Five years of stereo imaging for NASA's TWINS

June 24, 2013 ? Surrounding Earth is a dynamic region called the magnetosphere. The region is governed by magnetic and electric forces, incoming energy and material from the sun, and a vast zoo of waves and processes unlike what is normally experienced in Earth-bound physics. Nestled inside this constantly changing magnetic bubble lies a donut of charged particles generally aligned with Earth's equator. Known as the ring current, its waxing and waning is a crucial part of the space weather surrounding our planet, able to induce magnetic fluctuations on the ground as well as to transmit disruptive surface charges onto spacecraft.

On June 15, 2008, a new set of instruments began stereoscopic imaging of this mysterious region. Called Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers or TWINS, these satellites orbit in widely separated planes to provide the first and only stereo view of the ring current. TWINS maps the energetic neutral atoms that shoot away from the ring current when created by ion collisions.

In five years of operation, the TWINS maps have provided three-dimensional images and global characterization of this region. The observatories track how the magnetosphere responds to space weather storms, characterize global information such as temperature and shape of various structures within the magnetosphere, and improve models of the magnetosphere that can be used to simulate a vast array of events.

"With two satellites, with two sets of simultaneous images we can see things that are entirely new," said Mei-Ching Fok, the project scientist for TWINS at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "This is the first ever stereoscopic energetic neutral atom mission, and it's changed the way we understand the ring current."

Each spacecraft is in a highly elliptical orbit called a Molniya orbit, during which the spacecraft spend most of their time around 20,000 miles above Earth, where they get a great view of the magnetosphere. Initially launched for a two-year mission, TWINS was formally extended in 2010 for three more years, with another multi-year extension pending. Over that time, TWINS has worked hand in hand with other NASA missions that provide information about Earth's magnetosphere.

"We've done some fantastic new research in the last five years," said David McComas, the principal investigator for TWINS at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. "As a mission of opportunity, it is a very inexpensive mission and it continues to return incredible science."

TWINS science is based on two instruments that can track neutral atoms. The first is a neutral atom imager that records the atoms that naturally stream away when a neutral atom collides with an ion. This allows the instrument to map the original ions from far away -- as if it could see atoms the way we see light -- instead of only collecting data from the areas of space it passes through.

"Over the course of the last 20 years a completely new technique evolved so we can observe charged particles, such as those in the ring current, remotely," said McComas. "The charged particles sometimes collide with a slow-moving neutral particle, in this case from a population of neutrals from Earth's highly extended atmosphere, the geocorona."

When this happens, an electron hops from the slow neutral atom to the fast ion, so now the former becomes charged, and the latter neutral. That new neutral speeds off in a straight direction, unfazed by the magnetic field lines around Earth that guide and control the motion of charged particles. TWINS collects such fast neutral particles and from that data scientists can work backward to map out the location and movement of the original ions.

The other instrument on TWINS is a Lyman alpha detector, which can measure the density of hydrogen from afar, and in this case observes the hydrogen cloud around Earth, the geocorona.

Most importantly, these instruments exist on both of the TWINS spacecraft. Much of the successful research in the last five years relies on the ability to watch these neutrals from two viewpoints, allowing scientists to analyze not only speed and number of particles, but also to determine the angles at which the particles left their original collisions. The stereo vision contributed to the detailed perspectives on how the magnetosphere reacts to space weather storms: both those due to the impact of a coronal mass ejection that traveled from the sun toward Earth and due to an incoming twist in the solar wind known as a co-rotating interaction region. TWINS has also revealed that the pitch angle at which the ions travel around Earth is different on each side of the planet. Such information helps scientists determine whether the ions are more likely to escape from the ring current out into space or to ultimately funnel down toward Earth.

"TWINS is a stereo mission, providing the first observations of the neutral atoms from two vantage points, but two spacecraft give us another advantage," said Natalia Buzulukova, a magnetospheric scientist at Goddard who works with TWINS data. "Two spacecraft provide continuous coverage of the ring current, as one set of instruments always has a view."

Because the spacecraft orbits are not in sync they provide stereoscopic imaging for a few hours each day, but there is always at least one spacecraft keeping tabs on how events are unfolding. Prior to TWINS, a spacecraft might see a tantalizing process taking place in the ring current for only a short while before its orbit took it out of view. The event might well have finished before the spacecraft came back around for its second look.

Such continuity has proved useful to determine what governs whether particles in the ring current will precipitate downward toward Earth as well as to provide a global temperature map of the magnetic tail trailing behind Earth, the magnetotail. Such a map had only ever previously been inferred from models and statistical analysis, never from a comprehensive data set of what was actually observed.

The Lyman-alpha instrument has been used in two ways. For one thing, it quantifies the geocorona in order to better understand how it affects the collisions in the ring current. It also has taught us more about the geocorona itself. Previously, researchers believed it to be a fairly simple sphere around Earth. The two TWINS instruments have shown how asymmetric it is, changing with the solar cycle, seasons, and even the hours of the day.

A final important feature of this fire hose of TWINS data is how much it helps improve computer simulations of the ring current and the rest of the magnetosphere. With accurate computer models, scientists can better predict how the magnetosphere will react to any given space weather event.

"We get two really unique things with two spacecraft: stereo imaging and continuous coverage. Together the observations we get are fantastic," said McComas. "It's an incredibly powerful combination of tools."

TWINS is an Explorer Mission of Opportunity. Southwest Research Institute leads TWINS with teams of national and international partners. Goddard manages the Explorers Program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.

For more information about TWINS science and mission, visit: http://science.nasa.gov/missions/twins/

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130624141606.htm

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Americans' vitamin D levels are highest in August, lowest in February, study shows

June 22, 2013 ? UC Irvine and Mayo Clinic researchers have found that vitamin D levels in the U.S. population peak in August and bottom out in February. The essential vitamin -- necessary for healthy bones -- is produced in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B rays from the sun.

Vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium and can protect against osteoporosis. It's also thought to play a role in seasonal illnesses, such as the flu. Low levels of vitamin D are believed to impair "innate immunity" i.e., the body's first line of defense against pathogens. To further study this link, good estimates of the cyclicality of the vitamin are necessary. Solar exposure -- a timely topic since June 21 marks the first day of summer -- is the most important way people acquire vitamin D. But certain foods, including egg yolks and oil-rich fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines and herring contain the nutrient. In addition, milk and cereal are often enriched with vitamin D.

"Even with food fortification, vitamin D levels in the population show a high level of seasonality due to the influence of sunlight," said Amy Kasahara, a UC Irvine graduate student in public health and first author on the paper, which appears in the journal PLOS ONE.

"The exact biochemical pathways from UVB rays to vitamin D were discovered in the 1970s," she said. "In this study, we have shown that vitamin D levels lag the solar cycle, peaking in August and troughing in February."

The correlation between the seasons and vitamin D has been known for some time. "What we have been able to do is put a lot more precision on the estimates of vitamin D seasonality," said Andrew Noymer, associate professor of public health and senior author of the article.

"Our analysis, combined with other data, will help contribute to understanding the role of vitamin D in all seasonal diseases, where the simple winter/spring/summer/fall categories are not sufficient."

Researchers measured the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 3.4 million blood samples collected weekly in the U.S. between July 2006 and December 2011.

The study looked at population averages, so people shouldn't make assumptions about their own levels of vitamin D based on the calendar. Healthcare providers can perform individual blood tests to measure vitamin D directly, and supplements are available for those who cannot or do not receive enough exposure to sunlight.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/M6AgS9aaSR0/130622154600.htm

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Calvin Klein man for next summer an urban dreamer

MILAN (AP) ? The Calvin Klein man for next summer is an urban dreamer, contemplating his horizons and even the cosmos.

The collection for next summer presented Sunday on the second day of Milan Fashion Week keeps men in their comfort zone, with a solid focus on basics in reassuring blues. There are bomber jackets, suits with cuffed pants and classic shirts.

Designer Italo Zucchelli offers up monochromatic looks for next summer in blues: wake-up royal, soothing sky and down-to-business Navy. Classic double-pocket snap-close shirts are paired with same-color pants that cuff at the ankle. They in turn are worn with a shoe of the matching color and same-color socks ? none of the black socks seen on other runways.

Bomber jackets come in white with classic blue vertical stripes, perfect for a day at the ballpark.

On the more daring end of the spectrum, sweatshirts are made of a funky mix of fabrics: One had a neoprene effect, another was chunky knit and finally there were cotton panels. Together, they create a harmonious clash fitting of the heavy metal riffs that down along the runway.

Wrapping up the look: a series of sloping shoulder shirts and sweatshirts with prints of the sky in all its glorious phases; a daytime blue sky filled with fluffy clouds, another at sunset and a star-filled night.

Each includes a door-shaped panel. Some show another sky ? it's unclear whether it's a forecast or the past. Another is dark, and open for interpretation.

The collection is for the urban dweller, one whose view of the sky may be otherwise crowded by buildings. He of course would have little need for shorts as active-wear, and there are none in this collection.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/calvin-klein-man-next-summer-urban-dreamer-170759036.html

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Analysis: After the Fed shock, markets set for more turmoil

By Steven C. Johnson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fasten your seatbelts. And expect lots of turbulence.

If that was the message Ben Bernanke was trying to deliver when he said the Federal Reserve could soon start scaling back its massive stimulus program for the U.S. economy, it's safe to say investors received it loud and clear.

In fact, the sell-off in stocks, bonds and commodities that rippled around the globe after Bernanke's remarks looks to some like the dawn of a new period of volatile, disorderly trade - a stark change from the calm that prevailed since the Fed began its most recent bond-buying program last autumn.

"When market regimes shift, they rarely do so in an orderly fashion - look at equity prices collapsing at the end of the dot-com bubble or the height of the financial crisis," said Stephen Sachs, head of capital markets at exchange-traded fund issuer ProShares in Bethesda, Maryland. "It usually gets violent. We're going to face that in interest rates now."

Indeed, the bond market is at the epicenter of the financial market earthquake that Bernanke unleashed. Benchmark yields, which Fed easing had driven to record lows, surged to near two-year highs and are expected to keep climbing as traders come to grips with the prospect of the Fed ending bond purchases by mid-2014.

The aftershocks have rattled markets from Tokyo to Sao Paulo, and assets that had been top performers plunged. U.S. credit markets were hammered, with the gap between junk bond yields and Treasuries hitting their widest so far this year, while global equity markets lost $1 trillion on Thursday alone.

The brute force of the decline caught some by surprise, since Bernanke warned in late May that the Fed could slow its bond buying later this year. Even so, watching long-term interest rates rise 0.4 percentage points for the week - the biggest move in more than 10 years - after trading for months near record lows was a wake-up call.

"People live in denial all the time," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at investment management firm Fort Pitt Capital in Pittsburgh. "The thinking part of people's brains understood that rates would have to go up sometime. But they weren't ready to be told that reality starts now."

That goes for companies who now face higher funding costs and investors who had borrowed money cheaply to trade.

Investors had been funding trades in riskier markets by borrowing in the stable, low-interest-rate U.S. debt market. But the cost to borrow rises with higher rates and with increased volatility - both of which appear to be here to stay, at least for now.

Dan Fuss, vice chairman of investment management firm Loomis Sayles & Co, which manages $191 billion in funds, said: "Leverage is coming out of the market. These market moves reflect that, but when you get sharp moves like this a lot of people get nervous. That can contribute to more selling."

Bond investors hoping to play "follow the Fed" forever face an even more frightening reality. As Zane Brown, a fixed income strategist at asset manager Lord Abbett & Co noted, a return to a more normal level of interest rates would result in a zero total return over the next five years for investors benchmarked to the popular Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.

Investors pulled $15.1 billion out of taxable bond funds in the first three weeks of June, according to Lipper, a Thomson Reuters service. That is the biggest three-week outflow from the funds since October 2008, at the height of the financial crisis.

"HYPER-SENSITIVE"

All of this has left traders and investors scrambling to protect themselves in anticipation of a volatile summer.

Trading in interest-rate futures contracts spiked to a record in late May when Bernanke first broached the subject of winding down stimulus. It soared again this week, when some 12.8 million contracts changed hands on Thursday, according to CME Group, well above May's daily average of 7.9 million.

Volume in S&P 500 index options rose to 2.3 million contracts on Thursday, a new one-day record, while overall options volume of 33.3 million contracts made it the busiest day since August 9, 2011, four days after Standard & Poor's stripped the United States of its top credit rating.

Since Bernanke has insisted that winding down bond purchases depends on continued economic improvement, traders now have to assume nearly every economic data release will have the potential to whipsaw financial markets.

"Across the board, we have seen people paying up for insurance in the options market," said J.J. Kinahan, chief strategist at online brokerage firm TD Ameritrade. "The market is going to be hyper-sensitive to anything that the Fed says, and the three major reports on employment, retail sales and housing will continue to dominate the eyes of the market."

The CBOE Volatility Index, a gauge of anxiety on Wall Street, jumped 23 percent on Thursday to 20.49, the first time this year it has exceeded 20, an often-used dividing line between calm and stressed markets. It closed at 18.90 on Friday.

Signs of concern about high-flying assets like emerging markets can be seen in the options market, where more than 1.35 million contracts in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets exchange-traded fund traded on Thursday - 82 percent of which were put options, generally used to protect against losses.

The Merrill Lynch MOVE Index, a measure of expected volatility in the U.S. Treasury market, rose to 103.7 on Friday; that index sat at 50 in early May, a multi-year low.

The uncertainty the Fed has sowed by telling markets they are on their own means the days of almost uninterrupted gains that have prevailed since late last year are over. And that brings problems of its own for investors and the market.

For one thing, violent price swings make investors more vulnerable to big losses, prompting them to sell assets simply to reduce their value-at-risk (VaR) levels, a statistical method for quantifying portfolio risk over a given period of time.

Rack up enough of these forced liquidations and it is not hard to see how a sell-off in one market can spread quickly to other assets and other parts of the world.

Bob Lynch, head of G10 FX strategy at HSBC, said this was a factor driving the bond and equity sell-off in late May "and could be an important input driving financial assets lower in the current environment."

"It is too early to tell if the market reaction to the Fed is just noise or the beginning of a greater sell-off in U.S. equities," said Mike Tosaw, portfolio manager at RCM Wealth Advisors, an investment advisory firm in Chicago.

"Over the course of the last month, we have been taking money off the table in the stock market and keeping the cash for the time being. Early next week, we plan to evaluate if this is a buying opportunity in stocks or if we need to run for the hills."

(Additional reporting by Doris Frankel in Chicago and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, Jonathan Spicer and Herbert Lash in New York; Editing by Martin Howell and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-fed-shock-markets-set-more-turmoil-120416046.html

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Blog: Is Mobile Gaming Really Gaming?

As mobile gaming as grown in popularity, there has been a growing rift between those who play games on mobile devices, and those who play "real" games. I first realized that people made this distinction when the creator of Angry Birds claimed that consoles were dying, and wanted people to stop using the term "casual" games.

This all boils down to the simple question of "what is a gamer?" Sadly, it's also incredibly subjective. My definition may be very different from your own - and how can we agree whether the guy playing Angry Birds for hours on end is a gamer if we can't agree on what we're arguing about?

So what could a gamer be? From my experience there are a handful of popular viewpoints on this.

• Someone who has been playing video and computer games regularly, and seems likely that they will continue to do so. Usually it's someone whose primary entertainment medium is video games. They may watch movies or hang out with friends, but if they had their way the majority of their time would be spent gaming.
• Someone entrenched in the gaming culture. They know the lingo, they bond with other gamers, they stay up-to-date on what's happening, etc. These aren't just people who sit down and play Call of Duty for a few hours; they're the ones with a Triforce tattoo, a framed ticket from Comic-Con, or a Super Mario Bros ringtone.
• Anyone who appreciates video games. Maybe they don't have the time to sit down with a 20 hour adventure game, or their game time is so erratic that it's easier to play simpler games. While they may not play often, they enjoy when they do play.

I've obviously painted some pretty broad strokes, and even omitted some groups entirely. While there may be those who play Warmachine or Magic and not video games, I've found that video games are a gateway hobby that leads to more enjoyable types of gaming.

But as you can see, it's hard to hammer down an agreeable definition. I've seen criticisms of mobile gaming ranging from lack of story, not hard, shallow gameplay, bad graphics, not expensive enough (what?), no controller or mouse/keyboard, ?etc. But the problem with that is that you can apply that criteria to many popular games as well.?

Games like Call of Duty and Halo, while possessing a single player story, could sell games solely for the multiplayer. That's because the "hardcore" gamers play it for the competitive side, while some enjoy it for the story. When I'm shooting an enemy because he's standing on a flag in the streets of an African village, there's really no story there. There's an essence of story (local militia vs. foreign army), but nothing more elegant than birds getting revenge on thieving pigs.?

Or what about games that aren't there for their difficulty? Games like Fable and Skyrim have great stories, but their difficulty is either non-existent or incredibly arbitrary. They aren't designed for a challenge, but around what you can do in the game. You can die, and there may be some tough areas, but for the most part your goal isn't to survive but to explore the world and enjoy the story.

I don't want to nit-pick, but my point is that not all games have all aspects. A game can have a great story but low content, or offer a high learning curve and terrible graphics. Sometimes you can squeeze most of them in to a game, and sometimes you can't. Yet as long as they're playing these games on consoles or PC, we call them gamers.

Why isn't the same true of people who play on mobile devices? Games like Chaos Rings or Infinity Blade have stunning graphics but rather simple controls. The games are difficult and satisfying, so why does the screen size matter? Or what about games like The Walking Dead that were huge hits on consoles and were "basic" enough to be translated to mobile devices?

It seems to me that a new breed of gamers has been created, and we don't know how to treat them. Whether its a sense of elitism or just being protective of our hobby, we criticize those who want to identify themselves as gamers without owning a single console/PC game. Someone can have a high score in Angry Birds, or has beaten the entire Zenonia series, and yet we give them a derisive snort and turn back to playing Borderlands. Instead we should welcome what they bring to the table - an escape for those who want to game, but don't have the time or money to keep up with it.

My view? I say anyone who enjoys gaming is a gamer. I don't care where you do it, or what you do it on. If you're spending your free time collecting pointless things, getting invested in a fictional world, competing against humans or AI, or just saving pixelated princesses, you're okay in my book.

See you tomorrow!

Remember to follow me on Facebook. I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways!

Source: http://rayofpaintstudios.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-mobile-gaming-really-gaming.html

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Miami Heat Championship Parade Will Be Monday June 21, 2013

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans celebrate in the streets after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans celebrate in the streets after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat have won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Brandon Opalka beats on a metal bowl as he and othe fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat have won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans celebrate in the streets after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat have won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: A fan wearing a Lebron James jersey celebrates after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans celebrate in the streets after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat have won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat fans celebrate the Championship after the Heat's win against the San Antonio Spurs after the Game 7 of the NBA final basketball series in Miami on Friday, June 21, 2013. The Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 88-95. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat fans climb the sign stanchion outside American Airline Stadium while celebrating in Miami on Thursday June 20, 2013 after the Heat won the 2013 NBA Championship against the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 in Game 7 of the NBA finals to win their second straight title. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships.(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat fans celebrate the Championship after the Heat's win against the San Antonio Spurs after the Game 7 of the NBA final basketball series in Miami on Friday, June 21, 2013.. The Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 88-95. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat fans celebrate the Championship after the Heat's win against the San Antonio Spurs after the Game 7 of the NBA final basketball series in Miami on Friday, June 21, 2013.. The Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 88-95. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react as they watch on television the Miami Heat win the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react as they watch on television the Miami Heat win the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react as they watch on television the Miami Heat win the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat Fans Watch Final Game Of NBA Finals

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Fans react after the Miami Heat won the NBA title against the San Antonio Spurs June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. The Heat won back to back championships. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Miami Heat fans celebrate the Championship after the Heat's win against the San Antonio Spurs after the Game 7 of the NBA final basketball series in Miami on Friday, June 21, 2013.. The Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 88-95 to win to their second straight title. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Fans cheer during the second half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship game between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat won 95-88. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in Miami, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in Miami, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in Miami, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

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Aubrey Drake Graham, known as Drake watches play between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans pose for a photograph prior to the Miami Heat against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Bruce Yeung/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans poses for a picture in the team store prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Bruce Yeung/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans poses for a picture in the team store prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Bruce Yeung/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: A fan holds up a sign prior to the start of Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs on June 20, 2013 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans pose for a photograph prior to the Miami Heat against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Bruce Yeung/NBAE via Getty Images)

2013 NBA Finals - Game Seven

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans pose for a photograph prior to the Miami Heat against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Bruce Yeung/NBAE via Getty Images)

A fan holds a sign before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Dylan Roston, 13, of Miami, watches teams swarm up before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans pose outside AmericanAirlines Arena before the Heat take on the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Miami Heat fans pose outside AmericanAirlines Arena before the Heat take on the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Brian Przystup of Miami watches the teams work out before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Diego M., of Miami, holds signage before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Nelson Gomez of Doral, Fla., raises a home-made trophy as the San Antonio Spurs arrive at the American Airlines Arena before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Nelson Gomez, right, and his family friend Joshua Castaneda arrive for Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Fans cheer as the San Antonio Spurs team bus arrives for Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/miami-heat-championship-parade-2013_n_3476469.html

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Guardian: Documents expose massive UK spying op

LONDON (AP) ? British spies are running an online eavesdropping operation so vast that internal documents say it even outstrips the United States' international Internet surveillance effort, the Guardian newspaper reported Friday.

The paper cited British intelligence memos leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden to claim that U.K. spies were tapping into the world's network of fiber optic cables to deliver the "biggest internet access" of any member of the Five Eyes ? the name given to the espionage alliance composed of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

That access could in theory expose a huge chunk of the world's everyday communications ? including the content of people's emails, calls, and more ? to scrutiny from British spies and their American allies. How much data the Brits are copying off the fiber optic network isn't clear, but it's likely to be enormous. The Guardian said the information flowing across more than 200 cables was being monitored by more than 500 analysts from the NSA and its U.K. counterpart, GCHQ.

"This is a massive amount of data!" the Guardian quoted a leaked slide as boasting. The paper said other leaked slides, including one labeled "Collect-it-all," gave hints as to the program's ambition.

"Why can't we collect all the signals all the time?" NSA chief Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander was quoted as saying in another slide. "Sounds like a good summer project for Menwith" ? a reference to GCHQ's Menwith Hill eavesdropping site in northern England.

The NSA declined to comment on Friday's report. GCHQ also declined to comment on the report, although in an emailed statement it repeated past assurances about the legality of its actions.

"Our work is carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorized, necessary, and proportionate," the statement said.

The Guardian, whose revelations about America and Britain's globe-spanning surveillance programs have reignited an international debate over the ethics of espionage, said GCHQ was using probes to capture and copy data as it crisscrossed the Atlantic between Western Europe and North America.

It said that, by last year, GCHQ was in some way handling 600 million telecommunications every day ? although it did not go into any further detail and it was not clear whether that meant that GCHQ could systematically record or even track all the electronic movement at once.

Fiber optic cables ? thin strands of glass bundled together and strung out underground or across the oceans ? play a critical role in keeping the world connected. A 2010 estimate suggested that such cables are responsible for 95 percent of the world's international voice and data traffic, and the Guardian said Britain's geographic position on Europe's western fringe gave it natural access to many of the trans-Atlantic cables as they emerged from the sea.

The Guardian said GCHQ's probes did more than just monitor the data live; British eavesdroppers can store content for three days and metadata ? information about who was talking to whom, for how long, from where, and through what medium ? for 30 days.

The paper quoted Snowden, the leaker, as saying that the surveillance was "not just a US problem. The U.K. has a huge dog in this fight ... They (GCHQ) are worse than the U.S."

Snowden, whose whereabouts are unknown, faces the prospect of prosecution in the United States over his disclosures, and some there have called on him to be tried for treason. Snowden has expressed interest in seeking asylum in Iceland, where a local businessman said he was prepared to fly the leaker should he request it.

Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Snowden have so far been unsuccessful.

___

Kimberly Dozier in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/guardian-documents-expose-massive-uk-spying-op-184321219.html

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