BBC NEWS
Page last updated at 10:22 GMT, Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Turkey plane crashes in Amsterdam
A Turkish Airlines plane has crashed on landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol international airport.
The plane, with 135 passengers on board, crashed near the A9 motorway and suffered significant damage.
It was Flight 1951 and was a 737-800 aircraft, the airport said.
There were no confirmed reports of casualties. Reuters news agency, quoting Turkish media, said at least 50 people survived unhurt.
Schiphol is the fifth-largest passenger airport in Europe.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Parents of test tube babies seeking out siblings...
Reuters By Nick Vinocur
Tue Feb 24, 2009. LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Parents who conceived with donated sperm or eggs are increasingly seeking other families who used the same genetic material, sometimes locating as many as 55 "siblings" for their offspring, a study found on Tuesday. The findings published in the journal Human Reproduction raise the issue of reusing a single donor's sample numerous times -- something policy makers may soon need to address, the researchers said.
In some cases, parents found more than 10 donor siblings, and one parent found 55 brothers and sisters for their child, Tabitha Freeman of the Center for Family Research at the University of Cambridge in Britain, who led the study, said.
More than 90 percent of parents included in the study came from the United States, where guidelines regulating the use of sperm or eggs are looser than in Britain, she added.
"The study is exposing that some clinics are using the same donor for a lot of families," Freeman said in a telephone interview.
"Guidelines suggest this should not be the case but they are not strictly enforced" in the United States, she added.
The findings have implications for policy governing a donor's right to anonymity, and could spur legislation limiting how many times genetic material from one donor can be used as a fertility aid, the researchers said.
This is especially true as an increasing number of women are waiting longer to start having children, creating more demand for in vitro fertilization to help them conceive.
"Our most important finding is that the practice of donor conception is creating new family forms," Freeman said. "These family forms are based on genetic links between families with children conceived by the same donor."
Freeman and colleagues recruited 791 parents through the Donor Sibling Registry, a U.S-based group which allows families who used the same genetic material to find each other.
The parents, who had signed up to a service which matches donor samples to parents, were able to discover the identity of their children's "donor siblings" -- other children who shared their genes but were born to different families.
"One very striking finding is that family members in this sample formed close links based on notions of family and kinship," Dr Freeman said. "For example the mothers experienced maternal feelings toward their children's donor siblings."
Since 2005 in the United Kingdom, donors have had to agree that they are willing to be identified by parents who used the sample or their children when they turn 18 -- a reversal of previous legislation which guaranteed anonymity.
The study authors said further research was required to assess the long-term psychological impact for donor offspring of contacting and meeting many of their donor siblings.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Tue Feb 24, 2009. LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Parents who conceived with donated sperm or eggs are increasingly seeking other families who used the same genetic material, sometimes locating as many as 55 "siblings" for their offspring, a study found on Tuesday. The findings published in the journal Human Reproduction raise the issue of reusing a single donor's sample numerous times -- something policy makers may soon need to address, the researchers said.
In some cases, parents found more than 10 donor siblings, and one parent found 55 brothers and sisters for their child, Tabitha Freeman of the Center for Family Research at the University of Cambridge in Britain, who led the study, said.
More than 90 percent of parents included in the study came from the United States, where guidelines regulating the use of sperm or eggs are looser than in Britain, she added.
"The study is exposing that some clinics are using the same donor for a lot of families," Freeman said in a telephone interview.
"Guidelines suggest this should not be the case but they are not strictly enforced" in the United States, she added.
The findings have implications for policy governing a donor's right to anonymity, and could spur legislation limiting how many times genetic material from one donor can be used as a fertility aid, the researchers said.
This is especially true as an increasing number of women are waiting longer to start having children, creating more demand for in vitro fertilization to help them conceive.
"Our most important finding is that the practice of donor conception is creating new family forms," Freeman said. "These family forms are based on genetic links between families with children conceived by the same donor."
Freeman and colleagues recruited 791 parents through the Donor Sibling Registry, a U.S-based group which allows families who used the same genetic material to find each other.
The parents, who had signed up to a service which matches donor samples to parents, were able to discover the identity of their children's "donor siblings" -- other children who shared their genes but were born to different families.
"One very striking finding is that family members in this sample formed close links based on notions of family and kinship," Dr Freeman said. "For example the mothers experienced maternal feelings toward their children's donor siblings."
Since 2005 in the United Kingdom, donors have had to agree that they are willing to be identified by parents who used the sample or their children when they turn 18 -- a reversal of previous legislation which guaranteed anonymity.
The study authors said further research was required to assess the long-term psychological impact for donor offspring of contacting and meeting many of their donor siblings.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
City forbids bright clothes for public servants...
Reuters
Mon Feb 23, 2009. BEIJING (Reuters) - Public servants in the gritty central Chinese city of Zhengzhou should not sport "unnatural hair styles" or wear clothes that are too colorful, according to new city regulations.
From now on, Zhengzhou city officials should make sure their clothing matches and stay away from bright color schemes, the regulations specify.
Neatness and order are the order of the day.
"Don't just dress any which way," the regulations order.
Zhengzhou, the capital of land-locked Henan province, is better known for its agricultural futures exchange and railway station than for its sense of style.
But no specific breach triggered the latest set of rules, which are "designed to improve the image of our public servants," an official at Zhengzhou's central government office told Reuters on Monday.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Lucy Hornby)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Mon Feb 23, 2009. BEIJING (Reuters) - Public servants in the gritty central Chinese city of Zhengzhou should not sport "unnatural hair styles" or wear clothes that are too colorful, according to new city regulations.
From now on, Zhengzhou city officials should make sure their clothing matches and stay away from bright color schemes, the regulations specify.
Neatness and order are the order of the day.
"Don't just dress any which way," the regulations order.
Zhengzhou, the capital of land-locked Henan province, is better known for its agricultural futures exchange and railway station than for its sense of style.
But no specific breach triggered the latest set of rules, which are "designed to improve the image of our public servants," an official at Zhengzhou's central government office told Reuters on Monday.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Lucy Hornby)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Microsoft says no new cost cuts, shares hit 11-year low...
Technology Reuters By Jim Finkle
Tue Feb 24, 2009. BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp outlined plans to offset revenue declines as the PC market shifts to low-cost netbooks, but it failed to announce more cost cuts, sending its shares to an 11-year low.
Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told an analysts' meeting in New York on Tuesday that Microsoft will offer robust versions of its yet-to-be-released Windows 7 operating software for netbooks, as the company looks to boost revenue from these hot-selling, low-cost computers.
But Microsoft shares fell more than 3 percent after Ballmer quashed the hopes of some investors for accelerated cost cuts. Microsoft had announced plans to lay off 5,000 workers on January 22 as part of a plan to save $1.5 billion in annual costs.
"I don't think it makes sense for us to come back and say, 'Could we take out another $2 billion in costs?'" Ballmer said at the analysts' meeting.
Avian Securities Jeff Gaggin said investors were disappointed with Ballmer's decision to hold off on further cost cutting measures, and that he chose not to reassure them that the board will maintain the company's current dividend.
"There was a lot left to interpretation," Gaggin said.
Microsoft, which a month ago blamed netbooks for weaker-than-expected quarterly profits, said it is planning to ship a low-end version of Windows 7 for netbooks, and make it easy for users to upgrade to more expensive editions.
"We will have high market share on netbooks," Ballmer said as he painted a grim outlook for the economy.
"I often think of this as an economic reset. It's not a recession from which you recover," he added.
Ballmer also said he still wants to team up with Yahoo Inc to compete against Internet search giant Google Inc, though he is not interested in buying Yahoo.
He said he hopes to discuss a possible search partnership with Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, and added that he expects Google to start competing with the Windows operating system by offering a version of its Android operating system for laptop computers.
Google launched Android last year as an operating system for smart phones.
NETBOOK TREND
Microsoft had partly blamed last quarter's profit shortfall on a shift in personal computer sales to netbooks from full-featured machines.
Analysts say the low pricing of netbook software is hurting Windows profits, and estimate that Microsoft only reaps about half the revenue from PC makers for each netbook sold, compared to what it earns on sales of more expensive laptops.
Still, Ballmer said he disagreed that growing netbook sales represent "downside" for his company.
Microsoft's goal is to boost its average revenue per netbook by persuading users to pay to upgrade low-end versions of the software to gain features included with more expensive ones in full-featured PCs.
The software maker will encourage that by limiting the functionality of low-end versions of the new Windows 7. As an example, Ballmer said Microsoft will restrict the number of programs that a user can run at once.
Netbook sales took off last year as the economy weakened, making their low pricing of $200 to $400 more attractive to consumers. Ballmer said he expects netbook sales to continue to grow as cash-strapped buyers avoid big-ticket, discretionary purchases.
"There is certainly going to be an economic effect on PC sales," he said. "We cannot control it. It will affect our revenue."
Most netbooks are now shipped with a stripped down copy of an older generation of Microsoft's operating system, Windows XP, because those machines don't have the computing resources needed to run Windows Vista, the latest version.
Cross Research analyst Richard Williams estimates that Microsoft gets about $35 for each netbook sold with Windows.
Analysts expect Windows 7 to be released before this year's holiday shopping season. Microsoft has declined to give a specific release date, only saying it will be out by January 2010.
Microsoft shares fell 33 cents to $16.88, after hitting an 11-year low of $16.36.
(Reporting by Jim Finkle; editing by Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Tue Feb 24, 2009. BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp outlined plans to offset revenue declines as the PC market shifts to low-cost netbooks, but it failed to announce more cost cuts, sending its shares to an 11-year low.
Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told an analysts' meeting in New York on Tuesday that Microsoft will offer robust versions of its yet-to-be-released Windows 7 operating software for netbooks, as the company looks to boost revenue from these hot-selling, low-cost computers.
But Microsoft shares fell more than 3 percent after Ballmer quashed the hopes of some investors for accelerated cost cuts. Microsoft had announced plans to lay off 5,000 workers on January 22 as part of a plan to save $1.5 billion in annual costs.
"I don't think it makes sense for us to come back and say, 'Could we take out another $2 billion in costs?'" Ballmer said at the analysts' meeting.
Avian Securities Jeff Gaggin said investors were disappointed with Ballmer's decision to hold off on further cost cutting measures, and that he chose not to reassure them that the board will maintain the company's current dividend.
"There was a lot left to interpretation," Gaggin said.
Microsoft, which a month ago blamed netbooks for weaker-than-expected quarterly profits, said it is planning to ship a low-end version of Windows 7 for netbooks, and make it easy for users to upgrade to more expensive editions.
"We will have high market share on netbooks," Ballmer said as he painted a grim outlook for the economy.
"I often think of this as an economic reset. It's not a recession from which you recover," he added.
Ballmer also said he still wants to team up with Yahoo Inc to compete against Internet search giant Google Inc, though he is not interested in buying Yahoo.
He said he hopes to discuss a possible search partnership with Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, and added that he expects Google to start competing with the Windows operating system by offering a version of its Android operating system for laptop computers.
Google launched Android last year as an operating system for smart phones.
NETBOOK TREND
Microsoft had partly blamed last quarter's profit shortfall on a shift in personal computer sales to netbooks from full-featured machines.
Analysts say the low pricing of netbook software is hurting Windows profits, and estimate that Microsoft only reaps about half the revenue from PC makers for each netbook sold, compared to what it earns on sales of more expensive laptops.
Still, Ballmer said he disagreed that growing netbook sales represent "downside" for his company.
Microsoft's goal is to boost its average revenue per netbook by persuading users to pay to upgrade low-end versions of the software to gain features included with more expensive ones in full-featured PCs.
The software maker will encourage that by limiting the functionality of low-end versions of the new Windows 7. As an example, Ballmer said Microsoft will restrict the number of programs that a user can run at once.
Netbook sales took off last year as the economy weakened, making their low pricing of $200 to $400 more attractive to consumers. Ballmer said he expects netbook sales to continue to grow as cash-strapped buyers avoid big-ticket, discretionary purchases.
"There is certainly going to be an economic effect on PC sales," he said. "We cannot control it. It will affect our revenue."
Most netbooks are now shipped with a stripped down copy of an older generation of Microsoft's operating system, Windows XP, because those machines don't have the computing resources needed to run Windows Vista, the latest version.
Cross Research analyst Richard Williams estimates that Microsoft gets about $35 for each netbook sold with Windows.
Analysts expect Windows 7 to be released before this year's holiday shopping season. Microsoft has declined to give a specific release date, only saying it will be out by January 2010.
Microsoft shares fell 33 cents to $16.88, after hitting an 11-year low of $16.36.
(Reporting by Jim Finkle; editing by Richard Chang)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Boy, 13, did father baby: teen mum
News.Ninemsn.com.au
The girlfriend of the 13-year-old boy labelled Britain's youngest dad has rejected claims he did not father her child, publicly declaring "I lost my virginity to him".
Chantelle Steadman, 15, last week gave birth to a girl, Maisie, amid intense media scrutiny — which was compounded when two other teenage boys claimed they could be the father.
Her boyfriend of two years, 13-year-old Alfie Patten, has agreed to take a paternity test he believes will prove beyond doubt that he is the father.
Chantelle has spoken for the first time to back up Alfie's paternity claim and hit back at accusations she had sex with the other boys.
"I love Alfie — I lost my virginity to him," UK newspaper The Sun quoted her as saying.
"We decided to start a physical relationship because we love each other. There has been no one else. Other stupid boys are lying."
Chantelle said Alfie was just 12 when she told him they were expecting a baby.
Since the birth, Alfie has been a doting father who can’t bear to be separated from his daughter, she said.
Matters were complicated yesterday when Tyler Barker, 14, and Richard Goodsell, 16, came forward with claims they had also slept with Chantelle and could have fathered the baby.
The elder boy said even his mother and friends were telling him Maisie "had [his] eyes".
But Chantelle's mother Penny Steadman, 38, joined with her daughter in dismissing the two boys' claims and insisted her daughter had only slept with Alfie.
She said she initially had no idea Chantelle and Alfie had a sexual relationship.
"I spoke to them both one night and asked, 'Are you sleeping together?'" she was quoted as saying.
"Their reply was, 'No'. We had no reason not to believe them."
The girlfriend of the 13-year-old boy labelled Britain's youngest dad has rejected claims he did not father her child, publicly declaring "I lost my virginity to him".
Chantelle Steadman, 15, last week gave birth to a girl, Maisie, amid intense media scrutiny — which was compounded when two other teenage boys claimed they could be the father.
Her boyfriend of two years, 13-year-old Alfie Patten, has agreed to take a paternity test he believes will prove beyond doubt that he is the father.
Chantelle has spoken for the first time to back up Alfie's paternity claim and hit back at accusations she had sex with the other boys.
"I love Alfie — I lost my virginity to him," UK newspaper The Sun quoted her as saying.
"We decided to start a physical relationship because we love each other. There has been no one else. Other stupid boys are lying."
Chantelle said Alfie was just 12 when she told him they were expecting a baby.
Since the birth, Alfie has been a doting father who can’t bear to be separated from his daughter, she said.
Matters were complicated yesterday when Tyler Barker, 14, and Richard Goodsell, 16, came forward with claims they had also slept with Chantelle and could have fathered the baby.
The elder boy said even his mother and friends were telling him Maisie "had [his] eyes".
But Chantelle's mother Penny Steadman, 38, joined with her daughter in dismissing the two boys' claims and insisted her daughter had only slept with Alfie.
She said she initially had no idea Chantelle and Alfie had a sexual relationship.
"I spoke to them both one night and asked, 'Are you sleeping together?'" she was quoted as saying.
"Their reply was, 'No'. We had no reason not to believe them."
"Loose" women to send knickers to Hindu group
By Rina Chandran
Fri Feb 13, 2009. MUMBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of Indians, many fuming over a recent assault on women in a pub, are vowing to fill bars on Valentine's Day and send cartons of pink panties to a radical Hindu group that has branded outgoing females immoral.
A "consortium of pub-going, loose and forward women," founded by four Indian women on social networking website Facebook has, in a matter of days, attracted more than 25,000 members with over 2,000 posts about the self-appointed moral police.
The women said their mission was to go bar-hopping on February 14 and send hundreds of pink knickers to Sri Ram Sena, the militant Hindu group that has said pubs are for men, and that women should stay at home and cook for their husbands.
The same Hindu group was blamed for attacking women in a bar in the southern city of Mangalore in January, an incident that sparked a national debate about women's freedoms in India.
Collection centers have sprung up in several cities, with volunteers calling for bright pink old-fashioned knickers as gifts to the Sri Ram Sena as a mark of defiance.
"Girl power! Go girls, go. Show Ram Sena... who's the boss," reads one post on Facebook from Larkins Dsouza.
There is a separate campaign to "Walk to the nearest pub and buy a drink (and) raise a toast," that has found supporters from Toronto to Bangkok to Sydney, with even teetotalers saying they will get a drink on Saturday to show solidarity.
"Though I don't promote smoking or drinking for both sexes, we definitely don't need hooligans telling us what to do and what not. Best of luck!," reads one post from Iftehar Ahsan.
There are more heated discussion threads as well that range from the limits of independence to religion and politics, reflecting the struggle facing a country that has long battled to balance its deep-rooted traditions with rapid modernization.
Growing numbers of young and independent urban women have become an easy target for religious fundamentalists and aging politicians trying to force traditional mores on an increasingly liberal, Western outlook.
Not to be outdone, the Sri Ram Sena, which has cautioned shops and pubs in southern Karnataka state against marking Valentine's Day, has promised to gift pink saris to women and marry off canoodling couples to make them "respectable."
(Reporting by Rina Chandran; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
addImpression("3098091_Share Links");
Fri Feb 13, 2009. MUMBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of Indians, many fuming over a recent assault on women in a pub, are vowing to fill bars on Valentine's Day and send cartons of pink panties to a radical Hindu group that has branded outgoing females immoral.
A "consortium of pub-going, loose and forward women," founded by four Indian women on social networking website Facebook has, in a matter of days, attracted more than 25,000 members with over 2,000 posts about the self-appointed moral police.
The women said their mission was to go bar-hopping on February 14 and send hundreds of pink knickers to Sri Ram Sena, the militant Hindu group that has said pubs are for men, and that women should stay at home and cook for their husbands.
The same Hindu group was blamed for attacking women in a bar in the southern city of Mangalore in January, an incident that sparked a national debate about women's freedoms in India.
Collection centers have sprung up in several cities, with volunteers calling for bright pink old-fashioned knickers as gifts to the Sri Ram Sena as a mark of defiance.
"Girl power! Go girls, go. Show Ram Sena... who's the boss," reads one post on Facebook from Larkins Dsouza.
There is a separate campaign to "Walk to the nearest pub and buy a drink (and) raise a toast," that has found supporters from Toronto to Bangkok to Sydney, with even teetotalers saying they will get a drink on Saturday to show solidarity.
"Though I don't promote smoking or drinking for both sexes, we definitely don't need hooligans telling us what to do and what not. Best of luck!," reads one post from Iftehar Ahsan.
There are more heated discussion threads as well that range from the limits of independence to religion and politics, reflecting the struggle facing a country that has long battled to balance its deep-rooted traditions with rapid modernization.
Growing numbers of young and independent urban women have become an easy target for religious fundamentalists and aging politicians trying to force traditional mores on an increasingly liberal, Western outlook.
Not to be outdone, the Sri Ram Sena, which has cautioned shops and pubs in southern Karnataka state against marking Valentine's Day, has promised to gift pink saris to women and marry off canoodling couples to make them "respectable."
(Reporting by Rina Chandran; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Miral Fahmy)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
addImpression("3098091_Share Links");
Friday, February 06, 2009
Windows 7 SKUs unveiled, six versions to be released...
TechSpot News By Justin Mann, TechSpot.com
Published: February 3, 2009 For all that Microsoft has learned throughout the launch of Vista, they apparently have forgotten how confused their customers were by the tidal-wave of different versions of the OS.
The upcoming release of Windows 7 will be no different than Vista in terms of SKUs, with at least three different consumer versions and three different business versions. The naming scheme is virtually the same, beginning with Windows 7 Starter and moving up through Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.
Feature-by-feature, these different versions seem nearly identical to Vista's supported specs. The Starter edition supports only three concurrent applications, Aero doesn't appear until Home Premium and the ability to join a domain first makes an appearance in the Professional edition.
Microsoft has confirmed that these SKUs are real for Windows 7. More will no doubt be added as the server versions of Windows 7 eventually make their way out. There's certainly a need for specialized versions of Windows, a version aimed at home users and a version aimed at business desktops, but does Microsoft really want to flood the market with six or more different versions of the same OS?
Related Stories
Windows 7 improved window management using the keyboard (hotkeys)
Microsoft removes Windows 7 Beta download limit
Published: February 3, 2009 For all that Microsoft has learned throughout the launch of Vista, they apparently have forgotten how confused their customers were by the tidal-wave of different versions of the OS.
The upcoming release of Windows 7 will be no different than Vista in terms of SKUs, with at least three different consumer versions and three different business versions. The naming scheme is virtually the same, beginning with Windows 7 Starter and moving up through Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate.
Feature-by-feature, these different versions seem nearly identical to Vista's supported specs. The Starter edition supports only three concurrent applications, Aero doesn't appear until Home Premium and the ability to join a domain first makes an appearance in the Professional edition.
Microsoft has confirmed that these SKUs are real for Windows 7. More will no doubt be added as the server versions of Windows 7 eventually make their way out. There's certainly a need for specialized versions of Windows, a version aimed at home users and a version aimed at business desktops, but does Microsoft really want to flood the market with six or more different versions of the same OS?
Related Stories
Windows 7 improved window management using the keyboard (hotkeys)
Microsoft removes Windows 7 Beta download limit
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Google Earth users can dive in the sea, fly to Mars...
Technology Reuters
Tue Feb 3, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has updated its online map of the world to add the more than two- thirds of the planet that lies underwater and provide a way to view changes to glaciers and other geography over time.
The new edition of Google Earth, unveiled in San Francisco on Monday with an appearance by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, was trumpeted as a powerful way to raise awareness about environmental issues such as global warming.
Using photographs and video of fish and other marine life from partners including the National Geographic Society, Google Ocean allows Web surfers to dive under waves and glide over the sea floor.
It was touted as the latest fruit of Google's freewheeling research culture, even as questions swirl about the company's commitment to funding projects that do not contribute to the bottom line right away.
John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, said Google Ocean is less focused on creating immediate revenue than helping to "build support for our perception as a leader."
The opportunities to generate revenue from Google Earth will come later, he added.
Google said last week its sales in the fourth quarter rose 18 percent year-over-year to $5.7 billion, even as the U.S. economic recession and slowing advertising spending stunted growth at rivals such as Yahoo Inc.
In developing Google Ocean, the company used sonar data from the U.S. Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and others to create a visual representation of the topographic landscape hidden beneath the sea.
Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, also unveiled a three-dimensional map of Mars on Monday based on satellite images, as well as panoramic photos taken from the Mars Rovers.
And a new "timeline" feature on Google Earth allows a person to view a succession of satellite images of the same location over the years, tracking changes to the environment.
Vice President of Search Products Marissa Mayer said the new Google Earth features are a validation of the company's famous 20 percent program, which allows engineers to devote one-fifth of their time to pet projects that may or may not eventually become full-fledged Google products.
"We think some of the most interesting and innovative work we do comes though bottom's up initiatives," Mayer said.
Google has pulled the plug on some experimental projects in recent months, prompting questions about whether the company will continue to give its engineers the same free rein in a tough economy.
In 2008, Google spent roughly $2.8 billion on research and development, or 12.8 percent of total revenue.
Hanke said the company may be taking a closer look at projects that occupy more than 20 percent of a worker's time, but he noted the new Ocean feature was created by very few people and is "invaluable" to the company.
Google shares closed up 0.6 percent at $340.57 on the Nasdaq on Monday.
(Editing by Andre Grenon)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Tue Feb 3, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has updated its online map of the world to add the more than two- thirds of the planet that lies underwater and provide a way to view changes to glaciers and other geography over time.The new edition of Google Earth, unveiled in San Francisco on Monday with an appearance by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, was trumpeted as a powerful way to raise awareness about environmental issues such as global warming.
Using photographs and video of fish and other marine life from partners including the National Geographic Society, Google Ocean allows Web surfers to dive under waves and glide over the sea floor.
It was touted as the latest fruit of Google's freewheeling research culture, even as questions swirl about the company's commitment to funding projects that do not contribute to the bottom line right away.
John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, said Google Ocean is less focused on creating immediate revenue than helping to "build support for our perception as a leader."
The opportunities to generate revenue from Google Earth will come later, he added.
Google said last week its sales in the fourth quarter rose 18 percent year-over-year to $5.7 billion, even as the U.S. economic recession and slowing advertising spending stunted growth at rivals such as Yahoo Inc.
In developing Google Ocean, the company used sonar data from the U.S. Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and others to create a visual representation of the topographic landscape hidden beneath the sea.
Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, also unveiled a three-dimensional map of Mars on Monday based on satellite images, as well as panoramic photos taken from the Mars Rovers.
And a new "timeline" feature on Google Earth allows a person to view a succession of satellite images of the same location over the years, tracking changes to the environment.
Vice President of Search Products Marissa Mayer said the new Google Earth features are a validation of the company's famous 20 percent program, which allows engineers to devote one-fifth of their time to pet projects that may or may not eventually become full-fledged Google products.
"We think some of the most interesting and innovative work we do comes though bottom's up initiatives," Mayer said.
Google has pulled the plug on some experimental projects in recent months, prompting questions about whether the company will continue to give its engineers the same free rein in a tough economy.
In 2008, Google spent roughly $2.8 billion on research and development, or 12.8 percent of total revenue.
Hanke said the company may be taking a closer look at projects that occupy more than 20 percent of a worker's time, but he noted the new Ocean feature was created by very few people and is "invaluable" to the company.
Google shares closed up 0.6 percent at $340.57 on the Nasdaq on Monday.
(Editing by Andre Grenon)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Breast cancer mutation raises prostate risks in men | Health | Reuters
Reuters
Thu Jan 29, 2009 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 can raise the risk that a man who develops prostate cancer will get an aggressive form of the disease, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Certain mutations in the genes indicated a man was at risk of more aggressive cancer and should be treated right away, the team at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University said.
Their study of 2,000 Jewish men shows the gene mutation, more common among Jews of European descent, might help show which men have a slow-growing tumor that may not need immediate treatment.
"One of the biggest problems with early-stage prostate cancer is being able to distinguish between tumors with the potential to become aggressive and those that may persist for many years without enlarging or spreading," said Dr. Robert Burk, who led the study.
He said Ashkenazi Jewish men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer might want to consider getting tested for the mutations in BRCA2 and BRCA1.
"Our large study shows conclusively that prostate cancer patients with either the BRCA2 gene mutation or the BRCA1-185delAG mutation are more susceptible to aggressive cancers than people without that mutation," Burk added in a statement.
For their study, Burk and colleagues tested 979 men with prostate cancer and 1,251 men without it for BRCA1 and BRCA2, both rare genetic mutations known in women to raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancers considerably.
Men with any one of three mutations in the two genes were not any more likely to be in the prostate cancer group. But, if they did have one, their cancer was much more likely to be of an aggressive type, Burk's team reported in Clinical Cancer Research.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cancer killer of men, killing 221,000 every year globally, with 679,000 new cases diagnosed.
It is easily cured in early stages with surgery or radiation and some men have such slow-growing tumors that they are advised not to have any treatment at all. But distinguishing between the two is tricky and doctors welcome any new tools they can use to guide them.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Michael Kahn and Jackie Frank)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Thu Jan 29, 2009 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 can raise the risk that a man who develops prostate cancer will get an aggressive form of the disease, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Certain mutations in the genes indicated a man was at risk of more aggressive cancer and should be treated right away, the team at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University said.
Their study of 2,000 Jewish men shows the gene mutation, more common among Jews of European descent, might help show which men have a slow-growing tumor that may not need immediate treatment.
"One of the biggest problems with early-stage prostate cancer is being able to distinguish between tumors with the potential to become aggressive and those that may persist for many years without enlarging or spreading," said Dr. Robert Burk, who led the study.
He said Ashkenazi Jewish men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer might want to consider getting tested for the mutations in BRCA2 and BRCA1.
"Our large study shows conclusively that prostate cancer patients with either the BRCA2 gene mutation or the BRCA1-185delAG mutation are more susceptible to aggressive cancers than people without that mutation," Burk added in a statement.
For their study, Burk and colleagues tested 979 men with prostate cancer and 1,251 men without it for BRCA1 and BRCA2, both rare genetic mutations known in women to raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancers considerably.
Men with any one of three mutations in the two genes were not any more likely to be in the prostate cancer group. But, if they did have one, their cancer was much more likely to be of an aggressive type, Burk's team reported in Clinical Cancer Research.
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cancer killer of men, killing 221,000 every year globally, with 679,000 new cases diagnosed.
It is easily cured in early stages with surgery or radiation and some men have such slow-growing tumors that they are advised not to have any treatment at all. But distinguishing between the two is tricky and doctors welcome any new tools they can use to guide them.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Michael Kahn and Jackie Frank)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)