WSJ: Apple takes WiFiSlam indoor-GPS mapping startup under its wing for $20M

Watch out, Google Maps for Android, it looks like Apple's iOS Maps may soon be entering the building -- when it comes to indoor GPS tracking anyway. The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog is reporting that Apple has confirmed it purchased WiFiSlam, a startup that specializes in WiFi-assisted indoor-GPS functionality for phone apps. Interestingly, Digits notes that the company was founded by a few ex-Googlers a couple of years back and that one of its investors has included a Google employee. Further, a quick Google search confirms that any WiFiSlam-related apps that may have been on Google Play are all but dead links now. The word on the street is that Apple handed over $20 million to claim the company, although it wouldn't confirm any numbers -- or a specific reason for the purchase -- with the blog. While there's no actual telling whether this means we'll see indoor mapping on iOS maps at any point, it's hard not to imagine it now that Apple's made the purchase. We're seeking comment from Apple on our end, and will be sure to let you know what we hear back. For now, check out an old demo of WiFiSlam in action after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Google

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Source: Wall Street Journal (Digits blog)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/23/apple-wifislam-indoor-gps-maps/

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Advanced Estate Planning Concepts for Women | Asset ...

Statistically speaking, women live longer than men; if you?re married, that means that the odds are that you?re going to outlive your husband. That?s significant for a couple of reasons. First, it means that if your husband dies before you, you?ll likely inherit his estate. More importantly, though, it means that to a large extent, you?ll probably have the last word about the final disposition of all of the assets you?ve accumulated during your marriage. But advanced estate planning isn?t just for women who are or were married. You?ll want to consider whether these concepts and strategies apply to your specific circumstances.

As you plan your estate, it is important to consider the tax implications. This can range from planning for the income tax basis of your property, to the gift tax, estate tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax potentially applicable to transfers of your property.

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?Transfer taxes

When you transfer your property during your lifetime or at your death, your transfers may be subject to federal gift tax, federal estate tax, and federal generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax. (For 2013, the top estate and gift tax rate is 40%, and the GST tax rate is 40%.) Your transfers may also be subject to state taxes.

Federal gift tax

Gifts you make during your lifetime may be subject to federal gift tax. Not all gifts are subject to the tax, however. You can make annual tax-free gifts of up to $14,000 per recipient. Married couples can effectively make annual tax-free gifts of up to $28,000 per recipient. You can also make tax-free gifts for qualifying expenses paid directly to educational or medical services providers. And you can also make deductible transfers to your spouse and to charity. There is a basic exclusion amount that protects a total of up to $5,250,000 from gift tax and estate tax in 2013.

Federal estate tax

Property you own at death is subject to federal estate tax. As with the gift tax, you can make deductible transfers to your spouse and to charity, and there is a basic exclusion amount that protects up to $5,250,000 from tax in 2013.

Portability

The estate of someone who dies in 2011 or later can elect to transfer any unused applicable exclusion amount to his or her surviving spouse (a concept referred to as portability). The surviving spouse can use this deceased spousal unused exclusion amount (DSUEA), along with the surviving spouse?s own basic exclusion amount, for federal gift and estate tax purposes. For example, if someone dies in 2011 and the estate elects to transfer $5,000,000 of the unused exclusion to the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse effectively has an applicable exclusion amount of $10,250,000 to shelter transfers from federal gift or estate tax in 2013.

Federal generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax

The federal GST tax generally applies if you transfer property to a person two or more generations younger than you (for example, a grandchild). The GST tax may apply in addition to any gift or estate tax. Similar to the gift tax provisions above, annual exclusions and exclusions for qualifying educational and medical expenses are available for GST tax. You can protect up to $5,250,000 with the GST tax exemption in 2013.

Indexing for inflation

The annual gift tax exclusion, the gift tax and estate tax applicable exclusion amount, and the GST tax exemption are all indexed for inflation and may increase in future years.

Income tax basis

Generally, if you give property during your life, your basis (generally, what you paid for the property, with certain up or down adjustments) in the property for federal income tax purposes is carried over to the person who receives the gift. So, if you give your $1 million home that you purchased for $50,000 to your brother, your $50,000 basis carries over to your brother?if he sells the house immediately, income tax will be due on the resulting gain.

In contrast, if you leave property to your heirs at death, they get a ?stepped-up? (or ?stepped-down?) basis in the property equal to the property?s fair market value at the time of your death. So, if the home that you purchased for $50,000 is worth $1 million when you die, your heirs get the property with a basis of $1 million. If they then sell the home for $1 million, they pay no federal income tax.

Lifetime giving

Making gifts during one?s life is a common estate planning strategy that can also serve to minimize transfer taxes. One way to do this is to take advantage of the annual gift tax exclusion, which lets you give up to $14,000 to as many individuals as you want gift tax free in 2013. As noted above, there are several other gift tax exclusions and deductions that you can take advantage of. In addition, when you gift property that is expected to appreciate in value, you remove the future appreciation from your taxable estate. In some cases, it may even make sense to make taxable gifts to remove the gift tax from your taxable estate as well.

Trusts

There are a number of trusts that are often used in estate planning. Here is a quick look at a few of them.

• Revocable trust.?You retain the right to change or revoke a revocable trust. A revocable trust can allow you to try out a trust, provide for management of your property in case of your incapacity, and avoid probate at your death.
• Marital trusts.?A marital trust is designed to qualify for the marital deduction. Typically, one spouse gives the other spouse an income interest for life, the right to access principal in certain circumstances, and the right to designate who receives the trust property at his or her death. In a QTIP variation, the spouse who created the trust can retain the right to control who ultimately receives the trust property when the other spouse dies. A marital trust is included in the gross estate of the spouse with the income interest for life.
• Credit shelter bypass trust.?The first spouse to die creates a trust that is sheltered by his or her applicable exclusion amount. The surviving spouse may be given interests in the trust, but the?interests are limited enough that the trust is not included in his or her gross estate.
• Grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT).?You retain a right to a fixed stream of annuity payments for a number of years, after which the remainder passes to your beneficiaries, such as your children. Your gift of a remainder interest is discounted for gift tax purposes.
• Charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT).?You retain a stream of payments for a number of years (or for life), after which the remainder passes to charity. You receive a current charitable deduction for the gift of the remainder interest.
• Charitable lead annuity trust (CLAT).?A fixed stream of annuity payments benefits a charity for a number of years, after which the remainder passes to your noncharitable beneficiaries, such as your children. Your gift of a remainder interest is discounted for gift tax purposes.

Life insurance

Life insurance plays a part in many estate plans. In a small estate, life insurance may actually create the estate and be the primary financial resource for your surviving family members. Life insurance can also be used to provide liquidity for your estate, for example, by providing the cash to pay final expenses, outstanding debts, and taxes, so that other assets don?t have to be liquidated to pay these expenses. Life insurance proceeds can generally be received income tax free.

Life insurance that you own on your own life will generally be included in your gross estate for federal estate tax purposes. However, it is possible to use anirrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT)?to keep the life insurance proceeds out of your gross estate.

With an ILIT, you create an irrevocable trust that buys and owns the life insurance policy. You make cash gifts to the trust, which the trust uses to pay the policy premiums. (The trust beneficiaries are offered a limited period of time to withdraw the cash gifts.) If structured properly, the trust receives the life insurance proceeds when you die, tax free, and distributes the funds according to the terms of the trust.

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IMPORTANT DISCLOSURESBroadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. The information presented here is not specific to any individual?s personal circumstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on his or her individual circumstances. These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable?we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice. This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the state(s) of MA. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific states referenced.

Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2013.

Source: http://amrfinancial.com/advanced-estate-planning-concepts-for-women/

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Raising Healthy Families: Supplements to help ... - A Delightful Home

Welcome back to the Raising Health Families series, join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and whole in a not-so-healthy world.

Learn what supplements you should be taking by Clarinda over at A Jewel In The Making in this third post of Raising Healthy Families series.

Image courtesy of YaiSirichai/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You may be thinking that you eat pretty healthy and you don?t need these supplements or if you don?t eat too healthy what would be a great way to help your body become healthy (besides actually eating healthier) so what supplements does she recommend and why should you take them? Included are her quality brand recommendations.

Head on over to her blog to learn more in Do You Take These Supplements? If Not, You Should!

Note: This series is designed as a fun and informative compilation to help you and your family thrive. Each post is the opinion of that particular blogger, not necessarily mine or Positively Real Media?s.

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Related posts:

1. Raising Healthy Families: Is Your Mattress Toxic? Hidden Dangers in Your Sleeping Environment
2. Raising Healthy Families: Avoid Unsafe Flu Shots with Pepper Juice
3. Raising Healthy Families in a Not-So-Healthy World (New Series)
4. Designed Healthy Living Nutrition Manual Winner (and update)
5. Nutrition Manual Giveaway {Designed Healthy Living}

Source: http://adelightfulhome.com/raising-healthy-families-supplements-to-help-your-family/

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Kenyatta wins Kenya's presidential race

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's founding president, won the presidential election with a slim margin of 50.03 percent of votes cast, just enough to avoid a run-off, provisional figures by the election commission showed on Saturday.

Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, secured the victory over his main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who secured 43.28 percent of the vote.

The first round win, which must be officially confirmed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, means Kenyans who waited five days for the result of the vote will not face a run-off that would have prolonged the uncertainty.

To secure an outright win, a candidate needed more than 50 percent of the votes.

Kenyatta achieved that by a margin of just 4,100 votes. About 12.3 million votes were cast. Such a narrow win will almost certainly prompt legal challenges from Odinga's camp, which complained about the election process throughout.

Kenyatta, the deputy prime minister, secured 6,173,433 votes out of a total of 12,338,667 ballots cast, the provisional figures showed, indicating a margin of 50.03 percent.

Western donors had warned before the vote that diplomatic ties would be complicated with a win by Kenyatta who, along with his running mate William Ruto, is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague related to post-election violence five years ago.

Kenyans hoped this vote would restore their nation's reputation as one of Africa's most stable democracies after the tribal slaughter that followed the disputed 2007 vote that Odinga said Mwai Kibaki stole from him.

The test will be whether any challenges to the outcome are worked out in the courts of the newly reformed judiciary, and do not spill over into the streets, as they did in 2007.

(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by James Macharia and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyatta-wins-kenyas-presidential-race-figures-show-001807967.html

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North Korea can't hit America, but South Korea and Japan in range

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has plenty of military firepower even if its threat this week of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States is a hollow one, with South Korea most at risk from the isolated regime's artillery and rockets.

Japan, separated by less than 1,000 km (625 miles) of water and a frequent target of North Korea's ire, is also in easy range of Pyongyang's short- and mid-range missiles.

In pure numbers, North Korea's military looks formidable, much larger than the more affluent South in both personnel and equipment. The North's 1.2 million soldiers face off against 640,000 South Korean troops who are backed up by 26,000 U.S. personnel stationed in the country.

However, Pyongyang's capabilities are not what the figures would suggest. Impoverished North Korea has all but abandoned running a conventional military that can engage in sustained battle because of scare resources and has instead focused on nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology, experts said.

"A conventional military is very costly, and overwhelmingly so for North Korea. It quickly becomes a money fight and North Korea cannot win that," said Shin In-kyun, head of the Korea Defence Network, an alliance of defence experts based in Seoul.

Nevertheless, a defence policy statement from South Korea in December noted that North Korea's frontline artillery pieces could launch a "sudden and massive" barrage on the capital Seoul, a mere 50 km (31 miles) from the Demilitarized Zone border that separates the two Koreas.

North Korea has around 12,000 artillery guns, many arrayed near the border. It also has an arsenal of intermediate range missiles in operational deployment, some of which can travel more than 3,000 km (1,875 miles). That puts South Korea and Japan in range as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.

"They have the capability to strike anywhere in the South and Japan," said Shin.

North Korea has also shown it has submarine capabilities.

In 2010, a North Korean submarine was widely believed to have sunk a South Korean naval vessel, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang has denied it was behind the attack. In the same year, North Korea shelled a South Korean island in a disputed area, killing civilians.

One military expert said the North might be careful before launching another blatant attack, given Seoul has vowed to respond vigorously next time.

MAXIMUM CONFUSION

"The greatest realistic threat from North Korea is a type of attack that will create maximum confusion in the South but one that will be confusing as to who instigated it so that it will not invite immediate retaliation on Pyongyang," said Song Young-keun, a retired Army general who was once head of the intelligence arm of the South's military, the Defense Security Command.

Cyber warfare or a possible attack on the intricate communication and utility networks in the South could have just as much impact as any outright military action, Song said.

Outside its artillery and missiles, North Korea struggles to match the South.

Many of the soldiers that make North Korea the world's most heavily militarized state are poorly trained or even properly fed and are deployed in hard labor or farming to supplement the meager resources of their units.

The North's air force has more than 820 fighter jets, according to South Korea's Defence Ministry, but it does not have enough fuel to fly sorties or conduct needed drills to maintain combat effectiveness. South Korea has 460 jets.

North Korea has 4,200 tanks, according to South Korea, although Seoul's 2,400 are more modern and better maintained.

The question of North Korea's atomic capability was thrust to the headlines when Pyongyang on Thursday threatened the United States with a nuclear strike.

That came in the wake of accusations from Pyongyang that Washington was using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war.

Experts say North Korea is years away from being able to hit continental America with a nuclear weapon despite a decades-long push toward an atomic capability.

The core of the North's unconventional military focus is a stockpile of fissile material that could be enough for six to eight nuclear weapons, and up to 5,000 metric tons of biological and chemical weapons that can wipe out a mid-size industrial city.

North Korea claims to have developed a miniaturized nuclear weapon while the launch of a long-range rocket in December that for the first time put an object into orbit indicated progress in its attempt to build an intercontinental nuclear missile.

"But for a weapons system to be viable, it has to be in production and deployed. I don't think we can say that about the Unha-3," Shin said, referring to the rocket launched on December 12.

Song said the general consensus was the North had yet to shrink a nuclear warhead to put on an intercontinental ballistic missile and more crucially there had been no tests to prove it has mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

"It's hogwash, blackmail," Song said of Thursday's threat against the United States.

(Editing by Dean Yates)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-cant-hit-america-south-korea-japan-091839397.html

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Pentagon chief Hagel makes 1st trip to Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Afghanistan Friday for his first visit as Pentagon chief, saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over the country's security to the Afghans.

"We are still at war," Hagel said, warning the U.S. and its allies to remain focused on the mission while noting that the U.S. never intended to stay in Afghanistan indefinitely.

"That transition has to be done right, it has to be done in partnership with the Afghans, with our allies," said Hagel, who took over the Pentagon job a little more than a week ago. "Our country as well as Afghanistan, the region, and the allies have a lot at stake here. And our continued focus and energy and attention on Afghanistan is going to be very important."

He said it was vital to remember why the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in the days after the 9/11 attacks, including the need to rid the country of terrorists and a hostile government.

Hagel told reporters traveling with him that he plans to talk to Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the recent order expelling U.S. commandos from Wardak Province. He would not say what his message to Karzai might be.

Karzai ordered that U.S. special operations forces leave within two weeks because of allegations that Afghans working with the commandos were involved in abusive behavior and torture.

The order comes despite worries that it could leave the region more vulnerable to al-Qaida and other insurgents. U.S. officials have said they have seen no evidence that American forces were involved in the abuse of Afghan civilians.

Hagel is slated to meet with U.S. commanders and Afghan leaders and plans to make his first detailed assessment of the increasingly unpopular war.

His unannounced visit comes at a turning point in the conflict, as U.S. and NATO allies set their timetable for the withdrawal of combat troops and pressure mounts on the U.S.-led effort to train the Afghan forces. Hagel must manage the transition as the U.S. steps up what will be a difficult and expensive extraction of equipment from the country even as Congress slashes billions of dollars from the defense budget.

"I need to better understand what's going on there," Hagel told reporters during the flight to Kabul. He said he wants an assessment on the progress of the Afghan forces as they prepare to take over the security of their own country.

Hagel traveled to Afghanistan four times during his two terms as senator for Nebraska, including once in 2002 shortly after the war began, in 2006 and twice in 2008. His final two visits were in 2008, once in February with then Sens. Joe Biden and John Kerry ? now the vice president and secretary of state, and in July with then-Sen. Barack Obama.

While Hagel initially supported the Afghanistan war when he was senator, his enthusiasm diminished as the conflict dragged on for more than 10 years. He pointedly observed that militaries are "built to fight and win wars, not bind together failing nations." And in a radio interview this year, he acknowledged the nation's growing weariness with the war that has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 U.S. troops and wounded another 18,000, saying that "the American people want out" of Afghanistan.

His review of the war will likely be colored in part by his own military service. Hagel is the first Vietnam veteran to lead the Pentagon, and the first man to become defense secretary after serving only in the enlisted ranks. All the other secretaries with military service eventually served as officers. Hagel served in Vietnam alongside his brother, was wounded twice and was awarded two Purple Hearts.

There are currently about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 in 2010. The U.S. troop total is scheduled to drop to about 32,000 by early next year, with the bulk of the decline coming over the winter months.

And, while there has been no final decision on the size of the post-2014 force, U.S. and NATO leaders say they are considering a range between 8,000 and 12,000. The size of that residual force is sharply smaller than what the top U.S. commander in the Middle East recommended. Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week that his personal recommendation was for a U.S. force of 13,600, with the expectation that NATO allies would contribute another 6,000 to 7,000.

Hagel would not say what his assessment of the final post-2014 numbers is yet. But, he added that, "it is the Afghan people who need to make, and will make, their own decisions about their future. We can help. We have helped, as well as our allies. But there does come a time when that should be transitioned."

And the transition, he said, is happening in a way that give the Afghan people "a very hopeful future."

The U.S. is currently in the early stages of negotiating a bilateral security agreement with Kabul that would set the legal parameters for America's continued military and diplomatic involvement with the nation.

Another source of anxiety among the allies is Afghanistan's 2014 presidential election; Karzai, who has led the country since U.S. forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001, is not running and there is no obvious successor.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-chief-hagel-makes-1st-trip-afghanistan-160903393--politics.html

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Apple (again) mulling shifting production of iPhone and iPad chips to Intel

A report Wednesday revives the old rumor that the world?s leading chip maker, Intel, is working on a strategic deal to manufacture processors that power Apple?s iPhones, iPads and iPods.

What?s different this time around, though, is the timing: Intel?s?CEO Paul Otellini is on his way out and with CEO search still underway, the semiconductor giant could be poised to take its relationship with Apple to the next level.

The gist of the report is that Apple could contract Intel as a foundry, meaning the chip giant would tap its world-class manufacturing expertise to produce iPhone and iPad processors, as designed in-house by Apple, rather than persuade Tim Cook & Co. into adopting Intel?s own mobile Atom?x86 chip architecture, which hasn?t made much inroads yet?

Reuters?has the scoop:

Intel said last week it will open up its prized manufacturing technology to make chips designed by fellow chipmaker Altera ? snagging its first sizeable customer in a contract manufacturing, or ?foundry?, business expected to grow.

That has spurred talk of an Apple deal. A source close to one of the companies says Intel and Apple executives have discussed the issue in the past year but no agreement has been reached.

Intel, of course, has been a major supplier of processors for Mac notebooks and desktops since 2005.

Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy told the news gathering organization the company is ?in constant discussions with Apple,? though he wouldn?t comment on negotiations about a potential foundry relationship.?With persisting rumors of Apple looking to distance itself from Samsung due to ongoing litigation, anything is possible.

If Apple is to take its lucrative chip making contract elsewhere, the company doesn?t really have much choice. There are only a few semiconductor makers that can meet Apple?s exacting standards in terms of volume, yields and advanced process technologies used to fab power-savvy mobile chips.

Samsung, which currently builds Apple?s in-house designed processors for iDevices at its sophisticated Austin, Texas plant, is one of them. The other oft-rumored potential partner is?Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Reuters notes that?Intel?s chip-manufacturing technology ?is at least two years ahead? of TSMC?s or Samsung?s foundry, making talk of Intel-fabbed device silicon highly probable.

After Intel upped its capital spending budget by $2 billion to $13 billion this year, speculation grew that Apple could ink a deal to use Intel?s leading process technology to make better chips for its iPad and iPhone.

Doing so could help Apple end its foundry relationship with Samsung, which has become a fierce competitor with its own smartphones and tablets.

Shifting production of iPhone and iPad chips to Intel could be an additional $4.2 billion revenue opportunity for Intel in 2015, with a gross margin of around 50 percent, according to Macquarie analyst Shawn Webster.

Interestingly enough, TSMC Chairman and CEO?Morris Chang recently said his company has received a ?very large volume? order from an unspecified customer, prompting watchers to speculate that the mysterious buyer could be Apple.

It has also been reported that the Taiwanese foundry is looking to fab?a next-gen processor for a ?breakthrough? Apple device on its upcoming cutting-edge 16nm FinFET process. At any rate, looks like Samsung will be the big loser, even if Apple is only looking to diversify its chip suppliers.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zipadblog/~3/yeuAoYjghj8/

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China Starts Arm Wrestling Android

Android -- and, by extension, Google -- has too much control over China's smartphone industry, according to a white paper from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Android is used by handset manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE, as well as Samsung, which has a solid footprint in China.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2950a310/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C774740Bhtml/story01.htm

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Sam Mendes Won't Direct 'Bond 24'

Sad news, James Bond fans: Sam Mendes isn't going to direct "Bond 24." Despite early reports to the contrary, Mendes has confirmed that he's passed on the project. ?It has been a very difficult decision not to accept Michael [Wilson] and Barbara [Broccoli]?s very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie," Mendes told Empire [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/06/sam-mendes-bond-24/

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So... I heard you like fantasy adventure~

So, right now this is a very, very new idea. (So new I'm not even done with the original idea yet.)

Anyway, I'm not sure if I want to make this a roleplay or keep it for a story. So, interest check time!

The Basic Premise (subject to change)

?The darkness has lasted for almost two weeks now. Two weeks! Our candle supply is all but starved, we?re down to relying on what wood we can salvage from the town. Everyone is scared, scared because the sun and the moon have abandoned us. There?s no stars in the skies to guide us.

The ground keeps shuddering, at first it was faint... but now. Now it?s getting stronger. The wind rarely blows in this darkness, it always seems to happen around the time of the tremors, which is when it rains and our flames go out. Even the ones indoors.

What?s going on?

When will this darkness end??

~

?One month has passed and people are falling ill, at least we think it?s been a month. Everyone is exhausted all the time and fights keep breaking out over light sources. We spend our waking hours huddled around the small fires we have lit. Are we going to die like this? They?re all miserable and a few just seem to cry all the time. We?ve had to resort to burning spare furniture to keep the lights burning.

A few of the braver folks have taken some supplies and gone in search of some more wood from the forest, no one knows if they?ll ever return.

It?s hard to write in this light, but it?s the only thing that?s keeping my sanity somewhat intact.?

Now, I want to try and keep the return of the daylight etc a secret for the opening post of the roleplay - so I'll try and make this as interesting as I can for you all without spoiling it!

Yes! This will be a grand adventure roleplay in a fantasy realm with fighting. I'll try and keep the world simple, so I don't make you all wait for months while I create everything down to the colour of the ants. There will be limited magic (yes, changing this already - as I create things I realise it'll be needed at least a little.) - but not everyone gets to be a magic user.

As for the adventurers, sure, we can have some seasoned fighters - but hey, in times of need anyone with some courage will do right? Bumbling alchemists? Archers who have never touched a bow? Mages whose spells fail more than they succeed? These characters will also be more than welcomed!

- So, did my heat and sleep deprivated typing pique your interest? Feel free to ask any questions or whatnot! I'll give this some time while I create the world and hopefully I'll adventure with you soon!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/EhL20h_x3Ek/viewtopic.php

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Ferris State University Student Upgraded to Serious Condition

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. ? The Ferris State University student who was found lying unconscious in the snow last month has been upgraded to serious condition.

Nicholas Suttles was taken to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids on Feb. 15 for hypothermia and an irregular heartbeat. ?

The investigation uncovered that Suttles may have been spotted drinking at a party near the 300 block of Morrison. Officials believe he tried to walk home at about 12:30 a.m. to his on-campus housing when he fell into the ditch.

Source: http://fox17online.com/2013/03/05/ferris-state-university-student-upgraded-to-serious-condition/

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GOP unveils government funding measure

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans controlling the House moved Monday to ease a crunch in Pentagon readiness while limiting the pain felt by such agencies as the FBI and the Border Patrol from the across-the-board spending cuts that are just starting to take effect.

The effort is part of a huge spending measure that would fund day-to-day federal operations through September ? and head off a potential government shutdown later this month.

The measure would leave in place automatic cuts of 5 percent to domestic agencies and 7.8 percent to the Pentagon ordered by President Barack Obama Friday night after months of battling with Republicans over the budget. But the House Republicans' legislation would award the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments their detailed 2013 budgets, giving those agencies more flexibility on where money is spent, while other agencies would be frozen at 2012 levels ? and then bear the across-the-board cuts.

The impact of the new cuts was proving slow to reach the broader public as Obama convened the first Cabinet meeting of his second term to discuss next steps.

The Pentagon did say it would furlough thousands of military school teachers around the world and close commissaries an extra day each week. And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the spending cuts were causing delays in customs lines at airports including Los Angeles International and O'Hare International in Chicago.

Obama said he was continuing to seek out Republican partners to reach a deal to ease or head off the cuts, but there was no sign that a breakthrough was in the works to reverse them.

The new GOP funding measure is set to advance through the House on Thursday. It's aimed at preventing a government shutdown when a six-month spending bill passed last September runs out March 27.

The latest measure would provide a $10 billion increase for military operations and maintenance efforts and a boost for veterans' health programs, but would put most the rest of the government on budget autopilot. Military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq would be cut to $87 billion ? down from $115 billion last year ? reflecting ongoing troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.

"It is clear that this nation is facing some very hard choices, and it's up to Congress to pave the way for our financial future," said bill sponsor Harold Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "But right now, we must act quickly and try to make the most of a difficult situation. This bill will fund essential federal programs and services, help maintain our national security, and take a potential shutdown off the table.

Senate Democrats want to add more detailed budgets for domestic Cabinet agencies but it'll take GOP help to do so. The House measure denies money sought by Obama and his Democratic allies to implement the signature 2010 laws overhauling the health care system and financial regulation.

After accounting for the across-the-board cuts, domestic agencies would face reductions exceeding 5 percent when compared with last year. But Republicans would carve out a host of exemptions seeking to protect certain functions, including federal prisons and fire-fighting efforts in the West, and to provide new funding for embassy security and modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The FBI and the Border Patrol would be able to maintain current staffing levels and would not have to furlough employees.

The legislation would provide about $2 billion more than the current level to increase security at U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions worldwide. Last September, a terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

A project to repair the Capitol Dome in Washington could stay on track, and NASA's space flight budget would be protected from the harshest effects of the automatic cuts, known in Washington as a sequester. An initiative to upgrade the Coast Guard fleet would be funded as well.

The across-the-board cuts would carve $85 billion in spending from the government's $3.6 trillion budget for this year, concentrating the cuts in the approximately $1 trillion allocated to the day-to-day agency operating budgets set by Congress each year. Those so-called discretionary accounts received big boosts in the first two years of Obama's presidency when Democrats controlled Congress but have borne the brunt of the cuts approved as Obama and Republicans have grappled over the budget.

Both Democrats and Republicans for months have warned the cuts are draconian and would slow the growth of the economy and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, for instance, says they would slow the economy by 0.6 percent and cost about 750,000 jobs.

Obama presided Monday over the first meeting of his new-look Cabinet in a sobering climate of fiscal belt-tightening, urging humane management of spending cuts for communities and families that are "going to be hurting."

"We can manage through it," the president told reporters. Obama and members of his Cabinet had been warning for weeks that the cuts would be painful, but the fact is they will be slow to take effect, with the first furloughs of government workers not due until next month. Cuts to many programs may go unnoticed entirely.

The White House budget office's 83-page sequestration order was released Friday evening, detailing the cuts to more than 1,000 separate government accounts, big and small. Cuts of 7.8 percent that are set to strike defense accounts include $5.2 billion for construction at Army bases. Other accounts are far smaller, like $32 million to operate and maintain the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Each agency is supposed to apportion the cuts equally to each "program, project and activity" within the broader accounts, which gives agency heads some flexibility since it's up to them to define what that means. And it's not clear what recourse others would have if they disagreed with an agency's choices.

"That leaves it pretty much to the administrators in the agency in which that account falls to determine how he's planning on applying it," said G. William Hoagland, a budget expert with the Bipartisan Policy Center. "I don't know that anybody's going to be held accountable if some administrator defines a project the way he wants to define it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-unveil-government-funding-measure-201233052--finance.html

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Google Updates Chrome For Android, iPhone And iPad With Focus On Speed, Search And Sharing

Ever since Google launched its Chrome browser on multiple mobile devices, more people have been getting used to syncing their desktop browsing experiences for on-the-go usage. Being able to have one browsing experience wherever you go is handy, but when a browser doesn’t move as fast as, say, Safari on the iPhone, it’s hard to dedicate yourself to making the switch. Google knows that and has pushed updates to its Chrome browser for Android, iPhone and iPad with the focus on bringing the speed of the experience up to snuff. On the Android side of the house, the company says that the browsing experience is now 25 percent faster thanks to expanded support for HTML5 and utilization of the latest V8 JavaScript engine. If pages load fast and scrolling is like butter, you’re going to use it more. Period. Those same changes will start being made on other platforms soon, Google says. Here’s what Grace Kloba and Rohit Rao had to say about the changes: We?re continuing to add plenty of under-the-hood stability, security improvements and bug fixes to Chrome for both Android and iOS. We look forward to your feedback on the latest versions of Chrome, now available on?Google Play?and in the?App Store. On the iOS side of the house, Google has added better search and sharing options, which are key components of a speedy experience on an iPhone or iPad. Clearly, Android has the advantage of having stronger sharing options baked into the OS, so Google has to be more creative with how things are done within its apps. Instead of seeing a long URL in the “Omnibox” at the top of the browser, you’ll see your search phrase so you can keep refining it instead of dealing with that ugly URL. After using a Chromebook for a while now, I’m longing for the day that I’ll never have to see an ugly URL again, especially when all you’re using is a browser on a screen. Here’s what the experience looks like; the changes might not be available to you for a few weeks: On iOS, sharing and history surfing got simplified as well. You can now hold the back button to see all of the pages you’ve previously visited and tap Share under Menu to share whatever page you’re on. You’ll also see more options than before. The big thing here is that you can share any

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0HB7DGQeEz8/

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China Criticizes Android's Dominance

BY PAUL MOZUR

BEIJING?A Chinese government research institute hit out at Google Inc.'s Android smartphone operating system, arguing that China is too reliant on the platform and accusing the search giant of using its dominance to discriminate against local companies.

The criticism highlights continuing tension between Google and the Chinese government three years after the Mountain View, Calif., company said it wouldn't comply with Chinese Internet restrictions and pulled its servers out of mainland China.

It also highlights Android's strong presence in China, where the operating system powers about four out of five mobile devices, including gadgets made by Chinese companies vying to ...

Source: http://feeds.wsjonline.com/~r/wsj/xml/rss/3_7011/~3/y2uVWCRim1Q/SB10001424127887324539404578342132324098420.html

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Wagner Victorinox Aviator Ballpoint Pen ? A pen with tools

The Wagner Victorinox Aviator Ballpoint Pen is the love child of a Swiss Army knife and a ballpoint pen. Available in?Blue, Red or Black, the pen features a?TSA friendly design that includes scissors, LED flashlight, cap lifter, Phillips screwdriver, wire stripper, rubberized grip?and a ballpoint pen that accepts?D-1 Swiss refills. If you need tiny scissors [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/03/05/wagner-victorinox-aviator-ballpoint-pen-a-pen-with-tools/

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Security, Privacy, and the Internet

Internet security and privacy are huge issues, and that will not change for the foreseeable future. The online universe has made it possible to plan dates, research policy positions, make health decisions, buy the newest gadgets, and a host of others activities. So it behooves consumers to take extra precaution and protect themselves from online predators.

It?s always a great time to share valuable free tool. I came across one recently called Hotspot Shield, and it encrypts and protects all of your data on any mobile device like phones or tablets, along with laptops. Because it compresses data, it also reduces the data your devices use. Moreover, it allows unrestricted internet access anytime, anywhere in the world ? even in countries with censorship.

It has been downloaded more than 100 million times globally, and protects users from over 3 million malware threats, phishing sites, and spam. Impressive to say the least.

This is about empowering yourself with the tools to safeguard your private information, credit cards, tracking where you visit, and your passwords.

The internet evolves more and more each year, as do the dangers. And its important that the tools we use be consistent to the size and scope of those problems. Here is a great video, with commentary by Huffpost blogger Robert Siciliano, on how great Hotspot is for those of us who value the web:

WATCH:

?

2morrowknight is an author and social media correspondent who blogs for Huffington Post and Smedio. His work has also appeared in Buzzfeed, The Stimulist, Mission Hot Mama, Womentality Magazine and Essence. He has lectured at leading colleges and universities, and has collaborated on small businesses. With more than 20 years in marketing and public relations, he has been an advisor and consultant to institutions of high learning and community organizations. He's done extensive work in the area of speech writing and promotional campaigns for charities and nonprofits.

Source: http://smedio.com/2013/03/04/security-privacy-and-the-internet/

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Investigator urges U.S. to pursue Bush-era abuses

GENEVA (Reuters) - A United Nations investigator called on the United States on Monday to publish its findings on the CIA's Bush-era program of rendition and secret detention of terrorism suspects.

Ben Emmerson, U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, voiced concern that while President Barack Obama's administration has rejected Central Intelligence Agency practices conducted under his predecessor George W. Bush, there have been no prosecutions.

"Despite this clear repudiation of the unlawful actions carried out by the Bush-era CIA, many of the facts remain classified, and no public official has so far been brought to justice in the United States," Emmerson said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council, which he will address on Tuesday.

Emmerson, an international lawyer from Britain, has served since August 2011 in the independent post set up by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2005 to probe human rights violations committed during counter-terrorism operations worldwide.

The "war on terror" waged by Bush after al Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 led to "gross or systematic" violations involving secret prisons for Islamic militant suspects, clandestine transfers and torture, Emmerson said.

Under Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the Department of Justice would not prosecute any official who acted in good faith and within the scope of legal guidance given by its Office of Legal Counsel in the Bush era on interrogation.

But Emmerson said that using a "superior orders defense" and invoking secrecy on national security grounds was "perpetuating impunity for the public officials implicated in these crimes".

A Senate select committee on intelligence, chaired by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, investigated the CIA secret detention and interrogation program, including use of "waterboarding", which simulates drowning.

Bush, who authorized the CIA's secret prisons overseas, said in his memoirs he had ordered the use of "waterboarding", which rights experts consider a form of torture banned by international law.

Emmerson said that the Senate panel was believed to have had unrestricted access to classified information for its comprehensive review, completed in December 2011.

He urged the U.S. government "to publish without delay, and to the fullest extent possible" the Senate report, except for any information strictly necessary to protect legitimate national security interests or the safety of people identified in it.

"BLACK SITES"

"There is now credible evidence to show that CIA 'black sites' were located on the territory of Lithuania, Morocco, Poland, Romania and Thailand, and that the officials of at least 49 other States allowed their airspace or airports to be used for rendition flights," Emmerson said, referring to clandestine sites where suspects were taken for detention without any extradition procedures, charges laid or access to a lawyer.

He urged those five states to conduct "effective independent judicial or quasi-judicial inquiries" into the allegations.

Any public officials who may have authorized or helped in setting up such facilities should be held accountable, he added.

Italy is the only country to have brought any public official to justice for such crimes, according to Emmerson.

In November 2009, the Milan criminal tribunal convicted 22 CIA agents in absentia for their role in the kidnapping of an Egyptian Muslim cleric known as Abu Omar on a Milan street in 2003 "and his rendition to Cairo where he was detained for 14 months and repeatedly tortured", the U.N. investigator said.

Emmerson also called on Britain to publish the 2012 interim report of the Gibson Inquiry set up two years earlier to probe whether its security or intelligence agents were involved in any mistreatment or rendition of detainees held by other countries.

In January he announced he would investigate the use of unmanned drones in counter-terrorism operations, after criticism of the number of innocent civilians killed.

Emmerson's non-binding report has only moral authority, but it will add pressure on the Obama administration not to allow what he called a "blanket of official impunity" to descend.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-investigator-urges-u-pursue-bush-era-142233528.html

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Is Indonesia, one of big tobacco's last frontiers, closing?

Not fast enough for anti-smoking campaigners. But Indonesia is slowly taking steps to end its status as one of the great growth markets for tobacco companies.

By Sarah Schonhardt,?Correspondent / March 3, 2013

On Sunday thousands of young Indonesians streamed into an expo center in Jakarta to sway to cool jazz and R&B beats. But looking around it might have been easy to forget that Java Jazz was about music, not smoking.

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Officially, this year?s event is called the Jakarta International Djarum Super Mild Java Jazz festival after its lead sponsor Djarum, Indonesia?s third-largest tobacco company.

Other sponsors include Indonesia?s national bank and telecommunications company, the ministries of trade and tourism, and global healthcare firm Cigna, whose support has drawn the attention of anti-tobacco groups and consumer protection watchdogs.

Tulus Abadi, who works on tobacco control issues at the Indonesian Consumers Foundation, called the co-sponsorship ?contradictive,? while a US-based anti-tobacco group, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, described it as ?not acceptable.?

When asked about its support, Cigna officials said they received sponsorship rights in return for providing free accident coverage to Java Jazz crew, artists and visitors.

?In keeping with our mission ? we used the opportunity to promote health and wellness at the event, including free health checks, exercise activities and healthy eating,? said Christine Setyabudhi, the president director of Cigna?s Indonesia subsidiary in an e-mail.

The tobacco industry remains very powerful in a country with one of the world?s highest smoking rates and one where consumer companies are scrambling to boost profits from a growing middle class eager to spend growing disposable incomes. Cigarette taxes contribute about $8 billion to the government budget a year and the industry is a major employer, with a quarter of a million Indonesians involved in growing tobacco and manufacturing cigarettes.

In the past decade, with Indonesia one of the few growth markets for tobacco, international heavyweights have poured into the market, buying out the founders of some of Indonesia's top cigarette brands. Indonesian smoking culture is dominated by the distinctive local kretek cigarette, which are heavily flavored with cloves.

In 2005 Philip Morris, maker of Marlboro, acquired one of Indonesia?s? top two cigarette companies, PT HM Sampoerna, for $5 billion. British American Tobacco, the maker of Lucky Strike, entered the market in 2009, when it bought a controlling stake in Bentoel for $500 million. Djarum has resisted overtures from foreign buyers and remains in Indonesian hands.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/D1-Q8iZmbSk/Is-Indonesia-one-of-big-tobacco-s-last-frontiers-closing

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UK's queen hospitalized by stomach bug

For the first time in ten years, Britain's 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth is in the hospital, but in good spirits. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.

By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

LONDON -- Britain?s Queen Elizabeth II was admitted to hospital after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace said Sunday.

All her official engagements for this week will be either postponed or canceled as a precaution, the palace said in a statement.

The queen, who celebrated 60 years on the throne last year, had already canceled her weekend engagements because she had been feeling unwell.

An unidentified palace spokesman told ITV News the 86-year-old was in "good spirits" and "good health" despite her illness.

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"This is a precautionary measure," the spokesman said. "She was not taken into hospital immediately after feeling the symptoms. This is simply to enable doctors to better assess her."

She was being treated at the?King Edward VII Hospital in London, a private facility.

Gastroenteritis is a stomach illness most often caused by a virus or food poisoning.

An historic first as Queen Elizabeth attends a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street as part of her diamond jubilee celebrations. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

BBC correspondent Peter Hunt reported she would be kept there for observation for about two days.

Her canceled duties include a planned trip to Italy where she was due to be the guest of President Giorgio Napolitano on Wednesday.

Early last week, she met the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace, and on Thursday she presented a host of British Olympic stars with honors at a ceremony.

86-year old Queen Elizabeth II has been hospitalized with symptoms of a stomach infection. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.

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?

This story was originally published on Sun Mar 3, 2013 11:02 AM EST

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/03/17168348-uks-queen-hospitalized-by-stomach-bug?lite

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The Stir: 10 Tips For Surviving The Aftermath Of ... - Huffington Post

Written by Aunt Becky on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

After announcing my own impending divorce, I was inundated with sweet and kind emails from people who had been long-time readers of my site.

Many of them offered love and support, a rare bright spot during those dark days.

Still others told me their story: they'd come home from work to find their husband had left... for good. They'd woken up to the words, "I want a divorce."

The problem, they informed me, was that they did not.

Talk about making an already soul-wrenching situation even worse. Here are some tips for coping with a divorce... that you don't want.

1) Remind yourself that you're going to be okay. I know it feels like the air has been sucked out of the room, but it's still there. I promise. Keep "I'm going to be okay" as your mantra for this period.

2) Talk out your feelings with a trusted friend and a therapist. Yes, I said both. Because you're going to need both. Finding out your husband of a zillion years doesn't want you anymore is like the world's biggest failed job interview.

3) Do your best to remember that the "why"s don't matter. In fact, they may make it worse. And I promise you this: they do not fix the situation or allow you closure.

4) Do not ask your soon-to-be ex too much about why he or she is leaving in any vivid detail. An unruly imagination on top of your already broken heart is enough to deal with.

5) Avoid stalking him. I know, you share bank accounts and possibly an email account, but don't make it your goal in life to find out what he's doing. You can't unlearn that sort of thing no matter how hard you try.

6) Remember that you are not a failure. I don't know how low my self-esteem plummeted when the "D" word got brought up in my house, but I'll tell you that it was a very, VERY dark space and time for me.

7) Know that there is a world outside of divorce, I swear. It's a different one, for sure, but it's a world in which you can make your own decisions. There are upsides to divorce.

8) Don't freak out if your emotions range from frantic to rage to hysterical. This is normal. I had a "crying hour" from about 9-10 p.m. each night for months. This is okay.

9) Don't bother trying to "get him (or her) back." No matter how many frilly undergarments you buy, it's over. I'm sorry. I really am.

10) Above all else, remind yourself that you do NOT need to be with someone who doesn't want to be with you. That's the truth, not fiction.

What advice would you give to someone who is getting divorced... but doesn't want to?

More from The Stir:

7 Things You Should Consider Before Getting Back Together With Your Ex

10 Things Every Woman Going Through a Divorce Wants to Hear

Here's How Much a Divorce REALLY Costs

What NOT to Say to Your Spouse If You Want to Stay Married (VIDEO)

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Follow The Stir on Twitter: www.twitter.com/The_Stir

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-stir/10-tips-for-surviving-the_b_2767602.html

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Blackstone's Schwarzman's earnings flat in 2012; Apollo's Black gains

(Reuters) - The earnings of Blackstone Group LP head Stephen Schwarzman were flat in 2012 at more than $200 million, while Leon Black, the CEO at private equity rival Apollo Global Management LLC , closed in on him with a 73 percent rise in his earnings.

Black's 2012 earnings rose to $180.2 million, while Schwarzman's earnings were $213.3 million, according to separate regulatory filings by the two firms on Friday.

The two buyout kings saw a big rise in dividends from their stakes in the firms they founded. Schwarzman, however, received just $800,000 in 2012 from funds predating Blackstone's initial public offering in 2007, compared with the $74 million he received from these funds in 2011.

Private equity firms took advantage of buoyant equity and debt markets in 2012 to sell many of their investments, leading to bumper profits for their fund managers who receive performance fees in the form of so-called carried interest.

Schwarzman and Black, who are both billionaires, receive other income through their own investments in their funds, which is not disclosed. Schwarzman had a net worth of $5.2 billion as of September 2012, while Black had a net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.

KKR & Co LP's co-founders and chief executives, Henry Kravis and George Roberts, received about $137 million and $141 million, respectively, in executive compensation and cash dividends in 2012, up by more than 45 percent over what they received in 2011.

Most of Schwarzman's and Black's profits came from their ownership stakes in their firms. Schwarzman, who has a 21 percent stake in Blackstone, received $204.1 million, up from $134.5 million in 2011. Black, who holds a 24 percent in Apollo, received $179.9 million, up from $103.9 million.

Schwarzman, 66, received $8.4 million in compensation, which includes a $350,000 salary. Black, 61, received just $287,368, of which just $100,000 is salary. The rest includes carried interest the two men are entitled to as chief fund managers.

Blackstone had $210.2 billion of assets under management as of the end of last year, making it the world's largest alternative asset manager, while Apollo had $113.4 billion. KKR & Co LP had $75.5 billion, and Carlyle Group LP had $170 billion.

CO-FOUNDERS

Schwarzman co-founded Blackstone in 1985 with Peter Peterson and in 2002 brought in veteran investment banker Tony James as his right-hand man. Black founded Apollo in 1990 together with Joshua Harris and Marc Rowan.

James, 62, is Blackstone's president and chief operating officer. He got about $66 million from salary, bonus and holdings in the private equity firm in 2012. That compares with $52.6 million in 2011 and follows his $64.2 million sale of a small portion of his shares last month.

Black's partners Harris, 48, and Rowan, 50, who each own 15 percent of Apollo, took $114.5 million apiece for 2012 in dividends. They got $66.1 million each for 2011.

Apollo also said senior employees had committed about $1 billion of their own money into the private equity firm's funds from its inception through the end of last year.

The amount of distributions, including profits and return of capital, in 2011 from these investments was $88.5 million for Black, $26.2 million for Rowan and $33 million for Harris. However, Apollo does not disclose how much the actual profits from these investments were.

Black, Rowan and Harris, respectively, invested $15.6 million, $18.2 million and $4.2 million in Apollo's funds in 2011. But in 2012 they invested, respectively, only $46,868, $1.7 million and $97,631, Apollo said.

Blackstone does not disclose Schwarzman's and James's income from investments in Blackstone's funds.

Carlyle's founders, William Conway, Daniel D'Aniello and David Rubenstein, in 20122 received $134 million each in cash distributions and $3.8 million in executive compensation. Their 2012 earnings will be disclosed in a regulatory filing later this month.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackstones-schwarzmans-earnings-flat-2012-apollos-black-gains-043610356--sector.html

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Sequester Real Talk: The 3 Dumbest Things About This Truly Dumb Law (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/288392918?client_source=feed&format=rss

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New home for sporting youngsters in Stockcross - Newbury Today

Saturday, 02nd Mar 2013

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Reporter: Ellis Barker Newbury News Reporter

Email: ellis.barker@newburynews.co.uk
Contact: 01635 886639

PLANS for a new pavilion at Stockcross recreational ground have been submitted to West Berkshire Council.

If planning permission is granted, the current pavilion will be demolished and replaced with a new facility to include changing rooms and showers as well as a kitchen and club room which will be available for hire.

The recreation ground is home to AFC Newbury boys and girls football teams, and chairwoman of Speen Parish Council, Meg John, said the new facility will be welcomed.

She said: ?The past year has been an exciting time for the recreation ground in Stockcross.

?The children?s play area was improved, while the ground itself was granted Queen Elizabeth II Fields in Trust status as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

?In addition, through partnership working with AFC Newbury for whom Stockcross is their home ground, funding for a new sports pavilion has so far been secured from Sport England, The Greenham Common Trust and Fields in Trust.

?The recreation ground is an idyllic setting for many types of sporting activity including football, tennis and cricket and it is hoped that a pavilion will provide the basic accommodation needed to support such activities.?

The new pavilion will also improve facilities for Stockcross Tennis Club whose current centre has no electricity.

A new access road to the site from the existing car park, accessible from Ermin Street, will also be installed as well as an overspill car park for an additional ten vehicles, two of which will be disabled spaces.

More detailed plans will be drawn up once the extent to fundraising is confirmed.

A decision is expected from West Berkshire Council by April 5.

?

Don't forget to read the Newbury Weekly News ? Berkshire's largest?selling local newspaper ? out each Thursday morning.

This entry was posted in News. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/2013/new-home-for-sporting-youngsters-in-stockcross

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Give Your Real Estate Marketing Efforts a Boost

With the real estate market being as competitive as it is, savvy realtors know that they need to expand their efforts in every direction in order to capture leads. Enter the online world, an environment that has drastically changed the way real estate marketing is done.

Point2 has been at the forefront of online real estate marketing for more than 10 years now. Its flagship product Point2 Agent was launched in 2002 and was built to provide advanced marketing tools for real estate professionals. These tools include:

Real estate websites for agents

Agents can create websites for their business and even for each individual property, which are professionally designed and very easy to maintain. Additionally, these real estate websites are optimized in order to attract search engine traffic and traffic from mobile devices. The latter has increased steadily over the years, and it's projected to get to one third of the total paid traffic in the USA by the end of 2013. With the CPCs generally lower than on other devices, mobile traffic is still a great opportunity.

Listing Syndication

Listing syndication gives agents the opportunity to distribute and advertise their listings on over 60 of the most visited real estate marketplaces on the Internet. Agents have complete control over where the listings are sent. Additionally, listing syndication partners are being added on a regular basis.

Lead Management

Effective lead management can make all the difference in the real estate business. The Point2 Agent suite provides agents with tools that are effective at attracting leads and managing relationships through the sales cycle. Agents can customize what listings to show to prospective clients based on past behavior, setup email campaigns, generate leads with custom web forms and more.

Point2 Homes

Point2 Homes is a real estate listings portal that provides homes for sale and rent and a comprehensive data package. You can browse through millions of listings by using the powerful map search engine. Additionally, you can customize your search and filter by price range, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, property type, square footage and more. The data package offers comprehensive property reports that offer property overview, sales history, ownership information and much more.

Last but not least, Point2 offers IDX solutions that help agents capture more leads by displaying more listings. So go ahead and try the complete marketing toolkit offered by Point2. You will find it very valuable in your real estate marketing efforts.

Published: March 1, 2013

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Source: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20130301_remarketingefforts.htm

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