tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87402886182768952672024-03-13T23:35:24.601-07:00Track México™Información sobre la inseguridad en MéxicoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.comBlogger457125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-87293507054812110762018-07-13T07:29:00.002-07:002018-07-13T07:29:36.575-07:00Kushner to join Pompeo for meetings with Mexican leadersWhite House senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with Mexican leaders on Friday, a senior State Department official told reporters.<br />
<br />
The official said that Kushner, along with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, will make the trip to Mexico City on Friday to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador.<br />
<br />
The official called the delegation “a testament to the importance the administration and the United States places on the bilateral relationship.”<br />
<br />
“The fact that the State Department, DHS, and Treasury, and the president’s senior adviser Jared Kushner are traveling together shows that this is a whole-of-government approach and underscores the importance of our relationship with Mexico,” the official said.<br />
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Kushner, the president's son-in-law, has served as a point person for global affairs in the White House, meeting with foreign leaders and working on policies like a peace plan for the Middle East.<br />
<br />
The Washington Post reported Thursday that Kushner doesn't have the security clearance needed to view the government's most sensitive information, which experts said could impede his ability to carry out his White House duties.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Alatsi97ogc/U6fbu_WQx1I/AAAAAAAACUc/LBlvkkQwNi02ITl5eyQv0o1bm26sUb1XQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/on_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Alatsi97ogc/U6fbu_WQx1I/AAAAAAAACUc/LBlvkkQwNi02ITl5eyQv0o1bm26sUb1XQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/on_image.jpg" width="200" /></a>The State Department official said the officials will discuss the opioid epidemic, trade, “curb irregular immigration” and ways “to combat transnational criminal organizations” in Mexico.<br />
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López Obrador, a left-wing candidate and prominent critic of President Trump, won Mexico’s presidential election earlier this month.<br />
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Mexico-U.S. relations have soured under the Trump administration: Trump has repeatedly slammed the country over trade and immigration, and has claimed he will make Mexico pay for a wall on the U.S. border. Peña Nieto has repeatedly said Mexico won’t pay for the wall.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-13531857355431795752016-05-05T23:07:00.001-07:002016-05-05T23:07:21.646-07:00Se van a Durango los tigres que tenían en la colonia Paraíso<p dir="ltr">Los dos tigres que tras la prohibición de exhibirse en un circo, fueron colocados por su dueño en una casa de la colonia Paraíso, partieron rumbo a Durango luego de permanecer en observación durante un mes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ambos se van en excelentes condiciones de salud y con un aumento de más de 15 por ciento en su peso, comentó el delegado de la Procuraduría Federal de Protección al ambiente (PROFEPA), Víctor Jaime Cabrera Medrano.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Se trata de un macho y una hembra de 200 y 180 kilos de peso, uno de ellos atacó el seis de Abril a la persona que los aseaba y daba de comer, en un domicilio de Juchitlán 314 en la colonia Paraíso, de Guadalupe, Nuevo León.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Los animales eran del mago brasileño Ericko Tranvensuli, y en unos tres meses se sabrá la sanción que le van a aplicar, pues demostró ser el legítimo propietario de los tigres, pero el trato que recibían los animales era inadecuado.</p>
<p dir="ltr">El traslado de los tigres corre por cuenta de la PROFEPA y van en unidad climatizada, pues el viaje al estado de Durango se prolonga por siete horas.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YI3XhfkNjXA/Vyw0mAmoIYI/AAAAAAAADS4/eWWtn4ROwP0/s1600/felino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YI3XhfkNjXA/Vyw0mAmoIYI/AAAAAAAADS4/eWWtn4ROwP0/s640/felino.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-29612294929329057962016-05-05T01:00:00.001-07:002016-05-05T01:00:06.398-07:00How Mexican journalists are reporting in secret on drug cartels<p dir="ltr">How Mexican journalists are reporting in secret on drug cartels.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Reporters use cross-border outlet to break the news gag imposed by gangs.</p>
<p dir="ltr">How is it possible to report in a country regarded as one of the most dangerous places for a journalist to operate? Answer: do it secretly; do it online; and do it remotely.</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to a Christian Science Monitor article, a Mexican reporter called AJ Espinoza worked out this safe way of working some two years ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He teamed up with a US-based reporter in order to write stories he thinks fellow Mexicans should read. But they appear in a US-based outlet rather than his local newspaper.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In that way, he can safely report on the activities of the drug cartels that plague the Mexico-US border region where he operates. Espinoza is quoted as saying: “No one else needs to know that I’m doing this.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">He formed a partnership with Ildefonso Ortiz, a reporter for Breitbart along the Texas-Mexico border, who says that people who don’t live in the region find it “hard to grasp that in cities like Matamoros or Reynosa, organised crime has complete control [over the media]”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Celeste González de Bustamante, an associate professor at Arizona university who studies the effects of violence on journalism, says:</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Newsrooms started waiting for the green light to publish. But the green or red light wasn’t coming from the owner of the paper or managers, but from members of organised crime.” Editors “have to answer to two bosses: the publishers and the cartels.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Newspapers have come up with creative ways to overcome the problem. El Mañana, one of the oldest newspapers in the region, will occasionally run a sensitive story from Tamaulipas on the front page of its neighbouring Nuevo Leon-based edition, while burying the story locally.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Others have tried to adapt by creating alternative publications that come out less frequently. And some outlets will sometimes risk publishing or broadcasting stories that implicate cartel activity, but will omit bylines or cite hard-to-trace Twitter users as sources.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ortiz said: “For people not on the border, it’s hard to grasp that in cities like Matamoros or Reynosa, organised crime has complete control. It’s like an alternative form of government. They control the media; they boss around politicians and the government.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Last year, Ortiz and his Breitbart editor developed a project called the Cartel Chronicles, which is published in both English and Spanish.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But there are still risks, even when working anonymously. In 2014, a crusading Twitter user who publicised details of cartel violence in Tamaulipas was kidnapped and murdered.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite those dangers, Espinoza says teaming with Ortiz is worth it. “If no one knows what’s really happening, how can the situation ever change?”</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6gfdA1p0I7U/Vyr9hW86sNI/AAAAAAAADSo/VVDigyCcZXM/s1600/gif_20160502105435.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6gfdA1p0I7U/Vyr9hW86sNI/AAAAAAAADSo/VVDigyCcZXM/s640/gif_20160502105435.gif"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-88368798990323547242014-06-26T11:14:00.002-07:002014-06-26T11:14:36.878-07:00USA falls to Germany in group finale, advances to Round of 16 despite loss<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Germany beats U.S. 1-0 but both go through.</b></blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United States' Matt Besler walks past as Germany's <br />Thomas Mueller, third from right, celebrates scoring <br />the opening goal during the group G World Cup soccer <br />match between the USA and Germany at the <br />Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, Thursday, June 26, 2014.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A 55th minute Thomas Mueller goal gave Germany a 1-0 win over the United States on Thursday but the result allowed both teams to progress to the second round of the World Cup.<br />
<br />
Germany top Group G and will face the runner-up in Group H while the United States finish second and will face Group H's winner. Portugal who beat Ghana 2-1 are eliminated with the Africans.<br />
<br />
The Germans dominated the game with Juergen Klinsmann's team, with their backs againt the wall, creating very few chances.<br />
<br />
The breakthrough came when Tim Howard parried out a Per Mertesacker header but Mueller collected the loose ball on the edge of the area and superbly side-footed into the bottom corner.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-2957166167015629602014-06-26T10:46:00.001-07:002014-06-26T10:46:29.794-07:00Man,knife in back,walks into NYC McDonald'sNew York City police say a man has been treated for a non-life-threatening injury after walking into a McDonald's restaurant with a kitchen knife stuck in his back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unidentified man walks into a <br />McDonald's in Jamaica, Queens with a knife in his back.</td></tr>
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Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters Wednesday that investigators have recovered video of the argument between four men that preceded the Tuesday stabbing.<br />
<br />
Boyce says the victim has been treated at a hospital and has spoken to detectives but has not been cooperative.<br />
<br />
Police say officers responded to the fast-food restaurant in Jamaica, Queens, at about 10 a.m. Tuesday after receiving 911 calls from inside the restaurant.<br />
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Witnesses tell local media the man was chatting on his cellphone and appeared composed despite the knife in his back. They say his T-shirt was stained with blood.<br />
<br />
There have been no arrests.<br />
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Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-2805540740548850552014-06-26T10:35:00.004-07:002014-06-26T10:38:52.772-07:00The Surprisingly High Stakes of the U.S.-Germany World Cup Game<blockquote class="tr_bq">
America can advance, even with a loss. </blockquote>
<br />
<b><i>But a win would be hugely significant.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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In the wake of the U.S. team’s heartbreaking come-from-ahead draw against Portugal in the World Cup on Sunday, soccer analysts and Twitter users scrambled to figure out the many ways the U.S. can still get to the next round.<br />
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<a href="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=01f8a872-0fc5-582d-4e4f-e67f261f3198&w=300&h=169&so=4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=01f8a872-0fc5-582d-4e4f-e67f261f3198&w=300&h=169&so=4" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=01f8a872-0fc5-582d-4e4f-e67f261f3198&w=300&h=169&so=4" /></a><br />
With a three-point lead over Portugal and Ghana in Group G, the Americans can advance even if they lose their match against Germany at noon Eastern today, depending on the outcome of the Portugal-Ghana game played at the same time.<br />
<br />
Deadspin has one of the better graphical breakdowns of every potential scenario for the U.S., including the dreaded drawing of lots.<br />
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All the focus on permutations and goal-differential scenarios has undercut the importance of today's game for American soccer. There’s not as much at stake, goes the implication, because we can move ahead even if we lose to Germany.<br />
<br />
But this is about more than getting to the next round. This is an opportunity for the U.S. to face one of soccer’s elite teams on the biggest stage and prove it can hang with—even beat—any country in this World Cup.<br />
<br />
Before the tournament, most people thought it would be an unlikely success for the U.S. just to get out of the so-called Group of Death and to the Round of 16.<br />
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Now, after beating Ghana and dominating much of the game against Portugal, the U.S. can dream bigger. Beat Germany, and America wins its group for the second straight World Cup, a result nearly unthinkable when the draw was announced in December.<br />
<br />
Beat Germany, and the U.S. secures a favorable Round of 16 match most likely against Algeria or Russia, rather than a trickier faceoff with sneaky-good Belgium.<br />
<br />
Just as important, a win would mean that the Americans have defeated one of soccer’s oligarchs at a World Cup, with both sides trying their best for a victory. That by itself would be a precedent-setting result. The U.S. is 3-6 against Germany since that country became unified in 1990, and 0-2 against it in the World Cup, including a 1-0 loss in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. Of the U.S.’s five World Cup wins since 1950, only one has come against a European team, a 3-2 triumph over Portugal in 2002 that ranks among the greatest accomplishments in American soccer history.<br />
<br />
So even though Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad could manage to advance in defeat, a win (or well-contested draw) would be a big deal. Unlike the Ghanaians or the Portuguese, talented but flawed teams whose weaknesses can be exploited, the Germans lord over the soccer world, the second favorites to win this World Cup after the host Brazilians. Germany's talent reserve is so deep that offensive wizard Miroslav Klose, whose equalizing touch against Ghana tied him for the most career goals in World Cup history (15), has been used as a second-half substitute. The top German player, young striker Thomas Muller, recorded one of two hat tricks in the World Cup thus far with three goals in Germany’s 4-0 shellacking of Portugal.<br />
<br />
Germany is one of a very small handful of countries, along with Brazil, Argentina, and already-eliminated Spain (and potentially France and The Netherlands), that will consider anything less than a World Cup victory a disappointment. They occupy the space that many American soccer fans dream of seeing the U.S. enter in their lifetimes: perennial favorites. And the only way for the U.S. men to ever get there is to beat the best teams when it counts the most.<br />
<br />
America's team is objectively worse than Germany, to be sure. Though Clint Dempsey has been a beast spearheading the American offensive attack and midfielder Jermaine Jones has emerged as a legitimate star, the U.S. has struggled to maintain possession at times and is vulnerable to counter-attacking plays like the one that led to Portugal’s last-minute equalizer. Striker Jozy Altidore, who strained his hamstring against Ghana, will miss his second game in a row.<br />
<br />
But the U.S. has the self-belief of a winner, as it showed when it overcame Ghana’s late tying goal to win, and when it rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit against Portugal. That, plus Klinsmann’s familiarity with the German squad he coached in the 2006 World Cup (with current German coach Joachim Low as his deputy),gives the U.S. a real chance to shock the soccer world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A U.S. fan holds a scarf during the 2014 <br />
World Cup G soccer match between <br />
Portugal and the U.S. at the Amazonia arena in Manaus June 22, 2014.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This crucible moment for U.S. men's soccer comes as Americans are tuning in to support the team in record numbers.<br />
<br />
More than 25 million people watched the U.S.’s draw against Portugal, far more than saw the NBA Finals or the World Series (and that figure does not completely account for the millions of people watching in bars and outdoor communal areas nationwide).<br />
<br />
While the noon Eastern starting time against Germany may hurt viewership, millions of working Americans will undoubtedly be calling in sick, taking a long lunch, or playing hooky to watch the match.<br />
<br />
A loss, even if the U.S. advances anyway, would confirm for many first- or second-time soccer viewers that America has an above-average squad who can’t hang with the greats.<br />
<br />
A draw could potentially be chalked up to wink-wink collusion because both Germany and the U.S. will advance if they tie, despite both sides vociferously denying that they will play for a draw.<br />
<br />
But a win, no matter how it happens, would be a watershed moment for the American team and open up the real possibility of a deep run in the knockout stage. Regardless of what happens in the rest of the tournament, the U.S. would return home having won the Group of Death by beating its deadliest team, announcing America as a soccer force to fear in the future.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-56366209404992744722014-06-26T09:51:00.000-07:002014-06-26T10:50:34.972-07:00High court rebukes Obama on recess appointments.The Supreme Court on Thursday limited the president's power to fill high-level vacancies with temporary appointments, ruling in favor of Senate Republicans in their partisan clash with President Barack Obama.<br />
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The high court's first case involving the Constitution's recess appointments clause ended in a unanimous decision holding that Obama's appointments to the National Labor Relations Board in 2012 without Senate confirmation were illegal. Obama invoked the Constitution's provision giving the president the power to make temporary appointments when the Senate is in recess.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Problem is,the court said, the Senate was not actually in a formal recess when Obama acted.</blockquote>
<br />
Obama had argued that the Senate was on an extended holiday break and that the brief sessions it held every three days — what lawmakers call "pro forma" — were a sham that was intended to prevent him from filling seats on the NLRB.<br />
<br />
The justices rejected that argument Thursday.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Barack Obama speaks <br />
at the White House about <br />
the Iraq situation in Washington June 19, 2014.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Justice Stephen Breyer said in his majority opinion that a congressional break has to last at least 10 days to be considered a recess under the Constitution.</b></blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Neither house of Congress can take more than a three-day break without the consent of the other.<br />
<br />
The issue of recess appointments receded in importance after the Senate's Democratic majority changed the rules to make it harder for Republicans to block confirmation of most Obama appointees.<br />
<br />
But the ruling's impact may be keenly felt by the White House next year if Republicans capture control of the Senate in the November election. The potential importance of the ruling lies in the Senate's ability to block the confirmation of judges and the leaders of independent agencies like the NLRB. A federal law gives the president the power to appoint acting heads of Cabinet-level departments to keep the government running.<br />
<br />
Republican leaders in both houses, House Speaker John Boehner and Sen. Mitch McConnell, praised the court for rejecting what they described as Obama's unconstitutional power grab. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the decision underscores the importance of the Senate rule change to make sure that a small number of senators cannot block qualified nominees.<br />
<br />
Still, the outcome was the least significant loss possible for the administration. The justices, by a 5-4 vote, rejected a sweeping lower court ruling against the administration that would have made it virtually impossible for any future president to make recess appointments.<br />
<br />
The lower court held that the only recess recognized by the Constitution is the once-a-year break between sessions of Congress. It also said that only vacancies that arise in that recess could be filled. So the high court has left open the possibility that a president, with a compliant Congress, could make recess appointments in the future.<br />
<br />
Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for himself, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, said he would have upheld the lower court's reasoning. He said Thursday's decision means "the abolition of the Constitution's limits on the recess-appointment power."<br />
<br />
Obama has made relatively few recess appointments, 32 in his five-plus years in office, according to the Congressional Research Service. President George W. Bush made 171 such appointments over two terms and President Bill Clinton filled 139 posts that way in his eight years in office, the research service said.<br />
<br />
But Obama was the first president to try to make recess appointments when Congress explicitly said it was not in recess. The Constitution requires that the Senate and House must get the other's consent for a break lasting longer than three days. At the end of 2011, the Republican-controlled House would not give the Democratic-led Senate permission for a longer break.<br />
<br />
The partisan roles were reversed during Bush's presidency, when Senate Democrats sought ways to prevent the president from making recess appointments.<br />
<br />
In fact, the very basis on which the justices decided the case — that the Senate can use extremely brief sessions to avoid a formal recess — was a tactic devised by Reid to frustrate Bush.<br />
<br />
On a practical level, there may be little difference between how the court decided the case and Scalia wishes it were decided, said Andy Pincus, a veteran Supreme Court lawyer in Washington.<br />
<br />
"The practical effect of today's decision is to return the rules governing recess appointments to what just about everyone believed them to be before President Obama adopted a significantly broader view of that authority in January 2012. Those rules give Senate the ability to block all recess appointments by convening for pro forma sessions — a practice that began under the Bush administration and has continued in the Obama administration. The recess appointment power has receded into practical irrelevance as a result of this practice, and today's decision likely cements that reality," Pincus said.<br />
<br />
A recess appointment can last no more than two years. Recess appointees who subsequently won Senate confirmation include Chief Justice Earl Warren and Justice William Brennan, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, two current NLRB members and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray. Former UN Ambassador John Bolton is among recess appointees who left office because they could not win a Senate vote.<br />
<br />
The case challenging the appointments was brought by Noel Canning, a soft drink bottling company in Yakima, Washington. The company claimed an NLRB decision against it was not valid because the board members were not properly appointed and that the board did not have enough members to do business without the improperly appointed officials.<br />
<br />
Noel Canning prevailed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and two other appeals courts also had ruled against recess appointments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-22810608059490654502014-06-26T09:16:00.002-07:002014-06-26T09:17:41.046-07:00Georgia toddler left in car by father died of heatstroke: officialsA Georgia medical examiner has found a 22-month-old toddler who died last week in suburban Atlanta after being left in his father's SUV for seven hours appears to have succumbed to heatstroke, according to local officials.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqoarXLSVFQ/U6xGtJ4eLzI/AAAAAAAACac/BHxIK9S0AVY/s1600/d26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqoarXLSVFQ/U6xGtJ4eLzI/AAAAAAAACac/BHxIK9S0AVY/s1600/d26.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did Justin Ross Harris intentionally kill his <br />
22 month old son Cooper? <br />
Justin Ross Harris with his wife, Leanna and son</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The medical examiner also found that the child's manner of death was homicide, though a final ruling for the cause and manner of how he died will not be made until toxicology tests are completed, Cobb County police said in a statement released on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Heatstroke, or hyperthermia, can be fatal when the body gets too overheated.<br />
<br />
The child's father, Justin Ross Harris, 33, of Marietta, has been charged with felony murder and second-degree child cruelty and is being held in jail without bail.<br />
<br />
The case has drawn wide interest after reports of an emotional scene of Harris pulling into a shopping center parking lot on his way home from work and appearing to frantically try to revive his son last Wednesday.<br />
<br />
More than 11,500 people have signed an online petition asking the county's district attorney to drop the murder charge in a case Harris' supporters consider a tragic accident.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ASJ0sx9PJ6k/U6xHB_GcUFI/AAAAAAAACak/5WPaDy3soSY/s1600/justin-ross-harris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ASJ0sx9PJ6k/U6xHB_GcUFI/AAAAAAAACak/5WPaDy3soSY/s1600/justin-ross-harris.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>But in the statement, Cobb County Police Chief John Houser said detectives had collected physical evidence and witness statements that led them to believe a "more serious crime" was committed.<br />
<br />
"The chain of events that occurred in this case does not point toward simple negligence, and evidence will be presented to support this allegation," Houser said.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An updated arrest warrant on Tuesday said Harris ate breakfast with his son at a Chick-fil-A restaurant on June 18 and then headed straight to work at Home Depot's headquarters instead of dropping the child off at daycare.</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JR0cIPmoVIg/U6xHM4sPkuI/AAAAAAAACas/Wz_3GgQiWcU/s1600/ju2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JR0cIPmoVIg/U6xHM4sPkuI/AAAAAAAACas/Wz_3GgQiWcU/s1600/ju2.png" height="140" width="320" /></a></div>
The boy was left strapped in his rear-facing car seat in the back seat of the SUV while Harris worked. Temperatures in the Atlanta area reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit that day, according to the National Weather Service.<br />
<br />
Police also said that during his lunch hour, Harris went to his office parking lot and placed something in his SUV through the driver’s side door, then returned to his office.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/86/d75914816e14b1be12d35ba31ce/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/86/d75914816e14b1be12d35ba31ce/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" height="359" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobb County police investigate an SUV where a toddler died June 18, 2014, near Marietta, Ga.,<br />
when the father forgot to drop his child off at day care<br />
and went to work. Justin Ross Harris, 33, was being<br />
held without bond on a felony murder charge Thursday, police in suburban Atlanta said.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-28947434897405000672014-06-26T08:38:00.001-07:002014-06-26T08:40:26.222-07:00Justices limit police right to search cell phonesThe U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that police officers usually need a warrant before they can search an arrested suspect's cellphone, a major decision in favor of privacy rights at a time of increasing concern over government encroachment in digital communications.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=ce4d9616-9a67-d176-0519-05c59412cbf5&w=300&h=169&so=4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=ce4d9616-9a67-d176-0519-05c59412cbf5&w=300&h=169&so=4" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=ce4d9616-9a67-d176-0519-05c59412cbf5&w=300&h=169&so=4" /></a><br />
In an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said that the right of police to search an arrested suspect at the scene without a warrant does not extend in most circumstances to data held on a cellphone.<br />
<br />
There are some emergency situations in which a warrantless search would be permitted, the court noted.<br />
<br />
The unanimous 9-0 ruling goes against law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, which wanted more latitude to search without having to obtain a warrant. The ruling is a win for digital privacy advocates.<br />
<br />
"We cannot deny that our decision today will have an impact on the ability of law enforcement to combat crime," Roberts wrote.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The right to privacy, he said, "comes at a cost."</blockquote>
<br />
The court was weighing two separate cases that pitted evolving expectations of privacy against the interests of the law enforcement community as the court for the first time weighed the increasingly ubiquitous role of cellphones in modern day life.<br />
<br />
The ruling appears to be in line with public opinion based on results of a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, which found that 60.7 percent of people surveyed said police should not be allowed to search cellphones without a warrant.<br />
<br />
Cellphones, initially used purely to make calls, now contain a wealth of personal information about the owner, including photographs, video and social media content. According to a 2013 report by the Pew Research Center, 91 percent of adult Americans have a cell phone, more than a half of them smartphones that can connect to the Internet.<br />
<br />
Concerns about increasing government encroachment on personal privacy, especially in relation to electronic communications, has surged into the public eye over the last year after disclosures made by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about government surveillance.<br />
<br />
Roberts acknowledged the unique nature of cell phones in contemporary life, noting that "the proverbial visitor from Mars might conclude they were an important feature of human anatomy."<br />
<br />
Justice Samuel Alito, who is a former federal prosecutor, wrote a separate opinion agreeing with the outcome but saying that Congress and state legislatures should be allowed to pass laws that would narrow the scope of the ruling once they have considered "the legitimate needs of law enforcement."<br />
<br />
The defendants challenging their convictions, David Riley and Brima Wurie, said evidence found on their phones should not have been used at trial because the searches were conducted without court-issued warrants.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cWtIOFbmzao/U6w-RuSgBCI/AAAAAAAACaM/gYlc0_1lxwk/s1600/tm6_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cWtIOFbmzao/U6w-RuSgBCI/AAAAAAAACaM/gYlc0_1lxwk/s1600/tm6_o.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
The circumstances in the two cases, one from Massachusetts and one from California, were different, both in terms of the scope of the search and the type of cellphone used. Wurie had a basic flip phone while Riley had a more sophisticated smartphone.<br />
<br />
The court decided the two cases together, finding that both searches were unconstitutional.<br />
<br />
The legal question was whether the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bars unreasonable searches, requires police following an arrest to get court approval before a cellphone can be searched.<br />
<br />
Riley was convicted of three charges relating to an August 2009 incident in San Diego in which shots were fired at an occupied vehicle. Local prosecutors linked him to the crime in part based on a photograph police found on his smartphone.<br />
<br />
In the other case, police searched Wurie's cellphone without a warrant after his September 2007 arrest for suspected drug dealing. Officers used the device, which was not a smartphone, to find a phone number that took them to Wurie's house in Boston, where drugs, a gun and cash were found.<br />
<br />
The cases are Riley v. California, 13-132 and U.S. v. Wurie, 13-212.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-46981283104874007732014-06-25T20:44:00.003-07:002014-06-25T20:44:28.522-07:00Rangel holds off challenge to win primary in New York.U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the face of Harlem politics for generations, held off a strong Democratic primary challenge and moved one step closer to what he says will be his 23rd and final term in the House.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/8b/909f8767a5561a4ac61a3e02db3ef/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" height="179" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/8b/909f8767a5561a4ac61a3e02db3ef/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add captionRep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., center, raises <br />his arms with Adam Clinton Powell IV, left, as he <br />claims victory over opponent state Sen. Adriano Espaillat <br />during a primary election night gathering, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in New York.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rangel, 84, defeated state Sen. Adriano Espaillat in what was a bruising fight that shed light on the changing face of a district that was once one of the nation's black political power bases.<br />
<br />
With 100 percent of the vote counted in unofficial results, Rangel led Espaillat 47.4 percent to 43.6 percent, a difference of fewer than 2,000 votes. About 47,000 votes were counted Tuesday. The Associated Press called Rangel the winner based on fresh information Wednesday afternoon from the city Board of Elections on the numbers of absentee and provisional ballots cast that were not included in the election night tally. The number of absentee and provisional ballots were not sufficient for Espaillat to catch Rangel.<br />
<br />
Rangel and Espaillat had stayed out of sight Wednesday, and Rangel's campaign didn't immediate respond to inquiries after the AP called the race. Espaillat's campaign declined to comment. Rangel's campaign had announced earlier Wednesday that he planned to attend a "unity rally" Saturday at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem.<br />
<br />
"Now that the campaign is over and Congressman Rangel has won, we look forward to coming together and addressing the issues facing the 13th Congressional District," senior campaign adviser Charlie King said in a statement announcing the appearance.<br />
<br />
Late Tuesday night, Rangel dubbed himself the nominee in an unprecedented, nearly hour-long folksy speech that was part thank you, part real-time political analysis and, eventually, part declaration of victory even though the race was at that point too close to call.<br />
<br />
"This was your victory," Rangel told the crowd. "This is your congressman. And you can rest assured all I will be doing is thinking about you and bringing resources back home."<br />
<br />
At one moment during his rambling address, the stage buckled under the weight of the 22-term congressman and more than a dozen elected officials who wanted to stand near him. After determining that no one was hurt, Rangel resumed talking. And talking.<br />
<br />
Acknowledging that he was "killing time" as the votes were being counted, Rangel held court, continually introducing new speakers and asking his advisers and journalists for updates on the latest totals.<br />
<br />
Finally, after a local TV station called the race, balloons dropped from the ceiling. Rangel raised his arms aloft and smiled.<br />
<br />
Espaillat was bidding to become the first Dominican-American in Congress. He has not conceded, urging that every vote be counted, and his team has said it could mount a legal challenge.<br />
<br />
The race was a rematch of their 2012 primary, narrowly won by Rangel.<br />
<br />
Rangel, known as the Lion of Harlem, was once arguably the most influential black elected official in the U.S., known for his gravelly voice, impeccable suits and staunch liberal views, including his outspoken opposition to apartheid and the Iraq War.<br />
<br />
But he was weakened after 2010 ethics violations that forced him to give up the chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and his district was then redrawn to include parts of the Bronx, which along with accelerating gentrification of Harlem transformed a heavily black district into one that was majority Hispanic.<br />
<br />
The shifting racial terrain was a backdrop for the race, which grew nastier as primary day approached. At a debate, Rangel said Espaillat "wants to be the Jackie Robinson of the Dominicans in the Congress," adding that Espaillat should tell voters "just what the heck has he done besides saying he's a Dominican?"<br />
<br />
That remark drew a sharp retort from Espaillat and a chiding from Mayor Bill de Blasio, who managed Rangel's 1994 campaign yet refused to offer an endorsement this time.<br />
<br />
Harlem Pastor Michael Walrond and Bronx activist Yolanda Garcia also ran, finishing far back.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-89508531777285621832014-06-25T20:37:00.000-07:002014-06-25T20:37:52.564-07:00Drone firm says it did not peep on Seattle womanA drone that spooked a Seattle woman in her apartment and prompted a police probe of possible invasion of privacy was not trying to catch an illicit image but rather shooting a panoramic view for a developer, the company that operates it said on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoNhcZMbfGA/U6uVK07p96I/AAAAAAAACZ0/G6ISNBWL_bI/s1600/Skyris_Imaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoNhcZMbfGA/U6uVK07p96I/AAAAAAAACZ0/G6ISNBWL_bI/s1600/Skyris_Imaging.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
The incident on Sunday gained national media attention after the woman called her building's concierge to complain the device might have been used to look into her apartment, and posted a photo online of the drone flying outside her window.<br />
<br />
Lisa Pleiss told Seattle television station KCPQ that she was not completely dressed when she saw the drone outside her window. "I kind of, like, hid for a second and got myself taken care of and then I went back out and looked and went to grab my camera and it swooped away really fast," she told the station on Monday.<br />
<br />
The concierge called Seattle police, who said this was the first time they had investigated a case of a drone possibly being used to peep on a person at a residence.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXN2BBXhKuQ/U6uVRgspbDI/AAAAAAAACZ8/zCAejaSn4zc/s1600/Skyris+Imaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXN2BBXhKuQ/U6uVRgspbDI/AAAAAAAACZ8/zCAejaSn4zc/s1600/Skyris+Imaging.jpg" /></a>Joe Vaughn, founder of Portland-based startup Skyris Imaging, said he and a pilot of the drone were shooting a panoramic view for a client planning to build a 20-story office tower near the woman's apartment building.<br />
<br />
Vaughn said he had talked by phone with the woman who complained.<br />
<br />
"I called her and let her know I'm sorry she was startled but we were doing an honest job, we were not peeping toms," Vaughn said in a phone interview.<br />
<br />
"There were no images taken at all of this woman," said Vaughn, who added that he has contacted police.<br />
<br />
Seattle police spokesman Drew Fowler confirmed Vaughn had reached out to investigators and that he cooperated with them.<br />
<br />
"There's no known crimes that were committed during the act and there's no effort to be pressing charges at this time,” Fowler said.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-70501733761055124442014-06-25T20:28:00.004-07:002014-06-25T20:29:19.136-07:00GM tells dealers to stop selling Cruze sedans due to airbag issueGeneral Motors Co on Wednesday said that it has told its North American dealers to stop selling new and used Chevrolet Cruze sedans from model years 2013 and 2014 because of a potential problem with the airbags.<br />
<br />
The biggest U.S. automaker has not at this point recalled the cars in consumer hands, and is investigating how many vehicles have a faulty part for the airbags in the sedans, said a GM spokesman.<br />
<br />
GM said it does not yet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/be/afcde8b67ed026fa70b6b143cc5a93/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/be/afcde8b67ed026fa70b6b143cc5a93/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this Feb. 19, 2012 file photo, a line of 2012 Chevrolet Cruze sedans sit at a dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-44143322446089729902014-06-25T20:08:00.002-07:002014-06-25T20:10:55.072-07:00Leader says House plans to sue Obama<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/66/b153f8964d4bd437aaa18ac148495/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/66/b153f8964d4bd437aaa18ac148495/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" height="213" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio meets with reporters <br />
on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 24, 2014.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives said Wednesday the Republican-controlled House will file an election-year lawsuit accusing President Barack Obama of failing to carry out the laws passed by Congress.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Speaker John Boehner provided no details of the specific claims to be made in the suit, although Republicans have long accused Obama of selectively enforcing the health care law that bears his name and doing the same with immigration legislation on the books.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In response, White House press secretary Josh Earnest accused congressional Republicans of obstruction and said they had left Obama with little option but to make greater use of his executive authority.</blockquote>
<br />
"The fact that they are considering a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the president of the United States for doing his job, I think, is the kind of step that most Americans wouldn't support," Earnest said.<br />
<br />
The suit would be filed on behalf of the House and its mere existence would likely set off a partisan struggle. Three Republicans and two Democrats comprise a bipartisan group charged with overseeing House legal matters.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=511502f3-2139-4edb-bbca-dac323a04eb6&w=300&h=169&so=4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=511502f3-2139-4edb-bbca-dac323a04eb6&w=300&h=169&so=4" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://img1.catalog.video.msn.com/image.aspx?uuid=511502f3-2139-4edb-bbca-dac323a04eb6&w=300&h=169&so=4" /></a>The group must meet to approve filing a suit on behalf of the House, and a party-line vote is all but certain.<br />
<br />
Boehner strongly brushed aside a question of whether impeachment proceedings could result from the suit. "This is not about impeachment. This is about his (Obama's) faithfully executing the laws of our country," he said.<br />
<br />
He also rejected a suggestion that the suit was designed to give traditional Republican voters a reason for going to the polls in Novemberl when control of Congress will be at stake.<br />
<br />
"This is about defending the institution in which we serve," he said. "What we've seen clearly over the last five years is an effort to erode the power of the legislative branch."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-36288916715893215712014-06-25T13:16:00.000-07:002014-06-25T13:16:56.740-07:00SWAT Teams Treat U.S. Neighborhoods 'Like a War Zone'Police departments in the U.S. have become excessively and dangerously militarized, according to a report published by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/4f/239b8649e6bee8364609fd240f0e6/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/4f/239b8649e6bee8364609fd240f0e6/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
A member of the SWAT team trains a gun on an apartment building during a search for the remaining suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings in Watertown, Massachusetts April 19, 2013.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The organization’s investigation found that SWAT deployments are increasingly used to search homes for drugs and are carried out despite the presence of children and elderly. It also said poor standards were used to gauge whether an operation was “high risk” — such as whether a suspect was armed and dangerous — and that squads were increasingly adopting warrior-like mind-sets.<br />
<br />
Some key numbers from the report, which is titled War Comes Home:<br />
<br />
•50% people impacted by SWAT deployments from 2011 to 2012 are black or Latino. Whites account for 20%.<br />
•Seven civilians were killed and 46 injured in such deployments from 2010 to 2013.<br />
•79% of all SWAT deployments were to execute search warrants for homes, most of them for drug searches.<br />
•7% of deployments were for hostage, barricade or active-shooter scenarios.<br />
<br />
Tragic case studies accompany the figures, among them that of Tarika Wilson, a 26-year-old mother who was shot and killed holding her 14-month-old son, and Eurie Stamp, a 68-year-old grandfather who was shot while watching baseball in his pajamas during a SWAT invasion. Bounkham Phonesavanh, a 19-month-old baby, was in a medically induced coma after paramilitary squads unwittingly threw a flash grenade into his crib, piercing a hole in his cheek, chest and scarring his body with third-degree burns. None of the victims were suspects.<br />
<br />
The ACLU claims the militarization of policing in the U.S. lacks oversight and transparency. Not a single law-enforcement agency provided documents of all information “necessary to undertake a thorough examination of police militarization.”<br />
<br />
It added, “Neighborhoods are not war zones, and our police officers should not be treating us like wartime enemies.”<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-7591075608313214492014-06-25T04:08:00.000-07:002014-06-25T04:08:02.680-07:00Futuristic elevated transport system to be built in Israel<blockquote class="tr_bq">
California-based skyTran has teamed up with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to construct the world's first public pilot project for skyTran's elevated transit network.</blockquote>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/3a/663cc8ac22b0deb1205bba84616bc5/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/3a/663cc8ac22b0deb1205bba84616bc5/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Trade visitors gather at the IAI exhibition booth at the Singapore Airshow.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A number of skyTran projects are being planned globally, including in India and the United States, pending the success of the pilot in Israel.<br />
<br />
The pilot will be a 400-500 meter (yard) loop built at IAI's campus in central Israel and, if successful, will be followed by a commercial network in Tel Aviv in the coming years, skyTran CEO Jerry Sanders told Reuters, without disclosing the cost.<br />
<br />
SkyTran is a rapid transit system in which lightweight two-person vehicles are suspended from elevated magnetic levitation tracks. The skyTran vehicles in the pilot will cruise at speeds of up to 70 km an hour but that will jump to 240 km an hour at the commercial phase, Sanders said.<br />
<br />
Tel Aviv if often gridlocked with commuter traffic as there is no subway and many commuters travel by car.<br />
<br />
"Tel Aviv is a world city. It's a destination for people around the world. A center of commerce. Israelis love technology and we don't foresee a problem of people not wanting to use the system. Israel is a perfect test site," Sanders said.<br />
<br />
The first components will be pre-assembled at skyTran's headquarters at the NASA Research Park in California. The rest will be constructed locally and the system should be running by the end of 2015, Sanders added.<br />
<br />
At the same time his company hopes to finalize preparations for its first ever commuter line, which in the first phase will be about 7 km (2.7 miles) long, consist of three stations, and cost about $50 million to build.<br />
<br />
Everything will be automated. Passengers will be able to order a vehicle on their smartphone to meet them at a specific station, and then head directly to their destination, cutting travel time dramatically.<br />
<br />
"It can handle 12,000 people an hour per guideway, and that number grows exponentially with each additional guideway," Sanders said. "That is more than a light rail and equal to three lanes of highway."<br />
<br />
IAI, Israel's largest defense company, said it would bring to the pilot its expertise in engineering, robotics and control.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-51926899594396787802014-06-25T04:04:00.000-07:002014-06-25T04:05:06.787-07:00France is terribly worried about what you might do with a website ending in “.wine”<blockquote class="tr_bq">
France is upping the rhetoric in the fight over plans to issue “.wine” and “.vin” web domains. The web-naming governing body, ICANN, decided to issue the two new suffixes earlier this year but France is worried is that the domains are to be issued without any geographical protections.</blockquote>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/f3/ecdef66f9ae2dabefc46fd503546d9/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/f3/ecdef66f9ae2dabefc46fd503546d9/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
A woman enjoys a glass of wine in Lille, northern France.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The European Union regulates the labeling of certain regional foods and drinks. So, for example, sparkling wine produced in England cannot be sold as champagne or cava anywhere in Europe. France goes further and labels everything from vin de table (budget wine produced anywhere in France) to appellation d’origine controlée, which comes from one specific vineyard. But the new ICANN suffixes would allow someone to buy the web address “www.burgundy.wine,” for instance, and sell anything on it, without any recourse to the winemakers in Burgundy. French vignerons have already called for a boycott (link in French).<br />
<br />
The French are now threatening to derail the ongoing US-EU trade talks, which aim to create the world’s biggest free-trade zone, over the issue. Three French government ministers, reports the Financial Times today, have written (paywall) to the European Commission to say “these decisions could imperil the current talks on the transatlantic [trade] partnership by forcing the imposition of a model by the means of technical discussions on internet naming.”<br />
<br />
Underlying France’s objections is not just concern over wine, but a deeper dissatisfaction with ICANN and internet governance in general. ICANN, a California-based non-profit founded in 1998, makes most of its money by issuing domain-name suffixes, and is in the process of a massive expansion, issuing hundreds of new “top-level domains” like “.beer” and “.book” as well as domains in non-Latin scripts. The US Commerce Department, which has overseen ICANN up to now, is in the process of relinquishing control, leaving ICANN independent. That has some American lawmakers worried that ICANN will no longer be accountable, but for some foreign governments, that was always a problem.<br />
<br />
“France calls for the accelerated reform of ICANN in order to ensure that greater consideration is given to the recommendations of states concerning Internet governance, in order to develop a model of governance that is more transparent and inclusive,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in March. In April, the ministry said ICANN’s decision to issue domain names without any provision for protecting geographic origin went against EU policy, and issued a request for reconsideration (pdf, French).<br />
<br />
France’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Axelle Lemaire, told the FT that ICANN is “totally opaque, there is no transparency at all in the process.” She wants to turn it essentially into another United Nations-type body where there is a charter and a general assembly based on a “one country, one vote” principle for the management of the internet.<br />
<br />
You can watch this week’s<a href="http://london50.icann.org/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> meeting of ICANN in London</a> live to find out how well this proposal is received.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-81036410269743658202014-06-25T03:48:00.002-07:002014-06-25T14:41:14.283-07:00Google's Nest opens doors to third-party appsNest, the Google Inc-owned maker of smart thermostats and other home automation products, will allow other companies to create apps that communicate with its devices.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/ae/c66252f8c69f21707eae70e224ce/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/ae/c66252f8c69f21707eae70e224ce/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
A Nest thermostat is installed in a home in Provo.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The program marks the first time Nest has allowed third-party companies to access its gadgets, potentially opening the door to the rich selection of apps and services that have made smartphones popular.<br />
<br />
More than 5,000 developers have already expressed interest in developing apps for Nest products, according to the company.<br />
<br />
Nest said that it was working with companies including washer-dryer maker Whirlpool Corp and automatic garage door opener company Chamberlain. Closing a garage door for instance, can alert the Nest Thermostat that the user is away from home and to turn off the heat. LED light bulbs from Lifx can be set to flash red if a Nest smoke detector senses smoke in the house.<br />
<br />
Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion in January, underscoring the Web search company's efforts to extend its reach into a broad field of Internet-connected devices.<br />
<br />
Nest on Friday announced plans to acquire Dropcam, a video-monitoring home security product.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv67TYb_kJI/U6tB8ckk3hI/AAAAAAAACZk/7SKJEHVl8Ek/s1600/icon-menu-down.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv67TYb_kJI/U6tB8ckk3hI/AAAAAAAACZk/7SKJEHVl8Ek/s1600/icon-menu-down.png" /></a>Nest suffered a public relations black eye in April when it halted sales of its smoke alarms because of a defect that could cause users to turn the alarm off unintentionally. Nest resumed selling the device earlier this month, though it has deactivated the problematic "Wave" feature - an option that allowed users to stop false alarms with the wave of a hand.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-7561517458269720812014-06-25T03:32:00.003-07:002014-06-25T03:32:54.566-07:00Privacy Groups Sound the Alarm Over FBI’s Facial-Recognition TechnologyMore than 30 privacy and civil-liberties groups are asking the Justice Department to complete a long-promised audit of the FBI's facial-recognition database.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/30/1893c9ac948b31fd9a7f551bce683a/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/30/1893c9ac948b31fd9a7f551bce683a/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Facial-recognition technology.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The groups argue the database, which the FBI says it uses to identify targets, could pose privacy risks to every American citizen because it has not been properly vetted, possesses dubious accuracy benchmarks, and may sweep up images of ordinary people not suspected of wrongdoing.<br />
<br />
In a joint letter sent Tuesday to Attorney General Eric Holder, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and others warn that an FBI facial-recognition program "has undergone a radical transformation" since its last privacy review six years ago. That lack of recent oversight "raises serious privacy and civil-liberty concerns," the groups contend.<br />
<br />
"The capacity of the FBI to collect and retain information, even on innocent Americans, has grown exponentially," the letter reads. "It is essential for the American public to have a complete picture of all the programs and authorities the FBI uses to track our daily lives, and an understanding of how those programs affect our civil rights and civil liberties."<br />
<br />
The Next Generation Identification program—a biometric database that includes iris scans and palm prints along with facial recognition—is scheduled to become fully operational later this year and has not undergone a rigorous privacy litmus test—known as a Privacy Impact Assessment—since 2008, despite pledges from government officials.<br />
<br />
"One of the risks here, without assessing the privacy considerations, is the prospect of mission creep with the use of biometric identifiers," said Jeramie Scott, national security counsel with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, another of the letter's signatories. "it's been almost two years since the FBI said they were going to do an updated privacy assessment, and nothing has occurred."<br />
<br />
The facial-recognition component of the database, however, is what privacy advocates find most alarming. The FBI projects that by 2015 the facial-recognition database could catalog up to 52 million face photos. A substantial portion of those—about 4.3 million—are expected to be gleaned from noncriminal photography, such as employer background checks, according to privacy groups.<br />
<br />
But earlier this month, FBI Director James Comey told Congress the database would not collect and store photos of average civilians and is intended to "find bad guys by matching pictures to mugshots." But privacy hawks remain concerned that images may be shared among the FBI and other agencies, such as the Defense Department and National Security Agency, and even state motor-vehicle departments.<br />
<br />
Comey, during his testimony, did not completely refute the suggestion that photos would be shared with states.<br />
<br />
"There are some circumstances in which when states send us records, they'll send us pictures of people who are getting special driving licenses to transport children or explosive materials or something," Comey said. "But as I understand it, those are not part of the searchable Next Generation Identification database."<br />
<br />
Currently, no federal laws limit the use of facial-recognition software, either by the private sector or the government.<br />
<br />
A 2010 government report made public last year through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center stated that the agency's facial-recognition technology could fail up to 20 percent of the time. When used against a searchable repository, that failure rate could be as high as 15 percent.<br />
<br />
Facial-recognition technology has recently endured heightened scrutiny from the anti-government surveillance caucus for its potential as an invasive means of tracking. Last month, documents supplied by Edward Snowden to The New York Times revealed that the National Security Agency intercepts "millions of images per day" as part of a program officials believe could fundamentally revolutionize the way government spies on intelligence targets across the globe. That daily cache includes about 55,000 "facial recognition quality images," which the NSA considers possibly more important to its mission than the surveillance of more traditional communications.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
source.<a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/" target="_self">National Journal</a></blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-90421280178662247602014-06-25T03:14:00.004-07:002014-06-25T03:15:28.432-07:00Woman or machine? New robots look creepily humanThe new robot guides at a Tokyo museum look so eerily human and speak so smoothly they almost outdo people — almost.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/bf/fd6cba6e795eebee5e1889585552d5/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/bf/fd6cba6e795eebee5e1889585552d5/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
Japanese android expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, second left, and National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Miraikan Chief Executive Director Mamoru Mohri, second right, pose with a female-announcer robot called Otonaroid, right, and a girl robot called Kodomoroid during a press unveiling of the museum's new guides in Tokyo, June 24.</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Japanese robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro, an Osaka University professor, says they will be useful for research on how people interact with robots and on what differentiates the person from the machine.<br />
<br />
"Making androids is about exploring what it means to be human," he told reporters Tuesday, "examining the question of what is emotion, what is awareness, what is thinking."<br />
<br />
In a demonstration, the remote-controlled machines moved their pink lips in time to a voice-over, twitched their eyebrows, blinked and swayed their heads from side to side. They stay seated but can move their hands.<br />
<br />
In a clear triumph, Kodomoroid read the news without stumbling once and recited complex tongue-twisters glibly.<br />
<br />
The robot, designed with a girlish appearance, can use a variety of voices, such as a deep male voice one minute and a squeaky girly voice the next. The speech can be input by text, giving them perfect articulation, according to Ishiguro.<br />
<br />
There were some glitches — such as the lips not moving at all while the robot spoke, or the Otonaroid announcer robot staying silent twice when asked to introduce itself.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But glitches are common with robots because they are delicate gadgetry sensitive to their environment.</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/38/48f165fa8c36abd2938abf7c3d8af4/_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/38/48f165fa8c36abd2938abf7c3d8af4/_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/38/48f165fa8c36abd2938abf7c3d8af4/_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A female-announcer robot called Otonaroid <br />
speaks during a press event at the National <br />
Museum of Emerging<br />
Science and Innovation Miraikan in Tokyo, June 24.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Kodomoroid and the woman robot Otonaroid were joined at the demonstration by the minimally designed Telenoid, a mannequin head with pointed arms that serves as a cuddly companion.<br />
<br />
The two life-size robots, which have silicon skin and artificial muscles, will be on display starting Wednesday, at Miraikan museum, or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, in Tokyo, allowing the public to interact with them extensively.<br />
<br />
Reflecting widespread opinion, Ishiguro said Japan leads the world in playful companion robots. But he acknowledged the nation was behind the U.S. in military robots.<br />
<br />
Developing robots for more than 20 years, Ishiguro has made a point of creating robots that approximate the human appearance, including creatures that look like him. He has sent them to give overseas lectures.<br />
<br />
His approach differs from some robotics scientists who say human appearance is pointless, perhaps creepy, and robots can look like machines, such as taking the form of a TV screen or a portable device.<br />
<br />
Ishiguro noted proudly how Japanese Internet company Softbank Corp. recently showed a robot named Pepper, which looks a little like C-3PO in "Star Wars," and will sell for less than 200,000 yen ($2,000).<br />
<br />
Pepper's arrival means robots are increasingly becoming part of everyday life in Japan.<br />
<br />
"Robots are now becoming affordable — no different from owning a laptop," said Ishiguro.<br />
<br />
Online: Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories <a href="http://www.geminoid.jp/en/index.html">http://www.geminoid.jp/en/index.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-2491251813235803902014-06-25T02:51:00.000-07:002014-06-25T02:51:03.834-07:00Bay Area techies ditch phones, tablets at 'digital detox' campTired of the social media treadmill and hoping to unplug for a couple days? Consider this fast-growing summer camp three hours outside of San Francisco, where the first ritual involves handing over your personal electronics to volunteers in white lab coats.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/86/5e92a518ff8d24aa29a63328cbbc3b/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/86/5e92a518ff8d24aa29a63328cbbc3b/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A commuter uses her mobile phone in New York, December 12, 2013.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Camp Grounded, now in its second year, offers hyperconnected attendees a brief respite from the incessant noise of Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of other media relentlessly battling for their attention.<br />
<br />
The rules of this "digital detox" camp are clear: No work talk, no alcohol, no first names or discussion of ages, and most importantly, no phones, computers, tablets or watches.<br />
<br />
Co-founder Levi Felix, who goes by the nickname "Fidget Wigglesworth," has stressed it is not just an experience for tech workers, although current and former Facebook Inc, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp employees were represented. This year, campers ranged from hipster college grads to recent retirees, he said in an interview with Reuters at the Navarro, California camp.<br />
<br />
The project has gained rapid popularity, reflecting a growing need to unwind from the stresses associated with the Bay Area's tech boom. From just one weekend in the summer of 2013, this year's has grown to three consecutive weekends with several hundred people attending each session.<br />
<br />
To be sure, the experience is limited to those who can afford it - it costs $570 for camping, meals and activities.<br />
<br />
"I don't remember the last time I went for four days without checking a notification," said Facebook designer Connie Yang, who tried out Camp Grounded this month.<br />
<br />
Yang, who described the experience as "powerful," said she intends to check her phone far less frequently. She may even experiment with incorporating new product ideas into the Facebook experience to help people "scale back."<br />
<br />
In recent years, the unplugging movement has been gathering steam, although it has been criticized by the press for stirring "postmodern techno-anxiety" and failing to recognize the positive impacts of technology. Each March, thousands of people unplug from their devices for 24 hours, as part of an event organized by nonprofit organization Reboot.<br />
<br />
Brian Solis, a principal analyst for Altimeter Group specializing in digital trends, expects that experiences like Camp Grounded will become more commonplace.<br />
<br />
"If these technologies don't have your attention, they can't scale," he said, describing the camp as a potential antidote.<br />
<br />
Solis said it's unlikely that tech companies will tinker with products to make them any less habit-forming. But he predicts that consumers will increasingly crave experiences that help them "reset" for a more balanced lifestyle.<br />
<br />
David Stewart, founder of SocialStudio, a company making social media applications, said it can be a challenge for developers to strike a balance between engaging users and spamming them with notifications.<br />
<br />
The former vice president of product management at Microsoft-owned Yammer said he was not surprised that the digital detox camp was teeming with techies. Stewart himself attended Camp Grounded in early June.<br />
<br />
"People designing addictive products are the most aware of the occasional human need to be free from them."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-40926721761212868452014-06-25T02:25:00.002-07:002014-06-25T02:25:47.587-07:00Google to unveil new television set-top box on Wednesday - WSJGoogle Inc is expected to unveil at least one small set-top box that resembles products like the Roku, Amazon's Fire TV, and Apple Inc's Apple TV, the Wall Street Journal reported citing sources who have seen the device.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/a8/94e495c76fcdc580869837859a25f2/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/a8/94e495c76fcdc580869837859a25f2/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Google logo is seen at the entrance to the company's offices in Toronto September 5, 2013.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Google will show off the set-top box on Wednesday during its developer conference, the Journal said. (<a href="http://on.wsj.com/1lOjtiz">http://on.wsj.com/1lOjtiz</a>)<br />
<br />
The set-top box will be powered by Google's new Android TV software designed to play movies, games and other content on television. However, the device will carry another company's brand name, the newspaper said.<br />
<br />
Representatives from Google were not immediately available for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.<br />
<br />
Tech companies from Microsoft Corp to Apple are vying for space on the TV - the traditional family entertainment center and where people used to spend most of their leisure time before the advent of the smartphone and tablet.<br />
<br />
Amazon unveiled a $99 video streaming device "Fire TV" video and game streaming device in April, with hopes of boosting its main online retail business over the longer term.<br />
<br />
In December 2012, Google sold its set-top TV box maker Motorola Home to Arris Group Inc for $2.35 billion. (<a href="http://reut.rs/1phAQwh">http://reut.rs/1phAQwh</a>)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-16960162019847478052014-06-25T02:21:00.001-07:002014-06-25T02:21:19.614-07:00Google sets sights beyond smartphones at annual developer conferenceGoogle Inc, whose Android software reigns as the world’s dominant smartphone operating system, will step up efforts to make inroads into cars, televisions and other devices at its annual developer conference this week, sources familiar with the matter said.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/b0/5b22308ac8a84b371898515afe6ee/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/b0/5b22308ac8a84b371898515afe6ee/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Google self-driving vehicle, on a test run in the parking lot of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Internet company is racing against rivals such as Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics Co and other companies to extend its business into a broadening field of Internet-connected devices.<br />
<br />
“It's a land grab,” said Sameet Sinha, an analyst with investment bank B. Riley & Co. “The person who gets a platform which controls the devices could be the dominant operating system, not of just devices, it could be the operating system of your home.”<br />
<br />
“New platforms offer new opportunities for hardware sales, advertising sales, e-commerce sales, all of these,” Sinha said.<br />
<br />
Google would not say whether Chief Executive Larry Page will speak at the two-day Google I/O conference, which begins on Thursday morning and is expected to draw more than 6,000 developers from around the world.<br />
<br />
Google's free Android software is used in more than three out of every four smartphones sold globally, providing Google with a valuable entry point for consumers to access its money-making online services such as Web search and maps. In March, Google announced plans to create a special version of Android designed for smartwatches.<br />
<br />
Google is expected to provide an update on its plans to integrate Android into automobiles, making it easier for drivers and passengers to access navigation and entertainment features available on their smartphones, according to a person familiar with the matter.<br />
<br />
The company could also unveil a new service that tracks a user's health and personal fitness information, similar to recently introduced services from Apple and Samsung, said another person familiar with the matter.<br />
<br />
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on any of the conference's potential announcements.<br />
<br />
Among the events aimed at developers during the conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center are sessions titled “Wearable computing with Google” and “Build for the multi-device Web," according to the official Google I/O website.<br />
<br />
There will also be sessions focused on Nest Labs, the maker of smart thermostats and other home appliances which Google acquired for $3.2 billion in January. On Monday, Nest said it would for the first time allow other companies to create apps that communicate with its devices.<br />
<br />
Google may also showcase a version of Android designed for televisions, according to technology blog The Verge. A TV version of Android would come four years after Google’s first effort to enter the living room, Google TV, failed to catch on with consumers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-44539190094313742752014-06-25T02:09:00.004-07:002014-06-25T02:09:55.333-07:00Montana health record hackers compromise 1.3 million peopleA data security breach of Montana's state health records has compromised the Social Security numbers and other personal information of some 1.3 million people, but the full extent of damage from the intrusion is unclear, state officials said on Tuesday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/d6/7522b74a9bf6da4626137ec77139f/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/d6/7522b74a9bf6da4626137ec77139f/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The breach at Montana's state health department marks the first time cyber criminals have successfully infiltrated a state agency on such a large scale.</td></tr>
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Hackers of unknown origin gained access in May to a computer server tied to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, exposing sensitive or confidential information of current and former medical patients, health agency employees and contractors.<br />
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Individuals whose personal information was exposed are being offered free credit monitoring, though investigators do not know whether the breach resulted in any actual identity theft, department Director Richard Opper said.<br />
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“We have absolutely no indication the criminals who illegally entered the server had any interest in the data they accessed in any way, shape or form, and we have no reports of people’s identities being stolen,” Opper told Reuters.<br />
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In addition to containing the Social Security numbers, birth dates and names of patients, such data as bank account numbers, medical diagnoses, treatments, dates of service and prescriptions may have been stored on the network, he said.<br />
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Montana is the latest target in a string of high-profile hacking incidents that have seen personal and financial information compromised amid cyber attacks on public agencies and commercial companies such as retail giant Target Corp.<br />
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Hackers in 2012 breached state health records in Utah, compromising the private information of some 780,000 patients in an attack that was believed to have originated in Eastern Europe.<br />
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Attempts to hack into Montana's computer system number roughly 17,000 an hour, but the breach at the state health department marks the first time cyber criminals successfully infiltrated a state agency on such a large scale, Opper said.<br />
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Security upgrades have been put into place since the hacking came to light on May 15, when a company that monitors the agency’s network reported suspicious activity. Health officials shut down the server, and a forensic investigation later confirmed the network had been subjected to an unauthorized entry, Opper said.<br />
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In addition to credit monitoring, those whose information may have been compromised are being offered free identity protection insurance, Opper said. Up to $2 million in costs for such services are covered by a state insurance policy tied to cyber and data security.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-3053175881260385462014-06-24T17:43:00.002-07:002014-06-24T17:43:57.086-07:00Gunmen fire on plane at Pakistan's Peshawar airport, one killedGunmen fired on a Pakistan International Airlines plane as it was landing in the northern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday night, killing a woman on board and injuring three crew members in the third incident at a Pakistani airport this month.<br />
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Flight PK 756 was carrying 178 passengers traveling from Saudi Arabia when it came under attack as it was preparing to land, policeman Asghar Khan said at the airport.<br />
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The plane was hit by six bullets, police said, killing the Pakistani woman and narrowly missing the captain. At least one bullet struck the plane's engine, police said.<br />
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The woman's daughter was sitting next to her when she was shot in the head, PIA official Mohammad Kifayatullah Khan said.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Pakistan International Airlines plane prepares to take-off at Alama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore February 1, 2012.</td></tr>
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"When I went inside the plane, I saw the woman lying on the seat and her nine-year-old daughter was crying, 'My mother is dead, my mother is dead'," said Khan.<br />
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"All the passengers were panicked. Some of them wanted to get out as soon as possible because they were afraid of fire inside the plane.<br />
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"The captain of the plane had narrowly escaped," he said. "It would have been a disaster had he been hit."<br />
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The incident will raise further questions about whether the government is prepared for a Taliban backlash after officials announced a military operation to flush the militants from their mountain strongholds in North Waziristan on June 15.<br />
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Pakistani jets have pounded suspected militant hideouts and the Taliban have vowed counter attacks.<br />
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Islamabad has promised to tighten security at airports and other potential targets, but critics say decades of neglect of Pakistan's ragged police force has left citizens vulnerable.<br />
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On June 8, ten Taliban gunmen attacked the airport in the southern port city of Karachi, Pakistan's financial heart and home to 18 million people. Thirty-four people were killed in the five-hour gunbattle. The Taliban fired on an academy for the security forces at the airport two days later.<br />
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On Monday, the government was forced to divert a plane carrying prominent cleric Tahirul Qadri after violence broke out on the ground in Islamabad, with hundreds of supporters armed with sticks battling police, who fired teargas.<br />
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The authorities, fearing an escalation of unrest, diverted the plane to the eastern city of Lahore, where Qadri and his supporters refused to leave the plane for hours.<br />
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Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport has also been a target in the past - in 2012, a Taliban suicide squad staged a car bomb, rocket and gun attack on the airport and nine people, including the five attackers, were killed.<br />
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One policeman told Reuters police will not enter the neighborhood that borders the airport at night for fear of attack by extremists.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01996827463701839258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740288618276895267.post-78596836377285876362014-06-24T15:42:00.002-07:002014-06-24T15:43:42.076-07:00Police: Cop killers heavily armed, wore diapersA man and woman who killed two Las Vegas police officers in a pizza shop and a shopper in a Wal-Mart before they died in a store shootout earlier this month were heavily armed and carried ammunition including armor-piercing bullets, Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said Monday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie speaks at a news conference Monday, June 23, 2014 in Las Vegas." class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/e6/d8aee6dee4c3f65fe017a0fcbf88/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" data-src="{"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/e6/d8aee6dee4c3f65fe017a0fcbf88/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"}" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="628" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie speaks at a news conference Monday, June 23, 2014 in Las Vegas.</td></tr>
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Jerad and Amanda Miller wore adult diapers and carried four handguns, a shotgun, water and food, Gillespie said. The couple also smashed a Wal-Mart sporting-goods display case with a baseball bat to get more ammunition as they exchanged gunfire with SWAT officers, he said.<br />
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The husband and wife died June 8 after being cornered in the back of the store in the 15-minute shootout. In all, 52 shots were fired by the Millers and police inside the store. The husband and wife fired 36 shots, Gillespie said, and police fired 16.<br />
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"The two suspects involved in this horrible event were well-armed and ready to kill as many cops as they could," Gillespie said in the latest update of the investigation of the shooting that left officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck and Wal-Mart shopper Joseph Wilcox dead.<br />
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Wilcox was killed trying to draw his legal handgun to stop the Millers, who entered the store after shooting the officers eating lunch in the nearby restaurant.<br />
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The suspects "were prepared on that day to hunker down and stay in that Wal-Mart as long as they needed to," the sheriff said.<br />
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Gillespie wouldn't disclose more about a motive for the Millers' rampage and declined to say what was contained in a note left with a swastika symbol and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag in the pizza shop where the officers were ambushed.<br />
He didn't say how many shots were fired in the CiCi's Pizza. That information was not immediately being made public, Sgt. John Sheahan said.<br />
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Gillespie said police still believe the Millers acted alone.<br />
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Police said previously the Millers shared an ideology with militia and white supremacists that law enforcement officers were oppressors. The couple was kicked out of an encampment of supporters of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who engaged in an armed standoff in April with federal Bureau of Land Management agents trying to round up Bundy cattle in a public land trespassing dispute.<br />
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The Millers each had a handgun when they killed Soldo and Beck, and each took one of the officers' 9mm handguns and two spare clips of ammunition. The guns they brought with them were obtained by Amanda Miller in Indiana, where the couple lived before moving to Las Vegas in January.<br />
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Jerad Miller, 31, could not legally own weapons as a felon. He was convicted of vehicle theft in Washington state and had a criminal record in Indiana.<br />
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During the shootout in the Wal-Mart, a split-second exchange of gunfire changed the outcome of the fast-developing situation, Gillespie said.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/60/f740546ff59fa72e0e6b02d3b2cc/_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="This file photo combination made with undated photos provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Jerad Miller, left, and his wife, Amanda Miller." border="0" class="image articleimage" data-class="img1" data-layoutlocation="inline" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/60/f740546ff59fa72e0e6b02d3b2cc/_h0_w295_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" data-sizehint="2" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This file photo combination made <br />
with undated photos provided by <br />
the Las Vegas Metropolitan <br />
Police Department shows <br />
Jerad Miller, left, and his wife, Amanda Miller.</td></tr>
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Officer Brett Brosnahan came face to face with a surprised Amanda Miller rounding the corner of an aisle, and he wounded the 22-year-old assailant in the upper right shoulder.<br />
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Brosnahan wasn't hurt. He retreated before Jerad Miller, who had pulled a pistol-grip .12-gauge shotgun from his gym bag and donned a cloth vest and belt of shotgun shells, was mortally wounded in the chest by another police officer firing a military-style .223-caliber rifle.<br />
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Gillespie quoted Jerad Miller as declaring the start of a revolution and firing one shot into the ceiling after entering the Wal-Mart. He said the assailant shouted, "Stand down. You have failed. I am in charge now," as Sgt. Kurt McKenzie tried to get him to surrender near the back of the store.<br />
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Jerad Miller died lying prone on the floor. His wife lay nearby on her back, pointing a handgun at him before putting it to her own head and pulling the trigger. She was pronounced dead later at a hospital.<br />
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