SERTA? ZA?PUS: Over-The-Top (OTT) Streaming and Adaptive Bit ...

OTT (Over-The-Top) streaming is the delivery of video and audio media streams to connected devices via the Internet. Unlike traditional IPTV, there is no need for a dedicated network or infrastructure provided by the operator, as OTT is transported through regular Internet data protocols and uses the open Internet, on unmanaged networks.
What is the difference between OTT and IPTV?

IPTV ? IP work of DVB world:

• Traditional IPTV which has been widely deployed by numerous operators, namely those that propose a triple-play ADSL offer to their customers.
• This traditional IPTV is delivered over a dedicated, operator-managed network that is used only for broadcasting TV.
• ?The operator has full control over the network and can configure certain parameters, such as bandwidth consumption and regularity of packet transportation, to ensure a high level of service quality.
• Traditional IPTV uses TS (transport stream) transmission technology which is based on satellite TV broadcasting and delivers content over UDP in datagram mode.

OTT ? TV work of IT world:

• OTT TV uses HTTP, the protocol which has been used for decades to transport web pages over the Internet.
• HTTP is based on TCP, a connected transport protocol with more practical features than UDP. It is easier to track a TCP connection, for example. As a result, a TCP connection is easily managed through firewalls, NAT (network address translation), home and office networks.
• It also enables anyone that has sufficient web hosting capacity to broadcast any audio and video media to a worldwide audience over the open Internet.
• HTTP has already been used as a transport solution for video on demand (VOD) media embedded into web pages, especially on Flash-based sites, such as YouTube or Dailymotion.
• However this solution does not use real time streaming, but progressive downloading of one media file, where the browser downloads the file from the HTTP web server and when it has a sufficient amount of data, starts to play the content while downloading the rest of the file.The main drawback to this approach is the length of time it takes to fill the initial buffer.
• Another issue associated with http is streaming quality, which depends on the IP connection.
• Content streaming may be subject to stalling if there are fluctuations in bandwidth, leading to frame freezing. As a consequence, it is nearly impossible to use the solution to broadcast live channels.
• Until recently, live broadcasting was therefore restricted to operator-managed IPTV networks using the UDP multicast protocol.
• The arrival of OTT streaming, however, has brought a new approach and it is now possible to achieve levels of streaming quality over HTTP that allow live content to also be broadcast over the Internet.

Adaptive Bit Rate (Abr)

As the open Internet is by definition an ?unmanaged? network, the end-user bandwidth cannot be controlled. This can lead to low streaming quality and negatively impact the user experience when watching TV. The proposed technology must be adapted for use on a full range of end-user devices (PC web browsers, STB/TV, mobile handsets, digital tablets, etc). Currently, there are three big players who propose their own solutions to the challenges of OTT: 1.???? Apple?, promoting its HLS standard; 2.???? Google?, pushing its own WebM technology; 3.???? Microsoft?, with Silverlight Smooth Streaming. Building Market and Meeting the Players: High quality video delivery was the monopoly of managed network players, i.e. telecom operators (telcos) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). OTT enables new players to enter the game by creating a direct connection between the content providers (TV channels, content aggregators, satellite and cable broadcasters) and the end users. It enables the content providers to promote their video services directly to the viewer. Most content providers have suffered from the telco/broadcast war for end user management, and telcos have gained a significant advantage through IPTV and VOD offers that are included in triple-play packages. With OTT, content providers will be able to get their revenge by marketing and delivering their content directly to TV and mobile device viewers. Before the arrival of OTT technologies, video delivery was mainly limited to PCs and some high-end mobiles phones. We now see the emergence of Connected TVs, and connected TV enables consumer electronics manufacturers to bring value to TV delivery because it allows direct contact between the viewers and the content providers. Another new market which has emerged from OTT content availability is the tablet market. Other examples of new emerging players able to take advantage of the opportunity in OTT are the electronic retailers who already have partnerships on the fixed and mobile telco markets, and MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators). Their core business is to deliver devices to consumers such as TV sets, tablets and other connected video equipment. OTT can enable them to leverage their CRM (customer relationship management) with a complementary video offer, linked to the electronic devices they are distributing.

Apple introduced HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) in June 2009 with their iPhone? OS 3.0 (which has since been renamed iOS). HLS streaming is without any doubt the most widespread protocol used for OTT, as it is available on all Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod?, Apple TV?...) as well as on some software players and a number of set top boxes.?
The operating principle of HLS is to work with segmented TS-based video streams or files.

• The chosen container for HLS is thus an MPEG transport stream (TS), also used for satellite broadcasting and IPTV on managed networks.
• The chosen codec is MPEG H.264 for video and AAC for audio, which have also been widely used in the broadcast industry for many years.

The approach taken by Apple is very interesting. It is based on using proven industry standards and modifying them slightly in order to fit with the requirements of an OTT solution. The less the modifications impact existing standards and technologies, the faster HLS will integrate into existing ecosystems.

The way to achieve HLS streaming is to:

• Encode video in H.264/TS format (taken from live feed or from a file), in different bitrates;
• Use a stream segmenter to generate short ?chunks? of content ? typically 10 seconds each ?
• Generate a playlist file (m3u or m3u8) indicating where to download the chunks;
• Distribute through a HTTP server, and provide appropriate caching.

Another strength of HLS is its ability to implement adaptive bitrate intelligently. Contrary to the techniques that are used in mobile RTP streaming, it is the end user device that decides the stream quality, according to the available bandwidth (and not the video server). This approach aims to ensure unbroken video streaming, thus creating a positive user experience on an unmanaged network:

Index file is generated indicating different profiles (streaming qualities) available for one channel/content file;

The receiving device (PC, mobile, STB) looks for the most suitable bitrate based on how long it takes to receive a chunk file;

Each chunk file lasts 10 seconds, so the receiving device can automatically adapt the streaming with flexibility ? in this case, every 10 seconds.

Advantages

• It provides a simple and efficient adaptive bitrate solution to cope with the fact that bandwidth is not managed on open networks.
• It is easy to integrate at the reception device level and can therefore be deployed on a wide range of set-top-boxes and devices.
• It is based on Transport Stream transmission technology, making it easy to integrate into the existing digital TV world. A lot of IPTV DRM providers have already adopted this standard.

Limitations

• ?The adaptive bitrate solution is located solely in the device client. This ?democratic? approach could hinder some uses in the professional / corporate world where administrators may wish to fine-tune the available video quality for certain specific content.
• As Apple didn?t propose its own client software for Windows PC, there is no native support in the major web browsers, and the lack of plugins to simplify integration makes it difficult to use as a web TV standard.
• Being limited to the MPEG standards means that the providers of HLS-compatible equipment may be liable to pay a license fee to MPEG LA. While it is no problem for Apple to pay an additional few cents in licensing fees when they sell iPhones, iPods or iPads that cost several hundreds of dollars, it may be a significant barrier for players in the ?free and open-source? culture ? namely the web browser providers who do not sell their products. Mozilla Foundation or Opera Software would not be very pleased to pay royalties to MPEG LA every time their browser software is downloaded. Recently, MPEG LA chose to soften their politics regarding free content over the Internet, but their global position remains unclear.
• DRM encryption is done through the encryption of the entire chunks. The transport layer is thus also encrypted, which is a barrier for some features, such as dynamic trick modes.

Google WebM

WebM was announced in May 2010, during Google I/O 2010. Promotion of the technology made it clear that WebM aimed to provide an OTT solution that would be royalty-free and usable on an open basis by all Internet companies and communities. In order to achieve this,

• Google decided to provide its VP8 video codec under a BSD license.
• The chosen audio codec is Vorbis, and the container is based on a profile from Matroska.

?WebM does not require segmentation of the media into chunks, because with WebM, one media stream is seen as one file. To stream WebM from a live or VOD file:

• Encode the video and audio content in VP8 and Vorbis respectively, in different bitrates;
• Mux them into a WebM file, which must be automatically refreshed in real time if you plan to do live streaming;
• Use a HTTP server to deliver the WebM file.

Note that there is an added complexity to live TV streaming, where the muxing must be done constantly, and the resulting file will never be the same over time. As a result, caching on WebM is much more difficult than with chunks of video files. This makes it difficult to integrate added-value features such as trick play, playlist or circular buffer.

WebM is also very different from the other OTT solutions because it is the server that chooses the audio/video streaming bitrate before muxing. The server has an output buffer in which it pushes all the packets ready to be sent. As it sends the content of the buffer to the network, it detects if there is enough bandwidth to reach the client. If not, it scales down to a lower bitrate.

Advantages

• The choice of Matroska for the container profile is interesting: Matroska uses EBML, a binary format derivative of XML. It allows the capabilities of the container to be extended without breaking the compatibility with older parsers. For example, it already includes a menu system (similar to the ?chapters? of a DVD) and supports multiple audio and video tracks with labels attached to them, clean 3D handling, closed captions and subtitles, etc.
• Moreover, Matroska uses less bandwidth than TS encapsulation ? this is an important point, especially for mobile devices.
• Native playback for three of the main web browsers is also an advantage. If you have ever tried to watch a Flash-based video clip using LinuxOS, you should know that plugins are not necessarily very stable.
• The adaptive bitrate is managed by the server, but there are tricks that can enable the client software to ask the server to switch to higher or lower bitrate.

Limitations

• The lack of chips currently available for VP8 hardware decoding is a major drawback for WebM. When compared to the support of H.264, which has become very common on medium to high-range mobile devices, it is a good illustration of the difficulty in imposing a new codec to the industry.
• In addition to the codec issue, and contrary to HLS, there is also the fact that the STBs have to support the Matroska container. While it?s not a significant issue for players from the web environment, it may become one for those who come from the satellite receiver domain, which more traditionally supports TS. However, this could be balanced by the fact that some STBs are powered by an Opera browser, which promotes the WebM standard (even though Opera on STBs only currently supports the H.264 codec).
• There is also an issue with WebM caching, which can be tricky. It can only be done using dedicated IP streaming servers. It can?t be done using web caches.
• Officially, WebM does not mention DRM systems. However Matroska can support encryption very easily, even if DRM-enabled .mkv files are not very common yet.

Microsoft Silverlight Smooth Streaming

Smooth Streaming is part of Silverlight 3.0, and its specifications were published by Microsoft in September 2009. Video streaming was a major advance in Silverlight?s capabilities.

Smooth Streaming is based on fragmented files, with a PIFF (Protected Interoperable File Format) container, which is extended from 3gp format, and an underlying SSTP (Smooth Streaming Transport Protocol) layer.?The general principle is quite similar to HLS streaming:

• Encode video in H264 and audio in AAC (or VC-1/WMA), in different bitrates;
• Use a stream segmenter to generate fragments and mux them into a PIFF container;
• Distribute through a HTTP web server, and provide appropriate caching.

The client software starts by requesting a manifest from the server. The manifest response from the server lists the available media, tracks and bitrates. The client then asks for one or more fragments corresponding to the requirements on the list to be sent by the streaming server over HTTP. Like HLS, when using Smooth Streaming it is the client that manages the choice of adaptive bitrate. Finally, it should also be noted that DRM are particularly well integrated into Smooth Streaming, with the possibility to use several DRM layers in the same file.

• The general design principles for Smooth Streaming are quite similar to those of HLS and so, like the Apple solution, it provides easy adaptive bitrate management from the client side.
• Contrary to the other two OTT systems, DRM is already well integrated in Smooth Streaming.
• In the web streaming field, Microsoft Smooth Streaming has acquired a strong image gained from successful live HD (720p/1080p) streaming of major events. The video quality of the live broadcasting was praised, compared to that provided by Flash-based sites at the same time.

• Microsoft specifications are very detailed, so solution support takes much more time to implement. The result is that Smooth Streaming may not be adopted as fast as HLS, which was designed as an easy derivation from the TS standard.
• Although Smooth Streaming was clearly designed for web streaming, the player is always managed through the Silverlight plugin. Even Microsoft?s Internet Explorer requires the external plugin. Also, although Silverlight is officially supported on Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS X, it is not the case for Linux workstations, or mobile devices. So Smooth Streaming cannot be used on any of the highly popular iOS devices (Apple iPhones, iPads, iPods...) or on Android platforms. For Linux OS, the solution is to use Moonlight, an open-source implementation compatible with Silverlight, based on the Mono framework.
• Like HLS, Smooth Streaming is also limited by the fact that it is impossible to manage bandwidth from a centralized point on the network: everything is decided solely by the device clients.
• Finally, Smooth Streaming is based on patented audio and video codecs, so its use may be subject to license fees, payable to MPEG LA or Microsoft.

Obviously, all three approaches have their advantages and drawbacks. The real question is: What are you going to use OTT for? Do you plan to launch an iPhone app? Or a corporate web site? Or a mobile service?... And do you want to include connected TVs? Or are you planning a new service with a dedicated set top box, created from scratch?? This will give you a starting point for your choice of a possible solution or solutions.?

Source: http://zagpus.blogspot.com/2013/03/over-top-ott-streaming-and-adaptive-bit.html

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Senate shows support for Internet sales taxes (The Arizona Republic)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/294015676?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Quantum computers counting on carbon nanotubes

Mar. 21, 2013 ? Carbon nanotubes can be used as quantum bits for quantum computers. A study by physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) has shown how nanotubes can store information in the form of vibrations. Up to now, researchers have experimented primarily with electrically charged particles. Because nanomechanical devices are not charged, they are much less sensitive to electrical interference.

Using quantum mechanical phenomena, computers could be much more powerful than their classical digital predecessors. Scientists all over the world are working to explore the basis for quantum computing. To date most systems are based on electrically charged particles that are held in an "electromagnetic trap." A disadvantage of these systems is that they are very sensitive to electromagnetic interference and therefore need extensive shielding. Physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have now found a way for information to be stored and quantum mechanically processed in mechanical vibrations.

Playing a nano-guitar

A carbon nanotube that is clamped at both ends can be excited to oscillate. Like a guitar string, it vibrates for an amazingly long time. "One would expect that such a system would be strongly damped, and that the vibration would subside quickly," says Simon Rips, first author of the publication. "In fact, the string vibrates more than a million times. The information is thus retained up to one second. That is long enough to work with."

Since such a string oscillates among many physically equivalent states, the physicists resorted to a trick: an electric field in the vicinity of the nanotube ensures that two of these states can be selectively addressed. The information can then be written and read optoelectronically. "Our concept is based on available technology," says Michael Hartmann, head of the Emmy Noether research group Quantum Optics and Quantum Dynamics at the TU Muenchen. "It could take us a step closer to the realization of a quantum computer."

The research was supported by the German Research Council (DFG) within the Emmy-Noether program and SFB 631.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Technische Universitaet Muenchen.

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Journal Reference:

1. Simon Rips and Michael J. Hartmann,. Quantum Information Processing with Nanomechanical Qubits. Physical Review Letters, 110, 1205034 (2013) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.120503

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/wGXmjS4N5b0/130321141514.htm

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Cyprus leader says EU bailout deal could come in 'next few hours'

Protesters in Cyprus gather outside parliament as government officials try to strike a bailout deal with the European Union. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

By Michele Kambas and Lidia Kelly, Reuters

A solution to Cyprus' bailout crisis within the framework set down by the European Union may be possible within "the next few hours," the deputy leader of the island's ruling Democratic Rally party said on Friday.

"There is cautious optimism that in the next few hours we may be able to reach an agreed platform so parliament can approve these specific measures which will be consistent with the approach, the framework and the targets agreed at the last Eurogroup," Averof Neophytou told reporters.?

The lines at bank cash machines in Cyprus are growing longer and in some cases angrier. The European Central Bank has given the island's government until Monday to find its six billion euro share of the bailout or - it says - it'll pull the plug on the rest of the cash and banks will face collapse. The banks themselves remain closed. Faisal Islam of Channel Four Europe reports.

The news came hours after the Cypriot finance minister left Moscow empty-handed when Russia turned down appeals for aid, leaving the island to strike a bailout deal with the EU before Tuesday or face the collapse of its financial system.

The rebuff left Cyprus looking increasingly isolated, with the deadline looming to find billions of euros demanded by the EU in return for a 10 billion euro ($12.93 billion) bailout.

Without it, the European Central Bank said on Wednesday it would cut off emergency funds to the country's teetering banks, potentially pushing Cyprus out of Europe's single currency.

"The talks have ended as far as the Russian side is concerned," Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters after two days of crisis talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Michael Sarris.

Having angrily rejected a proposed levy on tax deposits in exchange for the EU bailout, Nicosia had turned to the Kremlin to renegotiate a loan deal, win more financing and lure Russian investors to cut-price Cypriot banks and gas reserves.

Wealthy Russians have billions of euros at stake in Cyprus's outsized and now crippled banking sector.

Banks are closed on Cyprus but the ATM's are still dispensing cash as the government tries to avert a financial crisis. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

But Siluanov said Russian investors were not interested in Cypriot gas and that the talks had ended without result.

Sarris was due to fly home, where lawmakers were preparing to debate measures proposed by the government to raise at least some of the 5.8 billion euros ($7.48 billion) required to clinch the EU bailout.

They included a "solidarity fund" bundling state assets, including future gas revenues and nationalized pension funds, as the basis for an emergency bond issue and likened by JP Morgan to "a national fire sale".

They were also considering a bank restructuring bill that officials said would see the country's second largest lender, Cyprus Popular Bank, split into good and bad assets, and a government call for the power to impose capital controls to stem a flood of funds leaving the island when banks reopen on Tuesday after a week-long shutdown.

'Playing with fire'
There was no silver bullet, however, and Cyprus's partners in the 17-nation currency bloc were growing increasingly unimpressed.

To help pay for the $13 billion European bailout, the government plans to take up to 10 percent from all savings accounts, angering those who say they aren't responsible for the economic crisis. CNBC's Sue Herera reports.

"I still believe we will get a settlement, but Cyprus is playing with fire," Volker Kauder, a leading conservative ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, told public television ARD.

There were long lines at ATMs on Thursday and angry scenes outside parliament, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered after rumors spread that Popular Bank would be closed down and its staff laid off.

"We have children studying abroad, and next month we need to send them money," protester Stalou Christodoulido said through tears. "We'll lose what money we had and saved for so many years if the bank goes down."

Cypriots have been stunned by the pace of the unfolding drama, having elected conservative President Nicos Anastasiades barely a month ago on a mandate to secure a bailout. News that the deal would involve a levy on bank deposits, even for smaller savers, outraged Cypriots, who raided cash machines last weekend.

Related:

EU to Cypriots: Let us raid your savings or no bailout

Cyprus bailout backlash poses little wider risk - for now

Full business coverage from NBC News

This story was originally published on Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:02 AM EDT

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The Fresh Pup of Bel-Air (VIDEO)

If you were a child of the 1990s, there?s a good chance you were a devout viewer of ?The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,? the long-running NBC comedy that helped elevate Will Smith from rap artist to one of the most successful actors of his generation.

Well, the Pet Collective has tapped into our mutual love of ?Big Willie? and dogs to bring viewers "The Fresh Pup of Bel-Air."

?Petodies based on current, modern songs have been hugely successful, so for Throwback Thursday we thought it would be fun to revisit one of our favorite sitcoms,? Tom Maynard, channel head of the Pet Collective, said.

The video reimagines the famous opening credits sequence of the show, this time showcasing a dog, ?Will Sniff,? who is rescued from an animal shelter and taken in by none other than James Avery, the actor who portrayed Uncle Phil on the "Fresh Prince.?

?In a West County shelter born and raised, in a kennel is where I lived with most of the strays,? begins the video?s narration. ?Panting, barking and slobbering drool, the kennels were small but the workers were cool. After a couple of tries, got adopted for good, said they?re gonna take me to the neighborhood.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fresh-pup-bel-air-video-211616973.html

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First images released from newest Earth observation satellite

Mar. 21, 2013 ? NASA and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have released the first images from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite, which was launched Feb. 11.

The natural-color images show the intersection of the United States Great Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Colorado. In the images, green coniferous forests in the mountains stretch down to the brown plains with Denver and other cities strung south to north.

LDCM acquired the images at about 1:40 p.m. EDT March 18. The satellite's Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instruments observed the scene simultaneously. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., processed the data.

"We are very excited about this first collection of simultaneous imagery," said Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "These images confirm we have two healthy, functioning sensors that survived the rigors of launch and insertion into Earth orbit."

Since launch, LDCM has been going through on-orbit testing. The mission operations team has completed its review of all major spacecraft and instrument subsystems, and performed multiple spacecraft attitude maneuvers to verify the ability to accurately point the instruments.

The two LDCM sensors collect data simultaneously over the same ground path. OLI collects light reflected off the surface of Earth in nine different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including bands of visible light and near-infrared and short-wave-infrared bands, which are beyond human vision. TIRS collects data at two longer wavelength thermal infrared bands that measure heat emitted from the surface.

By looking at different band combinations, scientists can distinguish features on the land surface. These features include forests and how they respond to natural and human-caused disturbances, and the health of agricultural crops and how much water they use. Data from LDCM will extend a continuous, 40-year-long data record of Earth's surface from previous Landsat satellites, an unmatched, impartial perspective that allows scientists to study how landscapes all across the world change through time.

"These first scenes from the new Landsat satellite continue the remarkable output from the Landsat program with better, more useful imagery and information," said Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for climate and land use change at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va. "We are gratified that this productive partnership between USGS and NASA has maintained the continuity and utility of this essential satellite tool, providing the foundation for land and water management around the globe."

As planned, LDCM currently is flying in an orbit slightly lower than its operational orbit of 438 miles (705 kilometers) above Earth's surface. As the spacecraft's thrusters raise its orbit, the NASA-USGS team will take the opportunity to collect imagery while LDCM is flying under Landsat 7, also operating in orbit. Measurements collected simultaneously from both satellites will allow the team to cross-calibrate the LDCM sensors with Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus instrument.

"So far, our checkout activities have gone extremely well," said Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager at Goddard. "The mission operations team has done a tremendous job getting us to the point of imaging Earth." During the next few weeks, this team will calibrate the instruments and verify they meet performance specifications.

After its checkout and commissioning phase is complete, LDCM will begin its normal operations in May. At that time, NASA will hand over control of the satellite to the USGS, which will operate it throughout its planned five-year mission life. The satellite will be renamed Landsat 8. USGS will process data from OLI and TIRS and add it to the Landsat Data Archive at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, where it will be distributed for free via the Internet.

For more information on these first LDCM images, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/13cHhFJ

For more information on the LDCM mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/RmKX8_eP33w/130321170932.htm

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'Peace is possible,' Obama insists in Middle East

President Barack Obama waves to the audience as he arrives to speak at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama waves to the audience as he arrives to speak at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a the State Dinner at President?s residence in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leave after a joint news conference at the Muqata Presidential Compound, in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Map locates U.S. President Obama's Jerusalem visit when Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets into Sderot, Israel

President Barack Obama waves as he leaves the stage after speaking at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Insisting "peace is possible," President Barack Obama on Thursday prodded both Israelis and Palestinians to return to long-stalled negotiations with few, if any, pre-conditions, softening his earlier demands that Israel stop building settlements in disputed territory.

The president made his appeal just hours after rockets fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza landed in a southern Israeli border town, a fresh reminder of the severe security risks and tensions that have stymied peace efforts for decades.

Obama, on his second day in the Middle East, shuttled between Jerusalem and Ramallah, reaching out to the public as well as political leaders. He offered no new policies or plans for reopening peace talks but urged both sides to "think anew" about the intractable conflict and break out of the "formulas and habits that have blocked progress for so long."

"Peace is possible," Obama declared during an impassioned speech to young people in Jerusalem. "I'm not saying it's guaranteed. I can't even say that it is more likely than not. But it is possible."

The deep disputes dividing the Israelis and Palestinians have remained much the same over the years, and include deciding the status of Jerusalem, defining borders and resolving refugee issues. Palestinians have been particularly incensed over Israeli settlements in disputed territories, and the Israelis' continued construction has also drawn the condemnation of the United States and other nations.

Further settlement activity is "counterproductive to the cause of peace," Obama said. But in a notable shift, he did not repeat his administration's previous demands that Israel halt construction. Instead he urged the Palestinians to stop using the disagreement as an "excuse" to avoid talks.

"If the expectation is that we can only have direct negotiations when everything is settled ahead of time, then there is no point for negotiations," Obama said during a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "I think it is important to work through this process even if there are irritants on both sides."

Abbas said Palestinians remain committed to seeking peace with Israelis, but he made clear that settlement construction had made his people distrustful of Israel's intentions.

"This is very dangerous that people and the new generation reaches the conviction that it's no more possible to believe in the two-state solution," he said.

Obama has sided with the Palestinians on the settlement issue during his first four years in office. However, when Israel reluctantly declared a 10-month moratorium on construction, the Palestinians balked at returning to negotiations until shortly before the suspension expired and talks foundered shortly thereafter.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem ? territories Israel captured in the 1967 war ? but indicate they are ready for minor adjustments to accommodate some settlements closest to Israel. Since 1967, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that are now home to 560,000 Israelis ? an increase of 60,000 since Obama became president four years ago.

Upon his return to Israel, the president told Israelis that in the search for peace they have "true partners" in Abbas and Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister.

Obama is spending the majority of his four-day Mideast trip in Israel, where the politicians and public have been skeptical of his commitment to their security. The president has sought to calm their concerns throughout his visit, reminding an audience of Israeli university students Thursday that the U.S. is their country's best friend and most important ally.

"You are not alone," Obama declared as the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

Still, he nudged Israel to take steps to reverse an "undertow" of international isolation that is worsened by its failure to make peace with the Palestinians. In a region roiled by political unrest, Obama said the days when the Israelis can seek protection from a handful of autocratic leaders in other nations are over, and he urged them to seek common ground with the Arab people, not just their governments.

Hours before Obama arrived in the West Bank, militants in the Gaza Strip launched at least two rockets at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, causing damage but no injuries, according to Israeli officials. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Obama visited the border town, which is frequently targeted in rocket attacks.

A small, murky, al-Qaida-inspired group calling itself the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, it said it was sending a message to "Osama's soldiers" to protest the visit by "the Roman dog Obama" and to continue its campaign of holy war.

Over the past decade, Gaza militants have fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells at Israel, prompting Israel, with considerable U.S. assistance, to develop its Iron Dome missile defense system, which it credits with intercepting many rockets.

The president closed his five-hour trip to the West Bank with a visit to a U.S. government-funded youth center, where he cheered a performance by a dance troupe and held a private roundtable discussion with a small group of young Palestinian men. He recalled the conversation later in his Jerusalem speech, saying that if "any Israeli parent sat down with those kids, they'd say, 'I want these kids to succeed; I want them to prosper.' I believe that's what Israeli parents would want for these kids if they had a chance to listen to them and talk to them."

While Obama was welcomed warmly in Israel, where U.S. and Israeli flags dotted the roadsides, Palestinians showed little excitement over Obama's shorter stop in the West Bank. Protesters defaced and burned posters of Obama in an expression of dissatisfaction with U.S. policy in the region. Several dozen demonstrators also gathered in downtown Ramallah during Obama's meetings, protesting what is perceived in the Palestinian territories to be a strong U.S. bias in favor of Israel.

The president opened the second day of his trip at Jerusalem's Israel Museum, a stop aimed at highlighting both the Jewish people's ancient connection to the land that is now Israel and the small nation's thriving modern economy.

The president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient Hebrew texts. It was a symbolic visit for Obama, who has battled against a perception in Israel that he sees the Holocaust, not historical ties to the region, as the rationale for the existence of the Jewish state. The president has repeatedly sought to correct that impression.

As he viewed the ancient scrolls displayed in a dimly lit room, Obama marveled at how the Hebrew language had changed so little that Netanyahu could read some of the writings. The two then toured a technology exhibit at the museum featuring several modern Israeli inventions, including an electric vehicle battery, a technology Obama has promoted in the U.S.

Obama was awarded Israel's Medal of Distinction Thursday night during a lavish dinner. He is the first sitting U.S. president to receive Israel's highest civilian honor.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Ian Deitch and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, and Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah contributed to this report.

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Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-21-Obama/id-5bfe24d77622497e9dbcf8bae9fe3ba0

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