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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Google changes Android dashboard numbers to count active users, not just pings

The Android device dashboard has been providing a picture of OS version distribution since before Froyo pushed aside Eclair, but now it's seeing some changes. A post on the Android Developers Google+ page indicates that starting this month, numbers are based on devices whose users actively checked Google Play during the reporting period. Previously, it counted all devices that pinged Google servers. The latest stats, updated today, show a jump in the amount of actives (previously devices, now users) on Jelly Bean (Android 4.1 or higher), up to 25 percent from 16.5 percent last month when it counted the old way. The number of devices recorded running Froyo and Gingerbread have taken the biggest hit, down 3.6 and 4 percentage points, respectively.

There are a few ways to react to this, particularly remembering that these numbers are meant to help developers figure out how many users are available to target on the various versions of Android and types of hardware. It may give a clearer picture of what the active users that developers may have some hope of reaching without being muddied by little-used zombie devices. On the other hand, it could be seen as a way to juke stats which have been used against it by its competitors like Apple. Whichever side of the line one finds themselves on, more data is available by clicking on the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

Source: Android Developers (Google+), Android Dashboard

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

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China bird flu mutates, might infect mammals

BEIJING (AP) ? In a worrisome sign, a bird flu in China appears to have mutated so that it can spread to other animals, raising the potential for a bigger threat to people, scientists said Wednesday.

So far the flu has sickened nine people in China and killed three. It's not clear how they became infected, but there's no evidence that the virus is spreading easily among people.

But the virus can evidently move through poultry without making them sick, experts said, making it difficult to track the germ in flocks.

The findings are preliminary and need further testing.

In the wake of the illnesses, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shared the genetic sequence of the H7N9 virus with other scientists to help study how the virus might behave in different animals and situations.

One scientist said the sequence raises concern about a potential global epidemic, but that it's impossible to give a precise estimate of how likely that is.

"At this stage it's still unlikely to become a pandemic," said Richard Webby, director of a World Health Organization flu center at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

"We should be concerned (but) there's no alarm bells ringing yet," he said.

The virus has genetic markers that would help it infect people, Webby said. That makes him worry about a pandemic a bit more than he does for other bird flu viruses, such as the H5N1 virus that emerged a decade ago, he said.

"The tentative assessment of this virus is that it may cause human infection or epidemic," said Dr. Masato Tashiro, director of the WHO's influenza research center in Tokyo and one of the specialists who studied the genetic data, "It is still not yet adapted to humans completely, but important factors have already changed."

Flu viruses evolve constantly, and scientists say such changes have made H7N9 more capable of infecting pigs.

Pigs are a particular concern because bird and human flu viruses can mingle there, potentially producing a bird virus with heightened ability to spread between humans, said Dr. William Schaffner, a flu expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. That's what happened in 2009 with swine flu.

The scientists who inspected the genetic data also said that based on information from the genes and Chinese lab testing, the H7N9 virus appears able to infect some birds without causing any noticeable symptoms. Without obvious outbreaks of dying chickens or birds, authorities could face a challenge in trying to trace the source of the infection and stop the spread.

If there are no obvious symptoms in birds or pigs "nobody recognizes the infection in animals around them. Then the transmission from animal to human may occur," Tashiro said. "In terms of this phenomenon, it's more problematic."

This behavior is unlike the virulent H5N1 strain, which set off warnings when it began ravaging poultry across Asia in 2003. H5N1 has since killed 360 people worldwide, mostly after close contact with infected birds.

If the latest virus continues to spread in China and beyond, "it would be an even bigger problem than with H5N1, in some sense, because with H5N1 you can see evidence of poultry dying," said University of Hong Kong microbiologist Malik Peiris, who also examined the genetic information.

He urged China to widely test healthy birds for the virus in live animal markets in the parts of the country where the human infections have been reported.

___

Ritter reported from New York. AP Medical Writer Margie Mason in Jakarta and Associated Press researcher Flora Ji contributed to this report.

___

Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter at twitter.com/gillianwong

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-bird-flu-mutates-might-infect-mammals-204433746.html

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Don't Miss These 13 Opportunities to Write a Release

April 3, 2013

You realize that a solid press release could be your ticket to public attention and get you some good links in the process. But if you are like many small business owners, you might be struggling with coming up with a good reason to even create a press release. You don?t want to be one of those guys that spams the internet with releases containing things that aren?t anywhere near newsworthy.

So how do you know when it?s time to write a press release? What sort of events are considered newsworthy enough that someone outside of your company might want to hear about it? Here?s a list of 14 opportunities you should not pass up to get the word out.

You have a new product to offer. When you have a new product, you want to sell it, right? Well, in order for that to happen, people have to hear about it. And what better way than to write a press release and get media and blog coverage? Of course, if the product isn?t groundbreaking, you might just get a little coverage online. But if you are offering someone special or something that is hard to get in your area, you might get more press than you think.
You hired a new employee. To connect with customers, you want them to see the human side of your company. Announcing the hiring of a new employee is a great way to do this. Make sure to highlight relevant experience and explain how the addition will affect the customer.
You moved locations or opened a new office. Moving location is news for a few reasons. First of all, if you are moving to a more convenient location, customers may be interested that they can reach you more easily. Announcing your new office location can also make a small business seem larger than they really are, which could be to your advantage. And remember, local papers love to talk about new businesses in the area.
Your new website is up and running. You want people to visit your new site. For that you need to create a buzz and build inbound links. A press release can do both.
You?re celebrating an important business anniversary. Small businesses open and close left and right. However, a business that has staying power is worth checking out for many potential customers. So let everyone know if you are celebrating an important business anniversary.
You won an award or were recognized for something. There are times when tooting your own horn is annoying. Actually, that?s most of the time. However, since a press release is written in third person, and since a blogger or reporter will end up reporting on it, it?s totally acceptable. So toot away?um, you know what I mean.
One of your employees received recognition. See explanation to number 6. Get recognized!
You sponsored an event or did something good for the community. Again, when you do good things for people, you seem like a real jerk when you brag about it. But a press release is a good way to get someone else to brag for you and build goodwill in the process.
You have a special sale. If you?re running a good sale, media members may want to pick it up because they know readers want to know.
You?re putting on a contest. People like things for free and they like to feel like winners. So if you have a contest, send out a release to announce it. However, make sure it?s a legitimate contest. So many silly contests exist and people get really turned off when they get their hopes up for nothing.
You?re rebranding. Whether you have a completely new marketing campaign you are launching, or you just decided to change up the logo, let the public know when you decide to rebrand. It?s the perfect starting point.
You?re appearing somewhere to give a talk. Giving a public speech? Or perhaps a seminar at a local university? Boost attendance by sending out a release to get some free advertisement.
Reputation management. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Maybe you?re being named in a lawsuit. Or perhaps a customer has brought a complaint about our company to the local media. Sometimes a press release is a good way to combat this. Just remember not to appear defensive, as you may as well just admit you?re in the wrong.

Have you written a release for any of the topics above? What did I leave off the list? Tell us about it in the comments section!

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 8 Shocking Secrets Press Release Distribution Firms Don?t Want You to Know here: http://www.ereleases.com/landing3.html

Tags: local papers, press release, public attention, small business owners

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Source: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/dont-miss-these-13-opportunities-to-write-a-release/

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Drug maker Novartis loses India patent battle

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a pharmacist works in a lab where medicines are being produced at a Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling today is a victory for India's (Canadian) $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

A billboard for wholesale rate of cancer medicines is seen outside a chemist store, in New Delhi, India, Monday, April 1, 2013. India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent a new version of a cancer drug Glivec in a landmark decision that healthcare activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 file photo, Indian police officers block demonstrators protesting against drug manufacturer Novartis' case against Indian government on drug patents in New Delhi, India. A lawyer for healthcare activists says India's Supreme Court has rejected drug maker Novartis AG' right to patent a new version of a lifesaving cancer drug. The landmark ruling Monday, April 1, 2013 is a victory for India's $26 billion generic drug industry that provides cheap medicines to millions around the world. Novartis has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 for a fresh patent for its cancer drug Glivec. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 file photo, a man walks past the Cipla manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent a new version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that healthcare activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines. Novartis had argued that it needed a new patent to protect its investment in the cancer drug Glivec, while activists said the company was trying to use loopholes to make more money out of a drug whose patent had expired. Cipla makes a generic version of Glivec. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

NEW DELHI (AP) ? India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent an updated version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that health activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines.

Novartis had argued that it needed a patent to protect its investment in the cancer drug Glivec, while activists said the drug did not merit intellectual property protection in India because it was not a new medicine. In response to the ruling, Novartis said it would not invest in drug research in India.

The court's decision has global significance since India's $26 billion generic drug industry, which supplies much of the cheap medicine used in the developing world, could be stunted if Indian law allowed global drug companies to extend the lifespan of patents by making minor changes to medicines.

Once a drug's patent expires, generic manufacturers can legally produce it. They are able to make drugs at a fraction of the original manufacturer's cost because they don't carry out the expensive research and development.

Pratibha Singh, a lawyer for the Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla, which makes a version of Glivec for less than a tenth of the original drug's selling price, said the court ruled that a patent could only be given to a new drug, and not to those which are only slightly different from the original.

"Patents will be given only for genuine inventions, and repetitive patents will not be given for minor tweaks to an existing drug," Singh told reporters outside the court.

Novartis called the ruling a "setback for patients," and said patent protection is crucial to fostering investment in research to develop new and better drugs.

Ranjit Shahani, the vice chairman and managing director of Novartis India, said the ruling "will hinder medical progress for diseases without effective treatment options."

He said the court's decision made India an even less attractive country for major investments by international pharmaceutical companies.

"Novartis will not invest in drug research in India. Not only Novartis, I don't think any global company is planning to research in India," he said.

The Swiss pharmaceutical giant has fought a legal battle in India since 2006 to patent a new version of Glivec, which is mainly used to treat leukemia and is known as Gleevec outside India and Europe. The earlier version of Glivec did not have an Indian patent because its development far predated the country's 2005 patent law. Novartis said Glivec is patented in nearly 40 other countries.

India's patent office rejected the company's patent application, arguing the drug was not a new medicine but an amended version of its earlier product. The patent authority cited a provision in the 2005 patent law aimed at preventing companies from getting fresh patents for making only minor changes to existing medicines ? a practice known as "evergreening."

Novartis appealed, arguing the drug was a more easily absorbed version of Glivec and that it qualified for a patent because it was "a revolutionary treatment," not an incremental improvement.

Anand Grover, a lawyer for the Cancer Patients Aid Association, which led the legal fight against Novartis, said the ruling Monday prevented the watering down of India's patent laws.

"This is a very good day for cancer patients. It's the news we have been waiting for for seven long years," he said.

Aid groups, including Medicins Sans Frontieres, have opposed Novartis' case, fearing that a victory for the Swiss drugmaker would limit access to important medicines for millions of poor people around the world.

Glivec, used in treating chronic myeloid leukemia and some other cancers, costs about $2,600 a month. Its generic version was available in India for around $175 per month.

"The difference in price was huge. The generic version makes it affordable to so many more poor people, not just in India, but across the world," said Y.K. Sapru, of the Mumbai-based cancer patients association.

"For cancer sufferers, this ruling will mean the difference between life and death. Because the price at which it was available, and considering it's the only lifesaving drug for chronic myeloid cancer patients, this decision will make a huge difference," Sapru said.

Leena Menghaney of Medicins Sans Frontieres said India would continue to grant patents on new medicines.

"This doesn't mean that no patents will be granted. Patents will continue to be granted by India, but definitely the abusive practice of getting many patents on one drug will be stopped," Menghaney said.

The judgment would ensure that the prices of lifesaving drugs would come down as many more companies would produce generic versions.

"We've seen this happening with HIV medicines, where the cost of HIV treatment has come down from $10,000 to $150 per year. Cancer treatment costs have come down by 97 percent in the case of many cancer drugs," she said.

"This decision is incredibly important. The Supreme Court decision will save a lot of lives in the coming decades," Menghaney said.

___

AP writer Kay Johnson contributed to this story from Mumbai, India.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-04-01-India-Patent%20Battle/id-f2f33f8063d148b5900ffb05aec34c08

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Expiration Fate: Can "De-Extinction" Bring Back Lost Species?

Adherents of "de-extinction" hope to see al world repopulated with species thought lost to the planet--but there are some major caveats

mammoth CREATURES OF EXTINCTION: Will wooly mammoths stalk the Earth once more? If de-extinction movement proponent and Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand has his way, they just might. Image: Royal BC Museum in Victoria

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
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Dear EarthTalk: What is the ?de-extinction? movement all about??Bill Mitchell, New York City

De-extinction?bringing back extinct animal and plant species?is a term that conservation biologists and environmentalists have been bandying about for a decade or so. But only recently have advances in genetic sequencing and molecular biology transformed de-extinction from theory into something that we are all likely to see in our own lifetimes.

Or so Revive & Restore, a project of the Stewart Brand?s California-based non-profit Long Now Foundation, likes to think. The group is creating a movement around de-extinction, and is taking the lead on efforts to bring back the passenger pigeon while helping out on other ongoing efforts to restore other extinct species including European aurochs, Pyrenean ibexes, American chestnut trees, Tasmanian tigers, California condors, even wooly mammoths.

The main rationale behind bringing back these long gone species and others is to preserve biodiversity and genetic diversity, undo harm that humans have caused in the past, restore diminished ecosystems and advance the science of preventing extinctions.

While de-extinction may seem only theoretical at this point, biologists are already knocking on its door. In 2003, Spanish researchers used frozen tissue from the last Pyrenean ibex, which had died three years earlier, to clone a new living twin (birthed by a goat). While the baby ibex died of respiratory failure within 10 minutes of its birth?a common problem in early cloning efforts?the de-extinction movement was officially born.

Revive & Restore expects to see much more progress in the coming decade given the recent focus on the topic by geneticists, conservation biologists and environmentalists. The group is working with researchers around the world to put together a list of ?potentially revivable? species. Some of the criteria for whether a given species is a good candidate for revival include how desirable it would be to have it around, how practical it would be to bring it back, and whether or not ?re-wilding? (returning it to a natural environment) would be possible.

First up for Revive & Restore is the passenger pigeon, which was hunted from a population of billions in the 19th century to extinction by 1914. The group has enlisted the help of bird experts around the world to contribute to the project, and in February 2012 convened a meeting at Harvard University to coordinate the next steps. Currently Revive and Restore is busy sequencing the DNA of the passenger pigeon?s nearest living relative, the band-tailed pigeon, and is simultaneously gathering DNA from some 1,500 preserved passenger pigeon specimens. The group hopes to combine this biological and genetic material to reintroduce the once abundant species.

In response to critics who question the logic of bringing back extinct species in a world potentially unprepared to host them, Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, counters that it?s our job to try to fix ?the hole in nature? we created. ?It?s our fault that some of these crucial species have been completely wiped out, so we should dedicate our energy to bringing them back,? he says. ?It may take generations but we will get the wooly mammoth back.?

CONTACT: Revive & Restore, www.longnow.org/revive.

EarthTalk? is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=b85ea12444e7973326374881a8d3fc54

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Nick Offerman Break Dancing: The Best Moment of the Month Online

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/nick-offerman-break-dancing-the-best-moment-of-the-month-online/

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Professional Business Marketing ? NSW business confidence up

The NSW government says a 13 per cent rise in business confidence since the last quarter means more job opportunities for people in NSW.

The latest Sensis Business Index shows NSW small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are feeling more bullish about 2013.

In the last quarter, NSW SMEs confidence for the year ahead improved by 13 per cent, with an overall net 33 per cent result for the last 12 months, which is above the national average.

Treasurer Mike Baird says it?s another positive result for NSW.

?Apart from Victoria, NSW businesses recorded the highest confidence of all the states. This result is particularly positive considering the tough economic environment businesses faced in 2012,? he said in a statement on Monday.

?This optimistic outlook is good news for the NSW economy and means more job opportunities for the people of this state.?

NSW Minister for Small Business Katrina Hodgkinson said NSW recorded the highest performance in sales and profitability of any state or territory in the last quarter and the highest proportion of exporting SMEs in Australia.

Source: http://lowbrowse.org/nsw-business-confidence-up.html

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Monday, April 1, 2013

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...Read More??

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...
Read More??