"Fantastic" New Flying Frog Found—Has Flappy Forearms

Scientists have stumbled across a new species of flying frog—on the ground.

While hiking a lowland forest in 2009, not far from Ho Chi Minh City (map), Vietnam, "we came across a huge green frog, sitting on a log," said Jodi Rowley, an amphibian biologist at the Australian Museum in Sydney and lead author of a new study on the frog.

Rowley later discovered that the 3.5-inch-long (9-centimeter-long) creature is a relatively large new type of flying frog, a group known for its ability to "parachute" from tree to tree thanks to special aerodynamic adaptations, such as webbed feet, Rowley said. (Also see "'Vampire Flying Frog' Found; Tadpoles Have Black Fangs.")

Rowley dubbed the new species Helen's flying frog, in honor of her mother, Helen Rowley, "who has steadfastly supported her only child trekking through the forests of Southeast Asia in search of frogs," according to a statement.

The newfound species—there are 80 types of flying frogs—is also "one of the most flying frogs of the flying frogs," Rowley said, "in that it's got huge hands and feet that are webbed all the way to the toepad."

"Females even have flappy skin on their forearms to glide," added Rowley, who has received funding from the National Geographic Committee on Research and Exploration. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society.) "The females are larger and heavier than males, so the little extra flaps probably don't make much of a difference," she said.

As Rowley wrote on her blog, "At first it may seem strange that such a fantastic and obvious frog could escape discovery until now—less than 100 kilometers [60 miles] from an urban centre with over nine million people."

Yet these tree dwellers can easily escape notice—they spend most of their time in the canopy, she said.

Flying Frog on the Edge

Even so, Helen's flying frog won't be able to hide from development near Ho Chi Minh City, which may encroach on its existing habitats.

So far, only five individuals have been found in two patches of lowland forest hemmed in by rice paddies in southern Vietnam, Rowley said. The animals can probably tolerate a little bit of disturbance as long as they have large trees and temporary pools, she added.

But lowland forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world, mostly because they're so accessible to people, and thus chosen for logging and development. (Get the facts on deforestation.)

"While Helen's flying frog has only just been discovered by biologists," Rowley wrote, "unfortunately this species, like many others, is under great threat from ongoing habitat loss and degradation."

The new flying frog study was published in December 2012 in the Journal of Herpetology.

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Oprah Describes Intense Armstrong Interview

Oprah Winfrey said today that disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong came well prepared for their highly anticipated interview, although he "did not come clean in the manner [she] expected."

Winfrey, who discussed the interview on "CBS This Morning" today, said, "We were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers. I feel that he answered the questions in a way that he was ready. … He certainly had prepared himself for this moment. … He brought it. He really did."

Armstrong had apologized to staffers at the Livestrong Foundation before the Monday interview with Winfrey at a hotel in Austin, Texas, and reportedly admitted to them that he used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied career.

Armstrong also confessed to Winfrey to using the drugs, sources have told ABC News. Winfrey said this morning that the entire interview, for which she had prepared 112 questions, was difficult.

"I would say there were a couple of times where he was emotional," she said. "But that doesn't describe the intensity at times."

As for the cyclist's sense of remorse, Winfrey said that will be for viewers to decide.
"I would rather people make their own decisions about whether he was contrite or not," she said.

The interview will air on the OWN network for two nights, starting at 9 p.m. ET Thursday and continuing Friday.

Meanwhile, the federal government is likely to join a whistle-blower lawsuit against Armstrong, originally filed by his former cycling teammate Floyd Landis, sources told ABC News.

The government is seeking to recoup millions of dollars from Armstrong after years of his denying that he used performance-enhancing drugs, the sources said. The U.S. Postal Service, which is an independent agency of the federal government, was a longtime sponsor of Armstrong's racing career.

George Burns/Harpo Studios, Inc.

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The deadline for the government's potentially joining in the matter was a likely motivation for Armstrong's interview with Winfrey, sources told ABC News.

The lawsuit remains sealed in federal court.

Armstrong is now talking with authorities about possibly paying back some of the Postal Service sponsorship money, a government source told ABC News Monday.

The deadline for the department to join the case is Thursday, the same day Armstrong's much-anticipated interview with Winfrey is set to air.

Armstrong is also talking to authorities about confessing and naming names, giving up others involved in illegal doping. This could result in a reduction of his lifetime ban, according to a source, if Armstrong provides substantial and meaningful information.

As for the Winfrey interview, it was Armstrong's first since officials stripped him of his world cycling titles in response to doping allegations.

Word of Armstrong's admission comes after a Livestrong official said that Armstrong apologized Monday to the foundation's staff ahead of his interview.

The disgraced cyclist gathered with about 100 Livestrong Foundation staffers at their Austin headquarters for a meeting that included social workers who deal directly with patients as part of the group's mission to support cancer victims.

Armstrong's "sincere and heartfelt apology" generated lots of tears, spokeswoman Katherine McLane said, adding that he "took responsibility" for the trouble he has caused the foundation.

McLane declined to say whether Armstrong's comments included an admission of doping, just that the cyclist wanted the staff to hear from him in person rather than rely on second-hand accounts.

Armstrong then took questions from the staff.

Armstrong's story has never changed. In front of cameras, microphones, fans, sponsors, cancer survivors -- even under oath -- Lance Armstrong hasn't just denied ever using performance enhancing drugs, he has done so in an indignant, even threatening way.

Armstrong, 41, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in October 2012, after allegations that he benefited from years of systematic doping, using banned substances and receiving illicit blood transfusions.

"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union, said at a news conference in Switzerland announcing the decision. "This is a landmark day for cycling."

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Exploding microchip could make arms dumps safer

Paul Marks, chief technology correspondent

(Image: JiniPix/Israel Sun/Rex Features)

Micromechanical chips that pump chemicals and living cells around them are already being used to amplify DNA strands and make health diagnoses. Now a new use for these miniature microchip marvels is being patented in the US: blowing things up.

It's not quite as bad as it sounds: the idea is to make weapons magazines safer. When shells, bombs and rockets are stored near a combat front line there's always a risk that a stray piece of shrapnel or a bullet will strike one of the munitions - and if it hits the warhead's detonator (which includes a small initiating explosive charge) the whole lot could go sky high.

But Qinetiq, the Farnborough, UK-based defence lab, says the smaller the detonator is, the less of a target it presents to bullets and shrapnel - and the lower the risk of an unintended explosion. So in US patent application 2013/0008334, published on 10 January, it outlines how a tiny, hard-to-hit detonator can be built by using the arrays of microcavities in modern microelectromechanical chips to store tiny amounts of initiating explosive.

Inventors Robert Claridge and David Combes say the really difficult part is getting the explosives into such a chip. Their patent harnesses capillary action to let chemical precursors trickle in, precipitating out explosives that deposit themselves in the chip's microcavities. Each type of weapon needs a different amount of initiator, so the choice of the number of chambers, and their width - between 10 and 100 micrometres - is up to the manufacturer.

Detonation is triggered by passing a current through a simple heater wire that passes through the microchip's cavities. In addition to presenting less of an accidental target, the pair say the small amounts of initiator used in their chip also reduces the chances of a weapon detonating due to physical shock, electrical spark and friction.

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Temporary sheltered linkways to be provided at Marina Bay

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be providing temporary sheltered pedestrian linkways along the roads between Marina Bay Financial Centre and Marina Bay Station.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said this in response to Mr Gan Thiam Poh's parliamentary question on whether the transport ministry will provide a sheltered or underground pedestrian walkway.

Mr Lui addded that the Urban Redevelopment Authority plans to build an extensive underground pedestrian network (UPN).

This is to link the developments in Marina Bay to the nearby MRT stations, including Marina Bay Station.

- CNA/xq

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Surface sales hit only 1 million last quarter, forecasts analyst

Surface RT.

(Credit:
Microsoft)

Microsoft's Surface tablet may not have rung in much holiday cheer last quarter, at least according to one analyst.

Microsoft sold just 1 million Surface RT
tablets in the fourth quarter, projects UBS analyst Brent Thill, down from a prior forecast of 2 million. In an investors note out today, the analyst cited two reasons for his dour projection in a single sentence:

"Surface RT is a consumer device with [fourth-quarter] sales suffering from the difficult
iPad compare and narrow distribution."

Early last month, IHS iSuppli analyst Rhoda Alexander told CNET that she expected Surface sales of 1.3 million for the quarter, adding that "I would be surprised to see it much above that."

Last July, CEO Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft's goal was to sell a few million Surface tablets in the coming year. But the company has been mum about recent sales of Surface, which debuted at the end of October.

Thill has higher expectations for Microsoft's
Surface Pro tablet, which is slated to hit the market later this month.

Unlike its RT counterpart, Surface Pro will be a full Windows 8 tablet capable of running all desktop applications and offering more power and features.

Calling the Surface Pro "more promising," Thill sees it as an alternative to the iPad among enterprises users. For Microsoft's fiscal 2013, which ends this June, the analyst estimates Surface sales of 2.5 million units. For fiscal 2014, he's eyeing sales as high 8 million.

Microsoft declined CNET's request for comment on Thill's forecast. The company will release its earnings report for last quarter on January 24.

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Pictures: Civil War Shipwreck Revealed by Sonar

Photograph by Jesse Cancelmo

A fishing net, likely only decades old, drapes over machinery that once connected the Hatteras' pistons to its paddle wheels, said Delgado.

From archived documents, the NOAA archaeologist learned that Blake, the ship's commander, surrendered as his ship was sinking. "It was listing to port, [or the left]," Delgado said. The Alabama took the wounded and the rest of the crew and put them in irons.

The officers were allowed to keep their swords and wander the deck as long as they promised not to lead an uprising against the Alabama's crew, he added.

From there, the Alabama dropped off their captives in Jamaica, leaving them to make their own way back to the U.S.

Delgado wants to dig even further into the crew of the Hatteras. He'd like see if members of the public recognize any of the names on his list of crew members and can give him background on the men.

"That's why I do archaeology," he said.

(Read about other Civil War battlefields in National Geographic magazine.)

Published January 11, 2013

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Newtown Parents Launch Anti-Violence Initiative

On the one-month anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the parents of Anna Marquez Greene, one of the 20 children killed during the attack, are aiming to start a national dialogue through the non-profit group Sandy Hook Promise.

Appearing on "Good Morning America" today, Jimmy Greene and Nelba Marquez-Greene spoke of their grief for their little girl, and honored her memory.

"She was kind, she was loving, she was smart -- and she was also a fashionista -- she loved those gaudy flowers. I'm wearing it for her today," Nelba Marquez-Greene said, referring to her flower headwear. "We're hoping that through Sandy Hook Promise, we can bring awareness to issues, and start a conversation based on love and respect."

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The non-profit, which was formed in the days following the December 14 shooting under the original name Newtown United, asks people to sign a pledge to "encourage and support common sense solutions that make my community and our country safer from similar acts of violence."

Tom Bittman, co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, said the group aims to get past the polarization that the shooting has caused in the national debate.

"We need to approach it differently," Bittman said on "GMA." "We need a national conversation on the things that need to change, so that this doesn't happen again. We think it's holistic, we don't think it's one piece of legislation and one change. We think it's going to be a number of things."

Greene said that he agrees that a multi-faceted approach is ideal.

"I don't think it's wise to focus on one thing," he said. "Obviously we need to make our schools, our streets, our malls, our public places safer. Obviously there needs to be a better discussion on mental health, and access to it."

Speaking of her daughter -- who caught the nation's attention in a video where she sang "Come Thou Almighty King" while her 9-year-old brother Isaiah played the piano -- Marquez-Greene said that she wants her work now to be a tribute to her little girl.

"[She was] passionate, she was abut loving God and loving people, and I hope that that can be the legacy that we leave," she said. "That love wins, and that love will prevail in this."

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Video games take off as a spectator sport

Editorial: "Give video games a sporting chance"

EVERY sport has its idols and superstars. Now video gaming is getting them too. Professional gaming, or e-sports, exploded in popularity in the US and Europe last year.

The scene has been big in Asia - particularly South Korea - for about a decade, with top players such as Lim Yo-Hwan earning six-figure salaries and competing for rock-star glory in Starcraft tournaments that attract audiences in the hundreds of thousands.

The phenomenon is taking off in the West partly because of improved video-streaming technology and large financial rewards. Video games are becoming a spectator sport, with certain players and commentators drawing massive online audiences.

And where people go, money follows. The second world championship of League of Legends - a team-based game in which players defend respective corners of a fantasy-themed battle arena - was held in Los Angeles in October. The tournament had a prize pool of $5 million for the season, with $1 million going to winning team Taipei Assassins, the largest cash prize in the history of e-sports.

League of Legends has also set records for spectator numbers. More than 8 million people watched the championship finals either online or on TV - a figure that dwarfs audience numbers for broadcasts of many traditional sports fixtures.

But gamers don't need to compete at the international level to earn money. Video-streaming software like Twitch makes it easy for players to send live footage to a website, where the more popular ones can attract upwards of 10,000 viewers - enough for some to make a living by having adverts in their video streams. Gamers can go pro without leaving their homes.

Currently, e-sports productions are handled by gaming leagues - but that could soon change. Last November saw two moves that will make it even easier to reach a global online audience. First, Twitch announced it would be integrating with Electronic Arts's Origin service, a widely used gaming platform. This would let gamers stream their play at the click of a button, making it easy for people around the world to watch.

Also in November came the latest release from one of gaming's biggest franchises, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, which has the ability to live-stream via YouTube built into the game itself. Another feature allows the broadcast of in-game commentary for multiplayer matches.

"I think we will reach a point, maybe within five years, where spectator features are a necessity for all big game releases," says Corin Cole of e-sports publishing company Heaven Media in Huntingdon, UK.

David Ting founded the California-based IGN Pro League (IPL), which hosts professional tournaments. He puts the popularity of e-sports down to the demand for new forms of online entertainment. "After 18 months, IPL's viewer numbers are already comparable to college sports in the US when there's a live event," he says. "The traffic is doubling every six months."

Ting sees motion detection, virtual reality and mobile gaming coming together to make physical exertion a more common aspect of video games, blurring the line between traditional sport and e-sports. "Angry Birds could be this century's bowling," says Ting.

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Football: Man Utd beat Liverpool to move 10 points clear

LONDON: Manchester United went 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League, for a few hours at least, after a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Goals from Robin van Persie and Nemanja Vidic gave United a 2-0 lead before Liverpool substitute Daniel Sturridge pulled one back for the visitors in this latest clash between England's two most successful clubs.

Reigning champions Manchester City, currently in second place, will reduce the gap on local rivals United to seven points if they win away to Arsenal in a match kicking off at 4pm local time (1600GMT) on Sunday.

Van Persie gave United a 19th minute lead when he swept in Patrice Evra's cross from eight yards out.

It was the Dutch striker's 17th Premier League goal this term, and 21st in all competitions, since he arrived at Old Trafford in a 24 million pounds pre-season move from top-flight rivals Arsenal.

United made it 2-0 nine minutes after half-time when full-back Evra's header from van Persie's free-kick deflected in off centre-half Vidic.

But three minutes later Sturridge, on at the start of the second half for Lucas Leiva, marked his Premier League debut for Liverpool with a goal when he followed up the rebound after David de Gea saved skipper Steven Gerrard's shot from outside the box.

It was Sturridge's second goal in as many games for Liverpool following his move from European champions champions Chelsea after he was on target in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Mansfield last weekend.

However, Sturridge failed to make the most of two more chances and United held on for a victory that gave them a league double over Liverpool, who remained in eighth place, this season.

- AFP/fa

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New-to-vinyl converts talk about the joys of playing LPs

I've heard the naysayers for years, the ones that say vinyl is a fad, or that kids buy records just because they think LPs are cool. But the fact is vinyl sales keep going up year after year. I'd be the first to admit that playing an LP is more of a hassle than listening to Spotify, so why do people who grew up listening to CDs and files invest in a turntable, and search out their favorite music on LP? Why do they do it?

Recently, I talked with a few music lovers who grew up in a mostly digital world, and are just now starting to play LPs.

I first chatted with Ariel, a 34-year-old woman who just bought a turntable. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she recounted her memories of playing her dad's reggae records when she was 7 or 8 years old. Ariel has his collection now and appreciates the richness of those old LPs. The Rolling Stones "Beggar's Banquet" has been in heavy rotation lately, and Ariel noticed that when she plays LPs she's more likely to stop multitasking and really focus on the music. She kept saying, "Records are beautiful, they're beautiful," and noted that listening to 1960s and 1970s music that was originally released on vinyl is like reading literature in the original language -- the music makes more sense. Ariel still listens to a lot of music on the go, but appreciates how much more rewarding the vinyl experience is.

Matt, 40, just recently got an old Dual turntable. He grew up playing a boombox and a cassette player, then moved on to CDs and files. He had LPs from the Pearl Jam Club and from Jack White's Third Man Records, long before he had the Dual. Like Ariel, Matt discovered that he paid more attention to music when he was playing records than FLAC files. He's surprised how different and better the Black Keys sound on vinyl. For him it's all about the difference between background and foreground listening; digital is fine when he's washing dishes, but when he's really going to focus on the tunes, it's got to be on LP. Matt lives near Philadelphia.

Al from Colorado just bought a VPI Traveler turntable a few months ago, and he feels that with digital it's too easy to skip around, but with the turntable he's happy to sit and enjoy complete albums. Another guy, Patrick, tweeted me, "I just started with vinyl a little over a year ago. I'm hooked, I cut my craft beer drinking by two-thirds so I can buy more LPs."

Jonathan just graduated from college, and started to buy Beatles albums before he had a turntable. He now has 20 LPs, but he's adding to his collection, and shops at Amoeba Music. For vinyl he prefers older recordings, and with the Beatles records Jonathan felt like he was hearing the band, "for real," and digital never sounded as good. The music on LPs connects on a different level than it does with CDs or downloads. Jonathan and the others all noticed the same thing. That's interesting.

I also chatted with two brothers, Aiden (18) and Sean (14), who are both new converts to analog music. Aiden likes the ritual of sliding the record out of the sleeve, placing it on the platter, and putting the stylus in the groove.

He said, "It makes it special, and you appreciate the music more." He prefers the album format more than just listening to singles, and, like Jonathan, Aiden feels a connection to older generations when he plays LPs. Without any prompting from me, Aiden noted he could more easily hear the individual instruments on LPs than on digital formats. "That's a huge benefit."

Sean admitted he sometimes gets bored and skips ahead when listening on his
iPod, but is less likely to jump around with vinyl. He's discovered a lot of good music on albums he played many times on his iPod. Sean scores his records at Soundstage Direct, and Aiden is hoping his uncle is going to pass on some vintage titles soon.

If you've made the switch to analog, share your experiences in the comments section.

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