Clothing the body electric: Cotton T-shirt fabric can store electricity, maybe keep your cell phone charged

ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) ? Over the years, the telephone has gone mobile, from the house to the car to the pocket. The University of South Carolina's Xiaodong Li envisions even further integration of the cell phone -- and just about every electronic gadget, for that matter -- into our lives.

He sees a future where electronics are part of our wardrobe.

"We wear fabric every day," said Li, a professor of mechanical engineering at USC. "One day our cotton T-shirts could have more functions; for example, a flexible energy storage device that could charge your cell phone or your iPad."

Li is helping make the vision a reality. He and post-doctoral associate Lihong Bao have just reported in the journal Advanced Materials how to turn the material in a cotton T-shirt into a source of electrical power.

Starting with a T-shirt from a local discount store, Li's team soaked it in a solution of fluoride, dried it and baked it at high temperature. They excluded oxygen in the oven to prevent the material from charring or simply combusting.

The surfaces of the resulting fibers in the fabric were shown by infrared spectroscopy to have been converted from cellulose to activated carbon. Yet the material retained flexibility; it could be folded without breaking.

"We will soon see roll-up cell phones and laptop computers on the market," Li said. "But a flexible energy storage device is needed to make this possible."

The once-cotton T-shirt proved to be a repository for electricity. By using small swatches of the fabric as an electrode, the researchers showed that the flexible material, which Li's team terms activated carbon textile, acts as a capacitor. Capacitors are components of nearly every electronic device on the market, and they have the ability to store electrical charge.

Moreover, Li reports that activated carbon textile acts like double-layer capacitors, which are also called a supercapacitors because they can have particularly high energy storage densities.

But Li and Bao took the material even further than that. They then coated the individual fibers in the activated carbon textile with "nanoflowers" of manganese oxide. Just a nanometer thick, this layer of manganese oxide greatly enhanced the electrode performance of the fabric. "This created a stable, high-performing supercapacitor," said Li.

This hybrid fabric, in which the activated carbon textile fibers are coated with nanostructured manganese oxide, improved the energy storage capability beyond the activated carbon textile alone. The hybrid supercapacitors were resilient: even after thousands of charge-discharge cycles, performance didn't diminish more than 5 percent.

"By stacking these supercapacitors up, we should be able to charge portable electronic devices such as cell phones," Li said.

Li is particularly pleased to have improved on the means by which activated carbon fibers are usually obtained. "Previous methods used oil or environmentally unfriendly chemicals as starting materials," he said. "Those processes are complicated and produce harmful side products. Our method is a very inexpensive, green process."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of South Carolina. The original article was written by Steven Powell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Lihong Bao, Xiaodong Li. Towards Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts. Advanced Materials, 2012; 24 (24): 3246 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201200246

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629211540.htm

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Zimmerman makes new appeal for bail

LIVE VIDEO ? George Zimmerman, charged with murdering Trayvon Martin, attends bail hearing in Sanford, Fla.

By NBC's Jamie Novogrod and msnbc.com's Kari Huus

Updated at?12:05 pm ET:?At a bail hearing for George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fla., the defendant's father, Robert John Zimmerman, briefly took the stand. After the elder Zimmerman was sworn in, defense attorney Mark O'Mara played a witness 911 tape that caught sounds of screaming during the fatal encounter being Trayvon and Zimmerman, along with a shot being fired.

Zimmerman, charged with second-degree murder in the February shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, is seeking release on bail for the second time. His initial bail of $150,000 was revoked and he was rearrested in early June, after prosecutors argued that the couple had mislead the court about?their financial picture in the first bail hearing on April 20.

Under questioning by O'Mara, the elder Zimmerman said he told state investigators that the voice of the man screaming "was absolutely George's."

Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda then questioned Robert Zimmerman, asking how his son could make those screaming noises if in fact Trayvon was covering his nose and mouth, as George Zimmerman told police.

Robert Zimmerman responded: "From the look of my son's injuries, Trayvon Martin's hands were not just on his nose and mouth."

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Earlier, the court heard testimony from firefighter Kevin O'Rourke, of the Sanford Fire Department, who was called to the scene after the shooting.? O'Rourke, who said he attended to Zimmerman, answered questions about the severity of his injuries.

"I observed that he had blood on his face and the back of his head," O'Rourke said.

He said that Zimmerman's nose was "obviously deformed," agreeing with defense attorney Don West that the injury was consistent with a broken nose. But under questioning by prosecutor de la Rionda, O'Rourke said he didn't diagnose Zimmerman with a broken nose.

The court was also shown the last minutes of a video taken by Sanford police on Feb. 27 in which Zimmerman discusses wounds to his nose and head.

Zimmerman appeared at the hearing wearing a grey suit, after Judge Kenneth Lester after O'Mara had successfully argued that showing up in prison garb and shackles could damage his client's chances of getting a fair trial.

Martin's older brother Jahvaris Martin attended the hearing, along with Trayvon's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton. The family was escorted -- and is seated with -- family attorney Benjamin Crump.

After O'Rourke had described Zimmerman's wounds at length -- in response to questioning by the defense team -- de la Rionda shifted focus from Zimmerman to Trayvon Martin, asking the defense witness to describe the wounds sustained by Martin.?De la Rionda asked O'Rourke to confirm that Trayvon had no weapon on his person.

Following the money
At the start of the hearing, the first witness to testify, at the request of Zimmerman's defense attorney Mark O'Mara, was an accounting expert Adam MaGill, who detailed a series of money transfers conducted by the defendant's wife, using money contributed for his legal defense.

MaGill, who was called by O'Mara said he was asked by O'Mara to look at records of money transfers from Zimmerman's PayPal account to the official legal defense fund later established by O'Mara.

Zimmerman, who was released on bail of $150,000 in April, was rearrested June 3 after prosecutors charged that Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, had misled the court about their finances at that bail hearing.

NBC News

George Zimmerman appears in court in Sanford, Florida, on Friday.

Shellie Zimmerman?asserted at the first bail hearing that she did not know how much money was in a PayPal account set up for contributions to Zimmerman?s legal defense.

In recorded telephone conversations from jail prior to that date, Zimmerman and his wife appear to discuss ? in thinly?disguised code ? the amount of money in the account, and he instructs her to make a series of transfers to other accounts, the prosecution charges. (Read original report.)

Special Prosecutor Angela Corey used the recordings to persuade?the judge to revoke the original bond for George Zimmerman.?Shellie Zimmerman was arrested on June 12, charged with perjury and released on $1,000 bond.

O?Mara told NBC on Thursday that if Zimmerman is released on bond, he would go back into hiding for his own safety. The shooting death of Martin, an unarmed black teenager, in February has stirred an emotional national debate about race, gun rights and "stand your ground" laws like the one in Florida that use a broad definition of self-defense.

O'Mara told NBC News yesterday that Zimmerman can't afford a much higher bail than he had last time -- of $150,000.

NBC's Lisa Lampkin contributed to this report.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12474108-george-zimmerman-back-in-court-seeking-bail-for-a-second-time?lite

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Surge in violence spurs new fears in Iraq

FILE - In this Thursday, June 28, 2012, file photo, people carry the body of a victim of a car bomb attack in the Washash neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, June 28, 2012, file photo, people carry the body of a victim of a car bomb attack in the Washash neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2012, file photo, a body of a victim lies on the ground as firefighters try to extinguish flames after a car bomb attack in Kirkuk, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. (AP Photo/Emad Matti, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 13, 2012, file photo, family members of Bilal Aziz, 20, who was killed in a car bomb attack, load his coffin onto a vehicle before burial in Najaf, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. (AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani, File)

FILE - In this Friday, June 29, 2012, file photo, Zainab Abbas inspects her destroyed house a day after a car bomb attack in the Washash neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)

FILE - In this Monday, June 4, 2012, file photo, a wounded man is helped from the scene after a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq. June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December, but more significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual.(AP Photo/Adil al-Khazali, File)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A half year after the U.S. military left Iraq, dire predictions seem to be coming true: The country is mired in violence and the government is on the verge of collapsing. With no relief in sight, there's growing talk of Iraq as a failed state as al-Qaida's local wing staged near daily attacks that killed at least 234 people in June.

Iraq no longer suffers widespread retaliatory killings between Sunni and Shiite extremists that brought the country to the brink of civil war. But the spike in violence heightens fears that Iraq could limp along for years as an unstable and dangerous country.

June was the second-deadliest month since U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December as insurgents exploited the political struggles between the country's ethnic and sectarian factions. More significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than usual. There was a major deadly bombing or shooting rampage almost every three days, many targeting Shiite pilgrims.

The violence has brought the weakness of Iraq's security apparatus into sharp focus even as deepening political divisions dim the prospects that the country will emerge as a stable democracy after decades of war and dictatorship.

"The state is almost paralyzed and dysfunctional due to political feuds. In such circumstances, the security forces also will be paralyzed and the insurgents groups are making use of this chaos," Haider al-Saadi, the Shiite owner of internet cafe in eastern Baghdad, said Saturday. "I do not think that al-Qaida is getting any stronger ? it is the state that is getting weaker."

The situation deteriorated shortly after American troops left Iraq on Dec. 18, following failed negotiations to stay beyond a year-end withdrawal deadline that was cemented in a 2008 security agreement.

The next day Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government issued terror charges against Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, one of Iraq's highest-ranking Sunnis, who fled Baghdad and remains on the lam. Sunni lawmakers briefly boycotted parliament and al-Maliki's cabinet in protest. By spring, leaders of the self-ruled Kurdish northern region joined the Sunni-dominated Iraqiya political coalition against al-Maliki, whom they accused of refusing to share power.

And last week, in the first major defection by an influential Shiite leader, anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he would direct his followers to join efforts to oust al-Maliki if a power-sharing agreement is not reached.

Al-Maliki, who won a second term in 2010, followed with a threat to call for early elections that would dissolve parliament if government infighting does not stop.

In calling for an early election, al-Maliki is betting he would win with enough widespread support to gain undisputed power. His political coalition fell short of winning the most seats in parliament in 2010 elections and back-room dealing among political parties delayed a new government from taking over for nine months.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh agreed Saturday that the political crisis has fueled June's violent surge.

"The insurgents are making use of the political differences in the country, and the recent attacks are the result of this political strife," al-Dabbagh said.

Violence has been steady across Iraq so far this year, but the levels of attacks in June soared beyond the occasional, if spectacular, wave of bombings that is al- Qaida's usual pattern. Victims mostly have been Shiite pilgrims, government officials and security forces ? three of al-Qaida's favorite targets.

Al-Qaida front group the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for a June 13 wave of nearly two dozen bombings nationwide that killed 72 Iraqis. The coordination, sophistication and targets of several other attacks also bore the hallmarks of the terror network.

Iraqi and U.S. intelligence officials long have said that al-Qaida's resources in Iraq ? including money, weapons and a stable of suicide bombers ? have dwindled to the point where the insurgent group can only carry off a few attacks each month.

Many experts believe the turmoil in neighboring Syria is stoking the violence, saying the success of the Sunni-led opposition against President Bashar Assad's regime is emboldening Iraqi Sunnis to attack government targets.

"As the edifice in Syria weakens, the more space for violence is going spill over to the Sunni areas in Iraq," said Kamran Bokhari, a Canadian-based expert on Mideast issues for the global intelligence company Statfor.

Some analysts believe Iraq is turning into a failed state. This month, the U.S.-based Fund for Peace ranked Iraq No. 9 on its annual Top Ten list of failed states worldwide. The nonpartisan research group ranked 178 nations and blamed the persistent security problems in Iraq on the inability to overcome long-standing ethnic and sectarian tensions.

Despite the continued bombings and other attacks, Iraqis have not returned to the sectarian warfare that killed tens of thousands of people as violence peaked in 2006-2007. Shiite militias have shown restraint even as a spate of bombings targeted Shiite pilgrims, shrines and government leaders.

And as al-Sadr, an anti-U.S. cleric whose militias were responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks of the war, seeks to secure his status as a major political player in Iraq, it's doubtful he will unleash his followers in widespread violence that would undermine his credibility across the mostly-Sunni Arab world.

Even al-Maliki's opponents speak only of ousting him in a parliamentary vote, not by force.

"People now know that violence will breed violence and sectarian killings will lead to more counter-sectarian killings," said Omar al-Jubouri, a Sunni lawmaker from the Iraqiya bloc.

Underscoring the continued dangers, however, the month ended with a pair of bombings Saturday in the northern, Sunni-dominated Nivevah province, killing two soldiers on separate security patrols, local officials said.

Many Iraqis lament the withdrawal of U.S. forces, saying it was premature.

"The U.S. pullout was a mistake because the country is still in need for their intelligence and military capabilities," said Mohammed Salam, a Sunni government employee in Baghdad. "The Iraqi government should have kept some several thousands of U.S. troops in order to help Iraq forces maintain a reasonable level of security."

The international community spent billions of dollars to stabilize Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Nearly 4,500 U.S. troops were killed during the war.

But the U.S. currently has limited influence in Baghdad: A June 14 statement by the top national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden that urged Iraqi officials to "alleviate current tensions in order to refocus energy on critical state-building challenges" produced few, if any, signs of progress.

Nor do most Iraqis expect any.

"I think Iraq will see worse days in the future if the politicians continue their destructive feuds and keep following their personal ambitions," Salam said.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report. Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larajakesAP and Kay Johnson at www.twitter.com/kayatAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-06-30-Iraq-Six%20Months%20Later/id-bf7060db58434262854051508c33ef0f

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Are Australian's cycling less? | The Urbanist

Downtown Houston via Google Maps - if you don't believe it, click to look around

The Sydney Morning Herald reported this week that a ?far smaller? proportion of Australians is cycling today than was the case in the mid 1980s. The number of cyclists dropped on a per capita basis ?by 37.5% between 1986 and 2011.?

That must be unwelcome news for cycling advocates but music to the ears of those State Premiers who?re cutting back on funding and support for cycling. Victoria?s Ted Baillieu, who provided no new funding for cycling in his 2012-13 budget, could now defend his niggardliness by arguing that interest in cycling is waning.

The numbers come from an article by Chris Rissell and Chris Gillham published in the latest issue of World Transport Policy and Practice.?While it?s more of an activist?s publication than a serious academic journal ? e.g. it?s not peer reviewed ? this is an interesting article.

They looked at the number of cycling trips per day in Australia in 1986 and 2011 by persons aged over nine years and compared them against the relevant population for those two years. They used Census data for their population statistics but had to rely on surveys for the cycling data.

On the face of it their numbers are sobering, but I think there are good reasons not to get overly stressed. Nor should they give Mr O?Farrell and Mr Baillieu much comfort.

First, I don?t think the data Rissell and Gillham rely on is good enough to draw definitive conclusions. They only have two data points ? separate surveys done in 1986 and in 2011. Moreover, while the surveys have large samples, they use different methodologies.

The 2011 survey was done by telephone and seems OK. The 1986 survey, however, was a self-completed, mail-back questionnaire. It?s likely to have had a low response rate with a bias toward more committed respondents. It may have over-stated the level of cycling.

On top of that, Rissell and Gillham appear to get their arithmetic wrong. On the raw numbers they use, the per capita daily trip rate was 0.132 in 1986 and 0.101 in 2011. That?s a drop of 24%, quite a bit less than their claim of 37.5%. They appear to have arrived at 37.5% by the conceptually arguable process of subtracting the percentage change in trips from the percentage change in population.

Second, the findings are sensitive to the time frame used. They adopt a very long (27 year) time frame. That?s apparently because that was the only survey available, but had they gone back to 1955 (say), they?d have probably gotten a much bigger drop. On the other hand, if they?d gone back ten years to 2002, I expect they?d have gotten a more positive outcome for cycling.

Third, they choose to compare cycling levels against population. That can be useful, but it has its limitations. It doesn?t fully allow for the fact that, as I discussed recently, the overall extent to which people travel in cities has been falling in Australia and many other developed countries for around the last ten years for a range of reasons.

For example, total kilometres of passenger travel by all modes in Australia?s capital cities increased by just 2% between 2003-04 and 2008-09. Population however grew by 9% over the same period. That?s a key reason transport analysts focus on mode share.

It?s likely cycling?s performance would look much better if it were assessed in terms of its share of all travel (trips or kms), especially over the last 8 to 10 years, rather than compared with population. Unfortunately, there?s little data available to show this.

However, the Census collects data every five years on the use of bicycles for work travel. The journey-to-work question is the most reliable and consistent measure of cycling we have. While commuting accounts for a relatively small proportion of all trips, it?s one of the most important purposes.

The good news is there?s been no decline in cycling?s share of the journey-to-work ? its remained steady at around 1% between 1976 and 2006. It?s share is of course much higher than this in the inner city, especially around the CBDs of our capitals, but lower in the suburbs.

The fourth and final reason why I?m not feeling too miserable in the face of Rissell and Gillham?s numbers is that cycling is still increasing in absolute terms. Even on the numbers provided by the authors, persons aged nine years and over made 1.65 million daily trips by bicycle in 1986 and 1.99 million in 2011. Cycling rates have very likely increased faster in recent years but unfortunately they don?t cite any more recent figures.

It?s probable that virtually all of the increase has come from adults rather than teenagers and is concentrated in key locations like the inner city. So it?s not surprising it seems like there?re more cyclists on the road ? there are! The argument for better infrastructure and more supportive laws remains compelling and pressing.

1986 is ancient history. I?d like to see some numbers on the trend over the last ten years. It?s more relevant and I think it would show a more encouraging and optimistic outlook for cycling.

Source: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2012/06/29/are-australians-cycling-less/

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Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean' looks cool at Google I/O, but will you get it?

Google's new Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" includes a much smoother UI experience, offline voice dictation, offline maps, and the slightly creepy Google Now.

Of course, none of that matters if you aren't going to get it.

As we've recounted many, many times, unless you have an unlocked, non-carrier-branded Google Nexus phone, you just can't count on your Android phone ever getting an upgrade. But rather than the toothless, failed "Android update consortium" announced last year, Google is finally calling the phone makers' bluff on upgrades. Pity it won't make any difference.

The Good News ... And The Bad News

For a while now, phone makers and chipset companies have been deeply annoyed that they only get new Android code when it comes out on Nexus phones. That means they start out months behind whoever the preferred Nexus partner was, as they optimise the new version first for their hardware and then they add those notorious OEM skins. Only then can the new version go to carriers for their weeks worth of compatibility testing.

Google's new "PDK" changes that game. Google will now give Android code to chipset and phone companies months before a Nexus device hits the scene, leveling the playing field. Now any delays that happen really will be the fault of manufacturer skins and carrier testing.

Here's the problem, though: while the PDK takes effect with Android 4.1, many device makers haven't even gotten up to Android 4.0 yet. Let's take Motorola, which you can be critical of because it's actually owned by Google. Motorola posts a handy-dandy chart of Android 4.0 upgrade status, where you'll find that many phones won't begin their upgrade rollouts until the third quarter of 2012, and many others will remain with Android 2.3 forever.

If OEMs care enough to prioritise upgrades, they'll rush the 4.1 upgrade into production and bring it along shortly after the 4.0 upgrade, or wrap both of them together. But Google's PDK doesn't necessarily change the economics of the phone marketplace. Carriers still want you to extend your contract by picking up a new subsidised device rather than going off-contract with an older phone. Manufacturers still make their money from selling new devices, not upgrading old ones.

Google's GSM-based Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, and Xoom tablets will get Jelly Bean in mid-July, because Google controls those updates. But I wouldn't even expect other models of those same devices to get Jelly Bean quickly; US carrier Verizon has trapped incremental updates to Ice Cream Sandwich in carrier testing, to many Galaxy Nexus owners' dismay. Android 4.0.4 arrived on Verizon's phones two months after appearing on GSM models. Both Verizon and Sprint - another US mobile service provider - have thusfar declined to comment on the issue.

Why Android Upgrades Just Don't Happen

Apple has convinced carriers that iPhone users are terribly, terribly sticky; they're so satisfied with the platform (Apple's story goes) that if carriers just hand over control to Apple, they'll have customers for life. So far, that equation has worked out decently for the carriers; investment firm Canaccord Genuity said that the iPhone 4S is still the top seller on America's largest compatible national networks, while other analysts are venturing that prospects for 2013 look equally rosy for Cupertino, given the expected autumn launch of iPhone 5.

Microsoft also demands that every phone will get upgrades (if only to Windows 7.8), but I'm reluctant to take lessons from a company with such a tiny market share right now, so we'll move on.

Google doesn't push upgrades on OEMs and carriers; they're offered as purely optional add-ons. OEMs and carriers, meanwhile, see stock Android as a commodity. The best way to get an upgrade, in their minds, is to buy a new phone.

Since most of Android is open source, the one stick Google could hold over their heads would be withdrawing permission to use Google Play, Maps, and Gmail, but the company doesn't seem willing to go that far. The carriers and OEMs don't feel threatened by Google, but Google also isn't suffering; Android's market share just keeps rising. There's no incentive for Google to push harder. Things are working out for everyone except consumers who want upgrades.

So yes, Jelly Bean looks cool. Pity you'll probably never get it.

Published under license from Ziff Davis, Inc., New York, All rights reserved.
Copyright ? 2012 Ziff Davis, Inc

Source: http://feeds.itproportal.com/~r/itproportal/rss/~3/BgN7umtrYLI/

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Get cheap fights with Spirit | Travel and Leisure

Capitalism is a most curious beast. Investors admire the results when, like a beautiful hound, it gracefully bounds across the landscape in pursuit of profit. Consumers hate the results when the only way a mutt can make a profit is by scrimping. So it is that Spirit has revolutionized the budget air travel market. Let?s be quite clear what has happened to the world of low-cost carriers. In the rarified atmosphere of the full-cost legacy airlines, executives pursue the business traveler. Even if it means flying at a loss, these airlines want to project an air of luxury. Spirit is only interested in selling tickets to the folk who want to get where they?re going for the lowest possible price. But, as with all these cost-cutting ventures, there?s a catch.

When you pay the fare for a Spirit seat, that?s all you?re buying. You pay for everything else as you go through the system. Even a drink of water on the plane costs you $3. Because it makes it money by having passengers in those seats, it has more seats in the plane than any other airline. That means significantly less leg room. The prices discourage you from carrying any luggage. Ironically, it doesn?t work. Spirit makes about 30% of its revenue from selling space to carry baggage. Its planes fly more hours a day. There are shorter turn-round times. Yet, when you put this together, Spirit averages 87.5% seat occupancy with each plane making more flights and so it makes more profit from a single airplane than any other airline. This is the Spirit way of offering customers a cheap flight with absolutely no frills at all.

So this is your big choice. Even Delta offers flights with a basic economy fare as it feels the need to compete with the low-cost carriers, but it still has leg room. Does your desire for cheap flights mean you don?t mind being crammed into a plane with everything separately charged? Shopping around and paying a little bit more is something you should be prepared to do if you want a bit more comfort during your journey.

This entry was posted on June 27, 2012, 6:24 pm and is filed under Travel & Leisure. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.

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Website Security to Prevent Hacking - Internet Based Business Articles

Online business entrepreneurs often ignore the importance of website security. Who cares about website security? It is a question which crosses their mind, but is not given the deserved value. In general every website is open to risk but certain websites are more vulnerable than others. The reason is that those networks based on e-commerce are in the red zones of the hackers. If an online business is insecure, it adversely affects the customer base. It is the customers who do care about security.

In most cases, human errors while system administration or coding is responsible in helping them to enter the system. This vulnerability acts as a hidden door to allow them to stealthily enter your system with causing no visible abnormality. A high caliber scammer just needs to ?drop? a tiny program which ?hooks? your computer to a specific botnet. And in doing that, the hacker leads to disastrous changes in your life. Here comes the need of website security. It definitely minimizes the great risk. Secondly, a website security seal works positively in increasing traffic and in the process increases conversion rates.

If your online business information is leaked, then nothing can increase the sales. This is because a website security seal gives customers the peace of mind, increases traffic and thus boosts sale. People unfortunately, overlook the security holes giving a weapon in the hacker?s arsenal. Human errors in system administration or during coding leave behind loopholes which are blessings for the online criminals. For this reason, penetration testing is often utilized.

The inaccuracies of the hardware and software programs are checked through mock hack, in which the tester enters certain malicious codes to expose the vulnerable areas and to study the probable path of he hackers. To implement your own website security measures, being careful about certain blunders, matter. Firstly, choose strong passwords of about 8-16 characters mixed with numbers, letters and punctuations which becomes difficult to crack.

Even firewall or antivirus software cannot do what a vulnerability scanner does. People often feel that they are safe, since they have installed well secured firewalls. But the firewalls are bound to keep ports 80 and 443 open to conduct online business. It is this otherwise secure door through which a hacker stealthily enters. Thus, it is noteworthy to update the bullet proof website security badge prior to the deployment of a website to the online community.

Looking to find the best deal on website security, then visit www.trust-guard.com to find the best advice on website security for you.

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Get pampered in Davao with spas and wellness facilities | Davao ...

If you enjoy the sensation of being utterly pampered on vacation, find it here in Davao? your tropical holiday destination.

Davao has spas, health and wellness facilities that cater to a wide range of market. Thus, no visit is come without a soothing massage and the luxury of being pampered. Some may view this as a mere indulgence, yet is vital for one?s health and well being. Whether it?s a bit of reflexology you?re looking for or a complete shiatsu or aromatherapy massage, they?re certainly the catchphrase of the day.

The edge of Davao is that whatever your budget, there is something affordable for everyone. Certainly you get what you pay for, but you can quite literally get an incredible 30 minutes foot massage for as low as PhP150.00!

A special treatment in the hands of a Davao masseuse/theraphist with their healing hands, combined with their warmth and care will leave you feeling on top of the world. Spa goers get a wide range of spa treatment and products to balance the body, comfort the mind, and feed the spirit.

Faces of Davao will be featuring health and wellness enclaves around the city and neighboring places. For this month, we?re happy to take advantage of the special treatment from Pacific Spa.

Pacific Spa offers exquisite pampering with several indulgent body and beauty treatments. It is a one-stop-shop that never ceases until you feel healthy and beautiful inside and out, from head to toe, with its skin care and dermatological treatments and relaxation therapies. Try their Seashell massage, Five Nectar Bath, Herbal Aroma Therapeutic Soak, waxing, Tropical Derm Facials and many others for a truly pampering experience.

You should check ?em out! Treat yourself with a budget friendly experience. They are conveniently located at Claro M. Recto Street, Davao City beside Marco Polo Hotel fronting Aldevinco back of Miami Foods. There?s a street in between BDO and Miami Foods which is the only road to get to the spa.

For more details, visit www.pacificdavao.com or call +(63) 82-300-8880 or +(63) 923-300-8880 .

Writer: Neo Richard Diongson
Photographer: Lyndle Kevin Sorronda
Model: Cherry Ann E. Suan
Theme: Modern Retro (Cherry make you Pop)
Location: Pacific Spa ? Claveria, Davao City

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Tips on How to Make Money from Affiliate Ad Programs

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News Corp mulls media, entertainment unit split

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Gaza militants fire rockets at Israel, army says

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PA Republican Leader Admits: The Fewer People Who Vote, the Better for the GOP (Little green footballs)

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The best way to get your Google I/O news!

It's just about time, folks. One more day and Google's annual developer conference kicks off Wednesday morning at Moscone West in San Francisco. But how to follow all the Google I/O news? (And there's going to be a lot. Let's break it down in handy bullet points.

• Bookmark our Google I/O page. Every damn story we post lives there. We'll have links to our keynote liveblogs there. We'll have pictures of cute kittens there. Maybe.
• Follow us on Twitter. There's the main AC account, of course (with more than 142,000 followers -- zoinks!), @philnickinson, @gbhil (Jerry) and @alexdobie, 'cause we're gonna cover the crap out of this event.
• Follow us on Google+. Again, there's the Android Central account, myself, Jerry and Alex.
• Subscribe to our Youtube channel. We've got some surprises in store this week. If you want to be the first to see what they are, you'd best subscribe.
• San Francisco Sheriff's Department. Just in case.

And for those of you at Moscone West, be sure to say hi! It's gonna be a great week.

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Does Jupiter Have More Water Than NASA's Galileo Detected?

I think that the 50 years of space exploration shows that we are most interested in life that is somewhat like us, in settings we can understand. Bacteria on Mars ? Fish on Europa ? Yes, launch the spacecraft! Floating life at 40 km altitude on Venus or in the clouds of Jupiter or Saturn ? Not so much. And, yet, the atmospheres of both Venus and Jupiter show signs of being out of chemical equilibria, the essential signature of a biological system.

People need to understand how slowly we are exploring the solar system. Yes, substantial progress is being made, but it is taking a long time to settle even the most basic questions. Ones that are rated secondary (such as life on Jupiter) could take a century or more to address.

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Turkish Minister: Jet Downed in International Territory (Voice Of America)

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Bolivia police clash as deal fails to end uprising

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Tropical Storm Debby threatens Louisiana, Florida

(CNN) -

Tropical Storm Debby crept up the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday, threatening to bring flooding and tornadoes to parts of the Gulf coast.

As of 7 a.m. (8 a.m. ET), Debby was about 165 miles southeast of the Mississippi River delta, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it chugged north at 3 mph.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for coastal Louisiana from the mouth of the Pearl River westward to Morgan City, the weather agency said. New Orleans is not included in the warning area. A warning was in place from the Mississippi-Alabama border eastward to Florida's Ochlockonee River.

"The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters," the hurricane center said. Floodwaters in parts of coastal Mississippi and Louisiana could reach 2 to 4 feet deep.

Debby is also expected to dump 3 to 6 inches of rain from southern Louisiana to the Florida panhandle, with up 10 inches in isolated areas, the weather agency said.

In addition, "isolated tornadoes are possible" over parts of west-central and southwestern Florida on Sunday.

Nine oil and gas production platforms have been evacuated, equivalent to 1.5% of the 596 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government said Saturday. One of 70 rigs was evacuated.

Plaquemines Parish, on the southern tip, of Louisiana planned to declare a state of emergency Sunday, said emergency preparedness director Guy Laigast.

The parish expects a slow rise of water pushed by the winds. Crews will place sand bags along a back levee in Myrtle Grove, Laigast said. Louisiana Highway 23, a main road in the parish, could be affected.

St. Mary Parish planned Monday to place warning signs at two communities built at sea level, said Duval Arthur, director of emergency preparedness. "We're anticipating a 3- to 4-foot high tide. Water would be over the road in those areas."

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Vandals shoot out windows at Park City banks, real estate office

Click photo to enlarge

Two windows at the Summit Sotheby's International Realty offices on Park Avenue were shot with marbles this week. The police are investigating a series of similar cases over the past four months. Tyler Cobb/Park Record

Someone armed with marbles shot out two windows at a Park City real estate office in the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday, the latest in a string of similar cases that has thus far stumped the police.

The two windows that were broken this week were at the offices of Summit Sotheby's International Realty, located on the 1700 block of Park Avenue. The real estate firm said the two windows were the sixth and seventh at the office to be broken over a span of approximately four months. The Park Avenue location is the headquarters of the firm.

Thomas Wright, the president of Summit Sotheby's International Realty and one of the firm's owners, said an assistant was in the office during one of the earlier incidents

Wright said the person or people responsible enjoy the rush they get causing the damage, calling the destruction a "sick kind of pleasure."

"It's wrong to violate the trust of the community," Wright said.

Wright said Summit Sotheby's International Realty will consider hiring a private investigator if the cases continue. He said the firm will press charges against the people responsible if they are captured.

The Park City Police Department is continuing to investigate the cases. Rick Ryan, a police captain, said there have been approximately six buildings or vehicles that have been damaged over the past four months. He said the buildings include banks, real estate offices and hotels.

Ryan said the people are likely launching the marbles with a slingshot or a wrist rocket. The damage has occurred overnight, he said.

The police are aware of at least two cases outside the Park City limits, both targeting vehicles. In one of those cases, Ryan said, someone shot the windshield of a Police Department vehicle with a marble while an officer was driving.

Ryan said investigators suspect the same people who targeted the buildings shot the vehicles. The police do not have a suspect. The Police Department estimates the damage in the Park City cases at approximately $20,000. The most recent damage at Summit Sotheby's International Realty is estimated at $600, according to the police.

"They could just be enjoying the fact they're vandalizing. They might not have any other reason than that," Ryan said.

The captain, though, acknowledged the police are considering whether the cases have political underpinnings. There has been sharp criticism of both the real estate and banking industries in the years since the collapse of the housing market and stock indexes.

Wright said it does not appear Summit Sotheby's International Realty was hit as part of a political stand. If it was, he said, the perpetrators should choose a different means to express their concerns.

"I don't think our company is being targeted. I hope that's not the case," Wright said.

A Summit Sotheby's International Realty representative said the firm and two banks that have been targeted are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible.

People with information about the cases may contact the Police Department at 615-5500 or the department's anonymous-tip line, 615-5847. The police also offer an online tip form on the department's section of the City Hall website, www.parkcity.org. Select the 'City Directory' option under the 'Government' button and then select 'Police.' Choose 'Crime Reports - TipSoft' and then the www.tipsubmit.com link at the bottom of the page. The direct link is: https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=994 .

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npower Reports Lack Of Funding A Key Barrier To Improving Energy Efficiency Of Social Housing

June 22, 2012, 1:40 pm -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- The youngsters from Oldfallings Youth Group were delighted to learn that their annual residential visit to the Camas Centre, on the Isle of Mull, was still going ahead, despite initial promises of funding having fallen through. Youth helper, Andy Brown (24), who lives in Oldfallings, decided to ask his employer, npower, to help out.

Around 14 youngsters were scheduled to go on the week-long trip and had been looking forward to it for some time. Andy explained: "We stay in an old fishing hut without distractions like mobile phones and TV; there is no electricity or gas and we all find out how easy it is to get along and the pleasure of being outdoors in such beautiful countryside.

"The withdrawal of funding was a huge blow to us and put the group's finances into a precarious position. I applied for a donation from npower's Community Volunteer Award programme and the cheque for ?500 recently came through. The news was welcome relief for us all."

The members of the youth group, who are all aged 13 to 18, take part in outward bound activities including walking, sailing and fishing. Andy, a former member, started to help the group leader, Richard Lockley, six years ago, volunteering to run activities for the youngsters at the club?s weekly Sunday evening meeting.

Michelle Barron, npower's Charity and Volunteering officer, said the financial support is in recognition of Andy's commitment to his youth group: "This award has meant the youngsters from Oldfallings Youth Group could enjoy their planned visit and reduce the financial burden on their leaders. We have several employees, like Andy, who give their time to help others and we are delighted to be able to support their contribution to their communities."

About RWE npower
RWE npower is an integrated energy business, generating electricity and supplying gas, electricity and related services to customers across the UK. We operate and manage flexible, low-cost coal, oil and gas-fired power stations - generating over 11 GW of electricity. We serve around 6.5 million customer accounts and produce more than 10% of the electricity used in England and Wales. We are also on twitter - @npowerhq, Facebook and Youtube.

PR Contact:
Kelly Brown
npower
Bridgwater Road
Worcester
WR4 9FP
0845 070 2807
www.npower.com

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Ex-Penn St. assistant Sandusky guilty of sex abuse

In this booking photo released early Saturday morning June 23, 2012 by the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, Pa., former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is shown. Sandusky was convicted on Friday, June 22, 2012, of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.. (AP Photo/Centre County Correctional Facility)

In this booking photo released early Saturday morning June 23, 2012 by the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, Pa., former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is shown. Sandusky was convicted on Friday, June 22, 2012, of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.. (AP Photo/Centre County Correctional Facility)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, center, leaves the Centre County Courthouse in custody with Centre County Sheriff Denny Nau, left, after being found guilty of multiple charges of child sexual abuse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In this courtroom sketch, Judge John Cleland, second from left, defendant former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, right, and his lawyer Karl Rominger, second from right, listen at the verdict in Sandusky's child sexual abuse trial is read by the jury foreman at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was found guilty of 45 charges of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Aggie Kenny)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, rear, leaves the Centre County Courthouse with a Centre County Sheriff's deputy after being found guilty of multiple charges of child sexual abuse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse Friday, June 22, 2012, after being found guilty in his sexual abuse trial, in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Nabil K. Mark)

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) ? For years, the children Jerry Sandusky had preyed upon kept quiet about what the former Penn State assistant football coach did to them in echoing shower stalls, empty hotel rooms and the muffled confines of his basement bedroom.

Late Friday, after a swift trial and less than two days of deliberations, a jury issued an emphatic verdict: Sandusky was guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse, meaning the man once considered a successor to coach Joe Paterno will likely die in prison.

The verdict is not the end of the scandal that took down Paterno and deeply shook the state's most prominent university. It will play out for years in courtrooms and through a set of ongoing investigations.

But the trial did present one piece of finality: Sandusky was taken away in handcuffs to the county jail. Sentencing will be in about three months, but mandatory minimums will keep him behind bars for life.

"One of the recurring themes in this case was, 'Who would believe a kid?'" Attorney General Linda Kelly said. "The answer is, we in Bellefonte, Pa., would believe a kid."

Sandusky, a retired defensive coach, showed little emotion as the verdict was read, giving his wife, Dottie, and family members a half-wave as the county sheriff led him away.

There were only three acquittals among the charges related to 10 victims, eight of whom took the stand to describe fondling, forced oral sex and anal rape. Many of the accusers testified that they had told no one of the abuse that dated as far back as the mid-1990s ? not parents, not girlfriends and not police.

The accuser known in court papers as Victim 6, whose mother alerted authorities in 1998 after Sandusky took her son into a shower, broke down in tears upon hearing the verdicts in the courtroom. Afterward, a prosecutor embraced him and said, "Did I ever lie to you?"

The man, now 25, testified that Sandusky called himself the "tickle monster" in a shower assault. He declined to comment to a reporter afterward. His mother said: "Nobody wins. We've all lost."

One of the three counts for which Sandusky was acquitted concerned Victim 6, an indecent assault charge. The man testified that Sandusky had given him a bear hug in the shower but at one point he just "blacked out."

The other acquittals were an indecent assault charge related to Victim 5, who said Sandusky fondled him in the shower, and an involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charge regarding Victim 2, the boy graduate assistant Mike McQueary saw being attacked in a campus shower.

Almost immediately after the judge adjourned, loud cheers could be heard from a couple hundred people gathered outside the courthouse as word quickly spread that Sandusky had been convicted. The crowd included victim advocates and local residents with their kids. Many held up their smartphones to take pictures as people filtered out of the building.

As Sandusky was placed in the cruiser to be taken to jail, someone yelled at him to "rot in hell!" Others hurled insults and he shook his head no in response.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola was interrupted by cheers from the crowd on the courthouse steps when he said, "The sentence that Jerry will receive will be a life sentence."

In addition to the eight who testified, there were two yet-unidentified victims for whom prosecutors relied on testimony from a university janitor and McQueary, whose account of a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a boy of about 10 years old ultimately led to the Paterno's dismissal and the university president's ouster.

Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense.

After the verdict was announced, defense attorney Karl Rominger said it was "a tough case" with a lot of charges and that an appeal was certain. He said the defense team "didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare."

The ex-coach had repeatedly denied the allegations, and his defense suggested that his accusers had a financial motive to make up stories, years after the fact. His attorneys also painted Sandusky as the victim of overzealous police investigators who coached the alleged victims into giving accusatory statements.

One accuser testified that Sandusky molested him in the locker-room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips to bowl games. He also said Sandusky had sent him "creepy love letters."

Another spoke of forced oral sex and instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky's home, including abuse that left him bleeding. He said he once tried to scream for help, knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs, but figured the basement must be soundproof.

Another, a foster child, said Sandusky warned that he would never see his family again if he ever told anyone what happened.

And just hours after the case went to jurors, lawyers for one of Sandusky's six children, Matt, said he had told authorities that his father abused him.

Matt Sandusky had been prepared to testify on behalf of prosecutors, his lawyers said in a statement. The lawyers said they arranged for Matt Sandusky to meet with law enforcement officials but did not explain why he didn't testify.

"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy," the statement said. It didn't go into details about his allegations.

Defense witnesses, including Dottie Sandusky, described Sandusky's philanthropic work with children over the years, and many spoke in positive terms about his reputation in the community. Prosecutors had portrayed those efforts as an effective means by which Sandusky could camouflage his molestation as he targeted boys who were the same age as participants in The Second Mile, a charity he founded in the 1970s for at-risk youth.

Sandusky's arrest in November led the Penn State trustees to fire Paterno as head coach, saying he exhibited a lack of leadership after fielding a report from McQueary. The scandal also led to the ouster of university President Graham Spanier and criminal charges against two university administrators for failing to properly report suspected child abuse and perjury.

The two administrators, athletic director Tim Curley and now-retired vice president Gary Schultz, are fighting the allegations and await trial.

The family of Paterno, who died exactly five months before Sandusky's conviction, released a statement saying: "Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today's verdict is an important milestone. The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families."

In a statement, Penn State praised the accusers who testified and said that it planned to invite the victims of Sandusky's abuse to participate in a private program to address their concerns and compensate them for claims related to the school.

Sandusky had initially faced 52 counts of sex abuse. Prosecutors dropped one count and the judge tossed three others during the trial, on grounds two were unproven, one was brought under a statute that didn't apply and another was duplicative.

Associated Press

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