Lenovo ThinkPad T431s

Consistency wins the race. To that end, the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s follows on as Lenovo's mainstream business corporate laptop. It takes some cues from next-gen systems like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, like carbon fiber construction and a sealed battery, but it's still a powerhouse to be considered when you're buying 10 or 10,000 laptops per order. A couple of features need improvement, but overall the T431s is a solid business laptop, and users should have no problem adapting to it from previous T-series ThinkPads.

Design and Features
The T431s measures about 0.8 by 13 by 9 inches (HWD) and weighs in at a svelte 3.37 pounds. It represents a total redesign of the ThinkPad line, though it still undoubtedly looks like a ThinkPad. The older Lenovo ThinkPad T430 had three separate mouse buttons below the space bar for use with the TrackPoint pointing stick, and two more for use with the trackpad. The new T431s has a one-piece trackpad with five mouse buttons integrated into its top and bottom edges. The bottom area is useful for the trackpad user, while the three sections of the top edge work just like the three separate buttons for the TrackPoint. That way, users who just can't change the way they do things can still left, right, and center/scroll click as they're use to doing. It has a different feel compared to the three separate buttons, particularly since the top edge of the trackpad is flat and not raised like the previous buttons, but it's easy to get used to.

The trackpad is multi-touch, and supports the usual Windows 8 gestures and swipes. The one thing you won't get on the ThinkPad T431s is a touch screen. For that, you'll have to upgrade to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch ($1,684). Like the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch, the T431s uses carbon fiber composites in its top lid and magnesium construction in the bottom chassis to save weight and add strength.

Another feature that saves weight is the elimination of the optical drive option. DVD and CD technology is mostly dead at this point anyway, but if you still need optical drives, your IT manager can buy a few USB external drives, which still work fine on the T431s. The T431s also eliminates a legacy technology that will be missed: The T431s drops the removable battery in favor of a sealed battery. This will be a bother for the road warrior who has the discipline to keep several spare batteries handy at all times, but if your users mainly keep their laptops docked, then it won't bother them. The T431s still has a standardized Lenovo docking port on the bottom for use with ThinkPad Series 3 docks.

The T431s has some ruggedized features, including draining channels in the keyboard deck to help with liquid spills. The system is tested to Mil-STD-810 levels for temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration, and dust resistance. In addition to the ruggedized features, the T431s we tested came with a backlit keyboard with scalloped key tops, which makes it easier and more comfortable to type. As usual, Lenovo's mainstream business laptop has one of the best keyboards in the category. The system we tested also has a fingerprint reader and the requisite security hardware behind it, as well as a smartcard reader.

The T431s matte-finish screen measures 14 inches diagonally and has a 1,600-by-900 resolution. Lenovo and other manufacturers call it a HD+ screen, but it still falls short of the 1,920-by-1,080 resolution required for full 1080p HD. You can view 720p content natively, but 1080p graphics will be scaled down or cropped. This deficit won't bother most text-based users, but spreadsheet jockeys will miss the extra screen real estate. For those folks, consider using a docking station or the built in VGA and mini-DisplayPort to connect a large screen external display. Speaking of ports, the T431s comes with a full-size Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports (colored black), a headset port, Kensington lock port, and a SIM card slot for an optional WWAN adapter. The system we reviewed has 4GB of system memory and a 500GB SATA hard drive for storage.

That storage can be equipped any way your IT folk decide, but this review unit came with a selection of Lenovo and third part software packages pre-loaded. These packages include Accuweather, Kindle, Evernote, Skype, Zinio, Norton Internet Security, rara.com, Sugarsync, an ad for Microsoft Office, Intel's AppUp, and Lenovo utilities like Quicklaunch and Lenovo Companion.

Performance
The T431s has decent, if pedestrian performance on out benchmark tests. The T431s is slowed a bit on the day-to-day PCMark7 test by its spinning hard drive, outpaced by systems like the SSD-powered Dell Latitude 6430u (our current Editors' Choice for business laptops). That said, the system is quicker on the multimedia tests than competitors like the HP Elitebook Folio 9470m. Basically, the system will perform well enough, but if your users complain about load and wait times, you should consider buying a competitor with SSD storage like the Dell or upgrade to the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch.

The T431s matched the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch on the battery life test, with a time of 5 hours 41 minutes on our batter rundown test. This was about 15 minutes longer than the Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch, so the difference is essentially a wash. The Dell 6430u lasted hours longer, with a 7:40 battery time. While that's significant, five-and-a-half hours is sufficient for a business laptop simply moving from meeting to meeting.

Ultimately, the choice of laptops falls to your IT buyer and the current installed base of systems. If you're a Lenovo shop, the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s is a worthy successor to the ThinkPad faithful, though the new trackpad may take a little while to get used to. The Dell Latitude 6430u as reviewed has significantly more performance under its hood, so it holds on to the Editors' Choice for business laptops, but if your company relies on Lenovo systems, the T431s is a very good workhorse PC for your rank and file workers.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s with several other laptops side by side.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/CmE6cLSy1u0/0,2817,2420972,00.asp

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Will EU entry boost or hamper Croatian tourism?

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) ? Croatia's ravishing coast of more than 1,000 islands is a favorite destination for Europeans and travelers from further away. Croatia draws much of its income from tourism and hopes to earn more once the country formally enters the European Union on July 1.

WHAT ARE CROATIA'S TOP DESTINATIONS?

Croatia's coast features dozens of small towns with narrow, winding streets, small churches and historic monuments. The most famous is Dubrovnik, in the south Adriatic near the border with Montenegro. The medieval walled city is a favorite spot for cruisers who are sailing the Adriatic. The city was bombed during the war in 1991, and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Up north is the Istrian peninsula with its famous wine and goat cheese, while in the middle are the islands: The party island of Hvar, visited by Tom Cruise and Beyonce, among others, or Vis, which was off limits during communist era as a military base.

WHAT WILL CHANGE WITH THE EU ENTRY?

Croatia has drawn many EU citizens in the past, who are attracted by its unspoiled nature, rich vegetation, good roads and closeness to Hungary, Slovakia or the Czech Republic. Croatian officials are hoping that the EU entry will make access even easier for EU citizens, who will no longer have to deal with customs clearance. Croatia will not be using the euro currency immediately.

WILL THERE BE A DOWNSIDE?

As an EU country, Croatia will have to introduce visas for the citizens of non-EU states, such as Russia and Ukraine, which is likely to scare them away from Croatia, perhaps toward Montenegro to the south, already a favorite destination for rich Russians. Croatian officials have traveled to Russia and Ukraine for talks with tour operators there in an effort to work around the problem.

HOW TO BEST ENJOY CROATIA?

Unlike Greece or Turkey, Croatia does not have that many all-inclusive, resort-type hotels and relies mostly on smaller four-star accommodation and private rooms for rent. The Croatian coast is mostly rocky with crystal blue sea and a prevailing scent of pine trees. The best way to enjoy it is to rent a sail boat, find a secluded beach, sip wine and nibble on typical hard cheese and dry ham under the shadow of pine trees.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-entry-boost-hamper-croatian-tourism-101713350.html

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Pacifica shark attack: why we don't need to be afraid

Pacifica shark attack: Shark attacks are on the rise, but odds of becoming a shark attack victim are still very close to nil.

By Elizabeth Barber,?Contributor / June 27, 2013

A great white shark near Mexico drags buoys after taking bait.

Chris Ross/Chris Fischer/National Geographic Channel

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A shark attacked a kayaker near Pacifica State Beach in Pacifica, Calif., on Tuesday, the latest victim in a rising tally of shark attacks that likely has less to do with burgeoning shark aggression and more to do with more aggressive media coverage of shark incidents.

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The victim, Micah Flansburg, was fishing some 100 yards off from the beach at 3:30 p.m. when a Great White shark rose up under the boat and then took it in its teeth. The man was frightened, but unharmed.

"It was intense. It was just like the Discovery Channel where you see the eyes roll to the back of the head and the pink gums and his teeth bared," Mr. Flansburg told ABC.

Shark attack news reached a decade high in 2012, with about 80 unprovoked shark attack reports?worldwide, seven of which were fatal. Some eight of those attacks were off the US Pacific coast and another 26 were in Florida, the state that accounts for about half of all shark attacks in the United States, mostly because that state?s appealing beaches are so heavily trafficked. North America as a whole also accounts for about half of all shark attacks worldwide, but researchers are unsure what combination of meteorological, oceanographic, economic, and social factors are to blame for that trend.

Attacks that are considered provoked, such as when a shark attacks someone trying to pet or fish it, are not included in those tallies. Attacks on already drowned humans are also not included.

On the whole, shark attacks have been on an upswing over the last century, but scientists have said that those worrying numbers are largely due to increased efforts to document those incidents. Rates have also climbed as people spend more recreational time in the water, especially so in remote areas where sharks once reigned supreme. Other factors in shark attacks, such as climate change, have not yet been adequately studied to be linked to climbing reports of attack rates.

Some 60 percent of all shark attacks are on surfers, since that category of water users are more likely to be in the surf zone, where sharks sometimes lurk. Surfers are also more likely than swimmers to be kicking up water and alerting sharks to their presence.

In the event of a shark attack, scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History recommend an aggressive response, like hitting its snout or clawing at its eyes or gills.

But that?s a tip we?re unlikely to ever need to use. The odds of becoming a shark attack victim, based on beach attendance rates in the US, is about one in 11.5 million. The odds of dying in an attack are about 0 in 264.1 million ? or, about nil.?

For perspective:

Odds of getting crushed by a vending machine are about 1 in 112 million.

Odds of becoming president are 1 in 10 million.

Odds of dating a supermodel are 1 in 88,000.

Odds of finding a pearl in an oyster are 1 in 12,000.

Odds are, these things are more likely to happen to you than a fatal shark attack.

Odds are, though, none of these things will happen to you.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/BJ7xfWMb5N8/Pacifica-shark-attack-why-we-don-t-need-to-be-afraid

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Boston rocker must pay $132,000 in failed lawsuit

BOSTON (AP) ? The founder of the rock band Boston has been ordered to pay a newspaper $132,000 for the court costs it incurred in successfully defending itself against his defamation lawsuit.

Musician Tom Scholz claimed the Boston Herald and two reporters blamed him for the 2007 suicide of lead singer Brad Delp. A Superior Court judge dismissed his lawsuit in March, saying it was impossible to know why Delp killed himself.

Scholz's attorneys argued he shouldn't have to pay court costs. The judge said court rules require it and such costs could have a chilling effect on "free expression of ideas and opinions by media defendants."

Herald publisher Pat Purcell said Friday the decision is a reminder of "the harmful impact" such lawsuits can have.

Boston peaked in the 1970s and '80s with hits such as "More Than a Feeling."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-rocker-must-pay-132-000-failed-lawsuit-012956592.html

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Q&A: Beckye Sprouse on contractor classification and worker's ...

Effective July 1, Tennessee will enforce a recently passed state law (SB233) that penalizes construction services providers that misclassify employees to avoid proper classification of workers' compensation insurance premium calculations. Specifically, the new law will fine a construction services provider up to the greater of $1,000 or 1.5 times its average yearly workers' compensation premium for misstatements and inaccuracies involving payroll, employees or duties.

With the law in place, companies may need to classify some people they previously listed as contractors as employees, which could lead to additional costs due to the state's increased opportunity to crack down on worker?s comp coverage. Post Managing Editor William Williams recently talked to Beckye Sprouse, director of risk management at The Crichton Group, which bills itself as Middle Tennessee?s largest independent insurance provider. Sprouse, who is responsible for large commercial accounts and key accounts for the agency, is a certified risk manager who has worked within the insurance industry since 1968.

Do industry professionals understand the ramifications of the change and why it is being made?

Senate Bill 833 is designed to put teeth into an existing law by imposing monetary consequences for not following the already existing rules. Many construction businesses are already classifying their employees correctly as employees rather than independent contractors and allocating their payroll to the correct construction classification. However, the contractors that abuse the rules ? or make a mistake ? by misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor maintain an unfair competitive advantage because their insurance costs are lower and their payroll taxes are lower than [those of] their counterparts that follow the rules.?

How will enforcement of the law play out in the construction industry ? both in terms of cost and policy?

Enforcement with consequences for non-compliance will increase costs for the companies that misclassify. It should have no effect on the construction companies that are already properly classifying their employees, paying the taxes and paying the correct work comp premium. It will shift the cost of workers compensation insurance and coverage for injured workers to the party where it should be. According to the Tennessee Employee Misclassification Advisory Task Force, based on estimates using 2006 data, Tennessee lost between $2.1 million and $3.7 million in uncollected workers? compensation premium taxes. And its estimated losses from unpaid unemployment insurance premiums range from $8.4 million to $14.9 million.

What are you hearing from industry officials regarding the law? Do they feel it will help the construction sector? Hurt it?

There is nothing clearly announcing the change on the AGC and ABC websites. We have only heard about it from one insurance carrier. So, there needs to be some additional publicity so that those not currently in compliance can take steps to correct their situation.

Do you anticipate lots of fines?

It is difficult to predict what will happen when the law is enforced, but we know that violations will be subject to a penalty up to the greater of $1,000 or one and one half time the average yearly workers? compensation premium for such construction services provider. So the potential is there.

Source: http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2013/6/28/qa_beckye_sprouse

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WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Obama gets lessons on Goree

GOREE ISLAND, Senegal (AP) ? President Barack Obama says he learned some lessons on a visit to Goree Island, where he toured a slave house and gazed out at the Atlantic Ocean through what's known as the Door of No Return. It's the point on this Senegalese island from which Africans were said to have been shipped to the Americas and into slavery.

The son of a Kenyan man, Obama said the tour helped him, and the family members who accompanied him, to "fully appreciate the magnitude of the slave trade." He was joined by first lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha, his mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, and a niece, Leslie Robinson.

The president said Thursday's trip also reminded him of the importance of standing up for human rights worldwide.

"This is a testament to when we're not vigilant in defense of human rights what can happen," Obama said after the tour. "Obviously, for an African-American, an African-American president, to be able to visit this site, I think, gives me even greater motivation in terms of human rights around the world."

Obama spent about a half-hour touring the salmon-colored slave house, including seeing the small holding rooms that separately held male and female Africans before they were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas. He spent about a minute peering through the Door of No Return, and went back for a second long look after his family had a chance to peek out too.

Later, at a state dinner with Senegal's president, Macky Sall, Obama said he and Mrs. Obama "will never forget" the Goree Island visit.

___

What's a motorcade called when it travels on water? Try a floatercade.

Obama arrived on the island aboard La Signare, a 73-foot, blue-and-white launch decorated with Senegal's green, yellow and red flag and a banner that said "Welcome President Obama."

There were six boats in all, including smaller boats for Secret Service agents and other security officials, White House staff and the media.

U.S. reporters traveling with the president dubbed the flotilla a "floatercade."

___

Tourists who come to Goree Island usually spend most of their time trying to avoid trinket-sellers and peddlers who swarm visitors from the moment they set foot off the ferry, plying them with beaded necklaces and offers of guided tours.

But the city went to great pains to clean up in anticipation of Obama's visit. Sandy lanes were swept clean of trash. The beach appeared to have been raked. Even the peddlers seemed to have been part of the cleanup effort too.

Instead of the usual mob, only a few hawkers greeted a ferry that docked the day before Obama arrived.

___

Before arriving on the island, Obama, who is a lawyer, told a meeting in Dakar of judges from the region that he disappointed his late grandmother by going into politics.

She wanted him to be a judge.

Still, even though he let her down her by becoming a politician, he said she would be happy to know "that a group of judges are willing to meet with me even if I'm not one myself."

___

As Africans awaited news about the health of ailing former South African President Nelson Mandela, Michelle Obama urged a group of middle school students to draw on his strength as they grow up to possibly become leaders in their own right. Mandela, 94, who fought against his country's former system of white-minority rule and was imprisoned for 27 years, is in critical condition in a South African hospital.

Mrs. Obama urged the students to make their lives worthy of the sacrifices of people like Mandela.

"I want you to think about this. If President Mandela could hold tight to his vision for his country's future during the 27 years he spent in prison, then surely you all can hold tight to your hopes for your own future," she told the students at Martin Luther King Middle School in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

"If President Mandela could endure being confined to a tiny cell, being forced to perform back-breaking labor, being separated from the people he loved most in the world, then surely, all of us, we can keep showing up and doing our best ? showing up for school each day, studying as hard as you possibly can," she said. "Surely, you can seize the kind of opportunities Mandela fought for for all of us. Surely, you can honor his legacy by leaving a proud legacy of your own."

___

Associated Press writers Rukmini Callimachi in Senegal and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-notebook-obama-gets-lessons-goree-204027642.html

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Facebook to strengthen security with old-school crypto technique

Facebook

Devin Coldewey NBC News

June 27, 2013 at 8:04 PM ET

Facebook

Facebook is working on implementing an security measure that would would make eavesdropping on your encrypted traffic with the website extremely difficult. Amazingly, the technique has been around since 1992, yet very few websites use it.

Many websites support what's called HTTPS, an encrypted version of the normal HTTP protocol used to weave together the World Wide Web. But the way it's implemented, there's the possibility that a hacker (or the NSA) could get hold of the site's "master key," allowing them to peep in on all the site's encrypted traffic like it was never secured in the first place.

"Perfect forward secrecy" is an advanced form of HTTPS that throws away the master key and essentially makes a new key every time someone connects. That way, even if a would-be eavesdropper manages to intercept or crack one key, they'd only have access to that one connection ? and only for as long as it lasted.

Google implemented this in 2011, and now Facebook is working on adding it as well, according to CNET. It make things a lot harder for someone trying to tap into your traffic, but just keep in mind, it won't prevent data from escaping via bugs or those legally required disclosures we've been hearing so much about.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2de62835/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cfacebook0Estrengthen0Esecurity0Eold0Eschool0Ecrypto0Etechnique0E6C10A476610A/story01.htm

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Tim Huelskamp's Gay Marriage Amendment Lacks Support With Kansas Politicians

A Kansas Republican congressman's proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage has home state Democrats eager to attack, while state Republicans are keeping their distance.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp announced Wednesday he would propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage in response to U.S. Supreme Court rulings striking down a federal ban on benefits for gay married couples and upholding California's gay marriage law. The idea, which would align federal law with 37 states that have banned gay marriage, including Kansas, has failed to garner support in Congress.

Even in Kansas, where Huelskamp has made a name for himself defending conservative causes, The Huffington Post found he's not gaining supporters for his proposed constitutional amendment. Democrats in particular were quick to attack.

?It is a complete and utter waste of time. It is a waste of taxpayer dollars. It clearly demonstrates that he has nothing better to do," Kansas Democratic Party spokesman Dakota Loomis said. "He is holding on to this divisive and hateful legislation when he should be focusd on bringing jobs back to the First District. This will not help the farmers.?

Republicans in Huelskamp's rural district took pains to distance themselves.

State Rep. J.R. Claeys (R-Salina) stressed that a gay marriage ban is not a "legislative priority of mine" and said he doesn't see a chance for Huelskamp's amendment ever passing. Asked if he believes Huelskamp should have made the proposal, Claeys answered: ?I am not sure how to diplomatically sidestep this question."

Saline County Commission Chairman Randy Duncan, who also chairs the GOP in Huelskamp's district, said he hadn't heard about the amendment and suggested that Claeys would be better prepared to answer questions.

?I was in county commission meetings all day yesterday and I wasn?t following the state and national news," Duncan said.

State Rep. Reid Petty (R-Liberal) said he would continue to vote to uphold Kansas' same-sex marriage ban. But he said he didn't want to comment on Huelskamp's proposal, since it was a federal matter and he is a state legislator.

Huelskamp's spokesperson did not return a request for comment. Huelskamp told HuffPost on Wednesday that while polls show the majority of Americans support federal recognition of same-sex marriage, he would continue to press his case.

"A majority of Americans don't like President Obama as president, but he's still the president," Huelskamp said. "What did not happen is what the court and then the folks pushing for [DOMA repeal] hoped would happen: that it would end the debate. The debate is not over."

Huelskamp's may nevertheless be supported by conservative voters. The Kansas Republican Party has been increasingly dominated by conservatives, who largely swept the 2012 primaries for the state legislature.

One Kansas Democrat said he believes Huelskamp's amendment will hurt the state's reputation.

"I make no assumptions about how Kansans feel about LGBT rights," Topeka Councilman Chad Manspeaker (D) said. "In 2005, a constitutional amendment passed with 70 percent of the vote. Huelskamp is symbolic of that mentality, but that was eight years ago. Times are changing. Huelskamp is becoming a national joke. Kansas needs less national jokes and more leadership."

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/tim-huelskamp-gay-marriage-amendment_n_3512439.html

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PayPal looks to conquer space (payments)

FILE - This Jan. 19, 2011 file photo shows the eBay/PayPal offices in San Jose, Calif. PayPal, which is eBay Inc.?s payments business, says it is launching an initiative called PayPal Galactic with the help of the nonprofit SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., and the Space Tourism Society, an industry group focused on space travel. Its goal, PayPal says, is to work out how commerce will work in space. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

FILE - This Jan. 19, 2011 file photo shows the eBay/PayPal offices in San Jose, Calif. PayPal, which is eBay Inc.?s payments business, says it is launching an initiative called PayPal Galactic with the help of the nonprofit SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., and the Space Tourism Society, an industry group focused on space travel. Its goal, PayPal says, is to work out how commerce will work in space. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? PayPal wants to explore space ? or at least begin to figure out how payments and commerce will work beyond Earth's realm once space travel and tourism take off.

PayPal, which is eBay Inc.'s payments business, says it is launching an initiative called PayPal Galactic with the help of the nonprofit SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif., and the Space Tourism Society, an industry group focused on space travel. Its goal, PayPal says, is to work out how commerce will work in space.

Questions to be answered include how commerce will be regulated and what currency will be used. PayPal's president, David Marcus, said the company is very serious about the idea. He says that while space tourism was once the stuff of science fiction, it's now becoming a reality.

"There are lots of important questions that the industry needs to answer," he said. There are regulatory and technical issues, along with safety and even what cross-border trade will look like when there are not a lot of borders.

"We feel that it's important for us to start the conversation and find answers," Marcus added. "We don't have that much time."

PayPal is no stranger to outer space. One of its founders, Elon Musk, heads the privately held space company Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX. And James Doohan, best known for his role as "Scotty" on "Star Trek," was PayPal's first official spokesman when it launched in 1999.

PayPal said it plans to hold an event announcing the venture at the SETI Institute in Mountain View on Thursday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-06-27-PayPal-Space/id-d3f5b6c08d4b4f8a83d5e8e6c510ef61

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Sony's new RX100MII and RX1R high-end point-and-shoots leaked in press images

Sony's rumored to be unveiling two new point-and-shoots later this month, but a pair of leaked press shots at least spoil how both cameras are going to look. First up, the RX100MII, rumored to pack an updated 20-megapixel sensor and Zeiss lens as well as tilt-screen and WiFi connectivity, has a relatively simple face dominated by that aforementioned Carl Zeiss glass. Meanwhile, the RX1R, a refresh of Sony's full-frame RX1, arrives with a new focus settings dial and hot-shoe fitting all visible in its initial press shot reveal. We're sure Sony will fill us in on all the remaining details soon.

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

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Source: Digital Camera Info (Japanese)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_JZUzDfNt1Y/

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Marc Rich: Business machine | The Economist

OBITUARY writers the world over have been toiling on their eulogies to Nelson Mandela, the ailing South African statesman. They will now have to delve into a wholly different register to mark the passing of Marc Rich, the commodities trader-cum-law evader, who died on Wednesday morning, aged 78.

Mr Rich is best known, at least in business circles, for revolutionising oil trading in the early 1970s. He is credited with creating the spot market which allowed for immediate, one-off purchase of cargoes, rather than the years-long contracts then imposed by oil majors. He knew how to exploit his invention, too. One trick was to opportunistically pick up shipments from participants?notably the Iranians, then holding hostages and facing international sanctions?which few others wanted to deal with.?

Yet it is more likely that he will be remembered for embargo-busting exploits, along with the tax-dodging that accompanied them. He fled America in 1983 for Switzerland, hours before facing arrest for reaping illicit profits on the Iranian oil deals. A young Rudolph Giuliani, at the time the new US attorney for the Southern District of New York, was among those chasing him. They later called the case ?the biggest tax evasion case in United States history.? Mr Rich hopped from St Moritz to Jamaica to Marbella and back to Switzerland, forever staying ahead of the feds (a bit like whistleblower Edward Snowden today).

The pressure should have eased in 2001 when Bill Clinton pardoned him on his last day of office. The circumstances of the pardon?Denise Rich, the trader?s ex-wife, was a generous donor to causes favoured by the Clintons, including Hilary?s then-nascent political career?helped to tarnish the outgoing president?s image, at least for a time. It did not give Mr Rich the legal comfort to return to America, where he had migrated from Belgium as an 8-year-old.

He called himself a ?business machine? and his interests went beyond the black stuff. He traded just about anything that came out of the ground. Glencore, the commodities behemoth that recently merged with Xstrata, is a descendant of his shop, as is Trafigura, another global commodity trading company. In the early 1980s, he bought a stake in 20^th?Century Fox, sold on to Rupert Murdoch after he absconded. In 2012 his worth was $2.5 billion by one estimate. He used the money to indulge his taste for Picassos, Mir?s and others.

Thanks to an extensive public relations campaign, he achieved a level of social respectability in Swiss society not usually afforded to those facing 325 years in an American prison if the feds had had their way. Extensive philanthropy focused on Europe and Israel (where he is to be buried on Thursday) helped.

For a time, it looked like Mr Rich had lived out the American dream sought out by his working-class parents fleeing the Nazis in 1941. Despite his travails, he pined after America.?In the 1980s he told an interviewer that he thought about it every day. ?It's a generous country that accepted my parents and me.? He had made mistakes, he admitted, but he was misunderstood, too. ''What happened to me was an unfortunate chain of events that hasn't shaken my faith in the US.?

Source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/06/marc-rich

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Senators push to suspend trade benefits for Bangladesh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine U.S. senators on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama to suspend trade benefits for Bangladesh until the country where 1,129 people died in an April garment factory collapse improved its working conditions.

"We urge that the administration suspend Bangladesh's eligibility for GSP (Generalized System of Preferences), and establish a roadmap and timeline for reinstatement based upon tangible improvements in worker safety and related labor law reforms," the group of Democratic senators said.

Obama is expected to decide by the end of June whether to suspend Bangladesh from the GSP program, which waives U.S. import duties on thousands of goods from poor countries to spur economic development.

Suspending Bangladesh from the program would be mostly symbolic since the Asian nation's main export, clothing, is not eligible for GSP tariff cuts, in deference to the U.S. textile and apparel industry.

But it would be another blow to the country's reputation in the wake of the collapse in April of the Rana Plaza commercial building, which housed a number of garment factories, and the Tazreen factory fire in November that killed 112 people.

Last year, the GSP program spared Bangladesh about $2 million in duties on $35 million worth of tents, golf equipment, plates and other items it exported to the United States, said Ed Gresser, a trade analyst with the GlobalWorks Foundation.

Bangladesh paid $732 million in duties on $4.9 billion worth of clothing exports to the United States, he said.

The AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor organization, first filed a petition to suspend Bangladesh from the GSP in 2007.

The U.S. government has put off that decision for six years, hoping the threat would be enough to encourage Bangladesh to make labor reforms.

U.S. trade officials emphasized that suspending trade benefits was seen as "the last resort" while expressing frustration that Bangladesh had made little progress addressing longstanding U.S. concerns over its labor conditions.

"President Obama must do everything in his power to prevent tragedies like the Bangladesh factory collapse from happening again," Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat said in a statement with the other senators.

Earlier this month, an AFL-CIO official said she expected Obama would decide to suspend the benefits.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Bill Trott and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-urge-obama-suspend-trade-benefits-bangladesh-152119748.html

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House Republican says IRS awarded 'inappropriate' contracts

By Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Virginia company inappropriately secured contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service based on false statements and personal ties to an IRS official, the top Republican investigator in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday.

A report issued by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa of California said the IRS, which is embroiled in a series of unrelated controversies, awarded the contracts to computer networking and security company Strong Castle Inc.

The report said Strong Castle's president, Braulio Castillo, relied on a friendship with an IRS contracting official, Gregory Roseman, to win business. It said the company made false statements to beat rivals for the work.

The cost of Strong Castle's 2012 contracts to the IRS, including for work in future years, could reach nearly $500 million, the report said.

The IRS's watchdog is investigating the alleged contracting abuse, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We learned of new information today from the committee that we are currently looking into," the IRS said.

The company denied the allegations. "Throughout our work with the IRS, we have never received any improper preferential treatment, and have competed fairly for every contract that we have received," it said in a statement.

"We are confident that the record will ultimately show that our company has committed no wrongdoing."

Strong Castle changed its name from Signet Computers in October 2012.

The tax-collecting agency has come under fire after a number of different groups, including some allied with the conservative Tea Party movement and some left-leaning groups, were targeted for extra scrutiny when applying for tax-exempt status. It has also been accused of lavish spending on conferences.

Roseman and Castillo are expected to testify at an oversight committee hearing on Wednesday. Roseman might not attend the hearing and is likely to invoke his constitutional right not to answer questions, according to a letter from Issa to Roseman's lawyer sent on Tuesday.

Senior IRS and other government officials are also scheduled to testify.

"The IRS and Strong Castle have made a mockery of fair and open competition for government contracts," Issa said in a statement.

Oversight committee Democrats, in their own report, said Roseman and Castillo did not disclose their friendship and that evidence obtained in the investigation "indicates at least an appearance of impropriety" between the two men.

Issa started the probe in February, and said then that a whistleblower in 2012 contacted the IRS's inspector general with evidence that showed contracts were steered to the company inappropriately.

Castillo was already facing criticism for Strong Castle's contracting business before Issa's report. In May, the federal Small Business Administration revoked certain contracting benefits for the company based on some inaccurate records.

Federal contractors are required to disclose any conflicts of interest they might have with bidding companies.

Issa's investigation reviewed more than 350 text messages between Castillo and Roseman that it said included "grossly inappropriate" remarks and "underscore a problematically close relationship," the report said.

(Reporting By Patrick Temple-West; Editing by Kim Dixon, David Storey and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-republican-says-irs-awarded-inappropriate-contracts-203951939.html

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Homebrew 8-bit computer packs in 16 cores, multitasks like a champ

It looks like Jake Eisenmann has done it again. A couple of years after the hobbyist hacker built his first 8-bit computer, he's cobbled together yet another one, but this time with a whopping 16 cores. Appropriately dubbed the DUO Mega, the multicore wonder is made with 16 ATMega328p microcontrollers, each connected to an 8-bit data bus and designed to interpret a custom bytecode that runs the software. Compiled inside a nondescript plastic bin, the machine is also comprised of 16MHz crystal oscillators attached to each of the aforementioned cores, three Arduino UNO boards, 32kb of SRAM, 512kb of flash memory, eight breadboards, an Ethernet shield, a VGA out port and a multitude of components that combine to look like that mess of wires seen above. Because of all that processing power, this relatively primitive machine multitasks beautifully and can perform complicated calculations at an impressive clip. To get a demo of what this marvelous feat of DIY computing can do, have a peek at Eisenmann's video, complete with an 8-bit soundtrack, after the break.

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Via: Hackaday

Source: DUO Mega

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/qkzfp8gHkRg/

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Global Warming in a Few Slides (Powerlineblog)

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Israeli aircraft strike targets in Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israeli aircraft pounded targets in the Gaza Strip early Monday, the military said, after six rockets were fired at Israel from the territory.

The military said its aircraft struck two weapons storage facilities and a rocket launch site. No injuries were reported.

Rocket fire from Gaza has declined since a military campaign in November, before which militants were firing rockets on an almost daily basis. Sporadic fire still persists however.

No militant group claimed responsibility for the rocket launch, but Israel said it holds Hamas, which rules the coastal territory, accountable.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said a total of six rockets were fired at Israel overnight, causing no damage or injuries. The military said two rockets were intercepted by the missile defense system known as "Iron Dome." The other four landed in open areas.

"Last night's rocket attack is an intolerable act of aggression against Israel and its civilians. Hamas is held accountable for all acts of terrorism deriving from the Gaza Strip," said military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner.

Meanwhile, Israeli police said that vandals slashed the tires of 21 cars in an Arab neighborhood of east Jerusalem. The vandals also scribbled slogans on nearby walls.

It is the latest in a wave of crimes linked to Jewish extremists that has targeted mosques, churches, monasteries, dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases to protest what they perceive as the Israeli government's pro-Palestinian policies in the West Bank. Vandals call the attacks the "price tag" for the policies they oppose. Last week vandals struck an Arab village outside of Jerusalem that has been a model of coexistence in Israel.

Rosenfeld said police are investigating Monday's incident. He said no arrests have been made in the recent string of similar crimes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-aircraft-strike-targets-gaza-strip-052559454.html

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Promising new device detects disease with drop of blood

June 24, 2013 ? An NJIT research professor known for his cutting-edge work with carbon nanotubes is overseeing the manufacture of a prototype lab-on-a-chip that would someday enable a physician to detect disease or virus from just one drop of liquid, including blood. A new study describes how NJIT research professors Reginald Farrow and Alokik Kanwal, his former postdoctoral fellow, and their team have created a carbon nanotube-based device to noninvasively and quickly detect mobile single cells with the potential to maintain a high degree of spatial resolution.

"Using sensors, we created a device that will allow medical personnel to put a tiny drop of liquid on the active area of the device and measure the cells' electrical properties," said Farrow, the recipient of NJIT's highest research honor, the NJIT Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal. "Although we are not the only people by any means doing this kind of work, what we think is unique is how we measure the electrical properties or patterns of cells and how those properties differ between cell types."

In the article, the NJIT researchers evaluated three different types of cells using three different electrical probes. "It was an exploratory study and we don't want to say that we have a signature," Farrow added. "What we do say here is that these cells differ based on electrical properties. Establishing a signature, however, will take time, although we know that the distribution of electrical charges in a healthy cell changes markedly when it becomes sick."

This research was originally funded by the military as a means to identify biological warfare agents. However, Farrow believes that usage can go much further and potentially detect viruses, bacteria, even cancer. The research may also someday even assess the health of good cells, such as brain neurons. Since 2010, three U.S. patents, "Method of forming nanotube vertical field effect transistor," #7,736,979 (2010); "Nanotube device and method of fabrication" #7,964,143 (2011); "Nanotube device and method of fabrication" #8,257,566 (2012) were awarded for this device. In addition, more patents have been filed.

The device (shown in photo) utilizes standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies for fabrication, allowing it to be easily scalable (down to a few nanometers). Nanotubes are deposited using electrophoresis after fabrication in order to maintain CMOS compatibility.

The devices are spaced by six microns which is the same size or smaller than a single cell. To demonstrate its capability to detect cells, the researchers performed impedance spectroscopy on mobile human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells, neurons from mice, and yeast cells. Measurements were performed with and without cells and with and without nanotubes. Nanotubes were found to be crucial to successfully detect the presence of cells.

Carbon nanotubes are very strong, electrically conductive structures a single nanometer in diameter. That's one-billionth of a meter, or approximately ten hydrogen atoms in a row. Farrow's breakthrough is a controlled method for firmly bonding one of these submicroscopic, crystalline electrical wires to a specific location on a substrate. His method also introduces the option of simultaneously bonding an array of millions of nanotubes and efficiently manufacturing many devices at the same time.

Being able to position single carbon nanotubes that have specific properties opens the door to further significant advances. Other possibilities include an artificial pancreas, three-dimensional electronic circuits and nanoscale fuel cells with unparalleled energy density.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/m9BV1FYvmTk/130624093520.htm

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Edward Snowden tells South China Morning Post he took Booz Allen job to collect NSA information

Edward Snowden may now be far from Hong Kong, but the South China Morning Post has just revealed more details from an interview he granted on June 12th while he was still there. According to the paper, Snowden reportedly said that he took a job with NSA-contractor Booz Allen Hamilton in order to gather additional evidence about the spy agency's activities. "My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked," he said. "That is why I accepted that position about three months ago." He reportedly further said "correct on Booz," when asked if he specifically went to Booz Allen to gather evidence of surveillance. As the paper notes, Snowden also said that he took pay cuts "in the course of pursuing specific work" in an online Q&A with The Guardian last week, and he's also indicated that he has more information he intends to leak, saying that he'd like to "make it available to journalists in each country to make their own assessment."

Filed under: Internet

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Source: South China Morning Post

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/aE-i8TCdsX4/

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'Monsters' beats zombies, Superman at box office

En esta imagen promocional difundida por Disney-Pixar, los personajes de Mike, en la voz de Billy Crystal, a la izquierda, y el profesor Knight, cuya voz hace Alfred Molina, a la derecha, en una escena de la cinta animada "Monsters University". (AP Foto/Disney-Pixar)

En esta imagen promocional difundida por Disney-Pixar, los personajes de Mike, en la voz de Billy Crystal, a la izquierda, y el profesor Knight, cuya voz hace Alfred Molina, a la derecha, en una escena de la cinta animada "Monsters University". (AP Foto/Disney-Pixar)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Turns out zombies and Superman are no match for monsters.

Disney's "Monsters University" is the weekend box-office winner, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The animated family film, which reunites stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman and their characters from the 2001 hit "Monsters, Inc.," debuted in first place with $82 million, beating out swarming zombies in "World War Z" and Superman himself in "Man of Steel."

"The diversity of this weekend is part of what makes this business so great," said Dave Hollis, Disney's head of distribution. "It's a really extraordinary weekend for the industry."

Especially for "Monsters University," Pixar's 14th consecutive film to open in first place. Such expectations of excellence put a "healthy pressure" on filmmakers, Hollis said: "To deliver that kind of quality consistently is a differentiator in the marketplace."

Still, the film exceeded studio expectations with its domestic totals, he said.

Paramount's Brad Pitt zombie romp overcame critical advance publicity to open in second place with $66 million. Media reports months ahead of the film's opening chronicled its problems, including a revamped ending that delayed its release.

"What 'World War Z' proves is that all the negative backstory that can be thrown at a movie doesn't matter if the movie's good," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "I don't think the audience cares one lick if they had to reshoot the ending if they like the ending and like the movie."

The success of the film means it could be a franchise in the making.

"It's the biggest live-action original opening since 'Avatar,'" said Don Harris, Paramount's president of domestic distribution. "(It's) Brad Pitt's biggest opening ever, and in terms of Paramount's recent history, it ranks behind 'Iron Man' and 'Transformers' as the third largest potential franchise opening in the history of the company."

Warner Bros. "Man of Steel" was third at the box office, adding another $41.2 million to its coffers and bringing its domestic ticket sales over $210 million in just the second week of release.

The Sony comedy "This Is the End," which stars Seth Rogen, James Franco and Jonah Hill as versions of themselves trapped in a mansion during the apocalypse, finished in fourth place.

Summit Entertainment's magic-heist thriller "Now You See Me" held onto fifth place in its fourth week in theaters.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. "Monsters University," $82 million.

2. "World War Z," $66 million.

3. "Man of Steel," $41.2 million.

4. "This Is the End," $13 million.

5. "Now You See Me," $7.87 million.

6. "Fast & Furious 6," $4.7 million.

7. "The Internship," $3.43 million.

8. "The Purge," $3.41 million.

9. "Star Trek: Into Darkness," $3 million.

10. "Iron Man 3," $2.2 million.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-23-Box%20Office/id-1dc65bb147234ab7a0bd7ebd5de646f3

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Asia shares slide on China worries, Fed outlook; dollar firms

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares fell to a fresh 9-1/2-month low on Monday as investors worried about China's economic and financial stability and markets scrambled to price in the Federal Reserve's plan to tone down its stimulus drive starting later this year.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> slipped 1.2 percent to its lowest since early September, after posting its worst week since May 2012 with a drop of 4.5 percent last week.

China's money market rates remained elevated and volatile, keeping investors jittery about the intentions of the Chinese authorities, as the recent spike in market rates compounds fears of a sharper-than-expected slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.

China's weighted average overnight bond repurchase rate, a measure of the cost of funds, fell to a low of 6.1 percent earlier in the day but briefly crawled back up again to 9.1 percent, slightly above Friday's close at 8.89 percent.

China shares extended losses with banks leading the downward spiral after official news reports over the weekend suggested Beijing will crack down on shadow banking, blamed for the cash crunch in the mainland. Hong Kong shares <.hsi> fell 1.4 percent and Shanghai shares <.ssec> shed 2.1 percent, with the financials sub-index tumbling nearly 6 percent.

Many analysts saw the People's Bank of China's withholding of money market funding as a strategy to force banks to stop channeling cash into the informal banking sector, known as shadow banking, which authorities worry is creating significant credit risks.

"The Chinese authorities are purposefully doing this to let investors be aware of pains that must accompany structural reforms the government is trying to pursue, so investors shouldn't be complacent about the government avoiding a hard landing," said Xiao Minjie, an independent economist in Tokyo.

Australian shares <.axjo> tumbled 1.6 percent, weighed by concerns about slowing China growth, while South Korean shares <.ks11> fell 0.7 percent, extending Friday's losses to a fresh 11-month low.

Japan's Nikkei stock average <.n225> gave up early gains on the back of a weaker yen as investors remained skittish after last week's global market rout. It was marginally weaker by midday.

"The weaker yen certainly is the main driver today. Nevertheless, investors are hesitant to buy into exporters because the external situation, especially that of the emerging markets, is uncertain," said Ryota Sakagami, chief strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

DOLLAR SOLE OUTPERFORMER

Financial markets sold off last week after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that with the U.S. economy showing signs of recovery, the central bank may start scaling back its huge monthly bond-buying plan which was aimed at keeping bond yields down and supporting the economy. The Fed's strong accommodative stance has also encouraged investment in riskier assets such as shares.

"The valuation adjustment for tapering of Fed stimulus is well underway," said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.

The dollar was the sole outperformer, gaining broadly amid improving U.S. economic prospects and rising yields.

The dollar was up 0.4 percent against the yen at 98.25, slowly extending gains and moving away from its 10-week low of 93.75 yen hit earlier in the month.

Traders said the prospect of diverging yield directions will support the dollar against the yen.

U.S. Treasuries prices slipped in Asia on Monday, extending last week's dismal performance with the benchmark 10-year yield posting its biggest weekly rise since November 2001 after the Federal Reserve signaled it might scale back its stimulus.

The yield on 10-year notes added 2.6 basis points to 2.5684 percent, its highest in almost two years.

"A better economic outlook will eventually need to be priced into the short end of the yield curve. This suggests that there is a catch-up trade for the USD versus low-yielding currencies (such as the yen)," Barclays Capital said in a research note.

Against a basket of major currencies, the dollar index <.dxy> rose 0.32 percent to a two-week high after ending last week up 2.2 percent for its biggest weekly gain since early November, 2011.

Spot gold fell 0.4 percent to $1,291.65 an ounce, after touching its lowest since September 2010 of $1,268.89 on Friday and ending the worst week in nearly two years.

U.S. crude futures eased 0.2 percent to $93.55 a barrel and Brent fell 0.3 percent to $100.60.

Going into the Fed's June meeting, investors continued to take money out of emerging-market fund groups in the week ending June 19, with redemptions from EPFR Global-tracked emerging markets bond funds hitting a 90-week high and more than $3 billion leaving emerging markets equity funds, EPFR said on Friday.

(Additional reporting by Thuy Ong in Sydney and Tomo Uetake in Tokyo; Editing by Eric Meijer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-outlook-bolsters-dollar-caps-asian-shares-003746943.html

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Impossible Instant Lab mobile photo booth ships August 29th for $299

There's a certain irony to the Impossible Instant Lab taking a long time to develop, but we won't mind (much) now that it has a solid release date. The instant photo kit ships to stores on August 29th, when it will cost the same $299 that The Impossible Project promised during its crowdfunding campaign. Compatibility hasn't changed much since then -- you'll need to use at least an iPhone 4 or fourth-generation iPod touch, and there's no immediate support for devices using Android or other platforms. If that's no barrier, however, you can bring your digital photos to the analog world in a matter of weeks.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

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Source: The Impossible Project

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/21/impossible-instant-lab-mobile-photo-booth-ships-august-29th/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Compound enhances SSRI antidepressant's effects in mice

June 21, 2013 ? A synthetic compound is able to turn off "secondary" vacuum cleaners in the brain that take up serotonin, resulting in the "happy" chemical being more plentiful, scientists from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio have discovered. Their study, released June 18 by The Journal of Neuroscience, points to novel targets to treat depression.

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that carries chemical signals, is associated with feelings of wellness. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed antidepressants that block a specific "vacuum cleaner" for serotonin (the serotonin transporter, or SERT) from taking up serotonin, resulting in more supply of the neurotransmitter in circulation in the extracellular fluid of the brain.

Delicate balance

"Serotonin is released by neurons in the brain," said Lyn Daws, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology in the School of Medicine. "Too much or too little may be a bad thing. It is thought that having too little serotonin is linked to depression. That's why we think Prozac-type drugs (SSRIs) work, by stopping the serotonin transporter from taking up serotonin from extracellular fluid in the brain."

A problem with SSRIs is that many depressed patients experience modest or no therapeutic benefit. It turns out that, while SSRIs block the activity of the serotonin transporter, they don't block other "vacuum cleaners." "Until now we did not appreciate the presence of backup cleaners for serotonin," Dr. Daws said. "We were not the first to show their presence in the brain, but we were among the first show that they were limiting the ability of the SSRIs to increase serotonin signaling in the brain. The study described in this new paper is the first demonstration of enhancing the antidepressant-like effect of an SSRI by concurrently blocking these backup vacuum cleaners."

Serotonin ceiling

Even if SERT activity is blocked, the backup vacuum cleaners (called organic cation transporters) keep a ceiling on how high the serotonin levels can rise, which likely limits the optimal therapeutic benefit to the patient, Dr. Daws said.

"Right now, the compound we have, decynium-22, is not an agent that we want to give to people in clinical trials," she said. "We are not there yet. Where we are is being able to use this compound to identify new targets in the brain for antidepressant activity and to turn to medicinal chemists to design molecules to block these secondary vacuum cleaners."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/depression/~3/HE9cAQ04s_w/130621095717.htm

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The Week in Pictures, Obama Faceplant Edition (Powerlineblog)

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