Remains of the Day: Windows 8 Pro Goes On Sale For Students

Students get a big Windows 8 discount, Twitter provides improved photo and video support, Google Play Music gets an update, and Google Forms gets brought up to speed.

• U.S. Window 8 Student Offer and University Campus Tour Coming in February Beginning in February, Microsoft will offer the Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition at a discounted price of $69.99 for students. All you'll need is a valid email address from a qualified institution and a computer running a genuine copy of Windows XP or later. However, do not despair if you aren't a student?with a bit of ingenuity, it's possible to get a discount anyway. [Windows Blog]
• Updates For Viewing Photos and Videos New enhancements to Twitter will allow you to see larger versions of photos from profile pages and search results without leaving the page. Today's update also displays videos from services like Vine and YouTube in media galleries along with more of the conversation related to a tweet when it's clicked on. [Twitter Blog]
• Google Play Music Updated, Brings New Default Album Art and More Google Play Music received an update today that extends instant mixes beyond 25 songs and adds new default album art. The patch also fixes a freezing issue for Galaxy S3 users. The update is now live at the Play Store. [Droid Life]
• Google Forms, Refreshed Today Google released a large update to it's Forms questionnaire webapp, bringing with it many features already available on other Google apps. You can now work and chat with others simultaneously in Forms just like you could in Google Docs. Auto-saves and keyboard shortcuts have also made the trip over. The update will roll out over the next few days. [Google Drive Blog]
• Syncing Google services with Windows Phone Windows Phone users no longer have to worry about any forthcoming change in sync protocols. Google has announced that they will continue to support Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync through July 31st instead of ending support today as was originally planned. This will allow Windows Phone users to stay fully connected to Google services while Microsoft prepares an update that will include Google's new CalDAV and CardDAV protocols later this year. [Windows Phone Blog]

Photo by photastic (Shutterstock), a2bb5s (Shutterstock), and Feng Yu (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/5eaz2ndiilY/remains-of-the-day-windows-8-pro-goes-on-sale-for-students

jonbenet ramsey jason campbell doobie brothers jennie garth peter facinelli marques colston golden state warriors free agents nfl 2012

Speaking of ?friends help?? ? The Power of One Writer

Lots and lots and lots of people over the years have approached me with a question something like this:

?I have a great idea for/have written/have written and re-written and re-written a children?s book. What now??

I always recommend the Society of Children?s Book Writers and Illustrators. It was at SCBWI conferences that I first got to talk with and hear from published authors, where I met my first editors. My first agent was also someone I approached because of the bulletin published by SCBWI.? When River Friendly River Wild won the SCBWI Golden Kite award, I got to go to the SCBWI national conference and show a roomful of writers in LA the quilt that my writer friends had made for me after the flood.

If people are super duper serious, I recommend the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program where I teach. Even if I did break my elbow at the residency this month, I?m a fan. I?ve learned such craft from being part of that community of children?s book writers?and that?s with 25 books already published when I started to teach there.

Serious? The VCMFA community is, too.

Before I became part of the VCFA faculty, I also occasionally mentored writers. One was an amazing school librarian from the state of Maine. When Toni Buzzeo got in touch with me, she had already done the first important work of becoming a serious writer of children?s books?she was a serious reader of children?s books. I loved the work she did in her school to find new books and connect them with young readers?and I told her that she had the rhythm and voice of picture books that I didn?t often see in samples people asked me to read.

I began to share some of what I?d taught myself about writing picture books. We went from that kind of back-and-forth to places like ALA and to writing retreats together with some of my other author friends. Later, I asked her advice about the new libraries I was volunteering to help plant in Ethiopia through Ethiopia Reads (www.ethiopiareads.org) We became deep friends.

This week, I sat in the big hall at the American Library Association all shivery with excitement to hear which of my favorite books of the year would be honored with awards. The Caldecott and Newbery awards, in particular, are the stuff of writers? dreams?luminous and shiny with wonderfulness.

When Toni?s new picture book popped onto the screen, it was hard not to shout triumphant, leap up and do a cartwheel, broken elbow and all. Caldecott Honor, baby! Bring on the celebration!

I remember Toni on retreat writing this story.? My picture book workshop at VCFA had loved?it and come back to the pictures and words over and over?and Toni?was generous enough to share with those VCFA students some of her process as the author. Did?those students and I?feel cool and smart and smug to have recognized a winner? Uh-huh. We did.

Writing fiction is a lonely obsession but writers can hold pinkies in the tough times and share ideas and sadness and also sometimes feel the wild joy with you. Only a fellow artist knows just how high the mountain peak feels after the slog, slog, slog of the journey.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://janekurtz.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/speaking-of-friends-help/

usa today foxnews cnn yahoo news nbc news cnn news Connecticut shooting

TW Hydrae: There's more to astronomers' favorite planetary nursery than previously thought

Jan. 30, 2013 ? Using ESA's Herschel Space Telescope, astronomers including Thomas Henning from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg have used a new method to determine the mass of the planetary nursery around the star TW Hydrae. At a distance of merely 176 light-years from Earth, this is the closest star that is currently forming new planets -- hence one of the most important objects for astronomers studying planet formation. The precise new measurement shows a much larger mass for TW Hydrae's disk than in previous studies, indicating that the system could be forming planets similar to those of our own Solar System.

The study is published in the January 31 issue of the journal Nature.

Where Egyptologists have their Rosetta Stone and geneticists their Drosophila fruit flies, astronomers studying planet formation have TW Hydrae: A readily accessible sample object with the potential to provide foundations for an entire area of study. TW Hydrae is a young star with about the same mass as the Sun. It is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk: a disk of dense gas and dust in which small grains of ice and dust clump to form larger objects and, eventually, into planets. This is how our Solar System came into being more than 4 billion years ago.

What is special about the TW Hydrae disk is its proximity to Earth: at a distance of 176 light-years from Earth, this disk is two-and-a-half times closer to us than the next nearest specimens, giving astronomers an unparalleled view of this highly interesting specimen -- if only figuratively, because the disk is to small to show up on an image; its presence and properties can only be deduced by comparing light received from the system at different wavelengths (that is, the object's spectrum) with the prediction of models.

In consequence, TW Hydrae has one of the most frequently observed protoplanetary disks of all, and its observations are a key to testing current models of planet formation. That's why it was especially vexing that one of the fundamental parameters of the disk remained fairly uncertain: The total mass of the molecular hydrogen gas contained within the disk. This mass value is crucial in determining how many and what kinds of planets can be expected to form.

Previous mass determinations were heavily dependent on model assumptions; the results had significant error bars, spanning a mass range between 0.5 and 63 Jupiter masses. The new measurements exploit the fact that not all hydrogen molecules are created equal: Some very few of them contain a deuterium atom -- where the atomic nucleus of hydrogen consists of a single proton, deuterium has an additional neutron. This slight change means that these "hydrogen deuteride" molecules consisting of one deuterium and one ordinary hydrogen atom emit significant infrared radiation related to the molecule's rotation.

The Herschel Space Telescope provides the unique combination of sensitivity at the required wavelengths and spectrum-taking ability ("spectral resolution") required for detecting the unusual molecules. The observation sets a lower limit for the disk mass at 52 Jupiter masses, with an uncertainty ten times smaller than previous result. While TW Hydrae is estimated to be relatively old for a stellar system with disk (between 3 and 10 million years), this shows that there is still ample of matter in the disk to form a planetary system larger than our own (which arose from a much lighter disk).

On this basis, additional observations, notably with the millimeter/submillimeter array ALMA in Chile, promise much more detailed future disk models for TW Hydrae -- and, consequently, much more rigorous tests of theories of planet formation.

The observations also throw an interesting light on how science is done -- and how it shouldn't be done. Thomas Henning explains: "This project started in casual conversation between Ted Bergin, Ewine van Dishoek and me. We realized that Herschel was our only chance to observe hydrogen deuteride in this disk -- way too good an opportunity to pass up. But we also realized we would be taking a risk. At least one model predicted that we shouldn't have seen anything! Instead, the results were much better than we had dared to hope."

TW Hydrae holds a clear lesson for the committees that allocate funding for scientific projects or, in the case of astronomy, observing time on major telescopes -- and which sometimes take a rather conservative stance, practically requiring the applicant to guarantee their project will work. In Henning's words: "If there's no chance your project can fail, you're probably not doing very interesting science. TW Hydrae is a good example of how a calculated scientific gamble can pay off."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max Planck Institute for Astronomy/Max-Planck-Institut f?r Astronomie.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Edwin A. Bergin, L. Ilsedore Cleeves, Uma Gorti, Ke Zhang, Geoffrey A. Blake, Joel D. Green, Sean M. Andrews, Neal J. Evans II, Thomas Henning, Karin ?berg, Klaus Pontoppidan, Chunhua Qi, Colette Salyk, Ewine F. van Dishoeck. An old disk still capable of forming a planetary system. Nature, 2013; 493 (7434): 644 DOI: 10.1038/nature11805

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/YJ28yGuwkOg/130130132322.htm

HGTV Dream Home 2013 eric cantor eric cantor HGTV Sugar Bowl 2013 chick fil a chick fil a

NLRB Closed for Business? Maybe? HR, Recruiting, Social Media ...

A DC Circuit court?ruling may have put the National Labor Relations Board out of business - or not.? It depends on who you want to listen to.

If you line up on the Conservative side of things, then this ruling is the greatest day in the history of the United States since Ronald Reagan was conceived by his parents in an apartment on the second floor of a late 19th century commercial building in Tampico, Illinois.

Here?s a sampling of that converation:

If you are on the Progressive team, this decision is yet another clear sign of the conspiracy of corporate greed running our government today.

It?s easy to pick fun at the politics behind this decision, but there are some very serious implications to having the NRLB rendered inert, as pointed out by Eric B. Meyer of the excellent??Employer Handbook blog.

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, a two-member Board is powerless to exercise any authority.

At the time of the three recess appointments, the Board only had two members.Therefore, by ruling that Obama?s three recess appointments are unconstitutional, today?s appellate-court ruling effectively moots every decision from the Board subsequent to the recess appointments, most of which went against employers.

So the NLRB is an agency without a job ? finished ? kaput?or not.

Mark Gaston Pearce, the NLRB chair issued his own statement that more or less telling the DC Circuit Court?can go screw themselves.

?The Board respectfully disagrees with today?s decision and believes that the President?s position in the matter will ultimately be upheld. It should be noted that this order applies to only one specific case, Noel Canning, and that similar questions have been raised in more than a dozen cases pending in other courts of appeals.

In the meantime, the Board has important work to do. The parties who come to us seek and expect careful consideration and resolution of their cases, and for that reason, we will continue to perform our statutory duties and issue decisions.?

So let?s round this up in a neat little package.

1. The President made unconstitutional recess appointments.
2. The Appeals Court said that makes the agency non-functional.
3. The Agency itself says ?eff that, we?re gonna keep on keepin on.

Hello, Supreme Court.? Goodbye, effective labor relations policymaking in the United States for the forseeable future.???And it isn?t going to get better any time soon. In fact, it could get far worse from a business perspective, if this idea ever get traction behind their idea that now is the time to move beyond the NLRB.

Labor should take this opportunity to look beyond the NLRB as the sole source of workers? labor rights. The court?s decision on Friday has made apparent that the board has become too weak to remain the only venue where workers can seek relief for labor rights violations.

It is time to broaden the rights of workers by making labor organizing a civil right, so when employers illegitimately fire or discriminate against workers for organizing a union, workers can appeal not only to the NLRB, but also to a federal court.

Stay tuned. It?s gonna be a bumpy ride!

Article by Micheal Vandervort

Mike Vandervort is Human resources strategist. HR consultant, writer and speaker. His specialties include Social Media, Employee Relations, HR, & Labor Relations. Check out his blog, The Human Race Horses. ?You can also connect with him on Twitter, @mikevandervort.

Like this post? Want more from Blogging 4 Jobs? Subscribe via RSS to get updated with all the latest content.

Source: http://www.blogging4jobs.com/business/the-nlrb-is-out-of-business-maybe/

Barbara Palvin Yahoo Fantasy Football Nick Foles Auguste Rodin Breaking Amish Indianapolis explosion mike brown

The Ready Set Dedicates Song to Taylor Swift

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/the-ready-set-dedicates-song-to-taylor-swift/

apple earnings the glass castle jennifer hudson trial north korea threat brandon jacobs brandon jacobs brian dawkins

Cadavers honored in med student dissection lab

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Jimmy Beasley, left, speaks with Joan Terry, about her sister, donor Judy A. Clemens, after a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Jimmy Beasley, left, speaks with Joan Terry, about her sister, donor Judy A. Clemens, after a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., family members watch as a medical student lights a candle atop the remains of their grandfather, donor William N. Kelly, during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., A military honor guard folds the flag of a Viet Nam veteran and anonymous donor, during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., Linsdey Ellingsen, granddaughter of donor William N. Kelly, wipes a tear from her eye as a song is sung during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Sarah F. Shaaban reads from the Quran during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

GARY, Ind. (AP) ? When medical students have finished their study and practice on cadavers, they often hold a respectful memorial service to honor these bodies donated to science.

But the ceremonies at one medical school have a surreal twist: Relatives gather around the cold steel tables where their loved ones were dissected and which now hold their remains beneath metal covers. The tables are topped with white or burgundy-colored shrouds, flags for military veterans, flowers and candles.

The mixture of grace and goth at the Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest campus might sound like a scene straight out filmmaker Tim Burton's quirky imagination. Yet, despite the surrounding shelves of medical specimens and cabinets of human bones, these dissection lab memorials are more moving than macabre.

The medical students join the families in the lab and read letters of appreciation about the donors, a clergy member offers prayers, and tears are shed.

Family members are often squeamish about entering that room. This year's ceremony was last Friday, and relatives of one of the six adult donors being honored chose not to participate. And some who did attend had mixed feelings.

Joan Terry of Griffith, Ind., came to honor her sister, Judy Clemens, who died in 2011 at age 51 after a long battle with health problems including multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis. Terry said she felt a little hesitant about being in the dissection lab and was relieved that nothing too graphic was visible.

"I was kind of looking forward to coming," Terry said. "This is ... like a closure. I know Judy's not with us anymore. I know that she's dancing on the streets of gold in heaven. She's probably smiling knowing that her body's helping other people, helping these young doctors learn something about her, because that's what she wanted. That's the type of person that she was. She was always giving."

More than three dozen students, donors' relatives and campus staff members crowded the anatomy lab during Friday's memorial, surrounding the tables and standing solemnly along the room's perimeter. Some dabbed their eyes as prayers and remembrances were said, but faces were mostly stoic and there was no sobbing. The lab's usual odor of formaldehyde was strangely absent, masked perhaps by the sweet aroma of bouquets decorating the cadaver tables.

Some donors' relatives wore formal funeral attire. Terry, noting her plain pink T-shirt, said her sister wasn't a fancy person, either. Terry closed her eyes and struggled not to cry during the service, saying beforehand that Clemens "would be upset if I did."

Abdullah Malik, a medical student who worked on Judy Clemens, thanked her in a letter he read aloud during the ceremony.

"To have the courage and fortitude to endure as much as she did is a testament to her strength and an inspiration to us all," he read, standing next to Clemens' sister beside the dissection table holding Clemens' remains.

Ernest Talarico Jr., an assistant professor and director of anatomy coursework, created the unusual program and began holding the laboratory ceremonies in 2007. The cadavers are considered the medical students' first patients, and students are encouraged to have contact with the donors' families during the semester, too.

At other medical schools, donated bodies remain anonymous and students never meet the families. Talarico said his program humanizes the learning experience.

Talarico views the services as life-affirming and a chance to give thanks. The education these donated bodies have provided is invaluable, he says, teaching doctors-to-be how the body works, and what causes things to go wrong.

"We look at it as a celebration of the lives of those individuals and the gift that they have given to us," Talarico said.

He considers the location fitting.

"I think it is appropriate in that we honor them in the setting in which they desired to give what they viewed as their last gift to humanity," he said.

Malik, the medical student, said knowing the donors' identities and meeting their families enriches the students' medical education.

"Once you put a name and a face to the body that you're working with, once you kind of put an identity to it, you kind of connect to it in a really meaningful and powerful way," he said.

Medical student Kyle Parker said he admired the donors' relatives for showing up, and wondered if he were in their shoes, "would I be willing to meet the people who have actually dissected my family member?"

Parker said he hopes the answer would be yes.

___

Online:

Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest: http://iusm-nw.medicine.iu.edu

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at: http://www.Twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-01-29-Cadaver%20Memorial/id-015833758b8a440bbea0198148c2bd7d

jim carrey san francisco chronicle kourtney kardashian pregnant kourtney kardashian pregnant billy cundiff super bowl tickets superbowl

Reverse Chronological Resume Sample | Entry Level Sample ...

Reverse Chronological Resumes are most commonly used resume formats, which helps the reader to gain knowledge about the professional background of the job seeker.
The resume example written in reverse chorological formation of sales professional, having 14 years career experience in Sales Management, shows his job title in the current job held, to allow the potential employer to find the job applicants position immediately.
These details are followed by a list of his qualifications like key account management, business development and so on, which stretches to the span of 14 years sales career.
The resume shows his experience of most current job first in order and subsequently other experiences are shown in chronological reverse order. Education and Technical expertise are shown under separate sub heading after professional job experience.

David Bradford
21, Pine Street, Arlington, VA 12530
Home: (555) 325-4571
Cell: 566-321-2546
Email: david.bradford@yahoo.co.in

Sales and Sales Management professional

Proficient District Sales Manager with a 14 year work experience in achieving sales goal objective and revenue generation by training and formulating sales strategies to achieve desired sales result. Hold efficiency in client management, team building and sales closing.

Core Competencies includes:

Team Building / Negotiation & Sales Closing/

Budgeting and P & L / Client Relationship Management/

Cost Containment /Training & Staff Development

Professional Experience???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?Maryland Departmental Stores, Maryland, 2004 to present

District Sales Manager

Effectively supervise the operation of 10 departmental stores, dealing in consumer durables with annual sales figure reaching to $ 3 million. Successfully motivated sales professional by effective trainings and formulating sales strategies to achieve sales objective and organizational growth. Interact, with Department Manager on HR and sales related issues.

• Increased the efficiency of staffs with training programs, which enhanced turnover.
• Reduced workforce and managed turnover optimization with lesser personnel.
• Trained managers on P & L tracking system to obtain company goal.
• ?Assisted HR to recruit high caliber sales professionals.
• Negotiated with Consumer based group in Maryland.
• Formulated sales strategies which increased monthly sales to $3 million from meager $ 1.5 million.
• Designated for Best Sales Professional award for achieving highest sales in 2007.

Jerry & Jerry Inc., Washington DC

Territory Manager, 1998 to 2004

Controlled a team of 17 sales professionals and optimized sales performance by training and formulating effective sales strategies. Recruit, highly qualified sales personnel to enhance sales turnover. Identified and selected two qualified sales staff and groomed for the post of Assistant Sales manager. Fixed sales targets and formulated strategies to reach organizational goal by motivating sales persons. Introduce procedures for cost and budget control.

Achievements

• Managed to build highly efficient sales team
• Trained and motivated team members for enhance sales and obtain organization objective.
• Negotiated and closed sales deals, which generated additional revenue of $ 1.5 million.
• Awarded best District Manager Certificate for 5 years in succession.

Education and Training

B.S. Business Administration, University of Texas, 1998

(Specialization in Marketing and HR)

Technical Skills

Microsoft Word, MS Excel, Microsoft Power Point, Outlook and Internet

Source: http://sample-resumes-plus.com/reverse-chronological-resume-sample/

cee lo allen iverson jr smith chris anderson rondo suspended bay bridge presidents day

Chris Brown & Pals Jump Frank Ocean Over Parking Space?

Chris Brown & Pals Jump Frank Ocean Over Parking Space?

Chris Brown is accused of jumping fellow singer Frank Ocean in the parking lot of the Westlake Recording studio in Los Angeles on Sunday evening. Police were called to the scene after Brown and a few of his “homies” got into it with Ocean, leaving him with an injured hand. Frank Ocean tweeted about the ...

Chris Brown & Pals Jump Frank Ocean Over Parking Space? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/01/chris-brown-pals-jump-frank-ocean-over-parking-space/

Chicago Marathon 2012 texas rangers steve jobs meningitis bobby valentine bobby valentine nicki minaj

Pentagon to boost cybersecurity force fivefold - report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has approved a major expansion of its cybersecurity force to counter a growing threat of hacking and to conduct offensive operations against foreign foes, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing U.S. officials.

The officials, who were not named because the plan is not yet public, said the move would increase the cybersecurity force fivefold, from 900 personnel to a total of 4,900 troops and civilians.

It said senior Pentagon officials made the decision late last year amid a string of attacks, including one that wiped out more than 30,000 computers at a Saudi Arabian state oil company.

The increase in personnel was requested by the head of the Defense Department's Cyber Command.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment, but said he was aware of the report in the Washington Post.

The plan, the paper said, calls for creating three types of force under the Cyber Command.

"National mission forces," would protect computer systems that undergird electrical grids and other kinds of infrastructure. "Combat mission forces," would help commanders abroad execute attacks or other offensive operations, while "cyber protection forces," would focus on protecting the Defense Department's own systems.

(Reporting by Sarah Lynch; Editing by David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-boost-cybersecurity-force-fivefold-report-034248436.html

joan crawford joan crawford john goodman kendall marshall whitney houston news sylvia plath whitney houston

Video: Twin sisters reunited after 70 years apart

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50605244/

bobbi kristina brown new edition austerity rihanna and chris brown back together pebble beach clive davis cause of whitney houston death

Movie Review: 'Movie 43? ? CBS Philly

By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? Here?s the formula the way I see it:

? Inoffensive and funny equals funny.

? Offensive and funny also equals funny.

? But offensive and unfunny merely equals offensive.

The contemptible compilation comedy Movie 43 is simply offensive.

The final score? Movie 43, me zip.? That?s in terms of laughter and enjoyment and appreciation:? Zip.

(? star out of 4)

Here?s a movie boasting ?the biggest cast ever assembled? hell-bent on demonstrating that more is less. It succeeds, big-time. Make that small-time.

Movie 43, which about 43 celebrities parade through, features a star-studded, eclectic ensemble cast -? including but not limited to Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Kate Winslet, Dennis Quaid, Elizabeth Banks, Common, Jason Sudeikis, Greg Kinnear, Justin Long, Terrence Howard, Seth MacFarlane, Anna Faris, Josh Duhamel, Kate Bosworth, Kieran Culkin, Gerard Butler, Johnny Knoxvbille, Naomi Watts, Seann William Scott, and Uma Thurman.? In other words, comedy veterans as well as visitors from the dramatic realm, a spirited mix of the very famous, the sort-of famous, the soon-to-be-famous, and a few celebrity couples.

Did I mention that a lot of them are famous?

It?s a raunchy, taboo-tweaking, R-rated (and a hard R it is) assemblage of loosely intertwined comedy vignettes -? most of which would have been summarily rejected by ?Saturday Night Live? ? that are obliquely and lackadaisically connected.

If there is any line of narrative continuity, it?s the wraparound, which involves the attempts of Quaid to get a movie greenlighted.

You know that line between funny and offensive that an off-color joke or bit or gag has to stop short of so as not be demeaning?? Well, this movie lives on the far side of that line.

Producer and director Peter Farrelly, working alone rather than with his brother (Dumb & Dumber, There?s Something About Mary, The Three Stooges), did the film in bits and pieces over the course of five years, shooting short segments whenever his actors became available.

With shock value seemingly the only thing on his comedy agenda and given the doodle-pad nature of this sorry enterprise, it?s easy to imagine Bobby Farrelly -? or anybody else, for that matter ? wanting to sit this one out.

The script by the committee of Steve Baker, Rocky Russo, Jeremy Sosenko, and Matt Portnesy features a dozen storylines, each handled by a different director: in alphabetical order, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, director Farrelly (who handled two blind-date-related segments), Patrik Forsberg, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, and Jonathan van Tulleken.

The anything-for-a-laugh approach, with the makers more or less scoffing at the notion of character development or emotional engagement, has a deadening effect that kicks in pretty early on.? And we spend much of our viewing time wondering just how the makers talked the performers into stooping quite so low.

Maybe it was the chance to be filthy and irreverent in ways they wouldn?t dare in any respectable narrative film.

Anyway, we?ll film ? star out of 4 for this loose anthology of self-contained, unabashedly tasteless, and startlingly unfunny comedy sketches.? Movie 43 is, even this early in 2013, a strong candidate for the worst movie of the year.

Bill Wine?s Top 10 Movies of 2012

Bill?s Winter Movies Preview

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

More CBS Philly Entertainment News

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/01/26/movie-review-movie-43/

Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay Hotel Transylvania

Stepparenting & Blended Families 2013: Wisdom On Step-Parenting ...

Buy on the merchant's website searching and scan reviews. If you're trying to find Wisdom On Step-Parenting: How to Succeed Where Others Fail with discount value. This is the most effective price for you. Where you'll notice these item is by on-line searching stores? Read the review on Wisdom On Step-Parenting: How to Succeed Where Others Fail Now, it's the simplest deal. Thus don't lose it.

Wisdom On Step-Parenting: How to Succeed Where Others Fail
by Diana Weiss-Wisdom Ph.D.
(3)

New!: $12.95 (as of 01/24/2013 09:16 PST)
17 Used! | New! from $9.90 (as of 01/24/2013 09:16 PST)

Stepparenting & Blended Families

Subtitle: How To Succeed Where Others Fail This is a guide to creating loving, stable stepfamily relationships. Written by a psychologist and stepmother, this book is for stepparents who want to make the most of their situation and learn how to be resilient, happy, and confident in their relationship with their spouse and their stepchildren. The stories in this volume are drawn from clients that the author has counseled as well as her own adventurous life as a stepparent. To other struggling stepparents who feel they are drowning in their situation, she offers hope, encouragement, and realistic coping strategies. She provides proven techniques that help individuals succeed in their new marriages, build caring relationships with their stepchildren, and bolster their emotional life in general. "This gem of a book reveals how stepparenting, in spite of the pitfalls, can be done well and be immensely rewarding for the whole family." Richard Levak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist and Personality Expert

• Rank: #152684 in Books
• Published on: 2012-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.90" h x 5.91" w x .43" l, .62 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

Source: http://hotstepparentingblendedfamilies583.blogspot.com/2013/01/wisdom-on-step-parenting-how-to-succeed.html

Amy Poehler Australian Open Girls Hbo adele homeland homeland Golden Globes

Source: http://wittirving41.typepad.com/blog/2013/01/stepparenting-blended-families-2013-wisdom-on-step-parenting.html

san onofre paula deen birth control recall nick carter leslie carter aaron carter sister pfizer

Video: Hillary Clinton sports new lenses to prevent double vision

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50593544/

buffalo bills pittsburgh steelers seattle seahawks ryan tannehill cispa space shuttle new york courtney upshaw

Virgin America Taps MOGL?s Restaurant Gamification Platform To Serve Up Dining Rewards

Virgin America is the hip, new airline with cool in-seat displays complete with TV shows, games, and the ability to order food. So it only makes sense that they've tapped Califonia-based startup MOGL to power their Elevate frequent flyer dining rewards program. MOGL is a loyalty rewards app that serves restaurants by using gamification and a bit of charity to increase engagement and repeat visits. Users earn 10 percent cash back on meals purchased at MOGL partner locations, and have the chance to win a cash jackpot by being a loyal customer to their favorite spots. Plus, MOGL gives back by donating a meal to Feed America for every $20 spent on the platform.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fE7p2-mXyIs/

david bradley david foster wallace pinterest attwireless taylor swift zac efron the scream stephen colbert

Frontman for LA band charged with $6M loan fraud

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Robert Mawhinney gave the appearance that his fledgling band, Lights Over Paris, was successful. He enlisted rapper The Game for one of his videos, traveled around the world and had a customized tour bus emblazoned with the group's name on its side.

But federal prosecutors said Mawhinney's fortunes were built on fraud because he bilked more than $6 million in loans from banks by providing them fake documents that claimed he was a millionaire.

Authorities said Friday the 30-year-old singer was charged with making a false statement in a loan application and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. He's scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 11.

Over a nearly two-year period, beginning in August 2009, Mawhinney sought and obtained four loans from Comerica Inc. totaling about $6.2 million, according to court documents. He provided statements that claimed he had nearly $8 million in assets, but it turned out his account had only about $10,000, authorities said.

Loan officers even visited a recording studio in Burbank to determine if Mawhinney was creditworthy. There, the singer said he was a successful ghostwriter for various artists and sought the loans to finish a recording room in the studio, among other expenses, court documents show.

During that time, the band released an EP "Turn Off the Lights," which appeared on Billboard's Heatseeker Albums chart. The band also produced a video entitled "I'm Not A Gangsta," in which Mawhinney is riding shotgun in a Rolls Royce driven by The Game.

Prosecutors said Mawhinney attempted to pay off of some of his loans with proceeds he received from earlier payouts, but he eventually defaulted.

Mawhinney, who used the stage name Robb University, apparently lived the rock star lifestyle. He lived in a 35-story luxury high-rise located in downtown Los Angeles, took trips to the Caribbean, Europe and South America, and purchased a luxury tour bus that cost more than $750,000.

The front of the bus, once featured in Limo Digest, resembles the nose of an airplane and the vehicle is equipped with exterior awnings that, when expanded, look like wings.

Mawhinney was arrested at Miami International Airport earlier this month after returning from a trip to Buenos Aires.

He was being held without bond after a U.S. magistrate judge determined he posed a flight risk. Prosecutors said Mawhinney had sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Cyprus but didn't elaborate.

Mawhinney's attorney, Jerry Kaplan, declined comment.

Prosecutors said that two brothers who ran a recording facility and worked with Mawhinney have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit loan fraud.

Matt Salazar, 29, and his brother, Jason Salazar, 28, acknowledged they provided false documents to three banks to obtain about $1.7 million in loans for their music business, according to court documents.

Mawhinney used the Salazars' studio to bolster his own fraudulent loan applications, prosecutors said.

The Salazars face a maximum of five years in prison.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/frontman-la-band-charged-6m-loan-fraud-220714562.html

buffalo sabres texas news kim mulkey sarah palin today show dallas tornado video 1940 census instagram for android

Lenovo CFO says 'RIM and many others' are on the table as possible deals

This one is expectedly drawing a big no comment from RIM, but Bloomberg is reporting today that Lenovo has at least considered the possibility of acquiring the company or forming some other type of strategic alliance. That word comes straight from Lenovo's Chief Financial Officer, Wong Wai Ming, who said at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos that "we are looking at all opportunities -- RIM and many others," adding that, "we'll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along that could benefit us and shareholders." That interest has apparently extended as far as speaking to RIM and its bankers about various possible arrangements, but it's not clear when that happend or how far along the talks went. He also unsurprisingly didn't offer any indication as to when Lenovo might make a decision on the matter. As Bloomberg notes, such a deal would also a number of regulatory hurdles, including a review by the Canadian government.

Filed under: Mobile, RIM, Lenovo

Comments

Source: Bloomberg

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RyCdBB5GMvM/

ricky rubio day light savings time peter paul and mary edgar rice burroughs dallas clark litter marinol

New Shutterfly DigiScrap Style Makes it Easy to Create a Photobook

Shutterfly has just released a new photobook style for Digital Scrapbookers ? see it in action here:

This style has full bleed photo spots for the cover spine, title page, and inside pages. So all you need to do is upload your layouts and drag them on.

If you want to learn more about printing with Shutterfly ? why not join me for In Print.

Many digital scrapbookers are so excited to finish a scrapbook page that we never go back and print our layouts out to share with our friends and family.

Even though I loved the fact I could print out as many copies of my layouts as I liked, after two years scrapbooking I have never printed one page!

Once I finally bit the bullet and printed out my first photobook and my first set of 12?12 layouts, I was so excited. The pages looked so beautiful and how my family loved them. I ended up giving everyone their own 12?12 single layout as Christmas presents in 2009.

As my father-in-law looked at his ? a layout about the last day in their old home (that no longer stands) ? ?he couldn?t help but have a tear to his eye.

Have you seen the tears of joy as your loved ones leaf through the pages of a book you designed just for them?

As well as enjoying the photos and the story,?I love that sharing my layouts with others helps them connect with my hobby and understand more about what I spend time doing on the computer.

I?ll show you how to:

• Proofread your layouts easily -?don?t leave a typo in there!
• Work out what printing specifications each printing company has -?make sure your beautiful borders aren?t cut off
• Prepare your layouts for print with actions -?save fussing over the maths, and save time!
• Upload your images -?make sure your colours are true and clear

This workshop includes:

• Access to the live workshop (27th January 8:30pm EST/28th January 9:30am West Aussie Time) to ask your questions
• High Definition recording of the workshop
• All the links and handouts mentioned in the workshop
• 30 days of access to the VIP Membership program to help you get the most out of your workshop

Just $30 today

Workshops and handouts are available online 24/7.? No physical products are shipped.

30-day money back guarantee:

If you are not satisfied with the webinar?in the first 30 days, for WHATEVER reason, just email me and you will get a FULL REFUND.

What?s inside each workshop?

• A full length recording of the live workshop
• PDF Handout with slides and links mentioned in the workshop
• Bonus video tips and PDF cheat sheets (contents vary depending on the workshop)
• My email address! Send me questions!

Can I watch any time?

Yes All the workshop recordings are online and viewable 24/7.

How long do I have access to the videos?

You have ongoing access to the workshop recordings, available as long as Digital Scrapbooking HQ is around! There?s no time limit.

How do I see the videos?

When you purchase you will be taken through the registration process, and?you?ll receive an email with a link to the page. Problems? Email ?me?melissa@mshanhun.com

Can I watch on my iPad?

The workshop recording will play on your iPad, but you need to use a PC or Mac to access the live workshop.

I don?t have Photoshop Elements 11. Will this be useful to me?

Yes! If you have PSE 6 or newer on Windows or PSE 9 or newer on the Mac, you?ll be able to get a lot of value out of these workshops.

What do I receive

You will have access to handout and high-definition workshop recording to watch on your computer at any time. Just watch your email for the link.

What?s the Digital Scrapbooking HQ Membership?

When you purchase In Print?you?ll also receive a complimentary month of Digital Scrapbooking HQ Membership, so you can get the full benefit from the class.

Membership is the best way to get the lowest price on my video workshops that teach you how to make the most of Photoshop Elements in your scrapbooking.

For just $17 a month, you?ll receive:

• VIP access to the monthly workshop live
• Access to the high definition recording
• Bonus Q&A videos on scrapbooking topics
• Coupons and discounts for other Digital Scrapbooking HQ products
• Special gifts just for you from site you love around the web
• Email access to Melissa to help you with any Photoshop Elements and digital scrapbooking questions you may have
• Videos each week to answer member questions
• Audio inspiration each month
• Flickr Group where you can share your layouts
• The option to continue your VIP Membership after the trial at $17/month

What if I cancel my membership?

If you cancel your membership you?ll still have access to the workshops you purchased, ?as long as Digital Scrapbooking HQ is around.

Why should I learn with Melissa?

Melissa Shanhun?is an accomplished digital scrapbooker, a?True Scrap 3?instructor, and a natural teacher. She?s known for her ability to simplify complicated steps so anyone can create fantastic results!?-?Lain Ehmann from Layout a Day

Melissa is a scrapbooker of 10 years, educator and Photoshop Elements expert. Melissa?s been running online live workshops for over a year (18 workshops so far!) and will ensure that you get a lot of learning packed into each workshop.

Praise for Melissa:

Mind blown. Who knew it was so simple. Thanks! ? Lisa

My biggest AHA moment was that you could do this with Photoshop Elements. ?I think you did a great job on this workshop ? keep up the good work. ? Lois

You are soooo awesome! ?I can?t believe how quickly and exactly you found just what I was looking for.?Thank you so very much for your help. ? Barbara

What if I?m not sure it?s for me?

30-day money back guarantee:

If you are not satisfied with the webinar?in the first 30 days, for WHATEVER reason, just email me and you will get a FULL REFUND.

P.S.

I know you?ll be thrilled with the workshop I have for you. In Print?workshop recording and handouts are available online 24/7. No physical products are shipped.

Source: http://www.digitalscrapbookinghq.com/new-shutterfly-digiscrap-style-makes-it-easy-to-create-a-photobook/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-shutterfly-digiscrap-style-makes-it-easy-to-create-a-photobook

nfl scores nfl scores Devon Walker Tom Cruise ryan reynolds Star Trek: The Original Series Carlton

Biden heading to Virginia to push gun control

President Barack Obama listens at left as Vice President Joe Biden speaks about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama listens at left as Vice President Joe Biden speaks about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Vice President Joe Biden is taking the White House's campaign for gun control on the road to Virginia.

Biden plans a roundtable discussion Friday in Richmond with experts who worked on gun safety following the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.

President Barack Obama wants Congress to require background checks for all gun sales and ban both military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The president concedes passage will be difficult, but he also will travel to push the plan. His destinations have yet to be announced.

Virginia has an avidly pro-gun tradition, but lawmakers have been debating a bill to require that private sellers conduct criminal background checks on buyers at gun shows. The current law only requires dealers to conduct the checks.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-25-US-Biden-Gun-Control/id-86dd38a750d44b679fb78f9c10b26c07

Lupe Ontiveros London 2012 China muhammad ali Opening ceremony London 2012 Google Fiber Olympics Schedule 2012 Olympic Medal Count 2012

Microsoft's 2Q earnings dip despite Windows 8 lift

In this Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, file photo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, left, and Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs speak during Jacobs' keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. Microsoft's latest quarterly earnings for the last quarter of 2012 slipped, even as the world's largest software maker showed modest progress adjusting to a shift away from the personal computers that have been its financial foundation for decades. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

In this Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, file photo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, left, and Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs speak during Jacobs' keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. Microsoft's latest quarterly earnings for the last quarter of 2012 slipped, even as the world's largest software maker showed modest progress adjusting to a shift away from the personal computers that have been its financial foundation for decades. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Microsoft's latest quarterly earnings slipped, even as the world's largest software maker showed modest progress adapting to a shift away from the personal computers that have been its financial foundation for decades.

The results announced Thursday are the first to include Windows 8. The program is a dramatic overhaul of the Microsoft Corp. operating system that powers most PCs. Windows 8 came out Oct. 26 with slightly more than two months left in Microsoft's fiscal second quarter.

Microsoft is counting on Windows 8 to help the company extend its franchise into tablet computers while still reaping revenue from a new breed of PCs. The redesigned software displays applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles instead of a staid menu. It can be controlled by touching on a display screen, as well as the traditional method of using a keyboard and a mouse.

Although sales of Windows 8 haven't been as impressive as investors hoped, revenue in Microsoft's Windows division climbed 24 percent from the previous year. That includes sales that had to be deferred from earlier quarters because the purchases were made before Windows 8's release.

When Windows 8 finally hit the market, Microsoft also unveiled its own tablet computer, Surface, as a showcase for the operating system. Microsoft didn't disclose Thursday how many Surface devices were sold in the October-December period.

"I don't think they want to provide that because it won't be impressive," technology analyst Patrick Moorhead said.

Analysts have estimated Microsoft sold 750,000 to 1 million of the Surface units during the quarter, far below the nearly 23 million iPads that Apple said it shipped during the same period.

Microsoft booked its Surface sales in the Window division, accounting for some of the gains from the previous year. The Redmond, Wash., company is trying to get the Surface into more hands by releasing the device in 14 more countries and coming out with a more sophisticated version that can handle all Microsoft programs. The new model, called Surface Pro, will debut Feb. 9. The one already out runs a streamlined version of Windows 8 called RT.

Analysts say it's still far too early to reach any definitive conclusions about Windows 8 prospects because it will take time for people to get used to the new system. What's more, the companies that buy most Windows machines typically wait a year or two before changing to a new version of the operating system to ensure all the bugs are worked out.

"I kind of like the Windows segment," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said, adding that the 24 percent growth was "a little stronger than expected."

But another Microsoft division that includes another big moneymaker ? the company's Office suite of software ? didn't fare also well. Revenue in the Office division declined 10 percent, a shortfall that may have spooked some investors. Analyst Josh Olson of Edward Jones said he believes many of Microsoft's corporate customers may have held off on buying Office because a new version of that program is scheduled to come out early this year. Microsoft ended December with $788 million in deferred Office revenue. Most, if not all, that money is expected to be booked before the end of Microsoft's fiscal year in June.

Microsoft earned $6.4 billion, or 76 cents per share, during the final three months of 2012. That was down 4 percent from $6.6 billion, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company's total revenue rose 3 percent from the previous year to $21.5 billion.

The earnings were a penny above the average estimate of analysts surveyed by FactSet, while the total revenue fell below analysts' projections by about $100 million.

Microsoft's stock shed 44 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $27.19 in Thursday's extended trading, after the release of results. The stock has remained stuck below its price before Windows 8 and Surface came out, signaling that investors aren't pleased with the products' performance so far.

"This is going to be a 'show-me' year for Microsoft, and there was nothing to really shout about in this quarter," Olson said. "So what we are seeing is sort of a shrug from investors."

Microsoft is still trying to working with device makers to come up with the proper mix of machines at different prices to appeal to consumers and corporate customers, said Peter Klein, the company's chief financial officer.

"This is a big, ambitious reimagining of Windows and this quarter was the first step in that process," Klein told analysts in a Thursday conference call.

Besides debuting Windows and Surface during the most recent quarter, Microsoft also released a new version of its operating system for smartphones.

If Microsoft's revamped software for tablets and smartphones catches on, it would help the company overcome a downturn in PC sales, which has reduced licensing revenue during the past year. Worldwide PC shipments fell 3.5 percent last year, marking the industry's first annual decline since 2001, according to the research firm Gartner Inc.

Despite Microsoft's high hopes and an elaborate marketing campaign, Windows 8 appears to have gotten off to a tepid start. Technology reviews have panned the software as too confusing and cumbersome to navigate, and none of the hundreds of devices running on Windows 8 emerged as a breakout hit during the holiday season.

A big chunk of Microsoft's Windows revenue in the holiday-season quarter came from sales that were made before the new operating system's release. Excluding revenue that had been deferred from previous quarter, Windows revenue increased 11 percent from the same period in 2011.

Reiterating information released earlier this month, Microsoft said it has licensed more than 60 million copies of Windows 8. That puts the redesigned system on the same early sales trajectory as its predecessor, Windows 7, after it came out in 2009. It's unclear how many of the devices that have licensed Windows 8 are still sitting on store shelves.

___

AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay in New York contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-24-US-Earns-Microsoft/id-9ef7025ba9394bc4b2e4d0a94c49d7a6

billy joel bent new york jets etch a sketch romney sean payton saints bounty program toulouse france

China's Lenovo sees RIM as M&A option, CFO says

TORONTO (Reuters) - A senior Lenovo executive said on Thursday that the Chinese computer maker may consider Research in Motion as a takeover target, sending the Blackberry maker's shares up 2 percent just a week before it launches a make-or-break line of redesigned smartphones.

But Levovo, which vaulted into the personal computer market with its 2005 purchase of IBM's PC division, would face formidable hurdles if it tried to buy a company that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper once described as a national "crown jewel." The Chinese company would also encounter tough regulatory scrutiny in Washington, cybersecurity experts say.

Lenovo, on track to become the world's largest PC maker, has held talks with RIM and its bankers about various combinations or strategic ventures, its chief financial officer, Wong Wai Ming, said on Thursday.

"We are looking at all opportunities - RIM and many others," Wong told Bloomberg in an interview at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We'll have no hesitation if the right opportunity comes along."

A spokesman for Lenovo said Wong was asked about RIM by the Bloomberg journalist and that Wong was speaking broadly about Lenovo's M&A strategy.

CRUCIAL JUNCTURE

RIM, once a pioneer in the smartphone industry, has struggled in recent years as its aging line-up of devices have ceded market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and devices based on Google Inc's Android operating system.

RIM hopes its new touch-screen and keyboard devices, powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system, will help it claw back some of the lost ground. Optimism surrounding the launch has powered the stock higher in recent weeks.

Last May the Waterloo, Ontario-based company announced a far-reaching strategic review under which it was expected to examine all options, from software licensing deals to an outright sale of the company.

Earlier this week, RIM shares surged to a 13-month high after Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said RIM might consider strategic alliances with other companies after next week's BlackBerry 10 launch.

In an interview with a German newspaper on Monday, Heins said RIM's ongoing strategic review could lead to the sale of its handset business or the licensing of its software to rival smartphone companies.

Even so, analysts expressed skepticism about a Lenovo bid.

"Anybody who's serious about buying a company doesn't go talking it up. ... It sounds to me like a comment made more for publicity's sake than a serious approach for RIM," said Charter Equity analyst Ed Snyder. "It is a very long shot at the best.'

NET BENEFIT TEST

Any bid for RIM would face a rigorous review by the Ottawa to determine whether the deal would bring a "net benefit" to Canada. The Investment Canada Act gives the government the authority to kill deals that could harm Canadian interests or threaten the country's national security.

In response to the comments by Heins, Canada's Industry Minister Christian Paradis told Reuters earlier this week that Canada may even go to the extent of reviewing a sale of RIM's handset business if such a deal was proposed.

"Research in Motion has made an important contribution to information and communications technology in Canada, a sector that is so important to the Canadian economy. We hope they continue to do so well into the future," Paradis said in an emailed response to the Lenovo comments on Thursday.

Cybersecurity experts said Lenovo would likely go up against tough U.S. government scrutiny as well since the Defense Department and other agencies rely on the Blackberry, which is considered more secure than other smartphones.

"A potential acquisition of RIM by Lenovo would raise a number of important security issues," said Michael Wessel, a Commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, appointed by Congress.

"Government employees are one of the largest users of RIM's BlackBerry products and the security of their communications has to be of paramount concern," said Wessel, adding that he was speaking on behalf of himself and not the Commission.

After the comments from Lenovo, a RIM spokesman said the company had nothing new to report on its strategic review.

RIM shares closed 2.2 percent higher at $17.74 on Thursday the Nasdaq. The Toronto-listed shares closed 2.9 percent higher at C$17.80. RIM is a volatile stock, and moves of 3 percent and more are not uncommon.

Its shares are down almost 90 percent from an all-time high of over $148 in 2008, but the stock has rallied in the last four months as the launch of the BlackBerry 10 devices nears. The company's shares have nearly tripled in value since dipping as low as $6.22 in late September.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha in Toronto, Diane Bartz in Washington, Randall Palmer in Ottawa and Sinead Carew in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rim-shares-rally-report-lenovo-interest-161024694--finance.html

chuck colson death meteor showers 2012 ufc 145 jones vs evans marian hossa philip humber red sox

What the Oldest Meteorites Say about the Early Solar System (preview)

See Inside

Microscopic analyses of chondrites, the oldest rocks in the solar system, are filling in details of what our neighborhood in space was like shortly before the planets formed

By Alan E. Rubin

HIDDEN GEMS: The ?jewels? in this polarized light micrograph of a slice from a chondrite are chondrules, tiny beads of silicate minerals. Despite this chondrite's beauty, it belongs to the class known as ordinary. Image: J. M. DEROCHETTE

In Brief

• Chondritic meteorites are made of the stuff that formed the planets, moons, asteroids and comets. Each chondrite group has its own distinctive textural and compositional characteristics.
• From these properties, the author and other scientists have inferred roughly the locations where the chondrite groups formed and the relative amount of dust present in those regions.
• The dust distribution resembles that seen in protoplanetary disks of dust and gas swirling around several stars known as T Tauri stars?in particular, young, one- to two-million-year-old versions about as massive as our sun. This resemblance suggests that T Tauri systems are good analogues of the sun and its own disk during the early stages of solar system history.

I pity Astronomers. They can see the objects of their affection?stars, galaxies, quasars?only remotely: as images on computer screens or as light waves projected from unsympathetic spectrographs. Yet many of us who study planets and asteroids can caress pieces of our beloved celestial bodies and induce them to reveal their innermost secrets. When I was an undergraduate astronomy major, I spent many a cold night looking through telescopes at star clusters and nebulae, and I can testify that holding a fragment of an asteroid is more emotionally rewarding; it offers a tangible connection with what might otherwise seem distant and abstract.

The asteroidal fragments that fascinate me most are the chondrites. These meteorites, which constitute more than 80 percent of those observed to fall from space, derive their name from the chondrules virtually all of them contain?tiny beads of melted material, often smaller than a rice grain, that formed before asteroids took shape early in the solar system's history. When we examine thin slices from chondrites under a microscope, they become beautiful to behold, not unlike some of the paintings by Wassily Kandinsky and other abstract artists.

This article was originally published with the title Secrets of Primitive Meteorites.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=02cfadbb5c589b2461a2a7ff0e7f3de9

lee evans 49ers vs giants giants vs 49ers sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game steven tyler national anthem

Panel Slams Police in India Rape Case, Rejects Death Penalty (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278998044?client_source=feed&format=rss

china gdp dont trust the b in apartment 23 johnny damon kirk cameron news 10 hillary rosen j.k. rowling