Just 11 percent of adults, 5 percent of children participate in medical research

Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
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Contact: Mary F. Masson
mfmasson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Improving public engagement could help attract the right participants to the right studies, according to University of Michigan study

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Medical research is vital to the advancement of health care, but many medical research studies have too few people who participate. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States.

Through a unique, nationally representative survey of 2,150 households in 2011, University of Michigan researchers found that only 11% of adults and 5% of children had ever participated in medical research. The study was published in January in Clinical and Translational Science.

About 11 percent of adults of all ages equals about 20 million research participants and 5 percent of children equals about 3 million, says the study's lead author Matthew Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., an associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

"Our study indicates that public awareness of opportunities, and the match of research needs with potential participant characteristics, potentially limit enrollment," says Davis, who is also associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

"Researchers and institutions need to spread the word more effectively, to help people know about research opportunities that are a good fit for them," says Davis. "When institutions reach out to communities to hear and understand their needs, and then respond with resources, ideas and opportunities, that's what we call engagement in research.

"When research institutions engage effectively with the public, that's when the public can benefit in tremendous ways from the research to which they contribute," says Davis.

Davis and his colleagues found that 64% of adults said they were aware of opportunities to participate in medical research, while only 12% of parents said they were aware of opportunities for their children to participate.

According to the study, race/ethnicity was not related to whether adults or children had participated or were aware of research opportunities, says the study's senior author Deb Gipson, M.D., M.S., associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases. This is quite important as health care needs to be effective for all of our citizens.

The National Institutes of Health by establishing its newest institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), has made considerable investment in bringing new medical ideas from the research laboratory into healthcarea process that is called translational research. A central part of that investment has been through Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) provided to select research centers across the country, says Gipson. As a component of their mission, CTSA sites are charged with establishing community engagement programs through which the centers can establish mechanisms for bi-directional communication about various research needs and opportunities as well as invite members of the public to participate in clinical and translational science initiatives.

"We hope this study can help advance medical research by highlighting opportunities to improve public engagement ," Gipson says.

Advances in science and medical care depend on public participation in medical research, says Thomas P. Shanley, M.D., a co-author of the study and director of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research that houses the CTSA awarded to the University of Michigan. The institute, known as MICHR, leads the university-wide effort in translational research and will be launching an enhanced version of a research participant portal, UMClinicalStudies.org, this coming spring.

"Researchers are constantly challenged to reach out to and recruit adults and children to participate in studies that can change the way we treat diseases. We hope this study sheds light on new ways to address this challenge and encourage more participation in the science that can change and ultimately improve health outcomes, in our communities as well as around the globe," Shanley says.

###

Additional authors: All of the University of Michigan: Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H.; Amy T. Butchart, M.P.H.; Dianne C. Singer, M.P.H.

Journal Reference: DOI 10.1111/cts.12019

Funding: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, formerly known as the National Center for Research Resources, of the National Institutes of Health.

To learn more about participating in research at the University of Michigan, visit http://www.umclinicalstudies.org/

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Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary F. Masson
mfmasson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System

Improving public engagement could help attract the right participants to the right studies, according to University of Michigan study

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Medical research is vital to the advancement of health care, but many medical research studies have too few people who participate. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States.

Through a unique, nationally representative survey of 2,150 households in 2011, University of Michigan researchers found that only 11% of adults and 5% of children had ever participated in medical research. The study was published in January in Clinical and Translational Science.

About 11 percent of adults of all ages equals about 20 million research participants and 5 percent of children equals about 3 million, says the study's lead author Matthew Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., an associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

"Our study indicates that public awareness of opportunities, and the match of research needs with potential participant characteristics, potentially limit enrollment," says Davis, who is also associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

"Researchers and institutions need to spread the word more effectively, to help people know about research opportunities that are a good fit for them," says Davis. "When institutions reach out to communities to hear and understand their needs, and then respond with resources, ideas and opportunities, that's what we call engagement in research.

"When research institutions engage effectively with the public, that's when the public can benefit in tremendous ways from the research to which they contribute," says Davis.

Davis and his colleagues found that 64% of adults said they were aware of opportunities to participate in medical research, while only 12% of parents said they were aware of opportunities for their children to participate.

According to the study, race/ethnicity was not related to whether adults or children had participated or were aware of research opportunities, says the study's senior author Deb Gipson, M.D., M.S., associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases. This is quite important as health care needs to be effective for all of our citizens.

The National Institutes of Health by establishing its newest institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), has made considerable investment in bringing new medical ideas from the research laboratory into healthcarea process that is called translational research. A central part of that investment has been through Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) provided to select research centers across the country, says Gipson. As a component of their mission, CTSA sites are charged with establishing community engagement programs through which the centers can establish mechanisms for bi-directional communication about various research needs and opportunities as well as invite members of the public to participate in clinical and translational science initiatives.

"We hope this study can help advance medical research by highlighting opportunities to improve public engagement ," Gipson says.

Advances in science and medical care depend on public participation in medical research, says Thomas P. Shanley, M.D., a co-author of the study and director of the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research that houses the CTSA awarded to the University of Michigan. The institute, known as MICHR, leads the university-wide effort in translational research and will be launching an enhanced version of a research participant portal, UMClinicalStudies.org, this coming spring.

"Researchers are constantly challenged to reach out to and recruit adults and children to participate in studies that can change the way we treat diseases. We hope this study sheds light on new ways to address this challenge and encourage more participation in the science that can change and ultimately improve health outcomes, in our communities as well as around the globe," Shanley says.

###

Additional authors: All of the University of Michigan: Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H.; Amy T. Butchart, M.P.H.; Dianne C. Singer, M.P.H.

Journal Reference: DOI 10.1111/cts.12019

Funding: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, formerly known as the National Center for Research Resources, of the National Institutes of Health.

To learn more about participating in research at the University of Michigan, visit http://www.umclinicalstudies.org/

---

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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/2013-01/uomh-j1p013113.php

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Oregon State baseball Media Day

By KVAL Sports Published: Jan 29, 2013 at 6:40 PM PST Last Updated: Jan 29, 2013 at 6:40 PM PST

CORVALLIS, Ore. ? The message was clear at Oregon State baseball?Media?Day, this season is all about getting to Omaha.

The Beavers will enter the season ranked No. 6 by Baseball America, the highest ranking of any Pac-12 team.

With several key players returning, Oregon State has great expectations, but head coach Pat Casey wants his team to prove it on the field.

"I always say what they used to run around the minor league ball parks, prospect is suspect that you don't expect," said Casey, who is returning for his 19th season as Oregon State's head coach.? "I don't for any reason see why we cant be a good baseball team."

The Beavers are coming off a 40-20 season in 2012, but their postseason run was cut short when they lost a 10-inning elimination game against LSU in the Regional Round.

"As soon as that last pitch was thrown at LSU, I think we've been real hungry to get back out there," said Ben Wetzler.? "We didn't like the feeling that we had there."

Wetzler is expected to be the number one pitcher in the Oregon State rotation after he went 8-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 2012.

Click on the video tab above to watch Pat Casey preview the Beavers season.

Source: http://www.kval.com/sports/local/Oregon-State-baseball-Media-Day-188943101.html

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The French are winning handily in Mali

Enough with the facile Vietnam and Afghanistan analogies.

By Dan Murphy,?Staff writer / January 31, 2013

French soldiers patrol the area outside the Sankore Mosque, a world heritage site, in Timbuktu, Thursday.

Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Enlarge

Some frankly silly thoughts and ideas have been punctured in the past few days about France's invasion of Mali. Most importantly, that the French military effort to roll back the advance of salafy jihadis who had captured much of the north of the country, bringing a reign of amputations and torture to locals for what they deemed violations of Islamic law, would turn into a repeat of Dien Bien Phu, where French forces were defeated by a 45,000 man Viet Minh army backed by both China and the Soviet Union.

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Or that it could come to resemble the American experience in the Vietnam War after the US had taken the lead from the French. Or, mon dieu! -- it was going to be just like Afghanistan.

No, it was never going to be like any of these places and historical contingencies. The simple fact that the United States' recent experience of war is of the long, grinding, expensive and inconclusive messes of Iraq and Afghanistan doesn't mean that other nations won't step more nimbly and carefully in their own wars. And while I don't know terribly much about Mali, I do know that the jihadis had nothing anywhere near either the number of fighters nor the powerful outside backers that the Viet Minh had at Dien Bien Phu and the Taliban, thanks to Pakistan's assistance, have today.

So here's one lesson we've learned so far: When the conditions are right, it's easier for professional, well-armed soldiers to defeat jihadi insurgents. France's war in Mali began on Jan. 11 and by Jan. 26 it was all but wrapped up.

Of course, a lot of the jihadis simply cut and ran, giving up the towns they'd held for months and in which, as they commonly do wherever they take control of the world, they'd alienated and antagonized the residents.

Could they come back? Sure. Mali's Tuareg's have had a bad relationship with the central government since the state was founded and while both the central government's troops and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) are now eager to see the back of Al Qaeda-inspired groups like Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Ansar al-Dine, they may find it hard to get along with each other for long.?

Laura Seay, a political scientist who focuses on central Africa at Morehouse College, explained in Foreign Policy yesterday some of the specifics of Mali and why France has done relatively well so far.

How is Mali different from Afghanistan? First, Mali is not where empires go to die. Afghanistan is well-known as a place that has always been difficult for any outsiders to invade and sustain military engagement, much less establish governing institutions. What governing institutions are established have long been weak and largely decentralized structures that allow local and tribal leaders maximum autonomy. Mali, by contrast, has a longer history of at least some centralized rule. The Mali Empire, which governed a huge swath of West Africa from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, included the renowned city of scholarship in Timbuktu. Mali's colonization by France in 1892 was largely peaceful, and the country has never engaged in a serious war until now, with the exception of a brief and violent border dispute with Burkina Faso in the mid-1980s. France's exit from Mali at the end of colonization was accomplished peacefully as well.

France's engagement in Mali is also unlike U.S. engagement in Afghanistan in that, because of their colonial history, the French know what they are getting into. There are decades of outstanding French scholarship on Mali; France is practically drowning in Mali experts in government, academia, and the private sector. This is more important than many realize; having deep cultural and historical knowledge and a shared language (most educated Malians still speak French) makes it much easier for French forces to relate to average Malians and build friendships with key local leaders whose support will be necessary for long-term success.

As long as we're learning about history, it's also time to put to rest the foolish trope so popular in some American circles that France is a wimpy has-been power that doesn't dare get its feet wet, even in good causes. This month, they've beat back jihadis in Mali, at least giving the country a chance to work out its own internal problems (which of course, it may well fumble again.)

(Below, video of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys from the Foreign Legion's 2nd Parachute Regiment arriving in Timbuktu overnight on Monday.)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Q_roloIAZxQ/The-French-are-winning-handily-in-Mali

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Whistle away the need for diapers: Vietnamese babies often out of diapers at nine months

Jan. 30, 2013 ? Western babies are potty trained later these days and need diapers until an average of three years of age. But even infants can be potty trained. A study by researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, followed 47 infants and their mothers in Vietnam -- where potty training starts at birth and the need for diapers is usually eliminated by nine months of age.

Not only does eliminating the need for diapers save money and remove one practical chore for parents, but the baby's ability to control its bladder improves efficiency and reduces the risk of urinary tract infection, researchers say.

International research shows that Western babies are being potty trained later these days and average 3-4 years of age before they can take care of their own toileting needs. The situation in Vietnam is very different.

Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, followed 47 Vietnamese mothers for two years to study their potty training procedure, which begins at birth and generally eliminates the need for diapers by nine months of age. The technique is based on learning to be sensitive to when the baby needs to urinate.

"The woman then makes a special whistling sound to remind her baby," Anna-Lena Hellstr?m says. "The whistling method starts at birth and serves as an increasingly powerful means of communication as time goes on."

According to the study, women notice signs of progress by time their babies are three months old. Most babies can use the potty on their own by nine months of age if they are reminded, and they can generally take care of all their toileting needs by the age of two.

"Our studies also found that Vietnamese babies empty their bladders more effectively," Professor Hellstr?m says. "Thus, the evidence is that potty training in itself and not age is the factor that causes bladder control to develop."

Swedes have grown accustomed to the idea that babies cannot be potty trained, but that parents need to wait until they are mature, usually when they decide that they no longer want diapers. The evidence from Vietnam demonstrates that more sophisticated communication between parents and their babies would permit potty training to start and be completed much earlier.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg, via AlphaGalileo.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Thi Hoa Duong, Ulla-Britt Jansson, Anna-Lena Hellstr?m. Vietnamese mothers' experiences with potty training procedure for children from birth to 2 years of age. Journal of Pediatric Urology, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2012.10.023

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/~3/ZTI5tRKJydg/130130082726.htm

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Amazon wants to make your hi-res videos mobile-friendly with ...

Amazon Web Services Launches Amazon Elastic Transcoder

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today announced Amazon Elastic Transcoder, a highly scalable service for transcoding video files between different digital media formats. For example, customers can use Amazon Elastic Transcoder to convert their large high resolution "master" video files into smaller versions that are optimized for playback on websites, mobile devices, connected TV's and other video platforms. Amazon Elastic Transcoder removes the need to manage infrastructure and transcoding software, providing scalability and performance by leveraging AWS services. The service manages all aspects of the transcoding process transparently and automatically. It also supports pre-defined transcoding presets that make it easy to transcode video for smartphones, tablets, web browsers and other devices. With Amazon Elastic Transcoder, customers can create enterprise, training, user-generated, broadcast, or other video content for their applications or websites. Customers can get started with Amazon Elastic Transcoder by visiting http://aws.amazon.com/elastictranscoder.

Traditionally, transcoding has been complex for customers in three significant ways. First, customers need to buy and manage transcoding software, which can be expensive and also requires substantial configuration and management. Second, audio and video settings for each device that the customer wants to support need to be created and tested. Often, this is a trial and error process, which can be wasteful as compute resources are used each time a new combination of settings is tried. Third, to accommodate peak workloads, customers need to provision the transcoding capacity appropriately. This can be expensive because most of the time the capacity is underutilized.

With Amazon Elastic Transcoder these complexities are eliminated. There is no need to buy, configure or manage the underlying transcoding software. In addition, Amazon Elastic Transcoder provides pre-defined presets for popular devices that remove the trial and error in finding the right settings and output formats for different devices. The service also supports custom presets (pre-defined settings made by the customer), making it easy for customers to create re-useable transcoding settings for their unique requirements such as a specific video size or bitrate. Finally, Amazon Elastic Transcoder automatically scales up and down to handle customers' workloads, eliminating wasted capacity and minimizing time spent waiting for jobs to complete. The service also enables customers to process multiple files in parallel and organize their transcoding workflow using a feature called transcoding pipelines. Using transcoding pipelines, customers can configure Amazon Elastic Transcoder to transcode their files when and how they want, so they can efficiently and seamlessly scale for spikey workloads. For example, a news organization may want to have a "high priority" transcoding pipeline for breaking news stories, or a User-Generated Content website may want to have separate pipelines for low, medium, and high resolution outputs to target different devices.

"Our customers told us that it was difficult and expensive to transcode video due to the explosion in the number of devices they need to support," said Charlie Bell, Vice President of Utility Computing Services. "They had to be both experts in the intricacies of video support on different devices and manage the software required to run the transcoding jobs. None of this work had anything to do with their goal: getting a high quality video that would look great on the devices they wanted. We built Amazon Elastic Transcoder to give our customers an easy, cost effective way to solve these problems."

"The Language Learning Center offers hundreds of hours of video content in over 50 languages to students and faculty, with a growing library of video assets," said Bob Majors, Senior Computing Specialist, University of Washington. "With Amazon Elastic Transcoder, we've been very impressed with how easy it is to convert our content into versions that work well on the web and on mobile devices."

"Zuffa encodes videos of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and prides itself on delivering the best and most up to date content to its fans. Amazon's Elastic Transcoder has the horsepower to scale for very large videos, even hundreds of gigabytes in size and this will help us continue to be leaders in the digital space," said Christy King, VP Technology R&D, Zuffa, LLC.

OneScreen is a technology solutions provider that connects video producers, publishers, and advertisers across all screens through its Media Graph platform. "At OneScreen, we are excited to add Amazon Elastic Transcoder to our broad utilization of the AWS cloud," said Patrick Ting, CTO, OneScreen, Inc. "With the scalability and cost-efficiency the service offers, we're able to pass those benefits on to our producer and aggregator partners, making it easier for them to bring high quality content to the market."

Amazon Elastic Transcoder offers simple pay-as-you-go pricing. Customers are charged based on the number of minutes they need to transcode and the selected resolution. There are no upfront fees or minimum commitments required. To help customers understand how this service can be used with their applications, AWS is providing a free tier of service, in which up to the first 20 minutes of content transcoded each month is provided free of charge. Amazon Elastic Transcoder is available in six regions: US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), US West (N. California), EU (Ireland), Asia Pacific (Singapore) and Asia Pacific (Japan). Customers can get started with Amazon Elastic Transcoder by visiting http://aws.amazon.com/elastictranscoder.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/29/amazon-elastic-transcoder/

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Removing Colombia's landmines, one by one

Since 1990, more than 10,000 Colombians have been wounded or killed by landmines, including 982 children. Britain's Halo Trust expects to be one of the first NGOs to start clearing mines in the next several months.

By Anastasia Moloney,?AlertNet / January 30, 2013

A woman practices searching for landmines during a training session involving mock landmines in El Retiro, Colombia. The HALO Trust is establishing a program to begin clearing large areas of the country of mines that have been set by both the government and rebels during a long civil war.

Albeiro Lopera/Reuters

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Civilian demining organizations are training staff to start clearance in Colombia, one of the most mine-scarred countries in the world.

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Two years ago, Colombia passed a law allowing local and international nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to carry out demining operations employing civilians.

Before then, insecurity and violence stemming from nearly five decades of armed conflict meant only the Colombian military was allowed to carry out mine clearance.

The British-based Halo Trust, a demining group, expects to be one of the first international NGOs to start mine clearance within the next several months, employing civilians using mine detectors.

?We are only going to work in areas that are considered safe by the government,? Grant Salisbury, Colombia program manager for HALO, told AlertNet.

?The first group of 14 Colombian civilians has been trained. We hope to increase that figure by 200 by the end of year.?

It is expected that humanitarian demining groups from Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway will also start operations in Colombia within a year.

Colombia has one of the highest rates of landmine victims in the world.

Since 1990, more than 10,000 Colombians have been either wounded or killed by landmines, of which 982 have been children, according to the latest government figures.

The government says Colombia?s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), is responsible for planting the majority of landmines and unexploded ordnance littered across the country, mostly in rural areas.

Using a tin of tuna and costing just $5 each, the rebels often use homemade mines as a cheap weapon of war to repel government troops. The drug-running FARC rebels also plant mines in and around coca fields ? the raw ingredient of cocaine ? to protect their valuable crop.

Colombia's challenging terrain makes mine clearance slow going.

?The terrain is going to be difficult. It?s mountainous and jungle. The daily clearance rate will be slow because of the terrain. It?s slow, but it?s essential work, and it?s possible,? said Salisbury.

Another big challenge facing demining operations in Colombia is a lack of information about where and how many mines are planted, meaning it is impossible to gauge the size of Colombia's mine problem.

As a signatory of the Mine Ban Treaty, Colombia has agreed to clear the country of mines by 2021.

?It?s way too early to say whether that obligation can be met and how much terrain remains to be cleared,? said Salisbury.

In recent years, demining in Colombia has focused on clearing all mines placed by the state military around 35 of their bases to hold off rebel groups.

Humanitarian demining in Colombia is still in its early stages and is largely confined to areas where government troops have secure territorial control.

Despite these challenges, the Colombian government is looking to step up demining operations across the country.

Under historic laws passed in 2011, the government hopes to return millions of hectares of land stolen by armed groups to their rightful owners and to encourage the return of up to 4 million Colombians forced off their land because of the conflict.

However, a key obstacle in giving back stolen land and encouraging uprooted families to return is that some of it remains mined and therefore unsafe for people to return to.

?Both danger and perception of mines is a major obstacle in Colombia?s development. A government plan that envisions the return of IDPs [internally displaced persons] will have to take into account demining,? Salisbury said.

In addition, with peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC rebels under way in the Cuban capital, Havana, the issue of demining is becoming ever more urgent.

If the two sides reach an agreement, demand for humanitarian demining operations run by the Colombian military and foreign and local NGOs will grow significantly.

? This article originally appeared at AlertNet, a humanitarian news site operated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Hl715Pc6Nck/Removing-Colombia-s-landmines-one-by-one

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Clinton says she doesn't see 'getting back into politics'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday cast doubt on speculation she might run for the White House in 2016.

In an interview taped for National Public Radio, Clinton was asked what questions she needs to answer for herself as she decides whether to run for president.

"I'm not even posing those questions. I am really looking forward to stepping off the fast track that I've been on. I've been out of politics as Secretary of State. I don't see myself getting back into politics," she said, according to an excerpt of the interview.

Whether this is her last word on the subject is unknown. She will face strong pressure from Democrats to join the field of contenders. Clinton will step down this week, following Senate confirmation Tuesday of Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry as her successor.

Those close to Clinton are eager for her to announce a 2016 run, so much so that a group has already formed a new super PAC and registered with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, called "Ready for Hillary."

In 2008, she lost to President Barack Obama in a bitter Democratic primary campaign to be the party nominee for the White House.

Although Clinton, 65, did not categorically rule out another presidential run, in a separate NBC interview she said that she was healthy enough to wage a campaign.

"I have no doubt that I am healthy enough and my stamina is great enough and I'll be fully recovered to do whatever I choose to do," Clinton told "Andrea Mitchell Reports" in an interview that aired on Tuesday.

Clinton was hospitalized in December after doctors found a blood clot stemming from a concussion she suffered previously.

She intends to do more public speaking and writing, and work alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and daughter Chelsea on "mutual foundation interests," she said in the NPR interview.

"I want to be involved in philanthropy, advocacy, working on issues - like women and girls - that I care deeply about," Clinton said.

(Reporting by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-says-she-doesnt-see-getting-back-politics-015239548.html

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OCZ Adds 750W & 850W PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III Units ...

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power management solutions for computing devices and systems, today announced that it has added 750W and 850W power supply unit (PSU) models to the award-winning Silencer Mk III Power Supply Series from PC Power & Cooling. With these new high-wattage options, the Silencer Mk III provides a professional-grade power solution rated for industrial usage and provides the performance and stability required for demanding computing environments.

?Building on our highly reputable Silencer Mk III core architecture, we are very pleased to deliver new high-wattage options that provide the ultimate in efficiency and stability while delivering ultra-quiet operation and a modular cable design for which this portfolio is highly regarded,? said Bob Roark, Vice-President of Power Management for OCZ Technology. ?With the addition of 750W and 850W models, the Silencer Mk III Power Supply Series once again defines the ultimate power management solution for today?s professional and enthusiast users.?

The Silencer Mk III 750W and 850W are rock-solid power supply solutions that meet the stringent 80 Plus Gold certification for exceptional energy-efficiency ratings and support over 90 percent efficiency under typical workloads. Featuring its popular Dual Thermal Control System (a sophisticated operation that allows either PSU model to be switched seamlessly between normal and silent modes), the Silencer Mk III works in conjunction with the load and temperature controlled fan for ultra-quiet operation. Additionally, the entire Silencer Mk III Series combines a single +12V rail, premium components (including 100 percent Japanese 105?C capacitors), rigorous protection circuitries, continuous stable output at a demanding 50?C ambient temperature, and heavy-duty chrome finish metallic cable connectors to provide excellent conductivity and lower resistance when compared to other power supplies on the market.

Where industrial-grade durability meets a sleek modular design, the Silencer Mk III 750W and 850W models are available immediately and are backed with PC Power & Cooling?s complete confidence in reliability and supported by an industry-leading 7 year warranty.

Source: PC Power & Cooling | News Archive

Source: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/ocz-adds-750w-850w-pc-power-cooling-silencer-mk-iii-units/

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Police push for background checks on gun purchases

President Barack Obama pauses as the press leaves the room as he meets with representatives from Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington, to discuss policies put forward by President Obama to reduce gun violence. From left are Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff Richard W. Stanek . (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama pauses as the press leaves the room as he meets with representatives from Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington, to discuss policies put forward by President Obama to reduce gun violence. From left are Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff Richard W. Stanek . (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama meets with representatives from Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington, to discuss policies put forward by President Obama to reduce gun violence. Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff Richard W. Stanek, President Obama, is left, and Charles H. Ramsey Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department is right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama speaks to media as he meets with representatives from Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington, to discuss policies put forward by President Obama to reduce gun violence. From left are U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff Richard W. Stanek, President Obama, and Charles H. Ramsey Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Law enforcement leaders who met with President Barack Obama Monday urged him to focus on strengthening gun purchase background checks and mental health systems, but did not unify behind his more controversial gun control efforts.

The message from sheriffs and police chiefs gathered at the White House reflected the political reality in Congress that the assault weapons ban in particular is likely to have a hard time winning broad support. The president appeared to recognize the challenge of getting everything he wants from Congress as well, participants in the meeting said.

"We're very supportive of the assault weapons ban," as police chiefs, said Montgomery County, Md., Police Chief J. Thomas Manger in an interview with The Associated Press. "But I think everybody understands that may be a real tough battle to win. And one of the things that the president did say is that we can't look at it like we have to get all of these things or we haven't won."

Opinions over an assault weapons ban and limits on high capacity magazines ? two measures the president supports ? were divided in the room. While Manger said the police chiefs from the large cities support that kind of gun control, some of the elected sheriffs who were in the meeting may not.

"I think what was made clear was that gun control in itself is not the salvation to this issue," said Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald of Story County, Iowa, one of 13 law enforcement leaders who met with the president, vice president and Cabinet members for more than an hour, seated around a conference table in the Roosevelt Room.

Among the participants included three chiefs that responded to the worst shootings of 2012, including Aurora, Colo., where 12 were killed in July; Oak Creek, Wis., where six died in an assault on a Sikh temple, and Newtown, Conn., scene of the most recent mass tragedy that left 20 first-graders dead.

The White House recognizes that police are a credible and important voice in the debate over guns that has developed following last month's elementary school shooting in Connecticut. Obama opened the meeting before media cameras and declared no group more important to listen to in the debate.

"Hopefully if law enforcement officials who are dealing with this stuff every single day can come to some basic consensus in terms of steps that we need to take, Congress is going to be paying attention to them, and we'll be able to make progress," Obama said.

Obama urged Congress to pass an assault weapons ban, limit high capacity magazines and require universal background checks for would-be gun owners in a brief statement to the reporters. But participants said after the media was escorted from the room, the focus was not on the assault weapons ban.

"He did not ask us if we do or do not support an assault weapons ban," said Hennepin County, Minn., Sheriff Richard Stanek, president of the Major County Sheriffs' Association. "He did not ask us if we do or do not support high capacity magazines."

"I told him very candidly that this isn't just about gun control alone," Stanek said. He said the bigger issue is that the Justice Department's system for background checks is incomplete since many states don't report mental health data or felony convictions. He mentioned how in his home state of Minnesota, a 14-year-old shot and killed his mother with a shot gun, but was later able legally to buy additional handguns and automatic weapons because the background check did not reveal his history. "There's example after example after example like that across the country," Stanek said.

Fitzgerald said the mental health system needs to be better funded because jails across the country are becoming "dumping grounds for the mentally ill."

"I was not the only sheriff that spoke up on that issue," Fitzgerald said. "To me, that is the No. 1 thing if we are going to impact that kind of violence that's happening in America."

All the law enforcement participants interviewed said they appreciated the president's attention to the issue and found the meeting constructive. Manger said the president did a lot more listening than talking and heard about the need to fund more police officers to protect school safety and a proposal to restrict the sale of ammunition on the Internet besides the broad calls for stronger mental health and background check systems.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, said he's never been more encouraged about the prospect of gun control legislation of some sort, even if the assault weapons ban his group supports is an uphill battle.

"You're not going to get 100 percent of people to agree on anything as it relates to gun control, and we're no different, but a majority of people in the room recognize that something needs to be done," he said. "This was not just a passing thing as far as the president and vice president are concerned. This is something that they are determined to keep in front of the American people until they get something passed."

While the assault weapons ban was not a major focus of the White House meeting, participants say it was discussed at length at a later meeting with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who sponsored a ban in 1994 that lasted for a decade and last week introduced a renewal of the ban in Congress.

"I would say her message was not well received overall by the group," Stanek said. "Everyone has an opinion on it one way or another."

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-28-Obama-Guns/id-076f05f3fc25477f9f6055efebbb9f6c

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Regarding Immigration Proposals, Beware of Your ... - Madison Project

The subject of immigration (and evidently, illegal immigration) has proven to be a divisive issue for conservatives.? There are divergent opinions as to which policies should be pursued vis-?-vis the 12 million illegal immigrants who reside in the country.? However, as conservatives, there are certain fundamental goals and red lines that we should all unite behind as we commence debate on this issue.? Any so-called comprehensive immigration reform proposal that is worth more than a bucket of spit must ensure the following:

• we are not saddled with 12 million new consumers of the welfare state;
• we don?t have 12 million new Democrat voters;
• those receiving the amnesty will not have the ability to spawn chain migration;
• before any amnesty is implemented, there is a complete establishment of visa tracking, border control, and mandatory E-verify to ensure that this won?t create another ?Charlie Brown with the football? scenario of more waves of illegal immigration;
• our legal immigration system move towards a merit-based process that favors high-skill immigrants instead of the current ?Kennedy? system that is random and tendentious towards low-skilled immigrants.

Undoubtedly, Republican negotiators of reform proposals, like Marco Rubio, are well-intentioned in their desire to solve a serious problem with thoughtful solutions.? However, if they are really committed to advancing conservative solutions and addressing conservative concerns about the immigration system, they must understand the adversity we all face with our Democrat opponents on this issue.? Their proposals must be crafted to work not just in a world full of Marco Rubios and Paul Ryans, but in a political system full of Luis Gutierrezs and a judicial sphere full of ACLU and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) ?types.? Hence, when proposing immigration bills, to know thy enemy is key.

Democrats like Luis Gutierrezs and Chuck Schumer believe that all 7 billion people in the world are born with a God-given right to immigrate to the United States.? When they speak of ?our broken immigration system,? they are not bemoaning our policies that are biased towards low-skilled immigration; they are complaining that our generous acceptance of over 1 million new immigrants every year, predominantly from the third world, is not enough.? As such, they believe that illegal immigration is a natural and justified result of our refusal to let in even more low-skilled immigrants than we have already admitted over the past two decades.? They believe that our unwillingness to immediately grant them amnesty is a violation of their natural rights, and is a reflection of our sinister bigotry towards others.

Perforce, when they speak of ?comprehensive immigration reform? they are referring to the following: complete amnesty of all illegals so they can immediately sign up for welfare programs and commence the path towards becoming a permanent Democrat voting bloc; an even larger increase in legal immigration from the third world and from countries that represent a security risk; more welfare recipients now ? enforcement later (or never).

This is the brutally honest reality of the liberal immigration policy desideratum.? Any Republican who plunges into this debate while disregarding this reality is willfully ignoring the statements and actions of Democrats over the past several decades.

Marco Rubio is in the process of formulating and negotiating a proposal which he tells conservatives would deal with the aforementioned concerns.? He claims that his proposal to grant work visas to a selected group of illegal immigrants based on paying a fine and learning English (much like the 2006/07 McCain-Kennedy amnesty bills) would not result in them receiving welfare benefits, and would force them to go to the back of the line to embark on the process of obtaining a green card and eventual citizenship (although they would not have to return to their country of origin ? the place of the real line).? He also says that he would like to reform our legal immigration system to one that pursues higher-skilled workers.

Again, the brutal reality is that if his proposal would indeed contain those guiding principles and red lines, his Democrat counterparts would never support it.? Never.? They will seek to adulterate it with poison pills that reflect their goals and aspirations.? All too often, we?ve witnessed Republicans who become so emotionally invested in their proposals that they continue to promote them, even after they are completely co-opted by the left.? Will Marco Rubio promise conservatives that he will stand by his demands and will not let the Democrats cross our red lines?? Or will we stay the course and face the inevitability of a reform bill that guarantees amnesty/chain migration now with the vacuous promise of enforcement/conservative reforms later (think tax hikes now/spending cuts later)?

Will we really hold off on any amnesty until there is adequate visa tracking in place and operational control of the border?? Why would all of the promises of enforcement actually work this time?? Also, given Obama?s penchant for selective enforcement of our immigration laws, does anyone really believe he would enforce new laws?? These are all questions that must be answered with confidence.

Furthermore, even if by some miracle Democrats agree to this grand bargain, they will view this as the first step, not the final piece of legislation.? Once a significant portion of illegal immigrants become permanent legal residents, Democrats will demand that the rest of them obtain that status, even the ones who are not ?churchgoing grandmothers? who were here for 20 years.

Also, the next civil right will be welfare benefits and voting rights.? It will never end.? You simply can?t win a bidding war with Democrats over pandering to this constituency.? Once Republicans agree to legalize them, it will be virtually impossible to stop the runaway train of subsequent congresses from granting them full privileges.? As long as Republicans compromise, but leave a few issues on the table, Democrats will continue to use them as political footballs.? A permanent legal underclass is a much more potent force than an illegal constituency.? We can never get to the left of the Democrats on the issue.? Ultimately, we will never make inroads with the Latino vote by out-flanking Democrat on amnesty; we will only win their vote, as Jim DeMint has said, by communicating to them how liberal policies have utterly failed them.

Moreover, proponents of Rubio-style proposals need to explain how we can legally firewall welfare benefits from those granted amnesty.? There is a well-oiled, truculent legal defense community that will relentlessly sue for full privileges and an end to this status of ?second-class citizen.?? At present, these people lack many legal protections.? Once they become legal, it will be very difficult to ensure they do not join the dependency utopia of blue America.

Remember, just the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit for illegal immigrants ? a tiny portion of the welfare state ? costs $24 billion over 10 years.? That figure accounts for just 2.18 million illegals who are able to use a loophole to obtain the refundable credit.? When you factor in the entire smorgasbord of programs for millions more, we?re talking about trillions in new welfare spending.

Rubio also needs to be clear as to what level of legal immigration he is seeking.? Does he wish to expand high-skilled immigration without reducing the number of low-skilled immigrants?

These are all legitimate questions that need to be debated and analyzed before conservatives sign off on such a deal.? A ?secret? bipartisan working group, which plans to foist upon us a final product is not going to cut it.? Let?s remember that full amnesty for those who are here illegally is a lot to ask for.? Many conservatives would be willing to entertain such an idea so long as we are ensured that it will not play into the hands of the left. ?However, we cannot panic and impetuously pursue amnesty under the false pretense that we will gain Hispanic support without first addressing some basic concerns.

If we?ve learned anything from the 1986 amnesty, it is that trust but verify is not going to cut it when it comes to illegal immigration policy.? We need inviolable enforcement mechanisms on the enforcement side before we are prepared to make painful concessions.? Otherwise, comprehensive immigration reform will look a lot like comprehensive healthcare reform.? And we will be having this same debate in 20 years from now, albeit with a permanent Democrat majority.

Source: http://madisonproject.com/2013/01/regarding-immigration-proposals-beware-of-your-opponents-motivation/

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Team flag waves as 49ers arrive for Super Bowl

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

A flag is seen outside the plane carrying the San Francisco 49ers as they arrive at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh makes a face on the team bus after arriving at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Pat Semansky)

The San Francisco 49ers arrive at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Street performer Ruben Moten, a San Francisco native, wears a San Francisco 49ers visor as he performs as a robot on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are scheduled to play in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Jim Harbaugh stepped to the podium, smirked a bit, and greeted his first news conference as a Super Bowl coach.

"We're super happy to be here," he said Sunday night as his NFC champion San Francisco 49ers arrived in the Big Easy for the big game.

"I think this team has the best focus on unity and winning I've ever been a part of."

Considering that Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons and a successful college coach before joining the 49ers, he knows something about winning.

Under Harbaugh, San Francisco has been to two NFC title games and, now, to its first Super Bowl in 18 years. The Niners (13-4-1) will play Baltimore (13-6), coached by Harbaugh's older brother, John, in next Sunday's Super Bowl.

He is certain his team is ready for the task as the 49ers seek their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy; they are 5-0 in Super Bowls.

"These are uncharted waters for a rookie Super Bowl coach," Harbaugh said. "But that's exciting. It's a great thrill, and we have a desire to be in uncharted waters. We always strive for that kind of challenge."

Earlier in the evening, with a team flag waving from an open window of their chartered plane, the 49ers arrived in a businesslike manner. The players calmly walked off the airplane ? no video recorders or cameras, no waves to onlookers.

Most of the team's veteran players disembarked first, including center Jonathan Goodwin, who won a Super Bowl three years ago with the Saints.

"You get to go to the Super Bowl with your childhood team, so that's something special to me," he said. "So hopefully I can find a way to win the Super Bowl with my childhood team."

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, wearing a red wool cap sporting "49ers" on it, mouthed the words to a song on his headphones as he walked on the tarmac.

He seemed just as relaxed 90 minutes later as he met the media.

"Pressure comes from a lack of preparation," said Kaepernick, who took over as the starter when Alex Smith got a concussion in November and has been sensational in keeping the job. "This is not a pressure situation. It's a matter of going out and performing."

Harbaugh said the 49ers came to New Orleans on Sunday to simulate a normal week. He likened their trip to his strategy the last two seasons when the 49ers spent a week in Youngstown, Ohio, between Eastern games rather than return to the Bay Area.

He liked the way the players and coaches bonded during that experience.

"Same approach," Harbaugh said. "Enjoy the moment and the preparation. I think our team enjoys that the most: the meetings, the preparation and then, especially, the competition."

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-27-Super%20Bowl-49ers%20Arrive/id-0d841cfc10da4568ad5f4ebb42b8bd84

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Obama lauds Clinton as she prepares to leave

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2013 file image taken from video and provided by CBS, President Barack Obama, center, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak with ?60 Minutes? correspondent Steve Kroft, left, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. The interview will air Sunday, Jan. 27 during the ?60 Minutes? telecast on CBS. (AP Photo/CBS, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2013 file image taken from video and provided by CBS, President Barack Obama, center, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speak with ?60 Minutes? correspondent Steve Kroft, left, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington. The interview will air Sunday, Jan. 27 during the ?60 Minutes? telecast on CBS. (AP Photo/CBS, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama lauded Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of his closest advisers and said their shared vision for America's role in the world persuaded his one-time rival ? and potential successor ? to be his top diplomat while he dealt with the shattered economy at home.

During a joint interview that aired Sunday, Obama and Clinton chuckled as they described their partnership and stoked speculation that Obama may prefer Clinton to succeed him in the White House after the 2016 elections. Clinton is leaving Obama's Cabinet soon, and speculation about the former first lady and senator has only grown more intense after a heated appearance last week on Capitol Hill.

Both Obama and Clinton batted away questions about future campaigns, but the joint interview ? the president's first with anyone other than first lady Michelle Obama ? was only likely to increase the fascination with Clinton's future.

"The president and I care deeply about what's going to happen for our country in the future," Clinton said. "And I don't think, you know, either he or I can make predictions about what's going to happen tomorrow or the next year."

Obama, who suggested the joint interview as Clinton prepared her exit from the State Department, lavished praise on his rival for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He called her a friend and an extraordinary talent, and praised "her discipline, her stamina, her thoughtfulness, her ability to project."

It teetered on an endorsement of a 2016 presidential bid that is still an open question. Clinton advisers say she has not made a decision about a run, while Democratic officials suggest Clinton would be an early favorite if she decided to mount another campaign.

Obama and Clinton laughed when asked about the political future.

"You guys in the press are incorrigible," Obama said when pressed on another Clinton presidency. "I was literally inaugurated four days ago. And you're talking about elections four years from now."

The possibility of a presidential campaign for Vice President Joe Biden did not come up during the interview, taped Friday at the White House.

Obama described why he insisted Clinton become his secretary of state.

"She also was already a world figure," Obama said. "To have somebody who could serve as that effective ambassador in her own right without having to earn her stripes, so to speak, on the international stage, I thought, would be hugely important."

It was a job she initially refused. But Obama kept pushing, Clinton said.

"The one thing he did mention was he basically said: 'You know, we've got this major economic crisis that may push us into a depression. I'm not going to be able to do a lot to satisfy the built-up expectations for our role around the world. So you're going to have to get out there and, you know, really represent us while I deal with, you know, the economic catastrophe I inherited."

It's a job she embraced during the last four years. She arrived on the job with a global brand she quickly lent to promoting U.S. interests. In return, the public rewarded her with high approval ratings that could come in handy if she runs in 2016.

But her tenure has had its blemishes. For example, the United States did not directly intervene in the civil war in Syria, where the United Nations says more than 60,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million people have been internally displaced since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

"There are transitions and transformations taking place all around the world. We are not going to be able to control every aspect of every transition and transformation," Obama said, saying his jobs are to protect the United States and engage where the U.S. can make a difference.

In a separate interview with The New Republic, also released Sunday, Obama said, "As I wrestle with those decisions, I am more mindful probably than most of not only our incredible strengths and capabilities, but also our limitations."

On "60 Minutes," he praised Clinton's State Department for helping him sort out what the United States can ? and cannot ? accomplish.

"It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I'm going to miss her. Wish she was sticking around. But she has logged in so many miles, I can't begrudge her wanting to take it easy for a little bit," Obama said.

It's something of a turnaround from 2007 and 2008, as the two raced through Iowa and New Hampshire and onward. In increasingly bracing language, the two excoriated the other. At one point, a visibly angry Clinton seethed, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."

Obama now jokes about the rivalry.

"Made for tough debates, by the way, because we could never figure out what we were different on," the president said.

Both acknowledged disagreements continue but said they had common goals.

"Are there going to be differences? Yeah. Deep differences? Of course," Clinton said. "You had a lot of strong-willed, -minded people. But the president deserves our best judgment, our advice and then he deserves us to stand with him and to execute."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-27-US-Obama-Clinton/id-f28cfef4390d4639b603025fee0b20b4

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Identity Theft: Coming to Screens Near You (and Not Just the Movies)

posted by Danielle Citron

Identity theft, now so common, we can joke about it.

Or as Alan Alda?s character in Woody Allen?s Crimes and Misdemeanors says, ?comedy is tragedy plus time.? ?Time to transform tragedy into comedy, indeed. ?Scanning the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse database demonstrates that reported data breaches are a daily occurrence. ?Since January 1, 2013, private and public entities have reported over 20 major data breaches. ?Included on the list were hospitals, universities, and businesses. ?Sometimes, the most vulnerable are targeted. ?For instance, on January 8, 2013, a dishonest employee of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services was arrested on suspicion?on misusing client information to apply for credit cards and to receive medical care under their names. ?Bad enough that automated systems erroneously take recipients of public benefits off the rolls, as my work on Technological Due Process explores. ?Those designed to help them are destroying their medical and credit histories as well.

We have had over 600 million records breached since 2005, from approximately 3,500 reported data breaches. ?Of course, those figures represented those officially reported, likely due to state data breach laws, whose requirements vary and leave lots of discretion with regard to reporting up to the entities who have little incentive to err on the side of reporting if they are not legally required to do so. ?So the bad news is that identity theft is prevalent, but at least we can laugh about it.

?January 27, 2013 at 7:43 am ? Posted?in:?Humor, Privacy, Privacy (Consumer Privacy) ???Print This Post

Source: http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2013/01/identity-theft-coming-to-screens-near-you-and-not-just-the-movies.html

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IRL: HTC 8X, Google Now and the iPod shuffle

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

We swear we didn't plan it this way, but it looks like we've got a little trifecta this week, with write-ups pertaining to Apple, Google and, last but not least, Microsoft. On the pessimistic end of the spectrum, Dana would rather have the third-generation iPod shuffle than the model she's using. Terrence is hooked on Google Now and Jon likes the HTC 8X -- just not as much as the Lumia 920.

HTC 8X

What's this? Another Windows Phone 8 test? Yes, while I was trying the Lumia 920 and before I reviewed the ATIV S, I felt it was only fair to give the third flagship of the platform, HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a proper shakedown. I spent a few weeks with one to gauge the differences and came back with the impression that HTC has a worthy flagship -- but not necessarily the one I'd choose for myself.

If you talk solely about ergonomics, the 8X is undoubtedly my first pick. It's much lighter and grippier than the Lumia 920, and the smaller screen makes it easier to reach every corner with one hand than the ATIV S. About the only reservations I have are that hard-to-press power button and the relatively sharp edges. The stand-out appearance can't help but sway me, too. If you get the phone in one of the bolder colors (read: not black), it's simply iconic. No one will mistake an 8X for another phone, while both the ATIV S and Lumia 920 have familiar-looking peers.

Yet there are a few ingredients missing that make it hard to call HTC's creation my perfect Windows Phone 8 device. Simply speaking, the camera just isn't as good as it needs to be in early 2013. While the 8X is sometimes a better pick for up-close photography than the Lumia 920, it falls apart in low-light situations where the Lumia is a champ. Apps matter, as well. Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps aren't vital, but I missed their navigation when I switched devices. And I'll have to admit that being Canadian skews my preferences towards the Nokia phone's glove-friendly screen: it's great to avoid the binary choice of making a phone call versus preserving my fingers. While I'd be inclined to choose the 8X over the ATIV S as long as storage wasn't a priority, I would still give Nokia the ultimate nod as the most relevant to real-world use.

-- Jon Fingas

Google Now

Pretty much from the moment I first launched Google Now it changed the way I interacted with my phone. I've used Siri and toyed with S Voice, but Now is the only virtual assistant that seems like more than an occasionally useful gimmick. Truth is, at this point I unlock directly into it almost as often as I go to the home screen. Sure, in the early days its functionality was fairly limited (and still is), but there was enough information presented by default to keep me coming back. When Gmail was added to its repository of information, the app became a true game-changer for me. While other "assistant" apps are little more than voice commands with personality, Now actually helps track information for you and presents it at valuable times. I don't have to ask what the weather is like or how long it'll take me to get to my next appointment -- it just tells me without prompting.

Of course, things aren't perfect. Now still has a lot of rough edges to work out. For one, the mobile boarding pass feature has yet to work as advertised for me, though, its flight tracking feature turns out to be quicker and more accurate than United's own app. It also stumbles a bit on tracking packages. I like that it recognizes tracking numbers and presents them to me with a quick link, but Now doesn't actually do any tracking itself. Instead it simply shows the card to you for a predetermined amount of time. That's fine if you're enjoying free two-day shipping thanks to Amazon Prime, but if your delivery takes more than a couple of days the card disappears before the box hits your doorstep. It also has an unfortunate habit of presenting me directions to a "new place" almost any time I perform a web search. Oh, and some higher-res icons for the sports score cards would be greatly appreciated.

None of that is enough to ruin the experience, however. If I need to know when my bus is coming, what the temperature is, if my flight is on time or even how many steps I took this month I simply swipe up on my Nexus lock screen and let Google do the work for me. What's more, things can only get better as the company improves its algorithms, opens up new sources of data and, hopefully, develops an API to let other apps tap into the power of Now.

-- Terrence O'Brien

iPod shuffle (fourth generation)

We runners are a superstitious bunch. In my training group, "Nothing new on race day" is our mantra, and it's one to which I've adhered earnestly. It goes without saying that new shoes, running shorts and Snozberry-flavored energy gels are out of the question, but I even get antsy about wearing my Spibelt around my waist instead of my hips. Yeah, I'm neurotic, but running 26.2 miles is scary, yo.

So I was none too pleased when I had a gadget emergency the week before the 2011 New York City Marathon. I'd been training with the Sansa Clip Zip for two months when it abruptly began having mood swings. It started repeating songs, even when I had set my library to shuffle. Sometimes, if it encountered a song it didn't like, it just froze. On a good day, I could side-step the issue by selecting a different artist or song. At its worst, the only way to revive it was to perform a hard reset.

Obviously, that wasn't going to cut it for my epic run, so I did what any desperate person would do: I went to Best Buy and spent $50 on an iPod shuffle. Truly, I would have preferred something like the nano, which would have let me choose specific songs, but I wasn't about to drop $149 on what was essentially an impulse buy. Fifty bucks was about as much as I was willing to spend without having had the opportunity to hem and haw over my purchase.

So I used it. And it was okay. The clip doesn't feel as strong as on the third-generation model. Also, it came with regular headphones (i.e., ones without inline controls), which meant I had to press the player on the device to pause the music and skip tracks. To this day, I find the keys a bit too small, and I often hit the wrong one, mistaking pause for fast-forward, etc. Fortunately, I've since subbed in a pair with an inline remote, which means I barely have to touch the device anymore (except, perhaps, to reposition it in a place where the clip will stay put). Battery life was initially awesome -- I got through that nearly six-hour marathon (oof) with plenty of juice to spare. It's since seen better days, though, to the point where I now have to recharge it several times a week. Faint praise, if ever you've heard it, but at least it doesn't force me to listen to the same Madonna song over and over. That would just be cruel.

-- Dana Wollman

Filed under: Misc, Apple, HTC, Google

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