Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/181144944?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Apple's Original Brand Strategy: Get Ahead of Atari in the Phonebook (The Atlantic Wire)
Even Apple's historical archives are stashed away in a top secret location: a climate-controlled warehouse somewhere on the outskirts of San Francisco. Compiled by Stanford University thanks to countless donations from former Apple employees, the collection is full of everything from the company's original financial records to an anti-IBM Ghost Busters spoof. The video, cleverly named?Blue Busters, was shown in Hawaii at an international sales meeting in 1984 and yes, it's on YouTube. (See the bottom of this post.)?
Related: Steve Jobs Has Recently Lived 200 More Pages of His Biography
Stanford's Apple Collection is the largest in the world, the Smithsonian branch devoted to all things Macintosh that fanboys and girls never had. But if you remember that Apple invented the computer as we know it, it bears broader implications. "Through this one collection you can trace out the evolution of the personal computer," Stanford historian Leslie Berlin told the Associated Press, who were offered access to the collection but "agreed not to disclose its location." Berlin adds, "These sorts of documents are as close as you get to the unmediated story of what really happened."
Related: Reviewers Swoon Over the Steve Jobs Biography
We may never know what the most treasured treasures in that secret warehouse, but bits of it, like the Blue Busters video, have leaked out over the years. The AP transcribes the key moment of another internal video, in which Steve "the Joker" Jobs and Steve Wozniak discuss how they came up with the name. There are many fables about this, including one account about Jobs working on an Apple farm in Oregon, but this account seems basically believable. From the AP's Terence Chia:
"I remember driving down Highway 85," Wozniak says. "We're on the freeway, and Steve mentions, `I've got a name: Apple Computer.' We kept thinking of other alternatives to that name, and we couldn't think of anything better."Adds Jobs: "And also remember that I worked at Atari, and it got us ahead of Atari in the phonebook."
Over the course of the next couple of decades, Apple's branding strategy evolved far beyond just beating Atari in the phonebook. Apple, it could be argued, beat Atari altogether and is now one of the top gaming platforms in the world. Many know about the company's many trademark disputes with Apple Corps, owner of the Beatles' label Apple Records, which became particularly problematic when Apple launched the iPod. Now, of course, you can buy the entire Beatles' discography in the iTunes Music Store. And while the 1980s saw a number of failed efforts to make the brand hip, that silhouette of?a piece of fruit that made Apple famous to begin with will surely be remembered as one of America's simplest but most powerful logos. If we could spend a day in Stanford's Apple Collection for any one reason, it would be to trace the evolution of the brand over the years, from the early days of the boxy but adorable Macintosh to the latest craze for the sleek simple design that gives every single Apple product that Steve Jobs signature look and feel.
Related: Ten Years Ago, Apple Was Developing the iPod
It wasn't always like this. As the Blue Busters video shows, Apple used to be pretty nerdy. Since we couldn't actually gain entrance to the Stanford's Apple Collection (yet!) we spent our Thursday morning poking around the Internet, looking for Apple brand porn, and thanks to Google, came up with our own Atlantic Wire Apple Collection. It's small for now, but we'll add to it as we discover treasures.
Related: Questions in the Wake of the Steve Jobs Announcement
??
Related: The Crazy Perfectionism That Drove Steve Jobs
A couple of weeks ago, Sotheby's?sold?the original 1976 contract, signed by Stephen G. Wozniak, Steven P. Jobs and Ronald G. Wayne pictured above for a cool $1.6 million. Wait. Who the heck is Ron Wayne? He's?the guy that backed out of Apple only 12 days after the company was founded.
Apparently, Apple took a swing at the apparel and trinket business with the 1983 Apple Gift Catalog. We're pretty sure it was just a way to get their brand out there, you know, developing a personal connection with Apple customers. But we're also pretty sure, we'd pay $100 for one of those suckers, for fashion's sake.?
Look at that tie tack. And the belt buckle!
And the (very expensive) wall hanging, above.
Apple sponsored a car in the 1980s LeMans race. The gift catalog offered an artist's rendering of the car.
It's a Porsche and obviously shoots flames out the back.
Finally, behold: Apple salesmen with Macs strapped to their backs, fighting IBM with ectoplasm laser guns.
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Friday, December 30, 2011
Key to school improvement: Reading, writing, arithmetic ... and character?
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Public release date: 29-Dec-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Brian Flay
brian.flay@oregonstate.edu
Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. A study of 20 elementary schools in Hawaii has found that a focused program to build social, emotional and character skills resulted in significantly improved overall quality of education, as evaluated by teachers, parents and students.
The concept includes organized activities to build character that go beyond more traditional rules or policies to control or punish problem behaviors. But it still takes only about an hour a week away from traditional education, and previous research has documented much lower numbers of suspensions, lower absenteeism, and better reading and math scores on standardized tests.
The latest study, being published by researchers from Oregon State University in the Journal of School Health, found for the first time that teachers believed this approach improved "overall school quality" by 21 percent, with parents and students agreeing in slightly smaller numbers. It was based on findings from racially and ethnically diverse schools, half using the program and half that did not.
"Improved social and character skills leave more time for teachers to teach, and students to learn and be more motivated," said Brian Flay, an OSU professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. "What we're finding now is that we can really address some of the concerns in our schools by focusing more on character in the classroom.
"These are not new concepts, they're the kind of things that have always been discussed in families, church and social groups," Flay said. "A third-grade lesson, for instance, might be helping kids to understand how other people feel, to learn about empathy. That may seem simple, but in terms of educational performance it's important."
School quality, as defined in this research, includes a safe environment, involvement and satisfaction among individuals, student support, continuous improvement, standards-based learning and other features.
Past policies to curtail substance abuse, violent behavior and other problems have shown only limited results, researchers said in the study, in part because they don't address underlying issues such as student's sense of self and social attachment. The new trend being explored is what they call social-emotional and character development.
The program used in this research includes K-12 classroom curricula, a school-wide climate development component, teacher and staff training, parent and community involvement, continued positive reinforcement and other techniques.
Lessons include topics related to self-concept, physical and intellectual actions, managing oneself responsibly, getting along with others, being honest, and self-improvement.
The results have been impressive. Previously published results showed 72 percent fewer suspensions, 15 percent less absenteeism, and much better reading and math skills based on state tests. National tests showed a 9 percent improvement in these academic subjects.
"The current research supports the hypothesis that these programs can generate whole-school change and improve school safety and quality," the researchers wrote in their report. "The present study shows improvements in school quality were made by relatively underperforming schools."
The findings suggest that schools, districts, states and the federal government should consider policies and funding directed toward social and character programs of this type, the researchers said.
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 29-Dec-2011[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Brian Flay
brian.flay@oregonstate.edu
Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. A study of 20 elementary schools in Hawaii has found that a focused program to build social, emotional and character skills resulted in significantly improved overall quality of education, as evaluated by teachers, parents and students.
The concept includes organized activities to build character that go beyond more traditional rules or policies to control or punish problem behaviors. But it still takes only about an hour a week away from traditional education, and previous research has documented much lower numbers of suspensions, lower absenteeism, and better reading and math scores on standardized tests.
The latest study, being published by researchers from Oregon State University in the Journal of School Health, found for the first time that teachers believed this approach improved "overall school quality" by 21 percent, with parents and students agreeing in slightly smaller numbers. It was based on findings from racially and ethnically diverse schools, half using the program and half that did not.
"Improved social and character skills leave more time for teachers to teach, and students to learn and be more motivated," said Brian Flay, an OSU professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. "What we're finding now is that we can really address some of the concerns in our schools by focusing more on character in the classroom.
"These are not new concepts, they're the kind of things that have always been discussed in families, church and social groups," Flay said. "A third-grade lesson, for instance, might be helping kids to understand how other people feel, to learn about empathy. That may seem simple, but in terms of educational performance it's important."
School quality, as defined in this research, includes a safe environment, involvement and satisfaction among individuals, student support, continuous improvement, standards-based learning and other features.
Past policies to curtail substance abuse, violent behavior and other problems have shown only limited results, researchers said in the study, in part because they don't address underlying issues such as student's sense of self and social attachment. The new trend being explored is what they call social-emotional and character development.
The program used in this research includes K-12 classroom curricula, a school-wide climate development component, teacher and staff training, parent and community involvement, continued positive reinforcement and other techniques.
Lessons include topics related to self-concept, physical and intellectual actions, managing oneself responsibly, getting along with others, being honest, and self-improvement.
The results have been impressive. Previously published results showed 72 percent fewer suspensions, 15 percent less absenteeism, and much better reading and math skills based on state tests. National tests showed a 9 percent improvement in these academic subjects.
"The current research supports the hypothesis that these programs can generate whole-school change and improve school safety and quality," the researchers wrote in their report. "The present study shows improvements in school quality were made by relatively underperforming schools."
The findings suggest that schools, districts, states and the federal government should consider policies and funding directed toward social and character programs of this type, the researchers said.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/osu-kts122911.php
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Children don't give words special power to categorize their world
ScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2011) ? New research challenges the conventional thinking that young children use language just as adults do to help classify and understand objects in the world around them.
In a new study involving 4- to 5-year-old children, researchers found that the labels adults use to classify items -- words like "dog" or "pencil" -- don't have the same ability to influence the thinking of children.
"As adults, we know that words are very predictive. If you use words to guide you, they won't often let you down," said Vladimir Sloutsky, co-author of the new study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University and director of the university's Center for Cognitive Science.
"But for children, words are just another feature among many to consider when they're trying to classify an object."
For example, suppose that someone you trust shows you an object that looks like a pen and says that it is a tape recorder, Sloutsky said.
Your first reaction might be to look at the pen to see where the microphone would be hidden, and how you could turn it on or off.
"You might think it was some kind of spy tool, but you would not have a hard time understanding it as a tape recorder even though it looks like a pen," Sloutsky said. "Adults believe words do have a unique power to classify things, but young children don't think the same way."
The results suggest that even after children learn language, it doesn't govern their thinking as much as scientists believed.
"It is only over the course of development that children begin to understand that words can reliably be used to label items," he said.
Sloutsky conducted the study with Wei (Sophia) Deng, a graduate student in psychology at Ohio State. Their research appears online in the journal Psychological Science and will appear in a future print edition.
The study involved two related experiments. One experiment involved 13 preschool children aged 4 to 5 and 30 college-aged adults.
In this first experiment, participants were shown colorful drawings of two fictional creatures that the researchers identified as a "flurp" or a "jalet." Each was distinct in the color and shape of five of their features: body, hands, feet antennae and head. For example, flurps generally had tan-colored square antennae while jalets generally had gray-colored triangle antennae.
The researchers made the heads of the animals particularly salient, or conspicuous: the flurp had a pink head that moved up and down and jalet had a blue head that moved sideways. The head was the only part of the body that moved.
After they learned the relevant characteristics of the flurp and jalet, participants were tested in two conditions. In one condition, they were shown a picture of a creature that had some, but not all of the characteristics of one of the creatures, and asked if it was a flurp or a jalet. In another condition, they were shown a creature where one of the six features was covered and they were asked to predict the missing part.
The critical test came when the participants were shown a creature with a label that matched most of the body parts -- except for the very noticeable moving head, which belonged to the other animal. They were then asked which animal was pictured.
"About 90 percent of the children went with what the head told them -- even if the label and every other feature suggested the other animal," Sloutsky said.
"The label was just another feature, and it was not as important to them as the most salient feature -- the moving head."
Adults put much more stock in the label compared to children- about 37 percent used the label to guide their choice, versus 31 percent who used the moving head. The remaining 31 percent had mixed responses.
However, to eliminate the possibility that participants were confused because they had never heard of flurps and jalets before, the researchers conducted another experiment. The second experiment was similar to the first, except that the animals were given more familiar names: "meat-eaters" and "carrot-eaters" instead of flurps and jalets.
In this case, the difference between the adults and children was even clearer. Nearly two-thirds of adults relied on the label to guide their choices, compared to 18 percent who relied on the moving head and 18 percent who were mixed responders. Only 7 percent of the children relied on the labels, compared to 67 percent who relied on the moving head and 26 percent who were mixed responders.
Sloutsky said these findings add to our understanding of how language affects cognition and may help parents communicate and teach their children.
"In the past, we thought that if we name the things for children, the labels will do the rest: children would infer that the two things that have the same name are alike in some way or that they go together," he said.
"We can't assume that anymore. We really need to do more than just label things."
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. The original article was written by Jeff Grabmeier.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Vladimir M. Sloutsky and Wei Deng. Carrot-Eaters and Moving Heads: Salient Features Provide Greater Support for Inductive Inference than Category Labels. Psychological Science, 2012
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/fGyPFiWr1Fg/111227142537.htm
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sears Holdings (SHLD) ? Flawed Strategic ... - Crackerjack Finance
Retailing is tough and you can?t run a retailer without regard for the shopping experience. Eddie Lampert attempted to replicate the magic formula he applied to AutoZone (AZO) with Sears Holdings. The experiment has failed in spectacular fashion. In order to understand what went wrong with Sears it is helpful to see what went right with AutoZone first:
AutoZone (AZO):
Eddie Lampert is the largest shareholder of AutoZone (AZO) and he came up with a vision for improved capital allocation for the company through the past decade. Lambert correctly identified that the company was spending too much cash flow back into capital expenditures. Lampert realized that auto parts retailing was a relatively penetrated business and that growth related capital expenditures should be reduced and scrutinized. AutoZone?s store growth rate was cut, capex was slashed, cost cutting and margins were put into focus, and the ample cash generation was used to purchase shares and reduce the share count. Lampert?s strategy resulted in an improvement in operating margins from 15-16% up to 18% while total sales grew within existing stores.? AutoZone didn?t explicitly focus on maximizing sales because of the strategy to cut costs and generate high margins first. Although sales per square foot didn?t grow meaningfully while the strategy was implemented they did stabilize at $250-$270 per foot.? Recently, based on strong same store sales, AutoZone?s store productivity has improved to the high end of the multiyear range. AutoZone?s share count was reduced from 107m shares in 2002 to 41m shares at present. During this period, EPS swelled from $4 to $19.50. It is easy to see why the share price rose from $60 to $330. The two primary reasons why the strategy was so successful:
1)? During the first 5-years of the strategy, the market was skeptical and AutoZone shares remained cheap. This enabled Lampert to buy back the shares at a low valuation which enabled a greater reduction in the share count relative to a fixed level of free cash flow available for share buyback. This helped swell earnings per share dramatically in later years.
2)? The strategy to scrutinize capex so tightly worked well for an auto parts retailer because you don?t eat in the stores, and women don?t buy apparel there. The stores are mostly for men and it?s ok if there is an oil stain on the concrete floor that stays there for years.
Sears (SHLD):
Sears resides in a much more competitive segment of US retailing. The company must compete with the likes of Wal-Mart, Target, Macy?s, Kohl?s, JC Penney, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, and Amazon. As weaker competition has been crushed over the last 20 years, the remaining competitors are financially strong and dedicated to gaining market share. When others are spending lots of cash flow on both growth and maintenance capex, it becomes more dangerous to not remain within the range of what consumers expect to be normal. With Target, Kohl?s and the home improvement centers either opening new stores or aggressively remodeling the existing fleet, Sears started to stand-out as ?tired?. You could see this in the Sears financials as Lampert reduced Sear?s capex to less than 1% of sales. This is dramatically off market relative to other retailers who routinely spend 2-5% of sales on capex. The strategy has caught up to Sear?s and it?s now too late to turn-around the Sears brand and retail model. The company has lost touch with younger customers and the dilapidated store base is now an operational liability. Adjusted EBITDA has been crushed and is declining at a 50% rate due to deleverage on negative sales. Operating profits which amounted to over $2B at the start of the strategy have now declined to an operating loss. The blaring reasons for the failure are three-fold:
1)? Eddie Lampert commenced the strategy when Sear?s had a very high valuation and stock price so that capital allocated to share buyback a number of years ago was wasteful, and failed to make meaningful enough progress in reducing the share count relative to the rate of the decline in the operations.
2)? Sales never stabilized. Year after year sales trends were negative. The growth by shrinking strategy has always been flawed for cyclical retailers which sell fashion and household items. Perhaps there could have been a course correction in 2006-2007, but now it is much too late.
3)? The bear market in real estate. Perhaps Eddie Lampert wanted leverage to the US real estate market through controlling a cash flow generating retailer that owned the majority of Sears?s locations. If real estate markets could have been extrapolated higher from 2006 perhaps he could have pulled off the asset sale strategy and maintained a decent valuation for the shares.
It is too late for Sears to turnaround. The appropriate valuation is now a discount to book value which reflects the forced liquidation of stores in a weak environment to sell them. There will be all kinds of charges along the way and a valuation of some 30-50% of book value seems reasonable, short of a return to a booming economy. 30-50% of book prices the shares around $20-$30 based on book value estimates. Of course book value will also trend down over time unless the Sears real estate starts to appreciate of the firm can generate profits.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
REPEAT-BMO: Keep a Close Eye on Debt Levels During Holiday Shopping Season
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/26/11 -- With the holidays in full-swing, BMO Bank of Montreal today released tips on how to keep debt levels in check over the holiday season.
Following the comments Monday by Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, BMO offered Canadians tips on how to keep debt levels in check over the holiday season.
"With the holiday shopping season in full swing, consumer spending is likely higher than normal among Canadian households," said Su McVey, Vice President, Customer Communications & Marketing, BMO Bank of Montreal. "Especially at this time of the year, consumers need to be prudent and watchful in regards to their finances and keep in mind the importance of proper debt management, including credit card spending, to avoid any harsh surprises in the New Year."
"Canadian households continued to amass more debt in the third quarter of 2011, now totalling more than $1.6 trillion or 151 per cent of personal disposable income - both record-high levels," said Michael Gregory, Senior Economist, BMO Capital Markets. "Abnormally low interest rates have kept these elevated debt burdens very manageable, for now. But, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney has been warning Canadians to be cautious with their credit demands as 'more normal' interest rates will eventually return."
BMO Bank of Montreal offers these 4 tips to avoid over-spending over the holiday season:
-- Create a budget and stick to it - Spend less than you make. Develop a
budget that establishes how household expenses will be paid and how
spending will be managed. Take advantage of free online tools, such as
BMO MoneyLogic?, to help stay on top of everyday household spending
and saving.
-- Manage credit card debt - Pay down credit cards, beginning with those
that carry the highest rate, and consider using a low rate card for
purchases. For instance, the BMO Preferred Rate MasterCard offers a low
rate of 11.9 per cent for an annual fee of $20 per year.
-- Have a back-up plan - Plan ahead and develop a fall back plan in case
you are unable to meet your financial obligations due to unexpected
circumstances, such as loss of work, or damage to personal property,
including your home or vehicle.
-- Invest to save - Set up a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or high
interest savings account such as the BMO Smart Saver Account to set
aside extra cash in case of an emergency.
BMO experts are available to discuss ways Canadians can deal with debt and manage spending and savings.
For more information, please visit www.bmo.com/smartsteps.
Contacts:
Media Contacts:
Matt Duffin, Toronto
416-867-3996
matthew.duffin@bmo.com
Sarah Bensadoun, Montreal
514-877-8224
sarah.bensadoun@bmo.com
Laurie Grant, Vancouver
604-665-7596
laurie.grant@bmo.com
www.bmo.com
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'Home for the holidays' means adjustments for military family
Elysse Fleece had her Christmas traditions down.
Get the live tree on Black Friday, then decorate the heck out of it.
Hang the Christmas lights.
Play Christmas music nonstop.
Watch holiday movies with son Donnivan.
In Christmas of ?09 and ?10, the routine went as smoothly as a freshly Zambonied ice rink. This year, however, Elysse Fleece discovered a rough spot: her husband, John.
For the first time since 2008, Sgt. 1st Class John Fleece is home for the holidays, and, while they?re happy to be together, they admit it?s been an adjustment. She loves the constant backdrop of Christmas music. He?d doesn?t. She?s gotten used to picking out the tree and hanging the lights, so it was just second nature for her to leave him out of he picture.
?I?d start to pick up my duties; she wanted to push me out of the way,? said John, 32, who returned to the Pikes Peak area in May after spending most of the last two years in Iraq.
It?s a scenario that is likely taking place in military homes throughout the county as U.S. involvement in Iraq comes to an end and the presence in Afghanistan dwindles. According to the Air Force Times, the military divorce rate reached a new high in 2011, with 3.7 percent of marriages breaking up.
It?s understandable, said the Fleeces, who will be married seven years in May. When one spouse is deployed, the other still has to go on with life. Routines are established, traditions created. And in spite of all the technological advances like Skype and Facebook that have made it easier for military couples to stay in touch, it?s not the same as living under the same roof and being in tune with each other?s rhythms.
?It was hard to let him in,? Elysse said Sunday as she and John sat at their Widefield-area home, watching Donnivan and his cousins from Oregon bounce around with the excitement generated by new toys, clothing and a houseful of relatives. ?For me it was, ?this is how we do it.? ?
She was so accustomed to handing the lights, even though she doesn?t like heights, that she almost forgot to include John.
?I hung the lights for the last two years,? she said. ?It was just natural for me to do it. This year, I said, ?oh wait; I have a guy who will climb on the roof to do it.?
Elysse, 26, said the military does a good job cautioning families about the more dramatic problems, like PTSD, but not on the mundane issues that can turn into minefields.
?They don?t tell you how you?re going to get annoyed because he put the coffee cup in the wrong place,? she said. ?It?s the little things you?re going to have issues with. They really don?t stress that you have to adjust to everything.?
The good news for John and Elysse is that they both are open about the stresses of living together again and they?re willing to talk about the challenges.
?There was a lot of tension, and the only way to get through anything is communication,? John said. ?I?m actually a confronter.?
And so, they?re becoming masters in the art of compromise. The Christmas music has been toned down. She?s trying to fit his work schedule into hers.
?There?s a lot of give and take,? Elysse said.
The adjustments have been well worth the effort, the couple said. For the first time since 2008, John was together with his extended family as well as his wife and son. He didn?t have to put up with a choppy Internet connection to see his son decorate the tree or open presents.
?Now I?m seeing it in real life, and I like it,? John said. ?Being able to take part in it ? that?s the best gift.?
Source: http://www.gazette.com/articles/christmas-130750-donnivan-nonstop.html
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
NewEgg: CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 Memory for Apple $26 shipped AR
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.xpbargains.com/index.php/send_deal/192235
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Japan Azumi: Japan-India in final stages of deciding on dollar (Reuters)
TOKYO (Reuters) ? Japan and India are in the final stages of deciding on a dollar swap agreement and expect to reach agreement during Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's visit to India this week, Japan's finance minister said on Tuesday.
An earlier $3 billion arrangement came into force in 2008 but expired in June. The Nikkei business newspaper reported on Sunday that the new one would be set at $10 billion.
Further financial cooperation as well as Japanese support for infrastructure in India will be a key focus at talks between the leaders of the two countries, Finance Minister Jun Azumi told a news conference.
Azumi also said he expects Japan's exports will pick up early next year if the European economy stabilizes and currency levels reflect Japan's economic fundamentals.
(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5665919329
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Monday, December 26, 2011
NBA: Kevin Garnett Won?t Be Suspended, He & Bill Walker Shake Hands
The NBA has decided to not take any disciplinary action against Kevin Garnett for his scuffle with New York?s Billy Walker at the end of the Celtics? 106-104 loss to the Knicks Sunday, which means the C?s will have him available for Tuesday?s game in Miami. ?Read more after the jump.
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Bill Walker had this to say initially after the incident:
?I?m a grown-up. You put your hands on my face, what part of the game is that? You know what the man does , , , would you want me to put my hands on your face and push you away? I?m a man at the end of the day. It?s disrespectful. You should not do that to any man.?
But later said?he bumped into Celtics combatant Kevin Garnett by the team bus to clear the air.
?When I was leaving the arena , I talked to him,? Walker said. ?We?re both competitors; we wanted to win. Emotions run high when you play at that level. We shook hands.??
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Google becomes the Clark Griswold of the internet with 'Jingle Bells' doodle
Having conquered so many aspects of the software world, it's time for Google to take the next logical step in its evolution: becoming that annoying neighbor who always goes a bit overboard each year with the Christmas display. This time out, Google's doodle lets you play five bars of "Jingle Bells" manually, bringing down the lights and finishing up the song with a full-on holiday light show. Check it out, but don't blame us if your computer blows a fuse.
Google becomes the Clark Griswold of the internet with 'Jingle Bells' doodle originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink |
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
Copano Energy, Magellan Midstream form JV to deliver Eagle Ford Shale condensate
EBR Staff Writer
Published 23 December 2011
Published 23 December 2011
Copano Energy in partnership with Magellan Midstream have formed a joint venture (JV) to deliver Eagle Ford Shale condensate to Corpus Christi located in the US state of Texas.
The 50/50 joint venture, under the name Double Eagle Pipeline will construct and own about 140 miles of new pipeline to connect an existing 50-mile pipeline segment owned by Copano to Karnes, Live Oak, McMullen and LaSalle Counties of Texas.
The pipeline enables delivery of condensate to Magellan's terminal in Corpus Christi.
Initial capacity of the pipeline will be 100,000 barrels per day.
In addition, Double Eagle will construct a new truck unloading facility along the pipeline near Three Rivers, Texas for deliveries of condensate specified for Corpus Christi.
The expected cost of the new joint venture facilities is about $150m and will be shared equally by Copano and Magellan.
Copano will oversee construction of the new pipeline and serve as operator.
The companies expect to provide limited services by the end of 2012, with full service available beginning in the first quarter of 2013.
In connection with the joint venture, Copano will convert its existing 50-mile pipeline from natural gas to condensate service, and Magellan will make enhancements to its Corpus Christi terminal.
The terminal includes the construction of 500,000 barrels of new dedicated condensate storage and a new dedicated dock delivery pipeline.
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Iran's navy begins drill in Persian Gulf (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran ? Iran's navy has begun a 10-day drill in international waters beyond the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the passageway for about a third of the world's oil tanker traffic.
The exercise could bring Iranian ships into proximity with U.S. Navy vessels in the area.
Navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari says Iran is holding the war games to show off its prowess and defense capabilities. State TV broadcast his comments on Saturday.
The drill will be Iran's latest show of strength in the face of mounting international criticism over its controversial nuclear program, which the West fears is aimed at producing atomic weapons. Tehran denies those charges, insisting the program is for peaceful purposes only.
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Secret US memo now key evidence in baby thefts (AP)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ? A long-classified memo describing a secret meeting between diplomats in a clubby Washington restaurant has become key evidence in the trial of two former Argentine dictators charged with stealing babies from political prisoners.
The 1982 memo was fully declassified by the U.S. State Department this week at the request of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The human rights group has spent decades gathering evidence against the 1976-1983 military junta.
"Its content is key to proving that, far from treating them as isolated incidents, there existed a defined policy at the highest levels of the armed forces to make sure that the babies were appropriated," the group said in a statement.
At the time, the junta officially denied any knowledge of systematic baby thefts, let alone responsibility for the disappearances of political prisoners. In public, the U.S. government also was circumspect, even as the junta's death squads kidnapped and killed its opponents, eventually eliminating more than 13,000 "subversives."
But the memo by former senior State Department official Elliot Abrams suggests close communication between the governments.
He wrote it after meeting with Argentina's ambassador to the U.S. at the Jockey Club in Washington's Ritz-Carlton hotel. At the time, Abrams oversaw human rights at the State Department, and the junta was eager for certification that its rights record was improving.
"I raised with the Ambassador the question of children," Abrams wrote.
"Children born to prisoners or children taken from their families during the dirty war. While the disappeared were dead, these children were alive and this was in a sense the gravest humanitarian problem. The Ambassador agreed completely and had already made this point to his foreign minister and president," Abrams wrote.
The Abrams memo suggests the junta spurned his appeals to come clean on its rights record by "telling everything it could about the fate of individuals," or by inviting the Catholic Church to reunite the children with their birth families.
"The military is absolutely united and determined to avoid widespread and vengeful punishment for its acts," Abrams noted.
But Abrams also reported that he told the ambassador certification would not be a problem, based on the junta's public record.
Asked about the memo by The Associated Press on Thursday, Abrams said through a spokeswoman that "he will not comment on the substance of this memo or any other questions due to the fact that he may have to testify in the coming future."
The document was found among nearly 5,000 records on Argentina declassified by President Bill Clinton after a Freedom of Information campaign by the nonprofit National Security Archive.
"This is a prime example of the power of declassification to advance the cause of human rights in Argentina," the archive's senior analyst, Peter Kornbluh, said Thursday. "As a humanitarian act of archival diplomacy," he said, President Barack Obama "should release all U.S. military and intelligence records that shed light on these particularly heinous acts of repression."
Until this week, several paragraphs had been censored. The complete file shows they merely describe speculation about Argentine politics, and are irrelevant to the case. But there was no way to know that until the memo was fully declassified.
"The newly released parts don't deal with the grandchildren issue at all. They never should have been redacted in the first place," Kornbluh said. "But having the whole document dispels any suspicions that the U.S. is hiding information relevant to the missing grandchildren cases. So it is important to release it."
The Grandmothers group thanked U.S. Ambassador Vilma Martinez in Buenos Aires for her help.
"We hope that this will be the start of the declassification of all the documents that the United States has, in particular those of agencies like the CIA and FBI, to contribute to clearing up the crimes of humanity that occurred in our country."
Abrams wants it known that he also is "in favor of having relevant U.S. documents declassified" as well, said Rachel Steyer, his research associate at the Council for Foreign Relations in Washington.
___
Follow Michael Warren on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mwarrenap
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Prince Philip hospitalized with chest pains
File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)
File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)
File - President Barack Obama, center, and Britain's Prince Philip, right, walk to view the Guard of Honor of the Scots Guard during an official arrival ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, in this Tuesday, May 24, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster, file)
File - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, right, lead the annual procession of members of the Order of the Garter from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel in Windsor, England in this Monday, June 15, 1998 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec. 23 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Alastair Grant, Pool, File)
File - Members of Britain's Royal family follow the coffin of the Queen Mother en route to her funeral in Westminster Abbey in London in this Tuesday, April 9, 2002, file photo. They are from left: Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec. 23 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Santiago Lyon, Pool File)
LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II's husband was hospitalized Friday evening after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said.
Prince Philip, 90, was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests," a spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said.
She declined to comment further and spoke on customary condition of anonymity. A hospital spokeswoman referred all calls back to the palace.
Papworth Hospital's website says it is the U.K.'s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital and the country's main heart and lung transplant center, offering services such as cardiology, respiratory medicine and cardiothoracic surgery and transplantation.
Philip is known for his good health and rarely misses royal engagements. Upon his 90th birthday in June, he announced plans to cut back his official duties.
He came down with a cold in October and canceled an overnight visit to Italy in order to recover. That illness came shortly after Philip accompanied the queen on a a busy 11-day official royal tour of Australia.
The colorful and often outspoken husband of Elizabeth has been a familiar figure at his wife's side for decades. He has championed numerous charities over the years, but is advising the ones he heads to start planning an orderly transition as he plots the end of his working life.
Philip has been at Sandringham since Monday for the royal family's Christmas festivities, Buckingham Palace said.
The royals will celebrate a traditional Christmas this weekend, followed by a year's worth of festivities to mark the queen's 60th year on the throne.
Elizabeth and Philip are planning to mark the event with a series of tours throughout England to culminate with a celebration in London in early June that will include an unprecedented pageant on the River Thames with up to 1,000 boats taking part.
Most of the senior royals, including Prince William and his wife, now formally known as the Duchess of Cambridge, will be dispatched across the globe to help the aging monarch celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.
___
Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd
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Friday, December 23, 2011
Award-winning Japanese director Morita dead at 61 (AP)
TOKYO ? Director Yoshimitsu Morita, whose films depicted the absurdity and vulnerability of everyday life in conformist Japan, has died. He was 61.
Morita, who won international acclaim over his prolific 30-year career, died Tuesday of acute liver failure at a Tokyo hospital, said Yoko Ota, spokeswoman at Toei Co., the film company behind his latest work.
Morita's movies were distinctly Japanese, depicting the fragile beauty of the nation's human psyche and visual landscape while daringly poking fun at its ridiculous tendency for rigid bureaucracy and ritualistic hierarchy.
Morita made a splash among global film buffs with 1983's "Family Game," starring Yusaku Matsuda of "Black Rain" as an offbeat tutor who forms a heartwarming relationship with a young man in a stereotypical middle-class family.
Its striking cinematography, focusing on rows and rows of identical apartments and people dining solemnly sitting side by side, was an exhilarating parody of Japanese family values.
His works were shown at many international film festivals, including Berlin and Montreal.
They included "Tsubaki Sanjuro," a 2007 remake of the 1962 classic by Akira Kurosawa, as well as works based on novels such as Soseki Natsume's poetic "Sorekara" and Junichi Watanabe's "Shitsurakuen."
"Bokutachi Kyuko A Ressha de Iko," a comedy about train lovers starring Kenichi Matsuyama of Tran Anh Hung's "Norwegian Wood," will be released posthumously next year, Toei said Wednesday.
Funeral arrangements were still undecided. Morita is survived by his wife Misao.
___
Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama
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Move over, Magneto (The Newsroom)
AP Photo/Eric Gay, Pool
If you know anything about Ron Paul's economic views, it's probably that he's not a big fan of the Federal Reserve system, or that he loves the gold standard. But those are hardly the only noteworthy planks in his platform. The Republican congressman from Texas, who now looks to have a real chance of winning the Iowa caucuses in less than two weeks, also wants to abolish five Cabinet departments, drastically lower corporate taxes, and allow younger workers to opt out of the Social Security system.Here are they key components of Paul's economic plan, "Restore America," released in October:
Spending: Paul proposes cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget during his first year in office, and balancing the budget by his third year. He would do this in part by eliminating five cabinet departments: Energy; Housing and Urban Development; Commerce; Interior; and Education. (Paul has not offered specifics on what would happen to some of the functions currently performed by the departments he wants to abolish--maintaining our nuclear weapons, administering our intellectual property system, and conducting the Census, for instance.)
He would also scrap the Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, eliminate corporate subsidies, end foreign aid, and return most other federal spending to 2006 levels.
Paul says he would cut the federal workforce by 10 percent, and accept a presidential salary of $39,336- roughly equal to what the average American makes. The president currently makes $400,000.
Paul, who opposes almost all American military intervention overseas, also says he would save money by ending foreign wars.
Taxes: Paul has said in the past that he'd like to abolish personal income tax rates, but his plan doesn't suggest that. It does propose lowering the corporate tax rate to 15 percent, from 35 percent. And it would extend the Bush tax cuts and eliminate the estate tax. Paul's campaign has said elsewhere that he supports eliminating the capital gains tax, which, as we've written, would be a boon for, among others, private-equity managers on Wall Street.
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Monday, December 19, 2011
PFT: Santana Moss owes IRS $260K
Getty ImagesThe Cowboys held serve Saturday night.
They beat a very bad Bucs team in Tampa, and the Cowboys did it?convincingly?by the score of 31-15, with a victory formation inside the Bucs? five-yard line to cap the night.
The game wasn?t as close as the score indicated. The Cowboys had 28 first downs to only seven for the Bucs, and led 28-0 at halftime before cruising to the win.
The win puts the Cowboys at 8-6, in the thick of a division race and wild card race that will go down to the season?s final Sunday.
Tony Romo?s four first half touchdowns should be the focus, but I can?t help but think the more interesting story was taking place on the opposing sideline.
Bucs coach Raheem Morris came in second place in last year?s Coach of the Year voting. He led one of the most exciting young teams in the league to a 10-6 record. Just one year later, his Bucs are one of the very worst teams in the NFL.
Tampa has lost eight straight games. Only the Colts give up more points, and it was easy to see why on Saturday night.
The Bucs? tackling is uniformly poor. Felix Jones rushed for 108 yards and Sammy Morris came out of semi-retirement to run for 53 more yards against a Bucs defense that is too easy to push around.
Tampa doesn?t get any pressure on the passer, which is why Romo was able to throw for 249 yards on only 30 throws with three touchdowns, with only seven incompletions.
A report surfaced Saturday that the Bucs could choose to keep Morris?after the year,?but take away his duties as defensive coordinator. That may be a tough sell if the Bucs finish the season on a lifeless 10-game losing streak.
The Bucs are a sinking ship. With two road games left, it?s worth wondering if Morris has coached his last game at Raymond James Stadium.
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Sunday, December 18, 2011
What Caravan Insurance? - Stock Market Today
People today want to shield the items they?ve already purchased such as those possessing a caravan. It is normal to manage our issues and insurance policy for your caravan is essential. Insurance cover can give you protection but if your caravan is broken accidentally or maybe due to a shoot, bad conditions and thievery.
Caravan insurance policies would include cover for normal damage induced to your caravan by any of the situations above.
Removable possessions as part of your caravan whilst you tend to be away from home are likewise covered by this insurance cover to the pre expressed level ordinarily about ?300.
Your possessions section in the insurance policy is to include items that stay in the caravan such as furniture, cutlery, curtains and so on. It is not smart to leave cards and money, necklaces or other belongings in your caravan, these products are covered by ones all risks section of your household contents insurance policy.
When leaving behind your caravan it is crucial that you always fasten the entrances failure to take action will result in the actual insurer not paying your claim due to not enough care if you have a theft. Leaving pieces of awnings or maybe toilet tents that are lost may not be covered.
It is advisable to start using a wheel clamp and a hinderance lock if stopping instantaneously. If your caravan is actually stolen which items have not been used you may then find that ones insurer is not going to pay ones claim.
Look for the security measures at any camp sites it?s possible you?ll visit. In your policy you?ll find that insurance organisations require selected levels of to protect example they will insist on merely registered HPA or maybe British Holiday getaway Home Park systems meet the basic safety needed. Your insurers may also specify of which only web pages that are covered by hedging or kennel area meet the described criteria.
Problems for awnings is often included for a small fee but the insurance policy may well identify the age of the actual awning end up being less than 7 years old.
It is an introduction to the value of having caravan insurance and is not intended to be the full cover offered by insurance companies. Whilst still regarded as being an insurance niche there are still 1000s of insurers in the market all giving different insurance policies and blueprints. There are many insurance organisations with various contents while in the policies available so it is crucial therefore to examine which the most suitable policy is perfect for you.
Continuous-duty motor Caravan Insurance Quotes
It doesn?t matter what form of vehicle you have. There are insurance providers that can provide you with the plan which you are required. You may have some sort of motorhome, some sort of camper van, an RV or simply a motor caravan but the accommodations regarding motor caravan insurance are all the same.
You can check these privately and realize that you are getting first-class insurance coverage which essentially maximizes your hard earned cash. So if you actually value your hard earned cash, then the powerplant caravan insurance is the choice for you.
You have to know of which insurance policies vary from one service provider to another. That is why it?s realistic that you have a excellent look at the positive aspects that are offered by way of the insurance providers that you?re planning to subscribe to before you completely decide on a policy for your powerplant caravan, RV, campervan, or maybe motorhome.
There are plans which provides their customers the actual renewal premium. If that is so with your insurance policy, you can go abroad at as many times as you desire ? so long as you take the vacation that is not over 180 days.
You also have to await for the insurance policy to take consequence before you can do any of these. That?s the reason it is extremely essential that you know the benefits associated with your approach. Remember that the project may not have some of the features you need but they provide the features which you are required.
There are insurance providers that cover the actual possessions you have in your motor home. They can pay money for the loss of ones portable apparatus such as ones TVs, stereos, DVDs plus CD players, as long as the amount is affordable.
If you reduce the premium by completing certain requirements of the insurance cover that you have, you manage to have the No Boasts Discount very.
If you?ll find special extremely low rates, you have to make the most out of this plus insure yet another vehicle together with your insurance provider.
Realize that if you have a crash that?s not ones fault, ones insurance will handle these for you.
You an just use a temporary car hire which insurance companies will be consequently willingly to deliver you just but if your motor caravan has been repaired. That is subject to availableness the very tiny that you join with your service provider.
If ever you conduct encounter a a legal expenditure, compare caravan insurance is also insured by your powerplant caravan insurance.
Just deliver the insurance firm while using the details that they must accommodate you in helping pay the bills.
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Source: http://www.thestockexchangereport.com/2011/12/18/what-caravan-insurance/
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Ask and Answer Questions About Gift Giving Outside of Your Immediate Family [Help Yourself]
With the holiday season upon us, many of you are shopping furiously for gifts. However, with the economy the way it is, getting a gift for everyone you would like to may not be possible. We've discussed the idea of killing off participating in gift exchanges. We've also given an argument against giving your boss a holiday gift. But where do you draw the line? Do you give gifts to members of your immediate family, co-workers, etc.? Ask and answer questions about gift giving outside of your immediate family in the comments.
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Saturday, December 17, 2011
Hezbollah prisoner held by Iraq faces minor charge (AP)
BAGHDAD ? Iraqi officials say a Lebanese Hezbollah commander allegedly responsible for killing four U.S. soldiers will be prosecuted for illegal entry with a forged passport.
Ali Musa Daqduq was the last American prisoner in Iraq and was handed over to Iraqi authorities on Friday.
On Saturday, two Iraqi officials said Daqduq will be prosecuted for illegal entry with a forged passport ? the only Iraqi charge against him. But the officials say an investigative judge will consider U.S. allegations against him. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Daqduq has been linked to a brazen raid in which four American soldiers were abducted and killed in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala in 2007.
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Automatic Updates Coming To Internet Explorer (NewsFactor)
Microsoft intends to begin delivering automatic updates of its Internet Explorer browser beginning next year to ensure that as many machines as possible running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 are protected from the latest malware schemes of cyber criminals.
"Automatic updates are a very good idea based on every piece of security research I've seen," said White Hat Security CTO Jeremiah Grossman. "Keeping software up to date -- particularly Web browsers -- is critical for online security."
The new service will be available initially to those Windows customers who have activated the automatic update feature in Windows. The plan is to introduce automatic IE upgrades gradually -- with the first Windows users to see the new offering located overseas and then scaling up delivery over time.
"This is an important step in helping to move the Web forward," noted Ryan Gavin, the general manager of Internet Explorer business and marketing at Microsoft.
"We will start in January for customers in Australia and Brazil who have turned on automatic updating via Windows Update," he wrote in a blog Thursday.
Increased Protection
According to Microsoft's latest security intelligence report, the biggest online threat that Windows users face comes from socially engineered malware targeting outdated Web browsers and other aging software. Making the move to the most current products and services helps PC users increase their protection against the most prevalent online threats, the software giant said.
One of the popular features of Google's Chrome Web browser has long been its seamless, out-of-sight upgrades under the hood. Earlier this year, Mozilla likewise indicated that it would emulate Google's browser upgrade strategy by early 2012 and now Microsoft intends to follow suit.
On desktop PCs, notebooks and netbooks, IE currently holds a 52.6 percent share of the global browser market -- down from 58.8 percent in December of 2010, according to Net Applications. By adding automatic updates, however, Microsoft stands a better chance of hanging on to the IE users it already had locked in.
"I do think it will affect the rates at which people change browsers -- mainly because I think people consider switching when they are going through an upgrade cycle," said Net Applications Executive Vice President Vincent Vizzaccaro. "If the upgrade cycle happens in the background, that will take away that reminder to consider switching browsers."
An Enterprise Opt-Out
Large corporations, educational institutions and other organizations which need time to evaluate and fully integrate the latest browser upgrades will have the ability to opt out of the automatic upgrade program and develop customized browser upgrade schedules that best fit their respective business requirements.
"The Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9 Automatic Update Blocker toolkits prevent automatic upgrades of IE for Windows customers who do not want them," Gavin wrote.
Individual consumers with automatic updating via Windows Update switched on will retain the same personal home page, search provider and default browser settings after receiving each new browser upgrade. Additionally, consumers who have previously declined invitations to install IE8 or IE9 on their PCs will not be forced to do so.
"Future versions of IE [also] will provide an option in the product for consumers to opt out of automatic upgrading," Gavin said.
Individual IE users also will be able to uninstall any IE browser update and continue receiving support for the specific version of IE that they prefer to run on their machines. Still, Gavin noted that "the Web overall is better -- and safer -- when more people run the most up-to-date browser."
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20111216/tc_nf/81421
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State Medicaid spending soars (Reuters)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Spending by U.S. states on Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor, soared last year and will likely continue growing despite measures to contain costs, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Total Medicaid spending, excluding administrative costs, likely reached $398.6 billion in fiscal 2011, which ended in June for most states. That was up 10.1 percent from the year before, when spending rose 6 percent, the National Association of State Budget Officers reported.
Medicaid was nearly one-quarter of all state expenditures in fiscal 2011, compared to elementary and secondary education, which accounted for 20 percent of all spending.
Based only on state general fund spending, which is backed by tax revenue, education represented 35 percent and Medicaid 17.4 percent.
States administer Medicaid with partial reimbursements from the federal government.
"The downturn in the economy has resulted in significant increases in Medicaid enrollment," the group said. "Enrollment growth averaged 5.5 percent in fiscal 2011 with states projecting Medicaid enrollment to grow by an additional 4.1 percent in fiscal 2012."
In 14 states, Medicaid represented more than 25 percent of total expenditures, and in 12 states Medicaid spending grew more than 10.1 percent. It spiked 40.8 percent in California, 22.7 percent in Hawaii, and 22.9 percent in Idaho. It dropped in Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina and New Mexico, mostly on a decline in federal funds.
Overall, collective state spending totaled $1.69 trillion in fiscal 2011 and $1.62 trillion in fiscal 2010. Expenditures, though, are still lower than before the housing downturn, the financial crisis and the recession hobbled state revenue.
Fiscal conditions will likely continue deteriorating through 2060 because of rising healthcare costs, the Government Accountability Office, the federal auditing agency, has warned. Medicaid spending will continue growing and because all states except Vermont must balance their budgets they will cut funds from other areas to put toward the program, it said.
Outside of increased demand, Medicaid spending also rose in fiscal 2011 because of the national healthcare reform law, which is on course to make more people eligible for the aid. The stimulus plan that expired in December gave states additional federal Medicaid funds to spend.
Still, "nearly every state implemented at least one new Medicaid policy to address costs in fiscal 2011," the report found.
"As in previous years, provider rate restrictions were the most commonly reported cost containment strategy," it said, meaning states likely paid doctors less. "States continued to eliminate, restrict or reduce Medicaid benefits such as dental, therapies, medical supplies, durable medical equipment and personal care services."
The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010 to extend healthcare to all Americans, will expand Medicaid's reach beginning January 1, 2014. It also relies on states to create exchanges to sell health insurance to individuals.
"Some of the most significant challenges include upgrading current Medicaid eligibility systems, accommodating the significant number of new enrollees under Medicaid, setting up health insurance exchanges, and dealing with the lack of administrative resources and staff at the state level," the report found.
The budget officers said states will likely have "austere budgets for at least the next several years and will continue to make difficult spending decisions" from insufficient revenues, the loss of stimulus money, long-term liabilities such as pensions and "uncertainties regarding national economic growth, healthcare reform, future federal funding levels."
(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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