Researchers conduct 'autopsy' of social network Friendster (Wired UK)

A team of systems designers conducted an "autopsy" of social networking site Friendster by analysing several online communities.

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology examined Friendster, Livejournal, Facebook, Orkut and Myspace in a bid to identify what makes a social network survive or decline, and what makes them capable of withstanding changes.

As the paper on the topic explains, "changes may cause users to leave, which may trigger further leaves of others who lost connection to their friends. This may lead to cascades of users leaving."

Friendster was founded in 2002 and at its peak had more than 100 million users. In 2009, having undergone a comprehensive redesign and suffered some technical problems, the site started haemorrhaging users, and was eventually closed down in 2011 and reopened as an online gaming portal.

The study seeks to find out what went wrong and takes the form of a "digital autopsy" on Friendster using data collected at the time by the Internet Archive.

The team -- led by David Garcia and co-authored by Pavlin Mavrodiev and Frank Schweitzer -- defines the social resilience of an online community as "the ability of the community to withstand external stresses and disturbances as a result of environmental changes", particularly the user interface of the social network.

They found that when the time and effort (the costs) associated with being a member of a social network outweigh the benefits, then a decline in users becomes likely. If one person leaves, their friends become more likely to leave and as more people leave, this can lead to a cascading collapse in membership.

Each network has some resistance to this decline, depending on how many friends each users has. If a user has a thousand friends, they will hardly notice when a couple leave. But if a user has three friends and one leaves then they are much more likely to leave themselves.

So if a large proportion of people who use the network have a small number of friends, it can be highly vulnerable to mass exodus.

The team used "k-core analysis" to identify the fraction of the network in which all users have at least a certain number (k) of friends. This fraction -- the k-core distribution -- was analysed for each of the five aforementioned networks.

Being vulnerable to mass exodus doesn't mean a network automatically fails. In order for that to happen, the cost-to-benefit ration must drop to a point where individual members choose to leave. So the combination of a vulnerable k-core and a low cost-to-benefit ratio create a recipe for disaster.

Just before Friendster collapsed, the cost-to-benefit ratio fell significantly due to the changes to the user-interface combined with technical issues. "This measure can be seen as a precursor of the later collapse of the community," says the study. This was the ultimate cause of death.

Interestingly, the study found that the topologies of Livejournal and Facebook are less resilient than the unsuccessful networks Friendster and Orkut. "This indicates that the environmental condition of an online social network plays a major role in its success. Thus, we conclude that the topology of the social network alone cannot explain the stories."

The report flags up a comedy video made by The Onion, which sees fictitious "internet archaeologists" commenting on the decay of Friendster.

"While proposed as a satire of the speed of internet culture, this video illustrates the opportunities that a failed social network o?ers for research. The users of such a community leave traces that allow us to investigate its failure. In this sense, we can name our work as Internet Archaeology, because we analyse non-written traces of a disappeared society, aiming at understanding the way it worked and the reasons for its demise."

You can read the full study on Arxiv.org

Image: Shutterstock

Source: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-02/27/autopsy-of-friendster

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Leap Motion Controller starts shipping May 13th, hits Best Buy on the 19th

If you were still thinking that the Leap Motion Controller was going to turn into vaporware, it looks like you were wrong. Just less than a year after the company first made waves with its tiny gesture recognizing box, a finished product is getting ready to ship. Those that pre-ordered should receive their shipping notices starting May 13th. If you weren't willing to commit to the device before hand, you'll still be able to snatch one up at Best Buy on May 19th for $80. Or, if you're so inclined, you can continue to use your mouse to play Cut the Rope on your desktop... your choice we suppose.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/27/leap-motion-controller-starts-shipping-may-13th/

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Big Screens at IMAX Generating Big Profits

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
By George Leong, B.Comm. for Profit Confidential

There?s nothing better than watching an action-packed movie on a big screen supported by an astounding 12,000 watts of sound delivered via a network of over 40 speakers. The experience is incredible, and it?s beginning to pay dividends for investors of Canada-based IMAX Corporation (NYSE/IMAX) and its advanced theater technology for a movie screen as high as 98 feet. (Source: Brain, M., ?How IMAX Works,? How Stuff Works, last accessed February 26, 2013.) We are talking colossal here as far as the screen size goes?and it could be a big investment opportunity, too.

Driving the excitement behind IMAX has been the movement of big-budget Hollywood movies to the IMAX experience in not only North America, but also Western Europe, Japan, China, and Russia. According to the company, it operated 643 IMAX theaters in 52 countries as of March 31, 2012.

China is a major area of growth and expansion, which is a major investment opportunity for IMAX. There are currently 92 IMAX?theaters operating in China with another 133?theaters slated to open. With 1.3 billion people, the Chinese market is captivating.

Movie viewers want to see action movies on the big screens; so far, this has helped IMAX make big profits, suggesting the stock could be a good investment opportunity.

Recent blockbuster films include The Hunger Games, The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises. Films currently in IMAX theaters include The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and A Good Day to Die Hard. Soon to come will be Jack the Giant Slayer and Oz: the Great and Powerful.

While the move to the big screen has been strong, IMAX has been inconsistent with its revenues; it reported higher growth in 2009 and 2010 before a slight relapse in 2011. Revenues are estimated to grow 9.5% to $311 million in 2013, followed by 15.7% growth to $360 million in 2014, according to Thomson Financial consensus estimates. If IMAX can steadily record higher revenue growth, the stock will continue to deliver and could provide a sound investment opportunity.

On the earnings side, IMAX has also been inconsistent, though it has made money in seven of the last 10 years. What?s encouraging is that the company is expected to ramp up earnings to $0.98 per diluted share in 2013, followed by $1.35 per diluted share in 2014, according to Thomson Financial consensus estimates; this increase in earnings makes IMAX an intriguing possible investment opportunity.

For IMAX, it will be a matter of consistency that will make the stock a good investment opportunity. After quarters of inconsistent results versus Wall Street estimates, IMAX has beaten Thomson Financial consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters, including a stellar 43.8% outperformance in the fourth quarter. We may be seeing a good investment opportunity setting up.

The chart of IMAX below shows an upward-moving trendline along with strong relative strength and a bullish moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) reading. The stock?s chart is showing a bullish ?golden cross,? with its 50-day moving average (MA) of $23.60 above its 200-day MA of $22.21, based on my technical analysis. The Fibonacci retracement levels suggest that if IMAX can hold on to its current break at the horizontal, blue resistance line, we could see a move toward $28.80, and then $38.00; this would make IMAX a great investment opportunity.

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

But watch the major short positions on IMAX, as about 25.5% of the float or 14.4 million shares shorted as of January 31, 2013, according to Thomson Financial. An upward move in the stock could drive short-sellers to the exits, pushing the stock price higher and representing a good investment opportunity.

There are various ways you can play IMAX, whether it?s buying the stock or call options. The length of the call option will depend largely on how rapid you believe the share price will rise.

Please note: the information on IMAX contained in this article is not to be construed as advice to buy the stock; rather, it is meant to provide an example of a potential good investment opportunity.

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Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/stock-market/big-screens-at-imax-generating-big-profits/

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Veteran explorer stakes Russia's claim over the Arctic

By Gabriela Baczynska

MOSCOW | Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:40pm EST

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian polar explorer Artur Chilingarov made his name in the Soviet Union with a daring rescue of an ice-bound ship, then won international fame for planting Russia's flag under the ice cap, angering governments with rival claims over the Arctic.

Now at the age of 73, rather than folding away his maps, he is spearheading President Vladimir Putin's diplomatic push to secure more of the mineral-rich region.

"We don't want anything that belongs to anybody else, but if we prove it's ours, give it to us," a cigar-puffing Chilingarov told Reuters in an interview in his Moscow office dominated by a wall map of the Arctic seabed's topography.

On his desk stood a 10-cm (four-inch) high replica of the titanium Russian tricolor that he planted at the North Pole during his 2007 dive.

Huge reserves of Arctic oil and natural gas are expected to become more accessible as climate change melts the ice and technology advances.

For Putin, the race for the Arctic's natural wealth is a matter of national and personal pride at the start of his six-year, third term as president, and would be a victory from which he could reap political dividends.

Competition is fierce, with Norway, the United States, Canada and Denmark also seeking to secure their interests in the Arctic and where international energy majors such as ConocoPhillips and Statoil hope to succeed with potentially lucrative offshore projects.

After the failure of a first attempt to secure an additional 1.2 million square km (463,000 square miles) of the Arctic shelf, Russia intends to present more evidence to support its claim to the United Nations by the end of this year.

"Our economy today is largely based on what was developed in the Arctic regions - oil, gas, diamonds, gold, apatites - from Norilsk to Chukotka, thanks to the Soviet Union's policies of exploring and producing there," Chilingarov said.

"But back then we did not go into the sea. Resources are not endless and our task now is to leave future generations the same chances of economic stability as the Soviet Union left us."

NEW STRATEGY

The map on Chilingarov's wall was the result of 30 years of work by Soviet and then Russian scientists and was central to Moscow's first attempt in 2001 to win U.N. recognition that its Arctic shelf extends up to the North Pole.

Russia says an underwater mountain range known as the Lomonosov Ridge, which stretches across the Arctic Sea, is part of its own Eurasian landmass.

But the U.N. was not convinced and asked for more research to back the claim, rejected by Canada and Denmark, which say the formation is a geographical extension of their own land.

Chilingarov said the presentation of new evidence to back up Russia's claim was now a priority for the Kremlin.

"This is a very important task supported by the president. The aim is to do it by the end of this year," said the explorer. "We spare no efforts on expeditions to prove that Russia sits on Arctic resources ... We are very serious, very serious about this."

Russia puts its total shelf oil and gas reserves, from the Arctic to the Caspian Sea, at 100 billion tonnes of oil equivalent - enough to power the world for more than 20 years.

A new strategy for the Arctic, approved by Putin this month, underlines the importance of tapping more energy resources in a country whose $2.1 trillion economy is overly reliant on exports of energy resources.

Oil and gas sales now account for around half of Russia's budget revenues and commodities make up some 90 percent of Russian exports.

The cost of developing any new energy fields will be great.

Russia's flagship gas project on the Arctic shelf, the Gazprom-controlled Shtokman, is already on hold because of cost overruns after years of failed attempts to advance work at the field holding nearly 4 trillion cubic meters of gas.

Other countries, meanwhile, are pressing their own claims. A Danish expedition last year also collected data to support its claim to a vast tract in the Arctic including the North Pole.

RICH REWARDS

The rewards for the winners are potentially huge, with the U.S. Geological Survey estimating that 30 percent of the world's undiscovered natural gas and 15 percent of oil is in the Arctic.

Several companies, including Russia's Rosneft, Norway's Statoil and U.S.-based Exxon Mobil are already getting ready to drill in areas of melting sea ice, despite the risks, technological difficulties and costs.

After Chilingarov's North Pole dive in 2007, he was officially declared a hero of Russia, an award he added to the title of hero of the Soviet Union that he had won for the 1980s rescue operation, and his face still adorns postage stamps.

He is one of only four people to have been awarded both titles, and one of only two still alive.

"This is not the end of my expedition activity, but this was the pinnacle of it," Chilingarov said of the 2007 dive.

There is also an environmental challenge to face. Many environmental groups say the rush for the Arctic's natural resources risks destroying its fragile ecosystems, already under threat from climate change, as there are no adequate impact studies or emergency plans in case of a leak.

Last August, Greenpeace activists scaled Gazprom's Prirazlomnaya oil rig - Russia's first offshore oil development in the Arctic - to protest against drilling there and draw attention to the destruction of the area.

"As a polar explorer, obviously, I am for leaving the Arctic untouched. As a politician, I understand that Russia lives on its natural resources and should go on developing them," said Chilingarov.

(Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/_muQGpFh_Lc/us-russia-arctic-idUSBRE91Q11F20130227

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Leap Motion Controller starts shipping May 13th, hits Best Buy on the 19th

If you were still thinking that the Leap Motion Controller was going to turn into vaporware, it looks like you were wrong. Just less than a year after the company first made waves with its tiny gesture recognizing box, a finished product is getting ready to ship. Those that pre-ordered should receive their shipping notices starting May 13th. If you weren't willing to commit to the device before hand, you'll still be able to snatch one up at Best Buy on May 19th for $80. Or, if you're so inclined, you can continue to use your mouse to play Cut the Rope on your desktop... your choice we suppose.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/OFEAImMc_tY/

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Good bacteria may expunge vancomycin-resistant bacteria from your gut

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

Probiotic possibilities loom

Too much antibiotic can decimate the normal intestinal microbiota, which may never recover its former diversity. That, in turn, renders the GI tract vulnerable to being colonized by pathogens. Now researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, and Centro Superior de Investigacin en Salud Pblica, Valencia, Spain, show that reintroducing normal microbial diversity largely eliminated vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from the intestinal tracts of mice. The investigators showed further that the findings may apply to humans. The research is published in the March 2013 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.

The reduced diversity of microbiota wrought by antibiotics "allow[s] VRE to invade and thrive in the intestine, suggesting that bacterial species that are wiped out by antibiotics are key to preventing colonization by VRE," says first author Carles Ubeda of the Centro Superior de Investigacion en Salud Publica, Valencia, Spain. "We hypothesized that repopulating the mice' intestines with the missing bacteria would promote clearance of the VRE."

In the study, the researchers treated mice with antibiotics. They then gave the mice fecal transplants from untreated mice, or aerobic or anaerobic cultures from the fecal transplants. Following the latter treatments, mice receiving the fecal transplant or the anaerobic culture were able to clear the VRE, while those receiving the aerobic culture failed to do so. The researchers compared the microbiota in each group. The big difference: the mice that had cleared the VRE contained bacteria from the anaerobic genus, Barnesiella, while those that had failed to clear the VRE did not.

The researchers then analyzed the fecal microbiota from human patients who had received bone marrow transplants, who were at high risk of being colonized by vancomycin-resistant enterococci. "The presence of Barnesiella in fecal samples was associated with protection against VRE, suggesting that in humans, Barnesiella may also confer protection against dense VRE colonization," says Ubeda.

"The findings could be very useful for development of novel probiotics," says Ubeda. Additionally, "scientifically, this is a major finding that will help us to understand how the microbiota confer resistance against intestinal colonization by pathogens, an important question that remains incompletely answered."

###

(C. Ubeda, V. Bucci, S. Caballero, et al. Intestinal microbiota containing Barnesiella species cures vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization. Infect. Immun. 81:965-973)

Infection and Immunity is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. Its mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology

Probiotic possibilities loom

Too much antibiotic can decimate the normal intestinal microbiota, which may never recover its former diversity. That, in turn, renders the GI tract vulnerable to being colonized by pathogens. Now researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, and Centro Superior de Investigacin en Salud Pblica, Valencia, Spain, show that reintroducing normal microbial diversity largely eliminated vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from the intestinal tracts of mice. The investigators showed further that the findings may apply to humans. The research is published in the March 2013 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.

The reduced diversity of microbiota wrought by antibiotics "allow[s] VRE to invade and thrive in the intestine, suggesting that bacterial species that are wiped out by antibiotics are key to preventing colonization by VRE," says first author Carles Ubeda of the Centro Superior de Investigacion en Salud Publica, Valencia, Spain. "We hypothesized that repopulating the mice' intestines with the missing bacteria would promote clearance of the VRE."

In the study, the researchers treated mice with antibiotics. They then gave the mice fecal transplants from untreated mice, or aerobic or anaerobic cultures from the fecal transplants. Following the latter treatments, mice receiving the fecal transplant or the anaerobic culture were able to clear the VRE, while those receiving the aerobic culture failed to do so. The researchers compared the microbiota in each group. The big difference: the mice that had cleared the VRE contained bacteria from the anaerobic genus, Barnesiella, while those that had failed to clear the VRE did not.

The researchers then analyzed the fecal microbiota from human patients who had received bone marrow transplants, who were at high risk of being colonized by vancomycin-resistant enterococci. "The presence of Barnesiella in fecal samples was associated with protection against VRE, suggesting that in humans, Barnesiella may also confer protection against dense VRE colonization," says Ubeda.

"The findings could be very useful for development of novel probiotics," says Ubeda. Additionally, "scientifically, this is a major finding that will help us to understand how the microbiota confer resistance against intestinal colonization by pathogens, an important question that remains incompletely answered."

###

(C. Ubeda, V. Bucci, S. Caballero, et al. Intestinal microbiota containing Barnesiella species cures vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization. Infect. Immun. 81:965-973)

Infection and Immunity is a publication of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 39,000 scientists and health professionals. Its mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.

---

[ | 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/2013-02/asfm-gbm022713.php

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Holographs help firefighters spot victims through flames

John Roach , NBC News ? ? ? 3 hrs.

Firefighters may soon be able to see through flames and find people trapped in burning buildings, according to details of a new holographic imaging technique described Tuesday.

Some fire departments already use infrared cameras to see through smoke, but these cameras use zoom lenses to collect and focus light. The intense infrared radiation emitted by flames can overwhelm the camera sensors and limit their use, the researchers explain.

The new technique developed by Pietro Ferraro at the National Institute of Optics in Italy and his colleagues makes use of a lens-free digital holography technology in the infrared range.

Holography is a means of producing 3-D images of an object using two beams of light: an object beam and a reference beam. The object beam is shone onto the object being imaged. The reflected light is combined with the reference beam to create a pattern that encodes a 3-D image.

In the new technique described in the journal Optics Express, a beam of infrared laser light is widely dispersed throughout a smoke-and-flame-filled room. A holographic imager records the reflected light and decodes it to reveal what lies behind the inferno.

"The result is a live, 3-D movie of the room and its contents," the Optical Society, which publishes the journal, notes in a news release. "The next step to moving this technology to the field is to develop a portable tripod-based system that houses both the laser source and the IR camera."

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/imaging-technique-lets-firefighters-see-through-flames-1C8564100

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PayPal co-founder Max Levchin returns to online payments with Affirm

Curious what Max Levchin's been up to ever since he left Google in 2011? Well, wonder no more. Today, PayPal's co-founder revealed his return to the payment world with a new company called Affirm. Like many startups, Affirm is looking to make online payments quicker and easier, but the real question is whether you'll be willing to come along for the ride. AllThingsD managed to catch Levchin for an interview, in which he revealed that Affirm will issue credit to consumers and guarantee payment to merchants for all online transactions. Curiously, Affirm will use Facebook to verify a user's identity, and it'll also use a wide range of social and location-based data to determine an individual's credit worthiness. The payment startup will launch in beta with 1-800-Flowers as its partner, and it's said that consumers will be given 30 days to settle the resulting bill with Affirm. There's no word of what fees or interest rates will be assessed for late payments, but we imagine you'll find strong incentive to pay for that flower arrangement.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: AllThingsD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/26/max-levchin-reveals-affirm-payments-startup/

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12 Awesomely Awkward Faces from the Oscars

1. Amanda Seyfried

JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/oscars-2013-awkward-celebrity-faces/1-a-523502?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aoscars-2013-awkward-celebrity-faces-523502

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Jobless, cities could be first to feel budget pain

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Who'll be the first to feel the sting?

Jobless Americans who have been out of work for a long time and local governments that are paying off loans to fix roads and schools are in tough spots when it comes to the automatic federal budget cuts that are scheduled to kick in Friday.

About 2 million long-term unemployed people could see checks now averaging $300 a week reduced by about $30. There could also be reductions in federal payments that subsidize clean energy, school construction and state and local public works projects. Low-income Americans seeking heating assistance or housing or other aid might encounter longer waits.

Government employees could get furlough notices as early as next week, though cuts in their work hours won't occur until April.

The timing of the "sequester" spending cuts has real consequences for Americans, but it also has a political ramifications. How quickly and fiercely the public feels the cuts could determine whether President Barack Obama and lawmakers seek to replace them with a different deficit reduction plan.

Eager to put pressure on Republican lawmakers to accept his blend of targeted cuts and tax increases Obama has been highlighting the impact of the automatic cuts in grim terms. He did it again on Monday, declaring the threat of the cuts is already harming the national economy.

Republicans say he is exaggerating and point to rates of spending, even after the cuts, that would be higher than in 2008 when adjusted for inflation. All Obama has to do to avoid the damage, House Speaker John Boehner said at the Capitol, is agree to the GOP's recommended spending cuts ? with no tax increases.

By all accounts, most of the pain of the $85 billion in spending reductions to this year's federal budget would be slow in coming. The dire consequences that Obama officials say Americans will encounter ? from airport delays and weakened borders to reduced parks programs and shuttered meatpacking plants ? would unfold over time as furloughs kick in and agencies begin to adjust to their spending reductions.

"These impacts will not all be felt on day one," Obama acknowledged in a meeting with governors at the White House on Monday. "But rest assured the uncertainty is already having an effect."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned that the federal government would be unable to "maintain the same level of security at all places around the country" once the automatic cuts began to take effect.

The public will feel the results "in the next few weeks," she said, and "it will keep growing."

The majority of the federal budget is in fact walled off from the cuts. Social Security and veterans' programs are exempt, and cuts to Medicare are generally limited to a 2 percent, $10 billion reduction in payments to hospitals and doctors. Most programs that help the poor, like Medicaid, food stamps, subsidized school lunches, Pell Grants and supplemental security income payments are also exempt.

Still, the Pentagon will feel the brunt of half the cuts. Pay for active military is off-limits for cuts, so the rest of the defense budget must absorb the hit. The Obama administration says defense contractors have already ramped down work, contributing to a dip in economic activity in the fourth quarter of last year. The Navy has decided not to deploy an aircraft carrier as planned to the Persian Gulf.

Elsewhere, the White House's budget office says long-term unemployed Americans would lose an average of more than $400 in benefits over the year. The cuts do not affect state unemployment benefits, which jobless workers typically get soon after their loss of work. The federal reductions could begin immediately, though some analysts say the government could delay them for a short period to avoid a harmful hit on the economy.

Bill Hoagland, a former top Republican Senate budget aide and now senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank, said the administration must be "betwixt and between" when it comes to addressing reductions in programs like jobless aid.

"They want to make sure the American public knows this sequester is a bad thing, but they also don't want to disrupt the economy too much," he said. "It's not that the reductions won't take place. But they could delay the impact of that until later in the year."

Administration officials also say the Treasury Department is prepared to begin reducing subsidies that cover interest payments by state and local governments on public works, school and renewable energy projects. That means those governments will have to find money in their budgets to make up the difference in bond interest payments, and while that might not affect projects already under way, it could delay new construction efforts.

The sequester, says Douglas Rice of the Center on Budget and Policy priorities, also would mean that families that leave subsidized housing would be less likely to be replaced with people from waiting lists, and that eventually some families could lose their apartments.

Many federal programs, like heating aid for the poor, already have many more people seeking assistance than the program budgets can cover. Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, for instance, has fluctuated greatly in recent years, with the administration proposing to cut it by 13 percent this year. In such cases, it may be impossible for people denied aid to know whether it's because of the sequester since they might have been denied help anyway.

In some instances the cuts will be felt not by beneficiaries being thrown out of programs but by longer delays to get help. In the case of subsidized housing, for example, there are already long waits for assistance in most of the country.

In the case of the Women, Infants and Children program for low-income pregnant women and their children, the government has generally tried to make sure that every eligible woman can get food aid. States aren't permitted to cut the food benefit, which means fewer people will be served. The Agriculture Department says it will prioritize things so that pregnant women and nursing mothers keep their aid but post-partum women who do not breastfeed could lose their aid.

Who gets hit first also depends on how the government's budget flows. Education aid to school districts, for instance, is delivered in the fall, so impacts won't be felt until the new school year. But some teachers are already being informed that they could lose their jobs in August or September. Most Head Start programs won't feel cuts until the upcoming school year, too.

Some programs, like subsidized child care for the poor, are run by states, which will have flexibility in how to allocate the cuts. Just one in six eligible low-income families benefits from a federally funded child care slot. Cuts to the program leave states with difficult options: reduce the number of children cared for, require poor families to contribute more or cut payments to providers.

"I don't think people are going to feel it as dramatically as the administration has been suggesting," said Hoagland. "I'm not questioning the administration's numbers, I'm questioning their timing."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jobless-cities-could-first-feel-budget-pain-230615005--politics.html

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Ad-free Social Platform App.net Goes Freemium With Free, Invite-Only Plan

App.net, the project that emerged from founder Dalton Caldwell's desire to build a social platform that wasn't driven by advertising, is adding its first free option today. Given Caldwell's emphasis on creating a product that people are actually willing to pay for, this might seem like a step backwards, or one of those infamous startup "pivots." However, Caldwell told me that this actually isn't a change of plans, and to back that up he pointed to his initial blog post announcing the project back in July. The post didn't explicitly say that that there are going to be both paid and free tiers, but the two positive examples of non-advertising companies that Caldwell cited are Dropbox and particularly Github, which both offer free services and then charge for additional features.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Hj9BQ14NdDY/

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We will bounce back in ODI series against South Africa, says Shoaib Malik

Malik, who is now considered only for T20 or ODI matches said the coming series was also a personal challenge for him. Malik, who was captain from 2007 to 2009, said he had also played well in the one-day series in India.

Press Trust of India ?|? Last updated on Sunday, 24 February 2013 22:41 Print font size - + ').appendTo($jq('#gta')); $jq('').appendTo($jq('#gta')); },3000); } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { s += ''; } s += '' } } return; } // --> google_ad_client = "pub-7641565019577886"; /* Sports JS */ google_ad_slot = "8515735957"; google_ad_width = 640; google_ad_height = 70; google_max_num_ads = 1; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_ad_output = 'js'; //-->

Lahore:? Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik says the national team has the ability to bounce back in the One-day series against South Africa after a disappointing show in the Test series. Malik, Kamran and Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shahzad, Zulfiqar Babar, Asad Ali will join the national team for the series of two T20s and five one-dayers.

"Cricket is a funny game once you run into a bad patch it is difficult to come out of it unfortunately we had a bad start in the Test series and we couldn't get out of it. I don't think our team is as bad as the results show," Malik told PTI at the Gaddafi stadium.

He said Pakistan had a good Test side but unfortunately things didn't work out in South Africa.

"But we need to now just move on and try to reverse the results in the one-day series although it will be a challenge," he said.

Malik said Pakistan had a very good record in T20 and ODI matches and was capable of producing different results and pose a strong challenge for South Africa.

"It is a good opportunity for us to show everyone we are a far better side than the results suggest in the Test matches."

Malik, who is now considered only for T20 or ODI matches said the coming series was also a personal challenge for him.

"I was in South Africa late last year for the Champions League so I know the conditions are different there but I have been playing lot of domestic cricket and I know that I can do well," he added.

Malik, who was captain from 2007 to 2009, said he had also played well in the one-day series in India.

"I am feeling good about my cricket and I am ready to bat at any position for Pakistan against South Africa. Having played domestic cricket also I am ready for the challenge."

Malik scored a brilliant 153 in his last domestic match in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy last week while leading Sialkot region into the final of the tournament.

"I also wanted to play in the final I was even willing to play for just three days but the board said we have to leave tonight for South Africa and get some time to acclimatize to conditions there."

Malik said people needed to support the Pakistan team despite its whitewash in the tests against South Africa.

"You must understand South Africa is the number one test side and they played as per their reputation," he stated.

Story first published on: Sunday, 24 February 2013 22:35

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NdtvSports-allsports/~3/bh1t9GoUbLI/204098-we-will-bounce-back-in-odi-series-against-south-africa-says-shoaib-malik

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South Carolina Car Insurance | Car Insurance Quotes

If you are a male driver looking for cheap South Carolina Car Insurance, then simply enter your zip code above. Our website can help you by providing a list of insurance quotes. With the car insurance quotes presented, finding the insurance provider is a lot easier.

We are all aware that male drivers are more expensive to insure than women. A male driver in the early 20s and not more than 25 years old are more expensive to insure. This is because according to statistics, men are usually more involved to accidents. Along with this, male drivers are usually ticketed for violating road rules such as driving under the influence of alcohol, while using their phone, and the like. Driving while there is any distraction can lead to serious collision and this undoubtedly is a grave offense. But why are men higher risk drivers than women?

This can be an issue that involves their testosterone. They easily get aggressive once in a particular driving situation unlike women. This usually happens to younger male drivers. They often get involve to road rage, and when accompanied by attacks of ego, they are influenced to race other cars and disobey traffic rules.

Higher insurance premium are given to those who are less than 25 years old, regardless of gender. Because young drivers have less experience, they are usually involved to accidents on the road. And since they are high risk drivers, they are charged with higher premiums. What more if you are a male driver less than 25? What can you do to lower the premium cost?

First thing that matters is the type of car you are driving. The more expensive your car is, the more it will cost you on auto insurance. This is because when you are driving an expensive car and you get into trouble, cost of the repairs and replacements to be shouldered by the insurance company is undoubtedly huge. So if you are a driver less than 25, it will be best to get an inexpensive vehicle. Don?t drive sports car as they are fast and more prone to accidents. Luxury cars, on the other hand, are attractive to thieves and can also increase the premium.

Another factor that can help lower your premium is to modify your car with safety devices instead of other enhancements. The better your security systems are, the lower will you get your premium. Car enhancements will only increase the value of your vehicle. Therefore, your premium, again, will go higher.

Lastly, you have to maintain a clean driving history. Because if not, you will carry this all along, every time you need to purchase a policy.

Source: http://smartcarinsurancequotes.net/states/south-carolina-car-insurance/

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Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000

Despite the popularity of noise canceling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 15, in-canal noise canceling earphones remain a rare alternative. The reason seems simple: The circuitry and battery compartment for noise cancellation has to go somewhere, and unfortunately, as with the $149.95 (list) Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000, it's awkwardly placed along the cable, requiring a shirt clip for mobile use. Thus far, the only earphones to actually fit the circuitry inside the earpieces themselves are the Sony XBA-NC85D, an overpriced underperformer. The UltraFocus 6000 provides deep bass response and powerful, distortion-free audio performance, as well as top-notch noise cancellation, but if the shirt clip compartment is a dealbreaker, check out some on-ear headphone alternatives.

Design
The circuitry may exist outside the earpieces, but even so, the UltraFocus 6000 still has bulky earpieces compared with many of today's streamlined earphone options. Regardless, the black, rubberized plastic design is lightweight and quite secure.?The aforementioned battery/circuitry compartment is located along the thick, linguini-esque cable, more or less midway down, so that it can be clipped either to a shirt, a belt, or a pants pocket.

In addition to the Power switch, the Ultrafocus 6000 features a sound attenuator switch, which lowers sound sources by 10 decibels?useful for airplanes, which often have louder outputs. There's also a push-to-hear ambient control, so you can hear your surroundings clearly without removing the earphones. Unfortunately, the UltraFocus 6000 does not output audio in passive mode. You must use the battery, and the noise cancellation, to listen to music.

The Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000 is also offered, perplexingly for the same price, as the Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000i, which features inline mobile phone controls and a microphone. If you're looking to use it with your iOS device, make sure you buy the version with "i" appended to its name. We tested the version without controls, but this review should serve as an evaluation of both.

With seven included ear tip pairs?some are the typical silicon shape, some are flange-shaped, some are foam?there is quite a variety to choose from, which bolsters the already secure-fitting design of the 6000 even more.

One AAA battery is included with the UltraFocus 6000; Polk Audio estimates the battery life for the earphones at roughly 30 hours. It would have been nice to see a rechargeable option here, but we've thus far seen only one rechargeable in-ear pair, the Sony XBA-NC85D. Also included: a Nokia device adapter, an airline jack adapter, and a rigid zip-up protective case.

Performance
The UltraFocus 6000 has no issues with deep bass frequencies. At high volumes, it churns out sub-bass content with some serious power. Even songs with particularly challenging sub-bass frequencies, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," are delivered distortion-free, all the way up to maximum (and unsafe, by the way) listening levels.

There's a significant boost to both low and high frequencies. On Bill Callahan's "Drover," his vocals sound a bit overshadowed by the intense lower frequencies, however?the treble boost doesn't quite bring out enough of the edge in his baritone vocal delivery, and the mix ends up sounding a bit muffled.

The higher frequencies also feel a bit dialed back on Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild." Vocals are delivered with enough clarity, but the intense kick drum loop is missing the hi-mid grit that it usually packs, detracting from the power of the mix a bit.

The UltraFocus 6000's sound signature fares better on classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," lending enough edge to the higher register strings to balance out the enhanced resonance of the lower register strings. Things are not muddy here, and never approach overly bright or harsh. It's a boosted, but balanced, sound.

There's a dirty little secret about active noise cancellation and in-ear earphones that's rarely acknowledged: Passive noise cancellation?using ear plugs, for instance?works just as well, if not better, and it's far less expensive. This is particularly relevant here because I'd venture that roughly 80 percent (conservative guess) of in-canal earphones achieve a significant level of ambient noise reduction just by sealing off your ear canal. Are they as effective as earplugs? No, but they come pretty close.

In other words, in-ear noise canceling pairs have less work to do than headphones, because they already block out so much of the sound. The UltraFocus 6000 is nonetheless armed with some solid noise cancellation technology. Turn the system on, and wide swaths of ambient sound are drastically dampened. Unlike many on-ear pairs that use less-than-top-of-the-line circuitry, the UltraFocus 6000 seems to avoid producing much high frequency hiss. But these earphones already reduce much of a room's noise just by sitting in your ears.

Thus, the obvious question: If in-ear noise cancellation is so much easier to pull off, and as the UltraFocus 6000 demonstrates, also less expensive (compared to, say, the Bose QuietComfort 15), why are there so few in-ear options compared to on-ear options? And the answer, I believe, is the dreaded battery compartment/circuitry box. The bulk of the inline compartment, and its weight, makes the shirt clip a necessity. There's no way around it: It's annoying.

Other in-ear options, like the Phiaton PS 20 NC, exist, and yes, it features the cumbersome shirt-clip compartment as well. But unlike the UltraFocus 6000, the PS 20 NC can output audio in passive mode, which is a huge advantage. If you dread the clip as I do, you'll need to go the on-ear headphone route, as we don't highly recommend Sony's ground-breaking?but very overpriced?in-ear, external compartment-free option, the aforementioned XBA-NC85D. If excellent noise cancellation is your main priority, the Bose QuietComfort 15 is a tried and true winner. If better music performance is your priority, consider the AKG K 490 NC, which also features solid noise cancellation, as well as Polk Audio's own Ultrafocus 8000.

But, in the in-canal noise canceling realm, the UltraFocus 6000 is a solid contender, armed with quality noise cancellation circuitry and distortion-free audio performance. If solid, in-ear noise cancellation is what you're looking for, the UltraFocus 6000, though far from flawless, is worth your consideration.

More Headphone Reviews:
??? Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000
??? Skullcandy Hesh 2
??? RHA MA150
??? Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint
??? Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/JXhatHCOdO8/0,2817,2415607,00.asp

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Why Obama Should Sit Down and Keep Quiet

Sometimes, silence really is golden. In politics, taking the path of highest visibility isn?t always the smartest way to do things. This week presented two good examples of that principle being violated, one by a Democrat and the other by a Republican.

As we watch President Obama stumping for comprehensive immigration reform, the question arises: Does his high-visibility association with this issue make reform more or less likely to happen? The challenge of achieving comprehensive immigration legislation is not in winning the votes of House and Senate Democrats; it?s in getting enough Republican votes to pass it in the House and to avoid a filibuster in the Senate. Even after the party?s election debacle in November, and the role of Latino and Asian voters in bringing it about, persuading enough House Republicans and at least five GOP senators to support comprehensive immigration reform is going to be a heavy lift for party leaders, who clearly understand the importance of getting this issue off the table.

Every time Obama takes a public stand on immigration, he makes it that much more difficult for Republican members of Congress to support it. Keep in mind that 94 percent of House Republicans are in districts Mitt Romney carried and that 34 of 45 GOP senators represent states Obama lost. As a result, most congressional Republicans are far more afraid of losing a primary to a more conservative challenger than a general election to a Democrat. It is a lot easier for them to support an immigration bill that has broad-based support in the business and farming communities (and that also happens to be supported by Obama and the Democratic leadership) than to back a bill so popularly identified with the other side. If the president really cares about enacting immigration reform, he will get off the campaign trail, depoliticize it, and keep as quiet about it as he can.

To a hammer, everything looks like a nail; too often with this White House, the solution to any challenge is ramping up campaign-style events. Bad idea.

Then we come to Karl Rove?s announcement that he and the American Crossroads super PAC are creating an offshoot, the Conservative Victory Fund, that will try to cull the Republican herd of candidates who might not be strong nominees in key Senate and House races. Candidates like this (I call them ?exotic and potentially problematic?) have helped cost Republicans a Senate majority. In 2010, the GOP lost five of the seven Senate contests The Cook Political Report rated as toss-ups going into Election Day; in 2012, it lost eight of 10. When a party loses 13 of 17 toss-ups over two elections, it has a problem. In many cases, Republicans nominated horrifically flawed candidates who didn?t quite self-destruct but were too weak to win. In other cases, they nominated candidates who did self-destruct. And when these problematic candidates pulled the pin on the grenade, other GOP office-seekers in their states became collateral damage.

Personally, I think the establishment of the Conservative Victory Fund is a good move for Rove and Crossroads. I only wonder why they felt it necessary to make a big splash about it, bringing the fight out in the open. The potential donor community for such a group can easily fit on a Rolodex (if such still exist), so it?s not like Rove and his super PAC needed the publicity to get the word out.

Torpedoing candidates who will further damage the party?s brand and, in many cases, cost Republicans seats, is an exercise that would be better done quietly. Hire an opposition researcher to dig up dirt on the feared exotic candidate, for example, preferably before he or she officially enters a race, and then leak the damaging information to a reporter on a not-for-attribution basis. It?s rarely hard to find a reporter who isn?t willing to run a story kneecapping a right-wing Republican candidate. In many cases, such leaks can keep a candidate from running or at least from building up a head of steam and winning a primary.

Conversely, a group such as the Conservative Fund could also support, through advertising and other organizational efforts, GOP candidates perceived to be highly electable. Lately, some mainstream Republican candidates have looked at the field, considered the direction the party has been going, and opted not to run at all. Knowing that a candidate who isn?t from the extreme Right can still find enough financial and organizational support could encourage many a highly electable fence-sitter to get in a race. With all that being the case, why was it necessary to start such a highly visible fight within the party?

It?s not often that Karl Rove and Barack Obama make the same mistake. But this week, they did.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-obama-sit-down-keep-quiet-205354862--politics.html

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Spain, France to miss debt goals as euro zone stays in recession

The euro zone will not return to growth until 2014 and struggling Spain and France will be among those who miss debt-cutting targets as a result, the European Commission said on Friday.

Paris and Lisbon said they would seek more time from Brussels to reach their deficit goals. Madrid has already indicated the same.

The EU's executive said the euro zone economy, which generates nearly a fifth of global output, would shrink 0.3 percent in 2013 after a 0.6 percent fall last year, blaming a lack of bank lending and record joblessness for delaying the recovery.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/22/us-europe-economy-deficit-idUSBRE91L0MM20130222

Source: http://thecomingcrisis.blogspot.com/2013/02/spain-france-to-miss-debt-goals-as-euro.html

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American Troops Deployed to Niger

About 100 American troops have been deployed to the African nation of Niger, where a U.S. defense official said they would be setting up a drone base for surveillance missions.
President Barack Obama announced the deployment Friday in a letter to Congress, saying that the forces "will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region."
French troops have been fighting Islamic militants in Mali, which neighbors Niger. The drone base will allow the U.S. to give France more intelligence on the militants. Over time, it could extend the reach not only of American intelligence-gathering but also U.S. special operations missions to strengthen Niger's own security forces.
The defense official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the project.
The drones at the Niger base will be unarmed and used for surveillance, not airstrikes.
Obama said in his letter to Congress that the U.S. forces has been deployed with the consent of Niger's government. The forces were also deployed with weapons "for their own force protection and security," the president said.
Last month, the U.S. and Niger signed a status-of-forces agreement spelling out legal protections and obligations of American forces that might operate in Niger in the future.
Africa is increasingly a focus of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, even as al-Qaida remains a threat in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Last month's terrorist attack on a natural gas complex in Algeria, in which at least 37 hostages and 29 militants were killed, illustrated the threat posed by extremists who have asserted power propelled by long-simmering ethnic tensions in Mali and the revolution in Libya.
A number of al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist groups operate in Mali and elsewhere in the Sahara, including a group known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, which originated in Algeria and is active in northern Mali.
In January, French forces intervened to stop the extremists' move toward Mali's capital, and Washington has grown more involved by providing a variety of military support to French troops.

Source: http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/American-Troops-Deployed-to-Niger-192620381.html

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7digital Expands Streaming Music Footprint To India, South America, South Africa To Bolster Partner Samsung?s Smartphone Blitz

7digital, the streaming music company that offers a direct-to-consumer service but also partners with the likes of Samsung and Pure to power respectively its Music Hub and radio music services on connected devices like smartphones, tablets and music players, today announced a significant international expansion into the emerging markets of India, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and South Africa, where it says it has now inked deals both with major as well as independent labels to further expand its catalog of 22 million tracks in 42 countries. The expansion also means that 7digital has stolen a march on Spotify, which is in 26 countries, including much of Europe and the U.S., but yet to hit emerging markets.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/VB_h7xudtN0/

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Water tested after body found in LA hotel tank

A man, left, leaves the Cecil Hotel with belongings as Michael and Sabina Baugh, both 27, of Plymouth, England, wait for transportation as they leave the hotel in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Early Tuesday, police discovered the body of a Canadian woman at the bottom of the historic hotel's water tank, weeks after she was reported missing. The Baughs, on a 14-day tour package, had been there eight days and had showered in and drank the water. The couple's tour operator was less than cooperative in finding them other accommodations. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

A man, left, leaves the Cecil Hotel with belongings as Michael and Sabina Baugh, both 27, of Plymouth, England, wait for transportation as they leave the hotel in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Early Tuesday, police discovered the body of a Canadian woman at the bottom of the historic hotel's water tank, weeks after she was reported missing. The Baughs, on a 14-day tour package, had been there eight days and had showered in and drank the water. The couple's tour operator was less than cooperative in finding them other accommodations. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

FILE - This file photo released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows Elisa Lam of Vancouver, B.C. Los Angeles police say a body has been found on the roof of the Cecil Hotel where Lam, a Canadian tourist, was last seen last month. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Police Department, File)

Water tanks seen on the roof of the hotel Cecil on Wednesday Feb. 20,2013 where police say the body of a woman found wedged in one of the water tanks on the roof was that of a missing Canadian guest. Investigators used body markings to identify 21-year-old Elisa Lam, police spokeswoman Officer Diana Figueroa said late Tuesday. A maintenance worker at the Cecil Hotel found the body earlier in the day after guests complained of low water pressure. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

A visitor arrives at the hotel Cecil on Wednesday Feb. 20,2013 where police say the body of a woman was found wedged in one of the water tanks on the roof was that of a missing Canadian guest. Investigators used body markings to identify 21-year-old Elisa Lam, police spokeswoman Officer Diana Figueroa said late Tuesday. A maintenance worker at the Cecil Hotel found the body earlier in the day after guests complained of low water pressure. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Hotel Cecil in Los Angeles is seen in a Wednesday Feb. 20,2013 photo. Police say the body of a woman found Tuesday wedged in a water tank on the roof of the Hotel Cecill is that of a missing Canadian guest. Investigators used body markings to identify 21-year-old Elisa Lam, police spokeswoman Officer Diana Figueroa said late Tuesday. A maintenance worker at the Cecil Hotel found the body earlier in the day after guests complained of low water pressure. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? British tourist Michael Baugh and his wife said water had only trickled for days as they brushed their teeth, showered and drank from the taps at the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, but they could not have imagined the disturbing reason.

The body of a Canadian woman was later discovered at the bottom of one of four cisterns on the roof of the historic hotel near Skid Row. The tanks provide water for hotel taps and would have been used by guests for washing and drinking.

"The moment we found out, we felt a bit sick to the stomach, quite literally," Baugh said.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials were expected to release the results of tests on the water on Thursday.

When the body was discovered on Tuesday, they issued a do-not-drink order while a lab analyzes the water, said Terrance Powell, a director coordinating the department's response. The disclosure contradicts a previous police statement that the water had been deemed safe.

Powell said the water was also used for cooking in the hotel; a coffee shop in the hotel would remain closed and has been instructed to sanitize its food equipment before reopening.

"Our biggest concern is going to be fecal contamination because of the body in the water," Powell said. He said the likelihood of contamination is "minimal" given the large amount of water the body was found in, but the department is being extra cautious.

Powell said the hotel hired a water treatment specialist after the department required it to do so to disinfect its plumbing lines.

A call to the hotel was not returned.

The remains of Elisa Lam, 21, were found by a maintenance worker at the 600-room hotel that charges $65 a night after guests complained about the low water pressure.

Police detectives were working to determine if her death was the result of foul play or an accident.

LAPD Sgt. Rudy Lopez called it suspicious and said a coroner's investigation will determine Lam's cause of death.

Before she died, hotel surveillance footage showed Lam inside an elevator pushing buttons and sticking her head out the doors, looking in both directions. She was later found in the water tank.

Lam, of Vancouver, British Columbia, traveled alone to Los Angeles on Jan. 26 and was last seen five days later by workers at the hotel.

Lopez said the hotel has four cisterns on its roof that are each about 10 feet tall, 4.5 feet wide and hold at least 1,000 gallons of water pumped up from city pipes.

Lam's body was found Tuesday morning at the bottom of one cistern that was about three-quarters full of water, Lopez said.

The opening at the top of the cistern is too small to accommodate firefighters and equipment, so they had to cut a hole in the storage tank to recover Lam's body.

The cisterns are on a platform at least 10 feet above the roof.

To get to the tanks, someone would have to go to the top floor then take a staircase with a locked door and emergency alarm preventing roof access.

Another ladder would have to be taken to the platform and a person would have to climb the side of the tank.

Lopez said there are no security cameras on the roof.

Lam intended to travel to Santa Cruz, about 350 miles north of Los Angeles. Officials said she tended to use public transportation and had been in touch with her family daily until she disappeared.

The Cecil Hotel was built in the 1920s and refurbished several years ago. The hotel is on Main Street in a part of downtown where efforts at gentrification often conflicts with homelessness and crime. It had once been the occasional home of infamous serial killers such as Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker, and Austrian prison author Jack Unterweger, who was convicted of murdering nine prostitutes in Europe and the U.S., the Los Angeles Times reported.

By noon Wednesday, the Cecil Hotel had relocated 27 rooms used by guests to another hotel, but 11 rooms remained filled, Powell said. Those who chose to remain in the hotel were required to sign a waiver in which they acknowledged being informed of the health risks and were being provided bottled water, Powell said.

Baugh and his wife, who were on their first trip to the U.S., had planned to go to SeaWorld on Wednesday. Instead, they were trying to find a new hotel. Their tour agency placed them in another downtown hotel with a less than sterling reputation, from what they heard.

"We're just going from one dodgy place to another," Baugh said, resigned, "but at least there's water."

___

Tami Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/latams. Shaya Tayefe Mohajer contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-21-Hotel%20Roof%20Body/id-ff88bfe2aca6423484136c586f89575f

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