Newsy: Thierry Henry Injures Keeper During Goal Celebration

MLS soccer player Thierry Henry of the New York Redbulls is at the center of controversy again. His excessive celebration resulted in a sprained MCL for keeper Kevin Hartman of FC Dallas.

“Now look at the left side of your screen, you’ll see Henry try to smash the ball into the back of the net after the goal has been scored. He doesn’t see Hartman reaching for the ball at the same time. Now Henry catches Hartman’s foot twisting up his knee. ... To be fair to be Henry, Nathasha, he sort of does this celebration type thing one in a while, this is just an unfortunate situation." (HLN)

MLS soccer player Thierry Henry of the New York Redbulls is at the center of controversy again. This time for an excessive celebration that resulted in a sprained MCL for keeper Kevin Hartman of FC Dallas. Some are saying that he had every right to celebrate – while others say he took it too far.

We are monitoring reaction from HLN, ESPN, FanHouse, and The Washington Post.

Henry has since apologized and said it was foolish. But on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption Tony Kornheiser says that foolishness warrants a suspension: “As long as that goalie is out, Henry should be suspended for the same amount of time. What is this?”

But on Around the Horn - panelists Bill Plashke and J.A. Adande blame the keeper.

Plashke: “I always say if you don’t want to get kicked in the celebration don’t give up the winning goal. I blame Hartman for giving up the goal in the first place. Well that’s the way it is.”

Adande: “Now Thierry Henry wants to kick the ball so I give him credit. At least he wants to kick the ball. We all remember in that World Cup qualifier he had that handball goal that allowed France to move on. … So at least this time he’s kicking the ball, that’s progress.”

And on FanHouse one writer agrees with Kornheiser and says accident or not – it was a childish act: “It's a silly way to celebrate. It's showboating when you've done nothing. It draws attention to yourself rather than the goal scorer and … It's even dumber when the goalkeeper is standing right behind the ball … another moment of on-field foolishness by Thierry Henry, a 33-year-old World Cup winner who still hasn't grown up.”

And on the Washington Post – Henry’s passion is praised and one contributor on the Washington Post says no way he should be suspended: “For me, intent is an important element in a situation like this. I don't believe Henry -- intended to cause injury. Dumb, yes. But not worthy of a match ban. I'm glad to see Henry is passionate about his team's performance.”

So what do you think? Should Henry be suspended?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

1GOAL: Education for All

1Goal: Education for All

Today, 69 million children in the world are denied the chance to go to school. These children could be our next generation’s leaders, sports stars, doctors and teachers. But they face a lifelong struggle against poverty.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Since 2000, 40 million more children are in school. Education beats poverty – and gives people the tools to help themselves.

1GOAL is a campaign seizing the power of football to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Raising our voices all over the world we believe that, together, we can make education a reality for the millions of boys and girls who remain out of school.

“This is our chance to show not just out-of-school children, but our own children, that when we make a promise, we keep it. With your help, we could have billions of fans cheering not just for their teams, but for one team: 1GOAL. This is our moment to shine; we can bring millions of children in from the shadows of ignorance, and light up their lives with the legacy of education.” ~ Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah Co-Founder and Global Co-Chair, 1GOAL

You can help make education for all a reality.

1GOAL is bringing together footballers, fans, charities, corporations and individuals to lobby and achieve our ambitious aim of education for everyone. By joining the 1GOAL team, you can strengthen the campaign’s voice and give us the best possible chance of success.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Newspaper Doctors Photo of Egyptian President

Egypt’s oldest state-run newspaper is catching heat for running a doctored image of President Hosni Mubarak at Middle East peace talks in Washington.

Egypt’s oldest state-run newspaper - Al Ahram - is the brunt of both jokes and international condemnation for running a doctored image of President Hosni Mubarak at Middle East peace talks in Washington.

“It shows Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak leading the way among those leaders, and that’s just great. Folks at home love it. Until you see the original photo, of Hosni Mubarak trailing badly on the outside lane.” (NBC)

Anchors on France 24 share a laugh at the creative Photoshopping -- saying it doesn’t even make sense that Mr. Mubarak would be leading the way: “Why of course would he be in the foreground at the White House? You would expect Obama to be out in front. (As in fact he is- laughter) That’s where he actually was, trailing behind on the extremity, on the flanking. Extraordinary stuff.”

But to some, the doctored image is no laughing matter. AOL News reports opposition groups are seizing on the incident as an example of the kind of deception and message manipulation Mubarak’s government is well-known for: “...it's in keeping with the censorship, including self-censorship, that besmirches much of the Arab media world. And it also speaks to Mubarak's insecurities. While it's highly unlikely he personally ordered the doctoring, whomever did so knew the president wouldn't like to see himself bringing up the rear.”

Independent Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm quotes the editors behind the doctored image -- who say the picture was only meant to be expressive -- more like a symbol: “[The picture] is a lively expression of the precise political position of President Mubarak in the Palestinian issue.”

But a CNN report is skeptical of that explanation, suggesting the image clearly intended to mislead: “It reads, ‘The Road to Sharm El Sheikh, implying that the 82-year-old Egyptian president is the driving force behind peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. ... Friday the paper’s editor wrote that the picture was meant to be expressive, underscoring Egypt’s historic role in the peace process. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what this doctored picture has to say about the editors in Egypt’s bloated state-run media, is not very flattering.”

Writer: Christina Hartman

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: New Wearable Camcorder Called 'TiVo for Life'

New ear-mounted camera could change the way we videotape everything from home videos to (yikes!) news accounts.

It’s called Looxcie (Look-See) -- a new ear-mounted camcorder that goes everywhere you do. Its makers promote it as a way to videotape and instantly post video to your social network -- Facebook, twitter and YouTube. Social video, it says, has never been so effortless. (Looxcie.com)

We’re analyzing coverage of the new mini-cam from Looxcie, MediaBistro, TechCrunch, Wired and Fast Company.

MediaBistro says, professional journalists, watch out, Looxcie is loaded with options you use every day: “...a Bluetooth-enabled headset with an always-on camcorder that captures everything its user sees... When users ‘long press’ the instant-clip button, the clip is automatically forwarded to a preselected email address. The device also boasts an application that turns smart phones into viewfinders, remote controls, and editing tools...”

TechCrunch notes, as novel as this seems, it’s probably not going to be wildly popular outside the geeky blogosphere: “...it’s hard to imagine massive traction with the average consumer. At 15 frames per second and HVGA 480×320 resolution, the video quality is OK, just mediocre— not superior to your average iPhone or Android smartphones.”

Wired agrees, but says, even geeks have budgets: “Then we get to the rub: The Looxcie costs $200, and the camera quality is crappy ... On the other hand, it does look like a gun from Portal, so that might make it worth the price as a novelty....”

But Fast Company calls Looxcie 'TiVo for life' (pronounced tee-voh, IPA: /ˈtiːvoʊ/) is a brand of digital video recorder (DVR) in the United States, Canada, and soon, Australia. It is a consumer video device that captures television programming to hard disk storage for later viewing ("time shifting"). The device also provides an electronic television programming schedule, and provides recording options based on that schedule), saying you’re always ready when the moment hits: “Capturing video of your baby's first steps with Looxcie means you're probably wearing a Bluetooth headset during your baby's first steps. It means you're probably the kind of person who wears a Bluetooth headset around-the-clock. But if you're comfortable or shameless enough to wear one in public, why not add a camcorder? Who knows what you might see.”

So, will you take a look-see and Looxcie? Or are you turning a blind-eye to bad bluetooth bling?

Writer: Jim Flink

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Juvenes Translatores 2010

Stretching your brain - the challenge of translation

Translation is the language of Europe
Umberto Eco

Juvenes Translatores 2010

Although unfortunately students at Labor are not old enough to enter thise competition, we thought it is such an interesting piece of news that it is worth posting it on our blog. Spread the word about this contest, some friend might be interested!

We are delighted to announce that your school can now register for Juvenes Translatores.

On 23rd November 2010, pupils born in 1993 from schools across the EU will try their hand at translation in a contest organised by the European Commission's translation department.

The contest is being organised to promote foreign language usage in Europe, as well as the particular art of translation.

Who can enter?

Any secondary school in Europe. To do so, you must register by 20 October at the latest.

Shortly afterwards, the Commission will use a random selection method to determine which of the registered schools will participate (due to resource constraints, we have to limit entrants).

By 15 November, the selected schools must submit the names of up to 5 pupils (+ 1 back-up pupil), together with the language pairs they have chosen for the contest.

The pupils are free to choose any pair from among the EU's 23 official languages. For best results, however, professional translators normally translate into their mother tongue or strongest language (the one they feel most comfortable in). See How to prepare.

The contributions will be evaluated by professional translators at the European Commission and the winners invited to Brussels in 2011 for an award ceremony hosted by the European Commissioner for multilingualism. During the trip the winners will also have time to get to know each other and meet some EU translators.

Good luck!

An inspiring story

In the '70s, at the age of seventeen, the same age as most of the participants in our translation contest, the Romanian student Corneliu M. Popescu (born in 1958) set out to translate the Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu into English. His knowledge of English was outstanding and his understanding of the Romanian culture and soul exquisite. His work is still considered to be the best interpretation of Eminescu. This feat was even more impressive as Popescu translated into a foreign language, which is rather unusual for translation.

A promising career as a literary translator was brutally interrupted on 4 March 1977. At the age of 19, the young translator was one of the many victims of the big earthquake in Romania. His legacy was to live on though in the poetry translation prize established in his name in London several years later.

News on the contest as well as pictures and information from previous rounds are available on Facebook, and you can also follow Juvenes Translatores on Twitter.

Register

Why the contest?

How to prepare?

Rules (Download Rules  [44 KB])

FAQ

Archive (old texts for translation)

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

2010-2011 Schoolyear Opening

The schedule for the 2010-11 schoolyear opening for ESO students at Labor School next Friday 17th is:

09.30 - New Students (Headmaster's Office: Head of Studies) 

10.00 - ESO 1 (Assembly Hall: Leo Areal and Antonio Otero)

10.45 - ESO 2 (Playground: Mercedes Aspilche and Mª.J. Barbosa)

11.30 - ESO 3 (Playground: Pablo Castelo and Juan M. Rguez)

12.15 - ESO 4 (Playground: Manuel Rguez. and Olga Castro)

Students will be met by their tutors and will proceed to their classrooms where they will be given their textbooks, general information on the beginning of the schoolyear, timetables and schedules, etc. for about 1-2 hours (ESO 1 session might be longer than the other grades' sessions).

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Nadal wins U.S. Open

Rafael Nadal completed the career Grand Slam with a win over Novak Djokovic in Monday's U.S. Open final, a feat accomplished by just six others. But where does Nadal rank against tennis' all-time greats?

“That one goes wide. And Nadal, in ecstasy. First ever U.S. Open title. Seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam.” (ESPN)

Rafael Nadal has become just the seventh man in history -- to win the Grand Slam of professional tennis. And at age 24, the Mallorca, Spain native -- is the youngest ever to do it. Some are now calling him -- potentially the greatest tennis player to ever live.

We’re analyzing coverage from ESPN, The New York Daily News, CBS Sports, The BBC, and TimesLive.

Wayne Coffey of the New York Daily News describes why this victory is so significant for Nadal: “Nadal won his first U.S. Open tonight with a heroic victory over Novak Djokovic of Serbia in four sets. And they were four of the most intense, hardest hitting sets you will ever see. The victory was the pinnacle for Nadal who has won major championships all over the world but had never won here. Had never been in a final here. Until tonight.”

ESPN blogger Peter Bodo notes, not only has Nadal become the youngest modern player to win the Grand Slam, he did it by grit, determination and hard work: “In winning the U.S. Open, Nadal completed a remarkable transformation from a radical clay-court stylist into a man for all surfaces and all majors. He did it with the diligence and patience of a craftsman, rather than an artist, which is the thing that fans of "beautiful tennis" -- the kind Roger Federer plays -- have always held against Nadal.”

CBS Sports’ John McEnroe and Dick Enberg point out -- with wins this year in the French Open, Wimbledon and now the U.S. Open -- the recent run Nadal has made puts him in elite company.

MCENROE: “You could make an argument that he’s one of the greatest players, the greatest player, forget one of the greatest players who’s ever lived. You could make the argument.” 

ENBERG: “He’s the only man in history to win three consecutive majors on three different surfaces. On clay in Paris, on grass at Wimbledon, and now on the hard courts of New York.”

The BBC’s Jonathan Overend says, he certainly appears to be the best of the current era -- including Roger Federer: “Federer has more titles, a world record 16 majors, but Nadal is much younger and - important to the debate - has beaten his rival to win in Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Federer's triumphs over Nadal at the majors have come exclusively on the London lawns. Add Nadal's Olympic gold from Beijing, a record haul of Masters titles ... plus Davis Cup victories and it's arguably a stronger list of accolades.”

But with just 9 major titles to his name, Jon Leicester of Johannesburg’s Sunday Times says -- let’s not get carried away: “Mr. Muscles from Mallorca understands how inappropriate and borderline indecent it is to already be asking whether he is or will become tennis' greatest player of all time. Roger Federer is not dead yet. Not even close. The Swiss owner of a record 16 Grand Slam tournament titles still has a far, far bigger claim to the honourific title of 'greatest.'"

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: FAA Tries to Fix 'Sleepy Pilot' Problem

The FAA proposed new regulations to ensure that pilots get an adequate amount of sleep. These new regulations come as a result of flight 3407.

“The Colgan accident that occurred 18 months ago was clearly a pivotal moment. It really brought all the players together. The industry, congress, and the FAA, and recognized that here were inadequacies in the system that needed to be addressed.”(MSNBC)

The Colgan Air Flight 3407 that crashed near Buffalo, New York took the lives 50 people and caused the FAA to review its safety procedures. Now-- the FAA is proposing a set of new rules, one in particular designed to tackle the “sleepy pilot” problem.

ABC news explains how the new sleep guidelines will give pilots time for more than just a cat nap: “Currently pilots must have 8 hours off a day for rest, but that includes time to get to a hotel, eat a meal and return, meaning they might get 4 hours of sleep or less. Under the new rule, pilots must be scheduled for nine hours of actual rest time. Currently pilots can be scheduled to a 16 hour day regardless if that mean working in the middle of the night. Under the new rule, their day will top out at 13 hours and even less if they are working the late shift.”

But a reporter for The Buffalo News says the proposed rules don’t get to the root of the problem: “The proposal also does not include any hard and fast rules aimed at limiting pilots from commuting thousands of miles overnight from their homes to their work stations -- which is just what the pilot and co-pilot of Flight 3407 did the night before the crash.”

NBC’s Tom Costello tells affiliate WGRZ the proposed rules are a step in the right direction-- but flying safely is ultimately the pilot’s responsibility: “It is up to the crew to maintain professionalism, to do their jobs, to not fly when you are fatigued, to not commute across the country on just a few hours of sleep in the crew room. Professionalism has to be something that is felt throughout the organization from the cockpit down to the ramp up to the control tower.”

And according to a Washington Post article, the new regulations would come with a price tag: “The rules would negatively affect airlines if schedule changes or fresh crews were required. The FAA has estimated that the regulations could cost airlines $1.3 billion over the next 10 years.”

So what do you think of the new suggested regulations? Make you feel safer? Or is this just common sense?

Writer: Matthew Hibbard

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Saggy Pants Ban Targeting Black Men?

The mayor of Dublin, Georgia, USA, recently signed into law a ban on saggy pants. Opponents say the new law directly targets the city’s African American males.

MAYOR PHIL BEST: “We'll gain maybe a little more mutual respect for each other and realize that everybody don’t want to see your underwear.” (HLN)

That’s Phil Best, the mayor of Dublin, Georgia -- who recently signed into law a ban on saggy pants. Best says the ban is in response to community complaints about indecent exposure, but opponents say the new law directly targets the city’s African American males.

According to the new law, pants or skirts can’t be more than three inches below the top of the hips.

Portland’s KATU features a community activist who says it’s obvious the city is going after black men: “If they are the ones wearing the saggy baggy pants. They're the only ones wearing the saggy baggy pants.”

But BV Black Spin’s Paul Shepard says that might not necessarily be the case: “Well, a quick visit to just about any mall will tell you that young white males model just about everything they see from their black counterparts, including saggin'. So it's up to the community to make sure that young black boys aren't the only ones getting pinched for this infraction.”

In a segment on Atlanta’s NBC-affiliate WXIA, an anchor says making a law against saggy pants might be a little extreme -- but in the end it makes sense: “I have to agree, one does look rather foolish with their low slung baggy pants though I admit I'm on the fence about a law saying how people should dress. On the other hand, though, I can't think of one good reason why people should have to see your underwear when you're out in public. True, there could be some problems with Dublin's ordinance. A pathway to profiling perhaps or local government overstepping its boundaries perhaps. ... Call me old school, but pull up your pants for crying out loud.”

But on All Voices, Veronica Roberts says every generation has its fads. She writes - though saggy pants might be considered “unslightly,” parents should be careful what they wish for: “... police in Dublin, Georgia, are in charge of enforcing this law. ... Are police going to ... hang out by schools with tape measure in hand, and randomly pull over your kids to enforce this 3 inches sagging rule? ... Shouldn't our children's attire be our responsibility? ... the price might just be too high to appease our sensibilities.”

Riviera Beach, Florida passed a similar ban in 2008, but it was later deemed unconstitutional.

Writer: Christina Hartman

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: New Study Reveals Which Dance Moves Attract Women

A new study from the England's Northumbria University breaks down the science of sexy dancing.

Think you’re a sexy dancer? A new study out of Northumbria University in the U.K. breaks down which dance moves really attract women to men.

ANCHOR: “This is apparently the bad dancer, and this is apparently the moves that don’t turn women on. They follow these guys, they didn’t want the women to know what they look like. They just want to study the moves. The 35 women they studied said this is not hot. Now skip to the next guy who is apparently the good dancer, the hot dancer. And these apparently are the moves that get the ladies excited.”

WOMAN ANCHOR: “Oh nooo.” (CNN)

The animated dancing figures were actually created from real men dancing in a lab. They were recorded by 12 cameras with sensors and then made into the digital figures the women saw. The BBC reports the whole study was actually inspired by observations in nature: “The experiment was inspired by watching birds, like many animals they use movement as part of a courtship ritual to show they have good genetics. Scientists say the same may well be true of people. They found form blood tests that those who dance well are healthier.”

Sky News from the UK breaks down the study with professional dancer “Supple”, who wasn’t too surprised that the bigger and more varied dance moves were seen as more attractive: “To me this is an obvious fact, because dancing is a form of expression. People in general are attracted to people who can express themselves really well. So anything that kind of springs up and gets people’s attention is something that would be naturally attractive whether to male or female.”

Finally, the Fox and Friends crew show off some dance moves, but it doesn’t look like one crew member was paying quite enough attention to the computer-animated dancers in the study.

DOOCY: “When you do the little thing when you just barely move your feet or just the little shimmy, they don’t like it. Now women love that... now get the breathalyzer.”

Now that you know the science -- are you gonna change how you get your groove on?

Writer: Paul Rolfe

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Yappr: Learn English by Watching Videos

Yappr

Practice listening to native speakers via fun videos about music, celebrities, news, and more. Yappr videos include transcriptions, translations, and a dictionary on all words. It's like having you own personal English teacher sitting right by your side.

EFL / ESL students really enjoy watching video clips but often find authentic materials difficult to cope with due to the variety of accents and the speed with which native speakers communicate.

Yappr offers a good solution to this problem with a huge collection of transcribed video clips. As students watch the clip, they see the script appearing in a window alongside.

The videos are separated by level; easy - medium - hard and are also categorised by theme, such as sport, cartoons, nature etc. 

You can watch all the movie clips without registering, but if you do register there is a social networking element to the site and you can also get involved with uploading and transcribing videos for the site.

This is a really useful tool for students and teachers. It would be nice if you could turn off the transcription and try to  work it out for yourselves first and then check the transcription.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The Speech Accent Archive

The Speech Accent Archive uniformly presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed. The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyze the accents of different English speakers.

The archive is a project of the linguistics program in the Department of English, the College of Arts and Science's Technology across the curriculum program, and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, Washington DC.

Everyone who speaks a language, speaks it with an accent. A particular accent essentially reflects a person's linguistic background. When people listen to someone speak with a different accent from their own, they notice the difference, and they may even make certain biased social judgments about the speaker.

The speech accent archive is established to uniformly exhibit a large set of speech accents from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English all read the same English paragraph and are carefully recorded:

Please call Stella. Ask her to bring these things with her from the store: Six spoons of fresh snow peas, five thick slabs of blue cheese, and maybe a snack for her brother Bob. We also need a small plastic snake and a big toy frog for the kids. She can scoop these things into three red bags, and we will go meet her Wednesday at the train station.

The archive is constructed as a teaching tool and as a research tool. It is meant to be used by linguists as well as other people who simply wish to listen to and compare the accents of different English speakers: ESL teachers, actors learning an accent, speech pathologists...

This website allows users to compare the demographic and linguistic backgrounds of the speakers in order to determine which variables are key predictors of each accent. The speech accent archive demonstrates that accents are systematic rather than merely mistaken speech.

All of the linguistic analyses of the accents are available for public scrutiny. Comments on the accuracy of transcriptions and analyses are welcome.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Sub Inglés: Singing & Learning

Here is a new piece of advice if you want to improve your listening and speaking skills effortlessly and have a ball at the same time: Sub Inglés.

On this site you will find over 2,700 subtitled songs for you to sing along. After you have finished singing you can try and solve the quizzes and activities based on the songs.

We hope you enjoy it!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

New Bilingual Sections at Labor

The Xunta de Galicia Education Authorities have published the new bilingual sections for 2010-11 schoolyear. We are proud to announce that Labor is among the schools which have been granted new bilingual sections:  Art in Primary Education and Biology in 4th ESO.

Unquestionably our students will benefit from our firm commitment to innovation and quality.

Congratulations!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Sony Fights PS3 Jailbreak

A jailbreak has been introduced that will allow PS3 users to play pirated games.

“A USB dongle can now jailbreak a PlayStation 3. Well at least that’s what’s being claimed by hackers who are selling the device. Reportedly, the PS jailbreak as they’re calling it, will allow users to play copied games from the system’s hard drive or even an external drive.” (CNET)

It all started with a small USB stick, called the PS3 Jailbreak. It is designed to do the impossible -- hack the PS3 software so users can play pirated games on it. Within a week Sony was able to acquire an injunction from the Australian government to ban the USB from being sold.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports this is the first time the Playstation’s security has been breached since its release in 2006. Sony has acquired all the hardware from the USB’s creator to release a firmware update to stop the hackers from spreading.

“But updating the PS3 to disable the hack may be futile as the makers of the PS Jailbreak say it can also block Sony's mandatory firmware updates. However, Sony has already begun banning PS3 owners who have installed the hack from playing online through its PlayStation Network.”

Despite Sony’s aggressive attempts to block the spread of the firmware, G4TV reports it might be a bit too late. It says the open-source software has already hit the Internet, which will allow anyone with an Internet connection and a programmable flash drive to hack PS3 systems: “Further the new code is an open-source exploit, meaning it’s not out for profit and doesn’t even have a company name for the lawyers to chase. So for now hackers can rejoice, the rest of us…we can just carry on. Go get some ice-cream.”

As Sony tries to halt the spread of the jailbreak, it has also -- without saying why -- released a new mandatory firmware update for the PS3. The update has the online-gaming community and blogosphere inflamed. One user of the PlaystationBlog wrote... “At least be honest about the update. We all know it’s the first of an expected hundred-plus firmware updates to block the Jailbreak. Now you’ll be doing these every day like with the PSP instead of actually taking the time to give us updates we actually need or working on making the system/service better.”

Finally, a writer for Crunch Gear asks if downloading the program is even worth it. He points out the program can only be used to run homemade software; users will not be able to download full games like Madden: “Of course, the very fact that there’s already an open-source version of the hack, albeit one without the piracy features, could well mean that other, less noble folks are working on a full-on piracy-friendly version of the software.”

What do you think? Is Sony right in chasing the elusive hackers to protect its product?

Writer: Adnan Khan

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: NASA to Send Probe into Sun

NASA hopes to launch an $18 million unmanned spacecraft into the sun’s core by 2018. Scientists hope the data it collects will provide better understanding of the sun’s environment and its effects on Earth.

We’re told to never look at the sun, but NASA has been eyeing it for a new mission, one that would send a probe straight though its core.

The $18 million probe called Solar Launch Plus will allow scientists to better understand solar radiation and its impact on weather patterns here on Earth. The spacecraft will feature a revolutionary carbon-composite heat shield to help withstand temperatures that exceed 2550 degrees Fahrenheit. (NASA)

A scientist at NASA headquarters says it will be the closest a spacecraft has been near the sun: “This spacecraft is actually going to go there and sample the plasma. It’s like tasting, touching, smelling the environment of the sun.”

But while the spacecraft is headed towards sun, the data it will gather will be useful to scientists back home. Kit Eaton of Fast Company notes the mission’s importance: “Firstly, the Sun's weather affects Earth more than you may think, and its even responsible for killing communications satellites in orbit. And secondly because it's in the spirit of pure curiosity: We still don't understand much about our nearest and dearest star.”

The price tag to send a car-sized spacecraft to its fiery death is high, but Rebecca Boyle of Popular Science says it’s the only way to get good data: “No one can answer some fundamental questions about the sun’s evolution. The only way to do it is to go to the source, NASA says. Here's hoping the spacecraft doesn't get burned.”

TIME reports the expedition “will be the first trip to any star, let alone the sun.” NASA says the probe would be launched in 2018.

Writer: Matthew Hibbard

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: New Zealand Hit by 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake

Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, suffered a 7.1-magnitude earthquake early Saturday morning, local time. Two people were seriously injured, but no one was killed.

“(bell ringing) It struck early and it struck with force. (woman) The whole building felt as if it was going to fall over sideways. And it was shaking back and forth. (man’s voice) This is it. The big earthquake. 4:35 in the morning. And most of Canterbury was shaken awake. The first big quake measuring 7.1 threw the city into darkness.” (One News)

Christchurch New Zealand -- near the epicenter of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. Nearly every building in the island nation’s second-largest city, rocked from its foundation or cracked at it’s seams. Now, some wonder if it wasn’t one -- but as many as three earthquakes in quick succession.

We’re analyzing coverage from New Zealand’s One News, ABC News Australia, Al Jazeera, and MSNBC.

Australia’s ABC News gives a closer assessment of the damage on the streets of Christchurch: “The shock deepened with daylight. Signs of damage everywhere. Buildings destroyed. Roads prized open. Powerlines failed. And railroads buckled. But there was a sense of relief and amazement that somehow the city had escaped massive loss of life. Only two people were seriously injured.”

The Mayor of Christchurch says this quake will likely affect every single member of his city -- most of them directly, due to damage, the rest indirectly, through impaired services: “The biggest issue for us really, is that its shattered a large amount of the city’s infrastructure that we rely on. So the water and the waste that runs through the pipes that run through the city. We’re checking the bridges, we’re checking the roads.” (Al Jazeera)

A curfew is in place in the central city. A reporter for TVNZ’s One News says, there is still so much instability in the aftermath: “Unexpected emergency’s are cropping up in the city’s center, like this fire that you’re looking at a short time ago while the Prime Minister was checking out the damage. John Keyes says, the recovery costs could run into the billions of dollars.”

The New Zealand quake is very similar to the one which struck Haiti in January. Both around 7.1 on the Richter scale. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Paul Caruso says, the difference is that New Zealand has the infrastructure to withstand it: "The main difference is that New Zealand has a lot of experience with earthquakes, and they have good construction codes to make sure that their buildings withstand a strong earthquake." (MSNBC)

New Zealand records more than 14-thousand quakes a year, but only a handful of those cause any damage.

Writer: Jim Flink

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Stephen Hawking: No Creator God

“The Grand Design,” a new book co-authored by British physicist Stephen Hawking, is due out next week, but an excerpt from the book is already sparking controversy.

“The Grand Design,” a new book co-authored by British physicist Stephen Hawking, is due out next week, but an excerpt from the book is already sparking controversy.

STEPHEN HAWKING: “Because there are laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and the university going.”

REPORTER: “According to Stephen Hawking, our universe is one of many and the laws of physics shows other universes were formed before the big bang.”(BBC)

M Theory, developed in the mid 90’s, is a system many physicists believe forms the long-sought after “theory of everything.” In his new book, Hawking claims M Theory can be used to explain the origins of the universe, which means invoking a creator isn’t necessary.

On Channel 4 News, theologian Alister McGrath disagreed, saying M Theory doesn’t explain it all: “But he’s placed such emphasis on the laws of nature and so on that he really is simply inviting the obvious question: where did THESE come from?”

An article in the Catholic Herald agrees, and says it’s premature to rule out a Creator: “...if all the physical laws had been explained and proved ... our understanding of the actions of God would not be one whit greater: his existence and his actions are of a different order. ... how something existing comes out from nothing ... is a question which science cannot answer, and will never answer, because nothingness is not within its domain.”

But MSNBC’s Alan Boyle defends Hawking, saying he wasn’t claiming there is no Creator. Instead, he’s saying science doesn’t need to reference a Creator while explaining origins: “Does Hawking's view mean that modern physics ‘leaves no place for God in the creation of the universe,’ as the Times suggests, or that ‘God did not create the universe,’ as The Guardian claims? Not unless you need a ‘God of the Gaps’ to step into science's place.”

Hawking compared discovering the laws of physics to knowing the mind of God in his 1988 book, “A Brief History of Time.” This caused many to think Hawking previously believed in a Creator. But as he explains in a June interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer, Hawking’s use of the word “god” is more poetic than religious: “The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can’t understand, or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second. If you like, you can call the laws of science ‘God’, but it wouldn’t be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions.”

“The Grand Design” hits shelves September 9th.

Writer: Steven Sparkman

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Oil Platform Explodes in Gulf of Mexico

Five months after BP’s Deepwater Horizon tragedy, an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico has exploded. Officials say the U.S. Coast Guard was alerted to the explosion at 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

A Coast Guard commander told Fox News all workers from the platform are accounted for.

“Right now, we were told that there were 13 people on board the rig and there are 13 people in the water. They were able to don their--what we call ‘Gumby suits’--life preservers, and we are actively pulling them out of the water.”

Later reports indicated one of the employees was injured, but all thirteen were successfully rescued.

Though many news outlets initially reported the explosion occurred on a “rig,” another Coast Guard official clarifies to MSNBC: “It’s not a rig, it’s not like a Deepwater Horizon. It’s a platform. It does not do any drilling or anything like that and, as far as I know, it is still on fire.”

ABC News provides more information about the platform itself, which is not located in deep water: “The rig platform was fixed in 340 feet of water... Workers have told authorities that they had started emergency shutdown procedures before evacuating. The platform does not have a standard blow-out preventer.”

The Times-Picayune reports the incident does not appear to be a repeat of the BP Deepwater Horizon fiasco--but oil companies are still feeling the heat: “With all the unwanted attention just starting to wane, members of industry groups were staggered by the latest accident today, even though it was on a much smaller scale and appears to have nothing to do with the deepwater drilling dangers that surrounded the BP incident.”

Finally, a reporter for CNN asks the question on everyone’s mind: Reporter: “Are we aware of any leak from this rig?”

Coast Guard: “There are reports that the rig was not active producing any product, so we do not know if there is any additional concerns of pollution, even though it was not producing product.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the government is ready to respond should any pollutants leak into the water.

Writer: Tracy Pfeiffer

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Truancies from primary schools increase

More primary school children missed lessons without permission this year than last 

because of family holidays taken during term time.

Primary school pupils in England are missing more lessons without their teachers' permission than a year ago, figures published today show.

Just over 24,200 pupils in primary schools skipped classes without permission on a typical day in the spring term of this year, an analysis of figures from the Department for Education reveals. This compares to almost 21,900 pupils in the spring term of last year.

The government calculates authorised and unauthorised school absence rates by the number of half-days missed.

Some 0.74% of half days were missed within the spring term of this year without teachers' permission, compared to 0.67% of half days in the spring term of last year.

However, unauthorised absence rates among pupils in secondary schools has fallen. This spring term, 44,977 pupils missed classes without permission on an average day, compared to 46,139 last spring term. Some 1.56% of half days were missed without permission this year, compared to 1.59% last spring term.

This equates to almost 69,000 primary and secondary pupils in England missing classes without permission each day.

An increasing number of children are missing lessons because of family holidays taken during term time, the statistics show. Children missed around 1.4 million school days this spring due to holidays – a quarter of these days were not approved by teachers.

Overall absence fell to 5.92% of half days for the spring term, from 6.18% in the spring term of last year. This equates to 364,349 pupils off on a typical day this spring term, compared to 381,534 last spring term.

The schools minister, Nick Gibb, said the level of absenteeism in schools was "still too high". "It's crucial that children are not missing out on valuable lessons that could leave them vulnerable to falling behind. We are putting in place a series of measures to raise standards of behaviour, to put headteachers and teachers back in control of the classroom, and to ensure classrooms are safe and calm places where children can learn."

Writer: Jessica Shepherd - Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: Video Shows Trapped Miners' Lives Underground

More than two weeks passed since a Chilean mine shaft collapsed, trapping 33 workers—and Chilean officials are saying it could take up to four months before they’re rescued.

Food and supplies are being sent through a small tube to the miners. Also, with a video camera sent through the same tube — miners shot a 45 minute tape, showing what life is like 700 meters underground. 

Sky News has the footage.

“One by one, they send personal messages to their loved ones. (FLASH) It’s hard to believe, but in spite of the hellish prospect of living like this ‘til Christmas, the men tell the camera they are not down hearted. ‘We know its going to be a while, says this man.”

Rescuers sent down questionnaires to record the conditions of all the workers—as well as telephone lines and microphones so they can communicate with their families.

CNN reports some miners are stepping up themselves to leadership positions: “There are three guys fulfilling that role right now. One guy was the shift leader. He was the boss of the miners anyway. There’s another man down there who has some nursing experience. So he’s been chosen to carry out written, psychological evaluations of all the miners. He is also, we’re told, carrying out basic medical tests on the miners. And there’s a third man, Mario Gomez, a 63-year-old, the most veteran miner down there—he’s been a miner since he was 12. And he’s emerged as kind of the natural spiritual leader of these men.

And a writer for Time examines the mental health implications of being trapped in a 500 square feet space without light for months: “Even when rescue does occur, the men could be dealing with the emotional blowback of their experiences for a long time … Still, if there's one good thing about PTSD, it's the post- part of it. Once the men see the sun again, the immediate crisis will be over and their healing can at last begin.”

A Bloomberg reporter notes the mining company -- San Esteban Primera – could have done more to prevent a collapse like this one: “One of the criticisms of the mining minister yesterday was this mine site really didn’t have an alternative exit for these workers. So, that’s why they’re contemplating this very unusual escape of just booring straight through the ground and literally lifting them out. 

And a blogger for the Economist writes its not just the company at fault – higher officials need to do more to ensure the safety of miners, he says: “The staffing and budgets of government enforcement agencies have failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion of the mining industry over the past 20 years. Such an investment could have saved the present government a million-dollar rescue operation and the trapped miners some long, dark weeks.”

We’ll leave you with more footage from the collapsed mineshaft from ITN—with workers singing the national anthem of Chile.

Writers: Maurico Bush and Steven Hsiek.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Newsy: No Glasses Required - 3D TV Race Begins

Two television manufacturing juggernauts unveiled plans to release 3D televisions that don’t require glasses. But will this new technology catch on?

“Toshiba plans to come out with 3D TV's just like everyone else, except these TV’s will not require the pricey and silly active shutter glasses. The company created what they are calling an internal imaging system that sends out light rays at different angles and this allows your brain to process a 3D image.”(CNET)

The race is officially on for manufacturers. After Toshiba made it’s announcement – the very next day - Sony announced it too - was working on 3D TV’s that don’t require glasses. 

We are monitoring reaction to the news from CNET, Yomiuri, PC Pro, and Digital Spy

Japanese website Yomiuri first reported Toshiba’s plans and says that the launch should be right before Christmas: “Toshiba plans to introduce three models, including one with a 21-inch screen, and will sell them for several hundred thousand yen [or several thousand US dollars] … adding the TVs' release likely will coincide with the year-end shopping season.”

3D TVs that don’t require glasses have been around since 2008 but there was a catch. The viewer had to remain seated directly in the center of the room or the effect would be lost. A 3D cameraman for Sky News says if Toshiba backs up its promise, it could change everything – including the news: “There’s a truth to a 3D image that we will never get from 2D… especially if you look at news photography. When we photograph war in 2D, it’s interpretation; … it’s a filter. Once you present the same images in 3D there’s a very visceral response to it, very truthful and honest.” (PC Pro)

Innovation abound – but will consumers jump on board? So far, 3D TV sales have remained relatively flat as consumers are still catching up to HD TVs. According to a new study quoted in Digital Spy – that won’t change soon, at least not in Britain: “Only 2% of British consumers are planning to purchase a 3D-ready television set in the next 12 months … UK consumers were more interested in purchasing high definition television sets, 7% of whom are planning to do so in the next 12 months."

But what about you? Will you jump on the 3D bandwagon? Tell us what you think in our comments section.

Writer: Charles McKeague

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Howard Webb: I should have shown de Jong a red card

England's World Cup final referee, Howard Webb, said he did not have a good view of the incident and was not prepared to take a guess.

Referee Howard Webb admits for the first time that had he had a better view of the incident where the Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong kicked Spain's Xabi Alonso in the chest he would have reached for a red card rather than yellow. "Having seen it again from my armchair, I would red-card him," the 39-year-old Yorkshire official said.

"The trouble in the actual game was that I had a poor view of that particular incident. I was looking through the back of Alonso and though I could see the foot was high, I could not be certain of the extent of the contact. It wasn't that I didn't want to send anyone off because it was a World Cup final, though I was mindful of the fact that the game was the pinnacle of the players' careers as well as of mine. I just wasn't prepared to take a guess 25 minutes into the game."

Webb ended up being booed by spectators inside the stadium as he went up for his medal at the end of the game. "Sometimes the reaction of a crowd can be unjust. You learn not to let that bother you," he said. "It would be great to get a round of applause now and then, but you have to accept that sometimes the job makes you unpopular. You become hardened to criticism but in terms of messages of support, from people within Fifa, from Premier League managers, other countries and people back home, I was delighted with the reaction.

It would have been a difficult game for anyone to control, and together with my team of assistants I flew back to England with a sense of satisfaction at a job well done. As a culmination of 20 years' work the game had not quite been the festival of football I was hoping for.

"I was feeling a bit despondent, after issuing so many cards, but the support I received immediately after the game and in the weeks and months since has been overwhelming. I have even had positive comments from Holland. The three of us were mentally and physically drained after extra-time, we were all knackered in the referee's room, to be honest, but immediately we were boosted by people getting in touch.

"Even now, what happened in South Africa is still sinking in. The profile of the World Cup final is just huge. I thought the Champions League final was big, and it was, but between getting the World Cup appointment and the morning of the game I received 1,200 messages via text or email. My BlackBerry bill must have been enormous because I replied to them all."

Webb insists he has not been losing sleep over decisions he made in the World Cup final, and believes he did a reasonable job in difficult circumstances, but he admits he sat down to watch the game all over again shortly after coming home. "I left it four or five days," he explained. "I would have liked to watch the replay with Darren and Mike, but they live in different parts of the country and had holidays to fit in so it wasn't possible. So I invited another Premier League referee, a colleague who doesn't live too far away, to come and sit through it with we. We watched the whole thing, from beginning to end, and though it ain't perfect, we decided there is not that much we should have done differently.

"Speaking for myself, there are just a couple of things I would change. I gave a goal-kick instead of a corner late in the game. I was having trouble keeping the Spain wall back at a Holland free-kick. They kept encroaching so I went and stood at the side of the wall to restrain them with my physical presence. That meant I lost my head-on view of the free-kick being taken, so I didn't see it deflect off the man at the other end of the wall, Cesc Fábregas, I think it was. The TV replay shows clearly it should have been a corner so that was a mistake. It was shortly before the goal as well, but Holland had the ball in between, the one thing did not lead directly to the other. The second thing was the De Jong incident."

De Jong's caution was already the fifth of a game not yet half an hour old. So much for the World Cup final as a showpiece. "Not many of them have been great games, have they?" Webb said. "You never want to become the talking point, you always hope the game will flow and you can take a back seat, but it didn't happen that way. I started off with two solid cautions, just over 20 minutes in I'd shown four yellow cards, and it didn't seem to be having any effect in calming the game down. I tried talking to the players but I only got a sort of preoccupied response.

"There was too much at stake for both sides perhaps, neither had won a World Cup before and their only desire was to win the game. I was in contact with my assistants and I recall saying: 'It's not turning out as we expected'. They replied I had no choice but to keep on doing my job. I'm satisfied I did that, looking back now I have no real regrets. That's what refereeing is like. You need confidence to do your job with courage."

Writer: Paul Wilson - Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Ebonics or Black English

Ebonics (Also called Black English, Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular English or African American Vernacular English) is a nonstandard form of American English characteristically spoken by African Americans in the United States.

It is a term originally intended to refer to the language of all people descended from Black African slaves, particularly in West Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. Over time, and especially since 1996, it has been used more often to refer to African American Vernacular English (distinctively nonstandard Black United States English), asserting the independence of this from (standard) English.

What is claimed to be the initial mention of "Ebonics" was made by the psychologist Robert Williams in a discussion with linguist Ernie Smith (as well as other language scholars and researchers) that took place in a conference on "Cognitive and Language Development of the Black Child", held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. In 1975, the term appeared within the title and text of a book edited and co-written by Williams, Ebonics: The True Language of Black Folks. Williams there explains it:

A two-year-old term created by a group of black scholars, Ebonics may be defined as "the linguistic and paralinguistic features which on a concentric continuum represent the communicative competence of the West African, Caribbean, and United States slave descendant of African origin. It includes the various idioms, patois, argots, idiolects, and social dialects of black people" especially those who have adapted to colonial circumstances. Ebonics derives its form from ebony (black) and phonics (sound, the study of sound) and refers to the study of the language of black people in all its cultural uniqueness.

Other writers have since emphasized how the term represents a view of the language of Black people as African rather than European. The term was not obviously popular even among those who agreed with the reason for coining it: it is little used even within Williams's Ebonics book, in which "Black English" is the far more common name.

John Baugh has stated that the term Ebonics is used in four ways by its Afrocentric proponents. It may: be "an international construct, including the linguistic consequences of the African slave trade";refer to the languages of the African diaspora as a whole;or it may refer to what is normally regarded as a variety of English: eitherit "is the equivalent of black English and is considered to be a dialect of English" (and thus merely an alternative term for AAVE), or it "is the antonym of black English and is considered to be a language other than English" (and thus a rejection of the notion of "African American VernacularEnglish" but nevertheless a term for what others term AAVE, viewed as an independent language and not a mere ethnolect).

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.