If You Pre-Ordered Google Glass, Here's What To Expect Once Your Number Is Called

If you were one of the people who signed up last year at Google’s I/O conference to be a part of the “Glass Explorer” program, you might be getting your instructions on how to actually…purchase the thing and get it into your geeky little hands. In case you weren’t sure, Google Glass is real, and they’re shipping as we speak. Today, my number was called and I received the following email, which comes along with a phone number to call, a unique code and a link to a “Glass Safety Notices and Terms of Sale” that you must accept before you place your order: Google said in its previous email to Glass Explorers that 2,000 were pre-ordered, and I was number 933. That means that the company is filling out requests for units pretty quickly, if they’re going in order. (UPDATE: We’re told by other Glass Explorers that the fulfillment is not going in order.) Sure, some people might not follow through once they actually face dropping over $1,500 for them, but it’s safe to venture a guess that most will opt to purchase them. When you call the number, which I’ve blanked out from the email, you’re asked for your unique code. The process is pretty quick and you can decide on whether you’d like to pick your Glass up or have it shipped to you. Sadly, the tangerine and sky colors were already out of stock, so I opted to pick up the “shale” flavor of grey. I set up an appointment to pick them up in Mountain View tomorrow. I’m told that if you pick them up in person, in either Mountain View, New York or Los Angeles, you’ll meet with a member of the Glass team to have them fitted properly and then get a basic walk-through of the device and operating system. You’re also encouraged to “bring a friend.” The person on the phone was extremely nice, congratulating me on getting the device along the way. After all, to try these things out, and be on the cutting edge of technology, you’re dropping some serious cash. Since the Glass Mirror API developer guide documentation is out, along with the API itself, more developers will start creating applications on top of the Glass platform once they get their hands on them. It certainly doesn’t hurt that some of the biggests VCs in Silicon Valley are lining

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WCNeAo6fxtQ/

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China and Iceland sign free trade agreement

BEIJING (AP) ? China and Iceland signed a free trade agreement Monday, offering hope to the small North Atlantic country for its recession-battered economy and giving Beijing a leg up in its drive for expanded influence in the Arctic.

The China-Iceland free trade pact will lower tariffs on a range of goods and is expected to boost seafood and other exports from the remote Nordic state to the world's second-largest economy. It comes at the start of a five-day visit to China by Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir that highlights her country's attempts to diversify an economy that was badly mauled by the bursting of a massive financial bubble in 2008.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Sigurdardottir the agreement was "a major event in China-Iceland relations."

"It also signals the deepening of our relationship, especially our economic relationship which has been lifted to a new height," Li said during talks following a formal welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in the center of Beijing.

Trade between China and the England-sized country of just over 315,000 people rose 21.1 percent last year to $180 million, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade. Iceland exports mostly fish to China and imports Chinese products from ships to shoes. Sigurdardottir has been keen to push Icelandic services and the island's geothermal energy potential.

Iceland has unique importance to China as it attempts to gain a foothold in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening passages for shipping and could create a boom in extraction of resources such as gas, oil, diamonds, gold and iron.

China is seeking permanent observer status in the Arctic Council, an eight-nation body that includes Iceland and decides on policy in the region. China is expected to be accepted when a final decision is announced next month, drawing support from the prospect of heavy Chinese investment in the region's mining industries as advertised by its proposal to sink $2.3 billion into Greenland to secure 15 million tons of iron ore per year.

Shipping via the Arctic, meanwhile, would cut about 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) and two weeks off the journey between northern Europe and Shanghai. Seeking to prove the route's viability, Chinese researchers last August completed their first 30,000-kilometer (19,000-mile) journey between Iceland and Shanghai.

China sees a range of opportunities in the Arctic and will continue to expand its research in the area and conduct further expeditions, said Leiv Lunde, director of the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute.

"It's attractive also for all the resources but China is already a major shipping nation ... and Chinese companies are now very eagerly awaiting policy signals from the Chinese government on what kind of priorities they will give to the Arctic," said Lunde, who was attending a conference Monday on Arctic issues in Shanghai.

China's desire for a presence in the Arctic has prompted an unusual degree of interest in Iceland. China recently completed what is far-and-away the largest embassy complex in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, reportedly capable of accommodating a staff of 500. Wen Jiabao, China's premier until a leadership transition was completed in March, included a rare stop in Iceland on a visit to Europe last year.

It hasn't always been smooth sailing, however. Chinese investor Huang Nubo has been stymied in his bid to build an adventure tourism resort on a barren patch of northeastern Iceland that would include an airport, golf course, and 120-room hotel.

Iceland rejected his original bid to purchase the land that comprises 0.3 percent of Iceland's territory, prompting an angry Huang to blame Western prejudice and unfounded suspicions that he was a tool of the Chinese military. Icelandic officials have said they don't see the resort as viable and Huang has said he would drop the project unless he gets approval by the end of May.

Xu Hong, deputy general manager of Huang's Zhongkun Investment Group, said the company remained in contact with the landowner and Icelandic government.

"We're optimistic that we'll be able to have the response by the end of May," Xu said.

Xu said no meetings were planned between Huang and Sigurdardottir during her visit.

___

Associated Press writer Louise Watt contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-iceland-sign-free-trade-agreement-121059447--finance.html

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Sen. Rubio says immigration deal needs tough terms

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan deal on immigration legislation would need tough enforcement and even stricter penalties for those who came to the United States illegally, a leading Republican at the center of negotiations said Sunday.

Sen. Marco Rubio, who's among the eight senators writing a plan that's expected to come out Tuesday, tried to promote and defend the framework for the emerging overhaul that would provide a path toward citizenship for those who came to the country illegally or overstayed their visit.

While the deal does include a long and difficult process for the 11 million individuals in question, Rubio insisted the proposal does not include an "amnesty" provision that fellow conservatives have called a deal-breaker.

"We're not awarding anybody anything. All we're doing is giving people the opportunity to eventually earn access to our new, improved and modernized legal immigration system," said Rubio, a Florida Republican and Cuban-American.

But among some of his fellow Republicans, there are serious doubts.

"I'm not convinced," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "I know Sen. Rubio's heart is exactly right. And I really respect the work of the 'Gang of Eight.' But they have produced legislation ... that will give amnesty now, legalize everyone that's here effectively today and then there's a promise of enforcement in the future."

Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, added: "The pathway to citizenship, right now, before those other elements are in place, is the deal-breaker for me."

He said he could consider supporting the proposals only if the first priority were border security.

Rubio said he would abandon the overhaul effort if enforcement, border security and other elements are softened to his dissatisfaction.

With an eye on a possible White House run in 2016, Rubio has been careful not to appear weak on border security or create political problems among the conservatives who have great sway in picking the GOP's nominee.

Rubio also told those immigrants that it would perhaps be easier if they returned to their home countries and started the process from scratch rather than use the process Rubio is proposing.

"So I would argue that the existing law is actually more lenient, that going back and waiting 10 years is going to be cheaper and faster that going through this process that we are outlining," he said.

Other lawmakers helping to write the legislation acknowledged the political challenges of the issue.

"A lot of my conservative colleagues have significant questions and they're legitimate," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "This is the start of a process, this is a vehicle that requires hearings, requires input and we welcome all of that. ... I am guardedly optimistic that we will see finally the end of this long, long trek that a lot of us have been on for many years."

The measure would put millions who are in the U.S. illegally on a 13-year path to citizenship, while toughening border security requirements, mandating that all employers check the legal status of workers, and allowing tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers into the country with new visa programs.

The legislation is expected to include a new emphasis on merit-based immigration over family ties.

"This is a very balanced bill. The American people have told us to do two things: one, prevent future flows of illegal immigration; and then, come up with a common-sense solution for legal immigration. And that's what our bill does," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

All of this, however, is contingent on the border security and enforcement, Rubio said.

"If you are undocumented here now, if you are illegally in the U.S., that you can't even apply for this until these plans are in place and they begin to implement them," Rubio said. "And then you're going to have to pay a fine. You're going to have to pay an application fee. You're going to have to pass a background check."

Without those pieces, the path to citizenship is unavailable, and the proposal is available only for those who arrived in the United States before Dec. 31, 2011. Anyone who came after that date would be subject to deportation.

Rubio pressed his case during interviews on ABC's "This Week," CBS' "Face the Nation," CNN's "State of the Union", "Fox News Sunday" and NBC's "Meet the Press." He also was booked on the Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision. Sessions and Schumer were on ABC while McCain appeared on CNN.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sen-rubio-says-immigration-deal-needs-tough-terms-164751016--politics.html

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Venezuela's Maduro named election winner, opposition protests

By Daniel Wallis and Todd Benson

CARACAS (Reuters) - Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver who became Hugo Chavez's protege, was declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday but the opposition refused to accept the result and demanded a recount of all the votes.

Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles said he did not recognize the official results that gave Maduro 50.7 percent support versus 49.1 percent for him, a difference of just 235,000 ballots.

"Mr. Maduro, if you were illegitimate before, now you are even more loaded with illegitimacy," Capriles said, adding that his team had identified more than 3,000 "incidents" during the voting.

Capriles' refusal to accept the result raised fears of political unrest in Venezuela, an OPEC nation with the world's biggest oil reserves.

The National Electoral Council earlier said that more than 99 percent of votes had been counted and that Maduro's victory was "irreversible."

Government supporters immediately gathered to celebrate outside the Miraflores presidential palace, where Maduro paid an emotional tribute to Chavez, the socialist leader who named him as his successor in his last speech to the nation before dying last month from cancer.

"The fight continues!" Maduro, 50, told the victory rally.

"This was the first time without the giant candidate, but he left behind his 'son,' who is now going to be president and is going to show he is worthy of the fatherland."

Some opposition supporters in Caracas banged pots and pans in protest as Maduro spoke.

(Additional reporting by Caracas bureau reporters; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Kieran Murray, David Brunnstrom and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelans-vote-future-chavista-socialism-000101418.html

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Raymond Sean Clark, Homeless Man, Arrested For Allegedly Setting Someone On Fire

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- A man who was set on fire while sitting in his SUV outside a convenience store remained hospitalized in critical condition on Saturday as investigators tried to determine what would have motivated a homeless man suspected in the attack, police said.

The 63-year-old Long Beach man was badly burned on the upper torso in Friday evening. His name was not immediately released.

The man was inside his Toyota SUV in front of a 7-Eleven shortly after 5 p.m. when a homeless man threw a flammable substance inside the car. The car's interior and the man went up in flames in seconds, police Sgt. Aaron Eaton said.

The scene was terrifying, said Shannon Flynn, 16, of Long Beach.

"He was engulfed in flames," she told the Long Beach Press-Telegram (http://bit.ly/154YZuu). "The fire was so big, people were screaming. I just can't believe this happened here."

Robert Linkroum said he was buying a newspaper at the store when he looked up and saw a man "walking on a mission" toward the car and throwing what appeared to be a bottle inside.

"The vehicle went up in flames immediately, just totally engulfed. It was all flames," he said. "It became so hot in 7-Eleven that I moved towards the back of the store because I thought the windows were going to blow."

Eaton said bystanders helped the burning man by trying to pour water on him to douse the flames.

Police arrested Raymond Sean Clark, 38, about a block away. Clark, who is homeless, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and for two misdemeanor warrants for failing to appear on other charges. He remained jailed Saturday on more than $500,000 bail.

Witnesses said Clark is a panhandler who asked people for change and cigarettes outside the store.

Eaton said the motive for the attack was unclear. There was no indication that the victim and attacker knew each other, he said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/14/raymond-sean-clark-man-on-fire_n_3078386.html

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Grip Clip ? A nerd fashion accessory

With only 6 days to go, the Grip Clip Kickstarter project is already fully funded. This small injection molded?silicone clip slides onto the temple of your glasses and provides??an open gripper that can hold a pencil, pen, or other similarly sized object. The look is akin to sticking a pencil behind your ear, but it [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/13/grip-clip-a-nerd-fashion-accessory/

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House, Senate vote to curb disclosure requirements

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress is repealing some financial disclosure requirements for highly paid federal officials after an expert panel concluded that publishing details about their personal holdings and transactions online exposes them to identity theft and creates a national security risk.

The House passed a bill Friday doing away with the online filing requirements except for the president, vice president, members of Congress, Cabinet officers, other officials appointed by the president, and candidates for president or Congress. The Senate approved it Thursday evening. Both chambers approved the measure by voice vote.

The bill now goes to President Barack Obama. The White House has not said whether he will sign or reject it.

As part of a law aimed at curbing the perception that lawmakers or members of their families were trading illegally on insider information, Congress voted last year to require themselves, their aides and other federal employees making more than $119,554 a year to disclose their financial dealings more regularly in an online, searchable database.

But Congress has delayed implementing the requirement under the so-called STOCK, or Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge, Act. Last month the National Academy of Public Administration recommended Congress "indefinitely suspend the online posting requirements and the unrestricted access to searchable, sortable, downloadable databases."

The academy said publishing the information would create an "unwarranted risk to national security and law enforcement, as well as threaten agency missions, individual safety and privacy."

The online disclosure requirements had been set to go into effect next week.

Open government groups criticized the rollback.

Lisa Rosenberg of the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit group focused on open government, called the change an overreaction to any legitimate concerns. "Security through obscurity as a justification to repeal the transparency provisions of the STOCK Act starts us down a slippery slope where any government action or information could be taken offline in the name of safety," she wrote on her foundation's blog.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-senate-vote-curb-disclosure-requirements-230257483.html

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