User:PazGordon2899 - Peer Production and Commons Theory ...

From Peer Production and Commons Theory Course

The media has vastly influenced the lives of the teenagers and the younger generation. It is accountable for their behavior, emotions, attitude, perceptions and perspectives in life. They state that time has changed a lot of things, and the personhood of the youth is far totally different from the ancient life-style of the prior generations. The net has profoundly impacted the mind set and has altered the moral development of the younger generation. Play is the universal language of kids, and it plays a big part in one?s growth and development. Playing the proper type of games with the suitable network of influence is an essential typical for leading a little one into the correct pathway towards maturity. Technology really should improve human lives but in this matter, it has impacted the lives of kids and teenagers in an unpleasant way. Games played on-line are fine yet if the kids overindulged in them, it'll ultimately turn out as a bad habit causing complications not just to the individual but also to the individuals surrounding him.

Anything an adult does is right in the sight of a little one. While gambling is undoubtedly taken into account as an adult game, keeping an eye on the kids should not be neglected. Grownups have their very own personal factors for playing this game like earning money. It could be an excellent activity, yet its attraction might cause a negative impact on the kids and teenagers.

Casino games on-line are more convenient to play than entering crowded and noisy places in the casino. Unhappily, kids and teenagers who get to discover these and play on line casino games are more likely to many disruptions in their character, performance in school and relationship with other people.

Children and teenagers tend to lose their composure and emotions while play online casino games. Though it can be fantastic, yet their frustration raises in losing out. Kids with dad and mom playing online casino games are more susceptible to negligence, eating challenges , drug addiction, alcohol and drug abuse, and other psychological challenges .

However, teenagers who get involved and get addicted to this kind of online game would shortly lose a huge amount of money. They'd utilize their allowance until they run out of resources just to suffice their need for playing and winning. There's nevertheless, a high-risk possibility of earning as the word gambling in fact describes how it definitely works. Children and teens who spend hrs and hours playing casino games on line forget and rapidly ignores their responsibilities and standing as pupils. That's where performance level descends. href As such casino games online lead to addiction, it'll be a habit that's tough to break from. Poor people children and teenagers will be enslaved by its tricky attraction, so causing issues in their relationships. In their defence, they would learn how to tell lies to their parents and teachers just to cover up their activities and unresolved challenges and duties. Getting involved in this unlawful activity would also make them think that if they have carried this out thing today, they could be also able to do more in the future. When the child?s interest and focus in schooling have been distracted by this casino games on-line, it would be a serious difficulty in the future.

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DDT: regional bank retail business transformation :insurance news

• Written by admin
• Posted May 30, 2012 at 1:44 am

DDT management consulting recently released ?regional bank retail business transformation challenges and implementation strategy of? white paper points out, retail transformation is a regional bank retail business the route one must take to achieve sustainable development.In view of the regional banks to actively explore the development of retail business transformation when facing the challenge, the white paper proposed ?as one of three? retail business transformation Delta, which adhere to the customer as the center, take the difference of market competition strategy, carry out the transformation of working system, and through the fine business management and operation of the means will transition to the job falls to real point, from the strategic, operational and implementation of three level to solve the regional banks in the retail business transformation of the practical problems encountered in. In addition, retail business transformation need to clear the implementation path. Before transition to market, competition and resource and ability of comprehensive and objective assessment; then formulate business ability promotion strategy and specific transition path planning. (Zhang Zhaohui ran Wei)

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iPad Only No More: Inkling Debuts HTML5-Powered E-Book App For The Web

Inkling, the San Francisco-based startup that's known for making super slick interactive digital versions of college textbooks and other educational titles for the iPad, has debuted its first ever platform for web browsers. 'Inkling for Web' requires no Flash or other plug-ins, and is powered entirely by technologies such as HTML5, CSS and Javascript, Inkling CEO Matt McInnis said in an interview this week. This means that Inkling titles, which had previously been viewable only through Inkling's natvie iPad app, can now be viewed on any up-to-date webkit-based browser such as Chrome or Safari by anyone with an Inkling account.

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Wordless Wednesday: Best of Friends ~ Family, Parenting, Reviews ...

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Paul Krugman on why austerity is a recipe for ten more years of a Depression. (Americablog)

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A photo helps case of German teen alleged abused

KARAVLASI, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) ? The German teen was beaten, forced to sleep and eat with pigs, and whipped while pulling a horse cart, the villagers said. But every time Bosnian police responded to the neighbors' calls about her, they simply couldn't track her down.

It took years ? her house was isolated, and the teen was usually out of sight ? but finally, Sead Makalic managed to snap a photo of the teen using his mobile phone and convince police that she was not a mythical creature.

This helped lead to her rescue earlier this month in Karavlasi village, the detention of her stepfather and one of his female partners ? and tearful denials from the 19-year-old's mother, who insisted her daughter was mentally disabled and had never been mistreated.

The case has riveted and outraged this nation of 3.5 million, especially the neighbors, who had long kept trying to help someone the police weren't sure was real.

"I could not watch any more what they were doing to her, how they were beating her," said Makalic, as he recounted his part in the case to The Associated Press.

He and other villagers said in interviews on Monday that the young woman was treated like a slave. Several villagers claimed the stepfather, 52-year-old Milenko Marinkovic, on at least one occasion forced the teen to pull a cart while whipping her like a horse, and that they also saw her eating raw pumpkin and pig feed.

Makalic, a big, burly farmer, who used a curse word in every sentence and offered a reporter plum brandy early Monday morning, was visibly agitated as he described the situation. He alleged that the woman arrested in the case, 45-year-old Slavojka Marinkovic, once hit the teen with a sickle, wounding her back and causing her to cry.

When he protested that, it seemed no one in the house really cared, said Makalic, who hails from the neighboring village of Gojcin. "They'd put something on the wound and behaved as if nothing happened," he said.

Makalic was the only villager who allowed his name to be used ? the others fear reprisals from relatives of the detained couple.

The teen was known as Bedina, but villagers don't believe that was her real name and assumed it came from the German word Bediener, which means servant and is pronounced the same way. The teen had no documents and authorities are trying to establish what her real name was, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to agency rules.

The spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Admir Arnautovic, said the 19-year-old is recovering in a safe house after police found her on May 17th "disorientated and with visible injuries." Milenko Marinkovic and his partner Slavojka Marinkovic are in custody and face potential charges of illegal imprisonment and cruelty.

The young woman's German mother, Kristina Siegner, 54, was living with the couple as Milenko's legal wife. Siegner often goes to work in Austria for months at a time, and had arrived back home after a three-month work stint the night before the police probe that finally found her daughter. She has been questioned by police but not been detained.

Siegner insisted to the AP on Monday that her daughter ? whom she referred to as Bedina ? was happy and called the villagers' claims "all lies."

"Everybody here was good to her, my husband was good to her, (Slavojka) was good to her, she was happy here," Siegner said. She added that her husband treated the teen like his own daughter, bought her a horse because she loved animals, and that the teen spent her days playing and taking long walks in the woods.

Siegner said she had nine children in Germany but came to Bosnia in 2004 with three of her daughters to run away from her former husband. She married Milenko Marinkovic in 2006 and moved into the house with him and his romantic partner Slavojka, who had agreed that he could take in a wife.

Siegner said her daughter was mentally disabled and that that was why she was not attending school. The mother said she did not know there were special schools for such children in Bosnia.

"We were happy, we got along well, shared chores around the house," Siegner said, sobbing. "Now I'm alone here. My husband is gone, my daughter is gone. I miss her so."

The mother denied villagers' claims that her daughter had ever slept with the pigs. At one point she showed the AP a room in the house where she said she slept with her daughter on a queen-sized bed. Inside the bedroom's closet hung men's suits and shirts along with women's dresses.

The police official said his agency responded to calls about the teen numerous times ? the first call was at least five years ago, according to villagers ? but never found her, even when they staged a full-on raid. It was possible the family hid the teen in the woods.

Eventually, Makalic said that police told him a photo of the teen would help the case.

After getting the photo, the police again went to the Marinkovic house, the police official said. The teen wasn't there, but this time the police wouldn't stop pressing her stepfather. Finally, he went outside and brought her in, the official said. The teen looked like she was 40 years old, was wearing three or four sweaters, and was soaking wet.

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Zambia stampede death toll rises to 9

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Visualized: Samsung?s PIN pop-up stores take London

May 27, 2012 // No Comment // Categories: Mobile // Tags: entry, few-enthusiast, galaxysiii, glass-housings, Mobile, mobile pin, mobilepin, pop-up-store, retail-presence, samsung, samsung-mobile.

Samsung deflated a few enthusiast tires when its ?one more thing? Galaxy S III reveal turned out to be a pop-up retail plan . No matter now, as those great mobile expectations have shifted to the device?s imminent launch, a debut the company?s only too happy to showcase. Starting May 29th, PIN glass housings, like the one you see above, will begin to populate commercial centers in and around London, letting eager consumers gets hands-on with the ICS handset?s nature-made design. Westfield?s Shepherd?s Bush and Old Spitalfields Market will be the first two UK locations for this temporary retail presence, with larger 7-by 7-meter versions, as well as a smattering of overseas appearances to follow in the coming months. In the meantime, check out our full review to get yourself well-acquainted with this flagship follow-up.

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Visualized: Samsung?s PIN pop-up stores take London

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May 27, 2012 // No Comment // Categories: Mobile // Tags: consumers-gets, few-enthusiast, galaxy s iii, galaxysiii, imminent-launch, Mobile, mobile pin, mobilepin, pinkfloyd, pop-upstore, samsung, samsung-mobile, spitalfields, temporary.

Samsung deflated a few enthusiast tires when its ?one more thing? Galaxy S III reveal turned out to be a pop-up retail plan . No matter now, as those great mobile expectations have shifted to the device?s imminent launch, a debut the company?s only too happy to showcase. Starting May 29th, PIN glass housings, like the one you see above, will begin to populate commercial centers in and around London, letting eager consumers gets hands-on with the ICS handset?s nature-made design. Westfield?s Shepherd?s Bush and Old Spitalfields Market will be the first two UK locations for this temporary retail presence, with larger 7-by 7-meter versions, as well as a smattering of overseas appearances to follow in the coming months. In the meantime, check out our full review to get yourself well-acquainted with this flagship follow-up. Visualized: Samsung?s PIN pop-up stores take London originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 20:16:00 EDT

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Visualized: Samsung?s PIN pop-up stores take London

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Why Asia Business Consulting is so important? - Anr Review Blog

Business Alexey Bukarev May 28th. 2012, 6:34am

In order to run a business well, you have to plan properly and know what to do and how to do it. There are many things that an entrepreneur has to know about, such as consumers, competitors, market and the trends. In order to run a successful business, you should be aware of these factors. This is the reason why you should hire the service of this Asia Business Consulting firm. The team working with this firm is well aware of the market and they will assist and guide you in order to increase your company?s profits and sales. Learning new ways of marketing your product and selling it to your customers and advertising it to gain more customers is crucial for all business people. Here, employing business consulting is beneficial. They will do Asia market research so that you know more about the other aspects of the market in order to become successful. They will do market analysis for your business in order to take your business to new heights. Sometimes it becomes necessary to add or change your existing goals to make the business more efficient. There are many ways that a business consulting can help you learn more. I was very much surprised when I got to know the benefits and services offered by this consulting firm as it sounded quite beneficial for my firm. The people of the firm aided me in taking proper decisions required for the growth of my company. So if you are planning to establish your existing or new business, I recommend you to hire the services of this business consulting firm; rest assured you will not be disappointed.

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How to Buy the Perfect Travel Insurance Plan for Your Trip ? Dream ...

How do you know which travel insurance plans suits your needs? No two trips or people are exactly alike, needs and concerns vary from person to person and trip to trip. You might be concerned about a family member becoming ill and causing you to cancel your long awaited vacation. Another person might be concerned about weather conditions that could affect travel, or financial insolvency of a travel supplier and so forth. Different trips, different people, may all have different needs! Don?t be concerned, because selecting the right trip insurance plan is as easy as one, two, three.

Step 1 ? Determine Which Coverages Are Important to You
In reviewing plans, look for the provisions listed in the certificate of coverage to be sure you are covered for the items, which are important to you. These could include Cancellation protection due to Sickness or Injury, coverage for financial insolvency of a travel supplier, terrorism, weather delays or cancellations. Are you concerned about loss or delay of your baggage, travel delays or incurring medical expenses while traveling? All of these coverages are typically included in a good travel insurance plan.

Step 2 ? Compare Travel Insurance Plans Side-by-Side
Many consolidator or comparison sites give you 50 different policies to choose from when you enter your quote data. This makes it very difficult to narrow down the coverage you want to fit your budget. With tripinsurance.com you can compare travel insurance policies side-by-side in an easy to understand format. Travel insurance provisions and features are included for every plan offered and the travel insurance policies are organized into 3 categories, Good, Better and Best for easy comparison. Each insurance company has provided a policy for each coverage group. The Good policies are perfect for persons looking for basic protection at an economical price. Better plans provide a good combination of coverage and price, and fit the needs of most travelers. The Best plans offer the most extensive coverage and include features such as Cancel for Any Reason. Detailed side-by-side comparisons help you easily select the right coverage for your budget.

Step 3 ? Buy Travel Insurance with Confidence
Buy from reputable travel insurance companies, and from a website that is licensed to sell insurance in the state where you live. By law, they should have their license listed on the website. When you purchase a plan from TripInsurance.com, you can buy your travel insurance policy with confidence because all of their trip insurance plans are underwritten by leading travel insurance companies with many years of experience providing travel insurance policies to the public. When you buy travel insurance direct from TripInsurance.com, you save money, 40% or more over policies offered from other travel insurance comparison sites. All of their travel insurance plans include a 10 day ?free look? period, giving you time to review the purchased plan and cancel the policy if you are not satisfied.

Posted in: Travel Insurance.

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HIMB on the Radio

By Christie Wilcox?| May 26, 2012 |??

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I?m a big fan of scientists talking to the community about their research, so of course, I?m an even bigger fan of scientists I work with reaching out. Last week, my PhD advisor, Brian Bowen, and several other scientists from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology talked on Hawaii?s Tomorrow about research in the Hawaiian Islands. Hear for yourself:

About the Author: Christie Wilcox is a science writer and blogger who moonlights as a PhD student in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Hawaii. Follow on Google+. Follow on Twitter @NerdyChristie.

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The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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Why List Building Is Essential For Your Business | You Only Live ...

One of the most valuable assets an online business can have is an opt-in list. What?s this and how does it work? We?re here to help!

An opt-in marketing list is where a customer (or potential customer, but it?s most often somebody who has purchased something from your site) gets an option to include themselves in on an email list that your company sends out.

This is very different from spam, which is where unscrupulous business owners go ?phishing? for random email addresses that they find on the Internet and relentlessly pelt these poor souls with emails. Spam does nobody any good and basically ends up costing a business a lot of money only to irritate people.

An opt-in list, though, is a brilliant for business because the people who receive your emails are actually interested in receiving them. You can send this list of people who are interested in keeping constant correspondence with your business occasional emails ? no more than twice a month, usually, and only when you have something of worth to say or offer ? which can detail everything from the current goings-on of your business to deals and offers and promotions. Many companies offer special promotions to those who join their opt-in list as an incentive to, well, opt in.

Opt-in lists give customers who are interested in you your attention. Even better, the effect of an opt-in list is entirely traceable, as if you start offering promotions through your list you?ll be able to tell how many of them get redeemed. Opt-in lists are also another great way to get out more of that free expert content you offer, specially designed for those who wish to follow you. Many smaller businesses offer Q and A sessions through their opt-in list, where followers can ask specific questions that can be answered through the general forum of your email.

These lists are also the digital equivalent to having ?regulars? at a store and engaging them in casual chat. Through an email list you can develop more intimate relationships with customers as compared to the normal ?anonymous buyer? that hops into your site to pick up a few items, and then hops out without you knowing anything more about them other than what they bought. Close relationships with customers generate brand loyalty, which is a hot commodity.

Want another bonus? Email marketing can also be entirely free if you manage it yourself. Even if you choose to outsource your email marketing or leave it to an employee to handle, it is much cheaper than print advertising because of how targeted it is. Individual customers make specific requests, and you fill them by sending out the information direct to those who asked for it. It?s a very simple, yet incredibly effective method of advertising that is guaranteed to optimize conversions and get people talking about you, particularly if you make your opt-in list a plum deal to join.

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Islamist and ex-PM vie for mantle of Egypt's revolt

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood and a military man close to ousted leader Hosni Mubarak courted defeated first-round candidates in Egypt's presidential election on Saturday, each trying to claim the mantle of the revolution before a run-off next month.

State television said the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi led this week's vote with 26.4 percent, against 23 percent for ex-air force chief Ahmed Shafiq, according to preliminary results.

Hamdeen Sabahy, a secular leftist came a close third with 21.5 percent, followed by independent Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh. Only the top two go to the deciding vote on June 16 and 17. Official first-round results are expected on Tuesday.

The choice between Mursi and Shafiq, representing forces that have wrestled for the past six decades, has dismayed many Egyptians who voted for candidates offering a middle ground.

They fear a victory for the 70-year-old Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, would snuff out hopes for change ignited by last year's uprising, while a win for Mursi would pitch Egypt into the uncertainties of experimenting with Islamic rule.

The Brotherhood was to host talks with Sabahy, Abol Fotouh and other politicians to canvas their support before the runoff.

Warning of "determined efforts to recreate the old regime", it said parties that supported the uprising against Mubarak must unite "so that the revolution is not stolen from us".

The Brotherhood already holds the biggest bloc in parliament after an election completed in January, but has been unable to assert itself against an army-appointed interim government.

WHO STOLE THE REVOLUTION?

Shafiq used strikingly similar language at a news conference in which he addressed youth groups that spearheaded last year's revolt. For many, he represents everything they want changed.

"Your revolution was stolen," Shafiq told them. "I pledge to return its fruits to your hands."

He said "the clock cannot be turned back", but that he would not let Egypt "drown in chaos".

Much of his rhetoric indirectly targeted the Brotherhood, playing on fears among Egypt's minority Christians and secular liberals that a Mursi presidency would threaten their freedoms.

"No exclusion of anyone or distancing of anyone," Shafiq declared. "Everyone has a right to be a part of this nation."

On Friday he told Egyptian television he saw no problem with the idea of a Muslim Brotherhood-led government if he were elected president.

The generals who took over when Mubarak quit on February 11, 2011, have promised to make way for a new president by July 1, formally ending a messy and often bloody political transition.

But the military, the source of all Egypt's past presidents, is keen to keep its privileges and influence, preferably enshrined in a new constitution. Political wrangling has held up the drafting process, so the next president will take office not knowing his powers or those of parliament and government.

Shafiq has won support among Egyptians who see him as the kind of strongman they feel the country needs to end 15 months of political instability, economic failure and rising crime.

Although Mursi topped the poll, his score was unimpressive compared to the Brotherhood's performance in the parliamentary election in which it gained nearly half the seats.

WOOING RIVALS

Reform-minded independents such as Abol Fotouh and Sabahy between them won more votes than either Shafiq or Mursi, hinting at the growth of a new centre in Egypt's fluid political scene.

"The Brotherhood will have to reach out in a grand and dramatic way to the centre and the other political parties if they have any hope of winning their support and any hope of winning the presidency," said Elijah Zarwan of the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank .

Abol Fotouh has already indicated he will throw his weight behind the Brotherhood to "stand in a united front against the symbols of corruption and oppression", but other potential partners in an anti-Shafiq front will demand a political price.

The secular Justice Party, formed after last year's uprising, expressed "deep sorrow" at the election result and set tough terms to the Brotherhood for its support in the run-off.

It demanded a presidential system, whereas the Brotherhood favours a stronger parliament, called for a secular vice-president and said the Islamist movement must formally register itself for the first time in its 84-year-old history.

A Brotherhood party official, Yasser Ali, said the talks would discuss the vice presidency and a coalition government.

Long a thorn in Mubarak's flesh, the Brotherhood has looked increasingly isolated from other parties since his fall, first facing accusations it was slow to join the revolt and then that it acquiesced in the military rule that followed.

Trust in the Brotherhood eroded further when it reversed a pledge to stay out of the presidential race. The group, founded in 1928, says it is the target of a smear campaign.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center was among several foreign and local organisations that monitored the first-round vote, said procedures appeared to have been fair.

"I have confidence in this process, despite the fact that it's been confused on occasion," he told a news conference.

"My own impression is that ... there was no pattern reported by us or other international witnesses or domestic witnesses that showed the procedure favoured a particular candidate."

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Personal loans

A car outside your house, a higher education for your child, an awesome marriage of your sister or daughter, is getting best treatment for your family member, purchasing jewellery for your spouse, buying a refrigerator, a microwave, a washing machine or a split AC or window AC and even payment of the pending bills of your credit cards. The person requires funds to possess or resolve these needs and ultimate the answer which the person gets from their mind, is to get the personal loan, which is an easy way to fulfill one?s needs.

The personal loan does not involve many problems, as it does not require any guarantor, any security and even not require any clarification, for why the customer going for the personal loan as the loan is an unsecured loan. Hence, one can use this loan for various purposes like for renovation purpose, for wedding purpose, for medical expenses, for higher education, etc.

How can one use the personal loan for any of his requirement?

For example, the person wants that his child go abroad for higher education and for that the person arranges funds, but one finds short of money at that time, from where one can arrange the funds, one can arrange it through the personal loan.

Personal loan helps the customer in meeting his urgent requirements.

If in case, the person wants to purchase the car,? but the person does not have an adequate amount then person can fulfill that requirement with the help of personal loan.

Personal loan also helps the customer in getting the house, as a person can get house with the help of home loan but, initially the customer himself has to do the down payment. What will customer do if the person does not have enough money to do down payment. In this case, personal loan plays the vital role. One can get the personal loan to do the down payment. Hence, personal loan is very useful to meet one?s requirement.

Although, these loans fulfill ones desire, but one should always remember, that personal loan is given on the income of the customer. Therefore, one should always check that no other loan running on his name, as the interest factor in personal loan is little higher, and one has to repay the loan amount within 60 months, as it will put the burden on his monthly finances and? can also affect upon his loan paying ability.

If the customer takes personal loan for doing the down payment of the home, it would impact upon his auto loan or home loan, as it adds to his expense.

Therefore, one should use the personal loan very carefully, as the interest rate is high. One should use it as the last resort in an emergency.

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Windows Phone Cake Contest: Bake a Cake, Win a Windows Phone

Redmond-based software giant Microsoft is not shy to boast about Windows Phone?s start screen. Microsoft?s Michael Stroh for example described the start screen as ?pretty sweet.? And speaking about things that are pretty sweet, Windows Phone fans shared pics of cakes that present the smartphone?s start screen via Windows Phone?s Facebook page.

And that got the Windows Phone team thinking ? why don?t we turn this into an opportunity to give away some stuff? So the Windows Phone team decided to run a competition that can be resumed in a just a few words: bake a cake that focuses on Windows Phone and you could win a Windows Phone.

The Windows Phone Team announced via its blog and via its Facebook page that if you create a Windows Phone-themed cake, take a pic of the aforementioned cake, then submit the pick on the Cake Contest Facebook page, you have the chance to win cool new Windows Phone (the team did not specify what model Windows phone).

Please note that you must be the one who baked the cake in the image; it doesn?t matter if it is an old image, it only matters that you baked it. You should also note that the all entries for the contest must be received by May 30th. The community will be asked to vote on these entries; the voting ends on June 6th. The three entrants that receive the most votes during this period will be rewarded with a new Windows Phone.

That?s right! Microsoft will give away three Windows Phones as part of the Windows Phone Cake Contest. The three most popular Windows Phone-themed cakes will be rewarded with a Windows Phone.

If you want to find out more about the rules of the Windows Phone Cake Contest, Microsoft posted them on SkyDrive here.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows Phone, Facebook, cake, contest

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NASA sees Hurricane Bud threaten western Mexico's coast

Public release date: 25-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA satellites are providing rainfall, temperature, pressure, visible and infrared data to forecasters as Hurricane Bud is expected to make a quick landfall in western Mexico this weekend before turning back to sea. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites have been flying over Bud as it nears the Mexican coast.

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed above Hurricane Bud early this morning, May 25 at 0429 UTC (12:49 a.m. EDT/U.S.). A large area of moderate to heavy rainfall with rates of over 30mm/hr (~1.2 inches) was revealed in Bud by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) instrument. The rainfall analysis was overlaid on an enhanced infrared image derived from TRMM's Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS) and created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Bud's past and predicted locations are shown overlaid in white. Heavy rainfall from hurricane Bud's slow movement may result in severe flooding and dangerous landslides as it moves over Mexico's rugged coastal terrain.

This visible image of Hurricane Bud was taken by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on May 24, 2012 at 18:15 UTC (2:15 p.m. EDT/U.S.) and shows Bud's eye. Bud's outer bands were already affecting coastal Mexico yesterday.

On May 25, 2012 at 11 a.m. EDT, Bud was still a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph (160 kph). It was moving to the north at 7 mph (11 kph) and had a minimum central pressure of 975 millibars. Bud was closing in on the coast and was near 18.4 North and 105.6 West, about 95 miles (150 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km). Manzanillo was experiencing rain with sustained winds near 17 mph (27.3 kph) from the southeast at 11 a.m. EDT/U.S. on Friday, May 25.

Several watches and warnings are in effect. They include: A hurricane warning is in effect from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes; A tropical storm warning is in effect from Punto San Telmo west to Manzanillo; A hurricane watch is in effect from Punto San Telmo west to Manzanillo; and a tropical storm watch is in effect from Cabo Corrientes to San Blas.

Bud is expected to bring a lot of rainfall as it continues to head for a landfall. The National Hurricane Center expects total rain accumulations of 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 mm) along the southwestern coast of Mexico with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches (381 mm). As always with heavy rainfall in this region, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides will be possible.

Along the coast a dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the east of where the center of bud makes landfall. In addition, the southern and southwestern coasts of Mexico are expected to experience dangerous swells, surf and rip currents.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters expect Bud to make landfall and then turnaround and head back out into the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Once Bud begins interacting with the coast, the Rapid decay is expected as western Mexico's high terrain separates the circulation of the storm. Bud is forecast to become a remnant low in 72 hours and dissipate in 96 hours.

###

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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: 25-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA satellites are providing rainfall, temperature, pressure, visible and infrared data to forecasters as Hurricane Bud is expected to make a quick landfall in western Mexico this weekend before turning back to sea. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites have been flying over Bud as it nears the Mexican coast.

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed above Hurricane Bud early this morning, May 25 at 0429 UTC (12:49 a.m. EDT/U.S.). A large area of moderate to heavy rainfall with rates of over 30mm/hr (~1.2 inches) was revealed in Bud by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) instrument. The rainfall analysis was overlaid on an enhanced infrared image derived from TRMM's Visible and InfraRed Scanner (VIRS) and created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Bud's past and predicted locations are shown overlaid in white. Heavy rainfall from hurricane Bud's slow movement may result in severe flooding and dangerous landslides as it moves over Mexico's rugged coastal terrain.

This visible image of Hurricane Bud was taken by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on May 24, 2012 at 18:15 UTC (2:15 p.m. EDT/U.S.) and shows Bud's eye. Bud's outer bands were already affecting coastal Mexico yesterday.

On May 25, 2012 at 11 a.m. EDT, Bud was still a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph (160 kph). It was moving to the north at 7 mph (11 kph) and had a minimum central pressure of 975 millibars. Bud was closing in on the coast and was near 18.4 North and 105.6 West, about 95 miles (150 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km). Manzanillo was experiencing rain with sustained winds near 17 mph (27.3 kph) from the southeast at 11 a.m. EDT/U.S. on Friday, May 25.

Several watches and warnings are in effect. They include: A hurricane warning is in effect from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes; A tropical storm warning is in effect from Punto San Telmo west to Manzanillo; A hurricane watch is in effect from Punto San Telmo west to Manzanillo; and a tropical storm watch is in effect from Cabo Corrientes to San Blas.

Bud is expected to bring a lot of rainfall as it continues to head for a landfall. The National Hurricane Center expects total rain accumulations of 6 to 10 inches (152 to 254 mm) along the southwestern coast of Mexico with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches (381 mm). As always with heavy rainfall in this region, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides will be possible.

Along the coast a dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the east of where the center of bud makes landfall. In addition, the southern and southwestern coasts of Mexico are expected to experience dangerous swells, surf and rip currents.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters expect Bud to make landfall and then turnaround and head back out into the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Once Bud begins interacting with the coast, the Rapid decay is expected as western Mexico's high terrain separates the circulation of the storm. Bud is forecast to become a remnant low in 72 hours and dissipate in 96 hours.

###

---

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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.

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Earls Court Hotels In London Offer Cosy Lodgings Close To Best ...

As a result of spacious hall spaces, excellent hospitality and best facilities, UKs major event venue, Earls Court Exhibition Centre has been a host to several big and small events in preceding decades. The venue has always been business cum entertainment centre for Londoners as well as travellers from abroad which is why it offers great shopping destinations, eating hubs and entertainment zones close to the venue.

Located in Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, this venue is simply reachable via Earls Court and West Brompton tube station in London. The area around the venue offers great lodging options for business and leisure tourist from distant cities. Travellers can pick from several budget and luxury hotels and easily walk in for the events at Earls Court Exhibition Centre.

Below are some of the best Earls Court hotels in London that offer a relaxing stay close to the venue.

K+K Hotel George
Business experts, exhibitors or visitors looking for a luxurious stay close to the venue can book deluxe rooms or elegant suites at K+K Hotel George, a four-star hotel near Earls Court. It offers all state of the art facilities, beautiful interiors and easy access to London airports and stations. Before and after visiting the exhibition shows, tourists can wander around the museums and other historic place near the hotel.

Hotel Lily London
Hotel Lily London is a two-star accommodation that offers friendly atmosphere and pleasing hospitality for all the guests. Located adjacent to the venue, this budget hotel is ideal lodging for families as well as business tourists. Visitors can enjoy relaxing and wonderful atmosphere all around the hotel at budget friendly rates.

Barkston Gardens Hotel
Located in close proximity to Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, Barkston Gardens Hotel is a remarkable three-star accommodation offering comfortable and elegantly decorated rooms. All the 93 non-smoking guestrooms offer best state of the art facilities. Amazing London attractions and entertainment hubs are not too far from the hotel and offers easy access via London transportation system.

Best Western The Boltons Hotel
Enjoying a perfect location in the heart of London city, Best Western The Boltons Hotel offers three-star comforts for visitors. The hotel offers assured quality treatment, great hospitality and all the necessary amenities for guests. The area around this hotel gives you a chance to explore the best shopping destinations and London attractions while your stay near the exhibition venue.

Plan a visit according to the upcoming Earls Court events in your niche. Secure an accommodation with Earls Court hotels in London and easily commute for the events.

About the Author:
Avee is the associate Editor with Exhibition Centre Hotels. This website brings information on exhibition shows, along world-wide hotel booking services. Travellers can book Earls Court hotels in London.

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Understanding Sleeping Disorder | Stress Management ...

Do you feel that you?re not getting enough sleep? Do you feel that your life is greatly affected by your sleep problems? Everyone experiences occasional sleeping problems. Sleeping well is essential to your physical health and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, even minimal sleep loss can affect your mood, energy, efficiency, and ability to handle stress.

If you?re sleeping habits are a clear annoyance in your daily routine then you may have a sleeping disorder. It?s not normal for a person to feel sleepy during the day, to have problems getting to sleep at night, or to wake up feeling exhausted. So how can you tell whether your sleeping problem is just a minor one or a sign of a more serious sleep disorder or underlying medical condition? If you experience problems with your sleep, then it is likely that you will recognize many of the feelings, physical symptoms and behavior patterns described below.

* Waking up frequently during the night.

* Worried

* You need to take something (sleeping pills, nightcap, supplements) in order to get to sleep.

* Decreasing energy

* No focus or no concentration

* Lying awake in bed at night

* Difficulty falling asleep at night or getting back to sleep after waking during the night.

* Waking up frequently during the night.

* Your sleep feels light, fragmented

* You need to take something (sleeping pills, nightcap, supplements) in order to get to sleep.

* Sleepiness and low energy during the day.

* Trying to catch up on sleep during the day

Sleep can be an indicator of your overall health. In most cases, people with good health tend to sleep well, in contrast, repeated sleeping problems may indicate an underlying medical or mental health problem (can be minor or serious). You should get early help when you have sleep problems and disorders because in the worst case scenarios, it may lead to poor health like diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight or can trigger accidents, poor job performance, and relationship stress.

Making some simple lifestyle changes can help you get the sleep you need. Try to set up your bedroom to be dark and cool and have a relaxing ambience, that way you may sleep better. If you want to feel your best, stay healthy and perform up to your potential, sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.

1. Your main sleep problem is daytime sleepiness and self-help hasn?t improved your symptoms.

2. You sometimes fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while talking, walking, or eating.

If you?ve tried a variety of self-help sleep remedies but failed, you need to schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist. Together, you can identify the underlying causes of your sleeping problem and find ways to improve your sleep and quality of life.

At your appointment, be prepared with information about your sleep patterns and provide the sleep doctor a data of your sleep patterns. There are lots of Psychologists that are trained in assisting you identify and overcome the root cause of your sleep problems.

PS Counselling are qualified psychologists in Hawthorn, Victoria specialising in working with adolescents and adults who have experienced early childhood trauma, Borderline Personality Disorder, depression and anxiety. Find out more about Depression and Anxiety.

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Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 review

More Info

• Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU
• Lenovo unveils six mainstream consumer laptops (and one desktop replacement)
• Dell XPS 14z review

When it comes to business-friendly features and comfortable keyboards, Lenovo is king. And while the PC maker is no stranger to powerful systems (here's looking at you, ThinkPad X220), it's not necessarily the first brand that comes to mind when you're in the market for HD video streaming and a little gaming. But those are just the sorts of things Lenovo hopes you'll do with the IdeaPad Y480, which ups the multimedia ante with a new GPU from NVIDIA, along with a quad-core Ivy Bridge processor.

The notebook complements that power under the hood with an elegant, understated design and flourishes such as JBL speakers -- all for a reasonable starting price of $849. At 5.1 pounds, it may not be the lightest 14-incher around, but it packs some of the most robust internals in its class. Less forgivable, though, is the notebook's middling 1366 x 768 display; when you have that graphics oomph, you want the high-res visuals to match. Can its amped-up insides and bang for the buck make up for that less-than-premium screen? Join us after the break as we make that determination.

Gallery: Lenovo IdeaPad Y480

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 review

Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carnegie Mellon brain research shows visual perception system unconsciously affects our preferences

Public release date: 23-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shilo Rea
shilo@cmu.edu
412-268-6094
Carnegie Mellon University

Researchers launch NSF-supported startup, neonlabs, to apply findings to online video market

PITTSBURGHWhen grabbing a coffee mug out of a cluttered cabinet or choosing a pen to quickly sign a document, what brain processes guide your choices?

New research from Carnegie Mellon University's Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) shows that the brain's visual perception system automatically and unconsciously guides decision-making through valence perception. Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the review hypothesizes that valence, which can be defined as the positive or negative information automatically perceived in the majority of visual information, integrates visual features and associations from experience with similar objects or features. In other words, it is the process that allows our brains to rapidly make choices between similar objects.

The findings offer important insights into consumer behavior in ways that traditional consumer marketing focus groups cannot address. For example, asking individuals to react to package designs, ads or logos is simply ineffective. Instead, companies can use this type of brain science to more effectively assess how unconscious visual valence perception contributes to consumer behavior.

To transfer the research's scientific application to the online video market, the CMU research team is in the process of founding the start-up company neonlabs through the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps).

"This basic research into how visual object recognition interacts with and is influenced by affect paints a much richer picture of how we see objects," said Michael J. Tarr, the George A. and Helen Dunham Cowan Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and co-director of the CNBC. "What we now know is that common, household objects carry subtle positive or negative valences and that these valences have an impact on our day-to-day behavior."

Tarr added that the NSF I-Corps program has been instrumental in helping the neonlabs' team take this basic idea and teaching them how to turn it into a viable company. "The I-Corps program gave us unprecedented access to highly successful, experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who provided incredibly valuable feedback throughout the development process," he said.

NSF established I-Corps for the sole purpose of assessing the readiness of transitioning new scientific opportunities into valuable products through a public-private partnership. The CMU team of Tarr, Sophie Lebrecht, a CNBC and Tepper School of Business postdoctoral fellow, Babs Carryer, an embedded entrepreneur at CMU's Project Olympus, and Thomas Kubilius, president of Pittsburgh-based Bright Innovation and adjunct professor of design at CMU, were awarded a $50,000, six-month grant to investigate how understanding valence perception could be used to make better consumer marketing decisions. They are launching neonlabs to apply their model of visual preference to increase click rates on online videos, by identifying the most visually appealing thumbnail from a stream of video. The web-based software product selects a thumbnail based on neuroimaging data on object perception and valence, crowd sourced behavioral data and proprietary computational analyses of large amounts of video streams.

"Everything you see, you automatically dislike or like, prefer or don't prefer, in part, because of valence perception," said Lebrecht, lead author of the study and the entrepreneurial lead for the I-Corps grant. "Valence links what we see in the world to how we make decisions."

Lebrecht continued, "Talking with companies such as YouTube and Hulu, we realized that they are looking for ways to keep users on their sites longer by clicking to watch more videos. Thumbnails are a huge problem for any online video publisher, and our research fits perfectly with this problem. Our approach streamlines the process and chooses the screenshot that is the most visually appealing based on science, which will in the end result in more user clicks."

Today (May 23), Lebrecht will join the other 23 I-Corps project teams in Palo Alto, Calif., for the final presentation of each team's I-Corps journey from basic science idea to real-world business application. She will present neonlabs' solution, outlining the customer landscape, competition and business model.

Carnegie Mellon is well known for its entrepreneurial culture. The university's Greenlighting Startups initiative, a portfolio of five business incubators, is designed to speed company creation at CMU. In the past 15 years, Carnegie Mellon faculty and students have helped to create more than 300 companies and 9,000 jobs; the university averages 15 to 20 new startups each year.

"CMU has been an amazing place to build neonlabs," Lebrecht said. "There's a great intellectual community and facilities here as well as people unbelievably experienced in tech transfer and startups who have been so incredibly generous with their time."

###

---

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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: 23-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shilo Rea
shilo@cmu.edu
412-268-6094
Carnegie Mellon University

Researchers launch NSF-supported startup, neonlabs, to apply findings to online video market

PITTSBURGHWhen grabbing a coffee mug out of a cluttered cabinet or choosing a pen to quickly sign a document, what brain processes guide your choices?

New research from Carnegie Mellon University's Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) shows that the brain's visual perception system automatically and unconsciously guides decision-making through valence perception. Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the review hypothesizes that valence, which can be defined as the positive or negative information automatically perceived in the majority of visual information, integrates visual features and associations from experience with similar objects or features. In other words, it is the process that allows our brains to rapidly make choices between similar objects.

The findings offer important insights into consumer behavior in ways that traditional consumer marketing focus groups cannot address. For example, asking individuals to react to package designs, ads or logos is simply ineffective. Instead, companies can use this type of brain science to more effectively assess how unconscious visual valence perception contributes to consumer behavior.

To transfer the research's scientific application to the online video market, the CMU research team is in the process of founding the start-up company neonlabs through the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps).

"This basic research into how visual object recognition interacts with and is influenced by affect paints a much richer picture of how we see objects," said Michael J. Tarr, the George A. and Helen Dunham Cowan Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and co-director of the CNBC. "What we now know is that common, household objects carry subtle positive or negative valences and that these valences have an impact on our day-to-day behavior."

Tarr added that the NSF I-Corps program has been instrumental in helping the neonlabs' team take this basic idea and teaching them how to turn it into a viable company. "The I-Corps program gave us unprecedented access to highly successful, experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who provided incredibly valuable feedback throughout the development process," he said.

NSF established I-Corps for the sole purpose of assessing the readiness of transitioning new scientific opportunities into valuable products through a public-private partnership. The CMU team of Tarr, Sophie Lebrecht, a CNBC and Tepper School of Business postdoctoral fellow, Babs Carryer, an embedded entrepreneur at CMU's Project Olympus, and Thomas Kubilius, president of Pittsburgh-based Bright Innovation and adjunct professor of design at CMU, were awarded a $50,000, six-month grant to investigate how understanding valence perception could be used to make better consumer marketing decisions. They are launching neonlabs to apply their model of visual preference to increase click rates on online videos, by identifying the most visually appealing thumbnail from a stream of video. The web-based software product selects a thumbnail based on neuroimaging data on object perception and valence, crowd sourced behavioral data and proprietary computational analyses of large amounts of video streams.

"Everything you see, you automatically dislike or like, prefer or don't prefer, in part, because of valence perception," said Lebrecht, lead author of the study and the entrepreneurial lead for the I-Corps grant. "Valence links what we see in the world to how we make decisions."

Lebrecht continued, "Talking with companies such as YouTube and Hulu, we realized that they are looking for ways to keep users on their sites longer by clicking to watch more videos. Thumbnails are a huge problem for any online video publisher, and our research fits perfectly with this problem. Our approach streamlines the process and chooses the screenshot that is the most visually appealing based on science, which will in the end result in more user clicks."

Today (May 23), Lebrecht will join the other 23 I-Corps project teams in Palo Alto, Calif., for the final presentation of each team's I-Corps journey from basic science idea to real-world business application. She will present neonlabs' solution, outlining the customer landscape, competition and business model.

Carnegie Mellon is well known for its entrepreneurial culture. The university's Greenlighting Startups initiative, a portfolio of five business incubators, is designed to speed company creation at CMU. In the past 15 years, Carnegie Mellon faculty and students have helped to create more than 300 companies and 9,000 jobs; the university averages 15 to 20 new startups each year.

"CMU has been an amazing place to build neonlabs," Lebrecht said. "There's a great intellectual community and facilities here as well as people unbelievably experienced in tech transfer and startups who have been so incredibly generous with their time."

###

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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.

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