Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W.: What Older People Should Consider Before Taking an Antidepressant

This essay was co-authored with Kenneth G. Terkelsen, MD.

Antidepressants are helpful to some older people , but they also have their risks. You and your doctor should weigh the risks and benefits before starting an antidepressant. Keep in mind that exercise and psychotherapy can also be effective in reducing depression. So can spending time with people and keeping busy with activities you enjoy.

Medication may be the best thing for you, but there are alternatives that you and your doctor may decide you should try first.

Here are some key questions to ask:

Do I have a disorder responsive to antidepressants?
Antidepressants are often prescribed for conditions other than depression. Although these medications can be used for other conditions, it is important to be reasonably sure that you have a condition responsive to an antidepressant.

The primary such condition is major depressive disorder (MDD), which is not to be confused with being sad -- as we human beings often are -- or with symptoms of depression such as difficulty sleeping, which can, and often do, have causes other than MDD. Recent research suggests that antidepressants are more effective when depression is severe and less effective, and perhaps ineffective, when the depression is mild or even moderate.

Antidepressants are also used for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Again, being nervous is not the same as having an anxiety disorder. Is your anxiety severe enough for medication to be the way to go?

Antidepressants are also used for the treatment of nerve pain or to ease the emotional swings some women experience during and after menopause.

Use of medications, including antidepressants, for purposes not formally approved by the Federal Drug Administration ("off-label" use) is not uncommon, but it's important to discuss with your doctor beforehand.

Do I have a physical problem that may be worsened or improved by an antidepressant?
A recent study found an association between antidepressant use by older adults and falls, heart disease, stroke, gastro-intestinal distress and more. In addition, some antidepressants are associated with weight gain and obesity, which create greater risks for diabetes, heart disease, etc.

So, if you have balance problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal distress or weight problems, it only makes sense to have a conversation with your doctor about the wisdom of taking an antidepressant.

This is complicated because numerous studies, have shown depression increases the risk of disability or premature death in people with cardiac disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Taking antidepressants, when effective, can substantially reduce these risks, but weighing the value of treating depression with medication against the risks of adverse consequences is something to talk out with your doctor.

Should I take an antidepressant if I have dementia?
About 20 percent of people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia are also depressed. A number of studies have called into question the standard practice of prescribing antidepressants for older adults with dementia as the first line of intervention. A group that did a study for the British National Health Service concluded that it is preferable to start with "watchful waiting" and help dealing with the difficulties typically experienced by people with dementia and their caregivers, then try psychotherapy, and use anti-depressants only as a last resort.

Are there drug interactions I should be concerned about?
Adding an antidepressant to other medications may have adverse effects. For example, some drugs used to prevent blood clots and reduce risk of heart attack become more potent if certain antidepressants are added. This can be very dangerous if you have an injury that causes bleeding. You should check for potentially dangerous drug interactions with your doctor and/or pharmacist.

Can I use antidepressants if I drink alcohol or use drugs?
Taking antidepressants if you have more than a drink or two a day or if you use other potentially addictive substances such as opiates or cocaine can be very dangerous. Be honest with your doctor about alcohol and drug use so that you can decide together whether it is safe for you to take an antidepressant. Of course, you could decide to stop using these substances, but that is far easier said than done.

Which antidepressant is right for me?
Antidepressants are not interchangeable. Some are associated with weight gain; some are not. Some have sexual side effects; some usually do not. Some often produce a sense of agitation; some are less likely to. Some may help you sleep; others may not. Some are particularly useful for people who have an anxiety disorder as well as a major depressive disorder.

You and your doctor should sort out which antidepressant is most likely to work and to have the fewest side-effects for you.

But you should also carefully monitor your reaction. Individuals have different reactions to the same medications. You should talk with your doctor about your experience. You may need to try a number of different antidepressants before finding one that works for you.

Should I take more than one medication for depression?
Some individuals with medical conditions such as high blood pressure do better if treated with more than one medication. Similarly, some people with depression who do not get adequate relief with one medication may benefit from adding another. Some drug companies are advertising antipsychotic medications as possibly beneficial when antidepressants are not adequately effective. But antipsychotic medications also have risks. Combining two or more medications is something you should discuss with your doctor if you are not getting relief from one medication.

Bottom line:
Answering the questions above will not guarantee that you and your doctor will make the right decision about taking an antidepressant, but it will certainly help.

Michael B. Friedman, LMSW is Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University. Kenneth G. Terkelsen, MD is Associate Medical Director for Behavioral Health, Community Health Center of Cape Cod.

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Follow Michael Friedman, L.M.S.W. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mbfriedman395

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-friedman-lmsw/adult-antidepressant-effects-_b_1021597.html

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Dohnanyi cancels Hungary appearances in protest (AP)

BUDAPEST, Hungary ? Hungary's State Opera says German conductor Cristoph von Dohnanyi has canceled a pair of appearances to protest the appointment of a theater director linked to far-right groups.

Dohnanyi said in a letter released Friday by the Hungarian State Opera that he does not want to "appear in a city whose mayor entrusted the direction of a theater to two known, extreme right-wing anti-Semites."

Mayor Istvan Tarlos' recent appointment of Gyorgy Dorner was widely criticized by Jewish organizations, as well as a large group of directors of other Budapest theaters.

Dorner has named Istvan Csurka, a playwright and former lawmaker known for anti-Semitic speeches and articles, as his deputy.

The Opera said it was considering suing Dohnanyi for compensation.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111021/ap_en_mu/eu_hungary_opera_protest

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Colorado guitarist dies after fight with bandmate (AP)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ? A Colorado Springs rock musician has died after he was punched and knocked to the ground in a fight involving other members of his band.

Police say Terry Span died Thursday, 12 days after the fight outside a club where the band had played. The 48-year-old Aleister Wild guitarist had been in a coma.

The coroner says the cause of death was a closed head injury.

Thirty-nine-year-old Michael Sorden was arrested on assault charges after the Oct. 8 fight. Police say prosecutors will decide whether to file other charges.

Sorden is a bass player in the band.

Another Aleister Wild member, vocalist Ernie Munoz, told The Gazette of Colorado Springs (http://bit.ly/qGeYHz) that Span was trying to calm Sorden after a dispute over loading the band members' equipment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111022/ap_en_ot/us_band_brawl

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Galaxy Nexus and Android 4.0 vs. iPhone 4S (Yahoo! News)

Google's new Ice Cream Sandwich OS and Apple's iOS 5 go head to head

Android and the?iPhone may seem like oil and water ? at least depending on who you ask ? but the two major forces in the smartphone world are starting to increasingly take their cues from one another. Apple just introduced iOS 5, the newest version of its wildly popular mobile operating system, and now Google's let the cat out of the bag on Android 4.0 (playfully nicknamed "Ice Cream Sandwich") and a new flagship phone, the powerhouse?Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Android 4.0 seeks to remedy the most common complaints about Android: namely its complexity (and the fact that it isn't the indomitable?iPhone). Read on to see how the two mobile heavyweights fare in a head-to-head match.

The sleek interface of Ice Cream Sandwich

Appearance
If you've spent any time with an Android tablet, you've seen the Tron-esque stark black visual landscape that Google has now ported over to Android for phones. Thought up by lauded mobile designer Matias Duarte, the look is a somewhat radical new direction: A sleek retort to the simplicity of iOS that stands apart with deep blacks, glowing blues, and an ultra-modern new font called Roboto. Android 4.0 also tosses resizable widgets into the mix, making it even easier to get weather, email, texts, and more without opening an app.

Apple's iOS 5 doesn't introduce much in the way of a visual redesign, but why mess with a winning formula? As far as function goes, iOS 5 does introduce an extremely useful pull-down notification system that replaces the incessant pop-ups of yore, though Apple admittedly took its inspiration from Android.

Winner: Android 4.0 Android's new look is striking and innovative (even if it isn't everyone's cup of tea). The visual style of iOS is clean by definition, but it doesn't have the pizazz of the new blue Android 4.0 and didn't evolve nearly as far in the last update.

Apple's iCloud automates you backup needs

Syncing and software suites
Apple has made much ado about iCloud, its brand new iOS 5 feature that zaps your downloads to the cloud and syncs iTunes downloads like apps, music, and photos?them across your iDevices. If you're a former MobileMe user you'll be happy to know that the service is now free, and rolled up under the banner of iCloud for email, contact, and calendar syncing.

Integration with the cloud has always been a strong suit for Google. While Google Music Beta might have been upstaged by on-demand cloud music darling Spotify, Google's vast suite of software services are quite handy on Android compared to their iOS counterparts. Apps like Gmail offer a richer, deeper experience on Google's own platform, and with Android 4.0, Google has upped the game with enhanced offline email search (up to 30 days back), a functional redesign to make things simpler and smoother, and a revamped Calendar app.

Winner: Tie If you're more plugged into iTunes and the service formerly known as MobileMe, Apple's software will make your life a breeze. If you lean more heavily on Gmail, Google Calendars, and the like, Android is built for you.

Siri on the iPhone 4S is an advanced AI

Killer features from the future: Siri vs. Android Beam and Face Unlock
Both iOS 5 and Android 4.0 have a futuristic touch ? and we're not just talking glowing blue tones either. With iOS 5, Apple introduced us to?Siri, a voice command and search app that's almost eerily sophisticated. You can speak into your iPhone 4S and ask Siri anything you want (really, anything!) and Siri speaks the information you need ? or least a quirky retort. Android has boasted handy built-in voice commands for longer, but Siri is far more comprehensive...and far closer to being sentient.

Paired with the futurescape of its new look, Android 4.0 introduces two very cool little bonus features: Android Beam and Face Unlock. If you've ever used the clever app Bump to swap phone numbers, Beam is the exact same idea, but expanded. With Beam, you can tap two phones together and watch as websites, videos, directions, and apps are zapped from one phone to the other.

Face Unlock for Android 4.0 is a trick that could prove pretty useful in securing your phone from prying eyes. Using Google's face recognition technology, you can unlock your phone just by peering into the front-facing camera and having your face recognized.

Winner:
Siri Both Apple and Android's new futuristic features have some inherent limitations. Siri is only available for the iPhone 4S, and isn't open to all iOS 5 users. Android Beam will debut on the new flagship Galaxy Nexus phone, and then be possible between any two Android 4.0 phones that have a?Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip or sticker. Unfortunately, knowing Google's checkered past with Android updates and its ongoing struggles with its grab bag of Android makers, it's hard to say how long it'll be before the stars will align for Beam.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

iPhone 4S vs. Galaxy Nexus
While the iPhone 4S is no iPhone 5, it's no slouch either. The phone isn't radically redesigned, but it's got a huge boost in speed thanks to an A5 processor, an even better camera with an 8MP sensor and f/2.4 aperture, and then there's Siri behind the wheel, and the winning design and retina display introduced with the last generation iPhone.

There's a veritable sea of Android phones out there, but the new reigning champion is the Galaxy Nexus, made by Samsung and due out next month. As the latest in Google's bloodline of Nexus flagship phones, it will be the first phone running Android 4.0 out of the gate ? a huge advantage in our crazy, mixed up Android world.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus tech specs:

  • 4.65" Super AMOLED screen
  • 1.2Ghz dual-core processor
  • Support for 4G LTE
  • Sliver-thin 9mm thickness
  • Curved design that makes it feel natural to hold
  • Android 4.0
  • NFC

Winner: iPhone 4S In terms of screen quality, speed, and design, these two phones are clearly the very upper crust of the mobile world. They're very nearly equally matched, but the iPhone 4S is a better fit for more buyers. The flagship Android phone's huge screen will be great for video and web-browsing, but it's also just plain too big to have a broad appeal. And since there are so many more fish in the Android sea, this round goes to the one and only iPhone.

This article originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20111019/tc_yblog_technews/galaxy-nexus-and-android-4-0-vs-iphone-4s

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Whether we know it or not, we can 'see' through 1 eye at a time

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Although portions of the visible world come in through one eye only, the brain instantaneously takes all that information and creates a coherent image. As far as we know, we "see" with both eyes at once. Now a new study suggests that the brain may know which eye is receiving information?and can turn around and tell that eye to work even harder.

"We have demonstrated for the first time that you can pay attention through one eye, even when you have no idea where the image is coming from," says Peng Zhang, who conducted the study with University of Minnesota colleagues Yi Jiang and Sheng He. And the harder that eye is working?the heavier the "informational load"?the more effectively still that eye can attend to its object. The findings will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.

The researchers conducted two experiments, each with six observers ages 20 to 29, who viewed images through a mechanism that can separate stimuli by eye. In the first experiment, in one eye a target?which looked like a shiny compact disc?gradually emerged in a sweeping fashion. In the other eye a "noise patch" of high-contrast flashing colored squares was displayed. Each image was in the same spot relative to its respective eye, so the two appeared in the same place in the field of vision; the target seemed to displace the patch as it came into view. A small round "cue," either in the target eye or the noise eye, also gradually turned from red to gray or back and got fat or thin. Participants had to press a button when it turned, say, red or fat and gray. At the same time, they had to press as soon as they saw any part of the target appear.

The viewers took less time to notice the emerging target when it was in the same eye as the cue.

In the second experiment, the task was harder. Two cues were displayed at once and participants had to attend to both or to two "features" at once?indicating for instance when both were red or both red and thick. Like tougher training improving an athlete's performance, the additional "load" forced that eye to work harder?and, the researchers found, enhanced that eye's abilities further. Again, the target appeared even faster when the cues were in the target eye and even slower when they were in the noise eye.

The findings, says Zhang, suggest some intriguing things about the visual system. "Maybe there are binocular neurons in the brain"?neurons that take in and collate information from both eyes?"that also know which eye that information is coming from and can feed back to that eye," telling it to pay closer attention. In other words, the mechanisms of visual perception, and the communications between eye and brain, may be even more flexible and powerful than scientists thought.

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Association for Psychological Science: http://www.psychologicalscience.org

Thanks to Association for Psychological Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114409/Whether_we_know_it_or_not__we_can__see__through___eye_at_a_time

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Bayern president takes swipe at Klinsmann

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:19 a.m. ET Oct. 20, 2011

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -Bayern Munich's president says hiring Jurgen Klinsmann as coach of the German powerhouse was an expensive mistake.

Klinsmann is now coach of the United States team. He coached Bayern from July 2008 to April 2009, when he was fired.

Club president Uli Hoeness says in a newspaper interview "we spent a lot of money under Klinsmann and had little success."

Hoeness says Klinsmann used expensive computers to show game plans to the players, while current coach Jupp Heynckes needs only a few markers and a flip chart.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Barca, Chelsea advance easily

Barcelona set a club record by extending its unbeaten streak at the start of the season to 13 games with a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic's Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, and Fernando Torres scored twice for Chelsea in a 5-0 rout of Genk on Wednesday night.

Rights bidding

Broadcasters ESPN, Fox and NBC are bidding for the rights to show the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the United States.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44975506/ns/sports-soccer/

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Israeli soldier, Palestinians freed in captive swap (Reuters)

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and hundreds of Palestinians crossed Israel's borders in opposite directions on Tuesday as a thousand-for-one prisoner swap brought joy to families but did little to ease decades of conflict.

In one of the biggest ever such exchanges between the two sides, a pale and gaunt Sergeant Shalit was flown to his parents' home in northern Israel after more than five years held incommunicado by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while a first 477 of over 1,000 Palestinians to be released under the bargain left Israeli jails for Gaza, the West Bank and abroad.

Flag-waving crowds greeted long unseen loved ones as heroes and uncompromising talk on either side left few illusions for world leaders who urged Israel and the divided Palestinian factions to build on the long-awaited bargain brokered by Germany and Egypt to reopen wider peace negotiations.

In an interview with Egyptian television as he passed through on his way from Gaza, a visibly weak and dazed Shalit, 25, said of 5,000 Palestinians who remain in Israeli jails: "I hope this deal will promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

But, while leaders of Islamist Hamas and their secular rivals in President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement made mildly conciliatory comments about each other's role in achieving the deal, there was no sign of warmth across the frontline of the struggle for land and security between Palestinians and Israel.

"The people want a new Gilad!" chanted thousands at a rally in Gaza where Hamas leaders trumpeted their feat in holding on to their captive, even when thousands of Israeli troops swept through the coastal strip in early 2009 in a war against Hamas rocket teams that left over 1,400 Gazans dead.

"VICTORY"

Local Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, surrounded by former prisoners decked out in the green of the Islamist party, told a cheering crowd: "The enemy retreated, Shalit remained in the hands of the holy warriors and today we have victory."

In Cairo, where some of those released gathered before being sent into enforced exile, Hamas's supreme leader Khaled Meshaal praised the actions that had led to some of them spending decades in prison and made clear the war was not over:

"Those whose hands are and will remain on triggers are the honour of Palestine," he said, promising eventual triumph.

"Negotiation based on power forces the enemy to pay the price," Meshaal said. "We have defeated the Israelis."

In the West Bank, still the stronghold of Abbas after Hamas drove his secular Fatah movement out of Gaza following Israel's tactical withdrawal from the smaller territory in 2005, youths throwing stones clashed with teargas-firing Israeli troops.

Abbas is shunned by Hamas as pawn of Israel and its Western allies but has angered Israel and the United States by shunning long-stalled negotiations and seeking direct United Nations recognition of Palestinian statehood. He used the occasion to assure supporters: "You will see the results of your struggle in the independent state, with its capital Jerusalem."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced some tough questions from fellow right-wingers after agreeing to free hundreds of those who attacked and killed Israelis over the years, had strong words for those released:

Any who "returned to terror" would be "taking their life into their own hands", said Netanyahu, who called it a "difficult day" for relatives of Israelis killed in violence.

Such sentiments, however, were largely overwhelmed by the sight of Israelis welcoming home a young man, captured from his tank in a border raid when he was just 19, whose safe return was portrayed as Jewish Biblical imperative.

"I brought your boy home," Netanyahu said he told Shalit's parents, as he waited with them at an air base.

"Our son has been reborn," his father Noam said outside his home in a village in the hills near the Lebanese border. He told wellwishers that Shalit had some health problems due to lack of sunlight and of care for shrapnel wounds possibly sustained when he was snatched in a border raid in which two comrades died.

Israel has a history of trading captives for some of the few Israelis taken prisoner by Arab enemies, and has also granted releases in exchange for the return of human remains.

"NO REGRETS"

In Ramallah, near Jerusalem, Qahera Assadi fainted after embracing her family again, nine years after being jailed for her part in helping an Islamic Jihad suicide bomber

"I must be dreaming," said Assadi, 34, as she greeted her husband and four children. "I did what I did in defence of my nation and children and have no regrets at all. I was kidnapped from my children and spent a decade in prison."

Gilad Shalit, his breathing laboured, told Egyptian television in an interview: "I missed my family very much." He acknowledged it was nerve-wracking to be whisked from his lonely seclusion.

The conscript soldier, not seen since a 2009 video, said he had feared he would be held "for many more years".

Hundreds of flag-waving neighbours and sightseers lined the streets near his home. Many danced as a ceremonial shofar horn was blown when he arrived at nightfall after a day that he began, as nearly 2,000 before, hidden away somewhere in Gaza.

Wellwishers threw flowers and uncorked champagne as Shalit arrived by military helicopter at Mitzpe Hila. Dressed again in army fatigues after being released wearing a casual shirt, he managed one shy wave before being whisked into the family home.

Shalit has been popularly portrayed as "everyone's son" and polls showed a huge majority of Israelis backed the deal.

A military statement said Shalit was in good health and the army released photographs of him, back in uniform and spectacles, saluting Netanyahu. But witnesses said Shalit felt nauseous and weak on his arrival in Israel and needed oxygen.

Egypt helped to mediate the deal, and its army-backed interim government has sought to revive a role as a diplomatic linchpin in the Middle East. Negotiations had been going on long before U.S.-backed leader Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February and the successful conclusion indicated a will in Cairo to play a part, despite post-Mubarak tension with Israel.

Under the terms of the deal, 40 of those who had been jailed for involvement in deadly attacks were being deported from Palestinian territory. Turkey confirmed it would take in around 10, while others were destined for Syria and Qatar.

After the 477 freed on Tuesday, a further 550 Palestinians will be released soon.

STALEMATE

U.S. President Barack Obama said he wanted Israelis and Palestinians "to take steps that make it easier to return to negotiations than harder."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy saud hoped for "new momentum" to dialogue between the two sides.

But it appeared unlikely the prisoner exchange agreed by the two bitter enemies would have any immediate impact on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that broke down last year.

It was announced on the eve of the swap that international efforts to revive peace talks that collapsed 13 months ago in a dispute over Israeli settlement-building had failed to bring both sides together for meetings set for Oct. 26 in Jerusalem.

Envoys from the Quartet of mediators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- will instead hold separate sessions with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Hamas opposes the peace process.

Palestinians set free included Nasser Yatayma, serving a life sentence for involvement in a suicide bombing that killed 30 people attending a Jewish Passover seder, or traditional meal, in a hotel in central Israel in 2002.

Amana Mona, a Palestinian activist from the West Bank, was also released. She was jailed for life for using an Internet chatroom and promises of sex to lure a 16-year-old Israeli to his death in 2001, when she was 24.

Shalit was abducted in June 2006 by militants who tunnelled into Israel from the Gaza Strip and surprised his tank crew, killing two of his comrades.

Israel, which withdrew troops and a few thousand Jewish settlers from Gaza in 2005, tightened its blockade of the strip's 1.5 million people after Shalit's capture.

The isolation has helped deepen a rift between Palestinian leaders. While investment has flowed in to the occupied West Bank, home to 2.5 million, while Gaza is cut off, impoverished and effectively engaged in sporadic war with Israel.

(Additional reporting by Allyn Fisher-Ilan, Rami Amichai, Ronen Zvulun, Ari Rabinovitch, Maayan Lubell, Douglas Hamilton, Mohammed Salem and Tom Perry; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Alastair Macdonald)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111018/india_nm/india599717

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Launch of EU's Galileo system set for Friday (AP)

BRUSSELS ? The launch of the first two satellites for the European Union's Galileo navigation system was postponed until Friday ? adding at least one more day to years of waiting for a program promoted as the main rival to GPS to get off the ground.

The Galileo system, which has become a symbol of EU infighting, inefficiency and delay, is expected to open trans-Atlantic competition with the ubiquitous American GPS network.

The EU had all the pomp and speeches about the dawning of a new age prepared for Thursday, but was forced to postpone it for at least 24 hours because of a leaky valve that kept a Russian Soyuz rocket grounded at the launch site in French Guiana on the northern coast of South America.

GPS has become the global consumer standard in satellite navigation over the past decade, reducing the need for awkward oversized maps and arguments with back seat drivers about whether to turn left or right.

Now, the EU wants Galileo to dominate the future with a system which is more precise, more reliable than GPS, while controlled by civil authorities. It foresees applications ranging from precision seeding on farmland to pinpoint positioning for search-and-rescue missions. On top of that, the EU hopes it will reap a financial windfall.

"If Europe wants to be competitive and independent in the future, the EU needs to have its own satellite navigation system to also create new economic opportunities", said Herbert Reul, head of the EU parliament's industry, research and energy committee.

There are still several more years to wait, but the satellite launch is a major step in getting Galileo on track. It will start operating in 2014 as a free consumer navigation service, with more specialized services to be rolled out until 2020, when it should be fully operational. After the initial launch, two satellites will go up every quarter as of the end of 2012 until all 30 satellites are up.

The EU hopes its economic impact will stand at about euro90 billion ($125 billion) in industrial revenues and public benefits over the next two decades.

The idea for the program first rallied support in the late 1990s, and its development has been pushed back with delays ever since. When it became clear in 2008 that private investors weren't lining up to finance Galileo, the EU decided taxpayers would underwrite most of the program.

The European Commission said development and deployment since 2003 is estimated at well over euro5 billion ($6.8 billion). Maintaining and completing the system is expected to cost euro1 billion ($1.35 billion) a year.

Critics have said the cost overruns were much higher.

"Far from celebrating," officials "who have supported Galileo should be making a public apology to taxpayers for this shocking waste of time, effort and resources," EU legislator Marta Andreasen of the anti-Euro UKIP party said.

Officials hope to delay the launch of the Russian Soyuz rocket by only 24 hours, although a new date will be announced once the investigation is complete, said Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace, the commercial arm of the European Space Agency.

The launch was originally scheduled for last year, but adverse weather kept delaying construction of the Soyuz facility.

___

Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Kerwin Alcide in Cayenne, French Guiana, contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_hi_te/eu_eu_satellite_navigation

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