You may see the above chart with our preliminary finding that "tornado alley" (the gray shaded area) runs from Oklahoma City to Atlanta, and think we have it oriented the wrong way.? Traditionally, "tornado alley" has been defined as the Great Plains of the United States, from Texas up through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.? However, our research at UAH, in coordination with P. Grady Dixon at Mississippi State University, shows otherwise.
We want to show where the area with the greatest risk for tornadoes is.? The Storm Prediction Center's tornado database goes all the way back to 1950, and includes almost every reported tornado since then.? However, there are some biases in that data that must be addressed first.
1.? Unreported tornadoes
The charts below show a) the total number of reported tornadoes, by year, in the U.S. since 1950, and b) the number of reported "significant" tornadoes, or those rated F2 through F5.
Note that the number of total reported tornadoes has been increasing for 60 years.? This is because many tornadoes, especially small, weak ones, used to go unreported.? Events changed our awareness of tornadoes:??Tornado research in the 1950's; developing a spotter network in the 1960's and 1970's;?Doppler radar?in the 1990's to tell us where to look; and then almost no tornado goes unreported anymore with widespread towercams and cameras on cell phones.? The number of reported tornadoes has gone up.? They were always there, we just did not know about a lot of them.? Especially the weak ones., especially in the southeastern U.S. where trees and?mountains block the view, and about half of all tornadoes occur at night.
The bottom chart shows reported significant tornadoes per year.? Notice they have been much more steady.? F2-F5 tornadoes are wider, last longer, and do more damage than F0-F1 tornadoes, so it is unlikely for very many of those to go unreported.? That is apparently the case, since the number of reported F2-F5 tornadoes has been steady or actually dropped.? So, in our study, we only use significant tornadoes, a steady dataset.
2.? Over-estimated tornadoes
Notice in the lower chart that the number of significant tornadoes decreased suddenly?after 1973.? The Fujita scale was invented in the early 1970's, and tornadoes 1950-1972 were rated retroactively, using newspaper clippings, etc. that, according to some researchers in Oklahoma (e.g., Schaefer and Edwards 1999; Brooks and Craven 2002), likely biased the damage estimates upward.? Therefore, in our study, we only look at data since 1973, since tornadoes were rated on the Fujita scale in near real-time.
3.? Results
The map below uses GIS software and the database of all significant (F2-F5) tornadoes, 1973-2011, to show the total path length (in km) of significant tornadoes, within 25 miles of a point, averaged annually.
Clearly, the largest threat for significant tornadoes since 1973 has been over Arkansas, Mississippi, and north and central Alabama, with a moderate threat extending from central Oklahoma to NW Georgia.?? The above map is influenced somewhat by the jumbo outbreak of April 27, 2011, but using data 1973-2010 shows a similar overall pattern.
Some may argue that significant tornadoes go unreported in Texas or Nebraska, or are under-rated because they only hit open grassland.? However, the number of tornado watches and warnings issued over the past 10-20 years shows that conditions were favorable for tornadoes, or tornadoes were indicated on radar, in roughly the same areas that our statistics show as tornado alley.? See below.
(Average annual number of tornado watches by county, SPC)
(Number of tornado warnings per year by location.? Marsh 2012)
There are other statistics that we use to show that our data are correct, but I will reserve those for the peer-reviewed journal article we will be submitting this spring.? That means these results are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed.? However, you can be the judge of where tornado alley should be.?
John Jaso has been in the MLB for some time now, and his name has never been associated with the words "fantasy stud."
But the 28-year-old made huge strides in his offensive game last season, hitting a career-best .276 with 10 home runs and an .850 OPS.
One thing to remember is that Jaso spent his season platooning between positions for Seattle, and he saw only 361 plate appearances last season.
Despite playing half his games at Safeco Field, Jaso put up solid numbers for a catcher. After being traded this offseason to Oakland, his numbers could get even better.
Jaso should have full rein of the starter's spot in Oakland, and he's already proved he can hit in a pitcher's park.
The only thing to worry about is whether 2012 was a fluke for him. As long as he doesn't have any major issues this spring, Jaso will be worthy of his sleeper title in 2013.
OTG, the restaurateur that made waves when it installed free access iPads in some of the world's busiest international airport hubs last year, is improving its existing system with the deployment of a translation system that will allow it to provide translation of its restaurant menus in 13 different languages. The system is already live in test deployments at locations like Toronto's Pearson airport, and CEO Rick Blatstein tells me it's already having a positive impact on sales at OTG-run restaurants.
(Reuters) - Three baristas accused of giving customers peep shows along with their coffee have been arrested in Washington state, accused of operating an adult cabaret without a license from the drive-thru windows of two Grab-N-Go coffee shops, police said on Wednesday.
The three women, who were not immediately identified, were taken into custody in the city of Everett following a two-month undercover operation that was launched after complaints from the public, Everett police officials said.
"Citizens complained that these locations served more than just coffee," Everett police Lieutenant James Duffy said. Everett is about 30 miles north of Seattle.
"Indeed, our investigation uncovered exhibition and exposure, which is outside the confines of the law," Duffy said. "During the investigation, video surveillance showed that at times coffee or drinks were not served, but shows were paid for and given."
Everett police spokesman Aaron Snell said the three women, who worked at two different Grab-N-Go stands near the city's main thoroughfare, were accused of exposing their entire bodies at the drive-thru window.
"These stands are on a major road. They are in parking lots of businesses. Not like they are fully hidden from sight. We received many complaints," he said.
Snell said the owners of the Grab-N-Go stands had not been arrested or charged in connection with the case, which was still under investigation. The three women were being interviewed by detectives, he said.
He said it was not clear how customers became aware that the baristas were willing to strip for money.
"Word gets out," he said.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Laura L. Myers in Seattle; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Beech)
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Cast your vote in "Today's Poll..." in the left column below or go straight to the results here.
Tuesday Highlights: Reuters reports that Apple has been hacked by the same group that attacked Facebook last week, no data stolen as of yet, Apple to release software tool to defend against malware used in hack; David Goldman at CNN on Apple's hunt for the "next billion-dollar product"; could that product be an iWatch? Jonny Evans says it just might be, and he cites patents to boot!; Network World says "the final barriers to widespread Mac adoption in the enterprise" have been removed, thanks to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies; and Carol King over at Seeking Alpha believes this "growing slice of the enterprise market should offset other concerns" investors feel about Apple; Samsung is eating up the cool-factor, thanks to Google's growing Android platform; Ben Bajarin on Apple's "sophisticated simplicity"; Horace Dediu asks a pertinent question: "Why is it that everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?"; Adobe tells us to hang on, they're prepping a patch for the Zero Day PDF flaw; 90 jobs lost thanks to Opera's switch over to WebKit; Microsoft quietly upped prices on Mac Office, should Apple double-down on iWork?; got useless data on your Mac? Detox My Mac can help; Mactuts+ has the scoop on reading your books on Kindle for Mac; Dropbox no longer supporting unpaid users?; were Apple to release a $330 iPhone, they could triple their marketshare in China; iPad helps man to speak for first time in 20 years; iPhone mini, this summer!; redesigned MacBook Airs with Retina Displays, 3rd Quarter 2013, says rumor, more in our Hardware/Software section where you'll also find the latest in Apple patent applications including 3D OS X, a more accurate haptic feedback system, among others; Forbes review of the Pebble smart watch, MacRumors review of printable papercraft model of 5" iPhone, will give you idea of the feel that may come with the larger iPhone; Macworld tutorial on jailbreaking your iPhone; a touch-screen MacBook Pro is nothing to fear; tablets to have noticeable impact on future television viewing.
Today's MacUpdate Promo offers 30% savings on Civilization V: Gold Edition 1.0.2.21. "Civilization V: Gold Edition includes the fifth installment of the bestselling strategy game along with 11 thrilling expansion packs. Achieve victory through research, diplomacy, expansion, economic development and political conquest. A feast for the mind, Civilization V immerses you in a world of large-scale simulation unlike any you?ve ever encountered."
Welcome to MacSurfer's Headline News! Is this the headline you are looking for?
Tue Feb 19
"Apple Attacked by Facebook Hackers" The Mac Observer
1:15 PM
"Apple Says It, Too, Was Attacked by Hackers"?AllThingsD?1:14 PM
"Apple computers 'hacked' in breach"?BBC?1:31 PM
"Apple Also Targeted by Hackers, Company Reveals"?PC Magazine?1:49 PM
"Apple hit by malware attack: The company said it has found no evidence that the attackers stole any data"?IDG News Service?3:25 PM
"Apple becomes latest company to be hit by a cyber attack"?V3?3:25 PM
"What You Need To Know About Today's Apple Hack"?Cult of Mac?1:31 PM
"Apple, Facebook, and Twitter hacks Reportedly originated in Eastern Europe"?The Verge?9:00 PM
"Is this the Apple iWatch? Patents say it could be..."?Computerworld?10:57 AM
"Barclays: Apple Is Getting Smoked By Samsung, And It Needs An Answer Pronto"?Business Insider?10:44 AM
"Apple's Penchant for Sophisticated Simplicity"?Tech.pinions?10:05 AM
"Why doesn't anybody copy Apple?" ["Put another way: Why is it that everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?"]?asymco?8:07 AM
"Greenlight Makes Case to Stop Apple Preferred-Stock Vote"?Bloomberg?8:29 AM
News
"Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 13: Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 13 delivers improved security, reliability, and compatibility by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_41." [Direct download: 69.32 MB]?Apple Support?4:02 PM
"Java for OS X 2013-001: Java for OS X 2013-001 delivers improved security, reliability, and compatibility by updating Java SE 6 to 1.6.0_41." [Direct download: 63.84 MB]?Apple Support?4:16 PM
"After hack, Apple releases Java security update for Mac users"?9 to 5 Mac?4:08 PM
"Apple issues Java update after security breach"?CNET Reviews?4:18 PM
"Apple releases Java update for OS X to protect users against vulnerability used in its hacking"?The Next Web?4:07 PM
"Oracle Patches Java 7 & Java 6 Following Apple Hack To Close 'Remote Compromise'"?Cult of Mac?5:17 PM
"Website responsible for Apple and Facebook breaches Reportedly discovered"?AppleInsider?5:47 PM
"Apple comments on hacker attack"?The Loop?1:50 PM
"Apple Updates iTunes to Version 11.0.2 with Bug Fixes, Composer View for Music"?MacRumors?4:18 PM
"Adobe to Patch Zero Day PDF Security Threat this Week"?The Mac Observer?8:07 AM
"Opera WebKit switch caused loss of 90 jobs in last quarter"?Electronista?8:25 AM
"Microsoft Ups the Price of Office for Mac Users by Roughly 17%"?DailyTech?8:29 AM
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"iTunes 11.0.2" [Editor note: Link still reflects 11.0.1]?Apple Support?4:15 PM
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"Review: Detox My Mac - Cleanse Your Mac of Useless Data"?MacTrast?8:30 AM
"Kindle for Mac: Everything You Need to Know to Read in Sync"?Mactuts+?8:29 AM
"Need to convert streaming audio/Video for personal use? Say hi to Jaksta"?AppleDailyReport?8:23 AM
"KeyCue, the keyboard shortcut cheat sheet finally takes on life in menu bar"?IT.Enquirer?7:50 AM
"Word Counter: Powerful Free Word Count (And Much More) Utility For OS X"?MacPrices?11:59 AM
"Here's A Cheap Mac App You Didn't Know You Need, But Once You Get It, You'll Need It"?McSolo?7:49 AM
"Two Awesome Mac Writing Tools Compared: One Is Free, One Is Not, Which Is Best?"?TeraTalks?7:49 AM
"Two Tried And True Tools For Mac Users To Visualize And Monitor Network Traffic"?BohemianBoomer?7:49 AM
"An Idea Whose Time Has Come: A Mac, iPhone, iPad Journal For Evernote That You'll Love To Use"?Mac 360?7:49 AM
"Why You'll Love The Mac Screen Padlock Tool That Apple Should Build Into OS X"?NoodleMac?7:48 AM
Op/Ed
"Office for Mac prices jacked up; time for Apple to get serious about iWork"?AppleDailyReport?9:39 AM
"Dropbox doing a Gmail: drops support for unpaid users"?Foliovision?7:47 AM
Press Releases
"Firefox 19 Integrates PDF Viewer, Boosts HTML 5"?FairerPlatform?1:13 PM
"Mozilla puts native PDF viewer in Firefox 19"?MacFixIt?12:18 PM
"In Brief: CadFaster asking users for help in future product through new Survey"?Architosh?8:26 AM
"Zevrix Releases BatchOutput PDF 2.0: Adds Hot Folder Processing"?prMac?9:56 AM
"Doremisoft YouTube Converter for Mac Adds support 40-plus new video site"?prMac?8:21 AM
"Let Your Album Cover Shine with Cover Lights and Your Philips Hue Bulbs"?prMac?8:21 AM
"Verdasys to Launch Mac OS X Agent for Digital Guardian Enterprise Information Protection Platform at RSA 2013"?Business Wire?8:12 AM
"Analyst: A $330 iPhone could triple Apple's market in China/But can Apple make a cheap phone that isn't, in Tim Cook's words, 'a crappy product'?"?Fortune?8:16 AM
"Apple could triple share of Chinese market with $330 'iPhone mini'"?AppleInsider?8:16 AM
"Industry loses $4 billion since 2010" ["Best Buy, Walmart, Apple, Amazon, and Staples were the top retailers, again, in 2012. Apple, Samsung, HP, Sony, and Dell made up the top five brands for the year and accounted for 45 percent of sales up from 42 percent in 2011. Apple and Samsung accounted for $6.5 billion in increased sales in 2012, while the remainder of the consumer technology industry declined by almost $9.5 billion."]?NPD Group?10:42 AM
"Apple grabs huge slice of 2012 consumer technology sales: Consumer tech sales fell 2 percent in the U.S. last year, yet Apple had a good year with almost 20 percent of all sales, says NPD."?CNET News?11:50 AM
"Obama Tries But Fails To Ignite Apple And 3D Printing"?Forbes?8:22 AM
"iPad Helps Man to 'Speak' Again After 20 Years of Silence"?PadGadget?10:56 AM
"The Beauty Of Broken Macs: Photos Of Abandoned Apple Kit Found By Explorers"?Digital Arts?8:30 AM
Non-Apple News
"These Videogame Sites Are for 'Mature' Audiences Only: Geezers Play the Senior Leagues to Avoid Young Guns; Minimum Age for 2old2play Is 25"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?3:25 PM
Publications/Podcasts
"Office? HD tracks all the changes at Macworld|iWorld 2013"?iMore?8:46 AM
"Some Sights and Sounds of Macworld/iWorld 2013"?MacVoicesTV?8:23 AM
"Apple catches up with iPad mini demand, new orders now listed as 'in stock'"?AppleInsider?5:57 PM
"Apple Releases iOS 6.1.2 to Address Exchange Calendar Bug"?MacRumors?12:06 PM
"Apple's Ive on how Cupertino looks at product names: In a recent appearance on the BBC children's show 'Blue Peter,' Apple's design guru talked about how sensitive Apple is toward words, as well as products."?CNET News?9:07 PM
"Director Ran Out of Money, Finished Shooting his Oscar-Nominated Movie on an iPhone"?MacRumors?9:29 PM
"Cassandra -Wednesday Review: The Week in Full Swing"?eXtensions?9:07 PM
"iWatch Out: a look at Apple's wearable smart watch timepiece strategy"?Stabley Times?7:12 PM
"Apple hacked by the same Chinese hackers that breached Facebook"?VentureBeat?1:15 PM
"Hackers Hit Apple, But No Data Apparently Stolen"?App Advice?1:15 PM
"Apple HQ also targeted by hackers, will release tool to protect customers"?Ars Technica?1:15 PM
"PC vs Mac? (aka: Digging Samsung Series 7 Chronos)"?Layers Magazine?11:51 AM
"The Macalope: Lies, damned lies, and non-sequiturs"?Macworld?10:56 AM
"Which Company Will Step Up To Take A Bite Out Of Apple's Massive Revenue And Profit Growth?"?Mac 360?10:37 AM
"Samsung to out-innovate Apple by, um, [SUB: Please Add Reasoning Here]?Revert to Saved?9:39 AM
"Does A Company Like Apple Need A Genius Like Steve Jobs?"?The New Yorker?8:57 AM
"Robert Scoble Is Switching To Android" ["'I'm no longer an Apple fanboy,' Scoble wrote in a post on Google+ yesterday. 'I'm getting ready to leave the Apple platform and switch to Android.'"]?ReadWrite?8:31 AM
"The Office for iPad Myth Lives On"?BYTE?8:30 AM
"Samsung is more innovative than Apple? Steve Kovach thinks so"?iSource?8:30 AM
"Apple iWatch Leaks Drip With Desperation"?Forbes?3:23 PM
"Fitness Watch Market Set To Top $1 Billion In 2013, Even Without Apple's iWatch"?BGR?8:25 AM
"Can a 'nifty' iWatch from Apple catch on? As a phone, maybe not; but as a health monitor, maybe"?Computerworld?8:31 AM
"Ex-Apple Exec: An iWatch Is More Likely Than An Apple TV"?Business Insider?8:22 AM
"When Will Tablet Shipments Overtake PCs?"?Tech-Thoughts?7:51 AM
"How To Stop Hating Google And Learn To Love Google Drive And Docs With RocketDocs"?Mac 360?7:49 AM
"The Problem That Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Amazon, And PC Makers Really Have With Apple"?PixoBebo?7:48 AM
Non-Apple
"The Average American Knows 355 More People Than She Has Facebook Friends"?Yahoo! News?7:30 PM
"PlayStation 4 should go all-in on cloud-streaming games: The technology for live-streaming gameplay is still imperfect, but the era of physical media is ending."?CNET Reviews?6:42 PM
"Review: The ultimate Chromebook challenge"?The Register?8:29 AM
"iPad? Pah. Behold the EYEPAD, patented by Sony for the 'PS4': Totally different from Apple because it glows"?The Register?8:29 AM
"Entertainment Lawyer Stephen Smith Believes New Legislation Could 'Dumb Down' Video Games"?Forbes?8:18 AM
"Is Microsoft paying comment spammers to promote Bing?"?Foliovision?7:47 AM
"Dell beats Wall Street estimates: The company's fourth-quarter results top estimates as its enterprise business holds up with slight declines. The consumer business takes a big hit."?CNET News?4:42 PM
"Dell yearly results posted; profit down 31 percent"?Electronista?5:28 PM
"Dell (DELL) is scheduled to release its FQ4 earnings after the bell, with the Street forecasting..."?Seeking Alpha?7:13 AM
"Dell in a tight spot with results on deck"?MarketWatch?7:15 AM
"Dell's Ubuntu Ultrabook lands in UK"?PC Pro [Free Registration Required]?7:15 AM
"Dell upgrades its developer edition Ubuntu Linux laptop/In addition to upgrading its Sputnik Ubuntu Linux laptop for developers, Dell is also making it available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa."?ZDNet?7:13 AM
"Dell bringing improved Sputnik to Europe"?Heise Online?7:27 AM
"HP Plans To Make Android-Based Tablet, Smartphone"?CRN?7:18 AM
"HP Envy x2A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing"?Wired?7:19 AM
"HP quadruples virtual machines in new blade: New ProLiant WS460c Gen8 blade server adds server efficiency and cuts operational costs, Hewlett-Packard says"?Computerworld?1:58 PM
"Outlook.com exits preview with 60 million active users, Hotmail UI to be retired this summer"?Engadget?6:48 AM
"Microsoft Says Outlook.com Gained More Than 1.5M New Users In The 12 Hours After Last Night's Official Launch | TechCrunch"?TechCrunch?5:45 PM
"Microsoft's Outlook.com comes out of preview phase: Hotmail users will be upgraded to the new email service by summer"?Macworld UK?6:49 AM
"The Great Hotmail-to-Outlook.com Transition Begins"?Techland?6:56 AM
"Microsoft's Outlook.com breaks 60 million user milestone in six months"?V3?7:44 AM
"Gates admits Microsoft mobile strategy sucked"?Tech.Blorge?7:41 AM
"Intel plans to grow smartphone market share in MEA: Chip maker targets telecom operators with smartphone strategy"?ITP Technology?7:28 AM
"AMD chip, touch controllers all head to next PlayStation: Report: The company's next console will also allow for cloud-based gaming and possibly, the ability to play games with people on other platforms."?CNET News?8:32 AM
"AMD reveals its first 28nm processor: Jaguar is the successor to Bobcat"?The Inquirer?7:26 AM
"Paging Dr. Watson: IBM Partners with Sloan Kettering and WellPoint to Treat Cancer (w/Video)"?Medgadget?7:36 AM
"IBM's New PureSystems Promise to Ease Big Data, Cloud Adoption"?E-Commerce Times?7:39 AM
"Oracle - Sound Acquisition Strategy Continues To Pay Off"?Seeking Alpha?7:44 AM
"Cisco's small-cell move is focused, but its network aims are ambitious: The company will show off its first licensed small cells along with services software that goes deep into the carrier core"?Computerworld?8:10 AM
"When Will Tablet Shipments Overtake PCs?"?Tech-Thoughts?6:43 AM
"Samsung storms into Silicon Valley with plans to build 'massive' semiconductor campus"?Yahoo! News?2:06 PM
Finances
(Click heading for current Apple Stock price.)
Apple News
"Apple may increase share buyback at shareholder meeting next week: Apple's annual shareholders meeting is scheduled for next week and it's already generating a lot of press"?Macworld UK?11:24 AM
"What to Expect at Apple's Shareholder Meeting"?Forbes?8:29 AM
"Outside Of The Box Logic And Why Apple Might Still Not Be A Buy"?Seeking Alpha?8:21 AM
"Apple spent $1.97m lobbying US government in 2012, Google spent $18.22m"?Macworld UK?8:47 AM
"Apple, Google, Microsoft - Only 1 Winner Here"?Seeking Alpha?8:57 AM
"The Young And Restless Portfolio: Selling Apple In This Aggressive Growth Portfolio"?Seeking Alpha?12:07 PM
"Google tops $800. It's the new Apple ... for now"?CNNMoney?12:42 PM
"AAPL: Ecosystem Matters, Says Raymond James; Pondering BB, Lumia Trends"?Barron's?11:50 AM
Industry News
"Stocks Ride Deal Talks to October 2007 Levels"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9:16 PM
"Dow and S&P close at new 5-year highs"?CNNMoney?9:16 PM
"S&P 500 Rises to Highest in Five Years on Merger Optimism"?Bloomberg?1:37 PM
"Stock Futures Rise Amid More Deals Activity"?TheStreet?8:27 AM
"Futures Follow European Shares Higher"?FOXBusiness?8:28 AM
"Asia Markets: Shanghai, Hong Kong stocks slide; yen weighs Tokyo/Stocks in Hong Kong and Shanghai got slapped Tuesday after several local Chinese governments imposed further restrictions on home purchases, with the central bank's move to curb liquidity in the money markets also weighing on sentiment."?MarketWatch?8:25 AM
"Europe Markets: Europe stocks rise after German ZEW report/European stock markets posted broad-based gains on Tuesday, boosted by stronger-than-expected German economic-sentiment data, with shares of Danone SA among major advancers after a job-cut announcement."?MarketWatch?8:25 AM
"Final Glance: Computer companies/Computer companies shares mixed at the close of trading"?Associated Press?5:18 PM