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A method and apparatus for the detection and investigation of fraudulent debit and charge card activation transactions. Cardholder information on file is matched with information provided at activation time. Where matching does not occur, fraud is a possibility. All activation activity is captured and summarized. Absolute failures are highlighted. Subsequent fraudulent use of fraudulently activated cards can be investigated resulting in possible identification of the alleged fraudulent card user.
1. A method of activating a payment card, the method comprising
creating a cardholder record based on information from a cardholder application, the cardholder record including card identity and cardholder information;
receiving a card activation request;
starting a session and issuing a first query in response to the activation request;
receiving card identity information in response to issuing a first query;
starting a card identity information attempt tracking mechanism;
verifying the validity of the card identity information;
reissuing the first query if the card identity information is invalid and a limit of the card identity tracking mechanism has not been exceeded;
issuing an error message and ending the session if a limit of the card identity tracking mechanism has been exceeded; and
if the card identity information is valid
issuing a second query requesting cardholder information;
starting a cardholder information attempt tracking mechanism;
verifying the validity of the cardholder information;
reissuing the second query if the cardholder information is invalid and a limit of the cardholder information attempt tracking mechanism has not been exceeded; and
issuing an error message and ending the session if the limit of the cardholder information tracking mechanism has been exceeded; and
if the cardholder information is valid, issuing a card activation message.
2. A method as claimed in
starting a session tracking mechanism;
issuing an error message and ending the session if a limit of the session tracking session has been exceeded.
3. A method as claimed in
4. A method as claimed in
5. A method as claimed in
6. A method as claimed in
7. A method as claimed in
8. A method as claimed in
9. A method as claimed in
before issuing a second query, querying a database;
determining whether the card identity information matches an entry in the database;
logging a match message if the card identity information matches an entry in the database; and
if the card identity information does not match an entry in the database logging a non-match message.
10. A method of capturing card activation activity, the method comprising
receiving a card activation request;
starting a session, incrementing a session tracking mechanism; and issuing a first query in response to the activation request;
issuing an error message and ending the session if a limit of the session tracking mechanism has been exceeded;
receiving card identity information in response to issuing a first query;
starting a card identity information attempt tracking mechanism;
verifying the validity of the card identity information;
logging a message if the card identity information is invalid;
reissuing the first query if the card identity information is invalid and a limit of the card identity tracking mechanism has not been exceeded;
issuing an error message, logging a second message, and ending the session if a limit of the card identity tracking mechanism has been exceeded; and
if the card identity information is valid
logging a third message;
issuing a second query;
starting a cardholder information attempt tracking mechanism;
verifying the validity of the cardholder information;
logging a fourth message and reissuing the second query if the cardholder information is invalid and a limit of the cardholder information attempt tracking mechanism has not been exceeded; and
logging a fifth message, issuing an error message, and ending the session if the limit of the cardholder information tracking mechanism has been exceeded.
11. A method as claimed in
12. A payment card activation system comprising:
a network;
a cardholder terminal coupled to the network; and
a call center coupled to the network, the call center having
a report generation unit,
a response unit,
a cardholder database,
a set of validation rules, and
a database of logged messages, each message representing a card activation activity,
wherein the report generation unit is operable to generate a report including information based on one or more of the logged messages in the database of logged messages.
13. A system as claimed in
14. A system as claimed in
15. A system as claimed in
16. A system as claimed in
17. A system as claimed in
18. A system as claimed in
19. A system as claimed in
20. A payment card activation report generation system comprising
a response unit programmed to respond to an inquiry, generate card activation queries, and log messages based on responses to the queries;
a database of logged messages, each message representing a card activation activity;
a cardholder database;
a set of validation rules; and
a report generation unit programmed to sort the database of logged messages by card issuer and to generate a report including information based on one or more of the logged messages in the database of logged messages.
21. A system as claimed in
22. A system as claimed in
23. A system as claimed in
24. A payment card activation report comprising:
a card issue name block having a name of a card issuer;
card number and cardholder name information;
an account number;
a session number representing the number of times a purported cardholder has attempted to activate a particular card;
a purported cardholder identifier;
an indication of activation criteria;
an indication of activation status;
an indication of an agent processing an activation attempt; and
an eye catcher that indicates a failed card activation.
25. A report as claimed in
26. A report as claimed in
27. A report as claimed in
28. A report as claimed in
29. A method of monitoring card activation activity, the method comprising
logging activity of a purported cardholder in activating a payment card, where the impetus of activity is one or more queries generated by a response unit;
creating a report from the logged activity; and
reviewing the report for indications of failed activation, erroneous responses to queries, or both.
30. A method as claimed in
31. A method as claimed in
32. A method as claimed in
creating a database of actual cardholders;
reviewing the report for an indication of activation success;
determining a card associated with the activation success;
contacting the actual cardholder of the card; and
determining whether the actual cardholder is aware that the card has been activated.
33. A method as claimed in
determining identifying information of a purported cardholder associated with the activation success; and
contacting the purported cardholder if the actual cardholder is unaware that the card has been activated.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/161,161 filed on Oct. 22, 1999.
The invention relates generally to the activation of debit and charge cards. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus to monitor payment card activation activity and to detect and investigate fraudulent debit and charge card activations.
When debit and credit cards (generically referred to as "cards" or "payment cards" herein) are newly issued or reissued, they are mailed to cardholders. In most instances, the cards are mailed in an inactive state in order to prevent unauthorized use of the card by someone other than the cardholder. Typically, cards include a sticker or other label with information instructing the card recipient to contact a call center via the telephone, Internet, or other method. The person in possession of the card contacts the call center to activate the card. With existing activation systems, the cardholder must usually validate identity information to a customer representative or, in some cases an automated voice response unit. If the identity information provided by the caller matches the information at the call center, the card is authorized. In general, little information concerning the activation process is recorded and maintained. Further, no systematic or engineered devices or techniques are used to detect and prevent fraudulent activations of cards.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a method and device to detect and investigate fraudulent activation transactions.
The invention provides an automated card activation system ("ACAS") that includes a response unit. Upon receiving a request or telephone call from a purported cardholder, the response unit generates a message, such as a voice message, instructing the purported cardholder ("PC") to interact with the system to activate the recently received card. The PC is queried for his or her card number and a predetermined amount of personal information (generally "requested criteria"). The ACAS matches the requested criteria it receives in response to the queries with information obtained earlier from the true cardholder's original card application.
The ACAS is programmed to allow the PC a pre-determined number of match attempts on the requested criteria. The ACAS maintains an attempt counter, which is initialized to zero at the beginning of a session. The ACAS may be configured to test for matches of multiple criteria. For each match attempt, the ACAS logs the information the cardholder supplied and the results of the match attempt, which can be either a success or failure. The attempt counter is incremented each time a failure occurs. When all of the criteria have been met, an activation flag is set in the cardholder's record, an activation record is logged, and the cardholder is informed that his or her card has been activated.
Of course, a session with the ACAS may end in failure. If so, the card remains inactive. A pre-determined number of sessions with the ACAS are allowed. To track the number of sessions that a PC uses in an attempt to activate a card, the ACAS maintains a session counter. The session counter is initialized to zero upon the creation of the cardholder record, which typically occurs during the processing of the cardholder's application. The values of the session and attempt counter are stored in a log or other record.
If either of the counter limits are exceeded, or the PC cannot correctly provide account number information to the ACAS, the ACAS 1) transfers the PC to a human operator or customer service representative ("CSR") for assistance in activating the card, or 2) directs the PC to contact the card issuer directly. The fact that a transfer has occurred is logged. If the PC is transferred to a CSR, the representative determines whether to activate the card based on a set of criteria. This set of criteria is the same or similar to that used by the ACAS. The CSR may also use additional criteria and exercise human judgment in making an activation decision. The CSR's activation decision is also logged.
Logged records are processed on a periodic basis, for example, daily, to produce a card activation report. The records may also be processed on a second periodic basis, based on criteria such as an invoice cycle, to produce an accumulated or summary card activation report. Daily and cycle-duration reports are provided to card issuers as part of an optional, subscription card activation reporting service.
The information logged by the ACAS may be sorted in a variety of ways to produce activity reports. In one embodiment of the invention, logged records are sorted first by card issuer, then card number, then cardholder to session number, then activation agent, and finally sequence number. The activation agent is either the ACAS or the CSR. The sorted records are separated into groups, where a group is all those records associated with the same card issuer, card number, session number, and activation agent. Each group is sorted in chronological order by a sequence number.
A card activation report is built using the last record in each sorted group. In nearly all situations, the ACAS generates a group of records (as opposed to just one record) for each session because records are logged for each validation match attempt and also for final activation. The last record chronologically associated with a session has the highest sequence number. The card activation report shows detailed information extracted from the last log record. This information includes the cardholder's name, the card number, the session number, the activation agent, the personal information that was entered on the last match effort, an indication of whether the call was transferred, and an indication of whether activation was successful. The report includes a flag or other eye-catcher (such as an asterisk). The presence of a failure flag indicates an absolute failure. That is, for the subject cardholder number, on the subject day, no card was activated and there was at least one failed activation attempt. The report also summarizes the number of successful and unsuccessful sessions by the criterion (or activation method) last employed. A card activation report can be developed for each card issuer that subscribes to the ACAS.
In the case of successful activations, the report includes the last triggering action (or match). In the case of a failure during a session, facts about the last match effort are shown in the report. These facts include information that was provided to the ACAS by the PC. The ACAS include a log-viewing or user/administrative interface module that provides access to all logged information stored in the ACAS.
As is apparent from the above, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method and system of activating payment cards. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of part of the activation process of a card.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of part of the activation process of a card.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the process of selecting records for a card activation report.
FIG. 5 is an illustration of a card activation report.
FIG. 6 is an illustration of a key for the card activation report shown in FIG. 5.
Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
An automated card activation system ("ACAS") 10 of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The system 10 is designed to be used by financial institutions that issue payment cards or by service organizations that provide activation services to such institutions. The system may be accessed by a user or purported cardholder ("PC") who has obtained possession of a card 11. The system 10 includes a cardholder terminal 12 that may be a telephone, computer, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant, or the like. The cardholder terminal 12 is coupled to a call center 14 through a network 16, such as the public switched telephone network (an instance of a "circuit-switched network"), the Internet (an instance of a "packet-switched network"), or other network. The call center 14 includes one or more computers or other programmable devices, generically identified as a processor 18, it being understood that multiple servers, a client and a server, and other hardware configurations could suitably support the software of the invention. The processor 18 could be a web server and include a web site with HTML or other content having a defined set of tags. Preferably, the call center includes, in software form, a report generation unit 20, a user/administration interface module 22, and a response unit 24. The response unit includes or is associated with a set of validation rules 25. The rules 25 are used by the response unit 24 to analyze the responses and information provided by the PC. The validation rules 25 are set by the card issuer. Generally, validation rules are set for groups of cards, according to relatively standardized procedures, at a bank identification number ("BIN") level. The processor interacts with a cardholder database 26 and a message database 28. The message database 28 may be accessed by the report generation unit 20 and the information therein may be sorted to create a sorted database 29.
A call or other request initiated by the caller or purported cardholder ("PC") to the system 10 at the terminal 12 is answered at the call center 14 by the response unit 24. Because it is possible that a fraudulent user or imposter will attempt to activate the card, the system 10 treats all attempts as being made by a potential imposter. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the response unit generates queries to the PC, requests look-ups (i.e., analyzes the responses made to the queries) and writes information, such as an activation event and other activation session activity, to the database of messages 28. Each message logged in the database 28 is assigned a sequence number so that a chronological sequencing of events that occur during a session may be maintained. The response unit 24 also generates results messages, such as activation successful or activation failure messages, and sends them to the terminal 12 for reception by the PC. The call center 14 maintains validation criteria in the cardholder database 26. The cardholder database is populated with information obtained from cardholder applications by the institution issuing the payment card that is the subject of the activation attempt. The cardholder database includes a number of cardholder records 32 (only one of which is shown). Each record 32 includes an account number 35, a card number 37, a cardholder name 39, and security information 41. The cardholder record 32 also includes a session counter 43, which is initially set to zero, incremented with each session started by the system 10 for that particular record, (and reset to zero after a successful activation). The report generation unit 20 sorts the logged records in the database 28 and creates reports from those records. Logged records can also be searched and read using the user/administration interface 22.
The process of activating a card as carried out by the system 10 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A shown at step 50, the receipt of a call at the call center 14 activates the system 10 and marks the beginning of a session. The processor 18 initializes various variables or objects, as shown at step 54. The objects used by the system include tracking mechanisms in the form of the session counter 43 and a number of attempt counters that are discussed below. In general, various information is garnered from the PC and is compared to that in the database 26.
Following initialization, the system 10 generates a welcome message, as shown at step 58. The system 10 queries the PC for a card number and then reads the card number entered by the PC, as shown at step 62. The system 10 then checks, at step 66, the entered card number to ensure that it falls within allowable parameters for card numbers. For example, if the system knows that card numbers should include 16 digits, a card number of more or less digits will not be accepted. If an unacceptable card number is entered, a card number counter is incremented at step 70. The system 10 then checks to see if the card number counter exceeds a predetermined limit, such as 3 attempts, at step 74. If the limit is exceeded, the system 10 logs a card number exceeded message in the database 28, as shown at step 78. The system then plays or generates a message indicating an attempt failure. The message may contain additional information instructing the PC to contact his or her financial institution for assistance in activating the card 11. As long as the card number counter limit is not exceeded, the system 10 continues to ask the PC to enter a new card number.
When an allowable card number is entered, the system 10 logs relevant information about the activation request or lookup, as shown at step 86. This information includes the card number provided by the PC, an automatic number identifier (ANI) generated by the system 10 for the PC, any card issuer information that can be derived from the card number, and the date and time of the session. A look-up is performed at step 90. The system checks, at step 94, whether the card number is on file in the database 28. If the card number matches one of the records 32, validation data and rules are logged along with all other information that has been collected by the system 10, as shown at step 98. If the card number does not match any card number on file, the system increments a card number match counter, as shown at step 102. A message concerning a failure to find a match is logged at step 106 and the system then checks to see if the card number match counter limit has been exceeded, as shown at step 110. If the counter limit has not been exceeded, the system 10 re-executes step 62 and the PC is asked to enter a new card number. If the card number match counter limit is exceeded, a failure message is logged, as shown at step 114, and an appropriate message is generated and sent to the terminal 12, as shown at step 118. The message may ask the PC to contact his or her financial institution for assistance with activating the card. Alternatively, the PC may be transferred to a help desk or CSR.
If a matching card number is entered by the PC, the system 10 begins the validation process as shown at step 122. The response unit 24 sends a query to the terminal 12 requesting identification information from the PC and reads the response data entered by the PC at the terminal 12, as shown at step 126. The system 10 may be configured to request a variety of identification information, such as the cardholder name, a pin number, the maiden name of the cardholder's mother, a password, and the like. The response entered by the PC is compared to information stored in the record 32, as shown at step 130. If the information matches, a match message is written to the database 28, as shown at step 134. If the information does not match, an identification counter is incremented, as shown at step 138, an appropriate message is logged at step 142, and a check is made to see if the identification counter has exceeded a predetermined limit at step 144. If the limit is exceeded, a counter-exceeded message is logged at step 146, and an appropriate failure message is sent to the terminal 12, as shown at step 150. Alternatively, the PC could be transferred to an operator or help desk for assistance with validating his or her card. If the limit of the identification counter is not exceeded, the system re-executes step 126 and the PC is again requested to enter identifying information.
As noted above, the system may ask the PC for a variety of identification information. The system may be configured to make repeated requests and checks of identification information depending on the level of security deemed necessary by the card issuer. If additional identification information is to be evaluated, the system 10 checks at step 154 whether there is more criteria to check. If so, the criteria fields and identification counter are reset at step 158. Step 126 is then repeated.
Once all the criteria or identification information is successfully validated, the system activates the record 32 associated with the card being validating by the PC, as shown at step 162. An activation record is then logged at step 166. A message is sent to the terminal at step 170 and a record of sending the activation message is logged at step 174. Finally, the session is ended at step 178.
As should be apparent from the above description, the system 10 records numerous events throughout the validation process. These events include successful attempts and activations. Of course, system failures may also occur, although they are not shown in FIG. 1 or 2. When a system failure occurs, the system 10 informs the caller of the failure, if possible. The system 10 also plays or sends a message requesting the PC to try validating the card again later.
The records created as a result of recording the events that occur during the validation process can be sorted to create a variety of reports. The process of generating a report is shown in FIG. 4. The process begins at step 200, where the database 28 is populated with the information from the recorded events. The report generation unit 20 then sorts the information in the database 28, as shown at step 204, to create the sorted database 29. The report generation unit then places records in the sorted database 29 with the same card issuer, card number, session number, activation agent in a group, as shown at step 208. The report generation unit 20 then generates a report by card issuer as shown at step 212.
A sample report 250 is shown in FIG. 5. A key to the report 250 is shown in FIG. 6. The report 250 is a daily card activation report. The report 250 includes a card issuer name block 252 that includes the name of the issuer and an indication of the report type (e.g., daily). The report also includes a coverage period block 254 that includes information such as the date of entries in the report, the run date of the report, and the run time of the report. The information in the report is placed in seven columns. Column 256 includes the card number and cardholder name. Column 258 includes the account number the card issuer has assigned to the cardholder. Column 260 includes the data and time of the activity listed in the report. Column 262 includes a call or session number that indicates the number of times the PC has accessed the call center 14. Column 262 also includes a caller identifier such as the phone number or e-mail address of the PC. Lastly column 262 includes an indication of the activation criteria and an indication of the activation status, such as "failed" or "activated."
Column 264 includes indications of the identifying data entered by the PC. As noted above, this information may include information such as a home phone number, maiden names, social security numbers, and birth dates among others. Column 266 includes an indication of the agent that activated or processed the attempt to activate the subject card. In the examples provided, the agent is either a human operator at a help desk (code symbol "HLP") or the response unit 24 of the ACAS 10 (code symbol "VRU" for virtual response unit). Column 268 includes an eye catcher 270 that indicates a failed card activation. Column 268 also includes an indication regarding calls transferred to a help desk or CSR. Flags, such as asterisk 272, under the title XFER indicate that a PC was transferred to a human for assistance in activating the subject card.
Reports such as the report 250 may include a number of indications that the activation or attempted activation was made by an imposter rather than the actual cardholder. Indicators on the card activation report are the absolute failure eye-catcher 270, a high number of sessions for a specific card number, a high number of attempts to enter personal information and what appears to be guessed-at information (i.e., the data entered is very different from the information on file). A high number of session failures is an indicator of potentially fraudulent activity.
The report and logged records can also be used in an investigation after fraudulent use of the card has occurred. The actual cardholder ("AC") will have been asked about receipt and activation of the card. If the AC replies that either he or she did not receive the card or did not activate it, the investigator checks the card activation reports and the complete log to determine how the card was activated and the telephone number employed (ANI) by the individual that activated the card. (The telephone number used calling into an 800 number cannot be blocked.) The number recorded on the card activation report can be used to determine the location and even the identity of the alleged fraudulent card user. The details of the activation transaction(s) can be used as evidence in prosecuting the alleged fraudulent card user. This same information can be used to support or refute the cardholder's explanation of events.
One key purpose of the card activation report and summary card activation report is to inform card issuers of activation transactions for validating actual volumes with expected volumes, to reconcile invoices, to determine if selected validation criterion are the best ones to use, and for system performance monitoring. As has been stated earlier, many details and records are logged. An aspect of the invention is the reduction of that data to a meaningful presentation (i.e., one or more reports), successfully serving the primary purpose of fraud detection and prevention.
The methods described are not limited to interaction with a voice response unit. Other possibilities include communication between a cardholder and a human operator (with assistance from a computer application) and between a cardholder and a computer processor connected to the Internet. The ANI captured in implementation of the automated voice response unit method, can also be captured in an implementation of the human operator method. For the implementation of the Internet method, the capture of the network address and the electronic mail address of the cardholder provides identification information similar to the ANI for use in fraud detection and investigation.
In addition to its uses in detecting fraudulent activity, the invention may be used to facilitate cardholder customer relations. The reports generated by the system 10 may be used by card issuers to identify cardholders that are having difficulty activating their cards. In fact, in many instances failed activation attempts will occur when legitimate cardholders improperly respond to queries of the response unit 24 or have difficulty responding quickly enough to an automated system, which will often timeout if responses are not received within specific time limits. These cardholders may be contacted by the card issuer to ensure that they receive the assistance necessary to activate the card. This avoids the situation where a frustrated cardholder cancels his or her card due to an unsatisfactory experience with the system 10.
As can be seen from the above, the invention provides a method and system of monitoring card activation activity and of detecting and investigating fraudulent debit and charge card activations.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
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A pair of neutrinos detected in Antarctica may be the first of these ghostly particles seen coming from outside the solar system since 1987. If the finding is confirmed, it could lead to a new way of looking at the universe that may solve a number of cosmic puzzles.
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EcoEngineers Indexing Services was formed to meet market demand for a reliable, transparent and timely RIN index for various RIN vintages. Our RIN indices will enable the market to hedge products as required, create forward price certainty and offer a mechanism to enter and exit the market without being concerned about holding the physical RIN itself.
EcoEngineers is an independent engineering/software firm headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. EcoEngineers provides a broad range of services in the renewable fuel sector including plant design review, RIN management solutions, third-party RIN verifications, on-site audits and regulatory consulting under national and international renewable fuel standards. EcoEngineers' RIN Quality Assurance Program provides data verification and transparency to RIN markets.Our cost-effective web-based solutions take the burden of compliance away from renewable fuel producers leaving them free to concentrate on fuel production and sales. Third-party data verification and distribution is one of our core value propositions and we have expanded it to include pricing data. The indexing services provided by us will be the most comprehensive provided in the industry.
Contact EcoEngineers today and learn how to report your RIN pricing data.
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MP Nawwaf Musawi arrives at the Parliament in Beirut, Lebanon. (The Daily Star)
BEIRUT: Hezbollah MP Nawaf Musawi said Monday the battle situation in war-torn Syria is not turning in America and Israel's favor amid reports of almost 30 Hezbollah's fighters being killed in clashes with rebels in the Syrian town of Qusair.
Musawi also warned both the U.S. and Israel against toppling Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"If some were betting on weakening our ally in Syria [Assad] and toppling him [Assad], he should keep in mind that two years into the [conflict] have passed while betting on delusions," Musawi said.
"Those who were banking on U.S. power and Israeli threats of war and victory of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Syria are mistaken," he said.
Musawi's remarks come as media reported that scores of Hezbollah's fighters were killed while fighting alongside troops loyal to Assad in the Syrian town of Qusair.
Some 30 Hezbollah fighters and 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to Assad were killed in heavy fighting with rebels in the town of Qusair, Syrian activists said Monday, reported Reuters news agency.
Hezbollah has admitted some of its fighters are in a number of Syrian border towns. However, the resistance group denies fighting alongside Assad, insisting that it is training Lebanese living in the border villages to defend themselves against rebel assaults.
Musawi also warned that Hezbollah would not hesitate to plunge "Israel into the abyss," in the latest tit-for-tat threats between the arch enemies.
"If the enemy – through its aggression – is practicing brinkmanship with the resistance and its allies in this region, the resistance is not afraid to push the enemy itself into the abyss," Musawi said.
Hezbollah, he warned, has "enough potential to make any Israeli official aware that the threat of war applies to him and that he will be the first to lose as a result of his behavior."
Musawi said Hezbollah was also able to deter any Israeli attempts at stealing Lebanon's natural gas and oil resources.
"As Lebanon is once again in the heart of the storm since it enters today the production phase of oil and gas resources, this will likely lead to growing ambitions and threats. But we are equally aware that our capabilities and potentials have also increased in order to face the challenges and threats," he warned.
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District Sees More Say Goodbye
Last year, the La Crosse School District saw 83 employees either retire or resign. So far this year...that number is at 63....with 32 added to that list Monday night. With impending budget cuts and possible layoffs coming, we asked District Human Resources Director, Steve Salerno, if these positions will be filled.
Salerno says he just came back from a recruitment fair in Madison and the line of applicants at their table was longer then any other school there. How many total positions that will be filled.....unknown at this time.


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Smith & Nephew, Inc. filed as a Statement & Designation By Foreign Corporation in the State of California filed on Monday, November 18, 1996. This corporation is approximately nineteen years old according to documents filed with California Secretary of State.
William's past corporate interests include the Vice President of Smith & Nephew, Inc. .
Key roles for William Griffin
Smith & Nephew, Inc.
Vice President


text:
Audriella Jelly Flip Flops
Style # 235079
Jellies, jellies, jellies. Playfully-sexy flip flop sandals feature a crystal studded T-strap thong, our bebe logo, and clear accents. Bright hues to match your mood!
- Synthetic upper, synthetic outsole
- Imported
- Platform: .5" (2 cm)
Rated 4.5 out of 5�by 2 reviewers.
Rated 4 out of 5�by WildDove Runs small Bought these in 2 colors as the style is right up my alley. Being a size 10-11, it's always a question as to which size is going to fit. I ordered a 10, the largest size this shoe comes in, and it was too small. I suspect an 11, had it been available, would have been perfect. Consider sizing up when buying this shoe. September 4, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by wantmore Fun and Bright cuter in person for sure! it is a neon bright pink with cute rhinestones! perfect for summer with a nice pedi of course. def a must buy!!!!! June 8, 2014
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Predicting Tall Poppies
A company is only as good as the employees it keeps.
For a long time, the world of analytics has focused on understanding the lifetime value of a customer to help organisations understand which ones are worth fighting for, and of those, which are at high risk of taking their money elsewhere.
Which begs the question, why aren't we using the same techniques to understand the value an employee will bring to the organisation over the course of their career, and which of those tall poppies are at highest risk of leaving the organisation?


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Terraced rice paddies seen over a river.
On the bridge of a small coastal ferry.
Faculty and staff of Department of Geography at Shanghai Normal University.
A lion statue.
Dragon heads adorn a temple.
A deer statue.
Masses of humanity fill a Chinese city street.
Bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation.
Dr. Mike Lougridge, second from left, enjoying tea with Chinese colleagues.
Coastal China with sun setting (maybe rising) behind a mountain.
Welcoming NOAA with a machine plotted message.
Chinese craftsman working on a rug.
Sign at the Great Wall.
Playing on an old cannon below the Great Wall.
Views along the Great Wall.
Along the Great Wall.
Map of the Ming Tombs.
Ming Tombs at Beijing.
Summer Palace at Beijing.
Tian An Men Square, Beijing.
Qin soldier, at Xian.
Forbidden City, Beijing.
Map showing travels of NGDC staff in China.
West Lake at Hangzhou.
A message of good will from one Nation to another.
The volcano crater at San Benedicto Island.
Half rim of volcanic crater. Unidentified island.
Uninhabited island in Eastern Tropical Pacific
The stone quarry at Easter Island.
Rocky shore of Fernandina Island
Charter boats anchored offshore.
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Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin offers a video blog in which he discusses the issue of whether or not Aikido training should involve the practice of weapons. He provides some historical background on Morihei Ueshiba's study of weapons, and explains the reasoning for the two major stands on this subject. One school of thought is that because the Founder Morihei Ueshiba was keenly interested in practicing weapons from at least the 1930s forward, and taught his Aiki Ken and Jo forms to his students — notably Morihiro Saito — after the war in Iwama, weapons training should be considered an integral part of aikido…
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Ground game leads Montana past Montana State 36-10
November 19, 2011 at 11:15 am in The Dickinson Press
BOZEMAN, Mont. Peter Nguyen and Dan Moore each ran for more than 100 yards and a touchdown, and Jordan Johnson threw two scoring passes as Montana dominated Montana State for a 36-10 victory Saturday that left the rivals sharing the Big Sky Conference championship. Continue Reading


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If Gina was still fighting and in prime condition is pick her to beat Rousey. As it stands I'd like to see a tune up fight first.
"He's got big balls. I like that." -Josh Koschek on Frank Trigg's balls.
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New DVD Offers Fresh Approach to Diabetes
PCRM's new DVD program empowers people with diabetes to move beyond simply managing the disease.
PCRM president and nutrition researcher Neal Barnard, M.D., provides eight essential lessons for turning back the clock on diabetes through a low-fat vegan diet. His presentations, based on his groundbreaking research funded by the National Institutes of Health, cover vegan diets, using the glycemic index, healthful foods while traveling, and other essential topics.
Chef Toni Fiore demonstrates how to prepare fast and satisfying recipes that eliminate the need for calorie counting and restricted portions. The DVD also includes a grocery store tour with valuable tips from PCRM dietitian Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., and director of diabetes education and care Caroline Trapp, M.S.N., C.D.E.
To find out more about the new approach to nutrition for diabetes or to order a copy of this new DVD, please visit PCRM.org/Diabetes.


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The ASC Executive Board governs the group, plans and implements its various activities. The board is selected every May for the following academic year. The 13 board positions are filled for one-year terms. Listed below are the 2012-13 Executive Board members.
Isabella Europa
4th Year | Major: Biological Anthropology
Isabella is a fun-sized, fun-loving Bay Area Bruin who enjoys hiking, running (which justifies her unrequited love for eating), napping, exploring LA and collecting quotes from her favorite novels (that she ironically only reads during midterms or finals). She has an unreasonable amount of love for ASC, but outside of JWAC she has participated in UCLA Fund Student Giving, Los Angeles Team Mentoring and Thank UCLA Day. Currently, she is a student assistant for UCLA Alumni Travel and an intern for UCLA Awards. Isabella is super excited to get to know new and returning Alumni Scholars at all the fun ASC events, programs and adventures. She enjoys cooking way too much, so you are always welcome to come to her apartment for dinner--seriously.
Matthew Long
3rd Year | Major: Classical Civilization
Matt is a classical civilization major with a digital humanities minor, yet has no idea what to do with these extremely useful and high demand degrees in the future. When not involved with classes, ASC or fraternity life, he enjoys short walks on the beach (interspersed with many breaks), moonlight dinners (only when not alone) and most of all spending time with friends. Born and raised a NorCal-ian, he has only recently begun to admit the validity of the southern half of the state, and that San Francisco isn't the only city that matters. He is always open to meeting new people and discussing any and all facets of life and ASC.
Pranav Mutatkar
2nd Year | Major: Mathematics and Economics
Pranav enjoys hanging out, good movies and of course ASC. Outside of ASC, Pranav participates in the Toastmasters Public Speaking Club and UCLA Mock Trial. He is focused on attaining his Math/Economics major, but also getting the most out of his UCLA experience. Pranav is really excited for this year and he is looking forward to meeting some great alumni and students.
George Elwood-Miranda
4th Year | Major: Biological Anthropology
George is from Cypress, CA, a smaller city in North Orange County. When he isn't in JWAC with his amazing friends and colleagues in ASC, you can find him taking naps in the Sculpture Garden, by Janns Steps or in Powell. His ultimate goal in life is to get into Geffen School of Medicine and start his career in infectious diseases or emergency medicine at the Ronald Reagan Center because he is 100% in love with being a Bruin. Besides the sciences, George is getting a minor in Spanish and very interested in art history, specifically Medieval and Byzantine. He is also a member of the Peer Pre-med Association on campus and helps out with UCLA Parent Fund Programs. George also dances and takes class at EDGE Performing Arts Center, Millennium and Debbie Reynolds. Some of his favorite shows includes Fringe, Bones, V, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Lie to Me, and many more.
Grace Lau
4th Year | Majors: Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
A Newport Beach native, Grace would like to make a difference in people's lives, perhaps by discovering some sort of revolutionary cure or maybe by conquering the world. She isn't quite sure how, but the latter sounds particularly enticing. In the meantime, Grace is thoroughly enjoying her time at UCLA. She spends most of her time pondering life's deepest questions, but when not sitting atop Janss steps looking out into the distance introspectively, she likes to take classes at the Wooden Center and attend any and all events put on by CEC and UCLA theater groups. She also works in a lab with one of her MIMG professors on atherosclerosis research. She loves to watch shows at the Pantages Theater and exploring all the restaurants in LA that she always sees on the Food Network. Grace would like to someday circumnavigate the world. Her hobbies include singing, swimming, reading and, as juvenile as it sounds, any sort of arts and crafts. In her free time, Grace likes to hang out with her friends and work on her evil cackle which she almost has down. Almost.
Rashi Singh
3rd Year | Major: Psychobiology
Rashi is a third year psychobiology major with a minor in biomedical research and is thrilled to be a member of the ASC Executive Board! She is excited about her research in neuroscience and enjoys her free time by teaching tennis to children with autism. She also loves listening to Latin music, relaxing with her friends and family back home in Santa Barbara, and traveling the world when she's not preparing for medical school.
Marirose Manuel
4th Year | Major: Psychology
As a transfer student, Marirose has always known that UCLA was the university for her. Originally from the San Fernando Valley, she aspires to go to medical school and one day become a physician either in the field of cardiology or pediatrics. While not studying up a storm, she enjoys cooking, watching Lakers basketball, volunteering at UCLA hospitals and exploring the great city of L.A.
Alexa Golden
4th Year | Major: Human Biology and Society
Alexa is a San Diego native with a crazed passion for the beach. To her Trojan parents' dismay, she has a raging Bruin spirit that burns in the JD Morgan Center while working for the Athletics Department as Blue and Gold staff in recruiting, in the emergency department at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as a research associate in EMRA, in the second floor of the Terasaki Building in her research lab and especially within the walls of JWAC with her fellow ASCers! She had a memorable summer mentoring youth in West Los Angeles with the TEACH program and has also loved working as a group counselor for Bruin Woods at the Lake Arrowhead Conference Center for the past two summers. Alexa enjoys tap dancing, running, yoga, lacrosse, coffee ice cream and Zumba. She has great passion for her major, Human Biology and Society, and anticipates pursuing a career in the medical field. As a former Director and coordinator for the Campus Volunteers and Alumni Relations committees, Alexa cannot wait to build off-campus service partnerships and opportunities for ASC!
Addison Yang
2nd Year | Major: Political Science and Economics
Addison is from Corona, California, a big city with a small town feel. He likes to keep updated on the latest trends in politics and business. His favorite reads include: The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He is involved with the Pre-law Society, Wing Chun Martial Arts Club and Theta Chi fraternity. In his spare time, he plays basketball at the Wooden Center and is always looking for great people to run with. As Marketing Director, Addison is looking forward to incorporating new media strategies into ASC's publicity campaign and strengthening existing channels of communication between ASC and its scholars.
Erineo Garcia
2nd Year | Major: Political Science and International Development Studies
Erineo's goal for the upcoming year is to get all the Bunche Scholars excited for the upcoming school year and for ASC. He plans to have really fun events and to try to be as helpful to anyone who may have questions.
Ariana Arant
4th Year | Major: Philosophy
Hailing from sunny San Diego, Ariana is a transfer student with a ridiculous amount of love for UCLA. Outside of ASC, she is active in music, dance and theater productions on campus and in the community. Though Ariana hopes to find a career in performing arts, she is also interested in pursuing teaching, working with children, or building a better mousetrap - one which preferably sets the adorable little singing mice free (they all sing, right?). A geek at heart, Ariana enjoys web-comics, laughter, candles, tea, drumming and cheering on her beloved Bruins until her voice is hoarse.
Tyler Lanman
3rd Year | Major: Neuroscience
Coming from Danville, Tyler has always been an enthusiastic advocate of making the ASC experience the best it could possible be. Outside of ASC, he is involved with Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, neuroscience research, global medical training, several intramural sports and Dance Marathon. He is working towards a degree in neuroscience and aspires to attend medical school. Going into his second year as Scholar Relations Director, he looks forward to another glorious year for Alumni Scholars Club and loves to meet new people so be sure to introduce yourself at one point or another.
Shannon McGregor Reese
2nd Year | Major: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Shannon is from Orcutt, California and is a member of Phi Sigma Rho, a sorority for engineering and science majors. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer, going to concerts in Hollywood and painting. Outside of UCLA and ASC, the loves of her life are Macarena, Spark and Ollivander, her cats.


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The presence of life in the Universe has titillated scientists for centuries. The explosion of exoplanet discoveries throughout our Galaxy and beyond in the last 15 years has allowed philosophical exploration to turn into real science. Research in astrobiology, "the study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe" by astrophysicists, geophysicists, biologists and chemists, has flourished, spurred on particularly by targeted spending programmes such as NASA's Astrobiology Institute. The fledgling field has been a regular grabber of spectacular headlines – but not always for the right reasons.
Last year, US researchers claimed in a Science paper to have discovered bacteria in California's Mono Lake that were capable of replacing phosphorous in their DNA by arsenic, allowing them to thrive in arsenic-rich environments. NASA announced this potentially groundbreaking finding with much fanfare: the bacteria GFAJ-1 would be the first lifeform discovered to substitute one of its fundamental DNA building blocks with a different element. But Wolfe-Simon et al's results were called into question by a number of respected scientists, and the resulting storm of commentary brought out the best and the worst of scientists and of the web. If you want to know more about it, Carl Zimmer has written some good reports on the whole affair for Slate.
Astrobiology at SciFoo
At SciFoo last week I was happy to meet Rosie Redfield, who runs a microbiology lab at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Rosie was the first scientist to write an extensive critique of the arsenic paper on her research blog. She's currently repeating the experiments with the GFAJ-1 bacteria in her own lab and documenting her progress on the blog, which is, irrespective of the controversial back story, an interesting experiment in itself. I participated in a session she organised at SciFoo entitled "Astrobiology: Buzzword or Science?", in which we had a lively discussion on the phenomenon that is astrobiology. I can't remember all the participants (sorry!), but among them were SETI's Jill Tarter, Chris Lintott, Sean Carroll, as well as Rosie and myself.
Within the microbiology community, she explained, there's the perception that astrobiology papers almost invariably get lots of media attention, while the research is not held up to the same standards as "regular" microbiology work. In other words, the papers rarely (never?) live up to the hype. The arsenic Science paper was a perfect (though not unique) example of that. On her blog she asked readers to send her examples of good astrobiology papers, and didn't receive any satisfactory responses.
My own feeling is that there's a huge potential for discovery in astrobiology research. Breakthroughs often happen at the intersection of disciplines, and astrobiology ticks that box by bringing together astrophysicists, biologists, geologists and chemists to study all aspects of life in the Universe: what it is, how it originates and evolves, and how we might detect it over large distances. So I came back from SciFoo determined to find some examples of great astrobiology research from the actual scientific literature rather than from flashy press releases.
Good Astrobiology
Annual Reviews of Astronomy & Astrophysics, always an excellent first port of call for the non-expert, published a review on Astrobiology in 2005 by Christopher Chyba from the SETI Institute and Kevin Hand of Stanford. This paper is a great read for the uninitiated as it covers a lot of interesting history and background on early ideas on life in the Universe. Chyba & Hand describe some elementary principles of astrobiology, such as the properties of stars that form with a planetary system, the concept of the Habitable Zone where planets might host life, and possible pathways to the origins of life. But much of the research it cites is of more of philosophical and historical interest than the cutting edge of research (circa 2005). Even if it had done, the landscape of this fast-growing field has changed quite a bit since then.
In any case, let's accept that the reasons for doing astrobiology are well documented. But where's the breakthrough science?
As it happens, I have a prominent astrobiologist working just two flights of stairs up from my office. Lisa Kaltenegger, who joined MPIA from the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard last year, works on modelling of exoplanetary atmospheres specifically to investigate their potential habitability. In recent years she's (co-) authored a number of nice papers in astrobiology and high-impact astrophysics journals that bring together the disciplines to genuinely contribute something new to our study of life in the Universe.
In Kaltenegger et al (2010), 'Deciphering spectral fingerprints of habitable planets', the authors look specifically at the chemical species whose signatures, or combinations of signatures, in the spectra of a planetary body are strong signposts of biological activity, and what properties of the planet could be derived from them. With our current observational facilities, we've been able to record spectra of exoplanet atmospheres. In those, we've picked up signatures of e.g. methane, carbon dioxide and water. So the paper is definitely valuable in helping us place these observational results into context, and identifying what to look out for.
NASA's Kepler satellite has delivered a bumper crop of new exoplanet discoveries: earlier this year, the mission team released data on over 1,200 possible new planets from just a tiny fraction of sky. More than 50 of these were suspected to orbit in their parent stars' habitable zone, i.e. with conditions potentially favourable to life. Kaltenegger & Sasselov (2011) examine the full sample of Kepler candidates, and with more detailed calculations and careful consideration of uncertainties, come up with their own estimates of the number of planets whose orbital parameters and physical characteristics may render them friendly to life. Their calculations strongly reduce the number of candidate rocky planets within their host stars' habitable zones.
These papers are just a few examples of work that I think addresses the core goals of astrobiology while remaining thorough and balanced. As they're extensively referenced, they're an excellent starting point for those who want to explore the subject.
Where's the "Astro-"?
A limitation of this type of research is that "habitability" is defined purely from our experience here on Earth. It assumes that a significant amount of liquid water must be present on the planet's surface to act as a solvent and that biology is carbon-based – basically that the spectral signatures of life on other planets would look similar to those we see in the Earth's atmosphere, when we look down from space. These are of course quite restrictive assumptions. There's no reason for life not to develop via other chemical pathways; we just don't know about it, and therefore have no clue what effect such life would have on a planet's atmosphere. For now, that's all we can observe.
In that respect, the discovery of weird organisms living in scorchingly hot volcanic vents, dark seabeds, and hostile chemical environments is extremely interesting, in that it helps expand our definition of life here on Earth.
But it seems to me that some research funded in astrobiology, such as (but not exclusively!) the infamous arsenic paper, fails to make any connection to space or planets or astronomy. In other words, it's biology. So I'm curious as to why such work is funded in astro-biology programs, particularly by NASA, which is after all a space agency.
You could argue that it doesn't really matter who funds what, as long as great research gets done. But as a result of this wide disparity of topics covered under the astrobiology umbrella, some of which contain no astronomy or no biology, the field seems to be a jumble of vaguely related topics rather than a joining of expertise to answer specific problems. In our discussion, Chris drew the comparison with the astrochemistry field, where the input of chemists has been hugely successful in helping us understand processes in complex astrophysical environments such as star forming regions. There are dedicated labs for astrochemistry, where chemists and astronomers perform experiments that specifically aim emulate conditions in space.
That kind of targeted collaboration doesn't seem to be widespread (yet) in astrobiology.
Maybe it's just a matter of time before more focus emerges from new collaborations. Every week seems to bring new discoveries in (exo)planetary science at the moment, and it's exciting to see this field coming into maturity. Has astrobiology caused a revolution in science? Not yet – and that's ok. There's altogether too much hype, but there's solid science behind it. I hope that astrobiology's recent PR troubles don't stand in the way of this progress.
A Few Asides
(1) I'm not an astrobiologist and my work is not paid for by an astrobiology programme. However, as you probably know by now, I do work on MIRI, the mid-infrared instrument for JWST, and the part of the instrument I work on, the low resolution spectrograph, has as a primary goal to characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets. JWST will be ideally suited to this kind of observations, which are extremely challenging with ground-based telescopes. So if you care deeply about this kind of research, you should support the continued funding of JWST.
(2) I also realise I've limited myself to the search for life on exoplanets in this post – of course we're also searching for life closer to home, in our own Solar System. The study of exotic lifeforms on Earth becomes more relevant when we think about exploration of our planetary siblings and their moons.
(3) While reading up on this topic, I came across a number of decent life- and exoplanet-related media articles, all published in the last week or so. Science has a piece by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee on exoplanet research, its history and future prospects. In the Guardian, Ian Sample writes about a recently published paper that tries to judge how an alien encounter might pan out for mankind. Welcome to exo-bio-sociopolitics! On the same topic the Guardian has a blog post by astronomer Alan Penny, who makes a case for searching for extra-terrestrial intelligent life.
Chyba, C., & Hand, K. (2005). ASTROBIOLOGY: The Study of the Living Universe Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 43 (1), 31-74 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.astro.43.051804.102202
Kaltenegger L, Selsis F, Fridlund M, Lammer H, Beichman C, Danchi W, Eiroa C, Henning T, Herbst T, Léger A, Liseau R, Lunine J, Paresce F, Penny A, Quirrenbach A, Röttgering H, Schneider J, Stam D, Tinetti G, & White GJ (2010). Deciphering spectral fingerprints of habitable exoplanets. Astrobiology, 10 (1), 89-102 PMID: 20307185
L. Kaltenegger, & D. Sasselov (2011). Exploring the Habitable Zone for Kepler planetary candidates ApJ, 736 arXiv: 1105.0861v2


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Acer Aspire 7745G-434G50Bn
SpecificationsNotebook: Acer Aspire 7745G-434G50Bn (Aspire 7745G Series)
Processor: Intel Core i5 430M
Graphics Adapter: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 1024 MB
Display: 17.3 inch, 16:9, 1600x900 pixels, glossy: yes
Weight: 3.19kg
Price: 960 euro
Average of 5 scores (from 4 reviews)
Reviews for the Acer Aspire 7745G-434G50Bn
Multimedia delight & display frustration. Acer presents a 17.3" multimedia notebook with the Aspire 7745G, which should apeal to both gamers and film fanatics thanks to ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 5850 (DDR3-VRAM) and the integrated Blu-Ray-Drive.
Source: CNet
The Acer Aspire 7745G may not be the fastest performer, but it's still got enough horsepower under the bonnet to handle heavy multitasking. We also like the classy, business-like design and the impressive keyboard and trackpad. Its Achilles heel is its screen, though. It just doesn't reach the high standards of the rest of the laptop's components.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/27/2010
Rating: Total score: 70%
Foreign Reviews
Source: SFT - 8/10
Comparison, , Length Unknown, Date: 10/01/2010
Rating: Total score: 94%
Source: Com! - 10/10
Single Review, , Very Short, Date: 10/01/2010
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Notebookcheck DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/25/2010
Rating: Total score: 83% performance: 91% display: 70% mobility: 80% workmanship: 86% ergonomy: 82% emissions: 86%
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850:
The HD 5850 is a slower clocked HD 5870 and is reliant on fast GDDR5 memory to perform in the high-end segment. It is based on the Desktop HD 5770 chip but with a lower clock speed.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
The Core i5-430M is a middle class dual core CPU that features only 3 MB L3 Cache (compared to the I7-640M) and clocks between 2.26-2.53 GHz (Turbo Mode). Furthermore, VT-d, trusted Execution and AES features are missing in the 430M. Thanks to Hyperthreading, 4 threads can be processed simultaneously. An integrated graphics card (Intel HD Graphics with 500-733 MHz) and a DDR3 memory controller are also included in the package.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
17.3": Meanwhile the 17 inch display size is a more frequently offered standard format for desktop-replacements. The DTR-laptops can't be carried easily, need much energy but on the other side texts can be read easily and high resolutions are no problem. DTR mainly are intended for stationary usage on desks, where the weight and the energy need are unimportant.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
3.19 kg: This weight is average for notebooks. Therefore the numerous mass of laptops with 15 inch display fits in this class of weight.
Acer: Acer Incorporated is a Taiwanese multinational electronics manufacturer. Its product lineup includes desktops and laptops, as well as personal digital assistants (PDAs), servers and storage, displays, peripherals, and e-business services for business, government, education, and home users. Acer is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world (by sales) after HP and Dell Inc (2007). The company owns the largest franchised computer retail chain in Taipei, Taiwan. Originally named Multitech, it was founded in 1976. Gateway and Packard Bell are economically connected with Acer. Market share regarding sales of personal computers in 2007 (market research IDC): HP 18.9 %, Dell 16.4 %, Acer 9.9 %, Lenovo 7.5 %, Apple 5.7 %
83.2%: This rating should be considered to be average. This is because the proportion of notebooks which have a higher rating is approximately equal to the proportion which have a lower rating.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.


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|Fairfield Inn By Marriott Panama City properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Fairfield Inn By Marriott hotel prices in Panama City, FL for your personal or business trip. We list the best Fairfield Inn By Marriott Panama City properties so you can review the Panama City Fairfield Inn By Marriott hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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721 SNES titles.
byuu (BSNES) is selling on eBay every SNES game released in US, Mexico, and Canada for $24,999. He is willing to take the best offer, but has declined all thus far.
That's right, byuu (from SNES emulator fame) is selling on eBay an awesome collection that includes all 721 SNES titles released in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The asking price is $25,000 or best offer.
Apparently, forty-nine offers have been made thus far, including 13 on Monday. All have been rejected...
You can find a list of all of the games that are available on the eBay listing, including a rating of every game based on its condition.I am currently selling my US SNES collection. It comprises all 721 retail SNES games released in the US, Mexico and Canada; boxes for every single game; and 85% of all manuals. It does not include NFR and unlicensed games (MBR/SR, DKCC, SFSW, and SNA3D.) It was built up from individual sales, so conditions range from near mint to fair. I took pains to spend more on better conditions for the more prized pieces of the collection.
Every single game has been profesionally cleaned and tested. They all work perfectly.
I built this set to obtain scans and clean verified dumps for every game, which I have now finished. The scans are appearing on snescentral.com, and the improved emulation will appear in the next higan/bsnes release. I will be using 100% of the profits from this sale to do the same for the European and Japanese sets next.
This set represents three years of effort. From scouring every used game store in my home state, to bartering purchases from dozens of vendors online, to enlisting the help of everyone willing to search around their areas to find things for me, to donations of items that are impossible to find for sale anywhere, to hundreds upon hundreds of hours cleaning and polishing everything. I've never seen a set this complete before, and it's unlikely another one will ever surface.
I am asking $24,999 or best offer for everything. The most expensive dozen games alone are worth half of the asking price. For a reseller, this is an easy profit of $10,000 or more. For the collector who likes to play their games, this set represents the best price point. Not insanely expensive for VGA graded material, yet still clean enough for display.
I would prefer, if at all possible, to sell outside of eBay. Their fees would take 10% of the sale price, which would hurt efforts to obtain more games to scan and dump.
If you are interested in making an offer, please e-mail me at setsunakun0 at hotmail.com
Also, if you could please spread the word about this sale, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!
You can find more pics from the collection HERE.
NEWS SOURCE #1: ByUU (via) Official Site
NEWS SOURCE #2: Collector selling every SNES game for 25000 (via) GameSpot
Our thanks to 'Gauss' for this news item!


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hey everyone
I'm planning on buying some citypasses this year and taking my g/f to the different parks in California
first off a few non themepark questions
I was wondering if it's a better deal to buy the passes right at the gate or online?
and then the bigger question is does anyone know of a good RV camping ground that's close to both Sea World and San Diego Zoo that would be easy enough for a non Californain like me to find
now it's been a while since I was at seaworld and I was wondering
do some shows change from daytime and nightime?
and if there are any recommendations for more overlooked things that Seaworld has to do


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New charity and advice shop for Hayle animal welfare organisation
Posted: December 06, 2012|
A new addition to Hayle town centre is not just a charity shop but also a place for people to go and get advice on adopting unwanted moggies and pooches.
The National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) already has a shop in Falmouth but decided to open up a new store in the harbour town to forge better links between local people and the rehoming centre on Wheal Alfred Road.
Manager at the kennels Louise Clarke said a lot of people do not know the centre is there.
"It was a really successful opening," she said. "The main reason for having a shop is to publicise and promote the fact that the centre is here. We are going to have lots of information about the dogs and cats needing rehoming."
The shop's manager, Lucy Cooper, also volunteers at the rehoming centre two days a week and will be on hand to give help and advice to anyone thinking about getting a new pet.
Louise added that she had been amazed by the amount and quality of the donations for the shop so far and that people could drop off items either at the shop, Foundry Square of at the centre.
The charity store will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm.
For more information, call 01736 759707.


text: The Secret of Giuseppe Quintarelli's Success Elisabetta Tosi April 3, 2011 FCG, Features 13 Comments Elisabetta "Lizzy" Tosi visits legendary Amarone winery Quintarelli, founded by octogenarian Giuseppe Quintarelli. There, wine is made the same way it has been since Giuseppe's father moved to this land in 1924. And the Amarone wines are still released only after many years of ageing in the Quintarelli cellars. "What do you think is the secret of success of your grandfather?" I deliberately ask this targeted question. Francesco Grigoli is Giuseppe Quintarelli's grandson; Francesco, it seems to me, has inherited his grandfather's calm, thoughtful manner. He doesn't answer my question, but he welcomes us, and leads us to the barrel area where we see the family's oldest and most historical barrels, those with symbols carved into the wood: two peacocks, a cross, a bunch of grapes, a cup. Giuseppe Quintarelli is not on hand; he is very reserved, and shuns publicity. Our visit continues in the tasting room, which is cluttered with boxes and bottles. Francesco takes some bottles and begins to uncork a few of the famous Giuseppe Quintarelli wines. I repeat my question: "Does your grandfather have a secret for his success? What is it?" Francesco reflects a few minutes, then answers: "An obsessive quest for quality—in the whole process of winemaking, including the packaging: the details of the corks and the caps, labels made by hand, the type of glass for the bottles…" He smiles. "And great, great patience. To wait for the product, to respect the evolution of the wine. And then, I think that my grandfather owes his success to his character, and pride, too. He was able to hold out during the less fortunate times in history. It 's true that we must understand market needs, changes in tastes … But his wine is this, in front of you, and he always presented it without compromise. So he became a myth." And so his wines became myths, too: a fresh white wine called Bianco Secco (Dry White), the young red wine Primofiore (First Flower), the Valpolicella Classico, the Recioto della Valpolicella Classico and the icon of the icons: Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. All of them are labeled with a simple handwritten piece of paper and, until a few years ago, each label was stuck on by hand, with glue and brush. Today, the labels are printed and attached by machine, but the style is the same. I note that that Guiseppe Quintarelli himself is a major component of the winery's secret. Francesco agrees, joking, "Not being able to clone him, we strive to carry on the legacy of his wines." Giuseppe Quintarelli is perhaps the most famous producer of Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine which comes from the area around Verona, Italy. Early on, his winery became so well-known he never had to put up a sign. "There's no need," Francesco quietly admits. "The whole world knows where we are. And today with a portable GPS navigation system, it's even easier." The Quintarelli winery is located in the small hamlet of Cerè near the village of Negrar, which is the historical heart of Valpolicella. Quintarelli's family has lived here since 1924, when Giuseppe's father sharecropped nearby vineyards. Back then the wine was exported to USA in 50 liter barrels. The vineyards surround their home and cellar, on the hill called Monte Ca' Paletta: 3 hectares planted in the pergola veronese system for the local varieties (Corvina and Corvinone), and guyot for the international (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot). Some plants are very old (50 years), others younger. "My grandfather was one of the first to work with Cabernet," explains Francesco. "His famous wine Alzero is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and a small percentage of Merlot." Other vineyards (8 hectares) are located among the villages of Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella (Conca d'Oro), Valgatara and in the eastern part of Verona, in Montorio. What about the soil? "Here, Ca' Paletta has limestone. But my grandfather always wanted hillsides, anywhere. He always says that 'the best things come from mixing.' When you ask him to be more precise, he never gives you a definite answer: he always says 'a little and a bit.' In August 2010 Giuseppe Quintarelli, then over 80, passed the baton of the winery to the family of his oldest daughter, who is Francesco's mother. Giuseppe remains in a supervisory role, but he knows that his famous style for producing the highest quality wines is safe: a mix of personal low profile, simplicity, passion for the land and the vine. Especially when Francesco tells me: "When I began to work here, I realized I had to change my mindset. I would not simply sell the wine; I had to preserve our identity. I had to maintain the Quintarelli style." Francesco grew up in his grandfather's winery. He vividly remembers summers spent gathering cherries and helping his father in the cellar, and the autumn grape harvests. After getting his degree in Economics at University of Milan, he spent most of the next seven years working abroad. Last summer he decided to return to work at home, in his grandfather's winery. He is in charge of foreign markets and public relations. How many bottles do you produce? "Approximately 60,000. The white wine, the Primofiore and the Valpolicella are produced every year, but the Amarone just in the best vintages. When my grandfather realizes that it's not an Amarone vintage, he produces the Rosso del Bepi. [Bepi is a nickname for Giuseppe.] So, in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002 you won't find Amarone della Valpolicella, but only Rosso del Bepi." "Do you also produce the so-called 'baby Amarone,' Valpolicella Ripasso?" "In reality, part of our Valpolicella is made with the ripasso technique, but my grandfather did not ever declare it, because it has always been a common practice here in Valpolicella, not a novelty," Francesco answers. "He never wanted to call his wine Valpolicella Ripasso, and especially not in recent years: he said it was a marketing gimmick. The wine has to please people for what it is, not for what it purports to be." Quintarelli is very famous all over the world, but what are some of the new countries you are exporting to? "Peru, Indonesia, Kazakhstan… Quintarelli wines are also in Thailand, China, Singapore, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Russia. In the USA we have had the same importer for 35 years, he is practically one of the family," Francesco relates. Even now, Quintarelli does not need to look for new importers in the newer markets: importers line up at the door for these wines. Do you have any special plans for the future? "For now, no," Francesco says. "All we need is to consolidate our presence, ensuring a soft handover. Everything should remain as it was, with the wines—even with all the new technologies, new media and other tools." The world has changed greatly since 1906 when Giuseppe Quintarelli's parents travelled for five days with two horses to take 50 liter barrels of their wine to Genoa for shipping. Today, wine is produced everywhere in the world. The competition gets fiercer every day. Is there room for a romantic winery like Quintarelli? "It's true, nowadays there are a lot of good producers," Francesco admits. "We also are aware that the world has changed. But for now we have seen that our method is right. As long as customers come looking for us, we can focus on doing our job. While being vigilant, we can remain true to ourselves." He reminds me: "My grandfather could not always could sell his wine. In the 1990s a very different style was fashionable: people liked wine aged in barriques. He was a known brand, and yet he sold less. So even he had his ups and downs, commercially speaking. But this has not changed his way of making wine. If had adapted to current trends, he would not have been true to himself." He would not be Giuseppe Quintarelli, the mythic figure of Valpolicella… Elisabetta Tosi is a freelance wine journalist and wine blogger. She lives in Valpolicella, where the famous red wines Amarone, Ripasso, and Recioto are produced. Professionally, she serves as a web-consultant for wineries, and in her free time writes books about Italian wines. She is also a contributor to Vino Pigro. Pingback: Vitabella Wine Daily Gossip – Luxury Wine – Marketing Strategy – Romanee Conti, Petrus, Haut Brion, En Primeur 2010, Duboeuf, Grosset, Cullen() Pingback: Wine Wines @ everything! » Blog Archive » The Secret of Giuseppe Quintarelli's Success – Palate Pres() http://www.newyorkcorkreport.com Evan Dawson Very nice piece on a very special producer. A bottle of Quintarelli – his "lesser" Rosso del Bepi, in fact! – was the first wine that changed me. I can remember what the room looked like, the music that played. What a unique and powerful experience. I wonder what Francesco says about dal Forno's wines? http://www.vinopigro.it Lizzy @Evan, thanks! I really do not know what Francesco could say about Dal Forno's wines…but I could know what Dal Forno says about Quintarelli's wines! Would you like an interview to him? I know Romano Dal Forno personally, very well… http://learnitalianwines.wordpress.com tom hyland Elisabetta: Wonderful post about this iconic producer. You asked the right questions! Lizzy Happy you've appreciated my work. Thank you Tom! http://webpages.charter.net/swirl Kent Benson I'm planning to be in the area in July. Do you have contact information so that i can arrange a visit? Lizzy Kent, if you give me your e-mail, I'll give you the contact for Quintarelli. Write me at firstname.lastname@example.com http://www.muriloazevedo.com.br murilo Hi Lizzy my name is Murilo, from Brazil, lawyer, sommelier and wine journalist fot three magazines and oen newspaper. I will be staying in Verona on Oct18 and would like to visit QUINTARELLI to do a story, some photos and tasting. How do I contact them? I could not find their website on internet. Im a true fan of Quintarelli wines here in Brazil. By the way Im sales representative VINCI in Sao Paulo. Could you help me contact them. Thank you very much. Lizzy Hi Murilo, I sent you a private e-mail. Anyway, Quintarelli doesn't have a website: he never care took care of these details. Maybe now, his grandson Francesco will be more sensitive about new media… Pingback: Giuseppe Quintarelli has died… « Do Bianchi() Pingback: dobianchi.com: giuseppe-quintarelli-has-died | Wein-News SigiHiss() http://PatrickShefski-WineGeek(afunnylittlefacebookblog) Patrick Shefski Hey Elisabetta, how are you!? I read this article a few weeks ago after hearing of Maestro Quintarelli's passing. I do a less polished and professional wine writing thing from the perspective of a working somm in the US who cut his teeth on Italian wines. I saw that you mentioned to someone that you could pass some info on to a contact address for the Quintarelli estate, and thought you might be able to let them know about these words I've written concerning how their wines changed my young somm perspective. Thank you, and great job with the interview and article. It was a portrayal of this producer that I woould have absolutely expected – smart, humble and incredibly gifted. Great work! And here's the link to my thoughts … https://www.facebook.com/groups/289090489046/doc/10150687480074047/


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The Sixth Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities 2015
The Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka, Japan
Thursday, April 2 - Sunday, April 5, 2015
Abstract Submission Deadline: February 1, 2015
Registration Deadline for Presenters: March 1, 2015
Publish before a global audience. Present in a supportive environment. Network and create new relationships. Hear the latest research. Experience Japan. Join a global academic community.
This international and interdisciplinary conference will again bring together a range of academics and practitioners to discuss new directions of research and discovery in the arts and humanities. As with IAFOR's other events, ACAH2015 will afford the opportunity for renewing old acquaintances, making new contacts, and networking across higher education and beyond.
The Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities will again be held alongside the Asian Conference on Literature and Librarianship. Registration for either conference will allow attendees to attend sessions in the other.
ACAH2015 Conference Theme: "Power"
While the fields of arts and the humanities can seem removed from issues related to power, both can exercise power in the form of social influence through words and images, or can examine the exercise and influences of such power on humanity. The study and analysis of different expressions of power can move from serious existential questions at the personal level to complex social and even political problems at a wider level. Is the pen (or brush) truly mightier than the sword? And if so, in what sense? Or can it be argued that at times they can be one and the same?
By proposing such an open conference theme, the organizers hope to encourage exciting new avenues of research, inspire the creation of new explanatory concepts, and provide a context for academic and personal encounters. The resultant exchanges it is hoped, will stimulate synergies that cross national, religious, cultural and disciplinary divides, central to the global vision of IAFOR.
More information on our conference theme and sub-themes.
IAFOR Arts and Humanities Conference Videos
Watch more IAFOR Arts and Humanities conference videos
ACAH2015 Conference Chairs
Professor Stuart D. B. Picken
ACAH2015 Conference Chair
Order of the Sacred Treasure, M.A. (Hons), B.D., Ph.D. (Glasgow), F.R.A.S.
IAFOR International Advisory Board Chair
Stuart D. B. Picken is the founding chairman of the IAFOR International Advisory Board. The author of a dozen books and over 130 articles and papers, he is considered one of the foremost scholars on Japan, China, and Globalization in East Asia. As an academic, Professor Picken has devoted more than 30 years to scholarship in Japan, notably as a professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, where he specialized in ethics and Japanese thought, and as International Adviser to the High Priest of Tsubaki Grand Shrine (Mie prefecture). He has also served as a consultant to various businesses, including Jun Ashida Ltd., Mitsui Mining & Smelting Corp., Kobe Steel, and Japan Air Lines. Full biography.
View all Keynote Speakers, Featured Speakers and Conference Chairs
IAFOR Publishing Opportunities
The IAFOR Journal of Arts and Humanities is an editorially independent journal associated with ACAH. A small number of papers from the conference proceedings are selected by the journal editor. Articles may also be submitted directly by contacting the appropriate editor. These open access journals, which conform to the highest academic standards, reflect the interdisciplinary and international nature of our conferences and are organized thematically.
Conference Proceedings
If your abstract is accepted and you have registered for the conference, you are encouraged to submit a full paper for inclusion in the official conference proceedings published on the website. Final papers should be uploaded through the submissions system. Please ensure that your paper is ready to go to press by the submission deadline.
Eye Magazine
Eye Magazine is the International Academic Forum's own in-house e-magazine publication. Through Eye magazine, we hope to enlighten you to various views and opinions of our contributors, many of whom have presented full research papers at our various conferences in Asia, Europe and North America.
IAFOR University & Institutional Partners
The International Academic Forum works with our partner institutions to encourage the best in international, intercultural and interdisciplinary research at this conference.
We work with senior administrators and professors to develop programs which are timely, thought-provoking and academically rigorous. This global partnership alliance allows our interdisciplinary conferences are backed by some of the world's foremost institutions of learning. Read more about our partners.


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"Gastropubs" are very common in Australia. We love a cosy pub situation with lots of comfort food.
But in America, the humble pub isn't as much of a 'thing'. Which is why The Churchill is such a treat.
This open and airy place has a super-casual vibe while at the same time remaining pretty classy. Stand at the bar for a quick cocktail, or settle into one of the leather benches and graze.
We really suggest grazing, and trying just about everything you can. The California mussels in white wine and Dijon-butter broth, grilled hanger steak, homemade gnocchi, and the roast cauliflower gratin were favourites.
A word of warning though: if you're sipping on cocktails, the Revolver is no joke. It's made with fire roasted pepper infused tequila and comes with a jalapeno. It's hot hot hot.
The Churchill is at 8384 W Third Street, Los Angeles.


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Bodybuilding and Weight Lifting designs are available on Gifts, T-shirts, Fitted T-shirts, Tank Tops, Long Sleeve T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Baseball Jerseys, Ringer Tees, Micro Fiber Performance T-shirts and more for men and women in a wide variety of colors and sizes - sizes to 6xl and Kids and Infants T-shirts, Creepers and Onesies. These designs also come on gifts - aprons, ties, tote bags, hats, key chains, round and bumper stickers, pins, magnets, mugs, travel mugs, mousepads, ornaments, iPad cases, iPhone case, coasters, cards, stamps, speakers and more!
Click on the image to see all products available with that design.
Its All About How Hard You Lift
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Worlds Greatest Bodybuilding Coach - This bodybuilding design makes a great gift for a wonderful coach!
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I Lift, Therefore I Am ( cut, ripped, shredded )
When Life Gets Complicated I Lift
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Bodybuilding - Building A Better Body 1 Rep At A Time
Kids Bodybuilding - Weight Training T-shirts, Teddy Bears, Stickers & More
Maternity T-shirts, Hats, Pins & Stickers for the expectant mother of a little Bodybuilder!


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DHR, Workforce Development
Tower Barracks, Bldg #244, Room #209
Hours of operation
Monday to Friday: 0800 - 1130 and 1300 - 1600
Orientation for New Employees (ONE) Program
Welcome to the United States Army Garrison (USAG) Grafenwoehr.
New employee orientation effectively integrates the new employee into the organization and assists with retention, motivation, job satisfaction, and quickly enabling each individual to become contributing members of the work team.
The following Orientation for New Employees (ONE) is required for all Tower Barracks civilian employees and a certificate of completion needs to be received by the DHR within 30 days of EOD.
The ONE training consists of facts involving in-processing and the necessary exchange of information that must take place during initial introduction of new employees. The scope of this orientation is broken down into three parts:
Part I - involves a brief overview of the Garrison and individual topics which are related to your position and career
Part II – will give the new employee an introduction to the new organization, inform on civilian personnel management issues and safety procedures. This part is conducted by the supervisor.
Part III – Quality Survey
Part IV – Orientation Tour
Index of contents
Last Updated:
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Businesses today face greater security and data protection issues than ever before. Hackers have become adept at breaking into unguarded networks to steal the firms, as well as their customers\', sensitive information. Industry and government have fought back with a variety of anti-hacking techniques. Chief among these is the process of encryption. This article discusses the various subtleties inherent in encryption, as well as how they relate to Hard Disk Encryption, Secure Buying Online, and Secure Online Banking.
To properly understand what is involved in defending computer networks and the private data that they contain, a few definitions must be considered first. Cryptography is properly defined as the studies in computer science and mathematics pertaining to information security and relevant sub issues, such as encryption and authentication. Encryption, then, is the procedure used to hide information by causing it to be impossible to read unless the individual possesses certain, secret knowledge. This secret knowledge is better known as an encryption key, which is a digital code utilized along with a cipher to decrypt or encrypt sensitive information and other data. Encryption and encryption keys are based on the use of cryptographic algorithms. Such algorithms are the directions for completing a certain task. They are, in fact, the basis for encryption functions. Data is encrypted using these algorithms and keys according to an International Data Encryption Standard, known as the IDEA. This has proven itself capable of standing the test of time, since the cipher which mixes functions from various differing algebraic groups is still deemed to be among the most powerful of algorithms available.
Users of the Internet can sleep easier at night, thanks to recent advances in cryptography and encryption techniques which have been realized. Through Hard Disk Encryption, Secure Online Buying, and Secure Online Banking, hackers have been prevented from stealing a range of critical and sensitive data from both consumers and businesses. The companies leading this fight in advancing to next generation SSL certificates are working tirelessly to stay a step or two ahead of the malicious individuals engaged in the devious plots of identity theft.


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Obama goes muddy on McCain; ahead in buzz 32 points
by WonkoKevin
Here we are–the Big Day is almost upon us! This has been the most interesting presidential race I have experienced in my lifetime (I am 47), and as an "analyst" intensely following the race, it has been an experience I will never forget. From wondering if/when Fred Thompson was going to break out to the breakout we saw McCain get in late December to Obama forging ahead of Clinton in buzz share right before his winning streak started, there are a lot of WonkoMemories to process. And it has been fascinating to see how social media has evolved and matured. Here are some thoughts for Monday 11/3/08.
1. Obama leads McCain in Wonkosphere buzz share 66-34 over the last 24 hours. This spread has remained the same over the past week so the blogosphere is not sending any message that polls are inaccurate.
2. For the first time in the entire campaign, Obama's Mud Meter has moved ahead of McCain's. Obama now is using twice as much negative language when talking about McCain as McCain is when talking about Obama. Throughout most of the campaign, McCain was slightly but consistently more negative about Obama.
3. Bloggers are using historically negative language overall. I think this indicates where the campaigns are right now.
4. How long are we going to go tomorrow night until the winner is called? Well, if McCain pulls off a miracle, we'll be up all night. Wouldn't it make sense for this campaign to come down to Hawaii and Alaska? I'd give this a 2% chance. If there's an Obama landslide, the race could be called around 10PM EST, when Iowa's polls close. Again, there is some poetic justice here with McCain getting closed out by Iowa. I'd give this a 28% chance. My 70% prediction gives Obama 320-345 electoral votes, in which case Obama would have to wait for California polls to close at 11PM EST.


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iSTAR - 360 Rapid Imaging
Demonstration of how fast iSTAR captures a panorama
NCTech RGB LiDAR Overlay Module
RGB Overlay module makes it possible to colourise any point cloud data from any scanner, by directly mapping the colour data to the point cloud from the RAW iSTAR images without stitching.
UAV iSTAR Test Flight - PhotoShipOne
Initial test flight to see how iSTAR handles on a UAV. Testing was done using a UAV from PhotoShipOne and location was kindly provided by Bill Bailey at Nodal Ninja in Chandler, Arizona.
iSTAR landing from a PhotoShipOne UAV
iSTAR being expertly landed from a UAV by DJ Vegh from PhotoShipOne - note the hands free technique while taking a photo of the unit in flight!
iSTAR & Surphaser RGB Overlay
iSTAR® proves to be the perfect solution for providing HDR colour overlay with Surphaser scanners. Example shows multiple scans / multiple iSTAR images perfectly aligned with the scan to colourise the entire location. Surphaser software maps the colour directly from iSTAR's un-processed data to create an accurate, measurable overlay.
iSTAR & Trimble Automatic RGB Overlay
iSTAR used with Trimble scanner and software to overlay scan data with HDR image colour.
Comparison between iSTAR & LizardQ
A direct comparison between the 2 systems.
iSTAR Measurements
Example from 2013 of how Immersive Studio will support measurements directly from iSTAR data
iSTUDIO 5 Walkthrough
Quick look at iSTUDIO 5 with new iSTAR Share capability built in.
iSTUDIO Faro Module
iSTUDIO to SCENE WebShare Module