Remains of the Day: Hacker-Friendly Game Console OUYA Goes on Sale June 4th

The OUYA gets a concrete release date, Vine now supports embeds, and Microsoft may be prepping to release a 7" tablet.

• OUYA Available at Retail on June 4 for $99 Hackable Android game console OUYA received a release date at this week's Game Developer's Conference. The system will retail on June 4th for $99 and come with a controller, power/HDMI cables, and two AA batteries for the controller. [Engadget]
• Embed Vine Posts Today, social video service Vine updated both its website and iOS app to support embedded posts. Previously, users were only able to share links. [Vine]
• New Windows 8 Hardware Specs Hint at 7-Inch Tablets and a Microsoft Reader A new set of logo guidelines from Microsoft lowers the minimum display resolution required for a device to be certified with the Windows 8 logo. This could mean that Microsoft is preparing to release devices with a smaller form factor and enter the popular 7" tablet market. [ZDNet]

Photo by photastic (Shutterstock), a2bb5s (Shutterstock), and Feng Yu (Shutterstock).

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5 things to look forward to on 'Game of Thrones'

By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

The third installment of "Game of Thrones" could be one of the most exciting seasons of television we will ever see. Truly, it's impossible to overstate how many punches it will pack into 10 episodes.?

Helen Sloan/HBO

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on "Game of Thrones"

Here's what we're most excited to see when HBO's epic fantasy finally returns Sunday. But beware -- if you don't want to know any details about the upcoming season, bow out now.

1. Dragons!
Daenerys Targaryen's babies are all grown up! Those adorable little spark burpers are now full-fledged fire-breathers capable of razing entire villages. Harnessing Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion's power will be one of Khaleesi's biggest challenges as she conquers Qarth en route to reclaiming the Iron Throne.

2. Olenna Redwyne!
Diana Rigg will be magnificent as the "Game of Thrones" acid-tongued equivalent of Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess on "Downton Abbey." If anyone can put nasty King Joffrey in his place, it's the Queen of Thorns, Margaery Tyrell's cunning and opinionated grandmother. The arrival of the Tyrells at the Kings Landing should also prove to be a godsend for Sansa, who's in a precarious position now that Joffrey has broken their engagement to marry Margaery instead. The prickly matriarch will welcome Sansa into the Tyrell ladies circle, mostly to demand the intel on the little monster her granddaughter is about to marry. But Sansa will also figure in her scheme to forge an alliance between the Tyrells and Starks.?

3. Weddings!
It's impossible to tease what's to come without spoiling it for everyone, so we will only say this: Among the royals of Westeros, wedding receptions tend to end very badly. And we're not talking about hangovers. Plan to spend the good part of Monday morning gabbing about it around the office water cooler.

4. Sex?!
Another vow -- to the Night's Watch -- will play an important role in Jon Snow's double-agent storyline beyond the Wall. "The interesting thing to play throughout the season was whether he sticks to his vows or whether he likes the idea of being free, and everything the wildlings can offer him," Kit Harrington told The Clicker at the Seattle premiere of "Thrones." And he acknowledged, "it's pretty tough" to resist Ygritte. And you know, it's awfully cold up north. Brrr.

5. Road Trip!
Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth's trek to Kings Landing -- Catelyn Stark's desperate strategy to exchange the Kingslayer for her daughters (she's unaware it's a singular swap) -- is fraught with peril. But this odd couple, forced to form an uneasy alliance, have such insane chemistry that they could easily carry their own spinoff. One scene in particular will have everyone high-fiving. Plus: Bears!

What else are you looking forward to seeing in season three? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/03/28/17502945-game-of-thrones-season-three-five-things-we-cant-wait-to-see?lite

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Tyler Perry's Temptation Review: A Mess of a Morality Tale

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Genetics might determine which smokers get hooked

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may accelerate a teen's progression to becoming a lifelong heavy smoker.

The team of scientists from the U.S., the U.K. and New Zealand examined earlier studies by other research teams to develop a genetic risk profile for heavy smoking. Then they looked at their own long-term study of 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 to identify whether individuals at high genetic risk got hooked on cigarettes more quickly as teens and whether, as adults, they had a harder time quitting.

Study participants who had the high-risk genetic profile were found to be more likely to convert to daily smoking as teenagers and then progress more rapidly to heavy smoking (a pack a day or more). When assessed at age 38, the higher-risk individuals had smoked heavily for more years, had more often developed nicotine dependence and were more likely to have failed in attempts to quit smoking.

"Genetic risk accelerated the development of smoking behavior," said Daniel Belsky, a post-doctoral research fellow at Duke University's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development and the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. "Teens at a high genetic risk transitioned quickly from trying cigarettes to becoming regular, heavy smokers."

A person's genetic risk profile did not predict whether he or she would try cigarettes. But for those who did try cigarettes, having a high-risk genetic profile predicted increased likelihood of heavy smoking and nicotine dependence.

The findings appear March 27 in JAMA Psychiatry. They were supported by multiple grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, as well as the U.K. Medical Research Council and the New Zealand Health Research Council.

The Duke researchers developed a new "genetic risk score" for the study by examining prior genome-wide associations (GWAS) of adult smokers. These studies scanned the entire genomes of tens of thousands of smokers to identify variants that were more common in the heaviest smokers. The variants they identified were located in and around genes that affect how the brain responds to nicotine and how nicotine is metabolized, but it is not yet known how the specific variants affect gene function.

It makes sense that the genes on which the group based their risk score are involved in nicotine metabolism and sensitivity, said Jed Rose, a Duke nicotine addiction researcher who was not involved in this study. "Addictions are a learned behavior and it requires reinforcement through neural pathways."

In their first step, the researchers found the genetic risk score they developed was able to predict heavy smoking among individuals in two large databases created by other researchers.

Then they turned to their New Zealand sample of 880 individuals of European descent to see whether the genetic risk score predicted who initiated smoking, who progressed to heavy smoking, and who developed nicotine dependence and experienced relapse after quitting.

Genetic risk was not related to whether a person tried smoking, which 70 percent of the sample had. One reason for this was that so-called "chippers" -- smokers who consume cigarettes only on weekends or smoke only one or two per day -- had even lower genetic risk than nonsmokers.

Genetic risk was related to the development of smoking problems. Among teens who tried cigarettes, those with a high-risk genetic profile were 24 percent more likely to become daily smokers by age 15 and 43 percent more likely to become pack-a-day smokers by age 18.

As adults, those with high-risk genetic profiles were 27 percent more likely to become nicotine dependent and 22 percent more likely to fail in their attempts at quitting. By age 38, a study participant with high-risk genetic profile had smoked about 7,300 more cigarettes (one "pack-year") than the average smoker.

Study participants who did not become regular, heavy smokers during their teens appeared to be "immune" to genetic risk for adult smoking problems. "The effects of genetic risk seem to be limited to people who start smoking as teens," said Belsky. "This suggests there may be something special about nicotine exposure in the adolescent brain, with respect to these genetic variants."

"Adolescence is indeed a period of high risk for nicotine addiction," said Denise Kandel, a professor of sociomedical sciences in psychiatry at Columbia University, who was not involved in this study. "The results illustrate why adolescence is of crucial importance for the development and targeting of prevention and intervention efforts. How this genetic risk affects brain functions, which in turn affect reactions to nicotine, remains to be determined."

The risk factor the team developed "may not be sensitive or specific enough to be a clinical test, but it may have public health uses," said Rose, who is the director of the Duke Center for Smoking Cessation and co-developer of the nicotine patch.

"Public health policies that make it harder for teens to become regular smokers should continue to be a focus in antismoking efforts," Belsky said.

###

Duke University: http://www.duke.edu

Thanks to Duke University for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127482/Genetics_might_determine_which_smokers_get_hooked

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APNewsBreak: Pentagon cuts number of furlough days

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Defense officials say the Pentagon will sharply cut the number of unpaid furlough days civilians will have to take in the next several months from 22 to 14, reducing the financial impact of the budget cuts on as many as 700,000 workers.

Officials say Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made the decision Wednesday. Military and defense leaders continue to work through the details, trying to decide how to allocate the more than $10 billion Congress shifted to operations accounts. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Initially, civilians would have had to take one day off each week for 22 weeks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-27-Budget%20Battle-Pentagon%20Furloughs/id-6e568d49fa75445b986740fde63c1a55

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Amanda Knox Murder Acquittal Ruling Overturned (VIDEOS)

Amanda Knox Murder Acquittal Ruling Overturned (VIDEOS)

Amanda Knox has been ordered to stand a re-trial over the 2007 killing of her British roommate Meredith Kercher in Perugia. Knox said the news that the Italian court had overturned the acquittals of her and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the murder was “unfair” and “painful”. The family of the victim, Meredith Kercher, has admitted ...

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Skydive instructor, student killed in Florida jump (Providence Journal)

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98% 56 Up

All Critics (54) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (1)

What ultimately is so compelling about 56 Up is the universality of the experiences. We were all once children. And we all will die. And in between, there is everything else.

We feel good, refreshed and depressed in watching these people get older, also embarrassed in moments and cautioned about the passage of time.

Apted, himself now in his early 70s, says he hopes to continue the series further. Long may it live.

Watching "56 Up" gives you the wonderful feeling of seeing a sociological experiment blossom into something novelistically rich and humane.

Time has been neither kind nor cruel to the 13 men and women profiled in "56 UP." It has just been time, which is what this groundbreaking series is about.

We are all older now, and this series proves it in a most deeply moving way.

Chances are that you'll come away from this long film feeling a sense of knowing its characters.

We might say that '56 Up' serves much the same function as 'Amour,' but it responds to the inevitability of decline with compassion, not dread.

What started as a crafty way of looking at the U.K.'s rigid class structure has grown into a portrait of melancholy middle age, with its heartbreaks and minor-key triumphs.

Those British kids are now 56

Watching the eighth film is intriguing but, in a way, disappointing. At this point in the game, it feels as if all the characters have determined their lots in life and are simply plodding through their interviews.

Quite simply one of the great documentary projects in the history of cinema, an engrossing sociological experiment on film; and though this mostly mellow installment isn't as revelatory as some earlier ones, it's still a remarkable document.

... feels like a retrospective and summation of the whole series, with ample quotation from the previous films, an approach that makes it interesting even for viewers who haven't seen the previous installments.

A completely unique and remarkable documentary project.

Apted skillfully weaves old footage with the new, and we become poignantly aware of another factor shaping their lives (and our own): biology, as the we watch the once-cute kids grow gray and heavy.

Perhaps the boldest and probably longest running sociological experiment on film.

I think the best thing about this movie (and the entire series) is that it forces the viewer to think about their own lives. It's kind of an awakening experience.

Once again, Apted assembles a captivating documentary that's profoundly educational, essential viewing to aid the understanding of the human experience.

"56 Up" is well worth seeing.

56 Up is still moving and philosophic, though not as exciting as earlier episodes, which had more drama.

The running time is over two hours, but the lives here are richly revealed and vastly rewarding.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/56_up/

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China's Premier Li meets the press ? but no unscripted questions, thank you

China's Prime Minister Li Keqiang addressed the foreign and domestic press for the first time today in an event carried live on national TV.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / March 17, 2013

Chinese premier Li Keqiang gives a press conference on Sunday.

Andy Wong/AP

Enlarge

China is unlike any other country in the world when it comes to press conferences: You generally learn more from the questions that are asked than from the answers that officials give.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

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That rule of thumb proved valid again Sunday as new Prime Minister Li Keqiang met the press for the first time. He seemed confident and relaxed, but like his predecessors, he answered only questions that journalists had submitted in advance, and that his press office had approved.

At Chinese press conferences you learn which topics the government thinks are important and what message it wants to transmit to the citizenry from the questions that the authorities allow. But you don?t get much fresh information from the answers.

Mr. Li?s responses were, for the most part, pretty bland. We did not learn much that we had not already known before we filed into the elaborately decorated ballroom in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square for the premier?s annual press conference carried live on national TV.

But a softball question from People's Daily, the official organ of the ruling Communist party, ("What are the government?s goals and the top priorities on its agenda?") allowed Li to stress his intention of raising incomes and strengthening the social security net ? a major worry for many Chinese ? and of making China a fairer country.

That will have gone down well with the hundreds of millions of citizens who have learned from experience that you don?t get far in this country without the right connections.

The Chinese state radio correspondent tossed him a question about the government?s plans to combat official corruption, another huge gripe among ordinary Chinese, which gave the new prime minister a chance to pledge his ?unshakeable resolve? to root out dishonesty in government.

Overseas reporters had a chance to put their questions, too ? an American was permitted a carefully worded query about US-China relations, including a reference to US allegations that the Chinese government is behind a lot of cyber-espionage; a Frenchman was allowed to ask about the foul air we have been breathing in Beijing for the past 10 weeks; a Russian asked about the future of Sino-Russian relations.

None of them elicited anything that could be mistaken for news, however. He batted away the question of hacking with the standard line that China too is a victim of hackers, and complained ? with a smile ? that he detected ?a presumption of guilt? in the reporter?s question that he did not accept.

The authorities were especially nervous on Sunday about what foreign reporters might ask because the press conference was being broadcast live on television, and they did not want any embarrassments.

Having attended six of these annual charades, and knowing how they work, it still astonishes me that the leader of a country such as China, which aspires to a serious place at the top table of world affairs, does not dare to take unscripted questions from journalists. Li talked a lot about reform this morning; he could do worse than start with the way the government relates to the local and foreign press.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/25ZZkXdOJqE/China-s-Premier-Li-meets-the-press-but-no-unscripted-questions-thank-you

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Rose keeps his nose in front at Bay Hill

Justin Rose, of England, hits a shot from the eighth tee during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Justin Rose, of England, hits a shot from the eighth tee during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Tiger Woods, left, and Justin Rose, of England, walk to their next shot on the fairway during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Justin Rose, of England, tees off on the first hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Tiger Woods hits a shot from a bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Tiger Woods pumps his fist after sinking a putt for par on the third hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? Bill Haas wanted to atone for the way he finished his opening round. He did that and more Friday and was tied for the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

That sure wasn't the case for Tiger Woods.

One shot out of the lead with three holes to play, Woods closed with three sloppy bogeys to fall four shots behind going into the weekend. That makes the chore a little more difficult in his bid to defend his title at Bay Hill and return to No. 1 in the world.

"The good news is we've got 36 holes to go," Woods said. "We've got a long way to go. And certainly four shots can be made up."

Haas not only kept bogeys off his card, his longest putt for par was no more than 4 feet in a clean round of 6-under 66. He was tied with Justin Rose, who was poised to take the outright lead until he was fooled by the speed of the greens after late afternoon showers and finished with a three-putt bogey for a 70.

They were at 9-under 135, one shot ahead of John Huh, who had a 69.

The finishing holes have proved pivotal in the opening two rounds. Haas was challenging for the lead on Thursday when he flew his tee shot into the back bunker on the par-3 17th and had to two-putt from 40 feet for bogey. Then, he three-putted from 8 feet on the 18th hole for bogey to ruin his day.

"So to leave, basically giving two away, my goal today was try to get those two back and go from there," Haas said. "That was kind of my mindset today, and then I was able to keep it going."

Rose went eagle-birdie on the 16th and 17th holes that sent him on his way to an opening 65, and he regained the lead Friday with a 4-iron just off the fringe for a simple birdie on the 16th. But after a burst of rain, he thought the green might be slower than it was on his 25-foot birdie try. He ran it 5 feet by the hole, and missed it coming back.

"But that was the only thing that hampered the day, really," Rose said. "All in all, exciting day and I'm in a good position."

Woods hit the ball better in the second round and had to settle for a higher score, all because of his finish.

He had about 210 yards from a fairway bunker on the par-5 16th and caught it heavy, slamming the sand with the back of his club even before the ball took one hop and tumbled into the creek short of the green. He pitched up to 25 feet and took bogey. Then, he turned over his tee shot on the 17th and wound up in the rough well behind the green, and his chip went all the way through the green.

Woods followed that with a tee shot into the right rough that forced him to play short of the water, and he hit a poor chip to about 30 feet. He missed that for a 70.

"I've made my share of mistakes on the last few holes the last couple of days, and I need to clean that up," said Woods, who made bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes on Thursday in the middle of his round.

That closing stretch wasn't the only thing that held him back. Woods missed a birdie putt inside 3 feet on the par-3 second hole. He missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 fourth hole and he tried to jam in a 3-foot birdie putt on the 12th that caught the lip and stayed out.

"He's normally a fast finisher, and you can expect him to probably finish fast on the weekend," Rose said. "He did a lot of hard work today. He actually played really well. I thought he was probably a couple of shots away from shooting 64 today at times. I'm sure he was very disappointed because he actually played some great golf today."

Sixteen players were separated by five shots going into the weekend, and the question was how much fire the downpour at the conclusion of Friday would take out of Bay Hill.

Ken Duke (68), J.J. Henry (67) and Jim Walker (69) were at 6-under 138. Woods was right behind, along with Mark Wilson and Vijay Singh, who each shot 68. Rickie Fowler had a 67 and joined the large group at 4-under 140.

There was still some drama late in the day. Club professional Rod Perry found a bunker on No. 9 in a driving rain and took bogey, letting eight players into the weekend. That group included Robert Allenby, who had not made a cut all year. Allenby is assured four rounds against a full field for the first time since June.

Two notable players will not be around.

Phil Mickelson four-putted from 5 feet on the 13th hole for triple bogey, and whatever hopes he had of making the cut ended when his tee shot sailed left on No. 9 and went out of bounds. Mickelson closed with a triple bogey and a 79, his highest score ever in 48 rounds at Bay Hill. It was his highest score since a 79 at the Memorial, hosted by Jack Nicklaus, so at least he treated golf's two biggest living greats equitably.

"There is a huge discrepancy between the low scores and the high scores," he said. "Obviously, I played terrible and I deserved to shoot a score like this. But I felt like if I hit good shots, I could make birdies."

Geoff Ogilvy, at No. 50 in the world and needing to stay there after the Houston Open next week, opened with a 70 and watched it all go wrong in a round of 78. He was still in good shape to make the cut until he hit his tee shot out-of-bounds on the 16th and made double bogey.

Rose wasn't just fooled by the speed of the green on the 18th hole. He also had a spectator get in his head over a 15-foot birdie attempt on the 13th. The putt narrowly missed and Rose spun around and pointed his finger at the noisy spectator. It wasn't about heckling, rather advice.

"I was reading the putt thinking ... 'Might go a little bit right-to-left of the hole. Fairly straight overall.' And as I'm lining it up, someone is like, 'It goes right. It goes right. It goes right.' So I'm like, 'OK, thanks, buddy,'" Rose said. "It's just one of those annoying moments where you're having to then battle someone who planted a seed. And I hit a great putt that's in the middle with 4 feet to go and it goes left of the hole."

He smiled when he finished the story. After all, he was still tied for the lead.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-22-GLF-Bay-Hill/id-8989328a06df4f1fad208503e94c1711

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Babbel acquires PlaySay in bid to bolster US language learning presence

Babbel's been doing a solid job of picking up users as it attempts to help people around the world learn new tongues over their lunch breaks, but evidently, it's not picking up steam in the US as well as it would like. The remedy? Buy the market share one so desires. Today, the company has announced the acquisition of San Francisco's own PlaySay -- a language learning company that has been tearing up every app store it approaches since launching at TechCrunch Disrupt in September of 2011. With that, however, comes some pretty unfortunate news for users. PlaySay apps are going to be yanked 45 days from now, with website visitors funneled over to Babbel's site. Moreover, we've confirmed that none of PlaySay's technologies will be integrated into Babbel's programs, and that only PlaySay's founder (Ryan Meinzer) will remain on staff as an "adviser."

We've got nothing but love for Babbel's software, but what this means for consumers is simple: one less player in the space, and a dead-end for the technology that was developed in order to launch PlaySay. Of course, we aren't going to pretend that this type of thing doesn't happen all of the time, but alas....

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/21/babbel-acquires-playsay-language-learning-deal/

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Senate backs symbolic repeal of medical device tax (reuters)

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Microsoft demos improvements to Bing voice recognition for Windows Phone

"Nothing says fun like a speech demo." Those are the words of Microsoft's CTSO Eric Rudder, not ours -- although we do have to agree. As you'll see for yourself in the video after the break, Microsoft held a private event for its employees a few weeks ago showcasing some of the advancements it's achieved with Bing's voice search for Windows Phone. Thanks to the work of MS' Research arm and the folks at Advanced Technology Group, voice recognition accuracy on a prototype build has now been improved by up to 15-percent on the back end and should even see a further 10- to 15-percent performance boost. In addition to this decreased error rate, the team's also greatly enhanced the speed at which the app delivers relevant results. So when can you expect this new and improved Bing app for WP? That part's unclear, but it appears Microsoft's already implementing changes on the back end to bolster current use.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Software, Mobile, Microsoft

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Gun rights backers vow court fight against new Colorado laws

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - Only a day after Colorado's governor signed laws setting limits on ammunition and imposing background checks, gun rights advocates have vowed to sue, some county sheriffs have declined to enforce the measures, and an ammunition manufacturer is leaving the state.

The measures signed into law on Wednesday by Governor John Hickenlooper will ban ammunition magazines with more than 15 rounds, require universal background checks for gun buyers and force gun buyers to pay for their own background checks.

Colorado has seen two of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, and the legislation represented an effort to prevent those types of killings. The measures were also passed during a national debate over firearms violence reignited by the December slayings of 20 children and six adults at a school in Connecticut.

The laws' passages are considered a victory for Democrats in a state where gun ownership is treasured.

The Denver-based libertarian group Independence Institute said it would file a lawsuit either in state or federal court against Colorado seeking to block the measures that are set to go into effect on July 1.

"We're going to court and the people in 2014 are going to have an opportunity to choose a new legislature and a new governor," said David Kopel, research director for the group.

In another challenge to gun-control measures enacted after the Connecticut school shootings, a National Rifle Association affiliate filed a lawsuit on Thursday charging that New York state's laws banning assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines violated the constitutional right to bear arms.

MANUFACTURER LEAVING

Ammunition manufacturer Magpul, which has a plant in Erie, Colorado, threatened before the passage of the Colorado bill to leave the state and take away what its executives said were 200 direct jobs and 400 jobs at related companies in its supply chain.

On its Facebook page, Magpul said it would go through with the threat to move, and supporters posted comments inviting them to their own states such as Missouri and Nevada.

"Our transition to a new home will occur in a phased and orderly manner to allow us to continue to serve our customers during the move, as well as to allow an orderly transition for affected employees," the company's statement on Facebook said.

A representative for Magpul did not return calls.

Eric Brown, spokesman for the governor, said in an email that nothing in the bills signed by Hickenlooper would prevent Magpul from "manufacturing here and selling elsewhere."

Meanwhile, a number of county sheriffs in Colorado have said they cannot or will not enforce the new gun control laws, even as the governor's office has directed state officials to give law enforcement agencies technical guidance on how the magazine limits in particular should be interpreted and enforced.

"We expect sheriffs to follow all state laws to the best of their abilities," Brown said.

In July 2012, a gunman opened fire in a crowded theater at the opening night of the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.

Colorado was also the site of a 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot dead a teacher and 12 other students before committing suicide.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-rights-backers-vow-court-fight-against-colorado-003517904.html

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Emilia Clarke and Seth MacFarlane: It's Over!

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Analysis: Khamenei mobilizes loyalists to swing Iran's election

By Marcus George

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader may have helped Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to win two presidential elections, but he is now bent on stopping his turbulent protege from levering his own man into the job.

Time was when even reformist presidents would defer to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the ultimate authority in the Islamic Republic's clerical system. Ahmadinejad changed all that.

Ahmadinejad's relentless quest for power and recognition has led him into direct confrontation with Khamenei, the man to whom he arguably owes his second term, if not his first.

And as Iran's first non-clerical president since 1981, he has not stopped short of challenging the power of the clergy.

Even though he cannot stand for a third term, Ahmadinejad is widely seen as determined to extend his influence by backing his former chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie for president.

Khamenei loyalists accuse Mashaie of inspiring a 'deviant' trend that favors strong nationalism over clerical rule.

"So magical is the political prowess attributed to Mashaie and Ahmadinejad's populist appeal that Mashaie's prospective candidacy causes much concern in the Khamenei camp," said Shaul Bakhash, professor at George Mason University in the United States, weighing prospects for the election in mid-June.

Voters, preoccupied by bread-and-butter issues in an economy battered by Western sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear program, may only have conservatives to choose from.

Reformists are unlikely to get a look in. Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who ran against Ahmadinejad in a 2009 election they denounced as rigged, languish under house arrest.

The reformist movement "has no organizational capacity and no recognized candidate right now," said Scott Lucas of EA worldview, a news website that monitors Iranian media.

CLOSING RANKS

Iran's rulers, keen to avert any repeat of the mass protests and violence that shook Iran after the 2009 poll, will try to ensure that only obedient candidates pass the vetting process.

And to block Mashaie or any other pro-Ahmadinejad candidate, Khamenei is turning to a three-man alliance of principalists - hardliners loyal to him - to unite behind one candidate to secure a quick and painless election win, say diplomats and analysts.

The driving force behind this appears to be the supreme leader's foreign policy adviser Ali Akbar Velayati, who is one of the three possible contenders, along with Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and lawmaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.

"If principalists are divided ... and the presidency is not in the hands of principalists in the future, we will have a tragedy," Velayati said last month.

"From these three people one person will be introduced as a candidate, so we can finish the job in the first round."

Analysts agree that Khamenei, deeply concerned about the election outcome, has given the nod to the initiative.

"Ayatollah Khamenei has systematically and effectively concentrated both power and authority in his person. No one in Iran today can become president without his approval," said Ali Ansari, an Iran scholar at St Andrew's University in Scotland.

Velayati appears to be leading a drive to eradicate Ahmadinejad's power and unite all principality's behind a single candidate - despite their own virulent political divisions.

A U.S.-trained doctor who served as foreign minister for 16 years until 1997, Velayati is now regarded as one of Khamenei's most influential advisers, often deployed to carry out high-level initiatives on the leader's orders.

Velayati's partners in the anti-Ahmadinejad alliance are established politicians, but less well known abroad.

Haddad Adel is the father-in-law of Khamenei's third son, Mojtaba, the gate-keeper of access to the leader himself. An MP and former parliament speaker, he commands influence in the assembly and much respect for his academic credentials.

His family ties to Khamenei have strengthened his position within the leader's inner circle, but have opened him to accusations that he is little more than a pawn of the leader.

The third member of the trio, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, is a former commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).

He is regarded as a pragmatist who "reaches out to more moderate conservatives", said Scott Lucas of EA World view.

Popular, charismatic and boasting support from the Guards, Qalibaf's inclusion in the alliance may be intended to stifle any threat he might pose by running as an independent candidate.

"He is too popular in his own right and may represent IRGC constituencies that the supreme leader is nervous about," said a European diplomat who focuses on Iran policy.

DEMOCRATIC VENEER

Khamenei can tighten his grip on the poll via the Guardian Council, which can veto candidates - although barring too many would risk destroying public interest in a vote which, however circumscribed, bolsters Iran's claims to democratic legitimacy.

"Without these elections and high participation, even the pretence of democracy would fall apart," said Trita Parsi of the Washington-based National Iranian American Council.

But allowing an Ahmadinejad-backed contender - or dark-horse independents - to run has risks for the ruling establishment.

"Ahmadinejad has shown he isn't going quietly," said the European diplomat. "The danger will be if his candidate doesn't get in amid voter fraud speculation - then we've got a 2009 situation, involving regime insiders."

Tensions are already rising.

Last month Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani - also a principalist - was pelted with shoes and stones by Ahmadinejad supporters in the holy city of Qom, where he had come to make a speech on the 34th anniversary of Iran's revolution.

It was the latest skirmish in a personal feud that had exploded into public days earlier when the president accused Larijani's family of using its position for economic gain.

Larijani's brother, Fazel, described Ahmadinejad's behavior as a conspiracy carried out by "Mafia-like individuals".

Such public wrangling among Iran's conservative political elite is an embarrassment to the Supreme Leader.

"Khamenei no longer seems able to impose discipline eve among his own lieutenants when it comes to those fierce political rivalries," said Bakhash.

Among independents to throw their hats in the ring are former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaie, a losing candidate in 2009. Both are conservatives who could disrupt Velayati's campaign to close ranks for Khamenei and shut out any Ahmadinejad proxy.

A president loyal to Khamenei might prove slightly less adversarial than Ahmadinejad in relations with the West, but would still be unlikely to accept a major nuclear compromise.

"Since they are beholden to the supreme leader, I can't see much change other than a reduction in some of the rhetoric," said Ansari of St Andrew's University. "Although this would help, at least on a superficial level."

(Reporting By Marcus George; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Janet McBride)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-khamenei-mobilizes-loyalists-swing-irans-election-124625076.html

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Outdoor Recreation Drives the Maryland Economy | Delmarva Town ...

Outdoor Industry Association?
March 18, 2013
Boulder, CO

Outdoor Industry Association Releases Economic Data for All 50 States

Outdoor Industry Association? (OIA) has released figures quantifying the economic impact of outdoor recreation in all 50 states, with a separate report for each state that tallies direct spending, jobs, salaries and tax revenue. This data demonstrates that outdoor recreation is an important driver of state economies, supporting jobs, businesses and communities.

In Maryland, Americans spend $9.5 billion on outdoor recreation, supporting 84,700 Maryland jobs, generating $2.8 billion in wages, and producing $686 million in state and local tax revenue. Maryland offers spectacular outdoor recreation opportunities at treasured destinations, including Chesapeake Bay, Patapsco Valley State Park and many others, providing the types of outdoor experiences that produce these economic benefits.

The state-by-state figures expand upon a national report OIA published in June 2012, which found that nationally Americans spend $646 billion each year on outdoor recreation, directly supporting 6.1 million jobs and generating nearly $80 billion in tax revenue.

?Outdoor recreation is a growing American industry that produces significant economic benefits,? said Will Manzer, chair of the OIA Board of Directors and former CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports. ?For example, Americans spend almost twice as much on outdoor recreation as they spend on pharmaceuticals each year. And outdoor recreation supports more than twice as many jobs as the oil and gas industry.?

Outdoor recreation creates diverse jobs in product development, manufacturing, marketing, logistics, sales, retail, public land management, guiding services and more ? and also supports service sector and other jobs when people spend money on trips and travel-related expenses associated with outdoor pursuits.

With nearly 140 million Americans participating in outdoor activities each year, outdoor recreation is a larger and more critical sector of the American economy than most people realize.

The outdoor industry can continue to generate jobs and be an economic driver in the United States if parks, waters and trails are managed as a system designed to sustain these economic dividends for America.

?Outdoor recreation is good for the American economy and our future,? said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of OIA. ?When we invest in the nation?s network of public lands and waters, we are protecting and enhancing outdoor experiences for the benefit of the thousands of businesses, communities and families whose livelihoods depends on the outdoor recreation economy.?

The new data is an expansion to OIA?s 2006 study and tracks direct jobs as well as direct consumer spending on gear, vehicles, trips and travel in 10 activity categories. OIA commissioned Southwick Associates, a research firm that specializes in shooting sports, hunting, angling, natural resource and environmental economics, to perform the research. Motorcycle Industry Council? and National Marine Manufacturers Association? contributed funding and data to support this study.

The national report as well as a one page fact sheet for each U.S. state is available on the OIA website at outdoorindustry.org/recreationeconomy.

About Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA supports the growth and success of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives, and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment and services. For more information, go to outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

Source: http://delmarvatowncrier.com/archives/outdoor-recreation-drives-the-maryland-economy/

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Monster from the deep hits the surface

The page you are looking for has moved. Please go to the main EurekAlert! homepage to locate the section you are interested in and reset your bookmarks.

If you are looking for this week's current news releases, click on "Breaking News" once you reach the main EurekAlert! homepage. If you are a reporter looking for the embargoed news section, go to the main EurekAlert! homepage, log in with your username and password and then, from the main reporter homepage, click on "Embargoed News." If you are a PIO looking to submit a release, go to the main EurekAlert! homepage, log in with your username and password and then, from the main PIO homepage, click "Submit a Release."

Thank you.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/uoc-mft031913.php

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Rihanna television special hitting airwaves in May

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fans of Rihanna can get a sample of the singer's 2012 tour when a documentary featuring performances and behind-the-scenes footage will be shown on U.S. television on May 6.

"RIHANNA 777," a one-hour special, will air on Fox, the network said on Monday.

The program chronicles Rihanna's late 2012 world tour, which made seven stops in seven days as she promoted her seventh album, "Unapologetic." It also includes footage shot on a 777 jet used to transport the singer, her entourage and more than 250 journalists and fans.

The film "provides an inside look at the singer's ambitious and often turbulent tour, from the sound of popping champagne corks on the plane to the backstage chaos to the singer's special worldwide appearances," Fox said in a statement.

Stops during the tour included Mexico City, Toronto, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, London and New York.

Last week Rihanna canceled shows in Boston and Baltimore because she was suffering from flu and laryngitis. She resumed performing on Friday at a stop in Philadelphia.

In 2012 the Barbados-born Grammy Award-winning singer was rated by Time and Forbes magazines as among the world's and celebrity arena's most powerful people.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rihanna-television-special-hitting-airwaves-may-151457877.html

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Advanced Persistent Threats Are Top ... - Internet Guardian

Ely, England (PRWEB UK) 5 December 2012

Countering Advanced Persistent Threats, or APTs, tops the list of information security priorities for businesses in 2013, according to IT Governance (http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/), the global leader in IT governance, risk management and compliance expertise.

British Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude will today update MPs on the Governments cyber security strategy, and cyber security minister Chloe Smith recently stressed the essential role to be played by the private sector in combating online threats. To help businesses respond to this call for boardroom action, IT Governance has drawn up a list of its top 10 tips for combating cybercrime in the coming year.

Alan Calder, Chief Executive of IT Governance, says: Today, through benign neglect, staff carelessness or insufficient preparation, every business, large and small, is vulnerable to cyberattack. Our Top 10 identifies the biggest online threats to your business in the coming year and shows how you can tackle these.

1. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs): APTs refer to coordinated cyberactivities by sophisticated criminals and state-level entities. With the aim of stealing information or compromising information systems, these target governments and corporations which have valuable intellectual property. By their very nature, manufacturing and the high-tech, oil and gas, finance and pharmaceutical industries all come under the greatest threat of attack by APTs. While theres no single, stand-alone solution, coordinated and integrated preparations can help you rebuff, respond to and recover from possible attacks. Adopting ISO27001, the best practice infosecurity standard, is the most practical way for companies to develop and implement a tailor-made and comprehensive cybersecurity management system to counter the ATP threat.

2. Cyberwar: Cyberespionage and cyberterrorism have become a major threat to UK and US governments. In the form of high-profile malware attacks, state-backed entities are seeking commercial advantage against international competitors, as well as preparing for a new front in modern warfare. China is the best known example of a state believed to engage in such activities, so much so that many larger corporations now forbid employees from taking their laptops on business trips into China for fear of data loss. Effective, enterprise-wide cyber-defence must therefore be in place at all levels, to provide strategic, tactical and operational protection, alongside linkages between operational management, operational processes and technical controls.

3. Cybercrime: As opposed to APTs or cyberwar, cybercrime is a threat to every individual and organisation, no matter how small. Cybercriminals exploit modern technologies in order to commit criminal activities, ranging from identity theft to the penetration of online financial services. All businesses should implement an integrated cybersecurity strategy which, among other issues, includes securing your cyber-perimeter to making sure that your staff are trained to recognise and respond to social engineering attacks and follow a well-thought-out social media strategy.

4. Personal data protection: 2012 has seen a slew of data breaches involving the theft of customers personal information. This trend will continue unless businesses change their approach to handling personal data. The proposed new EU Data Protection regulation aims to strengthen individual rights and tackle the challenges of globalisation and new technologies. The EU Commission is also putting pressure on businesses to tighten information security measures. Again, the most logical and sensible way to do this is via ISO27001 implementation and certification.

5. Mobile security: USB devices, laptops, tablets and mobile phones make it very easy for employees to transport massive amounts of information out of the door potentially to your rivals. Also, whenever employees save username and password data onto their mobile devices, they make it exceptionally easy for fraudsters to crack the passwords of a range of applications, thereby increasing cyber risk. All confidential information stored on these devices must be encrypted to avoid data breaches as a result of theft or loss.

6. Data security: Given that many data breaches are due to human error, insider threats play a significant role. Continuous staff awareness training is essential, but companies also need to manage access to data as part of the overall information security management system. For example, restrict access to people with a business need to know, or set up a unique ID for users which, combined with logging and audits, protects against the insider.

7. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): BYOD policies are becoming the norm at a growing number of both companies and state organisations. Protecting and controlling company data on your staffs personal mobile devices poses a stiff challenge best answered by implementing a mobile device management policy.

8. Identity theft: Identity fraud, which involves someone pretending to be somebody else for financial or other gain, is rife. We all need to be aware of phishing and pharming emails, but we also need to be wary of how we use social media and how much personal information we provide. Antivirus software and spyware removal software alone cannot protect against these attacks. Effort also needs to go into user education to cut exposure to risk.

9. Payment Card Security: Ever-growing numbers of payment cards are being threatened as a result of the migration of payment apps onto mobile devices. Companies should apply regular website security testing, known as vulnerability scanning, which should be conducted by qualified ethical hackers. Its also important to regularly apply all relevant patches, and to have a basic understanding of common hacking techniques and new threats and computer viruses.

10. Cloud continuity and security: If you are using a Cloud provider for mission-critical applications and data storage, check the contract carefully. What security policies does the provider have in place? Do they have ISO27001 certification? Evaluate the risks of using a Cloud provider and make them part of your own information security management system.

Ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

IT Governance Ltd is the single-source provider for books, tools, training and consultancy for governance, risk management and compliance. The company is a leading authority on data security and IT governance for business and the public sector. IT Governance is non-geek, approaching IT issues from a non-technology background and talking to management in its own language. The companys customer base spans Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. More information is available at: http://www.itgovernance.co.uk.

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Source: http://www.internetguardian.co.uk/advanced-persistent-threats-are-top-infosecurity-challenge-for-businesses-in-2013-says-it-governance/

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In China's shadow, Gitmo Uighurs languish on Palau

KOROR, Palau (AP) ? Ahmat Abdulahad can't help but laugh at the irony of his predicament.

He and five other Chinese Muslims released from America's Guantanamo military prison in 2009 thought they would be living on this remote island for a few months, maybe a year.

But more than three years later, they are still in Palau, and the patience ? and funding of this poor nation ? is running out. The government has cut Abdulahad's monthly stipend, so he can't pay his bills, not even those from the Palau Power Utility Corp., where he works as a night watchman. So he and his family, inadvertent inhabitants of one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific, are learning to make do without electricity.

Palau has become a prolonged stopover in what is now a 12-year odyssey for a half dozen men from China's ethnic Uighur minority. They were swept up in Afghanistan as suspected terrorists, held without trial in Guantanamo for more than eight years, then became a cause celebre for Guantanamo opponents in the U.S., who saw them as hapless victims of the anti-terrorism effort and the circumvention of due process in the name of national security.

Now, all but one of them ? who quietly managed to make his way to Turkey to join his wife a few months ago ? remain stuck on Palau because no one else will take them.

"We are like the pieces in a chess game," Abdulahad, who is 42, said at a small, drab apartment building by the sea where three of the men live with their wives and children. He wears a prosthetic limb because he lost part of his left leg in the air raid when he was captured. "They have played us like that all these years."

Both the men and Palau's president say pressure from China, which says they are terrorists despite their release, is making it impossible for them to find refuge anywhere else. And having met a U.S. federal court order to release them from Guantanamo, U.S. government interest in finding them a permanent home appears to have dried up ? though officials say they are doing all they can.

"It's no secret China is very angry with Palau because of the resettlement," President Tommy Remengesau said in a recent interview with The Associated Press, one of his first since taking office in January. "It doesn't take a blind man not to notice that nobody wanted to take these men. The pressure was there from the beginning and the pressure continues to be there. Nobody will be open enough to say that they welcome the Uighurs because of that pressure."

China's Foreign Ministry and national police ministry did not respond to faxed requests for comment about Beijing pressuring other governments not to accept the Uighurs.

The Uighurs come from Xinjiang, an isolated region of western China that borders Afghanistan, Pakistan and six Central Asian nations. They are Turkic-speaking Muslims who say they have long been repressed by the Chinese government. Many want Xinjiang to become independent, and in recent years, some have staged bombings and other attacks, mostly against police, government and military targets.

China considers Uighurs held in Guantanamo to be terrorists and has demanded they be repatriated. But since they would almost certainly face imprisonment or even torture if sent back to China, other countries had to be found. The U.S. refused to grant them asylum. Nearly a dozen now live in Albania, Bermuda, El Salvador and Switzerland. Three remain in custody at the U.S. Navy facility in Cuba.

Palau, a country of 20,000 people that relies heavily on the United States for defense and aid, agreed to take six Uighurs on a temporary basis. The former U.S. trust territory, which became independent in 1994, didn't have much to lose. It is one of the few countries that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, instead of Beijing, and to sweeten the deal, Washington promised $600,000 to help pay for the men's stay.

But Palau says it has done enough.

"The funds have run out. My government is not in a financial situation to deal with them here," Remengesau said. "Culturally it just doesn't fit. Their religion is different from 99 percent of the people of Palau. It hasn't been an entirely stable situation for us. They're not happy. If they had their choice, they would rather be somewhere else."

Even Palau has felt Beijing's wrath, he said, noting that construction of a beachfront resort being developed by Chinese investors abruptly stopped as soon as the Uighur deal was announced. It is a major eyesore, boarded up and vacant, along the main street of Koror, Palau's biggest town, and just a short walk from a bustling hotel built by Taiwanese developers.

Former President Johnson Toribiong, who was voted out of office in November in part because of allegations that he misused the funds intended for the Uighurs, said he never intended for Palau to be a final destination.

"I assumed that I would be able to take care of them and by the end of my term find them a permanent place to go to," he said.

Last month, Palau's government confirmed that one of the men, Adel Noori, had left the island. According to a local newspaper, Noori made his way to Turkey via Japan. Officials in Palau and Washington say they cannot comment because of security concerns.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the United States is working diligently to seek permanent homes for the remaining Uighurs and is "coordinating closely with Palau on matters related to the remaining individuals temporarily resettled there."

But officials on Palau say they are not even sure who to contact in Washington. Special envoy Daniel Fried, who negotiated the Palau deal and was in charge of finding placements for cleared detainees at Guantanamo, was transferred to a new job in January. No replacement has been named, which has been widely seen as more evidence that President Obama's zeal to close Guantanamo ? a major campaign promise before his election in 2008 ? has waned under congressional opposition.

"We need a timetable, and a plan of action. That's where the frustration comes," Remengesau said. "We are looking for a happy ending. These are human beings. They deserve respect."

For now, the five Uighur men eke by, most working as security guards and making about $500 a month, which is about the poverty level even by Palauan standards. Prospective employers are reluctant to hire them, and if they speak English at all, it is mostly what they picked up in prison. The only other Muslims on Palau are a small number of Bangladeshis.

"When we were released we were very happy," said Abdulghappar Abdulrahman, another of the Uighurs. "But now it is like being in Guantanamo again."

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Pennington in Washington, D.C., and Jonathan Kaminsky in Olympia, Washington, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-shadow-gitmo-uighurs-languish-palau-050150844.html

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