The new Xbox One has just been announced, and PS4?s first press conference revealed all but the console?s looks and pricing in February earlier this year, what will happen to the Japanese game developers in the next console cycle??
Many people relate the following genres to the typical Japanese console gaming experience ? Role-Playing Games, 2D & 3D fighters, rhythm games and platformers like Mario. To the general public, the Japanese games scene has been pretty lacklustre since 2008. However, Konami ? rather, Kojima Productions ? came about relatively unscathed, with the huge response netizens gave during their Metal Gear Solid 5 teaser and the success of its new Metal Gear Rising series.
Both the Xbox One and the PS4 are confirmed to be using the Blu-Ray disc format, by far still the medium with the largest storage capacity in a disc thus far. However, current generation games already have difficulties in cramming as much visual and sound data into the disc, a limitation Metal Gear Solid 4 encountered. Sadly, WiiU didn?t make the cut,?
Here are some scenarios that Japanese game developers may encounter in this upcoming console cycle:
1. Much lesser will to innovate than before The upcoming consoles are rumoured to support 1080p gaming at 60 frames per second on top of anti-aliasing filters and other effects based off Unreal Engine 4. As more work is needed to render and produce high quality graphics and effects, game developers will spend less money to develop or hire good story writers and producers who can create games that engage their intended gamer target audience. This may cause a?vicious cycle to develop that can spiral ?downhill.
However, with the release of gesture related games using the improved Kinect and Smartglass, who knows what doujin (indie) developers can do with the software. The issue would be that the current Kinect didn?t do as well as it should.
2. More re-releases of existing games Fun games created before the PS3 might be re-released as HD editions for the upcoming console cycle. The Resident Evil franchise may go with it, possibly with a remake of Resident Evil 2 and 3. Other possible ports or sequels may include games involving Gundam or Naruto, and maybe?a new Final Fantasy game.
3. (Potentially) Kill off support for Xbox One Many Japanese games reward their hardcore fanbase with really good limited edition versions that can only be obtained through pre-orders, and a great deal of Japanese gamers want these limited edition items. Since Xbox One moves most (if not all) of their games to the Cloud, that could effectively alienate these gamers. It is known that the PS3 has obtained fair more support from game developers compared to the Xbox 360. Hideo Kojima?s response to the omission of the Japanese version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance from the Xbox 360 clearly shows that.
4. Fun multiplayer games that don?t follow Call of Duty? More and more games are taking the multiplayer route in hopes to increase the longevity of their games, but not many can survive, even AAA Western games such as Max Payne 3 and Tomb Raider fail to engage their players despite their robust single player experience. Japanese game developers have yet to truly jump into the multiplayer bandwagon ? with the exception of music, versus and fighting games ? even with the current generation consoles. If games such as Phantasy Star Online goes to the console, there may still be hope, since the Playstation Vita version was developed.
5. Give in to the allure of DLCs Since their Western counterparts have been earning tons of cash from DLCs, why not? In fact, Japanese developers have already been having their way with some games, such as Idolm@ster 2 and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva. Even Super Robot Wars is going towards the DLC direction with their recent and upcoming releases.
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What sort of changes do you foresee Japanese game developers taking steps to ready themselves for the next generation of consoles?
HTC seems to be encountering a bit of executive brain drain. Jason Gordon, the firm's vice president of global communications, revealed on Twitter that he ended his nearly seven-year-long stint with the handset maker last Friday, but didn't divulge why he left or what his future plans include. Now, The Verge is reporting that Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera has also flown the coop, following a handful of other execs. According to the outlet's sources, Chief Marketing Officer Ben Ho could be partly responsible for the changes since he's said to be moving the outfit's planning and strategy back to its Taipei HQ. With Peter Chou pinning poor marketing as what held the company back in 2012, it's certainly possible things are being reeled back to home base -- not unlike Nokia's own centralization in recent years. We've reached out to HTC to confirm Kodera's exit and just what the departures mean for the organization as a whole.
Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
On this date:
In 1471, King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age 49.
In 1542, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.
In 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially organized.
In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross.
In 1892, the opera "Pagliacci," by Ruggero Leoncavallo, premiered in Milan, Italy.
In 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 33? hours.
In 1941, a German U-boat sank the American merchant steamship SS Robin Moor in the South Atlantic after the ship's passengers and crew were allowed to board lifeboats.
In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.
In 1959, the musical "Gypsy," inspired by the life of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, opened on Broadway with Ethel Merman starring as Mama Rose.
In 1972, Michelangelo's Pieta, on display at the Vatican, was damaged by a hammer-wielding man who shouted he was Jesus Christ.
In 1982, during the Falklands War, British amphibious forces landed on the beach at San Carlos Bay.
In 1998, teen gunman Kip Kinkel opened fire inside Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore., killing two students, a day after he'd killed his parents. (Kinkel was sentenced to nearly 112 years in prison.) In the wake of deadly protests, Indonesia President Suharto stepped down after 32 years in power.
Ten years ago: Christie Whitman resigned as Environmental Protection Agency administrator. The most devastating earthquake to hit Algeria in two decades killed at least 2,200 people. Ruben Studdard edged Clay Aiken to win the second "American Idol" competition on Fox.
Five years ago: Oil prices blew past $130 a barrel and gas prices climbed above $3.80 a gallon. Israel and Syria unexpectedly announced the resumption of peace talks after an eight-year break. David Cook won "American Idol" in a landslide over David Archuleta.
One year ago: President Barack Obama and other world leaders meeting in Chicago locked in place an Afghanistan exit path that would keep their troops fighting there for two more years. Former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi (dah-ROON' RAH'-vee), who'd used a webcam to spy on his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi, who then committed suicide, was sentenced to 30 days in jail (he served 20). A Yemeni man detonated a bomb during a rehearsal for a military parade, killing 96 fellow soldiers; al-Qaida's branch in Yemen claimed responsibility. Grammy-winning polka great Eddie Blazonczyk, 70, died in Palos Heights, Ill.
Today's Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Ron Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 72. Rock musician Hilton Valentine (The Animals) is 70. Actor Richard Hatch is 68. Musician Bill Champlin is 66. Singer Leo Sayer is 65. Actress Carol Potter is 65. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is 62. Actor Mr. T is 61. Music producer Stan Lynch is 58. Actor Judge Reinhold is 56. Actor-director Nick Cassavetes is 54. Actor Brent Briscoe is 52. Actress Lisa Edelstein is 47. Actress Fairuza Balk is 39. Rock singer-musician Mikel Jollett (Airborne Toxic Event) is 39. Rapper Havoc (Mobb Deep) is 39. Actress Ashlie Brillault is 26. Actor Scott Leavenworth is 23. Actress Sarah Ramos is 22.
Thought for Today: "Our present addiction to pollsters and forecasters is a symptom of our chronic uncertainty about the future.... We watch our experts read the entrails of statistical tables and graphs the way the ancients watched their soothsayers read the entrails of a chicken." ? Eric Hoffer, American philosopher (1902-1983).
(Above Advance for Use Tuesday, May 21)
Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
'Crazy ants' from South America are hitching rides across the South, setting up massive colonies, and relieving other occupying ant armies, including fire ants, of their duties.
By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff writer / May 18, 2013
Hairy crazy ants are on the move in Florida, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The flea-sized critters are called crazy because each ant in the horde seems to scramble randomly, moving so fast that videos look as if they're on fast-forward.
Joe MacGown/Mississippi State Entomological Museum/AP
Enlarge
The South is being invaded ? again. This time it?s erratic but troublesome ?crazy ants? from South America marching ? actually, hitching rides ? across the South, setting up massive colonies, and relieving other occupying ant armies, including fire ants, of their duties.
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With billions of ants possible per acre, crazy ants, known for their random, jerky travel, eat or chase away most other insects and reptiles, and hound yard pets inside. In single numbers pretty innocuous-looking, tiny tawny crazy ants also make pests out of themselves by sometimes biting people and shorting out home electrical wiring.
The question now is if there?s room enough in the South for the newcomers, or whether the US needs to invest in research to figure out how to stop the ?tawny crazy ant,? a well as its cousins, the ?black crazy ant,? and the ?Caribbean crazy ant,? before they?re ubiquitous.
?The entire Gulf Coast is going to be inundated in a very short period of time,? entomologist Tom Rasberry, who found and identified the crazy ants in 2002, recently told a local CBS News broadcast.
Having already spread in the span of a decade from a bunch of counties surrounding Houston to as far away as Florida, crazy ant success so far is entirely due to their hitchhiking skills. A few ants clambering aboard at a truck stop in Waco, Texas, may soon find themselves starting a colony in Covington, Georgia. They thrive best in warmer, moister locales, which means the South is stuck with them.
But as with most invasive species, ?crazy ants? can have unexpected, sometimes paradoxical, impacts on their conquered ground. Fire ants, which were accidentally introduced in the 1930s and now pretty much own the South, apparently can?t stand ?crazy ants,? and retreat from the conquering horde, as do most other ant species.
And despite oftentimes legitimate cries of concern from the scientific community about the dangers of invasive plants and animals in the US, many one-time strangers-to-these-parts ? kudzu, snakeheads, boas, Yankees ? become, at least in the eyes of some Southerners, manageable pests, part of an ever-changing backdrop of wildlife at the door.
This being the South, even scientists have sought out Biblical insights into how to view the invasion, including this from Proverbs 6:6-8 cited in a Texas A&M research paper about invasive ants: ?Go to the ant, O sluggard/ Observe her ways and be wise/It has no commander/No overseer or ruler.??
With three scandals dogging Barack Obama, the president and government functions continue to be a focal point on late-night television. David Letterman went headlong into the jokes, opening with a connection to the 40th anniversary of the Watergate hearings. He also brought baseball, the Republican party and Joe Biden into the mix.
The Tonight Show's Jay Leno hit similar notes, comparing Obama to Richard Nixon and suggesting that the president might call up Leno guest Mitt Romney and offer him the job.
Saturday Night Live presented its season finale with a surprise Weekend Update appearance by former anchor -- and TV good government supporter -- Amy Poehler to rehash "Really!?! with Seth and Amy." The segment picked apart the IRS, the Tea Party and Obama.
Fast forward to 4:20 to see why the IRS is on edge this time of the year.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A dangerous, half mile-wide tornado struck near Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon, part of an extreme weather system moving through the central U.S. and stretching from north Texas to Minnesota.
Earlier, a "large tornado" touched down near Wichita, Kansas at 3:45 Central Standard time, the National Weather Service reported.
Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all in the path of the storm system, which is producing 70 mile per hour winds, baseball-sized hail and violent tornadoes.
The storm is so large and severe it prompted an unusually blunt National Weather Service warning.
"You could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter,'' the advisory reads. "Complete destruction of neighborhoods, businesses and vehicles will occur. Flying debris will be deadly to people and animals."
A tornado also touched down in southwest Wichita at 3:45 p.m. Central time, moving northeast at about 35 miles per hour toward Topeka, said Pat Slattery, National Weather Service spokesman for the U.S. Central region, which covers 14 states.
Slattery said the potential severity of the storm prompted the weather service to issue the stark advisory, which is part of a new "impact-based warning system" being tested in the U.S. Central region, in the wake of a violent tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011, killing 158 and wounding hundreds more.
Slattery said the new, more urgent advisory is reserved for severe tornadoes with the potential to form into super cell storms, which produce powerful winds and flash flooding. Super cells are considered to be the most dangerous of four categories of storms because of the extreme weather they generate.
A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assessment of the Joplin storm found that "when people heard the first tornado warning, they did not immediately seek shelter. They looked for a secondary source to confirm the tornado," Slattery said. "That got some people killed."
(Reporting By Chris Francescani; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio and David Storey)
(This story is refiled to correct lead of 19th May story to read "tornado," not "hurricane")
These hilarious pictures of Westie dogs doing water sports should cheer anyone up, whatever the weather. They are a newly-launched theme for handy iPhone app Weather Puppy, a weather app that comes free but lets you buy themes such as these side-splitting images of West Highland White Terrier. British publishers Maverick Arts are behind the wacky pictures and have used amazing image-manipulation skills to make it seem as if the dogs are indulging in adrenalin sports. Maverick MD Steve Bicknell explains: "We are obsessed with the weather here in the UK and I think our pictures of the Westies should cheer people up weather they are at a sunny beach or hiding from the rain."
Giant Cod
An angler is celebrating after breaking the record for catching the world's biggest ever cod. The mighty fish weighed in at 103lbs, smashing the previous and long-held world record by nearly 5lbs. And the biggest specimen of Britain's favourite eating fish to be pulled out of the water by rod and line was caught by a German. Michael Eisele was on a fishing trip to Norway - the so-called El Dorado of cod fishing - when he snared the whopper.
Animals In The News
Tha Sophat, a 20-month-old Cambodian boy, suckles from a cow in Koak Roka village, Siem Reap province, Cambodia, Friday, Sept. 9, 2011. Tha Sophat started suckling the cow in July after he saw a calf do the same since his parents moved to Thailand in search of work, said his grandfather UmOeung.
Polydactyl Kittens -- Jan. 2012
Undated Cats Protection handout photo of 4-month-old polydactyl kittens named Fred (left) and Ned (right), currently in the care of Cats Protection, Gosport Town Branch in the United Kingdom. They will shortly be going to their new home once they've been neutered. Ned has an extra eight digits, while his brother Fred has 10 more than the usual 18, making a total of 54 digits between them.
Camel Fight
Afghan festival-goers watch as a "camel fight" starts during the second day of Persian new year, or "Nowruz," celebrations in Mazar-e-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan.
Giant Rat
An English man named Brian Watson killed a large rat his granddaughter's boyfriend found while cutting grass on April 21, <em><a href="http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16213384" target="_hplink">Sky News</a></em> reports. The water rat was so large, Watson broke a boat paddle trying to kill the critter.
Elephant in Water Reservoir
Indian army personnel use a bulldozer during a rescue mission to save a wild elephant trapped in a water reservoir tank at Bengdubi army cantonment area some 25 kms from Siliguri on August 30, 2011. A wild elephant fell into the water reservoir tank as a herd crossed the area. Army personnel of 16 Field Ammunition Depot along with wildlife elephant squad of Mahananda wildlife sanctuary joined forces to save the animal.
Britain's Saddest Puppy
Six-month-old puppy Princess has such delicate skin she can't go outside. While other dogs run free at Britain's Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Princess must gaze through the window. But this canine, otherwise known as Britain's Saddest Puppy, has become a minor celebrity in the media.
Super Egg
Cookie Smith shows off a normal egg and a "super egg" Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in Abilene, Texas. Cookie Smith went to collect eggs from her three laying hens on Monday afternoon, and discovered one normal egg and one "super egg" in her coop.
Animals in the News
"Shrek," New Zealand's most famous sheep, died in June at the age of 16. This merino wether (a castrated male sheep) came to the world's attention in 2004 when he was found in a cave near the city of Otago after being on the lam for six years. He had managed to avoid capture all that time and when he was finally found, he was carrying nearly 60 lbs of untrimmed fleece, nearly six times more than the average merino fleece.
Roo the Reading Dog
Roo the Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D) helps a pupil at Graytown Elementary School in Graytown, Ohio.
Two Legged Lamb
A farmer in China's Shandong province has saved a two-legged lamb after being touched by its struggle to survive. Farmer Cui Jinxiu said the lamb was one of two born in July 2010. "The first one was a very healthy and normal one," she told Rex USA. "However, the second one surprised me. With a further look I was surprised to find that the lamb only has two legs." The family thought the lamb wouldn't survive, but it proved its strong desire to live. "I thought of dumping it after it was born, but the next morning it even stood up by itself."
Sprinkles the Koala
Veterinary specialist Dr Rod Straw holds 'Sprinkles' the Koala following her life saving radiation treatment at the Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Suffering from an extremely rare case of excessive drooling, sprinkles developed a skin infection due to the excessive moisture flowing from her mouth.
'Cupid' The Cat -- Jan. 2012
This stray orange tabby in Houston earned the nickname 'Cupid' after he survived a piercing shoulder to shoulder wound in January 2012. A vet safely removed the arrow and 'Cupid' is expected to make a complete recovery.
Ranger Shoots Deers Whose Antlers Are Stuck
It was a shot in the dark, but an Illinois police officer manage to separate two whitetail deer whose antlers were tangled together -- by shooting them apart.
Heidi, The Cross-Eyed Possum
Jeepers, creepers -- where'd she get those peepers? Heidi the cross-eyed possum has become a media sensation in Germany.
Monkey Macaw
This lazy monkey hitches a ride to the top of a tree -- by sitting on the back of a parrot. The squirrel monkey, which lives with a male and female parrot at a hotel in Colombia, was photographed by Alejandro Jaramillo after it hopped onto the macaw. These kinds of bizarre inter-species friendship aren't unheard of, but they aren't common.
Mass For Animals -- Oct. 2011
Gil Florini, of Saint-Pierre-d'Arene's church, blesses donkeys with holy water after a mass dedicated to animals on Oct. 9, 2011, in the southeastern French city of Nice.
Police have released a photo of the culprit in a series of flag thefts from the graves of soldiers at the Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson, NY. As you can see by the photo, it looks like they caught the thief in the act: This woodchuck right here in the middle of the screen.
Hero Dog Missing Snout Seems To Have Beaten Cancer
Kabang, a dog in the Philippines, had her snout and upper jaw sheared off when she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle, saving her owner's daughter and niece from serious injury or death, according to newspaper reports in the Philippines.
After completing six weekly intravenous chemotherapy infusions, Kabang appears to have beaten the cancer she was suffering from.
3-Eyed Nuclear Fish -- Oct. 2011
Fishermen landed a three-eyed fish in Argentina near a nuclear reactor in October 2011.
Lion Tries to Eat Baby Dressed as Zebra
This situation sounds scary, but it's actually quite cute. A lion at the Oregon Zoo tries to get a baby! One-year-old Jack was visiting the zoo with his family while wearing a black and white striped jacket. There were lots of children at the zoo that day, but the lion only came over whenever Jack sat down by the glass. The lion scratched and bit the glass partition separating the two, but the he seemed to be unphased by the commotion. Some think the lion thought Jack looked like a baby zebra.
Hippo Goes to the Dentist
North Carolina Zoo Chief Veterinarian Dr. Mike Loomis recently returned from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where he helped perform a dental procedure on a 3,000-lb. old friend.
Loomis, along with veterinarians and keepers from the Parque de las Sciencias museums in Bayamon, conducted dental surgery on "Tomy," a 39-year-old male hippopotamus that the N.C. Zoo veterinarian has been treating on a semi-regular basis for two decades.
Animals In The News
This pet duck, named 'Duckie,' won't hurt himself on the hot sands of San Diego's beaches thanks to a pair of customized booties made especially for him. Previously, the owner, who goes by the name "Miss Love," had been putting duct tape over his feet instead.
World's Biggest Bitch
Nova, a 35.5 inch tall Great Dane, was named the world's tallest female dog by Guinness World Records in June 2011
Allegedly Stolen Tortoise
FILE - In this undated file photo provided by Katlyn R. Gerken, a staff member of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa holds Cashew, an 18-pound African leopard tortoise. The museum said Friday, April 5, 2013, that an employee found the tortoise behind paneling in her enclosure and hid her in an elevator in a misguided attempt to prevent further embarrassment after officials announced Tuesday that they believed Cashew had been stolen.? (AP Photo/Katlyn R. Gerken, File)
Smokey the LOUD Cat
Pet cat Smokey is believed to have the loudest purr in the world -- with piercing purrs as loud as a lawnmower. Most cats purr at around 25 decibels but Smokey's powerful purrs average an amazing 80 decibels. Owners Ruth and Mark Adams, of Northampton, Britain, say Smokey's deafening purrs make it impossible for them to hear the television or radio when she is in the room and they struggle to have telephone conversations.
World's Smallest Living Cat -- Oct. 2011
Fizz Girl, a Munchkin Cat from San Diego, Calif., has grabbed the record title for Shortest Living Cat. Measuring in at just 6 inches tall from floor to shoulder, Fizz Girl weighs 4 pounds, 2.3 ounces. Munchkin cats are a special breed that have little legs caused by a naturally occurring genetic mutation.
Two-headed Bearded Dragon
A two-headed bearded dragon is set to be the latest attraction at the Venice Beach Freakshow. Pancho and Lefty sit in new owner Todd Ray's hand.
Is This A Woolly Mammoth In Siberia? -- Feb. 2012
This newly released video taken during the summer of 2011 allegedly shows a living woolly mammoth crossing a river in Siberia. There is much speculation and debate as to whether this is, indeed, a living specimen of prehistoric elephant-related animals that were thought to be extinct.
Mobile Home Filled With 154 Reptiles
Inside Walter Kidd's North Carolina trailer home were 154 reptiles, including cobras, vipers and Gila monsters. About 100 of the animals were dead and frozen, according to the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.
Gary, the Kit-Kat Loving Fish.
Sea Life London Aquarium undated handout photo of a giant gourami that aquarium staff have weaned off chocolate.
Giant Shark Caught In Mexico.
Two fishermen in northeastern Mexico claim they netted a dead great white shark estimated to be near 20-feet-long on April 15, 2012.
Titanic Toad
Of course she's unhappy. Who likes getting weighed right after the holidays? This is Agathe, a cane toad, and she's sitting on a toy scale during an annual animal inventory at the Hanover Zoo in Germany on Jan. 5. Agathe weighs a slight hop over 4 pounds.
Elephant Votes in Thailand
Elephant puts a ballot in ballot box during campaign to promote the general election in Ayutthaya province on June 21, 2011. The July 3 general election will be the first since Thailand was rocked by its deadliest political violence in decades last year, when more than 90 people died in street clashes between armed police and opposition protesters. (Pornchai Kittiwongsakul, AFP/Getty Images)
Kayaker Snags Shark -- Sept. 2011
This is the jaw-dropping moment a canoeist landed a 6-foot shark after it dragged him through the water for 10 minutes. Brave Rupert Kirkwood, 51, had paddled a mile off the United Kingdom's Devon coast when he suddenly felt a snag on his line. The 70-pound beast nearly pulled him overboard, before pulling his 16-foot canoe through the water as he desperately clung on. After 10 minutes of wrestling with the beast, he eventually hauled the massive fish on board.
Pink Kitty
This kitty isn't naturally pink. The cat's owner, Natasha Gregory of Britain told The Sun that she wanted her pet "to match my hair." The 22-year-old also has a shocking dye job.
Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum
Heidi the cross-eyed opossum is pictured in her enclosure at the zoo in Leipzig, eastern Germany on June 9, 2011. Heidi moved to her new enclosure at the Gondwanaland tropical experience world, which will be inaugurated on July 1, 2011 and where Heidi will be presented to the public for the first time. Cross-eyed Heidi made the headlines in December 2010 and became an internet hit, winning more than 65,000 "friends" on social networking website Facebook.
Monkey Photographs Self
One of the photos that the monkey took with Davids camera. These are the chimp-ly marvellous images captured by a cheeky monkey after turning the tables on a photographer who left his camera unmanned. The inquisitive scamp playfully went to investigate the equipment before becoming fascinated with his own reflection in the lens. And it wasnt long before the crested black macaque hijacked the camera and started snapping away sending award-winning photographer David Slater bananas. David, from Coleford, Gloucestershire, was on a trip to a small national park north of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi when he met the incredibly friendly bunch.
Orangutan Kicks Smoking -- Sept. 2011
An orangutan in Malaysia is kicking its smoking habit. Wildlife officials have removed Shirley from a state zoo after the captive primate was regularly spotted smoking cigarettes that zoo visitors had tossed into its enclosure.
Booie, The Smoking Chimpanzee, Dies At 44 -- Dec. 2011
Booie, a chimpanzee that kicked a smoking habit and used sign language to beg for candy, died at the age of 44 at a California animal refuge in mid-December.
Bear in Hot Tub
Jenny Sue Rhoades sat down on her couch to watch television when something outside caught her eye. It was a large Florida black bear walking through the back yard of her Barry Court home in southwest Seminole County.
Zookeeper Lives With Lions
Alexander Pylyshenko, 40, will live in a cage with two lions for five weeks to raise awareness about living conditions for animals in captivity.
Goose and Deer Become Unlikely Friend
Wildlife experts in Buffalo, N.Y., have been amazed by an unusual springtime friendship between a deer and a nesting goose. It's a relationship that has blossomed inside a cemetery.
Lucy: World's Smallest Working Dog -- Nov. 2011
Lucy, a mini Yorkshire terrier from Absecon, New Jersey, is now in the Guinness Book of World Records. Weighing just 2 1/2 pounds, Lucy was named the world's smallest working dog last week, bumping out a 6.6-pound police dog in Japan.
Leaping Lemurs
A group of lemurs encounters a unusual roadblock on the way to their feeding den: a turtle. The lemurs clearly don't want to get into a territorial spat with the creature... so they take turns leaping over it in this photo sequence shot at the Indianapolis Zoo.
IKEA Monkey
Look at that coat! <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/10/ikea-monkey-toronot_n_2270707.html?1355150852" target="_hplink">This little animal</a> got loose in an IKEA parking lot in Toronto. It was apparently scared, but eventually was reclaimed by its owners who were inside the store when the monkey escaped from its cage.
Dog With Man's Face
Meet Tonik, a poodle-shih tzu mix that is up for adoption at <a href="https://www.homewardboundawg.com/" target="_hplink">Homeward Bound Pet Rescue</a> in Mishawaka, Ind. (Credit:<a href="http://www.petphotosbyrenny.com/" target="_hplink"> Renny Mills Photography</a>)
State Trooper Find Baby Deer In Car
A Washington State Patrol trooper who responded to a report of a deer killed by a truck on Interstate 5 ended up with a 2-month-old fawn in his car. The patrol says when Trooper Scott Brown arrived at the Bellingham scene on Tuesday evening, other deer in the area stayed back but the fawn -- possibly orphaned by the collision -- ran up to him. Trooper Mark Francis says the baby deer nuzzled against Brown and started "mewing."
Big Brutus
Brutus, a giant crocodile, was photographed leaping out of the water in Australia by picture-taker Katrina Bridgeford. The 18-foot long croc is a fan favorite among tourists who take cruises along the Adelaide River as he is known for making a big splash while jumping for buffalo meat.
This Little PIggie Has Two Snouts
This tiny porker has an excuse for making a pig of himself at mealtimes. He really does have two mouths to feed. The bizarre two-month-old youngster -- part of a litter born on a farm in northern China -- can use both his mouths to eat and appears otherwise normal, say his owners.
By: Michell Gilbreath We will not want to continue concealment because immigration, at when, you can grab, "will say Radi Abdoel-Khan, chief advice for Immigration and also Integration Ministry.
For now indeed there is no go out to close that door, that might be understood as a state administration amnesty presiding Michael Eman, nevertheless Abdoel-Khan suggests not rest. In Aruba it illegal for people to take greater than a season undocumented. Also check youtu.be "The strategy of the Minister Eman is the isle is a land of God and additionally we are really rendered to that land. Everyone is welcome right here and what exactly is in our energy to help them to have stability in this case let's do it," can say advisor . They arubianas authorities accept that 60 percent of the population is not born with the island, and additionally brought to the Colombian plus the biggest colony with about 20,000 members, of that only 11,724 have their documentation so as. At continue to some 9,000 Colombians Dominicans, and Venezuelans 8000. The remainder are actually Chinese immigrants, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Haitians.
A court has, soon after 2 many years of implementation of the amnesty, have resolved their situation 1,000 people, a high percentage of Colombia. "Whenever the very first immigrants a century ago, they provided to everything we have now, and are important for all of us because you depend upon their work. Today, those who are contributing to the growth which provides them the right to no less than, fix their unlawful standing, "can say Abdoel-Khan.
Prime Minister of Aruba, Michael Eman, does not seem ideal that men and women that invested over 5 years upon the island, for a formality, needing to say "you need to get out of right here, and additionally his kids were produced right here." Even while Eman features the goal of amnesty, warns needs which need to be came across, and demonstrate good behavior and additionally be working. "The people we are assisting are really contributing to the development of Aruba," he reiterates.
The Colombian position The new Consul related with Colombia within the island, Tarquin Camargo Pacheco says which the objective entrusted by the state administration of Chairman Juan Manuel Santos to diplomats is assure all of the Colombian legal rights abroad. "One sees commonly in people living overseas which have migrated their liberties not any longer are available, and is totally false," your man says.
Pacheco's task will be to update the census, together with the help related with the Ministry related with Incorporation Organization Aruba and also Aruba's Colombian friends, and also which includes the legality related with remain related with some 8,000 Colombians. "You are in the campaign to make the town which is irregularly legalize their situation. They do not have to worry. Want them anywhere close to the consulate and provide information to get started on, along while using the government related with Aruba, the respective treatments thus entitled to the social policies of the island, "the consul, who releases the contribution of Colombians in wellness professional services, education, construction, trade and business. Marielis Molinares Tejada, chairman related with the Association and additionally with almost 15 years in Aruba, additionally features the help the Colombians in Arubiana economic climate, most especially in tourism, construction and additionally trade. "For in which you can find give objective Colombia. Here you found an atmosphere of great honesty, tranquility," will say the Barranquilla that head a bilingual class.
About the Author: Y?u d? not want to ?arr? on covering be?au?e ?mmigr?tion, at ?n the event, you are able to g?ab, "will say Radi Abdoel-Khan, chief advise for Immigration and Integration Ministry.
For now indeed there is no big date to close which doorway, that are studied as a state administration amnesty presiding Michael Eman, however Abdoel-Khan recommends not rest. In Aruba it unlawful for citizens to take greater than a year undocumented.
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Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
If we're to find a common thread in this week's collection of stories, it'd be nature's guiding hand. How it inspires science, how we seek to imitate it, and how unnatural the future of policing could be. This is alt-week,
UCSB assistant professor Michelle O'Malley receives 2013 DOE Early Career AwardPublic release date: 17-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonia Fernandez sonia.fernandez@ia.ucsb.edu 805-893-4765 University of California - Santa Barbara
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) Michelle O'Malley, an assistant professor in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Chemical Engineering, has received a 2013 Early Career Award by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. O'Malley is among 61 recipients of the annual research award, chosen from a pool of approximately 770 proposals.
"I am honored that I have been selected to receive a DOE Early Career Award," said O'Malley. "The DOE is a champion for genome-enabled biology; and its application toward sustainable energy. My lab works at the interface of biology and engineering to address these issues, and we do this by developing new genomic tools to control anaerobic gut fungi.
"This is an incredibly competitive award, especially for a new laboratory," she added. "My proposal's success is a testament to the dedication of the students and postdocs in my lab who helped me gather the preliminary data in support of the project."
The award, funded at $750,000 over five years, will go toward O'Malley's ongoing research on biofuels. Her proposal, "Engineering Anaerobic Gut Fungi for Lignocellulose Breakdown," presents a new way of harnessing fuel from non-food plants and agricultural waste, while addressing concerns over the financial costs incurred in biofuel production. Her project was selected for funding by the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Division of the Office of Science.
"We are very proud of this recognition that has been bestowed on Michelle O'Malley," said Frank Doyle, professor of chemical engineering and associate dean for the College of Engineering. "It is a fitting tribute to her creative research endeavors to find novel means of biomass-derived fuels. Such problems in biotechnology and bioengineering represent an area of growing interest to our campus, and a number of our campus research centers, such as the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, will benefit directly from Michelle's investigations on this important topic."
O'Malley's research, which she recently presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, involves the use of anaerobic gut fungi from horses, sheep, and other large herbivores to convert the cellulose in plants into sugars. Nature has evolved these fungi to break through lignin, a tough biopolymer that surrounds cellulose, and convert that cellulose into sugars. Through a process of fermentation, these sugars are later converted into bioalcohols such as ethanol. Typically, food crops like corn and sugarcane have been used for bioalcohol production because extraction of sugars from these materials is relatively easy. However, a drawback to fuel production from these energy crops is that they compete for space with crops grown for food. Meanwhile, using non-food crops, or the parts of food plants with denser lignin networks to extract sugar, is costly and energy-consuming.
An added benefit of these gut fungi is that they secrete unique enzymes that convert the cellulose into the sugars, and they also directly ferment them into biofuels. O'Malley's research will leverage collaborations with the DOE-Joint Genome Institute (JGI) to identify new enzymes from gut fungi, and to develop new tools to genetically modify their metabolic processes. While bacteria have been extensively studied for their roles in biofuel production, enzymes from fungi have not, because of their relatively low numbers, and the difficulty in isolating and growing them.
"The DOE Early Career Award recognizes researchers for innovation, for real contributions to energy solutions," said Rod Alferness, dean of the College of Engineering. "Professor O'Malley's research in cellulose conversion opens doors for more efficient biofuel technology."
###
Initial funding for this research came from the United States Department of Agriculture; The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, through contract No. W911NF-09-D-0001, from the U.S. Army Research Office; and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Established in 2009, the Energy Department's Early Career Award is a funding opportunity, under the Early Career Research Program, for researchers in universities and DOE national laboratories. It supports the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and stimulates research careers in the disciplines supported by the DOE Office of Science, including advanced scientific computing research; biological and environmental research; basic energy sciences; fusion energy sciences; high energy physics; and nuclear physics.
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UCSB assistant professor Michelle O'Malley receives 2013 DOE Early Career AwardPublic release date: 17-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonia Fernandez sonia.fernandez@ia.ucsb.edu 805-893-4765 University of California - Santa Barbara
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) Michelle O'Malley, an assistant professor in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Chemical Engineering, has received a 2013 Early Career Award by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science. O'Malley is among 61 recipients of the annual research award, chosen from a pool of approximately 770 proposals.
"I am honored that I have been selected to receive a DOE Early Career Award," said O'Malley. "The DOE is a champion for genome-enabled biology; and its application toward sustainable energy. My lab works at the interface of biology and engineering to address these issues, and we do this by developing new genomic tools to control anaerobic gut fungi.
"This is an incredibly competitive award, especially for a new laboratory," she added. "My proposal's success is a testament to the dedication of the students and postdocs in my lab who helped me gather the preliminary data in support of the project."
The award, funded at $750,000 over five years, will go toward O'Malley's ongoing research on biofuels. Her proposal, "Engineering Anaerobic Gut Fungi for Lignocellulose Breakdown," presents a new way of harnessing fuel from non-food plants and agricultural waste, while addressing concerns over the financial costs incurred in biofuel production. Her project was selected for funding by the Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Division of the Office of Science.
"We are very proud of this recognition that has been bestowed on Michelle O'Malley," said Frank Doyle, professor of chemical engineering and associate dean for the College of Engineering. "It is a fitting tribute to her creative research endeavors to find novel means of biomass-derived fuels. Such problems in biotechnology and bioengineering represent an area of growing interest to our campus, and a number of our campus research centers, such as the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, will benefit directly from Michelle's investigations on this important topic."
O'Malley's research, which she recently presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, involves the use of anaerobic gut fungi from horses, sheep, and other large herbivores to convert the cellulose in plants into sugars. Nature has evolved these fungi to break through lignin, a tough biopolymer that surrounds cellulose, and convert that cellulose into sugars. Through a process of fermentation, these sugars are later converted into bioalcohols such as ethanol. Typically, food crops like corn and sugarcane have been used for bioalcohol production because extraction of sugars from these materials is relatively easy. However, a drawback to fuel production from these energy crops is that they compete for space with crops grown for food. Meanwhile, using non-food crops, or the parts of food plants with denser lignin networks to extract sugar, is costly and energy-consuming.
An added benefit of these gut fungi is that they secrete unique enzymes that convert the cellulose into the sugars, and they also directly ferment them into biofuels. O'Malley's research will leverage collaborations with the DOE-Joint Genome Institute (JGI) to identify new enzymes from gut fungi, and to develop new tools to genetically modify their metabolic processes. While bacteria have been extensively studied for their roles in biofuel production, enzymes from fungi have not, because of their relatively low numbers, and the difficulty in isolating and growing them.
"The DOE Early Career Award recognizes researchers for innovation, for real contributions to energy solutions," said Rod Alferness, dean of the College of Engineering. "Professor O'Malley's research in cellulose conversion opens doors for more efficient biofuel technology."
###
Initial funding for this research came from the United States Department of Agriculture; The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, through contract No. W911NF-09-D-0001, from the U.S. Army Research Office; and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Established in 2009, the Energy Department's Early Career Award is a funding opportunity, under the Early Career Research Program, for researchers in universities and DOE national laboratories. It supports the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and stimulates research careers in the disciplines supported by the DOE Office of Science, including advanced scientific computing research; biological and environmental research; basic energy sciences; fusion energy sciences; high energy physics; and nuclear physics.
[ | 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.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Encouraging news about the U.S. economy extended the stock market's rally Friday.
Small-company stocks rose the most, a sign that investors are taking on more risk. Two companies soared in their stock-market debuts in the latest indication that the market for initial public offerings is reviving.
A gauge of future economic activity rose more than analysts had expected, as did a measure of consumer confidence, adding to evidence that the economy is steadily recovering.
Stocks closed higher for a fourth straight week. Indexes are at record levels after surging this year on optimism about the economy and record corporate earnings. The market is also being supported by ongoing stimulus from the Federal Reserve, which is keeping long-term borrowing costs at historically low levels.
"This slow but relatively steady growth, that keeps inflation in check and keeps interest rates low, is actually a pretty healthy environment for the stock market," said Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co. "Right now we are very optimistic."
General Motors rose $1.03, or 3.2 percent, to $33.42. The automaker's stock is trading above the $33 price of its November, 2010 initial public offering for the first time in two years.
Northrop Grumman gained $3.17, or 3.2 percent, to $82.19 after the defense contractor said its board approved the repurchase of another $4 billion in stock, and that it plans to buy back a quarter of its outstanding shares by the end of 2015.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 121.18 points, or 0.8 percent, to 15,354.40. The index gained 1.6 percent for the week and is up 17.2 percent for the year.
The index started higher, then drifted through the rest of the morning. The index added to its gains in the afternoon, climbing about 70 points in the last two hours of the day.
The Standard & Poor' 500 index rose 15.65 points, or 1 percent, to 1,666.12. The gauge is up 2 percent this week and has gained 16.8 percent this year.
After some lackluster reports on the economy Thursday, including slowing manufacturing and an increase in applications for unemployment benefits, Friday's reports were a tonic for investors.
The Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.6 percent last month after a revised decline of 0.2 percent in March. The index is intended to predict how the economy will be doing in three to six months.
The University of Michigan's preliminary survey of consumer confidence climbed to 83.7. Economists had predicted that the gauge would climb to 76.8.
The strength of the rally in stocks has taken many by surprise, leaving investors waiting for a drop in prices to get into the market, said Jim Anderson, an investment specialist at JPMorgan. The S&P 500 index hasn't fallen for two consecutive days in a month.
"Everyone is waiting for a pullback," Anderson said. "Every client asks me, 'When are we getting a pullback?' With so many people waiting for it, and pouncing on it when it arrives, it's over so quickly."
As well as giving stocks a lift, the positive economic reports also pushed government bond yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.96 percent from 1.88 percent Thursday as investors favored riskier assets.
The yield, which moves inversely to its prices, has jumped since May 3 after the government reported that hiring picked up sharply in April. The note started trading that day at 1.63 percent, its low for the year.
The move to riskier assets also gave small stocks a lift. The Russell 2000, an index of smaller companies, rose 10.94 points, or 1.1 percent, to 996.28. The index has surged this month and is performing better than both the Dow and the S&P 500 for the year. It's up 17.3 percent so far in 2013.
Small stocks are doing well partly because they are more focused on the U.S., which is recovering, and don't rely as much on sales from recession-plagued Europe, as larger companies do.
Gold fell for a seventh straight day, dropping $22.20, or 1.6 percent, to $1,364 an ounce. The precious metal is down almost 20 percent this year and has fallen out of favor as an alternative investment as the stock market has surged this year.
The demand for gold as an alternative asset is also being undermined by a recent surge in the U.S. dollar. The U.S. currency advanced against both the euro and the yen Friday. The ICE dollar index, which measures the strength of the U.S. currency against a group of six currencies, is at its highest in two years.
The price of oil rose 86 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $96.02 a barrel.
The Nasdaq composite climbed 33.72 points, or 1 percent, to 3,498. The technology-heavy stock index got a small boost from Facebook, which climbed 12 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $26.25 on the one-year anniversary of its initial public offering.
Facebook slumped in the first four months after its market debut on concern that it wasn't doing enough to develop mobile advertising. Despite recovering since then, it's still trading below its IPO price of $38.
Two software companies had more success in their stock market debuts on Friday. Marketo surged $10.10, or 77.7 percent, to $23.10 on its stock market debut. Tableau software rose $19.75, or 63.7 percent, to $50.75 on its first day of trading.
The standout performance made the two companies the two best performing IPOs of the year. So far, 22 companies have prices stock sales in May, making this the biggest month for stock market debuts since November 2007, according to Renaissance Capital.
Among other stocks making big moves;
? J.C. Penney fell 78 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $18.01 after the retailer reported a loss that was worse than analysts' already dismal estimates. The retailer is reeling from the fallout from a failed turnaround plan orchestrated by its former CEO Ron Johnson, who was ousted last month after less than a year and a half on the job.
? Autodesk fell $2.67, or 6.7 percent, to $37.11, after the design software company posted disappointing first-quarter results and lowered its forecasts for the year.
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KUNMING, China (AP) ? More than 2,000 people in southern China unfurled banners and shouted "Protest! Protest!" on Thursday to oppose plans for a petroleum refinery, in a large environmental rally that local authorities allowed to go forward in order to let the public vent frustration.
The gathering in downtown Kunming ? the second one in the city this month ? was largely peaceful, though there were minor scuffles with police. Witnesses said at least two people were briefly detained, though it was noteworthy that authorities ? apparently eager to appear open and inclusive ? made no effort to shut down the rally.
A city vice mayor, He Bo, even tried to meet with the demonstrators, but his attempts to explain the refinery project to the crowd were cut short by the cries of a protester.
Kunming officials said this week that the refinery planned by powerful state company PetroChina Co. will meet environment standards and is crucial for the local economy, but residents are worried about the air and water pollution that will result.
"We don't need speedy development. What we need is a healthy and peaceful country," Kunming resident Liu Yuncheng said. "I still haven't given birth to a baby. I want to be pregnant and I want a healthy baby."
But while police allowed the protest to proceed, censors scrubbed posts in China's social media that were critical of the project planned by the powerful state Petro China Co., and employees of state companies were asked to promise not to participate in any rally or talk about the project in public venues or online.
The scene in Kunming was in contrast to a planned protest against a petrochemical plant earlier this month in the city of Chengdu , where authorities thwarted the gathering by flooding the streets with police in a supposed earthquake drill, reflecting the balancing act of Chinese officials as they seek to promote economic growth while maintaining social stability.
Members of China's public, especially among the rising middle class, have become increasingly outspoken against environmentally risky factories, in reaction to a decade of development-at-all-costs policies that have polluted the country's air and waterways.
However, they have virtually no say on industrial projects, and have instead turned to organizing protests. Several of those turned violent last year, in some cases prompting local governments to scrap plans for factories.
In response to a May 4 protest by Kunming residents, local government officials and PetroChina held a series of public meetings and promised that operations at the 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) refinery would be environmentally clean. The facility is expected to produce up to 10 million tons of refined oil annually.
But officials also said the project's environmental evaluation report remains confidential, aggravating a public already upset with a lack of information about the project. Residents remain skeptical about any government claim that the project will be safe.
"We cherish blue skies and white clouds, as well as good air. If you want to build a refinery with 10 million tons of capacity here in the place where we live, we resolutely oppose it," said a Kunming resident who identified herself only by her surname, Liu. "We want a good life. We women want to be beautiful."
Kunming Mayor Li Wenrong was quoted in state media last week as saying the public's opinion would be taken into account in a democratic way in the approval process for another upcoming project ? plans to build factory that would produce p-xylene, a toxic chemical used in the production of polyester and other materials.
The refinery is connected to operations of the upcoming Myanmar-China pipeline, which originally was due to start pumping oil and gas at the end of this month after eight years of planning and construction.
China has invested heavily for access to resources from neighboring Myanmar and to establish a new, shorter route for the procurement of oil and gas, as an alternative to shipping routes.
Opposition to the pipeline has been strong on both sides of the border. Myanmar officials recently said its operations would be delayed.
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