Taylor Armstrong Calls FBI About Twitter Death Threats

Parking sensors to take pain out of finding a space

A "parking patch" could bring together wireless sensors and mobile apps to steer drivers towards vacant spots, and lead traffic wardens to parking offenders

IT'S a problem familiar to most of us: you circle for ages waiting to find a parking space and just when you've spotted one, someone else darts in first.

Now a "parking patch" could change that by bringing together wireless sensors and mobile apps to steer drivers towards those elusive vacant spots, while also allowing traffic wardens to home in on parking offenders.

Some local authorities have already started embedding radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in parking permits. But while this makes it easier for wardens to check their validity with a quick scan by a handheld reader, it does little else, says Adrian Bone, CEO of Deteq Solutions, a start-up that developed the new parking patch at the Sussex Innovation Centre in Brighton, UK. The real challenge lies in telling when a parking space is empty or occupied without having to fit a car with any special equipment, he says.

Bone's solution, developed with company co-founder John Bartington at the University of Essex in Colchester, is to attach cheap, low-powered wireless sensors to the road surface in each parking bay. These 7-centimetre-wide patches are glued down in the centre of each bay, where they can detect when a car is present or not. As the firm is currently filing a patent, it won't yet reveal exactly how the sensor works, but the device will wirelessly relay information to a base station via a mesh network with its neighbours. This means the system does not require any new infrastructure. It is designed to work in conjunction with RFID permits if required, and a smartphone app. A trial is due to begin at the University of Sussex in the next few weeks.

The app would give drivers real-time information about available parking spaces near where they were, with streets colour-coded depending on how many spots were free at the time.

The system can also alert traffic wardens when drivers have parked on no-stop zones, helping to reduce congestion. It could allow local authorities to use dynamic parking tariffs, says Bone. This is where real-time data about the occupancy of spaces is used to set parking prices. So parking in less congested areas and at quieter times of day would be cheaper. "You can set prices to encourage people to park elsewhere," he says.

Some modern shopping centres and car parks can already guide customers towards vacant parking bays, and even remind them of where they parked when they return. But these systems, developed by Park Assist in Australia, rely on expensive networks of cameras, one for each bay, and so can only be deployed in covered multistorey car parks.

Another approach being tested in San Francisco is to bury magnetometers in each bay. Developed by Georgia-based StreetSmart, it covers more than 8000 bays and, like the patches, uses a wireless mesh network. The trial is also experimenting with dynamic pricing.

Parking is ripe for a revamp, and this kind of app-based technology is going to play a vital role, says Paul Watters, head of road policy with the UK's Automobile Association in Basingstoke. But it is equally important that the information is controlled, he says. Drivers wouldn't like it if there was no leeway and fines were issued as soon as their time was up. And while the apps could easily warn drivers when their time is running out, they could also alert wardens. "It could end up as a race to get to the car," he says.

Driving up emissions

The hunt for parking spaces is not just frustrating, it is a major contributor to congestion, says Paul Watters of the UK's Automobile Association. "Most people are creatures of habit and like to park in the same area, so if their preferred spot doesn't have any spaces they will often drive around waiting for one to become free rather than searching further afield."

That means more emissions. According to a 2007 study by Donald Shoup at the University of California, Los Angeles, drivers in a 15-block district of LA notched up a staggering 1.5 billion kilometres a year looking for parking spaces. That's the equivalent of 38 trips around the Earth, 178,000 litres of wasted gasoline and 662 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

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Wisconsin settlement funds from Microsoft being used to buy iPads for education

Wisconsin plans to use settlement funds from Microsoft to buy 1,400 iPads for educational use. The settlement funds from Microsoft are related to a suit in which consumers claimed Microsoft was overcharging its consumers for software. The iPads are being paid for with $3.4 million in funds from the almost $80 million total that Microsoft agreed to pay to the state.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/429Wwc9sL7Y/story01.htm

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Slave port unearthed in Brazil

The Valongo Wharf in Rio de Janerio was the busiest of all slave ports in the Americas and has been buried for almost two centuries.

? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

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Not far from here at least 500,000 Africans took their first steps into slavery in colonial Brazil, which took in far more slaves than the United States and where now half of its 200 million citizens claim African descent.

The ?Cais do Valongo? ? the Valongo Wharf ? was the busiest of all slave ports in the Americas and has been buried for almost two centuries under subsequent infrastructure projects and dirt.

That is, until developers seeking to turn Rio?s shabby port neighborhood into a posh tourist center allowed teams of archaeologists to check out what was being unearthed.

?We knew we had found the wharf,? says archaeologist Tania Andrade Lima, showing a ramp made up of knobbly, uneven stones used by slaves. It lay beneath a layer of smoother cobblestones from a dock installed later for the arrival of a Portuguese royal.

Ms. Lima and other community leaders are creating a walking tour that will include the wharf, a nearby cemetery for Africans who died soon after their arrival, and a holding pen called the ?Lazareto,? derived from Jesus? parable about a beggar named Lazarus, where newly arrived Africans were checked for diseases.

The wharf alone is nearly 22,000 square feet. ?This gives a dimension to how huge the influx of slaves was,? says Lima.

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Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/C8HzhyUXmb0/Slave-port-unearthed-in-Brazil

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'Kourtney & Kim Take New York': Best And Worst Moments

MTV News picks the 'pits' and the 'peaks' from season two.
By Christina Garibaldi


Kim Kardashian on "Kourtney & Kim Take New York"
Photo: E!

The season finale of "Kourtney & Kim Take New York" aired Sunday night, and even though we did not see Kim and Kris Humphries end their marriage, all signs were pointing to divorce.

During the final moments of the episode, viewers witnessed a Kardashian family tradition where they revealed their "pit" and "peak" of their time in the Big Apple, so we here at MTV News figured we would do the same for this season of "Kourtney & Kim Take New York."

Pit: Kim and Kris talk babies
Kim and Kris have the baby talk. After contemplating whether they are ready to have kids, the question comes up of where they would raise their bundle of joy, and according to Kim, it's not Minnesota. Kim reveals that she will never move to Kris' home state to raise a family, in which Kris replies that no one will care about Kim by the time she has kids. Ouch.

Peak: Kourtney and Khloe prank Kris
Kourtney and Khloe decide that the best way to get to know their new brother-in-law is to prank him. The partners in crime decorated Kris' room with toilet paper, but when Kris' reaction isn't satisfying for the sisters, they decide to take their prank to a whole new level: a snake on his bed.

Pit: Kim Finds Out Kris is in Canada — on Twitter
Kim and Kourtney decide to have a sisters' weekend getaway in Mystic, Connecticut, leaving both Kris and Kourtney's boyfriend, Scott Disick, at home. Not a good idea. Kris decides to head to Toronto, Canada, for a club appearance and decides to bring Scott along. But he forgot one thing: to tell his wife he was heading out of the country. Kim finds out on Twitter that her husband has jetted off to Canada, and when he's confronted, he says "Stop stalking me on Twitter!" Probably not the best response, Kris.

Peak: Scott Disick
By far the star of this season is Kourtney's boyfriend, Scott Disick. The one-time bad boy has made a complete transformation turning into a loving boyfriend, a doting father and even a pianist! With another baby on the way for Kourtney and Scott, it seems like things couldn't be better for this happy couple.

Pit: Kim's Fairytale Comes to an End
In the much anticipated season finale, Kim has finally reached her breaking point. With Kourtney and Scott by her side, she revealed that her marriage was over. "You don't think I feel embarrassed that I fell in love and I really thought I was and then like I look back now and it's not what I want?" she cried. "I fell in love with a guy and, like, it's not what I thought it would be. Everyone sees I'm a different person. I'm such a bitch. Like, I'm just not myself and I'm not happy and it happened way too fast. I didn't know." Kim elected not to air the actual conversation of their marriage ending, saying that she wanted to handle this issue privately, but from the looks of it, it seemed as if this decision was inevitable.

What did you think of the season finale of Kourtney and Kim Take New York? Let us know in the comments.

Related Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1678129/kourtney-and-kim-take-new-york-season-finale.jhtml

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Gaborik claims NHL All-Star Game MVP (AP)

OTTAWA ? Marian Gaborik staked his claim to NHL All-Star game MVP honors.

The high-scoring Rangers forward scored twice in the first period against New York teammate Henrik Lundqvist, completed his hat trick in the second period with another goal, and added an assist in the third to carry Team Chara over Team Alfredsson 12-9 on Sunday.

Gaborik, who made his third All-Star appearance, became the 16th player to record a hat trick in the midseason showcase. The previous one was in 2008 by Columbus' Rick Nash, Gaborik's Western Conference teammate in that game.

It has already been a stellar season for Gaborik, who has a team-high 25 goals and 39 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_all_star_game_mvp

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911 call reveals frantic efforts to help Moore

Demi Moore arrives at Variety's 3rd Annual Power of Women Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., in this Sept. 23, 2011 photo. A 911 recording released Friday Jan. 27, 2012 by Los Angeles fire officials revealed frantic efforts by friends of Demi Moore to get help for the actress who was convulsing as they gathered around her and tried to comfort her. Moore was "semi-conscious, barely," according to a female caller on the recording. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Demi Moore arrives at Variety's 3rd Annual Power of Women Luncheon in Beverly Hills, Calif., in this Sept. 23, 2011 photo. A 911 recording released Friday Jan. 27, 2012 by Los Angeles fire officials revealed frantic efforts by friends of Demi Moore to get help for the actress who was convulsing as they gathered around her and tried to comfort her. Moore was "semi-conscious, barely," according to a female caller on the recording. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

(AP) ? A 911 recording revealed frantic efforts by friends of Demi Moore to get help for the actress who was convulsing as they gathered around her and tried to comfort her.

Moore was "semi-conscious, barely," according to a female caller on the recording released Friday by Los Angeles fire officials.

The woman tells emergency operators that Moore, 49, had smoked something before she was rushed to the hospital on Monday night and that she had been "having issues lately."

"Is she breathing normal?" the operator asks.

"No, not so normal. More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up," the friend says as she hurries to Moore's side, on the edge of panic.

Another woman is next to Moore as the dispatcher asks if she's responsive.

"Demi, can you hear me?" she asks. "Yes, she's squeezing hands. ... She can't speak."

When the operator asks what Moore ingested or smoked, the friend replies, but the answer was redacted.

Asked if Moore took the substance intentionally or not, the woman says Moore ingested it on purpose but the reaction was accidental.

"Whatever she took, make sure you have it out for the paramedics," the operator says.

The operator asks the friend if this has happened before.

"I don't know," she says. "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."

Moore's publicist, Carrie Gordon, said previously that the actress sought professional help to treat her exhaustion and improve her health. She would not comment further on the emergency call or provide details about the nature or location of Moore's treatment.

The past few months have been rocky for Moore.

She released a statement in November announcing she had decided to end her marriage to fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, 33, following news of alleged infidelity. The two were known to publicly share their affection for one another via Twitter.

Moore still has a Twitter account under the name mrskutcher but has not posted any messages since Jan. 7.

Meanwhile, Millennium Films announced Friday that Sarah Jessica Parker will replace Moore in the role of feminist Gloria Steinem in its production of "Lovelace," a biopic about the late porn star Linda Lovelace. A statement gave no reason for the change. The production, starring Amanda Seyfried, has been shooting in Los Angeles since Dec. 20.

During the call, the woman caller says the group of friends had turned Moore's head to the side and was holding her down. The dispatcher tells her not to hold her down but to wipe her mouth and nose and watch her closely until paramedics arrive.

"Make sure that we keep an airway open," the dispatcher says. "Even if she passes out completely, that's OK. Stay right with her."

The phone is passed around by four people, including a woman who gives directions to the gate and another who recounts details about what Moore smoked or ingested. Finally, the phone is given to a man named James, so one of the women can hold Moore's head.

There was some confusion at the beginning of the call. The emergency response was delayed by nearly two minutes as Los Angeles and Beverly Hills dispatchers sorted out which city had jurisdiction over the street where Moore lives.

As the call is transferred to Beverly Hills, the frantic woman at Moore's house raises her voice and said, "Why is an ambulance not on its way right now?"

"Ma'am, instead of arguing with me why an ambulance is not on the way, can you spell (the street name) for me?" the Beverly Hills dispatcher says.

Although the estate is located in the 90210 ZIP code above Benedict Canyon, the response was eventually handled by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

By the end of the call, Moore has improved.

"She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking," the male caller told the operator.

Moore and Kutcher were wed in September 2005.

Kutcher became a stepfather to Moore's three daughters ? Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle ? from her 13-year marriage to actor Bruce Willis. Moore and Willis divorced in 2000 but remained friendly.

Moore can be seen on screen in the recent films "Margin Call" and "Another Happy Day." Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on TV's "Two and a Half Men" and is part of the ensemble film "New Year's Eve."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-28-People-Demi%20Moore/id-f8df779117d14f14be66bbb28d422eaa

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BP fails to shift $15 billion oil spill costs onto Transocean (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Oil giant BP has lost its attempt to shift over $15 billion of costs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill onto contractor Transocean, increasing the possibility BP may have to foot the entire $42 billion clean up bill.

A U.S. federal judge on Thursday said BP must uphold a clause in its contract with Transocean Ltd that would shield the Swiss-based driller from compensatory damage claims related to the 2010 disaster.

That means London-based BP may have to shoulder alone compensation claims brought by the likes of fishermen and hoteliers whose livelihoods were affected by largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

However, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier left open the possibility that Transocean might still have to pay all or part of any punitive damages and civil penalties imposed by the U.S. government under the federal Clean Water Act.

Barbier, who oversees multistate litigation over the spill, ruled that BP need not indemnify Transocean for these.

BP has estimated civil fines of around $3.5 billion related to the spill, although maximum possible fines could top $20 billion if gross negligence was established on the part of BP or its contractors.

BP has made no provision for punitive damages because it says there is no legal basis for them. Barbier has limited the cases in which claims for punitive damages can be brought.

Thursday's decision means Transocean's potential liability over the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion that caused 11 deaths, was "materially diminished" analysts at UBS said in a research note.

BP had previously sought to shift the whole cost of the disaster, currently estimated at around $42 billion, onto Transocean.

Shares of Transocean rose 8.2 percent at 0856 GMT, while BP shares fell 1.7 percent.

RESPONSIBILITY

Transocean owned the rig, while BP owned a majority of the Macondo well whose blowout led to the spill.

BP has said it would like to reach an out of court settlement with Transocean but Barbier's ruling makes its negotiating position weaker.

Both sides claimed victory over the ruling, which Transocean spokesman Lou Colasuonno said "discredits BP's ongoing attempts to evade both its contractual and financial obligations."

BP said the decision "holds Transocean financially responsible for any punitive damages, fines and penalties flowing from its own conduct.

"As we have said from the beginning, Transocean cannot avoid its responsibility for this accident," spokesman Daren Beaudo said in an emailed statement.

LEGAL ARGUMENTS

BP has already paid out $7 billion in claims to third parties who have suffered losses and has an outstanding provision of $8.2 billion for further claims and litigation, suggesting third party claims are expected to top $15 billion.

However, plaintiffs lawyers say compensatory claims could even end up totaling more than the $20 billion BP has set aside in its gulf coast restoration fund.

Two U.S. government probes have put most of the blame for the disaster on BP, suggesting BP is likely to face the largest share of any fines levied.

The New Orleans-based judge has set a February 27 start date for a trial to apportion blame.

The case is In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, No. 10-md-02179.

(Writing by Tom Bergin; Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Jodie Ginsberg)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/ts_nm/us_bp_transocean

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Moore 'Hyper' and on Adderall Before 911 Call? (omg!)

Moore 'Hyper' and on Adderall Before 911 Call?

Since Demi Moore's shocking hospitalization on Monday night for "exhaustion", troubling new reports are surfacing that shed light on what may have led to the actress' trip to the hospital after 911 was called to her home near Benedict Canyon.

According to E! News, the 49-year-old was "acting crazy" and "pretty hyper" that night at a birthday dinner party she hosted for her friend, Hollywood socialite Heather Perry. Later that night, Moore reportedly began to convulse "like she was having a seizure," prompting a guest that had stayed behind to dial 911.

Demi Moore To Be Treated for 'Exhaustion'

According to TMZ, the actress had inhaled a dangerous amount of nitrous oxide, also known as "whip-its."

Radar is reporting that Moore will now be seeking treatment for anorexia and substance abuse addictions -- Adderall being her prescription drug of choice, according to the news outlet.

"The pills and starvation destroyed Demi and this has been a problem for about a year," a source tells Radar. "She's constantly jacked up on Adderall and combining that with not eating accounts for her loopy behavior and anorexic body frame. She literally refuses to eat any food."

The actress' rep tells ET only that, "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."

The past couple of months have been a trying time for Moore, splitting from husband Ashton Kutcher last November after rampant rumors of Kutcher's extramarital affairs. Tabloids have also scrutinized her apparent recent rapid weight loss.

Love Gone Bad: Ashton & Demi in Happier Times

"She's depressed over her career and coupled with the stress and heartbreak over the split, all of this emotional turmoil in totality has taken a serious physical toll on her body," a source tells Radar.

Moore does however, seem to have a loyal friend in Madonna.

Madonna reached out to Moore shortly after news broke of her hospitalization, E! News reports.

"Madonna told Demi she was there if she needs anything," a source tells E!. "They're pretty tight."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_moore_hyper_adderall911_call_214100433/44319412/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/moore-hyper-adderall-911-call-214100433.html

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