The FCC isn't the only agency playing with devices we don't even know exist: its Chinese equivalent has recently had some hands-on time with an unknown Huawei smartphone, codenamed the P6-U06. Luckily, there are a few pics and specs to accompany the filing, which tell us it weighs 120g (4.2 ounces) and measures 132.6 x 65.5 x 6.18mm (5.2 x 2.6 x 0.2 inches), meaning it could be the super-slim P series handset a Huawei exec hinted at in January. It didn't materialize at MWC, but the same executive promised more was to come in 2013, possibly starting with this P6-U06.
Those dimensions house a 4.7-inch TFT screen at 720p resolution, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, an 8-megapixel camera on the back and an unusually large 5-megapixel sensor in the shooter up front. Unsurprisingly, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean is listed as the OS, while GSM / WCDMA radios suggest Asia as the target market (not to mention the Chinese certification). That's all we've got on the P6-U06 for now, but in lieu of official press shots, the handset strikes a couple more candid poses after the break.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? The man accused of stabbing four churchgoers during Sunday Mass told police that he was after the choir leader because he thought the man was a member of a secret society.
According to a criminal complaint, Lawrence Capener, 24, said he was going after the choir leader at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church because his "speech was different" and he was "99 percent sure he was a Mason."
He told the investigator that Masons are a group involved "in a conspiracy that is far more reaching than I could or would believe."
Capener said he stabbed the others who tried to subdue him because he thought they might be Masons, too.
The affidavit said Capener apologized for stabbing the others after he was read his rights and agreed to speak to police.
Masons are a fraternal group involved in charity and other community activities, but many of their rituals and symbols are secret.
The attack happened just before noon Sunday as the choir began its final hymn. Police and witnesses said Capener vaulted over pews and stabbed choir leader Adam Alvarez in the back.
Worshippers screamed as the shocking and chaotic scene unfolded Sunday with the attacker continuing the onslaught until he was tackled and held by church members for officers, police said.
In addition to Alvarez, three other parishioners were injured, including flutist Gerald Madrid, police spokesman Robert Gibbs said. All four were treated at hospitals and listed in stable condition.
Three other church members were evaluated by Albuquerque Fire Department on the scene and didn't go to the hospital, investigators said.
Capener was charged late Sunday on three counts of aggravated battery and ordered held on $75,000 bail.
St. Jude Thaddeus' pastor, the Rev. John Daniel, said Capener's mother was "very active" in the parish and serves as a Eucharistic minister there.
"He was here occasionally but not very often," Daniel said.
Daniel said that Capener had just graduated from a community college and appeared to be doing well after getting a job.
An off-duty firefighter and others at the church held Capener down until police arrived.
Madrid told KOB-TV that he tried to stop Capener by wrapping his arms around him but was stabbed in the neck and back.
"I bear-hugged him. We were chest on chest. I was wrapping about to take him down to ground, but I didn't have his arms. I had just my arms around his chest, so his arms were free. So that's when he started stabbing me," he said.
Madrid said he thought the suspect was punching him. It wasn't until other parishioners rushed the man that Madrid realized he had been stabbed five times.
The choir's pianist, Brenda Baca King, told KRQE-TV that the attacker was looking at the lead soloist. "I just remember seeing him hurdle over the pews, hurdle over people and run (toward) us and I thought, 'Oh my God, this is not good,'" Baca King said.
Daniel said he didn't see the attack because he had turned his back away from the congregation in order to return the sacrament in the tabernacle.
Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan released a statement Sunday afternoon saying he was saddened by the attack.
"This is the first time in my 30 years serving as archbishop in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and as bishop of Lubbock, that anything like this has occurred," Sheehan said. "I pray for all who have been harmed, their families, the parishioners and that nothing like this will ever happen again," Sheehan said.
Daniel said Mass schedule has resumed. A 6 p.m. Monday Mass is scheduled at the 3,000 member church, he said.
___
Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras
Cat and mouse: A single gene mattersPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Megan Fellman fellman@northwestern.edu 847-491-3115 Northwestern University
Scientists discover 1 gene is necessary for mice to avoid predators
When a mouse smells a cat, it instinctively avoids the feline or risks becoming dinner. How? A Northwestern University study involving olfactory receptors, which underlie the sense of smell, provides evidence that a single gene is necessary for the behavior.
A research team led by neurobiologist Thomas Bozza has shown that removing one olfactory receptor from mice can have a profound effect on their behavior. The gene, called TAAR4, encodes a receptor that responds to a chemical that is enriched in the urine of carnivores. While normal mice innately avoid the scent marks of predators, mice lacking the TAAR4 receptor do not.
The study, published April 28 in the journal Nature, reveals something new about our sense of smell: individual genes matter.
Unlike our sense of vision, much less is known about how sensory receptors contribute to the perception of smells. Color vision is generated by the cooperative action of three light-sensitive receptors found in sensory neurons in the eye. People with mutations in even one of these receptors experience color blindness.
"It is easy to understand how each of the three color receptors is important and maintained during evolution," said Bozza, an author of the paper, "but the olfactory system is much more complex."
In contrast to the three color receptors, humans have 380 olfactory receptor genes, while mice have more than 1,000. Common smells like the fragrance of coffee and perfumes typically activate many receptors.
"The general consensus in the field is that removing a single olfactory receptor gene would not have a significant effect on odor perception," said Bozza, an assistant professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Bozza and his colleagues tested this assumption by genetically removing a specific subset of olfactory receptors called trace amine-associated receptors, or TAARs, in mice. Mice have 15 TAARs. One is expressed in the brain and responds to amine neurotransmitters and common drugs of abuse such as amphetamine. The other 14 are found in the nose and have been coopted to detect odors.
Bozza's group has shown that the TAARs are extremely sensitive to amines -- a class of chemicals that is ubiquitous in biological systems and is enriched in decaying materials and rotting flesh. Mice and humans typically avoid amines since they have a strongly unpleasant, fishy quality.
Bozza's team, including the paper's lead authors, postdoctoral fellow Adam Dewan and graduate student Rodrigo Pacifico, generated mice that lack all 14 olfactory TAAR genes. These mice showed no aversion to amines. In a second experiment, the researchers removed only the TAAR4 gene. TAAR4 responds selectively to phenylethylamine (PEA), an amine that is concentrated in carnivore urine. They found that mice lacking TAAR4 fail to avoid PEA, or the smell of predator cat urine, but still avoid other amines.
"It is amazing to see such a selective effect," Dewan said. "If you remove just one olfactory receptor in mice, you can affect behavior."
The TAAR genes are found in all mammals studied so far, including humans. "The fact that TAARs are highly conserved means they are likely important for survival," Bozza said.
One idea is that the TAARs may make animals very sensitive to the smell of amines. Humans may have TAAR genes to avoid rotting foods, which become enriched in amines during the decomposition process. In fact, the TAARs may relay information to a specific part of the brain that elicits innately aversive behavior in animals.
Bozza's lab has recently shown that neurons in the nose that express the TAARs connect to with a specific region of the olfactory bulb -- the part of the brain that first receives olfactory information. This suggests that the TAARs may elicit hardwired responses to amines in mice, and perhaps humans.
"We hope this work will reveal specific brain circuits that underlie instinctive behaviors in mammals," Bozza said. "Doing so will help us understand how neural circuits contribute to behavior."
###
The paper is entitled "Non-redundant coding of aversive odours in the main olfactory pathway." In addition to Bozza, Dewan and Pacifico, the paper is co-authored by Ross Zhan, an undergraduate student at Northwestern, and Dmitry Rinberg, from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm Research Campus.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Cat and mouse: A single gene mattersPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Megan Fellman fellman@northwestern.edu 847-491-3115 Northwestern University
Scientists discover 1 gene is necessary for mice to avoid predators
When a mouse smells a cat, it instinctively avoids the feline or risks becoming dinner. How? A Northwestern University study involving olfactory receptors, which underlie the sense of smell, provides evidence that a single gene is necessary for the behavior.
A research team led by neurobiologist Thomas Bozza has shown that removing one olfactory receptor from mice can have a profound effect on their behavior. The gene, called TAAR4, encodes a receptor that responds to a chemical that is enriched in the urine of carnivores. While normal mice innately avoid the scent marks of predators, mice lacking the TAAR4 receptor do not.
The study, published April 28 in the journal Nature, reveals something new about our sense of smell: individual genes matter.
Unlike our sense of vision, much less is known about how sensory receptors contribute to the perception of smells. Color vision is generated by the cooperative action of three light-sensitive receptors found in sensory neurons in the eye. People with mutations in even one of these receptors experience color blindness.
"It is easy to understand how each of the three color receptors is important and maintained during evolution," said Bozza, an author of the paper, "but the olfactory system is much more complex."
In contrast to the three color receptors, humans have 380 olfactory receptor genes, while mice have more than 1,000. Common smells like the fragrance of coffee and perfumes typically activate many receptors.
"The general consensus in the field is that removing a single olfactory receptor gene would not have a significant effect on odor perception," said Bozza, an assistant professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Bozza and his colleagues tested this assumption by genetically removing a specific subset of olfactory receptors called trace amine-associated receptors, or TAARs, in mice. Mice have 15 TAARs. One is expressed in the brain and responds to amine neurotransmitters and common drugs of abuse such as amphetamine. The other 14 are found in the nose and have been coopted to detect odors.
Bozza's group has shown that the TAARs are extremely sensitive to amines -- a class of chemicals that is ubiquitous in biological systems and is enriched in decaying materials and rotting flesh. Mice and humans typically avoid amines since they have a strongly unpleasant, fishy quality.
Bozza's team, including the paper's lead authors, postdoctoral fellow Adam Dewan and graduate student Rodrigo Pacifico, generated mice that lack all 14 olfactory TAAR genes. These mice showed no aversion to amines. In a second experiment, the researchers removed only the TAAR4 gene. TAAR4 responds selectively to phenylethylamine (PEA), an amine that is concentrated in carnivore urine. They found that mice lacking TAAR4 fail to avoid PEA, or the smell of predator cat urine, but still avoid other amines.
"It is amazing to see such a selective effect," Dewan said. "If you remove just one olfactory receptor in mice, you can affect behavior."
The TAAR genes are found in all mammals studied so far, including humans. "The fact that TAARs are highly conserved means they are likely important for survival," Bozza said.
One idea is that the TAARs may make animals very sensitive to the smell of amines. Humans may have TAAR genes to avoid rotting foods, which become enriched in amines during the decomposition process. In fact, the TAARs may relay information to a specific part of the brain that elicits innately aversive behavior in animals.
Bozza's lab has recently shown that neurons in the nose that express the TAARs connect to with a specific region of the olfactory bulb -- the part of the brain that first receives olfactory information. This suggests that the TAARs may elicit hardwired responses to amines in mice, and perhaps humans.
"We hope this work will reveal specific brain circuits that underlie instinctive behaviors in mammals," Bozza said. "Doing so will help us understand how neural circuits contribute to behavior."
###
The paper is entitled "Non-redundant coding of aversive odours in the main olfactory pathway." In addition to Bozza, Dewan and Pacifico, the paper is co-authored by Ross Zhan, an undergraduate student at Northwestern, and Dmitry Rinberg, from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm Research Campus.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Etsy stickers adorning your MacBook's lid, oft making a cute play on the presence of that glowing Apple? That's so 2012. Uncover, a Dutch company showcasing its talents here at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam this week, has crafted a new method of customizing one's MacBook lid. And, perhaps most importantly, it involves the seamless removal of the Apple logo altogether. In essence, these guys use a specialized laser cutting process that can etch out anything your brain can muster -- from band logos to company mantras. And, as you'll see in the gallery below, the Apple logo doesn't have to be a part of the equation.
The outfit will take in any aluminum-faced MacBook from around the world, and once it lands in Holland, you'll typically see it headed back to your domicile within four to five days. If you're selecting one of Uncover's designs, you can have your machine tweaked for as little as €249 (around $325), while completely custom work starts at €599 ($780). (And yes, you can just buy a totally new Mac from Uncover as well.) We spoke to Jasper Middendorp, the company's CEO, and he confessed that only MacBooks are being accepted due to Apple's unique backlighting arrangement. They're obviously keen to offer similar work for PCs, but to date, every one he has seen blocks or covers the backlight in some way. For those looking to get it on the fun, allow the source link below to be your guide.
At UFC 159 on Saturday night, Phil Davis showed off the best striking of his career. The NCAA Division-I champion wrestler clearly dominated Vinny Magalhaes in all three rounds on the way to a unanimous decision win. However, one of the judges thought Magalhaes won one round, and the score was 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
It was a surprising score. It didn't take anything away from Davis' win, but it was odd enough that Magalhaes spoke up about it.
One insane judge gave me a round... I lost all 3 fair and square...
Davis and Magalhaes talked trash to each other for months before their bout. Magalhaes left the bad blood in the cage, and was able to give himself an honest assessment moments after the loss.
Here are the terms of trades completed on Saturday, April 27, the third and final day of the 2013 NFL Draft. All draft choices are 2013 selections unless otherwise noted:
The Jaguars traded a fourth-round pick (No. 98) to the Eagles. In exchange, the Eagles sent fourth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 101, 210) to Jacksonville. With pick No. 98, the Eagles selected Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley. Three picks later, the Jaguars selected South Carolina wide receiver Ace Sanders at No. 101. With pick No. 210, the Jaguars took Appalachian State cornerback Demetrius McCray.
The Buccaneers acquired a fourth-round pick (No. 100) from Oakland. The Raiders, in turn, received fourth- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 112, 181) from Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers took Illinois defensive tackle Akeem Spence at No. 100. The Raiders selected Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson at No. 112 and UCF running back Latavius Murray at No. 181.
The Giants traded for a fourth-round pick (No. 110) belonging to Arizona. In exchange, New York sent fourth- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 116, 187) to the Cardinals. The Giants took Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib at No. 110. With No. 116, the Cardinals took James Madison offensive guard Earl Watford, and with No. 187, they selected Clemson running back Andre Ellington.
The Steelers acquired a fourth-round pick from Cleveland (No. 111). In return, the Browns will get the Steelers? third-round pick in 2014. The Steelers selected Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas at No. 111.
The Packers traded for Denver?s fourth-round pick (No. 125), giving the Broncos fifth- and sixth-round picks (Nos. 146, 173) in return. The Packers selected UCLA running back Jonathan Franklin at No. 125. At No. 146, the Broncos selected Western Kentucky defensive end Quanterus Smith. At No. 173, the Broncos took Virginia Tech offensive tackle Vinston Painter.
The Seahawks acquired the Lions? fifth-round selection (No. 137). In return, the Lions received fifth- and sixth-round choices (Nos. 165, 199) from Seattle. At No. 137, the Seahawks took Alabama defensive tackle Jesse Williams. The Lions took Appalachian State punter Sam Martin at No. 165 and Notre Dame running back Theo Riddick at No. 199.
The Colts acquired the Browns? fifth-round pick (No. 139) in exchange for Indianapolis? 2014 fourth-round pick. At No. 139, the Colts selected Tennessee-Martin defensive tackle Montori Hughes.
The Falcons acquired the Bears? fifth-round selection (No. 153), sending fifth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 163, 236) to Chicago. The Falcons selected Texas Christian defensive end / outside linebacker Stansly Maponga. The Bears took Louisiana Tech tackle Jordan Mills at No. 163 and Washington State wide receiver Marquess Wilson at No. 236.
The Rams traded back into Round Five, sending sixth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 184, 198) to the Texans for Houston?s fifth-round pick (No. 160). The Rams took Vanderbilt running back Zac Stacy at No. 160. The Texans exercised pick No. 198 on Bowling Green defensive tackle Chris Jones. The Texans dealt selection No. 184 to Oakland (see next entry).
The Texans acquired a sixth-round pick from Oakland (No. 176). In return, Houston sent sixth- and seventh-round selections to Oakland (Nos. 184, 233). The Texans selected San Jose State offensive tackle David Quessenberry at No. 176. The Raiders used selection No. 184 on Tennessee tight end Mychal Rivera and selection No. 233 on Missouri Western State defensive end David Bass.
The Buccaneers traded running back LeGarrette Blount to the Patriots for running back / kick returner Will Demps and a seventh-round pick (No. 229). The Buccaneers traded the No. 229 pick to Minnesota (see next entry).
The Buccaneers acquired a sixth-round pick from Minnesota (No. 189). In return, the Vikings received sixth- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 196, 229). The Buccaneers took Miami (Fla.) running back Mike James at No. 189. The Vikings selected UCLA offensive guard Jeff Baca at No. 196 and Florida State defensive tackle Everett Dawkins with pick No. 229.
An excerpt from Todd Wilkinson's latest book looks at the media magnate?s almost evangelical efforts to save the prairie dog?a passion that has earned him converts to his cause as well as the enmity of his fellow ranchers
By Todd Wilkinson
Image: Elena Cizmarik/Ted Turner Enterprises
Editor's Note: Reprinted with permission from Last Stand: Ted Turner?s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet, by Todd Wilkinson and Ted Turner. Published by Lyons Press, April 2013. This essay is excerpted from the chapter, "Ark of the Underdogs."
Swinging open a screen door, releasing the aroma of roasting pheasant from the kitchen behind him, Ted Turner steps out onto a prairie farmhouse porch to soak in a sunset. With a glass of wine in hand, he leads his guests on a short trek into the backyard. "I've got a surprise for y'all," he says, playfully.
Removing a set of binoculars from around his neck, Turner passes them over to his companions, then directs everyone's attention to a small divot in the South Dakota sod. "Oh missus praaairie dog," he calls. "Won't you come out of your hole and introduce us to your family?"
Mike Phillips grins from the sidelines. Next to him is Turner's youngest child, Beau, who is in his forties. "The boss," Phillips says, "is in his element."
At Turner's ranches in South Dakota, Kansas, and New Mexico, staff and biologists from a little-known private non-government organization, the Turner Endangered Species Fund, have brought prairie dog colonies back to life for Turner's enjoyment, and, more importantly, as a critically important step in restoring grasslands ecosystems on the Great Plains.? What began as scattered pockets of prairie dogs numbering a few thousand individuals half a human generation ago have grown to nearly a quarter of a million.
While it's true that many agrarians on the high plains curse the native ground squirrels as vermin?they're considered competitors with grazing livestock?Turner reminds his guests at Bad River Ranch near Pierre, the state capital, that his fondness for the creatures is shared with one of America's Founding Fathers.
"How can you disagree with the opinions of a man credited with writing the Declaration of Independence?" he asks rhetorically.
After Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, he famously dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a mission to map the lands acquired from France in the Louisiana Purchase. Mid journey, Lewis and Clark sent a gift, via canoe, back to Washington, DC. The living postcard?a prairie dog?provided no small amount of amusement for the naturalist chief executive. Jefferson reportedly even aspired to allow a colony to take up residence on the newly christened White House grounds.
Turner sees Jefferson as a forerunning ecologist. In 1797, Jefferson wrote, "For if one link in nature's chain might be lost, another and another might be lost, till this whole system of things should evanish [sic] by piece-meal."
"How many prominent business executives in America know what a keystone species is?" Phillips, director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF), asks. "How many can boast that they are actively involved in restoring two of them?the prairie dog and bison?"
With the latter, Turner's bison herd today is 55,000 strong. Phillips says that his employer's fascination with prairie dogs is based on their individual characteristics and their role as crucial underpinnings in a huge food pyramid. "In a way, Ted and prairie dogs have much in common," he says, watching Turner tell his guests how important the gopher-sized rodents are. "To exercise their greatest influence, each must operate on a large scale."
Across a few rolling hillsides the next morning, we arrive at a prairie dog metropolis that dwarfs the quaint scene viewed the previous night behind Turner's farmhouse. Hundreds of conical mounds are embedded in the matted surface of Earth, the surrounding grass nipped short by bucked teeth to a level of manicured smoothness. It resembles a golf course putting green, but is less lush. Turner's neighbors would consider it a "moonscape" but to ecologists it's anything but.
(Ends first round) NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Selections in the first roundof the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (picknumber, NFL team, player, position, college): 1-Kansas City, Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan 2-Jacksonville, Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M 3-Miami (from Oakland), Dion Jordan, defensive tackle, Oregon 4-Philadelphia, Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 5-Detroit, Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, Brigham Young 6-Cleveland, Barkevious Mingo, linebacker, LSU 7-Arizona, Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina 8-St. ...
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - In a sign of growing optimism that Somalia is winning a struggle against pirates and al Qaeda-linked insurgents, Britain opened an embassy on Thursday in a set of four metal cabins at Mogadishu airport.
It was the first such move by a Western power since Somalia began to emerge from more than two decades of conflict. Turkey and Iran are among others vying for influence in the Horn of Africa country, with growing commercial ties and diplomatic missions already up and running.
"It is a symbol of our confidence and belief in the future of Somalia," said British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who flew in on an unannounced visit to watch the Union Jack flag hoisted above the cabins, generator and satellite dish within the airport perimeter fence.
"This is a sign of where Somalia is now heading to," said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
"Somalia is going back to the international arena," he added, expressing hope that other Western states would follow suit.
The country is enjoying a delicate recovery but remains heavily dependent on others for its security. An African Union military offensive has driven weakened al Shabaab insurgents from bases in Mogadishu and other cities, and piracy in the strategic sea lanes off Somalia is at an all-time low, thanks largely to a heavy foreign naval presence.
REGIONAL BOOST
A stable Somalia would boost regional economies like Kenya and Ethiopia which have been rattled by their neighbor's insecurity, and would reassure Western capitals which have long worried Somalia provides a base for militant Islam to flourish.
The British government says now is "the best time in a generation for Somalia to get back onto the road to recovery." Britain will host an international conference in London on May 7 on ways to bolster security, impose the rule of law and rebuild the nation.
At the new embassy, due to be fully operational from late July, diplomats will live and work for a few weeks at a time in rotation behind two big blast walls, squeezed between the airport runway on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other.
Other countries with embassies in Mogadishu include Turkey, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Iran.
Britain's previous diplomatic mission lies in ruins: it closed in 1991 as a civil war broke out that led to first warlords and then Islamist militants stepping into the political vacuum.
Once written off as a failed state, Somalia now has its most legitimate government for decades since Mohamud's election in September. But the government still struggles to exert influence beyond the capital.
Foreign diplomats say they are spending more time in Somalia and will not be far behind the growing number of U.N. officials and aid workers slowly moving to Somalia from Kenya, where many organizations have been running their Somali operations.
Daniel Barnett, founder of WORK[etc], says that for him, "sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day literally brings a cold sweat."
The idea of remote work became controversial recently after Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer ended the practice there, followed by the end of Best Buy's liberal "results only work environment."
Some managers and companies argue that having people in the office is essential, and that remote workers are harder to monitor and detract from company culture.
But for many small business owners outside of major population centers, remote work is a necessity in one way or another. And many others have family commitments or struggle to function well in an office environment.
For Daniel Barnett, the founder of WORK[etc], a company that's built a business management platform that facilitates remote work, both were true. His entire team of 16 works remotely, from Los Angeles to Essex, England, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, and beyond.
Not only did Barnett feel like he couldn't fully endorse a product he didn't live, his own experience at work inspired him to create it in the first place. "I've waged war with A.D.D. my whole life and the thought of sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day literally brings a cold sweat," Barnett told us. "Any meeting that goes over 30 minutes is like being locked in a prison cell and the concept of a half-day workshop is pure hell."
He started to develop software tools on his own to free him from having to go to an office for his marketing business, but his A.D.D. led him to go further.
"With A.D.D., starting and finishing routine tasks requires effort and focus. So into the software went simple methods to automate common systems and pull everything together," Barnett said. "For example, (I wanted it to) let me turn a sales lead into a quote, then into a project, and invoice and later a support ticket without having to think about it; manage progress each step of the way so I don't have too."
As the software took care of more and more things, Barnett started to turn it into a business, hoping to help other people work through the things that took so much effort for him.
Of course, there are challenges with running an entirely remote company, even if you're using specialized software. Hiring practices are especially important. You need people that you can trust, that will remain accountable, are comfortable working alone, but are confident enough to jump on a call or Skype to work through ideas or problems.
"Hire someone that thrives off being around people or someone that is shy on a call is going to cause friction," Barnett says.
The company has a very deliberate process to find out of someone's right for the company, and for a remote workplace. "Part of our trial process is for all new employees to set up a WORK[etc] account for an imaginary business, except we don't reveal to that person we are secretly rating their progress," Barnett said. "If they create rubbish names for sales leads, or set up a project with no content then odds are they won't make good remote workers."
And since they're being monitored, it's easy to see if they email their team every simple question rather than having the initiative to at least research the answer themselves, another warning sign.
As someone who constantly experiences and succeeds in a remote work environment, Barnett doesn't buy the arguments against them. "A strategically placed water-cooler, swiss-cheese cubicle walls and bean-bagged chill out rooms do not increase creativity and productivity. Engaged, motivated and inspired people increase productivity and creativity."
In fact, offices can be uniquely unproductive for some people. "I would argue that being politely coerced into small talk about the weather or not being able to avoid [the] latest gossip is a cancer on creativity and productivity," Barnett argues.
The absence of those daily interactions does require a bit of extra effort to keep people engaged, on task, and to build a company culture. To do that, the company asks everyone to spend the last 5 minutes of their day to answer and share their responses to five simple questions:
What did I work on today?
What were the challenges I encountered?
How did I overcome those challenges?
What I am working on tomorrow?
People respond about everything from work to personal lives, in an effort to create a culture where people not only share information, but care for and have concern for the other people on the team.
Beyond the challenges of working remotely, Barnett's trying to break into an incredibly crowded industry, with big enterprise software players like SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, and IBM, along with smaller challengers. "It is frustrating to constantly hear from new customers that they almost didn't sign up because they had never heard of WORK[etc]," Barnett said.
His response? To not worry as much about exposure, keep his head down, and just focus on building a great product. He argues that a major frustration for other small businesses, particularly ones that work remotely, is having to use multiple tools for different things, like sales, project management, invoicing and customer support. "(It's) inefficient and expensive, not to mention downright frustrating," Barnett says.
By offering a single product and a single license, he hopes to provide a cheaper and easier alternative, made by a small business for other small businesses.
MOSCOW (AP) ? A fire raged through a psychiatric hospital outside Moscow early Friday, killing 38 people, including two nurses, emergency officials said.
A third nurse managed to save two patients and they were the only three thought to have survived, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the Health Ministry.
Police said the fire, which broke out at about 2 a.m. local time (6 p.m. Eastern, 2200 GMT) in the one-story hospital in the Ramenskoye settlement, was caused by a short circuit, RIA Novosti reported.
A photograph on the website of the emergency services showed a building consumed by flames.
The emergency services also posted a list of the patients indicating they ranged in age from 20 to 76.
Feb. 27, 2000: George W. Bush strategist Karl Rove discusses the 2000 Election on NBC's "Meet the Press" (Photo by Michael Smith)
The Butterfly Ballot
Nov. 9, 2000: Karl Rove (L), Chief strategist for Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush, holds up a copy of a Cook County, Illinois, election butterfly ballot. Rove questioned statements from the campaign of Democratic candidate Al Gore that criticized the use of the same-style ballot in Palm Beach county, Florida. (PAUL RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
Sworn In
Jan. 22, 2001: Senior George W. Bush staff members, Counselor to the President Karen Hughes (L), Senior Political Advisor to the President Karl Rove (2nd L), National Security Advisor to the President Condoleezza Rice (2nd R), and Presidential Spokesman Ari Fleischer (R) hold their right hands up during a swearing-in ceremony of dozens of staff members in the East Room of the White House. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
Side By Side
Sept. 27, 2001: U.S. President George W. Bush (L) walks with his chief political adviser Karl Rove after returning to the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Salute
Oct. 5, 2001: U.S. President George W. Bush's senior adviser Karl Rove makes a signal to a White House media member as he stands in the wings of the Rose Garden in Washington, D.C. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
Bundle Up
Feb. 20, 2003: White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove (R) and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice walk toward the Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Making A Point
May 7, 2003: Bush political advisor Karl Rove speaks at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on the campus of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Michael Springer/Getty Images)
Can I Have Your Egg Autograph?
May 7, 2003: Bush political advisor Karl Rove is asked to autograph eggs at a 'Politics & Eggs' luncheon at the Bedford Inn in Bedford, New Hampshire. (Photo by Michael Springer/Getty Images)
Congratulations, Graduates
May 8, 2004: Karl Rove, chief political advisor to President Bush, speaks to graduates of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. (Photo by Eric Brady/Getty Images)
Shield The Security Advisor
Dec. 3, 2004: Presidential advisor Karl Rove(L) jokingly shields National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice from the press in Washington, D.C. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Do You See What I See?
July 14, 2005: U.S. President George W. Bush and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove walk from the Oval Office across the South Lawn of the White House toward Marine One in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Traffic Jam
Oct. 25, 2005: President Bush's senior advisor Karl Rove drives his car out of his driveway in Washington D.C. Rove is a key figure in the CIA leak investigation headed by Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Mirror, Mirror On The Car
Oct. 27, 2005: President Bush's senior advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove looks through his sideview mirror as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC. Rove was a key figure in the CIA leak investigation headed by Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Listen Up
Feb. 27, 2006: White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card (L) whispers in the ear of Senior White House Advisor Karl Rove as US President George W. Bush (not pictured) addresses a meeting of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Reading List
May 15, 2006: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove holds up a copy of 'Kings of the Hill,' by Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne Cheney, while delivering remarks on economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
We're Thirsty
Jan. 25, 2007: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove (L), Communications Director Kevin Sullivan (C) and Spokesperson Tony Snow jokingly drink water at the same time before U.S. President George W. Bush participated a round table event at Saint Luke's East Hospital in Lee's Summit, Missouri. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Look, Obama's In The Paper
Jan. 17, 2007: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove points to today's edition of USA Today with U.S. Senator Barack Obama, D-IL, on the front page as he awaits U.S. President George W. Bush's arrival at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Wiping His Forehead
March 28, 2007: Karl Rove, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, wipes his forehead before rapping with 'Who's Line is it Anyway?' stars Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood during the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
Hug It Out
Aug. 13, 2007: U.S. President George W. Bush embraces Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, after a statement by Rove at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Intensity
Oct. 21, 2008: Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush, speaks during a panel discussion at the 2008 Mortgage Bankers Association Conference and Expo in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Hold The Phone
Aug. 28, 2012: Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. President George W. Bush, walks on the floor before the start of the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
CNIO researchers 'capture' the replication of the human genome for the first timePublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nuria Noriega comunicacion@cnio.es Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO)
A study led by Oscar Fernandez-Capetillo has deciphered the components of the machinery that duplicates DNA, the replisome, on which most chemotherapeutic agents currently act
The Genomic Instability Group led by researcher scar Fernndez-Capetillo at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), has for the first time obtained a panoramic photo of the proteins that take part in human DNA division, a process known as replication.
The research article, published today in the journal Cell Reports, is the result of a collaborative study in which other CNIO groups have also participated, including the Proteomics Unit led by Javier Muoz and the DNA Replication Group led by Juan Mndez.
DNA replication is the chemical process that sustains cell division, and thus one of the biological mechanisms targeted by most chemotherapeutic agents in order to destroy tumour cells.
To date, multiple independent molecular studies carried out over the last decades have given a general idea of the proteins involved in the replication process. "We suspected that there might be several dozen proteins that control this process meticulously, thus ensuring the correct duplication of our genome as an indispensible step prior to cell division," explains Fernndez-Capetillo.
Thanks to the development of a new technology that allows to isolate recently synthesised DNA, in addition to sophisticated proteomic detection tools (the iPOND-MS technique), CNIO researchers have for the first time been able to precisely draw out, in a single experiment, the replication machinery. These results represent the first proteomic characterisation of the replisome.
According to the authors, the proteins identified have very different activities: they open up the DNA double helix, copy it, repair any breaks if needs be, modify it in different ways, etc. "In short, they're all necessary in order to ensure the correct duplication of the DNA and avoid aberrations in the genetic material that form the basis of tumours", states Fernndez-Capetillo.
NEW REPLICATION PROTEINS
Andrs Joaqun Lpez-Contreras, the first author of the study, adds: "Some of these proteins were already known but this study has also allowed us to identify new proteins needed for DNA replication, opening up new research paths in the field."
DNA replication in cancer cells occurs in an uncontrolled or aberrant manner, which makes it the Achilles' heel of oncology research. According to Fernndez-Capetillo, the next step consists of applying these new technologies to finding differences in the replication machinery of normal and cancer cells, so that new therapeutic strategies can be found to treat cancer.
"If we manage to find fundamental differences between replication in normal cells and in cancer cells, we will surely be able to find new therapeutic targets on which to focus future treatments in the fight against cancer," says the CNIO researcher.
###
Reference article:
A Proteomic characterization of factors enriched at nascent DNA molecules. Lopez-Contreras AJ, Ruppen I, Nieto-Soler M, Murga M, Rodriguez-Acebes S, Remeseiro S, Rodrigo-Perez S, Rojas AM, Mendez J, Muoz J, Fernandez-Capetillo O. Cell Reports (2013). doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.03.009
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CNIO researchers 'capture' the replication of the human genome for the first timePublic release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nuria Noriega comunicacion@cnio.es Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO)
A study led by Oscar Fernandez-Capetillo has deciphered the components of the machinery that duplicates DNA, the replisome, on which most chemotherapeutic agents currently act
The Genomic Instability Group led by researcher scar Fernndez-Capetillo at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), has for the first time obtained a panoramic photo of the proteins that take part in human DNA division, a process known as replication.
The research article, published today in the journal Cell Reports, is the result of a collaborative study in which other CNIO groups have also participated, including the Proteomics Unit led by Javier Muoz and the DNA Replication Group led by Juan Mndez.
DNA replication is the chemical process that sustains cell division, and thus one of the biological mechanisms targeted by most chemotherapeutic agents in order to destroy tumour cells.
To date, multiple independent molecular studies carried out over the last decades have given a general idea of the proteins involved in the replication process. "We suspected that there might be several dozen proteins that control this process meticulously, thus ensuring the correct duplication of our genome as an indispensible step prior to cell division," explains Fernndez-Capetillo.
Thanks to the development of a new technology that allows to isolate recently synthesised DNA, in addition to sophisticated proteomic detection tools (the iPOND-MS technique), CNIO researchers have for the first time been able to precisely draw out, in a single experiment, the replication machinery. These results represent the first proteomic characterisation of the replisome.
According to the authors, the proteins identified have very different activities: they open up the DNA double helix, copy it, repair any breaks if needs be, modify it in different ways, etc. "In short, they're all necessary in order to ensure the correct duplication of the DNA and avoid aberrations in the genetic material that form the basis of tumours", states Fernndez-Capetillo.
NEW REPLICATION PROTEINS
Andrs Joaqun Lpez-Contreras, the first author of the study, adds: "Some of these proteins were already known but this study has also allowed us to identify new proteins needed for DNA replication, opening up new research paths in the field."
DNA replication in cancer cells occurs in an uncontrolled or aberrant manner, which makes it the Achilles' heel of oncology research. According to Fernndez-Capetillo, the next step consists of applying these new technologies to finding differences in the replication machinery of normal and cancer cells, so that new therapeutic strategies can be found to treat cancer.
"If we manage to find fundamental differences between replication in normal cells and in cancer cells, we will surely be able to find new therapeutic targets on which to focus future treatments in the fight against cancer," says the CNIO researcher.
###
Reference article:
A Proteomic characterization of factors enriched at nascent DNA molecules. Lopez-Contreras AJ, Ruppen I, Nieto-Soler M, Murga M, Rodriguez-Acebes S, Remeseiro S, Rodrigo-Perez S, Rojas AM, Mendez J, Muoz J, Fernandez-Capetillo O. Cell Reports (2013). doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.03.009
[ | 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.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) ? Of three ricin-laced letters mailed this month to public officials, only one made it into the hands of an intended target, 80-year-old Mississippi judge Sadie Holland.
Investigators are working to piece together what motivated someone to send the letters to her, President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. Holland is a common link between two men who have been investigated in the case.
Holland presided over a 2004 assault case against Paul Kevin Curtis, an entertainer who had been the top suspect in the case until prosecutors dropped charges against him Tuesday.
And her family has had political skirmishes with Everett Dutschke, the Tupelo man whose home and former place of business have been the subject of searches by investigators for two days this week. No charges have been filed against Dutschke.
The judge's son, Steve Holland, is a partner with her in the funeral home owned by the family.
"I've often said she could sentence someone to hanging at the courthouse square at 12 noon and they'd say 'Thank you Miss Sadie,' " Steve Holland said.
The family is deep into Mississippi politics. Sadie Holland has been a Justice Court judge for 14 years. Steve is a state representative and his wife Gloria, is mayor of the town of Plantersville. Another of Sadie Holland's sons, Billy Joe, is a member of the Lee County Board of Supervisors.
Steve Holland said he believes his mother's only encounter with Dutschke was at a 2007 rally in the town of Verona. Running as a Republican, Dutschke lost a lopsided election to Steve Holland that year.
He said his mother called out Dutschke after he made a derogatory speech about the Holland family.
"She just got up and said 'Sir, you will apologize. This is where I was born in Verona and we've been here five generations and you will apologize.'"
Steve Holland said Dutschke altered a photo to make him look like the fictional Boss Hogg from the "Dukes of Hazzard" TV series, portraying Holland in a white suit and hat with a big cigar.
"He'd just go off on a tangent about Boss Holland is a thief and Boss Holland has been stealing from you people and Boss Holland this and Boss Holland that," Holland said.
Brandon Presley, Mississippi's northern district public service commissioner and a distant cousin of Elvis Presley, attended the 2007 political rally in Verona. He told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he remembers Dutschke giving a "militant" speech with personal and professional attacks on Steve Holland.
Presley, also a Democrat, said he doesn't recall details of the speech ? just the tone of it, and the crowd's reaction.
"I just remember everybody's jaw dropping," Presley said.
Dutschke, who ran as a Republican, said his speech included sharp criticism of Steve Holland's record in public office. Dutschke said Steve Holland exaggerated the incident. Presley said he remembers Sadie Holland chastising Dutschke.
Dutschke told AP on Tuesday that he has no problem with Sadie Holland. "Everybody loves Sadie, including me," he said.
Steve Holland said he doesn't know if his mother remembers Curtis' assault case. She was presiding judge in a case in which Curtis was accused of assaulting a Tupelo attorney in 2003. Holland sentenced Curtis to six months in the county jail. He served only part of the sentence, according to his brother.
Sadie Holland declined to talk with AP.
Steve Holland said his mother insists on opening her own mail at the court and called the Lee County sheriff after reading the threat and deciding the letter "didn't smell right."
Holland said his mother has been trying to go about her daily routine and ignore the hoopla, saying he saw her driving a tractor home about sundown one night this week. Instead of talking about investigation, Holland said his mother wanted to talk about planting new grass in the family graveyard.
"She's fiercely independent, unbelievable independent," Holland said. "Mother doesn't want the FBI or anyone else here," he said. "She just wants life back to normal."
Curtis, 45, was released from a north Mississippi jail Tuesday and charges against him were dropped, nearly a week after authorities charged him with sending the poisoned letters.
By the time Curtis left jail, authorities were descending on Dutschke's house in Tupelo, a search lasting hours that day.
On Wednesday, dozens of investigators were searching at a small retail space where neighboring business owners said Dutschke used to operate a martial arts studio. Officers at the scene wouldn't comment on what they were doing.
Investigators in gas masks, gloves and plastic suits emerged from the business carrying five-gallon buckets full of items covered in large plastic bags. Once outside, others started spraying their protective suits with some sort of mist.
Dutschke was seen outside the studio observing the search.
Wednesday evening, hazmat teams packed up and left Dutschke's business. A woman drove off in a green Dodge Caravan parked on the street that had been searched. Daniel McMullen, FBI special agent in charge in Mississippi, declined to speak with reporters afterward.
Dutschke's attorney, Lori Nail Basham, said Dutschke is "cooperating fully" with investigators and that no arrest warrant had been issued.
Federal authorities have not said what led them to drop the charges against Curtis, and his lawyers say they're not sure what new evidence the FBI has found.
Curtis, who performs as Elvis and other celebrities, describes a bizarre, years-long feud with Dutschke, who insists he had nothing to do with the letters.
The two worked together at Curtis' brother's insurance office years ago, Curtis said. He said Dutschke told him he owned a newspaper and showed interest in publishing his book called "Missing Pieces," about what Curtis considers an underground market to sell body parts.
But Dutschke decided not to publish the material, Curtis said, and later began stalking him on the Internet.
For his part, Dutschke said he didn't even know Curtis that well.
"He almost had my sympathy until I found out that he was trying to blame somebody else," Dutschke said Monday. "I've known he was disturbed for a long time. Last time we had any contact with each other was at some point in 2010 when I threatened to sue him for fraud for posting a Mensa certificate that is a lie. He is not a Mensa member. That certificate is a lie."
Curtis acknowledges posting a fake Mensa certificate on Facebook, but says it was an online trap set up for Dutschke because he believed Dutschke was stalking him online. He knew Dutschke also claimed to be a member of the organization for people with high IQs. Dutschke had a Mensa email address during his 2007 legislative campaign.
Dutschke started a campaign to prove him a liar, Curtis said, and allegedly harassed him through emails and social networking.
Curtis said the two agreed to meet at one point to face off in person, but Dutschke didn't show up.
"The last email I got from him, was, 'Come back tomorrow at 7 and the results of you being splattered all over the pavement will be public for the world to see what a blank, blank, blank you are.' And then at that point, I knew I was dealing with a coward," Curtis said.
Hal Neilson, who is a former FBI agent and one of the attorneys for Curtis, has said there was a list of people who may have wanted to hurt Curtis and that Dutschke's name came up. Efforts to reach Curtis, his lawyers and his brother were unsuccessful Wednesday.
Dutschke told the AP on Wednesday morning that he and his wife had gone to a friend's house because they didn't feel safe at their home. He didn't immediately respond to messages Wednesday afternoon.
"They ripped everything out of the house," he said, adding: "I haven't slept at all."
___
Associated Press writer Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson contributed to this report.
Microsoft has just sent out a round of invites to the press to attend a special event at its Redmond, Washington campus on May 21 at 10 AM PT. The event is associated with the hashtag #XboxReveal, and promises to show off a "new generation" of Xbox, so it's safe to say we'll get our first glimpse of Microsoft's next-generation home gaming console at the event.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German business sentiment fell in April for the second consecutive month, missing even the lowest estimate in a Reuters poll and signalling that Europe's largest economy is struggling to pull away from a contraction at the end of last year.
The Munich-based Ifo think tank said on Wednesday its business climate index, based on a monthly survey of some 7,000 firms, fell to 104.4 in April, down from 106.7 in March. That was short of even the lowest forecast in a Reuters poll in which the median estimate of 45 economists was 106.2.
The survey sent the euro to its lowest in nearly three weeks against the dollar while Bunds edged up briefly.
The German economy long fought off the euro zone crisis that sent much of the rest of the bloc into recession but contracted in the final quarter of 2012. Data now point to it struggling to leave that gloom behind, especially because of weakness in the Chinese economy which had proved a strong alternative market.
"The sharp dip in Germany's Ifo index marks another nail in the coffin for stronger recovery this year," said David Brown at New View Economics.
"Based on what we have recently seen from the latest Ifo, ZEW (investor sentiment) and PMI (purchasing managers' index) business surveys, Germany will be very lucky to avoid a near term recession in the recent two quarters," he added.
The disappointing Ifo numbers, combined with the PMI survey showing the private sector contracted in April, help build the case for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates at its meeting next week by suggesting that even the region's growth engine is heading back into contraction.
Announcements from German firms have been largely downbeat of late, with BASF saying it would cut 500 jobs by 2015, Bosch saying sales were subdued between January and March and Daimler reporting its first-quarter profit plunged more than half.
The Ifo survey showed firms were more gloomy about their business outlook, with a sub-index falling to 101.6 from 103.6 in March. They were more pessimistic about current business, with a gauge of current conditions dropping to 107.2 from 109.9.
After a lull of several months, the euro zone crisis flared up again last month with Cyprus's messy bailout and an inconclusive Italian election weighing on business sentiment.
(Reporting by Berlin bureau; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Stephen Brown)
Apple's quarterly conference calls are always full of enlightening snippets of information, and the call following the release of the second quarter of 2013 financial results was no exception. In addition to revealing explosive growth in China, aggressive iPhone 4 pricing in developing markets, and that there are still trade-offs that would exist were Apple to hypothetically make a hypothetical iPhone with a screen of some size hypothetically larger than the 4 inches of the current iPhone 5, Cook hinted that Apple is investing in "the potential of exciting new product categories" and that Apple might be announcing new products in the fall.
Of course, he wasn't nearly so direct, merely indicating that the fall quarter is when things might pick up a bit, saying that "We've got a lot more surprises in the works." In fact, the guidance for the next quarter seems to indicate that Apple's not planning anything major over the next two months. Apple hasn't had a major product launch so far this year - in fact, Cook lamented that perhaps Apple should have held back on the introduction of the new iMacs until the start of 2013 - and at this pace may not until this fall. Cook repeatedly hinted that Apple's engineers and developers are "hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services that we can't wait to introduce in the fall and into 2014." So much for speculation of a summer iPhone launch, eh?
Of course, Cook declined to comment on when exactly that new hardware, software and services will hit the physical and virtual shelves, but it's looking like 2014 will be the year to watch for Apple.
Exactly which "exciting new product categories" Apple is exploring come the fall and 2014 is up in the air. There's the Apple Watch, which Apple is supposedly working hard on. There's the long- and oft-rumored iTV. And there are things that can almost state as fact as coming (though we won't until they're announced), like iOS 7 and a new iPhone without a bigger screen.
It's telling that Cook felt the need to state that these new products might come late this year or even into next year. The move was likely a deliberate effort to set investor expectations - the next quarter will be good, at least as far as Apple quarters are concerned (most companies would consider a quarter like this last one to be an extraordinary cause for celebration) - but not extraordinary like the preceding holiday quarter. And while Cook isn't happy about the decline in Apple's stock price, calling it "very frustrating", he said that "the most important objective at Apple will always be creating the most innovative products." And innovation takes time.
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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At UFC 159 on Saturday night, Phil Davis showed off the best striking of his career. The NCAA Division-I champion wrestler clearly dominated Vinny Magalhaes in all three rounds on the way to a unanimous decision win. However, one of the judges thought Magalhaes won one round, and the score was 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
Microsoft has just sent out a round of invites to the press to attend a special event at its Redmond, Washington campus on May 21 at 10 AM PT. The event is associated with the hashtag #XboxReveal, and promises to show off a "new generation" of Xbox, so it's safe to say we'll get our first glimpse of Microsoft's next-generation home gaming console at the event.
