Tuesday, July 23, 2013

US home sales dipped 1.2 percent in June

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. sales of previously occupied homes dipped in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.08 million in June but remain near a 3?-year high.

The National Association of Realtors said Monday that sales dipped last month from an annual rate of 5.14 million in May. The NAR revised down May's sales, but they were still the highest since November 2009.

Despite last month's dip, sales are up 15.2 percent from a year ago. Home sales have recovered since early last year, buoyed by job gains and low mortgage rates.

Still, mortgage rates have surged in recent weeks over concern that the Federal Reserve could slow its bond-buying programs this year. The Fed's bond purchases have helped keep long-term interest rates low.

Higher mortgage rates slowed sales of higher-priced homes in states such as California and New York, the Realtors group said.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage leapt to 4.46 percent by the end of June from 3.81 percent at the end of May. The rate was 4.37 percent last week.

Most economists aren't yet worried that the higher rates will undercut the housing recovery. Mortgage rates are still at historically low levels, and home prices remain relatively affordable despite rising in the past year. In addition, higher mortgage rates could encourage potential buyers to come off the sidelines and purchase homes before rates rise further.

But many of those buyers may be frustrated by the small number of available homes, which has helped push up prices. The number of homes for sale rose 3.3 percent in May to 2.2 million, the second straight increase. But inventories are still 10 percent below year-ago levels.

Another obstacle is a lack of first-time buyers, who usually drive healthy markets. They made up only 28 percent of buyers in May, below the 40 percent that is typical. Since the housing bubble burst more than six years ago, banks have imposed tighter credit conditions and required larger down payments. That's made it harder for first-time buyers to qualify for mortgages.

The strength in housing this year has offset weaknesses elsewhere in the economy, like manufacturing and business investment. Rising home sales lead to more spending at furniture and home supply stores.

Homebuilders have also stepped up construction in the past year, creating more construction jobs. In June, they applied for permits to build single-family homes at the fastest pace in five years.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-home-sales-dipped-1-2-percent-june-140949317.html

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A New Kind of Microchip Mimics the Human Brian in Real Time

A New Kind of Microchip Mimics the Human Brian in Real Time

A team of scientists in Switzerland has managed to cram 11,011 electrodes onto a single two-millimeter-by-two-millimeter piece of silicon to create a microchip that works just like an actual brain. The best part about this so-called neuromorphic chips? They can feel.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8XSFE-QfPW8/a-new-kind-of-microchip-mimics-the-human-brian-in-real-872326444

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Faulty charger, not iPhone, could have killed Chinese stewardess

A Chinese television broadcast has demonstrated the possibility faulty chargers could have caused the death of a Chinese air stewardess electrocuted when she answered phonecalls on a charging iPhone spread.?

A report by national broadcaster CCTV?suggested the charger in the stewardess electrocution case might not be a genuine Apple product, and the phone was not an iPhone 5 but an iPhone 4.

In the TV footage, CCTV showed the use of a charger which looked like a genuine Apple charger, combined with a Hong Kong-style plug and aconverter.

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Both the plug and converter are available online including China's biggest online store, Taobao.com, with prices ranging from 3.8 yuan (US$0.62) to 55 yuan (US$9) for the charger, and 0.66 yuan (USD 0.1) to 9.9 yuan (US$1.6) for the converter.?

If either was faulty, they could have become the lethal combination that resulted in the premature death of the 23-year-old stewardess.

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Screenshot of adapter sold on Taobao.com.

According to a report published Tuesday on local news site?Xia Men Wang, in most cases, consumers would not be able to trace the manufacturer of goods available on the lower price range since these are likely made in unregistered workshops in the southern provinces of China where there is no quality control, considering their exceptionally low prices.

For products on the higher price range, such as a charger that sells for 55 yuan on Taobao.com, even if the charger was a genuine Apple-issued one, the purchase is still technically illegal since such items were probably smuggled into China in the first place. In most instances, these would likely have been dismantled, reassembled, and redistributed through channels like online stores.

According to a Beijing News's report in 2012, Shenzhen customs arrested over 100 people for smuggling 500 million yuan (USD 81.5 million) worth of Apple products?and selling them on Taobao.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zdnetaustralia-news/~3/aEw4ffYREk8/

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Trail Blazers take on Atlanta Hawks as NBA Summer League tournament begins

After falling 80-78 in overtime to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers' NBA Summer League team enters the tournament portion of the Las Vegas event on Wednesday as the No. 19 seed.

The Blazers (0-3) will take on 14th-seeded Atlanta (1-2) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be tape delayed on NBATV (Comcast 416) at 10:30 p.m.

The winner will face No. 3 seed Phoenix at 5 p.m. Thursday at Cox Pavilion, and the Blazers-Hawks loser will play in a consolation game at 3 p.m. Friday at Cox Pavilion against the loser of Wednesday's Minnesota-Sacramento game.

Portland's CJ McCollum is the second-leading scorer in Las Vegas so far, averaging 21.3 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Atlanta is led by guard John Jenkins, who is scoring 19.3 points per game, and forward Mike Scott, who is coming off a 27-point, seven-rebound performance against San Antonio.

NBA Summer League 2013 Schedule & Results
All times Pacific.

Friday July 12
New Orleans 77, New York 72
LA Clippers 90, Atlanta 83
Cleveland 70, LA Lakers 62
San Antonio 69, Charlotte 68
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Saturday July 13
Golden State 56, Washington 52
Dallas 76, Sacramento 73
Chicago 81, Memphis 67
Milwaukee 88, Denver 74
NBA D-League 83, Minnesota 81
Phoenix 82, Portland 69
Miami 81, Toronto 72
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Sunday July 14
New York 82, Washington 69
Charlotte 86, Dallas 80
Cleveland 69, Memphis 58
Atlanta 75, Miami 71
NBA D-League 81, LA Clippers 77
LA Lakers 81, Portland 63
Milwaukee 69, New Orleans 61
Toronto 82, Spurs 76
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Monday July 15
Charlotte 84, New York 71
New Orleans 66, Cleveland 62
LA Lakers 77, LA Lakers 65
San Antonio 96, Atlanta 87
Phoenix 91, Minnesota 89
Golden State 80, Sacramento 70
Chicago 91, Denver 81
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Tuesday July 16
Minnesota 80, Miami 71
Toronto 81, Sacramento 70
Chicago 80, Portland 78 (OT)
Washington 97, Denver 69
Golden State 84, Milwaukee 72
Phoenix 100, Memphis 88
NBA D-League 82, Dallas 75
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NBA Summer League tournament
Wednesday July 17

Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. ? #11 New Orleans vs. #22 Denver (Game 34)
5 p.m. ? #13 Minnesota vs. #20 Sacramento (Game 36)
7 p.m. ? #15 New York vs. #18 Miami (Game 38)
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Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. ? #12 Washington vs. #21 Memphis (Game 35)
5:30 p.m. ? #14 Atlanta vs. #19 Portland (Game 37)
7:30 p.m. ? #16 Dallas vs. #17 LA Clippers (Game 39)
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Thursday July 18
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. ? #7 Cleveland vs. #10 San Antonio (Game 40)
3 p.m. ? #6 Toronto vs. Winner of New Orleans/Denver (Game 42)
5 p.m. ? #3 Phoenix vs. Winner of Atlanta/Portland (Game 44)
7 p.m. ? #2 Chicago vs. Winner of New York/Miami (Game 46)
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Thomas & Mack
1:30 p.m. ? #8 LA Lakers vs. #9 Milwaukee (Game 41)
3:30 p.m. ? #5 Charlotte vs. Winner of Washington/Memphis (Game 43)
5:30 p.m. ? #4 NBA D-League Select vs. Winner of Minnesota/Sacramento (Game 45)
7:30 p.m. ? #1 Golden State vs. Winner of Dallas/LA Clippers (Game 47)
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Friday July 19
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. ? Game 38 Loser vs. Game 39 Loser (Game 48)
3 p.m. ? Game 36 Loser vs. Game 37 Loser (Game 49)
5 p.m. ? Game 40 Loser vs. Game 41 Loser (Game 51)
7 p.m. ? Game 46 Loser vs. Game 47 Loser (Game 53)
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Thomas & Mack
3:30 p.m. ? Game 34 Loser vs. Game 35 Loser (Game 50)
5:30 p.m. ? Game 42 Loser vs. Game 43 Loser (Game 52)
7:30 p.m. ? Game 44 Loser vs. Game 45 Loser (Game 54)
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Saturday July 20
Thomas & Mack
1 p.m. ? Game 40 Winner vs. Game 46 Winner (Game 55)
3 p.m. ? Game 42 Winner vs. Game 44 Winner (Game 56)
5 p.m. ? Game 43 Winner vs. Game 45 Winner (Game 57)
7 p.m. ? Game 41 Winner vs. Game 47 Winner (Game 58)
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Sunday July 21
Thomas & Mack
3 p.m. ? Game 55 Winner vs. Game 56 Winner (Game 59)
5 p.m. ? Game 57 Winner vs. Game 58 Winner (Game 60)
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Monday July 22
Thomas & Mack
6 p.m. ? Game 59 Winner vs. Game 60 Winner (Game 61)

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2013/07/trail_blazers_take_on_atlanta_hawks_as_nba_summer.html

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Tornado Tree links apple grower to deadly day in Edmonton history

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Mohyuddin Mirza, left, with Richard Heetun in his yard Tuesday, July 16, 2013.

Photograph by: John Lucas , Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - Richard Heetun?s lush garden sprouted from a twig uprooted by Edmonton?s deadly 1987 tornado.

He was one of the first rescue workers at the scene when the storm roared through the city?s east end. Amid the debris and casualties, he noticed a twig lying in a ditch.

?There was a little root sticking out of it. I just grabbed it for some reason out of remembrance,? he said.

Heetun planted the twig at Kuhlmann?s Market Garden, where he turned his attention to growing a record-breaking 11.8 metric tonnes of tomatoes for his employer in one year. When he moved to his newly built home in 1990, he reclaimed the budding twig. It was the first tree he planted.

Twenty-three years later, its height reaches six metres. Heetun calls it the Tornado Tree.

The tree is the centrepiece of Heetun?s remarkable home garden, which boasts 40 varieties of apples on five trees, out of the 100 varieties available in Edmonton.

?We?re trying to spread the message that growing apples is basically like an art. If you consider how many apples have been grafted here, it looks like a multicultural society,? Heetun said Tuesday while giving a tour of the garden.

Apple lovers will salivate at his offerings, from Parkland to red delicious to McIntosh. The apples are still growing in mid-July, but Heetun expects them to swell to commercial size by August. That?s when the garden resembles a B.C. orchard, he said.

Heetun has extended his green thumb to pears, cherries, Saskatoon berries and goji berries. The key to his garden?s diversity is grafting, which involves taking a branch off a tree and planting it on another compatible branch.

?The grafted branch becomes a part of the original tree, and the branch that?s produced has different fruit,? said Mohyuddin Mirza, a retired horticulturalist and Heetun?s longtime friend.

Mirza said he?s always been interested in maximizing the production of diverse crops in Edmonton, where frost-free days are few. By surviving the city?s frigid winters, Heetun?s garden has proven remarkably useful for study. In the winter, Heetun piles metres of snow at the base of the trees, giving them enough moisture to thrive in the early spring.

Word of mouth about Heetun?s apple oasis has spread among gardening aficionados and curious onlookers, prompting him to host open houses since 2011.

?There were tourists visiting from West Edmonton Mall who came here by taxi. They were from Japan and somehow found it,? he said. ?I had people from Red Deer, Leduc and as far as Lloydminster who asked if I was interested in creating a garden in their farms.?

Heetun will reopen his doors this August at 15435 65th St., where he?ll host daily tours from noon to 7 p.m.

?The whole idea is to promote this industry of growing apples. The potential of growing apples in Edmonton is huge, but people don?t even know about it.?

It?s a strange notion for a man who was born into horticulture. Heetun was raised in the island of Mauritius, off the southeast coast of Africa, where a belief abounded that those who grew apple trees prospered. Heetun?s father taught him grafting at a young age, while apples were his mother?s favourite fruit.

His years of experience have infused artistry into Heetun?s grafting. He quickly snips the branch and rocks a knife in its middle to avoid damaging the tissue, splitting it in half. His weathered, dark fingers pluck a small scion, which he carefully chisels at the top, exposing its food and water system. Opening the cut, he inserts the scion and tapes it together.

How often does Heetun graft? ?Whenever I?m in a good mood,? he mused. About 75 different methods of grafting exist, all of which he can perform.

He can fashion a heart tree, for instance, by cutting a shorter branch and encircling it with a larger branch. Twisting branches into the shape of a serpent is called the Garden of Eden.

Heetun has never sought to profit from his apples, though. He gives them away to church communities, and snacks on three of them for lunch.

Still, visitors who benefit from Heetun?s encyclopedic knowledge tend to offer him donations. He hopes to collect enough to open an organic fruit tree orchard in five years. It would be situated at the future site of a Muslim mosque on Meridian Street.

But these days, Heetun simply enjoys sitting on his patio, basking in the garden that?s flourished over the past 23 years. ?It?s a personal satisfaction because the winter is just long enough,? he said.

He turns his gaze to the former twig that flourished against all odds: the Tornado Tree.

Its budding apples and pears are clustered together, hiding in the shadows of the leaves. They hang from 27 grafts, commemorating the 27 lives lost that day.

amigdal@edmontonjournal.com

twitter.com/alexem

? Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

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Source: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Tornado+Tree+links+apple+grower+deadly+Edmonton+history/8668894/story.html

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Static IP settings for Wi-Fi on Windows Phones 7.5 Mango [updated]

Dear Microsoft. Trust me, I am really trying to give Windows Phone a chance, but you are making it so so hard. I know that you are convinced you are doing great, but I got news for you: You are not! Go out of your bunker, and get your feet in the real world, see what real user really need, and not what some of your "genius" think we need. Among others, fix this, and allow setting stating IP address.

Source: http://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions/suggestions/2297261-static-ip-settings-for-wi-fi-on-windows-phones-7-5

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Saturday, July 13, 2013

Crowley Resigns As Nevada Energy Director

(photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

(photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) ? Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval?s energy director is resigning to take a job in California.

Sandoval announced the resignation of Stacey Crowley on Friday, effective July 26.

Crowley has served as director for the Nevada Office of Energy since Sandoval took office in January 2011. An architect who has specialized in sustainable development and energy policy, Crowley has helped define energy goals and programs in the state.

Sandoval says he?s proud of Crowley?s efforts to pursue and expand clean energy resources in Nevada.

The governor says an announcement on an interim director will be forthcoming.

? Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2013/07/13/crowley-resigns-as-nevada-energy-director/

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