US commander: Stealth fighters '100 percent' safe

TOKYO (AP) ? The deployment of a dozen F-22 stealth fighters to Japan has so far gone off without a hitch as the aircraft are being brought back into the skies in their first overseas mission since restrictions were imposed over incidents involving pilots getting dizzy and disoriented, a senior U.S. Air Force commander told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The six-month mission is a key test for the fighters, which have been the focus of intensive investigations over potentially deadly breathing problems in the cockpit.

Following more than a dozen incidents in which pilots said they were having symptoms suggesting they were not getting enough oxygen, and a fatal crash in 2010 that has since been ruled primarily a case of pilot error, the F-22 fleet was grounded for several months last year. It was put under restrictions again in May after two pilots came forward with claims that the aircraft weren't safe to fly.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Molloy, commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa, said there have been no incidents with the F-22s since they arrived in Japan late last month, just days after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced he was easing the restrictions. The planes have been flying almost daily since then, weather permitting.

"We won't ever bury anything if there are issues, but so far, none," Molloy, who is also an F-22 pilot, told The AP in a telephone interview. "It's delivering safely."

In giving the green light to send the stealth fighters to Okinawa, the Air Force said it had identified the main problem as a faulty valve in its "Combat Edge" flight vest and said it was taking a series of measures to ensure pilot safety. The measures should be complete by the end of the year.

In the meantime, the pilots in Japan are operating under altitude ceilings so they do not need to use flight vests. They are also on a "tether," meaning they must remain close to an emergency landing site.

"The Air Force has been aggressively looking at this very complex issue," Molloy said. "I'm glad that we are getting back on the road."

Some critics have questioned the Air Force's decision to deploy the F-22s to Japan before all of the life support fixes have been finished.

The choice of Okinawa is also sensitive because of an uproar over plans by the Marines to deploy their MV-22 Osprey at another base there as early as next month. Despite reassurances from Washington, opposition to the Osprey, which can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane, is strong on Okinawa because of two recent crashes elsewhere.

Molloy said he is "100 percent" confident that the F-22s are safe to fly. He said sending them to Japan was justified because they boost U.S. capabilities in a key region and reassure U.S. allies of Washington's commitment to them.

"I think this is very much appreciated by Japan," Molloy said. "It strengthens our alliance, it shows that we are very committed."

The problems with the F-22 have been particularly troubling for the Air Force because the fighter is in many ways its showcase aircraft ? and possibly its most controversial.

The F-22 can evade radar and fly at faster-than-sound speeds without using afterburners, capabilities unmatched by any other nation. But at $190 million apiece, not counting development costs, it was lambasted in Congress as an overpriced luxury item not suited to current conflicts. Its production was halted last spring and the aircraft has never been used in combat.

Nevertheless, Molloy said the Japan deployment shows that the F-22 remains an important part of the U.S. air arsenal because it gives the Air Force the capability to get into contested areas against adversaries that have better air defenses than countries like Iraq or Afghanistan.

"It's a game-changer. It does air superiority on steroids," he said. "It's a strategic gem, a national treasure."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-commander-stealth-fighters-100-percent-safe-064804993.html

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Windows 8: Through the Looking Glass

3/5 stars

Windows 8 touches some of the right places

Review by Alex Cole.

Published 31 August 2012

It?s been said that the age of the PC is already over, and that the laptops rolling out now are just the last gasp of what will become specialised tools for professionals. Most of us will move on to tablets and mobiles, which already do all the Facebooking and Tweeting for us anyway.?The basics of Windows haven?t really changed since the first few releases ? menu bar, movable windows, and programs and settings all thrown together in a heap. It?s grown more complex than that over the years, of course, cleaned up a bit, but basically the same deal. Keeping that kind of continuity has been what keeps people from generally complaining too much when there?s a new version. So throwing that to one side and introducing a new interface like Metro with the upcoming Windows 8 is, in a word, an adjustment.

Metro is a new design philosophy for Windows, one that seems designed for touching, gestures and swiping, which makes it very much the kind of thing that makes sense on the tablet and somewhat less on a laptop, especially when the screen isn?t touchable. It is well put together, but relies on gestures to trigger multi-tasking, full-screen, custom designed apps, and centralised locations for settings rather than menu bars for each window. There?s definitely a sense of integration and control, but in many cases the shift is radical enough to change your workflow entirely, so the learning curve isn?t quite as friendly as it could be.

It?s worth noting that you can do away with Metro entirely and go back to the Windows you know already, and avoid the whole issue. Elaborate programs like Photoshop still live in that desktop environment and work just the same way. You can treat Metro like a glorified app drawer and leave it at that. But Windows is pretty eager for new users for to try its new tricks and work with them, and almost certainly banking on touchscreens coming to a laptop near you soon.

Ultimately, Windows 8 feels good, but not a little strange, not unlike how Vista felt just a few years ago. There are enough changes in places that it?s likely that a good portion of the new features won?t get used enough to support after a while. It?s cheap enough that an upgrade won?t break the bank, but it?s probably different enough that you don?t need to be in any hurry to get it.

?

Source: http://www.theskinny.co.uk/article/303100-windows_8_through_looking_glass

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Oil down, Alberta deficit projection hits $3 billion [Video]

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EDMONTON ?-?

It's the economy, stupid.

The province's projected $3 billion deficit ? and all the newest numbers from Finance Minister Doug Horner ? were dumbed down to a glossy brochure in Thursday's first quarter fiscal update.

No high-fallutin' technical briefing ? and no solid specifics in some very pertinent areas ? has the Canadian Taxpayers Federation seeing red in numbers that Premier Alison Redford had promised to be in the black by 2013.

Slimmed down by a third from 13 pages to nine from FQFU 2011-2012, the new report is glammed-up with flashy graphics, but it is missing a few details ? like where an extra $300 million in "premium fees and revenues" came from.

There's ample white space, but no capital plan specifics, no net financial and capital assets summary. Instead, a three-page narrative on the province's economic outlook.

Horner said the stripped-down piece follows advice from the Auditor General.

"A more meaningful report of realities that is understandable, rather than a prediction of things that may or may not come," he said.

"We didn't do a technical briefing because the reality is if you have to do a technical briefing for you folks, how would we expect Albertans are going to understand what we're telling you? I want Albertans to understand what the first quarter results are based on actual to-budget, just the way they would do at home, just the way they would do in their business."

The no-explanation explanation infuriated Hennig.

"That is the most insulting thing I've ever heard ? basically telling the the reporters and Albertans they're too stupid to understand the numbers," Hennig said.

The close-mouthed report could be in violation of Alberta's Fiscal Responsibility Act, he said.

"They have to, by law, every quarter produce a quarterly budget update. This is not a quarterly budget update ... This is a glossy brochure. I've never seen anything as ridiculous as this," Hennig said.

?

Was the Alberta government too optimistic with its budget projection?

Source: http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/08/30/oil-down-deficit-projection-hits-3-billion

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Encourage everyday exercise, not sporting elites

The Olympics are all very well, but it takes more than publicity to get spectators out of their seats

IF EXERCISE came in capsule form, we would be only too eager to pop our keep-fit pills. Even a modest dose can significantly extend our lives and ward off killer diseases (see "The workout pill: Why exercise is the best medicine"). As it is, though, it's a difficult pill to swallow. We all know physical activity is important, yet many of us don't do anything like enough of it.

Keep-fit enthusiasts hope the examples set by champion athletes will encourage us to change our ways. London 2012 was to be the first Olympics to test this proposition: its organising committee promised that it would encourage 2 million people to become more active. But this pledge has been sidelined: a missed opportunity to find out how spectators can be persuaded to become participants.

It seems implausible that the increased visibility of role models alone will stir many of us from our seats. The commonest excuse for not exercising is that we just don't have the time. But this is born of the idea that exercise must be conducted at a particular time and, often, in a specific place. Perhaps this notion takes hold at school, where exercise is often wholly distinct from academic lessons - and frequently equated with competitive sport, as the UK government is keen to do. But this approach can easily create the impression that exercise is best reserved for the naturally athletic, discouraging the less adept.

If so, what is needed is less emphasis on creating sporting superstars and more on making sure that all school kids are given options for keeping fit in ways that mesh with their lives as well as their timetables. In that vein, it would help greatly to halt the pernicious redevelopment of playing fields and commons.

Adults, too, could use more guidance on integrating physical activity into their daily routines. Fitness regimens are built around gyms, clubs and classes. Many enjoy the sociability these bring, but others find this degree of organisation off-putting. For these people, we should maximise the scope for everyday activity: by creating more traffic-free urban spaces where people can walk freely, for example. Street activities such as cycling, jogging, skateboarding and parkour should be encouraged.

It would help, too, if we could dissociate exercise from weight loss. Regular exercisers can expect to shed a few pounds, all else being equal, but if that's the sole measure of success, it, too, often leads to a sense of failure. And the health implications of fitness are distinct from those of fatness (JAMA, doi.org/d6hjtp). So improved fitness should be an objective in itself.

Alas, fitness is less readily apparent than weight. Personal bests are all very well, but they take us back to the track and treadmill. Self-quantification technology, which unobtrusively monitors your daily movements, provides a solution. Dedicated dieters count their calories; perhaps we should count our footsteps the same way (New Scientist, 4 August, p 40).

And finally, there's the role of medicine. Relatively few family doctors regard lack of physical fitness as worthy of remediation: 40 per cent of US primary care doctors do not themselves meet 2008 federal guidelines on physical activity. Encouraging them to "prescribe" exercise more often could reap huge rewards.

There is, of course, no keep-fit pill, and working out is not really a wonder drug. Treating it like one might work wonders, though.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Three more UK retailers for the Barnes & Noble Nook - Argos, Blackwell's and Foyles

Barnes & Noble today announced three more UK retailers for the Android-based Nook Simple Touch and Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. And as the headline suggests, they'll be in Argos, Blackwell's and Foyles.

Argos has some 700 locations from which to assuage your e-reading needs, and you can look for purchases in October. Blackwell's serves 55 universities and is set up on major high streets in the UK. Foyles will sell in its half-dozen London and Bristol shops.

John Lewis previously was announced to carry Nook devices.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6W0J0vvXN0M/story01.htm

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HBT: Gastrointestinal illness sidelines Hamels

AP

Joe Mauer, like so many other stars this month, is on the waiver wire, having been placed on revocable waivers by the Twins. Odds are that he?ll go unclaimed, and even if he doesn?t, it?s highly, highly unlikely that he?ll be traded. For one thing, he has a no-trade clause. For another, it doesn?t sound?

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/29/cole-hamels-wont-start-tonight-versus-the-mets-due-to-a-gastrointestinal-illness/related/

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Barndad Innovative Nutrition | Diet, Nutrition, Fitness & Supplements ...

For good health through good diet!

Ultra Fiber DX? BarnDad Innovative Nutrition?s patent-pending original product, Ultra Fiber DX, is a gluten free, 100% natural (non-GMO), soluble and insoluble fiber matrix. UFDX naturally reduces hunger and supports healthy weight management, lean muscle and a healthy digestive system. Developed and discovered in Germany, where it is used to successfully treat diabetic and obese patients, Ultra Fiber DX works by reducing hunger and slowing the digestion and absorption of sugars and carbohydrates.This helps reduce insulin spikes and allows glucose to be metabolized more effectively. Ultra Fiber DX also supports heart health. It?s long been clinically proven that a diet high in fiber helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, which has a positive impact on the body?s mechanisms for regulating healthy cholesterol production. When used regularly, Ultra Fiber DX helps the digestive system function efficiently. Proper digestion is essential for absorbing and utilizing vital micronutrients; supporting and improving lean muscle recovery; sustaining energy; promoting greater fat loss; and obtaining peak, healthy performance at any age. Simply add to your daily morning shake or mix instantly in water or your favorite non-carbonated beverage. Just one serving gives 11 grams of fiber (44% of your daily requirement), 7 grams of protein and is sugar free! Ultra Fiber DX is also a great cleansing product, giving you a flatter stomach and lighter feelings without any bloating, gas or negative side effects that are typically associated with fiber and cleansing products.

Natur?s Diet Biscotti Almond, Almond Cherry & Lemon Whip: A deliciously crunchy, hunger controlling, and weight management cookie. With 10g of protein and 7g of fiber, it is specifically designed to help reduce calorie control while delivering essential protein and amino acids needed for lean muscle, strength and good health. Available in three different flavors,?Natur?s Diet Biscotti Almond,?Natur?s Diet Biscotti Almond Cherry,?Natur?s Diet Biscotti Lemon Whip, they appeal to everyone?s taste buds.

With the courtesy of?Barndad Innovative Nutrition.

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Source: http://healthss.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/barndad-innovative-nutrition/

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Deleted Email recovery | Partition Management & Data Recovery Info.

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

Source: http://minitooldata.blogspot.com/2012/08/deleted-email-recovery.html

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They've Gone to Glow

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4501-Theyve-Gone-to-Glow.html

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Romney sweeps to nomination; convention raps Obama

Delegates from the state of Georgia applaud after casting their votes for presidential candidate Mitt Romneyduring the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Delegates from the state of Georgia applaud after casting their votes for presidential candidate Mitt Romneyduring the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

California casts their votes for presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Texas delegate Clint Moore and the rest of Texas delegates fashion their cowboy hats at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hands out cookies during a flight to Tampa, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, right, stands on the main stage in the Tampa Tribune Forum before the start of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney swept to the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night at a storm-delayed national convention, every mention of his name cheered by delegates eager to propel him into a campaign to oust President Barack Obama in tough economic times.

Romney watched on television with his wife, Ann, at a hotel suite across the street from the hall as the convention sealed his hard-won victories in the primaries and caucuses of last winter.

"I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a "storybook marriage," she said in excerpts released in advance of a primetime speech meant to cast her multimillionaire-businessman-turned-politician husband in a soft and likable light. "Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once."

"A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage," she said.

Aides said her husband of 43 years would be in the hall when she spoke.

A parade of convention speakers mocked Democratic incumbent Obama mercilessly from a made-for-television podium, as if to make up for lost time at an event postponed once and dogged still by Hurricane Isaac.

The Democratic president has "never run a company. He hasn't even run a garage sale or seen the inside of a lemonade stand," declared Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican Party.

"Mitt Romney will preserve this exceptional American legacy. Barack Obama will destroy it," said Janine Turner, an actress and radio host.

To send Romney and ticketmate Paul Ryan into the fall campaign, delegates approved a conservative platform that calls for tax cuts ? not government spending ? to stimulate the economy at a time of sluggish growth and 8.3 percent unemployment.

Polls make the race a close one, to be settled in a string of battleground states where neither Romney nor the president holds a secure advantage. More than $500 million has already been spent on television commercials by the two candidates, their parties and allied outside groups, with millions more to come.

Romney's convention victory was more than five years in the making. He was defeated in his first try for the nomination, in 2008, when he was assailed as a false conservative after a term as governor of Massachusetts.

This time, he had the most money, the largest organization and allies with the deepest pockets, all the better to bludgeon Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and other rivals in television ads across a string of hard-fought primaries and caucuses. Even so, conservatives were slow to warm to him, and it took longer than many anticipated for him to lock up the nomination.

Even at the convention, a residue of the struggle for the nomination was evident.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who never won a primary or caucus, drew several dozen delegate votes ? precisely how many were not announced from the podium. Earlier, his supporters chanted and booed after the convention adopted rules they opposed, but were powerless to block, to prevent those votes from being officially registered. "Shame on you," some of his supporters chanted from the floor.

Boehner, presiding over the roll call, made no attempt to have Romney's nomination made by acclamation, even though Ryan's was a few moments later.

The night was Romney's for sure, but some of the loudest cheers were accorded Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a hero among Republicans for fending off a labor-backed recall attempt last spring.

Convention planners squeezed two days of speeches and other convention business into one after scrapping Monday's scheduled opener because of fears that Isaac would make a direct hit on the Florida Gulf Coast.

That threat fizzled, but it was instantly replaced by another ? that Republicans would wind up holding a political celebration at the same time the storm turned its fury on New Orleans, devastated almost exactly seven years ago by Hurricane Katrina.

Romney's convention planners said they were in frequent contact with weather forecasters, but they declined to discuss what contingency plans, if any, they had to accelerate plans for him to deliver a formal acceptance speech Thursday night.

Ratification of a party platform was prelude to Romney's nomination, a document more conservative on abortion than the candidate.

On economic matters, it backs extension of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 and due to expire at year's end, without exception. It also calls for an additional 20 percent reduction in income tax brackets that Romney favors.

In a time of 8.3 percent unemployment and the slowest economic recovery in the post-World War II era, that went to the crux of the campaign for the White House.

By contrast, Obama wants to allow existing tax cuts to expire on upper income taxpayers, and has criticized Romney's overall economic plans as a boon to millionaires that would raise taxes on the middle class.

The GOP platform also pledges that a Republican-controlled Congress will repeal, and Romney will sign, legislation to repeal the health care legislation Obama won from a Democratic-controlled Congress. So, too, for the measure passed to regulate Wall Street in the wake of the 2008 economic collapse.

On abortion, the platform says, "The unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed."

Romney opposes abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or when "the health and life of the mother" are at stake, he said in a convention week interview.

Obama, who accepts renomination at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., next week, campaigned in Iowa Tuesday as he set out on a tour of college campuses in battleground states in hopes of boosting voter registration among college students.

Before departing the White House, he made a point of appearing before reporters to announce the government's latest steps to help those in the way of Isaac. He signed a declaration of emergency for Mississippi and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local storm response efforts in the state.

His surrogates did their best to counter Romney and the Republicans.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, dismissing GOP attempts to woo Hispanic voters, said, "You can't just trot out a brown face or a Spanish surname and expect people are going to vote for your party or your candidate." He added, "This is a party with a platform that calls for the self-deportation of 11 million people."

Hispanics strongly favor Obama, according to public polls, and Romney and his party have been seeking to win a bigger share of their votes by emphasizing proposals to fix the economy rather than ease their positions on immigration.

___

Associated Press writers Brian Bakst, Thomas Beaumont, Tamara Lush, Brendan Farrington, Julie Mazziotta, Steve Peoples, Kasie Hunt and Philip Elliott in Florida and Steven Ohlemacher, Alicia A. Caldwell and Jennifer Agiesta in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-28-Presidential%20Campaign/id-48a75b49d25e4e07870c39cda893bc15

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Home Improvement | Advantages and types of Air conditioning units ...

It's one of the most essential electronic appliances utilized in homes and offices. This unit control the temperature effectively to some comfortable level and therefore are utilized in the majority of the countries. It's considered crucial in countries with hotter climates and therefore are employed for both domestic and commercial purposes.
You will find various kinds of it. Though many of these serve exactly the same reason for cooling the climate, a few of the units tend to be more efficient and useful when compared to others. Using it's recognized to accelerate the quantity of electrical units consumed however, it's popular among most of the people. Actually survival is tough in countries with hotter climates without using these cooling units.
Understanding the Various Phoenix air conditioner Units
It's known by different names based on its specific features. A few of the units have two parts or components which may be placed indoors and outdoors. In the past, it had been regarded as an extravagance however with the increase in temperature, it is an important item.
A few of the various kinds of it range from the Split AC, Window AC, Portable AC, Ductless AC and so on. The next section elaborates the particular information on it.
Split AC: The majority of the commercial buildings and big mansions have split Air conditioning units installed because it turns out to be quite efficient in cooling large areas. Also called Ducted Air conditioning units, it have two parts- such as placed within the room and also the other unit outside. Split Air conditioning units produce less or no noise when compared to Window Air conditioning units.
Window AC: Probably the most widely and popular it offers your window AC. it is almost always employed for cooling small rooms and therefore are used mainly for domestic purposes. Your window Air conditioning units are installed on windows and walls of rooms.
Central AC: The centralized phoenix air conditioning units mostly are employed for cooling large areas for example theatres and departmental stores.
Ductless AC: Like the split AC, it have two components. But unlike the split AC, these conditioning units can't be employed for cooling large areas.
Other kinds of ac units range from the Portable Air conditioning units which may be carried along while traveling. These compact conditioning units are specially made to cool small areas. Its don't have to be installed on walls. Although it isn't as efficient because the Window Air conditioning units, you can use it as a substitute cooling unit.
It features a quantity of advantages. Along with manipulating the temperature to some comfortable level, it will help to purify the environment and causes it to be free of dustmites and odours.
The majority of the Air conditioning phoenix units that are being manufactured lately have dual functions including both cooling and heating systems. In addition to the kinds of Air conditioning units mentioned previously, there are lots of new units that are in-built with a lot more features and may be purchased online at desirable price rates.
For air conditioning repairs log on to: http://www.phoenixairconditioningandheating.com/
Article Source:?http://www.bharatbhasha.net
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/home_improvement.php/391362

Article Added on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
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IBM's HR Venture Portents Back Office Future | Channelnomics

IBM is now a human resources specialist. Big Blue?s acquisition of HR software leader Kenexa Corp. for $1.3 billion puts it in line for a share of the growing demand for cloud-based back-office applications, and on a collision course with other software vendors including SAP, Oracle Corp., Salesforce.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

The bigger story, however, is the significance of this acquisition with regards to how it and other deals like it are reshaping the IT marketplace and the channel. The big software vendors are racing to position themselves for anticipated growth in the next generation of cloud services, namely back-office automation and solutions that drive better business outcomes.

Since December, enterprise software vendors have been snapping up specialty companies to bolster their back-office solutions inventory. In the last year, Oracle bought cloud management software vendor Taleo Corp. for $1.9 billion and infrastructure management provider Right Now Technologies. SAP bought HR specialist SuccessFactors in December 2011 for $3.4 billion. Microsoft is pushing the HR applications of its independent software vendors, which are developing on Dynamics AX. And Salesforce.com is expected this fall to launch Work.com to extend its core cloud-based CRM into HR management.

These acquisitions go well beyond the middleware layer of management and platform development that Oracle (Fusion), IBM (Websphere) and Microsoft (Azure) have engaged in over the last several years. And they?re a layer of abstraction above the cloud management and facilitation applications developed by VMware Inc., CA Technologies, BMC Software Inc, IBM and Hewlett-Packard Co.

The difference: Software, like that developed by Kenexa and SuccessFactors, is about a specific set of workloads rather than the IT fabric itself. It?s about executing on a business process that has a definable outcome with the goal of providing greater business value. They automate processes, take steps out of work flows and expedite outcomes. They are cost-savings and revenue enablers.

IBM, SAP, Oracle and Salesforce.com recognize this, as do other cloud vendors looking to support, integrate or manage back-office applications on behalf of customers. The trend to which all these vendors and providers are reacting is customers? growing appetite for not just IT tools that work, but solutions that do work for them. Just as IT vendors seek more definable return on investments, customers too want more than speeds and feeds from their on-premise and cloud-based tools.

Here?s the challenge for solution providers: keeping up with the complexity of these applications, especially in hosted and cloud-based delivery.

The majority of the channel remains squarely focused on hardware products and cloud-equivalent solutions. If a solution provider isn?t selling an on-premise server, it?s supporting, managing or reselling a cloud-version that it?s hosting or hosted by a third-party. Too many solution providers lack the skills and capacities for advance applications, such as Kenexa. Already solution providers are having a hard time finding talent to fill their current cloud and services-based staffing needs. As the back office trend develops, talent at the solution provider level will become scarce.

Moreover, the delivery of back office applications requires different sales processes, professional services that focus on business structure and operations rather than IT, and technical capacity to integrate and customize implementations. These are difficult qualities for vendors to fulfill, much less the average solution provider. This means more back office deals will go direct, and will drag traditional sales with them and away from the channel.

And this isn?t just about HR applications. Microsoft, Salesforce.com, Oracle and IBM are pushing deeper into what?s being called ?the social enterprise,? which is transforming business communications with the inclusion of social tools. Other vendors are developing automation capabilities for supply chain management, inventory control, capacity planning and facilities management. None of this is to speak of the Big Data trend that?s already unfolding, in which business analytics are integrated into data collection and storage to uncover trends for better planning and strategic decision-making.

IBM is saying the acquisition Kenexa will better position it for growth in the HR software segment and give it an ability to compete with the likes of Oracle and SAP. It and the greater business software acquisition trend is call to arms, as well, for solution providers to start incorporating back office solutions into their future planning. The next generation of channel success may be defined by those who can deliver and support solutions that go well beyond hosted servers and email.

Source: http://channelnomics.com/2012/08/28/ibm-hr-venture-portents-office-future/

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Tiffany & Co lowers sales, profit views

(Reuters) - Tiffany & Co cut its fiscal-year sales and profit forecasts on Monday for the second straight quarter, citing the tough global economy, weakness in key markets such as New York and Asia, and lower expectations for the holiday season.

The jeweler reduced its global net sales growth forecast by 1 percentage point to range of 6 percent to 7 percent for the year ending in January.

Tiffany lowered its full-year profit outlook to between $3.55 and $3.70 a share from $3.70 to $3.80. But the reduction appeared to be no worse than what analysts had been bracing for, coming in line with Wall Street expectations of $3.64.

Shares of the company were up 6.4 percent at $62.25 in premarket trading.

Chief Executive Officer Michael Kowalski said in a statement that it was necessary to give a "prudent" forecast given the uncertainty slamming the world economy and its impact on consumer spending.

While other luxury brands such as Saks Inc proved resilient during the quarter, shoppers tend to pull back on buying jewelry more quickly than on fashion.

Also, Tiffany is far more exposed to Europe's and China's slowing growth than other high-end U.S. names are.

Global sales at Tiffany rose 1.6 percent to $886.6 million in the second quarter ended on July 31.

Sales at stores open at least a year fell 1 percent, excluding the impact of currency fluctuations. Same-store sales dropped 5 percent in the Americas and in the Asia Pacific, which includes China, which has been the fastest-growing market for Western luxury brands.

Sales in Europe only got a boost because of exchange rates favorable to Tiffany.

Sales at the chain's famous Fifth Avenue flagship, a favorite of the millions of international tourists in New York, fell 9 percent. That location generates almost 10 percent of revenue.

In many ways, Tiffany's growth was bound to be more modest than the 30 percent pace of a year earlier.

But it is the second quarter in a row that the company has lowered its forecasts. This time Tiffany did so in large part because it is assuming growth during the holiday season to be slower now.

Tiffany reported net income of $91.8 million, or 72 cents per share, for the quarter, compared with $90 million, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier.

The results missed Wall Street estimates by a penny a share. Analysts had been expecting a smaller profit because of rising precious metal.

(Reporting by Phil Wahba in New York; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tiffany-co-lowers-sales-profit-views-111606579--sector.html

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Twitter removes ability to see what app a user tweeted with

44 min.

Devin Coldewey

An update to?Twitter Monday removed a minor but well-liked feature that let users see the app or service with which others were tweeting. It's the latest in a series of changes that are meant to emphasize the core Twitter experience.

At the bottom of many tweets, one would often see a subtle "via Tweetdeck" or "via Seesmic," indicating that a third-party app or site was in use. Some apps provided a clearer view of the user's followers and followed users. Others would allow a user to schedule tweets, automate attachments or link shortening, and other minor, helpful features.

Removing the "via" badge on Tweets does simplify the presentation slightly, but some users relied on it to tell whether a tweet was live or delayed, whether a person was mobile or at their computer, and other metadata valuable to power users.

As has happened before when Twitter pushes an unpopular update, the users are up in arms and #OccupyTwitter is the rallying cry. Recent changes have alienated developers and soured relations with competing and complementary services, driving many to support a less restrictive and ad-free (but not free to use) alternative called App.net?or otherwise protest Twitter's crackdown.

Given the steady rate at which Twitter has been announcing changes, it may not be too long?before another update?is announced. Stay tuned, and don't get too comfortable.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/twitter-removes-ability-see-what-app-user-tweeted-966817

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Switched On: Trading places

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

If widespread rumors hold true, the coming weeks will see two of the most successful tablet vendors invade each other's screen size turf. Apple, which once rebuked the 7-inch tablet as unfit for normally proportioned human hands, appears ready to try its own hand at an iPad rumored to be on the larger side of the 7- to 8-inch range. Amazon, which lagged its bookselling rival Barnes & Noble in bringing out a color tablet, stands ready to introduce an infernal successor to the Kindle Fire that may include a display that is close to 9-inches or larger.

It's not quite the first ride along the screen size escalator for either company. For Apple, a smaller iPad would fill in the iOS screen size gap between the iPhone and iPad. For Amazon, also rumored to be working on a phone, a larger color tablet would revisit the ground it explored to lackluster results with the Kindle DX. That product hasn't kept up with even e-paper-based e-readers with advances such as touchscreens and side-lighting, both of which are found in the latest Nook Simple Nook.

Continue reading Switched On: Trading places

Filed under: Tablets

Switched On: Trading places originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crust pizza franchise business acquired by Retail Food Group ...

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Internet Home Business - Scam or an Opportunity? | Internet ...

If you are planning to start internet based home business, do brief researches before you actually start your internet home business venture. This will provide you with a good understanding of this business domain. It will give you the opportunity to learn from the mistakes most people make in home based internet business.

We don?t want to say that your excitement is groundless. If you are successful in your work at home business, the home business internet income opportunities can be very lucrative. You can work for the entire twenty-four hours if it is possible for you at the comfort of your home.

In internet based home business opportunities you are not forced to interact with your irritating superiors. Also there is no dirty office politics. And the most important thing is that not only does it give you a healthy home business internet income, you also enjoy the warmth and comfort of being with your family members.

All these are the few benefits that a internet home business opportunity can give you. But just as the saying goes that nothing is perfectly good or bad in this world the same applies to the top home based businesses.

It has some lucrative advantages but these home business internet income are not without associated pitfalls. There have been so many scams under the garb of internet home business, that most view such opportunities with suspicion.

Yes, we are here talking about internet home business scams and we want to give you some tips which you should follow while you are to start successful home businesses and make money.

o Avoid the offers of ?start work at home business? plans which offer easy money without a basic business idea in place. These offers of internet home business are honey traps to loosen your purse strings. Think for a while before you are being carried away by those ornamental words.

o It is better not to indulge in internet home business plans based on the notorious pyramid schemes. Developing pyramids means that you get a commission when you are able to join new people to the home based business. This ?Pyramid? home business is profitable for those who had started it. Please note that pyramid home business is totally different from the internet based home business where you get a partial commission from selling the products and another part of money by joining people in your business.

o When you are starting your online home business, you will come across companies charging fees to give information. If the online home business opportunity is legitimate, then why should one pay for it in order to just know the procedure?

Every thing has both positive and negative aspects. There are risks associated with online home business too. You need to be alert and you will find yourself away from business frauds and scams running under the garb of internet home business. Just avoid the temptation of easy and quick money. Even the most brilliant business opportunity takes time and loads of effort to achieve the topmost position in the world.

Charlie Golick is a success coach, e-book author, founder of web properties and a MLM trainer/consultant and after 15 years failing in network marketing, he is now in the top one percent of home business internet income & internet based home business earners.

Source: http://www.smartnetworld.com/internet-home-business-scam-or-an-opportunity/

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Squeeze - Cool for Cats (Americablog)

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TomKat Divorce Details! How Much Is Katie Getting?

Anyone who may have thought money was a motive behind Katie Holmes' filing for divorce has been officially proven wrong.

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US doping agency erases Lance Armstrong's titles

FILE - In this July 24, 2005, file photo, overall leader Lance Armstrong signals seven for his seventh straight win in the Tour de France cycling race as he pedals during the 21st and final stage of the race between Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, and the French capital. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart said Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, that the agency will ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping. Armstrong on Thursday night dropped any further challenges to USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling's premier event from 1999-2005. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this July 24, 2005, file photo, overall leader Lance Armstrong signals seven for his seventh straight win in the Tour de France cycling race as he pedals during the 21st and final stage of the race between Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, and the French capital. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart said Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, that the agency will ban Armstrong from cycling for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping. Armstrong on Thursday night dropped any further challenges to USADA's allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win cycling's premier event from 1999-2005. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - This July 25, 1999 file photo shows Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong being kissed by his wife Kristin, left, and his mother Linda after the 20th and final stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Paris. The superstar cyclist, whose stirring victories after his comeback from cancer helped him transcend sports, chose not to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. That was his last option in his bitter fight with USADA and his decision set the stage for the titles to be stripped and his name to be all but wiped from the record books of the sport he once ruled. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - This July 23, 2000 file photo shows Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong riding down the Champs Elysees with an American flag after the 21st and final stage of the cycling race in Paris. The superstar cyclist, whose stirring victories after his comeback from cancer helped him transcend sports, chose not to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. That was his last option in his bitter fight with USADA and his decision set the stage for the titles to be stripped and his name to be all but wiped from the record books of the sport he once ruled. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

FILE - In this July 24, 2004, file photo, overall leader Lance Armstrong, right, of Austin, Texas, follows compatriot and teammate Floyd Landis, left, in the ascent of the La Croix Fry pass during the 17th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Bourg-d'Oisans and Le Grand Bornand, French Alps. Armstrong, whose stirring victories after his comeback from cancer helped him transcend sports, chose not to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. That was his last option in his bitter fight with USADA and his decision set the stage for the titles to be stripped and his name to be all but wiped from the record books of the sport he once ruled. (AP Photo/Bernard Papon, Pool, File)

A cyclist rides along the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in Austin, Texas. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles Friday, erasing one of the most incredible achievements in sports after deciding he had used performance-enhancing drugs to do it. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

His seven Tour de France titles stripped away and his legacy in tatters, Lance Armstrong is heading back outdoors and into the public eye.

A day after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency punished Armstrong with a lifetime ban from professional cycling and erased 14 years of his career after concluding he used performance-enhancing druugs, Armstrong is scheduled to ride in a mountain bike race in Aspen, Colo., on Saturday and follow it up by running a marathon there Sunday.

And he has no plans to slow down any time soon, despite the whirlwind of controversy swirling around him.

Armstrong spokesman Mark Higgins said Armstrong also still plans to attend the World Cancer Congress in Montreal where's he scheduled to deliver a keynote address to thousands in attendance.

"He's getting out there," Higgins said.

Anti-doping and cycling officials will continue to address his career.

USADA said Friday it expects cycling's governing body to take similar action, but the International Cycling Union was measured in its response, saying it first wanted a full explanation of why Armstrong should relinquish Tour titles he won from 1999 through 2005.

The Amaury Sport Organization, which runs the world's most prestigious cycling race, said it would not comment until hearing from the UCI and USADA. The U.S. agency contends the cycling body is bound by the World Anti-Doping Code to strip Armstrong of one of the most incredible achievements in sports.

Armstrong, who retired a year ago and turns 41 next month, said Thursday he would no longer challenge USADA and declined to exercise his last option by entering arbitration. He denied again that he ever took banned substances in his career, calling USADA's investigation a "witch hunt" without any physical evidence.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart described the investigation as a battle against a "win-at-all-cost culture," adding that the UCI was "bound to recognize our decision and impose it."

"They have no choice but to strip the titles under the code," he said.

That would leave Greg LeMond as the only American to win the Tour de France, having done so in 1986, 1989 and 1990.

LeMond did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment left through his attorneys and friends.

Armstrong on Friday sent a tweet about his plans to race in Aspen, but did not comment directly on the sanctions.

The UCI and USADA have engaged in a turf war over who should prosecute allegations against Armstrong. The UCI even backed Armstrong's failed legal challenge to USADA's authority, and it cited the same World Anti-Doping Code in saying that it wanted to hear more from the U.S. agency.

"As USADA has claimed jurisdiction in the case, the UCI expects that it will issue a reasoned decision" explaining the action taken, the Switzerland-based organization said in a statement. It said legal procedures obliged USADA to fulfill this demand in cases "where no hearing occurs."

If Tour de France officials follow USADA's lead and announce that Armstrong has been stripped of his titles, Jan Ullrich could be promoted to champion in three of those years. Ullrich was stripped of his third-place finish in the 2005 Tour and retired from racing two years later after being implicated in another doping scandal.

The retired German racer expressed no desire to rewrite the record book of cycling's greatest event, even though he would be the biggest beneficiary.

"I know how the order was on the finishing line at the time," Ullrich said. "I've finished with my professional career and have always said that I was proud of my second-place finishes."

The International Olympic Committee said Friday it will await decisions by USADA and UCI before taking any steps against Armstrong, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Games. Besides the disqualifications, Armstrong will forfeit any medals, winnings, points and prizes, USADA said, but it is the lost titles that now dominate his legacy.

Every one of Armstrong's competitive races from Aug. 1, 1998, has been vacated by USADA, established in 2000 as the official anti-doping agency for Olympic sports in the United States. Since Armstrong raced in UCI-sanctioned events, he was subject to international drug rules enforced in the U.S. by USADA. Its staff joined a federal criminal investigation of Armstrong that ended earlier this year with no charges being filed.

USADA said its evidence came from more than a dozen witnesses "who agreed to testify and provide evidence about their firsthand experience and/or knowledge of the doping activity of those involved in the USPS conspiracy," a reference to Armstrong's former U.S. Postal Service cycling team.

The unidentified witnesses said they knew or had been told by Armstrong himself that he had "used EPO, blood transfusions, testosterone and cortisone" from before 1998 through 2005, and that he had previously used EPO, testosterone and Human Growth Hormone through 1996, USADA said. Armstrong also allegedly handed out doping products and encouraged banned methods ? and even used "blood manipulation including EPO or blood transfusions" during his 2009 comeback race on the Tour.

In all, USADA said up to 10 former Armstrong teammates were set to testify against him. Had Armstrong chosen to pursue arbitration, USADA said, all the evidence would have been available for him to challenge.

"He chose not to do this knowing these sanctions would immediately be put into place," the statement said.

Armstrong said he has grown tired of defending himself in a seemingly endless fight against charges that he doped while piling up more Tour victories than anyone. He has consistently pointed to the hundreds of drug tests that he passed as proof of his innocence during his extraordinary run of Tour titles.

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," Armstrong said Thursday night, before the deadline to enter arbitration.

His success helped sell millions of the "Livestrong" plastic bracelets and enabled him to promote cancer awareness and research, raising nearly $500 million since his Lance Armstrong Foundation was started in 1997.

Foundation officials said they remained "proud" of Armstrong and had received hundreds of messages of support from donors, partners and supporters since his announcement. Among them was Nike Inc., which said it planned to continue supporting Armstrong and the foundation.

"Lance has stated his innocence and has been unwavering on this position," the company said.

Anheuser-Busch said its partnership with Armstrong was unchanged. American Century Investments, another partner, issued a statement supporting him.

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells, AP Sports Writers Graham Dunbar and Paul Logothetis, and freelance writer James Raia contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-08-25-Armstrong-Doping/id-24c8262abe4f431caeebeefdfb462e32

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Recently Discovered Lizard Species Down to 3 Remaining Females

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Official : 50 people missing from Kenyan clashes

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? The Kenya Red Cross says that at least 52 people are dead and another 50 missing after hundreds of farmers attacked cattle herders in southeast Kenya on Wednesday.

Sadik Kakai, head of disaster operations for the Kenya Red Cross, says the missing may have drowned or were burned to ashes during the attack at Riketa village in Tana River district. Farmers from the Pokomo tribe attacked semi-nomadic cattle herders of the Orma tribe. Officials say the attack was retaliation for the killing of two Pokomo farmers last week. The conflict started with accusations that Orma graze their livestock in Pokomo farms. The area is about 430 miles (690 kilometers) from the capital.

Kakai says at least 700 people were displaced from their homes by the attack and urgently need aid.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-23-Kenya-Clashes/id-6d3307993e9c4e8e8a75691333f928f8

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