Bitcoin exchangers Charles Shrem, Robert Faiella plead guilty to federal charges

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On Thursday two prominent Bitcoin supporters, Robert Faiella and Charles Shrem, pleaded guilty to federal charges in a FederalDistrict Court in Manhattan. Faiella, 54, was also known as BTCKing and admitted to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business on Silk Road. Shrem, 24, was formerly the CEO of BitInstant and is one of the founding members of the Bitcoin Foundation. He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business.

A district court press release says that both men were accused on the basis that they, knowingly transmitted money intended to facilitate criminal activityspecifically, drug trafficking on 'Silk Road,' a black-market website designed to enable its users to buy and sell illegal drugs anonymously and beyond the reach of law enforcement. Federal investigators shut down the Silk Road last October and arrested the alleged founder, Ross Ulbricht, who went by the name Dread Pirate Roberts.

Shrem and Faiella were both arrested in January. Prosecutors said the two sold over $1 million in Bitcoins to users of the Silk Road. According to court documents, Faiella sold bitcoins to Silk Road users directly and relied on Schrem's company to set up anonymous exchange accounts for his customers.

I knew that what I was doing was wrong. I am pleading guilty because I am guilty,"Shrem told the court on Thursday, according to The New York Times. In a prepared statement, the prominent Bitcoin advocate said that from January 2012 to October 2012 he helped Faiella exchange dollars into bitcoins through BitInstant. He said Mr. Faiella would in turn sell Bitcoin to people who wanted to buy drugs on Silk Road, the NYT reported.

In January, prosecutors alleged that BitInstant prohibited deposits from customers that exceeded $1,000 per day to circumvent disclosure requirements by US law. But substantial transactions and patterns of transactions that might stem from illegal activity are also required to be disclosed under anti-money laundering laws, and Schrem did not file the necessary reports.

The Federal district court judge set a sentencing datefor January 20, and both men face up to five years in prison. Schrem has been under house arrest at his parents' home in Brooklyn, New York. He has also been working for Payza, an online platform for sending and receiving the coins, TheNew York Times reports.

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Bitcoin exchangers Charles Shrem, Robert Faiella plead guilty to federal charges

Saturday serve: Can the Comets work in Canberra? Mike Veletta says yes

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Saturday Serve

Michael Bevan of NSW, Jamie Cox of Tasmania, Darren Lehmann of South Australia, Paul Reiffel of Victoria, Adam Gilchrist of Western Australia, Rod Tucker of Canberra and Stuart Law of Queensland launch the 1999-2000 Mercantile Mutual Cup. Photo: Getty Images

Does anyone remember big Swervin' Mervin Hughes steaming in at Manuka Oval?

All zinked up, marvellous mo, a bit heavier than when he was in his prime, but the great man was still an Australian hero and the marquee man for the Canberra Comets.

Then there was young gun Brad Haddin, a brash Queanbeyan junior ready to take the cricket world by storm.

Merv Hughes in the field for the ACT Comets in 1997. Photo: Pat Scala

It's been 14 years of waiting, wondering and hoping, but the Comets are (almost) back sans big Merv, of course.

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It's easy to get caught up in the romance of a sporting comeback, be it a legend coming out of retirement or a defunct team being revived after more than a decade.

Anyone in Canberra sport remembers the Comets, the Cannons and the Cosmos. Everyone in Canberra wants a cricket team, an NBL side and an A-League franchise.

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Saturday serve: Can the Comets work in Canberra? Mike Veletta says yes

Intel launches Core M 'Broadwell-Y' processors — silent, powerful and long battery life

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A powerful computer is an easy thing for manufacturers to build. Throw in a hardcore processor and some high-end components and the sky is the limit. Unfortunately, raw power is not the sole focus of consumers. No, many mobile computer users also want super-long battery life and silence to go with the performance. This, you see, is where things get tricky.

The Surface Pro 3 gets rather close to this, but the whirring of the fan in the hybrid is audible sometimes. Plus, the Surface components are a bit expensive for many consumers. Today, Intel delivers a fanless solution that should meet the needs of many -- the Core M Processor line, otherwise known as Broadwell-Y.

"Delivering the optimal blend of mobility and performance, Intel's new processor was purpose-built for amazing performance in the thinnest, fanless ultra-mobile devices. The Intel Core M processor can power razor-thin devices with Intel Core processor-level performance and deliver up to double the battery life when compared to a 4-year-old system", says Intel.

The company further explains, "the Intel Core M processor package is 50 percent smaller and, at 4.5 watts, has 60 percent lower thermal power than the previous generation. This lets OEMs design sleek, fanless systems less than 9 mm thin -- thinner than an AAA battery and today's sleekest laptops. There are already more than 20 Intel Core M processor-based OEM products in the development pipeline. The first systems based on the Intel Core M processor will be on shelves for the holiday selling season".

Intel lists some of the upcoming products: that will feature the Core M:

The company lists the following models:

So, as you can see, major computer manufacturers are on-board with the Core M chips. This should have a positive impact on the PC business, especially with the new machines landing before and during the Christmas shopping season. Consumers should be in for a real treat when they visit their local Best Buy or Staples and see the amazingly thin and sexy laptops on the shelves. Clearly, this will be a winner.

Do you want your next laptop or tablet to have an Intel Core M processor? Tell me in the comments.

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Intel launches Core M 'Broadwell-Y' processors -- silent, powerful and long battery life

DAP-funded stem cell research a wrong priority

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From the perspective of a community physician, the stem cell research, at this point, is not a priority. Given the daunting task of not only curing the present crop of diseases but also preventing them, and of course, building the human resource as the backbone of the health care system these should be the priority. Joseph Carabeo, convenor, Rx Abolish Pork Barrel Movement

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com

MANILA Eleazar Sobinsky, president of the Lung Center of the Philippines Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers cannot decipher how the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) has helped the poor. Of the P115 million ($263,822) DAP funds received by LCP, P70 million ($160,587) was spent for the stem cell research project and the rest was spent for the procurement of equipment.

He said if the DAP has helped the poor, why are there more indigent patients waiting in line at the LCPs out-patient department?

Joseph Carabeo, convenor of the Rx Abolish Pork Barrel Movement and a community doctor for the past 28 years, said that the stem cell research project does not even help solve the longtime health problems of Filipinos.

The stem cell research in LCP is a mispriority, said Carabeo in an interview with Bulatlat.com. There are many problems in the health sector that has to be addressed. We think, the DOH is merely riding the bandwagon on the stem cell research intervention in health care, wellness and primarily rejuvenation, Carabeo said.

(Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / Bulatlat.com)

Stem cells according to http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca are the precursors of all cells in the human body.

Stem cells are very special, powerful cells found in both humans and non-human animals. They have been called the centerpiece of regenerative medicine medicine that involves growing new cells, tissues and organs to replace or repair those damaged by injury, disease or aging, the website said.

In the Philippines, Carabeo said, the medical community is not even united in the use of stem cell therapy in curing diseases. He said it is still under research in the Philippines. The Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM) for one has even warned the public on the use of stem cell therapy as treatment for diabetes.

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DAP-funded stem cell research a wrong priority

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen Visits Today Show, Discusses Spirituality and Return Home

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Photo Courtesy: NBC News' "Today"

NEW YORK, New York, September 5. AMY Van Dyken-Rouen is set to return to her home in Scottsdale, Ariz., for the first time since the June 6 accident that severed her spine and rendered her paralyzed from the waist down. She visited the New York City studios of the Today show this morning to talk about the preparations being made in her home to make it wheelchair accessible, and how the accident has changed her spiritual beliefs.

The six-time Olympic champion talked with Matt Lauer about seeing a whitish green hue around me while she laid unconscious in a ravine after being thrown from her all-terrain vehicle June 6. I felt very, very at peace and was just going through it, and then all of a sudden I woke up in the hospital. Was it the tunnel? I dont know.

As she has since the accident, Van Dyken-Rouen is focused on walking again on her own. She recently took steps with the help of a mechanized brace on her legs but said in the Today interview that she wants to run a marathon with her brother.

Watch her interview with Lauer, accompanied by her husband Tom Rouen, in the video player below (courtesy NBC News Today).

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Amy Van Dyken-Rouen Visits Today Show, Discusses Spirituality and Return Home

Music Interview: Reno's The Bonfire Set Puts the Contemporary in Contemporary Folk Rock

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Who, you my ask, is The Bonfire Set?

The short answer is that The Bonfire Set is a young, seven-member Reno, Nevada-based congregation with a new debut EP, On the Road, that resonates with familiar contemporary folk rock tones and flavors. But they're something distinctive as well, especially as they represent a generation you wouldn't expect to be saying the things they do.

For one example, the title song is an obvious homage to Jack Kerouac, blending vocal harmonies with '60s vibes. Speaking of the '60s, Jamil Apostol, vocalist and acoustic guitarist for the group, says the song "Nuclear Love" is "a love song/anti-war song with two lovers 'holding hands in the ashes . swimming in the depths of liquid napalm.'" Likewise, "Red Roses" is a song about a breakup as a result of war. Sound a bit like what they used to call protest music back in the day?

Lyrically, there's a lot of social commentary in the seven songs of On the Road. In fact, On the Road is one of those collections with an upbeat, often poppy sound that almost masks the philosophical musings of the words. For Apostol, the EP is unified by recurring themes in "a story line of a character trying to make it in this world, despite being bombarded by attachment to war, relationships. etc." This character ponders much on the meaning of mortality as in the optimistic opening track, "Few Years," which notes we will all turn to dust, be bogged down in the 9-to-5 world, but all turns out fine in the end. Likewise, "Mammoth" is "about making good memories while on the path to enlightenment - 'As we drove toward the Light.'" Or "City Lights," which is "about remaining eternal through old memories." In short, this isn't a set of simple observational or confessional stories but is rather very accessible music with a spiritual bent.

To dig into what The Bonfire Set is all about, I decided to ask Apostol to describe just who the band is, what inspires it, and what it is trying to do. Here's what he had to say.

How did The Bonfire Set come together?

We've been childhood friends for the most part. It wasn't until a trip to Coachella 2013 that we wanted to form a band. It was such an enlightening experience that we decided that that could be us headlining the main stage one day if we worked hard enough. Ryan had never even touched a bass until the band formed! We've been a band for about 16 months now.

Who are the members?

Beyond myself, our current roster includes Kirsten Crom (keys/vocals), Nathan DePaoli (drums), Casey Frasca (electric guitar/vocals), Denise Julian (vocals/percussion), Ryan Widmer (bass), and Patrick Zbella (electric guitar).

With that many personalities, I suspect everyone has their own sources of inspiration with a variety of tastes.

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Music Interview: Reno's The Bonfire Set Puts the Contemporary in Contemporary Folk Rock

NASA Announces Student-focused Experiment Program Awards

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The International Space Station Program Science Office has announced the award recipients for the International Space Station Post-Graduate Innovation Awards in Space Life and Physical Science Research opportunity. The NASA Research Announcement was targeted at reaching graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who were already starting a career as science researchers in the Life and Physical Sciences disciplines. Proposals included innovative ideas for microgravity research specifically in the areas of physical sciences, microbiology and space physiology.

Recipients are eligible for awards up to$4,000, which will allow them to submit a full space station research flight proposal. One of these proposals may also be eligible for full funding for a flight to the space station. Awardees were chosen using criteria that included the significance of the study, the approach's design and methods, level of innovation, the qualifications of the investigators and the appropriateness of the scientific environment.

"This NASA research announcement reaches out to a new and specific group of graduate students and fellows because we don't know what else is out there in terms of innovative investigation ideas for the space station," saidCamille Alleyne, space station assistant program scientist. "It is a deliberate effort to get people involved in space station science. With opportunities like these, we are growing the next generation of space researchers."

The recipients for this set of awards are:

- Josh Colwellwith theUniversity of Central Floridafor the project Behavior of Regolith in Microgravity Environments on Asteroids and Planetary Satellites. This concept investigates regolith motion in reduced-gravity environments, specifically looking at the low behavior of granular material along slopes (landslides and avalanches) under reduced-gravity conditions; and the displacement of granular matter in response to impact-induced seismic vibrations.

- Jae-Hoon Chungwith theOhio State Universityfor the project Effect of Spaceflight on Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes with Arrhythmogenic Mutation. Microgravity is known to cause various changes in the cardiovascular system such as reduced arterial pressure and heart rate. This concept proposes a study of the biological mechanism of microgravity-induced arrhythmias in a controlled in vitro model.

- Paul SteenwithCornell Universityfor the project Inferring Contact-line Mobility by Observing Coalescence Dynamics. This concept seeks to understand contact-line (CL) mobility in drops that are undergoing coalescence on a solid surface. The results of this investigation can possibly enable longer duration missions to Mars and beyond, by potentially enabling high heat transfer rates in a low mass system that requires no external energy to remove drops.

- Thomas AvedisianwithCornell Universityfor the project Development of an Algae Biodiesel Surrogate from Spherically Symmetric Droplet Combustion Experiments on the International Space Station. This concept studies the ignition and burning characteristics of algal biodiesel droplets and its relationship to a surrogate derived from the major constituents of the biodiesel. The algal biodiesel is used as an alternative/renewable fuel source for combustion engines.

- Yiguang Juwith the Trustees ofPrinceton Universityfor the project Study of Cool Flames with Ozone Sensitization in Microgravity. The concept presented is a novel method for using plasma-generated ozone to establish stable cool diffusion and premixed flames in a microgravity field so that cool flame dynamics, structure, and chemistry can be studied and understood in an ideal environment. This can lead to a higher energy efficiency of high performing engines.

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NASA Announces Student-focused Experiment Program Awards

NASA Television to Broadcast Sept. 10 Return of Space Station Crew

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Three crew members aboard the International Space Station are scheduled to end almost six months on the orbiting laboratory on Sept. 10 and NASA Television will provide complete coverage.

Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineers Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) will undock their Soyuz spacecraft from the station at 7:02 p.m. EDT Sept. 10, for a landing in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. (8:25 a.m. Sept. 11, Kazakh time). Their return will end 169 days in space since launching from Kazakhstan March 26 for a mission that covered almost 72 million miles in orbit.

At the time of undocking, Expedition 41 formally will begin aboard the station under the command of Max Suraev of Roscosmos. Suraev and his crewmates, Reid Wiseman of NASA and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, will operate the station as a three-person crew for two weeks until the arrival of three new crew members. NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova are scheduled to launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Sept. 25, (U.S. time), on a six-hour flight to the space station.

NASA TV coverage will begin Tuesday, Sept. 9, with a change of command ceremony when Swanson will turn over control of station operations to Suraev, and will continue Sept. 10 and 11 with Expedition 40 landing and post-landing activities.

NASA coverage, all in EDT, includes:

Tuesday, Sept. 9: -- 5:15 p.m. - Expedition 40/41 change of command ceremony

Wednesday, Sept. 10: -- 3:15 p.m. - Farewells and hatch closure coverage (hatch closure at 3:35 p.m.) -- 6:45 p.m. - Undocking (undocking at 7:02 p.m.) -- 9:15 p.m. - Deorbit burn and landing coverage (deorbit burn at 9:31 p.m. and landing at 10:25 p.m.)

Thursday, Sept. 11: -- 12 a.m. - Video File of hatch closure, undocking and landing activities -- 12 p.m. - Video File of landing and post-landing activities and interview with Steve Swanson in Kazakhstan

For the NASA TV schedule and coordinate information, visit:

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NASA Television to Broadcast Sept. 10 Return of Space Station Crew

Space Station Crew Members to Visit NASA Goddard Sept. 17

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Recently returned to Earth space station astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Koicha Wakata will tour NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Reporters are welcome to join the tour and meet the astronauts.

While at Goddard, Mastracchio and Wakata will see the new Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) control room and other satellite control centers. The GPM Core Observatory was launched into orbit while the two astronauts were aboard the space station. Mastracchio, Wakata and the media will learn about GPM's collection of rain, snowfall and other types of precipitation data. As of today, Sept. 4, 2014, those data were available to the general public.

News media representatives will have an opportunity to follow the astronauts as they tour Goddard. There will also be a brief Q-and-A opportunity with the astronauts. The tour and media interview opportunity is expected to begin at 10 a.m. and conclude no later than 11:30 a.m.

The visit is part of several days the two men will be spending in the Washington, D.C., area for events and activities to highlight their participation as Expedition 38/39 crewmembers during 188 days in orbit.

U.S. reporters and green card-holding foreign media representatives desiring to participate will need to contact Ed Campion in Goddards Office of Communications via e-mail atedward.s.campion@nasa.govor by phone at 301-286-0697 by close of business on Tuesday, Sept. 16.Please Note:Non-green card holding foreign media representatives need to supply passport/visa information by 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, to allow time for processing and approval for access to the Goddard facility.

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Space Station Crew Members to Visit NASA Goddard Sept. 17

Space Station Crew Members Tour NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Talk Earth Science

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Astronauts Rick Mastracchio of NASA and Koicha Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will tour NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 17. Reporters are invited to join the tour.

While at Goddard, Mastracchio and Wakata will view the new Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) control room and other satellite control centers. The GPM Core Observatory was launched into orbit in February while the two astronauts were aboard the International Space Station. The GPM team will brief Mastracchio, Wakata and the media on the observatorys collection of data on rain, snowfall and other types of precipitation, data that is now available to the general public.

There also will be a brief question and answer opportunity with the astronauts. The tour and interview opportunity is expected to conclude no later than 11:30 a.m.

The visit is part of several days Mastracchio and Wakata will spend in the Washington area for events and activities to highlight their 188 days in orbit as members of the space station's Expedition 38/39 crews.

To participate in the event at Goddard, U.S. reporters and foreign media with green cards must contact Ed Campion atedward.s.campion@nasa.govor 301-286-0697 by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16. Non-green card holding foreign media must provide passport or visa information no later than 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, to allow time for processing and approval for access to Goddard.

Mastracchios official biography is available at:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mastracc.html

Wakata's official biography is available at:

http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/astro/biographies/wakata/index.html

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Space Station Crew Members Tour NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Talk Earth Science

Red Sox Rally In 8th And 10th To Beat Blue Jays

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BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox, the defending World Series champions reduced to the role of spoiler, did just that to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

The last-place Red Sox tied the score with three runs in the eighth inning, fell behind by two in the 10th and then rallied for three in the bottom of the inning to pull out a wild 9-8 win.

Boston left fielder Yoenis Cespedes got his fourth hit of the game, a long single with the bases loaded, to cap the 10th-inning rally againstCasey Janssen(3-3).

To make things worse for the Jays, who had a five-game winning streak snapped, Toronto also lost left fielderMelky Cabrerafor the rest of the season with a fractured right pinky finger and other damage. He will have surgery next week.

The Blue Jays came into the game 4 1/2 games behind theDetroit Tigersfor the second wild card spot and built their 6-3 lead on the 30th homers of the season by right fielderJose Bautistaand first basemanEdwin Encarnacion. Both were two-run shots.

After the Jays scored two in the top of the 10th, the first four Red Sox singled in the bottom half -- catcher Christian Vazquez loading the bases by popping a bunt over the heads of the charging infield. Third basemanWill Middlebrooks, playing because Brock Holt left with an illness, then snapped an 0-for-18 spell with a ground single.

Second basemanDustin Pedroia, back after missing five games with a concussion, tied the score with a sacrifice fly. DHDavid Ortizhit a slow grounder to second basemanSteve Tolleson, whose backhand flip to second was wild, loading the bases for Cespedes.

An RBI single by center fielder Mookie Betts and a two-run double by fellow rookieXander Bogaertstied the score in the eighth inning for Boston.

Bautista ripped his homer off starter Allen Webster with the Jays down 3-2 -- his 31st career homer against the Red Sox, 19 of them in 45 games atFenway Park. He reached the 30-homer mark for the third time in his career and for the first time in four years. Encarnacion then reached 30 for the third time in the last four years.

DHAdam Lindhad a two-run single for Toronto, while shortstop Bogaerts had three hits for the Red Sox.

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Red Sox Rally In 8th And 10th To Beat Blue Jays

UTEP football: High-powered Red Raiders offense will be huge test for Miners

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The UTEP football team heads into its showdown with Texas Tech staring down the barrel of a gun.

A Red Raiders team rarely stopped by anyone in the Big 12 faces a Miners squad that has struggled defensively for a long, long time. UTEP is 0-12 against teams from the Big 12, it hasn't beaten a power conference team in 47 years. UTEP is a three-touchdown underdog.

The Miners are right where they want to be.

"This is so exciting," cornerback Adrian James said. "As a defensive back this is one of the games you dream of playing, going against a passing team, honing coverage skills. We get to show we can cover man, play zone, all the things great defensive backs can do."

This from receiver Jarrad Shaw: "Big game, a big crowd, a Big 12 team, this will be a lot of fun."

All but a few of the players on UTEP's roster weren't considered good enough in high school to be recruited by the Red Raiders and that's one reason they ended up here. The chance to line up against Tech and test themselves is another and Saturday in front of a rowdy home crowd and a national television audience they get that opportunity.

The game begins at 9 p.m. and will be shown on the FoxSports1 channel. There is a 50 percent chance of rain.

Last week, UTEP beat UNM in Albuquerque. Texas Tech struggled to beat Central Arkansas by seven points.

"I don't think they'll have a hard time focusing after this week," Red Raider coach Kliff Kingsbury said of his team.

UTEP's defensive focus begins with the stopping Tech's quick start. Tech looks to run a bunch of plays in a hurry and any chance of slowing them entails getting everyone situated on defense.

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UTEP football: High-powered Red Raiders offense will be huge test for Miners