Black holes star in first images of high-energy cosmos

A space telescope has peered through dense dust and gas to produce the first images of the high-energy cosmos. These reveal two blazing black holes and a supernova remnant (see pictures, right).

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, was launched into Earth orbit on 13 June. It can detect X-ray radiation at energies between 6 and 79 kilo electronvolts, well above the range of NASA's other orbiting telescopes, such as Chandra. Such high-energy radiation can penetrate gas and dust, so NuSTAR sees through the galactic debris that blinds other telescopes.

On 7 January, Fiona Harrison of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, released the telescope's first images at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, California.

One image (see picture, right) is of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, which is about 11,000 light years from us. It shows never-seen-before high-energy X-rays emitted from extremely hot regions and from particles accelerated to within a fraction of the speed of light by the supernova's shock wave.

Bright black holes

NuSTAR also maps the emission of X-rays from the decay of radioactive elements such as titanium-44 in supernova remnants, which can tell us more about the exploding star that formed Cassiopeia A. "The distribution of this material is very sensitive to how the core of the star explodes," Harrison says. "Is it a spherical explosion, is it lopsided, or is it asymmetric?"

She also released NuSTAR images of two astonishingly bright, ultra-luminous black holes (visible as magenta blobs in second image). They were caught spewing out X-rays in the outskirts of spiral galaxy IC 342, which lies 7 million light years away in the Camelopardalis constellation.

These are unlikely to be supermassive black holes, which are also luminous but are found near the centres of galaxies. Instead, they could be intermediate-size black holes a few thousand times the mass of our sun, or black holes that are guzzling matter from a companion star.

"These images have a combination of crispness and sensitivity that is orders of magnitude better than ever made before in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum," says Harrison.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/274f5036/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn230A530Eblack0Eholes0Estar0Ein0Efirst0Eimages0Eof0Ehighenergy0Ecosmos0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with RIM's Alec Saunders

It's been a long time coming, but this month marks the long-awaited next step for Research in Motion. As you can no doubt imagine, we've got plenty of questions for VP Alec Saunders -- and thankfully, he's no doubt in a much better place to answer than he was this time time last year. Join us after the break for what's sure to be a fascinating conversation about BlackBerry 10 and the steps RIM must take to make it in the cut-throat smartphone market.

January 8, 2013 1:00 PM EST

Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here!

Continue reading Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with RIM's Alec Saunders

Filed under: Cellphones, RIM

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/rim-interview/

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Kombucha Challenge Signup Page - Real Food Forager

Today is the Day to Challenge Yourself

It?s time to take control of your health. Adding traditional cultured foods and beverages into your diet can be one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. I know for me it is very important. I made a new year?s resolution to add more fermented foods and drinks to my diet and to learn how to make them at home. In particular, I am finally drinking kombucha and I hope the Challenge will help you do the same! I hope you join me in taking this giant step forward. Let?s share information, support and recipes!

We Are Too Clean and Have Lost Our ?old friends?

The beneficial bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and even worms (read more about that here) that inhabit our intestines are our friends. They are supposed to live there, having evolved inside of us over hundreds of thousands of years. They do much for us and in return we give them home and hearth. These microscopic critters are our friends and as such must be treated with respect and generosity.

Over the course of the past hundred years, with urbanization, better sanitation, refrigeration and better living conditions, we have become more sterilized. Conventional attitudes have a firm belief in the germ theory and medicine quickly responds to the slightest sniffle with an antibiotic. We have done a good job in killing off potential pathogens, but also our beneficial bacteria as well.

Additionally, with the advent of refrigeration it was no longer necessary to ferment foods in order to preserve them. However, the symbiotic nature of our relationship with our microflora was not taken into account and most of us are depleted and out of balance, because we do not have the volume of beneficial bacteria we need.

For vibrant health we need to culture, nurture and revere our microbiome (bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses, helminthes).

Join the Kombucha Challenge!

Start to drink and learn how to make this amazing functional, living beverage a part of your life. You may start at any time and be at any level of competence. Beginners are welcome as well as the seasoned kombucha fan!

My goal with this challenge is to engage as many people as possible to the health benefits of fermented foods and kombucha in particular ? to teach them the simple skills that will develop their confidence to move forward in their health goals.

Make a goal

It?s all about kombucha! Start to drink a little at each meal as soon as possible. You don?t have to make it at home! You can start by buying it at your local health food store before you commit to making it at home. As with any probiotic food, start with just a little and work up the amount slowly in order to let your body become accustomed to the new food. This is a living food and some people will react to it, especially anyone with a known health problem. So don?t go and guzzle a full glass of kombucha on the first day unless you ordinarily do this!

I started several weeks ago to drink 1 ? 2 ounces with my meals. I already feel a difference in my digestion! My goal is to work up to 1/2 cup at each meal and some sips in between, as I found that it helps me control sugar cravings. That?s why I?m so excited about it! You can feel the benefits almost immediately!

I?ve tried several of the flavors and have a good idea about which ones I really like best. I can?t wait until my home brewed kombucha is ready and I can start experimenting at home!

If you are already drinking kombucha perhaps your goal can be to learn how to brew it at home. We will be going over that over the 4 week Challenge period.

If you are already home brewing perhaps your goal can be to switch to the continuous brewing method or to get some of your friends involved in this Kombucha Challenge because you know it is so healthy.

Here are the Rules:

You may set one or more goals for the Challenge according to which level you would like to achieve. Please leave a comment stating your goal(s). When you publicly state your goals, you are more apt to follow through.

There is one mandatory action to be included in the Kombucha Challenge ? you MUST sign up for the Komucha Challenge newsletter below. This will keep us in direct communication with new information, links and coupon codes.

Level 1: Goal is to start drinking kombucha whether it is home brewed or store bought.

Level 2: Goal is to learn how to brew it at home.

Level 3: Switch to the continuous brewing system.

Level 4: Goal is to share your love of komucha with others by inviting them to this challenge or by giving a beautiful baby SCOBY to a friend.

Sign up for my the Kombucha Challenge Newsletter Here

In order to participate in the Challenge you must sign up for the Kombucha Challenge Newsletter which I will send to you several times over the course of the Challenge with new information, links and coupon codes.

Please leave a comment on this page that you did so

There will also be tons of information on my blog posts over the month of the challenge so you may want to subscribe to that as well in the upper right hand side bar (that is not required, however most of the information will be on the blog!).

Join in the Kombucha Challenge Linky

Starting Wednesday January 9, 2013 (opening Tuesday night) I will open a Kombucha Challenge Carnival for all to share their great recipes for kombucha and/ or articles about kombucha. It will be open for sharing the whole month of the Challenge. If you don?t have a blog you can share your recipes in the comments section of the linky.

Have some fun!

Know that you are providing super healthful foods to yourself and your family by adding more cultured drinks into your diet!

Tagged as: Kombucha, Kombucha Challenge

Source: http://realfoodforager.com/kombucha-challenge-signup-page/

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"Dream Program" to Celebrate its 10th Edition - Sports Features ...

POSTED: Thursday January 3rd 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5-16 the PyeongChang Olympic area will host the international sports camp gathering young people from around the world to enjoy the winter wonderland

Dream Program 2013 is set to start on January 5 with 166 youths from 40 countries in PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This annual winter sports camp provides winter sports experience such as skiing and skating and promotes exchange of culture and friendship among youths from all over the world. 13 nations send their youths to Dream Program for the first time, including East Timor, Vietnam, Uganda, Rwanda, and Papua New Guinea.

Dream Program, an initiative established in 2004 by Gangwon Province during PyeongChang?s bid for the Olympic Games to promote the values and ideals of the Olympic Movement and expand the base of winter sports globally, celebrates its 10th edition this year.

Up to now, the Dream Program has invited 1,083 young people from 50 different countries where winter sports are not enjoyed due to various reasons. Among the participants, total 46 athletes represented their own countries as national team members at international winter sports events, including the Olympic Winter Games.

The program has received praise from international sports community for promoting peace and harmony through sports, contributing to PyeongChang?s bid and also gotten support of national government authorities by raising awareness of Korea through the world.

For this year, Dream Program will introduce a session called ?Master Class? in which Olympic medalists or national team members of Korea like Sung Si-baek, a Korean short track speed skater and Olympic silver medalist, give one-on-one lessons. Also, to celebrate its ten-year anniversary, Snowshoe Marathon will be held in the Alpensia Cross-country Course, in which Dream Program participants will join to experience Korean traditional snowshoes and get together with Korean runners.

Dream Program 2013 / Information for Media

Contact Gangwon Headquarters for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (Event Team)
Tel +82 33 249 3258 / Fax +82 33 249 4096 / Email egchoi@korea.kr
For the event period, contact at mobile +82 10 9243 5184

I. WHAT IS DREAM PROGRAM?

Dream Program, an initiative established in 2004 by Gangwon Province during PyeongChang?s bid for the Olympic Games to promote the values and ideals of the Olympic Movement and expand the base of winter sports globally, celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year.

This annual camp has invited 1,083 young people from 50 different countries where winter sports are not enjoyed due to various reasons, and provides winter sports experience such as skiing and skating and promoting exchange of culture and friendship among youths from all over the world.

Winning the right to host 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games as a corner stone, now more systematic and specialized winter sports training, dubbed ?Winter Sports Academy,? is being prepared for promising youths who dream to take an active part in the international stage.

Dream Program hopes that youths from around the world nurture and display their hope and dream for winter sports here.

II. DREAM PROGRAM 2013 OVERVIEW

? Period: January 6 ~ 16, 2013
? Venue: PyeongChang and Gangneung, Gangwon Province
? Contents
1) Winter Sports Academy
Snow sports: Alpine skiing, Snowboarding
Ice sports: Figure skating, Short-track speed skating
2) Site visit to Alpensia Winter Sports Complex
3) PyeongChang Winter Trout Festival and Seoul Tour
4) Recreational activities
? Participants: 166 from 40 countries (including 16 disabled guests)
Continents Countries
Total 40 countries
Asia
(16) Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore,
Sri-Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirate, Vietnam, Korea
Europe
(4) Czech, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine
Central & South America
(10) Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela
Africa
(9) Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Uganda
Oceania
(1) Papua New Guinea

III. PROGRAM

1. Winter Sports Academy (Training Sessions)
? Attendees : All Participants
? Period : Total 7days(1.7~1.9, 1.12~1.15)
? Time : 09:00~12:00, 13:00~16:00
? Sports : Snow (Alpine, Snowboard, Alpine for the disabled), Ice (Figure skating, Short track speed skating)
- Separated program for coach and athlete
- Separated professional training for athletes according to their level
- Conducted by professional trainers
? Master Class
- Master: Korean Olympic medalists, Olympians and national team coaches
- Contents: Personal one point lesson for each athlete

2. Korean Cultural Experience and Fellowship Programs
? PyeongChang Winter Trout Festival Tour: Jan 11 09:00-12:00
? Seoul Historical and Cultural Tours: Jan 11-12
? Alpensia Olympic Complex and Olympic Site Visit
? Recreational Activities
- Korean traditional music: learning to play percussions
- Dream Party: K-POP night
- Winter Sports e-Games

3. Events in Honor of 10th Dream Program
? Snowshoe Marathon: Jan 6 09:00-12:00, Alpensia Cross-Country Stadium

# # #

---

Keywords ? Dream Program ? PyeongChang 2018 ? winter sports

---

Name: Eungyeong Choi
Organization: Gangwon Province
Email:
Phone: 82332493258
URL: http://eng.gwd.go.kr/

---

Please refer all questions to the company listed above issuing the press release. SFC will not be able to assist you with any inquiries and disclaims any content in these press releases.

Source: http://www.sportsfeatures.com/presspoint/pressrelease/53529/dream-program-to-celebrate-its-10th-edition

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ASUS partners up with Leap Motion, PCs with 3D motion control to debut in 2013

Leap Motion's been working hard to get its 3D gesture control technology in the hands of developers -- 12,000 thus far -- since it was first revealed back in May of 2012. Today marks a big step towards getting it into the hands of consumers, as the company has announced its first OEM partner, ASUS. The Taiwanese firm plans to put the technology into new high-end notebooks and premium All-in-One PCs packing Intel's Haswell silicon.

As a quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Leap, its tech has a 150-degree field of view that tracks individual hands and all 10 fingers at 290 frames per second to provide ultra precise motion controls. This news got you itchin' to ditch that old machine with its archaic touchpad or mouse interface in favor of a gesture-controlled ASUS? We can't tell you how much they'll cost, but ASUS promises the PC's will be available around the world later this year.

Continue reading ASUS partners up with Leap Motion, PCs with 3D motion control to debut in 2013

Filed under: ASUS

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/a8acJ8Zd3Mc/

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Apple, Waze, and the attraction of rumors

There are some rumors going around that Apple is considering the purchase of crowd-sourced mapping app Waze. Apple has a ton of cash, and can certainly buy Waze if that's what both parties want, the way Apple bought Chomp, Color, Polar Rose, Siri, and other companies over the years. Mike Butcher of TechCrunch writes:

So it comes as almost no surprise to us that there are rumours flying around that Apple is sniffing around Waze with a view to a possible acquisition. After all, Waze is already a data partner for Apple?s Maps app and was the only app to gain meaningful marketshare after the Apple Maps fail. We have reached out to both. An apple spokesperson said: ?We don?t comment on rumors or speculation.? We got a ?we never comment on rumors? from Waze.

Location is incredibly important. If Apple feels there's talent and/or technology at Waze that can help them with maps, then it makes sense they'd be exploring the possibility.

That's part of what makes this such a compelling rumor. Apple Maps have suffered in the media and in public perception since launch, and this taps into the general desire for a "quick fix" to the problem. However. Apple replacing iOS 6 Maps with a rebranded Waze app, is a non-starter. Even integrating specific features people like about Waze, such as super-fast crowd-sourced updates, would be non-trivial. Likewise, pumping raw Waze data into Apple's backend location services. Apple already has TomTom and Waze, and other data sources there. Turning all that data into a clean, verified, using facing maps product has been a problem. Would more data help or only exacerbate it?

After Apple bought Chomp, there were huge expectations that search and discovery in the iOS App Store would be instantly, magically improved. Instead, we've had slow, iterative, often painful changes that are still in progress. Waze likely wouldn't fix Maps any quicker or more easily than Chomp fixed the App Store.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/2LDsaCaCFpQ/story01.htm

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Mobile-Ad Frenzy Sends Facebook Up 5% - Business Insider

Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc., owner of the largest social-networking service, rose 5.2 percent amid optimism that the company will be able to step up sales growth from advertising shown to users on mobile devices.

The stock jumped to $28 at the close in New York. Today?s gain came after analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their Facebook share-price target to $35, citing ?strong advertising trends.?

Facebook is benefiting from growing interest in new ad features that let companies target the more than 1 billion users on the service, many of them by way of wireless gadgets. Revenue tied to mobile advertising should surpass sales from similar spending on desktops in 2014, according to JPMorgan.

?We are incrementally positive on Facebook shares into 2013 as we believe it remains very early in the trajectory of Facebook?s mobile advertising,? the JPMorgan team, led by Doug Anmuth, wrote today in a note. ?Importantly, we believe marketers are also realizing that there is branding and awareness value in Facebook ads and that users don?t necessarily have to click through to drive returns.?

The company probably boosted overall advertising growth 49 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, up from a 36 percent increase in the third quarter, the analysts said. Mobile, driven by the growing number of users accessing the service on smartphones and tablets, should make up 27 percent of ad revenue in the quarter, up from 14 percent in the third quarter.

For 2013, Facebook should generate $6.69 billion in sales, up 7 percent from an earlier estimate, and $8.24 billion in 2014, up 7.6 percent from the prior estimate, according to the note.

While mobile is boosting revenue, desktop advertising is also benefiting from new ad tools, including the Facebook Exchange, which helps companies target marketing messages based on users? past Web activities.

Checks with advertising agencies, partners and marketers all ?came back more positive? than expected for the Facebook Exchange service, Ralph Schackart, an analyst at William Blair & Co., wrote today in a note.

?Our channel checks suggest FBX ads are being rapidly adopted and are significantly underpriced, with the potential to increase threefold,? Schackart wrote.

?

--Editors: Tom Giles, Jillian Ward

?

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Womack in San Francisco at bwomack1@bloomberg.net;

?

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-ad-frenzy-sends-facebook-up-5-2013-1

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