Apple claims that the iPad Air as their best-ever LTE 4G radio, with support for more bands in more places in a single model than ever before. While that's great if you live in one of those "more places", what most of us want to know is - how fast and how consistent is it on our networks of choice. I took my brand new iPad Air out for some LTE testing earlier today, and the results were stunning. I averaged between 30 and 50mbps on the device itself, which is on the good side of typical. When I tethered to my 2013 Haswell 13-inch MacBook Air, however, I got between 75 and 95mbps. Yeah, it not only blew the doors off the place, but blew them clear across town. That was on the Rogers network outside of Montreal, and everyone's bands and bandwidth will vary, of course. So, question time:
How fast is your iPad Air data? Let me know what carrier you're on, where, and if you can, try to run a few tests just to get a better sense of range. Either type the results below or, better yet, go post a screenshot in our official iMore forums iPad Air data speed thread.
BlackBerry startled many when it booted Thorsten Heins, particularly smartphone owners -- would interim chief John Chen want to preserve the company's handset business? Those customers can relax, at least for now. Chen tellsReuters that he expects to continue phone development, arguing that there are "enough ingredients" for long-term success. Executives at the company can't rest so easily, however, as the new CEO intends a shake-up of BlackBerry's management that will include some outsiders. The strategy should reassure nervous fans for a while, although Chen will need to back up his words with deeds -- after all, his predecessor made numerous promises that didn't quite pan out.
AAANov. 4, 20131:55 PM ET Teacher shot at LAX upgraded to good condition By TAMI ABDOLLAHBy TAMI ABDOLLAH
Lighted pylons at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport, which normally flash in a multicolored sequence, shine a steady blue Saturday evening, Nov. 2, 2013, in honor of Gerardo Hernandez, the Transportation Security Administration officer slain at an LAX terminal Friday. He is the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty in the history of the 12-year-old agency, created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A police entry checkpoint, part of an increased visible police presence, is seen in the foreground. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Lighted pylons at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport, which normally flash in a multicolored sequence, shine a steady blue Saturday evening, Nov. 2, 2013, in honor of Gerardo Hernandez, the Transportation Security Administration officer slain at an LAX terminal Friday. He is the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty in the history of the 12-year-old agency, created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. A police entry checkpoint, part of an increased visible police presence, is seen in the foreground. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
This photo provided by the FBI shows Paul Ciancia, 23. Accused of opening fire inside the Los Angeles airport, Ciancia was determined to lash out at the Transportation Security Administration, saying in a note that he wanted to kill at least one TSA officer and didn’t care which one, authorities said Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/FBI)
ALTERNATE HORIZONTAL CROP - This June, 2013 photo released by the Hernandez family Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, shows Transportation Security Administration officer Gerardo Hernandez. Hernandez, 39, was shot to death and several others wounded by a gunman who went on a shooting rampage in Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport Friday. (AP Photo/Courtesy Hernandez Family)
This photo provided by the Calabasas Courier, a student publication of Calabasas, Calif., High School, shows teacher Brian Ludmer in September, 2012. Ludmer, 29, was the lone civilian wounded by gunfire in the shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. Ludmer remained in fair condition at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg. Two other people suffered injuries trying to evade the gunman, but weren't shot. (AP Photo/Calabasas Courier)
John S. Pistole, left, Administrator of Transportation Security Administration and Ana Fernandez, center, wife of TSA agent Gerardo Fernandez, victim at LAX shooting, before a press conference in Porter Ranch, Calif. on Saturday Nov. 2, 2013. A gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, killing a Transportation Security Administration employee and wounding two other people in an attack that frightened passengers and disrupted flights nationwide. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Officials say a high school teacher wounded at Los Angeles International Airport has been upgraded to good condition.
Officials at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center said Monday that Brian Ludmer has to undergo at least one more surgery on his leg and extensive physical therapy, but his condition was upgraded from fair to good.
Ludmer was shot Friday during the attack that authorities say was carried out by a 23-year-old Paul Ciancia over a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration.
TSA Officer Gerardo I. Hernandez was killed in the shooting.
Operations at the airport were back to normal Monday, the first business day since the attack.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has left in place the settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Facebook over a marketing program that broadcast users' purchasing and shopping habits to their friends.
The justices declined Monday to review the $9.5 million settlement of a lawsuit about the now-shuttered Beacon marketing program. The money from the settlement was used to pay lawyers and set up an Internet privacy foundation. Almost none of it reached Facebook users.
The case offered a court that has been hostile to class-action lawsuits the opportunity to limit a popular way of settling such claims by directing the bulk of the money involved to lawyers and charity, rather than people affected by a company's practices.
Chief Justice John Roberts said the court should take up the issue in another case.
Highly stable quantum light source for applications in quantum information developped
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
4-Nov-2013
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Contact: Richard Warburton richard.warburton@unibas.ch 41-612-673-560 University of Basel
Physicists at the University of Basel have been successful in generating photons - the quantum particles of light with only one color. This is useful for quantum information. The scientists have actively stabilized the wavelength of the photons emitted by a semiconductor thereby neutralizing the charge noise in the semiconductor. The results were developed in close collaboration with the Universities of Bochum, Paderborn and Lyon and have been published in the magazine Physical Review X.
Light consists of quantum particles, so-called photons. With a single photon it is possible to transfer quantum information. The information can be encoded in the polarization or in the phase of the photons' wave packets and can be used in quantum communication and computation. In such applications, a single-photon source, a device that emits photons one by one, is a prerequisite. One of the most promising platforms for single-photon sources is based on semiconductor quantum dots. One major unsolved problem is, however, that the "color" (or wavelength) of the photons emitted by a quantum dot is not locked to a precise value; rather, it wanders around randomly.
The fluctuations in the wavelength of the photons originate from imperfections in the vicinity of the quantum dot. These imperfections can trap electric charge in the semiconductor resulting in noise. To remove this charge noise, Prof. Warburton of the Department of Physics at the University of Basel and his team have developed a quantum-classical hybrid system that connects a single quantum dot to a constant-wavelength laser. This stabilizing mechanism monitors continuously the fluctuations via the highly sensitive optical absorption of the quantum dot. By applying the exact opposite effect, the electrical field experienced by the quantum dot can be actively regulated.
Stream of single-color photons
With this system, the scientists succeeded in generating a nearly perfect stream of single-color photons. A notable point is that a quantum system could be made technically useful by using a classical feedback scheme, a general feature which has not been demonstrated up until now.
This new scheme - through its highly effective removal of the charge noise - potentially enables a stable single-photon source and may lead, for example, to improvement in semiconductor-based spin quibts. The study was supported by the National Center of Competence in Research QSIT Quantum Science and Technology, for which the University of Basel acts as Co-Leading-House.
###
Original Citation
Jonathan H. Prechtel, Andreas V. Kuhlmann, Julien Houel, Lukas Greuter, Arne Ludwig, Dirk Reuter, Andreas D. Wieck, and Richard J. Warburton
Frequency-Stabilized Source of Single Photons from a Solid-State Qubit
Phys. Rev. X 3, 041006 (2013) | DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.3.041006
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Highly stable quantum light source for applications in quantum information developped
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
4-Nov-2013
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Contact: Richard Warburton richard.warburton@unibas.ch 41-612-673-560 University of Basel
Physicists at the University of Basel have been successful in generating photons - the quantum particles of light with only one color. This is useful for quantum information. The scientists have actively stabilized the wavelength of the photons emitted by a semiconductor thereby neutralizing the charge noise in the semiconductor. The results were developed in close collaboration with the Universities of Bochum, Paderborn and Lyon and have been published in the magazine Physical Review X.
Light consists of quantum particles, so-called photons. With a single photon it is possible to transfer quantum information. The information can be encoded in the polarization or in the phase of the photons' wave packets and can be used in quantum communication and computation. In such applications, a single-photon source, a device that emits photons one by one, is a prerequisite. One of the most promising platforms for single-photon sources is based on semiconductor quantum dots. One major unsolved problem is, however, that the "color" (or wavelength) of the photons emitted by a quantum dot is not locked to a precise value; rather, it wanders around randomly.
The fluctuations in the wavelength of the photons originate from imperfections in the vicinity of the quantum dot. These imperfections can trap electric charge in the semiconductor resulting in noise. To remove this charge noise, Prof. Warburton of the Department of Physics at the University of Basel and his team have developed a quantum-classical hybrid system that connects a single quantum dot to a constant-wavelength laser. This stabilizing mechanism monitors continuously the fluctuations via the highly sensitive optical absorption of the quantum dot. By applying the exact opposite effect, the electrical field experienced by the quantum dot can be actively regulated.
Stream of single-color photons
With this system, the scientists succeeded in generating a nearly perfect stream of single-color photons. A notable point is that a quantum system could be made technically useful by using a classical feedback scheme, a general feature which has not been demonstrated up until now.
This new scheme - through its highly effective removal of the charge noise - potentially enables a stable single-photon source and may lead, for example, to improvement in semiconductor-based spin quibts. The study was supported by the National Center of Competence in Research QSIT Quantum Science and Technology, for which the University of Basel acts as Co-Leading-House.
###
Original Citation
Jonathan H. Prechtel, Andreas V. Kuhlmann, Julien Houel, Lukas Greuter, Arne Ludwig, Dirk Reuter, Andreas D. Wieck, and Richard J. Warburton
Frequency-Stabilized Source of Single Photons from a Solid-State Qubit
Phys. Rev. X 3, 041006 (2013) | DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.3.041006
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In this photo taken Dec. 3, 2010, U.S. navy officer Michael "Vannak Khem" Misiewicz becomes emotional as he embraces his aunt Samrith Sokha, 72, at Cambodian coastal international see port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Misiewicz passed confidential information on ship routes to Malaysian businessman Leonard Francis' Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA, according to the court documents. Misiewicz and Francis moved Navy vessels like chess pieces, diverting aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships to Asian ports with lax oversight where Francis could inflate costs, according to the criminal complaint. The firm overcharged the Navy millions for fuel, food and other services it provided, and invented tariffs by using phony port authorities, the prosecution alleges. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
In this photo taken Dec. 3, 2010, U.S. navy officer Michael "Vannak Khem" Misiewicz becomes emotional as he embraces his aunt Samrith Sokha, 72, at Cambodian coastal international see port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Misiewicz passed confidential information on ship routes to Malaysian businessman Leonard Francis' Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA, according to the court documents. Misiewicz and Francis moved Navy vessels like chess pieces, diverting aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships to Asian ports with lax oversight where Francis could inflate costs, according to the criminal complaint. The firm overcharged the Navy millions for fuel, food and other services it provided, and invented tariffs by using phony port authorities, the prosecution alleges. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nicknamed "Fat Leonard," the gregarious Malaysian businessman is well known by U.S. Navy commanders in the Pacific, where his company has serviced warships for 25 years.
But prosecutors in court papers say Leonard Francis worked his connections to obtain military secrets by lining up prostitutes, Lady Gaga tickets and other bribes for a U.S. commander, in a scandal reverberating across the Navy.
The accusations unfolding in a federal court case in San Diego signal serious national security breaches and corruption, setting off high-level meetings at the Pentagon with the threat that more people, including those of higher ranks, could be swept up as the investigation continues. A hearing Nov. 8 could set a trial date.
Navy commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz passed confidential information on ship routes to Francis' Singapore-based company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA, according to the court documents.
Misiewicz and Francis moved Navy vessels like chess pieces, diverting aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships to Asian ports with lax oversight where Francis could inflate costs, according to the criminal complaint. The firm overcharged the Navy millions for fuel, food and other services it provided, and invented tariffs by using phony port authorities, the prosecution alleges.
"It's pretty big when you have one person who can dictate where ships are going to go and being influenced by a contractor," said retired Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, who has no direct knowledge of the investigation. "A lot of people are saying how could this happen?"
So far, authorities have arrested Misiewicz; Francis; his company's general manager of global government contracts, Alex Wisidagama; and a senior Navy investigator, John Beliveau II. Beliveau is accused of keeping Francis abreast of the probe and advising him on how to respond in exchange for such things as luxury trips and prostitution services. All have pleaded not guilty. Defense attorneys declined to comment.
Senior Navy officials said they believe that more people would likely be implicated in the scheme, but it's too early to tell how many or how high this will go in the naval ranks. Other unnamed Navy personnel are mentioned in court documents as getting gifts from Francis.
Francis is legendary in military circles in that part of the world, said McKnight, who does not know him personally. He is known for extravagance. His 70,000-foot bungalow in an upscale Singapore neighborhood drew spectators yearly since 2007 to its lavish, outdoor Christmas decorations, which The Straits Times described as rivaling the island city-state's main shopping street with replicas of snowmen, lighted towering trees, and Chinese and Japanese ornaments.
"He's a larger-than-life figure," McKnight said. "You talk to any captain on any ship that has sailed in the Pacific and they will know exactly who he is."
Navy spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby said Navy Criminal Investigative Service agents initiated their probe in 2010, but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
That same year, Misiewicz caught the world's attention when he made an emotional return as a U.S. Naval commander to his native Cambodia, where he had been rescued as a child from the violence of the Khmer Rouge and adopted by an American woman. His homecoming was widely covered by international media.
Meanwhile, Francis was recruiting him for his scheme, according to court documents.
Misiewicz's family went to a Lion King production in Tokyo with a company employee and was offered prostitution services. Within months, the Navy commander was providing Francis ship movement schedules for the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group and other ships, according to the criminal complaint.
Shortly after that, the manager wrote to Francis: "We got him!!:)," according to court documents.
Misiewicz would refer to Francis as "Big Brother" or "Big Bro" in emails from a personal account, while Francis would call him "Little Brother" or "Little Bro," according to the complaint.
The company bilked the Navy out of $10 million in just one year in Thailand alone, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said.
In December 2011, the two exchanged emails about the schedule of the USS Blue Ridge, investigators say. According to court documents, Francis wrote Misiewicz: "Bro, Slide a Bali visit in after Jakarta, and Dili Timor after Bali."
The complaint alleges Misiewicz followed through on the demands: In October 2012, the USS George Washington was scheduled to visit Singapore and instead was redirected by the Navy to Port Klang, Malaysia, one of Francis' preferred ports where his company submitted fake contractor bids.
After Francis offered Misiewicz five tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in Thailand in 2012, Francis wrote: "Don't chicken out bro we need u with us on the front lines," according to court documents.
The federal government has suspended its contracts with Francis.
The defendants face up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery.
_____
Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Satish Cheney in Singapore contributed to this report.
Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin sits on the bench in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin sits on the bench in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Dolphins suspended guard Richie Incognito late Sunday for misconduct related to the treatment of teammate Jonathan Martin, who abruptly left the team a week ago to receive help for emotional issues.
"We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another," the Dolphins said in a statement released shortly before midnight, "and as a result we believe this decision is in the best interest of the organization at this time. ... We will continue to work with the league on this matter."
The move capped a bizarre day for the Dolphins, even though their players were off. First the team released a statement saying Martin had not complained to the organization about bullying by other players. Hours later, the Dolphins said they and the NFL were investigating allegations of misconduct made Sunday by representatives of Martin.
Incognito posted several tweets saying he wants his name cleared after reports linked him to the Martin matter. Then came the announcement of his suspension.
Martin left the Dolphins on Oct. 28, raising questions about the role harassment from teammates played in his departure. It's unclear whether or when he's expected back. The NFL Players Association plans to look into the matter this week.
Martin's agent, Kenneth Zuckerman, declined to comment Sunday. The Dolphins resume practice Monday after three days off.
Martin left the team on the heels of a four-game losing streak. The resulting rumblings of locker-room dissension included reports of complaints by young players that they're being pressured to pay more than their share when members of the team go out on the town or vacation together.
Some rookie hazing has long been part of the NFL, however.
"Everything tastes better when rookies pay for it," veteran Miami defensive lineman Jared Odrick tweeted Friday.
The Dolphins (4-4), who beat Cincinnati on Thursday, next play at Tampa Bay on Nov. 11.
Incognito, a ninth-year pro, earned a reputation as one of the NFL's dirtiest players when he was with the St. Louis Rams. But he has won frequent praise for his leadership since joining the Dolphins in 2010, and this year he was voted by teammates to serve as a member of the Dolphins' player council.
The Dolphins have attributed Martin's absence to an illness not tied to football. On Sunday they said the team, "including coach Joe Philbin and Jonathan's teammates, have been in communication with Jonathan and his family since his departure from the club, and continue to be in contact. Our primary concern for Jonathan is his overall health and well-being."
Martin, a second-year pro from Stanford, played in Miami's loss at New England on Oct. 27 and was at the Dolphins' complex the next day before leaving the team. He missed the victory over Cincinnati.
Incognito's suspension creates further turmoil for an offensive line that has struggled all season. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is on a franchise-record pace with 32 sacks.
__
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
___
Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve_Wine
WASHINGTON (AP) — A moderate Republican senator is calling for a "time out" in the implementation of President Barack Obama's new health care program.
New Hampshire's Sen. Kelly Ayotte (AY'-aht) tells "CBS This Morning" that with the problems in the plan's roll-out, it's necessary to regroup.
The Healthcare.gov web site has been plagued with access problems and at least 3.5 million Americans have received cancellation notices.
Ayotte said the problems go "much deeper than the website."
She adds, quote, "I would like us to take a complete time out and let us work together." Ayotte advocated convening a bipartisan group of lawmakers, saying, "Let's see how we can get this right for the people." Ayotte says she has supported repealing what administration critics call "Obamacare," but says that's not going to happen.
Special issue of the journal Theory in Biosciences commemorates the British naturalist, often overshadowed by Charles Darwin
The Springer journal Theory in Biosciences is publishing a special issue "Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913): The man in the shadow of Charles Darwin" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wallace's death on 7 November 1913. Alfred R. Wallace was one of the leading evolutionary thinkers of the 19th century. Guest editors of the special issue are editorial board member Dr. Ulrich Kutschera of the University of Kassel and Dr. Uwe Hossfeld of the University of Jena, Germany. All articles in this issue are available free of charge until 31 December 2013 on Springer's online platform SpringerLink.
Alfred Russel Wallace was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer and biologist. Despite the fact that he was the co-discoverer of the "Darwinian" principle of natural selection, he is one of the forgotten scientists in evolutionary biology. Wallace was curiosity-driven, carrying out extensive fieldwork in the Amazon River basin and Southeast Asia. He published 22 books on a variety of topics and was the single author of more than 700 articles.
Professor Kutschera said, "One century later, Alfred Russel Wallace is not only acknowledged as the 'second discoverer of natural selection' but also as the co-founder of biogeography, biodiversity research and astrobiology. In this special issue of Theory in Biosciences, Uwe Hossfeld and I present eight original papers which reflect the many-facetted interests of this great scientist."
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Theory in Biosciences focuses on new concepts in theoretical biology, dealing with analytical and modeling approaches as well as the biophilosophy and history of ideas. The journal publishes articles on evolution, systems theory and dynamics, theoretical ecology and neurobiology, cognition, visual computation, simulation strategies, bioethics and related topics. Editors-in-chief are Dr. Olaf Breidbach, Dr. Jrgen Jost and Dr. Peter F. Stadler.
Springer Science+Business Media is a leading global scientific, technical and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe especially in Germany and the Netherlands primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education.
The special Alfred Russel Wallace issue of Theory in Biosciences is available online free of charge: http://link.springer.com/journal/12064/132/4/page/1
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Alfred Russel Wallace: Co-founder of the theory of biological evolution
Special issue of the journal Theory in Biosciences commemorates the British naturalist, often overshadowed by Charles Darwin
The Springer journal Theory in Biosciences is publishing a special issue "Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913): The man in the shadow of Charles Darwin" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wallace's death on 7 November 1913. Alfred R. Wallace was one of the leading evolutionary thinkers of the 19th century. Guest editors of the special issue are editorial board member Dr. Ulrich Kutschera of the University of Kassel and Dr. Uwe Hossfeld of the University of Jena, Germany. All articles in this issue are available free of charge until 31 December 2013 on Springer's online platform SpringerLink.
Alfred Russel Wallace was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer and biologist. Despite the fact that he was the co-discoverer of the "Darwinian" principle of natural selection, he is one of the forgotten scientists in evolutionary biology. Wallace was curiosity-driven, carrying out extensive fieldwork in the Amazon River basin and Southeast Asia. He published 22 books on a variety of topics and was the single author of more than 700 articles.
Professor Kutschera said, "One century later, Alfred Russel Wallace is not only acknowledged as the 'second discoverer of natural selection' but also as the co-founder of biogeography, biodiversity research and astrobiology. In this special issue of Theory in Biosciences, Uwe Hossfeld and I present eight original papers which reflect the many-facetted interests of this great scientist."
###
Theory in Biosciences focuses on new concepts in theoretical biology, dealing with analytical and modeling approaches as well as the biophilosophy and history of ideas. The journal publishes articles on evolution, systems theory and dynamics, theoretical ecology and neurobiology, cognition, visual computation, simulation strategies, bioethics and related topics. Editors-in-chief are Dr. Olaf Breidbach, Dr. Jrgen Jost and Dr. Peter F. Stadler.
Springer Science+Business Media is a leading global scientific, technical and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe especially in Germany and the Netherlands primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education.
The special Alfred Russel Wallace issue of Theory in Biosciences is available online free of charge: http://link.springer.com/journal/12064/132/4/page/1
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Bettye Miller bettye.miller@ucr.edu 951-827-7847 University of California - Riverside
Collaboration between a UCR sociologist and Indio police is reducing crime
RIVERSIDE, Calif. A unique collaboration between a University of California, Riverside sociologist and the Indio Police Department has produced a computer model that predicts, by census block group, where burglaries are likely to occur.
Using the model, the Indio department has developed interventions to address the problem, and can better anticipate hot spots of criminal activity and deploy officers accordingly. The result is an 8 percent decline in thefts in the first nine months of 2013.
The collaboration between Robert Nash Parker, professor of sociology and senior researcher at UCR's Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, and Indio police is unusual, but it is the direction law enforcement is heading, said Indio Police Chief Richard P. Twiss.
"This is the wave of the future," he said. "It is my hope this relationship with Dr. Parker will continue throughout my tenure with this department, not only on this project, but with others as well."
Parker and Twiss presented the computer model at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Philadelphia in October. The project was funded with a four-year, $210,617 grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative, which supports innovative efforts by police agencies to solve serious crime problems in their communities.
"Professor Parker's research really goes to the heart of the Presley Center's mission, which is to conduct and apply top-notch research in the criminal justice system in a way that can protect the public and reduce crime," said Steven E. Clark, director of the Presley Center.
Parker began working with the Indio Police Department in 2010 to determine if a computer model could predict by census block group the smallest geographic unit the Census Bureau uses where burglaries were most likely to occur.
"Thefts overall had been rising, and I was concerned that we were on a course to exceed last year," Twiss said.
Using crime data and truancy records truants account for a significant number of daytime burglaries Parker discovered patterns of crime over time and space. Most computer models account for changes over time or a variety of places, but not both.
"This is still cutting-edge and experimental," Parker explained. "Big data gives you statistical power to make these kinds of predictions. It makes it possible for us to anticipate crime patterns, especially hot spots of crime, which allows law enforcement agencies to engage in targeted prevention activities that could disrupt the cause of crime before the crime happens."
Parker and Indio police reviewed 10 years of data and discovered that as truancy arrests shifted geographically in the city, burglaries appeared to follow one or two years later. As the sociologist dug deeper into the data he identified individual students whom school officials had mailed more than 100 letters about their absences.
"We assumed there was a correlation between daytime burglaries and truancy," Twiss said. "When you actually have the data that shows it, then you can evaluate the processes, and the breakdowns in the processes."
Police launched several outreach programs as a result, including a burglary and truancy prevention task force, community safety fairs and meetings, media campaigns, and stronger partnership efforts with local business owners and others.
Confirmation of the truancy-burglary connection prompted the department to train staff members to teach Parent Project classes. The nationally known program is designed for parents raising difficult or out-of-control adolescents. Although it is too soon to measure the impact of the program, which Indio police began in October, anecdotal reports are promising, Twiss said.
For example, a single mother whose son was habitually truant had attended only three parenting classes when she asked for help. A school resource officer met with her son in their home the next day to determine the reason for his absences and counseled him about the direction his life could take if he did not stay in school.
"That day he asked his mom to take him to re-enroll in school," the chief said. "That's a direct result of this program. She felt comfortable that we weren't going to have an arrest-and-book mentality."
Twiss said police do enforce daytime curfew violations, and he also hopes to revive a youth court program where trained teens would hear these cases.
"We are deploying people differently and doing more community outreach," he said of the impact of the collaboration with Parker. "We discuss in briefing those areas that are being impacted. We had our crime analyst put maps together a few months ago based on trends we were seeing and we did pro-active patrols in those areas. Instead of having to respond to past crimes our arrests went up and instances of theft were reduced. We want to produce real-time, weekly hotspot maps that will predict patterns and trends. That's the direction we're heading."
Through the Smart Policing Initiative police are reaching adolescents before they enter the criminal justice system. "I am a huge supporter of smart policing and this BJA program," Twiss said.
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Computer model anticipates crime hot spots
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
4-Nov-2013
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Contact: Bettye Miller bettye.miller@ucr.edu 951-827-7847 University of California - Riverside
Collaboration between a UCR sociologist and Indio police is reducing crime
RIVERSIDE, Calif. A unique collaboration between a University of California, Riverside sociologist and the Indio Police Department has produced a computer model that predicts, by census block group, where burglaries are likely to occur.
Using the model, the Indio department has developed interventions to address the problem, and can better anticipate hot spots of criminal activity and deploy officers accordingly. The result is an 8 percent decline in thefts in the first nine months of 2013.
The collaboration between Robert Nash Parker, professor of sociology and senior researcher at UCR's Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies, and Indio police is unusual, but it is the direction law enforcement is heading, said Indio Police Chief Richard P. Twiss.
"This is the wave of the future," he said. "It is my hope this relationship with Dr. Parker will continue throughout my tenure with this department, not only on this project, but with others as well."
Parker and Twiss presented the computer model at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Philadelphia in October. The project was funded with a four-year, $210,617 grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative, which supports innovative efforts by police agencies to solve serious crime problems in their communities.
"Professor Parker's research really goes to the heart of the Presley Center's mission, which is to conduct and apply top-notch research in the criminal justice system in a way that can protect the public and reduce crime," said Steven E. Clark, director of the Presley Center.
Parker began working with the Indio Police Department in 2010 to determine if a computer model could predict by census block group the smallest geographic unit the Census Bureau uses where burglaries were most likely to occur.
"Thefts overall had been rising, and I was concerned that we were on a course to exceed last year," Twiss said.
Using crime data and truancy records truants account for a significant number of daytime burglaries Parker discovered patterns of crime over time and space. Most computer models account for changes over time or a variety of places, but not both.
"This is still cutting-edge and experimental," Parker explained. "Big data gives you statistical power to make these kinds of predictions. It makes it possible for us to anticipate crime patterns, especially hot spots of crime, which allows law enforcement agencies to engage in targeted prevention activities that could disrupt the cause of crime before the crime happens."
Parker and Indio police reviewed 10 years of data and discovered that as truancy arrests shifted geographically in the city, burglaries appeared to follow one or two years later. As the sociologist dug deeper into the data he identified individual students whom school officials had mailed more than 100 letters about their absences.
"We assumed there was a correlation between daytime burglaries and truancy," Twiss said. "When you actually have the data that shows it, then you can evaluate the processes, and the breakdowns in the processes."
Police launched several outreach programs as a result, including a burglary and truancy prevention task force, community safety fairs and meetings, media campaigns, and stronger partnership efforts with local business owners and others.
Confirmation of the truancy-burglary connection prompted the department to train staff members to teach Parent Project classes. The nationally known program is designed for parents raising difficult or out-of-control adolescents. Although it is too soon to measure the impact of the program, which Indio police began in October, anecdotal reports are promising, Twiss said.
For example, a single mother whose son was habitually truant had attended only three parenting classes when she asked for help. A school resource officer met with her son in their home the next day to determine the reason for his absences and counseled him about the direction his life could take if he did not stay in school.
"That day he asked his mom to take him to re-enroll in school," the chief said. "That's a direct result of this program. She felt comfortable that we weren't going to have an arrest-and-book mentality."
Twiss said police do enforce daytime curfew violations, and he also hopes to revive a youth court program where trained teens would hear these cases.
"We are deploying people differently and doing more community outreach," he said of the impact of the collaboration with Parker. "We discuss in briefing those areas that are being impacted. We had our crime analyst put maps together a few months ago based on trends we were seeing and we did pro-active patrols in those areas. Instead of having to respond to past crimes our arrests went up and instances of theft were reduced. We want to produce real-time, weekly hotspot maps that will predict patterns and trends. That's the direction we're heading."
Through the Smart Policing Initiative police are reaching adolescents before they enter the criminal justice system. "I am a huge supporter of smart policing and this BJA program," Twiss said.
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The launcher — the app that controls how your home screens look and act — arguably is the most important part of an Android smartphone. And from the earliest devices, we've seen manufacturers and app developers diverge from Google's solution and roll their own interpretations. (To varying degrees of success, for sure.)
In Android 4.4 KitKat, Google changed things up once more adding a couple of simple but much-needed features — the ability to add home screens, and the ability to rearrange your home screens.
Oh, Google Now is still attached to the far left — that's not going anywhere anytime soon, probably. But these new additions are welcomed, and easy to get used to.
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