Kodak ScanMate i940 Scanner for Macintosh Computers

Kodak recently launched its ScanMate i940 Scanner for Macintosh Computers, the OS X counterpart to the Windows-based Kodak ScanMate i940 Scanner, an Editors' Choice. It's a welcome addition, as Mac-specific scanners are not easy to find. In our testing, although it was well short of its rated speed when under AC power, it was nonetheless fast for a portable scanner, and it lost little time when I switched to scanning to searchable PDF from image PDF. Although it's primarily a portable scanner, its 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF) and duplex scanning capability make it useful for light desktop use as well.

At 3.1 by 11.4 by 4.2 inches (HWD) and 2.9 pounds, it is large and heavy for a portable scanner. It has a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF), and supports duplex (2-sided) scanning. It can scan both business cards and thick plastic cards in addition to paper documents up to 8.5 by 60 inches.

As befitting its dual nature as a desktop and portable scanner, you can power the i940 for Macintosh either from an AC adapter or from your computer's power over a USB cable. (You can add a second USB cable for additional power.) Once it's plugged in, to start the scanner you just open the lid; you'll see a blue LED-lit number to identify the current scan profile. There are also two arrow keys: an up arrow for cycling through the profiles, and a right arrow, the scan button, which is illuminated in green when you're ready to scan. After 15 minutes of inactivity, the scanner will go into power saver mode, and the lights will go out. To turn the scanner off, you simply close the cover.

Software
I tested the i940 for Macintosh on a 13-inch MacBook Pro running OS X Mountain Lion. Apart from OS compatibility, what differentiates a Mac scanner from a Windows model is the included software. The Mac version comes with NewSoft Presto! PageManager 9 for document management and NewSoft Presto! BizCard Xpress for business card management, plus a Twain driver.

In contrast, the Windows-only i940 includes the Kodak SmartTouch scan utility and NewSoft Presto! BizCard 6 plus Twain, WIA, and ISIS drivers?which let you scan from Windows programs that include a scan command?but no document management program. Both PageManager 9 and the SmartTouch scan utility have built-in optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities.

In PageManager you can adjust the settings for the scan button profiles, which include Scan to PageManager; Scan to BizCard Xpress; Scan to Folder; Scan to Mail; Copy to Print; Scan to OCR; Scan to PDF; Scan to Google Docs; and Scan to Evernote. Output formats include TIFF, JPEG, RTF, BMP, PDF, and searchable PDF. I launched the scans from the scan button icon on the program's top menu.

Performance
When using the scanner under AC power, I timed it at 12 pages per minute (ppm) in scanning and saving a 10-page document to image PDF in black-and-white at the default 200 ppi using PageManager. Although well short of its rated 20ppm speed, that's still a very good speed for a portable scanner. Switching to duplex (two-sided) scanning, I timed it in scanning a 10-page document to image PDF at 11 ppm/22 ipm.

In scanning and saving the 10-page simplex document to searchable PDF, I clocked it at 1 minute 5 seconds, a little slower than scanning to image PDF but still a strong score in that many scanners lose a lot of time in the OCR phase.

I also tried scanning to image PDF solely under USB power (a second supplied USB cable plugs into the scanner's power jack); in my testing it slowed to 7 ppm for simplex and 7 ppm/14 ipm for duplex scanning, which is still faster than most portable scanners, and it nearly matches Kodak's rated speed for USB-powered scanning (8 ppm).

OCR
Using the OCR function in PageManager to scan to RTF format was a disappointment. There was at least one error in all fonts (including the standard Times New Roman and Ariel) even at the largest sizes, and it also had trouble in formatting the scanned pages. This is in line with what we've seen with other (Windows-based) scanners that used the OCR function in PageManager.

I scanned a stack of business cards to Presto! BizCard Xpress, which did a passable job of reading and sorting the data. Although nearly all the cards had spelling errors (and in some cases items were mis-sorted), it's still a good bit better than keying in the data yourself.

As the Kodak ScanMate i940 Scanner for Macintosh Computers is the first scanner we've tested using Mac hardware and software, we can't do any "Apples to Apples" comparisons to other scanners we've tested. I can say that although its performance didn't match its Windows counterpart, it was still very respectable for a portable scanner, and it is well worth a look by Mac users in search of a scanning solution.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/YGJl9l1cNRI/0,2817,2422258,00.asp

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Gulf of Mexico natural gas well catches fire on Tuesday evening

"This is not going to be another BP oil spill." - Terrebonne President Michel Claudet

After a blowout occurred on a natural gas well in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday morning, the rig caught fire when gas leaking from that well ignited, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement confirmed early Wednesday morning. No one was on board at the time of the ignition and no one was injured, according to BSEE.

BSEE said the well ignited at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday and that the source of the ignition remained unknown on Wednesday morning.

The blowout occurred as Walter Oil & Gas Corp., of Houston, was completing work on a "sidetrack well" to prepare that well for new production, according to BSEE. A sidetrack well uses the same hole as the original well but then spreads to a new location at the same depth.

Jefferson Parish Council Chairman Chris Roberts had feared on Tuesday that the well could ignite.

"We are monitoring it because of its proximity to Grand Isle and because if there is a natural gas cloud that continues to flow then you run the risk of an explosion if there is ignition," Roberts had said.

Jefferson officials are monitoring the well closely, especially in light of the fact that the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo starts on Thursday, an event expected to draw more than 15,000 sport and recreational fishers and tourists to Grand Isle. Roberts said the well is southwest of Grand Isle.

BSEE had stated on Tuesday that a firefighting vessel was expected to be on location on Tuesday evening with both water and foam fire fighting abilities. The Coast Guard cutter is on the scene maintaining a 500-meter safety zone, "assuring that no vessels or persons get close to the vicinity of the rig so that they aren't placed in danger," Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough said on Wednesday morning.

The blowout happened about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday. All 44 people on the rig -- which BSEE corrected late Tuesday from earlier reports of 47 people on the rig -- were safely evacuated, authorities said.

The jack-up rig is owned by Hercules Offshore, also based in Houston, and operated by Walter Oil & Gas, according to BSEE. Until the well ignited late Tuesday, BSEE officials had said that there never was a fire at the well. A cause of the gas leakage remained undetermined, according to BSEE.

BSEE inspectors flying over the site on Tuesday morning reported a cloud of natural gas above the rig and a light sheen on the water's surface about a mile long by 50 feet wide. However, the inspectors reported that sheen was dissipating quickly.

"BSEE's efforts today are focused on bringing this loss of well control event to a safe resolution," Lars Herbst, BSEE's Gulf of Mexico regional director, said Tuesday afternoon. "Offshore oil and gas operators need to reaffirm their aggressive approach to the safety of well operations in light of this event and other recent well control events."

No injuries were reported in the incident on the Hercules No. 265 rig.

The workers escaped the rig on two Hercules lifeboats, then transferred to an offshore supply vessel, the Max Cheramie, according to the Coast Guard.

The rig was 55 miles offshore in 154 feet of water, according to BSEE. BSEE did not immediately know the well's depth.

Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said on Tuesday afternoon that the evacuees were taken to Port Fourchon. He said that a unified command center has been established at Louisiana 56 and Woodlawn Ranch Road in Houma.

"Nothing that I have received to date has caused me to panic in any way or form," Claudet said. "This is not going to be another BP oil spill."

He said Witt | O'Brien's is the spill management team and that it is responding to the site with Clean Gulf Associates.

The Coast Guard dispatched an 87-foot cutter, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans and one HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala., to assist and monitor the evacuation.

"Our first and foremost concern is for the safety of all personnel aboard our drilling rig and we have taken every necessary precaution to safely evacuate the rig," John T. Rynd, CEO and President of Hercules Offshore, stated on Tuesday morning. "Furthermore, efforts are ongoing with our client, Walter Oil & Gas, to mobilize the necessary resources to regain control of the well and minimize any potential impact on the environment."

The operator, Walter Oil and Gas Corporation, will be conducting a site assessment prior to beginning any work on the well, according to BSEE. The Coast Guard is providing safety management oversight and BSEE will be reviewing and approving all plans and procedures to stop the flow of gas and secure the well.

NOLA.com | Times-Picayune reporter Naomi Martin contributed to this article.

Source: http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2013/07/gulf_of_mexico_natural_gas_wel.html

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SC Contractor Indicted on Federal Charges for Releasing Asbestos ...

A man from Little River, SC, has been indicted on federal charges for violating the Clean Air Act after he allegedly released?asbestos into the environment?during a condominium renovation.

David Braswell, who owns Cool Cote LLC, has been indicted on federal charges for blowing friable asbestos onto the beach, the building?s parking lot, and landscaped areas while renovating a beachfront condo tower in 2009.

Friable asbestos is any material that readily releases asbestos fibres when damaged or disturbed.

Braswell has also been accused of knowingly creating a health risk to the condo?s residents, as well as his own workers. He allegedly did not provide proper respiratory protection for his employees, nor did he conduct an asbestos inspection on the building or file a written notice with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, all of which are steps required by law. Employees pressure washed the front of the building without properly securing the area to prevent asbestos release.

?The workers for Cool Cote Inc. were not provided with respiratory protection, nor were the residents of Regency Towers informed of the danger and provided personal or environmental protection,? the indictment states.

Prosecutors say that Braswell and employees of Cool Cote knew about at least 35 cubic feet of?asbestos-containing material?in the building?s exterior coating, but conducted the renovation without complying with the law regarding asbestos and safety.

Cool Cote was, reportedly, a Florida company at the time they renovated the Regency Towers condominium. However, the state of Florida dissolved the company in 2010 when it failed to file an annual report. Braswell then filed to incorporate in the state of South Carolina.

Braswell has pleaded not guilty to all the charges in court last month, after he was indicted in May. He is currently free on an unsecured $35,000 bond. If he is convicted on the asbestos charges, he faces up to 45 years in prison.

South Carolina?Asbestos?Lawyers

Despite?of being aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure, companies continued to produce asbestos products for use in factories, mills, shipyards and other engineering environments.

Asbestos litigation ?involves the exposure of individuals, often in large numbers, to harmful chemical or biological substances.

When this exposure results in serious injuries or health problems and you can show that those problems were caused by the negligence or carelessness of others, the law says that those who are injured or suffered the loss of a loved one due to?wrongful death?are entitled to?compensation.

If you or someone you love was exposed to asbestos in one of these surroundings, then the specifics are straightforward:

• Your health was put at risk for financial profit
• You could be eligible for compensation

Toxic torts for asbestos contamination cases can be challenging. There are often multiple parties at fault, and any legal claim must consider all avenues of potential liability, making it extremely important to select a toxic tort law firm with experience necessary to successfully pursue a claim.?The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm collectively have over 30 years? experience with personal injury and toxic tort litigation, including cases against asbestos contamination.?If you or a loved one has become sick, or a loved one has died, due to?asbestos?in the environment, the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help you recover compensation for medical bills and personal financial damages.?We offer free consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us.?803.252.4800

Tagged as: Asbestos, Cool Cote LLC, David Braswell, Pete Strom, SC Asbestos Attorney, SC Asbestos Lawyer, The Strom Law Firm

Source: http://stromlawpersonalinjury.com/sc-contractor-indicted-on-federal-charges-for-releasing-asbestos-onto-beach/

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Bastille Day 2013 parade: African and UN soldiers join French troops to mark 'victory against terrorism' in Mali

• Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which sparked the French Revolution in 1789
• The annual military parade on the Champs Elysees in Paris draws thousands of people every year
• This year's guests of honour were UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and president of Mali Dioncounda Traore
• The Malian presence recognised joint effort with the French to oust Islamists who had overrun northern Mali
  

By Olivia Williams

PUBLISHED: 15:26 EST, 14 July 2013 | UPDATED: 13:44 EST, 15 July 2013

Troops from 13 African countries that took part in the French-led war against al Qaeda-linked extremists in Mali marched with the French military during the Bastille Day parade in Paris to honour their role in the conflict.

UN troops in blue berets who are helping to stabilise the west African nation of Mali paraded with thousands of other soldiers down the Champs-Elysees Avenue in France's annual tribute to military might.

It marks the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789, by angry Paris crowds that helped spark the French Revolution.

Scroll down for video

France honoured members of the UN stabilisation force to Mali on Bastille Day as they joined the parade along the Champs Elysees

Soldiers from various French regiments, including the Aubagne's 1st Foreign Regiment, pictured, marched along with the African troops who joined together to repel an Islamist insurgency in Mali

Despite the triumphal display, which included flyovers by fighter jets, tanks and giant trucks mounted with land-to-air defence systems, the realities in Mali suggest that President Francois Hollande's military intervention has had mixed results.

The mission he launched in January helped the Malian government retake control of much of the country from al Qaeda-linked extremists who had seized northern Mali and threatened the capital.

?

The nation is to hold elections on July 28, but tensions involving rebel Tuaregs in the north linger, along with political instability.

Today's events, however, focused on the positive.

'It's a victory that was won,' Mr Hollande said in an interview after the parade with the France 2 and TF-1 in the garden of the presidential Elysee Palace. 'Look at what happened. It was a victory for Africa, a victory against terrorism, and pride that we must have.'

Soldiers of the Calvi's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, France's Foreign Legion, attended the traditional military parade on the Champs Elysees

French students from the military school Polytechnique joined the parade which celebrates the start of the French Revolution in 1789

?

He said earlier the presence of African troops in Paris on the French national day was a 'tribute to those who actively helped to banish terrorism from the Malian territory'.

Referring to trips he's made to Africa, including a February visit to Mali, four weeks after the start of the French intervention, Mr Hollande said, 'I was saluted in Africa, not for what I said but for what I did.'

He noted that some extremists once lodged in Mali escaped into southern Libya and other neighbouring countries. He said those nations need support, 'but we won't make war everywhere.'

The military display team, Patrouille de France, streaking over Paris taking in the Pyramide du Louvre

Nine alphajets from the French Air Force releasing trails of the national flag colours, red white and blue, above the crowds

Mr Hollande oversaw the display of military might that France rolls out each year on Bastille Day with Mali interim President Dioncounda Traore and UN chief Ban Ki-moon at his sides.

Defence ministers from the African nations represented in the parade also were present.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said before the parade that the display is 'the mark of a solidarity that concretely expressed itself in Mali, and of a common destiny, even beyond the limits of continents, of which we have every reason to be proud.'

But some critics say the Mali operation and African presence in the parade reflect France's ambiguous and sometimes patronising relations with the continent - especially with former colonies such as Mali - often referred to as Francafrique.

The French non-governmental organisation Survie, which is fighting against neocolonialism, condemned 'the self-proclaimed role of gendarme of Africa that France claimed in Mali'.

The riders of the Republican Guard passing by the Arc de Triomphe on the Place de l'Etoile

Soldiers of the 35th parachute artillery regiment took part in the annual parade in the strong sunshine

'This parade gives a scent of victory to a military operation which is far from being reasonably presented like that, given the numerous shadows that surround it and the remaining uncertainties concerning its outcome,' said Fabrice Tarrit, the president of the association.

The critics also include Africans.

'Knowing the history of France, especially French armies with Africa, it doesn't sound good,' said Senegalese rapper Keyti, whose real name is Cheikh Sene, 40.

'This last decade we've been trying to be really independent from the French army, especially since they had camps in certain countries around Africa,' he said. 'And now with what happened in Mali, what's still happening there, it's like they found another way to come in.'

Around 50 Malian troops marched in formation Sunday followed by soldiers from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad and Togo.

French President Francois Hollande reviews the troops on the Champs Elysees

French Army Chief of Staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud, right, with President Hollande reviewing some 4,800 military personnel

Mr Hollande welcomed Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic, left, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, centre, to watch the display of French military might as guests of honour

They were followed by troops from the UN stabilisation mission in Mali, which took over the French-led military operation on July 1. Some French soldiers who participated in the Mali operation, called Serval, also marched, and aircraft used in Mali, notably to provide cover for ground troops, were featured in the air display.

France had more than 4,000 troops at the height of the campaign, and is now gradually reducing that. France will keep about 1,000 soldiers in Mali after the end of 2013.

In all, 4,800 troops marched in front of the presidential stage, along with 241 horses, 265 vehicles and 58 planes.

Bringing up the rear was an array of 35 helicopters, used in wartime and for civilian missions.

Precision parachutists landed in front of the presidential stand to close the parade.

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Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363451/Bastille-Day-2013-parade-African-UN-soldiers-join-French-troops-mark-victory-terrorism-Mali.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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Space for all: Small, cheap satellites may one day do your bidding

Innovation

Matt Rivera and Alan Boyle NBC News

9 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO ? Someday, swarms of satellites the size of a tissue box will be snapping pictures, taking environmental readings and broadcasting messages from orbit ? but the entities controlling those satellites won't be governments.

Instead, they'll be hard-core hobbyists and elementary-school students, entrepreneurs and hacktivists. In short, anyone who can afford a few hundred dollars to send something to the final frontier.

The technological for this outer-space revolution already exists: It's a type of satellite known as a CubeSat, which measures just 4 inches (10 centimeters) on a side. The CubeSat phenomenon started out as an educational experiment, but now it's turning into a crowdsourcing, crowdfunding movement of Kickstarter proportions. And the sky is literally the limit.

This year alone, more than two dozen CubeSats are due to go into orbit, piggybacking on commercial and government space launches.

"We had no idea CubeSats would go so far," Jordi Puig-Suari, an engineering professor at Cal Poly who is considered one of the inventors of the CubeSat concept, told NBC News in an email. "We were trying to develop a better system to educate students, and we did succeed at that. ... But we also created a whole new space ecosystem that we could not imagine at the time."

Startup for the Space Age
Part of that ecosystem is taking shape in a squat, gray building at the foot of a highway on-ramp in San Francisco. That's where a company called NanoSatisfi has brought together a small team of aerospace veterans and computer engineers to build CubeSats by hand, amid surroundings that look more like a Web startup's office than a space agency's clean room.

"We take advantage of all the industries on earth, from cellphones to smartphones to UAVs, robotics, all of that," said Peter Platzer, a former research physicist and Wall Street trader who co-founded NanoSatisfi last year.

It all starts with a hobbyist computer called an Arduino. For less than $200, anyone can buy an Arduino ? basically a stripped-down motherboard ? and start building gadgets like a self-balancing skateboard, a band of LEGO robots, or a flame-throwing pumpkin.

The engineers at NanoSatisfi decided to put those Arduinos to a more serious use: They installed the low-cost computers inside the standard CubeSat frame. NanoSatisfi?s first two satellites, dubbed ArduSats, will hitch a ride in August on a robotic Japanese cargo ship heading for the International Space Station ? where they'll be kicked out into space using a spring-loaded launcher.

From Kickstarter to space
The cost of building each ArduSat is close to $200,000, and launch costs amount to another $100,000 or so. That's far less than the price tag for large-scale satellites, which can range from $100 million to more than $1 billion. To get the project launched, Platzer and his partners raised more than $100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, and supplemented that amount with their own money and more than $1 million in venture-capital funding.

Once the ArduSats are active, NanoSatisfi's clients will be able to conduct their own experiments in space. Each satellite is equipped with 10 sensors ? including a Geiger counter, a magnetometer and a camera. One of the satellites will be dedicated to schools. The other will be rented out at the rate of $250 per week, with special deals available for the Kickstarter contributors. The company is developing a library of basic apps for use on the satellites and publishing the apps online so that anyone can tweak the programming.

CubeSats don't use expensive rocket thrusters to control their orbit; instead, they rely on gyro-type reaction wheels and compass-type magnetic devices to keep their orientation steady. They stay in orbit for only a few months before their orbits decay and they burn up in the atmosphere. But the low cost of a CubeSat means it's relatively inexpensive to send up replacements.

NanoSatisfi plans to launch as many as 150 more satellites over the next five years. The first commercial applications will be in the education market. "Our goal is to have 500,000 students in five years having access to a satellite, and really make this a hands-on tool," Platzer said.

ArduSats could also serve as the building blocks for a low-cost weather monitoring network. For example, ski resorts could use fine-scale temperature readings to determine when it makes financial sense to pay for artificial snow generation. Platzer says, based on his Wall Street experience, that such a network could unlock billions of dollars in economic benefits.

Moonandback Media

Southern Stars founder Tim DeBenedictis talks about the SkyCube project and how it connects with his company's SkySafari app. Watch the "Moon and Back" interview at http://vimeo.com/47612071

Connection to the cosmos
CubeSats' biggest selling point may be their ability to give everyday people a personal connection to the final frontier. That's what Tim DeBenedictis, founder and owner of Southern Stars, is counting on as he launches SkyCube, a satellite system linked to a mobile app platform that will let people send images and short messages from orbit.

"We all know that right now a lot of our communication goes through satellites, but normally we don't think of that," he told NBC News. "We want to have the experience of having a message broadcast from the satellite, and having the satellite let you know."

SkyCube is due to be included in a cargo shipment to the space station in December. It will be shot into orbit with the same launching system used for the ArduSats. DeBenedictis has also raised more than $100,000 through Kickstarter, but also plans to cover costs through sponsorships. Once the satellite is deployed, sponsors will be able to broadcast messages and receive images from space for as little as $1 using the SkyCube mobile app.

"I fully expect this satellite to be revenue generating," DeBenedictis said.

SkyCube also has a built-in answer to the problem of too much space junk. About three months after deployment, the satellite will inflate a 70-foot-wide (21-meter-wide) balloon coated with reflective titanium dioxide powder. The balloon, visible from the ground, should create enough drag to bring the satellite down for planned destruction.

"We call that the grand finale to the mission," DeBenedictis said. "I don't think that's ever been done before with a CubeSat."

KickSat via Kickstarter

Zachary Manchester holds a prototype for the KickSat sprite.

Sprites in the satellite
Another innovative CubeSat will be sprung into space during SpaceX's next cargo run to the space station ? and this one, KickSat, has a novel twist.

Tucked within the already tiny satellite are 128 cracker-sized computer chips known as "sprites." Each sprite is equipped with solar cells as well as a radio transceiver, microcontroller, gyroscope and magnetometer. As the chips flutter in space, they'll broadcast an identifying signal ? for example, the coded initials of a Kickstarter donor.

Why? The idea is to test the potential for monitoring the space environment with swarms of nano-nanosatellites. "We don't have a big science goal in mind," Cornell University doctoral student Zachary Manchester, who initiated the project, told NBC News. "It's just trying to demonstrate that you can build a satellite that works on this scale."

KickSat raised nearly $75,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, and will get a free launch, thanks to NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program.

Bob Twiggs, an engineering professor at Morehead State University in Kentucky who worked with Puig-Suari to come up with the CubeSat concept in 1999, says he's now working on a project to launch 2-inch-wide (5-centimeter-wide) "femtosatellites" called PocketQubs. Those should theoretically launch for one-eighth the cost of a CubeSat. If CubeSats are the iPhones of the satellite world, PocketQubs are the iPod Nanos.

"I always said I hoped it'd be like the Apple computer, and I think it's making that kind of change ? which is really cool," Twiggs told NBC News.

Eventually, putting a satellite in orbit could be as easy as sending camera-equipped balloons into the stratosphere ? in other words, so easy a 7-year-old could do it.

"Realistically, in the next couple of years, it's going to be possible to put a sprite into orbit for less than $1,000, so that will bring it within the reach of hobbyists and high-school students for science fairs," Manchester said. "It's the sort of thing I wish I had when I was a kid."

More about small satellites:

Matt Rivera is a senior producer at NBC News Digital. He invites you to follow him on Twitter as @mattmrivera, on Instagram and on Google+.

Alan Boyle is NBC News Digital's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the NBC News Science Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding +Alan Boyle to your Google+ circles. To keep up with NBCNews' stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2ea1957e/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cspace0Eall0Esmall0Echeap0Esatellites0Emay0Eone0Eday0Edo0Eyour0E6C10A488674/story01.htm

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Cory Monteith Death: Hollywood Twitter Reactions - Business Insider

Michael Buckner / Getty Images

Cory Monteith and girlfriend and "Glee" co-star Lea Michele in June.

Hollywood was rocked by the sudden death of "Glee" star Cory Monteith.

The 31-year-old actor was found dead Saturday afternoon in a Vancouver, Canada hotel.

Monteith played heartthrob Finn Hudson on the series since 2009.

Celebrities and "Glee" co-stars took to Twitter to react to the star's passing.

Many were shocked.

Co-star reactions along with those who appeared and worked on the show:

Dot-Marie Jones played Hudson's football coach on "Glee":

Vocal producer and recording engineer on "Glee," Alex Anders:

"Glee" co-star Mark Salling since deleted a Tweet "no" in response to an article claiming Monteith died of a drug overdose.

His girlfriend and co-star, actress Lea Michele hasn't made a statement, but Hollywood Life reports she is "absolutely hysterical and completely inconsolable."

Celebrities responded with prayers and shock at the news.

Monteith's final tweets were July 12 about SyFy's original TV movie, "Sharknado."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/cory-monteith-death-twitter-reactions-2013-7

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Sanchez looking forward to Jets' QB competition

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:13 p.m. ET July 12, 2013

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) - If leadership counts for anything, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez might have a leg-up on teammate Geno Smith for the starting position.

Sanchez has been the engineer of Jets West Camp, a three-day get-together at his former high school for several of his teammates, which concludes Saturday.

The itinerary includes classroom work to study film and plays, as well as on-field passing drills.

The camp has given some of Sanchez's teammates a chance to see him in a somewhat new role.

"He's kind of an extension of the coaching staff," said tight end Konrad Reuland. "It shows that he's taking the initiative and you always want that out of a leader. When we have our meetings, he runs the meetings. I think that's important. I think guys respect the fact that he puts this on. He's done a good job with it."

For Sanchez, it's all about the competition and preparing for it. Being the star quarterback at Mission Viejo High School and USC helped him realize the importance of being prepared on the field, and building bonds off of it.

The camp's schedule included off-the-field activities that allowed the players to build a rapport and grow closer to each other. Thursday's extracurricular activity included go kart racing, while Friday's passing drills ended with a water-balloon toss.

"Any time you spend time away from the (Jets' training) facility to be out here with the guys is never a bad thing," Sanchez said. "Teams that are closer generally do pretty well. You just trust those players. You develop that rapport off the field."

This is the fourth year that Jets West Camp has been held. It is strictly voluntary and Sanchez doesn't worry about who attends and who doesn't. One noticeable no-show was Smith, who remained in Florida. He claimed that he wasn't aware of the camp. Sanchez said he invited everyone.

"I don't hold it against any of the guys that can't make it," he said. "I probably should have said that right away. There are no hard feelings about anything like that.

"Guys are on vacation and some guys are getting married. They're doing stuff. There are plenty of other things they could be doing. If they can make the sacrifice and be here, awesome. If they can't, totally fine."

Smith wasn't the only Jets quarterback to miss this week's trip to Orange County. Greg McElroy and Matt Simms were also no-shows. That prompted Sanchez to call on USC quarterbacks Max Wittek and Cody Kessler - the winners of the water-balloon contest - to help out when he needed a break.

Sanchez is aware that things haven't gone his or the Jets' way recently. He's not hiding from the mistakes he has made on or off the field. That includes a recent video on which he was caught exposing his bare backside while dancing with two women.

"The video is a little embarrassing but it's a good reminder that you're in the spotlight and you need to be ever-watchful and careful of who you're with and what you're doing," he said. "Whether it's harmless, whether you're in the privacy of your own setting, you feel like everything is fine and safe, you've just got to be careful. That's just a good example of that."

After last season's 8-8 record, the Jets brought in a new general manager in John Idzik and a new offensive coordinator in Marty Mornhinweg. Shortly thereafter, Idzik announced that there would be a competition for the team's quarterback spot.

"This is a league that changes very quickly," Sanchez said. "It's `What have you done for me lately?'

"(On) teams that don't make the playoffs a couple of years in a row, coaches get fired, players get traded, things change, organizations blow up and start over. We're with a new regime, John Idzik wants a quarterback competition. I'm still here, let's compete. That's all I can control. That's really what I'm focused on. I can't worry about anything in the past except getting better from it and moving on."

Sanchez is looking forward to the competition with Smith - and to retaining his starting spot.

"Any kind of competition is good," he added. "When it comes down to competition, I put my money on myself. I bet on myself and go play and go win the job."

He's not alone. Sanchez's teammates are equally as passionate about turning things around for the organization. They see Jets West Camp as a good place to start.

"This is great because I'm behind on offense," said tight end Kellen Winslow, who had 75 receptions in 2011 but played in only one game last season because of contractual issues. "I need to catch up. I'm just coming in trying to be a piece of the puzzle, trying to make plays for the team.

"In this league you've got to get better or you're just getting worse. It's all about repetition and getting better every day. I'm lucky to have job. I'm happy to be back."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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