Bangladeshis turn rescuers after building collapse

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) ? The heat in the rubble was sweltering. It closed in on his body like the darkness around him, making it hard to breathe. Working by the faint glow of a flashlight, he slithered through the broken concrete and spotted a beautiful young woman, her crushed arm pinned beneath a pillar. She was dying, and the only way to get her out was to amputate.

But Saiful Islam Nasar had no training, and almost no equipment. He's a mechanical engineer who just days earlier rushed hundreds kilometers from his hometown in southern Bangladesh when he heard the Rana Plaza factory building had collapsed and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of garment workers were trapped.

He also understood that maimed women can be cast from their homes.

"I asked her, 'Sister, are you married?' She said 'Yes.' I asked her, 'If I cut off your arm, will your husband take you again?' She said, 'My husband loves me very much.' And then I started to cut," he said.

He had brought a syringe loaded with pain-killer ? his father was a village medic, and had taught him how to give injections ? and he cut through her arm with a small surgical blade. It was easier than he expected because the arm had already been so badly damaged.

He pointed at fading specks of blood staining his vest and pants. He began to cry.

"There was no alternative," he said.

Bangladesh is well-versed in tragedy, a country where floods, ferry sinkings, fires and cyclones strike with cruel regularity. But with state services riven by dysfunction and corruption, often the only hope is the person beside you.

It is a country that makes heroes out of everyday citizens.

Many of the first responders at Rana Plaza were men like Nasar ? neighborhood residents, fellow garment workers, relatives of the missing and charity workers ? and they repeatedly took some of the most dangerous work. Using little more than hammers, hacksaws and their bare hands, they crawled into tiny holes in the wreckage, breaking through concrete and steel bars and working around the clock to drag out the victims.

They knew they were risking their lives.

Hemaet Ali, a 50-year-old construction worker who came to volunteer, told the people around him that his identity card, with his home address, was in his shirt pocket.

"If I die inside, please make sure that my body reaches my family," he told them.

Nasar came to Savar with 50 other men from the small volunteer organization he runs, Sunte Ki Pao. Normally, they assist people who have been in traffic accidents, offering basic first aid, securing valuables and contacting relatives. During seasonal floods, they help however they can when the waters rush into town. Nothing had prepared them to work the front line of their country's largest industrial accident.

"It was beyond imagination," he said Monday, six days after the collapse, when the search for survivors had given way to the search for bodies, and heavy equipment had replaced the rescuers.

Thin and lanky, the 24-year-old was well-suited for crawling through the tight tunnels he cut. At first, he had only his mobile phone to light the tiny spaces. He could see shattered chairs and tables. Sewing machines and fabric. And the battered bodies of the men and women who were crushed when the walls and ceilings came crashing down.

"I could just fit my shoulders in," he said. "I often felt like I would die and I would call out to my God."

The rescues, each of which could take many hours, were exhausting, both physically and emotionally.

"We would shout 'Is there anybody here? Please make a sound.' Sometimes you would hear an 'Oooh, oooh' and you knew someone was there," he said.

Over six days, he pulled six people out alive, and removed dozens of bodies. He would work until exhaustion set in and then attempt to sleep ? the first night on the roof of the collapsed building, the next two in a nearby field. Even now that he has moved into a tent, rest does not come easy.

"The images of the bodies flash in my mind," he said.

Eating also has been a problem.

"I have lost my taste," he explained. "I just keep smelling the smell of dead bodies."

The sickly sweet waft of rot from the building was ever present, and rescuers routinely sprayed cheap floral air freshener around the site in a futile attempt to control it.

Not all of the rescue workers at Rana Plaza were untrained. The government sent some 1,000 soldiers and firefighters to the site. But from all appearances, the majority of the rescuers who went into the rubble were volunteers. Altogether, some 2,500 people were brought out alive from the wreckage. The death toll stands at 386, but will surely climb as the largest pieces of rubble are moved.

The military, which oversaw much of the rescue efforts, dismisses the notion that they let volunteers take the lead.

"I have not heard of rescuing so many people in recent history anywhere in the world in case of such disaster," said Maj. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, a top military officer in the Savar area. "What we have done is excellent."

But it is clear that volunteers once again carried more than their share of the country's burden.

Sayed Shohel Harman, an unpaid community volunteer for the fire department, found a survivor whose arm was pinned under a concrete slab. The man begged Harman to give him a knife so he could cut off his own arm and free himself. Harman refused, saying he would go and get help.

"The doctors said it was too risky for them to go inside," Harman said. "They told me to go back and try to drag him out."

When he returned, the man was there, but his arm was gone. Another volunteer had given the man a knife and he had cut through his own flesh and crushed bones.

"I just sat down after seeing that," Harman said. "It was horrible."

Nasar said he will soon return to his hometown, where he will comfort his worried mother and look for a new job. He was forced to resign from his to join in the rescue. But most of all, he will think of the beautiful young woman whose name he never heard and whose fate he never learned.

"I pray to Allah that she has been saved, is alive and can return to her husband."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bangladeshis-turn-rescuers-building-collapse-134825872.html

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'I'm gay': NBA player Jason Collins breaks barrier

In this photo provided by ABC, NBA basketball veteran Jason Collins, left, poses for a photo with television journalist George Stephanopoulos, Monday, April 29, 2013, in Los Angeles. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins became the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He participated in an exclusive interview with Stephanopoulos, which is scheduled to air on Good Morning America on Tuesday. (AP Photo/ABC, Eric McCandless)

In this photo provided by ABC, NBA basketball veteran Jason Collins, left, poses for a photo with television journalist George Stephanopoulos, Monday, April 29, 2013, in Los Angeles. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins became the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He participated in an exclusive interview with Stephanopoulos, which is scheduled to air on Good Morning America on Tuesday. (AP Photo/ABC, Eric McCandless)

FILE - In a Friday, Sept. 28, 2012 file photo, Boston Celtics' Jason Collins poses during Celtics NBA basketball media day at the team's training facility in Waltham, Mass. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website. He finished this past season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2013 file photo, then-Boston Celtics center Jason Collins (98) guards Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Auburn Hills, Mich. Jason Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website. The 34-year-old Collins has played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons. He finished this past season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He says he wants to continue playing. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)

FILE - Boston Celtics center Jason Collins battles Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) for a rebound during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 in Los Angeles. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

FILE - In a Wednesday, April 17, 2013 file photo, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins, right, battles for a rebound against Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Last summer, NBA veteran Jason Collins considered joining an old Stanford college roommate, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, at Boston's gay pride parade.

Collins eventually decided he shouldn't, because he wanted to keep his secret safe: For more than a decade as a professional athlete, he had remained silent about his sexuality, worried about what teammates, opponents, fans ? the world, really ? might think.

Then came the Boston Marathon bombings two weeks ago, which Collins says "reinforced the notion that I shouldn't wait for the circumstances of my coming out to be perfect. Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?"

So after having, he explains, "endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie," Collins became the first active player in one of the four major U.S. pro sports leagues to come out as gay. He wrote a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website that begins: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay."

Most recently a little-used reserve center for the Washington Wizards after a midseason trade from the Boston Celtics, the 7-foot Collins is a free agent who can sign with any team. He wants to keep playing in the NBA.

And he plans to be in Boston on June 8, marching alongside Kennedy at the city's 2013 gay pride parade.

"I didn't doubt for a second, knowing he was gay, that he would be the one to do it," Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, told The Associated Press. "I've never known him to look for publicity, or to look for the spotlight, but given that no one else would raise their hand, I knew he would do it."

Added Kennedy: "I'm so proud of him. And I'm so proud to call him a friend."

Collins' announcement, nearly two weeks after the Wizards' season ended, immediately drew praise and backing not only from pals, current and former teammates and coaches, the NBA itself, and a sponsor, but also from the White House ? President Barack Obama called him ? along with former President Bill Clinton, and athletes in various other sports.

"I certainly appreciate it, as a gay person. Any time you can have someone this high-profile come out, it's just so helpful, particularly to young people. We've reached a tipping point," said Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles.

"We've got to get rid of the shame. That's the main thing," King said in a telephone interview. "And Jason's going to help that. He's going to help give people courage to come out."

In texts to the AP, Wizards guard Garrett Temple wrote, "I was surprised. I didn't know and I was right next to him in the locker room. It definitely took a lot of courage for him to come out. He was a great teammate," and rookie Bradley Beal wrote: "I didn't know about it! I don't think anyone did! I am proud of his decision to come out and express the way he feels and I'm supportive of that!!"

Collins' coach with the Celtics, Doc Rivers, drew a comparison between Monday's announcement and Jackie Robinson's role when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

"I am extremely happy and proud of Jason Collins. He's a pro's pro. He is the consummate professional and he is one of my favorite 'team' players I have ever coached," Rivers said. "If you have learned anything from Jackie Robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. It will be society who has to learn tolerance."

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant tweeted that he was proud of Collins, writing: "Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others," followed by the words "courage" and "support."

Even while hiding his sexual orientation, Collins says, he quietly made a statement for gay rights by wearing No. 98 with the Celtics and Wizards: 1998 was the year Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization, was founded.

According to the General Social Survey, the public has grown increasingly accepting of gay relationships since the late 1980s. That survey found in 1987 that 76 percent of Americans thought sexual relations between adults of the same sex was morally wrong. That fell to 43 percent by 2012.

"I'm glad I'm coming out in 2013 rather than 2003. The climate has shifted; public opinion has shifted," Collins writes in SI. "And yet we still have so much farther to go. Everyone is terrified of the unknown, but most of us don't want to return to a time when minorities were openly discriminated against."

While some gay athletes have expressed concerns about how earning potentials could be hurt by coming out, King said she thinks Collins' openness could have the opposite effect.

"I have a feeling he's got a whole new career," King said. "I have a feeling he's going to make more in endorsements than he's ever made in his life."

On Monday evening, hours after his story appeared on the web, Collins wrote on Twitter: "All the support I have received today is truly inspirational. I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I'm not walking it alone."

Momentum has been building toward this sort of announcement from a pro athlete in a top league in the United States. NFL players Brendan Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe were outspoken in support of state gay-marriage amendments during last year's elections. Obama spoke about his support for gay marriage during his campaign.

The topic made waves during Super Bowl week when one player, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver, said he wouldn't welcome a gay member of his team. At the time, Ayanbadejo estimated that at least half of the NFL's players would agree with what Culliver said, at least privately.

On Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams reiterating the league's anti-discrimination policy about sexuality. It includes a section on questions teams cannot ask prospective draft picks and free agents. After the NFL combine in February, three players said officials posed questions about sexual orientation.

Earlier this month, the NHL and its players' union partnered with an advocacy organization fighting homophobia in sports, and Commissioner Gary Bettman said the You Can Play Project underlines that "the official policy of the NHL is one of inclusion on the ice, in our locker rooms and in the stands."

"I would say the NHL has been a force to kind of obviously embrace and encourage. ... What (Collins) did, I think it's definitely (good) for basketball, and the same for hockey, too. It's going to be encouraging for more guys to step up and just be open about themselves," Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward said.

Living in the nation's capital last month while the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about same-sex marriage had an effect on Collins, who says "the strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable" at that time.

"Less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future. Here was my chance to be heard, and I couldn't say a thing," he writes.

After being a first-round draft pick in 2001, Collins has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. He's come to be known more for personal fouls ? he led the league in that category one season ? than flourish.

"I go against the gay stereotype, which is why I think a lot of players will be shocked: That guy is gay? But I've always been an aggressive player, even in high school. Am I so physical to prove that being gay doesn't make you soft? Who knows? That's something for a psychologist to unravel," he says.

As for what response other NBA players will have to his revelation, Collins writes: "The simple answer is, I have no idea."

"Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start. It all comes down to education. I'll sit down with any player who's uneasy about my coming out," he says in his account, adding: "Still, if I'm up against an intolerant player, I'll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on."

Former teammate Jerry Stackhouse, now with the Brooklyn Nets, wrote in a text to the AP: "I hope Jason is received well by our NBA family. ... I've already reached out to him personally to show support and will encourage more guys to do the same."

NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement: "Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue."

While Collins is the first male athlete in a major North American professional league to come out while intending to keep playing, several have previously spoken after they retired about being gay, including the NBA's John Amaechi, the NFL's Esera Tuaolo and Major League Baseball's Billy Bean.

"I think he is immensely brave. I think it's a shame in this day and age he has to be immensely brave, but he is," Amaechi told the AP. "He's going to be a remarkable and eloquent spokesperson for what it is to be a decent, authentic human being ? never mind just for gay people."

Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, is openly gay.

"He probably knows what he signed up for. There'll be a whole bunch more television reporters and cameras than he's probably had in the past. ... There had been a long bit of speculation about when, who, how. I think that speculation has been put to rest now," Welts said, "and we'll always remember that Jason Collins was the first man to do this."

Collins says that if he remains in the NBA, he could face uncomfortable reactions from spectators.

"I don't mind if they heckle me. I've been booed before. There have been times when I've wanted to boo myself. But a lot of ill feelings can be cured by winning," he writes.

In February, former U.S. soccer national team player Robbie Rogers said he was gay ? and retired at the same time. Rogers is just 25, and others have urged him to resume his career.

"I feel a movement coming," he tweeted after word of Collins' news broke.

Female athletes have found more acceptance in coming out; Brittney Griner, a two-time AP women's college basketball player of the year now headed to the WNBA, caused few ripples when she said this month she is a lesbian. Tennis great Martina Navratilova, who came out decades ago, tweeted Monday that Collins is "a brave man."

"1981 was the year for me ? 2013 is the year for you," her post said.

Sports leagues in Britain and elsewhere in Europe have been trying to combat anti-gay bias. But the taboo remains particularly strong in soccer, where there are no openly gay players in Europe's top leagues and homophobic chants are still heard at some games.

Soccer "is not going to change," said Amaechi, who is English and now lives in Manchester. "If it wanted to change, it would change. It has the resources to do so. It doesn't want to change."

Justin Fashanu is the only significant British soccer player to have come out publicly, doing so in 1990. The former Nottingham Forest and Norwich City striker was found hanged in a London garage in 1998 at age 37. According to an inquest, Fashanu left a note saying that, because he was gay, he feared he wouldn't get a fair trial in the United States on sexual assault charges. Maryland police were seeking him on charges that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy.

Among other athletes outside the U.S. to come out was Gareth Thomas, a Welsh rugby star who attracted widespread media attention in 2009 when he announced he was gay. He continued playing until retirement in 2011.

Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico came out in October as the first openly gay professional male boxer. Canadian swimmer Mark Tewksbury came out six years after winning a gold medal in the backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Four-time Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis of the U.S. revealed he was gay in 1994, a year before announcing he was also HIV-positive. Former Olympic skiing gold medalist Anja Paerson of Sweden announced last year, after retiring, that she was in a long-term relationship with a woman.

In SI, Collins recounts that the first relative he came out to was his aunt, Teri Jackson, a San Francisco Superior Court Judge.

"I don't think Jason looked at his life as being a trailblazer," Jackson said Monday. "He has no regrets coming out. And he wants to play. And we'll see what happens next."

Collins says he told his twin brother, Jarron, last summer. Jarron was also a longtime NBA center who last played in the league in the 2010-11 season.

"He was downright astounded," Collins says.

Collins writes self-effacingly about his journeyman NBA career and a parlor game he calls "Three Degrees of Jason Collins," explaining: "If you're in the league, and I haven't been your teammate, I surely have been one of your teammates' teammates. Or one of your teammates' teammates' teammates."

That joking, though, leads to a larger point.

"Some people insist they've never met a gay person. But Three Degrees of Jason Collins dictates that no NBA player can claim that anymore. Pro basketball is a family. And pretty much every family I know has a brother, sister or cousin who's gay," Collins concludes. "In the brotherhood of the NBA, I just happen to be the one who's out."

___

AP Sports Writers Joseph White, Nancy Armour, Larry Lage, Brian Mahoney, Antonio Gonzalez, Rachel Cohen, Paul Newberry, Jimmy Golen, Howard Ulman, Rob Harris, Steve Wilson, Richard Rosenblatt and Tom Withers, and Associated Press Writers Mary Clare Jalonick, Cara Rubinsky, Jennifer Agiesta, Steve Peoples, Josh Lederman and Terry Chea contributed to this report.

___

Howard Fendrich is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-30-Jason%20Collins%20Comes%20Out/id-3eceb784b9bf494f9928a61db56b737c

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Honda recalls 46,000 Fit cars. Is yours on the list?

Honda recalls 46,000 Fit Sports, nearly 44,000 in the United States alone. A software problem with the Fit's electronic stability control prompted the Honda recall. ?

By Suzanne Kane,?Guest blogger / April 29, 2013

A woman walks past a Honda Fit Hybrid car during the media preview of the 10th China International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou last year. Honda Motor Co Ltd is recalling almost 46,000 Fit small cars in the United States and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system software.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters/File

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Honda is recalling certain 2012 and 2013 Fit Sport small cars to fix a software glitch in the electronic stability control (ESC) system.

Skip to next paragraph The Car Connection

High Gear Media?s flagship website offers news, reviews, and the latest shopping tools for the cars that matter to US consumers. For more expert insights from Car Connection editors and opinions from around the Web,?click here.

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A?notice?on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website indicates that the affected vehicles were built from May 23, 2011 through March 22, 2012.

According to a statement on the Honda website, the voluntary safety recall affects some 43,782 Fit Sport cars in the United States.

The automaker said that the problem with the stability assist software occurs when the vehicle is equipped with certain tires.

MassMutual Retirement Services Hires Regional Sales Director

29 Apr, 2013

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ ? MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division ;is pleased to welcome Mitch Flax as regional sales director to its growing sales and client management organization, led by Hugh O?Toole, senior vice president.

(Photo: ; http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130429/NE02736)

In his new role, Mr. Flax is partnering with MassMutual managing director Andy Ambrose to support small-plan sales in Central Texas. He joins MassMutual from Wells Fargo Advisors in Austin, Texas, where he was part of the Retirement Plan Advisor Program responsible for business development, education, sales presentations, vendor searches, fee negotiation and plan sponsor annual reviews. Mr. Flax achieved his Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) designation and holds his FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.

Mr. Flax joined the firm effective March 25. He is based in Austin, Texas, and reports to Brian Robb, divisional vice president for MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division. ;

?MassMutual is delighted to welcome Mitch to our sales and client management team,? says Scott Buffington, vice president and national sales manager with MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division. ?He is a highly skilled retirement plan professional and brings nearly ten years of industry experience to his new role. We look forward to leveraging his expertise to meet the needs of our advisors throughout Central Texas,? adds Buffington.

For more information about MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division, please contact your retirement plan advisor or call MassMutual at 1-866-444-2601.

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services and annuities. In addition, the company?s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division has been serving retirement plans for more than 65 years. It offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers? defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. It serves approximately 3 million participants.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+. For information regarding MassMutual?s Retirement Services Division, you may also visit massmutual.com/retire or find us on Facebook.com/RetireSmart and YouTube.com/RetireSmart.

Copyright ?2013 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. All rights reserved.

Contact: Jessica Barry ;
860-562-5095
jbarry2@massmutual.com

;

SOURCE MassMutual Retirement Services

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Putin, Obama speak again amid probe into Tamerlan Tsarnaev

Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev remains the focus of investigation in both Russia and the US, as authorities seek to learn how he became radicalized. Here are four other developments in the case.?

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / April 29, 2013

Patimat Suleimanova, aunt of Boston bombing suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, holds a photo from the family archive at her house in Makhachkala, Russia, on April 22. The photo shows Dzhokhar (c., bottom) and Tamerlan (c., top) with their sisters.

Stringer / Reuters

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The wider ripple effects of the Boston Marathon bombings are showing up in US-Russia relations.

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Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama talked by phone Monday, and they agreed to maintain close contact between their respective intelligence agencies and to work together on security matters of joint concern including the 2014 Olympics that Russia is hosting in Sochi.

Relations between the two nations have been strained of late, but the naming of two brothers of Chechen heritage as the key suspects in the April 15 Boston bombings, the Monitor reported earlier Monday, have opened the door to possible improvement, at least on the issue of countering terrorist threats.

But the forward-looking cooperation is occurring as some big questions remain about who knew what, and when, about the radicalization of Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The FBI identified him as a key suspect in the attacks, and he died April 19 after a gun battle with police, during which his brother also ran over him while trying to escape in a hijacked car.

US officials have said Russia in 2011 raised concerns with the FBI and CIA, separately, about possible ties of Mr. Tsarnaev to radical Islamist views. That has raised questions about the effectiveness of US law enforcement agencies at screening for potential terrorist threats.

Here are other recent developments in the Boston Marathon bombings case:

?FBI agents have visited the Rhode Island home of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's in-laws and carried away several bags, the Associated Press reported Monday. Katherine Russell, Tsarnaev's widow, has been staying there. She left with her attorneys through a separate door.

?Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the other bombing suspect and Tamerlan?s 19-year-old brother, has been moved from a Boston hospital to a prison medical center outside the city. Whereas Tamerlan was in the US on a green card, Dzhokhar is a US citizen. Prosecutors are charging him with using a weapon of mass destruction ? the two marathon-day bombs that killed three people and injured more than 200.

?The brothers? parents, who are now in Russia but who lived in the US for much of the past decade, have backed off from any plans to travel to the US. Anzor Tsarnaev, the father, said that he believed he would not be allowed to see his surviving son, and that he is not feeling well, according to wire service reports. The body of his older son is unclaimed, and a spokesman for the state medical examiner told Reuters that the office is waiting to report autopsy results until someone claims the body.

?According to news reports over the weekend, Tamerlan Tsarnaev spoke to his mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, about "jihad" in a 2011 phone call secretly recorded by Russian officials.

On Sunday Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he believes that the bombing suspects? mother played a "very strong role" in her sons' radicalization process. But the motives behind the attacks remain a matter on which investigators are still piecing together the full story.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/H3iVV_mIGOw/Putin-Obama-speak-again-amid-probe-into-Tamerlan-Tsarnaev

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Streaming eagles: Webcam turns chicks into stars

>>> finally tonight, from humble bay, california. it's a two american bald eagles and their new eeg lets, whose ever meal and chirp are being beamed to a growing crowd of fans around the world.

>> monty spends a lot of term nursing birding back to health and this one survived a gun shot wound.

>> you can see how that wing wants to droop.

>> but these days, he and his staff and nearly 300,000 fans online, can't keep their eyes off the computer screen . two nesting eagles with their two new chicks born this week.

>> one of the things that's nice about it is it really demonstrates that the endangered species act works.

>> in fact, since the passage of that act four decades ago, the stretch that's seen the numbers of nesting eagles rise to nearly 10,000 today, this is the first pair to homestead on the shores of humble bay. a made for life couple. she's the one with the single birt feather, but mom and dad equally generous at feeding time .

>> as you're watching, you'll see they're bringing in all kinds of fish and also the occasional rat.

>> whether you live in the city or country, it's rare to see even a single bald eagle , but your chances of observing a nesting couple raising an eagle or two are just about nil unless you're following an eagle cam. there have been others. one in iowa, one in new jersey.

>> whoever would have thought that years ago when we were poisoning our fields with ddt that these eagles could come back in such a short period of time.

>> but this one atop a 100 foot tall doug lis fir is streaming an intimate a view from an eagle's life has been seen.

>> they'll still be with their parents after that because they have a steep learning curve .

>> right now, it's just the parents doing the hunting and the baby sitting and the chicks and their hundreds of thousands of fans can't get enough of it. mike taibbi , nbc news, los angeles .

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b41222c/l/0Lvideo0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51689410A/story01.htm

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Samsung butchers 'Gangnam Style' for Indian Galaxy S4 launch

"If you like the S3 then this phone is even better / It has an HD screen and is just a lot slimmer."

Samsung has earned something of a reputation for putting on unique and often rather cheesy live events to launch its new products. An example would be the Broadway-themed Galaxy S4 launch event in New York City. A recent effort from the phone's Indian launch, however, takes things to a whole new level.

At the event in Mumbai, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh took to the stage to perform a soul-crushingly embarrassing rendition of Psy's 2012 hit "Gangnam Style," re-worded with lyrics all about Samsung's new smartphone. These include such gems as "441ppi is not just a number / Look at this clarity it's brighter" and "If you like the S3 then this phone is even better / It has an HD screen and is just a lot slimmer." Yes, it's that bad.

Hit the embed above to see for yourself. You're welcome.

Source: YouTube via The Next Web, India Today

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/BXIUORmhdWA/story01.htm

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Vermont Telephone Company's gigabit internet service is live, half the price of Google Fiber

Remember how Google Fiber's recent announcement for planned service in Austin by 2014 spurred immediate competition from AT&T? It's safe to say telcos in other areas have taken note about the gigabit speeds and roughly $70 montly pricing, too. According to a Wall Street Journal Digits blog post, Vermont Telephone Company is now offering gigabit-speed service to some of its customers for the crazy low stand-alone price of $35 bucks a month. To keep things in perspective, WSJ notes that roughly 600 folks are subscribed (out of VTel's total base of about 17.5K) and that the company is essentially going to be analyzing whether the current pricing will remain for the long-term. With Google Fiber to continuing to expand, it's certainly promising to see how superspeed internet is trickling across the US -- and how easy it's been looking on the wallet.

Filed under: Internet

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Via: The Wall Street Journal Digits

Source: VTel

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/wcZaaG5_9OA/

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Presidents praise George W. Bush at new library

President Barack Obama, and former presidents, from second from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center ,Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES

President Barack Obama, and former presidents, from second from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center ,Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES

Former president George W. Bush speaks during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

President Barack Obama laughs with former first lady Barbara Bush during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Former President George W. Bush, center, shares a laugh with his wife, former first lady Laura Bush and father, former President George H.W. Bush during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

President Barack Obama laughs as he sits between his wife, first lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Barbara Bush after his speech during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DALLAS (AP) ? Presidents past and present lionized one of their own Thursday, putting politics aside as President George W. Bush dedicated the library that documents his place in history. President Barack Obama praised his predecessor's strength and resolve after Sept. 11, calling Bush a "good man" who faced the storm head on.

"My deepest conviction, the guiding principle of the administration, is that the United States of America must strive to expand the reach of freedom," Bush said. "I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart."

Obama and Bush spoke along with the three other living former presidents in a rare reunion at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. "To know President George W. Bush is to like him," Obama said.

The presidents lauded Bush's aid to the people of Africa, his effort to reach across the aisle on issues like immigration and education and his leadership in the days after the 2001 terrorist attacks. But they avoided the two wars that dominated much of his time in office ? Iraq and Afghanistan.

The presidents ? Obama, Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter ? were cheered by a crowd of former White House officials and world leaders as they took the stage together to open the dedication. They were joined on stage by their wives ? the nation's current and former first ladies ? for the outdoor ceremony on a sun-splashed Texas morning. For Bush, 66, the ceremony also marked his unofficial return to the public eye four years after the end of his deeply polarizing presidency.

The five men have been described as members of the world's most exclusive club, but Obama said they are "more like a support group."

"Being president above all is a humbling job," Obama said. He there were moments that they make mistakes and wish they could turn back the clock, but "we love this country and we do our best."

In a reminder of his duties as the current Oval Office inhabitant, Obama planned to travel to Waco in the afternoon for a memorial for victims of last week's deadly fertilizer plant explosion.

Obama praised Bush for pushing to reform the country's immigration system, although Congress never agreed to go along during Bush's time in office. Obama said he hopes they will this year. "And if we do that it will be in large part thanks for the hard work of President George W. Bush," Obama said.

President George H.W. Bush, who has been hospitalized recently for bronchitis, spoke haltingly for just about 30 seconds while seated in his wheelchair, thanking guests for coming out to support his son. A standing ovation lasted nearly as long as his comments, and his son and wife helped him to his feet to recognize the applause.

Clinton, too, was warmly received by the heavily Republican crowd, who applauded and laughed along with his joke-peppered speech. He concluded on a serious note about the importance of the leaders coming together. "Debate and difference is an important part of every free society," Clinton said.

President Jimmy Carter praised Bush for his role in helping secure peace between North and South Sudan in 2005 and his approval of expanded aid to the nations of Africa. "Mr. President let me say that I am filled with admiration for you and deep gratitude for you about the great contributions you've made to the most needy people on earth," Carter said.

Former first lady Laura Bush said the library isn't just about her husband, but reflects the world during his time as the first president as the 21st century. "Here we remember the heartbreak and heroism of Sept. 11 and the bravery of those who answered the call to defend our country," she said.

Presidential politics also hung over the event. Ahead of the ceremony, former first lady Barbara Bush made waves by brushing aside talk of her son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, running for the White House in 2016.

"We've had enough Bushes," said Mrs. Bush, the wife of George H.W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush. She spoke in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

Yet George W. Bush talked up the presidential prospects of his brother in an interview that aired Wednesday on ABC.

"He doesn't need my counsel, because he knows what it is, which is, 'Run,'" Bush said.

Key moments and themes from George W. Bush's presidency ? the harrowing, the controversial and the inspiring ? would not be far removed from the minds of the presidents and guests assembled to dedicate the center, where interactive exhibits invite scrutiny of Bush's major choices as president, such as the financial bailout, the Iraq War and the international focus on HIV and AIDS.

More than 70 million pages of paper records. Two hundred million emails. Four million digital photos. About 43,000 artifacts. Bush's library will feature the largest digital holdings of any of the 13 presidential libraries under the auspices of the National Archives and Records Administration, officials said. Situated in a 15-acre urban park at Southern Methodist University, the center includes 226,000 square feet of indoor space.

A full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it looked during Bush's tenure sits on the campus, as does a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and the bullhorn that Bush used to punctuate the chaos at ground zero three days after 9/11. In the museum, visitors can gaze at a container of chads ? the remnants of the famous Florida punch card ballots that played a pivotal role in the contested 2000 election that sent Bush to Washington.

Laura Bush led the design committee, officials said, with a keen eye toward ensuring that her family's Texas roots were conspicuously reflected. Architects used local materials, including Texas Cordova cream limestone and trees from the central part of the state, in its construction.

From El Salvador to Ghana, Bush contemporaries and former heads of state made their way to Texas to lionize the American leader they served alongside on the world stage. Among the foreign leaders set to attend were former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The public look back on the tenure of the nation's 43rd president comes as Bush is undergoing a coming-out of sorts after years spent in relative seclusion, away from the prying eyes of cameras and reporters that characterized his two terms in the White House and his years in the Texas governor's mansion before that. As the library's opening approached, Bush and his wife embarked on a round-robin of interviews with all the major television networks, likely aware that history's appraisal of his legacy and years in office will soon be taking form.

An erroneous conclusion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a bungling of the federal government's response to Hurricane Katrina and a national debt that grew much larger under his watch stain the memory of his presidency for many, including Obama, who won two terms in the White House after lambasting the choices of its previous resident.

There's at least some evidence that Americans are warming to Bush four years after he returned to his ranch in Crawford, even if they still question his judgment on Iraq and other issues. While Bush left office with an approval rating of 33 percent, that figure has climbed to 47 percent ? about equal to Obama's own approval rating, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released ahead of the library opening.

Bush pushed forcefully but unsuccessfully for the type of sweeping immigration overhaul that Congress, with Obama's blessing, is now pursuing. And his aggressive approach to counterterrorism may be viewed with different eyes as the U.S. continues to be touched by acts of terrorism.

Obama, too, may have his own legacy in mind. He's just a few years out from making his own decision about where to house his presidential library and the monument to his legacy.

___

Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

___

Follow Josh Lederman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-25-Bush%20Library/id-bc5854bb390e439794a2cd59b1d96d85

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MetroPCS reveals Q1 earnings, will make T-Mobile merger official April 30th

By now, you're probably aware that MetroPCS shareholders voted in favor of a merger with T-Mobile, and with regulatory red tape out of the way, both companies are now set to become one on April 30th. Now, MetroPCS has laid its Q1 2013 financials bare, which provides us with an excellent peek at T-Mobile's future partner. First off, the company is making money, and its operational income is actually rising, but it's also dealing with increased costs from loans, taxes and the like. Overall, MetroPCS reported a net income of $19.4 million for the first quarter, which is down from $21 million just one year ago.

Speaking of loans, MetroPCS has a ton of them. Its liabilities now sit at $10.3 billion, and its managed to take on $3.4 billion in financing during the last year alone. From a balance sheet perspective, 75 percent of the company's assets exist as debt, and this is a burden that T-Mobile must now take on. Naturally, much of this merger was in effort to score additional spectrum, but Ms. Magenta also stands to gain 9 million new customers once the deal completes, 39 percent of which are LTE subscribers. Better yet, with a churn rate of 2.9 percent, they're sticking around now more than any previous time in company history.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: PR Newswire

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/metropcs-q1-2013-earnings/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Congress pushes for ?Internet Freedom? as U.N. showdown looms

The House is pushing forward in an effort to block a United Nations-related group from potentially allowing countries to censor the Internet, before an international showdown this fall.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a draft bill, with little fanfare last week, that repeated a claim that ?it is the policy of the United States to preserve and advance the successful multi-stakeholder model that governs the Internet.?

Congress had passed a resolution to that effect last year, but now it?s seeking to get an official law on the books before a big international conference in October in South Korea.

Some contentious language was struck from the bill that might have affected the current policy of net neutrality, which allows the federal government to make sure Internet providers provide equal access to companies that want to stream video and other content.

But the basic gist of the bill was to make sure a message was sent to U.N.-sponsored International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Last December, the United States and its key allies didn?t sign a draft ITU treaty in Dubai that proposed that individual nations had the power to potentially censor the Internet.

The last-second addition of wording about the rights of all nations to have a role in controlling the Internet sparked outrage from Western nations.

This February, departing Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell warned the House committee that the ITU had plans that weren?t in the best interest of the United States.

?Last year?s bipartisan and unanimous congressional resolutions clearly opposing expansions of international powers over the Internet reverberated throughout the world and had a positive and constructive effect,? he said.

?The dramatic encroachments on Internet freedom secured in Dubai will serve as a stepping stone to more international regulation of the Internet in the very near future. The result will be devastating even if the United States does not ratify these toxic new treaties,? he added.

McDowell said the meeting this fall in South Korea will be ?literally a constitutional convention? to ?define the ITU?s mission for years to come. Its constitution will be rewritten and a new Secretary General will be elected. This scenario poses both a threat and an opportunity for Internet freedom. The outcome of this massive treaty negotiation is uncertain, but the momentum favors those pushing for more Internet regulation.?

The ITU is seeking to update a 1988 document called the International Telecommunication Regulations Treaty. It is considering controls over the Internet as an expansion of its current mandate over telephones, television, and radio networks.

A late nonbinding provision tacked on to the treaty last year stated: ?The Internet is a central element of the infrastructure of the information economy, and recognizes that all governments should have an equal role and responsibility for international Internet governance, the security and stability of the Internet, and its future development.?

The addendum was sponsored by a bloc of African nations, and Iran led the effort to get it passed by a majority vote.

At the time, former U.S. ambassador Terry Kramer bluntly said his country had no interest in signing the treaty.

?The Internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years. All without U.N. regulation,? Kramer said.

The event was serious enough that in a highly charged partisan environment of Washington, the Obama administration, top Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and even top tax fighter Grover Norquist all agreed the Internet should be kept free when it comes to access and taxes.

In reality, some countries already block Web access, but an official mandate to let ITU members control how Internet access points are assigned and monitored would make the whole process much easier to manage?and censor.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages domains and controls the Internet?s backbone. ICANN operates as a nonprofit company at the direction of the U.S. Department of Commerce. (Prior to 1998, the U.S. government managed Internet domain names directly.)

Some critics say the real issue is a power grab by the ITU (and the U.N.) to take ICANN away from any swaying influence exerted on it by the U.S. government.

Scott Bomboy is the editor-in-chief of Constitution Daily.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congress-pushes-internet-freedom-u-103827845.html

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Iranian official says no deaths so far in quake: ISNA agency

Apr 15 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $4,139,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,137,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,442,389 4. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,100,469 5. Steve Stricker $1,935,340 6. Phil Mickelson $1,764,680 7. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 8. Jason Day $1,659,565 9. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 10. Keegan Bradley $1,430,347 11. Charles Howell III $1,393,806 12. John Merrick $1,375,757 13. Russell Henley $1,331,434 14. Michael Thompson $1,310,709 15. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 16. Bill Haas $1,271,553 17. Billy Horschel $1,254,224 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iranian-official-says-no-deaths-far-quake-isna-130339108.html

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Panasonic reveals pricing for (most) 2013 HDTVs, puts plasma R&D on ice

Panasonic's NYC press event had more than pricing for its media streamers and Blu-ray players, as the company also put tags on its 2013 HDTVs. While it wasn't ready to announces MSRPs for its top of the line ZT60 plasmas that impressed us greatly at CES, it did put prices and shipping windows on its other models (check after the break for a complete list). The former flagship VT60 series will be available in 55-, 60- and 65-inch versions later this month for $2,600, $3,000 and $3,600, respectively. Cheaper plasma models include the ST60 and S60 series, available in sizes up to 60-inches. Its top of the line WT60 LCD LED-lit models will also ship later this month, topped by the 55-inch version with a sticker price of $2,999.

The bad news? While Panasonic's plasma manufacturing will continue, The Verge reports VP Kiyoshi Okamoto confirmed at the event that development has ceased on its plasma models, although some engineers have been shifted to work on OLED displays. We'll see if its recovery efforts and technological developments lead to new large-size OLEDs anytime soon, but for now it appears we're seeing the last of its efforts to push plasma technology forward.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Panasonic

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/11/panasonic-reveals-pricing-for-most-2013-hdtvs-and-that-its-p/

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Apple said to be ditching Samsung in favor of TSMC for A7 CPU

The fact that Apple relies upon Samsung, its arch-rival, for a healthy amount of its components, is one of the biggest paradoxes in the tech industry. Still, if The Korea Times is to believed, the unhappy marriage between the two could rapidly be heading towards a divorce. While Apple has previously splashed out several billion per year on Samsung components, the newspaper is suggesting that Cupertino will turn to TSMC to produce its next generation of mobile CPUs -- a rumor that's been making the rounds recently. It's source, and executive at one of Samsung's partners, claims the manufacturer has been cut out of development of the A7 CPU, adding a little bit more credence to those claims. What's more, the same source reports that TSMC is gearing up its 20-nanometer production line to crank out the hardware ready for 2014.

Comments

Via: The Next Web

Source: Korea Times

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/10/apple-samsung-a7-tsmc/

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Tethers Unlimited Selected for 4 NASA and 1 Air Force SBIR Awards ...

NASA has selected Tethers Unlimited of Bothell, Wash., for four Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I awards for the development technologies for nano-sat launch vehicles, small satellites, robotic surface explorers, and space manufacturing.? The company also has been selected for an Air Force SBIR Phase II award for a CubeSat radio system.

The four NASA proposals include:

• SWIFT-nanoLV Avionics Platform (Nano/Micro Satellite Launch Vehicle Technology)
• SWIFT-HPX ? High Data Rate Ka-band Communications for Small Satellites (Game Changing Technologies)
• SPIDER ? Sensing and Positioning on Inclines and Deep Environments with Retrieval (Robotic Mobility, Manipulation and Sampling)
• TRUSSELATOR ? On-Orbit Fabrication of High Performance Support Structures for Solar Arrays (Expandable/Deployable Structures).

Tethers Unlimited also reports on its website that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has selected the company for a SBIR Phase II award ?to develop a software-defined radio system to enable CubeSats to communicate with the Air Force Satellite Control Network. The SWIFT-AFSCN radio will provide SGLS L-band reception and both reception and transmission of USB S-band signals.?

Full summaries of the NASA proposals follow. I have not been able to find a summary for the Air Force award.

PROPOSAL SUMMARY
Award: SBIR Phase I
Maximum Potential Value: $125,000

PROPOSAL TITLE:? SWIFT-nanoLV Avionics Platform

SUBTOPIC TITLE: Nano/Micro Satellite Launch Vehicle Technology

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
Tethers Unlimited
Bothell, WA

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
Nestor Voronka

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 5

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

With the increased demand for and utility of nano- and micro-satellites, the demand for responsive, low-cost access to space has also increased. To meet this demand, multiple private companies are pursuing the development of nano- and micro-launch vehicles (NMLV). However, NMLV builders lack suitable avionics platforms for both development and operational needs. Traditional launch vehicle avionics platforms exceed the SWaP requirements of an NMLV due to their use of redundant, aerospace grade components. To service the needs of NMLV builders, TUI proposes to develop the SWIFT-nanoLV avionics platFORM By leveraging its existing portfolio of SWIFT software-defined radios and other small satellite component technologies. Through the careful use of COTS components, modular design techniques, and software-defined architectures, the SWIFT-nanoLV avionics platform will not only meet the SWaP requirements of an NMLV, but will also help minimize the operating costs of NMLVs. After developing a concept design and testing brassboard prototypes in the Phase I effort, TUI will build and test a fully functional avionics platform in the Phase II effort.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

The SWIFT-nanoLV avionics platform will provide nano/micro launch vehicle builders with a robust, flexible, and lightweight solution for the entire life cycle of a launch vehicle, from development to operations. NASA?s goal is to increase commercial access to space for low-cost, responsive missions. The primary commercial application for the proposed technology is its use as an avionics package for these launch vehicles. In addition to launch vehicles, the proposed technology is well suited for use as a high-performance bus for small satellites, including CubeSats. The tight integration of a flight computer, INS/GPS, and TT&C transceiver in a modular, SWaP efficient package means the proposed technology can be utilized in a wide variety of mission profiles. Because of their low cost, there is an increasing interest at NASA in the use of small satellites.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

A number of government agencies within the DoD and private companies are pursuing the use of small satellites for a variety of missions. The availability of low-cost, responsive nano/micro launch vehicles will increase the ability for these agencies to field those missions. A modular avionics platform that is specifically designed for these launch vehicles will decrease both development and operating costs. Additionally, the proposed SWIFT-nanoLV avionics package is ideal for use as a flexible, high-performance small satellite bus. The tight integration of a flight computer, INS/GPS, and TT&C transceiver in a modular, SWaP efficient package means the proposed technology can be utilized in a wide variety of mission profiles.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

• Algorithms/Control Software & Systems (see also Autonomous Systems)
• Amplifiers/Repeaters/Translators
• Architecture/Framework/Protocols
• Attitude Determination & Control
• Autonomous Control (see also Control & Monitoring)
• Avionics (see also Control and Monitoring)
• Circuits (including ICs; for specific applications, see e.g., Communications, Networking & Signal Transport; Control & Monitoring, Sensors)
• Command & Control
• Diagnostics/Prognostics
• Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing
• Inertial
• Inertial (see also Sensors)
• Intelligence
• Models & Simulations (see also Testing & Evaluation)
• Network Integration
• Positioning (Attitude Determination, Location X-Y-Z)
• Prototyping
• Quality/Reliability
• Ranging/Tracking
• Recovery (see also Autonomous Systems)
• Recovery (see also Vehicle Health Management)
• Sequencing & Scheduling
• Simulation & Modeling
• Software Tools (Analysis, Design)
• Telemetry (see also Control & Monitoring)
• Telemetry/Tracking (Cooperative/Noncooperative; see also Planetary Navigation, Tracking, & Telemetry)
• Transmitters/Receivers

PROPOSAL SUMMARY
Award: SBIR Select Phase I
Maximum Potential Value: $200,000

PROPOSAL TITLE:? SWIFT-HPX ? High Data Rate Ka-band Communications for Small Satellites

SUBTOPIC TITLE: Game Changing Technologies

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
Tethers Unlimited
Bothell, WA

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
Nestor Voronka

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 2
End: 4

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

Leveraging TUI?s SWIFT software defined radio (SDR) architecture, we propose to develop a 100 Mbps downlink and intersatellite crosslink capability with ranging and timing synchronization capabilities to enable more sophisticated CubeSat and small satellite missions. This effort will focus on designing a Ka-band communications solution including a high-gain patch antenna array and Ka-band RF front end, that can be integrated with TUI?s SWIFT software defined radio (SDR) processor running state-of-the art modulation and coding techniques to provide a robust link with adaptive data rates up to 100Mbps. Analyses indicate that a 100 Mbps crosslink can be closed between two CubeSats separated up to 100 kilometers and between a CubeSat in low-Earth orbit and a 12 meter dish (99% link availability with the ITU-P618 rain model) with the same radio. These links represent nearly two orders of magnitude of data throughput improvement over the rates achieved by CubeSat missions to date. This increased downlink and crosslink data rate will enable nanosatellites and CubeSat constellations to be used for scientific, commercial and operationally relevant remote sensing and earth observation missions. Adaptive modulation and coding makes the link more robust and allows for reduced data rate operations without increasing aperture sizes at greater distances (e.g. Lunar and Martian). The proposed SWIFT-HPX radio technology and resultant product supports the migration of small satellite and CubeSat near-Earth communication downlinks and crosslinks to higher frequency links, which is consistent with Phase 1-3 of NASA?S Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Program.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

This SWIFT-HPX radio technology and resultant product supports the migration of small satellite and CubeSat near-Earth communication downlinks and intersatellite crosslinks to higher frequency links, which is consistent with Phase 1-3 of the SCaN Program. This technology and communcaiton solution will enable earth orbiting missions to be deliver more data, providing greater return on mission investments. In addition, this radio could also be used to provide Destination Relay capabilities for Lunar and Mars missions.

One future development effort could focus on the slightly modifying the Ka-band antenna and RF front to allow it to communicate with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) network. TDRSS satellites 8-10 have a Ka-band Single Access (KaSA) service that is available to Space Network (SN) customers.

Communications with TDRSS satellites 8-10 through the Ka-band Single Access (KaSA) service that is available to Space Network (SN) customers can provide up to 300Mbps (uncoded) of data on the downlink (return link), along with a up to 7Mbps of command data (forward link).

Addition R/R&D would focus on improved link performance through antenna technology improvements by incorporating reflectarrays into the design as well as incorporating TUI?s Canfield join gimbal for antenna pointing.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

There are a number of government, industry, and university class instruments and experiments that fly on small satellites (and CubeSats in particular) that produce significantly greater quantities of data that can be downlinked to the ground using UHF and S-band links. By moving the communication link to Ka-band, higher throughputs can be achieved due to higher gain apertures both in space and on the ground, as well as the greater availability of bandwidth allocations at these higher frequencies.

The need for a high-throughput data crosslink and downlink has also been discussed with other government customers including DARPA, US Army, Air Force, and other government private customers. For some of these missions latency is a key factor, which may be addressed either through a private network of SWIFT-HPX radios that use disruption tolerant networking (DTN) techniques to quickly deliver the data from the collecting spacecraft, through intersatellite links to other spacecraft that are in communication with a ground station. Alternately, tuning the antenna and radio to TDRSS frequencies may would leverage NASA?s Space Network to provide this low-latency high througput data link.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

• Antennas
• Architecture/Framework/Protocols
• Coding & Compression
• Command & Control
• Ranging/Tracking
• Relative Navigation (Interception, Docking, Formation Flying; see also Control & Monitoring; Planetary Navigation, Tracking, & Telemetry)
• Telemetry (see also Control & Monitoring)
• Telemetry/Tracking (Cooperative/Noncooperative; see also Planetary Navigation, Tracking, & Telemetry)

PROPOSAL SUMMARY
Award: SBIR Phase I
Maximum Potential Value: $125,000

PROPOSAL TITLE: Sensing and Positioning on Inclines and Deep Environments with Retrieval (SPIDER)

SUBTOPIC TITLE: Robotic Mobility, Manipulation and Sampling

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
Tethers Unlimited
Bothell, WA

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
Gregory Jimmerson

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 2
End: 4

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

To enable future robotic exploration systems to have greater mobility, sensing, sampling, and communication capabilities on difficult terrain such as craters, cliffs, gullies, and skylights, Tethers Unlimited proposes to develop a ?Sensing and Positioning on Inclines and Deep Environments with Retrieval? (SPIDER) system. This system employs an innovative lightweight ?orbital winch? with the capacity for rapid tether deployment and high load retrieval or towing. The unique design of the orbital winch accomplishes cable winding and deployment without rotating the spool, minimizing mass and power consumption, while eliminating the need for electrical and optical slip-ring. The SPIDER system also integrates a launcher that can be used to deploy a wide variety of tethered end-effectors to provide new capabilities for sample retrieval and sensing. A carousel of these stowed end-effectors will allow selection of appropriate implements for a desired task. For example, tethered anchor end-effectors could give planetary rovers the ability to rappel down ravines, tow themselves up steep slopes, or free themselves from a stuck position. Sensing and sampling end-effectors with data- and power- transmitting tethers can be deployed and retrieved from otherwise inaccessible areas, giving in-situ feedback via optical fibers. The SPIDER system can also be a launch platform for subsurface boring or ice-penetrating probes such as the Cryobot. Moreover, by launching an RF transmitter/receiver, the system could improve communications for a planetary rover entering a geologic feature that would impede radio contact, such as a lava tube. The Phase I effort will mature the SPIDER to TRL 4 by testing prototypes of key components, and the Phase II will mature an integrated system to TRL 6 by testing and qualifying a prototype in a relevant terrestrial environment.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

The SPIDER system will allow NASA exploration missions to extend scientific investigations in previously inaccessible terrain. It will enable rovers to explore craters, cliffs, caves and gullies. It will enable sensor, sampler, and communication device placement and retrieval. The SPIDER system may also be used for deployment and retrieval of sampling systems in zero-G environments.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

The SPIDER system could enable small robots used by Search and Rescue teams to locate victims in rubble due to earthquake or mine collapse. It could provide greater mobility for military and recreational vehicles. Additionally, the SPIDER system can providing high-bandwidth communications and power for mobile robots and ROV?s in military and civilian applications, such as urban tactical operations and underground environments, exploration of caves or mines, inspection of ship hulls, and inspection of water, sewer, and oil lines.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

• Cables/Fittings
• Deployment
• Robotics (see also Control & Monitoring; Sensors)
• Surface Propulsion
• Vehicles (see also Autonomous Systems)

PROPOSAL SUMMARY
Award: SBIR Phase I
Maximum Potential Value: $125,000

PROPOSAL TITLE: TRUSSELATOR ? On-Orbit Fabrication of High Performance Support Structures for Solar Arrays

SUBTOPIC TITLE: Expandable/Deployable Structures

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
Tethers Unlimited
Bothell, WA

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
Robert Hoyt

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 4

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

TUI proposes to develop and demonstrate a process for fabricating high-performance composite truss structures on-orbit and integrating them with thin film solar cell assemblies to enable the deployment of very large solar arrays with lower cost and increased power-per-mass than SOA array technologies. On-orbit fabrication enables order-of-magnitude improvements in packing efficiency compared to state of the art deployables technologies such as coilable booms, deployable masts, and inflatable structures, and also enables geometric optimizations to provide order-of-magnitude improvements in structural performance. The proposed effort will build upon an existing TRL-3 truss-fabrication mechanism design, called the ?Trusselator?, which adapts techniques used in 3D printing and automated fiber placement to fabricate arbitrarily-long composite trusses using compactly-wound spools of textile materials as a feedstock. The Phase I SBIR effort will evolve this design to enable fabrication of high-performance truss structures using space-worthy materials, and develop methods for integrating these truss structures with solar cell blankets and the necessary wiring. The Phase II effort will prepare an advanced prototype and mature it to TRL-5 through environmental testing in the lab, preparing it for orbital validation testing in follow-on efforts.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

By improving both the stowed volume and mass required for support structures by an order of magnitude, the Trusselator technology will enable NASA/HEOMD programs to deploy very large, scalable (30-300+kW) solar array systems at lower cost than SOA deployables technologies. The Trusselator technology will also enable improved performance and lower cost for a wide range of systems requiring large support structures, such as large solar sails, thermal shrouds, manned stations, and orbital propellant depots.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

The Trusselator technology will enable DoD space programs and commercial space ventures to construct large, high-performance space structures for missions such as phased-array radar systems, sparse aper-ture radar for orbital debris detection, long-baseline geolocation, and commercial manned stations.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

• Composites
• In Situ Manufacturing
• Joining (Adhesion, Welding)
• Robotics (see also Control & Monitoring; Sensors)
• Spacecraft Design, Construction, Testing, & Performance (see also Engineering; Testing & Evaluation)
• Structures
• Textiles

Source: http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/04/10/tethers-unlimited-selected-for-4-nasa-and-1-air-force-sbir-awards/

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