Thursday, January 31, 2013

Authorities: Teen wounded in Ga. school shooting

ATLANTA (AP) ? An Atlanta fire official says a 14-year-old has been shot in the head at a middle school and has been taken to a hospital.

Atlanta Fire Cpt. Marian McDaniel also says a teacher suffered minor cuts and bruises but was treated on the scene at Price Middle School. Earlier, a police spokesman said he was headed to the school about 2 miles south of downtown following reports of a shooting.

TV news helicopters show a swarm of Atlanta police officers at the school.

McDaniel says the shooting victim was taken to Grady Hospital but information on the teen's condition was not immediately available.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-teen-wounded-ga-school-shooting-201004435.html

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Amazon shares hit record after quarterly results

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc shares hit a new record on Tuesday after it reported better-than-expected quarterly profit, fueled by the growth of higher-margin businesses during the fiercely competitive holiday quarter.

The world's largest Internet retailer said that its cloud computing services, video content sales and its aggressive expansion in e-books helped increase profitability.

In addition, a growing network of warehouses or fulfillment centers closer to customers held down shipping costs as it vied with Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other major retailers for consumer dollars over the holidays.

Chief Executive Jeff Bezos highlighted the Kindle's e-book business, calling it a multi-billion dollar category that grew about 70 percent in 2012. Its traditional physical book business rose about five percent in the same period, he noted.

"We're now seeing the transition we`ve been expecting," Bezos said in the company's results statement.

Profits have shrunk in recent years as the company invested for longer-term growth, building massive fulfillment centers, developing a Kindle Fire tablet hardware business in competition with Apple Inc, and expanding into Internet-based cloud services.

The fourth-quarter profit results suggested that Amazon may be able to generate attractive returns from such spending, analysts said.

"The fourth-quarter operating income was up more than expected," said R.J. Hottovy, an equity analyst at Morningstar. "This supports the bull case that Amazon can monetize its growth over the longer term."

The Seattle-based company said operating income jumped 56 percent to $405 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $260 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Amazon's stock climbed 11 percent to $288 in after-hours trading. It hit a record of $284.72 on January 25.

The company also said fourth-quarter revenue rose 22 percent to $21.27 billion as it grabbed a big share of online spending during the holidays. But it was the profit that initially caught Wall Street's eye.

"It was a much better-than-expected gross margin, a strong forward indicator to drive margin expansion. What is really important is gross profit dollars and that line is stronger," said Ken Sena at Evercore Partners.

The gross profit margins were 24 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with Wall Street expectations of about 22 percent.

"Incredibly strong margins," said Jordan Rohan, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus. Amazon generated the highest quarterly gross margin in its North America business in more than three years, he noted.

Amazon mainly operates as a retailer, buying products at wholesale prices, storing them and then selling at a slight mark-up to consumers online.

But the company has expanded into other businesses that are potentially more profitable, including cloud computing, digital content and acting as an online marketplace for other merchants.

These newer businesses are growing faster than the company's original retail operations, boosting profitability.

(Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amazon-quarterly-revenue-rose-22-percent-21-27-210721523--sector.html

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Realtor-complaints.com Shuts Down After Realty Trade - Realty Times

by Mark K. Hicks

Realtor-complaints.com is no longer offering a recently launched online service, purportedly for consumers to file reviews and complaints about real estate agents.

An investigation by real estate trade association attorneys found evidence the site appeared to be in the process of shaking down real estate agents for cash to get reviews of questionable origin removed from the site.

Earlier this month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) posted a warning about the site, after the New Jersey Association of Realtors raised a red flag over the operation.

The New Jersey association investigated Realtor-complaints.com after a string of suspicious complaints popped up against its members. All the complaints contained similar wording, according to NAR?s warning.

When real estate agents named in the "complaints" contacted the site about a complaint, the site pitched them a for-pay service to have the complaint and their name removed from the site.

Earlier this week, DeadlineNews.Com contacted the web site several times for an interview about what appeared to be extortion and fraud. No one responded to the request, which remains open.

The Realtor-complaints.com URL now points to one of those ubiquitous domain name-holding web sites, primarily comprised of scores of links. The links point to still more pages of realty industry links, including links to bona fide, major real estate web sites.

Suspicious Origins

Stacey Moncrieff, editor-in-chief for NAR?s Realtor Magazine and managing director of publishing for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported NAR?s legal staff checked the WHOIS record for the now closed site and discovered that it was hosted on servers located in the Seychelles, an island nation off the east coast of Africa, due east of Somalia and Kenya.

According to NAR, the questionable web site made dubious claims that it had been around since 2002, but according to the WHOIS record, the site was first registered on Jan. 1, 2013.

Moncrieff reported NAR attorneys were continuing an investigating and, if necessary, would take steps to shut down the site, which apparently got the message.

Their efforts, along with those by the New Jersey association, appear to have paid off.

Moncrieff said it?s important to "approach with caution any service that claims to either track or burnish one?s reputation."

That applies to real estate agents, others operating a business or even consumers subject to online reviews.

The online review market, for better or for worse, is a growing business sector without specific set of standards or guidelines.

Virtually every review site plays by its own rules.

Most well-know review sites operate above board and provide a useful service, but there are review sites with errors, dubious content and questionable intentions.

There are steps anyone can take to be sure online reviewers get it right.

Preventing Online Review Fraud

  • Update - Maintain professional profiles on social media sites, at Realtor.com and other sites to keep your information complete, up to date, and consistent.
  • Seek legitimacy - Proactively ask for reviews in legitimate forums, such as Yelp and LinkedIn.
  • Search the web - Regularly search Google and Yahoo for your name and your company?s name. Bookmark those searches and check them regularly. Get emailed alerts so you know when your company or name pops up on the web.
  • Get alerts - Google Alerts will email you a notice whenever your name, company name or any term or phrase you designate shows up on the Internet.

    The alert will point you to where the information is posted for your inspection. Set the alerts for variations of your name, company name or other keywords you want to track.

    You?ll need a Google account for the service. The account is free, the service is invaluable.

  • Investigate - Ask customers where they?ve gone to search for information about you, other professionals and real estate in general. Point them in the right direction.
  • Correct mistakes - Quickly correct errors you find in searches or alerts. If you dispute information you find, immediately contact the website and be willing to provide documentation to prove the correct information.
  • Don?t get taken - Never succumb to requests for cash to have information removed. That?s a red flag the site isn?t up to snuff.
  • Turn them in - Report flagrancies to your local real estate association, consumer advocate, state attorney general, the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission, which has a cross-boarder complaints service against entities in other countries.
  • Get legal help - You may have to hire an attorney if a stubborn operator refuses to remove incorrect or unnecessarily scathing information.
  • Published: January 29, 2013

    Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.




    Source: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20130129_investigation.htm

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    Family Home and Life: Wow Us Wednesday

    Hello everyone. Welcome to all the new linkers; I hope you will return often! I really got carried away with all the great links from last week. Here goes!?


    With A Blast had a couple of links I loves; How to get your?Sites Pin Count?(which I did?immediately :)? and a ......


    sooo yummy?Chocolate Caramel Cup?with a recipe you need to see.
    Sewing Barefoot?gives us good tutorial for making an iPad cover.
    I'm always saying 'make do with what you have' and that's what Debbie at?The Old Homestead?has done with her project to brighten up her home. Pretty, simple and free.

    I am crazy about this project! Easy, personal, and really beautiful!?ArtClub Blog's?wonderful Whorls and Swirls. I will do this one with my grand kids.
    Chocolate Chocolate and More?has the best looking Chocolate Malt cookies! And a recipe of course.?
    Check out this Tincture idea for your health from?Back to the Basics; I'm looking forward to her update on that.

    Second Chance to Dream?has a sweet and simple Valentines bunting.
    Craftiments?shares her winter mantel that includes a vintage snowflake photo collage I am obsessed with! I looked up a?couple?of links about the vintage images and you should too. They are?fascinating!?
    Mom of 6 has a recipe for home made Cocoa Mix and a printable label.
    Most veiwed link last week was......Do Small Things With Love's project Hand Stitched Love Birds.


    Button pic 9

    If you have been featured, please choose the button you like best.

    Wow Us Wednesday is a linky for:

    • All items, projects or ideas?made by you, please don't link posts about another blogs projects or photos....?crafts, art, photography, furniture re-dos, organizational feats, recipes, money saving tips, decorating ideas, party plans, you name it!?Please don?t forget to link back with text link or button!
    • Please consider following me, and visit some other linkers and comment there too.?
    • Link up to three specific post, not your blog home page. No Etsy shops or giveaways, please!

    I love to feature projects I choose and share them the following week here and on Facebook -?by submitting a link?to this party you?are allowing authorization?for your project to be featured with a?photo from your post. I also Pin all Features. Featured links will include?a photo and a link?back to the originating site.

    Thank you for linking up today! I am sorry that time does not permit me to comment on?everyone's?post.



    If you are reading this post anywhere else but at Family Home and Life then it was used without permission! Please report it! Copyright ? Family Home and Life 2010-2013 All Rights Reserved

    Source: http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2013/01/wow-us-wednesday_30.html

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    TSX closes higher as CP Rail, gold stocks climb

    TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index climbed on Tuesday, lifted by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd's profit outlook and a rally in gold shares, which rose with the price of the precious metal as investors speculated on U.S. Fed actions.

    Canadian Pacific said its aggressive efficiency push would pay off in a 40 percent increase in earnings this year, sending its shares to an all-time high. The stock climbed 3.1 percent to C$116 .22.

    Gold rose on short-covering and expected continuation of loose U.S. monetary policies.

    The gains were, however, kept in check by a fall in financials and a 3.4 percent decline in Research In Motion Ltd shares, triggered by investor caution ahead of the BlackBerry 10 launch on Wednesday.

    The market pullback follows a recent rally in the stock in the run-up to the launch.

    "Tomorrow is the big day. But it will be sometime before it's discernible whether or not it is in fact the great success they're hoping for," said Michael Sprung, president of Sprung Investment Management.

    "It's a coin toss. At the end of the day, no one can predict the success of BB10. It's a speculative stock," he added.

    The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse> was up 14.65 points, or 0.11 percent, at 12,830.56. Seven of the 10 main sectors on the index advanced.

    While the Fed is not expected to change its stance after deciding only in December to loosen conditions further, investors are watching to see if changes in the membership of the policy-setting committee for 2013 could signal a shift in the future.

    "The expectation is that little will change other than probably some comment with respect to the eventual exit (from the stimulus). Right now it will be a reaffirmation of the low interest rate policy," said John Ing, president of Maison Placements Canada.

    He said his expectation for the gold sector this year is quite bullish. "Gold has been pretty good refuge in order to maintain, to hedge the depreciation in the value of currencies," he said.

    The materials sector, which includes mining stocks, played the biggest role in leading the market higher, rising 0.7 percent. The group was boosted by a 0.5 percent rise in gold prices.

    Goldcorp Inc rose 1.7 percent to C$36.11, and Yamana Gold added 2.7 percent to C$16.65.

    CP Rail helped the industrials sector gain 0.9 percent.

    (Editing by Dan Grebler)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-lower-fomc-eyed-134417739--sector.html

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    Apple TV software update brings Bluetooth keyboard support, music from iTunes in the Cloud

    Apple TV software update bring Bluetooth keyboard support, music from iTunes in the Cloud

    It looks like the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch aren't the only Apple devices getting a software update today. The company has also rolled out an update to the Apple TV, which adds Bluetooth keyboard support, along with the ability to play music you've purchased from iTunes through iCloud. You'll also get a new "Up Next" feature that lets you choose what to play from the cued up music (or simply keep an eye on what's coming up).

    Filed under: , ,

    Comments

    Source: 9 to 5 Mac

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/28/apple-tv-software-update-bring-bluetooth-keyboard-support-music/

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2013

    Chevron says it has paid $10 million after fire

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Chevron Corp. has paid about $10 million and has begun what's being termed "corrective actions" after a fire last summer at its Richmond refinery, company officials said.

    In a report filed with the Contra Costa County Health Services Department on Monday, the San Ramon, Calif.-based oil giant said it has paid the money in connection to nearly 24,000 claims from residents and in compensation to area hospitals and local government agencies in Richmond and in Contra Costa County.

    Most of the $10 million went to hospitals for medical exams and treatment immediately following the incident, Chevron spokesman Sean Comey said in an email to The Associated Press.

    The payments follow a fire in a crude oil unit of the refinery on Aug. 6 that sent a cloud of gas and black smoke over residential areas, prompting thousands of people to seek medical treatment, with many complaining of eye irritation and breathing problems.

    Federal investigators have said that Chevron firefighters responding to a small leak at the facility may have accidentally punctured a main pipeline that sparked the massive blaze.

    A metallurgical report showed the 40-year-old pipe that failed, causing the leak, was initially weakened by the heavy sulfur content of the crude oil being pumped through it. After a small leak sent hydrocarbons into the air, a small flash fire was put out. But a larger gash in the pipe released a bigger cloud of flammable gas, leading to a larger fire.

    Chevron is also strengthening its reliability programs for piping and equipment, updating protocols on how crews respond to new leaks and is increasing employee training, the company said in its report.

    The crude oil unit where the fire erupted remains closed as crews work on repairs, but Chevron officials expect to restart the unit by the end of March, Comey said.

    Chevron also plans to release the results of the company's internal investigation before restarting the unit, Comey said.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chevron-says-paid-10-million-050349833.html

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    Ratliff's BAC was 2X limit? |??Team statement

    AFC Championship - Baltimore Ravens v New England PatriotsGetty Images

    So you come home at the end of a long work day, put the keys on the counter, and check the answering machine.

    After the reminder about your kid?s doctors appointment, and the neighbors asking you to clean up after your dog, imagine if this is the next message:

    ?Hi, this is Tom Brady calling, . . .?

    If he could have followed it up with ?Can Gronk come out and play?? he might be otherwise occupied this week.

    But according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, the Patriots are using their star quarterback?s voice to send out a message of thanks to their season-ticket holders.

    ?On behalf of the entire Patriots organization, I want to thank you for the tremendous support you showed our team this past season,? the message continues. ?Your enthusiasm and passion in the stadium really motivated me and the team on game day. Thanks for being our 12th man on the field. As a season-ticket holder you help provide the foundation for our team?s success and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2013.?

    It?s one thing to send a letter or a trinket, but the Patriots are giving their fans a chance to have Tom Brady in their voice mail.

    If they really appreciated their fans, they?d get Bill Belichick to record the message next year.

    ?Thanks. . . . Bye.?

    Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/28/jay-ratliffs-bac-was-0-16-when-he-was-arrested/related/

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    Monday, January 28, 2013

    Thousands join funerals after deaths in Egypt port city

    CAIRO (Reuters) - Gunshots rang out in Port Said on Sunday as people packed the streets for the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend in the city, part of a wave of violence that has compounded challenges facing President Mohamed Mursi.

    Some in the crowd chanted for revenge or shouted anti-Mursi slogans and teargas was fired in the vicinity, a witness said by telephone, adding that he heard emergency vehicle sirens after the shots were fired.

    "Our soul and blood, we sacrifice to Port Said," people chanted, as the coffins were carried through the streets.

    There were no immediate reports of further casualties in the city, where 33 people were killed on Saturday when residents went on the rampage after a court sentenced 21 people, mostly from the city, to death for their role in a deadly stadium disaster in Port Said last year.

    Elsewhere in Egypt, police fired teargas at dozens of stone-throwing protesters in Cairo in a fourth day of clashes. Protests in the capital and other cities erupted at the end of last week over what the demonstrators say is a power grab by Islamists two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.

    The protesters accuse Mursi, elected in June with the support of his Muslim Brotherhood group, of betraying the democratic goals of the revolution. Since protesters hit the streets on Thursday, 42 people have been killed, most in Port Said and Suez, both cities where the army has now been deployed.

    The violence adds to the daunting task facing Mursi as he tries to fix a beleaguered economy and cool tempers before a parliamentary election expected in the next few months which is supposed to cement Egypt's transition to democracy.

    It has exposed a deep rift in the nation. Liberals and other opponents accuse Mursi of failing to deliver on economic promises and say he has not lived up to pledges to represent all Egyptians. His backers say the opposition is seeking to topple Egypt's first freely elected leader by undemocratic means.

    "BLOOD BEING SPILT"

    "None of the revolution's goals have been realised," said Mohamed Sami, a protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday.

    "Prices are going up. The blood of Egyptians is being spilt in the streets because of neglect and corruption and because the Muslim Brotherhood is ruling Egypt for their own interests."

    On a bridge close to Tahrir Square, youths hurled stones at police in riot gear who fired teargas to push them back towards the square, the cauldron of the uprising that erupted on January 25, 2011 and toppled Mubarak 18 days later.

    The U.S. and British embassies, both close to Tahrir, said they were closed for public business on Sunday.

    The army, Egypt's interim ruler until Mursi's election, was sent back onto the streets to restore order in Port Said and Suez, which both lie on the Suez canal. In Suez, at least eight people were killed in clashes with police.

    Egypt's defence minister who also heads the army, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, called for the nation to stand together and said the military would not prevent peaceful protests. But he called on demonstrators to protect public property.

    Many ordinary Egyptians are frustrated by the regular escalations that have hurt the economy and their livelihoods.

    "They are not revolutionaries protesting," said taxi driver Kamal Hassan, 30, referring to those gathered in Tahrir. "They are thugs destroying the country."

    CALL FOR DIALOGUE

    The National Defence Council, headed by Mursi, called on Saturday for national dialogue to discuss political differences.

    That offer has been cautiously welcomed by the opposition National Salvation Front. But the coalition has demanded a clear agenda and guarantees that any agreements will be implemented.

    The Front, formed late last year when Mursi provoked protests and violence by expanding his powers and driving through an Islamist-tinged constitution, has threatened to boycott the parliamentary poll and to call for more protests if a list of demands is not met, including having an early presidential vote.

    Egypt's transition has been blighted from the outset by political rows and turbulence on the streets that have driven investors out and kept many tourists away, starving the economy of vital sources of hard currency.

    Egypt's pound has been hit hard by the turmoil, steadily weakening against the dollar despite efforts by the central bank to slow the fall and preserve foreign reserves now at critical levels. The latest violence has added to investors' concerns.

    The Port Said clashes erupted after a judge sentenced 21 men to death for involvement in 74 deaths at a soccer match on February 1, 2012 between Cairo's Al Ahly club and the local al-Masri team. Many of the victims were fans of the visiting team.

    There were 73 defendants in the case. Those not sentenced on Saturday will face a verdict on March 9, the judge said.

    Al Ahly fans cheered the verdict after threatening action if the death penalty was not meted out. But Port Said residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riots-over-egyptian-death-sentences-kill-least-32-081720840.html

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    Evolution inspires more efficient solar cell design

    Monday, January 28, 2013

    The sun's energy is virtually limitless, but harnessing its electricity with today's single-crystal silicon solar cells is extremely expensive ? 10 times pricier than coal, according to some estimates. Organic solar cells ? polymer solar cells that use organic materials to absorb light and convert it into electricity ? could be a solution, but current designs suffer because polymers have less-than-optimal electrical properties.

    Researchers at Northwestern University have now developed a new design for organic solar cells that could lead to more efficient, less expensive solar power. Instead of attempting to increase efficiency by altering the thickness of the solar cell's polymer layer ? a tactic that has preciously garnered mixed results ? the researchers sought to design the geometric pattern of the scattering layer to maximize the amount of time light remained trapped within the cell.

    Using a mathematical search algorithm based on natural evolution, the researchers pinpointed a specific geometrical pattern that is optimal for capturing and holding light in thin-cell organic solar cells.

    The resulting design exhibited a three-fold increase over the Yablonovitch Limit, a thermodynamic limit developed in the 1980s that statistically describes how long a photon can be trapped in a semiconductor.

    A paper about the results, "Highly Efficient Light-Trapping Structure Design Inspired by Natural Evolution," was published January 3 in Scientific Reports, a publication of Nature.

    In the newly designed organic solar cell, light first enters a 100-nanometer-thick "scattering layer," a geometrically-patterned dielectric layer designed to maximize the amount of light transmitted into the cell. The light is then transmitted to the active layer, where it is converted into electricity.

    "We wanted to determine the geometry for the scattering layer that would give us optimal performance," said Cheng Sun, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and co-author of the paper. "But with so many possibilities, it's difficult to know where to start, so we looked to laws of natural selection to guide us."

    The researchers employed a genetic algorithm, a search process that mimics the process of natural evolution, explained Wei Chen, Wilson-Cook Professor in Engineering Design and professor of mechanical engineering at McCormick and co-investigator of the research.

    "Due to the highly nonlinear and irregular behavior of the system, you must use an intelligent approach to find the optimal solution," Chen said. "Our approach is based on the biologically evolutionary process of survival of the fittest."

    The researchers began with dozens of random design elements, then "mated" and analyzed their offspring to determine their particular light-trapping performance. This process was carried out over more than 20 generations and also accounted for evolutionary principles of crossover and genetic mutation.

    The resulting pattern will be fabricated with partners at Argonne National Laboratory.

    ###

    Northwestern University: http://www.northwestern.edu

    Thanks to Northwestern University 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.

    This press release has been viewed 57 time(s).

    Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126478/Evolution_inspires_more_efficient_solar_cell_design

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    Ryan: Obama doesn't actually think 'we have a fiscal crisis?

    Ryan (NBC)

    Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan lashed out at President Barack Obama on Sunday, saying the commander in chief does not have a full grasp of the budget problems facing the U.S. economy.

    "I don't think that the president actually thinks we have a fiscal crisis," Ryan said on NBC's "Meet The Press" in his first live interview since the 2012 presidential campaign, when he was Mitt Romney's running mate. "He's been reportedly saying to our leaders that we don't have a spending problem, we have a healthcare problem. That leads me to conclude that he just thinks we ought to have more government-run healthcare and rationing."

    Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, told David Gregory that while Democrats may have gotten higher taxes on the wealthy as part of the New Year's deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, that's all they'll get.

    "The president got his additional revenues," Ryan said. "So that's behind us."

    "Are we for raising revenues? No we're not," he continued. "If you keep raising revenues, you're not going to get decent tax reform."

    Ryan also offered outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a compliment while bashing Obama.

    "Look, if we had a Clinton presidency, if we had Erskine Bowles, chief staff of the White House or president of the United States, I think we would have fixed this fiscal mess by now," Ryan said. "That's not the kind of presidency we're dealing with."

    The former vice presidential candidate also addressed a pair politically-divisive issues: immigration reform and gun control.

    "It's a system that's broken that needs fixing," Ryan said of current U.S. immigration laws. "Look, immigration's a good thing. We're here because of immigration. That's what America is. It's a melting pot. We think this is good. We need to make sure that it works."

    On gun control, Ryan said he was open to universal background checks, but stopped short of embracing a ban on assault weapons. "Let's go beyond just this debate and make sure we get deeper," he said. "What's our policy on mental illness? What's going on in our culture that produces this kind of thing?"

    And as far as his political aspirations for 2016 are concerned, Ryan said it's too early for him to talk about.

    "I think it's just premature. I've got an important job to do," Ryan said. "I'll decide later about that."

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/paul-ryan-meet-press-obama-fiscal-crisis-170944283--election.html

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    Trent Williams Hurt in Nightclub Assault, To Miss Pro Bowl

    Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/trent-williams-hurt-in-nightclub-assault-to-miss-pro-bowl/

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    Sunday, January 27, 2013

    Free Legal Question: Personal Injury | Florida | Hello, about 5 ...

    Hello, about 5 months ago my Girlfriend Got hit by a car and she was hurt pretty bad and had to be on a Walker for quite a while. I really dont know what happened but she told me that it ended up being her fault but she said she was going to recieve money. today she called me and said they recieved 54000 dollars but her mom talk to the lawyer and said if she starts working and she is 17 that the government will take money from her something like that i think because once you start working you pay taxes and the 54k also gets deducted by taxes. she wants to get a job because she is a senior in highschool and she needs to save up money and she cant use the 54k until she turns 18 and her birthday is after high school ends. please help.

    Source: http://www.lawguru.com/legal-questions/-/-months-ago-girlfriend-hit-903375758/

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    Wall Street climbs at open on earnings

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures climbed on Friday and the S&P 500 was poised for an eighth day of gains, its longest winning streak in eight years, buoyed by rosy earnings from Procter & Gamble amid a backdrop of sturdy corporate results.

    The equity market was also boosted by agreement in Washington to extend the government's borrowing power through mid-May, encouraging signs of recovery in the global economy, solid corporate earnings, and seasonal inflows into stocks.

    Those factors helped the S&P 500 rally for a seventh day on Thursday to a five-year peak. Still, the index struggled to climb convincingly above 1,500, a level it surpassed briefly Thursday for the first time since December 2007.

    "We are seeing a very broad-based rally and the ingredients are still in place" for gains to continue, said Steve Goldman, principal at Goldman Management in Short Hills, New Jersey. "This is the lift-off phase and it's still significant."

    Procter & Gamble , the world's top household products maker, said quarterly profit soared past expectations and raised its sales and earnings outlook for the fiscal year. Shares were up 2.1 pct at $71.88 in premarket trading.

    S&P 500 futures rose 3.6 point and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 32 points and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 9.75 points.

    If the S&P 500 rises for an eighth day, it will be its longest winning streak since late 2004, when it enjoyed a nine-day run.

    Pointing to a rotation out of bonds, U.S. 30-year Treasury bonds traded more than a point lower in price on Friday, with yields touching session highs at 3.10 percent.

    "You have had more confidence from fund managers to provide more allocations to equity markets," which looked more attractive than bonds or cash, said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management.

    Recent company earnings have been encouraging. Thomson Reuters data through early Thursday showed that of the 133 S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings so far, 66.9 percent exceeded expectations, more than the 65 percent average over the past four quarters.

    Microsoft Corp reported lower quarterly profit on Thursday as Office software sales slowed ahead of a new launch, offsetting a solid but unspectacular start for its Windows 8 operating system and sending the company's shares down 0.8 percent in premarket trading.

    Apple stepped up audits of working conditions at major suppliers last year, discovering multiple cases of underage workers, discrimination and wage problems. The shares, which fell 12 percent Thursday after disappointing earnings, edged up 0.5 percent to $452.90.

    German business morale improved for a third consecutive month in January to its highest in more than half a year, providing further evidence that growth in Europe's largest economy was gathering speed after contracting late last year.

    Echoing a more positive tone in Europe, ECB President Mario Draghi said on Friday he expects the euro zone economy to recover later this year, and that financial market improvements had not yet trickled into the general economy.

    (Editing by Bernadette Baum)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-rises-seventh-day-1-500-too-steep-003249283--sector.html

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    roxy lawrence: Stress Management Tips for Relaxation - wise self ...

    Stress is always going to always be in our lives, which can be both a good and bad thing. Some people say that stress is good for us because it gives is that extra push of energy to just get stuff done. For others, it can be a bit more complicated though. Many people aren't sure how to manage their stress and get it under control before it becomes a problem.

    Stress can become physically or mentally anguishing when it consumes your life. This is the point where you should realize that it's time to take control over your stress instead of letting it control you.

    Stress management techniques can be used to calm us down when we get stressed out. The next time you get stressed out, try to remember the following techniques and apply them to reducing your stress.

    1.) Deep Breathing

    When stress has you really wound up, try taking deep breaths through your diaphragm. Breathing will allow your body to calm down cause a direct stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in relaxation and a reversal of the changes seen with the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

    2.) Visualization

    Instead of continuing to think about something that stresses you out, try changing your train of thought and visualize something makes you happy. Since it can usually be difficult to escape from the environmental stressors around us, trying escaping in your mind to a place that relaxes you. This doesn't mean that you're suppressing your feelings, you are calming and learning to control them.

    3.) Meditation

    Meditation may be one of the most calming and powerful stress management techniques there is. Meditating properly allows you to let go of your worries and go to your ultimate point of relaxation. Try meditating in a quiet area where you know there will be no distractions. Sit straight up on a flat surface and align your spine with the ground, keeping your feel flat on the floor. You want to focus strictly on your breathing from this point on, and maintain a deep breathing pattern from within your diaphragm. If done accurately, you will fully experience the power of meditation. This doesn't work for everyone on the first try, so remember to practice on a daily basis.

    4.) Yoga

    Yoga is a combination of physical activity and the three tips we have already discussed so far, and promotes and overall sense of well-being. Yoga strengthens body and mind health and allows you to become more in touch with yourself.

    Don't give up after the first time if these techniques fail to work. Practice makes perfect, and practicing these techniques in your free time can put you one step closer to managing your stress.

    Source: http://wiseselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2013/01/stress-management-tips-for-relaxation.html

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    Source: http://roxy-lawrence.blogspot.com/2013/01/stress-management-tips-for-relaxation.html

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    How to prevent cellphone frostbite

    17 hrs.

    As frigid?weather continues to pound the East Coast and the Plains, fingers go numb, noses go red and cellphones go out. "We remind customers that their electronics operate best in the same temperatures that people like, too," said Jazmin Hupp, director of marketing at Tekserve, a popular Manhattan Apple reseller.

    When the temperature drops below freezing, the lithium-ion batteries can lose some of, or even all, their charge for a time. What looked like a half-full battery when you walked out of the house could soon appear completely empty and shut down in 20-degree weather. Stop inside for a while, restart the phone and the battery will probably appear half-full again.

    In most cases, the cold isn't doing any permanent damage ? just reducing the power of the battery until you warm it up again. This shouldn't come as a surprise. With the iPhone, for example, Apple's site clearly states, "Operating ambient temperature: 32 degrees to 95 degrees F (0 degrees to 35 degrees C)."

    But most people don't read specs. Tekserve's Hupp said that the store's service department has had a spike in complaints about short battery life on iPods and iPhones during the cold snap. In the past week, the company has also sold 20 percent more Mophie Juice Packs ? external iPhone batteries. But they are just as susceptible to the cold as the phone's built-in battery.

    The only proven remedy is perhaps also the simplest: Put your phone in your pocket. That will disrupt the popular pastime of surfing and walking. But it's the safe bet: protecting not only your phone but also your chilled fingers, as well as decreasing the likelihood of walking into traffic. [See also: How to Improve Android Smartphone Battery Life ]

    No technology is likely to be foolproof. "Cases can't really help unless you had a specific case that warmed the product," said Bryan Hynecek, chief designer at smartphone case maker Speck. "Still, you would need something over the glass because that is a large surface ? best thing is to keep it in a pocket close to the body and only use in short intervals."

    "A good case will mitigate that issue (somewhat)," wrote Ken Sander, owner of New York City electronic repair shop, The Cable Doctor, in an email. Sander recommended one piece of hardware, however. "If you used headphones, it won't be an issue," he said, because the phone would remain in the pocket.

    Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @ TechNewsDaily. We're also on Facebook & Google+.?

    Copyright 2013?TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/how-prevent-cellphone-frostbite-1C8124834

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    Saturday, January 26, 2013

    The Mobile Advantage of myDealCompass | MyDealCompass Blog ...

    The typical method of the couponer is as follows:

    • Purchase the local paper that contains the coupon circulars and advertisements for the week, or visit a pay per redemption site to find the desired deals.
    • Clip or print and cut the coupon of choice.
    • File the savings away for a time when it is useful.
    • Forget about the coupon and let it pass the expiration date without being used.

    The entire process is pointless, if in the end the coupon is never redeemed. So wouldn?t it be nice to have a service that offers the coupons you want, the day you want them, for the products or services you wish to purchase? Stop wishing and step into the reality of myDealCompass and learn about the innovative ways they help you save on your everyday purchases.

    Simply log on to the myDealCompass site and search your local area. The deals and savings that are offered on this site are specific to your location and you can feel confident you will receive the savings you want. The mobile coupons that you will find here are specific to your needs and are offered at no charge for consumers, ever.

    Once you have found the savings that appeal to your needs, simply redeem them and use the savings the same day. There is no waiting or lengthy process to go through. Additionally, you do not even have to print the savings to redeem the deal. Simply access the deal on your mobile device and redeem at the time of checkout for instant savings. myDealCompass is providing a new and innovative method to save that is benefiting both businesses and consumers.

    Source: http://mydealcompass.com/blog/index.php/mobile-advantage-mydealcompass/

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    Silver and Gold Prices: The Gold Price Lost $13.10 Closing Near the ...

    Gold Price Close Today : 1,656.40
    Gold Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 1,686.60
    Change : -30.20 or -1.8%

    Silver Price Close Today : 31.18
    Silver Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 31.90.2
    Change : -0.722 or -2.3%

    Gold Silver Ratio Today : 53.124
    Gold Silver Ratio 18-Jan-13 : 52.868
    Change : 0.26 or 0.5%

    Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01882
    Silver Gold Ratio 18-Jan-13 : 0.01891
    Change : -0.00009 or -0.5%

    Dow in Gold Dollars : $ 173.11
    Dow in Gold Dollars 18-Jan-13 : $ 167.30
    Change : $5.81 or 3.5%

    Dow in Gold Ounces : 8.374
    Dow in Gold Ounces 18-Jan-13 : 8.093
    Change : 0.28 or 3.5%

    Dow in Silver Ounces : 444.86
    Dow in Silver Ounces 18-Jan-13 : 427.86
    Change : 17.00 or 4.0%

    Dow Industrial : 13,870.75
    Dow Industrial 18-Jan-13 : 13,649.70
    Change : 221.05 or 1.6%

    S&P 500 : 1,500.67
    S&P 500 18-Jan-13 : 1,485.98
    Change : 14.69 or 1.0%

    US Dollar Index : 79.748
    US Dollar Index 18-Jan-13 : 80.030
    Change : -0.282 or -0.4%

    Platinum Price Close Today : 1,693.90
    Platinum Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 1,672.10
    Change : 21.80 or 1.3%

    Palladium Price Close Today : 740.25
    Palladium Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 722.00
    Change : 18.25 or 2.5%

    The GOLD PRICE lost $13.10 today to close near the low at $1,656.40. Silver lost 51.5 cents to 3118c.

    The silver and GOLD PRICE are not at a point -- $1,655 and 3100c -- where they must either catch or fall further, to $1,640 and 2975c.

    Clearly, jumping over $1,700 will take some work.

    Looking at it through the optimist's lens, today's gold retreat did no more than take gold down for a final kiss good-bye to the downtrend line from the high from mid-November. That's $1,656. Final kiss good-bye, I remind y'all, occurs after a market breaks through resistance, peaks, then corrects and touches back to that resistance line before it once again takes off.

    I've been through these long soul-harrowing times before. You think metals have begun to take off again, only to disappoint you again. It can last a long time. Why shouldn't silver and gold go lower? The low on 4 January was too complete from a lot of angles. Most likely outcome will see silver and gold trading sideways next week, then attempting that $1,700 mark in a week or two.

    Y'all think this is bad because you weren't watching the gold and SILVER PRICE in October and November 2008. Gold dropped 32% from its 2008 peak and silver gave up 105% of its preceding gain. Brutal, but by no means the end of the bull market. From an 880 cent and $704.50 low silver and gold rallied for 3 years. As I keep on telling y'all, the bull is always working to shake off as many riders as possible.

    Wise words for today: "Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil's dogs. Do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work."

    Again today stocks reached new high closes for the move. Dow added 45.42 (0.33%) to 13,870.75 while the S&P500 moved about the same, up 5.85 (0.39%) to 1,500.67. That close over 1,500 offers big round number support to morale, and never mind that it's only 2/3 of a point over 1,500.

    Should you take a ruler and draw a line across the 12,875 Dow high in May 2011, the 13,238 in May 2012, and the October 2013 high at 13,662, you have an upward slope that defines the upper Jaw of Death, the upper boundary of a broadening top. (Lower boundary runs from May 2011 at 12,876 through 12,035 in June 2012.) Against that backdrop, within those Jaws of Death, all the present stock rally is playing out. Keep that in mind. (S&P500 backdrop is about the same.)

    It is possible the Dow might punch through that upper jaw and reach for the 14,000 high made in October 2007. Witnessing against that is a VERY overbought RSI (75.69 today when 70 is overbought), more so than it was in 2007. MACD -- market's distance above its moving averages -- isn't quite that bad, but strongly overbought.

    Stocks have also traded in a rising wedge since November, and the last three days have taken them above that wedge's point. Generally a rising wedge resolves by dropping. Stocks have also risen 8 days running.

    It's also possible that stocks will break here for a correction, then renew their rise into March before their final breakdown, assuming that the next one isn't the big one.

    But in the teeth of all the Fed's manipulation and the President's Plunge Protection Team and all the twitching and tweaking they can do, stocks are locked in a primary down trend (bear market), and those who have been seduced into believing that a new bull market is arrived and Dow 36,000 lies just around the corner will be undeceived in dust, sackcloth, ashes, weeping and wailing.

    Dow in gold has broken above resistance and has an upward target of about 9.12 oz (G$188.53). Today it stands at 8.39 oz (G$173.44). Dow in silver was trying to break down but last two days has rallied no, gapped, above the 200 DMA and the 20 DMA and penetrated the downtrend line. Target here is about 475 oz, from today's 445.3.

    US dollar index has a tee-tiny uptrend working, but today lost 23.7 basis points (0.3%) to 79.748. Euro finally burst through $1.3400 resistance to $1,3460, up 0.64%. Target now becomes $1.3486, the Feb. 2012 high. Yen made ANOTHER new low for the move today at 109.98 (-0.69%). I reckon you could take a sauna in the offices of the Federal Reserve and the ECB today, they are so mad at the Japanese for their jawboning competitive devaluation. Lower the yen falls, more it steams the other central banks. I reckon the proverb is true, there is no honor among theives.

    Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and silver must be bought.

    - Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger
    The-MoneyChanger.com
    1-888-218-9226
    10:00am-5:00pm CST, Monday-Friday

    ? 2013, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including electronically, without our express permission.

    To avoid confusion, please remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least $3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66; stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate bubble has burst, primary trend down.

    WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and warned:

    Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not as a timing service for futures.

    NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps.

    NOR do I recommend trading futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not for the inexperienced.

    NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or with debt.

    What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your own hands.

    One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose. No, I don't.

    Source: http://silver-and-gold-prices.goldprice.org/2013/01/the-gold-price-lost-1310-closing-near.html

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    Friday, January 25, 2013

    In Mass. law, states get a health overhaul model

    BOSTON (AP) ? When Massachusetts adopted its landmark health care law in 2006, the goals were ambitious and the potential solutions complex.

    More than 90 percent of its residents already had health insurance, but the state hoped to cover nearly everyone by plugging as many holes as possible in its system, short of a so-called single payer option.

    What resulted was a state law that became the blueprint for the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act signed by President Barack Obama.

    Now, as other states begin grappling with the intricacies of the federal health care overhaul, many are looking for lessons from the largely successful Massachusetts model as well as from its limitations and remaining challenges.

    Officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, West Virginia and Rhode Island have worked with Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economics professor who helped craft both the state and federal laws, to set up their exchanges.

    What are they getting in return? A guide to a law that has resulted in more people visiting doctors, more employees getting coverage through their jobs and an increase of insured residents to 98 percent, far above the national average, including virtually all children and senior citizens. That's an additional 400,000 people with insurance since the law took effect.

    Other states would also do well to note the difficulties resulting from the law: a shortage of primary care doctors, which is expected to be an unintended consequence of the federal law, and an increase in the number of procedures that insurers were required to pay for, which raised costs.

    Massachusetts' law, written for a state that is relatively richer and more highly educated than others, won't be a perfect fit for any other state, of course. But the experiences resulting from the law have played out on personal levels universal to all 50 states ? in doctor's offices, at kitchen tables and in human resource departments.

    Among those most directly affected were the uninsured who had relied on care from emergency rooms, the cost of which was borne by hospitals and taxpayers. The law's top objective was to get those people into health plans. A system was created to subsidize care for people earning less than three times the poverty level and design lower-cost private plans for those earning more.

    For Valerie Spain, the overhaul proved to be a lifesaver. She was underemployed in 2011 and no longer able to extend her insurance coverage from her previous job, an option that had been costing her $550 a month.

    The 57-year-old former operations manager found insurance through the new subsidized program. She pays a $20 co-pay for visits to her doctor's office but no premiums.

    Without the insurance, Spain said she doesn't know how she would keep her diabetes under control.

    "I'm sure I would have had to be rationing my medication," she said.

    The influx of such new patients is good for those who finally have insurance, but it's been tough on doctors, said Richard Dupee, a 67-year-old primary care doctor and chief of geriatrics service at Tufts Medical Center. He said many have declined to accept patients on the subsidized plans because the reimbursement rates are not as good as private plans.

    "If you nickel and dime the doctors, they are not going to take the insurance," said Dupee, who has been in practice for more than 30 years and teaches at Tufts University School of Medicine.

    The state also faces a shortage of primary care doctors, Dupee said, making it harder for the newly insured to get an appointment. He said the bulk of his students are heading into subspecialties, with few choosing primary care.

    Just half of primary care doctors were taking new patients last year, and average times for new patients seeking appointments with the doctors remained long ? 45 days, up from 36 days the year before, a Massachusetts Medical Society survey found.

    "If you are going to insure everyone, you have to make sure that you have doctors to care for those people," Dupee added.

    Another struggle for Massachusetts has been its attempts to curb the costs of the law, said Lora Pellegrini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans. She faulted lawmakers for mandating that insurers cover more procedures and medicine, including hearing aids, oral cancer drugs and an assessment to help pay for the state's childhood vaccine program.

    "To ultimately be sustainable, we have to address the costs," she said.

    The state has worked to do so. In August, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill intended to save Massachusetts up to $200 billion over 15 years by encouraging a system that rewards doctors and hospitals for keeping patients healthy rather than paying piecemeal for every operation or treatment.

    Employers must also brace for changes. In Massachusetts, businesses with 11 or more full-time workers were required make a "fair and reasonable" contribution to their workers' health insurance or pay a fee.

    At family-owned Needham Electric Supply, five more employees began getting insurance when the law passed, said Vicki Maderia, director of human resources.

    The company had considered the workers part-time, but they were deemed full-time under the law. Maderia said the cost was minimal.

    "It helped us be a little more marketable because of a lot of the part-time workers were looking for benefits, so it did help us on the recruiting side," she said.

    One key to the success of any health care law is to connect with people in their neighborhoods or at home to explain the law and get them enrolled, said Brian Rosman, research director for the advocacy group Health Care for All.

    For example, residents need to be made aware of the individual mandate, which requires virtually everyone be insured or pay a tax penalty. Massachusetts was the first state to impose the mandate, and the federal law also includes one.

    About 170,000 people in the state said they were uninsured in 2010, but about two-thirds did not report enough in income and were exempt from the tax penalty.

    Of the rest, there are plenty of reasons why someone might be penalized rather than have insurance, said Rosman.

    Sometimes it might be due to the difficulty of reaching out to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking populations. In other cases, he said, some people are simply philosophically opposed to being told by the government to get insurance.

    The number of people assessed the penalty has fallen steadily since the law was passed, from 67,000 in 2007, the first year the mandate took effect, to 44,000 in 2010.

    Gruber said the most challenging part of establishing Massachusetts' exchange was that the state was essentially starting from scratch. There was new software to be developed and critical decisions to make.

    "We really were experimenting," he said. "Other states will have, in many ways, an easier time than we did."

    ___

    Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-law-states-health-overhaul-model-200754577.html

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    Thursday, January 24, 2013

    Apple Sold 2M Apple TVs In The Holiday Quarter, Up 60% From A Year Ago

    apple tvApple announced on its earnings call today that the company sold more than 2 million Apple TV devices in its fiscal first quarter. That’s up from 1.3 million sequentially, and up from 1.4 million during the previous holiday period. Altogether, that means Apple has sold more than 10 million Apple TV units over the years, making it one of the most popular streaming devices out there. The growth in Apple TV sales shows continued demand for an understated device that is now five years old. It also comes as users and analysts alike continue to wait for Apple to produce an actual TV. For years, prognosticators have forecast Apple would get into the HDTV market. But with no real timeline for building its software into a streaming display, its streaming box continues to sell well. In many ways, its strategy seems smart now: Connected TV adoption hasn’t been as great as some may have expected, but the market set-top boxes continues to grow. Take a look at Google TV, for example: While it launched with Sony producing actual TVs a few years ago, nowadays most of the takeup for devices running the OS seems to be coming in the form of boxes produced by the likes of Vizio, Netgear, HiSense, and others. And, at least for now, Apple seems to be the market leader. But that doesn’t mean Apple can’t do more. On the earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was exploring new ways to distribute video content in the living room. “I tend to believe that there’s a lot that we can contribute in this space and so we continue to pull the string and see where it leads us,” Cook said. “But I don’t want to be more specific.” Rather than build more smarts into the device, the company continues to connect it to other devices that leverage AirPlay and can stream or navigate content that can be displayed on the box. Last summer Apple added AirPlay mirroring to computers running OSX Mountain Lion. It’s also added better support for developers who wish to build dual-screen apps that leverage their iPhones or iPads for control of the Apple TV.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/9_zcVjnCN-A/

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    Iran suggests Cairo as venue for next nuclear talks

    DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has proposed Cairo as the venue for the next nuclear talks with world powers, its foreign minister said on Wednesday without indicating when the meeting, aimed at defusing a standoff with the West, would happen.

    "When I was in Egypt ... it was suggested that the next meeting be held in Cairo," Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency.

    "This issue was welcomed by our dear friends in Egypt and Egypt will consult with the P5+1 (group of countries) for hosting this meeting."

    Holding the talks in Egypt could indicate warming ties between Cairo and Tehran, two of the Middle East's most influential countries.

    After decades of frozen relations with former President Hosni Mubarak, Iran has courted his successor, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi, although opposing views on the Syrian civil war have prevented a rapid rapprochement.

    Salehi visited Cairo for talks with Mursi on January 10.

    There was no immediate comment from EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents world powers in dealings with Tehran.

    The last talks between Iran and the P5+1 - the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany - were held in Moscow in June but failed to resolve the nuclear standoff that has led to crippling sanctions against Tehran which the West fears is seeking atomic weapons capability.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won a new term in office this week, has said he would not let that happen and has often suggested the Jewish state could use pre-emptive strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails.

    Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons technology and says its atomic work is for peaceful, civilian purposes.

    Both Iran and P5+1 - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - say they want to resume talks.

    However, the two sides' priorities diverge: the P5+1 wants to curb Iran's work to potentially develop atomic weapons, while Iran wants sanctions scrapped and to have its "right" to enrich uranium formally recognized.

    Western diplomats and Iranian media have said talks might take place next week, but that the venue had not been agreed.

    (Additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Vienna; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-suggests-cairo-nuclear-talks-powers-isna-092332277.html

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    If you don?t play the game the theorists have won (Unqualified Offerings)

    Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279139289?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    D.C. may nix government studies as school requirement

    By Andrew Mach, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Public high school students in the nation?s capital may soon be able to graduate without taking a single U.S. government course.

    The D.C. State Board of Education proposed changes to the graduation requirements in December that would require students to take more physical education, art and music courses instead. ?

    The proposal, put forward to combat declining graduation rates in the District, where fewer than two-thirds of high school students earn a diploma, would also require students?to write a thesis and?raise the total number of required credits in D.C. public schools from 24 to 26 -- more than students need to earn diplomas in many other states, according to the National Center for Graduation Statistics.?

    Some of the new requirements -- specifically nixing the need for a government course -- have drawn the ire of advocates for civics education.

    Patrick Mara, who represents Ward 1 on the school board, believes a majority of the nine-member board won't back the proposal.?

    "This is one of those things that looks great on paper, and it's very well-intentioned, but it goes without saying that U.S. government should be a requirement in the District of Columbia," Mara said.?

    Mara said he would "certainly vote against" the proposal if it came to a vote anytime soon.

    Other key changes to students' current graduation requirements in the proposal include making students take an additional unit of physical education, which can include organized extracurricular sports. Students would also have to do an additional 67.5 hours of physical activity each semester for all four years of high school.

    In a letter to the board, an eight-person group representing several public schools in D.C. said it objected to the proposal for several reasons, including the physical activity requirement, saying it would be susceptible to fraudulent submissions for credit.

    "We agree that students should be engaged in physical activity at all points of education, but the benefits of making it a graduation requirement do not outweigh the costs," the letter said. "Administering a tracking program for that level of detail of activity, especially if independent of an organization like a sports team, would be extremely burdensome."

    Board members have said these specific changes were suggested in an effort to address health problems among D.C. children, including high rates of obesity and diabetes.?

    "I think this is an opportunity for the State Board of Education to think through what it is we're doing with these graduation requirements," Mara said. "Some of these things, while they may seem sound, are at the end of the day impacting the lives of young adults, and we need to we've brought in enough stakeholders into this discussion to have a positive impact."?

    Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/24/16679009-dc-schools-may-nix-high-school-government-class-as-a-requirement?lite

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    Architect plans M?bius building using giant 3-D printer

    21 hrs.

    A Dutch architect has designed a building that will be a single large piece from floor to ceiling, and plans to build it using a giant 3-D printing system.

    The "Landscape House" was designed by Janjaap Ruijssenaars, of Universe Architecture, and is built on the principle of M?bius strips. Created by twisting a two-dimensional?surface (like a strip of paper) slightly and then connecting the ends, these enigmatic structures effectively have only one side.

    Walk along the floor, and you'll soon find yourself on the ceiling, then the roof, then the underside. Or, at least, you would if you could, and if Ruijssenaars hadn't built stairs and walkways into the structure. As you can see in the diagram, the building's footprint is roughly triangular and folds on itself in a way that makes it difficult to visualize how it would?appear in real life.

    Regardless of how confusing it seems on paper, it's structurally sound and the firm plans to build it?using the innovative "D-Shape" industrial printing method. D-Shape is essentially a huge?additive 3-D printer that lays?down layers of a sand-based, "marble-like" material.

    The inventor of the process, Enrico Dini, claims that the resulting compound is superior to common cement and does not require reinforcement, although Landscape House's unconventional shape and size will in fact need it. It will also have to be produced in a few pieces and assembled, though the end result will be a single continuous structure.

    The D-Shape machinery is precise to within 5 to?10 millimeters, meaning large objects like stairs and walls can be easily formed, but finer structures will have to be adjusted by hand. Smaller 3-D printers, on the other hand, are good enough that they can nearly reproduce the sound of a vinyl record.

    The cost for each building, presumably not including furnishings, plumbing, and wiring, is around $5 million to $6 million.?Ruijssenaars told the BBC that there is already interest among museums and private individuals; the first is planned for completion in 2014.

    Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/architect-plans-mobius-building-using-giant-3-d-printer-1B8057228

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