Drones are destined for gentler tasks...[ 3009 ]

Drones soar past their military uses

By Rob Walker, contributor @FortuneMagazine November 30, 2012: 6:26 AM ET

Unmanned flying machines aren't just for tracking down bad guys anymore.

(Fortune) -- 
-
The word "drone" probably doesn't make you think "fun" or even "useful." After all, the most familiar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the hulking, weaponized, and sinisterly named Predator deployed by the U.S. military. But drones are destined for gentler tasks; they could be making their way into homes as tools and into distressed areas as humanitarian aids. French company Parrot is already selling its high-end toy, the $300 AR.Drone 2.0, to consumers.
Utility

Drone experts imagine do-it-yourselfers tossing a UAV in the back of their trucks alongside their chainsaw and toolbox. UAVs could be used to monitor crops, for example, or by homeowners who want to check rain gutters without climbing on the roof.
Humanitarian
Advanced image processors could scan and identify areas hit by natural disasters, feeding information to relief workers on the ground. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also promoted research into using UAVs to deliver vaccines to remote populations.
Fun and games
Phone and tablet apps can already pilot drones and allow owners to pit their piloting skills against each other. Cameras embedded into the hulls capture high-definition still photos and videos, getting aerial shots that used to require elaborate equipment. 

 

An exclusive look inside Israel's drones

This story is from the December 3, 2012 issue of Fortune.

Giant tornado in Italy...[ 3008 ]

 Giant tornado in Italy..

Clouds Off Santa Helena Isd.....[ 3007 ]

Cloud Vortices Off Saint Helena Island

NASA's Terra satellite passed over the South Atlantic Ocean on November 15, 2012, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument flying aboard to capture this true-color image of St. Helena Island and the band of wind-blown cloud vortices trailing towards the island's leeward side.

St. Helena Island is a tiny island lying approximately 1,860 kilometers (1,156 miles) west of Africa. Volcanic in origin, it has rugged topography with steep, sharp peaks and deep ravines. Wind, which can blow unimpeded for hundreds of miles across the ocean, strikes the face of the mountains, and is forced around the unyielding terrain. As it blows around the island, the air spins on the leeward side, much like a flowing river forms eddies on the downriver side of a piling. The spinning wind forms intricate – and mathematically predictable – patterns. When clouds are in the sky, these beautiful patterns become visible from above.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

Euro zone mood cheers up a little...[ 3006 ]

Euro zone economic mood cheers up a little in November

By Robin Emmott
.

BRUSSELS | Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:28am EST
- 

(Reuters) - Economic morale in the euro zone improved for the first time in almost a year in November, but industry's reluctance to invest next year bodes poorly for a quick recovery from recession.
-
Sentiment towards the bloc's economy rose 1.4 points to 85.7 beating forecasts and ending an eight-month run of falls, the European Commission's monthly business and consumer survey showed on Thursday, with Germany and France gaining strongly.
-
The Commission's survey of industry found expectations of a 1 percent fall in real investment in 2013 compared to this year, however, casting doubt on European policymakers' predictions that growth will return next year.
-
"The economic outlook for the euro zone remains pretty dreadful," said Jonathan Loynes, chief European economist at Capital Economics in London.
The euro zone fell into a recession in July-September, its second since 2009, as French resilience failed to make up for a slump across Europe and the three-year-old debt crisis dragged on Germany, Europe's economic engine.
-
The debt problems that emerged in Greece in late 2009 following the global financial crisis and have since spread through the bloc continue to reverberate around the globe and hold back a lasting recovery.
-
The Commission sees 0.1 percent growth in the euro zone economy next year, but the OECD and many international economists see the recession continuing in 2013.
"We expect the euro area to remain in recession in 2013," Citigroup said in a research note this week, predicting more interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank to try to stimulate the economy, which generates a fifth of global output.
-
Consumer confidence also fell in the euro zone in November, the survey showed, which is bad news because the bloc relies on shoppers to drive around half of its economic output.
Economic sentiment in November was still better than the decline expected by economists polled by Reuters, and the Commission said confidence in industry increased significantly by the first time since February, helped by orders.
-
That may be a sign that the euro zone, while struggling at home with the debt crisis, may be benefiting abroad as the U.S. and Chinese economies regain some strength.
Separately, the Commission's business climate indicator, which points to the phase of the economic cycle, increased by 0.42 points to -1.19, and showed an improved mood across much of the economy, including order books and output expectations.
-

(Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Rex Merrifield and Catherine Evans)

Greece and U.S. stock-market ..[ 3005 ]

Greece, Fiscal Cliff Weigh on U.S. Stock Futures

 

November 26, 2012, 6:09 a.m. ET

By BARBARA KOLLMEYER

U.S. stock-market futures headed lower on Monday, with investors focusing on continued negotiations over the so-called fiscal cliff and discussions among euro-area finance ministers over the next tranche of Greek aid.

More

• Morning MarketBeat: No Fear Brings Back Bad Memories

No major economic data are on the agenda.
About three hours before the start of trading, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average  fell 54 points, or 0.4%, to 12907, while those for the Standard & Poor's 500 index  eased 6.7 points, or 0.5%, to 1398.60. Futures for the Nasdaq-100 index  fell 10 points, or 0.4%, to 2624.25. Changes in futures don't always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell.
"We could see U.S. markets start positively, but they're a bit nervous about Greece," said Henrik Drusebjerg, senior strategist at Nordea Bank NDA.SK -0.33% . He said prospects for a so-called Santa Claus rally lie in the hands of global politicians.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.4% on Friday, its first close above 13000 since Election Day on Nov. 6. The index netted a 3.4% weekly gain, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3.6%.

Later on Monday, European finance ministers will meet to try and OK the latest aid payment to Greece, after failing to agree last week with the International Monetary Fund over those conditions.
"It's far too early to say that's irrelevant," said Mr. Drusebjerg. "Most investors are hoping for a deal today that will kick the can more than three months down the road."
"Without agreement on how to reduce the debt, euro-zone ministers and the IMF do not want to resume payments of loan tranches to Athens, even though Greece has met all the conditions, because they have no guarantee on whether the need for emergency financing will ever end," added Max Cohen, financial sales trader at SpreadEx, in emailed comments.
U.S. politics make up the other focus for investors. Lawmakers will return to Washington, for a three-week session after the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Some Republican lawmakers reportedly said over the weekend that they are ready to break a long-standing promise not to raise taxes.
And leading Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin, speaking on ABC's "This Week" program on Sunday, also was guardedly optimistic about a deal.
"It's a step towards a solution," said Mr. Drusebjerg. "There's now also movement from the Democrats. It's some part of a sign they're willing to work together."
He said that markets got a lift last week on signs that consumers were actively spending on Black Friday.
"That's given some hope that Christmas shopping this year will be a lot better than expected, and that could be a pickup for the U.S. economy," he said. But he said failure on the part of U.S. politicians over the fiscal cliff or European politicians regarding Greece could stymie economic growth.
While no major economic data are on the calendar for Monday, retailers could be in focus again after reports that a record number of consumers were out in force over the holiday shopping weekend.
The Monday after Thanksgiving—known as Cyber Monday—is also a key day of shopping for the e-commerce world, with one analysis suggesting sales could hit $1.5 billion.
In other markets, European stocks weakened ahead of the Greece talks, and after weekend elections in Spain, which were won by Catalonian separatists. Oil and gold prices also fell.
Risk aversion drew investors to the dollar, though.