2013 ~ Speed Press

Top Searches: #6 Whitney Houston

Like Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse before her, superstar Whitney Houston galvanized an online rush with her unexpected death on Feb. 11. The singer-actress, who had a well-chronicled drug addiction, had been missing in action for some time.

Olympic moments of 2012

On July 27, 2012, more than 200 nations gathered in Olympic Stadium in London for the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. For 17 days we watched as the world's top athletes competed in more than 30 sports -- running, swimming, rowing,

Best New Artists Of 2012: Swimming Pools, Cemetaries And Too Much Blood

As the year comes to a close, and the holiday stress puts your therapist on speed dial, why not take a moment from your debilitating rage against the department store cashier to reflect upon the last calendar .

Most Viral Photos: #9 Most retweeted Obama photo

The night of the election, as networks began calling the race for President Obama, his campaign tweeted this photo of the president and first lady Michelle Obama hugging with the caption .

Wonders in Space: #5 Space Jump

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner made history with his amazing space jump on Oct. 14. After floating to the edge of Earth's atmosphere in a balloon-lifted capsule, Baumgartner performed a record-breaking free-fall jump, covering 23 miles at 834 mph

Monday, June 3, 2013

3-D printing goes from sci-fi fantasy to reality

SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) — Invisalign, a San Jose company, uses 3-D printing to make each mouthful of customized, transparent braces. Mackenzies Chocolates, a confectioner in Santa Cruz, uses a 3-D printer to pump out chocolate molds. And earlier this year, Cornell University researchers used a 3-D printer, along with injections of a special collagen gel, to create a human-shaped ear.
Once a science-fiction fantasy, three-dimensional printers are popping up everywhere from the desks of home hobbyists to Air Force drone research centers. The machines, generally the size of a microwave oven and costing $400 to more than $500,000, extrude layer upon layer of plastics or other materials, including metal, to create 3-D objects with moving parts.
Users are able to make just about anything they like: iPad stands, guitars, jewelry, even guns. But experts warn this cool innovation could soon turn controversial — because of safety concerns but also the potential for the technology to alter economies that rely on manufacturing.
"We believe that 3-D printing is fundamentally changing the manufacturing ecosystem in its entirety — how and where products are made and by whom," said Peter Weijmarshausen, CEO of New York-based Shapeways, an online company that makes and sells 3-D printed products designed by individuals. Products include a delicate, twig-like egg cup (cost: $8.10) and a lamp that looks like a nuclear mushroom cloud (cost: $1,388.66).
"We're on the verge of the next industrial revolution, no doubt about it," added Dartmouth College business professor Richard D'Aveni. "In 25 years, entire industries are going to disappear. Countries relying on mass manufacturing are going to find themselves with no revenues and no jobs."
On ground, sea or air, when parts break, new ones can be made on the spot, and even the tools to install them can be made, eliminating the need for staging parts in warehouses around the world, said Jeff DeGrange, vice president of Direct Digital Manufacturing at Stratasys Inc., currently the industry leader in a field of about 50 3-D printer companies.
"We're going to see innovation happening at a much higher rate, introduction of products at a much higher rate," said DeGrange. "We live in an on-demand world now, and we'll see production schedules are going to be greatly compressed."
Airplane mechanics could print a replacement part on the runway. A dishwasher repairman could make a new gasket in his service truck. A surgeon could print a knee implant custom-designed to fit a patient's body.
But the military, D'Aveni said, is likely to be among the first major users of 3-D printers, because of the urgency of warfare.
"Imagine a soldier on a firebase in the mountains of Afghanistan. A squad is attacked by insurgents. The ammunition starts to run out. Is it worth waiting hours and risking the lives of helicopter pilots to drop it near you, or is it worth a more expensive system that can manufacture weapons and ammunition on the spot?" he said.
In the past two years, the U.S. Defense Department has spent more than $2 million on 3-D printers, supplies and upkeep, according to federal contract records. Their uses range from medical research to weapons development. In addition, the Obama administration has launched a $30 million pilot program that includes researching how to use 3-D printing to build weapons parts.
NASA is also wading into this arena, spending $500,000 in the past two years on 3-D printing. Its Lunar Science Institute has published descriptions of how it is exploring the possibility of using the printers to build everything from spacecraft parts while in orbit to a lunar base.
While the U.S. is pursuing the military advantages of 3-D printing, it's also dealing with the potential dangers of the technology. On May 9, the State Department ordered a group to take down online blueprints for a 3-D printable handgun, and federal lawmakers and some state legislatures are contemplating proposals to restrict posting weapons plans in the future.
Since 2007, when these printers first entered the mainstream marketplace, sales have grown by 7.2 percent each year, according to IBIS World, a company that tracks the industry. Sales are projected to jump from about $1.7 billion in 2011 to $3.7 billion in 2015.
Cliff Waldman, a senior economist at the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, a group that promotes the role of manufacturing in global economies, said it's still too soon to know exactly what impact this 3-D technology could have on more traditional manufacturing. However, he doesn't envision it changing the "fundamental shape" of manufacturing, as others suggest.
"I think 3-D has the capacity to impact both products and processes," he said. "I am not ready to say that it is completely disruptive, however. It might be in a few narrow industries."
Starting in June, office supply chain Staples plans to be the first major retailer to supply 3-D printers with "the Cube," a plug-in device that uses 16 colors and costs $1,299. And in September the smallest and cheapest 3-D printer on the market — a printing pen priced from $50 — is due to start shipping. Similar to a glue gun, the 3Doodler plugs into the wall and is filled with cylinders of plastic that come out of a 518-degree Fahrenheit tip. Once the plastic leaves the pen it cools and hardens.
Makers Peter Dilworth, an inventor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Maxwell Bogue, a toy maker, first pitched their pens earlier this year on a website for startup projects. They sought $30,000 and wound up collecting $2.3 million from more than 26,000 investors, who each got one of the 3-D pens. Four artists who teamed up with the men have used the pens to make a mini Eiffel Tower, earrings and butterfly pendants.
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Follow Martha Mendoza on Twitter at twitter.com/mendozamartha

Gold Bullion Development Initiates Trenching Program at Granada

VANCOUVER, June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Gold Bullion Development Corp. (GBB.V) (GBBFF) (the "Company" or "Gold Bullion") is pleased to announce it has started its trenching program at Granada. The Company, based on SGS Geostat QP's recommendation in charge of the study, has initiated a trenching program aimed at validating the existence and position of mineralized zones at surface.
The main goal is to characterize and validate new shallow high grades zones identified in the drill holes GR-12-413, GR-10-21, GR-11-380, GR-11-313 GR-10-104, GR-10-105, GR-10-125, GR-10-97, GR-10-53 and GR-10-100. To reach those targets, digging parameters were set for each trench and pit. The trenching work consists of 4 trenches and 4 test pits to be done with an excavator. The trenches should be from 0 to 2 metres deep, 4 metres wide and the lengths are summarized in the following table. The test pit will consist of hoes 4 metres wide and 2 metres deep. The names correspond to the type of hole, TT for "Test Trench" and TP for "Test Pit". The second number is the year of work and the last number the hole tag. Channel sampling will be done in each trench and pit.
Table of Work Location and Type
  Starting coordinates Size  
Name Easting Northing Azimuth Depth Length Width Type
TP-13-01 647107.60 5338095.96 - 2 4 4 Test pit
TP-13-02 647032.87 5338016.26 - 2 4 4 Test pit
TP-13-03 647026.79 5337949.86 - 2 4 4 Test pit
TP-13-04 647084.17 5337967.73 - 2 4 4 Test pit
TT-13-01 646289.90 5338036.84 103 2 200 4 Trench
TT-13-02 646691.44 5338117.55 103 2 110 4 Trench
TT-13-03 647050.62 5338158.92 103 2 110 4 Trench
TT-13-04 646529.48 5337982.43 103 2 50 4 Trench
A map and details of the location of the trenches and test pit program, totalling approximately 470m in length, can be viewed on the Company's website the website at www.GoldBullionDevelopmentCorp.com.
The Company wants to take this opportunity to inform the community that it will communicate its development plan in the coming weeks with public consultations. The Company has retained the services of C.C. Consultants of Rouyn-Noranda to assist for the communication with the community.
Claude Duplessis, P. Eng., is acting as the qualified person (QP) for Gold Bullion Development Corp. in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed the technical contents of this press release.
About Gold Bullion Development Corp.
Gold Bullion Development Corp. is a TSX Venture-listed junior natural resource company focusing on the exploration and development of its Granada Property near Rouyn-Noranda, Québec.  Additional information on the Company's Granada gold property is available by visiting the website at www.GoldBullionDevelopmentCorp.com and on SEDAR.com.
"Frank J. Basa"
Frank J. Basa, P.Eng.
President and Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

Is gold’s rally over?

Gold’s decade-long rally has been called into question lately as the Federal Reserve’s talk of possibly unwinding its four-year quantitative easing “experiment” has caused investors to tire of the yellow metal.
In addition to the QE unwinding, other explanations that have been offered include the relation between gold prices and Japanese government bond volatility as well as the general unwinding of dollar shorts as the U.S. shifts from an economy where consumption is funded by debt, to one where consumption is funded by income. We concern ourselves less with the theories behind gold’s decline and focus instead on the metal’s price/volume action.
StockCharts.com Chart 1 — Gold weekly chart, 2001-present. The long-term trend is just barely intact.
Chart 1, the weekly chart of the gold index, reveals that this is the first time since the big bull rally in gold began in 2001 that gold has broken below the lows of a consolidation of “basing” pattern as it reaches a critical price point. We’ve drawn a long-term lower trend line on the gold index chart to show that gold is certainly at a crossroads as its long-term trend approaches a potential tipping point. A breach of this trendline could send gold back to major support at around the $1,000 price level.
The question most on investors’ minds is whether such a decline would set up a major buying opportunity for those who still believe that over the longer-term, holders of fiat currencies will move to seek a more reliable alternative. Given gold’s historical and cultural acceptance as money, gold is viewed as an alternative currency. Worries that an unwinding of QE will cause gold’s ultimate demise rely on the erroneous belief that gold’s price move has been driven solely by quantitative easing, which is not the case. Chart 1 shows that gold’s move began in earnest in 2001, long before the Federal Reserve’s creative QE liquidity machine was conceived and put into action in 2009, but well after the Fed’s easy money policy became well-entrenched during the Greenspan era of the late-1990s and early 2000s, leading to the longer-term devaluation of the dollar.
StockCharts.com Chart 2 — Gold daily chart, 2001-present. A retest of the April lows may be critical for gold.
Our view is that investors should simply let the current decline in gold run its course, at least until a technical low can be discerned. Chart 2, the daily chart of the gold index, provides one example of a potential bottoming formation as the metal retests its April low, an area that also coincides with gold’s long-term uptrend line as shown in Chart 1. The question is what could trigger a recovery and rally in gold?
Aside from all the other theories that have been offered, we consider the fact that the paper gold market, consisting of futures contracts and exchange traded funds such as the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), is about 100 times the physical market. Recent declines in the price of gold have been met by huge surges in demand for physical gold which has proven much more difficult to get ahold of than paper gold which has been figuratively tossed out the window. Thus the paradox of declining paper gold prices versus surging physical demand where steep drops in gold have not led to the wholesale dumping of physical metal. Rather the opposite has occurred. This has resulted in relatively high premiums for physical precious metals, in particular for the “poor man’s gold,” silver.
In pondering this, we have to wonder whether the selling in precious metals is due to the realization that when a currency dislocation occurs, whether in the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen, or some other currency, paper metals will do you no good — you must have physical. Therefore, the current selling could simply be an unwinding of the paper precious metals trade in anticipation of this. We find some indication of investors looking to alternative, less “printable” currencies, such as Bitcoin and the phenomenon of some U.S. states and municipalities creating their own local currencies. Thus, in such a realm, investors may decide that paper gold is not the solution.
In our view, the Fed is in no position to begin unwinding QE as the U.S. economy remains much weaker than most pundits and government statisticians and number massagers would have you believe, and the Japanese have taken a stance we like to refer to as “Kamikaze QE” as they go all in on the ill-fated delusion that they can suddenly jumpstart their decades long economic stagnation with some sort of steroidal version of what they’ve been doing for about the last 30 years. Meanwhile, Europe remains between a rock and a hard place. This is illustrated when even a small dislocation such as was seen recently in Cyprus, finds no other solutions other than the rote financial engineering and money-printing as bailouts persist as the rule of the day.
Our general view is that a major buying opportunity in gold may be at hand, but because we rely on price/volume action, in other words, market facts, we shun a reliance on theories of all stripes. If gold is able to successfully test its April low and mount a rally from here, then the yellow metal may be able to shine once again.
Gil Morales and Dr. Chris Kacher are both principals and managing directors of MoKa Investors LLC and Virtue of Selfish Investing, LLC, cofounders of www.selfishinvesting.com and co-authors of “Trade Like An O’Neil Disciple: How We Made 18,000% in the Stock Market” (Wiley, August, 2010) and their newest book, “In the Trading Cockpit with the O’Neil Disciples,” (Wiley, December 2012). Both are former internal portfolio managers for William O’Neil + Co., Inc., where Dr. Kacher also served as a senior research analyst and co-authored an in-house proprietary book “The Model Book of Greatest Stock Market Winners”, while Mr. Morales also served as Chief Market Strategist, Vice-President and Manager of the firm’s Institutional Services group, and co-authored with William J. O’Neil a book on short-selling, “How to Make Money Selling Stocks Short” (Wiley, 2004).     

Gold rebounds on softer dollar, US data eyed

By A. Ananthalakshmi
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Gold edged higher on Monday, recovering from a near 2-percent slide in the previous session, as weak U.S. data hurt the dollar and strengthened hopes the Federal Reserve would stick to its bullion-friendly stimulus program.
Gold fell more than 6 percent in May amid concerns the Fed could slow its monthly bond purchases as the U.S. economy shows signs of improvement. But a flurry of disappointing U.S. data including Friday's report on a decline in U.S. consumer spending weakened arguments for a near-term tapering of the central bank's bond-buying stimulus.
The U.S. data watch continues this week as the Fed heads for its next policy meeting later this month.
"Everyone is waiting for U.S. non-farm payroll data this Friday to see what the central bank would do," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong.
The Fed has said it would keep up the stimulus campaign until the employment situation improved.
Spot gold rose 0.6 percent to $1,394.56 an ounce by 0440 GMT after falling by 1.9 percent on Friday. The drop in the last session was gold's steepest single-day fall since May 17, helping to push the metal to a second straight monthly decline.
U.S. gold was little changed at $1,394.30.
The softer dollar is also supporting gold prices, said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Hong Kong's Wing Fung Precious Metals.
Fung said Friday's sharp price drop lured Chinese buyers on Monday, despite data pointing to slowing economic momentum in the world's second-biggest gold consumer.
China's factory activity shrank for the first time in seven months in May as both domestic and external demand softened, according to HSBC's Purchasing Managers' Index. An official manufacturing PMI, released on Saturday, rose only slightly.
Physical demand for gold has been strong since a mid-April drop in spot prices. Premiums in Asia are at or near all-time highs as gold has dropped nearly 17 percent for the year.
Gold demand in India will be as strong as last year in the second half of 2013 due to prospects of good monsoon rains that will boost the income of farmers, the key buyers, the World Gold Council CEO said on Friday.
Hedge funds and money managers increased their bullish bets in gold futures and options for the first time in four weeks, a report by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed on Friday.

Declines in the holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the largest gold-backed exchange traded fund, have stopped after nearly three weeks. Holdings rose last Wednesday and have been unchanged since.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Barclays pulled into U.S. money laundering investigation

LONDON (Reuters) - Barclays (BARC.L) has been dragged into an international money laundering investigation after U.S. prosecutors discovered that Arthur Budovsky, the founder of digital currency exchange Liberty Reserve, held an account with the British bank.
U.S. prosecutors have filed an indictment against the operators of Liberty Reserve, accusing the Costa Rica-based company of helping criminals around the world launder more than $6 billion in illicit funds linked to everything from child pornography to software for hacking into banks.
"Barclays can confirm it is co-operating with the investigation, following the notification it received from the authorities," a spokesman for the bank said on Sunday.
The 119-page indictment from U.S. authorities unsealed on Tuesday says on page 45 that Budovsky held an account with Barclays Bank in Spain (http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/May13/LibertyReserveetalDocuments/Liberty%20Reserve,%20et%20al.%20Redacted%20AUSA%20Appln%20with%20exhibits.pdf).
Budovsky, who was arrested in Spain last Friday, opened the personal account in 2009, a source familiar with the situation said on Sunday.
The source added that Barclays has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
(Reporting By Christine Murray; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Finance Week Ahead: June Swoon to Come?

If every day this month had been like Friday, then "sell in May and go away" would be an accurate statement for 2013. However, despite the steep late-day selloff on the final day of the month, the major indices ended May firmly on the upside, with the Dow gaining 1.86%, the S&P up 2.08% and the Nasdaq seeing a 3.82% rise.
Yahoo! Finance
Still, as Yahoo! Finance Editor in Chief Aaron Task and Henry Blodget point out in this Daily Ticker segment, the "tally doesn’t really count until the end of the 'worst six months' period." With June traditionally being a weak month for Wall Street, are we headed for a swoon over the next 30 days? Or, as our Breakout colleagues asked on Friday: What comes after a seven-month rally? Crash, correction or pullback?
And as the 10-year note yield soars above 2% and Treasuries see their worst month since 2010, is this bond selloff the "real thing?" (For your edification: Goldman Sachs (GS) says "Yes" while UBS (UBS) says "Not really.")
In a world where investors might "fear the taper" and bad news can be good for the market, all of this remains to be seen as we head into the final month of the second quarter of 2013. And busy days are ahead, with the key jobs report for May capping a week that includes a meeting between President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, another IRS hearing, several Fed speakers, an ECB policy meeting, auto sales numbers and a smattering of earnings reports. Scheduled guests on Daily Ticker and Breakout include Meredith Whitney, Paul Hickey and former Yahoo! Finance columnist Daniel Gross.
Oh, yes, and if you have a few million bucks on hand, you can bid for a chat and chew session with Warren Buffett (Dairy Queen burgers, anyone?). Hey, it did wonders for Ted Weschler.
Here's a look at highlights of the week ahead:
Sunday, June 2
  • Warren Buffett’s annual lunch auction for charity kicks off. Last year’s winner paid $3,456,789 to eat a meal with the Oracle of Omaha.
  • Commencement speech season: Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at Princeton, where he worked as a tenured professor from 1985 to 2005.
  • China PMI manufacturing index released at 9:45 p.m. ET
Monday, June 3
  • First trading day of the final month of the second quarter
  • Possible IPOs this week: RCS Capital Corp., Colony American Homes, LightintheBox Holding Co., Textura
  • Press conference in Taipei to possibly reveal the Mozilla/Foxconn tablet discussed this past week on Daily Ticker
  • WikiLeaks scandal: Court martial of U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, who faced charges related to the passing of government secrets to the WikiLeaks site
  • Another IRS hearing: Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel testifies to House Appropriations Committee oversight hearing
  • Data: ISM manufacturing index, 10:00 a.m. ET; construction spending, 10:00 a.m. ET
  • Foreign data: EU manufacturing index, 4:00 a.m. ET
  • From Breakout: No, this is NOT a stock bubble! says Ben Stein; Will there be a June swoon in stocks?
  • From Daily Ticker: Heidi Moore and former Yahoo! Finance columnist Daniel Gross debate the economic recovery
Tuesday, June 4
  • Auto sales roll out throughout the day
  • Shareholders meeting: The recently “supercharged” Tesla (TSLA), which broke $100 a share for the first time this week (and is up a whopping 96% in May alone)
  • Fed speakers: Esther George, Sarah Bloom Raskin, Richard Fisher
  • Earnings: Dollar General (DG)
  • Obama meets with Chile President Sebastian Pinera at the White House
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius testifies to House committee on fiscal year 2014 budget
  • Data: International trade, 8:30 a.m. ET
  • Foreign data: EU PPI, 5:00 a.m. ET; China PMI composite, 9:45 p.m. ET
  • Auction: 4-week bill
  • From Breakout: Elliott Wave socioeconomics researcher Euan Wilson on why stock market highs might hurt marijuana legalization efforts; Paul Hickey from Bespoke Investment Group
Wednesday, June 5
  • Data: ADP employment report, 8:15 a.m. ET; productivity and costs, 8:30 a.m. ET; factory orders, 10:00 a.m. ET; ISM non-manufacturing index, 10:00 a.m. ET; EIA Petroleum Status Report, 10:30 a.m. ET
  • Foreign data: EU PMI composite, 4:00 a.m. ET; EU GDP and retail sales, 5:00 a.m. ET
  • Shareholders meetings: Las Vegas Sands (LVS), Yelp (YELP)
  • Earnings: Annie’s (BNNY), Hot Topic (HOTT), Hovnavian (HOV) Restoration Hardware (RH)
  • Fed beige book, 2:00 p.m. ET
  • From Daily Ticker: Banking analyst Meredith Whitney
Thursday, June 6
  • ECB meeting, with ECB President Mario Draghi presser to follow; the latest chatter points to no action being taken here after rates were cut at the last meeting
  • Chain store sales out in the a.m.
  • Other data: Challenger job-cut report, 7:30 a.m. ET; jobless claims, 8:30 a.m. ET, GDP by state, 8:30 a.m. ET; quarterly services survey, 10:00 a.m. ET
  • Shareholders meetings: Wal-Mart (WMT), Google (GOOG), GM (GM)
  • Earnings: Smucker (SJM), Ann (ANN)
  • Fed speakers: Sarah Bloom Raskin, Charles Plosser
Friday, June 7
  • Key jobs report from BLS for May, 8:30 a.m. ET
  • Other data: Consumer credit, 3:00 p.m. ET
  • Obama meets Chinese President Xi JinPing for two-day meeting in California; it’s their first meeting since Xi became president.
  • Warren Buffett lunch auction closes
  • From Breakout: Jim Paulsen from Wells Capital for reaction to jobs report
  • From Daily Ticker: Analyst Maria Ramirez reacts to jobs report

U.S. takes Apple to trial over e-books price-fixing

By Nate Raymond
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc goes to trial Monday over allegations by federal and state authorities that it conspired with publishers to raise the price of e-books.
The trial pits the maker of the popular iPad and iPhone against the U.S. Justice Department in a case that tests how Internet retailers interact with content providers.
"This case will effectively set the rules for Internet commerce," said David Balto, a former policy director for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
The Justice Department filed its case against Apple and five of the six largest U.S. book publishers in April 2012. The lawsuit accused them of conspiring to increase e-book prices and break Amazon.com Inc's hold on pricing.
Apple is going to trial alone after the five publishers agreed to eliminate prohibitions on wholesale discounts and to pay a collective $164 million to benefit consumers.
The five publishers were Pearson Plc's Penguin Group, News Corp's HarperCollins Publishers Inc, CBS Corp's Simon & Schuster Inc, Hachette Book Group Inc and MacMillan.
The U.S. government is not seeking damages but instead an order blocking Apple from engaging in similar conduct. However, if Apple is found liable, it could still face damages in a separate trial by the state attorneys general and consumers pursuing class actions.
'DIRECT EVIDENCE'
Based on a comment by the presiding judge at the final hearing before the trial, Apple may face an uphill battle.
"I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books," U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, who is hearing the case without a jury, said on May 23.
While those comments suggested Apple might be smart to seek a settlement, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an interview Tuesday with All Things Digital that Apple was "not going to sign something that says we did something we didn't do."
Apple may be calculating that future damages claims by states and class actions make it worth going to trial, said John Lopatka, a law professor at Pennsylvania State University.
"Apple might think, 'We may lose at the trial level, but we may well convince an appellate court the trial judge mischaracterized the evidence," Lopatka said.
'MARKET IN TURMOIL'
Neither side disputes that in 2009 publishers were concerned about low prices for e-books resulting from the dominance of Amazon.com, which launched its Kindle e-reader in 2007.
As it prepared to launch its iPad and was looking into opening an electronic bookstore, Apple has said it was entering a "market in turmoil," with growing tension between the publishers and Amazon.
Amazon, which declined comment, was selling 90 percent of all e-books in 2009. It was buying books wholesale and at times selling them at a loss, pricing them at $9.99, with the goal of promoting its Kindle.
The Justice Department contends that Apple's entry into the market provided publishers with a means to get together to increase prices.
At the suggestion of Hachette and HarperCollins, the government says Apple began considering an agency model in which publishers set the price and Apple took a fixed percentage.
Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, told his biographer that, "we told the publishers, ‘We'll go to the agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30 percent, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway.'"
The Justice Department said Apple provided assurances to publishers their rivals would join.
Apple says that it was unaware of efforts by the publishers to conspire before it entered the marketplace, and said when it did, it act independently.
It also contends that in the wake of its introduction of the iBookstore, prices have fallen rather than risen from $7.97 on average to $7.34.
BIGGER ISSUE
For the Justice Department, many of its goals have been accomplished, thanks to the settlements with publishers, which lifted restrictions on discounting and promotions by e-book retailers. Those deals have already lowered prices for consumers, the department says.
But the government may be aiming at a bigger issue, said Geoffrey Manne, a law professor at Lewis & Clark Law School.
Among other things, the government lawsuit seeks to declare that certain provisions in the agreements between Apple and the publishers are unenforceable.
These provisions, known as most-favored-nation clauses, provided that if other e-bookstores sold the books at cheaper prices, then Apple could reduce its prices. The government has said this provided an incentive for the publishers to raise prices at other retailers.
Similar types of most-favored nation clauses have been central in other content industries such as music and television where content providers have a role in setting the price. They have also become a discussion point in certain antitrust communities, Manne said, and a government win could "send a pretty strong message" about their use.
"If the government wins this case, it would be because the court for some reason determines that most-favored-nation clauses are more harmful to competition than helpful," he said.
The case is United States v. Apple Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-02826.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Eddie Evans and Kenneth Barry)

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Mo. golfer survives fall into Ill. course sinkhole


ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mark Mihal was having good opening day on the links when he noticed an unusual depression on the fairway of the 14th hole at Annbriar Golf Club in southern Illinois.
Remarking to his friends how awkward it would be to have to hit out of it, he went over for a closer look.
One step onto the pocked section and the 43-year-old mortgage broker was plunging into a sinkhold. He landed 18 feet down with a painful thud, and his friends managed to hoist him to safety with a rope after about 20 minutes. But Friday's experience gave Mihal quite a fright, particularly after the much-publicized recent death of a man in Florida whose body hasn't been found since a sinkhole swallowed him and his bedroom.
"I feel lucky just to come out of it with a shoulder injury, falling that far and not knowing what I was going to hit," Mihal, from the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, told The Associated Press before heading off to learn whether he'll need surgery. "It was absolutely crazy."
Mihal said it was a real downer on what had been a fine outing.
With winter finally nearing an end, "it was the first day to get to play in a long time," he said. "So I wasn't expecting too much."
Golfing with buddies, Mihal was waiting to hit his third shot, some 100 yards from the pin on the par 5, when he noticed a bathtub-looking indentation about knee deep just behind him on the fairway. At just one over par for the round, the golfer with a 6 handicap was on a roll.
Mihal said he was completely surprised when the ground gave way beneath him.
"It didn't look unstable," he said. "And then I was gone. I was just freefalling. It felt like forever, but it was just a second or two, and I didn't know what I was going to hit. And all I saw was darkness."
His golfing buddies didn't see him vanish into the earth but noticed he wasn't visible, figuring he had tripped and fallen out of sight down a hill. But one of them heard Mihal's moans and went to investigate.
"He just thought it was some crazy magic trick or something," Mihal said.
Hardly.
Getting panicky and knowing his shoulder "was busted," Mihal assessed his dilemma in pitch darkness as he rested on a mound of mud, wondering if the ground would give way more and send him deeper into the pit that was 10-feet wide at the opening, then broadened out into the shape of a bell below the surface.
"I was looking around, clinging to the mud pile, trying to see if there was a way out," he said. "At that point, I started yelling, "I need a ladder and a rope, and you guys need to get me out of here.'"
A ladder that was hustled to the scene was too short, and Mihal's damaged shoulder crimped his ability to climb.
"At some point, I said, 'I need to get out of here. Now,'" Mihal recalled.
One of his golf partners, a real-estate agent, made his way into the hole, converted his sweater into a splint for Mihal and tied a rope around his friend, who was pulled to safety.
"I felt fortunate I didn't break both legs, or worse," Mihal said.
While disturbing, such sink-holes aren't uncommon in southwestern Illinois, where old underground mines frequently cause the earth to settle. In Mihal's case, the sinkhole's culprit was subsurface limestone that dissolves from acidic rainwater, snowmelt and carbon dioxide, eventually causing the ground to collapse, said Sam Panno, a senior geochemist with the Illinois State Geological Survey.
That region "is riddled with sinkholes," with as many as 15,000 recorded, Panno said.
The one Mihal survived has him debating whether returning to Annbriar is a long shot.
"It's a great course. I love the course," Mihal said, having played Annbriar a couple dozen times over the past decade. "But I would have a tough time probably walking down that hole again."
The 20-year-old course proclaims on its website that "each year new golfers are tested by our challenging 18 holes of golf."
There's no mention of its newest — and most challenging — hole.

Older Friends Sharing Time Are Sharing Kisses As Well

DEAR ABBY: I am a semi-retired widow in my 60s. A few months ago I started spending time with a man I work with. We would see each other once or twice a month, strictly as friends. Our "dates" ended with a platonic hug.
About a month ago, a hug turned into an embrace. A week later, the embrace became a passionate kiss. Since then, whenever we get together -- now once or twice a week -- we spend a good portion of our time together "making out." We love the way each other kisses.
The problem is, we're still just friends. There is no desire on the part of either of us to take the relationship up a notch. What do we do? We should not be kissing a friend the way we do, but we can't seem to stop.
We're not hurting anyone. We have tried meeting only in public places, but there is still the goodnight kiss. I never thought I'd need this kind of advice at my age. Must we stop spending time together? -- FLABBERGASTED IN WISCONSIN
DEAR FLABBERGASTED: Not in my opinion. I assume you're both eligible. This is the way relationships develop, and you would be foolish not to see where it leads. As of now, a kiss is still a kiss. Let me hear from you in a month.

DEAR ABBY: I am writing on behalf of hairstylists. We are busy people. Our time is money. We rarely even stop for lunch. Clients who come in talking on their cellphones are a real problem for us because they slow us down.
I have had clients jump up from my chair to answer their cellphone in the middle of a haircut -- hair flying everywhere. I have had to do a haircut around a cellphone, with the client switching the phone from ear to ear! These are not even important calls -- just casual conversations.
The lack of courtesy is ridiculous, and it seems to be getting worse. I would like people who do this to think twice before subjecting their stylist to it. They should put their phones on silent, get their hair cut or colored, and talk on their own time! -- FED UP IN NEBRASKA
DEAR FED UP: You are not helpless. This is happening because you have allowed it. If you can't find the gumption to tell your customers you don't want them using their cellphones while they're in your chair, then post a sign on your mirror that reads "Cellphones Not Allowed."
DEAR ABBY: I am a new bride. I love my husband very much, but I've encountered a problem I don't know how to handle. My husband and I were together for six years before we got married and were engaged for three. We eloped to Las Vegas (it wasn't planned) and had a "proper" celebration with friends and family later.
My husband makes comments that suggest I dragged him and tricked him into marrying me. I know he's only kidding, but it's very hurtful. I don't know how to let him know his comments really hurt my feelings. It makes me feel like he's ashamed of our marriage. -- NEWLYWED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR NEWLYWED: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The next time your husband does it, speak up. Explain that his attempts at humor are hurtful, not to mention insulting. Ask him if he regrets marrying you. (If the answer is yes, it's important that you know it now.) Clear communication is the key to a strong marriage, and so is respect for one's partner, which he appears to be lacking.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order "How to Have a Lovely Wedding." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

"Jersey Boys" production company prevails in Ed Sullivan copyright appeal

By Greg Gilman
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The producers of "Jersey Boys" have prevailed in a lawsuit alleging that the use of a seven-second clip from "The Ed Sullivan Show" was copyright infringement.
On Monday, an appellate court in California upheld a lower court's decision to award $155,000 in attorney fees to defendants Dodger Productions and Dodgers Theatricals, Ltd.
In the hit Broadway production that dramatizes the rise and eventual breakup of '60s rock 'n' roll band The Four Seasons, the quick clip of Ed Sullivan introducing the foursome is used as a transition to a live rendition of the song they performed on the late-night show. Afterward, the actor portraying Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio reflects on the band's career in comparison to the Beatles.
SOFA Entertainment, Inc., who filed the appeal in February, claimed the defendant could not justify its unlicensed use of the clip as "fair use," but Judge Stephen S. Trott ruled the company "is mistaken."
"By using the clip for its biographical significance, Dodger has imbued it with new meaning and did so without usurping whatever demand there is for the original clip," Trott wrote. "Dodger is entitled to prevail on its fair use defense as a matter of law."
And since SOFA previously tried and failed to prove copyright infringement of another property, Judge Trott believes the company should be known better.
"In light of the education SOFA received as the plaintiff in Elvis Presley Enterprises, SOFA should have known from the outset that its chances of success in this case were slim to none," Trott concluded. "Therefore, we conclude that the district court's award of attorney fees to Dodger was justified."

Bolshoi ballet chief: threats preceded acid attack

MOSCOW (AP) — The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet said the dancer arrested on suspicion of giving the go-ahead to an acid attack that badly burned his eyes and face had long threatened him.
Dressed in black and wearing shades, Sergei Filin told Russian state television in remarks broadcast Tuesday that someone whom he wouldn't name might have pushed leading soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko into staging the attack.
"It appears that someone had worked really well on that and pushed him into doing it, since every time, every moment, my every meeting with Pavel Dmitrichenko meant another threat, another show of dislike," Filin said.
He added that Dmitrichenko, who has recently starred in the title part of "Ivan the Terrible," was part of a "narrow circle of people who openly disliked me and threatened me and many other people."
Filin, 42, spoke energetically and skin on his face no longer looked red and swollen as in early February, when he was last seen in public before flying to Germany for continuing treatment.
Dmitrichenko told a Moscow court last week that he gave his blessing to the Jan. 17 attack, but never expected that the assailant would go as far as to throw acid in Filin's face. He said he was angry at Filin for what he described as corruption and favoritism at the theater.
Dmitrichenko was arrested by police along with the alleged perpetrator of the attack and another man accused of serving as a getaway driver.
On Thursday, 300 Bolshoi employees, including some of the leading dancers, issued an open letter defending 29-year-old Dmitrichenko. They said that police failed to produce any evidence of Dmitrichenko's guilt and argued that Dmitrichenko had been pressured into slandering himself by police.
"We think that the conclusions drawn by investigators look hasty to us, their proof unconvincing and Pavel's confession ... was a result of crude pressure on him," the letter said.
"Regrettably, the history of our country saw many occasions when investigators used unlawful and sometimes illegal means to obtain the results they needed," it added.
Rights groups say Russian police routinely use torture to extract false confessions from those they have arbitrarily rounded up, brutality that long has caused public outrage and drawn calls for an overhaul of the force.
Dmitrichenko's lawyer, Alexander Barkanov, didn't make any allegations of police abuse in the case when he attended a court session last week. Moscow police insisted in Tuesday's statement that they have been honestly doing their job and pledged to conduct a fair probe.
Reacting to the open letter by Bolshoi artists, Bolshoi general director Anatoly Iksanov called a news conference to say that Dmitrichenko won't be fired unless found guilty.
"If the court proves his innocence, then, sure, we will have no legal grounds to fire Dmitrichenko," he said.
Iksanov said he shares the ballet troupe's concern that the "investigation could be biased" and said he believes Dmitrichenko when the dancer says he was plotting the attack, but not the violent form that it took.
The Bolshoi's director pledged to keep Dmitrichenko on payroll for the time being, but added that it is virtually impossible for a dancer to return to work after a year's break. It is unclear when his trial could start and how long it could last.

Teenaged Olympic athlete Douglas to publish second memoir

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas, not yet 18, will publish her second memoir next month, publisher Zondervan said on Tuesday.
Douglas, 17, a gold medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics in both team and individual all-around gymnastics competition, will publish "Raising the Bar", a follow-up to her 2012 best-selling memoir "Grace, Gold & Glory: My Leap of Faith", on April 30, the publishers said in a release.
Zondervan is a division of HarperCollins that specializes in Christian-oriented books.
The book will offer a behind-the-scenes look into Douglas' life, including color photos, personal stories and details on the athlete's present-day life - from walking red carpets and appearing on TV shows such as "The Vampire Diaries" while also making time for friends, family and training.
"'Raising the Bar' explores what it's like to be an everyday teen with a not-so-everyday life," Zondervan said.
Douglas, who began training at age 6 and became the Virginia State Champion just 2 years later, made history last year when she became the first U.S. gymnast to take home a team and an individual gold medal in the same games. She was first African-American to win the individual gold.
Since the 2012 London Olympics thrust the young gymnast into the public eye, Douglas has appeared at the Democratic National Convention, the MTV Video Awards, on the cover of Time magazine and on special edition boxes of corn flake cereal, along with her gold medal.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Richard Chang)

Preparing for Springtime Backyard Play

Warm weather is around the corner. Swing-N-Slide reminds everyone to prep your outdoor swing set for backyard play.

Chattanooga, TN (PRWEB) March 12, 2013
Warm weather is coming soon and the kids are ready to get outside and play! Swing-N-Slide wants to remind families that compliant backyard recreation is the safest way to play. Outdoor play is important for building a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Checking your play set for wear and tear will allow for longer and more productive play time.     Swing-N-Slide suggests using the following quick check list to inspect your play set for a spring and summer filled with fun and creative play!
Print & Play Checklist
Before Play Season

  • At the start of play season, check all metal parts for rust or other deterioration
-To prevent deterioration of materials, remove plastic swing seats and other plastic accessories and take indoors during off seasons

  • Provide your children with a soft landing – proper surfacing is key

  • Replace any deteriorated parts with new parts for compliant play

  • Lubricate metallic moving parts

  • Check all protective coverings on bolts, pipes, edges and corners – replace if loose, cracked or missing

  • Keep your play surface compliant by checking its depth and raking it to avoid compaction

  • Tighten all hardware

  • Sand down any splinters in the wood

  • Replace any deteriorating wood parts

  • Cut off all protruding threaded ends of bolts and other fasteners and remove any sharp edges

  • Ensure equipment is on level ground, no less than six feet from any structure or obstruction such as a fence, garage or tree

  • Adjust all swings for a minimum 8'' clearance between the swing and the ground surface

  • Use a water seal on your gym set to protect wood and prevent cracking and warping
During Play Season

  • Check all nuts and bolts twice monthly for tightness and tighten as required.

  • Oil all metallic moving parts monthly during usage period

  • Check all hardware and equipment for sharp edges twice monthly

  • Check swing seats and chains monthly during the usage season for evidence of deterioration

  • Remind your children of safe play rules including appropriate swinging space, sharing with others and being polite to other children
Playsets can last for many years if they are properly cared for and monitored. It’s important to replace deteriorated swings and parts or upgrade for your growing child. Swing-N-Slide offers many alternatives to your basic swing seat including a heavy duty swing seat, the innovative Vortex Ring Swing, the modern Wind Rider Glider or even a multi-child swing like the Mega Rider or the 2 For Fun Glider.
The most important aspect in play is safety. Swing-N-Slide tests and adheres to the ASTM International regulations for residential play. To learn more on playset safety visit http://www.swing-n-slide.com for ASTM compliance information and how Swing-N-Slide meets or exceeds regulations for safe backyard play.
About Swing-N-Slide

Swing-N-Slide, PlayCore’s consumer products division, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of residential backyard playground equipment and related accessories. Swing-N-Slide designs, manufactures and distributes play sets to home centers, hardware stores and play set retailers across the nation. Safety and quality have been the cornerstone of Swing-N-Slide’s vision to provide children and their families with a safer play environment. For more information visit http://www.swing-n-slide.com

About PlayCore

PlayCore helps build stronger communities around the world by advancing play through research, education, and partnerships. The company infuses this learning into its complete family of brands – GameTime, UltraSite, UltraShelter, UltraPlay, GT Grandstands, Snug, Play and Park Structures, TotTurf, Everlast Climbing, and Swing-N-Slide. PlayCore combines best-in-class planning and education programs with the most comprehensive array of recreation products available to create play solutions that match the unique needs of each community served. PlayCore's corporate headquarters is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. More information is available about PlayCore, Inc. at http://www.PlayCore.com.
Georgia Tippens
PlayCore
423-648-5570
Email Information

Wonders in Space: #5 Space Jump

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner made history with his amazing space jump on Oct. 14. After floating to the edge of Earth's atmosphere in a balloon-lifted capsule, Baumgartner performed a record-breaking free-fall jump, covering 23 miles at 834 mph before opening his parachute and dropping safely to terra firma. Baumgartner, who wanted to set a record and practiced five years for the jump, said he didn't enjoy the experience until his chute opened.
"When my parachute opened, this was the first moment where I enjoyed it a lot because I knew it was over and I'm alive,'' he said after the monumental leap.

Most Viral Photos: 9 Most retweeted Obama photo

The night of the election, as networks began calling the race for President Obama, his campaign tweeted this photo of the president and first lady Michelle Obama hugging with the caption "four more years." The photo captured the moment and became the most retweeted ever, even surpassing a previous tweet by…wait for it…Justin Bieber. The photo also became the "most liked" on Facebook, receiving over 4.4 million "likes" and counting. The shot, snapped in August by campaign photographer Scout Tufankjian, was taken at a campaign stop in Iowa. The two hadn't seen each other in a couple of days and embraced onstage. The rest is social media history. (Photo courtesy @BarackObama/Twitter)

Best New Artists Of 2012: Swimming Pools, Cemetaries And Too Much Blood

As the year comes to a close, and the holiday stress puts your therapist on speed dial, why not take a moment from your debilitating rage against the department store cashier to reflect upon the last calendar year of music—we sure have. 2012 has brought us tripped out folk singers, potty-mouthed mermaids, indie super groups and jams hot enough to boil a waterbed, just to name a few.

While some of these artists have been around for longer than a hot second, we're selecting them based on their debut studio or major label albums dropping in 2012. After all, how can you choose a "Best New Artist" without hearing a completed effort? So let’s take a look at the artists we think gave this year a real good shakedown.

Kendrick Lamar: Certainly not a new face to the game, but this year marks the beginning of Kendrick Lamar’s journey into the hip-hop stratos as a full-fledged star. Following in the footsteps of other Dre protégés like Eminem and Snoop Dogg , the LA-based artist’s first major label album good kid m.A.A.d city peaked at #2 in the US after having already worked with the top names in the industry. Lamar doesn’t need million-dollar cars and a mouth full of diamonds to blow you away; just a mic, a stage, and a moment of your time. This one will be around for a long time, trust.

Olympic moments of 2012






Song: "Champion" by The Chevin

On July 27, 2012, more than 200 nations gathered in Olympic Stadium in London for the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. For 17 days we watched as the world's top athletes competed in more than 30 sports -- running, swimming, rowing, tumbling, and fighting their way to gold. And if this year's Games showed us anything, it's that Yahoo! users couldn't get enough of the incredible stories that came out of the 2012 London Olympics.

Some of the most dramatic Olympic moments came from track & field events. We cheered on Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who proved he is the fastest man in the world, winning back-to-back gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter dash and setting three world records while in London. We celebrated Allyson Felix's long-coveted win in the 200-meter dash, after two disappointing losses in 2004 and 2008. We were awed by Britain's "Golden Girl" Jessica Ennis, who took home gold in the heptathlon, to the elation of the London crowds. And we were inspired by Oscar Pistorius, aka "Blade Runner," the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic finals.

Women's gymnastics also held some of the most exciting Olympic moments for Yahoo! users this summer. For the first time in 16 years, the U.S. women's team, dubbed the "Fierce Five," took home the gold -- beating Russia decisively 183.596 to 178.530 in the team competition. And in a dramatic win, 16-year-old Gabrielle Douglas of the U.S. edged out Russia's Victoria Komova by only .259 points to win the women's all-around competition.

Besides incredible moments, the 2012 Olympics gave us something else: the most decorated athlete in the history of the Games. We held our breath as swimming great Michael Phelps missed the podium with his first race, the 400 individual medley. But Phelps proved he would live up to the moniker of "Greatest Olympian of All Time," winning four gold medals and two silvers in his subsequent races. His final tally? Twenty-two Olympic medals overall, the most in the history of the Games.

Video produced by Brad Williams and Evan Doherty. Article by Rebecca Resnick Driskill. Postproduction by Brad Williams. Graphics by Todd Tanner.





Top Searches: #6 Whitney Houston




Like Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse before her, superstar Whitney Houston galvanized an online rush with her unexpected death on Feb. 11. The singer-actress, who had a well-chronicled drug addiction, had been missing in action for some time.

Yet with news of her death came reports that a long-promised comeback had been under way (notably, her first film role in 16 years), making her fatal accident ("drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use") all the more heartbreaking. Death came 24 hours before her return performance at a pre-Grammy gala. The awards ceremony paid tribute to Houston the next day; at the time, her room at the Beverly Hilton was still considered a crime scene.

Mysterious bacterium found in Antarctic lak



MOSCOW (AP) — A new form of microbial life has been found in water samples taken from a giant freshwater lake hidden under kilometers of Antarctic ice, Russian scientists said Monday.

Sergei Bulat and Valery Lukin said in a statement that the "unidentified and unclassified" bacterium has no relation to any of the existing bacterial types. They acknowledged, however, that extensive research of the microbe that was sealed under the ice for millions of years will be necessary to prove the find and determine the bacterium's characteristics.

New samples of water retrieved from Lake Vostok earlier this year are expected to be delivered to St. Petersburg in May aboard a Russian ship.

The Russian team reached the surface of the subglacial lake in February 2012 after more than two decades of drilling, a major achievement hailed by scientists around the world.

They touched the lake water Sunday at a depth of 12,366 feet (3,769 meters), about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) east of the South Pole in the central part of the continent.

Scientists hope the lake might allow a glimpse into microbial life forms that existed before the Ice Age and could have survived in the dark depths of the lake, despite its high pressure and constant cold — conditions similar to those which also are believed to be found under the ice crust on Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus.

At 250 kilometers (160 miles) long and 50 kilometers (30 miles) wide, Lake Vostok is similar in size to Lake Ontario. It is kept from freezing into a solid block by the kilometers (miles)-thick crust of ice across it that acts like a blanket, keeping in heat generated by geothermal energy underneath.

Some have voiced concern that the more than 60 tons of lubricants and antifreeze used in the drilling may contaminate the lake, but the Russian researchers have insisted that their technology is environmentally secure. They said water from the lake rushed up the borehole once the drill touched the surface and froze, safely sealing the lubricants from the lake's pristine waters.

Bulat and Lukin said the research team has done a meticulous analysis of the samples to differentiate bacteria contained in lubricants from what they hoped could be a trace of new life forms. Initial studies only spotted bacteria associated with the lubricants, but scientists said they eventually found one bacterium that didn't fall into any of the known categories.

The researchers said that the small size of the initial sample and its heavy contamination made it difficult to conduct more extensive research. They voiced hope that the new samples of clean frozen water that are to arrive in St. Petersburg this spring will make it possible to "confirm the find and, perhaps, discover new previously unknown forms of microbial life."

A U.S. team that recently touched the surface of Lake Whillans, a shallower subglacial body of water west of the South Pole, also found microbes. The scientists are yet to determine what forms of bacteria they found.

Canada's NW Territories to take control of its land, oil, gas



OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's Northwest Territories will soon become responsible for managing the land within its boundaries and granting oil and gas rights under the terms of deal with the federal government that was announced on Monday.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper traveled to the territory's capital, Yellowknife, to witness the signing of a joint declaration that lays out the terms for the devolution of land and resource management from federal government to the territory.

The agreement still needs to go through a second round of consultations with aboriginal groups and other stakeholders, but the parties are working toward an effective handover date of April 1, 2014.

"Our government believes that opportunities and challenges here would be better handled by the people who understand them best," Harper said in a speech.

Because of their sparse populations, Canada's three northern territories have had a smaller say in their own affairs than the country's 10 provinces with most government responsibilities being handled by Ottawa.

Monday's agreement goes some way to adding to the responsibilities of the government of the Northwest Territories, which has a slightly bigger population than either of the other two territories: Yukon and Nunavut.

Once the agreement is implemented, the Northwest Territories will be able to collect royalties on resource development as the provinces do, but a portion would still go to Ottawa.

The Northwest Territories' extensive resources include diamonds, metals and oil and natural gas.

(Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Peter Galloway)