Value Pack update rolling out now, brings new camera/playback features
The LG Optimus G Pro may yet be the year's best oversized smartphone -- but it's also one that not many of us here in the U.S. have gotten to play with yet. We've been enjoying the 5.5-inch phone in its Korean form for a while now (be sure to check out our review), and there's a strong possibility we'll see it on AT&T in the coming weeks.
Today, however, LG's teasing a black version of its latest and greatest (on Korea's U+ network) on Facebook. Looks like it's got the same sort of reflective design on the battery cover, but otherwise everything else is the same.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) ? Angel Cabrera usually comes up big in these situations.
He did again.
It just wasn't enough to win his second green jacket.
Cabrera forced a playoff with a brilliant iron shot to 3 feet on the 72nd hole of the Masters, but he lost to Adam Scott on the second hole of a playoff when the Australian rolled in a 12-foot putt.
Cabrera just missed a chip-in from off the front of the green at the first extra hole, and his 15-footer on the second playoff hole stopped right next to the cup. He flipped his putter in the air and caught it, then tapped in for par.
At that point, all he could do was watch Scott make his birdie and become the first Aussie to win the Masters.
A mother caught on cell phone video apparently throwing her baby across the aisle of a bus, prompting a police investigation, says she didn't do it.
"I didn't toss my baby. I set her down," said the woman when NBC Connecticut confronted her at her Hartford home.
The startling scene was caught on tape by a concerned passenger during a bus ride on Albany Avenue Wednesday morning. It's since gone viral with internet postings on YouTube, Facebook, and elsewhere.
The two minute video shows a woman screaming obscenities at another passenger, as her baby sits on her lap at times holding her little ears.
The woman repeatedly asks other passengers to take her child so she can fight the woman. "I will thrash you. Somebody grab my baby. I'm going to beat the... of you on this bus," she's heard saying in the video. Then, it gets worse.
The woman is seen throwing the baby across the aisle into the arms of another passenger. Then, she heads up front and gets into a fist fight.
Read more stories on NBCConnecticut.com
The bus driver pulled over to the side of the road and opened the doors, according to CT Transit. As he called for help, the woman retrieved her baby and left the bus. So did the other passenger involved in the fight.
When NBC Connecticut arrived at her home Friday night, police and child welfare workers were inside talking to her. After they left, we knocked on the door and the woman answered.
When asked if she had any comment on the situation, the woman said, "No. Connecticut Transit, get the full video. I didn't toss my baby. Get the full video."
She then closed the door, only to open it once again.
"I never tossed my baby," she said. "Get the full video from Connecticut Transit. I didn't toss my baby. I set her down."
The video was so shocking that an NBC Connecticut viewer brought it to our attention. We asked Hartford police if they knew about it, and they launched an investigation.
Hartford police have not filed any charges in the case.
As part of their ongoing investigation, they're reviewing a second cell phone video from a different angle. The camera on board the bus was not working at the time of the incident, so there is no surveillance video available from CT Transit.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - A university in Greensboro, North Carolina, lifted a campus-wide lockdown alert issued on Friday after reports that a man carrying a rifle was seen near a classroom building.
No shots had been fired and no one was injured, North Carolina A&T State University, said. It said on its website that normal activities could resume on the campus.
School officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment about whether a gunman had been found.
Several public schools in Greensboro were also locked down Friday due to their proximity to the university.
Educators and police around the United States remain on high alert for possible shooting incidents in the wake of an attack on an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in December that left 26 dead, including 20 young children.
Last week the University of Rhode Island was locked down for a few hours after reports of a possible gunman. That incident ended with no gunman found, police said.
North Carolina A&T State University has more than 10,000 students.
(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio)
Nobody needs yet another social network, but Pinterest is actually really fun! I use it to create boards for my fiction under J.F.Penn ? here?s my ARKANE series research and inspiration.
I just have a ?Pin It? link on my browser toolbar so it?s very easy to add images I find to the boards without being logged in. But I am certainly not a power user, so in today?s post, Melissa Donovan explains how to use Pinterest more effectively.
When Pinterest hit the Internet, everyone was buzzing about it. I decided to check it out and discovered a social media site for collecting, organizing, and sharing images.
My blog is about writing, which isn?t exactly a visual topic. I didn?t see how I could use Pinterest as a marketing tool and the last thing I needed was another online distraction. It didn?t seem like a place where writers would hang out, so I decided not to sign up.
Imagine my surprise a few months later when I discovered Pinterest was sending a significant amount of traffic to my site. I wasn?t even using it, and some weeks, it was the top social media site referring traffic to my blog. Obviously, Pinterest is a place where writers hang out.
I set up an account and started experimenting. As a result, in 2012, Pinterest ranked fifth in sending referrals my way with relatively little effort on my part.
Tips for Using Pinterest as a Marketing Tool
My experiment with Pinterest continues, but I?ve rounded up some tips and best practices that have proven helpful in using Pinterest to promote my blog and my book. Here are some strategies I?ve developed over the past year:
Brand your profile: Use your logo, or if you?re an author, use your headshot. Include a short but clear bio letting people know who you are and what to expect from your pins.
Know your audience: Set up themed boards that reflect your readers? shared interests. For example, if you write fantasy novels, your readers might like images of castles and dragons.
Keep it clear: Use descriptive rather than cryptic or creative labels for your boards so pinners can find you when they conduct searches.
Set up board covers: Pinterest is a visual presentation, and your boards look a lot better when you choose vivid and compelling images for their covers.
Stay focused: If you write cookbooks, you can pin anything food-related from vegetable gardens to table settings. But if you want to pin fashion and celebrities for your personal interests, set up a separate, personal account.
Speaking of accounts, get a business account. This is a new offering from Pinterest; business accounts include analytics that show how many people pinned from your website, repinned your pins, and other useful data that will help you decide how to best use Pinterest to achieve your goals.
Be pinnable: Make it as easy as possible for people to pin your stuff. Include images on every page and blog post throughout your website and include Pinterest in your social media share buttons (at the bottom of every blog post). Make sure your websote logo (or header image) is pin-able (many aren?t). I can?t tell you how many times I?ve wanted to pin an article but couldn?t because there wasn?t an image to pin!
Choose images wisely: It doesn?t hurt to study the rules of good image composition, and then fill your boards with enticing images that inspire other Pinterest users to repin. Pay attention to typography too.
Check links and captions: This is something I?m still working on. It?s easy to quickly repin a bunch of attractive images but the best practice is to click through to check the link and make sure you want to promote that content. It?s also worth it to take a few seconds to check (and possibly rewrite) the caption.
Repin: As with Twitter?s retweets, repining on Pinterest is how you get new followers and find new boards to follow. It?s also how you pay it forward and it?s what makes the site social. Do not limit your boards to your own content!
Pinterest for Marketing and Inspiration
As it turns out, Pinterest can be a lot more than a marketing tool for writers and bloggers. I often discover quotes on writing, articles about writing, and writing tips, and ideas that I can share with my readers. In fact, Pinterest is abundant with inspiration and creative opportunities.
Several authors I follow have set up storyboards as well as boards for characters, plot, and setting. Pinterest is an excellent tool for creating vision boards and it?s a useful tool for collecting, storing, and organizing ideas.
Pinterest is a free, simple, and fun service that writers can use for marketing and as a creative tool. If you haven?t tried it yet, I highly recommend it.
Do you use Pinterest? Please share your boards and how you use the tool in the comments below.
About the Author: Melissa Donovan is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas. She has also authored a book of creative writing exercises and works as a web designer and copywriter. You can find her on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/writingforward/.
As over the last decade mobile device technology has evolved as one of most popular and used technologies throughout the world. So because of usability expansion of mobile devices, the need to make them more and more interactive and presentation of new features increased rapidly too for leading mobile technology vendors. In this race typical mobile hand devices have been turned into advanced computing stations which not only can handle previous simple phone call and SMS procedures; moreover they have been made able to capture and process information more efficiently comparative to a normal PCs and Laptops. Moreover these mobile devices are portable and easy to carry along; so this has been also a factor for their extensive use and popularity. But as much as the mobile phones are becoming more and more interactive and adaptive to intelligent computer like features; at the same time they are becoming more vulnerable to security threats like malicious codes. Major smart phone operating systems like Symbian OS, Windows CE.NET and Apple OS X for apple iphones are facing severe malware attacks. Now we proceed with an overview of mobile phone security and major threats or exploits it is facing right now.
An over view of mobile device security
As discussed later that mobile device usage involves much more than simple communication mechanisms. Potential users need their mobile devices for shortage of, access to and communication of sensitive information, highlighting the security as a serious concern. So as with the passage of time new features are emerging in compact mobile devices; mobile device manufacturers and service providers are practicing maximum efforts to ensure customer satisfaction over security.
Luckily internet is responsible for highlighting security for information and communications. So as far as mobile device security is concerned; internet security algorithms gave us a healthy approach to mobile appliance security features.
But still some novel security issues needs to be discussed separately:
Mobile device networks are usually based over wireless communication mechanisms to support mobility. So physical signal for mobile devices is easy to track down for intruders and hackers as numerous tools are available for signal processing which can be turned into a tracking device with a little knowledge and common sense. This aspect makes mobile device security significant by challenging.
In comparison to desktop computers who operate under marginally secure physical environments with limitations; mobile devices can operate in distant areas because of long range availability of their networks. So there is always a chance of fall damage or complete destruction of them in hostile environments.
More over mobile devices are most likely a piece of cake for activities like theft, loss etc. so mobile appliances needs strong tracking mechanisms regarding these threats.
Cost, weight and power capabilities are the metrics which needed to be worked upon to ensure reasonable security of mobile devices.
Mobile device security structure and exploits
Now let?s proceed with a top to bottom preview of mobile security by dividing it in the classes and subclasses. Using this approach would give a better understanding to security from user and designer point of view.
Mobile device security can be exploited and attacked in two major ways:
Physical and side channel exploits
As mentioned earlier mobile devices are comparatively more vulnerable to physical damages and attacks comparative to desktop computers. Here is a list of physical and side channel non-invasive attacks exploits a mobile device can face:
Due to compact design and mobility mobile devices are vulnerable to theft and loss damages comparatively other electronic devices.
Mobile communication networks are easy to attack rather than wired computer networks. To understand the mobile network attacks let us have a look over evolution of telecommunication industry which is mainly responsible for convergence of services at one platform. From 1990s internet protocol (IP) networks have grown rapidly popular for fast and reliable broad band facilities for enterprise and public sectors. Cheap voice and messaging services were main reason of IP popularity in which analog signals were converted into IP format and transmitted over the internet. This became a major drawback to telecommunication industry and caused significant decrease in revenues. So there was a need for more efficient mobile platforms to stop deficit. In result telecommunication service providers came with convergence of multiple services at one platform approach. In this approach multiple services like mobile telephony, on demand tv, video games, capture and process services were emerged in one hand set. It looked a major and exciting development but it gave birth to a new kind of attack called Daniel of service attempt. Daniel of service attack which can cause disruption of all services at once. Converging features made telecom service providers to change their systems to IP based technologies; in result becoming a piece of cake for hackers. Moreover need of storage for customer information increased so rapidly; that a need for regulation and management mechanism and treaties arise later.
Mobile device tracking systems which are used as protective mechanisms; they can categorize as a threat to mobile device if they are being used reversed.
Mobile device design piracy has been a physical threat in past early designs too.
Mobile network servers can be used by intruders for leakage of sensitive information e.g. electronic mail records, voice call records etc.
Software exploits for mobile devices
Spyware can be loaded onto a phone. This, in turn, can activate the phone as a bugging device with full remote control available to an eavesdropper. Advanced spyware has a number of features, including voice-activated microphones to save on battery life and the ability to auto forward SMS messages and the contact list on a phone.
GSM encryption can be hacked. A number of attacks have been demonstrated and, in theory, given suitable resources, mobile phone encryption could be compromised. This is a passive attack and is undetectable as the signals are received using a specialised radio, which is both portable and easy to hide.
Cell phone "capture". This attack exploits a couple of design weaknesses found within GSM cell phones. The first is that, whilst a cell phone needs to authenticate itself to a network, the network itself is not authenticated by the cell phone. Couple this with the design requirement for cell phones to connect to the most local base station, based on signal strength, a fake base station can be set up and all local call traffic captured. As mobile phone calls are only encrypted from the phone to the base station a fake base station will be able to process calls "in the clear". This is called an active attack and, whilst it may appear complicated, a number of commercial products are available to authorised agencies and government departments. In early 2010, active attacks were demonstrated using hardware and software that can be purchased for around $1000, less than 1% of commercially available solutions. The widespread availability of home base stations, such as Vodafone SureSignal, has provided a source of equipment that could be adapted for this type of intercept. In reality this attack does have limitations. As the cell phone is using a fake base station it is not registered with the cell phone network, so any incoming calls will be diverted to voice mail or receive a "cell phone unavailable" message. More sophisticated versions of this attack provide two connections?one to the compromised phone and one to the network base station. Using this man-in-the-middle approach the cell phone is able to connect to the authentic network, albeit via a fake base station that will intercept the traffic, so "normal" two-way calls can be initiated whilst the call and data flow is being monitored. 3G phones utilise mutual authentication between the phone and the network so aspects of these attacks will no longer be valid when networks are exclusively 3G and above. Until then the sharing of GSM and 3G systems in support of broader network coverage can still see 3G phones subject to compromise using this approach.
Inside threat. Threats to information security systems often emanate from inside an organisation. These can take the form of knowledgeable insiders being bribed or bullied into supplying relevant cell phone data and can even be an employee planted by a security agency. In June 2010, a technician who worked in a Lebanese mobile phone operator was arrested for being an Israeli spy and giving access to phone calls for 14 years. Because of the man's role on the technical side of the cell phone network's operations, it was assumed that the entire national network had been compromised.
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Developmental delays in children following prolonged seizuresPublic release date: 8-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dawn Peters sciencenewsroom@wiley.com 781-388-8408 Wiley
Researchers from the UK determined that developmental delays are present in children within six weeks following convulsive status epilepticus (CSE)a seizure lasting longer than thirty minutes. The study appearing today in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggests that neurodevelopmental impairments continue to be present one year after CSE.
CSE is one of the most common neurological emergencies in children. These prolonged seizures can occur with or without fevers (febrile). Studies show that CSE occurs more frequently during the first three years of lifea time of critical growth and development in children. Prior research investigating CSE has focused mainly on simple febrile seizures and was conducted years after the event occurred.
"Our study is the first to examine cognitive, language, and motor function in children within six weeks of CSE, with follow-up at one year to determine their developmental track," said lead author, Dr. Marina Martinos with the Developmental Cognitive Neurosciences Unit at UCL Institute of Child Health in London. "Understanding how CSE impacts early childhood development and whether this type of seizure has long-term adverse affects is an important addition to medical evidence."
For the present study, researchers recruited 54 children between one and forty-two months of age who had at least one CSE event. CSE episodes were classified as prolonged febrile seizures (PFS) or nonfebrile CSE. All pediatric participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and imaging scans within six weeks of the CSE event and at one year. Developmental skills were measured in children who had seizures and compared to children without seizures with normal development.
Half of the pediatric participants had PFS and the other half had nonfebrile CSE, with assessments carried out at a mean of 38 days following CSE. Findings indicate that CSE is linked to developmental impairments within six weeks of the event, and that the impairments persisted at the one-year follow-up. Children with nonfebrile PFS had worse developmental outcomes than those with PFS, and children in the PFS group had poorer developmental skills than those in the control group. The authors found that seizure characteristics (e.g. duration) were not a significant predictor of developmental performance.
Dr. Martinos concludes, "We found developmental impairments in children following CSE, including those with PFS who normally do not display neurologic issues prior to the seizure. The fact that neurodevelopmental impairments are still present at one year after the episode suggests that the CSE event is not having just a transient effect on developmental abilities. The CSE may have a longer lasting impact on future development through a more permanent reorganization of functional brain networks a reorganization that may have already taken place when we first assess these children."
Alternatively, the authors comment, these data suggest that the neurodevelopmental impairments observed predate the seizure even in those with no neurological priors. The authors propose that further studies that include neurocognitive techniques are necessary to enhance understanding of the long-term impact of CSE on child development.
###
This study is published in Epilepsia. Media wishing to receive a PDF of the article may contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com.
Full citation: "Early Developmental Outcomes in Children Following Convulsive Status Epilepticus: A Longitudinal Study." Marina M. Martinos, Michael Yoong, Shekhar Patil, Wui K. Chong, Rodica Mardari, Richard F. M. Chin, Brian G. R. Neville, Michelle de Haan and Rod C. Scott. Epilepsia; Published Online: April 8, 2013 (DOI: 10.1111/epi.12136).
Author Contact: Media wishing to speak with Dr. Martinos may contact Jenny Gimpel at jenny.gimpel@gosh.org.
About the Journal
Epilepsia is the leading, most authoritative source for current clinical and research results on all aspects of epilepsy. As the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, subscribers every month will review scientific evidence and clinical methodology in: clinical neurology, neurophysiology, molecular biology, neuroimaging, neurochemistry, neurosurgery, pharmacology, neuroepidemiology, and therapeutic trials. For more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1528-1167.
About the International League Against Epilepsy
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is the world's preeminent association of physicians and health professionals working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Since 1909 the ILAE has provided educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy. The ILAE supports health professionals, patients, and their care providers, governments, and the general public worldwide by advancing knowledge of epilepsy.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global provider of content-enabled solutions that improve outcomes in research, education, and professional practice. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners.
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Developmental delays in children following prolonged seizuresPublic release date: 8-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dawn Peters sciencenewsroom@wiley.com 781-388-8408 Wiley
Researchers from the UK determined that developmental delays are present in children within six weeks following convulsive status epilepticus (CSE)a seizure lasting longer than thirty minutes. The study appearing today in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggests that neurodevelopmental impairments continue to be present one year after CSE.
CSE is one of the most common neurological emergencies in children. These prolonged seizures can occur with or without fevers (febrile). Studies show that CSE occurs more frequently during the first three years of lifea time of critical growth and development in children. Prior research investigating CSE has focused mainly on simple febrile seizures and was conducted years after the event occurred.
"Our study is the first to examine cognitive, language, and motor function in children within six weeks of CSE, with follow-up at one year to determine their developmental track," said lead author, Dr. Marina Martinos with the Developmental Cognitive Neurosciences Unit at UCL Institute of Child Health in London. "Understanding how CSE impacts early childhood development and whether this type of seizure has long-term adverse affects is an important addition to medical evidence."
For the present study, researchers recruited 54 children between one and forty-two months of age who had at least one CSE event. CSE episodes were classified as prolonged febrile seizures (PFS) or nonfebrile CSE. All pediatric participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and imaging scans within six weeks of the CSE event and at one year. Developmental skills were measured in children who had seizures and compared to children without seizures with normal development.
Half of the pediatric participants had PFS and the other half had nonfebrile CSE, with assessments carried out at a mean of 38 days following CSE. Findings indicate that CSE is linked to developmental impairments within six weeks of the event, and that the impairments persisted at the one-year follow-up. Children with nonfebrile PFS had worse developmental outcomes than those with PFS, and children in the PFS group had poorer developmental skills than those in the control group. The authors found that seizure characteristics (e.g. duration) were not a significant predictor of developmental performance.
Dr. Martinos concludes, "We found developmental impairments in children following CSE, including those with PFS who normally do not display neurologic issues prior to the seizure. The fact that neurodevelopmental impairments are still present at one year after the episode suggests that the CSE event is not having just a transient effect on developmental abilities. The CSE may have a longer lasting impact on future development through a more permanent reorganization of functional brain networks a reorganization that may have already taken place when we first assess these children."
Alternatively, the authors comment, these data suggest that the neurodevelopmental impairments observed predate the seizure even in those with no neurological priors. The authors propose that further studies that include neurocognitive techniques are necessary to enhance understanding of the long-term impact of CSE on child development.
###
This study is published in Epilepsia. Media wishing to receive a PDF of the article may contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com.
Full citation: "Early Developmental Outcomes in Children Following Convulsive Status Epilepticus: A Longitudinal Study." Marina M. Martinos, Michael Yoong, Shekhar Patil, Wui K. Chong, Rodica Mardari, Richard F. M. Chin, Brian G. R. Neville, Michelle de Haan and Rod C. Scott. Epilepsia; Published Online: April 8, 2013 (DOI: 10.1111/epi.12136).
Author Contact: Media wishing to speak with Dr. Martinos may contact Jenny Gimpel at jenny.gimpel@gosh.org.
About the Journal
Epilepsia is the leading, most authoritative source for current clinical and research results on all aspects of epilepsy. As the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, subscribers every month will review scientific evidence and clinical methodology in: clinical neurology, neurophysiology, molecular biology, neuroimaging, neurochemistry, neurosurgery, pharmacology, neuroepidemiology, and therapeutic trials. For more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1528-1167.
About the International League Against Epilepsy
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is the world's preeminent association of physicians and health professionals working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Since 1909 the ILAE has provided educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy. The ILAE supports health professionals, patients, and their care providers, governments, and the general public worldwide by advancing knowledge of epilepsy.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global provider of content-enabled solutions that improve outcomes in research, education, and professional practice. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners.
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
AppGratis, the popular app discovery platform for finding new apps, has been pulled from the App Store for violating the App Store guideline that says apps that promote others for purchase or promotion in a simliar manner to the actual App Store will be rejected. Basically, AppGratis duplicates a lot of the functionality of the App Store, gets paid to do it, and Apple is saying no.
According to AllThingsD, AppGratis mysteriously disappeared from the App Store and word is that it was because it violated App Store guidelines pertaining to the promotion of apps for financial benefit. Particular, clause 2.25:
Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.
AppGratis is definitely not the only app available in the App Store that provides recommendations for apps on a paid basis. Apple's other clause in question is 5.6 which states that apps can not send out push notifications to users in the form of advertisements. I could name a few that currently do this. According to AllThingsD, Apple is taking a look at others that may violate these terms as well. AppGratis just received a large round of funding so this is no doubt a huge issue for them going forward.
Do you use app recommendation apps to find suggestions or does the native App Store suit your needs just fine?
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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A fierce battle between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike and an American civilian adviser, officials said Sunday.
The fighting along a main infiltration route from Pakistan on Saturday was indicative of a surge in hostilities as Afghanistan's spring fighting season gets underway. This year's will be closely watched because Afghan forces are having to contend with less support from the international military coalition, making it a test case of their ability to take on the country's resilient insurgency.
The U.S.-led coalition confirmed that it launched airstrikes in Kunar province where the deaths occurred, stressing that they were requested by international forces. The coalition said it was assessing the incident, but could not confirm that civilians were killed.
The battle unfolded on Saturday, the same day that a total of six Americans, including three U.S. soldiers, died in violent attacks. In addition to the U.S. adviser killed during the operation in the east, two others ? a female foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department and an employee with the U.S. Defense Department ? died in a suicide bombing in southern Zabul province during a trip to donate books to Afghan students.
The deaths capped one of the bloodiest weeks of the nearly 12-year-old war. On Wednesday, insurgents ambushed a courthouse in the relatively safe west, killing more than 46 people.
The death of Afghan civilians caught in the crossfire has been a major point of contention between international forces and the Afghan government. Earlier this year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai banned his troops from requesting coalition airstrikes.
In the latest incident, Associated Press photos showed villagers gathered for the funerals of the children whose bodies were swaddled in blankets. A garland of flowers adorned the head of a dead baby.
Afghan officials said the airstrike occurred after a joint U.S.-Afghan force faced hours of heavy gunfire from militants. The joint force was conducting an operation targeting a senior Taliban leader that began around midnight Friday in the Shultan area of Kunar's Shigal district, according to tribal elder Gul Pasha, who also is the chief of the local council.
The remote area is one of the main points of entry for Taliban and other insurgents trying to move across the mountainous border from neighboring Pakistan, where they enjoy refuge in the lawless northwestern area.
"In the morning after sunrise, planes appeared in the sky and airstrikes started," Pasha said in a telephone interview, adding that the fighting didn't end until the evening.
"I don't think that they knew that all these children and women were in the house because they were under attack from the house and they were shooting at the house," he said.
There were slightly differing accounts of the death toll.
Pasha said the main Taliban suspect was in the house that was hit and was killed along with a woman and the children, ages 1 to 12, who were members of the suspect's family.
Provincial government spokesman Wasifullah Wasify said 10 children and one woman were killed and five women, who also were in the house, were wounded.
Karzai's office later said 11 people were killed ? all of them children ? and six women were wounded.
"While the president strongly condemns the Taliban act of using people and their houses as shields, he also strongly condemns any operation on populated areas that results in civilian casualties," his office said in a statement.
An airstrike in the same district in Kunar that killed 10 civilians in mid-February prompted Karzai to ban his forces from requesting airstrikes.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said six Taliban militants were killed in the operation in Sano Dara Sheltan village, including two senior commanders identified as Ali Khan and Gul Raof, the main planner and organizer of attacks in the area.
The U.S.-led coalition said it provided fire support from the air, killing several insurgents.
"The air support was called in by coalition forces, not Afghan security forces, and was used to engage insurgent forces in areas away from structures, according to our reporting," coalition spokesman Maj. Adam Wojack said in a statement.
He said the coalition takes all reports of civilian casualties seriously, and was currently assessing the incident.
Afghan forces have been increasingly taking the lead in combat operations as international forces move to complete their withdrawal by the end of 2014. But U.S. and other foreign troops still face dangers as they try to clear areas of insurgents and prepare the Afghans to take control.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, the top U.S. military officer, told the AP in an interview on Sunday in Afghanistan that he was cautiously optimistic about the final stage of handing off security responsibility to Afghan forces.
Asked if he thought that some parts of Afghanistan will be contested by the Taliban in 2015, Dempsey replied, "Yes, of course there will be. And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the history of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas."
There are about 100,000 international troops currently in Afghanistan, including 66,000 from the United States. The U.S. troop total is scheduled to drop to about 32,000 by early next year. The bulk of the decline is to occur after fighting winds down this winter.
___
AP writers Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Rahmat Gul in Jalalabad and Robert Burns at Bagram Air Field contributed.
Joshua and Sharyn Hakken may be sailing out to sea after Joshua Hakken allegedly kidnapped their children.
By Ian Johnston and Matthew DeLuca, NBC News
An ?anti-government? man alleged to have kidnapped his two young sons from their grandmother?s house may be trying to escape in a sailboat, according to officials.
Police say that Joshua Hakken, 35, apparently broke into his mother-in-law?s Tampa home after 6 a.m. on Wednesday, tied up his mother-in-law and then fled with the boys, Cole, 4, and Chase, 2.
Cole Hakken, 4, left, and his two-year-old brother, Chase.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said that Joshua Hakken and his wife Sharyn, 34, may be traveling together in a 25-foot, 1972 Morgan sailboat, NBCMiami.com reported Friday.
The vessel is blue and has the name ?salty? with a picture of a paw near the back of the hull on each side. It has a white sail with blue trim and its registration number is FL3717BK, the FDLE added.
The United States Coast Guard scoured a swath of sea spreading from Key West to Mobile, Ala. with helicopters and boats on Saturday in an ongoing search, said Petty Officer First Class Crystalynn Kneen, a USCG spokeswoman in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Coast Guard issued an ?urgent marine information broadcast? on Friday, Kneen said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office told NBC station WLFA.com that Hakken had recently bought the boat.
Deputies told the station a witness saw the boat going under the Johns Pass bridge a couple of hours after the abduction Wednesday.
"We've said all along, making irrational decisions doesn't always make you unintelligent. We know he's a very intelligent individual. He's an engineer," Hillsborough County Sheriffs spokesperson, Larry McKinnon, told WFLA.com.
"Wouldn't put it past them to be able to pull into one of these coves or one of these inlets and then board a vehicle. So we're not gonna eliminate our land search, we're still maintaining the Amber alert. We're now expanding it into the Gulf of Mexico, " McKinnon said.
"Hopefully, we're going to find them soon. As we've mentioned before, our goal is to reach out to them in a peaceful manner and to allow them to open an exchange of communication and dialogue so we can get this resolved without anyone getting hurt. "
Craig Johnson, an experience boater and volunteer search and rescue participant, said, "If I was him, he's probably heading towards Cancun or Cuba. If he's going to Cuba, he's gotta go around Key West. That wouldn't be too smart."
In a previous release, the sheriff?s department said that "both suspects are anti-government and have attempted a previous abduction at gun point in Louisiana.??
Joshua Hakken was arrested in St. Tammany Parish, La. on June 17, 2012 after attending an ?anti-government rally,? the Hillsborough County Sheriff?s department said in a press release. He was charged with the unlawful sale of narcotics in the presence of minors and possession of marijuana and spent one day in jail before making bond, said Officer Ben Sciambra of the Slidell city jail.
The couple was acting ?in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers? during the arrest, according to press release issued by the Slidell Police Department on April 4. With both children present, the couple told officers that they were ?completing their ultimate journey? and planned to ?take a journey to the Armageddon,? according to the release.
The Louisiana Office of Child Services determined that the two young children needed to be placed in foster care after the arrest, according to the Slidell Police Department release. Officers also took several weapons at the time of the arrest.
NBC News' Craig Giammona contributed to this report.
Related:
Pickup found in suspected Florida double kidnapping
?Authorities: Man kidnaps his 2 young sons in Fla.
?Amber alert issued for Tampa siblings
This story was originally published on Sat Apr 6, 2013 8:29 AM EDT
I just have a ?Pin It? link on my browser toolbar so it?s very easy to add images I find to the boards without being logged in. But I am certainly not a power user, so in today?s post, Melissa Donovan explains how to use Pinterest more effectively.
As it turns out, Pinterest can be a lot more than a marketing tool for writers and bloggers. I often discover quotes on writing, articles about writing, and writing tips, and ideas that I can share with my readers. In fact, Pinterest is abundant with inspiration and creative opportunities.
About the Author: Melissa Donovan is the founder and editor of Writing Forward, a blog packed with creative writing tips and ideas. She has also authored a book of creative writing exercises and works as a web designer and copywriter. You can find her on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/writingforward/.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
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