New Orleans police have arrested a 20-year-old man accused of carjacking a woman at gunpoint Monday afternoon on Willow Street. Ken D. Dooley, of the 8400 block of Palm Street, was booked on a count of armed robbery with a firearm on Tuesday in the carjacking case as well as on various violations tied to a shooting in Hollygrove on Monday night, authorities said.
Dooley is suspected of approaching a woman who was washing her car in the 7600 block of Willow. Holding a gun, he demanded that the victim "Get away from the car," police allege. The woman tried to reach for her purse, but Dooley allegedly said, "Get the f--- away from the car."
The woman complied, and Dooley got in the car and drove off, according to police. The vehicle, a gold Lexus RX 350, was recovered 20 minutes later from the rear of a residence in the 1700 block of Gen. Ogden Street in Hollygrove.
About 10:15 p.m. that day, a man was shot in the shoulder at the corner of Gen. Ogden and Olive streets by someone in a dark vehicle, officials say. NOPD officers responding to the shooting saw that vehicle fleeing the area without the headlights turned on and pursued it. The occupants of the car -- which was reported stolen from the 1200 block of Joliet Street -- bailed from the vehicle at the intersection of Colapissa and Mistletoe streets. Police said they caught Dooley following a brief foot chase.
Officers say they interviewed Dooley, and he identified an 18-year-old named Robashi Holmes as the shooter on Gen. Ogden and Olive. During the interview, a key to the Lexus stolen from Willow Street fell out of Dooley's pocket. The carjacking victim subsequently picked Dooley as the robber from a photographic lineup, an incident report notes.
Aside from armed robbery with a firearm, Dooley is facing counts of possession of a stolen automobile, auto burglary and possession of stolen property in regards to the car from Joliet Street. Related to the shooting, documents indicate he was jailed with flight from an officer and principal to aggravated battery. A Criminal District Court magistrate set the defendant's bail at $350,000 for the armed robbery. Bail had not been determined Wednesday on some of the other violations.
Meanwhile, police say they have obtained an arrest warrant for Holmes, who coincidentally was shot aboard an RTA bus on July 12 at the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Palmetto Street. NOPD asks anyone who knows where Holmes is to call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 877.903.7867.
People can also text tips to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637); text TELLCS and then give the information. Callers or texters do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment.
Update: This article has been updated with information gleaned from a court record that NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune obtained after the story was first published as well as a statement released by NOPD.
With the bases loaded in the third inning Monday, baseball?s most awkward player delivered one of the awkward doubles you?ll ever see, breaking the game open as the Giants went on to rout the Cardinals.
Hunter Pence?s broken-bat screwball caused shortstop Pete Kozma to initially break right, only to have the ball end up about three feet to his left.
Here it is, 40 seconds into the video:
The hit was just Pence?s fourth of the NLCS. It went as his first double since Sept. 9. Had Kozma held his ground when the ball left Pence?s bat, there?s a real chance it would have turned into a double play, potentially halting a five-run rally before it ever got started. Instead, it was game over.
Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animalsPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Robin Ann Smith rsmith@nescent.org 919-668-4544 National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)
When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most
Durham, NC What makes some ocean animals more prone to extinction than others? A new study of marine fossils provides a clue.
An analysis of roughly 500 million years of fossil data for marine invertebrates reveals that ocean animals with small geographic ranges have been consistently hard hit even when populations are large, the authors report.
The oceans represent more than 70% of the Earth's surface. But because monitoring data are harder to collect at sea than on land, we know surprisingly little about the conservation status of most marine animals. By using the fossil record to study how ocean extinctions occurred in the past, we may be better able to predict species' vulnerability in the future.
"If the patterns we observed in the fossil record hold for species living today, our results suggest that species with large populations but small ranges are at greater risk of extinction than we might have expected," said study co-author Paul Harnik of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
Researchers have long assumed that rare animals are more likely to die out. But "rare" could mean multiple things.
The word "rare" could be applied to species that have restricted geographic ranges, or small populations, or that tolerate a narrow range of habitats, or any combination thereof, the authors say.
False killer whales, for example, are considered rare because they occur in small numbers, even though they're found in oceans throughout the world.
Erect-crested penguins, on the other hand, are considered rare because they're geographically restricted to remote islands off the coast of New Zealand even though they're fairly abundant where they occur.
Harnik and colleagues Jonathan Payne of Stanford University and Carl Simpson of the Museum fr Naturkunde in Berlin wanted to know which aspects of rarity best predict why some species survive and others die out.
"It's only through the fossil record where we have a long-term record of extinction where we can really see whether those relationships hold up," Harnik said.
To find out, the team scoured a fossil database for marine invertebrates that inhabited the world's oceans from 500 million years ago to the present a dataset that included 6500 genera of sea urchins, sand dollars, corals, snails, clams, oysters, scallops, brachiopods and other animals.
When the researchers looked for links between extinction rate and measures of rarity, they found that the key predictor of extinction risk for ocean animals was small geographic range size.
Habitat breadth played a secondary role, whereas population size had little effect. The result: Ocean animals that both had small geographic ranges and tolerated a narrow suite of habitats were six times more likely to go extinct than common animals were.
"Environmental changes are unlikely to affect all areas equally, or all individuals at the same time in the same way. If something terrible happens to some part of a species' range, then at least some populations will still survive," Harnik explained.
Life in the sea was once thought to be less prone to extinction than life on land. But with global warming, overfishing, and ocean acidification pushing sea life to its limits, growing evidence suggests otherwise.
"The findings don't mean that when populations dwindle we shouldn't worry about them," Harnik said.
"But the take home message is that reductions in range size such as when a species' habitat is destroyed or degraded could mean a big increase in long-term extinction risk, even if population sizes in the remaining portions of the species' range are still relatively large."
The results will be published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
###
CITATION: Harnik, P.G., C. Simpson, et al. (2012). "Long-term differences in extinction risk among the seven forms of rarity." Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Data deposited in the Dryad Digital Repository at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0mq69
The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. For more information about research and training opportunities at NESCent, visit www.nescent.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animalsPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Robin Ann Smith rsmith@nescent.org 919-668-4544 National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)
When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most
Durham, NC What makes some ocean animals more prone to extinction than others? A new study of marine fossils provides a clue.
An analysis of roughly 500 million years of fossil data for marine invertebrates reveals that ocean animals with small geographic ranges have been consistently hard hit even when populations are large, the authors report.
The oceans represent more than 70% of the Earth's surface. But because monitoring data are harder to collect at sea than on land, we know surprisingly little about the conservation status of most marine animals. By using the fossil record to study how ocean extinctions occurred in the past, we may be better able to predict species' vulnerability in the future.
"If the patterns we observed in the fossil record hold for species living today, our results suggest that species with large populations but small ranges are at greater risk of extinction than we might have expected," said study co-author Paul Harnik of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
Researchers have long assumed that rare animals are more likely to die out. But "rare" could mean multiple things.
The word "rare" could be applied to species that have restricted geographic ranges, or small populations, or that tolerate a narrow range of habitats, or any combination thereof, the authors say.
False killer whales, for example, are considered rare because they occur in small numbers, even though they're found in oceans throughout the world.
Erect-crested penguins, on the other hand, are considered rare because they're geographically restricted to remote islands off the coast of New Zealand even though they're fairly abundant where they occur.
Harnik and colleagues Jonathan Payne of Stanford University and Carl Simpson of the Museum fr Naturkunde in Berlin wanted to know which aspects of rarity best predict why some species survive and others die out.
"It's only through the fossil record where we have a long-term record of extinction where we can really see whether those relationships hold up," Harnik said.
To find out, the team scoured a fossil database for marine invertebrates that inhabited the world's oceans from 500 million years ago to the present a dataset that included 6500 genera of sea urchins, sand dollars, corals, snails, clams, oysters, scallops, brachiopods and other animals.
When the researchers looked for links between extinction rate and measures of rarity, they found that the key predictor of extinction risk for ocean animals was small geographic range size.
Habitat breadth played a secondary role, whereas population size had little effect. The result: Ocean animals that both had small geographic ranges and tolerated a narrow suite of habitats were six times more likely to go extinct than common animals were.
"Environmental changes are unlikely to affect all areas equally, or all individuals at the same time in the same way. If something terrible happens to some part of a species' range, then at least some populations will still survive," Harnik explained.
Life in the sea was once thought to be less prone to extinction than life on land. But with global warming, overfishing, and ocean acidification pushing sea life to its limits, growing evidence suggests otherwise.
"The findings don't mean that when populations dwindle we shouldn't worry about them," Harnik said.
"But the take home message is that reductions in range size such as when a species' habitat is destroyed or degraded could mean a big increase in long-term extinction risk, even if population sizes in the remaining portions of the species' range are still relatively large."
The results will be published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
###
CITATION: Harnik, P.G., C. Simpson, et al. (2012). "Long-term differences in extinction risk among the seven forms of rarity." Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Data deposited in the Dryad Digital Repository at http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0mq69
The National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) is a nonprofit science center dedicated to cross-disciplinary research in evolution. Funded by the National Science Foundation, NESCent is jointly operated by Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. For more information about research and training opportunities at NESCent, visit www.nescent.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Do you think your computer will be secure without an antivirus software? Even Apple?s OS X needs Antivirus to be secure. If you visit the Apple?s Support website you can find hundreds of fixes to critical security vulnerabilities. The system by default will not be 100% secure unless you are running Linux, which is also now-a-days a question mark. The common reason why people don?t use Antivirus is they are expensive. Also some people have difficulty in finding a good Antivirus software, since we have so many popular brands today.
Some people started asking me questions like why do they need antivirus when they behave good online by not visiting porn websites and not using torrent websites. I think this answer is quite silly, because today even legitimate web sites are compromised. I thought of coming up with this article to bring out some popular free Antivirus software. Since Mac OS X is secure than Windows most of the Antivirus companies stopped producing Antivirus software for that platform, but still you can find some in this list. You can try these free antivirus software, and you don?t need to worry about any ?hidden charges?. Now you can stop searching torrent websites for pirated software and read this article.
P.S. I didn?t perform any virus or malware detection tests to write this article, just some personal experience and valuable feedback from others.
1. AVG
I think AVG deserves a first place in this list. This is the best essential free Antivirus protection I have seen. Though they have both free and premium version, you can always count on the free one if you need basic protection which is quite ?OK? to secure your computer. You can get protection from continually evolving threats. AVG is also low on system resources and you don?t need to worry about memory consumption.
AVG was founded in 1991 with the express purpose of protecting people around the world using the latest in cutting edge security technologies. They gained success quickly and is now one of the biggest players in the security software market. AVG also gives free protection for Android mobiles. It also has good features like finding and protecting your phone if lost or stolen.
2. Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft, the company which changed the way common people use their computer, also provides you free Antivirus for your Windows PC. The anti-annoying, anti-expensive, and anti-virus program got good feedback from Windows users. It provides real-time protection for your home or small business PCs. I used ?Microsoft Security Essentials? before when I was a Windows user. It has a clean interface and does a good job in cleaning infections. Moreover it won?t hurt your overall system performance.
If you ask me whether this is as good as other Antivirus software in the market then that will be a hard question to answer. Since this is from Microsoft, the company behind the popular Windows OS, I think this could do a commendable security protection. Microsoft did a good job with Security Essentials and it is worth trying.
3. Avira
I haven?t tried Avira personally, but some valuable feedback from others forced me to add them in this list. It is easy to install and configure this antivirus. Avira?s Free Antivirus is their entry-level antivirus. It is capable of eliminating many forms of malware, including worms, rootkits and costly dialers. Though the user interface looks quite technical you?ll get used to it in no time. It is not complicated, just too technical for newbies.
Avira offers pretty good detection rates. The AntiVir Guard feature constantly runs in the background and monitors every file in the system. Avira is a company with over 100 million customers and more than 500 employees. It is a worldwide leading supplier of self-developed security solutions for professional and private use. Though Avira Antivirus has some criticisms, it is a good software with ?free? price tag. Avira is now in the Facebook AV Marketplace.
4. Avast
I went through their facts section and saw this ?165,963,809 devices protected by Avast!?, now that?s a huge number. Avast! is available for Windows, Mac, and Android. Avast! program partly operates in the cloud and has extensive database for standard files. The user interface panel looks pretty decent and neat. If I?m recollecting correctly Avast! is one of the first Antivirus software I have used.
It has the lowest memory and CPU usage comparing other Antivirus software. Avast?s free security software solutions are dependable, fast, uses few resources, and often outperform their competitors? paid-for products. I tried out their free Antivirus Software for Mac, and it looks pretty promising, considering the fact you can download and use it for free. I also installed their Android application, need to test that when I?m free.
5. Bitdefender Free Edition
I think you might be surprised to see Bitdefender here. Many of us don?t know Bitdefender has a basic free version apart from their regular paid versions. Their Free Edition uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engines found in other Bitdefender products. It allows you to enjoy basic virus protection for no cost at all. I?m using Bitdefender premium version for my Mac, and so far great experience.
This free antivirus software download is an on-demand virus scanner, which is best used in a system recovery or forensics role. They have two types of scanning ? Scheduled and Immediate. Bitdefender made a great move by releasing a free edition and entered the top free antivirus software circle like a king. Bitdefender is an antivirus software suite developed by Romania-based software company Softwin.
6. ZoneAlaram
ZoneAlarm is a good free Antivirus + Firewall software but people rarely made use of it. I just checked out this software installed in my friend?s computer for this post. The free version of ZoneAlarm is good and has all the features (above basic) for protecting a computer. I loved their Anti-Phishing/Site Status Toolbar and Advanced Firewall features which gives premium performance.
The product feels light even with all these features. The ZoneAlarm family of products is among the most popular and successful Internet security products available on the market. ZoneAlarm protects over 80 million PCs from viruses, spyware, hackers and identity theft.
7. Panda Cloud Antivirus
Cloud? Is it something about Cloud Computing? Panda Cloud Antivirus is actually based on cloud computing, like they are installed on your computer only partially and keeps core files on a dedicated server (or cloud). One of the cool features I came across is you don?t have to manually update it.
You can count on it because Panda Security is a reputed security company founded in 1990. I?m also curious to try this. Panda Cloud Antivirus is lightn and ease of use adapted for your business. This cloud-based enpoint protection has Device Control technology. Panda Cloud Antivirus is based on Collective Intelligence, a system for detecting and disinfecting viruses and other threats that feeds off the knowledge shared by millions of users.
8. Comodo
This is not just a firewall but also has some basic Antivirus features. So you can count on it. Comodo is a popular firewall cum Antivirus software that uses proprietary technology to secure your system. They provide on-access protection. They have some other features, and I love this HIPS Protection thing. It prevents and stops malicious spyware and malware from being installed or executed.
Comodo Antivirus pack includes a full range of detection features for viruses, spyware, rootkits, and other malware. When I looked for a free Antivirus/Firewall software many people recommended me this and I was quickly impressed with the feedback they gave. This will be a good competition for both free Antivirus and Premium Antivirus software. Comodo has a team of over 600 people for creating trust online.
9. PC Tools (By Symantec)
Honestly many people didn?t know PC Tools is now owned by popular Antivirus company Symantec. PC Tools was acquired by Symantec in 2008. PC Tools is dedicated to delivering simple online security and system utility consumer solutions for Windows computers. They handle basic security needs for the computer (does justice as a free Antivirus here).
PC Tools is also compatible with Windows 8 and they have this registry cleaning technology that helps you to get the most out of your PC. There are two things that make PC Tools more popular. It is currently owned by Symantec and it was actually created by Spyware Doctor, an award-winning antispyware software.
10. Malwarebytes
?Last but not least?, Malwarebytes is an unique kind of easy-to-use Anti-malware application and Antivirus which actively protect against all forms of Malware. This software is very simple to use. Let it be installation, configuration or detecting malware, the process is really simple and straight. The feature I liked in Malwarebytes is ?FileAssassin?. It helps us to delete locked files.
It does an excellent job as an Anti-Malware software. I guess with future upgrades it?ll have more advanced features. Malwarebytes is a computer application that finds and removes malware. It is started by Malwarebytes Corporation. It is an effective anti-malware tool.
Though free Antivirus software are enough to provide basic security to your system, but if you do sensitive works like online banking, downloading stuffs, etc, you can consider switching to a premium one. Also if you can afford one you can buy it without second thought.
Which is your favorite antivirus software in this?
Related Articles From Security
On 22 Oct 2012 by Pradeep Kumar in Security | Short URL: http://hbb.me/1n7
South Korea aims to join the ranks of spacefaring nations this Friday (Oct. 26) by blasting a small experimental satellite to orbit, according to media reports.
The country will attempt to loft a test satellite atop its Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 rocket, or KSLV-1, from the Naro Space Center on Friday, weather permitting, South Korean officials said Monday (Oct. 22).
"We have confirmed after considerations of weather conditions and preparations for the launch that the launch will be possible on October 26," Minister of Education, Science and Technology Lee Ju-ho told reporters, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. "However, even through preparations will be made for October 26, the launch may be delayed if rainfall becomes imminent or very likely on the scheduled date."
The upcoming launch will be South Korea's third try to orbit a satellite with the KSLV-1, which was developed jointly with Russia and is also known as the Naro-1. Previous attempts in 2009 and and 2010 failed.
The spacecraft riding atop the rocket, called the Science and Technology Satellite-2C (STSAT-2C), weighs about 220 pounds (100 kilograms) and is designed to last up to a year in space. Its main purpose is to verify South Korea's ability to orbit a satellite and collect data in space, Yonhap reported.
If all goes according to plan, STSAT-2C will be delivered to an elliptical, 103-minute orbit that brings it as close to Earth as 186 miles (300 kilometers) and as far away as 932 miles (1,500 km), according to Yonhap.
Few of South Korea's neighbors are spacefaring nations; in Asia, only Russia, Japan, China and India have demonstrated the ability to put payloads into Earth orbit. Others have tried and failed, including South Korea's erratic rival North Korea, which made its third and latest attempt this past April.
Many analysts are suspicious of North Korea's attempted satellite launches ? which have come in 1998, 2009 and 2012 ? regarding them as thinly disguised tests of missile technology.
Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and?Google+.
Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
With the average life expectancy having risen considerably in recent years, more and more options are becoming available to older travellers seeking insurance. A nice price-comparison website, moneymaxim.co.uk, has urged those in their 70s and 80s to shop around before purchasing a policy.
With an increased life expectancy comes an increase in the number of people in that age group who are still active and healthy enough to holiday regularly, which is reflected in the number of travel insurance options becoming available to those of retirement age.? While price has long been a major concern when it comes to buying travel insurance, older holiday makers should now find that they have more choice. Moneymaxim are keen for these travellers to be aware that prices can vary hugely between insurers.
Managing director of the website, Mark Bower, said ?As people increasingly travel in their older years, more and more insurers are beginning to offer travel insurance?to these age groups. This is increasing competition and is great news for travellers. At moneymaxim.co.uk, for example, we list a number of?travel insurance?policies suitable for everyone ? whether you are 50, 60, 65, 75, 85 or 90 plus. There is no reason for travellers to simply take the first quote they get. Shop around for the best deals. ?Unlike other?travel insurance?quotes it is true that many of those looking to purchase?over-70s travel insurance?may need to share their medical history with the insurance provider; it is important to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions before getting a?travel insurance?quote too, but the good news is that comprehensive?travel insurance?is available, for almost every traveller, whatever your condition or age.?
For more information on Lifesure?s Travel Insurance, call us for details and a free quote on 01480 402 475.
An Arduino is one of the cheapest ways to built your own electronics prototypes and projects, but the Arduino Uno isn't exactly the most powerful device on the planet. If you're looking for something with a little more punch, the newly released Arduino Due should do the trick.
The Arduino Due has a 32-bit ARM core (the Uno is 8-bit), an 84 Mhz CPU clock, 96 KB of SRAM, and more USB ports than the Uno. In short, it's a much more powerful microcontroller that can handle a lot more than previous versions. A new set of dedicated forum for help getting started. The Arduino Due is backwards compatible with all your current Arduino sketches, but the added power should be enough to supercharge any upcoming projects you're working on.
GLOUCESTER, England (AP) -Police have arrested a man on suspicion of assaulting former England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland amid a pitch invasion during a second-tier League Championship match.
Kirkland, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday, was shoved in the face and to the ground by one of many Leeds supporters running amok on the field after their team equalized in Friday's Yorkshire derby match at Hillsborough.
Gloucestershire Police say Sunday a 21-year-old man is in custody and the subject of an investigation being led by a police force in Yorkshire.
The man has been named on social media sites.
The Football Association said Saturday an investigation has been launched into the crowd trouble at the game, which also saw bottles being thrown on to the pitch and offensive chanting from both sets of fans.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsGlyn Kirk / AFP - Getty Images
Ferdinand, bro boycott T-shirts
??LONDON (AP) -Anton Ferdinand has joined older brother Rio in refusing to wear a T-shirt to support an anti-discrimination campaign, in a perceived protest at the impotence of organizations during recent racism cases in English football.
David Ramos / Getty Images
Roundup: Messi scores first hat track of season
Roundup: Lionel Messi scored his first hat trick of the season and Cesc Fabregas set up three goals as Barcelona survived Javier Mascherano's ejection and won 5-4 at Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish league on Saturday.
The Epson PowerLite 1776W Multimedia Projector, an ultra-light data projector, is a modest upgrade to the Epson PowerLite 1775W Multimedia Projector, a PCMag Editors' Choice, which it is replacing in Epson's lineup. The 1776W comes in at a slightly lower price, and adds auto horizontal keystone correction. It inherits its predecessor's slim and light form factor, very good data and video image quality, and the connectivity ports that count in a portable data projector. It might have become Editors' Choice itself, if it weren't for a similar yet lower-priced model that Epson introduced at the same time: the Epson PowerLite 1761W Multimedia Projector .
The 1776W has a rated brightness of 3,000 lumens, and has native WXGA (1,280 by 800) resolution, compatible with widescreen laptops with a 16:10 aspect ratio. This projector?s light engine uses 3LCD technology, which Epson helped to develop.
This projector measures a slim 2.1 by 11.5 by 8.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.8 pounds. It?s reminiscent in form to the Casio Slim XJ-A246 , which has almost identical dimensions but is a little heavier, at 5 pounds.
The 1776W has a zoom wheel but no focus wheel. Instead, you use left and right arrow buttons, either from the projector or the remote control, to focus. This changes the focus in precise increments and is good enough to get a sharp image. The projector comes with a soft carrying case replete with several pouches.
The 1776W has the ports that count for a portable data projector: VGA, HDMI, RCA video, audio in; a type B USB port for keyboard and mouse control; and a type A USB port for running a presentation off a USB thumb drive. It has a second type A USB port, behind a screw-off cover, specifically for a wireless LAN module. The included Quick Connect USB thumb drive can be plugged into a PC to provide quick ad-hoc network setup.
Data Testing I tested the 1776W from about seven feet away, where the image filled our test screen (about 70 inches diagonal). It was bright enough to stand up to a fair amount of ambient light without degradation.
Our data and video tests are done in theater-dark conditions. Data image quality, as tested using the DisplayMate suite, was above average for a business projector. In our text test, the type was readable at all sizes, though slightly blurred at the smallest. The only issue worth mention was a modest tinting in a few white and gray backgrounds, similar to what I saw in the Epson 1776W? and slightly more apparent than with the Epson 1761W. Still, the tinting was milder than what I saw with the Casio XJ-A246, and few people are likely to be bothered by it if they even notice.
Video and Sound Video quality was very good for a data projector. It's fine for video clips of any length as part of a presentation, or even to show movies with. It did well in dark scenes; there was a slight loss of detail in some very bright scenes. As an LCD-based projector, it avoids the rainbow artifacts that plague video from some DLP projectors.
Audio, though modest in volume, is louder than many projectors we've seen with similar 1-watt speakers, and sound quality is decent. It should be adequate for use in a small room, and perhaps a mid-sized one.
Bulb Life The Casio XJ-A246 is equipped with Casio's hybrid LED-laser light engine. Its bulb can last up to 20,000 hours, essentially the lifetime of the projector, while the 1776W's is rated for just 4,000 hours.? The Epson, though, offers better data and video image quality (the latter free of rainbow artifacts), and comes in at a lower price.
The Epson PowerLite 1776W Multimedia Projector is brighter than the Epson 1761W, rated at 2,600 lumens, but its data image quality wasn't quite as good in our testing due to slightly more tinting. Although the 1761W can connect via Wi-Fi, the 1776W's USB dongle provides easier ad-hoc wireless connectivity. The 1776W adds auto horizontal keystone correction and Auto Screen Fit to the 1761W's automatic vertical keystone correction.
If you need a slightly brighter projector or if these extra features are important, the 1776W may be a better choice. If not, you can save a good bit of money with the Editors' Choice Epson PowerLite 1761W. In either case, you get a supremely capable ultra-light projector with above-average data and video quality and connectivity options including Wi-Fi, HDMI, and the ability to run presentations computer-free off a USB thumb drive.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Detectives are looking at the possible role of the Manson Family in a dozen unsolved killings from four decades ago, and believe old audio tapes from a bankruptcy case hold a key to the cold cases, a police official said.
The so-called Manson Family cult, a collection of runaways and outcasts known for their high-profile spree of at least nine killings in 1969, was brought together by a charismatic ex-convict, Charles Manson.
The 12 unsolved killings police are looking into had "similar circumstances, the same time period" as those committed by Manson's followers, Los Angeles police spokesmanCommander Andrew Smith said.
"We think there's a chance that they may be related to the Manson Family," he added.
In 1969, Manson became one of the 20th century's most infamous U.S. criminals when he incited his mostly young, female followers to murder in what prosecutors said was part of a twisted plan to incite a race war between whites and blacks.
Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969. Manson, now 77, is serving a life sentence.
If police can tie the Manson Family to any unsolved cases, it would confirm longstanding suspicions that they committed more killings.
The revelations about the number of unsolved cases investigators are pursuing comes amid a legal battle between the Los Angeles Police Department and an attorney for Manson follower Charles "Tex" Watson, who is serving a life prison sentence in California.
Los Angeles police, who have gone to court seeking to obtain eight hours of recorded discussions between Watson and his late attorney Bill Boyd, have disclosed few details on the cold cases, including the names of victims or dates of the killings.
The tapes, made more than 40 years ago, have resurfaced as a part of a bankruptcy case involving Boyd's now-defunct Texas law firm. In May, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brenda Rhoades in Texas granted the request for the tapes, but an appeal is pending.
"We're just trying to obtain these tapes to see if they will shed light on these and other cases," Smith said.
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck had said in a March letter to a U.S. Department of Justice trustee that the LAPD "has information that Mr. Watson discussed additional unsolved murders committed by followers of Charles Manson."
(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Will Dunham)
A rainy day fund should be the foundation of every person?s savings. The goal of an emergency fund is to prepare yourself for when the perfect storm hits, because it will happen.
But how many Americans actually have this safety net?
The following infographic, based off the results of a recent Gallup poll, examines the rainy day fund landscape to see how many investors are prepared and for how long.
Click on ?Launch Infographic? for an expanded view.
Web-based tools and resources such as those found in the TCSA Quality Framework online portal are an excellent start to matching member-identified needs. However, TCSA also seeks to provide tools, resources, and information through a variety of products and member services, such as live and web-based trainings and workshops. Those live trainings and workshops, of course, include conference sessions at the annual Texas Charter Schools Conference. So, what does the TCSA Quality Framework have to do with the Texas Charter Schools Conference? Once again, here?s a short answer: Everything. Each and every conference session in every single strand will be connected to at least one System of the Quality Framework. In addition, there are two Quality Framework-specific strandsin the 2012 conference schedule: Continuous Improvement and Best Practices.
Quality Framework Continuous Improvement Strand For new charters, or those new to TCSA, the Quality and Continuous Improvement strand will provide introductions to the Quality Framework Self-Assessment, Reports, and Resources. This strand will even feature time and space for school leaders to complete and submit the Self-Assessment and access the Quality Framework Reports and Data Pack at the conference. We?ll talk more about each of the sessions in the Continuous Improvement strand in a few weeks.
Quality Framework Best Practices Strand Of course, all of the conference sessions will present best and effective practices, tools, resources, and strategies. But the Quality Framework Best Practices strand was developed directly from member requests or in response to Quality Framework Results and Comparative Reports data. This week, we begin to explore one of the Best Practices Strand sessions and how we came to identify the topic as a member-driven need.
Using Quality Framework Data to Schedule Conference Sessions Many of our conference sessions have come about after an analysis of aggregated data of the Quality Framework Results Reports. Simply put, if there is a single indicator, or a group of related indicators for which many schools responded that their current levels of effectiveness were ?Not Evident? or ?Early Effective?, we have scheduled a conference work session to help provide information that would help schools increase their levels of effectiveness. One such indicator is probably familiar to many of you: ?Board conducts self-evaluations.? Sixty (60) charter leadership teams have indicated that their board does not currently conduct self-evaluations.
Comparative Report and Results Distribution for ?Board conducts self-evaluations? Indicator In response, TCSA is working with Marci Cornell-Feist, of The High Bar, an organization that provides training, tools, and a online networking community to charter leaders and board members across the nation, to present the following session:
Using Board Self-Evaluation to Assess and Improve Board Performance Tuesday, December 4, 2012 1:00pm ? 2:15pm Learn how charter school board members can take goal setting and performance management to their own leadership level. Presenter: Marci Cornell-Feist, The High Bar
In this session, school leaders and board members will come away with an understanding why self- evaluation, goal setting, and performance management at the highest leadership level?the board?is crucial to the success of the school and its students. Most important, board members and leaders will learn how to get started on implementing a performance management plan when they return to their local school community.
Starting with this conference session, TCSA seeks to provide tools and resources that will offer charter school leaders the information they need to implement a board evaluation process and be able to say with confidence the next time they submit the Quality Framework that the level of effectiveness on this indicator has increased to ?Effective? or even ?Model?. Other sessions that have been scheduled as a result of an analysis of aggregated Quality Framework data include: Community Outreach and Strategic Partnerships, and Increasing Student Enrollment.
To see more sessions in the Quality Framework Best Practices strand, visit the 2012 Texas Charter Schools Conference schedule.
Next week, learn about how TCSA responds not just to data, but also to member feedback around the Quality Framework reports to seek and provide best practices, tools, and strategies. Register for the 2012 Texas Charter Schools Conference today.
If you are new to TCSA and the Quality Framework and have not yet submitted a Self-Assessment, email the Quality Framework team for an introduction on how to get started.
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Online dating for Baby Boomers is flourishing ? there are millions of men and women from the Boomer generation seeking relationships with members of the opposite sex on Internet dating sites. More women and men are joining these every single day.But what are the major things people need to know before embarking on that online dating adventure?First of all, we need to define the following: What is a Baby Boomer? According to the most widely accepted definition, it is a person born in the post WWII years starting 1946 and ending in 1964. That makes the oldest members of this generation now in their mid 60?s, and the youngest in their mid 40s?. This is quite an age spread, and attributing the same or similar characteristics of behavior ? dating and otherwise ? to people covering this range is a mistake. There is a massive generation gap even within this demographic!It is thought there was a huge boom in the birth rate post war as randy soldiers came home, and nature took its course with reunited couples eager to get their groove thing happening. The result ? lots of babies.Nevertheless, when it comes to online dating, these Boomers are going to behave differently to Gen X, Gen Y and all the other waves of new younger people. They have outgrown their wilder partying days (but boy, did they know how to party when they were younger!), and are more restrained in their attitudes toward love, life and even sex.The general guidelines about safety for all online dating aspirants hold true for Boomers, but perhaps even to a greater degree. The more mature generation is perhaps less aware of the dangers of cyber crimes, identity theft and so on.So, here are the top online dating tips for Internet security:Do not divulge ANY personal information before you have established a real offline relationship with a person (bank account details, home phone, credit card, address etc). Make sure your first meeting in the real world happens in a place where there are plenty of other folks around. This applies especially to women. Be aware that there are scams to lure people into joining dating sites with ?robots?, special programs to imitate real people with genuine-sounding conversations and clever pretend flirting. But, if you are paying close attention, you can spot these as fakes. Mature men need to be aware of the phenomenon of the ?sugar-daddy hunter?. If a seemingly younger girl starts flattering your ego, alarm bells should start ringing. This is especially true if she contacts you first. It may be the real deal, but be doubly careful.There are special dating websites dedicated to members of the Baby Boomer generation ? you may feel more comfortable seeking companionship with women and men of similar ages and interests.But there is no need to limit yourself to these, because there are many great mainstream dating services with members of all ages, sizes, colors and creeds. You may like to expand your possibilities by joining one of these.
A bunch of young, flirtatious, male and female models living in a house together, zealously competing for the title of Fairest of Them All? Now that's something for reality TV fans to smize about!
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) ? South Sudan ordered oil companies to restart production Thursday and officials said oil export could resume in about 90 days, ending a nearly nine-month shutdown following a dispute with Sudan over borders and oil.
Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his Sudanese counterpart President Omar al Bashir signed an agreement last month in the Ethiopian capital that addressed several issues including residency, work and travel rights for citizens of both countries, and a demilitarized buffer-zone to reduce tensions along the oft-disputed border. Perhaps the most critical part of the agreement is the provision that allows South Sudan to export its oil through the port and pipelines in the north.
South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly on Tuesday approved the agreement, which attempted to cover issues left over from the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement which ended 21 years of civil war between Sudan and South Sudan and led to the south's eventual split from Khartoum last July.
South Sudan's Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Stephen Dhieu Dau, said the nine-month shutdown "had served its purpose to protect the sovereignty and patrimony of the nation" and had ensured "once again that the South Sudanese People may exercise the right to enjoy the full benefits of their resources."
South Sudan inherited three-quarters of Sudan's oil production when it declared independence last year. But the country lacks the infrastructure to refine or export its oil, and must pump it through pipelines running north to Port Sudan for export. In January, Juba accused Khartoum of stealing nearly all of its oil. Khartoum said it had taken the oil in lieu of unpaid fees for the use of its facilities.
In signing and ratifying the Addis Ababa agreement, South Sudan has agreed to pay $9.10 and $11.00 per barrel for the pipelines operated by Dar Petroleum and the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, respectively.
The production of oil could provide much needed relief for the economy of South Sudan. The government had imposed austerity measures in recent months to account for the loss of their oil revenue - which accounted for around 98 percent of the yearly budget. The South Sudanese Pound also fluctuated wildly in the wake of the shutdown, falling on the black market from around 3.5 pounds per dollar to around 5.5 in July. The rate has recently rebounded following news of the deal in Addis Ababa.
"The foreign oil companies and pipeline operators operating in (South Sudan) are hereby ordered. to resume any and all petroleum operations within the territory that may have been halted as a result of the government's prior shutdown instruction," said the minister.
South Sudan's oil is produced in its Unity and Upper Nile states, along the border with Sudan. About 80 percent of its oil production comes from facilities in Upper Nile, which are operated by Dar Petroluem.
Dar Petroluem's manager of exploration and production Chen Huanlong said after the agreement was signed that it could take between four to six months before the fields in the state produce at full capacity. Huanlong said they will need to "warm up the pipes" for one month. After that, Huanlong said they would "approach the production plateau" in three months.
Dar Petroleum is a consortium of Chinese, Malaysian and South Sudanese oil companies. Following the Agreement in Ethiopia last month, the company promised to eventually bring production up to 180,000 barrels per day.
In announcing the resumption, Minister Dhieu Dau said that "we assume that in 90 days part of our oil will be getting its way to the international market. Not 100 percent but we will be able to produce and export the crude oil of South Sudan within 3 months." The minister said that the export schedule depended on "technical preparations."
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) ? Two brothers from central New York have claimed a $5 million lottery prize for a scratch-off ticket they bought at their parents' Syracuse store six years ago, state officials said.
Andy Ashkar, 34, of Camillus, and Nayel Ashkar, 36, of Cicero, came forward March 1, just 11 days before the top prize in the "$500,000,000 Extravaganza" scratch-off game would have expired, New York Lottery said.
Andy Ashkar said he bought the ticket at his parents' convenience store in Syracuse in 2006 and decided to share the winnings with his brother, officials said.
The agency said the younger brother said he waited so long to claim his prize because he was concerned the windfall could "negatively influence" his life if he didn't plan properly before being publicly introduced as the winner. Andy Ashkar also told lottery officials that he also didn't want the windfall to influence his engagement and subsequent marriage.
Calls to phone numbers listed for the Ashkar brothers went unanswered Wednesday morning.
Nayel Ashkar's wife, Sara, told The Post-Standard of Syracuse on Tuesday that news of the winnings was spreading fast, with family and friends calling to express their surprise and excitement.
"It's crazy," she said. "Hard to believe. It's still sinking in."
The brothers' mother, Wasa Ashkar, said her husband, Neyef, sold the winning ticket to Andy at the couple's Green Ale Market, but she couldn't remember exactly when. She said she and her husband were Palestinians from Jerusalem who immigrated to the United States nearly 40 years ago and have owned the store for 12 years.
"I'm happy. Of course I'm happy," she told The Associated Press over the phone before ending the conversation because she was busy with customers Wednesday morning.
Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman said the brothers claimed their prize at the agency's Schenectady headquarters on March 1. Unlike winning tickets for games such as Lotto and Mega Million that expire in a year, tickets for scratch-off games expire a year after a game is retired. The Extravaganza game was retired on March 12, 2011, Hapeman said.
As is routine whenever a winner is related to the owner of the store that sold the ticket, the agency conducted an investigation. The inquiry determined Ashkar's scratch-off ticket was bought legitimately, Hapeman said.
The Ashkar brothers, both employed as managers at separate central New York auto dealerships, will be introduced at a news conference at a later date, the lottery spokeswoman said.
The national coordinator of NCAA football officials says the decision to uphold the ruling on the field for the last play of the Stanford-Notre Dame game was correct.
Field officials ruled Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor's progress had been stopped before he reached the ball across the goal line for what would have been a potential tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal in overtime.
Replay officials reviewed the play and the call was confirmed, giving Notre Dame a 20-13 win Saturday.
National coordinator of officials Rogers Redding told the AP in a phone interview Tuesday there was nothing unusual about the way officials on the field or in the replay booth handled the decisive play.
He also says that from the replay he saw, he "would have to let that call stand."
"Most of the comments I heard were, 'It looked like to me that' or 'It sure looked like this.' The replay official has to say, 'There is no doubt in my mind.'"
Redding said a runner's progress is reviewable only on plays that could produce first downs or touchdowns.
So in the case of the last play of Notre Dame's goal line stand against the Cardinal, the fact that Taylor was lying on a pile of defenders and his knees were never down, or that one of his elbows might have touched the turf before he stuck the ball into the end zone, should have been irrelevant to the replay officials.
Only the runner's progress being stopped was reviewable, Redding said. Replay officials don't have access to audio and cannot determine whether a whistle has blown the play dead.
Notre Dame players and coach Brian Kelly contended that Taylor's last reach came after the play was blown dead. A couple of Notre Dame players, including Manti Te'o, could be seen on replays starting to celebrate right before Taylor put the ball across the line.
Redding did say that replay officials can use field officials' signals as visual evidence of when a play has been stopped. On one replay angle, the side judge could be seen moving toward the pile of players to spot the ball, just as Taylor made his last reach.
"He's not going to charge in unless he's sure in his mind that the play is over," he said. "That's another indicator that the play is dead."
Redding explained though that the rules do allow for some play in the seconds after a whistle.
"There's a provision in the rules that allows for the immediate continuing action, and that makes the play reviewable," he said.
The best examples of immediate continuing action come on questionable fumbles. If a ball comes loose, but the officials on the field rule the ball carrier was down, a defense can still be awarded a recovery if the players kept playing in the seconds after the whistle.
So if a whistle was blown by officials during the final play between Notre Dame and Stanford on Saturday, it would not rule out a replay review.
Redding said there was nothing about the final sequence in South Bend that set off alarms about the officiating.
From an officiating standpoint," he said, "it was routine."
BURLINGTON, Mass. (AP) ? As Mitt Romney's campaign claimed new momentum in the race for the White House, President Barack Obama's political advisers on Sunday promised the incumbent would unleash his more aggressive side in Tuesday's debate to prevent their Republican rival from delivering another "magical and theatrical performance."
Obama and Romney hunkered down in private debate preparation for much of the day as aides offered a pre-debate sparring match on television.
They disagreed on much, but agreed that Romney bested Obama in their first meeting nearly two weeks ago ? a performance that shifted the direction of a race that had favored the president but has since tightened in national and battleground state polls.
"He knows Mitt Romney had a better night at the first debate," Obama spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said of the president. "The American people should expect to see a much more energized President Obama."
Ed Gillespie, senior adviser to the Romney campaign, quipped that the former Massachusetts governor would be prepared regardless of Obama's adjustments: "The president can change his style. He can change his tactics. He can't change his record."
Obama spent the day with aides in swing state Virginia, while Romney stayed close to his Boston-area home ahead of Tuesday's prime-time, town hall-style debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., exactly three weeks before the Nov. 6 election.
Romney's advisers suggested the Republican nominee would continue to moderate his message ? in tone, if not substance ? as he did in the Oct. 3 meeting to help broaden his appeal to the narrow slice of undecided voters. In recent days, Romney has promised his tax plan would not benefit the wealthy, emphasized his work with Democrats as Massachusetts governor and downplayed plans to strengthen the nation's abortion laws.
He told an Iowa newspaper this week, for example, that he would not pursue abortion-related legislation if elected. That's in direct conflict with last year's pledge to the anti-abortion group, the Susan B. Anthony List, to cut federal funding from Planned Parenthood and support legislation to "protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion."
"I think Mitt Romney's performance was, indeed, magical and theatrical. Magical and theatrical largely because for 90 minutes he walked away from a campaign he had been running for more than six years previous to that," Obama senior campaign adviser Robert Gibbs said of the first debate.
While the debates have proved critical, they are one element in larger campaigns that involve extensive ground games in virtually every state across the nation and a television ad war that may consume $1 billion before Election Day.
Through Monday, either absentee or in-person early voting has begun in 43 states.
Romney on Sunday released a new television spot showcasing footage from running mate Paul Ryan's first and only faceoff with Vice President Joe Biden last week. The ad features clips of Ryan saying the government "can't keep spending money we don't have."
The comments are juxtaposed with video from the debate of Biden laughing.
Ryan returned to his home state, Wisconsin, to help raise cash for Senate candidate Tommy Thompson. Wisconsin hasn't voted for a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in 1984, but Ryan said recent victories, including the failed recall of Gov. Scott Walker, have it poised to deliver for both Romney and Thompson in just over three weeks.
"When we do that, we will look back at this moment as the day Wisconsin completed its journey," Ryan said in Milwaukee. He planned to hold a public rally Monday morning in nearby Waukesha.
Obama aides said the president was clear-eyed about the need to have a better showing in his second debate with Romney. After a listless first performance, Obama was focused on delivering more pointed and aggressive responses.
He was ensconced in hours of debate practice Sunday at Kingsmill Resort, a luxury vacation spot in Williamsburg, Va. The president was shuttling between a house on the campus where he is staying and the resort's main building, where aides are set up for debate practice.
Obama took a brief afternoon break to visit volunteers at a campaign office in Williamsburg. After greeting volunteers and dropping off a few pizzas for lunch, he called campaign workers who couldn't be at the office Sunday to thank them for their efforts.
Asked by reporters about his debate preparation, Obama said, "It is going great."
The campaign picked the riverfront Virginia resort in part to get the president away from distractions at the White House. Some of Obama's official duties, including the attack in Libya that led to the death of four Americans, forced the president to cancel or cut short some of his prep sessions ahead of the first debate, and aides acknowledge he entered the first face-off with less practice than they had hoped.
Virginia was also a political strategic pick for Obama. While he has no formal public events there, his mere presence in the competitive swing state is designed to drive local media coverage just over three weeks from Election Day.
Aides said Obama and his team were both studying up on policy and holding mock debates, featuring Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., playing the role of Romney. Anita Dunn, a former Obama aide brought back to help with debate preparations, was playing the role of debate moderator Candy Crowley.
For Obama, the challenge is to be more aggressive in combating his Republican rival during the town hall-style debate, which often requires candidates to also show empathy with the questioner.
Campaign officials insisted they were more focused on substance over style.
"The question is not just which candidate connects with the questioner, but who has the better policies for the American people for the next four years," Psaki said. "On that front the president has a great advantage."
But Romney's team claimed the advantage on Sunday, citing polls that suggest the race is essentially a tossup.
After attending church services Sunday morning, the Republican candidate devoted several hours to debate practice at a hotel near his suburban Boston home. Romney, who has been setting aside time for debate practice since June, was joined by his senior strategy team, including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who has been playing Obama.
"I think the wind is at Gov. Romney's back and we're clearly on momentum," Gillespie said. "This is going to be a close race. I knew that when we were behind in the polls. I know it now when we're ahead in the polls."
Gillespie made his comments on "Fox News Sunday"; Gibbs appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."
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Pace reported from Williamsburg, Va. Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
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With the average life expectancy having risen considerably in recent years, more and more options are becoming available to older travellers seeking insurance. A nice price-comparison website, moneymaxim.co.uk, has urged those in their 70s and 80s to shop around before purchasing a policy.
An Arduino is one of the cheapest ways to built your own electronics prototypes and projects, but the Arduino Uno isn't exactly the most powerful device on the planet. If you're looking for something with a little more punch, the newly released Arduino Due should do the trick. 
