There's A Reason That No One in Publishing Bought Goodreads ...

Several dozen editorials have been written in the 2 days since Amazon announced plans to buy Goodreads, but one in particular caught my eye today. James McQuivey, writing over at Forbes, laments over the fact that no one in publishing bought Goodreads:

I have an important question to ask, one that I am stealing from author?Nick Harkaway?(@Harkaway) who wrote this on Twitter the morning after:

The point isn?t that Amazon bought GoodReads. The point is why GoodReads wasn?t snapped up by a publisher years ago.

The obvious reason is that based on the rumors of a purchase price in the ?low eight-figures? as some are confidently whispering, most publishers weren?t really in a position to buy Goodreads. Unless they had seen this coming and had bought it many years ago. Let?s say back in 2010, when I first urged one of the Big Five (are there five now?) publishers to buy it. It was a riskier proposal back then, I?ll admit, and one that I couldn?t put a price tag on, so I won?t claim that I pushed hard or that the publisher was foolish not to take my advice.

He?s possibly correct about publishers not being able to afford the rumored $150 million that Amazon paid for Goodreads, but they probably could have afforded it when it was smaller.

It?s funny that he should mention 2010. That was the year that 3 major publishers got together and announced a new site that would give them a direct digital connection to readers. That site launched earlier this year, after over 2 years in development.

It?s called Bookish, and it does give Hachette, Penguin, or Simon & Schuster a direct connection to readers. But the connection it offers is so very, very different from Goodreads that the differences tell us quite a bit about these publishers? priorities.

Frankly, these publishers would probably not have bought Goodreads even if it had been up for sale and even if they had the funds. It does not do what they want.

Note: I am only going to critique the 3 publishers behind Bookish and not everyone in publishing. Some, like Macmillan (see the postscript), have a clue.

So how are the 2 sites different?

The first and most important difference is that Goodreads was launched not with the goal of forming connections. The goal was to build a community of (first) readers and then authors and to a lesser degree publishers.

Edit: Let me correct myself. As Google+ has shown us you cannot set out to create a community. Instead you give users a reason to come to a site and stay.

Goodreads was launched to encourage readers to show up and be bookish. The community formed around them.

Bookish, on the other hand, was launched in order to provide Hachette, S&S, and Penguin with ?direct digital customer relationships?. The publishers got to build it from the ground up, and the manner in which it functions says a lot about the type of??direct digital customer relationships? these publishers want
to have.

The thing is, they don?t actually want a relationship ? not the relationship that?James McQuivey (and I) think that publishers could benefit from.

The word relationship implies that there is more than one party speaking, and that is not the point of Bookish. This site exists to be little more than yet another marketing channel for publishers.

I have spent time on Bookish since it launched (including an hour today), and I frankly cannot see how I (as a user) can contribute. I can write a review, yes, but I can?t build a virtual bookshelf of books I own, I can?t communicate with other users, nor can I do anything that would benefit me and not the publishers.

Most importantly, I cannot even leave a comment on the blog posts on Bookish. That, folks, is an example of just how completely the communication flows in exactly one direction.

The internet offers many vast opportunities for collaboration, and Bookish flushes them down the drain. This could not be more different from Goodreads, which uses almost every chance to encourage users to participate, add content, and build value for each other.

To be fair, Bookish never pretended to be anything other than a one-way street. It was pretty obvious from the launch press release that the publishers were going to use it to sell books and that all the communication would flow one way. I have no problem with this, but if Bookish is really these publishers? idea of a ?direct digital customer relationship? then their thought process is stuck in the last century ? some time in the 1950s by my estimation.

These publishers don?t want to hear from readers. They want readers to listen passively while the publishers control the message.

And that, more than anything, is why these 3 publishers probably would have passed on Goodreads if it had been offered to them.

?

P.S. In creating Bookish these 3 publishers only invested in what would benefit them, and that is probably why Goodreads will succeed while Bookish flounders ? unless Bookish goes through a radical change in focus.

P.P.S. Giving out book recommendations is the only reason for Bookish to exist, but it is just one of a dozen features that Goodreads uses to draw in readers. And it is that dozen other related features that both draw in users and combine to make Goodreads? book recommendations richer and more valuable than what Bookish can offer. There is a synergy in the collaboration of hundreds of thousands of active members writing reviews, rating books, and creating unique connections that cannot be replicated by the single channel, one way communication offered by Bookish.

I suppose some might say that the comparisons between Goodreads and Bookish are irrelevant because the sites serve very different purposes. This is not true. These 3 publishers could have used Goodreads for the same purpose as Bookish (to sell books) ? only Goodreads would have done a better job.

P.P.P.S. Macmillan stands as an counterpoint to the 3 publishers behind Bookish. This publisher supports Tor.com, the SF community and blog. Tor.com is an example of how to a publisher can have a relationship with readers.

Source: http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/03/30/theres-a-reason-that-no-one-in-publishing-bought-goodreads/

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NKorea says it is in a 'state of war' with SKorea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? North Korea warned Seoul on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

Analysts say a full-scale conflict is extremely unlikely, noting that the Korean Peninsula has remained in a technical state of war for 60 years. But the North's continued threats toward Seoul and Washington, including a vow to launch a nuclear strike, have raised worries that a misjudgment between the sides could lead to a clash.

In Washington, the White House said Saturday that the United States is taking seriously the new threats by North Korea but also noted Pyongyang's history of "bellicose rhetoric."

North Korea's threats are seen as efforts to provoke the new government in Seoul, led by President Park Geun-hye, to change its policies toward Pyongyang, and to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could get it more aid. North Korea's moves are also seen as ways to build domestic unity as young leader Kim Jong Un strengthens his military credentials.

On Thursday, U.S. military officials revealed that two B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy munitions on an uninhabited South Korean island as part of annual defense drills that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for invasion. Hours later, Kim ordered his generals to put rockets on standby and threatened to strike American targets if provoked.

North Korea said in a statement Saturday that it would deal with South Korea according to "wartime regulations" and would retaliate against any provocations by the United States and South Korea without notice.

"Now that the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK have entered into an actual military action, the inter-Korean relations have naturally entered the state of war," said the statement, which was carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Provocations "will not be limited to a local war, but develop into an all-out war, a nuclear war," the statement said.

Hours after the statement, Pyongyang threatened to shut down the jointly run Kaesong industrial park, expressing anger over media reports suggesting the complex remained open because it was a source of hard currency for the impoverished North.

"If the puppet group seeks to tarnish the image of the DPRK even a bit, while speaking of the zone whose operation has been barely maintained, we will shut down the zone without mercy," an identified spokesman for the North's office controlling Kaesong said in comments carried by KCNA.

South Korea's Unification Ministry responded by calling the North Korean threat "unhelpful" to the countries' already frayed relations and vowed to ensure the safety of hundreds of South Korean managers who cross the border to their jobs in Kaesong. It did not elaborate.

South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said the country's military remains mindful of the possibility that increasing North Korean drills near the border could lead to an actual provocation.

"The series of North Korean threats ? announcing all-out war, scrapping the cease-fire agreement and the non-aggression agreement between the South and the North, cutting the military hotline, entering into combat posture No. 1 and entering a 'state of war' ? are unacceptable and harm the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.

"We are maintaining full military readiness in order to protect our people's lives and security," he told reporters Saturday.

In Washington, Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, noted the "reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea."

"We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," Hayden said. "But, we would also note that North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats, and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern."

The White House has stressed the U.S. government's capability and willingness to defend itself and its allies and interests in the region, if necessary.

"We remain fully prepared and capable of defending and protecting the United States and our allies," Hayden said.

The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Naval skirmishes in the disputed waters off the Korean coast have led to bloody battles several times over the years.

But on the streets of Seoul on Saturday, South Koreans said they were not worried about an attack from North Korea.

"From other countries' point of view, it may seem like an extremely urgent situation," said Kang Tae-hwan, a private tutor. "But South Koreans don't seem to be that nervous because we've heard these threats from the North before."

The Kaesong industrial park, which is run with North Korean labor and South Korean know-how, has been operating normally, despite Pyongyang shutting down a communications channel typically used to coordinate travel by South Korean workers to and from the park just across the border in North Korea. The rivals are now coordinating the travel indirectly, through an office at Kaesong that has outside lines to South Korea.

North Korea has previously made such threats about Kaesong without acting on them, and recent weeks have seen a torrent of bellicose rhetoric from Pyongyang. North Korea is angry about the South Korea-U.S. military drills and new U.N. sanctions over its nuclear test last month.

Dozens of South Korean firms run factories in the border town of Kaesong. Using North Korea's cheap, efficient labor, the Kaesong complex produced $470 million worth of goods last year.

___

Associated Press White House reporter Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

___

Follow Sam Kim at www.twitter.com/samkim_ap.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-says-state-war-skorea-014344604.html

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EPA Proposes New Rule To Clean Up Gasoline And Reduce Smog

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on Friday a rule to clean up gasoline. The new lower sulfur gas is already what California uses to reduce air pollution, and the EPA wants it to be used nationwide. The agency estimates that it would save lives while adding a penny a gallon to the cost of gas. The oil industry fears it will cost more.

Copyright ? 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule to clean up gasoline. The regulation would reduce ozone and other air pollutants by close to 30 percent. That would benefit 100 million people who now live in areas that at times have unhealthful air. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

RICHARD HARRIS, BYLINE: Even though automobile emissions have improved a lot in recent decades, cars are still a major source of the compounds that create smog, so the EPA has been working on new regulations to reduce those emissions more. The main target now is to reduce sulfur in gasoline. Sulfur hampers catalytic converters, so they aren't as effective as they could be in eliminating pollution. Bill Becker, who heads the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, says this would play a critical role in helping regions meet health-based air quality standards.

BILL BECKER: We know of no other air pollution strategy that will achieve as substantial, as immediate and as cost-effective emission reductions as lowering sulfur in fuel. We can do this for less than a penny. It can be done literally overnight, and it is cost-effective compared to other strategies.

HARRIS: But the American Petroleum Institute is arguing against the new regulation saying that modifying the refineries to reduce sulfur would add 6 to 9 cents to the price of a gallon of gas. EPA rules are designed to minimize that cost by giving the industry flexibility to meet the target. California already requires gas to meet this new standard, along with Japan and the European Union. Richard Harris, NPR News.

Copyright ? 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/03/29/175722031/epa-proposes-new-rule-to-clean-up-gasoline-and-reduce-smog?ft=1&f=1007

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Tips & Tools To Choose a Great Domain Name - Frank Online ...

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Whoa, Watch Magnetic Putty Completely Swallow a Rare-Earth Magnet Like a Mutant Monster

Think Silly Putty is just fun and games? Not always! Just watch this magnetic putty completely devour a rare-earth magnet. It's not as instantaneous as this time-lapse video makes it seem but it still ends up engulfing the entire magnet. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jhKSaxrVVPU/whoa-watch-magnetic-putty-completely-swallow-a-rare+earth-magnet-like-a-mutant-monster

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Rush Limbaugh says same-sex marriage will be legal

BlackBerry?s (BBRY) fourth-quarter earnings were?a bundle of such extreme opposites that they literally stunned Wall Street.?Many expected huge price swings, but as of 10:27 a.m. on Thursday, the share price is up 1.8%. Investors are having trouble figuring out whether to giggle with glee over the big Z10 shipment number or shriek with horror over the massive subscriber loss. This quarter crystallized the theme we wrote about last week: the low-end product range of BlackBerry is collapsing. Despite shipping 1 million Z10 devices ?many analysts expected shipments in the 300,000 to 500,000 range ? the overall device volume was just 6 million, or 900,000 units below consensus. At the same time, the subscriber base situation is worse than practically anyone

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/rush-limbaugh-predicts-same-sex-marriage-legal-nationwide-132745511--politics.html

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Busted! Adults text-and-drive more than teens

Nidhi Subbaraman , NBC News ? ? ? 4 hrs.

Teens' hands may be fused to their phones, but on the road, it's adults who say they text more. Anew survey of driving and texting habits, commissioned by AT&T and conducted by ResearchNow, asked 1,011 adults if they texted or emailed while at the wheel.

Almost every adult surveyed ? 98 percent of them ? knew texting or emailing while driving was unsafe (though we wonder what that last two percent are thinking). But half of the group (49 percent) said they did it anyway.

Also, 60 percent of the adults said they didn't text and drive three years ago.

In a similar survey from April last year, 43 percent of a 1,200 teens between 15 and 19 said they texted while driving with their licenses or learning permits.

As a member of the National Safety Council pointed out to USA Today, this trend is concerning because there's just plain more adults than teens on the roads: 10 million teen learners, compared 180 million full-grown humans in cars and presumably with phones. The NSC estimates that 100,000 road crashes involve texters at the wheel.

Of course, there is the chance that teens were shyer about sharing their true texting habits. Even so, adults don't seem to be setting the best example.

Nidhi Subbaraman writes about technology and science. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a23aa30/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Cbusted0Eadults0Etext0Edrive0Emore0Eteens0E1C9139940A/story01.htm

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Dad told cops Loughner 'doesn't seem right lately'

FILE - This is a combo of photos of Jared Loughner released Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, by the U.S. Marshal's Service. Loughner pleaded guilty in the Tucson, Ariz., shooting rampage that killed six people and left several others wounded, including then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Hundreds of pages of police reports in the investigation of the shooting were released Wednesday, March 27, 2013 marking the public's first glimpse into documents that authorities have kept private since the attack on Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/U.S. Marshal's Office, File)(AP Photo/U.S. Marshal's Office)

FILE - This is a combo of photos of Jared Loughner released Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, by the U.S. Marshal's Service. Loughner pleaded guilty in the Tucson, Ariz., shooting rampage that killed six people and left several others wounded, including then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Hundreds of pages of police reports in the investigation of the shooting were released Wednesday, March 27, 2013 marking the public's first glimpse into documents that authorities have kept private since the attack on Jan. 8, 2011. (AP Photo/U.S. Marshal's Office, File)(AP Photo/U.S. Marshal's Office)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) ? Major findings on the Jan. 8, 2011, attack on former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gleaned from about 2,700 pages of documents released Wednesday, including survivor accounts, police reports and interviews with friends and family of gunman Jared Loughner:

PARENTS

Amy Loughner described her son's run-ins with authorities, use of marijuana and cocaine and increasingly erratic behavior. She said a drug test turned up negative. Randy Loughner said his son became more and more difficult, and it was a challenge to have a rational conversation: "I tried to talk to him. But you can't, he wouldn't let you. ... Lost, lost, and just didn't want to communicate with me no more." Randy Loughner said his son "just doesn't seem right lately."

TALKED TO SELF

Despite the bizarre behavior and his school's recommendation he undergo a mental health evaluation, the parents didn't seek help. Loughner, who was ultimately diagnosed with schizophrenia, often talked to himself in the year before the shooting and even laughed during the conversations, which weren't angry or about hurting anyone, his mother said. "And sometimes he would look like he was having a conversation with someone right there. Be talking to someone. I don't know how to explain it. I don't."

SCHOOL VIDEO

Hours after the shooting, Randy Loughner mentioned a video that caused Pima Community College to expel his son. "They didn't like his video. 'Cause, he's always, his First Amendment rights. He's, uh, he's too intelligent. You know? And they, and it, and they, they dismissed him from school. Told him he needed to go see, seek medical help to come back to school. ... He felt that the pigs were out to get him."

FIRED FROM JOB

The father considered his son's firing as a salesman at an Eddie Bauer store to be a turning point: "He just wasn't the same. He just, nothing, nothing worked, seem to go right for him."

SHOTGUN

Loughner bought a 12-gauge shotgun in 2008, but his parents took it away from him after he was expelled.

HANDGUN PURCHASE

One-time Loughner friend Zachary Osler was an employee at a store where Loughner bought a Glock 9 mm handgun with a 15-round magazine in November 2010. Loughner had a military style haircut and cleared all background checks. He used a Visa card to pay the $559 for the gun and a box of ammo.

GUN STORE JOB

Osler remembered Loughner coming into the gun store on at least two occasions in the previous year, including once to apply for a job, for which he was denied. Osler said hello during one of the visits, but Loughner didn't acknowledge or look at him and just continued onward.

DREAMS

Osler told investigators he had grown uncomfortable with Loughner's personality. "He would say he could dream and then control what he was doing while he was dreaming."

HOME LIFE

Osler told investigators Loughner's parents drank heavily and he didn't get along with his father. "A lot of the times I'd be over there his dad would be yellin' at him about whatever. Kind of a somewhat hostile environment. I never really felt comfortable over there," Osler said.

PISTOL IN WAIST

A few weeks before the shooting, Loughner showed up at the apartment of boyhood friend Anthony Kuck with a 9 mm pistol in his waistband. Loughner said he bought the gun for Christmas for "home protection." Kuck's roommate, Derek Heintz, said Loughner left a bullet as a souvenir. Kuck said he had seen Loughner deteriorate over time: problems with drinking in high school, trouble with police, being kicked out of college, then showing up with a shaved head, bullet tattoos on his shoulder and a gun. "I just know his personality is not normal."

SUICICAL VOICEMAIL

On the day of the shooting, friend Bryce Tierney told investigators that Loughner had called him early in the morning and left a cryptic voicemail that he believed was suicidal. "He just said, 'Hey, this is Jared. Um, we had some good times together. Uh, see you later.' And that's it." Tierney tried to call back, but it was a restricted number that didn't register on his phone.

TRAFFIC STOP

A wildlife agent pulled Loughner over that morning for a traffic violation. He cried and said, "I've just had a rough time," and then composed himself, thanked the agent and shook his hand after he was let go with a warning. The agent asked Loughner again if he was OK, and Loughner said he was going home.

CAB RIDE

Loughner went to a convenience store immediately before the shooting and had the clerk call a cab for him. As he waited, he paced inside and outside the store and went to the bathroom three or four times. The employee said that at one point Loughner looked up at a clock and said, "Nine twenty-five, I still got time."

THE ENCOUNTER

Giffords intern Daniel Hernandez, who helped people sign in as they lined up to see Giffords, recalled handing Loughner a clipboard. "The next thing I hear is someone yell, 'gun!'"

CARTRIDGES FLYING

Doris Tucker was talking to Giffords when she was shot. All she recalls of Loughner was a dark, slim shape. "I remember screaming and ... hearing the terrible noise, and seeing the cartridges fly," said Tucker, whose husband was wounded. "I was talking, the next thing I knew, she was down. ... I saw her fall." Witness Lane Beck was pulling up in her car, with Giffords and the line of constituents in full view. Loughner was "kind of hopping up and down as he was shooting," she said. "His face was very animated."

LOUGHNER TACKLED

Patricia Maisch said Loughner walked up the line of people waiting to talk to Giffords and shot people at random, including the woman next to her. Then, three men tackled him. In the ensuing struggle, Loughner tried to reload. "He was partly on top of me. I had laid down to get out of the line of fire, I didn't know what else to do. ... Apparently he was out of bullets. He pulled the clip out, so I grabbed the clip and would not let him have that." Maisch then kneeled on Loughner's ankles while others held him down, until she noticed that one of the men was bleeding from his head. She went into the Safeway supermarket to get paper towels to stanch the flow of blood.

GIFFORDS RESPONSE

Hernandez helped tend to his boss after she was shot in the head. "She couldn't open her eyes. I tried to get any responses for her. Um, it looked like her left side was the only side that was still mobile. Um, she couldn't speak. It was mumbled. She was squeezing my hand," Hernandez said. "Her breathing was getting shallower. Uh, I then lifted her up so that she wasn't flat on the ground against the wall."

FULL POCKETS

Loughner had two Glock magazines in his left front pocket, both fully loaded. In his other front pocket was a foldable knife with about a 4-inch blade. In his back right pocket, he had a baggie with some money, a credit card and his Arizona driver's license. He had peach-colored plugs in his ears and was wearing a black beanie, a black hoodie-type sweatshirt, khaki pants and Skechers shoes.

MORE GUNS

At Loughner's house, police found two shotguns in the trunk of a car parked in the garage, where they also found photographs of President Bill Clinton and other Pima County officials, including U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva eating at a Mexican restaurant. A search of a safe in Loughner's room turned up a gunlock, an envelope with his Glock's serial number on it and two spent bullet casings. The envelope said he planned to go ahead with an assassination. Items seized included a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook, photo negatives and writings.

INTERROGATION

Loughner was polite and cooperative with authorities the afternoon of the shooting. The conversation as Loughner sat in restraints in an interview room was mainly small talk. Little was said over the four hours. Loughner asked at one point if he could please use the restroom and said "Thank you" when allowed. At another point he complained of being sore: "I'm about ready to fall over." When a detective told Loughner he was going to change his restraints, Loughner responded, "Okay. I'm not going to move."

WHY GIFFORDS

Tierney told investigators he wasn't surprised Loughner shot Giffords. "I don't think he liked Gabrielle Giffords," he said, recalling that when she visited the college they attended, Loughner asked her "'What is government?' and stuff." ... She couldn't give him the answer. ... I feel like he had ... something against Gabrielle Giffords."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-27-Tucson%20Shooting-Major%20Findings/id-24fa1126b34742d0a1f11fae5aff9a52

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Reminder: How Mexico Treats ?Undesirable? Foreigners (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 mini will reportedly go on sale shortly after GS 4

Not too long after the Samsung Galaxy S 4 was announced, we started hearing whispers of a "miniature" version of the device -- which makes sense, given the Galaxy S III had a smaller sidekick of its own. Today, however, Bloomberg reported the unannounced device is indeed coming soon after the flagship makes its appearance at the end of April. If it follows a similar pattern to its bite-sized predecessor, it likely will be offered in Europe as a lower-cost alternative to the Galaxy S 4. The device is rumored to offer a dual-core 1.6GHz processor, a 4.3-inch display and 8MP camera. Sadly, no official details were given, but we've reached out to Samsung officials for comment and will update when we receive word.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Bloomberg

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/H808uch_4zc/

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Democratic hopes dashed for Hong Kong 2017 election

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hopes that Hong Kong's 2017 election will be genuinely democratic have been dashed after a senior Chinese leader said, regardless of the vote, Beijing will have the final say on who is appointed Hong Kong's next leader.

Qiao Xiaoyang, chairman of the law committee of the National People's Congress, said China will not allow someone who "confronts" Beijing to become Hong Kong's leader.

"First, the nomination committee will decide. Then voters in Hong Kong will decide. Lastly, the central government will decide whether to appoint or not," Qiao said in a March 24 closed-door seminar, according to a transcript posted online on Wednesday.

Albert Ho, the city's Democratic Party lawmaker, said the move was a "pre-emptive strike" to contain people's expectations towards universal suffrage.

"It's fake universal suffrage, and it's not much better than the uncontested elections they have in Beijing," Ho said.

"Beijing is very skillful. They hold all the cards. They exert pressure, contain expectations, then they'll make sure they get the chief executive they want."

Pro-democracy groups say if Beijing fails to deliver universal suffrage that meets global standards, they will organize mass protests next year to block traffic in Hong Kong's central business district, according to media reports.

Hong Kong remains a beacon of democratic reform and civil liberties in China, which wants to see the self-ruled island of Taiwan reunited with the mainland, perhaps under a similar formula to Hong Kong.

(Reporting By Yimou Lee and James Pomfret; Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democratic-hopes-dashed-hong-kong-2017-election-061122230.html

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SAfrica: Mandela in hospital with lung infection

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa's first black president, has been admitted to a hospital with a recurring lung infection, South Africa said Thursday.

Mandela, 94, has become increasingly frail in recent years and has been hospitalized several times since last year, most recently earlier this month when he underwent what authorities said was a scheduled medical test. The Nobel laureate is a revered figure in South Africa, which has honored his legacy of reconciliation by naming buildings and other places after him and printing his image on national banknotes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sad," said Obed Mokwana, a Johannesburg resident. "I just try to pray all the time. He must come very strong again."

The Nobel laureate was admitted to a hospital just before midnight Wednesday "due to the recurrence of his lung infection," the office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement.

"Doctors are attending to him, ensuring that he has the best possible expert medical treatment and comfort," the statement said. It appealed "for understanding and privacy in order to allow space to the doctors to do their work."

It did not identify the hospital. In December, Mandela spent three weeks in a hospital in the South African capital of Pretoria, where he was treated for a lung infection and had a procedure to remove gallstones.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj acknowledged there was cause for worry, but said the medical specialists treating Mandela were very competent.

"The health has been OK given his age, but the downturn last night ? obviously when the lung infection recurs, the doctors will want to do everything possible and make sure that they don't allow the infection to spread, that they arrest it as quickly as possible," Maharaj said in an interview with eNCA, a South African news channel.

He said there had been a global outpouring of messages expressing concern for Mandela's health.

Zuma wished Mandela a speedy recovery, referring to him affectionately by his clan name, "Madiba."

"We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts. We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery," the presidential statement quoted Zuma as saying.

Mandela spent a night in a hospital and was released on March 10 following a medical test. At that time, spokesman Maharaj said Mandela was "well."

In February 2012, Mandela spent a night in a hospital for minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of an abdominal complaint. In January 2011, he was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for what officials initially described as tests but what turned out to be an acute respiratory infection. He was discharged days later.

He also had surgery for an enlarged prostate gland in 1985.

Under South Africa's white-minority apartheid regime, Mandela served 27 years in prison, where he contracted tuberculosis, before being released in 1990. He later became the nation's first democratically elected president in 1994 under the banner of the African National Congress, helping to negotiate a relatively peaceful end to apartheid despite fears of much greater bloodshed. He served one five-year term as president before retiring.

Perceived successes during Mandela's tenure include the introduction of a constitution with robust protections for individual rights and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a panel that heard testimony about apartheid-era violations of human rights as a kind of national therapy session. South Africa still struggles with crime, economic inequality and other social ills.

Mandela last made a public appearance on a major stage when South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.

He had spent more time in the rural village of Qunu in Eastern Cape province, where he grew up. He was visited there in August by Hillary Clinton, who was U.S. secretary of state at the time.

Doctors said in December that he should remain at his home in the Johannesburg neighborhood of Houghton for the time being to be close to medical facilities that can provide the care he needs.

During Mandela's previous hospitalizations, the South African government had criticized some media outlets for what it described as rumor-mongering and a failure to respect the privacy of the former leader and his family. The media, in turn, expressed concern about an alleged lack of transparency and occasionally conflicting reports from officials.

Maharaj, the presidential spokesman, told eNCA on Thursday that authorities were mindful of public interest in Mandela's health, but would allow the medical team to focus on treating the former president.

"Our updates will be dependent always on what the doctors tell us and we are not pressurizing them to give us updates every few hours," he said. "We think that they should attend to their work. We are confident that they know that if there is an upturn for the good, or for the bad, they will always keep us informed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/safrica-mandela-hospital-lung-infection-073555444.html

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Fewer children mean longer life?

Mar. 27, 2013 ? New research into ageing processes, based on modern genetic techniques, confirms theoretical expectations about the correlation between reproduction and lifespan. Studies of birds reveal that those that have offspring later in life and have fewer broods live longer. And the decisive factor is telomeres, shows research from The University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of chromosomes. The length of telomeres influences how long an individual lives. Telomeres start off at a certain length, become shorter each time a cell divides, decline as the years pass by until the telomeres can no longer protect the chromosomes, and the cell dies. But the length of telomeres varies significantly among individuals of the same age. This is partly due to the length of the telomeres that has been inherited from the parents, and partly due to the amount of stress an individual is exposed to.

?This is important, not least for our own species, as we are all having to deal with increased stress,? says Angela Pauliny, Researcher from the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

Researchers have studied barnacle geese, which are long-lived birds, the oldest in the study being 22 years old. The results show that geese, compared to short-lived bird species, have a better ability to preserve the length of their telomeres. The explanation is probably that species with a longer lifespan invest more in maintaining bodily functions than, for example, reproduction.

?There is a clear correlation between reproduction and ageing in the animal world. Take elephants, which have a long lifespan but few offspring, while mice, for example, live for a short time but produce a lot of offspring each time they try,? says Angela Pauliny.

The geese studied by researchers varied in age, from very young birds to extremely old ones. Each bird was measured twice, two years apart. One striking result was that the change in telomere length varied according to gender.

?The study revealed that telomeres were best-preserved in males. Among barnacle geese, the telomeres thus shorten more quickly in females, which in birds is the sex with two different gender chromosomes. Interestingly, it is the exactl opposite in humans,? says Angela Pauliny.

The journal BMC Evolutionary Biology has classified the research article ?Telomere dynamics in a long-lived bird, the barnacle goose? as ?Highly Accessed?.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Angela Pauliny, Kjell Larsson, Donald Blomqvist. Telomere dynamics in a long-lived bird, the barnacle goose. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 2012; 12 (1): 257 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-257

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/wo_0G9jQGjg/130327103045.htm

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Pressure Increases On Michael Dell As Carl Icahn Mulls Tie-Up With Blackstone In Bid For PC Company

Carl Icahn has said he is open to a partnership with Blackstone Group in a move that could make it easier for the rival investors to overtake Michael Dell's $24.4 billion buyout bid for the company he founded, reports Reuters. This means Michael Dell could also potentially lose control of the PC maker he founded when he was 19.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/bdjiANLGp9g/

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'Croods' grab top spot at box office with $43.6M

"The Croods" stormed from their cave to open at No. 1 at the box office.

The 3-D comedy from 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation made over $43.6 million in its first weekend in theaters, according to final studio figures Monday. It follows a prehistoric family (voiced by Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Catherine Keener, among others) who run into adventures when they're forced to find a new cave.

"Olympus Has Fallen" had a much stronger opening than expected with $30.3 million to come in second place. The FilmDistrict action thriller is about a takeover of the White House by North Korean terrorists, with Gerard Butler starring as a secret service agent who tries to foil their plan.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "The Croods," Fox/DreamWorks Animation, $43,639,736, 4046 locations, $10,786 average, $43,639,736, one week.

2. "Olympus Has Fallen," FilmDistrict, $30,373,794, 3098 locations, $9,804 average, $30,373,794, one week.

3. "Oz the Great and Powerful," Disney, $21,568,957, 3805 locations, $5,669 average, $177,097,090, three weeks.

4. "The Call," Sony, $8,900,935, 2507 locations, $3,550 average, $31,105,056, two weeks.

5. "Admission," Focus Features, $6,154,984, 2160 locations, $2,850 average, $6,154,984, one week.

6. "Spring Breakers," A24, $4,858,944, 1104 locations, $4,401 average, $5,265,802, two weeks.

7. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," Warner Bros., $4,321,388, 3160 locations, $1,368 average, $17,411,818, two weeks.

8. "Jack the Giant Slayer," Warner Bros., $2,949,101, 2560 locations, $1,152 average, $59,036,384, four weeks.

9. "Identity Thief," Universal, $2,588,355, 2166 locations, $1,195 average, $127,770,300, seven weeks.

10. "Snitch," Lionsgate, $1,885,200, 1807 locations, $1,043 average, $40,297,749, five weeks.

11. "Silver Linings Playbook," Weinstein Co., $1,585,071, 1044 locations, $1,518 average, $127,163,614, 19 weeks.

12. "Safe Haven," Relativity Media, $1,137,864, 1279 locations, $890 average, $68,918,009, six weeks.

13. "21 & Over," Relativity Media, $1,028,521, 1134 locations, $907 average, $24,163,841, for weeks.

14. "Life of Pi," Fox, $720,257, 489 locations, $1,473 average, $122,546,768, 18 weeks.

15. "Quartet," Weinstein Co., $578,043, 425 locations, $1,360 average, $15,914,272, 11 weeks.

16. "Escape From Planet Earth," Weinstein Co., $477,522, 1494 locations, $320 average, $53,354,899, six weeks.

17. "Stoker," Fox Searchlight, $353,326, 275 locations, $1,285 average, $1,124,651, four weeks.

18. "A Good Day to Die Hard," Fox, $323,549, 448 locations, $722 average, $66,260,731, six weeks.

19. "The Last Exorcism Part II," CBS Films, $320,567, 455 locations, $705 average, $15,009,474, four weeks.

20. "Dead Man Down," FilmDistrict, $306,090, 612 locations, $500 average, $10,611,958, three weeks.

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-25-Box%20Office/id-c7fc63da01c341e7bbc73119eddbaac8

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Boomers Feeling (Slightly) More Financially Secure

Worried about keeping or finding a job, paying down debt and having enough money to retire, Boomers overall have been more pessimistic than any other age group when it comes to their own financial security.

But a new survey finds Boomers' fears over their financial situation have abated slightly over the past year and nearly a quarter of them are feeling more financial secure than they did 12 months ago.

Thanks to stock market gains and continued job growth, consumers' feelings of financial security overall improved markedly over the past month, according to new research from Bankrate.com.

Bankrate's March Financial Security Index reading of 101.5 is the highest since the company began its monthly polls in December 2010. The 4.7-point jump from February's 96.8 reading is the second biggest monthly gain in the index's history, after a five-point gain from April 2011 to May 2011. Bankrate says this is only the third time in the past 28 months that consumers surveyed say they are feeling better about their financial security versus 12 months prior.

(Read more: A 'Worrisome Disconnect' on Retirement)

"People are not glowing by any means, but they are feeling more comfortable with their financial situation and their financial security than a year ago," says Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate. "That is consistent with the steady economic improvement, an improved job market, as well as the rebound in home prices and new stock market highs."

That sentiment shared by many Boomers.

Twenty four percent of those 50- to 64-year-olds believe their overall financial situation is now better, nearly equal to the percentage who say it is worse. Half of that age group believe their financial situation is about the same as it was a year ago.

However, Boomers are more optimistic than in March 2012, when more than one-third of Boomers told Bankrate that their financial situation was worse than in 2011, only one-fifth said it was better and 43 percent said it was about the same.

(Read More: How to Retire in These Five Expensive Cities)

"Those 50 and up still have the lowest feelings of job security, lowest comfort levels with debt and the lowest readings on improvement in their overall financial situation - and lowest comfort level with savings," McBride says.

The survey reveals that consumers overall, however, are feeling better about job security, debt, net worth and their overall financial situations.

But it's a different story when it comes to savings.

"Savings is the Achilles' heel. And it's particularly pronounced among those 50 and up," McBride says.

Only 17 percent of those age 50 and up said they are "more comfortable" with the savings they have now versus what they had saved 12 months ago. Nearly a quarter of consumers under 50 are "more comfortable" with their savings.

(Read more: Parents Rob Retirement to Pay for College)

The number of those Boomers who are "less comfortable" with their savings is more than double those who are "more comfortable." That's still a better reading than a year ago, when among consumers age 50 and up, those who were "less comfortable" with their savings outnumbered those who are "more comfortable" by more than 4 to 1.

The Bankrate study again brings to light findings that are similar to those revealed last week by the Employee Benefits Research Institute's annual retirement confidence survey.

The 2013 EBRI survey found Americans' confidence in their ability to afford a comfortable retirement was the lowest it had been in 23 years.

Many Americans have put retirement savings on the back burner, including Boomers, due to concerns about job security and mounting debt. Although workers ages 55 and older are more likely than younger workers to say they (and/or their spouse) are currently saving for retirement, 37 percent of workers who are 55 or older are not currently saving, according to the EBRI survey.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100583535

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NYC art museum accused of duping visitors on fees

NEW YORK (AP) ? Before visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art can stroll past the Picassos, Renoirs, Rembrandts and other priceless works, they must first deal with the ticket line, the posted $25 adult admission and the meaning of the word in smaller type just beneath it: "recommended."

Many people, especially foreign tourists, either don't see it, don't understand it or don't question it. If they ask, they are told the fee is merely a suggested donation: You can pay what you wish but you must pay something.

Some who choose to pay less than the full price pull out a $10 or $5 bill. Some fork over a buck or loose change. Those who balk at paying anything at all are told they won't be allowed in unless they pay something, even a penny.

"I just asked for one adult general admissions and he just said, '$25,'" says Richard Johns, a high school math teacher from Little Rock, Ark., who paid the full price at the museum this past week. "It should be made clear that it is a donation you are required to make. Especially for foreign tourists who don't understand. Most people don't know it."

Confusion over what's required to enter one of the world's great museums, which draws more than 6 million visitors a year, is at the heart of a class-action lawsuit this month accusing the Met of scheming to defraud the public into believing the fees are required.

The lawsuit contends that the museum uses misleading marketing and training of cashiers to violate an 1893 New York state law that mandates the public should be admitted for free at least five days and two evenings per week. In exchange, the museum gets annual grants from the city and free rent for its building and land along pricey Fifth Avenue in Central Park.

Met spokesman Harold Holzer denied any deception and said a policy of requiring visitors to pay at least something has been in place for more than four decades. "We are confident that the courts will see through this insupportable nuisance lawsuit."

The suit seeks compensation for museum members and visitors who paid by credit card over the past few years.

"The museum was designed to be open to everyone, without regard to their financial circumstances," said Arnold Weiss, one of two attorneys who filed the lawsuit on behalf of three museum-goers, a New Yorker and two tourists from the Czech Republic. "But instead, the museum has been converted into an elite tourist attraction."

Among the allegations are that third-party websites do not mention the recommended fee, and that the museum sells memberships that carry the benefit of free admission, even though the public is already entitled to free admission.

Lined up to testify is a former museum supervisor who oversaw and trained the Met's admissions cashiers from 2007 to 2011. Michael Hiller, the other attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the supervisor trained cashiers to encourage visitors to pay the full freight by saying things like "you must realize it is very expensive to run the museum." He will also say that in 2010-2011 the term on the sign was changed from "suggested" to "recommended" because administrators believed it was a stronger word that would encourage people to pay more.

The Met's Holzer denied the former employee's allegations. He also said the basis for the lawsuit ? that admission is intended to be free ? is wrong because the state law the plaintiffs cited has been superseded many times and the city approved pay-what-you-wish admissions in 1970.

"The idea that the museum is free to everyone who doesn't wish to pay has not been in force for nearly 40 years," Holzer said, adding, "Yes, you do have to pay something."

As to the wording change on the sign, he said the museum "actually thought at the time, and still thinks, that 'recommended' is softer than 'suggested,' so the former employee is quite wrong here."

New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs agreed to the museum's request in 1970 for a general admission as long as the amount was left up to individuals and that the signage reflected that. Similar arrangements are in place for other cultural institutions that operate on city-owned land and property and receive support from the city, such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Museum. It's also a model that's been replicated in other cities.

The Metropolitan Museum is one of the world's richest cultural institutions, with a $2.58 billion investment portfolio, and isn't reliant on admissions fees to pay the majority of its bills. Only about 11 percent of the museum's operating expenses were covered by admissions charges in the 2012 fiscal year. As a nonprofit organization, the museum pays no income taxes.

Holzer also noted that in the past fiscal year, 41 percent of visitors to the Met paid the full recommended admission price ? $25 for adults, $17 for seniors and $12 for students.

A random sampling of visitors leaving the museum found that there was a general awareness that "recommended" implied you could pay less than the posted price.

But Dan Larson and his son Jake, visiting the museum last week from Duluth, Minn., were unaware there was any room to negotiate the admission price. They paid the full $25 each for adult tickets.

"My understanding was you pay the recommended price," said Larson, 50. "That's clearly not displayed."

Alexander Kulessa, a 23-year-old university student from Germany, said friends who had previously visited New York tipped him off about the admission fee.

"They said, 'Don't pay $25,'" said Kulessa. "They said it will be written everywhere to pay $25 but you don't have to pay that. You don't even have to pay the student price."

For Colette Leger, a tourist from Toronto who visited the museum with her teenage daughter, paying the full $25 was worth every penny.

"It's a beautiful museum and I was happy to pay," she said.

___

Associated Press writer Jake Pearson contributed to this report.

___

www.metmuseum.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-art-museum-accused-duping-visitors-fees-062440199.html

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This Impeccably Accurate CD Player Scans Your Disc Multiple Times for Errors

It turns out that even the most expensive of home stereo CD players are still occasionally susceptible of incorrectly reading the data on the disc, which can ruin the listening experience. So a company called Parasound has created the CD 1, a Linux-powered standalone CD player that actually reads a disc multiple times during playback to find and eliminate errors. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zV6qDIXSlr8/this-impeccably-accurate-cd-player-scans-your-disc-multiple-times-for-errors

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Apple Acquires Indoor GPS Startup WiFiSlam For $20M

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Apple has acquired WiFiSlam, an indoor GPS startup that enables a smartphone to pinpoint its location -- along with that of your friends -- in realtime up to 2.5 meters in accuracy.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/C4pF_sbMrS0/

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