Researching graphene nanoelectronics for a post-silicon world

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Copper's days are numbered, and a new study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could hasten the downfall of the ubiquitous metal in smart phones, tablet computers, and nearly all electronics. This is good news for technophiles who are seeking smaller, faster devices.

As new generations of computer chips continue to shrink in size, so do the copper pathways that transport electricity and information around the labyrinth of transistors and components. When these pathways?called interconnects?grow smaller, they become less efficient, consume more power, and are more prone to permanent failure.

To overcome this hurdle, industry and academia are vigorously researching new candidates to succeed traditional copper as the material of choice for interconnects on computer chips. One promising candidate is graphene, an atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged like a nanoscale chicken-wire fence. Prized by researchers for its unique properties, graphene is essentially a single layer of the graphite found commonly in our pencils or the charcoal we burn on our barbeques.

Led by Rensselaer Professor Saroj Nayak, a team of researchers discovered they could enhance the ability of graphene to transmit electricity by stacking several thin graphene ribbons on top of one another. The study, published in the journal ACS Nano, brings industry closer to realizing graphene nanoelectronics and naming graphene as the heir apparent to copper.

"Graphene shows enormous potential for use in interconnects, and stacking up graphene shows a viable way to mass produce these structures," said Nayak, a professor in the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy at Rensselaer. "Cooper's limitations are apparent, as increasingly smaller copper interconnects suffer from sluggish electron flows that results in hotter, less reliable devices. Our new study makes a case for the possibility that stacks of graphene ribbons could have what it takes to be used as interconnects in integrated circuits."

The study, based on large-scale quantum simulations, was conducted using the Rensselaer Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI), one of the world's most powerful university-based supercomputers.

Copper interconnects suffer from a variety of unwanted problems, which grow more prominent as the size of the interconnects shrink. Electrons travel through the copper nanowires sluggishly and generate intense heat. As a result, the electrons "drag" atoms of copper around with them. These misplaced atoms increase the copper wire's electrical resistance, and degrade the wire's ability to transport electrons. This means fewer electrons are able to pass through the copper successfully, and any lingering electrons are expressed as heat. This heat can have negative effects on both a computer chip's speed and performance.

It is generally accepted that a quality replacement for traditional copper must be discovered and perfected in the next five to 10 years in order to further perpetuate Moore's Law?an industry mantra that states the number of transistors on a computer chip, and thus the chip's speed, should double every 18 to 24 months.

Nayak's recent work, published in the journal ACS Nano, is titled "Effect of Layer Stacking on the Electronic Structure of Graphene Nanoribbons." When cut into nanoribbons, graphene is known to exhibit a band gap?an energy gap between the valence and conduction bands?which is an unattractive property for interconnects. The new study shows that stacking the graphene nanoribbons on top of each other, however, could significantly shrink this band gap. The study may be viewed online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn200941u

"The optimal thickness is a stack of four to six layers of graphene," said Neerav Kharche, first author of the study and a computational scientist at CCNI. "Stacking more layers beyond this thickness doesn't reduce the band gap any further."

The end destination, Nayak said, is to one day manufacture microprocessors?both the interconnects and the transistors?entirely out of graphene. This game-changing goal, called monolithic integration, would mean the end of the long era of copper interconnects and silicon transistors.

"Such an advance is likely still many years into the future, but it will certainly revolutionize the way nearly all computers and electronics are designed and manufactured," Nayak said.

###

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: http://www.rpi.edu/News

Thanks to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115092/Researching_graphene_nanoelectronics_for_a_post_silicon_world

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New Vooma Peel case brings dual SIM slots to the iPhone 4 and 4S [jailbreak]

Peel, the suppliers of the iPod touch phone case has gone one better this time and is set to release a dual SIM case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The device which will be called the Vooma Peel PG92 works with any jailbroken iPhone 4...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/c-o6N5WuPyE/story01.htm

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PSA: FEMA to test nationwide Emergency Alert System today, emphasis on 'test'

Don't freak out or anything, but at 2 PM EST today, the US government will sound a nationwide alarm. Barring a coincidence of cataclysmic proportion, however, it will only be a test. It's all part of FEMA and the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is slated to be tried out on a nationwide level for the very first time. If, like us, you've spent a healthy portion of your life sitting in front of the TV, you're probably familiar with those monthly local alerts that tend to flash across the screen smack dab in the middle of a Saved by the Bell rerun. That's basically what's gonna happen today across the nation's television and radio networks. Some TV viewers will hear that familiar "this is a test" message during the trial, though most will simply see the word "test" run across their screens. The EAS would allow the president to disseminate information to the public in times of real emergency, which is why the government is so eager to make sure it actually works. All told, it'll last about 30 seconds, so plan your End of the World party accordingly. For more details, hit up the source links below.

PSA: FEMA to test nationwide Emergency Alert System today, emphasis on 'test' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal on Greek premier collapses, Papademos re-emerges (Reuters)

ATHENS (Reuters) ? Greece's party leaders are scheduled to meet on Thursday morning in a fresh attempt to clinch an elusive deal on a national unity government, after days of political bickering took the country closer to an economic abyss.

The president's office said a meeting of party leaders would be held at 0800 GMT (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday, in the fourth day of roller-coaster coalition talks, although in the current chaotic atmosphere meetings are often delayed or fail to happen at all.

The collapse late on Wednesday of a deal brokered earlier in the day on naming the house speaker as prime minister revived the chances of former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos heading the coalition.

The stakes are high. As well as winning parliamentary approval for the bailout, the coalition has to pass the 2012 budget and secure the latest 8 billion euro installment of Greece's original rescue that was pulled together last year, to avoid bankruptcy when big debt repayments come due in December.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister George Papandreou said he was handing over to a coalition that does not exist and then failed to install an old-style politician and personal ally as premier.

On a day that was bizarre and chaotic even by Greek political standards, Papandreou wished his successor well and headed off to meet the president -- only for it to emerge that there was no successor due to feuding in the political parties.

Greeks and the nation's international lenders have watched in growing horror since Monday as party leaders fight over a shrinking list of credible candidates to lead the national unity coalition after Papandreou's government imploded.

"The politicians have succeeded in making us really angry," conservative daily Kathimerini wrote in an editorial. "The country is sinking and they are concerned with their party interests, their personal aspirations and their usual intrigues."

Stefanos Manos, a former finance minister, said the behavior of Papandreou and conservative leader Antonis Samaras was undermining Greece's future in the euro and risking a possible return to the national currency.

"The Europeans are sick of us. Papandreou and Samaras don't realize they will stop giving us money and we will return to the drachma," said Manos. "They are going to destroy us. These problems demand decision-making. They can't decide on anything and they are fighting like cat and dog."

Greece will run out of money next month unless the new government agrees emergency funding with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, Greece's last remaining lenders.

"The country cannot afford to be in a limbo. This pending issue has to be wrapped up today," center-left Ta Nea said. "Politics cannot be a theatrical stage. Especially during a time of national crisis."

Former Greek central banker Papademos, whose candidacy had seemed doomed, insisted that both the socialist and conservative parties sign written undertakings to support Greece's 130 billion euro bailout, as demanded by the European Union, a government source said.

LAST MINUTE SNAGS

On Wednesday, party sources said senior members of the socialist and conservative camps had settled on the speaker of parliament, veteran socialist Filippos Petsalnikos, as the new prime minister -- barring last-minute snags.

Papandreou then gave an emotional television address, supposed to be his last to the nation as premier, saying this deal had saved country's membership of the euro zone.

"I am proud that, despite the difficulties, we avoided bankruptcy and ensured the country stayed on its feet," he said. "I want to wish the new prime minister success, I will support the new effort with all my strength.

Papandreou and Samaras then began talks with President Karolos Papoulias on the new coalition. However, before leaders of smaller parties could join them to seal the coalition, the meeting was abruptly halted, with large sections of Papandreou's PASOK party and the conservative New Democracy refusing to back Petsalnikos.

"We wanted a strong a man who could handle all the economic issues," a socialist lawmaker said. "This candidacy is so close to Papandreou's policies, it does not signal the change the Greek people wanted."

For its part, the European Union needs to put out the fire in Greece to prove to international financial markets that it can tackle another blaze in Italy, a far bigger economy also in economic and political crisis.

Some lawmakers backed a return to the earlier plan, which had appeared stalled, of recruiting Papademos to give the new government the credibility that politicians lost long ago.

"The only solution is Papademos. If he accepts by tomorrow morning we will be able to form a strong government that will pull the country out of the crisis," socialist lawmaker Spyros Vougias told Reuters.

On the streets of Athens, austerity-hit Greeks were exasperated by the political wrangling. "We are doomed to pay for the country's debt for the next 30 years," said Christos Koutras, 60, who sells lottery tickets in central Athens. "If Papandreou steps down and another guy takes over I will still have to pay for the country's debt."

Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos made a rare intervention in Greek politics on Wednesday.

"The uncertainty is hurting the economy and the banking system," Provopoulos told Reuters. "There must be a strong government that will work hard to ensure the country's future in the euro zone."

Greeks have pulled their savings from banks over the past week because of the deepening political crisis and fear of an exit from the euro, banking sources said.

(Additional reporting by Harry Papachristou, Lefteris Papdimas, Tatiana Fragou, and Renee Maltezou; Writing by Ingrid Melander)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/ts_nm/us_greece

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Yelling, cajoling during Murray jury deliberations (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? There were contentious moments, including yelling and cajoling, during two days of deliberations before reaching the guilty verdict in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, a juror said an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter for supplying Jackson with the drug he craved for sleep. The 50-year-old entertainer died on June 25, 2009.

Debbie Franklin, 48, was Juror No. 5, in charge of ringing the buzzer to tell the judge a verdict was reached. She told ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" in the first juror interview so far that most of the jurors had decided on guilt on Friday, the first day of deliberations.

But, she said in the interview videotaped earlier, "not everyone was convinced that Dr. Murray was solely responsible for Michael Jackson's death."

"Toward the end of the day, we finally took a vote," Franklin said. "It was not unanimous and we talked a little more about it."

The panel decided to think it over during a weekend break.

"It was stressful," said the mother of two, who is a paralegal. She said there was "yelling and we had to keep saying, `Nobody talk while this person is talking. Raise your hand if you have something to say."

The majority managed on Monday to convince all jurors that Murray was negligent and his mistakes led to Jackson death, Franklin said.

"He had addictions. He asked other doctors to do it (give him the operating room anesthetic propofol). They said no. He was looking for somebody to say yes. And Conrad Murray said yes," she said.

After the verdict was read, the 58-year-old Murray was handcuffed and taken to jail until sentencing Nov. 29. He's facing up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111109/ap_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_doctor

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Neuromuscular warm-up associated with reduced lower extremity injuries in adolescent female athletes

ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2011) ? Integrating a coach-led neuromuscular warm-up prior to sports practice appeared to reduce the risk of lower extremity injuries in female high school soccer and basketball athletes, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"In girls' high school sports, injury rates per 1,000 athlete exposures are highest in soccer (2.36) and basketball (2.01)," the authors write as background information in the study. "Knee injuries are the most common cause of permanent disability in female high school basketball players, accounting for up to 91 percent of season-ending injuries and 94 percent of injuries requiring surgery."

Cynthia R. LaBella, M.D., of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, and colleagues, sought to examine if lower extremity injuries in adolescent female basketball and soccer athletes could be reduced by incorporating a neuromuscular warm-up prior to every practice and game. The authors invited 258 coaches from Chicago Public Schools to participate, and overall 90 coaches and 1,492 athletes participated. Coaches were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (those who instituted a neuromuscular warm-up) or a control group (those who maintained current warm-up procedures). The study focused on schools and coaches in a predominantly low-income, urban population.

Coaches in the intervention group attended a two-hour training session led by the principal investigator and head athletic trainer two weeks prior to the start of the 2006-2007 season. During the session, coaches were instructed on how to implement a 20-minute neuromuscular warm-up before every practice and an abbreviated version prior to each game. Neuromuscular training included progressive strengthening, balance, plyometric and agility exercises, as well as an educational component where coaches provided feedback to athletes to promote safe jumping and landing techniques designed to help avoid strain on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which can cause knee injury.

Of 95 coaches randomized in the study, 90 (94.7 percent) participated, representing 36 of the 80 Chicago public high schools that offer girls' basketball or soccer programs. There were 755 athletes in the control group and 737 athletes in the intervention group. The control group had 96 lower extremity injuries, compared to 50 lower extremity injuries in the intervention group. Thirteen control athletes and two intervention athletes each sustained two lower extremity injuries. All athletes with noncontact lower extremity injuries that required surgery were in the control group. Teams using the warm-up more frequently had lower rates of acute-onset lower extremity injuries, but this difference was not significant.

Additionally, the authors estimated that the cost of training for a group of 15 to 20 coaches was roughly $80 per coach, suggesting that this program can feasibly be implemented in predominantly low-income, urban populations, such as the one studied. Intervention coaches reported using the prescribed warm-up before a mean (average) of 80 percent of practices, and only six of the 53 intervention coaches reported using the prescribed warm-up for less than 50 percent of practices. No control coaches were observed using any prescribed practices, and most omitted a warm-up or had athletes jog or warm-up by themselves.

"Coach-led neuromuscular warm-up reduces noncontact lower extremity injuries in female high school soccer and basketball athletes from a mixed-ethnicity, predominantly low-income, urban population," the authors conclude. "These findings suggest that neuromuscular training should be routine in girls' high school soccer and basketball."

Editorial: Translating Research Into Sustainable Change on the Playing Field

In an accompanying editorial, M. Alison Brooks, M.D., M.P.H., and Timothy A. McGuine, Ph.D., A.T.C., both of the University of Wisconsin -- Madison, write "each year, an estimated one in three female high school athletes sustains a soccer- or basketball-related injury. In addition to the economic impact of injury, these athletes may have long-term sequelae such as joint osteoarthritis, cessation of physical activity, higher rates of chronic medical conditions and worse self-reported quality of life."

"In this issue of the Archives, LaBella et al report their findings from a well-designed, large, cluster-randomized controlled trial in which they successfully implemented a coach-led neuromuscular warm-up in an underserved and at-risk population, specifically female athletes in low-income, mixed-ethnicity, urban communities," write Brooks and McGuine. "However, most coaches enrolled in the control group were observed not to include any type of warm-up routine in practice. When not part of a prescribed research intervention, coaches may not be motivated or knowledgeable to include a structured neuromuscular training program."

"LaBella and colleagues did not describe why nonparticipating coaches were unsatisfied with the warm-up program, why intervention coaches omitted certain exercises, or why control coaches included no warm-up routine at all," Brooks and McGuine continue. "This qualitative information may be key to identifying the beliefs and behaviors that are barriers to implementation of injury prevention strategies."

"In their concluding statement, LaBella and colleagues state that their 'findings suggest that NMT (neuromuscular training) should be routine in girls' high school soccer and basketball.' We could not agree more. But how do we get there from here?"

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal References:

  1. C. R. LaBella, M. R. Huxford, J. Grissom, K.-Y. Kim, J. Peng, K. K. Christoffel. Effect of Neuromuscular Warm-up on Injuries in Female Soccer and Basketball Athletes in Urban Public High Schools: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2011; 165 (11): 1033 DOI: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.168
  2. M. A. Brooks, T. A. McGuine. Translating Cost-effective Injury Prevention Research Into Sustainable Change on the Playing Field: The Youth Injury Epidemic. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 2011; 165 (11): 1049 DOI: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.174

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111107162738.htm

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Virtual MIDI piano glove even makes MJ's sparkly one look tame (video)

When a piano necktie or keytar just feel too showy, why not opt for the more subdued wireless MIDI piano glove? An excellent choice for daytime or night, the hand accessory allows you to tickle the virtual ivories without putting a finger to a real eighty-eight. It works as such: wired with resistive flex sensors, move a finger and the glove will send an electrical current through a voltage divider and microcontroller to create the corresponding MIDI note. The result? Single notes or chords of musical greatness truly worthy of a bad karaoke singalong. Check out the MIDI throwback video after the break.

Continue reading Virtual MIDI piano glove even makes MJ's sparkly one look tame (video)

Virtual MIDI piano glove even makes MJ's sparkly one look tame (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official tells AP that support for Paterno eroding (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Support for keeping Joe Paterno in his job coaching Penn State football is eroding among the board of trustees, threatening to end the 84-year-old coach's career amid a child sex-abuse scandal involving a former assistant and one-time heir apparent.

A person familiar with the trustees' discussions and who used the term "eroding" said it was unclear what the consequences for Paterno will be and that a decision could be rendered before the board meets on Friday.

Penn State President Graham Spanier also has lost support among the Board of Trustees, the person said, but again, how much was unclear. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Paterno's son, Scott, said his father hasn't spoken with Penn State officials or trustees about stepping down. Addressing reporters outside his father's house, he said Joe Paterno plans to not only coach in Saturday's game against Nebraska, but for the long haul.

"No one has asked Joe to resign," Scott Paterno told The Associated Press in a text message.

Penn State administrators canceled Paterno's weekly news conference during which he was expected to field questions about the sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The former defensive coordinator on Paterno's two national championship teams in 1980s was arrested Saturday on charges of sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years. His lawyer has said Sandusky is innocent.

Scott Paterno said the decision to cancel was made by Spanier's office, and that his father was disappointed.

"I know you guys have a lot of questions. I was hoping I could answer them today. We'll try to do it as soon as we can," Joe Paterno said to a group of reporters as he got into his car. About a dozen students stood nearby, chanting, "We love you, Joe."

A second person familiar with the board's discussions said it was focused on the horrific aspects of the charges against Sandusky; two university officials have also been charged in the scandal, accused of failing to notify authorities when told Sandusky had assaulted a boy in a shower used by the football team. The person also spoke under condition of anonymity.

Trustee David Joyner said he was unaware if any decision had been made on Paterno's future.

Authorities have said that Paterno, who testified in the grand jury proceedings that led to the charges against Sandusky, is not a target of the investigation. But the state police commissioner has chastised him and other school officials for not doing enough to try to stop the suspected abuse.

Meanwhile, another potential victim has contacted authorities.

The man, now an adult, contacted the department on Sunday after seeing media accounts of Sandusky's arrest, Lt. David Young at the Montoursville station said. Investigators took a statement from him and forwarded it to the Rockview station for officers there to pursue, Young said.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, which first reported that the man had come forward, said he is in his 20s, knew Sandusky from The Second Mile charity the former coach founded in 1977, and had never told his parents or authorities about the alleged encounters from about a decade ago.

Young declined to release the man's name or provide details about what he claims occurred.

The Patriot-News published a rare full, front-page editorial calling for this season to be Paterno's last and for Spanier to resign immediately.

"There are the obligations we all have to uphold the law. There are then the obligations we all have to do what is right," the editorial board wrote about Spanier's role in the sex abuse scandal, along with Paterno's.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, in an editorial, also called on Paterno and Spanier to both resign.

A person familiar with Sandusky's relationship to Penn State told the AP that the former coach long maintained an office in the East Area Locker building, across the street from the Penn State football team's building, and that he was on campus as recently as week ago working out.

The university's online directory listed Sandusky ? whom Penn State officials banned from campus during the weekend ? as an assistant professor emeritus of physical education in the Lasch building.

The grand jury investigating Sandusky found that he was given the office, a parking pass and other amenities as part of his 1999 retirement package.

Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said Monday in Harrisburg that Paterno fulfilled his legal requirement when he relayed to university administrators that a graduate assistant had seen Sandusky attacking a young boy in the team's locker room shower in 2002. But the commissioner also questioned whether Paterno had a moral responsibility to do more.

"Somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child," Noonan said.

"I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us."

___

Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111108/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_abuse

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Murdoch tabloid spied on hacking victims' lawyers (AP)

LONDON ? Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper company spied on two lawyers who represent alleged victims of phone hacking by its tabloid News of the World, the firm acknowledged Monday.

News International said lawyers Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris "were subject to surveillance," a practice it called "inappropriate."

The BBC and The Guardian newspaper reported Monday that Lewis and Harris were followed and filmed last year by private investigator Derek Webb, who was hired by the now-defunct tabloid to gather evidence in a bid to discredit them.

Webb ? who ran a company called Silent Shadow ? told the BBC that the surveillance began in early 2010 and included following and filming Lewis' ex-wife and daughter while they went shopping.

Lewis told the BBC that spying on his teenage daughter was "nothing short of sick" and accused the newspaper of "Mafia-like" behavior.

News International said surveillance was not illegal, but "was clearly deeply inappropriate in these circumstances."

It said the action "was not condoned by any current executive at the company," but the revelation increases the pressure on Rupert's son James Murdoch, who heads the international division of his father's media empire.

Lewis represented the family of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked after she disappeared in 2002. She was later found murdered.

Harris's clients have included actress Leslie Ash, politician Lembit Opik and soccer agent Sky Andrew, all of whom claim their cell phone voice mail messages were intercepted by the newspaper.

Murdoch shut down the News of the World in July after evidence emerged that the tabloid's reporters had eavesdropped on Dowler's phone messages while police were hunting for her, and that such illegal activity was widespread at the newspaper.

That touched off a storm of public outrage that shook Murdoch's media empire and sent tremors through Britain's political, police and media establishments.

Several senior executives of Murdoch's News Corp. have resigned over the scandal, including former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and ex-Wall Street Journal publisher Les Hinton.

More than a dozen journalists, most of them former News of the World employees, have been arrested and questioned about phone hacking, though none has yet been charged. Dozens of people ? from celebrities and politicians to the families of crime victims ? are suing Murdoch's News Corp.

Rupert and James Murdoch both denied knowing hacking was endemic at the newspaper when they appeared before a panel of British lawmakers investigating phone hacking in July.

Former News Corp. employees have cast doubt on their testimony, and James Murdoch has been recalled to give evidence to the lawmakers again on Thursday.

Opposition Labour Party legislator Tom Watson, a strong critic of News Corp. who sits on the committee, said James Murdoch had "some very serious questions to answer."

Watson told the BBC that the revelation lawyers were spied on "shows an utterly relentless and ruthless organization ... that would stop at nothing to cover this case up."

____

Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111107/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_phone_hacking

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The Comfort Principle: Spend Money Where You Spend Your Time [Personal Finance]

The Comfort Principle: Spend Money Where You Spend Your TimeOne of Lifehacker's main tasks is to help you save money. But once you've saved money, where should you spend it in order to maximize the usefulness of your money spent?or even your happiness? To answer that, just look at what you spend your day doing, proportionally, and allocate money accordingly. I'm going to call it the comfort principle.

I'll use myself as an example to illustrate exactly what the comfort principle is. I work at home, and thus average at least 10 hours a day in one chair in front of the computer. Subtract 8 hours from the day for sleeping means I'm spending 10 out of 16 hours, or 62% of my waking day, in this chair. That's a pretty large percentage of my time.

Now I apply the comfort principle. Would I rather spend 62% of my time either "making do" with a mediocre chair and powering through in relative misery, or would I rather spend it in comfort? The higher the percentage of your day you spend in a task, the easier the question becomes. Of course I would rather spend 62% of my time comfortably rather than suffering back pain. The decision becomes more straightforward when framed in this way.

But even so, talking in percentages is abstract, and humans have an easier time thinking in pure numbers than we do in abstract terms. So let's get some actual numbers.

10 hours/day * 5 days/week * 52 weeks/year = 2600 hours a year that you're sitting on that chair. (You'll have some weeks off for vacation, but you'll also probably be working late, or working weekends, so let's just say it evens out.)

Say the typical mediocre Office Depot chair costs $100, and a really good chair?a spine-conforming, back-supporting, muscle-relaxing specimen?costs $800. If you spread your $700 over the course of 2600 hours, that comes out to about 25 cents an hour. Would you pay a quarter an hour to be comfortable? My guess is yes. The numbers look even better when you realize you won't switch chairs every year. Even at five years?which is short for a quality chair?you're down to 5 cents per hour.

I can then examine other things I do throughout the day, like the computer (which works out to be about the same as that chair), or a smartphone (1-2 hours), or a mattress (8+ hours), and adjust accordingly. If my computer takes 10 seconds to open an app and I can shave it down to 2 by swapping in an SSD, that's a worthwhile purchase when you factor in frustration and time saved. If my computer locks up frequently because I don't have enough RAM or if it's just too slow, it's in my own interest to upgrade or get a new computer. If I can get through my day with as little aggravation, frustration and discomfort as possible, I'll be much more relaxed, which benefits myself and the people around me. And preventing stress is much better than having to spend money later on to alleviate stress.

How this applies to you

If you don't work at home, you probably won't have as easy a time finding items that you use a majority of your day, but you still can. Start by making a list of what you do all day, then evaluating what equipment you need to do those tasks. For example, here's a generic list:

  • 8 hours: (Work) Office chair, computer, office desk, monitor
  • 2 hours: (Commute) Car, car stuff
  • 1 hour: (Cooking) Kitchen utensils
  • 3 hours: (Living room recreation) TV, video games, music
  • 1 hour: (Reading) Kindle/iPad
  • 1 hour: (Exercise) Running, treadmill, elliptical

You might not be able to convince your manager that you need an expensive chair, but you may have more luck getting them to splurge for an ergonomic keyboard and mouse, or a better monitor. And even if they don't, the comfort principle dictates that you may still be better off sucking it up and spending this money yourself, particularly if you're going to be happier or healthier for it. (Just make sure that everyone knows these items are yours and refrains from stealing them.)

The comfort principle applies to your leisure time as well. Getting nice gardening equipment if you like to spend an hour unwinding after work in your backyard, or better running shoes/clothes if you exercise every day, or a nicer bike for your weekends or commuting will make the time spent more enjoyable. If you or your family likes to cook daily, imagine how much easier?or stress free-the process would be if all your tools were good.

Those of you with a long commute in a horrible car may not want to go all the way into getting a brand new car, but you can at least get some better back support, a more capable stereo (maybe something with hands-free calling), a navigation system, or some way to make those commuting hours less miserable. If you're going to be spending two hours a day confined in a single place, why not spend a little and use that time listening to audiobooks, which can be entertaining as well as informative.

If you've got any sort of back pain or if you're not satisfied with your mattress, you should get a good one immediately. Not only do you spend a third of every single day on that thing, the aftereffects of a good or bad night's sleep affects the other two thirds dramatically. This will be money well spent.

Where you might stop yourself from splurging

Many of us already use our disposable income to comfort ourselves, but we might not be doing this in the most optimal manner. Instead of dumping money into, say, a jet-ski you only use four weekends a year, investing in things you use every single day can make you happier in the long run, even if they're not as flashy a purchase. It's easy to get into the habit of retail therapy for items we use very infrequently to make ourselves feel better, but it's not often that we consider how much these purchases will improve our day-to-day existences. (And if you really must have a jet-ski, think about renting instead of buying.)

We also need to keep the concept of "good enough" in mind, because you'll eventually reach the point of diminishing returns. There might be a big difference between a $500 computer and a $1000 computer, but you'll notice much less of one between a $1500 and $2000 computer. And if you already have a car that's been made in the last 5 years, there probably won't be much you need to upgrade to, seeing as you can do incremental updates on your stereo system or GPS navigation.

Of course, if money's tight, the comfort principle can't always apply. If you're finding yourself trying to save money by curbing excess spending, you might not have the freedom to pick up luxury items like a nice chair or a better smartphone?but the principle might help you redefine what is and isn't considered luxury.

By evaluating and making a list of what it is you do all day and then applying the comfort principle, you can make sure your dollars are going to the areas in your life that have the highest impact on your happiness.

Photo by Discpicture, karam Miri, andersphoto, vlad_star, Kayros Studio/Shutterstock


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/6gKmAPGVC04/the-comfort-principle-spend-money-where-you-spend-your-time

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