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Ahmadinejad starts historic Egypt visit

CAIRO: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, marking the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian president since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, Egyptian television footage showed.

Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi welcomed Ahmadinejad at Cairo airport as he disembarked from the plane, the footage showed.

Ahmadinejad, who is on a three-day visit, will attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation conference in Cairo and will hold talks with Egyptian officials, Iranian media said ahead of the trip.

Before leaving Tehran, Ahmadinejad told reporters that during his visit he would work towards strengthening bilateral ties with Cairo.

"I will try to pave the ground for developing cooperation between Iran and Egypt," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Without elaborating, he said the visit would "definitely influence the bilateral ties" between Tehran and Cairo.

Tehran severed ties with Cairo in 1980 in protest at a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel by then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.

But Egypt has responded cautiously to Iranian efforts to revive ties since Morsi took power in 2012, with the two nations adopting opposing positions on the Syrian conflict.

Iran supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Egypt has been a leading voice in urging his departure -- along with regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.

"If Tehran and Cairo see more eye to eye on regional and international issues, many (issues) will change," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

- AFP/fa

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Watch as Vine becomes the next great newsgathering tool

A Vine showing police officers patrolling San Francisco on Super Bowl Sunday evening.

(Credit:
Screen shot by CNET)

What if the Arab Spring, or Hurricane Sandy had been Vined?

Much has been made over the years about how Twitter is one of the world's most important new tools for reporting breaking news. But with the launch of Vine, has Twitter now expanded its control over citizen journalism to video?

Until now, most of the conversation about Vine has been around the service's ability to capture life's quirky moments, or as a way to create interesting (and sometimes artistic) stop-motion video. And of course, everyone knows that there's plenty of porn to be found.

Today, I encountered my first use of Vine as a newsgathering tool -- a video of a fire breaking out in a San Francisco neighborhood -- and it struck me immediately that this is one future for Vine I hadn't yet heard people discussing, although as Wired points out, there have been cases of people using Vine to to document a broken water main and a broken-down San Francisco subway.

The possibilities are staggering. Since Vine is so easy to use -- especially if you're just shooting an uninterrupted six-second video -- there are millions of people who, while witnessing some sort of breaking news or notable situation, could pull out their smart phone, run the app, and quickly shoot and post a video. For now, Vine is only available for iPhone and
iPod Touch, but Twitter wil surely release an
Android version before too long, as well as versions for Windows Phones, and perhaps other platforms. And that will just expand Vine's potential reach, although Twitter has yet to release any download or usage numbers.

That means highway accidents, police misconduct, fires, protests, fights, and just about anything is fair game for anyone to post to Vine and disseminate via social networks like Twitter and Facebook. For the citizen journalist -- or professional reporter -- having the ability to so easily post a video of some kind of newsworthy situation is a potentially invaluable tool. And for professional news organizations, access to such videos could be priceless.

Other short-form video services

Of course, Vine is hardly the only video app available. Others, such as Tout, Cinemagram, and YouTube, have for some time made shooting and sharing such videos fairly simple. YouTube told CNET that 7,000 hours of news-related video are uploaded every day, and more than 350,000 news- or politics-oriented videos were uploaded from Syria in 2012. For its part, Tout has been used to varying degrees by quite a few news organizations, including "The Wall Street Journal," NBC-TV, Sky, and many others, including CNET.

But it would seem that if Vine takes off, its ease of use, and ties to Twitter, could make it the tool of choice for posting -- and perhaps most importantly, instantly sharing -- quick video tidbits of what's happening out in the world.

"The next Zapruder film could come from Vine," said Steve Rubel, an executive vice president and media analyst for Edelman. "That's an interesting concept, and we don't know what's going to happen until there's an event like that. But like the Arab Spring demonstrated the power of Twitter [for disseminating newsworthy photos], there will be something that comes along, something that's momentous and goes on for a period of time and affects many people. [Hurricane] Sandy would be a perfect example."

To Rubel, what sets Vine apart from other short-form video tools is its ties to Twitter and how high-profile Vine has already become. And whether or not Twitter intended Vine to be used this way, the video app fits right into Twitter being "such a watercooler for what's current in news and culture," Rubel said.

Others clearly agree.

"Think of the impact Twitter has made so far on real-time reporting -- making everyone, everywhere, a potential instant eyewitness who can share text or a photo with the world," wrote Jeff Sonderman for Poynter when Vine was launched last month. "Now think of how that effect is amplified when the public can easily start sharing videos of the same events. For one, videos have the potential to be more realistic or graphic than a still photo. That's good when you want to bring the world virtually closer to a news event."

Is it a good thing?

But in his article, Sonderman also raised concerns about whether this kind of citizen journalism is a good thing, asking whether video documentation of events like last August's Empire State Building shooting would have been too much for many to take.

Sonderman also wonders if there are ethical questions raised about tools like Vine about how and when is appropriate to use such tools in news reporting.

"At the same time, [Vine] gives journalists fewer options for balancing ethical concerns," Sonderman wrote. "For instance, with a news photo you can quickly crop or blur specific areas the public shouldn't see. When dealing with a video, that's much harder to do."

To be sure, it's very early days, and until today, I hadn't seen a single instance of Vine being used in anything resembling a newsgathering capacity. But everything has to start somewhere. So did Twitter envision this use for Vine when it acquired the video service last fall? It's hard to say, and Twitter did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

But given how important Twitter has become during any kind of news event, it's hard to imagine the company didn't see the citizen journalism potential of Vine, even if until now, that's an angle that has hardly been talked about, either by the company, or in the larger conversation about the tool and its utility.

"There will be a Zapruder film moment," said Rubel, "or one like the Miracle on the Hudson, which put TwitPic on the map, and made people say, shoot, Twitter is for photos. There will be something, some sort of newsworthy moment, and that [Vine] will become the iconic image" of the event.

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Space Pictures This Week: A Space Monkey, Printing a Moon Base

Illustration courtesy Foster and Partners/ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) announced January 31 that it is looking into building a moon base (pictured in an artist's conception) using a technique called 3-D printing.

It probably won't be as easy as whipping out a printer, hooking it to a computer, and pressing "print," but using lunar soils as the basis for actual building blocks could be a possibility.

"Terrestrial 3-D printing technology has produced entire structures," said Laurent Pambaguian, head of the project for ESA, in a statement.

On Earth, 3-D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, produces a three-dimensional object from a digital file. The computer takes cross-sectional slices of the structure to be printed and sends it to the 3-D printer. The printer bonds liquid or powder materials in the shape of each slice, gradually building up the structure. (Watch how future astronauts could print tools in space.)

The ESA and its industrial partners have already manufactured a 1.7 ton (1.5 tonne) honeycombed building block to demonstrate what future construction materials would look like.

—Jane J. Lee

Published February 4, 2013

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Boy Rescued in Ala. Standoff 'Laughing, Joking'

The 5-year-old boy held hostage in a nearly week-long standoff in Alabama is in good spirits and apparently unharmed after being reunited with his family at a hospital, according to his family and law enforcement officials.

The boy, identified only as Ethan, was rescued by the FBI Monday afternoon after they rushed the underground bunker where suspect Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, was holding him. Dykes was killed in the raid and the boy was taken away from the bunker in an ambulance.

Who Is Jimmy Lee Dykes?

Officials have not yet provided any further details on the raid, citing the ongoing investigation.

"I've been to the hospital," FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson told reporters Monday night. "I visited with Ethan. He is doing fine. He's laughing, joking, playing, eating, the things that you would expect a normal 5- to 6-year-old young man to do. He's very brave, he's very lucky, and the success story is that he's out safe and doing great."

Ethan is expected to be released from the hospital later today and head home where he will be greeted by birthday cards from his friends at school. Ethan will celebrate his 6th birthday Wednesday.

Alabama Hostage Standoff: Jimmy Lee Dykes Dead Watch Video

Alabama Hostage Crisis: Boy Held Captive for 7 Days Watch Video

Officials were able to insert a high-tech camera into the 6-by-8-foot bunker to monitor Dykes' movements, and they became increasingly concerned that he might act out, a law enforcement source with direct knowledge told ABC News Monday. FBI special agents were positioned near the entrance of the bunker and used an explosive charge to gain access and neutralize Dykes.

"Within the past 24 hours, negotiations deteriorated and Mr. Dykes was observed holding a gun," the FBI's Richardson said. "At this point, the FBI agents, fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child."

Richardson said it "got tough to negotiate and communicate" with Dykes, but declined to give any specifics.

After the raid was complete, FBI bomb technicians checked the property for improvised explosive devices, the FBI said in a written statement Monday afternoon.

The FBI had created a mock bunker near the site and had been using it to train agents for different scenarios to get Ethan out, sources told ABC News.

Former FBI special agent and ABC News consultant Brad Garrett said rescue operators in this case had a delicate balance.

"You have to take into consideration if you're going to go in that room and go after Mr. Dykes, you have to be extremely careful because any sort of device you might use against him, could obviously harm Ethan because he's right there," he said.

Still, Monday's raid was not the ending police had sought as they spent days negotiating with the decorated Vietnam veteran through a ventilation shaft. The plastic PVC pipe was also used to send the child comfort items, including a red Hot Wheels car, coloring books, cheese crackers, potato chips and medicine.

State Sen. Harri Anne Smith said Ethan's mother asked police a few days ago not to kill Dykes.

"She put her hand on the officer's heart and said, 'Sir, don't hurt him. He's sick,'" Smith said Monday.

Taylor Hodges, pastor of the Midland City Baptist Church, said, "Many people here don't keep their doors locked. Things are going to change, especially for our school system."

The outcome of the situation drew praise from the White House.

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Bug protects itself by turning its environment to gold

Mythical King Midas was ultimately doomed because everything he touched turned to gold. Now, the reverse has been found in bacteria that owe their survival to a natural Midas touch.

Delftia acidovorans lives in sticky biofilms that form on top of gold deposits, but exposure to dissolved gold ions can kill it. That's because although metallic gold is unreactive, the ions are toxic.

To protect itself, the bacterium has evolved a chemical that detoxifies gold ions by turning them into harmless gold nanoparticles. These accumulate safely outside the bacterial cells.

"This could have potential for gold extraction," says Nathan Magarvey of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who led the team that uncovered the bugs' protective trick. "You could use the bug, or the molecules they secrete."

He says the discovery could be used to dissolve gold out of water carrying it, or to design sensors that would identify gold-rich streams and rivers.

The protective chemical is a protein dubbed delftibactin A. The bugs secrete it into the surroundings when they sense gold ions, and it chemically changes the ions into particles of gold 25 to 50 nanometres across. The particles accumulate wherever the bugs grow, creating patches of gold.

Deep purple gold

But don't go scanning streams for golden shimmers: the nanoparticle patches do not reflect light in the same way as bigger chunks of the metal – giving them a deep purple colour.

When Magarvey deliberately snipped out the gene that makes delftibactin A, the bacteria died or struggled to survive exposure to gold chloride. Adding the protein to the petri dish rescued them.

The bacterium Magarvey investigated is one of two species that thrive on gold, both identified a decade or so ago by Frank Reith of the University of Adelaide in Australia. In 2009 Reith discovered that the other species, Cupriavidus metallidurans, survives using the slightly riskier strategy of changing gold ions into gold inside its cells.

"If delftibactin is selective for gold, it might be useful for gold recovery or as a biosensor," says Reith. "But how much dissolved gold is out there is difficult to say."

Journal reference: Nature Chemical Biology, DOI: 10.1038/NCHEMBIO.1179

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MPs call for ways to avoid 6.9m-strong population

SINGAPORE: Some 60 Members of Parliament (MPs) have indicated their interest to take part in the debate on the White Paper on Population.

There were several references to the much-talked-about population number, which the government is using to prepare infrastructure plans.

There were calls to find ways to avoid the need to grow Singapore's population to 6.9 million people.

Suggestions included improving work-life balance and providing more incentives for Singaporeans to have children.

Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency said: "We do need to do more to have more citizens, not just by getting new citizens in but also by getting our people to get married. And getting our married couples to have more babies. Singaporeans ourselves can and must respond and answer to this call too.

"At the same time can we moderate the flow of immigration as we strive to grow our citizen population? Only within these figures can the notion of maintaining a strong Singapore core make sense. At the same time, we need to continually review and continually enhance the privileges of being a Singapore citizen. This must be on government's radar screen all the time."

Foo Mee Har, MP for West Coast GRC suggested: "I would like to call for urgent action to ensure a stronger Singaporean core in our population strategy. I offer two priorities for the Deputy Prime Minister's consideration so that we don't arrive at 6.9 million - Take bolder steps to improve total fertility rate, tap our own talent pool, especially amongst economically inactive women and older workers."

"There is a national anxiety and some angst, but instead of letting out this national moan about the projected population numbers, there should be a national vigour to address the vulnerabilities of Singapore," said Arthur Fong, MP for West Coast GRC.

"Perhaps then, we might look at the numbers needed with more objectivity and a renewed urgency to move forward on borrowed time. Our future rests with the three keys that the White Paper has stated, that the heart of our nation is represented by our Singaporean core. I would like to say that for a strong Singapore and a cohesive society, we need a strong heart and better yet, a big heart."

There were also concerns that augmenting the Singapore population with new citizens and permanent residents would dilute the Singaporean identity.

Christopher de Souza, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC said: "Singaporeans must be the key ingredient to how Singapore is portrayed to and understood by the rest of the world. This responsibility and privilege must be accorded to Singaporeans, with PRs and residents playing a complementary role. Every few years, Singaporeans must be able to look back and say 'My life, my family's life has improved, there is a happy future for us.'"

MP for Aljunied GRC Sylvia Lim said also expressed concerns about a dilution of the Singaporean identity.

She said a strong Singaporean core must be strongly Singaporean in values, culture and sense of history, and should be made up of Singaporeans who grew up in Singapore.

The opposition MP said the Workers' Party is opposing the White Paper on Population and proposed that Singapore entertain the idea of a more modest GDP growth rate which will see a population of 5.9 million or less in 2030.

Ms Lim said this can be achieved if Singapore works towards a GDP growth of 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent per year up to 2020. And from 2020 to 2030, 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent per year.

"This trade off will mean less overcrowding, better integration of newcomers, a stronger Singaporean identity, and less stressful labour market competition. This is turn is likely to have knock-on effects on total fertility rate recovery.

"It will also not be at the expense of market competitiveness, as our economy continues to restructure, to push the proportions of Singaporeans in PMET jobs from half to two thirds. The road map proposed in the White Paper will further dilute our national identity. It will also place us on a course towards needing even larger population injections in the future, which we do not believe is sustainable."

- CNA/xq

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HP Chromebook shows 'multi-OS approach'

HP's Pavilion 14 Chromebook

(Credit:
Hewlett-Packard)

Moving its PC line beyond Microsoft's Windows operating system by embracing Google's Chrome OS, Hewlett-Packard today announced the $330 Pavilion 14 Chromebook.

Samsung and Acer were the first to offer Chrome OS devices, with Lenovo following suit. Now HP evidently believes it's worth jumping on the bandwagon for the browser-based operating system, describing the Chromebook as part of its "multi-OS approach."

"Google's Chrome OS is showing great appeal to a growing customer base," said Kevin Frost, general manager of HP's Consumer PC, Printing, and Personal Systems group. "With HP's Chromebook, customers can get the best of the Google experience on a full-sized laptop, all backed up by our service and brand."

Microsoft has retained its cloud in the PC market despite allies dalliances before. Dell, for example, gave the Ubuntu version of Linux an endorsement and sales channel for years. What's different now is that Microsoft, along with traditional PC allies such as Dell and HP, has been struggling to grapple with the arrival of smartphones and
tablets beyond the traditional PC market.

The Pavilion 14 has unspectacular hardware -- specifications that emerged last week in a spec sheet on HP's Web site -- but HP is trying to separate it from the competition by touting its larger 14-inch display.

It uses a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, a 16GB solid-state drive, an HDMI port, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), and an HD Webcam. It weighs 4 pounds and comes with a two-year deal for 100GB of storage at Google Drive.

Chrome OS runs Web apps, which means people using it for things like Facebook, Google Docs, Web-based e-mail, and YouTube will notice little practical difference compared to using a browser on a more traditional operating system like Windows or OS X. However, software that runs natively on those OSes, such as Skype,
iTunes, and many games don't work on Chrome OS.

HP isn't trying to persuade would-be customers that Chrome OS is up to all computing chores. Instead, it focuses on using Google online services, calling the Pavilion 14 "a fast and easy gateway to a seamless Google experience with popular products like Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps in the Chrome Web Store."

It's a useful suite of abilities, to be sure, which is why CNET has judged Chromebooks to be good second machines, especially with Samsung's low-cost model costing $249.

Chrome OS, like Apple's iOS, is available only preinstalled on specific hardware devices. Google periodically updates the software with new features and bug fixes. One of the latest new features to arrive in the developer version of Chrome OS lets people move the "launcher," a row of icons akin to OS X's Dock and Windows' Taskbar, to the left, right, or top sides of the screen. Previously it only could stretch across the bottom.

Google, often with considerable help from companies including Microsoft and Apple, is working to augment Web programming standards so some of that native software can run on browsers. Mozilla, too, is helping push the idea with
Firefox OS, an operating system philosophically similar to Chrome OS but designed for smartphones.

However, those Web allies don't always support Google's ideas for improving Web programming, such as its Dart programming language that Google believes is a worthy replacement for the ubiquitous JavaScript, or the Native Client technology designed to let C or C++ programmers quickly move their native software or software components to a browser without security risks.

HP is selling the laptop in the U.S. through its HPDirect Web site.

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Pictures We Love: Best of January

Photograph by Dieu Nalio Chery, AP

The magnitude 7 earthquake that struck near Port au Prince, Haiti, in January 2010 so devastated the country that recovery efforts are still ongoing.

Professional dancer Georges Exantus, one of the many casualties of that day, was trapped in his flattened apartment for three days, according to news reports. After friends dug him out, doctors amputated his right leg below the knee. With the help of a prosthetic leg, Exantus is able to dance again. (Read about his comeback.)

Why We Love It

"This is an intimate photo, taken in the subject's most personal space as he lies asleep and vulnerable, perhaps unaware of the photographer. The dancer's prosthetic leg lies in the foreground as an unavoidable reminder of the hardships he faced in the 2010 earthquake. This image makes me want to hear more of Georges' story."—Ben Fitch, associate photo editor

"This image uses aesthetics and the beauty of suggestion to tell a story. We are not given all the details in the image, but it is enough to make us question and wonder."—Janna Dotschkal, associate photo editor

Published February 1, 2013

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Ravens Defeat 49ers in Historic, Unusual Super Bowl

The Baltimore Ravens emerged Super Bowl champions after one of the strangest and most incredible Super Bowl games in recent memory.

It's the second championship for the Ravens, who pulled out a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The Super Bowl is the biggest spectacle in American sports, and each year becomes the most watched television event in history. This year, Jennifer Hudson kicked things off with a touching performance of "America the Beautiful" with a choir of students from Sandy Hook Elementary School.

RELATED: Super Bowl XLVII: Top 6 Things to Know

Alicia Keys accompanied herself on the piano for a long, jazzy rendition of the national anthem, before the coin toss which resulted in San Francisco receiving to start the first half.

Although the game looked at one point like it was going to be a completely unexpected blow-out, with the Ravens leading 28-6 at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, the 49ers got some unusual help that turned the showdown into a much more exciting battle.

About a third of the way into the 3rd quarter, right after a record-tying Ravens rushing touchdown, the power went out at the Superdome, knocking the lights and air conditioning out in the indoor stadium. The crowd of more than 71,000 strong, along with a lot of antsy players, coaches, and staff waited for 34 minutes for the power to fully come back on and the game to resume.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Super Bowl 2013: Beyonce Rocks the Halftime Show Watch Video

Super Bowl 2013: Alicia Keys Sings 'The Star-Spangled Banner' Watch Video

Super Bowl 2013: Jennifer Hudson, Sandy Hook Students Perform Watch Video

In a statement, the NFL said authorities were "investigating the cause of the power outage," and law enforcement sources told ABC News it was just an issue with the building.

That didn't stop many people on Twitter from jokingly blaming Beyonce, the energetic halftime performer who surprisingly reunited shortly with her former band Destiny's Child, for shutting down the power. After her performance, even her husband Jay-Z got in on it, tweeting "Lights out!!! Any questions??"

VIDEO: Super Bowl 2013: Beyonce Rocks the Halftime Show

The 49ers quickly followed the long delay with a touchdown, getting themselves right back into the game. Then just a few minutes later, they found themselves in the end zone again, and it appeared the power outage had flipped the momentum towards the 49ers.

With a score of 31-29 with more than 7 minutes left in the game, San Francisco looked poised to make the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, but the team, trying for its 6th title, wasn't able to overcome the Ravens lead.

Baltimore was able to run out the clock, and the game ended with a final score of 34-31. Purple and gold confetti fell as the Ravens rushed onto the field and celebrated -- with some colorful language from quarterback Joe Flacco audible on the live broadcast, who was caught saying, "f***ing awesome" on CBS' cameras.

The game was already historic thanks to the match-up for John and Jim Harbaugh, the first head coach brothers to ever face each other on football's biggest stage. It was also the final game for the future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, who is, as of the conclusion of the game retired from football.

This is the fifth season in a row that the Ravens have made it to the playoffs, led by Coach John Harbaugh, and SB XLVII MVP Quarterback Joe Flacco. It's the team's first Lombardi trophy since 2000. Their victor tonight made them the only team left in the NFL to have never lost a Super Bowl in multiple appearances.

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