Sunday, March 31, 2013

State Of The Platform As A Service Market, A Discussion For Deploycon

Deploycon LogoThe spring tech tour continues next week in Santa Clara with Deploycon, and I will be there to discuss the spectrum of PaaS providers and how they play across this broad, malleable and often manipulated sector of the market. It has become apparent that the platform as a service (PaaS) market has reached a pivot point. I have written about two companies that have pivoted in recent weeks, and we should expect the transformation to continue as the forces build apps faster with ever more data. It’s also evidence of a greater shift in the market to more standard ways to build apps and APIs. Developers often build out apps that require multiple APIs to connect. Data has to be accessed, signaling a greater need to develop a linking structure and visual way to see updates and interactions in the lifecycle process. For context, I thought it would make sense to look at Krishnan Subramanian’s spectrum of the PaaS market and where the market players fit. At every space on the spectrum is some level of abstraction. On the far left, business users get a high degree of abstraction but primarily so they can focus on creating apps out of custom processes, tasks and other business functions. Coding is not a requirement. Everything except making the connectors is done on the backend. Force.com?and?OrangeScape are the two most noticeable players while companies such as workXpress also compete in this market. The further you get to the center, the abstraction comes with creating more sophisticated apps by having some control over the infrastructure. For example, Subramanian said use cases could be some big data applications or some real-time processing based on various performance parameters. It is about offering different choices. Cloudbees, Heroku, Appfog, and Google App Engine play in this space. With private PaaS, the difference is choice. The developer can have a granular level of control but not necessarily have to worry about middleware or finely tuning the infrastructure. Extensible architectures give developers a way to scale if need be. Cloudfoundry.com, Cumulogic, Apprenda, OpenShift, Uhuru, ActiveState and Iron Foundry (Tier 3) are companies in this space. PaaS players further to the right give developers the capability to do continuous development and provide access to the infrastructure but not worry about backend operations. These platforms also offer open-source plugins and other advanced features. DevOps PaaS simplifies the “assembly” of services, providing capsules

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/o6yAPtzKmXk/

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Karisma Kapoor's Fitness Secrets | Tips on Food Fitness Life Love

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Karisma believes in maintaining a healthy diet regime and does not starve herself. ... Karisma also likes to practise yoga. ... However, she believes that her own health and fitness is equally important and works hard for it.

Source: http://www.foodfitnesslifelove.com/health-fitness/karisma-kapoors-fitness-secrets/

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mate choice in mice is heavily influenced by paternal cues

Friday, March 29, 2013

Mate choice is a key factor in the evolution of new animal species. The choice of a specific mate can decisively influence the evolutionary development of a species. In mice, the attractiveness of a potential mate is conveyed by scent cues and ultrasonic vocalizations. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Pl?n investigated whether house mice (Mus musculus) would mate with each other even if they were from two populations which had been separated from each other for a long time period. To do this, the researchers brought together mice from a German population and mice from a French population. Although to begin with all the mice mated with one another randomly, the hybrid offspring of French and German parents were distinctly more choosy: they showed a definite preference for mating with individuals from their father's original population. According to the researchers, this paternal imprinting accelerates the divergence of two house mouse populations and thus promotes speciation.

In allopatric speciation, individuals of a species become geographically isolated from each other by external factors such as mountains or estuaries. Over time, this geographic separation leads to the sub-populations undergoing various mutations, and thus diverging genetically. Animals from the two different sub-populations can no longer successfully reproduce, so two new species evolve.

To find out what role partner selection plays in such speciation processes, Diethard Tautz from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology and his colleagues conducted a comprehensive study on house mice ? the classic model organisms of biology. "To investigate whether there are differences in the mating behaviour of the mice in the early stages of speciation, we caught wild house mice in southern France and western Germany. The two populations have been geographically separate for around 3,000 years, which equates to some 18,000 generations," says Diethard Tautz. Due to this geographical separation, the French and German mice were genetically different.

The Pl?n-based researchers created a semi-natural environment for their investigations ? a sort of "Playboy Mansion" for mice. The research enclosure was several square meters in size and was divided up using wooden walls, "nests" made out of plastic cylinders, and plastic tubes. It also featured an escape tube with several entrances, which led into a cage system nearby. "We constructed the enclosure in such a way that all animals had unimpeded access to all areas, but thanks to the structural divisions were also able to create their own territories or retreat into nests," explains Tautz. "The escape tube was a control element. If the mice retreated to it only very seldom ? as was the case in our experiment ? then we could be sure there was no overpopulation in the central enclosure."

In this central enclosure, the French and German mice had both time and space to mate with each other and reproduce. "At first, all the mice mated with each other quite randomly. But with the first-generation offspring, a surprising pattern emerged," says Tautz. When the first-generation hybrid offspring of mixed French and German parentage mated, they showed a specific preference for pure-bred mates whose "nationality" was that of their father only. "There must be some kind of paternal influence that prompts the hybrid mice to choose a mate from a specific population, namely that of their father," concludes the biologist, based on the results of his study. "This imprinting must be learned, however, meaning that the animals must grow up in the presence of their fathers. This was not the case for the original mice, which were kept in cages for a time after being caught."

"We know that mice use ultrasonic vocalizations to communicate with each other and that particularly in the case of male mice these vocalizations can reveal signals of individuality and kinship. We believe that, like birdsong, the vocalizations of the males have a learned component and a genetic component," says Tautz. Therefore, French and German mice really could "speak" different languages, partly learned from their fathers, partly inherited from them. Individual mice thus have a mating preference for mice that speak the same language as they do.

The French and German mouse populations had evidently been geographically separated long enough for preliminary signs of species differentiation to be apparent as regards mating preferences. In addition, another aspect of mating behavior also sped up the speciation process.

Although mice have multiple mates, the researchers found evidence of partner fidelity and inbreeding. The tendency to mate with relatives fosters the creation of genetically uniform groups. When both occur together, this accelerates the speciation process.

In a next step, Diethard Tautz wants to find out whether the vocalizations of the mice play the decisive role in paternal imprinting, or if scent cues are also involved. Furthermore, the biologist wants to identify the genes that are involved in mate selection.

###

Inka Montero, Meike Tesche and Diethard Tautz: "Paternal imprinting of mating preferences between natural populations of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus)", Molecular Ecology (2013), doi: 10.111/mec.122271;

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: http://www.mpg.de

Thanks to Max-Planck-Gesellschaft for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127520/Mate_choice_in_mice_is_heavily_influenced_by_paternal_cues

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Friday, March 29, 2013

For gay rights activists, partial victory more likely than sweeping

U.S. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in a case that could overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) for a second day on Wednesday. Potential swing vote, Justice?Anthony Kennedy warned the law may infringe on states' rights to define marriage.?

By Lawrence Hurley,?Reuters, David Ingram,?Reuters / March 27, 2013

Solicitor General Donald Virrilli (R) argues in front of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (L) and Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Justices indicated interest in striking down the law denying federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

REUTERS/Art Lien/Handout

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The?U.S. Supreme Court?seemed to be leaning on Wednesday toward striking down a law that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples in a move that would reflect a shift in Americans' attitudes about gay marriage.

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In a second day of oral arguments on same-sex marriage, a majority of the court raised serious concerns with the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, enacted in 1996 under President Bill Clinton.

Arguments over the last two days on the DOMA?case and a separate one challenging?California's ban on gay marriage marked the high court's first foray into a delicate and divisive political, religious and social issue in the?United States?as polls indicate growing public support for same-sex marriage.

In theory, the cases have the potential for the court to take a significant step toward endorsing gay marriage as it gains support in some parts of the country. Based on the arguments, however, a partial victory for gay rights activists seems more likely than the sweeping declaration of same-sex marriage rights they had hoped for.

As demonstrators rallied outside the?Supreme Court building?for a second day, Justice?Anthony Kennedy, a potential swing vote, showed a willingness to invalidate DOMA, which denies married same-sex couples access to federal benefits by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

He warned of a "real risk" that the law infringes on the traditional role of the states in defining marriage.

A conservative, Kennedy is viewed as a key vote on this issue in part because he has twice authored decisions in the past that were viewed as favorable to gay rights.

In contrast to the ambivalent approach they displayed on Tuesday in arguments about?California's Proposition 8 gay marriage ban, the nine justices seemed willing to address the substantive issue in the DOMA?case, while also eyeing procedural questions.

The court is not expected to rule on the two cases until the end of June. If the justices were to strike down DOMA, legally married gay couples would be winners because they would have improved access to federal benefits, such as tax deductions.

Justices gave a strong indication they might resolve the Proposition 8 case on procedural grounds, but even that would be viewed as a win for gay rights activists as same-sex marriages in?California?would likely resume.

What appears highly unlikely is a sweeping declaration of a right for gay people to marry, a possible option only in the?California?case.

Overall, a majority of the justices made it clear that, while they might not impede the recent movement among some states toward gay marriage, they were not willing to pave the way either.

Nine states now recognize gay marriage, while 30 states have constitutional amendments banning it and others are in-between.

On several occasions over the two days, the justices' own remarks illustrated how quickly attitudes have changed in favor of gay marriage.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/DgiD59VDbNk/For-gay-rights-activists-partial-victory-more-likely-than-sweeping

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Apple patent reveals future iPhone with wraparound display

Who wants their smartphone screen on just one side when they can have it on both? A new Apple patent applicationpublished today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office details a device that ditches a flat design and instead goes for a flexible, wraparound AMOLED display. This could have huge implications for future iPhones.

Instead of sharp edges, the curved, wraparound design would allow for a wider selection of items on display, so users could hypothetically view 10 apps on their screen instead of, say, 5, and view photos, videos and text on their screen from all 360 degrees around. Plus, going for a wraparound display would abandon physical buttons, so users would be fully reliant on touch gestures to use their device.

MORE: Top 6 iPhone 5S Rumors

The patent also points out a way to include two flexible displays, one laying on top of the other. Although content on both displays would be the same, it would look a bit different and look almost 3D. ?An illusion of depth perception can be presented mimicking a 3D experience,? the patent reads. This could also be used with a heads-up display, basically building a second screen into one device. The patent also mentions built-in facial recognition.

Apple has applied for patents regarding flexibility before, such as the ?Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays? patent last year. Other device makers have this same concept on their minds, too, such as Samsung. Rumor has it that the Galaxy Note 3 will have the world?s first ?unbreakable? flexible display, but that?s just for the front of a device.

If Apple actually executes something like this, it will definitely change the way we use smartphones, though we suspect case makers wouldn?t be too happy.

Follow Molly Klinefelter on Google+; Follow LAPTOPMAG on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a1a8f93/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Capple0Epatent0Ereveals0Efuture0Eiphone0Ewraparound0Edisplay0E1C9128130A/story01.htm

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Family Handyman Magazine 1 Year Subscription $4.24 (3/27/13 Only)

by Melisha on March 27, 2013

family handymanGo HERE to get a one year subscription to?Family Handyman Magazine for only $4.24!?

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Some posts may contain affiliate links. Go HERE to see our disclosure policy.

Source: http://truecouponing.com/2013/03/family-handyman-magazine-1-year-subscription-4-24-32713-only/

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

GOP moves to catch up with Democrats on technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___

Peoples reported from Boston.

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

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Home Improvement Can Go A Long Way

Do you desire to feel comfortable when it comes to making your own home repairs? Maybe it's about saving money or you just have some specific changes in mind that you don't trust to anyone else. Regardless of what you are seeking, this article is full of tips for making positive changes in your living environment.

Think about going green when you are considering home improvements. This can effectively add significant value and it's environmentally friendly. Installing an air conditioning or furnace that is energy efficient will make your home more comfortable, saves energy costs and helps keep the earth clean.

This will give you a reference point so that your measurements are more precise. The benchmark line needs to start the floor's highest pot.

If time or money is not an option, consider installing a yard that is low maintenance. This usually involves rock beds that contain plants that require little water. This option will eliminate a lot of time and water costs.

Motion detectors are a good exterior lighting choice.These lights turn on when activated and can alert you to an intruder. This can save you on energy costs.

Even if the floor in your kitchen appears to be even, be sure to use a level when installing kitchen cabinets. Begin at the kitchen's highest point, make a line across the wall where you will install the cabinets to ensure that your kitchen counters will be installed at the right level.

You should always drain all of the water heater once every six months. A properly maintained hot water heater will last longer and efficiency. Just put a hose on the drain and turn the spigot.

You can revive your walls by spackling small holes and painting. Spackle can be found at your local home improvement store. You will probably only need to use a small holes. You should be able to fill small holes by applying the spackle with a bobby pin. This quick fix will allow you to get rid of holes in a single day.

Flexibility is key when it comes to home renovations. You may have a date in mind, but sometimes it may take longer. You may only have a little bit of money for something, but sometimes you may have to pay a little more.

Safety equipment is key to any home improvement projects. Safety googles, gloves and hard hats.

If the wood totally soaks in the water, you need to treat the wood. Be sure that your deck is sealed before winter in order to keep it from getting long-term damage.

Use bleach to sanitize your toilet bowl to keep it clean. Although you may dislike the smell of the bleach, it is quite effective. You can also used scented bleach to make sure the odor is offensive.

There is more to a contractor's quote than money when you compare quotes between contractors. There are other things you need to consider like the time line, time lines, warranties, and how long the company has been in business. You want to have on you.

Talk with your neighbors regarding drainage before you landscape. Your property needs all excess water away from your property.

Homes that have recently been updated will usually sell quicker and for a higher price than older homes that haven't. This type of earning back your investment.

You can boost your home's value and add additional curb appeal simply by adding another coat of high gloss paint on the shutters and front door. Homes that are made of light colored brick really look great with blue and red paints; while darker exteriors tend to favor dark greens or deep eggplant colors.

If your roof leaks, some of the first places you should look for the culprit would be skylights, wall step flashing, wall step flashing, and low spots first. Gutters that are damaged can make things leak because water will go straight down your house's exterior.

Ceramic tile can begin to dull and look grungy as time goes on. A solution of vinegar and water will safely clean most floors. Fill a bucket with the solution and start mopping your floor. The vinegar will cut through the grime easily to help put a shine on your floor shining.

Adding in a new sink can really change the appearance of your kitchen. This will instantly improve the look to your kitchen. You can get new sinks in many colors, colorful new sink.

It's incredible how much some people put up with bad paint on their homes.

Put two flat paint coats on the wall, and then add the glossy paint in a freehand or stencil design over the top. Glossy paint looks nice as it reflects light and can make a surface more interesting.

Visit some open houses before you decide what home improvements you want to make. Lots of model homes are a great place to get good ideas.

Look to the outside of your home with an eye towards seeing it as others see it.A good looking yard that's attractive is a perfect starting point.

Granite tile is preferable over a slab.Granite counter tops from a slab for your countertops can cost thousands of dollars. You can cover the same area with granite tiles for far less money and achieve an equally striking effect. You will save a lot of money and be able to spend it on something else.

The advice you have read can help you out with almost any home improvement project. Having a great home isn't something you should leave to others and using tips like these can help you become more capable and skilled at doing them yourself to achieve the home you've always wanted.
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Source: http://sutiknoslamet.com/home-improvement-can-go-a-long-way/

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China Will Have 300 Million Android Users by the End of 2013 (INFOGRAPHIC)

86% of Chinese smartphones are Android

Let?s start Monday morning with some big numbers. Now that smartphones account for 73.2 percent of all mobiles sold in China, and with many locals opting for Android devices across a variety of price-points, it?s not too big a surprise that China is an Android nation. As neatly outlined in this brand-new infographic, China had 224 million Android users at the end of last year (already three times larger than the number of US fandroids), and is on course for 300 million by the end of this year.

Thanks to the flexibility of Google?s Android OS, various research groups reckon that 86 percent of smartphones sold in China run Android, leaving Apple?s iOS to take much of what remains (12 percent).

Chinese devs dominate apps; Foreign studios make the top games

The Chinese startup behind this infographic is Wandoujia, the third-party Android app store that went global last summer with its SnapPea app for Android-to-desktop syncing. Using the analytical data from its hundreds of millions of individual Android app downloads, Wandoujia reveals an interesting dichotomy when it comes to the top apps and games that Chinese Android users enjoy. This is largely true on iOS as well . Essentially, it?s mostly Chinese developers that make the nation?s favorite apps, but foreign gaming studios create China?s most-tapped games.

Indeed, only 10 percent of Wandoujia?s top app downloads are from overseas developers, while 70 percent of the leading games are from outside China?s borders ? led by the ever-frantic Temple Run. Chinese giant Tencent makes four of the 10 smash-hit apps, with its WeChat messaging app rising fast to the top alongside Tencent?s old-skool QQ instant messenger app.

Good news for developers is that monetization on Android is finally getting better, especially on games. Here?s the full graphic:

300 million Android users in China

For more fun graphics like this one, check out previous entries in our infographic series.

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About Steven Millward

Steven follows the shininess and brilliance of gadgets, social media and other cultural phenomena across Asia. Specialist areas of research include e-commerce, Android, smartphone adoption, and apps in general. He's currently based near Shanghai. If you have any tips or feedback, contact him via email, or on his Weibo or Twitter.

Source: http://www.techinasia.com/china-300-million-android-users-in-2013/

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Is Your Nursing License Actually Holding You Back?

?Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don?t matter and those who matter don?t mind? ~Dr. Seuss (Sent via Twitter from Adam Urbanski, ?Attract Clients Like Crazy? program)

?

What? ?That?s a crazy question, if it wasn?t for your nursing license where would you be now? ?I remember that day, you know pinning?

This was AFTER my other college degree and 4 fitness certifications. Those certs have since lapsed. But the nursing license is still valid. I think I had a 20" inch waist back then...

Fast forward to the present, 2013, and I?m struggling to understand how in a program that I?m enrolled in, to market our services to doctors (legally), that I?m the only nurse in it. ?There?s ?Heart Scanners?, Fitness Professionals, Natural Hormone Therapy Coaches, Green Nutritionist Coaches, Anti-Aging/Longevity Coaches, etc. ?You get my drift. ?Where are all the ?licensed? people? ?Want to hear the craziest part of all? ? they have developed viable programs that physicians are interested in and partnering with and they?re making a living? a good living at that, for them and for the physician. ?They are ?partners?.

You would think that nurses, like you, who want to branch out and do your own thing? share your gifts and talents by making people healthier through fitness would have thought of this? working with , partnering with physicians. ?Can we be too close?

Then I started thinking? oh know not that?

Many other professions are really, technically entrepreneurs.

Doctors, CPA?s, Lawyers, Dentists, Chiropractors, even Pharmacists who own their own pharmacy, all have to bring in clients and find ways to make cash. Nurses, on the other hand, expect a job and to work for somebody. ?So unless you are like me and the other small percentage of ?not mainstream thinking? nurses, when and if you decide to try something on your own, you still play it safe and want to stay well within your credentials and what the nursing powers say.

Entrepreneurship has rules, but one of the most important ones is to take risks, express yourself and do something no one else is doing, yet solving a problem? something most nurses aren?t willing to do.

The descriptions of those in the same program that I?m in, that I described above, do just that? they take risks, stick their neck out, when knocked down, they bounce back up? they really live that Dr. Seuss quote I had at the top of this post. Is it because they don?t have a license to ?worry? about?

New Nurse Coaching Book

?Nurse coaching is not a specialty area of nursing practice. ?Nurse Coaching competencies are based in nursing theories, social and behavioral science theories and (of course) evidence-based promotion of health and well-being? excerpt from the Preamble of ?The Art & Science of Nurse Coaching, the Provider?s Guide to Coaching Scope and Competencies?, 6 nurse authors and published by the ANA.
The (of course) is mine. ?Whenever I hear the words ?evidence-based? I feel a little sick to my stomach. I understand what it means, but to the public, who gets bombarded with studies all day and night, how does it translate to solving their immediate problem, as a nurse coach? ?You can find whatever evidence you want in a study to promote your point of view, even peer-reviewed. ?There now it?s ?evidence-based?. ?I must say they did a lot of research, the book is 90 pages and pages 55-90 are all references, appendices and the index. ?That?s evidence-based for real! ?If you are a nurse coach it?s a good book to have on the shelf. ?I don?t want to bash nurse colleagues? is it too late for that? ?But after literally forcing myself to finish it in a week (Only 55 pages of writing), I said, ?no wonder nurses aren?t making any money in the markets they want to serve?. ?It was purely academia, theoretical and boring.

Most theory is, isn?t it?

Hey, nursing theory will never change and researchers need to remind us about the basis for nursing practice and in this case, nurse coaching. ?Hell, I?ve quoted Dorothea Orem?s self-care theory in my CFNC home study program. ?And I agree clients need to become experts in their own care. ?But I wonder, when I saw all the authors, all 6 of them, and then the contributors inside, all had no less than 12 initials behind their names (I?m exaggerating a little, am I just a hater?), all coming together to clarify what nurse coaching is and the art & science of it is, how many of them have striving coaching practices that they love, with ideal clients that they love, utilizing packages (not the ?old, never make real money? the dollars for hours model==> you end up dreading picking up the phone and burning out); are they leveraging their marketing and time through automation and the internet and Google, have referral systems and a simple business model that?s ?set it and forget it? and brings clients who look for them, not them chasing clients? ?These nurse authors are great at what they do. But they just can?t help me get more clients. ?They?re not trying to either, not their job.

I hope all of you buy the book and read it and take away from it what you need. Credentialing is important , especially when licenses are involved. ?But you do have a license and it?s MOST important! ?What about the RN or LPN who has training in fitness, has an awesome program that has been helping people in their community. ?There is no legal reason why this brilliant nurse can?t call themselves a fitness nurse coach, put that program together, that?s easy to understand and market it to their ideal clients and improve the lives of those people. ?If they follow the nursing process they will be successful in their program development; but not necessarily in their business/practice. ?What often happen is when they try to put all that theory into the market? they flop, they aren?t making any money. ?The learning process is really just beginning for the new fitness nurse entrepreneur.

Nurses my point is, if you don?t step up and start learning about your offer and sales and marketing and stop worrying so much about ?getting permission? or what ?others may think?, other professionals, not as medically qualified as you, are going to do it for you. They?re doing it now.

By the way I sent out an e-mail, a while ago, to most of you about this course that I?m currently taking. ?It? called, ?Your Million Dollar Customer? Roadmap to a Profitable Physician Partnership?. ?None of you signed up? ?Maybe it was the title that turned you off? ?Or maybe it was the $1,000 price tag for 6 weeks, maybe you thought you?re just not ready yet. ?Or even more unsettling, you keep telling yourself you can figure it out on your own? (every successful person I know had to get help. I shouldn?t judge you, maybe you?re different)

If not this program, which one, if any? My $1000 dollar investment was not in just a program teaching me how to market my services to doctors, but it is also in?making connections with people (for future joint ventures) who are doing what I want to be doing, working with doctors as partners. ?(You may not want to work with doctors, which is fine, but who do you want to work with?) ?I?ll also get exposure on a radio station targeted to medical practitioners, over 2,000 listen in, a free table at the annual conference and my logo on the company?s website. ?To me, that alone is worth the enrollment fee. ?I?m also getting fitness nurse consulting on the map for you. ?No one in this course ever heard of fitness nurse consulting, many of them with connections in the medical field, will now know who Minky is when the 6 weeks is over!

I know what you may be thinking? you just don?t know where to start. ?I am working with only 2 nurses, helping them become Fitness Nurse Consultants. ?It?s a 6-month journey. ?And 2 nurses are really all I can handle. ?Step by step, hand holding is a lot of work. ?But they are not disappointing me. ?Because of their inspired action, I will reward them with everything I learn as I go forward too and creating more social proof for you with my own Fitness Nurse Consulting practice.

Whatever it was that stopped you from acting then, don?t let it hold you back from your dreams. ?It?s happening all around us and if you are unhappy in your current situation and want to be your own boss, you have to step out, invest in yourself to boost your confidence and market YOUR SOLUTION to people. ?The people who are paying you don?t know what all the letters mean and it?s a marketing disaster. ?Credentials in academia (faculty) are great, in business; not so much. ?Even doctors want simple explanations and love brevity when you try to get their attention. Ask yourself, ?What is the specific result of what I do??

Credentials, titles, initials are all about you. ?Maybe except for your title, you have to step away from that for a while and come up with solutions to people?s problems that you?ve learned from all that training and market that. ? Also ask yourself, ?what do I love doing?? ??Who do I love working with??

After you state your title (still in a solution format), let people know, with passion, HOW you help solve problems of the people you serve. ?Remember what you do and what you solve is NOT for everybody. ?But the person you are talking to may know somebody, and tell them, if they understand what you do and can explain it to someone else. ?Here?s my example:

?What do you do??

?I?m a Weight Maintenance Coach and Fitness Nurse Consultant?

?What is that??

?I help busy women who have had weightloss surgery or who have lost weight, to NEVER RE-gain the weight by showing them 4 simple steps to follow?

Everyone I have said that to wants to know more. ?Everyone.

Then and only then, will the great clients, then the great income, come your way.

I know you can do it. ?Just focus on the solution you provide and go from there. Don?t let your nursing license hinder you by staying in the ?nursing box? of ?I don?t have enough credentials?, people out there need and want your guidance to get and stay healthy! ?Health professionals are getting out there, please let them be you.

P.S. Please don?t write me and ask how to become a ?Weight Maintenance Coach?. ?I made it up. ?No degree or certification that I have or have had can prepare me to help my ideal clients maintain their weight with the strategies from experience that I?ve learned over the years. ?That?s how I got the title, I gave it to myself, so people could understand what I do and to spark interest.

It?s basically what I help them to do. ? Period.

Source: http://certifiedfitnessnursing.com/2013/03/is-your-nursing-license-actually-holding-you-back/

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The Daily Roundup for 03.25.2013

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/the-daily-roundup-for-03-25-2013/

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Syrian opposition coalition falls into disarray

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 file photo, Syrian opposition coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib speaks during a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, not pictured, following an international conference on Syria at Villa Madama, Rome. The leader of the Western-based Syrian opposition coalition has resigned, citing frustrations with the body's ability to advance the fight against President Bashar Assad. Khatib said in a statement posted on his Facebook page Sunday that he would continue to serve the opposition's cause outside of the "the official institutions." (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 file photo, Syrian opposition coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib speaks during a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, not pictured, following an international conference on Syria at Villa Madama, Rome. The leader of the Western-based Syrian opposition coalition has resigned, citing frustrations with the body's ability to advance the fight against President Bashar Assad. Khatib said in a statement posted on his Facebook page Sunday that he would continue to serve the opposition's cause outside of the "the official institutions." (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian doctors treat an injured man who was wounded at the Eman Mosque where a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti, an 84-year-old cleric known to all Syrians as a religious scholar, at the Mazraa district, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, March 21, 2013. A suicide bomber blew himself up during evening prayers inside a mosque in Damascus Thursday, killing a top Sunni Muslim preacher and longtime supporter of President Bashar Assad and least 13 other people, state TV reported. Al-Buti's death is a big blow to Syria's embattled leader, who is fighting mainly Sunni rebels seeking his ouster. (AP Photo/SANA)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, the Eman Mosque is seen destroyed after a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing Sheikh Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti, an 84-year-old cleric known to all Syrians as a religious scholar, at the Mazraa district, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, March 21, 2013. A suicide bomber blew himself up during evening prayers inside a mosque in Damascus Thursday, killing a top Sunni Muslim preacher and longtime supporter of President Bashar Assad and least 13 other people, state TV reported. Al-Buti's death is a big blow to Syria's embattled leader, who is fighting mainly Sunni rebels seeking his ouster. (AP Photo/SANA)

(AP) ? Syria's Western-backed opposition plunged into disarray on Sunday as its president resigned and its military leader refused to recognize a prime minister recently elected to lead an interim rebel government.

The chaos inside the opposition Syrian National Coalition threatened to undermine its bid to unite the forces battling President Bashar Assad and better organize the fight to oust his regime. It also could hamper support from the U.S. and other powers, who have hoped the Coalition would emerge as the most credible body to channel aid to anti-Assad groups inside Syria and undermine the Islamic extremists who dominate the fight on key fronts of the nation's civil war.

As the opposition's political leadership stumbled, rebel fighters inside Syria pressed ahead Sunday with their offensive in a restive southern province that borders Jordan. Also, Israel's military said its forces in the occupied Golan Heights responded to fire across the border by shooting at a target inside Syria.

In his surprise resignation Sunday, Coalition president Mouaz al-Khatib expressed frustration with the both the international community and the opposition body itself. Al-Khatib, a respected preacher who has led the Coalition since its creation late last year, said in a statement posted on his Facebook page that he was making good on a vow to quit if certain undefined "red lines" were crossed.

"I am keeping my promise today and announcing my resignation from the National Coalition so that I can work with freedom that is not available inside the official institutions," he said.

He also blamed world powers for providing what he deemed insufficient support for the rebel cause, and complained that many "international and regional parties" have insisted on pushing the opposition toward dialogue with the regime. Most opposition leaders and activists say Assad's regime has killed too many people to be part of a solution to the conflict.

"All that has happened to the Syrian people ? from destruction of infrastructure to the arrest of tens of thousands to the displacement of hundreds of thousands to other tragedies ? is not enough for an international decision to allow the Syrian people to defend themselves," the statement said.

Despite electing a new, U.S.-educated prime minister to head a planned interim government last week, the Coalition has failed to establish itself as the top opposition authority on the ground in Syria, where hundreds of independent rebel brigades are fighting a civil war against Assad's forces.

The Coalition's media office distributed al-Khatib's statement, but did not comment on how his replacement will be chosen.

Al-Khatib's spokesman, Ali Mohammed Ali, confirmed the authenticity of the statement in a phone call with The Associated Press. He declined to discuss any issues inside the Coalition that could have influenced al-Khatib's decision.

Burhan Ghalioun, the former head of the Syrian National Council, which preceded the Coalition, said that he and other Coalition members were surprised by the resignation.

Speaking on Al Arabiya TV, Ghalioun also said he assumed the decision was a protest against world powers that have not provided the opposition with the aid it needs, as well as against unnamed countries that have interfered in the Coalition's operations and other Coalition members who have impeded al-Khatib's work.

"I lived this, so I know what it means," Ghalioun said, speaking of his own resignation as head of the SNC last year.

Secretary of State John Kerry said he was sorry to learn of al-Khatib's resignation, but that it won't affect U.S. cooperation with the Coalition on aid.

He called such transitions natural, adding that it shows "an opposition that is bigger than one person, and that opposition will continue."

The second blow Sunday to the opposition leadership was delivered by the head of the Coalition's own military branch, Gen. Salim Idris, who refused to recognize the body's new prime minister, saying he did not represent many anti-Assad groups.

Last week, the Coalition elected a little-known U.S.-educated IT expert named Ghassan Hitto to head a rebel interim government.

But in a video statement posted online and distributed by his aides Sunday, Idris said his group would only support a prime minister with broad backing.

"For the purpose of giving power to a prime minister to unite the revolutionary forces and lead the Syrian revolution toward certain victory, we unequivocally declare that the Free Syrian Army in all of its formations and revolutionary powers conditions its support and cooperation on the achievement of a political agreement on the name of a prime minister," he said.

A Salim aide, Louay Almokdad, said many prominent Syrian figures had opposed Hitto's election.

Hitto received 35 out of 48 votes cast by the 63 active members of the opposition Syrian National Coalition last week.

Observers and some members of the Coalition complained after the vote that Qatar, which heavily finances the opposition, and the Muslim Brotherhood exercise outsized power inside the Coalition.

The Syrian government has largely ignored the opposition Coalition and says the civil war is an international conspiracy to weaken Syria.

Syria's conflict has split regional and world powers, with some backing the rebels and others standing by Assad. Russia, China and Iran remain the regime's strongest supporters.

On Sunday, Kerry told reporters during an unannounced trip to Baghdad that he had made it clear to Iraq, Syria's eastern neighbor, that it should not allow Iran to use its airspace to shuttle weapons and fighters to Syria.

Kerry said he told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the transfer of anything that supports President Bashar Assad and his regime is "problematic."

Inside Syria, rebels pushed forward in the restive southern province of Daraa, which borders Jordan.

A victory on the frontier with Jordan would be a significant advance for the opposition. It would deprive Assad of control over a supply lifeline also used by refugees fleeing his military onslaught, and could facilitate the entry of arms and equipment to the rebels.

Since summer, 2012, rebels have seized control of large swathes of land near the Turkish and Iraqi borders to the north and east, respectively, and used these areas to organize their forces and build supply lines. But the opposition has struggled so far to carve out a similar area in the south from which they could marshal their forces for a more sustained push north toward Damascus.

Rami Abdul-Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said heavy clashes raged in three towns in Daraa on Sunday.

A Jordanian border official said he heard heavy artillery and saw smoke rising from areas in the province's Yarmouk Valley, a route used by Syrian refugees fleeing the fighting to Jordan. The official insisted on anonymity, citing army regulations.

On Saturday, rebels seized several army checkpoints, clearing a 25-kilometer (15-mile) stretch along the Syrian-Jordanian border.

Also Sunday, Israel's military said its soldiers were on routine patrol in the Golan Heights when they were fired upon and responded. It did not say what weaponry was used or specify if those firing from Syria were rebels or government forces.

For the last week, Syrian rebels have been capturing territory at the foot of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed.

The Syrian Observatory also reported clashes in two districts in the Syrian capital, including near the Damascus international airport. It said the army, backed by warplanes, struck at rebel targets in the northern city of Hama.

The U.N. says more than 70,000 people have been killed since the crisis began in March, 2011.

____

Halaby reported from Amman, Jordan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-24-Syria/id-8c0eb636d8dc4e05b383d17603028cdc

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Is the Samsung Galaxy S4 racist? Processor variants listed by country

The Galaxy S4?s processor power is racist.

Okay, not really racist, but it will vary by country, in that some countries will get the advanced Samsung 1.6Hz octa-core Exynos 5 CPU while others will have to do with a Galaxy S4 powered by the 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor, instead.

For an understanding of the difference between the quad-core and octa-core, think of it as the number of cylinders in a car ? the more the number of cylinders in a car engine, the better (read: faster) the performance.

In the case of processor cores too, an octa-core processor implements multiprocessing in a single physical package, i.e., multiple cores can run multiple instructions at the same time, increasing overall speed for programs being run on the device, in this case the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone.

In a nutshell, more cores translate into the ability to run more programs at the same time, faster response time for programs, and (this one is up for debate) longer battery life. It is understood that the battery gets saved if/when the device switches to lower numbers of cores when running less power-hungry apps and programs while during running intensive and/or multiple programs, it powers up all the available cores, if necessary.

Back to the Galaxy 4. During the launch of the Galaxy S4 [http://www.emirates247.com/news/galaxy-s4-takes-the-smartphone-battle-to-iphone-s-home-turf-2013-03-17-1.498652], Samsung had revealed that its new spearhead will come in two avatars, one powered by a Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor and the other with its proprietary octa-core Oxynos 5, but did not say who would be getting what.

It has now emerged that the selection of application processor varies by markets, or countries. SamMobile has compiled a list that shows which country gets which model.

The I9500 is the non-LTE Exynos model while the I9505 is the 4G-enabled Snapdragon model. A handful of lucky countries are getting both, including Samsung?s home market South Korea and the UAE.

So, Exynos or Snapdragon in your country? Here?s the list, courtesy SamMobile ? not Samsung, so take it with a pinch of salt until Samsung officially confirms or denies this.

Africa

Afghanistan: GT-I9500

Algeria: GT-I9500

Egypt:
GT-I9500

Kenya:
GT-I9500

Libya: GT-I9500

Morocco: GT-I9500

Nigeria:
GT-I9500

Asia / Middle East

Bangladesh: GT-I9500

China: GT-I9500

Hong Kong: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

India: GT-I9500

Indonesia:
GT-I9500

Iran:
GT-I9500

Iraq: GT-I9500

Kazakhstan: GT-I9500

Korea: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Malaysia: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Nepal: GT-I9500

Pakistan:
GT-I9500

Philippines:
GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Russia: GT-I9500

Saudi Arabia: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Singapore:
GT-I9505

Sri Lanka:
GT-I9500

Taiwan: GT-I9500

Thailand:
GT-I9500

Turkey: GT-I9500

United Arab Emirates:
GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Uzbekistan:
GT-I9500

Vietnam:
GT-I9500

Australia

?Australia: GT-I9505

Europe

Austria: GT-I9505

Baltic: GT-I9505

Belgium / Luxemburg: GT-I9505

Bosnia and Herzegovina: GT-I9505

Bulgaria: GT-I9505

Croatia: Not disclosed yet

Cyprus: GT-I9505

Czech Republic:
GT-I9505

France: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Germany: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Greece: GT-I9505

Italy:
GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Macedonia: GT-I9505

Nordic Countries:
GT-I9505

Poland: GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Romania:
GT-I9505

Russia: GT-I9500

Portugal: GT-I9505

Serbia: Not disclosed yet

Slovakia: GT-I9505

Slovenia: GT-I9505

Spain: GT-I9505

Switzerland: GT-I9505

The Netherlands:
GT-I9505

United Kingdom:
GT-I9500 / GT-I9505

Ukraine: GT-I9500
?

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Photo Story: Congo (DRC) | Peter Gostelow - Adventure Cycling ...

You wouldn?t know this picture was taken on a boat unless I told you. I have no idea how many people were on board those two Congo River barges. I don?t think the captain who powered the tug boat pushing the barges did either. Most had started their journey weeks ago in the capital, Kinshasa, and were continuing upstream to Kisangani. The journey, over 1000km in total, would take almost a month. For me, jumping aboard halfway in the town of Bumba, it was a 10 day stay onboard the MBKALIOPI. This was one of the most interesting yet challenging episodes of my time in Africa. You can read the blog post I wrote about this journey here.

Source: http://petergostelow.com/2013/03/24/photo-story-congo-drc/

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US drivers more likely to use phones on the road than Europeans, study finds

Americans are far more prone to talk on the go (than other developed countries, but texting and emailing may be less culturally specific phenomena.

By RIchard Read,?Guest blogger / March 24, 2013

A billboard that encourages people not to text while they drive is shown in the northside of Indianapolis. US drivers are more likely to use phones while drivign than their European counterparts, a CDC study finds.

Michael Conroy/AP/File

Enlarge

You know it, we know it, everyone knows it: distracted driving is a problem, and it's getting worse.?

Skip to next paragraph The Car Connection

High Gear Media?s flagship website offers news, reviews, and the latest shopping tools for the cars that matter to US consumers. For more expert insights from Car Connection editors and opinions from around the Web,?click here.

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But where is the problem worst of all? You'd think that since cell phones are now a global phenomenon, distracted driving would affect every country on the planet, and that it would be most pronounced in technologically oriented countries where cell phones have become a part of everyday life.

And you'd be right. But according to a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the problem is particularly bad here in America.

The CDC examined data from two studies: the 2011 EuroPNStyles and HealthStyles surveys, which polled?drivers between the ages of 18 and 64. Researchers found that a whopping 69% of U.S. respondents had talked on their mobile phones while driving within the past 30 days.

Europeans couldn't match that number. The closest runner-up was Portugal, where the figure hit 59%. In the U.K., it was 21%.?

Stats on texts and emails, however, were more balanced. In both the U.S. and Portugal, 31% of drivers said that they'd read or sent emails or texts within the past 30 days. At the low end of the scale, the figure in the U.K. was again 21%.

The moral of the story? Americans are far more prone to talk on the go (perhaps because of our very long commutes), but texting and emailing may be less culturally specific phenomena.

Also: Portugal could be picking up some of our bad habits.

We'd like to see a similar study conducted in countries like Japan and South Korea, where cell phone penetration is high and mobile networks are especially robust. Maybe those folks could give us a run for our money.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best auto bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger,?click here.?To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link in the blog description box above.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VG0mY4mvNAY/US-drivers-more-likely-to-use-phones-on-the-road-than-Europeans-study-finds

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Far-Reaching American Legacy in Iraq Debated (Voice Of America)

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

How the Planck discovery could point toward a new physics

Captured by the European Space Agency's Planck space probe, the?most detailed map of the early universe reveals a host of unexpected anomalies.?

By Clara Moskowitz,?SPACE.com / March 22, 2013

This European Space Agency graphic shows a map of the universe that depicts the anomalies seen when comparing the Planck space observatory's map of the universe's cosmic microwave background and the standard model of the cosmos. Image released

ESA and the Planck Collaboration

Enlarge

Europe's Planck spacecraft has revealed the most detailed map yet of the earliest light in the universe, which reveals some tantalizing anomalies that could point toward new physics.

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The new map tracks small temperature variations in the glow pervading space called the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This light was released just 380,000 years after the Big Bang, and contains a record of how our universe came to be.

By and large, the new data from Planck agree with cosmologists' leading ideas about how the universe formed. The theory of inflation suggests that after the Big Bang, the universe ballooned rapidly from its tiny, hot state, doubling in size every 10^-35 seconds (a decimal point followed by 34 zeroes and a one).

But where the basic models of inflation say this expansion should have happened uniformly in all directions, the new Planck results suggest that might not have been the case. [Universe's CMB Radiation Explained (Infographic)]

"One of the features of inflation is it says there should be no preferred direction ? everywhere in the universe should be more or less the same," astrophysicist Marc Kamionkowski of Johns Hopkins University said March 21 during a NASA press call. "But when you look at the amplitudes, even by eye you can tell that one side of the universe looks different from the other side."

That is to say, the temperature variations in the CMB appear to be sized and spaced differently when Planck looks in one direction, than when it looks in the other.

There are other anomalies as well. The variations don't appear to behave the same on large scales as they do on small scales, and there are some particularly large features, such as a hefty cold spot, that were not predicted by basic inflation models.

Ultimately, the data show "some features that are surprising and very, very intriguing," said Charles Lawrence, U.S. Planck project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"Hopefully in the process of understanding those features better we will be able to glimpse answers to some of our deepest questions."

Indeed, the map's deviations from what was predicted are not cause for disappointment among scientists, but rather exhilaration. They could even lead toward unraveling the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, two perplexing constituents of the universe that have yet to be explained by mainstream theories.

For example, the new CMB measurements produce a new estimate for the age and expansion rate of the universe, which the Planck scientists calculate to be 13.8 billion years old, and 41.73 miles (67.15 kilometers) per second per megaparsec, respectively. The expansion rate is also known as the Hubble constant, and the new estimate is significantly lower than the values derived through other astronomical observations.

"This is one of the most exciting parts of the data, is this apparent tension between these different ways to estimate how rapidly the universe is expanding," said Martin White, U.S. Planck scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. "The hope would be that this is actually pointing toward some deficiency in the models or some extra physics."

The expansion rate of the universe is deeply connected to the idea of dark energy, which is the name scientists have given to whatever is causing the universe's expansion to accelerate. The finding could point toward a new direction of thinking about dark energy, including the possibility that it has changed over time.

"If it was different than the simplest models, if the amount of dark energy was somehow increasing with time in a given volume of space, then that would alleviate some of the tension," White said, and added, "that's a pretty radical thing to propose."

And getting to the bottom of the other anomalies in the Planck data may point to even more radical conclusions, such as the idea of multiple universes and bubble universes created by areas of the primordial universe that inflated at different rates.

It turns out that collisions between these bubbles of space-time are one possible explanation for why inflation might not have proceeded uniformly in all directions.

"The fact that these anomalies not only exist but exist on the very largest scales gives us some hope that we may be actually able to say something in the future about a multiverse," Kamionkowski said.

Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter?and Google+. Follow us?@Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on?SPACE.com.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/chGqRqrs8g0/How-the-Planck-discovery-could-point-toward-a-new-physics

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Twitter's evolution from a tech network to a mainstream mashup

Twitter's evolution from a tech network to a mainstream mashup

When Twitter started out it was used almost exclusively by geeky tech types, first as a way to stay connected at conferences, and later as a general water cooler to keep in touch, network and exchange ideas, and blow off some steam. Today, Twitter is a massive mainstream mashup where many if not most users #hashtag every second word, follow hundreds of real-world celebrities, almost never use direct messages, but actually do use the Discover tap. I know... Matthew Panzarino from The Next Web, an early-days user, decided to start a new account some seven years later and see what the modern, far more populous Twitter felt like for first time users.

Right now, Twitter is a product in transition. Onboarding new users is still a work in progress, retaining those users is a moving target, and making sure that the experience is as friendly as possible to media content is an unfinished job. But there are glimmers of brilliance here, and signs that the transition to a strong second act might actually work.

Panzarino gives a thorough breakdown of the sign-up process, Twitter's attempt to help create connections, and the general usability of the product. Sadly, he in no way uses #WhyISmile #wordstoliveby or #americanidol enough, and could probably stand to follow 10x more Biebers and SHAQs just to get the full and proper new Twitter feel.

There are many, even new users, who still use Twitter as a tech network, as much as is possible, even as others have moved over to app.net (ADN) for that instead. Like any big network, smaller subsets form and eddy about, sometimes growing, sometimes shrinking, sometimes merging, and sometimes breaking away. Whether you love Twitter now more or less than in its early days, it's amazing to see the changes that have taken place over the years, and even more amazing to think of where the next 5 or 10 could take it.

The web is littered with the bodies of dead social networks, killed by poor direction from the top, and user migration from the bottom. Twitter's trying not to become one of them. Check out Panazarino's piece via the link below and let me know -- how well do you think they're succeeding?

Source: The Next Web



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/gKOrzrPXk4A/story01.htm

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