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  • Paul Hackett / Reuters

    South Korean soccer ream revels in victory over Japan

    South Korea's players toss coach Myung Bo Hong into the air to celebrate their 2-0 victory over Japan in the men's bronze medal soccer match at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Aug. 10.

  • Mike Segar / Reuters

    Russia's Vitaliy Fridzon takes an elbow to his face at the Olympics

    Spain's Marc Gasol, right, fouls Russia's Vitaliy Fridzon during their men's basketball semifinal match at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Aug. 10. Spain won 67-59.

  • Jordan Burroughs Wins Gold

    Grigory Dukor / Reuters

    U.S. wrestler Jordan Ernest Burroughs reacts after defeating Iran's Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi in the final of the men's 74Kg Freestyle wrestling at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 10.

    Paul Sancya / AP

    U.S. wrestler Jordan Ernest Burroughs kisses his gold medal in the ceremony for men's 74-kg freestyle wrestling competition on Aug. 10.

    Reuters - Jordan Burroughs won the first wrestling gold for the United States at the London Olympics on Friday, earning a $250,000 bonus from U.S. officials and vindicating his characteristically confident choice of Twitter name, "All I See Is Gold."

    The world champion with a soft spot for fast food, hip hop and tattoos overpowered Iran's Sadegh Goudarzi in the final of the 74kg freestyle.

    The final brought together two countries that are old foes on the wrestling mat and on the world stage. Read More

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    Paul Sancya / AP

    U.S. wrestler Jordan Ernest Burroughs, left, celebrates after a winning move against Iran's Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi during their gold medal match at a 74-kg men's freestyle wrestling competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Aug. 10, in London.

    Paul Sancya / AP

    U.S. wrester Jordan Ernest Burroughs celebrates after winning against Iran's Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi in the gold medal match of the 74-kg men's freestyle wrestling competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Aug. 10 in London.

    Grigory Dukor / Reuters

    Iran wrestler Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi, right, and U.S. wrestler Jordan Ernest Burroughs pose at the podium of the men's 74Kg Freestyle wrestling at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 10.

    Marwan Naamani / AFP - Getty Images

    U.S. wrestler Jordan Ernest Burroughs celebrates with relatives and fans after winning the men's 74kg Freestyle gold medal wrestling match of the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 10.

  • Nicaraguans honor patron saint Santo Domingo de Guzman

    Hector Retamal / AFP - Getty Images

    A man covered in motor oil takes part in the festivities honoring Santo Domingo de Guzman, Managua's patron saint on Aug. 10, 2012. Domingo's image spent ten days in the Santo Domingo church and will return to his shrine at the church of Las Sierritas, Managua.

    Hector Retamal / AFP - Getty Images

    A child takes part in festivities honoring Santo Domingo de Guzman, Managua's patron saint on Aug. 10.

    Hector Retamal / AFP - Getty Images

    Painted children take part in the festivities honoring Santo Domingo de Guzman, Managua's patron saint on Aug. 10.

    Hector Retamal / AFP - Getty Images

    A man lights fireworks during festivities honoring Santo Domingo de Guzman, Managua's patron saint on Aug. 10.

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  • Mourning for victims killed at Wisconsin Sikh temple

    Darren Hauck / Getty Images

    Two woman hug as community members pay respects to the six victims in the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, at the Oak Creek High School on Aug. 10, in Oak Creek Wisconsin. Suspected gunman, 40-year-old Wade Michael Page, allegedly killed six people at the temple on August 5 and then killed himself at the scene. He was an army veteran and reportedly a former member of a white supremacist heavy metal band. Three others were critically wounded in the attack.

    Jeffrey Phelps / AP

    A woman weeps as mourners attend the funeral and memorial service for the six victims of the Sikh temple of Wisconsin mass shooting in Oak Creek, Wis., on Aug 10. The public service was held in the Oak Creek High School. Three other people were wounded in the shooting last Sunday at the temple. Wade Michael Page, 40, killed five men and one woman, and injured two other men. Authorities say Page then ambushed the first police officer who responded, shooting him nine times and leaving him in critical condition. A second officer then shot Page in the stomach, and Page took his own life with a shot to the head.

    Becky Bratu, NBC News -- As prayer, music and chanting filled the building, hundreds streamed into an Oak Creek, Wis., gymnasium Friday morning to pay their final respects to the woman and five men killed when a gunman opened fire at a Sikh temple in the community last weekend.

    Non-Sikhs wearing kerchiefs on their heads and Sikhs alike marched together in neat rows, with some of them stopping at times to embrace one another and exchange a few words. A priest spoke and recited prayers in the native Indian Punjabi.

    "Today we mourn with you, we pray with you and we support you,” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told those gathered.

    Continue reading.

    Tom Lynn / Reuters

    A young boy is comforted as he stands beside one the victims during the wake and visitation service for victims of last Sunday's attack at a Sikh temple, at Oak Creek High School, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin on Aug. 10. Thousands are expected to attend the wake where the bodies of the six victims will lie in repose, according to local Sikh leaders.

    Jeffrey Phelps / AP

    Mourners attend the funeral and memorial service for the six victims of the Sikh temple of Wisconsin mass shooting in Oak Creek, Wis., on Aug 10. The public service was held in the Oak Creek High School. Three other people were wounded in the shooting last Sunday at the temple. Wade Michael Page, 40, killed five men and one woman, and injured two other men. Authorities say Page then ambushed the first police officer who responded, shooting him nine times and leaving him in critical condition. A second officer then shot Page in the stomach, and Page took his own life with a shot to the head.

    Kamil Krzaczynski / EPA

    Sikh community and family members carry a casket with the body of a shooting victim, during the funeral service at the Oak Creek High School in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, on Aug. 10. Six people were killed on Aug. 5 after a gunman attacked a congregation during worship at a Sikh temple outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    Jeffrey Phelps / AP

    A gunman opened fire Sunday morning at a Sikh temple outside of Milwaukee, killing six people and wounding at least three others, including a police officer, before being shot to death, authorities said.

  • The Apprentice: Memoirs of a Chinese geisha wannabe in Japan

    Reuters

    Chinese geisha trainee Rinka, born as Zhang Xue in Shenyang, China, puts on makeup at a geisha school in the port town of Shimoda, Japan on Aug. 3, 2012.

    Reuters - It takes Rinka at least two hours to apply her thick white makeup and get dressed in an elaborate kimono on formal occasions, as is typical of most trainee geisha.

    But 29-year-old Rinka is different. She is a Chinese national hoping to take her place among the ranks of Japan's ancient but fading profession of female entertainers known for their beauty, skill at traditional arts and witty conversation.

    Born in Shenyang, China, she grew up as Zhang Xue before moving to Japan at the age of 14, one of only a handful of foreigners to try to join the geisha ranks. Read More

    Reuters

    Chinese geisha trainee Rinka affixes a wig as her 72-year-old geisha matron Kanoya assists her in the port town of Shimoda, Japan on Aug. 3.

    Reuters

    Chinese geisha trainee Rinka lights candles before a summer festival near her geisha school building in the port town of Shimoda, Japan on Aug. 3.

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  • Eerie stillness in Aleppo as Syrian rebels pull back

    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    A Free Syrian Army fighter walks through a house during clashes with Syrian Army in Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    A man carries a suitcase in central Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    A man and a woman look out of a window in central Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Reuters reports -- Syrian forces have pushed rebels back from a strategic district of Aleppo, but skirmishes continued in the city and the United Nations said the conflict engulfing Syria would have no winner.

    Syrian President Assad, engaged in an all-consuming fight with his mostly Sunni opponents, appointed a Sunni as his new prime minister on Thursday after his predecessor fled on Monday in the highest-level defection so far in the uprising that began 17 months ago.

    Read the full story.

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    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    A man carries bread on an empty street in central Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    A destroyed house is pictured in the Salaheddine neighborhood of central Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

    Free Syrian Army fighters rest in the Salaheddine neighborhood of central Aleppo, on Aug. 10.

    Stringer / Reuters

    After months of protests and violent crackdowns, a look back at the violence that has overtaken the country.

     

     

  • Splish splash! Synchronized swimmers rule the pool

    Al Bello / Getty Images

    Spain competes in the Women's Teams Synchronized Swimming Free Routine final August 10.

    Al Bello / Getty Images

    Egypt competes in the Women's Teams Synchronised Swimming Free Routine final, August 10, 2012 in London.

    Al Bello / Getty Images

    Canada competes in the Women's Teams Synchronized Swimming Free Routine final, August 10.

    Al Bello / Getty Images

    Russia competes in the Women's Teams Synchronized Swimming Free Routine final on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on August 10.

    Al Bello / Getty Images

    China competes in the Women's Teams Synchronized Swimming Free Routine final on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on August 10.

    Martin Bureau / AFP - Getty Images

    Members of the China's synchronized swimming team compete in the team free routine final during the synchronized swimming competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 10.

    Clive Rose / Getty Images

    Spain competes in the Women's Teams Synchronized Swimming Free Routine final on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on August 10.

    InStyle.com

    From bright makeup to glittery outfits, Olympic synchronized swimming is all about flair. Check out a few favorite looks.

    Today we were again watching synchronized swimming, and though the underwater shots are great, I was impressed by the aerial acrobatics by these swimmers. We also loved the silvery scaled costumes worn by Spain's team making them look like fish outta water when airborne.

  • Most flexible Olympic athlete?

    Sergei Ilnitsky / EPA

    Senyue Deng of China performs on clubs in the Individual All-Around Qualification during the London 2012 Olympic Games Rhythmic Gymnastics competition, Aug. 10.

    Julie Jacobson / AP

    Germany's Jana Berezko-Marggrander performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifications at at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 9.

    Gregory Bull / AP

    Uzbekistan's Ulyana Trofimova performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifications at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 10.

    Gregory Bull / AP

    Ukraine's Ganna Rizatdinova performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifications at at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 9.

    Gregory Bull / AP

    Britain's Francesca Jones performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifications at at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 9.

    Click for more from the 2012 summer games in London.

    Rhythmic gymnastics is running a close second right now in our poll for strangest Olympic sport. But I'm guessing readers would agree that these athletes win for most flexible.

  • Waiting, wading and mourning in flood-stricken Philippines, as death toll hits 60

    Nicolas Asfouri / AFP - Getty Images

    Local residents wade through floodwaters in a street in the township of Apalit on the outskirts of Manila on Aug. 10. The number of people killed in floods that submerged most of the Philippine capital Manila and parts of surrounding provinces this week has risen to 60, the government said on Aug. 10.

    Nicolas Asfouri / AFP - Getty Images

    Thousands of flood victims queue for food relief at a municipal building in the township of Paombong on the outskirts of Manila on Aug. 10. Thousands more Philippine flood victims crammed into evacuation centres on August 10 as waist-high water covered vast farming regions and the death toll from a week of misery rose to 60.

    Francis R. Malasig / EPA

    Locals paddling through floodwaters with the backdrop of the Makati financial district skyline in Taguig city, South of Manila, Philippines, on Aug. 10. The death toll in floods caused by days of heavy monsoon rains in the Philippine capital and northern provinces has climbed to 60 with seven people missing, the national disaster response agency said. More than half a million people were displaced by the deluge with 362,307 staying in cramped evacuation centres and 284,177 taking shelter with relatives and friends. In total, 2.44 million people were affected by the floods, the worst since 2009 when flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm Ketsana left 501 dead and missing in Manila and surrounding provinces.

    Pat Roque / AP

    Alexis Joy Preclaro, 4, sits with her puppy in a table at an evacuation center in Taytay town, east of Manila, Philippines. About 2.4 million people in Manila and nearby provinces have been affected, forcing more than 360,000 to seek shelter in government-run evacuation centers, the Office of Civil Defense reported Friday.

    AP reports -- Philippine disaster officials were shifting Friday from rescue work to a massive clean-up of the capital following nonstop rains that left tons of muck and debris from floods littering the city.

    The torrential monsoon rains that began Sunday left at least 60 people dead in the worst flooding in Manila since 2009. More than half of the sprawling metropolis of 12 million was submerged at the peak of the floods, and schools and offices closed for days.

    About 2.4 million people in Manila and nearby provinces have been affected, forcing more than 360,000 to seek shelter in government-run evacuation centers, the Office of Civil Defense reported Friday.

    Continue reading.

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    Erik De Castro / Reuters

    Pedicabs transport commuters in a flooded street in Malabon, Metro Manila, on Aug. 10.

    Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

    Net-Net Carbonilla mourns the death of her father Noli Carbonilla, 55, as she sits next to his casket surrounded by flood waters Aug. 10, in Manila, Philippines. Noli was not killed by the floods but his wake and funeral were delayed due to the flooding. As the waters began to recede the family built a platform to keep the casket above water. The death toll has climbed to more than 100 people as metro Manila dealt with nearly 2 weeks of monsoon rains effecting more than 2 million people, the worst flooding in 3 years. Phillippine residents are starting to return to their homes and cleaning up the storm damage.

     

  • Piano player floats over Vilnius, Lithuania

    Petras Malukas / AFP - Getty Images

    A stuntman and his cardboard piano are lifted by a hot air balloon over Vilnius on August 10, during the Piano.lt summer festival.

    Petras Malukas / AFP - Getty Images

    A stuntman pretends to play the piano in the air as he and his cardboard instrument are lifted by a hot air balloon over Vilnius on August 10.

    Petras Malukas / AFP - Getty Images

    A stuntman pretends to play the piano in the air as he and his cardboard instrument are lifted by a hot air balloon over Vilnius on August 10.

    If you didn't know the Piano.lt summer festival was starting, this might get your attention. Don't be fooled though, the piano isn't real like the one we saw in May, high above Sao Paulo, Brazil.

  • Rafiq Maqbool / AP

    A show of hands in India

    Devotees form a human pyramid to break the "Dahi handi," an earthen pot filled with curd, an integral part of celebrations to mark Janmashtami in Mumbai, India, Aug 10. Janmashtami is the festival that marks the birth of Hindu God Krishna.

  • World class jugglers put thrills in the air

    Kristi Eaton / AP

    Jonah Botvinick-Greenhouse juggles rings with two competitors at the World Juggling Federation International Championship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. The 13-year-old from New Jersey won the competition's junior division and said the event highlighted the skill involved with juggling.

     

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  • Ernesto skirting Mexico coast on way to flood-prone area

    Reuters

    People try to recover things that are being washed away by the flood in Boca Del Rio on the outskirts of Veracruz on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Tropical Storm Ernesto skirted the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, sending wind gusts and showers across the state of Veracruz, home to some of Mexico's busiest ports and oil installations. Read the full story.

    Felix Marquez / AP

    Coconut vendors try to recover their goods after they were caught unprepared when high waves dragged their beach stalls into the sea in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday.

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  • Usain Bolt gets behind the camera at the Olympics

    Harry How / Getty Images

    Usain Bolt of Jamaica grabs a camera from a photographer as he celebrates winning gold in the men's 200m final on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on Aug. 9, 2012 in London, England.

    Stefano Rellandini / Reuters

    Jamaica's Usain Bolt takes pictures with a photographer's camera as he celebrates winning the men's 200m final.

    It appears that Usain Bolt has finally grown tired of being the star in front of thousands of cameras. Thursday night, after he won gold in the men's 200 meter final, he grabbed a camera and started taking pictures. The camera belonged to Jimmy Wixtröm, a photographer at Aftonbladet, Scandinavia's largest newspaper, according to PetaPixel.

    Harry How / Getty Images

    Usain Bolt of Jamaica takes photographs with a photographers' cameras as he celebrates winning gold in the men's 200m final next to Yohan Blake of Jamaica.

    Then again, it looks like he's enjoying the attention as much as ever. Check out PetaPixel's post to see some of the pictures Bolt took.

    John MacDougall / AFP - Getty Images

    Jamaica's Usain Bolt holds a photographer's camera as he celebrates victory in the men's 200m final.

  • Daredevil astounds beachgoers in Atlantic City

    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    Daredevil Nik Wallenda walks across his 1,500-foot tightrope 100 feet above the beach in Atlantic City on Aug. 9, 2012.

    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    Daredevil Nik Wallenda balances during his 1,500-foot tightrope walk 100 feet above the beach of Atlantic City on Aug. 9.

    ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Like anyone taking a walk on the beach, Nik Wallenda on Thursday found sand in places he didn't want it.

    For Wallenda, it was on the tightrope he traversed some 100 feet over the beach.

    "It felt really slippery," he said. So slippery that he considered doing the 1,300-foot walk barefoot.

    But ultimately, Wallenda decided to keep on the buckskin and suede shoes his mother made him, and he completed the walk without any real difficulties.

    For Wallenda, a member of the seventh generation of the famous daredevil family that's been putting on shows for two centuries, it was another in a long line of death-defying feats. Read More

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    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    Beachgoers watch daredevil Nik Wallenda during his 1,500-foot tightrope walk 100 feet above the beach of Atlantic City on Aug. 9.

    Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

    Volunteers hold ropes to steady the wire during daredevil Nik Wallenda's 1,500-foot tightrope walk 100 feet above the beach in Atlantic City on Aug. 9.

  • Panorama reveals a colorful Mars

    NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

    A low-resolution mosaic of images from NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars shows part of a 360-degree panorama in Gale Crater. The shadow of the rover's camera mast can be seen in the lower left corner, and a rover wheel is visible in the lower right corner. The foothills of 3-mile-high Aeolis Mons, also known as Mount Sharp, stretch out in the background. Click on the image for the full-resolution, 360-degree view from NASA.


    Scientists say the first 360-degree color panorama photo sent from Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover reveals an unusual amount of variation, including dark dunes, red soil and tan rocks. And they can hardly wait to sample the material behind all those colors.

    The picture unveiled today at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., isn't the best imagery that the rover's Mastcam is capable of. It was put together from 130 images, each measuring a mere 144 by 144 pixels. The high-resolution version goes eight times wider, but that also means it's a much bigger load of data. Curiosity just hasn't had the bandwidth to send it yet.

    Much better panoramas will be coming from Curiosity's stomping grounds in Gale Crater over the next couple of years, said Michael Malin of San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems, the principal investigator for the two-camera Mastcam system. But for a low-resolution "random shot," the picture released today isn't so bad.


    "This was pretty enough and interesting enough that we thought it was worth sharing with you guys," Malin told reporters.

    The Mastcam panorama, along with a higher-resolution panorama taken in black and white by the rover's navigation cameras, show the intriguing blast marks left behind by the rover's sky-crane descent stage, just yards away from the landing site. They also show the foothills of a 3-mile-high (5-kilometer-high) mountain, more than 4 miles (6 kilometers away).

    "These beautiful knolls of layered rocks, and those layers, are what's recording history at Gale Crater," said Dawn Sumner, a member of the Curiosity science team from the University of California at Davis.

    The prime objective of the $2.5 billion Curiosity mission is to document billions of years of geological change on Mars by analyzing the layers of rock at that mountain, known as Aeolis Mons or Mount Sharp. It could take more than a year for Curiosity to get to the mountainside, because researchers intend to take their time analyzing the rocks along the way. Curiosity's primary mission is scheduled to last a complete Martian year, or two Earth years, but scientists hope the nuclear-powered rover will last much longer than that.

    Eventually, Curiosity's chemical analysis could tell scientists whether Mars was potentially habitable in ancient times, when there was enough water to deposit sediment inside the 96-mile-wide (154-mile-wide) crater.

    NASA / JPL-Caltech

    The shadow of NASA's Curiosity rover shows up prominently in the middle of a black-and-white Navcam panorama. Click to download larger versions.

    Curiosity team member Dawn Sumner, a geologist at the University of California at Davis, guides you through a black-and-white panorama of Mars.

    Eager to use the laser
    Curiosity is equipped with 10 scientific instruments to tackle the challenge, including an onboard chemistry lab and a device known as ChemCam, which can shoot a laser at rocks and read the chemical signature that's encoded in the light that's given off. One of the first targets may well be the blast marks created during Sunday's landing. After Curiosity touched down, its rocket-powered sky crane blasted itself back into the air and crash-landed more than half a mile away. The exhaust from the sky crane's thrusters scoured away gravelly soil on the surface and exposed the bedrock underneath.

    "There's an awful lot of eagerness to know what the composition of those rocks are," Sumner said, "and to use our laser."

    Malin said the color panorama seemed to be, well, more colorful than the typical imagery from previous rovers, including the Opportunity rover, which is still at work on the other side of the Red Planet. "Some of the coloration we're seeing here really has to do with the sand dunes," he said. "There's dark sand, there's the red dust, and then there's the substrate rock, which is tan. ... The way dust and sand are trapped by a surface will also change their color. So I can't say it's a more colorful or diverse site just based on the photometry or the colorimetry, but obviously, geomorphically it's a very diverse place."

    Mike Malin, the scientist in charge of the Curiosity rover's Mastcam imaging system, explains how the mission's first color 360-degree panorama was made.

    Flawless rover, flawless team
    Mission manager Mike Watkins said the Curiosity team is continuing to check out the six-wheeled rover's scientific instruments, in preparation for its first drive sometime in the next few weeks. "Curiosity continues to behave flawlessly. ... The team operating Curiosity also is performing basically flawlessly," he said.

    One surprise turned up in the latest batch of high-resolution images taken by the navigation cameras: The deck of the rover was littered with dark pebbles that were apparently thrown up during Sunday's landing. "They pose no problems for operations ... but it's a little unexpected that it is there," Watkins said.

    The team that managed Curiosity's flawless entry, descent and landing is taking a closer look at the pebble issue. "They need a problem to go start working on, right? So this is something for them to do," Watkins joked.

    Over the next couple of days, the team will be "standing down from science" while Curiosity's electronic brain is reprogrammed with software that's more tailored for surface operations, Watkins said. "Sometimes you're stuck in this mode where you have the old software on part of your computer, and the new software on part, and we didn't want to start trying to execute other complex activities in the middle of that," he explained.

    That prompted a joke from Malin about his own computer acumen: "I sure hope he does better than what I've done on my machines."

    Other angles from Mars:

    • Watkins said the team has been gradually raising the data transmission rate from Mars, starting with 8 kilobits per second to the current rate of a few hundred kilobits per second. In about a week, the transmission rate could reach 2 megabits per second, he said.
    • Sumner said that Curiosity's surroundings have been mapped onto a navigation grid that is divided into "quads," with each quad measuring about 0.9 mile (1.5 kilometers) square. The rover happened to land in Quad 51, which led to a string of conspiracy-theory jokes. Even the official Twitter account for @MarsCuriosity got in on the fun: "Area 51? No, Quad 51 is where I landed on Mars. ... (PS - I come in peace)." Quad 51 is also known by the nickname Yellowknife, which refers to the frontier town in Canada's Northwest Territories. Sumner said the "beautiful knolls" that are visible in the panoramas released today lie in Quads 120, 121, 134 and 135.
    • Pictures of the Curiosity's wheels brought another in-joke to light: The treads are molded with a pattern of dots and dashes that spell out the initials of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ("JPL") in Morse code (dot-dash-dash-dash, dot-dash-dash-dot, dot-dash-dot-dot). The arrangement is more than a joke: As the rover travels, its cameras can read the asymmetrical pattern left behind in the Martian soil to determine exactly how far it's traveled, and whether there's been any slippage along the way. The Planetary Society's Emily Lakdawalla spelled out the significance in a blog posting last year. To which I can only say: ·—— ——— ·——

    Still more from Mars:


    Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

  • Forest fire flares in Portugal

    Paulo Cunha / EPA

    A helicopter fights flames from a forest fire near Figuero dos Vinhos, Portugal on Aug. 9, 2012.

    Nuno Andre Ferreira / EPA

    Firemen try to extinguish flames during a forest fire at Dornas, Portugal on Aug. 9. Reportedly a total of 254 firemen, 70 fire engines, two firefighting airplanes and two helicopters were mobilized to fight the fires.

    Nuno Andre Ferreira / EPA

    Firemen try to extinguish flames during a forest fire at Dornas, Portugal on Aug. 9.

    Paulo Cunha / EPA

    A destroyed greenhouse still burns after a forest fire near Figuero dos Vinhos, Portugal on Aug. 9.

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  • U.S. women win third-straight Olympic gold

    Nic Bothma / EPA

    Carli Lloyd celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead against Japan during the women's gold medal match at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 9.

    Robert Ghement / EPA

    Carli Lloyd scores against Japan's goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto.

    Robert Ghement / EPA

    Christie Rampone, left, and Hope Solo celebrate their victory over Japan.

    Robert Ghement / EPA

    U.S. players celebrate their victory over Japan.

    Nic Bothma / EPA

    Alex Morgan jumps over the slide tackle of Japan's Saki Kumagai.

    Robert Ghement / EPA

    Tobin Heath, right, vies for the ball with Japan's Homare Sawa.

    WEMBLEY, England (AP) — Hope Solo found herself enveloped in a group hug at the final whistle. Abby Wambach ran to join the fun in a celebration that unleashed a year of bottled-up frustration.

    The U.S. women's soccer team won its third straight Olympic gold medal Thursday, beating Japan 2-1 in a rematch of last year's World Cup final and avenging the most painful loss in its history. Full Story

    More Olympics pictures on PhotoBlog

    Slideshow: Olympics Emotional Moments

     

  • Strangest Olympic sport?

    Here at 30 Rock, we've been enjoying the Olympic Games, but also discussing some of the more eccentric Olympic sports. The other day as we were watching the trampoline events --which I’m sure is hard work-- it reminded me of being a child and jumping up and down on your bed, wishing it was a trampoline.

    Thomas Coex / AFP - Getty Images

    Gymnasts practice before the men's trampoline final of the artistic gymnastics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games in London on August 3, 2012.

    One of the picture editors watching it live thought it was particularly funny when the TV camera panned to the photographers covering the event and we saw bobbing heads going up and down, up and down, as they followed the athletes with their lens. Some sports are better in video than as still images.

    Julie Jacobson / AP

    Judges watch the trampoline performance of gold medallist Dong Dong of China at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, in London.

    Another sport where a still photograph can make it look silly, is table tennis (don't call it Ping-Pong!).

    Saeed Khan / AFP - Getty Images

    Austria's Werner Schlager serves to China's Wang Hao in the table tennis men's singles round match at the Excel centre in London on July 30, 2012 during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

    Maybe because the photographers like to get the ball right in front of the player's nose or eye.

    Saeed Khan / AFP - Getty Images

    Ding Ning of China returns the ball during the Women's singles final round table tennis match of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Excel centre in London on July 31, 2012.

    Today we were watching synchronized swimming. It must be very difficult to do - requiring not only flexibility and strength, but the ability to hold your breath for a very long time.

    Mark J. Terrill / AP

    The team from China competes during the synchronized swimming team technical routine at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012.

    But something about it is strange. The views from under the water are really interesting, so maybe it's the excessive make-up they wear?

    Patrick B. Kraemer / EPA

    First placed Russia's Natalia Ishchenko and Russia's Svetlana Romashina compete in the Synchronized Swimming Duet Free Routine final at the London 2012 Olympic Games, London, Britain, August 7, 2012.

    Rhythmic gymnasts are incredible athletes, but also must be as graceful as a professional dancer.

    Julian Finney / Getty Images

    Julieta Cantaluppi of Italy performs with the hoop during the Rhythmic Gymnastics qualification on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympics Games at Wembley Arena on August 9, 2012 in London, England.

    Still, it does look a bit peculiar. It feels like watching a circus performance or Cirque du Soleil, instead of an athletic competition.

    Julian Finney / Getty Images

    Evgeniya Kanaeva of Russia performs with the ball during the Rhythmic Gymnastics qualification on Day 13 of the London 2012 Olympics Games at Wembley Arena on August 9, 2012 in London, England.

    What do you think the strangest olympic sport is? Take the poll or add your comments below.

  • Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be BMX riders

    Sure, these guys look really cool, but do they have health insurance? Ouch. Watch as they soar (and crash.)

    Christophe Ena / AP

    Cyclists compete in a BMX cycling men's quarterfinal run during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012.

    Carl De Souza / AFP - Getty Images

    Colombia's Carlos Mario Oquendo Zabala takes a spill during the men's BMX cycling heat on Aug. 9.

    Matt Rourke / AP

    Brazil's Renato Rezende leads the pack during a quarterfinal run on Aug. 9.

    Sergey Ponomarev / AP

    Ecuador's Emilio Andres Falla Buchely and Brazil's Renato Rezende, right, on the track after a collision during a quarterfinal run on Aug. 9.

    Olaf Kraak / EPA

    Competition during a quarterfinal run on Aug. 9.

    Bryn Lennon / Getty Images

    Quentin Caleyron of France falls at the lip of a jump during a quarterfinal run on Aug. 9.

    Matt Rourke / AP

    Cyclists compete in a quarterfinal run on Aug. 9.

    More Olympics pictures on PhotoBlog

    Slideshow: Olympics Emotional Moments

  • Adam Pretty captures 'photographic nirvana' at Olympics

    In a recent interview with NBC News's Ann Curry, Getty Images Chief Photographer Adam Pretty discusses why he loves shooting the Olympics and how he captures those special moments that occur in a blink of an eye.

    This year’s Olympics are Pretty’s fifth summer games, and as a sports photographer, he believes they are the premiere event. "It's a compressed version of the human life," said Pretty. "It's the whole range of emotions in a really short space of time."

    Watch the entire TODAY video.

    Adam Pretty / Getty Images

    Getty Images photographer Adam Pretty has photographed five summer games and has had the opportunity to document Michael Phelps from the beginning to the end of his Olympic career. In this photo Phelps, competes in the Men's 200m Individual Medley final.

    Adam Pretty / Getty Images

    Sports photographer, Adam Pretty, enjoys capturing moments underwater at the Olympic summer games. "The water light, and the athletic bodies is sort of the photographic nirvana." In this photo, Noemi Batki of Italy competes in the Women's 10m Platform Diving Semifinal.

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    Click for more from the 2012 summer games in London.

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