Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/02/27/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-2-trailer/
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Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/02/27/cloudy-with-a-chance-of-meatballs-2-trailer/
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The cause that there are constantly some new consoles out is simply that technologies has gotten so far sophisticated and video games?
Youve probably heard it all ahead of there is a new video game console out and individuals are lining up all evening lengthy to acquire it. Why are they so well-known, and why are they consequently so high-priced? Isnt it a reality that they are all the identical and that you shouldnt have to devote a lot more cash to upgrade when youve currently spent a lot of income on what you have?
The explanation that there are always some new consoles out is basically that technology has gotten so far sophisticated and video games are trying to maintain up. Every single of the major brands basically keeps releasing new systems since they find new technologies to use. The graphics on the Nintendo GameCut compared to the DS compared to the Wii just hold obtaining much better and much better. When you are searching at factors like the Playstation 2 compared to the Playstation 3, you are seeing vast variations. You are also seeing the very same when you look at the Xbox and the Xbox 360. You are always going to get newer games, even if they are games for your Pc or other video games. There are often going to be advances, so there will always be upgrades, like the PS2 to the PS3 and the PSP and GBA, as properly as factors like Wii and Nanchuck.
A single of the ideal items that you can do is to money in on the technologies. Getting video games and video game consoles may well appear like some thing youd rather not do, but getting a hold of this technology and becoming capable to use it can be a fantastic way to pass the time. There are a lot of new things that are coming out all the time, such as new video games and new video game accessories. The Wii remote and the xbox core, and nicely as systems that have wireless controllers and other video game bundle systems all strive to take advantage of the newest technologies. There is so a lot that you can find when it comes to new video game systems, it is practically not possible for you to pass it up.
A single of the greatest issues that you can do is to have several distinct video game consoles. They are not all the very same, far from it, and youll discover that as you get each new one particular you have various factors that you can do and distinct things that you like and dont like about every single. It is a fantastic experience, to have a lot more than one particular variety of video gaming software and systems, since you by no means know what you are going to get, and you may well surprise oneself by truly acquiring very good at a single system or the other. The truth that they hold coming out with new ones is excellent as well due to the fact the rates eventually drop on the older systems and you can gather them if you would like to. homepage
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Help assess the health and abundance of the mid-Atlantic scallop fishery
Tweet data about snow depths in your area
Help researchers study how seasonal differences in the ice cover of lakes, rivers and other areas impact ecosystems
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(Reuters) - Wireless service provider Clearwire Corp said on Wednesday it would draw on $80 million in financing from Sprint Nextel Corp, which is seeking to buy it, but vowed to continue talks with rival bidder Dish Network Corp.
Shares of Clearwire fell 3 cents to $3.17 after the decision, which could end Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen's effort to buy Clearwire. But the stock was still above Sprint's offer of $2.97 per share, showing that investors still held out hope for a higher valuation.
Analysts said Clearwire was likely trying to force Dish to firm up its proposal. Its decision appeared to contradict a previous assertion that it could not take financing from Sprint as long as it was considering a $3.30-per-share offer from Dish due to conditions set by the satellite TV provider.
Dish declined to comment, while Sprint said it was pleased with Clearwire's decision.
Sprint, already the majority owner of Clearwire, struck a deal in December to buy out the rest of the company. But many Clearwire shareholders said they were unhappy with the Sprint offer, which would need approval from the majority of Clearwire's minority investors.
While some analysts have questioned the seriousness of Dish's bid, BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk said it would not be a stretch to think that Ergen would modify his proposal to take away the condition after two months of talks with Clearwire.
"We suspect that Ergen is not done with the Clearwire process quite yet," Piecyk said.
Chris Gleason, a managing partner at Clearwire shareholder Taran Asset Management, said that Dish's reaction to Clearwire's decision will show whether Ergen really wants to do a deal.
"This pushes Charlie along," said Gleason.
Another analyst, Jennifer Fritzsche of Wells Fargo, said Dish could "pursue litigation," given that its bid of $3.30 per share is higher than Sprint's offer.
Even if Clearwire ultimately rejects Dish, it is not certain that investors will approve the Sprint bid, Piecyk said.
Investors holding 29 percent of Clearwire's minority shares had told Reuters in January that they were not happy with Sprint's bid. Clearwire has yet to set the date for a shareholder meeting to vote on the deal.
UNCERTAIN OUTCOME
As part of their December agreement, Sprint offered Clearwire $800 million in financing that it could draw on in installments of $80 million over 10 months.
The financing is in the form of debt that will be convertible to Clearwire shares in the event that its shareholders vote against Sprint's offer. So every installment that Clearwire accepts would further weaken its minority shareholders' clout in the future.
If Sprint were to convert the $80 million March note into equity, this would dilute the ownership of today's investors by 3.5 percent, according to Piecyk.
Clearwire already declined the $160 million of the Sprint financing in January and February, saying that it had to do so in order to review the Dish offer.
Clearwire said it has not made any decisions about whether it would accept future installments of the Sprint money.
It did not explain on Wednesday how it could continue talks with Dish despite its apparent flouting of the condition.
Clearwire said a special committee on its board "will pursue the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of Clearwire's non-Sprint Class A stockholders."
Clearwire also said it had changed its agreement with Sprint to remove a condition that requires it to speed up a wireless network upgrade it is planning in order to draw on the final three months of the financing.
The companies had set a February 28 deadline to reach an agreement about the upgrade plan, but Clearwire said on Wednesday that it does not expect to enter into an accelerated build-out agreement with Sprint at this time.
Along with its Clearwire offer, Sprint is seeking U.S. regulatory approval for an agreement to sell 70 percent of its own shares to Japan's Softbank Corp.
Dish shares fell 0.76 percent to $34.87 at mid-afternoon, while Sprint was up 1 percent at $5.84.
(Additional reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore, Jennifer Saba and Liana Baker in New York; Editing by Supriya Kurane, Jeffrey Benkoe, Lisa Von Ahn and Richard Chang)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clearwire-80-million-financing-sprint-132508742--sector.html
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Paul Marks, chief technology correspondent
(Image: Leap Motion)
The Next Big Thing now has the next big app store. The Leap, the forthcoming 3D gestural control device that could by all accounts replace the mouse, the joystick and even the keyboard, will launch on 13 May alongside a fully stocked app store called Airspace.
The $80 gadget's maker, Leap Motion of San Francisco, numbers at least two senior Apple executives among its staff - Steve Jobs's former mobile ad expert Andy Miller and interactive marketeer Michael Zagorsek - so it is perhaps little surprise that the app store model has been harnessed by the ambitious start-up.
Yesterday, Leap announced that the apps on offer will range from serious high-fidelity gesture-based 3D design tools from AutoCAD author Autodesk, via a weather channel app offering Minority Report-style map movements, to drawing packages and games galore - from speedway racing to a hand-wavy version of mobile hit Cut The Rope.
Quite how the Leap manages its extraordinary resolution - it can track a 10-micrometre movement of your fingers at rates of up to 290 times per second - is still wrapped up in patents and a heavy dose of the company's own secret sauce. But with Leap - and Microsoft's lower-resolution Kinect system before it - having demonstrated the potential in this (volumetric) space, other firms not known for 3D work are now waking up to the possibilities.
For instance, the invention-licensing firm Intellectual Ventures of Bellevue, Washington, has recently filed US patents on processing 3D gestures and a TV with built-in gesture control. Let's? hope the 3D gesture-control space does not end up a minefield of patent litigation like the smartphone arena.
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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Max Levchin, co-founder of online payment giant PayPal, launched a rival business on Tuesday called Affirm that will compete in the crowded but fast-growing mobile payments business.
Affirm's technology helps shoppers complete online purchases more quickly and easily when they are using smart phones and other mobile devices, according to the firm's website.
PayPal, owned by eBay Inc, is the leader in online payments, however, the company is being challenged by a host of start-ups, including Square Inc, that focus on new opportunities and problems created by the boom in mobile commerce.
Affirm is focusing on streamlining the mobile checkout process online, which can involve typing in lots of information, such as an address and card numbers, using a small type pad.
Affirm said it has whittled the online buying process down to two taps on a smart phone screen - one to tap the Affirm button on participating merchant websites and a second to confirm the order.
Affirm is using Facebook Inc to confirm users' identities, so for first-time users the process includes a third step which involves logging into their Facebook accounts and accepting the Affirm application.
Levchin co-founded PayPal with Peter Thiel and was its Chief Technology Officer for four years, before it was acquired by eBay. He designed and built PayPal's pioneering online security and fraud-prevention systems.
While PayPal led the way on security, its service has been criticized as not very user-friendly. That has left room for new rivals to develop more consumer-focused payment services.
"This is a very big market therefore it's extremely attractive for a lot of players," Bob Swan, chief financial officer of eBay, said during a presentation to investors on Tuesday.
As more consumers shop using mobile devices, it is very important for PayPal to have a fast mobile checkout service that is "brain-dead simple," Swan added.
Affirm said it gives users 30 days to pay for their purchases, comparing the service to a charge card. It makes money by charging participating merchants a small fee.
However, if users do not pay their balance, Affirm can charge "reasonable" fees on delinquent accounts, according to the company's terms of service.
Affirm users can pay off their balances using credit cards, bank transfers or physical checks. PayPal was not included as a method of payment in its terms of service.
(Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paypal-co-founder-levchin-launches-mobile-payment-start-005948476--sector.html
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/AX7xXar9SXQ/
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Federal health regulators have halted Amgen's studies of its drug Sensipar after the death of a 14-year-old patient in a company trial.
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it is still gathering information about the death, but has shut down all studies of the drug in children.
Sensipar is approved in adults to treat over-activity of the parathyroid gland, which can lead to brittle bones, kidney stones and abdominal pain. It has been used since 2004 to treat symptoms of chronic kidney disease and parathyroid cancer.
Amgen Inc. had been studying the drug to see whether it works in children.
The Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based company said in a statement that it "is working as rapidly as possible to understand the circumstances of what happened."
The FDA said on its website that it is unclear whether Amgen's drug had a role in the patient's death, but it is reminding doctors to prescribe it carefully.
The drug is known to lower calcium levels, sometimes to a dangerous extent.
The agency says doctors should monitor patients' calcium levels monthly to make sure they don't fall to dangerous levels. Signs of a calcium deficiency include muscle cramping, convulsions and burning or prickling sensations.
The most common side effects of the drug in adults include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Amgen reported annual sales of $800 million for Sensipar in 2011, its most recent full-year financial report.
Company shares fell 7 cents to $89.48 in afternoon trading Tuesday.
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There are many different locks (see locksmith Basildon) to choose from. Of all the locks, you are most likely to have heard about is the Mortice Lock. The Mortice lock is the most popular lock in the United Kingdom and all through Europe. So, what is a Mortice lock? A Mortice lock is fitted into a hole within the door. The word Mortice is utilised in reference to the hole in which the lock is fitted.
Also known as a Chubb lock, due to being the brand leader of Mortice locks, Mortice locks are most commonly utilised in wooden doors. There are two main kinds of lock, the Lever Mortice lock and the Cylinder Mortice lock. Read on to discover the difference between the two:
Lever Mortice Lock
This is the more common variety of Mortice lock and is frequently fitted within domestic properties throughout the UK. When a key is inserted into the lock and turned it lifts the levers to the right height and enables the bolt to be locked and locked.
Dependant on the application of the lock and the thickness of the door itself, the amount of levers will vary. The more levers that are stacked within the case of the lock, the thicker and safer the lock will be. The more levers utilised means a reduced likelyhood of fitting a standard key in the lock, which is great in terms of security.
If you would like to buy a Mortice lock (see Brentwood Locksmiths), A two lever lock is better utilised on interior doors and is certainly not recommended for use due on external doors due to security reasons.
If you are unsure of whether you have a British standard lock fitted, check your lock for the British Standard kite mark, which is likely to be stamped on the faceplate of the lock (see Essex Locksmiths).
The Cylinder Mortice Lock
These locks vary from the Lever Mortice locks, as a cylinder is used to move the bolt as opposed to inserting a key into the lock. This style of lock is more commonly utilised within commercial premises, but in recent years has become more widely utilised within households too. Cylinder Mortice locks are usually fitted with a Euro profile or an oval profile cylinder and can be operated on both sides of the door (both internally and externally).
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Contact: Alyse Bernal
alyse.bernal@seattlechildrens.org
206-987-5213
JAMA and Archives Journals
An analysis of breast cancer trends in the U.S. finds a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of advanced breast cancer for women 25 to 39 years of age, without a corresponding increase in older women, according to a study appearing in the February 27 issue of JAMA.
"In the United States, breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in adolescent and young adult women 15 to 39 years of age, accounting for 14 percent of all cancer in men and women in the age group. The individual average risk of a woman developing breast cancer in the United States was 1 in 173 by the age of 40 years when assessed in 2008. Young women with breast cancer tend to experience more aggressive disease than older women and have lower survival rates. Given the effect of the disease in young people and a clinical impression that more young women are being diagnosed with advanced disease, we reviewed the national trends in breast cancer incidence in the United States," the authors write.
Rebecca H. Johnson, M.D., of Seattle Children's Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues conducted a study in which breast cancer incidence, incidence trends, and survival rates as a function of age and extent of disease at diagnosis were obtained from 3 U.S. National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. These registries provide data spanning 1973-2009, 1992-2009, and 2000-2009. SEER defines localized as disease confined to the breast, regional to contiguous and adjacent organ spread (e.g., lymph nodes, chest wall), and distant disease to remote metastases (bone, brain, lung, etc).
Since 1976, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of distant disease breast cancer in 25- to 39-year-old women, from 1.53 per 100,000 in 1976 to 2.90 per 100,000 in 2009. The researchers note that this is an absolute difference of 1.37 per 100,000, representing an average compounded increase of 2.07 percent per year over the 34-year interval, a relatively small increase, "but the trend shows no evidence for abatement and may indicate increasing epidemiologic and clinical significance."
"The trajectory of the incidence trend predicts that an increasing number of young women in the United States will present with metastatic breast cancer in an age group that already has the worst prognosis, no recommended routine screening practice, the least health insurance, and the most potential years of life," the authors write.
The researchers also found that the rate of increasing incidence of distant disease was inversely proportional to age at diagnosis. The greatest increase occurred in 25- to 34-year-old women. Progressively smaller increases occurred in older women by 5-year age intervals and no statistically significant incidence increase occurred in any group 55 years or older.
"For young women aged 25 to 39 years, the incidence of distant disease increased in all races/ethnicities assessed since at least 1992, when race/ethnicity became available in the SEER database," the authors write. These increases occurred in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and were statistically significant in African American and non-Hispanic white populations.
Incidence for women with estrogen receptor-positive subtypes increased more than for women with estrogen receptor-negative subtypes.
"Whatever the causesand likely there are more than 1the evidence we observed for the increasing incidence of advanced breast cancer in young women will require corroboration and may be best confirmed by data from other countries. If verified, the increase is particularly concerning, because young age itself is an independent adverse prognostic factor for breast cancer, and the lowest 5-year breast cancer survival rates as a function of age have been reported for 20- to 34-year-old women. The most recent national 5-year survival for distant disease for 25- to 39-year-old women is only 31 percent according to SEER data, compared with a 5-year survival rate of 87 percent for women with locoregional breast cancer," the authors write.
###
(JAMA. 2013;309(8):800-805; Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
?
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.
Contact: Alyse Bernal
alyse.bernal@seattlechildrens.org
206-987-5213
JAMA and Archives Journals
An analysis of breast cancer trends in the U.S. finds a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of advanced breast cancer for women 25 to 39 years of age, without a corresponding increase in older women, according to a study appearing in the February 27 issue of JAMA.
"In the United States, breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in adolescent and young adult women 15 to 39 years of age, accounting for 14 percent of all cancer in men and women in the age group. The individual average risk of a woman developing breast cancer in the United States was 1 in 173 by the age of 40 years when assessed in 2008. Young women with breast cancer tend to experience more aggressive disease than older women and have lower survival rates. Given the effect of the disease in young people and a clinical impression that more young women are being diagnosed with advanced disease, we reviewed the national trends in breast cancer incidence in the United States," the authors write.
Rebecca H. Johnson, M.D., of Seattle Children's Hospital and University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues conducted a study in which breast cancer incidence, incidence trends, and survival rates as a function of age and extent of disease at diagnosis were obtained from 3 U.S. National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. These registries provide data spanning 1973-2009, 1992-2009, and 2000-2009. SEER defines localized as disease confined to the breast, regional to contiguous and adjacent organ spread (e.g., lymph nodes, chest wall), and distant disease to remote metastases (bone, brain, lung, etc).
Since 1976, there has been a steady increase in the incidence of distant disease breast cancer in 25- to 39-year-old women, from 1.53 per 100,000 in 1976 to 2.90 per 100,000 in 2009. The researchers note that this is an absolute difference of 1.37 per 100,000, representing an average compounded increase of 2.07 percent per year over the 34-year interval, a relatively small increase, "but the trend shows no evidence for abatement and may indicate increasing epidemiologic and clinical significance."
"The trajectory of the incidence trend predicts that an increasing number of young women in the United States will present with metastatic breast cancer in an age group that already has the worst prognosis, no recommended routine screening practice, the least health insurance, and the most potential years of life," the authors write.
The researchers also found that the rate of increasing incidence of distant disease was inversely proportional to age at diagnosis. The greatest increase occurred in 25- to 34-year-old women. Progressively smaller increases occurred in older women by 5-year age intervals and no statistically significant incidence increase occurred in any group 55 years or older.
"For young women aged 25 to 39 years, the incidence of distant disease increased in all races/ethnicities assessed since at least 1992, when race/ethnicity became available in the SEER database," the authors write. These increases occurred in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and were statistically significant in African American and non-Hispanic white populations.
Incidence for women with estrogen receptor-positive subtypes increased more than for women with estrogen receptor-negative subtypes.
"Whatever the causesand likely there are more than 1the evidence we observed for the increasing incidence of advanced breast cancer in young women will require corroboration and may be best confirmed by data from other countries. If verified, the increase is particularly concerning, because young age itself is an independent adverse prognostic factor for breast cancer, and the lowest 5-year breast cancer survival rates as a function of age have been reported for 20- to 34-year-old women. The most recent national 5-year survival for distant disease for 25- to 39-year-old women is only 31 percent according to SEER data, compared with a 5-year survival rate of 87 percent for women with locoregional breast cancer," the authors write.
###
(JAMA. 2013;309(8):800-805; Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com)
Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
?
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/2013-02/jaaj-sfs022113.php
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Dear mothers, do you ever get caught up in your "to-do" list and endless responsibilities? Do you get upset with the children slow you down or children get in the way? Do you want to have a clean house at any cost?
Here is a wonderful reminder of seeing the importance treating our children with love and not letting the precious moments of childhood slip by us for the temporal:
Only One Childhood
I stopped to watch my little girl
Busy playing in her room.?
In one hand was a plastic phone
In the other a toy broom.
I listened as she was speaking
To her make-believe little friend
And I'll never forget the words she said
?Even though it was pretend.
She said, "Suzies in the corner
'Cause she's not been very good.?
She didn't listen to a word I said
Or do the things she should."
In the corner I saw her baby doll
All dressed in lace and pink
It was obvious she'd been put there
To sit alone and think.
My daughter continued her "conversation."
As I sat down on the floor
She said, "I'm all fed up, I just don't know
What to do with her anymore.
"She whines whenever I have to work
And want to play games, too;
And never lets me do the things
That I just have to do.
She tries to help me with the dishes
But her arms just cannot reach.?
And she doesn't know how to fold the towels
And I don't have time to teach.
"I have alot of work to do
And a big house to keep clean.
I don't have time to sit and play---
Don't you know what I mean?"
And that day I though a lot about
Making some changes in my life.
As I listened ot her innocent words
That cut me like a knife.
I hadn't been paying enough attention
To what I hold most dear
I'd been caught up in responsibilities
That increased throughout the year.
But now my attitude has changed.
Because in my heart, I realize
I've seen the world in a different light.
Through my little darling's eyes.
So, let the cobweb have the corners
And the dust bunnies rule the floor.
I'm not going to worry about
Trying so hard to keep up with them anymore.
I'm going to fill the house with memories
Of a child and her mother
For God grants us only ONE childhood
And we will never get another.?
by L. Ellis
?Are you encouraged here?
Source: http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/2013/02/motherhood-patience-only-one-childhood.html
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ZURICH (Reuters) - Associated British Foods scored lowest among 10 of the top food and beverage companies assessed for their social and environmental impact on poor countries, development group Oxfam said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Nestle and Unilever ranked highest for their policies on seven areas assessed by Oxfam as critical to sustainable agriculture: women, small-scale farmers, farm workers, water, land, climate change and transparency.
Oxfam said in the report that Nestle and Unilever had done more to tackle social and environmental risks within their supply chains than companies it ranked less favorably including AB Foods and Kellogg Co.
Big food and beverage companies have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over their sourcing of raw materials, courting criticism on issues ranging from child labor on cocoa farms to the impact of palm oil plantations on rain forests.
Oxfam said it had launched the "Behind the Brands" campaign to try to assess "ubiquitous" declarations of sustainability made by food and beverage companies as well as a proliferation of corporate social responsibility programs.
"There are enormous gaps in terms of basic transparency which makes it very difficult to hold these companies to account," Raymond Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America, told a phone conference for journalists.
"The goal is not to criticize these companies for poor performance but encourage a 'race to the top'."
Oxfam ranked Nestle first, Unilever second, Coca-Cola third, PepsiCo fourth, Mars fifth, Danone and Mondelez International joint sixth, Kellogg Co and General Mills join eighth, and AB Foods in 10th place. (www.oxfam.org/behindthebrands)
AB Foods, whose brands include Twinings tea, Ryvita crackers and Ovaltine cocoa drink, rejected its ranking.
"We treat local producers, communities and the environment with the utmost respect," an AB Foods spokesman said.
"The company has worked hard for many years, over a wide geography, at all levels of the supply chain to ensure its suppliers meet the highest ethical standards."
Jane Nelson, director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School, said the 10 companies Oxfam had studied had already made major progress in improving their impact on poor farmers.
"These 10 are among the most respected and best managed companies in the world," she told the Oxfam call. "They are well ahead of other companies in the agricultural system."
Among positive developments, Oxfam highlighted the fact that all of the companies, bar Coca-Cola, have signed up to more sustainable policies on palm oil. It also praised Unilever's target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
(Editing by David Cowell)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oxfam-slates-ab-foods-development-impact-praises-nestle-172409097--sector.html
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NEW YORK (AP) ? The latest signs of a rebound in housing are sending stocks sharply higher on Wall Street.
The Dow Jones industrial average jumped nearly 116 points to end at 13,900 Tuesday, led by a 6 percent surge in Home Depot. The country's biggest home improvement store chain reported a big increase in earnings.
In another sign that the housing market was gaining steam, the government reported that sales of new homes jumped 16 percent last month to the highest level since July 2008.
That sent the stocks of homebuilders higher. Hovnanian jumped 11 percent.
The Standard & Poor's 500 rose nine points to 1,496. The Nasdaq rose 13 to 3,129.
Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was average at 3.8 billion shares.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latest-signs-housing-rebound-send-stocks-higher-211711649--finance.html
One house, one family and one community at a time. That?s how Jesuit Brother Mike Wilmot approaches his goal to help alleviate poverty and stabilize neighborhoods in North Omaha, Neb., through his Gesu Housing, Inc. ministry.
Gesu Housing?s mission is to build and sell high-quality, affordable, energy-efficient homes to people who are hard-working and have a good credit rating, but who live below the area?s?80 percent median family income and are therefore considered low-income by the?Department of Housing and Urban Development. ?In the process, we believe we are also re-building a community in North Omaha,? Br. Wilmot says.
The origins of Gesu Housing can be traced to 1994, when Br. Wilmot returned from serving Sudanese refugees in Northern Uganda to help build Omaha?s Jesuit Middle School. There, he worked with Phil McKeon, a former student of his at Creighton Prep in Omaha, and the school?s concrete contractor. Recognizing the energy efficiency benefits that poured concrete walls could provide and feeling a calling to help the area?s working poor realize the dream of home ownership, Br. Wilmot began building concrete houses with McKeon, and Gesu Housing was born in 2002.
Since then, Gesu Housing has turned to building wood frame houses because they are less expensive, but its goal of building energy-efficient homes remains.
Br. Wilmot chose to start building in his own neighborhood, Clifton Hills, where he and several Jesuits have their residence. This sets Gesu Housing apart from other low-income homebuilders because it?s part of the community. The community has a significant need, with ?plenty of vacant lots, a lack of home ownership and noticeable urban decay,? Br. Wilmot says.
The neighborhood also qualifies as a ?low-to moderate-income? area, per government guidelines. After qualifying for federal grants through the Omaha Planning Department, hopeful families are then able to take out a mortgage. The goal is to have these families own a higher-quality, more attractive house than much of the lower-income housing that is available ? for a monthly payment of approximately $600. Because the federal grant and homeowner loan do not cover the cost of each house, Gesu depends on fundraising for the rest.
Br. Wilmot says that with proper funding, the goal is to build six houses each year. ?We will fight to continue this improvement one neighborhood at a time.?
Each home closing is a reminder of why Br. Wilmot does this work. ?It?s incredibly rewarding to give the keys for a new house to a family or individual who has worked hard to reach this dream,? he says.
For more on Gesu Housing and Br. Wilmot, visit the Wisconsin Province website.
Source: http://www.jesuit.org/blog/index.php/2013/02/building-one-house-and-helping-one-family-at-a-time/
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Skullcandy headphones keep surprising me. The lineup has definitely kept its sporty, skater-esque stylings, but the internals seem to be improving. The recent Skullcandy Navigator?is a solid, bass-friendly budget option, and the Hesh 2, starting at $69.95 (direct) for models with the inline remote, offers a refined sound signature that is crisp and relatively balanced. Plus, the audio is delivered distortion-free, with an emphasis on mid-range and high frequency clarity.
Design
No Skullcandy product would be complete without multiple style options, paint jobs, and price tiers. The Hesh 2, with no mic and black-on-black design, sells for $59.95 (direct). Add in the inline mic and phone controls, and the lowest pricing is $69.95. Then, of course, you can buy a pair that has your favorite team's logo on it, or one that is covered in hemp. Those range from $79.95 and up.
Given all of the above, it's almost pointless to discuss the overall look of the Hesh 2, since it is basically a chameleon that comes in several styles and flavors. The overall shape doesn't really change, however?a simple, padded headband meets circular ear cups that also protrude outward, taking the shape of globes sliced in half.
The circumaural (around the ear) design of the Hesh 2 can feel a little rigid and awkward, as if the ear cups are a bit too small to fit an entire ear inside them. It's not uncomfortable, really, just awkward?the cups would probably be better served if they were either a bit larger, our more appropriately matched to an ear's shape, and not perfect circles. Regardless, the headphones are quite lightweight and don't grow uncomfortable during longer listening sessions.
The Hesh 2, as previously mentioned, is available with or without the inline remote and microphone. Call clarity through the mic is not astounding, but your call partner will understand you and you'll understand them. In other words, you're dealing with typical low-fi cellular fidelity.
One nice perk: the cable is detachable. This adds value to your purchase; replacing a faulty cable is far cheaper than buying an entire new pair of headphones or sending things in for repair, and cables are the most common culprit when headphones malfunction. Finally, a black drawstring bag is included with the Hesh 2.
Performance
The Hesh 2 does not distort on tracks with deep bass, even at high volumes. Its overall response is limited in the sub-bass realm. It does reproduce truly deep frequencies, but not with the same amount of gusto as, say, the Beats by Dr. Dre. The Knife's "Silent Shout," which has tremendous sub-bass content, can be played at maximum (and unsafe) volume without distorting, and you will get a good sense of the intensity of the bass, but this is not a deep bass lovers dream. However, bass fiends on a budget won't feel ripped off. Like some studio monitor-style headphones, the Hesh 2 provides a clear picture without ignoring or overly boosting the lows.
The focus for the Hesh 2 seems to be more on the mids and highs. It's nice to see a manufacturer focus on this realm when it's clear the drivers could have been tweaked to push out gobs of heavy, deep sub-bass. The end result here is the bass is dutifully represented?the new Atoms for Peace record, Amok, doesn't sound brittle in the slightest, and Flea's bass lines and the deep bass synth parts are delivered with richness and clarity. But the real standout feature of the sound signature is the clarity and crispness of the vocals and the attack of the percussion. Things aren't overly bright, but vocals are delivered with a nice edge to them, snare drums have a pleasing snap, and there's no part of the mix you can't hear. As previously stated, the Hesh 2, whether this was intentional or not, reminds me of a studio monitor pair, like the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro.
Bill Callahan's vocals on "Drover" have a nice treble presence that helps his voice stand out in a mix featuring some heavy backing percussion. The drumming itself has a subtle bass presence, rather than an overly-boosted thunderous sound, which can often occur on budget pairs that boost the low frequencies too much. The Hesh 2 also tames the intense sub-bass synth hits on Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," while highlighting the hi-mid attack of the kick drum loop and helping the vocals take center stage.
On classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the Hesh 2 fares less well. Here, it does sound a bit tinny and brittle. The lower register strings are nicely represented, but the higher register instruments seem to have a bit too much edge on them, which more or less cancels out the subtle bass response. It doesn't sound horrible by any stretch of the imagination, especially for this price range, but the Hesh 2 is perhaps better suited for pop, rock, hip hop, and electronic genres, for which it manages to tame the more intense elements of the mix, like throbbing bass, while highlighting aspects that sometimes get lost in busy mixes, like vocal clarity.
The idea of the "bass lover" is a curious thing. I love bass, for instance, when it's accurate, or slightly boosted. I don't want insanely-boosted low frequencies to gobble up the whole mix and vibrate my skull, but I do love when sub-bass frequencies jump out in the mix a bit. The Hesh 2 does a great job of allowing sub-bass elements to exist in a sound signature that is otherwise focused on hi-mids and highs. So, bass fiends may or may not love the Hesh 2, but if your looking for a fairly accurate, affordable headphone pair, especially for modern music mixes, it's a great place to begin your search.
If you have a bit more cash to spend and want to stick with this same overall sound signature, the aforementioned Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is a fantastic option, though it's a bit bulky and intended for studio use. The Logitech UE 4000?also delivers distortion-free performance with sub-bass presence that isn't overly-boosted. It's priced a bit higher, as well, but a worthy step up if you have the budget. If you really do want to hear some seriously boosted bass, of course there are plenty of options, including Skullcandy's own Navigator, which focuses more on the lower frequencies than does the Hesh 2. For the price, however, the Hesh 2 offers a clear, distortion-free experience. It's by no means a masterpiece, but definitely a solid value.
More Headphone Reviews:
??? Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000
??? Skullcandy Hesh 2
??? RHA MA150
??? Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint
??? Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/T8KM4S7yUMk/0,2817,2415715,00.asp
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On Wednesday, Sony unveiled (sort of) the PlayStation 4, its next home gaming platform, at a lavish two-hour event in New York City attended by over 1,000 journalists and fans. While the embattled electronics maker did not yet have an actual device to show or even a dummy form factor, it spent the time talking up its philosophy behind the system. PlayStation 4, a constant stream of presenters reiterated, was for gamers: sick new graphics, ungodly amounts of RAM and cool new gaming-centric features like the ability to stream gameplay videos in real time.
Somewhere jammed in the middle of that two-hour orgy, Sony gave the tiniest of cursory nods to the idea that a PlayStation box is now expected to serve up streaming movies and television, too, with a single slide that announced support for all the major providers like Netflix, Amazon, et al., which was whisked off the Jumbotron faster than the human eye could process all of the logos. Movies aren?t games, so who cares?
?We?re focusing on that core gamer, the gamer who wants the ultimate experience and lives for gaming,? Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton told Wired contributor Steven Levy after the event. ?If you?re not a gamer, I don?t think you get it.?
Not a gamer? Beat it, loser. We don?t even want you buying PlayStation 4. So what is all this, then? Why is Sony rallying the gamer troops under its banner? PlayStation 4?s reveal preceded the as-yet-unscheduled announcement of the next Xbox. And it?s clear that Sony is attempting to preemptively define itself against Microsoft.
Over the last few years, Microsoft has been attempting to change the way people think about its Xbox 360. It launched it in 2005 as a game console, the same way Sony is talking up the PlayStation 4 today. But now it wants you to think of it as an ecumenical home entertainment system, capable of streaming television, movies, music and everything else. Depending on your cable provider, you can use Xbox to control your live TV experience too. Microsoft has opened a new studio in Los Angeles ? not to produce games but to produce Hollywood entertainment content.
source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/02/ps4-analysis/?cid=co5996054
Source: http://thecuckoosnest.forumotion.com/t1084-playstation-4-the-last-of-the-game-consoles
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Just because you don't have a contract tying you down doesn't mean you don't deserve LTE speeds, right? Boost and Virgin Mobile will be getting their very own 4G handsets, with help from Sprint's network. You can pick up Samsung's Galaxy Victory 4G LTE over on Virgin's site, starting today for $300 a pop (with more retailers getting in on the action in the middle of next month). Over on Boost, they've got HTC's One SV and the four-inch Boost Force, both dropping on March 7th. Those handsets will run you $300 and $200, respectively.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/virgin-boost-lte/
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ROME (AP) ? The prospect of political paralysis hung over Italy on Monday as partial official results in crucial elections showed an upstart protest campaign led by a comedian making stunning inroads, and mainstream forces of center-left and center-right wrestling for control of Parliament's two houses.
The story of the election in the eurozone's third largest economy was shaping up to be the astonishing vote haul of comic-turned-political leader Beppe Grillo, whose 5 Star Movement has capitalized on a wave of voter disgust with the ruling political class.
Another surprise has been the return as a political force of billionaire media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, who was forced from the premiership at the end of 2011 by Italy's debt crisis, and whose forces now had a strong chance of capturing the Italian Senate. His main rival, the center-left Pier Luigi Bersani, appeared headed toward victory in Parliament's lower house.
The unfolding murky result raised the possibility of new elections in the coming months and bodes badly for the nation's efforts to pass the tough reforms it needs to snuff out its economic crisis and reassure jittery markets. In New York, the Dow Jones index plunged 200 points Monday on fears over Italian election gridlock.
While Italy's postwar history has largely been one of revolving-door governments, it has never seen a hung parliament. Experts said that's likely to change now.
"This has never happened before," said James Walston, a political science professor at American University of Rome. He predicted such a swirl of political chaos that new elections may need to be called as soon as the new legislature chooses the nation's next president this spring.
The Italian election has been one of the most fluid in the last two decades thanks to the emergence of Grillo's 5 Star Movement, which has throbbed with anger with politics as usual. The movement came against a backdrop of harsh austerity measures imposed by technocrat Premier Mario Monti ? who has fared miserably in the elections.
Many eligible voters didn't cast ballots, and a low turnout is generally seen as penalizing established parties. The turnout, at just under 75 percent, was the lowest in national elections since the republic was formed after World War II. Disgust with traditional party politics likely turned off voters, although snow and rain ? this was Italy's first winter time national vote ? also could be a factor.
The decisions Italy's government makes over the next several months promise to have a deep impact on whether Europe can decisively stem its financial crisis. As the eurozone's third-largest economy, its problems can rattle market confidence in the whole bloc and analysts have worried it could fall back into old spending habits.
Bersani, a former communist, has reform credential as the architect of a series of liberalization measures and has shown a willingness to join with Monti, if necessary. But he could be hamstrung by the more left-wing of his party.
His party would have to win both houses to form a stable government, and given the uncertainty of possible alliances, a clear picture of prospects for a new Italian government could take days. It is all but impossible that Bersani would team up in a "grand coalition" with his arch-enemy Berlusconi.
Grillo's camp also played down the prospect of cooperation with the ex-premier, who has been embroiled in sex and corruption scandals.
"Dialogue with Berlusconi? It is very difficult to imagine that Berlusconi would propose useful ideas (for the movement)," said 5 Star Movement candidate Alessandro Di Battista at Rome headquarters. "It never happened until now, but miracles happen."
Italy's borrowing costs have reflected the optimism that the country will stick to its reform plans.
The interest rate on Italy's 10-year bonds, an indicator of investor confidence in a country's ability to manage its debt, fell to 4.19 percent in afternoon trading Monday. Last summer, at the height of concern over Italy's economy, that interest rate was hovering at about 6.36 percent.
Milan's stock exchange closed slightly higher, with the benchmark FTSE MIB up 0.73 percent to 16,351 points.
With ballots from more than two-thirds of polling stations counted in Senate races, Interior Ministry figures showed, Bersani and his allies had just over 32 percent while Berlusconi and his coalition partners were pulling just under 30 percent. Grillo had more than 24 percent.
More important than the overall national numbers, however, was the state-of-play in large swing regions ? and Berlusconi was projected to win those.
Italy's complex electoral law calls for the Senate seats to be divvied up according to how candidates fare region by region, and Berlusconi appeared to be winning big in Lombardy, and also ahead in the closely watched regions of Sicily and Campania, around Naples.
A Berlusconi triumph in those key regions would likely hand him control of the upper chamber, which in Italy's legislative system is as powerful as the lower house.
When Berlusconi was forced out of office in November 2011, he was widely assumed to have joined the political dead. At 76, blamed for mismanaging the economy and disgraced by criminal allegations of sex with an underage prostitute, a comeback seemed impossible.
But one thing has become axiomatic about Berlusconi in his 20 years at the center of Italian politics: Never count him out.
This time around, in an age of wrenching austerity, he had a very simple campaign strategy: throw around the cash.
Berlusconi has promised to give back an unpopular property tax imposed by Monti ? with money from his own deep pockets, if need be.
Even his purchase of star striker Mario Balotelli for his AC Milan soccer team was widely seen as a ploy to buy votes. Berlusconi has also appealed to Italy's right-wing by praising Italy's former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust victims.
"He played a very able game," said Walston. "Considering that he didn't fulfill his previous promises, it's extraordinary."
Bersani was leading in the lower chamber, where electoral law enables the biggest vote-getter there to end up with a bonus of more than 50 percent of the seats.
Monti's centrist coalition was having a terrible election, with partial results giving his alliance roughly 9 percent. Although respected abroad for his measures that helped stave off Italy's debt crisis, the economist has widely been blamed for financial suffering caused by austerity cuts.
Analysts saw two big stories in Italy's election.
"The first is the big surprising increase scored by the 5 Star Movement, and the other is the disappointing result" of Monti's coalition, said Massimo Franco, a columnist with Corriere della Sera.
Berlusconi, who was forced from office in November 2011 by the debt crisis, has sought to close the gap by promising to reimburse an unpopular tax ? a tactic that brought him within a hair's breadth of winning the 2006 election. The billionaire media mogul only a few days ago told voters if need be, he'd reimburse the tax to them by shelling out from his own pocket to the tune of several billion euros (dollars).
Grillo's forces are the greatest unknown. His protest movement against the entrenched political class has gained in strength following a series of corporate scandals that only seemed to confirm the worst about Italy's establishment. If his self-styled political "tsunami" sweeps into Parliament with a big chunk of seats, Italy could be in store for a prolonged period of political confusion that would spook the markets. He himself won't hold any office, due to a manslaughter conviction.
"Italy has developed a two-bloc system. We now have a three bloc system!" Walston said, referring to Grillo's shock success.
"That might work in a country like Austria, or like Germany" where there aren't such marked differences between coalitions. But in Italy, he said, "the personal, policy and ideological differences are too big."
Most analysts believe Bersani would seek an alliance with center-right Monti to secure a stable government, assuming parties gathered under Monti's centrist banner gain enough votes.
While left-leaning Bersani has found much in common with Monti, a large part of his party's base is considerably further to the left and could rebel.
______
Barry reported from Milan.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-faces-political-gridlock-crucial-elex-202136787--finance.html
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$600 billion in cuts to heath-care spending have been proposed as part of a $2.4 trillion deficit reduction plan Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson released Tuesday. But heath-care experts doubt that target could be reached without changes to Medicare and Medicaid.
By David Morgan,?Reuters / February 24, 2013
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius accompanied by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, speaks about the federal health-care overhaul during a news conference at City Hall in Philadelphia Feb. 20. As part of a deficit-reduction plan, Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson have proposed $600 billion in cuts to heath-care spending, but have offered few specifics.
Matt Rourke/AP/File
EnlargeA new bipartisan deficit-reduction plan to slash a massive $600 billion from US health-care spending over two decades has policy experts scratching their heads over how such an ambitious target can be reached.
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Democrat?Erskine Bowles?and Republican?Alan Simpson?have yet to declare what they would do to wring savings from?Medicare, Medicaid and other programs, according to analysts who provide the two deficit hawks with their facts and figures.
Those ideas will be laid out in a detailed plan due to be issued at some point over the coming weeks.
But policy experts say the latest Simpson-Bowles plan may call for politically unpalatable steps, such as an increase in the?Medicare?eligibility age and a phasing out of the tax protection for employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
The $600 billion savings target is one-quarter of a $2.4 trillion deficit reduction plan that Simpson and Bowles released on Tuesday, as pressure mounted on?Congress?and the?White House?to find a way to avoid a package of automatic cuts known as the "sequester," due to take effect on March 1.
The plan also includes $600 billion in revenue from tax reform, $1.2 trillion from cuts in defense and non-defense spending and a shift to a slower inflation gauge for federal programs including Social Security.
"It might help?Congress?do something right for a change. Slim hope, but it's all we have," said?Joseph Antos?of the conservative?American Enterprise Institute.
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