Some Loops Not in The Loop

     Washington, D.C. - They are called loops because of their circular shape.  Loops are intended to relay daily traffic information and long-term maintenance needs of some of the nations most heavily traveled roadways.  As of November 2013 9,000 loops are not in service.  Information from loops relays the estimated travel times posted on freeway message boards.  A circular cut in a lane means a loop is probably embedded in the lane and is watching traffic.  On surface streets the maintenance costs are in the hundreds.  On freeways the costs rocket to the thousands of dollars.  Loops can last decades when properly installed.  Construction mishaps that cut the loop, copper wire thieves, and old age can cause outages that delay the real-time traffic maps, that are useful to the public.  See also, www.roadandtrack.com.

Communicating by Train

        Sacramento - A California County Superior Court Judge has blocked the sale of bonds to build California's high-speed train.  At the time he did this he also rejected the states plan for funding the rail project.  This could delay the plan.  See also, www.popularmechanics.com.

Apple Aquires Movement Sensor Company

      Tel Aviv - Apple Inc., moved up to $521.55 in pre-market trading on news that Apple has acquired a company called, PrimeSense. PrimeSense was founded in 2005 and makes chips that are used in three-dimensional sensing products. It is similar to that of the technology used in Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 (when you buy the $60 camera accessory). The technology allows gamer's to use their bodies to control the movements of onscreen characters. PrimeSense is based in Israel. See also, www.freeonlinegames.com.

828,000 Mph Ice and Dust Cloud

      Cape Canaveral - Among the paparazzi chasing Comet ISON are ultraviolet telescopes, ground observatories, amateur astronomers, and professional astrophotographers. ISON, which stands for International Scientific Optical Network, is named after the machinery a pair of Russian astronomers used to detect the comet September 2012. The comet will venture past earth at 40 million miles, but if it survives its journey around the sun, will be visible with the naked eye for up to 30 days. "Every spacecraft that has a camera, we're turning on it," said John Grunsfeld, a NASA science mission director. The newly launched Maven spacecraft, en route to Mars, will look at ISON once its ultraviolet instrument is up and running. The closer the comet gets to the sun, the faster it gets. In January it was clocked at 40,000 mph, four days ago it was at 150,000 mph, and when ISON slingshots around the sun, it will be speeding at 828,000 mph. See also, www.aviationweek.com.

Sony Increases Interest in Television

     Culver City - Sony recently reported numbers for its entertainment division, boosting its stock by 0.6 percent to $18.64 per share on the New York Stock Exchange.  Sony reported a sizeable operating  loss the previous quarter, ending September 30.  Sony had a mixed year at the box office, with hits like "Grown Ups 2" and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2."  Sony also had flops like "White House Down".     Studio chief Amy Pascal said the studio will reduce the number of films it makes, as it makes a shift from motion pictures to higer margin television production and to operating TV channels.  www.sony.com.  

Smart Phones Becoming More Common

   Stockholm - Smart phones currently make up some 55 percent of all cell phones sold today.  According to the world's largest maker of telecommunication networks, Sweden's Ericsson AB, smart phone traffic will hit 10 billion gigabytes by 2019, with videos representing some 50 percent of all data traffic.  Ericsson AB says, service providers will increase high-speed networks to deal with the surge in smart phones.  Total smart phones will account for approximately 5.6 billion world-wide by 2019, that will be 60% of all cell phones sold.   See also, www.ericsson.com.      

Online Gambling On The Rise

     Atlantic City - Hours before a five-day test period is scheduled to begin.  A New Jersey state lawmaker unveiled a proposal to lure foreign online gambling companies to New Jersey, possible making online gambling a world-wide enterprise.  The five-day test period starts at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, November 21.  The trial run will test sophisticated software, that is designed to ensure all gamblers are New Jersey residents and are over the age of 21.  If all goes well, online gambling will be available to gamblers in New Jersey, starting Tuesday, November 26.  The only other states to offer online gambling are Nevada and Delaware.  Online gambling will be the biggest expansion of gambling in New Jersey since casino gambling began in New Jersey in 1978.  "With the dawn of Internet gaming, we are on the cusp of perhaps the biggest change -and challenge- since the first casino opened here," Alisa Cooper, a commissioner with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission said.  See also,  www.onlinegambling.com.