Church tainted by scandal, Francis says people must shun 'logic of human power'

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis told prelates Saturday to shun the "logic of human power," pressing his campaign to root out corruption and other wrongdoing from the Vatican's scandal-tainted power structures.

The admonition came a day after the latest embarrassment for the Vatican hierarchy -- the arrest by Italian authorities of a Vatican accountant, in a probe of an alleged attempt by the prelate to secure the smuggling of 20 million euros ($26 million) in banknotes from Switzerland into Italy. The Italian monsignor, who was suspended a few weeks earlier from his job in the Vatican's finance office, is also under investigation in a separate money-laundering probe by prosecutors in southern Italy.

Francis is making reforms aimed at ensuring his papacy's priorities, which include paying more attention to the world's poor and concentrating on cultivating spiritual, not material, wealth. He delivered a kind of moral pep talk to church leaders, including Vatican cardinals, gathered in St. Peter's Basilica for an annual ceremony to welcome newly made archbishops.

"Whenever we let our thoughts, our feelings or the logic of human power prevail, and we do not let ourselves be taught and guided by faith, by God, we become stumbling blocks," the pope said. "Faith in Christ is the light of our life as Christians and as ministers in the church."

Francis also put church leaders on guard against "the peril of thinking in worldly terms."

Earlier in the week, the pope established a commission to look into the Vatican bank, which has long had a reputation as a largely unregulated financial centre ripe for exploitation as a tax haven or even for money laundering. The arrest of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, along with an Italian financial broker and a former member of an Italian paramilitary police's security agency, highlighted the urgency to ensure that Vatican's financial apparatus is above board.

The Vatican's curia, or bureaucratic administration, is notorious for rivalries among power-seeking factions. Francis received an authoritative show of support Saturday from an Italian cardinal, Velasio de Paolis, a retired chief of the Vatican's finance department.

The Vatican "must clean house," the cardinal told Rome daily Il Messaggero in an interview. "Pope Francis is right to insist on this," he was quoted as saying. The pope's reform drive is "valid for all believers, clergy or non-clergy, with a red skullcap or without a red skullcap," de Paolis said, referring to the crimson headgear that cardinals wear.

De Paolis added that "churchmen ought to be saints, but sometimes they are not." Referring to the pope's determination to clean up the Vatican bank, de Paolis said of Francis: "He's not ingenuous, he knows that the church must have wealth to help those who don't have it. "

Since cardinals elected Francis as pope in March, the pontiff, a Jesuit from Argentina, has eschewed showy symbols of Vatican wealth, refusing, among other decisions, to reside in the Apostolic Palace. He lives in a hotel on the Vatican grounds, and except for religious ceremonies, wears a simple white cassock instead of fancy robes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/church-tainted-scandal-francis-says-people-must-shun-150827579.html

winning lotto numbers lottery tickets mega lottery sag aftra mega mill power ball livan hernandez

One Direction Rock, Twerk And Do The Robot: Seven Fun Concert Moments!

MTV News heads to 1D's Jones Beach show to watch the dudes in action.
By Emilee Lindner

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709801/one-direction-jones-beach-new-york.jhtml

kingdom of heaven national enquirer whitney houston arizona republican debate arizona debate enquirer national inquirer knicks vs heat

Pakistani girl falsely accused of blasphemy 'in Canada'

Rimsha Masih, aged 14, was detained in a maximum security prison for several weeks in August 2012, accused of burning pages from the Koran.

The case attracted widespread international concern.

Although charges against Rimsha were dropped, she and her family were forced into hiding after death threats.

Rimsha, who is believed to have learning difficulties, was arrested in a Christian area of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, after a furious crowd demanded she be punished.

A local Muslim cleric has since been accused of framing her.

Source: http://www.richarddawkins.net/news_articles/2013/6/30/pakistani-girl-falsely-accused-of-blasphemy-in-canada

yom kippur avengers soa andy williams andy williams Lady Gaga New Girl

The Week in Pictures: Oy Vey Edition (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/316060777?client_source=feed&format=rss

the parent trap invisible children kony 2012 space weather sunspots pac 12 tournament sun storm tri

Google cooking up Android games console, report says | CNET UK

Google could be primed to release a games console powered by its Android operating system, if fresh reports concerning the search giant's plans are to be believed.

The system, which would go head-to-head with new consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, has apparently been designed as a pre-emptive strike against Apple, the Wall Street Journal reports?(paywall link), citing 'people familiar with the matter'.

Specifically, the console will battle the next version of Apple TV, which the tipsters reportedly reckon will soon feature its own games console, or gaming component.

Both companies are -- in theory -- well placed to start making games systems, having already amassed a huge stack of games and willing developers for Android and iOS.

Previous attempts at turning Android into a games platform have struggled, however -- just look at the clumsy?Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, or the Ouya console, which has struggled with unfavourable early reviews.

The report also makes mention of a revamped Nexus Q home entertainment orb, and the next version of Android, which is said to debut in the autumn. The upcoming edition is expected to be called Key Lime Pie, in keeping with Google's confection-themed nomenclature.

Would you play games on an Android console or using Apple TV, or should Google and Apple stick to smart phones, and leave gaming to Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, or on our Facebook wall, and point your eyes downwards for a video about the GameStick?-- an HDMI-shaped attempt at Android gaming.

Source: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gamesgear/google-cooking-up-android-games-console-report-says-50011598/

Meet the Pyro Karen Klein Colorado fires

Apple Remains No.1 Smartphone Maker As Android Leads In The OS Market Share In U.S.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Saturday, June 29, 2013
Apple ranks as the leading smartphone maker in the U.S., while Android remains the nation’s top smartphone platform, according to comScore. ...

Source: http://www.ibtimes.comhttp:0//www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/484696/20130629/apple-no-1-smartphone-maker-u-s-apple-top-smartphone-manufacturer-in-u-s-apple-u-s-smartphone-market.htm

knicks coach encyclopedia britannica white lion mike d antoni resigns holes ncaa brackets 2012 odd

Phoenix, Las Vegas bake in scorching heat

Ten-year-old Easton Martin, of Mesa, Ariz., stops to cool off in a misting fan while walking along The Strip with his family, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Ten-year-old Easton Martin, of Mesa, Ariz., stops to cool off in a misting fan while walking along The Strip with his family, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Elvis impersonator Cristian Morales wipes sweat from his brow while standing out on The Strip posing for photos with tourists, Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Las Vegas. Morales preferred to stand out in the 112 degree heat of the day instead of working the cooler evening hours saying "We'd much rather fight with the sun than fight with the drunk people." A high pressure system parking over the West is expected to bring temperatures this weekend and into next week that are extreme even for a region used to baking during the summer. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Eric Varone, right, takes a picture as Floriane Golay, of Switzerland watches, in Death Vally National Park Friday, June 28, 2013 in Badwater, Calif. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Graphic shows forecast heat wave temperatures for June 29 and compares to previous record highs.;

Maria Wieser, of Italy, takes a drink of water while sightseeing in Death Vally National Park, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Badwater, Calif. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

PHOENIX (AP) ? A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas over the weekend settled across the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that pets will get burned on the scalding pavement.

The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. And tourists at California's Death Valley took photos of the harsh landscape and a thermometer that read 121.

The mercury there was expected to reach nearly 130 through the weekend ? just short of the 134-degree reading from a century ago that stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

"You have to take a picture of something like this. Otherwise no one will believe you," said Laura McAlpine, visiting Death Valley from Scotland on Friday.

The heat is not expected to break until Monday or Tuesday.

The scorching weather presented problems for airlines because high temperatures can make it more difficult for planes to take off. Hot air reduces lift and also can diminish engine performance. Planes taking off in the heat may need longer runways or may have to shed weight by carrying less fuel or cargo.

Smaller jets and propeller planes are more likely to be affected than bigger airliners that are better equipped for extreme temperatures.

However, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport officials reported no such heat-related problems with any flights by Friday evening.

The National Weather Service said Phoenix reached 116 on Friday, two degrees short of the expected high, in part because of a light layer of smoke from wildfires in neighboring New Mexico that shielded the blazing sun. Las Vegas still was expecting near record highs over the weekend approaching 116 degrees while Phoenix was forecast to hit nearly 120. The record in Phoenix is 122.

Temperatures are also expected to soar across Utah and into Wyoming and Idaho, with triple-digit heat forecast for the Boise area. Cities in Washington state that are better known for cool, rainy weather should break the 90s next week.

"This is the hottest time of the year, but the temperatures that we'll be looking at for Friday through Sunday, they'll be toward the top," said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O'Malley. "It's going to be baking hot across much of the entire West."

The heat is the result of a high-pressure system brought on by a shift in the jet stream, the high-altitude air current that dictates weather patterns. The jet stream has been more erratic in the past few years.

Health officials warned people to be extremely careful when venturing outdoors. The risks include not only dehydration and heat stroke but burns from the concrete and asphalt. Dogs can suffer burns and blisters on their paws by walking on scorching pavement.

"You will see people who go out walking with their dog at noon or in the middle of the day and don't bring enough water and it gets tragic pretty quickly," said Bretta Nelson, spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society. "You just don't want to find out the hard way."

Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless as well as elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend.

Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat.

In June 1990, when Phoenix hit 122 degrees, airlines were forced to cease flights for several hours because of a lack of data from the manufacturers on how the aircraft would operate in such extreme heat.

US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said the airline now knows that its Boeings can fly at up to 126 degrees, and its Airbus fleet can operate at up to 127.

While the heat in Las Vegas is expected to peak on Sunday, it's unlikely to sideline the first round of the four-week Bikini Invitational tournament.

"I feel sorry for those poor girls having to strut themselves in 115 degrees, but there's $100,000 up for grabs," said Hard Rock casino spokeswoman Abigail Miller. "I think the girls are willing to make the sacrifice."

___

Carlson contributed in Death Valley, Calif. Also contributing were Robert Jablon in Los Angeles, Julie Jacobson and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas, Michelle Price in Salt Lake City, Cristina Silva and Bob Christie in Phoenix and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-06-28-West%20Heat%20Wave/id-6bab452bdf4e4f79a28ecf6c9c49e304

boxing day george h w bush Belk Led Zeppelin Ned Rocknroll Norman Schwarzkopf Avery Johnson

How Ira Glass Gets People to Talk

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 20: Radio personality Ira Glass attends 72nd Annual George Foster Peabody Awards at The Waldorf=Astoria on May 20, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images

The public radio show This American Life is at once old school and ahead of its time. A weekly hourlong program divided into acts, the show?s stock and trade are character-driven stories that are long on surprising plot twists.?

On its face, a weekly radio documentary program might seem like a holdover from a bygone media era bound inevitably for extinction. But as This American Life founder and host Ira Glass likes to point out, the show?s personal conversational style is perfectly suited to the Internet age. Which may explain why the show, now in its 18^th year, has added nearly 1 million weekly listeners online through podcasts and streaming to go along with a base radio audience of about 1.8 million.

As This American Life prepares to put out its 500^th episode, Glass sat down with Slate?s Jacob Weisberg to talk about evolution of the program and how he approaches its most critical ingredient, the interview.

In the days ahead, look out for more of our interview with Glass, including some of his favorite highlights from This Amerian Life and how podcasting has helped reinvigorate the program.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/video/conversations_with_slate/2013/06/ira_glass_interview_to_mark_this_american_s_life_500th_episode_host_sits.html

megamillions drawing olbermann mega millions march 30 lucky numbers odds of winning mega millions mary mary sag aftra merger

Judge Issues Gag Order In Trial Of Man Accused Of Writing Chalk ...

As you may have heard, a California man alleged to be a serial graffiti artist faces prison time for scribbling anti-bank messages on the sidewalks outside of three Bank of America branches. The trial began earlier this week and yesterday the judge issued a gag order banning any of the involved parties from speaking to the media ? and admonishing San Diego Mayor Bob Filner for chiming in on the topic.

The judge is also not pleased about the oft-repeated statement that the defendant faces up to 13 years in jail if found guilty. While each of the 13 charges of vandalism could result in a sentence of one year behind bars, the judge stated, ?It?s not going to happen and I would be surprised if it ever happened to any defendant with no criminal record.?

The gag order also came on the same day that the defendant had made a morning radio appearance to talk about his case.

Following the gag order, the defendant did speak briefly to the media, but only to say, ?This morning Judge Shore issued a gag order prohibiting all counsel and parties from commenting or expressing opinions on the case. All I am permitted to say is that I disagree.?

The judge in the case has come under fire for his decision barring the defendant?s lawyer from mentioning his client?s First Amendment right to free speech and expression.

?The State?s Vandalism Statute does not mention First Amendment rights,? he explained in his ruling.

In a statement to Huffington Post earlier this week, the San Diego City Attorney?s Office explained why they believe this is not a free speech case:

?This is a graffiti case where the defendant is alleged to have engaged in the conduct on 13 different occasions. The trial judge has already held that, under California law, it is still graffiti even if the material can be removed with water. Most graffiti can be removed. Also, the judge and a different pre-trial judge held that the First Amendment is not a defense to vandalism/graffiti.?

And while the City Attorney?s Office might be prosecuting the case, the mayor of San Diego has come out in support of the defendant.

?This young man is being persecuted for thirteen counts of vandalism stemming from an expression of political protest that involved washable children?s chalk on a City sidewalk,? read a statement released earlier this week by Mayor Bob Filner. ?It is alleged that he has no previous criminal record. If these assertions are correct, I believe this is a misuse and waste of taxpayer money. It could also be characterized as an abuse of power that infringes on First Amendment particularly when it is arbitrarily applied to some, but not all, similar speech.?

In discussing the gag order yesterday, the judge called the mayor?s statement ?irresponsible? and said that Filner had no place voicing his personal opinion about court trials.

Meanwhile, some readers have pointed out to us the likelihood that the defendant in the chalk-scribbling case is probably the same Jeff from San Diego who claimed in 2011 that he?d been threatened by a BofA employee while standing outside a bank branch to provide passersby with information about switching to a credit union.

Judge issues gag order in case of man prosecuted for scribbling anti-bank messages in chalk [San Diego Reader]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2013/06/28/judge-issues-gag-order-in-trial-for-man-accused-of-writing-chalk-messages-outside-bofa-branches/

chris carpenter dick cheney hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan ryan howard

The Fourth of July Can Be a Dangerous Time For Pets

HUMMELSTOWN, Pa., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Independence Day is one of the most celebrated times of the year and is fun for the whole family. Barbecues, parades, and fireworks are just a few of the ways many people like to celebrate with family and friends, but if your family includes pets, some of the most common sources of fun can be frightening or even dangerous.

Backyard barbecues can potentially pose significant threats to pets. Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended or within reach of pets. Depending on the size of the pet, poisoning can occur quickly and can cause intoxication, weakness, depression, respiratory failure, and even coma. Also beware of all the picnic food. Many human foods ? even some fruits and vegetables ? can be toxic. Not only do you need to keep your pet out away from the buffet table, but make sure friends and neighbors aren't feeding them from their plates.

Fireworks ? whether in the yard or at a community display ? can cause panic in pets, especially in a crowd. Even if you're just lighting a few in the backyard, make sure your pet is safely inside and not in an area where they can escape or run away. Likewise, keep matches and lighter fluid out of reach. Some matches contain damaging chlorates and lighter fluid is irritating to the skin and if swallowed.

For more tips on Fourth of July safety, download our fact sheet at www.pavma.org.

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) is the only statewide professional organization of over 2,200 veterinarians from across the Commonwealth. The association, which was established in 1883, strives to advance animal welfare and human health while ensuring the vitality of the veterinary profession. PVMA's website is available at www.pavma.org .

SOURCE Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fourth-july-dangerous-time-pets-192900086.html

Matt Smith Summer Jam 2013 the killing grant hill turkey Houston fire oklahoma

Platfora CEO Discusses Innovation in Business Insight and ...

Ben Werther CEO of Platfora joins John Furrier and Dave Vellante in theCUBE for their ongoing coverage of Hadoop Summit. The three discuss Platfora?s innovation in business insight and corporate growth.

Vellante notes that many companies have not been able to derive the value promised from business insight. He asks Werther what gives him the confidence that Platforma can live up to the often unfulfilled promise. Werther suggest that there are naysayers that ask how will you leverage the existing strategies. He believes in shifting the discussion to ?talk about the kinds of things you?re trying to answer and the different insights you?re trying to bring together.? For Werther this involves exploring different types of behavioral analytics. Doubters tend to hold onto the idea ?that you?re going to try to do that, even if you made the traditional stuff work in Hadoop land?when you get that you realize that that?s not success, you?ve recreated a model that has a lot of problems in it.?

Vellante also asks how customers are changing business processes. Werther believes the key is that data is a resource that can be combined with other areas so that Platfora is not simply trying to re-platform your reports.

Furrier asks about the business value Platfora offers its customers. Werther explains that companies typically have a Hadoop roadmap and plan. A strategy Platfora uses is to offer a demonstration against their data to show them what is possible concerning speed and democratization. Not only are Platfora solutions fast, but accessible to various users other than developers. He notes, ?Most of existing solutions are not about people solving problems, low level plumbing for developers.?

Werther also reviews the typical customer support process. He explains, ?We sell software, we run it on commodity servers that they?ll have on premise. Typically its to the point where they?ve usually got some data in Hadoop and they can start down a long process of trying to build something custom or they?re interested in coming to talk to us.?

The three conclude discussing business. Werther notes that Platfora raised two rounds of funding, the latter of which they received a $20 million investment. He notes that Platfora has seen the customer uptake that they wanted. They currently have space for 180 in their office and is focused on enhancing sales and customer success. Werther says, ?We have a huge opportunity here. We have to move fast enough to keep up with interest.?

Kathryn Buford is a PhD student in sociology whose research explores digital communities across the African diaspora, social entrepreneurship and the arts. Kathryn's work has been featured in various online publications as well as the online magazine for Live Unchained (www.liveunchained.com), which features innovative arts, media and events across the world. Contact her at kathryn@liveunchained.com and follow her on Twitter (@yeskathryn) for musings on creativity, technology, entrepreneurship and society.

Source: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/06/27/platfora-ceo-discusses-innovation-in-business-insight-and-company-growth/

miguel cabrera dodd frank Lark Voorhies Jennifer Livingston Orlando Cruz MLB Playoff Schedule arizona cardinals

U.S. got Snowden's name wrong?

HONG KONG (AP) ? Hong Kong officials say the U.S. government got National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden's middle name wrong in documents it submitted to back a request for his arrest.

Snowden hid in Hong Kong for several weeks after revealing secret U.S. surveillance programs. Hong Kong allowed him to fly to Moscow on Sunday, saying a U.S. request for his arrest did not fully comply with its requirements.

Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen said that discrepancies in the paperwork filed by U.S. authorities were to blame, although the U.S. Justice Department denied that Wednesday.

Yuen said Hong Kong immigration records listed Snowden's middle name as Joseph, but the U.S. government used the name James in some documents and referred to him only as Edward J. Snowden in others.

"These three names are not exactly the same, therefore we believed that there was a need to clarify," he said Tuesday.

Yuen said U.S. authorities also did not provide Snowden's passport number.

The decision to let Snowden leave Hong Kong irked the White House, which said it damaged U.S.-Chinese relations. U.S. officials implied that Beijing had a hand in letting Snowden leave Hong Kong, a former British colony that is now a semiautonomous region with its own legal system.

Hong Kong officials have pushed back, stressing that they followed the city's rule of law in processing the U.S. request.

The U.S. Justice Department rejected the notion Hong Kong had required clarification about Snowden's middle name ? or that it needed his passport number, saying the U.S. had provided to Hong Kong all that was required under the terms of their extradition treaty.

"The fugitive's photos and videos were widely reported through multiple news outlets. That Hong Kong would ask for more information about his identity demonstrates that it was simply trying to create a pretext for not acting on the provisional arrest request," a spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the department.

Yuen said the confusion over Snowden's identification and his passport were among factors that delayed an arrest. He said the government requested clarification from its counterparts in the U.S. on Friday afternoon.

"Up until the moment of Snowden's departure, the very minute, the U.S. Department of Justice did not reply to our request for further information. Therefore, in our legal system, there is no legal basis for the requested provisional arrest warrant," Yuen said. In the absence of such a warrant, the "Hong Kong government has no legal basis for restricting or prohibiting Snowden leaving Hong Kong."

Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow and was expected to seek asylum in Ecuador.

Simon Young, a Hong Kong University professor specializing in criminal law, said that because of the "political sensitivities" involved in the case, authorities had not rushed the case and were taking extra care.

"I think that the Hong Kong government was insisting on a fairly high standard of completeness, and that, I assume, is their practice. They know that our courts will look at these things very closely and they don't take shortcuts," he said.

But he and other legal experts said Hong Kong authorities are typically able to exercise their discretion and use other methods, such as a photo or physical description, to identify fugitives, who often use aliases.

"It's not like he's some mystery figure. He revealed himself on TV," Young said. "The whole world knows what he looks like. So again I didn't see this presenting problems of identification."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hk-says-us-got-snowdens-middle-name-wrong-064609730.html

amy adams kanye west tracy mcgrady tracy mcgrady Yeezus leak Derecho Man Of Steel Reviews

Windows Store recommendations could one day reflect your usage patterns

Yesterday was the day Microsoft made Windows 8.1 available as a public download; today's the day we ask "what's next?" Here at the company's annual Build developer conference, we sat down with Ted Dworkin, the man who oversees the Windows Store, to do a deeper dive on the store's latest redesign. In particular, we were curious about that new Bing-powered recommendaton engine, and how it might become smarter over time. What ensued was a Pandora's box of a brainstorming session. Naturally, Dworkin wouldn't make any promises about what we'll see in future updates, but he did offer some compelling ideas about how Microsoft could take people's usage patterns into account when recommending apps. For instance, while Windows already knows which applications you've downloaded, a future version of the store might also be aware of which apps you use most frequently, which ones you've uninstalled, which ones you've shared, which ones you've pinned, which ones you've unpinned, et cetera. On a privacy note, the recommendation engine is already optional, so there's no reason why you couldn't disable this kind of data collection too.

For starters, this an interesting idea for the developers attending Build this week -- there are definitely people out there who download apps because they're testing them (or reviewing them) and not because they plan on using them every day. Even more broadly, though, who among us hasn't gone on a downloading spree, just to see what they liked? With usage patterns taken into account, you might get more useful picks, ones that ignore that random Twitter client or Angry Birds game you installed. Again, Dworkin wouldn't say for sure if Microsoft plans on implementing any of this, but our vote would be "yes" if it leads to more recommendations we'd actually use.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Nme85mSZdhs/

Samantha Power Philadelphia building collapse Debbie Rowe Bruins score State of Decay michelle obama ryan braun

Friend on phone with Martin at time of death: I heard him say 'Get off, get off'

Jacob Langston / Orlando Sentinel Pool via AP

Rachel Jeantel, the witness that was on the phone with Trayvon Martin just before he died, gives her testimony during George Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., on June 26. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

By James Novogrod, Tom Winter and Andrew Rafferty, NBC News

Editor?s note: This story contains racially charged language which may offend some readers.

A 19-year-old woman who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin moments before his death testified that she heard the start of a confrontation between the teen and another man who Martin believed was following him the night he was shot.

?I kind of heard Trayvon say, ?Get off, get off,??? Rachel Jeantel said in a Sanford, Fla., courtroom Wednesday. ?Then suddenly the phone hung up, shut off.?

Jeantel, who is considered a key witness for the prosecution, said it was the last time she ever spoke to Martin.

Taking the stand on the third day of witness testimony in George Zimmerman?s murder trial, Jeantel said Martin used a variety of racial slurs ? including both ?cracker? and ?nigga? ? to describe the man who he believed was following him.

When prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda asked why Martin would use the n-word to describe Zimmerman, Jeantel said, ?That?s slang.?

The 17-year-old Martin said he ran from the man and told Jeantel he believed he had evaded him, she testified.

But moments later, Jeantel said the man was face-to-face with Martin and she heard her friend ask: ?Why are you following me for??

She said she then heard a bump, which she believed was Martin?s cellphone headset hitting the ground before being disconnected. When Jeantel called back, there was no answer.

During cross examination, defense attorney Don West asked Jeantel about inaccurate statements she made to Martin?s family and lawyer after the shooting, including lying about being in the hospital at the time of Martin?s funeral.

On Wednesday she said she made the story up because she did not want to see the body of her dead friend, she said.

?You got to understand ? you were the last person to talk to a person and he died on the phone after you talk[ed] to him,? she told West. ?You don?t know how I felt. You think I really wanted to go see the body after I just talked to him??

Jeantel also said during her testimony that she lied about her age to the Zimmerman family attorney, saying she was only 16 in the hopes of maintaining more privacy as a minor.

Before the Miami woman took the stand, jurors listened to calls Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer,?placed to a police non-emergency line in the?months prior the shooting. In the the five calls placed over a six month period the defendant expressed concern about what he called suspicious individuals in his neighborhood.

Prosecutors pushed for the calls to be admitted as evidence, saying they point to ?Zimmerman's state of mind on the night of the shooting, after growing frustrated over crime near his home.??

Zimmerman?s defense team argued the calls are irrelevant and the only issue before the court is what happened in the moments leading up to Martin's death.

Also taking the stand on Wednesday were two of the of the defendant?s former neighbors who said they heard cries for help the night of the shooting, with one saying she thought the plea came from a boy.

Jane Surdyka, who lived in the Twin Lakes neighborhood and placed a 911 call the night of the Feb. 26, 2012 shooting, said she heard a young person cry out and that she heard multiple gunshots.

?In my opinion, I truly believe the second yell for help was like a yelp, it was [unintelligible], I really felt it was the boy?s voice.?

Surdyka's emotional emergency call was played for the court, prompting Sybrina Fulton, Martin's mother, to bury her head in her hands as the tape played.

But while Surdyka said she heard multiple ?pops? the night of the shooting, lawyers for the defense countered that Zimmerman fired only once in self-defense. And while being questioned by Zimmerman's lawyers, Surdyka said she had never heard the voice of either 17-year-old Martin or 29-year-old Zimmerman before that night. ?

"You don't know who had the higher voice, or who had the stronger, more dominant voice," West asked of the unemployed hospital worker.

West used his cross examination to question Surdyka?s conclusion that she heard a younger male yelling for help.

?So when you say you heard Trayon Martin?s voice before, you?re saying that it was your opinion that you were listening to his voice as the softer of the two in the argument?? he added.

Another neighbor, Jeannee Manalo, also testified to that she heard a cry for help and heard a gun shot on the rainy February night last year.

Manalo said she witnessed two men on the ground struggling near her home, though at the time she could not identify either of the two, originally telling investigators she could not even identify their genders.

After seeing news reports that showed the two, Manalo said, she could identify that it was Zimmerman on top of Martin as they wrestled on the ground.

?I believe it was Zimmerman, comparing the size of their body,? she told the court.

Defense attorney Mark O?Mara then asked what picture of Martin she used to judge the teenager?s size, to which Manalo pointed to the frequently published head shot of Martin wearing a hooded sweatshirt similar to the one he was wearing the night of his death.

O'Mara pointed out that the photograph of just Martin?s head would not be a good way to judge the size of Martin's body.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges, claiming he was acting in self-defense?and that?Martin jumped on him and began slamming his head into a sidewalk.

Editor's note: George Zimmerman has sued NBC Universal for defamation. The company strongly denies the allegation.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2dd910d4/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C260C1915430A90Efriend0Eon0Ephone0Ewith0Emartin0Eat0Etime0Eof0Edeath0Ei0Eheard0Ehim0Esay0Eget0Eoff0Eget0Eoff0Dlite/story01.htm

British Open 2012 bane Aurora Colorado Rajesh Khanna friday the 13th toy story 4 toy story 4

Sky adding more on demand content, revamping Go apps for summer

Lounging around in the sun is great and all, but what to do on a rainy day? One option is to get some TV time in, and Sky's got a few updates to share that might tempt you in front of a screen on dreary afternoons. At some point this summer, shows from Fox, Universal and SyFy will be available on Sky's On Demand service, as well as content from Disney if you're signed up for the Entertainment Extra package. Mobile apps will be getting a makeover, with "enhanced navigation" and a new design including bigger thumbnails when cruising through the VOD library. The Sky Go Xbox 360 app will also be updated to bring it in line with Microsoft's UI style. Furthermore, Sky Multiroom subscribers will get access to Sky Go Extra, which allows you to download content in addition to streaming, at no extra cost in early July. Vitamin D's overrated anyways.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/26/sky-on-demand-go-apps-summer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

Marfa Texas leonhard euler venezuela Chi Cheng adam scott aurora borealis xbox live

Free Natural Pet Ebook: Natural Help for Horses Adjusting to a New ...

As part of our ongoing effort to provide our readers with quality information on natural pet health we?d like to offer you this completely free ebook.

Our ebooks cover a wide variety of topics including dog and cat health; horse training dog training and cat training; natural equine health and many ebooks which offer valuable information on unusual or exotic pets or information on many common pet health conditions.

All ebooks are in pdf format are certified virus and spyware free. You will need Adobe Reader to view our ebooks. If you do not have Adobe Reader you can download it for free HERE.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our free ebooks and that they help you keep your furry friend happy and healthy ? naturally! You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!?

Your Free PDF Pet Ebook?

Natural Help for Horses Adjusting to a New Environment

Simply right click the ebook title above and choose Save As to save to your desktop!

Please also consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter and we?ll drop you a line each week when new articles come up. Simply fill out the form to your right and get all of Natural Holistic Health?s latest news and articles!

Have no fear, our strict privacy policy keeps your email address 100% safe & secure!

Free PDF Health Ebook...

Heal Yourself With Reflexology

? ? Simply right click the ebook title above, and choose Save As to save to your desktop!? You can find more FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!

---

About Dee Braun

Dee is an Adv. Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Adv. Color/Crystal Therapist, Herbalist, Dr. of Reflexology and single mom who is dedicated to helping others any way she can. One way she chooses to help is by offering information on the benefits and uses of natural health and healing methods for the well-being of both people and pets. Dee also teaches Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Color/Crystal Therapy at the Alternative Healing Academy

Source: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/free-natural-pet-ebook-natural-help-for-horses-adjusting-to-a-new-environment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-natural-pet-ebook-natural-help-for-horses-adjusting-to-a-new-environment

preppers geraldo obama trayvon martin pietrus cheney tori spelling marion barber

Kristen Bell to Dax Shepard: Marry Me!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/kristen-bell-to-dax-shepard-marry-me/

current time a thousand words my sisters keeper kirby sarah palin cbi the shins

One Direction: This is Us Trailer is Here!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/one-direction-this-is-us-trailer-is-here/

esperanza spalding jessica sanchez robert kennedy cardinals san diego weather frances bean cobain north korea missile launch

New York, New Jersey emerge as foreclosure leaders - Real Estate ...

By Orlando Lee Rodriguez

After years of being insulated from the distressed property crisis facing the single-family asset class, the New York City region now has one of the country?s highest foreclosure rates.

?The region is faring far worse than the nation in one important respect ? a growing backlog of foreclosures, resulting in a rate that is now well above the national average,? said economists Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Liberty Street Economics.

?While the foreclosure rate has been edging down in the nation recently, the opposite is true in New York and northern New Jersey. The rate now hovers around eight percent, double the national average.?

Legal hurdles recently implemented in states such as New Jersey to protect homeowners, can now make the foreclosure process take longer than a year.
Critics say the long process is partly to blame for the now extensive backlog of properties set to flood the market.

?Ironically, efforts to slow the slide of the housing market in previous years are now hampering a smooth recovery by holding back inventory of homes that almost certainly must sell in the future but are not yet listed for sale,? said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, in a statement.

However, experts like Blomquist also say that a flood of distressed properties hitting the market at one time should not have too much of a negative effect on prices in the New York metro area.

?Even if all these homes flooded the market simultaneously, they would likely not cause the once-feared double dip in prices, given supply constraints from non-distressed sellers and stronger demand,? he said.

Part of the reason, economists say, is that a price bottom has already been reached in the New York metro area. Combined with a strong job market, prices should not fall, but won?t rise as fast as sellers may want them to.

?Given the strong connection between housing and local economic performance, this firming is good news,? said Abel and Deitz in their brief Foreclosures loom large in the region.

?Still, the growing backlog of foreclosures in our region may be exerting a drag on home prices and may well continue to do so in the future as more distressed homes come onto the market.?

Out of the 50 states, New Jersey and New York rank number two and three respectively in having the highest rate of foreclosure inventory. In April, New York?s rate stood at 5.1 percent, according to data compiled by analysts at CoreLogic. New Jersey?s inventory rate was 7.4 percent while Florida led the nation with a 9.5 percent foreclosure inventory rate.

In New York City, three of the top five neighborhoods for foreclosures are in Brooklyn. Zip code 11207, which covers parts of South Bushwick and East New York has the highest rate in the city.

Hunts Point in the Bronx ranks second highest while the Cypress Hills and Spring Creek sections of East New York rank third highest in foreclosures, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

But given that demand in Brooklyn is sky-high, particularly in the Bushwick market, where inventory in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods has been tight, additional properties are not expected to put a damper on prices, just give more inventory options for buyers.

?The eventual release of these properties will be welcome in the market,? said Emmett Laffey, CEO of Laffey Fine Homes, in a release. ?Buyer appetite for foreclosed properties is at an all-time high. Investors will continue to swarm at below market deals.?

Other posts by Orlando Rodriguez

Source: http://www.rew-online.com/2013/06/26/new-york-new-jersey-emerge-as-foreclosure-leaders/

Annabel Tollman Yasiel Puig henry cavill tony parker LA Kings The Purge Esther Williams

Sony posts PS3 4.46 firmware update, instructions to fix consoles busted by 4.45

After the 4.45 firmware update knocked some PlayStation 3s out of commission last week, Sony has fulfilled its promise of a fixed version. 4.46 is now available to download, while a series of steps has been posted to the support site to walk users through updating any consoles that installed 4.45 and then failed to reboot. Additionally, for users that successfully installed 4.45 and later complained of NAT and "IP fragment issues," a post on the support forum confirms that has been fixed as well. Owners of frozen consoles will need a USB memory stick with at least 168MB of space, although certain older models can also use SD, Memory Stick or Compact Flash cards. There's still no word on exactly what went wrong, but for instructions on how to configure the flash storage and reboot into safe mode so you can start gaming again, just hit the source link below.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

Comments

Via: @PlayStation (Twitter)

Source: PlayStation Support

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hEt_VF5tZXo/

woody guthrie benson henderson 2012 dunk contest edgar vs henderson berkshire hathaway ufc 144 james jones

T-Mobile Prism II from Huawei is official, yours tomorrow for $116 outright

If you're looking to tap into one of T-Mobile's low-cost unlimited plans but are feeling squeamish about paying for your phone outright, then you might be curious about the Prism II: a new budget smartphone that's about to hit widespread availability at T-Mobile. The handset has been on our radar for some time -- ever since it was first outed by @evleaks in March -- but just recently became official with a wallet-friendly price of $116 outright. The Prism II arrives as a successor to the original model from Huawei, but with added horsepower and a fresh version of Android. In all, it brings a 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) display, a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3.2-megapixel camera, 4GB of expandable storage, a 1,750mAh battery and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). The Prism II is currently listed as "Coming Soon" on T-Mobile's website, but carrier reps tell us that it'll hit nationwide availability on June 26th... in other words, tomorrow.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, T-Mobile

Comments

Via: PhoneScoop

Source: T-Mobile (1), (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/InGhMbIGp9s/

new world trade center kellen moore stoudemire jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer delmon young

Xbox Music web version launching next week, Microsoft confirms

Microsoft's Xbox Music will launch on the web "next week," a company representative confirmed to Engadget this afternoon. The service was previously only available to folks using various Microsoft devices and operating systems, from the Xbox 360 to Windows 8 / RT / Windows Phone 8, but the service is going wide online for its next step. The web-based service is expected to launch at music.xbox.com, and looks significantly different from the layout seen above.

The company isn't sharing more details just yet, but a report on The Verge citing unnamed sources has a few more tidbits. Apparently the service will function similarly to Spotify's web version, offering streaming and playlist management through your favorite web browser. Additionally, the Windows 8 app is reportedly getting an update with Windows 8.1, which both changes its look and adds support for SD cards. It's very likely we'll have even more details on Xbox Music's upcoming updates from Microsoft's Build developer conference this week, so keep an eye out!

Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/25/xbox-music-web-version/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

jim jones tony stewart kurt busch kurt busch nba dunk contest 2012 act of valor woody guthrie

Supermoon: Will it be 5 times larger? Not exactly. Still, cue 'Moonstruck.'

This year's supermoon ? it's also a strawberry moon ? will be (slightly) larger and brighter than others, because its full phase comes as the orb makes its closest approach to Earth.

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / June 21, 2013

A 'supermoon' rises behind the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece. The phenomenon occurs when the moon passes closer to Earth than usual. The event this Sunday will make the moon appear larger than normal, but the difference is so small that without magnification most skywatchers won?t notice.

Dimitri Messinis/AP/File

Enlarge

It's bigger than a bleached beach ball, able to orbit Earth in 27.3 days ? it's supermoon! And it's coming to a night sky near you on June 23.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; // google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

It will be bright, beautiful, but definitely not "five times bigger" than usual, as some widely circulating web alerts suggest. More like 12 percent larger than average ? a difference too small to detect by eye without help from a camera.

Take a picture of Sunday's full moon high in the sky, then take a picture of another full moon of your choosing ? at roughly the height above the horizon using the same magnification. Set the two white disks side by side, and the difference is easier to see ? but nowhere near a five-fold difference.

Still, what can be finer on an early summer's night (or winter's night in the Southern Hemisphere) than sitting on the front porch or back deck and enjoying Earth's companion, weather willing?

In fact, it's a two-fer. The first full moon in June is called a strawberry moon, marking the harvest of strawberries after their short growing season ends, according to that annual compendium of weather prognostications, recipes, and lore, the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Supermoons occur once a year. This month's super-strawberry moon will be (slightly) larger and brighter than others because its full-moon phase comes as the moon makes its closest approach to Earth.

The moon's orbit around the third rock from the sun traces an elliptical path.? At closest approach, or perigee, the moon swings to within 362,570 kilometers (224,793 miles) of Earth, while its most-distant point, or apogee is 405,410 km. But those are averages.

Sunday night, the moon's perigee will come within 356,989 km of Earth, about 2 percent closer than average. And the moon reaches full status about 20 minutes after perigee.

As Phil Plait, an astronomer who pens the "Bad Astronomy" blog over at Slate.com puts it: "That's pretty nifty timing."

As with any full moon, Sunday's supermoon will appear unusually large when it's close to the horizon. In one sense, that makes any full moon super to view. But don't be fooled. As the late, great 18-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant noted: "The astronomer cannot prevent himself from seeing the moon larger at its rising than some time afterwards, although he is not deceived by this illusion."

If you miss this supermoon, it's not too early to mark your calendar for the next one. It should show up Aug. 10, 2014. And it's free!

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/k0_69ccAPJs/Supermoon-Will-it-be-5-times-larger-Not-exactly.-Still-cue-Moonstruck.

chuck pagano A Gay Lesbian daylight savings time 2012 Where To Vote james harden breeders cup Mitch Lucker

Independence Day Sequel a Go, Minus Will Smith

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/independence-day-sequel-a-go-minus-will-smith/

Victoria Soto nbc sports morgan freeman Survivor Philippines Fashion Island shooting Victor Cruz nfl standings

Efficient production process for coveted nanocrystals

Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Christine Bohnet
c.bohnet@hzdr.de
49-351-260-2450
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

A formation mechanism of nanocrystalline cerium dioxide (CeO2), a versatile nanomaterial, has been unveiled by scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The research results were published in the scientific journal Chemistry A European Journal (DOI: 10.1002/chem.201204101). This finding potentially simplifies and alleviates the existing synthetic processes of nanocrystalline CeO2 production.

Nanocrystalline CeO2 particles are widely used, for example, in catalysts for hazardous gas treatment, in electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells, in polishing materials for advanced integrated circuits, in sunscreen cosmetics, and in such medical applications as artificial superoxide dismutase. Current industrial syntheses of nanocrystalline CeO2 are based on sol-gel processes followed by thermal treatment and/or the addition of accelerant reagents. Any further improvement of the synthetic strategy for CeO2 nanocrystals requires a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in their formation at the atomic scale.

Dr. Atsushi Ikeda-Ohno from the University of New South Wales, Australia, together with Dr. Christoph Hennig from the HZDR opted for a sophisticated multi-spectroscopic approach that combines dynamic light scattering and synchrotron-based X-ray techniques. These complex investigations involved the use of two world-leading synchrotron facilities of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and SPring-8 in Hyogo, Japan.

Live Monitoring

For the first time ever, the scientists were able to perform an in-situ observation of nanocrystal evolution. So far, little has been known of the formation mechanism of metal nanocrystals; mainly because appropriate analytical techniques were lacking. The most widely used techniques for metal nanocrystal research are electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. They are powerful enough to visualize the appearance of nanocrystals and to acquire their lattice information, but they are not applicable to the solution state where the evolution of metal nanocrystals occurs. "To probe the formation of nanocrystalline CeO2 in an aqueous solution, we combined different spectroscopic techniques, including dynamic light scattering, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and high energy X-ray scattering," says Dr. Atsushi Ikeda-Ohno.

The information the researchers obtained is fundamental to simplifying and alleviating the synthetic process of CeO2 nanocrystals. They revealed that uniformly sized nanoparticles of CeO2 can be produced simply by pH adjustment of tetravalent cerium (Ce(IV)) in an aqueous solution without subsequent physical/chemical treatment such as heating or adding accelerant chemicals. The produced CeO2 crystals have a uniform particle size of 2 - 3 nanometers, irrespective of the preparation conditions (e.g. pH and type of pH adjustment). This particle size is exactly in the range which is interesting for industrial applications. A key finding is that mononuclear Ce(IV) solution species do not result in nano-sized CeO2 crystals. The prerequisite is the presence of oligomeric Ce(IV) solution species, such as dimers or trimers.

"We're indeed very glad that our multi-spectroscopic approach is also applicable to any other research on metal nanocrystals. That's why this study contributes to an emerging research area on metal nanocrystals in a broader context," says Dr. Christoph Hennig. "And the HZDR's own measuring station at the ESRF provides the best possible opportunities for this research area of metal nanocrystals which directly contributes to industrial applications."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 25-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Christine Bohnet
c.bohnet@hzdr.de
49-351-260-2450
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

A formation mechanism of nanocrystalline cerium dioxide (CeO2), a versatile nanomaterial, has been unveiled by scientists from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The research results were published in the scientific journal Chemistry A European Journal (DOI: 10.1002/chem.201204101). This finding potentially simplifies and alleviates the existing synthetic processes of nanocrystalline CeO2 production.

Nanocrystalline CeO2 particles are widely used, for example, in catalysts for hazardous gas treatment, in electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells, in polishing materials for advanced integrated circuits, in sunscreen cosmetics, and in such medical applications as artificial superoxide dismutase. Current industrial syntheses of nanocrystalline CeO2 are based on sol-gel processes followed by thermal treatment and/or the addition of accelerant reagents. Any further improvement of the synthetic strategy for CeO2 nanocrystals requires a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in their formation at the atomic scale.

Dr. Atsushi Ikeda-Ohno from the University of New South Wales, Australia, together with Dr. Christoph Hennig from the HZDR opted for a sophisticated multi-spectroscopic approach that combines dynamic light scattering and synchrotron-based X-ray techniques. These complex investigations involved the use of two world-leading synchrotron facilities of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, and SPring-8 in Hyogo, Japan.

Live Monitoring

For the first time ever, the scientists were able to perform an in-situ observation of nanocrystal evolution. So far, little has been known of the formation mechanism of metal nanocrystals; mainly because appropriate analytical techniques were lacking. The most widely used techniques for metal nanocrystal research are electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. They are powerful enough to visualize the appearance of nanocrystals and to acquire their lattice information, but they are not applicable to the solution state where the evolution of metal nanocrystals occurs. "To probe the formation of nanocrystalline CeO2 in an aqueous solution, we combined different spectroscopic techniques, including dynamic light scattering, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and high energy X-ray scattering," says Dr. Atsushi Ikeda-Ohno.

The information the researchers obtained is fundamental to simplifying and alleviating the synthetic process of CeO2 nanocrystals. They revealed that uniformly sized nanoparticles of CeO2 can be produced simply by pH adjustment of tetravalent cerium (Ce(IV)) in an aqueous solution without subsequent physical/chemical treatment such as heating or adding accelerant chemicals. The produced CeO2 crystals have a uniform particle size of 2 - 3 nanometers, irrespective of the preparation conditions (e.g. pH and type of pH adjustment). This particle size is exactly in the range which is interesting for industrial applications. A key finding is that mononuclear Ce(IV) solution species do not result in nano-sized CeO2 crystals. The prerequisite is the presence of oligomeric Ce(IV) solution species, such as dimers or trimers.

"We're indeed very glad that our multi-spectroscopic approach is also applicable to any other research on metal nanocrystals. That's why this study contributes to an emerging research area on metal nanocrystals in a broader context," says Dr. Christoph Hennig. "And the HZDR's own measuring station at the ESRF provides the best possible opportunities for this research area of metal nanocrystals which directly contributes to industrial applications."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/haog-epp062513.php

Jennifer Lacy Honey Baked Ham hostess israel AMA BCS Standings 2012 American Music Awards 2012