Ben Heck's Naughty or Nice Meter knows if you've been bad or good

Sometimes even Santa Claus needs help. Thankfully, the jolly fat guy's got one of our favorite modders on his side. We visited Ben Heck's Madison, Wisconsin workshop a few weeks ago for an Engadget Show segment and got to watch as the master put together a special holiday-themed project, the Naughty or Nice Meter, a big candy cane-accented box that'll help tired parents "keep the kids in line" this holiday season. The box itself is actually a mostly hollow shell, with an Arduino, TI LaunchPad and a few other select select components in the rear that communicate with a specialized app, letting the parent in question adjust the needle based on their kids' behavior. Nothing like a little manipulative fun in the spirit of the holidays! Check out our segment on Mr. Heckendorn just after the jump and click on through the source link to find out how to make a Naughty or Nice meter or your very own.

Gallery: Ben Heck's Naughty or Nice Meter

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U.S.: Quick Reference to Nonimmigrant Visas | Gary Chodorow ...

This article briefly describes each nonimmigrant visa classification under U.S. immigration law.

E Treaty Traders and Investors:?For persons engaged in international trade or investment between the U.S. and their country of nationality, provided the U.S. has an appropriate treaty with that country. (For example, no treaty exists with China or Hong Kong, but treaties with Taiwan allow for both E-1 and E-2 visas). In addition:

• E-1 (Treaty Trader): For persons coming to the U.S. to engage in trade of a substantial nature principally between the U.S. and their country of nationality. ?Substantial? trade means an amount sufficient to ensure a continuous flow of trade between the two countries. If the applicant is not the principal trade, then they must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess special qualifications that make their services essential to the operation of the enterprise. The alien employer must be an enterprise or organization at least 50% owned by persons having the nationality of the treaty country.
• E-2 (Treaty Investor): For persons coming to the U.S. to direct and develop the operations of an enterprise in which they have invested, or are actively involved in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital. A ?substantial? investment means one sufficient to ensure the investor?s financial commitment to the successful operation of the enterprise and big enough to support the likelihood that the investor will successfully direct and develop the enterprise. If the applicant is not the principal investor, they must be employed in an executive or supervisory capacity, or possess skills that are highly specialized and essential to the enterprise.

An E visa may not be denied solely because a labor certification or immigrant petition has been filed

H-1B Temporary Workers in Specialty Occupations:?For a worker in a specialty occupation entering the U.S. temporarily. A ?specialty occupation? is one requiring the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at a minimum a bachelor?s degree or equivalent education, training, and experience. The work may be part- or full-time. The employer must pay at least the prevailing wage (average wage paid to workers in the occupation in the geographic area) or the actual wage (wage paid by the employer to similarly qualified workers in the occupation), whichever is higher. Nonimmigrant intent is not required.

H-1B Fashion Models:?For fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.

H-1B1 Free Trade Visa for Citizens of Chile and Singapore

H-1C Nurses Working in Shortage Areas:?For nurses offered employment in hospitals with at least 190 acute care beds located within federally-designated health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).

H-2 Agricultural or Nonagricultural Temporary or Seasonal Labor:?For skilled or unskilled workers coming to the U.S. to work for a U.S. employer. The employer?s need for such workers must be temporary. The employer must show that it has recruited without success for U.S. workers qualified and interested in the position. The foreign national must have have a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning.

H-3 Trainees and Participants in Special Education Exchange Visitor Programs:

• For temporary workers invited by an individual or organization for purposes of receiving instruction and training. No productive employment is allowed unless it is incidental and necessary to the training. The proposed training must not be available in the worker?s home country, and the training must benefit the worker in pursuing a career abroad.
• The H-3 classification also applies to an alien coming temporarily to participate in a special education training program in the education of children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.

The trainee must have a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of abandoning.

I Media Representatives:?For representatives of foreign press, TV, and other foreign information media and independent production companies who perform functions essential to the foreign information media function. Examples: reporters, media film crews, video tape editors, persons in similar occupations. Freelance media representatives may also qualify if under contract to a media organization.

L Intracompany Transferees:?For persons employed abroad by multinational companies who are needed in the U.S. temporarily to work for the same employer (or its subsidiary or affiliate) in an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge position. The employee must have worked abroad for one continuous year within the preceding three years for the employer in an executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge capacity. Nonimmigrant intent is not required.

O Aliens of Extraordinary Ability:?Persons with extraordinary ability or achievement in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, as well as the artist or athlete?s support staff. The person of extraordinary ability must be coming to work in their area of extraordinary ability or achievement. Requires a written peer group advisory opinion confirming the extraordinary ability or achievement.

P Artists, Athletes & Entertainers:

• P-1 Athlete: For persons coming to the U.S. temporarily to perform at a specific athletic competition as an athlete, individually or as part of a group or team, at an internationally recognized level of performance.
• P-1 Entertainment Group: For persons coming temporarily to perform as members of a foreign-based entertainment group that has been recognized internationally as outstanding in the discipline for a sustained and substantial period of time. Such persons must have had a sustained and substantial relationship with the group (ordinarily for at least one year) and/or perform functions integral to the group?s performance.
• P-2 Artistic Exchange: For persons coming temporarily to perform as artists or entertainers individually or as part of a group, who will perform under a reciprocal exchange program between an organization in the U.S. and an organization in another country.
• P-3 Culturally Unique Artists: For persons coming temporarily to perform, teach or coach as artists or entertainers, individually or as part of a group, under a program that is culturally unique.
• P-1, 2, or 3 Accompanying Support Personnel: For highly skilled accompanying support personnel coming temporarily as an essential and integral part of the competition or performance of a P-1, 2, or 3. They must perform services that cannot be readily performed by a U.S. worker and that are essential to the success of the performance.

R Religious Workers:?For persons coming to the U.S. temporarily to work as a minister, professional in a religious vocation or occupation, or in another religious occupation that relates to a traditional religious function. The person must have been a member of the religious denomination for at least the two years immediately prior to the application date. The petitioning organization must:

• Describe the proposed position and explain how the worker is qualified for it.
• Discuss the arrangements, if any, for salary, benefits, and other compensation. The organization must demonstrate that it can and will provide for all of the worker?s financial and physical needs.
• Provide evidence showing that the U.S. religious organization or any affiliate that will engage the worker?s services is a bona fide nonprofit, religious organization in the U.S. and has been granted (or is eligible for) tax exemption in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

TN Professionals under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA):?For qualified Canadian and Mexican professionals entering the U.S. temporarily to engage in activities at a professional level in certain occupations designated by NAFTA.

F Academic and Language Students:?For academic students who have a foreign residence and no intention of abandoning it, coming to the U.S. to pursue a full course of study at a USCIS-designated school. Must have sufficient financial support to cover expenses in U.S.

J Exchange Visitors:?For persons with no intention of abandoning their foreign residence coming to the U.S. to participate in a State Department-designated exchange visitor program in one of the following categories:

• Trainee
• Student
• Professor or research scholar
• Short-term scholar
• Non-academic specialist
• Foreign physician
• International visitor
• Teacher
• Government visitor
• Camp counselor
• Au pair
• Summer work/travel for student

M Vocational and Nonacademic Students:?For vocational and nonacademic students who have no intention to abandon their foreign residence coming to the U.S. to pursue a full course of study at a USCIS-designated school. Must have sufficient financial support to cover expenses in the U.S.

Q International Cultural Exchange Visitors:

• Q-1: For participants in an international cultural exchange program designed to provide practical training, employment, and sharing of the participants? native culture. The culture-sharing must take place in a school, museum, business or other establishment where the public is exposed to aspects of a foreign culture as part of a structured program. The cultural component must be essential to the participant?s employment and training and must be designed to exhibit the culture of the participant?s home country. The establishment must have the ability to conduct a responsible program and have the financial ability to remunerate the participant.
• Q-2: For persons from Northern Ireland and 6 bordering counties of Ireland, ages 18 to 35, coming to the U.S. for employment and training with employers pre-approved by the State Department. No new Q-2 visa may be issued after Oct. 1, 2006.

B Visitors for Business or Pleasure:?For persons having no intention of abandoning their residence abroad who are visiting the U.S. temporarily for business or pleasure. In addition, this classification includes:

• Visa Waiver Program: For persons from designated countries coming to the U.S. as visitors for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Person must have a return ticket to a foreign destination not bordering on the U.S. Such persons are ineligible to change or extend their status in the U.S.
• B-1 in Lieu of H-1: For persons who otherwise would be classifiable in the H-1B category but receive no U.S. salary or remuneration other than an expense allowance or other reimbursement incidental to their temporary stay in the U.S.
• B-1 in Lieu of H-3: For persons who would otherwise be classifiable in the H-3 category but receives no U.S. salary or remuneration other than an expense allowance or other reimbursement incidental to their temporary stay in the U.S.
• Admission of Visitors under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Canadian and Mexican citizens may also enter the U.S. in B status for purposes of: research and design; growth, manufacture and production; marketing; sales; distribution; after-sales service; and certain general services.
• Servants of U.S. Citizens Residing Abroad: Servants accompanying a returning U.S. citizen who is temporarily assigned to the U.S. or who permanently resides abroad.
• Servants of Foreign Nationals in Nonimmigrant Status: Servants of persons classified in the B, E, F, H, I, J, L, O, P, Q, or R categories, provided the servant can show they have no intent to abandon their foreign residence and have worked for the employer for one year or have an ongoing employment relationship with the employer and one year prior experience as a servant.

A Foreign Government Officials:?Ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomatic or consular officer or other officials or employees who are (1) accredited by a foreign government recognized by the U.S.; (2) accepted by the State Department; and (3) traveling to the U.S. on behalf of the foreign government to engage solely in official activities.

G Representatives to International Organizations:?(1) Members of a permanent mission of a recognized government to an international organization. (2) Representatives of a recognized government traveling to the U.S. temporarily to attend meetings of a designated international organization. (3) Representative of non-recognized or non-member governments. (4) Individual personnel coming to the U.S. to take up an appointment with a designated international organization, including the United Nations. (5) Attendant, servant, or personal employee of person classified in G status.

North American Treaty Alliance (NATO):?Officials, employees, and persons associated with NATO, and servants, personal employees, and immediate family members.

N Parents or Children of G-4 Special Immigrants:?For the parent of a child who has obtained permanent residence under the G-4 special immigrant provisions, but only until the child reaches his or her 21st birthday. Also, for the child under the age of 21 of a parent who has obtained permanent residence under the G-4 special immigrant provisions or who has been granted an ?N? nonimmigrant visa.

K Fiances and Spouses of U.S. Citizens:

• K-1 Fiances of U.S. Citizens: For a person engaged to a U.S. citizen and intending to marry within 90 days of entering the U.S.
• K-2: Children of K-1s
• K-3 Spouses of U.S. Citizens: For spouses of U.S. citizens who have filed a relative petition and who seek to enter the U.S. to await approval of the petition and subsequent lawful permanent resident status.
• K-4: Children of K-3s.

V Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents:?For persons who are beneficiaries of a relative petition filed at least 3 years ago (but not after December 21, 2000). Such persons may enter and work in the U.S. and continue to reside here while waiting for the a final decision in their immigration case.

C Transits:?For persons in immediate and continuous transit through the U.S.

TWOV:?Passengers and crewmembers in immediate and continuous transit through the U.S. without visas.

D Crew Members:?For crew members on board a vessel or aircraft landing temporarily and solely in their calling as crew members and to depart from the U.S.

S Alien Witnesses and Informants in Criminal or Terrorist Investigation:?Persons who assist U.S. law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities. Application must be filed by a law enforcement agency assuming responsibility for the person until they depart the U.S.

T Victims of Human Trafficking:?For victims of severe human trafficking. Must prove they could suffer ?extreme hardship involving unusual or severe harm? if returned to their home country. Minors may apply for visas for their parents as well.

U Persons Who Have Suffered Substantial Abuse as a Result of Crimes:?For crime victims who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse flowing from criminal activity. Person must possess information concerning the crime and provide a certification from a federal, state, or local law enforcement official, prosecutor, judge, or authority investigating criminal activity designated in the statute. The certification must state that the person is being, has been or is likely to be helpful to the investigation or prosecution of the crime.

Source: http://lawandborder.com/?p=2110

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Genetically modified salmon not harmful, FDA says

Genetically modified salmon ? despite concerns of environmental groups ? is unlikely to harm the environment. The Food and Drug Administration report is the final step before approval of the genetically modified salmon, which grow twice as fast as regular salmon.?

By Mary Clare Jalonick and Matthew Perrone,?Associated Press / December 22, 2012

This undated 2010 handout photo provided by AquaBounty Technologies shows two same-age salmon, a genetically modified salmon, rear, and a non-genetically modified salmon, foreground. The genetically modified salmon are unlikely to harm the environment, the FDA says, which clears the way for government approval.

AquaBounty Technologies/AP/F

Enlarge

Federal health regulators say a genetically modified?salmon?that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption.

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The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage?salmon, a faster-growing fish which has been subject to a contentious, years long debate at the agency. The document concludes that the fish "will not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment of the United States." Regulators also said that the fish is unlikely to harm populations of natural salmon, a key concern for environmental activists.

The FDA will take comments from the public on its report for 60 days before making it final.

The FDA said more than two years ago that the fish appears to be safe to eat, but the agency had taken no public action since then. Executives for the company behind the fish, Maynard, Mass.-based Aquabounty, speculated that the government was delaying action on their application due to push-back from groups who oppose genetically modified food animals.

Experts view the release of the environmental report as the final step before approval.

"We are encouraged that the environmental assessment is being released and hope the government continues the science-based regulatory process," AquaBounty said in a statement.

If FDA regulators clear the?salmon, as expected, it would be the first genetically altered animal approved for food anywhere in the world.

Critics call the modified?salmon?a "frankenfish." They worry that it could cause human allergies and the eventual decimation of the natural?salmon?population if it escapes and breeds in the wild. Others believe breeding engineered animals is an ethical issue.

AquaBounty has maintained that the fish is safe and that there are several safeguards against environmental problems. The fish would be bred female and sterile, though a very small percentage might still be able to breed. The company said the potential for escape is low. The FDA backed these assertions in documents released in 2010.

Since its founding in 1991, Aquabounty has burned through more than $67 million developing the fast-growing fish. According to its midyear financial report, the company had less than $1.5 million in cash and stock left. It has no other products in development.

Genetically engineered ? or GE ? animals are not clones, which the FDA has already said are safe to eat. Clones are copies of an animal. In GE animals, the DNA has been altered to produce a desirable trait.

The AquaAdvantage?salmon?has an added growth hormone from the Pacific Chinooksalmon?that allows the fish to produce growth hormone all year long. The engineers were able to keep the hormone active by using another gene from an eel-like fish called an ocean pout that acts like an "on" switch for the hormone. Typical Atlantic?salmon?produce the growth hormone for only part of the year.

It is still unclear whether the public will have an appetite for the fish if it is approved. Genetic engineering is already widely used for crops, but the government until now has not considered allowing the consumption of modified animals. Although the potential benefits ? and profits ? are huge, many people have qualms about manipulating the genetic code of other living creatures.

If the?salmon?are eventually approved for sale, consumers may not even know they are eating them. According to federal guidelines, the fish would not be labeled as genetically modified if the agency decides it has the same material makeup as conventional?salmon. AquaBounty says that genetically modified?salmon?have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as the conventional fish, and the FDA so far has not shown any signs of disagreeing.

Wenonah Hauter, director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, said forgoing labeling not only ignores consumers' rights to know what they are eating, but "is simply bad for business, as many will avoid purchasing any?salmon?for fear it is genetically engineered."

Hauter urged members of Congress to block the impending approval of the fish. Congressional opposition to the engineered fish has so far been led by members of the Alaska delegation, who see the modified?salmon?as a threat to the state's wild?salmonindustry.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Friday she is working to convince fellow senators that approval for the fish should be stopped.

"This is especially troubling as the agency is ignoring the opposition by?salmon?and fishing groups, as well as more than 300 environmental, consumer and health organizations," she said of the preliminary approval.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/wWlMAiQbYSk/Genetically-modified-salmon-not-harmful-FDA-says

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Young-Hyman co-edits American Diabetes Association reference text

Public release date: 21-Dec-2012
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Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@georgiahealth.edu
706-721-4421
Georgia Health Sciences University

AUGUSTA, Ga. Dr. Deborah Young-Hyman, Professor of Pediatrics and a diabetes and obesity researcher at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University, is Co-Editor of the American Diabetes Association's first reference text covering the major psychosocial issues of diabetes.

Dr. Mark Peyrot, Professor of Sociology at Loyola College and a research faculty member at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, also is Co-Editor of Psychosocial Clinical Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Diabetes.

The comprehensive book gives practitioners guidelines to access and prescribe evidence-based treatment for psychosocial problems commonly associated with diabetes. Topics include adjustment to illness, adherence to treatment, depression, interpersonal relationships as well as ethics and safety.

"We wanted to put in the hands of clinicians and researchers the best information available about how living with diabetes affects not only the physical wellbeing of people but their total well-being across the lifespan," Young-Hyman said. "It can be a vicious cycle: having diabetes increases the risk of poor psychosocial outcomes such as depression and disordered eating behavior which can, in turn, adversely impact their diabetes treatment and disease outcome. Evidence-based strategies contained in this book provide guidelines for behavioral diabetes care and will help caregivers and their patients recognize and successfully cope with these significant issues in a chronic disease that is now pervasive in our society."

Young-Hyman chairs the ADA Behavioral Medicine Council's Psychosocial Clinical Guidelines Writing Committee and is a reviewer for the association's Book Division. She reviews abstracts for the ADA's scientific sessions and is a member of its Research Grant Review Panel and an American Association of Diabetes Educators-certified educator. She is a 30-year member of the ADA's Professional Section: Behavioral Medicine and Psychology. Young-Hyman served on the American Association of Diabetes Educators 2010 Expert Panel on Monitoring in Diabetes Management. In 2011, she chaired a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Review Panel reviewing funding requests for community-based childhood obesity research. She is a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and The Obesity Society.

Young-Hyman researches obesity and related metabolic disorders from infancy to adulthood. She also studies the interplay between psychosocial and physiologic factors effecting chronic disease outcomes development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Her studies have helped elucidate the conundrum of how type 1 diabetes treatment can increase hunger in patients struggling to maintain a healthy weight and how the disease can produce a preoccupation with food. She has more than two decades of experience in the family-based treatment of psychosocial issues related to acute and chronic illness with a specialty in diabetes.

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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: 21-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@georgiahealth.edu
706-721-4421
Georgia Health Sciences University

AUGUSTA, Ga. Dr. Deborah Young-Hyman, Professor of Pediatrics and a diabetes and obesity researcher at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University, is Co-Editor of the American Diabetes Association's first reference text covering the major psychosocial issues of diabetes.

Dr. Mark Peyrot, Professor of Sociology at Loyola College and a research faculty member at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, also is Co-Editor of Psychosocial Clinical Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with Diabetes.

The comprehensive book gives practitioners guidelines to access and prescribe evidence-based treatment for psychosocial problems commonly associated with diabetes. Topics include adjustment to illness, adherence to treatment, depression, interpersonal relationships as well as ethics and safety.

"We wanted to put in the hands of clinicians and researchers the best information available about how living with diabetes affects not only the physical wellbeing of people but their total well-being across the lifespan," Young-Hyman said. "It can be a vicious cycle: having diabetes increases the risk of poor psychosocial outcomes such as depression and disordered eating behavior which can, in turn, adversely impact their diabetes treatment and disease outcome. Evidence-based strategies contained in this book provide guidelines for behavioral diabetes care and will help caregivers and their patients recognize and successfully cope with these significant issues in a chronic disease that is now pervasive in our society."

Young-Hyman chairs the ADA Behavioral Medicine Council's Psychosocial Clinical Guidelines Writing Committee and is a reviewer for the association's Book Division. She reviews abstracts for the ADA's scientific sessions and is a member of its Research Grant Review Panel and an American Association of Diabetes Educators-certified educator. She is a 30-year member of the ADA's Professional Section: Behavioral Medicine and Psychology. Young-Hyman served on the American Association of Diabetes Educators 2010 Expert Panel on Monitoring in Diabetes Management. In 2011, she chaired a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Review Panel reviewing funding requests for community-based childhood obesity research. She is a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine and The Obesity Society.

Young-Hyman researches obesity and related metabolic disorders from infancy to adulthood. She also studies the interplay between psychosocial and physiologic factors effecting chronic disease outcomes development of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Her studies have helped elucidate the conundrum of how type 1 diabetes treatment can increase hunger in patients struggling to maintain a healthy weight and how the disease can produce a preoccupation with food. She has more than two decades of experience in the family-based treatment of psychosocial issues related to acute and chronic illness with a specialty in diabetes.

###

---

[ | 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/2012-12/ghsu-yca122112.php

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If You Must Give a Gift Card This Holiday, Give Some Context Too

Gift cards get a bad rap because they're not really a gift, but rather a placeholder for one. When you give a gift card you come across as lazy and unthoughtful even when you have good cause. Fortunately, all it takes is a little message that explains your reasoning to turn a gift card into something really exciting. Dr. Susan Newman, writing for Psychology Today, explains why:

One of the best gifts my wife and I have ever received was a packet of gift cards from my parents. They were for local restaurants and came with a promise to babysit our very young children. These were not just gift cards, but the possibility for a couple to spend valuable "us time" together, something that my folks knew was scarce in our busy lives.

When I was younger, I often requested gift cards or money so I could pay for something too expensive to ask for. Even a message that said "to help you buy that CD burner" (or whatever I was aiming for at the time) would make the gift seem thoughtful. We give gifts to make people happy, and part of that means demonstrating that you're thinking of them. If you're going to give a gift card this holiday, a little context can go a long way.

Can't Think of a Good Holiday Gift? Give a Bad One | Psychology Today

Photo by Hani Arif.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/AqLFy2veZwU/if-you-must-give-a-gift-card-this-holiday-give-some-context-too

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California meteorite reveals secrets

Recently published research describes a collection of meteorite pieces that landed in California in April. The study came about through a group effort dubbed "crowdsourcing" by the lead scientist. ??

By Elizabeth Howell,?Space.com / December 20, 2012

A handful of Sutter's Hill meteorite fragments collected April 24, 2012, two days after the fall. Two months later, the scientists reported having 77 meteorite fragments.

NASA / Eric James

Enlarge

Barely eight months after a fireball lit up California and Nevada skies, the first scientific paper is out examining the meteorites it left behind.

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"It was done very quickly," said Peter Jenniskens, a meteor researcher who suddenly found himself managing a small army of volunteers when the Sutter's Mill meteor broke up April 22.

Dozens of scientists jumped to Jenniskens' aid as he?searched for meteorite fragments. But less publicized will be the volunteers who phoned in reports of meteorites, or sent in?pictures and video of the fireball?by e-mail.

Jenniskens' team?commandeered an airship?to search for fragments. Meanwhile, the team caught a lucky break ? Doppler radar information from nearby weather stations showed the track of the meteorite. Adding this data to the pictures and video sent in by volunteers, the scientists could reconstruct the impacting asteroid's early history. [Photos: Fireball Drops Meteorites On California]

According to Jenniskens, the paper, to be published Friday (Dec. 21) in the journal Science,?was made possible by the mass crowdsourcing effort that enabled a large amount of data to be collected in a short time.

"It's all very important, and it's fantastic how this came together," said Jenniskens, a meteor astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). "For me, it was personally very exciting."

Peeling back the years

The Sutter's Mill meteorite turned out to be a rare type ? a?carbonaceous chondrite?that contains information about the early stages of the solar system. The meteorite pieces originated in a space rock that was perhaps as much as 3.3 yards (3 meters) across.

A space rock is called an asteroid or meteoroid until it hits the Earth's atmosphere. The resulting fireball is then called a meteor until it hits the ground, at which point it is dubbed a meteorite.

The asteroid that would later impact California orbited the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, making about three trips around our star in the time it takes Jupiter to orbit once. Such a ratio, known as a resonance, is common in the solar system ? some of?Jupiter's moons are in resonance?with each other, for example.

The asteroid's resonance was a little "off" from a perfect 3 to 1 ratio. At some point, Jupiter's strong gravity muscled the asteroid out of its normal orbit and sent it on a trip to the inner solar system. This pushed the asteroid into a new orbit that brought it in as far as Mercury's orbit when it got closest to the sun.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/sLYyoRRtz4o/California-meteorite-reveals-secrets

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Apple?s Chinese App Store opens loophole that dodges censorship safeguards

With the Chinese government hinting in less than subtle tones that the freewheeling days of domestic mobile app stores are soon to come to an end, Apple?s use of the secure HTTPS protocol for its App Store offers a temporary loophole that dodges some of the so-called Great Firewall?s censorship of sensitive software.

GreatFire.org, which tracks the technical end of China?s active Internet censorship system, detailed the loophole in a blog post on Thursday. It?s not immediately clear how long the protocols have been in place, though an Apple document for affiliate linking suggests that HTTPS?support for search and lookup requests arrived as early as October 2012.

Rudimentary tests suggest that HTTPS?does function a workaround for domestic filtering of the App Store. For instance, I attempted to visit the HTTP version of a VPN app (which would allow circumvention of China?s filtering process) on the App Store from within China, but it didn?t work. After the attempt, other less sensitive links to iTunes stopped working for a couple minutes. I tried this several times with the same results. Meanwhile, the HTTPS?version of the same app was easily accessible with no obstruction at all.

?It is highly likely that the government have noticed this loophole in its censorship net, and is now trying to close it,? GreatFire speculated.

Popular VPN providers have been vexed in recent weeks by changes to the Great Firewall that have disrupted their ability to let users ?jump the wall?. Several of them have sent messages to their customers notifying them of the increased difficulty in providing such a service. Access to the foreign Internet from within China was choked last month during a leadership transition, and unusually strict controls still remain in place.

The app ecosystem in China has been uncharacteristically free up until now, but all that is set to change. The country?s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has said it will soon require a registration and licensing process? for application stores and it will also implement real-name registration requirements for developers.

Apple is unlikely to take a stand against Chinese censorship in general. The country is, after all, its second-largest market. Rival Google learned things the hard way in 2010 when it stopped censoring search results on its google.cn domain. As a result, it was unable to keep its domestic license for the site and was forced to move its Chinese search engine to Hong Kong.

TNW has contacted Apple for comment.

Image credit: Feng Li / Getty Images

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNextWebApplicious/~3/Kwo2Re1wiHg/

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NRA returns to public debate, to meet with media

WASHINGTON (AP) ? One week after the mass shootings that killed 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school ? 20 of them children ? the nation's largest gun-rights lobby is returning to the spotlight as Congress prepares to consider tighter restrictions on firearms in the new year.

The 4.3 million-member National Rifle Association largely disappeared from public debate after the shootings in Newtown, Conn., choosing atypical silence as a strategy as the nation sought answers after the rampage. The NRA took down its Facebook page and kept silent on Twitter.

Unlike its actions in the wake of other mass shootings, the group did not put out a statement of condolence for the victims while simultaneously defending the rights of gun owners.

That strategy, however, is set to change, starting with a news conference Friday.

In the lead-up, the group re-activated its Facebook account ? it has 1.7 million members ? and its Twitter feed now warns supporters that "President Obama supports gun control measures, including reinstating an assault weapons ban." The group also announced that its top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, planned to appear Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

It's an about-face from the group that ignored requests for comment and shunned media attention for four days following last week's shootings.

"The National Rifle Association of America is made up of 4 million moms and dads, sons and daughters and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown," the group said in its first public statement since the shootings, released Tuesday. "Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting."

The group also promised "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again" and announced plans for Friday's news conference on what is, in reality, the last real work day before Washington scatters for the long Christmas holiday.

Since the slayings, President Barack Obama has demanded "real action, right now" against U.S. gun violence and called on the NRA to join the effort. Moving quickly after several congressional gun-rights supporters said they would consider new legislation to control firearms, the president said this week he wants proposals on reducing gun violence that he can take to Congress by January.

Obama has already asked Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and pass legislation that would end a provision that allows people to purchase firearms from private parties without a background check. Obama also has indicated that he wants Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity magazines.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nra-returns-public-debate-meet-media-081259974.html

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La Scala chorus strike forces ballet cancellation

MILAN (AP) ? La Scala has canceled the inaugural ballet of its season because of a strike by the chorus.

The opera house announced "with regret" that the Wednesday opening of "Romeo et Juliette" has been called off. The theater said the chorus was seeking extra pay for being required to participate in a segment of the ballet.

The chorus spent longer periods on stage during the recent season-opener of the opera "Lohengrin," but the singers argue that the national contract includes provisions for participating on stage in operas, but not ballets.

The one-day strike is not expected to affect future performances.

The strike comes on the heels of complaints by dancers that the stage, including an additional platform for "Romeo et Juliette," is slightly slanted. No formal labor action has been taken.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/la-scala-chorus-strike-forces-ballet-cancellation-164658696.html

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Energy Drinks Still Popular With College Students, Probably Because They Haven't Tried Adderall Yet

Despite the health concerns that have arisen after several different energy drinks have been cited in a bunch of deaths, college kids are apparently still totally willing to risk their lives in order to stay awake to cram for finals (or party). It would appear that the ad whizzes at Red Bull got it right when they came up with the slogan, "Nobody ever wishes they'd slept more during college."

In a piece about the caffeine-infused soft drinks, the Washington Post reports on Red Bull's aggressive, biannual marketing techniques?rolled out during college finals?which appear to be working. In 2008, one study found that 39% of university students drank at least one energy drink a month. But in the past year alone, energy drink sales in the U.S. "totalled more than $8 billion, up more than 15% from a year ago."

Just between the two leading brands, Red Bull and Monster, more than 2.2 billion cans have been sold this year, which the Post points out is "more than seven cans per American." And this is despite the lawsuit that has been filed against Monster for allegedly leading to the death of a 14-year-old Maryland girl, among others. Monster has said, "Neither the science nor the facts support the allegations that have been made. Monster reiterates that its products are and have always been safe."

But these drinks are surely safer than?albeit not as effective as?meth or cocaine or amphetamines or bath salts or whatever else people snort to stay awake. Aren't people concerned about Adderall abuse among college students? Excessive energy drink consumption seems kind of pussy in comparison. It makes Jesse Spano's "I'm so excited!" come off as Less Than Zero.

Energy drink popularity booms at college despite health concerns [WaPo]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/jezebel/full/~3/B_hJjuW4WDM/energy-drinks-still-popular-with-college-students-probably-because-they-havent-tried-adderall-yet

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Citizen science project needs your help to catalog Africa's great animals

Photos of these lions on the African savannah were captured as part of the Snapshot Serengeti project. (Photo courtesy of Snapshot Serengeti.)

Tracking Africa's wild animals requires a lot of science, a little technology and a whole lot of hard work. One project need your help in getting that work done. It's called Snapshot Serengeti, and it hopes to use the general public to catalog the millions of images that researchers take in one park in Tanzania.

?

Scientists with the Serengeti Lion Project have been documenting the lives of lions in the Serengeti National Park for more than 40 years.

Of course, in the old days, studying detailed animal interactions meant sending a graduate student out with a diary to conduct hours of observations.

?That?s like trying to understand Britain by sitting in Trafalgar Square for an afternoon,? Lintott said. ?You don?t get a picture of everything that?s going on.?

Lintott?s involved with a project called Snapshot Serengeti.

Scientists have set up more than 200 camera traps in the park in Tanzania to capture pictures not just of lions, but of all the wildlife.

But here?s the thing ? those 200 cameras capture a lot of photos. Imagine if you had not hundreds, but millions of holiday snapshots from your African safari to sort through.

?The cameras allow us to carpet the whole place, and get a real understanding of what?s going on,? Lintott said. ?But only if we have some help in sorting through the three million holiday snaps that we?ve got.?

And so, on the Snapshot Serengeti website, you are asked to look through the pictures. With just a few clicks, you can help identify the animals, number them, and describe what they?re doing in the picture.

?The cameras capture most everything,? Lintott said.

In particular, he remembers one sequence of hyena photos that recently caught his eye.

?The first is the hyena looking straight down the lens, like a superstar out on a Friday night. And the second one, the hyena?s in the background skulking. And the third shot is the inside of the hyena?s mouth as it attacks the camera.? Linott said. ?And that?s one of the problems. The animals take a strong interest in the cameras and they don?t survive all that long.?

The cameras can last about two months before needing maintenance and new batteries. Of course, they?re likely to be torn down by elephants or infested by ants before then.

But it?s all worth it.

The photos, Lintott says, will help scientists get a clearer picture of how animals, especially big predators like lions, interact with other big predators in the park.

?Do they compete for food? Do they attack each other? Do they ignore each other and go about their business? And so that?s one of the things we think we can understand by doing this experiment,? he said.

Lintott says experts are also hoping to get a better sense of just how much park land big carnivores need to survive and thrive.

The Snapshot Serengeti project, isn't an isolated project. In fact, Lintott?s group also runs two other popular ?citizen science? projects.

One called Old Weather gives you the chance to mine old Navy ships? logs for climate data. Another, called Galaxy Zoo, allows you to help classify galaxies.

?

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"PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More about The World.

Source: http://www.pri.org/stories/science/citizen-science-project-needs-your-help-to-catalog-africa-s-great-animals-12399.html

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Armored backpacks and a rush on guns after Conn.

Rick Brand, Chief Operating Officer of Amendment II, shoots a 9 mm pistol into a children's backpack, left, fitted with an anti-ballistic insert, during a demonstration at a gun range, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Taylorsville, Utah. Anxious parents reeling in the wake the Connecticut school shooting are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children, as firearms enthusiasts stock up on assault rifles nationwide amid fears of imminent gun control measures. At Amendment II, sales of children backpacks and armored inserts are up 300 percent. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Rick Brand, Chief Operating Officer of Amendment II, shoots a 9 mm pistol into a children's backpack, left, fitted with an anti-ballistic insert, during a demonstration at a gun range, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Taylorsville, Utah. Anxious parents reeling in the wake the Connecticut school shooting are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children, as firearms enthusiasts stock up on assault rifles nationwide amid fears of imminent gun control measures. At Amendment II, sales of children backpacks and armored inserts are up 300 percent. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Rick Brand, Chief Operating Officer of Amendment II, holds a children's backpack, left, and anti-ballistic insert during a demonstration at the company's manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. Anxious parents reeling in the wake the Connecticut school shooting are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children, as firearms enthusiasts stock up on assault rifles nationwide amid fears of imminent gun control measures. At Amendment II, sales of children backpacks and armored inserts are up 300 percent. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Rick Brand, Chief Operating Officer of Amendment II, shoots a 9 mm pistol into a children's backpack, left, fitted with an anti-ballistic insert during a demonstration at a gun range, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Taylorsville, Utah. Anxious parents reeling in the wake the Connecticut school shooting are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children, as firearms enthusiasts stock up on assault rifles nationwide amid fears of imminent gun control measures. At Amendment II, sales of children backpacks and armored inserts are up 300 percent. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A gun shop is seen among other businesses Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Seattle. The reaction to the Connecticut school shooting can be seen in gun stores and self-defense retailers across the nation: Anxious parents are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children while firearms enthusiasts are stocking up on assault rifles in anticipation of tighter gun control measures. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Rifles line a wall above in front of people standing in a gun shop Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Seattle. The reaction to the Connecticut school shooting can be seen in gun stores and self-defense retailers across the nation: Anxious parents are fueling sales of armored backpacks for children while firearms enthusiasts are stocking up on assault rifles in anticipation of tighter gun control measures. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? The reaction to the deadly Connecticut school shooting can be seen at gun stores and self-defense retailers across the nation, with anxious parents buying armored backpacks for children and firearms enthusiasts stocking up on assault weapons in anticipation of tighter gun control measures.

A spike in gun sales is common after a mass shooting, but the latest rampage has generated record sales in some states, particularly of rifles similar to the AR-15 the gunman used in an attack Friday on Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 26 people, including 20 children.

Colorado set a single-day record for gun background check requests the day after the shootings, while Nevada saw more checks in the two days that followed than any other weekend this year. Records were also set in Tennessee, California and Virginia, among others.

Some gun shop owners stopped selling their remaining stock of military-style rifles, anticipating only more interest and value after President Barack Obama on Wednesday instructed his administration to create concrete proposals to reduce gun violence.

Robert Akers, a Rapid City, S.D., gun seller who specializes in such rifles, said the rush of customers had transformed his Rapid Fire Firearms store into a "madhouse" and that he's not actively selling the guns and has turned off his phone.

"The price is only going to go up higher," he said.

There was also an unusual increase in sales for armored backpacks designed to shield children caught in shootings, according to three companies that make them.

The armor inserts fit into the back panel of a child's backpack, and sell for up to $400, depending on the retailer. The armor is designed to stop bullets from handguns, not assault weapons like the one used in the shooting at the Newtown, Conn., school.

Still, the manufacturers and some parents say that while they don't guarantee children won't be killed, they could still be used as shields.

Ken Larson, 41, of Denver, Colo., already had an armored backpack for himself and persuaded his wife to buy one for their 1-year-old after the latest shootings. He knows the backpack won't guarantee his son's safety. But, he added, it was a worthy precaution.

"It's a no brainer. My son's life is invaluable," Larson said. "If I can get him a backpack for $200 that makes him safer, I don't even have to think about that."

Some experts, however, say sending children to school in armored backpacks is not a healthy response to fear about mass shootings. Anne Marie Albano, psychiatry director at Columbia University's Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders, said parents should convey calmness, not anxiety.

"This is not serving to keep children safe," she said. "This is serving to increase their fear and their suspicion of their peers."

At Amendment II in Salt Lake City, sales of its children's backpacks and armored inserts have increased, with 200 purchase requests Wednesday alone.

"The incident last week highlights the need to protect our children," said co-owner Derek Williams. "We didn't get in this business to do this. But the fact is that our armor can help children just as it can help soldiers."

Kerry Clark, president of Texas-based Backpackshield.com, began making the backpacks after the deadly mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007. Clark said he sold 15 backpacks Wednesday. Prior to Friday's shooting, he said, the company would sometimes go an entire month and just sell one.

"It's the busiest I've seen it in my life," he said.

Bullet Blocker, a Massachusetts-based company that sells the backpack armor, declined to provide sales numbers but noted that recent sales were substantially more than normal.

Sales of assault weapons also were on the rise.

Austin Cook, general manager of Hoover Tactical Firearms in suburban Birmingham, Ala., said the spike in sales since Friday's shootings has been so intense that federal background checks that typically take five minutes or less are now taking up to an hour.

Cook said about 50 people were waiting in line for his store to open the morning after the shootings, and that he's since sold nearly all of his assault weapons. Now, he's trying to find more distributors.

"I can't keep them in the store," Cook said.

In Pittsburgh, Dick's Sporting Goods said it was suspending sales of modern rifles nationwide because of the shooting. The company also said it's removing all guns from display at its store closest to Newtown.

Aaron Byrd, co-owner of Patriot Shooting Sports in Youngsville, N.C., is sold out of the AR-15 rifles, ammo for those types of guns and high-capacity magazines.

"Things have been crazy the past couple of days. A lot of people have been coming in looking to purchase semiautomatic rifles. They're worried that the government's going to ban semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines, so they've been coming in looking for those," he said.

He added, "I think it is a knee-jerk reaction by both parties ? both the government and the citizens."

___

Skoloff reported from Phoenix. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed and Mitch Weiss in North Carolina; Scott Sonner in Nevada; Steven K. Paulson in Colorado; Dirk Lammers in South Dakota; Pam Ramsey in West Virginia; Matt Gouras in Montana; and Jay Reeves in Alabama.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-19-School%20Shooting-Self-Defense/id-f09cbef92e3f4741afbc7f5710d2dc8a

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Microsoft Surface RT Best Tablet Ever, ?Reviewers? Gush

ITProPortalMicrosoft Surface RT Best Tablet Ever, 'Reviewers' Gush ? -InformationWeekWindows 8 tablet may not be posting big sales numbers, but everyone who bought one from Best Buy claims to love it unconditionally. | Paul McDougall | December 18, 2012 09:09 AM. 10 Great Windows 8 Apps. (click image for larger view and for slideshow) ?

Read more at Hardware.

Source: http://www.twytter.net/blog/microsoft-surface-rt-best-tablet-ever-reviewers-gush/

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Iraq's President Talabani hospitalised after stroke

Iraq?s President Jalal Talabani is in hospital after suffering a stroke.

The 79-year-old is in a ?critical but stable condition? according to government sources and state television.

Talabani is a veteran of the Kurdish guerrilla movement and became the country?s first ever Kurdish president in 2005.

Talabani has helped to negotiate relations between Sunni and Shi?ite Muslims and Kurds.

Under a power-sharing agreement, the next president would also have to be a Kurd if Talabani is unable to continue.

It is a largely ceremonial role, but the president does have some constitutional powers.

Over the years, Talabani has suffered a number of health problems and had heart surgery in the US in 2008.

More about: Iraq, Jalal Talabani, President

Copyright ? 2012 euronews

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Against A Hive

An MLP Alternate Universe where the Changlings have conquered Equestria and are rulling with and iron hoof.

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Against a Hive?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Against A Hive"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

Pxu5

Member for 0 years

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Awesome. a roleplay where I can express I'm a brony. Thank for making this roleplay. If I don't make a character soon I will certainly be watching.

You know after I write something I try to reread it every time to see if i'm satisfied. That is when I think man what the heck did I write. Afterwards I suck it up and click submit thinking...

How bad could I possibly be?

RacoonMoon()

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I understood maybe three terms in your RP summary! It's probably for the best that I'm not an MLP fan.

Protect and Serve

SylentStand

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What to know about Google Maps for iOS and 'anonymous location data'

9 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

The release of the highly anticipated Google Maps for iOS app brought a lot of praise?for the Mountain View based software giant, but it also dredged up some old concerns. Why is it that "anonymous location data" is being collected by your mobile device and sent to Google?again?

Marit Hansen, deputy privacy and information commissioner at the?Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, is a vocal source of the complaints.?In an email to?IDG News Service's?Loek Essers, Hansen wrote that?the new Google Maps app may violate European data protection laws because, upon install, users are presented with a pre-checked box acknowledging that they are willing to allow Google to collect and transmit anonymized location data. Unless they uncheck this box before hitting an "accept" button, users do indeed opt-in to this data collection process.?

Hansen asserts that?Google's definition of "anonymous" does not guarantee users complete anonymity.?"All available information points to having linkable identifiers per user," Hansen wrote to Essers. "This is clearly not anonymous."?

This is not the first time Google has been accused of breaching the European Union's privacy laws, which are stricter than those in the United States. Google has discontinued Street View in the EU because of restrictions, and was criticized for the accidental collection of European Wi-Fi data?over a three-year period.?

A Google spokesperson told NBC News that, when it comes to the Google Maps for iOS app,?data?"collection happens only with your permission and you can choose to turn it off any time in settings" and?Google's support documents emphasize?that the company?does "not know who owns or is using [a] handset."

The new Google Maps for iOS app has been downloaded more than 10 million times in the first two days since its release, ?according to a Google+ post by Jeff Huber, Google's?senior vice president of commerce and local.?

Given?all those downloads, one might guess that Google's got a lot of info from iPhone users. So what does it do with it this information?

According to a support document,?you "help improve Google, including products and services like traffic, by allowing location data to be anonymously crowdsourced by Google?s location service from your device."?In a nutshell, this is how that lovely traffic layer in Google Maps???marking roads red, yellow, or green depending on traffic conditions???is created.

Now, you might not be interested in lending Google ?hand in making this traffic layer more accurate, you might be worried about European laws, or you might have some sort of other reason to opt out of the location data collection. If that's the case,?here's how to turn the process off:

• Open the?Google Maps app and tap on the little "My Profile" icon, which looks like a little person.?
  
• From there you'll tap on a gear icon and then select "About, Terms & Privacy."?
  
• Tap on the "Terms & Privacy" button and then select "Location Data Collection" so that you're presented with the option to toggle the process off.?
  

Whew!?Could that option have been buried any deeper, Google?

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/what-you-should-know-about-google-maps-ios-anonymous-location-1C7647811

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