Law & Order Actor Fred Thompson Moves Closer To Presidential Bid

Several news reports quoting anonymous sources close to Fred Thompson say he will set up a committee next week that will allow him to raise money and hire staff for a presidential bid next year.

A report on the Politico political news Web site says Thompson is planning to officially enter the race for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination over the U.S. Independence Day holiday on July 4.

“It has been behind the scenes, but the campaign has been very carefully planned out with mechanisms in place for raising money,” said Mike Allen, with the Politico.com. “They are going to start paying staff members next week. There is going to be a testing-the-waters committee formed, and probably around the first week in July, Senator Thompson will make it official.”

Thompson has been considering a presidential bid for months, beginning with an interview on Fox television back in March.

“I am going to wait and see how it pans out, see how they do, how it develops,” he said. “A lot of people think it is late already. I do not really think it is, although the rules of the game have changed somewhat.”

Thompson previously served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee and as a Washington lobbyist. He is also well known for his acting roles in films and on television in the popular NBC series Law and Order.

If he did get in the race, Thompson would join a crowded Republican field that already includes 10 contenders.

But Thompson has scored well in public opinion polls among Republican voters, placing about third in many surveys, behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain and about even with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Political experts say Thompson could have an immediate impact if he entered the race for the Republican nomination, in part because of doubts about the current frontrunners.

“With Giuliani, it is his liberal social views on abortion and other subjects,” said Larry Sabato, who directs the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “With McCain, it is the fact that he is such a maverick and out of the Republican mainstream on a wide variety of issues. And with Romney, it is that he is a champion flip-flopper [on issues].”

Experts say Thompson also might appeal to religious conservative voters who so far have not focused on a favorite in the Republican field.

Thompson may not be the last Republican to join the race if he makes a run for the nomination. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia says he will decide on a presidential bid sometime after September.

Source: VO

Forecasters Predict Very Active Hurricane Season In US

Colorado State University hurricane forecasters today maintained an earlier forecast that called for a very active 2007 season with a 74 percent chance of a major hurricane making landfall on the U.S. coastline.

The hurricane forecast team is calling for 17 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin between June 1 and Nov. 30. Nine of the storms are expected to become hurricanes with five becoming intense hurricanes (Saffir/Simpson category 3-4-5) with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater.

The entire report is available on the Web here.

No hurricanes made landfall along the U.S. coastline in 2006. The 2006 season witnessed a total of 10 named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes. Long-term averages are 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 intense hurricanes per year.

“We expect an above-average hurricane season with ENSO conditions on the cool side, which will help increase the likelihood of major storm activity in the Atlantic,” said Phil Klotzbach of the Colorado State hurricane forecast team and the lead author of the forecast. “El Nino conditions during the summer and fall - similar to those that developed in 2006 - tend to decrease Atlantic hurricane activity by increasing vertical wind shear across the area where Atlantic tropical cyclones develop.”

The hurricane forecast team predicts tropical cyclone activity in 2007 will be 185 percent of the average season. By comparison, 2005 witnessed tropical cyclone activity that was about 275 percent of the average season.

The hurricane forecast team reiterated its probabilities for a major hurricane making landfall on U.S. soil:

- A 74 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coastline in 2007 (the long-term average probability is 52 percent).

- A 50 percent chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula (the long-term average is 31 percent)

- A 49 percent chance that a major hurricane will make landfall on the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle west to Brownsville (the long-term average is 30 percent).

The team also predicted above-average major hurricane landfall risk in the Caribbean.

The 2006 season was only the 12th year since 1945 that the United States experienced no hurricane landfalls. Since then, there have been only two consecutive-year periods where there were no hurricane landfalls: 1981-1982 and 2000-2001.

“There were a lot of challenges in 2006 that we didn’t expect such as a late-developing El Nino, which causes increased vertical wind shear and results in less tropical cyclone activity,” said William Gray, who began forecasting hurricane seasons at Colorado State 24 years ago.

For 2007, Klotzbach and Gray expect continued warm tropical and north Atlantic sea-surface temperatures, prevalent in most years since 1995, as well as neutral or weak La Nina conditions - a recipe for greatly enhanced Atlantic basin hurricane activity.

These factors are similar to conditions that occurred during the 1952, 1954, 1964, 1966, 1995 and 2003 seasons. The average of these six seasons had well above-average activity, and Klotzbach and Gray predict the 2007 season will have activity in line with the average of these six years.

“We are in a new era for storms that is part of a natural cycle,” Gray said. “We’ve had an upturn of major storms in the Atlantic since 1995. This active cycle is expected to continue for another decade or two at which time we should enter a quieter Atlantic major hurricane period like we experienced during the quarter century periods of 1970-1994 and 1901-1925. These changes in storm activity are not caused by human-induced global warming but by natural forces.”

The Colorado State hurricane forecast team has said the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 were anomalies: Florida and the Gulf Coast were ravaged by four landfalling hurricanes each year. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne caused devastating damage in 2004 followed by Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005.

Probabilities of tropical storm-force, hurricane-force and intense hurricane-force winds occurring at specific locations along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts within a variety of time periods are listed on the forecast team’s Landfall Probability Web site. The site provides U.S. landfall probabilities for 11 regions, 55 sub-regions and 205 individual counties along the U.S. coastline from Brownsville, Texas, to Eastport, Maine. The Web site, available to the public at http://www.e-transit.org/hurricane, is the first publicly accessible Internet tool that adjusts landfall probabilities for regions, sub-regions and counties based on the current climate and its projected effects on the upcoming hurricane season. Klotzbach and Gray update the site regularly with assistance from the GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.

The hurricane team’s forecasts are based on the premise that global oceanic and atmospheric conditions - such as El Nino, sea surface temperatures and sea level pressures - that preceded active or inactive hurricane seasons in the past provide meaningful information about similar trends in future seasons.

The team will issue seasonal updates of its 2007 Atlantic basin hurricane activity forecast on Aug. 3, Sept. 4 and Oct. 2. The August, September and October forecasts will include separate forecasts for each of those months.

Source: Colorado State University

Microsoft Gets The Touch With Surface

Today at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil Microsoft Surface, the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft that breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, dynamic surface that provides effortless interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. Beginning at the end of this year, consumers will be able to interact with Surface in hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues.

The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information on their own or collaboratively with their friends and families, just like in the real world. Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that small groups can use at the same time. From digital finger painting to a virtual concierge, Surface brings natural interaction to the digital world in a new and exciting way.

“With Surface, we are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology,” Ballmer said. “We see this as a multibillion dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror. Surface is the first step in realizing that vision.”

The Human Touch

Microsoft Surface puts people in control of their experiences with technology, making everyday tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient. Imagine ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger. Imagine quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen. Imagine creating and sending a personal postcard of vacation pictures instantly to friends and family, while still wearing flip-flops.

Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become completely immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table.

Surface computing at Microsoft is an outgrowth of a collaborative effort between the Microsoft Hardware and Microsoft Research teams, which were struck by the opportunity to create technology that would bridge the physical and virtual worlds. What started as a high-level concept grew into a prototype and evolved to today’s market-ready product that will transform the way people shop, dine, entertain and live. It’s a major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user interface to a more natural way of interacting with information. Surface computing, which Microsoft has been working on for a number of years, features four key attributes:

• Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands, interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.

• Multi-touch. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger like a typical touch-screen, but up to dozens of items at once.

• Multi-user. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.

• Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

Surface Puts People in Control

Surface will be shipped to partners with a portfolio of basic applications, including photos, music and virtual concierge applications that can be customized to provide their customers with unique experiences. Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., and T-Mobile USA Inc. will be some of the first companies to provide unique Surface experiences for their customers. These first partners are exploring a variety of avenues for Surface, which may include the following:

• Harrah’s Entertainment. Guests at Harrah’s Entertainment’s Las Vegas properties, including Caesars Palace and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, can explore the wide variety of dining, entertainment, night life and gaming experiences available at its network of area casinos. Using the interactive virtual concierge in Microsoft Surface, guests can reserve tickets to an Elton John concert, review the menu at chic eatery Bradley Odgen, take a tour of the world-famous PURE nightclub, book a luxurious spa treatment or redeem Total Rewards loyalty program credits for a broad range of merchandise. The virtual concierge can directly connect users to amenities available at any of Harrah’s seven Las Vegas casinos, allowing guests to “visit” multiple venues and plan their itineraries without ever getting up from their table. “When visitors to Las Vegas choose to stay at one of our casinos, they can enjoy the amenities at all of them,” said Tim Stanley, Harrah’s chief information officer and senior vice president of innovation, gaming and IT. “Microsoft Surface is a great way to help our guests get the most out of their trips to Las Vegas by putting all the offerings and experiences we make available at their fingertips.”

• Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT) will initially launch Surface at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Starwood’s largest and most global brand. Surface will help bring interaction, connectivity and play to Sheraton hotels’ new lobby experience, currently being rolled out in key cities worldwide. To provide guests with greater service, unique experiences and entertainment, Sheraton embraced Surface as a key component of its lobby transformation. Surface will enable guests to browse and listen to music, create their own playlists, send photos home, download books, and even order food and drinks — all with the drop of a credit card or their Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty card. “We are creating new and engaging ways for our guests to connect with their passions while away from home. Microsoft Surface puts us at the forefront of technology and allows guests to interact with each other and our hotel in a revolutionary way,” said Hoyt H. Harper II, senior vice president for Sheraton.

• T-Mobile USA. Customers in T-Mobile retail stores might place different cell phones on Surface’s interactive surface where product features, prices and phone plans would appear so they could be easily compared. “We are continuously working to build the greatest retail experience we can for our customers,” said Bonita Inza, vice president of Retail at T-Mobile USA. “They tell us they want more information about our products and services, but in a way that is easily accessible, at their own pace and with the amount of detail that they prefer. Surface is one example of how we’re turning our stores into a playground where customers can comfortably explore exciting new products in their own personal way.”

Surface will also be made available through a distribution and development agreement with IGT (International Game Technology NYSE: IGT), a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.

“Consumers now have an entirely new way to get the information they need, turning their everyday tasks into enjoyable and engaging experiences,” said Pete Thompson, general manager of Microsoft Surface Computing. “There are hundreds of thousands of restaurants, hotels and retail locations that are looking to give their customers the unique and memorable experiences that Surface will provide. In turn, companies have a new opportunity for generating additional revenue streams and increasing retail traffic.”

Source: Microsoft

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