Movie review: 'Pacific Rim' an exciting monster mash-up | The Salt ...

This film publicity image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows the Gipsy Danger robot battling the Knifehead monster in a scene from "Pacific Rim." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Review ? Robots battle aliens in a sleek homage.

The battles onscreen in "Pacific Rim" are likely to incite equally ferocious battles in the minds of film critics, especially male film critics, everywhere.

The internal debate will go something like this:

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?Pacific Rim?

Humanity fights for its survival, using robots to combat alien monsters, in this flashy special-effects spectacle.

Where ? Theaters everywhere.

When ? Opens Friday, July 12.

Rating ? PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language

Running time ? 131 minutes.

Critic?s adult self: "The story?s a little simple, but in the classical sense it works."

Critic?s 12-year-old self: "It?s robots fighting monsters. How cool is that?"

Critic?s adult self: "Some of the acting is a little wooden."

Critic?s 12-year-old self: "What acting? It?s got robots fighting monsters!"

Critic?s adult self: "Guillermo Del Toro is an action director with a strong visual sense."

Critic?s 12-year-old self: "What part of ?ROBOTS FIGHTING MONSTERS? are you not getting?!?"

Yes, as a critic, I can find things to pick apart about "Pacific Rim," but ultimately I was won over by the visceral thrills and the giddy delights of Del Toro?s sleek homage to the monster movies of his youth.

In a rapid-fire prologue, Del Toro, who shares screenwriting credit with Travis Beacham, sets up the situation. In 2013 (hey, that?s this year!), a breach opens up in the Pacific Ocean, through which massive alien creatures from another dimension start popping out. At first, the world?s armed forces are able to take down these monsters, dubbed Kaiju (the Japanese word for "giant beast"), but with more attacks comes the realization that something bigger has to be done.

story continues below

That bigger thing is the Jaeger program, skyscraper-sized fighting robots that can match the Kaiju pound for pound and punch for punch. The Jaegers (named for the German word for "hunter") require two pilots to link mentally with the machine and each other, so "the deeper the bond, the better you fight," says one such pilot, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam).

By 2025, a dozen years into the war, the Jaeger program is being disbanded as the Kaiju?s fighting tactics are evolving faster than human mechanics can. The head of the program, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), aims to cobble together the last four Jaegers into a last-gasp attempt to seal the breach with a nuclear bomb.

To do so, Pentecost recruits Becket, who quit as a pilot five years earlier when his brother and fighting partner, Yancy (Diego Klattenhoff), was killed in a Kaiju attack. Becket chooses as his new co-pilot the untrained Mako Mori ("Babel?s" Rinko Kikuchi) over Pentecost?s mysteriously paternal objections.

Del Toro zips through all this exposition, feeding us just enough information to make things plausible, because he?s as eager as the rest of us to get to the main attraction: Yes, robots fighting monsters.

The fight scenes evoke fond memories of "Godzilla" and a thousand movies where guys in rubber suits battled through cardboard miniatures of downtown Tokyo. The difference is that Del Toro has replaced the cheesy rubber suits and collapsible skyscrapers with sharp state-of-the-art computer animation, with an eye-popping level of detail and sophistication. Coupled with powerful sound design and a thunderous score by Ramin Djawadi ("Game of Thrones"), the overall effect is astonishing. This is a rare instance where seeing it in IMAX 3-D is worth the extra money.

There are weaknesses here and there, namely the overcooked dialogue and Hunnam?s wooden acting. But there are other charms, including Charlie Day ("It?s Always Sunny in Philadelphia") and Burn Gorman ("Torchwood") providing comic relief as feuding nerdy scientists, Ron Perlman chewing the scenery as a Hong Kong black marketeer, and Elba delivering the gloriously over-the-top morale-boosting speech before the final battle.

Mostly, "Pacific Rim" works because Del Toro delivers the spectacle that every current and former 12-year-old wants to see, in high style and juvenile abandon.

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Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/56567556-223/pacific-rim-robots-critic.html.csp

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Fugitive Snowden to seek temporary asylum in Russia

By Lidia Kelly and Maria Tsvetkova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ex-intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, encamped at a Russian airport evading the reach of U.S. authorities, said on Friday he had sacrificed a comfortable life in disclosing U.S. spying secrets but had no regrets.

"A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise," he said in first public remarks on what he sees as the personal cost of incurring Washington's anger in disclosing details of U.S. electronic surveillance programs.

"I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone's communications at any time. That is the power to change people's fates," he told human rights activists at the Moscow airport where he has lived since arriving from Hong Kong on June 23.

Snowden, 30, in remarks relayed by the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks, said he would seek temporary asylum in Russia. Until now he has been living in the transit area of Sheremetyevo airport without having gone through passport control.

Russian authorities said he should not harm the interests of the United States if he wants refuge in Russia - a condition set by President Vladimir Putin.

"Snowden is serious about obtaining political asylum in the Russian Federation," said Vyacheslav Nikonov, a pro-Kremlin lawmaker who attended the meeting with Snowden, who had not been seen in public since arriving from Hong Kong.

Participants of the meeting said Snowden would seek to travel on to Latin America. It was unclear when that might happen, or how.

"He wants to move further on, he wants to move to Latin America - he said it quite clearly," Tanya Lokshina, deputy head of the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters.

"But in order to be guaranteed safety here in Russia, the only way for him to go was to file a formal asylum plea."

Russian officials have shown increasing impatience over Snowden's stay, but it had also become clear that he has no easy route to a safe haven from Moscow.

Snowden's predicament has thrust him into the hands of Russia as Washington and Moscow are seeking to improve relations that soured over issues including Syria and human rights since Putin's return to the Kremlin in 2012.

Putin has frequently accused the United States of double standards on human rights and has championed its critics, but he has invited President Barack Obama to Moscow for a summit in early September and does not want to ruin the chances for that.

Putin's spokesman repeated earlier conditions that Snowden should stop harming the interests of the United States if he wants asylum.

"As far as we know, he considers himself a defender of human rights and a campaigner for democratic ideals," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov said Snowden should "fully refrain from actions inflicting damage on our American partners and on Russian-American relations," the Interfax news agency reported.

Nikonov said that this message had got through.

"I asked him if he was ready to give up his political activity against the United States. He said, ?Definitely, yes, all this activity was in the past'," the lawmaker said.

Peskov said he was unaware of a formal request for political asylum from Snowden, but he said would submit one on Friday. Putin has made clear Russia would not extradite Snowden to the United States.

DEATH PENALTY

After Snowden's meeting, pro-Kremlin politicians lined up to cast the American as a rights activist who deserves protection because he could be charged in the United States with espionage, a crime that carries the death penalty.

"There is a really great risk that Edward Snowden is facing this very punishment," Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, told state TV. "We simply can't allow this."

In the remarks released by Wikileaks, he cast himself in similar terms.

"I did what I believed right and began a campaign to correct this wrongdoing. I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets," he said, according to the statement.

"That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets."

Lokshina, of Human Rights Watch, said U.S. officials asked her to tell Snowden the United States does not see it that way.

"I was contacted on my phone on my way to the airport on behalf of the ambassador and they asked me to relay to Snowden the official position of the U.S. authorities - that he is not a whistleblower, but had broken the law and should be held accountable," she said. She said she passed on the message.

A grainy picture of Snowden taken by one participant, with Wikileaks legal assistant Sarah Harrison to his right, soon surfaced on social media and news sites. He wore a grey shirt and looked in good health.

Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have offered Snowden asylum. Washington, which seeks to arrest Snowden on charges of espionage in divulging details of secret U.S. surveillance programs, has revoked Snowden's passport and pressed nations not to take him in or help him travel.

After the activists were led through a gray door marked "staff only", Lokshina said they were put on a bus, driven around until they reached a different part of Sheremetyevo and taken to a room where Snowden was waiting.

The meeting was constantly interrupted by announcements of departures and arrivals, she said, prompting Snowden to quip: "I've gotten used to those."

(Additional reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Writing by Steve Gutterman and Thomas Grove; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Ralph Boulton)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fugitive-snowden-meet-human-rights-groups-official-070112908.html

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Induced seismicity? Recent spike of earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. may be linked to human activity

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The number of earthquakes has increased dramatically over the past few years within the central and eastern United States. More than 300 earthquakes above a magnitude 3.0 occurred in the three years from 2010-2012, compared with an average rate of 21 events per year observed from 1967-2000. This increase in earthquakes prompts two important questions: Are they natural, or human-made? And what should be done in the future as we address the causes and consequences of these events to reduce associated risks? U.S. Geological Survey scientists have been analyzing the changes in the rate of earthquakes as well as the likely causes, and they have some answers.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/gKivY1-iG4o/130712095205.htm

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US and China Most Promising Tech Innovators in Next Four Years - KPMG

KPMG surveyed 811 technology business leaders globally from technology industry startups, mid-sized to large enterprises, venture capital firms and angel investors in order to identify disruptive technologies, innovation trends and the scope of change.

In a change from last year?s survey, 37 percent of the respondents said the United States shows the most promise for disruptive breakthroughs, while 24 percent cited China, and 10 percent predicted India, followed by Korea (7 percent), Japan (6 percent) and Israel (6 percent). The US and China tied for the top spot in the 2012 survey.

?The 2012 results reflected some uncertainty in the US?s long-standing position as a technology innovation leader but over the past 12 months, the continued growth in the US tech sector and improvement in the US economy has removed much of that uncertainty,? said Gary Matuszak, global chair, KPMG?s Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice.

?China continues to innovate at an impressive speed. We believe that domestic consumption in the country will drive the majority of new innovation. China will innovate for China?s sake. This is supported by Chinese consumers who are driving the desire for local brands, which are unique to this market,? said Egidio Zarrella, Partner, Clients and Innovation Consulting, KPMG China. ?We see Chinese organizations increasingly establishing innovation hubs where their research and development can thrive. We believe this will also help to bridge any gaps where Chinese brands may face difficulties when looking to expand into the global market.?

This year the KPMG survey debuts a confidence index gauging each country?s prospects for tech innovation. The index is based on tech leaders in each market rating their country on 10 success factors including talent, infrastructure, incentives and capital.

Of the 10 factors assessed globally in this technology innovation confidence index, the highest marks on average were given for talent supply and technology infrastructure. The lowest rating was for government incentives, judged weak by more than one-third (36 percent) globally.

India grabbed the country lead with an index of 72. The high confidence India?s technology leaders have in their own country?s prospects spans several of the 10 factors. High marks were given for talent, mentoring, ability to drive customer adoption, technology breakthroughs and technology infrastructure, with the lowest rating reserved for government incentives.

?India topping the innovation confidence index is a confirmation of business leaders? faith in the country?s technological capabilities. Despite several concerns on data privacy and local technological infrastructure, the outlook for the sector is largely positive,? said Pradeep Udhas, Head of Markets, KPMG in India. ?The government can assist the technology sector by enabling easier access to capital through investor friendly policies and strengthening IP protection laws.?

Israel ranked second (71), as the country received high ratings from its tech business leaders for technology breakthroughs, talent, technology infrastructure, and mentoring and access to innovation network, while government incentives earned the lowest rating.

The US ranked third with an index of 65, as US respondents judged their own country?s tech prowess the strongest in tech infrastructure, access to alliances and partnerships, talent and technology breakthroughs, and weakest in educational system and government incentives. China?s score of 64 was driven by its highest marks in talent, capital, and mentoring and access to innovation network but China?s tech leaders rated their country low on educational system.

Survey respondents? belief in the US as the top tech innovator in the global ranking also translated to fewer executives (33 percent) than in 2012 (44 percent) saying it is likely that the technology innovation center of the world would shift from Silicon Valley to another country in the next four years. Not surprisingly, only 25 percent of the US respondents believed the shift is likely. However, 64 percent of respondents from India predicted the center will shift, compared to 48 percent last year. Forty-nine percent of respondents from China predicted a shift, compared to 60 percent last year. Among respondents who believed the center would shift, China again is seen as most likely to become the leading innovation center.

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In the April ? June 2013 survey of 811 global business executives whose organizations were focused on the technology space, 34 percent of the respondents were in the Americas, 37 percent in Asia Pacific, and 30 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Twenty-five percent of respondents were from the United States, 12 percent from China and 9 percent from India.

KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 156 countries and have 152,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (?KPMG International?), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.

Source: http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Press-releases/Pages/us-china-most-promising-tech-innovators.aspx

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Trellis Earth Products to move manufacturing production from China to Gates, creating 189 jobs

Governor Cuomo announced that Trellis Earth Products is moving its manufacturing operations from China and launching its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Gates.

Trellis is investing $8.3 million in its new headquarters and will create 189 jobs.

Trellis makes eco-friendly forks, knives, spoon, school lunch trays and plates. All products will be made from its very popular bio-plastic blend that is primarily comprised of plant starch, greatly reducing petrochemical consumption and lessening the burden on landfills.

Trellis will break ground on a 80,000 square foot facility in the Rochester Technology Park this summer.

Source: http://gates-chili.whec.com/news/news/177821-trellis-earth-products-move-manufacturing-production-china-gates-creating-189-jobs

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Bremont's Codebreaker Watch Pays Homage to WWII's Enigma Crackers

The allied victory in World War II can be as much credited to the brave men and women who fought with weapons as it can the scientists and mathematicians who successfully broke the secret codes used by the Germans, including the famous Enigma machine. And Bremont is commemorating that accomplishment with a limited edition timepiece called the Codebreaker that incorporates elements of Britain's code-breaking efforts.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yfY15AGdhhU/bremonts-codebreaker-watch-pays-homage-to-wwiis-enigm-745738355

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Analysis: Investors pin hopes on second-half earnings rebound

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For some time it's been clear that the second quarter was going to be less than robust for U.S. corporate results. Investors in the stock market don't seem to care.

For the second quarter, S&P 500 earnings are expected to grow just 2.6 percent, according to Wall Street analysts estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.

But projections for third-quarter earnings growth, on the other hand, are seen at 8.4 percent, with fourth-quarter growth seen at 12.8 percent. And investors are banking on those numbers to get them past what may be a rocky few weeks.

"It looks like the slow growth rate of S&P earnings has troughed and is poised to begin rising again after three successive, low, single-digit quarters," said Mike Jackson, founder of Denver-based investment firm T3 Equity Labs.

For the bulls, it had better work out that way. The S&P 500 <.inx><.spx> on Thursday notched an all-time closing high, with the consensus for the S&P to hit 1,700 by the end of 2013, according to a Reuters poll.

Should those brighter second-half earnings expectations be cut, it could hurt the rally.

The lion's share of 2013 earnings growth is expected to come in the second half of the year. The last two quarters of 2013 are expected to account for more than 70 percent of the year's growth, Thomson Reuters data shows, with about 52 percent of total earnings per share forecast to come in that period.

The economic growth rate is going to be crucial in all this. Most economists so far have underestimated how slow the U.S. recovery has been. The U.S. government recently cut its reading of first-quarter growth to 1.8 percent, and some economists are predicting the second quarter will be below 1 percent.

U.S. economic growth is expected to pick up to an annualized 2.3 percent rate in the current quarter and 2.6 percent in October-December, according to a Reuters poll.

Rising U.S. home prices, the boom in U.S. oil and gas production, and a better jobs picture have all made the outlook for the U.S. economy look better than in many other places, particularly in comparison to weakness in Europe, China and other major emerging markets.

Even political gridlock in Washington and automatic government spending cuts have been less of a threat as the fiscal picture has improved.

Heavy monetary stimulus from the U.S. Federal Reserve has helped the stock market at a time when S&P 500 earnings growth has been lackluster, averaging 5 percent for the last four quarters. Revenue growth has averaged just 0.9 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Second-quarter revenue growth is expected to come in at 1.5 percent.

MISSING SALES GROWTH

Six of the 10 sectors in the Russell 2000 are forecast to earn more than their usual percentage of earnings in the second half. Information technology is the most skewed, with 55 percent of earnings expected in the second half, compared with a bit more than 51 percent historically, Credit Suisse analysts said.

In addition to IT, Credit Suisse mentioned: materials, energy, consumer staples, consumer discretionary and utilities

Companies that are expected to see more than 50 percent of their 2013 earnings in the second half of the year could be most at risk if year-end growth fails to materialize, they said.

Among those are Dell , where forecasts are for 54 percent of earnings in its second half compared with a usual 49 percent, household products maker Procter & Gamble , with 57 percent versus 55 percent, and drugs maker Bristol Myers Squibb , at 53 percent compared with a typical 49 percent.

"In the absence of a better economic climate and with flat revenue growth, earnings expectations will likely have to be trimmed in the second half," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia.

Current revenue forecasts don't suggest strong gains between now and year-end. Second-quarter sales growth is forecast at 1.5 percent, with third-quarter growth at 3.6 percent and fourth quarter at 1.4 percent, based on Thomson Reuters data, but analysts said those numbers may be too conservative.

"Mid-2013 is an inflection point for both GDP and EPS growth," Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a research note this week, adding they expect "limited revisions" to second-half earnings estimates.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by David Gaffen and Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-investors-pin-hopes-second-half-earnings-rebound-202456412.html

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