They're cute. They're bouncy. And they're angry. Introducing "Angry Birds Toons". Seriously. Rovio has long teased the existence of Angry Birds cartoon series but held most of the details secret. Well, all will be revealed come March 16th, when the first episode premieres.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/j3hZOYqtKq0/
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February 26 will mark one year since 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed by a gun wielded by self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman after he saw Trayvon walking home from a 7-Eleven with a bag of Skittles and bottle of Arizona iced tea.
Black children, youths, and families know first-hand that the killing of Black children by gun violence is not new but a relentlessly unreported and under-reported plague that has been disproportionately snuffing out Black child lives for a very long time. Fifteen percent of children and teens are Black but 45 percent of all children and youths killed by guns in 2010 were Black. Black boys 15 to 19 years old were 28 times more likely than White boys the same age to be killed in a gun homicide.
Shortly after President Kennedy?s assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that it was time for our nation to do some soul-searching, and while the question ?Who killed President Kennedy?? was important, answering the question ?What killed President Kennedy?? was even more critical. Dr. King believed the answer was that ?our late president was assassinated by a morally inclement climate?: ?It is a climate filled with heavy torrents of false accusation, jostling winds of hatred, and raging storms of violence. It is a climate where men cannot disagree without being disagreeable, and where they express dissent through violence and murder. It is the same climate that murdered Medgar Evers in Mississippi and six innocent Negro children in Birmingham, Alabama.? Dr. King further noted that the undercurrents of hatred and violence that made up this morally inclement climate were fueled by our cultural embrace of guns: ?By our readiness to allow arms to be purchased at will and fired at whim, by allowing our movie and television screens to teach our children that the hero is one who masters the art of shooting and the technique of killing, by allowing all these developments, we have created an atmosphere in which violence and hatred have become popular pastimes.?
The same winds of hatred, storms of violence, and easy access to and glorification of guns that Dr. King believed killed President Kennedy would soon also kill Dr. King. Fifty years after Dr. King described our morally inclement climate, the outward signs of racial intolerance and hatred have undoubtedly diminished but there are still far too many reminders of the dangers lurking everywhere that devastate us all ? like Trayvon?s senseless death for walking home while Black. Between 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and 2010, nearly 60,000 Black children and teens were killed by guns, over 1,200 every year for 48 years. This is 17 times the number of reported lynchings of Black Americans of all ages since 1882 but we have not had an equivalent Black community anti-lynching movement to save our children from gun violence.
While there are troubling undertones of racial suspicion and fear in Trayvon Martin?s killing which must be addressed as justice is sought, the fact is that most Black young people murdered by guns are killed by Black shooters ? just as most White children and teens murdered by guns are killed by White shooters. Sadly the tragedies of Tucson, Aurora, Newtown and elsewhere made clear that none of us are safe anywhere or immune to the pervasive threat of gun violence.
We are all in the same boat and must act together to stop the plague of violence. Gun safety laws that only apply in one city or state can?t fully stop our national epidemic of gun proliferation and violence any better than we can stop a flu epidemic by vaccinating one family. We must struggle together to stop gun violence and to change the morally inclement climate that Dr. King warned about if we are going to protect all of our nation?s children everywhere.
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Follow Marian Wright Edelman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChildDefender
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<strong>Lose It:</strong> "The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice," <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-body/news/karl-lagerfeld-adele-is-too-fat-201262">Karl Lagerfield snarked</a> about the British singing sensation. Grammy-award-winning singer, Grammy winner, Oscar nominee and poster girl for bringing back the bouffant. <strong>Love It:</strong> Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, who admits the Spice Girls were her first inspiration, was first discovered on MySpace in 2006. From there, she went on to become one of the most successful singers of all time, winning nine Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards (including Artist of the Year twice), a Golden Globe Award, and an Oscar nomination. But that's not even the best part: The new mom requires all backstage visitors to make a minimum $20 donation to Sands, a British charity that helps people deal with the death of a baby. Who cares what her dress size is when she collects $13,000 for charity -- in one night? <strong>Live It:</strong> Don't let the big (or little) people bring you down. People's words only have as much power as you give them.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> First called "too fat" for Hollywood, <em>American Idol</em> finalist Jennifer Hudson made headlines when she dropped more than 80 pounds as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers. Then, proving that nothing is ever good enough, critics called her "too thin." With so much buzz about her body, we might remember the talented singer best for the 20 seconds of "Believe" she belts out in the commercial. <strong>Love It: </strong>With an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a NAACP image, and a Screen Actors Guild award tucked under her chic belt, the singer-actress proves she is so much more powerful than a number on the scale. When a personal tragedy rocked Hudson's world (her mother, brother and nephew brutally murdered in 2008), she showed us her true mettle as she dealt with a private tragedy in a very public way. In 2012 she released her autobiography that focuses partly on how she stays optimistic no matter what life throws at her. <strong>Live It:</strong> Sometimes we aim to change the world only to find the world has changed us; the trick is how you deal with it. Optimism is a gift worth far more than a designer dress in a sample size.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> Ever since <em>Titanic</em> launched Kate Winslet into the spotlight, her weight has been a popular topic of discussion, mainly because she refuses to apologize for any "imperfections" and goes out of her way to publicly promote a healthy body image. In 2003, when she appeared on the cover of GQ looking trimmed down to Barbie proportions, Winslet issued a statement decrying the photo as fake, saying, "I just didn't want people to think I was a hypocrite and that I'd suddenly lost 30 pounds or whatever." <strong>Love It:</strong> The multiple Academy Award winner has received accolades not just for her acting but also for her work in children's literacy. She also showed her bravery when she helped rescue several people from a burning home during a vacation on Necker Island in 2011. Then, inspired by <em>A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism</em>, the 2010 documentary she narrated, she founded the Golden Hat foundation, a charity that aims to "eliminate barriers for people with autism." <strong>Live It:</strong> Find something to be passionate about and then immerse yourself in it. It won't feel like work if you love it.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> The rumors of starvation diets, surgery, and eating disorders have swirled around Victoria Beckham for years, as people speculate about how she maintains her super slim figure. While the singer-turned-fashion-designer is fairly tight-lipped about the subject, she did say that she's not perfect and tends to get "obsessive" about her six-days-a-week fitness regimen. <strong>Love It:</strong> Beckham has worked incredibly hard to establish her fashion brand and has gotten many accolades in recent years for her creative designs, but it's with children where she really shines. Being a mum of four is an accomplishment in its own right, but over the past five years, she and her soccer legend husband, David Beckham, have donated more than 1 million dollars to buy specialized wheelchairs for disabled children. <strong>Live It:</strong> Don't be afraid to try something new, even when everyone tells you that you shouldn't. And then don't apologize when you prove them all wrong.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> Pregnant. Not pregnant. Pregnant again. With a highly publicized deal with Weight Watchers to lose her baby weight, Jessica Simpson's body has been the topic of more conversations than the number of hair extensions she's sold. Does anyone even remember she started out as a singer? <strong>Love It:</strong> While the world has been discussing the implications of her speedy second pregnancy on her weight-loss deal (she broke up with Weight Watchers), Simpson has been quietly building an empire of clothing, shoes, handbags, and her eponymous hair line. Not to mention launching her show <em>Fashion Star</em>. But the fashion star herself is about more than just heels and hair; the mom of one (with number two on the way!) sponsors an orphanage in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico which she visits often, once even giving them her own SUV as a gift. <strong>Live It</strong>: Life is about balance but you can be a mom, have a job you love, and be healthy. It's not about perfection, it's about being happy.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> Oprah Winfrey defined the relationship between celebrity scales and the media, being one of the first to publicly put her own dieting and body image struggles up for discussion. Of her famous Vogue cover shoot (she was the first black woman to land the coveted spot) she explained, "If you want to be on the cover of Vogue and editor-in-chief Anna Wintour says you have to be down to 150 pounds -- that's what you gotta do." <strong>Love It:</strong> While the talk-show host admits to many painful moments, she was also at the forefront of teaching women how to love their bodies and take care of them by establishing a respected cadre of experts, doctors, nutritionists, and life coaches, including the now-famous Dr. Oz, Dr. Weil, and Dr. Phil. She's also known for her hugely generous spirit and many philanthropic activities, including a girl's school in South Africa. <strong>Live It:</strong> Life is not a competition. Bringing others up only lifts us as well.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> Criticized for not looking ?hungry enough? to be the star of the action franchise <em>The Hunger Games</em>, actress Jennifer Lawrence has embraced all the body talk with humor and placidity. "In Hollywood, I'm obese,? the gorgeous Oscar nominee said in one interview while simultaneously dismissing any idea of dieting. <strong>Love It:</strong> Lawrence, while still maintaining a busy and diverse career as an actress, also strives to be a healthy role model to other girls. And she walks her own talk. Showing girls that they'll get further by focusing on their dreams than their waistlines, she said dryly, "I'd rather look chubby on screen and like a person in real life." <strong>Live It:</strong> Worry more about what you do and less about how you look doing it.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> Just like her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, before her, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton is subjected to media scrutiny over every ounce she gains or loses. Her apparent slim-down right before her 2011 ?wedding of the century? to heir apparent Prince William, was decried as an eating disorder by countless newspaper and magazine articles (Stress from having to plan the "wedding of the century," perhaps?). But when the private princess recently announced her pregnancy, tabloids responded by stalking her on holiday until they got photos of her protruding belly. <strong>Love It:</strong> Middleton, like many of her royal clan, is known for her humanitarian work and is often photographed visiting sick children or helping improve art programs in British schools. But what's even more telling of her generous nature is that when she got married, rather than accepting lavish gifts from admirers worldwide, she and William instead started a gift fund that supported 26 of their favorite charities, benefiting everything from the armed forces, children, and the elderly, to art, sports and conservation. <strong>Live It:</strong> It?s wonderful to recieve, but it feels even better to be able to give! And you don?t have to be a Duchess to help out your local school or veteran?s association.
<strong>Lose It: </strong>Justice Sonia Sotomayor got a lot of attention when President Obama first nominated her for the US Supreme Court in 2009. She would be the court?s first Hispanic and third female justice. Unfortunately rather than dwell on her many accomplishments, many people focused in on her weight. One Salon.com article asked ?How do you say 55, overweight, and diabetic in Spanish?? and implied she would be unfit to rule because of her ill health prospects. (Sotomayor was diagnosed with Type I diabetes as a child and it is not caused by weight gain.) <strong>Love It:</strong> Since becoming a public figure, Justice Sotomayor has given hundreds of speeches, mainly to women?s and ethnic groups, encouraging them to overcome negative stereotypes and be smart, strong, and politically active. Her 2013 memoir, <em>My Beloved World</em>, is published in both Spanish and English and details her difficult childhood in the New York housing projects. Today she lives in the U-Street Corridor, a neighborhood in Washington D.C. that was once known as ?the black broadway? and today is still one of the most ethnically and economically diverse areas in the region, because she says it reminds her of home. <strong>Live It: </strong>Never be ashamed of your roots. You are who you are because of your past, not in spite of it.
<strong>Lose It:</strong> By the end of his life Steve Jobs was more talked about for his obsession with eating apples than for his genius making Apple. Ashton Kutcher, who plays the tech wizard in an upcoming movie, has said that eating Jobs' strict vegetarian diet put him in the hospital. And even before news of his terminal cancer surfaced, Jobs was often singled out for his gaunt appearance. <strong>Love It:</strong> During his 56 years, Jobs was credited as being the "father of the personal computer" and for revolutionizing the tech, phone, music, and movie industries. So next time you pull up Finding Nemo on your iPad to keep your kid occupied while you get some work e-mails answered on your iPhone, remember Jobs for his genius and not his jeans. <strong>Live It: </strong>Think big thoughts. Don't dismiss anything as "crazy".
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/celebrity-bodies-weight_n_2725636.html
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CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's Islamist president has called parliamentary elections for April in an effort to assuage mounting frustration over continued turmoil on the streets and a political impasse that has gripped the nation.
A decree by President Mohammed Morsi issued late Thursday set the start of a staggered, four-stage voting process for April 27, with the last round to be held in June. The newly elected parliament would then convene for its first session on July 6, the decree said.
Since the 2011 ouster of longtime authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising that was part of the Arab Spring revolts, Egyptians have gone through a series of referendums, presidential and parliamentary elections. The first elected parliament was disbanded by a court order last June and Morsi, the nation's first freely elected president, assumed his post in July.
Morsi and his highly organized Muslim Brotherhood, which was a banned opposition group under Mubarak, emerged from the uprising and the various elections as the country's dominant political group with the largest grass root support.
But the divisions in Egypt have only grown, pitting the Brotherhood and their fundamentalist Islamists allies on one side and the mostly secular, liberal political parties and youth groups on the other.
The opposition accuses Morsi of monopolizing power and going back on campaign promises to have an inclusive government and introduce far reaching reforms. Morsi's supporters say the new government cannot immediately fix years of neglect and poor administration from Mubarak's 29-year rule, and cite the legitimacy of the ballot box in their favor.
The turmoil deepened with the second anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising when anger spilled out onto the streets and violence again engulfed the nation.
The most recent show of unrest came in the restive city of Port Said, where a general strike entered its six day on Friday. Factory workers, activists and laborers have held street rallies that brought the coastal city on the northern tip of the Suez Canal to a halt, though shipping in the international waterway has not been affected.
Meanwhile, rights groups have complained of widespread police abuse, saying in a joint statement Wednesday that brutality is on the rise in detention centers and at demonstrations. The groups said they hold Morsi responsible for failing to stop such practices, which have claimed 60 lives since the end of January.
For its part, Egypt's powerful military has shown signs of growing impatience with Morsi, issuing thinly veiled threats that it might seize power again as it did after Mubarak stepped down and the army generals took over, remaining in control until Morsi's election.
After several spasms of deadly violence on the streets, a decimated economy and depleted foreign reserves, many hold Morsi responsible for the turmoil.
His critics say he is not much different from Mubarak, pointing to a highly controversial presidential decree from November in which Morsi gave himself near absolute powers. The decree has since been rescinded but Morsi and the Brotherhood in the meantime managed to push through a constitution ? drafted by an Islamist-dominated panel ? that was approved in a referendum late last year.
According to Thursday's decree, Egypt's 27 provinces will be divided into four groups that will vote separately over two days over a period ending on June 27. This is allegedly to give the more than 50 million voters enough time to participate in the balloting.
Egypt's previous, Islamist-dominated parliament was disbanded on June 14, after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled on the grounds that a third of the chamber members were elected illegally.
The country's biggest opposition grouping, The National Salvation Front, has said it will not take part in the elections unless Morsi meets their demands to form a national unity government that would guarantee fair and free elections.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-morsi-calls-parliament-elections-april-064321594.html
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February 22, 2013 5:24 pm
A fuel leak on the jet during maintenance at Narita International Airport on January 13 was due to flaws in the valve?s coating, the Transport Ministry said.
That led to a false signal that the valve was closed when it was actually open, the investigators said.
On January 8, the same jet had to return to the terminal at Boston?s Logan International Airport after a fuel leak was detected while taxiing. The ministry said that a different valve failed to close because a foreign substance was believed to have been trapped.
On Friday, the ministry ordered Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, which also operates Dreamliners, to double check fuel systems and valves before flights.
Boeing?s most sophisticated aircraft is also under investigation for possible battery problems after a Dreamliner jet made an emergency landing at an airport in western Japan in mid-January.
The incidents and others prompted the worldwide grounding of all Boeing 787s.//DPA
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? The fierce Republican opposition to President Barack Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary is personal and business.
The nasty fight long has been seen as a proxy for the never-ending scuffles between the Democratic president and congressional Republicans, with barely any reservoir of good will between the White House and lawmakers, and the GOP still smarting over the November election results.
Barring any surprises, the drawn-out battle over Hagel's nomination probably will end this coming week with his Senate confirmation. But his fellow Republicans have roughed him up.
A vote is expected on Tuesday.
In the weeks after Obama secured a second term, Republicans knocked out a presidential favorite, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, and dashed her secretary of state hopes over her widely debunked remarks about protests precipitating the assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya on Sept. 11.
Emboldened Republicans then set their sights on Hagel, whose GOP classification won him no points with the party.
The former two-term Nebraska senator was widely viewed as a political heretic. He disagreed with President George W. Bush over the Iraq war, stayed on the sidelines in the 2008 president race between Obama and the Republican nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, and endorsed fellow Vietnam veteran and former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey in last year's Nebraska Senate race.
Republicans remember it well.
"There's a lot of ill will toward Sen. Hagel because when he was a Republican, he attacked President Bush mercilessly, at one point said he was the worst president since Herbert Hoover, said the surge (of U.S. troops in Iraq) was the worst blunder since the Vietnam War, which is nonsense, and was anti-his own party and people," McCain said in an interview on Fox News on the day Republicans stalled Hagel's nomination.
Hagel didn't help his cause with his past opposition to unilateral penalties against Iran, his comment about the influence of the "Jewish lobby" in Washington, his support for reducing the nation's nuclear arsenal and remarks that created widespread doubts about his backing for Israel.
His halting and uneven performance at his confirmation hearing also hurt his nomination.
McCain, one of Hagel's friends during their years in the Senate, would have been a crucial vote to help sway other Republicans to back the nominee. Instead, he is one of more than a dozen opposing Hagel.
"I think he will have been weakened, but having said that, the job that he has is too important," McCain told reporters Friday during a visit to Mexico. "I know that I and my other colleagues, if he's confirmed, and he very likely will be, will do everything we can to work with him."
The nomination fight also is about the business of re-electing Republicans in 2014. Challenging the Democratic president over his nominations and policies is clearly a winner with the conservative base, a point not lost on GOP incumbents wary of challenges from the tea party.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who's up for re-election next year, is getting high marks from Republicans for his relentless effort to get more information about the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, and his fierce opposition to Hagel.
"Most people down here think he's dead-on in his arguments and hope that he continues to press the issues," said Warren Tompkins, a longtime GOP strategist.
The Libya attack that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans has been a political flashpoint for Republicans who accused the Obama administration of an election-year cover-up of a terrorist assault.
An independent review conducted by respected former diplomats failed to mollify the GOP, who demanded testimony from Hillary Rodham Clinton, secretary of state when the attack occurred, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Graham has been at the forefront in seeking emails, communiques and videos while threatening to delay both Hagel's nomination and that of CIA Director-nominee John Brennan, who also has become entangled in the Libya dispute.
During a stop in Easley, S.C., this past week, Graham insisted that his effort has nothing to do with politics.
"It's not because he's a Democrat and I'm a Republican," he said, referring to Obama. "It's because it really was system failure and we need learn from it. We have not gotten the information, and we're going to get it if I have to die trying."
The White House has agreed to give the Senate Intelligence Committee additional documents related to the Benghazi attack, according to a congressional aide said. The material includes emails between national security officials showing the debate within the administration over how to describe the attack.
Graham also has been intense in opposing Hagel, portraying the former GOP senator as an out-of-the-mainstream radical. Some of the toughest questions of Hagel during his confirmation hearing last month came from Graham, who seized on Hagel's "Jewish lobby" remark and asked him to "name one dumb thing we've been goaded into doing due to pressure by the Israeli, Jewish lobby."
Hagel was often tentative in his response in the face of GOP grilling.
"He's leading, he's governing," Glenn McCall, the chairman of the York (S.C.) County Republican Party and a GOP committeeman, said of Graham. "More and more I talk to Republicans ? and even those that are conservative Democrats ? I think folks are looking for leadership."
Both Tompkins and McCall cited a Winthrop University poll released last week that showed Graham with strong support from registered Republicans in the state, with 72 percent holding a favorable opinion of the senator.
It's a turnaround from several years ago when Graham's work with Democrats on climate change and immigration as well as his votes for Obama's nominees for the Supreme Court angered South Carolina Republicans, with some calling him out of touch and Charleston and Lexington counties voting to censure him over his bipartisan work.
"It might be the right thing to do ... but when you partner with Hillary Clinton or you partner with John Kerry, you're going to be looked upon with a lot of suspicion in South Carolina," Tompkins said. "You have to be careful who you dance with."
Kerry, a former Democratic senator from Massachusetts, has just replaced Clinton as secretary of state.
Graham still may face a primary challenge, but he and other GOP incumbents are determined to head off any conservative uprising as Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch successfully did in his 2012 race. They want to avoid the fate of the only GOP primary loser last year ? Indiana's longtime Sen. Dick Lugar.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican and a candidate next year, took the lead on the Senate floor to block a vote on Hagel on Feb. 14 and was one of 15 Republicans last week to call for Obama to withdraw the nomination.
Cornyn got a primary challenger last week.
___
Follow Donna Cassata on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DonnaCassataAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/personal-business-gop-fight-over-hagel-135227159.html
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Many gamers keeping up with the rumors of the next generation consoles feared the worst- used games being denied access when put into another machine. However, we can all stop hyperventilating as Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed this will not be the case. In an interview with Eurogamer, Yoshida responded to the blatant question with a flat out "So, used games can play on PS4. How is that?" Doesn?t get more concrete than that, huh? Remember, these rumors also applied to the next Xbox, so we all still need to keep our fingers crossed on that one...Gamestop especially.
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Source: http://www.gamefocus.ca/news/19252.html
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/q0ClR5j-v-0/
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Feb. 21, 2013 ? The way in which the locust's distinctive visual system could be transferred into technology for state of the art vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and video games has been detailed as part of robotics research being carried out by an academic from the University of Lincoln (UK).
Scientists from the University of Lincoln and Newcastle University have created a computerised system which allows for autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on the locust's unique visual system.
The work could provide the blueprint for the development of highly accurate vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and even aid video game programming, according to the research published this week.
Locusts have a distinctive way of processing information through electrical and chemical signals, giving them an extremely fast and accurate warning system for impending collisions. The insect has incredibly powerful data processing systems built into its biology, which can in theory be recreated in robotics.
Inspired by the visual processing power built into these insects' biology, Professor Shigang Yue from the University of Lincoln's School of Computer Science and Dr Claire Rind from Newcastle University's Institute of Neuroscience created the computerised system.
Their findings are published in the International Journal of Advanced Mechatronic Systems.
The research started by understanding the anatomy, responses and development of the circuits in the locust brain that allow it to detect approaching objects and avoid them when in flight or on the ground.
A visually stimulated motor control (VSMC) system was then created which consists of two movement detector types and a simple motor command generator. Each detector processes images and extracts relevant visual clues which are then converted into motor commands.
Prof Yue said: "We were inspired by the way the locusts' visual system works when interacting with the outside world and the potential to simulate such complex systems in software and hardware for various applications. We created a system inspired by the locusts' motion sensitive interneuron -- the lobula giant movement detector. This system was then used in a robot to enable it to explore paths or interact with objects, effectively using visual input only."
Funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), the research was carried out as part of a collaborative project with the University of Hamburg in Germany and Tsinghua University and Xi'an Jiaotong University, China.
The primary objective of the project, which started in 2011 and runs for four years, is to build international capacity and cooperation in the field of biologically inspired visual neural systems.
Prof Yue explained: "Effective computer vision is a major research challenge. Vision plays a critical role in the interaction of most animal species, and even relatively low order animals have remarkable visual processing capabilities. For example, insects can respond to approaching predators with remarkable speed. This research demonstrates that modelling biologically plausible artificial visual neural systems can provide new solutions for computer vision in dynamic environments. For example, it could be used to enable vehicles to understand what is happening on the road ahead and take swifter action."
Dr Claire Rind has been working on the locust's visual system for several years.
She said: "Developing robot neural network programmes, based on the locust brain, has allowed us to create a programme allowing a mobile robot to detect approaching objects and avoid them. It's not the conventional approach as it avoids using radar or infrared detectors which require very heavy-duty computer processing. Instead it is modelled on the locust's eyes and neurons as the basis of a collision avoidance system.
"Taking this work forward we want to apply it to collision avoidance systems in vehicles which is a major challenge for the automotive industry. While some collision-avoidance features are pricey options on luxury cars, their performance is not always as good as it could be -- and they come at a high cost. This research offers us important insights into how we can develop a system for the car which could improve performance to such a level that we could take out the element of human error."
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FACEBOOK has sought to reassure members that its new Graph Search system will not expose teenagers? profiles to adults they don't know.
'; document.write(s); return; } window.google_adnum = window.google_adnum || null; google_ad_client = "ca-pub-9024837700129787"; google_ad_output = "js"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_ad_channel = '9868211012,6682650729'; google_max_num_ads = '2'; google_skip = window.google_adnum; /* insert this snippet for each ad call */Graph Search is being gradually introduced to the social network's one billion members after it was announced by Mark Zuckerberg last month.
The new system has provoked privacy concerns, because it allows members to search for information on Facebook such as "single women in London". Graph Search returns a list of members who meet the criteria and set their privacy setting such that whoever entered the search is allowed to see their profile.
Facebook today said it had taken special measures to ensure that teenagers were not exposed to potentially dangerous strangers.
"As with all of our products, we designed Graph Search to take into account the unique needs of teens on Facebook," it said in a blog post.
In particular, Graph Search follows the existing rule on Facebook that teenagers are not allowed to make their profile visible to anyone more distant than a friend of a friend.
"On Facebook, many things teens are likely to do - such as adding information to their timelines or sharing status updates - can only be shared with a maximum of Friends of Friends," Facebook said.
Extra care has been take over information that could be useful to predatory adults, too, it added.
"For certain searches that could help to identify a young person by age or by their location, results will only show to that person's Friends, or Friends of Friends who are also between the age of 13-17."
Facebook allows anyone to have an account if they ar 13 or older. According to Consumer Reports, a American consumer watchdog, millions of underage childen have entered false information to join the social network.
The minimum age is prescribed by United States law, but Mark Zuckerberg has called for it to be dropped "at some point".
As well as highlighting its child protection features, Facebook called on members to review their profile to ensure they are comfortable with what others could see via Graph Search. It said they could remove their name from photos they had been "tagged" in or change setting to limit who could view the "About Me" section of their profile.
At the launch of Graph Search in January, Mark Zuckerberg was at pains to emphasise that privacy had been a central consideration in its design. Members given early access to the system quickly found potentially troubling uses for the system, however.
For instance, London-based developer Tom Scott created a widely shared blog to highlight the potential embarrassment or danger of Graph Search queries including "married people who like prostitutes", "family members of people who live in China and like Falun Gong [the banned sect]" and "Islamic men interested in men who live in Tehran, Iran".
Graph Search is currently only available in English. Facebook is slowly making it available to members who sign up to a waiting list.
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The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's 2013 State of the City address as prepared for delivery at Barclays Center:
"Thank you, Marty ? and happy 36th birthday to you, too. Speaker Quinn and members of the City Council, Public Advocate de Blasio, Comptroller Liu, Borough Presidents, District Attorneys, Mayor Dinkins and distinguished guests, let me begin by acknowledging someone who is here with us in spirit: the mayor who redefined the job and restored the arc of our city's history: my friend and yours, Ed Koch.
"The state of our city would certainly not be the same without him. Let me also thank everyone here on staff at the Barclays Center. Of the 2,000 people employed here, our Workforce One Centers helped 1,100 of them find their jobs. Nearly 75 percent of them are Brooklyn residents and because of the outreach we did, about one-third are NYCHA residents. That's only right ? because after all, one of the owners here grew up in Marcy Houses. His name is Shawn Carter, and if you don't recognize that name, you may know him by what he's been called since the Super Bowl: Beyonc?'s husband.
"Now, the Barclays Center is the latest sign of just how hot Brooklyn has become. Of course, not long ago, this arena was nothing more than a glimmer in Marty Markowitz's eye. NBA basketball and NHL hockey? In Brooklyn? According to Marty, everyone told him 'Fuhgeddaboudit!'
"But not us. And here we are. Against all the odds, despite all the legal challenges, despite all the naysayers and NIMBYers, here we are. And as we speak, the first residential tower at Atlantic Yards is rising, and it will have nearly 200 affordable apartments. Marty ? Mr. Brooklyn ? and Bruce Ratner, who made it all happen, stand up for a well-deserved round of applause.
"Over the past eleven years, we have beaten the odds, and the obstructionists, over and over again, not just here in Brooklyn, but in neighborhoods all across the city. For instance, back in 2002, we were told that you couldn't bring crime down any further without locking up more people. But today, murders and shootings are at new record lows ? and, so are incarceration rates.
"Back then, we were told businesses would flee the city after 9/11. Today, there are a record number of jobs in our city ? and Lower Manhattan is more full of life than ever.
"Back then, we were told the school system could never be fixed. Today, graduation rates are up by 41 percent ? compared to just nine percent in the rest of the state.
"Back then, we were told that Manhattan would always be the prime driver of job growth. But today, job growth is happening fastest outside of Manhattan, and it exceeds the national average in all five boroughs.
"Again and again, we have defied the conventional wisdom. We've gone from having the sixth highest poverty rate among the 20 largest cities to having the eighth lowest ? and we've reduced the welfare rolls by 22 percent. We went into the recent national recession later than the rest of the country, and we came out sooner and stronger. We've added more than 750 acres to our parks and turned New York City into an international leader on green growth and climate change.
"We've raised life expectancy to record highs ? far outpacing the national average ? and we've cut teen pregnancy to record lows. We've reduced fire fatalities and traffic fatalities and emergency response times to record lows. And we've built the largest and most sophisticated counter-terrorism operation of any police department in the country.
"As a result of all this work, even though we're still recovering from the most devastating natural disaster in our entire history, each of the five boroughs is better off today than ever before and the state of our city has never been stronger!
"But as far as we've come, our work is not done. We have unfinished business ? and only 320 days to complete it. As the countdown clock in City Hall says: we're going to Make Every Day Count.
"Our goal is not to spend the year cutting ribbons. It's much bigger than that: Our goal is to advance projects ? and start new ones ? that will keep our city on the right course for decades to come. And to do that, we'll take on the toughest jobs ? and the most politically difficult jobs.
"The special interests and campaign donors have never had less power than they've had over the past 11 years. And this year, we're going to show just how true that is.
"That's why 2013 will be our busiest ? and most important ? year yet.
"Today, I'd like to share our plans for how we'll keep New York City on course for a brighter future. And this is the perfect place to do it, here at Atlantic Yards ? the largest development project in Brooklyn's history.
"Remember: after the courts stopped the Westway highway project in the early 1980s, you'd often hear people say that big projects like this were no longer possible in New York City. And for a long time, that certainly seemed to be largely true. But not anymore. Over the past 11 years, working with our partners in the City Council and in Albany, we have overcome the defeatists and shown that this big city of big dreams can still get big things done.
"In fact, this year we'll complete the second stage of the single largest construction project in the City's entire history: the Third Water Tunnel. When we open it, it will be a dramatic reflection of our commitment to funding vital infrastructure projects in good times and bad and an incredible testament to all the sandhogs who built it and deserve our thanks for the dangerous work that they do every day.
"The Third Water Tunnel is just one of many big projects that are supporting our economy, growing our tax base, and making our communities better places to live. On Staten Island, thanks to support from Borough President Molinaro and Minority Leader Oddo, we're building the largest new park since the 1930s at Fresh Kills.
"At Ocean Breeze on Staten Island, we'll finish construction of one of the largest track and field complexes on the East Coast ? and our largest PlaNYC recreational center.
"Across the bay in Lower Manhattan, next to the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, the Port Authority is completing 1 World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
"In midtown, we're helping the New York Public Library build the largest circulating and research library in the world.
"At Hudson Yards, the MTA will finish construction on the Number 7 train extension, the first new subway track to be funded by the City in 50 years ? and the catalyst to the most ambitious development ever undertaken in our City.
"Next door, the High Line ? once slated for demolition ? will complete its third leg next year.
"All of these projects will strengthen our economy and our communities. All over the city, we're renewing our landscape in ways that create good jobs for New Yorkers today, and position us to lead the innovation economy of tomorrow.
"On Roosevelt Island, we've set the stage for Cornell University to build an entirely new applied science and engineering campus, maybe the most exciting economic development project our city has ever undertaken.
"In West Harlem, we've set the stage for Columbia University to build an entirely new campus, which will increase the size of its engineering faculty by 50 percent. And we've helped New York University, Fordham University, and the City University of New York all embark on major expansions of their campuses.
"Never before in our city's history has there been so much university expansion and never before has there been so much scientific investment. This year, we'll finish construction on the next phase of the BioBat Center at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. We'll open a $50 million Genome Research Center in Lower Manhattan. At the East River Science Park, not only will we complete the next major phase of construction, a major pharmaceutical company, Roche, will move 200 research jobs from New Jersey there. And we'll move forward with our plans for a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility and a new health science center for CUNY's Hunter College. All of this university and scientific investment is generating jobs ? not only for those who will work in the labs, but for all those who will build and operate them and for all of the small businesses that will surround them.
"As you know, many of the biggest economic and community renewal projects we've undertaken have been along our waterfront. Just look at the East River. From Long Island City and Hunters Point South ? where Borough President Helen Marshall has helped us create new housing and jobs to Greenpoint and Williamsburg and DUMBO we have re-zoned old industrial areas and brought them back to life.
"The old piers below Brooklyn Bridge ? largely abandoned for decades ? are now a spectacular park. This year, we'll open two new sections of the park and we'll transform two 19th century warehouses within the park into modern spaces for culture and commerce.
"Governors Island ? closed to the public for two centuries ? has become one of the most popular getaways in the city. And now we'll open a beautiful new 30-acre park on the island. We've also invited businesses and nonprofits to establish a year-round presence there and help restore and adapt the island's historic buildings.
"At the Homeport on Staten Island ? mostly unused since 1994 ? we'll finally break ground this year on a new community that will create housing and jobs for local residents. Not far away at Saint George, we'll move forward with our plan to build the world's largest Ferris wheel, and a major shopping complex, bringing more visitors ? and jobs ? to Staten Island.
"We'll bring more people and jobs to another great island ? Coney Island. Neglected for decades, Coney has undergone a dramatic comeback ? thanks our partnership with Marty and Councilman Dominic Recchia. This summer will be the best one yet, as we open the new Steeplechase Plaza.
"Now, let me ask you: is there anyone who still believes that New York City can't get big things done? Since we're here in Brooklyn, I'll say it again: Fuhgeddaboudit.
"For the first time since La Guardia was mayor and FDR created the WPA, we're not only conceiving big plans that fundamentally change the landscape of our city, we're achieving them. We're taking a city built mostly before World War II and renewing it for the needs of New Yorkers today and tomorrow. But we still have plenty of unfinished business in all five boroughs.
"In the Bronx, we'll work with Borough President Diaz to bring new life ? and good jobs ? back to the Kingsbridge Armory. In Queens, we'll work with Major League Soccer to bring soccer back to our city for the first time since the Cosmos left in 1977.
"At Willets Point ? ignored by the City since Robert Moses failed to turn it into parkland ? we'll work with Borough President Marshall to begin the process of cleaning it up and bringing jobs and open space to the community ? and down the road, hopefully even a convention center.
"In Manhattan, we'll bring to life two projects that have been on the drawing boards for decades: redeveloping the South Street Seaport and developing the sites around Seward Park on the Lower East Side, and I want to thank the community board and the local elected officials for their great work on that project.
"In Brooklyn, we'll begin creating a new community called Greenpoint Landing ? with more than 5,000 new homes, parks and open space, a marina, a public school and shops. Just a little south of there, we'll move forward with a plan to turn the old Domino Sugar Plant into new housing and we'll create the commercial space that Brooklyn's growing tech community needs.
"At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, we'll work with the State to help Steiner Studios begin creating a 50-acre new media campus. The campus will eventually provide 2,500 good jobs in film, television and tech ? two of the fastest-growing industries in our city.
"We've already turned the Navy Yard into the most successful urban industrial park in the country, but it still has dozens of unused acres with crumbling historic buildings. This media campus will preserve many of those buildings ? while also creating the jobs we need for our future.
"We'll take the same approach ? historic preservation balanced with new development ? in East Midtown. Right now, zoning regulations around Grand Central effectively prohibit development of even a few iconic new buildings ? even though the area has the best mass transit links in the entire country. If we do nothing, the area will cease to be a world-class business district, and we'll lose out on good jobs and tax revenues.
"So this year, we'll work with Borough President Stringer and Council Member Garodnick to rezone the area to allow for a select number of new buildings to rise in the decades ahead, while preserving its historic character. And the new buildings will pay into a mass transit fund so we can relieve some of the pedestrian bottlenecks and congestion in and around Grand Central.
"Two weeks ago, we celebrated Grand Central's 100th birthday ? thanks to Jackie Kennedy Onassis and so many others who stepped forward and saved it in the 1970s. Now it's up to us to ensure that the area around it remains a vital part of our city's growth for the next 100 years.
"We won't rush the re-zoning ? but we won't allow obstructionists to run out the clock, either. This is too important for our future. And given all the politics and special interests, if we don't do it this year, it may never get done. We can't let that happen.
"Our economic development strategy for the year ahead also includes one of our most important industries: arts and culture. We know from experience that the arts revitalize communities and spur investment.
"That's why this year, we'll complete a new gallery and auditorium at the Staten Island Museum, and a new homes for three organizations in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District: The Theater for a New Audience, BRIC and Urban Glass.
"We'll also undertake what may be our most exciting project yet ? called Culture Shed. It will be built as part of Related's development at Hudson Yards, and it will be an arts and cultural center like no other in the world.
"Designed by Diller, Scofidio and Renfro, with Rockwell Group, it will be a magnet for artists and audiences both from the local neighborhood and from around the world and, as you can see, it's pretty spectacular.
"All the projects I just mentioned will create thousands of jobs ? both construction jobs and permanent jobs, entry level jobs and middle class jobs ? jobs that will keep our city strong and growing. Even though these projects will take years, and even decades, to be fully realized, there is no time like the present to act ? and we will move full steam ahead.
"We'll take the same approach to the single most important piece of unfinished business that lies ahead of us in 2013: rebuilding the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy ? and creating a more resilient and sustainable city.
"Forty-three New Yorkers lost their lives in that storm, and it's up to us to do all we can to prevent that from happening again.
"After the storm passed, it was clear that the houses and businesses most damaged by Hurricane Sandy were built decades ago, while those that were built in the last few years, or are now being built, held up pretty well.
"That was no accident. Our administration has fundamentally changed the way we conduct waterfront development. But Sandy raised the bar ? and now we must rise to the occasion.
"This year, we'll develop a long-term plan so that when extreme weather hits ? we'll be able to get the lights back on quickly and ensure that the heat keeps working, the gas stations stay open, the hospitals maintain power and the transportation system keeps operating.
"By the end of May, Seth Pinsky, who is leading this effort, will deliver a report on how we can better protect our city from extreme weather events. But as I've said: we're a coastal city, so we cannot ? and will not ? abandon the waterfront.
"We will not cut our city off from the natural asset that has made us great. That was the mistake Robert Moses made ? and one that we have been working so hard to undo.
"We will build back stronger. We will build back safer. We will build back more sustainably. But we'll build back here.
"For instance, we're working with the State on an innovative program that will preserve and protect vital wetlands, while also enabling more efficient economic development along our city's waterfront.
"Working with the National Parks Service and the Rockefeller Foundation, we'll develop plans for a world-class science and resilience center on Jamaica Bay that will be the premier institute for the study of coastal environments and climate change.
"To help improve the resiliency of our parks and beaches, we'll launch a Conservation Corps, financed privately through the Mayor's Fund, to train the next generation of Park stewards and leaders.
"And to show that Sandy can't stop us from enjoying our coastline, I will pledge to you now: we'll open all of our beaches on Memorial Day weekend this year, just as we always do.
"We're doing everything possible to help the hardest-hit communities ? and I can't say enough good things about how our workforce responded to Sandy: Sanitation and Transportation; Fire and Police; Buildings and Small Business Services; Health and Homeless Services; Parks and NYC Service.
"I could go on and on, because employees in every agency, and so many volunteers, gallantly rose to the occasion. We have a few members with us today representing their departments, and I think they deserve a big round of applause.
"I also want to thank the private contractors who stepped up and helped us create Rapid Repairs ? a program no city had ever created. Since the day we finished our first repair in the Rockaways on November 24, we have restored heat or power to more than 17,000 homes.
"FEMA tells us it's the fastest home recovery program they have ever seen. And I'd like to thank our Rapid Repairs team and construction manager, Kathryn Mallon, and our Director of Housing Recovery, Brad Gair, for their outstanding work on it.
"We'll continue to stand with all the residents affected by the storm, and that goes for public housing residents, as well. Hurricane Sandy made painfully clear just how much NYCHA's aging housing stock is suffering from decades of federal disinvestment.
"Two weeks ago, NYCHA announced a new action plan to virtually eliminate their backlog of work orders. But the fact is: there's just not enough federal money to maintain the buildings.
"We can either allow them to crumble, or knock them down, or find new revenue for repairs and capital investments. I know which is right for New York: our Administration will not walk away from public housing.
"To raise the revenue NYCHA residents deserve, we'll begin the process of developing new housing at underdeveloped NYCHA sites. You know, some people in elected office and in the press have taken cheap shots at NYCHA in recent months. But none of them have offered a plan to fix the revenue problem.
"Well, we have a plan ? and we will move forward on it this year.
"Many small businesses are also suffering as a result of Sandy. Today, I'm happy to announce that for all businesses in the hardest-hit areas, I will sign an executive order waiving all city fees for Sandy-related repair work and we'll work with Speaker Quinn and the City council to waive all fees that require legislation.
"We need our businesses to recover as quickly as possible, and we'll make sure government doesn't stand in their way.
"Instead, we'll spend our time helping more people in the hardest-hit areas who are out of work find jobs. In Red Hook and other communities, our Workforce One centers helped more than 1,200 residents find jobs cleaning up storm damage in parks and public housing.
"But that's just the beginning. Today, I'm announcing that our Center for Economic Opportunity will spend $1 million to support non-profit groups that will put 1,000 more unemployed New Yorkers immediately to work on hurricane relief and recovery projects.
"As part of our Young Men's Initiative, which is funded with public and private money we'll also hire up to 70 teenaged probation clients to do hurricane recovery work this spring ? making a positive difference for our city and for themselves. We'll also encourage construction companies that are repairing and rebuilding storm-struck areas to hire the unemployed from those communities.
"Of course, the best way to reduce unemployment ? and keep young people out of trouble is to continue improving our schools. Since 2005, as I mentioned earlier, we've raised high school graduation rates by 40 percent while they've gone up only 9 percent in the rest of the state.
"At the same time, our college readiness rate has doubled even as our dropout rate has been cut in half. But we know how much unfinished business we have ? because our goal is empower all of our children to achieve their dreams.
"Success in college and careers requires good writing and critical thinking skills as well as good math and science skills. Unfortunately, the State has never tested for them. I've supported basing standards on those skills for many years and I'm glad to say that the State has now done that, by adopting what's known as the Common Core standards. Starting this spring, State exams for grades 3-8 will test for these critical skills.
"They'll give teachers and parents the information they need to keep students on track for success. Make no mistake: the tests will be different and harder and they will establish an entirely new baseline for measuring student performance. They won't be compared to past years' test results.
"But no matter where the definition of proficiency is arbitrarily set on the new tests I expect that our students' progress will continue outpacing the rest of the State's the only meaningful measurement of progress we have.
"Time and time again over the last decade, we have raised the bar and our students and teachers have cleared it and our black and Hispanic students have helped lead the way. Now, we'll accelerate their progress by selecting 12-15 leaders to design eight new high schools based on the most promising college readiness strategies. It will be a year-long fellowship sponsored by our Young Men's Initiative. And afterwards, the fellows will become leaders at the schools they designed.
"Fellows can come from any field from education experts to entrepreneurs and their new schools will enroll students primarily from five neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and low rates of college readiness: Harlem, East New York, Brownsville, Jamaica and the South Bronx.
"Children in every neighborhood deserve great schools, and no matter who stands in their way, we will fight to deliver for them. We will not give up on any child. One of the reasons we've been able to increase graduation and college readiness rates is that we've created many more high quality school options.
"We've opened 576 new schools over the past 11 years, and we're on track to have added 100,000 new classroom seats by the end of this year. 149 of those new schools have been charters and yet there are still more than 50,000 children who are still on charter school waiting lists. Those children and their parents have waited long enough.
"This September, we'll open 26 new charters and we'll work to approve many more for 2014. Some of them will be located within existing public school buildings even though there are special interests who want to prohibit that from happening.
"But as we all know, charter schools are public schools and their students deserve access to public school facilities. How dare the special interests try to lock out our children. We are one city and one public school system and we will not tolerate those who try to deny resources to some public school children.
"That's why we've also put our bus contracts out to bid. For more than 30 years, the unions and the bus companies have had a virtual monopoly on the contracts. This week, we received the opening bids for the new contracts and there's the potential for hundreds of millions of dollars in savings. We will plow that money back into our schools where it belongs.
"I'm glad to report that every day more and more buses are on the road transporting our students to school. I urge all bus drivers to return to work and I urge Local 1181 leaders to recognize their strike is a lost cause, and to stop hurting our children and their members.
"If you notice, we haven't had a lot of political support in taking this issue on. But that's exactly why we're doing it: because it's the right thing to do and if we don't do it now it may never get done. And our children will be worse off for another three decades. We won't let that happen.
"To prepare our students for success, we'll also create new schools that connect students directly to college and work. In his State of the Union address, President Obama highlighted our partnership with IBM and CUNY to create a high school that includes two years of college which we call grades 13 and 14. When students graduate, they receive an associate's degree ? and an interview at IBM. The President wants to see more of these types of schools across the country. And we'll deliver.
"We'll create a high school with grades 9 through 14 in the South Bronx, focused on the health care industry; and we'll create one in Long Island City focused on the energy industry. Both industries are growing in our city.
"And since no industry is growing more rapidly than our tech sector we'll open our second Academy for Software Engineering high school. With private support, we'll also bring computer science classes to 20 more schools next September. And we'll begin giving more adults the chance to learn computer science skills, as well.
"Today, I've directed Deputy Mayor Bob Steel and Small Business Services Commissioner Rob Walsh to work with the tech industry, universities, and the nonprofit sector to develop an intensive computer science training program for our adults who want to learn IT skills. And why not do it right here in Downtown Brooklyn? There are now 500 tech companies just between here and the NAVY Yard. We'll work to connect more New Yorkers to the jobs they're creating.
"And to further expand New York's role as a global tech hub, we'll launch a competition to install Wi-Fi in more of our Business Improvement Districts. Our work to create a tech-friendly city is a big reason we've been leading the nation in job growth and the majority of jobs we've been creating are middle-class jobs that pay good salaries.
"As I mentioned earlier, most of the jobs we've been creating are outside of Manhattan. In fact, over the past decade, the job growth rate in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx has been nearly double that of Manhattan and for every five businesses that existed outside of Manhattan a decade ago, there's now a sixth. The hotel industry is a good example. Over the past six years, 72 new hotels have been built outside of Manhattan alone. The reason is simple: all of our boroughs have great attractions to offer, and we've dramatically increased the number of visitors who want to visit them. Last year, a record 52 million people visited and we're working to make sure all parts of our city benefit from these guests.
"Even though we've become the number one tourism destination in the country we still have unfinished business. Right now, we're missing out on an important piece of the market: the young people who have an itch to get out and see the world on modest budgets. Hotels in our city can be out of their price range.
"So working with Speaker Quinn and the City Council, we'll pass legislation to make New York a more youth-friendly tourism destination by legalizing the for-profit youth hostels that are so common in much of Europe. Our goal is to attract 175,000 more young tourists to our city each year which will create more than 1,000 new jobs for New Yorkers.
"New York City has always been a magnet for visitors and for immigrants. We welcome all immigrants from all countries and from every age group. Whatever you may think of the immigration debate, the children of immigrants who come here or stay here illegally have done nothing wrong. And yet right now, when these children graduate from high school even if they've earned straight as even if they're tops in their classes they're not eligible to receive any State financial aid to go to college. The state is effectively saying to these students: we're not deporting you. But we're not letting you succeed here, either even though our economy wants you and needs you. That's about as dumb a policy as I can think of and we must change it this year.
"Therefore, our top priority in Albany will be passing the DREAM Act which will make college affordable for thousands more young people who deserve the chance to go and who will help build the future of our city and country. New York City has always been the face of immigration to the rest of the country and now we must be the face of immigration reform by passing the DREAM Act in this session.
"We have unfinished business not only in Albany but in Washington. And not only on immigration, but on another issue critical to our survival: illegal guns.
"In recent years, we've built bi-partisan coalitions of mayors and business leaders to support common sense reforms to our immigration and gun laws. We've made some real progress and I'm hopeful that this year we'll see real change. But it won't happen unless all of us make our voices heard. Tell your members of Congress and tell your friends across the country to tell their members: we have had enough.
"Our immigration laws are destroying our economy and our future. Our guns laws are destroying our families and our communities. Tell Congress to stop scapegoating immigrants and coddling criminals. America is better than that. Tell them to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. Tell them to pass common sense gun reforms this year.
"No more excuses no more gridlock. We've waited long enough. Let's get it done.
"Attacking illegal guns here in New York City has helped us drive crime down to record lows. And we haven't done it by locking more people up just the opposite. While the incarceration rate across America has increased by 6 percent over the past decade here in New York City, we've reduced it by 32 percent. We've done it through pro-active, targeted policing that prevents crime and that includes stopping and questioning people who are acting suspiciously or who fit the description of a suspect.
"I understand that innocent people don't like to be stopped. But innocent people don't like to be shot and killed, either. Stops take hundreds of guns off the street each year.
"Today, we are collecting fewer guns, but that is not an excuse to stop it ? it is a reason to continue it. Because the possibility of a stop is what scares would-be bad guys into not carrying guns. And if we never find a gun again in a stop, wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Commissioner Kelly has adopted training and accountability policies to ensure that police officers conduct stops legally, appropriately, and respectfully but make no mistake: We have a responsibility to conduct them and as long as I am mayor, we will not shirk from it.
"Think about it: if New York City had Detroit's murder rate last year, 4,092 more New Yorkers would have been murdered last year. That's every person in this room and enough to fill up a few thousands seats in the arena behind me. We know stops save lives. Is there anyone here who would sacrifice his or her life, and the lives of their family and friends, to end stops? I don't think so.
"We can't let politics trump public safety and for the next 320 days at least, we won't.
"We'll keep the pressure on criminals this year and we'll do more than ever to help victims, including victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Today is not only Valentine's Day ? it is a day to raise awareness about violence against women. Here in the city, we've made tackling this terrible problem a special priority. We've cut rape and domestic violence significantly, but not enough.
"This year, we'll open our fourth Family Justice Center where victims of domestic violence can get all the services and support they need in one safe place. We'll work with DA Cy Vance on a new program that will pair police officers with mental health professionals who will work together to help those who are most at-risk.
"Domestic violence and sexual assault are crimes that thrive on secrecy. So we'll intensify efforts to encourage more victims to come forward to give them the support they need, and to stop those heinous crimes from happening to others. Prevention is our number one goal in every area of public safety including juvenile justice.
"Two years ago, as part of our Young Men's Initiative, we helped convince the State to stop sending many juvenile offenders to upstate facilities that were failing them in every possible way. Our Close to Home program keeps these young people connected to their families and communities. It's been a big success so far, and we'll expand it this year.
"But we know that there's more we can do to keep New Yorkers, particularly young men, from ending up with a criminal record. Commissioner Kelly and I support Governor Cuomo's proposal to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a violation, rather than a misdemeanor and we'll work to help him pass it this year. But we won't wait for that to happen.
"Right now, those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana are often held in custody overnight. We're changing that. Effective next month, anyone presenting an ID and clearing a warrant check will be released directly from the precinct with a desk appearance ticket to return to court. It's consistent with the law, it's the right thing to do and it will allow us to target police resources where they're needed most.
"We'll also target our resources in helping those who are discharged from jail stay on the right path. For the first time, we'll begin paying nonprofit providers based on their success in helping offenders get jobs, earn GEDs, and stay clean -- instead of just showing up for appointments.
"Performance-based contracting has helped us drive the welfare caseload down to record levels and we're hopeful this new program can help us drive recidivism down to record lows. We'll also attack recidivism by using data and risk-management strategies to target resources where they are needed most.
"Using data to tackle problems has helped us to improve services across city government. This year, the data analytics team we created at City Hall will launch a new platform that will improve the way all agencies share information. To lead this effort, I'll appoint the city's first ever Chief Analytics Officer, Michael Flowers. And he'll make as much of this data as possible public, so that the tech community can hold us accountable.
"We'll also ask the tech community to join us in tackling data projects that can improve public services, by creating something we call Code Corps.
"We're already the most tech-friendly, transparent government in the country and now we're raising the bar again. We'll make New York City a national leader in another new technology: electric vehicles. This year we'll pilot curbside vehicle chargers that will allow drivers to fill up their battery in as little as 30 minutes as opposed to the normal 8 hours.
"We'll work with the City Council to amend the Building Code so that up to 20 percent of all new public parking spaces in private developments will be wired and ready for electric vehicles, creating up to 10,000 parking spots for electric vehicles over the next seven years.
"We'll add 50 more electric vehicles to the city's fleet of cars, and we'll put the first six fully electric taxis on the road ? with the goal of making one-third of our taxi fleet electric by 2020. We'll also make permanent the East River ferry service that we started in partnership with Speaker Quinn and the Council ? which has been a huge success.
"And the biggest change to our transportation network in ages is coming this summer: the largest bike share program in the country. I know Marty can't wait. Bike share has been successful and popular in every city it's been tried ? and here, it will offer New Yorkers more options to get around town faster.
"All of these transportation initiatives will help us achieve one of PlaNYC's top goals: giving New York the cleanest air of any big city in the country. Remember: Clean air means you live longer. Even if you don't care about climate change, cleaning our air is good for your health.
"Speaking of climate change, we've reduced our carbon footprint by 16 percent in just five years. Now, we'll challenge the city's leading corporations to join City government in cutting their carbon footprints by 30 percent in ten years.
"We'll also take major new steps toward another important sustainability goal that we've set: Doubling the city's recycling rate to 30 percent by 2017. Under Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty's leadership, we've created a comprehensive plan to achieve that goal. It starts with making recycling easier for everyone ? by putting 1,000 new recycling containers on streets in all five boroughs this year. We'll also make it possible to recycle more plastics.
"As part of our solid waste management plan, a private company ? SIMS ? will open the largest household recycling plant in North America on the Sunset Park waterfront. The facility is raised four feet above grade ? and came through Sandy just fine. When it opens this spring, it will accept all kinds of plastics ? from salad containers to CD cases. It will create up to 100 jobs and have a state of the art education center to teach children about recycling. In addition, the plant will be powered by one of the largest solar installations in our city ? and the largest wind turbine to operate here since the Dutch built windmills in New Amsterdam. The CEO of the SIMS recycling center, Bob Kellman, is in the audience today, and I want to thank him for helping us build a greener future.
"As we recycle more plastics, we'll also tackle New York City's final recycling frontier: food waste. We bury 1.2 million tons of food waste in landfills every year at a cost of nearly $80 per ton. That waste can be used as fertilizer or converted to energy at a much lower price. That's good for the environment and for taxpayers. This spring, we'll launch a pilot program to collect curbside organic waste from single family homes in Staten Island, for composting. If it succeeds, we'll develop a plan to take it citywide.
"We'll also take food recycling in schools citywide. There is no better way to teach the next generation about the importance of recycling than to make it a part of their school day routine. It has been phenomenally successful where we've tried it ? and I want to thank all the parents who were so supportive. I know some of them are with us today ? please stand up so we can give you a hand.
"Now, one product that is virtually impossible to recycle and never bio-degrades is Styrofoam. But it's not just terrible for the environment. It's terrible for taxpayers. Styrofoam increases the cost of recycling by as much as $20 per ton, because it has to be removed.
"Something that we know is environmentally destructive, that is costing taxpayers money, and that is easily replaceable, is something we can do without. So with Speaker Quinn and the City Council, we will work to adopt a law banning Styrofoam food packaging from our stores and restaurants. And don't worry: the doggie bag and the coffee cup will survive just fine.
"As ambitious as our agenda is this year, we'll pursue it with the same fiscal discipline that has helped us to weather the national recession better than most other cities. We'll balance our budget, we'll do more with less, and we will not raise taxes. In my 2009 campaign, I pledged we would not raise taxes on New Yorkers ? and we haven't. We will continue living within our means ? and we will not burden the next mayor with contracts the city cannot afford. We'll also continue to take the long view, even with only a short amount of time left. And with that approach, we will keep our city on course for success.
"We have accomplished much ? but we have much more that we can accomplish. The state of our city is stronger than ever ? but it can be stronger still and together, we'll make it such.
"In neighborhoods across every borough, we'll create the new jobs that New Yorkers need today while also building the economy of the future.
"We'll construct the new housing and parks that families need today, while also laying the foundation for entirely new communities. We'll create the top-quality schools and safe streets that every child and every adult deserves today, while also keeping the next generation of young men out of jail and in college and careers. We'll clean our air, open our waterfront, and make our city more sustainable today, while also preparing us for the new world of climate change.
"And we'll push Congress to stand up to the extremists and special interests and to stand with every family who has been affected by gun violence and every person who comes here to pursue the American dream. We've never had a better chance in Washington ? and together, we've got to do it this year.
"By working to finish all this work, we can create a new beginning for the city we love. But for now, the unfinished business awaits. Or, in the words of a poet: we have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep.
"So let's all get back to work. City employees: this is not a half day. We've only got 320 days left and we've got a lot to do.
"Together, let's make our city the very best it can be. Let's go get them. Thank you all for coming."
Source: http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=D46D1B83-C29C-7CA2-FEF9341031963FE9
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Valve launches its Steam video-game marketplace for Linux and, in typical Valve fashion, is having a huge sale to celebrate.?
A shot of Tux, the Linux mascot, before fighting a rival.
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EnlargeValve announced today that Steam is now available for the open-source operating system Linux. The free application can be found in the Ubuntu Software Center.
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To celebrate the release, Valve kicked off a week-long sale on 50 available Linux games. The sale offers gamers the chance to save up to 50 percent off of the original price.
Rumors of Steam for Linux have long been discussed. Last July, Valve confirmed that they were working on such a product. By November, Valve began a closed beta and in December, the company opened the beta to the public.
Valve has reportedly been planning a Linux version since Valve chief Gabe Newell became increasingly vocal against Windows 8.?According to PCMag.com, Mr. Newell says that Microsoft 8 will be ?a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.?
Linux has long been criticized for its lack of games. Forbes reports that the cause for this is the long time that it takes graphics card manufacturers to create drivers for Linux systems. This, coupled with the time it takes developers to make Linux ports for Linux?s small gaming community, has created a hole that Valve hopes to fill.
"We're huge fans of Linux. It's like the indie OS -- a perfect home for our indie game," Alen Ladavac, CTO of Croatian video game developer?Croteam, told PCmag. "And who better to lead the charge into Linux gaming than Valve??
Steam's Linux-compatible games can run on multiple platforms. This means that you can begin a game on Linux, move to a Windows PC, and finish it on a Mac.
The Linux Steam client also supports Valve?s Big Picture mode, which allows gamers to play computer games in a format that suits living room PCs. Instead of dealing with a mouse and keyboard on the couch, Big Picture allows the user to play with a regular controller.
Although the games currently available for Linux are slim pickings, Valve is working on converting its own games to the OS. Some current favorites include: Amnesia, Half-Life, and Defcon. The sale is scheduled to continue through to Feb. 21.
For more tech news, follow Aimee on?Twitter,?@aimee_ortiz
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/R-VAXx0T68Y/Enter-the-Penguin-Steam-for-Linux-arrives
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