Sunday, June 12, 2011

A Simple Guide To Security Alarm System | Home Improvement | A ...

by author on June 10, 2011

It is a necessity that homes and offices install a security alarm devices when we speak about safety purposes. Security of their business establishments is being secured with the use of such systems with variety of attributes, compounds and prices. It consists of two sorts: the cable safety device and the wireless security alarm system. Amidst the two, wireless alarm system is more preferred among residence nowadays because of the hassle free way of installing it.

Unlike wireless security monitoring cabled security alarm device is not a user friendly safety alarm system because at the beginning of the procedure, at the time of the setting up, it requires patience to wait for your scheduled day before you will be able to get the pleasure from the benefits of security. Wireless security alarm system is buyable in the market along with its user friendly manual which users can read during the installation process. It doesn?t even require the check of an electrician enable to perform such installation. Users won?t even suffer the consequence of cable shortage and the limitation of target areas since such complicated system is always accessible anywhere you will set up them. Such wireless system is able to detect programmed setting inside the parameters of its signal receiving technology. It can seem complicated, but the advice written in the manual is always available when you need further instruction.

The scheme of wireless security system and all of its compounds must be in a way that it holds out the whole picture of your premises or even in the business area. The security alarm?s sensors must be held away from vision blockages. Even if this sounds odd, it is still advisable that such home security alarm should be not far from an electrical channels at a given distance. Also, always examine the functionality of every detector at least each day, because you can never tell when or what peculiar date attackers will break in you property.

Assure that the sound system is set up to its most loudness so that in times of emergency, it is audible enough for all home members to be aware. Lastly, to assure the overall functionality of your wireless security alarm system, be certain that the batteries are fully charged peculiarly at the time of wide blackouts. Invaders oftentimes take it as an advantage to their possible victims. Completely charged batteries on standby will not spoil your plan. Always include this in your action scheme and at the end of the day, you will understand that you have been doing a nice task plus the advantage of less threatening ambiance.

Source: http://athing2knowabout.com/home-improvement/a-simple-guide-to-security-alarm-system

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The Selected Dos And Don'ts When Picking ... - Health and Fitness

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The question in which keeps, fairly merely, is that which cure selections you ought to contemplate and which therapy possibilities you should run away from. Precisely what are some sensible therapy dos and don'ts to consider? ... Speech Pathology (11), Stress Relief (10), Supplements (856), Weight (41), Weight Loss (3423), Women's Issues (655), Yoga (325). Natural Health Treatment. Alternative and Natural Cures, Treatments and Remedies for more than 100 of the most common ...

Source: http://myhealthandfitnesstoday.org/the-selected-dos-and-don%E2%80%99ts-when-picking-treatment-for-bleeding-hemorrhoids

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Saturday, June 11, 2011

Box Office Preview: J.J. Abrams' 'Super 8' to Battle 'X-Men: First Class' for Top Spot

Francois Duhamel/Paramount Pictures

"Super 8"

The pairing of J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg has turned Super 8 into the box office mystery of the summer.

The period sci-fi pic -- directed by Abrams and produced by Spielberg -- officially rolls out Friday in 3,379 theaters, following paid sneaks at 329 locations Thursday, including 239 Imax runs. How it will do this weekend is the subject of heated speculation among insiders.

At the center of the buzz is pre-release tracking, which has been more muted than expected for a film directed by Abrams and produced by Spielberg.

Read THR's review of 'Super 8'

Overall awareness isn't quite where it should be, although there could be a myriad of reasons why. The film has no big stars and is an original story sandwiched between known franchise titles.

At the same time, Super 8 is drawing strong reviews, with critics crediting Abrams for going outside of Hollywood's comfort zone and making a film he calls an homage to the movies he grew up with as a kid, many of them from Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment.

'Super 8': J.J. Abrams Says Movie Was Inspired by Personal Experiences

Set in 1979, Super 8?tells the story of a group of kids who are filming a home movie when there's a violent train crash. When unexplained events start to threaten their town, they begin to suspect something inhuman escaped from the train. The film stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ryan Lee, Riley Griffiths, Gabriel Basso and Zach Mills.

Paramount maintains that Super 8?doesn't need a big opening, since it cost $50 million to produce, far less than other summer studio films. The studio is predicting an opening in the $25 million to $30 million range.

J.J. Abrams: Working With Steven Spielberg on 'Super 8' Was 'Crazy Good'

Still, Paramount has been doing everything it can to ratchet up interest. It teamed with Twitter to host Thursday's paid previews and on Wednesday night held free sneaks in 11 cities in partnership with key websites.

Tracking has improved for two demos -- females under the age of 25 and males under the age of 25. The strongest quadrant continues to be males over the age of 25.

Paramount is deft at tweaking, or shifting, its marketing campaigns, if needed. And the studio's vital marketing ability came into view with the runaway success of the micro-budgeted Paranormal Activity.

VIDEO: Super 8': Sneak Peek at J.J. Abrams' New Movie

The weekend box office race could be close between Super 8?and 20th Century Fox's holdover X-Men: First Class, which debuted last weekend to $55.1 million. First Class?has done strong midweek business, with a cume of $69.9 million through Wednesday.

One other new film enters the market this weekend, Smokewood Entertainment's Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, based on the bestselling book series and targeting girls ages 6-10.

Relativity Media is distributing the film for Smokewood, Judy Siegel-Mangess and Gary Magness' production company. Their previous credits include Precious.

Judy Moody is expected to gross between $6 million and $10 million.

Among specialty films, Sony Classics Pictures is expanding Woody Allen's box office pleaser Midnight in Paris?nationwide. The film will be playing in a total of 944 theaters, one of the widest plays ever for an Allen film. Midnight in Paris?has grossed $7.8 million through Wednesday.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thr/news/~3/Cx2t2o8n6PY/box-office-preview-jj-abrams-196661

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Dahlonega Real Estate and Homes: Find Them Online! | Loans and ...

by Nancy E. Cisco

Are you currently a 1st time property buyer looking for nice new house for yourself and your loved ones? Becoming a first time house buyer could possibly be very frustrating especially if you don?t know what kind of home you would like to obtain or where you would want to purchase a home in that matter. But with the advent of today?s technology, there is no a lot more issue in obtaining the perfect home for yourself and your family. For every thing has already been available online. And 1 of them is Dahlonega real estate and homes.

Live A Beautiful Life in with Dahlonega Real Estate!

Dahlonega is actually a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, that is its county seat. It is quite renowned because of its gorgeous festivals and sceneries that considered as the most beneficial location to retire by many various publications and magazines due to its low price living, continuing education for seniors and vibrant activities.

If you would like to experience a very peaceful life for your retirement period then living in Dahlonega is the very best place for you. You can actually inquire at distinct Dahlonega real estates and homes. Talk to distinct real estate agents and ask about the price for different houses found in Dahlonega.

Acquire Property With Dahlonega Real Estate Now!

If you don?t have sufficient time to in fact consult with a real estate agent in individual, it is possible to usually ask data and make inquiries on internet site discovered inside the net. You would also see the photos and descriptions of diverse real estates and houses discovered in Dahlonega. You could also take a virtual tour of the place itself and see the detailed structure of the household. You can find also some on the web real estate agents that would help you within your search online any time of the day. And in case you don?t have enough understanding on what kind of house you would like to avail, consultant would assist suggest different houses that might peak your interest. It?s just up to you whether you?d purchase them or not.

Dahlonega is actually a beautiful place to live in with its gorgeous culture and sceneries, also as hospitable folks. Find a Dahlonega Real Estate now and live your moments in Dahlonega!

Tags: Dahlonega Real Estate, family, Finance, home, homes for sale, investment, real estate

Source: http://loansandcredit4all.info/finance/dahlonega-real-estate-and-homes-find-them-online

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Health and fitness Firelogs: The Benefits of an Exercise Journal ...

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Socrates said the unexamined every day life is not worth living and this idea can be a great tool to help you get more out of your health and fitness routine. When you 48? Black Olympic Hollow Fat Bar start utilizing a health and fitness record you might simply find it among the best methods to help you achieve your own fitness goals.

If it?s not really written down this by no means happened
This can be a very good rule to follow. It just takes that you should record that which you perform when you do it the level of strength and you are aside

When used correctly an exercise log is your closest friend much better than an exercise companion or even health supplement it will constantly push you towards your own objectives. Further harder quicker stronger just about all without stating a word. This adds the key component for your program; accountability.

Here are a few of the benefits of using a fitness record.

1)It?s about the cheapest little bit of workout gear there?s!
What is cheaper than your own little note pad? But it?s really worth its weight within precious metal.

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Two)It helps you evaluate your own workouts while you design the body
An exercise record will help you keep track of overall performance as you keep track of results so you understand what works as well as what to decrease getting your personal expert about the just factor that matters; you!

Three)It?ll take away the random component of strike and wish
If you notice the number of gym goers appear to be exercising at random shifting from physical exercise to exercise simply because that?s what they do a week ago. But they are these people enhancing? Will they look much better compared to these people do 6 months ago? One reason for a lack of improvement would be that the fundamental guideline of health and fitness isn?t being applied; the law of development. If you want to get better you need to improve.

Most of the times we do not intuitively aim to push ourself we?ll naturally often stagnate as we do not have the trainer or record to drive us as well as in these moments the actual health and fitness log may be the difference between heading which bit additional and standing still.

Four)It can help a person improve effectiveness
I?ve been in a position to massively reduce time I put in the gym and that i appear much better for it. This is because I?d a record associated with what really works as well as what doesn?t. As they say the reality shall set a person free. With this particular info you are able to concentrate more about exactly what actually matters Lat/Row Attachment and get more out associated with much less and results too.

5)You Powerline PGM200 Glute Master will know how much or little you need to work out for that results you want
After some analysis of the performance and results it is possible to Ironman IFT 4000 Infrared Therapy Inversion Table clearly visit a relation involving the function and your improvement letting you observe precisely what you must do to Gill Athletics 40KG PowerMax Kettlebell reach your workout goals.

Start using a health and fitness record to obtain fit and soon you may question how your own workout routines ever labored without one.

Source: http://www.lynnvillein.org/health-and-fitness-firelogs-the-benefits-of-an-exercise-journal-to-reach-your-own-workout-goals/

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Blood, Bones and Organs: The Gruesome 'Red Market'

Locals say this building in Kolkata, India, was once the center of the Indian black market bone trade. They say workers once dried human bones on the roof and cleaned corpses inside.
Scott Carney

Locals say this building in Kolkata, India, was once the center of the Indian black market bone trade. They say workers once dried human bones on the roof and cleaned corpses inside.

Journalist Scott Carney figures he's worth about $250,000, but that number isn't based on his savings or his assets; it's what Carney thinks his body would fetch if it were broken down into individual parts and sold on what he calls the "red market."

In his new book, also called The Red Market, Carney explores the shadowy but lucrative global marketplace for blood, bones and organs. He tells NPR's Melissa Block that despite being underground, there's no question the red market is thriving.

In one Indian refugee camp, so many women have sold their kidneys that the camp has earned the nickname Kidneyville.
Enlarge Scott Carney

In one Indian refugee camp, so many women have sold their kidneys that the camp has earned the nickname Kidneyville.

Scott Carney

In one Indian refugee camp, so many women have sold their kidneys that the camp has earned the nickname Kidneyville.

"It's really hard to get accurate figures on what the illegal market is on body parts, but I'm figuring it's definitely in the billions of dollars," Carney says.

'When You're At Your Most Desperate Place ... The Brokers Come In'

As part of his research, Carney visited an Indian refugee camp for survivors of 2004's massive tsunami. Today, the camp is known by the nickname Kidneyvakkam, or Kidneyville, because of how common it is for the women who live there to sell their kidneys.

"The women are just lined up," Carney says. "They have their exposed midriffs and there are all these kidney extraction scars because when the tsunami happened, all these organ brokers came in and realized there were a lot of people in very desperate situations and they could turn a lot of quick cash by just convincing people to sell their kidneys."

The buying and selling of organs is against the law in almost every country, but Carney says the market has managed to grow thanks to the dire situations many of its donors find themselves in.

"When you're at your most desperate place is when the brokers come in," Carney says. "One of these women, her name was Rani, gave up a kidney because her daughter had actually tried to commit suicide because she was in a very difficult marriage ... In order to treat her, the hospital needed a certain amount of cash ? I think it was about $1,000 ? and [Rani] didn't have any money so she did the only thing she could, which was to sell her kidney because an organ broker just sort of approached her very quickly. And that's a pretty common situation. "

The Red Market
By Scott Carney
Hardcover, 272 pages
William Morrow
List Price: $25.99

Read An Excerpt

The Black Gold Market

In his book, Carney also delves into the marketplace for human hair, known as "black gold."

"It is amazingly valuable," he says. "The market is about $900 million around the world, and about 40 percent of [that] hair is sold for human extensions."

Many of those transactions take place at the Sri Tirumala Temple in southern India, where people give their hair to the god Vishnu as an act of humility.

"I went there about two years ago and had my head shaved with probably about 1,000 other people," Carney says. "These women came, swept up the hair and threw it into these giant steel vats. [The hair] eventually gets combed and sorted and sold at an auction, and shipped out to the international market."

Hair collected in a single cut from a person's head, known as "remy," is used all over the world for hair extensions. But the shorter hair, often shorn from men, serves a very different purpose.

"Most of the hair that gets shorn is from men," Carney says. "That gets sold to chemical companies and gets reduced to an amino acid called L-cystine, which is used as a leavening agent in baking goods."

The Body As Commodity

In his book, Carney argues that part of what makes red market transactions ethically troubling is the role different social classes play in the whole operation.

Scott Carney is an investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience living and doing research in India.
Enlarge Scott Carney

Scott Carney is an investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience living and doing research in India.

Scott Carney

Scott Carney is an investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience living and doing research in India.

"One of the very foundational concepts of the book is when people, say, give an organ ... it's always going to a richer person and, oftentimes, it's going to a person in another country," Carney says. "It's reduced to commerce so quickly."

He says if he had his way, every bag of blood, organ transplant and egg donation would be tagged with the donor's name.

"We have to look at the beginning of the supply chain," Carney says. "We have to be sure we're getting these things ethically and not just assume that we're being ethical."

And while revoking donors' right to anonymity could mean they don't donate at all, Carney says we also need to consider the alternative.

"You will see donations plummet," he says. "But on the other hand, if you were allowing crimes on the magnitude of literally whole villages selling their kidneys, who are we protecting?"

The Red Market
By Scott Carney
Hardcover, 272 pages
William Morrow
List Price: $25.99

I weigh just a little under two hundred pounds, have brown hair, blue eyes, and a full set of teeth. As far as I know, my thyroid gland pumps the right hormones into the twelve pints of blood that circulate in my arteries and veins. At six feet two inches, I have long femurs and tibias with solid connective tissue. Both of my kidneys function properly, and my heart runs at a steady clip of eighty-seven beats per minute. All in, I figure I'm worth about $250,000.

My blood separates neatly into plasma, red blood cells, platelets, and clotting factor and would save the life of someone on an operating table or stem the uncontrolled spilling of a hemophiliac's blood. The ligaments that keep me together can be scraped from my bones and implanted in the wounded knee of an Olympian athlete. The hair on my head could be made into a wig, or reduced to amino acids and sold as a leavening agent for baked goods. My skeleton would make a striking addition to any biology classroom. My major organs ? heart, liver, and kidneys ? could go on to prolong the lives of people whose organs have failed, and my corneas could be sliced off to restore sight to the blind. Even after death a determined pathologist could harvest my sperm and use it to help a woman conceive. The woman's baby would have a value of its own.

Since I'm an American, my flesh sells at a premium; if I had been born in China, I would be worth much, much less. The doctors and brokers, no matter the country, who would move the pieces of my body through the markets stand to make a considerable sum ? much more than I could as a seller ? for their services. It turns out that the global laws of supply and demand are as fixed in organ markets as they are for shoes and electronics.

In the same way that a mechanic can swap out worn car parts for new ones and oil creaky joints to get an engine running again, a surgeon can prolong someone's life by trading broken pieces for newer ones. Every year the technology barriers get lower and the process cheaper. But there's no scrap heap for quality used human parts. Attempts to create artificial hearts, kidneys, and blood pale in comparison to the real thing. The human body is just too complex. At the moment the body can't be replicated in a factory or lab. Which means the only way we can meet the demand for body parts is to find sources of raw materials in the population of living and recently deceased people.

We need great volumes of human material to supply medical schools with cadavers so that future doctors have a solid understanding of human anatomy. Adoption agencies send thousands of children from the third world to the first to fill the gaps in the American family unit. Pharmaceutical companies need live people to test the next generation of superdrugs, and the beauty industry processes millions of pounds of human hair every year to quench a ceaseless demand for new hairstyles. Forget the days of grass-skirt-wearing cannibals on tropical islands, our appetite for human flesh is higher now than at any other time in history.

There is a strange alchemy that happens when we decide that a human body can be swapped on the open market. Most people instinctively know that what makes humans special is more than just our physical presence ? from the electrons and quarks that give us mass to the complex biological structures that sustain our every breath; there is also a sense of presence, which only accompanies life. For the purpose of this book and to make sense of it as I write, I give the human body the benefit of a soul. Losing that soul transforms a body into a jumble of matter.

Though we like to think that our bodies are sacred and above the hardscrabble logic of the market, the sale of human parts is booming. Several billion dollars' worth of humanity changes hands every year. With almost six billion people in the world the supply is significant. There are just slightly fewer than six billion spare kidneys (or twelve billion if you are absolutely merciless) and almost sixty billion liters of blood in the global supply. There are enough corneas to fill a soccer stadium. The only thing stopping businesses from grabbing the potential profits are the rights to mine the resources.

Take, for instance, the market for adopted children. At the moment a family decides they want to bring in a needy child from a foreign country, they only have an abstract idea about that child's identity. In their search for the perfect baby they refine their expectations based on the available baby market. They troll through online menus issued by international adoption agencies, read newspaper articles about desperate children in orphanages, and make difficult decisions about what particular set of characteristics will trigger the adoption.

Sure, at some point the child will be a member of the family, but to actually obtain one they have to engage with an often shady supply chain of middlemen and corruptible government officials, many of whom see children as little more than bodies. It is only after they have brought the child into their home that the child transforms from an abstraction into someone real.

It doesn't matter what our moral position is on the subject, bodies are unquestionably commodities. And yet they are uncomfortable ones. As a product, bodies aren't assembled new in factories filled with sterile suited workers; rather they are harvested like used cars at scrap markets. Before you can write a check and pick up human tissue, someone needs to transform it from a tiny piece of humanity into something with a market value. Unlike scrap, the price of a human body isn't measured only in dollars. It is measured in blood, and in the ineffable value of lives both saved and lost. When we buy a body part, we take on the liabilities for where it came from both ethically and in terms of the previous owner's biological and genetic history. It's a transaction that never really ends.

Excerpted from The Red Market by Scott Carney. Copyright 2011 by Scott Carney. Excerpted by permission of William Morrow.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/10/136931615/blood-bones-and-organs-the-gruesome-red-market?ft=1&f=1032

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Comex Gold, Silver Steady to Weaker amid Bearish Outside Markets ...

From: Forbes - Investing

(Kitco News) -Comex gold and silver futures prices are trading slightly lower in early dealings Friday. A firmer U.S. dollar index and weaker crude oil prices are modestly bearish impediments for the precious metals markets Friday. August gold last traded down $1.30 an ounce at $1,541.40. Spot gold last traded down $3.60 an ounce at $1,541.25. July Comex silver last traded down $0.089 at $37.335 an ounce.

See the original article ?

Source: http://ewallstreeter.com/syndicated/68941/comex-gold-silver-steady-to-weaker-amid-bearish-outside-markets

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Living Wills Decide Who Will Make Decisions When You Cant ...

Living Wills Decide Who Will Make Decisions When You Cant

?by: Ivon T. Hughes

Many people are wondering what they need in the way of legal documents to make certain that, in the event of incapacity, their wishes are known and followed regarding potential end-of-life decisions. Advance directives are a set of documents that are used to lay out a clear chain of command to give decisions makers guidance as to the individuals wishes as they relate to the type of care desired in a crisis . It is a way to direct the decision maker about what an individual wants and does not want, should they be unable to make their wishes clear.

A LIVING WILL IS AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

Unlike Wills, which deal with matters after the death of a person, advance directives are usually put to use before a person dies, and they are critical part of the estate planning process. The three most common advance directives that are typically drafted are a power of attorney for financial decisions, a power of attorney for health care and a Living Will.

A power of attorney for financial decisions names a person to handle financial matters on behalf of another individual. A financial power of attorney can be very broad in the power that it confers on an individual to make serious decisions regarding a principals assets.

A power of attorney for health care is similar in some ways to the power of attorney for financial decisions in that it also names a person to make decisions on behalf of someone else.

When executing a power of attorney for health care, an individual answers several questions in an attempt to make clearly exactly what kind of treatment they want, based on their medical condition.

A LIVING WILL AND A POWER OF ATTORNEY

A Living Will, in some ways duplicates the information in the power of attorney for health care, but unlike the power of attorney, which can also cover situations in which a person may recover but needs someone to make their medical decisions for a time, a Living Will is simply a directive stating that an individual does not want heroic measures to keep them alive when there is no realistic prospect of any meaningful recovery.

It is more important to give your loved ones the tools they need to deal with your incapacity (and even your passing) with the confidence that they are fulfilling your wishes.

Source: http://articleoutlet.net/2011/06/08/living-wills-decide-who-will-make-decisions-when-you-cant-2/

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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Prius Fuels Ideas for Good

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania ? From the hybrid drivetrain that keeps it moving to the solar ventilation system that keeps it cool, the Toyota Prius is packed with cool technology. And there?s nothing that says it has to stay in the car.

Toyota invited inventors to repurpose and repackage the hardware in the Prius beyond the automotive arena. The contest, Toyota for Good, drew more than 4,000 entries that were reviewed by a panel of judges (including Keith Grossman, associate publisher of Wired).

The judges selected five finalists in five categories; the winners were selected by popular vote. They were flown to Pittsburgh last weekend to develop prototypes alongside engineers from Deeplocal and Carnegie Mellon University. It was an impressive array of gadgetry that ranged from better bike helmets to self-guiding ladders.

Building a Better Bicycle Helmet

Stu S. is a bike commuter, which means he?s always looking out for cars. That got him thinking about what happens to cyclists when they get in accidents and what sort of protection their helmets offer. He soon discovered that standards used to certify helmets don?t realistically model the human head and brain, and therefore aren?t comprehensive. So he tapped Toyota?s THUMS (Total HUman Model for Safety) crash simulation system to make more realistic models that could lead to more protective helmets.

Pure Air

Tim W. was stunned to learn how many people ? 3 billion worldwide ? cook and heat their homes using open fires fueled by biomass. Anyone who?s ever seen a campfire knows they emit lots of smoke, which can be harmful. It?s an issue many NGOs have attempted to address with electric stoves, but of course that doesn?t do you much good if you can?t afford or don?t have electricity. Tim?s solution to the problem is remarkably elegant and affordable ? he adapted the solar ventilation system used in the Prius to draw smoke out of a home.

Power Plant Gym

Birken S. loves sports. He?s an avid skier who has since he was 12 years old been convinced that we could generate electricity while working out. It isn?t terribly practical on the slopes, but why wouldn?t it work on, say, an stationary bike or a treadmill? He drew inspiration from the Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the Prius to come up with a system of resistance cords and turbines to harness the energy expended while working out.

Automated Firefighting Extension Ladder Guidance System

Fran O. really likes the Advanced Parking Assistance Technology that Toyota uses to make parallel parking a snap. It?s a big convenience for motorists, and he thought it might be used to save lives. He proposes adapting the system?s ultrasonic sensors, camera and computer to more quickly and safely guide ladders when smoke, water mist and poor visibility might hamper firefighters? ability to do so manually.

Editor?s note: oddly, Toyota did not provide a video of Fran explaining the idea, but that?s a photo of the prototype at the top of the page.

Touch Tracer Computer Mouse, Keyboard & Monitor

David C. was intrigued by the idea of creating a better keyboard. After all, they haven?t changed much since the arrival of the typewriter. He decided to hack Toyota?s Touch Tracer Display to create an ergonomic dome-shaped QWERTY keyboard with touch-pad mouse with a heads-up display. No more looking down at your keyboard.

Photo and videos: Toyota

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/fgcrrQzmWvY/

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Multiplayer Facebook Game Trash Tycoon Trains You To Be Green (But In A Fun Way)

Guerillapps, a social game maker, debuted a cool new Facebook game at Disrupt NYC that is adding a new spin to green games. What's more, from what I can tell, Trash Tycoon is the first "upcycling" game to hit the Facebook platform. But what is this "upcycling", you ask? Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials into new products of better quality and higher environmental value, so when gamers play Trash Tycoon, they take on the role of recycling entrepreneurs responsible for doing just that. Gamers become the stewards of their city, a la Sim City, fighting litter and trash wherever it rears its ugly head. Players earn game money and points by collecting trash and upcycling it to create new products out of trash, just like its sponsor TerraCycle does in the real, green world.

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

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IP Phone Systems: Questions to Ask When Selecting an IP Phone ...

When researching IP phone systems for business communication needs, companies should always keep in mind the distinct differences among telephone systems that will have the greatest long-term value for the company. Due to technological limitations, varying degrees of integration and different levels of design proficiency, phone systems are far different than they may first appear to be. While comparing telephone systems, it is important to ask a few questions to ensure the company finds the best communication solution with the right features to fit its unique needs.

1. What is the phone systems? ease of use?
When selecting an IP phone system, one of the most important features to look for is ease of use. If a telephone system requires multiple keystrokes and difficult codes to perform routine tasks such as transferring calls or retrieving voicemail, employees may be less productive and spend unnecessary time on hard-to-remember telephone procedures. In contrast, more progressive phone systems use single keys, intuitive functions and interactive on-board prompts to help users execute everyday office communication tasks quickly and easily. Businesses need powerful and flexible features in telephone systems to improve productivity, efficiency and customer service; but at the same time, the telephone system must be easy to understand and simple to use.

2. What features are provided by the IP phone system?
While many communication equipment manufacturers claim their telephone systems all have similar features, thorough research and investigation into business phone solutions conclude that seemingly comparable features are often radically different in application. Depending on a business? unique needs, features such as live-call screening, visual voicemail or caller ID can be both helpful and important. By purchasing an office phone system with built-in, reliable features, users can more efficiently relay essential messages to other users both in and out of the office, overall helping to increase business communication.

3. Does the phone system support future upgrades?
For companies who expect growth and expansion, it is important to consider the ability for its phone system to support future technologies and business upgrades. As digital signal process (DSP) capabilities continue to radically improve call-processing efficiency, many business-phone providers are able to include more advanced features and improve existing features on IP phone systems in order to replace many common telephone hardware components with software. As a result, these business phone systems require less extensive hardware upgrades. For growing companies, phone solutions that can be upgraded without having to replace extensions or the base system offer the most cost-effective solution and return-on-investment (ROI) for office communications.

ESI is a leading manufacture of IP Phone Systems. For more information on Bussiness Phone Solutions be sure to check out their website.

Source: http://ezinearticleshq.com/communications/ip-phone-systems-questions-to-ask-when-selecting-an-ip-phone-system-for-business-communication

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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Interview: Groupon ? Giving You the Best Deals, Every Day

This is part of the Successful Businesses Interview Series, where I feature successful businesses that are making a difference in others? lives. Get all interviews delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter.

Groupon

The 7th interview in our Successful Businesses Interview Series features Groupon Singapore, the most popular deal-of-the-day website in Singapore, and part of Groupon conglomerate worldwide.

If you?ve not heard of Groupon, it?s taking the consumer market by storm. Launched only 3 years ago (2008),?Groupon now serves more than 150 markets in North America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia and South America and has amassed 35 million registered users! (Wiki)

So how does Groupon work? Firstly, they negotiate with a merchant for a sizable discount on their product/service (usually 50% and above). Then, they promote the merchant?s product/service on their site?Groupon.com, where consumers gets to purchase that item at that discounted price, on that day.

The deal is valid for 24 hours ? When the day is over, the deal is over as well. The deal is only confirmed if a minimum number of purchases is reached. If the minimum quota is not met, the deal is called off. The consumers don?t get the deal and the merchants don?t sell anything. Hence, collective buying power is the key driving force behind Groupon?s concept (i.e. group coupon).

The next day, a new deal is promoted on Groupon?s site. The cycle then repeats.

The model works very well because (1) For the merchants, they get to (a) clear excess inventory (b) drive quick awareness of their business and quick sales (2) For the consumers (us), we get a large discount ? one we?d never have gotten if we were to purchase individually. We benefit from the collective buying power. Both merchants and the consumers get value from having Groupon as the middleman.

I?ve checked out some of Groupon?s deals, and some of them are massive. Discounts are almost always 50% and above, and there is a wide coverage, from restaurant meals, spa treatments, vacation holiday packages, ice cream, concert tickets, magazine subscriptions, to even dance lessons. Each country has its own set of Groupon deals ? if you live in Chicago, you?ll get access to Chicago deals, while people in Singapore get access to the Singapore deals, and so on.

Sample GroupOn Deal - Swensen's Restaurant
An example of a Groupon Deal.?This is a $20 dining coupon for Swensen?s, sold at Groupon for $10. You get to save $10. That?s 50% off!

One watch out on using Groupon or any deal-of-the-day service for that matter is to ensure you truly have a use for the product/service before purchasing. The last thing you want to do is to buy something because there?s a discount and it?s a time-sensitive offer, and not because you need it. That?s just consumerism at work. As long as you do that, then you?ll find Groupon a perfect way to save money.

I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Karl and Christopher Chong, who are brothers and owners of Groupon Singapore. I first met Chris on?Channel News Asia?s Blog TV last Dec ? we were guests on the episode on bucket lists. As with David from Udders, we didn?t get to speak much then as we were rushing to get ready for the program, but kept in touch after that. So when I started the successful businesses interview series, I immediately thought to approach them!

While Groupon Singapore is HUGE today (it?s the top 100 site in Singapore!), it was only 1 year ago (May ?10) when Karl and Chris first started it! Can you believe that? Imagine you can start something today and have it blow up into mega proportions in just 1 year from now, with the right attitude, smarts and know-how. Are you going to keep waiting or are you going to get started right away?

At that time, Karl had long been on the lookout for an opportunity to start an internet company, because he saw the potential in new media.?One day while working in NYC, he came across an idea which he thought would gain traction ? A group buying site, where consumers get together to purchase a product/service at a discount from a merchant. At that time, the trend of group buying sites was rising in US.

He did his research and decided it was now or never. He quit his very lucrative job in investment banking in US, and contacted his brother, Chris, who was studying law in Australia, to join him in this endeavor. Chris then deferred his studies, came to Singapore. With that, both of them launched their company called Beeconomic (Be-Economic) in 2010, with the deal-of-the-day concept I described above.

As the concept was new in Singapore, the brothers had to educate the local businesses and convince them of its merits. There were a lot of resistance from merchants to sign on. But the brothers persisted and pushed through, focusing on the potential and value of the concept. As Chris put it, they had to ?knock on the doors of businesses and convince them to work with us?. By no means was easy ? It was a lot of hard work, a lot of learning on how to handle rejections, a lot of business savviness, and a lot of smart planning involved.

With their extreme, hard work, it wasn?t too long before their efforts finally paid off and the concept gained some traction in the local market. In Dec ?10 (less than a year after it was launched), Chicago-based Groupon got wind of their business, and decided to acquire it in the same month for $24 million USD. Beeconomic then became rebranded as Groupon, and today Karl and Chris are the owners of Groupon Singapore, now a ubiquitous brand name.

In this interview, Karl and Chris openly share their story, the obstacles they faced in starting Beeconomic, how they came to be known and acquired by Groupon, and their experience in their entrepreneurial journey so far. I hope you enjoy this feature.

I now bring to you, Karl and Chris Chong from Groupon Singapore/Beeconomic:

Q1) Tell us more about you, Karl and Chris ? Who are you and what are your passions in life?

Hey-we are Karl and Chris Chong, co-founders of Groupon Singapore. Currently we are working with our team on building Groupon Singapore into a household name- primarily through offering a smorgasbord of great deals with cool businesses. We?re excited to be part of Forbes Magazine?s World?s Fastest Growing Company and the last year has been has been nothing short of what our passions are in life-learning, meeting and working with great people and providing a service that keeps our customers happy.

Q2) What is Groupon?

Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. We started in 2010 as a group buying site that offered daily discounts of up to 90% on everything from spas, to restaurants, to activities, even Resort World Sentosa shows.

(Celes: Resort World Sentosa is a new casino resort in Singapore offering attractions, hotels, spa, casino and meeting venues.)

Q3) Who do you target?

Our customers are working professionals, eager to uncover new businesses but wary of traditional advertising. Instead of leafing through brochures and pamphlets, Groupon sends you one email each morning with a list of deals for different types of businesses-rock climbing, or a massage.

Many Groupon customers check the website daily, and because of the variety of the deals ? whether it?s photography or scuba classes or international cuisine ? each customer is bound to find something that interests them.

Q4) When did you start your business?

May 2010.?We gained a first mover advantage being the first to start up in Singapore, allowing us to build relationships with premium businesses. Locals enjoyed our ?sweet deals? and our subscriber base grew at hundreds per a day.,?thanks to our $5 referral program.

(Celes: Their referral program has now been upped to $10 per referral. So if you recommend a deal to a friend via Facebook/Twitter/Email, you?ll get $10. Great way to drive quick awareness and volume for their business)

Q5) How did you first come up with the idea for Beeconomic?

Karl: I?had been on the lookout for some sort of entrepreneurial opportunity for a long time. As part of the new media generation, my hopes centred on establishing an internet company.

The idea to start a group buying site came to me when I stumbled on a website selling discount vouchers for a month of indoor climbing while working in New York City. This was during the recent global economic downturn a few years back, when group selling websites offering discount vouchers started to surface in the U.S. I bought the climbing voucher and was sufficiently moved to think about whether this was a trend that would gain traction not only in NYC and the U.S. but overseas as well.

Though born in Malaysia and now an Australian, I have strong roots in Singapore through his parents, and wondered if I could bring the group buying site business model to Singapore. I did online research from my desk in NYC, focusing on Singapore?s demographics, internet penetration and the extent of credit card transactions online. I also looked for possible competitors in the city-state as the barriers to entry into the group buying site space are rather low.

After my research, I concluded that Singapore would be an ideal launch pad for a group buying site because, Singaporeans are always looking for a bargain. I felt that I could capitalise on what was close to a first-mover advantage. Still, I couldn?t do it alone. I roped in my brother, Christopher from Australia, convincing him to forego plans that he had to travel for an extended period.

Beeconomic.com was subsequently launched in May 2010.

(Celes: A lot of times it?s not about creating that next big idea ? it?s about recognizing ideas that are already working and capitalizing on them. Salad Stop is such a success today because Adrien and Daniel saw that the concept of salad bars is thriving in the Western regions, recognized the trend towards healthy living catching on in Singapore, and quickly capitalized on that. Karl saw the group buying model gaining traction in US, saw the potential for it to sky rocket in Singapore, and decided to take it over.

There are a lot of great ideas around that aren?t being maximized. Rather than worry about that next big idea, think about the consumers and what they need, then look at what?s going to address the voids. Originality and planning can be quite overrated in business development ? Execution is what the consumers see ultimately. If you don?t ever launch your business, your consumers are never going to experience what you have to offer.)

Q6) After you came up with the idea, how did you get started? Please walk us through how the first 6 months of your journey was like.

Chris: Starting Beeconomic was like having a baby with Karl-we?d constantly be working on it together even throughout the night. We could never leave it and it needed our 100% attention. Karl primarily worked on business development, ensuring all facets of the business would be ready in time for launch. 20% of our time was spent on the backend ? Ensuring our website worked, improving the customer experience, making sure we could afford our next month?s rent, while 80% was concentrated on signing partnerships with businesses, creating buzz on our Facebook page, and trying to build a solid pipeline of good businesses.

At the beginning, it was difficult signing businesses because the model was new to Singapore ? In the beginning, we had to knock on the doors of businesses and convince them to work with us.?I remember reciting powerpoint slides to at least 3 business owners per a day for the first six months.

It was a steep learning curve for someone fresh out of university, but with Karl working so hard on other parts of the business I had to learn and adapt quickly. When we launched the website a huge weight had been lifted from our shoulders, people were responding positively to our website and most importantly people were buying from us. That was the biggest reward for all the hard work. After that, it was all about growing our business, our team, and subscriber base.

Since the Groupon acquisition in November the growth has been phenomenal and 2011 is going to be a big year for us.

(Celes: How far are you willing to go to achieve your dreams? This is one question you have to ask yourself. People are constantly treading in fear of X and Y, and because of that they don?t accomplish anything.

For Chris and Karl, they literally put everything out there for their goals, and that?s why they?ve become so successful. Karl gave up his high paying job in an investment bank, while Chris deferred his studies. Both put their lives on hold (Karl was living in US; Chris in Australia) and came all the way to Singapore to launch their start-up. In the first months, they rented a cheap apartment, started their business from scratch, and basically pushed their way through whatever obstacles laid in their way. Such commitment and perseverance are the key to success.)

Q7) How long did it take (after starting) before you experienced the first signs of success? What were those signs of success?

It took about 7 days (probably the most nervous 7 days in my life) after launch before we started seeing more and more subscribers and facebook fans signing up. Our deal with Bliss Spa was the first deal that sold in the 100s and that?s when we knew we were onto something.

Q8) At which point did you know with certainty that it had taken off?

Chris: I always believed in the business model, and growing up with Karl I knew if anyone could start Groupon in Singapore he could do it. However, you never really know how successful your business will be by internalising your thoughts. For me the gauge is always measured by the market or the public. My first feeling of success through Beeconomic was signing my first merchant Fika (a Swedish restaurant). That was a good day.

Q9) What went through your mind when Groupon approached you to acquire Beeconomic? What did you consider before eventually deciding to proceed with the acquisition?

We were extremely excited when Groupon contacted us, but nervous at the same time. We knew they were going to acquire one site in Singapore and we weren?t sure it was going to be Beeconomic. But after meeting with Groupon, they liked our management team and quality of deals and brands, so they shook our hands.

There were three differentiating factors that drew Groupon to Beeconomic.com ? our company had a good management team; it had proven that it offered the best customer service; and it had exclusive partnerships with well-known brands in Singapore, such as Resorts World, Jitterbugs, Bliss Spa and Climb Asia. This exclusivity means that the brands cannot feature in other group buying sites.

Before deciding to proceed with the acquisition, we considered several things. We looked at the culture that Groupon has and whether it was a good match for our team. We visited the Groupon Tokyo office and discovered that both Beeconomic and Groupon have a very young, driven and entrepreneurial workforce, and a culture that?s very similar ? we take our work seriously but we don?t take ourselves seriously. We also considered what else Groupon could bring to the table, other than financial backing, and the most important were knowledge and exclusive partnerships with international brands including GAP, Starbucks and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

(Celes: If your business is ever presented with a proposal for acquisition, be sure to evaluate the terms of the deal. Look at (a) your business vision, whether this move matches that vision, (b) whether it lets you serve your consumers better, and (c) whether it?s a win-win-win proposition for the acquiring company, you, and your customers. These are important things to consider before you take on a deal.)

Q10) What would you say are the biggest drivers of your success today?

Chris: In business, I would advise people to work hard and learn to sacrifice. When Karl and I started Beeconomic, we focused on it with our full energy. There was nothing more important then building the business. We learnt that from our parents, who showed us the merits of hard work as they built their printing business throughout our childhood.

My second largest priority is People-being kind to everyone and giving them your care and time.

Q11) Looking back, what were the biggest obstacles you faced in your entrepreneurship journey in the past year? How did you overcome them?

Chris: My biggest obstacle over the last year has been self-doubt. I think at some point in any entrepreneur?s journey you?ll come to question whether you?re doing a good job or whether you could improve in any way. There were times where I lacked the confidence to embrace the risk side of entrepreneurship in the same way my brother has. It?s definitely easier learning from someone who has the guts to just go out there and risk it all.

Q12) What are the biggest lessons you?ve learned in this journey?

Chris: Kindness goes a long way. When you?re operating at a speed of growth where you?re hiring 5 new people per a week, you have to remember people are people. They each have backgrounds, they respond to kindness, they should be given your time and effort. As Karl and I grow Groupon Singapore, we want to ensure we build the right sense of business philosophy. One where kindness is given precedence, where results are rewarded accordingly and where we view our customers as one of our most important company assets.

(Celes: Whether you?re a sole proprietor or overseeing a team of people, in the end we?re all working with people. Our consumers are people; our clients are people; our team members/employees/contractors (if any) are people too. Recognize that and respect them as individuals, and you?ll go a long way in not just your entrepreneurial journey, but your journey in life too.)

Q13) If you are to start all over again, what are the top 3 things you?d do as you start your business?

Chris: Firstly I?d put myself in the customer?s shoes. From my life learnings, what do I like, what do I not like, what works for me and what doesn?t. For example we worked extremely hard to keep Beeconomic?s website design very simple, based on our frustration with annoyingly complicated websites.

Secondly, make your product or service the best in the market (even if that means spending more). We continually strive to improve our customer service to the highest standard, for example our Groupon Promise allows customers to seek a full refund if they aren?t happy with any Groupon experience.

Thirdly, spread the word. Learn how to market your business in the smartest most effective way, whether through SEO or a Groupon deal.

Q14) How would you advise someone who is just starting his/her business and wants to bring it to the million-dollar mark and beyond?

Be prepared to work extremely hard and make personal sacrifices. Be passionate about what you?re selling, and don?t sell anything you wouldn?t buy yourself. You will always face some form of rejection at the start, so you need to really believe in your product and keep on trying. If you want to make millions, you?ll need to invest heavily into marketing and be able to scale up your business quickly.

Q15) What?s next in your plans?

We want Groupon.sg to become the premier City Guide that people can rely on to find the best food, spas and fun activities Singapore has to offer.

Special thanks to Chris and Karl for this interview! Chris and Karl Chong are the co-founders and owners of Groupon Singapore. To find out more about Groupon and check out its latest deal for today, visit www.Groupon.sg.

This is part of the Successful Businesses Interview Series, where I feature successful businesses that are making a difference in others? lives. Get all interviews delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter.


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Source: http://celestinechua.com/blog/interview-groupon/

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What do you know Regarding Hemorrhoids? - Health and Fitness Blog

Hemorrhoids are masses or clumps of tissue within the anal canal that are comprised of blood vessels and supporting tissue, that is comprised of muscle and elastic fibers.? The anal canal is the last four centimeters which stool passes from the rectum. Although people presume that hemorrhoids are abnormal, everybody has them. ?

It is only when they become enlarged are they regarded as abnormal or a disease. Just regarding 4 % of the public experience problems with hemorrhoids.? They?re found equally in women and men and usually occur when a person is between 45-65 years old.

It is unknown what truly causes hemorrhoids to enlarge, but there are many theories.? The high intake of fiber could be one.? It has theories that they?re brought on from sitting too long on the toilet or having chronic constipation.? The only clear theory is pregnancy.? It is not clear why, however it is common in pregnant women. ?

Tumors that are in the pelvis area can cause the enlargement because they press on the veins.? One more theory is from the force of hard stool.? The passing through the canal, it can drag the hemorrhoid cushions downward. Occasionally with age, the hemorrhoid tissue begins to deteriorate and slides down the anal canal.

A few of the symptoms of hemorrhoids are when you get pains in your lower abdomen or when you feel pressure near the intestines.? When the hemorrhoid continues to get bigger, it will pull down a portion of the rectum lining and protrude from the anus. ?

This is known as relapsing internal hemorrhoid. You might also find blood in stool.? This is a sign of hemorrhoids.? You may also experience anal itchiness, but this is less typical.? Occasionally mucus secretes from the rectal lining, it will cause the area to be constantly moist, and which will cause itching.? Hemorrhoids do require some medical attention, simply because they can cause gangrene.

In general, if you feel any bulges or pressure near the anus, you could have hemorrhoids.? When they are smaller, you might not feel anything simply because they have no effect on the function of the anus.? External hemorrhoids are the ones that can cause the most problems. It may be very painful and requires medical attention.? External hemorrhoids will heal, eventually, but scarring or discomfort when bathing maybe a side effect.

When you seek medical attention, your doctor will put you on a grading system. First-degree hemorrhoids will bleed but not protrude from the anus.? Second-degree hemorrhoids are protruding, but retract by them and can bleed.? Third degree hemorrhoids are protruding and can be pushed back with a finger.? The fourth degree hemorrhoid is protruding and can?t be pushed back in.? They contain blood clots and pull much of the rectum through the anus.

Getting good information on how to cure hemorrhoid these days is not so easy. Good thing I found this great website right here: How To Cure Hemorrhoid

Source: http://www.my-health-fitness-blog.com/news/what-do-you-know-regarding-hemorrhoids/

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Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas

You know the old saying, right? If you can't beat them, license your designs to third-party manufacturers and develop an app for your competitor's hardware. Kno's dual-screen tablet had a pretty tough road since its debut last summer. The educational device was plagued by shipping delays and low pre-order numbers, and by February of this year, the company effectively threw in the hardware towel. A few months later, Intel plunked down a bunch of money, so that Kno's dreams might live on in the designs of other manufacturers. The company's software plans are becoming a reality now, as well, with the release of Textbooks, which brings some 70,000 discounted educational titles to the iPad. The free app lets students read and organize texts, affix annotations, and communicate with study partners, offering creative new ways to pass notes in class. Press release after the break.

Continue reading Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas

Kno brings textbooks to iPad, millions of children now dread getting Apple tablet for Christmas originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceiTunes  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/05/kno-brings-textbooks-to-ipad-millions-of-children-now-dread-get/

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Free assistance with reading, writing and speaking English now ...

People who have difficulty with the written word, either reading or writing, use many strategies to survive in this world of signs, directions and forms along with newspapers, manuals, books and the internet.
?
At Sunshine Coast Libraries, there is support available ? free to eligible participants ? provided by trained volunteer tutors.
?
Library and Gallery Services Manager, Ross Duncan said functional literacy was a basic right of everyone and an essential skill to enable individuals to play active roles in their communities. ?
?
?Our trained tutors provide invaluable support and assistance to adults learning to read and write in a welcoming, friendly and non-judgemental environment,? he said.
?
Spaces are available now in both one-on-one and classroom situations.? This program is offered at Caloundra, Kawana, Beerwah, Maleny, Noosa and Cooroy Libraries. ?
?
Support is also available for people who have English as a second language (ESL) and who wish to improve their English speaking and writing skills.? An English conversation class is also held weekly at Maroochydore Library.
?
Contact your local library or the Adult Literacy Program Coordinator on 5499 5414 for more information.
?
The Adult Literacy Program delivered in branches of Sunshine Coast Libraries is supported by a $141,800 grant from the State Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative?s Community Literacy Program.

Permanent Link: Free assistance with reading, writing and speaking English now available
Publish Date: 08 Jun 11

Sunshine Coast Regional Council :
Locked Bag 72 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Q 4560, Sunshine Coast Wide
Phone: 07 5475 7272
Non-fixed: 1300 007 272

Source: http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/free-assistance-with-reading-writing-and-speaking-english-now-available,21707

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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Oracle and OpenOffice: The Final Insult

"Oracle is playing the spiteful child, smashing their toys instead of sharing," said blogger Robert Pogson. "A thriving community has sprung up around LibreOffice, and even though Oracle decided there was no money to be made from OpenOffice.org, they would not set the code free."


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Things are never dull here in the Linux blogosphere, but there's no doubt they would be a whole lot less entertaining without Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL).

How else, after all, would we get the opportunity to ride on a thrilling emotional roller coaster such as the one Oracle's had us on since it acquired Sun?

Regarding OpenOffice.org, in particular, it's been one hair-raising twist and turn after another. The latest was felt last week, when Oracle decided to snub the Document Foundation and give the software suite to the Apache Software Foundation instead.

"Donating OpenOffice.org to Apache gives this popular consumer software a mature, open, and well established infrastructure to continue well into the future," said Luke Kowalski, a vice president with Oracle's Corporate Architecture Group. "The Apache Software Foundation's model makes it possible for commercial and individual volunteer contributors to collaborate on open source product development."

Eschewing the Obvious

We've known for some time, of course, that Oracle had decided to relinquish OpenOffice to non-commercial status. What we didn't know, however, was which group would be the lucky recipient.

Given its LibreOffice fork, the Document Foundation would certainly have been a logical choice. But since when does logic necessarily come into the picture?

Doing her best to leave her disbelief in a state of suspension, Linux Girl took to the streets of the blogosphere to learn more about what had just happened.

'Giving the Community the Finger'

"What just happened here is that Oracle couldn't resist giving the community the finger one more time," Hyperlogos blogger Martin Espinoza told Linux Girl. "It's better than Oracle trying to retain it, but it's far worse than simply giving it to the Document Foundation.

"The longer the schism between the versions goes on, the more users will ultimately suffer," Espinoza added.

Indeed, "Oracle is playing the spiteful child, smashing their toys instead of sharing," blogger Robert Pogson agreed. "A thriving community has sprung up around LibreOffice, and even though Oracle decided there was no money to be made from OpenOffice.org, they would not set the code free."

'Free, But Just Barely'

The Apache Software License (ASL) "is a Free Software license, but just barely," Pogson pointed out. "It seems to permit binary-only distribution. Perhaps that fits with what Oracle and IBM (NYSE: IBM) do with OpenOffice.org code."

The timing is particularly interesting, too, given that "Oracle just had an argument with Apache over Java," he added. "Is Oracle trying to make a bit more trouble for Apache by throwing a complex web of licenses at them?

"Who knows?" he mused. "Organizations having a temper tantrum don't usually make much sense."

'Small-Minded Spite'

In the end, if the code shifts to ASL licensing, "that will likely mean LibreOffice will drift further away from the code-base," Pogson predicted. "That could divide effort or improve the situation by competition."

The world "is big enough for yet another WYSIWYG office suite," he opined. "Oracle does not own all the code, so they cannot make it all ASL."

Either way, "it all seems rather pointless," Pogson concluded. "A contribution to LibreOffice would have meant more happiness to more people, so the thing seems like small-minded spite."

'Oracle Simply Couldn't Compete'

It's "pretty obvious that Oracle was taken aback by how quickly LibreOffice gained both credibility and traction," opined Barbara Hudson, a blogger on Slashdot who goes by "Tom" on the site.

"The distributions that have already switched to LibreOffice are a 'who's who' of linux, including OpenSuse, Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint," Hudson pointed out. "I expect the rest to switch in their next release, now that OpenOffice is heading towards irrelevancy."

There's been speculation that "having OpenOffice under a more 'business-friendly' Apache license will help keep it alive, but there's a difference between 'alive' and 'relevant,'" she added. "LibreOffice is obviously going to be the leader when it comes to new features, improvements and overall user base.

"Oracle simply couldn't compete, and having OpenOffice under the Apache Foundation was the best it could do to avoid just giving it to the LibreOffice group," Hudson concluded. "Sour grapes?"

'A Long, Slow Death'

Slashdot blogger hairyfeet saw it differently.

"What happens to OpenOffice? The same thing that will happen to LibreOffice, I'll wager, which is a long, slow death," hairyfeet predicted.

"The simple fact is developers of real quality don't have much if any spare time, and they certainly aren't gonna want to spend a year or two getting up to speed on such a massive monolithic chunk of code like LO/OO, and without the big bucks of Sun/Oracle to pay the bills," hairyfeet added.

'The End of the OpenOffice.org Brand'

Others weren't so sure.

"This is going to depend heavily on whether the large businesses that still support OpenOffice switch to LibreOffice," asserted Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project.

"In the end, user community and developer community are the only things that matter," Travers opined. "It is not clear how this move will address these issues."

Consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack saw doom, but just for OpenOffice.org.

"I suspect we're going to see the end of the OpenOffice.org brand," Mack predicted. "The developer mindshare has already moved away, and the new move by Oracle won't reverse that."

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/72590.html

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