Monday, February 25, 2013

Pistorius' brother facing culpable homicide charge

Carl Pistorius, brother of Olympian athlete, Oscar Pistorius, arrives at home, Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, where his brother has been staying in Pretoria, South Africa, since being granted bail Friday for the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Reports emerged Sunday that Carl Pistorius is facing charges of culpable homicide for the death of a woman biker who was knocked down in 2010. (AP Photo)

Carl Pistorius, brother of Olympian athlete, Oscar Pistorius, arrives at home, Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, where his brother has been staying in Pretoria, South Africa, since being granted bail Friday for the Valentine's Day shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Reports emerged Sunday that Carl Pistorius is facing charges of culpable homicide for the death of a woman biker who was knocked down in 2010. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2013 file photo, Carl Pistorius, right, and Henke Pistorius, the brother and father of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend attend Oscar's bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. A report by a local television station on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, revealed that Carl Pistorius is facing a charge of culpable homicide for the death of a woman knocked down on her motorbike in 2010. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' father Henke Pistorius, right, with his son Carl watch as Oscar Pistorius walks in during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Olympian Oscar Pistorius, foreground, stands following his bail hearing, as his brother Carl, left, and father Henke, second from left, look on in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine's Day, hitting her three times, a South African prosecutor said Tuesday as he charged the sports icon with premeditated murder. The magistrate ruled that Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. (AP Photo)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius's brother Carl Pistorius looks on after his bail application appearance at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Pistorius was formally charged at Pretoria Magistrate?s Court with one count of murder after his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show participant, was shot multiple times and killed at Pistorius' upmarket home in the predawn hours of Thursday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? The brother of Olympic star Oscar Pistorius is facing a culpable homicide charge for a 2008 road death, compounding problems for the family after the double-amputee runner was charged with premeditated murder in the Feb. 14 shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Lawyer Kenny Oldwage said in a statement that Carl had been involved in a car accident "in which a woman motorcyclist sadly lost her life." He said that "there is no doubt that Carl is innocent and the charge will be challenged in court."

Carl Pistorius was already in court last Thursday, as his brother Oscar was facing a bail hearing, and will appear again at the end of next month.

Oscar Pistorius was released on bail Friday and his brother Carl was seen driving into the home of their uncle Arnold early Sunday in Waterkloof, an affluent suburb of Pretoria, the nation's capital, where Oscar is now staying.

The problems surrounding his older brother Carl are the latest twist in a case that has transfixed South Africa and much of the world. Sunday's revelation of the culpable homicide charge immediately created a stir.

"It's also doubly sad because it's involved with Oscar and his brother and all the family ? so they have double sort of trouble. So, not good," said Johannesburg resident Jim Plester.

Oldwage said that "Carl deeply regrets the accident" and that a blood test showed he was not drunk at the time. "It was a tragic road accident after the deceased collided with Carl's car."

He said the charges had initially been dropped, only to be reinstated later.

Oscar Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder, but the athlete says he killed his girlfriend accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her for an intruder in his home.

On Saturday, the family took steps to lower its profile on social media after someone hacked into the Twitter account of Carl. They cancelled all the social media sites for both Oscar's brother and his sister Aimee.

Carl has always been close to Oscar but was notably absent when their uncle Arnold, flanked by Oscar's sister Aimee, read out a first reaction to the shooting on Feb. 17, even though he was also on the premises.

The three-story house where Pistorius is staying with his aunt and uncle sits on a hill with a sweeping view of Pretoria. It has a large swimming pool and an immaculate garden.

The character of Pistorius also continued to take center stage. For many, it mirrors his public appearances as an articulate, well-spoken advocate for Paralympic athletes facing hardship. Witness statements backing up Oscar Pistorius as a down-to-earth guy were presented at the hearing.

Others have described him as a reckless risk taker who has been in trouble before, such as a boat accident in 2009 which put him into hospital intensive care unit.

On Sunday, a South African man who said Steenkamp had stayed at his home since September, described Pistorius as moody and impatient. Cecil Myers, whose daughter was close friends with Steenkamp, said in an interview published Sunday in the City Press newspaper, that Pistorius will have the killing of Steenkamp on his conscience. "I hope he gets a long sentence. Gets what he deserves," said Myers.

"Very nice and charming to us when they started dating," said Myers. Myers said Pistorius initially used to come into the house but later just dropped Steenkamp off and picked her up when they began to date steadily, and he described the change as a lack of respect.

Myers recalled their first date and told the newspaper: "After that he wouldn't leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her."

According to Myers, Steenkamp "told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in."

Myers said he told Pistorius "not to force himself on her. Back off." He said that after initially agreeing with him, it appeared that Pistorius soon took no heed.

Pistorius was born without fibula bones due to a congenital defect and his legs were amputated when he was 11 months old. He has run on carbon-fiber blades and was originally banned from competing against able-bodied peers because many argued that his blades gave him an unfair advantage. He was later cleared to compete. He is a multiple Paralympic medalist, and won a silver medal at the 2011 Daegu world championships with South Africa's 4x400 relay team. But he failed to win a medal at the London Olympics, where he ran in the 400 meter race and the 4x400 relay race.

___

AP Sports Writer Gerald Imray contributed from Pretoria. AP Writer Christopher Torchia contributed from Johannesburg.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-24-OLY-Pistorius-Shooting/id-d7dd342e2f024daa8e81aba828bb9982

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Teen's slaying prompts South African soul ... - CNN Radio News

By Emma Lacey-Bordeaux, CNN

Follow on Twitter: @CNNEmma

Editor's Note:?Listen to the full story in our player above, and join the conversation in our comments section below.

South Africa is no stranger to violence against women. Fully 71 percent of women report having been victims of sexual violence, a rate that's among the highest in the world.

Still, the nation is not inured to the horror these crimes inflict. Lindiwe Mazibuko serves in South Africa's parliament. She says the rape and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booyson should spur people to action:

[1:05] "I believe that this can be a watershed moment. I believe it's up to South African society, political leaders, the government and those in the criminal justice system to decide whether or not this will be a watershed moment."

The brutality of the crime, as well as Booyson's bravery identifying one of her attackers before she died, has captivated South Africa. Protesters marched, columnists penned emotional editorials, and President Jacob Zuma weighed in as well.

But political scientist Sally Matthews says much of the discussion misconstrues the problem:

[2:24] "What concerns me is that a lot of the responses to gender-based violence call the men who commit these acts monsters or think of such men as being very different from the rest of us."

Matthews argues that instead of distancing these perpetrators from society as a whole, the community should consider how broadly-held attitudes and opinions contribute to a culture that tolerates violence.

The Valentine's day shooting at the home of Olympian Oscar Pistorius, dropped right in the middle of this conversation.

Pistorius has professed his innocence in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. But he faces a charge of premeditated murder. Authorities said there had been "previous incidents" at the home, including "allegations of a domestic nature," but did not provide details.

In an eerie connection between the two cases, Steenkamp posted a tribute to Booyson on Instagram. Four days later, she died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Source: http://cnnradio.cnn.com/2013/02/20/teens-slaying-prompts-south-african-soul-searching/

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Blizzard announces BlizzCon 2013 Dates

BlizzCon

A little later than usual this year, Blizzard will be holding this year?s BlizzCon on the 8th and 9th of November.

After a year?s break, the annual convention will once again take place at the?Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

?BlizzCon gives us a chance to connect with our players and share our latest projects in a very personal way,? said Blizzard CEO?Mike Morhaime. ?Members from all of our gaming communities have helped make this event bigger and better every time, and we look forward to meeting up and celebrating with them in November.?

So what can Blizzard players look forward to this year? Well it?s the usual fun and games with tournaments, Q&As, contests and probably some big band to play it out.

  • Hands-on play time with the latest versions of Blizzard Entertainment games
  • Global finals for Blizzard eSports, featuring top pro gamers from around the world
  • In-depth discussion panels with Blizzard game developers and artists
  • Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
  • Community contests with great prizes
  • Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment?s game universes
  • More activities and attractions to be announced

There are no details on ticket prices or when they will go on sale yet but keep an eye on the BlzzCon site?for more details in the not too distant future.

RELATED STORIES ON INCGAMERS

Source: http://www.incgamers.com/2013/02/blizzard-announces-blizzcon-2013-dates/

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Monday, February 18, 2013

The Post Post-PC Era: Will Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon Or Microsoft Win?

post-pc eraEditor?s note: Peter Relan is a?former developer and Oracle?s former VP of Internet Division, a serial entrepreneur since 1998, and a Silicon Valley angel investor. Relan founded YouWeb Incubator in 2007, spinning out a string of successful mobile and gaming companies. Follow him on Twitter @prelan. Even before Apple?s 10 percent stock dip, it was clear that one battle was already over. Put down your arms –?Android has won the smartphone OS marketshare war. The competitive drama of the smartphone battle has already unfolded to a large extent and is well understood: Android dominates unit shipment volumes,?while iPhone dominates profits associated with smartphones. It may seem like too early a claim, but history tells us Google?s Android distribution model puts the large part of the smartphone market in its corner. No other OS has seen a reversal of fortune this late in the game (think Windows in the early ’90s and Nokia with feature phones in the early aughts). And yet, many unknowns remain in the larger post-PC-era war, which?has only just begun?and has already?seen an explosion of devices and form factors, all competing to fill the void of the now-ancient desktop computer: tablets, smartphones, minis, phablets, ultrabooks, hybrid laptops.?As the market evolves, these devices will be competing to fulfill niche needs, with certain devices bound to flourish and others bound to fail.?A number of factors will influence which device types will survive through 2015: Consumer and worker choice Device distribution channels Platform ecosystems Technology advances Economic development in BRIC 1. Consumer And Worker Choice So what happens to PCs and laptops? The obvious answer is that the tablet will take over, but there are multiple form factors. Current designations include the large tablet, the mini tablet, and the hybrid tablet (think the Microsoft Surface — a tablet with a removable keyboard and OS designed for both leisure and productivity). Consumers will be sticking to their large and small tablets for email, Facebook and watching movies; let?s call them leisure activities requiring a light and easy-to-use second screen. These home consumers don?t need a physical keyboard nor do they want it, and at a $250-$600 price point, tablets are hard to beat. Hence the success of the iPad. And the iPad mini with a Retina display could even be the ?next big thing.? The Nexus 7 is already in the 7.X-inch form factor, so the mini tablet wars are just

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/h9KzbyUS0ak/

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Asteroid set for record near-miss

Jodrell Bank's Tim O'Brien on when and where to see the asteroid in the UK

An asteroid as large as an Olympic swimming pool will race past the Earth on Friday at a distance of just 27,700km (17,200mi) - the closest ever predicted for an object of that size.

It will pass closer even than the geosynchronous satellites that orbit the Earth, but there is no risk of impacts or collisions.

Its closest approach will be 19:25 GMT.

For regions in darkness around that time, it will be visible using good binoculars or a telescope.

The asteroid's arrival was preceded by a damaging meteor event in Russia on Friday - but indications from the meteor's path suggest that the two events are entirely unrelated - just a "cosmic coincidence", as Alan Fitzsimmons of Queens University Belfast told BBC News.

The asteroid orbits the Sun in 368 days - a period similar to Earth's year - but it does not orbit in the same plane as the Earth.

As it passes - at 7.8km/s (17,450 mi/hr) - it will come from "under" the Earth and return back toward the Sun from "above".

It will pass over directly over the eastern Indian Ocean, making for the best viewing in Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia.

But keen viewers anywhere can find one of several live streams of the event on the internet, including a feed from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Nasa, available from 19:00 GMT.

2012 DA14 was first spotted in February 2012 by astronomers at the La Sagra Sky Survey in Spain - once a fairly small-scale, amateur effort to discover and track asteroids that has in recent years become a significant contributor to our knowledge of these "near-Earth objects".

They caught sight of the asteroid after its last pass, at a far greater distance.

From their observations, they were able to calculate the asteroid's future and past paths and predict Friday's near-miss - which will be the closest the object comes for at least 30 years.

Prof Fitzsimmons said that it is a scientific opportunity not to be missed.

"When asteroids come this close, it's very important to try to learn about them - it's become so bright, so it's so easy to study," he told BBC News.

"We get an additional insight into these small objects, which are the most likely impactors on Earth."

The notion that it is these smaller, tens-to-hundreds of metres-sized objects that pose the greatest potential threat to Earth is explored in the BBC feature article Can we know about every asteroid? .

The asteroid will only be visible from some regions on Earth. Click through these maps produced by Dr Geert Barentsen, of the University of Hertfordshire, to see when the asteroid should be visible in different areas:

Continue reading the main story

For skywatchers in the UK, the graphic below indicates roughly where in the northern sky to try to spot 2012 DA14.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21442863#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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