Earlier rumors about a Qualcomm-powered second-generation Nexus 7 tablet successor from ASUS could be right on the money, if a recent FCC listing holds water. A certain "ASUS Pad" model number K009 just cleared the US testing site packing a Qualcomm APQ-8064 S4 Pro quad-core, 1.5GHz processor with Adreno graphics, front and rear cameras, 4,000 mAh Li-ion battery and LTE radios. Though no screen size is listed, the battery spec points to a 7-inch model -- the Nexus 10 has a 9,000 mAh battery, for instance. On the other hand, a rear camera, like the 5-megapixel model shown above, would be a refreshing addition to the Nexus 7, which sorely lacks in that department. Most intriguingly, Asus listed the model as a Nexus "for marketing purpose(s)" -- though another K008 model also set the Nexus grapevine aflame when it hit the Bluetooth SIG, meaning skepticism should rule until we hear it from the horse's mouth.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A petition to pardon Edward Snowden, who has acknowledged leaking secret documents from the U.S. National Security Agency, attracted more than 22,000 electronic signatures by Monday afternoon, one day after it was posted on the White House website.
"Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a full, free and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs," read the petition created by "P.M." of Rochester, New York, on Sunday.
Snowden, an outside contractor for the NSA, announced in a video on Sunday from Hong Kong that he was the source of leaks about the ultra-secret agency's surveillance programs. By Monday, he had dropped out of sight and was expected to face an extradition battle to face U.S. legal charges.
The NSA has requested a criminal probe into the leaks and, on Sunday, the U.S. Justice Department said it was in the initial stages of a criminal investigation.
If the petition gains 100,000 signatures by July 9, the White House will review it, forward it to policy experts and issue an official response as part of the Obama administration's "We the People" effort to engage Americans in government.
White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to comment on Snowden's status at Monday's briefing: "When it comes to the petitions, we obviously will wait, a threshold being crossed before we respond to it. That threshold has not been crossed. ... Assessments are being made more broadly about the damage done here by the appropriate authorities."
The Snowden pardon petition was by far the most popular among those created recently on the White House site at https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions, followed by one demanding President Barack Obama's resignation, with just over 13,000 signatures.
A petition challenging Obama to a live, public debate with Snowden had just over 400 signatures by Monday afternoon, while one to free Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier charged with the biggest leak of classified files in the nation's history, had more than 1,200.
Manning, a U.S. Army private first class, was in the second week of his court-martial on Monday at Fort Meade, Maryland.
(Reporting by Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Jackie Frank)
When we were first introduced to the Xbox One, we heard about the hardware. Today, at Microsoft's E3 keynote, it was all about the games. We had a look at Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, a One-exclusive Killer Instinct reboot and Ryse: Son of Rome(both an exclusive and a launch title). We also learned that Minecraft would be getting some expanded multiplayer options when it hits the new console, and checked out the "open-world shooter" Sunset Overdrive. That wasn't all: we caught some stunning footage of Forza Motorsport 5, as well as Quantum Break (exclusive), Crimson Dragon,The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and zombie survival game Dead Rising 3 (arriving "this holiday" as a One exclusive). We saw some hectic action in Battlefield 4, which will have a "Second Assault" DLC available to Xbox One users first, and spied Titanfall, another exclusive landing "spring 2014." You can also make your own games in Project Spark, and there are a bunch of trailers for the titles mentioned above available now at the YouTube source link, including some for games that weren't featured on-stage. Oh, we almost forgot to mention. New Halo.
Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:
1. WHY NSA CONTRACTOR OUTED HIMSELF AS SOURCE
Edward Snowden, 29, says he revealed classified documents on surveillance programs because "I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good."
2. WHAT HE RISKED
Experts say Snowden could face decades in prison for the disclosures, if the U.S. can extradite him. He said he had fled to Hong Kong.
3. TALIBAN ATTACKERS KILLED NEAR KABUL AIRPORT
All seven insurgents died in a battle with security forces after trying to attack NATO's airport headquarters with grenades, assault rifles and at least one large bomb.
4. MANDELA'S FAMILY VISITS HIM AT HIS HOSPITAL BEDSIDE
The South African government says the 94-year-old leader's condition is "unchanged" as he spent a third day in the hospital with a lung infection.
5. ZIMMERMAN TRIAL TO BEGIN
Jury selection begins in Florida today in the case of the neighborhood watch volunteer, who says he shot and killed high school student Trayvon Martin because he feared for his life.
6. RIVAL KOREAS TO COME TO TABLE
North and South Korea agreed to senior-level talks this week on stalled cooperation projects, hoping to ease tensions after Pyongyang's recent nuclear threats.
7. GUNMAN IDENTIFIED IN CALIF. SHOOTINGS
Police say 23-year-old John Zawahiri killed his father and older brother, set their house on fire and then shot three others to death in the streets of Santa Monica.
8. HEAT REBOUNDS IN NBA FINALS
LeBron James overcame a terrible start to finish with 17 points as Miami beat San Antonio 103-84 to tie the series at 1-1.
9. 'KINKY BOOTS' TRIUMPHS AT TONYS
The feel-good pop musical won six awards, including best score by Cyndi Lauper, beating its closest rival, British import "Matilda."
10. WHO'S SEEING DOUBLE AT CHICAGO-AREA SCHOOL
There are 24 sets of twins in the fifth grade at Highcrest Middle School, which wants recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records.
NEW YORK (AP) ? ESPN says that it is cutting its workforce.
The sports media giant said in a statement Tuesday: "We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs." The company would not say how many jobs are being eliminated, but they include unfilled positions.
ESPN has about 7,000 employees worldwide, with about 4,000 at its headquarters in Bristol, Conn. The vast majority work behind the scenes.
This is the latest in a series of recent job cuts at several Disney divisions. ESPN specifically has seen costs increase with skyrocketing prices for the broadcasting rights to live sports.
U-M study challenges notion that umpires call more strikes for pitchers of same racePublic release date: 22-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura Bailey baileylm@umich.edu 734-647-1848 University of Michigan
ANN ARBORA University of Michigan study challenges previous research that suggests umpire discrimination exists in Major League Baseball.
The study, a collaboration between researchers at U-M and the universities of Illinois and Florida, looks deeper into the controversial argument over whether MLB umpires discriminate by calling more strikes for pitchers of the same race. It found little statistical evidence to support that claim, said Jason Winfree, associate professor of sport management at the U-M School of Kinesiology.
Winfree and co-authors Scott Tainsky of Illinois and Brian Mills of Florida, analyzed millions of pitches between 1997 and 2008 and ran the data through various statistical models. Their results suggest that findings of discrimination were questionable.
A draft of the earlier study that initially found evidence of discrimination was released in 2007 and published by the American Economic Review in 2011. National media reported on both the draft of the study and on its later publication.
In the U-M study, Winfree and his co-authors analyzed both their own data as well as that of the previously published study, but did not get consistent results when using different statistical methods and variables.
"Based on what we found, it's(discrimination) certainly not conclusive, and we could make an argument that there's actually reverse discrimination if you look only at averages," Winfree said. "Our point is (that) with something like this you want to look at the data a lot of different ways and see if you get a consistent result each time with each method. It's a pretty bold claim to say there is racial discrimination."
Winfree and colleagues found that the only specifications that suggested discrimination were when the analysis treated pitchers as completely separate players when pitching in stadiums where umpires were monitored. This seemed to drive much of the findings in the earlier study, they said.
The U-M study and others that look at discrimination in sports are significant not only for sports fans and franchises, but because it's very difficult to test for discrimination in most other occupations, Winfree said. However, because professional sports keep such detailed statistics, discrimination or lack of it is more quantifiable.
"This is a place where it's easy to test for discrimination, and if you find it here, it might be present in other work scenarios where you can't really test it," Winfree said.
The issue of discrimination among referees and umpires has raised debate in other sports as well. For instance, in 2010 the Quarterly Journal of Economics published a study that suggested racial bias among referees in the NBA.
The U-M study, "Further examination of potential discrimination among MLB umpires," appears online in the Journal of Sports Economics.
###
Study abstract: http://jse.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/05/02/1527002513487740
Jason Winfree: http://www.kines.umich.edu/profile/jason-winfree-phd
U-M School of Kinesiology:http://www.kines.umich.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
U-M study challenges notion that umpires call more strikes for pitchers of same racePublic release date: 22-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura Bailey baileylm@umich.edu 734-647-1848 University of Michigan
ANN ARBORA University of Michigan study challenges previous research that suggests umpire discrimination exists in Major League Baseball.
The study, a collaboration between researchers at U-M and the universities of Illinois and Florida, looks deeper into the controversial argument over whether MLB umpires discriminate by calling more strikes for pitchers of the same race. It found little statistical evidence to support that claim, said Jason Winfree, associate professor of sport management at the U-M School of Kinesiology.
Winfree and co-authors Scott Tainsky of Illinois and Brian Mills of Florida, analyzed millions of pitches between 1997 and 2008 and ran the data through various statistical models. Their results suggest that findings of discrimination were questionable.
A draft of the earlier study that initially found evidence of discrimination was released in 2007 and published by the American Economic Review in 2011. National media reported on both the draft of the study and on its later publication.
In the U-M study, Winfree and his co-authors analyzed both their own data as well as that of the previously published study, but did not get consistent results when using different statistical methods and variables.
"Based on what we found, it's(discrimination) certainly not conclusive, and we could make an argument that there's actually reverse discrimination if you look only at averages," Winfree said. "Our point is (that) with something like this you want to look at the data a lot of different ways and see if you get a consistent result each time with each method. It's a pretty bold claim to say there is racial discrimination."
Winfree and colleagues found that the only specifications that suggested discrimination were when the analysis treated pitchers as completely separate players when pitching in stadiums where umpires were monitored. This seemed to drive much of the findings in the earlier study, they said.
The U-M study and others that look at discrimination in sports are significant not only for sports fans and franchises, but because it's very difficult to test for discrimination in most other occupations, Winfree said. However, because professional sports keep such detailed statistics, discrimination or lack of it is more quantifiable.
"This is a place where it's easy to test for discrimination, and if you find it here, it might be present in other work scenarios where you can't really test it," Winfree said.
The issue of discrimination among referees and umpires has raised debate in other sports as well. For instance, in 2010 the Quarterly Journal of Economics published a study that suggested racial bias among referees in the NBA.
The U-M study, "Further examination of potential discrimination among MLB umpires," appears online in the Journal of Sports Economics.
###
Study abstract: http://jse.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/05/02/1527002513487740
Jason Winfree: http://www.kines.umich.edu/profile/jason-winfree-phd
U-M School of Kinesiology:http://www.kines.umich.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's election overseers removed potential wild-card candidates from the presidential race Tuesday, blocking a top aide of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a former president who revived hopes of reformers.
Their exclusion from the June 14 presidential ballot gives establishment-friendly candidates a clear path to succeed Ahmadinejad, who has lost favor with the ruling clerics after years of power struggles. It also pushes moderate and opposition voices further to the margins as Iran's leadership faces critical challenges such as international sanctions and talks with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program.
The official ballot list, announced on state TV, followed a nearly six-hour delay in which the names were kept under wraps. That raised speculation that authorities allowed some time for appeals by the blackballed candidates and their backers to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say in all matters.
But the official slate left off two prominent but divisive figures: former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad protege Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei. The decision also appeared to remove many potential surprise elements in the race, including whether Rafsanjani could revitalize the reform movement or if Ahmadinejad could play a godfather role in the election with his hand-picked political heir.
Instead, the eight men cleared by the candidate-vetting Guardian Council included high-profile figures considered firm and predictable loyalists to the ruling Islamic establishment, such as former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.
Just one approved candidate, Mohammad Reza Aref, might draw some moderate appeal because of his role as vice president under former reformist President Mohammad Khatami.
The rest of the choices, at the very least, would create a possibly seamless front between the ruling clerics and presidency after years of political turmoil under Ahmadinejad, who tried to challenge the theocracy's vast powers to make all major decisions and set key policies. Iran's presidency, meanwhile, is expected to convey the ruling clerics' views on the world stage and not set its own diplomatic agenda.
Mashaei called the decision unfair and said he will appeal to Khamenei. "God willing this will be resolved," semiofficial Fars news agency reported late Tuesday.
Rafsanjani did not comment, but his supporters denounced the decision on social media.
While the election is not expected to bring major shifts in Iran's position on its nuclear program ? which Tehran insists is peaceful despite Western fears it could lead to atomic weapons ? it could open opportunities to renew stalled talks with a six-nation group that includes the U.S.
On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said Iran's nuclear stance will "not change either before or after the election."
The ballot rejection of Mashaei brought little shock.
He has been badly tarnished by Ahmadinejad's feuds with the ruling clerics. Hard-liners have denounced Mashaei as part of a "deviant current" that seeks to undermine the country's Islamic system ? which made ballot approval highly unlikely.
This leaves Ahmadinejad politically orphaned going into the final weeks in office. He still has significant public support and could try to bargain with other candidates or break away and start his own political movement.
Few powerful voices came to Mashaei's defense in a sign of Ahmadinejad's fallen fortunes. But the case for Rafsanjani was more complicated.
His unexpected decision for a comeback bid ? 16 years after leaving office ? jolted hard-line foes and was cheered by beleaguered reformists and liberals after years of crackdowns.
Rafsanjani faced a barrage of attacks in the past week from powerful critics who suggested the 78-year-old does not have the stamina for the presidency and is disgraced for criticizing the heavy-handed tactics used to crush protests following Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009.
Rafsanjani's youngest daughter, Faezeh, was released from jail in March after serving a six-month sentence in connection with the postelection chaos. His middle son, Mahdi, also is to stand trial in coming weeks for his alleged role in the riots.
Late Monday, authorities closed down the Tehran headquarters of Rafsanjani's youth supporters.
But Rafsanjani still carries a legacy with a sweeping reach.
Moderates see him as a pragmatist who can deal deftly with the West and use his skills as patriarch of a family-run business empire to help repair Iran's economy, battered by sanctions and mismanagement. Others, even ideological foes, respect his high-profile role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution as the closest confidant of its spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In a sign of possible lobbying on Rafsanjani's behalf, he received apparent support from some influential members of the Assembly of Experts ? the only group with the power to dismiss the supreme leader. Rafsanjani was pushed out as the group's chairman after failing to get enough support to leverage possible concessions from Khamenei on the 2009 postelection clampdowns.
One member, Ayatollah Mohieddin Haeri Shirazi, sent a letter to Khamenei saying "omitting a prominent figure from the election was incompatible" with giving wide choices to voters, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.
Another assembly member, Ayatollah Mohammad Vaez Mousavi, told the semiofficial ILNA news agency that Rafsanjani's age is not a weak point and many Iranian leaders "accepted responsibilities when they were quite old."
Prominent political analyst Saeed Leilaz said the "intensified defamation campaign" suggested worry among hard-liners that Rafsanjani had a real potential to rally moderates and others and win the election.
"What matters today is who can save the country's economy," he said, "Who has a plan to take Iran away from isolation and improve living conditions."
___
Murphy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran also contributed to this report.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vpITy2sY72xXFhNmWzmFcniGNw1sTr3VBlPe4qo236G_iu58dRlcawQVWuEwss6PKpx5cABtRAy_OTuIiU97AtQYl6m9IW4wV8RA8uzRU=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 22-May-2013
Share ]