Ask Engadget: best starter camera for an 11 year old?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Diego, who wants to give his son the gateway drug into photography. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm an amateur photographer, and my 10-year-old son has started to show an interest in what I do on weekends. I've shown him a thing or two on my DSLR and he wants to learn the basics, but I'd prefer it if he didn't do it on my $1,500 rig. His birthday's coming up, and I'd like to get him something that he can use for himself, that lets him customize ISO, white balance, aperture etc. Naturally, I was thinking of just a regular compact camera, but if you can suggest something else that won't break the bank, I'll gladly listen. Thanks!"

So, we turned this question over to one of our photo experts, who suggested that really, if you've got the budget for it, you might as well pick up a very old, very cheap DSLR. For instance, you can pick up an old Canon Rebel XT for around $200, and while it won't be shiny and new, will let them play with features and settings beyond the average compact camera. But what do we know, eh? This is the part of the weekend where we poll our community for their sage wisdom, so have at it, chums.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Mfd_tSIqWCI/

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Supreme Court Gene Patents Ruling Opens Genetic Test Options

reverse transcriptase is a naturally occouring enzyme, and viruses make cDNA all the time, and your cells remove introns all the time, so there is absofuckinglutely nothing patentable about cDNA

But the cDNAs that people would like to patent is not simply endogenously present - it has to be created using an entirely artificial process. And reverse transcriptase isn't a naturally occurring enzyme in humans, or at least not the kind that's used to make cDNA*. And our cells remove introns only to make mRNA, not cDNA. So it's a little deceptive to say that cDNA is a natural product and therefore not patentable. If your rather simplistic argument were valid, a vast number of forms of gene manipulation and genetic engineering would become unpatentable, because organisms undergo gene manipulation all the time. (The most extreme example is probably horizontal gene transfer, but there are plenty of other weird things going on, many involving viruses.)

Now, my personal preference (as both a scientist and a consumer) is for as few patents as possible on any genetic material, and I was relieved to see Myriad get slapped down by all nine justices. But what I prefer isn't always in line with what current case law decrees is allowable, and I wouldn't call the Supreme Court incompetent just because they didn't reach the conclusion I personally favor.

(* In fact, the polymerases used in molecular biology labs are often heavily engineered for greater stability and control, and of course they're not endogenously produced but rather purified from a [heavily modified] recombinant organism expressing the protein on a [human-designed] plasmid, so the connection to the naturally occurring proteins is tenuous.)

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/Do1q5ZgbnE8/story01.htm

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Robert Downey Jr. signs on as Iron Man for next two "Avengers"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Robert Downey Jr., who has gained huge box-office success with his portrayal of Iron Man, has signed on to star as the superhero in the next two installments of the "The Avengers," Marvel Studios said on Thursday.

Downey, 48, was one of the main stars of the 2012 all-star superhero film "The Avengers," which united Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor and the Black Widow.

"The Avengers," made by Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios, became the third highest-grossing film of all time, with $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.

Downey is expected to be joined by Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson in reprising their superhero roles for "The Avengers 2."

"The Avengers 2," set for release on May 1, 2015, will be directed by Joss Whedon. Marvel said the film would reunite the superheroes from the first film, as well as introducing Marvel characters never seen in film before.

The three "Iron Man" films starring Downey from 2008 to 2013, have grossed more than $2.4 billion at the worldwide box office.

"Iron Man 3" released last month has become the highest-grossing film of the year, with $1.2 billion in global ticket sales, and the fifth highest-grossing film of all time, Marvel said in a statement.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/robert-downey-jr-signs-iron-man-next-two-014926122.html

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A Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung infringed Apple's patent for "bounce-back" at the ends of page

A Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung infringed Apple's patent for "bounce-back" at the ends of pages scrolling screens?which disagrees with the US Patent and Trademark office's call that the patent is invalid.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-tokyo-court-has-ruled-that-samsung-infringed-apples-528111098

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NSW to host 2014 Australian University Games | Sports Business ...

NSW has secured hosting rights for the 2014 Australian University Games, with Sydney to host the five day event from Sunday 28th September to Friday 3rd October 2014.

This is the first time in 13 years that the Australian University Games will be held in Sydney, and to mark the occasion, organisers have announced that the event will be staged across Sydney?s main sporting venues and universities including The University of Sydney, Macquarie University, University of NSW and University of Technology Sydney.

The Games are expected to attract 6,500 student athletes, along with team officials, staff and volunteers from more than 35 national universities taking part in 30 sports, including 5,000 athletes from interstate.

The Australian University Games includes sports such as; Athletics, Rugby 7?s, Basketball, Tennis, Cycling, Beach Volleyball, Netball, Badminton and Sailing.

Announcing the news that NSW will be hosting, NSW Minister for Sport and Recreation, Graham Annesley stated ?this event will allow (NSW) to once again showcase our sporting diversity.

?I look forward to welcoming these young athletes and sporting officials from around the nation to our spectacular city, sharing with them our world class sporting facilities and all that our city has to offer.

?It also provides a great opportunity for members of the public to experience high level of competition with free entry to all events.?

Image: recreation.curtin.edu.au

Source: http://sportsbusinessinsider.com.au/news/nsw-to-host-australian-university-games/

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Greek political impasse deepens after coalition talks fail

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's coalition leaders failed to agree to on how to resume state television broadcasts during their third round of talks this week, deepening a nine-day impasse that has renewed fears of political instability in the country.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had appeared close to a compromise earlier this week with his two leftist coalition partners over the sudden closure of the ERT state broadcaster, until the three-party talks collapsed again on Thursday.

The leader of the smallest party in the coalition, Fotis Kouvelis of the Democratic Left, attacked Samaras for failing to comply with a court ruling ordering ERT back on air and rejecting his proposal for a reformed broadcaster.

"No common ground was reached at the political leaders' meeting with regards to the issue of ERT," Kouvelis said.

Democratic Left party officials were due to meet on Friday morning to discuss their stance on the issue, officials said.

The leader of the other junior coalition partner, Evangelos Venizelos, warned the country's ruling coalition was in trouble and called on Kouvelis to stay in the government.

"The situation for the country, the economy and its citizens is especially grave," said Venizelos, who heads PASOK, the second-biggest party in the government.

"We want the government to continue as a three-party government and we are asking Democratic Left to participate in re-establishing cooperation."

Center-right leader Samaras has ruled in fragile coalition with the two center-left parties since coming to power a year ago. The latest crisis was sparked by Samaras abruptly yanking ERT off air last week, triggering an outcry from his allies, unions and journalists.

ERT remains off air despite a court ruling on Monday ordering it back on. Samaras wants a transitional broadcaster run by only a few staff that will air a few ready-made programs while his allies want ERT to reopen exactly as it was before until the smaller version is launched.

Venizelos said Samaras had accepted a proposal to resume public broadcasts and re-hire about 2,000 workers, but that the junior partners were not satisfied.

"There have been steps to repair this but we are not fully satisfied," he said.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; editing by Deepa Babington and Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greek-coalition-leaders-fail-resolve-state-tv-impasse-200559011.html

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Storm chaser caught in tornado: It felt like I was going to heaven

>>> bettis and his crew were caught in in a twister and tossed 200 yards. we'll talk to mike about this in a moment. first, mike and his crew in their own words.

>> i just saw my wife's face, and i thought, you know - that's my life. i don't want to give that up just yet.

>> you could hear mike basically yelling into the radio faster, faster.

>> our lead car got pulled off the road into a ditch. we realized we weren't going to make it. i was just thinking this is it. i'm done.

>> when the first window went, you could hear the pop.

>> it blew out right next to me and showered me with glass. the last thing i remember is looking over my left shoulder and seeing the bettis mobile pass me and go airborne.

>> felt this tumble, tumble, tumble. there was a moment there where there was weightlessness. we were floating. truly felt at that moment like i was going to heaven.

>> came down hard. i had both hands on the steering wheel.

>> came to rest.

>> i could see a wrecked vehicle behind us. i couldn't see the bettis mobile.

>> they were 100 yards in a muddy feel.

>> makes you think about your mortality, gives you perspective. it's a moment i'll never forget.

>> mike bettis is with us live now. mike, good morning. how are you feeling?

>> pretty good, lester, a few cuts, a few scratches, but otherwise okay.

>> and the rest of the guys?

>> most of our guys, believe it or not, escaping without a scratch. one of our producers still in the hospital. he's got a few broken bones but he's in pretty good spirits.

>> mike, you guys have a lot of experience. you've done this before. tell me how this one got away from you, or i guess just the opposite.

>> yeah, it was a difficult circumstance that we ended up being on the north side of the storm, which is generally a portion of the storm you don't want to be on. there's a lot of rain there, a lot of hail as well. a lot of times your view of the tornado is obscured. it's a dangerous place because usually the tornado can come right at you. that circumstance, we were trying to get south of the storm. we were trying to get away from the storm, not closer to it. if you can get on the south of the storm, it's an area where there's no rain, no hail, you can get an unobscured view and it's moving away. it's usually the safest place to be. that's where we're trying to get. it's overtaken. another 30 seconds and we would have gotten past it.

>> these things usually in slow motion . we saw under the circumstances emotional, seeing the face of your life. was there a moment when you realized, we're done here. we are in this tornado.

>> i think when i saw our lead vehicle get pulled off the road and into a ditch, i think that was the moment i recessed we were just not going to get past it. as soon as i felt the vehicle tumble, i knew we were in trouble.

>> let me ask a question i think are on a lot of people's minds in a story like this, and it's why. people ask us, why do we stand in the face of hurricanes and they ask why do you chase tornadoes. is there a good answer?

>> i think storm spotters have a valuable service. they are out there giving ground to the radar and give advance warnings. things can change quickly. storm spotters can give advanced warning you wouldn't normally get. at times, i think the envelope is being pushed more and more and more people are being extreme with their chasing. i would say have situational awareness. if you know where you are, the erratic nature, always chase with a partner, think of safety first.

>> i have to ask, how will this change the way you continue to do your job?

>> i think, you know, there are moments where sometimes you get caught up in the moment and you forget exactly which road you need to take or what not. i think, if anything, there's a lesson to be learned here, lester, that safety comes first. there's always a tornado to chase. if you don't happen to see one, that's okay. there will be another one in the same circumstance.

>> we've always appreciated the work you do out there and wish you continued success and thankful you got out and survived it. mike bettis, thank you for joining us this morning.

>> thank you.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2cbbb628/l/0Lvideo0Btoday0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C520A72874/story01.htm

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