Nuforce Cube

Speakers usually have to be big to put out a lot of sound. The bigger a speaker is, the louder it gets. Conversely, the smaller a speaker is, the softer its maximum volume generally is. Nuforce tries to break this trend with the Nuforce Cube, a less-than-3-inch cube with a built-in USB digital-to-analog converter. It gets loud for its size, but its $119 (direct) price and poor bass response keep it from being more than a pretty mini-speaker.

The Nuforce Cube looks cute. It's a rounded 2.3-inch by 2.8-inch (H,W x D) near-cube with a metal shell, a plastic base and back, and a removable fabric grille. It's available in black, silver, blue, or red versions, and comes with a USB-to-mini-USB cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, and a carrying pouch. It has no physical controls and only three ports: a mini-USB connector, 3.5mm input, and 3.5mm headphone output. The speaker is powered through the mini-USB port, and a battery inside keeps it working as a powered speaker for several hours when it's not connected.

While you can use the cube as a speaker with a 3.5mm input, it's intended for use via USB as a combination speaker and digital-to-analog converter (DAC). If you plug it into a PC through USB, it shows up as a sound device, taking over the audio capabilities of the computer. A small red light on the front indicates it's plugged into USB, or is running on battery with a device connected over the 3.5mm port. If you want to get the same audio through 3.5mm that you would get through USB, you need to charge it over USB before treating it like a regular speaker.

Based on its small size, it's hard to imagine the Nuforce Cube can put out a lot of sound. It does get surprisingly loud and pleasantly clear, however. But with a few caveats. The Gipsy Kings' cover of "Hotel California" came in crisp and warm, with the subtle strings of the opening of the song filling my workspace. However, the speaker failed at our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout." It distorted immediately and only became crunchier and further warped as the song progressed. While the speaker might work suitably for jazz, classical music, and rock, don't expect metal or dubstep to be close to listenable.

The Nuforce Cube looks cool and puts out a lot of sound for its size, but its $120 price tag and poor bass handling make it a novelty speaker. If you want decent sound with more features for less, the Logitech Mini Boombox ($99, 4 stars) is wireless if your computer supports Bluetooth, has a 3.5mm audio input if it doesn't, and can work as a speakerphone and portable speaker for your smartphone or tablet.

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Halloumi Recipes: 9 Great Ways To Grill It (PHOTOS)

Enjoy grilled cheese without the bread -- it's the best way to eat it in the summertime. And not just any cheese, but halloumi. Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese made from a mixture of sheep, goat and cow's milk that's popular in Cypriot cuisine. (Cypriot is a blend of Greek, Turkish, Italian and Middle Eastern foods.)

Halloumi has a high melting point so it can be fried or grilled and still keep its shape while getting a nice golden crust on the exterior and becoming tenderly soft inside. While that's a pretty great quality for a cheese to have, even better is its flavor. Halloumi is addictively salty and tastes great in light salads, mixed into skewers or in a crusty sandwich. Check out the recipes below.

  • Fried Halloumi Salad With Tomatoes And Watermelon

    <strong>Get the Fried Halloumi Salad with Tomatoes and Watermelon recipe by Beth Michelle</strong><br>We eat with our eyes; and your eyes won't be able to get enough of this summery salad. Broiled cherry tomatoes, halloumi and watermelon are dressed with a basil mint dressing.

  • Arugula Apple And Halloumi Salad

    <strong>Get the Arugula Apple and Halloumi Salad recipe by Chef in Disguise</strong><br>Just a handful of ingredients makes this salad stand out: crunchy apples, ruby pomegranate seeds, orange vinaigrette and grilled halloumi.

  • Grilled Halloumi With Rosemary-Grape Relish

    <strong>Get the Grilled Halloumi with Rosemary-Grape Relish recipe by Pink Parsley</strong><br>The natural saltiness of the halloumi is well balanced by the sweet grape relish that tops these little crostinis.

  • Grilled Halloumi Cheese And Meyer Lemons With Spring Greens

    <strong>Get the Grilled Halloumi Cheese and Meyer Lemons with Spring Greens recipe by Tiny Urban Kitchen</strong><br>Grilled halloumi, grilled Meyer lemons and field greens make up this beautiful stacked salad.

  • Grilled Halloumi Salad with Double Dose of Vitamin C

    <strong>Get the Grilled Halloumi Salad with Double Dose of Vitamin C recipe by Cooking Tackle</strong><br>A simple salad with just the right ingredients: kiwi, navel orange, capers, honey, and of course, halloumi cheese.

  • Grilled Eggplant, Halloumi And Pesto Burgers Recipe

    <strong>Get the Grilled Eggplant, Halloumi and Pesto Burgers Recipe recipe by Veggie Belly</strong><br>You won't even think about a real burger when you try this vegetarian-friendly "burger" option. Grilled eggplant and halloumi make a satisfying combination.

  • Grilled Halloumi With Caramelized Fennel

    <strong>Get the Grilled Halloumi with caramelized Fennel recipe by Svoulaki for the Soul</strong><br>Halloumi cheese takes center stage in this elegant dish. Sitting atop a bed of caramelized fennel, it replaces the need for a meat entree.

  • Green Olives, Cannellini Beans And Halloumi

    <strong>Get the Green Olives, Cannellini Beans and Halloumi recipe by A Grain Of Paradise</strong><br>In this recipe, halloumi is marinated for a couple of hours in rosemary, paprika, thyme and chile, making for one flavorful grilled meal.

  • Grilled Halloumi, Beetroot And Pumpkin Seed Salad

    <strong>Get the Grilled Halloumi, Beetroot & Pumpkin Seed Salad recipe by Food and the Fabulous</strong><br> Zesty lemon pairs perfectly with grilled halloumi. And adding it to a salad with beets and crunchy pumpkin seeds makes for a colorful dish.

  • Greek Cheese Torta Recipe

    Learn how to make Pampered Chef's Greek Cheese Torta.

Contribute to this Story:

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More evacuations as winds fuel Colo. wildfire

Fires erupt on a ridge over a Boy Scouts camp east of Red Feather Lakes, Colo., on Sunday, June 17, 2012, as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in northern Colorado. Crews in northern Colorado are facing powerful winds as they battle a blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Fires erupt on a ridge over a Boy Scouts camp east of Red Feather Lakes, Colo., on Sunday, June 17, 2012, as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in northern Colorado. Crews in northern Colorado are facing powerful winds as they battle a blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Fires erupt on a ridge over a Boy Scouts camp east of Red Feather Lakes, Colo., on Sunday, June 17, 2012, as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in northern Colorado. Crews are facing powerful winds as they battle the blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

An unidentified horseman rides around the edge of a burned area after a wildfire swept over ridges north of Laporte, Colo., on Sunday, June 17, 2012, as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in northern Colorado. Crews are facing powerful winds as they battle the blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Highway 14 north of Laporte Colo., is closed to motorists on Sunday, June 17, 2012, as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in northern Colorado. Crews are facing powerful winds as they battle the blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

People stop along a country road east of Red Feather Lakes, Colo., on Sunday, June 17, 2012, to look on as a stubborn wildfire continues to burn in the mountains of northern Colorado. Crews are facing powerful winds as they battle the blaze that has scorched about 86 square miles of mountainous forest land and destroyed at least 181 homes, the most in state history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(AP) ? Authorities ordered more evacuations as fire crews struggled against powerful winds fueling a wildfire that has charred more than 87 square miles of forested mountains in northern Colorado.

The firefighting force has steadily increased and by Sunday night officials said about 1,750 personnel were working on the fire, which was sparked by lightning and was 45 percent contained.

The High Park Fire burning 15 miles west of Fort Collins has destroyed at least 181 homes. The figure represents the most in state history, surpassing the Fourmile Canyon wildfire that destroyed 169 homes near Boulder two years ago.

Julie Berney with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said firefighters dealt with winds of 30 mph with gusts of up to 50 mph Sunday. Some rain moved through Saturday evening, but it wasn't enough to quell the fire.

"The problem is that when you have a fire like this, even if it rains it evaporates before it hits the ground," Berney said.

Despite the winds, fire officials said crews Sunday were able to maintain most existing fire lines, with the fire chewing through about 1,000 more acres.

Incident commander Bill Hahnenberg said he was pleased with the firefighters' progress.

"A scenario could be we'll lose some line, and then we just go after it the next day and the next day," he said.

On Sunday afternoon, high winds prompted fire managers to ground all helicopters working on the blaze and to send 96 notices to residents, ordering the immediate evacuation of the Hewlett Gulch Subdivision in the Poudre Canyon area north of the fire. It was unclear how many homes were affected.

Sunday night, Larimer County officials said evacuations orders were also issued for Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon areas. The officials said 331 notifications were sent.

A high wind warning was in effect all day, and crews are expecting more of the same Monday: winds of 30-50 mph, low humidity and high temperatures.

As firefighters try to get the upper hand on the blaze, which has burned large swaths of private and U.S. Forest Service land, local authorities have dispatched roving patrols to combat looting.

On Sunday, deputies arrested 30-year-old Michael Stillman Maher, of Denver, on charges including theft and impersonating a firefighter. The sheriff's department said Maher was driving through the fire zone with phony firefighter credentials and a stolen government license plate.

His truck was later seen near a bar in Laporte, and investigators say they found a firearm and stolen property in the vehicle.

"There's a handful out there that are taking advantage of others," said Sheriff Justin Smith, adding that "if somebody's sneaking around back there, we're going to find them."

Also Sunday, a fire erupted in the foothills west of Colorado Springs, prompting the evacuation of some cabins and a recreation area near the Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ralph Bellah told The Gazette (http://bit.ly/MiQvne ) that the fire was reported at about 12:30 p.m. and quickly grew to up to 100 acres.

Meanwhile, a fire near Pagosa Springs in the southwestern part of the state has grown to 11,617 acres and is 30 percent contained. Hot, dry conditions Sunday are expected to fuel the fire, which was sparked by lightning May 13.

Across the West:

? California: Authorities are evacuating homes in eastern San Diego County as firefighters battle a 100-acre wildfire that has destroyed one structure. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the fire began Sunday afternoon in a rural area northeast of Campo and near the Golden Acorn Casino.

?New Mexico: A wildfire in southern New Mexico has destroyed 242 homes and businesses, and firefighters are working to increase containment and keep an eye out for possible lightning.

The 59-square-mile Little Bear Fire in Ruidoso is 60 percent contained. Dan Bastion, a spokesman for crews fighting the fire, says most of the fire is in the mop-up stage, but crews need to build more containment on the fire's active west side to deprive it of fuel.

? Arizona: Firefighters are focusing on protecting electrical transmission lines near a 3,100-acre blaze on the Tonto National Forest in northern Arizona. Officials say hot weather and steep slopes remain a concern, and firefighters are on the alert for thunderstorms and possible lightning strikes. The fire is 15 percent contained.

___

Associated Press writer Amanda Myers in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Britain will work with any government formed in Greece

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Anxiety, not celebration as Egypt elects president

An Egyptian woman shows her ink-stained finger after voting, while others line up in front of their polling station during the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

An Egyptian woman shows her ink-stained finger after voting, while others line up in front of their polling station during the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Egyptian women vote in a polling station during the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Egyptian soldiers help elderly voters after they cast their votes at a polling station in Zagazig, 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian women wait for the opening of their polling station on the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

A girl embraces her father as Egyptians line up outside a polling station during the first day of the presidential runoff, in Cairo, Egypt Saturday, June 16, 2012. Egyptians voted Saturday in the country's landmark presidential runoff, choosing between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood after a race that has deeply polarized the nation. The two-day balloting will produce Egypt's first president since a popular uprising last year ousted Mubarak, who is now serving a life sentence. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

(AP) ? Faced with a choice between Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister and an Islamist candidate, Egyptians entered their latest round of elections in an atmosphere of suspicion, resignation and worry, voting in a presidential runoff that will mean the difference between installing a remnant of the old regime and bringing more Islam into government.

The race between Ahmed Shafiq, a career air force officer like Mubarak, and the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, a U.S.-trained engineer, has deeply divided the country, 16 months after a stunning uprising by millions forced the authoritarian Mubarak to step down after 29 years in office.

The two-day vote is taking place under the shadow of political dramas over the past week that effectively mean the military generals who took power after Mubarak's ouster will continue to rule despite promises to hand over authority to the elected president by July 1. The generals took over legislative powers after Egypt's highest court on Thursday ordered the dissolution of the parliament elected just six months ago, and the military made a de facto declaration of martial law.

Using diplomatic language to convey Washington's concern about the latest development in longtime ally Egypt, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta underlined to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's military ruler, "the need to ensure a full and peaceful transition to democracy."

In their phone call Friday, Tantawi, who was Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years, confirmed the military's intention to transfer power to a democratically elected government by July 1, according to the U.S. Defense Department.

On Saturday, few voters showed the sense of celebration visible in previous votes. The prevailing mood was one of deep anxiety over the future ? whether bitterness that their "revolution" had stalled, fears that whoever wins protests will erupt, or deep suspicion that the political system was being manipulated. Moreover, there was a sense of voting fatigue. Egyptians have gone to the polls multiple times since Mubarak's fall on Feb. 11, 2011 ? a referendum early last year, then three months of multi-round parliamentary elections that began in November, and the first round of presidential elections last month.

"People are depressed, no one is happy after we returned to square one," Abu Bakr Said, a lawyer and a Morsi supporter, said referring to Thursday's court ruling, which wiped out the only elected body in the country.

"We have no confidence now in any election and I know that a second revolution is coming," he said as he waited in line outside a Cairo polling center.

Some said they were voting against a candidate as much as for a favorite. Anti-Shafiq voters said they wanted to stop a figure they fear will perpetuate Mubarak's regime; anti-Morsi voters feared he would hand the country over to Brotherhood domination to turn it into an Islamic state. With the fear of new authoritarianism in the future, some said they were choosing whoever they believed would be easiest to eventually force out.

Outside a polling center at the Cairo suburb of Shubra el-Kheima, Sameh Mohammed, declared: "I am not voting for either. They are all thieves and liars and cooperating with the military." Mohammed, who now washes cars after the factory where he worked closed following the revolution, lashed out at the military, but said he doesn't trust the Brotherhood either.

"They are all gambling with our lives," he said.

Unlike in ealier post-Mubarak votes when Egyptians were confident the balloting would be free, many this time said they expected tampering.

"I don't think Shafiq 'could' win, I think he will win," said Nagwan Gamal, a 26-year-old engineering lecturer at Cairo University who was voting for Morsi.

"I think there will be corruption to ensure that he wins, though I think a lot of people will vote for him," she said at a polling center in the Cairo district of Manial.

There were no immediate reports of significant violations at the polls, which are being monitored by several international and local observer groups. But the suspicion expressed by many underscored a widespread belief that the ruling military wants to ensure a win by the president of its choosing. The military has said it does not back either candidate.

Announcements by Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, in charge of police, only heightened the sense of paranoia and uncertainty. He told reporters that security agencies learned of a plot to carry out attacks on "vital installations" by individuals disguised as police or military. He also said that pens with ink that disappears after 30 minutes were being distributed to voters outside polling stations to use in marking their ballots. He didn't elaborate on who was passing them out or why.

The "pen" rumor spread quickly. At a polling center in the Cairo district of Shubra el-Kheima, the judge monitoring the ballots said the report was fake but that many in line now feared their vote would vanish. One woman wanted to take her ballot outside to wait to ensure her checkmark didn't disappear, said the judge, Mohammed el-Minshawi.

"I am hitting the ceiling. This is a dirty election game that aims to make people lose trust in the process," he said.

There were scuffles between supporters of the two candidates in the provinces of Assiut and Menoufia and as a handful of cases when the names of people who died were still on voters' lists and police and army conscripts voted in violation of a ban on service members from doing so. Three were wounded in exchange of fire in Gharbiya province

Shafiq, a self-confessed admirer and a longtime friend of Mubarak, has campaigned on a platform of a return to stability, something that resonated with many Egyptians frustrated and fatigued by more than a year of turmoil ? from deadly street protests, a surge in crime, to a faltering economy and seemingly endless strikes, sit-ins and demonstrations.

In contrast, Morsi marketed himself as a revolutionary who is fighting against the return of the old regime, promising guaranteed freedoms and an economic recovery, while softening his Islamist rhetoric in a bid to reassure liberals, minority Christians and women.

But multiple factors were playing on voters' minds. Some were angry at the Brotherhood, which was the big winner in the parliament elections, gaining nearly half the seats, but then faced a backlash from many who feel it then tried to monopolize authority for itself. After the past week's court ruling, others were angered by what they saw as the military's power grab.

"The revolution was stolen from us," merchant Nabil Abdel-Fatah said as he waited in line outside a polling center in Cairo's working-class district of Imbaba. He said he planned to vote for Shafiq. "We can easily get rid of him if we want to, but not the Brotherhood, which will cling to power."

Brotherhood supporter Amin Sayed said he had planned to boycott the vote, but changed his mind after the court ruling.

"I came to vote for the Brotherhood and the revolution and to spite the military council," he said in Imbaba, a stronghold of Islamists. "If Shafiq wins, we will return to the streets."

The balloting will produce Egypt's first president since the ouster of Mubarak, now serving a life sentence for failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protesters during the 18-day uprising that toppled his regime.

The winner will be only the fifth president since the monarchy was overthrown nearly 60 years ago.

The election is supposed to be the last stop in a turbulent transition overseen by the military generals. But even if they nominally hand over some powers to the winner, they will still hold the upper hand over the next president. The generals are likely to issue an interim constitutional declaration defining the president's powers, they will hold legislative powers, and they will likely appoint an assembly to write the permanent constitution.

Also last week, the military-appointed government gave military police and intelligence agents the right to arrest civilians for a host of suspected crimes. Many saw the move as a de facto declaration of martial law.

"By disbanding parliament, we returned to square one. We wasted a year and a half," 30-year-old contractor Mohammed Kamel said in the impoverished Cairo district of Warraq. "Ahead of us are four years of ambiguity ... We knew that the military council will never hand power because the generals have privileges they want to protect."

Kamel said he cast a purposely spoiled vote in protest, crossing out the names of both Morsi and Shafiq on his ballot.

Already, the generals have been blamed for mismanaging the transition and they stand accused of killing protesters, torturing detainees and hauling at least 12,000 civilians before military courts since January last year.

School teacher Mohammed Mustafa said he was voting to try to stop the return of the old regime.

"We lost this country for 30 years, and we are not ready to lose it again," he added. "I have no doubt there will be fraud. If there is, I will return to the street to win back my dignity because I won't live as a slave anymore."

____

AP correspondent Sara El Deeb contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Facebook CTO to leave in first senior-level exit

By Reuters

Facebook Inc's chief technology officer, Bret Taylor, is departing "sometime this summer" to start his own company, in the first exit of a high-profile executive since the social networking company's IPO on May 18.?

In an announcement on his Facebook page verified by a company spokesman, Taylor said he will be starting up a new company with Kevin Gibbs, a senior Google Inc engineer, according to his Facebook profile.?

The news was first reported by AllThingsD.?

"While a transition like this is never easy, I'm extremely confident in the teams and leadership we have in place," Taylor said on his page. "I'm very proud of our recent accomplishments in our platform and mobile products, from Open Graph and App Center to Facebook Camera and our iOS integration. I'm even more excited for the world to see all the amazing things these teams have coming."?

Facebook girds for battle over investor lawsuits?

Some investors had speculated that Facebook would have trouble holding onto key talent following its IPO, which created many millionaires among its ranks.?

Facebook executive Mike Vernal will take over the platform division, one of Taylor's key jobs. Cory Ondrejka will take over mobile, a source familiar with the situation confirmed.?

"I've really enjoyed working with Bret and getting to know him as a friend and teammate," said Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg in a statement. ?

Facebook goes all-out to prove its ads work?

"I'm grateful for all he has done for Facebook and I'm proud of what he and his teams have built. I'm also proud that we have a culture where great entrepreneurs like Bret join us and have such a big impact."?

Many high-profile Facebook executives have left the company since its founding in 2004, including Taylor's predecessor as CTO, Dustin Moskovitz. He left Facebook in 2008 with his colleague Jason Rosenstein to form a social-networking company for business called Asana.?

Moskovitz, a onetime Harvard roommate of Zuckerberg, had been with the company since its earliest days.?

Another former roommate of Zuckerberg's, Chris Hughes, also left a few years ago and coordinated online organizing for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Now, he is publisher of the New Republic magazine.?

Nasdaq faces years of litigation over botched IPO?

Dave Morin, who joined Facebook in 2008, left in 2010 to found another social network, Path. Facebook alumni Adam D'Angelo and Charlie Cheever left in 2009 to start Quora, their question-and-answer company.?

Matt Cohler, who joined Facebook from LinkedIn early in 2005, joined venture capital firm Benchmark Capital in 2008. His investments there include Asana and Quora.?

Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, left in 2010 to run unsuccessfully for attorney general of California.?

Facebook shares closed at $30.01 on Friday, up 1.7 percent.?

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Majority of dads say they do the grocery shopping

Brian Snyder / Reuters file

According to a survey, 52 percent of dads say they are the primary supermarket shoppers in the household.

By Eve Tahmincioglu

There?s a good chance dad might be shopping for his own Father?s Day breakfast in bed this Sunday. No, he?s not in the doghouse, but apparently dads are doing more of the grocery shopping these days.

According to a survey released this week by brand marketing firm Cone Communications, 52 percent of dads say they are the primary supermarket shoppers in the household, and 35 percent of moms admitted fathers have more influence when it comes to grocery purchases.?

?This research goes against all stereotypes of the ?Father Knows Best? dad who doesn?t concern himself with domestic responsibilities,? says Bill Fleishman, president of Cone Communications, about the online survey that polled 1,000 parents with children under 17.

The company?s research also found dad shoppers aren?t just winging their supermarket hunting. Dad?s polled said they:

  • Create a detailed shopping list ? 63% (vs. 65% of moms)
  • Collect coupons or read circulars ? 56% (vs. 62% of moms)
  • Plan meals for the week ahead of time ? 52% (vs. 46% of moms)
  • Perform background research on grocery products ? 24% (vs. 11% of moms)

And moms are more likely to spend more time in the grocery store than dads. While Cone?s study found fathers were doing more of the grocery shopping, Today Money Facebook fans we informally polled Friday largely said the opposite it true.

?If my husband went to the store we would be having frozen pizza and macaroni and cheese for dinner every night,? said Mariska Colbert of her husband Zac.

And Melissa Klement added, ?Wish my hubby would do it.?

But Roberta Harwood Speller, who works in a grocery store said: ?There are several men that shop each week there for their families. They do very well. Even have their kids with them.?

For those of us who just can?t accept father foragers in the supermarket, it may be time set aside your bias in the aisle.

?We?re finding that dads are not acting so differently from moms in their approach to grocery shopping,? maintained Cone?s Fleishman.

(Full disclosure: My husband does most of the supermarket shopping these days, but I have to write up the list.)

Who does the supermarket shopping at home?

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Joe Torre introduced as Team USA skipper for 2013 World Baseball Classic; talks Derek Jeter and A-Rod

It goes without saying that Joe Torre would like to have one more chance to manage Derek Jeter in next year's World Baseball Classic, but the former Yankees skipper said Thursday that he wouldn't have a problem reuniting with Alex Rodriguez, either.
?
Torre was officially introduced as Team USA's new manager during a conference call Thursday.
?
Torre appeared on a Yahoo! Sports show a couple weeks ago and discussed his time with A-Rod in pinstripes, taking what many perceived as a shot at the third baseman.
?
"He was concerned with putting numbers up, and that really wasn't what we were all about," Torre said during the interview. "We were about winning games; that was the only statistic that was important for us. Alex, in his defense, he just felt if he put certain numbers, that the wins would take care of themselves. I think he put pressure on himself."
?
Torre made a point to speak with A-Rod during a recent trip to Yankee Stadium, making sure there was no problem between them as Torre believed he "never said anything negative" about A-Rod.
?
Rodriguez played for the U.S. in the first WBC back in 2006, then suited up for the Dominican Republic three years ago. It remains to be seen whether A-Rod will even be asked ? third base has become a deep position with stars such as Evan Longoria, Adrian Beltre and David Wright ? to play in the WBC, but Torre said he would have no problem managing his former third baseman.
?
"I don't think there's any issue with the two of us," Torre said. "If that situation presented itself and I felt I wanted to go that way, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to ask him. I hope if I did that he wouldn't have any hesitation in accepting."
?
Jeter has played in each of the first two WBC events, and although he'll be 38 next February, it's difficult to imagine the U.S. fielding a roster without the future Hall of Famer who has served as the sport's top ambassador.
?
"Derek is special," Torre said. "Everything he does, he only does one way, which is to go out there, do the best he can and try to win a ballgame."
?
Davey Johnson managed Team USA in the 2009 WBC, returning to the majors two years later as the Nationals manager. Torre stressed that his decision to manage in next year's WBC has nothing to do with his desire to return to the majors, as he is content with his position as Executive VP for Baseball Operations.
?
"Managing a big league ballclub is certainly a commitment 12 months a year," Torre said. "This is an opportunity that, once it was presented, I felt honored by. I have no ambition to audition for another job. I'm pretty satisfied with the fact that I'm still in baseball but I don't have to stay up at night concerning myself with did we win or lose?"

&nbsp?

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Researchers develop optical displays from water and air

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Dr. Robin Ras
robin.ras@aalto.fi
358-947-023-169
Aalto University

For many years, scientists have been pursuing ways to mimic the perplexing capability of the lotus leaf to repel water. Lotus leaves hate water so much that droplets effortlessly roll off the surface, keeping it clean from dirt. Now an international team of researchers led by Aalto University have come up with an entirely new concept of writing and displaying information on surfaces using simply water. They exploit the unique way a trapped layer of air behaves on a lotus-inspired dual-structured water-repelling surface immersed under water.

To achieve the extreme water-repellency of the lotus leaf, a surface needs to be superhydrophobic: it must have microscopic surface structures that prevent water from wetting the surface completely, leaving a thin layer of air between water and the surface. When such a surface is immersed in water, a trapped air layer covers the entire surface.

The researchers lead by Dr. Robin Ras at Aalto University in Finland, University of Cambridge and Nokia Research Center Cambridge fabricated a surface with structures in two size scales: microposts that have a size of ten micrometers and tiny nanofilaments that are grown on the posts. On such a two-level surface the air layer can exist in two different shapes (wetting states) that correspond to the two size scales. The researchers found that one can easily switch between the two states locally using a nozzle to create over- or underpressure in the water, in order to change the air layer to either state.

"The minimal energy needed to switch between the states means the system is bistable, which is the essential property of memory devices, for example", Academy Research Fellow Dr. Robin Ras points out. However, there is a feature that makes it all the more interesting: there is a striking optical contrast between the states due to a change in the roughness of the water-air interface. "Combined with the optical effect, the surface is also a bistable reflective display."

The switching only involves a change in the shape of the air layer ? nothing happens to the solid surface itself. This is demonstrated by writing shapes on the surface underwater (making use of the contrast between the states) and taking the sample out of water: the surface emerges completely dry, and no traces of the writing remain.

The method for manipulating the air layer with the nozzle was developed by Tuukka Verho, graduate student in Aalto University. He was able to show that the reversible switching can be done with precision in a pixel-by-pixel fashion.

"This result represents the first step in making non-wettable surfaces a platform for storing or even processing information", says Academy professor Olli Ikkala. Until now, lotus-inspired surfaces have been mainly developed for applications like self-cleaning, anti-icing or flow drag reduction. This research is a landmark example how the Nature teaches materials scientists towards functional materials.

###

An article entitled "Reversible switching between superhydrophobic states on a hierarchically structured surface" is published in PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and provides more in depth information about this project.

The article on the web: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1204328109

A print quality graphic about the research available at http://media.digtator.fi/digtator/tmp/8d60ef17018948639962b423297d31c6/previe... (Link valid until 14 July)

Watch a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEWPIjLbrSE

Further information/interviews:

Dr. Robin Ras
robin.ras@aalto.fi
tel. +358 9 470 23169 (EET)
Aalto University School of Science, Department of Applied Physics

Johanna Lassy
Aalto University Communications
PL 17800, 00076 AALTO, FINLAND
+358-50-590 7207
johanna.lassy@aalto.fi
aalto.fi

Aalto University, Finland is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. The University is founded on Finnish strengths, and its goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world's top universities. Aalto University's cornerstones are its strengths in education and research. At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 5,000 of which 350 are professors. aalto.fi/en



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 15-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Dr. Robin Ras
robin.ras@aalto.fi
358-947-023-169
Aalto University

For many years, scientists have been pursuing ways to mimic the perplexing capability of the lotus leaf to repel water. Lotus leaves hate water so much that droplets effortlessly roll off the surface, keeping it clean from dirt. Now an international team of researchers led by Aalto University have come up with an entirely new concept of writing and displaying information on surfaces using simply water. They exploit the unique way a trapped layer of air behaves on a lotus-inspired dual-structured water-repelling surface immersed under water.

To achieve the extreme water-repellency of the lotus leaf, a surface needs to be superhydrophobic: it must have microscopic surface structures that prevent water from wetting the surface completely, leaving a thin layer of air between water and the surface. When such a surface is immersed in water, a trapped air layer covers the entire surface.

The researchers lead by Dr. Robin Ras at Aalto University in Finland, University of Cambridge and Nokia Research Center Cambridge fabricated a surface with structures in two size scales: microposts that have a size of ten micrometers and tiny nanofilaments that are grown on the posts. On such a two-level surface the air layer can exist in two different shapes (wetting states) that correspond to the two size scales. The researchers found that one can easily switch between the two states locally using a nozzle to create over- or underpressure in the water, in order to change the air layer to either state.

"The minimal energy needed to switch between the states means the system is bistable, which is the essential property of memory devices, for example", Academy Research Fellow Dr. Robin Ras points out. However, there is a feature that makes it all the more interesting: there is a striking optical contrast between the states due to a change in the roughness of the water-air interface. "Combined with the optical effect, the surface is also a bistable reflective display."

The switching only involves a change in the shape of the air layer ? nothing happens to the solid surface itself. This is demonstrated by writing shapes on the surface underwater (making use of the contrast between the states) and taking the sample out of water: the surface emerges completely dry, and no traces of the writing remain.

The method for manipulating the air layer with the nozzle was developed by Tuukka Verho, graduate student in Aalto University. He was able to show that the reversible switching can be done with precision in a pixel-by-pixel fashion.

"This result represents the first step in making non-wettable surfaces a platform for storing or even processing information", says Academy professor Olli Ikkala. Until now, lotus-inspired surfaces have been mainly developed for applications like self-cleaning, anti-icing or flow drag reduction. This research is a landmark example how the Nature teaches materials scientists towards functional materials.

###

An article entitled "Reversible switching between superhydrophobic states on a hierarchically structured surface" is published in PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, and provides more in depth information about this project.

The article on the web: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1204328109

A print quality graphic about the research available at http://media.digtator.fi/digtator/tmp/8d60ef17018948639962b423297d31c6/previe... (Link valid until 14 July)

Watch a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEWPIjLbrSE

Further information/interviews:

Dr. Robin Ras
robin.ras@aalto.fi
tel. +358 9 470 23169 (EET)
Aalto University School of Science, Department of Applied Physics

Johanna Lassy
Aalto University Communications
PL 17800, 00076 AALTO, FINLAND
+358-50-590 7207
johanna.lassy@aalto.fi
aalto.fi

Aalto University, Finland is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. The University is founded on Finnish strengths, and its goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world's top universities. Aalto University's cornerstones are its strengths in education and research. At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 5,000 of which 350 are professors. aalto.fi/en



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


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