Shares of online travel agencies plunge amid shaky forecasts from Priceline.com and Orbitz

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Some of the best-known online travel companies say growing economic uncertainty is causing fewer people to travel, especially in Europe.

Shares of the group plunged Wednesday, led by Priceline.com Inc. and Orbitz Worldwide Inc., who both cut their earnings and revenue expectations for the year. Both stocks were among the worst performers in the S&P 500.

The travel industry, in general, has remained strong as concerns mounted about the global economy faltering. But there have been warnings, including those from major hotel chains like Marriott International Inc., that slowing international growth may start to cause even well-off travellers to rethink their plans. Online travel companies are also being hurt by airlines' continued effort to keep costs low. Airlines are cutting flights to save money, which means fewer seats for travel bookers to sell.

Priceline.com Inc. late Tuesday reported lower-than-expected second-quarter revenue and warned European weakness would lead it to fall short of Wall Street's earnings and sales expectations for the year. Priceline's business is focused heavily on travel to Europe.

Several analysts cut their own forecasts on the stock, although many underscored that the more than $100 drop in Priceline shares was an opportunity to buy.

Then, Orbitz said its net income and revenue fell in the spring quarter from a year ago, and cut its growth forecast for the year. Its third-quarter expectations were also under what Wall Street forecast.

Expedia Inc., a small player in Europe, reported second-quarter earnings last month that fell 25 per cent but easily beat expectations.

Also last month, TripAdvisor Inc., which was spun off from Expedia in December, reported lower second-quarter earnings and lower-than-expected revenue.

In afternoon trading, shares of Orbitz lost 25 per cent, or $1.17 to reach $3.49. Priceline gave up 17 per cent, nearly $113, to hit $566.88. TripAdvisor fell 5 per cent, or $1.98, to $36.68. Expedia, which had opened the day lower, recovered and was up 76 cents, or 2 per cent, to $36.43.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shares-online-travel-agencies-plunge-amid-shaky-forecasts-192819636.html

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The Friend Zone ? A Human Story

Note: This post refers to a commonly acknowledged trope in heterosexual dating. As a result I have only spoken in hetero terms as I am unsure if this trope exists or is as prevalent in queer dating situations.

Bastion of knowledge wikipedia defines the friend zone as the following:

?In popular culture, the ?friend zone? refers to a?platonic relationship?where one person wishes to enter into a romantic relationship while the other does not. It is generally considered to be an undesirable situation by the lovelorn person.^[1]?Once the friend zone is established, it is said to be difficult to move beyond that point in a relationship.

The friend zone is an issue that is intimately connected with the ?nice guy? trope that is deeply pervasive in hetero dating. It posits that if you (a kindly young man) would like to have relations with a woman, then you should not be friends with her because women hate guys who are nice to them. They only ever want to sleep with ?people who are vile to them and treat them like shit. Baisically the idea is that all women are masochists and if a woman sees you as a nice person who is her friend she will never also see you as person to have sex with.

Adult relationships work best (as I have detailed in a number of posts that you can find if you click on the sex and dating tag) ?when communication is honest, i.e. you say what you mean and mean what you say. ?It is reasonable for a woman to assume that if you are her friend and you have not communicated that you wish to be otherwise that you are in fact ?HER FRIEND. ?In general friendships are based on trust and honesty, so using friendship as a way of getting close to someone when you have other intentions is a violation of these basic expectations in a friendship.?Sex is not a prize you get for being nice to someone.?If you are nice to someone purely in the hope that one day they will have sex with you, guess what? You are not actually ?a nice guy?. ?You are being manipulative.

Sometimes once a friendship has been established feelings can change. That is OK and in fact happens frequently. There are a couple of things that are important in this case. If you want a romantic or sexual relationship rather than a platonic one you need to communicate this. You cannot expect people around you to read your mind. To expect a friendship to remain a friendship is a reasonable expectation, and if your feelings have changed then it is on you to communicate that, not on her to pick up on the fact your feelings have changed. What is totally obvious in terms of signals to one person is inscrutable to another so you have to make your feelings explicit. It is unfair to get angry and feel used if you have not made your feelings clear. ?If she doesn?t feel the same way then it is important that you set appropriate boundaries for the relationship. ? If you do not want to remain simply platonic friends then for the love of all that is true and good do not say that you do, because yes, if you say that you are OK with remaining friends then it is reasonable to take you at your word.

Relationships are often hard and messy and complicated. Yes some people will use you. Yes some people will not like you back, but before you complain about being stuck in the friend zone it may be a good idea to look at your own behaviour.

Source: http://ahumanstory.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/the-friend-zone/

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US makes plans to keep post-Assad Syria intact

The country's biggest city, Aleppo, has been under attack for two weeks and the rebels are dangerously close to running out of weapons. Now Riad Hijab, the first Syrian cabinet minister to defect, has fled the country. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Sana Handout / EPA

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

By NBC News' Andrea Mitchell and Catherine Chomiak

The State Department and the Pentagon are jointly working on plans for a post-President Bashar al-Assad Syria.

They hope to avoid the kind of implosion they believe occurred because of a lack of planning for post-Saddam Iraq.

The Bush administration's decision to disband Iraqi security forces, made shortly after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, was a catalyst for the bloody civil war that followed.

---

Critics said that decision, made by senior Pentagon officials and announced by the head of the U.S. occupation authority at the time, Paul Bremer, set loose tens of thousands of armed, disaffected young men.

The U.S. is indicating to the Syrian army that it does not want it to dissolve and those not directly involved in atrocities could be part of a successor regime.

State Department Spokesman Patrick Ventrell said at a daily press briefing Monday:

"What we?re focused on and our concern is that as the opposition comes together with the remaining elements of the regime that don?t have blood on their hands, that they create an inclusive Syria where the rights of all Syrians are respected. And so that?s our focus and that?s what we?re directly communicating to the opposition, and that?s certainly where our feelings are."

U.S. officials also hope that civil servants and other Assad holdovers will work with an interim government to avoid the kind of vacuum that led to widespread civil disorder, looting, and ultimately to civil war in Iraq.

Related: Official: Syria PM defects to anti-Assad opposition

Officials believe it is only a matter of time before Assad is gone, one way or another -- although they can't predict when.

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, a veteran in Middle East affairs, is in charge of the planning.

Handout / Reuters

An activist takes a photo of buildings damaged by what activists say is shelling by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Talbeiseh, near Homs, on Monday.

He is assisted by U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, who had returned to Washington after diplomatic operations in Damascus were suspended in February.

Last week, Ford talked with Syria opposition leaders in Cairo.

Burns' schedule includes two White House meetings Tuesday, likely indicating more inter-agency planning on the Syria crisis.

Related: Three US senators warn about risks of inaction in Syria

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, traveling in South Africa on Monday, announced a day earlier that she will add a stop in Turkey to her overseas trip for meetings with Prime Minister Recip?Tayyip Erdogan on the Syria crisis.

Part of the U.S. planning includes Pentagon contingency plans for NATO and Syria's neighbors to help provide transportation, food and medical supplies to a potential flood of refugees -- well beyond the current numbers -- in case there is a total collapse of the Syrian regime.

Watch World News videos on NBCNews.com?

A key component of the post-Assad plan: pressing the occupation not to inflict reprisals against Assad loyalists after he goes.

"When we talk to the opposition we?re very clear ...?revenge or reprisals are totally unacceptable," Ventrell said Monday.

Clashes raged between rebel fighters and government forces in Syria as the country's divided opposition seeks to oust Assad in a 16-month-old revolt that shows no signs of nearing a conclusion.

Government forces have been pounding rebels with tanks and air strikes, and last week Damascus threatened to use chemical weapons if foreign countries intervened in the conflict.

The Obama administration has said it is stepping up assistance to Syrian opposition members, although the support has remained limited to non-lethal equipment.

More world stories from NBC News:

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/06/13149827-us-makes-plans-to-keep-post-assad-syria-intact?lite

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Libya's interim rulers to hand over power

Libya's interim authorities said they will hand over power to a newly elected congress on Wednesday, less than a year after its fighters overthrew the regime of Moamer Kadhafi.

"We affirm that August 8, 2012 will be the day that power will be transferred peacefully," Saleh Darhoub, spokesman for the outgoing National Transitional Council (NTC), told journalists in Tripoli early Monday.

Libyans cast ballots on July 7 in their first free election since a popular uprising last year that escalated into a civil war and ousted the regime of now slain dictator Kadhafi.

They elected a 200-member legislative assembly comprising party and independent representatives, which will replace the NTC and lead the country until fresh elections can be held on the basis of a new constitution.

The transition comes against a backdrop of heightened insecurity.

Three men suspected of planning bomb attacks were killed in a sting operation outside the capital on Sunday.

"The brain of the operation refused to surrender and fought fiercely which resulted in the death of three people, including him," Darhoub said.

Five members of the interior ministry brigade which carried out the bust were wounded. The clashes took place in a farm in Al-Aziziya, 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the capital, he added.

Darhoub said that the explosives discovered in the area matched those found by security forces who had foiled "seven bombing plots". He declined to give details on possible targets.

The sting operation came just one day after a gunbattle and a car bomb rocked a market place in the centre of the Libyan capital, leaving one person wounded, according to medics and witnesses.

On Sunday, armed assailants laid siege to a residence of Red Cross staff in the western Libyan city of Misrata, pushing the organisation to suspend its work there and in the eastern city of Benghazi.

The organisation condemned the attack saying it marked the fifth such incident in the two cities in less than three months.

The NTC said it condemned the violence as "a government and a people".

"We condemn all acts of violence and we condemn extremism", Darhoub said, noting that the Red Cross served the country when it was most needed, including when Kadhafi's troops laid siege to Misrata last year.

The spokesman also said that there were investigations underway following last week's abduction of a Red Crescent delegation of seven Iranians who were visiting counterparts in Benghazi.

Most of the urban violence to have hit Libya in the wake of last year's revolt has taken place in Benghazi, with attacks typically focused on Western targets as well as local personalities and institutions.

August alone saw a blast at a military intelligence building in Benghazi and a foiled bomb plot targeting the Tibesti hotel which is favoured by diplomats and journalists visiting the city.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/libyas-elected-congress-power-wednesday-000009183.html

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International Entertainment News: Rising Dreams in the Orient ...

Rising Dreams in the Orient: Oriental DreamWorks To Establish Headquarters in Xuhui

SHANGHAI, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Oriental DreamWorks, one of the largest international investment projects in China, today officially announced the establishment of its headquarters in Shanghai Xuhui.

At 9:00 a.m. at the Shanghai Xuhui Riverside Planning Exhibition Hall, a signing ceremony and press conference was jointly held by Xuhui District Committee of CPC, the People's Government of Xuhui District, Shanghai Municipality, China Media Capital and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA). Distinguished guests included Zhengsheng Yu, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee & Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC; Zheng Han, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC & Mayor of Shanghai Municipality; Pimin Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China; Yicui Yin, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC; Guangshao Tu, member of the Shanghai Municipal Standing Committee of the CPC & Deputy Mayor of Shanghai Municipality; Zhenwu Yang, member of the Shanghai Municipal Standing Committee of the CPC & Director of Propaganda Department of the CPC Shanghai Committee; and Peikang La, the Deputy Director of Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China. DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg was also present.

Oriental DreamWorks' plan and logo - a panda sitting on a red moon fishing for dreams - was unveiled by Zhengsheng Yu, Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC; Zheng Han, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC & Mayor of Shanghai Municipality; and Pimin Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China. For the first time, representatives of Oriental DreamWorks discussed future business plans. Oriental DreamWorks intends to principally engage in content production and its derivative industries, and the joint venture's partners also intend to develop "Dream Center," an integrated tourism destination that will be located in Xuhui Binjiang.

Shanghai Oriental DreamWorks Film & Television Technology Co., Ltd., which was established at today's signing ceremony, will primarily focus on film and television content production and its derivative industries. Over the next several years, it is anticipated that more than 2,000 animation film and television production professionals from China and around the world will join Oriental DreamWorks in order to apply leading-edge CG creative processes and production technology toward the creation of animated content featuring Chinese cultural elements.

Oriental DreamWorks also announced today that "Kung Fu Panda 3" will be made in China as a co-production and is expected to be released globally in 2016. The first feature-length animated film solely created by Oriental DreamWorks is expected to be distributed worldwide in 2017. After its inaugural feature production, Oriental DreamWorks plans to release one to three event films per year, building up a production capacity and operational standard that could compete with any international animation company. Based on its high-quality animated content, Oriental DreamWorks plans to explore a full range of family entertainment business extensions, including consumer products, online games, musicals, and other live entertainment ventures. Oriental DreamWorks will work toward the goal of becoming the largest animation production base in China.

The parties also announced that "Dream Center," a must-see cultural and entertainment destination for tourists and Shanghai citizens alike will open in 2016. With an investment exceeding ?20 billion, "Dream Center" will be built on a T-shaped block in Xuhui Riverside. Plans feature designs from a number of international architectural masters and incorporate a series of theaters, cinemas, creative enterprises, tourist attractions, restaurants and commercial facilities. "Dream Center," together with the neighboring "Media Port of the West Riverbank," will create Shanghai's new landmark: a world-class cultural destination that is envisioned to be comparable to New York's Broadway and London's West End.

"Xuhui Riverside is one of the key regions to be explored in Shanghai during the 'next National Twelfth Five-Year Plan' period. The speed and quality of the construction will have a significant impact on the future development of Shanghai. The projects of Oriental DreamWorks will play a vital role in speeding up Xuhui's development. People's lives will be enriched with brand new and high-quality urban cultural and entertainment services, and a stage will be built for creative industry workers to pursue and realize their dreams," said Guangshao Tu, Deputy Mayor of Shanghai.

"The Chinese film industry has been growing at a rate of more than 30% per year, which makes China a vital region of international film consumption. I anticipate that Oriental DreamWorks will not only surprise us with great films, but also will achieve success across the entertainment industry landscape," said Pimin Zhang, Deputy Director-General of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television of China. "Oriental DreamWorks is a creative exploration of Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges. Our shared dream is to make full use of precious cultural resources, develop a world-class production team, create world-class animated films, and thus contribute to the exchange of Chinese culture throughout the world."

Oriental DreamWorks is a joint venture established by China Media Capital (CMC), Shanghai Media Group (SMG), Shanghai Alliance Investment, Ltd. (SAIL) and DreamWorks Animation (DWA). The Chinese companies will hold a majority stake of approximately 55% in Oriental DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation will hold approximately 45%. Representatives from all investors of Oriental DreamWorks, together with leaders from the People's Government of Xuhui District, signed a cooperation agreement at today's ceremony.

Oriental DreamWorks, housed in Xuhui, is intended to represent China's largest and most advanced animation production base. A dream-themed, multi-cultural entertainment center named "Dream Center" will also be created in Xuhui. "Dream Center" will encapsulate the core values of the "New Shanghai culture" of the 21st century and creatively raise the concept of an "Oriental paradise for all dream seekers." The parties plan to employ the world's top architects and designers to complete the intricate design of "Dream Center," incorporating the use of plants and the elements of water, mud, coal, and oil that are located along the Xuhui Riverside. The intention is to achieve a seamless transition between old and new buildings and traditional and modern styles. The development will feature first-class facilities, providing unique experiences and leading-edge cultural trends in Shanghai. The development will include "Dream Walk," the world's largest IMAX screen, to be used for high-profile film premieres and events, as well as a central theater area and an interactive animation exhibition. With multiple waterfront hotels and restaurants, high-quality shopping areas, galleries and studios, cafes, restaurants and bars, "Dream Center" will truly have something for everyone.

Ruigang Li, Chairman, China Media Capital, commented, "The historical context and urban characteristics of Xuhui Riverside, together with the inspiration and international connections of DreamWorks Animation, is certain to become a focus of China and the entire world. We believe that the restructuring of Shanghai's cultural industries will benefit from these plans, giving us a unique advantage thanks to this unprecedented global vision."

According to the Xuhui District government, the 8.4 km Huangpu Riverside is the only large-scale waterfront area available for further development in downtown Shanghai. As Dream Center, Dragon Gallery of Contemporary Art, Yu Deyao Museum and other cultural construction projects have been introduced to Xuhui, Xuhui riverside has officially set the goal of becoming the "Media Port of Shanghai West Riverbank." The construction plan of Xuhui Riverside is an attempt to become the central axis of Shanghai, equipped with industry, cultural brands, and urban ecological landscapes. Jiwei Sun, Secretary of Xuhui District Committee of CPC, said, "Xuhui will integrate into Shanghai's cultural heritage similar functionalities of Broadway and Rockefeller Center in New York, and London's West End. We truly believe it will lead to the establishment of a global cultural center in Xuhui."

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation said, "Together with China Media Capital and our other joint venture partners, I am very pleased to establish Oriental DreamWorks in Xuhui in order to bring a high-quality, multi-media cultural and entertainment center to the area. Today's signing ceremony is a historic milestone that represents tremendous and ever-growing opportunities for Oriental DreamWorks."

About "The three-year action plan of cultural development" by Shanghai Xuhui District government

The three-year action plan of cultural development in Xuhui was released by Shanghai Xuhui District government in April 25, 2012. This is Xuhui's first move to grow as a district with cultural advantages. It is revealed that the Binjiang Riverside will be positioned and constructed as a cultural landmark in the west bank of Huangpu River. Xuhui will make full use of the binjiang river and industrial remains along it to create a Shanghai's new landmark comprising of art galleries, performing plazas, theaters and other fashionable and cultural places. Xuhui will proactively welcome both local and international media organizations with core competitiveness and global influence, accelerate the construction of major projects, e.g. national music and creative industry base, media port of the West Bank, hoping to form a key area of cultural industry.

About China Media Capital

China Media Capital (CMC) is China's first media sector focused fund dedicated to media and entertainment investments in China and internationally. Approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for an initial fund size of RMB 5 billion, CMC's prominent founding partners include China Development Bank (CDB), one of China's largest financial institutions with registered capital of over RMB 300 billion and total assets of over RMB 5 trillion. CMC's investment portfolio includes a controlling stake in News Corporation's China assets, including TV channels - Star (Xing Kong), Star (Xing Kong) International and Channel V (China) - as well as the Fortune Star movie library, which is the largest movie library across Asia.

About Shanghai Media Group

The second largest media conglomerate in China, Shanghai Media Group (SMG) has the country's most comprehensive portfolio of media-related businesses, including television (14 analog channels, 15 digital channels), radio (11 frequencies), print media (9 newspapers and magazines), new media (IPTV, mobile TV and Internet TV), home shopping, content distribution, performing arts, education and talent management. In addition to being China's leader in delivering content and services in the traditional media sector, SMG has the country's largest TV shopping outlet and dominant IPTV operation.

About Shanghai Alliance Investment, Ltd.

As an investment arm of the Shanghai municipal government, Shanghai Alliance Investment, Ltd. (SAIL), founded in 1994, has established itself as a leader in China's high-tech and financial sector investment. The mission of SAIL is to deliver value for its shareholders as well as make contributions to China's development by providing resources to innovative technology companies. SAIL's target industries include financial service, TMT, life science, health care, and emerging low-carbon sectors such as clean energy, new material and eco-environment protection. Capitalizing on its distinctive local experience, extensive government networking, industry expertise and strategic insights, SAIL is recognized as a preferred Chinese partner for leading international corporations.

About DreamWorks Animation

DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series and live entertainment properties, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE? Magazine for four consecutive years. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation ranks #14 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation's feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 24 animated feature films, including the franchise properties of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. The Company's theatrical releases for the current year are Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted on June 8, 2012 and Rise of the Guardians on November 21, 2012.

About Oriental DreamWorks

Oriental DreamWorks (ODW) is a joint venture among China Media Capital (CMC), Shanghai Media Group (SMG), Shanghai Alliance Investment, Ltd. (SAIL), and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA), which is positioned as the leading China-focused family entertainment company. The enterprise will initially be capitalized with cash and intellectual property valued at $330 million. Oriental DreamWorks will engage in the development and production of high-quality original Chinese animated and live action content. In addition to content creation, the joint venture will pursue business opportunities in the areas of live entertainment, theme parks, mobile, online, interactive games and consumer products. As one of the largest investment projects of sino-foreign cooperation in China, the goal of Oriental DreamWorks is to become a world-class global entertainment leader and the leading promoter of Chinese culture around the world.

SOURCE DreamWorks Animation

DreamWorks Animation

CONTACT: Ms. HaimanTang, China Media Capital, +86 21 5466 8282, PR@chinamediacapital.com; Qiwei Wang, Xuhui District People's Government, +86 13381781651, wqw@xh.sh.cn

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Profile: intent

Source: http://internationalentertainmentnews.blogspot.com/2012/08/rising-dreams-in-orient-oriental.html

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Avatar Officer Installed at Arizona-Mexico Border Station

News | Technology

A new kiosk is expected to streamline applications for frequent traveler benefits, freeing up human officers to catch drug smugglers

By Larry Greenemeier ?| August 6, 2012

AVATAR AGENT: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) is installing an updated kiosk in Nogales, Ariz., to test its ability to help enroll applicants in its Trusted Traveler program at the Mexican border. Unlike its predecessor, the new Nogales kiosk speaks and understands both Spanish and English (rather just English) and wears a tie rather than a black T-shirt. Image: Courtesy of BORDERS/University of Arizona

People crossing the Mexican border into Nogales, Ariz., this week will have a chance to meet U.S. Customs and Border Protection's newest officer?a polite yet no-nonsense bilingual gatekeeper with a thick shock of black hair and a striped gray tie. He may not have a name or join his fellow officers for coffee or lunch breaks, but his presence will likely be welcomed both by them and the commuters who regularly pass through this southern Arizona outpost on their way to and from Mexico.

That is because the new recruit is an avatar, a virtual border patrol officer residing in a kiosk developed by researchers at the University of Arizona to facilitate border crossings.

CBP is actually installing an updated version of the University of Arizona's kiosk?the original was tested at the station from December to March?to determine its ability to help enroll applicants in its Trusted Traveler programs at the Mexican border. The programs, also available for airline passengers, were? created after 9/11 at various ports of entry into the U.S. to expedite preapproved, low-risk travelers through dedicated lanes and kiosks. All Trusted Traveler applicants must voluntarily undergo a background check against criminal, law-enforcement, customs, immigration, agriculture and terrorist databases. The process also includes biometric fingerprint checks and an interview with a CBP officer.

In Nogales, human CBP officers monitor the avatar-administered pilot-test interviews, which provide them with automated feedback uploaded wirelessly to an iPad tablet that these officers can use to conduct follow-up interviews. Exchanges that the avatar flags as questionable and worthy of follow-up interrogation?using its speech recognition and voice anomaly?detection software?are color coded green, yellow or red to highlight the potential severity of questionable responses. Everyone who applies for Trusted Traveler status at Nogales ends up speaking with an officer after her or his avatar interview. One of CBP's goals is to implement several kiosks that can administer preliminary interviews that save time by making the follow-up, face-to-face interviews more efficient.

The kiosk is not designed to indicate that an interviewee is lying or to diagnose that person's intent, says Aaron Elkins, a University of Arizona postdoctoral researcher in the Management Information Systems department who helped develop the kiosk. Instead the kiosk analyzes an interviewee's voice for anomalies that may prompt a border officer to probe deeper into a particular response.

Anomaly detection is based on vocal characteristics?changes in factors such as rate, volume, pitch and intonation?that may be related to different emotional, arousal and cognitive states. An inflection in one's voice may indicate uncertainty, or a pause might imply that an interviewee may have been devising a deceptive answer, Elkins says. The kiosk's speech recognition software monitors the content of an interviewee's answers and can flag a response indicating when, for example, a person acknowledges having a criminal record.

Unlike its predecessor, which conversed only in English, the new Nogales kiosk speaks and understands both English and Spanish. The researchers also enhanced the speech recognition software. One of the problems with the first kiosk was that interviewees sometimes began answering a question before the avatar was finished asking it, causing the kiosk to miss the initial portion of the answer. The newer version is designed to more quickly detect when an interviewee is speaking and can prompt interviewees to repeat an answer if it does not understand a response.

The idea that physical cues can be used to determine intent often enough for a system to be both fair and effective remains unproved. This is why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) program has caught a lot of flack from privacy watchdogs, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). FAST proposes that travelers be subjected to an array of sensors measuring pulse rate, skin temperature, breathing, facial expression, body movement, pupil dilation and other physiological and behavioral factors to determine whether they are a security risk. The DHS has tested the technology, in the works since 2007, but its future remains unclear.

CBP contacted Elkins and his colleagues last year because it needed help processing a backlog of applications for its Trusted Traveler Programs. Although CBP gave them only about a month to build their first working prototype, the researchers jumped at the chance to take their "embodied conversational agent," as Elkins calls it, out of the lab and into a real-world setting.

Nogales is as real as it gets. In March Nogales Station officers on patrol seized more than 80 kilograms of hard narcotics from two Mexican men, including more than 77 kilograms of cocaine worth almost $2 million and five containers filled with three kilograms of methamphetamine worth nearly $86,000. In May CBP arrested a 43-year-old Mexican national in a wheelchair at Nogales Station for attempting to smuggle more than three kilograms of cocaine worth more than $65,500 into the U.S. in the chair's seat.

Elkins and his colleagues have spent the past few years developing software for analyzing vocal and written responses to questions. The researchers found that an avatar makes a significant difference in how interviewees answer questions. In lab tests prior to the avatar, "it was like they were talking to Moviefone," he says. When an avatar was added, people treated it almost like a person, at times even referring to it as "sir."

For now, the kiosk uses the same avatar regardless of whether it speaks Spanish or English, although the voice is different depending upon the language. "We are still researching the effects of changing how it looks right now, and the cultural implications, so we were reticent to make any major changes," Elkins says.

The researchers are hoping this second phase of the Nogales pilot test will include more than 1,000 interviews. After the kiosk's performance is analyzed, Elkins would like to add a feature that lets interviewees scan their passports and other documents into the device. Another option might be to equip the kiosk with some other sensors?such as video analyzers, eye trackers and thermal or infrared cameras?that could offer additional means of analyzing interviewees.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=26045697cf34ec457c8054d2a269b388

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Kemboi sets aside home troubles to take gold

Kenyan Ezekiel Kemboi won the men's Olympic 3000m steeplechase for the second time on Sunday, showing great mental strength to put aside the pressure of a court case he faces back home.

The 30-year-old - who faces trial for allegedly stabbing a woman earlier this year - timed 8min 18.56sec to finish ahead of France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabear, who clocked 8:19.08 for a second successive silver.

Another Kenyan, Abel Kiprop Mutai, took bronze in 8:19.73.

Kenya's dominance of the event was underlined - they have now won eight consecutive Olympic titles.

Kemboi, a two-time world champion, then celebrated Kenya's first gold in London so far in unusual fashion by dancing with Mekhissi-Benabear, who gave France their first athletics medal of the Games.

The Kenyan was charged with causing bodily harm in late June after a woman was stabbed in a carjacking in the Kenyan town of Eldoret.

The Frenchman is no stranger to controversy himself as he brawled with compatriot Mehdi Baala in 2011 and was served with a five-month ban by his national federation after the world championships that year.

Kemboi triumphed in the 2004 Athens Games but faded to seventh place in Beijing eight years ago.

"First of all it is wonderful to win Kenya's first gold medal in the athletics here and secondly to have made up for missing out in Beijing when I was sick," he said.

"The dance was a spontaneous thing and he went along with it. It was a bit of fun."

Mekhissi-Benabear was ecstatic at denying the Kenyans a clean sweep and confessed that he felt no bitterness at finishing second to Kemboi.

"Kemboi is the Kenyan I appreciate most," he said. "It is a good-natured and fair war between us, I congratulate him, he is a great champion, he has had his share of problems and a difficult preparation for the Olympics.

"I don't have any regrets, I sweated blood for the French vest, I did what I had to do."

Mutai pointedly did not take part in the dance routine and suggested that if there had been a pacemaker and a faster pace his younger legs would have got the better of his older colleague.

"The race was tactical and it was tough. It was very slow. I think we need to have at least a pacemaker at the Olymptc Games," said the 23-year-old.

"I thought I was going to win it when I reached the last 400 metres but it didn't happen.

"I am happy but I would have been happier if I'd won gold. That was my target."

However, Mutai said that he needed to use the winner as a role model if he was to one day stand on the top step of the podium and continue the rich Kenyan steeplechase tradition.

"He's a veteran guy and he's very experienced. I have to follow him if I want to improve. I am happy for him and for Kenya," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kemboi-sets-aside-home-troubles-gold-214346056--oly.html

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