Rihanna Searches For Love In 'Where Have You Been' Video

Singer goes tribal and gets her dance on in trippy new Talk That Talk video.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna in her "Where Have You Been" music video
Photo: Island/Def Jam

Rihanna's wondering "Where Have You Been" in the just-released music video for the Talk That Talk single. Her search takes her to mucky rivers, flower-drenched hillsides, desert-scapes and smoke-filled dance parties, overflowing with dancers popping and locking in tribal couture alongside the sexy pop vixen.

The video, which she dropped on her Facebook page, opens with Rihanna emerging from a river, scantily clad and as lonely-looking as hinted at in the track's lyrics. "Where have you been all my life?" she sings while performing more intense choreography than fans of the singer might be used to. She shimmies and shakes in an exotic desert-like setting, wondering where her one true love might be hiding.

The video serves as a kind of photo shoot for a tribal-print-themed spread in a fashion magazine, with Ri donning funky looks that feature lots of animal prints, chunky jewelry and headdresses. It's sexy and full of longing, much like the song itself, and even includes the singer appearing topless in certain shots. And if a topless Rihanna can't find love, what hope is there for the rest of humanity?

As the Calvin Harris-produced track grinds on in all its EDM glory, Rihanna continues her trek throughout the world, looking for that special guy, who seems to slip through her fingers at every turn. Rihanna looks fiercely into the camera, shimmying to the song's bumping beat, with her siren call being blasted into the wilds of the world.

The video turns psychedelic as it nears its end and a kaleidoscope effect is filtered over the clip, with glitter-sprinkled Rihanna making one final plea. Several dance breaks, wardrobe changes and hairstyles later, Rihanna looks as if she still might have to live her life all by her lonesome. At the video's end, she goes back underwater, with just her dancers to keep her company.

Don't forget to watch Rihanna on MTV tonight at 7:56 p.m. ET to watch the premiere of an exclusive "Battleship" clip, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A with the film's stars on MTV.com, hosted by MTV News' Josh Horowitz. Fans can get in on the action by submitting video or text questions via MTV.com or via Twitter using @MTVNews, hashtag #MTVFirst or #AskBattleship.

Related Artists

• Rihanna

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Best Buy Connect no longer accepting new activations, service to end June 1st (update: confirmed)

Remember Best Buy Connect? If so, you'll soon have a few more megabytes of humanized DDR3 freed up, as it appears that the retail giant is ready to put the kibosh on its own branded mobile broadband service nearly two years after it was first unveiled. According to the internal memo shown in the above screenshot, new activations are no longer allowed effective immediately, and the service for legacy customers will be cut off on the first of June.

So why the change of heart? Apparently Connect is the victim of a reshuffling of priorities, and the company determined that it "can achieve greater growth by delivering mobile broadband support in ways other than an exclusive Best Buy-branded service." Of course, this is bound to upset more than a handful of folks who have been relying on Connect for their data needs, and the retailer isn't leaving them completely in the dark: to help smooth out the transition, all Early Termination Fees will be waived, and all customers will receive a $125 or $150 gift card via email to curb the cost of moving to a different carrier. WiMAX Connect users, additionally, will also be given the option to switch over to Clear service. We're still awaiting official confirmation from Best Buy -- as of this moment, the official website remains up and running as if it's none the wiser -- but we'll update as soon as we hear more.

Update: Best Buy has now officially confirmed to us that the service will indeed be shut off on June 1st.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Best Buy Connect no longer accepting new activations, service to end June 1st (update: confirmed) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask AC: Looking for a full-screen agenda widget for the Galaxy Note

Chucky1 asks in the Android forums,

I've been looking for a full screen or close to a full screen agenda widget for the Note. Has anyone come across one by chance?

Thanks

There's few things we can all agree on here at Android Central -- listen to a podcast or two and see what I mean. But this, we have covered. We love Pure Calendar widget. It comes with about a million different sizes and configurations (including a full screen version), and themes will make it fit in with any setup you could dream up.

Besides your calendar entries, it will sync tasks with Astrid, Ultimate To-Do List, TaskSync, CalenGoo, DGT Gtd, gTasks, Got To Do, Task Organizer, Due Today, TouchDown, and Pocket Informant. To top it all off, it's scrollable on supported launchers or Ice Cream Sandwich, and the configuration options for syncing and calendar views make it easy on your battery. It's one of the first apps we install on a new phone. It's $1.99 in the Play Store, and there's a link after the break.

Have a question you need answered? (Preferably about Android, but we're flexible.) Hit up our Contact Page to get in touch!

read more

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Hasbro Goes After Blogger In IP Theft Case

You'd never think that the world of Nerf guns and dart shooters was so intense, but Hasbro apparently sued a blogger for leaking information about unreleased Nerf products he found on Chinese marketplace Taobao using the sweetest bait imaginable: free Nerf guns. Urban Taggers is a blog about "assault blasters" for "kidults." Essentially they cover Nerf guns and the like and are fairly popular in the space. The lead blogger, Pocket, ran a review of an unreleased gun. A few days later, he received a note from Hasbro offering some guns to giveaway to his readers. Eager to share the blaster love, he agreed and sent his address. That's when his troubles began.

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'Catching Fire': Our Breakdown Of Two New Possible Directors

Bennett Miller and Francis Lawrence have been added to short list to direct 'Hunger Games' sequel.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Jennifer Lawrence in "Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

It is now certainly safe to say that the search for a "Catching Fire" director is under way. Not long after "Hunger Games" director Gary Ross turned down the job, names of potential replacements began appearing. Last week, a Lionsgate wish list of seven or eight directors included the names David Cronenberg, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron. (We also had a few suggestions of our own.)

Now, two more possibilities have stepped forward. The Playlist is reporting that Bennett Miller and Francis Lawrence are also in contention for the gig. Both directors have impressive résumés, but "Catching Fire" would be their most noteworthy credits to date.

Here is our breakdown of the two latest candidates.

Bennett Miller
Background: Documentary

Miller's first film was a doc he directed and shot called "The Cruise" about a New York City tour guide.

Big Break: "Capote"

Miller's first feature film was a biography of Truman Capote during his years writing "In Cold Blood." Miller's college classmate, Dan Futterman, wrote the screenplay. Philip Seymour Hoffman's role in the film won him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

What You Probably Know Him From: "Moneyball"

When "Hunger Games" second unit director Steven Soderbergh's version of the baseball drama ran aground, Miller picked up the project and led the film to a Best Picture nomination at this year's Academy Awards.

Pros: Character and Vision

In both of Miller's feature films, the characters have been in the foreground. "Capote" examined the life of a lost and broken man just as he was reaching the height of his fame. With "Moneyball," he took a book that did not seem fit for a narrative film and made one of last year's best movies. He could definitely handle the complex relationships of the series.

Cons: He's Busy

Since finishing "Capote," Miller has tried to get a film called "Foxcatcher" off the ground. It would follow the true story of a paranoid millionaire who murdered an Olympic wrestler. Channing Tatum and Steve Carell have been on board since the fall, and Mark Ruffalo joined the film earlier this week. If Miller gets the job on "Catching Fire," "Foxcatcher" would inevitably be put on the back burner once again.

Francis Lawrence
Background: Music Videos

Lawrence began his career making quite the name for himself as a music video director. His work includes clips for "Waiting for Tonight" by Jennifer Lopez and "I'm a Slave 4 U" by Britney Spears.

Big Break: "Constantine" His first feature was the comic book adaptation "Constantine" starring Keanu Reeves as a supernatural detective.

What You Probably Know Him From: "I Am Legend" and "Water for Elephants" Lawrence helmed the half-a-billion-dollar Will Smith vehicle "I Am Legend." It was a huge hit at the box office and the second-biggest film of Smith's career. The director's most recent film was the Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson romance "Water for Elephants."

Pros: Style and Action

Lawrence's background directing music videos helped him establish a particular look for his work, and since most of his films have been action movies, taking on the stunts for "Catching Fire" wouldn't be a problem.

Cons: Track Record

Of all the directors mentioned so far as candidates for the "Catching Fire" job, Lawrence has the least impressive résumé. Every other director has earned Oscar nominations for their films or the actors in them.

Check out everything we've got on "Hunger Games: Catching Fire."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Gmail Meter brings detailed analytics to your inbox

Just in case a constantly increasing unread messages counter isn't providing enough details about the flow of messages to your inbox, the Official Gmail Blog has pointed out the Gmail Meter tool for detailed monthly activity breakdowns. A Google Apps script developed by Romain Vialard, it can show you stats on volume, daily traffic, traffic pattern, email categories, time before first response, word count and thread lengths; providing an even deeper dive than Google's own Account Activity dashboard. Setting this up on one's account requires setting up a Google docs spreadsheet and then installing the script on it and requesting a report, there's a YouTube video embedded after the break and a tutorial linked below to help you along. On the plus side, now when someone asks "why haven't you responded to my email yet?", you can show them they're still well within the average time before first response window.

Continue reading Gmail Meter brings detailed analytics to your inbox

Gmail Meter brings detailed analytics to your inbox originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paul Spector, M.D.: Normal Medical Lab Results Not So Normal

These days, the typical annual check-up is inevitably preceded by "blood work." The technician assembles what appears to be enough tubes to drain your tank. (After seeing the little tubes used for babies and young children, I've wondered why adults can't do the same.) You watch the deep crimson liquid flow into the test tubes and hope it harbors no surprises, that everything will be analyzed and found "normal."

In our medical system, health is defined in the negative, the absence of abnormal findings. Medical language reflects this in the curious nomenclature of test results. A "negative" test result means you're not sick, a positive thing. The medical field continues to define health as the absence of disease, an impoverished conceptualization that underlies the most fundamental problems in our health care (it should be called sick care) system.

Over the past 20 years, the history-taking (a time when physicians sat with patients and got to know them, who they lived with, the work they did, the family story, the struggles, their habits, their vices and values, in other words got to know what was "normal" for them) and physical exams have been eclipsed by sophisticated blood tests and imaging techniques. This is a casualty of dramatic advances in science and technology as well as financial pressures that encourage abbreviated visits and greater patient volume.

So you might have a quick chat before undressing for a rapid physical exam. When you rejoin your doctor at her desk, she takes a moment and pages through your chart. She scans the lab results checking the abnormal column. If it's clear, you're good to go. "See you next year. You're fine."

But where do these normal ranges come from? A reasonable person might presume normal ranges are defined by the test results of people whose health has been carefully scrutinized and found to be optimal.

Wrong.

Normal lab numbers are determined by huge reference laboratories. Let's take blood glucose as an example. All the glucose test results from the past few months are pooled. The middle 95 percent is defined as "normal." If you fall in the 2.5 percent above or below that range, you have an abnormal blood glucose. In other words, the medical use of the term "normal," which is understood to mean healthy, is really a statistical concept.

There is an attempt at refining the normal ranges by using information about age, gender, and location. So a 70-year-old male in Flagstaff, Ariz. will be compared to more men around that age than anything else. But no diagnostic history is available to the reference labs. Test results from venues that are thought to have mostly "healthy" people, such as health fairs, are also used. But isn't someone more likely to get blood drawn at a health fair if they think there might be a problem?

So let's take a look at how this plays out. Your annual blood glucose creeps up each year, but remains in the normal range for a decade. Year 11, your doctor says, "Bill, I'm afraid you've got a sugar problem." Bill thinks, "Wow, and last year I was fine."

Bill was not fine.

So there are three fundamental problems. One, we are compared to a population, many of whom are not healthy. Two, 99 percent of physicians do not follow trends in your lab values in order to catch a problem before it's progressed to a point where it compromises your health. And three, most physicians no longer "know" their patients.

Mant of the most common illnesses of our culture are chronic, such as diabetes, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and obesity. The kind of medicine I've described above is partly to blame. You don't wake up one day with a chronic disease that you didn't have the day before. Nobody became obese or diabetic or hypertensive on Tuesday. Until preventive medicine replaces the acute care model, it won't get better.

What You Can Do:

1. You are the most important member of your health care team.

Own a copy of your test results. The system is broken and you can not assume essential data will be available to the doctors making decisions about your care. It is your job to make yourself "known" to your doctor. You must inform her of what "normal" (as defined above in history-taking) life is for you.

2. You provide your own normal lab reference range. Get a baseline set of blood work when you're well in order to keep track of your results over time.

Address trends early and do not wait until results have hit the abnormal range.

3. Take all medical statements about your health with a dose of skepticism. The doctors can provide information about large populations. That is not the same as knowing what is necessarily in store for you.

Do your homework. Read about your condition. Get second opinions.

For more by Paul Spector, M.D., click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

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'American Idol' Report Card: Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet On Top

Remaining seven get current Wednesday night, taking on hits from this decade with surprisingly great results.
By James Montgomery

Joshua Ledet
Photo: Getty Images

On Wednesday's "American Idol," the crowd was crazy (except for poor Hollie Cavanagh), the judges slightly cracked (comparing Phillip Phillips to the lovechild of Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash) and the music actually current. Shoot, for a second there, you probably thought you were watching "The Voice" or something.

Yes, it was a big night in "Idol" land, as the top seven took on songs from this decade with surprisingly good results. Most soared and scored, and though we can't believe no one did an Adele tune, we've gotta say, the remaining contestants definitely brought the goods. Perhaps they should just sing contemporary songs every week?

But whose performances earned the highest marks? Who fell to the back of the class? And what the heck was going on with the crowd after Hollie's performance? For answers to all of those questions and more, here's our "American Idol" report card:

Jessica Sanchez: Her family is officially my favorite ever. Her decision to do Jazmine Sullivan's "Stuttering" may have mystified Jimmy Iovine, but it was clearly the right call. She split the difference between previous big-voiced stunners and all that Bebe Chez stuff, threw in some stank (and some scatting) and delivered a performance that, quoth Randy Jackson, "Slayed the biggest fish of the night." So much voice, so emotionally over-the-top, and so diva-riffic — and all seemingly so effortless, Sanchez flexed her talents and fired back after a few weeks in the wilderness. "Every time I hear you sing, I forget where I am," Steven Tyler said. So, he hears her sing in grocery stores and behind the wheel? A-

Joshua Ledet: He acted adorably upon getting a birthday message from Fantasia. He's clearly found his lane over the past few weeks, and his confidence seems to grow with each subsequent performance. This week, he did Bruno Mars' "Runaway Baby," which started vampy, campy and maybe even a tad bit old fashioned (even for a retroist like Mars), but it really picked up speed in the second half, building to a big note and a fiery finish, earning Ledet the night's first standing ovation. He's certainly a dynamic performer, but is he also a current one? That might be the only thing standing between him and the title. Oh, and Colton Dixon's female fanbase. Grade: B+

Hollie Cavanagh: Man, even her hometown visit was boring. Chose to sing Pink's "Perfect" (or, as she put it, "Pay-feckt") and, clearly rattled by repeat visits to the bottom three, had the thousand-yard stare going from her intro package onward. But, she delivered the goods onstage, with a performance that was both confident and restrained. And that last note! Apparently, however, my opinion was in the minority, as the judges did everything short of zipping up her suitcases and booking her a window seat. J.Lo gave her the "You look beautiful" and the "We'll see how it all pans out" (double kiss of death). Steven mumbled something about it "Not being perfect," and Randy, addressing the odd vacuum of tension in the room, only added, "It's all of a sudden very quiet in here." Jeez, this is getting difficult to watch. End it now. B

Skylar Laine: Producers introduced us to her new Twitter tag — #skoutlaws — which, upon first glance, looks like "Skoal" (oddly fitting). She played it safe by choosing Kellie Pickler's "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You," which showed off her vocal range by ... uh, displaying how adept she was at playing rhythm guitar. Her performance was proficient, professional and pretty much perfect, but still felt like a step back from last week's breakout "Wind Beneath My Wings." Loved the hobo trashcan fires though. B-

Elise Testone: She decided to tackle Lady Gaga's "You and I" (told you she would) and was sadly talked out of playing drums by Jimmy Iovine, which probably would've been the unintentional comedy highlight of 2012. The performance was passionate, if not particularly polished, but that's been par for the course with her in recent weeks. She can bring it, for sure, though if (when) she survives, perhaps it's time to soften things up just a tad? "Elise is back!" Randy enthused. Until next week, of course. B-

Colton Dixon: The most famous alumnus of the Middle Tennessee Christian School (go Cougars!) went Apex Predator this week, throwing shade at fellow fella Phillip Phillips and swinging for the fences with Skylar Grey's "Love the Way You Lie." With a string section, some smoke and a soaring-for-the-sake-of-soaring bridge, Dixon was clearly in it to win it, though thanks to the arrangement's languid pacing and CDix's longing stares into the camera, this one very nearly veered into self-parody. The girls loved it, of course. Oh, and any time Steven and Randy compliment your choice of jacket, well, perhaps it's time to fire your stylist. C+

Phillip Phillips: "Idol" producers played up his rural roots and pawn-shop past by piping the theme from "Sanford and Sons" into his hometown package. Classy. Phillip refused to take part in Iovine's Machiavellian scheme to pit him against Colton, which automatically makes me like him 10x more than CDix. His version of Maroon 5's "Give a Little More" featured all the usual Phillips' trademarks (grouting, foot shuffling, forehead-veining) though, credit where credit is due: Thanks to the addition of a sax player, he basically turned this into a Dave Matthews Band performance. "I think we've seen that a couple times," Randy said. Yeah, dawg, like on Under the Table and Dreaming. C

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Share your reviews of this week's "Idol" performances in the comments section below!

Related Photos

• 'American Idol' Season 11 Performances

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Video: Attorneys react to statements from Zimmerman?s new lawyer

Imagining Santorum vs. Clinton in 2016

??Let Me Finish: By leaving the campaign before the Pennsylvania primary, the former senator has maintained his political viability, says MSNBC's Chris Matthews. Matthews is excited for a hypothetical Hillary Clinton and Rick Santorum 2016 match-up. Full story

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Kinkade products, er, paintings, flying off gallery walls

Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Jeff Nilluka, left, and his son Jamis, 8, view works of baseball paintings at the Thomas Kinkade gallery in the late artist's hometown of Placerville, Calif.

By Bill Briggs, msnbc.com contributor

In life, Thomas Kinkade was easily one of the world?s most commercially successful artists. In death, his popularity has only grown.

?It?s like if you take Christmas and multiply it by 12, or maybe even by 15,? said Linda McLoone, director of the Thomas Kinkade Signature gallery in Port Jefferson, N.Y.? ?It?s good, but it?s sad.?

Since the ?Painter of Light? died April 6 at age 54, rabid Kinkade fans, along with novices, have swarmed? his numerous galleries around the country, purchasing mass-made reproductions and prints of the artist?s works?even faster than his corporate arm can churn them out (more than 500 copies per day).

To be clear: These are not Kinkade originals ? which are rare and can fetch five or six figures. The hot market this week is largely machine-made lithographs?on canvas ? some signed on the back by Kinkade, others hand-highlighted or ?enhanced? by other painters, generally priced at $800 to $1,600.

Retailers say other products ? which include prints, nightlights, coffee mugs and bath lotions ? also are selling briskly.

At the Port Jefferson outlet, buyers waited in three-hour lines to order factory reproductions of paintings with titles such?as ?Beside Still Waters,? ?Mountain Majesty? and ?Sweetheart Cottage III.? More than 100 other would-be buyers clogged the gallery?s voicemail, McLoone said.

?We?re getting inundated,? said Sal Catalfumo, who co-owns five Kinkade galleries in New York and New Jersey.

How much have sales jumped since Kinkade?s brush was silenced?

?I?d prefer not to mention that,? Catalfumo said. ?I don?t want it to look like, because of his dying, we?re benefiting. I?d rather have him not be gone and take away all the money I?ve made this week and instead know that I have a flourishing business for 15 to 25 years.?

Some fine-art appraisers, like Ithaca, N.Y.-based Evan D. Williams, have heard secondhand that some gallery owners ?are doing massive markups? on Kinkade pieces.

?A call Wednesday to the Patrick?s Fine Art, a Thomas Kinkade dealer in Mount Dora, Fla., failed to shed any light on whether retailers have boosted prices.

?It?s selling very well,? the gallery operator, Jimmy Patrick, said of Kinkade?s line, featuring works like light-blazing country cottages and snow-covered churches. ?As far as any other comments, I suggest you go to corporate.?

AP via PR Newswire

An undated photo provided by The Thomas Kinkade Co. shows Kinkade's "Christmas in New York."

Corporate is an apt term for Kinkade?s empire. His paintings became a brand -- feel-good images?that resonated with thousands of mainstream consumers.?At his peak, Kinkade?s products, virtually ignored by serious art critics, were said to generate about $100 million in annual revenue through a chain of franchised galleries.

Corporate officials at Thomas Kinkade Co. in Morgan Hill, Calif., did not respond to msnbc.com?s interview request.

The question now: Will all those people clamoring for and collecting Kinkade reproductions see a profit from their investments? Will the value rise for pieces never touched by Kinkade?

?If somebody were to come to me with one of those embellished prints and ask my professional opinion on selling it, insuring it or donating it, I?m in a tough spot,? said Williams, the appraiser, who does not deal in Kinkades. ?Even though he?s so well known ? and, in some aspects, the most successful artist in history ? he?s got a completely terrible secondary market track record as far as I know.?

And that?s not because the secondary art market frowns on embellished reproductions. Andy Warhol?s reprinted serigraphs gained value after the pop artist?s death.

?I?m not a forecaster, but I don?t see that happening with Kinkade,? Williams said. ?It all goes back to this concept of things being legitimized by the art world, and, yes, it?s all very arbitrary. Is Warhol objectively better than Kinkade? I would think so.?

However, Kinkade prints are hardly worthless, he added.

?This week, I read articles where some gallery owners have said that if something is mass-produced, it?s never worthwhile,? Williams said. ?That?s absolutely wrong. I think that?s a dangerous generalization.?

But when it comes to the future value of Kinkade?s factory-made pieces, it may be the rules of basic economics that ultimately trump art snobbery. In other words, Kinkade Inc. may be hurt by the fact that, for years, it flooded the market with reproductions.

Kinkade?s website lists hundreds of paintings including 31 bridges, 22 churches, 68 cityscapes, 74 cottages and 36 "inspirational? images. Copies are sold through a network of hundreds of galleries, including dozens of ?signature gold? galleries devoted entirely to the artist?s work and ?signature silver? galleries that generally include at least?a Kinkade viewing room.

?Is supply going to outpace demand?? Williams asked. ?Probably.?

Share your thoughts about Thomas Kinkade on our Facebook page.

It could take months before we know what killed popular artist Thomas Kinkade, the so-called "painter of light," who faced a number of legal and financial problems in recent years. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

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White House campaign opens with sharp attacks (reuters)

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The green light gives the game away: New method for direct identification of antigens

ScienceDaily (Apr. 10, 2012) ? The immune system is a vital part of our defenses against pathogens, but it can also attack host tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. The antigens that induce destructive immune reactions can now be identified directly -- without any prior knowledge of their possible structure.

Molecules that activate immune responses, generically termed antigens, are recognized by circulating immune cells. In the case of autoimmune reactions, such responses may lead to the destruction of body tissues. A new method that can identify the antigens that initiate such reactions may help to prevent misdirected attacks in the future. Using genetic engineering techniques, researchers at LMU and the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology have generated cells that emit green fluorescent light when stimulated by the binding of a cognate antigen.

The immunological needle in a haystack

The new method is based on the isolation of T cells present in samples of affected tissues obtained from patients with autoimmune diseases. The research team, led by Dr. Klaus Dornmair (Institute for Clinical Neuroimmunology at LMU and the Department of Neuroimmunology at the MPI for Neurobiology), first recovered the genetic blueprints for the specific antigen-binding T-cell receptors (TCRs) produced by these cells, and transferred them into a cultured cell line that grows well in the laboratory.

This line also contains a version of the gene for the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) that is specifically expressed if a TCR is activated. Finally, the cells are incubated with a collection of some 100 million peptides -- short amino acid sequences like those normally recognized by TCRs. If even a single peptide represented in the library is recognized by a specific TCR, the corresponding cell synthesizes GFP and can be detected by its green fluorescence, allowing the bound antigen to be identified. The method thus provides a relatively simple way of identifying single autoimmune antigens from huge numbers of possible suspects.

An initial test carried out using cells specific for a known influenza antigen confirmed the efficacy of the method. The researchers were able unequivocally to select out and identify the correct antigen from all the other peptides used in the test. The technique is so rapid and so sensitive that several million antigens can be analyzed in a matter of hours. This opens up a wide range of possible applications -- ranging from the analysis of the reactive antigens responsible for autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis or psoriasis to the identification of new tumor or viral antigens. Indeed, its practical potential is so significant that the method is the subject of a patent application.(Nature Medicine,8.4.2012) g?d

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (LMU), via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Katherina Siewert, Joachim Malotka, Naoto Kawakami, Hartmut Wekerle, Reinhard Hohlfeld, Klaus Dornmair. Unbiased identification of target antigens of CD8 T cells with combinatorial libraries coding for short peptides. Nature Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nm.2720

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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PFT: Irsay says signs point toward Luck

Getty Images

Last month, when word first broke of the Saints using a bounty system for three years, we pointed out at some point that the targeting of players for injuries will do nothing to make teams more candid about the reporting of existing player injuries.? Now that the audio of Gregg Williams? pre-game comments from January 2012 has been released, with graphic instructions on how to inflict injury on opponents, look for coaches to be even more reluctant to disclose who is hurt and what is hurting them.

As many of you have suggested, it also may be time for the NFL to revisit its injury-reporting policies.? We have long believed that the NFL has constructed a cursory set of injury guidelines in order to create the impression that there is no inside information for folks with gambling interests to attempt to obtain by, for example, offering envelopes full of cash to someone in the organization who knows the truth.? Now that we know Williams was offering envelopes full of cash to players who successfully knocked other players out of games, the NFL may be forced to choose between the lesser of two cash-envelopes evils.

Since the league?s injury-reporting system currently has plenty of flaws that the league doesn?t seem inclined to fix, maybe the NFL should adopt an NHL-style ?upper body?/?lower body? approach to injuries, which would then possibly give folks who plan to target players for injuries a more vague bull?s eye.

Of course, that won?t solve the problem.? There has always been a strategic benefit to knocking key members of the opposing team out of a game.? But most players and coaches have refrained from declaring that reality publicly.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall pulled back the curtain last September, when Washington was preparing to play the Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo, who was recovering from a rib injury.? ?I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever?s hurt,? Hall said.? ?Romo?s ribs ? I?m going to be asking for some corner blitzes.? If I know Felix Jones? shoulder?s hurt, I?m not going to cut him.? I?m definitely going to try to hit him up high, so that?s just part of it.

?If you know something?s wrong with an opponent, you?re going to try to target in on that,? Hall added.? ?We?re going to try to definitely get as many hats on that team as possible.?

Here?s what I added at the time:? ?Hall isn?t saying anything that football players don?t already think.? Especially at the quarterback position, any opportunity to knock the starter out of the game should be embraced.?

Several Saints fans, grasping for anything that will draw attention away from the stunning comments of their former defensive coordinator, have suggested that what I wrote seven months ago is no different than what Williams said in January.? To that I say, ?Child please.?? The difference is that what I wrote is something that players innately know to be true, and that the line is hopelessly crossed when a man who isn?t putting on a uniform and entering harm?s way commands his troops to, essentially, ?sweep the leg.?

The Saints fans who have been looking for something/anything to cushion the consequences of offering money to inflict injury and/or urging players to inflict specific types of injuries also have overlooked the next paragraph of our story from September 2011:? ?But when it comes to putting a helmet on Romo?s ribs, Hall should be careful not to do it when Romo is in the act of throwing a pass, or when he has just thrown a pass.? Under the rules, Romo is defenseless at those times, and he can?t be hit in the helmet or with a helmet.?

If a player hits another player hard within the confines of the rules and the player who receives the hit can?t continue to play because of it, that?s a traditionally unspoken strategic reality of football.? If, for example, Hall successfully had blasted Romo during the ensuing game and Romo?s backup would have been forced into the fray, the Redskins would have had a better chance to win.

The balance the NFL now has to strike as it tries to change its culture comes from the inherent difference between the things that players and coaches already know ? and the things that coaches and players say openly about the things they know.? As part of that balance, the NFL needs to reconsider whether and to what extent players and coaches should ever know that opponents enter a given game already injured.

In the end, that may be the only way to properly address what was, before March 2, an open secret for the NFL.

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How 3-D Modeling App Arqball Spin Could Disrupt Online Retail ...

The annual SXSW Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, has helped launch darling web companies such as Twitter and Foursquare. It?s a hotbed for innovation and exploration in mobile and web-based technologies.

Erick Schonfeld, the former editor-in-chief of TechCrunch, was bowled over by a web app that was overlooked by many in the tech press: Arqball Spin. This app lets users create sharp, interactive 3D renderings of objects with nothing more than their iPhone, the product platter and the mobile app, as Schonfeld explains on his blog.

Arqball uses ?computational photography? to create a 3D model of the rotating object placed on the platter, and then stitches images from different angles on top of it. The result is a digital object that looks real and even catches the light the same way my watch did on that platter.

Game developers and animation studios create 3D objects like this all the time, but they don?t do it using their iPhones. That is why this is truly disruptive. It brings 3D modeling to the masses. You don?t need bulky 3D scanners or expensive desktop software, all the rendering happens in the cloud after the data is compressed to a 1 megabyte file, and what you end up with is a 3D artifact called a ?spin.?

It?s easy to see this app appealing to online retailers selling everything from clothing to food, electronics and more. One of the limitations of online shopping is that the touch-and-feel aspect one gets in a physical store is lost with a static image. This technology could let small retailers create the same high-end product rendering that major retailers can, with nothing more than their app and a smartphone.

The Arqball app, which was created by two faculty members from the University of Virginia, is available for free for iPhone/iPad users through the iTunes App store. For more information on the app, watch this video by Erick Schonfeld featuring Arqball co-founder Jason Lawrence.

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Karachi violence takes economic toll

A bloody wave of violence sweeping Karachi has claimed hundreds of lives this year, and experts say it is also taking a punishing financial toll on the city that is Pakistan's economic heartbeat.

Pakistan's biggest city has escaped the worst of the four-year Islamist bombing campaign that has plagued other parts of the country, but it is wracked with crime and political and ethnic bloodshed.

Last year nearly 1,800 lives were lost as drug, land, gun and extortion mafias linked to ethnically-based political parties threatened to plunge the city of 17 million people into urban anarchy.

More than 300 people have been killed in violence in Karachi in the last three months, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

With each political or sectarian killing, parts of the city go into lockdown as armed men take to the streets seeking reprisals, prompting residents to flee to safety and shops, markets and schools to close.

Ateeq Mir, the chairman of the Karachi Markets Alliance, said the city was closed for "six full days" last week -- when at least 24 people were killed in violence and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the city's main political party, called a day of mourning for a slain activist.

"Our traders have lost the business of more than 20 billion rupees ($220 million) while our industrialists lost at least 45 billion ($495 million)," he told AFP.

Karachi is vital to Pakistan's economy, contributing 42 percent of GDP, 70 percent of income tax revenue and 62 percent of sales tax revenue, but Mir compared the situation to the country's insurgency-wracked northwest.

"Karachi has become an urban Waziristan where the government has lost its writ," he said.

"The city is divided among several areas, each is governed by the dominant militant mafia."

Economist A.B. Shahid said Karachi's contribution to GDP amounted to around 16 billion rupees a day, and its daily tax revenues to two billion.

"Karachi is Pakistan's economic engine, whenever it shuts, it affects the whole economy. Its taxes and industrial and services sectors feed the exchequer and its port being the gateway gives life to the rest of the country," he told AFP.

"If one wants to cripple Pakistan's economy, one should do nothing but to get Karachi paralysed."

Market analysts say disturbances in Karachi are affecting foreign investment as well.

"Most multinationals are based in Karachi, and it has a negative impact when their bosses watch pitched battles on their TV screens in the streets of Karachi," said Mohammad Sohail, the head of Topline Securities brokerage.

He said foreign investment in Pakistan stood at $5.4 billion four years ago, which shrank to $1.6 billion last year and is expected to further reduce to a maximum of $1 billion in the financial year ending on June 30.

Officials admit growing security concerns and targeted killings tarnish Karachi's attraction for foreign investors and risk driving business away.

The American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the town of Abbottabad last May was another punishing blow to Pakistan's depleted image, raising renewed questions about whether anyone in authority had colluded with Al-Qaeda.

"Local industrialists, mainly textile businessmen, are shifting their investments to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia because of law and order and energy shortages," said a government minister on condition of anonymity.

The authorities say they are doing their best to tackle the rampant unrest, but admit they have limited means at their disposal.

Sharfuddin Memon, spokesman for the home department of Sindh province, of which Karachi is capital, admitted there were not enough policemen in the city but said they punch above their weight in terms of foiling crime and attacks.

The decades since independence in 1947 have seen Karachi transformed into a patchwork of Pakistan's different ethnic groups -- Mohajirs, Sindhis, Pashtuns, Punjabis and Baloch -- as migrants from all over the country have come in search of a better life.

Millions in the city rely on daily piece work to make a living, and every day lost to violence or shutdowns is a day without income.

Fruit seller Mohammad Haleem, 34, said the unrest was making it hard to make ends meet.

"I could not earn livelihood for my five kids for most of the last week as it was dangerous to go outside," said Mohammad Haleem, 34, a fruit vendor.

"It is getting too difficult for me to take a loan to feed my kids as the lenders are themselves in distress."

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Isn't it "marvelous?" Obama seeks to define Romney for voters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama criticized Mitt Romney by name this week for embracing a controversial Republican budget proposal, he worded his attack carefully and with bite.

"(Romney) said that he's 'very supportive' of this new budget, and he even called it 'marvelous' -- which is a word you don't often hear when it comes to describing a budget," Obama said during a speech on Tuesday, before adding:

"It's a word you don't often hear generally."

The desired effect was clear: tie Romney directly to mostly unpopular plans for budget cuts and emphasize that the former executive is out of touch by lampooning his use of a seemingly out of date adjective.

After watching quietly while Republican candidates fought each other, Obama is now trying to define his likely opponent in November as an out-of-touch multi-millionaire who would cut social programs for the elderly and the middle class while promoting policies to help the rich.

Obama's riff on Romney's use of the word "marvelous" to describe Representative Paul Ryan's budget plans carried a subtle message.

"It's a word you kind of associate with the upper class, and I think that the intention was to tweak Romney for being wealthy and, you know, sort of brought up in the kinds of circles where they would say ?marvelous,'" said Kenneth Sherrill, a political science expert at New York's Hunter College.

"That's trying to get under his skin a little bit."

The attack - which Obama repeated at a fundraiser on Thursday night - is a sign of things to come.

Obama's campaign has worked steadily to construct an image of an insensitive and patrician Romney even before he wins the Republican nomination, hoping to create a caricature that sticks with voters once the election officially becomes a two-man race.

Romney has made similar efforts to define Obama, portraying him as unprepared and unable to handle the country's economic challenges. And he began the process earlier, deliberately focusing his critiques on the president rather than the other Republican challengers.

The back and forth is a foreshadowing of what is likely to be a very nasty campaign. Hunter College's Sherrill said both candidates were likely to get very negative.

"This will be a spectacularly aggressive and negative campaign in the general election," he said. "I think that the principals - the candidates themselves - are going to go after one another pretty strongly."

NASTY CAMPAIGN AHEAD

Yet former constitutional law lecturer Obama can only go so far with charges that Romney is an elitist.

"It looks to me like what Obama's trying to do is two things: one is run on class warfare ... and (two) just demonize his opponent," said Charlie Black, a former adviser to 2008 Republican nominee John McCain who is now advising Romney.

"A president who's also wealthy and went to Harvard is not going to win on class warfare."

Obama's campaign is already drawing contrasts in areas where it perceives Republicans to be weak. Obama regularly brings up his support for immigration reform at political fundraisers, a dig at Romney's hard line against illegal immigration.

Hispanics, who could provide the swing votes needed to win battleground states such as Colorado and Nevada, largely back Obama in polls.

His campaign is also targeting women, another critical voting bloc that Democrats want in their column.

Obama spoke at a conveniently timed forum on women and the economy at the White House on Friday, making reference to influential women in his life as well as his appointment of two women to the Supreme Court.

This line seems to be working. Polls show support for Obama among women is increasing, while Republicans have lost ground due to conservative stances on birth control.

On healthcare, Obama advisers gleefully describe the president's 2010 reform law as modeled on Romney's own effort in Massachusetts, reminding conservative Republicans of the candidate's moderate past

Obama will also bring renewed attention on Tuesday to the so-called "Buffet rule," a measure to raise taxes on the wealthy, which Republicans oppose.

"Obama's smart enough to know ... (that) many people in the public are perceiving Romney as an elitist who does not have sympathy for workers or the poor," said Mark Rom, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University.

"Anything he can do to reinforce that image, he'll take the opportunity to do."

But with unemployment still high and job creation advancing only slowly, Republicans see an opening, no matter how much Obama defines himself as a middle class champion.

"Middle class voters want to see economic growth and more jobs. They're anxious about the future of our economy," said Romney adviser Kevin Madden.

"Middle-class Americans have lost faith in President Obama because his basic message in this economic slowdown is that 8 percent unemployment is the new normal, and other rising cost pressures like high gas prices and rising health care costs are all someone else's fault."

(Editing by Alistair Bell and Todd Eastham)

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