Today?s iPad 2 / iPad wallpapers 30/01/2013

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Source: http://dailyiphoneblog.com/2013/01/30/todays-ipad-2-ipad-wallpapers-30012013/

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Start Making A Difference With Your Internet Marketing By Using ...

As a business owner, you may want to increase demographic awareness and, of course, drive profits. Internet marketing is where you want to be! Internet marketing is a fast paced, easy way to promote sales through advertisements that people will see on their computers. The following article will demonstrate how you can utilize internet marketing for your own purposes.

You need to have good leads to get good sales. They are perfect because you can immediately see who is looking at your products. You will have a chance to contact this potential customer in a matter of just milliseconds after they have submitted some information. This may ultimately lead to a successful transaction between you and your new customer.

If you make claims about any product you sell, provide proof. Posting a video of yourself having a conversation in French will be far more persuasive than simply claiming that your potential customers can learn the language from the French course you?re selling. Make a video of yourself demonstrating your products or performing the services you advertise to convince your audience.

Look into advertising at the start of your marketing plan for your online business. Advertising can greatly increase the profits of your business. This is a great tool to reach customers who may not have found you otherwise.

Your emails are essential for your Internet marketing plan. Remember to choose a secure e-mail service. Retaining old emails and email addresses can have a huge impact on your business, so don?t use an email service that will delete old messages. Pay for reputable companies to archive and maintain this sensitive information.

Few things incite potential customers to make a purchase like a juicy, limited-time offer. These incentives can help build a good rapport between you and your customers and should be considered a marketing expense. Make sure that the end date is noticeable in order create urgency.

Always have a signature for your emails, even if the email is only personal. Your signature is your online business card, so you should distribute it freely. Your website will enjoy greater revenue and greater traffic thanks to this practice.

Your company needs a tagline and a logo, no matter how small it is online. Customers will remember you and your brand if you use marketing tools like this. Catchy slogans have a way of staying in the mind of consumers for long periods of time. Your slogan may end up being the reason some consumers choose to do business with your company.

Find ways to utilize Facebook and Twitter throughout your Internet marketing. These social media sites keep you in direct contact with your customers and give you the quickest way to promote sales or promotions. You should be aware that people do not like you to advertise too much to them. Instead, use the websites to provide insights with occasional promotions.

The performance and appearance of your site is as important to a physical store buying experience. Follow a regular schedule of checks and follow-ups on your sites links, ads or anything else that impacts the buying experience. If the link to your latest product doesn?t work, no one is going to be able to buy what you?re selling.

When advertising your business on the internet, be very mindful of the quality and content of your information. Make every effort to include value and pertinent details in your promotions. It is essential that the visitors to your site learn more about your company. You need to be sure that your site is regularly updated with relevant content.

These suggestions will help you and your online business grow and be very profitable. As a business owner, Internet marketing is going to be an extremely valuable tool to help you sell more products to more people. Apply these tips to your internet marketing strategy and watch the customers fly in.

Source: http://www.webdesignssg.com/start-making-a-difference-with-your-internet-marketing-by-using-these-tips/

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Manhattan Beach schools present a different world for visiting Chinese students

American and Chinese high school students interact during Mr. William Brown's English class at Mira Costa High School on Tuesday morning. The school hosted 30 high school kids from China as part of a tour of U.S. schools. (Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer)

One of the first things Qivvei Zhang noticed upon arriving in the United States this week is the cleanliness of the environment and the abundance of birds - in China, she said, there are almost no birds.

DeFeng Wang was surprised that students in U.S. high schools are allowed - even encouraged - to use gadgets and headphones in class.

Both are members of a group of 30 high school students from China who are on a coast-to-coast field trip of American schools and colleges. This week, they were in Manhattan Beach, visiting the local school district's namesake middle

Nick Coons, right uses his hands to form a house over his head, conveying Yanan Li the issue of homelessness in America during Mr. William Browns English class at Mira Costa High School on Tuesday morning. (Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer)

school on Monday and Mira Costa High School on Tuesday.

School officials at Manhattan Beach Unified learned only Friday that the group from Tianjun, a city near Beijing, would be coming through. But they happily scrambled to accommodate.

"I, of course, said we'd love to have them - what an amazing opportunity," said Carolyn Seaton, the district's executive director of educational services. "When you think about it, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, this couldn't have happened."

On Tuesday, the 30 Chinese students crammed into the classroom of English teacher William Brown, who, as it happens, recently returned to the school after a four-year stint teaching English in China.

For students in Brown's class, Tuesday

was typical in how students broke into pairs to work together on a classroom assignment. But this time, each partnered with a student who grew up on the other side of the planet.

The assignment: list and discuss problems that plague your school, your city, your country, your world.

Not surprisingly, the language barrier proved a challenge. Mira Costa sophomore Eden Marquis struggled to explain the concept of bullying to Zhenkun Chen.

"It's like when people have judgment, and are talking bad - I don't like you, you don't like me - being mean."

Zhenkun knit his brow, struggling to understand.

Bridging the language gap for this ambitious assignment was a handy translator: the smartphone. Using a free App called Google Translator, Eden typed in "bullying." Out came two Chinese characters. Zhenkun nodded enthusiastically.

Also on hand was the most apt translator of all - a student their own age named Edan Lee, a Mira Costa senior who grew up in Taiwan.

Through Edan, Qivvei shared some of her first impressions of the United States - such as her observation about the birds.

(As it turns out, China has an extreme shortage of birds due to Mao Zedong's 1958 campaign to

L-R: Zhuozhen Han and Jerphina Lei Lua discuss the assignment provided by Mr. William Brown, an English teacher at Mira Costa High School. (Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer)

eradicate sparrows and other "pests" that ate grain seeds.)

The daughter of a businesswoman and an engineer, Qivvei was also struck by the affable nature of the teacher, Mr. Brown.

"It feels very casual," said Edan, the translator. "She sees the teacher as like a friend - not a really strict teacher."

For his part, Brown saw the visit as an opportunity to break down stereotypes on both sides. (Many Chinese people believe Americans to be white, loud and wealthy, he said.)

"Here's an opportunity to take one step towards a global society that I don't think I'll ever see in my lifetime," he said. "But maybe my daughter will."

The delegation of students also will be traveling to UCLA and Stanford before leaving for Las Vegas and finally Boston, where they will take a tour of Harvard University.

rob.kuznia@dailybreeze.com

Follow Rob Kuznia on Twitter at http://twitter.com/robkuznia

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_22476045/manhattan-beach-schools-present-different-world-visiting-chinese?source=rss_viewed

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McCain warns GOP on immigration

Arizona Sen. John McCain (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform could have disastrous political consequences for Republicans in red states with growing Hispanic populations, Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, a key player in drafting the blueprint for an immigration overhaul, said Wednesday.

"The Republican party has failed to understand to a significant degree the importance of this issue to our Hispanic voters," McCain said during a breakfast sponsored by Politico. "I think the trend will continue of lack of support from Hispanic voters and also as you look at the demographics of states like mine, that means we will go from Republican to Democrat over time."

A bipartisan working group of eight senators on Monday unveiled principles they hope will guide congressional efforts to write a law that offers a path to legality for illegal immigrants in exchange for enhanced border security.?The push comes after a national election in which more than 70 percent of Hispanic voters overwhelmingly supported Democratic President Barack Obama's re-election over Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

The election served as a wake-up call for Republicans who feel the constituency of one of the fastest-growing groups is slipping away and emboldened Democrats who see it as an opportunity to bring states like Texas and Arizona, which traditionally support Republicans, into their fold.

McCain said Republicans currently have a perception problem with Hispanic voters, and suggested that working to pass a comprehensive bill could be a major opportunity to reengage them.

"We are elected to office because voters think we will help them achieve their hopes and dreams and aspirations for the future," McCain said. "If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe that you are trying to keep their...fellow Hispanics down, and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect on their voters."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mccain-failure-act-immigration-could-turn-red-states-144419861--election.html

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Senate hearing pits NRA, gun-control supporters

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The National Rifle Association and gun-control advocates, including the husband of wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, are facing off at the year's first Senate hearing on what lawmakers should do to curb gun violence.

The two sides were squaring off Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose own members are divided in a microcosm of the debate that gun limits will face on their way through Congress. The hearing is a direct response to the Dec. 14 shooting rampage that killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and transformed gun control into a top-tier issue in the capital.

"The time has come to change course," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., one of Congress' leading gun-control advocates, said Tuesday. "And the time has come to make people safe."

Feinstein, a Judiciary Committee member, has already introduced her own legislation banning assault weapons and magazines of more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he would listen to proposals and agreed that reviewing the issue was timely.

"But I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment," he said Tuesday, citing the constitutional provision that describes the right to bear arms, "and I don't intend to change."

The chairman of the panel, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said little Tuesday about the direction his committee's legislation might take. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., indicated that whatever the committee produced wouldn't necessarily be the final product, saying the package would be debated by the full Senate and senators would be allowed to propose "whatever amendments they want that deal with this issue."

Despite the horrific Newtown slayings, it remains unclear whether those advocating limits on gun availability will be able to overcome resistance by the NRA and lawmakers from states where gun ownership abounds. Question marks include not just many Republicans but also Democratic senators facing re-election in red-leaning states in 2014. They include Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Knowing that television cameras would beam images of the hearing nationally, both sides were drumming up supporters to attend Wednesday's session.

A page on an NRA-related website urged backers to arrive two hours early to get seats, bring no signs and dress appropriately. The liberal BoldProgressives.org urged its members to attend, saying the NRA "will try to pack the room with their supporters to deceive Congress into believing they are mainstream."

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama proposed a package that includes banning assault weapons, requiring background checks on all firearms purchases and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.

Among those testifying will be Mark Kelly, husband of Giffords and a retired astronaut. Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, received a severe head wound in a 2011 shooting as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket. Six people were killed and 12 others wounded.

Kelly and Giffords, a gun owner, formed a political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions to back lawmakers who support tighter gun restrictions.

In testimony prepared for the hearing but released Tuesday, Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, said such steps had failed in the past. He instead voiced support for better enforcement of existing laws, beefing up school security and strengthening the government's ability to keep guns from mentally unstable people.

The massacre in Newtown has also set off a national discussion about mental health care, with everyone from law enforcement leaders to the gun industry urging policymakers to focus on the issue as a way to help prevent similar mass shootings. The issue of mental health has arisen in four recent mass shootings, including Sandy Hook, the Tucson shooting, the incident in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater last year and Virginia Tech in 2007.

"Law-abiding gun owners will not accept blame for the acts of violent or deranged criminals," LaPierre said in his statement. "Nor do we believe the government should dictate what we can lawfully own and use to protect our families."

While not yielding on specifics, much of LaPierre's statement had a milder tone than other remarks the NRA has made since Newtown.

That includes an NRA television ad calling Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for voicing doubts about having armed school guards while his own children are protected that way at their school. While Obama's children have Secret Service protection, officials at their school have said its own guards don't carry guns.

Feinstein said Tuesday that she will hold her own hearing on gun control because she was unhappy that three of the five witnesses testifying Wednesday are "skewed against us."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday he would wait to see what legislation Democrats produce. Republican leaders of the GOP-run House have expressed similar sentiments.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-hearing-pits-nra-gun-control-supporters-080442783--politics.html

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Easy, Essential SEO for Lawyers and Law Firms | LawMarketing ...

If your law firm is not showing up on the first page of search results, you are nowhere. Very few online searchers ever go beyond the first page of results. In the eyes of Internet users (everyone), if you do not appear on this first page, you are not credible. You will not get the call.

What can you do to improve your search engine results?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an online marketing strategy that helps position your firm among the top results for given search terms. It involves creating a structure for your website that meets the need of search engines, and populating your site with a constant supply of fresh, keyword-rich content.

Automated search engine spiders constantly ?crawl? through web pages, compiling word indexes which they then use to rank pages based on algorithms. The algorithms assign varying weights to elements like keywords and phrases, as well as links. The resulting calculation pushes some web pages higher on a search engine results page than others.

?Search engine spiders must be able to access and easily make their way through all of the pages of your website,? said Kim Mears. ?Anything that prevents them from doing so will affect your ranking. Poor optimization could even prevent your site from being indexed at all.?

Mears is chief visionary officer and founder of Mears Interactive, a Denver-based online marketing agency. She discussed search engine optimization before the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association.

The presentation took place Jan. 8 at Sullivan?s Steakhouse in Denver.

?The basics of SEO are not hard to master,? said Mears. ?There are things you must do and things you must avoid. In general, you should track your results using Google Analytics, choose the right keywords, create effective metatags, build incoming links and add well-written, fresh content.?

Is Your Law Firm Website Working?

Although there are a number of search engines, Google dominates this field with 85 percent of search traffic. ?If you aim to optimize for Google and its algorithms,? said Mears, ?you should be in pretty good shape with any search engine.?

Google Analytics is a service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about traffic on a website. The basic service is free and fills the needs of most lawyers and law firms. It generates useful reports on site performance and tracks visitors from online referral sources.

?Google Analytics provides valuable insight into the effectiveness of your website,? said Mears. ?You need to know what?s going on. Once you have a clear picture of what is working well, you can do more of it. When you have a clear picture of what is working poorly or not at all, you can fix it or eliminate it.?

Reports generated by an analytics program can be used to determine visitors, bounce rates and page views. ?Unique visitors or users are the number of distinct entities that visit your site,? said Mears. ??Bounce rate? refers to the number of visitors who look at one page, don?t find anything they need, and leave the site immediately. A bounce rate above 40 percent is bad.?

Page view reports also yield useful data. ?The longer visitors stay on your site, the more useful the site is and the higher Google ranks the site,? said Mears. ?Page views let you know exactly how long visitors stay on your site, what pages they look at, which pages are most popular and which path they follow through your site. Internal links encourage visitors to navigate throughout your site.?

Analytics programs will also let you know which external domains are referring visitors to your site ? search engines, directories, ads, social media or other websites.

Keywords Do the Heavy Lifting

SEO involves researching the most relevant and searched keywords and phrases for your practice and target industry, and using them so that your website will get more traffic.

Analytics programs will let you know the exact keywords or phrases that visitors are using to find you. ?Never assume that you know the best keywords,? said Mears. ?There are as many words (and spellings of those words) used to search for something as there are individuals. If your website does not include the exact words a user enters in a query, your site will not show up in the search engine result set.

?Once you know the most common keywords, make sure that they appear throughout the site ? in content and in metatags,? said Mears. Good keywords include ?lawyer? and ?attorney? and ?law firm,? as well as words related to geographic location, areas of practice, and industries and problems of clients.

In choosing keywords, remember to use words that a potential client would use rather than words that an attorney would use. Be specific. ?Bitten by a dog? is more specific than ?personal injury.? The Wordtracker website provides valuable information on keywords you are using or considering.

Create Effective Metatags

Metatags are searchable terms that lie ?beneath? each page of a website. Although metadata are not displayed, they are visible to search engine spiders. To see the metatags on your site, right click on a page and then go to ?view source.?

?What appears when you do this is a page of code,? said Mears. ?Near the top of that code, you will see metatag titles, descriptions and keywords. If these areas are populated with automatically generated strings of text and numbers, this is a problem. There is nothing for the spiders to read.?

Each page on a website should have its own unique metadata. Poor metatags will significantly compromise your search engine results.

The title tag is the title that you want to appear as the link at the top of a search result. It should identify the contents of a document and be 72 characters or fewer, so it will appear in its entirety.

The description tab tells the search engine and viewers what your page or site is about. It contains the descriptive text that appears on a results page underneath the title. ?A page with a good description tag will entice more people to click through to the site itself,? said Mears. ?Ideally, it should be between 150 and 160 characters. If there is nothing there, Google will populate this area with something random.?

The keywords tag includes a list of keywords. ?There is much debate as to their value in the location,? said Mears, ?but they can?t hurt. Keywords included here must actually appear somewhere in the page and should not exceed 500 characters. ?

Incoming Links Add Weight

Your website can have two kinds of links ? outbound and inbound. It never hurts to link to credible sources from your website, but it does not do much to enhance SEO.

?Having inbound links, where other Internet sites link to your, is important,? said Mears. ?It is seen as an endorsement. The more popular your website is, as measured by the number and quality of links coming to your site from other sites, the higher it will be ranked in search engines. The more popular the site that links to you, on a scale of 1-10, the bigger the boost.?

Incoming links should be from websites and pages that contain content relevant to the law, your practice, your focus industry, or your location. ?You can have an intern methodically contact these sites and ask that they link to you,? said Mears. Sites with ?.edu? and ?.gov? are ranked particularly high.

Content Marketing Takes the Stage

The hottest new element in the field of SEO is content marketing ? providing a steady stream of interesting and informative content to improve your rankings in organic (non-paid) search results.

Content can be words (including web pages, blog posts, articles, lists, press releases and white papers), but it can also be photos, videos, slide decks or webinars. Linking back from content you post on Facebook or YouTube brings with it the high popularity weight of those sites, which rank 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Search engines search only words. Any time you use non-verbal content, like a picture or video, be sure to have good, keyword-rich ?alt tags? behind them.

Search engines love words, and they give twice the weight to the words on home pages as they do to other pages. ?It is a huge mistake when a law firm?s home page is heavy in graphics, especially flash graphics, and light in words,? said Mears. ?If there are no words there, especially important keywords and phrases, search engines will pass this page right by.?

Home pages should also include keyword-rich internal links. ?You should be able to reach every page of your website from the home page,? said Mears. ?A site map containing links to your website?s various sections or pages also helps make sure the search engines find their way.?

Content that is attractive to search engines will be useful and informative. It will balance good use of keywords and phrases with natural phrasing. Emphasize keywords in headlines, subheads and the first sentence/paragraph of each section. Use heading tags, which carry extra weight.

Be aware that search engines will penalize any content that is not original. If you plan to syndicate content to more than one page, section or site, change it up a bit.

Take Off Your Black Hat

?The Google algorithm is very smart,? said Mears, ?and it gets smarter every day. You might think that you can fool it, but you can?t. Do not unnaturally ?stuff? or ?cram? your site with keywords. Do not include keywords and links in the same color as background text, in hopes of hiding them and juicing up your results. Do not use metatags that do not match page content. Do not work with ?link farms.??

?Once Google has associated you with such ?black hat? practices, you will be penalized with reduced rankings or even elimination from their database,? said Mears. ?The only way to get indexed and ranked again once this happens is to change your URL ? and your practices.?

Source: http://lawmarketing.com/easy-essential-seo-for-lawyers-and-law-firms/

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Withdrawal from civil society panel was America's own decision ...

Mr. Lavrov said Russia first learnt about America?s decision to withdraw from the working group from a public announcement of the US State Department?s officials.

?We were notified only orally, no written announcement was submitted to us in this respect,? the minister said at a Moscow press conference.

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?US withdrawal from working group on civil society reduces chances for dialogue ? Peskov?

America?s decision to quit the working group on civil society of the Russian-US bilateral presidential commission will reduce opportunities for a dialogue between the two nations, President Putin?s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

He voiced Moscow?s regret over this step. ?We can only regret the fact that we are losing this dialogue format, without finding any substitution for it,? Mr. Peskov said.

The US voiced its decision to withdraw from the Russian-US working group on civil society issues, which was set up on the way of Obama?s policy of improving ties with Russia, known as the ?reset,? in 2009.

The announcement to this effect was made Friday by Thomas Melia, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Kremlin regrets US withdrawal from civil society working group

Moscow regrets the U.S. decision to quit the bilateral Presidential Commission's working party on civil society.

"We regret whenever a bilateral format is cancelled without an appropriate substitute," presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

US leaves Russian-US presidential commission's group on civil society

The US has made a decision to withdraw from the working group on civil society issues of the Russian-US bilateral presidential commission, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Thomas Melia told Interfax on Friday.

Voice of Russia, Interfax, RIA

Source: http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_28/Withdrawal-from-civil-society-working-group-was-America-s-own-decision-Lavrov/

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Watch Four Huge Power Station Towers Collapse in Super Slow Motion

Few things are as satisfying as watching a building get demolished. Bonus points for if it's a gigantic structure, like Texas Stadium, or, say, four water cooling towers for a power plant. Their crumble and fall was shown in slow motion by our old friends the Slow Mo Guys. [YouTube] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HkF38y1aXgs/watch-four-huge-power-station-towers-collapse-in-super-slow-motion

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IRL: HTC 8X, Google Now and the iPod shuffle

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

We swear we didn't plan it this way, but it looks like we've got a little trifecta this week, with write-ups pertaining to Apple, Google and, last but not least, Microsoft. On the pessimistic end of the spectrum, Dana would rather have the third-generation iPod shuffle than the model she's using. Terrence is hooked on Google Now and Jon likes the HTC 8X -- just not as much as the Lumia 920.

HTC 8X

What's this? Another Windows Phone 8 test? Yes, while I was trying the Lumia 920 and before I reviewed the ATIV S, I felt it was only fair to give the third flagship of the platform, HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a proper shakedown. I spent a few weeks with one to gauge the differences and came back with the impression that HTC has a worthy flagship -- but not necessarily the one I'd choose for myself.

If you talk solely about ergonomics, the 8X is undoubtedly my first pick. It's much lighter and grippier than the Lumia 920, and the smaller screen makes it easier to reach every corner with one hand than the ATIV S. About the only reservations I have are that hard-to-press power button and the relatively sharp edges. The stand-out appearance can't help but sway me, too. If you get the phone in one of the bolder colors (read: not black), it's simply iconic. No one will mistake an 8X for another phone, while both the ATIV S and Lumia 920 have familiar-looking peers.

Yet there are a few ingredients missing that make it hard to call HTC's creation my perfect Windows Phone 8 device. Simply speaking, the camera just isn't as good as it needs to be in early 2013. While the 8X is sometimes a better pick for up-close photography than the Lumia 920, it falls apart in low-light situations where the Lumia is a champ. Apps matter, as well. Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps aren't vital, but I missed their navigation when I switched devices. And I'll have to admit that being Canadian skews my preferences towards the Nokia phone's glove-friendly screen: it's great to avoid the binary choice of making a phone call versus preserving my fingers. While I'd be inclined to choose the 8X over the ATIV S as long as storage wasn't a priority, I would still give Nokia the ultimate nod as the most relevant to real-world use.

-- Jon Fingas

Google Now

Pretty much from the moment I first launched Google Now it changed the way I interacted with my phone. I've used Siri and toyed with S Voice, but Now is the only virtual assistant that seems like more than an occasionally useful gimmick. Truth is, at this point I unlock directly into it almost as often as I go to the home screen. Sure, in the early days its functionality was fairly limited (and still is), but there was enough information presented by default to keep me coming back. When Gmail was added to its repository of information, the app became a true game-changer for me. While other "assistant" apps are little more than voice commands with personality, Now actually helps track information for you and presents it at valuable times. I don't have to ask what the weather is like or how long it'll take me to get to my next appointment -- it just tells me without prompting.

Of course, things aren't perfect. Now still has a lot of rough edges to work out. For one, the mobile boarding pass feature has yet to work as advertised for me, though, its flight tracking feature turns out to be quicker and more accurate than United's own app. It also stumbles a bit on tracking packages. I like that it recognizes tracking numbers and presents them to me with a quick link, but Now doesn't actually do any tracking itself. Instead it simply shows the card to you for a predetermined amount of time. That's fine if you're enjoying free two-day shipping thanks to Amazon Prime, but if your delivery takes more than a couple of days the card disappears before the box hits your doorstep. It also has an unfortunate habit of presenting me directions to a "new place" almost any time I perform a web search. Oh, and some higher-res icons for the sports score cards would be greatly appreciated.

None of that is enough to ruin the experience, however. If I need to know when my bus is coming, what the temperature is, if my flight is on time or even how many steps I took this month I simply swipe up on my Nexus lock screen and let Google do the work for me. What's more, things can only get better as the company improves its algorithms, opens up new sources of data and, hopefully, develops an API to let other apps tap into the power of Now.

-- Terrence O'Brien

iPod shuffle (fourth generation)

We runners are a superstitious bunch. In my training group, "Nothing new on race day" is our mantra, and it's one to which I've adhered earnestly. It goes without saying that new shoes, running shorts and Snozberry-flavored energy gels are out of the question, but I even get antsy about wearing my Spibelt around my waist instead of my hips. Yeah, I'm neurotic, but running 26.2 miles is scary, yo.

So I was none too pleased when I had a gadget emergency the week before the 2011 New York City Marathon. I'd been training with the Sansa Clip Zip for two months when it abruptly began having mood swings. It started repeating songs, even when I had set my library to shuffle. Sometimes, if it encountered a song it didn't like, it just froze. On a good day, I could side-step the issue by selecting a different artist or song. At its worst, the only way to revive it was to perform a hard reset.

Obviously, that wasn't going to cut it for my epic run, so I did what any desperate person would do: I went to Best Buy and spent $50 on an iPod shuffle. Truly, I would have preferred something like the nano, which would have let me choose specific songs, but I wasn't about to drop $149 on what was essentially an impulse buy. Fifty bucks was about as much as I was willing to spend without having had the opportunity to hem and haw over my purchase.

So I used it. And it was okay. The clip doesn't feel as strong as on the third-generation model. Also, it came with regular headphones (i.e., ones without inline controls), which meant I had to press the player on the device to pause the music and skip tracks. To this day, I find the keys a bit too small, and I often hit the wrong one, mistaking pause for fast-forward, etc. Fortunately, I've since subbed in a pair with an inline remote, which means I barely have to touch the device anymore (except, perhaps, to reposition it in a place where the clip will stay put). Battery life was initially awesome -- I got through that nearly six-hour marathon (oof) with plenty of juice to spare. It's since seen better days, though, to the point where I now have to recharge it several times a week. Faint praise, if ever you've heard it, but at least it doesn't force me to listen to the same Madonna song over and over. That would just be cruel.

-- Dana Wollman

Filed under: Misc, Apple, HTC, Google

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/27/irl-htc-8x-google-now-ipod-shuffle/

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Jet delivered just 3 weeks before battery fire

15 hrs.

Joan Lowy , The Associated Press

WASHINGTON?--?Federal investigators say the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that experienced a battery fire earlier this month was delivered to Japan Airlines less than three weeks before the fire.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday in an update of its investigation of the incident that the airliner was delivered on Dec. 20. It had only recorded 169 flight hours and 22 flights when the fire erupted in one of the airliner's two lithium ion batteries on Jan. 7.

The fire occurred at Logan International Airport shortly after the plane landed. NTSB said the battery was manufactured by GS Yuasa of Japan in September 2012.

A second battery incident led to an emergency landing by another 787 in Japan on Jan. 16. The 787 fleet worldwide has since been grounded.?

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/boeing-787-delivered-just-3-weeks-battery-fire-1C8124836

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'No budget, no pay' advances despite reservations

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In an earlier era, a move like the one engineered by House GOP leaders to pass a "no budget, no pay" measure probably would have been stopped in its tracks.

But with Congress' approval ratings in the gutter, House lawmakers pushed aside questions about fairness and constitutionality and tacked the idea onto an unpopular, must-pass bill to increase the government's borrowing cap.

The measure temporarily would withhold pay from any member of the House or Senate whose chamber doesn't pass a budget this year. The Senate is expected to approve it in the coming week, but only after leaders make clear they think "no budget, no pay" is rife with flaws.

The proposal is before the Senate because the House breezed past objections that the idea is unconstitutional because it could "vary" the pay of lawmakers in violation of the 27th amendment to the Constitution. The House ignored concerns that the measure is unfair to members who are in the minority and are powerless to determine whether a budget passes.

Nearly unmentioned was the prospect that withholding lawmakers' pay favors wealthy members over those of more modest means and could, in theory, attract more affluent candidates better able to withstand having some of their $174,000 salary withheld.

"The last thing we want to do is to say to people running for Congress, 'If you're not a millionaire, don't run because there's no guarantee you'll be paid,'" said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

For these reasons and more, the idea went nowhere in the last congressional session. But it was embraced about a week ago by House GOP leaders such as Speaker John Boehner of Ohio as they struggled to avoid a potential market-crippling default on government obligations.

The proposal is a slap at the Democratic-controlled Senate, which hasn't passed a budget since 2009. Republicans advanced the measure as a one-year experiment rather than a permanent law.

The logic behind "no budget, no pay" goes like this: Passing a budget is the core responsibility of Congress, so why should lawmakers get paid if they don't do their main job?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-budget-no-pay-advances-despite-reservations-093428441--politics.html

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Resorts In Chennai Near Kapaleeshwar Temple

The Kapaleeshwar forehead Chennai is in the vibrant suv place of Mylapore in the condition of Tamil Nadu, Native indian. Mylapore is the social hub of Tamil Nadu and house to several sightseeing opportunities and especially several Hindu wats or wats. An excellent show of the Dravidian structure, the Kapaleeshwar forehead is said to be designed in the 7th millennium CE. The structural information and well-known stars of Master Shiva create it a must-see position for all the visitors viewing Chennai. Considering the same, a lot of hotels in Chennai and especially in Mylapore, are situated near to the forehead.

Kapaleeshwar forehead attractions

The Kapaleeshwar forehead is in the middle of the populated suv place of Mylapore. Many hotels in Chennai have blossomed by maintaining the needs of Kapaleeshwar pilgrims in thoughts. The forehead was designed by kings of the Pallava empire in Southern Native indian and is known by several other titles like Kapali or kapaliswarar forehead. The traditional Dravidian structure styles like overwhelming gopurams (entrances) and mandapams creates Kapaleeshwar a visible cure for the tourists. The Kapaleeshwar forehead has designs and identities that go returning to the mid-12th millennium.

The forehead has two gopurams, namely southern and european gopuram. The southern gopuram is 40 metres high. The wastern gopuram has a smaller footprint sized as as opposed to southern one and encounters the holy share of water. The Kapaleeshwar forehead homes various shrines of other Hindu deities including:

Parvati (Karpagambal)
Dance Ganesh (Nardana Vinayakar)
Muruga (Singara Velar) with his consorts Valli and Deivayani
Shani temple

Along with the shrines, the forehead property also homes sculptures of various vahanas of these deities (God's vehicles) such as hippo, peacock, peahen, bird, goat, bandicoot and Adhikaranandi or fluff.

Chennai hotels near Kapaleeshwar temple

A lot of Chennai hotels and homestays are exclusively created available for the visitors who check out Mylapore for Kapaleeshwar forehead. You can quickly create an on the internet arranging for bedrooms at any of the Chennai hotels that are near to the forehead. Be it price range, luxurious or high-class resort, Mylapore has enough hotels for the guests of the forehead. Apart from that, you can also guide one of the assistance residence hotels in Chennai and Mylapore. All hotels are well-equipped with fantastic services and genuine Southern Native indian delicacies. You can check out the encompassing vacationer areas like Santhome seaside for pleasure and Giri for purchasing.

The forehead has a attribute environment loaded with tolling alarms and hymns. Kapaleeshwar forehead is start for the guests from 6 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm IST. The Pujas take position four periods a day, which are the hurry time for guests looking for Master Shiva's delights. The Tamil 30 days of Panguni (mid-March to mid-April) is the most well-known time as the nine day lengthy brahmotsavam event is famous during now. Other celebrations like Theppam or flow and Aruvathumoovar event are also famous. If you want to check out the forehead during the event, then guide hotels in enhance.deals and discount rates on hotels, routes, vacation offers, vacation cruise trips and car hire arranging.

The forehead has a attribute environment loaded with tolling alarms and hymns. Kapaleeshwar forehead is start for the guests from 6 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm IST. The Pujas take position four periods a day, which are the hurry time for guests looking for Master Shiva's delights. The Tamil 30 days of Panguni (mid-March to mid-April) is the most well-known time as the nine day lengthy brahmotsavam event is famous during now. Other celebrations like Theppam or flow and Aruvathumoovar event are also famous. If you want to check out the forehead during the event, then guide hotels in enhance.deals and discount rates on hotels, routes, vacation offers, vacation cruise trips and car hire arranging.

About the Author:
Chennai was formerly known as Madras. It is it all capital to the condition of Tamil Nadu, and it all biggest city town of Native indian.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Resorts-In-Chennai-Near-Kapaleeshwar-Temple/4401592

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Renewed clashes in Egypt's Port Said kill 3 more

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Egyptian health officials say three people have been killed and more than 400 injured in renewed clashes between protesters and police in the Mediterranean city of Port Said.

They said Sunday's casualties occurred during a funeral procession for most of 37 people killed in clashes in the previous day and when gunmen exchanged gunfire with police at two police stations and the city's main prison.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Port Said violence broke out after a court on Saturday sentenced 21 defendants to death for their roles in a mass soccer riot in the city's stadium nearly a year ago. The Feb. 1, 2012 riot left 74 people dead. Most of those sentenced were local soccer fans.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/renewed-clashes-egypts-port-said-kill-3-more-172656671--spt.html

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Indonesia readies for $1 trillion trade talks

United States Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, gestures as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

United States Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, gestures as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

United States Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, gestures as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Participants leave the Congress Center the last day of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Keystone/Laurent Gillieron)

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? Indonesia may hold the key to a $1 trillion injection into the global economy.

That's how much the World Trade Organization believes is riding on talks later this year in Bali, when trade ministers hope to cut through some of the red tape that slows global commerce.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told The Associated Press that failure is not an option and that a strong effort is being put in to ensure that the WTO meeting in Bali is "crowned with success."

"It's very critical now, especially with the difficulties in the global economy, especially in the eurozone," he said. "Trade facilitation becomes a key driver for economic recovery, so this is now even ever more important to what it was before."

Trade ministers from 24 nations met Saturday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Afterward, Swiss Economic Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the group agreed they could reach a tentative agreement on some of the key elements of a global trade deal this summer, in preparation for the ministerial talks in December at Bali.

The current trade talks, known as the Doha Round, began in 2001, and after a decade of little progress, many had pronounced the negotiations to reduce global trade barriers as dead.

Schneider-Ammann said he sensed some "optimism" that efforts to streamline customs procedures and other rules to reduce the costs of trade "will be successful."

The Doha negotiations have been billed as a way of boosting economic development among the poorest countries, by reducing barriers on their exports to wealthier markets.

The WTO's director general, Pascal Lamy, has been telling the Davos gathering of political, business and academic elites that an international trade deal would provide a $1 trillion boost to the global economy.

Flanked by Schneider-Ammann, Lamy told reporters that he believes it is technically "do-able" to craft draft agreements on some of the key elements of a deal by next summer.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said he had to "temper" his enthusiasm for a deal since it has eluded the world for a decade.

"But, at least of the 24 countries represented today, it felt like we had made more substantive progress," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-26-Davos%20Forum-Trade/id-887009199c4f4c69a76aef3c784acecb

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This Is What a Gun Control March on Washington Looks Like

It was cold in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, but that didn't stop thousands of people from participating in a gun control march?on the nation's Capitol.?

RELATED: Joe Biden's Google Hangout Takes on Assault Weapons and the NRA

The march was organized by Molly Smith and?Shannon Watts. The two used social media for the most part to spread the word of the march. All things considered, the relatively inexperienced Smith was pleased with the result. "It's been a remarkable learning experience," Smith told CNN, "the realization that we're citizens and this is an active citizenship, and being a citizen isn't just sitting around and gassing about it."

RELATED: Meet the NRA's Power Circle Who'll Be Facing Off Against Obama's Proposals

Watts has a little more advocacy experience, though she is relatively green. After the Aurora mass shooting, Watts created the group?One Million Moms for Gun Control. She's been profiled in The New York Times, and?planned a few gatherings, though nothing on a scale like this.

RELATED: The First Annual 'Gun Appreciation Day' Is 48 Hours Before Obama's Inauguration

There were signs handed out that were simple, with things like "Stop NRA," or "Another _______ Against [Assault Rifles]" Some were a little more creative, like "What Would Jesus Pack?" or the long, pink, assault-rifle shaped signs that said "Ban Assault Rifles"

About 100 Newtown residents who made the trip for the march, organizers said.?

Education Secretary Arne Duncan was the featured speaker, urging the march was not about repealing the Second Amendment, but about getting more gun safety regulations. "This is about trying to create a climate in which our children can grow up free of fear," Duncan said. "This march is a starting point; it is not an ending point... We must act, we must act, we must act."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-control-march-washington-looks-231248040.html

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Optimism abounds at inauguration time (Offthekuff)

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

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Huawei tests 2Tbps data transmission over Vodafone's German network, calls it a 'first'

As terabit speeds go, Huawei's latest fiber feat falls on the lower end of recent industry achievements. At 2Tbps, the Chinese company's field test -- one it's hailing as a "world's first" -- comes nowhere close to the 100Tbps-plus experiments conducted by the likes of NEC and NICT. But top speed isn't entirely the point here; real-world performance is. By leveraging existing fiber infrastructure owned by Vodafone across portions of lower Germany, Huawei was able to successfully demonstrate two record-breaking, 200G transmissions: one spanning 1,500km and the other 3,325km over an "ultra-long-haul solution." To give you a bit of perspective on just what sort of data haul theoretical networks of this kind can achieve, Huawei claims this ultra-fast connection is "equivalent to downloading 40 HD videos in one second." Impressive, indeed. But don't go ditching that TWC wideband or FiOS contract just yet. While it's nice to know this tech exists, practical deployment is still a ways off. Until then, gigabit's the buzz word.

Show full PR text

Huawei and Vodafone Complete World's First 2 Tbit/s WDM Field Trial

Shenzhen, China, 24 January 2013:

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider, and Vodafone, one of the world's largest mobile communications companies, today announced the successful trial of 2 Tbit/s optical fiber transmission technologies on Vodafone's live network. The field trial achieved 2 Tbit/s transmission capabilities of over 3,325km. This provides a data highway capacity 20-times higher than current commercially deployed 100Gbit/s systems and has a speed equivalent to downloading 40 HD videos in one second. This marks an important step forward for optical transport technology advances beyond 100G.

Traffic on carrier backbone networks is growing exponentially, driving global momentum for commercial 100G deployments and attracting attention on optical transport beyond 100G. Riding on cutting-edge technologies such as flex oDSP, super SD-FEC, and flex modulation format, this field trial achieved a record-breaking transmission distance of 1,500 km using a super-channel PDM-16QAM-based high spectral efficiency solution, and a second record-breaking transmission distance of 3,325 km using a super-channel Nyquist PDM-QPSK-based ultra-long-haul solution. Both transmissions were on a link with G.652 fibers and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) without electrical regeneration. The link used in the trial was on Vodafone's backbone network, passing through a few cities across middle and south Germany.

"We are at the forefront of global 100G deployments, and have taken the lead in delivering key breakthroughs in technologies beyond 100G. Through collaboration with Vodafone and other leading international operators and customer-centric R&D, Huawei is always ready to build advanced optical networks for customers," said Jack Wang, president of Huawei's transport network product line.

To help customers optimize their overall technical architecture and adopt next-generation transport networks, Huawei conducted the world's first 2T WDM field trial and pan- European 400G field trial in 2012, and also unveiled a series of scientific research achievements in optical transmission. According to Ovum, Huawei ranks No. 1 in the WDM/OTN, 40G, 100G, and global optical network markets, as of Q3 2012.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/25/huawei-2tbps-data-transmission-vodafone-germany/

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White House Requires School Athletics for Disabled

In a sweeping move that will affect all American schools, the Obama administration has told districts they must offer students with disabilities the same sports opportunities as other children.

Schools now must include disabled students in existing athletic programs or provide them with equal alternatives. The directive is a huge victory for disability-rights advocates and it immediately drew praise from many in the education sector. But others fear that the new requirements will blow up school district budgets at a time when few have money to spare.

The federal government argues the new rule is necessary to level the playing field for all U.S. children.

?Sports can provide invaluable lessons in discipline, selflessness, passion and courage, and this guidance will help schools ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from the life lessons they can learn on the playing field or on the court,? Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a statement.

The move comes just after the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark law that required schools and colleges to offer equal athletic opportunities to women. Unlike Title IX, however, the Education Department?s latest ?guidance? to school districts isn?t technically a new law. Rather, it?s a new interpretation of the existing Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prevents discrimination against disabled students.

While the new guidance does not require disabled students be allowed entry into any sports program they choose, it does require schools to make adjustments to how they run their athletic teams. For example, school track teams must use a ?visual cue? alongside a starter pistol so children with hearing impairments can run and not be at a disadvantage.

Post Continues on www.washingtontimes.com

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Source: http://bighealthreport.com/6675/white-house-requires-school-athletics-for-disabled/

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Spouses club relents, accepts lesbian Army wife

Courtesy Ashley Broadway

Ashley Broadway, left, is pictured with her wife, Lt. Col. Heather Mack and their 2-year-old son.

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Hours after same-sex Army wife Ashley Broadway was named Fort Bragg's 2013 ?spouse of the year,? the on-base spouses club???that has for two months rebuffed Broadway's bid to join?? fully reversed course and invited her "to become a full member," according to emails sent to NBC News and Broadway.

The decision comes one week after the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses (ABOS) extended Broadway???who is married to Army Lt. Col. Heather Mack???a "special guest membership," an invitation she declined and called "extremely demeaning."

---

"After further reviewing the (club's) constitution, by-laws and internal procedures, the ABOS Board felt that in order to immediately support all military Officer spouses who are eligible for ABOS membership a more inclusive definition of spouse was needed. Therefore, any Spouse of an active duty commissioned or warrant Officer with a valid marriage certificate from any state or district in the United States is eligible for ABOS membership," the club's board said in a statement.

"ABOS does not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, creed, or sexual orientation. ABOS would like to publicly invite Ms. Broadway to apply for full membership to ABOS. It is and always has been our mission to support all military families."

In an email to Broadway ? shared with NBC News???the club said, "We would like to offer you to become a full member of ABOS."

"I will go ahead and submit my application," Broadway said in response to the invitation. "I need to educate some of the naysayers that are in that group and show them my family is just like their family."

In the online election held Tuesday, Broadway captured the Fort Bragg vote ?by a country mile,? said Babette Maxwell, founder of Military Spouse magazine and the Military Spouse of the Year award. Ballot totals were not revealed.

As one of the 154 base-level winners, Broadway now is eligible to be nominated for Army ?spouse of the year.?

?A lot of people who voted never me met or talked to me or knew me from Adam. I know it was a statement to the Obama Administration, to Secretary (of Defense Leon) Panetta, to Senator (Chuck) Hagel ? if he is confirmed (as defense secretary) ? to the Pentagon and, really, to America that, yes, she is a military spouse and she needs to be recognized,? Broadway told NBC News.

?There are things the government can do right now to make life a hell of a lot easier than what it is currently for those who are in same-sex marriages in the military,? she added. ?It was a lot of people saying, ?Enough?s enough.? ?

Broadway?s rejection from the Fort Bragg officers? spouses club sparked the U.S. Marine Corps to issue on Jan. 9 a pro-gay, branch-wide directive. On Jan. 16, her bid drew the Pentagon?s attention. The next day, the?on-base spouses club offered Broadway a "special guest membership" ? an invitation she declined, calling it ?extremely demeaning.??

Broadway married Mack, her 15-year companion, in November ? their first chance to hold a formal ceremony after?the 2011 repeal of ?Don?t Ask Don?t Tell,??the policy that kept gays from openly serving in the military. The couple has a 2-year-old son and Mack gave birth to their second child, a daughter, on Tuesday.?

?People got one vote per email address ? one ballot for the person you wanted to represent you. I think people would be unwilling to, quote-unquote, throw their vote away on simply doing what was popular,? Maxwell said. ?There was a significant amount of meaning in what they were doing when they voted for Ashley.

?Removing her a bit from the press and recognition she?s received the last few months, Ashley???more importantly???has a platform to benefit a large number of spouses, and that?s what people want to see happen,? Maxwell added. ?The winners are chosen based on their merits, their accomplishments and what they intend to do for the community in the year to come.?

Broadway has volunteered to tutor soldiers? children in reading, briefed inbound Army families on local school districts, and helped transferring soldiers with housing-location decisions.

?When I was denied membership, I asked to speak to the club?s board. I was convinced that if they?d just sit down with me for half an hour, if I could talk to them about what I?ve been doing, what I?ll be doing in the future, they would see what an asset I would be to the group,? Broadway said.

The meeting was not granted.

?That was the most frustrating thing,? she said.

Before its decision late Friday to relent and offer Broadway full membership, the ABOS board had maintained Broadway was never rejected because ?a formal application was never filed,? and that she simply had inquired about the eligibility of a same-sex spouse and was told the club would need ?time to look at the issue.??

Online voting for the next round of the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year???the branch level???will take place Feb. 5. The overall winner, elected from the branch finalists, will be revealed May 9.

"I never thought in a million years I would be the one to advance the cause. If that?s what it?s going to take to get attention for all the military same-sex spouses, then so be it," Broadway said. "But I do take this (Bragg 'spouse of the year' award) very seriously. And we'll see where it goes from here."?

Related stories:

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/24/16686603-rebuffed-by-fort-bragg-spouses-club-lesbian-army-wife-named-bases-spouse-of-the-year?lite

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RNC Chair Priebus re-elected

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? Reince Priebus (ryns PREE'-bus) has been elected to lead the Republican National Committee for another two years.

The 40-year-old RNC chairman ran unopposed in his bid for a second term, which begins less than three months after what most Republicans consider a disastrous election cycle. The GOP in November lost a competitive presidential election and gave up seats in the House and Senate.

The Republican National Committee membership voted overwhelmingly Friday to re-elect Priebus at their annual winter meeting in Charlotte, N.C. National committeeman Mark Willis of Maine tried to challenge Priebus but could not muster the backing of the three states needed to qualify for the ballot.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rnc-chair-priebus-reelected-181920833--election.html

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Microsoft's 2Q earnings dip despite Windows 8 lift

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said he still has faith in Microsoft, saying the company "has multiple revenue streams that are still very nice businesses."

"I kind of like the Windows segment," he said, adding that the 24 percent growth was "a little stronger than expected."

But another Microsoft division that includes another big moneymaker ? the company's Office suite of software ? didn't fare as well. Revenue in the Office division declined 10 percent, a shortfall that may have spooked some investors. Analyst Josh Olson of Edward Jones believes many of Microsoft's corporate customers may have held off on buying Office because a new version of that program is scheduled to come out early this year.

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

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

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

Microsoft's stock shed 43 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $27.20 in Thursday's extended trading, after the release of results. The stock has remained stuck below its price before Windows 8 and Surface came out, signaling that investors aren't pleased with the products' performance so far.

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

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

Moorhead called the Surface and the new software line-up the "keys to Microsoft's future."

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

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

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

The Surface also hasn't been able to mount a significant challenge to Apple Inc.'s trend-setting iPad, Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy or Google Inc.'s Nexus devices.

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

Gillis said Windows 8 is Microsoft's attempt to solve a disruption in the market that's taking place because of tablets.

"It's too early to declare it a success or a failure," he said.

"The sentiment on the PC market is just too negative," Gillis added, referring to the death knells that have been ringing through much of the technology industry during the past year. "Yes, there are disruptions going on but we still sell close to a million PCs a day."

___

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsofts-2q-earnings-dip-despite-windows-8-lift-212026397--finance.html

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