Samsung has been accused of rigging its Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone to give inflated benchmark test results.
An Anandtech investigation revealed that Samsung was only allowing the Samsung Galaxy S4's GPU to run at full capacity when being benchmarked.
There are a couple of hardware variants found within the Samsung Galaxy S4 in different regions, but the ultimate original configuration involved the first generation of Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa SoC.
As well as an impressive eight core CPU set-up (though only four are used at a time depending on the task), this Exynos 5 Octa chip sports a PowerVR SGX 544MP3 GPU capable of running at 533MHz.
However, the investigation found that this GPU clock speed was only in evidence during certain major benchmark tests - GLBenchmark 2.5.1, AnTuTu and Quadrant. When even the most demanding 3D game was run on the Samsung Galaxy S4, by contrast, the GPU clock speed only ever hits a peak of 480MHz.
That's a difference of almost 11 percent.
The result: some deeply impressive initial benchmark results that don't accurately portray the kind of performance users can attain with the device.
It turns out that the Exynos 5 Octa's elaborate CPU set-up is also maximised for these particular benchmarks, running the maximum 1.6GHz quad-core set-up regardless of the benchmark task being presented to them. Other benchmarks reveal the 500MHz power-saving cores kicking in for more common tasks.
Even the Qualcomm Snapdragon variants of the Galaxy S4 exhibit this CPU behaviour, it was found.
This isn't quite the same as the GPU fiddle, as this maximum CPU performance is also available to users in certain demanding apps. It's just that these CPUs have deliberately been forced to maximum output for the purpose of benchmarking.
That Samsung has given specific attention to boosting the S4's benchmark results is made all the more explicit by a code string that was discovered, called "BenchmarkBooster," which seemingly exists with the sole purpose of maximising benchmark results. Next, read our Samsung Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5 comparison.
Head coach Colin Miller says the team is looking to get Daryl Fordyce, one of the team leaders in scoring in the first half, into the box more in the second half of the season. (Amber Bracken, Edmonton Sun)
Report an error
EDMONTON?-?
FC Edmonton is in need of goals.
The biggest issue for the local club in the first half of the North American Soccer League season was their inability to put the ball in the net.
They finished the first half as the lowest-scoring team in the league, registering just 13 goals in 12 games.
Heading into the second half of the season, FC Edmonton is bringing in a couple of strikers, hoping to cure their scoring woes.
?We will have an announcement (Thursday) of another player that is arriving,? said FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller, who was unable to disclose the player pending league approval. ?That will be good. He?s just coming off a little bit of a minor knee surgery, so he?ll be available about 10 days after arriving.
?We have also signed Anthony Adur. He?s a centre forward who we?re very excited to get in. He?s the same size as Michael Cox with just as much pace. He?s played in a number of different countries and has scored some goals. So we?re excited to get some new faces attacking-wise.?
FC Edmonton finished the first half of the NASL season with three wins, four losses and five ties. Their 14 points put them in a fifth-place tie with Minnesota United FC in the seven-team league.
The second half will feature eight teams, with the New York Cosmos joining the fold.
?We won?t change our approach defensively. I think we hammer that home on a daily basis about people doing the job defensively,? said Miller. ?Offensively we didn?t score a bad goal, but I would settle to have doubled our total, scoring some terrible goals. I?d settle for that, rather than having scored pretty goals all the time.
?I?m well aware of the fact we need to commit more bodies forward and our final pass in the final third has to be better. We need to hit the target. We?ve had some great situations and not hit the target. We?ve had some breakaways and not hit the target. So the players have to stand up and be counted for in terms of taking the responsibility to shoot more.?
Cox and Daryl Fordyce led the way for Edmonton in the first half with three goals apiece. Neil Hlavaty and Shaun Saiko each scored a pair.
In order for the club to contend for a second-half title and earn a berth into the championship game against the first-half winner, the Atlanta Silverbacks, they?ll need more production from everyone.
?The key for us is finding that gem that is going to score 10 goals for us,? said Miller. ?Fordyce was starting to score goals for us at the end of the season, creating things all the time.
?Some of the goals that Daryl scored have been fabulous, so we?re hoping to get him in the box a bit more. Saiko is due to hit a bit of form as far as hitting the target, because he wants to shoot all the time. He?s hitting the ball very well in training. So we want to commit more people forward at the same time.?
FC Edmonton kicks off the second half of the schedule Saturday in Carolina against the RailHawks. They?ll return to Edmonton a week later to host Minnesota United FC.
Carolina finished second in the first-half standings, a point back of the Silverbacks. If the Silverbacks go on to claim the second-half title as well, then the team with most cumulative points through the first and second half will join them in the final.
?I think for us, it was a huge learning curve in the first half of the season,? said Miller. ?We?re now well aware of the standard of the opposition. We?re well aware of the facilities around the league. I think we?re in a better place than we were at the start of the season.
?With the greatest respect we don?t fear anyone in the league. There might have been some apprehension as to whether we were at that level, and now we?ve proven that we can play at this level.?
Source: www.nytimes.com --- Tuesday, July 30, 2013 Wang Lin, a practitioner of qigong, says Chinese government charges of swindling, dodging taxes and cavorting with criminals are part of a vendetta against him. ...
Fertility therapy not associated with long-term cardiovascular diseasePublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Julie Saccone julie.saccone@wchospital.ca 416-323-6400 x4054 Women's College Hospital
Women who gave birth following fertility treatment had no long-term increased risk of death or major cardiovascular events compared to women who gave birth without fertility therapy, according to new research by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women's College Hospital.
The findings, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, are the first to show fertility medications, which can cause short-term pregnancy complications, are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
"The speculated association between fertility therapy and subsequent cardiovascular disease is not surprising given that more women are waiting until an older age to have children, when they are at greater risk of developing heart disease," said Dr. Jacob Udell, lead author of the study and cardiologist at Women's College Hospital.
Fertility therapy is used in nearly one percent of all successful pregnancies in North America. But these medications are known to cause short-term complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. These short-term risks, however, do not translate into lasting cardiovascular damage according to the researchers.
In the study, researchers assessed the long-term risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure following fertility therapy among 1.1 million women after delivery over a 17-year follow-up period in Ontario. They found:
A five-fold increase in the use of fertility therapy from 1993 to 2010, particularly among older women.
The use of fertility therapy was associated with an increase in pregnancy complications including a near 30 per cent increase of diabetes in pregnancy, 16 per cent increase in placental disorders and a 10 per cent increase in pre-eclampsia.
Women who delivered following fertility therapy had about half the risk of subsequent death compared to women who did not have fertility therapy.
Women who delivered following fertility therapy had nearly half the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack and heart failure. The researchers do not believe that this is a direct effect of treatment; rather that women undergoing fertility therapy maintain a healthy lifestyle over a long period.
Researchers reported no increase in the risk of future breast or ovarian cancer in women who gave birth following fertility therapy.
Women who had fertility therapy also experienced fewer mental health events, including one-third the rate of depression and one-sixth the rate of self-harm.
"Our findings provide some reassurance that fertility therapy does not appear to increase long-term risk of cardiovascular events following successful pregnancy," says Dr. Donald Redelmeier, co-author of the study and a senior scientist at ICES. "The existing literature provides mixed messages, with our results yielding a relatively favourable assessment."
One theory is that women who seek fertility therapy maintain healthier behavior after a successful delivery a pattern that extends across age and income groups, the researchers say. "Those with successful outcomes may have a powerful and durable change to their lifestyle," says Dr. Redelmeier. "Unknown protective mechanism may also contribute."
"Our findings are encouraging but further research is necessary to explain the full impact of fertility therapy on women's health," Dr. Udell adds. "With a better understanding of the long-term health effects associated with fertility therapy, we can help inform decision making and reduce potential health risks to women."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Fertility therapy not associated with long-term cardiovascular diseasePublic release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Julie Saccone julie.saccone@wchospital.ca 416-323-6400 x4054 Women's College Hospital
Women who gave birth following fertility treatment had no long-term increased risk of death or major cardiovascular events compared to women who gave birth without fertility therapy, according to new research by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women's College Hospital.
The findings, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, are the first to show fertility medications, which can cause short-term pregnancy complications, are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
"The speculated association between fertility therapy and subsequent cardiovascular disease is not surprising given that more women are waiting until an older age to have children, when they are at greater risk of developing heart disease," said Dr. Jacob Udell, lead author of the study and cardiologist at Women's College Hospital.
Fertility therapy is used in nearly one percent of all successful pregnancies in North America. But these medications are known to cause short-term complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertension. These short-term risks, however, do not translate into lasting cardiovascular damage according to the researchers.
In the study, researchers assessed the long-term risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure following fertility therapy among 1.1 million women after delivery over a 17-year follow-up period in Ontario. They found:
A five-fold increase in the use of fertility therapy from 1993 to 2010, particularly among older women.
The use of fertility therapy was associated with an increase in pregnancy complications including a near 30 per cent increase of diabetes in pregnancy, 16 per cent increase in placental disorders and a 10 per cent increase in pre-eclampsia.
Women who delivered following fertility therapy had about half the risk of subsequent death compared to women who did not have fertility therapy.
Women who delivered following fertility therapy had nearly half the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack and heart failure. The researchers do not believe that this is a direct effect of treatment; rather that women undergoing fertility therapy maintain a healthy lifestyle over a long period.
Researchers reported no increase in the risk of future breast or ovarian cancer in women who gave birth following fertility therapy.
Women who had fertility therapy also experienced fewer mental health events, including one-third the rate of depression and one-sixth the rate of self-harm.
"Our findings provide some reassurance that fertility therapy does not appear to increase long-term risk of cardiovascular events following successful pregnancy," says Dr. Donald Redelmeier, co-author of the study and a senior scientist at ICES. "The existing literature provides mixed messages, with our results yielding a relatively favourable assessment."
One theory is that women who seek fertility therapy maintain healthier behavior after a successful delivery a pattern that extends across age and income groups, the researchers say. "Those with successful outcomes may have a powerful and durable change to their lifestyle," says Dr. Redelmeier. "Unknown protective mechanism may also contribute."
"Our findings are encouraging but further research is necessary to explain the full impact of fertility therapy on women's health," Dr. Udell adds. "With a better understanding of the long-term health effects associated with fertility therapy, we can help inform decision making and reduce potential health risks to women."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
It has been the source of much discussion this offseason.
But not at Boise State.
Coach Chris Petersen joined The Jim Rome Show last week to talk about a number of topics with the season approaching.
He was specifically asked about his ban of Twitter back in 2010.
"It really doesn't come up around here," Petersen said on The Jim Rome Show. "They get that. I still believe strongly in that just because I think it can be emotional, and all of a sudden they hit that send button, and five minutes later, they're going, 'Oh.' There are so many other forms of media out there.
"I think they're scared to death we're going to take away Instagram, and Facebook, and Vine and all those other things, so they don't say a word about Twitter because it is so much the same. The important thing is, there are a lot of other social media outlets that our kids do use, and they do know, if they're not smart and careful with it, well, that may go away as well. It's a privilege to be here, it's a privilege to play college football.
"And if you're not doing it the right way and representing this university, your family and the rest of your teammates the way they need to be represented, then you don't need to be on that stuff."?
Petersen went on to say he and his coaching staff have Twitter accounts, though he doesn't tweet. He said his staff does tweet for recruiting purposes.
The entire interview with Petersen is below.
Take our poll, then give us your take on whether college coaches should ban players from using Twitter.
Women who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome run into problems getting pregnant more often than the average woman, but they also need to be cautious when they are not trying to conceive ? choosing the right contraceptive isn?t straightforward if you have PCOS. What do you need to know about picking a birth control method that will not exacerbate your PCOS symptoms?
Thanks to UC Irvine/Flickr Creative Commons.
Hormonal contraceptives?
If you have PCOS, your reproductive endocrinologist may well recommend that you use a particular brand of birth control pill to reduce the PCOS symptoms you are suffering from, if you are not trying to conceive, that is. It is true that contraceptive pill may help you in the fight against symptoms, and that the pill may well be an excellent solution for you.
However, it is also a good idea to look at reasons not to use the contraceptive pill. Research has shown that the pill can increase insulin resistance in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, something that you have to take into account before you go on the pill. The birth control pill also interferes with the way in which your body absorbs nutrients, including zinc, magnesium, and folic acid. You need those nutrients in sufficient quantities to maintain your general health, and some nutritional deficiencies also affect PCOS symptoms.
The pill comes with some general risks as well, for every woman so including PCOS ladies. Take a higher risk for breast cancer, something that goes up the longer you use the pill, as well as a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. In some women, the pill creates a lower libido and weight gain.
Which pill might be right for you?
Many PCOS patients suffer from acne, and this is something that you may hope to combat with the use of the contraceptive pill. If so, you?ll want to know that contraceptive pills that have higher amounts of estrogen will be more suitable for this particular purpose. These pills will also help you to combat the excessive hair growth many women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome suffer from. Ask your doctor which pill is suitable if you want to bring these two PCOS symptoms under control, but do not forget to discuss the possible side effects of pills with a high estrogen content as well.
If you have breakthrough bleeding, you could do well with a pill that has higher estrogen as well as progestin levels ? but because of your PCOS, you will also need a pill that doesn?t strimulate male sex hormones, and which might thus actually make your symptoms worse.?Desogen, Estrostep Fe, and Ovcon are examples of such pills.
Do you have sore breasts??Alesse, Levlite, or other contraceptive pills that are high in estrogen but lower in progestin could help you reach a good balance. Such pills could also be a good option for women who suffer from depression and mood swings, because progestin can affect your emotional state.
Do you suffer from heavy and painful menstrual periods, but don?t have a problem with depression or sore breasts? You might benefit from a contraceptive pill that has more progestin, such as?Yasmin or Zovia. These options may also be helpful for you if you struggle with weight gain, another very common problem among women who have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
You can still get pregnant if you have PCOS
When you were diagnosed with PCOS, you found out that women with PCOS are more likely than others to struggle with infertility, because they may not ovulate during every menstrual cycle. This is an important point to be aware of if you are planning on having a baby, because there are steps you can undertake to increase your chances of getting pregnant. Losing even five percent of your weight if you are overweight with PCOS might help you conceive, for instance. Women who can?t manage this on their own often benefit from medications like Metformin to help them shed the right amount of weight.
However, you should be aware that PCOS doesn?t necessarily mean you cannot get pregnant naturally. This is as important to know for women who are trying to avoid a pregnancy as it is for those who would love to conceive. You?ll still need some form of contraception if you do not want to get pregnant and have PCOS.
Birth control pills may be the right option for you, but you may also ask your doctor about non-hormonal contraceptives including the Paragard intrauterine device (IUD), or you could use condoms.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]New animal research suggests that maternal diet during pregnancy can alter the development of a signalling pathway associated with reward processing in the offspring.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
Share ] 