This week the NHL joins the NBA in celebrating its postseason, with plenty of games on the schedule for each. There are a number of premieres and finales this week, as well as the debut of individual seasons of Friends on Blu-ray. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.
Star Trek: TNG S3 / The Best of Both Worlds The third season of Star Trek The Next Generation comes home this week remastered in HD, and it should be a good for fans. If you can't live with its cliffhanger ending until the fourth season arrives, The Best of Both Worlds Part 1 & 2 are also being released, edited together as a single episode. either way you get it, judging by the first two seasons, the adjustments should be well-received. ($59.99 and $14.99 on Amazon)
The Americans FX's cold war spy drama closes out its first season this week. While it hasn't grabbed the mindshare of other popular cable series yet, the quality of the writing and acting is still there. (May 1st, FX, 10PM)
Parks & Recreation It appears that NBC's best remaining comedy will be renewed after this season, so this week's season finale will represent only the start of a vacation for the residents of Pawnee, IN. The Office finally getting yanked from the stage, 30 Rock calling it a series recently and Community... well. Let's just hope we have more PnR to look forward to this fall. (May 2nd, NBC, 9:30PM)
AT&T can't ruin HTC's gorgeous new smartphone, but it tried. The AT&T version of the HTC One ($199.99 with contract; $599.99 without), the most elegant Android phone of 2013, is laden down with hideous and undeletable bloatware. But since that's par for the course with AT&T Android phones, don't let the bloatware stop you from buying the most beautiful phone we've seen so far this year.
The AT&T HTC One is very similar to the Sprint HTC One, which we reviewed in full earlier this month. It has the same all-metal body, the same excellent front-mounted Boomsound speakers and the same UltraPixel camera, which works very well in low light but limits your ability to digitally crop and zoom your images. Read our Sprint HTC One review for details. We'll focus here on the differences here.
Bloatware The most notable difference here is all the undeletable bloatware AT&T stuffed onto this phone. AT&T's lust to take credit knows few bounds here: for instance, it rebranded HTC's own excellent guided setup app as AT&T Ready2Go, making it less visually appealing in the process.
Other undeletable apps, guaranteed to stay at the top of your app list because they start with "A," include AT&T DriveMode, AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Locker, AT&T Navigator, and AT&T Smart Wi-Fi. Further down the app list there's Live TV, SoundHound, and YP Mobile.
These undeletable apps often aren't best of breed. DriveMode is one of many "don't text and drive" apps on the market. AT&T Locker, a cloud storage service, is actually far worse than the Dropbox promo included on other carrier versions of the One: Locker gives you 5GB free while Dropbox gives you 25GB. AT&T Smart Wi-Fi is like a less stable version of Devicescape DataSaver, which automatically connects you to Wi-Fi hotspots. In general, the point is that you can find apps on Google Play which do all the things the preloads do, often better?but you can't delete the preloads. It's infuriating.
Call Quality and Networking AT&T shouldn't feel so nervous, because its LTE network is better than ever. I got a solid 11-12Mbps down and 5-8Mbps up in midtown Manhattan using Ookla Speedtest.net. AT&T's LTE now covers 183 markets from coast to coast, with much of the rest of the country covered with at least HSPA 14.4 speeds. While Verizon Wireless still has more LTE, AT&T's 3G fallback network is much faster than Verizon's.
This model of the One has quad-band GSM, HSPA+ on the 850/1900/2100MHz bands, and LTE on the 700 and AWS bands. That means it'll work with AT&T's 3G and LTE networks and roam on HSPA+ 3G networks abroad; it won't work well with any other U.S. carrier.
Call quality here is also very good, although I haven't tested the competing Samsung Galaxy S 4 on AT&T's network yet. The speakerphone is a real standout, thanks to the front-facing Boomsound speakers. Call quality in the earpiece is sharp and clear, with a lot of treble. As with the Sprint version of this phone, noise cancellation is imperfect. It is certainly good enough, even in an area with heavy construction noise, but the sound leaked through a little bit.
AT&T also killed off the LTE mode toggle in the HTC One's settings, so you can't turn off LTE if you're in a weak coverage area. Once again, that's the case with all recent AT&T Android phones.
Battery life is similar to the Sprint device. I got 5 hours, 43 minutes of LTE video streaming and 12 hours, 48 minutes of talk time, both solid results that suggest a full day's use, and better results than the Galaxy S 4 on T-Mobile.
Comparisons and Conclusions We're ladeling praise liberally over the HTC One, so why doesn't it get our Editors' Choice award? After seeing the Samsung Galaxy S 4, that device scores just a little bit better than the One thanks to its lighter weight, faster processor, high-res camera, and tuneable call audio. But the big difference between the One and the GS 4 is really philosophy: The One is about all-metal elegance (all that bloatware aside) and the GS 4 is about more, more, more.?
Both phones are great choices on AT&T, and both have fresher technology than Apple's iPhone 5. You may still want to turn to the iPhone 5, though, for its more easily pocketable size and unbeatable library of apps.
If you're considering this model of the HTC One, we'd also suggest you consider with the $574.99 unlocked model direct from HTC. While you don't save any money over the subsidized model (as AT&T doesn't give you a discount for bringing your own phone) you'll get the same performance and LTE speed, minus the bloatware. That could be the best of all worlds here.
Apr. 29, 2013 ? Researchers have found a way to see synthetic nanostructures and molecules using a new type of super-resolution optical microscopy that does not require fluorescent dyes, representing a practical tool for biomedical and nanotechnology research.
"Super-resolution optical microscopy has opened a new window into the nanoscopic world," said Ji-Xin Cheng, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and chemistry at Purdue University.
Conventional optical microscopes can resolve objects no smaller than about 300 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, a restriction known as the "diffraction limit," which is defined as half the width of the wavelength of light being used to view the specimen. However, researchers want to view molecules such as proteins and lipids, as well as synthetic nanostructures like nanotubes, which are a few nanometers in diameter.
Such a capability could bring advances in a diverse range of disciplines, from medicine to nanoelectronics, Cheng said.
"The diffraction limit represents the fundamental limit of optical imaging resolution," Cheng said. "Stefan Hell at the Max Planck Institute and others have developed super-resolution imaging methods that require fluorescent labels. Here, we demonstrate a new scheme for breaking the diffraction limit in optical imaging of non-fluorescent species. Because it is label-free, the signal is directly from the object so that we can learn more about the nanostructure."
Findings are detailed in a research paper that appeared online Sunday (April 28) in the journal Nature Photonics.
The imaging system, called saturated transient absorption microscopy,or STAM,uses a trio of laser beams, including a doughnut-shaped laser beam that selectively illuminates some molecules but not others. Electrons in the atoms of illuminated molecules are kicked temporarily into a higher energy level and are said to be excited, while the others remain in their "ground state." Images are generated using a laser called a probe to compare the contrast between the excited and ground-state molecules.
The researchers demonstrated the technique, taking images of graphite "nanoplatelets" about 100 nanometers wide.
"It's a proof of concept and has great potential for the study of nanomaterials, both natural and synthetic," Cheng said.
The doughnut-shaped laser excitation technique, invented by researcher Stefan Hell, makes it possible to focus on yet smaller objects. Researchers hope to improve the imaging system to see objects about 10 nanometers in diameter, or about 30 times smaller than possible using conventional optical microscopes.
"We are not there yet, but a few schemes can be applied to further increase the resolution of our system," Cheng said.
The paper was co-authored by biomedical engineering doctoral student Pu Wang; research scientist Mikhail N. Slipchenko; mechanical engineering doctoral student James Mitchell; Chen Yang, an assistant professor of physical chemistry at Purdue; Eric O. Potma, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of California, Irvine; Xianfan Xu, Purdue's James J. and Carol L. Shuttleworth Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Cheng.
Future research may include work to use lasers with shorter wavelengths of light. Because the wavelengths are shorter, the doughnut hole is smaller, possibly allowing researchers to focus on smaller objects.
The work will be discussed during the third annual Spectroscopic Imaging: A New Window into the Unseen World workshop on May 23 and 24 at Purdue. The workshop is hosted by the university's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
The research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Purdue University. The original article was written by Emil Venere.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Pu Wang, Mikhail N. Slipchenko, James Mitchell, Chen Yang, Eric O. Potma, Xianfan Xu, Ji-Xin Cheng. Far-field imaging of non-fluorescent species with subdiffraction resolution. Nature Photonics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.97
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Tint World??s Franchise Conversion Store Program provides independent automotive businesses an opportunity to convert their existing store into a Tint World? Auto Styling Center.
WESTON, FL - April 22, 2013 - Tint World?, the nation?s leading automotive styling franchise, is offering automotive business owners an opportunity to join the Tint World? Franchise and convert their existing store into a Tint World? Auto Styling Center.
Ideal for current business owners looking for the benefits of a franchise without having to begin from square one, the Tint World? Conversion Program will inevitably expand the current business owner?s target customer base?growing from one or two aftermarket services to at least 12 including window tinting, auto detailing, audio/video, mobile installation, auto reconditioning, and more. Conversion store types include: tint shops, car stereo shops, detail centers, car washes, quick lubes and custom wheel stores.
Automotive business owners opting for the Franchise Conversion Program will ultimately benefit from adapting to the auto accessory franchise, enabling business owners to Tint World??s range of name brand quality products and consistent installation capabilities, warrantee services, high standard of professionalism, and outstanding customer service. Among other notable advantages of joining the Tint World? Franchise, independent business owners will now have a much stronger buying power between vendors and manufacturers for materials and products.
Tint World Franchise CEO, Charles J. Bonfiglio stated, ?The Conversion Store Franchise Program is for successful automotive service center owners who are looking for a better way to do business and is perfect for current business owners looking for the benefits of a franchise without having to start from scratch?.
Like any other associate, business owners will be integrated into the franchise by first completing a 3 week training program that will cover all of Tint World??s signature services, as well as products, and customer service. Along with consistent support from the franchise team, as part of Tint World??s comprehensive advertising program, marketing materials, showroom displays, menu boards, and brand advertising programs will also be initiated during the store conversion.
Rapidly growing throughout the world, the Tint World? Conversion Program provides a streamlined opportunity for business owners to convert their store into a Tint World? Auto Styling Center?delivering quality products and services with the support of a national franchise.
About Tint World?
Established in 1982 in Tamarac, Florida, Tint World? is now the leading franchised provider of automotive, residential, commercial, and marine window tinting and security film services in the US. Tint World? ? Automotive Styling Centers also offer auto security, mobile electronics, performance and styling accessories, custom wheels and tire packages, auto detailing, and reconditioning services.
SOURCE Tint World?
Contact:
Charles J. Bonfiglio Charles.Bonfiglio@tintworld.com www.TintWorld.com (800) 767-8468
Ongoing effort shows promise in reducing stress in the workplace through cost-effective online tools
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 A.M. ET, Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Cleveland: The use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods. Data suggests that stress reduction using ISM is comparable to face-to-face stress management.
Three-hundred study participants completed an eight-week ISM program where they received online relaxation practice materials, strategies to help cope with life's stressors, stress assessments at the beginning and end of the program, and daily topics to inspire participants to continue the meditation and relaxation techniques.
Program participants, who were compared with a control group, showed a significant decrease in perceived stress from high levels to average, as well as greatly improved emotional wellbeing, compared with the pre-program results and to participants of the control group. Results confirmed a positive correlation between the number of meditations completed per week and perceived stress reduction.
"Our recent findings provide individuals and employers with a new option to consider for themselves or their employees' stress management," said Michael Roizen, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. "Unmanaged stress causes some of the highest healthcare costs for employers and has a lasting impact on everyone; this study implies such health effect may be readily reduced."
Using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure a person's perception of stress, individual results were based on a 0 (best) to 40 scale. Study participants' stress levels prior to ISM averaged 23.05, much higher than the U.S. norm, 13.7 for females and 12.1 for males. Relative to a control group, active participants demonstrated a substantial stress score improvement of 4.04. Individuals who completed five meditations per week were likely to experience a 6.12 decrease in perceived stress scores vs. practicing once per week.
Chronic stress is a major public health issue and is associated with increased health risk and chronic disease. Comparable to smoking, psychological distress is more significant in terms of health risks to blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. A national survey from the American Psychological Association (Stress in America) showed that 75 percent of American adults continue to report high levels of stress despite an improving economy, with little accessibility to a feasible stress management program. Most Americans cite work as being the most stressful component in their lives.
Face-to-face stress management programs often include massage therapy, exercise, diet modification, acupuncture, and meditation, whereas ISM focuses heavily on achieving a state of mindfulness through relaxation and meditation, and guided imagery. To compare the two types of programs, standard outcome measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory, among others, were observed and recorded throughout the 12-week study.
The feasibility study was a joint effort with GE (NYSE: GE), which offered the ISM program to employees in three of its sites as part of the trial.
"Understanding consumer behavior related to health and healthcare is critical to advancing care delivery," said Mitch Higashi, chief economist for GE Healthcare. "In this case, demonstrating how workplace stress management programs could be delivered effectively in online formats provides important insights for future innovation."
The stress management program used for the research, Stress Free Now (SFN), was designed by Cleveland Clinic experts and is sold at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness site. On-going research continues in order to improve workplace wellbeing and quality of life using ISM programs. SFN has been modified following the results of this study, allowing for increased likelihood of program completion, and simpler implementation within the workplace with the purpose of improving stress in a corporate environment.
###
The Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic directs research designed to help with the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Current areas of focus include helping people eliminate tobacco usage, and to better care for or reverse pre-diabetes, weight gain, psychological stress, and insomnia. Studies aim to understand the effect of behavioral modification programs or web-based interventions on these states.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
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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.
Cleveland Clinic research shows Internet-based program effective in reducing stressPublic release date: 30-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Ongoing effort shows promise in reducing stress in the workplace through cost-effective online tools
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 A.M. ET, Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Cleveland: The use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods. Data suggests that stress reduction using ISM is comparable to face-to-face stress management.
Three-hundred study participants completed an eight-week ISM program where they received online relaxation practice materials, strategies to help cope with life's stressors, stress assessments at the beginning and end of the program, and daily topics to inspire participants to continue the meditation and relaxation techniques.
Program participants, who were compared with a control group, showed a significant decrease in perceived stress from high levels to average, as well as greatly improved emotional wellbeing, compared with the pre-program results and to participants of the control group. Results confirmed a positive correlation between the number of meditations completed per week and perceived stress reduction.
"Our recent findings provide individuals and employers with a new option to consider for themselves or their employees' stress management," said Michael Roizen, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. "Unmanaged stress causes some of the highest healthcare costs for employers and has a lasting impact on everyone; this study implies such health effect may be readily reduced."
Using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure a person's perception of stress, individual results were based on a 0 (best) to 40 scale. Study participants' stress levels prior to ISM averaged 23.05, much higher than the U.S. norm, 13.7 for females and 12.1 for males. Relative to a control group, active participants demonstrated a substantial stress score improvement of 4.04. Individuals who completed five meditations per week were likely to experience a 6.12 decrease in perceived stress scores vs. practicing once per week.
Chronic stress is a major public health issue and is associated with increased health risk and chronic disease. Comparable to smoking, psychological distress is more significant in terms of health risks to blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. A national survey from the American Psychological Association (Stress in America) showed that 75 percent of American adults continue to report high levels of stress despite an improving economy, with little accessibility to a feasible stress management program. Most Americans cite work as being the most stressful component in their lives.
Face-to-face stress management programs often include massage therapy, exercise, diet modification, acupuncture, and meditation, whereas ISM focuses heavily on achieving a state of mindfulness through relaxation and meditation, and guided imagery. To compare the two types of programs, standard outcome measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory, among others, were observed and recorded throughout the 12-week study.
The feasibility study was a joint effort with GE (NYSE: GE), which offered the ISM program to employees in three of its sites as part of the trial.
"Understanding consumer behavior related to health and healthcare is critical to advancing care delivery," said Mitch Higashi, chief economist for GE Healthcare. "In this case, demonstrating how workplace stress management programs could be delivered effectively in online formats provides important insights for future innovation."
The stress management program used for the research, Stress Free Now (SFN), was designed by Cleveland Clinic experts and is sold at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness site. On-going research continues in order to improve workplace wellbeing and quality of life using ISM programs. SFN has been modified following the results of this study, allowing for increased likelihood of program completion, and simpler implementation within the workplace with the purpose of improving stress in a corporate environment.
###
The Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic directs research designed to help with the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Current areas of focus include helping people eliminate tobacco usage, and to better care for or reverse pre-diabetes, weight gain, psychological stress, and insomnia. Studies aim to understand the effect of behavioral modification programs or web-based interventions on these states.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
[ | 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 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 index ended at an all-time high on Monday as growth-oriented stocks, including energy and technology, lead the way to the index's sixth rise in the past seven sessions.
Stronger-than-expected housing data also boosted the market, as did Italy's formation of a new government, ending months of uncertainty and raising hopes for new policies to promote growth in the euro zone's third-largest economy.
Pressure has grown on the European Central Bank to lower interest rates with the euro zone mired in recession. Money market traders are evenly split on whether the ECB will cut rates at its meeting on Thursday, according to a Reuters poll.
Wall Street followed European stocks higher as Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta urged a focus on growth policies and away from austerity measures in his inaugural speech.
"After the election there was a lot of uncertainty about whether Italy could form a government, so now there is not only a great deal of relief over that, but also expectations for additional monetary policies from the ECB," said Alec Young, global equity strategist at S&P Equity Research in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 106.20 points, or 0.72 percent, at 14,818.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 11.37 points, or 0.72 percent, at 1,593.61. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 27.76 points, or 0.85 percent, at 3,307.02.
The U.S. Federal Reserve will also meet this week for a two-day session beginning on Tuesday. The Fed is expected to maintain its stimulus policy. Data on Monday showing muted inflation gave the Fed room for accommodative measures.
Also lifting markets was Apple Inc , which jumped 3.1 percent to $430.12 after taking initial steps for what would be its first debt sale. Technology stocks <.splrct> rose 1.7 percent, making the sector the best-performing on Monday.
Among energy shares, Chevron Corp rose 1.1 percent to $121.32.
A report showed contracts to buy previously owned homes rose last month to their highest level since April 2010, showing underlying strength in the housing market recovery, even though the pace of sales growth has cooled in recent months.
The S&P 500 closed just barely above its previous record hit earlier this month of 1,593.37.
"The market's trend continues to be higher, but it is still attractive at these valuations," said Young, who has a 12-month target of 1,670 for the S&P.
About 71 percent of New York Stock Exchange-listed companies closed higher while 65 percent of companies traded on the Nasdaq ended in positive territory.
Volume was light, with about 5.10 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.36 billion shares.
Moody's Corp was the S&P 500's top percentage gainer, jumping 8.3 percent to $59.69 after the company settled a lawsuit alleging that it had misled investors about the safety of risky debt vehicles it had rated.
McGraw-Hill Cos , whose Standard & Poor's unit said it settled similar suits, rose 2.8 percent to $53.45.
Roper Industries Inc fell 3.8 percent to $118.68 after reporting first-quarter revenue that missed expectations, though it raised its full-year profit outlook.
Of the 274 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date for current season, 69 percent have beat analysts' expectations and 43.2 percent have reported revenue above expectations.
The second half of the earnings season may not be as strong as the first one, data showed.
When you check your email, when you play Temple Run, when you're selecting a song to listen to, you're making art. You just don't know it. In a series called Invisible Hieroglyphics, artists Andre Woolery and Victor AbiJaoudi highlight those hidden masterpieces you don't even mean to make.
The works of art are created on a wide variety of apps, from Instagram to Pinterest to Angry Birds, and more. Each accidental painting is a lovely smattering of colorful digital finger painting.
Check out the rest on Woolery's site. They're a pretty great way to illustrate that technology can be beautiful. And anyone with an iPad can be an artist. [Andre Woolery Art via Mashable]
iTunes hit the big 1-0 yesterday, and we want to celebrate. ?TuneCore distributed its first album to iTunes back in 2006 (oh, how young we were!),?One More Road for the Hit?by Frank Black and The Catholics. ? Since then, we?ve distributed over 2.6 million releases to iTunes.
Though iTunes started by selling singles and albums, they later added ringtones to the mix?
Get Your Ringtones on the iPhone through TuneCore
In celebration of iTunes? 10th birthday, ?we?re bringing back our ringtone credit multi-packs with special discount pricing for a limited time. ?Ringtones are a great way to get your music heard by more listeners and grow your fan base.
Check out the special pricing:
Ringtones released through TuneCore are available on the iTunes store on the iPhone. ?They recently added 92 new territories for selling ringtones so now your fans around the world will be able to listen to your music when their friends call.
Stock up on discounted credits now that you can use whenever you?re ready to distribute your ringtones. ?We?re offering credit packs of 5, 10, and 20, all at a special price.
Start Saving Now!
In other iTunes news?
iTunes Daily Trend Reports
Did you hear about our new, enhanced iTunes daily trend reports? Now you can see?how your music?s selling, just 24-48 hours after your release went live in iTunes. ?The web-based reports are updated daily, so you can keep a close eye on how your marketing efforts and tours affect your sales. PLUS these new reports now include ringtone trend data, just another reason why you should take advantage of our ringtone credit discount going on now.
Learn more about iTunes Daily Trend Reports
Get Featured in iTunes
Another thing we love about iTunes is the opportunity for TuneCore Artists to get featured in the store. ALL artists are eligible, and over the years we?ve figured out what gives releases?a better shot at being selected. ?We put together our top 7 tips to get your music featured on iTunes.
Here?s one: Setting your album at a low price can increase your chances of getting featured in the store.
Want more tips? Ready to submit for your own feature??Click here.
Let the World Hear Your Music
If you haven?t distributed your music to iTunes yet, now?s a good time?they?ve added new countries, bringing the total to 140. If you distributed to iTunes before these new territories were available, click here to upgrade to iTunes Worldwide.
With all of the iTunes features and opportunities for TuneCore Artists, we can?t wait to see what happens in the next 10 years.
So happy 10th anniversary, iTunes! ?Thanks for all the music.
April 29, 2013
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in Artist Marketing,Marketing & Promotion,The Industry,Web/Tech
NEW YORK (AP) ? NBA veteran Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to come out as gay.
The 34-year-old center, who has played for six teams in 12 seasons, wrote a first-person account that was posted on Sports Illustrated's website Monday. Collins finished the season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He says he wants to keep playing.
"If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," he writes. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Collins played in a Final Four for Stanford and reached two NBA Finals. His twin brother, Jarron, was also a longtime NBA center. Collins says he told his brother he was gay last summer.
"Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.
White House spokesman Jay Carney called the decision courageous and former President Bill Clinton said it was "an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community."
"I hope that everyone, particularly Jason's colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned," Clinton added.
Daughter Chelsea, who knew the player from Stanford, tweeted: "Very proud of my friend Jason Collins for having the strength & courage to be the first openly gay player in the NBA."
Collins was also college roommates with another member of an American political dynasty: Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass. In his account, Collins wrote that he realized he needed to go public when the congressman walked in Boston's gay pride parade last year ? and Collins couldn't join him.
Kennedy tweeted Monday that "I've always been proud to call (Collins) a friend, and I'm even prouder to stand with him today."
Mostly a backup in his career, Collins has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Nets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. He was traded from Boston to Washington in February. Collins was the 18th pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft.
Several NBA players voiced support, including Kobe Bryant, who tweeted that he was proud of Collins.
"Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others," his post said, followed by the words "courage" and "support."
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld weighed in saying: "We are extremely proud of Jason and support his decision to live his life proudly and openly. He has been a leader on and off the court and an outstanding teammate throughout his NBA career. Those qualities will continue to serve him both as a player and as a positive role model for others of all sexual orientation."
Several male athletes have previously come out after they retired, including the NBA's John Amaechi, the NFL's Esera Tuaolo and Major League Baseball's Billy Bean. But Collins is the first to do so while planning to keep playing.
Collins wrote that he quietly made a statement for gay rights even while keeping his sexual orientation a secret. He wore the No. 98 with the Celtics and Wizards ? that was the year Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization, was founded.
" 'Courage' and 'inspiration' are words that get thrown around a lot in sports, but Jason Collins has given both ideas a brand new context," said Aaron McQuade, who heads the sports program for the advocacy group GLAAD, "We hope that his future team will welcome him, and that fans of the NBA and sports in general will applaud him. We know that the NBA will proudly support him, and that countless young LGBT Athletes now have a new hero."
In February, former U.S. soccer national team player Robbie Rogers said he was gay ? and retired at the same time. Rogers is just 25, and others have urged him to resume his career.
"I feel a movement coming," he tweeted after the Collins news broke.
Female athletes have found more acceptance in coming out; Brittney Griner, one of the best women's basketball players, caused little ripple when she acknowledged earlier this month she was a lesbian. Tennis great Martina Navratilova tweeted Monday that Collins is "a brave man."
"1981 was the year for me- 2013 is the year for you," her post added.
(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's chances of buying the 45-percent stake in Verizon Wireless owned by the UK's Vodafone Group Plc will hinge, at least in part, on the quality of tax advice it is getting.
Verizon, the No. 2 U.S. telecommunications company, may have found a way to structure a purchase of the stake so that Vodafone can avoid a multi-billion dollar U.S. capital gains tax bill, sources familiar with Verizon's plans said. The possibility of a huge tax bill has previously been regarded by analysts as a big hurdle to any such deal.
Reuters reported last Wednesday that Verizon was preparing a bid worth about $100 billion to take full control of Verizon Wireless - it already owns the other 55 percent - by buying the stake, according to people familiar with the matter. There are no guarantees that Vodafone will want to sell its stake or that Verizon will pursue the plan.
Vodafone declined to comment on the possibility of a Verizon bid for its stake or on the tax question.
One person familiar with the situation said Vodafone cannot consider the size of any tax payout in a possible transaction until the company has received an offer, which it has not.
A Verizon spokesman declined to comment.
Verizon hopes that if it structures a transaction to eliminate much of the tax bill, it can encourage Vodafone to come to the table for talks. Some analysts and investors say Verizon may have to pay as much as $130 billion to clinch the deal.
The tax bill on $100-billion deal, based on a simple acquisition of the stake, would be about $38 billion, according to UBS Investment Research. It could be much higher if the deal's price-tag rises above that figure, UBS noted.
That tax bill is based on the massive growth Verizon Wireless has experienced since it was established 13 years ago. The 45-percent stake that Verizon Communications wants to buy is owned by Vodafone Americas, a U.S. holding company. Given it is a U.S. entity, if Vodafone Americas were to sell that stake outright it would have to pay the full capital gains tax on the stake.
But the sources said Verizon Communications is contemplating a two-part deal that could avoid this. Instead of buying the stake outright, the sources said, Verizon Communications would buy the Delaware-based Vodafone Americas. Analysts said the seller of Vodafone Americas would not be a U.S.-based entity, so no U.S. capital gains tax would be due.
Vodafone's international structure is complicated, involving many holding companies, and the precise ownership of some assets is unclear. Vodafone Americas also owns some of Vodafone's non-US assets, the sources said, probably including some in Germany and Spain. These would be sold back to Vodafone by Verizon Communications, which would keep the Verizon Wireless stake, they said.
The two transactions could be done simultaneously or one after the other.
While the sale of the Verizon Wireless stake would not incur capital gains tax, the sale of the international assets back to Vodafone would. This is because it would involve the sale of assets by Verizon Communications, a U.S. entity.
Compared to Verizon Wireless, the smaller international assets are thought to have gained little in value. Analysts estimated their sale could hit Verizon Communications with a U.S. tax bill of about $5 billion or less.
The sources said that Verizon would seek to pass any tax hit onto Vodafone in the two-part transaction.
LONG COURTSHIP
Verizon has long coveted its partner Vodafone's stake in the Verizon Wireless joint venture, which started operations in 2000.
The last time the two came close to a deal was in 2004, when Vodafone bid for AT&T Wireless. The British company, the world's second-largest mobile operator, however, lost that bid to Cingular and has since held on to the Verizon Wireless stake for its exposure to the U.S. wireless market.
Wall Street analysts had previously seen it as unlikely that Verizon would want to do a deal involving Vodafone Americas' international assets. But those assets have underperformed in recent years when compared with the growth of Verizon Wireless, and are now a smaller part of the holding company, reducing the potential tax hit.
However, the timing of Verizon's interest in doing the deal has more to do with the gains in its stock price and low interest rates, the sources stressed.
Verizon is considering paying about half of the purchase price in cash and half in stock, Reuters reported on Wednesday. That means it may look to raise around $50 billion in debt.
UK TAX QUESTION
The kind of deal structure envisaged would still leave Vodafone with another tax question, said UK academics and analysts: Should it leave the proceeds from any sale offshore or bring them home to the UK?
Leaving the money offshore might invite scrutiny from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which sometimes questions transactions if they seem designed solely to avoid tax and are not based in an underlying economic logic, said Prems Sikka, professor of accounting at the University of Essex in the UK.
If the transaction were shaped the way the sources have described it, Vodafone would probably repatriate the proceeds into Britain, said Charles Merriman, managing director at Merriman Capital Transactions, a consultancy in London.
Once that was done, he said, the company might be able to reduce its tax bill by taking advantage of the UK's substantial shareholdings exemption. Under certain conditions, this exempts from UK corporation taxation any gains realized when one company disposes of shares in another company.
More broadly, though, Vodafone could face a political backlash in the UK from any deal that was clearly structured to avoid taxation, said Robin Bienenstock, senior analyst at Bernstein Research.
U.S. companies such as Starbucks, Amazon and Google have come under fire from British lawmakers for using legal maneuvers to cut their tax bills in the UK.
"The problem with tax is not just the technical ability to avoid it, but the scorched earth that trying to avoid it could leave with the UK government afterwards," said Bienenstock. "Recent tax cases in the UK ... suggest that an attempt to avoid tax on such a large and high profile deal would be very badly received."
(Reporting by Kevin Drawbaugh in Washington, D.C. and Nanette Byrnes in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Tom Bergin in London; So Young Kim and Paritosh Bansal in New York; Editing by Martin Howell)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons could be a greater threat after that nation's president leaves power and could end up targeting Americans at home, lawmakers warned Sunday as they considered a U.S. response that stops short of sending military forces there.
U.S. officials last week declared that the Syrian government probably had used chemical weapons twice in March, newly provocative acts in the 2-year civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The U.S. assessment followed similar conclusions from Britain, France, Israel and Qatar ? key allies eager for a more aggressive response to the Syrian conflict.
President Barack Obama has said Syria's likely action ? or the transfer of President Bashar Assad's stockpiles to terrorists ? would cross a "red line" that would compel the United States to act.
Lawmakers sought to remind viewers on Sunday news programs of Obama's declaration while discouraging a U.S. foothold on the ground there.
"The president has laid down the line, and it can't be a dotted line. It can't be anything other than a red line," said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. "And more than just Syria, Iran is paying attention to this. North Korea is paying attention to this."
Added Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.: "For America to sit on the sidelines and do nothing is a huge mistake."
Obama has insisted that any use of chemical weapons would change his thinking about the United States' role in Syria but said he didn't have enough information to order aggressive action.
"For the Syrian government to utilize chemical weapons on its people crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues," Obama said Friday.
But Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, said Sunday the United States needs to consider those weapons. She said that when Assad leaves power, his opponents could have access to those weapons or they could fall into the hands of U.S. enemies.
"The day after Assad is the day that these chemical weapons could be at risk ... (and) we could be in bigger, even bigger trouble," she said.
Both sides of the civil war already accuse each other of using the chemical weapons.
The deadliest such alleged attack was in the Khan al-Assal village in the Aleppo province in March. The Syrian government called for the United Nations to investigate alleged chemical weapons use by rebels in the attack that killed 31 people.
Syria, however, has not allowed a team of experts into the country because it wants the investigation limited to the single Khan al-Assal incident, while U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged "immediate and unfettered access" for an expanded investigation.
One of Obama's chief antagonists on Syria, Sen. John McCain, R- Ariz., said the United States should go to Syria as part of an international force to safeguard the chemical weapons. But McCain added that he is not advocating sending ground troops to the nation.
"The worst thing we could do is put boots on the ground," McCain said.
His friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also said the United States could safeguard the weapons without a ground force. But he cautioned the weapons must be protected for fear that Americans could be targeted. Raising the specter of the lethal bomb at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Graham said the next attack on U.S. soil could employ weapons that were once part of Assad's arsenal.
"The next bomb that goes off in America may not have nails and glass," he said.
Rogers and Schakowsky spoke to ABC's "This Week." Chambliss and Graham were interviewed on CBS's "Face the Nation." McCain appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."
___
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Dozens of states have moved to restrict access to abortion in recent months. Speaking to Planned Parenthood Friday, President Obama vowed to fight this trend.
By Mark Guarino,?Staff writer / April 27, 2013
President Barack Obama is introduced by Cecilia Boone, chair of the board of Planned Parenthood, before speaking at the 2013 Planned Parenthood National Conference in Washington on Friday.
Charles Dharapak/AP
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President Obama became the first sitting US president to address Planned Parenthood Federation of America Friday. His comments, addressed to the organization?s annual conference in Washington, are particularly notable as they come in a year when 42 states have introduced legislation imposing limits on abortion access.
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Speaking to about a thousand supporters of the organization, which is a leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider for women, Mr. Obama described himself as ?a president who?s going to be right there with you, fighting every step of the way.?
He lauded the organization?s work in providing cancer screening and contraceptive health care, and criticized attempts by conservatives to use the organization as ?a punching bag.?
?After decades of progress, there's still those who want to turn back the clock to policies more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century. And they've been involved in an orchestrated and historic effort to roll back basic rights when it comes to women's health,? he said.
Obama?s appearance coincided with a wave of state legislation aimed to restrict access to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit think tank in Washington that researches and tracks policy involving sexual and reproductive health.
The organization says that in the first three months of 2013, state legislators in 42 states introduced 694 provisions related to reproductive health and rights, 93 of which have been approved by at least one legislative body. About half, or 47 percent, of the measures seek to restrict full access to abortion.
Legislators in 10 states have introduced proposals to ban all, or nearly all, abortions while 10 other states have passed, or are positioned to pass, legislation to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Obama criticized some of the measures, particularly a North Dakota law passed in March that bans abortions as early as six weeks, or when a fetal heartbeat is detected.
?A woman may not even know that she?s pregnant at six weeks,? Obama said regarding the law, which is the most restrictive in the nation to date.
Some conservative organizations blasted the president?s speech, linking Planned Parenthood to the trial of Kermit Gosnell, a West Philadelphia abortion provider charged with killing four newborns during abortions, as well as the overdose death of an adult patient. They say the organization should be held accountable for failing to report Mr. Gosnell?s actions.
?It is outrageous that President Obama addressed the Planned Parenthood gathering this morning at a time when Planned Parenthood has been exposed for having known about the Gosnell horrors, yet took no action to report this abuse of women and babies,? Maureen Ferguson, a senior policy adviser for the Catholic Association, an advocacy group in Washington, told the Washington Post Friday.
Likewise, in a statement released Friday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an advocacy group in Washington, said that Planned Parenthood ?chose not to act to help end the killing of newborn babies and butchering of women?. It seems that nothing, not even eyewitness accounts of Gosnell-style conditions in their own clinics, is enough to make President Obama reconsider his unyielding support for Planned Parenthood.?
Obama did not mention the trial during his Friday remarks.
The jury in the Gosnell case is expected to hear closing arguments Monday. Planned Parenthood spokesman Eric Ferrero told the Washington Post Friday that the organization denounced Gosnell?s actions and called the trial ?a horrifying and outrageous case.?
?Gosnell ran a criminal enterprise, not a health care facility, and [for] that he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,? Mr. Ferrero said.?
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate and former President Mohamed Nasheed has said February 7, 2012?s controversial transfer of power was by politicians posing as religious scholars ?selling out on the religion of Islam.?
Nasheed made the comments while addressing a rally held in the island of Bilehdhoo in Faafu Atoll on Sunday night, where a number of new members signed to the party including the island?s council president.
Only aim of small parties is promoting self-interest
Addressing the crowds, Nasheed stated that the country was seeing the formation of a number of small political parties.
?These parties are not formed with any intention of promoting any specific ideology or philosophy. The objective of forming these parties are to increase the power of their private businesses through these parties,? he stated.
?When they have a political party they sit down for business discussions, and the government is forced to relent. This is the reason why these people create political parties,? Nasheed said.
?After forming such parties, they then contest in elections and say that if they are given cabinet posts, islands, judges and warehouses, then they will into a coalition. The people have no part in such a coalition, it?s only these leaders who enter it,? Nasheed continued.
He further added that although small party leaders did not consider the interests of the general members or citizens when entering coalitions, he regretted that such parties were initially formed by acquiring signatures from those among the public.
?These forms were filled ?illegitimately using money as an incentive. We are seeing this for certain beyond any doubt. And once the party is formed, they then sell off the party to this coalition,? he alleged.
?One of the biggest things that this coalition has done is toppling the government which was legitimately elected in 2008.?
?This country has a ?haram? government?
?There is no greater sin in Islam than to orchestrate a coup,? Nasheed stated.
?Wearing hats of sheikhs and religious scholars, they have committed a huge sin, an act which is absolutely haram. Today, this country has a haram government. Being a 100 percent Muslim country, we must not let them continue carrying out this haram act in front of our eyes. God willing, we will win this presidential election in one round.?
?God willing, the righteous will always win. Human experience has never shown that a people who have committed a haram act, and remain in that state of sin, can succeed in what they are doing. We have never seen this happen in the past, and except for a few of our countrymen, no one believes they will gain that success even in future.?
During his speech, Nasheed spoke of the rhetoric used by political parties had against his administration prior to the contentious transfer of power in February 2012.
?In their ploy to topple our government, they spoke of two things. One is that it was for the sake of religion. In this context, one issue they raised was that the management of Ghiyasudheen School [in Male'] included foreigners. Meanwhile, we can clearly see that even here the principal is a foreigner, the teachers are foreigners.?
?After having preached this against Ghiyasudheen School, today it is the children of these religious scholars who are enrolled to study in that school. [Adhaalath Party MP] Muhthalib?s child goes to that school. The Supreme Court Judges? children also go to that school. All the religious scholars have their children enrolled in this school, and this is because it is a school where the educational standards are very high,? Nasheed said.
?They toppled our government because we were establishing that school, and yet today their children are enrolled there,? he claimed.
?When they were overthrowing our government, they spoke about massage parlours. We are not seeing these places being closed down today. They spoke of the sale of alcohol, and yet the amount of alcohol being sold has not gone down.?
?I am absolutely certain that you will not see any issue that they have raised that has been stopped today,? Nasheed said, addressing many of the accusations that had been made against him by the then opposition coalition.
?By donning the caps of religious scholars and deceiving citizens in the name of religion, they gained power in a government and are now in the midst of the biggest worldly sin,? Nasheed alleged.
?The religion of Islam is a religion which has been given respect and honour in our hearts. They can always play with our hearts when they speak in the name of religion, especially when they do so in the guise of being Islamic scholars,? he said.
?We Maldivians are waking up to this now. We can no longer believe the things they say in the name of being religious scholars.?
?The Adhaalath Party did contest in the parliamentary elections, as well as the local council elections. They did not win a single seat in the first, and only two or three or seats on Fainu in the local council elections, out of a total of over 1700 seats,? Nasheed stated.
?Maldivians have never accepted that religious scholars should get entangled in worldly political matters. They are pious, righteous people who should be advising people like us on religious matters. It will not do when today they themselves are coming out and drafting laws to govern massage parlours,? Nasheed said.
?All of this is clear to us Maldivians now: a coup d?etat was brought about in the Maldives, and this coup was orchestrated by selling out the religion of Islam.?
??Me, me, mine? is the motto of small parties?
?The other issue that they spoke of when toppling our government is that we were putting up national assets for sale. They claimed we sold the airport on Hulhule?, which still remains there. No one has left taking the airport with them,? Nasheed stated.
?After the coup, the very people who claimed loudly that airport had been sold and partook in the coup, took the airport themselves. This they did not see as a national asset. The airport that we rent out for development was said to be a national asset, though. It is as if they become assets when they are in the hands of a certain people. As if it is not a national asset as long as it remains in their hands,? he said.
?The whole objective of a small political party is ?for me, me, mine?; to see what is in it for them and to continue forming coalitions so as to increase the lot they will personally gain from it,? Nasheed continued.
?No development work was carried out in the Maldives in 2012 ? the country was at a standstill. These people?s motto is to remain in a standstill. The government is at a standstill. They do nothing besides quarrelling among themselves,? Nasheed said.
?I think that if they make a large coalition, there is no relief for us Maldivians. It will be then be all about their coalition, their interests, their wealth, their businesses and their rule.?
?Children are not to be handled like tuna?
President Mohamed Waheed has meanwhile expressing ?deep sadness? after a parent had stopped a child from shaking hands with the him during a trip to Meemu Atoll last weekend.
?The child won?t even know who I am even, but the father has taught the child a very bad lesson. To refuse to shake hands with anyone who approaches is not something Muslims do, not something Maldivians do,? Waheed was quoted as saying in local media.
Nasheed referred to this incident in his speech in Bilehdhoo.
?When ?Baaghee? (traitor) Mohamed Waheed went to an island and tried to harass a child, and the parents stopped him from doing so, he released a media statement expressing sadness about this,? Nasheed said.
?I have said even the other day, that parents will of course get angry when you try to hoist a child up like they hoist up tuna onto a fishing boat. I have said even then that we look at this child, carry this child, because their life is our party?s future, this nation?s future. This party has a policy which has to do with everything from their toe to their tip of their hair. This party is the child?s party. This party exists for the sake of the child?s future, for our future. To make their hopes and dreams a reality. And so, parents will not get angry when we approach their children and carry them,? Nasheed stated.
10/21/1986: Tamerlan Tsarnaev is born in the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, a Soviet state that is the precursor of modern-day Kalmykia.
1993: Tamerlan's brother Dzhokhar is born after the family moves to Kyrgyzstan.
2001: Tamerlan's family moves to Dagestan, a Russian state known for its high Muslim population.
2002: Tamerlan's family travels to Massachusetts on a 90-day tourist visa. His father applies for political asylum, which is granted to him, his wife, and his children. Tamerlan attends Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School. He is a quiet student who often goes to the gym to box, according to a classmate.
2006: After Tamerlan's application to the University of Massachusetts is rejected, he enrolls in Bunker Hill Community College's accounting program.
2007: Tamerlan meets Katherine Russell, a student at Suffolk University in Boston, who grew up in North Kingstown, R.I. The two have an on-and-off relationship, sometimes abusive, for the next few years.
2009: Tamerlan wins the New England Golden Gloves heavyweight title, which qualifies him for the national tournament in Salt Lake City.
2009: Tamerlan is profiled in a photo essay by Johannes Hirn called "Will Box for Passport." One of the photos' captions includes this quote: "I don't have a single American friend, I don't understand them." In Salt Lake City, he loses his first bout.
2009: Police arrest Tamerlan after a girlfriend (not Katherine Russell) accuses him of abusing her. "Yes, I slapped her," he tells police. A jury trial dismisses the domestic abuse charges the following year.
2009: Katherine Russell's friends notice that Tamerlan stops drinking, smoking, and going out with them, and he begins voicing anger at the U.S. government. Russell, his girlfriend, becomes pregnant, drops out of college in her last year, converts to Islam, and marries him.
2009: Tamerlan befriends an Armenian Muslim known as "Misha." Misha radicalizes Tamerlan, according to Tamerlan's uncle and Tamerlan's brother-in-law. "This person just took his brain," his uncle says. "He just brainwashed him completely." 2011: At the request of the Russian government, the FBI investigates Tamerlan for signs of terrorist activity but finds no indication that he is a militant. FBI requests for more information from the Russian government go unanswered. The CIA adds Tamerlan to a database of potential terrorists, but it does not find sufficient reason to add him to the terror watchlist.
2011: Three men are stabbed to death in an apartment in Waltham, Mass., including one of Tamerlan's friends. The murders remain unsolved.
2012: Tamerlan takes a six-month trip to Dagestan, Russia, where an aunt sees him praying regularly and studying the Quran intensely. 2012: Tamerlan returns to the U.S. He and his wife stop receiving welfare from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services in Massachusetts because their income no longer makes them eligible for the benefits. Tamerlan is unemployed while his wife works as a health care aide. August 2012: Tamerlan creates a YouTube channel after returning from his trip to Russia. He posts a video of an armed Russian jihadist addressing Muslim youth, a video of a fundamentalist Muslim preacher criticizing Harry Potter, and a Russian rapper's songs.
11/16/2012: A preacher at the mosque Tamerlan attends says in a sermon that it is OK to celebrate American holidays, such as the Fourth of July. Tamerlan interrupts the sermon to argue with him.
1/18/2013: A preacher at the mosque Tamerlan attends praises Martin Luther King Jr. Tamerlan stands up and calls the preacher a "non-believer" and accuses him of "contaminating people's minds." The congregation shouts at Tamerlan, telling him to leave the sermon. Some leaders of the mosque tell him to stop interrupting the sermons or not return. He continues to attend sermons but does not interrupt again.
2/6/2013: Tamerlan buys two large pyrotechnic devices from Phantom Fireworks in Seabrook, N.H. It is the same store that sold firecrackers to Faisal Shahzad before he tried to detonate a car bomb in Times Square. 3/19/2013: Dzhokhar posts a video on his Vkontakte profile page featuring Tamerlan humorously mimicking different accents from the brothers' homeland region in Russian.
4/15/2013: Two explosions hit the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring many more at the finish line.
4/18/2013: Tamerlan calls Alvi Tsarnaev, an uncle living in Montgomery Village, Md. The two talk for the first time in two years. "I love you and forgive me," Tamerlan reportedly says.
4/18/2013?4/19/2013: Late at night, Tamerlan and his brother Dzhokhar allegedly kill an MIT police officer, hijack a car, and throw explosives at pursuing police. They are involved in a firefight with police in Watertown, Mass., where the brothers wield improvised explosive devices and homemade grenades. Tamerlan, already shot and suffering from wounds from an explosive device, dies after Dzhokhar runs over him with a car in his effort to escape.
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Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
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