Friday, June 29, 2012

Has the speediest pulsar been found?

Has the speediest pulsar been found? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 28-Jun-2012
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Contact: Megan Watzke
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
617-496-7998
Chandra X-ray Center

Researchers using three different telescopes -- NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton in space, and the Parkes radio telescope in Australia -- may have found the fastest moving pulsar ever seen.

The evidence for this potentially record-breaking speed comes, in part, from the features highlighted in this composite image. X-ray observations from Chandra (green) and XMM-Newton (purple) have been combined with infrared data from the 2MASS project and optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey (colored red, green and blue, but appearing in the image as white).

The large area of diffuse X-rays seen by XMM-Newton was produced when a massive star exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a debris field, or supernova remnant known as SNR MSH 11-16A. Shocks waves from the supernova have heated surrounding gas to several million degrees Kelvin, causing the remnant to glow brightly in X-rays.

The Chandra image shown in the inset ("X-ray close-up") reveals a comet-shaped X-ray source well outside the boundary of the supernova remnant. This source consists of a point-like object with a long tail trailing behind it for about 3 light years. The bright star nearby and also the one in SNR MSH11-16A are both likely to be foreground stars unrelated to the supernova remnant.

The point-like X-ray source was discovered by the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, or INTEGRAL, and is called IGR J11014-6103 (or IGR J11014 for short). It may be a rapidly spinning, super-dense star (known as a "pulsar", a type of neutron star) that was ejected during the explosion. If so, it is racing away from the center of the supernova remnant at millions of miles per hour.

The favored interpretation for the tail of X-ray emission is that a pulsar wind nebula, that is, a "wind" of high-energy particles produced by the pulsar, has been swept behind a bow shock created by the pulsar's high speed. (A similar case was seen in another object known as PSR B1957+20 [http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2003/b1957/closer_look.html]).

The elongated emission is pointing towards the center of MSH 11-61A where the pulsar would have been formed, supporting the idea that the Chandra image is of a pulsar wind nebula and its bow shock. Another interesting feature of the Chandra image, also seen with XMM-Newton, is the faint X-ray tail extending to the top-right. The cause of this feature is unknown, but similar tails have been seen from other pulsars that also do not line up with the pulsar's direction of motion.

Based on earlier observations, astronomers estimate that the age of MSH 11-61A is approximately 15,000 years, and it lies at a distance of about 30,000 light years away from Earth. Combining these values with the distance that the pulsar has appeared to have traveled from the center of the MSH 11-61A, astronomers estimate that IGR J11014 is moving at a speed between 5.4 million and 6.5 million miles per hour.

The only other neutron star associated with a supernova remnant that may rival this in speed is the candidate found in the supernova remnant known as G350.1-0.3. The speed of the neutron star candidate in this system is estimated to lie between 3 and 6 million miles per hour (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/g350/).

The high speeds estimated for both IGR J11014 and the neutron star candidate in G350.1-0.3 are preliminary and need to be confirmed. If they are confirmed, explaining the high speeds of the neutron star presents a severe challenge to existing models for supernova explosions.

One important caveat in the conclusion that IGR J11014 may be the fastest moving pulsar is that pulsations have not been detected in it during a search with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Parkes radio telescope. This non-detection is not surprising for a pulsar located about 30,000 light years away.

However, there are other pieces of evidence that support the pulsar interpretation. First, the lack of detection of a counterpart to the X-ray source in optical or infrared images supports the idea that it is a pulsar, since such objects are very faint at these wavelengths. Also, there are no apparent differences in the brightness of the source between XMM-Newton observations in 2003 and the Chandra observations in 2011, behavior that is expected if IGR J11014 is a pulsar. Finally, the X-ray spectrum of the source, that is, its signature in energy, is similar to what astronomers expect to see for a pulsar.

###

These results were published in the May 10, 2012 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The authors were John Tomsick and Arash Bodaghee (University of California, Berkeley), Jerome Rodriguez and Sylvain Chaty (University of Paris, CEA Saclay), Fernando Camilo (Columbia University), Francesca Fornasini (UC Berkeley), and Farhid Rahoui (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics).

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls Chandra's science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass.


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Has the speediest pulsar been found? [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 28-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Megan Watzke
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
617-496-7998
Chandra X-ray Center

Researchers using three different telescopes -- NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton in space, and the Parkes radio telescope in Australia -- may have found the fastest moving pulsar ever seen.

The evidence for this potentially record-breaking speed comes, in part, from the features highlighted in this composite image. X-ray observations from Chandra (green) and XMM-Newton (purple) have been combined with infrared data from the 2MASS project and optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey (colored red, green and blue, but appearing in the image as white).

The large area of diffuse X-rays seen by XMM-Newton was produced when a massive star exploded as a supernova, leaving behind a debris field, or supernova remnant known as SNR MSH 11-16A. Shocks waves from the supernova have heated surrounding gas to several million degrees Kelvin, causing the remnant to glow brightly in X-rays.

The Chandra image shown in the inset ("X-ray close-up") reveals a comet-shaped X-ray source well outside the boundary of the supernova remnant. This source consists of a point-like object with a long tail trailing behind it for about 3 light years. The bright star nearby and also the one in SNR MSH11-16A are both likely to be foreground stars unrelated to the supernova remnant.

The point-like X-ray source was discovered by the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, or INTEGRAL, and is called IGR J11014-6103 (or IGR J11014 for short). It may be a rapidly spinning, super-dense star (known as a "pulsar", a type of neutron star) that was ejected during the explosion. If so, it is racing away from the center of the supernova remnant at millions of miles per hour.

The favored interpretation for the tail of X-ray emission is that a pulsar wind nebula, that is, a "wind" of high-energy particles produced by the pulsar, has been swept behind a bow shock created by the pulsar's high speed. (A similar case was seen in another object known as PSR B1957+20 [http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2003/b1957/closer_look.html]).

The elongated emission is pointing towards the center of MSH 11-61A where the pulsar would have been formed, supporting the idea that the Chandra image is of a pulsar wind nebula and its bow shock. Another interesting feature of the Chandra image, also seen with XMM-Newton, is the faint X-ray tail extending to the top-right. The cause of this feature is unknown, but similar tails have been seen from other pulsars that also do not line up with the pulsar's direction of motion.

Based on earlier observations, astronomers estimate that the age of MSH 11-61A is approximately 15,000 years, and it lies at a distance of about 30,000 light years away from Earth. Combining these values with the distance that the pulsar has appeared to have traveled from the center of the MSH 11-61A, astronomers estimate that IGR J11014 is moving at a speed between 5.4 million and 6.5 million miles per hour.

The only other neutron star associated with a supernova remnant that may rival this in speed is the candidate found in the supernova remnant known as G350.1-0.3. The speed of the neutron star candidate in this system is estimated to lie between 3 and 6 million miles per hour (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2012/g350/).

The high speeds estimated for both IGR J11014 and the neutron star candidate in G350.1-0.3 are preliminary and need to be confirmed. If they are confirmed, explaining the high speeds of the neutron star presents a severe challenge to existing models for supernova explosions.

One important caveat in the conclusion that IGR J11014 may be the fastest moving pulsar is that pulsations have not been detected in it during a search with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Parkes radio telescope. This non-detection is not surprising for a pulsar located about 30,000 light years away.

However, there are other pieces of evidence that support the pulsar interpretation. First, the lack of detection of a counterpart to the X-ray source in optical or infrared images supports the idea that it is a pulsar, since such objects are very faint at these wavelengths. Also, there are no apparent differences in the brightness of the source between XMM-Newton observations in 2003 and the Chandra observations in 2011, behavior that is expected if IGR J11014 is a pulsar. Finally, the X-ray spectrum of the source, that is, its signature in energy, is similar to what astronomers expect to see for a pulsar.

###

These results were published in the May 10, 2012 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The authors were John Tomsick and Arash Bodaghee (University of California, Berkeley), Jerome Rodriguez and Sylvain Chaty (University of Paris, CEA Saclay), Fernando Camilo (Columbia University), Francesca Fornasini (UC Berkeley), and Farhid Rahoui (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics).

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls Chandra's science and flight operations from Cambridge, Mass.


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-06/cxc-hts062812.php

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Legally Speaking ? Women's National Book Association ? NYC

In this New York Bookwoman ?Legally Speaking? column, Dina Di Maio discusses the importance of a clearly defined contract when co-authoring a work.

Yes! I know an author who co-wrote a work and constantly polices it because the other author claims sole ownership and uses it without her permission. It is essential if you are undertaking a collaborative work that you create a collaboration agreement. Even if you and your friend work well together and have a great writing partnership, when it comes to ownership, control, and finances, conflict is bound to arise without clearly defined terms.

There are many things you want to consider in a collaboration agreement. The first is ownership. Under U.S. copyright law, ?a work prepared by two or more authors with the intention that their contributions be merged into inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole? is a joint work. Copyright ownership exists the moment the two authors create the work. However, a collaboration agreement shows ownership of the work and allows parties to divide ownership any way they want. You also want to stipulate who has control over what happens to the book ? who makes artistic decisions. In addition, you want to establish how an advance and royalties will be split. They don?t have to be split evenly. Also, you want to be clear about how the work will be credited ? whose name will be first, will the names be in different sizes, etc. A non-competition clause also may be in order, so that no one author will publish a book that competes with this one. You may also want to be specific about warranties and who will be responsible for breaches of contract. Will you be responsible for the whole book or just a portion? It?s best to be specific and detailed about all of these things. Keep in mind, a collaboration agreement is not a publishing contract, and both authors can decide whether to sign a publishing contract jointly or separately. It is best to seek the advice of an attorney who has experience in collaboration agreements.

Dina Di Maio is an attorney licensed in New York and Tennessee. She worked in the legal department of the Authors Guild and is a member-at-large. She has written/edited for Family Circle, Scholastic, Vault.com, Glamour, Time Out New York, and more. She lives in Manhattan and writes about food on her food blog: www.huntingfortheverybest.wordpress.com.

*This is legal information only. For legal advice on your specific situation, please see an attorney.

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships ...

Nora Ephron, beloved American author and screenwriter, died at the age of 71 on Tuesday.

Ephron?s films, among them Academy Award nominees ?When Harry Met Sally?? and ?Sleepless in Seattle,? tackled issues surrounding modern marriage with grace and humor.

Ephron has been married to fellow screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi for two decades. She was previously married to writer Dan Greenburg and journalist Carl Bernstein, with whom she has two sons.

Read More?
More on Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships
Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships

Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships

Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships
Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships
Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships
Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships
Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships

Nora Ephron On Marriage: Author's Best Quotes On Relationships

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Brent stays above $93 as investors eye EU summit

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The Sibikwe Arts Indigenous Orchestra in Celebration | Looking at ...

Heritage.
I am acutely uncomfortable with the subject of ?heritage? in South Africa. There is a sense in which many South Africans, of which I am one, are not sure just what belongs in the ?heritage? box. We are who we are and have few clear lines to trace back to a particular ethnic group, language or place. We are generic South Africans. That is, I suppose, our heritage. This is important to mention as a presupposition when dealing with a concept like the ?African Indigenous Orchestra? which is really something that is simply generically African, without too many clear lines back to something which existed in a pure form at any one place.

African Music Instruments.

The Sibekwa Africa Indigenous Orchestra play a variety of instruments from various parts of Africa, not only from Southern Africa and then they mix these with western instruments. The music they play would perhaps have frightened a group of 18th century herdsmen in their rural reaches. It certainly owes more to Motown?s influence than Princess Magogo?s efforts to save traditional Nguni music. This is not a criticism, just a reflection on the ?generic South African? thing. It is, as the press release says, ?a unique blend of sounds and rhythms reminiscent of the old and new South African music scene.?

The show itself had absolutely no didactic element whatsoever. I had expected one and it never materialised. I have been privileged, over the years, to attend shows where the kudu horns, dinaka pipes, kalimbas, uhadis and makubes have been demonstrated and played. Here they were just played and if one has the background one knows which instrument is which and if one does not have the background one can just settle in to enjoy the sound.

The sound is enjoyable indeed. Afro-pop, Latin American jazz, polyrhythms and traditional jazz all fuse to make a joyful noise. The orchestra has travelled widely, both internationally and in South Africa and they have now released their first CD, Celebration, which is as much fun as the show was. Tlale Makhene leads the orchestra in a variety of bright, cheerful, upbeat numbers which includes one of South Africa?s best known pieces of music, Meadowlands. It is easy and pleasant listening.

The musicians are Tlale Makene, Siya Makuzeni, Esther Maumela, Thokozani Nsibande, Lucky Tshimbudzi, Lydia Mokhele, Bebe Shongwe, Percy Mbonani, Siya Makuzeni, Siyabulela Sifatyi, Thandi Dube, and Mokhalinyana Mokhere.

I saw a performance of ?Celebration? on Youth Day, 16 June 2012, at The Market Theatre. For more information go to www.sibikwa.co.za or indigenousorchestra.blogspot.com. You can hear them on 4, 5 and 6 July at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

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Multi-skilled, trained theologian (Christian), administrator and journalist, I conduct weddings, funerals and facilitate spiritual growth workshops. Theatre, music, dance and visual arts are my passions. I have been making my musical musings, theatre talks and dance dialogues public since February 1999 when I acquired access to the internet. Books are another passion, and I have a particular interest in South African ecology and history.

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New site tells what you ? and everyone else ? is doing

13 hrs.

Hate your boss? Are you hungover? Did you smoke some weed? If you keep these thoughts and actions to yourself, step away from this story now. But if you share that kind of info?on Facebook, you could be featured on a new website that?simply combs through publicly?available,?posted comments from the social network.

Among the examples shared on We Know What You're Doing:?

I'm getting so mad right now I hate my boss Jay I hope he dies better yet I feel like killin him if you in a bad mood don't take it out on everyone at the job

Never been so hungover. :(

God is peace and love# God smoke cannabis!!! :o

And it's not just what's being said, it's who's saying it. That's right: "Your name here,"?basically, especially if you haven't set stronger privacy controls on who sees your information. Your name and photo ? if you have one posted publicly ? could show up on We Know What You're Doing.

We Know What You're Doing also was sharing new phone numbers that social network users publicly posted for anyone to see. But site creator Callum Haywood, who lives in Nottingham, England, told msnbc.com in an email interview?Tuesday that "just earlier?today I started to censor people's phone numbers, so they were not directly visible."

What, you didn't think your remarks about your boss, your drinking, your drugging, were public? Then this site ? and the warning it gives ? is for you, a wakeup call that should catapult you into action, into reviewing your Facebook?settings.

And it's not the first time a site like this has popped up. Back in the Internet's ancient times of 2010, a site called Please Rob Me raised hackles ? and some consciousness???when it shared Facebook info from people publicly posting about being away from home on vacations. (I say "some consciousness,"?because there still way too many people publicly sharing that they'll be in Bermuda, or wherever, for the next 2 weeks, and away from home.)

Haywood, who says he's an 18-year-old Web developer, came up with the idea based on a video, "I Know What You Did Five Minutes Ago," from Ignite London 4's conference last year, which showed how easily personal information can be plucked and culled from Web users who aren't more careful about privacy settings.

Facebook's privacy controls, Haywood says, "are very effective when used correctly." But, as?noted recently, those privacy controls can be more confusing and?harder to understand than?the small print coming from credit card companies and even government entities, according to a recent survey.

As to We Know What You're Doing's information, "There is nothing on this website that cannot be accessed by anyone else," Haywood says on the site.

"These people probably wouldn't want this info (published), would they?" Haywood says in his own Q-and-A. His answer:

Probably not to be fair, but it was their choice, or lack of, with regards to their account privacy settings. People have lost their jobs in the past due to some of the posts they put on Facebook, so maybe this demonstrates why. Efforts have been made to remove any personal data from the results, such as the actual phone numbers, surnames, etc. The data is still easily accessible from the API, the filters have been put in place to protect the site from legal issues.

The lesson to be learned, he writes: "Just make sure your Facebook privacy settings are sufficient, for example don't publish status updates containing potentially risky material as 'Public' because then they have a good chance of showing up in the public Graph API ... The problem is not with Facebook themselves, when used correctly, their privacy controls are very good. The problem is how people simply don't understand the risks of sharing everything."

As word spreads about We Know What You're Doing, Haywood told msnbc.com he'll keep the site going "for?as long as necessary."

"I am willing to change the site in response to people's reactions," he said. "The problem still stands though:?the data is accessible from Facebook anyway, so any site can pick it up. People need to be aware of this."

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

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Pediatrician admits possessing 100,000 child porn images

Dr. Todd Parrilla, a Connecticut pediatrician, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

By NBCConnecticut.com

A Connecticut pediatrician has admitted to possessing more than 100,000 child porn images and videos.

Todd Parrilla, 48, pleaded guilty in Hartford Federal Court Monday.

Federal authorities began an investigation into Parrilla in July 2011, after a law enforcement officer in Kansas City, Mo., downloaded 104 images of child pornography from a directory on an internet file-sharing program maintained by Parrilla, according to prosecutors.


"This is a heinous crime," said David Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. "That it was committed by a pediatrician, whose profession is committed to the well-being of children, makes it especially disturbing."

For more information go to NBCConnecticut.com

Parrilla was arrested in August 2011. FBI agents seized two computers and three detachable hard drives from Parrilla's home. Analysis of the computers and hard drives revealed more than 100,000 pictures and more than 10,000 videos depicting child pornography, according to prosecutors.

Parrilla was working as a pediatrician at the time of his arrest.

He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 24.

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Four Recession-Proof Stocks Investing for 2012 and Beyond :: The ...

Lessons to Help Traders Find Trading Opportunities in Any Market

Companies / Investing 2012 Jun 27, 2012 - 05:55 AM

By: Money_Morning

Companies

Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleDon Miller writes: Despite the efforts of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his cohorts, it looks like gridlock in Congress will push us into a recession in 2013, if not sooner.

In case you haven't been paying attention, "Taxmageddon," and election-year politics have driven the economy to the edge of a "fiscal cliff." This means the start of next year, unless drastic measures are taken in Washington, is looking precarious for investors.

Just look at what recent U.S. economic reports have told us.

"The Chicago Fed's activity index came in at -0.45 Monday morning, while recent weekly unemployment data have been weak and the Michigan consumer confidence is down," said Money Morning Global Investing Strategist Martin Hutchinson. "Given that first-quarter GDP growth was already under 2%, it looks as though the U.S. economy has stalled. Accordingly, we need to ask: how will our investments do in a recession?"

That's why it's time to update our portfolios with recession-proof stocks.

Not All Stocks Can Handle What's Ahead
Tough economic and market conditions saddle most companies with operational and financial problems that aren't easily overcome.

Businesses are usually forced to cut spending and lay off employees. And there are some expenses a company can't eliminate, such as payroll, rent and taxes.

A recession hits the wallets of customers, too, who typically reign in their spending as they scramble to stay afloat.

That becomes a double whammy for corporations.

Orders for new products slow to a trickle. Some customers slow payments or may not pay their bills at all, crippling cash flows.

Still, there are certain businesses that flourish in the adversity of a recession -- making them safe harbors for your investment dollars during bad market conditions.

For instance, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO), Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN), Celgene Corp. (Nasdaq: CELG) and Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE: SWN) were some of the market's top performers in 2008.

But why did they do so well when everyone else was struggling to make ends meet?

Turns out, there are certain things people just can't live without, no matter what the economy is doing. And sometimes the most mundane companies provide the best returns.

Here are four "boring" recession-proof stocks to consider now.

Four Recession-Proof Stocks:
The Essential Service Provider: Automatic Data Processing (Nasdaq: ADP) is a great example of a technology service provider that generates buckets of recurring revenue every month by serving an essential function to corporations.

In fact, the company now cuts paychecks for approximately one out of every six Americans.

But that's just for starters.

Despite stubbornly high unemployment in the U.S., ADP has managed to maintain a strong customer base by providing an array of services including hiring, managing compensation and benefits packages, and overseeing retirement planning for employees.

That diversity has allowed ADP to increase revenue every year since 2003 and reward investors with steady and regular dividend increases.

The company has raised its dividend every year since 2004 and currently distributes $1.58 annually, yielding slightly less than 3%.

This is a stock that should weather any recession and provide investors with regular and increasing dividends for the foreseeable future.

The Dominant Discount Retailer: As budgets are tested by an economic downturn, people tend to cut back discretionary spending. Instead, they bargain hunt for the bare necessities, and investors should do the same.

With 1400 stores across 48 states, Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) is a closeout retailer offering mega-discounts on a wide range of products including groceries, home appliances, furniture and apparel.

BIG owns a massive and efficient distribution system that gets its products to the smallest towns via strategically located distribution centers in Ohio, California, Alabama, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

The company has grown earnings per share by over 82% over the last five years compared to just 8.2% for the industry as a whole.

And a price/earnings ratio of 14 makes it a bargain compared to fashionable Costco Wholesale Corp. (Nasdaq: CSCO), which carries a hefty multiple of 25.

A Smoking Sin Stock: No matter where you stand on smoking, the companies that make them keep raking in cash despite declines in domestic cigarette consumption.

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) sells its products in over 180 countries worldwide, including category-killer brands like Marlboro and Red & White.

While competitors like British American Tobacco PLC (ADR NYSEAMEX: BTI) limp on with year-on-year quarterly revenue growth under 2%, PM posted world-beating 26% growth last quarter, driven by increasing demand in Asia and Latin America.

PM also offers a substantial dividend yield of 4.33%, compared to the industry average of just 1.77% and healthy operating margins of 17.45%.

The Health Care Dividend Juggernaut: People get sick and die no matter what happens with the economy.

Healthcare companies like Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) will continue to benefit from an aging population - with or without a recession.

ABT is a diversified medical device-maker and pharmaceutical company thattrades at 11 times next year's earnings and continues to grow through acquisitions.

Almost 60% of sales now come from abroad, with 23% from fast-growing emerging markets.

Best of all, ABT provides investors with a steady stream of strong cash flow from dividends. The sleepy giant has paid dividends like clockwork since 1924 and sports a spotless record of raising its dividend for the past four decades.

It currently pays a distribution of 3.8% and is projected to grow earnings 11% per year over the next five years.

ABT is a solid long-term holding that has already weathered the worst economic storms.

Remember, just because a market is in turmoil doesn't mean there aren't places like recession-proof stocks where you can ride it out.

Source :http://moneymorning.com/2012/06/26/four-recession-proof-stocks-for-2012-and-beyond/

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Pew: 17% Of U.S. Cell Phone Users Now Mostly Use Their Phones To Go Online

pew_logoFor most of us, our cell phones are now a convenient way to get online while we're on the go (or on the couch). According to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life project, however, 17% of U.S. adult cell phone owners now mostly go online using their phones rather than desktops, laptops or tablets. That's the number for all cell phone owners in the U.S, including those with feature phones. Just looking at those who already use their phones to go online (55% of all cell phone owners), a whopping 31% now say they mostly use their phones to use the Internet.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Pakistan denies commuting Indian death sentence

(AP) ? A Pakistani official has denied an earlier report that the president has ordered the release of an Indian prisoner on death row for more than 20 years for involvement in bomb attacks in eastern Pakistan.

Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Tuesday that President Asif Ali Zardari commuted the death sentence of Sarabjit Singh to life in prison. Pakistan generally considers a life prison term complete after 14 years, so Singh has served more than enough time.

But Babar denied the news Wednesday, saying a different Indian prisoner, Surjeet Sing, will be released because he has already completed his life term in jail. His death sentence for spying was commuted in 1989.

The reason for the turnaround is unclear.

Pakistan and India are nuclear-armed rivals, but relations between them have improved in recent years.

Associated Press

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USAID cuts funding for Elmo on Pakistan TV

The US cut $20 million for Pakistani version of Sesame Street. USAID alleges fraud against the show's producers, but the cutbacks come as the US is pulling back foreign aid.

By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / June 6, 2012

Pakistan?s version of Sesame Street ? complete with an Elmo who squeals in Urdu ? is facing a cutback in support from USAID, America?s Agency for International Development.

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Pakistan?s version of Sesame Street ? complete with an Elmo who squeals in Urdu ? is facing a cutback in support from USAID, America?s Agency for International Development.

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The cutbacks come amid allegations of fraud by the Lahore-based theater group that produces the children?s show, the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop, but it also comes at a time when the US-Pakistani relationship is strained, and when the US government is cutting back dramatically on foreign aid worldwide.

USAID allocated $20 million for the production of Sim Sim Hamara (which means ?Our Street? in Urdu), and $6.7 million of that was used to produce the first season, which premiered in 2011. The remainder of the contract has been terminated, pending the results of an investigation into the fraud charges.

"We did launch an investigation into the allegations. We also sent the theater workshop a letter that terminates the project agreement," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing in Washington on June 5. "No one is questioning, obviously, the value and positive impact of this kind of programming for children. But this is about allegations of corruption."

Faizaan Peerzada, Rafi Peer?s chief operating officer, denied the fraud charges, saying in a statement, ?Rafi Peer is proud of its association with the project and the quality of children?s educational television programming created within Pakistan as a result.?

Whatever the ultimate result of the investigation, the shutdown of funds into children?s broadcasting in Pakistan come at an unfortunate time in the US-Pakistani relationship.

NATO airstrikes and US special forces raids on Pakistani territory have strained Pakistani patience with the US-led war on terror, and Pakistan has shut off NATO?s use of Pakistani roads and ports to resupply its troops in Afghanistan. The US, meanwhile, has grown increasingly frustrated with what it sees as signs of either Pakistani collusion with militant groups such as the Taliban, or incompetence in bringing them under control.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time

MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time

Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have developed an ambient lighting system for video that would make Philips' Ambilight tech jealous. Dubbed Infinity-by-Nine, the rig analyzes frames of footage in real-time -- with consumer-grade hardware no less -- and projects rough representations of the video's edges onto a room's walls or ceiling. Synchronized with camera motion, the effect aims to extend the picture into a viewer's peripheral vision. MIT guinea pigs have reported a greater feeling of involvement with video content when Infinity-by-Nine was in action, and some even claimed to feel the heat from on-screen explosions. A five screen multimedia powerhouse it isn't, but the team suggests that the technology could be used for gaming, security systems, user interface design and other applications. Head past the jump to catch the setup in action.

Continue reading MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time

MIT projection system extends video to peripheral vision, samples footage in real-time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 04:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kvitova overcomes shaky start in Wimbledon defense

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ? Returning to the court where she won her first Grand Slam championship a year ago, Petra Kvitova overcame a shaky start and a late rain delay Tuesday to open her Wimbledon title defense with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Akgul Amanmuradova.

Four-time champion Serena Williams, meanwhile, returned to the same Court 2 where big sister Venus was upset a day earlier and restored family pride by beating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4.

The fourth-seeded Kvitova fell behind 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set on Centre Court before running off seven straight games to take command against the 96th-ranked player from Uzbekistan.

After Kvitova squandered a match point at 5-3 in the second set, play was suspended and the covers rolled onto the court ? the first rain break of the tournament.

When play resumed half an hour later, it took just three minutes to wrap up the match. After Amanmuradova won the first two points to hold for 5-4, the Czech player closed it out at love, hitting a service winner, two aces and forcing a backhand error.

"It was unbelievable to come back here as the defending champion," said Kvitova, who beat Maria Sharapova in last year's final. "In the beginning I think I was nervous ? first match on the grass it's always difficult to know what you can expect. I had a lot of mistakes and then I tried to play my game and go forward."

The 6-foot-3 Amanmuradova pushed Kvitova with her big serve, but lacked the consistency on her ground strokes and has now lost in the first round of all five of her Wimbledon appearances.

Following Kvitova on Centre Court was two-time champion Rafael Nadal, and he found himself in an early hole just as she had. Nadal was down 4-0 in the opening set, but roared back to beat Brazilian left-hander Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-3. The Spaniard closed the match with an ace down the middle, his sixth of the day.

Nadal, coming off his record seventh French Open title, broke six times and had 35 winners and 18 errors. Having lost in last year's final to Novak Djokovic, he is bidding for a 12th Grand Slam title.

"I'm very happy to be back on the best court in the world and winning," Nadal said. "It's fantastic for me, but I have to improve a lot for the next round."

Play was later suspended for the day because of rain and poor light, leaving several matches unfinished. Three-time finalist Andy Roddick was leading Britain's Jamie Baker 7-6 (1), 4-2 on Court 1 when the covers came on. Tenth-seeded Sara Errani, runner-up at the French Open earlier this month, was holding match point in the second set when her match against American qualifier Coco Vandeweghe was halted.

Serena Williams ground out a shriek-filled win over 62nd-ranked Zahlavova Strycova, a day after five-time champion Venus lost her first-round match on the same court in straight sets to Elena Vesnina.

"It always has some sort of an effect," Serena said. "I always want to play even better if she's out of the tournament."

It was clear how much the match meant to the animated Serena, who screamed loudly in frustration after losing points and shouted "Come on!" and pumped her fist after winning big points.

Williams seemed to be in control after going up 3-1 and then 5-3 in the second set. But, serving for the match, she was broken back for 5-4. Williams broke again in the next game, letting out another scream after Zahlavova Strycova struck a forehand long on the second match point.

"Definitely a little relief," she said. "I was letting out a lot of cries. I was happy to get through that."

Williams, who extended her record to 13-0 in first-round matches at Wimbledon, finished with 24 winners and 12 unforced errors, compared to 17 winners and 13 errors for her opponent.

Last year, Williams questioned why tournament organizers assigned her and her sister to play on Court 2 rather than Centre Court, considering they have won a combined nine singles titles at Wimbledon. On Tuesday, she declined to address the issue.

"I can't even talk about it," she said. "I'm over it. I don't care to talk about it."

Also advancing to the second round in straight sets was No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, the Australian Open champion who beat American Irina Falconi 6-1, 6-4. Azarenka reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last year before losing to Kvitova.

In men's play, fourth-seeded Andy Murray of Britain swept to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 win in gloomy conditions on Centre Court over Nikolay Davydenko, a former No. 3-ranked player from Russia who has dropped to No. 47 and lost in the first round for the second year in a row. Murray, who has lost in the semifinals here the past three years, is still carrying the pressure of trying to become the first British player to win the men's title since Fred Perry in 1936.

Fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took apart 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The Frenchman, who beat six-time champion Roger Federer last year to reach the semifinals, broke the Australian once in each set and never lost serve.

Hewitt has slipped to 202nd in the rankings and needed a wild card for his 14th straight appearance at the All England Club. Tsonga was too powerful, racking up 61 winners to the Australian's 12. It was Hewitt's first opening-round loss here since 2003.

Hewitt was one of four Australians in the men's draw, and all bowed out in the first round. It marks the first time since 1938 that no Australian men have reached the second round at Wimbledon.

Playing his first match since having a medical procedure on his heart, 10th-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States served 24 aces and beat Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo of Spain 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (1) to reach the second round.

The 30-year-old Fish, who reached the quarterfinals last year, hadn't played a competitive match in 2 1/2 months after having an accelerated heartbeat. He played attacking, serve-and-volley tennis and piled up 63 winners against Ramirez-Hidalgo ? at 34, the oldest man in the field.

Jarkko Nieminen ousted 14th-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.

In early women's play, No. 12 Vera Zvonareva completed a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Germany's Mona Barthel in a match that had been suspended by darkness at one set apiece on Monday.

Francesca Schiavone, the 24th-seeded Italian, came from behind to overcome 18-year-old British wild card Laura Robson 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, received medical treatment after the first set for an apparent muscle problem. She was down 2-3 and 0-40 in the second set but saved the three break points and turned the match around against the 2008 Wimbledon junior champion.

In a men's match between two rising stars, 21-year-old Belgian wild card David Goffin ?who reached the fourth round of the French Open and took a set off Federer ? rallied from a set down against 19-year-old Bernard Tomic to beat the 20th-seeded Australian, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

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Wikipedia founder backs UK student wanted by US

(AP) ? The founder of Wikipedia urged British officials on Monday to block the extradition of a 24-year-old British student wanted in the United States over alleged copyright offenses.

Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales expressed support for Richard O'Dwyer, who was arrested at his university dorm in 2010 by British officers accompanied by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. O'Dwyer's alleged crime was running a file-swapping website called TVShack.net, where users shared links to movies and television shows, many of them protected by copyright.

Wales said merely posting links is not a crime and urged citizens to stand up for their rights online.

"Richard O'Dwyer is the human face of the battle between the content industry and the interests of the general public," Wales said in an online petition posted on Change.org, adding that the student had always done his best to "play by the rules."

By midday Monday the petition to halt O'Dwyer's extradition had gained more than 20,400 signatures.

The Guardian newspaper has thrown its support behind O'Dwyer as well, saying in an editorial published Monday that his case was "unfair" and "absurd."

Associated Press

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Most Americans oppose health law but like provisions (reuters)

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Suspect Arrested In 1997 Slaying Of Former East Hartford Resident In Florida

In March, Fred Parlante of East Hartford went to Broward County, Fla., with the intention of telling the detectives working on his mother's 15-year-old murder to step aside and let the FBI's cold-case agents take over the dormant case.

"They showed me the boxes of evidence,'' Parlante recalled Saturday. "They didn't want to let it go.''

Last week, Parlante, an ex-boxer and retired truck driver, got the call he'd been waiting for since his mother, Olga Parlante, 71, a former East Hartford resident, was killed during a robbery in her Dania Beach, Fla., apartment in 1997.

"'Fred, we're going to make an arrest,''' Parlante quoted Broward Sheriff's Department Detective Frank Ilarraza as saying over the telephone.

A convicted felon named Bennie Hall, who has a history of robbery arrests, was charged on Thursday with first-degree murder in Olga Parlante's death.

"I was in seventh heaven; what a relief," said Parlante, 67.

Crime-scene investigators at the time of the homicide collected fingerprints and palm prints from the walls of the apartment, the inside of Olga's pocketbook and a dresser drawer. But the prints never matched a suspect; in any case, the database couldn't accept palm prints.

With the case stalled, Fred Parlante said, he consulted with psychics and hired private detectives.

"I pressed for 15 years,'' he said.

But it all led nowhere ? until now.

Recent advances in the huge national database of crime-scene prints made it possible for investigators to submit palm prints ? and the Broward County detectives hit pay dirt.

A palm print lifted from a wall in Olga Parlante's apartment in 1997 matched a print on file from Hall, who was serving time for other crimes in the Martin County, Fla., jail.

Officials told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that Hall, 44, had been convicted of robberies against elderly victims inMiami-Dade County.

He will be charged in the killing of Olga Parlante, who was known throughout Broward County as the "Bingo Queen'' for her habit of playing the region's bingo halls nearly every day.

"The database grows, and the computer technology keeps improving year after year," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti told the Sun-Sentinel. "It doesn't matter how long it takes: We're going to get justice for the family, and this case is a perfect example of this."

Fred Parlante echoed those sentiments Saturday.

"I am so happy we were one of the first new cases,'' he said. "Not only for this family, but, God forbid, for the next family that can be helped by this technology. Losing a mother or a father ? that is the hardest thing in the world."

Olga Parlante moved to Florida in the mid 1960s with her husband, Anneo, who was suffering from emphysema. Olga drove tractor-trailers and worked as a waitress, Fred Parlante said. Anneo Parlante died about 10 years later, and Olga went on with a life filled with her grandchildren ? and bingo.

On March 13,1997, Parlante, who was living alone in her apartment Dania Beach, near Fort Lauderdale, was beaten, strangled with a blouse and dragged back into the home when she tried to crawl away, the Courant reported at the time. Stolen during the killing: a 20-inch television set, radio with cassette player, mantel clock and $53.

Her body was discovered by a granddaughter, who needed counseling after the ordeal.

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Oil prices rise, drop, and rise again. Buckle up, Earth.

Predicting global oil prices is not easy. Prices have more to do with global politics -- and supply and demand -- than with politicians, but voters take out their anger on the leaders they can reach.?

By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / June 6, 2012

A sign for $2.99 a gallon gasoline is seen as vehicles wait for a traffic light to turn green at a Hot Spot convenience store on the corner of Henry and Converse Streets on June 1, in Spartanburg, S.C.

Rainier Ehrhardt/AP

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For sheer roller-coaster thrills, picture yourself as an oil market analyst.

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Imagine the challenge of (correctly) predicting the future price of oil and all those wonderful fuel products Americans love to use, in the midst of a crucial election year.

When oil-producing countries like Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Nigeria, become unstable, oil prices can soar. When economies shrink in energy-consuming places like Europe and the United States, oil prices can sink. When both trends happen at the same time, oil market analysts dig into their pockets for a coin to flip.

In February, when oil prices surged over $110 a barrel, some oil analysts were predicting an End Times scenario, where the US economy would go into a fetal position, rocking back and forth and singing Adele songs. Fox News Channel, the drama queen of the global news pageant, was betting that gasoline pump prices were likely to hit $8 a gallon, a factoid that, at least for now, appears to be utterly false.

RELATED: Eight ways $100 oil may affect you?

Early this week, crude oil prices had dropped to $84, driven downward by the lower demand of a contracting global economy. Gasoline prices are dropping with them, down to a national average $3.56. This is significantly higher than the 26 cents it cost to fill your father?s ? or your grandfather?s ? Oldsmobile, but the dollar is worth less today than it was in the 1950s. In inflation-adjusted dollars, we have been paying $10 to $30 a barrel for the past 160 years or so, with just a few major spikes in 1860-1861, 1979-1980 and 2007-2008.

Now the bad news has gotten so bad, it?s good. On Wednesday, oil prices shot up again to $85.56 a barrel, ahead of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke?s testimony before Congress, as oil market analysts bet that he would urge for some kind of stimulus package.

Aside from gasoline price swings from nearly $4 a gallon to $3.50, the volatility of oil prices has other effects. Higher oil prices, which drive up the cost of production, make factory owners think twice about expanding. High oil prices also encourage consumers to start thinking about conservation, such as turning off lights and buying fuel efficient cars. But high oil prices also make oil exploration in new places more attractive. And as oil companies start finding oil in untapped fields in Kenya, North Dakota, Ghana, Alberta, Israel, and Somalia, that increases the overall supply of oil, which ends up driving prices down again.

A growing global supply of oil might seem to be the solution to America?s economic doldrums, but this solution brings a host of ecological problems, according to Foreign Policy magazine?s Steve Levine.

Already, carbon emissions last year reached levels that are linked by scientists with a 2 degree rise in global temperatures over the past 50 years, according to the International Energy Agency. But if carbon emissions continue to rise ? as they will if more energy is produced, and if energy prices drop enough for people to consume more of it ? the world will ?blow through? emissions targets agreed to in global treaties.

So this provides what may be the most vexing moral dilemma of our times: to grow, or not to grow. That is the question.

One thing you will notice about this process: It has very little to do with politicians. These days, the price of oil is determined more by roughnecks in greasy denims or Wall Street futures traders than by Middle Eastern oil sheikhs or White House economists. But voters, driven by fear or angst, still feel the need to punish the man in charge for their economic suffering. And in an election year ? as former French President Nicolas Sarkozy can attest -- the economy matters above all else.

The roller coaster continues. Buckle up, Mr. Obama.

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Never leave a cybernetic organism behind! (Unqualified Offerings)

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Washington Capitals trade Cody Eakin at NHL entry draft

Mike Ribeiro, acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars during Friday night?s first round of the 2012 NHL entry draft, may fill the role of No. 2 centerman for the Washington Capitals.But he came at the cost of forward Cody Eakin, who produced 13 goals and 14 assists in 43 games with the Hershey Bears as a rookie in 2011-12.

The Caps sent Eakin and their second-round pick (No. 54) to Dallas in exchange for Ribeiro.

?We?ve got some big, gritty forwards,? Caps GM George McPhee said at a press conference broadcast on WashingtonCapitals.com. ?We just wanted to put another skilled guy in the middle of it to see if it helps. I think it makes our team immediately better today.

?He?s got skill. He makes plays.?

Eakin, who also had four goals and four assists in 30 games with Washington last season, might have made a run to stay up full-time with Washington in 2012-13. But, as summer free-agent season looms, his loss is a hit to Hershey?s theoretical forward depth right now.

?We gave up a real good kid in Cody,? McPhee said. ?He?s going to play a long time in this league. But, obviously, Ribeiro will come in and play much higher in the lineup right away.?

In a whirlwind day of NHL trades, the Caps also made two first-round picks at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, taking Swedish centerman Filip Forsberg at No. 11 and Plymouth (OHL) winger Tom Wilson at No. 16.

Forsberg was ranked the No. 2 prospect in the draft by The Hockey News and No. 3 by TSN, but he fell to No. 11 as eight defensemen went in the first 10 picks.

The 6-4, 195-pound power forward Wilson had 27 points and 141 penalty minutes in 49 games last season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes brokered a major trade. Pittsburgh sent Jordan Staal to Carolina for the No. 8 pick, 2007 first-rounder Brandon Sutter and Boston College defenseman Brian Dumoulin, a 2009 second-rounder.

Staal, who had one season remaining on his contract and turned down a contract extension offer by Pittsburgh, will get to play with his brother Eric in Carolina.

?I just felt, as an organization we felt, it was the right thing to do for Jordan,? Penguins GM Ray Shero said during the NBC Sports Network?s broadcast of the draft. ?He?s ready for an expanded role.?

With the No. 8 pick, Pittsburgh drafted Portland (WHL) defenseman Derrick Pouliot. At No. 22, the Penguins selected London (OHL) defenseman Olli Maatta.

The Philadelphia Flyers also made a big trade, sending goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to the Columbus Blue Jackets for second- and fourth-round picks in the 2012 draft and a 2013 fourth-rounder.

With the No. 20 pick, Philadelphia took Oshawa (OHL) centerman Scott Laughton.

Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster, former general manager of the Bears, also made a trade. The Flames gave their No. 14 pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 21) and a second-rounder (No. 42).

At No. 21, Calgary selected high school centerman Mark Jankowski.

With the No. 1 overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers selected Sarnia (OHL) winger Nail Yakupov, a native of Russia.

NOTEBOOK

As a junior eligible, Eakin was a member of Hershey?s 2009-10 Calder Cup club, playing four regular-season games and five playoff games. He scored a goal on his first pro shot at Syracuse.

ON TWITTER: @timleone

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Microsoft Surface, Windows Phone 8, Ikea TVs, Clear Potato Chips and More... [The Best Stories Of The Week]

Last week was Apple's week. This week was all Microsoft's. The company had some big announcements, including a new tablet and an update to it's Windows Phone OS, that got us plenty excited. But there were a few other gems that slipped in as well, including crystal clear potato chips. Here are our top stories of the week. More »


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