Research to make UK manufacturing flexible and adaptable

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: EPSRC Press Release
pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk
01-793-444-404
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Factories that use networks of light-based measurement systems for accurate measurement of products and real time control of machines; precise metal forming processes that can deliver small batches high value components and products; assembly lines that evolve and adapt quickly to new demands and use interchangeable components.

These are visions for UK manufacturing in the future according to six new research projects that have been awarded a total of 12.2 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant funding as part of a 45 million package of investments in manufacturing research announced today by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science.

Speaking ahead of the BIS Manufacturing Summit on Thursday, Mr Willetts said:

"The UK has a proud history of manufacturing but to build on this success industry needs access to the very latest science and technology. This 45 million package of investment will see our world-class research base investigating innovative new manufacturing equipment and techniques. This will support our industrial strategy in a range of important sectors, driving growth and keeping the UK ahead in the global race."

The projects, which begin this month at universities across the country, will look into a variety of challenges connected to developing more flexible and adaptive manufacturing technology and systems.

They are:

• The Light Controlled Factory EP/K018124/1 led by Professor Paul Maropoulos at the University of Bath Grant value 2.5 million
• Precision guided flexible forming: closed-loop control of geometry and properties for high value metal component manufacture EP/K018108/1 led by Dr Julian Allwood at the University of Cambridge Grant value 1.7 million
• Evolvable assembly systems towards open, adaptable and context-aware equipment and systems EP/K018205/1 led by Professor Svetan Ratchev at the University of Nottingham Grant value 2.2 million
• Knowledge driven configurable manufacturing (KDCM) EP/K018191/1 led by Professor Robert Harrison at the University of Warwick Grant value 1.9 million
• Miniature, flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing system for 3D micro-products EP/K018345/1 led by Dr Xichun Luo at the University of Huddersfield Grant value 2 million
• Metrology concepts for a new generation of plasma manufacturing with atom-scale precision EP/K018388/1 led by Professor Timo Gans at the University of York Grant value 1.9 million

EPSRC's Chief Executive, Professor David Delpy said: "Our high labour costs combined with global competition mean that the future of UK manufacturing lies in being as smart as possible. The country has the scientific and engineering know-how to not only develop new, valuable products, but the means to produce them more precisely, efficiently and to order. These research projects will help the country gear up for a future that can redefine manufacturing worldwide."

###

For media enquiries contact:

Richard Tibenham at the EPSRC Press Office, tel: 01793 444 404, e-mail: richard.tibenham@epsrc.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. www.epsrc.ac.uk

2. Further project details:

The Light Controlled Factory

The project's vision is for the widespread adoption and interlinked deployment of novel, measurement-based techniques in factories, to provide machines and parts with aspects of temporal, spatial and dimensional self-awareness, enabling superior machine control and parts verification. The title "Light Controlled Factory" reflects the enabling role of optical metrology in future factories.

It has ten industrial partners including Airbus, Astrium Satellites, Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and the National Physical Laboratory. Precision Guided Flexible Forming

'Metal Bashing' changing the shape of metal components is easily over-looked or even derided as the 'ugly duckling' of manufacturing technology, yet continues to be central to UK manufacturing, and always will be: jet engines, medical scanners, cars, high-rise offices and contemporary industrial equipment all depend on metal forming, both to define component geometries and to create the properties such as strength and toughness which determine product performance. However, the tools required for forming metal components are custom-made, so metal forming is often expensive unless used in mass production, yet the drivers for development of future high-value UK manufacturing require increased flexibility and smaller batch sizes.

The past twenty years has seen a wave of innovation in flexible metal forming process design, but these novel processes have largely failed to move out of the lab into industrial use, due to a lack of precision. In work leading to this proposal, the team demonstrated the first online use of a stereo-vision camera in a flexible sheet metal forming process to provide the feedback needed to control the final shape of the sheet precisely. The project brings together four disciplines, previously un-connected in the area of flexible forming, to develop the key knowledge underpinning future development of commercially valuable flexible metal forming equipment: mechanical design of novel equipment; control-engineering in both time and space; materials science of metal forming; fast mathematical process modelling. At the heart of the project is the ambition to link design, metallurgy and modelling to control engineering, in order to identify the opportunity for developing and applying flexible forming, and to demonstrate it in practice in four well focused case-studies.

Evolvable assembly systems towards open, adaptable and context-aware equipment and systems

The assembly of final products in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical industries is a key production process in high labour cost areas such as the UK. The goal of this research is to define and validate the vision and support architecture, theoretical models, methods and algorithms for Evolvable Assembly Systems as a new platform for open, adaptable, context-aware and cost effective production.

The research programme aims to deliver a new paradigm shift in adaptable and cost effective manufacture that breaks with traditional approaches and is based on an innovative intertwining of a number of foundational research challenges in complex collective adaptive manufacturing systems.

The University of Nottingham has an established track record in multi-disciplinary transformative research. This project draws on unique research skills from across the university, to bring together a multidisciplinary, multi-sector partnership.

The industrial partners from key high value manufacturing sectors include Airbus, Astra Zeneca, BAE Systems, Siemens, GE, ABB, Hyde, Destaco and TQC Ltd.

Close collaboration with the industry stakeholders will ensure direct impact across multiple manufacturing sectors based on increased ability of organisations to respond to customer needs and to reduce product cost through the increased responsiveness of systems, as well as accelerated development of new products. Knowledge driven configurable manufacturing (KDCM)

This project focuses on component-based modular reconfigurable systems, i.e. manufacturing systems that are built up from various elements and assembled together, in a similar fashion to building with 'Lego'. The research programme aims to create self-reconfiguring manufacturing systems, where knowledge captured within the system drives future design optimisation in order to enable a radical improvement in manufacturing effectiveness and sustainability.

Miniature, flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing system for 3D micro-products

Micromanufacturing is an enabling technology for manufacturing micro-products whose functional features, or at least one dimension, are in the order of ?m. In micromanufacturing, production technologies are clearly advancing towards the economical manufacturing of high precision 3D micro-products made of a variety of materials. For example, life science as an emerging application area, requires polymer, glass, ceramics and metal rather than only silicon as raw materials of micro products.

Driven by the ever increasing need for higher throughput, integration and performance, more and more high precision three-dimensional (3D) microstructures are designed for the next generation of micro-products such as smart optical encoders, microfluidics, fluidic microchemical reactors, micro fuel cells and smart implant, to name a few.

The volume of production varies for these customised micro-products. Maintaining productivity and reliability, whilst allowing flexibility is a major technological challenge in micromanufacturing industry, which is currently dominated by mass production practice. In recent years, new hybrid machining processes, multifunctional machine tools, desktop machines and microfactories are beginning to be developed towards flexible manufacturing processes and there is significant frontier and ongoing research in this area. However, there is a clear technology gap in bringing these separate aspects under one umbrella for the benefit of the UK manufacturing sector.

The project team has, therefore, established a new agenda, to research and create miniature flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing systems with features of rapid hybrid machining processes assisted by multi-scale modelling, optical chip sensors for on-line surface metrology and parallel robots for 3D micro-assembly.

Providing access to this reconfigurable and flexible manufacturing system research will greatly enhance the competitiveness of UK industry, especially photonics and medical instrument sectors, which present a major percentage of the UK export trade. Net shape manufacturing sector will also benefit from enhanced flexibility due to the capability to produce low-cost, high-quality precision moulds/dies not attainable before.

Metrology concepts for a new generation of plasma manufacturing with atom-scale precision

Intelligent use of plasmas will play a key role in future high-value manufacturing; this will provide enormous potential for the UK to expand their world?market share through developing superior technologies. Using next-generation plasma processing applications, for 3-D transistor based integrated circuit technology (ICT), synthetic diamond manufacturing and atmospheric pressure plasma healthcare technologies, requires precision monitoring and control of the non-equilibrium properties of plasmas. A critical barrier in achieving this is the lack of suitable sensors and strategies for adaptable process control. The team will develop a novel sensor technique, create the architecture to implement it in virtual metrology, and demonstrate it in real-time industrial plasma processes.

---

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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.

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: EPSRC Press Release
pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk
01-793-444-404
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Factories that use networks of light-based measurement systems for accurate measurement of products and real time control of machines; precise metal forming processes that can deliver small batches high value components and products; assembly lines that evolve and adapt quickly to new demands and use interchangeable components.

These are visions for UK manufacturing in the future according to six new research projects that have been awarded a total of 12.2 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant funding as part of a 45 million package of investments in manufacturing research announced today by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science.

Speaking ahead of the BIS Manufacturing Summit on Thursday, Mr Willetts said:

"The UK has a proud history of manufacturing but to build on this success industry needs access to the very latest science and technology. This 45 million package of investment will see our world-class research base investigating innovative new manufacturing equipment and techniques. This will support our industrial strategy in a range of important sectors, driving growth and keeping the UK ahead in the global race."

The projects, which begin this month at universities across the country, will look into a variety of challenges connected to developing more flexible and adaptive manufacturing technology and systems.

They are:

• The Light Controlled Factory EP/K018124/1 led by Professor Paul Maropoulos at the University of Bath Grant value 2.5 million
• Precision guided flexible forming: closed-loop control of geometry and properties for high value metal component manufacture EP/K018108/1 led by Dr Julian Allwood at the University of Cambridge Grant value 1.7 million
• Evolvable assembly systems towards open, adaptable and context-aware equipment and systems EP/K018205/1 led by Professor Svetan Ratchev at the University of Nottingham Grant value 2.2 million
• Knowledge driven configurable manufacturing (KDCM) EP/K018191/1 led by Professor Robert Harrison at the University of Warwick Grant value 1.9 million
• Miniature, flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing system for 3D micro-products EP/K018345/1 led by Dr Xichun Luo at the University of Huddersfield Grant value 2 million
• Metrology concepts for a new generation of plasma manufacturing with atom-scale precision EP/K018388/1 led by Professor Timo Gans at the University of York Grant value 1.9 million

EPSRC's Chief Executive, Professor David Delpy said: "Our high labour costs combined with global competition mean that the future of UK manufacturing lies in being as smart as possible. The country has the scientific and engineering know-how to not only develop new, valuable products, but the means to produce them more precisely, efficiently and to order. These research projects will help the country gear up for a future that can redefine manufacturing worldwide."

###

For media enquiries contact:

Richard Tibenham at the EPSRC Press Office, tel: 01793 444 404, e-mail: richard.tibenham@epsrc.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. www.epsrc.ac.uk

2. Further project details:

The Light Controlled Factory

The project's vision is for the widespread adoption and interlinked deployment of novel, measurement-based techniques in factories, to provide machines and parts with aspects of temporal, spatial and dimensional self-awareness, enabling superior machine control and parts verification. The title "Light Controlled Factory" reflects the enabling role of optical metrology in future factories.

It has ten industrial partners including Airbus, Astrium Satellites, Rolls-Royce, Renishaw and the National Physical Laboratory. Precision Guided Flexible Forming

'Metal Bashing' changing the shape of metal components is easily over-looked or even derided as the 'ugly duckling' of manufacturing technology, yet continues to be central to UK manufacturing, and always will be: jet engines, medical scanners, cars, high-rise offices and contemporary industrial equipment all depend on metal forming, both to define component geometries and to create the properties such as strength and toughness which determine product performance. However, the tools required for forming metal components are custom-made, so metal forming is often expensive unless used in mass production, yet the drivers for development of future high-value UK manufacturing require increased flexibility and smaller batch sizes.

The past twenty years has seen a wave of innovation in flexible metal forming process design, but these novel processes have largely failed to move out of the lab into industrial use, due to a lack of precision. In work leading to this proposal, the team demonstrated the first online use of a stereo-vision camera in a flexible sheet metal forming process to provide the feedback needed to control the final shape of the sheet precisely. The project brings together four disciplines, previously un-connected in the area of flexible forming, to develop the key knowledge underpinning future development of commercially valuable flexible metal forming equipment: mechanical design of novel equipment; control-engineering in both time and space; materials science of metal forming; fast mathematical process modelling. At the heart of the project is the ambition to link design, metallurgy and modelling to control engineering, in order to identify the opportunity for developing and applying flexible forming, and to demonstrate it in practice in four well focused case-studies.

Evolvable assembly systems towards open, adaptable and context-aware equipment and systems

The assembly of final products in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical industries is a key production process in high labour cost areas such as the UK. The goal of this research is to define and validate the vision and support architecture, theoretical models, methods and algorithms for Evolvable Assembly Systems as a new platform for open, adaptable, context-aware and cost effective production.

The research programme aims to deliver a new paradigm shift in adaptable and cost effective manufacture that breaks with traditional approaches and is based on an innovative intertwining of a number of foundational research challenges in complex collective adaptive manufacturing systems.

The University of Nottingham has an established track record in multi-disciplinary transformative research. This project draws on unique research skills from across the university, to bring together a multidisciplinary, multi-sector partnership.

The industrial partners from key high value manufacturing sectors include Airbus, Astra Zeneca, BAE Systems, Siemens, GE, ABB, Hyde, Destaco and TQC Ltd.

Close collaboration with the industry stakeholders will ensure direct impact across multiple manufacturing sectors based on increased ability of organisations to respond to customer needs and to reduce product cost through the increased responsiveness of systems, as well as accelerated development of new products. Knowledge driven configurable manufacturing (KDCM)

This project focuses on component-based modular reconfigurable systems, i.e. manufacturing systems that are built up from various elements and assembled together, in a similar fashion to building with 'Lego'. The research programme aims to create self-reconfiguring manufacturing systems, where knowledge captured within the system drives future design optimisation in order to enable a radical improvement in manufacturing effectiveness and sustainability.

Miniature, flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing system for 3D micro-products

Micromanufacturing is an enabling technology for manufacturing micro-products whose functional features, or at least one dimension, are in the order of ?m. In micromanufacturing, production technologies are clearly advancing towards the economical manufacturing of high precision 3D micro-products made of a variety of materials. For example, life science as an emerging application area, requires polymer, glass, ceramics and metal rather than only silicon as raw materials of micro products.

Driven by the ever increasing need for higher throughput, integration and performance, more and more high precision three-dimensional (3D) microstructures are designed for the next generation of micro-products such as smart optical encoders, microfluidics, fluidic microchemical reactors, micro fuel cells and smart implant, to name a few.

The volume of production varies for these customised micro-products. Maintaining productivity and reliability, whilst allowing flexibility is a major technological challenge in micromanufacturing industry, which is currently dominated by mass production practice. In recent years, new hybrid machining processes, multifunctional machine tools, desktop machines and microfactories are beginning to be developed towards flexible manufacturing processes and there is significant frontier and ongoing research in this area. However, there is a clear technology gap in bringing these separate aspects under one umbrella for the benefit of the UK manufacturing sector.

The project team has, therefore, established a new agenda, to research and create miniature flexible and reconfigurable manufacturing systems with features of rapid hybrid machining processes assisted by multi-scale modelling, optical chip sensors for on-line surface metrology and parallel robots for 3D micro-assembly.

Providing access to this reconfigurable and flexible manufacturing system research will greatly enhance the competitiveness of UK industry, especially photonics and medical instrument sectors, which present a major percentage of the UK export trade. Net shape manufacturing sector will also benefit from enhanced flexibility due to the capability to produce low-cost, high-quality precision moulds/dies not attainable before.

Metrology concepts for a new generation of plasma manufacturing with atom-scale precision

Intelligent use of plasmas will play a key role in future high-value manufacturing; this will provide enormous potential for the UK to expand their world?market share through developing superior technologies. Using next-generation plasma processing applications, for 3-D transistor based integrated circuit technology (ICT), synthetic diamond manufacturing and atmospheric pressure plasma healthcare technologies, requires precision monitoring and control of the non-equilibrium properties of plasmas. A critical barrier in achieving this is the lack of suitable sensors and strategies for adaptable process control. The team will develop a novel sensor technique, create the architecture to implement it in virtual metrology, and demonstrate it in real-time industrial plasma processes.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/eaps-rtm022813.php

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JPMorgan to cut up to 17,000 jobs by end of 2014

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co said on Tuesday that it plans to cut 17,000 jobs by the end of 2014, representing about 6.6 percent of the company's overall workforce, as the bank sheds staff that helped it deal with bad home loans.

The bank is optimistic that it can generate record income this year and is planning to add 4,000 employees in commercial and investment banking and credit cards to help it win business, bank executives said at an investor conference.

That hiring will be more than offset by job cuts in areas like mortgage servicing and retail banking, where the bank is positioning for a recovering housing market and new forms of branch banking. The net impact of the additions and cuts will be 17,000 fewer employees on the bank's payrolls.

The job cuts reflect the pressure that banks are under, even as the U.S. housing market and overall economy show signs of recovery. Many banks are looking to automate more of their businesses to make their staff more productive and improve profits.

For example, at JPMorgan's branches, where it plans to cut about 6,000 tellers and other employees, the bank hopes customers will use automated teller machines for every day transactions and that remaining staff can focus on higher-margin activities like selling wealth management services.

JPMorgan is one of the few big U.S. banks that is still adding branches to its network, but it is hoping to staff the branches with fewer workers. The bank's 5,614 branches have 63,500 employees, representing about a quarter of JPMorgan Chase's total. Chase's branch network is second to Wells Fargo & Co's in size.

For overall staffing levels, JPMorgan Chase had 258,965 employees globally at the end of 2012. Its headcount rose following the financial crisis to 262,882 in the second quarter of 2012 from 219,569 in the first quarter of 2009. Since last year's second quarter, staffing levels have drifted lower.

JPMorgan Chase overall earned $21.9 billion last year, excluding accounting charges linked to changes in the value of its debt. The bank said it has the potential to earn about $27.5 billion, thanks in part to efficiency gains. It aims to cut overall expenses by $1 billion in 2013.

To reach the $27.5 billion profit figure, the bank is also counting on costs for lawsuits to fall as disputes over bad mortgages are resolved, as well as seeing a one percentage point rise in interest rates, said Chief Financial Officer Marianne Lake.

The profit scenario also depends on the bank not being hit by another trading debacle like the $6.2 billion loss last year on derivatives trades placed by the London Whale, the nickname given a London-based JPMorgan trader for the size of the positions.

Chief Executive Jamie Dimon acknowledged that many of his top lieutenants who spoke to investors on Tuesday were in new jobs after changes he made last year in his management team and the bank's divisions.

"It is a little bit too much change in one year," Dimon said. "Some of it was the Whale. Some of it was the re-org" to better align product divisions with customer interests, he said.

All of the top executives, however, have been at the company several years and know its businesses, Dimon said.

JPMorgan Chase shares were down 0.2 percent at $47.60 at the close of trading on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting By David Henry; Additional reporting by Rick Rothacker in Charlotte, North Carolina; Writing by Dan Wilchins; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, John Wallace and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jpmorgan-chase-cut-4-000-jobs-2013-010505461--sector.html

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Benedict promises obedience to successor

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI deliveres his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI deliveres his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI, seated at centre, delivered his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

In this image taken from video as Pope Benedict XVI enters to deliver his final greetings to the assembly of cardinals at the Vatican Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, before he retires in just a few hours. Benedict urged the cardinals to work in unity and promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to his cardinals Thursday in a poignant and powerful farewell before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign. (AP Photo/Vatican TV)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to cardinals Thursday, a poignant and powerful farewell delivered hours before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.

In an unexpected speech inside the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, the pontiff appeared to be trying to defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiar situation of having both a reigning pope and a retired one.

He also gave a final set of instructions to the "princes" of the church who will elect his successor, urging them to be united as they huddle to choose the 266th leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"May the College of Cardinals work like an orchestra, where diversity ? an expression of the universal church ? always works toward a higher and harmonious agreement," he said.

It was seen as a clear reference to the deep internal divisions that have come to the fore in recent months following the leaks of sensitive Vatican documents that exposed power struggles and allegations of corruption inside the Vatican.

The moment was as unique as Benedict's decision to quit, with the 85-year-old pope, wearing his crimson velvet cape and using a cane, bidding farewell to his closest advisers and the cardinals themselves bowing to kiss his fisherman's ring for the last time.

Some seemed to choke up at that moment, but the scene seemed otherwise almost normal, with cardinals chatting on the sidelines waiting their turn to say goodbye.

Benedict said he would pray for the cardinals in coming days as they discuss the issues facing the church, the qualities needed in a new pope and prepare to enter into the secret conclave to elect him.

"Among you is also the future pope, whom I today promise my unconditional reverence and obedience," Benedict said in his final audience.

Benedict's decision to live at the Vatican in retirement, be called "emeritus pope" and "Your Holiness" and to wear the white cassock associated with the papacy has deepened concerns about the shadow he might cast over the next papacy.

But Benedict has tried to address those worries over the past two weeks, saying that once retired he would be "hidden from the world" and living a life of prayer.

In his final speech in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, he said he wasn't returning to private life exactly, but rather to a new form of service to the church through prayer.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, Benedict will leave the palace for the last time as pontiff, head to the helipad at the top of the hill in the Vatican gardens and fly to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo south of Rome.

There, at 8 p.m. sharp, Benedict will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. The doors of the palazzo will shut and the Swiss Guards will go off duty, their service protecting the head of the Catholic Church over ? for now.

And on Monday, the cardinals are expected to begin meeting to set the date for the conclave.

Benedict's decision has been met for the most part with praise and understanding. Cardinals, Vatican officials and ordinary Catholics have rallied around him in acknowledgment of his frail state and the church's need for a strong leader.

But Sydney Cardinal George Pell has caused a stir by openly saying the resignation has been "slightly destabilizing" for the church.

In an interview with Australia's ABC radio, Pell noted that Benedict himself had acknowledged the shift in tradition; Benedict said Wednesday that he appreciated his decision was not only serious but "a novelty" for the church.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-28-Vatican-Pope/id-0f25dbd63c534f3c96292f74b816f767

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Simple method devised for determining atrial fibrillation risk in women

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, affecting 2.5 million Americans. If left undetected or untreated, atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke. Determining who is at increased risk for atrial fibrillation has been difficult, especially among individuals without established heart disease. But now, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have devised and tested a simple atrial fibrillation risk prediction model, based on six easily obtained factors: a woman's age, height, weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption and smoking history.

The model is published in the online edition of the European Heart Journal on February 26, 2013.

"The real strength of this model is its simplicity," said Brendan Everett, MD, the lead author of the study and a cardiologist at BWH. "Using this tool, we can estimate an otherwise healthy woman's risk of developing atrial fibrillation over the next 10 years. The tool only requires that a patient's health care provider know some basic information about the patient. There is no need for any advanced testing or additional cost in order to use the risk tool."

The risk prediction model was derived and tested in more than 20,000 middle aged women of European ancestry. Researchers found that the new model was significantly better at identifying women at increased risk for atrial fibrillation over the next 10 years than estimating a woman's risk of atrial fibrillation using her age alone.

"Nearly one in four women were reassigned to a more accurate atrial fibrillation risk category by using the new model," said Everett. "While specific interventions to lower a woman's risk of a first atrial fibrillation episode are still in development, this personalized information can help health care providers stress the importance of heart healthy behaviors, including weight loss and moderation of alcohol consumption."

The study also examined whether recently discovered genetic markers for atrial fibrillation risk improved researchers' ability to accurately predict a woman's risk for atrial fibrillation and indeed, the researchers found that a genetic risk score has potential to improve the ability to predict atrial fribrillation. However, Everett notes that while this information is scientifically interesting, more research on genetic testing is needed before this combination model can be recommended for use in the general public. Further research is also needed to determine if the study results would apply to men or a broader population of women.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Brendan M. Everett, Nancy R. Cook, David Conen, Daniel I. Chasman, Paul M. Ridker, and Christine M. Albert. Novel genetic markers improve measures of atrial fibrillation risk prediction. European Heart Journal, February 26, 2013 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht033

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/FfCPlONRynE/130226141254.htm

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mophie juice pack helium for iPhone 5 review

The mophie juice pack helium is an all new, all lighter and thinner battery charging case for the lighter and thinner iPhone 5. It features a 1500mAh, barely more than the iPhone 5's built-in 1440mAh battery, and when translated into external battery pack terms, that packs roughly an 80% refill charge.

The design of the mophie juice pack helium is similar to previous generation juice packs, though longer and even more svelte. Like Apple, mophie has made a conscious choice to emphasize extreme thinness and lightness over everything else. (mophie does, however, make a juice pack air that provides more battery.)

As you'd expect, cut-outs leave all buttons accessible, though ports are a different story. Since Apple relocated the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom, and that's where mophie packs much of its battery extension, they've had to figure out a work around. That comes in the form of a small extender that feels through a long hole in the juice pack and plugs into the 3.5mm port on the iPhone 5. You then plug your headphones into the extender.

Likewise, the Lightning port is covered, as 30-pin Dock connector was in prior mophie juice packs, and you have no access to it. Instead, also as before, you have a micro-USB port that charges the mophie and the iPhone 5 both. personally, I'd still prefer a Lightning port pass through. It's far more flexible than USB, and any iPhone owner will already have cables for it.

As it stands the USB port can't be used for more more than charging. None of the Lightning adapters work with it, obviously, so you have to take the mophie off to use, for example, the HDMI adapter. Also, you can't sync over USB to iTunes with the mophie on. You have to use Wi-Fi sync to connect to iTunes.

I don't sync with iTunes, wired or wireless, anymore (I have iCloud, I'm fine), and Wi-Fi sync works great, but for those who like to move large files around old school style, that'll be an annoyance.

The exterior of the mophie juice pack helium is covered in a soft-touch finish that feels even softer to the touch than previous models. Velvety even. It comes in two colors, the dark gray, which is available now, and the light gray, which ships next month.

The bottom section comes off like a cap, like with later versions of the juice packs for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and the top slides off.

There's the usual button on the back that will illuminate one of four lights to show you the current remaining charge level. In my nearly constant use over the last week and half, the indicator was accurate and the recharge consistently brought my iPhone back from the brink roughly 80%.

The good

• Light, slim design
• Recharges iPhone 5 80%

The bad

• USB rather than Lightning prevents anything but charging

The bottom line

The mophie juice pack air is an interesting compromise, much like the iPhone 5 itself. While lighter and thinner than any juice pack before it, because the iPhone 5 is so much lighter than any iPhone, the net different is still appreciable -- an iPhone 5 in a juice pack helium feels solid.

If traveling light but staying charged is your number one priority, the mophie juice pack helium is just about perfect. If you're willing to sacrifice weight for more charging power, check out the juice pack air instead.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/LnKBGfAD21A/story01.htm

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Iraq's first flight to Kuwait since 1990 takes to skies

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - After a freeze that lasted more than two decades, Iraq's state airline on Wednesday launched its first flight to Kuwait since former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invaded the neighboring nation in 1990.

Iraq's foreign and transport ministers traveled on the symbolic Iraqi Airways flight, hailed by officials as a sign of improving relations between the oil-producing neighbors, and they were greeted by Kuwaiti officials upon landing.

The Iraqi transport ministry said there would now be regular flights between the countries.

"Today was the first flight between Iraq and Kuwait after a stoppage that lasted more than 22 years," the ministry's media advisor Karim al-Nuri said.

"This visit shows that Iraq has started to be open, especially with the state of Kuwait ... I believe that relations are heading in a positive direction."

The invasion of Kuwait led to the first Gulf War in which a U.S.-led coalition intervened to force Iraq out.

Diplomatic ties between the Middle East neighbors were bolstered last year after they came to a settlement over Gulf War-era debts, and by a series of bilateral visits involving Kuwait's ruler and Iraq's prime minister.

In December, Kuwait's state-run airline dropped legal cases against Iraqi Airways in return for compensation of $500 million.

Although one small private carrier offers direct flights between the two countries, major airlines route through cities such as Dubai even though the nations' capitals lie just 560 km (346 miles) apart. Kuwait's state-run carrier has yet to restart flights to Iraq.

(Reporting by Aseel Kami; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqs-first-flight-kuwait-since-1990-takes-skies-123411907.html

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Breaking Dawn: Part 2 DOMINATES Razzies

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/breaking-dawn-part-2-dominates-razzies/

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2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SRT8 Test Drive

On-Sale Date: March 1, 2013

Base Price: $29,785 to $63,990

Competitors: Ford Explorer, Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes-Benz ML, BMW X5, Land Rover LR4, Lexus RX, Infiniti FX

Powertrains: 3.0-liter diesel V-6, 240 hp, 420 lb-ft; 3.6-liter V-6, 290 hp, 260 lb-ft; 5.7-liter V-8, 360 hp, 390 lb-ft; 6.4-liter V-8, 470 hp, 465 lb-ft; eight-speed automatic, RWD or AWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 21?22/28?30 (diesel), 17/24?25 (V-6), 14/20?22 (5.7 V-8), 13/19 (6.4 V-8)

What's New: What do the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2013 Porsche Cayenne have in common? Their base prices have little to do with what the average buyer is willing to spend on one. The cheapest Cayenne can be had for $48,850, but packing on at least $20,000 in options is pretty much the norm. Jeep's Grand Cherokee customer isn't typically quite that wealthy, but the optional equipment list makes it easy to inflate the price above $50,000. This latest makeover is apt to tempt buyers all the more, with sexy new interior offerings including real wood trim and gorgeous leather seating. One thing you won't have to spend more to get is the new standard eight-speed transmission (replacing an outdated five-speed), an update that Jeep credits for improving fuel economy more than 10 percent on both the V-6 and V-8 rigs.

But it's the new excellent V-6 diesel that really shakes things up. When Jeep last offered an oil-burner stateside, in 2007?08, it sourced the engine from then-partner Mercedes-Benz. This new unit, courtesy of parent company Fiat, blows the old diesel away with 25 more horsepower, an increase of 45 lb-ft of torque, and 11 percent better fuel economy.

Chrysler head of design Ralph Gilles suggested not too subtly that the V-8 is the least attractive offering on the 2014 ("Anyone who really wants the V-8 should just get the SRT," he said), especially for anyone who wants to tow or drive off-road. Gilles said there's simply no diesel competition to the five-passenger Grand Cherokee, and on price, he's right. The least expensive diesel Grand Cherokee will set you back $40,295, while you'll spend $48,320 on a VW Touareg and well into the $50,000 range for a Mercedes-Benz ML, BMW X5, Audi Q7, or Porsche Cayenne.

Tech Tidbit: Hill Descent Control (HDC) is pretty common on quasi-SUVs and crossovers these days; now Jeep's Selec-Terrain system adds Hill Ascent Control. We used it to nose the Jeep Grand Cherokee up a ten-car-length, 50-degree rock ramp Jeep had arranged for testing outside Austin, Texas, and it worked flawlessly. Tapping the HDC button in the center console allowed gas/brake-free climbing, with the traction-control system regulating throttle application to any wheel with grip. The paddle shifters further controlled the speed of climbing?left for slower, right for faster. All we had to do was steer.

Driving Character: Jeep is right to think the bulk of customers will opt for the V-6, but it's clear that the diesel is the new premium option. Paired with the eight-speed transmission, the diesel V-6 offers seamless kickdown and superb 40- to 70-mph passing muscle. The diesel is also perfect for rock crawling because peak torque arrives at only 2000 rpm. Anyone who tows will want that torque and fuel economy too, and even around town the diesel loafs much more quietly than the V-8.

Jeep also does a good job of keeping the Grand Cherokee comfortable for daily driving, which is how most owners use this ute. On-center feel to the steering is strong, rearward sighting is easy in traffic, and the suspension is more forgiving than the sportiest of crossovers in the segment?but not so plush you'd mistake it for the Lexus RX or other five-passenger models that don't have the off-road brawn of a Jeep.

Favorite Detail: There's a new TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD gauge cluster with a digital speedometer. At the center of the speedo you'll see information ranging from the radio station to a prompt that succinctly explains in-car settings as you change them. For instance, if you switch the vehicle to one of five off-road modes, the display in the cluster reminds the driver of the change and what that mode is best suited for. Yes, the central display also shows information that can be a distraction (do you really need to see wheel articulation digitally?). Nevertheless, we like what Jeep's done here and wish more SUVs with off-road ambitions educated the driver in this way.

Driver's Grievance: Although Jeep was thorough with this mid-cycle reboot, it hasn't been able to improve the cave-like feel of the cabin. This is particularly noticeable in the rear, where anyone approaching six feet tall will feel cramped, and yet the bench height feels lower and more confining than in other five-passenger competition (several smaller crossovers have more rear-seat legroom). Also, while most of this interior is greatly improved, somehow Jeep neglected to update the plastics used in key places that passengers will see daily, like the A-pillar. This is not a tragic oversight. But Jeep's pushing itself toward Lexus and Mercedes with this SUV, and cross-shoppers are going to notice such details.

The Bottom Line: It's not hard to see why Jeep broke its all-time annual sales record in 2012. The Grand Cherokee is a segment leader in part because it's macho yet not so aggressive it turns off the average soccer mom or dad. With an upgraded interior, a new diesel engine offering, and a standard eight-speed transmission upping fuel economy across the board, the 2014 Grand Cherokee is going to appeal to a lot more buyers. The worry for Jeep: There are thriftier five-passenger options, and seven-passenger options too, like Ford's Explorer. True, most don't have this Jeep's off-road chops?but how many customers really go off-road?

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/reviews/2014-jeep-grand-cherokee-and-grand-cherokee-srt8-test-drive-15142551?src=rss

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March 9th, Free Event: ?Performance vs longevity: You Don't Have to ...

East West at work earning new fans at our last open house!

Where: Gymnasium
1001 Watertown St., Rear (We share the huge parking lot with CVS)
West Newton, MA 02465

When: March 9, 2013, 12:00-5:30pm
RSVP: By March 2 please, to gymnasium@inspiredperspiration.com

Free sports and therapeutic massages from East West Massage?Newton! Massages plans to begin at 12:00pm and continue throughout the afternoon. Get here early to get on their list.

Come ready to move. First time at G? Bring indoor shoes (or barefeet/socks), a mat, and a water bottle!?See below for the interactive presentation schedule:

?

1:00p-1:50p. Active Isolated Stretching: Stretch For Mobility, Resilience, Recovery and Performance

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with Peter Benjamin LMT, CPT, AIST?

Learn how this one advanced stretching technique can help you?

• Make an 80% recovery in 10-15 minutes
• Prevent and heal injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments
• Build resilience and performance ? at the same time
• Reprogram your brain and body with a much greater range of motion

The Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) Technique is ideal for athletes who are aging or dealing with injuries.

?

2:00p-2:50p. Twice The Results In Half The Time: Build Power, Strength AND Resilience With Kettlebells

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with?Josh Conway, CPT, WKC Coach, & Founder, Inspired Perspiration

Most athletes face increased risk of injuries and grim prospects as they age as a result of demanding training regimes.

Kettlebell training, done properly, integrates strength, power and flexibility with your body?s natural movements. Learn how to increase performance AND resilience simultaneously, and be better, faster, and stronger ? for longer.

?

3:00p-3:50p. Chiropractic And Sports Medicine: Are Your Fitness And Health Aligned?

---

with Dr. Karson Mui, DC

Active lifestyles rely on a strong, healthy core and spine. Learn how chiropractic and sports medicine techniques can improve your performance, range of motion and posture.

In this hands on session, Dr. Mui covers techniques including Graston, FAKTR, vibration plate therapy, flexion distraction and kinesio taping.

?

4:00p-5:15p. How Your Fitness Is Hurting You And What To Do About It

---

with Josh Conway, CPT, WKC Coach, & Founder, Inspired Perspiration

It?s no surprise that many programs and training approaches produce as much injury as they do fitness and health. Even holistic approaches such as yoga can result in overuse and hyperextension injuries.

The solution is simple: We need to exercise in ways that mimic and enhance the body?s natural movements and functions.

Whether you?re a fitness instructor, regular gym-goer or casual walker, these 10 essential movements and strength patterns will get you to peak health and keep you there.

?

?

Posted by admin

Source: http://www.inspiredperspiration.com/march-9th-free-event-performance-vs-longevity-you-dont-have-to-choose/

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China admits pollution-linked 'cancer villages'

The Chinese authorities for the first time in years admitted the existence of so-called ?cancer villages?? villages near factories and polluted rivers where cancer rates have reached alarmingly high levels.
Chinese environment ministry's admission came in its newly unveiled plan to curb the release of toxic chemicals?in its latest response to rising public awareness about air and water pollution. A Sina Weibo ( Chinese equivalent of twitter) post by of the state-run Global Times showed a map of the villages that are having startlingly high incidence of cancer which are spreading from the middle of Eastern China to the middle of Western China.


The number of Chinese cancer villagers could exceed 247, covering 27 provinces, according Investigative journalist Deng Fei, who made the research based on existing data, with 197 of them being confirmed. But recent researches, as cited by Xinhua, suggest number of cancer villages could be as high as 400.


Deng Fei recently launched a top-trending campaign on Sina Weibo inviting users to upload photos of their hometown rivers. The move, according to him, was an attempt to show the extent of pollution in Chinese rivers.


Environmental activist Wang Canfa, who runs a rehabilitation centre in Beijing for pollution victims termed the admission by the government as significant since it was the first time the ?cancer village? phrase had appeared in a ministry document.


It shows that the environment ministry has acknowledged that pollution has led to people getting cancer.The recognition of the existence of problems is the very first step towards actually solving these problems. Public frustration over industrial pollution has sparked several protests forcing officials to promise to shut plants. This January, Beijing?s air quality reached, for three days in a row, dangerous levels of pollution, breaking the record of worst air quality.

Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/344207

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Mars may still be habitable today, scientists say

NASA / ESA

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped this shot of Mars on Aug. 26, 2003, when the Red Planet was 34.7 million miles from Earth. The picture was taken just 11 hours before Mars made its closest approach to us in 60,000 years.

By Rod Pyle
Space.com

LOS ANGELES ? While Mars was likely a more hospitable place in its wetter, warmer past, the Red Planet may still be capable of supporting microbial life today, some scientists say.

Ongoing research in Mars-like places such as Antarctica and Chile's Atacama Desert shows that microbes can eke out a living in extremely cold and dry environments, several researchers stressed at "The Present-Day Habitability of Mars" conference held here at the University of California Los Angeles this month.

And not all parts of the Red Planet's surface may be arid currently ? at least not all the time. Evidence is building that liquid water might flow seasonally at some Martian sites, potentially providing a haven for life as we know it.

"We certainly can't rule out the possibility that it's habitable today," said Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona, principal investigator for the HiRise camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. [The Search for Life on Mars: A Photo Timeline]

NASA / JPL-Caltech / Univ. of Arizona

This image combining orbital imagery with 3-D modeling shows flows that appear in spring and summer on a slope inside Mars' Newton crater.

Surface water on Mars?
McEwen discussed some intriguing observations by HiRise, which suggest that briny water may flow down steep Martian slopes during the local spring and summer.

Sixteen such sites have been identified to date, mostly on the slopes of the huge Valles Marineris canyon complex, McEwen said. The tracks seem to repeat seasonally as the syrupy fluids descend along weather-worn pathways.

While the brines may originate underground, Caltech's Edwin Kite noted, there is an increasing suspicion that a process known as deliquescence ? in which moisture present in the atmosphere is gathered by compounds on the ground, allowing it to become a liquid ? may be responsible.

Astrobiologists are keen to learn more about these brines, for not much is known about them at the moment.

"Briny water on Mars may or may not be habitable to microbes, either from Earth or from Mars," McEwen said.

NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

NASA's Curiosity rover found evidence for an ancient, flowing stream on Mars at a few sites, including the rock outcrop pictured here, which the science team has named "Hottah" after Hottah Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. This image mosaic was taken by Curiosity's 100-millimeter Mastcam telephoto lens.

Hardy microbes
Martian life may be able to survive even in places where water doesn't seep and flow, some scientists stressed.

For example, microbes here on Earth make a living in the Atacama and the dry valleys of Antarctica, both of which are extremely cold and arid, said Chris McKay of NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

Antarctic sites also receive seasonally high ultraviolet radiation doses thanks to a hole in the ozone layer that tends to develop every August through November. This provides yet another parallel to Mars, whose thin atmosphere and lack of a protective magnetic field make the planet more radiation-bombarded than Earth.

In the Antarctic dry valleys, McKay said, organisms dwell within rocks, just deep enough to be shielded from the worst of the UV but close enough to the surface to receive the benefits of photosynthesis. Something similar might be happening on Mars today, if life ever evolved there.

McKay also discussed deliquescence, which in the Atacama allows salts to gather enough water to support the existence of life.

McKay offered some advice to NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, which landed in August to determine whether Mars could ever have supported microbial life: "Watch for salt along the road!"

A possible energy source
A number of presenters spent some time talking about perchlorate, a chlorine-containing chemical that NASA's Phoenix lander spotted near the Martian north pole in 2008.

McKay and other researchers think perchlorate may be the reason that NASA's twin Viking landers didn't detect any organic compounds ? the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it ? on the Red Planet back in the 1970s.

The Vikings vaporized Martian soil and looked for any organics boiling off. They found nothing but a few chlorine compounds that were attributed to contamination. But after Phoenix's perchlorate find, McKay and some other researchers performed an experiment.

They added perchlorate to some desert dirt from Chile known to contain organics. They heated the soil up and found the same chlorine compounds the Vikings did, suggesting that organics may have been present in the Vikings' samples but were broken down by the combination of heat and perchlorate.

While this backstory is interesting in its own right, perchlorate is also relevant to the possible habitability of present-day Mars.

"Perchlorate, it turns out, is a potent chemoautotrophic energy source," said Carol Stoker, also of NASA Ames, noting that the chemical could potentially sustain microbes in the dark Martian subsurface, where photosynthesis is not an option.

And some Earth microbes use perchlorate for food, so that could be happening on Mars as well, scientists have pointed out.

"The Present-Day Habitability of Mars" took place Feb. 4-5 and was co-hosted by the NASA Astrobiology institute and the UK Center for Astrobiology. Archived videos of conference presentations are available here.

Follow Space.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?and?Google+.

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

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17091020-mars-may-still-be-habitable-today-scientists-say?lite

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ZTE Launches 5.7? 720p Grand Memo Smartphone With Quad-Core CPU And Android 4.1

ZTE has just introduced the Grand Memo flagship smartphone at MWC in Barcelona. The Grand Memo has top-shelf specs including a 5.7-inch 720x1280 TFT display, a quad-core Qualcomm 800 processor, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a front-facing camera for video chat. ZTE is marketing this as its phablet experience, as competitors like Huawei, Samsung, and most recently Asus bet big on extra-large screens. Considering how much data and texting overpower our smartphone usage, it seems to be paying off.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fGM0oc2Vz2o/

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Japan PM Abe keeps ratings high as he pushes reflation steps

TOKYO (Reuters) - Voter support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rose to 70 percent or more in two weekend opinion polls, signaling that his drastic economic policies are winning backing and giving him a shot at becoming a rare long-term leader.

Abe, who took office in December after his conservative Liberal Democratic Party's massive election win, has promised to beat deflation and revive the long-stagnant economy with a mix of hyper-easy monetary policy and big fiscal spending.

Abe, just back from a summit in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama, is set to nominate Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, a supporter of his aggressive monetary easing stance, as the next Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor, sources said on Monday.

Seventy percent of voters backed Abe in a survey by the Nikkei business daily, up two percentage points, while Kyodo news agency put his rating at 72.8 percent, up 6.1 points. Fifty-eight percent in the Nikkei survey agreed the next BOJ governor should be a proponent of drastic monetary easing.

The consistent high levels of support are rare for a Japanese leader, whose ratings often start high but then sink. That fate befell Abe during his troubled 2006-2007 first term.

Abe is Japan's seventh premier since popular Junichiro Koizumi ended a rare five-year term in 2006.

Abe's LDP and its junior partner have a huge majority in parliament's lower house but need to win a majority in a July upper house election to cement their hold on power.

The Nikkei survey showed that 48 percent of voters were in favor of Japan joining talks on a U.S.-led trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while 33 percent were opposed.

Abe could announce a decision to join the TPP negotiations -- staunchly opposed by Japan's powerful farm lobby -- as early as this week, media said.

(Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-pm-abe-keeps-ratings-high-pushes-reflation-004208368--business.html

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These Breakdancing Kids Will Make Your Jaw Drop (VIDEO)

One word: WHOA.

(Source: JuBaFilms, a German company that creates short films about dance. H/T: Buzzfeed)

Also on HuffPost:

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Filed by Elizabeth Perle ?|?

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1. HuffPost
2. Teen

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/these-breakdancing-kids-w_n_2754826.html

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