Activists slam US studio for filming in China city (AP)

BEIJING ? Rights activists have criticized a Hollywood studio for filming a buddy comedy in an eastern Chinese city where a blind, self-taught activist lawyer is being held under house arrest and reportedly beaten.

Relativity Media is shooting part of the comedy "21 and Over" in Linyi, a city in Shandong province where the activist Chen Guangcheng's village is located. Authorities have turned Chen's village of Dongshigu into a hostile, no-go zone and activists, foreign diplomats and reporters have been turned back, threatened and had stones thrown at them by men patrolling the village.

The news that Relativity Media had chosen Linyi, a city of 10 million, as a location for its film and was touting its close government connections comes at a time when activists have renewed their attention on Chen. A campaign to visit the lawyer to draw attention to his plight has caught on and intensified over recent weeks, though none have succeeded and many visitors have been met with violence.

On China's popular Twitter-like microblog, Sina Weibo, some bloggers circulated email addresses for Relativity staff, urging users to write to the company in protest. A few called for a boycott of the film.

Relativity declined comment but said in a press release that filming in Linyi began last Wednesday. In the release, Linyi's top Communist Party official Zhang Shajun is quoted as calling Relativity's chief executive Ryan Kavanaugh a "good friend" while Relativity's Co-President Tucker Tooley describes Linyi as an "amazing" place.

"I hope Relativity Media will learn more about the real Linyi, about Chen Guangcheng, and see that what is currently happening in Dongshigu village is what is really 'amazing'," said Nanjing-based activist He Peirong in an interview.

"Especially at this time, when every day there are people trying to visit Chen Guangcheng, people who have been robbed and beaten, I express deep regret to see such remarks whitewashing the city of Linyi," she said.

In the past several weeks, dozens of activists and Chen's supporters have risked being violently assaulted to attempt visits to his home in a bid to draw attention to his plight. The latest group was made up of 37 petitioners who traveled there by bus from Beijing on Sunday and fled after being attacked by about 50 unidentified thugs as they approached Chen's village, said one petitioner, Peng Zhonglin, from Jiangxi province. Linyi police refused to comment when reached by phone.

Human Rights Watch senior Asia researcher Nicholas Bequelin said it was puzzling that Relativity appeared comfortable cozying up with the city's political leadership.

"They seem to be eager to assume this role of being a prop in Linyi's propaganda campaign to cast itself as a civilized municipality that promotes culture when the reality is that it is not only holding one of China's most prominent human rights defenders, but going to extraordinary lengths to persecute him," Bequelin said.

Relativity describes "21 and Over" as a comedy about two childhood friends who drag their friend out to celebrate his 21st birthday the night before a medical school interview in an evening that turns into "a wild epic misadventure of debauchery and mayhem." It stars "Footloose" star Miles Teller and Justin Chon who was in "The Twilight Saga."

Shooting in Linyi began on Wednesday and it was unclear how long they were scheduled to film there. Previous footage had been shot in Seattle, the company said. Relativity has produced or co-financed more than 200 movies including "Cowboys & Aliens," "Bridesmaids," and "Limitless."

Blinded by a fever in infancy and self-taught as a lawyer, Chen became an inspiring figure among rights activists for his dogged pursuit of justice. He documented forced late-term abortions and sterilizations in his rural community, angering authorities. He was eventually imprisoned for four years.

___

Relativity Media's press release: http://bit.ly/vyQ9iH

___

Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gillianwong

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111030/ap_on_re_as/as_china_blind_lawyer

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Is Obama's OMB Planning to Cancel NASA's Planetary Exploration Program? (ContributorNetwork)

Recently Robert Zubrin, the head of the Mars Society, published an op-ed in the Washington Times in which he accused the Obama administration's Office of Management and Budget of plotting to terminate planetary science at NASA.

Jim Green, the director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, denied that this was so.

What exactly did Zubrin claim in his article?

Zubrin maintains OMB is developing a plan that would that after the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity is launched this year and the smaller Maven orbiter is launched in 2013, there will be no more planetary probes launched anywhere. Furthermore, the Kepler space telescope would be turned off in mid mission. Zubrin also mentions the James Webb Space Telescope, which has been targeted for destruction by the House and is undergoing funding problems.

Does Zubrin cite any sources for his allegations?

He does not, which has left him open to criticism and even ridicule. Keith Cowing at NASA Watch demanded that Zubrin show the specific budget documents that show planetary exploration being zeroed out. Cowing notes that the Mars Society is conducting an event with the Planetary Society, "NASA at a Turning Point: Vibrant Future or Close Up Shop?" The event will take place at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill on November 3. Cowing implies that Zubrin's statement is a stunt to publicize the event.

Is there a precedent for an entire NASA program suddenly being suddenly terminated?

The most recent example was the cancellation of the Constellation space exploration program, which was revealed to the public, the press, and even most of NASA at the publication of Obama's budget proposal in February, 2010. It is therefore not outside the boundaries of possibility that there is a proposal floating around OMB to zero out future planetary missions, even if it does not make it into the final budget documents for the next fiscal year.

If there is a proposal to cancel future NASA planetary missions, how serious is it?

Given the current budget situation, there are likely a lot of things that are seriously being considered that would ordinarily not be. Space is not a particularly important priority of the Obama administration. NASA's budget has remained largely static as domestic, discretionary spending as exploded in the nearly three years of the Obama administration. While commercial space initiatives are favored by the White House and human space exploration by the Congress, one could see planetary exploration taken a big hit in any budget proposal.

What will the outcome be?

Part of that depends on what Zubrin and the other speakers have to say at the Capitol Hill event next week. If more evidence is presented of a plan to cancel planetary exploration, expect political fireworks.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times and The Weekly Standard.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111029/us_ac/10317305_is_obamas_omb_planning_to_cancel_nasas_planetary_exploration_program

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cate_long: RT @dvandeventer: Idaho football player knocks out his own teammate after celebrating touchdown against Hawaii with a head butt.

Idaho football player knocks out his own teammate after celebrating touchdown against Hawaii with a head butt. Il y a 28 minutes via web

Source: http://twitter.com/cate_long/statuses/130427940990230529

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The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!

Nokia, Nokia. Who's there? Lumia. Lumia who? Stay tuned this afternoon to learn the answer, even though we're not promising the funniest punchline in the world. What we can promise you, however, is in-depth coverage of Nokia World 2011 and everything else that happened in the wireless industry over the past week. Each week seems to be as crazy as the last, which always makes for an entertainment podcast. Special guest Steve Litchfield and Host Myriam Joire are delivering the rants in a British accent, and co-host Brad Molen may toss out a beef or two in his own native western US dialect. Sadly, it's the same dialect he uses every week. Regardless, reconvene here at 5PM ET (2PM PT, 10PM UK)!

The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WIEhgpdh2w4/

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FCC shifts subsidy fund to broadband (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Regulators agreed on Thursday to change an $8 billion national communications subsidy program to put more emphasis on providing high-speed Internet access to rural areas.

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to shift roughly $4.5 billion spent annually to subsidize rural telephone service over to providing broadband in rural and costly-to-serve areas.

Broadband buildout to unserved areas could begin in early 2012 under the plan, helping bring high-speed Internet to the 18 million Americans who have no access to broadband where they live and work.

"We are taking a system designed for the Alexander Graham Bell era of rotary telephones and modernizing it for the era of Steve Jobs and the Internet future he imagined," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said at the agency's open meeting.

The revised universal service program would phase out funding for landline phone service over a period of years as companies move to a competitive bidding process for securing funds for broadband.

Companies now receiving phone service subsidies -- paid for through fees added to consumers' telephone bills -- would get first rights in some areas to receive support for deploying broadband service.

The new rules would also eliminate spending on duplicative services offered by several phone companies serving the same area.

As part of the changes, regulators are tweaking the complex system of payments among carriers to complete connections called intercarrier compensation, gradually reducing per-minute intercarrier compensation charges.

Incumbent phone carriers would be able to mitigate losses from reduced intercarrier revenues through a new access recovery charge on landline service.

The FCC put a $0.50 limit on the annual increase in the monthly charge, which could reach up to $2.50 per month after five years.

"The Commission did take steps to narrow the scope of these rate increases, but asking consumers to pay more into a broken system and letting the industry divvy up the pot will not increase broadband adoption," said Joel Kelsey, political advisor for public interest group Free Press.

FCC staff said they expect the charge to be closer to $0.10 to $0.15 per month as carriers must demonstrate an equivalent revenue loss from the reduction in intercarrier compensation rates.

Genachowski told a news conference after the FCC meeting that he expected consumer rates to fair better under the reforms than if the current system stayed in place.

"It's not a close call. The consumer benefits from the reforms today are massive, very significant," he said.

He added that hidden subsidies and a lack of oversight on the fund's size would have translated directly into increases on consumers' local phone bills had they gone unchecked.

The new Connect America Fund will have a firm $4.5 billion a year budget through 2017, the first budget constraint ever imposed on the universal service program.

Up to $2 billion would be available for small carriers serving mostly rural areas, $1.8 billion for large and mid-sized carriers like AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications and CenturyLink, and $500 million for mobile broadband.

(Reporting by Jasmin Melvin; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/wr_nm/us_fcc_usf_reform

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Qantas Airways grounds global fleet due to strikes

Stranded passengers line up at the Qantas Airways counter for asking information in Hong Kong International Airport Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 as their flight to Sydney was cancelled. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday imposing an employee lockout after weeks of disruptive strikes, and the Australian government sought emergency arbitration. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Stranded passengers line up at the Qantas Airways counter for asking information in Hong Kong International Airport Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 as their flight to Sydney was cancelled. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday imposing an employee lockout after weeks of disruptive strikes, and the Australian government sought emergency arbitration. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

A Qantas Airbus A380 sit on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport, London Saturday Oct. 29, 2011 after Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely after weeks of disruptive strikes. Flights in the air continued to their destinations, but others were stopped even taxiing on the runway, according to one flier. Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. The Australian government was seeking emergency arbitration to end the strikes. Qantas is the world's 10th largest airline and among the most profitable. (AP Photo) UK OUT, NO MAGAZINES, NO SALES

Brothers Kevin and Chris Crulley, sit on the floor at the Qantas check-in counter at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, after they were removed from their flight home to England. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

FILE - In this April 21, 2010 file photo, Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce address the media in Sydney, Australia. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. Flights in the air were continuing to their destinations. Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

FILE - In this June 12, 2011 file photo, Qantas jets sit on the tarmac at the international airport in Sydney, Australia. Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet indefinitely Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, in a lockout of workers whose strikes have disrupted airline operations for weeks, and the government said it would seek arbitration. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Qantas Airways grounded its global fleet Saturday, suddenly locking out striking workers after weeks of flight disruptions an executive said could close down the world's 10th largest airline piece by piece.

The Australian government called for an emergency arbitration hearing, which was adjourned early Sunday morning after hearing evidence from the unions and airline. It will resume Sunday afternoon when the government will argue that the airline be ordered to fly in Australia's economic interests.

Planes in the air continued to their destinations, and at least one taxiing flight stopped on the runway, a flier said. Among the stranded passengers are 17 world leaders attending a Commonwealth summit in the western city of Perth.

When the grounding was announced, 36 international and 28 domestic Australian flights were in the air, said a Qantas spokeswoman, who declined to be named citing company policy.

Qantas said 108 airplanes were being grounded but did not say how many flights were involved. The spokeswoman could not confirm an Australian Broadcasting Corp. television report that 13,305 passengers were booked to fly Qantas international flights within 24 hours of the grounding.

The lockout was expected to have little impact in the United States. Only about 1,000 people fly daily between the United States and Australia, said aviation consultant Michael Boyd. "It's not a big deal," he said. Qantas is "not a huge player here."

Los Angeles International Airport spokeswoman Diana Sanchez said Saturday that she was not aware of any passengers stranded at the airport because of the strike. Five Los Angeles-bound Qantas flights were already in the air when the lockout began and were expected to arrive as scheduled, she said.

Sanchez said Qantas has indicated it plans to cancel the handful of flights scheduled to depart from Los Angeles on Saturday.

The real problems for travelers are more likely to be at far busier Qantas hubs in Singapore and London's Heathrow Airport, says another aviation consultant, Robert Mann.

Booked passengers were being rescheduled at Qantas' expense, chief executive Alan Joyce said. Bookings already had collapsed after unions warned travelers to fly other airlines through the busy Christmas-New Year period.

He told a news conference in Sydney the unions' actions have caused a crisis for Qantas.

"They are trashing our strategy and our brand," Joyce said. "They are deliberately destabilizing the company and there is no end in sight."

Union leaders criticized the action as extreme. Qantas is among the most profitable airlines in the world, but Joyce estimated the grounding will cost Qantas $20 million a day.

Qantas already had reduced and rescheduled flights for weeks after union workers struck and refused to work overtime out of worries a restructuring plan would move some of Qantas' 35,000 jobs overseas.

The grounding of the largest of Australia's four national domestic airlines will take a major economic toll and could disrupt the national Parliament, due to resume in Canberra on Tuesday after a two-week recess. Qantas' budget subsidiary Jetstar continues to fly.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said her government would help the Commonwealth leaders fly home after 17 were due to fly out of Perth on Qantas planes over the next couple of days.

"They took it in good spirits when I briefed them about it," Gillard told reporters.

British tourist Chris Crulley, 25, said the pilot on his Qantas flight informed passengers while taxiing down a Sydney runway that he had to return to the terminal "to take an important phone call." The flight was then grounded.

"We're all set for the flight and settled in and the next thing ? I'm stunned. We're getting back off the plane," the firefighter told The Associated Press from Sydney Airport by phone.

Crulley was happy to be heading home to Newcastle after a five-week vacation when his flight was interrupted. "I've got to get back to the other side of the world by Wednesday for work. It's a nightmare," he added.

Qantas offered him up to 350 Australian dollars ($375) a day for food and accommodation, but Crulley expected to struggle to find a hotel at short notice in Sydney on a Saturday night.

Australians Len and Christie Dunlop were stranded at London's Heathrow Airport when their flight to Sydney was grounded.

The couple, who have lived in Leeds for four years, said they would have to catch up with fewer friends when they return to Perth for three weeks for a friend's wedding.

"We've got dinners and lunch booked every day, so now we've missed two or three days worth of catching up with friends," Len Dunlop told ABC television. "It just a lot of frustration."

Gillard said her center-left government, which is affiliated with the trade union movement, had "taken a rare decision" to seek an end to the strike action out of necessity.

"I believe it is warranted in the circumstances we now face with Qantas ... circumstances with this industrial dispute that could have implications for our national economy," Gillard told reporters.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese described the grounding as "disappointing" and "extraordinary." Albanese was angry that Qantas gave him only three hours' notice.

All 108 aircraft in as many as 22 countries will be grounded until unions representing pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers reach agreements with Qantas over pay and conditions, Joyce said.

"We are locking out until the unions withdraw their extreme claim and reach agreement with us," Joyce said, referring to shutting staff out of their work stations. Staff will not be paid starting Monday.

"This is a crisis for Qantas. If the action continues as the unions have promised, we will have no choice but to close down Qantas part by part," he added.

Richard Woodward, vice president of the pilot's union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, accused Qantas of "holding a knife to the nation's throat" and said Joyce had "gone mad."

Steve Purvinas, federal secretary of the mechanics' union, Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, described the grounding as "an extreme measure."

Long-haul, budget airline AirAsia tried stepping into the void with what it called "rescue fares" for Qantas passengers. The offer was valid for ticket-holders flying within 48 hours to AirAsia destinations, the airline statement said.

Malaysia-based AirAsia flies to three Australian destinations, plus New Zealand.

The recent strike action in which two unions have had rolling four-hour strikes on differing days has most severely affected Qantas domestic flights.

In mid-October, Qantas grounded five jets and reduced domestic flights by almost 100 flights a week because aircraft mechanics had reduced the hours they were prepared to work.

Qantas infuriated unions in August when it said it would improve its loss-making overseas business by creating an Asia-based airline with its own name and brand. The five-year restructure plan will cost 1,000 jobs.

Qantas announced in August that it had more than doubled annual profit to AU$250 million, but warned the business environment was too challenging to forecast earnings for the current fiscal year.

____

Associated Press writer Katie Oyan in Phoenix and Associated Press Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-10-29-AS-Australia-Qantas/id-8cc35aa16c784debabaa1c313ea540bd

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There Are No Words (TIME)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/154684960?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Oakland protesters hold late-night march (AP)

OAKLAND, Calif. ? Anti-Wall Street protesters filled a street with a late-night march Wednesday and Oakland's police chief pledged a vigorous investigation into an earlier clash between police and protesters that left an Iraq War veteran in critical condition with a fractured skull.

Police Chief Howard Jordan spoke as tensions grew over demonstration encampment in the Bay area.

"It's unfortunate it happened. I wish that it didn't happen. Our goal, obviously, isn't to cause injury to anyone," the chief said at an afternoon press conference.

Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a fractured skull Tuesday in a march with other protesters toward City Hall, said Dottie Guy, of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. The demonstrators had been making an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of a disbanded protesters' camp when they were met by officers in riot gear.

It's not known exactly what type of object struck Olsen or who might have thrown it, though Guy's group said it was lodged by officers. Several small skirmishes had broken out in the night with police clearing the area by firing tear gas and protesters throwing rocks and bottles at them.

An Oakland hospital spokesman said Olsen, a network administrator in Daly City, was in critical condition Wednesday.

Earlier, Oakland officials allowed protesters back into the plaza outside City Hall where their 15-day-old encampment had been raided the day before, but said people would be prohibiting from spending the night.

About 1,000 people quickly filled the plaza, but later many of them filed out and began marching down nearby streets.

A reporter at the scene says police erected wooden barricades to block the march, but the protesters veered off as a group and continued down another street.

There were no signs of clashes between the two sides.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were left in the plaza, where some had vowed to spend the night.

"I'm going to stay here tonight," said Jhalid Shakur, 43, of Oakland. "I don't have a tent, but I'll sleep on a bench if there's space."

"We're about to build our city back," he said.

Mayor Jean Quan said Oakland supports the protesters' goals but had to act Tuesday when a small number of them threw rocks, paint and bottles at the police.

"We had, on one hand, demonstrators who tried to rush banks, other demonstrators saying don't do that, and we had police officers, for the most part, 99 percent, who took a lot of abuse," the mayor said. "So yesterday was a sad day for us."

Jordan said an internal review board and local prosecutors have been asked to determine if officers on the scene used excessive force. He asked witnesses with recordings of violent interactions between civilians and the officers who came from several Bay Area agencies to submit them to investigators.

The clash Tuesday evening came as officials complained about what they described as deteriorating safety, sanitation and health issues at the dismantled camp.

Oakland City Administrator Deana Santana said protesters would be allowed to assemble in the plaza outside City Hall from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. She pleaded with those who planned to make another stand there to refrain from smashing windows, lighting fires and attempting to stay overnight.

"If we could have these simple, reasonable requests, we think we can assure safety in the streets tonight," Santana said.

The same concerns were being raised by San Francisco officials who warned protesters Wednesday that they could face arrest if they continue camping in a city plaza. In a letter, Police Chief Greg Suhr said the protesters could be arrested for violating a variety of city laws against camping, cooking, urinating and littering in public parks.

"Existing and ongoing violations make you subject to arrest," Suhr wrote in the notice, but didn't say if or when arrests would occur.

Police have taken down a previous Occupy San Francisco camp in the Justin Herman Plaza and also cleared another camp outside the Federal Reserve Bank downtown.

Late Wednesday some of the San Francisco protesters, estimated to be about 200 people, had their arms locked and were practicing trying to keep police from entering the perimeter of their encampment.

Police estimated at least five protesters were arrested and several others injured in the Tuesday evening clashes.

____

Associated Press writers Jason Dearen and Marcus Wohlsen contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_re_us/us_occupy_wall_street_oakland

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Stars Found To Produce Complex Organic Compounds

The 'question' of how life started on our amazing planet gets easier to 'answer' with every new discovery.

"Just the facts, sir." (apologies to Sgt. Friday)
To me the facts are even more amazing and awesome than any myths or superstitions that persist, to explain our world and universe.

There are many times I feel humbled and awed by the scientific discoveries and technological advances I have witnessed in my lifetime. (reference: I'm coming up TOO QUICKLY! on 54 years old)

Just the amount and nature of 'former Sci-Fi' tech that has become reality in my time boggles my mind...Wow!

[disclaimer: yes, I did RTFA, please put away your torches and pitchforks]:-)

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/FxT8oQ13O9c/stars-found-to-produce-complex-organic-compounds

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Seven Tools to Get Elected Mayor by the Internet [Video]

If you weren't aware, our own Mat Honan was attempting to go against incumbent San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee as a write-in candidate in next week's election. With the internet backing him, his campaign was shaping up to be formidable. Then The Man struck. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pO5De-J_NhQ/

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Stocks surge on European debt deal, GDP growth (AP)

NEW YORK ? Stocks are soaring after European leaders agreed on a deal to slash Greece's debt load and prevent the debt crisis there from engulfing larger countries like Italy. Stronger U.S. economic growth and corporate earnings also drove markets higher.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 300 points at midday. All 30 stocks in the Dow rose, led by aluminum maker Alcoa Inc. with a 7 percent gain. Commodities prices and Treasury yields also rose as investors took on more risk. The euro rose sharply against the dollar.

Europe's sweeping agreement, reached after an all-night summit meeting, is aimed at preventing the Greek government's inability to pay its debt from escalating into another financial crisis like the one in September 2008 after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Banks agreed to take 50 percent losses on the Greek bonds they hold. Europe will also strengthen a financial rescue fund to protect the region's banks and other struggling European countries such as Italy and Portugal.

"This seems to set aside the worries that there would be a massive contagion over there that would have brought everything down with it," said Mark Lamkin, head of Lamkin Wealth Management.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged 305 points, or 2.6 percent, to 12,173 at 12:30 Eastern. The Dow hasn't closed above 12,000 since Aug. 1 and is up 11.6 percent for the month. With only two full days of trading left in October, the Dow could have its biggest monthly gain since January 1987.

The S&P 500 rose 36, or 2.9 percent, to 1,278. The gain turned the S&P positive for the year for the first time since Aug. 3, just before the U.S. government's debt was downgraded. The Nasdaq composite rose 73, or 2.7 percent, to 2,723.

Small company stocks rose more than the broader market. That's a sign investors were more comfortable holding assets perceived as being risky but also more likely to appreciate in a strong economy. The Russell 2000 index jumped 4.1 percent.

Raw materials producers, banks and stocks in other industries that depend on a strong economy for profit growth led the way. Copper jumped 5 percent to $3.66 a pound and crude oil jumped 3 percent to $93 a barrel.

The euro rose sharply, to $1.42, as confidence in Europe's financial system grew. The euro was worth $1.39 late Wednesday and had been as low as $1.32 on Oct. 3. European stock indexes also soared. France's CAC-40 rose 6.3 percent and Germany's DAX jumped 6.1 percent.

Investors sold U.S. Treasury notes and bonds, an indication they feel less need for safer investments. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves in the opposite direction of its price, rose to 2.30 percent from 2.21 percent late Wednesday.

European leaders still have to finalize the details of their latest plan. French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke with Chinese President Hu Jintao amid hopes that countries with lots of cash like China can contribute to the European rescue.

Past attempts to contain Europe's two-year debt crisis have proved insufficient. Greece has been surviving on rescue loans since May 2010. In July, creditors agreed to take some losses on their Greek bonds, but that wasn't enough to fix the problem.

Worries about Europe's debt crisis and a weak U.S. economy dragged the S&P 500 down 19.4 percent between April 29 and Oct. 3. That put it on the cusp of what's called a bear market, which is a 20 percent decline.

Since then, there have been a number of more encouraging signs on the U.S. economy. The government reported Thursday that the economy grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate from July through September on stronger consumer spending and business investment. That was nearly double the 1.3 percent growth in the previous quarter.

Despite the jitters over Europe, many large U.S. companies have been reporting strong profit growth in the third quarter.

Dow Chemical rose 8.6 percent after its profit last quarter rose 59 percent on strong sales growth from Latin America. Occidental Petroleum Corp. jumped 7.4 percent after reporting a 50 percent surge in income.

Citrix Systems Inc. rose 17 percent. The technology company's revenue rose 20 percent last quarter, and it forecast growth of up to 13 percent for 2012. Akamai Technologies Inc., whose products help speed the delivery of online content, jumped 16.8 percent after the company reported earnings that beat analysts' expectations.

Avon Products Inc. fell 18 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after the company said the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating its contacts with financial analysts and Avon's own probe into bribery in China and other countries.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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Regulatory process for organ scaling discovered

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A new study has shed light on the process by which fruit flies develop with their body proportions remaining constant. The study, conducted by the research group of Professor Markus Affolter at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel and Sven Bergmann's group at the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Lausanne, has demonstrated that the morphogen Dpp and the feedback regulator Pentagone are key factors responsible for proportional tissue growth in wings of a fruit fly. This process keeps the body plan of the fruit fly Drosophila constant. Their research results, published October 25 in the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology, might also be important for organ growth in other organisms.

One of the most interesting and perhaps mysterious questions in developmental biology is to understand how organisms develop from an embryo to an adult with their body proportions remaining constant over generations. External factors such as nutrition and temperature generally impact the overall size of an organism, but leave body proportions unaffected. Fish kept in too small aquaria, for example, just grow proportionally smaller and flies kept under starving conditions have proportionally smaller heads, abdomens, legs and wings. The phenomenon of keeping proportions during growth is called 'scaling' and has been subject of study for decades. Indeed, how scaling is achieved has, until recently, not been very well understood.

In an attempt to solve open questions regarding scaling, Affolter's and Bergmann's research groups have made a large step forward. In the new study they analyze the scaling process of the Drosophila wing; more specifically the insect's wing imaginal disc, the precursor tissue of the adult wing. Using a combination of experimental and mathematical approaches, they could demonstrate that the morphogen called Decapentaplegic (Dpp) plays a central role in regulating and scaling wing growth and patterning via the regulation of Pentagone. A morphogen produces different cellular responses depending on its concentration, and the two groups found that, as the disc grows, the Dpp response expands and scales with the tissue size. Naturally, the morphogen itself needs to be regulated and controlled. In this study, they identify Pentagone, one of Dpp's recently discovered transcriptional targets, as the first negative feedback controller responsible for scaling. Hence, scaling is achieved in the wing due to the feedback loop between the signaling activity of Dpp and its regulator Pentagone. Besides this, Affolter's and Bergmann's groups could also show that scaling is not perfect at all positions during wing disc growth and that scaling of the target gene domains is best where they have a function.

Affolter's and Bergmann's groups used the wing of the fruit fly Drosophila as a model to study scaling quantitatively during growth. Similar to the micro-macro link ? a term used in social sciences ? scaling is defined as the preservation of proportions of gene expression domains with tissue size during growth. In other words, proportions found on the micro-level of gene expression are found on the macro-level of wing formation. "Better insight into the molecular control of scaling will have large consequences for the understanding of how nature has developed such robust body plans", explains Affolter.

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Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114618/Regulatory_process_for_organ_scaling_discovered

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Man United, Arsenal reach League Cup quarters

By STEVE DOUGLAS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 6:27 p.m. ET Oct. 26, 2011

LONDON (AP) -Manchester City kept up its free-scoring form by thrashing Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-2 in the League Cup, while Chelsea and Blackburn scored late winners in extra time to advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Buoyant after routing Manchester United 6-1 to take a five-point lead in the Premier League, City rallied with three goals in a four-minute span just before halftime after conceding an early goal at Molineux.

Adam Johnson and Samir Nasri started the comeback, with Edin Dzeko adding a double either side of an own goal by goalkeeper Dorus de Vries in a dominant display at Molineux.

"Them getting the early goal lifted everyone," said Johnson. "The first 20 minutes were shaky but once we got the ball down and passing and moving and the second goal, it was virtually over."

Substitute Daniel Sturridge scored Chelsea's winner with four minutes left in extra time as the London club beat Everton 2-1 in a match that saw both teams finish with 10 men.

Blackburn left it even later to beat Newcastle 4-3, with French defender Gael Givet scoring in the last minute of extra time to inflict a first defeat on the visitors this season, while Liverpool rallied to beat Stoke 2-1 thanks to a second-half brace by Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in another all-Premier League match.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Cardiff and Crystal Palace reached the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

City took its tally of goals to 15 in its last three away matches but it needed Nenad Milijas' 18th-minute goal to stir the visitors into action.

With a point to prove after being ignominiously hauled off by manager Roberto Mancini before halftime in the Champions League victory over Villarreal last week, Adam Johnson was instrumental in City's comeback

The England winger ran on to Dzeko's lay-off and clipped a shot into the bottom corner before turning provider, slipping through a pinpoint through-ball for Nasri to score with a low finish from the edge of the area.

"I think Adam can do a bit more but he has everything to be one of the best wingers in Europe," City manager Roberto Mancini said.

Dzeko - fresh off a double as a substitute against United - bundled in the third and fifth goals from close range, sandwiching an unfortunate own goal by De Vries in the 50th.

Jamie O'Hara grabbed a consolation for Wolves a minute later.

With United easing past fourth-tier team Aldershot 3-0 on Tuesday, City could face its local rival in the last eight.

"We'll play anyone at the moment," Johnson said. "Our confidence is up - it doesn't really matter who we get."

While City made wholesale changes to the team that thrashed United at the weekend, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish fielded a number of first-team players and will be thankful he retained Suarez.

The striker missed a number of chances in the 1-1 league draw against Norwich on Saturday but was more efficient against Stoke, equalizing with an unstoppable curling shot after dribbling past Ryan Shotton.

Suarez grabbed the winner for the seven-time League Cup winners by heading home a volleyed cross by Jordan Henderson.

"In the second half, the boys dug deep, defended really well, the wee man scored a fantastic goal and then a good header as well," Dalglish said. "It was important that we finished off some of the football we've been playing."

Salomon Kalou made up for Nicolas Anelka's missed penalty in the 16th by putting Chelsea ahead at the Goodison Park before the visitors had goalkeeper Ross Turnbull sent off in the 58th for bringing down Everton striker Louis Saha.

Petr Cech, Turnbull's replacement, saved the resulting penalty by Leighton Baines but Saha took the game into extra time with a near-post header in the 83rd.

Royston Drenthe was dismissed for Everton in a frenetic extra 30 minutes before Sturridge slipped home a rebound after Florent Malouda's shot was parried out.

An eventful game at Ewood Park saw Newcastle force extra time with goals in second-half injury time by Danny Guthrie and Yohan Cabaye, canceling out efforts by Ruben Rochina and Yakubu.

Morten Gamst Pedersen scored a free kick for 3-2 but Newcastle equalized again through Peter Lovenkrands before Givet's winner.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Teeth study shows big dinosaurs trekked for food

An undated photo released by Henry Fricke shows a sampling of dinosaur teeth from the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Scientists analyzing 32 teeth of plant-eating dinosaurs found that they migrated from the lowlands to highlands in search of food and water during the late Jurassic period. A new study suggests long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs migrated hundreds of miles to find enough food for their gargantuan appetites. (AP Photo/ Henry Fricke,/Colorado College)

An undated photo released by Henry Fricke shows a sampling of dinosaur teeth from the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Scientists analyzing 32 teeth of plant-eating dinosaurs found that they migrated from the lowlands to highlands in search of food and water during the late Jurassic period. A new study suggests long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs migrated hundreds of miles to find enough food for their gargantuan appetites. (AP Photo/ Henry Fricke,/Colorado College)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? What did giant plant-munching dinosaurs do when they couldn't find enough to eat in the parched American West? They hit the road.

An analysis of fossilized teeth adds further evidence that the long-necked dinosaurs called sauropods ? the largest land creatures ? went on road trips to fill their gargantuan appetites.

Scientists have long theorized that sauropods foraged for precious resources during droughts because of their preserved tracks and long limbs that were "ideal moving machines" and allowed them to cover long distances, said paleobiologist Matthew Bonnan of Western Illinois University.

The latest study is the best evidence yet that at least one kind of sauropod "took to the hills in search of food when times got tough in the lowlands," said paleontologist Kristi Curry Rogers at Macalester College in Minnesota.

The new work, published online Wednesday by the journal Nature, was led by geologist Henry Fricke of Colorado College.

The researchers analyzed 32 sauropod teeth collected in Wyoming and Utah. The teeth came from massive plant-eaters that roamed a semi-arid basin in the American West during the late Jurassic period about 150 million years ago.

The largest sauropods weighed 100 tons and were 120 feet long. The type in the study was smaller ? about 60 feet in length and weighing 25 tons.

Scientists can get a glimpse into the source of the dinosaurs' drinking water by comparing the oxygen preserved in the tooth enamel to that found in ancient sediment.

A chemical analysis showed differences in the teeth and the basin where the dinosaurs were buried, meaning they must have wandered hundreds of miles from the flood plains to the highlands for food and water.

Fricke said the movement appeared to be tied to changing seasons. Sauropods left the basin in the summer for higher elevations ? a trek that took about five months ? and returned in the winter.

In lush times, sauropods would have feasted on a diversity of plants including ferns, horsetails, conifers and moss, said John Foster, a curator at the Museum of Western Colorado, who had no part in the research.

___

Online:

Journal: http://www.nature.com/nature

___

Follow Alicia Chang's coverage at http://twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-26-Dinosaur%20Dining/id-2d920e0d7a5a4059a8d5382fdc820795

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Chain hotels lead the way in going green

Public release date: 25-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dennis Reynolds
der@wsu.edu
509-335-4344
Washington State University

WSU study suggests independent hotels losing competitive advantage

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Chain hotels are doing a better job of going green than their independent competitors, according to a new analysis by Washington State University researchers.

The study, which started as an undergraduate honors project, found chain hotels are more likely to use energy efficient light bulbs; train staff to turn off lights, heaters and air conditioning in unoccupied rooms; buy in bulk to reduce packaging; use safer cleaners and chemicals; and give guests tips on how to save water and energy.

As a result, independent hotels may be losing a competitive advantage in drawing customers, says Dennis Reynolds, Ivar B. Haglund Endowed Chair in the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management.

"I don't know if independents are as aware of the importance of being green today," he says. "If you have two hotels in a city at the same room rates, but one is green, are you going to pick it because it's green? Is that important to you or not?

"The preliminary research suggests that it is," he says. "I suspect a lot of independents haven't realized that yet in terms of the marketability, the importance, of attracting customers."

Hotels have the largest environmental footprint in the hospitality industry, using large amounts of water and cleaning chemicals and, unlike restaurants, keeping lights on through the night. But starting in the '90s, the concept of the "green hotel" began to spread through the industry, encouraging practices that saved energy and water, managed waste and educated guests about ways to help the environment.

"It's a smart practice for hotels," says Reynolds. "When it started, no one acknowledged that. They said, 'This is a green practice. We're doing it for the environment.' That caught on very quickly because, yes, it's good for the environment but it's also good for the bottom line."

Some hotels found greener building designs alone could cut 30-50 percent of their energy costs, a savings that for a full-service hotel could equate to as much as $6.75 on the daily room rate.

Similarly, a hotel can save on water and the energy to heat it by encouraging guests to reuse towels and leave a note to make beds without changing sheets. An added benefit is the hotel saves money on housekeeping.

But when it comes to adopting green practices, particularly the low-cost ones, the chains are doing a better job, says the study.

"The main thing we saw for chain hotels was energy management: More efficient lights, using natural lighting versus artificial lighting, energy efficient light bulbs," Reynolds says.

A chain's centralized management and economies of scale make that easier, he says, even if similar steps can save a single, independent hotel as much in percentage terms.

An independent hotel owner might look at a $20 saving from energy efficient bulbs and say, "$20, I don't know," says Reynolds. "But if you're in a corporate headquarters overseeing 1,000 hotels, that $20 times 1,000 becomes a little more critical."

The study, which appears in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, began as the undergraduate honors thesis of co-author Stefani Svaren.

"For an undergraduate honors thesis, her effort was above and beyond," says Reynolds, who expanded on her effort with the help of Imran Rahman, a doctoral student in business administration with a concentration in hospitality business management.

In follow-up studies, Reynolds is looking at the more industrious environmental practices of hotels abroad.

"We're finding things in Asia where they're looking at energy management from hot water heaters to air conditioning units," he says. "They buy the more efficient unit up front.

"We've done the low-hanging fruit," he says. "Now what other practices could/should hotels adopt that will require an upfront investment but will have the return both financially and in terms of protecting the environment?"

Meanwhile, consumers can do their part by looking for greener hotels when they make reservations.

"That then supports the hotel's practices to be green and that spreads and becomes isomorphic - everything becomes the same," Reynolds says. "We're seeing that in the chain restaurants and chain hotels.

"You start something, like family-style restaurants doing to-go orders," he says. "Applebee's started it and everyone else went, 'Ooh. That's a great idea.'"

###

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 25-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dennis Reynolds
der@wsu.edu
509-335-4344
Washington State University

WSU study suggests independent hotels losing competitive advantage

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Chain hotels are doing a better job of going green than their independent competitors, according to a new analysis by Washington State University researchers.

The study, which started as an undergraduate honors project, found chain hotels are more likely to use energy efficient light bulbs; train staff to turn off lights, heaters and air conditioning in unoccupied rooms; buy in bulk to reduce packaging; use safer cleaners and chemicals; and give guests tips on how to save water and energy.

As a result, independent hotels may be losing a competitive advantage in drawing customers, says Dennis Reynolds, Ivar B. Haglund Endowed Chair in the WSU School of Hospitality Business Management.

"I don't know if independents are as aware of the importance of being green today," he says. "If you have two hotels in a city at the same room rates, but one is green, are you going to pick it because it's green? Is that important to you or not?

"The preliminary research suggests that it is," he says. "I suspect a lot of independents haven't realized that yet in terms of the marketability, the importance, of attracting customers."

Hotels have the largest environmental footprint in the hospitality industry, using large amounts of water and cleaning chemicals and, unlike restaurants, keeping lights on through the night. But starting in the '90s, the concept of the "green hotel" began to spread through the industry, encouraging practices that saved energy and water, managed waste and educated guests about ways to help the environment.

"It's a smart practice for hotels," says Reynolds. "When it started, no one acknowledged that. They said, 'This is a green practice. We're doing it for the environment.' That caught on very quickly because, yes, it's good for the environment but it's also good for the bottom line."

Some hotels found greener building designs alone could cut 30-50 percent of their energy costs, a savings that for a full-service hotel could equate to as much as $6.75 on the daily room rate.

Similarly, a hotel can save on water and the energy to heat it by encouraging guests to reuse towels and leave a note to make beds without changing sheets. An added benefit is the hotel saves money on housekeeping.

But when it comes to adopting green practices, particularly the low-cost ones, the chains are doing a better job, says the study.

"The main thing we saw for chain hotels was energy management: More efficient lights, using natural lighting versus artificial lighting, energy efficient light bulbs," Reynolds says.

A chain's centralized management and economies of scale make that easier, he says, even if similar steps can save a single, independent hotel as much in percentage terms.

An independent hotel owner might look at a $20 saving from energy efficient bulbs and say, "$20, I don't know," says Reynolds. "But if you're in a corporate headquarters overseeing 1,000 hotels, that $20 times 1,000 becomes a little more critical."

The study, which appears in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, began as the undergraduate honors thesis of co-author Stefani Svaren.

"For an undergraduate honors thesis, her effort was above and beyond," says Reynolds, who expanded on her effort with the help of Imran Rahman, a doctoral student in business administration with a concentration in hospitality business management.

In follow-up studies, Reynolds is looking at the more industrious environmental practices of hotels abroad.

"We're finding things in Asia where they're looking at energy management from hot water heaters to air conditioning units," he says. "They buy the more efficient unit up front.

"We've done the low-hanging fruit," he says. "Now what other practices could/should hotels adopt that will require an upfront investment but will have the return both financially and in terms of protecting the environment?"

Meanwhile, consumers can do their part by looking for greener hotels when they make reservations.

"That then supports the hotel's practices to be green and that spreads and becomes isomorphic - everything becomes the same," Reynolds says. "We're seeing that in the chain restaurants and chain hotels.

"You start something, like family-style restaurants doing to-go orders," he says. "Applebee's started it and everyone else went, 'Ooh. That's a great idea.'"

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/wsu-chl102511.php

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Capcom NYCC Gaming: Guy Peeks at Street Fighter X Tekken and ...

GUY.com was on hand at New York Comic Con last week to cover the latest in entertainment and nerd culture. In between snapping shots of all the random cosplay we actually managed to score you some solid intel on the games, movies and superhero happenings you care about. Just don?t smell us, it was really hot in that convention hall.

Gaming developer and publisher Capcom is known for doing some pretty specific things in the world of gaming ? but doing them exceptionally well. If fighting games like Street Fighter?put them on the map, franchises like Resident Evil or Devil May Cry made crater-shaped impacts in the realms of survival horror and action. Lobbing shoryuken combos or decapitating zombies your thing? Then you?ve probably played a few of their games in your day. Few companies in the gaming world can lay claim to Capcom?s brand recognition.

Which is why I was so excited to catch up with some Capcom representatives when I was in New York a week ago. Judging from what they brought to the con, they?re putting together a solid slate for their diehard fans in the coming months. And the best part? There seems to be a little something for everybody:

Street Fighter X Tekken

(PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS Vita, MS Windows)

What We Saw:?Let?s get something out of the way first, the X in the title stands for Cross ? signifying the major throwdown that?s about to happen between what are arguably gaming?s two most heralded fighting franchises.

Ryu and Kazuya face off in the battle no gamer thought they'd ever see.

This was the game I was most interested in seeing going into con. The fact that Namco is allowing Capcom and producer Yoshinori Ono free reign over their cast of fighters is a very cool concept, and one we don?t have enough of in gaming. Namco?s not sitting this out entirely, though. They?re getting their turn when Tekken X Street Fighter launches on an as-yet-unannounced date.

I was lucky enough to score some play time with the game and I?ll say this: it 100% plays like a Street Fighter game that happens to include Tekken characters. That?s not a bad thing at all, considering that Street Fighter IV is one of the greatest fighters of all time. Picking up a controller and playing will feel like putting on the same old comfortable driving gloves for fighting fans.

Like IV, it runs on a steady 60 frames per second but I saw a noticeable graphical improvement over its predecessors. It?s still a 2D fighter, but the environments and combos are much flashier. I was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of a Ken Ultra Combo that looked incredibly stunning. The ink paint splotches from IV?seem to be gone and replaced by a fiercely bright, richly-colorful graphical assault. In surmise: the combos look better than ever ? but good luck landing them when you?re being hamfisted by Tekken?s?Paul and Nina.

One thing I found mildly disappointing is SFXT?s firm status as a tag-only game. There?s nothing wrong with tag fighters per se, but it?d be nice if gamers had the option between tag or one-on-one. Nevertheless, the game?s tag element already feels finely-calibrated and balanced.

It's Capcom's trademark weirdness up against Namco's... trademark weirdness!

The game plays like a Street Fighter fan?s dream and it was quite a trip watching Ryu of Street Fighter in combat with Kazuya of Tekken. By the time it hits US streets on March 6, 2012 the game?s going to boast a roster of over thirty fighters. That roster isn?t finalized, but the game I played felt like it could be sold tomorrow. That?s a great sign when you factor in the amount of fine-tuning and calibration a good fighting game requires.

Final Impressions:?This is a must-have for fans of either franchise. I?m really looking forward to sitting down and playing it again. Kudos to both Capcom and Namco for taking a bold chance and putting these characters together on screen. The first entry in this two-part experience looks to be a winner. Is it March yet?

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

(PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, MS Windows)

What We Saw:?Now here?s a curious title. A third-person shooter in the RE universe set during the events of both Resident Evil 2 and it?s followup Nemesis. We weren?t allowed to play the game but I did get to watch a tech demo with a rather large crowd.

If there were any concerns that this game wouldn't be violent: Exhibit A.

The game?s definitely a departure for the series, but so far I like what I see. I was told the controls play similarly to RE5. While I had some issues with that game I thought the controls were an improvement over prior entries. This is a decidedly more action-oriented offering for the series with a bent towards online multiplayer. The player can control one of six Umbrella operatives as their narrative weaves in and around the T-Virus outbreak of the second and third games in the series.

Think Swat Team and you?re pretty close to what these guys look like. The neat part is that every character serves their own distinct purpose, so it?ll take some playing time before your completely familiarized with this team. One character is adept at recon, while another is a weapons expert, another?s a sharpshooter, ect. There?s also a medic who can hang around and heal teammates. These aren?t roles earth-shattering to most gamers familiar with multiplayer FPS like Battlefield. But applied to the Resident Evil setting allows for a heightened dynamic of survival.

And yes, diehard fans will be satisfied as well. In the demo I witnessed, both Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy were heavily featured. They don?t appear to be playable characters but the fact that they?re there may provide a unique perspective to the T-Virus Outbreak.

It's good to see zombies in a Resident Evil game once again.

Final Impressions:?Supposedly coming out in Q4 2011, it was hard to get a read on how the dynamic plays out during gameplay. There?s definitely a lot about the game that piques my interest. The team dynamic seems like a good fit for the franchise. I also like that each member serves a distinctive role. That, coupled with the third-person perspective should be more than enough to set it apart from the Left 4 Dead comparisons. Visually, the game is stunning and it looks to offer up bountiful amounts of?RE?s trademark gore, be it headshots or decapitation. It?s safe to take a cautiously optimistic approach with this one for time being.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

(PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS Vita)

What We Saw:?Blame the tsunami. If not for Japan?s horrendous natural disaster, a lot of what you see in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 would have simply been downloadable content for the original game. But with the development schedule upset, Capcom decided to regroup and release Ultimate as the upgraded, discounted successor to the original. It might be too soon for some, but Capcom?s betting an updated roster, improved features and a $39.99 price point will go a long way in soothing the ire of ?jilted?gamers.

Aside from the new characters like Ghost Rider or Phoenix Wright (yes, the Ace Attorney himself), the games feels more like a firm retweaking as opposed to a sequel. If you?re a fan of the series, that isn?t a bad thing at all. The three-dimensional character models look fantastic in front of their trademark 2D backdrops. And I liked the subtle improvements like a redesigned HUD, reimagined animations, character assists (summon a special move from one of your tag partners in a pinch) and updated X-Factor and hyper combo mechanics (now subject to damage scaling).

How you build your tag team is more important than ever in UMVC3.

Final Impressions:?It?s a noticeable improvement and if you don?t already own the original then there?s no better time to jump in. They hyper-kinetic fighting and dynamic visuals are made all the better with these improvements. When MVC3 was first released, I decided to wait it out for the Ultimate edition. Now, having finally played it, I?m glad I did. Looking forward to this one, which drops on November 15, 2011.

A beacon of hope amidst sweaty cosplayers and half-eaten, discarded pretzels.

Leaving Con, I couldn?t stop thinking about what a rush it was playing Street Fighter x Tekken. It plays exactly like it should: as the worthy successor to Street Fighter IV.

I?m very intrigued with what Operation Raccoon City will play like when it?s unleashed upon the world. Resident Evil 2?still being my favorite game in the franchise, I?m more than happy for another chance to revisit the characters and events from that world. Finally, while Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom?may have stirred some controversy when it was initially announced, it plays like a dream and offers a vast improvement for fans that found the original lacking. If fighters and squad-based survival horror are how you like to get your rocks off, Capcom?s got you covered for the?foreseeable?future.

Source: http://guy.com/2011/10/24/capcom-nycc-gaming-guy-peeks-at-street-fighter-x-tekken-and-more/

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