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Source: http://twitter.com/pedaah/statuses/239137181732577281
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Sunday, August 26, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
LG Has Started Production on Super Thin Screens Supposedly for the iPhone 5 [Rumors]
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Nicolas Villar, Research, Microsoft Research: .NET Gadgeteer: A Platform for Custom Devices
Nicolas Villar, Research, Microsoft Research
Friday, August 24, 2012, 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Location: Engineering 2, Room 215
Hosted By the Center for Games and Playable Media
?
.NET Gadgeteer is an open-source prototyping platform conceived to make it easier to design and build?custom?electronic devices. It is comprised of three main elements: solder-less plug-and-play modular electronic hardware; object-oriented managed software libraries which are accessible using a high-level programming language and established development environment; and 3D design and construction tools designed to facilitate a great deal of control over the form factor of the resulting electronic devices. Each of these elements is designed to be accessible to a wide range of people with varying backgrounds and levels of?experience?and at the same time provide enough flexibility to allow experts to build relatively?sophisticated devices and complex systems?in less time than they are used to.
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Nicolas Villar is a researcher at Microsoft Research, based in Cambridge, UK. His current research focuses on understanding and developing technologies that enable computing devices to be rapidly prototyped, manufactured and deployed. The work is driven by a vision for customizable and reusable objects can be digitally designed and built to be adaptable, upgradeable and modular. He is also interested in the development of novel input devices and interaction techniques.
Source: http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/events/event/2779
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GM rice 'thrives in poor soils'
22 August 2012
Last updated at 18:46 ET
A gene from wild Indian rice plants can significantly raise the yield of common varieties in nutrient-poor soils.
Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) identified a gene that helps uptake of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, and transferred it into commercial strains.
Their yield was about 60% above normal in phosphorus-poor soils, the team reports in the journal Nature.
Large swathes of Asia have soil that is phosporus-deficient.
The gene came from a variety called Kasalath, native to nutrient-poor soils of eastern India.
About 10 years ago, scientists deduced that Kalasath contained one or more genes that allowed it to grow successfully in low-phosphorus conditions.
It took the Irri team three years to identify the gene responsible, which they have named PSTOL1.
"We got the [DNA] sequence of this region, but the region is very complex and it was very difficult to identify what is an actual gene and what is not," lead researcher Sigrid Heuer told BBC News.
"There's so much work being done on phosphorus pathways and we could never find the genes and the mechanisms, and actually it's very simple - the gene promotes larger root growth, so the plant takes up nutrients more easily."
In phosporus-poor soils, PSTOL1 switches on during an early stage of root development.
This increases the area of root in contact with the soil, enabling the plant to scavenge more phosphorus.
Although the researchers focussed on this one key nutrient, they found the faster root growth also helped uptake of nitrogen and potassium, which are also vital for the plant's development.
Breeding successThe scientists then used genetic engineering to transfer PSTOL1 into plants from two main rice lineages - indica and japonica.
When they were raised in phosphorus-poor soils, their yields were about 60% higher than un-modified plants.
Continue reading the main story?Start Quote
End Quote Dr Sigrid Heuer International Rice Research InstituteThe aim is super-tolerance - we're working on this, and within the next five to 10 years this will be a reality?
Subsequently, the team was able to cross-breed Kasalath with conventionally used strains, using molecular markers to guide the process.
These also produced high yields in poor soil.
Commenting on the research in Nature, Prof Leon Kochian from Cornell University, US, said phosphorus was "probably the most limiting mineral nutrient for plants".
About half of the world's agriculural land is deficient in the substance. This does not mean the element is absent, but that it is locked up in forms from which plant roots are poor at liberating it.
Usually, farmers combat the issue by deploying fertilisers containing phosphate compounds and other essential nutrients.
But there are concerns that the supply will be difficult to maintain in the long term, as it comes principally from rock types that are not very common.
Super ambitionThe Irri team next plans to share the marker-assisted breeding process with other scientists in rice-growing areas of the world, so they can cross Kasalath with locally used varieties and see how they perform.
The package of science is all openly published and publicly accessible with no intellectual property rights involved, which was a condition of funding from the Generation Challenge Program.
The longer term ambition is to create "super-tolerant" strains that can grow successfully in a range of conditions.
Genes involved would confer tolerance to drought, salinity, and inundation - the last using the Sub1A gene, which was also discovered in a wild rice variety six years ago and allows plants to survive entirely underwater for at least two weeks.
The team believes that these useful genes are likely to exist in wild varieties such as Kalasath.
"This group [of varieties] is a real treasure chest - there are lots of stress genes preserved in it," said Dr Heuer.
"The aim is super-tolerance - we're working on this, and within the next five to 10 years this will be a reality."
The research illustrates the usefulness of studying a variety of crop strains. PSTOL1 and Sub1A are completely absent from the varieties that have had their entire genomes sequenced.
The Irri team is also working with other scientists to target phosphorus-tolerance genes in other important food crops such as sorghum.
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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19336653#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Nick Jonas: I'm being considered for 'Idol' judge
Ben Hider / Getty Images file
By Us Weekly
Straight from a JoBro's mouth! Day after Us Weekly reported that Nick Jonas?was a frontrunner to fill one of the two vacant seats at the judges' table of?"American Idol,"?the singer confirmed the possibility -- and his unabashed enthusiasm! -- via Twitter on Saturday.
Photos from Us: 'Idol' judges then and now
"The rumors are true ? I am being considered to be a judge on American Idol," Jonas, 19, wrote to his 4.6 million followers. "And it would be a dream come true if it happens. #nickonidol."
Insiders told Us last Monday that, in the wake of the departures of Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez -- plus the rumored transition of judge Randy Jackson to a mentoring role -- both Jonas plus rapper/producer Pharrell Williams were contenders to join the panel. Mariah Carey was confirmed as a new judge July 20, with sources telling Us she'll earn a whopping $18 million a year.
Photos from Us: Most shocking 'Idol' eliminations ever
What makes Jonas a perfect fit? "('American Idol' producers) think he can help bring that younger demo to the show," a source told Us.
39-year-old Williams (who has produced hit records for Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani), meanwhile, is currently negotiating his contract. "Everything is looking good," a source said.
Photos: Amazing 'Idol' makeovers
A rep for FOX had no comment on Monday about Jonas and Williams.
Do you think bringing Nick Jonas on as a judge would help or hurt "Idol"? Tell us on our Facebook page!
Would Nick be a good judge?
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McCain, Haley among first announced for GOP confab
FILE - In this April 17, 2012, file photo, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers questions from reporters at Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. The Republican National Committee has announced that Rice will be one of the speakers at the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
FILE - In this April 17, 2012, file photo, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers questions from reporters at Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. The Republican National Committee has announced that Rice will be one of the speakers at the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
FILE - In this May 5, 2011, file photo, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks in Greenville, S.C. The Republican National Committee has announced that Haley will be one of the speakers at the GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/ Richard Shiro)
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2012, photo, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez speaks in Santa Fe, N.M. The Republican National Committee has announced that Martinez will be one of the speakers at the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)
FILE - In this March 28, 2012 file photo, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Republican National Committee has announced that McCain will be one of the speakers at the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE - Int this Feb. 7, 2012, file photo, Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at Wells Academy/Steubenville High School in Steubenville, Ohio. The Republican National Committee has announced that Kasich will be one of the speakers at the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A trio of female firsts and three former GOP presidential contenders are among the first speakers disclosed for the Republican National Convention at the end of the month in Tampa, Fla.
The convention schedule is packed with high-profile names to fire up divergent wings of the Republican Party, from social conservatives to fiscal hawks. They will speak before Mitt Romney accepts the presidential nomination.
Convention leaders were not ready to announce the keynote speaker, a prime speaking slot that has the potential to catapult a rising member of the party to national prominence.
The schedule's outlines were first reported late Sunday by The Tampa Bay Times and were confirmed to The Associated Press by Republican officials with direct knowledge of the plan. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because convention officials had not yet announced the schedule.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, the first female governors of their states, are among party leaders slated to address the gathering that begins Aug. 27. Martinez has the additional distinction of being the country's first female Hispanic governor.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the first black female to hold that job, is also scheduled to speak.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona was set to speak, as well as a one-time rival, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. The two, along with Romney, vied for the 2008 presidential nomination. McCain outlasted Romney and the former Baptist pastor in the primary campaign.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who briefly ran for the GOP nomination in 2000, also was to speak at the convention along with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, whose state is playing host. Both are tea party favorites and are set to speak to fiscal issues many Republicans hold dear.
"They are some of our party's brightest stars, who have governed and led effectively and admirably in their respective roles," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in prepared remarks. "These speakers ? and those that will be announced later ? will help make it a truly memorable and momentous event."
Republicans are holding back on announcing other speakers, including the keynote speaker.
In 2004, a little-known state senator from Illinois named Barack Obama used his turn at the Democratic National Convention in Boston to gain national prominence and ? four years later ? the White House.
When someone is announced as keynote speaker that could indicate that Romney has decided against that person as a running mate.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin are both big names in the party believed to be among those Romney is weighing for the vice presidential slot or for the keynote address. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio also were noticeably absent from the slate of announced speakers and may be contenders for running mate.
If passed over for the vice presidential pick, there is a very good chance they would earn speaking slots ? if not the keynote.
The speakers already announced suggest where Romney is looking to make progress as voters start to pay attention to the fall campaign.
The all-important female vote clearly is a priority ? evidenced by the choices of Haley, Martinez and Rice. Polls through the spring showed President Barack Obama outpacing Romney among female voters, although strategists from both parties say that gender gap is narrowing. A strong play for female voters at the convention should be expected.
Haley, who backed Romney in her state's first-in-the-South primary, is the youngest sitting governor and her husband will deploy to Afghanistan next year. She probably will have a strong message for military families, and for younger voters.
Martinez, who made history in her state and nationally when she was elected, could appeal to Hispanic women, a sizable demographic that broke for Obama four years ago. She can also address voters who feel securing the nation's Southern border is a top concern.
And Rice, an academic who served President George W. Bush as national security adviser and as secretary of state, could appeal to working women and those who put the United States' security as a top concern.
Some suggested she would be an excellent choice for Romney's running mate but Republican conservatives led a revolt, citing her support for abortion rights.
Romney, with limited foreign policy credentials, needs leading foreign policy figures like Rice to vouch for him.
Another prominent voice on foreign policy, McCain, will speak up for Romney.
The Senate veteran, who was a prisoner of war during Vietnam, remains among his party's most visible figures. His dislike for Romney has apparently faded since their primary fight four years ago.
"In these challenging times, America needs Mitt Romney in the White House," McCain said in a statement Republicans planned to release Monday. "The Republican National Convention in Tampa will help give us the momentum to get him there."
Another GOP rival from 2008, former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee, also will try to help Romney.
Huckabee's appeal among social conservatives has not shrunk and his backing is likely to help evangelicals who have been slow to warm to Romney and his Mormon faith.
Among tea party supporters, Romney will get a boost from Kasich. His home state of Ohio is a linchpin in Romney's strategy and no Republican has won the White House without carrying the perennial Midwestern battleground. No Democrat has won without winning Ohio since John F. Kennedy won the presidency in 1960.
Florida is another key state for both campaigns. Florida's Gov. Scott will address the convention, customary when the incumbent governor's party hosts the convention.
Democrats have started rolling out their convention schedule. Marking a first for Hispanics, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro will deliver the high-profile, prime-time keynote address on the convention's opening night, Sept. 4, in Charlotte, N.C. First lady Michelle Obama will also address convention delegates that night.
Former President Bill Clinton and Elizabeth Warren, the party's popular Senate candidate in Massachusetts, will have prime speaking roles at the convention on Sept. 5.
Vice President Joe Biden and Obama will speak in prime time on Thursday, Sept. 6, the convention's final night.
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Bank may lose NY license over ties to Iran
(Please be advised that paragraph 6 contains reference to language some readers may find offensive)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In a rare move, New York's top bank regulator threatened to strip the state banking license of Standard Chartered Plc, saying it was a "rogue institution" that hid $250 billion in transactions tied to Iran, in violation of U.S. law.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Monday said the British bank "schemed" with the Iranian government and hid from law-enforcement officials some 60,000 secret transactions to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in fees over nearly 10 years.
At the same time, it exposed the U.S. banking system to terrorists, drug traffickers and corrupt states, the department said.
The loss of a New York banking license would be a devastating blow for a foreign bank, effectively cutting off direct access to the U.S. bank market. Standard Chartered processes $190 billion every day for global clients, the New York bank regulator said.
In an unusual look inside a bank, the regulator described how Standard Chartered officials debated whether to continue Iranian dealings. In October 2006, the top official for business in the Americas, whom the regulator did not name, warned in a "panicked message" that the Iranian dealings could cause "catastrophic reputational damage" and "serious criminal liability."
A top executive in London shot back: "You f---ing Americans. Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world, that we're not going to deal with Iranians." The reply showed "obvious contempt for U.S. banking regulations," the regulator said.
Standard Chartered is the third British bank to be ensnared in U.S. law-enforcement probes this summer. Barclays Plc agreed to pay $453 million to settle U.S. and UK probes that it rigged a global benchmark in June. A month later, a U.S. Senate panel issued a scathing report that criticized HSBC Holding Plc's efforts to police suspect transactions, including Mexican drug traffickers.
In a statement Standard Chartered said the bank "does not believe the order issued by the DFS presents a full and accurate picture of the facts."
The bank said it shared with U.S. agencies an analysis that demonstrated it "acted to comply, and overwhelmingly did comply" with U.S. regulations. Standard Chartered put the total value of Iran-related transactions that did not follow regulations at under $14 million.
"The group was therefore surprised to receive the order from the DFS, given that discussions with the agencies were ongoing," Standard Chartered said. "We intend to discuss these matters with the DFS and to contest their position."
DFS declined further comment.
The Iranian Embassy in Washington was not immediately available to comment. The Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. economic and trade sanctions against targeted countries, declined to comment.
Standard Chartered, a financier in emerging markets, is the sixth foreign bank since 2008 to be implicated in dealings with sanctioned countries such as Iran in investigations led by federal and New York law-enforcement officials.
Four banks -- Barclays Plc, Lloyds Banking Group, Credit Suisse Group and ING Bank NV -- have agreed to fines and settlements totaling $1.8 billion. HSBC Holdings Plc currently is under investigation by U.S. law enforcement, according to bank regulatory filings.
The New York regulator, headed by former prosecutor Benjamin Lawsky, ordered Standard Chartered to explain why the bank should not lose its state license and the ability to process dollar transactions. Lawsky also ordered the bank to bring in an outside consultant to monitor its transactions.
"Standard Chartered Bank operated as a rogue institution," Lawsky said in the order.
In an unusual move, the regulator also found fault with an outside consultant -- Deloitte LLP -- because the firm "apparently aided" the bank in its deception.
A report by Deloitte had "intentionally omitted critical information" when submitted to regulators, it said. A Deloitte spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Deloitte was hired to conduct a review after Standard Chartered in 2004 was ordered by New York and federal regulators to correct anti-money laundering lapses. The review, known as a "look back," was supposed to identify suspicious transactions between 2002 and 2004. But at one point, Standard Chartered asked Deloitte to "delete" references to certain improper Iranian transactions, according to the New York order.
In a subsequent email, a Deloitte partner said the firm had "agreed" to the request because it was "too politically sensitive for both (Standard Chartered) and Deloitte. That is why I drafted the watered-down version."
In 2007, that report enabled Standard Chartered to show regulators in had corrected flaws in its anti-money laundering systems.
In a statement on Monday, Deloitte said its financial advisory service division "performed its role as independent consultant properly and had no knowledge of any alleged misconduct by bank employees. Allegations otherwise are unsupported by the facts."
Lawsky's investigation is extraordinary because probes into how banks carried out transactions tied to Iran primarily have been led by the district attorney's office in Manhattan and the U.S. Justice Department.
His probe is another sign that the regulator intends to join the New York attorney general and Manhattan district attorney in being a top financial watchdog. The DFS was created in October 2011, effectively assuming oversight of two former banking and insurance regulatory agencies that were abolished.
Probes by the Manhattan district attorney and U.S. Justice Department date to 2006 and have targeted some nine banks. Britain's Barclays agreed to pay $298 million in 2010 after admitting it processed payments for clients tied to Cuba, Sudan and other countries. Lloyds and Credit Suisse agreed to pay settlements of $350 million and $536 million.
In June, ING agreed to pay $619 million to settle allegations that it, too, violated U.S. sanctions against Cuba, Iran and other countries. It was the biggest fine levied against a bank for sanctions violations.
The Justice Department, working with the FBI in New York, is also investigating Standard Chartered's activities for violations of U.S. sanctions.
Standard Chartered, founded in 1853, is headquartered in London, but it specializes in financing in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Lawsky said Standard Chartered moved money through its New York branch on behalf of Iranian financial clients, including the Central Bank of Iran and state-owned Bank Saderat and Bank Melli, that were subject to U.S. sanctions.
Monday's order alleged that Standard Chartered removed codes on money transfers and altered message fields, inserting phrases such as "NO NAME GIVEN" to hide the nature of the transactions.
At the center of concern were alleged "U-Turn" transactions, involving money moved for Iranian clients among banks in Britain and the Middle East and cleared through Standard Chartered's New York branch, but which neither started nor ended in Iran.
Such transactions were permissible until November 2008, when the Treasury Department prohibited them on concerns that they were being used to evade sanctions, and that Iran was using banks to fund nuclear and missile development programs.
The New York order also alleged that even as some banks exited the U-Turn transactions, Standard Chartered hustled to "take the abandoned market share." In a December 2006 memo titled, "Project Gazelle, Report on Iranian Business," bankers discussed how to increase "wallet share" with Iranian clients.
Standard Chartered's stock fell 8 percent in the final 15 minutes of trading in London amid reports of the U.S. probe. Standard Chartered shares closed down 6.2 percent at 14.70 pounds ($22.91).
Chairman John Peace, CEO Peter Sands and Finance Director Richard Meddings could not be reached for comment, and the bank declined to comment beyond its brief statement.
(Additional reporting by Dena Aubin, Joseph Ax, Emily Flitter, Nate Raymond in New York, Aruna Viswanatha in Washington, D.C. and Steve Slater in London; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Alwyn Scott and Leslie Gevirtz)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/york-may-suspend-standard-chartered-over-iran-dealings-161014114--finance.html
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