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Temporary Tattoos To Be Used As Monitoring Devices For Doctors

Health & Wellness

Temporary tattoos might soon be replacing heart rate monitors and other traditional medical devices, as a new manufacturing process is enabling tattoos that sense critical medical information to be easily created.

University of Texas Professor Nanshu Lu and a team of colleagues have managed to create a method for quickly producing cheap and effective wearable biosensors. Previously, such technology was difficult, tedious and expensive.

The purpose of these tattoos is to monitor a person’s health during a temporary period.

Lu says, “Ultimately, if you think about tattoo-like electronics, no one wants to reuse them, not even on yourself. So the disposable nature is key.”

The old manufacturing process of similar devices involved integrating a metal circuit with a stretchy adhesive. Such a method was not worth the effort involved.

Lu and her team examined various methods for making such electronics flexible and sticky. By using concepts related to 3D printing, the team determined a way to utilize a mechanical cutter for the purpose of carving out patterns on a sheet of metal rather than forming the electronics in a mold.

Lu explains, “We started to look for metal sheets deposited on polymer sheets, basically like aluminum foil laminated onto double-sided tape. We invented a process that can form cutting patterns onto those sheets, then remove the unnecessary parts. The leftover part is transfer printed onto medical tape or tattoo adhesive.”

Printing one of these medical tattoos takes about 20 minutes. The amount of waste created is minimal, and the process does not require a specialized laboratory. Lu says that she has the goal of bringing the cost of a single patch down to $1.

The patch is roughly the size of a credit card, and it is able to monitor the vital signs of a patient for about one week. Based on the body’s location of the patch, it would be able to function in several different ways.

In the future, Lu hopes that the patch will be able to wirelessly communicate with the electronic devices of the doctors in order to relay information quickly. However, Lu is facing challenges in making the patch able to communicate wirelessly. Lu and her team are currently working on creating a wireless chip that is only two square millimeters in size.

The team expects that the patch will be ready for use in the near future.

Hollywood Content For Virtual Reality Platforms Could Total $5.4 Billion

Finance

Virtual reality companies have experienced challenges in finding quality content in the past, but filmmakers might ready to do something about that.

Most companies that made early use of the 360-degree experience which is offered by virtual reality were in the gaming industry. However, film companies are starting to see the potential as well.

For instance, virtual reality company Oculus has started to receive funding from Disney, which has invested $65 million into Oculus so that it can further develop virtual reality technology.

Additionally, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg recently joined the board of advisors for the Virtual Reality Company, showing that big names are getting involved.

However, even though virtual reality is starting to attract the necessary attention, most of its content still consists of first-person concert experiences, raw documentary footage and extensions of film marketing. The process of bringing original narratives to virtual reality has been slow, but people involved in the virtual reality industry insist that they are trying to change that.

Co-owner of virtual reality producing company Felix & Paul Studios Felix Lajeunesse says, “What we’re seeing is a shift from when it was all about trying to understand this medium to where it feels like we’re able to tell more complex stories and create a proper storyline.”

Felix & Paul Studios agreed to a multiyear deal with Oculus earlier this year to develop original virtual reality content. They say that they have three scripts in development for viewers to experience.

Oculus has also created its own original content unit called Oculus Story Studio. It is being led by veteran of Pixar Saschka Unseld. The unit plans to release five animated virtual reality shorts this year.

Meanwhile, virtual reality headsets are still largely unavailable to the public. Many people view virtual reality content using Google Cardboard, which is able to function using any smartphone.

Samsung and Oculus released the Gear VR last December, and a discounted version is expected to hit stores next month. However, the device is only compatible with specific Samsung smartphones.

However, the technology should see a major boost next year, as 2016 looks to be the “year of virtual reality”. Companies such as Oculus, Sony and HTC plan to release a multitude of innovative virtual reality headsets next year that should revolutionize the technology and make it available to large audiences.

Some estimates show that the market for virtual reality content will reach $5.4 billion by the year 2025. While that sounds excellent, virtual reality will need some impressive original content to get there.

Recreational Pot Sales In Oregon Top $11 Million In One Week

News

Recreational marijuana has been sold in Oregon dispensaries for just one week, and sales have reached an estimated $11 million. If sales keep up, the state is going to earn much more tax revenue than originally predicted.

Customers and dispensary owners reported that the first week of sales has gone very well. Jeff Johnson, owner of local dispensary Nectar, stated that, “We’re seeing about 500 people a day.”

One customer exclaimed that, “It’s exciting. It’s just really weird, it feels like it’s not even really happening to be honest, it’s really bizarre.”

Other customers are curious about the whole thing. One noted that, “We just wanted to come in and check it out. We’ve never been able to go into one of the stores to see what it’s like.”

The Oregon Retail Cannabis Association estimated that there were approximately $3.5 million in sales of recreational marijuana on October 1st, the first day it was sold.

So far, Oregon is “doing better” than other states that have legalized the sale of recreational pot. Colorado’s first week of sales realized about $5 million in profits while Washington took about one month to sell its first $2 million.

When Oregon voters approved the legal sale and use of recreational marijuana, the state estimated that it would earn about $9 million in net tax revenue for the first full year of sales. The Oregon Retail Cannabis Association believes that sales will bring the state at least three to four times that amount.

Rachel Clerk, an employee at Fresh Buds in Portland, observed that, “It’s just person after person after person.” It could not have come at a better time as the store was struggling to stay afloat with only about 15 medical marijuana customers a day. Clerk noted that, “There for awhile, towards the end we were thinking we might have to close the doors because we weren’t getting any kind of steady business.” Now, the store is averaging about 10 times as much customer traffic and is finally making profits again.

Johnson points out that the stores are seeing many different types of customers. “Obviously we’re seeing a young crowd but we’re also seeing people in their 50s and 60s that would never have bought the product if it wasn’t legal.”

Oregon’s regulatory framework provides that recreational marijuana sales are tax-free until January 2016, when a 25% tax will be tacked on. The tax revenues will go towards funding schools, state police, municipal governments and mental health programs statewide.

‘War Selfies’ Bring New Perspective To Global Conflicts Via Social Media

Entertainment News

For hundreds of years, photographers have brought pictures of war home to citizens. The sometimes harrowing images have been historically influential in swaying the public’s perception and support of a war in which their country is fighting.

Now, the men and women who participate and fight in conflicts across the world have a unique way of sharing their war experiences. People can present their self-taken photographs and videos through social media – thereby reaching the public in raw, unedited and personal ways. Selfies and other images posted on social media sites show a whole new perspective on what people actually face in global conflicts.

This phenomenon is illustrated by the recent postings by a member of Dubai’s royalty. HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the son of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and he recently joined the cause in Yemen, helping in the fight against Houthi militant rebels.

Sheikh Mansoor took photos and videos of himself in battle-torn areas. He then posted some of the images, taken in the city of Marab, on Instagram earlier this week. In one image, he is holding an automatic weapon and wearing a protective vest. In the most recent post on his account, he wrote that, “This is the historical throne of Balqees reclaimed by Yemen after a battle with terrorists whom [sic] occupied it previously by force.” He included the hashtag #selfieduringwar.

Sheikh Mansoor also recorded a 15-second video showing coalition troops in Marab following their defeat of the Houthis. He is heard saying in the video: “Thank God we reached this beautiful place today after a big effort.” The video clip also shows Sheikh Mansoor speaking with a local Yemeni man and giving his promise that they will soon reach the city of Sana’a, the capital of Yemen.

In addition to Sheikh Mansoor’s use of social media to share his experiences of the conflict in Yemen, another Gulf royal, Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, similarly told his stories to the public. Prince Nasser is a member of the Bahraini royal family and the Commander of the Royal Guard Force, now fighting in Yemen.

In a photograph posted on Wednesday, Prince Nasser is dressed in full army gear carrying a weapon. He captioned the image with a statement that, “We return back home tomorrow after successful operations to support our brothers in Yemen. It was a deep honor to serve shoulder to shoulder with the coalition forces, and the brave men of Yemen. Hoping that future brings security and stability to the region.”

Sheikh Mansoor, Prince Nasser and their troops are fighting alongside coalition-led forces in order to retake Sana’a, which Houthi rebels captured a year ago, and to restore to power Yemen’s rightful government.

The violence in the country continues to escalate, and earlier this week, 15 coalition soldiers were killed in a Houthi rocket attack in the seaport city of Aden.

Goldman Sachs Will Use Twitter To Release Earnings Instead Of Business Wire

Finance

Goldman Sachs plans to announce its quarterly earnings on Twitter. This is a major change for the investment bank which has traditionally used independent business wires for such press releases.

These independent business wires have fallen out of favor in recent times, as several have experienced glitches and released the personal information of their clients. Others have been hacked, allowing traders to gain early access to critical information.

Goldman Sachs is making the transition in order to obtain more control over the release of information that might affect financial markets. The investment company has reportedly considered making such a change for a long period of time.

Other companies have also made similar changes for the purpose of preventing important pieces of information from being leaked to the public.

CEO of Business Wire Phyllis Dantuono has stated that she has taken calls from almost 50 concerned clients that their information was not secure.

Business Wire is one of many companies owned by Warren Buffett. The company is paid by about 3,000 companies in the United States for the purpose of distributing news. Business Wire runs approximately 180,000 news releases every year.

However, Dantuono is not concerned over what she says is a small loss of business.

Dantuono said, “Yes, there have been a handful of companies that are trying new ways of doing things. We think there’s considerable downside to limiting distribution to just its availability on a website.”

Dantuono went on to state that Business Wire will remain in contact with officials from Goldman Sachs and that the company expects to work with Goldman Sachs in the future.

Other press release agencies are similarly unconcerned.

CEO of PR Newswire Robert Gray said, “Press release distribution is designed by its nature to reach a broad audience, beyond those who may follow a company’s website or social media and may derive market advantage by doing so. The recurrent news of hacking incidents makes it clear that no technology or system, not even those of our leading financial institutions, can be immune to penetration.”

Last year, Shareholder.com accidentally released information regarding the financial earnings of JPMorgan Chase earlier than it should have. Early traders in the United States took advantage of this event.

Meanwhile, experts understand the recent decision by Goldman Sachs.

Professor of Georgetown University’s School of Business James Angel said, “The question is, ‘why spend the money if you don’t have to?’ Goldman is in a position where everyone wants their information. The more systems the info goes through, the more chances for something to go wrong.”

While it’s smart of Goldman Sachs to be proactive, this does not guarantee that the company’s information won’t be unintentionally exposed. In the past, other companies, such as Gap and MetLife, have accidentally revealed their own quarterly earnings before they intended to make the announcement.

WikiLeaks Offering $50,000 For Information Regarding Hospital Bombing In Afghanistan

Entertainment News

WikiLeaks is offering $50,000 to anyone who can provide footage or other critical information regarding the bombing of the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. During the attack, 22 people were killed and many more were wounded.

The attack was apparently conducted by the United States. The country has already accepted responsibility for the attack, which it claims was an accident.

Médecins Sans Frontières is commonly known in the United States as “Doctors Without Borders”.

This latest offering represents the third time that WikiLeaks has offered a reward for the disclosure of classified information. WikiLeaks believes that footage from the aircraft which carried out the attack should exist somewhere. A post-mission report is likely to have also been commissioned by American officials.

In an effort to raise money for the reward, WikiLeaks is requesting for pledges from its members. Since the start of the campaign, more than $2,400 has been donated by a total of 12 different people.

United States President Barack Obama has already announced that an internal investigation of the attack would take place. Meanwhile, MSF is demanding an independent investigation, saying that it cannot trust the accounts of the United States or Afghanistan in this situation. MSF President Joanne Liu has requested that the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission conduct an investigation of its own. The Fact-Finding Commission has never been activated since its establishment in 1991.

Head of United States military operations in Afghanistan General John Campbell has attempted to convince people that an independent investigation is not needed, stating that the internal investigation that is being conducted by the United States is asking some “very tough questions”.

Campbell said, “I have trust and confidence in the folks that will do the investigation for NATO, the folks that’ll do the investigation for DOD and the Afghan partners. I have all the trust and confidence that (the investigating officer) will get answers to all of those questions, and he’ll continue to work very hard and will continue to be transparent and provide all of that to this committee and to the American people as we move forward.”

Volkswagen Headquarters Raided By Police As Part Of Criminal Investigation

Finance

In an effort to get to the bottom of Volkswagen’s emission scandal, German police have recently raided the company’s headquarters. The goal of the raid was to locate any relevant documents and important pieces of data that could help identify the staff members who were responsible for manipulating the engines of 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide.

German prosecutors said in a statement, “Today, in connection with the so-called emissions scandal, raids were carried out at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg and other locations. The raids aimed to secure documents and data carriers that, in view of possible offences, can provide information about the exact conduct of company employees and their identities in the manipulation of exhaust emissions of diesel vehicles.”

Meanwhile, the president of Volkswagen America Michael Horn is set to appear in front of the United States Congress to answer questions about the scandal. It is believed that Horn knew about the company’s actions long before the scandal was revealed to the public. Horn is expected to face severe criticism from members of Congress.

Environmental Protection Agency representative Phillip Brooks will also be questioned.

So far, the company has since suspended more than ten of its senior managers, including three of its top engineers. The automobile manufacturer has also hired law firm Jones Day to conduct an external investigation.

Economy minister of Germany Sigmar Gabriel visited the Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany on Thursday. He stressed that employees of the company should not be punished for the scandal.

Gabriel said, “I think it is important to send the message that, in the end, the employees must not pay the price for criminal behavior by managers.”

Nearly 500,000 diesel vehicles have been ordered for recall in the United States by the EPA. The company has put aside almost $7.4 billion to fix the offending vehicles. Additionally, the company could be fined up to $18 billion by United States regulators. Combine that with the loss of market value, and Volkswagen could experiences losses of up to $40 billion in total from the scandal.

Additionally, the finance committee of the Senate is investigating the possibility that Volkswagen used the cheating devices installed in its diesel engines in order to benefit from tax credits which are offered on clean diesel vehicles in the United States. Experts believe that Volkswagen received up to $50 million in tax credits.

Fire And Nuclear Waste Are Close To Making Catastrophic Meeting Underneath St. Louis Landfill

News

Beneath a landfill in St. Louis, Missouri, two things are going on. Separately, they can be handled. If they come together, disaster will ensue. The first: a slow-burning fire that began in 2010. The second: a cache of nuclear waste left over from the Cold War era. The only thing that separates them is about 1,200 feet.

Slow-burning, underground fires which last for years are not uncommon, especially in old, abandoned coal mines. They are often initiated by lightning strikes, forest fires and the illegal burning of waste. In St. Louis, it is unknown what started the fire.

If the smoldering embers ever meet the nuclear waste, a potential “catastrophic event” could happen, sending up a plume of radioactive smoke over a highly populated area near St. Louis’ primary airport.

Officials became aware of the fire at Bridgeton Landfill in 2010, and it unknown how long it was burning before that. They also soon learned of the proximity of the fire to the nuclear waste. It was not until a year ago, however, that authorities came up with a plan for the worst-case scenario. And that plan was not published until this week when a local radio station obtained a copy.

Officials say that the situation “is contained,” and County Executive Steve Stenger emphasized that the plan “is not an indication of any imminent danger.” He also said in a released statement that, “It is county government’s responsibility to protect the health, safety and well-being of all St. Louis County residents.”

The landfill operator, Republic Services, also downplayed the risk of a catastrophe. The company points out that interceptor wells and other safeguards are in place to keep the nuclear waste and the fire separate. Landfill spokesman Russ Knocke said in a statement that, “County officials and emergency managers have an obligation to plan for various scenarios, even very remote ones. The landfill is safe and intensively monitored.”

According to the disaster plan, if the underground fire ever reaches the nuclear waste, “there is a potential for radioactive fallout to be released in the smoke plume and spread throughout the region.”

The plan calls for evacuations of St. Louis County and nearby St. Charles County. The plan also calls for the development of emergency shelters. Depending on the severity of the situation, private and volunteer groups, and possibly the federal government would help to contain the problem.

The nuclear waste has caused the state concern for some time. In 2013, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster sued Republic Services claiming negligent management and violation of the state’s environmental laws. The case will proceed to trial next spring.

One new report shows that trees near the landfill are contaminated with radiation. Another report indicates that the fire has gotten past two rows of interceptor wells and is therefore inching closer to the nuclear waste.

Koster emphasized that the reports show that Republic Services “does not have this site under control.”

Ed Smith of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment echoes these sentiments and hopes the government gets more involved in the situation “to ensure that businesses, schools, hospitals and individuals know how to respond in a possible disaster at the landfill, just like preparing for an earthquake or tornado.”

Great Britain To Feature League Of Legends Championship On Live Television

Entertainment News

The world championships of the popular online game League of Legends will be broadcast on British television. The four-day event will be shown live on BBC Three starting on Thursday October 15th.

The live broadcast will be hosted by Radio 1 DJ and casual gamer Dev Griffin. Gaming experts Leigh “Deman” Smith and James “Stress” O’Leary will provide expert commentary.

The BBC said in a statement, “BBC Three and BBC Sport are teaming up to deliver all the action using the platform previously used for live sporting events and Glastonbury coverage, where live video, pre-recorded video, text, audio and social commentary can sit side by side.”

The BBC made the decision to broadcast the world championships of League of Legends in order to attract a wider audience.

Controller of BBC Three Damian Kavanagh said, “I think this is an exciting way to cover something millions of young Brits love.”

More than 27 million people play League of Legends on a daily basis. Last year, fans from across the globe watched more than 70 million hours of coverage of the world championships using online streaming services.

Tournaments for video games have become much more popular in recent years. Gfinity opened a dedicated eSports arena in London. Bookmakers have even started accepting bets on major eSports events.

No announcements have been made to feature the event on television in the United States.

League of Legends was released in 2009. In the game, players compete as teams strategizing to take control of opposition territory. Players work to power-up their characters as a match progresses, becoming stronger over time. The game features several different maps that players compete on. The first world championship for the game took place in 2011. The game is available for free online.

Stupid Oversight By Banks Allowed Known Con Artist To Open 17 Different Accounts

News

Daniel Fernandes Rojo Filho, who allegedly participated in a massive Ponzi scheme, supposedly established 17 different bank accounts under the name of his business.

Filho is 48 years old, and he claims to be a billionaire from Brazil. He was living in Orlando in 2009 when he attracted the attention of United States investigators who say that he was involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and a major Ponzi scheme. Since then, Filho has lost millions of dollars in Lamborghinis, gold bars and other luxurious assets.

However, in the middle of 2014, Filho opened at least 17 new bank accounts. The accounts were established under the name of “DFRF Enterprises”, which represents Filho’s initials.

Prosecutors say that Filho used these accounts to conduct a Ponzi scheme. In the scheme, Filho promised investors income from a gold-mining operation that did not exist. More than 1,400 people were supposedly involved in the scheme. Filho claimed that his company operated 80 gold mines and had more than $1 trillion in reserve capital. He managed to obtain $15 million from investors, and he used the money to purchase several highly luxurious automobiles.

What is most remarkable is that the banks had allowed Filho to open the accounts in the first place. A basic information search would have set off several red flags.

Attorney Evans Carter said, “If the banks had just Googled this guy, they would have known enough to stay away.”

In July of this year, Filho was arrested. He is currently awaiting a hearing in Boston. Filho is facing charges of mail fraud and selling unregistered securities.

The banks have not been accused of any illegal behavior, though the fact they allowed Filho to create the accounts shows major foolishness on their part.

However, banks have been charged for providing assistance to criminals in the past. In 2014, JPMorgan agreed to forfeit $2.5 billion for its involvement in the infamous Ponzi scheme conducted by Bernard Madoff.

Filho opened accounts at JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, RBS Citizens of Massachusetts and others.

Representatives from the banks declined to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, banks are making efforts to improve their security. JPMorgan increased its security spending by more than $2 billion from 2012 to 2014, and Citigroup spent nearly $1.5 billion to increase its number of staff to watch out for schemes.

However, even with these attempts at improving fraud protection, banks are still apparently enabling criminals to scam thousands of people. It’s shocking that a man like Filho was almost able to get away with his behavior thanks to the utter senselessness of banks.

New Index Reveals That Coral Reefs Are Worth Four Times As Much As The UK

Culture

Coral reefs are worth more than four times the value of the economy of the United Kingdom, as the reefs provide over $9 trillion in services to people worldwide. The statistic was provided from a recently created “Earth Index”. The index is based on a study of data which already existed.

The economy of the United Kingdom is only worth about $2.6 trillion. By comparison, the world spends a total of almost $3.4 trillion on oil every year.

Coral reefs provide value in storm protection, housing fish, attracting tourists and removing carbon emissions from the planet.

Other startling revelations include that bees provide nearly $162 billion to the world economy by pollinating crops and that vultures contribute almost $2.5 billion by removing the bodies of dead animals, thus preventing health hazards.

Meanwhile, the price of fresh water is valued at more than $70 trillion per year. This is the equivalent of the entire world economy, as without fresh water, the economy would not be able to function.

Microscopic plankton, which form the basis of all food that is derived from the ocean, are worth more than $212 billion. They are also useful for storing carbon emissions.

The “Earth Index” is being featured in the financial sections of newspapers worldwide in order to put the stock market into proper perspective. Natural resources are much more valuable than commodities created by people.

Creative director of BBC Earth and developer of the index Neil Nightingale stated, “When you see the figures in black and white it’s illuminating to see that the annual revenues of the world’s most successful companies – Apple, General Motors, Nestle, Bank of China – all pale in comparison to the financial return to our economy from natural assets.”

It just goes to show that our ultimate resources are the ones that are naturally available to us.

Judge Judy Might Have Competition From Live Stream Of Supreme And Circuit Courts

News

U.S Supreme Court and Circuit Courts of Appeal proceedings may be streamed live online if a bill introduced by four members of the US Congress is passed.

Dubbed the Eyes on the Courts Act, the bill is sponsored by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and is being formally unveiled today at an event on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC.

The bill’s co-sponsors are Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill) who will all be Nadler’s supporting cast at today’s bill launch.

Nadler and Poe are members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet.

The Eyes on the Courts Act is Poe’s second attempt to get cameras into the court system. He sponsored a similar bill in 2009, but was unable to even get the bill up for a vote.

Nadler says although the act will ask the courts, by default, to allow cameras to record court proceedings and stream them online, it does grant judges the right to close off the courtroom when they believe streaming the hearing may impact the outcome or interfere with the case.

If the bill receives majority support, it would be the first time Supreme Court proceeding are streamed to the public. Currently the Supreme Court does not allow cameras to record any proceedings. Judges deliver their decisions and remarks on cases through written decisions and dissenting opinions.

Although cameras are also not allowed in Federal Courts for criminal trials, a pilot program was introduced recently allowing limited access for civil trials.

Legal experts say there have been many attempts over the years, through the legal system and media pressure from groups wanting Supreme Court and Circuit Courts of Appeal proceedings to be filmed live for transparency reasons. They say changes in technology and communication would make this process easy, but the courts have been unmoved. Even in huge landmark cases like the Bush v. Gore in 2000 and recent arguments about Obamacare, the courts have denied access to cameras.

Coral Bleaching Threatens Reef Ecosystems Worldwide

Culture

Scientists say the world’s already fragile coral ecosystem is at risk of bleaching from increased temperatures which are being exacerbated by human-fueled climate change.

The bleaching has already hit reefs in the Caribbean, Pacific and Atlantic. Scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warn it may kill over 12,000 sq km of reefs, affecting over 38% of the world’s reef ecosystem.

The bleaching, which is caused by rises in water temperatures resulting from two natural warm currents, was predicted by NOAA and has now been confirmed by researchers from ocean research organizations XL Catlin Seaview Survey, Reef Check and the University of Queensland.

Bleaching occurs when corals under stress drive out color-giving algae known as zooxanthellae. Although the corals can recover if normal conditions return, the healing process can take decades.

Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the University of Queensland says, “Just like in 1998 and 2010, we’re observing bleaching on a global scale, which will cause massive loss of corals. With people relying on fisheries and reefs for sustenance, the repercussions could be potentially disastrous.”

The Secretary of the International Society for Reef Studies, Professor Rupert Ormond says, “Although corals may live for several days after they bleach, they then usually die. They may recover – but only if the sea temperature drops within a week or so. Mostly it takes much longer, so the reef ends up covered with dead corals, especially on its upper parts.

“The reefs may slowly recover if new coral colonies come in from outside, but this may take years or decades. I know coral reefs in Kenya that lost most of their corals in 1998 and they still only have a few percent of the corals once there.”

The worst case scenario is that spectacular reefs are unlikely to survive changes in temperature and pH by the end of this century. That is, if they’re not killed off first by other damaging local activities like overfishing, pollution, damage from boats and ships, tourism and sedimentation.

An NOAA spokesperson says that damage to the world’s coral reefs also has serious financial consequences. He says the livelihoods of 500 million people and income worth over $30 billion are at stake.

Russia’s Involvement In Syrian War Intensifies As Putin Celebrates His Birthday Playing Hockey

Entertainment News

Russia’s Involvement In Syrian War Intensifies As Putin Celebrates His Birthday Playing Hockey

The Syrian civil war rages on and Russia continues to ramp up its military presence in the region, conducting several airstrikes daily. In the midst of this serious situation, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to celebrate his 63rd birthday yesterday by hitting the ice and playing ice hockey with former NHL players and his closest buddies.

In fact, earlier in the afternoon, Putin was briefed on Russia’s air force operation in Syria by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In the evening, the country watched as Russian television began to air dramatic and intense footage of Russian cruise missiles raining down upon various locations in Syria.

Meanwhile, Putin laced up his skates and took the ice at the Shayba arena in Sochi. So did Shoigu. The game was broadcast live on Russian television.

Spoiler alert: Putin’s team won the game and he scored seven out of 15 goals. Surprise.

In further celebration of Putin’s special day, his social and digital media fan club hosted an exhibition of portraits of Putin as several different real and fictional heroes, including Buddha, Jupiter and Father Christmas.

In Chechnya, officials hosted a soccer game with Italian veterans and displayed a banner covering the soccer field that read, “The best president. Happy birthday!”

Putin has never been one to shy away from the spotlight, and he enjoys showing off his “fitness” whenever possible, once famously posing shirtless on horseback. Russian state media loves to point out that Putin is an active man, and frequently reminds people that he is superior in karate and judo – having black belts in both. He also enjoys curling, badminton, bobsleigh – and arm wrestling. It would be interesting to see how many matches Putin has won.

With respect to the birthday hockey game, Russian television was thrilled to feature Putin’s dominant performance on the ice and emphasized that Putin only “mastered” the sport in the past few years.

Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Putin’s prowess during the hockey game and said his performance was “an indication that his strong physique shows no signs of weakening.”

Earlier this spring, a presidential spokesman declared that Putin’s fitness and exercise regime “exceed by far” the limits set under Soviet-era fitness programs.

If you ever want to see Putin demonstrating his physical perfection, it is likely that you will not have to wait long before another photo op comes along.

Volkswagen Allegedly Knew About Its Emission Scandal Long Ago And Did Nothing

Finance

The top executive for Volkswagen in the United States reportedly knew about the company’s emissions violation as far back as 18 months before the scandal was revealed to the public. The company utilized cheating devices in 11 million of its diesel vehicles worldwide in order to trick investigators into believing that their vehicles were compliant with emission standards.

President of Volkswagen America Michael Horn is likely to make this confession publically at an upcoming hearing. With this latest revelation, more questions will be raised as to why the German car manufacturer did not act faster to stop its illicit behavior. The largest car company in Europe is under heavy pressure to identify those responsible and fix the vehicles that were involved in the scandal.

Since the scandal took place, Volkswagen has lost more than one-third of its market value, and longtime CEO Martin Winterkorn has been replaced by new CEO Matthias Mueller. Additionally, the entire automotive industry has been affected, with some believing that other car companies might be cheating emission guidelines as well. However, insiders state that the scandal does not go beyond Volkswagen.

In a statement published on the website of the United States House of Representatives, Michael Horn says, “In the spring of 2014, I was told that there was a possible emissions non-compliance that could be remedied. I was also informed that the company engineers would work with the agencies to resolve the issue.”

Horn did not identify the individuals responsible for providing him with the critical information.

Volkswagen did not reveal its usage of cheating devices to regulators until early September of this year. The company has since suspended more than ten of its senior managers, including three of the company’s top engineers. The automobile manufacturer has hired law firm Jones Day to conduct an external investigation.

Some analysts have stated that Volkswagen could lose up to $40 billion in the scandal once everything is said and done. This value includes the fact that its stock price has plummeted.

Meanwhile, the scandal has been a huge embarrassment for Germany. The country has used Volkswagen as a model representing the engineering powers of the nation. The German automotive industry employs more than 750,000 people.

Now the country is trying to save face, insisting that one bad incident should not spoil the German car industry or the benefits of diesel power.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said, “There should not be a debate about the automotive industry or about diesel technology.”

Diesel vehicles are extremely popular in Europe, as they represent roughly half of the continent’s new automobile sales. Only a small fraction of vehicles in the United States utilize diesel power.

The company recently announced that many of its diesel vehicles will not be in its 2016 lineup.

Uber Believes Their Data Was Stolen By Representatives From Lyft

Finance

Ride-requesting service Uber is trying to convince a court to allow it to investigate an internet address which it believes could lead the company to a hacker. The news comes eight months after Uber revealed that it experienced a severe data breach. The attack allegedly took place in May of 2014.

Some believe that the internet address is associated with Lyft, which is Uber’s primary rival in the United States.

Last February, Uber announced that it had experienced a security breach, in which the names and license numbers of up to 50,000 Uber drivers had been downloaded illegally. The company filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court to try and determine who was responsible for the attack. It is unknown if the information was utilized in a harmful way.

According to court papers, the unknown party utilized a Comcast IP address and had access to an important security password. Some sources have stated that the IP address was assigned to the chief technology officer of Lyft, Chris Lambert.

While a connection between the IP address and the hacker has not been proven, Judge Laurel Beeler has ruled that the information requested by Uber was likely to help expose the person who was responsible.

Lyft spokesperson Brandon McCormick has stated that the company concluded its investigation into the matter several months ago, and the company determined that no employee of Lyft, including Lambert, had anything to do with the security breach. However, McCormick would not state whether or not the Comcast IP address belongs to Lambert.

A spokesperson from Uber recently declined to comment on the case beyond what is available in the court filings. The company would not state what exactly leads them to believe that more information about the IP address could possibly reveal who the hacker is.

In the lawsuit, Uber claims that the hacker violated civil provisions relating to the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in addition to laws in the state of California.

Lyft is considerably smaller than Uber. The market value of Uber is approximately $51 billion, while Lyft is a mere $2.5 billion. The companies are in fierce competition for both drivers and customers.

There Will Be No New VW Diesel Vehicles Sold In The U.S. Next Year

Finance

Volkswagen (VW) will not be selling diesel vehicles in the U.S. in 2016, according to the company’s U.S. CEO Michael Horn.

Horn will be presenting a written testimonial to a congressional oversight panel today. In the testimony, he offers “a sincere apology for Volkswagen’s use of a program that served to defeat” emissions tests,” and says, “We have withdrawn the application for certification of our model year 2016 vehicles.”

An anonymous VW source says the Touareg diesel, which uses a 3.0-liter engine, would be part of the 2016 line-up.

Horn, taking “complete responsibility” for the scandal, says “these events are deeply troubling. I did not think that something like this was possible at the Volkswagen Group. We have broken the trust of our customers, dealerships and employees, as well as the public and regulators.”

Volkswagen has admitted to installing software in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide which enabled them to cheat emission tests. Among the 2009 to 2015 models are Golfs, Beetles, Passats, Jettas, and some Audi A3s. Automobile sales experts say 482,000 of those models were sold and registered in the U.S.

Horn says Volkswagen is in discussions with the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to find an acceptable “emissions control strategy.”, although not making clear what that strategy is for VW vehicles already in use that cannot now pass emission tests.

“We described to the EPA and CARB that our emissions control strategy also included a software feature that should be disclosed to and approved by them as an auxiliary emissions control device (AECD) in connection with the certification process,” says Horn.
Although what VW intends to do may become more clear after Horn’s testimony today, at the moment it appears as if there is no easy fix for current VW vehicle owners.

Karl Brauer. a Kelley Blue Book analyst, says VW has “abandoned the entire 2016 model year diesels, and that’s not good news for owners. It suggests that the fix is probably not going to be easy. It suggests that the fix involves so much challenge that they’re not even going try to make the 2016s work.”

Company To Create Prosthetic Limbs Featuring Disney Characters

Health & Wellness

The 3D printing company Open Bionics has received permission from Walt Disney to display popular Disney copyrighted characters on their products. Open Bionics will use this permission to feature designs from Disney on their low-cost prosthetic hands for children who are amputees.

Characters from “Star Wars”, “Frozen” and “Iron Man” will be featured on the prosthetics. Open Bionics will not have to pay Disney to use these designs. Designs include snowflakes from the movie “Frozen” and the glove of the popular superhero “Iron Man”.

Open Bionics was one of ten companies selected to participate in the Disney Accelerator program. The program consists of a three month investment and mentoring program. The companies that participate in the program are granted up to $12,000 to develop their ideas and innovations. Additionally, top executives from Disney assist the companies in the process.

Every year, hundreds of companies apply to participate in the Disney Accelerator program, but only a small number are selected. The representatives from the companies that are selected share an office at a Disney facility, and they participate in movie nights and pizza parties.

According to Open Bionics, there are 11 million people worldwide who have experienced the tragedy of losing a limb. While some are fortunate enough to have expensive robotic prosthetics, others only have hooks, and some have nothing.

By making use of 3D printing technology, Open Bionics believes that it can create a robotic hand for $3,000. The current price for a robotic prosthetic is about $100,000. If Open Bionics can do what it says it can, then it would enrich the lives of amputees everywhere.

One other company was also granted the right to make use of Disney characters. MakieLab from Los Angeles will make use of 3D printing technology to create customized dolls.

Disney has $49 billion in annual revenue.

U.S. Military Warns Defense Projects Will Be Affected By Continuing Resolution Funding Measures

News

U.S. Military Warns Defense Projects Will Be Affected By Continuing Resolution Funding Measures

As Congressional gridlock threatens to prevent the passage of a budget for the fiscal year 2016, Pentagon officials warn that hundreds of acquisition projects contained within defense spending may be affected.

If a budget fails to pass, all branches of the military state that they will lose the ability to finish current projects or begin new ones. The U.S. government is currently funding operations through December 2015 using a continuing resolution.

Defense spending would remain at 2015 levels under a continuing resolution if it continued into next year. Among the 51 Air Force projects that would have to be cancelled is the nearly $6 billion purchase of 79 C-130 cargo planes.

Air Force acquisition chief, William LaPlante stated, “If we go to a year-long [continuing resolution], without any ways to change it, we’ll break that multiyear.”

Representing a larger share of defense spending, there are 400 Army projects that would similarly be affected, according to Assistant Secretary of the Army Heidi Shyu. Shyu stated that the planned purchase of 64 new Apache helicopters would need to be halved.

That all may not matter if the National Defense Authorization Act that the Senate passed yesterday is enacted. The NDAA would cover the defense appropriations for the upcoming year, but President Obama has threatened to veto the measure because it includes $38 billion in excess of what he would prefer to spend as part of a controversial Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund.

The OCO allows for spending in excess of the government sequestration limits that have been in effect since the government shutdown of 2013.

Senate Republicans charged Obama with holding the country’s security in jeopardy for political reasons in light of his veto threat. Senator John McCain argued that passage of the NDAA was critical, “We as a nation are on a course to cut nearly $1 trillion of defense spending over 10 years with no strategic or military rationale whatsoever.”

Even if Obama does proceed with a veto, the Senate passed the NDAA with 71 votes, which would provide Congress with the two-thirds override requirement.

Voting Equipment In The United States Could Come From England

News

A company from the United Kingdom is creating voting machines that could soon come to the United States. The current voting equipment in the United States is rapidly aging, and much of it is set to reach its expiration date in the near future. The country will desperately need new voting equipment in the to prevent voting problems from occurring during the next election.

Smartmatic has been designing voting machines that are used around the world. The equipment that is offered by the company includes many modern features such as touchscreens and optical scanners. Their products have already been utilized in 307 counties from 16 different states in the United States, and they might become more commonplace soon.

In fact, President Barack Obama voted on a machine produced by Smartmatic during the 2012 election.

Smartmatic is also focused on the future of voting. The company is creating new technology that would enable people to vote online. Some countries like Estonia have already made use of this technology.

Smartmatic Board Chairman Mark Malloch-Brown plans on making a presentation later this week at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. During his presentation, Malloch-Brown intends on urging voting officials to modernize polling centers with equipment that is offered by his company. He also wants to discuss the potential benefits of online voting.

However, Malloch-Brown will most certainly face challenges in proving that online voting will not be susceptible to easy manipulation by users. Many security experts believe that tools to ensure that internet voting can be conducted both privately and securely have not yet been developed.

Malloch-Brown has acknowledged this fact. That is why while he plans to discuss the benefits of online voting, he is going to ultimately recommend that the United States modernize the traditional polling booth instead of moving directly to online voting. Smartmatic voting systems would enable America to do that.

Even though the United States is not quite ready for online voting, it is not fair to compare the United States to Estonia. The United States is much larger than Estonia, making secure online voting a much greater challenge for America. Additionally, the Electoral College system that is used in the United States makes the process more complicated.

Furthermore, the digital divide, where more wealthy individuals tend to have easier access to the latest technology might make an online voting system somewhat unfair.

The internet voting system that is used in Estonia makes use of several encrypted digital signatures in order to establish and secure the identity of each voter. Every voter is filed in a national voter database that is closely monitored by the government.

Even though the United States is not about to make the leap to online voting, there’s no denying the fact that voting equipment in America is sorely due for an upgrade. Some of the voting equipment that is still being used has been in place since the 2000 election. Much of it has already met its intended expiration date.

New Study Shows That Technology Is Destroying Human Memory

Health & Wellness

Over-relying on search engines and computers is weakening people’s memory. A new study shows that reliance on technology is the sole reason why many people today have short memories and have trouble recalling important information such as their partner’s phone number.

In a new study by cyber security company Kaspersky, 6000 adults were polled on their use of computers to recall information. The adults were drawn from various countries in Europe including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The study revealed that up to one third of all adults would turn to computers first to recall important information. The study revealed that the UK was leading in the number of people who had to go online to remember basic information. More than half of the representative population opted to search for information online first.

According to the study, depending on the computer frequently had a negative long term impact on memory development. This is because the push-button information often can be immediately forgotten.

Dr. Maria Wimber, from the University of Birmingham said, “Our brain appears to strengthen a memory each time we recall it, and at the same time forget irrelevant memories that are distracting us.”

Wimber said the trend of looking things up online hindered the “build-up of long term memories.” She said that a better way to build long term memory was to recall information. “In contrast, passively repeating information, such as repeatedly looking it up on the internet, does not create a solid, lasting memory trace in the same way.”

Among the UK adults surveyed, only 45 percent could recall their phone numbers from way back when they were 10. Comparatively, only 29 percent remembered their own children’s numbers while just 43 percent remembered their work numbers.

With regard to remembering a partner’s number, the ability was lowest in the UK, with only 51 percent capable. In Italy, the figure was 80 percent.

The study results described the prevalence of what they called “digital amnesia” where people are okay with forgetting important information because it can be retrieved from a digital device.

While technology has made work easier for humans in this century, it is threatening to tear apart our natural capabilities. Only through making a sustained effort to remember important things, rather than leaning on our digital devices, can we regain our memories.

Russia Conducts Cruise Missile Attack Against Targets In Syria

Entertainment News

Russia demonstrated the reach of its forces from the Caspian sea after it launched 26 cruise missiles at 11 targets in Syria, which it claimed to be ISIS-controlled. The missiles’ flight paths took a wide berth from Syria’s border with Turkey after reports of multiple incidents of Russian warplanes violating Turkey airspace over the weekend.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement in response to those incursions, reaffirming the council’s devotion to Turkey’s security. Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu issued a warning, “Turkey’s rules of engagement apply to all planes, be they Syrian, Russian or from elsewhere. Turkey’s armed forces have very clear instructions. The necessary steps will be taken against whoever violates Turkey’s borders, even if it’s a bird.”

In response to the trespassing Russian fighters, Turkey scrambled F-16s.

The cruise missile attack was confirmed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who made a point of stating that there were no civilian casualties. The statement may have been a jab at U.S. officials who claimed last week that Russia did not possess weapons sophisticated enough for precise attacks, even as news broke of the mistaken bombing of an Afghan hospital by U.S. forces.

A Syrian ground offensive has also begun with the help of Russian air coverage, which would be the first coordinated action between Russia and Syria following the start of Russian airstrikes last week.

Even as Western-backed rebel positions were hit with many Russian airstrikes over the past week, Russia stated that it desires to work with Western-backed rebel groups to prepare “the ground for a political settlement in Syria.”

U.S. concerns over staging concurrent air campaigns with Russian forces in Syria were confirmed after Pentagon officials revealed that at least one evasive maneuver took place when a U.S. jet came too close to a Russian aircraft.

Google’s Android Auto Under Fire For Alleged Privacy Invasion

Finance

Google is trying to eliminate public fears about its Android Auto platform after a magazine stated that it was an invasion of privacy.

The automotive magazine Motor Trend recently published an article that stated that Porsche decided not to utilize Android Auto in its 2017 Porsche 911 due to the fact that the platform requires automobiles to send large amounts of usage data to Google.

According to the author of the article, Jonny Lieberman, in order for car manufacturers to use the program, select pieces of data would be required to be collected and sent to Google. This data includes things like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant levels and engine temperatures.

Lieberman said that Google requires a “complete OBD2 dump” upon activating Android Auto.

The article went on to state that Apple’s in-car platform, CarPlay, only requests information regarding whether or not the vehicle is moving while Apple Play is being used. Unlike Android Auto, CarPlay will be utilized in the 2017 Porsche 911.

Google is outraged by these reports, as the company claims that it does not collect all the data stated by the magazine.

Google said in a statement, “We take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data the Motor Trend article claims such as throttle position, oil temp and coolant temp. Users opt in to share information with Android Auto that improves their experience, so the system can be hands-free when in Drive, and provide more accurate navigation through the car’s GPS.”

According to Google, Android Auto shares GPS data with a linked Android smartphone for the purpose of improving location accuracy. The platform also shares data regarding whether the car is currently in park or drive in order to display either an on-screen keyboard or to activate a voice control system.

Of course when Google produces its own car, it can utilize whatever features it wants. The Google driverless car is expected to be available to the public by 2020.

Americans Drinking More Sophisticated And Healthier Options

Health & Wellness

The drinking trends of Americans seem to include both drinking healthier choices as well as drinking those that taste like deserts. And some trends fall somewhere in the middle.

America is continuing its war on sugar, which is seen in the trend towards healthier beers. Blake Konrady, founder of Supplemental Brewing, is a beer lover and workout enthusiast. He is attempting to launch a line of “fitness beers.” Through Kickstarter, Konrady hopes to make two protein-fortified beers – known as NutriBeer and Brewtein.

He describes NutriBeer as a light lager and a “low carb beer” featuring four grams of protein and four percent alcohol. It is being marketed to calorie counters who wish to limit their intake. Brewtein is a wheat ale that has “greater protein content than any other beer in existence” and features seven grams of whey protein and five percent alcohol.

Konrady is definitely on to something (providing it tastes good.) The healthy eating movement is sweeping the country and becoming increasingly more fashionable. This includes a growing war on sugar. While alcohol is not particularly good for you, there is a definite shift towards “healthier” alcoholic drinks.

Another trend that drinkers are following is the re-emergence of alcopops. While the ready-to-drink industry was worth $1.5 billion in 2005, it is half of that now. But, ready-to-drink alcopops are convenient and that appeals to those with increasingly busier lives. The re-invention of the drinks includes premium options to appeal to image-conscious drinkers.

Premium mixers are also becoming ever more popular.

Another trend sees gin continuing to rise in popularity. Many independent, craft distilleries are hitting the market, and drinkers are noticing.

Millennials seem to be doing less pub crawling and more “food crawling.” They are spending more time and money on food that they love rather than average pub food. Drinkers are looking for alcoholic drinks to complement their foodie experiences. Therefore, drinks that taste like delectable desserts are becoming much more popular, with drinkers having many more choices than the traditional mudslide.

Drinkers are also showing that they love ready-to-drink tea that contains alcohol. Sales for this type of drink are growing and tea has become the basis for a number of new drinks.

So, while drinking cheap beer during football games will likely never go out style completely, it is evident that more sophisticated, healthier options are taking the alcoholic drink market by storm.

One Woman Works To Ensure That Other Planets Remain Clean

News

Dr. Catharine A. Conley works for NASA as a planetary protection officer. In others words, her job is to keep planets, particularly Mars, clean. With all the human activity that is starting to take place on Mars, it’s no surprise that someone is given the duty of keeping the red planet neat and free of contamination.

Dr. Conley said, “If we’re going to look for life on Mars, it would be really kind of lame to bring Earth life and find that instead.”

Her position gained importance, when water was discovered on Mars, raising speculation that there might be life on our planetary neighbor.

Whenever a spacecraft travels to a distant planet, the presence of bacteria is a major concern. It’s inevitable that microbes will come along for the ride. Even in the harsh Martian environment, it will be a long time before Earth-transferred microbes will die off.

In the continuing search for life, the Opportunity and Curiosity Rovers of NASA are not allowed to visit areas called “special regions”. These areas are places on Mars where bacteria from Earth would likely make their new home. They usually include crevices alongside craters, canyons and mountains. Unfortunately, these areas are also the most likely areas where native Martian life would be located.

Meanwhile, in the search for life, the Curiosity Rover is slowly making its way up a mountain in Gale Crater. This area was selected because it was unlikely to contain special regions. The area is showing signs that it might contain salt water.

However, explorers would need to get approval from Dr. Conley before they could proceed further. Even as the rover stays on the planet, microbes remain present on its surface.

Protections such as these have been in place since 1967 with the signing of The Outer Space Treaty. The treaty states that nations should exercise caution when exploring other planets to avoid harmful contamination. The Committee on Space Research, which is part of the International Council of Science, develops these policies.

Dr. Conley is in charge of enforcing them.

Some question these efforts taken by NASA and other space administrations. They wonder why humans should go to such great lengths to avoid contamination when humans plan on eventually settling on the planet.

However, space organizations say that protecting the environment of these new frontiers is the greatest priority right now. They absolutely do not want to bring harm to any life on new planets, even if that life is microscopic.

As for Dr. Conley, she believes that most of Mars is contaminant free, outside of a few designated areas.

“So far, Mars is still pretty clean,” she said.

University of Cincinnati Hosts One Of The Largest Collegiate E-Sports Tournaments Ever

News

Over the weekend, the University of Cincinnati hosted a two-day gamer tournament which ended up being one of the largest collegiate e-sports events ever. College teams from around the country gathered in UC’s basketball arena to compete. It was watched by about 14,000 people online. And, while the tournament cost under $30,000 to set up, it was funded mostly by entry fees and sponsors – as well as UC itself.

The fact that UC supported the competition signals a shift in the administration’s thinking about video gaming. Tony Quallen, a campus IT manager and faculty adviser of the League of Legends Club pointed out that, “At first the administration was kind of skeptical. But as opposed to fighting it and trying to keep it off campus, they’re actually starting to see the benefits.”

T.L. Taylor, a professor of comparative media studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology echoes these sentiments. “What’s happening with college e-sports right now is that we’re seeing a formalization and institutionalization of what’s always been present.” Essentially, playing videogames has been part of the college campus culture for decades, and now administrations are allowing the student-run organizations to become official club sports – just like rugby and sailing.

The founder of UC’s League of Legends club, Chris Postell, used to play video games on campus in the usual way – with a small group of friends in the cafeteria. He then saw that the gaming community was exponentially growing on campus. He went to the university and requested that it become a club sport. He said that, “It just makes sense for the university to support gaming. We just had to convince them.”

As part of their presentation, Postell and his friends pointed out that the United States government grants “athlete visas” to professional video gamers who travel internationally. They also described how professional video game tournaments around the country are drawing major audiences. At the League of Legends World finals held in 2013 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the arena was sold out.

Postell convinced the administration. “We wanted to establish legitimacy,” and that the campus events “are actual competitions. These competitions have rules, they have regulations, there’s prizing – just like any athletics division or any athletics conference.”

As of this fall, the group has over 650 active members. It is also among the first gaming organizations in the country to be recognized as a club sport by a university.

Might we see the possibility of gamer scholarships in the future? Who knows?

Clinton’s String Of Appearances On NBC Denied As An Orchestrated Effort

News

During a 72 hour period that started on Saturday evening, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made four appearances on NBC and NBC-related properties.

The Democratic front-runner appeared during “Saturday Night Live,” “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton”, the “Today Show” and an interview on the Spanish-language channel Telemundo.

Additionally, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” provided a simulcast of Clinton’s appearance on the “Today Show”.

Needless to say, that is a very large amount of quality air-time in a short period of time.

Both Clinton and NBC representatives claim that the string of appearances was a mere coincidence, and that there was no intentional coordination by the network. They say that a variety of different factors led to this outcome.

However, media analysts are finding this difficult to believe.

Longtime representative of ABC and CNN Mark Feldstein says, “These things are carefully orchestrated by both networks and campaigns it’s this intricate dance. Each tries to get best deal it can for itself and nothing is left to chance.”

Some reports indicate that executives of MSNBC put heavy pressure on “Morning Joe” to simulcast Clinton’s appearance on the “Today Show”. However, MSNBC representatives have denied this.

According to representatives from NBC, Clinton’s run of appearances can be explained by several factors.

The presidential candidate was in Miami to start working to win over Latinos, making an appearance with popular singer Marc Anthony. Hence, an interview on Telemundo made sense.

The appearance on Saturday Night Live can be explained by the fact that Clinton’s campaign headquarters are located in New York City, the same place that that the show is taped. Since the show wanted a big name guest for its season premiere, Clinton was an ideal candidate.

It’s no surprise that Clinton agreed to participate on SNL, given the fact that she has said that she wants to appear as “more personable” to voters. SNL actress Kate McKinnon is also a strong supporter of Clinton, and she likely lobbied for an appearance from the Democratic candidate.

The appearance on the “Today Show”, which took place in New Hampshire, had been planned months in advance.

While everyone involved is insisting that the string of appearances was just a total fluke, it is interesting to note that Clinton reached four radically different target audiences in the four appearances. It’s hard not to imagine that this wasn’t a coordinated effort by Clinton.

Feldstein explains, “(Networks) always have to be concerned, every network does, with over saturation on any one topic and across all their platforms. On the other hand, sometimes saturation drives the ratings up. Donald Trump has certainly been doing that for months. (Clinton) will choose places that are friendly places that have reach, places that have the most exposure and that’s the name of the game when you’re campaigning. If CBS could offer more venues, or ABC, they’d go with that.”

While it probably will never be revealed if the effort truly was orchestrated, there’s no denying the fact that Clinton has been a regular of NBC lately.

Doctors Without Borders Demanding An Investigation Into Its Bombed Hospital

Entertainment News

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which is commonly known in the United States as “Doctors Without Borders”, wants an investigation to be conducted on the deadly bombing of its hospital located in Kunduz, Afghanistan by the United States. MSF is calling this destruction a crime of war.

The United States has already accepted responsibility for the attack, which it says was a mistake.

The hospital was reportedly being attacked by Taliban fighters, who were essentially using the building as a human shield. As per their philosophy, MSF staff had to treat anyone who was injured, regardless of what side of the conflict they were on. The United States attacked the hospital in an effort to flush out Taliban forces.

The charitable organization will inquire more into the matter before deciding whether or not to file criminal charges. The attack left thousands of Afghans unable to access medical care.

MSF International President Joanne Liu said, “If we let this go, as if was a non-event, we are basically giving a blank check to any countries who are at war. If we don’t safeguard that medical space for us to do our activities, then it is impossible to work in other contexts like Syria, South Sudan, like Yemen.”

Meanwhile, the executive director of MSF for the United States Jason Cone requested that the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission be activated for this investigation. The commission has never been activated since its establishment in 1991. Both the United States and Afghanistan are not signatory members of the commission. Their consent would normally be required to activate the commission.

Cone said of activating the commission, “Doing so will send a powerful signal of the U.S. government’s commitment to and respect for international humanitarian law under rules of war.”

Liu is particularly outraged by the attack.

She stated, “Our patients burned in their beds, MSF doctors nurses, and other staff were killed as they worked. Our colleagues had to operate on each other.”

The airstrike reportedly killed 22 people, 12 of whom were MSF staff.

Officials in the United States are also looking into the incident.

United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, “We are conducting a full and transparent investigation and will make the findings of that investigation known as they are found and will hold accountable anyone responsible for conduct that was improper.”

Liu says that she wants an independent investigation to take place because accounts from the United States and Afghanistan were differing in nature.

“We cannot rely on internal investigations by U.S, NATO and Afghan forces,” she stated.

Officials from the United Nations have already condemned the attack. However, they said that they would wait for the results for current investigations before deciding whether or not to establish an independent examination.

MSF officials are not ruling out the possibility of criminal charges.

Lead attorney of MSF Francoise Saulnier said, “We don’t know what will be the next step. We don’t want to eliminate any option.”

China’s Use Of Surveillance Cameras Prompts Concerns For Spying On US

Entertainment News

The Chinese capital of Beijing has been completely covered by surveillance cameras to watch over the city during the Chinese National Day holidays, which run from October 1st through October 7th. Citizens will be happy to know that every street corner within the major city will be monitored by their government.

The video surveillance system is being referred to as “Sky Net”, and it has been upgraded several times since 2012. The week-long holiday represents the first time that 100% of the city has been placed under government surveillance.

Reports show that the number of cameras in Beijing rose by 29% from this time period last year.

The increased amount of video surveillance is supposedly part of efforts by government authorities to tighten security and fight against crime. Meanwhile, police presence in public places including markets, bus stations and parks has also risen, making China more of a police state than it already was.

Chinese officials say that this expanded system has improved the efficiency of police officers.

Thanks to the system, officers have solved 1,500 cases since the start of the year. The number of detained suspects is currently at 2,370, which is 5% more than that of last year.

During the Beijing Summer Olympic Games in 2008, the city had an estimated 300,000 security cameras. Since then, that number has grown tremendously.

However, China’s increased security efforts may have implications in the United States as well.

The possibility of the Chinese government spying on America is a very real threat. If the Chinese government is taking extreme efforts to spy on its own people, then it is very likely also going out of its way to spy on people across the world as well. That includes the United States.

China would relish the opportunity to get its hands on American military technology, such as drones. The Chinese government would also likely use spying in order to get an edge when it comes to global trade. All in all, China’s security and spying efforts could lead to major future consequences for the United States.

Chinese Fisherman Catches Rare Taisui Organism Purported To Grant Longevity

Entertainment News

A Chinese villager recently caught a strange-looking and mysterious creature during a routine fishing trip at the Tuo River in Sichuan province. The organism is believed to be “tasui,” a type of fungus that is described in ancient Chinese texts as having life-prolonging qualities.

The villager, surnamed Liang, was at a popular fishing spot where he had an unsuccessful afternoon. Before he was about to head home, he felt his fishing hook catch on something. He reeled it in and was surprised to see a large, yellow creature with a long tail and a round body. It was soft and could move. The organism weighed about 15 pounds and had black spots. The tail was nearly 12 inches long.

Sun Chun, a professor of microbiology at Sichuan University saw pictures of the organism and concluded that it was likely that the creature was tasui, but that DNA testing was needed in order to confirm that theory.

In the Compendium of Materia Medica, a book of Chinese medicine compiled in the 16th century, taisui is also known as rou lingzhi or “meat lingzhi mushroom.” The text states that consuming taisui can prolong a person’s life. It is reported that the fungus had been eaten by Qing dynasty emperors who believed it may bring them immortality.

While some biologists believe that taisui is a fungus, others believe it has complete cell structures and that it can carry out the process of metabolism.

However it is classified, it is definitely rare and can be sold at as much as $39,500 per .04 ounce in its dried form.

Stories about fisherman catching strange marine creatures from China’s rivers, lakes and the deep sea appear in the news from time to time. Just last year, a fisherman caught an octopus-like animal with hundreds of gangly thin arms. It was later identified to be a very rare basket star.