BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Rivals say Google could reinforce its dominance unless EU regulators win more concessions from the Internet search giant over accusations it restricts consumer choice and competition.
Google last month offered to mark out its services from rival products in Internet search results and provide links to at least three competing search engines to end a 30-month investigation by the European Commission.
It said specialized websites will be able to opt out from the use of all their content in Google's own specialized search services and prevent the company from using specific information such as addresses and opening hours.
The EU antitrust watchdog said it would assess feedback from Google's rivals during a one-month test which started on April 26 before deciding whether to accept the company's proposal.
British price comparison site and Google complainant Foundem said its initial analysis showed that the offer failed to address the concerns raised by more than a dozen rivals.
"The proposed changes would make things considerably worse," the company said in a statement.
"Many of the proposals seek to legitimize its existing abusive practices, while others seek to secure permission for further abuses that Google might otherwise have been understandably nervous about introducing," it said.
German online mapping service Hotmaps was equally critical.
"The suggestion to let rivals bid and pay for special 'rival links' is unacceptable. If Google has anti-competitively harmed rivals by demotion and self-preferencing, it needs to remedy the damage done and not be paid to do so," said Hotmaps CEO Michael Weber.
Google spokesman Al Verney said the company continues to work co-operatively with the Commission.
The stakes are high for Google as a fine for breaching EU rules could cost it as much as $5 billion or 10 percent of its global turnover.
Reversing paralysis with a restorative gelPublic release date: 13-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: George Hunka ghunka@aftau.org 212-742-9070 American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University researchers develop implant to regenerate nerves
Some parts of the body, like the liver, can regenerate themselves after damage. But others, such as our nervous system, are considered either irreparable or slow to recover, leaving thousands with a lifetime of pain, limited mobility, or even paralysis.
Now a team of Tel Aviv University researchers, including Dr. Shimon Rochkind of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Prof. Zvi Nevo of TAU's Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry have invented a method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves. Through a biodegradable implant in combination with a newly-developed Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) that increases nerve growth and healing, the functionality of a torn or damaged nerve could ultimately be restored.
This innovative project is now gaining international recognition. Its initial successes were reported recently at several renowned scientific congresses, including the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the European Neurological Society. And the therapy, already tested in animal models, is only a few years away from clinical use, says Dr. Rochkind.
Like healing in the womb
A nerve is like an electrical cable. When severed or otherwise damaged, power can no longer be transferred and the cable loses its functionality. Similarly, a damaged nerve loses the ability to transfer signals for movement and feeling through the nervous system.
But Dr. Rochkind and Prof. Nevo found a way to breach the gap. In their method, two severed ends of a damaged nerve are reconnected by implanting a soft, biodegradable tube, which serves as a bridge to help the nerve ends connect. The innovative gel which lines the inside of the tube nurtures nerve fibers' growth, encouraging the nerve to reconnect the severed ends through the tube, even in cases with massive nerve damage, Dr. Rochkind says.
The key lies in the composition of the gel, the researchers say, which has three main components: anti-oxidants, which exhibit high anti-inflammatory activities; synthetic laminin peptides, which act as a railway or track for the nerve fibers to grow along; and hyaluronic acid, commonly found in the human fetus, which serves as a buffer against drying, a major danger for most implants. These components allow the nerve to heal the way a fetus does in the womb quickly and smoothly.
Keeping cells safe for transplant
The implant has already been tested in animal models, and the gel by itself can be used as a stand-alone product, acting as an aid to cell therapy. GRG is not only able to preserve cells, it can support their survival while being used for therapy and transplantation, says Dr. Rochkind. When grown in the gel, cells show excellent development, as well as intensive fiber growth. This could have implications for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's, for which researchers are actively exploring cell therapy as a potential solution.
###
American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.
Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.
[ | 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.
Reversing paralysis with a restorative gelPublic release date: 13-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: George Hunka ghunka@aftau.org 212-742-9070 American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University researchers develop implant to regenerate nerves
Some parts of the body, like the liver, can regenerate themselves after damage. But others, such as our nervous system, are considered either irreparable or slow to recover, leaving thousands with a lifetime of pain, limited mobility, or even paralysis.
Now a team of Tel Aviv University researchers, including Dr. Shimon Rochkind of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Prof. Zvi Nevo of TAU's Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry have invented a method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves. Through a biodegradable implant in combination with a newly-developed Guiding Regeneration Gel (GRG) that increases nerve growth and healing, the functionality of a torn or damaged nerve could ultimately be restored.
This innovative project is now gaining international recognition. Its initial successes were reported recently at several renowned scientific congresses, including the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the European Neurological Society. And the therapy, already tested in animal models, is only a few years away from clinical use, says Dr. Rochkind.
Like healing in the womb
A nerve is like an electrical cable. When severed or otherwise damaged, power can no longer be transferred and the cable loses its functionality. Similarly, a damaged nerve loses the ability to transfer signals for movement and feeling through the nervous system.
But Dr. Rochkind and Prof. Nevo found a way to breach the gap. In their method, two severed ends of a damaged nerve are reconnected by implanting a soft, biodegradable tube, which serves as a bridge to help the nerve ends connect. The innovative gel which lines the inside of the tube nurtures nerve fibers' growth, encouraging the nerve to reconnect the severed ends through the tube, even in cases with massive nerve damage, Dr. Rochkind says.
The key lies in the composition of the gel, the researchers say, which has three main components: anti-oxidants, which exhibit high anti-inflammatory activities; synthetic laminin peptides, which act as a railway or track for the nerve fibers to grow along; and hyaluronic acid, commonly found in the human fetus, which serves as a buffer against drying, a major danger for most implants. These components allow the nerve to heal the way a fetus does in the womb quickly and smoothly.
Keeping cells safe for transplant
The implant has already been tested in animal models, and the gel by itself can be used as a stand-alone product, acting as an aid to cell therapy. GRG is not only able to preserve cells, it can support their survival while being used for therapy and transplantation, says Dr. Rochkind. When grown in the gel, cells show excellent development, as well as intensive fiber growth. This could have implications for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's, for which researchers are actively exploring cell therapy as a potential solution.
###
American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.
Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.
[ | 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.
We've seen a fewinterestingapps built specifically for Google's new headset but, to our knowledge MedRef for Glass is the first that recognize people's faces. The basic functions aren't anything terribly ground breaking: you can create and search patient files, and even add voice or photo notes. What makes Lance Nanek's creation unique is its support for facial recognition. A user can snap a picture of a subject and upload it to the cloud, where it will search patient records for a match using the Betaface API. All of this can be done, relatively hands-free leaving a doctors well-trained mitts available to perform other necessary medical duties. There's still a lot of work to do, and Nanek hopes that with more powerful hardware the facial recognition feature could be left running constantly, removing the need to snap and upload photos. In the meantime, if you're one of the lucky few to have an Explorer edition of Google Glass you can install the package at the source link. Otherwise, you'll have to make do with the demo video after the break.
Posted without comment because it really doesn't need a comment. I mean, it's the new Arrested Development trailer -- just watch it and count down the days until the Bluth family returns to Netflix?on May 26.
Photos and article by Sheronda Gipson, contributor
Ah! Spring in Atlanta. At first only noticed by the schizophrenic weather, pollen covered cars and wheezing and sneezing of allergy sufferers. But through watery eyes and sniffling noses there is a beacon of light called the Atlanta Dogwood Festival.
Walter Rich founded the first Atlanta Dogwood festival in 1936. Even though the festival took a brief hiatus from 1941-1964 during World War II and then a temporary venue change in 2008, the Atlanta Dogwood festival is the most popular and the city?s best indicator that Spring has arrived. The renowned Artist?s Market features artist?s works of varying mediums from across the country.
Makaela Davis, first-year animation and graphic design student, not only attended the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, she has been a part of it in several ways. ?I have a part-time job there regularly,? Davis says.
When asked if this was her first time at the festival, Davis replied, ?Last year I won second place in their annual high school exhibition/contest, so I spent more time actually enjoying the festival then. They?re really supportive of young artists. It was a statewide contest, and everyone in it was really encouraged by the event.?
?There are plenty of awesome events for the less artistically inclined individuals to enjoy too. They have carnival rides, fair food, dog show and live music. It?s like a huge fair even if you don?t visit a single one of the hundreds of art stands that line the sidewalk,? Davis says.
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has a well rounded crowded with rides and games for children of all ages, live bands and the Disc Dog Southern National Tournament that was a huge hit this year. ?The dog disc contest was my favorite,? says Hally Joseph, first-year M.F.A writing student.
Sybil Vaughn, who has attended the Atlanta Dogwood Festival every year for the last ten years, ?says ?This year the art looked about the same, the vendors, the same, but there was one thing that stood out?more food stations and trucks. There were more food trucks and vendors, selling everything from fried oysters, BBQ pork sandwiches, gigantic turkey legs, grilled brussel sprouts and sweet funnel cakes laden with powdered sugar, to draft beer, homemade lemonade and $8 margaritas.?
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival is held every year at Piedmont Park. For more information, visit http://www.dogwood.org
(Reuters) - U.S. broadcast networks head into their biggest ad-selling season this week, competing with streaming services like Netflix, battling online players for ad dollars, and fending off hits starring zombies and duck hunters on cable.
The increased competition will force ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC to settle for their lowest average rate hikes in three years during the "upfront" selling season, Wall Street analysts say.
During the upfronts, networks preview shows for their fall schedules, trying to persuade advertisers to buy billions of dollars worth of commercial time in advance.
The broadcasters still command premium ad prices because they reach an audience that is far bigger than the viewership of any single cable channel. Upfront rates likely will rise by 6 percent on average, as the broadcasters book about $9 billion worth of ad inventory during the upfronts, Barclays Capital estimates.
While 6 percent is well ahead of the 1.3 percent annual inflation rate, it is lower than the rich gains networks enjoyed in recent years. Upfront ad rates increased by 7.5 percent last year, and by 11.1 percent the previous year.
"For the networks, they probably feel very challenged that they have more competitors and are facing lower ratings," said Mark Fratrik, chief economist at media research firm BIA/Kelsey.
"Advertisers have many more places to go to, so broadcasters are probably a little reticent of trying to push stronger (rates), even with this stronger economy," Fratrik added.
Viewers' biggest distraction is cable TV, which is churning out more hits that lure eyeballs from the Big Four. AMC's zombie thriller "The Walking Dead" and the A&E reality show "Duck Dynasty" haul in broadcast-sized audiences. "Walking Dead" averaged 10.7 million viewers this season, more than all but the top 12 shows on broadcast TV.
Online video players such as Hulu and Google Inc's YouTube are jockeying for ad dollars, and viewing hours are growing on Netflix, the streaming service that is making a big push into original programming with shows like political thriller "House of Cards."
Plus, networks don't yet get full credit in Nielsen ratings for the viewers who catch their favorite shows online.
So far this season, combined prime-time ratings on the four broadcasters declined 7.5 percent, the biggest year-over-year decline in six years, according to Nielsen data provided by Horizon Media and based on live viewing and those who record and watch the show the same day.
ADVERTISERS PUSH FOR LOWER RATES
Advertisers intend to use the reduced numbers of eyeballs to push for lower rate increases in the annual scrum. Network executives have countered in recent years that they still deliver the largest numbers of viewers at any one time.
Broadcasters also are home to the biggest sporting events, which draw premium ad dollars because viewers tend to watch them live without skipping commercials.
CBS, the ratings leader in total viewers, is projected to score the largest uptick, 6.5 percent, Barclays forecast, followed by ABC with 6 percent, Fox with 5.5 percent, and NBC with 5 percent.
"I am extremely bullish about the upfront marketplace," CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said on a May 1 conference call.
Moonves' network leads in the advertiser-coveted 18- to 49-year-old age group, lifted by February's Super Bowl broadcast. Without the Super Bowl, CBS' same-day ratings for total viewers fell 5.7 percent.
Fox's audience plunged 16.7 percent this season, pulled down by the dwindling audience for the once-unbeatable singing competition "American Idol."
NBC, in the ratings basement for years, gained ground in the fall but faltered in the new year when its popular singing competition "The Voice" went on hiatus. Its season-to-date ratings are about flat. ABC's audience declined 9 percent.
COULD BE WORSE
Despite these challenges, a 6 percent rate hike still represents a healthy gain, analysts say, showing that demand for ad time on broadcast TV remains the preferred platform for advertisers to reach a large audience.
"Despite some of the chatter out there, TV advertising is holding up really well," Morningstar analyst Michael Corty said.
And if the networks do not like the rates they are seeing during the upfront season, they can hold back inventory and sell it later on the last-minute "scatter" market.
To better compete with the one-hour cable hits such as the "Homeland" security thriller and the "Game of Thrones" fantasy series, the networks are offering their own dramatic fare, hoping to get viewers to tune in every week to catch the latest twist in a running story.
Fox has already picked up legal drama "Rake" starring Emmy winner Greg Kinnear, and NBC has ordered supernatural drama "Believe" from "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams.
Among the other upcoming new shows, ABC has a drama based on S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel comics intelligence agency, and produced by "Avengers" movie director Joss Whedon.
"Everyone is still looking for that next drama," said Darcy Bowe, director at media agency Starcom USA. "It's still sort of the gold standard by which prime time television is upheld."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Edited by Ronald Grover and Tim Dobbyn)
Ah, Mother's Day. Have your flowers? A card? Dinner reservations? Well, if you'd been brought up by some of TV's best mother figures, you'd be all prepared for Sunday.
On the other hand, there are some TV mamas out there who never got the memo on raising kids right. According to a recent Harris Poll, June Cleaver (of "Leave it to Beaver") may remain the iconic image of television motherhood -- she's topped their list for the second year in a row, followed by "The Cosby Show's" Clair Huxtable and "The Brady Bunch's" Carol Brady -- but we came up with our own list of favorites. Plus a few whose methods leave much to be desired.
Enjoy, and call your mother!
The Best
Clair Huxtable, 'The Cosby Show'
She hasn't been on TV for 20 years, but her shoulder-padded, 1980s-jumpsuit-rocking self remains the mom who tops all moms, the queen who will never be dethroned. She was beautiful, yes, and had an angel?s voice (just watch her sing solo in the ?Hillman? episode). She was smart -- though we didn?t see as much of Clair?s lawyering as we did Cliff?s baby-delivering -- and she could take down Theo?s junior-high bluster with the same devastating debate tactics you imagine she used in the courtroom. She loved her kids like a lioness, but was never afraid to tell them when they were being idiots. And that went for their significant others, too -- Sondra?s bozo boyfriend-eventual-husband Elvin learned quickly never to make assumptions around his soon-to-be mother-in-law, as in a classic clip where Clair explained the give-and-take of marriage while at the same time blasting his anti-feminist attitudes. Do not mess with Queen Clair. -- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Roseanne Conner, 'Roseanne'
With her loud mouth, blue-collar clothing and no-nonsense attitude, Roseanne Conner was certainly no June Cleaver. Yet like the idyllic TV moms that came before her, Roseanne was attentive, caring and would do anything necessary to take care of her family, whether that meant taking a mind-numbing job at a plastics factory or wearing a ridiculous waitress outfit to serve burgers at the mall. She gave everything she had to her family, including the occasional snide remark or snarky comment, and made sure they knew they were loved, as in the "Mall Story" episode, episode where she explained to Becky that they couldn't afford an expensive dress for her to wear to the dance ... and then got Dan to return a pair of shoes he spent the day shopping for so that ultimately they could pony up for Becky's special night. -- Ashley Majeski
Tami Taylor, 'Friday Night Lights'
Tami made all women look bad because she was so gosh-darned perfect. As the loyal, loving wife of a high school football coach, Tami was the heart and soul of her household and a generous mother who always put her two daughters first -- and backed them all the way. When she took daughter Julie to visit Boston College and Julie snapped that it was Tami's dream, not her own, Tami reminded her that her dream already came through because she had her family. Beautiful, sexy, witty and always present, Tami is the one Taylor the household never could do without. -- Maria Elena Fernandez
Kristina Braverman, 'Parenthood'
Kristina Braverman's valiant fight against cancer this season only served to show what an amazing mother she is. Despite rigorous chemotherapy treatments and a life-or-death struggle in the hospital, Kristina made sure her eldest daughter was worry-free at college, her autistic son got some undevoted attention, and her baby girl got plenty of cuddle time. Kristina is the epitome of a selfless mother who loves unconditionally. -- MEF
Alicia Florrick, 'The Good Wife'
Despite the show's name, "The Good Wife" is also about a good mom in Alicia Florrick, who has proved to be a terrific role model for her two teenaged children. After being cheated on, she dusted off her law degree, got a job and in a matter of years was made partner at her firm. But beyond that, she's a mom who actually listens to her kids and treats them -- however hesitantly -- like the adults they're slowly becoming. When her daughter Grace develops an interest in religion, she's not thrilled but keeps a watchful eye to ensure it doesn't turn into a cultlike devotion, and when her son Zach stands up to a corrupt police officer she's there to back him all the way into court. -- Randee Dawn
The Not-So-Good
Gemma Teller Morrow, 'Sons of Anarchy'
Oh sure, Gemma may have killed Jax's dad, but she had her reasons. (At least, better reasons than Queen Gertrude in "Hamlet," on which "Sons" is loosely based.) Jax wouldn't be president of SAMCRO without its matriarch's help, and her mama grizzly protectiveness extends to her grandsons. Her methods may be unorthodox (like forcing Jax's baby mama to attempt suicide), but no one can question her fierce devotion to her family. -- Dru Moorhouse
Betty Francis, 'Mad Men'
Let's be real: Betty Draper Francis will never win the Mother-of-the-Year Award. That was established early in season one, when she expressed more concern about her clothes than her daughter potentially suffocating in a dry cleaning bag. She's selfish, childlike and connects more deeply with other children (like the creepy Glen) than her own. However, as January Jones told TODAY before the start of season six, Betty and Sally shared a "very sweet" moment last season, "when Sally got her period and she went to her mother. You see that they do have a connection -- it's just a work in progress." -- DM
Sarah Linden, 'The Killing'
AMC
Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) from "The Killing."
Clap. Clap. Clap. Linden, you are unofficially the the worst mother currently on scripted TV. For this obsessed detective, the job always came first, and she routinely handed off her son to anyone who would have him. As a single mom she always ensured Jack had some kind of shelter (even if it's a shabby hotel) and food (even if it came out of a snack machine). Fortunately (for Jack's sake), her routine neglect -- including abandoning the 13-year-old alone at a motel with a 103-degree fever -- will apparently find her losing custody in the upcoming third season. -- DM
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Public release date: 13-May-2013
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Posted without comment because it really doesn't need a comment. I mean, it's the new Arrested Development trailer -- just watch it and count down the days until the Bluth family returns to Netflix?
Walter Rich founded the first Atlanta Dogwood festival in 1936. Even though the festival took a brief hiatus from 1941-1964 during World War II and then a temporary venue change in 2008, the Atlanta Dogwood festival is the most popular and the city?s best indicator that Spring has arrived. The renowned Artist?s Market features artist?s works of varying mediums from across the country.
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has a well rounded crowded with rides and games for children of all ages, live bands and the Disc Dog Southern National Tournament that was a huge hit this year. ?The dog disc contest was my favorite,? says Hally Joseph, first-year M.F.A writing student.
