"Dickensian" is one of those literary modifiers that's overused. But before I officially retire this ruined adjective (or exile it to Australia, as Dickens himself would have done), I want to give it one final outing, because no other word will do. Here goes: Donna Tartt's grand new novel, The Goldfinch, is Dickensian both in the ambition of its jumbo, coincidence-laced plot, as well as in its symphonic range of emotions. The Goldfinch far exceeds the expectations of those of us who've been waiting on Tartt to do something extraordinary again, ever since her debut novel, The Secret History, came out in 1992. Hell, I feel like I've been waiting for a novel like this to appear not only since I read The Secret History, but also since I first read David Copperfield.
There's a lot of Copperfield in Tartt's hero, Theo Decker, who's 13 years old at the start of this story, which he narrates in retrospect as an adult. Young Theo lives with his adored beautiful mother in Manhattan. (His dad, a shiftless actor and gambler, has deserted them — and good riddance, too.) Unfortunately, Theo is not as pure as David Copperfield was as a boy; in fact, on the most fateful morning of his life, Theo and his mother have an appointment at his prep school to discuss his suspension for smoking on school grounds — or maybe it's for stealing (Theo is guilty of that crime, too). But what Theo will ultimately spend the rest of his life atoning for is the death of his mother. It wasn't his fault. Adults will assure him: It was "a terrible accident, rotten luck, could have happened to anyone." "[I]t's all perfectly true," Theo admits, "and I don't believe a word of it."
Donna Tartt's other works include The Secret History and The Little Friend.
Bruno Vincent/Getty Images
Donna Tartt's other works include The Secret History and The Little Friend.
Bruno Vincent/Getty Images
What happens is that on the way to the school appointment, Theo and his mom take shelter from a sudden thunderstorm by ducking into The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Theo's mom studied art and she steers him over to one of her most beloved paintings: It's called The Goldfinch and it's an actual painting done in the mid-17th century by a teacher of Vermeer's named Carel Fabritius. Theo half-listens to his mother's lecture on the glories of this painting of an alert yellow bird "chained to a perch by its twig of an ankle"; then, just as they're moving off to the dreaded school appointment, a terrorist bomb explodes in The Met. Theo's mother is killed and life as he knew it is shattered.
As in The Secret History and her second, less successful novel, The Little Friend, which centered on an unsolved murder, Tartt plays here with the conventions of the suspense thriller. In the aftermath of the explosion, Theo comforts a dying man who gives him a ring and points to the small painting of The Goldfinch, lying in the rubble out of its frame. Theo takes custody of both objects and they lead him on a baroque coming-of-age adventure that includes a season in hell in Las Vegas with his deadbeat dad, brushes with the Russian mob, unrequited love, excessive teen drug use and the discovery of a place almost like home in a New York antique shop — an old curiosity shop, if you will — run by an open-hearted mensch named Hobie, who becomes Theo's guardian. I have, by the way, only taken us halfway through this 700-plus-page novel.
As ingenious as Tartt's plot is, this novel would be but a massive scaffolding feat, were it not for her uncanny way with words. Here's Theo, as an adult, telling us about a feverish dream he had of his mother:
"[S]he came up suddenly beside me so I saw her reflection in a mirror. At the sight of her I was paralyzed with happiness; ... [S]he was smiling at me, ... not a dream but a presence that filled the whole room ... I knew I couldn't turn around, that to look at her directly was to violate the laws of her world and mine; ... our eyes met in the glass for a long moment; but just as she seemed about to speak ... — a vapor rolled between us and I woke up."
Like the goldfinch in the painting he can't bring himself to relinquish, Theo is chained, forever yearning for the mother he lost on that terrible day in the museum. His loneliness is the realistic emotional constant in this crowded, exuberantly plotted triumph of a novel. And if that ain't "Dickensian," I don't know what is.
66-year-old defendant Mike Reda, right, and his defense attorney Bryan Sherer sit at the defense table listening to testimony at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 in Detroit. Reda, a 66-year-old great-grandfather told police he was filled with anger and alcohol on the day he shot two women with an assault rifle in a Detroit retirement home, enraged at what he believed was their persistent intrusions into his relationship with another woman, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Detroit News, John T. Greilick) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT; HUFFINGTON POST OUT
66-year-old defendant Mike Reda, right, and his defense attorney Bryan Sherer sit at the defense table listening to testimony at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 in Detroit. Reda, a 66-year-old great-grandfather told police he was filled with anger and alcohol on the day he shot two women with an assault rifle in a Detroit retirement home, enraged at what he believed was their persistent intrusions into his relationship with another woman, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Detroit News, John T. Greilick) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT; HUFFINGTON POST OUT
66-year-old Mike Reda enters the courtroom for his preliminary exam at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 in Detroit. Reda, a 66-year-old great-grandfather told police he was filled with anger and alcohol on the day he shot two women with an assault rifle in a Detroit retirement home, enraged at what he believed was their persistent intrusions into his relationship with another woman, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Detroit News, John T. Greilick) DETROIT FREE PRESS OUT; HUFFINGTON POST OUT
In this Oct. 23, 2013 photograph supplied by the Detroit Police Department, Mike Reda, 66, is shown in Detroit. Reda, has been arraigned on charges that he fatally shot two women at a Detroit home for senior citizens. Reda was arrested shortly after the Sunday slayings of 59-year-old Deborah Socia and 61-year-old Maria Gonzalez at the Pablo Davis Elder Living Center. (AP Photo/Detroit Police Department)
DETROIT (AP) — A 66-year-old great-grandfather told police he was filled with anger and alcohol when he shot two women with an assault rifle in a Detroit retirement home, enraged at what he believed were their persistent intrusions into his relationship with another woman.
Mike Reda's videotaped interrogation with Detroit police detectives was played in court Thursday during a hearing at which a judge determined there was enough evidence for him to stand trial on two counts of first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and other felony charges. He's accused of shooting Deborah Socia, 59, and Maria Gonzalez, 61, on Oct. 20 at the two-story, 80-unit Pablo Davis Elder Living Center on the city's southwest side.
"I was drunk, I was angry," Reda told investigators. "I just couldn't take it no more."
Reda said during the interrogation on the day after the shootings that he was retired, lived alone at the center and had seven children as well as more than two dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He had dated the same woman for several years, but said the two women had befriended her and frequently kept the girlfriend away from him.
He said he'd been drinking brandy and couldn't remember most details of the day, but later in the interview told the two detectives that he approached Socia and another man, Paul Fratangelo, on the center's grounds with his MP5 rifle. Reda said his rifle discharged one time "by accident."
Reda said he then went inside to Gonzalez's apartment, kicked in her door and shot her twice in the head.
He asked detectives twice if the women were alive or dead, and at the end of the interview one investigator told him they were dead. Reda paused, sighed heavily and said, "That's really bad."
Defense attorney Bryan Sherer declined comment before and after the hearing. Friends and family members of the victims also declined comment outside court.
Fratangelo testified that he was sitting on a bench with Socia, smoking a cigarette and talking before dinner, when Reda walked toward them. Fratangelo, 61, said Reda swung his weapon back and forth between the two while ordering Fratangelo to "basically get on my knees and pray."
"I said, 'Mike, not this. Not like this. We're both vets.' I'm basically pleading with my life," Fratangelo said, adding that Reda seemed "on edge" but "very composed."
Fratangelo said Socia asked Reda what he was doing, and he fired his gun one time. Afterward, Fratangelo said he entered the building and tried to trap Reda between two sets of doors. Fratangelo then "bolted down the hall," told Socia's son that "Mike is on a rampage" and to "call 911."
The judge struck down Sherer's argument that Fratangelo wasn't injured or threatened so his client shouldn't be held on the charge of assault with intent to murder.
Reda's first appearance in trial court is scheduled for Monday.
___
Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffkaroub
NEW YORK (AP) — October, with its history of big crashes on Wall Street, didn't scare off investors this time. To the contrary, the stock market seemed unstoppable.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at a record high seven times and ended the month up 4.5 percent. The market climbed even after October began with the 16-day government shutdown and the threat of a potentially calamitous U.S. default.
"The market didn't waver in the face of the shutdown," said Anton Bayer, CEO of Up Capital Management, an investment adviser. "That was huge."
After being rattled by a series of down-to-the-wire budget battles in recent years, investors have become inured to the ways of Washington lawmakers. Instead of selling stocks, they kept their focus on what they say really matters: the Federal Reserve.
The central bank is buying $85 billion of bonds every month and keeping its benchmark short-term interest rate near zero to promote economic growth. The Fed stimulus has helped generate a stock market rally that has been going on since March 2009.
With October's gains, the S&P 500 is now up 23.2 percent for the year and is on track for its best year since 2009. The Dow Jones industrial average is 18.6 percent higher, and the Nasdaq composite index is up 29.8 percent.
The S&P 500 has climbed 160 percent since bottoming out at 676.53 in March 2009 during the Great Recession.
Some analysts say the precipitous rise in stocks may now make the market vulnerable to a drop.
"Because stocks have gone up so much, people will get nervous about another big sell-off at some stage," said David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan funds.
Some investors will be relieved to see October behind them. The Stock Trader's Almanac refers to October as "the jinx month" because of its fraught history.
The Dow lost 40 points on Oct. 28, 1929, a day that became known as Black Monday and heralded the start of the Depression. Almost 60 years later, on Oct. 19, 1987, the Dow suffered its biggest percentage loss, plunging nearly 23 percent in the second Black Monday. The index also plummeted 13 percent on Oct. 27, 1997.
There was no such drama on Wall Street on Thursday. Stocks were mostly flat as investors took in disappointing corporate earnings.
The S&P 500 slipped 6.77 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,756.54. The Dow dropped 73.01 points, or 0.5 percent, to 15,545. The Nasdaq composite fell 10.91 points, or 0.3 percent, to 3,919.71.
Avon slumped $4.90, or 21.9 percent, to $17.50 after the beauty products company reported a third-quarter loss, reflecting lower sales and China-related charges. The company also said the Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing a much larger penalty than it expected to settle bribery allegations.
Visa fell $7.15, or 3.5 percent, to $196.67. Its quarterly profits fell 28 percent as it set aside money for taxes. Visa also expects a slow recovery for the economy.
Overall, company earnings are beating the expectations of Wall Street analysts and lifting stock prices. Companies are benefiting from low borrowing costs and stable labor expenses, which are enabling them to boost earnings even as sales remain slack.
Earnings for companies in the S&P 500 are expected to grow 5.3 percent in the third quarter, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. That compares with 4.9 percent in the second quarter, and 2.4 percent in the same period a year ago.
The stock market is likely to keep climbing as long as the central bank keeps up its stimulus, said Up Capital's Bayer. But stocks could fall as much as 20 percent when the Fed starts to cut back on its bond-buying program, he said.
UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researchers have developed and patented a new source of light emitter based on boron nitride nanotubes and suitable for developing high-efficiency optoelectronic devices
This news release is available in Spanish.
Scientists are usually after defect-free nano-structures. Yet in this case the UPV/EHU researcher Angel Rubio and his collaborators have put the structural defects in boron nitride nanotubes to maximum use. The outcome of his research is a new light-emitting source that can easily be incorporated into current microelectronics technology. The research has also resulted in a patent.
Boron nitride is a promising material in the field of nanotechnology, thanks to its excellent insulating properties, resistance and two-dimensional structure similar to graphene. And specifically, the properties of hexagonal boron nitride, the focus of this research, are far superior to those of other metals and semiconductors currently being used as light emitters, for example, in applications linked to optical storage (DVD) or communications. "It is extremely efficient in ultraviolet light emission, one of the best currently available on the market," remarked the UPV/EHU researcher Angel Rubio.
However, the light emission of boron nitride nanotubes takes place within a very limited range of the ultraviolet spectrum, which means they cannot be used in applications in which the emission needs to be produced within a broader range of frequencies and in a controlled way (for example in applications using visible light).
The research carried out by the UPV/EHU's NanoBio Spectroscopy Group has come up with a solution to overcome this limitation, and open up the door to the use of hexagonal boron nitride nanotubes in commercial applications.
They have shown that by applying an electric field perpendicular to the nanotube, it is possible to get the latter to emit light across the whole spectrum from the infrared to the far ultraviolet and to control it in a simple way. This ease of control is only to be found in nanotubes due to their cylindrical geometry (these are tubular structures with lengths in the order of micrometres, and diameters in the order of nanometres).
Rubio has been working with boron nitride nanotubes for nearly 20 years. "We proposed them theoretically, and then they were found experimentally. So far, all our theoretical predictions have been confirmed, and that is very gratifying," he explained. Once the properties of layered hexagonal boron nitride and its extremely high efficiency in light emission were known, this research sought to show that these properties are not lost in nanotubes. "We knew that when a sheet was rolled up and a tube was formed, a strong coupling was produced with the electric field and that would enable us to change the light emission. We wanted to show," and they did in fact show, "that light emission efficiency was not being lost due to the fact that the nanotube was formed, and that it is also controllable."
Boron absences
The device functions on the basis of the use of natural (or induced) defects in boron nitride nanotubes. In particular, the defects enabling controlled emission are the gaps that appear in the wall of the nanotube due to the absence of a boron atom, which is the most common defect in its manufacture. "All nanotubes are very similar, but the fact that you have these defects makes the system operational and efficient, and what is more, the more defects you have, the better it functions."
Rubio highlighted "the simplicity" of the device proposed. "It's a device that functions with defects, it does not have to be pure, and it's very easy to build and control." Nanotubes can be synthesised using standard methods in the scientific community for producing inorganic nanotubes; the structures synthesised as a result have natural defects, and it is possible to incorporate more if you want by means of simple, post-synthesis irradiation processes. "It has a traditional transistor configuration, and what we are proposing would work with current electronic devices," he stressed. The "less attractive" part, as specified by Rubio, is that boron nitride nanotubes are still only produced in very small quantities, and as yet there is no economically viable synthesis process on a commercial scale.
Beyond graphene
Rubio is in no doubt about the potential of the new materials based on two-dimensional systems, and specifically, of compounds that offer an alternative to graphene, like, for example, hexagonal boron nitride. Without prejudice to graphene, Rubio believes that the alternative field could have greater potential in the long term and needs to be explored: "It's a field that has been active for over the last fifteen years, even though it has been less visible. We have been working with hexagonal boron nitride since 1994, it's like our child, and I believe that it has opened up an attractive field of research, which more and more groups are joining."
###
Further information:
This research has been conducted by the NanoBio Spectroscopy Group (ETSF-Centre for Scientific Development, Department of Materials Physics, Faculty of Chemistry of the UPV/EHU), led by Prof ngel Rubio, in collaboration with Dr Ludger Wirtz (University of Luxembourg), Dr Claudi Attaccalite (University of Grenoble) and Dr Andrea Marini (CNR Italian Research Council - Rome), who are three veteran researchers in the group.
ngel Rubio is professor of Materials Physics of the UPV/EHU, head of the NanoBio Spectroscopy Group and Chairman of the ETSF-European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility of the UPV/EHU, as well as external director of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society.
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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.
UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researchers have developed and patented a new source of light emitter based on boron nitride nanotubes and suitable for developing high-efficiency optoelectronic devices
This news release is available in Spanish.
Scientists are usually after defect-free nano-structures. Yet in this case the UPV/EHU researcher Angel Rubio and his collaborators have put the structural defects in boron nitride nanotubes to maximum use. The outcome of his research is a new light-emitting source that can easily be incorporated into current microelectronics technology. The research has also resulted in a patent.
Boron nitride is a promising material in the field of nanotechnology, thanks to its excellent insulating properties, resistance and two-dimensional structure similar to graphene. And specifically, the properties of hexagonal boron nitride, the focus of this research, are far superior to those of other metals and semiconductors currently being used as light emitters, for example, in applications linked to optical storage (DVD) or communications. "It is extremely efficient in ultraviolet light emission, one of the best currently available on the market," remarked the UPV/EHU researcher Angel Rubio.
However, the light emission of boron nitride nanotubes takes place within a very limited range of the ultraviolet spectrum, which means they cannot be used in applications in which the emission needs to be produced within a broader range of frequencies and in a controlled way (for example in applications using visible light).
The research carried out by the UPV/EHU's NanoBio Spectroscopy Group has come up with a solution to overcome this limitation, and open up the door to the use of hexagonal boron nitride nanotubes in commercial applications.
They have shown that by applying an electric field perpendicular to the nanotube, it is possible to get the latter to emit light across the whole spectrum from the infrared to the far ultraviolet and to control it in a simple way. This ease of control is only to be found in nanotubes due to their cylindrical geometry (these are tubular structures with lengths in the order of micrometres, and diameters in the order of nanometres).
Rubio has been working with boron nitride nanotubes for nearly 20 years. "We proposed them theoretically, and then they were found experimentally. So far, all our theoretical predictions have been confirmed, and that is very gratifying," he explained. Once the properties of layered hexagonal boron nitride and its extremely high efficiency in light emission were known, this research sought to show that these properties are not lost in nanotubes. "We knew that when a sheet was rolled up and a tube was formed, a strong coupling was produced with the electric field and that would enable us to change the light emission. We wanted to show," and they did in fact show, "that light emission efficiency was not being lost due to the fact that the nanotube was formed, and that it is also controllable."
Boron absences
The device functions on the basis of the use of natural (or induced) defects in boron nitride nanotubes. In particular, the defects enabling controlled emission are the gaps that appear in the wall of the nanotube due to the absence of a boron atom, which is the most common defect in its manufacture. "All nanotubes are very similar, but the fact that you have these defects makes the system operational and efficient, and what is more, the more defects you have, the better it functions."
Rubio highlighted "the simplicity" of the device proposed. "It's a device that functions with defects, it does not have to be pure, and it's very easy to build and control." Nanotubes can be synthesised using standard methods in the scientific community for producing inorganic nanotubes; the structures synthesised as a result have natural defects, and it is possible to incorporate more if you want by means of simple, post-synthesis irradiation processes. "It has a traditional transistor configuration, and what we are proposing would work with current electronic devices," he stressed. The "less attractive" part, as specified by Rubio, is that boron nitride nanotubes are still only produced in very small quantities, and as yet there is no economically viable synthesis process on a commercial scale.
Beyond graphene
Rubio is in no doubt about the potential of the new materials based on two-dimensional systems, and specifically, of compounds that offer an alternative to graphene, like, for example, hexagonal boron nitride. Without prejudice to graphene, Rubio believes that the alternative field could have greater potential in the long term and needs to be explored: "It's a field that has been active for over the last fifteen years, even though it has been less visible. We have been working with hexagonal boron nitride since 1994, it's like our child, and I believe that it has opened up an attractive field of research, which more and more groups are joining."
###
Further information:
This research has been conducted by the NanoBio Spectroscopy Group (ETSF-Centre for Scientific Development, Department of Materials Physics, Faculty of Chemistry of the UPV/EHU), led by Prof ngel Rubio, in collaboration with Dr Ludger Wirtz (University of Luxembourg), Dr Claudi Attaccalite (University of Grenoble) and Dr Andrea Marini (CNR Italian Research Council - Rome), who are three veteran researchers in the group.
ngel Rubio is professor of Materials Physics of the UPV/EHU, head of the NanoBio Spectroscopy Group and Chairman of the ETSF-European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility of the UPV/EHU, as well as external director of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society.
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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.
EurekAlert! announces the recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
31-Oct-2013
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Contact: Jennifer Santisi jsantisi@aaas.org 212-326-6213 American Association for the Advancement of Science
This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.
EurekAlert!, the global science news service operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and its sister site, EurekAlert! Chinese, are pleased to announce four recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.
The fellowships are intended to help support excellence in science communication worldwide by providing science reporters with the opportunity to cover the latest research, and to network with peers from around the world. Four accomplished science journalists from China have been selected to participate in the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting (http://www.aaas.org/meetings), 13-17 February in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sponsorship for the 2014 fellowships is provided by EurekAlert!. The fellowship pays for travel, lodging and meals at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
The recipients of the 2014 fellowships are:
Hongqiao Liu, Caixin Media
Xiao Gan, China Science Daily
Kun Huang, Xinhua News Agency
Wei Qian, China Newsweek
"The 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting will allow me to continue improving myself as a professional science reporter," said Wei Qian of China Newsweek. It's a unique opportunity for me to attend a renowned science conference, and to learn about the most important advances in science. This experience will provide me with an opportunity to connect with a network of international science journalists and address scientific news in a global context."
The fellowships were originally launched in 2004 with a seed grant from the William T. Golden Endowment Fund for Program Innovation. That year's program brought 10 reporters from China to the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Subsequent fellowships have sponsored reporters from the Middle East, China, Africa, Central and South America.
The 2014 fellows were chosen by judges from an applicant pool of reporters nominated by their editors at leading Chinese media organizations. Dr. Zixue Tai of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, Dr. Shu-Ling Chen Berggreen of the University of Colorado School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and Ms. Xiong Lei, a guest professor at Renmin University of China and former executive editor of China Features, acted as independent judges.
"I'm looking forward to achieving a better understanding of the role that science, discovery and innovation play in the rapidly changing world, and learning how this interacts with interdisciplinary efforts to find solutions for global issues, such as the food crisis, climate change, and new communicable diseases," said Hongqiao Liu of Caixin Media.
The theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting is Meeting Global Challenges: Discovery and Innovation. In keeping with this theme, and the mission of both AAAS and EurekAlert!, the reporter fellowship program seeks to promote international scientific dialogue and advance the communication of science news to the public worldwide.
"I look forward to learning more about sustainable solutions that might be suitable for development of China, as sustainability is a major theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting," Kun Huang of Xinhua News Agency said. "And personally, I am very interested in the Career Development Workshops, which will enhance my understanding of science journalism as a lifelong career."
More information about the 2014 fellowship winners is available at http://www.eurekalert.org/fellows. The website will also publish any meeting coverage by the fellows.
###
About AAAS
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (http://www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (http://www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (http://www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.
About EurekAlert!
Founded by AAAS in 1996, EurekAlert! is an editorially independent, online news service focused on science, medicine and technology. Thousands of reporters around the globe use EurekAlert! to access news and resources from the world's top research organizations. For free access to EurekAlert!, visit http://www.EurekAlert.org.
About EurekAlert! Chinese
Organized by AAAS, EurekAlert! Chinese is the world's only source of embargoed science news catering to Chinese journalists. Universities, research institutions, corporations, scientific journals and government-sponsored research institutions post their press releases in both English and Chinese on the EurekAlert! Chinese website, often to a special section accessible only to reporters.
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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.
EurekAlert! announces the recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
31-Oct-2013
[
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]
Share
Contact: Jennifer Santisi jsantisi@aaas.org 212-326-6213 American Association for the Advancement of Science
This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.
EurekAlert!, the global science news service operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and its sister site, EurekAlert! Chinese, are pleased to announce four recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.
The fellowships are intended to help support excellence in science communication worldwide by providing science reporters with the opportunity to cover the latest research, and to network with peers from around the world. Four accomplished science journalists from China have been selected to participate in the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting (http://www.aaas.org/meetings), 13-17 February in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sponsorship for the 2014 fellowships is provided by EurekAlert!. The fellowship pays for travel, lodging and meals at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
The recipients of the 2014 fellowships are:
Hongqiao Liu, Caixin Media
Xiao Gan, China Science Daily
Kun Huang, Xinhua News Agency
Wei Qian, China Newsweek
"The 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting will allow me to continue improving myself as a professional science reporter," said Wei Qian of China Newsweek. It's a unique opportunity for me to attend a renowned science conference, and to learn about the most important advances in science. This experience will provide me with an opportunity to connect with a network of international science journalists and address scientific news in a global context."
The fellowships were originally launched in 2004 with a seed grant from the William T. Golden Endowment Fund for Program Innovation. That year's program brought 10 reporters from China to the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Subsequent fellowships have sponsored reporters from the Middle East, China, Africa, Central and South America.
The 2014 fellows were chosen by judges from an applicant pool of reporters nominated by their editors at leading Chinese media organizations. Dr. Zixue Tai of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, Dr. Shu-Ling Chen Berggreen of the University of Colorado School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and Ms. Xiong Lei, a guest professor at Renmin University of China and former executive editor of China Features, acted as independent judges.
"I'm looking forward to achieving a better understanding of the role that science, discovery and innovation play in the rapidly changing world, and learning how this interacts with interdisciplinary efforts to find solutions for global issues, such as the food crisis, climate change, and new communicable diseases," said Hongqiao Liu of Caixin Media.
The theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting is Meeting Global Challenges: Discovery and Innovation. In keeping with this theme, and the mission of both AAAS and EurekAlert!, the reporter fellowship program seeks to promote international scientific dialogue and advance the communication of science news to the public worldwide.
"I look forward to learning more about sustainable solutions that might be suitable for development of China, as sustainability is a major theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting," Kun Huang of Xinhua News Agency said. "And personally, I am very interested in the Career Development Workshops, which will enhance my understanding of science journalism as a lifelong career."
More information about the 2014 fellowship winners is available at http://www.eurekalert.org/fellows. The website will also publish any meeting coverage by the fellows.
###
About AAAS
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (http://www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (http://www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (http://www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.
About EurekAlert!
Founded by AAAS in 1996, EurekAlert! is an editorially independent, online news service focused on science, medicine and technology. Thousands of reporters around the globe use EurekAlert! to access news and resources from the world's top research organizations. For free access to EurekAlert!, visit http://www.EurekAlert.org.
About EurekAlert! Chinese
Organized by AAAS, EurekAlert! Chinese is the world's only source of embargoed science news catering to Chinese journalists. Universities, research institutions, corporations, scientific journals and government-sponsored research institutions post their press releases in both English and Chinese on the EurekAlert! Chinese website, often to a special section accessible only to reporters.
[
| E-mail
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.
EurekAlert! announces the recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
31-Oct-2013
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Contact: Jennifer Santisi jsantisi@aaas.org 212-326-6213 American Association for the Advancement of Science
This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.
EurekAlert!, the global science news service operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and its sister site, EurekAlert! Chinese, are pleased to announce four recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.
The fellowships are intended to help support excellence in science communication worldwide by providing science reporters with the opportunity to cover the latest research, and to network with peers from around the world. Four accomplished science journalists from China have been selected to participate in the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting (http://www.aaas.org/meetings), 13-17 February in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sponsorship for the 2014 fellowships is provided by EurekAlert!. The fellowship pays for travel, lodging and meals at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
The recipients of the 2014 fellowships are:
Hongqiao Liu, Caixin Media
Xiao Gan, China Science Daily
Kun Huang, Xinhua News Agency
Wei Qian, China Newsweek
"The 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting will allow me to continue improving myself as a professional science reporter," said Wei Qian of China Newsweek. It's a unique opportunity for me to attend a renowned science conference, and to learn about the most important advances in science. This experience will provide me with an opportunity to connect with a network of international science journalists and address scientific news in a global context."
The fellowships were originally launched in 2004 with a seed grant from the William T. Golden Endowment Fund for Program Innovation. That year's program brought 10 reporters from China to the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Subsequent fellowships have sponsored reporters from the Middle East, China, Africa, Central and South America.
The 2014 fellows were chosen by judges from an applicant pool of reporters nominated by their editors at leading Chinese media organizations. Dr. Zixue Tai of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, Dr. Shu-Ling Chen Berggreen of the University of Colorado School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and Ms. Xiong Lei, a guest professor at Renmin University of China and former executive editor of China Features, acted as independent judges.
"I'm looking forward to achieving a better understanding of the role that science, discovery and innovation play in the rapidly changing world, and learning how this interacts with interdisciplinary efforts to find solutions for global issues, such as the food crisis, climate change, and new communicable diseases," said Hongqiao Liu of Caixin Media.
The theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting is Meeting Global Challenges: Discovery and Innovation. In keeping with this theme, and the mission of both AAAS and EurekAlert!, the reporter fellowship program seeks to promote international scientific dialogue and advance the communication of science news to the public worldwide.
"I look forward to learning more about sustainable solutions that might be suitable for development of China, as sustainability is a major theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting," Kun Huang of Xinhua News Agency said. "And personally, I am very interested in the Career Development Workshops, which will enhance my understanding of science journalism as a lifelong career."
More information about the 2014 fellowship winners is available at http://www.eurekalert.org/fellows. The website will also publish any meeting coverage by the fellows.
###
About AAAS
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (http://www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (http://www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (http://www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.
About EurekAlert!
Founded by AAAS in 1996, EurekAlert! is an editorially independent, online news service focused on science, medicine and technology. Thousands of reporters around the globe use EurekAlert! to access news and resources from the world's top research organizations. For free access to EurekAlert!, visit http://www.EurekAlert.org.
About EurekAlert! Chinese
Organized by AAAS, EurekAlert! Chinese is the world's only source of embargoed science news catering to Chinese journalists. Universities, research institutions, corporations, scientific journals and government-sponsored research institutions post their press releases in both English and Chinese on the EurekAlert! Chinese website, often to a special section accessible only to reporters.
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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.
EurekAlert! announces the recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
31-Oct-2013
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Contact: Jennifer Santisi jsantisi@aaas.org 212-326-6213 American Association for the Advancement of Science
This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.
EurekAlert!, the global science news service operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and its sister site, EurekAlert! Chinese, are pleased to announce four recipients of the 2014 AAAS-EurekAlert! Fellowships for International Science Reporters.
The fellowships are intended to help support excellence in science communication worldwide by providing science reporters with the opportunity to cover the latest research, and to network with peers from around the world. Four accomplished science journalists from China have been selected to participate in the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting (http://www.aaas.org/meetings), 13-17 February in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Sponsorship for the 2014 fellowships is provided by EurekAlert!. The fellowship pays for travel, lodging and meals at the AAAS Annual Meeting.
The recipients of the 2014 fellowships are:
Hongqiao Liu, Caixin Media
Xiao Gan, China Science Daily
Kun Huang, Xinhua News Agency
Wei Qian, China Newsweek
"The 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting will allow me to continue improving myself as a professional science reporter," said Wei Qian of China Newsweek. It's a unique opportunity for me to attend a renowned science conference, and to learn about the most important advances in science. This experience will provide me with an opportunity to connect with a network of international science journalists and address scientific news in a global context."
The fellowships were originally launched in 2004 with a seed grant from the William T. Golden Endowment Fund for Program Innovation. That year's program brought 10 reporters from China to the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Subsequent fellowships have sponsored reporters from the Middle East, China, Africa, Central and South America.
The 2014 fellows were chosen by judges from an applicant pool of reporters nominated by their editors at leading Chinese media organizations. Dr. Zixue Tai of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, Dr. Shu-Ling Chen Berggreen of the University of Colorado School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and Ms. Xiong Lei, a guest professor at Renmin University of China and former executive editor of China Features, acted as independent judges.
"I'm looking forward to achieving a better understanding of the role that science, discovery and innovation play in the rapidly changing world, and learning how this interacts with interdisciplinary efforts to find solutions for global issues, such as the food crisis, climate change, and new communicable diseases," said Hongqiao Liu of Caixin Media.
The theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting is Meeting Global Challenges: Discovery and Innovation. In keeping with this theme, and the mission of both AAAS and EurekAlert!, the reporter fellowship program seeks to promote international scientific dialogue and advance the communication of science news to the public worldwide.
"I look forward to learning more about sustainable solutions that might be suitable for development of China, as sustainability is a major theme of the 2014 AAAS Annual Meeting," Kun Huang of Xinhua News Agency said. "And personally, I am very interested in the Career Development Workshops, which will enhance my understanding of science journalism as a lifelong career."
More information about the 2014 fellowship winners is available at http://www.eurekalert.org/fellows. The website will also publish any meeting coverage by the fellows.
###
About AAAS
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science (http://www.sciencemag.org) as well as Science Translational Medicine (http://www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (http://www.sciencesignaling.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS (http://www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more.
About EurekAlert!
Founded by AAAS in 1996, EurekAlert! is an editorially independent, online news service focused on science, medicine and technology. Thousands of reporters around the globe use EurekAlert! to access news and resources from the world's top research organizations. For free access to EurekAlert!, visit http://www.EurekAlert.org.
About EurekAlert! Chinese
Organized by AAAS, EurekAlert! Chinese is the world's only source of embargoed science news catering to Chinese journalists. Universities, research institutions, corporations, scientific journals and government-sponsored research institutions post their press releases in both English and Chinese on the EurekAlert! Chinese website, often to a special section accessible only to reporters.
[
| E-mail
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.
Andy Coulson arrives at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Andy Coulson arrives at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie Brooks arrive at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Former News of The World news editor Ian Edmondson arrives at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Former Royal Editor Clive Goodman arrives at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Andy Coulson arrives at The Old Bailey law court in London, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Former News of the World national newspaper editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson went on trial Monday, along with several others, on charges relating to the hacking of phones and bribing officials while they were employed at the now closed tabloid paper. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON (AP) — In a blockbuster declaration at Britain's phone hacking trial, a prosecutor said two of Rupert Murdoch's former senior tabloid executives — Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, later a top aide to Prime Minister David Cameron — had an affair lasting at least six years.
Prosecutor Andrew Edis made the disclosure Thursday during Coulson's and Brooks' trial on phone hacking and other charges, the first major criminal case to go to court in the hacking saga that has shaken Britain's political, judicial and media elite.
Brooks, Coulson and six other people are now on trial, including Brooks' current husband Charles. All deny the various charges against them, which range from phone hacking to bribing officials for scoops to obstructing police investigations.
Edis said the relationship between Brooks and Coulson was relevant to the hacking case because it showed they trusted one another and shared intimate information.
"Throughout the relevant period, what Mr. Coulson knew Mrs. Brooks knew, and what Mrs. Brooks knew Mr. Coulson knew," Edis said.
Edis said the affair began in 1998 and lasted about six years. If his timeline is correct, the affair ended before Coulson became Cameron's top communications director, which began after Cameron's election in 2010. Coulson started working for Cameron in 2007, when Cameron became leader of Britain's Conservative opposition party.
The affair covered the period when Brooks was the top editor of Murdoch's News of the World tabloid and Coulson was her deputy. Brooks edited the paper from 2000 to 2003, then went on to edit its sister paper, The Sun, and later became the chief executive of Murdoch's British newspaper division. Coulson edited the News of the World from 2003 to 2007.
The affair covered the crucial period in 2002 when the News of the World hacked the phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler. Brooks has long denied knowing about that hacking. When the Dowler hacking case became public in 2011, the outrage in Britain was so great that Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old paper.
Edis said a February 2004 letter from Brooks showed there was "absolute confidence between the two of them in relation to all the problems at their work." He said the letter appeared to have been written by Brooks in response to Coulson's attempt to end the relationship.
"You are my very best friend. I tell you everything. I confide in you, I seek your advice," Brooks wrote, according to Edis. "Without our relationship in my life I am really not sure I will cope."
Edis said the affair was uncovered when police searched a computer found at Brooks' home in 2011 as part of the hacking investigation.
It's not clear whether the letter was ever sent.
Brooks married soap-opera star Ross Kemp in 2002. They later divorced and she married horse trainer Charles Brooks in 2009.
In his opening arguments Thursday, Edis said News of the World journalists, with consent from the tabloid's top editors, colluded to hack the phones of politicians, royalty, celebrities and even rival reporters in a "frenzy" to get scoops.
He said the "dog-eat-dog" environment led to routine lawbreaking that was sanctioned by those in charge of the Murdoch-owned tabloid: editors Rebekah Brooks and Coulson.
Jurors were shown email exchanges involving private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and News of the World news editor Ian Edmondson — one of the defendants — detailing the 2006 hacking of former government minister Tessa Jowell, royal family member Frederick Windsor and one-time Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who was the subject of a major kiss-and-tell story from a mistress.
Mulcaire also hacked the phones of two journalists at the rival Mail on Sunday tabloid who were working on their own story about the Prescott affair, the prosecutor said.
"In the frenzy to get the huge story ... that's what you do," Edis said.
Edis also played a recording of Mulcaire "blagging" — seeking information about a voicemail password from a service provider using a false name. He said Mulcaire — an "accomplished" blagger and hacker — made the recording himself, and also recorded some of the voicemails he hacked.
The prosecutor said the emails, the recordings and pages from Mulcaire's notebooks provided "very clear evidence" of hacking so widespread that senior editors must have known about it.
Edis said Mulcaire was paid almost 100,000 pounds a year under a contract that started in 2001 and ended when he was arrested in 2006 for hacking the phones of royal aides. He and the tabloid's royal editor Clive Goodman were briefly jailed and for years, Murdoch's media company maintained that hacking had been limited only to that pair.
That claim was demolished when the Dowler case became public in 2011. Murdoch's company has since paid millions in compensation to scores of people whose phones were hacked.
Rebekah Brooks, Coulson, Edmondson and former managing editor Stuart Kuttner all deny charges of phone hacking. The trial is expected to last roughly six months.
Mulcaire has pleaded guilty, along with three former News of the World news editors.
Edis said there are few records of what Mulcaire was paid to do by the newspaper, but that senior editors must have known of his illicit activity.
"The question is, did nobody ever ask, 'What are we paying this chap for?'" he said. "Somebody must have decided that what he was doing was worth an awful lot of money. Who was that?"
He said Rebekah Brooks, who edited the News of the World when Mulcaire was put on retainer "was actively involved in financial management" and sent editors stern emails about keeping costs down.
Under Coulson, who succeeded her as editor, Mulcaire's fee was increased to 2,019 pounds a week.
Edis said there was no evidence that Mulcaire's fees were ever questioned.
"You would question it — unless you knew all about it," Edis said.
___
Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
With MetroPCS transitioning to GSM smartphones that run on T-Mobile's network, you'd expect the two carriers to have near-identical offerings, but MetroPCS's larger roster of affordable smartphones is more robust. The Huawei Vitria ($129 up front) is a solid Android smartphone, and the least expensive MetroPCS phone with LTE. It doesn't compete with the carrier's flagship Android smartphone (and our Editors' Choice), the Samsung Galaxy S4, though it isn't meant to. The Vitria's display could be a little better, the camera could be faster, and it could have a little more storage, but it's an inexpensive device that performs well enough in its price class.
Design and Display For such a small device the Vitria is pretty hefty. It measures 4.99 by 2.51 by 0.46 (HWD) inches and weighs 4.94 ounces, 0.94 ounces more than the LG Optimus F3, another 4-inch smartphone, now available on MetroPCS.
The Vitria's enclosure is smooth, with rounded corners, and the bottom comes to a very slight point. It's pretty plain looking, and doesn't stand out among the crowd of slimmer smartphones. On the back is the 5-megapixel camera and LED flash, which is flush with the soft touch exterior. Remove the matte black plastic back and you'll gain access to the 1750mAh battery, SIM card, and microSD card slot. Pulling the battery lets you remove the SIM card; the microSD card is accessible without powering down your phone, and located right next to the camera lens.
On the left side is the micro USB port for charging and connecting to a PC. It's an awkward placement when using the phone in landscape mode. On the other side is a faux-metal plastic volume rocker. The same plastic wraps around the edge of the phone, making it seem a little cheap, but still feel sturdy. On top is the Power button on the left and headphone jack on the right. Included with the Vitria is a small wall charger and a micro USB cable.
For this price you're not getting an HD screen. The Vitria has a 4-inch Gorilla Glass 2 LCD with 800 by 480 resolution. That's about 233 pixels per inch. Not bad, but not stellar either. Text and images aren't especially clear, but colors look vibrant. Viewing angles is adequate, but the display begins to wash out at more extreme angles. There's a set of Back, Home, and Menu buttons below the screen. Though it has a low-resolution display, typing on the on-screen keyboard is incredibly easy. The Vitria has Swype's keyboard installed at launch, making it a breeze to slide your finger over the letters you need and have the phone spell the right word for you, and eliminating the annoying smartphone hunt-and-peck typing.
Connectivity and Call Quality The Huawei Vitria is pretty well-connected for the price. Under the hood is Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi calling, A-GPS, and DLNA support for media streaming to the few and far between DLNA-capable devices.
The Vitria may be inexpensive, but it's one of the few sub-$150 phones with LTE. The next LTE-capable phone on MetroPCS is the $149 Optimus F3. It's running on T-Mobile's network, and as such doesn't support any of MetroPCS' CDMA bands. For $40 per month you get unlimited voice, texting, and data (with 500MB worth of LTE speeds). $50 gets you 2.5GB of high-speed data, and $60 gets you unlimited high-speed data.
Call quality on the phone was remarkably good, at least on my end. The other person's voice was clear and loud thanks to the earpiece. My voice came through more muddied and muffled than I would have liked. Noise cancellation was also an issue whenever a truck or car would pass by. The caller on the other end would hear every sound outside. My tests with a Jabra Stone 3 Bluetooth headset yielded the same results. The speakerphone was very quiet and barely audible in the streets of New York City.
The Vitria's 1750mAh cell was a boon during battery testing. The phone lasted a solid 9 hours and 23 minutes in our talk time test.
Hardware, OS, and Apps The Vitria contains a Snapdragon MSM8930 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM; old hardware, but fine for an entry-level smartphone. In Nenamark's graphical performance test, the Vitria scored 59 frames per second. It trounces its similarly priced competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, which scored a meager 38.6 frames. In the Taiji graphics test it beats the more expensive LG Optimus L9, with 42.8 versus LG's 13.6. When you remember it isn't pushing too many pixels, all that speed makes more sense. As a result, the Vitria is an affordable casual gaming machine, though it routinely runs out of space needed to download the games and apps without a microSD card. Our tests showed that a 64GB card was too large, but a 32GB one worked just fine. You're going to need that card, however, as the Vitria only has 1.72GB of available storage.
Huawei's Android 4.1.2 is carrying a lot more bloatware than I'd like. It's too gratuitous, even coming with a theming app that customizes the interface with new sets of icons that doesn't look as great as stock Android. A few of the apps are simply shortcuts to settings like mobile hotspots or visual voicemail, but with apps like Rhapsody ($5/month), MetroPCS Screen-It ($5/month) for screening calls, and Metro Block-It ($1/month) for blocking calls, all I see is my phone trying to nickel-and-dime me. In total there are 16 nonstandard apps, none of which are removable.
One interesting app is Profiles, which allows you to tie a group of settings together into a phone "profile" of sorts. For example, the preloaded Sleep profile has brightness at 7 percent, all data services off, and alarm sound at around 60 percent. It's useful for quickly turning on or off a group of related settings when in a movie, meeting, or other environment where you can't miss an alert.
Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions The Vitria played most video formats except any AVI files, whether encoded in MPEG-4, Xvid, or DivX. As for audio, it played everything except FLAC. Video looks passable, but darker scenes become muddled and contrast is quite low.
Many low-end Android phones have a built-in FM radio, and the Vitria is no exception; you'll need to plug in headphones, which double as an antenna; you can then toggle the sound output from headphone to phone speaker. You can't record what you're listening to, but bookmarking and searching for stations with two large arrow buttons is very convenient. As for purchasing content, the Vitria is equipped with the full suite of Play Store apps, including Play Movies & TV, and Play Music.
The 5-megapixel camera on the Vitria isn't a great shooter. Most of the images are washed out and noisy indoors, or overexposed outdoors. It takes almost a full second for the phone to capture each the photo and process it. Video recording is poor in low light; the frame rate drops dramatically and there's no image stabilization. Every step was a tremor to the phone and screwed with the autofocus while recording. The front-facing VGA camera snaps low-resolution photos.
The Huawei Vitria is in the sweet spot of price for performance on MetroPCS. If you're willing to spend a little more, $149 gets you the LG Optimus F3, a similar 4-inch touch-screen Android phone with LTE and better battery life. If you're on a shoestring budget you can save $20 with the Samsung Galaxy Exhibit, though it lacks LTE and has a slightly smaller display. The Huawei Vitria doesn't have a great screen, but at under $150, and with 4G LTE, it's a solid value.
Ratings wars are fierce between network morning shows, and the “Today” hosts pulled out all the stops with their Halloween costume selections.
Matt Lauer donned a red swimsuit for his Pamela Anderson “Baywatch” impersonation with Carmen Electra and a David Hasselhoff-dressed Willie Geist, while Carson Daly teamed up with legendary actor Erik Estrada for some “Chips” action.
Always a ham, Al Roker got out his gold chains and cut-off camo top to play Mr. T, and Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales dressed as Laverne and Shirley.
And never ones to be left out of the fun, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford also partnered for their costumes, playing Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble.
This phone here appears to be yet another miniature version of a popular full size model, with official filings revealing something we suspect might end up being known as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Mini. Could do with a smaller name, too.
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