Wednesday, October 29, 2014

LG Electronics reports Q3 profit jumps 87%

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-lg-electronics-reports-q3-profit-jumps-87-2014-10

LG Electronics' flagship smartphone, the G3, is displayed at a press conference in San Francisco on May 27, 2014

Seoul (AFP) - LG Electronics reported Wednesday an 87 percent jump in third-quarter net profit from a year ago after profits from its mobile unit surged to a five-year high.

Net profit for the South Korean electronics giant in the July-September period amounted to 202.6 billion won ($193 million), up 87 percent from a year ago, the company said in a statement.

Operating profit also jumped 112 percent to reach 461.3 billion, while sales rose seven percent to 14.9 trillion won. 

The firm's handset unit led the growth with a 39-percent rise in sales and an operating profit of 167.4 billion won -- the highest for five years and a turnaround from a 79.7 billion won loss a year ago. 

The handset unit sold 16.8 million smartphones in the third quarter, breaking the quarterly sales record set in the second quarter.

The world's sixth-largest smartphone maker struggled for years with sluggish sales after making a late entry into the market following competitors like Samsung and Apple.

But LG recently showed signs of revival with its flagship G3 smartphones, while its bigger South Korean rival Samsung saw profits sag. 

Samsung -- the world's top maker of smartphones and TVs -- is set to post a nearly 60 percent plunge in its third quarter operating profit to be announced on Thursday, although the figure of 4.1 trillion won is still nearly 10 times bigger than LG's. 

LG's TV unit saw operating profit inch up five percent to 130.5 billion won on growing sales of high-end sets.

LG shares rose 4.31 percent to close at 67,800 won on the Seoul stock market.

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Hackers breach White House computer system, Russia suspected

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-hackers-breach-white-house-computer-system-russia-suspected-2014-10

Barack Obama answers questions during an Internet town hall meeting on the economy in the East Room of the White House

Washington (AFP) - The White House's unclassified computer network was recently breached by intruders, a US official said Tuesday, with The Washington Post newspaper reporting that the Russian government was thought to be behind the act.

"In the course of assessing recent threats, we identified activity of concern on the unclassified EOP network," said the White House official, speaking on condition of not being named. 

"Any such activity is something we take very seriously. In this case, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity."

The Washington Post quoted sources as saying hackers believed to be working for the Russian government were believed to be responsible.

The hackers entered the US presidential mansion's unclassified computer network in recent weeks, the Post quotes the sources as saying.

In a statement, the White House official said the Executive Office of the President receives daily alerts concerning numerous possible cyber threats.

In the course of addressing the breach, some White House users were temporarily disconnected from the network. 

"Our computers and systems have not been damaged, though some elements of the unclassified network have been affected. The temporary outages and loss of connectivity for our users is solely the result of measures we have taken to defend our networks," the official said. 

No additional information was immediately available.

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The Underground World Of Plant Theft Is More Massive Than You Think

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/plant-crime-in-the-uk-2014-10

Kew Gardens

Some of London's rarest flowers have to be locked up and monitored by security cameras due to an upswing in plant theft. 

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire has become a "crime hotspot," the BBC reports, as an increasing number of people are swiping buds to sell on the black market for hundreds of dollars. 

Certain rare species of plants, including new species of orchid, are worth up to £300 ($500) each, according to the BBC.

Barry Clarke, who works at the Hillier botanical gardens, said that up to 20 plants are stolen from the site each year. He suspects that "anyone from the little old lady down the street to a young person out of agricultural college," could be behind the plant heists. 

Plant crimes are widespread in Britain. Earlier this year, a rare, endangered water lily was stolen out of the glasshouse at Kew Gardens, one of the largest botanical gardens in the world.

The import and export of endangered species requires a permit issued by CITES, the organization that regulates the protection of wild fauna and flora. However, horticulturists believe that loads of endangered plants are being sold online without the CITES permit. 

As a preventative measure, many botanical gardens have started "anchoring plants underground, growing them under cages, and installing CCTV cameras," the BCC writes. Some universities are also working on an alarm system. 

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Google Fit for Android is ready to compile all of your fitness stats

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/28/google-fit-for-android-is-ready-to-compile-all-of-your-fitness-s/

We first heard about Mountain View's activity-tracking plans back at I/O, and now the Android faithful and get their hands on the goods. The Google Fit app, the company's answer to Apple Health, is now available for download, compiling all of those collected fitness stats in the same spot. By leveraging your phone's sensors, the software monitors walking, running and cycling activity, allowing you to set specific goals and benefit from some friendly advice. Fit also plays nice with third-party apps and devices -- and of course, Android Wear gadgets -- so that you can get an overall view of your progress from one place. Strava, Withings, Runtastic, Runkeeper and Noom Coach were specifically mentioned in the announcement. What's more, the initiative can be accessed on the web should the need arise (once you've logged in on your phone). Looking to get moving? You'll need a handset running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or above, but if you meet the requirement, the app is available for download at Google Play.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Google Play, Android Official Blog

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Satellite Dishes Can Turn Toxic Waste From Fracking Into Clean Water

Source: http://gizmodo.com/satellite-dishes-can-turn-toxic-waste-from-fracking-int-1651380272

Satellite Dishes Can Turn Toxic Waste From Fracking Into Clean Water

In the past few years, earthquakes in Oklahoma have been on the mysterious rise—the state has had more earthquakes than even California. Why? One big fat finger has been pointed at fracking, in which toxic wastewater is injected into wells that can leak and lubricate faults. We clearly need a better solution for this wastewater, and that solution may involve satellite dishes .

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