JelliJar – New Online Specialty Food Marketplace in Beta Release

JelliJar is pleased to announce that its online food marketplace is accessible to select food producers and customers. The full site will launch in the first week of January 2013.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
JelliJar is pleased to announce that its online food marketplace is accessible to select food producers and customers. The full site will launch in the first week of January 2013.
JelliJar is a marketplace where all types of food products can be discovered and purchased. The marketplace allows small producers that make products in small batches or have dedicated production facilities to be discovered by consumers with discerning tastes.
Small Food Producers, Chefs, Restaurants and Specialty Food Retailers can:

1. List their products, story, recipes, photos, videos, and contact details;

2. List retail locations where their products are sold (Shop Local);

3. Enable ecommerce transactions through PayPal;

4. Have customers subscribe to products;

5. Participate in Tasting Box subscriptions; and

6. Social Media Integration with Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter.
To learn more about JelliJar, please visit: http://www.jellijar.com
About JelliJar:
JelliJar is an online marketplace dedicated to providing food lovers with the ability to discover food that caters to their taste preferences. Its focus is on providing users with the ability to make informed choices when shopping for food for in the following categories: Gourmet and Artisan, Specialty Diets and International Cuisines.

Read More..

The sale of the NYSE and the death of stocks

T

o the general public, it's quite a "shocker," says David Weidner at MarketWatch. IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), an upstart derivatives exchange, based in Atlanta, is buying NYSE Euronext, the company that owns the iconic, 220-year-old New York Stock Exchange, in a deal worth more than $8 billion. To long-time market professionals, however, this merger merely confirms something they've known for quite some time. They've been witnessing the slow death of stocks — as the lord of the marketplace — for years, as new regulations and decimalization of trades once done using rounder fractions "effectively squeezed the margins — and the potential for graft — out of the system." Initial public offerings offered healthy profits, but even those have dried up recently, leaving the NYSE and other exchanges "searching the globe for a merger partner," hoping they could buy their way to growth. But the lucrative futures and options exchanges that seemed like natural buyers of the stock exchanges turned up their noses, asking, "Why would we need them?"

There was an exception. The newcomer to the derivatives party, the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) needed something to vault it into the conversation — even though it not only had profits, but market share and a valuation to rival any exchange in the world.

For all of its lackluster financial cosmetics, the NYSE is still the Big Board. It is the venue where the great corporations of the world are listed. The announced deal will have some opportunities for technology sharing and other efficiencies, but mostly its an $8.2 billion deal for a brand.

As if that weren't already humiliating enough for the Big Board, says Felix Salmon at Reuters, "stock trading is a complete afterthought in this deal" for ICE. "The real reason that ICE wants the company is Liffe, NYSE Euronext's London-based financial derivatives subsidiary." Derivatives exchanges, you see, are few. They compete only with each other, so they make money hand over fist. "There are lots of stock exchanges," so they compete fiercely with each other, "and none of them make much money."

You can almost hear ICE CEO Jeffrey Sprecher rolling his eyes and wondering why on earth he needs to hang on to what at this point is little more than a heavily-guarded tourist attraction... [But] it's actually a good thing that stock trading has become a low-margin, low-value business: that's what's meant to happen when you have lots of competition. Think of it as one of the few areas of the financial-services sector where capitalism works as advertised. 

This deal, once unthinkable, really does underscore "what a dog the stock trading business has become," say Zachary M. Seward and Matt Phillips at Quartz. There's just no denying it. But if all this gloom is driving down the value of stocks in everybody's eyes, maybe equities markets will soon be so undervalued that they'll bounce back.

If we were contrarians, all of this Death of Equities talk — reminiscent of the 1979 Businessweek cover that nearly nailed the bottom of the markets before surges of the 1980s and 1990s — might get us a little more interested in the markets.

Read More..

Koomkin.com the new b2b marketplace that connects companies throughout all the Americas

Looking to the global trends, American companies will have to look more and more south of the border for qualified suppliers. Koomkin is already helping companies do that: Enrique Suarez Romo co-founder of the Mexican portal.

Mexico City (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
Ancient Mayans are not just responsible of writing prophecies about the end of the world while drinking hot chocolate; actually they were very good scientists and traders. Honoring this legacy, a group of Mexican entrepreneurs took a Mayan word, Koomkin (that means “to shorten”) to name their new online marketplace. This name was taken in order to bring together a group of new online tools for companies with the purpose of giving all registered firms better web visibility, increase competitiveness and create more business opportunities.
In Mexico, the number of Internet users has been significantly increasing every year, however, many Mexican companies are still reluctant to use the Web to promote their products or services and do business. “We want to provide them with an economic and efficient tool so they can easily show their offer to the world. It is time for Mexican and other Latin American companies to make the most of being now more competitive and cheaper related to their competitors in Asian markets”.
The portal creates an own web page with contact information, chat and pictures for those companies that register for free, as well as a program to make online quotations.
Companies that register through paid memberships can enjoy some services that provides them with competitive advantages: statistics in real time, online marketing campaigns in order to facilitate companies to be identified by search engines, and also the possibility of obtaining a quality certificate with Applus, a business group of certifiers present in more than 40 countries.
The certification gives confidence not only to the companies that offer their products and services in the Koomkin platform, but also to those who are looking for qualified suppliers, increasing exportation and competitiveness.
“We estimate we will be able to have near 37 thousand registered companies basically in Mexico and gradually in the United States (through an alliance with Free Trade Alliance, a San Antonio based organization with a renowned expertise in global trade), Spain and Latin America-, among those around 500 will have a paid membership” Enrique Suarez Romo, co-founder of the Mexican platform that started operating in September, explained. Besides Suarez, the founders of Koomkin are Pablo Garcia (who conceived the idea of the platform), Santiago Miranda and Daniel Alvarez.
Finally the co-founders of Koomkin reported that the companies that dedicate time and resources to digital media get one cost quotation per week, while by being registered at Koomkin they can get up to 300% more than they could get by their own means.

Read More..

Fox Web Creations Presents the New World Trade Center Kansas City Website

Web Design in Kansas City is a little more global today with the release of the World Trade Center Kansas City Website, chock-full of great information for international businesses.

(PRWEB) December 20, 2012
Fox Web Creations and The World Trade Center Kansas City have launched a new website - http://www.wtc-kc.com/. Designed for companies already doing business globally, as well as those considering entering the global marketplace, the site boasts resources on everything from the paperwork involved in international business to options for visiting the countries in question.
With experience and operations in Switzerland, Morocco, and France already under their belt, the Kansas City based Web Design firm Fox Web Creations was an excellent partner for this project. CEO and Lead Developer ElAmri "Red" Rida has a personal understanding of the importance of international business and worked closely with the WTC-KC staff to develop the new site. “We wanted the site to be easy to navigate, interactive and helpful to the business community. We also wanted to make sure that the staff of the WTC would be able to easily manage the content themselves, allowing them more freedom to make decisions about their content." Fox Web Creations focuses on web design in Kansas City, and on assisting small and large businesses with their internet marketing and development needs.
“The new site offers everything from help with export documentation and lead generation, to trade data, visits and education,” says Mehgan Flynn, Director of the WTC-KC. “We’re also part of the largest trade network in the world – you’ll find World Trade Centers in 330 cities and 100 countries around the planet. The new website ties into our mission to connect the KC region to the people, data, companies and government agencies that make up the fabric of global commerce.”
Some of the New Website features include:

    A comprehensive calendar of international events in the local community, including:
--    International market briefings

--     International business workshops

--     Intercultural sensitivity workshops

--     Group Trade missions

    ECertify – an easy, online app for Certificates of Origin
    SphereAccess – lead generation for buyers and suppliers.
As a member of the World Trade Center Association (WTCA), WTC-KC can also offer additional resources and services to support the business community in reaching out to international markets. The services include:

    Global market research
    Trade lead identification
    Global trade intelligence
    Intercultural communication training
    International liaison programs
    Discounted access to SphereAccess - a retail buyers and suppliers matchmaking system.
“Now that the new site is launched, we’re gearing up for a new year of WTC-KC programs and services,” says Flynn. “We’ll continue our popular ‘Doing Business In…” programs featuring various countries – China, for one. And, based on a survey of our members, will be offering a series of cultural sensitivity sessions starting this April. We’re also working with the state of Missouri on an intense, three-month export training program for local businesses. So the new year looks pretty full!”
The World Trade Center Kansas City is a partnership of the Greater Kansas City Chamber, the Kansas City Area Development Council, and KCSmartport. Fox Web Creations is a full service Kansas City Web Design, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO/M), and Responsive Web Design (RWD) firm, located at 4345 State Line Road, in Kansas City, MO 64111. They are dedicated to assisting all businesses, regardless of size, with their web design and development needs.

Read More..

Top Realtor in Gainesville VA, Linton Hall Realtors, Launches Interactive Web Experience

A top performing realtor in Gainesville, VA - Linton Hall Realtors - is pleased to announce the launch of an interactive live chat system to aid their website visitors, who are looking to buy or sell homes in the Gainesville, VA area. The addition of the interactive service will allow for expanded real estate client service in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Gainesville, VA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
Linton Hall Realtors, one of the highest producing realtors in Gainesville, VA, is pleased to announce the launch of an interactive system to allow real time communications with website visitors. The system will be used to help prospective home buyers search the Gainesville, VA home listings on Linton Hall Realtor's company website. By offering a live chat solution, Linton Hall Realtors expects to help sellers get information they need about listing a home, aid home buyers in finding the right home in the right area, and lead to greater levels of client satisfaction.
Finding homes for sale in Gainesville, VA can be a daunting task. From the Piedmont community in the north down the entire length of Linton Hall Road neighborhoods and communities are springing up. Even as new developments are emerging, some of the older areas are now 15 years old or more. This makes for an area where many families are upgrading and moving within the same community. This is when sellers frequently begin looking for a local agent representative.
Listing a home includes many dynamics. Listing price, marketing the home, and even staging and curb appeal are all important considerations. By implementing the live chat system on the website, people selling their home in Gainesville, VA will be able to interact with a real estate professional right at the moment they begin looking for information. "By providing this type of real time information, we can make the home selling process much easier," said Ashley Leigh, founder of Linton Hall Realtors. "The live chat feature allows us to get critical information to home sellers quickly and easily," he added. Indeed, with programs like the Guaranteed Sale Program, the Move Up to Savings program and even specialized help with short sales, there is a huge quantity of information.
Although there is so much to learn and investigate when selling your home, most sellers conduct extensive research when they are planning to buy new home. Searching for new homes in Gainesville VA is often the more exciting part of the process. That's another reason why Linton Hall Realtors implemented the live chat website feature. "The first thing a buyer/seller does is start searching for their new house. By providing them information when they first begin their search, we can make the entire process work better and smoother," Leigh said. Questions about are schools, planned expansion; home builders and community amenities are all popular questions.
When a user comes to LintonHallRealtors.com, they typically start browsing for a new home and then examining all the program information available to sellers. This process usually continues for weeks or months. When an agent is right there, available for quick questions or even more detailed phone consultations, the home buyer/seller gets exactly the information he or she needs, right at the moment in time it is needed. This leads to an overall improved client experience. "By providing excellent information with real-time technology, we can begin our work with them much earlier in the sales cycle and create a better overall client experience," said Leigh.

Read More..

Internet regulation seen at national level as treaty talks fail

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The world's major Internet companies, backed by U.S. policymakers, got much of what they wanted last week when many nations refused to sign a global telecommunications treaty that opponents feared could lead to greater government control over online content and communications.
In rejecting even mild Internet language in the updated International Telecommunications Union treaty and persuading dozens of other countries to refuse their signatures, the U.S. made a powerful statement in support of the open Internet, U.S. officials and industry leaders said.
But both technologists and politicians fear the Internet remains in imminent danger of new controls imposed by various countries, and some said the rift that only widened during the 12-day ITU conference in Dubai could wind up hastening the end of the Net as we know it.
"If the international community can't agree on what is actually quite a simple text on telecommunications, then there is a risk that the consensus that has mostly held today around Internet governance within (Web-address overseer) ICANN and the multi-stakeholder model just falls apart over time," a European delegate told Reuters. "Some countries clearly think it is time to rethink that whole system, and the fights over that could prove irresolvable."
An increasing number of nations are alarmed about Internet-based warfare, international cybercrime or internal dissidents' use of so-called "over-the-top" services such as Twitter and Facebook that are outside the control of domestic telecom authorities. Many hoped that the ITU would prove the right forum to set standards or at least exchange views on how to handle their problems.
But the United States' refusal to sign the treaty even after all mention of the Internet had been relegated to a side resolution may have convinced other countries that they have to go it alone, delegates said.
"This could lead to a balkanization of the Internet, because each country will have its own view on how to deal with over-the-top players and will regulate the Internet in a different way," said another European delegate, who would speak only on condition anonymity.
Without U.S. and European cooperation, "maybe in the future we could come to a fragmented Internet," said Andrey Mukhanov, international chief at Russia's Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications.
HARD LINE IN NEGOTIATIONS
Spurred on by search giant Google and others, the Americans took a hard line against an alliance of countries that wanted the right to know more about the routing of Internet traffic or identities of Web users, including Russia, and developing countries that wanted content providers to pay at least some of the costs of transmission.
The West was able to rally more countries against the ITU having any Internet role than agency officials had expected, leaving just 89 of 144 attending nations willing to sign the treaty immediately. They also endorse a nonbinding resolution that the ITU should play a future role guiding Internet standards, along with private industry and national governments.
Some delegates charged that the Americans had planned on rejecting any treaty and so were negotiating under false pretenses. "The U.S. had a plan to try and water down as much of the treaty as it could and then not sign," the second European said.
Other allied delegates and a U.S. spokesman hotly disputed the claim. "The U.S. was consistent and unwavering in its positions," he said. "In the end—and only in the end—was it apparent that the proposed treaty would not meet that standard."
But the suspicion underscores the unease greeting the United States on the issue. Some in Russia, China and other nations suspect the U.S. of using the Net to sow discontent and launch spying and military attacks.
Ror many technology companies, and for activists who are helping dissidents, the worst-case scenario now would be a split in the structural underpinnings of the Internet. In theory, the electronic packets that make up an email or Web session could be intercepted and monitored near their origin, or traffic could be subjected to massive firewalls along national boundaries, as is the case in China.
Most technologists view the former scenario as unlikely, at least for many years: the existing Internet protocol is too deeply entrenched, said Milton Mueller, a Syracuse University professor who studies Net governance.
"People who want to `secede' from that global connectivity will have to introduce costly technical exceptions to do so," Mueller said.
A more immediate prospect is stricter national regulations requiring Internet service providers and others to help monitor, report and censor content, a trend that has already accelerated since the Arab Spring revolts.
Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet Society, also predicted more fragmentation at the application level, with countries like China encouraging controllable homegrown alternatives to the likes of Facebook and Twitter.
Zittrain, Mueller and other experts said fans of the open Net have much work to do in Dubai's wake.
They say government and industry officials should not only preach the merits of the existing system, in which various industry-led non-profit organizations organize the core Internet protocols and procedures, but strive to articulate a better way forward.
"The position we're in now isn't tenable," said James Lewis, a cybersecurity advisor to the White House based at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "For us to say 'No, it's got be an ad hoc arrangement of non-governmental entities and a nonprofit corporation ... maybe we could get away with that 10 years ago, but it's going to be increasingly hard."
Lewis said the United States needed to concede a greater role for national sovereignty and the U.N., while Mueller said the goal should be a "more globalized, transnational notion of communications governance" that will take decades to achieve.
In the meantime, activists concerned about new regulation can assist by spreading virtual private network technology, which can national controls, Zittrain said.
Backup hosting and distribution could also be key, he said. "We can devise systems for keeping content up amidst filtering or denial-of-service attacks, so that a platform like Twitter can be a genuine choice for someone in China."

Read More..

Israel sees new US poise, including military, to curb Iran

ERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S.-led efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program have resumed since President Barack Obama's re-election and include preparation for possible military action, a senior Israeli official said on Tuesday.
The remarks by Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon suggested cautious optimism at prospects for an international resolution to the decade-old standoff with Tehran, though Israel says it remains ready to attack its arch-foe alone as a last resort.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set out a mid-2013 "red line" for tackling Iran's uranium enrichment project. The West says this program is aimed at developing the means to build atomic bombs. Tehran denies this, saying it is enriching uranium solely for peaceful civilian uses.
Yaalon told Army Radio on Tuesday that Israel knew there would be no movement on the issue before the U.S. election in November, but had expected a renewed effort after the vote.
"And indeed it has been renewed," he said.
He cited contacts among the six world powers - the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain and Germany - and Iran about holding new nuclear negotiations, ongoing sanctions against Iran, "and preparations, mainly American for now, for the possibility that military force will have to be used".
Yaalon did not elaborate. Another Israeli official told Reuters the minister was alluding mainly to recent U.S. military mobilization in the Gulf.
The powers said last week they hoped soon to agree with Iran soon on when and where to meet. There have been suggestions it could happen this month, though January now seems more likely.
But, sounding defiant, Iran's top nuclear official was on Tuesday quoted as saying there would be no halt to uranium enrichment to 20 percent fissile purity - an advanced threshold alarming foreign negotiators.
ZONE OF IMMUNITY
A former armed forces chief who belongs to Netanyahu's rightist Likud party, Yaalon questioned Obama's resolve on Iran during the Democratic president's first term. By contrast, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, the lone centrist in Netanyahu's coalition government, argued in Obama's favor.
Yaalon is a frontrunner to succeed Barak, who has announced he will retire from politics after Israel's January 22 election.
On Monday, Barak reiterated Israel's determination to deny Iran the capability to make a bomb. Israel, widely assumed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, sees a nuclear-armed Iran as a mortal threat.
The prospect of unilateral Israeli air strikes, and ensuing retaliation by Iran, a big oil exporter, and its Islamist guerrilla allies in Lebanon and Gaza, worries world powers, in part because it could destabilize a fragile global economy.
Speaking to Jewish leaders in New York, Barak acknowledged the limitations of Israeli forces against Iran's distant, dispersed and well-defended nuclear facilities.
"The Iranians are deliberately trying to create a level of redundancy and protection for their program, what we call the ‘zone of immunity'. Once they enter the zone of immunity, fate will be out of our hands," Barak said.
"The state of Israel was founded precisely so that our fate would remain in our own hands."
Barak's term "redundancy" refers to Israel's belief that Iran seeks to stockpile raw uranium and enrichment centrifuges on a scale that would allow it to restore independent nuclear capacity should its known facilities be attacked.
Iran's nuclear infrastructure has been dogged by sabotage, including cyberwarfare. Iran's Ministry of Communications and Technology Information said on Sunday it had identified a "new, targeted data-wiping malware". The ministry's statement did not say what computer systems might have been affected.
While Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility for such incidents, Yaalon said there could be more in store, in parallel to global economic pressure.
"Sometimes malfunctions happen there - worms, viruses, explosions. Therefore this schedule is not necessarily chronological. It is more technological," he told Army Radio.
"We are, without a doubt, closely tracking developments in the program there, lest they attempt to pass the red line."

Read More..

Three burning questions loom as RIM gets ready to report

Some people say that the November quarter that Research In Motion (RIMM) will report this week is not important. They are wrong. Even though the new BlackBerry model range debuting in 2013 is the key for RIM’s long-term survival, there are three issues that are vitally important for the company right now. RIM must keep certain aspects of its performance from caving in before the new phones begin trickling to the market early next year, and here are three things to watch for as RIM reports its fiscal third-quarter results on Thursday.
[More from BGR: How to turn an old Kindle Fire into a Nexus 7 with Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean [video]]
Global subscriber base. RIM surprised the market when it reported its summer quarter by showing continuing global subscriber growth despite its U.S. collapse and European trouble. Blackberry’s growth has continued in Africa, Middle Wast and South-East Asia, giving RIM surprising longevity considering its share of new smartphone sales in America may have caved below 3% by now. However, a recent Kantar Worldpanel study showed that in the three months ending in October, BlackBerry market share slipped badly in markets like Brazil and Spain. Until last summer, RIM had maintained a decent grip on Latin America and Mediterranean countries via its cheap Curve devices. They may have finally started eroding even in those countries where BlackBerry had retained some vigor as a low-end youth brand. After its surprisingly robust 80 million subscriber base number from the summer quarter, RIM can afford to show a bit of erosion in November and February quarters. But steep drops would be deeply worrisome — RIM may not get aggressively priced low-end models based on the new OS out before next summer or even autumn.
ASP level. RIM has experienced steep average sales price decline over the past year. Nevertheless, another major plunge is still possible. In the UK market, BlackBerry Christmas promotions are almost entirely built around the cheap Curve 932o — and its price as a pre-paid model has plunged to unprecedented 99 pounds. This is exceptionally low for a model that debuted just last spring. European operators have effectively abandoned RIM’s more expensive business-focused models like the Bold. BlackBerry phones are now being marketed as some of the cheapest smartphones anyone can buy. How deep will this cut into RIM’s ASPs? If the plunge is bad enough, reversing the damage with new high-end models next summer may be extremely difficult. The core customer base for RIM’s high-end devices was built on the U.S. and the UK markets, but RIM has wiped out in America nearly completely and the UK carriers have switched to marketing BlackBerry handsets as bargain bin specials on par with Huawei or ZTE models. If BlackBerry ASP level dives too low during November and February quarters, undoing the damage will be a herculean task.
BlackBerry Messenger popularity. Business News reported last January that BlackBerry Messenger was growing at 140% pace in Nigeria, one of the key African mobile phone markets. BBM’s user base growth last winter was also torrid in South Africa. However, stand-alone messaging apps like WhatsApp and 2go have delivered scorching growth in Africa and Asia during 2012. 2go has soared ahead of Blackberry Messenger in popularity in Nigeria and is spreading rapidly in South Africa. WhatsApp became a top-three iPhone app in more than 100 countries last winter and offers cross-platform support that is a big draw in the South-East Asian markets that remain RIM’s lifeline: Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Globally, WhatsApp has grown from relaying 1 billion daily messages in the fall of 2011 to 10 billion by fall 2012. By now, that rampant growth may have started encroaching on BBM popularity. RIM does not report on Messenger user numbers every quarter, so visibility on this front could remain limited in coming months. But any erosion in the Messenger user base is likely to have an impact on RIM’s overall subscriber base.

Read More..

New Android botnet discovered across all major networks

A new Android spam botnet has been discovered across all major networks that sends thousands of text messages without a user’s permission, TheNextWeb reported. The threat, which is known at SpamSoldier, was detected on December 3rd by Lookout Security in cooperation with an unnamed carrier partner. The malware is said to spread through a collection of infected phones that send text messages, which usually advertise free versions of popular paid games like Grand Theft Auto and Angry Birds Space, to hundreds of users each day.
[More from BGR: Facebook’s Instagram monetization plan: License users’ photos without paying for them]
Once a user clicks on the link to download the game, his or her phone instead downloads the malicious app. When the app is downloaded, SpamSoilder removes its icon from the app drawer, installs a free version of the game in question and immediately starts sending spam messages.
[More from BGR: How not to fix Apple Maps]
The security firm notes that the threat isn’t widespread, however it has been spotted on all major carriers in the U.S. and has potential to do serious damage if something isn’t done soon to stop it.

Read More..

Samsung Galaxy Note III with 6.3-inch display rumored for 2013 launch

Ridiculous sizes aside, oversized smartphones (“phablets”) that border on tablet territory are here to stay. By next year, the crop of smartphones with 5-inch displays will seem tiny compared to phablets with 6-inch+ screens. According to The Korea Times, Samsung (005930) is reportedly planning to launch the Galaxy Note III with a 6.3-inch OLED display in 2013. By comparison, the current Galaxy Note II has 5.5-inch display. Huawei also (002502) confirmed last week it will release a Galaxy Note II competitor with a 6.1-inch screen. Having pioneered the “phablet” category, Samsung might see no problem with consumers adjusting to even bigger smartphones.
It sounds silly to imagine people carrying smartphones with 6-inch displays, but then again, many people thought “phablets” would be rejected by consumers for their large proportions.
One reason for the shift to even larger displays could be to widen the gap in resolution. In October, a screen expert said that smartphones with 1080p resolution aren’t visibly better than ones with 720p resolution due to their small size. With larger displays, the difference between Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 5 and say, the Galaxy Note III, could become more noticeable.
But where there are upsides to a larger display, there are also downsides. To power a 6.3-inch display, Samsung would have to include a significantly larger battery, especially since it would also support LTE. An even larger Galaxy Note would also mean holding the device with one hand will be more difficult for most people.
With tradeoffs like those, it seems unlikely a 6.3-inch display will appear on the Galaxy Note III unless Samsung can manage an edgeless layout that keeps the phone’s overall footprint roughly the same.

Read More..

Cost of Platt & Truant's Unicorn Western Download on Amazon: Nothing

A new Kindle title that smashes traditional genre boundaries is available to download at no cost on Amazon from Midnight tonight. Unicorn Western, usual price $2.99, will be available at no cost all day on December 26.

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
A new Kindle title that smashes traditional genre boundaries is available to download free on Amazon from Midnight tonight. Unicorn Western, usual price $2.99, will be available free all day on December 26.
The novella, by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant, can be downloaded to read on a Kindle, web browser, or Amazon's Kindle app.
"We know that top of pretty much everyone's Christmas wish list this year was the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Fire HD," said Platt.
"Johnny and I decided to give Unicorn Western for free the day after Christmas as our little Christmas gift to our fans and to new Kindle owners. What better way to give your new touchscreen tablet a whirl than by trying out a brand new genre?"
Part traditional western, and part whimsical fantasy, Unicorn Western is set in a dying world of sand and magic. It tells the story of gun-slinging, unicorn-riding cowboy Clint Gulliver, who together with his trusty unicorn Edward, must make his way through the uncrossable Sands to save the fading Kingdom of the Realm.
"In some ways, the story is surreal, crazy and experimental," Johnny B. Truant said. "Cowboys don't usually ride unicorns, and their guns don't smoke with a pink vapor.
"But at the same time, we've spun a yarn that aims to grip readers' eyeballs and make them break into fits of giggles for the very first page. We're storytellers at heart. We just can't help it. The only thing Sean and I love more than reading a ripping yarn is writing one."
The idea for Unicorn Western was conceived inadvertently by Sean Platt's usual writing partner, David Wright.
When Platt told Wright he planned to write a western without doing any research, Wright replied that he couldn't wait to see it.
"It will probably have freaking unicorns in it," Wright added.
Platt accepted the implicit challenge, and decided to write a Western with unicorn-riding cowboys, inviting Truant to co-author the new genre.
"I can't believe they actually did it," Wright said. "What were they thinking?"
Sean Platt's previous books include the post-apocalyptic serial thrillers Yesterday's Gone, published by indie imprint Collective Inkwell and Z 2134, published by Amazon's horror imprint, 47North. Platt co-write both of these serials with David Wright.
Johnny B. Truant's self-published credentials, meanwhile, include The Bialy Pimps and Fat Vampire.
Both Platt and Truant set the bar high with their fiction, averaging over four stars out of five on every full-length fiction title they've written. Together with David Wright, they host the Self Publishing Podcast and the Better Off Undead podcast.

Read More..

Shaftesbury Hotels Brings Exclusive Offers for the Guests During Christmas

The hotels of Shaftesbury chains are known for their finesse, comfort and class. During the festive season, the hotel brings a wide range of attractive packaged deals in order to offer the guests with longer stays.

(PRWEB UK) 25 December 2012
Throughout the year, the hotel offers various deals and discount packages to attract travellers of various budgetary backgrounds. However, the festive season is special and for this reason, the guests coming to this hotel are going to get some special treatments.
For a longer stay in the Shaftesbury hotel chains during the festive seasons, the guests are going to get a range of special offers. Take a look here.

Read More..

New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer David Perecman Weighs in on Physician’s Affair with Patient

New York medical malpractice lawyer David Perecman discusses sexual relationships between patients and their doctors, and deserved repercussions, following a ruling from the NY State Court of Appeals. The court said it was medical malpractice for a family doctor to have an affair with his patent, who he was treating for depression and anxiety. The doctor was ordered to pay the patient almost $400,000 in damages.

New York, New York (PRWEB) December 25, 2012

The NY State Court of Appeals ruled it was medical malpractice for a Long Island family doctor to have an affair with a patient after she went to him with anxiety and depression. The court said that the sexual relationship interfered with the treatment so as to constitute medical malpractice, reportedThe Wall Street Journal. The medical community has long considered that a doctor’s affair with a patient amounts to an ethical violation. Such behavior has typically not been classified as malpractice until now, said New York medical malpractice lawyer David Perecman.

The married model at the center of the lawsuit said her nine-month affair with the doctor 'destroyed her life', reported The Wall Street Journal. After Kristin Kahkonen Dupree told her husband about the affair, he had filed for divorce.

The doctor, James Giugliano, was ordered to pay Dupree almost $400,000 in damages, reported the WSJ.

The court had considered the argument that Dupree’s romantic feelings resulted from "eroticized transference," from the patient shifting emotions toward Giugliano, her therapist, said the WSJ. Giugliano's lawyer had countered that the affair was consensual and unrelated to treatment.

“Sexual relations between patients and doctors who are actively treating them are not previously unheard of ethical dilemmas. What has changed is the possible repercussions of such behavior,” said Perecman.

“Whether the affair was consensual or not, there should be consequences for the doctor. It is entirely wrong for a medical professional to be sexually involved with one of his or her current patients,” he added.

The case is Kristin Kahkonen Dupree v. James E. Giugliano, No. 204 (N.Y. 2012) - New York Court of Appeals.

Lawyers at The Perecman Firm can provide knowledgeable, aggressive representation for victims of medical malpractice in New York. Contact The Perecman Firm at 212-977-7033.

About David Perecman and The Perecman Firm, PLLC:

For the past 30 years, the New York construction accident, medical malpractice, auto accident, and civil rights violation lawyers at The Perecman Firm, PLLC have handled all types of New York medical malpractice cases. David Perecman, founder of the Firm, has been recognized for his achievements as an Honoree in the National Law Journal's Hall of Fame, in New York Magazine's "The Best Lawyers in America" and The New York Times Magazine "New York Super Lawyers, Metro Edition" for the years 2007-2010. The prestigious U.S. News & World Report ranks The Perecman Firm among the top 20 personal injury firms in New York City for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

The Firm has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. Among the more recent victories, Mr. Perecman won a $15 million verdict** for a construction accident (Index 112370/03) Supreme Court, New York County, a $5.35 million dollar verdict*** for an automobile accident (Index 2749/04) Supreme Court, Kings County, and a $40 million dollar structured settlement for medical malpractice (Index 2146/03)****Supreme Court, Kings County.

The Perecman Firm serves Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, Upstate NY, Morris County, and Rockland County.

Read More..

Fine Treatment Reviews Customer Christmas Enquiries about Thermobalancing Therapy for Kidney Stones, BPH & Heart Disease with Improved Blood Circulation, and Self-Healing

Several Christmas enquiries regarding the efficacy of the Thermobalancing therapy have referred to faith and its role in self-healing. While recognizing the importance of positive thinking, Fine Treatment highlights that scientifically self-healing can be achieved with improved blood circulation treating chronic conditions, such as coronary heart disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and kidney stones.

London, UK (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
This Christmas time Fine Treatment has received a number of customer enquiries concerning the power of faith and self-healing. A quote from The Bible says, “He healed everybody who came to Him” (Acts 10:38, Matthew, Luke 6:19). So it has been highlighted that the belief in Jesus would bring self-healing.
Interestingly, “the blood is a powerful, freeing, and protecting provision from God”, says the AllAboutGOD.com website. Scientific research shows that blood is an important healing factor, and the improved blood circulation in and around an impaired organ of the body facilitates its healing. So Fine Treatment recommends the Thermobalancing therapy for the treatment of common chronic conditions. It improves the blood flow locally in the affected organ, which can be the heart, kidneys, prostate or others.
An article in the Great Bible Study on ‘Is it God's will to heal you?’ explores: “Why is it so important to know that it's God's will to heal us? Because when we approach God for something, we are told to have faith and believe that we will receive what we are asking, and we will receive it.”
While staying positive – believing in a positive outcome – is an important healing factor, it may not be enough. The natural Thermobalancing therapy has its roots in scientific research on the functioning of capillaries, i.e. small blood vessels present everywhere in the body. The therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of impairments with improved blood circulation at the capillary level.
Contrary to the natural and harmless treatment with the Thermobalancing Therapy and the enabling it Dr. Allen’s Devices, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for kidney stones removal, and surgeries for BPH or heart, are risky as complications and additional health problems can follow.
Commenting on its efficacy, Dr. Allen’s Device for Prostate Care helps to reduce the size of the prostate naturally. Dr. Allen’s therapeutic device works 24 hours a day and creates an ideal environment for blood to pass through capillaries in the affected prostate tissue. The improved blood flow cleanses the prostate and over time allows the body to repair itself through its own restorative mechanisms. Please watch a short informative video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5xidswhxJM.
Also, the Thermobalancing therapy is the safest way to pass a kidney stone. And it helps to save money by avoiding harmful ESWL and surgeries. The costs of ESWL in the USA, according to the New Choice Health, Medical Costs Comparison, vary tremendously from, $13.700 to $29.000. Moreover, shock waves cannot be used for large kidney stones and cannot prevent a recurrence of kidney stones.
Dr. Allen’s device for heart treatment starts to work straightaway, and the users experience its benefits from day one of wearing it. Dr. Mohamed S. Awad, Medical Doctor, Tanta University Hospitals, Egypt explains, “The new Thermobalancing Therapy by Dr. Allen increases the blood flow inside the heart tissue and in the coronary arteries, thus improving the condition of heart muscle. Dr. Allen’s device is considered effective at every phase of heart diseases and can relieve chest pain and other symptoms associated with myocardial infarction or angina pectoris.”
“The improvement of blood flow in an affected area is the most effective and safe treatment approach, particularly for internal chronic diseases such as BPH, kidney stones and coronary heart disease,” says Dr. Simon Allen. “Dr. Allen’s therapeutic device is the best health-giving gift for Christmas and the New Year.”
For details, visit Fine Treatment at http://finetreatment.com/bph-treatment-prostate-enlargement.
About Dr. Simon Allen and Fine Treatment:

Dr. Simon Allen is a highly experienced medical professional. His specialty is in the internal medicine and cardio-vascular field. He has treated a wide range of chronic diseases, including patients after a heart attack, with kidneys problems, including kidney stones disease, prostate and spine conditions, as well as metabolic disorders. Fine Treatment exclusively offers Dr. Allen’s devices for chronic prostatitis and BPH treatment, coronary heart disease, dissolving kidney stones, as well as back pain and sciatica relief.

Read More..

CourtRecord.com Offers New Conviction Reviews for All U.S. Residents

The new CourtRecord.com offers conviction reviews for all U.S. states when running a court record search or background check.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
CourtRecord.com, a leading force in the court record search industry, now provides new conviction reviews for all names searched on the site. Enter in a full name and find out the criminal and arrest records of anyone in the United States.
Whether businesses need to run a background check or parents are wondering about a child care provider, it is recommended that a court record search be done to make sure that person is not a criminal. From arrest records to warrant statuses, a court record can show it all.
CourtRecord.com offers information on arrests, convictions, sex offender status, probation felonies, revoked licenses and more. Gain peace of mind or really get to know who a person is with a court records search.
The website offers a real name searching service that reviews a nationwide database to find any legal information or other public records relating to a person. The CourtRecord.com database grows daily by the thousands with names and records from all 50 states.
CourtRecord.com is your best choice for a court records search online. With hundreds of satisfied customers reviewed daily, there’s no reason why a court record search has to take long or be expensive with this website.
About CourtRecord.com

As a powerful resource at your fingertips, CourtRecord.com is a top choice on the Internet for court records search. With a nationwide court record system, CourtRecord.com can turn up thousands of records across North America in minutes. Contact customer service through email at josh(at)courtrecord.com or by calling 1-866-434-4253.

Read More..

Showrooming little threat to clothiers in ho-hum holidays

 In retail, showrooming has not hit shirts yet.
Showrooming, the retail term for shoppers who try a product, then buy it cheaper on Amazon.com or other websites, has driven retailers to the point of hiding barcodes, improving their own websites and coming up with methods to get people to complete their purchase in the store.
But brand-name clothing retailers have an advantage over companies that sell items you can buy anywhere, like televisions and home goods.
"Specialty apparel retailers are some of the least affected by showrooming since the more exclusive the product is, the harder it is to showroom," said Joel Bines, managing director of the retail practice at advisory firm AlixPartners.
That, in turn, has helped retailers like Gap Inc and Lululemon Athletica Inc find favor with investors.
A survey of 2,010 adults conducted by AlixPartners showed consumers who shop for apparel were among the least likely (35 percent) to go to other websites after they liked an item at a store, compared with 42 percent of electronics shoppers and 41 percent of those looking for accessories like watches and jewelry.
"If you look at some of the most successful (clothes) companies in the past few years, they are those that have that moat around them," said hedge fund manager Shawn Kravetz, who runs Esplanade Capital in Boston.
He cites yogawear maker Lululemon and Gap as good examples of how it can help to have clothes that are not sold elsewhere.
If a shopper wants to buy a Banana Republic or Nordstrom shirt from the latest season, they have to buy it either from their stores or online shop.
Discount retailers like Zappos, Amazon and others stock brand-name products, but the merchandise is often not from the current season or limited in colors and sizes.
"I don't need to see if a television fits my body shape when I buy a TV," said Joe Megibow, senior vice president of omni-channel e-commerce at American Eagle Outfitters. The teen clothes retailer has seen better sales than its peers over the past year.
"I can get a sense of the TV and I'm good. Clothing is different. Does it fit me, is it my style, do I like the quality of the material and how it is put together. There's so much more with apparel that matters," he said.
That is the part of the reason, analysts say, why online-only clothing companies like Bonobos and Gap's Piperlime have started opening brick-and-mortar stores or tied up with retailers to sell their products in physical locations.
Choice and easy availability are the two most important aspects of shopping, especially during a holiday season that has lost steam after what looked like strong Thanksgiving sales.
Estelle Tran, an "impulsive" shopper in her twenties, agreed.
"If I want to buy books, tech items, DVDs, I would definitely buy online. For clothes, I would rather (visit stores) as it is also a fun experience to try on clothes," said the Chicago-based finance auditor.
Tran said she would definitely check prices online if she was spending more than $100.
Luxury and high-priced items can be more susceptible to showrooming, because pricing is what drives the behavior, said Marshal Cohen, chief economist at the consultancy NPD Group.
"With electronics and certain consumer goods it is very easy to compare specific brands across multiple websites. But (showrooming is) happening and it will be growing. If a (clothes) retailer isn't taking it seriously, they are going to fall behind," said Bolette Andersen, principal in KPMG's retail industry practice.
ROOM TO GROW
Some investors are betting on apparel stocks because of their relative insulation from the threat of showrooming.
While the S&P Apparel Index has returned a sizzling 27.71 percent year to date, according to Reuters data, far outperforming the S&P 500, which is up 14.80 percent, more gains may be coming.
"We still think there's plenty of room to grow," said Brian Peery, co-portfolio manager at Hennessy Funds. Its growth fund, heavily weighted in apparel and consumer discretionary goods shares, is up 30 percent over the year.
"As we look into the sector 12-18 months, we continue to buy the discretionary area. Two of our heaviest investments would be Foot Locker Inc and TJX Companies Inc," he said.
Discount chains like TJX and Ross Stores, which sell branded clothes at low prices, have benefited from the surge in bargain-seeking shoppers.
Even the stocks of retailers like Gap and American Eagle that have staged or are staging turnarounds have gotten a good boost over the year. Gap has soared 69 percent and American Eagle is up 31 percent.
R. Shawn Neville, president of Avery Dennison retail branding and information solutions, said another reason that apparel and to a broader extent other consumer discretionary stocks do well is because of their sustainability.
"In uncertain times, investors look towards market segments that have strong underlying demand which are more stable, like the apparel industry," Neville said.
Moreover, in times of economic uncertainty, shoppers can still afford clothes and shoes, as opposed to a new car, home, or expensive vacations, helping apparel stocks do well, he said.
"Though Amazon is clearly stealing some share in various categories, clothes retailers, say Abercrombie & Fitch isn't going anywhere. They're not being run out of the shopping mall," said Esplanade's Kravetz.

Read More..

Canada spending growth sluggish in November, Mastercard says

 Canada's holiday shopping season got off to a slow start in November with retail sales rising only 1.3 percent from the previous year, compared with 4.2 percent growth a year earlier, according to data released by MasterCard on Thursday.
Still, the shopping season was still young in November. MasterCard Advisors, the payment company's research and consulting division, found that in recent years, holiday shopping peaks from December 20 to December 22.
"Many Canadians may have gotten an early start with Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, but it's still a very young phenomenon in Canada," Senior Vice-President Richard McLaughlin, said in a release.
The Friday after U.S. Thanksgiving is the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season south of the border, and in recent years retailers have imported Black Friday sales to Canada.
Some also promote online sales the following Monday.
Canada's online retail sales continued to grow in November, increasing 26.4 percent.

Read More..

Canadian speedskater Denny Morrison breaks leg while cross-country skiing

Canadian speedskater Denny Morrison is expected to be out of action until March after breaking his leg while cross-country skiing.
Speedskating Canada says Morrison broke the fibula in his left leg Saturday while training on his own in Fernie, B.C., where he was visiting family for the holidays.
Morrison, the reigning world champion in the 1,500 metres and current World Cup leader in the 1,000 metres, has since returned to Calgary to meet with the national team's medical staff and specialists to further evaluate the injury and establish a rehab program.
"I'm optimistic about my recovery," Morrison said in a statement Sunday. "I'm expecting to be in good form for the World Single Distances Championships in March, which are also a venue test event for the Sochi 2014 Olympics."
The 27-year-old from Fort St. John, B.C., competed in all five fall World Cups this season, winning gold and silver medals in the 1,000 metres.
Morrison was a gold and silver medallist in team pursuit at the 2010 and 2006 Olympics, respectively, and has 37 individual medals and 12 in team pursuit in 55 career World Cups.

Read More..

Humperdinck's 'Haensel und Gretel' a treat for young and old at Vienna's Volksoper

At the end of the evening, the witch was toast Sunday — or more precisely a gingerbread cookie — and the audience at Vienna's Volksoper loved it.
Of course, with many at the performance of "Haensel und Gretel" at Vienna's second opera house under the age of 6, one could argue that it was an easy sell. And yes, the fairy tale set to music by Engelbert Humperdinck is bound to please kids, even if the singers and the orchestra are sub-par — which they weren't this evening.
For the youngsters it's mostly about the action on stage. Like past generations, the children at Saturday's performance watched wide-eyed, captivated by the story of the brother and sister who get lost in the woods, are captured by the witch and finally escape her by tossing her in the oven, where, in this version of the tale, she turns into a huge gingerbread cookie.
But more than half of the audience Saturday was adults without children, which tells us that there is much more to this opera than just a fairy tale that Vienna's "Omas" and "Opas" take their grandkids to, come Christmas.
Humperdinck worked with Richard Wagner, the master of German operatic folklore, and his music, is Wagnerian — rich, lyrical and vaguely reminiscent of some of the German master's early works. The vocal line is melodic and ranges from pretty to the sublime, evoking occasional frissons even from grey-haired opera goers who have long outgrown fairy tales.
This is music worth performing well. And it was, this Saturday.
As Gretel, Rebecca Nelsen started off well and grew stronger. Her light-lyric soprano was a good fit for the role and she mugged her way admirably through the part of the young waif who saves her and her brother before they turn kids the witch has turned into gingerbread back to life.
Mezzo Adrineh Simonian was Nelsen's perfect dramatic foil as the bumptious older brother who narrowly escapes turning into the witch's Sunday roast. Her voice — and acting — harmonized well with Nelsen's performance.
Robert Woerle was a witch with a difference. The Volksoper version of a production from Karl Doench that premiered more than two decades ago has a man in that role, and what Woerle doesn't deliver terms of voice, he more than compensates for in terms of the creepy factor. His solo "Hur, hopp" as the witch rants about his evil plans for the kids, was a highlight Saturday.
Sebastian Holecek was strong as Peter, the children's poverty-stricken father, tossing off his signature "Ach, wir armen, armen Leute (Oh, we poor, poor, people)" in a powerful and carefree manner that belied the difficulties of this aria. But Gertrud Ottenthal, as his wife, occasionally had to slide into some of her higher notes.
Also good: Sera Goesch as the Sandman and Claudia Goebl as the Dew Man.
In the orchestra pit, conductor Alfred Eschwe did justice to the full Germanic tapestry of the score, weaving a polyphonic musical manuscript to the onstage goings on.
A work for kids? Not only. Richard Strauss, the great German composer of the early and mid-20th century, described Haensel und Gretel as "a masterwork of the highest quality," and its creator as "a great master."

Read More..

Insight: Security fears dogged Canada debate on China energy bid

In September, two months after China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd made an unexpected $15.1 billion bid for Canadian energy company Nexen Inc, Canada's spy agency told ministers that takeovers by Chinese companies may threaten national security.
The rare warning from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which was disclosed to Reuters by intelligence sources, did not stop the takeover. That was approved by Canadian authorities earlier this month.
But the intervention and an influential U.S. lawmaker's warning in October that Canadian companies should be careful about doing business with Chinese telecom equipment companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp made the approval process for the deal more difficult than initially expected.
"CSIS did not like the Nexen bid and thought it was a bad idea for Chinese firms to be investing in the oil sands. It all played into their greater fears about firms like Huawei," said one person familiar with the agency's concerns. "They do not want to wake up one day and realize a crucial sector of the economy is under the control of foreign interests."
And after listening to the spy service, which usually keeps a low profile, Canada drew up surprisingly tough foreign investment rules that were unveiled when approving the Nexen deal, China's biggest-ever successful foreign takeover. In a clampdown on companies it deems influenced by foreign governments, Canada will block similar purchases in the future.
CSIS has been silent about what it said to Ottawa on the Nexen transaction, and it declined to comment for this story. It didn't specifically recommend the CNOOC deal be blocked, but rather warned more generally about such deals with Chinese entities, the person said.
In reality, the government was unlikely to want to block the CNOOC bid, given a high-profile push by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier in the year to boost ties with China, and given that a lot of Nexen's assets are outside Canada, and it has underperformed other energy companies.
SPECIFIC WORRIES
By pushing back aggressively, CSIS ensured that it got foreign investment policy tightened significantly to deter similar such takeovers by companies under the sway of foreign governments.
"I think people at CSIS and elsewhere are going 'Good. That was a very good response by the government'," said Ray Boisvert, a former CSIS assistant director of intelligence, who retired this year after almost three decades at the agency.
"It did reflect some of those deep strategic concerns that practitioners have had about this kind of investment."
Specific worries include theft of Canadian intellectual property, espionage, computer hacking and foreign companies gaining too much influence over crucial sectors of the economy, said the person familiar with the agency's views.
The government could, in theory, nationalize assets if it thought foreign control was problematic. But the pro-business Conservatives would likely find it politically unpalatable to take such a step.
"To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead," Harper said as he announced the new investment rules.
In October, the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee urged U.S. firms to stop doing business with Huawei and another Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE on the grounds that Beijing could use products made by the two companies to spy.
The House Intelligence Committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, urged Canada to take a similar stance, and two days later, the Canadian government indicated it would not let Huawei help build a secure government communications network because of possible security risks.
"The Huawei business caused a lot of political complications for the CNOOC bid," another person familiar with the CNOOC deal said of the U.S. committee's report.
Both Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the allegations in the report, and China's foreign ministry dismissed as "baseless" the idea that security concerns could impede commercial ties.
"We hope that the relevant party can objectively and justly treat Chinese companies' overseas investment and cooperation plans, and stop actions which harm Chinese companies' image and do more to benefit the promotion of bilateral trade and business cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
CLANDESTINE SUPPORT
In its annual report, released in September, CSIS noted risks that included espionage and illegal technology transfers, and said some foreign state-owned enterprises had "pursued opaque agendas or received clandestine intelligence support for their pursuits" in Canada.
The agency did not give details, but added: "When foreign companies with ties to foreign intelligence agencies or hostile governments seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests."
CSIS, hit by controversy in 2010 after its head suggested China had too much influence over some Canadian provincial politicians, did not mention any country or firm in its report.
It is unclear how much, if any, influence the United States had on the Canadian authorities' foreign investment policy.
Fen Hampson, head of the global security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario, said he had learned that a U.S. official visited Ottawa in the last few months to discuss mutual concerns about foreign state-owned enterprises.
U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson told Reuters he was not aware of such a meeting, but he noted that officials from the two countries met constantly. "I would be surprised if almost any issue you could think of has not come up in one or more of those conversations," he said. "The United States has not sought to influence Canada's decision with respect to that (CNOOC's bid)... We respect that decision."
The Canadian government did not respond to a request for a comment.
Chinese companies have bought up smaller Canadian energy firms before, but the July 23 bid for Nexen was their first attempt to buy one of the larger players.
Nexen has assets in Canada, the North Sea, Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico. Technology that Nexen and its partners use for deep sea drilling could interest CNOOC. [ID:nL4N09N3R5]
Asked about the CSIS concerns, a spokeswoman for Industry Minister Christian Paradis replied: "The government has the authority to take any measures it considers necessary to protect national security."
Yet two people close to the deal noted that the Canadian government did not exercise its option to do a separate review of the potential security risks of the CNOOC-Nexen bid, again signaling its concerns were tied to overall Chinese investment rather than to this particular deal.
Under the new rules, which Paradis is responsible for enforcing, foreign state-owned enterprises can no longer buy controlling stakes in assets in the oil sands, the biggest reserve of crude oil outside Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Such enterprises can buy minority stakes in the oil sands, or majority stakes in companies outside the oil sands. Companies deemed to have strong government links will be treated with particular caution wherever they propose to invest.
"When it comes to our security and intelligence services, they would rather pull up the drawbridge than let it down," said Hampson, co-author of a report on trade ties between Canada and emerging nations that he discussed with Harper in June.

Read More..

Golf-Indonesian Open reverts back to Asian Tour

SINGAPORE, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The Indonesian Open will switch back to the Asian Tour from next season after three years on the OneAsia circuit, organisers said on Friday.
The Asian Tour did not give any details about the date of the tournament, how much prize money would be on offer, sponsors or a venue for the event which they first staged in 1974.
"This agreement marks a new dawn for our national championship," Indonesian Golf Association (PGI) president Arifin Panigoro said in a statement.
"We are convinced the staging of the Indonesian Open in 2013 and beyond will be hugely successful so that the entire golfing fraternity in Indonesia will be proud of our flagship tournament."
The Asian Tour have been wrestling for events in east Asia with rivals OneAsia, who formed in 2009.
Asian Tour chief executive Kyi Hla Han welcomed the news of the return of the Indonesian Open which will sit alongside their CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters next year as one of nine confirmed events so far.
"We are excited to have this opportunity to work closely with the PGI and we believe the Indonesian Open is right up there amongst the best of national Opens in Asia," Han said.
"Our players enjoy visiting Indonesia as the golf courses, facilities and hospitality are first class and we look forward to returning for the 2013 Indonesian Open."
The Indonesia Open was the season opener on the OneAsia Tour this year and jointly sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation. Australian Nick Cullen won the $1 million title at the Emeralda Golf Club in March.
OneAsia released a preliminary January-May schedule earlier this month with five events including the Indonesia PGA Championship in March.

Read More..

McGehee to join fellow former Yankee Jones in Japan: report

(Reuters) - Infielder Casey McGehee is on the verge of joining another former New York Yankee Andruw Jones at the Rakuten Eagles in Japan's professional baseball league, according to a local media report on Friday.
Rakuten, who signed former All-Star outfielder Jones earlier this week, have agreed to a 130 million yen ($1.54 million) one-year contract with 30-year-old free-agent McGehee, Kyodo news agency reported.
The deal would be announced after a medical, the report added.
McGehee, who has also played for the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, batted .217 with nine homers and 41 RBIs for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees last season.
($1 = 84.39 yen)

Read More..

Golf: Missing Medina putt could have wrecked career, says Kaymer

(Reuters) - Europe's Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer has a nightmare in which the five-foot putt he sank to beat Steve Stricker on Medina's 18th green slides agonizingly past the hole and his career spirals into decline.
The German's victory over Stricker in September guaranteed Europe would retain the trophy after one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of the competition.
"Now I honestly feel like my whole career might have been on the line," the former world number one who suffered an otherwise disappointing 2012, told Friday's Daily Mail.
"I sometimes think about what would have happened if I had missed it. Would I have had the mental strength to recover from thinking I had let down a whole continent?
"I had a similar putt to win my first major, the U.S. PGA in 2010, but the feeling was completely different.
"If I had missed that one it would have been my own fault and I would have moved on to the next major.
"But letting down so many people? That doesn't bear thinking about."
Europe went into the final day trailing 10-6 and needed to win eight of the 12 points available in the singles matches to keep hold of the trophy.
Kaymer's victory ensured Europe reached 14 points before Italy's Francesco Molinari halved with Tiger Woods to give Europe an outright victory.
After being dogged by poor form throughout the year, Kaymer ended in style in Sun City, South Africa, where he won his first title of 2012 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
He said the Ryder Cup victory had helped to turn things round.
"Up to that point (my season) hadn't been good," he said. "I would have given it three or four at best out of ten.
"Then, all of a sudden, you feel a lot happier about matters. On paper you'd probably still only give the year a three or four but mentally it had suddenly gone up a few marks."

Read More..

'Very, very good chance' for Redskins' RG3

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Or, as coach Mike Shanahan put it: "There is a very, very good chance he is going to play."
Griffin went through a full practice Friday for the third straight day after missing last week's win over the Cleveland Browns with a sprained right knee.
Fellow rookie Kirk Cousins filled in, making his first career start in a 38-21 victory.
Less certain for Sunday's game are defensive end Stephen Bowen and right tackle Tyler Polumbus. Bowen has a torn upper biceps, and Polumbus is recovering from a concussion. Both are listed as questionable.

Read More..

Buffalo Bills reach deal to stay in western New York

Reuters) - The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement that will keep the National Football League team in western New York for at least the next seven years, the team said on Friday.
The deal, which includes a 10-year lease for the Bills' current stadium and $130 million in upgrades to the facility, ends speculation that the team might be targeted for relocation because of its small market.
"This agreement ensures the Bills stay where they belong right here in New York, while also protecting tax payer dollars and putting in place a longer-term vision for the team's continued presence in Buffalo," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Bills, who play their home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in a Buffalo suburb called Orchard Park, are committed to remain there for at least seven years regardless of ownership, the team said in a news release.
If after the seventh year, the Bills do not buy out the remaining three years of the lease, they would need to pay $400 million to break it, The Buffalo News reported.
The lease also allows the Bills to play one preseason game every other year and one regular-season game each year in Toronto, the newspaper reported.
To pay for the stadium improvements, the Bills will provide $35 million, New York state $54 million and Erie County, New York $41 million.

Read More..

Appiteks to Launch an App Business Academy

The creators of a newly released game app called Boomie vs Pirates say they’re all set to launch a program that shows people step-by-step how to start their own app business.

Edwardsville, IL (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
According to statistics released by Apple’s app store, since 2011, mobile app revenue has amounted to $8.5 billion, and the average IOS developer makes $7,629 per app, and representatives with an Illinois-based app development company say they’re all set to launch a program that shows ordinary people how to start their own app business.
"Appiteks is about to release Appiteks Academy,” said Chris Luck, founder and CEO of Appiteks. “We will be teaching people worldwide, how to build an app business from start to finish.”
Luck added that currently, there isn’t anything on the market that teaches average Joe’s how to build a successful app business from the ground up.
“It’s a 12-week program, which will be video tutorial driven, showing everything to do, step by step,” said Luck.
The chief executive officer stressed that with the success of its debut game, Boomie VS Pirates, he believes Appiteks is the perfect company to help others start their own app business.
“The secret to business success is getting into a business that has a high demand for years to come and is scalable,” Luck pointed out. “When you look at the numbers and trends as it relates to the demand for apps, starting an app business is a good idea, regardless of if the economy is good or bad.”
Luck noted that even if the US goes over the looming fiscal cliff, starting an app business is something that anyone can get into to place themselves in a recession-proof business.
“The one thing we’ve learned about the recession is that people still like to have fun and playing games or using apps definitely makes people’s lives much easier,” Luck said. “Anytime you’re in a business that provides fun, excitement, and also makes people’s daily lives easier, you have a winner on your hands. With an app business, all you really have to do is develop a good reputation for developing solid products and you’ll have a great business model that you can depend upon. Appiteks Academy will show you exactly how to do that and more.”

Read More..

New Detailed Review for the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife Available at ConsumerPlanetWatch.org

Consumers who are interested in buying new cutlery should first read the review for the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife. This knife is featured in a new review posted at ConsumerPlanetWatch.org.

(PRWEB) December 22, 2012
A lot of people are wondering whether the Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife is any good and they can find all of the juicy details at ConsumerPlanetWatch.org. The written review is comprehensive and offers lots of info about the product, allowing the consumer to make a firm decision on buying before trying. Most consumers blindly purchase products online only to learn that it is unsatisfactory.
The Shun DM0705 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife is a tool that is used for cutting bread effortlessly. It makes slicing homemade bread and store bought bread a piece of cake. It comes with a special design that allows the user to cut even slices that are perfect to the eye. Shun is known for making high quality cutlery and this too is a must-have product for the kitchen. Professionals and kitchen dwellers can use this cutlery for holiday dinners and everyday cooking.
This knife isn’t only good with cutting bread, it can also be used to cut vegetables, even those as soft as tomatoes. Some even use it to slice pot roast and other tough foods. This handcrafted cutlery utensil was designed with VG-10 stainless steel. The blade has cobalt to make it strong and hard, and vanadium for unmatched edge retention. This is a traditional Japanese blade that comes with a contemporary design, giving the user age-old technology and a modern look. The blade has a nice wavy pattern that is Kasumi-style. It resembles the Damascus pattern commonly used for Shun knives. This design looks good, but is actually there to help the blade slide through food easily.
The Shun DM0705 is made with 32 layers of soft steel (SUS410/SUS431), which was done by grinding, folding, polishing and welding it – all by hand. The softer steel offers protection and stability for the stainless steel core. The handle of the knife is made with PakkaWood and has a D-shape for stability and grip. It also stabilizes the knife’s blade, which has a 16 degree angle for better precision and to prevent bruising or tearing food. This allows the food to remain fresh and flavorful. This knife is NSF-certified, which means that is it quality enough to be in professional kitchens. Although, there are home cooks who put this knife to use.

Read More..

Last Minute Holiday Gift-Givers can Benefit from Online Shopping as Late as Christmas Eve by Purchasing Electronic Gift Certificates

If last minute Christmas presents are needed for any men on the shopping list, online retailers such as Canadian Fendrihan.com can provide last minute gift-giving options with instant gift certificates.

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
An online gift certificate can be an answer where a gift was not selected in time for holiday shipping. Shopping and shipping deadlines need not apply as the certificate is delivered via email, and when the gift certificate arrives the recipient can make his own gift decision.
Shopping for Christmas gifts for men can be daunting, but when time is short it can be even more stressful. An online gift certificate solves both problems. "With free Christmas shipping extended into 2013 for Canadian purchases over $50 and U.S. purchases over $75, the man who received the last-minute gift certificate from an online store such as ours can browse many men's grooming and lifestyle offerings and receive significant savings on shipping for the new year", adds K. Estredo, Director of Marketing for Fendrihan.com.

Read More..

McClellan Davis, LLC, Sales and Use Tax Consultancy Announces Accreditation by the Sacramento Better Business Bureau

McClellan Davis LLC has announced that it recently became one of the few sales and use tax consulting firms to be accredited by the Sacramento Better Business Bureau (BBB). Headquartered in Sacramento, the firm offers a broad range of sales and use tax services to businesses operating in any state, including audit defense and management, research and compliance studies, refund claims, and reverse audits.

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
McClellan Davis LLC has announced that it recently became one of the few sales and use tax consulting firms to be accredited by the Sacramento Better Business Bureau (BBB). As a condition of its Better Business Bureau accreditation, McClellan Davis has agreed to adhere to the agency's 'Standards for Trust,' a comprehensive set of policies, procedures, and practices aimed at establishing trustworthiness in the marketplace. The standards include advertising honestly, maintaining truth and transparency in business relations, honoring promises, responding promptly, safeguarding privacy, and embodying integrity in general.
“Over the years, we’ve worked hard to maintain these standards as a foundation of our company policy,” says Dan Davis, a managing principal at McClellan Davis. “The standards reflect the integrity of all of us working at the firm. We’re proud to be recognized by an agency that shares our business philosophy.”
The two managing principals at McClellan Davis have a unique mix of training, experience, and professional accomplishments:
Dan Davis, MBA (Taxation), CPA, CFE, FCPA, has practiced in the tax field for over 35 years. His career began at the California State Board of Equalization, where he worked as a senior sales tax auditor, branch office supervisor, and district audit reviewer. In addition to many articles, Dan has written two books on multistate sales and use tax issues, which are published by CCH Inc. and updated annually.
Jesse W. McClellan, JD, is one of the few sales and use tax consultants who holds a law degree and also has worked as a state sales and use tax auditor. In addition to his many years of successful sales tax consulting and management experience, Jesse recently became licensed to practice law in the state of California.

Read More..

An Austin based Heating Repair Service Company gets a Super Service Award. Call today and schedule a Fall Check-up.

Autumn Heating & Cooling has just received the Angie’s List Super Service Award. This is a national honor recognizing excellence among service providers who maintain a superior service record. Less than 5% of thousands of business earn this prestigious award a year.

Austin,TX (PRWEB) December 22, 2012
One of the premier heating repair service providers based in Austin has created a great reputation among the home owners in the city as being one of the best heating repairs and installation services providers. Autumn Heating & Cooling is a certified heating company and is registered under the Texas Heating Licensing Board.
This heating repair company takes immense pride to be one of the few air conditioning and heating system repairs and installation service providers. The service team is highly educated technicians who are adept in dealing with all kinds of heating and cooling systems irrespective of their make and the model.
One of the main reasons why home owners in the Austin region prefer this company over other competitors in the industry to repair their home heaters is the affordable prices and quality of service provided. The customer’s complete value for their investment is important.
Apart from the affordable prices, there are other benefits that we offer to customers subscribing to our heating services, which are discussed below:

Do not take a single penny from its customers when services are not done. Customers are encouraged to call any time of the day for any queries related to services provided and the team of highly responsive executives will help give with the most satisfying answers.
The team of heating service technicians will attend to customers heating problems within 4 hours and get the heating system running fine. So no need to wait for days bearing the cold.
Unlike other Austin heating services, Autumn Heating & Cooling strives to be different, valuing each customer and ensuring that the customer get complete satisfaction through all heating repair services. Offers free estimates with no obligation for the customer to hire this heating services company.
The team of technicians is not only experts in repairing and installing heating systems but they are equally skilled in repairing air conditioning systems too.
Thus, owing to the customer friendly and comprehensive services offered by Autumn Heating & Cooling it is no wonder it is the most popular heating service provider in Austin.

Read More..

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Announces an Award of $1.8 Million to OCHIN, Inc. to Study Methods for Parents and Clinics to Create Tools for Better Kids' Care

OCHIN's Project is Part of PCORI's Effort to Help Patients Make Better-Informed Health Decisions
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- OCHIN Inc., a national non-profit health center controlled network (HCCN) in collaboration with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), has been approved for a research award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study "Innovative Methods for Parents and Clinics to Create Tools (IMPACCT) for Kids' Care. The project is part of a portfolio of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that addresses PCORI's National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.
Jenifer Devoe, M.D., DPhil, is a physician at OHSU's Gabriel Park Clinic, an associate professor in OHSU's Family Medicine Research Section and OCHIN's research director. Dr. Devoe is the principal investigator for OCHIN's research project that will focus on the creation of a partnership with community stakeholders to develop and assess computer/online tools designed to impact how clinics and families engage to improve children's health insurance coverage and receipt of recommended care. OCHIN's Practice Based Research Network (PBRN) includes 70 community based clinic networks and a subset of parents and providers from these clinics are anxious to get started with the study.
"Today marks a major milestone in our work as we build a portfolio of comparative clinical effectiveness research that will provide patients and those who care for them better information about the health care decisions they face," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, M.D., M.P.H.  "These research projects reflect PCORI's patient-centered research agenda, emphasizing the inclusion of patients and caregivers at all stages of the research."
PCORI is committing $40.7 million in funding for a slate of 25 projects, which were approved by PCORI's Board of Governors following a competitive, multi-stage review process involving scientists, patients, caregivers and other stakeholders. Proposals were evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, engagement of patients and stakeholders, methodological rigor and fit within PCORI's National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.
The awards were part of PCORI's first cycle of primary research funding and selected from among nearly 500 completed applications submitted earlier this year. All proposals were approved pending a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and completion of a formal award contract.
"If computer tools built in this study are proven to work well, they will help clinics and families improve health insurance coverage and health care for children," DeVoe said. "This study will take place in a large network of community health centers, so we will be able to quickly spread the tools to more than 500,000 families in our network. We will build the tools in a way that they can be used by many other clinics with computer capabilities."
For more information about PCORI's Funding Announcements, visit www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities. For more information about OCHIN Research and OHSU visit www.ochin.org and www.ohsu.edu.
About PCORI
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work. More information is available at www.pcori.org.
About OCHIN
OCHIN is a non-profit national leader in quality health information technology software and services focused on community health centers serving low-income individuals.  Its 70 member collaborative has over 400 individual clinics spanning 14 states. OCHIN is also, Oregon's Health Information Technology Extension Center (O-HITEC) designed to support providers as they transition into the world of Health IT. Currently, OCHIN supports over 4,500 individual medical providers. With a staff of predominately systems software and health care professionals, OCHIN provides high-quality software products and supportive services to health centers, critical access hospitals, and small private practices serving some of the most medically complex patients in their communities. For more information please see www.ochin.org.
About OHSU
Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only academic health and research university. As Portland's largest employer with approximately 14,000 employees, OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support not found anywhere else in the state. OHSU serves patients from every corner of Oregon and is a conduit for learning for more than 4,300 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to each county in the state. www.ohsu.edu

Read More..

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to Keynote High-speed Rail Workshop, Sunday, January 13, TRB Conference, Washington DC

FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo, other transportation leaders also will present.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will keynote "Economic and Social Impacts of High-Speed Rail Systems," a day-long workshop on the future of high-speed and intercity passenger rail. The event is Sunday, January 13, at the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) annual meeting in Washington, DC. The session opens at 9:00 a.m. with a presentation by Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo. He will introduce Secretary LaHood for the keynote address.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100318/MTILOGO)
TRB's Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and the Mineta National Transit Research Consortium (MNTRC) are sponsoring the workshop, which will include six panel sessions featuring the world's top experts on high-speed and intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) systems.
The program will cover the current status of high-speed and intercity rail nationally and internationally; the variety of possible public and private funding sources; unique challenges and opportunities; design and operational integration; a discussion of the benefits; and the status of international programs. The goal is to focus attention on the evolving national network of HSIPR corridors, which include a variety of performance objectives, such as passenger trains traveling more than 200 miles per hour.
Speakers and moderators include Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Karen Hedlund; former Deputy Secretary of Transportation Mort Downey; TRB Intercity Passenger Rail Committee Chair David Simpson; APTA CEO Michael Melaniphy; MTI Executive Director Rod Diridon, Sr.; California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chair Dan Richard and its CEO Jeff Morales; Capitol Corridor JPA Managing Director David Kutrosky; UIC Director General Jean-Pierre Loubinoux; Midwest HSR Association Chair Rick Harnish; Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation Paula Hammond; Brazilian Enterprise for Planning and Logistics Director Hélio Mauro França; Simon Fraser University's Urban Studies Program Director Anthony Perl; and Spain's Fundación Caminos de Hierro Board Chair Eduardo Romo.
Also speaking will be former Council of Minority Transportation Officials Chair Paul Toliver; Mineta National Transportation Security Center Director Brian Michael Jenkins; Texas Central Railway Company President Robert Eckels; Infrastructure Management Group President Sasha Page; MTI Education Director Peter Haas, PhD; APTA High-Speed and Inter-City Rail Committee Secretary Peter Gertler; AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Ed Wytkind; Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Investment Development VP Stephen Gardner; the Skancke Company's President and CEO Tom Skancke; SNCF International Projects Transportation Planning Director Olivier Picq; Siemens High-Speed Rail Development Director Armin Kick; RATP America Senior Business Development Advisor Stan Feinsod; Amtrak NEC Infrastructure and Investment Development Vice-President Drew Galloway; Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority Executive Director Patricia Quinn; and Charles Quandel Associates President Charlie Quandel.
Of note is that three of the speakers were recently honored by the US High Speed Rail Association. Rod Diridon, recently elected chair of the Association, was given its Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to bringing high-speed rail to the US. CHSRA Board Chair Dan Richard was presented the Heroes of High Speed Rail Award for his major contributions bringing high-speed rail to America. Anthony Perl was presented the Transport Revolution Award as an advocate for sweeping change in American transportation.
Those wishing to attend the high-speed rail workshop who are not otherwise registered for the TRB Annual Meeting may do so upon payment of the "one day" TRB meeting registration fee. Registration details are available at www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting2013/AM2013Registration.aspx
ABOUT THE MINETA NATIONAL TRANSIT RESEARCH CONSORTIUM
The Mineta National Transit Research Consortium (MNTRC) conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer, focusing on transportation policy, technology, and management issues, especially as they relate to transit. MNTRC was established in 2011 as part of SAFETEA-LU legislation authorized by Congress. Six of the Consortium's nine university transportation centers were originally authorized under ISTEA in 1991, TEA-21 in 1998, and/or SAFETEA-LU in 2006. The MNTRC has been funded by Congress through the US Department of Transportation's (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), by individual state departments of transportation, and by other public and private grants and donations. The nine Consortium universities include Bowling Green, Detroit Mercy, Grand
Valley, Howard University, Penn State, Rutgers, San Jose State, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and University of Toledo. For information, go to transweb.sjsu.edu/mntrc.
ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. TRB is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency of the National Academies in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The National Research Council is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. TRB's varied activities annually engage more than 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest by participating on TRB committees, panels, and task forces. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. TRB is headquartered in Washington, DC. Visit trb.org.

Read More..