NBA: Detroit 96, Washington 85

Published: Feb. 13, 2013 at 10:47 PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Greg Monroe's double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds Wednesday sparked the Detroit Pistons to a 96-85 victory over Washington.

Jose Calderson also had a big night for Detroit, pumping in 24 points as the Pistons notched a third straight win.

Will Bynum contributed 20 points and eight assists in the victory.

Washington, meanwhile, fell for the first time in five games despite 20 points and nine rebounds from Emeka Okafor.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2013/02/13/NBA-Detroit-96-Washington-85/UPI-47991360813659/

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French, Mali troops recover explosives in Gao

GAO, Mali (AP) ? French soldiers on Wednesday recovered an enormous stash of explosives that authorities believe radical Islamic fighters were using to make bombs for attacks on northern Mali's largest city, a Malian military spokesman said.

Meanwhile, officials in the capital said the army captain behind a coup last year that paved the way for radical Islamic militants to take over the north will be tasked with reforming the military.

France has said it intends to eventually hand over its mission to oust the Islamists to the Malian military and other African soldiers. The move is likely to heighten international concerns about whether Mali's army is up to the task.

Malian military spokesman Daouda Diarra said that the French military removed some 800 kilograms (1,700 pounds) of explosive materials from a house in Gao. The find raised further fears that jihadists could be preparing to stage devastating attacks on civilian centers.

The explosives had been discovered several days earlier, and the team had returned to the site in the morning, Diarra said.

French military officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Radical Islamic fighters withdrew from Gao on Jan. 26 after imposing their harsh interpretation of Shariah law in the most populous city in northern Mali for nearly 10 months.

Since their retreat, the Islamic extremists have launched two suicide bombings in the last week and invaded the city for a five-hour-long gun battle Sunday in the center of the city. Sunday's brazen assault marked the first time the jihadists had penetrated the city of mud-walled buildings since they fled.

Last week soldiers combing abandoned jihadist hideouts also found a stash of NITRAM 5 explosives hidden inside rice bags that were left in a communal trash area. The explosives are manufactured for use in mining, but can cause considerable damage when used as bombs.

Neither of the suicide bomb attacks has killed other people, but the pattern of attempts has raised alarm.

One of the suicide bombers had stayed in a Gao house where Islamic extremists lived when they controlled the city. The guard there said it had been visited by the one-eyed Algerian terror leader Moktar Belmoktar, who was the architect of last month's attack on a BP plant in Algeria in which at least 37 people were killed.

Soldiers from Niger and Mali have been patrolling downtown Gao on foot in recent days in an effort to secure the city. On Wednesday, a new checkpoint with about two dozen Malian soldiers standing guard also was set up near the waterfront to control traffic.

Mali was plunged into turmoil after the coup in March 2012 created a security vacuum that allowed secular rebel Tuaregs, who have long felt marginalized by Mali's government, to take half the north as a new homeland. In the following months, the rebels were kicked out by the Islamists who imposed strict Shariah law in the north, including amputations for theft.

The military was thrown into disarray by the coup led by Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo. On Wednesday, officials said the man who helped overthrow the democratically elected president now would lead a committee working to reform the military.

"It's a question of giving a role to Captain Sanogo so that the Malian military can be reformed to correct the failures," said Capt. Mariam Sagara, the spokeswoman for the committee.

France launched a military operation Jan. 11 against the Islamic extremists after they started to move south into government-controlled areas and captured key towns.

___

Ahmed reported from Timbuktu, Mali.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-mali-troops-recover-explosives-gao-135928122.html

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7 Worst Battery Life-Guzzling Gadgets

There is a disturbing trend in the gadget world, and it?s that laptop, tablet and phone makers aren?t taking battery life seriously enough. Yes, having touch on a Windows 8 notebook is great, but not if the computer lasts an hour and a half less than one without that capability. And what good is a smartphone with an HD display and superfast processor if you have to plug it in around lunchtime? We run our homemade battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing at 40 percent brightness, on every device we review. And if the endurance isn?t good enough, regardless of the gadget?s other features, we simply won?t recommend it.

Here are seven of my worst battery life offenders and how much you?ll pay per hour of juice versus more efficient competitors.

1. Microsoft Surface Pro ($899)

Battery Life: 4:37
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $199 per hour

You know it's a bad sign when the top tech story in Google News is that you might be offering an external battery for your product. Despite its Core i5 power and the ability to run both desktop and Windows Store apps, we don't recommend the Surface Pro because its 4 hours and 37 minutes of battery life completely undermines its portability. The average ultraportable laptop lasts about an hour and a half longer. And while the iPad isn't as versatile, it lasted 12 hours and 22 minutes on our battery test. That's 2.5X the endurance. If you opted for the $799, 128GB iPad, that works out to $64 an hour of juice, compared to $199 per hour for the Surface Pro.

More: Microsoft Surface Pro Review

2. Acer C7 Chromebook ($199)

Battery Life: 4:24
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $45 per hour

Lets take a look at two Chromebooks with around the same price: the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook ($249) and Acer C7 ($199). Both devices sport 11-inch displays, but the ARM-powered Chromebook lasted 7:34, while the C7 lagged more than 3 hours behind at 4:24. Granted, the C7 isn't designed to be your primary PC, and maybe you will use it mostly around the house. But why would you pay $45 per hour of battery life for the Acer when, for just $50 more, you can get the much more efficient, $33-per-hour Samsung Chromebook? The Series 3 also happens to sport a sleeker design.

3. ASUS Taichi ($1,299)

Battery Life: 4:37
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $282 per hour

One of the most innovative Windows 8 hybrids of the year is also one of the most disappointing. Almost everyone who sees the ASUS Taichi, which has a second screen on the back of its lid, can?t help but say, ?Wow.? All you have to do to transform this 11.6-inch wonder from clamshell to tablet mode is shut the lid.

While we wish both displays offered touch capability (just the outside one does), my biggest complaint is the lack of staying power. In laptop mode, the device lasted 4 hours and 37 minutes, and with just the touchscreen active, we saw only 3:37. The average ultraportable laptop lasts 1.5 hours longer. While it?s bigger, the $1,199, twelve-inch Dell XPS Duo lasted 5:46, translating to a much better efficiency rating of $206 per hour.

More: ASUS Taichi 21 Review

4. Google Nexus 4 ($49 for T-Mobile, $299 Unlocked)

Battery Life: 4:36
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $10.70 per hour for T-Mobile, $65 Unlocked

If you want a pure Google experience, the unlocked Nexus 4 is the smartphone to buy. You get the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean software, a nifty Photo Sphere camera and absolutely no ugly skins. Too bad the 2100 mAh battery inside this handset lasted only 4 hours and 36 minutes on our battery test. Even when you consider the cheap, limited-time-offer price of $49, you?ll still have to deal with a device that lasts 1.5 hours less than the average Android phone. The $49 HTC One VX lasted 6:58 on our test, good for a $7 per hour efficiency rating.

5. HP Pavilion Chromebook ($329)

?

Battery Life (Rated): Up to 4:15
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $78 per hour

We give HP credit for being transparent about the battery life it expects out of its Pavilion Chromebook. The company says ?up to? 4 hours and 15 minutes via the 4-cell battery. Even if the system lives up to that not-so-lofty number, it will lag way behind the Samsung Chromebook?s score of 7:34. Granted, HP?s Chromebook has a much larger, 14-inch display, but it also costs $80 more for something you can?t use for very long away from an outlet.

Put another way, you?ll pay $78 per hour of endurance, versus $33 per hour for the Samsung. That?s nearly a 2.5X premium.

6. Techno Source Kurio Tablet ($149)

Battery Life: 3:37
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $39.50 per hour

You might have heard of the Kurio 7 tablet, because it's targeted directly to families. This $149, Android-powered device lets you create multiple child profiles with ease, as well as restrict screen time and Web surfing. Parents can also choose to whitelist only the apps they want Junior to use. But what good is a kids' tablet if it runs out of gas in just 3 hours and 37 minutes? That works out to $39.50 per hour. The $199 Amazon Kindle Fire HD lasted 7:34 (or $26 per hour), and it has a parent-friendly FreeTime mode. And the $199 Fuhu Nabi 2 didn't conk out until 8:05 ($24.50 per hour).

7. Lenovo ThinkPad Twist ($899)

Battery Life: 4:36
Cost Per Hour of Juice: $195 per hour

Here's a twist on the Windows 8 convertible you should probably avoid. The 12.5-inch ThinkPad Twist combines a swiveling touchscreen with one of the better keyboards you'll find. We especially like the stand mode for giving presentations. Just make sure you're near an outlet. On our battery test, the Twist died after 4 hours and 36 minutes. The average ultraportable notebook lasts 6:01. Although it has a slightly larger display, Lenovo's own IdeaPad Yoga lasted a much longer 6:18. In efficiency terms, the $899 Twist would cost you $195 per hour of juice, compared to $182 per hour for a $1,159 Yoga outfitted with a much faster 128GB SSD. That's an easy call in my book.

More: Lenovo ThinkPad Twist Review

This story was provided by Laptopmag.com, sister site to LiveScience.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/7-worst-battery-life-guzzling-gadgets-162947696.html

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Voice-controlled photo app PixelTone: Shades of 'Blade Runner'

Devin Coldewey , NBC News ? ? ? 6 hrs.

Soon you will be able to say "enhance" to your photo image editor and have it do just that. It's not quite at "Blade Runner" levels yet, but it's definitely compelling enough for the present ? not to mention the fact that it's real.

A collaboration between Adobe Research and the University of Michigan School of Information has yielded PixelTone, a proof-of-concept program that lets users adjust images using a combination of gestures and their own voices.

It's an interface many will be familiar with from science fiction, notably the (in-)famous scene in "Blade Runner" where Deckard uses voice commands to "enhance" a picture by an improbable amount.

PixelTone is a bit more practical, especially for editing photos on smaller devices or tablets where there isn't room for the menus and floating toolboxes you'd find in, say, Photoshop on the desktop. Instead, PixelTone recognizes certain fuzzy concepts like top and bottom, dark and bright, and so on ? and can even be taught new terms, such as the names of people or objects in a picture.

The short demonstration video shows the interface in action:

Although it's limited to basic tasks like changing contrast, and has only a rudimentary user interface at the moment, one can imagine what it would be like with a little polish ? as many surely will when it is presented in April at the Computer-Human Interaction conference in Paris.

The team, led by Michigan assistant professor Eytan Adar, has also put together a paper (which you can download here) describing the process of putting together the app and how it is likely to develop.

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

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/voice-controlled-photo-app-pixeltone-shades-blade-runner-1C8349890

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Cancer care not on the priority list for employer-funded overseas health schemes

Working overseas can leave staff vulnerable as employers cut corners on health cover, with over a quarter (23%) of employers wanting to provide international health insurance to staff, but simply can?t afford to.

According to the ?Anatomy of an international business? report by Expacare,?one third of employers (33%) consider international health insurance for staff as a personal choice for employees.

That said, more than a quarter (28%) of employers? view international health insurance as essential for any staff working abroad.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hrzonecouk/~3/MIqprFs-RlA/128326

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Medal of Honor recipient: Taliban 'simply couldn't have' outpost

Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha was awarded the Medal of Honor for preventing the Taliban from overrunning his outpost in 2009. Tuesday he was inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.

By Anna Mulrine,?Staff writer / February 12, 2013

President Barack Obama bestows the Medal of Honor on retired Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha for conspicuous gallantry, Monday, in the East Room of the White House.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Enlarge

It was?6 a.m. on October 3, 2009 when Staff. Sgt. Clinton Romesha and 52 of his fellow soldiers awoke to find their small outpost not far from Afghanistan?s border with Pakistan, under attack.

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They were outnumbered ? eight times over ? by more than 400 heavily armed Taliban fighters who had occupied the high ground on all four sides of the small base, nestled on the floor of a tiny valley of the Hindu Kush.

?Four hundred Taliban versus 53 American soldiers. It just doesn?t seem fair ? to the Taliban,? Mr. Romesha joked at a Pentagon ceremony Tuesday, before sounding a somber note. The outpost ?was our home,? he said, ?and they simply couldn?t have it.?

But they were going to try. The Taliban were raining down fire upon the American troops at Combat Outpost Keating, using rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), mortars, anti-aircraft machine guns, and small arms to fire into what senior military officials described as a ?fish bowl.??

It was a battle that was to last one full day ? a day that ultimately became the deadliest of that year for US troops, leaving eight American soldiers dead and 80 percent of the buildings on the base destroyed.

On Monday, in a ceremony at the White House, Romesha, who was wounded in the battle, was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. Mr. Obama cited the now retired staff sergeant?s ?conspicuous gallantry? and adherence to the code of never leaving behind a fallen comrade as he rallied the American force and called in airstrikes to repel the Taliban attackers.

On Tuesday, it was the Pentagon?s opportunity to pay tribute to one of its own as it inducted Romesha into the Hall of Heroes, only the fourth living recipient to be awarded the military?s highest honor for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.?

Romesha ?embodies the essence of a soldier, and represents what every man and woman who dons this uniform strives to be,? Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, the service?s top officer, said during the ceremony.

General Odierno pointed to Romesha?s fellow soldiers from his Bravo troop of the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, which became one of most decorated units in US military history, earning nine Silver Stars, 18 Bronze Star medals with Valor, and 27 Purple Hearts.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/-6Gs91_4zNg/Medal-of-Honor-recipient-Taliban-simply-couldn-t-have-outpost

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Microsoft has 150 people in Santa Monica creating content for its 46 million Xbox Live subscribers

Microsoft?s Xbox project, largely forgotten in last year?s Windows and Windows Phone race to eight, is back in the spotlight. Today at the D:?Dive Into Media conference, Microsoft let loose some fresh statistics concerning its console, and also?revealed?how heavily it is investing in creating content and experiences for its living room device.

Microsoft has sold more than 75 million Xbox consoles. Those with an Xbox account average 87 hours per month on their console. There are now 46 million Xbox Live subscribers. 38% of users are women, and 51% have kids. So, males are still the majority, but the Xbox audience is more than a third female, and majority older.

To keep those masses entertained, Microsoft is investing heavily. Its studio in Santa Monica has 150 people are hard at work creating for the Xbox audience. As quoted by TechCrunch?s Ryan Lawler, Microsoft thinks that it is in a ?unique position to produce content with a much higher level of interactivity,? given its Kinect device?s popularity.

The company disclosed that it has sold 24 million Kinect devices.

Precisely what Microsoft envisions in terms of ?experience? for its Kinect-powered console loving userbase isn?t immediately clear. However, it?s impossible to think that the company doesn?t have cheaper, better, and smaller Kinect devices coming out with its next Console, thus implying that whatever it is working on now might indeed be for what comes next.

Microsoft is widely expected to introduce a new Xbox console at the coming E3 gaming event.

Microsoft?s Xbox has been the bestselling console on a monthly basis for more than two years. The company?s strong position in the American living room means that whatever it creates in Santa Monica, could, if the quality is high, change the face of video entertainment.

Top Image Credit:?hermanturnip

Source: http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/02/12/microsoft-has-150-people-in-santa-monica-creating-content-for-its-46-million-xbox-live-subscribers/

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