Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/319926834?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, July 19, 2013
Dollar off 3-week low, shares flat before Bernanke testimony
By Marc Jones
LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar steadied after climbing off a three-week low and stock markets were in a holding pattern on Wednesday, as investors awaited fresh clues on how the U.S. Federal Reserve plans to scale back its stimulus programme.
After a quiet day in Asia, Europe's broad FTSEurofirst 300 share index inched up 0.1 percent, as London's FTSE, Frankfurt's DAX and Paris's CAC 40 all clawed back some of Tuesday's minor falls.
Focus was squarely on a testimony to U.S. congress later by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. He is expected to use the appearance to calm market worries about life without the central bank's $85-billion-a-month bond-buying programme.
The dollar was steady as European trading gathered pace having climbed off a three-week low overnight. Investors were wary of being long the dollar after Bernanke last week caused a shakeout of positions with comments that were considered unexpectedly dovish.
"The market was quite long of dollars then it got that shock," said head of FX at Saxo Bank John Hardy. "A very dovish outcome from the testimony could see some short-term dollar weakness but it could turn around pretty quickly, so we'll see."
European markets were also eyeing the minutes from Mark Carney's first meeting in charge of the Bank of England, due for release at 0830 GMT. UK unemployment data is out at same time.
Benchmark UK gilts and German Bund futures were both keeping to tight ranges and investors waited on the sidelines. Bunds were 10 ticks higher on the day at 143.79. The market also absorbs German 10-year bonds later.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dollar-off-3-week-low-shares-flat-bernanke-085551573.html
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Third stage win for Froome in Tour de Force
CHORGES, France (AP) ? Even when he expects to lose, Tour de France champion-in-the-making Chris Froome cannot help but win. He's that strong and he's making it look easy.
On a day when the British rider was planning to save some energy for upcoming mountains, Froome still brushed aside the field and took his third stage win of this 100th Tour.
Alberto Contador, Froome's Spanish rival still trying to make a fight of this one-sided battle, gave his all in Wednesday's Alpine time trial. His face contorted in a grimace of effort as he sprinted out of the saddle to the line, while spectators whipped up a thunderclap of noise by banging their fists on the barriers.
Froome, having set off behind Contador, sped in a few moments later. He, too, rode hard but looked more comfortable with his easy-on-the-eye pedaling style, perched on his saddle, legs pumping underneath him like pistons in an ocean liner's engine room.
Contador shook his head and shrugged his shoulders when television flashed that Froome beat his time by 9 seconds. This was another opportunity lost for Contador ? 4 minutes, 34 seconds back in second place in the overall standings? to make victory for Froome in Paris on Sunday at least feel less inevitable.
"Froome is in impressive shape," was the understated assessment of the 2007 and '09 winner who was stripped of his 2010 victory for a failed doping test.
The last Tour champion ? now ex-champion ? to carry as many stage wins as Froome to Paris was Lance Armstrong. That was in 2004, when Armstrong won five stages and declared he'd be giving "no gifts" to his rivals. That is all just a bad memory now. This Tour is the first since the serial doper's name was erased last year from the race's honor roll, literally crossed out in the official history book.
Froome swears that won't happen with him. He has repeatedly said when asked at this Tour that he is riding clean ? an assurance that only has limited value in the poisonous atmosphere of doubt that is a legacy of the Armstrong years and the American's confession to Oprah Winfrey this January that he cheated for all seven of his Tour wins, from 1999-2007.
"The problem today is that we are traumatized by the past," Stephane Heulot, manager of the French Sojasun team, said in an interview. "We've seen too many stories like this. We've seen too many riders swearing on the heads of their kids, their grandmothers, their mothers that they're completely clean and then ? bam! ? 15 years, 10 years, five years later we're told other things. Someone's word no longer means anything. We can't rely on that."
A union that represents about 600 professional riders from seven European nations supported Froome on Wednesday against what it called "unjustified allegations of doping."
"It's not fair to blame someone without evidence against him," Gianni Bugno, president of the Association of Professional Riders, said in a statement. "We demand more respect for Chris and for all the riders."
In four days, as long as he gets through the Alps, Froome will be able to sip champagne in the saddle on the final ride to the Champs-Elysees, unusually staged in the evening this year. That would make it two victories in a row for Britain and for Team Sky, after Bradley Wiggins' win last year.
With wins in the Pyrenees and on Mont Ventoux, Froome has shown excellence going uphill. It would be a big surprise if he wilted on the three days of Alpine climbs that start on Thursday with a double ascent to the ski station of L'Alpe d'Huez, with its 21 hairpins bends to the top. Done twice, that's 42 bends packed with spectators to be negotiated. It promises to be frenzied and spectacular ? a dramatic crescendo for what already has been a highlight-rich Tour.
But there are questions about how comfortable Froome is speeding downhill. He has voiced concern about a hairy descent without safety barriers that the pack tackles between the first and second ascents to L'Alpe d'Huez. He appealed to race organizers to cancel the Col de Sarenne descent and make the pack ride just once to L'Alpe d'Huez if it rains Thursday.
"Just in terms of the safety of the riders, I think that has to come first," Froome said.
That eventuality was ruled out by Jean-Francois Pescheux, the event director.
"This is the Tour de France. Rain hasn't ever stopped the Tour de France. It would have to really be a natural catastrophe that blocked the road or something like that," he told The Associated Press.
"Rain isn't the enemy of the cyclist ? it's part of the sport!"
It was certainly part of Wednesday's time trial, but not as much as initially feared. While it did rain on parts of the course, the forecast storms hit only after Stage 17 finished. That was a relief because the route went up two climbs in the mountains above the man-made Serre-Poncon lake. The twisting descents could have been terribly treacherous if wetter.
Froome covered the 20 miles in 51 minutes, 33.66 seconds.
"I went into today thinking: 'OK, I'm going to give this a really good shot, but I'm not going to empty myself," Froome said. "I really expected to lose at least 30 seconds to a minute to some of the best riders."
Contador's gutsy ride bumped him up from third to second in the overall standings, although he is more than four minutes back from Froome.
"When you are second, it's easier to get to first place," Contador said hopefully. "But it's true that he is very strong."
Bauke Mollema dropped from second to fourth overall. The Dutch rider went too fast into a right-hand bend, slapped into the barriers and briefly came to a stop.
Some riders chose road bikes for the tough course. Contador opted for a time trial bike with an aerodynamic back wheel. Froome used both ? switching from an adapted road bike to a time trial bike for the final descent into the town of Chorges.
"The first bike was more adapted to climbing," Froome said. "The second bike was a little faster."
___
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire and Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/third-stage-win-froome-tour-force-210749024.html
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Yarrly Is An Anonymous Meme Generator For Android With A Chain Letter-Styled Remixable Twist
What the world really needs is an anonymous meme generator with a chain letter-styled remixable twist. Meet Yarrly (to be said with your best pirate voice). Created by Dave Ganly and Holly Clarke, the Android app lets anyone create two panel images and add text in the style of a meme maker and add them to an anonymous chain.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Miwqg_cH4s4/
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Kinect-powered software translates sign language
kinect 
57 minutes ago
Allowing computers to understand and translate sign language has long been a goal of developers aiming to empower deaf or hard of hearing people. Microsoft's Kinect depth-sensing camera has allowed major strides in this area ? as demonstrated by this Microsoft Research project.
The team, composed of members from Microsoft Research Asia and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented their work at Microsoft's 2013 Faculty Summit earlier this week.
Kinect can detect where your limbs are as well as, to a certain extend, the position of your hands and fingers. By tracking the position of the user's hands closely, many signs can be detected instantly. The video above shows the Kinect's "thought process."
Microsoft Research
The sign language recognition software in action.
Of course, one might ask, when someone who is deaf is using a computer, why they don't simply use the keyboard? They do, of course, but sign language is the primary means of communication for many, just as spoken language is for those who can hear. Interacting naturally with computers and phones through speech recognition is something consumers are interested in, and training computers to recognize gestural language seems a natural extension of that.
There have been other projects to digitize sign language, but this is perhaps the most promising; electronic gloves have good performance but are expensive to make, and while ordinary webcams might work for some gestures, they're far from ideal due to differences between cameras.
On the other hand, the Kinect is widely available, reasonably accurate, and the software behind this can likely be adapted to other depth-sensing cameras ? perhaps even Microsoft's own improved Kinect, which will be available in November with the Xbox One.
The software isn't ready for prime time yet ? it's still just an experiment, albeit a successful one. But perhaps it won't be long before the hearing impaired can sign to the computer just as easily as they might to each other. You can read the paper the team presented this week at this link (PDF).
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
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BIG BROTHER AFRICA: The Chase- Meet The Emerald Housemates
On Friday 19 July, the Diamond and Ruby houses will merge. In addition, six fake Emerald housemates will join The Chase during the Airtel Arena Showdown and will stay on for a few days to spice up the game and will bring lots of excitement and intrigue.
Their objective is to confuse the other housemates and convince them that the Emerald house is real. The housemates are: Sophie (Uganda); JJ (Zimbabwe); Jazz (Kenya); Busi (South Africa); Eveva (Zambia) and Alusa (Kenya).
Alusa (Kenya)
Age: 32
TV Entertainer Alusa is a married father of two. He has a Diploma in Communications and hails from Nairobi. He lists Sauti Sol as his favourite musician and his favourite screen star is Denzel Washington, because ?he?s an intense and passionate actor?.
Alusa says the best things about Africa are the diversity in landscape and culture of the people. His favourite places in Kenya are his village ? Kakamega ? and Mombasa. Outside of his home country, his favourite place is Greece, because of its rich historical culture.
His role model is Bishop TD Jakes, because ?He?s not only a religious leader but also a smart and influential businessman in the modern world?. The achievement he?s most proud of? Being nominated for an Emmy award for a radio drama he directed: ?Songo Love?.
Alusa says having Africa?s eyes on him 24/7 will be ?a bit intimidating and very challenging?. He warns viewers to ?expect the unexpected? from him, and promises ?mad fun & energy?. He says his strategy as an Emerald housemate is to ?pretend, pretend, pretend. I have so much information on them so I know which buttons to press.?
Busi (South Africa)
Age: 23
Third year BA Marketing student Busi describes herself as ?spontaneous, opinionated, open-minded and friendly?. She feels she can strike up a conversation with anybody and also express herself and her opinions without holding back. She values honesty, friendliness and open-mindedness in others.
Busi?s favourite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and on the small screen, she enjoys watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Vampire Diaries, Modern Family and, of course, Big Brother Africa. Her favourite actors are Leonardo di Caprio, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and Kate Blanchett ? no wonder Titanic is one of her favourite films.
Her favourite place in South Africa is Rosebank in Johannesburg, and the thing she likes most about the continent is the way its people pull together in support of a common cause. Away from home, she loves New York because of the fast pace, opportunities and the way people can express themselves.
Her mom has played a major role in her life, guiding her through every disappointment. In her time as an Emerald housemate, she promises to deliver entertainment, confusion, a fashion extravaganza, openness, laughs, drama and intrigue for viewers.
Eveva (Zambia)
Age: 27
Massage therapist Eveva is from Chipata and enjoys music by Bob Marley, Rihanna, Shakira and Espee and her favourite actress is Julia Roberts. Her favourite book is The Secret and her favourite TV show is The Oprah Winfrey Show.
She lists her mom as her role model, praising her as ?a strong woman?. She is inspired by Russell Simmons, because of his business savvy. The achievement she?s most proud of is opening her own massage parlour, because she has always dreamed of running her own business.
Eveva?s favourite place in Zambia is Livingstone and says the best thing about Africa is that the people are very loving and friendly. Her favourite place outside of the continent is Holland, ?because the people are open-minded?.
She feels ?honoured and blessed? that Africa will be watching her 24/7 in the Big Brother house, promising viewers entertainment and lots of drama, her strategy in the house is ? to be herself?. Asked to describe herself in five words, she lists: ?hyper, hardworking, efficient, outgoing & crazy?.
Jazz (Kenya)
Age: 26
Copywriter Jazz describes herself as fun, lovable, humorous and cute. She considers herself to be a friendly person who enjoys comforting people and making them feel special & loved. Jazz likes people with a sense of humour and openness ? ?whether bad or good, at least you know who you?re dealing with?.
Her favourite TV shows are Modern Family and Game of Thrones, with her recent favourite film: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She has a number of favourite actors, but singles out Bill Nighy as one.
Jazz says the best things about Africa are the weather, the people and the wildlife. Her favourite place in Kenya is the Shaba Game Lodge, with Australia her favourite place outside the continent.
Her mom is her role model, because she raised her and her two brothers alone. She says her family has taught her to be who she is today.
She?s excited and nervous to have the continent?s eyes on her in The Chase, but says: ?I was born to do this!? her strategy is to shock and surprise the current housemates.
JJ (Zimbabwe)
Age: 22
Harare-born JJ is a singer and songwriter from Zimbabwe, with a National Diploma in Media. His favourite books are 48 Laws of Power and The Secret and his favourite movies include American Gangster, 300 and The Vow.
He describes himself as ?fun, ambitious, happy, loving and warm? and says the thing he likes most about himself is his ?chilled quality?. JJ likes ?happy, smiley people? but dislikes people who are ?full of themselves?.
JJ cites his dad as his role model and says the best thing about Africa is its people and his favourite place in Zimbabwe is Nyanga, ?because of the fresh air?. Outside of Africa, his favourite place is Studio 25 in Manchester, which was a roof over his head ?when times were tough?. The achievement he?s most proud of so far is the release of his first single ? internationally ? this year.
His strategy as an Emerald housemate is to confuse the current housemates and use reverse psychology on them. He says that viewers can expect ?laughs, jokes and fun times? when he?s in the house.
Sophie (Uganda)
Age: 22
Nicknamed ?Little One?, Sophie is a freelance jewellery and clothing designer from Kampala. She describes herself as ?tolerant, candid, silly, real and loud?. Her favourite personal quality is that she?s not easily angered and doesn?t bear grudges. She dislikes people who are rude, dishonest or hypocritical.
Sophie lists her favourite TV show as Shameless and she likes the music of Lady Gaga, Liquideep, Nas, Asa and Jason Mraz, while her favourite movies include A Bronx Tale, The Lion King and The Dictator.
She says the best thing about Africa is the people: ?Africans are warm, welcoming, full of life and smiles despite their everyday struggles?. Her favourite place in Uganda is a small town called Kilemba ? she calls it ?a little piece of heaven?. She also loves Venice, despite never having been there, calling it ?truly beautiful?.
Sophie cites her mom as her role model. ?Her devotion to my sister and my wellbeing is just inspirational ? everything she has done was for our comfort,? she says.
She says viewers can expect her to be ?real and different? and her strategy is to stick with her fellow Emerald housemate on their mission as fake Big Brother housemates.
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Source: http://www.ghanacelebrities.com/2013/07/18/big-brother-africa-the-chase-meet-the-emerald-housemates
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