Sony's 2012 earnings show a net profit of $458 million, its first since 2008

We've already heard from Sony about the positive effects some of its recent moves like the sales of several of its buildings are having on its finances, and now the company is revealing its detailed results for the last year. Sony has managed a net profit of 43 billion yen ($458 million) in 2012, its first in several years and a good sign after it projected such optimism in last year's results. The most anticipated news is what it projects for 2013, a year where CEO Kaz Hirai has promised better integration between its products and of course, the PlayStation 4. Sony's forecast projects sharply improved sales next year, however it expects the operating income to remain flat with a net profit of 50 billion yen ($506 million).

For the year, its TV sales were down 38 percent, reflecting the same drop in the market reported by competitors like Samsung and LG, as well as Sony's cutbacks to reduce its losses. In phones, the newly-consolidated Sony Mobile experienced an increase in sales thanks to the shift to smartphones, however the cost of its inclusion cause the division to lose money. Next year, it's anticipating sales of 42 million smartphones, up from 33 million. In the games division, Sony had a decrease in sales for the PS3, PSP and PS Vita of 12.2 percent from last year, although of course it's counting on the PS4 to turn that around. There aren't any numbers listed for next-gen, but it's expecting sales of PS3 hardware to drop to 10 million units from 16.5 million (including the PS2) the year before. We'll have to wait for the earnings call later this morning to hear more of the company's future projections, for now you can check the links below for the full details on its results.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Sony

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Source: Sony (PDF), Q4 2012 Slides

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RAR5mVxmWIA/

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Amanda Bynes Clothing Line: Actually Coming Soon?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/amanda-bynes-clothing-line-actually-coming-soon/

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Carbon dioxide at NOAA's Mauna Loa Observatory reaches new milestone: Tops 400 parts per million

May 10, 2013 ? On May 9, the daily mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since measurements began in 1958. Independent measurements made by both NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been approaching this level during the past week. It marks an important milestone because Mauna Loa, as the oldest continuous carbon dioxide (CO₂) measurement station in the world, is the primary global benchmark site for monitoring the increase of this potent heat-trapping gas.

Carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere by fossil fuel burning and other human activities is the most significant greenhouse gas (GHG) contributing to climate change. Its concentration has increased every year since scientists started making measurements on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano more than five decades ago. The rate of increase has accelerated since the measurements started, from about 0.7 ppm per year in the late 1950s to 2.1 ppm per year during the last 10 years.

"That increase is not a surprise to scientists," said NOAA senior scientist Pieter Tans, with the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo. "The evidence is conclusive that the strong growth of global CO₂ emissions from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas is driving the acceleration."

Before the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, global average CO₂ was about 280 ppm. During the last 800,000 years, CO₂ fluctuated between about 180 ppm during ice ages and 280 ppm during interglacial warm periods. Today's rate of increase is more than 100 times faster than the increase that occurred when the last ice age ended.

It was researcher Charles David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, who began measuring carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa in 1958, initiating now what is known as the "Keeling Curve." His son, Ralph Keeling, also a geochemist at Scripps, has continued the Scripps measurement record since his father's death in 2005.

"There's no stopping CO₂ from reaching 400 ppm," said Ralph Keeling. "That's now a done deal. But what happens from here on still matters to climate, and it's still under our control. It mainly comes down to how much we continue to rely on fossil fuels for energy."

NOAA scientists with the Global Monitoring Division have made around-the-clock measurements there since 1974. Having two programs independently measure the greenhouse gas provides confidence that the measurements are correct.

Moreover, similar increases of CO₂ are seen all over the world by many international scientists. NOAA, for example, which runs a global, cooperative air sampling network, reported last year that all Arctic sites in its network reached 400 ppm for the first time. These high values were a prelude to what is now being observed at Mauna Loa, a site in the subtropics, this year. Sites in the Southern Hemisphere will follow during the next few years. The increase in the Northern Hemisphere is always a little ahead of the Southern Hemisphere because most of the emissions driving the CO₂ increase take place in the north.

Once emitted, CO₂ added to the atmosphere and oceans remains for thousands of years. Thus, climate changes forced by CO₂ depend primarily on cumulative emissions, making it progressively more and more difficult to avoid further substantial climate change.

On the Web:

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/FkGwxZ57pjU/130510180610.htm

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Three brothers arrested: what's known so far about alleged Cleveland captors

Three brothers arrested ? Ariel, Pedro, and Onil Castro ? are accused of kidnapping and holding Amanda Berry and two other women captive for 10 years. Cleveland neighbors and family members are beginning to talk about the suspects.

By Allison Terry,?Correspondent / May 8, 2013

This undated combination photo released by the Cleveland Police Department shows from left, Onil Castro, Ariel Castro, and Pedro Casto.The three brothers were arrested Tuesday, after three women who disappeared in Cleveland a decade ago were found safe Monday. The brothers are accused of kidnapping and holding the three women captive for 10 years.

Cleveland Police Department/AP

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Authorities could file charges against three brothers accused of kidnapping and holding three women captive for 10 years as early as Wednesday morning, officials say.

Skip to next paragraph Allison Terry

Correspondent

Allison Terry works on national news desk for the Christian Science Monitor. She also contributes to the culture section and Global News blog.

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Suspects Ariel Castro, Pedro Castro, and Onil Castro were arrested Monday night after Amanda Berry escaped from a house owned by Ariel Castro and called 911. Police also found missing persons Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight in the house. The three women disappeared in separate incidents between 2002 and 2004, and all had been held captive in the Seymour Avenue house on the west side of Cleveland.

Cuyahoga County authorities have 48 hours after an arrest to file charges against the suspects, FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said Tuesday. Federal and local law-enforcement officials will interview the suspects Wednesday, she said.

Details about the three men have emerged as neighbors and family members ask how and why the women could have been held for so long.

"The [brothers] were all good kids," Nelson Roman, a lifelong friend of them, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer Tuesday. "That's why this news is devastating. It's not only horrifying to the families of the kidnapped girls, it's devastating to us, because these brothers were all very good kids who grew up in a very good family. I was shocked to see their pictures on television involved in kidnapping. We've stayed friends over the years and had no idea they were keeping girls hostage."

The Castro family was among the first Puerto Rican immigrants to settle in Cleveland after World War II. The brothers grew up in a family of nine children, and their father owned a car lot in the West 25th Street neighborhood, Adrian Maldonado, who owns a construction consulting company in the area, told The Plain Dealer.

Pedro Castro, the oldest of the three brothers, was a straight-A student in high school, but dropped out his junior year because of a problem with alcohol, Mr. Roman said. Pedro worked a punch-press machine in a factory, but his drinking habits forced him to stop working. In recent years, he was receiving Social Security benefits, Roman said.

Onil Pedro, the youngest brother, also had a problem with drinking, Roman said. He made his living doing odd jobs as a handyman until he was injured while working as a laborer five years ago. Since then, he has been receiving workers' compensation, Roman said.

Middle brother Ariel Castro, who owned the house where the women were found, was known by most people in his neighborhood. He was a school bus driver for 22 years, but he was fired by the Cleveland School District last November after several incidents of ?bad judgment,? including leaving a child alone on the bus, making an illegal U-turn, and using the bus to go grocery shopping, according to records released Tuesday.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Olnr3cwcaIQ/Three-brothers-arrested-what-s-known-so-far-about-alleged-Cleveland-captors

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Allergic disease worsens respiratory symptoms and exacerbations in COPD

Public release date: 10-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nathaniel Dunford
ndunford@thoracic.org
American Thoracic Society

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who also have allergic disease have higher levels of respiratory symptoms and are at higher risk for COPD exacerbations, according to a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"Although allergic sensitization and allergen exposure are known to be associated with impairments in lung function, the effects of allergic disease on respiratory symptoms in COPD patients has only recently been studied," said researcher Nadia N. Hansel, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Asthma & Allergy Center. "Accordingly, we examined the effects of allergic disease on respiratory health in two sets of patients with COPD, one a nationally representative sample of 1,381 COPD patients from the National Health and Nutrition Survey III (NHANES III) and the other a cohort of 77 former smokers with COPD from a study of the effects of endotoxin exposure on health status."

"We found that COPD patients with an allergic phenotype had an increased risk of lower respiratory symptoms and respiratory exacerbations."

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In the NHANES III cohort, 296 COPD patients had an allergic phenotype, which was defined as self-reported doctor-diagnosed hay fever or allergic upper respiratory symptoms. These patients were significantly more likely to wheeze, have chronic cough, and have chronic phlegm and had a significantly increased risk of experiencing a COPD exacerbation that required an acute visit to the doctor.

In the second cohort of 77 COPD patients, the 23 patients with allergic sensitization (determined by immunoglobulin E testing) were significantly more likely to wheeze, to experience nighttime awakening due to cough, and to have COPD exacerbations requiring antibiotic treatment or an acute visit to the doctor.

"Our findings in two independent populations that allergic disease is associated with greater severity of COPD suggest that treatment of active allergic disease or avoidance of allergy triggers may help improve respiratory symptoms in these patients, although causality could not be determined in our cross-sectional study," said Dr. Hansel.

There were a few limitations to the study, including possible misclassification of COPD in some NHANES patients and the use of self-reported respiratory symptoms and COPD exacerbations.

"Current COPD guidelines do not address the management of allergic disease in COPD patients," Dr, Hansel said. "Additional studies of the relationship between allergic disease and COPD are clearly needed."

###

About the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine:

With an impact factor of 11.080, the AJRRCM is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Thoracic Society. It aims to publish the most innovative science and the highest quality reviews, practice guidelines and statements in the pulmonary, critical care and sleep-related fields.

Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society's 15,000 members prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe through research, education, patient care and advocacy.

---

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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: 10-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nathaniel Dunford
ndunford@thoracic.org
American Thoracic Society

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who also have allergic disease have higher levels of respiratory symptoms and are at higher risk for COPD exacerbations, according to a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"Although allergic sensitization and allergen exposure are known to be associated with impairments in lung function, the effects of allergic disease on respiratory symptoms in COPD patients has only recently been studied," said researcher Nadia N. Hansel, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Asthma & Allergy Center. "Accordingly, we examined the effects of allergic disease on respiratory health in two sets of patients with COPD, one a nationally representative sample of 1,381 COPD patients from the National Health and Nutrition Survey III (NHANES III) and the other a cohort of 77 former smokers with COPD from a study of the effects of endotoxin exposure on health status."

"We found that COPD patients with an allergic phenotype had an increased risk of lower respiratory symptoms and respiratory exacerbations."

The findings were published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In the NHANES III cohort, 296 COPD patients had an allergic phenotype, which was defined as self-reported doctor-diagnosed hay fever or allergic upper respiratory symptoms. These patients were significantly more likely to wheeze, have chronic cough, and have chronic phlegm and had a significantly increased risk of experiencing a COPD exacerbation that required an acute visit to the doctor.

In the second cohort of 77 COPD patients, the 23 patients with allergic sensitization (determined by immunoglobulin E testing) were significantly more likely to wheeze, to experience nighttime awakening due to cough, and to have COPD exacerbations requiring antibiotic treatment or an acute visit to the doctor.

"Our findings in two independent populations that allergic disease is associated with greater severity of COPD suggest that treatment of active allergic disease or avoidance of allergy triggers may help improve respiratory symptoms in these patients, although causality could not be determined in our cross-sectional study," said Dr. Hansel.

There were a few limitations to the study, including possible misclassification of COPD in some NHANES patients and the use of self-reported respiratory symptoms and COPD exacerbations.

"Current COPD guidelines do not address the management of allergic disease in COPD patients," Dr, Hansel said. "Additional studies of the relationship between allergic disease and COPD are clearly needed."

###

About the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine:

With an impact factor of 11.080, the AJRRCM is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Thoracic Society. It aims to publish the most innovative science and the highest quality reviews, practice guidelines and statements in the pulmonary, critical care and sleep-related fields.

Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world's leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society's 15,000 members prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe through research, education, patient care and advocacy.

---

[ | 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/2013-05/ats-adw050713.php

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Believe It or Not, the 49ers Are the NFL's Most Unstoppable Offense

When most people think of the San Francisco 49ers nowadays, it's a dominant defense led by linebackers Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith that leaps to mind.

However, San Francisco also has an impressive array of offensive weaponry at their disposal, and as scary as it sounds, the 49ers offense may actually be better than their defense in 2013.

It all starts under center with third-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The 25-year-old took the National Football League by storm in 2012. After taking over for Alex Smith in Week 10 last year and supplanting him as starter the following game, Kaepernick's ability to hurt teams with both his arm and legs added a whole new dimension to the San Francisco offense.

That dimension was on full display in the Divisional Round of last year's playoffs against the Green Bay Packers. In that game, Kaepernick and the 49ers' read-option offense absolutely shredded the Green Bay defense.

Kaepernick accounted for over 440 yards of total offense in that victory, including 181 rushing yards, an NFL record for a quarterback.

Now, with a full offseason of preparation under his belt, Kaepernick will only be more dangerous,. General manager Trent Baalke told Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury-News that Kaepernick has been hard at work on honing his game.

"Just continue to hone in on the techniques, the footwork, the mechanics, the lower-body mechanics that are so critical at that position and the playbook. He's doing an excellent job. There's no harder worker."

Defensive coordinators across the NFL just started freaking out a little bit.

For the read-option to be effective, NFL teams also need a capable tailback. That's where Frank Gore comes in.

The 29-year-old rushed for 1,214 yards in 2012, his highest yardage total since 2006. Throw in the 234 yards that Gore picked up through the air, and that's nearly 1,450 yards of offense from the player who Pro Football Focus ranked ninth among NFL running backs last season.

What makes Gore's performance all the more impressive is that the ninth-year veteran did much of his damage against eight-man defensive fronts.

According to Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus, Gore faced eight men in the box on 42.25 percent of his runs in 2012, tops in the NFL and nearly twice the league average. Despite that, Gore was still able to manage a robust 4.7 yards a carry.

Imagine the damage that Gore might be able to do if defenses can't cheat up to stop him.

There are a couple of factors that could make this problematic for opponents in 2013. The first is the continued development and maturation of Kaepernick as a quarterback. He's more than capable of burning defenses by throwing over the top against safeties cheating up into the box.

The second reason has to do with one of the reasons those safeties were creeping up to begin with.

Odds are you're going to see a lot more formations with more than one receiver split out wide for the 49ers this year.

For starters, the insertion of Kaepernick into the starting lineup seemed to kick the development of wide receiver Michael Crabtree into high gear. It was the like the proverbial light bulb finally came on.

In the nine games that Smith started for San Francisco in 2012, Michael Crabtree topped 100 yards only once. In the seven regular season contests after Kaepernick took over, that number tripled.

By season's end, Crabtree had shattered his career bests across the board, topping 1,100 yards on 85 catches and finally showing signs of becoming the elite receiving option the 49ers hoped he would be when they drafted him 10th overall in 2009.

The 49ers also upgraded the talent around Crabtree in the offseason, adding veteran wideout Anquan Boldin in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.

Warning: Music contains NSFW language

Granted, the 32-year-old hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiving season since leaving the Arizona Cardinals, but Boldin demonstrated that he still has plenty left in the tank during Baltimore's run to the Lombardi Trophy.

The 11th-year pro had more 100-yard games in four postseason contests than he did in the regular season. He matched his touchdown total for 2012 over that same stretch. In fact, Boldin's six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII are a big part of the reason why the 49ers aren't the defending world champions right now.

Hey. If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em.

We haven't even mentioned tight end Vernon Davis.

Once Kaepernick took the reins in San Francisco, Davis seemed to be the forgotten man in the 49ers offense. That changed in a big way in the playoffs.

Davis topped 100 receiving yards in both the NFC Championship game and the Super Bowl, reeling in 11 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while showing what a matchup nightmare his athleticism poses for safeties and linebackers.

Then there's the small matter of the big uglies who are charged with keeping Kaepernick upright and opening holes for Frank Gore.

The 49ers have the best offensive line in the NFL. Left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Mike Iupati were named to the Pro Bowl last year. According to Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller's B/R 1,000 rankings, the 49ers don't have an offensive lineman who ranks outside the top five at his position in the NFL.

It may sound novel in today's grip-and-rip NFL, but games are still won in the trenches. No offensive front in the league is as dominant in that regard as San Francisco's.

That thudding sound you hear is those defensive coordinators that were mentioned earlier pounding their heads into their desks.

In short, the 49ers are just as loaded on offense as they are on defense. They have the NFL's toughest front five. A group of receivers that was considered a weakness for the team as recently as the beginning of last year is now a strength. In Frank Gore, they have a veteran running back who can do it all, whether it's running between the tackles, catching the ball out of the backfield or pass-blocking.

Oh, and they have a young quarterback who may well be the most athletically-gifted player at his position in the entire National Football League.

Other than that, they should be easy to stop.

Last year, the 49ers were a respectable offensive team in the regular season, ranking 11th in the NFL at just under 362 yards a game.

In the postseason that number jumped by over 100 yards a contest, and the 49ers' offense ranked No. 1.

Care to guess which number they'll be closer to in 2013?

I'll give you a hint. Those defensive coordinators have graduated to sobbing now.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1633662-believe-it-or-not-the-49ers-are-the-nfls-most-unstoppable-offense

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Idolator & Styld.by Invite You To A Party At The Grove, Featuring ...

Gap is throwing a Styld.by summer celebration at Los Angeles? shopping mecca The Grove tomorrow (May 9) evening, and you?re invited! And on the bill for entertainment is Kidinacorner/Interscope?s Skylar Grey, an artist we?ve had our eye on for a couple years now, thanks to the hits she?s penned for artists like Eminem and Rihanna (?Love The Way You Lie?) and Dr. Dre (?I Need A Doctor?) ? as well as her own material like ?C?Mon Let Me Ride.?

The Styld.by party kicks off at the Gap?s Grove location in L.A. at 6 p.m. RSVP for the event here, and join the celebration to catch Skylar performing songs ahead of the July 9 release of her new album Don?t Look Down. You?ll also see what Gap has in store for the upcoming season, receive a 30% off discount and be offered the chance to snag a VIP trip to this month?s Sasquatch! Music Festival.

Following tomorrow?s Gap Styld.by party, Skylar heads back to her home state of Wisconsin, for a gig with Macklemore at Milwaukee?s Turner Hall on May 12.

?

Source: http://idolator.com/7457122/idolator-styld-by-invite-you-to-a-party-at-the-grove-featuring-skylar-grey

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