Monday, February 25, 2013

From one of our Facebook Friends, Brian White.

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/GreenHeroes.tv/posts/492553690781692

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'Watchful Waiting' Best for Ear Infections

In an effort to rein in antibiotic use, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued stricter guidelines on diagnosing and treating ear infections in kids.

The updated guidelines, published in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics, also added a recommendation against prophylactic antibiotic use in kids with recurrent ear infections.

Read this story on www.medpagetoday.com.

The 2013 guidelines are specifically for uncomplicated acute otitis media at ages 6 months to 12 years in otherwise healthy children without tympanostomy tubes, anatomic abnormalities such as cleft palate or Down syndrome, immune deficiencies or cochlear implants.

"We've been waiting for these guidelines for some time," said Dr. Andrew Hertz, medical director of the University Hospitals Rainbow Care Network in Cleveland.

"There's been a movement for a number of years for pediatricians to provide less antibiotics for ear infections and simply observe those children with mild findings on physical examination," he explained in an interview.

"Hopefully, now that there is a practice guideline ... that you don't have to prescribe an antibiotic for every ear infection, this will decrease the use of antibiotics and thereby make antibiotics more successful and more useful when they are prescribed."

The pediatrics organization also cited overdiagnosis, "often without adequate visualization of the tympanic membrane," as a problem.

The 2004 guidelines used a three-part definition for acute otitis media: Acute onset of symptoms; acute middle ear inflammation; and middle ear effusion. The 2013 update also requires middle ear effusion for diagnosis, but it now has to be based on tympanometry or pneumatic otoscopy.

Although early acute otitis media can occur without effusion, the guidelines committee acknowledged, "the risk of overdiagnosis supersedes that concern."

They suggested that clinicians should be aware as they use these criteria that recent onset of ear pain and intense erythema of the ear drum can be the only otoscopic finding.

Other diagnostic criteria are: Moderate to severe bulging of the tympanic membrane or new onset of discharge not due to an infected ear canal; and mild bulging of the ear drum and onset of ear pain within 48 hours, which could be indicated by holding, tugging, rubbing of the ear for nonverbal children, or intense redness of the tympanic membrane.

Antibiotics should be given for severe cases of bilateral or unilateral acute otitis media for children 6 months or older based on ear pain that is moderate or severe, lasts for at least 48 hours, or is accompanied by a temperature of 102.2 degrees or higher.

For less severe cases, watchful waiting could be offered instead of antibiotics in joint decision-making with parents or caregivers. However, kids ages 6 to 23 months with both ears affected should be given antibiotics.

"When observation is used, a mechanism must be in place to ensure follow-up and begin antibiotic therapy if the child worsens or fails to improve within 48 to 72 hours of onset of symptoms," the guidelines noted.

Another change in the 2004 guidelines addressed recurrent acute otitis media, defined as three episodes in 6 months or four in the prior year with one in the past 6 months.

Prophylactic antibiotics shouldn't be prescribed to reduce recurrences, according to the AAP. However, these children may be offered the option of tympanostomy tubes.

These practice patterns should decrease use of antibiotics with the benefit of fewer adverse effects, such as diarrhea and allergic reactions, and decreased potential for bacterial resistance, the guidelines noted.

When antibiotics are given, amoxicillin remains the first-line agent, with drugs with additional beta-lactamase coverage selected for kids who have already had it in the prior month or are allergic to penicillin.

Physicians should recommend the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and annual flu shot for all children, which can help reduce acute otitis media associated with those infections, the guidelines noted.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/watchful-waiting-best-ear-infections-pediatricians/story?id=18589352

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Nokia Lumia 720 Hands On: Cheap Phones Can Have Good Cameras Too

In most ways, the Lumia 720 is exactly what you'd expect. It's a budget phone made like a Lumia. The surprise, though, is that the camera is actually pretty damn good—which is a miracle compared to what you find on most cheap phones. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fxwtOljgT7I/nokia-lumia-720-hands-on-cheap-phones-can-have-good-cameras-too

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'Jaws' music cuts off chatty Oscar winners

By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY

Academy Award winners who went on a little too long in their acceptance speeches Sunday night received an ominous warning from the orchestra at the Dolby Theater ? the theme music from "Jaws" started playing.

Da nuh. Da nuh. Da nuh ...

Anyone familiar with movies should recognize the music, by composer John Williams, used to signal a coming shark attack in?Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic about a very hungry great white. The?haunting bass tones struck us as a?little jarring compared to the gentle string orchestras usually used to urge people to leave the?stage.

Da nuh. Da nuh. Da nuh ...

The music was used Sunday when "Life of Pi"?won the Oscar for best visual effects and again when "Searching for Sugar Man" won for best documentary feature. Actress Nicole Kidman?was even caught on camera mouthing "poor thing" to her husband Keith Urban as the music got louder to drown out winning "Sugar Man" director Malik Bendjelloul as he rambled on.

Da nuh. Da nuh. Da nuh ...

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/02/24/17079665-jaws-music-silences-long-winded-oscar-winners?lite

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Samsung takes on iPad Mini with Galaxy Note 8.0

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Samsung Electronics is beefing up its tablet range with a competitor to Apple's iPad Mini that sports a pen for writing on the screen.

The Korean company announced on Sunday in B'arcelona that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will have an 8-inch screen, putting it very close in size to the Apple's tablet, which launched in November with a 7.9-inch screen. It's not the first time Samsung has made a tablet that's in the Mini's size range: it's very first iPad competitor had a 7-inch screen, and it still makes a tablet of that size, but without a pen.

Samsung will start selling the new tablet in the April to June period, at an as yet undetermined price. It made the announcement ahead of Mobile World Congress, the wireless industry's annual trade show, which starts Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

The Note 8.0 fills a gap in Samsung's line-up of pen-equipped devices between the Galaxy Note II smartphone, with its 5.5-inch screen, and the Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-size tablet. Samsung has made the pen, or more properly the stylus, one of the tools it uses to chip away at Apple's dominance in both tablets and high-end smartphones. Apple doesn't make any devices that work with styluses, preferring to optimize its interfaces for fingers, mice and touchpads.

On Samsung's Note line, the pens can be used to write, highlight and draw. The screens also sense when the mouse hovers over the screen, providing an equivalent to the hovering mouse cursor on the PC. However, few third-party applications have been modified to take full advantage of the pens.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/Samsung-takes-on-iPad-Mini-with-Galaxy-Note-8-0-4303287.php

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Rachel Reynolds Welcomes Daughter Ruby Rey

The Price Is Right model and husband David Dellucci welcomed their first child, daughter Ruby Rey Dellucci, on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/Uf4Wv0vMtsQ/

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SALE SALE SALE Shaded Blue cotton ball lantern string light patio garland deco room bedroom wedding patio party Beach balcony by cottonlight

SALE SALE SALE
Until end of this month
__________________

The product is hand made from our store in thailand. the item is made to order day by day so you will always get the new product from us.

condition: brand new and ready to use

material : the ball is made of cotton and wrap together to ball shape.

size : 6 cm diameter and the size is similar to tennis ball.

what is the item for : home decoration, party decoration, wedding decoration, bed room decoration.

what is in the package : 20 cotton balls with string light for 3 meters long.

- free converter plug that match your country plug
- the light will stay on and it will not flash.
- the bubble light can be replaced if it is not function by pull the bubble light and replace new one.

recommend to use: for home decoration, wedding decoration, bed room light , party light and outdoor garden light .

We will provide you the right adapter plug for your home country plug.


Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/95171666/sale-sale-sale-shaded-blue-cotton-ball

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LaBeouf launches Twitter rant after exit from ?Orphans?

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

LaBeouf arrives at the ?Lawless? premiere last August.

First you leave, then you tweet.

Hours after Shia LaBeouf's sudden exit from the Broadway production of the play "Orphans" was announced, the hot-headed "Transformers" star started a Twitter rant revealing his short tenure at the show was even more troubled than originally rumored.

Posting personal emails from co-stars Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge along with playwright Lyle Kessler and director Daniel Sullivan, the 26-year-old actor outed a production in turmoil -- as well as his own inner demons.

"A man can tell you he?s wrong...he can apologize, even if sometimes its just to put an end to the bickering,? wrote LaBeouf in one email to his director. ?Alec, I?m sorry for my part of a disagreeable situation.?

It turned out whole swathes of his email were taken verbatIm and uncredited from a 2009 Esquire essay by Tom Chiarella, Gawker reported.

In response to the email from his resigning star, Sullivan fired back, ?I'm too old for disagreeable situations. you're one hell of a great actor. Alec is who he is. you are who you are. you two are incompatible. I should have known it. this one will haunt me. you tried to warn me. you said you were a different breed. I didn't get it. Dan?

LaBeouf went on to post a series of bizarre tweets about the nature of acting:

LaBeouf quit his role as a wayward older brother from North Philly in ?Orphans? less than a month before it was to open. Less than 24 hours after the official word came that he was out of the show, producers announced that Ben Foster, who had auditioned for ?Orphans? but passed over for LaBeouf, was in. The role marks Foster?s Broadway debut.

Producers cited ?creative differences? as the reason for LaBeouf?s departure, but a source told the News it was really caused by his difficult behavior and refusal to take direction.

LaBeouf has a long track record of bad behavior: he was arrested for trespassing in 2007, lost his driver?s license for a year in 2008 and had been in two bar fights and punched a photographer.

?It was just not working out,? a show insider said. ?It is a disaster. This is a massive disaster. They just lost a third of the cast. This was the best solution for what went down.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nydnrss/gossip/~3/V8Wok5urvB8/story01.htm

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Kerry Washington, Craig Robinson, David Alan Grier, S. Epatha Merkerson In 1st Trailer For 'Peeples'

Synopsis:

Wade Walker is eager to propose to his girlfriend, Grace Peeples. But after a year of living together, the beautiful, successful Grace is still cagey about introducing average guy Wade to her ambitious, upper crust family. So when Grace leaves for an annual reunion at her parents? swanky Sag Harbor compound, Wade decides to crash the gathering, charm his soon-to-be in-laws and slip a ring on Grace?s finger. However Wade's plans go hilariously awry when he meets the high-powered, seemingly picture-perfect family who?ll do whatever it takes to keep up appearances. Wade soon finds himself caught in a web of white lies and comic dysfunction, and realizes that his only hope of ever marrying Grace means a take-no-prisoners face-off with Judge Peeples, Grace?s disapproving dad who won?t accept anything less than the very best for his favorite daughter.

source, 2

this doesn't look good even by romcom standards.

Source: http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/75699779.html

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sony Xperia Z review

Sony Xperia Z review

The Xperia Z is one of the main pillars of Sony's new plan to focus on mobile, gaming and imaging. In fact, it's a device that addresses all three of those areas, while also pressing reset on Sony's smartphone past. The handset ushers in a new design language, one Sony's decided to bring to its new tablet too. It's called omnibalance design, but it's best described as a combination of 90-degree angles, even weight distribution and flat glossy sides.

Once you get to look at the phone in person, all Xperias that came before it pale in comparison. The phone feels solid and you'd be hard-pressed to describe any part of it as plasticky. Between those mirrored sides, you'll find Sony's first 1080p phone display, measuring five inches and benefiting from the company's new Bravia Mobile Engine 2. Improvements to the Xperia line aren't merely cosmetic, though: Sony's added a 13-megapixel camera (featuring the HDR video-capable Exmor RS sensor) and a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro -- Qualcomm's most potent mobile processor currently available.

Meanwhile, those precious electronics are protected by a shell that's water- (IPX5/7) and dust-resistant (IP5X). It's rare to see such protection on a phone that's not being marketed as a rugged device, let alone a company's new flagship. Sony is looking to succeed in mobile and, with just a week away from the world's premier phone tradeshow, has the company created something that can stand up against current Android champions and win?

Hardware

Where to start with the hardware? How about here: this is Sony's best-looking smartphone ever. Lacking any removable panel to access the battery meant that the Xperia Z's components could be squeezed together into a slender profile measuring a mere 7.9mm (0.31 inch) and weighing in at 146g (5.15 ounces). Thanks in part to the hidden ports, light is able to bounce off the phone's white sides. In short, it's a real beauty. It's worth noting that alongside the increasingly safe choice of black and white, there's also a purple edition -- one that our Spanish team got to play with.

Where to start with the hardware? How about here: this is Sony's best-looking smartphone ever.

But while it's certainly a looker, the expanse of that 5-inch screen and accompanying bezel mean that it isn't the most comfortable smartphone we've handled. Compared with the substantial Lumia 920, the Xperia Z is slightly taller, but it's easier to grip, thanks to that slimmer shape. Put differently, it feels more like the Droid DNA than, say, the Galaxy Note II. As we noted before, reaching the phone's upper edge is a bit of a stretch if you're using it one-handed -- we're hoping Sony's incoming Xperia ZL (with its smaller dimensions) will prove a little more manageable. Thanks to one very geometric silhouette, the phone is a little uncomfortable to hold after extended use, what with those sharp corners pressing into your palms. However, we had no problems sliding it into our pockets -- something we can't say of other phones with 5-inch screens.

DNP Sony Xperia Z review

That glass-coated backing brings the Xperia Z into such esteemed company as the Nexus 4 and iPhone 4S, although Sony has differentiated its design by extending these glass panels to the sides too. Both the back and front include a shatter-resistant layer (not Gorilla Glass), while a glass-fiber polyamide skeleton connects all those panels together. This skeleton rounds out the corners between the panels, which helps smooth those angles at least to some extent.

Two other notable features are the Xperia Z's IPX5/7 and IP5X ratings. In real terms, Sony says the phone can handle water up to a depth of one meter, and is resistant to guided water jets. It's also designed to steer away dust from the phone's more delicate parts. To access the micro-SIM and microSD slots, as well as the micro-USB and headphone sockets, you'll need to flip out the sealed covers. There's a rubber lining behind each one, ensuring the water's kept out. We tested it in bowls of water, the shower and even gave it a quick hose down, but none of this resulted in a panicked call to Sony requesting another review unit. The flaps also feel substantial -- we have no concerns about them breaking off after extended use. Heck, you could even lift the phone up with them (not that we suggest you do that). At the same time, opening these flaps is less laborious than pulling off a battery cover or battery to access a micro-SIM slot or SD reader.

While you won't have to open those flaps very often, you'll be accessing that micro-USB port pretty frequently. (Not to spoil our battery performance section, but the runtime isn't great.) With all those mechanical openings covered, it would have been nice to see some form of wireless charging, given that it's already out there on rival phones like the Lumia 920, Droid DNA and Nexus 4.

DNP Sony Xperia Z reviewThanks to those port covers, however, the phone's streamlined perimeter is interrupted only by the power button, which will look familiar to anyone that's turned on a PlayStation Vita. Just off-center along the length of the right edge, it's made of machined aluminum (like the volume rocker just below it) although you won't get a camera button this time around. This is apparently a sacrifice that had to be made to ensure the phone would be water-resistant, but it feels like a glaring omission just the same. The micro-SIM slot is on the same side, while a single loudspeaker sits on the bottom of the right side. Unfortunately, the speaker is tinny and, even on full blast, lacks punch during video playback.

On the left edge, you'll find the covers for microSD and micro-USB, plus contacts for an as-yet-unseen dock. Flip the phone over to the glossy (but fingerprint-prone) back, and you'll note the main 13-megapixel camera, flash and secondary mic. The lens is fortunately slightly recessed, which should defend it from scratches. When we pulled the phone out of its packaging, there was a removable NFC sticker, but otherwise there are only some Xperia branding and a few serial numbers at the bottom interrupting that white surface.

On the front, there's no white paneling (aside from a sliver of the side), with a black border instead framing the 5-inch screen. Up top, you'll find the front-facing 2-megapixel camera with Sony's Exmor R sensor -- and it also supports HDR! Below the screen, there's nothing beyond the phone's mic. The Xperia Z has on-screen buttons rather than any capacitive keys.

Display


DNP Sony Xperia Z review

While quite a few companies have announced phones with 5-inch, 1080p displays, the Xperia Z is still one of the first to arrive for review, if not the first. The phone beams out a resolution substantially higher than the Xperia T, and as dimensions have increased only slightly (4.6 to five inches), it offers a higher screen density of 443 pixels per inch. As we said during our Droid DNA review, while there's less of a leap from 720p to 1080p compared to qHD to 720p, that's not to say you won't notice sharper fonts, richer images and a crisper view of your photos.

Comparing the Xperia Z against the only other 1080p phone we've reviewed, the Droid DNA, Sony unfortunately comes in second place

Comparing the Xperia Z against the only other 1080p phone we've reviewed, the Droid DNA, Sony unfortunately comes in second place. Sony is calling its new, thinner display the OptiContrast panel, but its performance doesn't offer the same viewing angles, or outdoor performance, of HTC's Super LCD 3 screen. In fact, turn the screen away from straight-on viewing, and you'll see a grayish discoloring that starts to obscure what's going on -- especially under bright light. While Sony says the new display construction should reduce reflection, sunshine and certain lighting conditions often made it difficult for us to read even the home screen.

As we've also seen on Sony's mobile displays in the past, black backgrounds and detail often appeared more like a dark gray. If anything, the phone is often too bright -- the Xperia Z's brightness setting could do with a wider range of contrasts and a lower base setting. Not that we'd want to lose the brightest option, as while you won't have anything to fear from rain with the water-resistant Z model, we needed one of the top brightness settings to see what we were doing on the touchscreen when the sun came out.

This is the first phone to feature Sony's improved Mobile Bravia Engine 2, which is responsible for a host of contrast and sharpness enhancements to your photos and videos (whether they were recorded on the phone or downloaded from some other source). The software will tweak darker regions to be even blacker, while distortion from lower-quality videos from the likes of YouTube is also reduced -- videos did look marginally smoother. Conversely, there's also a sharpness filter for images, which boosts edges and contrast -- apparently without adding noise, either. The additions seem a bit more aggressive than on preceding Sony phones, and when we looked at our freshly captured photos we noticed an excessive bluish tinge on some of them, regardless of white balance selections. This doesn't appear to be tied to the Bravia tweaks (which can be turned off if you don't like your photos extra-saturated) and appeared substantially reduced when we viewed them on other device, like a PC.

Camera


DNP Sony Xperia Z review

It's the debut for Sony's new Exmor RS sensor. Promising improved signal processing, while matching the image size of the Xperia T (up to 12 megapixels); it's a whole new sensor. The standout improvement here is HDR video, offering a bigger dynamic range of lighting in your video capture. In practice, it works well. We test a lot of cameras, and the Xperia Z's new feature generally offered better light composition during our tests. Sometimes it overcooks colors, with a bit too much noise, but we'll definitely take that in exchange for the better light balance. Check out our sample video, taken in a dimly light underground tunnel.

Naturally, HDR stills are also possible, although during our time with the camera we found the new "auto i+" setting generally offered up results that were as good (if not better) than what we got with the HDR option or manual settings tweaks. The new auto setting mostly does an excellent job adjusting ISO, white balance and toggling HDR. After we were done taking our comparison shots, we ended up leaving the phone on auto for the majority of our photos.

Most of our shots were taken on the preset 9-megapixel setting and though the phone does output images at 12 megapixels, they arrive in an awkward 4:3 ratio that doesn't really do the high-resolution screen justice.

However, when comparing both sizes to 8-megapixel images on rivals, we found those larger images offer scope for a little more detail. The 9MP images appeared almost identical in quality to the full 12MP samples, although the subject appears closer. Color reproduction was good, with HDR offering a boost to our low-light images. We did notice that HDR mode on stills was pretty gentle -- probably due to that Exmor RS sensor tweaking we heard about late last year. Compared to our photos on normal mode, there's some slight highlighting of darker areas. So it's bad news if you were hoping for the same sci-fi-esque effects you get on other HDR cameras, but it's at least more realistic.

Sony has also made adjustments to the camera interface, which at least started in a good place, with access to ISO and white balance, not to mention the ability to create shortcuts for these right on the surface camera UI. There's now a burst mode, capable of 10 frames-per-second at 9-megapixel resolution. You can now grab shots while taking video, but better still, there's no need to flip between camera and video camera modes -- just choose the appropriate record button. Also, if you've used one of Sony's point-and-shoots (or even NEX cameras) you'll find navigation and icons have been transported across. Like the button detail from the Vita, it's great to see Sony's many electronics lines finally start to converge towards each other.

Software


DNP Sony Xperia Z review

The Xperia Z arrives just behind the latest Android iteration. It's still Android Jelly Bean, but it's version 4.1.2. Admittedly, the additions since then are relatively minor, but Sony has the unfortunate knack for launching its best phones without the very brightest software. Since last year's Xperia models, we can now welcome Google Now to the fold, while Spotify and other apps are now accessible from the lock screen. Take a closer look at Sony's distinct take on Android and you'll find some likable additions, like the Rolodex-style gallery widget or the expandable power management widget pre-installed alongside some slightly more unnecessary space hogs, like a Walkman audio player widget or Sony's Entertainment Network.

Yep, you'll be hard-pressed to avoid Sony's media libraries when you first boot up the phone. We resisted the urge to delete these from the outset and gave them a try, regardless. Sony Select offers a gentle introduction to Google Play wares, as well as Xperia-centric music and movies. We can't fault it for offering a spot-on selection of beginner apps, but you'll find there's a lot of crossover from Google's own recommended section. The gaming options here are a little more tiresome, although you'll get some of Gameloft's better (and licensed) titles here. Again, we're not sure if anyone already versed in buying their apps and games direct from Google will need the Select service -- the icons even redirect to Google Play.

It's a shame to see so relatively little 1080p content, something to showcase that full-HD display

Sony's thrown your video collection into its new movies icon. It's also a more subtle way to usher you towards its Video Unlimited catalogue of movies and TV shows. We tried the service out, downloading a 90-minute (1GB) movie quickly enough. Prices are a little steep: we bought Mass Effect for £11.99 (it's just £8 on the UK's Google Play), while renting costs £3.49 -- the same as on Android's stock movie service. The payment process is all relatively painless once you've got your Sony Entertainment Network account up and running -- you can even use the same username from your PlayStation. Still, it's a shame to see so relatively little 1080p content, something to showcase that full-HD display. Almost everything we browsed (even Sony movies like The Amazing Spiderman) had a standard-definition option and nothing else. The player itself was at least capable; it plays back DivX videos and uses Gracenote to grab extra details, like cast lists.

Walkman, its musical counterpart, contains your own music catalog, a few free tracks from artists like Tom Odell and -- no surprises here -- Music Unlimited. Signing up for a premium subscription will net you offline playback across your compatible Sony hardware, the iPhone and other Android devices. In the UK, this rings up at £10 and there's a good amount of music on offer -- thanks to Sony's own music industry clout. The service has also recently upgraded its streaming quality to 320Kbps on Android, PS3 and PCs. But if you've already got a Spotify subscription going, we can't find much here to pull you away.

There are also a few extra apps that also land on the phone right out of the box -- some good, some less so. They include Dropbox, File Commander, Sony's WiFi-connected Media Remote for compatible TVs, OfficeSuite, Sony car (think big icons for use on the move) and Socialife. That last one is Sony's latest effort to combine your favorite RSS feeds with Twitter and Facebook updates. It's less intrusive (and resource-hungry) than the widget we remember from previous Xperia phones, but there's nothing that compelled us to use it beyond some cursory testing. For now, we'll stick to Flipboard and Pulse.

A more notable addition is Sony's new Stamina battery saver mode. Located under power management in settings, the focus here is to stop rogue apps from accessing data through your phone signal (or WiFi) when the screen is turned off. We're sure you're thinking, "Makes sense, but what about your email?" Not to worry, as your mail and the likes of Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook can all be added to a whitelist, so that they can ping for updates whenever they please. The power management section also gives you a rosy estimate of how many hours left on standby you're likely to get. Flip the stamina mode off, and you'll see that slashed, sometimes halved. It took us a while to figure out how to give apps permission to access data (hint: you need to tap on the Stamina mode bar) but once you have, adding apps that just need data is no hassle.

However, perhaps due to the fact that we need to prod and poke the device during the review process, we didn't find any miraculous expansion of battery life through the new stamina mode. The screen was on a lot, meaning not only did the battery have to power that rich 5-inch display, but all apps were free to dip into data as needed. If you're a more casual phone user, the service could add a few extra hours of use, but we'd treat the phone's estimates of standby time with a pinch of salt.

We already touched on the improvements made to the Xperia Z's camera app, but highlights include HDR video capture, seamless camera and video modes, burst capture and an enhanced auto mode that made taking decent stills much easier. For this editor, Sony has a more usable interface than that found on the stock Android camera, which can sometimes feel a little too stripped down.

Performance and battery life


Sony Xperia Z LG Optimus G HTC Droid DNA
Quadrant (v2) 8,019 7,628 8,028
Vellamo (v2.0 HTML5) 2,198

1,710

1,752
AnTuTu 19,876

11,284

14,474
SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms) 1,900

1,284

1,150
GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt 1080p Offscreen (fps) 29 31 31
CF-Bench 16,079 14,398 18,386
Battery life (rundown test) 5:35 8:43 6:38
SunSpider: lower scores are better

Qualcomm's quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro powers the lush 1080p screen, and is paired with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of flash memory and expansion through microSD up to 32GB. Does it sound a bit familiar? It should, as this is nearly identical to the HTC Droid DNA and (barring that microSD option and resolution boost) LG's Optimus G and Nexus 4, which at least makes for some interesting comparisons.

Curiously, the benchmark results are a mixed bag. While the Xperia Z took the lead in AnTuTu and Vellamo, it offered us a surprisingly poor score in SunSpider, a test for browser performance, and one where you'd expect a top-drawer handset to score closer to 1000ms (remember: lower numbers are better in this case). Meanwhile, CF-Bench, which tests subsystem goings-on and JavaScript performance, placed the Sony phone squarely between LG's Optimus G and HTC's Droid DNA.

However, numbers are just numbers and we found the Xperia Z to be impressively swift in most use cases. If anything, it handled processor-intensive tasks better than simple ones. We had a few issues with the phone stuttering while trying to open the task manager widget -- there's a substantial lag between your tap and the widget expanding to offer access to various wireless and brightness toggles. Similarly, when launching the camera app from a freshly booted device, it took a mind-numbing three seconds on average -- something that could be a dealbreaker for shutterbugs, especially considering the lack of a physical camera key. At least once it's running, it then launches within a more bearable timeframe. Alas, even then, launching the camera from the lock-screen still took around two seconds -- not good enough.

When launching the camera app from a freshly booted device, it took a mind-numbing three seconds on average

What concerned us more, though, was that the Xperia Z didn't go beyond six hours on our battery rundown test. Looping video at 50 percent brightness, with WiFi on (but not connected), the phone managed a little over five and a half hours on our first test. That's actually longer than the Nexus 4 which also had issues going the distance at 5:18, but less than both the Droid DNA and the 720p Optimus G. Oddly, the Z model packs a 2,330mAh power cell, versus the 2,020mAh battery found on HTC's 5-incher. So what's going on here? We repeated our test twice, as it'd be a shame for an erroneous benchmark to sully the Xperia Z's name. However, the second round added only 10 minutes. It could be that Sony's screen tech is less power-efficient than HTC's IPS Super LCD 3. That's our best guess, as there's really not much else to separate the pair -- we even ran the video clip from the flash storage, not the microSD slot.

DNP Sony Xperia Z review

Our UK-bound review model arrived with plenty of radio bands to share. There's quad-band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900) plus tri-band HSPA (850/900/2100) and a healthy dose of LTE on Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 20. Unfortunately, we were unable to test the phone with an EE SIM, but across Three, EE and O2's HSPA services, we saw download speeds on HSPA+ around 4 Mbps, while uploads hovered around 1.5 Mbps. AT&T customers, with their compatible HSPA bands, are the ones most likely to benefit from importing the device early -- we've still heard no word about US pricing and availability for either the Xperia Z or the Xperia ZL.

Wrap-up


DNP Sony Xperia Z review

It's been five months since Sony's last phone, Xperia T, was released. During that review, we noted that while Sony had perfected the art of the press shot, the hardware really didn't live up to the fantasy. Particularly in comparison to an iPhone, Lumia or HTC's One series, it did the Sony brand a disservice. So, it's a relief to see the company now making a concerted effort to make a premium phone -- and that's what this is. If you weren't sold on the older polycarbonate look, perhaps Sony's new beauty will be more to your tastes. Exactly how much rough and tumble the Xperia Z's glossy sides will stomach remains a mystery, but after our testing period the phone is still free of scratches. We also applaud Sony for bringing water resistance to its new phone. Protection from an early watery grave often meant settling for less when it came to design or performance, but that's certainly not the case with the Xperia Z.

It's a relief to see Sony now making a concerted effort to make a premium phone -- and that's what this is

We can expect to see many, many more 1080p phones through 2013, and while the Xperia Z might not best the overall quality of HTC's 5-inch panel, the phone itself has a far more distinctive look than its competitors. While the Snapdragon S4 Pro was the best of the 2012 processor bunch, we already know what to expect from phones later this year -- maybe Sony should have waited a little longer?

Perhaps the bigger question is how to square the £300 difference (off-contract) between the Xperia Z and the Nexus 4. Both are powered by the same high-performance S4 Pro, with 2GB of RAM, but Sony's option has expandable storage, a 13-megapixel camera capable of HDR video and that 1080p display -- even if the Google phone's screen performs better outside of a pure pixel count. If the Xperia Z had trounced the Nexus in battery life, we'd have happily recommended the omnibalance smartphone, but a disappointing showing there makes it a much tougher call, and one your wallet might have to make for you.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/20/sony-xperia-z-review/

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Incredible Images of the New Massive Tunnels Hollowing New York City

There is a 22-foot-long, 200-ton steel monster under Manhattan. Dead, resting deep somewhere under Grand Central Station and Park Avenue, this machine and her twin brother excavated the massive tunnels that you can see here, one of the largest public transportation works of our time. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/TTxND0B0h3E/incredible-images-of-the-new-massive-tunnels-hollowing-new-york-city

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India, Israel to enhance dialogue and cooperation in area of counter terrorism


India, Israel to enhance dialogue and cooperation in area of counter terrorism

India and Israel on Wednesday agreed to enhance dialogue and cooperation in the area of counter terrorism.

During the 8th meeting of India-Israel Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism that was held here today, both sides exchanged perceptions of threats emanating from terrorism and emphasized their determination to fight the menace.

They discussed terrorist threats in regional and global arenas as well as national counter-terrorism measures, state sponsored terrorism, prevention of transfer of weapons to terrorists, cooperation in multilateral fora and lessons from 26/11 and 13/2.

The Indian delegation was headed by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Special Secretary Asoke Kumar Mukerji. The Israeli delegation was co-led by Ambassador Jeremy Issascharof, Deputy Director General, Head of Strategic Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Eitan Ben David, Head of Counter Terrorism Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office.

The delegations comprised of representatives from relevant ministries and agencies of the two countries.

The ninth meeting of the JWG will be held in Israel in 2014. (ANI)

Source: http://forum.santabanta.com/showthread.htm?314996-India-Israel-to-enhance-dialogue-and-cooperation-in-area-of-counter-terrorism&goto=newpost

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Oscars Supercut Brings Together Every Best Picture Winner

Regardless of what you're feelings are about the importance of the Academy Awards, there's something special about this new supercut of every Best Picture winner (via Indiewire) plus a look at the films that may join the 84 other films. It's a fun trip back in movie history... until we get to 2004 and you [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/02/20/oscars-supercut-best-picture-winners/

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

10,000 firms approved for Enterprise Finance Guarantee loans ...

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme, set up to help small firms access finance, has delivered a net benefit of ?1.1bn to the economy, according to new research.

A report on the EFG by researchers at Durham University said that the initiative has helped more than 10,000 businesses access loans worth a total of ?1.04bn since May 2010.

The scheme has created an additional 6,500 jobs, which is the equivalent to 1.84 jobs per recipient business. It has also saved 12,375 positions.

In addition, every ?1 invested by the Coalition delivers a benefit of ?33.50 to the economy.

Business minister Michael Fallon has called on banks to increase lending via the EFG.

He said, "EFG loans are delivered through the banks and I want to see them making more use of the scheme.

?This latest research shows that the EFG is helping precisely those businesses who can't get finance elsewhere.

?It is getting money to where it is needed, saving jobs and delivering a huge benefit for the wider economy.?

Fallon said that there is obvious demand for this type of financial support and revealed he has started publishing EFG lending by each individual bank so businesses will know which bank they are best off approaching.

By Kirsty Hewitt

Source: http://www.enforbusiness.com/news/10000-firms-approved-enterprise-finance-guarantee-loans-20139552

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Bits Blog: Apple Computers Hit by Sophisticated Cyberattack

Cyberattacks, apparently, happen in threes.

After Facebook and Twitter announced that they were breached by sophisticated hackers in recent weeks, Apple said it had been attacked, too, in a rare admission for the technology giant.

In a statement to reporters Tuesday, Apple said some of its computers were infected with the same malware that hit Twitter and Facebook. Like Facebook, Apple confirmed that its employees? computers were infected with malware when they visited a Web site for software developers. Neither company has named the Web site. But according to a person with knowledge of Facebook?s investigation, the compromised site, iPhonedevsdk, an online forum for software developers, is still infected. (In other words, unless you want to be owned by hackers, do not visit the site.)

?We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network,? Apple said in a statement. ?There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware.?

Twitter said attackers may have briefly gained access to data for 250,000 user accounts and that it reset passwords for and alerted users whose data may have been vulnerable. Facebook said that no user data was taken in its attack. Both companies said that they were also working with law enforcement to trace the source of the attacks, which they described only as ?sophisticated.?

In all three cases, the attackers exploited a well-known security hole in Oracle?s Java software. Java, a widely used programming language, is installed on more than three billion devices. It has long been hounded by security problems.

Last month, after a French security researcher and blogger named Kafeine exposed a serious vulnerability in the software, the Department of Homeland Security issued a rare alert that warned users to disable Java on their computers. The vulnerability was particularly disconcerting because it let attackers download a malicious program onto its victims? machines without any prompting. Users did not even have to click on a malicious link, they only had to visit an infected site for their computers to get infected.

After Oracle initially patched the security hole in January, the Department of Homeland Security said that the fix was not sufficient and recommended that, unless it was ?absolutely necessary? to use Java, users should disable it on their computers completely. Oracle did not issue another fix until Feb. 1.

Apple said on Tuesday that it was releasing an updated Java malware removal tool that will check Macs for malware and remove it if found.

But security researchers say the Java exploit only gave hackers a foothold into these companies? systems, and that the companies should be more forthcoming with what the attackers did once inside.

?Why is nobody asking what the payload is?? Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at the Finnish antivirus company F-Secure tweeted. ?The Java exploit only opened the door. What walked in??

?

Social networks are a prime target for hackers, who look to use people?s personal data and particularly their social connections in what are known as ?spearphishing? attacks. In this type of attack, a victim is sent an e-mail, ostensibly from someone they know on Facebook or other social networking site, containing a malicious link or attachment. Once the link is clicked or attachment opened, attackers take control of a user?s computer. If the infected computer is inside a company?s system, the attackers are able to gain a foothold. In many cases, they then extract passwords and gain access to sensitive data.

In an article published Monday evening, The New York Times reported that one group of Chinese cyberattackers, which has been tied to a specific military unit of China?s People?s Liberation Army, leveraged the social connections of its targets to send malicious e-mails that eventually allowed them to compromise thousands of organizations, ranging from Coca-Cola to the International Olympic Committee.

Hackers have been attacking organizations inside the United States at an alarming rate. The number of attacks reported by government agencies last year topped 48,500 ? a ninefold jump from the 5,500 attacks reported in 2006, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/apple-computers-hit-by-sophisticated-cyberattack/

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Are Plastic Bag Bans Making People Sick?

Speaking of stepping over dollars for pennies, I'd rather go to the store less often. If we have to make everything about bags then reducing the number of bags used could also be accomplished by not having to purchase shit that was designed to break and be replaced within six to eight months. We shouldn't just count the bags themselves but the stuff that we bring home in them.

I've always wondered why the environmental evangelism only cares about cars, solar panels, and plastic shopping bags. Stop taxing my bags and start taxing products that just don't last. We have the data, we know what products last a long time and we know that "modern" versions of them won't last a long time. For god sake we know how to engineer better products.

For example. I have a coffee grinder that I've been using for around 10~12 years. I consider myself lucky to have such a good quality product. A week ago it started making more noise than usual. After years of faithful service it's finally giving out. I know that if I buy a new one--even from the same brand--it will probably last a year at best. When you consider that most of today's products fit in that category of 1/10th the lifespan they should have.... is buying 10 times as much shit really a good idea?

Crappy products should be taxed, if not illegal. Someone should tell Washington that it's not all about cars and shopping bags.

I remember when CFLs were just starting to become well known. They literally did last for years. I got them because I was tired of standing precariously on a chair to change an incandescent light every two months. I didn't buy them for the sake of mother earth. I purchased them because they genuinely were better products. CFLs used to last. Every one of the CFLs I've purchased in the last year has had to be replaced. Is the energy saved still going to offset the environmental cost of manufacturing, distribution, and landfills considering your projections originally assumed a much longer lifespan?

Wake the fuck up America, we need to stop the fraud, waste, and abuse that exists in nearly every market. Nearly everything you have should be lasting longer and we need our government to make that happen. For the sake of the consumer and for the sake of our planet. Get your politically inclined environmental hippies doing something useful (besides legalizing marijuana) and lets get the campaign for better products going.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/4IOFNxKcc9g/story01.htm

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Book News and a Flying Golf Ball

FIRST, and I?m SO EXCITED about this (can you tell?)?Imaginable has a cover! :D :D And you?ll get to see it on Monday, February 25! :D :D I?m still taking bloggers who want to participate, so if you haven?t emailed me yet that you?re in, EMAIL ME!

?>j AT jmeyersbooks DOT com<?

I cannot WAIT to show it to you!

SECOND, I?m going to be sending Imaginable to my betas SOON which means we are getting closer and closer to a release. April is looking GOOD and I have my eye on a date, but am keeping it to myself until I?m sure we can make it. Cross your fingers for me, will you? :-)

THIRD, and TOTALLY UNRELATED, Joe Hanson (@jtotheizzoe on Twitter), who has a fantastic site that features the most interesting science-related things on Earth at www.itsokaytobesmart.com (go check it out, you won?t be sorry), tweeted the coolest video of a golf ball hitting a steel plate at 150mph. I had NO IDEA a golf ball could do this. NO IDEA! (It?s only 29 seconds long. Take a peek. You?ll be amazed?unless, of course, you knew this already. ;-)

?

Have a great day, my friends!

Source: http://www.jmeyersbooks.com/2013/02/19/book-news-and-a-flying-golf-ball/

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Allen commented on Kyle Hilliard's post about Sony Looks Back On The PlayStation 3 .

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    Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/members/GIJoe/activities/default.aspx?ActivityMessageID=18e56f74-8285-403f-8059-85cef6733c43

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    Sony promotes the Xperia Z with Make Magic video ads in Japan

    The latest flagship smartphone from Sony has been the star of the season so far with its amazing feature set. Sony Xperia Z is setting up for a globally release and the company has kicked off its marketing campaign.

    Sony has launched its Make Magic video promos for its Sony Xperia Z smartphones in its homeland. The promo videos lasts for about 30 seconds each and focus on the emotions when using the Xperia Z smartphone.

    If you are wondering about the specifications, features and the performance of the smartphone, check our detailed review.

    Source

    Source: http://blog.gsmarena.com/sony-promotes-xperia-z-smartphones-with-make-magic-video-ads-in-japan/

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    Monday, February 18, 2013

    Yen resumes fall after G20, earnings worries hit stocks

    LONDON (Reuters) - The yen resumed falling on Monday after Japan signalled it would push ahead with expansionist monetary policies having escaped criticism from the world's 20 biggest economies at the weekend.

    European shares and industrial metals dropped on lingering worries about the economic outlook, especially for the euro zone. The risk of an inconclusive outcome in Italian elections at the weekend also added to investor concerns.

    However, activity was curtailed by the closure of markets in the United States for the Presidents' Day holiday.

    The yen, which has dropped 20 percent against the dollar since mid-November, fell further after financial leaders from the G20 promised not to devalue their currencies to boost exports and avoided singling out Japan for any direct criticism.

    "Future yen direction will continue to be driven by domestic monetary policy from the Bank of Japan and improving international investor confidence, which are both driving the yen weaker," said Lee Hardman, currency analyst at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

    Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe seized the opportunity to keep pressure on the central bank to loosen policy, telling the Japanese parliament that buying foreign bonds could be among options the Bank of Japan could adopt.

    The result was the dollar rising 0.5 percent to 93.98 yen, near a 33-month peak of 94.47 yen set a week ago. The euro rose 0.2 percent to 125.32 yen, roughly midway between Friday's two-week low of 122.90 and a 34-month high of 127.71 yen hit earlier this month.

    Strategists said that while the yen was likely to stay weak, its decline could lose momentum as investors wait for more clarity on who will be taking the helm at the Bank of Japan when the current governor steps down on March 19.

    "The big unknown is who will get appointed as the new BoJ governor, so it is difficult to put on massive positions beforehand," said Saeed Amen, currency strategist at Nomura.

    Abe is poised to nominate the new governor in the coming days. Sources have told Reuters that former financial bureaucrat Toshiro Muto, considered likely to be less radical than other candidates, was leading the field.

    Elsewhere in the currency market, sterling hit a seven-month low against the dollar, after a key policymaker made comments about the need for further weakness and recent poor data which has kept alive worries of another British recession.

    Sterling fell 0.15 percent to $1.5492 having earlier touched $1.5438, its lowest since July 13.

    DATA LOOMS

    A big week for data on the outlook for the world's economy weighed on other riskier asset markets following the recent dire fourth-quarter growth numbers for the euro zone and Japan, along with Friday's soft U.S. manufacturing figures.

    In European markets, attention is focused on the euro area Purchasing Managers' Indexes for February and German sentiment indices due later in the week. These could affect hopes for a recovery this year.

    Analysts expect Thursday's euro area flash PMI indices, which offer pointers to economic activity around six months out, to show growth stabilising across the recession-hit region, leaving hopes for a recovery in the second half of 2013 intact.

    Concerns over an inconclusive outcome in the Italian elections on Sunday and Monday have added to the weaker sentiment as a fragmented parliament could hamper a future government's efforts to reform the struggling economy.

    The worries about the outlook for Italy were encouraging investors back into safe-haven German government bonds on Monday, with 10-year Bund yields easing 3.6 basis points to be around 1.63 percent.

    "Political uncertainty will keep Bunds well bid this week," ING rate strategist Alessandro Giansanti said, adding that only better than expected economic data could create selling pressure on German debt in the near term.

    Italian 10-year yields were 7 basis points higher on the day at 4.44 percent.

    EARNINGS HIT

    European equity markets were taking their lead from corporate earnings reports which have been reflecting the sluggish economic conditions across the region.

    Danish brewer Carlsberg, which generates just over 60 percent of its sales in western Europe, became the latest to report a weaker-than-expected quarterly profit, sending its shares to their lowest level in almost a month.

    The 6.8-percent drop for shares in the world's fourth biggest brewery helped send the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares down 0.3 percent at midday. Germany's DAX, France's CAC-40 and UK FTSE-100 ranged between 0.1 percent up and 0.3 percent lower.

    Earlier, the effect of the G20 statement and the comments from Abe indicating a renewed drive to stimulate the Japanese economy lifted the Nikkei stock index by 2.1 percent, near to its highest level since September 2008.

    MSCI's world equity index was flat as markets extended a two-week period of consolidation that has followed the big run-up in January, when demand was buoyed by the efforts of central banks to stimulate the world economy.

    Data from EPFR Global, a U.S.-based firm that tracks the flows and allocations of funds globally, shows investors pulled $3.62 billion from U.S. stock funds in the latest week, the most in 10 weeks after taking a neutral stance the prior week.

    But demand for emerging market equities remained strong, with investors putting $1.81 billion in new cash into stock funds, the fund-tracking firm said.

    USEFUL LINKS:

    Euro zone GDP since 2007: http://link.reuters.com/nyh28s

    Central bank balance sheets: http://link.reuters.com/ged46s

    Global equity sector returns: http://link.reuters.com/jyb29s

    CHINA RETURN

    In the commodity markets, traders played catch-up after a week-long holiday last week in China, the world's second biggest consumer of many raw materials, which had kept activity subdued, with worries about the economic outlook weighing on sentiment.

    Copper, for which China is the world's largest consumer, dipped to a near three-week low of $8,127.50 a tonne on the London futures market. Benchmark tin and nickel also touched three-week lows.

    Bargain hunters helped gold rise from a six-month low to be up 0.2 percent to $1,611.87 an ounce with jewellers in China returning to the physical market after the Lunar New Year holiday.

    Crude oil markets were mostly steady after some weak U.S. industrial production data on Friday was seen dampening demand, while tensions in the Middle East lent some support.

    "We continue to see a mixed picture out of the United States. Industry output was lower than expected but that shouldn't affect the general upward direction," Olivier Jakob, analyst at Geneva-based Petromatrix, said.

    Brent crude was flat at $117.66 a barrel after posting its first weekly loss since the first half of January. U.S. crude slipped 19 cents to $95.67.U.S. crude.

    (Additional reporting by Marius Zaharia and Ron Bousso. Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yen-resumes-fall-g20-earnings-worries-hit-stocks-143154805--finance.html

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    Sunday, February 17, 2013

    Hutchinson exits race for Jackson's US House seat

    CHICAGO (AP) ? A well-known Illinois state senator dropped her bid Sunday for the U.S. House seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr., narrowing the field and consolidating key support behind another Democrat in a race where gun control has emerged as a central issue.

    State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, targeted in recent days by critical anti-gun campaign ads funded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's political action committee, said she was leaving the race and swinging her support to former state Rep. Robin Kelly. The major shake-up came with just nine days to go before the Feb. 26 primary.

    Hutchinson's move reflected the sharp divisions over the gun control issue, but also appeared to be in line with efforts to consolidate support for one of the many black candidates in the black-majority district. Community leaders had expressed concerns that the black vote could be split, thus boosting the chances of former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, a white candidate whom Jackson defeated in last year's primary battle.

    "I am simply unwilling to risk playing a role going forward that could result in dividing our community at time a when we need unity more than ever," Hutchinson said Sunday in a written statement. "In the wake of horrendous gun related crimes all across our country, I agree with Robin that we need to stand together to fight gun violence."

    Bloomberg's super PAC, Independence USA, has run ads in the district that target Hutchinson for her past opposition to tougher gun restrictions ? one of the campaign's most pressing issues along with economic hardships such as joblessness and foreclosures.

    In a district encompassing parts of Chicago's South Side that have been deeply affected by gun violence, Hutchinson campaigned on more moderate views, saying the December school shooting in Newtown, Conn., brought about a change of heart.

    Kelly, too, was among those criticizing Hutchinson's previous position and questioning whether her newfound stance was genuine. Now, Kelly says she's pleased to have her former rival's backing.

    "In Congress, I will work with Sen. Hutchinson ... and other leaders throughout our district to get guns off our streets and bring jobs to our neighborhoods," Kelly said in a statement.

    With Hutchinson's departure, the race is down to three top Democratic contenders: Kelly, Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale and Halvorson. The primary will likely decide the race because the district is so overwhelmingly Democratic.

    Illinois' 2nd district also has a majority of black voters, even after boundaries were redrawn to include rural areas where there are greater numbers of white voters and where Halvorson is from.

    Halvorson said Sunday that she believes she can easily woo those who had supported Hutchinson. She said in an interview that she was surprised by the sudden withdrawal and questioned what was behind the decision.

    "There's no way that she would get out of the race unless she was told that she had no choice," Halvorson told The Associated Press. "And now what kind of deal was made? What is she going to get out of it? And I think everybody should come clean. ... This district is tired of wheeling and dealing."

    Hutchinson's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

    Kelly told the AP that as far as she was aware there were no backroom negotiations or political deals made and that Hutchinson's decision was hers alone. She also does not think the ads by Bloomberg's PAC were any kind of tipping point in that decision.

    Kelly defended the New York mayor's right to weigh in on an election in Illinois with ads endorsing her on the gun control issue and attacking her opponents.

    "It's still up the people who go into the booth and vote," Kelly said in a phone interview. "But I think those ads counterbalance the millions of dollars that the NRA (National Rifle Association) has spent to influence what they want to influence."

    Halvorson also has been targeted by the Bloomberg PAC ads because of her opposition to an assault weapons ban. She bristled at the notion of Bloomberg wading into the election.

    "He's got billions of dollars, he has always been very controlling and he wants to control a congressional seat," she said.

    Halvorson supports background checks for gun purchases and registration of all firearms but opposes an assault weapons ban, saying law-abiding gun owners have Second Amendment rights and that a ban in Cook County hasn't prevented gun violence.

    The special election was triggered by Jackson's resignation in November. Jackson faces a federal conspiracy charge for allegedly spending $750,000 in campaign money on personal expenses. He also was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hutchinson-exits-race-jacksons-us-house-seat-154818268--election.html

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