Daily Archives: April 11, 2011

Parthenon Moon


EARTH WATCH
Parthenon MoonBy Anthony Ayiomamitis – Did you see the Full Moon last night? Near the horizon, the lunar orb may have seemed to loom large, swollen in appearance by the famous Moon illusion. But the Full Moon really was a large Full Moon last night, reaching its exact full phase within an hour of lunar perigee, the point in the Moon’s elliptical orbit closest to planet Earth. A similar near perigee Full Moon last occurred on December 12, 2008. The difference in the Moon’s apparent size as it moves from perigee to apogee, its farthest point from Earth, is about 14 percent. Of course, a nearly Full Moon will rise again tonight, lighting the skies on the date of the Equinox or equal night. The Full Moon also looms large in this well-planned, telescopic lunar portrait. Captured earlier this year, the rising lunar orb is dramatically matched to the 2,500 year old Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Image Credit & Copyright: Anthony Ayiomamitis (TWAN)

PIMCO goes short U.S. government debt


By Kevin Plumberg – PIMCO has shifted to a short position in U.S. government-related debt in the world’s largest bond fund, while also raising cash holdings in a sign of the asset manager’s serious concerns about the U.S. fiscal outlook.

The portion of PIMCO’s $236 billion Total Return Fund held in U.S. government debt, including U.S. Treasuries, was -3 percent of total assets in the fund as of March, down from zero in February, the firm’s website showed. more> http://is.gd/jS87pv

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Hungary builds a wall against the euro


Forint, HungaryBy Georgi Gotev – Hungary may not be ready to adopt the euro anytime soon, but it is obliged to do so by its accession treaty. The move appears to indicate that in the perspective of the ruling supermajority,  an opt-out is still possible. more> http://is.gd/Jo9JKh

YouTube Rolls Out Live Streaming Site


YouTubeBy Chloe Albanesius – YouTube Live is, well, live at youtube.com/live. Tune into live shows or add upcoming episodes to your Google calendar.

YouTube said it will also gradually roll out its live streaming platform to certain YouTube partners with accounts in good standing. “The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead. In order to ensure a great live stream viewing experience, we’ll roll this offering out incrementally over time,” YouTube said in a blog post. more> http://is.gd/7lOSrA

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AT&T, Verizon Forced to Let Rivals Use Networks For Data


at&t logoBy Todd Shields – AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless must let smaller competitors use their networks for mobile Internet service under rules approved today by a divided Federal Communications Commission.

The agency voted 3-2 with Democrats approving and Republicans dissenting to require large wireless carriers to strike commercial agreements with smaller carriers. Such agreements are voluntary now. more> http://is.gd/HFzfF1

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