Now It's Fungus--Hawaii's Threatened Coral Reefs Take another Hit

Along with invasive cyanobacterial fungus and algae, poisonous runoff, rising ocean levels, acidic waters and overfishing are taking their toll on the reefs and the marine life they support

REEF BADNESS: Biologists are working hard to stem the problem but must now deal with invasive fungus and algae that are compromising the whole reef system. Image: iStockPhoto

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Dear EarthTalk: What?s the prognosis for Hawaii?s coral reefs in the face of global warming, invasive algae and other environmental threats??Bill Weston, San Francisco

Despite sweeping protections put in place near the end of George W. Bush?s presidency for large swaths of marine ecosystems around the Hawaiian Islands, things are not looking good for Hawaii?s coral reefs. Poisonous runoff, rising ocean levels, increasingly acidic waters and overfishing are taking their toll on the reefs and the marine life they support. Biologists are trying to remain optimistic that there is still time to turn things around, but new threats to Hawaii?s corals are only aggravating the situation.

To wit, a previously undocumented cyanobacterial fungus that grows through photosynthesis is spreading by as much as three inches per week on corals along the otherwise pristine North Shore of Kauai. ?There is nowhere we know of in the entire world where an entire reef system for 60 miles has been compromised in one fell swoop,? biologist Terry Lilley told The Los Angeles Times. ?This bacteria has been killing some of these 50- to 100-year-old corals in less than eight weeks.? He adds that the strange green fungus affects upwards of five percent of the corals in famed Hanalei Bay and up to 40 percent of the coral in nearby Anini Bay, with neighboring areas ?just as bad, if not worse.? Lilly worries that the entire reef system surrounding Kauai may be losing its ability to fend off pathogens.

Meanwhile, some 60 miles to the east across the blue Pacific, an invasive algae introduced for aquaculture three decades ago in Oahu's K?ne?ohe Bay is also spreading quickly. Biologists are concerned because it forms thick tangled mats that soak up oxygen in the water needed by other plants and animals, in turn converting coral reefs there into smothering wastelands.

?This and other invasive algal species...don?t belong in Hawai?i,? says Eric Conklin, Hawaii director of marine services for The Nature Conservancy, which works to protect ecologically important lands and waters worldwide. He adds that there are not enough plant-eating fish to keep them under control.

Biologists are working hard to battle the algae in and around K?ne?ohe Bay. Conklin and his colleagues from the Conservancy have joined forces with researchers from the state of Hawaii to develop an inexpensive new technology, dubbed the Super Sucker, which uses barge-based hoses and pumps to vacuum the invasive algae away without disturbing the underlying coral. Once divers clear a given reef of algae, they then stock it with native sea urchins raised in the state?s marine lab that can help keep new algal outbreaks in check. The system has been so successful at reducing invasive algae at K?ne?ohe Bay that the state has begun producing tens of thousands of sea urchins for similar ?outplanting? projects on other coral reefs around Oahu and beyond that are threatened by invasive algae.

Fast-growing algae and pathogens are only part of the problem. Decades of overfishing have reduced the biodiversity on and around coral reefs, reducing their ecological integrity and making them more vulnerable to climate change. Higher water temperatures and rising sea levels, two of the more dramatic symptoms of global warming, are hastening the bleaching of some particularly vulnerable reefs that have evolved over thousands of years.

CONTACT: The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org.

EarthTalk? is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/biology/~3/DJGLizwExA8/article.cfm

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Games of the week: Layton Brothers, Iron Sky Invasion, Random Heroes 2 and more!

It's Sunday, and that can only mean that it's time once again for a roundup of the iMore teams most played games of the last seven days. We've got a real variety this week, with a healthy dose of iOS games accompanied by a couple for those Mac gamers out there. Let's take a look.

Random Heroes 2 - Joseph Keller

I have fond memories of my Nintend Entertainment System. It was the first video game console I ever had, and I had a lot of fun with it. Mario, Zelda, and Mega Man were my first, and to this day some of my favorite, gaming experiences. So when I pick up a game like Random Heroes 2, a side-scrolling action-platforming game, it sort of feels like returning to my gaming roots. Random Heroes 2 features an eclectic group of heroes, each with unique abilities, battling aliens across several stages. Use the touch controls to navigate around levels, using the A and B buttons to fire and jump, respectively. You can even aim your weapon using the A button. You can buy different heroes and weapons with the coins and items that you either earn by playing the game or buy from the in-game store. With engaging action and at times challenging platforming, Random Heroes 2 is a great time if you want a fun challenge that gives you a dose of good, old-fashioned 2-D action.

• Free - Download Now

Dumb Ways to Die - Simon Sage

One of the great free games climbing the charts lately is Dumb Ways to Die. Players have to successfully get through a gauntlet of simple minigames for as long as possible, though they become progressively more difficult. These can range from shooing away piranhas from your crotch, swatting bugs, and holding onto balloons so you don't dive onto the tracks. The art style fantastically morbid - cute little characters are constantly getting maimed in new and exciting ways. As you play, you unlock more of them as your life counters. The best part about this game is that it's actually a kind of public service warning by the Melbourne transit association to make sure people don't do stupid things near the tracks. There's [even a cute music video](Dumb Ways to Die). Well-played, Australia. Well-played.

• Free - Download Now

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing - Chris Parsons

I love racing games but I'm more a fan of silly racing games rather than serious ones so when I came across Sonic & Sega All-Stars racing I had to give it a go. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It's a pretty sweet kart racing and doesn't really involve much effort to play, plus the included AirPlay support is awesome. It's free to download and while the nags to upgrade are there, they're not really bothersome. If you Mario Kart was your game back in the day, you'll feel right at home here.

• Free - Download Now

Iron Sky Invasion - Peter Cohen

The movie "Iron Sky" is one of my guilty pleasures - it's pure B-movie sci-fi cheese, but that's rather the point: space Nazis living on the Moon attempt an invasion of Earth. TopWare Interactive responded last year with a video game for PC and consoles based on the movie. Now they've adapted it for iOS. This isn't the deepest game I've ever played on my iPad, and it's not the most challenging, but it's a good bit of fun: You defend Earth from the invading Moon Nazis as you fly seven different experimental space spacecraft ranging from nimble fighters to heavy bombers. You can collect salvage to recharge your shields and use different weapons like rockets, laser cannons and plasma launchers as you go up against wave after wave of invading Moon Nazis in 18 missions - you'll even have to blow up gargantuan Space Zeppelins. Iron Sky was firmly tongue-in-cheek and so is this game, which is more than a nod to classic space dogfighting games of yore like Wing Commander.

• $2.99 - Download now

Layton Brothers Mystery Room - Ally Kazmucha

Layton Brothers Mystery Room is a detective game in which you'll work as Lucy Baker to solve cases with the unstable Professor Layton. You'll comb over case files and use scene reconstructions in order to figure out who committed each crime.

As you work your way through the game, the crime scenes will become more intricate and you'll have more evidence to comb through and suspects to comb through. If you're a fan of crime scene games, this one will be a great addition to your file. It isn't terribly difficult but some of the case files will keep you thinking.

• Free - Download Now

Dirt 2 - Richard Devine

I've played rally games on consoles since the very first Colin McRae title all those years ago, and while Dirt 2 isn't the very latest in the series which was born from that, it's an impressive game nonetheless. I actually picked this up as part of the Feral bundle, but it's well worth the asking price in the Mac App Store. Dirt 2 has a whole host of different rally style races to take on, and a bunch of different vehicles in which to do it. It looks fantastic, and if you hook up something like an Xbox controller it becomes an identical experience to that on the console.

I'm not traditionally a big Mac gamer, but Dirt 2 has been my go-to fix ever since I acquired it. And there's a lot of life to be had from it.

• $19.99 - Download Now

Lego Batman - Rene Ritchie

Lego Star Wars was good. Lego Indiana Jones was okay. But Lego Batman? It was the Dark Knight truly triumphant. I bought it for the PS3 when it first came out and spent many hours playing it with my little brother and my god children. When it became available for the Mac App Store I bought it again, just for the convenience. There's a sequel now, with Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Lego Justice League along for the ride, any why it's technically great, it doesn't have the awesome, word-less feel of the original.

If you've never played Lego Batman, or any of the Lego games before, you're in for a treat. It's everything you love about the classic pop heroes mixed with great, family friendly game play that varies from adventure to racing, and a mind-bogglingly large cast of characters. (From Nightwing to Harley Quinn, Batgirl to Clayface.)

I'm not a big video game player, but Lego Batman was and is some of the most fun I've ever had playing video games. The Tim Burton score doesn't hurt either.

• $19.99 - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/a4NnjmlD_zw/story01.htm

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American-US Airways merger: Feds investigate possible antitrust issues

Airlines

Reuters

June 28, 2013 at 10:43 AM ET

LARRY DOWNING / Reuters

A U.S. Airways jet takes off from Washington's Reagan National Airport outside Washington, passing an American Airlines plane, February 25, 2013. Reuters reports the Justice department is probing the proposed American-US merger for antitrust issues.

The U.S. Justice Department is taking depositions as part of a probe into a planned merger of American Airlines and US Airways that would create the world's largest airline, three sources close to the discussions told Reuters.

The sticking point in talks between the Justice Department and the companies is whether the airlines will agree to sell slots -- take-off and landing rights -- to reduce their dominance at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., according to one source.

The three sources spoke privately to protect business relationships.

US Airways announced on February 14 that it planned to merge with American, which is emerging from bankruptcy, to create an $11 billion airline. The deal requires the approval of the Justice and Transportation Departments. The companies hope to wrap up the merger by the end of September.

American Airlines and US Airways declined comment. Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said only that the agency's investigation was continuing.

The fact that the Justice Department is taking sworn testimony in the form of depositions indicates it has concerns that the proposed merger creates antitrust problems. Depositions will be needed if the agency approves the deal with conditions or, in rare cases, if it decides to try to stop it. The department could also decide to approve the merger without requiring asset sales.

Depositions preserve testimony if the department decides to challenge the merger, said Robert Doyle, an antitrust expert with Doyle, Barlow and Mazard PLLC.

If the deal is approved, the new airline would have 68 percent of the slots at Reagan National, far more than Delta Air Lines with 12 percent, United Airlines with 9 percent and the 11 percent held by other airlines, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

The companies have pushed back hard against any suggestion that takeoff and landing slots at Reagan National be sold.

US Airways CEO Doug Parker told lawmakers in congressional testimony last week that requiring the combined company to surrender slots could mean fewer flights to small and medium-sized cities.

Antitrust experts have said the Justice Department could request divestitures of some slots at Reagan National and a small number of other airports. Outside these hubs, the carriers fly different routes for the most part.

In late May, more than 100 members of Congress asked U.S. regulators to allow the new American to keep all the slots at Reagan National. The airport is used by many members of Congress to travel to and from their home districts.

The U.S. airline industry has undergone five years of rapid consolidation. Delta acquired Northwest Airlines in 2008, United merged with Continental in 2010 and Southwest Airlines Co bought discount rival AirTran in 2011.

With fewer carriers competing, ticket prices have risen. The average fare rose about 8 percent to $375 in the third quarter of 2012, compared with $346 in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2def37a2/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Camerican0Eus0Eairways0Emerger0Efeds0Einvestigate0Epossible0Eantitrust0Eissues0E6C10A480A485/story01.htm

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Cher: Tom Cruise was one of my top 5 lovers

Celebs

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper TODAY

3 hours ago

Rob Kim / Getty Images

Cher says Tom Cruise makes her list of best lovers.

They're both famous names, but did you forget Cher and Tom Cruise were once an item? The singer, 67, confessed on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" Thursday that she still ranks the movie star, who's now 50, among her top 5 lovers.

"He wasn't a Scientologist then!" Cher told host Andy Cohen. "It was pretty hot and heavy for a little minute."

Cher and Cruise dated in the mid-1980s when he was in his early 20s, before his first marriage to actress Mimi Rogers, who reportedly introduced the actor to Scientology.

When Cohen asked Cher to name her all-time best lover, she stumbled, saying "well, a lot of them kinda came in first. I've had just the greatest lovers ever."

When asked where Cruise ranked, she was quick to say, "Well he ... was in the top five."

Cohen showed Cher a number of photos of famous people, including Cruise and asked her to say the first thing that came to her mind about each one.

Elvis Presley, Cher said, invited her to stay with him once for a weekend, and she refused, "but I wish I'd gone," she said. Of "Moonstruck" co-star Nicolas Cage, Cher said, "Aw, I love him. But he's crazy!" Of producer Phil Spector, she said "he paid me $25 for a year's work. My mother didn't believe I was working." Of Michael Jackson, she hesitated, saying "I have too much information."

Cher will appear on TODAY Monday with Savannah Guthrie, and is scheduled to reveal some big news in advance of her comeback album, "Closer to the Truth," which hits stores in September.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/cher-tom-cruise-was-one-my-top-5-lovers-6C10486630

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TV binge-watching is a harmless addiction

TV

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper TODAY

June 28, 2013 at 9:15 AM ET

Melinda Sue Gordon / AP

Robin Wright and Kevin Spacey star in "House of Cards," a favorite for binge-watching since all the episodes were put up on Netflix on the same day.

Ever sat down with a stack of DVDs or a queue of online TV episodes and watched till your eyes glazed over? If so, you've indulged in "binge-watching," a mostly harmless, and definitely enjoyable, addiction.

"Experts say TV binging is a lot like other pleasure activities like eating or drinking or sex," NBC's Kate Snow said on TODAY. "As you devour the next episode of your favorite show, your mind releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter that causes the feeling of pleasure ... while the forebrain provides checks and balances to guard against overindulgence."

Nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults with Internet access watch TV through subscription services like Netflix or Hulu or other on-demand sources, and 62 percent watch multiple episodes back-to-back.

"Content providers like Netflix are building business models around it, offering original series like 'House of Cards' only available on their service all at once," Snow notes.

Like anything, binge-watching can be abused. "Anything that causes pleasure is potentially abusable when matched up against the ability of your forebrain to regulate it," said Dr. Richard Rosenthal of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York. But unlike truly addictive substances, binge-watching doesn't carry with it the negative consequences of other habits.

And if you invest in the right companies, it can be profitable as well. Stock for both Netflix and Dreamworks recently jumped following the announcement of a new partnership between the two for 300 hours of original programming, which guarantees to be ripe for binge watching, Snow said.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/tv-binge-watching-mostly-harmless-addiction-6C10476290

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Paula Deen: Fired By Wal-Mart

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/paula-deen-fired-by-wal-mart/

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iOS 7 preview: Sprite Kit

I've written a lot already about how Apple is changing the interface game by making iOS 7 not only objectified but gamified. It almost feels like you play it as much as you use it. The original iPhone's interface required good enough OpenGL support that it eventually birthed a mobile gaming empire. iOS 7's physics and particle engine -- rumored to have been built by a first-class gaming engineer who's work you've likely enjoyed, a lot -- seems poised to take all of this not only to the next level, but to the next generation. The reason for that is as simple as it is spectacular -- Apple's taken a lot of the new stuff behind their physical new interface, and bundled it together for developers as Sprite Kit.

Here's how the public-facing portion of Apple's iOS developer portal describes it:

Create new immersive experiences using the latest game technologies in iOS 7. Develop high-performance 2D games with the powerful new Sprite Kit framework, which combines everything you need to animate sprites, simulate physics and create beautiful particle systems all in one easy-to-use set of APIs. Hand the controls over to your users by adding support for upcoming MFi game controllers to your game. And the re-designed Game Center adds more modes for turn-based games and more leaderboards, as well as allowing you to authenticate players, and securely transmit game scores and achievements.

The public side of the Mac developer portal has similar:

Create high-performing 2D games with the powerful new Sprite Kit framework, which allows you to control sprite attributes such as position, size, rotation, gravity, and mass. Sprite Kit?s OpenGL-based renderer efficiently animates 2D scenes. Built-in support for physics makes animations look real, and particle systems create essential game effects such as fire, explosions, and smoke.

And this bit on Graphics and Animation:

Sprite Kit is a powerful graphics framework for 2D games such as side-scrolling shooters, puzzle games, and platformers. A flexible API lets developers control sprite attributes such as position, size, rotation, gravity, and mass. Sprite Kit?s OpenGL-based renderer efficiently animates 2D scenes. Built-in support for physics makes animations look real, and particle systems create essential game effects such as fire, explosions, and smoke. To assist SpriteKit-based game development, Xcode supports texture atlas creation and includes a particle creator.

It's easy to see what this means for game developers, or people who want to be developers. They get a lot of really good stuff, and they get it "for free". Existing projects can throw away code and let Sprite Kit take its place, and new developers can just include it from the get go, adding effects they might not have been able to do on their own.

What's more, iOS 7 is showing the world that part of next generation interfaces is this objectification and gamification. Making high quality interactions in iOS 6 and older versions sounded tough and tedious, animating more than modeling, and building even a few types really well was really difficult. iOS 7 and technology like Sprite Kit removes that burden. Designers and developers can dream up the perfect interactions for their apps, and Sprite Kit will conceivably help them achieve it.

Sprite Kit isn't a user-facing feature. It's not one of the 10 tentpoles Apple's senior vice-president of software, Craig Federighi, spent any time on during the WWDC 2013 keynote. However, he did show off every delightful ricochet in Notification Center, every bounce in Messages, every flip, every spin, every zoom, every parallax, every pan, and every bit of interactive awesomeness that Sprite Kit, in part, enables.

And that's just what Apple's doing with it. Imagine 3 months post-iOS 7 launch, 6 month, 1 year... It could fundamentally change the nature of the apps we use every day. It's something that could be transformative.

Sprite Kit is available to developers now, and the rest of us will get our first look at the results of it this fall when Apple ships iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks. Check out the resources below for more, and let me know -- are you looking forward to getting App Store apps that have the physics and particle effects of iOS 7?

• iOS 7: Everything you need to know
• iOS 7: Discussion forum

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/XIOPq1CJAv0/story01.htm

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BlackBerry still promising BBM for iOS before the end of the summer

We're still getting asked this all the time, so just in case you were wondering, BBM ? aka BlackBerry Messenger ? is still coming to iOS, and it'll be with us by the end of the summer. BlackBerry CEO, Thorsten Heins, used this mornings earnings call to let us know, but didn't provide any other, more specific details. And, since we're only just at the beginning of summer, it's not likely its just around the corner. Ah, well. Who's waiting, oh so patiently, for BBM?

More: CrackBerry earnings call live blog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/3zflYjegVGs/story01.htm

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Ines Di Santo, Bridal Designer, Introduces LUXE Collection (PHOTOS)

Ines Di Santo is known for her stunning trumpet and mermaid-style couture gowns, and while every fashion-forward bride would probably love to strut down the aisle in one of them, they can retail for more than $10,000 -- a pretty penny for even the biggest wedding budget.

That's why we were thrilled to learn that the beloved couturier is releasing a new line, LUXE by Ines Di Santo, featuring gowns priced between $2,400 and $5,500 (still a pretty penny but closer to the average bride's dress budget).

Click through the slideshow below to see the collection, then head to your nearest bridal salon to try one on in July.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/ines-di-santo_n_3497725.html

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Kickstarter plans North American expansion, launches in Canada this summer

That's right Canucks, Kickstarter's launching in your neck of the woods before the midnight sun sets for the season. The crowdfunding site released a teaser page today, announcing that it'll open up to Canada-based projects later this summer. It's not the first site of its kind to accept submissions from north of the border, but if Indiegogo hasn't been drawing in the results you need, you'll soon be able to give it a go on another platform. The Kickstarter team is mum on an exact launch date, but with a bit less than three months left in summer, the clock is ticking.

Filed under: Household, Internet

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: Kickstarter

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/27/kickstarter-coming-to-canada/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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The Guardian: NSA still collecting Americans' online data under Obama administration

Today, The Guardian reported that the Obama administration has permitted the NSA to collect large amounts of Americans' online data -- including email records -- for more than two years. The government's metadata-collection program, first started during the Bush presidency, was discontinued in 2011, but it appears that information-monitoring processes have since been going strong.

This news comes courtesy of "secret documents" obtained by the publication, and the source indicates that the NSA specifically collected information involving "communications with at least one communicant outside the United States or for which no communicant was known to be a citizen of the United States," though the agency eventually received the green light to tap US residents as well. Earlier this month, reports surfaced claiming the NSA has been snooping on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon customers, and this latest leak only confirms what many already suspected: that there's still plenty we don't know about the details -- and the extent of -- the government's surveillance activities.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Source: The Guardian (1), The Guardian (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WIiA26HjpCU/

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