BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) — SWAT teams with air support and bloodhounds fanned out again Sunday in snow-covered mountains, searching for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings.
Authorities planned a 1 p.m. news conference in downtown Los Angeles to announce a reward for information leading to the arrest of Christopher Dorner, who has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames for ending his career.
On Saturday Chief Charlie Beck said officials would re-examine the allegations by Dorner,seriously.
"I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do," the chief said in a statement. Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past week that left three people dead. Authoritiessay he has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames for ending his career. The killings and threats that Dorner allegedly made in an online rant have led police to provide protection to 50 families, Beck said. A captain who was named a target in the manifesto posted on Facebook told the Orange County Register he has not stepped outside his house since he learned of the threat. "From what I've seen of (Dorner's) actions, he feels he can make allegations for injustice and justify killing people and that's not reasonable," said Capt. Phil Tingirides, who chaired a board that stripped Dorner of his badge. "The end never justifies the means." On Saturday, the scaled-back search party took advantage of a break from stormy weather to look for Dorner in the San Bernardino mountains, about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, where his burned-out pickup truck was discovered Thursday. Officers went door-to-door to some 600 cabins in the ski resort area. A law enforcement officer told The Associated Press authorities found weapons in the truck.The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing. Investigators have been examining the truck to determine if it broke down or was set ablaze as a diversion. Police say the truck had a broken axle. Investigators are trying to determine whether it was already broken when they found it, or whether it was damaged when it was towed away. Also, newly released surveillance video showedDorner tossing several items into a Dumpster behind an auto parts store in National City on Monday. The store's manager told FOX5 in San Diego that an employee found a magazine full of bullets, a military belt and a military helmet. Majid Yahyai said he and the employee took the items across the street to a police station.
On Friday night, authorities served a search warrant and collected evidence from a Buena Park storage unit as part of their investigation. Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the evidence or say who had rented the unit.
Earlier Friday, another warrant was served at a La Palma house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence, including five electronic items. In his online manifesto, Dorner vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families. Dorner served in the Navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and a pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. He took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007. The flight training that he received in the Navy prompted the Transportation Security Administration to issue an alert, warning the general aviation community to be on the lookout for Dorner. The extent of his potential flying skills wasn't known, the bulletin said. Feb. 1 was his last day with the Navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note on it that read, in part, "I never lied." A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package. Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began. On Feb. 3, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his firing. Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his. Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believeDorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other. The crime spree spanned across a wide swath of Southern California, prompting several police agencies, including the FBI and US Marshall Service, to form a joint investigative task force. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Christopher Weber, Greg Risling, Haven Daley, Michael Blood, John Antczak, Mark Evans and Julie Watson. Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LATams.
In-Demand Health Care Careers
Want to pursue an in-demand career? Consider one of these growing careers in the health industry.
By Charyn Pfeuffer
If you're looking to prepare for a career in a strong industry, look into your health care options.
The industry is projected to grow by 5.6 million jobs between 2010 and 2020, the most of any other industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
In December 2012, alone, health care added 45,000 jobs, with employment rising by 338,000 over the entire year, according to the Department of Labor's Employment Situation Summary for December.
Keep reading to learn about six hot health care careers with high job growth potential.
These detail-oriented administrators are essentially the professional "oil" that makes day-to-day operations run smoothly. From streamlining procedures to maintaining the security of patient files to developing reports and controlling costs, these professionals have their fingers on the pulse of medical office efficiency, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Education: "Prospective medical and health services managers have a bachelor's degree in health administration," according to the Department of Labor. Master's degrees are also common, in majors such as long-term care administration, public health, health services, business administration, and public administration. Click to Find the Right Health Administration Program. Job growth: According to the Department, this career is expected to grow faster than average at a rate of 22 percent between 2010 and 2020. Median annual salary: $86,400*
If you tend to be detail oriented and have strong computer software skills, a career as a medical record or health information technician could be a good fit.
These technicians may not generally log a lot of hands-on patient time, but they can play an important role in documenting patients' medical histories such as symptoms, examination results, or treatment methods, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Education: To pursue a career as a medical records and health information technician, you usually need a postsecondary certificate, although an associate's degree may also be acceptable. Still, most employers might prefer to hire candidates who have obtained professional certification, according to the Department of Labor. Click to Find the Right Health Information Technology Program. Job growth: This position is projected to see 21 percent job growth from 2010 to 2020, due in part to an increase in medical tests, treatments, and procedures, says the Department. Median annual salary: $33,310*
If you have a caring nature and want a hands-on role in health care, consider pursuing a career as a registered nurse (RN).
These patient professionals wear a variety of "hats," usually assisting physicians with everything from performing diagnostic tests to educating patients about managing their injuries or illnesses to providing emotional support, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Specific work duties vary depending on the position and office atmosphere, says the Department of Labor. Education: To pursue a career as registered nurse, you can take one of two paths. You could earn an associate's degree in nursing or a diploma from an approved nursing program. From there, you'll need to pass a national licensing exam, according to the Department of Labor. Click to Find the Right Nursing Program. Job growth: The Department projects a 26 percent increase in registered nursing jobs from 2010 to 2020. Median annual salary: $65,950*
Pharmacy technicians usually work in a retail environment, helping to prepare prescriptions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Once they receive a written or electronic prescription request, pharmacy technicians generally verify the accuracy of the prescription, prepare the medication, and then pass it to the pharmacist for final approval, says the U.S. Department of Labor. Education: To prep for this career, you'll usually be required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent, although some states might require you to pass an exam or complete a formal education program, says the Department. Click to Find the Right Pharmacy Technician Program. Job growth: This industry is expected to increase much faster than the average field at 32 percent between 2010 and 2020, according to the Department. Median annual salary: $28,940*
These health care professionals perform a variety of clinical and administrative tasks. Potential responsibilities include: drawing blood, changing dressings, filling out insurance forms, answering the phone, and filing medical records, says the Department of Labor. Education: Although there are no formal educational requirements in most states, some applicants prepare for a medical assisting career by pursuing a formal education program, which could lead to a certificate, diploma or associate's degree, says the Department of Labor. Employers may prefer candidates who have graduated from a formal education program or have certification. Click to Find the Right Medical Assisting Program. Job growth: According to the Department, this career is projected to experience 31 percent job growth from 2010 to 2020, in part due to the aging population. Median annual salary: $29,100*
From processing dental X-rays to creating casts of the teeth and mouth to updating patients' records, dental assistants play an important role in providing oral care through a mixture of patient care, office, and laboratory roles, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Education: Some states may require candidates to pass a state exam and graduate from an accredited program. These programs, which could lead to a certificate, diploma, or associate's degree, include lab work where students learn about the instruments dentists use, as well about gums, teeth, and jaws, according to the Department of Labor. Click to Find the Right Dental Assisting Program. Job growth: With a projected 31 percent job growth, the Department projects dental assisting will be a fast growing occupation between 2010 and 2020. With more middle-aged and older populations preserving their natural teeth as well as an increased emphasis on preventive dental care, the demand for dental services will most likely continue to increase, according to the Department. Median annual salary: $34,140*
*Average earning potential information is from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment and Wages for May 2011.
New cheaper iPhone called ‘absolutely awful news’ for Apple
By Zach Epstein | BGR News – 2 hrs 54 mins ago
At least five independent reports over the past week have claimed that Apple (AAPL) has a new less expensive iPhone model in the works. By all accounts, the new smartphone model will feature a redesigned exterior, a new screen — perhaps smaller than the iPhone 5′s current display, perhaps larger — and a retail price that could reach as low as $99. There is no question that a cheaper iPhone would extend Apple’s reach in the global smartphone market, but according to TheStreet’s Rocco Pendola, this is “absolutely awful news” for Apple.
Pendola writes that if the rumors are true as they have been reported, it would be cause for investors to “freak out.” He’s not sure this will be the case though, noting that early iPad mini rumors were way off and history may be repeating itself. [More from BGR: Is BlackBerry back? Strong early BlackBerry 10 demand could signal RIM comeback]
“The details of the rumor might not be true. We have been through this before with iPad mini. Most people expected it to cost less than it does. Some even predicted it would be of lower quality than a traditional iPad,” Pendola wrote. “Not so.”
He continued, “[The iPad mini is] a high-quality, premium-priced device and it’s selling well. Other than screen size and display quality, there’s no telling one iPad from the other. Big win for Apple.”
If the rumors are accurate and Apple releases a low-end smartphone at the prices suggested, Pendola says it will indeed be bad news for Apple, but not in the short-term.
“If the rumor plays out as the WSJ projects, this is not good long-term news, but that doesn’t matter in the near term,” he wrote. “Apple will sell millions of units. It will chew up and spit out the low-end smartphone category and increase market share in a major way. As such, Apple’s six-to-24-month outlook looks pretty good as long as the competition stays CES, Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) weak.”
Authorities find alligator protecting marijuana during probation check
By The Associated Press | Associated Press – 10 hrs ago
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. - A Castro Valley man is in jail and an alligator authorities say he likely had to protect a stash of marijuana has been taken to a zoo.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports when Alameda County deputies entered the home of Assif Mayr on Wednesday afternoon for a probation check, they found 15 kilograms of marijuana and 1.5-metre alligator in a tank in the bedroom.
Sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson says the alligator was likely used as deterrent against marijuana thieves.
Nelson says Mayr was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale.
He was being held in lieu of $160,000 bail.
The alligator was taken to Oakland Zoo. Officials there described it as very sick and said it was being cared for at the zoo's veterinary hospital
Police nabbed a South Carolina teenager when they followed a trail of Cheetos leading from a convenience store to a local residence where he was staying.
Austin Lee Westfall Presler, 19, was arrested on January 6 in Kershaw County, S.C., after allegedly stealing beer, cigarettes, snacks and energy drinks from the local Cassatt Country Store, WLTX reported. Calls placed to Kershaw County sheriff's office by ABCNews.com were not immediately returned.
Store manager Howard "Buck" Buckholz told ABCNews.com that Presler only stole $160 worth of goods, but caused upwards of $2,500 worth of damage.
"The fella broke in our store 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning," he said. "We were called at 3:15 a.m. The fuel truck fella said that the front door had been knocked in, so he called it in. He knocked out our front door, he knocked out the beer cooler, and stole beer, cigarettes, Slim Jims, and in his haste, he punctured two or three bags of Cheetos."
Those Cheetos were strewn all over the store's floor and in the doorway. Buckholz said that a neighbor across the street told him and police that the car Presler was driving was parked across the street at the Hard Times Café.
"Cheetos were all over the parking lot, at the place where he parked his car, and at the residence," Buckholz said.
Presler does not live in the area, but was staying with someone that lives less than 1/5 of a mile from his store, Buckholz said.
"He was very easy to catch," he said. "It was a very quick deal."
Drugmakers report U.S. shortages of flu vaccine, Tamiflu
Reuters – 53 mins ago
(Reuters) - This year's early and potentially severe flu season has created shortages of the children's formulation of the leading treatment and most forms of the top-selling U.S. vaccine, according to their manufacturers.
Roche Holding AG told Reuters late on Wednesday that it had a shortage of the liquid formulation of Tamiflu, which is used mainly to slow down or stop the symptoms of the flu in children already infected with the virus. Roche said the company had informed wholesalers and distributors in recent weeks that they would face temporary delays in shipments. Pharmacists can create a substitute oral formulation by dissolving Tamiflu capsules into a sweet liquid, according to Tara Iannuccillo, spokeswoman for Roche's Genentech unit, which makes Tamiflu. Sanofi SA, the largest flu vaccine provider in the United States, said on Thursday that it had sold out of four of its six formulations of its Fluzone seasonal flu vaccine due to the unanticipated late-season demand for vaccines. (Reporting By Ransdell Pierson, Writing by Caroline Humer; Editing by Jilian Mincer and Lisa Von Ahn)
Why Bill Ackman Is Targeting Herbalife
By Maureen Farrell | CNNMoney.com – 7 hours ago
Reuters/REUTERS - William Ackman, Chief Executive Officer of Pershing Square Capital Management LP talks to reporters before entering the AGM of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. in Calgary in this May 17, 2012, …more file photo. Hedge fund manager Ackman, best known for taking big positions in stocks in hopes of pushing for management changes, istaking on weight management Herbalife Ltd as his big end-of-the-year short. A day after confirming that his $11 billion Pershing Square Capital Management is betting against the company, the manager outlined his case for shorting Herbalife shares in a presentation entitled, 'How to be a millionaire.' REUTERS/Jack Cusano/Files (CANADA - Tags: BUSINESS) less
It's an epic corporate showdown. Hedge fund manager and activist investor Bill Ackman versus vitamin and nutritional supplements company Herbalife (HLF).
While it's too early to say who will win this battle, the stakes couldn't be much higher.
Ackman, who runs the $11 billion hedge fund Pershing Square, has called Herbalife a pyramid scheme and publicly said that he's betting $1 billion that its stock will fall to zero.
If Ackman is right, Herbalife, a company that reports roughly $4 billion in annual sales and a network of 3.2 million salespeople in 87 countries, could be shut down by the Federal Trade Commission. The Federal Trade Commission calls pyramid schemes illegal and says they prey on consumers. With more than $1 billion on the line, Ackman stands to make billions in profits too.
If he's wrong, Ackman will not only lose money. An erroneous short call could tarnish his credibility as an activist investor. He's already proven that he can force corporate boards -- including those at the railroad company Canadian Pacific (CP) and retailer J C Penney Company Inc (JCP) -- to make the changes he seeks. But the FTC and other federal agencies may not be as willing to listen.
Here are five questions investors and consumers may have about Herbalife.
What does Herbalife do?
Herbalife sells weight loss products and nutritional supplements and big, bold promises. On its website, Herbalife says its "cutting-edge science" can help people lose unwanted pounds with shakes and snacks. The company also says that its full-time and part-time salespeople or distributors can work from wherever they want, and "earn what they're worth."
Herbalife is what is known as a multi-level marketing company. Salespeople make money by selling Herbalife's weight loss products and by recruiting new members and taking a portion of each of their sales.
This is a business model employed by companies such as Avon (AVP) and cosmetics maker NU Skin Enterprises (NUS).
So is it a pyramid scheme, a Ponzi scheme or a cult? Herbalife answers "no" to all three questions on the "frequently asked questions" section of its website.
Why is Ackman targeting Herbalife?
Ackman says Herbalife is an "inherently fraudulent company."
"We don't believe there is any demand for the product by true retail consumers at the suggested retail price," Ackman told CNNMoney in an interview Monday.
"Herbalife sells products," Ackman said. "But what they really sell and what their distributors make money from is by selling a business opportunity, and the business opportunity is to sell the business opportunity to your friends, who in turn sell it to their friends."
Ackman first outlined his case against Herbalife during a three and a half hour presentation to investors last month. He says the company's stock will "go to zero." Ackman has also promised to donate all of his personal profits from shorting the stock to charity.
What is the legal definition of a pyramid scheme?
The FTC says a multi-level marketing company is a pyramid scheme if salespeople earn the majority of their income by recruiting new salespeople rather than selling products. The FTC added that it could be a pyramid scheme if "a substantial percentage of participants lose money."
An FTC spokesperson declined to comment on whether it is currently investigating Herbalife and said the agency only makes public announcements when it decides to take enforcement actions. What's next for Herbalife?
Herbalife's executives say they'll rebut Ackman's claims this Thursday at an analyst conference in New York. The company hired investment bank Moelis & Co. and litigation firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner, famous for representing Al Gore during the Florida presidential vote recount in 2000 and helping the U.S. Justice Department win its antitrust suit against Microsoft (MSFT).
The company has pushed back against Ackman. "This appears to be yet another attempt to illegally manipulate the market by overzealous short-sellers," the company said in a release in late December after Ackman announced he was betting against the stock.
Ackman told CNNMoney that he won't attend Herbalife's presentation because he'll be traveling in Asia. He said some of his employees are trying to get into the presentation, but it's by invitation only.
What do other investors think about Herbalife?
Herbalife's stock dropped roughly 35% immediately after Ackman raised questions in late December. But shares have roared back recently.
Since Herbalife announced that it hired an investment bank and law firm, the stock has gained more than 35%. Shares are now down just 14% below where they were when Ackman outlined his bet against the company.
Some other notable hedge fund managers, including Bronte Capital's John Hempton and Robert Chapman of Chapman Capital, have said they're buying Herbalife's stock. Both hedge fund managers say they don't expect the FTC to take action against the company.
And so far, Ackman doesn't have too many others following his lead. He has made the biggest bet against Herbalife by borrowing 20 million shares to short them. That's roughly 82% of the company's 24.4 million shares currently on loan to short sellers, according to Markit's most recent data.
More from CNNMoney:
Sweet Sodas and Soft Drinks May Raise Your Risk of Depression, Study Finds
Is your diet soda making you depressed? (Photo: Thinkstock)We know that sugary sodas aren't good for our bodies; now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds, either. A new study of more than 260,000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression -- and diet sodas may be making matters worse.
Americans drink far more soda than people in other countries -- as much as 170 liters per person per year (no wonder New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned super-sized servings of the stuff). But the impact of this study isn't limited to the United States. "Sweetened beverages, coffee and tea are commonly consumed worldwide and have important physical-and may have important mental-health consequences," study author Dr. Honglei Chen, an investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said in a statement.
The study, which was released on Tuesday and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in March, involved 263,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71. Researchers tracked their consumption of beverages like soda, tea, coffee, and other soft drinks from 1995 to 1996 and then, 10 years later, asked them if they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. More than 11,300 of them had.
Participants who drank more than four servings of soda per day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than participants who did not drink soda at all. People who stuck with fruit punch had a 38 percent higher risk than people who didn't drink sweetened drinks.
And all that extra sugar isn't the actual problem: The research showed that low-calorie diet sodas, iced teas, and fruit punches were linked to an slightly higher risk of depression than the high-calorie stuff. Researchers say that the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame.
"Our findings are preliminary, and the underlying biological mechanisms are not known," said Chen. The study found an association but could not conclusively determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression, even after taking into account factors like age, gender, education, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and other issues. Still, the results "are intriguing and consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with poor health outcomes."
But there's a bright side for those who can't do without the caffeinated jolt of their daily sodas. Adults who drank coffee had a 10 percent lower risk of depression compared to people who didn't drink any coffee, according to the study. That reinforces findings from a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which said that women who drink fully caffeinated coffee have a lower risk of depression than non-coffee drinkers.
"Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk," said Chen. "Coffee contains large amounts of caffeine, which is a well-known brain stimulant."
Chen cautions that, if you've been diagnosed with depression, cutting your soda intake isn't necessarily going to help. "More research is needed to confirm these findings," Chen said, "and people with depression should continue to take depression medications prescribed by their doctors."
The 24-year-old man who threatened to commit Sandy Hook type crimes in L.A. claimed he was hell-bent on leaving "dead kindergartners" in his wake ... yet he will not be prosecuted.
Kyle Bangayan posted threats on Facebook the same day as the Newtown shooting ... and claimed he was targeting L.A. schools ... this according to a search warrant obtained by TMZ.
Kyle allegedly wrote, "No really America, if you post one more Facebook post about the shooting at that elementary school, I swear to whatever f**king god you believe in that I will do the same goddamn thing."
The rant continues, "I have the guns, I have the incentive, and I won't commit suicide at the end, I'll just go to the next f**king school and the next and the next ..."
And he goes on ... "So I woke up this morning and said to myself ... Dang you know [what] would be really awesome right now ... some dead kindergarteners ... and Christmas early."
Kyle was arrested in L.A. after a tipster told the LAPD about the online threats -- and when cops searched his bedroom (at his parents house) they found six semi-auto handguns, two rifles and one shotgun.
Now for the kicker. Kyle was released and the L.A. County D.A. said no charges would be filed, because the threats were not specific.
When it comes to planning for your financial future, securing a job in a growing industry might be your best bet. But, which jobs have the most promise for a $70K (or higher) payday?
According to online salary database, PayScale.com, industries on the rise include technology, engineering, and finance. "Jobs in these industries are 'hot' because they are in high-demand, rapidly growing fields, and are expected to experience positive growth, both in pay and job opportunities," says Katie Bardaro, Director of Analytics at PayScale.
Here are seven jobs that typically pay over $70,000, each with a predicted growth rate of over 14 percent, the average rate of all jobs as predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Petroleum Geologist Median Pay: $100,000
The oil and gas industry frequently appears in lists of industries that are thriving. A petroleum geologist plays a key role in finding oil, using various sciences to discover potential oil traps. A bachelor's degree is required, though some positions require candidates to have a master's degree in geology or petroleum engineering.
Find petroleum geologist jobsData Scientist, IT Median Pay: $91,500
Big Data is technology's newest player and it's here to stay, Bardaro says. "In today's world, everyone wants to collect and analyze data to make their products and businesses more successful," she explains. A data scientist is required to spot trends in data, so this career might be a good fit for you if you are inquisitive, patient, and analytic. A bachelor's degree is required.
Find data scientist jobs Management Consultant Median Pay: $87,400 With the economy still in recovery from the Great Recession, businesses need to be strategic about their choices. A management consultant can help a business decide the best path of action to take when it comes to making decisions about growth, employees, and products. Ideally, a management consultant helps render businesses more successful. This job typically requires a bachelor's degree.
Find management consultant jobs Portfolio Manager Median Pay: $84,500
With the uncertainty of the economy, it's good to have a team of professionals overseeing portfolios, explains Bardaro. "Typically, portfolio managers work for a company, rather than an individual, managing financials to ensure they grow year over year, to make sure the boat doesn't sink," she says. This job typically requires a bachelor's degree.
Find portfolio manager jobsClinical Engineer, Medical Devices Median Pay: $72,600
The demand for healthcare services rises with our increasing population. As baby boomers age, the need ultrasound machines, dialysis machines, and other medical devices will continue to multiply. A clinical engineer is responsible for responding to this need by making these devices smarter, more technologically advanced. This job requires a bachelor's degree.
Find clinical engineering jobs Content Strategist Median Pay: $72,100
If you are a creative thinker who understands how to make a brand appeal to a wide audience, you might be well-suited for a career as a content strategist. Bridget Quigg, content strategist at a Seattle, WA tech startup, enjoys a lot of variety in her career. "I love my job. It's creative almost 100 percent of the time. Infographics, whitepapers, articles, blog posts - I get to make all kinds of topics shine," says Quigg. Typically, a person in this career holds a bachelor's degree.
Find content strategist jobs Android Software Developer Median Pay: $70,500
Next time you are waiting on line at the coffee shop, look around and notice how many patrons are using their phones. "Smartphone usage is on the rise; mobile devices have become one of the main ways people consume media," says Bardaro. If you have ideas for great apps and an understanding of the Android operating system and software development, you might enjoy this career.
Find Android developer jobs Source: All salary and education data provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Salaries listed are median, annual pay for workers with five to eight years of experience and include all bonuses, commissions or profit sharing. The projected growth rate is the Bureau of Labor Statistics' forecast of the percentage job growth between 2010 and 2020.
James Holmes preliminary
hearing: Holmes took photos of Aurora theater in advance
Posted: 01/09/2013 09:50:48 AM MST January 9, 2013
6:22 PM GMTUpdated: 01/09/2013 11:22:03 AM MST
This courtroom sketch shows
James Holmes being escorted by a deputy as he arrives at preliminary hearing in
district court in Centennial, Colo., on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013. (Bill Robles,
Associated Press)
CENTENNIAL — Prosecutors revealed Wednesday that Aurora theater shooting
suspect James Holmes took photos of the Century 16 theater weeks before the July
20 massacre.
In introducing photos found on Holmes' cell phone, prosecutors showed that on
June 29, July 5 and July 11 Holmes took photos that included the interior of the
theater, door hinges and back doors.
Wednesday is the third and last day of testimony in the preliminary hearing
for Holmes.
Arapahoe County prosecutors wrapped up their evidence and the defense delined
to call any witnesses or make a statement to the court.
The judge will now decide whether there is enough evidence to proceed to
trial, with a hearing scheduled for Friday. Holmes is accused of killing 12
people and injuring at least 58.
In other photos introduced Wednesday, an Aurora police detective showed
images Holmes took of himself the night of the shootings.
In one, marked 6:22 p.m., he was wearing black contact lenses. His hair was
dyed red under a black cap, and he stuck out his tongue at the camera.
In another image, he is seen smiling with the muzzle of a Glock handgun in
the frame.
Prosecutors told the court they introduced the self photos because they help
show Holmes' "identity, deliberation and extreme indifference."
An image Holmes took of himself on July 5 shows him posing with an assault
rifle and "a majority of the tactical, ballistic gear" he had with him when he
was apprehended, the detective testified.
Another photo shows all of the gear used in the attack — the guns, the body
armor, helmet and gas mask — arrayed neatly on Holmes' bed.
The court also heard Wednesday about items found at the shooting scene.
When officers searched Holmes' car in the parking lot, they found "road
stars" — the spikes thrown on the ground to stop vehicles. They also found a
used tear gas can, a Glock with a holster, 2 cases for
long
guns, an iPhone and a carryall bag.
An Aurora police detective testified that police they found four gas masks,
although only two belonged to Holmes.
It was also revealed that Holmes used a clip for securing a tablecloth to
prop open the door to Theater 9.
The prosecution made its closing arguments Wednesday morning before court
recessed.
Holmes "went into a crowded theater," the court heard. "He deployed tear gas
in the theater and began shooting indiscriminately."
If the AR-15 rifle had not jammed, prosecutors said, Holmes would have shot
more people. They pointed to all of the ammunition he had brought.
The prosecutor added: "He picked a venue where there would be people packed
in who would have difficulty escaping."
The defense team, led by attorney Daniel King, told the judge Wednesday that
the defense "had a change of position" and would not call witnesses who could
speak to Holmes' mental state.
"Absent a complete waiver of privilege, our ability to present such evidence
would be limited," King said.
Testimony was emotional on Monday, with police
officers testifying about first apprehending Holmes and rushing to help
victims amid the chaos at the theater. Those present saw surveillance video from
that night.
On Tuesday 911 calls from Theater 9 were played, and law enforcement
testified about how Holmes had booby-trapped his own and acquired guns and
ammunition. John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or
twitter.com/john_ingold Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com or
twitter.com/Oh_Fender.
Wal-Mart to join in on gun control talks at White House
By The Associated Press | Associated Press – 1 hr 27 mins ago
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will join talks at the White House on Thursday about gun control and safety.
Vice President Joe Biden is conducting a series of gatherings this week aimed at building a consensus around proposals to curb gun violence following the deadly shooting at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school last month.
The vice president is meeting Wednesday with victims groups and gun-safety organizations. On Thursday, Biden will meet with the National Rifle Association and other gun-owner groups. Meetings with representatives from the video-game and entertainment industries are also planned.
Wal-Mart said it previously had not planned to attend the meeting because of its senior leaders' schedule and had spoken in advance with the Vice President's office to share its perspective.
"We underestimated the expectation to attend the meeting on Thursday in person, so we are sending an appropriate representative to participate," company spokesman David Tovar said in a statement Wednesday. "We take this issue very seriously and are committed staying engaged in this discussion as the administration and Congress work toward a consensus on the right path forward."
The world's largest retailer said it has had ongoing conversations with the Obama administration, Congress, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office, sportsmen groups, suppliers and others. The company said it has tried to strike the right balance between serving hunters and sportsmen and ensuring that it sells firearms responsibly.
President Barack Obama wants Biden to report back to him with policy proposals by the end of the month. Obama has vowed to move swiftly on the recommendations, and a proposed package is expected to include both legislative proposals and executive action.
The pristine waters off Kona, Hawaii, teem with big game and spawn many exciting fish tales. But this tale is unlike any other, a mystery involving a giant slender fish discovered on the surface minus its head and tail, making it nearly impossible to identify.
Sea Strike Capt. Dale Leverone poses with giant headless mystery fish found recently off Kona, Hawaii. In below image, first mate Jack Leverone lies beside the 7-foot-long denizen. Credit: the Leverones
The case may never be solved because scientists have little to go on besides the photos accompanying this post, and because the fishermen filleted the carcass and tossed it overboard.
The only thing that appears certain is that the headless mystery fish belongs to a species that resides at great depth, and is rarely encountered by humans.
The best guess, and some might have already ventured this theory, is that this was an oarfish. Oarfish are long and slender prehistoric-looking fish believed to have spawned tales of sea serpents among ancient mariners.
That's what Capt. Dale Leverone of the Sea Strike, which stumbled upon the 7-foot-long ribbon-like fish, initially believed.
That's also what Jon Schwartz supposed. Schwartz, a fishing photographer and friends of the Leverone family, spent an entire day last week trying to solve this mystery, and blogged about his detective work. His title: "Giant Headless Mystery Fish Baffles Fishermen and Scientists."
But oarfish boast crimson-colored mane-like dorsal fins, tall and prominent near their heads, and the headless fish did not have a detectable dorsal fin. "I thought it was a car bumper, but then I remembered they don't float," first mate Jack Leverone told Schwartz.
Schwartz contacted Jim Rizzuto, a veteran fishing writer in Hawaii, and Rizzuto suggested it could be a Hawaiian ridge scabbardfish, which are long and ribbon-like, and extremely rare. But scabbardfish do not get nearly this long, so it was crossed off the list.
Schwartz plunged into Wikipedia and found a species called beltfish, which are long and thin, and a photo of a bunch of them at a fish market in Japan. Not a probable match.
Schwartz also contacted two NOAA marine biologists, who could not provide a positive ID.
I decided to probe on my own and contacted Perry Hampton, vice president of animal husbandry at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif.
Hampton said the photographs "do not show enough detail to make a determination" but added: "Despite the apparent lack of red dorsal fin it is hard to come up with any other species other than an oarfish," based on the size of the specimen.
"The most prominent part of an oarfish's dorsal fin are the first few spines near the head," he added. "It is possible that these things were lost along with the head. The rest of the dorsal fin runs the length of the body but usually lays flat in a recessed channel along the fish's back unless it is alarmed."
So the headless mystery fish could very well have been an oarfish, but the world may never know for sure. Just as it will never know what kind of shark or other predator chomped off its head and tail, leaving the rest for the Leverones.
They had planned to eat the headless mystery fish, but when they cooked it the flesh turned gelatinous, so they passed.
Maialina Opens with fundraiser for U of I student fighting brain cancer
By Rachel DubrovinPublished: Jan 8, 2013 at 8:46 AM PSTLast Updated: Jan 8, 2013 at 8:46 AM PST
MOSCOW, ID - The owners of the Sangria Grille in Moscow will open a new restaurant in a couple of weeks, and the community is invited to take a sneak peek of it Monday night and Tuesday.
The restaurant is called Maialina and it's located across the street from the Moscow Fire Department. The owners are hosting the sneak peek to raise money for Bethany Lowe, a University of Idaho student that is fighting brain cancer.
"We thought that with the excitement that has been generated in the community over the opening of our new restaurant, it would be a great opportunity for us to raise money to help them with their medical bills," said co-owner Carly Lily.
The event starts at 5:00 p.m., and the cost is $20 per person, which includes a Neapolitan specialty pizza and of a glass of wine, beer, or soda. You can make seating reservations for anytime between 5:00 and 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday or until 9:30 Monday evening. All the proceeds from the event will help pay Lowe's medical bills.
Casey Anthony Appeals 4 Convictions
By CHRISTINA NG | Good Morning America – 5 hours ago
Good Morning America - Casey Anthony Appeals 4 Convictions (ABC News)
Casey Anthony's defense attorneys will be in court today to appeal her four convictions for lying to authorities during the search for her daughter Caylee Anthony in 2008.
Anthony, 26, was acquited of murdering her 2-year-old daughter in 2011, but she was convicted on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement, stemming from her initial statements to detectives.
Anthony falsely told police that her daughter had been kidnapped by a nanny named Zenaida Gonzalez.
Anthony, who has been dubbed the most hated woman in America and has been in hiding since her release from jail, is not expected to attend the hearing at the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The appeals court is being asked to decide whether Anthony was in police custody when she made the statements that led to her convictions, according to ABC News' Orlando affiliate WFTV.
If the appeals judges decide she was in police custody, the convictions could be overturned on the grounds that the statements were inadmissible since she had not been read her Miranda rights.
The outcome of this criminal appeal could impact Anthony's pending civil suit from Zenaida Gonzalez, a woman who shared a name with the fictional nanny Anthony claimed had taken her daughter.
Gonzalez is suing Anthony for defamation, saying she was damaged by the use of her name. Gonzalez says she lost her job and was evicted from her house as a result of Anthony's tale. The two women did not know each other.
"This hearing today is critical for our case because, at this junction, we have been unable to get testimony from Casey Anthony...because she has been hiding behind the shield of the fifth amendment," Gonzalez's attorney Matt Morgan told ABCNews.com today.
Anthony's pending criminal charge allows her to plead the fifth so that she does not incriminate herself in her criminal case.
"We expect that her criminal appeal will hopefully be resolved and she will no longer have protection for the fifth amendment to hide behind," Morgan said.
Morgan hopes that the civil trial will be able to proceed in the late spring or early summer.
Anthony's attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Anthony completed her one-year probation for check fraud in August, leaving her free to go wherever she pleases. She resurfaced a few times over the past year via a leaked video diary and a telephone conversation with Piers Morgan, but has otherwise succeeded in disappearing from the public eye.
The Kraken wakes: first images of giant squid filmed in deep ocean
By Ruairidh Villar | Reuters – 15 hrs ago
TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese-led team of scientists has captured on film the world's first live images of a giant squid, journeying to the depths of the ocean in search of the mysterious creature thought to have inspired the myth of the "kraken", a tentacled monster.
The images of the silvery, three-meter (10 feet) long cephalopod, looming out of the darkness nearly 1 km below the surface, were taken last July near the Ogasawara islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo.
Though the beast was small by giant squid standards - the largest ever caught stretched 18 meters long, tentacles and all - filming it secretly in its natural habitat was a key step towards understanding the animal, researchers said.
"Many people have tried to capture an image of a giant squid alive in its natural habitat, whether researchers or film crews. But they all failed," said Tsunemi Kubodera, a zoologist at Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science, who led the team.
"These are the first ever images of a real live giant squid," Kubodera said of the footage, shot by Japanese national broadcaster NHK and the Discovery Channel.
The key to their success, said Kubodera, was a small submersible rigged with lights invisible to both human and cephalopod eyes.
He, a cameraman and the submersible's pilot drifted silently down to 630 meters and released a one-meter-long squid as bait. In all, they descended around 100 times.
"If you try and approach making a load of noise, using a bright white light, then the squid won't come anywhere near you. That was our basic thinking," Kubodera said. "So we sat there in the pitch black, using a near-infrared light invisible even to the human eye, waiting for the giant squid to approach." As the squid neared they began to film, following it into the depths to around 900 meters. "I've seen a lot of giant squid specimens in my time, but mainly those hauled out of the ocean. This was the first time for me to see with my own eyes a giant squid swimming," he said. "It was stunning, I couldn't have dreamt that it would be so beautiful. It was such a wonderful creature."
Until recently, little was known about the creature believed to be the real face of the mythical kraken, a sea-monster blamed by sailors for sinking ships off Norway in the 18th century.
But for Kubodera, the animal held no such terror.
"A giant squid essentially lives a solitary existence, swimming about all alone in the deep sea. It doesn't live in a group," he said. "So when I saw it, well, it looked to me like it was rather lonely."
(Reporting by Ruairidh Villar; Writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)
Fireplace may be cause of Lewiston house fire on Bryden
Firefighters were on the scene for two hours distinguishing the flames.
LEWISTON, ID - A house fire on Bryden Avenue over the weekend caused extensive damage to the home making it unlivable for the current tenants.
According to Lewiston Fire Department Inspector Steve Gregor, the tenant stoked the fireplace with two or three logs sometime before leaving to have dinner. While leaving a fire going is common if the main source of heat comes from a fire place or stove, Gregor said the chimney may have had previous interior damage causing the house to catch on fire. However Gregor wasn't able to fully inspect the interior because of the extensive damage to the house.
"I couldn't get close to the chimney because there was three feet of water in the basement and the member and the structures around the chimney are getting ready to collapse," said Gregor.
Firefighters were on the scene for two hours distinguishing the flames and traffic had to be re-routed. It's unclear how much the damage is costing the tenant, but it is unlivable in it's current state.
Bobcat attacks Massachusetts man in garage
By Daniel Lovering | Reuters – 23 hrs ago
Associated Press/The Telegram & Gazette, Christine Peterson - Roger Mundell Jr., bears cuts on his face at his home in Brookfield, Mass., Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, after being attacked by a bobcat in his garage...more Sunday. The cat ran out of the garage and bit Mundell's 15-year-old nephew on the arms and back before it was shot dead. (AP Photo/The Telegram & Gazette, Christine Peterson) less
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man and his nephew were attacked by a bobcat that had slipped into the man's garage before they captured and shot the 30-pound animal.
Roger Mundell Jr. said the bobcat hissed then leaped about eight feet and pounced on him after he entered the garage in Brookfield, a town about an hour outside of Boston where bobcats are occasionally spotted but rarely attack people.
The animal, believed to be rabid, bit Mundell repeatedly on the face and scratched his shoulders during Sunday's attack. Mundell was eventually able to free himself by removing his jacket, he said.
Mundell then ran out of the garage, shutting a door behind him, but the cat escaped through another partially opened door and confronted his wife and 15-year-old nephew, who were outside, Mundell said.
The bobcat bit the nephew on the forearm until Mundell pulled the animal off him and they pinned it to the ground, beating it with a metal crutch. Mundell's wife then got a pistol from the house and they shot it.
"I was bleeding all over the place," said Mundell, 53, who works for a paving company. "It wanted us bad. It obviously was rabid."
He said he was bitten and scratched at least 30 times, and that he and his nephew had begun treatment for rabies at a hospital on Sunday. His wife was also treated because she came into contact with the animal's blood, though she was not bitten.
Officials were testing the bobcat for the disease, but Mundell said he assumed from its behavior that it was rabid.
"Usually a bobcat will stay away from you," he said.
(Editing By Barbara Goldberg and Nick Zieminski)
Clarkston School District reaches tentative agreement with classified association.
Posted: Friday, January 4, 2013 10:06 am | Updated: 10:18 am, Fri Jan 4, 2013.
The Clarkston School District and the Clarkston Classified Association have reached a tentative bargaining agreement.A news conference to relay details of the agreement will be scheduled at a later date, pending ratification of the agreement between the classified association and the Clarkston School Board, according to a news release issued by Superintendent Darcy Weisner.
Representatives from both parties met Thursday and came to a tentative agreement that includes stronger safety language, increases in wages and benefits, as well as length of contract, according to the news release.
On Wednesday, the association will take the tentative agreement to its members for ratification, according to the news release. Pending ratification, the Clarkston School Board will consider approval of the agreement at its next scheduled board meeting on Jan. 14.
Dive team searches Spokane River for evidence related to NYE murder
One person was dead and one was wounded in a New Year's Eve shooting near Euclid and Thor.
KREM.com
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Updated today at 1:07 PM
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spokane police are searching for evidence related to a fatalshooting on New Year’s Eve night. Authorities say 33-year-old Shannon Johnson shot two men, killing one of them, inside of the Neighborhood Grocery Store in the 3400 block of East Euclid. Police never located the gun used in that incident. A dive team was dispatched Friday to search the Spokane River near Freya for evidence.
ABC News - Inmates Sue Beer, Wine Cos. for $1B (ABC News)
Five Idaho inmates are blaming alcohol for the crimes that put them in prison and are suing some of the nation's top liquor and wine companies for $1 billion.
Keith Allen Brown, Steven Thompson, Woodrow Grant, Cory Baugh and Jeremy Brown all claim that alcohol led them to their crimes and they should have been warned of the beverages' addictive nature.
"If I was not an alcoholic, the shooting would never have happened," Jeremy Brown said in his affidavit. Brown, 34, is serving a 20- to 30-year sentence for a 2001 shooting that seriously injured a man.
The plaintiffs' crimes range from manslaughter to grand theft. They are currently serving time at Idaho's Kuna facility.
Their lawsuit, filed in Boise's U.S. District Court last month, targets eight defendants, including Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Miller Brewing and the owner of Jim Beam whiskey, American Brands. The inmates claim the companies are responsible for their crimes and should have put warning labels on their products.
"I have spent a great deal of that time in prison because of situations that have arose because of people being drunk, or because of situations in which alcohol played a major role," Jeremy Brown said in his affidavit. "At no time in my life, prior to me becoming an alcoholic, was I ever informed that alcohol was habit forming and addictive."
Keith Brown is serving a 15-year prison sentence after shooting a man to death five years ago. Baugh and Thompson are both serving 3 to 7-years for grand theft and drug convictions. And Grant is serving up to 7-years for drug and aggravated battery convictions.
All five men share the same story about booze.
"I fear the day I am released from prison," Grant, 27, said in his affidavit. "I do not know if I can be a productive member of society and still control the desires and craving to use alcohol."
The inmates do not have an attorney, but Boise attorney Joe Filicetti told ABC News affiliate KIVI that alcohol addiction and its side effects are pretty common knowledge.
"If you put these guys through depositions and you ask them 'What do you know about alcohol?' I think it's pretty common knowledge that it's addictive," Filicetti told KIVI. "It's well known to be addictive. It's well known to be something that causes you to reduce your inhibitions and to do things you otherwise wouldn't do."
The beer and wine companies have not responded to ABC News for comment.
Next Step in TV Evolution? Paying Up for 'Ultra HD'
By Daisuke Wakabayashi | The Wall Street Journal – Wed, Jan 2, 2013 12:23 PM
Associated Press - IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR SONY - John Legend performs live at Sony 4k: Live Beyond Definition on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Invision for Sony/AP Images)
TOKYO—Persuading consumers to trade in bulky old-school televisions for slim, high-definition models was a huge success story for the TV industry. Now manufacturers are angling to kick off another buying spree.
They are gearing up to promote what the industry calls "ultra high-definition" televisions, or UHDTVs, which promise four times the resolution of existing TVs and are likely to be a hot topic at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Such TVs create images using more than eight million pixels, compared with about two million pixels of today's full high-definition televisions. At the moment, however, a major obstacle stands between consumers and sharper pictures: price.
Sony Corp. and LG Electronics, for example, have introduced 84-inch ultra high-definition sets priced at $25,000 and $20,000, respectively. Toshiba Corp. has announced a 55-inch set in Japan for ¥750,000, or $8,700. UHDTVs are expensive because they use a new liquid-crystal-display panel that requires a greater degree of precision from component manufacturers. So far, the manufacturing efficiency for such panels is low, but production quality is expected to improve over time.
The stratospheric price tags—often the case with new technology—don't worry some industry watchers, who recall that HDTV sets, cellphones and other products were initially out of reach of most consumers but became hits as prices declined. In this case, they add, consumers have come to appreciate the benefits of higher resolution on TVs, tablets and smartphones.
"If you're a consumer, you'll pay more for a technology that you understand," said Paul Gagnon, director of North American TV research at NPD DisplaySearch, a research and consulting firm. "And in the case of higher resolution, that's a very easy thing to understand."
That said, there are also reasons for skepticism. Since the HDTV sales wave crested in the last decade, TV makers have tried to slow the unrelenting fall in prices and profit margins by introducing premium models with new technologies such as 3-D or Web connectivity. Those technologies have become common features on mainstream TVs but haven't reversed the downward price spiral.
Very little content has been created specifically for home viewing on ultra high-definition televisions. Meanwhile, early adopters will have to settle for high-definition footage that is adapted, or "upscaled," for the new sets—though proponents say the results look better than upscaled programming first did on HDTVs.
The new format is arriving as consumers clamor for ever-larger televisions. When the early high-definition displays hit the market in the early 2000s, the main class of televisions was around 30 inches in size.
When the bulk of television sizes shifted to more than 40 inches and 50 inches several years ago, TV makers introduced full high-definition displays packing twice as many pixels. Now screen sizes are creeping above 60 and 70 inches, and TV makers again want to add more.
UHDTVs are also known by the moniker "4K" for the roughly 4,000 pixels in the screen measured horizontally, which is roughly twice the resolution.
The greater density allows viewers to sit closer without seeing the effect called pixilation that can appear at times on lower-resolution TVs. Also, it may allow viewers to turn to the television for new purposes, such as reading the news.
"As the trend to larger screen sizes continues, the ability to make that picture more and more realistic from any viewing distance is valuable," said Tim Alessi, director of new-product development at LG Electronics USA. "It's a natural transition."
By 2017, NPD DisplaySearch estimates UHDTVs will account for only 2% of all LCD TVs sold but will represent 22% of all televisions over 50 inches in size. (LCD is the current, widely used technology for TVs.)
Hollywood is beginning to embrace 4K video cameras and 4K movie projectors. Around 60 recent movies—including the latest James Bond film, "Skyfall"—have been offered in the higher resolution, but if a theater doesn't have the 4K projector, the movie will look like a regular HD film.
Sony, which introduced a 4K digital-video camera last year and controls about 10% of the digital 4K-projector segment, said it has built up the industry's largest database of 4K video through its work with Hollywood and its early research on the technology.
"From now on, we'll continue to move 4K from professional use to consumer use by expanding and introducing additional products," said Sony Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai at a news conference in April.
A big question is how quickly television manufacturers will bring down prices. The introduction of full high-definition televisions in the mid-2000s provides a model for how quickly prices can decline. A 40-inch, high-definition television, which cost about $4,800 in 2005, sold for about $560 in 2012, according to NPD DisplaySearch.
There should be no shortage of competing 4K set makers to help push prices down, at least to judge by expected activity at the CES. Westinghouse Digital LLC is planning to show, besides conventional sizes, a 110-inch UHDTV set available for custom order in the first quarter; pricing hasn't been announced.
Samsung Electronics Co., Sharp Corp., and four Chinese manufacturers including Haier Group and Hisense Group also are expected to debut ultra high-definition televisions this year.
While hopes run high, manufacturers don't see UHDTV as a silver bullet to cure the industry's ills. Without changing how consumers see the television and its value, 4K—like 3-D before it—may not do much to help TV makers, said Atsushi Murasawa, general manager of Toshiba's strategic-planning division.
And no one is assuming a surge of the magnitude that accompanied the advent of high definition, when revenue from U.S. wholesale sales rose nearly fourfold between 2003 and the 2008 sales peak, says the Consumer Electronics Association.
"HDTV was like your first love," says Gary Shapiro, the group's chief executive. "Nothing will be as good as that." —Don Clark contributed to this article.
Police nabbed a South Carolina teenager when they followed a trail of Cheetos leading from a convenience store to a local residence where he was staying.
Is your diet soda making you depressed? (Photo: Thinkstock)We know that sugary sodas aren't good for our bodies; now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds, either. A new study of more than 260,000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression -- and diet sodas may be making matters worse.
The case may never be solved because scientists have little to go on besides the photos accompanying this post, and because the fishermen filleted the carcass and tossed it overboard.
Schwartz plunged into Wikipedia and found a species called beltfish, which are long and thin, and a photo of a bunch of them at a fish market in Japan. Not a probable match. Sea Strike Capt. Dale Leverone poses with giant headless mystery fish found recently off Kona, Hawaii. In below image, first mate Jack Leverone lies beside the 7-foot-long denizen. Credit: the Leverones
TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese-led team of scientists has captured on film the world's first live images of a giant squid, journeying to the depths of the ocean in search of the mysterious creature thought to have inspired the myth of the "kraken", a tentacled monster.
The images of the silvery, three-meter (10 feet) long cephalopod, looming out of the darkness nearly 1 km below the surface, were taken last July near the Ogasawara islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo.
Though the beast was small by giant squid standards - the largest ever caught stretched 18 meters long, tentacles and all - filming it secretly in its natural habitat was a key step towards understanding the animal, researchers said.
"Many people have tried to capture an image of a giant squid alive in its natural habitat, whether researchers or film crews. But they all failed," said Tsunemi Kubodera, a zoologist at Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science, who led the team.
"These are the first ever images of a real live giant squid," Kubodera said of the footage, shot by Japanese national broadcaster NHK and the Discovery Channel.
The key to their success, said Kubodera, was a small submersible rigged with lights invisible to both human and cephalopod eyes.
By Daisuke Wakabayashi | The Wall Street Journal – Wed, Jan 2, 2013 12:23 PM 
That said, there are also reasons for skepticism. Since the HDTV sales wave crested in the last decade, TV makers have tried to slow the unrelenting fall in prices and profit margins by introducing premium models with new technologies such as 3-D or Web connectivity. Those technologies have become common features on mainstream TVs but haven't reversed the downward price spiral.
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