The video, which was set to a version of the song "We Are the World," was widely lampooned in the U.S.

Another video posted in March showed an image of the U.S. Capitol building being hit by an explosion.

The U.S. military announced on March 15 that it was bolstering missile defenses in response to threats from the North, including a threat to conduct a "preemptive nuclear strike."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on March 20 that he would order military forces to attack American military installations in the Pacific and South Korea?if its "enemies ? make even the slightest move,? according to KCNA.

?When the drills turn into a battle, the enemies will be made to drink a bitter cup, unable to raise their heads, in the face of retaliatory blows of the strong revolutionary Paektusan army, he [Kim] said,? the same KCNA article stated in language characteristic of the state?s military-first government.

Tensions rose on the Korean Peninsula in December when the North launched a rocket test, and then again in February with the test of a nuclear bomb. The United Nations Security Council moved to impose further sanctions on the already isolated nation by a unanimous vote early in March.

On Wednesday,?North Korea said it was cutting the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at "any moment."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

North Korea puts rocket units on 'highest alert,' issues new threats to US

Kim Jong Un threatens attack on US bases in Pacific

Full North Korea coverage from NBC News

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This story was originally published on Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:41 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a166c69/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C280C174980A630Enuclear0Ecapable0Estealth0Ebombers0Esent0Eto0Esouth0Ekorea0Eamid0Ekim0Ejong0Euns0Ethreats0Dlite/story01.htm

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Springpad update brings redesign, better search and performance

A much needed update makes Springpad feel fresh again

A large update brings Springpad up to version 4.0 today, with some notable improvements. The once cumbersome left toolbar has been simplified, and many of its previous controls are now intuitively integrated into the foreground of the app.

There are now three main screens: home, notebooks, and search. The home screen displays individual springs (notes). A slider can be moved to show only your springs, your springs and those of collaborators, or your springs and springs you follow. The notebooks screen is relatively unchanged, with the addition of notebooks being followed at the bottom. The search screen lets you search through your own springs, or find other people's springs and notebooks. Homemade Cadbury Creme Egg recipe anyone? Best of all, adding new springs is a breeze with the new static add button on the bottom right of each screen.

It seems Springpad has taken a few notes (no pun intended) from Google Keep. This leaner, meaner design makes Springpad much more enjoyable to use. Hit the Google Play link at the top to give it a spin for yourself.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/vtDV0c2hOvE/story01.htm

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Hacker Challenge: Hack Your Home Theater

Welcome, Lifehackers, to our next Hacker Challenge! Each week, we issue a new challenge. You get until Sunday to prepare your submission and send it to us. That gives you a few days to think about it and a whole weekend to work it up. Our editors pick the best submissions and our favorite will win a copy of the Lifehacker book!

Let's get started!

This Week's Hacker Challenge: Hack Your Home Theater

For this week's challenge, we'd like to see your best home theater hack?anything clever or out of the ordinary you've done do to make your home theater better. We've shown you how to put a movie theater in your home on the cheap and for those that already have a home theater, we've shown you how to get more out of it without spending a dime. On the hack front, we've talked about the top 10 cheap or free home theater upgradres you can make and even how to build a hidden home theater PC inside your entertainment center.

Now, it's your turn. We want to see your best home theater hack.

How to Submit Your Entry

Make sure to follow these instructions when you submit your entry:

• Post your entry below or send it to challenge@lifehacker.com with the subject Hacker Challenge: Home Theater. If you post your entry below and need to include more than one image, just reply to your own comment or host your extra pics on a free, quick image-hosting site like imgur and link out to your gallery.
• We will accept entries up through Sunday night, March 31 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time
• We will showcase the best submissions and announce our favorite Tuesday, April 2.

So get to work! And don't forget to check back for new challenges every week.

Standard Gawker contest rules apply, so be sure to check them out before submitting your entry.

Images by Brian A Jackson (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ILs-LI_FwBU/hacker-challenge-hack-your-home-theater

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Microsoft adding more content to Xbox Live this week, including Toys R Us movies and a refreshed MLB.tv app

Mo apps, mo couch entertainment, right? Well, in order to boost the attributes of its mature gaming console and Xbox Live, Microsoft today announced it's bringing some additional content to the ever-evolving platform. To go along with the recent inclusion of Redbox Instant, Redmond this week -- and just in time for the new season, shall we say -- will welcome an MLB.tv app with a redesigned interface and other undisclosed features that, according to the company, should "make watching baseball on Xbox better than ever." What's more, Microsoft didn't just have MLB lovers in mind, and is also giving film buffs, both young and old, something to look forward to with a few new applications, such as IndieFlix, PopcornFlix and Toys R Us movies -- oh, and for those who fancy internet-based TV shows, there's a Revision3 app, to boot. As is often the case, the countries in which they can each be enjoyed will depend on where you live (and a Gold subscription, of course), so now may be a good time to peruse the PR after the break to find out which of these you can expect to see on your Dasboard.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Xbox

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hG14o6CWEPw/

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