irruption numberless: 2013

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Tips To Help Market Your Business Online - Maynas Eric

There are millions of different online businesses out there, and if you expect your particular business to be successful, then you need to implement some sound marketing techniques. In this article, you will learn some helpful tips on how to successfully market things over the World Wide Web. Keep reading for great Internet promotion information.

A client mailing list is vital. Give your customers several opportunities to leave their email address. Once you have the mailing list, you can send out information about sales, promote certain items or even solicit feedback from customers.

Ask for feedback. This plays a role in how successful your business is. Ask peers, family members and your potential clients for feedback. Consider any advice that people provide, and make alterations that you think are required.

TIP! A website?s tag is one of its most important features. It tells the world who you are.

Your online marketing can be in places other than the internet. Try reaching out regularly to bloggers, and them to attend a conference you are hosting to meet them in person. Knowing your market cannot be underestimated, so use your blog and the online community to get to know the other players and customers that are out there.

Give your customers a reason to visit your website. Build a website that offers accurate information and is easy to navigate. Add reviews, articles and other content that will let prospective customers know that you are a business that knows your industry.

Make your readers and customers more comfortable on your site with the following tip. Deliver to your site?s visitors a worry-free online experience. Place a privacy policy on your page, in an area where it?s sure to be seen. This will give your customers peace of mind when they make purchases on your site. Furthermore, you have an obligation to protect your customers from fraud.

TIP! It?s a simple equation: more subscribers equals more money. A split test, where you show different versions of a website to different persons, can help you determine what approaches are most effective.

A great way to advertise on the Internet and get your business noticed is with video marketing. Incorporating an informative video onto your website is a great method for gaining the attention of your viewers. Snappy titles and great graphics will hold the interest of a customer.

When promoting a small business via affiliate marketing, pay attention to detail and the content you are providing your customers. Focus on providing useful, original content. Unique content can represent your business in a favorable light and even educate your consumers on your mission statement. This alone should compel you to update your content frequently!

Email is an important part of any Website marketing strategy. Do your best to keep them protected. For instance, try to avoid those services out there offering you mail for free. There?s always something buggy about those particular services that will bite you in the end, such as deleting old messages. If you have sensitive information contained in your emails, consider security and archiving methods to keep them safe.

TIP! Internet marketing is not just exclusively on the internet. For example, you can advertise to people through the real world and advertise through more conventional means and just promote your web business through other mediums.

Make sure that you are constantly informed with all different aspects available to you via the Internet. The Internet is always changing quickly, so it is important to keep up with the popular sites and new innovations. Doing so can give you ideas for getting your product to your target market.

Be certain that the format of your website provides easily found links. If your website is well-organized and has a good layout, then people will be able to find out about your company and what it offers easily.

To bolster the credibility of your web business, you should try to land interviews with authorities within your niche who are well respected. You can jot down notes during the interview or record or videotape the interviews. The interview itself will build your reputation, just because of its existence. Plus, the right interviewees will bring visitors of their own and increase your traffic.

TIP! Make sure you have at least one unique thing on your site. Niches attract the traffic of people looking for specific products.

If you bundle the products and offer a better price, you may have success. Make sure that the terms are stated clearly in all of your marketing literature.

One powerful Internet promotion strategy you can use is to reward the visitors and customers that come by your site often and make frequent purchases. You need to make sure your business stays with you, if you are not cheap it will drum up word of mouth. People are generally more than happy to share their great experiences with others, and this can really pay off for you.

In conclusion, your site will be more known if you use Internet promotion. When regular advertising doesn?t give you the exposure you desire, Online marketing is a handy tool. Using these simple tips to help you on your way. You can design the perfect strategy to reach your target demographic easily.

TIP! You should spend enough time to at least learn a little about web design. There?s plenty of information online about CSS or HTML that will help you in web design.

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Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/tips-to-help-market-your-business-online-2

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Monday, July 22, 2013

Alfred Hitchcock's Silent Films Brought To Life | Stuff.co.nz

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Alfred Hitchcock has gone down in movie history as a chatty fellow, the roguish filmmaker and droll TV host gleefully impersonated by Anthony Hopkins in last fall's "Hitchcock." But the British-born master of suspense began ...

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/8946230/Hitchcocks-silent-films-brought-to-life

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder at center of Detroit bankruptcy

detroit

DAVID EGGERT The Associated Press

16 hours ago

Seven governors came and went during the decades-long decay of Michigan's largest city that culminated with a humiliating collapse into financial ruin.

It's the eighth, former business executive and relative political novice Rick Snyder, who is aggressively tying his legacy to the prospects of a Detroit turnaround.

When he took office, Snyder pushed for more powers for the state to intervene in distressed cities and schools. After voters repealed the law last November, he ignored critics and signed another one. He also hired the city's turnaround specialist and, nearly four months later, blessed the request to file for bankruptcy.

For the man with the "one tough nerd" moniker, it's the latest bold decision in a 2 ?-year stretch that's remarkable for the sheer breadth and pace at which Snyder has moved. He's again in the national spotlight just a half-year after making Michigan ? the bastion of the auto industry and organized labor ? a right-to-work state, a move that pollsters say led to a drop in his approval ratings.

Though the impact of the bankruptcy filing on Snyder's 2014 re-election may be difficult to predict, it's still a legacy definer that's being watched not only in Michigan but also by Wall Street and other elected officials across the country.

Snyder, a former venture capitalist and computer company CEO, has no known presidential aspirations.

"I don't spend time dwelling on my legacy. I just try to do my job well," the Republican governor told The Associated Press in an interview. "That's relentless positive action. No blame, no credit. Just simply solve the problem.

"Here was a problem 60 years in the making. The can was being kicked down the road for far too long. It was time to say enough was enough. Let's stop, let's stabilize, let's grow."

Detroit's bankruptcy could last at least through summer or fall 2014, when Snyder is expected to ask voters for another term.

"I deeply respect the citizens of Detroit," Snyder said. "They along with the other 9 million people in our state hired me to do this job. They're my customers. This was a tough step, a difficult decision, but it's the right decision."

The first-term governor, perhaps more than any other state's chief executive, hasn't been afraid to confront mounting retiree pension and health care costs hampering state and city budgets. He's done that mainly by signing laws making public workers pay more of their health costs, ending retiree health care for new hires and enticing teachers to contribute more toward their future pensions.

But the stakes could be higher with the Detroit intervention under Michigan's emergency manager law.

Eric Scorsone, a Michigan State University economist and expert on government finances, said while Snyder helped revise the law to make it one of the toughest in the country, bankruptcy likely was inevitable even under the old law ? unless creditors had voluntarily agreed to accept far less than what they're owed.

"Other governors may have taken different approaches. But even under the old law, if we had a different governor, it's pretty obvious something would have had to be done," he said.

Scorsone said many other U.S. cities have issues similar to Detroit, though not on the same scale. Other states will be watching to see what happens in part because Snyder ? not local elected officials ? is taking responsibility for improving public safety and other basic needs, he said.

"I think it's aggressive in the sense that most states don't intervene in local affairs to the same extent," Scorsone said.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, a Democrat who lost to Snyder in the 2010 election, said Snyder "definitely" deserves credit if Detroit emerges in better shape, especially in providing everyday services.

"It's bold and decisive. You've got to give him credit, however late," Bernero said, adding that Snyder should have intervened in Detroit within three months of taking office in 2011.

"There was a sense of inevitability about this bankruptcy," Bernero said. "I would have moved quicker with an emergency manager. The ship couldn't right itself. Why prolong the agony? Lance the boil and move on."

On Meet the Press Sunday, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm noted the connection between Detroit the city and Detroit, the heart of the U.S. auto industry.

?The city of Detroit is the poster child for the desindustrialization of America,? Granholm said. ?Since 1950, which was the heyday of Detroit?s burgeoning auto industry, there were almost 300,000 automotive or manufacturing jobs in the city. Today, it?s 27,000. Ninety percent decline in good paying manufacturing jobs.?

Snyder first struck a consent agreement in April 2012 with the Democratic-led city to wipe out its enormous budget deficit and mountainous debt but appointed Kevyn Orr as emergency manager after that didn't work.

Steven Rattner, who was chief adviser to President Barack Obama's auto bailout task force, said from his detached vantage point in New York, Snyder "has handled this thing quite well."

While acknowledging the political difficulties associated with anything viewed as a bailout, Rattner questioned why the state and possibly the federal government aren't offering Detroit a rescue package.

"It's not logical for there to be political fallout from putting Detroit in bankruptcy because there's no other alternative to that," Rattner said. "The question people can ask is whether Snyder is offering all the help the state of Michigan can offer. ... These are tough politics either way."

There seems little appetite from either Democrats or Republicans in Washington for a federal rescue of Detroit. Bailing out the city with state money could bring resistance in the Republican-led Legislature and prompt anger from out-state residents concerned about funding their own schools and local services.

"There are so many great things going on in Detroit. We resolve the city government issue, Detroit's really well poised to see outstanding growth take place when people can say there are better services," Snyder said. "We're going to get there."

Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2ef61ebf/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cmichigan0Egov0Erick0Esnyder0Ecenter0Edetroit0Ebankruptcy0E6C10A699397/story01.htm

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Video: GOOG, MSFT both stage a comeback

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Judge with ties to auto industry bankruptcies to ... - Automotive News

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Muirfield produces the worthiest of Open champs

Tiger Woods of the US smiles during a press conference ahead of the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Tuesday July 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

US golfer Phil Mickleson plays a shot during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championship, Muirfield, Scotland, Monday, July 15, 2013. The British Open begins on Thursday, July 18. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Tiger Woods of the US plays a shot off the 5th tee during a practice round for the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Tuesday July 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Nick Faldo of England, gestures during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championship, Muirfield, Scotland, Monday, July 15, 2013. The British Open begins on Thursday, July 18. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Ernie Els of South Africa plays a shot during a practice round ahead of the British Open Golf Championship, Muirfield, Scotland, Monday, July 15, 2013. The British Open begins on Thursday, July 18. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) ? From behind the 18th green, Paul Azinger stared out toward a golf course where he nearly won a major title, where so many greats of the game have carved their names on the claret jug.

Sure, it's a classic links layout ? right by the sea, filled with inexplicable humps in the fairways, terrifying bunkers stuck in the strangest of spots and knee-high grass ready to punish a wayward shot.

But Muirfield is different.

There are all those quirky elements that make it worthy of a British Open. There's just ? uhhh, how should we put this? ? not TOO many of them.

"It's not a luck-fest out there," Azinger said Monday, as the world's top golfers arrived en masse to prepare for the third major of the season. "If you make the ball do what you want it to do, you'll play well."

Maybe that's the reason the roster of winners looks more like a who's who of the sport.

Harry Vardon. Walter Hagen. Gary Player. Jack Nicklaus. Lee Trevino. Tom Watson. Nick Faldo. Ernie Els.

And let's not forget Harold Hilton, James Braid and Henry Cotton.

Of the 13 players to win the Open at this course east of Edinburgh, 11 are enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Game (and you can make a pretty strong case that another, Ted Ray, should be). Only Alf Perry looks a bit out of place on this elite list, and even he was a three-time member of Britain's Ryder Cup team in the 1930s.

Not a stiff in the bunch.

"That's not a fluke," Faldo said. "You have to have a good mind game. You have to know where you're going to land it, where the next bounce is and where the run is."

And, of course, have the ability to pull it off.

Faldo recalled his second victory at Muirfield in 1992, with Fanny Sunesson on the bag.

"That's what we worked out so well," he said, "where to land the ball 20 yards short of the green, which way it would kick, and obviously where it would stop. That's part of the calculations. But you've got to land the ball from A to B first. And that has to be a solid shot. If that's a mis-hit, the ball doesn't react close to what you intend. You look at all those guys, we all hit it pretty darn solid in our era."

At the other eight courses in the Open rotation, that's not always the case.

A crazy bounce here. An unexpected roll there. Suddenly, the door is open for an improbable winner, someone like Ben Curtis or Todd Hamilton.

Muirfield is more straightforward, with few blind shots, and the way it's laid out ? with two loops of nine holes running in opposite directions ? evens out the devilish breezes, assuming they don't suddenly change directions during the course of a round.

"It's not going to bad luck you to death," said Azinger, who made that assessment even though he bogeyed the final two holes of the 1987 Open and lost to Faldo by a single stroke. "It's a terrific course."

Given what has happened here before, this would seem the most appropriate spot for Tiger Woods, ranked No. 1 in the world, to end the longest major-less drought of his career ? more than five years and counting. If not him, how about second-ranked Rory McIlroy, just 24 but already a two-time major champion and less than a year removed from his runaway victory at the PGA Championship?

But Woods is coming back from an injured elbow, so no one is quite sure what kind of shape he'll be in when the shots start counting for real at Muirfield. Even when healthy, the aura of invincibility he once held over the rest of the field has slowly faded away since the last of his 14 major titles at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods insisted Tuesday that his elbow is fully healed. Even though he shot his worst round as a professional at Muirfield, an 81 in miserable conditions during the third round of the 2002 Open, he has great respect for the course.

"I mean, look at the list of past champions, the number of Hall of Famers that have won here," Woods said. "You can't just hit one way. You have to shape it both ways and really control the shots. ... You're playing almost in kind of a circle, in a sense, because you've got so many different angles and so many different winds. You have to be able to maneuver the ball both ways."

That doesn't bode well for McIlroy. His game is in disarray after he switched to new clubs and a new ball this season, in addition to dealing with off-the-course issues involving his management team.

"I'm very surprised that just 11 months (since that eight-shot win at Kiawah Island) he would've become an afterthought," Azinger said. "He is adrift."

Woods still draws the biggest crowds, and there's no denying his fellow competitors keep an eye out for him on the leaderboard. But, while he's resumed his dominating ways in regular PGA Tour events since changing his swing and battling through well-documented personal problems, he no longer looks unbeatable on the biggest stages.

"Tiger is in a different mode where he's winning regular tournaments, but he gets to the majors and something happens," Faldo said. "The self-belief you have to have, maybe there's a little dent in there. He hits the wrong shot at the wrong time, where before Tiger would hit the right shot at the right time."

Azinger said Woods' issues are more physical than mental at the moment, all because of a body that seems to be aging much quicker than his still relatively young age (37).

"You can't play good golf," Azinger said, "with a bad elbow."

There's nothing wrong with McIlroy physically, but he's suddenly playing second fiddle to players such as Adam Scott and Justin Rose, the winners of the year's first two majors.

When Scott captured the Masters in a playoff, McIlroy was never much of a factor on the way to finishing 25th. When Rose held on to win the U.S. Open, the young Irishman limped to the end in 41st.

From Azinger's perspective, McIlroy lost the baseline on his game when he changed up all that equipment. When something goes wrong, he's not sure what might be contributing to the problem ? the club or the ball. He's trying to figure it all out again, and that's not easy to do when you're in the midst of the season, even for a player with his enormous skills.

Faldo, meanwhile, urged McIlroy to eliminate some of the distractions that have cropped up since he surged to stardom.

"You have a window of opportunity," the three-time Open champion said. "That's my only words of wisdom to Rory. You have, say, a 20-year window as an athlete. Concentrate on golf, nothing else. Hopefully when you retire, in your 40s or 50s, you have another 40 years to enjoy it. So just concentrate on golf."

Even if Woods falters again and McIlroy continues to struggle, Muirfield will likely produce a worthy champion.

That's just the way it goes at this place.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-16-British%20Open/id-d9cb0c11763b4113ac687e79a053ffe5

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Stocks lower as market awaits Bernanke views

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

11 hours ago

Stocks closed lower on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 breaking its 8-day winning streak, following a mixed batch of economic and earnings reports as investors hesitated to jump in a day before Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's congressional testimony.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 32 points lower at 15, 451.85, dragged down by Coca-Cola and Walt Disney.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq snapped their 8-day rallies to close in the red. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, rose above 14.

Most key S&P sectors turned lower, led by energy and utilities.

On the earnings front, Dow component Coca-Cola matched analyst expectations of 63 cents a share in second-quarter profit, but missed on the revenue end with $12.75 billion against expectations of $12.95 billion.

Also, Goldman Sachs was the latest participant in the parade of big U.S. financial institutions to report blowout profits. The company reported earnings per share of $3.70, well ahead of the $2.82 estimates. Revenue also easily beat expectations, sending shares higher.

(Read More:Enjoy it while itlasts: Bank earnings face trouble)

"We know earnings in the second quarter aren't going to be particularly good and we know GDP growth in the second quarter wasn't particularly good, but there's a fair bit of optimism built into the back half of the year and so from our standpoint, we're focused almost entirely on what companies had to say on the second half of the year and what that means for stock prices," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG.

Investors will be looking ahead to Federal Reserve Chairman chief Bernanke's semi-annual testimony to Congress on Wednesday, from which they hope to garner further clues on the direction of monetary stimulus. Markets jumped last week when he said the central bank was inclined to keep its policies in place for some time

"In recent weeks the message that he's given is that we have seen signs of improvements in the U.S. economy and we're going to move towards tapering. Then he gives us the message that we got last week, so I think markets will be cautious ahead of Bernanke's testimony," said Robert Rennie, global head of currency strategy at Westpac.

Meanwhile, Kansas City Fed President Esther George said the central bank should begin to reduce its massive bond-buying program and bring it to a close "sometime in the first half of next year."

On the economic front, homebuilder confidence jumped in July to its strongest level since January 2006, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market index rose to 57 from a revised 51 in June. Analysts polled by Reuters had projected the index likely held at its originally reported June level of 52.

Consumer price index gained 0.5 percent in June thanks to a gain in gasoline prices. Economists polled by Reuters had expected consumer inflation to increase 0.3 percent last month. Excluding food and energy costs, the core reading edged up 0.2 percent.

And industrial production edged up 0.3 percent in June after an unchanged reading in May, according to the Federal Reserve. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a gain of 0.2 percent.

Elsewhere, Japan's benchmark index hit a new seven-week high and as earnings season picked up.

The Nikkei 225 hit its highest levels since May 24, and the yen weakened to the 100 handle against the U.S. dollar, after Japan's economics minister, Akira Amari, said the government will go ahead with a planned sales tax hike.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2ebc98f2/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cstocks0Elower0Emarket0Eawaits0Ebernanke0Eviews0E6C10A645829/story01.htm

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Rising gas prices lift consumer inflation in June

Economy

Reuters

1 hour ago

FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP - Getty Images

The nozzle of a gas pump as it puts fuel into a car at a gas station in Alhambra, east of downtown Los Angeles, in this October 10, 2012 file photo.

U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in June as gasoline prices jumped and underlying inflation pressures stabilized, keeping on track expectations the Federal Reserve will start scaling back its bond purchases later this year.

The Labor Department said on Tuesday its Consumer Price Index increased 0.5 percent, the largest increase since February, after nudging up 0.1 percent in May. Gasoline prices accounted for about two thirds of the increase in the CPI.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected consumer inflation to increase 0.3 percent last month.

In the 12-months through June, consumer prices advanced 1.8 percent after rising 1.4 percent in May. It was also the largest increase since February.

Stripping out volatile energy and food, consumer prices increased 0.2 percent for a second straight month. That took the increase over the 12 months to June to 1.6 percent, the smallest increase since June 2011. The so-called core CPI had increased 1.7 percent in May.

While both inflation measures remain below the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target, details of the report suggested the recent disinflation trend had probably run its course, with medical care costs rising.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who last month said the central bank would start cutting back the $85 billion in bonds it is purchasing each month to keep borrowing costs low, has viewed the low inflation as temporary and expects prices to push higher.

Alan Ruskin, an analyst at Deutsche Bank in New York, said the report should "counter arguments that there is a material deflation risk."

"The data does not provide much support for Bernanke making too much of low inflation in again asserting the dovish outlook he provided last week," he said.

There were also increases in the prices for new motor vehicles, apparel and household furnishings. That could keep on track expectations the U.S. central bank will start scaling back its massive monetary stimulus in September.

Last month, gasoline prices soared 6.3 percent after being flat in May. June's increase in the cost of gasoline was the largest since February. When unadjusted for seasonal fluctuations, gasoline prices rose only 0.6 percent.

Food prices increased 0.2 percent after slipping 0.1 percent the prior month.

Overall housing costs maintained their steady rise, with owners' equivalent rent - which accounts for about a third of the core CPI - increasing 0.2 percent after a similar gain in May.

Medical care services rose 0.4 percent after being flat in May, while medical care commodities rebounded 0.5 percent as the cost of prescription drugs increased. Medical care commodities had dropped 0.5 percent the previous month.

Weak medical care costs have been the one of the key contributors to the low inflation rate.

Economists cite a host of reasons for the low health costs, ranging from the expiration of patents on a number of popular prescription drugs to government spending cuts that are reducing payments to doctors and hospitals for Medicare.

"It's unclear we have seen all the medical care softness or we might see softness later this year from the effect of sequester," said Laura Rosner, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

Apparel prices pushed up 0.9 percent, the largest increase since August 2011, after edging up 0.2 percent in May.

New motor vehicle prices increased 0.3 percent. They had been flat in May. Prices for used cars and trucks fell for a second straight month.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2ebc545c/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Crising0Egas0Eprices0Elift0Econsumer0Einflation0Ejune0E6C10A6450A29/story01.htm

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Egypt's opposition criticizes president's speech

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's main opposition coalition on Thursday rejected the Islamist president's offer for dialogue on reconciliation and said it insists on holding early elections, ratcheting up pressure on Mohammed Morsi just days ahead of planned mass protests seeking his ouster.

Adding to an already explosive political atmosphere in Egypt, authorities issued a travel ban on a media tycoon and an arrest warrant for a popular TV presenter ? a sharp critic of Morsi ? in what appears to be an escalation against private media accused by the president of instigating violence and being funded by those loyal to the former regime.

A statement by the National Salvation Front read by reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei said Morsi's 2 ?-hour speech late Wednesday reflected a "clear inability to acknowledge the difficult conditions in Egypt because of his failure in running the country since he took office a year ago."

In the speech, Morsi told his opponents to use elections not protests to try to change the government, and counseled the military, which has warned it would intervene if violence breaks out, to focus on improving its capabilities and defending the nation.

He defended his performance in his first year in office, admitting some mistakes but also claiming achievements. At one point he apologized for fuel shortages which have partially paralyzed the nation, increasing frustration and anger at his government.

But the president offered no compromises in the confrontation with his opponents. Those organizing the protests for Sunday ? the anniversary of Morsi's inauguration ? say he must go because he has mismanaged the country, given a monopoly on decision-making to the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist allies, and encroached on the judiciary.

"The president ... did not take responsibility for the polarization he has caused among the sons of one nation since taking office," ElBaradei said.

The Nobel Peace Laureate and a former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog added: "nothing will change our determination to go out on June 30 everywhere in Egypt. We are confident that the Egyptian masses will go out in their millions in peaceful protests that fill the streets and squares of Egypt on Sunday June 30."

"Our strength is in our numbers and our nonviolence and we must not forget that. No one can stand in the way of the will of Egyptian people," he said in response to a reporter's question.

ElBardei spoke after a senior opposition leader and a fellow member of the Front, former foreign minister Amr Moussa, criticized Morsi for not offering a detailed road map for national reconciliation and accused him of not taking the opposition seriously.

In a statement, Moussa also criticized Morsi for not offering a "clear" economic recovery plan and for blaming the nation's woes on street protests and strikes. He later told The Associated Press that Morsi and his Islamist backers "don't want to recognize there is anger. They are missing the point, a major point. They are in a state of denial."

Another key opposition leader and member of the Front, Hamdeen Sabahi, said Morsi's speech did not rise to the occasion.

"He talked a lot but did not say anything," he told a television interviewer late on Wednesday. Sabahi also called on Morsi to step down, saying he was "bearing what (he) cannot handle."

Moussa said the opposition, like the military, wanted a genuine reconciliation, something he said was not mentioned in the president's speech.

"We didn't hear anything about this reconciliation having a plan, a rational direction or a detailed proposal worthy of study and discussion. What we heard was a routine call for dialogue and the creation of committees like those that were promised before but never materialized," he said.

He said economic reforms introduced by Morsi so far were inconsequential and the economy is going from bad to worse. "Furthermore, what does a strike by certain group, a gathering in a square, have to do with repairing hospitals or reforming the railways?"

The opposition leaders and Morsi before them spoke as tension built up in Egypt ahead of Sunday's protests with the army reinforcing its positions outside major cities in anticipation of possible violence.

Moussa, also a former Arab league chief, said it was unbecoming of the president to mention by name and accuse of corruption a serving judge along with the owners of two TV networks that have been critical of his policies for their alleged difficulties in settling outstanding tax or debts.

In his speech, Morsi also railed against judges who have acquitted officials accused of corruption or police commanders who faced charges of killing protesters during and after the 2011 uprising that ousted Egypt's longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The president also repeated assurances that he respects the judiciary.

"When he accuses people by name, he must at least present the evidence," said judge Amir Ramzy. "It was obvious from the president's words and gestures that he has a grudge against judges."

The president also criticized the country's minority Christians of what he called fear of all things Islamic and complained that church leaders greet him with insincere smiles that conceal that fear.

Less than 24 hours after Morsi's speech, Prosecutor General Talaat Abdullah ?a Morsi appointee ? issued a travel ban against media tycoon Mohammed el-Ameen, owner of the popular TV network CBC, official news agency MENA said.

The agency said el-Ameen is being investigated for nearly 427 million Egyptian pounds ($61 million dollars) of alleged tax evasion. The ban came hours after Morsi named el-Ameen as one of several Mubarak loyalists who aim to thwart his rule.

The prosecutor general then issued an arrest warrant for another Morsi critic, Tawfiq Okasha, while the government ordered the shutdown of his popular "Al-Fareen" TV station. Okasha stands accused of spreading false news and causing panic among the population.

Okasha, whose station has been shut down before and is still fighting similar charges that include insulting the president and the Brotherhood, has emerged as one of the most popular TV personalities of post-Mubarak Egypt.

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood said two of its members were killed, one by gunfire, in the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya, where it accused "thugs" of storming the headquarters of its political wing. In another Delta province, security officials said riot police fired tear gas to disperse anti-Morsi demonstrators and Brotherhood members fighting after protesters torched the group's local office and houses believed to be owned by its members.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

The prosecutor, Abdullah, also referred Mubarak and his two sons to a criminal court over alleged squandering of public funds. The three are already being tried on other corruption charges, and Mubarak himself over his role in the killings of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

Protesters are hoping to bring out massive crowds Sunday, saying they have tapped into widespread discontent over economic woes, rising prices and unemployment, power cuts and lack of security. The June 30 protests are rooted in a campaign by young activists called "Tamarod," or rebel. They claim to have collected about 15 million signatures of Egyptians who want Morsi to step down.

Morsi's Islamist allies are planning a counter-demonstration on Friday in support of his "legitimacy." Some say they are planning an open-ended sit-in at a mosque near the presidential palace ? the planned destination of the main anti-Morsi protest two days later ? raising fears of street violence.

____

Associated Press writers Maggie Michael and Mariam Rizk contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-opposition-criticizes-presidents-speech-122752576.html

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Friday, June 28, 2013

Digg adds reader to its iOS app, offers instant Google Reader import

There's more than a few enterprises that have an eye on filling the void in the RSS market left by Google's curious withdrawal. Digg is one of those hoping to woo Mountain View's refugees and has updated its iOS app to incorporate its experimental new service, which offers direct imports from Google Reader. It's available from the App Store right now, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that there are other, ahem, AOL-sanctioned, alternatives.

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

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Better antibiotics: Atomic-scale structure of ribosome with molecule that controls its motion

June 28, 2013 ? This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse compounds that sustain you and all living things.

The image is also a milestone. It's the first time the atom-by-atom structure of the ribosome has been seen as it's attached to a molecule that controls its motion. That's big news if you're a structural biologist.

But there's another way to look at this image, one that anyone who's suffered a bacterial infection can appreciate. The image is also a roadmap to better antibiotics. That's because this particular ribosome is from a bacterium. And somewhere in its twists and turns could be a weakness that a new antibiotic can target.

"We're in an arms race with the resistance mechanisms of bacteria," says Jamie Cate, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division and a professor of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at UC Berkeley.

"The better we understand how bacterial ribosomes work, the better we can come up with new ways to interfere with them," he adds.

Cate developed the structure with UC Berkeley's Arto Pulk. Their work is described in the June 28 issue of the journal Science.

Their image is the latest advance in the push for more effective antibiotics. The goal is new drugs that kill the bacteria that make us sick, stay one step ahead of their resistance mechanisms, and leave our beneficial bacteria alone.

One way to do this is to get to know the bacterial ribosome inside and out. Many of today's antibiotics target ribosomes. A better understanding of how ribosomes function will shed light on how these antibiotics work. This could also lead to even "smarter" molecules that quickly target and disable a pathogen's ribosomes without affecting friendly bacteria.

Cate and Pulk used protein crystallography beamlines at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source to create diffraction patterns that show how the ribosome's molecules fit together. They then used computational modeling to combine these patterns into incredibly high-resolution images that describe the locations of the individual atoms.

The result is the colorful structure at the top of this article. Those blue and purple halves are ribosomes. They're from E. coli bacteria, but they work in similar ways throughout nature. Ribosomes move along messenger RNA and interpret its genetic code into directions on how to stitch amino acids into proteins.

But sometimes ribosomes want to move backward, which isn't good when you're in the protein-making business. That's where that yellow-red-green squiggle wedged between the two ribosome halves comes in. It's elongation factor G. It acts like a ratchet and prevents the ribosome from slipping backward. It also pushes the ribosome forward when it's sluggish.

Scientists knew that elongation factor G performs these jobs, but they didn't know how. Now, with an atomic-scale structure in hand, they can study the chemical and molecular forces involved in this ratcheting process. Cate and Pulk found that the ratchet controls the ribosome's motion by stiffening and relaxing over and over. This is the kind of insight that could lead to new ways to monkey-wrench the ribosome.

"To create better antibiotics, we need to learn how bacterial ribosomes work at the smallest scales, and this is a big step in that direction," says Cate.

The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute supported the research. The U.S. Department of Energy provides support for the Advanced Light Source, where this research was conducted.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/zlOztV3J4SM/130628103149.htm

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Obama jabs Russia, China on failure to extradite Snowden

By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal

DAKAR (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he would not start "wheeling and dealing" with China and Russia over a U.S. request to extradite former American spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Obama, who appeared concerned that the case would overshadow a three-country tour of Africa that he began in Senegal, also dismissed suggestions that the United States might try to intercept Snowden if he were allowed to depart Moscow by air.

"No, I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker," he told a news conference in Dakar. Snowden turned 30 last week.

Obama said regular legal channels should suffice to handle the U.S. request that Snowden, who left Hong Kong for Moscow, be returned. Obama said he had not yet spoken to China's President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladimir Putin on the issue.

"I have not called President Xi personally or President Putin personally and the reason is ... number one, I shouldn't have to," Obama said.

"Number two, we've got a whole lot of business that we do with China and Russia, and I'm not going to have one case of a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly being elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues," the president added.

Snowden fled the United States to Hong Kong this month after leaking details of secret U.S. government surveillance programs, then flew to Moscow on Sunday. He had been expected to fly on to Havana on Monday but did not board the aircraft.

The American, who faces espionage charges in the United States and has asked Ecuador for political asylum, has not been seen since his arrival in Moscow. Russian officials said he remained in a transit area at Sheremetyevo airport.

CHINA, ECUADOR HIT BACK

Snowden's case has raised tensions between the United States and both China and Russia. On Thursday, Beijing accused Washington of hypocrisy on the issue of cyber security.

Snowden's revelations of widespread snooping by the U.S. National Security Agency in China and Hong Kong have given Beijing considerable ammunition in an area that has been a major irritant between the countries.

China's defense ministry said the U.S. government surveillance program known as Prism "has revealed the concerned country's true face and hypocritical behavior". It did not name the country.

"This 'double standard' approach is not conducive to peace and security in cyber space," ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters, according to state news agency Xinhua.

In Ecuador's capital Quito, the government said it was waiving preferential rights under a U.S. trade agreement to demonstrate its principled stand on Snowden's asylum request.

In a deliberately cheeky touch from the leftist government of President Rafael Correa, Ecuador also offered a multi-million donation for human rights training in the United States.

Ecuadorean officials added that the U.S. fugitive's case had not been processed because he had not yet reached any of its diplomatic missions.

Obama said the United States expected all countries who were considering asylum requests for the former contractor to follow international law.

His remarks about China and Russia seemed calibrated to exert pressure without leading to lasting damage in ties with either country. The White House said last week that Hong Kong's decision to let Snowden leave would hurt U.S.-China relations.

"USEFUL" CONVERSATIONS

White House rhetoric on Russia has been somewhat less harsh.

Obama acknowledged that the United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but he said such a treaty was not necessary to resolve all of the issues involved.

He characterized conversations between Washington and Moscow as "useful" and said the United States would continue to press.

"My continued expectation is that Russia or other countries that have talked about potentially providing Mr. Snowden asylum recognize that they are part of an international community and that they should be abiding by international law," he said.

Putin has rejected U.S. calls to expel Snowden to the United States and said on Tuesday the fugitive should choose his destination and leave the airport as soon as possible. Ecuador has said it could take weeks to decide on his asylum request.

Washington is focused on how former Booz Allen Hamilton systems administrator Snowden gained access to National Security Agency secrets while working at a facility in Hawaii.

Obama said the leaks exposed "pretty significant vulnerabilities" at the NSA that had to be resolved.

Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said on Thursday his country still had questions about Snowden's activities as a CIA operative in Geneva from 2007 to 2009. He said Switzerland had so far only received a "diplomatic reply" to its questions.

(Additional reporting by Brian Ellsworth and Alexandra Valencia in Quito, Lidia Kelly in Moscow and Sui-Lee Wee in Beijing; Writing by Jeff Mason; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-jabs-russia-china-failure-extradite-snowden-142851006.html

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Obama: No wheeling or dealing to extradite Snowden

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) ? The United States won't be scrambling military jets or engaging in high-level diplomatic bartering to get National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden extradited to the U.S., President Barack Obama said Thursday.

Dismissing him as "a 29-year-old hacker," Obama sought to downplay the international chase for Snowden, lowering the temperature of an issue that has already raised tensions between the U.S. and uneasy partners Russia and China.

Obama said the damage to U.S. national security has already been done and his top focus now is making sure it can't happen again.

"I'm not going to have one case with a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly be elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues, simply to get a guy extradited so he can face the justice system," Obama said at a joint news conference with Senegal's President Macky Sall.

Snowden turned 30 last week. He was working as a government contractor with security clearance when he seized the NSA documents.

Snowden's intercontinental efforts to shirk U.S. authorities ? taking him from a hotel hide-out in Hong Kong to an airport transit zone in Moscow, where he's believed to be holed up ? has already undercut Obama's efforts to strengthen ties with China and threatened to worsen tensions with Russia just as Obama is seeking Moscow's cooperation on Syria. At the same time, Snowden's attempts to seek asylum from Ecuador and other nations have underscored Obama's limited sway in a number of foreign capitals.

Obama said he hadn't personally called either Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping to request their cooperation.

"I shouldn't have to," he declared.

Obama said such matters are routinely dealt with at a law-enforcement level, calling Snowden's extradition "not exceptional from a legal perspective." He said the U.S. has a wide-ranging economic relationship with China that shouldn't be dwarfed by the hunt for one fugitive, and that the U.S. has had "useful conversations" with Moscow over efforts to return Snowden to the U.S. Putin has called Snowden a "free man" and has refused to turn him over to Washington.

"My continued expectation is that Russia or other countries that have talked about potentially providing Mr. Snowden asylum recognize that they are a part of an international community and they should be abiding by international law," Obama said, noting that the U.S. doesn't have a formal extradition treaty with Russia.

"I get why it's a fascinating story," Obama added. "I'm sure there will be a made-for-TV movie somewhere down the line."

Snowden has acknowledged seizing highly classified documents about U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of U.S. phone and Internet records. He shared the information with The Guardian and Washington Post newspapers. He also told the South China Morning Post that the NSA hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal text message data.

The Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has said Snowden still has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents. But Obama's deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said he doesn't know with certainty how much more classified information Snowden possesses.

"That's something we're actively seeking to determine," Rhodes said.

The White House has said Hong Kong's refusal to detain Snowden has "unquestionably" hurt U.S. relations with China. After Hong Kong's government claimed it had to allow Snowden to flee because the U.S. got Snowden's middle name wrong in documents requesting his arrest, Obama's Justice Department said the U.S. didn't buy that excuse, calling it "a pretext for not acting."

The Hong Kong government had also previously mentioned that it asked the U.S. for more information on NSA's hacking of targets in Hong Kong, suggesting the issue played some role in its decision.

Obama said the fact Snowden walked off with so many secret documents shows significant vulnerabilities at the NSA that must be solved. But Obama said he's also focused on fostering a "healthy effective debate" about the balance between security and privacy in America.

"In terms of U.S. interests, the damage was done with respect to the initial leaks," Obama said.

Obama's comment came on the first full day of a weeklong, three-country trip to Africa, his first major tour of sub-Saharan Africa since he took office in 2009.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-no-wheeling-dealing-extradite-snowden-115318521.html

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Michigan's Huron River Ventures Partners Announces $11M Fund For Energy Efficient Startups

“Ann Arbor is the natural startup hotbed,” said Tim. “We intentionally opened our first office in Ann Arbor. That’s the center of talent in the Midwest.” Huron River Ventures Partners, an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based early stage venture capital firm, just announced that it recently closed the final round of its first fund, Huron River Ventures I at $11 million. Tim Streit and Ryan Waddington, managing directors of Huron River Ventures, are ready to invest in more companies looking to change the way we consume energy. The pair moved to Ann Arbor and started investing in young startups in 2010. Since then, they have made seven seed-stage investments in energy-efficient companies including Side.Cr, FarmLogs, and Ambiq Micro. But this isn’t about just solar or wind energy. This is about companies with a novel approach to consumption and use. For example, as Sterit told me, they invested in Side.Cr because of how it changes transportation, Michigan-based FarmLogs for its potential to disrupt agriculture, and Ambiq Micro, a company that claims to build the most energy-efficient microchips. This isn’t a fund looking for companies built around buzzwords like “cleantech” or “green energy”. This is venture capitalists investing in technology that’s clean. Both are from the great state of Michigan, attended the University of Michigan, and returned to the Great Lakes State after stints elsewhere. “The caliber of talent here, young tech talent, and on a relative basis, is a greater access to talent and the cost of doing business.” Tim said. “You have access to human capital and financial capital that’s growing very quick. I think you need to overlay the Midwest work ethic. We are very bullish on the work ethic.” As someone who has spent a good deal of time in Detroit and Ann Arbor, I can tell you this is a very common sales pitch. I was born in Michigan and never left. We’re very proud of our talent and work ethic. But the state is struggling to retain the talent it trains. As Tim explained, Ann Arbor naturally attracts talent. “That being said, it’s a bit harder to stand out in Ann Arbor than Detroit.” “Why fight for money in Ann Arbor when there’s low hanging fruit in Detroit,” he said flatly, pointing out the free office space and access to technical resources provided by Dan Gilbert’s companies. “But this isn’t Silicon Valley.” he added. “Fellow VCs discovered we

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RUlm6feY7AM/

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Wells Fargo offering text message receipts at its ATMs starting today

Forward-thinking financial institution Wells Fargo is offering its customers the choice of receiving a text message receipt -- in addition to its e-receipt and email options -- whenever you use one of the bank's ATMs. All that's required to take part in the environmentally friendly scheme is to attach your cellphone number to your account, either online, over the phone or at your local branch. The service is available starting today, and if you'd like to learn more, we've tucked the official release below the fold.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/dIe21grmd8Y/

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Sharapova sends verbal shot Serena Williams' way

LONDON (AP) ? Maria Sharapova took quite a shot at Serena Williams ? and it was nowhere near a tennis court.

At her pre-Wimbledon news conference Saturday, Sharapova was asked about a recent Rolling Stone article where the author surmised that critical comments directed at an unnamed player by Williams were referring to Sharapova.

"At the end of the day, we have a tremendous amount of respect for what we do on the court. I just think she should be talking about her accomplishments, her achievements, rather than everything else that's just getting attention and controversy," Sharapova said.

"If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids," Sharapova continued. "Talk about other things, but not draw attention to other things. She has so much in her life, many positives, and I think that's what it should be about."

Williams has been linked to coach Patrick Mouratoglou, but neither has confirmed their relationship extends beyond the court. When Mouratoglou was asked about the topic at the French Open this month, he smiled and replied: "Sorry. I don't understand the question."

According to the Rolling Stone story, posted online Tuesday, Williams spoke about what the reporter described as "a top-five player who is now in love."

Williams is quoted as saying: "She begins every interview with 'I'm so happy. I'm so lucky' ? it's so boring. She's still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it."

That is followed by these words in parentheses from the author of the piece, Stephen Rodrick: "An educated guess is she's talking about Sharapova, who is now dating Grigor Dimitrov, one of Serena's rumored exes."

Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final. But Williams has won their past 13 matches in a row, including in the French Open final two weeks ago.

At Wimbledon, where play begins Monday, Williams is the defending champion and seeded No. 1. Sharapova is seeded No. 3. They only could face each other in the final.

Williams is scheduled to hold a pre-tournament news conference at Wimbledon on Sunday.

The Rolling Stone article, which was about 4,000 words, drew widespread attention mostly for a one-paragraph reference to the Steubenville rape case. Williams is quoted as saying the teenage victim "shouldn't have put herself in that position."

Two players from the Steubenville, Ohio, high school football team were convicted in March of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl; one of the boys was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the girl naked. The case gained widespread attention in part because of the callousness with which other students used social media to gossip about it.

A day after the story was posted, Williams issued a statement in which she said she was "reaching out to the girl's family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written."

Williams' statement continued: "What was written ? what I supposedly said ? is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame."

Said Sharapova on Saturday: "I was definitely sad to hear what she had to say about the whole case."

___

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sharapova-sends-verbal-shot-serena-williams-way-170739505.html

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NSA leaker charged with espionage, theft

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Justice Department has charged former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property in the NSA surveillance case.

Snowden, believed to be holed up in Hong Kong, has admitted providing information to the news media about two highly classified NSA surveillance programs.

A one-page criminal complaint unsealed Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Va., says Snowden engaged in unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information. Both are charges under the Espionage Act. Snowden also is charged with theft of government property. All three crimes carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia where the complaint was filed is headquarters for Snowden's former employer, government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

The complaint is dated June 14, five days after Snowden's name first surfaced as the leaker of information about the two programs in which the NSA gathered telephone and Internet records to ferret out terror plots.

The complaint could become an integral part of a U.S. government effort to have Snowden extradited from Hong Kong, a process that could turn into a prolonged legal battle. Snowden could contest extradition on grounds of political persecution. In general, the extradition agreement between the U.S. and Hong Kong excepts political offenses from the obligation to turn over a person.

It was unclear late Friday whether the U.S. had made an extradition request. On Saturday, Hong Kong legislators said the Chinese government should make the final decision on whether Snowden should be extradited to the United States.

Outspoken legislator Leung Kwok-hung said Beijing should instruct Hong Kong to protect Snowden from extradition before his case gets dragged through the court system. Leung also urged the people of Hong Kong to "take to the streets to protect Snowden." The charges against Snowden were first reported by The Washington Post.

The Espionage Act arguably is a political offense. The Obama administration has now used the act in seven criminal cases in an unprecedented effort to stem leaks. In one of them, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning acknowledged he sent more than 700,000 battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and other materials to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. His military trial is on-going.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed the charges against Snowden. "I've always thought this was a treasonous act," he said in a statement. "I hope Hong Kong's government will take him into custody and extradite him to the U.S."

But the Government Accountability Project, a whistle-blower advocacy organization, said Snowden should be shielded from prosecution by whistle-blower protection laws. "He disclosed information about a secret program that he reasonably believed to be illegal, and his actions alone brought about the long-overdue national debate about the proper balance between privacy and civil liberties, on the one hand, and national security on the other," the group said in a statement.

Michael di Pretoro, a retired 30-year veteran with the FBI who served from 1990 to 1994 as the legal liaison officer at the American consulate in Hong Kong, said "relations between U.S. and Hong Kong law enforcement personnel are historically quite good."

"In my time, I felt the degree of cooperation was outstanding to the extent that I almost felt I was in an FBI field office," said di Pretoro.

The U.S. and Hong Kong have a standing agreement on the surrender of fugitives. However, Snowden's appeal rights could drag out any extradition proceeding.

The success or failure of any extradition proceeding depends on what the suspect is charged with under U.S. law and how it corresponds to Hong Kong law under the treaty. In order for Hong Kong officials to honor the extradition request, they have to have some applicable statute under their law that corresponds with a violation of U.S. law.

In Iceland, a business executive said Friday that a private plane was on standby to transport Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, although Iceland's government says it has not received an asylum request from Snowden.

Business executive Olafur Vignir Sigurvinsson said he has been in contact with someone representing Snowden and has not spoken to the American himself. Private donations are being collected to pay for the flight, he said.

"There are a number of people that are interested in freedom of speech and recognize the importance of knowing who is spying on us," Sigurvinsson said. "We are people that care about privacy."

Disclosure of the criminal complaint came as President Barack Obama held his first meeting with a privacy and civil liberties board as his intelligence chief sought ways to help Americans understand more about sweeping government surveillance efforts exposed by Snowden.

The five members of the little-known Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board met with Obama for an hour in the White House Situation Room, questioning the president on the two NSA programs that have stoked controversy.

One program collects billions of U.S. phone records. The second gathers audio, video, email, photographic and Internet search usage of foreign nationals overseas, and probably some Americans in the process, who use major providers such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo.

___

Associated Press writer Jenna Gottlieb in Reykjavik, Iceland, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nsa-leaker-charged-espionage-theft-001952096.html

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