Britain?s Ministry of Defense wants to update its solider training tech and is looking at Xbox games with an envious eye. Apparently, newer recruits who have grown up with the latest generation of gaming consoles tend to lose interest with the MoD?s unrealistic simulated training war games.
The MoD currently uses something called Battlespace2; troops that were sent to Afghanistan had training with this digital war simulator. However, the older system?s clunky graphics don?t measure up to popular commercial first person shooters such as the Call of Duty series, Battlefield 3 or Killzone 3. The military just hasn?t had the money to keep up with the advances of the lucrative gaming industry.
In an interview with The Guardian, Technical team leader for the MoD?s Science and Technology Lab, Andrew Poulter said: ?Back in the 1980s and 1990s, [defense] was far out in front in terms of quality of simulation. Military-built simulators were state of the art. But now?you can buy a commercial game that will be far more realistic than the sorts of tools we were using. The truth is, the total spending on games development across the industry will be greater than spending on [defense].?
The military has generally been steering towards cost-effective technology improvements?such as giving recruits iPad?s instead of having to continuously update large training manuals, as well as relying more on digital battle simulators as training budgets get cut. Poulter points out that live training can be cut down and could serve the purpose of cementing skills already learned in digital training; this would mean less resources consumed, such as ammunition, explosives or using tanks and other military craft.
Poulter and his team are working on better image generation, and are focusing on more realism as opposed to the entertainment focus of commercial games. Though plot will still be needed by the military games to immerse recruits, Poulter wants to prioritize how ?credible? the mechanics are, for example: how far bullets travel, how digital cars respond to controls, or the atmosphere when a convoy gets bombed. However, ultimately the goal is to engage recruits so they remember their lessons on the real battlefield.
?Virtual Battlespace is quite good fun, and we want trainees to want to do training,? said Poulter.
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This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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New York ? Tehran warns that it may stop oil from passing through the critical Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. fires back that it will tolerate no such thing
About one-sixth of the world's oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz ? a narrow opening connecting the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. So when Iran threatens to block the passage, people take notice. On Tuesday, Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said that if the West imposes new sanctions on Iran's oil exports, "then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz." Iran is already conducting a 10-day naval exercise, and its navy chief?boasted Wednesday?that "closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces." The U.S. dismissed Iran's threat as "saber-rattling," but also warned that the U.S. will "do what we must to ensure the strait remains open." Here's what you should know:
What prompted the latest standoff? President Obama is preparing to sign a Pentagon funding measure with a provision that could sharply curtail Iran's oil revenue?by penalizing foreign companies that conduct business with Iran's central bank. The U.S. move, and the European Union's?consideration of an embargo on Iran's oil, are meant to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program. Iran's latest gambit is meant to apply pressure, too: Even threatening a blockade briefly sent oil prices higher, and Iran knows that higher oil prices would?hurt Obama's re-election chances.
SEE MORE: Iran downs a U.S. drone: Is 'all-out war' next?
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How seriously should we take this threat? Saudi Arabia and other oil exporters have pledged to pump more oil to offset any shortfall from an Iran blockade. "But if Iran blocks the Strait, all Gulf oil would be blocked," energy analyst Robin Mills tells Bloomberg. Indeed, "closing the Strait of Hormuz would be an economic catastrophe," but it could also be a military catastrophe for Iran, says Dan Murphy in The Christian Science Monitor. This chest-thumping is mostly just Iran's "way to send a strategic message" to the West: "We can make you suffer if provoked." Well, "it's starting to become the boy who cried wolf," KBC Asset Management's Samuel Ciszuk tells Bloomberg. "The Iranians are mentioning more frequently that they could close the strait and the markets don't jump as much."
Could Iran actually block the strait? "Could they? Sure," says The Christian Science Monitor's Murphy. Iran's navy could sink a tanker or litter the passage with sea mines. But such a blockade wouldn't last long. "At best, Iran can posture and potentially disrupt traffic for a short duration," Hofstra University global trade expert Jean-Paul Rodrigue tells CNN. And it would be a "suicidal" move on Iran's part. China, Japan, and Europe depend more on Iranian oil than the U.S. does, so while the U.S. would take the lead in dismantling Iran after a blockade attempt, it wouldn't be the only military involved. And remember, the $8 billion Iran spends on its military is about 1/80th of what the U.S. spends.
SEE MORE: Would a Republican president bomb Iran?
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Sources: AP, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, CNN, New York Times
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) ? A family from Suriname was the first of a string of guests to arrive at Steve Chase's million-dollar South Florida home expecting a vacation ? only, Chase didn't invite any of them.
All had paid thousands of dollars and had rental contracts for the Fort Lauderdale house. They were the victims of a growing number of scams that post occupied homes as available on vacation rental websites.
"I said, 'I hate to say it to you, but this house is not for rent. You've been scammed,'" Chase recalled telling the family.
"It's so sad," Chase told the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper. "These were good people that had good intentions, and they were just shocked."
Experts say Chase's would-be houseguests probably never get their money back or see the scam artists punished because the fraud crosses international borders, making investigation and prosecution difficult.
Websites offering vacation home rentals act as clearinghouses where homeowners can list their properties. Prospective renters then connect with the owners independently of the websites.
Scam artists are increasingly taking advantage of that arrangement, falsely listing properties and requiring unsuspecting renters to pay upfront by wiring the money or sending a check to a post office box, experts say.
Chase's neighbor, 85-year-old June Beard, also has received multiple visits from people who believed they had rented her beachfront home. Beard neither listed the property nor collected the rent.
"The poor people who have come and expect to rent our houses, it's a shame," she said.
Fort Lauderdale police say they have been stymied in efforts to locate, arrest and prosecute the culprits.
"Our problem is that the victims are from Canada and other countries," said Sgt. Steve Scelfo, head of the Fort Lauderdale police's Economic Crimes Unit. "The money's not actually coming through Fort Lauderdale. We don't have standing jurisdictionally to investigate it."
Further complicating the cases is the fact that the homeowners such as Chase are not being victimized.
"He's not out financially or really the victim of the crime," Scelfo said.
Such cases are the province of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a federal Department of Justice clearinghouse that analyzes online fraud, he said. Few of these cases, though, see prosecution.
In addition to the family from Suriname, Chase has had to turn away a couple from Quebec and a local man who wanted to inspect the property on behalf of a New Jersey banker interested in renting the home for six adults, four children and two dogs.
The banker, Michael McKenna of Pine Beach, New Jersey, withdrew his offer and now says he only works with real estate agents on vacation rentals. "They're definitely more trustworthy than going off those Internet sites," he said.
Chase has had two fake listings in his beachfront neighborhood pulled from four websites, and he's fighting for more accountability for vacation rentals.
"I'm trying to push for some legislation to hold these websites accountable for the information they post," he said. "I'm making a lot of noise."
___
Information from: South Florida Sun Sentinel, http://www.sun sentinel.com
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, shoots against Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, shoots against Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol, right, shoots over Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher, left, defends against Sacramento Kings guard Jimmer Fredette during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? Marcus Thornton scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Sacramento Kings opened the season in grand fashion, beating the Los Angeles Lakers at home for the first time in more than three years, 100-91 on Monday night.
Tyreke Evans added 20 points, John Salmons had 13 and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who had lost nine of 10 to the Lakers and five straight at home.
Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Metta World Peace added 19 for the Lakers, who opened the season with consecutive losses for the first time since 2002-03, putting a damper on the start of new coach Mike Brown's tenure.
Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette entered to a loud ovation midway through the first quarter and then committed a double dribble the first time he touched the ball.
Otherwise, it was nothing but a positive start to the season for the Kings, who didn't even know if they would be in Sacramento after ending last season with an overtime loss at home to the Lakers.
But the city got a reprieve when the team decided to stay for at least one more season instead of moving to Anaheim. That has led to newfound optimism that an emerging roster of young and athletic playmakers can return the Kings to prominence and the city can build a new arena to keep the team in California's capital city for the long term.
That roster gave the fans plenty to cheer about in the Kings' first season opener at home in eight years. They went on an 11-0 run around halftime and then put together a strong finish to the third quarter led by Cousins. Playing with four fouls, Cousins scored eight points in the final 3:20 of the third to give Sacramento a 78-64 lead heading into the fourth.
Thornton scored seven of the Kings' first nine points of the fourth as Sacramento maintained its lead. But six straight points by World Peace helped the Lakers cut it to 89-87 with 4:24 to play.
Thornton hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings some breathing room and Chuck Hayes had a key block on Pau Gasol leading to two free throws by Evans. The Lakers never got the deficit to less than five points after that. Thornton's jumper made it 99-89 with 1:10 to go, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Los Angeles doesn't have to wait long to get a chance for its first win in this lockout-compacted season, as the Lakers host Utah on Tuesday night with their third game in three nights to open the season.
The Kings took a 49-40 halftime lead, giving the sellout crowd even more to cheer about than just the fact that the Kings are still in town. Sacramento scored the final seven points of the half, capped by Evans' drive for a one-handed scoop with 5.9 seconds remaining.
The Kings frustrated the Lakers at the other end of the court all half, holding them to 36.4 percent shooting including an uncharacteristic 4-for-13 performance from Bryant.
Sacramento even had success matching 5-foot-9 rookie Isaiah Thomas on Bryant on a few possessions in the second quarter despite a 9-inch height disadvantage. After missing a turnaround jumper over the shorter Thomas, Bryant could only manage to chuckle on his way back down the court.
Notes: The Kings have won six straight home openers. ... Mayor Kevin Johnson, who helped keep the Kings in Sacramento this season, was presented a jersey from owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. ... Bryant got called for a technical foul in the third quarter when he threw his hands in frustration after being fouled on a dunk attempt by J.J. Hickson.
(Updated 3:38 p.m.) - Dozens of young men and women made the nomination list for the United States Military Academics for the 2012 school year. The released list, featuring selections by Senator Jim Risch, covers all four academies: Air Force, Army, Marine and Navy.
This is just the first step of the selection process. Names marked in bold are North Idaho nominees.
U.S. Air Force Academy
Joseph Cardona III, Boise
Anthony deVera, Meridian
John French, Meridian
Kaylee Kostka, Heyburn
Adrianna Lutu, Boise
Kevin Miller, Idaho Falls
Zachary Morrow, Roswell
Jonathon Riggers, Nezperce
Nathaniel Rupp, Boise
Ronald Weimar, Payette
U.S. Military Academy at West Point (Army)
Adam Armour, Idaho Falls
Reid Boorman, Bonners Ferry
Layne Harper, Blackfoot
Joel ?Parker? Heisey, Coeur d?Alene
Colby Hyde, Eagle
Zachary LaBenne, Hayden
Parker Matthews, Rathdrum
Bryan Perry, Rigby
David Trompke, Eagle
Kristine Westergard, Boise
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
Brennen Connolly, Meridian
Andrew Fletcher, Boise
Alex Foster, Ammon
Zane Hardin, McCall
Mason Menges, Nampa
Konnor-Lawrence Moden, Boise
Levi Sliwoski, Boise
Eric Whitman, Priest River
Kevin Wilmot, Jerome
Rebecca Winzer, Coeur d?Alene
U.S. Naval Academy
Nicholas Arnold, Boise
Hallie Bonnicksen, Kellogg
Andrew Brackebush, Silverton
Joseph Dlugosch, Eagle
Gaylen Edmo, Pocatello
John Foulger, Chubbuck
John ?Gil? Givens, Post Falls
Kylie Johnson, Coeur d?Alene
Skyler Means, Boise
Jonathon Riggers, Nezperce
Note: A reader pointed out that there was no nomination list for Coast Guard. After speaking with Senator Risch's Office in Washington D.C., they said that the Coast Guard academy does not need nominations.
GRAPEVINE, Texas?? Seven people believed to be related had opened their Christmas gifts and started cleaning up the wrapping paper when they were shot to death in a suburban Fort Worth apartment, police said Sunday.
Authorities said they believe the shooter is among the dead.
Four women and three men, aged 18 to 60, were found in an adjoining kitchen and living room area when police entered the apartment around midday, said Grapevine Police Sgt. Robert Eberling. Two handguns were found near the bodies in the apartment, which was decorated for the holiday with a tree, he added.
"It appears they had just celebrated Christmas. They had opened their gifts," Eberling said.
The victims have not yet been identified, but Eberling said it appears they all died of gunshot wounds. He said authorities still don't know what sparked the incident.
Police and firefighters rushed to the Lincoln Vineyards complex after receiving an open-ended 911 call at about 11:30 a.m., Eberling said.
"There was an open line. No one was saying anything," he explained.
So police went into the apartment, located in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood of Grapevine, not far from the upscale Fort Worth neighborhood of Colleyville. The apartment is at the back of the complex, overlooking the athletic fields of Colleyville Heritage High School.
But many of the nearby apartments are vacant, and police said no neighbors reported hearing anything on a quiet Christmas morning when many people were not around.
Christy Posch, a flight attendant who moved to the complex about six months ago so her son could attend the high school, said she lives a few buildings away and did not hear any gunshots.
"It's all families. That's why I moved here. No burglaries, no nothing," Posch said.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Stop by and enjoy some quality Texas and California Reds and light appetizers.? Learn how In Home Wine Tasting 4 You can "Bring the wine or beer to your Party" and enter a drawing for a Free In Home Wine Tasting for up to 10 people.?
Half of your tasting fee covers the wine and appetizers.? The other half will be contributed to The New Hope Foundation to assist their efforts improving lives of needy area residents.
Their Elves in Disguise program this year helped a single mother who was subjected to horrific abuse as a child, but thanks to her mother's sacrifice and grandmother's devotion, she made it out alive. Despite deep scars, she eventually attended college and received her associates degree.?Her husband recently passed away, leaving her to raise four children alone, who have asthma and other health and learning issues. Their apartment isn't safe or healthy. Words cannot express how little they have. But the children do not complain because it is better than the shelter where they used to live. During the year they help feed, clothe, tutor and provide safe after school programs for kids of working parents. ?Find out more at:? www.newhopefoundation.com
Come enjoy some wonderful wines; learn about a relaxing way to find new affordable, quality wines; help families in severe need in this season of giving; and enter to win a free wine and beer tasting of your own.
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SLC To Raise Green Fees At All Capital Golf Courses: SALT LAKE CITY -- The next time you tee off in Sa... bit.ly/sA4Q5q utah newsIl y a environ 8 heuresvia twitterfeed
WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama told Congress restrictions on his ability to transfer detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States might violate the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.
The provision is contained in a massive spending bill that Obama signed Friday. The president, in a statement accompanying his signature, said he will interpret the provisions in a way that "avoids constitutional conflicts."
"Signing statements" allow presidents to raise constitutional objections to circumvent Congress' intent. During his campaign for the White House, Obama criticized President George W. Bush's use of signing statements and promised to make his application the tool more transparent.
The spending bill restrictions cited by Obama are similar to ones contained in a defense bill that Congress passed this month. Those provisions survived negotiations between lawmakers and the administration that allowed Obama to investigate and try suspected terrorists in civilian courts.
Obama has indicated his intent to sign that bill, but Friday's statement signaled that he would raise similar objections.
"My administration has repeatedly communicated my objections to these provisions, including my view that they could, under certain circumstances, violate constitutional separation of powers principles," Obama said. He said he would continue to work toward their repeal.
Congress and the White House have been at odds over detention policy ever since Obama was sworn in.
Many lawmakers have resisted the administration's efforts to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo and have opposed trying terror suspects in federal courts in the United States rather than by military commission.
The Senate approved a $1 trillion-plus 2012 spending bill last Saturday in a flurry of year-end activity that was overshadowed by an ensuing confrontation over extending a payroll tax cut. The legislation, which sets the day-to-day budgets of 10 Cabinet agencies, locks in cuts that conservative Republicans won from the White House and Democrats this year.
Obama also took issue with the spending bill's ban on funding United Nations peacekeeping missions if they place U.S. military forces under the command of a "foreign national" ? unless the president notifies Congress that such a deployment is in the national interest.
Obama said those provisions also could interfere with his constitutional authorities.
"In approving this bill, I reiterate the understanding, which I have communicated to the Congress, that I will apply these provisions in a manner consistent with my constitutional authority as commander in chief."
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The United States, its European allies and key Arab states are intensifying talks on how to maintain stability in the global energy markets in case of a formal embargo on Iran's oil exports and its central bank, The Wall Street Journal reported late Sunday.
Citing unnamed US and European officials, the newspaper said such an embargo would constitute the most direct economic confrontation yet between Iran and the West.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if such an embargo is introduced.
The West alleges Tehran is seeking to acquire a weapons capability under the guise of its nuclear research programme. Iran denies any such ambition and says its work is only for civil energy and medical purposes.
In recent weeks, Iranian officials have insisted the country was ready to face new sanctions against the oil sector and central bank.
US and European officials have indicated they are seeking assurances from major oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, to increase exports to the European Union and Asian nations if tighter sanctions on Tehran's energy exports and central bank are enforced in the coming months, the Journal report said.
These officials said there is also a growing discussion with emerging oil exporters -- such as Libya, Iraq, Ghana and Angola -- to increase their production capacities to guard against any shortages caused by the West's economic campaign against Iran, The Journal noted.
"If properly implemented, countries will trend away from Iranian supply," the paper quoted a European official as saying. "There are lots of conversations going on with Saudis at various levels on this."
Representatives from 11 countries involved in the financial war against Tehran will meet on Tuesday in Rome as part of a group that has been informally dubbed the "coalition of like-minded countries," The Journal recalled.
US, European and Arab diplomats said Iran's oil exports and global energy prices will be key issues discussed at that session, which Western diplomats said will include foreign ministry and finance officials from all the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, along with South Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the report said.
In addition to energy policy, the conference will focus on sanctions on Iran's finance and transportation sectors, and ensuring the free flow of information into Iran, the paper noted.
Iran, bracing for more sanctions, admits the pain Tehran (AFP) Dec 19, 2011 - Western sanctions have taken such a toll on Iran over the past 18 months that now -- as the screw is about to be tightened yet further -- Tehran's studied insouciance is slipping, with officials admitting the economic damage being felt.
"War-time conditions" demanded dramatic policy reactions, the head of Tehran's chamber of trade and industry, Yahya AlEshaq, told Sunday's Iran Daily newspaper.
The country must now act "as if under siege," the governor of Iran's central bank, Mahmoud Bahmani, agreed in comments to reporters and businessmen over the past week.
Signs of economic difficulties have been accumulating: investments are becoming rare, imports are becoming pricier, and Iran's currency is sliding.
The United States and Europe are about to again ratchet up the pressure with measures against Iran's central bank and vital oil sector.
They will add to severe sanctions imposed since 2010 by a West trying to halt Iran's nuclear programme, which it suspects masks ambitions for atomic weapons, despite Tehran's denials.
The growing evidence of the sanctions' impact has prompted Iranian officials to drop previous assertions of business-as-usual and start acknowledging some economic pain.
"We can't pretend the sanctions aren't having an effect," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi admitted on the weekend.
But "we are not really worried," he told the official IRNA news agency, explaining that "appropriate responses have been prepared for the worst case scenario."
A "road map" to circumvent new sanctions had been readied, he said.
AlEshaq also said "the sanctions have had some impact on the domestic economy," notably by making imports 24% more costly.
"The enemies have embarked on a war in the economic sector," he said, calling for "war-era management" to be imposed in return.
Iran has already been establishing trade links with other, non-Western countries, notably China. But imports have still declined 20% in the past six months according to official figures.
Exports continue to hold up, however, largely thanks to the high price for oil in the global market -- a commodity that accounts for 80% of foreign earnings for Iran, OPEC's second-biggest producer after Saudi Arabia.
This year, the value of Iran's exports topped $140 billion, with oil and derivative products accounting for $120 billion of that.
But those figures "hide the fact that a growing part of trade is now being done under barter arrangements," said one European expert in Tehran who could not be named because of political sensitivities.
"To get around the US embargo on dollar transactions, the main buyers of Iranian crude, such as China, Japan and South Korea, don't pay in cash any more but rather through credit lines extended to Iranian companies, which reduces the central bank's resources," the expert said.
Iran said at the beginning of this year it had around $100 billion in foreign reserves and gold.
But dwindling revenue has forced the central bank in recent months to dramatically cut foreign currency sales to businesses and individuals, an Iranian banker noted.
The central bank has also eased up on its previous strong support for Iran's rial, letting the currency depreciate 20% since September.
The sanctions have also taken a noticeable bite out of the oil and gas industry.
Oil production, which has dropped 10% since 2008, continues to shrink with November output this year put at 3.5 million barrels per day according to OPEC.
Lacking options, Tehran has recently announced it is suspending several non-essential projects. And even ones deemed priorities, such as the development of the giant South Pars gas field in the Gulf, are running behind schedule, according to Iranian media.
Foreign "investment isn't coming any more, or very little is, because of the hostile moves" by the West, Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said in November.
He calculated his country needed $50 billion per year to develop Iran's production.
As a result, Iran has increasingly turned to its domestic market for capital, with varied success.
It has also been calling for local investors. In early December, for the first time, it handed development of an offshore oil field to a private Iranian bank.
SALT LAKE CITY?? A truck driver who won a $380,000 Lamborghini in a convenience store contest crashed the sports car six hours after he got it, and he now plans to sell the 640-horsepower convertible because he can't afford the insurance or taxes.
"I already had offers on it. I'm going to sell it," David Dopp said Wednesday. "I have bills more important than a Lamborghini. I've got a family to support."
Dopp, a 34-year-old truck driver for Frito-Lay, spun out of control just a few hours after taking the keys to the Murcielago Roadster that he won in a "Joe Schmo to Lambo" contest sponsored by Maverik convenience stores.
The lime green convertible was being held by his insurance company at a Utah towing yard. It will be sent to an authorized Las Vegas dealer for repairs next week.
Dopp told The Associated Press the damage "isn't super bad" ? a punctured oil pan and wheel and a few dents and scratches on the front and rear ends. The father of six said he couldn't afford to pay taxes on the car or the insurance, which runs $3,500 every six months.
"That's why rich people own them," he said. "The poor people like me don't."
Dopp was taking family members and friends on joy rides the first evening. He said he took a curve at about 45 mph and "hit some black ice and spun out." The car jumped a curb and went through a fence before coming to a rest about 75 feet off the road. Neither Dopp nor his passenger was injured.
"My heart pretty much fell out," Annette Dopp told KSL-TV of Salt Lake City. "They said they were OK. Then (came), you know, that feeling when your heart drops and you're like, 'Oh, my gosh. What do we do now?'"
The Lamborghini was the envy of Santaquin, a town of 9,000 about 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. Police say the Lamborghini's high-performance summer tires weren't suited for icy conditions and the car is simply too powerful ? and exceptionally light with carbon fiber body parts. Dopp wasn't ticketed.
Dopp was videotaped jumping up and down and hollering in speechless disbelief when contest officials announced during a Nov. 12 college football game that he won the car. He had to take out insurance before he could claim the car ? "that was a good thing," he says ? and took the keys to the roadster Saturday.
Dopp said he never imagined he could keep the car for long because it costs too much to own.
He also won $5,000 worth of driving lessons at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele County.
Dopp said he'll be more careful the next time he gets behind the wheel.
The giveaway contest was for customers who use a rewards card at Maverik's 220 stores. It was co-sponsored by nonprofit organization "teamgive," which raises awareness about rare neurological diseases.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductorsPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Liz Ahlberg eahlberg@illinois.edu 217-244-1073 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Creating semiconductor structures for high-end optoelectronic devices just got easier, thanks to University of Illinois researchers.
The team developed a method to chemically etch patterned arrays in the semiconductor gallium arsenide, used in solar cells, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), capacitors and sensors. Led by electrical and computer engineering professor Xiuling Li, the researchers describe their technique in the journal Nano Letters.
A semiconductor's physical properties can vary depending on its structure, so semiconductor wafers are etched into structures that tune their electrical and optical properties and connectivity before they are assembled into chips.
Semiconductors are commonly etched with two techniques: "Wet" etching uses a chemical solution to erode the semiconductor in all directions, while "dry" etching uses a directed beam of ions to bombard the surface, carving out a directed pattern. Such patterns are required for high-aspect-ratio nanostructures, or tiny shapes that have a large ratio of height to width. High-aspect-ratio structures are essential to many high-end optoelectronic device applications.
While silicon is the most ubiquitous material in semiconductor devices, materials in the III-V (pronounced three-five) group are more efficient in optoelectronic applications, such as solar cells or lasers.
Unfortunately, these materials can be difficult to dry etch, as the high-energy ion blasts damage the semiconductor's surface. III-V semiconductors are especially susceptible to damage.
To address this problem, Li and her group turned to metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch), a wet-etching approach they had previously developed for silicon. Unlike other wet methods, MacEtch works in one direction, from the top down. It is faster and less expensive than many dry etch techniques, according to Li. Her group revisited the MacEtch technique, optimizing the chemical solution and reaction conditions for the III-V semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs).
The process has two steps. First, a thin film of metal is patterned on the GaAs surface. Then, the semiconductor with the metal pattern is immersed in the MacEtch chemical solution. The metal catalyzes the reaction so that only the areas touching metal are etched away, and high-aspect-ratio structures are formed as the metal sinks into the wafer. When the etching is done, the metal can be cleaned from the surface without damaging it.
"It is a big deal to be able to etch GaAs this way," Li said. "The realization of high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructure arrays by wet etching can potentially transform the fabrication of semiconductor lasers where surface grating is currently fabricated by dry etching, which is expensive and causes surface damage."
To create metal film patterns on the GaAs surface, Li's team used a patterning technique pioneered by John Rogers, the Lee J. Flory-Founder Chair and a professor of materials science and engineering at the U. of I. Their research teams joined forces to optimize the method, called soft lithography, for chemical compatibility while protecting the GaAs surface. Soft lithography is applied to the whole semiconductor wafer, as opposed to small segments, creating patterns over large areas without expensive optical equipment.
"The combination of soft lithography and MacEtch make the perfect combination to produce large-area, high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructures in a low-cost fashion," said Li, who is affiliated with the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.
Next, the researchers hope to further optimize conditions for GaAs etching and establish parameters for MacEtch of other III-V semiconductors. Then, they hope to demonstrate device fabrication, including distributed Bragg reflector lasers and photonic crystals.
"MacEtch is a universal method as long as the right condition for deferential etching with and without metal can be found," Li said.
###
The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation supported this work.
Editor's note: To contact Xiuling Li, call 217-265-6354; email xiuling@illinois.edu.
The paper, "Formation of High Aspect Ratio GaAs Nanostructures With Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching," is available online at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl202708d.
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New technique makes it easier to etch semiconductorsPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Liz Ahlberg eahlberg@illinois.edu 217-244-1073 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Creating semiconductor structures for high-end optoelectronic devices just got easier, thanks to University of Illinois researchers.
The team developed a method to chemically etch patterned arrays in the semiconductor gallium arsenide, used in solar cells, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), capacitors and sensors. Led by electrical and computer engineering professor Xiuling Li, the researchers describe their technique in the journal Nano Letters.
A semiconductor's physical properties can vary depending on its structure, so semiconductor wafers are etched into structures that tune their electrical and optical properties and connectivity before they are assembled into chips.
Semiconductors are commonly etched with two techniques: "Wet" etching uses a chemical solution to erode the semiconductor in all directions, while "dry" etching uses a directed beam of ions to bombard the surface, carving out a directed pattern. Such patterns are required for high-aspect-ratio nanostructures, or tiny shapes that have a large ratio of height to width. High-aspect-ratio structures are essential to many high-end optoelectronic device applications.
While silicon is the most ubiquitous material in semiconductor devices, materials in the III-V (pronounced three-five) group are more efficient in optoelectronic applications, such as solar cells or lasers.
Unfortunately, these materials can be difficult to dry etch, as the high-energy ion blasts damage the semiconductor's surface. III-V semiconductors are especially susceptible to damage.
To address this problem, Li and her group turned to metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch), a wet-etching approach they had previously developed for silicon. Unlike other wet methods, MacEtch works in one direction, from the top down. It is faster and less expensive than many dry etch techniques, according to Li. Her group revisited the MacEtch technique, optimizing the chemical solution and reaction conditions for the III-V semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs).
The process has two steps. First, a thin film of metal is patterned on the GaAs surface. Then, the semiconductor with the metal pattern is immersed in the MacEtch chemical solution. The metal catalyzes the reaction so that only the areas touching metal are etched away, and high-aspect-ratio structures are formed as the metal sinks into the wafer. When the etching is done, the metal can be cleaned from the surface without damaging it.
"It is a big deal to be able to etch GaAs this way," Li said. "The realization of high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructure arrays by wet etching can potentially transform the fabrication of semiconductor lasers where surface grating is currently fabricated by dry etching, which is expensive and causes surface damage."
To create metal film patterns on the GaAs surface, Li's team used a patterning technique pioneered by John Rogers, the Lee J. Flory-Founder Chair and a professor of materials science and engineering at the U. of I. Their research teams joined forces to optimize the method, called soft lithography, for chemical compatibility while protecting the GaAs surface. Soft lithography is applied to the whole semiconductor wafer, as opposed to small segments, creating patterns over large areas without expensive optical equipment.
"The combination of soft lithography and MacEtch make the perfect combination to produce large-area, high-aspect-ratio III-V nanostructures in a low-cost fashion," said Li, who is affiliated with the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.
Next, the researchers hope to further optimize conditions for GaAs etching and establish parameters for MacEtch of other III-V semiconductors. Then, they hope to demonstrate device fabrication, including distributed Bragg reflector lasers and photonic crystals.
"MacEtch is a universal method as long as the right condition for deferential etching with and without metal can be found," Li said.
###
The Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation supported this work.
Editor's note: To contact Xiuling Li, call 217-265-6354; email xiuling@illinois.edu.
The paper, "Formation of High Aspect Ratio GaAs Nanostructures With Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching," is available online at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl202708d.
[ | E-mail | 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.
President Barack Obama delivers a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 following the Senate vote to approve legislation extending a Social Security payroll tax cut and long-term jobless benefits for two months. Obama says it would be "inexcusable" for Congress not to extend a payroll tax cut for the rest of 2012 when lawmakers return from their holiday break. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Barack Obama delivers a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 following the Senate vote to approve legislation extending a Social Security payroll tax cut and long-term jobless benefits for two months. Obama says it would be "inexcusable" for Congress not to extend a payroll tax cut for the rest of 2012 when lawmakers return from their holiday break. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky leaves the floor after the Senate passed legislation extending a Social Security payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for just two months, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. The action also extends long-term unemployment benefits for another two months. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Barack Obama delivers a statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 following the Senate vote to approve legislation extending a Social Security payroll tax cut and long-term jobless benefits for two months. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Barack Obama pauses while making a statement at the White House in Washington, on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Obama says it would be "inexcusable" for Congress not to extend a payroll tax cut for the rest of 2012 when lawmakers return from their holiday break. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, leaves after commenting to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, after the Senate passed legislation to extend Social Security payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for just two months, setting the stage for another fight in February. The action also extends long-term unemployment benefits for another two months and requires President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline within 60 days unless he declares the project would not serve the national interest. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate-approved bill temporarily preventing a Jan. 1 payroll tax increase and benefit cutoff for the long-term unemployed faces uncertain prospects in the House, where many rank-and-file GOP lawmakers have told their leaders they are ready to reject the measure.
House Speaker John Boehner is expected to be pressed about the next move for Republicans when he appears on NBC's "Meet the Press" show Sunday morning.
The House plans a Monday vote on the bill, which also forces a reluctant President Barack Obama to make an election-year choice between unions and environmentalists over whether to build an oil pipeline through the heart of the country and across ecologically sensitive aquifer that provides water to eight states.
The 89-10 Senate vote Saturday came after a bruising battle between Democrats and Republicans that produced the compromise two-month extension of the expiring tax breaks and jobless benefits and forestalled cuts in doctors' Medicare reimbursements.
House GOP leaders held a conference call Saturday with rank-and-file lawmakers in which participants said strong anger was expressed about the Senate bill, including its lack of House-approved cuts in last year's health care overhaul law and its failure to erase the reductions in doctors' payments for more than two months.
"You can't have an economic recovery with this," Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said of the bill.
A House GOP aide said later, "Members are overwhelmingly disappointed in the Senate's decision to just 'kick the can down the road' for two months."
The Senate vote capped a year of divided government marked by raucous partisan fights that tumbled to the brink of a first-ever U.S. default on its debts and three federal shutdowns, only to see eleventh-hour deals emerge. It also put the two sides on track to revisit the payroll tax cut early next year as battles for control of the White House and Congress heat up.
While Obama and Democrats used the fight to portray themselves as defenders of beleaguered middle- and lower-income Americans, Republicans used it to cast themselves as champions of job creation.
Democrats said when Congress revisits the issue of renewing the tax cuts and jobless benefits early next year, they would win the political battle because they would be viewed as protecting peoples' household budgets.
Republicans, though, said they would once again focus the fight on jobs, with some predicting they would try adding provisions to repeal pollution curbs and other government regulations that they say make it harder for companies to hire people.
Britain?s Ministry of Defense wants to update its solider training tech and is looking at Xbox games with an envious eye. Apparently, newer recruits who have grown up with the latest generation of gaming consoles tend to lose interest with the MoD?s unrealistic simulated training war games.
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Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
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