Electronic Arts revenue dropped in third quarter

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc reported lower revenue for the third quarter as the video game industry continued to struggle with flagging sales and experienced a weak holiday quarter.

Electronic Arts revenue fell as the console game business has "been extremely soft" as the industry waits for next-generation versions of Sony Corp's PlayStation and Microsoft Corp's's Xbox to boost software sales, Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen said.

"Also just a soft economy in Europe and America, that in combination with a weak title in 'Medal of Honor' dragged down our revenue for the quarter below what we thought it would be," Jorgensen said.

For the three months ended December 31, the company posted net revenue of $922 million, compared with $1.06 billion a year ago. It reported a net loss of $45 million, or 15 cents per share, compared with $205 million, or 62 cents per share a year ago.

Adjusted revenue fell 28.5 percent to $1.18 billion from a year ago, short of analyst estimates of $1.29 billion, according to Thomson-Reuters I/B/E/S. Adjusted earnings per share of 57 cents was slightly above Wall Street's expectation of 56 cents per share.

Shares of Electronic Arts were down 1.8 percent at $14.80 in after-hours trading, after closing at $15.08 on Wednesday.

(Reporting By Malathi Nayak)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/electronic-arts-revenue-dropped-third-quarter-221109218--sector.html

the happening black panthers mauritania obama open mic jefferson county colorado extenze tenacious d

Cadet, cancer patient realizes dream of flying

Cadet, cancer patient realizes dream of flying

Posted 1/30/2013???Updated 1/29/2013 Email story?? Print story

by Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean
920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

1/30/2013?-?PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS)?--?In between chemotherapy treatments, a 16-year-old Air Force Junior ROTC student joined the Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing for the thrill of flight.
?
"Absolutely amazing, best thing I've done in a long time," Coleton Wells said as he disembarked from one of the 920th RQW's HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters.

Zachary Kalish, Wells' best friend and also a Junior Air Force ROTC student at Vero Beach High School, Fla., saw firsthand the suffering his friend was going through and wanted to make a difference.

"Coleton's dream is to become an Air Force pilot, and with his sickness ... I wanted him to at least experience a flight in a military aircraft," Kalish said. "We've been best friends for years; it's the least I could do."

Kalish hit a few roadblocks along the way, but that didn't deter the determined cadet.

"I contacted Air Force recruiting and was turned down, I then asked my (JROTC) commander and chief for advice, and they said they hadn't heard of a program that would allow this," Kalish said. "I then decided to call the 920th RQW direct."

Kalish's persistence paid off, on the other end of the line was Ms. DeAnn Houck, the 920th RQW executive assistant, who set up the day.

"I feel anyone's life that is touched by cancer is challenged in a way others can't imagine," Houck said. "If we can give a young cancer patient a day of joy and wishes come true, what a gift we've given to them and their family."

The cadet's day started just like any other Air Force flight crew member. After a mission brief, the cadets were escorted to the aircrew flight equipment section where they were outfitted with flight vests, helmets and floatation devices. The 45-minute flight plan took the cadets north, giving them a bird's eye view of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the surrounding area.

"It was totally awesome, I wish I had a flight every day," Kalish said.

"I have stage 4 cancer which is highly aggressive -- which is a good thing ... chemo eats it up pretty quick," Wells said. "The chemo, after six weeks, had eaten it in half."

Sarcomas are cancers that develop from connective tissues in the body, such as muscles, fat, bones, membranes that line the joints, or blood vessels. There are many types of sarcomas. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a cancer made up of cells that normally develop into skeletal muscles.

Even after the adrenaline of flight has long worn off, the memories of the day will stick with the cadets for years to come.

"This meant everything to me, all my life I've wanted to spend 20 some-odd-years flying or serving in the U.S. Air Force, it's something I've always wanted to do," Wells said. "To be able come out here today and get geared up, fly in a helicopter and see what you guys do is phenomenal."

Not only will Wells remember his day with the 920th RQW for a long time to come, but the actions of his best friend will forever be engrained in his heart.

"What Zach did for me today was amazing; I was at a loss for words when I found out he was calling (the unit)," Wells said. "When you're on this side of the cancer, your mind is so locked on getting it done; you forget about what people do for you ... this was eye opening."

Also touched were the many Airmen of the 920th RQW twho played a role in setting up the day or had the pleasure to meet Wells and Kalish.

"The real one who started this whole thing is Zack. He is the epitome of a true friend and wanted to give Coleton something he didn't know was within his reach," Houck said. "I saw tears in the eyes of our senior leaders that day. Coleton and Zack's friendship touched us all."

Editor's note: Coleton is very positive that his chemotherapy is on track and will win this battle. Air Force regulations allow for the cadets to fly on a local training mission at no additional cost to the tax payer due to their affiliation with the Air Force Junior ROTC program.

Source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334209

hard boiled eggs mickelson how to tie a tie sweet potato recipes the sound of music celebration church new york auto show 2012

Americans demand re-legalization of cell phone unlocking ? RT

The practice of unlocking a smartphone without a carrier?s permission was recently criminalized in the US, forcing Americans to stand up for the right to use their property as they wish without the fear of prosecution.

?Over the weekend the window of opportunity closed for US consumers to buy and legally unlock a phone. From now on unilaterally freeing a mobile phone from the restrictions that prevent it from working on other carriers? networks will be considered copyright infringement.

This means no more freedom of choice to switch operators as one pleases or saving money on calls when traveling internationally.

The good news is that phones purchased before the January 26 deadline won?t be affected by the ruling, nor will those purchased factory unlocked or second-hand. The bad news is that if a carrier-locked phone was purchased after the deadline it will become a ticking time bomb if the user dares to modify the phone's firmware without carrier permission?? even after the contract expires.

The exemption that allowed users to unlock their phones was taken from the Digital Millenium Copyright Act by the Librarian of Congress back in October 2012 with a three-month grace period, giving Americans enough time to forget about the ruling.

As the deadline passed, future customers outraged by the ruling have launched a petition to the White House to make unlocking cellphones ?permanently legal? or ?ask the Librarian of Congress to rescind this decision.??

The petition, posted to the ?We the people? website, has already gathered more than 30,000 of the 100,000 signatures needed by February 23 to force the Obama administration to respond to the issue.

Source: http://rt.com/usa/news/petition-legal-cellphone-unlock-039/

Grammy nominations 2013 Butch Jones thursday night football japan earthquake Star Trek Into Darkness Heisman watch John McAfee

Analysis: Immigration reform could boost U.S. economic growth

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The sluggish U.S. economy could get a lift if President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators succeed in what could be the biggest overhaul of the nation's immigration system since the 1980s.

Relaxed immigration rules could encourage entrepreneurship, increase demand for housing, raise tax revenues and help reduce the budget deficit, economists said.

By helping more immigrants enter the country legally and allowing many illegal immigrants to remain, the United States could help offset a slowing birth rate and put itself in a stronger demographic position than aging Europe, Japan and China.

"Numerous industries in the United States can't find the workers they need, right now even in a bad economy, to fill their orders and expand their production as the market demands," said Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration specialist at the libertarian Cato Institute.

The emerging consensus among economists is that immigration provides a net benefit. It increases demand and productivity, helps drive innovation and lowers prices, although there is little agreement on the size of the impact on economic growth.

President Barack Obama plans to launch his second-term push for a U.S. immigration overhaul during a visit to Nevada on Tuesday and will make it a high priority to win congressional approval of a reform package this year, the White House said.

The chances of major reforms gained momentum on Monday when a bipartisan group of senators agreed on a framework that could eventually give 11 million illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens.

Their proposals would also include means to keep and attract workers with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This would be aimed both at foreign students attending American universities where they are earning advanced degrees and high-tech workers abroad.

An estimated 40 percent of scientists in the United States are immigrants and studies show immigrants are twice as likely to start businesses, said Nowrasteh.

Boosting legal migration and legalizing existing workers could add $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy over the next 10 years, estimates Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, a specialist in immigration policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. That's an annual increase of 0.8 percentage points to the economic growth rate, currently stuck at about 2 percent.

REPUBLICANS' HISPANIC PUSH

Other economists say the potential benefit to growth is much lower. Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard, believes most of the benefits to the economy from illegal immigrants already in the United States has already been recorded and legalizing their status would produce only incremental benefits.

While opposition to reform lingers on both sides of the political spectrum and any controversial legislation can easily meet a quick end in a divided Washington, the chances of substantial change seem to be rising. Top Republicans such as Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana are not mincing words about the party's need to appeal to the Hispanic community and foreign-born voters who were turned off by Republican candidate Mitt Romney's tough talk in last year's presidential campaign.

A previous Obama plan, unveiled in May 2011, included the creation of a guest-worker program to meet agricultural labor needs and something similar is expected to be in his new proposal.

The senators also indicated they would support a limited program that would allow companies in certain sectors to import guest workers if Americans were not available to fill some positions.

An additional boost to growth could come from rising wages for newly legalized workers and higher productivity from the arrival of more highly skilled workers from abroad. Increased tax revenues would help federal and state authorities plug budget deficits although the benefit to government revenues will be at least partially offset by the payment of benefits to those who gain legal status.

In 2007, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that proposed immigration reform in that year would have generated $48 billion in revenue from 2008 to 2017, while costing $23 billion in health and welfare payments.

There is also unlikely to be much of a saving on enforcement from the senators' plan because they envisage tougher border security to prevent further illegal immigration and a crackdown on those overstaying visas.

One way to bump up revenue, according to a report co-authored by University of California, Davis economist Giovanni Peri, would be to institute a cap-and-trade visa system. Peri estimated it could generate up to $1.2 billion annually.

Under such a system, the government would auction a certain number of visas employers could trade in a secondary market.

"A more efficient, more transparent and more flexible immigration system would help firms expand, contribute to more job creation in the United States, and slow the movement of operations abroad," according to a draft report, soon to be published as part of a study by the Hamilton Project, a think tank.

There was no immediate sign that either the Obama or the senators' plan would include such a system.

The long-term argument for immigration is a demographic one. Many developed nations are seeing their populations age, adding to the burden of pension and healthcare costs on wage-earners.

Immigration in the United States would need to double to keep the working-age population stable at its current 67 percent of total population, according to George Magnus, a senior independent economic adviser at UBS in London,

While Magnus says a change of that magnitude may prove too politically sensitive, the focus should be on attracting highly skilled and entrepreneurial immigrants in the way Canada and Australia do by operating a points system for immigrants rather than focusing mainly on family connections.

"The trick is to shift the balance of migration towards those with education (and) skills," he added.

HARD ROAD

Academics at major universities such as Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology often lament that many of their top foreign graduates end up returning to their home countries because visas are hard to get.

"We have so much talent that is sitting here in the universities," said William Kerr, a professor at Harvard Business School. "I find it very difficult to swallow that we then make it so hard for them to stay."

The last big amnesty for illegal immigrants was in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan legalized about 3 million already in the country. Numerous studies have shown that subsequently their wages rose significantly.

Research on how immigration affects overall wages is inconclusive. George Borjas at Harvard says immigration has created a small net decrease in overall wages for those born in the United States, concentrated among the low-skilled, while Giovani Peri at UC Davis found that immigration boosts native wages over the long run.

Hinojosa-Ojeda stresses that any reform needs to make it easier for guest workers to enter the country to avoid a new build-up of illegal workers.

"If we don't create a mechanism that can basically bring in 300,000 to 400,000 new workers a year into a variety of labor markets and needs, we could be setting ourselves up for that again," said Hinojosa-Ojeda.

Nowrasteh at Cato also believes an expanded guest worker program would stem illegal immigration and allow industries to overcome labor shortages.

He found that harsher regulations in recent years in Arizona were adversely affecting agricultural production, increasing financial burdens on business and even negatively impacting the state's struggling real estate market.

Some large companies have fallen foul of tougher enforcement regulations.

Restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc fired roughly 500 staff in 2010 and 2011 after undocumented workers were found on its payrolls. Putting the chill on other employers, it is now subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into its hiring.

"The current system doesn't seem to work for anyone," Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said.

(Reporting By Edward Krudy; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-immigration-reform-could-boost-u-economic-growth-060933796.html

aaron smith wilt chamberlain joe arpaio cat in the hat green eggs and ham wiz khalifa and amber rose oh the places you ll go

Peer review - Pitfalls, possibilities, perils, promises *: #scio13

At this year?s ScienceOnline (un)conference, Jarrett Byrnes from the University of Massachusetts, Boston and I will be moderating a session on open science and peer review. Peer review clearly faces new and urgent challenges with the advent of online science journalism and writing that can criticize and even bypass the process. Can the traditional model of peer review survive these challenges? Can it be integrated within the new framework or would it be supplanted? How can journals best modify or implement new policies for peer review in this increasingly expanding universe of open and citizen science? These are all key questions facing not just authors, journal editors and reviewers but also the taxpaying public at large whose contributions often fund peer-reviewed research. Join us on Thursday at 4 PM in Room 7 to discuss these and other issues.

With all its merits, the traditional model of anonymous peer review clearly has flaws; reviewers under the convenient cloak of anonymity can use the system to settle scores, old boys? clubs can conspire to prevent research from seeing the light of day, and established orthodox reviewers and editors can potentially squelch speculative, groundbreaking work. In the world of open science and science blogging, all these flaws can be ? and have been ? potentially addressed. The question, ?How on earth did the reviewers and editors allow this paper to be published?? has appeared in blogs on more than one occasion. On the other hand, research that is consistently rejected by journals can be self-published on blogs. Since bandwidth is (almost) free, nothing can stop ideas ? no matter how speculative or controversial ? from seeing the light of day. In addition, responses from reviewers that seem unscrupulous or conspiratorial can also be aired out into the open.

Such easy access to publishing potentially confidential and damning material poses significant challenges to journal editors, so we would especially like to hear from them. The topic of peer review is vast and multifaceted and we can only touch upon a few topics; we are hoping that the rest of the discussion will spill over into the hallways, restaurants and bars. This being an ?unconference?, all Jarrett and I will do is kick off the discussion with one or two topics that are our personal favorites. The floor then belongs to the audience who should feel free to hold forth on their favorite topics.

On my part I would like to focus on two aspects of peer review, both illustrated with examples that I have previously blogged about. One asks if peer review has become too conservative. The other asks how transparent the process can be made. It demonstrates one of the major problems with academic reviewing ? the ability of reviewers to liberally criticize and reject legitimate research under the cover of anonymity ? by way of a remarkable story in which a professor could not get legitimate criticism of existing research published in a leading journal for the better part of a year.

Jarrett is part of NEACS OpenPub a blog created by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis which is discussing a framework for open research in the field of ecology. The blog has a productive discussion going on about standards and requirements for publishing open research in the field. Be sure to check it out; Jarrett will provide much more information during the session.

As always, this discussion can only benefit from a variety of views from the entire spectrum of people who are affected by the peer review process; certainly authors, editors and reviewers but also interested bloggers, ?whistleblowers? and members of the public. So we hope to see a diverse representation of people during this session and we look forward to an engaging and productive discussion. See y?all on Thursday!

* With due apologies to Doc Brown.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=bf7e0d5d63342de5a94348e9e12afd3c

same day flower delivery valentines day westminster dog show valentines day cards hallmark grammy winners obama budget

Jeff Green Dunk: Chris Bosh Posterized By Celtics Forward (VIDEO/GIF)

By Jose Martinez, Complex Sports

Saying Jeff Green can sky would be a huge understatement. Saying that Green just dunked it on Chris Bosh would also be an understatement as well because the Celtics forward put CB on the receiving end of a poster.

Check out video of the play above and a GIF of the facial dunk below.

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/jeff-green-dunk-chris-bosh-posterized_n_2566068.html

texans lana del rey snl enemy of the state golden globe nominees joe philbin miss america pageant 2012 shipwreck

Shirley Cahela's designs are featured at the Ocean Springs Art ...

OCEAN SPRINGS - Shirley Cahela with Shirley's Jewelry Designs is the Featured Artist for the Ocean Springs Art & Antiques Market at the Mary C. this Saturday.

She makes eclectic designed jewelry using natural stones, coral, shells and crystals.

She is a retired officer in the Air Force security police - a far cry from the delicate craft she creates today.

"I've done a lot of Air Force related cop duties," she said. "In my uniform on duty, I could only wear two little pearl earrings."

But off duty, Cahela said she was fashion conscience.

"I grew up in Los Angeles, and I loved jewelry. It was one of my passions, but I never made any until after I retired," she said.

Her family moved to Ocean Springs when her husband found a job at Ingalls Shipbuilding. In 2007, Cahela said she started making jewelry with beads during a time when her husband and son were undergoing serious medical issues.

"The beading came as a hobby to occupy my hands when waiting. I could focus on my faith and pray at the same time while beading," she said.

She was one of the early vendors at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center of Arts & Education when the Artists Market started in 2009. From there, she started teaching a jewelry class, and still teaches the class from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each Tuesday.

"Each class stands on its own. After the class, the students go home with a beautiful necklace and earring set," Cahela said. "I enjoy meeting people."

When she goes home to visit her parents in Los Angeles, Cahela said she goes to the Fashion Bead District in the downtown area where she visits warehouses that specialize in all types of beads.

"I'm like a child in the candy store. I arrive for my visit with a light suitcase, and return home with a full bag," she said.

She also picks up unusual pieces when she visits family in South America. As a result, all of Cahela's jewelry are one-of-a-kind with no two pieces alike. After she completes each piece, she will wear it for a day to make sure it is comfortable and sturdy.

"I test it on myself for enjoyment. Each piece is carefully done with love," she said.

Look for Cahela's booth as the Featured Artist for the Feb. 2 Ocean Springs Art & Antiques Market at the Mary C. Her work is displayed on her Facebook page, and also is available at Poppy's and the F.A.B. Store, both in Ocean Springs.

The popular artists market at the Mary C. is undergoing a facelift for 2013 to enhance its offerings to shoppers. The name of the market has been changed to Ocean Springs Art & Antiques Market at the Mary C. to reflect the broader scope of the newly redesigned market.

"Our primary vendors will continue to be artists and craftsmen and their handcrafted goods, but we are adding antiques and collectibles component to attract more people," said Bryant Whelan, executive director at the Mary C.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-living/2013/01/shirley_cahelas_designs_are_fe.html

mega mill power ball april fools pranks livan hernandez soledad o brien mega ball lottery winner

The 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show: Automakers Keep ...

Although southern California is celebrated as a sports car mecca, sport utility vehicles of every size and type were among the biggest hits at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show. More than 40 different brands parked their new models and concept renditions on the ?red carpet? at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as 50 new vehicles made their premier entrance or global debut. The LAIAS is among the most significant shows in annual big-city show season in the U.S. and the home of the Greater Los Angeles Auto Dealers Association (GLANCDA), the umbrella organization for local and regional dealers. The LAIAS is followed by 2013 auto shows in Detroit (January), Chicago (February), New York (April) and other cities across the nation.

The eyes of the world were on ?The City of Angels? as the world?s top manufacturers and members of the international and national automotive press, and approximately one million auto enthusiasts came together in the country?s largest performance car market. In addition to the dazzling and desirable sheet metal, autowriters and visitors were able to check out new and innovative automotive technology, as well as aftermarket offerings for all types of vehicles. There was also a collection of classic and historical models. My automotive career started at Four Wheeler magazine and, as a result, I have developed a partiality for light trucks?a category that includes SUVs and pickups, and I have a love of performance--and a passion for racing both trucks and SUVs. I?ve been privileged to race in the two top 4WD races on the planet-the Dakar and the Baja 1000- motoring in a cadre of models that have ranged from small (the Kia Sportage) to tall (the Ford Raptor) to a granddaddy of them all (the Hummer H1). I not only love off-road racing, but also know that it?s used as a ?test bed? for vehicles and new automotive equipment. You could say the same about auto shows to some degree, as there is opportunity to garner fanfare for new models and vehicle technologies, as well as to test the waters for new designs, new color pallets and far-out ideas that we might even see at a dealership and use onboard our personal vehicles sometime soon.

The LAIAS is truly a show of strength in the industry and a showplace for designers and engineers that are charged to create the future?and LA is where creativity lives! Among the captivating unveilings, all enhanced by bold musical and visual entertainment (think Golden Globes or Oscars!), there was an assortment of sport utility vehicles, one of the top-selling and most-popular segments of the automotive world today. Today?s SUVs are stronger, smarter and more savvy, and are notably smaller than the behemoths of the nineties and early 2000?s-era, although almost all have more room. And, they are also dressed with more ?jewelry?, with bigger and bolder grilles, clever lighting design and flashy wheels, regardless of whether their mission is more militaristic or for the country club. Note: there were no pickup trucks brought to the show, which are often introduced in Detroit, Chicago or New York. Following are the evocative SUVs that took Top Honors in my book and a few that were engaging and deserve honorable mentions? a few of my favorite things:

Top Honors: Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force?This concept knocked my socks off! Inspired by the uber-capable Mercedes G-Class SUV, the concept is beastly-looking but uses a ?hydro tech converter? (just say fuel cell technology!) that can travel some 500 miles converting water to hydrogen and has a 360-degree top that police might use to patrol the streets-some say it might be a replacement for the G-Wagen, used by the military and extreme off-roaders.

I also liked the real-time Mercedes GL63 AMG with the gallop power of 550 horses and a top speed of 174 mph-who said SUVs were boring! The 3-row, 7-seater could appeal to millionaire mommies like, say, Posh Spice!! BMW X1 K2 BMW boasts that this ?Powder Ride? concept is an automotive driving machine with a design hat that morphs a car and motorcycle, airplane and train and still contains the aesthetics of sustainability-Wow-zah! There?s an aluminum roof-rack top for skis and cargo boxes. Love the Valencia Orange paint job, with Ferric Gray trim accents; dark-tinted windows; cool wheels; LED spotlights; wood and black leather inside, with orange stitching. BMW also updated its 2013 X1 compact crossover, now coming to showrooms and ski slopes near you!

The Bavarians also bring a ski-themed, special edition model called the Powder Ride edition bundles K2 skis. But, of course! 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Special Edition?The unforgiving ? Ruby? turns 10 years old and carries enough beefy, backcountry cred to make it over the legendary Rubicon Trail in northern California with nary a scratch! Two wheelbases, Sunrider or optional hardtop, red leather seats with anniversary embroidery. As a back-roader and 4WD enthusiast, I love the set-up on this model. Blow out the candles, Jeep! Honorable Mention: Nissan Hi-Cross Concept-This sculpted hybrid concept seats seven runs on both electric and gas-not a new concept but, the word on the streets is this Japanese automaker plans to bring it stateside. We need all the fuel savings we can get! Toyota RAV4- The importance is this model is its history; what began in 1996 created a new culture, and secured some awards for the young and active seeking efficiency and the ability to carry a bit of gear. A new theme-Let?s Go Places-gets a new Adventure?s APP that is dialed for the 150 places it is sold around the globe. All new for this year, it sheds the third row and V-6 engine.

2014 Subaru Forester and 2014 Forester Turbo (a meld of SUV capability and WRX know-how, says Subie!) It?s crazy popular for a few reasons: all-wheel-drive traction, decent fuel economy and a modest price, among them; and Subaru will keep its price modest in the low 20?s. Uplevel models will get a new Eyesight driver assistance system and Starlink infotainment, as well as Hill Descent Control. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe-This updated SUV (Santa Fe Sport) now gets a stablemate that?s 8.5? longer, with three rows of seats; it holds more people, more cargo volume and a new power liftgate. Other goodies include heated rear seats! 2014 Kia Sorento-Built on a new platform, with a panoramic roof that lets the sun shine in, gets new mechanicals and a new interior.

Related articles

Source: http://caradvice.askpatty.com/ask_patty_/2013/01/the-2012-los-angeles-international-auto-show-automakers-keep-the-sport-in-sport-utes.html

brandon phillips summerfest summerfest fidel castro rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish

COMPUTER CHESS ? Hammer to Nail

(Computer Chess world premiered in the NEXT Section of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Its next stop is the Berlin International Film Festival. Visit the film?s totally awesome official website to learn more.)

In 1984 Barry Salt, a rather obscure British film theorist, published a book called Film Style And Technology. In the book, Salt did statistical analysis of key films from each major period of film style history. His basic thesis is that film technology shapes style and aesthetics. The most obvious example is how film grammar changed once sound was introduced. The camera became less mobile due to the early microphones and mixers being bulky, which also prevented location shoots. Stories also became dialogue driven and acting became more voice dependent. So each period has a distinctive feel stylistically due to the particular technological advances of that time. Thus, if you want to make a true period film, one that really feels it is of the past, you would have to draw inspiration from more than just the props, haircuts and wardrobe of that period. Recently, watching a film print of Three Days of the Condor, I realized it felt so uniquely ?seventies? because the lenses, film stock, ratio of wide shots to tight, and general editing pace were all unusual compared to modern films. It succeeded as a total immersion into the distant past in a way that modern period films rarely do.

Andrew Bujaski?s Computer Chess was my favorite of the 28 films I saw at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It is a complete and utter cinematic experience, in large part due to it being shot on the Sony AVC 3260, a ?70s-era tethered video tube camera. The camera first hit the market in the late ?60s and was designed as a lightweight portable camera for both professionals and amateurs. Its shallow focus, low contrast black-and-white image looks at first like modern security camera footage, but the Sony has a zoom lens that allows for a wide variety of framings, which provides a varied depth of field from shot to shot and this is in part what defines its most unique trait. Computer Chess features both tightly composed shots of heads bent over computer screens in a crowded room and long empty shots of a man dancing down a long hotel hallway. The camera itself is tethered to a recording box and then the film?s tech team was also simultaneously digitizing the image. This made the camera extremely bulky and immobile. Consequently, inside crowded rooms, the camera does not glide or dance with the actors like it does in modern films. The shots are often static and frames are often angled in such a way that it feels as if we don?t have unlimited access to these strange characters and their often obtuse arguments. The quality of the image could be called crude by comparison to today?s high resolution, high contrast, hypersensitive focus control cameras, but nevertheless, its unique vibe is both disorientating and transporting.

Bujalski?s film tells the story of a group of cutting edge computer geeks who gather in a Texas hotel for a computer chess tournament in the early 1980s. The team whose computer wins will face off in the final match for the ultimate man vs computer challenge, reminiscent of the actual Garry Kasparov chess challenges. There are an assortment of computer types with weird haircuts and unhip period clothes verbally sparring with each other about tech problems as well as larger esoteric questions regarding their own individual computers idiosyncrasies. Also in the hotel for the weekend is a marriage encounter couples therapy group who sit in a circle attempting to better understand their partners? and their own frustrations.

The couples? open eagerness to engage each other verbally about feelings is in stark contrast to the computer dweebs, who seem to each be stuck in some state of pre-adolescent, pre-verbal bubble. The contrast between these two groups is often mined for hilarious laughs, such as when one of the couples tries to seduce the youngest member of the computer tribe by getting him to ?open up? about his feelings and urges while rubbing his neck.

The dislocation caused by the physical aspects of the production, the weird haircuts, lingo, clothes and the black-and-white imagery transport you to a world that for sure existed but has never really been explored on the big screen with such texture. Unlike other films of this period, Computer Chess doesn?t attempt to evoke warm fuzzy nostalgic feelings of a bygone era; instead, it uses the dislocation generated by the video image to cause us to be hyper-aware of how different the world was in the past from how it is now. Bujalski depicts an innocent computer age when the excitement of technology was driven by a pure pursuit of exploration, rather than the pursuit of application value. At one point a programmer says the future of computers is in dating and we are reminded that there was a time when computer science had yet to be fully co-opted by the corporate consumer driven mentality that currently fuels the dreams of young tech geniuses.

The theme of Man versus Computer is in itself a quaint concept because it was driven by a now dated fear of technology. There were initially fears that computers could be used to create mass destruction or that man?s basic humanity would be somehow compromised by a HAL type computer logic. The film has a sad eve of destruction vibe to it; at times, it reminded me of another Texas indie film, Eagle Pennell?s Last Night At The Alamo, which was also about a group of people getting together for one last night before their world was changed (in this case, the closing of an old tavern). Likewise, Computer Chess depicts life on the cusp before the computers won. Today there are barely any skeptical voices who speak out against the evils of technology. Jaron Lanier?s book You Are Not A Gadget as well as J?rgen Habermas?s screeds against the internet are the lone articulations of this position. Computer Chess, though, is a comedy and it can be simply enjoyed as a nostalgic romp. But if you start to really explore your own insecurities about some of the conflicts that arise throughout the film?s weekend, you may be surprised how deep its tech themes really run. It?s an extremely entertaining low-tech cinematic breakdown of our modern high-tech world.

? Mike S. Ryan

Source: http://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/computer-chess-film-review/

david choe national wear red day gunner kiel gunner kiel groundhog soulja boy did the groundhog see his shadow

Rdio Needs More Users, Hopes Going Free On Web & Desktop Will Help

The battle for international users continues to heat up for streaming music services. Just this morning, Deezer announced expansions into developing markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Brazil, and now Rdio follows with news of its own - it's going free. The company says it's rolling out free web access internationally to all territories where it operates, except for Germany and Brazil.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/R0JGL6izl_g/

Olympic Medal Count 2012 Olympics 2012 Olympic Schedule 2012 NBC Olympics NBC Olympics schedule 2012 Olympics Chad Everett

Investing for Retirement: Making A Crown of Old Age - Solomon ...

Welcome! If this is your first time visiting Jason Hartman's website, please read this page to learn more about what we do here. You may also be interested in receiving updates from our blog via RSS or via email if you prefer. If you have any questions about Christian investing feel free to contact us anytime! Thanks!

For King Solomon, who reigned for forty years, old age yields the rewards of a life well lived. ?Old age is a crown of dignity, which is found in the ways of justice,? he says in Proverbs 16:1. The King?s words suggest the importance of preparing early to enjoy those serene, comfortable years after retirement. Yet, according to a number of recent surveys, most Americans fail to plan realistically for retirement.

Many people responding to a recent survey on their retirement plans said they expected to work well beyond retirement age. Although the majority of these individuals were working in fields where retirement isn?t mandated ? as business owners, academics and professionals in law and medicine ? unforeseen circumstances can derail that plan. An unexpected health problem, changes in economic conditions, or even a change of heart about the whole thing can mean a need to fall back on retirement income.

Others, nearing retirement with limited savings, think it?s just too late to try to create a better income stream. These folks may be relying on an employer?s pension plan or Social Security to fill in the gaps. Some may have a retirement savings account without much in it. But financial experts say it?s never too late to start planning. And for those who can manage it, investing in real estate or becoming an entrepreneur may provide a solution to creating income in retirement.

A third group tends to rely on home equity as a backup source of retirement money. But, as the ups and downs of the housing market over the last few years have shown, that?s an income source that may not be reliable. If housing values fall, or sales go flat in the local market, homeowners needing to sell quickly may not end up with as much as they?d hoped on the deal.

There are other myths about retirement savings, too. People may simply miscalculate the amount needed for a comfortable and prosperous retirement. Anticipating needs, as well as the volatile nature of the economy, may be difficult. But in today?s world, people can expect to live a third of their lives ? or maybe more ? post-retirement. That?s a long time ? longer than many realize.

Of course, these myths about retirement are not really myths. There?s truth in them all. But as Solomon advises, wisdom and prudence can lay the foundation for a comfortable and prosperous life post retirement. The key is to take active steps to ensure a secure income stream. Investing in income property as a real estate entrepreneur, as Jason Hartman advises,? can lay the foundation for that kind of income stream, allowing retirees to enjoy life with that crown of dignity the King describes.

The Solomon Success Team

No related posts.

?

Tags: Biblical investing, financial investing, income property, jason hartman, Solomon proverbs

Source: http://www.solomonsuccess.com/investing-for-retirement-making-a-crown-of-old-age/

susan g komen kenyon martin kenyon martin big miracle slab city super bowl snacks appleton

Netflix?s House Of Cards Could Be The Best Show You Won?t See On TV

Netflix original series House of Cards makes for really good TV, even if you'll never watch the show on any broadcast or cable network. That's because Netflix cut a reported $100 million check for exclusive rights to stream the program to its subscribers. If the first two episodes are any indication, that bet should pay off handsomely.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/P1W_h4vbcR0/

Paula Broadwell Tilted Kilt Barbara Palvin Yahoo Fantasy Football Nick Foles Auguste Rodin Breaking Amish

Researchers build a working tractor beam, on a very small scale

We recently saw research that suggested negative radiation pressure in light could lead to a practical tractor beam. A partnership between the Czech Republic's Institute of Scientific Instruments and Scotland's University of St. Andrews can show that it's more than just theory: the two have successfully created an optical field that flipped the usual pressure and started pulling objects toward the light. Their demo only tugged at the particle level -- sorry, no spaceships just yet -- but it exhibited unique properties that could be useful here on Earth. Scientists discovered that the pull is specific to the size and substance of a given object, and that targets would sometimes reorganize themselves in a way that improved the results. On the current scale, that pickiness could lead to at least medicinal uses, such as sorting cells based on their material. While there's more experiments and development to go before we ever see a tractor beam at the hospital, the achievement brings us one step closer to the sci-fi future we were always told we'd get, right alongside the personal communicators and jetpacks.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Via: BBC

Source: University of St. Andrews, Nature

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/J6VA489BooY/

Mother Jones cars Bacon Number Kate Middleton photos Chi Magazine Kate Middleton Nude Photos glee

Morgan Stanley to allow India banking license to lapse: report

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley intends to allow its banking license in India to lapse as part of its changed business strategy, the Economic Times newspaper reported on Saturday.

However, the Wall Street bank will continue to run its investment banking business and stay registered as a non-banking finance company with the central Reserve Bank of India, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed senior banker.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment on the report.

In March 2012, it received the license to set up a bank in the country.

"It is now planning to let the license lapse as it does not want to tie up capital and other resources on account of a review of its strategy," a senior banker with knowledge of the development told the newspaper.

The license would enable Morgan Stanley to expand its offerings to corporate banking and foreign exchange from its current services such as advising clients on takeovers.

Last November, sources have told Reuters that Morgan Stanley had launched the sale of its India private wealth management unit, which manages about $1 billion including loans, after entering the highly fragmented and competitive market just four years earlier.

(Reporting by Indulal PM; editing by Jason Neely)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/morgan-stanley-allow-india-banking-license-lapse-report-104302154--sector.html

delmon young dallas mavericks washington capitals amare stoudemire tallest building in the world the pitch brandon inge

Lindsey Vonn, Tiger Woods Dating Rumors Persist After Non-Denial

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/lindsey-vonn-tiger-woods-dating-rumors-persist-after-non-denial/

bane Aurora Colorado Rajesh Khanna friday the 13th toy story 4 toy story 4 steam

Cancer drug developer ImmunoGen takes bigger loss

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Drug developer ImmunoGen Inc. said Friday its fiscal second quarter nearly doubled, as it continued developing treatments for cancer.

ImmunoGen does not have any approved drugs. Its most advanced experimental product is T-DM1, which includes the main ingredient in Roche's drug Herceptin, used mainly to treat breast cancer. The Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to make a decision on T-DM1 by Feb. 26.

ImmunoGen said it expects to report clinical trial results from its three most advanced wholly-owned drugs in 2013 and will start clinical testing of a fourth drug.

The company is developing T-DM1 through a partnership with Roche. The drug contains trastuzumab, the active ingredient in Herceptin, with a second drug and a chemical that keeps the drugs linked until they reach a cancer cell, where the cocktail can be released. ImmunoGen developed the technology that combined the drugs, and it will get royalty payments on sales if the product is approved.

The companies have asked the FDA and European regulators to approve T-DM1 as a treatment for breast cancer. Roche is running additional clinical trials of T-DM1, studying the drug in different settings as a treatment for breast cancer as well as gastric cancer. ImmunoGen is running its own trials of drugs designed to treat lung cancer and multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, and blood cancers.

In the fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31, ImmunoGen said it lost $24.4 million, or 29 cents per share. A year ago it took a loss of $12.8 million, or 17 cents per share.

A 10-percent increase in the number of outstanding shares made the loss in the recent quarter seem smaller on a per-share basis.

Revenue fell to $2.6 million from $7.6 million, because the company received fewer payments from its drug development partners.

Analysts were expecting a loss of 25 cents per share and $5.2 million in revenue, according to FactSet.

Shares of ImmunoGen lost 48 cents, or 3.2 percent, to $14.87 in midday trading.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cancer-drug-developer-immunogen-takes-164954235.html

jason russell norfolk state st patrick s day parade duke invisible children garbage pail kids st bonaventure

Republican chair re-elected, promises GOP for 'everyone'

CHARLOTTE, N.C.?The Republican National Committee re-elected Reince Priebus to a second term as the party organization's chairman Friday. He will serve for two more years.

In his acceptance speech, Priebus focused on widespread criticism after the November presidential election that Republicans were perceived as a party for the privileged few. While he didn't specifically mention Mitt Romney's candid remark during the campaign that "47 percent" of the voting population would never support his candidacy, Priebus took pains to repudiate the notion that the Republican party is a place for only some voters, and vowed to create a "permanent" Republican presence in historically Democratic areas.

"We want to be Republicans for everybody. We have to take our message of opportunity where it's not being heard. We have to build better relationships in minority communities, urban centers and college towns. We need a permanent, growing presence," Priebus said. "It doesn't matter where you live, who you are, what you look like, or what your last name is. Because we will be a party for everyone, everywhere."

Committee members attending the conference concede that bringing in voters who supported Democrats in 2012?particularly minorities?will be an uphill challenge. While Priebus' address to the 168 RNC committee members carried themes of repentance for Republicans sins and admissions of failure in the past, it included promises to promote candidates who would work for the vote of all Americans.

"We must compete in every state and every region, building relationships with communities we haven't before," he said. "We must be a party concerned about every American in every neighborhood."

For those who may have been turned off by the party in 2012, Priebus asked for another chance.

"We want to earn your trust again," he said. "To those who have yet to join us, we welcome you with open doors and open arms. This is your home, too. There's more that unites us than you know."

The RNC in December commissioned a task force to analyze the 2012 presidential contest and gather input about the party's strategy for elections ahead. They plan to reveal their findings in March.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/reince-priebus-elected-republican-national-committee-chair-184700993--election.html

big east tournament 2012 solar storm solar flares spanx aurora borealis gcb mary j blige

Movie Reviews: Parker, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters ...

Editor's Note: All reviews and information aggregated from?Moviefone and RottenTomatoes.

Want to catch a movie this weekend? Here is Patch's roundup of movies playing at Lakeville 21 TheatreMarcus Rosemount Cinema, Apple Valley?s Carmike Cinema and Great Clips IMAX Theatre at the Minnesota Zoo.

New this weekend:

Parker
One sentence plot: Parker (Jason Statham) is a professional thief who lives by a personal code of ethics: Don't steal from people who can't afford it and don't hurt people who don't deserve it.
Moviefone viewer score: 85
Reviews:
"How does Hackford fall so far off the rails with the pedestrian crime thriller Parker, based on the 19th book in the Parker series by the late Donald E. Westlake (no slouch himself, with scripting credits on The Grifters and The Stepfather)? For starters, Westlake didn?t pen this script, and the John J. McLaughlin screenplay is a mess, both highly ludicrous and predictable. McLaughlin ? yeah, the same dude who wrote Black Swan and the recent Hitchcock ? really treads in the shallow end of the gene pool here." Montreal Gazzette. Full review

"'Parker' plays like the bloodiest promotional video ever made for Palm Beach tourism. Stabbings, explosions and furniture-smashing brawls occur at some of the ritziest (and name-checked) locations within the sun-splashed, pastel-soaked slab of Florida opulence. Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the idea of The Breakers." Star Tribune. Full review

?

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
One sentence plot: After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution.
Moviefone viewer score: 91
Reviews:
"High-concept pitch or no, the movie doesn?t really work. They were shooting for sort of a witch-hunting 'Zombieland,' an F-bomb-riddled 'Van Helsing' packed with comical anachronisms ? a Bavarian forest past with witch trials, pump shotguns and primitive Tasers, where bottles of milk have woodcut pictures of 'missing children' on the labels." Norfolk Daily News. Full review

"In the 3D?Witch Hunters, the kids were taken into the woods and left on their own by their father. They stumble into a candy-covered witch house, are taken prisoner and when they figure a way out of their fix - working as a team - they've found their calling. They'll track, shoot, stab, behead and burn witches. Whatever it takes." The Age. Full review

"Even though their skillsets are essentially limited to finding and killing witches, Hansel and Gretel decide to rescue the children themselves. Really, the film should have been called Hansel and Gretel: Occasional Child Recoverers, but that doesn't scan so well. So, who could have abducted the children? A witch?" The Guardian. Full review

Other movies in theaters:

Mama
One sentence plot: Guillermo del Toro presents 'Mama', a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed.
Moviefone viewer score: 84
Reviews:
"What's under the bed? Who's behind that door? What's making those vaguely satanic noises? These and other thought-provoking questions are entertained in Mama, a visually polished but overly repetitive chiller." Variety. Full Review

"It never hits the high notes of Mr. del Toro's own films or successfully weaves between reality and fantasy as it should." New York Observer. Full Review

"Nothing in the movie is quite original, yet Muschietti, expanding his original short, knows how to stage a rip-off with frightening verve." Entertainment Weekly. Full Review

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Please tell us what you thought in the comments below.

----

Broken City
One sentence plot: The mayor of New York City hires a disgraced ex-cop to identify his wife's lover, setting into motion a scandalous series of events in this post-noir thriller from director Albert Hughes.
Moviefone viewer score: 91
Reviews:
"'Broken City' is an evocative and over-ambitious title for a so-so political potboiler that wants to be a gritty, expansive epic of moral and urban decay." Variety. Full review.

"Broken City tells a sordid tale of big city corruption that would have made for a fine film noir sixty years ago but feels rather contrived and unbelievable in the setting of contemporary New York... It's never really convincing that the characters would do some of the far-fetched things required of them by the script, resulting in a sense of detachment that is never helpful for a thriller." The Hollywood Reporter. Full review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Please tell us what you thought in the comments below.

----

Gangster Squad
One sentence plot: Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and--if he has his way--every wire bet placed west of Chicago.
Moviefone viewer score: 90
Moviefone critic score: 43
Reviews:
?The cops play things as dirty as the crooks in Gangster Squad, an impressively pulpy underworld-plunger that embellishes on a 1949 showdown between a dedicated team of LAPD officers and Mob-connected Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) for control of the city.? Variety. Full Review.

?Made up of synthetics rather than whole cloth, this lurid concoction superficially gets by thanks to a strong cast and jazzy period detail, but its cartoonish contrivances fail to convince and lack any of the depth, feeling or atmosphere of genre stand-bearers like ?L.A. Confidential.?? The Hollywood Reporter. Full Review.

?Despite the unrelenting action and the terrific cast, Gangster Squad comes up more scattered than successful.? Austin Chronicle. Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Please tell us what you thought in the comments below.

- - - - -

Zero Dark Thirty
One sentence plot: The filmmaking duo behind The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal) takes on the hunt for -- and the killing of -- Osama bin Laden in this Annapurna Pictures production that tracks SEAL Team Six, the special-ops team who eventually brought down the terrorist leader.
Moviefone viewer score: 63
Moviefone critic score: 95
Reviews:
?Telling a nearly three-hour story with an ending everyone knows, Bigelow and Boal have managed to craft one of the most intense and intellectually challenging films of the year.? The Guardian. Full Review.

?Like the fictional Clarice Starling in ?The Silence of the Lambs,? Maya is a consummate professional who brilliantly performs her job in an often hostile work environment.? New York Post. Full Review.

?A monumental achievement that documents a coordinated and complicated response to a monumental tragedy.? Philadelphia Enquirer. Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Please tell us what you thought in the comments below.

----

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
One sentence plot: The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.
Moviefone viewer score: 72 percent
Moviefone critic score: 58
Reviews:
?Charming, spectacular, technically audacious; in short, everything you expect from a Peter Jackson movie. A feeling of familiarity does take hold in places, but this is an epically entertaining first course.? Total Film. Full Review.

?A mesmerizing study in excess, Peter Jackson and company's long-awaited prequel to the Lord of the Rings saga is bursting with surplus characters, wall-to-wall special effects, unapologetically drawn-out story tangents and double the frame rate (48 over 24) of the average movie.? Time Out New York. Full Review.

?I'm holding the filmmaker responsible for getting us all back again - to feelings of excitement and delight. Vital as they are, Gollum and Bilbo can only do so much to keep us enchanted. Is Jackson able to sustain the magic in two more installments? I peer into Tolkien's Misty Mountains and embrace the journey.? Entertainment Weekly. Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Have you seen it already? Leave a review of the film with a comment below.

----

Django Unchained
One sentence plot: Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave who forms an unlikely partnership with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz.
Moviefone viewer score: 73
Moviefone critic score: 80
Reviews:
"A sharp shock of a film in an Awards season very full of movies so noble they become immobile. It's wildly unlikely to get much love from the Academy, and that's fine-bluntly, it's too good for them. With its bloody stew of history and hysteria, action taken from movies and atrocities taken from fact, Django isn't just a movie only America could make-it's also a movie only America needs to." Boxoffice Magazine.?Full Review.

"Exactly what you might expect from the fearless, controversial director of "Pulp Fiction" - it's overlong, raunchy, shocking, grim, exaggerated, self-indulgently over-the-top and so politically incorrect it demands a new definition of the term. It is also bold, original, mesmerizing, stylish and one hell of a piece of entertainment." Rex Reed of New York Observer.?Full Review.

"Django Unchained also has the pure, almost meaningless excitement which I found sorely lacking in Tarantino's previous film, Inglourious Basterds, with its misfiring spaghetti-Nazi trope and boring plot. I can only say Django delivers, wholesale, that particular narcotic and delirious pleasure that Tarantino still knows how to confect in the cinema, something to do with the manipulation of surfaces. It's as unwholesome, deplorable and delicious as a forbidden cigarette." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.?Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Have you seen it already? Leave a review of the film with a comment below.

?----

Les Miserables
One sentence plot: Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Miserables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption, in a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.
Moviefone viewer score: 81
Moviefone critic score: 63
Reviews:
"Stirring and striking, Hooper's epic musical won't be wanting for awards and plaudits. Danny Cohen's cinematography is stunning and Hathaway's Oscar is guaranteed." Neil Smith of Total Film.?Full Review.

"Russell Crowe's pained vocal stylings (they sound more like barks) as relentless Inspector Javert can be forgiven after hearing Hugh Jackman's old-pro fluidity in the central role of Jean Valjean, hiding a criminal past." Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York.?Full Review.

"Fortunately, this sprawling epic is well-anchored. There cannot be a better big-screen showman than Jackman." Elizabeth Weitzman of New York Daily News.?Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Have you seen it already? Leave a review of the film with a comment below.

?----

This is 40
One sentence plot: Five years after writer/director Judd Apatow introduced us to Pete and Debbie in 'Knocked Up', Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their roles as a husband and wife both approaching a milestone meltdown in 'This Is 40', an unfiltered, comedic look inside the life of an American family.
Moviefone viewer score: 53
Moviefone critic score: 58
Reviews:
"This Is 40 isn't always hilarious, but it's ticklishly honest and droll about all the things being a parent can do to a relationship. And why it's still worth it." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly.?Full Review.

"Judd Apatow's instincts have rarely been sharper, wiser or more relatable than in This Is 40, an acutely perceptive, emotionally generous laffer about the joys and frustrations of marriage and middle age." Justin Chang of Variety.?Full Review.??

"In short, This Is 40, in tried and true Apatowian style, mixes weighty issues about intimacy and cohabitation with astute and smart-alecky pop culture references, crude bathroom jokes, stoner riffs, boob ogling, and existential angst." Steven Rea of Philadelphia Inquirer.?Full Review.

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Have you seen it already? Leave a review of the film with a comment below.

- - - - -

Jack Reacher
One sentence plot: The Usual Suspects' Christopher McQuarrie brings Lee Child's Jack Reacher character to the big screen with this Paramount Pictures release starring Tom Cruise as the lone-wolf investigator on the hunt for a murderous sniper.
Moviefone viewer score: 65
Moviefone critic score: 49
Reviews:
"In terms of pure pop entertainment value, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more smartly constructed, beautifully shot, pulse-pounding movie this holiday season." Drew Taylor of The Playlist.?Full Review.

"A superior thriller, with Cruise and McQuarrie slotting together like a bullet in a clip. Like Reacher on the firing range, the aim isn't always true ? but the misses are fractional." James Mottram of Total Film.?Full Review.

"Tom Cruise is in fine form as mysterious tough guy Jack Reacher finally reaches the big screen." Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter.?Full Review

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Have you seen it already? Leave a review of the film with a comment below.

Source: http://northfield.patch.com/articles/movie-reviews-parker-hansel-and-gretel-witch-hunters-f0dccd6f

snooty fox el debarge portland weather clintonville battlestar galactica blood and chrome my morning jacket roger goodell

Crapware malicious software junk computer | Stuff.co.nz

InstallMonetizer.com

InstallMonetizer helps crapware makers get their stuff on your computer.

For a few years now, I've been expecting to write an obituary for crapware. Or not an obit, exactly - I was hoping to dance on its grave.?

Crapware is the annoying software that worms into your computer without your knowledge. You can get it when you buy your PC - software companies pay PC makers to install the stuff on new machines - or when you download some ostensibly useful program from the Web.

You might download Adobe's Flash player, say, and only later discover that the installer also larded up your computer with a dubious "PC health check" program that tries to scare you into paying to "repair" your machine.

But ever since the summer of 2008, when Apple launched its App Store, the death of crapware has seemed imminent. The App Store promised to kill crapware by centralizing software distribution. Because it's the only way to get apps on your phone, and because Apple prohibits crapware and reviews all the apps that get submitted to the store, you'll never get unwanted programs when you install an app.

There are lots of problems with this model - the App Store gives Apple too much control over the software market, letting it stifle competition and enforce prudishness. But one of the reasons the App Store has proved so popular is that it lets people try new software without having to worry that it will hurt their machines.

That's one reason why Android, Windows, Kindle, and the BlackBerry have all adopted similar centralized app stores. Many of these stores have more liberal review policies than Apple's, but they all prohibit crapware. It seemed likely, then, that this scourge would soon be gone - if we all got our apps from app stores, and if someone was checking those apps to make sure they weren't bundled with unwanted software, crapware would soon crap out.

But that's not happening. Crapware has proved remarkably resilient, and now I fear it will stick around for years to come. That's because device makers, cellular carriers, and some of the most prominent investors in Silicon Valley are keeping it alive.

It's also because Google and Microsoft, the only companies in a position to stop it, haven't fought crapware with the passion it deserves. (Macs can get crapware through bundled downloads, too, but Apple doesn't allow it to be preinstalled, and Apple's centralized Mac App Store - which is becoming the favored way to distribute Mac programs - prohibits it.)

And that gets to the main reason crapware lives on: There's a lot of money in it. Indeed, the rise of app stores has perversely made crapware even more valuable than in the past. App stores are clogged with thousands of programs, so it's harder than ever for software companies to get you to voluntarily download their stupid games, weather monitoring programs, and unnecessary security programs.

That's why they're willing to pay a lot to get their stuff on your device without your permission - and that's why crapware may never, ever die.

There are two main problems with crapware. First, it's deceptive, and the underhandedness associated with preinstalled and secretly installed software makes people suspicious about computers - and that goes against the long-term interests of everyone in the tech industry.

Second, crapware devotes system resources to stuff you don't need. Sometimes this slows down your computer, sometimes it invades your privacy, and other times it's just annoying, adding extra steps to your daily computing tasks.

Take, for instance, the Ask toolbar. As Ben Edelman, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, documented last week, this browser plug-in is unbelievably annoying. It loads itself into your browser - IE, Chrome, or Firefox - and then makes Ask.com or its sister site, MyWebSearch, your default search engine. Then, anytime you do a search, you're presented with a page of results that consists almost entirely of advertising. Edelman writes:

The volume of advertisements is remarkable. On a 800x600 monitor, the entire first two screens of Mywebsearch results presented advertisements - four large ads with a total of seven additional miniature ads contained within. The first algorithmic search result appears on the third on-screen page, where users are far less likely to see it. At Ask.com, ads are even larger: fully seven advertisements appear above the first algorithmic result, and three more ads appear at page bottom - more than filling two 800x600 screens.

No one would ever install such a terrible toolbar by choice. But Ask doesn't need you to install its stuff; instead it pays lots of companies to help squirrel the toolbar into your machine. As tech journalist Ed Bott reported last week, one of those firms is Oracle, whose own browser plug-in, Java, has been plagued by lots of security holes lately.

You should disable Java, but if you don't, you should at least update it - and when you do, you'll notice that its security upgrade installer prechecks a box that installs Ask into your browser. Or, more likely, you won't notice that because you'll be rushing to click through the installer.

And say you get suspicious and decide to check Windows' list of recently installed programs to see if anything unwanted was added to your system? As Bott documented, the Ask toolbar does something clever - it waits for 10 minutes after you install Java to install itself. The delay allows it to escape your immediate detection.

The rise of app stores will make Ask's crapware technique more difficult to pull off; if you do upgrades through a store, you won't be hit by unwanted software when you go to fix a security problem. But even though Microsoft has been pushing Windows developers to create apps for its new Windows Store, Windows 8, its latest operating system, still allows users to bypass the centralized Windows Store and get Windows programs from the Web.

As a technical matter, then, upgrading to the new OS won't do much to defend against crap you don't need. That's probably why Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator, big names in Silicon Valley's startup scene, have invested in InstallMonetizer, a company that helps crapware makers get their stuff on your computer. InstallMonetizer, which is 2 years old, says that it is profitable and has been doubling the amount of crapware it gets on users' computers every few months. (It doesn't call it crapware.) In other words, despite Windows 8's app store, crapware is likely to remain a bonanza.

And even if Windows 8 prohibited non-app-store downloads, there's still another way for software companies to get their stuff on your machine: They can pay device makers and cell carriers to install it on new devices. One of the reasons Android has grabbed so much of the mobile market is that many Android phones are much cheaper than the iPhone. One of the reasons they're so cheap is because they're subsidized by software that ruins the device, making it slower and draining your battery. Microsoft has been marketing new Windows 8 devices as more appliance-like (more like the iPad than a PC), but they too have been crippled by crapware - whether you buy an expensive Windows 8 laptop or an innovative tablet/PC hybrid, you'll find that it's clogged with stuff you don't need. (Here are guides to getting rid of crapware on Android and Windows 8.)

Google and Microsoft could easily inhibit crapware by altering Android and Windows licenses to prevent manufacturers and carriers from preinstalling the software. But I don't expect them to do so.

While crapware sucks for users, and while it doesn't help the images of Android and Windows in the long run, it's good for Microsoft and Google in the short run. The money that device makers get from crapware makers lowers the price of Windows and Android devices, which in turn boosts their market share. Plus, Microsoft has found a way to make money from junkware - if you take your computer to a Microsoft Store and pay $99, the company will remove all the junk for you.

See? Crapware pays! That's why it will never die.

-Slate

Comments

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8219424/Crapware-won-t-crap-out

Gabriel Aubry halle berry cyber monday deals small business saturday small business saturday best cyber monday deals best cyber monday deals