Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/sean-lowe-torn-tricked-in-love-with-two-women/
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Photos: Pope Benedict XVI bids farewell
MADRID, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked. The four-times World Player of the Year and leading scorer in one of the greatest club teams of all time, was a shadow of his usual self at the San Siro in a Champions League last-16 first leg last week, when Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/pope-benedict-xvi-1360597946-slideshow/
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
BlackBerry Z10 for Verizon swings past the FCC
When the BlackBerry Z10 previously reached the FCC, we hadn't yet received the common courtesies of a product name or official carrier plans. Now that it's a known quantity, the device's latest FCC go-round presents a simpler picture. The RFA91LW you see here is clearly the Z10, and the inclusions of CDMA and upper-range 700MHz LTE spectrum leave little doubt that this iteration is headed to Verizon. We also see the expected GSM roaming and NFC. About the only riddle left is the Z10's release date on the network, which isn't yet forthcoming; with FCC approval, though, there's one less thing to hold back a launch on Big Red.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon, Blackberry
Source: FCC
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/blackberry-z10-for-verizon-swings-past-the-fcc/
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Regulators examine if big banks evade payday loan laws: NYT
(Reuters) - Federal and state regulators are examining whether some of the largest U.S. banks are helping Internet-based lenders evade state laws that cap interest rates on payday loans, The New York Times said on Sunday.
Citing several people with direct knowledge of the matter, the newspaper said the FDIC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C. are examining the role of banks in online payday loans.
It also said Benjamin Lawsky, who heads New York State's Department of Financial Services, is investigating how banks enable online lenders to make high-rate loans to residents of New York, where interest rates are capped at 25 percent.
Payday loans, typically a few hundred dollars in size, enable cash-strapped borrowers to obtain quick funds to tide them over until their next paychecks.
But the loans can carry effective annual interest rates that reach well into three digits. Some consumer advocates consider the loans a means to take advantage of financially desperate Americans, who nonetheless shell out $7.4 billion a year for them according to a February 20 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The newspaper did not identify the banks being examined.
But it said that while large banks such as Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co do not make the actual loans, they do let lenders that do to withdraw payments from customers' accounts, even if customers have already begged them to stop.
According to the newspaper, 15 U.S. states ban payday loans, but lenders are setting up online operations in places such as Belize, Malta and the West Indies to more easily evade the caps.
Representatives of JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup Inc and Wells Fargo, the four largest U.S. banks, had no immediate comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FDIC, the CFPB and Lawsky's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The newspaper said a Bank of America spokeswoman said that bank has always honored requests to stop automatic withdrawals, a JPMorgan spokeswoman said that bank is working to resolve open cases, and Wells Fargo declined to comment.
"YOU NEVER CATCH UP"
According to the Pew study, Americans on average pay $520 in finance charges for payday loans that average just $375.
Many of these borrowers find the process a never-ending cycle that leaves them in the same financial binds where they started, according to the study.
Fifty-eight percent of borrowers reported persistent problems paying their bills, and 41 percent found they needed help to repay the loans - such as by borrowing from friends or family, selling personal possessions, or taking out other loans.
Moreover, 27 percent of payday loan borrowers said the loans caused them to overdraw their checking accounts - enabling banks to charge fees for those overdrafts.
"It seems like you never catch up, and it, it's just check-to-check, and something breaks down, and the house needs work, kids have school, just never catch up," a storefront borrower in Chicago was quoted in the report as saying.
The borrower was then asked how long this had gone on. The response: "Twenty years."
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/regulators-examine-big-banks-evade-payday-loan-laws-190733173--finance.html
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Rethinking wind power
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Public release date: 25-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Caroline Perry
cperry@seas.harvard.edu
617-496-1351
Harvard University
Harvard research suggests real-world generating capacity of wind farms at large scales has been overestimated
Cambridge, Mass. February 25, 2013 "People have often thought there's no upper bound for wind powerthat it's one of the most scalable power sources," says Harvard applied physicist David Keith. After all, gusts and breezes don't seem likely to "run out" on a global scale in the way oil wells might run dry.
Yet the latest research in mesoscale atmospheric modeling, published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, suggests that the generating capacity of large-scale wind farms has been overestimated.
Each wind turbine creates behind it a "wind shadow" in which the air has been slowed down by drag on the turbine's blades. The ideal wind farm strikes a balance, packing as many turbines onto the land as possible, while also spacing them enough to reduce the impact of these wind shadows. But as wind farms grow larger, they start to interact, and the regional-scale wind patterns matter more.
Keith's research has shown that the generating capacity of very large wind power installations (larger than 100 square kilometers) may peak at between 0.5 and 1 watts per square meter. Previous estimates, which ignored the turbines' slowing effect on the wind, had put that figure at between 2 and 7 watts per square meter.
In short, we may not have access to as much wind power as scientists thought.
An internationally renowned expert on climate science and technology policy, Keith holds appointments as Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and as Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Coauthor Amanda S. Adams was formerly a postdoctoral fellow with Keith and is now assistant professor of geography and Earth sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
"One of the inherent challenges of wind energy is that as soon as you start to develop wind farms and harvest the resource, you change the resource, making it difficult to assess what's really available," says Adams.
But having a truly accurate estimate matters, of course, in the pursuit of carbon-neutral energy sources. Solar, wind, and hydro power, for example, could all play roles in fulfilling energy needs that are currently met by coal or oil.
"If wind power's going to make a contribution to global energy requirements that's serious, 10 or 20 percent or more, then it really has to contribute on the scale of terawatts in the next half-century or less," says Keith.
If we were to cover the entire Earth with wind farms, he notes, "the system could potentially generate enormous amounts of power, well in excess of 100 terawatts, but at that point my guess, based on our climate modeling, is that the effect of that on global winds, and therefore on climate, would be severeperhaps bigger than the impact of doubling CO2."
"Our findings don't mean that we shouldn't pursue wind powerwind is much better for the environment than conventional coalbut these geophysical limits may be meaningful if we really want to scale wind power up to supply a third, let's say, of our primary energy," Keith adds.
And the climatic effect of turbine drag is not the only constraint; geography and economics matter too.
"It's clear the theoretical upper limit to wind power is huge, if you don't care about the impacts of covering the whole world with wind turbines," says Keith. "What's not clearand this is a topic for future researchis what the practical limit to wind power would be if you consider all of the real-world constraints. You'd have to assume that wind turbines need to be located relatively close to where people actually live and where there's a fairly constant wind supply, and that they have to deal with environmental constraints. You can't just put them everywhere."
"The real punch line," he adds, "is that if you can't get much more than half a watt out, and you accept that you can't put them everywhere, then you may start to reach a limit that matters."
In order to stabilize the Earth's climate, Keith estimates, the world will need to identify sources for several tens of terawatts of carbon-free power within a human lifetime. In the meantime, policymakers must also decide how to allocate resources to develop new technologies to harness that energy.
In doing so, Keith says, "It's worth asking about the scalability of each potential energy sourcewhether it can supply, say, 3 terawatts, which would be 10 percent of our global energy need, or whether it's more like 0.3 terawatts and 1 percent."
"Wind power is in a middle ground," he says. "It is still one of the most scalable renewables, but our research suggests that we will need to pay attention to its limits and climatic impacts if we try to scale it beyond a few terawatts."
###
The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 25-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Caroline Perry
cperry@seas.harvard.edu
617-496-1351
Harvard University
Harvard research suggests real-world generating capacity of wind farms at large scales has been overestimated
Cambridge, Mass. February 25, 2013 "People have often thought there's no upper bound for wind powerthat it's one of the most scalable power sources," says Harvard applied physicist David Keith. After all, gusts and breezes don't seem likely to "run out" on a global scale in the way oil wells might run dry.
Yet the latest research in mesoscale atmospheric modeling, published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, suggests that the generating capacity of large-scale wind farms has been overestimated.
Each wind turbine creates behind it a "wind shadow" in which the air has been slowed down by drag on the turbine's blades. The ideal wind farm strikes a balance, packing as many turbines onto the land as possible, while also spacing them enough to reduce the impact of these wind shadows. But as wind farms grow larger, they start to interact, and the regional-scale wind patterns matter more.
Keith's research has shown that the generating capacity of very large wind power installations (larger than 100 square kilometers) may peak at between 0.5 and 1 watts per square meter. Previous estimates, which ignored the turbines' slowing effect on the wind, had put that figure at between 2 and 7 watts per square meter.
In short, we may not have access to as much wind power as scientists thought.
An internationally renowned expert on climate science and technology policy, Keith holds appointments as Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and as Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Coauthor Amanda S. Adams was formerly a postdoctoral fellow with Keith and is now assistant professor of geography and Earth sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
"One of the inherent challenges of wind energy is that as soon as you start to develop wind farms and harvest the resource, you change the resource, making it difficult to assess what's really available," says Adams.
But having a truly accurate estimate matters, of course, in the pursuit of carbon-neutral energy sources. Solar, wind, and hydro power, for example, could all play roles in fulfilling energy needs that are currently met by coal or oil.
"If wind power's going to make a contribution to global energy requirements that's serious, 10 or 20 percent or more, then it really has to contribute on the scale of terawatts in the next half-century or less," says Keith.
If we were to cover the entire Earth with wind farms, he notes, "the system could potentially generate enormous amounts of power, well in excess of 100 terawatts, but at that point my guess, based on our climate modeling, is that the effect of that on global winds, and therefore on climate, would be severeperhaps bigger than the impact of doubling CO2."
"Our findings don't mean that we shouldn't pursue wind powerwind is much better for the environment than conventional coalbut these geophysical limits may be meaningful if we really want to scale wind power up to supply a third, let's say, of our primary energy," Keith adds.
And the climatic effect of turbine drag is not the only constraint; geography and economics matter too.
"It's clear the theoretical upper limit to wind power is huge, if you don't care about the impacts of covering the whole world with wind turbines," says Keith. "What's not clearand this is a topic for future researchis what the practical limit to wind power would be if you consider all of the real-world constraints. You'd have to assume that wind turbines need to be located relatively close to where people actually live and where there's a fairly constant wind supply, and that they have to deal with environmental constraints. You can't just put them everywhere."
"The real punch line," he adds, "is that if you can't get much more than half a watt out, and you accept that you can't put them everywhere, then you may start to reach a limit that matters."
In order to stabilize the Earth's climate, Keith estimates, the world will need to identify sources for several tens of terawatts of carbon-free power within a human lifetime. In the meantime, policymakers must also decide how to allocate resources to develop new technologies to harness that energy.
In doing so, Keith says, "It's worth asking about the scalability of each potential energy sourcewhether it can supply, say, 3 terawatts, which would be 10 percent of our global energy need, or whether it's more like 0.3 terawatts and 1 percent."
"Wind power is in a middle ground," he says. "It is still one of the most scalable renewables, but our research suggests that we will need to pay attention to its limits and climatic impacts if we try to scale it beyond a few terawatts."
###
The research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/hu-rwp022513.php
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Slovenia's Tina Maze clinches World Cup title
MERIBEL, France (AP) ? There was only one fitting way for Tina Maze to wrap up the overall World Cup title ? with another victory, and with plenty of time to spare.
She clinched her first crystal globe Sunday by winning a super-combined for eighth win of the season. So overpowering was her season that she clinched the overall trophy with nine races to go.
"It's really special because it's so difficult to win. For me, it's special to continue this level of skiing," said Maze, who celebrated with a cartwheel. "To be on the top is amazing. It's a great season for me. Even if there have been ups and downs I have always come back."
To Maze, it was also the perfect response to doubters back home in Slovenia. Some mocked her for having the audacity to dream about becoming the world's best skier.
"I think the people are realizing that the dream came true, that one year ago they were saying 'Ah, this Maze, she's making jokes when she says she will win a globe or something like that. Yeah, she's full of herself' and these kinds of things," Maze said. "In Slovenia, it's (the) mentality. It's better to be sometimes (more mainstream) than to go out (and be different) from the majority.
"I didn't want to be like everybody else. So I'm always looking for something else, something better, something different and I'm really proud of that."
Maze led the downhill and coasted home in the slalom after Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out of contention. She tied a season record with her 18th top-three finish, matching the podium mark set by Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden and Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein.
"I'm an emotional person, I didn't want to cry (on the podium)," Maze said, adding she felt sick before the slalom. "I went to the toilet six times before I started. A lot of people (were) sick and I guess I get something from them, too."
Maze has 1,844 points in the overall standings and looks all but certain to break the season record ?men or women ? of 2,000 held by Austrian great Hermann Maier.
Hoefl-Riesch is second in the overall standings but is 958 points behind and has no chance of closing the gap. Each victory is worth 100 points.
Lindsey Vonn, the four-time overall winner and defending champion, fell out of contention after she took a monthlong break because of an intestinal illness and then was done for the season after a knee injury at the world championships. Vonn is still third overall with 740 points.
"I'm really tired now, especially after a long day like today," the 29-year-old Maze said. "Today was so tough, I didn't know where I was. I almost went off the course twice. But I just managed to catch the gates. It's crazy."
She is also seeking to become only the third woman to have at least one win in all five disciplines in one season, and lacks only a downhill victory. She had a chance Saturday but finished fourth. She has two downhills remaining, starting next week in the German resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Vonn won 12 races last season and Maze has a chance of matching that, although Swiss great Vreni Schneider's single-season World Cup record of 14 wins appears out of sight.
Nicole Hosp of Austria, the world championship bronze medalist in the super-combi, finished second. Countrywoman Michaela Kirchgasser took third place with a superb slalom run ? 42.66 seconds to Maze's 44.26.
"My target is to be focused until the end of the season because there are many small globes that are open and possible to get," Maze said. "I want to keep this level of skiing until the end, I don't want to go down, I want to keep it at the high level."
Hosp, the World Cup winner in 2007, lauded Maze's consistency.
"There are no words to describe Tina's amazing season," Hosp said.
Julia Mancuso came close to clinching the fourth super-combi podium of her career and her first in six years. But the American made a small mistake midway through, falling forward on her skis.
It seems only an injury can prevent Maze from breaking Maier's points record, set in 1999-2000. Vonn holds the women's record with 1,980 points from last season.
"It has been an extraordinary season for Tina," Kirchgasser said. "To be so far ahead in the points. Last time it was a man who won with more than 2,000 points, and I don't think Tina will be far off."
Maze's phenomenal season also includes three gold medals from the worlds in Schladming, Austria ? gold in super-G and silver in super-combi and giant slalom. She lost out on a second gold to Hoefl-Riesch and felt Sunday's win somewhat made up for that.
"I had that in mind because in Schladming I didn't do a good slalom," she said. "I didn't risk a lot and today I did different, so at the end it's a revenge, too, but the priority was better skiing from my side.
"It's a good slope. I had some troubles yesterday in downhill," Maze said. "I had some trouble on the top. But the rest of the hill is like a dream."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slovenias-tina-maze-clinches-world-cup-title-185750409--spt.html
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