Wichita State upsets OSU 70-66 for Final Four trip

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Cleanthony Early kept stealing glances down at the hat in his hands while he waited for his turn to climb the stepladder. The Wichita State forward seemed stunned at the words on the side of his brand-new ballcap: "Final Four Atlanta."

"It's crazy. I still can't believe we're here," Early said. "You try to expect it, but you expect a lot of things that don't happen. This really happened."

Believe it. Wichita State is going to Atlanta, and these Shockers are no longer a surprise after the way the tenacious ninth seeds held off mighty Ohio State in the West Regional final.

Malcolm Armstead scored 14 points, Fred Van Vleet bounced in a big basket with 1 minute left, and Wichita State earned its first trip to the Final Four since 1965 with a 70-66 victory over the Buckeyes on Saturday.

Van Vleet scored 12 points as the Shockers (30-8) followed up last week's win over top-ranked Gonzaga with a nail-biting victory over the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-8), whose 11-game winning streak ended one short of their second straight Final Four. Wichita State's 20-point lead in the second half dwindled to three in the final minutes, but several Shockers stepped up with big plays to stop the surge, heeding coach Gregg Marshall's halftime command to "play angry."

All that anger turned into a joyous postgame party at midcourt, even though the Shockers realize they've got more work to do.

"I don't think we're Cinderella at all," Marshall said. "Cinderellas usually are done by this stage. If you get to this point, you can win the whole thing. You beat a No. 1 seed and a No. 2 seed ? I don't think Cinderella just found one glass slipper. I think she found four."

Wichita State is just the fifth team seeded ninth or higher to reach the Final Four since seeding began in 1979, but the second in three years following 11th-seeded VCU's improbable run in 2011. The Shockers' celebration was wild, if a bit disbelieving, in front of several thousand roaring fans.

"Last year we were watching all this on television," said Early, who scored 12 points despite spraining his ankle in the second half. "I just feel like we've got the same potential as those (big-name) guys, regardless if they know who we are or not. We just tend to work hard."

Wichita State roared to a 20-point lead with 11 minutes to play after Ohio State played an awful first half, but LaQuinton Ross scored 15 of his 19 points after halftime, leading a ferocious rally that got the Buckeyes within three points in the final minutes.

Tekele Cotton hit a clutch 3-pointer for Wichita State with 2:20 left and grabbed a key offensive rebound moments later, allowing VanVleet to score on a shot that bounced all over the rim before dropping. Ron Baker and Cotton hit last-minute free throws to secure the second Final Four trip in Wichita State's history and a school-record 30th win.

"We're happy, but I'm still shocked," said Carl Hall, the glasses-wearing big man who scored eight points and led the Shockers' strong defensive effort. "We've got a team full of fighters. I brought them all together near the end and said, 'No matter what happens, I love y'all.' We had to fight so hard. We've got each other's backs, and it's hard to beat a team that's got five guys who work together like us."

Deshaun Thomas scored 21 points after missing nine of his first 12 shots for Ohio State, which made just 24 percent of its first-half shots. Aaron Craft scored nine points on 2-for-12 shooting against Armstead and a host of defenders for the Buckeyes, who dug a hole too deep to escape with their second-half rally.

"The way we shot coming into the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, everything was falling," Thomas said. "Today, it just wasn't our night. Nothing was falling. We had great looks, some of them, but they just weren't falling."

Yet after two weeks of upsets in the wild West bracket, underdog Wichita State seemed an appropriate pick to cut down Staples Center's nets. The Shockers' well-balanced roster managed built that enormous lead with the same consummate team play that they've shown throughout the tournament.

The Shockers are also the kings of Kansas, reaching the national semifinals after the powerful Jayhawks and Kansas State both went down.

Two sections packed with cheering Shockers fans provided all the encouragement necessary for a team that didn't win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and was thought to be a bubble team for an NCAA berth. Now, Wichita State is the MVC's first Final Four team since Larry Bird led Indiana State to the title game in 1979.

Another giant awaits the Shockers in Atlanta next weekend: They'll face the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between Duke and Louisville.

"We're all new to this, but I think we're ready for this," Early said. "We're going to prepare ourselves, and this game was pretty good preparation. We started at the bottom, and we've been working our way up."

Everybody chipped in for the Shockers. Armstead, the Oregon transfer, was named the regional's top player. Baker made nine free throws without a miss on his 20th birthday. And both Early and Hall returned to the court with second-half injuries, pushing Wichita State forward.

Seven seasons after underdog George Mason crashed the Final Four and underlined college basketball's growing parity, the Shockers are the latest smallish school to get on a big roll in the tournament. Butler made the national championship game in 2010 and 2011, and the Bulldogs were joined by that VCU team in the Final Four two years ago.

This year's tournament included stunning wins by Florida Gulf Coast, La Salle and Harvard, but nobody kept it going longer than Wichita State.

Although the Shockers have a beautiful home arena and robust support from fans and donors in Kansas' largest city, Marshall acknowledged that Wichita State's athletic budget is a fraction of what a BCS school can spend. He hasn't let it slow the Shockers, who made the NCAA tournament last year only to lose to 12th-seeded VCU in the first round.

After the Shockers easily beat La Salle two days ago to reach their first regional final since 1981, Marshall's pregame speech to the Shockers on Saturday finished with talk of cutting down the nets at Staples Center before getting on that plane back to Kansas, saying Wichita State didn't have to play "a perfect game" to beat mighty Ohio State.

"The Mecca awaits in Atlanta," he said.

Marshall was right, but he couldn't have anticipated just how imperfect Ohio State would be.

The postseason-tested Buckeyes appeared calm and confident during warmups in front of their healthy fan contingent, yet they proceeded to play the first half just like NCAA newbies.

They missed their first seven shots after the opening tip in a string capped by an airballed 3-pointer from Thomas, who missed his first five overall. The junior star was labeled "a bad-shot taker and a bad-shot maker" by Marshall on Friday, but he only lived up to the first part of that billing while going 4 for 13 in the first half.

Early hit two 3-pointers in the opening minutes, and the Shockers stretched their lead to 13 points shortly before halftime.

"You've got to give them credit," Craft said. "They really came out firing and we really didn't regain our footing until it was too late."

Hall went to the locker room after drawing a charge from Thomas early in the second half, holding the back of his head after Thomas' elbow clipped him on the jaw. Hall found his glasses and got back in the game 66 seconds later.

Wichita State gradually stretched its lead early in the second half, with Early's layup putting the Shockers up 53-33 with 12:09 to play.

Ross desperately tried to rally the Buckeyes, scoring eight consecutive points and leading a 23-6 run midway through the second half. Ohio State went into a full-court inbounds defense, and Shannon Scott's free throws with 2:49 left cut the lead to 62-59 ? but Ohio State couldn't get any closer.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wichita-state-upsets-osu-70-66-final-four-014501269--spt.html

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Why Eat Peeps at Easter?

Along with Easter comes a barrage of Easter candy, perhaps none as much a pop-culture curiosity as Peeps. In a 2004 Explainer, Rachel Deahl researched Peeps' ties to Easter and our fascination with the confection. The article is printed below.

A pagan connection to this Easter confection

This Easter Americans will consume an estimated 700 million Marshmallow Peeps. Some will also be consumed by them?fanatics maintain Web sites featuring everything from Peep erotica, dubbed "Peep Smut," to an inventive online movie called "Lord of the Peeps," and each year at least a few newspapers print odes to the candy. But for all the fascination with Peeps, it's never been clear why the sugary treats are associated with Easter. The marshmallow rabbits represent the Easter Bunny, but what do marshmallow chicks have to do with the resurrection of Christ?

As it turns out, chicks have little to do with Jesus and a lot to do with spring. In 1917, Sam Born, a Russian immigrant, opened a small candy shop in New York City that sold chocolates and other confections. When the company grew, Born relocated it to Bethlehem, Pa., and named it Just Born, after a slogan he'd coined to advertise the freshness of his wares. Then, in 1953, Just Born bought a local Pennsylvania confectioner called the Rodda Candy Company.

Although Just Born acquired Rodda for its jelly-bean-making capabilities, the Born family was fascinated with the three-dimensional marshmallow Easter chicks, called Peeps, that Rodda was also making at the time. Lauren Easterly, the Peeps brand manager at Just Born, said that a group of women at Rodda made Peeps by hand in the back of the factory. In 1953, it took Rodda 27 hours to make one Peep. Just Born mechanized Peep production and was able to bring the confection to consumers on a mass scale by 1954.

No one at Just Born could explain why the Rodda Candy Company thought yellow chicks made for appropriate Easter candies. Company spokesmen also couldn't confirm whether Rodda was making marshmallow confections in other shapes in 1953, although Rodda did manufacture marshmallow eggs at one point. Whatever shapes Rodda was making, however, Just Born zeroed in on the chick; the company didn't start distributing the marshmallow candy in other shapes (such as bunnies) until the 1960s.

Candy historians speculate that the Peeps' link to Easter has more to do with the pagan origins of the holiday than its Christian roots. Eggs, and consequently chicks, are a long-standing symbol of fertility and rebirth, an appropriate image for a holiday that celebrates the coming of spring. Originally part of a pagan fertility ritual symbolizing new life, the egg became incorporated into Easter as pagan rites were absorbed into Christianity with the Christianization of Central Europe.

That the Rodda Candy Company was based in Pennsylvania is also of note because German immigrants, many of whom settled in the state, are largely credited with popularizing the Easter Bunny tradition in America. Eastre was a Teutonic goddess of the dawn who was able to change a bird into a rabbit, a creature known for its fertility. In the 19^th century, Germans gave a related gift during the Easter season: a basket of eggs with figures of bunnies placed in it. The Easter basket, and the Easter Bunny, really became popular in this country following the Civil War, and as one candy historian noted, it would have required no great leap of imagination for Rodda (or earlier candy makers) to place a few chicks among the eggs.

Explainer thanks Anthony Aveni of Colgate Univeristy, Beth Kimmerle, and Tim Richardson.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=7e5d74a045e15102b4f9841c368a22dd

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WonderCon '13 | A round-up of news from Saturday | Robot 6 ...

by JK Parkin | March 31, 2013 @ 10:03 AM | 1 Comment |

The Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction

It doesn?t look like there were as many comic-related announcements on Saturday at WonderCon as there were on Friday, but the second day of the con certainly brought some gems.

? IDW and DC announced that Mark Waid (Daredevil, Insufferable) and Paul Smith (Uncanny X-Men, Leave it to Chance) are teaming up for The Rocketeer/Spirit: Pulp Friction. ?Not many writers have been lucky enough to write The Rocketeer or The Spirit,? Waid said in a press release, ?so I feel like I?ve won the lottery. This is one of the most exciting-and scariest-assignments I?ve ever undertaken. Luckily, I?ve got Paul Smith to make me look good!? The first issue of the miniseries arrives in July.

? IDW also announced the creative team for their THUNDER Agents revival. Writer Phil Hester (Godzilla, Wonder Woman) and artist Andrea Di Vito (Dungeons & Dragons) are the latest team to chronicle the adventures of the agents. Dave Sim and Jerry Ordway will provide covers.

? ?Star Trek: After Darkness? will serve as an epilogue to this summer?s big Star Trek sequel. It?ll run in issues #21-23 of IDW?s ongoing Star Trek title, written by regular series writer Mike Johnson with art from Stellar Labs.

? And finally from IDW, the publisher will release Visual Funk, an art book featuring the work of Jim Mahfood, in October, as well as a Black Dynamite miniseries that starts in September. .

? Jeff Smith announced that his next project is called T?ki Save the Humans. It?ll be a free, weekly webcomic, followed by print collections.

? Aspen Comics announced its summer event ?The Elite Saga,? which also serves as a celebration and culmination of 15 years of Fathom.

? Legendary Comics will publish Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero, a prequel to the film coming out this summer. The graphic novel will be written by the film?s writer Travis Beacham and supervised by director Guillermo del Toro. It will feature a cover by Alex Ross and interior art by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet and Pericles Junior with inks by Steve Bird and Mark McKenna.

Tagged: Alex Ross, Andrea Di Vito, Aspen Comics, comic books, comic conventions, DC Comics, graphic novels, Guillermo del Toro, IDW Publishing, Jeff Smith, Jim Mahfood, Legendary Comics, Mark McKenna, Mark Waid, movies, Pacific Rim, Paul Smith, Pericles Junior, Phil Hester, Sean Chen, Steve Bird, the Rocketeer, The Spirit, thunder agents, Travis Beacham, T?ki Save the Humans, webcomics, WonderCon, Yvel Guichet

Source: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/03/wondercon-13-a-round-up-of-news-from-saturday/

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10 Anti-Aging Secrets - Health Guide to Beauty and Skincare ...

It is a dream for sore eyes if the aging process can be delayed. Is it possible to dawdle the aging process? The key to this lies in the foods we devour. There are various foods for consumption that can supplement the diet with nutrients that are loaded with anti aging properties.

Recognizing the foodstuffs that should be eaten is a way of combating the ageing process. Eating a diet splashed with sufficient anti-ageing nutrients can help in holding up the negative effects of the aging process.

Let us list a few secrets have a supple, wrinkle-free and glowing complexion even as you advance into the years.

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Healthy eating

Our skin is a reflection of our diet. Whatever we eat shows up on our faces. Diet has a very important role to play in the anti-aging process. The food taken in by the mouth provides the body with all the various nutrients needed to stay fit and healthy.

The largest organ in our human body, the skin shows off whatever we have put inside the body. Each meal makes a difference so eat right every time. The body relies on nutrients all the time. To keep this up one needs to eat two portions of a fruity diet daily. Fruits are enriched with antioxidants, large amounts of water content and fiber. These three ingredients of the fruits are a blessing for the human body.

Seeds and nuts contain essential fatty acids and are recognized as grand anti-ageing foods. The human beings are incapable of producing EFA?s (essential fatty acids) in the body and have to depend on the nuts for them. EFA?s assist the human body in producing cell membranes that is essential for shielding the cell from harmful substances.

Damaged cell membranes lead to poor cell growth, reduced cell renewal and a speedy ageing as the cells can be attacked by harmful free radicals. EFA?s are also found in abundant quantities in oily fishes like the salmon, cod, and the mackerel. Avocados also are full of EFA?s.

A high protein diet of good quality like eggs, meat and fishes can help ward off ageing temporarily. Proteins are the building blocks and help the body to manufacture new cells and repair itself. Lack of protein leads to weathering of the body as the repair mechanism is not proper.

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Lists of anti-aging foods

Anti-aging foods consist of Seeds of pumpkins, sesame etc, Raw walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, Green tea, Avocado, Green vegetables, melons, and fish. Berries are a rich of antioxidants and remember Water is the elixir of life.

Last and not the least don?t forget to exercise. Exercise promotes longevity, slows down ageing, and helps you stay fit.

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Effect of exercise on DNA and aging

Exercise positively affects the DNA as it retards the aging. People who exercised energetically for at least 3 hours every week had more elongated telomeres showing an age 9 years younger than people who led a stagnant and sedentary life style.

Telomeres are the guarding ends of the chromosomes that condense with age. As the length of the telomeres shorten it leads to various age related ailments. The stress on the body tissues increase as the telomeres need to perform properly.

The body is then affected by illnesses like cancer, blood pressure, mental problems and a lot more. Damage to the body due to free radicals is reduces greatly by exercising the body. This way the body can maintain health instead of focusing on the repairing process.

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Free Radicals/Antioxidants

A lot of damage and distortion takes place on a cellular level due to the free radicals. The protein that maintains the body?s elasticity is called collagen. The free radicals cause the supple collagen to become firm and hard.

This shows in the form hard skin. Free radicals are found in a diet high in fats, refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and additives. These destructing radicals have to bring under control and this is possible only by antioxidants.

Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals. Vegetables and fruits are a treasure of antioxidants specially if consumed in the raw form. Berries and pomegranate have a lot of antioxidants.

Smoking and drinking, a large amount of alcohol, leads to the buildup of free radicals. Overexposure of the human body to direct sunlight leads to the production of free radicals.

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Vitamin Supplements

The diet should be rich in Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which can work miracles in the fight against the aging process.

There are various nutritional supplements that fulfill all the antioxidant requirements in one glass. These are available in juice powder form that provides the body with nutrients that are necessary for the body to function to full capacity.

They take care of the overall cellular health providing the optimum dosage of essential dosages of beta carotene and pro-vitamin A. Vitamin C, Vitamin E and essential fatty acids are imperative for the development and mending of collagen so it is necessary to take its dose daily. A Vitamin C pill can restore the glow to the skin within days.

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Water is the elixir of life

Drink plenty water to restock lost liquids in the body .This leads to hydration of Skin.? Drinking water eliminates toxins from the human body .The toxins have a negative consequence on general health and long life.

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Hormones

Hormone imbalance can bring about destruction to the skin. Hormone imbalance can cause severe skin conditions like acne, dry skin, dull, grey looking skin, eczema, pigmentation and oily skin. The hormone levels of estrogen, testosterone, HGH and CoQ10 need to be assessed by a doctor.

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Detoxification of skin

Detox the skin after a few months in order to maintain the youth and elasticity of the skin. For this eat raw vegetables and fruits for two days. Drink lots of water. The stomach gets a rest and this detox diet reduces stress on the body getting rid of the toxins at the same time. The energy levels are maintained as normal.

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Stress should be reduced

Stress leads to aging are a well documented fact. It dwindles blood flow and food to the Skin leading to a sickly look, hair loss, and brittle nails. Stress leads to free radicals that can injure the human body on a cellular stage. Stress puts off our bodies and it can?t operate optimally. Stress robs the body of the essential nutrients.

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Allergies, Food Sensitivities and Intolerances

Food allergies can mess with eating habits and Thwart one from attaining a nutritionally best diet. Wheat and gluten intolerance can give a feeling of bloatedness and lead to irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. Diary sensitivities can be the ground for eczema and asthma.

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Scientific advances

Medical researchers are continuously finding new theories and treatments to reduce the speed of aging.

Laser resurfacing, Wrinkle Injections and creams lead to an upliftment in the skin.

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Antioxidants:

Antioxidants are skin-care nutrients that can combat aging by getting rid of free radicals capable of gobbling up the collagen in the skin.

Source: http://www.healthburp.com/anti-aging-secrets.html

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A Woman's Biological Clock | Jackie's Women's Interest Bazaar

Related eBooks

A woman?s biological clock begins as they age, but what might be intriguing is it begins ticking around her late 20?s, not her mid 30?s. You see unlike men, females are born with a finite number of eggs, approximately one million.

Source:A Woman's Biological Clock

Related Reading:

The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy: How to Break Free from the Medical Myths of MenopauseJust Say No to America's Number-One Drug
Menopause is not a disease. So why are millions of American women taking a drug for this natural body process?
The widespread popularity of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a triumph of marketing and advertising over science. Although HRT and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) can help some women with certain menopause-related problems, the benefits have been oversold to women and their health care providers. There is no scientifically valid evidence that estrogen prevents heart disease, colon cancer, or Alzheimer's. Nor is there any evidence that it keeps you looking younger, preserves your sex drive, or enhances your memory.
However, HRT does carry the risk of serious side effects, including certain cancers. Should you be taking such risky drugs to help you get through menopause? The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy, written by the National Women's Health Network, will help you decide. Inside, you'll discover:
?The risks of hormone replacement therapy
?How to talk to your doctor about HRT
?The truth about hormone therapy and osteoporosis
?Natural alternatives to relieve perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms
?And much more
This sensible health guide gives you the tools you need to make an informed decision that's best for you and your body.
"A balanced review of the hazards and potential benefits of hormone therapy after menopause."
?Graham A. Colditz, M.D., professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Menopause (Cleveland Clinic Guides)From the nation?s top-ranked clinic for gynecology and endocrinology, the most important health information and advice on what to do before and during menopause

Regain Control and Enjoy A Vibrant, Healthy Midlife!

If you are one of the millions of women who want answers about menopause, help has arrived: Discover leading-edge menopause treatments that offer effective relief from symptoms, and gain optimism and peace of mind about your health!

In The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Menopause, Dr. Holly Thacker, a trailblazer in women?s health, cuts through the myths and misinformation and provides solid information to help you handle menopause more effectively. She also offers advice that helps you improve your vitality, longevity, and quality of life. Inside you?ll find guidance to help you:

• Control menopause symptoms through safe, effective treatments that balance short-term results with your long-term health.
• Understand the myths and facts about hormone therapy and sort through the inaccurate, misleading and conflicting information that?s so prevalent today.
• Sleep better, boost your energy, and recharge your sex life?so you can regain short term results you want!
• Get the facts about vitamins, supplements, and antidepressants.
• Protect your long-term health by strengthening your bones, helping your heart, and taking smart steps to help prevent cancer and other diseases.

Cleveland Clinic is ranked consistently among the top hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report. Its team of Women?s Health professionals offers coordinated, supportive care for the problems that affect women's lives, from breast cancer and infertility, to incontinence, pelvic floor disorders, and more.

Menopause Without Medicine: The Trusted Women's Resource with the Latest Information on HRT, Breast Cancer, Heart Disease, and Natural EstrogensLinda Ojeda has long maintained that menopause is a natural stage in a woman?s life, not a pathology that must be ?medicalized.? In Menopause Without Medicine, she takes a sympathetic, science-based approach to this still poorly understood and often maltreated natural phenomenon. Now in its fifth edition, this definitive book includes a detailed response to recent findings from the National Institutes of Health about the dangers of conventional HRT (hormone replacement therapy), explaining why synthetic HRT has been found harmful and offering a wide range of alternatives. The author covers all current nonmedical approaches to menopausal symptoms, and explains what women can do if supplements, herbs, and soy products do not work for them. This updated perennial bestseller on nonmedical approaches to menopause includes tables and photographs.

Source: http://www.jackiesbazaar.com/womensinterests/menopause-hrt/a-womans-biological-clock

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Spur groups to debate each other ? Business Management Daily ...

In the 1920s, Alfred Sloan ran General Motors. When he convened his management team to explore whether to open a plant abroad, they all approved the move.

Sloan replied that he wouldn?t make a decision until he heard some disagreement. He wanted the best judgments to flow from clashing viewpoints.

• Rather than tell people what they should do, raise their awareness. Identify possibilities, options and variables to weigh. Pose questions so that you prod others to grapple with difficult decisions on their own.
• Follow a speak-listen ratio of 20-80. By limiting your speaking to about 20% of the time, you force yourself to refrain from dishing out advice or making too many ?should? statements.

? Adapted from How To Be Exceptional, John Zenger, Joseph Folkman, Robert Sherwin Jr. and Barbara Steel, McGraw-Hill.

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Stem cell fate depends on 'grip'

Mar. 28, 2013 ? The field of regenerative medicine holds great promise, propelled by greater understanding of how stem cells differentiate themselves into many of the body's different cell types. But clinical applications in the field have been slow to materialize, partially owing to difficulties in replicating the conditions these cells naturally experience.

A team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has generated new insight on how a stem cell's environment influences what type of cell a stem cell will become. They have shown that whether human mesenchymal stem cells turn into fat or bone cells depends partially on how well they can "grip" the material they are growing in.

The research was conducted by graduate student Sudhir Khetan and associate professor Jason Burdick, along with professor Christopher Chen, all of the School of Engineering and Applied Science's Department of Bioengineering. Others involved in the study include Murat Guvendiren, Wesley Legant and Daniel Cohen.

Their study was published in the journal Nature Materials.

Much research has been done on how stem cells grow on two-dimensional substrates, but comparatively little work has been done in three dimensions. Three-dimensional environments, or matrices, for stems cells have mostly been treated as simple scaffolding, rather than as a signal that influences the cells' development.

Burdick and his colleagues were interested in how these three-dimensional matrices impact mechanotransduction, which is how the cell takes information about its physical environment and translates that to chemical signaling.

"We're trying to understand how material signals can dictate stem cell response," Burdick said. "Rather than considering the material as an inert structure, it's really guiding stem cell fate and differentiation -- what kind of cells they will turn into."

The mesenchymal stem cells the researchers studied are found in bone marrow and can develop into several cell types: osteoblasts, which are found in bone; chondrocytes, which are found in cartilage; and adipocytes, which are found in fat.

The researchers cultured them in water-swollen polymer networks known as hydrogels, which share some similarities with the environments stem cells naturally grow in. These materials are generally soft and flexible -- contact lenses, for example, are a type of hydrogel -- but can vary in density and stiffness depending on the type and quantity of the bonds between the polymers. In this case, the researchers used covalently cross-linked gels, which contain irreversible chemical bonds.

When seeded on top of two-dimensional covalently cross-linked gels, mesenchymal stem cells spread and pulled on the material differently depending on how stiff it was. Critically, the mechanics guide cell fate, or the type of cells they differentiate it into. A softer environment would produce more fat-like cells and a stiffer environment, where the cells can pull on the gel harder, would produce more bone-like cells.

However, when the researchers put mesenchymal stem cells inside three-dimensional hydrogels of varying stiffness, they didn't see these kinds of changes.

"In most covalently cross-linked gels, the cells can't spread into the matrix because they can't degrade the bonds -- they all become fat cells," Burdick said. "That tells us that in 3D covalent gels the cells don't translate the mechanical information the same way they do in a 2D system."

To test this, the researchers changed the chemistry of their hydrogels so that the polymer chains were connected by a peptide that the cells could naturally degrade. They hypothesized that, as the cells spread, they would be able to get a better grip on their surrounding environment and thus be more likely to turn into bone-like cells.

In order to determine how well the cells were pulling on their environment, the researchers used a technique developed by Chen's lab called 3D traction force microscopy. This technique involves seeding the gel with microscopic beads, then tracking their location before and after a cell is removed.

"Because the gel is elastic and will relax back into its original position when you remove the cells," Chen said, "you can quantify how much the cells are pulling on the gel based on how much and which way it springs back after the cell is removed."

The results showed that the stem cells' differentiation into bone-like cells was aided by their ability to better anchor themselves into the growth environment.

"With our original experiment, we observed that the cells essentially didn't pull on the gel. They adhered to it and were viable, but we did not see bead displacement. They couldn't get a grip," Burdick said. "When we put the cells into a gel where they could degrade the bonds, we saw them spread into the matrix and deform it, displacing the beads."

As an additional test, the researchers synthesized another hydrogel. This one had the same covalent bonds that the stem cells could naturally degrade and spread through but also another type of bond that could form when exposed to light. They let the stem cells spread as before, but at the point the cells would begin to differentiate -- about a week after they were first encapsulated -- the researchers further "set" the gel by exposing it to light, forming new bonds the cells couldn't degrade.

"When we introduced these cross-links so they could no longer degrade the matrix, we saw an increase toward fat-like cells, even after letting them spread," Burdick said. "This further supports the idea that continuous degradation is needed for the cells to sense the material properties of their environment and transduce that into differentiation signals."

Burdick and his colleagues see these results as helping develop a better fundamental understanding of how to engineer tissues using stem cells.

"This is a model system for showing how the microenvironment can influence the fate of the cells," Burdick said.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pennsylvania.

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. Sudhir Khetan, Murat Guvendiren, Wesley R. Legant, Daniel M. Cohen, Christopher S. Chen, Jason A. Burdick. Degradation-mediated cellular traction directs stem cell fate in covalently crosslinked three-dimensional hydrogels. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3586

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/~3/3TxG0KVGxqw/130328142402.htm

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Google to deliver goods quickly to online shoppers

This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google Shopping express van. Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery. The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online by a small group of consumers in San Francisco and suburbs located south of the city. (AP Photo/Google)

This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google Shopping express van. Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery. The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online by a small group of consumers in San Francisco and suburbs located south of the city. (AP Photo/Google)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery.

The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online by a small group of consumers in San Francisco and suburbs located south of the city. The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., didn't say how many people will be part of the test.

If the pilot program goes well, Google Inc. plans to expand delivery service to other markets.

"We hope this will help users explore the benefits of a local, same-day delivery service, and help us kick the tires on the new service," Google said in a Thursday statement.

The delivery service is part of Google's effort to increase consumer reliance on the Internet, so it will have more opportunities to show online ads, which generate most of its revenue.

Google has learned that the more time people spend online, the more likely they are to use its dominant search engine or one of its other popular services, like its YouTube video site or Gmail, that include advertising.

The delivery service also could spur merchants to buy more online ads if Google's same-day delivery service encourages consumers to do more of their shopping online. Having to wait days or, in some cases, more than a week for the delivery of online orders ranks among the biggest drawbacks to Internet shopping.

It's a problem that Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc., which operate the largest e-commerce sites, already have been trying to solve by offering same-day service in some U.S. markets. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, also offers same-day delivery in five markets.

A mix of national, regional and neighborhood merchants are enlisting in Google Shopping Express. The best-known names on the list include Target Inc. and Walgreen Co. All the merchants in the Google program will sell certain items through a central website. Google has hired courier services to pick up the orders at the merchant stores and then deliver them to the customer's home or office.

Although the couriers will be working on a contract basis, they will be driving Google-branded vehicles and wearing company-issued uniforms.

It remains unclear whether Internet shopping and same-day delivery can be profitable. Online grocer Webvan collapsed in 2001, largely because it couldn't devise a pricing plan that would pay for the costs of same-day delivery without alienating shoppers unwilling to pay too much extra for the added convenience.

Google is still trying to figure out how much to charge for its same-day delivery service. For the six-month test period in the San Francisco area, consumers won't have to pay a surcharge. Google instead will receive a commission from participating merchants.

The expansion into same-day delivery comes at the same time that Google is preparing to close some of its older online services so it can devote more attention and money to other projects.

The realignment has irked some Google users. The biggest complaints have centered on Google Reader, which allows people to automatically receive headlines and links from their favorite sites, and iGoogle, which allows Web surfers to design a page consisting of the Google search engine surrounded set up other online features, such as local weather reports and stock market quotes.

Google Reader is scheduled to close in July and iGoogle will shut down in November.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-03-29-US-Google-Delivery/id-cf7e0158f03a46af93867b03d8abf619

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Neither party has cash for student loan rate fix

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Incoming college freshmen could end up paying $5,000 more for the same student loans their older siblings have if Congress doesn't stop interest rates from doubling.

Sound familiar? The same warnings came last year. But now the presidential election is over and mandatory budget cuts are taking place, making a deal to avert a doubling of interest rates much more elusive before a July 1 deadline.

"What is definitely clear, this time around, there doesn't seem to be as much outcry," said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. "We're advising our members to tell students that the interest rates are going to double on new student loans, to 6.8 percent."

That rate hike only hits students taking out new subsidized loans. Students with outstanding subsidized loans are not expected to see their loan rates increase unless they take out a new subsidized Stafford loan. Students' non-subsidized loans are not expected to change, nor are loans taken from commercial lenders.

The difference between 3.4 percent and 6.8 percent interest rates is a $6 billion tab for taxpayers ? set against a backdrop of budget negotiations that have pitted the two parties in a standoff. President Barack Obama is expected to release his budget proposal in the coming weeks, adding another perspective to the debate.

Last year, with the presidential and congressional elections looming, students got a one-year reprieve on the doubling of interest rates. That expires July 1.

Neither party's budget proposal in Congress has money specifically set aside to keep student loans at their current rate. House Republicans' budget would double the interest rates on newly issued subsidized loans to help balance the federal budget in a decade. Senate Democrats say they want to keep the interest rates at their current levels but the budget they passed last week does not set aside money to keep the rates low.

In any event, neither side is likely to get what it wants. And that could lead to confusion for students as they receive their college admission letters and financial aid packages.

"Two ideas ... have been introduced so far ? neither of which is likely to go very far," said Terry Hartle, the top lobbyist for colleges at the American Council on Education.

House Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, have outlined a spending plan that would shift the interest rates back to their pre-2008 levels. Congress in 2007 lowered the rate to 6 percent for new loans started during the 2008 academic year, then down to 5.6 percent in 2009, down to 4.5 percent in 2010 and then to the current 3.4 percent a year later.

Some two-thirds of students are graduating with loans exceeding $25,000; one in 10 borrowers owes more than $54,000 in loans. And student loan debt now tops $1 trillion. For those students, the rates make significant differences in how much they have to pay back each month.

For some, the rates seem arbitrary and have little to do with interest rates available for other purchases such as homes or cars.

"Burdening students with 6.8 percent loans when interest rates in the economy are at historic lows makes no sense," said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success, a nonprofit organization.

Both House Education Committee Chairman John Kline of Minnesota and his Democratic counterpart, Rep. George Miller of California, prefer to keep rates at their current levels but have not outlined how they might accomplish that goal.

Rep. Karen Bass, a California Democrat, last week introduced a proposal that would permanently cap the interest rate at 3.4 percent.

Senate Democrats say their budget proposal would permanently keep the student rates low. But their budget document doesn't explicitly cover the $6 billion annual cost. Instead, its committee report included a window for the Senate Health Education and Pension Committee to pass a student loan rate fix down the road.

But so far, the money isn't there. And if the committee wants to keep the rates where they are, they will have to find a way to pay for them, either through cuts to programs in the budget or by adding new taxes.

"Spending is measured in numbers, not words," said Jason Delisle, a former Republican staffer on the Senate Budget Committee and now director of the New America Foundation's Federal Budget Project. "The Murray budget does not include funding for any changes to student loans."

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that of the almost $113 billion in new student loans the government made this year, more than $38 billion will be lost to defaults, even after Washington collects what it can through wage garnishments.

The net cost to taxpayers after most students pay back their loans with interest is $5.7 billion. If the rate increases, Washington will be collecting more interest from new students' loans.

But those who lobbied lawmakers a year ago said they were pessimistic before Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney both came out in support of keeping the rates low.

"We were at this point and we knew this issue was looming. But it wasn't anything we had any real traction with," said Tobin Van Ostern, deputy director of Campus Progress at the liberal Center for American Progress. "At this point, I didn't think we'd prevent them from doubling."

This time, he's looking at the July 1 deadline with the same concern.

"Having a deadline does help. It's much easier to deal with one specific date," Van Ostern said. "But if Congress can't come together ... interest rates are going to double. There tends to be a tendency for inaction."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/neither-party-cash-student-loan-rate-fix-185759359--politics.html

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New album, NBC's "The Voice" make for awesome times for Blake Shelton

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Country music singer Blake Shelton has never been one to shy away from his feelings, so when it came to recording his new album he sought out songs that reflected his current state of mind.

Life, he says, is "pretty awesome."

"It's all where I am in my life right now. I'm very content with my life. I'll be happy if it stays like this for a long time," Shelton, 36, told Reuters of his new album "Based on a True Story..."

After some 10 years in country music, Shelton's popularity has surged in his two years as a judge on NBC's "The Voice" singing contest, which is seen by about 13 million U.S. viewers a week.

The new album's first single, "Sure Be Cool If You Did," released in January, has already topped the U.S. country chart. "Based on a True Story...," released to coincide with the return of "The Voice" this week, is expected to debut near the top of next week's album chart.

"I didn't want to do any sad songs, damn it, but this is a country album so you have to do a couple," said Shelton.

"I had those years where I made those kinds of records and something will happen one of these days and it will be a part of my music again. But right now everything is pretty awesome," he added.

Shelton, 36, is the latest country star to break into the mainstream. His 2011 album "Red River Blue," reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, buoyed in part by the singer's laid-back, fun-loving role on the TV show.

On the new album, Shelton, who forms a country music power couple with singer-wife Miranda Lambert, sings about tried-and-true country themes, including good ol' boys, picking up girls, being in love, losing the love of his life and bad jobs.

"The album is the story of my life from start to finish and I thought 'That's what we should call it because it is based on a true story,'" Shelton said.

The singer, who won the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 2012, said he wants people to get to know his personality through his music and "The Voice."

"I guess if doing what I did got me that award, I better keep being that guy," said Shelton, whose biggest hits include 2009's "Hillbilly Bone" and 2004's "Some Beach."

Shelton has emerged as the face of the country music industry on "The Voice," in which he and three other judges compete with each other to mentor rising singers and help them win a record deal.

"I've always felt a responsibility to make sure that every step along the way is a good one for our industry," he said. "I'm proud to be that person on 'The Voice' that represents country music."

Shelton will be back in the country music spotlight on April 7 as host for the third consecutive year of the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.

(Reporting by Vernell Hackett, editing by Eric Kelsey, Jill Serjeant and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/album-nbcs-voice-awesome-times-blake-shelton-163427960--finance.html

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AT&T Galaxy S4 preorders start April 16 for $249 on contract

AT&T this morning announced that it's Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available for $249 on contract. Preorders start April 16.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/XNVKlKBPDYU/story01.htm

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'Biggest cyberattack in history' turns out to be overblown

Is it "the biggest cyberattack in history"? Or just routine flak that network-security providers face all the time?

News websites across the Western world proclaimed Internet Armageddon today (March 27), largely due to a New York Times story detailing a "squabble" between the spam-fighting vigilantes at Spamhaus and the dodgy Dutch Web-hosting company Cyberbunker.

"Fight Jams Internet," the Times headline said. "Global Internet slows," the BBC proclaimed in the wake of the Times' story. Both websites alleged that Netflix streaming was slowing down as a result.

The reality is less exciting, though still serious. The Internet disruptions, which were centered in Western Europe, appear to be largely over, and were largely unnoticed even when occurring.

But, if anything, the incident may prompt a fix for a basic security flaw in the Domain Name System that serves as one of the underpinnings of the Internet.

"Despite the work that has gone into making the Internet extremely resilient, these attacks underscore the fact that there are still some aspects of it that are relatively fragile," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at San Francisco-based network-security provider nCircle.

Too much information

Cyberbunker appears to be behind a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that first tried to first take down Spamhaus, then Spamhaus' network-reliability provider CloudFlare, and finally this past Saturday (March 23) hit CloudFlare's own bandwidth providers in Europe.

Boston-based Akamai Networks told the Times, and Spamhaus told the BBC, that the last round of attacks peaked at 300 gigabits per second, possibly the largest amount of bandwidth ever recorded during a DDoS attack.

According to a CloudFlare blog posting, the attack was launched on March 18 and immediately involved a tactic called DNS amplification, in which unprotected Domain Name System (DNS) servers are used to flood targeted servers with huge amounts of useless information, tying up bandwidth and processing time.

The attacks increased in volume during the week, finally peaking on Saturday when, according to CloudFlare, half of the infrastructure on the London Internet Exchange, an Internet node connecting several large-scale networks, was tied up by the attack. (CloudFlare is based in Palo Alto, Calif., but runs a global network.)

DNS servers are essentially the phone books of the Internet. Every Internet-connected device, from your computer to your smartphone, uses them to match a website address that humans use, such as "www.technewsdaily.com," with an Internet Protocol address that computers and routers use, such as "207.86.128.60."

DNS servers are essential, yet many remain "open," which means they will accept lookup requests from anyone, not just their specified clients.

Attackers make lookup requests using the IP addresses of their targets, then request tons of information, which ends up flooding the targeted servers with huge amounts of DNS information.

[5 (Probably) American Cyberweapons]

Did two wrongs make a bigger wrong?

Spamhaus, a group of related companies based in London and Geneva, was started in 1998 to track and combat email spam and spammers. It maintains a blacklist of Web-hosting companies known to host spammers, and a whitelist of known "clean" Web hosts.

Both lists are used by Internet service providers around the world, and Spamhaus is partly responsible for the huge drop in email spam in recent years.

Some Web-hosting companies have complained they've been unfairly placed on the Spamhaus blacklist. Spammers have launched DDoS attacks against Spamhaus' website and servers. (There's even a "Stophaus" website based in Russia and dedicated to combating what it calls Spamhaus' "underhanded extortion tactics.")

It appears Cyberbunker has both complained and attacked.

Cyberbunker bases its operations in a decommissioned NATO bunker, built to withstand a nuclear war, in the southern Netherlands. The company was founded in 1998 by a group of hackers who proclaimed the "Republic of Cyberbunker," a sovereign state "surrounded by the Netherlands on all borders."

The company pledges not to ask questions about what its clients are up to.

"In most cases we have no idea as to who or where our customers actually are," the Cyberbunker site proclaims. "Customers are allowed to host any content they like, except child porn and anything related to terrorism. Everything else is fine."

Such a policy has attracted some unsavory clients, including the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, and, according to Spamhaus, the cybercrime gang known as the Russian Business Network. Cyberbunker also claims to have been raided by a Dutch police SWAT team, which apparently found nothing incriminating on the premises.

It was Cyberbunker's alleged hosting of spammers that caused Spamhaus to place both Cyberbunker and its ISP on the Spamhaus blacklist in the fall of 2011.

As a result, Cyberbunker's ISP dropped it as a client, but both the ISP and Cyberbunker posted long manifestos about why Spamhaus was evil.

The issue seems to have lain dormant until March 18, when a false Anonymous campaign called "Operation Stophaus" was proclaimed on the online bulletin board Pastebin.

It listed a litany of complaints against the "tax-circumventing self-declared Internet terrorists" of Spamhaus, then added a variant of the Anonymous "We Are Legion" tagline.

That posting may have been cover for the DDoS attacks that began the same day. In a statement to the New York Times, Sven Olaf Kamphuis, who claimed to speak for Cyberbunker, and whose Google+ page gives his residence as "Republic Cyberbunker," affirmed that the Dutch hosting company was behind the attacks.

"Nobody ever deputized Spamhaus to determine what goes and does not go on the Internet," Kamphuis told the newspaper. "They worked themselves into that position by pretending to fight spam."

It's hard to see how such an attack can be legally justified. The Netherlands has famously lax laws governing the Internet and other digital communications, but odds are Cyberbunker will be facing another SWAT raid very soon.

Fixing a hole

For his blog posting, CloudFlare's Matthew Prince used the headline "The DDoS That Almost Broke the Internet." That's not entirely accurate, since the problems were rather localized.

However, the attack may prompt an overhaul of the DNS system. Prince and others have been vocal about the need to lock down most or all DNS servers so they no longer respond to lookup requests from anyone.

That move would go against the model of openness and accessibility that's guided the Internet for 40 years. The idea has always been that any Internet-connected device can reach any other using any path, and open DNS servers are essential to that model.

But the problem of DNS-amplified attacks has been growing exponentially in just the past few months.

The ongoing attacks against U.S. bank websites which began last September use the tactic, and have reached 100 Gbps at times.

If this week's unrelated attacks truly did hit 300 Gbps, the end to the open-DNS server model may be inevitable.

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Paul Wagenseil?@snd_wagenseil. Follow us?@TechNewsDaily,?Facebook?or?Google+.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/truth-behind-biggest-cyberattack-history-210723787.html

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Wal-Mart says loss likely from bribery probe

NEW YORK (AP) ? The world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., says it is likely that it will incur a loss from bribery probes into its operations in Mexico and other countries.

The company has been dealing with allegations that surfaced last April that it failed to notify law enforcement that company officials authorized millions of dollars in payments in Mexico to speed up getting building permits and gain other favors. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act forbids American companies from bribing foreign officials.

The company has launched its own investigation and is working with government officials in the U.S. and Mexico. In November, the retailer said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was looking into potential U.S. bribery law violations in Brazil, China and India.

In another filing Tuesday with the SEC, Wal-Mart Stores said that it expects to incur costs above the $157 million it spent on the probes in fiscal 2013 due to its ongoing review and other investigations as well as shareholder lawsuits.

It also said it is "probable" that it will incur a loss from the matters, but did not give an estimate on how much.

"Given the on-going nature and complexity of the review, inquiries and investigations, we cannot reasonably estimate any loss or range of loss that may arise from these matters," the Benton, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said in the filing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-27-Wal-Mart-Bribery%20Probe/id-2e3c9ca015164339b8e7b197142d66fe

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Age Related macular degeneration | Natural Holistic Health Blog

Age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly population. This eye disease will gradually destroy the sharp, central vision of the eye. This is the main part of your vision. Without the central vision, you will no longer be able to read, drive or perform routine daily tasks.

Macular degeneration affects the part of the eye called the macula. The macula is located right in the center of the retina. The retina is the tissue that lines the back of the eye and it is very light sensitive. The job of the retina is to convert light or images into electrical impulses and send these impulses to the brain.

There are two types of macular degeneration. There is wet age related macular degeneration and there is dry age related macular degeneration. The type of macular degeneration you have will determine how fast you can lose your eyesight.

Wet age related macular degeneration happens because blood vessels behind the retina will start to form underneath the macula. These blood vessels have a tendency to leak fluid and sometimes blood.

When the vessels behind the macula begin to leak fluid, this will raise the macula from its normal spot. This will damage the macula quickly and loss of central vision will occur. This type of age related macular degeneration is sometimes referred to as advanced age related macular degeneration.

Dry age related macular degeneration occurs when light sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down. This cell breakdown will cause central vision to diminish. This type of age related macular degeneration usually occurs in one eye. Over time, the other age may be affected with dry age related macular degeneration. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing if both eyes will be affected and the cause of dry age related macular degeneration is not known.

The most common form of age related macular degeneration is the dry form of degeneration. Over 85% of the people with age related macular degeneration have the dry form of macular degeneration.

There is no guaranteed cure for wet or dry age related macular degeneration. If you have wet macular degeneration, laser treatments and injections can slow down the vision loss, but it does not mean that the vision loss will not come back.

If you have the advanced form of dry age related macular degeneration, there is no treatment. If you are not in the advanced stage, your doctor may prescribe specific daily amounts of antioxidants. This formulation is not a cure for dry age related macular degeneration. This specific formulation of antioxidants will not restore your vision but it may slow down the progression of advanced dry age related macular degeneration.

If you notice any changes in your vision, you should see your eye care professional right away. The sooner you get a diagnosis the sooner you can start treatment.

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About Dee Braun

Dee is an Adv. Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Adv. Color/Crystal Therapist, Herbalist, Dr. of Reflexology and single mom who is dedicated to helping others any way she can. One way she chooses to help is by offering information on the benefits and uses of natural health and healing methods for the well-being of both people and pets. Dee also teaches Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Color/Crystal Therapy at the Alternative Healing Academy

Source: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/age-related-macular-degeneration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=age-related-macular-degeneration

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Insert Coin: MiiPC promises a kid-safe Android PC that allows surfing, gaming for $99 (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

If there's one thing that smartphones have taught us, it's that small devices can surf the internet and play games just fine, thank you. With that philosophy in mind, the brains behind eMachines have launched the $99 MiiPC on Kickstarter with the goal of giving kids their own mini PC to surf the web, play games or videos, and, yes, do homework. To keep costs down, the tiny device is packing Android 4.2, a Marvell 1.2GHZ dual core CPU, 1GB RAM, 4GB upgradeable storage, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, ethernet and 1080p HDMI output to a monitor or TV. The backers say it's "designed for large screen connectivity and optimized to provide a true keyboard and mouse experience" so that each family member can run Android apps from their own accounts. For worried parents, the device brings an interesting twist: there's also a mobile iOS or Android companion app to monitor your offspring in real-time from any locale. That'll let you steer them away from verboten websites and stave off dreaded internet addiction, according to the outfit -- bearing in mind, of course, that kids can be pretty clever. The campaign's just kicked off, and MiiPC's seeking $50,000 with a $99 pledge ($89 for the first 200 backers) netting you your own device -- sans keyboard, mouse and screen, of course. Check the video or PR after the break for more.

Filed under: Desktops

Comments

Source: Kickstarter

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_uGj8MiDTQU/

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At Supreme Court, Marriage Equality Foes' Best Argument Is That ...

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the first of two marriage equality cases, and the best argument the chief defender of California's ban on same-sex marriage could muster was that his side would ultimately lose.

Americans' understanding of marriage is "changing and changing rapidly in this country, as people throughout the country engage in an earnest debate over whether the age-old definition of marriage should be changed to include same sex couples," argued Charles Cooper,?who represented Californians supporting Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. He was trying to convince the justices that Prop 8 does not violate the constitutional rights of same-sex couples. In doing so, though, he acknowledged that acceptance of same-sex marriage rights is galloping forward, and he argued that the Supreme Court should allow that process to continue without interference from the Supreme Court. In other words, Californians whose marriage rights were taken from them at the ballot box should wait patiently for the country to evolve as quickly as ambitious Democratic politicians.?(On Wednesday, the court will hear a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriages performed in states when they are legal.)

It's never a good idea to predict the results of a Supreme Court case based on oral arguments, and the strongest presentation at the Court isn't always the one that wins. But from his first, hoarse remarks, it was clear that Cooper had walked into the heat of battle lightly armed. An experienced litigator who served in the Reagan-era Justice Department, Cooper took up the defense of California's Proposition 8 after state officials declined to back the law in court. He was supposed to argue?that California had a legitimate interest (other than simple bigotry) in banning same-sex couples from getting married, but he had difficulty finding one.

First, Cooper tried saying?that marriage was supposed to be about procreation, and same-sex couples can't procreate?which would imply that the state could ban marriages between heterosexual couples incapable of having children. When Justice Elena Kagan asked whether states could ban couples over the age of 55 because they wouldn't be able to have kids, Cooper argued that "it is very rare that...both parties to the couple are infertile." The chamber erupted in laughter. "No really, because...if both the woman and the man are over 55, there are not a lot of children coming out of that marriage," Kagan said, and the chamber filled with laughter again. Justice Stephen Breyer was more blunt: "I mean, there are lots of people who get married who can't have children."

When it came to same-sex couples who already have children, Cooper argued that some nebulous harm could come to children raised in same-sex families. But California already has thousands of children with same-sex parents, and it is unclear what interest is served by preventing those parents from marrying. Finally,?Cooper argued, the tradition of marriage is really old and you never know what might happen if it is "redefin[ed]... as a genderless institution." Kagan asked Cooper what harm he could see happening to opposite-sex marriages. Once again, Cooper couldn't answer. Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose vote will likely decide the fate of Proposition 8, impatiently asked Cooper, "Are you conceding the point that there is no harm or denigration to traditional opposite-sex marriage couples?"

No, Cooper said, without providing any examples of harm. When asked by Justice Sonia Sotomayor whether states would also have an interest in legalizing employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, Cooper, his voice trailing off, said, "I do not have anything to offer you in that regard." It?felt like he had left the room.

Justice Antonin Scalia, trying to throw Cooper a life preserver, contended that there is "considerable disagreement among sociologists" whether or not being raised by same-sex couples is bad for kids. Actually, there's only disagreement if you count the work of sociologists hired by same-sex marriage opponents. The American Psychological Association has found that "lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children." And Scalia, who once used "flagpole sitting" as a crude euphemism for gay sex, added the disclaimer, "I take no position on whether it is harmful or not."

Perhaps mindful of history, the conservative justices mostly noted that the established tradition of marriage shouldn't be messed with. Same-sex marriage is younger than "cell phones or the Internet," Justice Samuel Alito said. Chief Justice John Roberts worried about changing an "institution that's been around since time immemorial." Later, Roberts suggested that since children of same-sex couples are doing okay there's no need to recognize their parents' relationships as marriages.

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. was no model of moral clarity. The Obama administration has taken the position that states that grant benefits to unmarried same-sex couples cannot deny them marriage rights?a position that would?leave?the states most hostile to gay and lesbian unions with no obligation to recognize same-sex marriage. "[Y]ou are willing to wait in the rest of the country," Roberts said. "You're saying [same-sex marriage] has got to happen right now in California, but you don't even have a position about whether it's required in the rest of the country." Scalia, who apparently neither read the Obama administration's brief nor paid full attention during oral argument, raged that Verrilli was "asking us to impose [same-sex marriage] on the whole country, not just California."

"You could have said [of interracial marriage]?you can't get married, but you can have an interracial union. Everyone would know that that was wrong."

Theodore Olson, the former solicitor general for President George W. Bush, seemed the only lawyer in the room who knew exactly how he felt and how to say it. When Roberts implied that same-sex marriage supporters were merely interested in marriage as a "label," Olson said, "You could have said [of interracial marriage]?you can't get married, but you can have an interracial union. Everyone would know that that was wrong."

Likewise, 70 percent of Americans under the age of 33 say it is wrong to deny marriage rights to same-sex partners. The average age of the Supreme Court justices, though, is 67, and Kennedy, author of two Supreme Court opinions on gay rights, seemed reluctant to agree with Olson. Still, he anguished about same-sex couples denied legal recognition. "There are some 40,000 children in California...that live with same-sex parents, and they want their parents to have full recognition and full status," Kennedy told Cooper. "The voice of those children is important in this case, don't you think?"

If the high court wants to dodge the issue, it can simply say that supporters of same-sex marriage ban in California cannot legally sue because they have not been harmed by the lower court ruling that scrapped Prop 8. But it's unclear what that would mean for same-sex couples in California. This route might appeal to both sides for different reasons. The conservative justices could avoid placing themselves fully on the wrong side of history, and the Democratic appointees on the court could allow the political process to take its course, knowing that the tide of public opinion appears to have turned against opponents of LGBT rights. They would also be sidestepping the question of whether a state can strip a group of people of fundamental rights by a show of hands.?

When it was time for Cooper to offer his rebuttal to Olson and Verrilli, he sounded like he was begging the justices to allow his side to lose in the court of public opinion?rather than in the high court itself. "That democratic debate [over marriage equality], which is roiling throughout this country, will definitely be coming back to California," Cooper said. "It is an agonizingly difficult, for many people, political question. We would submit to you that that question is properly decided by the people themselves."

You can listen to the whole argument here:

Source: http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/03/supreme-court-proposition-8-audio

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