Natural Setting and Tech Break Boost Creativity

Robert Frost famously wrote: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep."
But such natural settings may offer more than just beauty. They might also foster creativity. A recent study suggests that a backpacking trip can substantially increase just how inventive your brain can be. The finding is in the journal PLoS ONE. [Ruth Ann Atchley, David L. Strayer and Paul Atchley, Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings]
Researchers sent 56 subjects out on four-to-six day wilderness hiking trips without access to electronic devices—no cell phones, no iPads, no game boys, nothing.
Upon their return, the hikers took tests designed to measure creativity. A control group that hadn't been in the woods scored a 4.14 out of 10 on the test. But the woods wanderers scored a 6.08.
Previous studies have shown that down time in general makes people more creative. The researchers thus say that this creativity boost is probably due to not just nature, but to taking a break from the stresses of work and technology.
So the next time you get stuck on a tough problem, or can't seem to concentrate—try a walk in the woods. It could help your creative promise.

Read More..

R.I.P.: 10 Products That Were Discontinued in 2012

1. Apple White MacBook
Although actually discontinued in 2011, 2012 was the year the white MacBook got the official "End of Life" status. Popular with students, the white MacBook had been the budget option for Apple users since 2006. Image courtesy of Apple
Click here to view this gallery.
[More from Mashable: 2012′s Biggest Winners and Losers]
This year, quite a few products disappeared from the market, as technology inevitably marches on. Whether they got pulled for being faulty or just weren't commercially successful, these 10 examples have virtually expired.
SEE ALSO: 10 iPad Wallpapers Full of Winter Cheer
[More from Mashable: 10 Hot PC Game Bargains for the Holidays]
Take a look through the gallery, above, for the 10 products we've chosen to highlight. Share in the comments, below, any other gadgetry you've noted that has been removed from shop shelves in the last 12 months.

Read More..

Top Comments: Mashable Readers React to Instagram's Terms of Service

Readers had varying reactions to Instagram's updates. Some felt that they were fair: If you don't like the terms of service, argued some users, you have the option not to use the service. Others were far more outraged.
Click here to view this gallery.
[More from Mashable: Why xkcd Is Wrong About Instagram]
This week, the top comments on Mashable brought into focus both the state of the world around us and the constantly changing nature of our virtual lives. Our readers launched into debate when Instagram appeared to be making drastic changes to its privacy policy. Based on the wording of Instagram's new Terms of Service, photographers worried that they may no longer own the rights to their own work, and that their photos could be used in advertising. As Mashable's Chris Taylor put it, the TOS as they stood early this week basically "signed your life away."
Over the course of the week, we saw new privacy settings for Instagram users revealed, officially commented upon (while remaining unchanged) and then finally rescinded and apologized for.
[More from Mashable: Instagram Updates Its Terms of Service Based on User Feedback]
The Instagram controversy proved that users are, in fact, paying attention to the often glossed-over Terms of Service established by their favorite apps, and that a company's response to public outcry has the potential to make or break their service.
Mashable's senior tech analyst, Christina Warren, compared Instagram's actions to Netflix's in the summer of 2011. Outraged users proved they weren't bluffing about abandoning Instagram: Celebrities and power users threatened to quit the network, and downloads of rival apps such as Flickr and Aviary soared in the days surrounding the controversy. What was your take on this week's events, involving photo-sharing and users' right to ownership?
Even more commented upon, though less debated, were two Mashable stories that examined social media backlash in the wake of a tragedy. In the days following the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, we found ourselves contemplating, both online and off, the horrific nature of the event. Unsurprisingly, the two most-commented-upon stories this week both centered on Sandy Hook's impact on the social web. Our commenters sounded off on the offensive tweets sent during Obama's Newtown speech, as well as on the viral post, "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother."
Other stories our commenters flocked to this week included a viral video of a golden eagle snatching a baby (later proved to be a hoax), the hacking of the Westboro Baptist Church by hacktivist group Anonymous and the appalling revelation that Facebook's interns make more money than all of us. We also prepared for the end of the world as brought forth by the Mayan Apocalypse -- which never did happen.

Read More..

Russian parliament wants winter time restored

MOSCOW (AP) — On the darkest day of the year, Russia's parliament is pleading with the government for a little more light.
The Duma on Friday formally asked Speaker Sergei Naryshkin to query the government about abandoning year-round daylight-savings time.
The 2011 decision by then-President Dmitry Medvedev to keep Russian clocks set as if the country enjoyed perpetual summer was one of the least popular but probably most memorable moves of his bland four years in office.
It means that in the depths of winter in Moscow, the sun comes up just before 10 a.m. and departs at 5 p.m.
"You get up and lie down in complete darkness, you go to work in darkness," the state news agency RIA Novosti quoted parliament member and former cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya as saying.

Read More..

Cold weather kills 61 people in Poland since Oct.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Police in Poland have appealed to residents to dress warmly and look out for elderly and homeless people, after saying that 61 people have died of the cold weather since October.
Another 41 have been killed by carbon monoxide inhalation from coal or other ways of heating their homes since temperatures started falling.
The Interior Ministry said Friday the death toll from sub-freezing temperatures that set in in December was 49 people so far, compared to 19 in the whole of December last year. Another 15 people died of cold in October and five in November.
In most cases the victims are homeless people, or people under the influence of alcohol that fell asleep outside.
Sub-freezing temperatures and snow are usual winter conditions in Poland.

Read More..

French leader honors troops home from Afghanistan

PARIS (AP) — President Francois Hollande on Friday declared "mission accomplished" for French combat troops in Afghanistan, hailing their 11-year military commitment even as the fight goes on for France's NATO allies.
After his election in May, Hollande announced a fast-track pullout of French combat troops from NATO's mission in Afghanistan by year-end — a goal now achieved. Increasingly, France has turned its focus to helping rebuild civilian sector institutions and foster diplomatic initiatives, including hosting a secretive meeting of rival Afghan factions north of Paris as the president spoke.
The Socialist leader has argued that France has done its part in Afghanistan and achieved its goals, and reiterated that theme as he hosted at the presidential palace dozens of soldiers who recently returned home.
"I say to you all: 'mission accomplished.' I also say to you: 'exemplary action'. I say to you: 'congratulations,'" he told them.
U.S. President George W. Bush infamously used the term "mission accomplished" in 2003 after U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein in Iraq, though some of the worst bloodshed in that war was yet to come and U.S. troops remained in Iraq for 8 1/2 more years.
While Hollande was speaking to French troops, NATO forces overall are still very much engaged in combat against the Taliban and other insurgents fighting Afghanistan's government.
France, which has lost 88 soldiers in Afghanistan, still has 1,500 troops there who are repatriating equipment or working in roles like providing medical care or helping operate Kabul's airport. Hollande said the numbers will decline to 500 by mid-2013. France had a peak deployment of some 4,000 troops in Afghanistan under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"There are no more French combat troops in Afghanistan — this is an important moment for you, for our country, and for Afghanistan," Hollande said. "We have now a part to play, but a different one." He said France's financial contribution will reach €300 million ($396 million), to help Afghanistan transition from war to peace in the coming years.
Meanwhile, in the town of Chantilly about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Paris, representatives of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami Islamic militant groups, as well as the political opposition, were meeting for a second straight day. They are discussing their country's long-term future — well beyond 2014, when the majority of NATO forces, including those of the United States, are set to leave.
Hosted by a French think tank in the presence of some French officials, the 20-odd delegates have been discussing since Thursday three topics to better understand each other's positions: The political balance in Afghanistan into 2020, the nature of Afghan sovereignty and the necessary parameters for long-lasting peace, according to Mahmoud Saikal, a high-level member of opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah's party.
"I doubt there will be a definite resolution of any kind emerging from this gathering," Saikal said. "It will definitely help building up confidence between the armed opposition forces of this country and the political opposition groups."
"The sheer fact that we do have a couple representatives of the Taliban is an achievement," he said.
Among the most significant delegates was Shahabudin Delwar, who served as Afghanistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under the Taliban regime that was ousted by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. French hosts declined to specify the guest list, or provide access to the participants to journalists during the closed-door meeting. Police blocked off access to the luxury hotel where the Afghans were meeting.

Read More..

Russian parliament passes anti-US adoption measure

MOSCOW (AP) — The lower house of the Russian parliament on Friday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban adoption of Russian children by Americans, sending the controversial legislation a step closer to President Vladimir Putin's desk.
Putin hasn't said whether he will sign the measure into law if it passes its next stage of being approved by the upper house.
Some top government officials including the foreign minister and the education minister have spoken flatly against the bill, one part of a larger measure by angry lawmakers retaliating against a recently signed U.S. law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators.
It nonetheless received strong approval in Friday's third reading in the State Duma, passing by a vote of 420-7-1. The upper house, the Federation Council, is likely to consider the measure on Wednesday, vice-speaker Alexander Torshin was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
Torshin said there is "serious basis for supposing the draft bill will be supported by the Federation Council."
Originally the bill was more or less a tit-for-tat response, providing for travel sanctions and the seizure of financial assets in Russia of Americans determined to have violated the rights of Russians.
But it was expanded to include the adoption measure and call for the banning of any organizations that are engaged in political activities if they receive funding from U.S. citizens or are determined to be a threat to Russia's interests. In addition, it calls for anyone with dual Russian-U.S. citizenship to be banned as members of political organizations.
The U.S. said the adoption law would needlessly stop hundreds of Russian children from finding families.
"The welfare of children is simply too important to be linked to other issues in our bilateral relationship," U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul said in a statement.
The bill is a dramatic demonstration of two strains of animosity toward the United States. The Russian political establishment resents the United States for allegedly meddling in the country's internal affairs; Putin has charged that opposition protests over the past year were the work of U.S.-funded troublemakers. Many Russians are angered by cases of adopted children abused in America and by the alleged lenience of courts in these cases.
The Duma bill is named in honor of Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler who was adopted by Americans and then died in 2008 after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. The father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Anger over abuse peaked in 2010 when an American woman sent her 7-year-old adopted Russian son back to Moscow on a plane alone, saying he had emotional problems and she could no longer care for him.
Despite abuse cases, Russian critics of the bill say it would ultimately victimize orphans by depriving them of an opportunity to escape often-dismal Russian orphanages. There are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia, according to UNICEF. Russians historically have been less inclined to adopt children than in many other cultures.
More than 60,000 Russian children have been adopted in the United States in the past 20 years, McFaul said.
But Russia's children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov, one of the strongest critics of U.S. abuse cases, says the solution is for Russia to adopt a national program to improve orphans' prospects.
"It's necessary to strictly hold to the principle of priority for Russian adopters," he told Interfax after the Duma vote.

Read More..

UK doctor stripped of license over death of Iraqi

LONDON (AP) — A British doctor was stripped of his medical license Friday for misconduct and dishonesty over the death of an Iraqi man who was beaten and killed while in the custody of British troops.
The latest fallout from Britain's troubled occupation of Iraq came as defense officials confirmed they have paid 14 million pounds ($23 million) to settle claims of abuse from more than 200 Iraqis.
Dr. Derek Keilloh treated Baha Mousa, a hotel clerk who died at a British base after being detained in Basra in September 2003 during a sweep for insurgents. Keilloh, then a 28-year-old captain in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, tried unsuccessfully to revive Mousa, but denied knowledge of the scale of the man's injuries.
A public inquiry found that Mousa had sustained 93 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken nose, in an "appalling episode of serious gratuitous violence" by British troops.
Dr. Jim Rodger of the Medical and Dental Defense Union of Scotland — which supported Keilloh — said the doctor was "extremely disappointed" by the ruling and was considering what to do next. He has 28 days to submit an appeal.
Last week, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service ruled that Keilloh knew of the injuries and failed to adequately examine Mousa's body. It said he also failed to inform senior officers of what was going on and protect other detainees from further mistreatment.
The tribunal also ruled that Keilloh engaged in "misleading and dishonest conduct" by maintaining under oath that he had seen no injuries to Mousa's body.
On Friday, the tribunal said that even though Keilloh had not harmed Mousa — and had tried his best to save him in a "highly charged, chaotic, tense and stressful" situation — the doctor should be barred from practicing medicine for at least five years.
"The panel has identified serious breaches of good medical practice and, given the gravity and nature of the extent and context of your dishonesty, it considers that your misconduct is fundamentally incompatible with continued registration," said Dr. Brian Alderman, a member of the tribunal.
Baha Mousa's father, Daoud Mousa, said he wished the doctor had been banned for life.
"He did not have humanity in his heart when he was supposed to be caring for my son," Daoud Mousa said. "He did not do his job properly."
The death of Mousa and mistreatment of other detainees blighted Britain's six-year deployment in southern Iraq, which ended in 2009.
Britain's defense authorities eventually apologized for the mistreatment of Mousa and nine other Iraqis and paid a 3-million-pound ($4.9-million) settlement. Six soldiers were cleared of wrongdoing at a court martial, while another pleaded guilty and served a year in jail.
The defense ministry said Friday that Britain has paid 14 million pounds to settle 205 damages claims since 2008, including 162 this year. A further 196 claims are being negotiated.
It said most of the 120,000 British troops who served in Iraq "conducted themselves with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism."

Read More..

proAV captures slice of surging video wall market

As forecasts of a dramatic rise in the global video wall industry continue to be met, proAV has confirmed the pioneering multidisplay technology has dominated its sales in key vertical markets throughout 2012.

(PRWEB UK) 22 December 2012
As forecasts of a dramatic rise in the global video wall industry continue to be met, proAV has confirmed the pioneering multidisplay technology has dominated its sales in key vertical markets throughout 2012.
In a recent report, Futuresource Consulting suggested the international video wall market is likely to achieve a 60 per cent growth this year, predicting sales of some 380,000 units. Rear projection cubes (RPCs) and super narrow bezel (SNB) displays are already becoming commonplace in retail, public and exhibition environments as well taking centre stage in some of the world’s most dynamic corporate spaces. Indeed, according to Parmit Bhangal of Futuresource, SNBs achieved year-on-year sales growth of more than 100 per cent last year, accounting for over 80 per cent of the total video wall market; a trend that looks set to continue.
proAV is one of the world’s most exciting professional AV systems integrators and has noted a significant shift from single, very large screens to the cost effective, immersive user experience of multiple displays that serve as an expansive video display canvas, often in very diverse market sectors.
Mark Hazell, Sales Director at proAV, points to the versatility and future-proofed features of the high impact, ultra large format video wall as key factors in its rapid growth.
‘You only have to stand in front of a video wall to see why vertical markets are embracing this technology in all manner of applications,’ he explains. ‘Powerful digital signage systems are driving the growth of video walls that capture attention within retail and public spaces while corporates are wowing their business partners with futuristic presentation and reception areas that only a video wall can dominate to this extent.
‘But, of course, with versatility comes an appeal that other verticals are now pursuing with increasing zest; mission-critical environments such as transport and logistics, IT and command and control centres are looking to increasingly more dynamic displays to communicate news and induce a new level of collaboration. Add to this a suite of innovative features and it’s easy to see why enterprising organisations are deploying these tiled display solutions as part of ever more ambitious and interactive marketing strategies. Our clients are exploring the integrated touch technologies such as gesture and projective capacitive touch features that would be impossible to replicate on a smaller, traditional display screen.’
proAV has recently completed a number of high profile integrated AV projects where large video walls have been central to the scheme and highlight the benefits for deployments within the rapid growth areas, identified by Futuresource, i.e. retail and corporate sectors.
Burberry, the leading luxury fashion retailer, already entrusts its international AV solutions to proAV and recently commissioned the organisation to install a series of 9’ high Christie MicroTile arrays and a stunning 22’ high Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) video wall as part of groundbreaking AV scheme for its new, flagship store in London’s Regent Street. The vast wall sits between two sweeping staircases and is made up of hundreds of Prysm LPD tiles, each using a solid-state laser diode that emits a 405nm wavelength laser beam.
Taking the initiative within the corporate sector, JPMorgan Chase & Co, the global financial services organisation, tasked proAV with an integrated AV solution that features a spectacular 22 x 8 tile curved, digital display wall in its auditorium and is designed to immerse viewers in remarkable HD video and graphics.
And, commensurate with its forward-thinking corporate identify, Cisco Systems commissioned proAV to deliver one of the UK’s most inspired, large-scale digital video display wall to front a vast auditorium at its UK Virtual Events Center in Middlesex. The 24 x 5 tile Prysm video wall uses a bespoke tramline system that enables the wall to be divided into three separate displays when the room is configured into smaller rooms.
The Futuresource report suggests sales of video walls look set to reach close to a million units in 2015; proAV will certainly be playing an important role in the incredible rise of this remarkable technology. If you haven’t marvelled at, touched or engaged with a dynamic tiled display yet, it’s unlikely the experience is too far away.

Read More..

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and Day & Night Solar – Making History Together

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site continues to make history. It was the first NPS site in the Midwest Region to switch to buying wind and water power. Now it is making history again by installing solar power.

St Louis, MO (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
Nestled in South St. Louis County is the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. Ulysses S. Grant was known as the victorious Civil War general who saved the Union and became the 18th President of the United States. This National Park Service site and St. Louis landmark is home to rich beauty and history.
What few people may not know is that in 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation making Yellowstone America's first national park. This act put in motion the preservation and conservation of the National Parks Service (NPS) that continues today. There are nearly 400 National Park Service sites across America. The NPS strives to be a leader in conservation and green practices.
Keeping with that goal, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site decided to utilize solar energy for its Visitor Center to offset the power they were using. Melinda Kershaw, Director of Marketing for Day & Night Solar knew that she wanted Day & Night to be part of this rich local history and to work with such an iconic landmark.
Since opening its doors in early 2009, Day & Night Solar has responded to the rapid demand in the growing solar industry by expanding from its roots in Collinsville, Illinois to working with clients across the entire United States. Their rapid growth is a direct result of listening to their clients and meeting their customers’ needs by providing complete, turnkey, photovoltaic system solutions including financing, securing available grants, installation and superb follow up. The cornerstone of their business is based on integrity, from their highly trained installers and support staff, to the highest quality solar products and superior customer service.
Day & Night Solar was awarded the project. The solar system is now mounted on the roof of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site’s Visitor Center. The project was completed on October 12, 2012.
The new system is a 7.2kW Photovoltaic (PV) array consisting of (30) thirty 240W Lifeline Energy panels along with all associated hardware. All products utilized are 100% US manufactured and were installed by J.F. Electric on a standing-seam steel roof tying in new solar technology while preserving the historic integrity of this landmark.
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site continues to make history. It was the first NPS site in the Midwest Region to switch to buying wind and water power. Now it is making history again by installing solar power.

Read More..