Pope names commission of inquiry into Vatican bank

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Francis' new commission of inquiry into the troubled Vatican bank has a brand new money-laundering case to look into: How a Holy See monsignor withdrew more than a half-million euros in charitable donations from the bank without any flags being raised, walked out of Vatican City with the cash, and then used the money to pay off his personal mortgage.

The case of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano is just one example of how lax norms and incompetence, if not more serious shortcomings at the Institute for Religious Works, or IOR, have sullied the Vatican's reputation in international financial circles and made it a target for Francis' clean-up and reform campaign.

Francis on Wednesday announced the creation of a commission of inquiry to look into the IOR's activities and legal status "to allow for a better harmonization with the universal mission of the Apostolic See," according to the legal document he signed creating it.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Francis has intervened to get information out of the IOR, a secretive institution best known for the scandals it has caused the Vatican. On June 15, he filled a key vacancy in the bank's governing structure, tapping a trusted prelate to be his eyes inside the bank.

Francis named five people to the commission, including two Americans: Monsignor Peter Wells, a top official in the Vatican secretariat of state, and Mary Ann Glendon, a Harvard law professor, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See and current president of a pontifical academy.

American cardinals were among the most vocal in demanding a wholesale reform of the Vatican bureaucracy ? and the Vatican bank ? in the meetings outlining the priorities for the new pope in the run-up to the March conclave that elected Francis. The demands were raised following revelations in leaked documents last year that told of dysfunction, petty turf wars and allegations of corruption in the Holy See's governance.

Francis, who has made clear he has no patience for corruption and wants a "poor" church, has already named a separate commission of cardinals to advise him on the broader question of reforming the Vatican bureaucracy as a whole.

The Vatican bank was founded in 1942 by Pope Pius XII to manage assets destined for religious or charitable works. Located in a tower just inside the gates of Vatican City, it also manages the pension system for the Vatican's thousands of employees.

The bank commission's members have authority to gather documents, data and information about the bank's legal status and activities, even overriding normal secrecy rules to do so. Members can receive information from anyone in the Vatican bureaucracy as well as people who spontaneously volunteer information, and the commission can refer to outside advisers if necessary, according to the terms.

The commission will report back to Francis ? presumably with both information and recommendations ? and then will be dissolved, the document states. No timeframe was given but the commission is to start working soon.

The bank's daily management and activities continues unchanged.

The announcement came as the Vatican faces a new embarrassment involving the bank: Prosecutors in the southern city of Salerno have placed Scarano, an accountant in one of the Vatican's key finance offices, the Administration for the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, under investigation for alleged money-laundering stemming from his IOR account.

Scarano's attorney, Silverio Sica, told The Associated Press that the investigation concerns transactions Scarano made in 2009 in which he took 560,000 euros ($729,000) in cash out of his personal IOR bank account and carried it out of the Vatican and into Italy to help pay off a mortgage on his Salerno home.

To deposit the money into an Italian bank account ? and to prevent family members from finding out he had such a large chunk of cash ? he asked 56 close friends to accept 10,000 euros apiece in cash in exchange for a check or money transfer in the same amount, Sica said in a telephone interview. Scarano was then able to deposit the amounts in his Italian account.

"The money came from the Vatican. He wanted to bring it into Italy. He was advised to do it in this way," Sica said.

The original money came into Scarano's IOR account from donors who gave it to the prelate thinking they were funding a home for the terminally ill in Salerno, Sica said. He said the donors had "enormous" wealth and could offer such donations for his charitable efforts.

He said Scarano had given the names of the donors to prosecutors and insisted the origin of the money was clean, that the transactions didn't constitute money-laundering, and that he only took the money "temporarily" for his personal use.

The home for terminally ill hasn't been built, though the property has been identified, Sica said.

"He declares himself absolutely innocent," Sica said.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, confirmed Wednesday that Scarano had been suspended temporarily from his job and that the Vatican's financial watchdog agency, known by its acronym AIF, was "aware of the case and is taking ? if and where appropriate ? the necessary measures."

Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported over the weekend that the Bank of Italy had flagged the case to the AIF, seeking information about Scarano's IOR account as part of the Salerno probe. Lombardi didn't respond when asked why the IOR itself didn't flag such unusually large cash withdrawals back in 2009.

There have long been questions about just what the IOR actually is and does ? questions which the commission presumably will try to iron out for Francis. Vatican officials have long insisted it's not even a bank, since it doesn't perform key banking activities like making loans.

It does however take deposits, transfer money and invest for its clients, who include Vatican officials, members of religious orders and diplomats accredited to the Holy See. The bank performs asset management services that in 2012 helped earn it 86.6 million euros in profit on 7.1 billion euros in total assets under management.

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Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-names-commission-inquiry-vatican-bank-110114498.html

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Man who sold the lost iPhone 4 prototype answers... anything

Brian Hogan -- the man who found a prototype iPhone 4 at a bar and ultimately sold it to Gizmodo -- participated in an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit. Here's how it begins:

When I was 21 I was at a bar pretty late at night with 2 friends. After the last call both of my friends went to the bathroom, as they left a random drunk guy came out, walked up to me, picked up the phone on the bar stool next to me, and said don't forget your phone! I told him it wasn't mine and I didn't know who it belonged to. Random drunk guy hands me the phone and tasks me with finding its owner. I ask around and cant figure out who it belongs to, and after my friends returned we left and walked home having intentions of figuring out who the phone belonged to and giving it back.

And how does it end? Now well, not for anybody. But if you're curious to find out more on Hogan's perspective, check it out the AMA.

Source: Reddit via The Next Web

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/u5DFJ_3U_GU/story01.htm

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Roland Emmerich, 'White House Down' Director, Explains Who And What We'll See In 'Independence Day 2' (Not Boomer)

Last week it was announced that Roland Emmerich's long-awaited sequel to "Independence Day" will finally become a reality: the film is set for release on July 3, 2015. So when Emmerich -- who is promoting his new action movie, "White House Down" -- dropped by The Huffington Post's New York City offices on Tuesday, well, yes, we had a lot of questions about the film, including who's coming back for the sequel.

First, though, Emmerich's got "White House Down" on his mind. The new film stars Channing Tatum as a police officer who inexplicably finds himself protecting the President of the United States (played by Jamie Foxx) after terrorists take over the White House. Emmerich is aware that this isn't the first "overthrow the White House" movie of the year ("Olympus Has Fallen" came out in March), and the director doesn't mince words about how he feels about this situation.

In our long conversation, the straight-shooting Emmerich explains in detail why Will Smith won't return for his "Independence Day" sequel (after he fought Fox for the right to cast him in the first movie, a detail not lost on Emmerich), reveals how the idea came about, and what other familiar faces we'll see in the new film. Emmerich also discusses Jim Carrey's recent decision to back out of of promoting "Kick-Ass 2" and reflects on one of his most critically panned films, "Godzilla," and how that movie has everything to do with "Deep Impact" and Armageddon."

I enjoyed the White House tour guide in this movie. He references "Independence Day."
Yeah, the White House tour guide, Nick Wright -- who actually got the job because he is a really good improviser. And he improvised in his first reading the line, "the famous building in the middle, which got blown up in 'Independence Day.'"

So that wasn't your line?
That was him.

Did you have any reservations about being self-referential?
No. When we shot it, he didn't do it. And then I said, "Do what you did in the audition." And he said, "Really?" And I said, "We always can cut it out since we have the other takes." And, naturally, it stayed in the movie because it's a laugh. Also, it shows you that the movie doesn't take itself too seriously.

Is that you poking fun at yourself?
Yes. Because I know I'm famous for blowing up the White House.

It doesn't blow up this time.
No. Everybody says, "Oh, you blew up the White House again."

You didn't. It's on fire.
It didn't even burn down.

I do like that these characters live in a universe where they can watch "Independence Day."
[Laughs] It's a parallel universe.

In the next "Independence Day," those characters should reference "White House Down."
I can't, because that's a true parallel universe.

Did you see "Olympus Has Fallen"?
No.

Why does that happen? Two "White House is captured" movies?
I always said that. When we had two volcano movies and two meteor movies, I thought, "Are they stupid?" But now I'm in the same situation. I had committed to this film, I had cast Channing Tatum ... all of a sudden, someone says to me, "Oh, this other movie just got a director finally." I said, "What other movie?" Everybody knew, besides me. I said, "Oh, this is a problem." And it was a problem. It seriously hurt our movie because a lot of people will say, "Why should I see two of those movies?" Even though I think they're probably very different from each other. On the other hand, then they watch the sixth and seventh part of "Fast and Furious" -- it's not so different, six from seven or five from four.

To be fair, seven isn't out yet.
Oh, I don't even know how many there are.

Seven is next summer.
See, that's how connected I am. I live in a parallel universe.

A lot of directors don't admit publicly when they think this kind of thing hurts their movie.
That's stupid. Sure it hurts us ... there's no doubt about it.

Before the "Independence Day 2" announcement, I thought you'd do "Singularity" next.
We are actually writing as we speak on that.

What about the Stonewall project?
While I'm here, I'm going to use my time in New York to meet with the writer tomorrow. We have a first script, it's very good but it's not good enough.

But the sequel to "Independence Day" comes next?
It's probably next, yeah. They set a date, which is always a good sign.

You make a lot of action movies. I am curious about your thoughts on Jim Carrey renouncing his involvement with "Kick-Ass 2," citing gun violence.
It's odd. That's just odd. I mean, as an actor, he has to know what kind of movie this is -- there's a script there. And then all of a sudden say, "No, I'm not doing this because it glorifies violence." I mean, that's a little bit weird. On the other hand, maybe it's a very clever marketing ploy to put this movie on the map. I believe if something is wrong with our society, we should all together figure out a way how -- first of all -- to have less guns out there. Then the video game industry should move away from these shoot 'em ups -- I mean, there's a lot of "boom, boom, boom" and people fall. All of these games -- and you score higher the more you shot. And, like, 8-year-old kids play that. That is desensitizing. In a movie, there's good, there's bad ... you know, there's a certain morality to it. There are emotions involved, there are characters involved, people mourn for people who are dead.

Where did this "Independence Day" sequel come from all of a sudden last week?
Nothing comes out of nowhere in a director's life. I've been talking about an "Independence Day" sequel since we made this movie. And I always said, "Nah, there's no sequel possible." At one point I wrote -- with Dean Devlin -- a script, which we got money for. And then when we read it ourselves, we said, "Let's give the money back." Then, when I did "2012," I realized all of a sudden, "Oh my God, what can you do now with computers?" You can create water and fire -- breaking apart buildings -- it's just a new world out there. All of a sudden, it popped in my mind.

Aside from the effects, was there a story that you liked?
That, too. Because of that, a great idea of expanding "Independence Day" to more like -- if you want to do a sequel, the studio doesn't only want to have another film. They want to have a franchise. If you want to create a franchise, which "Independence Day" could be, then you have to expand the mythology behind it. Why did the aliens come? What does their culture look like? What does that mean? And I had a couple of really, really good ideas with Dean together ... then, like it was in the first movie when we talked about that idea, after three days, the whole script was roughly together -- and the same thing happened again. And I realized now it's time to do it.

Will it start 19 years later?
Yes. It's totally a parallel universe. That's all that I'm saying.

You've already said that Will Smith won't be back. I'm assuming there was some contact with him?
It's a very simple thing. We gave him our very first script and he liked it very much. He said, "Look, I don't want to go there anymore because I was a different person than I am now. And I have so many other projects that I want to do." At that time he wanted to make two movies at the same time. Then, naturally, his demands were-- I would say, I have to go down with my demands, too, because I don't own this. The studio owns this. And he was just saying "No, I don't care, this is what I want," and that's it. Then I kind of thought, This will never happen. A lot of my friends said, "You don't need Will. I would go watch it without Will."

It wasn't his movie before. It was an ensemble.
It was an ensemble piece.

He wasn't a big star before "Independence Day."
No. We had to fight for him. Fox was not so happy that we took him in this part.

They didn't want him?
No, no. They would have cast other actors. But it always happens like that. It's interesting, because it became a much bigger movie since we know Will is not in there.

Is that why it's supposed to be two more movies?
No. We are just going to do the next one and see what happens. We could theoretically go on and on and on -- because there's a bigger mythology to it. There's a bigger theme to it and that for me is more exciting than one character. And I will cast a couple of actors who I really like, you know what I mean? I'm always a fan of certain people.

Who are you a fan of?
No, I cannot.

You like someone like Channing Tatum.
Well, yeah, Channing. I always like people who are not usually doing these kind of movies. Like a Maggie Gyllenhaal in "White House Down."

Like Jeff Goldblum in "Independence Day."
Exactly.

Or Judd Hirsch.
Yes.

Is Judd Hirsch coming back?
Yes. I think so.

And I saw that Goldblum and Bill Pullman are coming back.
Yes.

I assume it's too late for Boomer.
The dog would be dead. [Laughs] Yeah, that would be interesting.

It's frustrating that Will Smith turned you down and turned down a movie like "Django Unchained."
He turned "Django Unchained" down. I couldn't believe it.

Did that surprise you?
Totally. Who doesn't want to work with Tarantino?

Of your movies, the one I'm not a huge fan of is "Godzilla." And I'm not alone. Why did that movie not work?
I'm always testing movies a lot -- and we had no time to test. It was also, probably, a situation that I was a little bit talked into it. At that time I had an idea about a movie about a meteor striking Earth. And I had a whole idea how to do it. One of my all-time favorite movies is -- oh, what is it called? I had a little too much to drink yesterday. The one about the astronauts ...

"The Right Stuff"?
"The Right Stuff"! I wanted to do something like "The Right Stuff," combined with a meteor strikes Earth. So, you have to go up there on a mission. I had this whole thing planned out and a lot of people said, "You can do this after 'Godzilla.'" And that was a really big lesson for me because there were two movies after that.

"Deep Impact" and "Armageddon."
And I would have beaten them both.

Is it fair to say that your heart wasn't in "Godzilla" as much as your other movies?
I don't know. Also, I'm not really a fanboy. So, I was changing Godzilla. The original, how Godzilla looked, didn't make sense to me.

And now they're rebooting that.
It will be very interesting to see how they make him look. It was inspired by some Ray Harryhausen movies -- stop-motion animation movies. They were a big hit in Japan and the Japanese just wanted to do their own version. They couldn't do stop-motion animation, so they just built a big suit and put a stuntman in -- and that's why it's so bottom heavy. That's why it looks a little bit silly. [Laughs] The most embarrassing moment of my life, I was in Japan to show Toho -- who owns the copyright for Godzilla -- my new Godzilla. Before I did the presentation, they brought me to the Toho studios and there was Godzilla standing there with a sign around his neck that said, "Mr. Emmerich, I'm ready for your shooting call."

Wow.
That's what I said. Wow.

He never got his shooting call.
No, he didn't.

Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. You can contact him directly on Twitter.

• Channing Tatum Jamie Foxx

  FILE - In this undated publicity photo provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Channing Tatum, left, and Jamie Foxx, center, star in Columbia Pictures' "White House Down," directed by Roland Emmerich. (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Entertainment, Reiner Bajo)

• Jamie Foxx

  FILE - In this undated publicity photo provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Jamie Foxx stars in Columbia Pictures' "White House Down," directed by Roland Emmerich. (AP Photo/Sony Pictures Entertainment, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows, from left, Nic Wright, Joey King and Channing Tatum in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows Maggie Gyllenhaal in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows Channing Tatum in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows Jamie Foxx, left, and Channing Tatum in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows Channing Tatum in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• This film publicity image released by Columbia Pictures shows Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum, left, in a scene from "White House Down." (AP Photo/Sony Columbia Pictures, Reiner Bajo)

• Roland Emmerich To Go W/ Derrik Lang Story

  In this Tuesday, June 18, 2013 photo, Roland Emmerich. director of the film "White House Down," poses for a portrait in Beverly Hills, Calif. The action-packed film starring Jamie Foxx as the President of the United States of America and Channing Tatum as his impromptu bodyguard releases Friday, June 28, 2013. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

• Roland Emmerich

  In this Tuesday, June 18, 2013 photo, Roland Emmerich. director of the film "White House Down," poses for a portrait in Beverly Hills, Calif. The action-packed film starring Jamie Foxx as the President of the United States of America and Channing Tatum as his impromptu bodyguard releases Friday, June 28, 2013. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

• Roland Emmerich

  In this Tuesday, June 18, 2013 photo, Roland Emmerich. director of the film "White House Down," poses for a portrait in Beverly Hills, Calif. The action-packed film starring Jamie Foxx as the President of the United States of America and Channing Tatum as his impromptu bodyguard releases Friday, June 28, 2013. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Channing Tatum attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Channing Tatum attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Channing Tatum attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Maggie Gyllenhaal attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: The cast and producers of 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Maggie Gyllenhaal attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Brad Fischer, (L), Jamie Vanderbilt and Harald Kloser (R) attend 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Jamie Foxx attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Channing Tatum attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Channing Tatum, (L), Jamie Foxx, (C) and Roland Emmerich, (R) attend 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Maggie Gyllenhaal attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

• "White House Down" Washington DC Premiere

  WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Maggie Gyllenhaal attends 'White House Down' Washington DC Premiere at AMC Georgetown on June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/roland-emmerich-white-house-down_n_3500037.html

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Gigabit Internet coming to Seattle for $80 per month

No Google Fiber? No problem. Residents in select neighborhoods in Seattle will have access to gigabit Internet speeds?beginning in 2014. Gigabit Squared on Monday announced pricing plans for its upcoming fiber network in Seattle. The company will offer a basic plan with download speeds of 5Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps for free for 60 months, after which time customers can convert to 10Mbps?service for just $10 per month. Other plans include download and upload speeds of 100Mbps for $45 per month, or speeds of 1Gbps for $80 per month. Customers will also be required to pay a $350 installation fee for 100Mbps plans or higher unless they sign a one-year contract. Gigabit Squared is the latest company to offer gigabit Internet speeds, following the successful launch of Google Fiber in Kansas City last year. Gigabit Squared will begin taking sign-ups sometime next month. The company?s press release follows below.

Gigabit Squared Unveils Residential Pricing for Local Ultra-High-Speed Fiber Network Service in Seattle

[More from BGR: Leaked photo shows iPhone 5S display on the assembly line]

Early neighborhoods announced: University West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill and Central Area

SEATTLE, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ ? Gigabit Squared today unveiled residential pricing for the ultra-high-speed fiber-to-the-home broadband network it plans to launch locally in 2014. The Gigabit Squared fiber network will initially be made available to neighborhoods located within the West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill and Central Area of Seattle as part of a program called Gigabit Seattle.

?We are excited about the limitless possibilities our network can bring to the residents located in these areas and are confident that the affordability and high speed performance of our fiber network will be well received,? said Mark Ansboury, president of Gigabit Squared. He added, ?We will be providing our customers with significantly greater speed and accessibility than what?s out there today for about the same price?a true value. This will be backed by a level of customer service that will surpass anything anyone has ever experienced before.?

Gigabit Squared?s fiber broadband services will be 50 to 1,000 times faster than typical cable modem or DSL Internet access services. Unlike most Internet access services, Gigabit Squared?s offerings will be symmetrical (equal upstream and downstream data rates) to enable interactive services that require two-way sharing of video, audio, images, and other large files in real time.

?We?re one step closer to bringing gigabit speed broadband to Seattle,? said Mayor Mike McGinn. ?We are leveraging our new public-private partnership with the University of Washington and Gigabit Squared to help Seattle compete in the global economy. I?m excited to see how our residents and businesses can innovate with this new infrastructure.?

Gigabit Squared?s simplified fiber network pricing plans for Seattle will be structured as follows:

1) Installation Charge: Installation charges will be waived for customers signing a one-year contract for 100 Mbps service or greater. Otherwise, a $350 installation fee is required.

2) Service Plan Options:

Plan A:
5 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload: No charge for 60 months
5/1 Mbps services are transferrable to new renters or owners
After 60 months renters or owners can convert to a 10 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload service plan for only $10 per month

Plan B:
100 Mbps download/100 Mbps upload for $45 per month
No installation charge with one- year contract

Plan C:
1000 download/1000 upload Mbps for $80 per month
No installation charge with one-year contract

Since the launch of the Gigabit Seattle website in December, thousands of Seattle residents have already expressed an interest in the service. Ansboury commented, ?We will be announcing a simple sign-up process next month that will make it easy for people to sign up for the service that best meets their individual needs. This will help us prioritize the neighborhood rollout schedule. We can?t wait to make this available to as many residents as possible and look forward to our initial program?s success so we can quickly expand into other areas of Seattle.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gigabit-internet-coming-seattle-80-per-month-205526646.html

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Rotation-resistant rootworms owe their success to gut microbes

June 24, 2013 ? Researchers say they now know what allows some Western corn rootworms to survive crop rotation, a farming practice that once effectively managed the rootworm pests. The answer to the decades-long mystery of rotation-resistant rootworms lies -- in large part -- in the rootworm gut, the team reports.

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Differences in the relative abundance of certain bacterial species in the rootworm gut help the adult rootworm beetles feed on soybean leaves and tolerate the plant's defenses a little better, the researchers report. This boost in digestive finesse allows rotation-resistant beetles to survive long enough to lay their eggs in soybean fields. Their larvae emerge the following spring and feast on the roots of newly planted corn.

"These insects, they have only one generation per year," said University of Illinois entomology department senior scientist Manfredo Seufferheld, who led the study. "And yet within a period of about 20 years in Illinois they became resistant to crop rotation. What allowed this insect to adapt so fast? These bacteria, perhaps."

Controlling rootworms is an expensive concern faced by all Midwest corn growers, said study co-author Joseph Spencer, an insect behaviorist at the Illinois Natural History Survey (part of the Prairie Research Institute at the U. of I.). Yield losses, the use of insecticides and corn hybrids engineered to express rootworm-killing toxins in their tissues cost U.S. growers at least $1 billion a year.

In a 2012 study, Seufferheld, Spencer and their colleagues reported that rotation-resistant rootworm beetles were better able than their nonresistant counterparts to tolerate the defensive chemicals produced in soybeans leaves. This allowed the beetles to feed more and survive longer on soybean plants. The researchers found that levels of key digestive enzymes differed significantly between the rotation-resistant and nonresistant rootworms, but differences in the expression of the genes encoding these enzymes did not fully explain the rotation-resistant beetles' advantage. Seufferheld and his colleagues thought that microbes in the rootworms' guts might be helping them better tolerate life in a soybean field.

To test this hypothesis, graduate student Chia-Ching Chu analyzed the population of microbes living in the guts of rootworm beetles collected from seven sites across the Midwest. Some of these sites (including Piper City, Ill.) are hot spots of rotation-resistance and others (in Nebraska and northwest Missouri, for example) lack evidence of rotation-resistant rootworms.

Chu found significant and consistent differences in the relative abundance of various types of bacteria in the guts of rotation-resistant and nonresistant rootworms (see graphic). These differences corresponded to differing activity levels of digestive enzymes in their guts and to their ability to tolerate soybean plant defenses.

The researchers found other parallels between the composition of gut microbes and the life history of the rootworms. The beetles' gut microbial structure corresponded to the insects' level of activity (rotation-resistant rootworms are usually more active), and also paralleled -- in a graduated fashion -- the plant diversity of the landscapes they inhabited. (Rotation-resistant rootworms are most abundant in regions where rotated corn and soybean fields are the dominant components of the agricultural landscape.)

To determine whether the microbes were in fact giving the rotation-resistant beetles an advantage, the researchers dosed the beetles with antibiotics. Low-level exposure to antibiotics had no effect on any of the beetles, but at higher doses the rotation-resistant beetles' survival time on soybean leaves fell to that of the nonresistant beetles. Antibiotics also lowered the activity of digestive enzymes in the rotation-resistant beetles' guts to that of their nonresistant counterparts.

The message of the research, Seufferheld said, is that the gut microbes are not just passive residents of the rootworm gut.

"They are very active players in the adaptation of the insect," he said. "The microbial community acts as a versatile multicellular organ."

"It's not just the rootworm that we have to worry about," Spencer said. "There's really this whole conspiracy between the rootworm and its co-conspirators in the gut that can respond fairly quickly, relatively speaking, to the assaults that they face."

The research team also included former postdoctoral researcher Jorge Zavala (now a professor at the University of Buenos Aires) and graduate student Matias Curzi.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/slJG9FABJYI/130624152603.htm

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Family Handyman Subscription just $5.99 - King-Size Savings

by Cristi on June 24, 2013. This post may contain affiliate links.

POSTED IN: DAILY DEALS, Magazines

TODAY ONLY you can get a?1 Year Subscription (11 issues per year) of ?Family Handyman Magazine?for ONLY $5.99 when you use coupon code 2657 at?checkout!?You?can?buy?up to a 3 year?subscription.

Family Handyman Magazine is for people who take an active interest in home improvement, yard and garden care, maintenance and repair, and remodeling. Family Handyman also features information on woodworking, auto maintenance, energy efficiency, and decorating.

Source: http://www.savingmoneyinmissouri.com/family-handyman-subscription-just-5-99/

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Cheney says his health 'nothing short of miracle' (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/313098339?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Trial: Could AEG Actually Lose?

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How ClimateMaster Increases Property Values

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?Going Green? and helping the world around you is a good thing. However, saving the ?green? that ends up in your pocket is also extremely beneficial. The question is, can a homeowner receive both? With ClimateMaster, they absolutely can.

Oh, so many rules ? so little time; this is a very true statement when it comes to making sure your home is ecologically sound. From turning off lights to unplugging appliances so they do not draw and waste energy, to making sure that incandescent light bulbs are replaced with LED lights, to making sure that power strips (that were bought to save energy), are also turned off ? being ?green? while saving the ?green? is a real chore.

All of the above products are on the ?innovative? and ?energy efficient? list for homeowners. However, when it comes to being environmentally sound and saving huge amounts of energy, as well as huge amounts of money ? ClimateMaster is the company people are running to in order to install the Geothermal HVAC systems that save it all: money, time, energy, AND provide consumers with a federal tax credit of 30%!

Not only are these ClimateMaster products doing all this for the consumer, but it?s also a huge fact that in the 21^st Century, any ?green? home improvements made increase the resale value of homes across the nation.

Whether you are a consumer who?s out there looking to buy, sell, or make improvements to your home, the ?green? category is huge and results in a higher home value. There have been a list of studies done by groups located in all areas ? from Washington state all the way down the California coast ? that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that houses created or improved with ?green? building materials are offering consumers major money back on their out-of-pocket expenses.

One of the biggest names when it comes to making these improvements correctly is ClimateMaster. With fifty years of experience behind them providing consumers with systems that are ENERGY STAR designated, ClimateMaster knows how to increase property values. But not only is the consumer able to sell their ?improved? home for a higher price, they are also able to sell their home faster than their non-?green? counterparts.

There are always expenses to think about; there are home improvements that fall into the ?green? category that can range from expensive to affordable, depending on what you choose to do. But with ClimateMaster, your investment only adds to the home and will return your money and then some by lowering utility bills and making your home a ?must-have? property.

Heating, cooling and hot water represent over 70% of a single home?s annual utility bills, so not only are the energy efficient ClimateMaster HVAC systems a great long-term investment that saves you money and lowers those monthly bills, but they are also the best ?green? home improvement investment you can make.

The environmental impact is immediately reduced, which is why the homeowner then qualifies for the unlimited 30% federal renewable energy tax credit which automatically reduces upfront costs. And the ?green? improvement makes your home a ?top pick? in the real estate market.

?Green? is a trend. However, ?money-saving? is also a trend that will never die. Hard-working families are interested in making sure they not only save cash, but also make sure that any cash they put into their homes will cause the home to be among the trendiest. When using ClimateMaster, these are no longer worries.

Residential ?green? home building (AKA sustainable homes), are a trend that?s also here to stay. Full ?green? neighborhoods and communities are appearing in almost every city across this nation; communities that are designed to reduce or even eliminate a homeowner?s need to rely on old, traditional utilities that not only raise bills every month, but also do harm to the environment. With ClimateMaster, the environmental impact of residential living is reduced because of the easy installation and everyday use of natural and renewable energy sources.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems are the most popular feature of ?green? homes, because of their low energy consumption, high energy efficiency and clean, natural and renewable energy sources. HVAC systems powered by qualified ENERGY STAR geothermal heat pumps are an absolute necessity in order to create that sustainable home. And, in the end, the homeowner receives tremendous benefits that can go straight into the bank!

Talk about sleeping better. Save money, lower utility bills, have the ability for an easy and quick resale, and minimize your home?s carbon footprint all at the same time; this is the long, unmatched list that ClimateMaster provides.

So what are you waiting for? Call ClimateMaster and ?begin installation? today! Because not only will your relationship with ClimateMaster allow you to purchase products that pay for themselves, but they will also transform your home from a traditional living area into what everyone is looking for ? an ?eco-friendly? house!

www.ClimateMaster.com

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Source: Baret News Wire

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Source: http://chincoteaguelocalnews.com/how-climatemaster-increases-property-values/

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Does the Apple Logo Really Adhere To the Golden Ratio?

I've been fascinated with this premise for years now, and this week I saw this popular graphic pop up yet again:

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PqlC8t4jx3c/does-the-apple-logo-really-adhere-to-the-golden-ratio-511410550

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