After NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying Friday at Daytona International Speedway, Danica Patrick was asked whether she would, in fact, agree to race Richard Petty, something her car owner Tony Stewart suggested.
Richard Petty made critical comments about Danica Patrick’s driving during a recent autograph session in Canada.
He also told Fox News on Friday: “I’m 76 years old, OK?”
“It’s been 25 years since I’ve been in a race car. But I’ll take that challenge.”
Richard Petty is an outspoken critic of Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick’s response was: “All right.”
“I think Tony said he was getting the cars ready, right? At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is my team owner, Tony Stewart, believes in me. That’s the most important thing.”
Danica Patrick then was asked if the race with Richard Petty could take place on a racing simulator.
“No,” she said, and with that her press conference ended.
In an address televised before Ukraine’s parliament vote to impeach him, Viktor Yanukovych described events in Kiev as a “coup”.
Viktor Yanukovych insisted he was the “lawfully elected president” and compared the actions of the opposition to the rise to power of the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
In his address Viktor Yanukovych also called a raft of votes in Ukraine’s parliament on Friday “illegitimate”, claiming that lawmakers had been “beaten, pelted with stones and intimidated”.
However, he did admit that that some had left his Party of the Regions, calling them “traitors”.
President Viktor Yanukovych also said his ally, parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Rybak, was forced to resign because he had been physically beaten.
He added that both Volodymyr Rybak’s car and his own had been fired at.
In an address televised before Ukraine’s parliament vote to impeach him, Viktor Yanukovych described events in Kiev as a coup
Volodymyr Rybak resigned on Saturday morning citing ill health and was replaced by Oleksandr Turchynov, a Yulia Tymoshenko ally.
Another Yulia Tymoshenko ally, Arsen Avakov, was appointed interim interior minister, replacing Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was sacked on Friday after being blamed for the deaths of civilians in last week’s crackdown on protests.
Before Saturday’s vote to oust Viktor Yanukovych, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the Ukrainian opposition of being led by “armed extremists and pogromists” whose actions were a threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty and constitutional order.
Also before the vote, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski – one of three EU ministers that mediated between the two sides this week – tweeted that there had been “no coup in Kiev”.
Radoslaw Sikorski, along with the German and French foreign ministers, presided over talks that led to a pact on Friday between Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders which now seems to have been overtaken by events.
The deal followed several days of violence in which dozens of people died in a police crackdown on months of protest. It called for the restoration of the 2004 constitution and the formation of a national unity government.
The agreement failed to end the protests overnight with huge crowds remaining in the Maidan calling for Viktor Yanukovych’s resignation.
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to oust President Viktor Yanukovych and hold early presidential elections on May 25.
The vote came after the opposition seized several official buildings in the capital Kiev and parliament appointed high-level officials.
Viktor Yanukovych described events as a “coup” and vowed not to stand down.
Also on Saturday afternoon, prominent opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko was released from detention, hours after parliament authorized the move.
Correspondents say Yulia Tymoshenko was driven away in a car after leaving a hospital in the eastern city of Kharkiv where she was being held under prison guard.
Yulia Tymoshenko is now reported to be heading to Kiev’s Independence Square – also called the Maidan – which has been the focal point of anti-government protests.
Lawmakers had voted to pave the way for Yulia Tymoshenko’s release on Friday. She was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of abuse of power over her actions during her tenure as prime minister.
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to oust President Viktor Yanukovych and hold early presidential elections on May 25
Yulia Tymoshenko’s supporters have always maintained this was simply Viktor Yanukovych taking out his most prominent opponent, and her release has always been a key demand of the protest movement.
The opposition is now in effective control of the capital Kiev, with Viktor Yanukovych arriving in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, late on Friday night.
The Interfax news agency reported parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov as saying Viktor Yanukovych had been stopped by border police in an attempt to flee to Russia and was now somewhere in the Donetsk region.
Earlier on Saturday, protesters walked unchallenged into the president’s office and residential compounds.
Ukraine’s army released a statement on Saturday afternoon saying it would not get “involved in the domestic political conflict”.
The vote to “remove Viktor Yanukovych from the post of president of Ukraine” was passed by 328 MPs.
Such ballots, passed by what is called constitutional majority, are binding and enter into force with immediate effect.
Ukraine’s former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from jail.
It follows a vote by parliament to release her after President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital Kiev.
Speaking after her release, the Ukrainian opposition leader said “the dictatorship has fallen”.
Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2011 after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.
Ukraine’s former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from jail
The glamorous, fiery orator who helped lead the Orange Revolution – Ukraine’s revolt against a controversial election in 2004 – was convicted of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia which was seen to have disadvantaged her own country.
Yulia Tymoshenko has always insisted the charges were untrue, inspired by Viktor Yanukovych, the man she helped oust in 2004 who returned to defeat her in the 2010 presidential election.
The EU had demanded her release as one of the conditions of the EU-Ukraine trade pact that President Viktor Yanukovych rejected last year – triggering the protests that led to the current crisis.
Olha Lappo, spokeswoman for the Fatherland party Yulia Tymoshenko leads, said she was heading from prison in the eastern city of Kharkiv to the capital Kiev to join protesters there.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s release was made possible by a European-brokered peace deal between her President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition on Friday.
Christina Aguilera is pregnant with her second child, Us Weekly reported.
The happy news comes nearly a week after Christina Aguilera, 32, announced her engagement to Matt Rutler, her boyfriend of three years.
Production assistant Matt Rutler had been plotting a proposal before Christina Aguilera discovered the baby news.
The pregnancy “wasn’t expected, but it also wasn’t unwelcome. They are all very excited though! Christina loves being a mom,” a source told Us Weekly.
The baby-to-be will join big brother Max, Christina Aguilera’s 6-year-old with ex-husband Jordan Bratman.
A second insider reveals that Matt Rutler had been “working on the ring for over a year,” and was hatching his proposal plan for several months, finally popping the question two days before Valentine’s Day.
Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Kozak has dismissed the Sochi attack on protest group Pussy Riot.
Five members of punk group Pussy Riot and a cameraman were attacked by Cossack security patrols as they performed under a sign advertising the Winter Olympics on Wednesday.
Footage showed the Cossacks whipping band members, pulling off their ski masks, and throwing them to the ground.
“The girls came here specifically to provoke this conflict,” Dmitry Kozak said.
“They had been searching for it for some time and finally they had this conflict with local inhabitants.”
Security in Sochi was a major concern before the Olympic Games following two suicide bomb attacks in Volgograd, in which 34 people died.
But Dmitry Kozak said he had always had confidence in security staff ensuring the Games remained safe.
Five members of punk group Pussy Riot and a cameraman were attacked by Cossack security patrols in Sochi
The security procedures included hiring Cossack patrols to help police during the Olympics.
“We were certain that our security forces would be able to complete the tasks given to them,” he said.
“Security threats today are of a global nature, with terrorist organizations, so of course we were concerned about that.
“The Olympic Games became a target for the terrorists, but our law enforcement agencies and our special forces, in co-operation with all the countries of the world, all the special services in the world, including Great Britain, joined in the effort to prevent terrorism. All of us have fulfilled this task brilliantly.”
Dmitry Kozak also dismissed allegations of corruption and embezzlement in relation to money spent on the Games, which are estimated to have cost $50 billion.
“We had tough control over the budget money,” he said.
“According to the results of the investigation we did not find any major incidents of corruption.
“We ask anyone who says that there is to provide specific fact of the corruption. If they do we will carry out investigations and, if proved, the culprits will be punished. But so far we do not have this information, so it is just speculation.”
A new Italian government led by Matteo Renzi has been sworn in Rome ceremony.
Centre-left Matteo Renzi, 39, will be the youngest prime minister in Italy’s history, and one of its least experienced.
Matteo Renzi, nicknamed Il Rottamatore (the Scrapper) rose to prominence as the mayor of Florence, but has never been elected to parliament or served in a national government.
He has chosen a comparatively young cabinet team, about half of them women.
Unemployment in Italy currently stands at a nearly 13% – and above 40% among the young.
Matteo Renzi has promised to overhaul the jobs market and the tax and education systems within four months, but our correspondent adds that he leads an awkward coalition that will not make his task easy.
Matteo Renzi is the youngest prime minister in Italy’s history, and one of its least experienced
The new prime minister has named the chief economist at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Pier Carlo Padoan, as his finance minister.
Angelino Alfano, who heads the New Centre Right party, one of the Democratic Party’s coalition partners, remains as interior minister.
The government will have to win a vote of confidence in parliament, expected on Monday, before it starts work officially.
On Friday, Matteo Renzi formally accepted the mandate to lead a new government and named his cabinet.
Announcing his team, he said: “It’s a government that will start to work from tomorrow morning.”
The swearing-in took place on Saturday in the ornate presidential palace in Rome as the new prime minister and his cabinet – with the exception of Pier Carlo Padoan, who had not returned from Australia in time for the ceremony – took the oath of office from President Giorgio Napolitano.
Matteo Renzi ousted prime minister and party colleague Enrico Letta, who had led Italy for just 10 months, in a vote at a party meeting on February 13.
He argued that a change of government was needed to end “uncertainty”. He had accused Enrico Letta of a lack of action on improving the economic situation, with unemployment at its highest level in 40 years and the economy shrinking by 9% in seven years.
Matteo Renzi also accused Enrico Letta of failing to implement promised reforms of what is seen as an often corrupt and wasteful bureaucracy.
Australian TV presenter Charlotte Dawson has been found dead at her home in Sydney.
Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of 47-year-old Charlotte Dawson, who had a long history of depression.
Charlotte Dawson, a former model from New Zealand, was also a high-profile victim of cyber bullying.
New Zealand PM John Key said he was “shocked” and “saddened” by her death.
Charlotte Dawson, a former model from New Zealand, was also a high-profile victim of cyber bullying
Charlotte Dawson was best known for hosting reality TV show The Contender Australia, and for her role as a judge on Australia’s Next Top Model.
In 2012, Charlotte Dawson was admitted to hospital after being targeted by cyber bullies on Twitter.
She went on to become an outspoken campaigner against internet trolls.
Charlotte Dawson, who left her native New Zealand at the age of 16 to pursue a modeling career, has been described by her friends as outrageous, outspoken and fragile.
In fast-moving events on Saturday, Ukraine’s parliament voted for opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to be released immediately.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power. Her supporters had always maintained this was simply Viktor Yanukovych taking out his most prominent opponent.
Also in parliament, speaker Volodymyr Rybak resigned, citing ill health. He has been replaced by Oleksandr Turchynov, an ally of Yulia Tymoshenko.
Another Yulia Tymoshenko ally, Arsen Avakov, has been appointed interim interior minister. He replaces Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was sacked on Friday after being blamed for the deaths of civilians in last week’s crackdown on protests.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power
Vitaly Klitschko, leader of the opposition Udar party, repeated his demand for President Viktor Yanukovych’s immediate resignation.
Meanwhile presidential aide Hanna Herman said Viktor Yanukovych had travelled to Kharkiv in the east, close to the Russian border, from where he was to give a televised address.
A gathering of deputies from the south-east and Crimea – traditionally Russian-leaning areas – is taking place there, but Hanna Herman said the president had “no intention” of attending, nor of leaving the country.
An opposition figure has announced to crowds in Independence Square that President Viktor Yanukovych has resigned. This has not been confirmed, but the crowds reacted with huge cheers. The presidential website appears to have gone down.
Pope Francis has appointed 19 new cardinals at a ceremony in Rome – the first such appointments of his papacy.
Cardinals are the most senior Roman Catholic clergymen below the pontiff.
The new cardinals received the traditional red hat and robes at the ceremony, known as a consistory, which was conducted in Latin and followed ancient tradition.
Cardinals wear red robes, along with scarlet zucchetto and biretta
Cardinals wear red robes, along with scarlet zucchetto (skullcap) and biretta (four cornered hat with tassel).
Red signifies the color of blood and symbolizes their commitment to defend the church.
During daily business, a cardinal’s robes are edged with red to signify his dignity and respect.
On official occasions, the cardinal’s robes are entirely red.
Pope Francis has appointed 19 new cardinals at St Peter’s Basilica ceremony in Rome.
This is the first such appointments of Pope Francis’ papacy.
Cardinals are the most senior Roman Catholic clergymen below the pontiff.
Correspondents say the inclusion of prelates from places such as Haiti and Burkina Faso reflects the Argentine Pope’s commitment to the poor.
Former Pope Benedict XVI – who retired last year – also attended the ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica.
The new cardinals received the traditional red hat and robes at the ceremony, known as a consistory, which was conducted in Latin and followed ancient tradition.
Pope Francis has appointed 19 new cardinals at St Peter’s Basilica ceremony
One by one, the cardinals knelt in front of Pope Francis to receive the hat and gold ring of office.
Mindful of current conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and the Central African Republic, Pope Francis prayed for “peace and reconciliation for people currently experiencing violence and war”.
Sixteen of the new appointees are under 80 – the age limit for participating in the election of future popes.
The new cardinals come from 15 different countries, including Spain, Italy and Germany.
Pope Francis is encouraging cardinals – old and new – to think outside the box in formulating new policies for the Catholic Church.
The new cardinals will join the more than 100-strong College of Cardinals, which has been meeting in plenary session behind closed doors at the Vatican.
A new study suggests dogs can understand their owners’ language.
Using MRI scanner on dogs, researchers from Hungary found that the canine brain reacts to voices in the same way that the human brain does.
Emotionally charged sounds, such as crying or laughter, also prompted similar responses, perhaps explaining why dogs are attuned to human emotions.
The work is published in the journal Current Biology.
Lead author Attila Andics, from the Hungarian Academy of Science’s Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, said: “We think dogs and humans have a very similar mechanism to process emotional information.”
Eleven pet dogs took part in the study; training them took some time.
“We used positive reinforcement strategies – lots of praise,” said Dr. Attila Andics.
“There were 12 sessions of preparatory training, then seven sessions in the scanner room, then these dogs were able to lie motionless for as long as eight minutes. Once they were trained, they were so happy, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it.”
For comparison, the team looked at the brains of 22 human volunteers in the same MRI scanners.
The scientists played the people and pooches 200 different sounds, ranging from environmental noises, such as car sounds and whistles, to human sounds (but not words) and dog vocalizations.
Using MRI scanner on dogs, researchers from Hungary found that the canine brain reacts to voices in the same way that the human brain does
The researchers found that a similar region – the temporal pole, which is the most anterior part of the temporal lobe – was activated when both the animals and people heard human voices.
“We do know there are voice areas in humans, areas that respond more strongly to human sounds that any other types of sounds,” Dr. Attila Andics explained.
“The location [of the activity] in the dog brain is very similar to where we found it in the human brain. The fact that we found these areas exist at all in the dog brain at all is a surprise – it is the first time we have seen this in a non-primate.”
Emotional sounds, such as crying and laughter also had a similar pattern of activity, with an area near the primary auditory cortex lighting up in dogs and humans.
Likewise, emotionally charged dog vocalizations – such as whimpering or angry barking – also caused a similar reaction in all volunteers,
Dr. Attila Andics said: “We know very well that dogs are very good at tuning into the feelings of their owners, and we know a good dog owner can detect emotional changes in his dog – but we now begin to understand why this can be.”
However, while the dogs responded to the human voice, their reactions were far stronger when it came to canine sounds.
They also seemed less able to distinguish between environmental sounds and vocal noises compared with humans.
About half of the whole auditory cortex lit up in dogs when listening to these noises, compared with 3% of the same area in humans.
Dr. Attila Andics said this would be the focus of his next set of experiments.
According to new reports, the Kiev offices of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych are unguarded, with opposition protesters apparently in full control of the government district.
Ukraine’s capital is now quiet, a day after deal was signed to end a political crisis in which dozens have died.
As parliament met on Saturday, the speaker, Volodymyr Rybak stood down.
Volodymyr Rybak cited ill health as the reason for his resignation.
Despite the deal signed on Friday, thousands of people have remained on the streets of Kiev.
The Kiev offices of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych are unguarded, with opposition protesters apparently in full control of the government district
There is no sign of security forces inside the previously heavily guarded presidential complex, though some government employees arrived for work.
There are unconfirmed reports that President Viktor Yanukovych has left Kiev, with suggestions that he has travelled to Kharkiv in the east, close to the Russian border.
One group of far-right protesters had threatened to take action if he did not resign by Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the opposition Udar party, led by Vitaly Klitschko, is to submit a resolution to parliament demanding Viktor Yanukovych’s immediate resignation.
Spokeswoman Oksana Zinoviyeva told Reuters the move would allow parliament to set a date for early elections.
On Thursday, police opened fire on protesters who have been occupying Independence Square in central Kiev. The health ministry said 77 people – both protesters and police – had been killed since Tuesday in the worst violence since protests began in November.
One person died in California and other seven – including three newborns – have become ill in Maryland in a Listeria outbreak linked to Hispanic-style cheese.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that the outbreak is linked to semi-soft, Hispanic-style cheese called Caujada en Terron that is sold from a chain of grocery stores in Maryland.
The cheese was made by Roos Foods of Kenton, Delaware. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a warning Wednesday to avoid products made by Roos Foods, which also sells cheese under the brand names Santa Rosa de Lima, Amigo, Mexicana, Suyapa, La Chapina, and La Purisima Crema Nica.
The CDC did not name the grocery chain linked to the outbreak.
The CDC said that Listeria outbreak is linked to semi-soft Caujada en Terron cheese that is sold from a chain of grocery stores in Maryland
The illnesses were diagnosed between August 1 and November 27 of last year. Seven of the eight were hospitalized. Five of the illnesses were related to a pregnancy.
Listeriosis is an infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium listeria monocytogenes. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches and diarrhea. Seniors, pregnant women and newborns are particularly vulnerable to the illness.
In 2011, 33 people died in the US after consuming cantaloupe contaminated with Listeria.
President Barack Obama has met exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House, US officials say.
Barack Obma vowed “strong support” for the protection of Tibetans’ human rights in China during the encounter with the Dalai Lama.
China had urged the US to cancel the meeting, saying it would “seriously impair China-US relations”.
Beijing described the Dalai Lama as a separatist, while the spiritual leader said he only advocates greater autonomy for Tibet, not independence.
During their meeting in the White House Map Room, Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama reportedly said they hoped talks would resume between Beijing and the Tibetan spiritual leader’s representatives.
The two men last met in 2011, in talks that angered China. Tibet is governed as an autonomous region in China.
China has been widely accused of repressing political and religious freedoms in Tibet. Beijing rejects this and says economic development has improved Tibetans’ lives.
Barack Obma vowed “strong support” for the protection of Tibetans’ human rights in China during the encounter with the Dalai Lama
China’s response to the meeting was swift, with the country’s Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui summoning US charge d’affaires Daniel Kritenbrink to protest against the encounter.
“China expresses strong indignation and firm opposition,” Zhang Yesui said, according to the Xinhua news agency.
“The Tibetan issue is the domestic affair of China, and the United States bears no right to interfere,” he added.
“Such a move will gravely sabotage China-US co-operation and relations, and will definitely undermine its own interests.”
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, earlier said President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama “in his capacity as an internationally respected religious and cultural leader”.
“We do not support Tibetan independence,” she said, adding that the US “strongly supports human rights and religious freedom in China.
“We are concerned about continuing tensions and the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibetan areas of China.”
In recent years more than 110 ethnic Tibetans – mostly young monks and nuns living in areas outside Tibet – have set themselves on fire in apparent protest against Beijing’s rule.
China’s government accuses the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the protests, a charge he strongly rejects.
The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet.
Detroit’s state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr has filed a plan to restructure the city’s debts in the wake of the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history.
The plan, awaiting approval from a bankruptcy judge, includes cuts to pensions and creditors to drive down the $18 billion debt.
Funds would also be devoted to demolishing abandoned city properties.
Detroit initially filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2013.
“We must move swiftly to emerge from bankruptcy so that the financial distress harming the city can end,” state-appointed manager Kevyn Orr said in a statement.
“We maintain that the plan provides the best path forward for all parties to resolve their respective issues and for Detroit to become once again a city in which people want to invest, live and work,” he added.
Detroit’s state-appointed emergency manager has filed a plan to restructure the city’s debts
Specifics of the debt relief plan include:
Creditors, including bond insurers, will receive an estimated 20% of their claims
Police and firefighter retirees will receive at least 90% of their pensions, and cost of living allowances will be eliminated
The Detroit Institute of Arts will keep its city-owned art collection, with assistance from foundations and private donors
$1.5 billion will be allocated over 10 years to city infrastructure and technology upgrades
The plan is reportedly likely to face obstacles moving forward, including court appeals should it be approved in bankruptcy court.
An estimated $12 billion of Detroit’s $18 billion debt is said to be unsecured, with no taxes or other revenue streams to pay it down.
Ongoing negotiations with stakeholders are also reportedly expected to result in changes to the plan, Kevyn Orr told US media.
The city has seen a dramatic decline in economic activity and population, as the big carmakers – once the city’s main source of employment – shifted production to cheaper locations in the US and overseas.
Detroit is now home to about 700,000 residents, down from the peak of 1.8 million in 1950.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has invited President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between his country and the US.
Nicolas Maduro said the meeting would help “put the truth out on the table”.
He has accused US conservatives and media organizations of plotting to overthrow his government.
Earlier on Friday Venezuela revoked the accreditations of CNN reporters covering the country’s crisis. Eight people have died in recent protests.
In a news conference on Friday, Nicolas Maduro said: “I call for a dialogue between Venezuela and the United States and its government.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has invited President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between his country and the US
“Let’s initiate a high-level dialogue and let’s put the truth out on the table.”
The dialogue will be “difficult and complex”, Nicolas Maduro said, until the American government accepted “the full autonomy and independence of Latin America”.
Last week, Venezuela expelled three US diplomats accused of meeting violent groups linked to the opposition.
Earlier this week, Venezuela had revoked the accreditation of CNN’s Caracas-based reporter, Osmary Hernandez, and those of two other CNN journalists sent to Venezuela to cover a wave of opposition marches.
The government says the protests are part of a coup attempt.
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, denounced the latest action on Friday, saying: “This is not how democracies behave.
“I call on the Venezuelan government to step back from its efforts to stifle dissent through force and respect basic human rights.
“The solution to Venezuela’s problems can only be found through dialogue with all Venezuelans, engaging in a free exchange of opinions in a climate of mutual respect.”
Revenue for the US home automation market is slated to reach 5.5 billion by 2016. In fact, home automation is the greatest technological leap forward in home technology in many decades.
A number of factors are driving home automation – wariness about energy efficiency and a desire to streamline home entertainment both play a role. Consumers are also eager to automate home security in a cost-efficient way. Perhaps this is why the field of home automation reached revenues of approximately 3.5 billion in 2011.
Demand for Home Automation
Venture capital funding is flying into promising home automation start-ups that promise to fuse convenience, security and energy efficiency for tomorrow’s customers. The plan is to deliver advanced functionality to homes across the country via distributed control systems.
Economists claim that home automation is at the high growth point of the financial life cycle. Indeed, home automation is anticipated to keep cresting at the current rate of 10% annual growth or more until 2018. By 2019, a year after this rabid growth settles down, home automation is expected to have generated nearly 20 billion dollars in revenue.
Two US companies lead the stateside transition from just alarm systems into home automation – Leviton and Johnson Controls. That said, all top home automation companies seek to digitally streamline the following areas: HVAC, entertainment, lighting, outdoor upkeep, security and home access. This means that everything from motion sensors and control systems are brought onto the same Smart technology grid as irrigation and wireless temperature control.
Movers and Shakers: Recent Acquisitions
Google made history recently by purchasing home automation start-up Nest for 3.2 billion dollars. Ironically, Nest’s co-founders were both on the original team for iPod development; in addition, the Nest indoor thermostat is still distributed at Apple locations.
Nonetheless, Google promises customers that Nest will continue to function under its own brand, not unlike what Motorola did following a buyout.
Nest ensures, for its part, to continue offering applications for Android and iOS. In other words, security features offered by Nest (Nest Protect), smoke detectors and thermostats will still is compatible with Apple products post-Google acquisition.
Another American juggernaut, Lowes, made history this month at the Consumer Electronics Show by unveiling its groundbreaking Iris home automation system. One piece of Iris’ voice control technology known as iVee allows users to control the temperature of any room in the house with voice commands. For instance, saying “turn up the temperature in the den to 73 degrees” will actually do just that!
Continued Expansion in Home Automation
The field is expected to experience a 47% consolidated annual rate for the next four years. This eye-watering growth is made possible by ubiquitous and increasingly economical internet connections running through basic appliances like refrigerators and lights.
Companies like CPI Security and Time Warner Cable, although eager to make an impact on home automation, are largely playing catch-up. In previous years, systems were either overpriced or prohibitively techie via setup and maintenance. The next generation of home automation systems is neither too pricy nor hard to install, which is anticipated to open up home automation to a larger consumer base.
Lowes, for instance, claims that every electrical device on its shelves will eventually be compatible with its home automation system. This means that the device will not only be internet ready – it will also have its own app. When Iris came out in late 2012 the home automation system had over three dozen devices with their own apps; this will extend in the coming years due to partnerships with electronics manufacturers like Honeywell and Whirlpool.
Medals to be won today: Alpine skiing (men’s slalom), biathlon (men’s relay), cross country skiing (women’s mass start), ice hockey (men’s bronze), snowboard (parallel slalom), speed skating (team pursuit).
Lamar Odom said Khloe Kardashian would “always” be his wife, even if they divorce – which he’s hoping doesn’t happen.
During Us Weekly interview, Lamar Odom, 34, said: “I love my wife. She’ll always be my wife, no matter what.”
Khloe Kardashian, 29, filed for divorce in December after four years of marriage.
Lamar Odom said Khloe Kardashian would “always” be his wife, even if they divorce
“Who knows? We don’t know exactly if [the divorce is going through]. Only time will tell. I hope not. But even if we were divorced, she would always be my wife.”
Lamar Odom went on to say that marrying Khloe Kardashian was one of the greatest things he’d ever done.
“Those were some of the best years of my life,” he told Us Weekly.
“Being married and being married to a woman I decided to marry was, besides having children, the most important thing in my life.”
CNN says Venezuela has revoked the accreditation of its Caracas-based reporter, Osmary Hernandez.
Two journalists who had been sent to Venezuela to cover the current crisis had their working permits cancelled.
President Nicolas Maduro had vowed to expel CNN unless it “rectified” its coverage of recent opposition marches.
Eight people have been killed in the protests, according to the government.
Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz said 137 people had been injured in the current series of protests, which began earlier this month.
Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who called for the marches, was detained on Tuesday during a protest in Caracas.
The government accused him of inciting violence as part of a right-wing coup plot.
CNN says Venezuela has revoked the accreditation of its Caracas-based reporter
CNN is one of several media organizations complaining that their freedom of expression had been restricted by the Venezuelan government.
Last week, the government removed Colombian TV news channel NTN24 from channels offered by Venezuelan cable operators.
On Thursday, during a live broadcast, Nicolas Maduro threatened to “take action” against CNN unless it ceased what he described as “hostile coverage” of events in Venezuela.
“Enough war propaganda, I won’t accept war propaganda against Venezuela. If they don’t rectify themselves, out of Venezuela, CNN, out,” he said.
“They want to say to the world that there’s a civil war in Venezuela.”
CNN says Venezuelan officials asked the two journalists who had their work permits cancelled – Angela Janiot and Rafael Romo – when they would leave the country.
In a statement, CNN said it was still negotiating with the authorities.
“We hope the government reconsiders its decision. Meanwhile, we will carry on covering events in Venezuela in a fair, accurate and balanced manner,” read the statement.
On Sunday, Nicolas Maduro ordered the expulsion of three US diplomats. He accused them of meeting student leaders to conspire against his government.
The three diplomats deny the allegations.
A former union leader and close ally of the late president, Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro was elected by a narrow margin last April.
In the latest episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Alana Thompson’s family must make a scary medical decision about their youngest member, baby Kaitlyn.
As we already know, Anna’s daughter, Kaitlyn, was born with two thumbs on one of her hands.
Now that Kaitlyn is one year old, it’s time to consider removing it.
As Honey Boo Boo explains, she isn’t the only family member with an interesting body part. Mama June has forklift foot, Sugar Bear has his inside parts reversed (his heart is on the wrong side), Anna’s got a weird skinny gene, Jessica’s got shark teeth, and Uncle Poodle’s got nine toes.
Honey Boo Boo’s niece, Kaitlyn, was born with two thumbs on one of her hands
They’ve got two options: leave the thumb there and she grows up with it or remove it. Problem is, Anna wants her baby to have the surgery and Mama June is against it.
June Shannon is afraid that the surgery could go wrong and it could paralyze Kaitlyn’s remaining thumb. She also is fearful of putting such a little baby under anesthesia. But Anna is worried about it being the butt of jokes or the reason Kaitlyn is teased as she grows older.
That doesn’t mean she’s not worried about the procedure. Anna cries knowing that her daughter has to go through surgery and the possibility something might go wrong. The issue becomes a real source of tension between Mama June and her eldest daughter. But Anna doesn’t back down asserting that the decision is ultimately up to her.
After a visit with the doctor, Anna decides to wait a year.
German cross country skier and biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Italian bobsleigh brakeman William Frullani have been sent home from Sochi 2014 after failing drugs tests.
Both tested positive for methylhexanamine with A and B samples.
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, who won gold in 2002 and 2010, finished fourth in two events this year.
Police officer William Frullani, 34, will be replaced in Saturday’s four-man event by Samuele Romanini.
He is a former international decathlete, who competed at the 2006 European Championships.
German cross country skier and biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle has been sent home from Sochi 2014 after failing drugs tests
It is Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle’s drugs test which is the bigger news, having won gold in the team sprint in the last Olympics in Vancouver and in the 4x5km in Salt Lake City.
“This is the worst nightmare you could imagine. I can’t explain how the doping test could be positive,” the 33-year-old said.
German Olympic Committee secretary general Michael Vesper said: “We stand for a doping-free sport and a zero tolerance.
“We only want clean performances. Every doping case is initially a disappointment but also proof that the system works.”
Before the Games, Russian biathlete Irina Starykh, who was a medal hope for the hosts, withdrew after failing a drugs test.
When Jep Robertson set out to do a little home improvement he called on his father Phil to make sure it would come out correctly to please his wife Jessica.
“When you’ve got a wife as hot as mine, you’ve got to keep her happy and then some,” Phil Robertson’s youngest son Jep said.
“I’m 67 years old and when my sons get in a bind they still call dad to get them out,” complained Phil Robertson.
“We don’t know what we’re doing,” Jep Robertson told his dad.
Jep Robertson is happily married to Jessica
“I’m just trying to get a little pat-pat.”
“A little <<pat-pat>>, son?” Phil Robertson asked.
“I didn’t know these little yuppie girls drive that kind of bargain up in here. What’s next? A four-car garage, a little pat-pat? Honey, go out there and build me a barn and a little pat-pat. Where does it end?”
“When I get a little pat-pat,” answered Jep Robertson.
Satisfied with his son’s answer, Phil and Jep with a little help from Duck Commander employee Justin Martin set out to build a small pathway for Jep’s house.
On the last episode of Duck Dynasty, Willie and Jase Robertson argue over an old GI Joe toy.
This leads them into a debate over who would make a better soldier.
Duck Dynasty paintball game was cut short when Uncle Si Robertson got stuck in a marsh and needed to be rescued
To settle the score, Willie and Jase head out to the woods with their friends and children for a paintball match, but the game is cut short when Uncle Si Robertson gets stuck in a marsh and needs to be rescued.
Meanwhile, Jep Robertson recruits Justin Martin to help him lay a sidewalk in his front yard, but when they run into some problems, Jep must call on Phil to come save the day.
