PARACHINAR, Pakistan ? Fighting between soldiers and Taliban militants over a strategic mountaintop in northwestern Pakistan has killed more than 60 people, a government official said Tuesday.
The battle first started a week ago when government troops seized the top of Jogi mountain in the Kurram tribal area from militants, sparking clashes that killed six soldiers and 20 insurgents, said Wajid Khan, a local government administrator.
The militants retaliated Tuesday by attacking the soldiers who were trying to hold the location, touching off another round of fighting that killed 10 troops and more than 30 insurgents, said Khan. The area is home to militants loyal to Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud.
The military launched an offensive in Kurram in July 2011 and declared victory about a month later, but violence has continued.
A similar process has taken place throughout Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region along the Afghan border. The military has launched a series of operations against the Pakistani Taliban in the past few years, and has often declared victory only to see fighting flare up again.
The Pakistani Taliban have killed thousands of people throughout the country in suicide bombings and other attacks. The group aims to topple the Pakistani government, partly because of its alliance with the United States.
The militants are allied with the Afghan Taliban, but the latter group has focused its attacks on NATO and Afghan forces inside Afghanistan.
The latest technology to be adopted by the Obama campaign?Square. The mobile payments device is now being used by the Obama for fundraising, says the company. Staff, fundraisers and others are being equipped with the card reading devices, says Square, enabling the campaign to take donations on the go via Android devices, iPhones or iPads. "Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, running for president or local assembly, Square makes it easier than ever for candidates, organizations and volunteers to fundraise for their cause," said a spokesperson for Square.
At this year's Macworld | iWorld event, iOS apps took center stage -- which wasn't hard for a trade show of ever-diminishing relevance. We checked out the action, and here are our picks for the apps you need to know about most.
Debris and wreckage lie along the highway after a multi-vehicle accident that killed at least nine people, on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)
Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning. Here's everything that you need to know before taking that first sip of coffee today.
Apple CEO does not care for your comments about Apple not caring about worker abuse in China.
Twitter announced Thursday that it would begin restricting Tweets in certain countries, marking a policy shift for the social media platform that helped propel the popular uprisings recently sweeping across the Middle East.
But here's how you get around those restrictions.
Teens ages 13 and up in the U.S. can now join Google's social network, Google+, although the search giant said it is adding safety measures for younger users. What it didn't say is that it adds to Google's efforts to get more users on Google+, including an announcement earlier this week it will allow users to have alternate names.
Meanwhile, Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill didn't spare Facebook in her speech opening?a forum on DataPrivacy Day ? even though the event was live-streamed by the social network, in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Counsel.
Meanwhile, Aerosmith's?Steven Tyler might've sung about a?"dude [who] looks like a lady," but Google's convinced that a lady?? yours truly?? has the Internet browsing habits of a dude.
The next time you make a particularly strange typo, don't throw your keyboard out the window ? instead just smile. Smile, because it's possible for a simple typo to lead to a marriage -- like it did there these two.?
In closing: "Facebook & Twitter For Seniors For Dummies" exists.?
???compiled by Helen A.S. Popkin, who invites you to join her on Twitter and/or Facebook.?Also, Google+.??
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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Drill-Baby-Drill and Frack-Baby-Frack: Obama talks energy in his State of the Union address -- featuring actual clean energy! -- while climate denier Republicans double down on dirty energy; PLUS: Speaking the forbidden words -- out loud! ... All that and more in today's Green News Report!
Listen online here, or Download MP3 (6 mins)...
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IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Conoco profits jump 66%; 5 energy issues to watch for in tonight's GOP debate in FL; WH pressured scientists to underestimate BP spill; State Dept: Don't mess with us on Keystone; CO2 is "driving fish crazy"; NHTSA: 'Chevy Volt is safe'; Judge blocks health studies from mine permit; NASA animation charts modern global warming ... PLUS: Raiding the bread basket: use and abuse of the Mississippi River basin ... and much, MUCH more! ...
'Green News Report' is heard on many fine radio stations around the country. For additional info on stories we covered today, plus today's 'Green News Extra', please click right here..
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With the rise of numerous accelerator programs in Europe one cannot help but wonder whether jumping through the application process hoops, sweating through the mentoring sessions and flirting with investors at demo days are all worth a founders? time. When I attended the recent Startup Sauna demo day in Helsinki in December 2011, I met teams not only from Finland but also from Russia, Poland and the Baltic Rim. I was amazed how young many of the participating entrepreneurs were. So when the performance stats from Startup Sauna hit my mailbox I was curious to learn what actually happens to all those startups after they complete the seven-weeks-long coaching program in the startup co-working space Aalto Venture Garage.
DAVOS, Switzerland ? Chinese investment abroad is drawing scrutiny as global leaders increasingly look to China to prop up the world economy, even as some remain wary of the country's dominance.
The head of one of China's biggest private equity firms said Thursday that foreign prejudice about Chinese investment is unfair and that Chinese investors are still learning a game that much of the world has been playing for decades.
Worries that Europe's slowdown would hurt stronger economies are overshadowing discussions at this week's World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Attention turned Thursday to how China can help.
Chinese companies and government funds have been using vast reserves of cash to buy up foreign companies and invest in foreign government bonds in recent years. But with billions of dollars in Chinese investments pouring into their countries, some governments have accused China of seeking to exploit the economic weakness of others to grab valuable natural and technological resources at rock bottom prices.
President Barack Obama's administration also has repeatedly accused China of breaking global trade rules by giving unfair protection to its companies and domestic workers.
"The vast majority of Chinese companies are trying to follow the rules as they understand it," said John Zhao, CEO of Hony Capital. "But many Chinese companies are still trying to learn the rules." His company controls PC maker Lenovo, which bought IBM's computer division in 2005.
The director general of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy, said China will continue to face "public perception problems" from its investments abroad.
"We will see in the years to come, as China's investments grow and grow. ... We will have the same sort of political turbulences as we have had on trade for the last 10 years," he said.
One way for China to ease the rest of the world's fears about its extravagant corporate shopping sprees is be more open about its vast poverty problem at home, said Lamy.
"In order for this to result in a win-win game a number of public perception issues have to be addressed," he said.
Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld reminded listeners that China's companies aren't the only ones with a reputation problem.
"We in the Western world have had a long tradition of corporate misdeeds," he said, citing Enron in the United States and Parmalat of Italy ? both of which collapsed after years of hiding massive holes in their accounts.
Yale President Richard C. Levin suggested the rest of the world could be grateful for China's investment interest, as eventually the country of more than 1 billion people will have to start spending more of its cash on problems at home, including the lack of proper social security for an aging population.
"Some fraction of these trillions could be used domestically," he said.
The head of the Asian Development Bank said Asia already has been affected by the ongoing European financial crisis in two ways ? through the withdrawal of credit in Asia by many European banks and financial institutions, and a drop in trade, which will impact China because Europe is its largest export market.
"I really hope that the European financial crisis can be overcome," Haruhiko Kuroda said in an interview with The Associated Press.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose country doesn't use the troubled euro, urged the eurozone to impose fiscal discipline and integrate its budget policies more, and expressed support for jointly issued eurobonds.
Cameron defended "genuine market capitalism" against those who favor "state capitalism" such as that practiced in China or Russia. He said free-market countries with rule of law where governments can be successfully challenged in court "have got to stand up and shout about their values. ... I don't think we should give up in this battle at all."
Cameron also joined Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in backing the idea of a free-trade deal between the European Union and the U.S., claiming that a trans-Atlantic pact could deliver a much-needed boost to global commerce.
The Davos forum, where business and political leaders gather every year in an invitation-only event, is under growing criticism by those who feel it's too removed from the real world.
Activists from Occupy Davos are camping out in igloos and yurts to call attention to income inequality.
"This is a man-made crisis and the people who have caused the crisis, many of whom are in Davos, should be held to account," said Salil Shetty, the secretary general of Amnesty International, told AP.
Leaders at the Davos forum are looking later Thursday at challenges to democratic institutions around the world, including such developments as the Occupy movement.
Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and other leaders appealed on behalf of the millions of people who do not have enough food to eat.
"The world can feed itself. Africa can feed itself. The problem is we have vulnerable populations who do not have access," Okonjo-Iweala said.
Malnourished people, particularly kids, are more susceptible to dying from malaria and other diseases in Africa, said Microsoft founder Bill Gates, whose philanthropy has mainly focused on promoting health. He pledged $750 million to the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
___
John Heilprin and Edith M. Lederer in Davos contributed to this story.
Radical theory explains the origin, evolution, and nature of life, challenges conventional wisdomPublic release date: 26-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jessica Studeny jessica.studeny@case.edu 216-368-4692 Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve theorist develops incomparable model that unifies physics, chemistry, and biology
The earth is alive, asserts a revolutionary scientific theory of life emerging from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The trans-disciplinary theory demonstrates that purportedly inanimate, non-living objectsfor example, planets, water, proteins, and DNAare animate, that is, alive. With its broad explanatory power, applicable to all areas of science and medicine, this novel paradigm aims to catalyze a veritable renaissance.
Erik Andrulis, PhD, assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology, advanced his controversial framework in his manuscript "Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life," published in the peer-reviewed journal, Life. His theory explains not only the evolutionary emergence of life on earth and in the universe but also the structure and function of existing cells and biospheres.
In addition to resolving long-standing paradoxes and puzzles in chemistry and biology, Dr. Andrulis' theory unifies quantum and celestial mechanics. His unorthodox solution to this quintessential problem in physics differs from mainstream approaches, like string theory, as it is simple, non-mathematical, and experimentally and experientially verifiable. As such, the new portrait of quantum gravity is radical.
The basic idea of Dr. Andrulis' framework is that all physical reality can be modeled by a single geometric entity with life-like characteristics: the gyre. The so-called "gyromodel" depicts objectsparticles, atoms, chemicals, molecules, and cellsas quantized packets of energy and matter that cycle between excited and ground states around a singularity, the gyromodel's center. A singularity is itself modeled as a gyre, wholly compatible with the thermodynamic and fractal nature of life. An example of this nested, self-similar organization is the Russian Matryoshka doll.
By fitting the gyromodel to facts accumulated over scientific history, Dr. Andrulis confirms the proposed existence of eight laws of nature. One of these, the natural law of unity, decrees that the living cell and any part of the visible universe are irreducible. This law formally establishes that there is one physical reality.
Another natural law dictates that the atomic and cosmic realms abide by identical organizational constraints. Simply put, atoms in the human body and solar systems in the universe move and behave in the exact same manner.
"Modern science lacks a unifying, interdisciplinary theory of life. In other words, current theories are unable to explain why life is the way it is and not any other way," Dr. Andrulis says. "This general paradigm furnishes a fresh perspective on the character and meaning of life, offers solutions to protracted problems, and strives to end divisive debates."
One debate swirls around the scientific merit of James Lovelock's popular Gaia hypothesis. By showing that the earth is theoretically synonymous with life, Dr. Andrulis' paradigm substantiates the Gaian premise that all organisms and their surroundings on earth are closely integrated to form a single self-regulating complex system.
Another legendary quarrel is that between biblical creationists and neo-Darwinian evolutionists. In demonstrating that the origin and evolution of life is a consequence of natural laws and physical forces, this theory synthesizes arguments and dispels assumptions from both sides of the creation-evolution debate.
To test his paradigm, Dr. Andrulis designed bidirectional flow diagrams that both depict and predict the dynamics of energy and matter. While such diagrams may be foreign to some scientists, they are standard reaction notation to chemists, biochemists, and biologists.
Dr. Andrulis has used his theory to successfully predict and identify a hidden signature of RNA biogenesis in his laboratory at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is now applying the gyromodel to unify and explain the evolution and development of human beings.
###
For more information, see "Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life," Life, Vol. 2:1-105 (2012).
About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school of medicine.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report "Guide to Graduate Education."
The School of Medicine's primary affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Radical theory explains the origin, evolution, and nature of life, challenges conventional wisdomPublic release date: 26-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jessica Studeny jessica.studeny@case.edu 216-368-4692 Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve theorist develops incomparable model that unifies physics, chemistry, and biology
The earth is alive, asserts a revolutionary scientific theory of life emerging from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The trans-disciplinary theory demonstrates that purportedly inanimate, non-living objectsfor example, planets, water, proteins, and DNAare animate, that is, alive. With its broad explanatory power, applicable to all areas of science and medicine, this novel paradigm aims to catalyze a veritable renaissance.
Erik Andrulis, PhD, assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology, advanced his controversial framework in his manuscript "Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life," published in the peer-reviewed journal, Life. His theory explains not only the evolutionary emergence of life on earth and in the universe but also the structure and function of existing cells and biospheres.
In addition to resolving long-standing paradoxes and puzzles in chemistry and biology, Dr. Andrulis' theory unifies quantum and celestial mechanics. His unorthodox solution to this quintessential problem in physics differs from mainstream approaches, like string theory, as it is simple, non-mathematical, and experimentally and experientially verifiable. As such, the new portrait of quantum gravity is radical.
The basic idea of Dr. Andrulis' framework is that all physical reality can be modeled by a single geometric entity with life-like characteristics: the gyre. The so-called "gyromodel" depicts objectsparticles, atoms, chemicals, molecules, and cellsas quantized packets of energy and matter that cycle between excited and ground states around a singularity, the gyromodel's center. A singularity is itself modeled as a gyre, wholly compatible with the thermodynamic and fractal nature of life. An example of this nested, self-similar organization is the Russian Matryoshka doll.
By fitting the gyromodel to facts accumulated over scientific history, Dr. Andrulis confirms the proposed existence of eight laws of nature. One of these, the natural law of unity, decrees that the living cell and any part of the visible universe are irreducible. This law formally establishes that there is one physical reality.
Another natural law dictates that the atomic and cosmic realms abide by identical organizational constraints. Simply put, atoms in the human body and solar systems in the universe move and behave in the exact same manner.
"Modern science lacks a unifying, interdisciplinary theory of life. In other words, current theories are unable to explain why life is the way it is and not any other way," Dr. Andrulis says. "This general paradigm furnishes a fresh perspective on the character and meaning of life, offers solutions to protracted problems, and strives to end divisive debates."
One debate swirls around the scientific merit of James Lovelock's popular Gaia hypothesis. By showing that the earth is theoretically synonymous with life, Dr. Andrulis' paradigm substantiates the Gaian premise that all organisms and their surroundings on earth are closely integrated to form a single self-regulating complex system.
Another legendary quarrel is that between biblical creationists and neo-Darwinian evolutionists. In demonstrating that the origin and evolution of life is a consequence of natural laws and physical forces, this theory synthesizes arguments and dispels assumptions from both sides of the creation-evolution debate.
To test his paradigm, Dr. Andrulis designed bidirectional flow diagrams that both depict and predict the dynamics of energy and matter. While such diagrams may be foreign to some scientists, they are standard reaction notation to chemists, biochemists, and biologists.
Dr. Andrulis has used his theory to successfully predict and identify a hidden signature of RNA biogenesis in his laboratory at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is now applying the gyromodel to unify and explain the evolution and development of human beings.
###
For more information, see "Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life," Life, Vol. 2:1-105 (2012).
About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and is among the nation's top medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes--research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism--to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century. Nine Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school of medicine.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 800 MD and MD/PhD students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report "Guide to Graduate Education."
The School of Medicine's primary affiliate is University Hospitals Case Medical Center and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Breakout Boost: This arcade classic is now enhanced with improved graphics and deeper gameplay features such as power ups, unique brick types, and Boost Control! The faster your ball goes,
DUBLIN (Reuters) ? An Irish man who falsely accused television star and pop impresario Louis Walsh of groping him in a Dublin night club was jailed for six months on Wednesday.
Walsh, who manages boy band Westlife and stars on the popular UK television talent show "X Factor," was accused in June last year of the assault by Leonard Watters, 24, who later retracted the allegations.
"The public must be protected from this type of untrue, unfounded allegations, he put the injured party through a lot of pain and anguish," said District Court Judge Dermot Dempsey.
Watters said he would appeal against the sentence.
(Reporting by Conor Humphries, editing by Paul Casciato)
Kellie Picker's North Carolina accent and unfiltered rural perspective has made her a polarizing figure since she competed as a 2006 "American Idol" contestant, finishing sixth. Some consider her big personality and hard-country style as charming; others see her as recalling an era left behind by modern-day Nashville.
Pickler deepens the line in the sand with the hardcore country of her third album, "100 Proof." One of six tunes the singer co-wrote, "Unlock That Honky Tonk," rings the battle call; its plea to open a locked dancehall could be an allegory that country music shouldn't forego the down-home sounds that gave the genre its identity. The quality of her performances proves Pickler is right.
For "100 Proof," Pickler enlists co-producers Frank Liddell, who has worked with Miranda Lambert, and Luke Wooten, who has worked with Dierks Bentley. Both Lambert and Bentley are successful contemporary artists who embrace traditional country music. Indeed, Pickler incorporates Lambert's take-no-prisoners attitude and Bentley's rambunctious use of acoustic and electric instruments.
However, even those artists haven't cut anything as drenched in old-fashioned heartbreak as the ballad "Stop Cheatin' On Me," which would have fit country queens Connie Smith or Tammy Wynette, the latter of whom, fittingly, is the subject of one of Pickler's new songs.
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Part of Pickler's appeal comes from her hard-knock story: She was raised by grandparents after her mother abandoned her and her father was beset by alcoholism and prison terms. Two new songs, co-written by Pickler, are directed at each parent, with the acoustic ballad "The Letter (To Daddy)" touchingly celebrating her father's return to sobriety and to firming up their relationship.
Republican presidential candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, stands next to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich before a Republican Presidential debate Monday Jan. 23, 2012, at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Republican presidential candidates, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, stands next to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich before a Republican Presidential debate Monday Jan. 23, 2012, at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Newt Gingrich called rival Mitt Romney a "terrible historian" but flubbed his own history in Congress on Monday night when he claimed the nation ran four consecutive budget surpluses during his time as House speaker. Romney attacked Gingrich's financial links to Freddie Mac while ignoring his own.
The accusations were fast out of the gate in the latest Republican presidential debate, and reality got tromped in the process.
A look at some of claims and how they compare with the facts:
___
GINGRICH: "When I was speaker, we had four consecutive balanced budgets."
THE FACTS: Actually, two.
The four straight years of budget surpluses were 1998 through 2001. Gingrich left Congress in 1999, so he only had a hand in surpluses for his last two years. The budget ran deficits for his first two years as speaker.
The highest surplus of that four-year string came in budget year 2000, after Gingrich was out of office.
Overall, the national debt went up during the four years Gingrich was speaker. In January 1995, when he assumed the leadership position, the gross national debt was $4.8 trillion. When he left four years later, it was $5.6 trillion, an increase of $800 billion.
___
ROMNEY: "I don't think we can possibly retake the White House if the person who's leading our party is the person who was working for the chief lobbyist of Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac was paying Speaker Gingrich $1.6 million at the same time Freddie Mac was costing the people of Florida millions upon millions of dollars."
THE FACTS: While going after Gingrich forcefully on the issue, Romney did not mention his own earnings from the government-backed lender and its sister entity, Fannie Mae, which came to light in his most recent financial disclosure report.
The report shows he has as much as $500,000 invested in the two lenders. GOP presidential hopefuls almost across the board have blamed the two institutions for contributing to the housing crisis that helped to drag the nation into recession. Among Romney's ties: a mutual fund worth up to $500,000 that includes assets from both lenders among other government income, and separate investments in each of the lenders in Romney's individual retirement account, each worth between $100,000 and $250,000.
Romney campaign officials said Monday the investments were handled by a trustee with no direction by the candidate.
___
Associated Press writers Tom Raum and Jim Drinkard contributed to this report.
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TORONTO (AP) ? BlackBerry maker Research in Motion's co-CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, announced they have stepped down as co-CEOs and co-chairmen of the once-iconic company that has struggled to compete in recent years.
The RIM founders have been replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, RIM said Sunday.
The Canadian company turned the email smartphone into a ubiquitous device that many could not live without, but U.S. users have moved on to flashier touch-screen phones such as Apple's iPhone and various competing models that run Google's Android software. RIM has suffered a series of setbacks and has lost tens of billions in market value.
RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future would be delayed until late this year. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to deeply discount it to move the devices off store shelves.
Many shareholders and analysts have said a change or sale of the company has been needed, but the sudden departure of the two founders from their top jobs wasn't expected despite their promises that they would examine the co-CEO and co-chairmen structure.
Balsillie and Lazaridis have long been celebrated as Canadian heroes, even appearing in the country's citizenship guide for new immigrants as models of success. They headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.
"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.
Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board.
The two remain two of RIM's biggest shareholders.
"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."
Analysts have said RIM's future depends on its much-delayed new software platform as RIM has tried and failed to reinvigorate the BlackBerry. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in late 2010 that RIM would have a hard time catching up to Apple because RIM has been forced to move beyond its area of strength and into unfamiliar territory of trying to become a software platform company.
Heins, 54, said Lazaridis and Balsillie took RIM in the right direction and said he's committed to the new software.
"We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim's continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today. I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company's future," Heins said.
Barbara Stymiest, a former chief operating officer of the Royal Bank of Canada who has been a member of RIM's board since 2007, has named chair of the board of directors. RIM also announced that Prem Watsa, the chief executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings, is a new board member. Watsa has become a significant shareholder.
Lazaridis said he was so confident in the future direction of the company that he intends to purchase an additional $50 million of the company's shares on the open market.
RIM was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago but now has a market value of $8.9 billion.
The company still has 75 million active subscribers, but many analysts believe RIM will lose market share internationally as it has in the U.S. Market researcher NPD Group said RIM's market share of smartphones in the U.S. declined from 44 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2011.
Balsillie acknowledged in December that the last few quarters have been among the most challenging times in the company's history.
(Reuters) ? Vampires and werewolves lured moviegoers to theaters this weekend as the fourth "Underworld" movie topped box office charts with $25.4 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, studio estimates released on Sunday showed.
"Underworld: Awakening" stars Kate Beckinsale as a vampire leading the charge in a battle against humans trying to drive her species and the werewolves to extinction.
The fourth movie, playing in 3,078 locations, opened stronger than two of the three earlier films in the franchise, which opened in 2003. Weekend sales finished "at the high end of where we hoped," said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures. Audiences were eager to see Beckinsale return to the lead role, he said. She had starred in the first two films but skipped the third.
"Awakening" is the first "Underworld" movie in 3D and cost about $70 million to produce. The movie fell flat with critics as just 24 percent gave a positive review on aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences polled by survey firm CinemaScore awarded the movie an A-.
In second place, World War Two story "Red Tails" far exceeded studio forecasts with $19.1 million in North America (United States and Canada).
"Red Tails" stars Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. in a drama about Tuskegee Airmen -- a black pilot group in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War Two. Producer George Lucas paid the film's $58 million production cost plus marketing expenses, and distributor 20th Century Fox had forecast $8 million to $10 million in domestic ticket sales for weekend.
"Never in our wildest dreams did we think we could pull off a number like this," said Chris Aronson, senior vice president for domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. He said audiences clearly enjoyed the film, giving it an A grade in polling by CinemaScore. Critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes came in at 34 percent positive.
WAHLBERG MOVIE DROPS TO THIRD
Last weekend's winner, thriller "Contraband" starring Mark Wahlberg, finished its second weekend in theaters in third place, grabbing $12.2 million domestically.
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," a drama about a boy trying to make sense of his father's death on 9/11, landed in fourth place with $10.5 million. The movie had opened in a small number of theaters on Christmas but expanded nationwide this weekend. The film stars Thomas Horn as the boy and Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock as his parents.
In fifth place, Steven Soderbergh-directed spy tale "Haywire" took in $9 million domestically, just beating distributor Relativity Media's projection of about $8 million.
"Haywire" features mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano as an operative who is double-crossed and becomes the target of assassins. While critics praised the film with an 82 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were not impressed. The film earned a D+ rating from CinemaScore.
Elsewhere this weekend, two movies that won Golden Globe awards last week expanded to more theaters.
Silent film "The Artist," winner for best musical or comedy film, doubled its sales to $2.4 million after moving into in 662 theaters from 446 last week.
"The Iron Lady," which won Meryl Streep best actress at the Globes for her role as Margaret Thatcher, dropped 32 percent from a week ago despite expanding by more than 800 theaters to 1,076 locations. The movie took in $3.7 million over the weekend.
The movie division of Sony Corp distributed "Underworld." Time Warner Inc unit Warner Bros. released "Extremely Loud." News Corp unit 20th Century Fox distributed "Red Tails." The privately held Weinstein Co. released "The Artist" and "The Iron Lady." Privately held Relativity Media released "Haywire" in the United States, and Alliance Films distributed the movie in Canada.
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)
The International Maritime Organization has decreed that by 2015, all large deep sea ships will be required to carry the latest in electronic navigation equipment. But does state-of-the-art navigation technology prevent shipwrecks like last week's off the Italian coast? University of Southern Mississippi hydrographer Max van Norden talks about the technology.
Kris Humphries is getting really good at this break up thing.
The New Jersey Nets power forward/E! star has called it quits with Anderson Public Relations, TMZ confirms, following disagreements between the company and the Humphries over how to best promote the latter off the court.
The PR team was especially upset with how Humphries handled an appearance on Good Morning America in December, where he brushed off questions about Kim Kardashian and looked confused about why they were even being asked. He instead talked about baking with his mom.
Kris' relationship with Anderson lasted 73 days, so, hey, that's an improvement of 24 hours for the guy!
Sources say he now wants to focus solely on basketball, which ought to be welcome news for the woeful Nets. Humphries scored 12 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in their 84-74 loss last night to the Thunder.
Surgeons in Sweden replaced an American patient's cancerous windpipe with a scaffold built from nanofibers and seeded with the patient's stem cells. Lead surgeon Dr. Paolo Macchiarini discusses the procedure and the benefits of tissue-engineered synthetic organs.
Chicago is bracing for eight inches of snow, and airports around the region are experiencing massive delays. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.
By msnbc.com staff and news services
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET: Airlines at O'Hare and Midway airports are now reporting significant delays. At O'Hare airlines are reporting delays averaging 45 minutes for all flights in and out of the airport. The number of canceled flights now totals more than 600.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Transit Authority has rerouted buses off of Lake Shore Drive, affecting a total?of 15 routes. Buses are being rerouted to nearby streets and will continue to make all local stops, according to the Chicago Transit Authority.
?Updated at 3:30 p.m. ET: Snow was falling heavily by midafternoon in Chicago as a winter storm spread east, NBCChicago.com reported.
Though no significant delays were reported, airlines at O'Hare Airport canceled more than 300 flights, NBCChicago.com said. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines canceled all 70 of its flights scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Friday.?
The Chicago Department of Aviation urged passengers to check airline websites for status updates.
The Milwaukee area?was seeing light snow at midday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Original story: Snow is forecast for Chicago, Milwaukee and other Midwestern cities Friday as a winter system travels toward the Northeast, according to The Weather Channel.
Snowfall accumulation may exceed 6 inches across the Chicago metropolitan area.
Late Friday into Friday night, the snow system will move across northern Indiana, northern Ohio and Michigan on its way to the Northeast.
A mixture of freezing rain and sleet is possible as far south as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, according to weather reports.
Snow changing to rain or sleet is projected for Philadelphia and New York City, and Boston will likely see 1 to 3 inches of snow.
Toppled trees This winter weather system comes two days after a major?storm covered the Pacific Northwest in snow. An ice storm in the Seattle area shut down the airport and toppled trees --?cutting power to some 200,000 homes and businesses, cutting off roads and taking the life of a man on his ATV.
Temperatures are now slowly rising in the Pacific Northwest, the National Weather Service reports, but more wet weather is anticipated on Friday. A warm front over the Oregon and Washington coast will allow for rain showers to persist.
Up to 2 inches of rain may be expected across these areas.
Risk has always been an integral part of business, but as I?ve noted, companies deal with risk with varying degrees of effectiveness. A complex, ongoing process, operational risk management identifies risks to support successful operations of an organization, estimates the monetary and other measurable impacts if a risk event occurs, establishes methods for mitigating the severity of impacts should they occur, continuously measures the probability of a risk occurring within a relevant period of time, periodically reports on the risk environment to appropriate decision-makers and alerts executives and managers when risk thresholds are crossed. These important activities should make operational risk management of greater interest to executives in today?s volatile business environment.
Operational risk management also is a key reason for an emerging trend toward action-oriented IT systems. The easier availability of broad sets of corporate data and third-party data, along with the ability to process it quickly and explore implications in real time, makes it practical to expand the scope of risk management and improve the effectiveness of responses when risk events occur. Operational risk now can be managed more comprehensively ? and the potential consequences mean it should be.
However, many companies handle risk haphazardly, leaving it to functional or business units. One reason for this is that ?risk? means different things to different parts of the business. Another is that companies have had a hard time defining operational risks in a way that is measurable and therefore manageable. Often, the data needed to measure and monitor operational risks comes from disparate sources. For example, senior executives should be made aware if health and safety issues have become more probable because required maintenance or other actions have been skipped. Rather than relying solely on document-based attestations by, say, plant managers, higher-ups could also be alerted if maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) data suggests procedures have been skipped or if accounting data shows a large enough positive variance in maintenance expense accounts. Another reason for slipshod risk management is that relatively few companies use advanced analytics, as our research shows. Rather than relying solely on sales-to-date data as the means of assessing the probability of missing future sales targets, for instance, they could employ predictive analytics (used by just one in eight companies) in a variety of ways to generate alerts as soon as actual results diverge too far from expected in many areas, whether sales of complementary products, cumulative rainfall or social media mentions.
Until now it?s been very difficult to assemble and use enough data to quantify risk. Because of this, operational risk management has been confined to a handful of industries (notably financial services, which is literally a business of numbers), a few kinds of projects (for instance, in engineering and construction, aerospace or defense) or the most easily measured general corporate risks (tracking revenues, expenses and cash flow). To be sure, some individual businesses and some functional areas are better than others at managing operational risk quantitatively. For example, companies that decide to make their supply chains leaner are more exposed to risk of disruption. The scope of the costs associated with leaner supply chains became clear this past year because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand. Corporations that had implemented comprehensive supply chain analytics were in a better position to react to these events because they had a more detailed understanding of their implications than those that had to wait days or weeks to quantify and analyze their positions.
Now that data is increasingly available and big data technologies as well as in-memory processing capabilities are accessible, corporations can apply a range of analytics and reports to limit the probability of preventing risk events from occurring or mitigating their impacts if they do occur. However, even though the technology foundation for more comprehensive risk management exists, it?s unclear how quickly companies will adopt it. The history of business computing is full of examples of business process changes lagging the introduction of technology that make them possible. For instance, in our ERP Innovation benchmark we found that two decades after modern ERP systems were introduced, only half of companies were using imaging ? which increases the availability of source documents such as invoices ? and only half used streamlined end-to-end processes such as procure-to-pay.
One of the first technology applications where executives should put operational risk management to work is scorecards. Corporations use balanced scorecards because all business decisions involve some sort of trade-off, such as market share vs. profitability. Moreover, all business decisions involve some form of risk and often more than just the risk of not achieving a business objective. Weighing and balancing trade-offs recognizes the reality that managers and executives must make these decisions intelligently in ways that are consistent with their organization?s overall objectives and risk appetite. Indeed, I believe that scorecards that don?t explicitly include risk are not truly balanced.
One reason for using scorecards as the jumping-off point for capturing and applying risk metrics is that this tool can be adopted and adapted at whatever pace a corporation prefers. Since few companies include risk metrics in management assessments today, there are few best practices at hand. Lacking a well-established set of metrics for a variety of operational functions, early adopters of operational risk metrics may well want to proceed with caution (as one would expect from people concerned with risk). Corporations that have already started with big-data initiatives and have deployed in-memory analytics systems have made most of the investment necessary to support an operational risk management initiative. They can follow the steps I outlined in the first paragraph above, from identifying the most relevant risks through reporting them. This is not a trivial task, but with the right tools it need not be overwhelmingly time-consuming. When done across a company it can keep senior executives alert to the severity of risks and their potential impacts and help them manage the organization more safely on an ongoing basis.
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With the rise of numerous accelerator programs in Europe one cannot help but wonder whether jumping through the application process hoops, sweating through the mentoring sessions and flirting with investors at demo days are all worth a founders? time. When I attended the recent ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
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