The fourth largest hotel and resort portfolio in the U.S., Destination Hotels & Resorts, predicts 2013 trends.
Englewood, CO. ? A new consumer survey focused on travel for the upcoming summer season unveils some surprising trends, from a renewed interest in planning ahead to a primary focus on value rather than strict budget considerations. Results from the March 2013 study conducted by?Destination Hotels & Resorts?(Destination), the nation?s fourth largest hospitality management company, also revealed that more than half of travelers are planning at least one trip without the kids. A snapshot of the survey?s ten key findings is below, full results and analysis can be found in Destination?s online media center.
Travelers are learning the early bird gets the worm?(and best rate). Bucking the post-recession boom of flash-sales and last-minute-deals, vacation planners are beginning to shop ahead again. Destination has seen the booking window among leisure travelers increase by almost a full day year-over-year; this trend is anticipated to continue for 2013, with 40 percent of survey respondents already on the hunt for their perfect summer trip.
When it comes to vacation, more is more. Travelers are looking to vacation often this summer. 76 percent plan to take as many short trips as possible, compared to only 22 percent eying a more traditional, week-or-longer summer escape.
We are no longer living in a budget world. Almost three-quarters of survey participants indicated that one of the most important elements in their final travel booking decision was value, beating out cost/budget as the prime consideration.
Social media isn?t just, er, social. It?s a critical planning tool. Two-thirds of participants indicated that they spend time on a hotel?s social channels before visiting. An overwhelming majority ? 80 percent ? noted that they browse online reviews when researching and booking their trips.
Foodies are still on the rise. It is no secret that Americans have taken ?foodie? mainstream ? and that was certainly evident when participants were asked to share the most important considerations in booking their vacation. 15 percent ranked ?locally inspired cuisine? as the most important, can?t-live-without resort amenity.
Summer travelers aren?t always kidding around. Summer may be known as the heart of family-travel season, but more than a third of those surveyed indicated they do not travel with children, period.
The family that travels together plays together. Those who are traveling with children made it clear: while they appreciate ?kids? camps? to entertain their little ones on some vacations ? they also want to spend quality time with their children. 69 percent of respondents are seeking accommodations and destinations that offer new experiences the entire family can do together, with a focus on the outdoors.
There?s a reason they call it ?classic? Back to basics it is! Folks are looking to keep it simple when it comes to summer travel. 22 percent of participants identified a sight-seeing road trip as the most appealing type of vacation, and more than 82 percent (!) think America?s National Parks are hot this year.
New experiences wait for no one? else. Solo travel will continue to be a hot topic in 2013.? 65 percent of people who plan to travel alone will be seeking out classes or interactive learning programs.? More adventurous by nature, single travelers indicated a strong interest in learning a new skill (from surfing to climbing), and will be crossing items off their bucket list this summer.
Vacations learn to get cutting edge, literally. A large majority of travelers are seeking to learn new skills during their vacations. Culinary classes are extremely popular ? with 38 percent of respondents indicating they would be interested in a cooking or wine/beer tasting course ? as are adventure skills, with 52 percent of respondents looking for lessons in active/outdoor activities.
20 May 2013Last updated at 19:08 ETBy Helen BriggsBBC News
A vaccine to protect sheep and cattle from a virus spread by midges has been approved by government vets.
The virus, which emerged in the Netherlands and Germany in 2011, can lead to sheep and cattle having stillborn or deformed offspring.
The disease has spread to every county in England and Wales, and was recently reported in Scotland.
Schmallenberg virus (SBV) causes fever, diarrhoea and loss of milk production in adult cattle.
The first SBV vaccine, developed by the animal health company Merck MSD, is expected to be available to UK farmers in the summer.
Continue reading the main story
?Start Quote
It is welcome news for British farmers to have the choice to vaccinate their animals. ?
End QuoteAlick Simmons Deputy chief veterinary officer, Defra
The vaccine is of most use before sheep and cattle become pregnant, as exposure to the virus during pregnancy can cause birth defects in the unborn animal.
Alick Simmons, deputy chief veterinary officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said in a statement:
"It is welcome news for British farmers to have the choice to vaccinate their animals.
"The vaccine will give extra assurance against this disease on top of the natural immunity we expect sheep and cattle to develop after initial exposure."
Continue reading the main story
Schmallenberg virus
Discovered in the German town of Schmallenberg in November 2011
Spread rapidly to many European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK
Thought to be spread by infected midges
SBV causes relatively mild illness in adult cattle and sheep, but where infection takes place during the early stages of pregnancy it can result in congenital disorders of lambs and calves, and stillbirths
One of a class of emerging viruses spread by insects (arboviruses)
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control suggests that there is a low likelihood of any risk to public health
NFU livestock board chairman and sheep farmer, Charles Sercombe, lost 40% of his early lambing flock to the virus.
He said the vaccine would give added reassurance to farmers who were concerned about losing lambs to the disease.
"Everybody in farming who wants to use it will welcome it as soon as possible," he told BBC News.
"Some flocks need it in the next few weeks to fit in with their breeding programmes."
Reports from farmers suggest that at least 1,700 farms throughout the UK have now tested positive for the SBV virus.
UK farmers will be the first in the EU with access to the vaccine, according to Defra.
NEW DELHI (AP) ? Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties.
China says Premier Li Keqiang's choice of India for his first trip abroad since taking office in March shows the importance Beijing attaches to improving relations with New Delhi.
"We think very highly of this gesture because it is our view that high-level political exchanges between our two countries are an important aspect and vehicle for our expanded cooperation," said India's external affairs ministry spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin.
Jasjit Singh, a defense analyst and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in New Delhi, said last month's border standoff was unlikely to overshadow Li's three-day visit, the first stop of a foreign tour in which he will also visit Pakistan, Switzerland and Germany.
Singh said Indian and Chinese leaders are likely to review border talks that have failed to produce a breakthrough despite 15 rounds of discussions over the past 10 years. The two sides also will probably discuss working together in Afghanistan after next year's U.S. pullout and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, he said.
But tensions run high between the two nations. China already sees itself as Asia's great power, while India hopes its increasing economic and military might ? though still far below its neighbor's ? will eventually put it in the same league.
While China has worked to shore up relationships with Nepal and Sri Lanka in India's traditional South Asian sphere of influence, India has been venturing into partnerships with Southeast Asian nations.
Other irritants remain in the bilateral relationship. China is a longtime ally and weapons supplier to Pakistan, India's bitter rival. Also, the presence in India of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile is a source of tension. China accuses the Dalai Lama of wanting to split Tibet off from the rest of China, but he says he seeks more autonomy for Tibetans, not independence.
Unresolved border issues between the two nations have flared as well.
In last month's incident, India said Chinese troops crossed the countries' de facto border on April 15 and pitched camp in the Depsang valley in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir. New Delhi responded with diplomatic protests and then moved its soldiers just 300 meters (yards) from the Chinese position.
The two sides negotiated a peaceful end to the standoff by withdrawing troops to their original positions in the Ladakh area.
Gautam Bambawale, a senior external affairs ministry official, said Saturday that India and China are negotiating a Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, but declined to give details. Indian media reports said the agreement proposes a freezing of troop levels in the disputed border region as the two countries make efforts to settle the issue.
Bambawale also said Indian and Chinese officials recently held talks in Beijing on the future of Afghanistan. China, India and Russia have discussed the matter trilaterally with the idea of giving full support to Afghanistan's government as it makes the transition following the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2014.
Li was to meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later Sunday and attend a dinner hosted by Singh.
Delegation-level talks between the two sides are scheduled for Monday. Li is to attend a business summit in Mumbai, India's financial capital, among other activities.
The border spat last month prompted the Indian opposition and media to pressure the government to take on China and call off Li's visit. The government, however, chose to go ahead with the trip, highlighting its policy of trying to widen areas of cooperation with China while attempting to resolve key differences.
China has become India's biggest trading partner, with two-way trade jumping from $5 billion in 2002 to nearly $75 billion in 2011, although that figure declined to $61.5 billion last year because of the global economic downturn. Trade remains heavily skewed in China's favor, another source of concern for India.
India and China have had chilly relations since they fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962.
India says China is occupying 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin plateau in the western Himalayas, while China claims around 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Dorjee Tseten, director of Students for a Free Tibet, said Sunday that New Delhi police had declined permission for Tibetans to hold a demonstration against Li's visit.
"Tibetan activists are currently on the run evading imminent police arrest," he said in a statement, complaining of a heavy police presence in a New Delhi area where a large number of Tibetans-in-exile live.
Police detained a Tibetan man as he tried to burn the Chinese flag near China's embassy in the Indian capital.
Police, however, allowed about two dozen members of Shiv Sena, a Hindu right-wing political party, to demonstrate near India's Parliament, where they burned an effigy of the Chinese premier.
"Go back, go back," chanted the protesters, who also carried placards urging the Indian government to respond toughly to China's alleged border incursion. The powerful regional party held power in Mumbai from 1995 to 2000.
On Monday, the Broncos will practice for the first time as a team since capping a stellar regular season with an epic postseason collapse, thanks to a 70-yard touchdown pass that allowed the Ravens to force overtime.
The throw from Joe Flacco landed in the hands of Jacoby Jones because Denver safety Rahim Moore jumped too soon and flailed clumsily at the ball.? After, of course, Moore allowed Jones to run right past the safety.
But the Broncos are still sticking with Moore.? From coaches to players, Moore has been absolved of responsibility.
?I think he?s over it; I think we?re all over it, you know,? Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio told the Associated Press.? ?I think we all look back and see things that we could have done better.?
Linebacker Von Miller take responsibility for not getting to Flacco before he could launch the desperation pass.
?Rahim made a few key tackles that day. He was all over the place. It was just a football folly,? Miller said. ?I don?t blame Rahim.? I blame me and Elvis [Dumervil]: 70 yards to go, we know they?re going to pass the ball.? That?s why they bring me and Elvis to close the game out and neither of us got to the quarterback.? I took it hard.?
Coach John Fox and executive V.P. of football operations John Elway both believe that Moore?s better days are in front of him.
?Rahim?s focus is on getting better from a year ago,? Fox said. ?And there wasn?t one play.? It was a whole season.? He made great, great progress a year ago from his rookie year and we anticipate him to do that again.? He?s a very talented young man.?
?[H]e made tremendous strides from Year One to Year Two,? executive V.P. of football operations John Elway said.? ?And I think hopefully he makes those same strides.? He really had a good year last year and we want to watch him to continue to grow.? Safety-wise, we feel pretty good.?
But not good enough to resist kicking the tires of Charles Woodson.
While there?s no reason for the Broncos to bail on a second-round pick in the 2011 draft, Moore?s ability to forget after having months to stew will be critical to whether he can continue to play at a high level ? and to keep getting better.
If he does, last year?s gaffe will become a distant memory.? A very bad, awful memory, but distant nonetheless.
From Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest comes word that the Rangers have placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list with an intercostal muscle strain and recalled top infield prospect Jurickson Profar to fill the roster vacancy.
Kinsler suffered the strain Thursday while trying to duck out of the way of a pitch during an at-bat. He?s likely to be sidelined for at least three weeks, which will give us all a nice extended look at Profar ? largely considered the top prospect in the sport.
Profar was batting .278/.370/.438 with four home runs, six stolen bases and 27 runs scored in 37 games this season at Triple-A Round Rock. The 20-year-old can play either shortstop or second base.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ? Cross another milestone off of Jimmie Johnson's list. He stands alone in All-Star history.
"Five-time" became the first four-time winner of NASCAR's annual All-Star race, breaking a tie with the late Dale Earnhardt and teammate Jeff Gordon on Saturday night.
"To beat Jeff and Earnhardt, two guys that I have looked up to my whole life, two massive icons of our sport, this means the world to me," Johnson said.
He also joined the late Davey Allison as only the second driver to win back-to-back All-Star races.
It was fitting that he did it at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track Johnson, the five-time NASCAR champion, has dominated since his 2002 rookie season. Johnson has won six points races at Charlotte, led more than 1,600 laps and the win in the $1 million Sprint All-Star Race was his second straight, fourth in 12 years. He also won in 2003 and 2006.
"The only four-time All-Star champion ? I am very proud of you," crew chief Chad Knaus radioed after Johnson took the checkered flag.
A day after Johnson overshot his pit stall during qualifying to earn a poor starting spot, his Hendrick Motorsports crew changed four tires in 11 seconds on the mandatory final spot to send Johnson back onto the track in second place for the final restart.
He lined up inside of teammate Kasey Kahne for the final 10-lap sprint to the cash, and the two battled side-by-side for a little more than a lap before Johnson cleared Kahne completely. He then sailed away to an easy victory.
"We are doing great things and we are amazing ourselves in the process," Johnson said.
Joey Logano finished second and Kyle Busch, who won two of the first four segments, was third as neither had a shot at running down Johnson once he got his No. 48 Chevrolet out front.
"The 48, once he got that clean air, he was gone," Logano said. "Second isn't anything to hang your head, but it's about the million bucks tonight."
Kahne faded to fourth and Kurt Busch, who also won two segments to give the Busch brothers a sweep, was fifth.
It was disappointing for both Busch brothers, who had the cars to beat through the first 80 laps. New scoring rules designed to stop sandbagging sent the drivers onto pit road for the mandatory final stop in order of their average finish in the first four segments.
The Busch brothers tied with an average finish of 2.0, and Kurt went down pit road as the leader based on the tiebreaker of winning the final segment.
But the two Hendrick cars beat everybody off pit road, Kyle Busch exited in third and a poor final pit stop dropped Kurt to fifth.
"Ultimately, it came down to pit road, where my guys always prove their worth," Kyle Busch said. "Unfortunately, we didn't have the best of stops and to come out third, well, that was the race right there. You have to be on the front row if you're going to win this thing."
Johnson didn't think he had a shot at winning the All-Star race after botching his qualifying run and starting 20th in the 22-car field. By staying patient through the four 20-lap segments, he was in position at the end to make his move.
"Worked our way through there and got the job done," Johnson said. "It's just dedication and drive from every member of this Hendrick Motorsports team. When we started on the front row for the last segment, I knew we had a great shot at it."
The win capped a big day for Chevrolet, which swept the first 10 spots in Indianapolis 500 qualifying shortly before racing began at Charlotte. Then Johnson, the current Sprint Cup points leader, put the manufacturer in Victory Lane.
Jamie McMurray won the 40-lap Sprint Showdown before the All-Star race to transfer into the main event, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second to earn the other berth.
Danica Patrick won the Sprint fan vote to claim the last open spot in the race. It wasn't a big surprise that Patrick won the vote ? her fans last year elected her most popular driver of the Nationwide Series ? and her public relations team was ready with a "Thank You Fans" bumper sticker she slapped on the side of her Chevrolet before the All-Star race began. She finished 20th.
Before the race, she said she wasn't sure why her fans so ardently support her.
"I've said many times that I'm not sure what it is people like or see in me or why they cheer for me," Patrick said. "To some degree being different, being a girl, there are things there. But what is it? There are a lot of different and unique drivers out there. All I know is that I try do my best to be myself all of the time. I try to be honest with the fans and at the end of the day, even if they don't agree with what I say or do, they can respect my honesty."
LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has reported another case of infection in a concentrated outbreak of a new strain of a virus that emerged in the Middle East last year and spread into Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
In a disease outbreak update issued from its Geneva headquarters, the WHO said the latest patient is an 81-year-old woman with multiple medical conditions. She became ill on April 28 and is in a critical but stable condition.
Worldwide, there have now been 41 laboratory-confirmed infections, including 20 deaths, since the new coronavirus was identified by scientists in September 2012.
The novel coronavirus, which had been known as by the acronym nCoV but which some scientific journals now refer to as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, or MERS, belongs to the same family as viruses that cause common colds and the one that caused a deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.
MERS cases have so far been reported in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Britain, Germany and France, but Saudi Arabia has had the vast majority of cases.
The WHO said that latest patient was in the same clinic in eastern Saudi Arabia that has seen 22 cases, nine of them fatal, since April 8.
WHO experts visiting Saudi Arabia to consult with the authorities on the outbreak have said it seemed likely the new virus could be passed between humans, but only after prolonged, close contact.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Nintendo seems to have a knack for repeat performances. Nintendo DS? Quickly supplanted by the DS Lite -- and the DSi didn't last too long either before it was succeeded by the DSi XL. Even the 3DS saw a revision, when it was supersized last summer. These redesigns typically don't change more than the device's size, but when the 3DS XL was announced, some gamers were left wanting. Didn't the original 3DS get an accessory specifically to address the lack of a second analog pad? Why didn't Nintendo take the opportunity to add dual-analog controls? Well, if that happened, Nintendo couldn't release an encore Circle Pad Pro accessory, could it? Let's take a look at the 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro and see what's changed.
New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton, right, shoots under Indiana Pacers forward Paul George during the third quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton, right, shoots under Indiana Pacers forward Paul George during the third quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, left, dunks over New York Knicks guard James White during the third quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) is fouled by New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler, right, as he shoots in front of Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni during the third quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler (6) reacts after being called for a foul by referee Ken Mauer, left, during the first half of Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots against Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert (55) and George Hill, right, during the first half of Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Indiana spent the entire season perfecting its defense.
On Saturday, it produced the biggest payoff for the Pacers in nearly a decade.
Roy Hibbert's block of Carmelo Anthony's dunk attempt midway through the fourth quarter spurred an 11-2 run that rallied the Pacers to a 106-99 victory in Game 6 of their second-round series, sending them into their first Eastern Conference final since 2004.
New York native Lance Stephenson scored nine points in the run, finishing with a playoff career-high 25.
"That's why they pay me the big bucks this summer, so I have to protect the paint," said Hibbert, who signed a $58 million contract last summer. "If all else fails, meaning the offense, I have to protect the paint."
With players from both teams standing on the court as the final seconds ticked off and Pacers fans roaring in appreciation, the sellout crowd wasted little time breaking into chants of "Beat The Heat!"
For Indiana, it sets up a postseason rematch with the defending NBA champs, the team that eliminated them last May after the Pacers had taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven semifinals. The Heat wound up winning Game 4 at Indiana and followed that with two more wins as Danny Granger struggled with a knee injury.
Indiana used the lessons from that series as motivation to improve this season and wound up beating the Heat twice at home before losing the third game of the season series at Miami. The Pacers will return to South Florida for Game 1 on Wednesday night.
With Granger missing all but five games this season because of the lingering knee injury, the Pacers put an even greater emphasis on playing defense and it showed.
Indiana led the league in rebounding, defensive field goal percentage and defensive 3-point percentage while finishing second in points allowed per game during the regular season. It was no different in the playoffs, as the Knicks found out.
New York had another subpar shooting night Saturday, making just 40 percent of its shots, and again wound up on the wrong side of a 43-36 rebounding discrepancy. In the paint, New York was outscored 52-20, and Anthony, who finished with 39 points, scored just four points in the final 12 minutes when he went 2 of 7 from the field.
Iman Shumpert added 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers, and J.R. Smith scored 15. Nobody else was in double figures.
The combination, as it had been in the previous three losses to Indiana, produced the same frustrating result.
"They have a hell of a defense. They hold down the paint. They do a great job, do a hell of a job of controlling the paint, closing it down, making it tough for guys," Anthony said. "You've got to give them guys credit, especially when they got a chance to set. Roy Hibbert gets to sit in the paint, causes havoc."
It's not just that.
The biggest question coming into Saturday's game was whether starting point guard George Hill would play. He took part in the team's morning shootaround, was cleared by the team doctors and wound up returning two days after missing Game 5 with a concussion. His return gave the Pacers a big boost.
Hill finished with just 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting but had five rebounds and four assists, and kept the Pacers composed enough to commit only nine turnovers ? 10 fewer than Thursday night's loss in New York.
The results showed up everywhere on the floor.
Paul George had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. David West added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Hibbert finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, none bigger than the stuff on Anthony that changed the game. Stephenson had 10 rebounds and three assists in his best postseason game ever.
The reason: He wanted to avoid a trip home.
"I just didn't want to go back to New York and play Game 7," Stephenson said. "Just get it done with now and I'd do whatever it takes to do that today. It showed tonight."
The New York native made sure of it.
After George grabbed the rebound off of Hibbert's block, Stephenson took a pass from West and scored on a layup to tie the score at 92 with 4:51 left in the game. Stephenson followed that with a steal and drove in for a layup, drawing a foul and completing a three-point play. After grabbing another rebound and making two more free throws, West tipped in a miss and Stephenson closed the decisive spurt with another layup. Suddenly, the Pacers led 101-94 with 1:53 to go.
New York never got another chance to tie the score or take the lead again despite making a far more typical 13 of 30 from 3-point range.
"It's tough to go out this way," coach Mike Woodson said. "I didn't make it happen for us and that's what's disappointing."
The Pacers have a far different goal now as they get ready to face LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Miami.
"We're not satisfied with where we're at," coach Frank Vogel said. "We feel like there's no ceiling on this team this year."
Notes: New York failed to become the ninth team to rally from a 3-1 deficit. ... Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ed Carpenter made the short trip from the track to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where he is a regular attendee. ... Colts coach Chuck Pagano also attended the game. ... The Knicks were 18 of 18 from the free throw line.
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Xan, who wants Cintiq functionality without paying Cintiq prices. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I'm a student and I'm considering staying on to do graphic design, and I really like the look of Wacom's Cintiq devices. Unfortunately I couldn't afford one even if I sold a kidney, so I was wondering if I could turn an Android tablet into a cheaper version? I figure a device like the Galaxy Note 10.1 with its Wacom digitizer would be a good fit, so is there a way to do it? Thanks!"
We're sucking in air through our teeth, as we're sorry to say, we can't think of a way this could be done successfully. There's a few problems like no software, a lack of bandwidth and doubts over the accuracy of a tablet to replicate such a sophisticated piece of hardware. That said, perhaps the forthcoming Surface Pro software update might solve this problem altogether, but an Android tablet? We're not so sure. But if there's anyone out there who has made it happen and wants to share their revelation, why not leave a note below?
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) ? Two commuter trains serving New York City collided in Connecticut during Friday's evening rush hour, sending 60 people to the hospital, including five with critical injuries, Gov. Dannel Malloy said.
About 700 people were on board the Metro-North trains when one heading east from New York City's Grand Central Station to New Haven derailed about 6:10 p.m. just outside Bridgeport, MTA and Bridgeport officials said.
The train was hit by a train heading west from New Haven to Grand Central on an adjacent track, MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said. Some cars on the second train also derailed as a result of the collision.
Amtrak, which uses the same rails, suspended service indefinitely between New York and Boston.
Lola Oliver, 49, of Bridgeport, was riding one of the trains when the crash threw her from her seat.
"All I know was I was in the air, hitting seats, bouncing around, flying down the aisle and finally I came to a stop on one seat. And I just gripped it because I felt the train sliding," Oliver told The Associated Press. "It happened so fast I had no idea what was going on. All I know is we crashed."
Oliver, a cardiology technician at Stamford Hospital, was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises and released.
Investigators Friday night did not know what caused the first train to derail. Malloy said there was no reason to believe it was anything other than an accident. The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to investigate.
"We're most concerned about the injured and ultimately reopening the system," Malloy said from the scene about three hours after the crash.
The governor said that most people were not seriously hurt. Among those critically injured, he said, one's injuries were "very critical."
Passenger Bradley Agar of Westport, Conn., said he was in the first car of the westbound train when he heard screaming and the window smash behind him.
"I saw the first hit, the bump, bump, bump all the way down," he said.
Agar had returned to work this week for the first time since breaking his shoulder in January. And since he was still healing, he thought it would be safer to take the train than drive.
The Metro-North Railroad, a commuter line serving the northern suburbs, described it as a "major derailment." Photos showed a train car askew on the rails, with its end smashed up and brushing against another train.
Malloy said there was extensive damage to the train cars and the track, and it could take until Monday for normal service to be restored. He said the accident will have a "big impact on the Northeast Corridor."
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said extra buses will be deployed, but the disruption caused by the train accident could cost the region's economy millions of dollars.
"A lot of people rely on this, and we've got to get this reconnected as soon as possible," Finch said.
The area where the accident happened was already down to two tracks because of repair work, Malloy said. Crews have been working for a long time on the electric lines above the tracks, the power source for the trains. He said Connecticut has an old system and no other alternate tracks.
By late evening, Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett said everybody who needed treatment had been attended to, and authorities were beginning to turn their attention to investigating the cause.
"Everybody seemed pretty calm," he said. "Everybody was thankful they didn't get seriously hurt. They were anxious to get home to their families."
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates the Metro-North Railroad, the second-largest commuter railroad in the nation. The Metro-North main lines ? the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven ? run northward from New York City's Grand Central Terminal into suburban New York and Connecticut.
___
Associated Press writer Michael Melia contributed to this report from Hartford, Conn.
(Reuters) - The largest U.S. satellite video provider, DirecTV, is one of the companies considering a bid for online video website Hulu, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The person acknowledged that other parties were involved, adding that DirecTV was "one of many" suitors. Media reports have previously identified Time Warner Cable Inc as another company weighing a potential stake in the company.
Representatives of DirecTV and Time Warner Cable declined to comment on Friday.
Reuters reported in April that former News Corp president Peter Chernin had bid around $500 million for Hulu, the service he helped create in 2007. Reuters also reported that Guggenheim had been hired to advise Hulu and was also contemplating a bid.
DirecTV had circled Hulu once before, when the video company put itself on the block in 2011. Other suitors at the time included Google Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Dish Network Corp. Talks collapsed over the price of that deal.
Hulu has more than 3 million subscribers paying $7.99 a month for its premium service, and generated revenue of around $700 million last year. It sells advertising for its free service.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report DirecTV's interest on Friday.
(Reporting by Liana B. Baker in New York; editing by Matthew Lewis)
Injectable nanoparticles developed at MIT may someday eliminate the need for patients with Type 1 diabetes to constantly monitor their blood-sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin.
The nanoparticles were designed to sense glucose levels in the body and respond by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin, thereby replacing the function of pancreatic islet cells, which are destroyed in patients with Type 1 diabetes. Ultimately, this type of system could ensure that blood-sugar levels remain balanced and improve patients' quality of life, according to the researchers.
"Insulin really works, but the problem is people don't always get the right amount of it. With this system of extended release, the amount of drug secreted is proportional to the needs of the body," says Daniel Anderson, an associate professor of chemical engineering and member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science.
Anderson is the senior author of a paper describing the new system in a recent issue of the journalACS Nano. Lead author of the paper is Zhen Gu, a former postdoc in Anderson's lab. The research team also includes Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT, and researchers from the Department of Anesthesiology at Boston Children's Hospital.
Mimicking the pancreas
Currently, people with Type 1 diabetes typically prick their fingers several times a day to draw blood for testing their blood-sugar levels. When levels are high, these patients inject themselves with insulin, which breaks down the excess sugar.
In recent years, many researchers have sought to develop insulin-delivery systems that could act as an "artificial pancreas," automatically detecting glucose levels and secreting insulin. One approach uses hydrogels to measure and react to glucose levels, but those gels are slow to respond or lack mechanical strength, allowing insulin to leak out.
The MIT team set out to create a sturdy, biocompatible system that would respond more quickly to changes in glucose levels and would be easy to administer.
Their system consists of an injectable gel-like structure with a texture similar to toothpaste, says Gu, who is now an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and molecular pharmaceutics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. The gel contains a mixture of oppositely charged nanoparticles that attract each other, keeping the gel intact and preventing the particles from drifting away once inside the body.
Using a modified polysaccharide known as dextran, the researchers designed the gel to be sensitive to acidity. Each nanoparticle contains spheres of dextran loaded with an enzyme that converts glucose into gluconic acid. Glucose can diffuse freely through the gel, so when sugar levels are high, the enzyme produces large quantities of gluconic acid, making the local environment slightly more acidic.
That acidic environment causes the dextran spheres to disintegrate, releasing insulin. Insulin then performs its normal function, converting the glucose in the bloodstream into glycogen, which is absorbed into the liver for storage.
Long-term control
In tests with mice that have Type 1 diabetes, the researchers found that a single injection of the gel maintained normal blood-sugar levels for an average of 10 days. Because the particles are mostly composed of polysaccharides, they are biocompatible and eventually degrade in the body.
The researchers are now trying to modify the particles so they can respond to changes in glucose levels faster, at the speed of pancreas islet cells. "Islet cells are very smart. They can release insulin very quickly once they sense high sugar levels," Gu says.
Before testing the particles in humans, the researchers plan to further develop the system's delivery properties and to work on optimizing the dosage that would be needed for use in humans.
###
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice
Thanks to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for this article.
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I am writing a program for my programming class and I seem to be having trouble with making sure the cells come to life correctly I think the issue is in my neighbor If statements but cant seem to find it. Here are the instructions my code and the text file
The game of life is a computer simulation of the life and death events of a population of organisms. This program will determine the life, death, and survival of bacteria from one generation to the next, assuming the starting grid of bacteria is generation zero (0). Each cell has a total of up to 8 neighbors, including the 4 immediately adjacent cells and the 4 diagonal cells. The rules for the creation of each cell in the next generation are as follows:
If the cell is currently empty: If the cell has exactly three living neighbors, it will come to life in the next generation. If the cell has any other number of living neighbors, it will remain empty. If the cell is currently living: If the cell has one or zero living neighbors, it will die of loneliness in the next generation. If the cell has four or more living neighbors, it will die of overcrowding in the next generation. If the cell has two or three neighbors, it will remain living. All births and deaths occur simultaneously (make sure you don't get this one wrong!).
line 100 if(life[row][col]== true && life[row+1][col]==true & row+1<20)//bottom
This should be && shouldn't it
line 139 is the same...
you have variables that you dont use as well.
Regards
Snoopy.
#3 adam32885 ?
Reputation: 0
Posts:3
Joined:Today, 12:41 AM
Re: Game of life Issue
Posted Today, 01:37 AM
wow i totally missed that but i am still having some issues with the right cells coming to life but i am trying to get a for loop to take the place of all the if statements
#4 adam32885 ?
Reputation: 0
Posts:3
Joined:Today, 12:41 AM
Re: Game of life Issue
Posted Today, 02:08 AM
so i switched to for loops but I am not sure how to check the edge cells here is my new neighbor count code
int livecellNeighbors (bool life[SIZE][SIZE],int row,int col) { int neighbors=0; if (life[row][col]==true) { for (int i=-1; row+i<=row+1; i++) { for (int c=-1;col+c<=col+1;c++) { if (i==0 && c==0) { } else if (life[row+i][col+c]==true) neighbors++; } } } return neighbors; }
Joe Fajardo poses holding his Powerball lottery ticket after buying it at a store Saturday, May 18, 2013, in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego. With the majority of possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone is almost sure to win the lottery game's highest jackpot on Saturday night, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Joe Fajardo poses holding his Powerball lottery ticket after buying it at a store Saturday, May 18, 2013, in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego. With the majority of possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone is almost sure to win the lottery game's highest jackpot on Saturday night, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Lottery officials say the winning numbers in a near-historic Powerball jackpot have been drawn.
They are: 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and Powerball 11.
Officials say the latest Powerball jackpot figure results are still pending. They had estimated it at $600 million.
With four of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, someone is almost sure to win the game's highest jackpot. The problem, of course, is those same odds just about guarantee the lucky person won't be you.
The chances of winning the prize remain astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play.
But since about 80 percent of the possible combinations have been purchased, lottery officials say it's likely the winning ticket could be selected.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Gasoline prices are on the rise and headed to a record in North Dakota.
The average price of gas in the state could reach $4.15 per gallon in the coming days, breaking the July 2008 record of $4.08, according to North Dakota AAA spokesman Gene LaDoucer.
Several large refineries that feed the region are down for maintenance or upgrades, and a recent fire at a refinery in Minnesota also has contributed to the supply problems, he said.
"There's never a good time for gas to be above $4, but especially not around Memorial Day," LaDoucer said. "A lot of families are looking to get out of town, but some of them may need to alter their plans."
A gallon of regular unleaded gas already was at $4.24 per gallon at some gas stations in the Bismarck-Mandan area on Friday, shattering the city's record of $4.07 per gallon set five years ago. Some gas stations in Jamestown and Fargo have even run out of fuel, according to North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association President Mike Rud.
LaDoucer said the supply problems should be short term.
"When one part of the country has a problem with supply, some of the slack can be picked up by other regions," he said. "At some point, enough supply should make its way into the market to stop the bleeding."
When the refineries are back up and running, prices could fall 30-50 cents per gallon as quickly as they rose, according to LaDoucer. However, that isn't likely to happen before Memorial Day.
"A lot of motorists, myself included, are looking forward to prices getting back down to a more normal rate," he said.
LaRae Stark is one of them.
"It's horrible. I hate it. I want it back to when I was a kid, when it was like 89 cents a gallon," Stark said Thursday in Bismarck.
Other drivers are taking the increase in stride.
"You've got to have gas," said Jon Hinseth in Bismarck. "What are you going to do?"
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Englewood, CO. ? A new consumer survey focused on travel for the upcoming summer season unveils some surprising trends, from a renewed interest in planning ahead to a primary focus on value rather than strict budget considerations. Results from the March 2013 study conducted by?Destination Hotels & Resorts?(Destination), the nation?s fourth largest hospitality management company, also revealed that more than half of travelers are planning at least one trip without the kids. A snapshot of the survey?s ten key findings is below, full results and analysis can be found in Destination?s online media center.
