Australian gas reserves to last almost 200 years

Gas ranks third behind coal and uranium as
 Australia's largest energy resource, AFP

SYDNEY — Australia has enough gas reserves to maintain current production for almost 200 years, according to a report released on Monday, supporting the nation’s push to become a global exporter to rival Qatar.

The nation has identified gas resources of about 390 trillion cubic feet, but this could double if exploration for shale gas is successful, Energy and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said.

“This report reconfirms Australia’s capacity to continue to be a major gas exporter supplying the world’s growing demand for gas well into the future,” he said.

As Australia rides a minerals boom, Ferguson said the nation’s known gas resources, which the report found would maintain current production rates for 184 years, could rocket.

“While exploration for shale gas in Australia has only recently commenced and resources are poorly understood, shale gas could potentially double Australia’s gas resources,” he said.

Gas ranks third behind coal and uranium as the country’s largest energy resource, the Australian Gas Resources Assessment 2012 found.

Most of the country’s conventional gas resources sit off the north-west coast and are being progressively developed for domestic use and liquid natural gas (LNG) export.

The report by Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics and the Department of Resources found the industry was being transformed by technology and markets, with new gas resources coming into play.

“In the past two years coal seam gas (CSG) reserves have doubled and three CSG/LNG projects are now under construction,” it said.

“There have also been major new offshore conventional gas projects that have committed and commenced construction, including Ichthys in the Browse Basin and Prelude, the world’s first floating LNG project.”

The report found that Australia’s gas resources were large enough to support projected domestic and export market growth to 2035 and beyond and were also set to expand.

Because gas is a relatively flexible and clean fuel it is forecast to be the fastest growing non-renewable energy source over the next 25 years, particularly for Asian economies looking for cleaner energy.

Australia exported about 20 million tons of LNG valued at A$10.4 billion (U.S.$10.4 billion) in 2010-11, primarily to Asia, Ferguson said.

“This is forecast to grow by a further 19% in 2012-13,” he added.

“Based on projects under construction, LNG production capacity is projected to quadruple by 2017 to make Australia one of the world’s largest exporters of LNG.”

© 2012 AFP

Facebook co-founder quits US

Eduardo Saverin, the billionaire Facebook co-founder, has renounced his US citizenship in a bid to avoid millions of dollars in taxes.

Facebook is set to go public this week and Brazilian-born Saverin is likely to avoid a tax bill of $600million. He has lived in Singapore since 2009.

Mr Saverin will own 4 per cent of Facebook’s $96billion stock when it goes public, putting his wealth at around $4billion.

He could have been liable for as much as $600 million in capital gains tax were he to remain a US citizen. Singapore has no capital gains tax, although US citizens are liable for the levy wherever they live.

"Eduardo recently found it more practical to become a resident of Singapore since he plans to live there for an indefinite period of time," his spokesman said.

A record number of 1780 people gave up their US passports last year compared with 235 in 2008, according to government records.

Hour-long hailstorm in China - 40 killed

Forty people were killed when a brief but violent hailstorm and torrential rain swept through a mountainous region of northwest China.Eighteen others remained missing in Min county, a disaster-prone area of Gansu province, while 87 had been sent to hospital, the local government said.

Officials said 29,300 people were evacuated after rain and hail battered the county for just an hour late on Thursday afternoon.

It "wreaked havoc" on all of the county's 18 townships and affected more than two-thirds of its 450,000 residents, the state-controlled Xinhua news agency reported.

"Roads were blocked, houses collapsed, farmland was destroyed, and the power supply and telecommunications services were disrupted by the extreme weather," the agency said, quoting Xu Guangyao, a senior county official.

Min county is 90 miles from Zhouqu county, where a rain-triggered mudslide killed about 1,500 people in August 2010.

Hailstorms in the central province of Hunan have also killed six people and left one missing, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

Since May 8 hailstorms have struck across the province, affecting 3.42 million people, the ministry said. About 64,000 people have been relocated to safer areas and 7,600 houses have collapsed.

Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sight

A retinal implant - or bionic eye - which is powered by light has been invented by scientists at Stanford University in California.

Implants currently used in patients need to be powered by a battery.

The new device, described in the journal Nature Photonics, uses a special pair of glasses to beam near infrared light into the eye.

This powers the implant and sends the information which could help a patient see.

Diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinal pigmentosa result in the death of cells which can detect light in the eye.

Eventually this leads to blindness.

Wiring eliminated
Retinal implants stimulate the nerves in the back of the eye, which has helped some patients to see.

Early results of a trial in the UK mean two men have gone from being totally blind to being able to perceive light and even some shapes.

However, as well as a fitting a chip behind the retina, a battery needs to be fitted behind the ear and a cable needs to join the two together.

The Stanford researchers say their method could be a step forward by "eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring".

A retinal implant, which works in a similar way to a solar panel, is fitted in the back of the eye.

A pair of glasses fitted with a video camera records what is happening before a patient's eyes and fires beams of near infrared light on to the retinal chip.

The creates an electrical signal which is passed on to nerves.

Natural light is 1,000 times too weak to power the implant.

The researchers said: "Because the photovoltaic implant is thin and wireless, the surgical procedure is much simpler than in other retinal prosthetic approaches.

"Such a fully integrated wireless implant promises the restoration of useful vision to patients blinded by degenerative retinal diseases."

The implant has not been tested in people, but has been shown to work in rats.  (BBC.co.uk)

Only one in five eats five a day, poll suggests

Most fail to meet the daily dietary target

Just one in five Britons eats the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a poll for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggests.

The Department of Health first launched its five-a-day campaign in 2003.

But the WCRF says its survey of more than 2,000 UK adults shows people still find achieving that goal difficult.

It is urging people to eat "just one more portion" for a healthier diet, which would increase cancer protection.


The YouGov survey for the WCRF found that, on average, 17% of lower income households (social groups C2, D and E) eat at least five portions per day, compared with 27% for those in higher income groups.

Fruit and veg consumption levels were lowest in the north of England, where 18% had five or more portions daily.

The highest levels of consumption were reported in the south of England, where 26% said they ate at least five portions.

In London, it was 21%, in Scotland 22% and in Wales 23%.

Kate Mendoza, head of education for the WCRF, said: "These figures show that many people are still finding it difficult to follow the healthy eating message.

"Getting at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is the building block of a healthy diet. Not only are fruit and veg a good source of nutrients, they also tend to be low in calories and full of fibre and so help us maintain a healthy weight.

"A diet based on plant foods, such as wholegrains and pulses as well as fruit and vegetables, can reduce cancer risk as research shows they protect against a range of cancers. Recent research has confirmed that foods containing fibre reduce the risk of bowel cancer.

"Although people are more aware of the significance of eating five a day than they used to be, it is clear that there are still barriers to incorporating plant foods into our daily diets," she added.

The charity is holding an awareness day, "Fruity Friday", on 18 May as part of Cancer Prevention Week.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We know we need to do more to encourage people to eat their five a day and help prevent diseases like cancer.

"That is why, through our Change4Life campaign, we invested around £10m last year on encouraging healthier lifestyles. This included things like the Supermeals campaign which promoted five a day by giving recipe ideas and money off fruit and vegetables in retail stores."


WHAT IS 'FIVE A DAY'?

It equals around 400g of fruit and/or veg
One portion is 80g
A portion equals two or more small fruits ie satsumas, one medium-sized fruit ie an apple or banana, or half a grapefruit or one large slice of melon
A portion of veg would be two broccoli spears or three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as carrots, peas or sweetcorn
Potatoes do not count
But fresh, frozen, tinned and dried fruit and vegetables do
Smoothies can count for up to two of your five a day
Pulses and beans count as one portion - no matter how much you eat

(BBC.co.uk)

Environment group, Sea Shepherd, leader arrested in Germany

Paul Watson, the Canadian founder of an environmental activist group, Sea Shepherd, known for its confrontations with whalers and fishermen, has been arrested in Germany.

Sea Shepherd is a controversial direct action group best known for disrupting Japan's annual whale hunt.

In the past there have been collisions between its vessels and the whaling fleet, and its activists have also boarded Japanese vessels.

He was arrested in Germany over the weekend and will be extradited to Costa Rica on an outstanding arrest warrant from an incident that occurred in 2002.

Mr Watson tweeted late on Sunday: "I am currently being held in Frankfurt on charges from Costa Rica. Court appearance in the morning."

Reports claim Captain Watson faced an outstanding warrant for attempted murder in relation to the incident.

The group says Mr Watson and his ship intercepted the Varadero ion the orders of the Guatemalan Government but later encountered a Costa Rican gun boat.

"The specific “violation of ships traffic” incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero," the statement said.

"On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted.

"While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew.

"The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy.

The European Parliament Vice President Daniel Cohn Bendit and the European deputy Jose Bove are assisting Captain Watson while he in jail.

"Our hope is that these two honorable gentlemen can set Captain Watson free before this nonsense goes any further. The European Sea Shepherds have also mobilized to support Captain Watson," the group said.

Headline March 15th, 2012 / THE MARVELLOUS TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM OF LONDON

THE MARVELLOUS TECHNOLOGY 

ECOSYSTEM OF LONDON 

Respectful Dedication Sean Connrey - Michael Jackson - Elton John

---

Sean Connery

Michael Jackson

Sir Elton John

Amazing, - truly amazing to just perceive , that there are over 5,000 Technology focused companies located in East London!! So, and obviously , with perhaps over 12,000 determined human capital constituting .... the whole of Europe's biggest ever challenge to Amercia's Silicon Valley. To the whole world this huge and fast growing scale of London's technology start ups boom has been more than a surprise. Launched on a beautiful spring day in 2009, the conceptual artists of this unique project had very close understanding of ‘Google Map’ created by Software designer Matt Biddulph, which got to the baseline by gathering together 15 firms in a neighbourhood, Biddulph wryly named “Silicon Roundabout” defined as ‘the ever growing community of fun startups in London’s old street area”. And this coincidently is also the home of the capital’s ugliest traffic roundabout. But then, if one has set his sights on taking on the Silicon Valley, he had better master due diligence. And in this London succeeded big  time as some of these startups, have attracted real money. One of Biddulph’s original list, last.fm. was bought by CBS Interactive for 280 million in 2007;

two years later, his own company, Doppir, was acquired by Nokia for what is reported as more than 20 million dollars; and in 2010, TweetDeck was sold to Twitter for around 40 million dollars, what is truly mysitfying is Twitter for around 40million dollars, what is truly mystifying is the stark fact as to how such a thriing cluster emerged with no visible or known co-ordinated planning, with no local Standfored University stoking vision, fire and passions, no well established giant Googles and HP's to train in great generation of talent? But in hindsight it turns out that entrepreneurial booms do not need anyone orchestrating their effort. What has boomed and happened in London indeed, in dozens of other European cities- is that a bunch of startups have taken advantage of relatively cheap rents, a critical mass of available programming talent and just enough outside investment to create a mutually reinforcing spirit of risk taking. The buzzword is "Ecosystem". Do share us forward and don't miss the following post.  Good night and God bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

A Virus could lead to motion-powered gadgets

Scientists have designed a new approach to motion-powered personal electronics - A benign virus that makes electric charge. In application, it could lead to smartphones charged from the motion of walking.

The viruses are stacked onto thin films and then several thin films are layered to build up as much voltage as possible.

With this technology, it is possible to envisage small-scale structures patterned with piezoelectric elements (so long as the structures are larger than the virus particles). This is ideal for small-scale sensing and energy-harvesting devices that can then be coupled to conventional electronics.

The Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory described a microelectronic device that uses a benign virus to build up electric charge from movement.Its first prototype was able to display the No. 1 on an LCD display when a person pressed a postage-stamp size button.

That amount of current isn't useful enough to charge common electronics, such as a music player or phone. But the researchers' novel approach to harvesting energy from motion shows promise either for consumer electronics or sensors that use vibrations or changing pressure to charge themselves.

The researchers are working with the piezoelectric effect, where charge accumulates in certain materials based on some sort of stress, such as motion or vibration. Some existing piezoelectric materials are toxic and are difficult to work with, according to the Lawrence Berkeley Lab group.

Droid Razr Maxx honored with CTIA Wireless E-Tech Award for best smartphone

Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx smartphone has been named the best smartphone & handset in the Mobile Consumer Electronics category at this year’s CTIA Wireless 2012 E-Tech Awards.

The device was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2012 and has since become a popular addition to Motorola’s Droid family of Android devices.

The 9mm thin Motorola Razr Maxx smartphone is close to 2mm thicker than its Droid Razr sibling but manages to squeeze a huge 3300mAh battery into its chassis, giving owners the ability to play games and surf the web all day, or talk for up to 21 hours straight without having to find a charger.

Samsung’s oversized Galaxy Note smartphone and its Galaxy Nexus ‘Google phone’ were awarded second and third places in the 2012 E-Tech Awards Smartphone & Handset category.

In 2011 Motorola also picked up the E-Tech Award for the best Phone/Smartphone with its Atrix 4G handset, beating LG’s Thrill 4G and HTC’s ThunderBolt which were awarded second and third places respectively.

Judging for this year’s award was conducted by a panel of media and industry analysts. Awards were given to products and services that embodied innovation, functionality, technological importance, implementation and overall “wow” factor.

Apple forced to change name of iPad Wi-Fi + 4G

Every time I see "4G" there is a temptation to wonder what it truly means.

However, in Australia and other countries, many have been upset for some time now that Apple's iPad Wi-Fi version was called "iPad Wi-Fi + 4G."

Their complaints were naturally complicated and technical, but boiled down to this: It isn't.

More precisely, it simply doesn't work on, say. Australian LTE networks, as they are on the 1800MHz spectrum, rather than 700MHz. The latter is still occupied by analog TV.

So Apple has decided to change the name.

It may well be that the objections of the Australian government became difficult for Apple to ignore. Perhaps the legal fees began to mount unreasonably.

The new name is iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular, a nomenclature that has emerged at Apple.com in recent days.

The change has been spotted in many countries, but not, for example, in Poland, where the 4G still reigns.

Apple has not commented publicly on the name change.

However, in Australia, Apple has a clarification on its iPad page. It reads: "This product supports very fast cellular networks. It is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMAX networks."

I am sure some will wish to parse the implications contained in that sentence.

Source

Ousted Yahoo CEO has cancer, WSJ reports

Just in case you haven't had enough Yahoo drama, there's now a new soap-operaish element to the Internet giant's recent convulsions. Scott Thompson, who was replaced as Yahoo CEO earlier today, reportedly told the board late last week that he's been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

It's not entirely clear what role Thompson's alleged medical disclosure played in his departure from the Yahoo C-suite. The WSJ report noted only that "[t]he decision to step down was in part influenced by Mr. Thompson's cancer diagnosis," a curiously roundabout -- and presumably face-saving -- way of describing a sequence of events that from the outside more closely resembled a palace coup.

Thompson, after all, had been under fire since early May over the fact that his official resume had for years listed a computer-science degree he'd never earned. That academic credential inflation was first discovered, then widely trumpeted, by activist shareholder Daniel Loeb, a longtime critic of Yahoo management whose hedge fund, Third Point LLC, was gearing up for a proxy battle with the company.

Thompson reportedly claimed last week that the resume issue resulted from an error by a junior employer at a headhunting firm. Then last Friday, a reported letter from the CEO of recruiting firm Heidrick & Struggles, which had recruited Thompson to his previous job at eBay-owned PayPal, called Thompson's explanation "verifiably untrue."

It's worth remembering that much of this narrative remains a hall of mirrors, as almost none of this information has been confirmed publicly. Still, it seems likely that Thompson's credibility on the matter of his resume was beginning to wear thin by late last week, especially since he'd apparently taken a week to directly address the false credential in the first place.

Coincidentally enough, that's apparently also when Thompson revealed his reported medical issue to the board.

Yahoo's announcement of Thompson's replacement by interim CEO Ross Levinsohn made no mention of any medical issues. The WSJ article noted only that Thompson "didn't want to publicly discuss the cancer diagnosis because he wanted to keep personal details private," according to one unnamed individual.

Source

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a rich story about secrets, ghosts, winter, books and family. The Thirteenth Tale is a book lover's book, with much of the action taking place in libraries and book stores, and the line between fact and fiction constantly blurred. It is hard to believe this is Setterfield's debut novel, for she makes the words come to life with such skill that some passages even gave me chills. With a mug of cocoa and The Thirteenth Tale, contentment isn't far away.

Keeping Mum (2005)

Keeping Mum is a 2005 black comedy film starring Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith and Patrick Swayze.

Plot: In the opening scene, as pregnant young Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) rides on a train, her very large trunk starts leaking blood. When questioned by the police, she calmly reveals that the two dismembered bodies inside are of her unfaithful husband and his mistress. She is then sentenced by the judge (Roger Hammond) to a secure unit for the criminally insane for manslaughter.

Forty-three years later, in the village of Little Wallop, Walter Goodfellow, the vicar (Rowan Atkinson) is very busy writing the perfect sermon for a conference, having no idea about the problems in his house, which include the unfulfilled needs of his wife Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) who subsequently starts an affair with her golf instructor, Lance (Patrick Swayze); the rebellious nature of his daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) who constantly picks up new boyfriends; and son Petey (Toby Parkes) who is bullied by schoolmates. Then everything changes with the arrival of the new housekeeper Grace (Maggie Smith).

Walter and Gloria first meet her when they fail to fetch Petey from school and see him strolling with her. Gloria becomes very angry, thinking that Grace is trying to kidnap him and is appeased only when the latter identifies herself by showing an envelope with her name on it. Grace is installed into their lives and learns about some of the problems in the house — Clarence, the neighbour's (Mr. Brown's) nuisance-barking Jack Russell terrier, who disturbs Gloria's sleep; the boys who bully Petey; and the golf instructor with whom Gloria is having an affair. Walter does not know anything about any of this - the only problem he has is the toxic blue-green algae in the garden pond. Grace resolves to solve these problems in her own way. She first kills the dog, Clarence, and when his owner finds out that his dog has been killed, she kills him, too. She sabotages the bullies' bicycles, injuring one of them and thereby making Petey very happy. She catches the golf instructor outside the house one night, videotaping Holly undressing, and kills him with an iron. Around the same time, Walter leaves for an Ecclesiastical convention.

British style guide: Get the Alexa look

In honor of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee coming up next month, closely followed by the Olympic Games, Relaxnews offers a guide for fashionistas hoping to get in touch with their inner Brit.

When emulating the London look there is no better source of inspiration than the British Fashion Council's recently appointed Young Style Ambassador Alexa Chung.

The 28-year-old model and television presenter, who was given the job of "championing London designers" by the BFC back in February, has also been named Britain's top style icon for two year's running at the British Fashion Awards -- and counts US Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld among her biggest fans.

Achieving the trademark Alexa look is primarily about accessorizing -- whether it be with a vintage doctor's bags, a colored satchel or of course her own namesake handbag, the "Alexa", which is available from Mulberry stores and online.

In terms of footwear, flats are always favored over heels, with ballet pumps, loafers and the mandatory brogue nearly always teamed with ankle socks or bare legs. For this season British high street favorites including Bertie, Topshop and River Island have an array of androgynous footwear styles on offer.

Hats are also essential to the Alexa aesthetic, and like her fellow Brit style icons such as Florence Welch and Kate Moss, a trilby always goes down well. Brands including Accessorize have a host of styles perfect for the summer, including straw and patterned motif varieties.

Always one to mix high street with designer when purchasing her wardrobe staples such as denim shorts, Peter Pan collar blouses and tuxedo jackets, Alexa champions some of the UK's biggest rising fashion talents including Mary Katrantzou, J.W. Anderson and Peter Pilotto.

Students step up for Steinmetz

For weeks, Alexa DiBenedetto ’14 rehearsed her first Steinmetz presentation for anyone who would listen. Friends or faculty, it didn’t matter to the mathematics major from Rockland County, N.Y. DiBenedetto kept polishing her project so when it came time for her 15 minutes, she would be prepared.

Despite her nerves being a “mess” the night before, DiBenedetto aced her “Philosophy and Mathematics of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans” presentation in the Wold Center Friday morning during the 22nd annual Steinmetz Symposium.

DiBenedetto was among hundreds of students, faculty and parents who fanned out across campus Friday to celebrate undergraduate research from every discipline. As per tradition, classes were canceled for the day.

“Where else other than Union does this kind of thing happen? It's an affirmation of what we do here and it’s a wonderful thing to see the students so engaged,” said President Stephen C. Ainlay, who attended a number of presentations throughout the day.

Among the topics discussed were “Breakin’ on the Beat: A Comparative Study of Breakdancing and Commercialized Hip Hop” (Stefanie Charles ’12); “The Autoclave Challenge for Aerogel Preparation” (Ralph Cueva ’13); “Energy Improvements for Messa Rink” (Cole Ikkala ’14, Troy Grosenick ’14); and “Matrix Factorization in M2 and M3 (Daniel Roginski ’12).

And for the first time, the symposium featured a series of student films shown in Olin 115, including Sun in My Pocket: My Personal Documentary (Miriam Hammer ’14); Body Image and Subtlety of Schenectady (Emma Freter ’13) and Get Back Up (Peter Goemaat ’14, Matthew Barretto ’13 and Marc Douglas ’13).

As usual, one of the highlights was the afternoon Steinmetz dance performance in the Nott Memorial, featuring more than 50 students and faculty members. In addition, there was a preview of Paris Danse from the upcoming Spring Dance Concert. At the end of the show, Kaitlyn Thoen '14 was awarded the 2012 Edward Villella Fellowship, which enables exceptional students in dance to expand their studies beyond campus. The Hedda Hainebach Memorial Prize in Music and Theatre was presented to Maisie Bragg '12.

For a list of all presentations, visit the Steinmetz website.

The day also included a concert by the Union College and Community Orchestra and the Union College and Community Chorale, under the direction of John Cox, director of performance and lecturer in choral and orchestral music, in Memorial Chapel.

The 2012 Annual Visual Arts Student Art Exhibit, on view through May 13 in the Burns Arts Atrium Gallery, features the most accomplished student works completed over the 2011-12 academic year – more than 100 pieces by 70 students.

Curated by Visual Arts faculty members, the exhibit includes works from classes taught by Martin Benjamin (photography), Chris Duncan (sculpture), Walter Hatke (painting and drawing), Fernando Orellana (digital art and video) and Sandy Wimer (drawing, printmaking, etching and design).

Steinmetz Symposium coincided with Prize Day on Saturday in Memorial Chapel, followed by a reception on the Reamer Campus Center patio. Students were honored for achievement in academics, research, service and governance. Among the top awards given were the Josephine Daggett Prize to the senior for conduct and character (Jessica Sarrantonio) and the Frank Bailey (1885) Prize, to the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field (Erin Delman).

For a complete list of winners, click here.

Also, the Union College Jazz Ensemble, with Professor Tim Olsen conducting a program of vocal and instrumental jazz, held an afternoon performance in Emerson Auditorium.

The Steinmetz Symposium is named for Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865-1923), who taught electrical engineering and applied physics at Union. Also chief consulting engineer for the General Electric Company, he was widely regarded as America’s leading electrical engineer.

University Press Release here.

Beloved Physics Professor Speaks At Graduation Ceremony

More than 4,500 graduating students, parents and guests attended Susquehanna

University’s 154th commencement ceremony on May 13, when nearly 500 students were awarded degrees. The event took place at 2:30 p.m. in the field house of the James W. Garrett Sports Complex.

Featured speaker Fred A. Grosse, Susquehanna professor of physics (now professor emeritus) and the longest-serving faculty member in the university’s history, told graduates that perseverance is the key to success.

“Don’t think about the score, salary, rewards, winning or losing,” Grosse said. “Just keep on playing.”

In a speech full of anecdotes and nods to Susquehanna history, Grosse made light of his record-breaking teaching tenure. “When I came to SU, there were only two students,” he said. “I can still remember their names—Adam and Eve.”

Grosse saluted graduates’ mastery of technology and lent perspective to the speed of change. “I taught the first computer course here in the late ‘60s,” he said. “We wrote FORTRAN programs on punch cards, threw them in a bag, and a math teacher who lived in Lewisburg took them to Bucknell, where they were run through the computer and returned by automobile.” Grosse went on to explain that his early adoption of computer science later aided his NASA-funded studies of planetary and lunar atmospheres.

Grosse thanked graduates’ parents in the audience, saying “You’ve paid me all these years to work at the best job in the world.” He concluded his remarks by leading a rousing cheer for Susquehanna and with a final “Class dismissed!”

University President L. Jay Lemons and Signe Gates, vice president of the Susquehanna University Board of Trustees, also addressed the graduates and their guests.

Lemons reminded graduates of how the world had changed since they’d arrived at Susquehanna four years ago. “You witnessed the election of the first African-American president in the history of the United States,” he said. “Your college years brought forth the birth of the tea party and the Occupy movement. You also witnessed the last combat troops leaving Iraq, and the long hunt for Osama bin Laden come to an end.”

Lemons challenged the Class of 2012 to continue expanding their minds and experience. “To be truly educated, you must give yourself wholly to the process of learning,” he said. “So be curious. Seek answers to questions. Share your knowledge with others. Your education isn’t ending; it is truly just beginning.”

Grosse was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, along with James G. Apple, former president of Butter-Krust Baking Co. in Sunbury, Pa.; and John B. Apple, retired vice president of Butter-Krust Baking Co. and emeritus member of Susquehanna’s Board of Trustees. A fourth honorary degree will be awarded at a later date to Lucille M. Arthur, widow of emeritus Susquehanna board member and alumnus Douglas E. Arthur, as Lucille was unable to attend the event.

Original source here.

Skidmore's 101st Commencement May 19 at SPAC

Skidmore's Class of 2012, totaling 628 baccalaureate candidates and 12 candidates for the master of arts in liberal studies, will participate in the College's 101st Commencement Saturday, May 19, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The ceremony begins at 10:40 a.m.

Grace Burton, associate professor of Spanish, was chosen by the graduates to deliver the commencement remarks. A Skidmore faculty member since 1987, she was the recipient this year of the College's Ralph Ciancio Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Whether leading classes in introductory Spanish and intermediate language and literature, or working with advanced independent students, "language and literature come to life through Grace," noted a recent Skidmore graduate.

The following honorary degree recipients also will deliver brief remarks:

--Terence Blanchard, jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and multiple Grammy Award winner. Invited to participate in pre-orientation, Blanchard was a model for first-year students when they arrived in September 2008, and is committed to the rigorous education of college students, the critical connections between art and learning, and the general betterment of the world around him.

--Ron Chernow, American biographer whose books have won multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Washington: A Life, and the National Book Award for The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance. Chernow is past president of the board of trustees and currently a vice president for the PEN American Center, the eastern U.S. branch of International PEN, the literary and human rights organization.

--Suzanne Corbet Thomas, Skidmore Class of 1962, chair of the Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2008, member of the board since 1989, and the ultimate Skidmore ambassador. Thomas has worked tirelessly on behalf of the College and has provided leadership in numerous volunteer roles, including the highly successful Creative Thought Bold Promise Campaign.Others congratulating the graduates during the program will be Skidmore President Philip Glotzbach,Janet Lucas Whitman '59, chair of the board of trustees, and Melvis Langyintuo, president of the Class of 2012.

Original source here.

Students' Help to Restore Luster to Jewel of Hartford

Keney Park isn’t what it used to be. But Smith students and faculty are working to restore the one-time jewel of Hartford’s nationally renowned parks system.

A sprawling tract of open lawns, trailed woodlands and public facilities in the city’s northeast corner, near the Connecticut River, Keney Park has in recent years become a victim of budget constraints, lack of maintenance and public misuse. The 693-acre public park, which is comparable in size to New York’s 843-acre Central Park and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s sons, is underused, neglected, and avoided by most residents of surrounding neighborhoods.

Keney Park on paper, marked by students for danger spots (red dots) and assets and resources (green dots). Students in two classes taught by Nina Antonetti, assistant professor of landscape studies, are contributing to an effort to redesign and revitalize the area as part of a project led by Community Solutions, a nonprofit agency that takes on municipal projects to strengthen troubled communities, in partnership with the City of Hartford.

“Keney Park could become an incredible resource for Northeast Hartford,” says Antonetti. “It’s one of the largest open public spaces in New England, and it’s a very important resource in our national park system.”

Like Smith’s campus landscape, Keney Park, which opened in 1896, was designed with the natural surrounding landscape in mind, incorporating local plantings to encourage native fauna, and an attempt to retain a natural look. Both landscapes were designed by Olmsteds—Smith’s by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was born and is buried in Hartford; Keney Park by his sons John Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., with associate Charles Eliot.

Antonetti’s students are analyzing public records and the park’s charter to determine its historical use and record of maintenance, as well as landscape changes throughout the past century.

The students, who are enrolled in Antonetti’s courses “Socialized Landscape” and “Rethinking Landscape,” will produce a cultural landscape report that will inform the park’s redesign by the Conway School of Landscape Design, a graduate program located in Conway, Mass., and renowned landscape designer Michael Singer.

“Historically and ecologically Keney Park possesses so much information,” says Jennifer Krain ’12, who serves as project coordinator for Antonetti’s two classes. “It is both rich in landscape and history. You can tell by the size of the trees there just how old the park must be. The Northeast neighborhood in Hartford has an amazing landscape in their backyard.”

Antonetti, who has been a visiting historian at the Conway School, sought to involve her students in the project as an ideal way to demonstrate real-world applications of landscape studies and the impact of cultural and sociological issues on landscapes.

“Students at Smith are activists at heart,” she says. “This kind of project gets them acting. The more I realized our students have unique resources at their disposal, and know how to use the resources at Smith, the more it made sense for them to be involved.”

Antonetti’s students have taken advantage of a number of Smith’s resources, including the college’s GIS Spatial Analysis Lab, the Lyman Conservatory, the Museum of Art and the Mortimer Rare Book Room, to inform their research.

“Our research has covered philanthropy around the park, the development of Hartford’s parks system, biographies of Henry Keney, who donated money to buy the land, and Charles Eliot, infrastructure, and crime,” explains Krain.

Antonetti hopes her students’ involvement in the Keney Park renovation will help encourage people in the city to use the historic park and spend positive time outdoors.

“Being involved in this project has made me realize that landscapes have a deep and rich history,” says Krain. “Keney Park can be a place where people gather, communicate, and create a sense of belonging.”

This month, four of Antonetti’s students, along with graduate students from the Conway School, will present their cultural landscape report at a community gathering of Friends of Keney Park with other associations. Her students are also exhibiting their work in Smith’s Campus Center Gallery for most of May. They will apply for a Ford Foundation grant to continue their research into next year.

“In the academic world, students are often given fictional situations or projects that never come to be,” says Krain. “But with the Keney Park project, I know my work will be used in the future. The understanding that people are counting on my research and that it matters has made me work harder and care more about the project. I’m confident that I can work on landscapes in the future because I have had this experience.”

Original source here.

How to Choose the Perfect Prep School for Your Child

A school photograph of over 300 children and 40 staff must, 50 years ago, have belonged to a secondary school. Now it could be a preparatory school. Originally small proprietor-owned institutions whose task was to prepare boys of 8-13 for boarding schools, most have now grown and diversified.

Though there are still good small schools, economies of scale have forced the majority to double, or treble, in size. Competition has driven them into mergers and expansion into nursery and pre-prep. Many are now coeducational. Large numbers of schools failed to survive the changes; but the remainder have emerged as powerful forces in independent education.

This is not lost on parents, particularly at a time when value for money is all-important. In some areas, a prep school education is seen as the best preparation for the 11-plus exam and a free place in a grammar school. Where there are no grammar schools, a good prep school grounding could be the surest way to a means-tested scholarship at a reputable independent secondary school or a bursary to deserving cases.

And there is the growing realisation that a good primary education is the best educational purchase for those who cannot afford daunting secondary-school fees. It can create in its pupils a sense of aspiration and lay excellent foundations in core subjects such as maths, English and science.

The ratio of staff to pupils is extremely good, on average about 1:10. Prep schools offer excellent extra-curricular programmes. Co-education has not only doubled the potential clientele; it has also helped to broaden the curriculum, particularly in the direction of music and the creative arts.

Read details here.

Apple drops '4G' from iPad adverts

Apple has stopped using the phrase 4G in adverts for its latest iPad.

The description proved controversial because 4G is not widely available in the UK and the iPad will not work with it when it is.

The UK's advertising watchdog and others around the world investigated Apple over use of the 4G phrase.

Apple said the confusion arose because of the ways operators refer to different high-speed mobile technologies.

Word jumble

When the newest version of the iPad was launched in March, adverts for the device claimed it would work with 4G, meaning fourth generation, mobile technology. The 4G in question was a technology known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) that was starting to appear in the US.

However, when LTE arrives in Britain, the rest of Europe and many other nations, it will use different frequencies to those in the US meaning the iPad will not be able to use 4G everywhere.

The disparity led to many complaints. In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated and won assurances from Apple that its advertising would change.

A spokesman for the ASA said it had started a second investigation after consumers told it that the 4G phrase was still being used to describe the iPad's capabilities.

The ASA had been "working closely" with Apple to amend the way the iPad is advertised, said the spokesman, adding that the consumer electronics firm had been very co-operative during the investigation.

"We will be checking the amendments to ensure they adhere to the Advertising Code," he said.

Apple said the confusion had arisen because of the different high-speed mobile technologies dubbed 4G by operators and carriers.

Apple would change its terminology to remove this confusion, it said.

"Carriers do not all refer to their high speed networks with the same terminology," said the firm in a statement, "therefore we've decided to use 'wi-fi + cellular' as a simple term which describes all the high speed networks supported by the new iPad."

"The advanced wireless features of the new iPad have not changed," it added.

Intel Windows 8 tablets to hit retail stores in November

Windows 8 should available by November when Intel-based devices hit retail stores.

The first wave of Intel-based Windows 8 tablets are expected to land in retail stores in November.

"The schedule is tight," said the source. "Looking at what Windows is trying to achieve not only with a new OS, but a new OS that needs to run four to five architectures -- three ARM, Intel, and AMD," according to the source.

And don't expect just tablets. "More than 50 percent" of the "more than a dozen" designs will be hybrids, aka convertibles, the source said. Those designs combine aspects of a traditional physical keyboard-based laptop and tablet.

Intel-specified tablet/hybrid features.

(Credit: Intel)

All the devices described by the source will tap Intel's upcoming "Clover Trail" Atom chip. Clover Trail is Intel's first dual-core Atom design based on its 32-nanometer process technology. (The single core version of this chip powers a phone from India-based Lava and is slated for phones from Lenovo, Orange, and Motorola, among others.)

Hybrid Windows 8 designs based on the higher-performance Ivy Bridge processor are also expected but the source did not address that market segment specifically.

A separate release from Microsoft, Windows RT, will land on devices powered by ARM chip suppliers Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments. RT will not run older Windows applications.Windows 8, like Windows 7 before it, will be powered by chips from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices and will be able to run older, so-called "legacy" applications.

The sources added that Intel has a chip called "Bay Trail" in the works -- the company's future 22-nanometer follow-up to Clover Trail.

"It is a gigantic performer, with similar battery life to Clover Trail. It will also have a lot of security features built in and Infineon [3G/4G] silicon inside," the source said.

Bay Trail would use Intel's own graphics tech, not Imagination's.

When that chip will arrive isn't clear yet. (CNET)

iPhone 5 Concept: Angry Birds shown on 7mm Apple phone

While we won't know for sure what the iPhone 5 will look like till later this year artist Antoine Brieux has certainly given our imagination a good head start

 

A collection of concept iPhone 5 images have been uploaded by artist Antoine Bieux who has envisged the next Apple iPhone utilising Liquidmetal technology and measuring in at just 7mm thin.

The artist has also thrown in a couple of Angry Birds screens as well to help give a better idea of what games on the iPhone 5 would be like, with it's small bezal and thin form factor looking both light yet sturdy.

Of course it's just a concept, but with increasing rumours that Apple is indeed looking into Liquidmetal for the iPhone 5 it's not too far a stretch to imagine something similar to the images here.

iPhone 5: Rumours

As expected we’ve seen a strong batch of iPhone 5 rumours circulate around the web, although Apple is keeping hush about everything until the blower’s official launch date.

The next generation Apple iPhone is expected to land in late 2012, rumours suggest.

Macotakar, the Japanese Apple blog, has received word from a reliable batch of sources (or so we’re told) who claim that the Californian company will be releasing its iPhone 4S follow-up in either September or October this year.

If true, it would coincide with last year’s launch of the iPhone 4S.

Following the launch of the new iPad back in March, rumour has it the iPhone 5 could be called the ‘new iPhone’, keeping it in line with its next generation tablet.

In terms of specs, we could possibly be seeing a gorgeous 4-inch screen on the rumoured device, along with a metal back.

“The new iPhone will indeed be longer and thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S,” iLounge editor Jeremy Horwitz said.

“Approximate measurements are 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.4mm—a 10mm jump in height, nearly 2mm reduction in thickness, and virtually identical width.” (T3)