Sunday, March 31, 2013

Business, labor close on deal for immigration bill

FILE - In this May 17, 2012 file photo, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Big business and major labor unions appeared ready Friday, March 29, 2013 to end a fight over a new low-skilled worker program that had threatened to upend negotiations on a sweeping immigration bill in the Senate providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants already in the U.S. Schumer, who's been brokering talks between the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that negotiators are "very close, closer than we have ever been, and we are very optimistic." He said there were still a few issues remaining. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this May 17, 2012 file photo, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Big business and major labor unions appeared ready Friday, March 29, 2013 to end a fight over a new low-skilled worker program that had threatened to upend negotiations on a sweeping immigration bill in the Senate providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants already in the U.S. Schumer, who's been brokering talks between the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that negotiators are "very close, closer than we have ever been, and we are very optimistic." He said there were still a few issues remaining. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

(AP) ? Prospects for a Senate deal on an ambitious rewrite of the nation's immigration laws improved markedly as business and labor appeared ready to set aside their differences over a new low-skilled worker program holding up the agreement.

The AFL-CIO and U.S. Chamber of Commerce had been fighting over wages for tens of thousands of low-skilled workers who would be brought in under the new program to fill jobs in construction, hotels and resorts, nursing homes and restaurants, and other industries. But on Friday, officials from both sides said there was basic agreement on the wage issue, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said a final deal on the low-wage worker dispute was very close.

That likely would clear the way for Schumer and seven other senators in a bipartisan group to unveil legislation the week of April 8 to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, strengthening the border, cracking down on employers, allowing in tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers and providing a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

"We're feeling very optimistic on immigration: Aspiring Americans will receive the road map to citizenship they deserve and we can modernize 'future flow' without reducing wages for any local workers, regardless of what papers they carry," AFL-CIO spokesman Jeff Hauser said in a statement. "Future flow" refers to future arrivals of legal immigrants.

Under the emerging agreement between business and labor, a new "W'' visa program would bring tens of thousands of lower-skilled workers a year to the country. The program would be capped at 200,000 a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate, depending on unemployment rates, job openings, employer demand and data collected by a new federal bureau pushed by the labor movement as an objective monitor of the market.

The workers would be able to change jobs and could seek permanent residency. Under current temporary worker programs, personnel can't move from employer to employer and have no path to permanent U.S. residence and citizenship. And currently there's no good way for employers to bring many low-skilled workers to the U.S. An existing visa program for low-wage nonagricultural workers is capped at 66,000 per year and is supposed to apply only to seasonal or temporary jobs.

The Chamber of Commerce said workers would earn actual wages paid to American workers or the prevailing wages for the industry they're working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department determines prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so that it varies from city to city.

There was also disagreement about how to deal with certain higher-skilled construction jobs, such as electricians and welders, and it appears those will be excluded from the deal, said Geoff Burr, vice president of federal affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors. Burr said his group opposes such an exclusion because, even though unemployment in the construction industry is high right now, at times when it is low there can be labor shortages in high-skilled trades, and contractors want to be able to bring in foreign workers. But unions pressed for the exclusion, Burr said.

The low-skilled worker issue had loomed for weeks as perhaps the toughest matter to settle in monthslong closed-door talks on immigration among the senators, including Republicans John McCain of Arizona and Marco Rubio of Florida. The issue helped sink the last major attempt at immigration overhaul in 2007, when the legislation foundered on the Senate floor after an amendment was added to end a temporary worker program after five years, threatening a key priority of the business community.

The amendment passed by just one vote, 49-48. President Barack Obama, a senator at the time, joined in the narrow majority voting to end the program after five years.

___

Follow Erica Werner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericawerner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-30-Immigration/id-51f78aac15a646e3b109a9b176cede5f

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Japan jobless rate up, prices, manufacturing fall

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's jobless rate edged higher and industrial production fell slightly in February as consumer prices also fell, underscoring the fragility of the recovery of the world's third-largest economy.

The government data released Friday showed the main consumer price index fell 0.3 percent from a year earlier as deflation continued to defy the combined efforts of the government and central bank to move toward a 2 percent inflation target. However the CPI was up 0.1 percent from January's figure.

Unemployment rose to 4.3 percent from 4.2 percent the month before, while industrial production slipped by 0.1 percent in the first decline in three months. The unemployment rate for those below the age of 35 is significantly higher, at over 6 percent.

Japan's central bank governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said Thursday that he believed the economy was improving after years of stagnation and would enter a moderate recovery by midyear. But he acknowledged high uncertainty because of the global economy.

Kuroda has pledged to work with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government in achieving the 2 percent inflation target set in January, preferably within two years, and ending years of growth-inhibiting deflation.

After taking power late last year, Abe's administration embarked on an aggressive stimulus program of government spending, monetary easing and planned reforms aimed at improving Japan's competitiveness. Revised figures show Japan's economy likely emerged from a recession late last year, but other data has been mixed.

The government's strategy will depend on getting consumers, whose spending accounts for the lion's share of economic activity, to spend more, and that in turn will hinge on encouraging companies to raise wages and increasing higher. Many companies huge cash reserves after having shed debt from the collapse of the economic bubble over 20 years ago but are wary of increasing investment given the existing weak demand and the aging and shrinking of the Japanese population.

Friday's data, coupled with signs of weakening retail sales, show the scale of the challenge in restoring consumer confidence.

By boosting inflation, Japan's planners hope to persuade consumers to spend more now in anticipation of price increases in the future. That could prove a daunting challenge given a drop in real wages over the past two decades and the weak job market, said Susumu Takahashi, head of the Japan Research Institute and a member of a government economic advisory council.

To achieve the inflation target the government must change expectations, he said.

"The only way is for the deflationary way of thinking to change. Without that it will be very hard," he said.

Speaking to lawmakers about the central bank's semiannual report, Kuroda said prices are unlikely to rise for the next few months but after that Japan would see some progress toward its inflation target as the economy moved toward a "moderate recovery path."

The central bank asset purchases and other strategies adopted so far have not been sufficient to reach the inflation target, he said, reiterating his intention to manage market expectations and "make clear that we have adopted the uncompromising stance that we will do whatever is necessary to overcome deflation."

Kuroda was appointed to succeed former BOJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa when he stepped down on March 19, three weeks before his term expired. The parliament is expected to approve his appointment to the five-year term, which is due to begin April 8.

The central bank is due to hold its first regular policy meeting under Kuroda April 3-4, though it may wait until later in the month to embark on any significant moves, such as a boosting its purchases of government bonds to help increase the amount of money available in the economy and encourage more investment by the private sector.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-jobless-rate-prices-manufacturing-fall-005246909--finance.html

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Bungie shows off 'Destiny' characters on video

"Halo" creator Bungie has been sparing with details on the gameplay of its next big project, "Destiny," but liberal with concept art. The veil was lifted a little further Friday with the release of a video showing characters making the jump from concept to in-game model.

The video was shown at Bungie's panel at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. While it doesn't contain any actual gameplay, there's plenty of info to be extracted from the character models and animations.

For instance, the "Cabal" fighters are heavily armored and likely fill the role of tank. The three classes shown at the end ? Titan, Warlock, and Hunter ? fit neatly into the "warrior, wizard, rogue" archetypes already in place in thousands of games.

Sharp-eyed viewers will identify several influences, from "Warhammer 40K" and "Star Wars" to manga like "Appleseed" to, of course, Bungie's previous games. A batch of concept art was also released, which Kotaku has kindly collected here.

More substantial information about the game itself will likely be given out at E3 in June.

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

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a254d92/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cingame0Cbungie0Eshows0Edestiny0Echaracters0Evideo0E1C9145348/story01.htm

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mechanical engineering professor invents portable mobility assistant device

Mar. 29, 2013 ? Five years ago, Anurag Purwar, a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University, received a request to fashion a medical device to help the mobility of a friend and retired physician suffering from the debilitating effects of post-polio syndrome. The physician had a walker, but unless another person was around to help, he couldn't raise himself out of a chair to use it.

After conducting some preliminary research, Professor Purwar was surprised to learn that there were no devices on the market that fit those with this particular need. "Today, in the United States, there are more than two million people over the age of 64 who find it difficult to rise from a chair without assistance," said Professor Purwar. "Biomechanically, sitting and standing involve complex movements that require muscle strength greater than other activities of daily life."

Utilizing his machine design background, Professor Purwar came up with a solution with the help of his student Thomas Galeotafiore and others -- a portable, compact, multifunctional mobility assist device that helps a person with standing, sitting and walking independently with support only from the device. The device, resembling a walker but with support bars, a pelvic harness and novel linkage controlled by the user with a remote, is designed to mimic the natural standing motion of a human body. "The most obvious advantage of the device is that it gives the opportunity for more independence," said Purwar. "It can also help protect patients and caregivers from accidental falls and back injuries."

The SUNY Research Foundation has funded the next stage of development with a $50,000 Technology Accelerator Fund award, one of only six awarded for 2012. The Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence program (SPIR) at Stony Brook University and the Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University have also pledged additional support.

"We are pleased to help facilitate this collaboration and provide additional support that will help bring this device to market," said Diane Fabel, Director of Operations at the Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook. "It is a win-win situation for everyone involved but especially for patients and the local economy."

Professor Purwar plans to continue testing it in real-life settings with the elderly, disabled veterans and caregivers and hopes a final prototype will be commercialized within the next two years. He is working with Biodex Medical Systems in Shirley, NY, as a potential commercialization partner, a group that he connected with at the 2012 Long Island Innovation Boot Camp/Pre-Seed Workshop at Stony Brook University last March.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/aujXTIEJXW0/130329124304.htm

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Google TV's PrimeTime app update welcomes Amazon Prime content

Google TV's PrimeTime app update welcomes Amazon Prime content to the mix

An update to the PrimeTime Android app for Google TV has been released, bringing with it some bug fixes, as well as a "subscription selector" which means Netflix, HBO Go and Amazon Prime content now shows up as free if you're paying for any of those services. Wait, Amazon Prime content, you say? Well yes, we did, as the Amazon Prime Instant Video catalogue has been worked into the new version of the guide and recommendation app. Yet more ways to make sure we're up to date with The Good Wife? Sounds fine to us.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-h-4bzutxbU/

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Google opens Shopping Express pilot with free same-day deliveries in San Francisco

Google launches Shopping Express pilot, offers free sameday deliveries in San Francisco

Looking to refresh your polo shirt collection -- today -- without making a trip to the store? There's a Google venture for that, and it's called Shopping Express. The service, which offers same-day delivery from Target, Walgreens, Toys R Us, American Eagle, Staples, Office Depot and a few local shops, has just opened its doors to testers in the San Francisco Bay Area. After signing up on Google's microsite, you'll be on your way to six months of unlimited free deliveries from select retailers. The service competes with similar offerings from Amazon and eBay, and, well, doesn't exactly seem like an obvious fit for Google. We're eager to see how it pans out -- hopefully, if it does turn out to be a worthwhile venture, it won't succumb to the search giant's annual "spring cleaning" ritual. The company is only accepting "a limited number of shoppers" right now, so if you're eligible, sign up at the source link ASAP.

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Zinio magazine app heads to Windows Phone 8 as a Lumia exclusive

Zinio magazine app heads to Windows Phone 8 as a Lumia exclusive

Zinio's magazine app for tablets and smartphones has already found its way onto quite a few platforms (even some now-defunct ones), and it looks like it'll soon be heading to yet another -- at least partially. The company announced today that its Windows Phone 8 app will be available in the coming weeks, although you'll need a Nokia Lumia phone to use it. Yes, this is yet another exclusive deal for a popular app, but if past history is any indication you can likely expect it to hit other devices sometime after the initial rollout. As TechCrunch notes, Zinio is also using its venture onto Windows Phone to branch out a bit from its traditional focus, with the the new app able to pull content from multiple sources into a reading list -- as opposed to simply letting you jump from one magazine to the next. You'll also expectedly get WP8 live tile support, as well as what Zinio describes as "improved text mode support" to make reading on a smartphone-sized screen a bit easier.

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Friday, March 29, 2013

How to Source Affordable Car Insurance in 3 Easy Steps - Auto Candy

Posted by Rob on March 28, 2013

While experts continue to suggest that the UK economy is experiencing turbulence, the countries automotive trade is continuing to boom. As a result of this, it remains a vital part of wider economic growth, with an estimated ?50 billion generated in turnover every single year.

While the automotive trade may be booming, however, the task of sourcing affordable car insurance remains extremely challenging. This is especially true if you are purchasing your first car, as you will be faced with the prospect of high premiums and significant annual outgoings.

Obtaining Affordable Car Insurance: 3 Steps to Success

?With this in mind, what practical steps can you take to minimise the cost of first time car insurance? Consider the following: -

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  • Choose a Viable and Affordable Model of Car: Before you even begin to compare insurance prices, you can strive to minimize potential costs by finding a suitable and affordable model of car. While this may mean striking a compromise between your desired vehicle and something that is more practical, it still affords you the opportunity to take control of your financial situation. Less costly and powerful cars often incur higher insurance premiums, especially if you are purchasing one as a newly qualified driver.

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  • Think Outside of Price Comparison Sites: While price comparison websites are often marketed as the ideal medium through which to find cheap insurance providers, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, a growing number of the market?s leading firms now choose not to advertise their rates on comparison sites, as this ensures that they are able to gain a critical advantage. As a result, you must commit to searching both price comparison resources and independent websites, as this will help you to target the best possible deal.
  • Add an Experienced Driver to your Claim: When you process your claim, there are innovative and thoughtful ways through which you can lower your annual liability. If you are keen on a time effective solution, however, then you should consider adding an experienced driver to your insurance claim. So long as they are qualified to drive within the UK and a clean points history, then their addition as a second driver could trim the cost of your monthly repayments. While this may save you pence rather than pounds each month, it certainly adds up over a period of two to three years.

?The Bottom Line

Purchasing your first car can be a difficult challenge, especially if you are hoping to keep your insurance premiums to a minimum. With this in mind, you will need to access a host of online resources and visit sites such as www.carshop.co.uk in order help minimise your overall cost.


Source: http://www.auto-candy.com/how-to-source-affordable-car-insurance-in-3-easy-steps/

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The WWE Universe's WrestleMania Week guide

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/29/wrestlemania-handbook

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Calif. city gets free Wi-Fi via high tech meters

(AP) ? The city of Santa Clara flipped on a big Internet switch this week, becoming what it says is the first in the country to use wireless, digital "smart meters" on homes as channels for free citywide outdoor Wi-Fi.

"This is just one of the major benefits our community will enjoy as a result of our advanced metering technology," said John Roukema, director of Silicon Valley Power, the community's utility provider. "Now our residents, visitors and local workforce can get Internet access while waiting for a train, shopping downtown, getting their car washed or relaxing in their yard."

Like cities around the U.S., Santa Clara's electric meters are being systematically replaced, house by house, with high tech ones, eliminating the need for meter readers to manually check each one every month but raising concerns about health effects, privacy and cost.

The new meters send electricity and water usage reports via wireless network, but in Santa Clara, a city of 118,000 in the heart of the Silicon Valley, they also have an unusual separate channel that provides free, outdoor Internet.

Sascha Meinrath, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Open Technology Institute, said using meters as Internet channels is a "a real Faustian bargain," a smart use of technology that will require "privacy protections that are second to none."

"If they do privacy right, residents have nothing to do but rejoice," he said. "If they don't, you could see some serious malfeasance down the road."

Many communities already have pockets of limited free Wi-Fi, but until now those services are mostly either centered around public hotspots like parks, hospitals or libraries or offered by major tech firms like Google, which provides Wi-Fi throughout its headquarters city of Mountain View.

Google also recently rolled out New York City's biggest contiguous free public Wi-Fi in the Chelsea neighborhood, where the company has a campus.

"Being online is no longer the luxury that we once considered it to be. It's essential. Society at large requires an internet connection," said Zach Leverenz, CEO of Connect2Compete, a national organization which joined with the FCC last week to roll out a nationwide initiative called "Everyone On." Their goal is to provide free digital literacy training, affordable Internet service and low-cost computers to the 100 million people nationwide who do not currently have Internet access at home.

"The costs of digital exclusion ? of not having access to Internet at home ? are rising every day," said outgoing FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, an advocate of free Wi-Fi as he launched the "Everyone On" campaign. "Offline Americans are missing out on opportunities in education, health care, and employment."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-03-27-Free%20WiFi%20City/id-79da334c64854c71a025c1b0f27a7752

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Supreme Court questions DOMA law

Hundreds rally outside the Supreme Court March 27. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

A majority of Supreme Court justices expressed concern about a federal law that excludes same-sex couples from marriage in the court's second gay marriage case in history on Wednesday. The probing questions from both wings of the court suggest the law could be struck down in a victory for the gay rights movement, just a day after it appeared unlikely the court would decide the Proposition 8 California case in a way that broadly affirmed gay marriage.

At the arguments, the court's conservative leaning justices asked pointed questions about whether the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act intrudes into states' traditional right to regulate marriage, while the more liberal justices seemed amenable to the argument that DOMA discriminates against gay people and was passed with the intention of excluding an unpopular group.

The law prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even in the nine states and District of Columbia that allow them. Justices could strike it down in a narrow way that would force the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages only in states where it's already allowed, or, much less likely, in a broader way that would make dozens of state gay marriage bans legally vulnerable. The Obama administration has declined to defend the law in court because it believes it is unconstitutional, so a group of House representatives appointed attorney Paul Clement to defend it.

Key swing vote Anthony Kennedy, who has written two landmark opinions affirming gay rights, seemed unconvinced by the argument advanced by Clement that DOMA defines marriage as only between opposite-sex couples to avoid confusion. Clement said that the federal government has an interest in "uniformity," and passed the law to avoid having to treat same-sex couples differently based on whether they live in states that allow gay marriage or not. But Kennedy pointed out that DOMA excludes gay couples from marriage in more than 1,100 federal statutes and laws, which has a substantial impact on the "day to day life" of gay couples and their children. He said the law does not provide uniformity because it affects "only one aspect of marriage."

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg interjected that excluding married couples from sick leave, tax benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, and hundreds of other federal benefits and obligations relegates same-sex couples to a "skim milk marriage," that is substantially worse than what heterosexual couples have access to. Justice Elena Kagan suggested that the law was not passed for uniformity's sake, but to discriminate. She read aloud from the House report on the law that said it was passed to express "moral disapproval of homosexuality."

Chief Justice John Roberts objected to the argument that Congress passed DOMA based on a dislike or hatred for gays and lesbians. He asked Attorney General Donald Verrilli, representing the Obama administration, whether he believed the 84 senators who voted for it were all motivated by animus. Verrilli said no, that they could have voted for it due to a "lack of careful reflection," but that the law discriminates no matter why it was passed. Roberts also objected to Attorney Roberta Kaplan's characterization of gay people as a discriminated-against, minority group that lacks political power. "As far as I can tell, political figures are falling over themselves to endorse your case," Roberts said.

But Roberts did seem concerned by the federalist argument. Kennedy joined with his conservative colleagues Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito in asking tough questions about whether the federal government was overreaching with the statute. Kennedy said DOMA did not seem to recognize states's "historical" responsibility for marriage and said he thinks the central question of the case is whether the federal government has the authority to regulate marriage. Both attorneys arguing against DOMA refused to make a federalist argument against the law, however, instead insisting it was a discrimination case.

Before even getting to the merits, the justices spent nearly an hour grappling with whether they should decide the case at all because of procedural issues. They appointed Harvard professor Vicki Jackson to make the case that House Republicans do not have the legal right, or standing, to appeal the lower court's decision. Many justices were also critical of the Obama administration's decision to stop defending the law in court while still enforcing it. Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to have serious doubts about the case's procedural issues, repeatedly saying that it is "unprecedented" for the U.S. government to appeal a case even though they do not disagree with the lower court's ruling.

Both historic gay marriage cases before the court this term have been dogged by procedural concerns, as both were left orphaned by public officials who no longer wanted to defend them. On Tuesday, Kennedy wondered whether they should have agreed to hear the Proposition 8 case at all, while other justices suggested they were skeptical that supporters of Proposition 8 had standing to appeal the case once California officials decided to drop it. It's possible that neither case could end with a decision. In DOMA, that means the lower court's decision would stand and DOMA would be illegal in the Third Circuit. In the Proposition 8 case, gay marriage would most likely become legal in California if the justices throw it out on standing or do not reach a majority.

A group from Alabama prays in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, before the court's hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay ... more? A group from Alabama prays in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, before the court's hearing on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) less? ?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/conservative-justices-stress-federal-overreach-gay-marriage-case-163526050--politics.html

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Telling tales can be a good thing: Personal stories help children develop emotional skills

Mar. 27, 2013 ? A new study finds that mothers tell better, more emotional stories about past experiences which help children develop their emotional skills.

The act of talking is not an area where ability is usually considered along gender lines. However, a new study published in Springer's journal Sex Roles has found subtle differences between the sexes in their story-relating ability and specifically the act of reminiscing. The research by Widaad Zaman from the University of Central Florida and her colleague Robyn Fivush from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, discusses how these gender differences in parents can affect children's emotional development.

Previous research in this area has concluded that the act of parents reminiscing with their children enables children to interpret experiences and weave together the past, present and future. There is also evidence that parents elaborate less when talking to sons than daughters.

The primary objective of Zaman's study was to compare the reminiscing styles of mothers and fathers with their pre-school daughters and sons. This included how they elaborated on the story and the extent to which their children engaged with the story while it was being told.

The researchers studied 42 families where the participating children were between four and five years old. Parents were asked to reminisce about four past emotional experiences of the child (happy, sad, a conflict with a peer and a conflict with a parent) and two past play interactions they experienced together. The parents took turns talking to the child on separate visits.

The researchers found that mothers elaborated more when reminiscing with their children than fathers. Contrary to previous research, however, Zaman's study found no differences in the extent to which either parent elaborated on a story depending on the sex of the child. Mothers tended to include more emotional terms in the story than fathers, which they then discussed and explained to the child. This increased maternal engagement has the effect of communicating to the child the importance of their own version, perspective and feelings about the experience.

The authors contend that through their increased interaction with the child, mothers are helping their children work through and talk about their experiences more than fathers, regardless of the type of experience. This may reflect the mother's efforts to try and help her child deal with difficult emotions, especially about negative experiences, all of which is related to better emotional well-being.

The authors conclude that "these results are intriguing, and a necessary first step to better understanding how parents socialize gender roles to girls and boys through narratives about the past, and how girls and boys may then incorporate these roles into their own narratives and their own lives."

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Journal Reference:

  1. Widaad Zaman, Robyn Fivush. Gender Differences in Elaborative Parent?Child Emotion and Play Narratives. Sex Roles, 2013; DOI: 10.1007/s11199-013-0270-7

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/Wa7GWEuPVQc/130327103054.htm

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

iPhone 5 coming to T-Mobile April 12th, 4S and 4 available in 'select markets'

T-Mobile to carry iPhone 5

Remember when T-Mobile announced that it would begin carrying Apple products sometime this year? It looks like today's the day we finally get more information. As we've been expecting, the fourth-largest carrier is now ready to officially offer the iPhone after years of inviting customers to bring an unlocked model onto its network. (Update: see our hands-on here!) The iPhone 5 will be available in retail stores and online starting April 12th, but you'll be able to pre-order one beginning April 5th. Additionally, the iPhone 4S and 4 will be coming to "select markets," though we haven't seen details on which markets or when they'll be offered.

What about pricing? You can grab the iPhone 5 for $100 down and pay the rest in $20 monthly installments for the next two years; the 4S will be $70 down (with the same $20 installments) and the 4 will be $15 down with $15 monthly payments. No doubt, this move will make its forthcoming LTE launch even more enticing, but that's not all: T-Mobile CEO John Legere stated on stage that his company's version of the iPhone 5 will support AWS HSPA+ in addition to LTE. HD Voice is also offered on this particular model.

We also learned that despite the network's use of the "UnCarrier" brand, its version of the iPhone 5 will be locked to T-Mobile until the phone is completely paid off.

Stay updated on T-Mobile's announcements with our liveblog!

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Source: T-Mobile

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/26/t-mobile-iphone/

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Europe, the global power

Europe, the global power [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jan-Frederik Kremer
jan-frederik.kremer@rub.de
49-228-736-0281
Ruhr-University Bochum

New standard work on the influence of the EU in the world

Bochum, 26.3.2013

In exciting times for Europe, the new standard work on the influence of the EU in the world is set to be released. Two researchers at the Ruhr-Universitt Bochum are co-editors of the two-volume book project "Global Power Europe", which brings together top international researchers. They clearly get to the root of the strengths and weaknesses of European policy on more than 600 pages. In initial reviews, renowned academics of the universities of Aberdeen, Salzburg, Tubingen and Yale define the two English-language volumes in their breadth and depth as reference works on the global role of Europe.

Complete survey of EU policy

The books came about in a joint project of the RUB with the European Union Center of the University of Miami (USA) and the Center for Global Studies of the University of Bonn. The co-editors are Jan-Frederik Kremer of the Institute for Development Research and Development Policy, RUB and Center for Global Studies, and Aukje van Loon from the Department of International Policy (Faculty of Social Science at the RUB). Together with Astrid Boening, they have brought together researchers from around the world to examine the extent of the EU's global influence and determine which methods and theories are useful when pursuing this issue. The result is a unique, complete survey of EU policy in a total of thirty-three theoretical and empirical chapters.

Surprisingly effective and silent in many fields

Numerous case studies illuminate the foreign-policy activities of the EU: this concerns its global influence in specific policy areas - security, climate and energy - and in different regions - Latin America, Asia, North Africa as well as the interplay with other institutions such as the UN, the International Criminal Court(ICC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). From A for Arctic to Z for "Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women Campaign", the volumes raise understanding of the global importance of the EU. It turns out that the EU represents its interests surprisingly effectively and silently in many fields - for example, in its support of the ICC, in its trade policy or on the issues of standards for children's rights. In other fields, however, it also has significant problems in asserting its own claims (e.g. in development policy or "gender mainstreaming"), in presenting a united front or even formulating mutual preferences for example in security or energy policy. The authors provide clear and informed answers on the question as to whether, and in what areas, the EU plays a leading role: for example in international trade policy, climate policy, counter-terrorism and neighbourhood policy.

Enormous potential is often not utilised

"Global Power Europe" makes a valuable contribution to answering some of the most pressing issues of today's international politics: what will the future world order look like, and what will be the role of the EU? Does the EU have the will and the capacity of a global power? The answers clearly show that the Union has huge potential, but is still far from exploiting this in many areas and often lags behind its - partly self-defined - expectations. In a world in which a united presence is becoming increasingly vital when it comes to protecting interests, the authors show where the challenges, but also the prospects for the EU lie.

Presentation at international conferences

The editors are set to present the two volumes and the results in roundtable discussions at the prestigious International Studies Association Annual Convention in April in San Francisco, USA, and at the major "European Studies" conference of the EUSA (European Union Studies Association) in May in Baltimore, USA.

Bibliographic records

Volume 1:

A. Boening, J.-F. Kremer, A. van Loon (Hg.): Global Power Europe - Vol. 1, Theoretical and Institutional Approaches to the EU's External Relations, Series: Global Power Shift. Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London: Springer 2013. 266 p., 106.99 Euro, ISBN: 978-3-642-32411-6 (eBook: 978-3-642-32412-3), DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32412-3

Volume 2:

A. Boening, J.-F. Kremer, A. van Loon (Hg.): Global Power Europe - Vol. 2, Policies, Actions and Influence of the EU's External Relations, Series: Global Power Shift. Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London: Springer 2013. 374 p., 106.99 Euro, ISBN: 978-3-642-32415-4 (eBook: 978-3-642-32416-1), DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32416-1

Further information

Jan-Frederik Kremer
Institute of Development Research and Development Policy (IEE)
Ruhr-Universitt Bochum
and Center for Global Studies (CGS)
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitt Bonn
Mobile: 0160-7847611
jkremer@uni-bonn.de

Volume 1 - http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/political+science/book/978-3-642-32411-6

Volume 2 - http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/political+science/book/978-3-642-32415-4

Editor: Jens Wylkop

###



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Europe, the global power [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jan-Frederik Kremer
jan-frederik.kremer@rub.de
49-228-736-0281
Ruhr-University Bochum

New standard work on the influence of the EU in the world

Bochum, 26.3.2013

In exciting times for Europe, the new standard work on the influence of the EU in the world is set to be released. Two researchers at the Ruhr-Universitt Bochum are co-editors of the two-volume book project "Global Power Europe", which brings together top international researchers. They clearly get to the root of the strengths and weaknesses of European policy on more than 600 pages. In initial reviews, renowned academics of the universities of Aberdeen, Salzburg, Tubingen and Yale define the two English-language volumes in their breadth and depth as reference works on the global role of Europe.

Complete survey of EU policy

The books came about in a joint project of the RUB with the European Union Center of the University of Miami (USA) and the Center for Global Studies of the University of Bonn. The co-editors are Jan-Frederik Kremer of the Institute for Development Research and Development Policy, RUB and Center for Global Studies, and Aukje van Loon from the Department of International Policy (Faculty of Social Science at the RUB). Together with Astrid Boening, they have brought together researchers from around the world to examine the extent of the EU's global influence and determine which methods and theories are useful when pursuing this issue. The result is a unique, complete survey of EU policy in a total of thirty-three theoretical and empirical chapters.

Surprisingly effective and silent in many fields

Numerous case studies illuminate the foreign-policy activities of the EU: this concerns its global influence in specific policy areas - security, climate and energy - and in different regions - Latin America, Asia, North Africa as well as the interplay with other institutions such as the UN, the International Criminal Court(ICC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). From A for Arctic to Z for "Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women Campaign", the volumes raise understanding of the global importance of the EU. It turns out that the EU represents its interests surprisingly effectively and silently in many fields - for example, in its support of the ICC, in its trade policy or on the issues of standards for children's rights. In other fields, however, it also has significant problems in asserting its own claims (e.g. in development policy or "gender mainstreaming"), in presenting a united front or even formulating mutual preferences for example in security or energy policy. The authors provide clear and informed answers on the question as to whether, and in what areas, the EU plays a leading role: for example in international trade policy, climate policy, counter-terrorism and neighbourhood policy.

Enormous potential is often not utilised

"Global Power Europe" makes a valuable contribution to answering some of the most pressing issues of today's international politics: what will the future world order look like, and what will be the role of the EU? Does the EU have the will and the capacity of a global power? The answers clearly show that the Union has huge potential, but is still far from exploiting this in many areas and often lags behind its - partly self-defined - expectations. In a world in which a united presence is becoming increasingly vital when it comes to protecting interests, the authors show where the challenges, but also the prospects for the EU lie.

Presentation at international conferences

The editors are set to present the two volumes and the results in roundtable discussions at the prestigious International Studies Association Annual Convention in April in San Francisco, USA, and at the major "European Studies" conference of the EUSA (European Union Studies Association) in May in Baltimore, USA.

Bibliographic records

Volume 1:

A. Boening, J.-F. Kremer, A. van Loon (Hg.): Global Power Europe - Vol. 1, Theoretical and Institutional Approaches to the EU's External Relations, Series: Global Power Shift. Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London: Springer 2013. 266 p., 106.99 Euro, ISBN: 978-3-642-32411-6 (eBook: 978-3-642-32412-3), DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32412-3

Volume 2:

A. Boening, J.-F. Kremer, A. van Loon (Hg.): Global Power Europe - Vol. 2, Policies, Actions and Influence of the EU's External Relations, Series: Global Power Shift. Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London: Springer 2013. 374 p., 106.99 Euro, ISBN: 978-3-642-32415-4 (eBook: 978-3-642-32416-1), DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-32416-1

Further information

Jan-Frederik Kremer
Institute of Development Research and Development Policy (IEE)
Ruhr-Universitt Bochum
and Center for Global Studies (CGS)
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitt Bonn
Mobile: 0160-7847611
jkremer@uni-bonn.de

Volume 1 - http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/political+science/book/978-3-642-32411-6

Volume 2 - http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/political+science/book/978-3-642-32415-4

Editor: Jens Wylkop

###



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/rb-etg032613.php

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WatchESPN streaming reaches AT&T U-verse subscribers

WatchESPN reaches AT&T Uverse subscribers

U-verse subscribers often have some bandwidth to spare; it's only fair that they make the most of it with some streaming sports. Appropriately, AT&T and ESPN have just flicked the switch on WatchESPN support for those who subscribe to U-verse TV service. As always, viewers can tune into live and on-demand content from a computer, an Xbox 360 (with an Xbox Live Gold subscription) or their Android and iOS devices while on the road. The sports partnership is also just the start: AT&T notes that all flavors of Watch Disney should be coming "soon," giving the little ones something to stream in between football matches.

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Source: WatchESPN

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/25/watchespn-streaming-reaches-att-u-verse-subscribers/

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Personal monitor system could change healthcare

Mar. 25, 2013 ? A wireless personal health monitoring system using smartphones to upload data via the Internet will revolutionize the U.S. healthcare industry, its pioneering creators say.

mHealth research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville is lead by Dr. Emil Jovanov, associate dean for graduate education and research in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Aleksandar Milenkovic, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. They have recently received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop mHealth infrastructure at UAHuntsville.

mHealth capitalizes on what Dr. Jovanov calls "major revolutions" in computer informatics, smartphones, and energy-efficient and miniaturized electronics and sensors. It can provide health information to the patient directly, to the physician via the Internet, and to researchers as aggregated databases. View the mHealth website at http://portal.mhealth.uah.edu/public/index.php.

In 2000, Dr. Jovanov was the first to propose Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) for health monitoring as a sensor system to integrate sensors on or in bodies and communicate through the Internet. (E. Jovanov, J. Price, D. Raskovic, K. Kavi, T. Martin, R. Adhami, "Wireless Personal Area Networks in Telemedical Environment," Third IEEE EMBS Information Technology Applications in Biomedicine -- Workshop of the International Telemedical Information Society ITAB ITIS 2000, Arlington, Va., November 2000, pp. 22-27).

"When WBAN is used to monitor diabetes patients using an implanted blood glucose sensor and insulin pump, the system can determine how much insulin should be released, not only based on the blood glucose level, but based on the level of activity and condition of the whole organism," said Dr. Jovanov. "This is a fundamentally different approach made possible by the advances in technology, and we are proud that the first paper on it came from UAH."

Dr. Jovanov said the idea sprang from the Personal Area Network used in wireless computing. "We proposed creating a personal health monitoring network within 2-3 feet from your body integrating a number of sensors to monitor your vital signs and physical activity." Individual sensors are controlled by a smartphone that collects information from sensors and communicates with the rest of the system.

In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, the researchers developed the first successful prototypes. "We were the first to demonstrate that you can create a system that is a very powerful, energy efficient and comfortable that you can wear a long time," said Dr. Jovanov.

Since then, size and weight have shrunk and sensor and communication technologies have advanced. "It is ubiquitous wireless communication anytime, anywhere that has brought tremendous change and will improve our lifestyles tremendously in the future," Dr. Jovanov said, citing two examples where mHealth could help.

"The more you exercise, the better you recover after a stroke, but you also can overdo it," he said. "The smartphone-based application can motivate users to exercise more, or warn them if they are straining themselves.

"Now in heart attack, the recovery rate also depends on exercise, but often people are worried about that because they have been through this traumatic event and they don't want to get too far away from the phone or help or they are afraid to be active again," he continued. The mHealth system alleviates fears by its ability to detect trouble and summon help. It also can advise the heart patient when he or she is at the optimal exercise level.

Patents Pending

Through UAHuntsville, the researchers filed two recent patent applications. "Both applications are dealing with the use of a smartphone with the sensors already embedded in the phone," Dr. Jovanov said. (Mladen Milosevic, Emil Jovanov, Aleksandar Milenkovic, "Quantifying Timed-Up-and-Go Test: A Smartphone Implementation," Body Sensor Networks Conference, May 6-9, 2013, Boston, Mass.; Aleksandar Milenkovic, Mladen Milosevic, Emil Jovanov, "Smartphones for Smart Wheelchairs," Body Sensor Networks Conference, May 6-9, 2013, Boston, Mass.)

First is a cardiac health monitor that records the change of heart activity every time a user stands up. A sensor in the smartphone detects when the patient gets up and a wireless heart sensor detects heart activity.

In the second, a UAHuntsville-developed program monitors activity of wheelchair users using sensors embedded in the smartphone. A magnet on the wheel allows the smartphone to detect and record the number of wheel rotations so distance, speed and duration of activity can be calculated. Moreover, the system can detect if the user propels the wheelchair or if the chair has been pushed.

"Most wheelchair users do not exercise enough," Dr. Milenkovic said. "Statistics show that they are at high risk for all physical inactivity related diseases, such as coronary disease and diabetes. We can quantify what they do and send that information to the physician."

Nursing Stress

In 2002, Dr. Jovanov worked with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to monitor stress levels of pilots training in Pensacola, Fla. Today at UAHuntsville, the researchers use mHealth to study the stress levels of nursing students.

"It is extremely hard to monitor stress," said Dr. Jovanov. That's why the UAHuntsville College of Nursing study is advantageous. The nursing lab has a patient simulator, a humanlike automated dummy that can reproduce the physiological effects of acute medical events, like heart attacks. As student nurses have stressful encounters with the simulator, the mHealth system monitors their physiology and activity.

"For us this is very interesting, because we know exactly when these crises will happen and we can control the outcome of the event through the simulator," Dr. Jovanov said. Once the stress monitoring is developed, managers could use such a system in hospitals to observe nursing stress and recommend personal relaxation techniques or short break times. As a result, the number of mistakes arising from stress will be reduced.

Growing Need

"We are desperately in need of changes to the whole health system. Currently, the emphasis is on reactive health care," Dr. Jovanov said. In that environment, opportunities for mHealth are increasing. As part of the Affordable Care Act, in 2012 Medicare tightened its hospital readmission rule to decrease payments to acute care hospitals with excessive readmissions. "That has created overnight a multi-billion dollar market for home monitoring and an early intervention system," Dr. Jovanov said. "Now we are devising more uses for it."

What is ultimately needed is a proactive system, said Dr. Jovanov. "You can make small changes and affect your health in a major way over time." Dr. Milenkovic calls it "a guardian angel "that could be used to improve a patient's wellbeing.

As health status deteriorates, long term records and information in the electronic health record can help in diagnosis. "Having this information will decrease the amount of needless testing done," said Dr. Jovanov. It also opens the possibility for rehabilitation use, Dr. Milenkovic said. "There is quantifiable information there that is stored and can be analyzed."

High costs have prevented this level of personalized medicine. Hospital-grade monitors typically cost from $5,000 to $15,000 each. Dr. Jovanov and Dr. Milenkovic are expecting to see an emergence of the mHealth monitors in the $50 to $500 price range.

Research Roles

Once mHealth monitors are widespread and generating big data streams, data mining will allow researchers access to information not identified by user, resulting in super-sized studies on topics ranging from heart disease to cancer outcomes.

"We believe that once we have widespread mHealth devices, we will create huge database of records capable of completely changing healthcare," said Dr. Jovanov. "Once you gather enough data, it will tell you how well you are doing for your genetic profile and your age and health, and what to do to improve your health status."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alabama Huntsville.

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


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/~3/4A6lb2i4qQ0/130325124405.htm

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NYC art museum accused of duping visitors on fees

In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 photo visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York wait in line to buy admission tickets. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 photo visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York wait in line to buy admission tickets. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 photo the exterior of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is photographed. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 photo visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York congregate in the main lobby. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

In this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 photo, the board at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York displays admission fees, which are recommended but not mandatory. Many visitors to the museum, especially foreign tourists, don?t realize that the fees listed on the sign are merely suggestions. Confusion over what?s required to enter the Met, which draws more than 6 million visitors a year, is at the heart of a class-action lawsuit this month accusing it of an illegal ?scheme? to defraud the public into believing the fees are required. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

(AP) ? A lawyer is suing New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming the institution is purposely misleading people about how much they have to pay to get in.

Like other museums in the city, the Met has what it calls a recommended admissions charge. It's $25 for adults.

But people don't actually have to pay that much to get in if they don't like. They can legally enter the museum for a donation as low as one penny.

The lawsuit says the museum fails to make this clear to visitors. It says the signs and the cashiers make people think they must pay the full $25.

Met spokesman Harold Holzer denies any deception was in place. He called the lawsuit a "nuisance."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-25-Museum%20Admissions/id-af2c75497d874ce9aab9d6766a7252d1

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Paint-on plastic electronics: Aligning polymers for high performance

Mar. 24, 2013 ? Semiconducting polymers are an unruly bunch, but University of Michigan engineers have developed a new method for getting them in line that could pave the way for cheaper, greener, "paint-on" plastic electronics.

"This is for the first time a thin-layer, conducting, highly aligned film for high-performance, paintable, directly writeable plastic electronics," said Jinsang Kim, U-M professor of materials science and engineering, who led the research published in Nature Materials.

Semiconductors are the key ingredient for computer processors, solar cells and LED displays, but they are expensive. Inorganic semiconductors like silicon require high temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and costly vacuum systems for processing into electronics, but organic and plastic semiconductors can be prepared on a basic lab bench.

The trouble is that charge carriers, like electrons, can't move through plastics nearly as easily as they can move through inorganic semiconductors, Kim said. Part of the reason for this is because each semiconducting polymer molecule is like a short wire, and these wires are randomly arranged.

"Charge mobility along the polymer chains is much faster than between the polymers," Kim said.

To take advantage of the good conduction along the polymers, research groups have been trying to align them into a charge-carrying freeway, but it's a bit like trying to arrange nanoscopic linguine.

Kim's group approached the problem by making smarter semiconducting polymers. They wanted a liquid polymer solution they could brush over a surface, and the molecules would automatically align with one another in the direction of the stroke, assembling into high-performance semiconducting thin-layer films.

First, they designed the polymers to be slippery -- ordinary polymers glom together like flat noodles left in the fridge, Kim said. By choosing polymers with a natural twist, the team kept them from sticking to one another in the solution. But in order to align during the brushstroke, the polymers needed to subtly attract one another. Flat surfaces would do that, so the team designed their polymer to untwist as the solvent dried up.

They stopped the unaligned polymers from forming large chunks by adding flexible arms that extended off to the sides of the flat, wire-like polymer. These arms prevented too much close contact among the polymers while the bulkiness of the arms kept them from snagging on one another. Polymers with these properties will line up in the direction of an applied force, such as the tug of a paintbrush.

"It's a big breakthrough," Kim said. "We established a complete molecular design principle of semiconducting polymers with directed alignment capability."

And it works. The team made molecules that matched their design and built a device for spreading the polymer solution over surfaces such as glass or a flexible plastic film. The force from the silicon blade, moving at a constant speed across the liquid polymer, was enough to align the molecules.

The team then built the semiconducting film into a simple transistor, a version of the electronic components that make up computer processors. The device demonstrated the importance of the polymer alignment by showing that charge carriers moved 1,000 times faster in the direction parallel to the silicon blade's brushstroke than they did when crossing the direction of the stroke.

"By combining the established molecular design principle with a polymer that has a very good intrinsic charge carrier mobility, we believe it will make a huge difference in organic electronics," he said. "We are currently developing a versatile fabrication method in order to realize high-performance and paintable plastic electronics in various length scales from nanometers to meters."

Kim believes that the technique will work equally well with atomic-scale pen nibs or large trowel-like applicators for making electronics of all sizes such as LED displays or light-absorbing coatings for solar cells.

The paper is titled "A molecular design principle of lyotropic liquid-crystalline conjugated polymers with directed alignment capability for plastic electronics."

The work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Two authors of the paper were partly supported by National Science Foundation and WCU program of National Research Foundation of Korea. The university is pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property and is seeking commercialization partners to help bring the technology to market.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Bong-Gi Kim, Eun Jeong Jeong, Jong Won Chung, Sungbaek Seo, Bonwon Koo, Jinsang Kim. A molecular design principle of lyotropic liquid-crystalline conjugated polymers with directed alignment capability for plastic electronics. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3595

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/technology/~3/X00oDu4TX2Q/130324151830.htm

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