Key decisions on drones likely from Congress

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is on the verge of proposing long-awaited rules for commercial drone operations in U.S. skies, but key decisions on how much access to grant drones are likely to come from Congress next year.

Federal Aviation Administration officials have said they want to release proposed rules before the end of this month, but other government and industry officials say they are likely to be delayed until January. Meanwhile, except for a small number of companies that have received FAA exemptions, a ban on commercial drone flights remains in place. Even after rules are proposed, it is likely to be two or three years before regulations become final.

That's too long to wait, say drone industry officials. Every year the ban remains in place, the United States loses more than $10 billion in potential economic benefits that drones could provide, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a trade group.

"We need some sort of process that allows some of the low-risk operations," said Jesse Kallman, the head of regulatory affairs for Airware, a drone technology company backed by Google Ventures. "I think Congress understands that, and hopefully they'll take steps in the coming year to address that."

That appears to be what some key lawmakers have in mind. "We in Congress are very interested in UAS," Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said at a hearing this month, referring to unmanned aerial systems, or drones. "We understand UAS are an exciting technology with the potential to transform parts of our economy. ... It is our responsibility to take a close look."

One of the committee's first priorities next year is writing legislation to reauthorize FAA programs and overhaul aviation policy. The bill is expected to include directions from lawmakers on how to integrate drones into the nation's aviation system. The last reauthorization bill, passed in 2012, directed the agency to integrate drones by Sept. 30, 2015, but it's clear the FAA will miss that deadline.

The FAA is expected to propose restricting drones weighing less than 55 pounds to altitudes below 400 feet, forbid nighttime flights and require drones be kept within sight of their operators. Drone operators may also be required to get pilot's licenses, a possibility already drawing fire from critics who say the skills needed to fly a manned aircraft are different from those needed to operate a drone.

Shuster indicated he's concerned that requiring pilot's licenses might be burdensome and unnecessary. And keeping drones within sight of operators would be too strict and limit their usefulness, he said.

The reason for keeping drones within line of sight is that they don't yet have the ability to detect and avoid other aircraft.

AUVSI, the drone industry trade group, recently hired Mark Aitken, former legislative director to Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., as its government relations manager. LoBiondo is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, which will write the FAA reauthorization bill.

"We're really looking at an incremental approach still," Aitken said. "It's not something that is going to happen overnight."

FAA officials have been working on drone regulations for nearly a decade. The agency twice drafted regulations that were later rejected by the White House or Transportation Department. The FAA has long maintained that unmanned aircraft must meet the same regulations as manned aircraft unless waiving or adjusting those regulations doesn't create a safety risk. However, FAA officials more recently have begun talking about "risk-based" regulations, giving industry officials hope the agency might propose a blanket exemption from regulations for the smallest drones — usually defined as weighing under 5 pounds — as long as operators follow a few basic safety rules. Canadian authorities recently approved a blanket exemption for very small drones.

Congress already is getting pushback from private and commercial pilots who worry about possible collisions. The FAA receives reports nearly every day about drones sighted flying near manned aircraft or airports.

"As a (Boeing) 737 captain, I'll be damned if myself and 178 other people are taken down by a 12-pound or a 50-pound or a 150-pound piece of metal coming through my windshield," said Ben Berman at a recent forum hosted by the Air Line Pilots Association. "There are too many near misses occurring every day like this."

Mark Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which represents private pilots, said online videos show that "operators are flying near airports, in the clouds and in congested airspace." He called such actions "reckless" and said they will inevitably lead to a collision.

FAA regulations permit recreational users to fly small drones as long as they stay at least 5 miles away from an airport, limit flights to less than 400 feet in altitude, keep the aircraft in line of sight and fly only during the daytime.

Last week, drone industry trade groups teamed up with the FAA and model aircraft hobbyists to launch a safety campaign aimed at amateur drone operations. The campaign includes a website, www.knowbeforeyoufly.com , where operators can find FAA regulations and advice on how to fly safely. The trade groups said they also plan to distribute safety pamphlets at industry events and are working with manufacturers to see that safety information is enclosed inside the package of new drones.

Retailers say small drones, which are indistinguishable from today's more sophisticated model aircraft, were popular gifts this Christmas.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

___

Online:

Drone safety campaign: http://www.knowbeforeyoufly.com

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pringo not for everyone, but still cute

Pringo Pocket Wi-Fi Photo Printer ($149.99, Amazon.com)

With all the advancements in smartphone technology, we still haven't mastered portable printing. Enter the Pringo, by Taiwanese manufacturer Hiti. Hoping to cash in on our incessant Instagram-ing, this tiny photo printer is compatible with iOS and Android, and prints smartphone photos via a Wi-Fi-enabled app.

The good: This is a cute, fun conversation-piece that stores in your pocket or purse and provides instant photo-printing gratification. Select filters, effects and borders with the accompanying app.

The bad: The best borders and effects cost money in the form of in-app purchases.

The bottom line: This is a cute little gimmick that will appeal to tweens and compulsive selfie-takers, but the cost of in-app purchases may be a deal-breaker.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

In crowded skies, lost plane's request for new path denied

SURABAYA, Indonesia — The plane sought permission to climb above threatening clouds. Air traffic control couldn't say yes immediately — there was no room. Six other commercial airliners were crowding the surrounding airspace, forcing AirAsia Flight 8501 to remain at a lower altitude.

Minutes later, the jet carrying 162 people was gone from the radar. No distress signal was issued. It is believed to have crashed into Indonesia's Java Sea on Sunday morning, but exactly what happened — and whether the plane's flight path played any role — won't be determined until after the aircraft is found.

Broad aerial surveys on Monday spotted two oily patches and objects in separate locations, but it's unknown whether any of it is related to the missing Airbus A320-200.

The plane left Surabaya, Indonesia, but vanished halfway into what should have been a two-hour hop to Singapore. Officials on Monday saw little reason to believe the flight met anything but a grim fate.

"Based on the coordinates that we know, the evaluation would be that any estimated crash position is in the sea, and that the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea," Indonesia search and rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo said. Search officials did, however, plan to expand their search efforts onto land on Tuesday.

The last communication from the cockpit to air traffic control was a request by one of the pilots to increase altitude from 32,000 feet (9,754 meters) to 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) because of the rough weather. The tower was not able to immediately comply because of the other planes, said Bambang Tjahjono, director of the state-owned company in charge of air-traffic control.

Sarjono Joni, a former pilot with a state-run Indonesian carrier, said the usual course of action when planes run into rough weather is to veer either left or right. A request to climb would most likely come if the plane was experiencing heavy turbulence or otherwise causing serious passenger discomfort, he said.

He added that heavy traffic is not unusual for any given airspace.

The twin-engine, single-aisle plane was last seen on radar four minutes after the final communication from the cockpit.

Search and rescue crews were looking for the plane with at least 15 ships, seven aircraft and four helicopters, national search and rescue spokesman Jusuf Latif said. Most are Indonesian but Singapore, Malaysia and Australia have contributed planes, and a ship and aircraft from Thailand were awaiting clearance from Indonesia's Foreign Ministry.

Those numbers do not include Indonesian warships taking part in the search. Many fishermen from Belitung island also have joined in, and all vessels in that area of the sea have been alerted to be on the lookout for anything that could be linked to the plane.

Jakarta's air force base commander, Rear Marshal Dwi Putranto, said an Australian Orion aircraft had detected "suspicious" objects near an island about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off central Kalimantan. That's about 700 miles (1,120 kilometers) from the location where the plane lost contact, but within Monday's greatly expanded search area.

"However, we cannot be sure whether it is part of the missing AirAsia plane," Putranto said. "We are now moving in that direction, which is in cloudy conditions."

Air Force spokesman Rear Marshal Hadi Tjahnanto told MetroTV that an Indonesian helicopter spotted two oily spots in the Java Sea east of Belitung island, much closer to where the plane lost contact than the objects viewed from the Australian plane. He said oil samples would be collected and analyzed to see if they are connected to the missing plane.

An Associated Press photographer flew in a C-130 transport carrier with Indonesia's Air Force for 10 hours Monday over a large section of the search area between Kalimantan and Belitung. The flight was bumpy and rainy at times. It hovered low at 1,500 feet, giving clear visibility to waves, ships and fishermen, but there was no sign of the plane.

The disappearance and suspected crash caps an astonishingly tragic year for air travel in Southeast Asia, and Malaysia in particular. Malaysia-based AirAsia's loss comes on top of the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March with 239 people aboard, and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July over Ukraine, which killed all 298 passengers and crew.

"Until today, we have never lost a life," AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes, who founded the low-cost carrier in 2001, told reporters in Jakarta airport. "But I think that any airline CEO who says he can guarantee that his airline is 100 percent safe, is not accurate."

He refused to address compensation issues or any changes that may be made to the airline as a result of this incident.

"We have carried 220 million people up to this point," he said. "Of course, there's going to be some reaction, but we are confident in our ability to fly people."

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was in Indonesia's Papua province when the plane disappeared but was back in Jakarta, the capital, on Monday. He said he ordered an immediate review of all aviation procedures.

"I was very shocked (by the disappearance) and I could feel the concern, the frustration and the sadness experienced by the passengers' families, and I believe also felt by all the people of Indonesia," Jokowi said at a press conference.

Nearly all the passengers and crew are Indonesians, who are frequent visitors to Singapore, particularly on holidays.

Ruth Natalia Puspitasari, who would have turned 26 on Monday, was among them. Her father, Suyanto, sat with his wife, who was puffy-eyed and coughing, near the family crisis center at Surabaya's airport.

Suyanto remembers the concern his daughter showed for the families of the MH370 tragedy. Puspitasari once told him how sad it must be for the victims' relatives who were left waiting for their loved ones with no certainty.

"Now she is gone in the missing plane, and we should face this sorrow, I can't believe it!" he said, tears rolling down his cracked cheeks. "This is too hard to be faced."

He was still sleeping when Puspitasari left for the airport with her fiance and future in-laws for a New Year's vacation. But he called her just before she boarded, and she told him excitedly that they planned to celebrate her birthday in Singapore.

"I don't want to experience the same thing with what was happened with Malaysia Airlines," he said as his wife wept. "It could be a long suffering."

Few believe this search will be as perplexing as the ongoing one for Flight 370, where what happened onboard remains a total mystery. Authorities suspect the plane was deliberately diverted by someone on board and ultimately lost in a remote area of the Indian Ocean where the water is notoriously deep. Flight 8501 vanished over a heavily traveled sea that is relatively shallow, with no sign of foul play.

Flight 8501 had been airborne for about 42 minutes when it lost contact.

The plane had an Indonesian captain, Iryanto, who uses one name, and a French co-pilot, five cabin crew members and 155 passengers, including 16 children and one infant, the airline said in a statement. Among the passengers were three South Koreans, a Malaysian, a British national and his 2-year-old Singaporean daughter. The rest were Indonesians.

AirAsia said the captain had more than 20,000 flying hours.

"Papa, come home, I still need you," Angela Anggi Ranastianis, the captain's 22-year-old daughter, pleaded on social media late Sunday, which was widely quoted by Indonesian press. "Bring back my papa. Papa, please come home."

At Iryanto's house in the East Java town of Sidoarjo, neighbors, relatives and friends gathered Monday to pray and recite the Quran to support the distraught family. Their desperate cries were so loud, they could sometimes be heard outside where three televisions had been set up to monitor search developments.

"He is a good man. That's why people here appointed him as our neighborhood chief for the last two years," said Bagianto Djoyonegoro, a friend and neighbor.

Many recalled him as an experienced Air Force pilot who flew F-16 fighter jets before becoming a commercial airline pilot.

His co-pilot, Remi Plesel, had been in Indonesia three years and loved to fly, his sister, Renee, told France's RTL radio.

"He told me that things were going well, that he'd had a good Christmas. He was happy. The rains were starting, the weather was bad. It was raining a lot," she said.

___

Mason reported from Jakarta. Ali Kotarumalos, Niniek Karmini and Robin McDowell in Jakarta, Joan Lowy in Austin, Texas, Scott Mayerowitz in New York and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

AirAsia's brash CEO in spotlight after jet disappears

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — His airline empire began, Tony Fernandes likes to say, with the purchase of a bankrupt company for less than a dollar. Now, after years of growth that made him the king of Asian budget travel, the flamboyant Malaysian businessman is facing the horror of the disappearance of an AirAsia jet with 162 people on board.

Fernandes, who built AirAsia's regional network on cheap fares, a love of the spotlight and occasionally provocative advertising ("There's a new girl in town. She's twice the fun and half the price."), was clearly exhausted by the time he met reporters late Sunday at the airport in Surabaya, Indonesia, where the missing flight had taken off.

"We are very devastated by what has happened. It is unbelievable," he said. In an earlier tweet to his employees, Fernandes said, "This is my worst nightmare."

Fernandes pioneered regional low-cost air travel by launching AirAsia in January 2002, growing it from two planes to more than 180 by breaking the dominance of national airlines and making flying affordable for the millions of Asians entering the middle class. Today, he has an estimated net worth of $650 million.

A massive air and sea search has so far turned up no confirmed sign of AirAsia Flight 8501, which vanished from radar Sunday morning about 42 minutes after taking off from Surabaya en route to Singapore.

The missing jet was the third major airline incident this year involving Malaysia. First came Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 and has not been found. A few months later, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine.

But this marks the first tragedy for Malaysia-based AirAsia, which has a strong safety record. Flight 8501 was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a subsidiary that is 49 percent owned by AirAsia Malaysia.

Earlier this year, AirAsia boasted in its in-flight magazine that its well-trained pilots would never lose a plane. The airline withdrew the magazine and Fernandes apologized for the article, which was written before Flight 370 disappeared. Fernandes also courted controversy on the day that flight lost contact. An active Twitter user with more than a million followers, he tweeted that the plane's radio had failed and that all on board were safe. He later deleted the tweet.

Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst with Endau Analytics in Malaysia, said Fernandes had reacted well so far to the latest crisis, communicating properly and quickly traveling to Surabaya.

"There will be some adverse knee-jerk reaction, but I don't think it will cripple the airline," Shukor said. "AirAsia has sound fundamentals in terms of its business model and management, and this crisis should not suppress its growth."

Last year, AirAsia flew 42.6 million people across the region.

A 50-year-old Malaysian of Indian-Portuguese descent and a serious music buff — he plays keyboards and the drums — Fernandes earned a finance degree in the United Kingdom and rose quickly in the music industry, first at Virgin Group and later at Warner Music International. He was appointed Warner's chief in Malaysia in 1992 at age 28, the youngest person to hold that post.

Warner CD sales jumped during his tenure, but he left after Time-Warner's merger with AOL to enter the airline business, a longtime dream.

Fernandes got together with three other investors, mortgaged his house and withdrew his savings to buy the floundering AirAsia on Sept. 8, 2001, paying a symbolic 1 ringgit, or about 25 U.S. cents. Three days later, New York and Washington were hit by terrorist attacks.

But AirAsia coasted through the crisis. With its tagline "Now Everyone Can Fly," it revolutionized cheap air travel in the region and repaid its 40 million ringgit ($11.4 million) debt in less than two years.

Today, it has more than 8,000 employees and flies to 132 destinations in Asia. AirAsia is now a major competitor to full-service carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, which have since set up budget offshoots to vie for a bigger share of passengers.

In many ways, Fernandes' career echoes the empire Richard Branson created at Virgin Group — both in terms of how the men love attention, and how they have expanded across industries.

From short routes of up to four hours, AirAsia has expanded into long-haul flying through its sister airline AirAsia X. Through his Tune Group, which owns AirAsia, Fernandes also started a hotel chain and offers car rental, insurance and credit cards in tie-ups with banks.

He was, in many ways, ahead of the industry curve, sensing a need for low-cost flights in what is now the world's fastest-growing region for airlines.

"Air travel is made for Asia," Fernandes told The Associated Press in 2002. "You can generally drive from one end of Europe to another or take a train, but that's not the case here. You want to try driving from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok? Good luck, mate!"

Fernandes is a vocal leader who enjoys interacting with the public at airports and on social media. AirAsia passengers often tweet him photos of their vacations, images Fernandes then shares with his followers.

In 2011, Fernandes stepped into the sports world when he bought a majority stake in the Queens Park Rangers, an English Premier League soccer club. The same year, Britain honored him as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and France made him an Officier de la Legion d'Honneur.

He also has funded a Formula One racing team, making lavish bets with owners of competing teams. But he sold his shares in the F1 team this year.

Last year, Fernandes further put AirAsia in the spotlight by hosting the Asian version of the reality TV series "The Apprentice." Filipino Jonathan Yabut won and now works for AirAsia in his country.

Since the disappearance of Flight 8501, Fernandes has focused on encouraging his staff not to buckle under the pressure.

"Be strong," he told his staff in another Twitter message. "Continue to be the best. Pray hard."

___

Associated Press writers Scott Mayerowitz in New York and Tim Sullivan in New Delhi contributed to this report.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

IMF: Greek bailout talks to resume only after election

ATHENS, Greece — Greece's government was forced Monday to call early national elections, stoking financial concerns as investors worry the main opposition party will win — and want to renege on the country's bailout deal.

The stock market closed 3.9 percent lower, recovering from an earlier 11.3 percent plunge on news of the election, which was triggered by parliament's failure to elect a new president. European markets also fell, with the Euro Stoxx index down 0.6 percent.

Investors fear the left-wing opposition Syriza party, which has a narrow but steady lead in opinion polls, might act on popular resentment over six years of government austerity by seeking to overhaul the international bailout deal.

At the height of the eurozone crisis in 2010-2012, Greece's financial turmoil risked breaking up the currency union, an event which would have shaken the global economy.

The risks today are not as great, analysts say. For one, little of Greece's debt is held by private investors around the world, but mainly its bailout creditors, the International Monetary Fund and other eurozone countries.

Also, the European Union and European Central Bank now have programs meant to stabilize markets and support confidence in eurozone markets.

"Due to the policy advances made, the safeguards that have been put in place and the (European Central Bank's) stated public commitment to doing whatever is necessary to keep the eurozone together, events in Greece now pose much less of a threat to the eurozone" than a few years ago, IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer said in a note.

However, should a new government seek changes to the deal, Greece's access to credit would be delayed just as its bailout loans are coming to an end. Greece still cannot finance itself independently on bond markets, so it faces the danger of a default that could hurt the finances of fellow European countries.

The IMF said Monday the current bailout review — upon which depends the payment of the next batch of rescue loans — will resume only after the new government is in place. It said Athens faces no immediate financing needs, however. The review has been stalled for months due to disagreements on new spending cuts.

Greek conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said national elections, the fourth in six fraught years of financial crisis, will be held "at the soonest possible date" — Sunday, Jan. 25, 18 months early.

"The country has no time to waste," Samaras said in a televised address after the presidential vote. "The people must learn the truth about how easy it is to relapse into the deepest and most dramatic crisis."

In the presidential vote, his coalition's candidate for the post, 73-year-old former European commissioner Stavros Dimas, garnered 168 out of 300 possible votes— short of the 180 needed to win. It was the third and final round of voting. According to the constitution, the vote's failure means parliament has to be dissolved within 10 days.

Syriza has pledged to roll back some of the reforms Greece implemented to qualify for 240 billion euros in rescue funds. But it has recently softened its rhetoric about unilaterally pulling out of the bailout deal.

Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said Monday's vote marked a "historic day for Greek democracy."

"Today Mr. Samaras' government, which for two and a half years plundered our society and had already decided and committed to take new (austerity) measures, belongs to the past," Tsipras said. "With the will of our people, in a few days, the austerity agreements will also belong to the past."

Commenting on the elections, European Finance Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said a "strong commitment to Europe" and backing for reforms will be "essential for Greece to thrive again within the euro area."

Greece lost market confidence and nearly went bankrupt in 2010, after years of profligate spending, dodging public sector reforms and hiding the extent of its bloated public deficit and debt.

The EU-IMF bailouts kept the country afloat, but drastic belt-tightening demanded by creditors hammered incomes and living conditions, sending unemployment to a post-World War II high. Ensuing resentment fuelled support for anti-austerity parties, from Syriza — whose pre-crisis support was under 5 percent — to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn.

Samaras, 63, presided over a historic coalition that united his conservative party with their historic socialist rivals to hammer out further draconian spending cuts that balanced the budget after decades and led to a modest economic recovery this year.

___

Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Forecasting 2015: Digital world will smarten up

The "Internet of Things," "organic" TV and personal drones are among the high-tech items that you can expect to see in 2015.

"We will see a lot more of the 'Internet of Things,' meaning smart devices that we have in our houses that can do various things will be connected together and made to work together more closely," said Carl Howe of Think Big's Boston office.

"There will also be big focus on wearable technology. There was a lot of that last year and I expect even more of that going into 2015, including fitness wearables and smart watches."

Howe said he also expects Apple's Apple Pay service, which will let smartphone owners pay for items at stores with a wave of their device, will make a splash over the next 12 months: "Apple Pay is going to be a really big deal this year. I think we will finally see paying with smartphones become a big trend in 2015."

Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies said technology due to be unveiled in 2015 will change the TV viewing experience.

"There are bigger TVs, curved TVs and these organic LED4K TVs, which I think will start pushing the boundaries of what people can get."

Bajarin added, "I'm seeing an awful lot of drones being advertised. There are even drones that will follow you around if you put a little sensor on yourself."

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russian ruble drops 7 percent as economy shrinks

MOSCOW — The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the banks afloat.

The ruble has been one of the world's worst performing currencies this year and was down another 5 percent on Monday, trading at 56 rubles per dollar in early afternoon in Moscow, wiping off some of the gains it made last week.

The fall came as the Economic Development Ministry issued a report showing the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in November compared with a year earlier. The ministry attributed the year-on-year decline in the economy, Russia's first in five years, to a sharp drop in manufacturing and investment.

The economy has been buffeted by a combination of lower prices for the country's crucial oil exports and the impact of Western sanctions.

Stabilizing the ruble is a priority for the country's monetary authorities. The Central Bank in past weeks raised its key interest rate to 17 percent and said it will offer dollar and euro loans to banks so they can help major exporters that need foreign currencies to finance operations.

The bank's foreign currency reserve has now dropped below $400 billion for the first time since August 2009, as the government has been selling the currency on the market to support the ruble.

Many Russian companies and banks have been locked out of Western capital markets following the sanctions imposed on the country for its involvement in Ukraine.

The government on Monday announced new steps to prop up the banking sector. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government session that he has just signed a decree to provide a total of 1 trillion rubles ($19.6 billion) to Russian banks. The list of the banks and the amount that each of them will receive is expected drawn up by mid-January, according to Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.

Shuvalov said the measures should help "the banking sector be more stable in the new circumstances and safeguard it from new shocks if they do occur," he was quoted by Tass.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vermont Yankee plant prepares to shut down

VERNON, Vt. — The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is getting ready to shut down.

Its owner, Entergy Corp., says it is closing the plant for economic reasons. The plant in Vernon is expected to disconnect from the regional power grid Monday.

The plant employed more than 600 people when it announced it would close. The workforce will be cut in half after a round of layoffs and retirements Jan. 19.

In 2016, the plant will see another big reduction as it prepares for a 30-year period during which time its radiation will cool. The plant likely won't be dismantled until the 2040s or later.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Allianz says it's lead insurer for AirAsia plane

BERLIN — Allianz says it is the lead insurance firm for the AirAsia jetliner that went missing off Indonesia with 162 people on board.

The Munich-based reinsurance giant said Monday that its subsidiary Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty UK is the lead insurer for AirAsia, including for liability insurance.

Allianz said in a statement that it is too early to comment on the incident itself, but expressed its support for those affected by it.

An international search is underway to determine the fate of AirAsia Flight 8501, which disappeared from radar Sunday morning over the Java Sea on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

S. Korea officials face punishment over 'nut rage'

SEOUL, South Korea — Four South Korean officials will be punished for improper conduct during an investigation into a former Korean Air Lines executive who forced a flight to return over a bag of macadamia nuts, the Transport Ministry said Monday.

The punishments could include dismissals, salary reductions or formal reprimands, according to Shin Eun-chul, the official who headed the ministry's internal investigation. The ministry also issued warnings to four other lower-ranking officials who were involved in the investigation.

Earlier this month, then-Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of the airline's chairman, forced a plane that was preparing to take off in New York to return to the gate and kicked off the chief flight attendant because she had been served nuts in a bag, not on a plate.

The ministry has been under fire following revelations that some officials leaked information and committed other improper acts during the investigation.

One of the officials to be reviewed for punishment was arrested Friday over allegations that he leaked information about the ministry's probe to a current Korean Air executive, surnamed Yeo, through several telephone conversations and text messages.

The ministry found other officials responsible for allowing Yeo to attend the ministry's questioning of the flight attendant forced off the plane and failing to interview other first-class passengers, one of whom who told prosecutors that Cho had assaulted and threatened the flight attendant.

A Seoul court is expected to decide Tuesday whether to issue an arrest warrant for Cho, who resigned as vice president at the airline earlier this month amid mounting public criticism over the incident. Prosecutors are also seeking to arrest Yeo over suspicions that he pressured airline employees to cover up the incident.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brian Williams renews contract with NBC news

NBC News said it has signed Brian Williams, the anchor of its evening newscast and the public face of the NBCUniversal-owned unit, to a new long-term deal.

No financial terms were offered, but the Los Angeles Times reported that the pact could be for as much as five years, and that Williams could receive as much as $10 million per year. Deal comes shortly after Williams' celebrated his 10th anniversary as anchor and managing editor of "The NBC Nightly News."

"Brian is one of the most trusted journalists of our time. He has led this organization through every major news event for the last decade, from Hurricane Katrina in his first year in the anchor chair to his exclusive interview with Edward Snowden this year, through elections, wars, natural disasters, tragedies and triumphs," NBC News prexy Deborah Turness said in a memo announcing the new deal. "In all of those cases he's taken 'Nightly News's' viewers to the heart of the stories that matter most in a way that's uniquely his."

"Nightly News" in recent months has faced a strong challenge to its ratings dominance rom the growth of ABC's "World News" following the anchor handoff from Diane Sawyer to David Muir in September. Williams took over NBC's flagship newscast in 2004 from Tom Brokaw.

Williams' renewal at NBC News was no surprise, even though his name has been mentioned for a range of possible other gigs ranging from the host slot on "Jeopardy" to latenight talkers. He's a frequent guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," where he demonstrates his sense of humor with the "Slow Jamming the News" segment and other bits.

Here's a link to a video NBC News assembled to mark Williams' 10th anniversary on "Nightly News."

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks up after biggest weekly loss since 2012

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks opened broadly higher Monday following the biggest weekly losses in two and a half years. The Russian ruble hit a record low against the dollar.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose seven points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,009 as of 10:12 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 48 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,330. The Nasdaq composite rose 11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,664.

OIL: The price of oil edged lower, erasing an early gain. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 62 cents to $57.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

BROAD GAINS: All ten sectors of the S&P 500 rose. Technology and energy stocks were up the most.

RUSSIA'S PAIN: The ruble plunged 5.6 percent to 61.40 to the dollar. The ruble started the year at 32.85 to the dollar. The falling price of oil, which is the chief source of Russian exports and tax revenue, has weighed heavily on the currency.

FACTORY FIX: U.S. manufacturing output in November surpassed its pre-recession peak as auto production ramped up. The Federal Reserve figures are an encouraging sign that America's factories are insulated from the global economic slowdown.

EUROPEAN STOCKS: France's CAC 40 lost 0.3 percent and Germany's DAX fell 0.2 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.3 percent.

JAPAN ELECTIONS: Japan's ruling coalition won in lower house elections Sunday, giving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democrats up to four more years. However a business survey released Monday highlighted challenges facing Abe's government, which is using large-scale monetary and fiscal stimulus to try to end two decades of stagnation. More than two-thirds of companies surveyed said the outlook for the coming quarter wasn't favorable.

THE QUOTE: "The fears around an oversupply of oil are refusing to go away...resurfacing questions over the global economic recovery," said Jameel Ahmad, chief market analyst for FXTM.

SYDNEY SIEGE: Australia's prime minister says an unfolding hostage situation may be politically motivated. Five people have been able to flee the cafe in downtown Sydney where a gunman took an unknown number of hostages at the height of the Monday morning rush hour.

ASIAN SCORECARD: Japan's Nikkei closed down 1.6 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1 percent and Seoul's Kospi shed 0.1 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.6 percent. China's Shanghai Composite reversed losses to close up 0.5 percent.

BONDS: Prices for U.S. government bonds fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.12 percent from 2.08 percent late Friday.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Boston among 14 cities to get Bloomberg 'innovation team' grants

NEW YORK — Fourteen cities ranging from Long Beach, California, to Jerusalem are getting up to $3 million from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's foundation to create "innovation teams" to jump-start new approaches to poverty, public safety, job growth and other issues, the foundation announced Monday.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies grants range from $400,000 to $1 million annually for three years, expanding and internationalizing awards to five U.S. cities in 2011. The teams are styled as in-house innovation consultants who work on a series of mayoral priorities.

"Successful innovation depends as much on the ability to generate ideas as it does the capacity to execute them — and i-teams help cities do both," the former mayor said in a statement.

The 12 U.S. cities were chosen from over 30 applicants with at least 100,000 residents and mayors with at least two years left in office. Winners range in size from Centennial, Colorado, with about 106,000 residents, to Los Angeles, with nearly 3.9 million

Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel, were invited to apply after expressing interest, said Jim Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' government-innovation programs.

The two-to-eight-person teams usually include current staffers and outside hires by the mayor. In an era of tight public resources, teams help analyze pressing problems, generate new solutions and develop ways to implement them and measure results.

"They don't replace (existing staffers') work — they unlock their innovation potential," Anderson said.

The 2011 grants helped Atlanta get 1,022 chronically homeless people into permanent housing and helped New Orleans reduce its murder rate by about 20 percent in less than two years, their mayors said, among other winning cities' accomplishments.

All the 2011 winners decided to keep the teams going after the grants ended, Anderson said.

The new cities selected were: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Boston, Massachusetts; Centennial, Colorado; Jersey City, New Jersey; Long Beach, California; Los Angeles, California; Mobile, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Peoria, Illinois; Rochester, New York; Seattle, Washington; Syracuse, New York; Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

UN commission asks for Ebola debt forgiveness

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A U.N. commission is asking for more debt cancellations for the three West African nations hardest hit by the Ebola virus.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said Monday that it is crucial that the current Ebola health crisis not be a catalyst for financial distress in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Carlos Lopez, a U.N. under secretary-general and the executive secretary of the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, appealed in Ethiopia on Monday for loan forgiveness.

A new report on the socio-economic impact of Ebola said the overall impact on Africa should be minimal because the three countries account for only 0.68 percent of Africa's GDP. The report estimates that Ebola's impact on the continent's GDP levels in 2014 and 2015 will be only -0.19 percent and -0.15 percent.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Factory output eclipses pre-recession high

WASHINGTON — U.S. manufacturing output in November surpassed its pre-recession peak, as auto production kicked into a higher gear.

The Federal Reserve said Monday that factory production rose 1.1 percent last month, up from a 0.4 percent improvement in October. Manufacturing output has risen 4.8 percent over the past 12 months. It's now above the previous high set just before the downturn began in December 2007.

Total industrial production grew 1.1 percent in November, rising in part as utilities faced additional demand because of colder-than-usual weather. Mining production slid 0.1 percent last month.

The growth points to a U.S. manufacturing base that has been insulated from a turbulent global economy.

"The strengthening in domestic demand is offsetting the effects of the weakening global backdrop and the stronger dollar," said Paul Dales, a senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

Japan has slipped into recession. Tepid growth has trapped much of Europe. China, the world's industrial behemoth, is trying to tighten credit and reform its opaque financial sector. The rising value of the dollar against other currencies makes U.S. products more expensive abroad, meaning that U.S. manufacturers will likely need to rely on domestic demand for growth.

The U.S. economy has thrived despite the global slowdown.

Strong domestic sales helped boost auto production 5.1 percent last month. Motor vehicles sold in November at an annualized clip of 17.2 million, a 4.6 percent increase from the prior year, according to Autodata Corp. The surge in production snapped three previous months of declining auto output.

Additional gains came from food and wood, plastics and rubber-based products.

That pushed up the rate of factory capacity utilization to 80.1 percent, breaking the 80 percent threshold for the first time since March 2008. This puts manufacturing capacity "much closer to the 82 percent inflationary-threatening level," noted Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.

Still, inflation has remained consistently below the Fed's 2 percent target, dragged down in recent weeks by plunging oil prices. And manufacturing growth has recently begun to exhibit some signs of strain.

For the first time in nearly two years, manufacturing activity in New York state fell in December. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Monday that its Empire State Manufacturing index dropped to negative-3.6 in December from 10.2 the previous month. Any figure below zero indicates contraction.

U.S. factory orders declined for a third consecutive month in October, the Commerce Department reported recently. Orders dropped 0.7 percent in October, indicating that factory activity may slow in the coming months. That decrease would have been even more severe, if not for a 21.2 percent jump in military-based orders

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing managers, said that its manufacturing index fell to 58.7 in November, down from 59 in October, which had matched a three-year high reached in August. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Manufacturing activity has continued to increase in the United States, even as it struggling around the rest of the world.

Chinese factory output is barely expanding, according to a survey by the bank HSBC Corp. A leading European manufacturing index fell to 50.1 in November, the lowest in 17 months and on the edge of shrinking. Manufacturing in Brazil contracted in seven of the past eight months.

Manufacturers have added 165,000 jobs so far this year, as the auto industry has helped to both drive and reflect an improving U.S. economy. Greater demand for autos and other products have helped to insulate the U.S. economy from the global slowdown.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Belgian strike paralyzes traffic, idles industry

BRUSSELS — A general strike paralyzed Belgium's air and rail traffic and idled scores of companies across the country Monday as trade unions capped a month of labor action against government austerity policies.

The strike targeted measures by the nation's business-friendly government to cut into employees' income, extend working time and restrict social services. They also protest the lack of additional capital gains taxes.

"We have not been heard so far," said Socialist trade union leader Rudi De Leeuw. There is talk of extending labor action into the new year, but concrete measures have yet to be put forward.

The strike had an immediate international impact since Brussels Airport, a busy hub with connections throughout Europe and beyond, had no traffic whatsoever. The high-speed rail links to London and France and the Netherlands were also scrapped for the day.

The series of labor actions, the toughest in years, started last month with a demonstration that drew some 120,000 protesters.

Airport spokeswoman Florence Muls said some 600 flights have been canceled, affecting 50,000 passengers. Going with the Thalys or Eurostar trains was no option either since the whole rail network was paralyzed.

Almost all activity at Antwerp port too was stopped for the day.

From early morning, striking workers started small fires at entrances to factories throughout the nation, discouraging people from working. Some small and medium sized businesses were able to operate normally.

Since regional strike action had already affected highways into the capital Brussels and major cities for the past three weeks, workers took the general strike in stride.

Masses worked from home and the expected traffic jams during the morning rush hour did not materialize.

Other EU nations also face labor action protesting measures that are widely seen as undercutting the vestiges of Europe's famed welfare state.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in several Italian cities last Friday to protest economic reforms that they say erode their social rights.

___

Raf Casert can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

London banker banned for dodging rail fares

LONDON — A London banker has been banned from working in the financial services industry after he was caught dodging rail fares.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said in a statement Monday that Jonathan Burrows has been banned for not being "fit and proper."

The former BlackRock director would board a train at Stonegate for his daily commute and, after arriving at London's Cannon Street, pay only 7.20 pounds ($11.70) for the journey, instead of the full 21.50 pounds price that was required for that journey, railway officials said.

Burrows paid 43,000 pounds ($67,000) in an out-of-court-settlement with Southeastern railways.

Michelle Ulyatt, a Southeastern spokeswoman, said the company believed Burrows was dodging fares for up to five years.

He was finally caught by inspectors at Cannon Street station on November 19 last year.

The amount the company asked Burrows to repay was based on its calculations on the basis of single fares.

This meant the settlement cost him around 20,000 pounds more than if he had bought season tickets.

Tracey McDermott, the FCA's director of enforcement and financial crime, said in a statement that Burrow's "conduct fell short of the standards" of a senior manager.

Burrows left his job as a managing director of BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services earlier this year after the fare-dodging was uncovered.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Riverbed Technology accepts $3.6B takeover bid

SAN FRANCISCO — Private equity firm Thoma Bravo and a Canadian teacher pension will pay about $3.6 billion to take Riverbed Technology private a couple months after the computer networking equipment maker promised a thorough review of its business.

The San Francisco company said Monday that its stockholders will receive $21 in cash for each share from Thoma Bravo and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. That represents a 12 percent premium to the stock's closing price Friday of $18.74

The company's shares jumped more than 9 percent after the deal was announced.

Riverbed Technology Inc. had said in October that its board would review ways to enhance shareholder value, and it planned to cut costs by up to $25 million to help improve its annual operating profit.

The company had rejected in January a $3.08 billion buyout offer from Elliott Management, saying it undervalued the company.

Elliott is one of Riverbed's biggest shareholders, with a 9.6 percent stake in the company, according to FactSet.

Elliott executive Jesse Cohn said in a separate statement Monday that his firm was "delighted" with the latest buyout offer, and they commend Riverbed's board for "taking this bold step."

Thoma Bravo focuses on technology-related investments. It said in September that it would spend about $2.5 billion to buy Compuware and take the software developer private.

Riverbed shareholders and government regulators still need to approve the deal, which is expected to close in the first half of next year.

Shares of Riverbed jumped 9.1 percent, or $1.71, to $20.45 Monday in morning trading, as broader trading indexes started off nearly flat. The stock had climbed only about 4 percent so far this year, as of Friday.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

US homebuilder sentiment slips in December

U.S. homebuilders are feeling slightly less confident in their sales prospects heading into next year, even as their overall sales outlook remains favorable.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday slipped this month to 57, down one point from 58 in November.

Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good, rather than poor.

Builders' view of current sales conditions and their outlook for sales over the next six months also declined slightly. A measure of traffic by prospective buyers held steady.

The index also found sentiment had improved in the West and Northeast, but took a step back in the Midwest and South, which accounts for half of the new-home market.

The latest reading reflects a housing market that is slowly recovering, said David Crowe, the NAHB's chief economist.

"As we head into 2015, the housing market should continue to recover at a steady, gradual pace," Crowe said.

Housing, while still a long way from the boom of several years ago, has been recovering over the past two years.

New home sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 458,000 homes in October, the highest point since May. Still, sales remain sharply below the annual rate of 700,000 seen during the 1990s.

At the same time, home prices continue to climb.

The median price of a home sold in October was $305,000, up 16.5 percent from a year ago. November data on new-home sales are due out next week.

The steady rise in home prices has held back many potential buyers, particularly first-time buyers. Many lack the savings and strong credit history needed to afford a home, causing them to rent or remain in their existing homes instead of upgrading.

Tight credit and flat incomes also have limited the number of buyers who could afford a home.

In the latest NAHB index, which was based on responses from 375 builders, the index gauging current sales conditions for single-family homes slipped one point to 61. Builders' outlook for sales over the next six months also fell, shedding one point to 65. A measure of traffic by prospective buyers was unchanged from November at 45.

Though new homes represent only a fraction of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to NAHB data.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Court rules for energy firm in class-action suit

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court won't make it tougher for defendants in class-action lawsuits to transfer cases from state courts to more business-friendly federal court.

The justices on Monday ruled 5-4 in favor of a Michigan energy company that wanted to move a class-action case from Kansas state court to federal court without showing evidence that damages in the case would exceed $5 million. That is the minimum amount required for transferring such cases.

The case involved a group of royalty owners who sued Dart Cherokee Basin Operating Co. alleging they were underpaid royalties on oil and gas wells.

A federal judge refused to transfer the case without evidence of damages. A federal appeals court declined to consider an appeal, but the Supreme Court said the law does not require such evidence.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pioneer of video games, 'Simon' dies at 92

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A video game pioneer who created both the precursor to "Pong" and the electronic memory game "Simon" has died. Ralph Baer also was leader of the team that developed the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console.

Baer was a longtime resident of Manchester, New Hampshire. The Goodwin Funeral Home in Manchester confirmed Monday that he died at his home Saturday. He was 92.

Born in Germany, Baer escaped the Holocaust with his family.

As chief engineer for Sanders Associates, now BAE Systems, he started working on what he called "television games" in the 1960s. That led to "The Brown Box," which was licensed by Magnavox and came out with The Odyssey in the 1970s.

Baer received the National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush in 2006.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eurozone weighs future of Greek bailout

Eurozone finance ministers and Greek officials haggled Monday over whether Athens needs to take more austerity measures before it emerges from its expiring bailout deal.

European Union loans are due to stop at year end as Greece recovers from its economic crisis and debt default. Greece would then be switched from bailout loans to a standby credit line with less onerous conditions.

But first the EU and Greece have to agree the country has met the conditions for its current bailout money. The latest budget has raised concerns it is based on unrealistic assumptions. While the two sides haggle, one option is an extension.

Top European Commission finance official Pierre Moscovici said no decision was expected Monday but progress could be made, the Europa Press news agency reported. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the eurozone finance ministers' group, said he was "not confident" about meeting deadlines over Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is eager to leave behind the unpopular bailout regime that has seen other eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund lend Greece 240 billion euros (currently $297 billion).

Speaking at the close of the 2015 budget debate early Monday, Samaras said bailout lenders are pressing for additional austerity measures worth 1.7 billion euros next year.

"We reject that," he said. "And up to now it has been proved that our calculations are more accurate."

Samaras said there may be a "small" extension to the program, mainly to allow some national parliaments to vote on the new agreement that will succeed the current bailout.

A Greek official said Athens was seeking a technical extension but there was no indication a decision would be taken Monday.

"The Greek position is for a brief extension — lasting a few weeks — of a technical nature," he said. The official spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Religious nonprofits challenge health law

DENVER — Faith-based nonprofit organizations that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans are in federal court Monday to challenge a birth-control compromise they say still compels them to violate their religious beliefs.

The plaintiffs include a group of Colorado nuns and four Christian colleges in Oklahoma. They are already exempt from covering contraceptives under the federal health care law.

But they say the exemption doesn't go far enough because they must sign away the coverage to another party, making them feel complicit in providing the contraceptives.

The groups are appealing to the 10th Circuit in Denver, the court that ruled last year that for-profit companies can join the exempted religious organizations and not provide the contraceptives.

The U.S. Supreme Court later agreed with the 10th Circuit in the case brought by the Hobby Lobby arts-and-crafts chain.

The birth-control rule has been among the most divisive aspects of the health care overhaul. Some advocates for women praise the mandate, but some religious groups have decried it as an attack on religious freedom.

The Denver nuns, called the Little Sisters of the Poor, run more than two dozen nursing homes for impoverished seniors. Last year the U.S. Supreme Court offered the nuns a short-term reprieve on the exemption pending their appeal.

The government will argue Monday that its 2013 rule on religious groups and contraceptives, which requires only that a religious group sign "a self-certification form stating that it is an eligible organization," does not make that religious group complicit in providing contraceptives.

The rule "does not require nonprofit religious organizations with religious objections to contract, arrange, pay, or refer for that coverage," lawyers for the federal government wrote in a 2013 filing.

The nuns' lawyer, Mark Rienzi of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said the government is free to provide contraception coverage on its own without needing any action at all by the religious institutions. The government, he said, simply wants such coverage to come through the institutions' own plans.

"It's our plan, that's what they want to control," Rienzi said.

"Millions of people around the world get contraceptives with no nuns involved. It's almost laughable."

Under the health care law, most health insurance plans have to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives as preventive care for women, free of cost to the patient.

Churches and other houses of worship are exempt from the birth control requirement, but affiliated institutions that serve the general public are not. That includes charitable organizations, universities and hospitals.

In addition to the Denver nuns, the 10th Circuit is hearing challenges from Southern Nazarene University, Oklahoma Baptist University, Mid-America University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Also challenging the waiver process is a group called Reaching Souls International, an evangelist Oklahoma organization that does Christian mission work overseas.

The three-judge panel hearing arguments Monday includes one who also ruled in the Hobby Lobby decision.

___

Kristen Wyatt can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/APkristenwyatt

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delia's, casualty of retail slump, to liquidate

NEW YORK — Delia's is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to sell all its merchandise and shut down as teen retailers fall out of fashion with shoppers.

The company said Monday that it filed for bankruptcy after it failed to find a buyer for the business. Delia's said it has $74 million in assets and $32.2 million in debt.

Retailers, especially those that cater to teens, have been hit hard in the wake of the recession and almost all of them have posted lackluster sales.

Black Friday sales this year tumbled 7 percent this year. Overall, 133.7 million people shopped in stores and online over the four-day weekend around Thanksgiving, down 5.2 percent from last year, according to a survey of 4,631 people conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the trade group.

Americans are spending less at the mall and when they do spend, they're often doing so at fast-fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Aeropostale Inc. have been hammered this year and their shares have fallen 22 percent and 73 percent, respectively, over the past 12 months.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. is down 20 percent in that same time period and Urban Outfitters Inc. is down more than 13 percent.

Last week, Delia's signed a deal with Hilco Merchant Resources, LLC and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners to liquidate its merchandise and dispose of its furnishings and equipment. CEO Tracy Gardner and Chief Operating Officer Brian Lex Austin-Gemas resigned on Friday.

Delia's Inc., based in New York, has 92 stores in malls around the country. Its shares fell below 2 cents in premarket trading Monday.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Delhi bans Uber after alleged rape by driver

NEW DELHI — The Indian capital on Monday banned taxi-booking service Uber after a woman accused one of its drivers of raping her.

Transport official Satish Mathur made the announcement as the 32-year-old suspect appeared in a New Delhi court.

The court ordered Shiv Kumar Yadav held for three days for police questioning over allegations that he raped the finance company employee after being hired to ferry her home from a dinner engagement on Friday night. The court also ordered Yadav's cellphone confiscated, according to Press Trust of India.

The case, almost two years after a young woman was fatally gang raped on a bus in the capital, has renewed national anger over sexual violence in India and demands for more effort to ensure women's safety.

The government rushed through legislation last year to double prison terms for rape to 20 years and to criminalize voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women. But activists say much more needs to be done, including better educating youths and adding basic infrastructure such as street lights and public bathrooms.

The CEO of San Francisco-based Uber, Travis Kalanick, said the company would do "everything to bring the perpetrator to justice and to support the victim and her family in her recovery."

He also sought to deflect some of the blame on to officials, saying the company would work with the government to establish clear background checks that are "currently absent in their commercial transportation licensing programs."

It was not immediately clear if Uber itself performed any background check, nor was it clear whether Yadav would even have been flagged. Police told Press Trust of India they were working to verify Yadav's claims that he had been acquitted of rape charges in 2011, after spending seven months in jail. PTI did not give any further details or name the police source.

The New Delhi ban is a blow for Uber, which has courted acclamation and controversy around the world with a service based on hailing taxis from a smartphone app. It has faced restrictions in other countries after licensed taxi operators claimed the service was competing unfairly.

The service, which uses private cars rather than licensed cabs, promises a quicker response time that is often less than 10 minutes. Drivers respond using their own Uber-provided smartphones mounted on the dashboard and follow a GPS map to an exact location.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government "strongly condemns this dastardly act" and pledged justice in the case.

He said the 26-year-old victim had fallen asleep during the ride home. When she woke up, she found the car parked in a secluded place. The driver then threatened her, raped her and then took her home around 1 a.m. Saturday.

Police arrested the driver Sunday night in his hometown of Mathura, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the capital, after he had abandoned the Uber-registered car and fled New Delhi. The car has been brought to Delhi for forensic examination, Singh told parliament.

Dozens of angry protesters rallied outside the home minister's house on Monday morning to demand more action to ensure women's safety. Police detained several people who were part of another anti-violence protest group that burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of his political party's headquarters.

___

Associated Press writers Nirmala George and Chonchui Ngashangva contributed to this report.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

McD's plans customized burgers as US sales fall

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Hold the pickles, onions and special sauce. The Big Mac is becoming a victim of finicky tastes.

McDonald's is planning major changes in the U.S. as sales continue to slide, including an expansion of a test that lets people build their own burgers by tapping on a touchscreen. The company said Monday that it plans to expand the option to 2,000 of its 14,000 U.S. locations by next year.

The "Create Your Taste" program is a major departure for McDonald's, which is built to deliver menu items like Quarter Pounders consistently, quickly and affordably. That model has come under pressure with the popularity of places like Chipotle, which stresses higher-quality ingredients and let people dictate exactly which toppings they want on their burritos and bowls.

Industry executives and analysts have noted the growing demand for customized orders, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s. They also note people are showing greater concern for the ingredients in their food.

McDonald's has been struggling with declining sales in the U.S. and said Monday the figure fell 4.6 percent in November at established locations. The figure also fell 4 percent in the unit that includes the Asia-Pacific region, where the company is fighting to recover from a food-safety scandal. Overall, global sales declined 2.2 percent for the month.

Back in the U.S., CEO Don Thompson has conceded the company hasn't done enough to keep up with shifting habits and said in October that changes are in store for its U.S. restaurants.

Offering greater personalization could be a challenge for McDonald's, however. The customized burgers take longer to prepare and are more expensive, and it's not clear whether people will be willing to wait longer or shell out more money for a burger from McDonald's. The locations that have the "Create Your Taste" option still have its regular menu as well.

McDonald's has already announced the customized burgers will be expanded nationally in Australia.

McDonald's is facing a number of others challenges, too, including perceptions of the freshness and quality of its ingredients. The chain has been trying to address such concerns with a new campaign that answers questions about its food, such as, "Does McDonald's beef contain worms?"

In Asia, McDonald's has been trying to bounce back since the summer, when a TV report in China showed workers at one of its suppliers repackaging meat that was alleged to be expired. The claim has not been publicly confirmed by the supplier or the government.

The Oak Brook, Illinois, company said comparable sales for Europe fell 2 percent with a strong performance in the U.K. more than offset by weakness in Russia, France and Germany.

McDonald's has more than 35,000 locations in more than 100 countries. Its stock fell $2.81, or 2.9 percent, to $93.50 before the market opened Monday.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks slip in morning as energy shares slump

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slipped shortly after trading opened on Monday as a slide in crude oil prices to a five-year low pushed energy stocks down. Investors are also weighing weak Chinese trade figures and news that Japan's recession is deeper than initially thought.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 24.46 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,934 as of 10:12 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell two points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,073. The Nasdaq composite rose nearly seven points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,787.

OIL IMPACT: Energy shares slumped as the prospect of weaker growth in Asia helped push down oil prices. The benchmark New York rate was down $1.62 at $64.22 a barrel. Meanwhile, Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold on international markets, dropped $2.01 to $67.04. Both prices are at their lowest levels since 2009.

Chevron fell $2.08, or 2 percent, to $108.78.

BURGER BLUES: McDonald's said a key global sales figure fell 2.2 percent in November, as U.S. sales continued to fall and as the company fought to recover from a food-safety scandal in China. The stock fell $3.05, or 3 percent, to $93.27.

MERCK DEAL: Merck &Co. said it would pay $8.4 billion to buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals, a leader in developing drugs to fight so-called superbugs that have evolved to resist antibiotics. Cubist jumped $26.58, or 36 percent, to $100.92. Merck was barely changed, down 0.3 percent.

STUMBLE IN ASIA: In China, the world's No. 2 economy, exports growth slumped last month and imports unexpectedly contracted. But Chinese stocks jumped as investors hope the government will dole out more stimulus.

In Japan, figures showed that the world's No. 3 economy shrank 1.9 percent in the July-September period.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.1 percent, South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.4 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2 percent. The Shanghai Composite in mainland China broke through 3,000, soaring 2.8 percent to 3,020.26, a level it hasn't closed at since April 2011. The index is up 25 percent in the past month.

ANALYST TAKE: "An implosion in Chinese trade data and a bigger than expected Japanese contraction in the third quarter demonstrate the constraints that Asia's two largest economies are putting on global growth," said Jasper Lawler, market analyst at CMC Markets.

EUROPE DROPS: In Europe, France's CAC 40 was down 0.8 percent while Germany's DAX fell 0.6 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.8 percent lower.

CURRENCIES: The dollar was mixed. The euro was flat at $1.2284 while the dollar fell 0.7 percent to 120.80 yen.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

US stocks slip in morning as energy shares slump

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slipped shortly after trading opened on Monday as a slide in crude oil prices to a five-year low pushed energy stocks down. Investors are also weighing weak Chinese trade figures and news that Japan's recession is deeper than initially thought.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 24.46 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,934 as of 10:12 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell two points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,073. The Nasdaq composite rose nearly seven points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,787.

OIL IMPACT: Energy shares slumped as the prospect of weaker growth in Asia helped push down oil prices. The benchmark New York rate was down $1.62 at $64.22 a barrel. Meanwhile, Brent crude, which is used to price oil sold on international markets, dropped $2.01 to $67.04. Both prices are at their lowest levels since 2009.

Chevron fell $2.08, or 2 percent, to $108.78.

BURGER BLUES: McDonald's said a key global sales figure fell 2.2 percent in November, as U.S. sales continued to fall and as the company fought to recover from a food-safety scandal in China. The stock fell $3.05, or 3 percent, to $93.27.

MERCK DEAL: Merck &Co. said it would pay $8.4 billion to buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals, a leader in developing drugs to fight so-called superbugs that have evolved to resist antibiotics. Cubist jumped $26.58, or 36 percent, to $100.92. Merck was barely changed, down 0.3 percent.

STUMBLE IN ASIA: In China, the world's No. 2 economy, exports growth slumped last month and imports unexpectedly contracted. But Chinese stocks jumped as investors hope the government will dole out more stimulus.

In Japan, figures showed that the world's No. 3 economy shrank 1.9 percent in the July-September period.

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.1 percent, South Korea's Kospi dipped 0.4 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.2 percent. The Shanghai Composite in mainland China broke through 3,000, soaring 2.8 percent to 3,020.26, a level it hasn't closed at since April 2011. The index is up 25 percent in the past month.

ANALYST TAKE: "An implosion in Chinese trade data and a bigger than expected Japanese contraction in the third quarter demonstrate the constraints that Asia's two largest economies are putting on global growth," said Jasper Lawler, market analyst at CMC Markets.

EUROPE DROPS: In Europe, France's CAC 40 was down 0.8 percent while Germany's DAX fell 0.6 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.8 percent lower.

CURRENCIES: The dollar was mixed. The euro was flat at $1.2284 while the dollar fell 0.7 percent to 120.80 yen.

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Super Bowl ads: GoDaddy kicks off early-bird advertising for big game

NBC won't televise Super Bowl XLIX for more than a month, but advertisers have already commenced what has become the inevitable rush to promote their participation in the event weeks before most fans have even started working on a game-day menu.

Doritos, part of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay snacks unit, has already put out its annual call for amateur submissions for ad concepts that will air during the Super Bowl next February 1. And Web-service company GoDaddy is expected to announce Monday that is has selected a nine-week old golden retriever to star in its planned ad for the 2015 gridiron classic alongside spokeswoman Danica Patrick, as well as the fact that the pooch needs a name. Fans will be asked to submit ideas before t the company starts shooting on Thursday - that's the commercial, not the dog.

In doing so, GoDaddy seems to be kicking off what has become the de rigueur thing to do for Super Bowl advertisers since 2011: Get started early. "it really feels like the conversation has moved into the pre-game part of things," said Barb Rechterman, GoDaddy's chief marketing officer, in an interview. "At the game, people are pretty much done talking about it" (Doritos will not unveil its finalists until January).

Three years ago, in December of 2011, Volkswagen sparked reams of pokes, likes, tweets and shares by posting online a clever Super Bowl ad in which a child pretends to be Darth Vader. The ad notched 10 million online views before the Super Bowl started.

Sensing that social media can help them gain millions of dollars in free publicity for ads that cost millions of dollars just to put on the air (NBC is seeking $4.4 million to $4.5 million for a 30-second ad in next year's game), most advertisers followed the trail of Volkswagen's exhaust. Only a few, like Chrysler Group, still keep the content of their Super Bowl ads under wraps until the last minute.

Last year, freshman Super Bowl sponsor Jaguar kicked things off in mid-November by running a "teaser" ad that offered viewers a look at the theme it had chosen for its debut commercial.

GoDaddy is best known for Super Bowl ads featuring scantily-clad actresses but the company has in fact been one of the early leaders of the pre-game trend. For several years, the company would make early versions of its ads available online, hoping to galvanize fans to push TV networks to allow the saucy commercials on air without demanding revisions.

"Building up and educating people about the commercial gets the engagement via social media," said GoDaddy's Rechterman. "And that has become really fruitful in advance of the game."

Critics note that the new method has ruined much of the surprise of the ads in the most recent Super Bowl Sundays. GoDaddy intends to maintain an element of surprise, said Rechterman, even as it urges fans to pick the dog's name, and in days to come, gives them a chance to follow the pup on social media. She promises a humorous twist to the Super Bowl ads that will not be disclosed until the spot runs next February 1.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony Playstation network reportedly was taken down by hackers again

Sony's PlayStation Network suffered an outage of several hours Sunday night, extending into early Monday morning U.S. time, with a group that previously claimed to have disabled PSN reportedly taking credit for the attack.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment, the PlayStation Network was mostly down from 8:52 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. Tokyo time, with some users seeing the message: "Page not found. It's not you. It's the internet's fault," FT reported.

Reps for Sony Computer Entertainment did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The latest PSN outage may be completely separate from the attack two weeks ago on Sony Pictures Entertainment. The studio has been reeling from that hack, which disabled its internal systems for about a week and has resulted in employee info, other data and at least five movies being posted online. Cyber-attckers with ties to North Korea have been suspected in the SPE incident; the communist regime has officially denied responsibility for that attack, while also calling it "a righteous deed" that may have been executed by supporters.

In the recent PlayStation Network outage, a group called Lizard Squad -- which had previously claimed responsibility for PSN and Microsoft Xbox Live outages in August 2014 -- appeared to take credit, FT reported. On Sunday, the group tweeted: "PSN Login #offline #LizardSquad" after the PlayStation Network went down. Lizard Squad last week tweeted "Xbox Live #offline" after Microsoft's Xbox Live users had trouble signing in.

The August 2014 outage of PlayStation Network (which another group also claimed to be behind) was the result of a distributed denial-of-service attack, in which bogus information overwhelms a system's servers. In such a DDoS attack, private data is not accessed. By contrast, a security breach in 2011 exposed the names and passwords of millions of PlayStation Network customers.

Sony's official PlayStation twitter account posted a message at about 9 p.m. Eastern Sunday about the issue:

At 4:05 ET Monday, the PlayStation twitter account had an update that said, "If you had difficulties signing into PlayStation Network, give it a try now."

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

23.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

Move over unions _ French bosses protesting, too

PARIS — In France, workers aren't the only ones who take to the streets to protest — their bosses do, too.

Several thousand French business owners, particularly from small companies, demonstrated Monday in Paris to plead with the government to simplify regulations and make it easier and cheaper to hire.

Protester Jean-Pierre Hutin, a hotel owner, urged more flexibility for part-time work, while others complained that layers of taxes and labor rules have made it impossible for France to compete globally.

They argued that the government needs business owners to hire. Socialist President Francois Hollande has sought to loosen labor laws but critics say it doesn't go nearly far enough.

French unemployment is around 10 percent and economic growth has stagnated, threatening to push the whole eurozone back into recession.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

People magazine publishes Kirk Douglas' pre-written obituary

People Magazine accidentally published its pre-written obituary for Kirk Douglas on Sunday night.

It's not uncommon for major publications to write their elaborate obituaries in advance, and People Magazine clearly didn't mean to run the story as evident from the "DO NOT PUB" in the headline.

Still, "Spartacus" and his family members can't be happy.

Douglas, who turns 98 next week, isn't the first celebrity 'death' botched by People.

In 1982, Abe Vigoda was erroneously referred to as "the late Abe Vigoda" in People Magazine, which became a running joke about Vigoda on talk shows like "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Vigoda is, of course, still alive.

Bloomberg made a similar obituary gaffe when it published news of Steve Jobs' death in 2008 three years before the Apple co-founder's actually passing in 2011.

The editors of Bloomberg quickly posted a retraction and apologized for the mistake.

So far, no mea culpa from People Magazine's editors.

Douglas' reps could not be reached for comment.

© 2014 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cyber Monday gears up to get online shoppers hyped

NEW YORK — After a busy holiday weekend in shopping malls, millions of Americans are expected to log on and keep shopping on the day dubbed Cyber Monday.

That day, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has been the biggest online shopping day of the year since 2010. That's expected to continue, even though fewer people overall are expected to shop on Cyber Monday due to earlier promotions online.

The day could take on added importance after a Thanksgiving weekend that saw fewer shoppers and lower spending than last year, according to some estimates. In addition, more retailers are pushing deals in later hours since people are increasingly shopping after work.

Karen Manley, 44, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, started shopping cyberdeals early last week, including puffer vests from Aeropostale that she bought before Thanksgiving that were $46 marked down to $14, plus free shipping. She planned to hit Dillard's and Forever 21 sites after work to look for Uggs shoes and sweaters for her three children age 13, 15 and 18, as well as free shipping offers.

"It's easier and more convenient to shop online," she said.

Retailers have been pushing "cyber" deals all month and will continue to do so this week, dubbed "Cyber Week," hoping to spur customers to spend. And it seems to be working: Research firm comScore said late Sunday that e-commerce spending for the first 28 days of the November and December shopping season totaled $22.7 billion, up 15 percent from last year. Sales jumped 32 percent to $1 billion on Thanksgiving Day and 26 percent on Black Friday to $1.51 billion.

The firm expects people to spend about $2.5 billion on Cyber Monday alone. The NRF predicts 126.9 million people will shop online this year, down 4 percent from last year.

ComScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni said the strong spending online so far stems from the "overall health in consumer spending, responsiveness to the strong deals being offered online, and perhaps some shoppers opting to stay home on Thanksgiving rather than head out to the stores that opened their doors early."

More people shopping on a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet is spurring growth, too. The NRF expects one in five people will use a mobile device to shop on Cyber Monday. IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark said this year marked the first weekend after Thanksgiving where mobile traffic accounted for more than half of all online traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

Overall, online sales were up 17 percent compared to the same weekend in 2013, according to IBM.

On Monday, online retailers promoted deals throughout the day. Gap and Banana Republic offered a blanket 40 percent off all purchases.

Amazon, which offers new deals every 10 minutes, offered up to 45 percent off some Samsung TVs and 60 percent off a Canon wireless printer selling for $39.99. Amazon is rolling out deals throughout the day including its Amazon Fire TV video streaming box marked down to $69 from $99, beginning in the afternoon.

Wal-Mart said it has doubled its Cyber Week deals to 500 compared with last year, including up to half off some TVs, tablets and toys with free-shipping offers. Wal-Mart is also rolling out new deals later in the day in its so-called "Evening Edition" round of deals, including a Straight Talk Moto E Android Phone for $9.99, 90 percent off its regular price.

Toys R Us is offering online deals for 11 days that began the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and also has free-shipping offers. Cyber deals include $15 off Disney "Frozen" Princess dolls that are regularly $50 and $20 off a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battroborg Electronic Battle Game that is usually $80.

The name "Cyber Monday" was coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation's online arm, Shop.org, to encourage people to shop online. After retailers revved up deals for the day, it became the busiest online shopping day in 2010. The name was also a nod to online shopping being done at work, where faster connections made it easier to browse, less of a factor now.

Cyber Monday comes after a weekend that saw 5.3 percent fewer shoppers and 11 percent less spending, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation.

"Online is nowhere near its maturity, so Cyber Monday should be big, with a lot of strength in the days leading up to it," Forester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said. "More consumers are spending more shopping dollars online."

She expects two spikes in online shopping: one during the long Thanksgiving weekend, including Cyber Monday, and one later in December when shipping deadlines to get items by Christmas start to hit.

The National Retail Federation has forecast overall holiday sales will increase 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion in 2014.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

'12 Days of Christmas' items cost more than $116K

PHILADELPHIA — The cost of six geese-a-laying spiked considerably this year, while most of the items in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," saw little to no increase, according to the 31st annual PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index.

A set of gifts in each verse of the song would set you back $27,673 in stores, an increase of less than $300 — or 1 percent — from last year. But shoppers turning to the Internet would see a bigger bump of about 8 percent over last year's online prices, bringing the set of gifts in each verse to $42,959. Buyers looking to purchase all the items each time they were mentioned in the song — 364 that is — would spend $116,273, a modest 1.4 percent increase from a year ago.

PNC's sources for the Christmas Price Index include retailers, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia-based PHILADANCO and the Pennsylvania Ballet Company.

Here is a look at the full set of prices from PNC Wealth Management:

— Partridge, $20; last year: $15

— Pear tree, $188; last year: $184

— Two turtle doves, $125; last year: same

— Three French hens, $181; last year: $165

— Four calling birds (canaries), $600; last year: same

— Five gold rings, $750; last year: same

— Six geese-a-laying, $360; last year: $210

— Seven swans a-swimming, $7,000; last year: same

— Eight maids a-milking, $58; last year: same

— Nine ladies dancing (per performance), $7,553; last year: same

— 10 lords a-leaping (per performance), $5,348; last year: $5,243

— 11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,635; last year: same

— 12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,855; last year: same

___

Online: http://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Worcester hopes to boost fines for bridge strikes

BOSTON — Officials in Worcester are hoping to be able to increase fines to $5,000 or more for truckers who hit low bridges.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus is expected to ask the City Council on Tuesday for permission to petition state lawmakers to approve a bill allowing the city to penalize those who hit a bridge whose height is clearly marked with a $5,000 fine plus the cost of the city's emergency response.

One bridge — the Cambridge Street bridge — had been hit at least 20 times this year. There were eight other bridge strikes in Worcester according to police who began electronically tracking bridge crashes for the first time at the beginning of 2014.

Currently, drivers receive $40 tickets for hitting a bridge.

___

Information from: Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Mass.), http://www.telegram.com

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Girl Scouts byting into digital for cookie sales

NEW YORK — Watch out world, the Girl Scouts are going digital to sell you cookies.

For the first time in nearly 100 years, Girl Scouts of the USA will allow its young go-getters to push their wares using a mobile app or personalized websites.

But only if their scout councils and guardians say OK.

"Girls have been telling us that they want to go into this space," said Sarah Angel-Johnson, chief digital cookie executive for the organization covering about 2 million girls. "Online is where entrepreneurship is going."

And the best news for these digital natives: They can have cookies shipped directly to your doorstep.

More than 1 million scouts, from kindergarten-age Daisies to teens, were expected to opt in as cookie-selling season cranks up this month and the scouting organization gets digital sales underway. But digital sales are intended to enhance, not replace, the paper spreadsheets used to generate an estimated $800 million in cookie sales a year — at anywhere from $3.50 to $5 a box, depending on scout council.

There are important e-lessons here, scout officials said, such as better articulating and tracking goals, learning to handle customers and money in a new way, and more efficiently processing credit card information.

"A lot of people have asked, 'What took you so long to get online?' We spend a lot of time thinking how do we make this safe, scalable and smart," Kelly M. Parisi, chief communications executive for Girl Scouts of the USA, said at a recent demonstration for select media.

Councils were offered one of the two platforms but not both. For web-based sales, scouts customize their pages, using their first names only, and email prospective customers with links to click on for orders. They can also put up videos explaining who they are and what they plan to do with their proceeds.

The mobile platform offers tabs for tracking sales and allows for the sale of bundles of different kinds of cookies. It can be used on a phone or tablet.

"They can get them quicker than waiting for me to deliver them because sometimes it takes me a long time to deliver," offered 11-year-old Priscilla at the preview. The adults at the event asked that only first names of scouts be used.

Added 7-year-old Anna: "My favorite part is that now I can sell more Girl Scout Cookies." She pulled down about 200 boxes last year and has upped her goal to 600. Girl Scouts use their cookie money to pay for community service work or troop activities such as camping and other trips.

The websites will not be accessible without an email invitation, requiring the girls to build client lists. And personal information is as protected as any digits out there, for both the scouts and customers, using encryption in some cases.

Much of the responsibility to limit identifying details about scouts online falls on parents.

Troop Leader Karen Porcher of the Bronx has an 11-year-old scout and is particularly psyched about the digital options. They live in a house rather than an apartment, and she and her husband work at home, eliminating at-office cookie and neighborly building sales.

"During cookie season my daughter is wearing her (scout) vest on the subway and people are so excited to see a Girl Scout," Porcher explained. "Strangers actually will buy a case of cookies and wait for her to call. This is going to be amazing because now she can just say 'Give me your business card,' or 'I'll take your email address,' send the email and they can be delivered. This is gonna be sweet."

Porcher also sees word-of-mouth value in getting cookies delivered quickly.

"People are going to be walking around with cookies and others are going to say, 'Whoa, how did you get those already?'"

Zack Bennett of Manhattan has a 9-year-old scout who sold more than 1,000 boxes last year. She hopes to increase her goal to 1,500 this season and went through training to learn how to set up her new cookie website.

But dad won't be letting her loose alone.

"I'll be sitting in the backseat to help her, certainly when it comes to credit cards, things of that sort," he said. "But it makes perfect sense to have it be on the computer. It's definitely time the Girl Scouts came into the 21st century."

___

Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

MIT engineers have high hopes for cheetah robot

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — It's a robot unlike any other: inspired by the world's fastest land animal, controlled by video game technology and packing nifty sensors — including one used to maneuver drones, satellites and ballistic missiles.

The robot, called the cheetah, can run on batteries at speeds of more than 10 mph, jump about 16 inches high, land safely and continue galloping for at least 15 minutes — all while using less power than a microwave oven.

It's the creation of researchers at the Massachusetts of Technology, who had to design key elements from scratch because of a lack of or shortcomings in existing technology.

That includes powerful, lightweight motors; electronics that control power for its 12 motors; and an algorithm that determines the amount of force a leg should exert during the split second that it spends on the ground while running — the key to helping the robot maintain balance and forward momentum. An onboard computer organizes data from various sensors and sends commands to each motor.

"This is kind of a Ferrari in the robotics world, like, we have to put all the expensive components and make it really that instinctive," said MIT professor Sangbae Kim, who leads the school's Biomimetic Robotics Lab that designed the robot. "That's the only way to get that speed."

Insight gleaned from the design of their prototype could have real-world applications, including the design of revolutionary prosthetics, wearable technologies, all-terrain wheelchairs and vehicles that can travel efficiently in rough terrain much like animals do, Kim said. There are hopes the robot will be able to be used in search and rescue operations in hazardous or hostile environments where it's too risky to send a human rescuer.

"When the robot is running, at every step, we calculate the appropriate amount of the force to the legs so that the robot can balance itself," said MIT research scientist Hae-Won Park, who wrote the complex algorithm used to control the cheetah, which weighs around 70 pounds — about the same as one of its female feline counterparts.

Sensors inside the robot measure the angle of the leg and that information is sent to an onboard computer that also organizes data from the Inertial Measurement Unit, or IMU, which is also used to maneuver drones and ballistic missiles, Park said.

The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The military research arm is also funding a similar robot being developed by Boston Dynamics. The company says its version is powered by an off-board hydraulic pump and uses a boom-like device to keep it running in the center of the treadmill.

Crafting the cheetah robot took five years of designing, testing, tweaking and plenty of confidence to ignore those who said electric motors aren't strong enough to propel a running mechanical cheetah powered by batteries.

Researchers had to exercise a lot of patience during test runs. The robot broke dozens of legs manufactured by 3-D printers and reinforced with Kevlar strips and carbon fiber.

The results?

Strong, lightweight components that made untethered running possible, including a carbon fiber-and-foam sandwich frame that can absorb the forces generated by running and jumping.

Some off-the-shelf components, including an Xbox controller for maneuvering the robot and wireless Internet communications for sending commands to the mechanical cheetah, also came in handy.

Each leg is propelled by three motors that can generate powerful forces at slow speeds.

Still, researchers continue to tweak their prototype, looking to add additional sensors that would eventually make the robot autonomous.

"In the next 10 years, our goal is we are trying to make this robot to save a life," Kim said.

___

Online:

MIT Biomimetic Robotic Lab: http://biomimetics.mit.edu/

___

Follow Rodrique Ngowi at www.twitter.com/ngowi

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

US businessman jailed in Russia over broken window

MOSCOW — Last year, he tried to bring NFL superstar Tim Tebow to Moscow to play for his American football team on a $1 million-per-game contract. Now, accused of breaking a window, American businessman Mike Zaltsman shares a packed jail cell with drug dealers.

Much has changed for the Boston entrepreneur since a dispute over an office he rented from a Russian billionaire escalated into a weeks-long standoff in downtown Moscow and ended with his arrest in April.

The case puts into relief the unpredictable business environment in Russia, where thousands of people have ended up in jail as the result of business disputes or raids by business rivals. Even seemingly petty crimes are routinely used to keep people in Russian prisons for months or even years.

It is difficult to determine who is right and who wrong in the murky property dispute. But Zaltsman's treatment, advocates say, is excessive by any standard: "The fact that he was jailed for a broken window — this is cruel and sadly typical of Russia," said Yana Yakovleva, founder of the advocacy group Business Solidarity. Moscow police and investigators refused to comment on the Zaltsman case.

Zaltsman, who has dual Russian and U.S. citizenship, was accused of hooliganism — the same charge leveled against members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot, landing them in a remote prison camp. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to seven years.

The entrepreneur, who denies allegations he was delinquent on his rent, says he has had no contact with U.S. Embassy officials. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, disputed this. He said U.S. diplomats have been in contact with Zaltsman and were monitoring the case.

Zaltsman's jailing coincided with escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine, which were accompanied by a sharp rise in Russia of anti-American sentiment and suspicion of U.S. intentions. In St. Petersburg this fall, four U.S. students were detained for hours during a leadership conference, while two American journalists were briefly detained while teaching an investigative journalism workshop. In both cases, the Americans were accused of having the wrong type of visa.

There has been no suggestion that these tensions played a role in the Zaltsman case, however.

Zaltsman grew up in Russia before moving to Boston in 1996 at age 19 with his parents as one of many Russian Jews to leave the chaos and poverty of their home country in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse. He became a U.S. citizen five years later.

After brief periods studying at Northeastern University and operating a Russian bookshop in Boston, ventures in shipping and media helped him amass a fortune he values at $10 million. He moved back to Russia in 2005, using his money to build his Black Storm football team, which last year had six American pros on the roster as it won the Russian championship. He failed, however, in his audacious bid to sign former Denver Broncos quarterback Tebow.

Until recently Zaltsman, 37, divided his time between Los Angeles, Boston and Moscow. Now home is Moscow's pre-trial Detention Facility No. 5. Seven months since his arrest, Zaltsman says he shares a crowded cell with up to 15 others, with no sign of a trial. Floor space per prisoner, he says, is just two square meters (21 square feet), barely enough to lie down.

"Almost no sky and sun can be seen here," he said. "I'm forgetting how it looks."

Dmitry Popkov, the former coach of Zaltsman's team, was arrested with him. He suffers from a chronic health condition, which led to the botched removal of his gallbladder while in jail and left him in constant pain. In October, Popkov pleaded guilty in order to leave jail and receive treatment while under house arrest.

"Serious health issues that I had have gotten worse while I have been in jail," Popkov said in a written statement shortly before his release. "I will have to plead guilty to the crime that I did not commit at the next hearing to extend my time in jail. Right now this is the only way for me to get out of prison."

There are sharply contrasting versions of how Zaltsman came to be in jail.

Zaltsman claims he was persecuted by Andrei Gorodilov, a publicity-shy tycoon who counts London-based billionaire Roman Abramovich, owner of the Chelsea football club, as a longtime business partner and friend. Neither Gorodilov nor his representatives agreed to comment for this story.

Abramovich testified in 2011 during a high-profile London trial that Gorodilov helped him seal the business deal that made his name and fortune: the creation of the oil company Sibneft in the 1990s. Abramovich later sold 75 percent of Sibneft to Russian state firm Gazprom for $13 billion. Gorodilov briefly entered politics with Abramovich, serving as his deputy during his time as governor of the remote Chukotka region.

In August 2013, a company controlled by Zaltsman signed a five-year lease on an office in one of Moscow's most upscale neighborhoods from a businesswoman associated with Gorodilov. Within a few months, Zaltsman says, he came under pressure to break the lease from Gorodilov, who took over as the registered owner of the property as the dispute escalated.

When talks broke down, Zaltsman claims, Gorodilov sent about 30 men, some armed, to occupy the office and smash furniture belonging to Zaltsman's businesses. Zaltsman also claims they stole office equipment worth around $20,000.

Kyle Israel, a Black Storm player who witnessed the events unfold, says he tried to dissuade Zaltsman from putting up a fight.

"I had told him: 'Hey, why don't you back off? Why do you do this?'" Israel recalls, but adds: "Once Mike had his mind made up about something, he is going to do what he believes he needs to do to make this come to fruition."

Zaltsman says he and some "friends" reacted first by filming the raiders and trying to generate publicity over what they saw as an attack. Then they moved to more aggressive methods.

On April 13, Zaltsman says, he and his supporters tried to execute a plan to scare Gorodilov's security into leaving the office. The Boston businessman himself shouted that he was from the SOBR police special forces — the Russian equivalent of SWAT — and that "anyone who doesn't leave in the next 10 seconds will be shot on the spot." The occupants left, but in the confusion, Zaltzman says, one threw a chair through a window.

Zaltsman and Popkov were arrested 10 days later. Zaltsman was accused of breaking the window himself, while his associate was accused of assaulting one of the security guards.

In two civil cases brought against Zaltsman, the courts sided with Gorodilov and said the eviction was legitimate. The court ruled that Zaltsman's company had stopped paying rent and had therefore ceased to be the legal tenant. Zaltsman insists he paid rent in compliance with the terms of the lease. Neither he nor his company was represented at some of the hearings.

While the criminal case is under investigation, police have refused to comment, after passing a written request from one office to another for weeks. They agreed only to provide the article of the criminal code under which the men are charged. It specifies that they are accused of hooliganism while acting as part of a group and resisting police or security guards.

In addition, Zaltsman is charged with failing to formally notify Russian authorities that he holds dual citizenship, under a law that came into force this summer when he was already in custody.

Dionis Dedov, Zaltsman's lawyer, said his client is a victim of capricious justice.

"He believed he was merely restoring his rights as a tenant since there were no court rulings ordering him to evict," Dedov said. "Even with the charges that have been put forward, the detention for such a long period of time seems excessive."

___

Ellingworth reported from London. Varya Kudryavtseva in Moscow also contributed.

23.16 | 0 komentar | Read More