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Variety For Sale
Variety, a trade magazine that has covered Hollywood for more than 100 years, is up for sale.
Its owner, a unit of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, announced the decision Friday in a story on Variety's website.
Reed Business Information Chief Executive Mark Kelsey said in a statement that it makes sense to sell the business, just as Reed has sold its other U.S. print magazines. Reed sold book trade magazine Publisher's Weekly in 2010 and pay TV industry magazine Multichannel News in 2009. It is also selling its Australian business publications.
Kelsey said Reed is increasingly focused on business data services.
Variety, which dates back to 1905, is facing stiff competition covering the business of Hollywood from websites such as Deadline and The Wrap, as well as The Hollywood Reporter, its longtime rival that was revamped in 2010 under new ownership.
Faced with the onslaught of Web-based news outlets, Variety put its online content behind a "paywall" in early 2010, ending an experiment with free online content that it began in October 2006.
It also ramped up the number of industry-focused conferences it hosts, and tried last year to compete with Amazon.com Inc.'s movie information site, IMDb.com, by selling a data tool called FlixTracker. Despite those innovations, most of Variety's revenue still comes from advertising.
In a memo to staff on Friday, Variety President Neil Stiles said he would lead the sale process while working with Reed Business and a broker.
"I am confident that under new ownership, we will be able to continue to build on our achievements," he said.


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Kaspersky: 30,000 Mac users left infected with Flashback, more Mac malware on the way
As of yesterday, security company Symantec released a statement claiming there were still 140,000 Macs infected from the recent Flashback malware outbreak that originally infected an estimated 600,000 Mac users. That was despite Apple issuing a Java security update to remove the malware. Today, security researchers from Kaspersky said during a press conference (via Ars Technica) that it estimated infections dropped to 30,000, while still warning more "mass-malware" on OS X is on the way:
"Market share brings attacker motivation… Expect more drive-by downloads, more Mac OS X mass-malware. Expect cross-platform exploit kits with Mac-specific exploits."
Kaspersky also clarified that much of the Flashback infections were spread through trusted WordPress websites that have been hijacked rather than through malicious downloaded files as many assume. Ars explained:

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are a beginner and just started learning Java, you might be thinking where exactly Java is used? You don't see many games written in Java except Minecraft, desktop tools like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office are not written in Java, neither is your operating systems like Linux or Windows, so where exactly people use Java? Does it have any real-world application or not? Well, you are not alone, many programmers ask this question before starting with Java, or after picking Java is one of the programming language of choice at graduate level. By the way, you can get a clue of where Java is used by installing Java at your desktop, Oracle says more than 3 billion devices run Java, that's huge number, isn't it? Most major companies use Java in one way or other. Many server side applications are written in Java to process tens of millions of requests per day, high frequency trading applications are also written in Java e.g. LMAX trading applications, which is built over their path breaking inter-thread communication library, Disruptor. In this article, we will see more precisely, what kind of projects are done in Java, which domain or sector Java is dominating and where exactly Java is useful in real-world?
Real World Java Applications
There are many places where Java is used in real world, starting from commercial e-commerce website to android apps, from scientific application to financial applications like electronic trading systems, from games like Minecraft to desktop applications like Eclipse, Netbeans and IntelliJ, from open source library to J2ME apps etc. Let's see each of them in more detail.
If you want to see where Java is used, you are not too far away. Open your Android phone and any app, they are actually written in Java programming language, with Google's Android API, which is similar to JDK. Couple of years back Android has provided much needed boost and today many Java programmer are Android App developer. By the way android uses different JVM and different packaging, but code is still written in Java.
2) Server Apps at Financial Services Industry
Java is very big in Financial Services. Lots of global Investment banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Barclays, Standard Charted and other banks use Java for writing front and back office electronic trading system, writing settlement and confirmation systems, data processing projects and several others. Java is mostly used to write server side application, mostly without any front end, which receives data form one server (upstream), process it and sends it other process (downstream). Java Swing was also popular for creating thick client GUIs for traders, but now C# is quickly gaining market share on that space and Swing is out of its breath.
3) Java Web applications
Java is also big on E commerce and web application space. You have a lot of RESTfull services being created using Spring MVC, Struts 2.0 and similar frameworks. Even simple Servlet, JSP and Struts based web applications are quite popular on various government projects. Many of government, healthcare, insurance, education, defense and several other department have their web application built in Java.
4) Software Tools
Many useful software and development tools are written and developed in Java e.g. Eclipse, IntelliJ Idea and Netbeans IDE. I think they are also most used desktop applications written in Java. Though there was time when Swing was very popular to write thick client, mostly in financial service sector and Investment banks. Now days, Java FX is gaining popularity but still it is not a replacement of Swing and C# has almost replaced Swing in Finance domain.
5) Trading Application
Third party trading application, which is also part of bigger financial services industry, also use Java. Popular trading application like Murex, which is used in many banks for front to bank connectivity, is also written in Java.
6) J2ME Apps
Though advent of iOS and Android almost killed J2ME market, but still there is large market of low end Nokia and Samsung handset which uses J2ME. There was time when almost all games, application, which is available in Android are written using MIDP and CLDC, part of J2ME platform. J2ME is still popular on products like Blu-ray, Cards, Set top boxes etc. One of the reason of WhatsApp being so popular is because it is also available in J2ME for all those Nokia handset which is still quite big.
7) Embedded Space
Java is also big in the embedded space. It shows how capable the platform is, you only need 130 KB to be able to use Java technology (on a smart card or sensor). Originally Java was designed for embedded devices. In fact, this is the one area, which was part of Java's initial campaign of "write once, run anywhere" and looks like it is paying up now.
8) Big Data technologies
Hadoop and other big data technologies are also using Java in one way or other e.g. Apache's Java-based HBase and Accumulo (open source), and ElasticSearch as well. By the Java is not dominating this space, as there are technologies like MongoDB which is written in C++. Java has potential to get major share on this growing space if Hadoop or ElasticSearch goes big.
9) High Frequency Trading Space
Java platform has improved its performance characteristics a lot and with modern JITs, its capable of delivering performance at C++ level. Due to this reason, Java is also popular on writing high performance systems, because Though performance is little less compared to native language, but you can compromise safety, portability and maintainability for more speed and it only takes one inexperienced C++ programmer to make an application slow and unreliable.
10) Scientific Applications
Nowadays Java is often a default choice for scientific applications, including natural language processing. Main reason of this is because Java is more safe, portable, maintainable and comes with better high-level concurrency tools than C++ or any other language.
In 1990s Java was quite big on Internet due to Applet, but over the years, Applet's lost its popularity, mainly due to various security issues on Applet's sand boxing model. Today desktop Java and Applets is almost dead. Java is by default Software industries darling application development language, and given its heavy usage in financial services industry, Investment banks and E-commerce web application space, any one learning Java has bright future ahead of him. Java 8 has only reinforced the belief that Java will continuing dominating software development space for years to come.


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I am taking a brief break from my string of daily attempts at the EDM challenges. I am rather busy at work these days and in the home stretch of being a dad before Jack starts at RISD in a week or so. I shall be back to draw again very soon and hope my example doesn't deter you from drawing as often as possible.
11 thoughts on ""
Good for you. I love it when we know our priorities and act upon them. Enjoy these last precious days with your son. You will never regret it.
God speed.
Now I'll be able to catch up and maybe work ahead some.
I draw every day…unless something really IMPORTANT gets in the way, but that hardly ever happens. Not much is MORE IMPORTANT than drawing. LOL enjoy your break. And treasure your time with Jack! I know that you do. You will be missed.
Glad you're taking some time for yourself and for Jack. Sending a child off to college is bittersweet.
Thanks for catching us up- I find life is constantly intervening-which is a big part of the fun!
Being a parent is the most important job in the world. Know that we (or most of us) support your choice in taking a bit of a break, however we will miss seeing your posts. Your work always inspires me. Hope you stay in touch by taking a bit of time just to look – see what everyone is doing. Can't wait til your new books are in the stores. Have a wonderful day! I will certainly be thinking about you as I continue my daily challenges.
I have to laugh at the idea of a "homestretch" of being a dad. Once a parent, always a parent. If your 100 and the child is 80 you're still dad. Enjoy the break.
I will be soon a parent, hopefully, of a healthy baby boy, so I can understand your feelings very well. Iwill be redeployed soon and I just hope to come back for the baby due date…
Thats funny Molly, its about right too! always in there, loving and mentoring and a bit of a backstop to all sorts of things… Good luck with it all Danny, it is an intense time, bittersweet and almost in sepia, but of course there is more to come! Enjoy each moment of it.
thinking of you both
go well


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Romney in London: Never Mind The Olympics, Here's the Embarrassment
Americans have gone to England and been pancaked by London black cabs because they looked the wrong way before crossing the street. Americans have unluckily picked seven-day stretches of rain for their week's vacation in the sceptered isle. But Mitt Romney might be having the worst English vacation since Harald Hardråde's, and his is only two days old.
Even if you feel neutrally about Romney, it's impossible to escape the sensation that he believes Basic Competence murdered his family and that he must have his revenge against it. Things are so bad that any second now Matt Drudge might run a link claiming that Romney's VP pick will actually be a fully Weekend at Bernies'd Ronald Reagan.
That said, it's kind of nice to know that even when rich people go on vacation, it can still be a giant headache, like it is for the rest of us. Because that's what this is—a vacation.
Though his campaign bills Romney's overseas trip as a foreign policy junket, it's far less than that. Romney has pledged to honor the American tradition that politics end at the nation's borders, so that eliminates a lot substantive commentary. He also has almost nothing to say about foreign policy even when he's off the leash.
Mitt's policy is, "I'm different." He opposes Obama's withdrawal plan from Afghanistan, but he won't offer one of his own. His "alternate" plans for Libya and Syria are similar mysteries. He says he'd do "the opposite" of what Obama's done in Israel, but apart from some ineffectual shaming language about settlements, Obama's as much in the AIPAC tank as anyone else.
Much of his policy can be inferred from his book title, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, which echoes his fabricated attack that Obama is ashamed of America and constantly seeks the world's pardon for it. Obama is a mewling Carterite; Romney fears nothing. He needs no excuse. Perhaps he might like one for this, which appeared in I Don't Care, Mom: You Can Make Me Say Sorry, But I Won't Mean It:
England [sic] is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions.
Fortunately, as of Friday morning, the English press hadn't erupted in outrage over those comments. Unfortunately, all Romney could really accomplish on this trip was look informed and presidential, and he did neither. The English press had so much to roast him with that his trip looked more like a script for The Thick of It that Armando Iannucci wadded up and threw in the trash because it seemed "too fucktarded."
It's not clear whether Romney's Baedeker is out of date or if his guide to England is The Lonely Planet: Kolob. But the highlights are hilarious. Click here to get in the right frame of mind, strap the dog to the roof, and let's hop in the Wagon Queen Family Truckster:
- In an interview with Brian Williams, Romney questioned Britons' enthusiasm for the Olympics, asking, ""Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? [That's] something which we only find out once the Games actually begin." This led London Mayor Boris "THE ROCK" Johnson to fire up a crowd by going for cheap pops. "I hear there's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we're ready," he said. "Are we ready?" The crowd cheered wildly. Then Johnson asked if the crowd smelled what he was cooking and urged Romney to check out of the five-star hotel where he was staying and holding fundraisers with the LIBOR-fixers who defrauded the world and instead check di-rect-ly into the Smackdown Hotel (in Penge). He then spent the rest of the speech just calling Romney "that jabroni." Everything after "Are we ready?" might be made up, but that's the price you pay for watching THE MOST ELECTRIFYING MAYOR IN BRITS' ENTERTAINMENT.
- Romney described some of Britain's preparation as "disconcerting," citing rumors of a strike and "the private security firm not having enough people." This is the sort of gaffe that, if made by a Democrat, would see Republican pundits screaming DANGER! DANGER!, because suddenly a security shortfall was being broadcast to OUR ENEMIES, THE ISLAMOFASCIST OLYMPIC BOMB-SHOTPUTTING TEAM. Instead, British PM David Cameron explained some of the inevitable planning hitches while calling Romney out on his record of running the 2002 Winter Olympics in a metro area of 12 million fewer people, unencumbered by the traffic and historical development restrictions of a city roughly 2,000 years old. "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world," Cameron said. "Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic games in the middle of nowhere." The zinger was almost savage, considering Cameron usually has the wit and agility of a haircut stapled to a pair of trousers.
- Romney talked about "[looking] out of the backside of 10 Downing Street." While "backside" has the same buttock connotation in the United States, in England the spacial/location aspect of the term would have taken a distant second place. Basically, the first assumption the natives would have had, upon hearing it, was to think Romney said he was staring out of Downing Street's asshole. Whether they interpreted that to refer to David Cameron depends on party affiliation.
- Lastly, Romney mentioned meeting with the head of MI6, whose schedule is very rarely reported. British overseas intelligence is far more opaque than America's, to the extent that the existence of MI6 wasn't even officially acknowledged by perfidious Albion until the 1990s. An American analogue might be Tony Blair coming to the states in 2002 and saying he had a lovely lunch with Dick Cheney at his undisclosed location. Anybody could then check Blair's schedule and see that from noon to 1:30 he was scheduled to "spend time walking around that abandoned North Dakota missile silo the Cigarette Smoking Man trapped Krycek and the black oil in."
Romney even had time to send unfavorable signals back to the United States. In the same Brian Williams interview, Mitt said that he wouldn't watch the Olympic performance of his wife's six- or seven-figure dressage horse Rafalca (one whose future earnings could net the family $77,000 in tax breaks). Perhaps owning a horse whose purchase price might have been equivalent to the median price of roughly four new American homes defines "out of touch." But turning around and showing utter disinterest in the same fabulously expensive thing seems even worse. Sure, go ahead and own something whose cost is obscene, but at least appreciate it. If you're going to own a horse worth more than many of your fellow Americans, do them a solid and act like you fucking enjoy the experience. It's like Romney bought a vintage Ferrari, decided owning a million-dollar car looked bad and said, "I don't drive it. I gave it to my dumbfuck nephew." Then you Google the nephew's name, and he looks just like Matthew Lillard.
Still, it wasn't all bad! Mitt and his bodyguard found Romney Road. One assumes it's a traffic-restricted private roadway zoned only for palanquins, but the picture is nice. And the good news for comedy fans is that Mitt could continue this Bataan Clown March so intensely that his first two days pale in comparison. Think of the possibilities (including his trips to Poland and Israel):
- Loudly complaining in the Olympic stadium that his chair is too low and he needs a Stone of Scone to sit on so he can see better.
- Cheerfully greeting every woman named "Laurie" by asking how much junk she's hauling around behind her.
- Driving on the right side of the road and mowing down gruel-stained orphans one after another after another.
- Refusing to release the forms he filed to get his VAT back on exiting the country.
- Congratulating England on being a country where every fag "gets smoked."
- Screaming at some kids in an elevator that they should just lift themselves up by their bootstraps.
- Insisting on blasting "Ride of the Valkyries" out of his helicopter as it comes in to land in Tel Aviv.
- Moving his lips and making noise even when Sheldon Adelson is drinking a glass of water.
- Flipping a coin at Polish President Bronisław Komorowski and saying, "Your country's still a little bombed-out. How about you buy yourself some vowels and a clue?"
This could be fun. There's no reason not to have these kinds of high aspirations for a man who inspired the normally loathsome John Podhoretz to tweet that he was "like Mr. Bean, only he's an American."
And, look, maybe this seems a little mean-spirited, like piling on. Mitt has these periods of wealthy-guy boobery that make you want to feel sorry for him. Sometimes it seems like the poor twit can't help it. Then, sadly, there are all those times it's unmistakable that he can.
Because it was one of Romney's advisors—someone for whom he is responsible, both as the leader of his campaign and the quadrennial high priest of the GOP Leadership Cult—who anonymously said that Obama did not appreciate the U.S. and Great Britain's shared Anglo-Saxon heritage.
Maybe you want to streeeeeeeeetch and say that the advisor referred to the neocon dream of a global-security "anglosphere" community of nations. But the Romney campaign knows full well exactly how this kind of commentary resonates and with whom, and this is how Mitt Romney relentlessly drives away sympathy. He might be bumbling around Piccadilly Circus looking for the elephant show, but his campaign is efficiently casting Obama in the role of "the other." He can be the Kenyan anti-colonialist other (who did the Kenyans rebel against?—gasp—BRITAIN!), or he can just be un-American.
Regardless, the president who doesn't share our Anglo-Saxon values also just happens to be the first black president. Sure, he's half-white, and his mother's maiden name is hardly uncommon in the land of Angles and Saxons, but whatever. Not appreciating "the shared history we have" excludes Obama beautifully. As one famous Englishman once said, "Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink."
Say no more.
[Image: Getty]


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As a rule I try to keep the weekend posts here at Unload and Unwind to more humorous topics as a way of taking a step back from the more serious pieces that I write about politics and the environment. However I have decided that this issue far out ways the need to step back. In fact I am calling for all of us to step forward, to raise our voice and add our names to the petitions being created around the world decrying the horrendous taking of a number of young girls in Nigeria.
As most may be aware on April 16 of this year 200 girls were kidnapped by an extremist group called 'Boko Haram'. This was done so that they would be unable to take their examinations and to call a halt to the education of women in that country. Around the world the outrage has poured forth and yet the Nigerian government, reluctant to start a civil dispute, has moved far to slowly in aid of these young women.
The terrified families, forced to realize that there would be little aid coming for them, are planning on entering the forest where they believe these girls are being held and plead for their release. It unlikely that they will be able to achieve anything on their own , in fact Boko Haram has released video footage in the last days portraying the rape and torture of these young women and their determination to sell them into slavery in retaliation for trying to 'exceed their proper roles in life' by getting a western education. Since then there have been other abductions but not in such large number as this attack on the 200 girls.
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 and loosely translated from the local Hausa language means "Western education is forbidden". It has been involved in a large number of assassinations, abductions and bombings. In 2010 was declared a terrorist group by the US amid fears that it had developed links with other militant groups, such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, to wage a global jihad.
What I am asking, actually what I am begging is that you share this post with others as well as add your name to the petitions from Be Brave – Take a Stand, Walk Free and We the People in the US by following the links provided in the sentence. There are some things in this world that cannot and should not be tolerated. If we can send the military into other countries to deal with groups we are told pose an imminent threat then we should have no trouble sending military aid to assist the Nigerian Government and the families of these girls.
As a rule I dislike military intervention but as I said there are times and this is one of them, not just for these young women and their families but for all who would come after them and all who have gone before. If you know of other petitions in your own countries then send the links here or in your own posts and gather as many signatures as you can demanding that our governments step in and do what the Nigerian government is either unable or unwilling to achieve alone.


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3.2 Change-Log: - New: credentials for public shared account are automatically acquired from server (if available) 3.1 Change-Log: - Improved: support for public shared accounts 3.0 Change-Log: - New: shows a warning message for those accounts whom generates too much traffic - Improved: disabled the keypress-auto-repeat in the listboxes to avoid flooding the server with a lot of requests and get the account disabled - Fixed: the bitcoin email field was too short - Fixed: login issues for some Turkish accounts 2.9 Change-Log: - New: Bitcoin accepted! It is now possible to donate using Bitcoin ;) the open-source p2p electronic money available worldwide! - Improved: shows the current transfer speed (kB/s = kilobytes per second, 1kB/s = 1000bytes/s) - Improved: automatically search for Product Code after 3 seconds of inactivity, in case that the "enter" key is missing - Improved: shows the proper measure unit in the file details (KiB = kibibytes, 1KiB = 1024bytes) 2.8 Change-Log: - Improved: client/server transfer speed - Improved: registry is not used anymore. Username, password and GUI settings are now saved in the Config_v3.xml (.NET Framework will store it under %LOCALAPPDATA%) - Fixed: important issue in cache management of hidden variants and current variants: were cached using the very same data. - Fixed: some NaviFirm+ settings were lost after an automatic update. - Fixed: the welcome box containing the recent changes was not showed after an automatic update. - Fixed: detect and removes empty server responses from the cache 2.7 Change-Log: - New: interrupted and incomplete downloads can be resumed, avoiding to download the whole file again! - New: downloads can be temporarily paused and restored later - New: migrated to .NET Framework v4 - Improved: if, for any reason, some firmware file is invalid, it will be automatically reported to NaviFirm+ server and it will be fixed asap. - Improved: handling of server error messages sent to the client has been rewritten. - Fixed: some panels sizes, were not restored properly on launch. - Fixed: changed the default value to optional = false during the vpl parsing. - Fixed: in a very particular case, the product list was empty. - Fixed: double-click on download window to open the destination path was not working properly when clicking on labels. 2.6 Change-Log: - Improved: keeps the windows and panel sizes preferences for the GUI. - Improved: handling of wrong text/html responses, instead of text/xml. - Improved: handling of "product code not found on caresuite". - Improved: handling of corrupted cache files. The corrupted cached file will be automatically deleted and content will be donwloaded again. 2.5 Change-Log: - Improved: Welcome Message can now be scrolled - Improved: minor GUI changes - Fixed: crash when downloading a firmware which has been found through Nokia Care Suite and user is donor - Fixed: the item "Upload New Product Codes" is now disabled properly - Fixed: filters gets cleared when searching on Nokia Care Suite 2.4 Change-Log: - New: Variants that (for any reason) have been replace/removed/hidden from Nokia Care Suite server, will be shown by NaviFirm+ in RED colour. You can change this behaviour by manually editing the Config_v2.xml file and set ShowHiddenVariants to False. - Improved: Favourite list can now detect new Variants available for the same Product Code / Software Release (it can happen when a variant is replaced by Nokia with another) - Improved: it is possible to donate using Credit Card or Skrill/MoneyBookers. These donations are accepted worldwide, also from counties not supported by PayPal. 2.3 Change-Log: Non-donors will be happy to know that in this release, they can use some basic features of NaviFirm+ without needed to login ;) These are the NaviFirm+ features available to Non-donors: - insert a Product Code to check the latest available release in Nokia Care Suite server - download the latest available release from Nokia Care Suite server - add some Product Code to the Favourite list to be notified when a new software release is available in Nokia Care Suite server - New: Search in Nokia Care Suite feature (available to non-donors too). You can now insert a Product Code in the textbox to search for it in Nokia Care Suite Server Non-donors that were using Nokia Care Suite Tool to search for new firmware versions, can totally replace it with NaviFirm+ ;) - Improved: the Favourite Product Codes feature has been opened to the non-donors too. - Improved: minor GUI changes - Fixed: some issues in the auto-update features (delay for the app-restart was too short) 2.2 Change-Log: - Improved: Favourite Product Codes are now save on a different file MyProductCode.xml - Improved: internal code refactoring for better maintenance - Improved: minor GUI changes - Fixed: unexpected crash when selecting the variant, while the cache was automatically cleared - Fixed: sometimes users received the message "invalid username or password" - Known Issues: doesn't support proxy. Proxy support will be added in next releases. 2.1 Change-Log: New: you can now report missing Product Code, by uploading a .txt list of product codes to the server, so the missing Product Codes will be added to the database. "Product Codes > Upload New Product Codes to NaviFirm+" the product codes listed in the .txt file should follow any of these formats: 059T1S4:RM-892 VAR EURO GB O2 SL BLACK 059S917:RM-892 VAR GB CV WHITE 059S8H6 059S8L8 RM-839 EURO_E5_YELLOW_CYRMAC_MK 059S125 RM-839 EURO_E5_YELLOW_GREEK_GR 059S127 - Improved: Favourite Product Codes list has been limited to a maximum of 10 entries - Improved: prevents running multiple NaviFirm+ instances - Fixed: all the datetime fields are now saved as UTC format, fixing some cache handling issues. - Known Issues: doesn't support proxy. Proxy support will be added in next releases. NaviFirm+ 2.0 Change-Log: - New: NaviFirm+ automatically downloads and installs new updates - New: Engine Rewritten from scratch - New: Favourites Product Codes list - Improved: trasfer speed! network communication is gzip-compressed - Improved: caching policy is handled by the server, you don't need to worry about cleaning the cache to get fresh results - Improved: refuses to add duplicated files to the download queue - Improved: minor GUI improvements - Removed: ShowExtendedInfo and ServerIndex settings - Known Issues: doesn't support proxy. Proxy support will be added in next releases. NaviFirm+ 1.7 Change-Log: - New: Ported to .NET Framework 4.0 - New: Shows additional Product informations in the tooltip, including phone's image. Note that the tooltip is disabled by default, if you want to enable it, you must change the NaviFirmPlus.Config file in this way: <setting name="ShowTooltip" serializeAs="String"> <value>True</value> </setting> NaviFirm+ 1.6 Change-Log: - New: added notifications about the current connection status and the amount of trasferred bytes - Improved: .vpl file is now handled without showing any window (you can disable the .vpl parsing changing the NaviFirmPlus.exe.config) - Improved: better data transfer speed - Improved: connection engine has been rewritten - Improved: minor changes to the status bar - Fixed: crash when double-click on "Size" column - Fixed: sorting on the "Size" column was not working proprerly NaviFirm+ 1.5 Change-Log: - New: it is now possibile to Download up to 20 files simultaneously. You just need to increase the Download Sessions limit (default value is 2). - New: added option to automatically append the PC to the destination path NaviFirm+ 1.4 Change-Log: - New: the download manager has been rewritten from scratch. Using the new Download Queue you can enqueue all the fw files you need to download, while keeping to use NaviFirm+ - Improved: the Parse VPL checkbox has been removed, you can change this setting through the NaviFirmPlus.exe.config file NaviFirm+ 1.3 Change-Log: - Fixed: Bad layout on Chinese System - Improved: Minor GUI changes NaviFirm+ 1.2 Change-Log: - Fixed: Error when downloading large files. - New: Added filesize and filetype details. - New: Parse VPL option, will automatically download and parse the VPL file and will select mandatory fw files. NaviFirm+ 1.1 Change-Log: - New: Added support for Nokia Care Suite Server! This server contains additional fw files, like the Drive E: 16Gb file for N8. - Improved: At startup will use the latest server choosen by the user. NaviFirm+ 1.0 Change-Log: - Fixed: The connection to the Quality Assurance server wasn't working properly. NaviFirm+ 0.9 Change-Log: - Fixed: Due to some old debug code I forgot, NaviFirm+ unexpectedly closed itself after the 20 December. NaviFirm+ 0.8 Change-Log: - Fixed: crash on Windows 7. NaviFirm+ 0.7 Change-Log: - Improved: From now on this software, available on Symbian-Toys.com website, will be named NaviFirm+ in order to distinguish it from other variants. - Improved: Download window provides detailed informations about the downloads NaviFirm+ 0.6 Change-Log: - New: Can be embedded as NokiaCooker's plugin NaviFirm+ 0.5 Change-Log: - New: Added Caching - New: Advanced Filter for Results - New: Copy URLs to ClipBoard. This feature can be used to download files using any extenal Download Manager you like. - Improved: Columns can be resized - Improved: Window can be resized
NaviFirm+ is a modded version of the NAVIFIRM tool developed by EPICBIZNUS, I made the additional improvements documented in the Change-Log.
Below follows a brief description of the NAVIFIRM tool.NAVIFIRM is the ultimate all-purpose tool for downloading Nokia firmware images, obtaining lists of product codes, and finding the right product code for your phone. NAVIFIRM downloads all this straight from Nokia's servers so you don't have to wait for people to post data packages and lists of product codes.NAVIFIRM is useful for just about anyone:
End users: Find product codes to use with NSS/NSU
Journalists: Be the first to know when new firmware hits NSU
Developers: Download ROM images for extracting files
Care Suite/Phoenix/box users: Download ROM images to flash Additional NSU servers can be added by editing Main.cs in the source code.
NOTE: The main developer for this software is EPICBIZNUS, I have made the additional improvements which have been documented in the Change-Log.
This software is provided "as is" with no warranty whatsoever, express or implied and moreover, WITHOUT any technical support, so, DO NOT contact me about this, because you WILL NOT receive any reply.If you don't know how to install, or how to use it, probably you don't need NaviFirm at all.
If you like this software, then consider making a small donation,
you'll help to improve the software!
NaviFirm+ is not available currently. Take a look at the Facebook fanpage for further information. Facebook
Too Cool for Internet Explorer
FuzzyByte di Bellino Marco - P.IVA 08914470011


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When Cakie was just 2 we had some building work done in our house which resulted in her begging for scraps of wood from our builder. She had a great time pretending to build, hammer and saw with the wood and loved her precious blocks more than any real set of construction materials we owned. We still have those blocks two years later, and the other day she asked if she could decorate them!
And they have now made a permanent addition to our block play basket and area in the house. I'm excited at the thought of collecting some more wood off-cuts from a timber yard and creating some alphabet, number and people blocks together for further play opportunities!
Cakie: 4.5
Pop: 2.10
Bean: 11 mos
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Concerns For
Veterinary Professionals
- Osteoarthritis
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Lymphosarcoma
- Renal Disease
- Heartworm
- Influenza H3N1
- Otitis
- Drug Resistance
- Dental Disease
- Dermatitis
- Osteoarthritis
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Hyperthyroidism
- Lymphosarcoma
- Renal Disease
- Inappropriate Elimination
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Otitis
- Drug Resistance
- Dental Disease
Top Animal Health
Concerns For Pet Owners
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Lymphoma
- Renal - Kidney Disease
- Heartworm
- Flu H3N8
- Diarrhea
- Ear Infection
- Drug Resistance
- Dental Disease
- Skin Hot Spots
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
- Lymphoma
- Renal - Kidney Disease
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Inappropriate Elimination
- Heart Disease
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Ear Infection
- Drug Resistance
- Dental Disease
There is a dramatic paradigm shift occurring in the animal health care world. This new paradigm, which is called Integrative Medicine, takes a more holistic approach to the treatment of animal disorders than the present traditional medical model which focuses mainly on pharmacological solutions.
The Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine (VIIM) was formed to bring integrative medicine to the forefront of animal healing. It was established by a group of leading veterinary doctors who were concerned that veterinarians and animal owners were not fully aware of the benefits of integrative approaches to healing animals. The mission of the Institute is to create resources to help educate veterinarians and dog, cat & horse owners about holistic veterinary medicine.
Quick Reference to How We
Support You:
The Veterinary Institute has developed this web site so that veterinarians and animal owners alike will have a comprehensive source of scientific-based knowledge from which to draw upon to help our animals live longer; healthier and happier lives. Unfortunately, in the animal health world much of the information and research on integrative medicine you find on the web is of poor quality. Our goal at the Institute is to help more animals heal by providing the most trusted, up to date and easy to understand scientific knowledge available anywhere.
In response to the growing demand by the veterinary community for information on nutraceuticals and natural medicine, the veterinarians at the Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine (VIIM) have produced the Veterinarians' Desk Reference of Integrative Medicines (VDR). The VDR provides veterinarians with a comprehensive manual on using animal health products. While animal owners may refer to the Veterinary Desk Reference, we make it available only so that consumers may have more informed interactions with their veterinarian. We urge consumers to make no medical decisions without a consultation with their veterinarian.
The Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine has recently edited
its database of holistic veterinarians so that animal owners
can find a
veterinarian to support them in helping their animal
heal with an integrative approach. Click to visit
our Find an Integrative Vet page.
For additional listings of holistic veterinarians, visit the websites of these professional organizations for a directory of their members:
• American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association - www.ahvma.org
• International Veterinary Acupuncture Society - www.ivas.org
• American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture - www.aava.org
• American Veterinary Chiropractic Association - www.avca.com
If you are a veterinarian that utilizes an integrative approach and would like
to be added to our database, please submit your information on the Vet Data
Update page.
More Ways We Help YourAnimals Heal
To give you more in-depth information, the Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine has endeavored to identify the best of the integrative medicine research links and periodicals to keep you current on relevant, cutting-edge studies and news.
Symptoms &
This is a quick reference to the therapeutic product index for the veterinarian, categorized by disorder, as compared to product name and product mode of action. This makes it easier to use in a clinical setting.
of Integrative
The Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine provides you with a quick guide to help you have a better understanding of Integrative Medicine terms.
Industry news and perspectives and cutting-edge medical/scientific reports are just a click away. We've stream-lined the time it takes you to stay up to date on the latest data vital to your practice and your ongoing education.
We only work with sponsors who are committed to healing animals and embrace an Integrative approach to animal health. We urge you to visit our sponsor page to learn more about these worthwhile companies and how they can support your animal's health.
The top animal health concerns for Veterinary Professionals such as Osteoarthritis/ Degenerative Joint Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Diarrhea, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Lymphoma, Renal Disease Resistance & many more...


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Sleepless and sedentary? Instead of counting sheep in a field, try running through a meadow.
Experts agree that an aerobic exercise routine during the day can keep you from tossing and turning at night, even if they're not sure why.
"The bottom line is we really don't know why people tell us that exercise helps them sleep," said David Davila of the U.S.-based National Sleep Foundation.
"But if people are normally active, reaching their aerobic goals, chances are they will sleep the right amount for what they need."
Dr. Davila, who practices sleep medicine in Little Rock, Arkansas, said the low-grade sleep deprivation suffered by many time-pressed, under-rested adults has a cumulative effect.
"People have more car accidents and what they call 'presentee-ism', or poor performance, at work," he said. "There are fallouts for the average person."
But evidence is emerging that aerobic exercise can offer relief from insomnia.
A recent study at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois tracked 23 previously sedentary adults, primarily women 55 and older, who had difficulty falling or staying asleep.
After 16 weeks on an aerobics training program that included exercising on a treadmill or stationery bicycle, average sleep quality improved.
"Most of poor sleepers became good sleepers," said Phyllis Zee, the lead researcher in the study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
She said an earlier study using Tai Chi showed less dramatic results, as did a control group doing non-physical activities such as cooking classes and museum lectures.
"This is the first time that I'm aware of where we've looked at the benefits of aerobic exercise as a treatment modality in a population with insomnia," Dr. Zee said.
She added that she sees a lot of patients with insomnia, which afflicts 25 per cent of the population and can reach as high as 40 per cent in older people.
"We tell them to get regular exercise. But we really don't emphasize how to exercise."
If your schedule dictates that you can only hit the gym at 5 a.m. Shawn Youngstedt, an expert on sleep and exercise at the University of South Carolina, believes that an hour of exercise can do more good than an extra hour of sleep.
"There's no scientific evidence that people need eight hours, seven is fine," Dr. Youngstedt said. "It's far clearer that exercise has wonderful benefits. It's better than drugs for diabetes, mental health, cancer prevention."
William Roberts, of the American College of Sports Medicine, cautions that for some people the time to exercise is not an hour before bed.
"To exercise close to sleep time is not good for everyone," Dr. Roberts explained. "Try to get a half hour to an half hour of exercise early enough in the day and try to sleep on same schedule."
Roberts suggests doing something calming to wind down.
"Do not play video games," he said. "Read away from bed and then go to bed. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants before turning in."
The improved sleepers in Dr. Zee's study also reported better moods, fewer depressive symptoms and enhanced vitality.
"Vitality is everything," Dr. Zee said. "It's how somebody feels, how alert. If you think about the complaints of poor health, people will always say, 'I feel so tired.'"


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I am beginning to simply enjoy The Shadow Line. I couldn't care less about what sort of television it is anymore or overanalysing the drama, I am just well and truly hooked. Episode 2 was all about that frenetic chase getting things moving, with Episode 3 following it up with a series of shocks and twists. And an impressive fight scene for a TV show.
First off Gatehouse's mysterious passivity burst into deadly action at the beginning of the episode. After initially revealing that he and Andy Dixon appeared to be in cahoots (insofar as Andy knew Wratten would get shot), raising questions as to why Dixon didn't go to him quicker, he kills not only Dixon in his living room, but his pregnant girlfriend and mother too. Cleverly he got Dixon to walk round with the gun, saying he'd need it for protection in a meeting with Jay Wratten, thus leaving oil marks on the young driver's trousers. All the evidence pointed to suicide after a double murder for the cops, apart from the lack of motive. Gabriel, as usual, had his doubts. But then he can't trust his own memories so no one takes him seriously.
The big cliff hanger ending was once again Gabriel's, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. His partner Honey on the one hand said she believed he was a good cop but on the other started doing some digging into his "double dipping" past. She followed him, rather inexpertly I thought, at the end of the episode, to discover he has a secret family; a woman that is not his wife and a baby. Given his wife's emotional frustration at not being able to get pregnant, and a scene in this episode where Gabriel appears to share her heartbreak and love her dearly, this is one big secret and apparent proof of his tendency to keep secrets and live a dual life.
Honey had a fair bit to do in this instalment, after getting herself into a close quarters fight in a warehouse full of red dresses, again due to her rather rubbish tailing abilities, this time on foot. This was a needed injection of action for this episode and a surprisingly well executed, hard hitting bit of fisticuffs from the BBC. Her opponent had just attended Wratten's funeral and was apparently responsible for sending both Jay and Harvey to prison. He adds another dimension to the gangster side of things.
The fight culminated, after some scrambling for guns and an inventive use of a light bulb from Honey, with a tense standoff versus a gun and a coat hanger. And some of that divisive dialogue that some will think brilliant and others think forced and artificial. I personally quite liked this exchange: "Kill a cop and you won't see the light of day"/"Where'd you learn that? On a course in Hendon? You're not on a crash mat now love": (quotes are from memory, apologies for errors).
Away from Honey's strangely attractive and smouldering delivery of lines (just me?) Christopher Eccleston's Joseph Bede is having an increasingly tough time of it. Despite just about pulling together a deal to sell a lot of drugs for a lot of money, which may or may not involve Wratten's killer Bob Harris (Dixon named Harris but it seems likely Gatehouse or those behind him want Harris framed), Bede is feeling the pressure of leading. Yet again he claims he doesn't want the power but yet again I wasn't quite convinced.
He has got a lot on his plate at home though, like Gabriel across the line. Bede must cope with the worsening severity of his wife's Alzheimer's, as she bawls at him and hits him and forgets the memories of their honeymoon and marriage. As the Guardian points out, the waves washing away a timeline on the beach wasn't the most subtle of metaphors for her fading memory.
So the wheels of the plot are well and truly turning. There wasn't a lot of Rafe Spall's Jay this week, which might be just as well. Perhaps after a breather from his full on performance I will appreciate its impact more again next time. This week it seems we found out that Gatehouse killed Wratten. But next week questions remain as to just who he is; and why he did it. I am now properly glued.


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Welcome to The Wood Nerd's place!
Hock O-1 Blades and Chipbreakers
A great improvement over the stock parts
Dollar Shave Club
These blades are f***ing terrible!
Milwaukee Diamond Sawzall Blade
World's worst blade?
Torin Vehicle Lift Manual
Seriously, is this the best you can do?
Northern Tools ¾HP 8" Bench Grinder
Is this some kind of joke?
Update on the removal of the Triton router "safety" cover
After two years, a problem surfaced ...
36mm › 27mm adapter for Festool hoses
The adapter Festool just doesn't make
An easy way to set your jointer fence to square
A welding tool comes to the rescue
An easy way to cut really large wires
Not a wire cutter, but it works like a charm
Use a tap & die set as thread cleaners
An inexpensive set can be a life-saver
Boom goes the dust collector
On PVC, static electricity, and the myth of home shop dust explosions
Helical vs blades
Can you actually save money by spending money, all while getting a better tool?
Change from 120 to 240?
Is there really any benefit? For the most part, the answer is no.
Shop-built Y fitting
Nobody sells these, so I made my own.
Killer shop vacuums
How can a $150 vacuum have a 6.5 horsepower motor?


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Before the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks duke it out on the gridiron Sunday at MetLife Stadium, football fans will be battling to light up the Empire State Building with one of the Super Bowl-bound teams' colors.
The group that runs the skyscraper teamed up with Verizon Wireless to put on what it is calling the first-ever series of social media-driven light shows atop the midtown Manhattan building, according to a news release from Verizon.
Each day this week, Verizon will tweet a Super Bowl-related question with the hashtag #WhosGonnaWin. The wireless carrier will track fans' responses throughout the day.
A current or former NFL player will flip a switch each day at 6 p.m. and colors from all 32 teams will emblazon the top of the Empire State Building for about an hour, followed by the results from the day's questions.
If more fans tweeted answers in favor of the Broncos, the lights will be orange and blue. If Seahawks fans have the lead, they will be blue and bright green.
To see real-time results, click here.


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Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:03 GMT
* Cites increase in nonfatal side effects
* Says it will not seek U.S. approval of high-profile drug
* Failure is latest setback for HDL-raising drugs
* Merck shares fall 2.5 percent (Adds analyst comment, updates shares movement)
By Ransdell Pierson
Dec 20 (Reuters) – A major trial of Merck & Co Inc's Tredaptive medicine to increase "good" HDL cholesterol has raised safety concerns and showed it was no better at preventing heart attacks, deaths or strokes than traditional statin drugs that lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, the company said on Thursday.
Merck said the experimental medicine had significantly raised the incidence of some types of nonfatal but serious side effects in the study, which followed more than 25,000 patients for almost four years.
Merck shares fell 2.5 percent to $42.56 in midday trading on the failure of one of its most closely watched experimental drugs.
Tredaptive combines an extended release form of niacin, a nutrient that has been used for decades to raise HDL cholesterol, with a drug called laropiprant, which is meant to reduce the incidence of facial flushing that is a side effect of niacin therapy.
Merck said it no longer planned to seek regulatory approval for the drug in the United States and is advising doctors in other countries against starting new patients on it. The medicine was approved in the European Union in 2008, but U.S. regulators were unwilling to approve it until Merck conducted the costly long-term study to better assess its safety and effectiveness.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been especially concerned about potential heart risks from laropiprant.
The failed study, called HPS2-THRIVE, is the latest high-profile trial that has called the heart-protective value of niacin into question.
Merck said Tredaptive had sales of about $13 million for the first three quarters of 2012 in the 40 countries where it is already sold. Had the drug been successful in the HPS2-THRIVE study, brokerage Cowen and Co predicted its annual global sales would have jumped to $300 million by 2016.
Sanford Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson had forecast Tredaptive sales of $1.1 billion by 2020, had it been approved in the United States.
"It seems conceivable that the drug could be removed from the market" overseas, he said in a research note.
Merck is developing another drug, anacetrapib, which raises HDL cholesterol by a greater magnitude than niacin, to see if it can reduce risks of heart attacks and stroke. If that trial is successful, many industry analysts believe anacetrapib could become a huge seller.
Anderson said data from late-stage testing of anacetrapib should become available in 2017, while results from trials of evacetrapib, a similar drug from Eli Lilly, should be unveiled in late 2015.
Garret FitzGerald, chairman of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania, said negative findings for Tredaptive should not lessen enthusiasm for anacetrapib and evacetrapib because they raise HDL through a different mechanism from niacin. Instead, they block a protein called CETP. (Reporting by Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Lisa Von Ahn)


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A Panamanian Afternoon
I was talking with someone about cooking the other day, and we both agreed that we did not like having people in the kitchen with us when we cooked. I realized as I was nodding sympathetically that I had made a plan with my friend Valerie to do exactly that the very next day. Rather than grab a coffee somewhere, I thought it would be fun if we got together and made something that I could write about here. I hadn't included any Panamanian recipes until now so Val was supposed to consult her aunts for suggestions, and I was going to get everything ready so that when she got here we could whip something up quickly. We decided to make carimañolas, mashed yuca formed into a roll then stuffed with picadillo and deep fried, a popular breakfast and afternoon snack in Panama similar to the croquetas de yuca that I have when I'm home. An easy afternoon of catching-up, photographing my food, and turning Panamanian street food into an appetizers-for-lunch meal. Read more


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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Some of the most popular assumptions about weight loss are just not true, a new study finds.
Researchers sought the supporting scientific evidence for a variety of widely believed truths about obesity. They found that false and scientifically unsupported beliefs about the topic are pervasive in both the scientific literature and the popular press.
Try to identify the myths in this list:
- Small changes in your diet or exercise can cause steady and sustained weight loss.
- Setting realistic goals is important.
- Slow, gradual weight loss is better than large, rapid weight loss.
- If you wait until you feel ready to lose weight, you'll succeed.
- Physical education classes now help prevent or reduce childhood obesity.
- Breast-feeding helps prevent obesity.
- An act of sexual activity burns 100 to 300 calories.
The study, published Jan. 31 in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that none of these statements had enough evidence to support them as fact.
"This is a wake-up call. We need to remember to ask where the data are even when an idea makes sense," said study author David Allison, director of the nutrition obesity research center at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Because people feel some familiarity with the topic, they may be less prone to question assumptions related to obesity, said Allison. "After all, everybody eats."
Allison is concerned that sloppy science associated with the topic of obesity leads individuals astray as they struggle to lose weight. He also believes it negatively affects public health because programs that won't work receive funding.
"It's an ethical obligation to be honest. It's great to be enthusiastic, as long as you're promoting something you know is true," he said.
The research team behind the new study represented a wide range of specialties associated with obesity, including nutrition sciences, exercise, public health, pediatrics, health policy and biostatistics. The researchers first listed the beliefs related to obesity that they felt were widely discussed and related to issues of public health, said Allison. Then they confirmed that the beliefs were prevalent in research or the media. Next, they collected all the evidence they could find for each belief and used the information to categorize the beliefs as either true, not true or without clear evidence one way or the other.
To find that a belief had clear evidence, one way or another, there had to be randomized controlled experiments -- the gold standard of research -- supporting or refuting it. Unclear evidence meant there were ambiguous studies, old randomized experiments or just observational evidence.
The researchers also looked at presumptions related to obesity, such as the value of eating breakfast, early childhood habits, the value of fruits and vegetables, yo-yo dieting, snacking, and sidewalk and park availability.
All these topics lacked randomized, controlled studies to support commonly held beliefs, according to the study.
"My surprise [in doing this research] was if you really hold to a scientific level -- what do we know with certainty -- it was low," Allison said. What's needed, he said, are more randomized trials related to obesity.
Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietitian and program manager at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, in Ohio, said she's concerned that research emphasizing the myths associated with obesity will discourage people who need to lose weight.
"I want people to know it's worth trying, it's worth taking steps," she said. "Our lives are so busy and so full, it takes effort to make a commitment to this."
So, what really works when it comes to losing weight? Allison said strategies shown to be effective include: weight-loss surgery for very obese people; structured weight-loss programs; regular meetings with a physician, dietitian or coach; defining for people exactly what they should and should not eat; and receiving prepared meals or shopping lists.
The bottom line for weight loss, said Allison, is indeed a fact: "Eating less energy than one expends for a prolonged period of time, and then maintaining that over a period of time."
More information
Learn more about obesity from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.


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It's all in the prep has been saved
It's all in the prep
ME PoV Spring 2017 issue
Ethical tax is becoming increasingly topical as more of us become international citizens–living, working and investing in multinational jurisdictions and giving rise to more complex tax and reporting obligations. How will the Automatic Exchange of Information and Common Reporting Standard affect residents in the GCC?
When the Panama Papers were released, there was a worldwide uproar that resulted in the exposure of global leaders and high profile business executives–a deliberate naming and shaming of the wealthy for allegedly avoiding taxes. Those caught up in the tax scandal (including many compliant taxpayers) have suffered irrevocable reputational damage. With all the attention it has brought to the media and the now far-reaching implications of the worldwide focus on tax, we have to ask–what is ethical tax practice and how will this impact us in the future?
In layman's terms, ethical tax refers to our moral duty to pay the right amount of tax to the appropriate tax authority. In line with current global trends, the Middle East is a melting pot of many nationalities owning assets around the world, meaning that residents of the region may have exposure to taxation in multiple jurisdictions.
Whether an individual or a company's failure to pay the right amount of tax is deliberate or inadvertent, public awareness of the issue is growing. A global solution was requested by the G20 to combat tax evasion, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found what they consider to be the answer: the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
To date, over one hundred countries worldwide have either signed or agreed to sign up for CRS, with many more to follow. In the Middle East region, the late adopter group will include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Each jurisdiction will reciprocally exchange financial account holder information with the other CRS participating tax jurisdictions by late 2018.
CRS has been dubbed the "Global FATCA". The Financial Account Tax Compliance Act driven by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States was implemented around the world to flag and track U.S. citizens with foreign financial accounts. This was followed by a UK version of FATCA, which required the similar exchange of information between the Crown Dependencies, Overseas Territories and the UK. On a somewhat contentious note, the United States has not yet agreed to sign up to CRS and consequently some U.S. tax residents will not be reportable under CRS regulations.
Intended outcome and wider impact
CRS is intended to reduce tax evasion but it should also act as a preventative measure to monitor individuals with foreign financial accounts (ensuring that taxable income is disclosed to the relevant authorities.) Many jurisdictions are also working on a reduction in the aggressive use of loopholes. While exploiting so-called loopholes may not be illegal, in some circumstances it may be considered unethical. For example, the UK government has drafted legislation that, when ratified, will allow HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to penalize those who are enabling taxpayers and facilitating abusive tax avoidance. With these and other measures in place such as BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting), the groundswell of support for the global ethical tax movement could soon unearth inadvertent tax discrepancies and result in tax evaders finding themselves with no place to hide.
The movement to close the tax gap is already in play. The early CRS adopters, as depicted in the graph on the previous page, are preparing to exchange information by September 2017 with the late adopters (including the Middle East participating jurisdictions) to follow in 2018.
How will this impact the individual?
Most authorities, including those in the Middle East, have been slow in releasing official regulations. Based on the OECD minimum standards guidance it is certain that, unlike FATCA, there will not be any minimum threshold for reporting purposes implying that all account holders will be subject to CRS reporting. Individuals who are tax resident in an early adopter CRS jurisdiction with a financial account in another early adopter jurisdiction will have their information exchanged as early as September 2017.
What information will the financial institutions collect?
All new individual financial account holders (i.e. accounts opened after 1 January 2016 for early adopters, and 1 January 2017 for CRS late adopters) will be required to self-certify their tax residence status–unlike FATCA, which requires individuals to verify their nationality and place of residence. In line with OECD regulations, pre-existing accounts will undergo remediation by the financial institutions to ensure that the accounts have been correctly identified and classified based on all available information
How will financial institutions collect the information?
Upon opening a new financial account, the individual will complete a new client form, in line with standard client onboarding. However, there will be additional questions requesting the individual's tax residency status and applicable tax identification number(s). The onus is on the individual to ensure that the correct tax residency information is disclosed. It is important to note that it is possible to be resident in more than one jurisdiction for tax purposes. It is imperative to discuss one's tax residence status with a tax professional should there be any doubt as to tax residency status.
What information will be shared, and with whom?
Financial institutions will be reporting the following information to the local tax authorities, who will in turn reciprocally exchange information with the other 100+ participating CRS jurisdictions:
• Name
• Date
• Place of birth
• Address
• Tax residency
• Tax identification number(s) (TIN),
• Account number
• Account balance/value
• Income/Gross proceeds credited to the account
Risks and possible outcomes
Some of the risks associated with failure of the individual to prepare for the implementation of CRS include:
- The wrong information being sent to the wrong country;
- The taxpayer providing incorrect tax residency information leading to information exchange with the wrong authorities;
- Losing the opportunity to make voluntary disclosures of tax discrepancies.
Key takeaway
Tax systems across the world are becoming increasingly more complex, with taxpayers, and the financial institutions with which they interact, subject to more and more regulation. It is easy to be co-operative when agreeing to account opening "Terms & Conditions" but it is imperative to be aware that almost all of us will be impacted when financial information is shared under CRS in the future. It is therefore important to be fully tax-compliant in all jurisdictions in which assets are held, or in which time is spent, and ensure that any local tax changes are reflected in the way in which financial and business affairs are conducted.
Carrying out a review of the information that will be shared by banks is an important first step, seeking advice if discrepancies are uncovered before disclosing the details to the relevant authorities.
Given the global focus on ethical tax and the amount of information that will be available to all tax authorities, it is important to get tax matters right first time. Rectifying mistakes and discrepancies can be more costly after the fact. Preparation is key.
by Alex Law, Managing Director, Deloitte International Tax Services and Claire Dawson, FATCA and CRS Tax Leader, Deloitte, Middle East


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This week we discussed the implications of Apple's lawsuit over MagSafe connectors, what happened between Ping and Facebook, the malware risks for iOS jailbreakers, 3D animation on the Mac, and much, much more. In case you missed it, here's the roundup:
An intro to 3D on the Mac, Part II: Animation and Rendering: In Part II of our epic introduction to 3D on the Mac, you'll learn the basics of character animation and rendering, and you'll get an overview of the major 3D software packages on the platform.
Verizon CEO throws wet blanket on iPhone rumors: Verizon's CEO made cryptic comments Thursday morning at an investor conference, suggesting that the expected January launch of a CDMA-compatible iPhone on Verizon's network is not in the works.
iPad vs. netbook: direct cannibalization and collateral damage: Ars examines the idea that the iPad could be killing the netbook. It's hard to deny that there's something going on, but the iPad is only part of the story.
FaceTime-equipped iPad expected no later than first quarter 2011: March or April would be a likely time for Apple to launch an updated iPad, though it may release a FaceTime-compatible version earlier to build momentum for the fledgling video chat standard.
For the clumsy, or the unlucky: the Ballistic HC iPhone case: It may not be small, and it may not be altogether pretty, but the Ballistic HC case for your iPhone 4 will definitely keep your phone safe. We put it on a phone to see how it would last, and the results were exactly what we were hoping for.
Apple's MagSafe lawsuit tests limits of first-sale doctrine: Apple has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Sanho Corporation, the company behind the much-lauded HyperMac external batteries for MacBooks. The HyperMac brand claims to be reusing Apple's own MagSafe connectors, though, which could make the case more complicated.
Ping, Facebook integration fell apart after 18 months of talks: Apple's iTunes group spent over a year connecting its planned iTunes Ping social network to Facebook, but Facebook's "onerous terms" killed the deal at the last minute.
iOS 4.x jailbreakers may get tricked by fake greenpois0n hacks: Caveat jailbreakor: software pretending to be an iPhone 4 jailbreak tool called greenpois0n is actually a trojan out to steal your passwords.
Licensing agreement means live Apple TV might be on the way: Apple has entered into a licensing agreement that has led to some mighty fine speculation from one analyst about the future of the Apple TV. Could Apple be looking to add program guides and live TV to its "hobby" product?
Magazines, newspapers still in talks over iPad newsstand: Apple is allegedly turning up the pressure on newspaper and magazine publishers to take part in the company's digital newsstand on the iPad. The companies are still skeptical of some of the details, though.
Enjoy your last weekend of September, everyone!


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Maury Ballstein: What do we do when we fall off the horse?
Derek Zoolander: [thoughtfully looking up and mouthing the words silently] … fall off the horse…
Maury Ballstein: [looking to supply finish] … we… get back on!
Derek Zoolander: Sorry, Maury. I'm not a gymnast.
From the 2001 movie "Zoolander" (courtesy of IMDB)
Yesterday, Amazon reported which books made it through the first round of its Breakthrough Novel Award.
Dance of Souls did not make the cut.
I admit that as I waited for the PDF file of the 1,000 works of general fiction that had made it to open and then scrolled through the document, my heart was beating a little fast. Then, as I looked in vain for my name between Audrey Greathouse and Audrey RL Wyatt (yes, for some reason they arranged the list alphabetically by author's first name), I felt that familiar gut-twist of disappointment.
Rejected again.
Even though I had said to myself as the file was opening, "I'm sure you didn't make it." Even though I realized that 5,000 (five thousand) novels were entered in the first round. I allowed myself a half hour or so of angry self-pity. Then I set it aside and got back to work.
Yes, that's how we fiction writers do it. The old fall-off-the-horse-and-get-right-back-on trick. It's really the only way we can write at all.
We've all heard about the 25, 50, or 100 rejection letters a first-time author receives before an agent or editor finally, finally recognizes the novel for the jewel that it is.
I've stopped counting, but I think I may be getting close to my rejection quota.
I promised to let blog readers know how my marketing activities were going. I've done three of the five things on my to-do list for this week: 1) publicized my reading from Fault Zone that's happening on March 4; 2) sent books to the Goodreads giveaway winners; and 3) contacted blogger Rebecca Berto about a review. That leaves two things spilling over into next week: 1) choose pieces to submit for the San Mateo County Fair literary anthology and the Foster City International Writer's Contest; and 2) plan another KDP giveaway AFTER reading this advice from Emlyn Chand.
So there you have it. Now I'm ready to ride off into the sunset.


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Decatur, Stephen
Decatur, Stephen dēkā´tər [key], 1779–1820, American naval officer, b. Sinepuxent, near Berlin, Md.; son of a naval officer, Stephen Decatur. After joining the U.S. navy in 1798, he rose to fame in the Tripolitan War. In 1804 he and his men stole into Tripoli harbor and destroyed the captured U.S. frigate Philadelphia. This daring exploit won Decatur promotion to captain. He helped in the bombardment of Tripoli and, after peace was concluded (1805), negotiated successfully with the bey of Tunis. In 1808 he was one of the judges at the court-martial of James Barron; thereafter the two men were enemies. In the War of 1812 Decatur commanded three vessels, with the United States as his flagship. On Oct. 25, 1812, the United States met and captured the British frigate Macedonian. Afterward the British blockade held him powerless until Jan., 1815. Then (unaware that the war had ended) he put to sea in the President, outran three enemy ships and defeated the fourth, the Endymion, but the battle delayed him and he was forced to surrender to the other pursuers. In the so-called Algerine War in 1815 he used his squadron with vigor to force the dey of Algiers to sign the treaty that ended American tribute to Algeria. As one of the three navy commissioners (1815–20), he was powerful in naval affairs. His opposition to reinstating the unfortunate and disgraced James Barron led to bitter words. Barron challenged him, and in the ensuing duel Decatur was mortally wounded at Bladensburg, Md., on Mar. 22, 1820. Known for his reckless bravery and stubborn patriotism, he is also remembered for the toast,
Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!
See biographies by C. T. Brady (1900), C. L. Lewis (1937, repr. 1971) and H. Nicolay (1942).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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Physical therapist lends helping hand to I'll Have Another
Massage, controlled release stretches can relieve muscle tightness, soreness
Tyler Cerin is a valued member of the I'll Have Another team whom trainer Doug O'Neill would rather not have to use at Pimlico Race Course during preparations for the 137th Preakness Stakes.
The California-based equine physical therapist's role is to identify and treat muscular issues that might develop with Reddam Racing's Kentucky Derby-winning I'll Have Another. Like a physical therapist who works on humans, Cerin, 24, can serve up an assortment of treatments, including massage and controlled release stretches to relieve the tightness or soreness he finds.
"I put it all together, depending on the horse," Cerin said. "This horse doesn't need much done, though. He's in great shape. He's the soundest horse I've worked with. Out here, it's just been the general well-being with him."
Cerin was with Team O'Neill at Churchill Downs during the week leading up to the Derby and continued on to Baltimore with the colt. He is at Barn D at Pimlico every day, watching for any signs of discomfort that might affect the colt's training and performance in the race.
"He is in great shape. It seems like he's been in great shape ever since I started working with him," Cerin said. "I haven't had to do much with him from Day 1. After the Derby he looks just as good as he did before the Derby. To me, he looks strong, happy to go to the track every morning. His ears are forward, happy to be out here and doing his job and loving life."
Since his patients cannot tell him how they feel, Cerin has to rely on interpreting body language.
"There are tons of things you look for when you do therapy or anything on a horse," he said. "You want to keep him happy. With this horse, there's not much to do. But back home, I try not to spend too much time with a horse because you can tell from their body language when they're starting to get a little sour on you. You don't want that. You want to keep them as happy as you can at all times."
Cerin grew up in a racing family -- his father, Vladimir, is a prominent trainer in California -- and he has been around horses all his life. However, Cerin decided not to enter the family business.
"I guess the more I got into the game and learned how stressful every other trainer is out there besides Doug, I realized that my true passion was probably more working with the horse," he said. "I wanted to be a person that just helps the horse as much as I can and not go into the training part. Maybe down the line, 10 years or so if I can do it and not be stressed out, and not have to worry about financial stability, have everything in my life kind of stable, I might think about training as more of a hobby than anything. I'm just happy to be a part of this team right now and be lucky enough to be out here and working with the top horses with Doug and some other people back at home. I wouldn't change it for the world."
Cerin said his career began to take shape when he was 17 and is self-employed.
"I worked for my dad for a long time, just doing things for his barn and learning the different types of therapies there are for horses," he said. "Anything from lasers -- my dad's got a pulse magnetic machine -- to electric current machines and micro current machines. I tried to figure out what I thought worked best with certain things. My dad gave me a great opportunity to learn all his things and then he started me off sending me to some seminars that I wanted to go to. I got to learn from some other people things you can do with your hands."
Cerin said his father continues to be great supporter as he develops and expands his business.
"My dad just really wants me to be happy," Cerin said. "He knows how tough the training game can be."
O'Neill said he is determined to have a strong team in his stable and that Cerin is a good fit.
"He brings a lot of experience with horses' physical tightness and soreness from training, O'Neill said. "If he pinpoints any tightness, he is able to help work out that tightness. We've got a chiropractor, too, who is brilliant. He was in town with us the whole Derby week. He does chiropractor work on the horse every other day. Anything we can do to maintain the stride is what the goal is."
O'Neill said Cerin has been working on his horses for a few years.
"He's got a tremendous horseman's background," O'Neill said. "He's very passionate about what he does and he's a big help."


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Another day in vegan month, another recipe in my quest to take the cute and cuddly animals out of all of my favorite foods in a no-BS, as-delicious-as-the-real-thing, good-enough-for-anyone kind of way. I'm particularly happy with this one, which makes sense, as its a logical extension of that Vegan Mapo Tofu recipe I made a couple weeks back. I'm talking about the other great pillar of cheap-and-easy Sichuan cuisine: Dan Dan Noodles.
The prototypical street food, Dan Dan noodles are an ultra-simple dish of cold or warm noodles placed in a bowl with a ladleful of highly seasoned sauce poured on top. Flavored with minced pork, preserved pickled mustard, black vinegar, fermented broad beans, garlic, and plenty of chili oil, the dish is eaten by swirling the slick noodles through the oily sauce, picking up bits of meat and pickles as they go.
There are all kinds of variations on the dish that you'll find in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. Some go the ultra-authentic, hardcore traditional route, while others remove some or even all of the heat from the dish, instead replacing it with a creamy sesame (or even peanut butter!) based sauce. To me, picking one version of Dan Dan noodles as the best is kinda like choosing my favorite Beatles album: It's a constantly shifting debate, even with myself. Best plan is to just pick a path and run with it. This time I'm going for the more traditional approach. Obviously, modifying it for my vegan needs is going to alter that approach in practice (though not in spirit).
The Sauce
Making the sauce for dan dan noodles is exceedingly simple once you've got the basic ingredients in your pantry. It's just a matter of mixing them in the right proportions. Soy sauce forms the base, while Chinkiang black vinegar lends its characteristic acidity—it has a sweet, almost balsamic vinegar-esque aroma to it, though not quite as syrupy as that. Fermented broad bean chili paste comes in many forms throughout China, but after spending years shopping around, I found my new favorite brand, and luckily, it's available on Amazon, delivered right to your door. Chili oil is a given, and while it's best (and remarkably easy!) to make at home, there are a number of good options available at any decent Chinese market. Look for the kind which has actual chili, garlic, and ginger debris in the bottom of the jar, not the completely clear kind you see in easy-pour bottles. That debris is where the magic is at.
While the most traditional versions don't include a sesame product, I've recently taken to adding a touch of tahini to my sauce, after having tasted it in Chichi's Vermicelli with Chili Oil recipe. Not enough to bring a distinct sesame flavor to the dish, but just enough to lightly bind the sauce and add a touch of creaminess to help it cling to the noodles a little bit better.
Speaking of that clinginess, I ran into my first issue with the vegan version of the dish. Traditionally, the sauce base gets mixed with some rich chicken stock, which adds some natural gelatin and body to the mix. Plain old water or vegetable stock are lacking in that body, making the sauce a little too thin. It runs off the noodles instead of sticking to them. The tahini helps a bit, but my base needed a little extra help.
The answer came when I was reading through Fucshia Dunlop's books, in which she mentions that in Northern China, the starchy water leftover from boiling noodles is often drank like a silky soup or added to sauces to thicken them. It's exactly the same way an Italian cook will save some pasta water to add to their sauce—the extra dissolved starch thickens the sauce, binding it and helping it cling better to the noodles.
Cooking fresh Chinese wheat noodles in a big pot of water doesn't produce a high enough concentration of starch to be effective, but cooking it in far less water than is recommended (I cook 8 ounces of fresh noodles in about a quart of salted water) yields you a pot full of silky, semi-opaque liquid that combines marvelously with the sauce base.
The Aromatics
The pork is the odd man out in the traditional recipe. Fortunately, much like with the beef in Sichuan Mapo Tofu, the pork is not the star player of the dish. Its role is mainly textural, adding a bit of meaty, bouncy chew that clings to the slippery noodles as you slurp them up. Having already addressed an identical issue when finding a suitable replacement for ground beef in my Vegan Mapo Tofu recipe, I knew what I had to do here: I chopped up a bunch of mushrooms in a food processor into little bits, then employed the Chinese technique of dry-frying—cooking them slowly in oil—until they were mostly dehydrated, lightly shriveled, and deeply browned. The resulting little nuggets have great texture and a flavor that is not really pork-like, but savory and rich in its own unique way.
The remaining aromatics are simple. A few tablespoons of chopped preserved Sichuan mustard root, some garlic, and a splash of Shaoxing wine to deglaze the skillet once its all been stir-fried together.
Add it to the sauce base and pasta water, pour it over the noodles, garnish with a few fresh greens like cilantro and sliced scallions, and we're ready to eat.
If you were so inclined, you could do as the street vendors of Chengdu did: make the aromatics and sauce base in larger batches, store them together in a sealed container in the fridge, and have them ready to go at moments notice whenever you want a quick snack. All you have to do is cook the noodles, add some starchy cooking liquid to the sauce base, pour it on top, and you're good to go. Due to its high oil, salt, and acid content, the pre-made and mixed sauce should stay good in a sealed container in the fridge for several weeks at least.
Gentlemen, start your slurping.


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Jordan Area Community Council (JACC)
CANCELLED – Board Meeting, Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 6:45 pm to 8 pm
Where: 2900 Fremont Ave. North
(parking lot and main glass door entrance on 2912 Emerson Ave. N.)
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Office: 612-886-4539
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.jordanmpls.org
PLEASE NOTE: JACC's office and meeting spaces are open to the PUBLIC, child-friendly and ADA-accessible. We invite and encourage participation by every resident to each JACC program, service and event. For ADA-accessibility- should you require an accommodation in order for you to fully participate, or if you require this document in a different format, please let us know by contacting us at # 612-886-4539 or [email protected] at least five days before our event. Deaf or hard of hearing persons may use a relay service or call our office at # 612-886-4539.


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No Down Payment, No Upgrade or Activation Fees, and All On The Nation's Fastest 4G LTE Network AT&T 4G LTE Now Covers More than 225 Million People
Dallas, Texas, July 16, 2013
Today, AT&T* introduces what's next in wireless. Beginning nationwide on July 26, consumers can get a new AT&T smartphone or tablet every year with no down payment, no activation fee, no upgrade fee and no financing fees.**
With AT&T Next, customers purchase a smartphone or tablet with no down payment and agree to pay monthly installments for the device. After 12 payments, they can trade it in and upgrade to a brand new device — again with no down payment — or they can keep using their device and have no more payments after 20 months. AT&T Next is available for new AT&T customers or existing customers who are upgrade eligible.
"With AT&T Next, customers can get the newest smartphone or tablet every year with no down payment. That's hard to beat, and it's an incredible value for customers who want the latest and greatest every year," said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility.
AT&T's 4G LTE network now covers more than 225 million people nationwide and 328 markets. AT&T's 4G LTE deployment is expected to cover 300 million people by year-end 2014, with nearly 90 percent of the build completed by the end of this year.
The great performance of AT&T's network continues to be validated by independent third-party testing. AT&T 4G LTE service was recognized as having faster average download and upload speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld/TechHive's most recent 20-market speed tests — the second consecutive year that AT&T has ranked first overall. PCWorld/TechHive also ranked AT&T's as the fastest combination of 3G and 4G services in the 20 cities it tested.*** And AT&T was named America's fastest 4G LTE network in PC Magazine's 2013 Fastest Mobile Networks 30-market study — and also swept the top rankings in all six U.S. regions from coast to coast: Northeast, Southeast, North-Central, South-Central, Northwest and Southwest.****
AT&T Next is available for any current smartphone or tablet in AT&T's industry-leading selection of devices. The interest-free monthly device installments range from $15 to $50, depending on the device selected. For example, a customer purchasing a Samsung Galaxy® S 4 would have no down payment and pay $32 per month, in addition to the monthly wireless service plan they choose, with the option to trade in their device and upgrade after 12 payments or to keep using the device and pay off the installment plan in full after 20 months. There's no penalty for paying off the installment plan early.
AT&T offers a broad choice of device purchasing options. In addition to AT&T Next, customers continue to have their choice of all current options, including getting a discounted device with a two-year service commitment; paying full retail price for a device with no-commitment; getting a partial discount for an early upgrade after six months with a two-year service commitment; or bringing their own compatible device.
More information is available at www.att.com/next or at any AT&T retail store.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Requires 20-month 0% APR installment agreement & qualifying credit. Wireless service req. (voice & data for smartphones/data for tablets). If you cancel wireless service, remaining balance on device becomes due.Sales tax due at sale. Qualifying devices only. Upgrade after 1 yr.: Req. min. 12 installment payments, acct. in good standing, plus trade-in of current device in good & functional condition & purchase of new device/wireless agreement & service plan. After upgrade remaining unbilled installment payments are waived. AT&T Next available only at AT&T owned retail stores & att.com. If device is returned, restocking fee up to $35 for smartphones or 10% of tablet sales price may apply. Terms subject to change.
*** PCWorld/TechHive, May 23, 2013, "AT&T clocks best overall speeds with 3G/4G combo"
**** PC Magazine, June 17, 2013; http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420333,00.asp
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T, news, filings) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on @ATT, on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.
© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Posts Tagged bangarang
Bangarang Boomerang
Posted by Paul in code, fun, The Echo Nest on August 18, 2012
My latest music hack is Bangarang Boomerang. It is a web app (runs in Chrome or the latest Safari), that lets you 'drive' the Skrillex song. You can freeze-frame the song on a beat, you can make the song go backwards beat by beat, you can advance through the song at double time, or triple time, and set bookmarks to let you easily jump to different sections of the song. It is a rather fun app that lets you feel like a musician, even if you have very little musical talent.
Watch the quick Youtube demo, and then try it yourself: Bangarang Boomerang
[youtube http://youtu.be/GJQ1K1dnU2A]