Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Angelina Jolie Downplays Brad Pitt Marriage Talk


Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie really headed down the altar soon?

That's what could be expected, given Pitt's recent comments about the pressure to - and his desire to - propose, but according to Jolie, that's premature.

"I think anything said tends to be blown out of proportion," Jolie told People Sunday night at the SAG Awards, when asked about "a lot of ring-talk lately."

"Yeah, that was my fault," Pitt admitted with a smile.

Guess we know who wears the pants in that house.

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt at the SAG Awards

The speculation about wedding bells in the near future for the famous couple stem from Pitt's remark that Brangelina is "getting a lot of pressure from the kids."

"It means something to them," he continued, adding that he would like to marry Angelina, and that "We will [get married] someday, we will. It's a great idea."

"'Please, get mommy a ring.' 'OK, I will, I will.' "

"It seems to mean more and more to our kids," he said. "I don't think we'll be able to hold out … it means something to me, to make that kind of commitment."

Probably not until Angelina demands it, however.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/angelina-jolie-downplays-brad-pitt-marriage-comment/

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Declassified US Spy Satellites from Cold War Land in Ohio (SPACE.com)

A trio of once-secret U.S. spy satellites built to look down on the Soviet Union were unveiled in Ohio on Thursday (Jan. 26) in a rare public display by the United States Air Force.

The vintage reconnaissance satellites joined the Cold War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and will eventually be installed in a new wing for space relics and other aircraft. The satellites ? called KH-7 Gambit 1, the KH-8 Gambit 3 and the KH-9 Hexagon ? were officially declassified in September by the National Reconnaissance Office and released for public viewing.

"Last year the NRO celebrated its 50th anniversary, and we announced the declassification of two NRO systems, Gambit and Hexagon, which were America's eyes in space and the most sophisticated satellites of their time," NRO director Air Force Gen. (Ret.) Bruce Carlson said in a statement. "These systems were critical for monitoring key targets in the USSR and around the globe and provided much-needed cartographic information to the DOD to produce accurate, large-scale maps."

The Gambit and Hexagon satellites followed the NRO's iconic Corona spy satellite program, which was declassified in 1995. [Photos of the declassified spy satellites]

The spy satellite Gambit

The Gambit and Hexagon spy satellite systems were among the most prolific U.S. space reconnaissance systems used between the 1960s and 1980s. With a resolution of between 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to nearly 1 meter), the spacecraft used high-resolution cameras to photograph areas of interest, then return the film to Earth in special re-entry capsules.

The capsules plunged through Earth's atmosphere, then deployed a parachute so they could be caught in mid-air by Air Force aircraft, museum officials explained.

The Gambit 1 satellites flew between 1963 and 1967 and served as the first American high-resolution space reconnaissance system. They carried about 3,000 feet (914 meters) of film and were designed for short-term missions of about six and a half days.

Each Gambit 1 satellite was about15 feet (4.5 m) long, 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, and weighed about 1,154 pounds (523 kilograms), according to NRO records. In all, 38 Gambit missions were launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, though 10 flights failed.

Gambit 3 satellites were the same width as the Gambit 1 models,? but also slightly longer ? reaching about 29 feet (9 m) in length. They flew on 54 missions between 1966 and 1984, with four recorded failures. The Gambit 3 series satellites carried 12,241 feet (3,731 meters) of film and were designed for longer missions of up to 31 days, according to NRO records.

Hexagon in space

Like the Gambit satellites, the Hexagon system also launched from Vandenberg and were the last U.S. reconnaissance satellites to use photographic film. They were also the largest ? each Hexagon satellite was the size of a school bus and carried 60 miles of film, earning it the nickname "Big Bird."

The U.S. military launched 20 Hexagon spy satellites between 1971 and 1986, with one mission suffering a launch failure. Each Hexagon satellite mission lasted about 124 days, with each satellite carrying four film re-entry canisters, according to NRO documents. Their onboard camera systems could photograph wide swaths of terrain and capture about 370 nautical miles ? the distance from Cincinnati to Washington ? in each 6-inch frame.

According to Air Force museum officials, the Hexagon satellites photographed about 877 million square miles of the Earth's surface during their tenure.

"Gambit 1, Gambit 3 and Hexagon satellites are significant and rare artifacts, which will enable us to better present the story of Air Force operations in space," said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jack Hudson, the Air Force's National Museum director, during the Jan. 26 exhibit dedication. "The Air Force has provided launch, tracking, control and range safety services for reconnaissance satellites throughout the entire Cold War, and it continues these activities today."

The Gambit and Hexagon satellites are currently on display in the museum's Cold War Gallery, but will eventually be moved to a new building that will house a Space Gallery, Presidential Aircraft Gallery and Global Reach Gallery, museum officials said.

You can follow Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120130/sc_space/declassifiedusspysatellitesfromcoldwarlandinohio

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Belgium strikes on day of EU summit (AP)

BRUSSELS ? Belgian trade unions organizing a nationwide strike Monday called on leaders attending the European Union summit in Brussels to move away from austerity measures and start boosting growth and employment.

The 27 EU leaders converging on Brussels for their informal summit were largely unaffected by a train and public transport strike, even though some had to come through a small military airport instead of the main one in Brussels.

"We used our military plane ? very small ? but it functions. It is quite cold, but nevertheless we came," said Finland Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen.

Belgium's three main unions have called for efforts to reinvigorate the European economy by centering on taxing multinationals and boosting public investment instead of slashing public services and imposing a pension reform that forces people to work longer and cuts payments in some cases.

One of the country's airports was closed and Brussels' international airport suffered cancellations, delays and diversions. Traffic delays were limited since many people either worked from home or took a day off.

Trade union leaders converged at the summit building for a small demonstration, demanding a better deal for the workers.

"What we need is growth. Growth creates jobs. And you don't get growth when you suck the oxygen out of the economy by austerity, austerity, and then some," said Christian Democrat union leader Marc Leemans.

Overall, 23 million people are jobless across the EU, 10 percent of the active population.

As part of the demonstration at the summit building, union leaders delivered a symbolic "eurobond" ? pressing for a joint pooling of debt in the eurozone, a measure that has been steadfastly opposed by Germany. Struggling member states like Greece, Portugal and Ireland would benefit most from such bonds.

"At this stage, the poor members states are left in misery and the rich stand by and watch," said Leemans.

After two years of centering summit efforts on austerity and ways to keep debt down, the leaders are assessing ways to spur employment on Monday.

"Only now, we are talking about work and employment. It is too late, but better now than never," said socialist trade union leader Rudy De Leeuw.

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo said both could go hand in hand.

"Restoring growth that is what is essential for us. Also, we need more budgetary discipline. Together these two elements offer a way out of the crisis," Di Rupo said.

To help jump-start the EU toward more growth and employment, the EU Commission is proposing to the summit leaders to redirect euro82 billion in existing funds toward countries in dire need of help to fix their labor market.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_belgium_strike

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Raul Castro defends Cuba's one-party system (AP)

HAVANA ? President Raul Castro delivered a full-throated defense of Cuba's one-party political system on Sunday, and a sharp warning to Communist Party delegates to fight corruption he said was a greater threat to the revolution than anything the United States could dream up.

In a stern closing speech to the party's national conference, Castro reiterated a pledge to institute term-limits for Cuban officials, saying a constitutional amendment would be required but that leaders should begin to adopt the practice even before it is formalized.

Castro has spoken previously about limiting high-ranking officials including himself to two, 5-year terms.

The U.S. threat to Cuba and the limits it placed on reform was a continuing theme of the speech. Cuba's president upbraided those who were hoping to see more fundamental changes come out of the two-day meetings ? or any new faces amid the aged upper ranks of the party and government hierarchy.

"There has been no shortage of criticism and exhortations by those who have confused their intimate desires with reality, deluding themselves that this conference would consecrate the beginning of the dismantling of the political and social system the revolution has fought for for more than half a century," he said.

The Cuban leader said those who want to see Cuba restore a multiparty system are forgetting that it is under siege from a Goliath to the north that would stop at nothing to destroy it.

"To renounce the principle of a one-party system would be the equivalent of legalizing a party, or parties, of imperialism on our soil," he said.

Castro was sharply critical of the United States' democratic system, which he said only concentrated power in the hands of the wealthy. He said that while Cuba had only one party, it sought the participation of all citizens through party and workplace meetings.

"We must promote democracy in our society, starting with the party," he said, urging rank-and-file members to speak up when they disagree with something.

The speech included denunciations of Washington's 50-year trade embargo, its support for dissidents and its imprisonment of Cuban agents who had infiltrated anti-Castro groups in Miami.

Castro also poured water on hopes that a new generation of Cuban politicians were any closer to the brass ring of power, saying the island remained without a backbench of young leaders.

The conference was presided over by the 80-year-old Castro and his 81-year-old chief deputy, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura. The island's third ranking leader, Ramiro Valdes, is 79.

Castro and his brother Fidel, now retired, have ruled Cuba since their 1959 revolution. There was no sign of the elder Castro at the confab, which was closed to foreign journalists.

Raul Castro has pushed a series of dramatic economic reforms since taking power in 2008, legalizing the sale of private homes and used cars, allowing hundreds of thousands to go into business for themselves, turning fallow government land over to small-time farms, and extending bank loans to entrepreneurs and others.

But many social and political reforms have not materialized. After promising in July to study changes to immigration laws that keep most Cubans from ever leaving the country, Castro told the nation in December that the time was not yet right, citing the continued threat from Washington.

At a Communist Party Congress in April, Castro and brother Fidel raised hopes that a new generation of leaders would soon appear on the horizon. Nine months later, there have been few visible changes.

A Cuban official told The Associated Press recently that despite the lack of movement among cabinet ministers and other senior leaders, many midlevel government posts have quietly changed hands, with younger officials moving up. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, and his assertions could not be independently confirmed.

Castro spent a large part of his 40-minute speech warning delegates about the evils of corruption, saying graft was "the principal enemy of the revolution, much more damaging than the multimillion-dollar subversive and interfering programs of the U.S. government and its allies."

He said the Interior Ministry was in the midst of several high-profile investigations of graft and other violations, which would become known at the appropriate time.

"To win the battle against corruption we must first stop it and then liquidate it," Castro said. "We have warned that within the law, we will be implacable."

___

Follow Paul Haven at http://www.twitter.com/paulhaven/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_communist_party_conference

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OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SATA 3.0 SSDs doubles your (MacBook) Airspeed velocity

It's MacWorld, which means those providers of Apple gear are busting out wares for aftermarket insertion into your objects of desire. Other World Computing's latest offering is a slender solid-state drive ready to be crow-barred into last year's MacBook Airs. The bombastically named OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD is a SATA Rev. 3.0 drive with a promised 6Gb/s data speed at sizes of up to a staggering 480GB. Since the stock drives are limited to the 3Gb/s SATA Rev. 2.0 (but the controllers run 3.0), you should find a significant performance bump when swapping in the new unit. The toggle-synchronous NAND drives come in a variety of sizes, starting at 120GB ($260), but it's the brand new and quite beastly 480GB model that has us excited. Sure, $1,150 is a lot to ask for less than half a terrabyte of storage, but you'll get a three-year warranty for all that cash. We may never give you our money, nor our funny pages, but you can have the press release that's after the break.

Continue reading OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SATA 3.0 SSDs doubles your (MacBook) Airspeed velocity

OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express SATA 3.0 SSDs doubles your (MacBook) Airspeed velocity originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Nintendo sees profit next year, but shares tumble (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? Nintendo President Satoru Iwata dismissed the idea that the age of the dedicated handheld games device was over and said he aimed to return the company to substantial profit in 2012/13, after it warned of its first ever operating loss this year.

Shares in Kyoto-based Nintendo Co Ltd tumbled nearly 8 percent to an 8-year low after it slashed its full-year guidance for the third time in 6 months, and analysts said the potential market for its products was shrinking rapidly.

The creator of the Super Mario franchise reported a sharp drop in quarterly earnings, as its sales of its games devices that have dominated the industry for years were hit by competing gadgets such as Apple Inc's iPhone.

Iwata said he blamed the dismal results on a mixture of strategic errors and the difficult business environment created by the strong yen and European consumer gloom.

"Nintendo is facing its worst results since it entered the games business. What matters now is how Nintendo can make a profit from next year onwards, even under these harsh conditions," he told an analysts' meeting.

The maker of the Wii home console and DS handheld games is struggling to compete as sales of more versatile smartphones and tablets boom, and poor sales forced it to slash the price of its much anticipated 3DS handheld game device in August.

"The profitability of 3DS hardware was the biggest issue for earnings this financial year, but it looks like we'll be able to resolve the problem we've been having with losses on the 3DS during the first half of the next financial year," Iwata said.

"We should be able to generate a large profit by getting rid of losses on the 3DS hardware, if we can substantially lift sales of software."

A Nintendo spokesman said the company expected to stop losing money on each 3DS sold, thanks to economies of scale and changes to the internal design of the device.

But Nintendo shares closed down 4.1 percent at 10,310 yen, after falling to 9,910 yen shortly after the market opened, their lowest since February 2004. It has lost nearly 60 percent of its value since the start of last year.

"The company's core handheld business is under assault from smartphones, iPods and tablets, and we see competition for consumer wallet share continuing," said analyst Michael Pachter of U.S.-based Wedbush Securities in a research note.

"The fact is that a significant share of Nintendo's market is gone forever, and we don't expect the company to come up with a practical strategy to stem the declines in sales we have forecast," he added. "We do not expect the company's fortunes to turn in FY 13."

NEW HOME CONSOLE BY CHRISTMAS

Nintendo said on Thursday its third-quarter operating profit fell 61 percent to 40.9 billion yen ($529 million) and it forecast an operating loss of 45 billion yen for the financial year to March 31, far worse than analysts' average forecast of a 4.2 billion yen loss.

Sales of its 3DS slumped shortly after launch in February, forcing the company to slash prices just six months later and take a loss on each device, something it had prided itself on avoiding in the past.

Even so, Nintendo cut its full-year 3DS sales forecast to 14 million from 16 million, while sales of its ageing Wii and the previous generation DS have fallen faster than expected.

It also faces stiff competition in the home console market from Sony Corp's Move and Microsoft Corp's Kinect, and some analysts say the console market may dry up over the next several years as cloud gaming takes off.

Nintendo will launch its Wii U console, a successor to the phenomenally successful Wii, in Japan, the United States, Australia and Europe at the year-end, after showing a final version at the E3 games show in June.

But Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan, said the market was unlikely to have high hopes for the Wii U, although the slide in the share price may be reaching an end.

"The pace of the share price decline is easing and it may be near a floor, but it would be hard to predict a rapid recovery," he said.

Iwata said a leap in 3DS sales after the launch of a raft of software late last year showed that dedicated handheld games gadgets still had a future.

"I believe we have disproved the extreme theory that there is no longer a demand for handheld devices," he said.

($1 = 77.34)

(Additional reporting by Dominic Lau, James Topham, Reiji Murai, Daiki Iga; Editing by Edwina Gibbs, Michael Watson and Alex Richardson)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/bs_nm/us_nintendo

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Djokovic wins marathon match to set up Nadal final

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia bites his necklace during his semifinal against Andy Murray of Britain at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Sarah Ivey)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, Pool)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, center, celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain, top left, during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, early Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

(AP) ? If anyone knows how Novak Djokovic feels after sweating and scrapping for almost five hours in the Australian Open semifinals, it's his next opponent ? Rafael Nadal.

A day after Nadal beat Roger Federer in four compelling sets, Djokovic dug deep to overcome Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 on Friday night after 4 hours, 50 minutes.

Defending champion Djokovic will face Nadal in a third straight Grand Slam final on Sunday. It's a reversal from three years ago, when Nadal had to regroup after his own lengthy semifinal.

The Spaniard needed 5 hours, 14 minutes in 2009 to get past compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the longest men's singles match in the tournament's history. He was so exhausted, he didn't lift a racket the following day.

Yet when the final rolled around, he beat Federer ? who had an extra day to rest ? in five sets that reduced the usually composed Swiss player to tears.

Now a weary Djokovic has less than 48 hours to prepare to face Nadal, one of the most fit players in the game.

"I know that I maybe have a mental edge because I've won six finals. ... We played in 2011 and I've had lots of success against him," Djokovic said. "That's going to be my main priority and concern the next day and a half, to physically be able to perform my best and be ready to play five sets."

Djokovic won 10 titles in 2011, six of them by beating Nadal in finals. Just as Nadal has the mental edge over Federer, Djokovic has developed a hold over the Spaniard.

But the No. 1-ranked Djokovic has shown chinks in his armor at Melbourne Park this year. Against David Ferrer in the quarterfinals, he struggled to breathe through most of a straight-sets win and at one point, clutched his leg in agony.

Against Murray, he looked completely spent again when he hobbled gingerly back to his chair after dropping serve to go down 2-1 in the third set.

"He's done it many times before," Murray said. "He runs very well even when he's breathing heavy. I was ready for that. He was similar in the last match. But he moved fine."

Murray had his own slump when he lost the fourth set in 25 minutes ? an aberration in a match featuring long baseline rallies that quite often ended in errors.

One rally in the eighth game of the second set ended after 41 shots. The third set lasted nearly an hour and a half, with the opening game taking almost 15 minutes alone. There was one serve-volley point in the entire match, won by Murray.

The gap between the top-ranked player and the No. 4 was mostly indiscernible throughout a match featuring 18 breaks of serve and almost as many changes in momentum.

When a scampering Murray knocked a forehand into the net on the final point, Djokovic collapsed onto the court. He shared a warm hug with his old friend Murray, sank to his knees and did the sign of the cross, then turned to his players' box and thumped his chest.

Many of his 70 match wins in 2011 seemed to come easy ? this was anything but.

"Definitely one of the best (wins) under the circumstances," Djokovic said. "Time wise, I think this was one of the longest, if not the longest, that I've played in the later stages of a Grand Slam.

"As a tennis player, you practice hard every single day knowing that you will get an opportunity to be part of such a great match and on such a high level."

After losing the last two finals at the Australian Open, Murray went out a round earlier this time but left more encouraged than ever that he can break through and become the first British man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1936.

"Tonight's match was important for many reasons," the 24-year-old Murray said. "Obviously I wanted to win first and foremost. But also sort of after last year, the year that Novak's had, I think there's a very fine line between being No. 1 in the world and being 3 or 4. I think that gap, I feel tonight I closed it.

"My job over the next two or three months is to surpass him and the guys in front of me."

After Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova go for the women's title and the No. 1 ranking on Saturday, Djokovic will bid for his fifth major title in Sunday men's final, with the chance to become only the fifth man in the Open Era to win three straight Grand Slam titles.

If he can achieve that, Djokovic would make 10-time Grand Slam winner Nadal the first man since the Open Era began in 1968 to lose three straight major finals. Just like Nadal three years ago, Djokovic doesn't plan on doing much before Sunday's final.

"I think I had enough time spent on the court. Now it's all about recovery," said Djokovic, who has won 19 consecutive Grand Slam matches.

After a year in which almost everything went his way and he overtook Nadal and Federer for the No. 1 ranking, Djokovic is just finding out what it feels like to be the hunted rather than the hunter.

"I'm aware now that everyone wants to win the major title, get that No. 1 spot, he said. "It's normal. It's something I'm prepared for."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-27-TEN-Australian-Open/id-b2f92db02e614347acc94fbae1b9c949

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Amid calls for tax fairness, government report shows federal workers owe $3.4B in back taxes (Star Tribune)

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Mars Rover Opportunity Turns 8

Can you remember the last piece of technology hardware you had which outlived its warranty?.

Pretty much everything I own, seeing as how most warranty terms are a year at best. No company in its right mind would design a product that would NOT make it past its warranty expiration.

You don't read the same reviews I do, on Amazon... "This thing was DOA out of the box..." "This lasted 30 days and then died..." etc.

Some stuff holds up well (which I theorize is inversely proportional to how much I use/depend upon) While I experience the same as these unhappy reviewers.

After the learning experiences of Hubble and the failed ("inches? I thought you mean't Centimetres!") Mars Climate Orbiter, you can expect things are held to a very high standard - because failure is so very, very expens

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/faYZ7wTveBs/mars-rover-opportunity-turns-8

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sensor sensibility: Better protection for concrete coastal structures

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? Innovative sensors have been developed that will dramatically improve the ability to spot early warning signs of corrosion in concrete.

More resilient and much longer lasting than traditional corrosion sensors they will make monitoring the safety of structures such as bridges and vital coastal defences much more effective.

The carbon steel bars used to reinforce submerged concrete in tidal zone areas are at particular risk of corrosion caused by wet conditions (see note below).

The breakthrough has been made by researchers based at City University London and Queen's University Belfast following several research projects funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Because the sensors can withstand long-term placement within concrete -- unlike any equivalent sensors currently available -- they can constantly monitor conditions, enabling a warning to be sent when conditions for corrosion threshold have been crossed.

Thanks to an internet connection, the notification can be sent in the form of an email or text to the structure's maintenance team.

A trio of novel, robust probes is at the heart of the team's work: one that monitors temperature, one for humidity while the other senses chloride and pH levels. Changes in these factors indicate the onset of the potentially destructive corrosion. Within the probes are advanced optical sensors specifically designed and built for this project in City's laboratories. These have been patented for potential commercial exploitation.

Tong Sun, Professor of Sensor Engineering at City and Principal Investigator on the project says: "Key to this successful prototype is our monitoring the variation of the sensor signals of a sample as an indicator of corrosion levels. This means we can use optical sensors made of polymer, which is much more resistant to the high alkaline environments of these structures than sensors currently on the market."

Traditional optical corrosion sensors have only a limited lifetime, usually of several weeks, because of the corrosive alkaline levels within concrete. The new sensors are expected to last for several years, with proper protection, even where pH levels are higher than 12. For comparison, domestic bleach has a pH value of between 12 and 13.

"Our design means several probes can be installed semi-permanently in a structure and then connected to a computer data logger, which will constantly collect readings. This can be left until the readings indicate conditions have changed enough to warrant a full investigation. Remedial work will be simpler, cheaper and more effective at this stage, rather than waiting until there is visible damage, such as parts of the concrete coming away," said Professor Sun.

Notes

The four-year project 'Corrosion Monitoring Systems for Structures in Extreme Marine Environments', began on 31 March 2006 and concluded on 30 March 2010. It received EPSRC funding of ?243,145 to City University London and ?244,788 to Queen's University Belfast.

The success of the sensor development and its potential value to industry means the research team were also awarded a follow on grant by the EPSRC (?110,125 to City and ?65,318 to Queen's University Belfast) to explore the commercial potential of these sensors. This project will see further improvement on the sensor design, especially chloride sensors and their subsequent testing of the probes which will then be put forward for the patent update before being made available for next-stage commercial exploitation.

The integrity of marine structures can face serious risks from a combination of chemical, biological and physical actions presented by the sea. The cost to the owners in the event of a failure can amount to millions of pounds annually for repair, replacement and for removing any sections that have fallen into surrounding water.

In structures such as bridges it is the steel rebar embedded in the concrete that is at risk of corrosion: most at risk are the tidal and splash zones which experience continual wetting and drying.

Seawater contains a cocktail of dissolved inorganic material of which the chloride ion plays a major role in the corrosion of marine structures. This applies to the air above water as well as in the splash zone and below the surface.

The sensors within the temperature and humidity probe utilise the fibre Bragg grating. A fibre Bragg grating is a type of reflector made of a length of optical fibre that only reflects specific wavelengths of light while transmitting all others. This is created, usually by ultraviolet laser treatment, which alters the fibre core's refractive index. A pair of gratings, with one being coated with a polymer layer, was used to separate the temperature and humidity parameters.

Due to the commercial sensitivity of the design, details of the sensors inside the chloride / pH probe are not being disclosed. But it can be revealed that it is capable of measuring free chloride concentrations as low as 20 millimoles per litre (a mole is a unit measuring the concentration of a substance by counting the number of atoms or molecules in it).

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125113141.htm

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Music has a greater presence at Sundance festival (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? The 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Utah isn't just about movies. Festival director John Cooper says organizers added more music to the 11-day festival this year to encourage relationships between independent filmmakers and musicians.

The ASCAP Music Cafe on Park City's Main Street hosts artists every day during the festival and also nightly concerts. And parties around town feature established and emerging musicians, such as R&B singer Estelle and Swedish DJ Sebastian Ingrosso.

Documentaries about Neil Young, Paul Simon and Ice-T are also part of the festival lineup.

ASCAP Music Cafe producer Loretta Munoz says the festival's mission is similar to that of the songwriters' organization she represents ? to foster great art by encouraging and supporting independent artists.

The Sundance festival continues through Sunday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_mu/us_film_sundance_music

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Hideous G-Shock Phone Is Too Durable to Be Destroyed [Smartphones]

Try to drown it, crush it with up to a ton of weight, or give it a ten-foot toss—this prototype G-Shock phone will just laugh its heinous mug at you. Why can't super-rugged things not look like this? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fVz-kIp3FJs/hideous-g+shock-phone-is-too-durable-to-be-destroyed

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Police matters burden legal account - NashuaTelegraph.com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]BROOKLINE ? Nearly $50000 was spent on legal expenses for the town in 2011, almost.

Source: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/947496-196/police-matters-burden-legal-account.html

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BlackBerry maker co-CEOs step down (AP)

TORONTO ? BlackBerry maker Research in Motion'co-CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, announced Sunday they are stepping down from the once-iconic company that has struggled to compete in recent years.

The pair who founded RIM will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, RIM said.

Balsillie and Lazaridis have headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.

The Canadian company has suffered a series of setbacks and has lost tens of billions in market value. A company that was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago now has a market value of $8.9 billion.

RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future will be delayed until late 2012. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to give it deep discounts to move the devices off store shelves.

A widespread outage also frustrated tens of millions of BlackBerry users in October.

Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board.

"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/cn_rim_ceos_resign

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

NASA Tackles Problem of Missing Moon Rocks

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Hundreds of moon rocks and other stuff from space have been lost, destroyed, stolen or remain unaccounted for, according to inspectors.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=12dbfaf3cc56aee5eba0b912713f89b0

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Klum and Seal: 'We have decided to separate'

By Anna Chan

It's official: Supermodel and "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum and singer Seal are officially separating after seven years together.

TMZ first reported on Saturday that Klum was going to file for divorce as early as this week. On Sunday night, the pair confirmed the split in a statement to People.

"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate," the?pair told the magazine.?

"We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition."

Klum and Seal have three biological children together, and the singer adopted the model's eldest daughter, Leni, from a previous relationship.

"They've had a very rough road lately," a friend of the couple told Us Weekly on Saturday.?"They're either madly in love or having? crazy fights."

More in TODAY entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10213217-heidi-klum-and-seal-we-have-decided-to-separate

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Djokovic routs birthday boy Mahut 6-0, 6-1, 6-1

Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves to France's Nicholas Mahut during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves to France's Nicholas Mahut during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Serbia's Novak Djokovic hits a forehand return to France's Nicholas Mahut during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Serbia's Novak Djokovic hits a forehand return to France's Nicholas Mahut during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Russia's Maria Sharapova makes a backhand return to Germany's Angelique Kerber during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

Russia's Maria Sharapova serves to Germany's Angelique Kerber during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Novak Djokovic gave Nicolas Mahut one lousy birthday present.

The top-seeded Djokovic routed the Frenchman 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 on Saturday to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open. He needed only 1 hour, 14 minutes to dismiss the newly 30-years-old Mahut, who lost the longest match in Grand Slam history over 11 hours, 5 minutes against John Isner at Wimbledon in 2010.

"I wish him happy birthday and hopefully tonight he can enjoy it," Djokovic said.

The defending champion is aiming to become the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive major titles. He will play the winner of a later match between Milos Raonic and Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, whom Djokovic beat at Melbourne Park for his first Grand Slam title in 2008, also hardly broke sweat in beating Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

On the women's side, two Wimbledon winners ? Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova ? advanced, but two top 10 players went out.

Seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva was beaten 7-6 (7), 6-1 by fellow Russian Ekaterina Makerova. No. 9 Marion Bartoli lost 6-3, 6-3 to Zheng Jie of China, a former Australian Open semifinalist.

Sharapova was tested for the first time and still came out with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Germany's Angelique Kerber.

The 2008 champion won her first two matches 6-0, 6-1 and has lost five games in reaching the fourth round, but though the scoreline on Saturday made it look easy enough, Sharapova was given a full workout in a 56-minute second set, with many games going to deuce.

After clinching the victory with a forehand winner, Sharapova showed her relief by clenching her fist and screeching "come on!"

"She certainly stepped up in the second set," Sharapova said. "She reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open last year so she's been on the big stage before and I knew she could produce some really good tennis."

She next plays No. 14 Sabine Lisicki, who beat two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Sharapova and Kvitova both have a chance of claiming the No. 1 ranking at the end of the tournament. They could play each other in the semifinals, although Kvitova insisted she hasn't looked that far ahead.

"I don't know who lost and who win," the Wimbledon champion said. "No, really, for me doesn't care."

Kvitova reached the Round of 16 when Maria Kirilenko retired with a left thigh injury while trailing 6-0, 1-0 after 38 minutes of their third-round match.

Kvitova next faces Ana Ivanovic, who beat unseeded American Vania King 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time since she reached the final here in 2008.

That was the same year the 24-year-old Serb won the French Open for her only Grand Slam title, and also claimed the top ranking.

"I still believe I can do well," Ivanovic said. "I'm just enjoying competing again. It's going to be tough (against Kvitova), but I love challenges."

King's loss left Serena Williams as the only American player left in the singles draws after John Isner's loss on Friday ended any hope of a men's champion from the United States.

Five-time champion Williams, hoping to win her 17th straight match at Melbourne Park, was up against Greta Arn of Hungary in a later match Saturday.

Djokovic was ruthless against Mahut, whose movement was hampered by a left leg injury. When the Frenchman won his first game early in the second set, he stretched his arms out to welcome a huge cheer from the crowd as he walked back to the service line.

Djokovic hardly made a mistake as he won 11 of the next 12 games and finished with eight unforced errors. He has won 24 straight sets at the Australian Open, and has lost 10 games in his first three matches this time.

"I always played well in Australia. This is the only Grand Slam I won twice," he said. "The reason that I skipped the opening week of the season was because I wanted to get ready for Melbourne.

"The conditions are great. They're very suitable to my style of the game, day and night. I'm really looking forward to next week."

Like Djokovic, No. 4-ranked Andy Murray was also up against French opposition later Saturday in the shape of Michael Llodra.

In all, six Frenchmen reached the third round. Tsonga wasted hardly any time becoming the first of them to move into the Round of 16. The 2008 finalist took six of his seven break-point opportunities and saved all five against him.

"I had to take it seriously and this is what I did. I'm just really happy to go through," said Tsonga, who will face fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau or Kei Nishikori of Japan next.

Richard Gasquet, the fourth highest-ranked Frenchman at No. 18, knocked out ninth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. He will play fifth-seeded David Ferrer, who lost the first four games against Juan Ignacio Chela before recovering to win 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.

On the other half the draw, No. 2 Rafael Nadal had a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Lukas Lacko on Friday and Roger Federer had a 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-3 win over 6-foot-10 Croatian Ivo Karlovic. Federer will play Australian teenager Bernard Tomic on Sunday.

An early rematch of last year's women's final is already in place, with defending champion Kim Clijsters and Li Na both winning Friday night to set up a meeting in the fourth round.

Clijsters advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova. Li didn't even finish four games before Anabel Medina Garrigues quit with a badly sprained right ankle.

The winner of the Clijsters-Li match will likely face a quarterfinal against top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who has not dropped a set in advancing to the fourth round as she continues her quest for a first Grand Slam title. She beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-2, 6-2, while third-seeded Victoria Azarenka defeated Mona Barthel 6-2, 6-4.

Wozniacki will next play former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who beat Christina McHale of the U.S. 6-2, 6-0.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-21-TEN-Australian-Open/id-f9fd8b6a7b8b4d15a4df149fde9b6346

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Raspberry Pi demos Model B computer's AirPlay capabilities (video)

Just a few days after announcing that production of its Model B Linux computer is underway, Raspberry Pi has now unveiled a preview of what its single board device can do when combined with AirPlay. In a video published this week, a Raspberry Pi developer demonstrated how to stream content from an iPad to the ARM-based Model B, using only an HDMI-equipped TV and an AirPlay app. It's as seamless as dancing cows are beautiful. Still no word yet on when this $35 will begin shipping, but in the meantime, be sure to check out the demo video, after the break.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi demos Model B computer's AirPlay capabilities (video)

Raspberry Pi demos Model B computer's AirPlay capabilities (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/raspberry-pi-demos-model-b-computers-airplay-capabilities-vide/

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SOPA and PIPA Bills: Delayed By Congress!


The U.S. House and Senate have postponed votes on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA), respectively, after widespread protests this week.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), author of SOPA, said today that he's postponing consideration of the bill in response to concerns from critics of potential censorship.

"I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy," Smith said in a statement.

"It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products."

sopa and pipa

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) bowed to pressure from a coalition of Internet companies, including Google and Wikipedia, that rallied consumers.

In a statement, Reid said he would delay the vote scheduled for Tuesday to begin consideration until the Senate Judiciary Committee could make more progress.

"We made good progress through the discussions we've held in recent days, and I am optimistic that we can reach a compromise in the coming weeks," Reid said.

The announcement by Reid comes two days after Wikipedia, Reddit and other prominent sites coalesced to protest SOPA and PIPA votes by blacking out their sites.

That move that drew widespread attention and spurred a swift reaction from many lawmakers who had been supportive of or ambivalent toward the measures.

So after 7.5 million phone calls to Congress and 40 million signatures, round one goes to the people. Just be prepared to fight back twice as hard again soon.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/sopa-and-pipa-bills-delayed-by-congress/

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This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20 [Highlights]

This Week’s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20 This week we got learned a whole lot about SOPA, ten helpful ways to get better sleep, how BitTorrent magnet links?the future of BitTorrent?work, and more. Here's a look back.

This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

All About PIPA and SOPA, the Bills That Want to Censor Your Internet

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are two bills that sound like they have a mildly positive aim but, in reality, have serious potential to negatively change the internet as we know it. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Top 10 Tricks for Getting Better Sleep

For something we spend half our life doing, a lot of us are pretty awful at sleeping. Here are our top 10 tips for falling asleep faster, getting quality rest, and waking up easier in the morning. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Five Best Wallpaper Sites

Personalizing your desktop starts with customizing your wallpaper. Finding good wallpapers for your desktop however, isn't difficult, but everyone has an opinion about which sites are the best to visit for the best selection of wallpapers for high-resolution displays, multiple screens, or the best... More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

You're Holding It Wrong: Here's How to Hold Your Touch Screen Gadgets Correctly

We've talked about how to ergonomically optimize your desk, but if you're rocking a smartphone or tablet, you may find that it's hard to follow the same rules. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

10 Things You Do to Save Money That End Up Costing You More

Money's tight these days, and as a result, you make an effort to save it. Make sure you don't waste that effort on strategies that hurt more than they help. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

What Are Magnet Links, and How Do I Use Them to Download Torrents?

Soon, popular torrent site The Pirate Bay will no longer host torrent files. Instead, it will only offer magnet links. Magnet what now? You may have seen the term "magnet link" before, but if you haven't used one, here's the lowdown on what this change means for you as a BitTorrent user. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Sign Into Your Google Account on Public Computers Without Typing Anything [Update: Disabled]

If you ever want to log into your Google account when you're at a public computer, where you're unsure whether or not there's a keylogger installed, there's now a simple solution. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Five Great Alternatives to MegaUpload

The FBI shuttered file-sharing web site MegaUpload this afternoon, arrested its executives, and have called the site an "international organized criminal enterprise." Even though there's little doubt that MegaUpload was host to some copyrighted material, it was also a great way to upload and share... More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Use This Infographic to Pick a Good, Strong Password

We always enjoy a useful infographic, and there are few things quite as important as choosing a strong password-at least in the area of online security. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

35 MacGyver Tips, Clever Uses, and Other Life Hacks in One Infographic

You know how much we like infographics here, and this one gathers quite a few of our favorite tips and tricks we've spotted and shared with you over the years, from everyday household hacks to nabbing free stuff. More ?


This Week?s Most Popular Posts: January 14-20

Take Your Desktop for a Swim with These Water-Friendly Wallpapers

Water is calm, cool, and relaxing, making it a fine source of imagery for your desktop. Here are some of our favorite wallpapers from above the water's surface and under the sea. More ?


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/U9EDJXONC6E/this-weeks-most-popular-posts-january-14+20

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

GOP leaders slow to embrace Romney ? or his rivals (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Mitt Romney may be the front-runner for the GOP nomination for president, but he has yet to win over most of the national party leaders whose help he will need to defeat President Barack Obama in November.

The upside for Romney: They aren't supporting anyone else either.

The Associated Press has polled 87 members of the Republican National Committee who are to attend the party's national convention this summer as free agent delegates, able to support any candidate for president they choose, regardless of what happens in the primaries.

The results: Romney got support from 14, far more than anyone else but hardly a stampede of endorsements. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry got two each, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum each got one. The poll was completed before Perry dropped out of the race Thursday.

Sixty-seven of the RNC members contacted by the AP said they were undecided or simply waiting to see how the race plays out before making a public endorsement.

"If I thought there was someone who stood head and shoulders above everyone else, I would have endorsed," said Jeff Johnson, an RNC member and county commissioner from Minnesota. "I see pluses in all of them, but I decided not to come out in favor of anybody."

Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Robert Gleason said he saw no reason to endorse anyone because a competitive primary is good for the party and the eventual nominee by vetting the candidate while generating publicity and excitement about the race.

"It's working out great for us, and one of these people that is competing with (Romney) could end up being vice president," Gleason said. "I'm pleased with the way things are developing. We're getting all the publicity. It's been pretty favorable for us."

Romney appeared to finish slightly ahead of Santorum in the hours after the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3. However, the Iowa GOP certified vote totals Thursday showing Santorum ahead of Romney. The party decided not to declare a winner because of problems with a few precinct reports.

Romney won handily in New Hampshire last week, and he leads his Republican rivals in the polls nationally and in South Carolina, which votes Saturday. Still, the former Massachusetts governor has been unable to solidify support from many Republicans, some of whom question his conservative credentials.

Stephen Scheffler, an RNC member from Iowa, said he would support Romney if he were the nominee, but he's not excited about the prospect, despite Romney's finish in Iowa.

"He doesn't want to talk to certain segments of the Republican Party," Scheffler said of Romney. "If he's the nominee and they open all these victory offices across Iowa, it's going to be pretty challenging to find volunteers."

Each state plus the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories gets three members on the Republican National Committee. All of them are automatically invited to attend the party's national convention in Tampa, Fla., in August, with a few exceptions. The RNC members from New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan and Arizona have been excluded ? for now ? as part of the penalties they received for holding primaries earlier than party rules allowed.

In many states, RNC members must support the winner of primaries or caucuses in their states. The AP identified 38 states and territories in which the RNC members will be free to support any candidate they choose.

AP reporters started contacting the 114 RNC delegates from these states after Romney won the New Hampshire primary. They were able to reach nearly 80 percent of them.

The RNC delegates make up less than 5 percent of the 2,286 delegates slated to attend the GOP convention, giving them little power to determine the nominee. But these party leaders will be expected to provide manpower, money, local connections and expertise this fall, when the GOP nominee will rely on the party faithful to help defeat Obama.

It will take 1,144 delegates to win the GOP nomination. Romney now has 33 delegates, including those won in primaries and caucuses as well as endorsements from RNC members. Santorum is next with 13.

Joseph Trillo, a state lawmaker and RNC member from Rhode Island, said his support for Romney comes down to political pragmatism.

"He's the only one who I know can beat Obama," Trillo said.

Herbert Schoenbohm, the GOP chairman in the Virgin Islands, said that beating Obama is important, but his support for Romney goes much deeper.

"I'm for (Romney) because he has the best leadership skills," Schoenbohm said in a phone interview. "He made it work in Massachusetts, and that was hard to do in a Democratic state."

Lawrence Kadish, an RNC member from Long Island, N.Y., challenged that assessment, saying Gingrich "towers head and shoulders over those other candidates. I don't view Mr. Romney as having a deep rudder, but he's OK."

___

Lauren Johnert, Associated Press deputy manager for election research and quality control, contributed to this report, along with AP writers Pat Condon in St. Paul, Minn., Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., Mike Glover in Des Moines, Iowa, David Klepper in Providence, R.I., and George M. Walsh in Albany, N.Y.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_superdelegates

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TSA apologizes to elderly women searched at JFK

By NBC New York

After insisting its agents acted appropriately in searches of two elderly women at John F. Kennedy Airport, the Transportation Security Administration now admits that screeners violated procedure.

Lenore Zimmerman, 85, and Ruth Sherman, 89, complained they were humiliated by what they perceived to be illicit strip-searches at the airport.

Zimmerman said she was taken to a private room and made to take off her pants and other clothes after she asked to forgo the screening because she worried it would interfere with her defibrillator. Sherman had said she was forced to pull down her pants so screeners could see her colostomy bag.

In a letter obtained by the Daily News, Homeland Security officials acknowledge that both women were searched in violation of TSA policy.

?It is not standard operating procedure for colostomy devices to be visually inspected, and [the Transportation Security Administration] apologizes for this employee?s action,? Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Betsy Markey wrote in the letter to state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens).

Markey did insist, however, that Sherman voluntarily pulled her pants down. She also wrote in the letter that Zimmerman had not been strip-searched, but that scanning her back brace constituted a policy violation and apologized.

Both women, still fuming about their perceived indignities, told the News the federal letter did not accurately describe their full experiences.

This article originally appeared on NBC New York.

Related articles:

Source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/18/10181633-tsa-apologizes-to-elderly-women-searched-at-jfk

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