Computer scientists from Saarbr?cken prevent data theft on smartphones and tablet computers

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
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Contact: Gordon Bolduan
gbolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de
49-681-302-70741
Saarland University

"Malicious Android apps are becoming a mass plague" is the headline of a study published by a German software company for anti-virus programs in recent days. That this is not just a sales pitch is confirmed by the analysis of the governmental supported "Stiftung Warentest" consumer survey. In May last year, it categorized 37 popular apps as "critical" for the user's privacy.

"I am not surprised. My smartphone knows everything about me, starting with my name, my phone number, my e-mail address, my interests, up to my current location," explains computer science professor Michael Backes, who manages the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability at Saarland University.

To prevent smartphones and tablets turning into digital spies the researchers have developed a new method which works for the Android operating system. "Similar to a screening line, the method scans every selected app installed on the smartphone and indicates its real behavior: Accessing your private contacts, establishing a connection to the internet and checking your position", Backes explains. The user can now revoke or grant privileges to the respective app at any time. A company founded by Backes used the published method to develop an app named "SRT Appguard". It runs problem-free on Android 2.0 and higher. It is also now guaranteed that the guarded apps receive updates from the Google Play Store.

Technical background

For their approach, the Saarbrcken researchers use the fact that the Android apps, written in the programming language Java, run in a so-called virtual machine. Compared to other smartphone operating systems, a running app can access the storage of Android's virtual machine. That's when SRT Appguard comes into play. Before the suspicious app starts, Appguard scans the storage of the virtual machine to detect security-critical functions identified by the IT-security experts from Saarbrcken. It does not manipulate the bytecode anymore. Instead, it directs the function call within the virtual machine to the security monitor, which observes the suspicious method calls and can even block them.

###

The Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability

CISPA is one of the three Competence Centers for IT security financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It develops methods and expertise which provide reliable, secure computer systems and promote their robustness against novel attacks. Moreover, it works out concepts to secure private data, protecting privacy as well as guaranteeing a free, responsible interaction between user and system. To develop solutions for the main problems of IT Security within the digital community, CISPA implements a holistic approach. It cooperates with international well-respected research institutes, which are only a few yards way in Saarbrcken: the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Cluster of Excellence "Mulitmodal Computing and Interaction" and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).

See also:

Michael Backes, Sebastian Gerling, Christian Hammer, Matteo Maffei and Philipp von Styp-Rekowsky: The Android Monitor Real-time policy enforcement for third-party applications
http://www.infsec.cs.uni-saarland.de/projects/android-monitor/android-monitor.pdf

Download of SRT Appguard from the software register Heise.de
http://www.heise.de/download/srt-appguard-1187469.html

Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA)
www.cispa-security.de

For further information please contact:

Professor Dr. Michael Backes
Chair, CISPA
Phone: +49 681 302-3259
E-Mail: backes@cispa.uni-saarland.de

Sebastian Gerling
Administrative manager, CISPA
Phone: +49 681 302-57373
E-Mail: sgerling@cispa.uni-saarland.de

Editing:
Gordon Bolduan
Science Communication
Cluster of Excellence "Multimodal Computing and Interaction"
Phone: +49 681 302-70741
During Cebit: +49 0511/ 89497024
E-Mail: gbolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Gordon Bolduan
gbolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de
49-681-302-70741
Saarland University

"Malicious Android apps are becoming a mass plague" is the headline of a study published by a German software company for anti-virus programs in recent days. That this is not just a sales pitch is confirmed by the analysis of the governmental supported "Stiftung Warentest" consumer survey. In May last year, it categorized 37 popular apps as "critical" for the user's privacy.

"I am not surprised. My smartphone knows everything about me, starting with my name, my phone number, my e-mail address, my interests, up to my current location," explains computer science professor Michael Backes, who manages the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability at Saarland University.

To prevent smartphones and tablets turning into digital spies the researchers have developed a new method which works for the Android operating system. "Similar to a screening line, the method scans every selected app installed on the smartphone and indicates its real behavior: Accessing your private contacts, establishing a connection to the internet and checking your position", Backes explains. The user can now revoke or grant privileges to the respective app at any time. A company founded by Backes used the published method to develop an app named "SRT Appguard". It runs problem-free on Android 2.0 and higher. It is also now guaranteed that the guarded apps receive updates from the Google Play Store.

Technical background

For their approach, the Saarbrcken researchers use the fact that the Android apps, written in the programming language Java, run in a so-called virtual machine. Compared to other smartphone operating systems, a running app can access the storage of Android's virtual machine. That's when SRT Appguard comes into play. Before the suspicious app starts, Appguard scans the storage of the virtual machine to detect security-critical functions identified by the IT-security experts from Saarbrcken. It does not manipulate the bytecode anymore. Instead, it directs the function call within the virtual machine to the security monitor, which observes the suspicious method calls and can even block them.

###

The Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability

CISPA is one of the three Competence Centers for IT security financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It develops methods and expertise which provide reliable, secure computer systems and promote their robustness against novel attacks. Moreover, it works out concepts to secure private data, protecting privacy as well as guaranteeing a free, responsible interaction between user and system. To develop solutions for the main problems of IT Security within the digital community, CISPA implements a holistic approach. It cooperates with international well-respected research institutes, which are only a few yards way in Saarbrcken: the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Cluster of Excellence "Mulitmodal Computing and Interaction" and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).

See also:

Michael Backes, Sebastian Gerling, Christian Hammer, Matteo Maffei and Philipp von Styp-Rekowsky: The Android Monitor Real-time policy enforcement for third-party applications
http://www.infsec.cs.uni-saarland.de/projects/android-monitor/android-monitor.pdf

Download of SRT Appguard from the software register Heise.de
http://www.heise.de/download/srt-appguard-1187469.html

Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability (CISPA)
www.cispa-security.de

For further information please contact:

Professor Dr. Michael Backes
Chair, CISPA
Phone: +49 681 302-3259
E-Mail: backes@cispa.uni-saarland.de

Sebastian Gerling
Administrative manager, CISPA
Phone: +49 681 302-57373
E-Mail: sgerling@cispa.uni-saarland.de

Editing:
Gordon Bolduan
Science Communication
Cluster of Excellence "Multimodal Computing and Interaction"
Phone: +49 681 302-70741
During Cebit: +49 0511/ 89497024
E-Mail: gbolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/su-csf022713.php

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NASA Deep-Space Missions Take Aim at Mars

CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. ? The announcement today of an ambitious new project to launch the first private manned mission to Mars in 2018 may suggest to some that NASA has lost a step in the pursuit of deep-space exploration. But the U.S. space agency is forging ahead with plans for a flexible new spaceship and rocket to send astronauts deeper into space than ever before.

The nonprofit Inspiration Mars Foundation unveiled plans for a private Mars flyby mission today (Feb. 27) that calls for a January 2018 launch of a two-person crew ? a man and woman, possibly a married couple ? on a 501-day trip to the Red Planet and back. The mission would not land on Mars but bring a capsule and inflatable module within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the Martian surface before zooming away back to Earth.

Just one hour after the Inspiration Mars Foundation announcement in Washington, D.C., NASA officials here at the Kennedy Space Center briefed reporters about the agency's own plans for deep-space missions, including an eventual Mars trek.

"We know we're eventually going to Mars, and there are multiple destinations between here and Mars," Dan Dumbacher, NASA's deputy associate administrator for exploration systems, said in a briefing that did not address the private Mars project.

To do that, NASA is developing the new Orion deep-space capsule, the agency's first manned spacecraft since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. Orion is expected to launch on a new mega-rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). [See Photos of NASA's Deep-Space Vehicles]

Project Orion

Orion and the SLS form the core of NASA's deep-space exploration program. In 2010, President Barack Obama set a lofty goal for NASA's future ? send astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, then take aim at a manned Mars mission in the 2030s.

The aerospace company Lockheed Martin is building the four-person Orion capsule for NASA, with the European Space Agency providing the service module for the spacecraft. Orion's first test flight, called Exploration Flight Test 1, is slated to launch in 2014, and parts of the space capsule are being assembled at the Kennedy Space Center now.

Once the computers are in place sometime this summer, NASA scientists will power on the test capsule for the first time and check its systems on the ground, Orion project manager Mark Geyer said.

The NASA team plans to launch the capsule atop a Delta 4 rocket, sending it 3,000 miles (4,828 km) above Earth's surface. The main goal is to test the heat shields tasked with protecting crewmembers during Orion's manned missions, the first of which is slated to launch toward lunar space in 2021.

Giant rocket test

NASA's first SLS flight ? the unmanned Exploration Mission 1 ? is due to launch in 2017, officials said.

Currently, various components of the rocket are being built around the country. Starting in 2016, hardware is expected to begin arriving at the Kennedy Space Center for testing and assembly.

Orion and the Space Launch System won't launch together at first, but data from both flight tests will be used to help NASA scientists learn what improvements may be needed for each of the vehicles to boost safety and efficiency, project officials said.

"You want to make sure you've flown in that environment before you put anyone on board," Geyer said.

Scientists will also test Orion's launch abort system during a separate test after the 2014 launch. Like NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules, the Orion spacecraft features an abort system designed to separate the capsule from its rocket during an emergency to carry its crew to safety. The agency's space shuttles had no such system.

During the launch abort test, NASA plans to stress the Orion capsule to its limits to replicate the conditions astronauts might experience in the case of a malfunction. The spacecraft will be ripped free of its booster and propelled 1 mile (1.6 km) away to safety through a series of intricate maneuvers performed by its abort system.

NASA is also preparing the ground facilities at Kennedy Space Center?for the future missions. The Orion test flight will be run from a new firing room at the Launch Control Center, and NASA officials will be awarding a contract to a company that will reconfigure some of the structural models on the ground for the new rocket, ?explained Pepper Phillips, NASA's ground systems project manager.

Follow Miriam Kramer on Twitter?@mirikramer?or SPACE.com?@Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?&?Google+.?

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-deep-space-missions-aim-mars-000624690.html

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Green Laser Pen: There may be times that they are having trouble

Be careful when signing up for a caller ID spoofing service - some fake caller ID services are illegal.In addition to e-mail, call, need to call the contact phone book, people are generally only save the phonebook on the phone, the phone is lost or replacement phone, large address book is quite inconvenient, smart people is to use the data line with PC synchronization, truly correct way to use wireless synchronization, whether on a computer or mobile phone contacts change can be effectively synchronized.
Special mobile phone and accessories. In the past, the hearing impaired had problems using cellular phones because the radio signals interfere with their hearing aids. Nowadays, the T-switches of their hearing aids are used as receivers for calls received on their mobile phones. There are wireless looped headsets that are already compatible with Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. This is very important, especially in driving. The Federal Communications Commission gave an order to all wireless carriers to provide mobile phone services to the hearing impaired in 2002.
??? Ringer blocker and signals. Although there are amplified telephones for the hearing impaired, there may be times that they are having trouble knowing that someone is calling. Here is where ringer blocker and signals come in handy. Ringer blocker amplify the ringtone to a specified decibel so that the hearing impaired person can hear it clearly even from a distance. A ringer signal is a small piece of telephone equipment that is hooked on the amplified telephone that lights up when a call is received. Other models do not only light up but also display a "call" sign on a small screen.
Being hearing impaired should not be a reason to not be connected over the telephone. At least, this is how it is in nowadays. Gone are the days when the hearing impaired is left out in terms of communication technology. They are fortunate somehow that there is already telephone equipment available for them.A cell phone signal jammer is a device that is installed into a cellular phone to boost the signal range and to increase the phone's signal strength. This will result in fewer dropped calls and can save you lots of money. Some cell phone blocker are reported to increase the strength of your signal by up to 500%. This is a great device to use if your cell phone is suffering from weak signals due to your location.
??? Principle behind cell phone blocker. These devices work by strengthening the signals that come from a cell phone provider?s tower.

Source: http://laserpointer78.blogspot.com/2013/02/there-may-be-times-that-they-are-having.html

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Secrets We Keep From Our Kids

Jerry Mahoney is a stay-at-home gay dad blogger (SAHGDB) who writes about what an awesome and/or horrible parent he is on his site Mommy Man: Adventures of a Gay Superdad, which you should totally read. His family includes him, his partner, Drew, and a couple of meddling 3 1/2 year-old twins.

Hey guys, it?s me, Daddy, and I?m only writing this post because you can?t read, you don?t know what a blog is and because you?re still in that developmental sweet spot where you take everything I tell you at face value.

Suckers.

Your old man is full of secrets, things that could destroy my authority if you ever found out.? Here are 10 highly classified facts that I will take to my grave? or at least wait to tell you until you have kids of your own.

1.? TV is a reward for me, not you.

There?s a reason I never promise you TV for being good.? When you?re behaving, I don?t?need?to turn on the TV.? Overall, you guys are terrific company? but when you?re not, that?s when TV comes to my rescue.? Those 22 blissful minutes ofYo Gabba Gabba?are my reward for getting through the crying, whining, fighting meltdown madness that?s become a recurring feature of your toddlerhood.

Here?s the big secret: if you want more TV, you should act out more.? You know how sometimes I?ll pop popcorn and we?ll have a ?movie day?, where we get to watch all of?Beauty & The Beast?orToy Story?from beginning to end?

When that happens, you?ve been BAAAAAAAAAD.

You can never know this, of course, because that would encourage you to misbehave.? So I have to be clever about it.? I always make sure to calm you down first, so you don?t know that I?m only turning on the TV because I?m on the verge of tearing off your Tickle Me Elmo?s head with my teeth.

?

2.? While you?re napping, I shove my face full of chocolate chip cookies for two hours straight.

You don?t see me eat much, do you?? It?s not because I don?t require sustenance like every other human being, though if it adds to your sense that Daddy is some kind of awesome superhuman, I?m fine with that.? No, the real reason I never eat in front of you is because when you?re watching, I need to model good eating habits.? You think I like eating vegetables and chewing slowly?? Phooey!

I spend every moment in your presence suppressing my natural urge to shovel peanut butter M&Ms through my maw by the fistful.? When you?re asleep, oh boy, do I make up for lost time.? I practically funnel chocolate sauce directly down my throat.? I watch lots of TV, too, and I sit as close to the screen as I want.

?

3. ?I fall for your crocodile tears about 90% of the time.

I don?t know whose side of the family it comes from, but I?d be willing to bet that you two have some Meryl Streep in your blood.? Your performances are unparalleled.? You are gripping emotional powerhouses, both of you, able to summon cascades of tears at will.? I feel like I should be tossing bouquets of flowers at your feet, or at least teaching you to act out?Uncle Vanya?so your talents can be put to good use.

Even when I?m sure you?re faking, I get sucked into the performance.? I want to give you that second cookie you?re demanding only because I don?t have an Oscar to hand over instead.

Seriously, I don?t know how you do it.? You cry over the most trivial things, but still, you get me to believe that nothing matters more in the world than you getting a turn with the ?good? xylophone.

I don?t want to spoil you by always giving in, but I don?t want to stifle your theatrical gifts either.

Bravo, kids.? Brav.? O.

?

4.? I don?t know how we?re going to pay for your college.

I?m really grateful you guys have no concept of money, because if you knew what college costs versus how much money we have in the bank, you?d wake up crying at night even more than you already do.

Let?s put it in terms of Play-Doh.? If you add together all the various sources of Play-Doh at our disposal ? the cans in the craft cabinet, the little mini tubs that came with the Cookie Monster Letter Lunch set, a few unopened packages we keep stashed in the closet for rainy days ? it?s a comfortable amount.

Now picture?all the Play-Doh in the world.? That?s what a year of college is going to cost by the time you guys are filling out your applications.? I?m not exaggerating.? Our Play-Doh supply would barely cover one semester of independent study credits at that college in Texas that gets all the oil subsidies.? We?re screwed.

I mean, sure, we have a few years.? We?ll keep stashing away Play-Doh in the meantime, but don?t get your hopes up.

?

5.? I find your speech impediments adorable.

I?ve written here before about?how much I hate baby talk, and I stand by that.? Grownups trying to sound like kids are idiotic.? But secretly, I love hearing little kids try to sound like grownups, and failing.

I love Sutton?s slight lisp, and I get a kick out of the way Bennett drops his ?S? from the start of words (?Daddy, ?utton wants a ?nack!?)? These things remind me, as you?re growing up, that you?re still going to be little kids for a while.

I know better than to encourage poor speech habits, of course.? I do the right thing, suppressing my smiles and correcting you gently, so you?ll learn to speak properly.? But secretly, whenever you mangle the English language, I?m thinking, ?Aww!?

?

6.? Your other Grandpa, my dad, is dead.

Sorry, this one?s kind of a downer.? I?ve shown you pictures of my dad, and I?ve told you a bit about him, but I?m really grateful that you?re still too young to ask the big question: ?How come we?ve never met him??? To explain that, I?d have to tell you about death.? Then you?d figure out the really big secret, that daddies can die.

Ugh, I just can?t have that talk with you.? And it?s not just about you not being ready.? I?m not ready either.? I don?t know when I will be.

When we talk about your mystery Grandpa, I tell you the good things, and then I change the subject.? I know I won?t be able to get away with that forever, but for now, that?s the best plan I have.

Grandpa loved kids, by the way.? You would?ve had so much fun with him.

?

7.? ?F#&%?, ?S*@#?, A$$#@!&?.

You know that Madonna song we love to sing along to?? You?ve probably noticed how I always turn down the volume when M.I.A.?s rap part comes on.? Let?s just say there are a few vocabulary words which may come in handy later in life, but which I?m glad you haven?t picked up on just yet.

?

8.? I was an even pickier eater at your age than you are.

I spend way more energy than any sane person should trying to get you kids to eat things you don?t want to.? Even your junk food diet is limited.? C?mon, why can?t you see how awesome Taco Bell is?

Here?s the truth, though: If I?m always encouraging you to try new foods, it?s mostly because I don?t want you to end up like me.? I?m living proof you can live to the age of 14 eating nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and pretzels.

Sure, at some point my tastes got a bit more exotic (i.e., Taco Bell), but I?m hoping that, unlike me, you?ll have at least sampled each of the four food groups before you reach puberty.

?

9.? Someday, I?m going to go back to work.

I know you don?t understand work.? That?s why you?ll sometimes cry in the middle of the afternoon and demand to pick Daddy up at the train station, as if he?s just waiting there all day for us to swing by.

Work takes daddies away from their kids, that?s all you really grasp of the concept.? Well, this may come as a shock to you, but before you were born, I used to work, too.? Staying home with you is better than any job I?ve ever had, and it?s worth every sacrifice Daddy and I have had to make.? It?s not going to last forever, though.? In the future, you won?t need me as much, at least not as much as we?ll need the second income.

A few months ago, I was in the running for a job, one that would?ve been too good to pass up. ?I?m not going to lie, I was excited about the prospect.? I was also heartbroken.? I imagined what it would be like to tell you I was going back to work, that you would now have two daddies you hardly ever saw.

Then you?d cry about how much you missed both of us, to a person we hired to take care of you all day.

?

10.? You guys are my best friends.

I used to think people who were BFFs with their kids were terrifically sad.? Now, I kind of get it.? No offense to any of my grown-up friends, but you?re way cooler than any of them.

Yes, I need adult conversation once in a while.? I need to talk about politics and celebrity scandals and last night?s?Breaking Bad.? But in general, your reluctant, unfocused recounting of your school day is better than any of that.? Really?? Billy spilled his juice at snack time?? Tell me more!

Again,?you can never know this, because the only thing sadder than you being my best friends would be if I were yours.? You don?t need a graying old doofus roughly 14 times your age as a buddy.? You need me as a parent.? My job isn?t to play trains with you and Billy after school, it?s to serve you juice? and to send Billy?s parents the cleaning bill when he spills it all over you.

F#&%in? Billy.

Source: http://www.scarymommy.com/secrets-we-keep-from-our-kids/

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Italy's inconclusive vote makes ECB bond-buying more likely: poll

LONDON (Reuters) - Uncertainty stemming from Italy's inconclusive election makes it more likely the European Central Bank will have to help struggling countries such as Spain by buying their bonds, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

The huge protest vote by Italians against economic hardship sent European financial markets reeling this week as the result left a power vacuum in the euro zone's third-largest economy and one of its most vulnerable.

Forty-four out of 55 economists polled this week said the result made it more likely the ECB will activate its bond purchase program, called Outright Monetary Transactions (OMTs), designed to cut borrowing costs for crisis-hit euro zone countries.

The remaining 11 said it would not.

Underlining how the problems of individual countries resonate through the currency union, Spain - not Italy - remains seen as the most likely to seek ECB help through the OMTs.

"The potential for contagion as a result of uncertainty and volatility, and a further widening of spreads, has increased the probability that Spain may trigger it," said economist Azad Zangana at Schroders, an asset management company in London.

Twenty-two economists thought Spain would probably access the OMT program this year, and 18 said Italy. A handful, including Schroders' Zangana, said Portugal and Ireland.

Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Tuesday Madrid was no closer to seeking bond-buying help than it was before Italy's election.

Forecasts in the poll for the timing of an OMT request were spread across this year.

A growing minority of respondents - 22 out of 76, compared with 18 last month - also expect that, eventually, the ECB will cut its main refinancing rate from 0.75 percent to a new record low of 0.5 percent.

Complicating the outlook are an ambiguous set of economic data over the last month.

Euro zone consumer and investor confidence has been rising steadily since the start of the year, but that hasn't so far translated into an improvement in business surveys.

Still, given that the economic malaise is unlikely to end soon, Italy's political stalemate now tops the list of risks to the euro zone's financial stability.

Even days after the election, markets have demonstrated the importance of the ECB's backstops.

The central bank's promise to buy bonds from struggling states, if needed, helped Italian government bonds pare losses on Thursday. Bond strategists say it will continue to do so.

FAR FROM THE EXIT

ECB President Mario Draghi said late on Wednesday the central bank is not about to remove the crisis measures it deployed to help the ailing euro zone economy, saying he is "far from having an exit in mind".

Indeed the poll's consensus suggested the ECB would keep its main refinancing interest rate on hold at 0.75 percent deep into next year at the earliest, although there were the growing expectations for a rate cut to 0.5 percent.

Juergen Michels, economist at Citi and one of the most bearish forecasters on the euro zone, expects a rate cut next quarter to 0.5 percent, citing the weak economy and upwards pressure on the euro.

"We expect another cut to 0.25 percent by the year end, probably joined by a cut in the deposit rate to minus 0.25 percent," he said.

The poll put a median 90 percent chance there will be no change in interest rates at next Thursday's meeting.

The ECB's staff also publishes their quarterly outlook for the euro zone economy next week. Thirty-four out of 52 analysts think they will issue a gloomier projection for 2013 compared with December's forecasts.

Economists polled by Reuters earlier this month reckoned the euro zone economy might pull itself out of recession this quarter, but no-one saw any prospect of a major upturn thereafter.

(Polling by Shaloo Shrivastava. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italys-inconclusive-vote-makes-ecb-bond-buying-more-155414935--business.html

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Palm oil casualty? 14 pygmy elephants fall prey to pesticides in Borneo

Malaysian wildlife officials say 14 dead pygmy elephants were found last month in Borneo, apparently poisoned by chemicals used by farmers on the country's massive palm-oil plantations.

By Jason Motlagh,?Correspondent / February 11, 2013

A Borneo pygmy elephant looks for food along the Kinabatangan river in Malaysia's state of Sabah on the Borneo island in this file photo.

Bazuki Muhammad/REUTERS/File

Enlarge

A rare breed of elephant appears to be the latest casualty of the palm oil boom that is sweeping Malaysian Borneo, reigniting an already heated debate over the pros and cons of the world?s cheapest cooking oil.?

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Malaysian wildlife officials say 14 dead pygmy elephants were found last month in the wilds of Sabah Province, apparently poisoned by chemicals used by farmers to keep pests from eating the palm fruit grown on plantations that blanket vast swaths of the countryside.

In once instance, a 3-month old baby elephant was photographed nuzzling its mother, who lay on the ground next to three other corpses. For activists, the image is emblematic of nature?s losing battle with man in and around the farms.

Favored in developing countries for its versatility and long shelf life, palm oil is now found in more than half of processed foods in Western supermarkets, from cosmetics to Girl Scout cookies. Surging global demand has generated billions in profits for Indonesia and Malaysia, the world?s first- and second-largest producers, bringing prosperity to once poor corners.

The boom is changing the complexion of Borneo, the resource-rich island they share that is one home to one of the oldest rainforests on earth. But environmental groups say the palm oil boom is driving the expansion of plantations deeper into hyper-diverse tracts of forest, accelerating global warming and forcing rare species like the?pygmy elephant and orangutan into deadly confrontations with humans.

In a statement following the elephant report, Dionysius S.K. Sharma, executive director of World Wildlife Fund-Malaysia, said the ?central forest landscape in Sabah needs to be protected totally from conversions? and called for "frequent and large-scale patrolling" of forests to protect elephants. Yet he conceded this would be a "massive task" given the remoteness of the terrain and large areas involved.?

The scale of the plantations is massive. Take a flight from Kota Kinabalu, the provincial capital, to Lahad Datu, also known as ?Palm City,? and permaculture reigns: Palm plantations sprawl for miles on end, occasionally pocked with the smokestacks of large processing facilities. The largest are owned by agribusiness giants like Sime Darby and Wilmar International, with clients that include top consumer goods companies Unilever and Nestle.

Business booming

Thanks in part to new US laws mandating the removal of oils rich in trans-fats, business has never been better.

In 2011, the export of palm oil and palm-based products netted the Malaysian economy $27 billion, a fivefold increase over the past decade. With such profits at hand, the Malaysian government wants to double the area under cultivation by 2020.

This is welcome news to longtime residents of Lahad Datu, the coastal?town that has been transformed in years from a crime-ridden backwater to an investment-friendly hub. Real estate prices are soaring, investors are pouring in and the streets are safer than ever, replete with fast-food franchises and shiny hotels. ??This place is opening up, finally,? says Arnan Angkut, at a bustling seaside teashop. ?We are doing much better than before because of palm oil.?

But this kind of enthusiasm could spell long-term trouble for communities in the region and beyond.

A joint study published in October by Stanford and Yale universities revealed that land-clearing operations for plantations in Borneo have emitted more than 140 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 alone, equal to annual emissions from about 28 million vehicles. Over the past two decades, about 6,200 sq. mi. of primary and logged forested land have been destroyed in Borneo.

Orangutan populations reduced by half

Activists say that palm oil deforestation and hunting have already combined to reduce Bornean orangutan populations to half the total of the 1980s. At this rate, some predict the iconic animal could be extinct within years.

For its part, the pygmy elephant, a rare sub-species of the African elephant, is in even greater peril: WWF-Malaysia estimates there are about 1,200 left in the wild. And Malaysian wildlife authorities have said they expect to find more dead elephants as they comb the jungle.

*Jason Motlagh reported this story on a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/ZfEOPB1FxNU/Palm-oil-casualty-14-pygmy-elephants-fall-prey-to-pesticides-in-Borneo

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Keith Ellison and Sean Hannity Had an Epic Battle on Fox News Tuesday (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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Yahoo reins in work-from-home employees; 'Portlandia' on ...

Take 5 minutes to catch up on parenting news, with a new Yahoo policy that complicates life for telecommuting parents, research on detrimental effects of over-parenting college students, and new recommendations for treating kids' ear infections.

Yahoo work-at-home policy: Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is taking some heat for a new directive that bars employees from working from home. It's a directive that has particularly upset parents, who often rely on telecommuting to create more family-friendly work schedules. In a widely quoted memo to staff, Yahoo tells employees, "To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices." Here's a sampling of reaction to the new directive. Tell us what you think.

Hyper-parenting: Back off, mom and dad. Your overly attentive parenting can lead to depression in your college-age kids. That's the word from University of Mary Washington in Virginia researcher Holly Schiffrin. "You expect parents with younger kids to be very involved but the problem is that these children are old enough to look after themselves and their parents are not backing off," Schiffrin told Reuters. "To find parents so closely involved with their college lives, contacting their tutors and running their schedules, is something new and on the increase. It does not allow independence and the chance to learn from mistakes."

Ear infections: In an effort to curb the overuse of antibiotics, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for diagnosing and treating children's ear infections. The takeaway: Chances are if you take your child to the doctor for an earache, pediatricians are more likely to encourage "watchful waiting" than write out the standard prescription for amoxicillin. MedPage Today writer Crystal Phend spells out the details for ABC News.

Childhood obesity: Does this sound familiar? In the crunch time between work, school and kids' activities, families struggle to keep up, much less put healthy food on the table for a family dinner. That reality is part of the reason U.S. children are overweight, NPR reports. In an ongoing look at the nation's childhood obesity epidemic, NPR surveyed families and found that parents understand the connection between weight, exercise and nutrition, but time and money get in the way of making healthy choices.

"Portlandia" parents: Maintain eye contact at all time. Never look children in the eye. Respond to every whimper. Let them cry it out. With so much conflicting parenting advice, what are moms and dads to do? "Portlandia" hilariously portrays the boomerang-effect of shifting from parenting book to parenting book.

-- Kjerstin Gabrielson

Source: http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2013/02/yahoo_reins_in_work-from-home.html

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HBT: D-Train has setback with injured shoulder

Dontrelle Willis? spring training debut for the Cubs lasted all of seven pitches yesterday, as the first outing of his comeback was cut short by shoulder soreness.

He exited the field with a trainer and seemed awfully upset in the dugout, but Willis later told reporters that the injury is relatively minor and won?t stop him from continuing his comeback.

He did, however, admit how frustrating the whole thing is, telling Carrie Muskat of MLB.com:

I worked real hard to get back and finally get in a groove and this happens. I?ll overcome it. I?ve done it before. Just go back to the drawing board. ? I?m just frustrated today. I really wanted to play and mix it up. It?s early so hopefully I have enough time to come back.

Willis was already a major long shot to make it back to the big leagues, because while he?s still just 31 years old he hasn?t posted an ERA below 5.00 since way back in 2006. Since then Willis has thrown 404 innings with a 5.65 ERA and nearly as many walks (243) as strikeouts (285).

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/26/dontrelle-willis-goes-back-to-the-drawing-board/related/

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Deep Down, Is Alec Baldwin Just an Angry Guy?

You'd think Alec Baldwin was on a hockey team, from the amount of time he spends playing defense. On Monday, the 30 Rock actor used an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman to deny the latest rumors of his out-of-control behavior.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/it-wasnt-alec-baldwins-fault-again/1-a-524094?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ait-wasnt-alec-baldwins-fault-again-524094

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Utah liquor bill aims to take down 'Zion curtains'

Manager Dustin Humes fixes a drink in a small room which is out of the view of patrons at Vivace Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Manager Dustin Humes fixes a drink in a small room which is out of the view of patrons at Vivace Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Manager Lindsay Pitts makes a mojito in the bar which is beyond the view of patrons, in the kitchen of La Jolla Groves Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Manager Dustin Humes inspects a wine glass in a small room which is out of the view of patrons at Vivace Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Manager Dustin Humes holds wine bottles in a small room which is out of the view of patrons at Vivace Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Manager Lindsay Pitts walks around the bar which is beyond the view of patrons in the kitchen of La Jolla Groves Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers are considering repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as ?Zion curtains,? the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. A House committee is expected to discuss the bill Wednesday. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? Wine spritzers are a favorite at Rovali's near Salt Lake City. Behind the bar, in full view of patrons, waiters siphon soda and syrup into glasses of ice ? then they duck behind a fake olive tree and a barricade to add the chardonnay.

Utah's famously strict liquor laws forbid the restaurant from pouring alcohol in front of customers. The ban is based on the idea that the state should shield the mixing of cocktails and pouring of drinks from children. "Zion curtains" went up around the state as part of a compromise after lawmakers lifted a mandate in 2010 requiring bars to operate as members-only social clubs.

But this year, the curtains may be coming down.

Utah lawmakers are considering whether to repeal the requirement, a move that would ease restrictions and encourage new business. Right now, the requirement applies to restaurants that are less than 3 years old.

Doing away with the curtain would mark yet another small step by the state to relax its liquor laws.

Lawmakers have introduced a handful of pending bills this year that would ease Utah liquor regulations, including a measure allowing customers to order a drink before they order food and another to make more liquor licenses available to restaurants.

They are scheduled to discuss whether to do away with the curtains Wednesday; the measure has not yet been voted on by either chamber.

The so-called Zion curtains have a long history in the state. The nickname nods to Utah's legacy as home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The barriers first went up decades ago in the social clubs that existed before bars were legalized in 2009, unmistakable glass walls separating customers from bartenders.

Those who oppose today's Zion curtains say the law forces restaurant owners to waste money and space on configurations to keep bartenders out of sight of patrons using barriers or strategically positioned service bars. Curtain opponents also say the law hinders tourism by annoying outsiders and reinforcing their perception of Utah as staunchly sober.

Rovali's, an Italian restaurant in Ogden, opened in 2010. When waiters there explain the state's befuddling liquor laws to out-of-towners, Montanez said, "You see the eye roll."

"That kind of stifles guests," he said. "They're a little rankled by these weird laws."

Some lawmakers warn that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much.

The majority of Utah legislators and residents belong to the Mormon church, which teaches its members to abstain from alcohol.

"Alcohol is a drug," said Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who opposes the law. "It has social costs. We have DUIs. We have underage drinkers. We have problems that are caused by drinking."

Valentine said he would consider supporting the proposal if the state promised trade-offs such as bulking up police presence around restaurants and nearby roads, or a measure keeping children from entering restaurants serving liquor.

For restaurant owners moving into existing spaces, the law presents a nightmare, said Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden. Restaurants sometimes have to cut into floor space, he said, where more tables should be.

"It really just hampers the new guys, the little guys," Wilcox said. "A lot of these guys, too, they're not large operators. They've got one shop: 'This is my restaurant. My lifelong dream. I've invested everything into this.'"

At Rovali's, Montanez plays sommelier for guests who order wine service, setting off a presentation that underscores the patchwork nature of current laws. Montanez opens the wine at the table and invites guests to sniff the cork. If they purchase the bottle, he can pour and serve the bottle. If they order by the glass, however, he must slip away to pour the drink behind a partition.

"Everything we do is show," Montanez said, likening the visible pouring of drinks to a dessert cart.

The display of pastries and sweets bolsters dessert sales at the restaurant by about 15 percent, he said. And Montanez estimates that taking the curtain down would boost wine sales by a similar margin.

"You can't get creative, that's for sure," he said of the partition. "You have to stick with the rules."

Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said the curtain mandate confuses diners and raises eyebrows. Utah should impose one set of rules for all restaurants, regardless of their start date, Sine said.

"It lessens consumer confidence: What's the reason that you're doing this in the back room?" she said.

Sine rejects the notion that the visible flow of liquor would tempt youngsters to drink.

"We have got to stop feeling like everyone who drinks alcohol is doing something wrong," she said. "We all want people to go out and enjoy themselves and be responsible."

___

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-26-Utah%20Liquor%20Laws/id-d650acfe7b534df3a09c0dcb6366bd80

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Tech Analytics Startup Synapsify Nabs $600K Seed Round Led By ICG Ventures

Tech analytics startup Synapsify announced a whopping $600,000 in seed money today from a cluster of investors that includes ICG Ventures, Fortify Ventures, and Middleland Capital. It?s just another part of the ongoing narrative that?s seen the value of data analysis rise over the past several months. After all, last year we found that payment data was more valuable than payment fees.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XoIFV3mhD1E/

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Razer Edge Windows 8 gaming tablet up for pre-order March 1st ...

Razer?s Edge tablet is a 10 inch Windows 8 tablet aimed at gamers. It has the guts of a mid-range PC gaming laptop, including an Intel Ivy Bridge processor and discrete graphics. Razer will also offer optional accessories including a game controller that add buttons and D-pads on the sides of the tablet.

Razer introduced the Edge at CES in January, and now the company says it will be available for pre-order starting March 1st for $999 and up.

At that price you get a model with an Intel Core i5 processor, a 1366 x 768 pixel display, 64GB of storage, and NVDIA GeForce GT640M graphics.

Razer will also offer optional upgrades including a Core i7 processor and 128GB or 256GB solid state disks.

Razer will offer three different optional accessories for the gaming tablet:

Prices for the tablet alone can go as high as $1449 if you get a top-of-the-line model, which may seem like a lot of money for a tablet that gets about 3 hours of battery life during normal use and half that while playing demanding PC games.

But the Razer Edge is the first tablet of its type that?s actually capable of playing many of the latest PC games with graphics quality set to medium.

The Razer Edge is sort of like a Microsoft Surface Pro, and it?s priced like one. But while Microsoft?s $999 tablet comes with a digital pen and a pressure-sensitive screen, the Razer Edge comes with discrete graphics. If the Surface Pro is aimed at business and artistic applications, the Razer Edge is designed from the ground up for gaming.

via SlashGear

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• key specs
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• TypeTablet
• Form factorSlate
• Screen size10.1 inches
• Screen resolution1366 x 768
• Bundled OSWindows (8)
• Processor speed1.7 GHz
• System RAM4 GB
• Released01/08/2013

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Source: http://liliputing.com/2013/02/razer-edge-windows-8-gaming-tablet-up-for-pre-order-march-1st.html

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My Warming Jacket: Patagonia?s Encapsil Down Belay Parka

Patagonia has produced the first 1,000-fill-power down parka. It doesn't come cheap, but if you're looking for the ultimate cold-weather coat, this just might be it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/wvfeoVtf2u8/

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Hands-on with the ASUS Padfone Infinity

At the conceptual level, the ASUS Padfone series has always sounded cool, but it's never managed to translate that into mainstream success. Previous Padfones, though technically impressive, have been too expensive to win over consumers and carriers en masse. On top of that, ASUS has yet to present a really compelling use case for combining a phone with tablet dock.

Nevertheless, the Taiwanese manufacturer is back with a third Padfone iteration, the Padfone Infinity. The Infinity boasts superior specs, a redesigned, brushed aluminum chassis an Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. But is that enough to justify this class of device? Check out our first impressions from Mobile World Congress after the break.

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Post-Coup Investing

By Chris Mayer | 02/26/13

?Always buy land after a coup,? said Aren Nunnink, an Aussie expat who moved to Fiji back in 1987 and is now the most knowledgeable real estate agent on the islands.

Aren ought to know about buying land after a coup. He has taken his own advice, and it?s made him a wealthy man.

Aren told a group of us his tale at the Capitalist Exploits private investor conference in Fiji. Chris Tell and Mark Wallace started Capitalist Exploits and write a free e-letter about their global hunt for investing ideas. They focus on private deals and have come to love Fiji, which they call their favorite place on Earth. I met them recently through an introduction from a mutual friend, and we hit it off immediately. They invited me to attend their Fiji conference and, not one to pass up an opportunity to check out a new market, I eagerly agreed.

I found Fiji a fascinating, if sleepy, market. It is a great place to hide out if you worry about Western civilization as a going concern. Way out in the South Pacific, Fiji is far away from just about everybody.

Of course, there are the coups. Fiji has had four in the last 25 years. The latest was in 2006. But these are opportunities, Aren maintains. He has the personal story to prove it.

I will skip over the details, but the bottom line is that Aren was able to buy 120 acres of prime beachfront property for about $88,000 Fijian dollars (about US$50,000) following the first coup in 1987. Since then, he?s sold about $3 million worth of property and still owns a third of it.

?It?s become my model for business success,? he said. ?I became quite successful and wealthy because of this. I came to the conclusion that you should always buy land after a coup. Fiji has blessed me by having four coups. After every coup, I?ve bought more land. I actually own lots and lots of land around the Savusavu area.?

Later, over cocktails, I asked Aren more about his experiences with post-coup investing. People learn, he told me. With each coup, the deals are not quite as good as before, because people have learned the values come back.

But the coup dynamics still work. After a coup, there is, as you can imagine, a tremendous loss of confidence. Lots of people want to sell, and prices fall off the cliff. Confidence, though, comes back very quickly. ?And because the product [in this case beachfront property] is rare, it very quickly shoots up again,? Aren says.

Fiji had its last coup in 2006. But business and life go on. The military promises elections in 2014. That could be a little value-unlocking event in itself.

Aren is a good storyteller. He told us how it was when he came to Fiji. There were no real estate agents. If you wanted to sell a piece of land, you had to tell the taxi drivers. Then when people arrived, the taxi drivers would tell them about the land. If they helped you sell the land, you paid them a commission.

In fact, there is still a legacy from when this was the case. One of Aren?s largest competitors is called Hussein Taxi & Land Tours. ?I trained him,? Aren said. Hussein once worked for Aren, and they sold quite a bit of land together. Hussein, apparently, decided to go into the business himself.

Anyway, Aren?s knowledge of Fijian history was impressive, and he took us through some of the highlights, including the history of freehold land. It?s a long story, but the short of it is that native Fijians own 93% of the land and are the only ones legally entitled to own that land. The remaining land, about 7% of the total land area, is freehold. That?s what foreigners can own.

Many of those foreigners are so-called ?haven buyers.? Aren said he recently sold 800 acres to a guy who ?doesn?t believe in chemicals? and wants to grow organic food and live ?a natural lifestyle.? He wants to get away from the over-industrialized world, as he sees it.

Haven buyers ?want to get away from something,? Aren says. ?They know Fiji is sustainable. There is plenty of food and water. You can survive here. Life will continue even in times of stress or apocalypse.?

Haven-buyers, take note.

Regards,

Chris Mayer
for The Daily Reckoning

Source: http://dailyreckoning.com/post-coup-investing/

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Synaptics launches a pair of mobile touchscreens at MWC 2013

If Synaptics has a favorite song, we'd assume it'd be Touch Me, after all, the touchscreen maker does want customers to get handsy with its products. The company is launching a pair of mobile touchscreens here at MWC that we can expect to see laminated to some Gorilla Glass on a bunch of handsets at next year's Spanish smartphone shindig. The ClearPad 3400 is a capacitive touchscreen designed for flagships that offers a greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio for devices of up to six inches.

It's also announcing ClearPad Single-Layer On-Cell (SLOC) Multitouch solution, an interface for budget devices that eliminates the touchscreen sensor and border while still offering five-finger touch. Thanks to its simplified manufacturing process, it's much cheaper than competing inputs, and is currently being toted 'round Chinese OEMs. Interested in the finer detail of this human interface system? The release is after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/synaptics-launches-a-pair-of-mobile-touchscreens-at-mwc-2013/

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Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux Oscars 2013: Engaged Stars Look Ravishing On The Red Carpet (PHOTO)

Megastar Jennifer Aniston arrived at the Oscars tonight (Feb. 24) and looked absolutely glowing in a strapless red gown. Fiance Justin Theroux walked hand in hand with his leading lady, who is also a presenter at tonight's awards ceremony.

Aniston's "Wanderlust" co-star Paul Rudd is also a presenter, as are Salma Hayek, Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg and Ted, and most of the cast of "The Avengers."

Though neither Jen nor Justin is nominated for an award tonight, they have their hands full with their own big day. The couple has been prepping quite vigorously for their wedding and have recently enrolled in "marriage bootcamp," an intense three-day therapy session where they talk about potential problems and share massages.

Aniston has also been busy filming her movie "Untitled Elmore Leonard Project" in Connecticut, where she's been spotted with a platinum blond wig.

Check out Jen and Justin's red carpet Oscars appearance below:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/jennifer-aniston-justin-theroux-oscars-2013_n_2734046.html

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White House will soon revive cybersecurity legislation push

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A senior adviser to President Barack Obama said the White House will soon renew efforts to push cybersecurity legislation through Congress, though he foresaw an uphill battle given the failure of the last attempt.

Daniel said the White House has begun drafting "key legislative principles" for a new bill that it believes can pass both the House and Senate this time.

"We very much want a bill," White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel told Reuters while in San Francisco to meet industry experts and business leaders at a security conference. But he added: "I don't want to leave anybody with an impression that we underestimate the challenges."

"We will do our best to work with Congress," he added. "You will see that develop over the next couple of weeks to months," he said.

Cybersecurity legislation backed by the Obama administration died in the Senate in November amid fierce opposition from businesses that complained about over-regulation.

That bill would have increased information-sharing between intelligence agencies and private companies, with some privacy protections. It also would have set voluntary standards for businesses that control electric grids, water treatment plants and other essential facilities.

In the absence of overarching legislation, the Obama administration will pursue other means to improve cybersecurity, he said. Those included implementing an executive order the president signed this month that seeks to better protect critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

The order directs federal authorities to improve information-sharing on cyber-threats - including some that may be classified - with companies that provide or support critical infrastructure.

"It would be a mistake to assume you can't make any progress in the absence of legislation," he said.

The principles that the White House will support in new legislation include requiring that a civilian agency must be in charge of information-sharing, Daniel said.

Last year's Senate plan likewise would have put the Department of Homeland Security squarely in charge, though it could turn to the military's National Security Agency for assistance.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Menn and Deborah Charles; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-soon-revive-cybersecurity-legislation-push-011024890.html

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Facebook's Providing Free (Or Cheap) Data Around the World?For Facebook Apps

Facebook has announced that, over the coming months, it will be partnering with 18 network operators in 14 countries to provide users with free or discounted data for some of its mobile apps. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UUDnZ9mG6qU/facebook-to-provide-free-and-discounted-data-overseas

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