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Thursday, April 18, 2013

New U.S. rocket cleared for test flight from Virginia spaceport

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A second U.S. company hired by NASA to fly cargo to the International Space Station was cleared to test-fly its Antares rocket from a newly developed commercial spaceport in Virginia, officials said on Tuesday.

Orbital Sciences Corp. plans to launch its 130-foot (40-meter) -tall Antares rocket late Wednesday afternoon from the newly built Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility south of Chincoteague, Virginia.

The rocket will carry an 8,378-pound (3,800-kg) dummy capsule designed to mimic the company's Cygnus spacecraft, which is slated to debut on Antares' second flight this summer.

Like startup Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, a privately-owned firm based in Hawthorne, California, Orbital Sciences built its cargo ship in partnership with NASA. SpaceX followed up a May 2012 test flight with two cargo runs to the space station under a $1.6 billion contract.

In addition to winning $288 million from NASA for Antares and Cygnus development, Orbital holds a $1.9 billion contract to fly cargo to the station, a $100 billion research laboratory that flies about 250 miles above Earth.

SpaceX also is working to upgrade its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to fly astronauts to the station. Orbital lost out on its bid to develop a space taxi service, but hopes to parlay its cargo-hauling business into additional government and commercial contracts.

"We feel pretty strongly that a successful test flight, and also a successful demo (run to the space station) later, will help us in our marketing a great deal," said Frank Culbertson, executive vice president with Orbital Sciences and a former astronaut and NASA manager.

The company had hoped to debut its new rocket and capsule more than a year ago, but the program was delayed due to construction and certification issues with the Wallops Island launch pad.

NASA regularly flies small suborbital rockets, high-altitude balloons and scientific airplanes from Wallops. The Antares booster will be the biggest rocket to be launched from the island.

BREAKING NEW GROUND

The goal of Wednesday's mission is to place the simulated Cygnus cargo ship into an orbit about 160 miles above the planet, demonstrating the rocket's lift capacity and the ability to separate the payload.

The test capsule is expected to remain in orbit for about two weeks before gravitational tugging by Earth will cause it to fall back into the atmosphere and incinerate.

Unlike SpaceX Dragon capsules which return intact to Earth, the Cygnus spacecraft - like the Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships that also service the station - burn up in the atmosphere after they undock.

Orbital Sciences, however, says it could keep a Cygnus spacecraft in orbit for up to about a year, enabling it to serve as a platform for science instruments and experiments after it departs the station.

The company has been a NASA, Department of Defense and commercial supplier of launch vehicles, satellites and other spacecraft since shortly after its founding in 1982. The Dulles, Va.-based firm employs about 3,600 people. Last year, it reported revenues of about $1.5 billion.

(Editing by David Adams and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-rocket-cleared-test-flight-virginia-spaceport-231337383--finance.html

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Boston Marathon bombing has Russia concerned about its own event security

The bombs that struck the famous Boston Marathon on Monday were watched by Russians with a mixture of horror and sympathy for the victims.

But the tragedy also triggered a rising note of concern about matters closer to home: Russia is set to host three high-profile global sports events in the next year, and few believe that Russian security forces are anywhere near ready to protect them against a sophisticated attack.

"For Russia, which is about to stage a lot of large-scale events, this is a serious wakeup call," Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko was quoted as saying by the official RIA-Novosti agency. "Of course, we will toughen up our security measures."

RECOMMENDED: Quiz: How much do you know about terrorism?

President Vladimir Putin immediately condemned the "barbarous" attacks in Boston, extended condolences to Americans and, in a message posted on the Kremlin website, pledged that Russia "will be ready, if necessary, to assist in the US authorities? investigation."

The Russian government has lobbied hard and spent a vast fortune for the opportunity to host several major sports spectacles, which raise Russia's profile on the world stage and showcase its undeniable economic progress over the past decade. Mr. Putin has repeatedly warned his security forces to prepare for the possibility that terrorists, also seeking the limelight, may target those events.

They include the global student Universiade championships, which are expected to attract more than 12,000 participants from 170 countries in June this year. They'll be held in the Volga city of Kazan, where extreme Islamist terrorists gunned down two moderate clerics last year.

In August, the World Championships in Athletics will be hosted by Moscow, a city that has been repeatedly hit by deadly attacks by terrorists operating out of Russia's restive northern Caucasus region.

"Terrorists don't choose any old target, but the more vulnerable areas from the security services' point of view. Sports events that take place in the open air are harder to protect because [attacks] can happen anywhere," the head of the Russian Athletics Federation, Vyacheslav Balakhnichev, told journalists Tuesday. Early next year, Russia will host the Sochi Winter Games, the most expensive Olympics ever and what experts describe as a security nightmare.

"It's way more complicated in Sochi than it was in Boston," says Andrei Soldatov, co-author of The New Nobility, a study of the Russian security state, and editor of Agentura.ru, an online journal about security issues.

"Sochi is adjacent to the Russian northern Caucasus, where there is an ongoing insurgency, and it abuts Abkhazia," which is a breakaway territory of Georgia, with which Russia fought a brief war in 2008, he says.

"The Olympics are a big, complex event, and it's not just one venue that needs to be protected but a whole, vast area. It would be enough for terrorists to hit in one place to disrupt the entire Games. Nobody can guarantee security in a place like Sochi," he adds.

Some Russian policymakers say the Boston attack and the palpable threat to Russia's upcoming sporting events demonstrate that the priorities of US-Russia relations have fallen out of kilter. They argue the focus should be urgently reoriented to antiterrorist cooperation rather than the host of acrimonious disputes that have lately bogged bilateral ties down in the worst diplomatic chill since the cold war.

In the past week alone, the US and Russia have fusilladed one other with blacklists of allegedly criminal officials on the other side, and these people ? most of whom have never been convicted in any court of law ? now face public shame and overseas sanctions.

"It is important for Russia-US relations that the American side understands that the main threat to the United States comes not from the people on the Magnitsky List [the alleged Russian criminals blacklisted under US law], but from terrorists," RIA-Novosti quoted Russian Senator Viktor Ozerov as saying. "Our countries should make a mutual effort to fight this evil instead of writing up lists and counter-lists."

Dmitry Golochkin, a security specialist with the Russian Public Chamber, a Kremlin-sponsored assembly of civil society groups, says the attacks in Boston should focus everyone's mind on the basic priorities of civilization.

"Terrorism is a challenge to the whole world, and particularly to Russia," he says.

"For the past few years we've had relative calm, and there's an impression that the terrorist threat is technically under control. I hope this is not just the calm before the storm."

RECOMMENDED: Quiz: How much do you know about terrorism?

Ozzy Osbourne denies divorce rumors

Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne.

By Paul Casciato, Reuters

Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne apologized on Tuesday for bingeing on drink and drugs over the last year and a half but said he was not getting a divorce from his wife Sharon.

The British singer's comments on his Facebook page were a response to media speculation about the state of his marriage, with reports that he and Sharon had split up after more than 30 years and were living separately.

"Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing," Osbourne, 64, said on his Facebook page. "I'm just trying to be a better person."

He said he had been drinking and taking drugs for the last year and a half and had been in a "very dark place", but has now been sober for 44 days.

Osbourne, who made his name as lead singer of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, has frequently spoken over the years about his battle with drugs and alcohol and has spent time in rehabilitation clinics.

"I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period ... and my fans," wrote Osbourne.

The Osbournes have become one of Hollywood's most famous couples since starring in a reality television show, "The Osbournes", alongside two of their children, Jack and Kelly, which gave an insight into their family life in Beverly Hills.

Sharon Osbourne, 60, is a regular panelist on U.S. reality TV talent show "America's Got Talent" and played out a battle with colon cancer in public.

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AT&T's Galaxy S 4 page lists April 30th ship date, $199 / $639 price for 16GB

We saw AT&T open up a registration page for the Galaxy S 4 almost as soon as Samsung's presentation was over, but now that link is exposing a bit more information. Several tipsters let us know that for customers in certain areas, the website is now showing the 16GB GS 4 available for pre-order in White Frost or Black Mist. Some of the details are visible to all, including that the phone is promised to ship April 30th and has an off-contract price tag of $639 ($199 w/ two-year agreement). Those who can get further in the ordering process report it's expected to arrive at their homes on or before May 3rd, with two-day shipping. Hit the link below if you're moved to get your pre-order for Samsung's latest standard-bearer in as soon as possible.

[Thanks, Stephen, Asim, Jeff]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, AT&T

Comments

Source: AT&T

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/QRxIgab3Hlc/

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Following a Western style diet may lead to greater risk of premature death

Apr. 15, 2013 ? Data from a new study of British adults suggest that adherence to a "Western-style" diet (fried and sweet food, processed and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products) reduces a person's likelihood of achieving older ages in good health and with higher functionality. Study results appear in the May issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

"The impact of diet on specific age-related diseases has been studied extensively, but few investigations have adopted a more holistic approach to determine the association of diet with overall health at older ages," says lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly, PhD, Inserm, Montpellier, France. "We examined whether diet, assessed in midlife, using dietary patterns and adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), is associated with aging phenotypes, identified after a mean 16-year follow-up."

The AHEI is a validated index of diet quality, originally designed to provide dietary guidelines with the specific intention to combat major chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Investigators analyzed findings from the British Whitehall II cohort study, which suggest that following the AHEI can double the odds of reversing metabolic syndrome, a condition known to be a strong predictor of heart disease and mortality. The research team sought to identify dietary factors that can not only prevent premature death, but also promote ideal aging.

Researchers followed 3,775 men and 1,575 women from 1985-2009 with a mean age of 51 years from the Whitehall II study. Using a combination of hospital data, results of screenings conducted every five years, and registry data, investigators identified mortality and chronic diseases among participants. The outcomes at follow-up stage, classified into 5 categories were:

1. Ideal aging, defined as free of chronic conditions and high performance in physical, mental, and cognitive functioning tests -- 4.0 percent

2. Nonfatal cardiovascular event -- 12.7 percent

3. Cardiovascular death -- 2.8 percent

4. Noncardiovascular death -- 7.3 percent

5. Normal aging -- 73.2 percent

The study determined that participants with low adherence to the AHEI increased their risk of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death. Those who followed a "Western-type diet" consisting of fried and sweet food, processed food and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products lowered their chances for ideal aging.

"We showed that following specific dietary recommendations such as the one provided by the AHEI may be useful in reducing the risk of unhealthy aging, while avoidance of the 'Western-type foods' might actually improve the possibility of achieving older ages free of chronic diseases and remaining highly functional," notes Dr. Akbaraly. "A better understanding of the distinction between specific health behaviors that offer protection against diseases and those that move individuals towards ideal aging may facilitate improvements in public health prevention packages."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Elsevier, via AlphaGalileo.

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

Journal Reference:

Tasnime Akbaraly, S?verine Sabia, Gareth Hagger-Johnson, Adam G. Tabak, Martin J. Shipley, Markus Jokela, Eric J. Brunner, Mark Hamer, G. David Batty, Archana Singh-Manoux, Mika Kivimaki. Does Overall Diet in Midlife Predict Future Aging Phenotypes? A Cohort Study. The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 126, Issue 5 (May 2013) DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.10.028

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/JuBmpWr4Va4/130415124542.htm

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Kerry says Japanese students shun U.S. because of guns

Secretary of State John Kerry listens to questions during a news conference in Beijing April 13, 2013. (Paul J.??Secretary of State John Kerry said in Tokyo Monday that fewer Japanese students are coming to the United States because their parents are afraid of gun violence.

Kerry, wrapping up a trip to Asia at a time of high tensions with North Korea, told CNN in an interview that American officials told him that parents think their kids just aren?t safe in the U.S. of A.

"We had an interesting discussion about why fewer students are coming to?particularly from Japan?to study in the United States, and one of the responses I got from our officials from conversations with parents here is that they're actually scared. They think they're not safe in the United States and so they don't come," Kerry said.

The top U.S. diplomat had been asked whether he had heard concerns during his overseas trip about the ongoing debate in Washington over how best to tamp down gun violence.

While he was in Asia, Kerry said, some foreign officials mentioned ?how safe it is over here, in this country, where people are not running around with guns."

It's not clear that the ongoing debate?or the slaughter of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn.?has had that much of a chilling effect on students coming to American colleges and universities. But the portrayal of American gun violence in Japanese media has often had a sharp tone, much of it tied to a 1993 incident in which a man shot dead a Japanese exchange student who was on his way to a Halloween party and apparently rang the wrong doorbell.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/john-kerry-says-japanese-students-shun-u-because-133801711--politics.html

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Dell XPS 18 is up for pre-order online: $900 and up, shipping in May

Add this to the list of Tax Day surprises: the Dell XPS 18 all-in-one is available for pre-order online one day ahead of schedule. The giant tablet / semi-portable desktop won't actually ship until the first week in May, but you can add one of three configurations to your cart now. The entry-level model, with a Pentium processor and a 320GB hard drive, will set you back $900, while Core i3 and Core i5 versions are priced at $1,000 and $1,350, respectively. We liked what we saw when we went hands-on with the 4.85-pound PC: its flip-out feet let you transition between slate and desktop mode easily, and the 1080 capacitive touch display is very crisp. Admittedly, there is only a handful of tabletop Windows 8 slates, but the XPS 18 can hold its own against the Sony VAIO Tap 20 and Lenovo's jumbo-sized Horizon Table PC. Click through to Dell's US site for more details.

[Thanks, Tom]

Filed under: Desktops, Tablets, Dell

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Source: Dell

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/15/dell-xps-18-hybrid-preorder/

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