text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/4/2013 (1585 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
To the surprise of no one, fuel economy has become the rallying cry of the automobile industry. Environmentalism, radicalized by a few and largely ignored by many, remains a hard sell. But its byproduct, the wholesale reduction of automotive fuel consumption, has surged to the forefront of purchase criteria for a majority of consumers. And, whether it be the U.S. government's adoption of stringent 54.5 miles per (U.S.) gallon corporate fuel economy standards or Ford and Hyundai/Kia's recent fallout with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fuel-economy testing standards, fuel economy is headline news.
The problem with any comparison of automobile fuel economy is that there are too many variables. Sure, you can amass a coterie of hybrids, diesels and conventional gasoline-powered cars in one place, measure their fuel economy under specific conditions and choose a winner -- a specific car that, in this one circumstance, sipped the least amount of fuel. But of the larger question -- which type of powertrain (hybrid, diesel or gasoline-powered) best cuts fuel consumption, having cars of different sizes and weights and made by different manufacturers introduces too many wild cards to be authoritative. Assumptions can be made, but definitive answers are fleeting.
VW to the rescue
Enter Volkswagen. In a move surely planned to give us driving wonks the experimental control required for accurate analysis, the company recently added a hybrid to its Jetta lineup, meaning it now offers hybrid, diesel and gas-powered versions of what are otherwise standard Jettas. Better yet, all appear to offer roughly the same power/outright performance and, while that may make VW's marketing job a little more difficult, it's a godsend to curious automotive engineers-cum-Motor-Mouths. To the laboratory, boys!
Our three testers
The three VWs in question are the base 2013 Jetta GL powered by a conventional, naturally aspirated (as in no turbocharger) 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder, the Jetta Turbo Hybrid, powered by a 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a 27-hp electric motor, and the much ballyhooed Jetta TDI, with the company's evergreen 2.0L turbodiesel four-cylinder under its hood.
The base model's in-line five boasts 170 horsepower, the Hybrid's gas and electric combination works out to an identical 170 hp and the TDI boasts 140 ponies (but with 236 pound-feet of torque compared with the 2.5L's 177 lb-ft and the Hybrid's 184 lb-ft). The main differences in performance is that the 2.5L's maximum torque occurs at 4,000 rpm, while both Turbo Hybrid and TDI produce their peak torque below 2,000 rpm, so these two can easily maintain speed up hills without downshifting, while the GL needs to kick down a gear or two. As well, the Hybrid's little 1.4L engine is the smoothest of the bunch, while the 2.5L is a little quieter at low speed than the TDI's rattling idle (although the order is reversed at highway speeds). Otherwise, the cars, as expected from their similarity in construction and specification, feel remarkably homogeneous.
Fuel ratings
What is very different is their official government fuel economy rating. In this category, the base 2.5L trails markedly. Its official Natural Resources Canada rating is 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and a more miserly 6.2 L/100 km on the highway. The TDI's corresponding numbers ring in at 6.7 city and 4.6 highway, VW's 2.0L turbodiesel showing decent around-town economy along with the open-road parsimony for which it is famous. Still, the Hybrid trumps all, its 4.5/4.2 L/100 km ratings showing the efficiency expected in city driving for a gas/electric combo, but also better highway economy than the TDI, which is a little surprising. A hybrid's electric motor's added boost is usually most effective at low speeds and generally less efficient at highway speeds. Could Volkswagen have finally unlocked the secret to diesel-beating highway fuel economy?
Unfortunately for the government ratings and Volkswagen's engineers (who continue to profess that the hybrid is more thrifty than their lauded oil burner), the answer is, quite simply, no.
Test controls
In all our tests at steady-state highway cruising, the diesel trumped the Hybrid (and, naturally, the 2.5L gas engine). Please note that all three cars were driven at the same time, tail-to-front, their cruise controls set to identical speeds. Even at the lowest speeds, when we thought the Hybrid's turbocharged engine might be at its most frugal, the TDI always triumphed, though by a smaller margin.
Test results
For the record, with a speedometer reading indicating 100 kilometres an hour the TDI sipped 4.2 L/100 km, while the Hybrid consumed a still-economical 4.8 L/100 km. The 2.5L GL, unsurprisingly, trailed at 5.9 L/100 km. Jacking things up to 115 km/h saw the gap widen, if only slightly. The three Jettas averaged 4.7, 5.4 and 6.4 L/100 km respectively. At our final speed of 125 km/h, the TDI's diesel extended its lead with a 5.4 L/100 km/h reading, while the Hybrid and GL recorded 6.1 and 7.0 L/100 km.
And the faster we went, the greater the diesel's advantage became (though the Hybrid hung in there better than other gas/electrics we've tested). While we never managed to average more than 120 km/h, our return ride was directly into a significant headwind that emulated greater speed sufficiently that fuel economy dipped significantly for all three cars. And, while we can't determine the exact speed these conditions replicated, the fact that the diesel sipped but 6.7 L/100 km while the other two required 7.6 and 9.0 respectively cements the fact that the turbodiesel was the king of the highway.
In town, the results, as expected, reversed. The 2.5L was left even farther behind during the stoplight circuit, averaging 10.8 L/100 km during our Port Hope, Ont., test run. The TDI, meanwhile, posted a still-credible 7.9 L/100 km, while the Hybrid's electrical assistance proved its worth by sipping just 5.9 L/100 km. Indeed, the relative hierarchy -- as well as these absolute numbers -- was the least surprising of the entire test.
What does it mean?
So, what does all this number crunching mean to the everyday consumer? Well, in our not-official-at-all "overall" economy circuit (said Port Hope run and an equal measure of highway cruising immediately thereafter), the TDI and Hybrid posted almost identical numbers (7.3 and 7.2 L/100 km), with the 2.5L sucked back 9.7 L/100 km over the same distance. What those numbers would seem to indicate is that, if you spend equal amounts of time driving in the city and on the highway (indeed, up to a 60/40 split either way), it doesn't really matter which car you buy -- Jetta TDI or Jetta Hybrid -- your fuel savings will be the same. Only as you gravitate toward either extreme will the Hybrid (in the city) or the TDI (on the open road) differentiate itself. Of course, both beat the 2.5L in all circumstances.
Buyer beware
But, just because they consume less fuel doesn't mean either will save you money. There is the premium to be paid for the alternative power plants' greater efficiency. Comparing base prices and factoring a rough cost of $1.30 for both gasoline and diesel fuel (while historically there have been differences, currently the pricing is roughly the same), our calculator says the diesel will start paying back its premium at about 71,000 kilometres and the Hybrid after 147,000 klicks. To be fair to the Turbo Hybrid, it includes a host of equipment not available on the 2.5L and TDI, such as the multi-link rear suspension and a seven-speed transmission, as well as other luxury upgrades. If an apples-to-apples price comparison were possible, the hybrid technology would obviously pay off its premium sooner.
One, of course, could factor resale value and lifetime maintenance costs (i.e., how much will it cost to replace the Hybrid's lithium-ion battery when it wears out?), but this is strictly a fuel economy evaluation, so we'll stick to simple math. It is also worth noting that, if reducing the total cost of ownership is really your goal, the Jetta to buy is the bargain-basement $14,990 2.0L. Its 115 horsepower is nothing to write home about but with fuel consumption approximately the same as the 2.5L, it would take either the Hybrid or the TDI almost until the next millennium to pay back the price differential.
Besides the obvious conclusion that diesel engines are better on the highway and hybrids are better in town, a few other conjectures can be made. One thing that's obvious from the results (and reflects our anecdotal evidence as well) is that while the TDI's real-world highway fuel economy is quite close to Natural Resources Canada's ratings, the 2.5L's are inflated considerably and the Hybrid's even more. These conclusions are no reflection on the Jetta Turbo Hybrid's performance -- its fuel economy is among the best hybrids we've tested -- but the methodology for testing fuel economy seems to greatly favour hybrids over diesels.
Also, considering how thoroughly the Jetta Hybrid thumps the recently tested Ford C-Max Hybrid in highway consumption, it might be safe to posit that a small turbocharged engine (as in the Jetta's 1.4L turbo) is a better choice for hybridization than a naturally aspirated motor (the C-Max's Atkinson-cycle 2.0L). And perhaps the best combination would be a diesel/electric hybrid or, better yet, a plug-in diesel hybrid.
Whatever the case, this test should cement the thought that diesels offer superior fuel economy on the highway and hybrids rule in the city.
-- Postmedia News
How does a diesel achieve better fuel economy than a conventional engine?
There are many reasons for diesel's superiority over the conventional gasoline-fuelled engine. The first might be the greater volumetric efficiency resulting from a diesel engine not requiring a throttle valve (diesels alter engine power output by varying how much fuel is delivered into the cylinder, while gas engines generally require a throttle valve in the intake manifold that impedes air flow and, thus, efficiency). Diesel fuel is also slightly more energy-dense than gasoline. But one of the major reasons is the greater thermal efficiency that comes from a diesel's typically higher compression ratio. The more fuel is compressed, the bigger bang there is per explosion (while the 2013 Jetta GL's conventional 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder engine squeezes its air-gasoline mixture 10.3 times, the Jetta TDI's evergreen 2.0L turbodiesel four-cylinder compresses its raw fuel 16.5:1). And bigger bangs equal more power per litre of fuel.
How does a hybrid achieve better fuel economy than a conventional engine?
Contrary to popular myth, the hybrid's batteries do not magically produce energy not otherwise supplied by the gas engine. Indeed, other than the energy regenerated by the brakes (significant, but not nearly enough to warrant the costs of hybridization alone), all of the energy to recharge the Jetta Hybrid's lithium-ion battery pack comes from gasoline burned in the conventional engine. But, in the automotive equivalent of a Rob-Peter-To-Pay-Paul Ponzi scheme, what the hybrid does is kick in a bit of "free" energy when the gas engine is at its most inefficient -- under acceleration -- and then recharges its battery when the gasoline motor is at its most efficient -- cruising at a steady speed. Borrow low and lend high -- the bond seller's mantra -- applies equally well to hybrid powertrains.


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
January 17, 2013
On the Beat
Final Free-Agent Blitz
Rafael Soriano finally came off the free-agent board this week, agent Scott Boras going to one of his "go-to" teams by getting the Nationals to sign the closer to a two-year, $28-million contract. However, with less than a month left until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, there are recognizable names still on the market. Let's take a look at six of those free agents, ranking them in the order of their WARP in 2012 and having a major-league front-office type comment on each.
Michael Bourn (3.7 WARP in 2012, 8.9 WARP from 2010-12)
Kyle Lohse (1.9, 3.5)
Mike Napoli (2.0, 10.5)
Shaun Marcum (0.8, 6.5)
Joe Saunders (1.3, 1.3)
Francisco Liriano (0.7, 5.0)
Soriano is seemingly a good fit for the Nationals as a "proven closer." He converted 42 of 46 save opportunities for the Yankees last season while filling in for the injured Mariano Rivera, though Soriano's 2.26 ERA was a little more than one full run lower than his 3.37 FIP.
If nothing else, Soriano should give Nationals manager Davey Johnson a sense of security heading into the season after watching Tyler Clippard melt down in the second half of last season, then watching Drew Storen melt down in the Game Five loss to the Cardinals in the National League Division Series. Yet one NL scout who regularly follows the Nationals thinks they wasted their money by signing Soriano.
"They have a perfectly fine closer in Storen," the scout said. "The kid pitched great when he came back last season (after missing four months because of elbow surgery). Yeah, he had a bad game with the season on the line, and that's the last thing everybody remembers about him, but there's no way I would let the outcome of one game force me to spend $28 million. Anyone who knows Drew Storen knows he's a smart kid and a tough kid. I guaranteed you there will not any psychological ramifications over what happened in the NLDS. He'll come back and pitch well."
My biggest quibble about the book and movie versions of Moneyball was the way former Athletics manager Art Howe was denigrated. In the book, he was made out to be a spineless buffoon. In the movie, he was portrayed to be crotchety and unwilling to even listen to new ideas. Anyone who knows Howe, though, knows neither depiction is true.
Both vehicles used Howe in trying to make the point that managers don't matter in baseball. Well, general manager Billy Beane apparently has changed his mind on the importance of managers, as the Athletics gave Bob Melvin a two-year extension this week that carries through the 2016 season. Melvin was named the American League Manager of the Year last season when he guided the Athletics to an improbable AL West title.
"From our standpoint, when you've got somebody you think who's absolutely perfect for your organization, I think you're foolish not to be proactive, and that was the case with Bob's contract," Beane told reporters during the press conference announcing the extension.
Speaking of Beane, he helped facilitate the Nationals being able to trade outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse by allowing the Athletics to be the go-between in a three-way deal with Washington and the Mariners on Wednesday. The Mariners received Morse, the Athletics got catcher John Jaso from Seattle, and the Nationals got pitching prospect A.J. Cole back from the Athletics after shipping him to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez trade during the 2011-12 offseason. Though Morse is the biggest name in the swap, one AL scout believes the Athletics might wind up winning this trade.
"Jaso has really become a good hitter, and I think he could be one of the best offensive catchers in the game if the A's give him enough at-bats this year," the AL scout said. "The knock on him is that he isn't a good defensive catcher, but I think he's gotten better, improved to the point where he is, at least, average. I like him, and I think the A's bought low on him."
As you've probably ascertained if you read this column with any frequency, I have a soft spot in my heart for scouts. They are often the forgotten people of the game, on the road for weeks and months at a time as they watch amateur players to potentially draft or sign, and professional players to give recommendations on for potential trades or free-agent signings.
That is why I couldn't be happier that the National Hall of Fame and Museum will be opening a display on May 3 called "Diamond Mines," which will be dedicated to scouts and their craft. The highlight of the display will be an interactive database that will feature at least 6,000 scouting reports, though that number is expected to grow between now and the opening.
A big tip of the size-8 hat to Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson for recognizing some of the game's most indispensable people in Cooperstown.
John Perrotto is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
9 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
The new scouting exhibit sounds really neat, I only wish it had been there when I made it to the HOF in 2009.
Jan 17, 2013 06:49 AM
I like Jaso too. I didn't understand the Tampa deal at the time and I still don't. He's no Jorge Posada, but you can have a nice career behind the dish if you are consistent at the plate. Having a defensive whiz like Jose Molina doing your catching is great if your lineup is jam packed, but I don't think you can get by with pop gun performances in LF, RF, C, DH and who knows where else (SS finally?) as the Yankees are allegedly planning on running out there in the American League. Very nice grab by the A's as Jaso can platoon with Norris as he moves along (or not). Jaso had 56 walks in part time work too. That helps stretch the lineup and wear out the opposing pitcher. Cole is very young, but has nice upside...The Mariners and Nationals will do fine here, but I love how Beane interjected his team into the fray and came away with a serviceable major league piece that can help them win now. This division, no offense Seattle, will be fascinating when The Rangers finally do something. The A's are tough, hope they win it again...
Jan 17, 2013 10:27 AM
How does BP's WARP relate to either bb-ref's WAR or Fangraphs' WAR?
Jan 17, 2013 13:26 PM
All WAR(P) stats take defense and position into account.
Jan 17, 2013 14:23 PM
Curious if you could get a comment from anyone on if they think that John Jaso's revised stance, that you guys covered very well here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=17909, has changed him in a manner that his 2012 numbers could be sustainable?
Jan 17, 2013 13:57 PM
You have a size 8 hat, John? Wow. That's Bruce Bochy material.
Jan 17, 2013 15:11 PM
The NL scout critical of the Soriano signing should consider that Storen is not being displaced in the Nats' pen, but rather whoever the weakest member might be - H-Rod perhaps? And for a team that has few obvious weaknesses, the 'pen was one where improvement was possible.
Jan 18, 2013 06:05 AM
Agreed. They have shortened their games even further by adding Soriano. Great way to keep Strasburg's (and everyone else's) innings down.
Jan 21, 2013 13:07 PM
Funny thing is that even Davey Johnson was surprised by the signing; that's certainly telling. Sounds like Davey was perfectly content with Storen and the owner said 'Here, I spent some more $ and got you something even better at the Boras Boutique, (beat) You're welcome".
Jan 21, 2013 19:03 PM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Request Information
Send us your info and we'll connect you with an admissions specialist to assist you in the admissions process.Contact Us
As an accounting major, you'll take courses in topics such as:
While you're mastering the details of accounting practice, you'll also explore a comprehensive business curriculum that nurtures critical thinking skills, encourages teamwork and builds your writing abilities. You'll discuss ethical and moral issues, while acquiring management skills in a Christian context. And you'll gain understanding of business challenges from a global perspective, integrating awareness of current events and financial trends.
Founded in 1946, the School of Business is MC's largest school. With more than 6,000 graduates, our track record is exceptional. Our alumni include CEOs, CFOs, and leading executives who make a positive impact on their communities.
While hundreds of students choose MC's School of Business each year, you'll still benefit from small class sizes and personal connections with faculty. Our faculty offer a wealth of professional experience from the business world, with 20 out of 22 also holding a Ph.D. in their field. This has led MC to consistently produce top CPA exam scores in the nation.
Students also get to hear real-life perspectives from the Executive Speaker Series that brings in top-level executives and successful entrepreneurs to campus each semester. Recent speakers have included: Steve Forbes; Condoleezza Rice; John Brock, CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises; Mike Ducker, COO of FedEx; and Dan Cathy, COO and President of Chick-fil-a.
Mississippi College's School of Business is located in Self Hall, a state-of-the-art learning facility. Recently updated with a multi-million dollar renovation, Self Hall features building-wide wireless internet and up-to-the-minute stock tickers displayed throughout the building. Labs are equipped with up-to-date computer technology and specialized software for business applications.
The School of Business partners with local, national and international businesses to provide benefits to our community and valuable learning opportunities to students like you. These organizations include:
Students benefit from great opportunities for informational interviews, career services, networking events, and desirable internships.
Mississippi College's business students get plenty of opportunities to shine. One option is Delta Mu Delta, the national honor society for outstanding business students. Delta Mu Delta encourages scholastic achievement in business and recognizes high-performing students with honors and awards.
Build on your business training with a global outlook at Mississippi College. MC offers study abroad programs in Costa Rica, France, London, Austria, Seoul and Spain. You can take classes and earn credit while strengthening your language skills and broadening your cultural horizons.
Began as an auditor at the Jackson branch of KPMG, an international accounting firm. In 2011, he was offered a position at KPMG in Sydney, Australia, where he is now a manager working with many large, multinational clients from around the world including Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, and Chicago.
Founded a successful financial services firm, Huffman & Company. Based in Flowood, MS, Huffman & Company provides a wide range of financial services to local individuals and businesses.
A CPA, Partner, and Director of Business Advisory and Accounting at Horne, LLIP, based in Ridgeland, MS. Not only has he achieved excellence in his more than 30 years of public accounting, he gives back to the community, serving as a board member on more than half a dozen not-for-profit organizations.
Serves as Independent Director of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, but most of his 35-year career in accounting has been spent at KPMG LLP, where he served as a Managing Partner at the Nashville office from 1999 to 2006, leading a team of more than 100 members.
Mississippi College's physical address is 200 S. Capitol Street, Clinton, MS 39056.


text:
This week on Hook, Line & Dinner, I get a lesson in what it means to be in the family business. And no, not a Godfather-style family business. I'm talking about the Marshall family's fifth-generation crabbing business on Smith Island.
Smith Island is a small island in the Chesapeake Bay, just north of Maryland's border with Virginia. Smith Island has a very small population, and when I first arrived, I felt like I was the only one here. But I soon met up with Dwight Marshall for my lesson in crabbing.
The Marshall family has been in the crabbing business since the 17th century, and Dwight has been at it for almost 50 years now. Compared to him, I'm not much of a crabber. But he's good-natured and seemed almost humored by my mistakes. While we're out there, I ask him, What's it like living here?
"It's a hard way of life, my boy. It's not for everyone. I can see you need a bit of practice."
He talks of an ever-changing fishery which will one day wipe the island out forever. Rising fuel prices, maintenance costs and low prices for the blue crabs are threatening the continuation of the crabbing business on Smith Island. The way of life on the Island is changing for good.
With my bushel full of crabs, I head over to get them picked in the town of Tylerton. I wanted to see how this was done. I expected an entire room of bustling picking going on. I knock on the door, and to my surprise, it's two women. They are picking quickly and efficiently in total silence.
I sit down for a lesson in pickin' with the two best on the island, and proceed to make a complete fool of myself. But these ladies have been doing it their entire lives, so give me some time.
Tune in tonight at 8pm ET to see how Maryland crabbing's really done.
Authentic recipes from tonight's episode:


text:
Wheel Selected:
Drag DR-56
Select New Drag Wheel
However, we may be able to order them in for you.
Please call us at 800-589-6789 for availability and price.
The site was great, easy to find my tire and I was very happy with the product I purchased. George N.
©2016 The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation


text:
Winner: Phoenix Convention Center
|The Phoenix Convention Center boasts 1 million square feet of rentable meeting rooms, exhibition halls and pre-function foyer space, positioning Phoenix among the nation's top 25 largest convention centers. On the secluded second level of the West Building is an Executive Conference Center, perfect for upscale meetings catering to smaller corporate groups. The state's large ballroom, with 45,600 square feet, is adorned with kites "floating" in the North Ballroom ceiling, reminiscent of the desert night sky. The culinary reputation of the convention center is the talk of the Valley, with the custom menus created by Executive Chef Jesus Cibrian, inspired by his international experience and use of locally grown produce.
|Year Est: 1972
Meeting SQ.FT.: 1M total rentable sq.ft.
Principal(s): John Chan
|100 N. 3rd St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Finalist: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
|The sun rises and sets the Santa Catalina Mountains aglow. A breathtaking sunset burns orange over stunning city views just before the stars emerge to twinkle in the night. No matter how you spend your day, at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort you'll find yourself in awe of the living desert that surrounds you. Start your day with a Sonoran Desert Ultimate Rehydration body treatment in Loews Ventana's world-class spa, or check out a round of golf on one of two Tom Fazio-designed golf courses. Relax by the pool or explore the wonders of the Sonoran Desert on a half-mile Window Walk Nature Trail. For dinner, watch the sun set from the patio of the Flying V Bar & Grill and gaze out at the city lights.
|Year Est: 1984
Rooms: 398
General Manager: Brian Johnson
|7000 N. Resort Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85750
Finalist: Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North
|The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North combines scenic beauty, authentic design, a multitude of recreational amenities and superb service to create an intimate desert experience unmatched in the Southwest. Located adjacent to the renowned Weiskopf-designed courses of Troon North, and set on 40 acres of vibrant desert blooms, the resort features 210 luxurious guestrooms, including 22 suites, most of which are appointed with telescopes for stargazing, private plunge pools, kiva fireplaces and outdoor garden showers. Guests can experience a full-service spa and fitness center, golf, tennis, distinctive cuisine in the resort's three restaurants, hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing.
|Year Est: 1999
Rooms: 210
General Manager: Vince Parrotta
|10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85262


text:
We stock a great selection of Dog Grooming for Great Swiss Mountain Dogs.
Most of the Dog Grooming below work well for the typically sized Great Swiss Mountain Dog.
We're happy to help! Click the "Help" button to your left for assistance in finding the perfect Dog Grooming for your Great Swiss Mountain Dog! Plus, with our 365 day return policy, you can shop with confidence!


text: My local grocery store always has some ducks in the freezer case, but they're marked as having up to a 12% solution. Is this typical? I'd like to give one a try but I'd certainly never buy pork that's enhanced like that, and I'm wondering if I should apply the same rule for duck.


text:
"Game changer" is a term you hear often when people talk about how technology has changed their industry.
2013 was one eventful year, indeed, and what with markets and businesses going on a 350-degree change of face, it has been noted that there will be still more changes coming up your sleeve. The world of business just might not be the same. It is essential that we stick to the basics though. The root from where the whole story of a business begins ultimately never changes.
Every business keeps an eye on year-end sales and figures. It analyzes the patterns and styles in which more profit can be earned, the type of customers who are purchasing and the people who are still more expectant with the business. It is a "vigilant eye" time.
It is essential that you get to the crux of planning the next step and follow these simple rules of lead generation.
Apply the 80:20 Rule
The 80:20 rule is more commonly known as the Pareto Rule, or "the law of the vital few." It mostly works on the thought that 80 percent of your results comes from 20 percent of the steps that led to your sales. In terms of sales and marketing, that translates to 80 percent of sales coming from 20 percent of your customers.
Weed out what isn't working. Instead of trying to make everyone happy with your strategies and with multiple products and services, it's more sensible to gauge your marketing results to determine which products provide the most profits and repeat business. You will be able to get more out of your business and you will be able to better optimize your work standards.
Make CRM the Workhorse
Originally, when we talked about customer relationship management, it was a contacts database system. It maintained prospects' details and kept customers updated with marketing campaigns. However, the latest enhancements from big names like Microsoft Dynamics, Zoho.com and Maximizer Software have only reinvented the technology making it easier to use. Any size of business these days can implement it to bridge their sales and marketing. Business owners find it an effective method to reach latent or dormant customers, and they can use it to connect and engage with prospects and customers through their social media profiles. Many systems now also have an enhanced feature of a mobile CRM app which helps business owners who are working remotely.
As a result, staff members are able to work virtually or use their devices in the field to access real-time data, analytics and software, track customers to live campaigns and tweak the marketing agenda. CRM has also moved to the cloud, so there's no longer a need for fixed IT infrastructure for smooth operation. CRM has become an efficient backbone for business managers and their ambition in 2014 multi marketing strategy.
Don't Get Sidetracked
We all look at external industry developments or competitors who can come out with the similar products. These can cause a dent in your sales and services. Businesses that get into irrelevant services, short-term gimmicks or expensive alliances and partnerships that don't support the company's overall marketing strategy will experience waste. The service proposition gets weakened, market share might deplete and staff may even lose sight of the actual goal and may get easily off the track.
The understanding here is to be agile and adapt to the circumstances that are presented in hand. A business has to ensure that it has the right blend of sales and marketing skills in place, a reputation in its name and provides an excellent level of customer service.
2014 is going to be a good year of development on business frontier and it needs careful and understandable planning of all that you want to achieve. Since markets are going to be unpredictable what we can do is stick to our basics and execute seamlessly and effortlessly.
Gregg Schwartz has been a business consultant for the past seven years and is an active search engine specialist too. He specializes in appointment setting, marketing strategies and lead generation.


text:
THE federal government has been urged to reassess the claims for refugee status of scores of asylum seekers from the Hazara ethnic minority in the light of escalating violence in Pakistan.
Many of those who attended protests in Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane on Monday were mourning the deaths of friends and relatives in the most recent attack, in which more than 100 Hazaras, mainly women and children, died on the outskirts of Quetta last week.
Among the protesters were several whose bridging visas have either expired or are about to expire, and who face deportation after their claims for refugee status were rejected.
Pamela Curr, of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said there were about 100 Hazaras whose claims had been rejected.
''Their cases are the same as those who were successful - people whose fathers and brothers were killed, who were driven off their land by the Taliban because they were Hazara,'' she said.


text:
2014 NFTE Greater Los Angeles Annual Report
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Scholars: Joshua Fajardo & Eddy Giron "Times Up"
Student makes Mark with Murals
Los Angeles Business Journal, July 28, 2014
High School Camp Hones Students' Business, Entrepreneurial Instincts
Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2014
NFTE BizCamp gives teens the tools to build their own businesses
Los Angeles Business Journal, June 27, 2014
Teens' color-changing toothpaste takes top prize at youth entrepreneurship competition
Los Angeles Register, May 22, 2014
LAUSD biz kids pitch startup ideas in entrepreneur competition
LA School Report, May 21, 2014
Los Angeles' Global Enterprising Educator, Nelson Palencia and Global Young Entrepreneur, Nicolle Salazar to Be Awarded at NFTE 2014 Gala in Washington, D.C.
April 3, 2014
NFTE Greater Los Angeles Executive Director Estelle Reyes speaks with Richard Rozman
All Things Charity, March 16, 2014
"Made in Los Angeles"/NFTE Greater Los Angeles--first-ever conversation to connect up-and-coming entrepreneurs with key LA business leaders
Digital Journal, Nov. 14, 2013
Youth Scholarship - Coolsleeve from The Big Picture Film & Video on Vimeo.
South Gate student wins $1,500 in business competition
Los Angeles Wave, November 7, 2013
Young Entrepreneur Specializes in iPhones
Voice of America, December 4, 2012
Young Entrepreneur Credits Cashless Technology With NFTE Win
MasterCard Cashless Pioneers, November 29, 2012
Rio Hondo student wins entrepreneur of the year contest
Whittier Daily News, November 4, 2012
Greater LA Regional Winner scholarship winner video shown during the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Banquet, June 19, 2012
Staff Earns Full Scholarship Through Youth Club
Ventura County Star, May 30, 2012
Tech Entrepreneurs Hit the Runway for a Charity Fashion Show
VanityFair.com, May 11, 2012
Who Is the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs?
Huffington Post, April 14, 2012
Hayley Hoverter
Live Life and Win, March 17, 2012
Oxnard Youth Receives California Workforce Association's Dwight Brydie Scholarship
Your Story, March 13, 2012
Shomari Patterson
Live Life and Win, March 3, 2012
Maynard Brown, Community Champion
PBS, February 27, 2012
16-Year-Old Invents Dissolvable Sugar Packets
KCAL Morning News, February 18, 2012
Obama praises Southland student's project at White House Science Fair
Daily News, February 7, 2012
Obama's inner geek: Robots to Flying Marshmallows
Associated Press, February 7, 2012
Obama heralds (and nearly hires) student scientist
The Oval, February 7, 2012
Local Girl Receives Praise From Pres. Obama At White House Science Fair
CBS Los Angeles, February 7, 2012
LA Students Shows Off Their Projects at White House Science Fair
NBC Los Angeles, February 7, 2012
Obama views Peninsula High student's project at White House Science Fair
Daily Breeze, February 7, 2012
High school science whiz kids from Southern California visit White House
SPCR,February 7, 2012
Previous press coverage is also available.


text:
A registry of convicted animal abusers may be coming soon to Michigan if a bill proposed earlier this month becomes law.
According to MLive.com, two state Representatives — Republican Paul Muxlox, and Democrat Harvey Santana — introduced H.B. 4535 on April 10. Known as the Michigan "Animal Abuser Registry Law," the bill would create a registry for animal abusers similar to sex offender registries. Click here to read the bill.
"We're not looking for more regulation, but we're also not looking for more abuse either," Muxlow said. "There are a lot of animal lovers and supporters out there. I think they'll get behind this."
Under the bill, anyone convicted of animal neglect, dog fighting or other animal-cruelty crimes would be required to register within five days of sentencing. Offenders would remain on the registry for five years.
If passed, the statewide registry would be the first of its kind in the country.
Read, "Michigan bill would create 1st statewide registry for convicted animal abusers in country."
While many in the state support the bill, not everyone believes it would be a good thing.
"Pass this stupid law and farm animals will have to be housed in a small condo. The animal-rights nuts are licking their chops just thinking how they can twist this law into banning hunting and farming," one person commented on the MLive.com article.
Another comment added, "the records of convicted felons can already be accessed online. This boondoggle would be duplicative. We do not need another taxpayer-funded, bloated, activist-oriented agency that will expand until it sucks up millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars. "


text:
A Winter Storm is Coming: Prepare Yourself with Ten Things You'll Need if the Electricity Goes Out
The National Weather Service is predicting an arctic cold front will move through the area late Wednesday night and Thursday. A pair of disturbances will move northeast across the area beginning Thursday afternoon and continuing through the day Friday. As temperatures drop below freezing, a wintry mix of precipitation is expected across the entire region.
A winter storm warning is in effect from Thursday evening through Friday afternoon. Significant accumulations of ice, sleet and snow with likely result in treacherous driving conditions Thursday night and Friday. In addition, some isolated power outages cannot be ruled out where freezing rain is most prevalent.
If you lose power, there are some things that will make your life much easier – do yourself a favor and go out asap and purchase these items! You'll be glad you did.
1. Board Games and Books – If you don't have some already, get some. When the TV goes out and you have to keep yourself entertained you'll be thankful for these items. Make sure you get real books – not digital.
2. Flashlight, Candles and Matches or a Lighter – Want to fumble around in the dark? Didn't think so!
3. A Non-electric Heat Source – If you don't have a gas or wood-burning fireplace, invest in a heat source that doesn't require electricity such as a propane or kerosene heater. BE CAREFUL though!
4. A Manual Can Opener – It's great having canned food but can you open it?
5. A Grill and Full Propane Tank – This is a pretty easy way to cook some foods without electricity. Check out the camping aisle for more cooking without electricity products.
6. Battery-Operated Radio – Keep in touch with your favorite radio station with a battery-operated radio or with your smart-phone using Radiopup.
7. BATTERIES – Lots of them in different sizes.
8. Battery-Operated or Solar Phone Charger – What good is a cell phone if you can't use it? Keep in touch with the outside world!
9. Food Plan – Make sure you have enough non-perishable food and drink for at least a week.
10. A Generator – If you can afford it, spend the money and buy a generator today. It will save you in the long run if food spoils.


text:
A PROPOSAL for a joint chief executive for Malvern Hills and Wychavon district councils is being railroaded through, says one leading councillor.
The proposal is coming up before Malvern Hills District Council in Tuesday, June 24, when members are being asked to approve it, starting from October this year.
The report, from David Hughes and Paul Middlebrough, the leaders of Malvern Hills and Wychavon, says there is a "strong business case" for a shared chief executive, which they say say will save at least £60,000 annually.
But cllr Julian Roskams, who leads the independent Democratic group on MHDC, says the move will lead to a loss of jobs and democratic accountability.
He said: "I'm disturbed by the way that it's being pushed through without proper consideration of the alternatives. The government is railroading this through, and we have not been given a proper chance to consider this proposal against possible alternatives. It's what happened over the introduction of wheelie bins and it's happening again
"I fear it will lead to loss of jobs in Malvern, and Malvern will become a hub or outpost, controlled from Wychavon . What will happen if Malvern Hills and Wychavon are controlled by different political parties?"
However, the leaders' report says there is a "long and successful record" of the two councils sharing services.
"Each council will continue to exercise their right to set and deliver its own agenda," says the report. "The sharing of a chief executive/managing director would not jeopardise this position but where there is agreement to a common agenda, sharing would offer the potential for a more efficient and effective delivery of that agenda."


text:
Master Suites
Master Suites
The Master Suites at Ka'ana offer 700sq ft of private space with individual front and back decks, including an enclosed garden and private outdoor shower. You will enjoy the jungles and archaeological intrigue of the Cayo area by day and be immersed in the comfort you have become accustomed to and deserve by night.
The walls of your Casita are adorned with local art, and your French doors and windows allow the indoors to embrace the outdoors in a seamless way. Your bathroom vanity is done in a beautiful Central American hardwood called "Poison Heart" and is the masterpiece of a spacious, naturally lit space.
Amenities Include:
- Daily Continental Breakfast served in room or at La Ceiba Restaurant
- 700 sq ft (65 sq m) of private space
- California king with high thread count sheets
- Private outdoor terrace and balcony
- Pool views
- Private outdoor garden with outdoor shower
- Luxurious bedding and linens
- Plasma flat screen TV
- iPod docking stations
- Executive mini bar
- Ceiling fan
- Air conditioning
- Spacious bathrooms
- Plush robes
- Hair dryer
- In-room sitting area
- Complimentary ironing service
- Complimentary wireless high speed Internet
- Phone and voicemail
- Twice daily and "on demand" housekeeping services
- Room service
- In-room safe
Master Suites start at US$450.00 in the standard season, based on double occupancy.
Cancellation Policy:
No refunds will be available for no shows, late arrival, or early departure. Should the guest decide to cancel, a minimum of 60 days notice is required prior to arival for a full refund, minus a US$100 administrative fee. 50% refunds will be granted for cancellations 45-59 days prior to arrival. All cancellations 44 days or less prior to arival are non-refundable.
Click Here for our interactive map experience.


text:
Eager to expand its brand into new regions, Pet Supermarket is licensing software that evaluates and pinpoints the best markets as it plans future store locations.
The Sunrise, Fla.-based Pet Supermarket chain has 100 stores that feature approximately 8,000 pet products. With plans to expand the chain by an average of 20 stores per year, Pet Supermarket tapped Woburn, Mass.-based geoVue to streamline this task.
geoVue's solution uses predictive data modeling to help retailers analyze which markets to enter, expand or exit; determine how they should optimize store networks within each market; and localize marketing and merchandising.
"geoVue helps us to understand exactly which customers like our stores," said Diane Holtz, president of Pet Supermarket. "geoVue uses our customer database of addresses to determine where we are the most successful."
Based on this knowledge and other demographic information, "geoVue will help analyze and select new market areas that are ideal for Pet Supermarket," she said. "As part of this process, geoVue can also project sales for individual sites."
Since adding the solution in March, the pet retailer has used geoVue to plan six to eight locations. "It's early in the implementation, but we are very encouraged by the results so far," Holtz said.


text:
Player InformationFlames Home > Men's Tennis Home > Men's Tennis Roster > Roster Detail
Siim TuusClass: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Previous School: Audentese Sports Gymnasium
Hometown: Rakvere, Estonia
2011-12 (Jr.):
• Recorded seven wins during singles play during the fall schedule
• Won a pair of matches at both the UNCG Fall Invite and UVa Classic
• Notched six doubles victories
• Reached the doubles finals in Draw A at the UNCG Fall Invite, while posting a 3-1 mark
• Posted a team best record of 14-7 in singles play during spring competition
• Played every match in the No. 1 position
• Recorded a victory over nationally ranked (#105) Nicholas Sayer of Radford on April 12
• Tallied a 5-2 mark in Big South action
• Posted 14 doubles wins, including a 12-4 record with partner Giancarlo Lemmi
• Played every doubles match in the No. 1 position
• Recorded a 4-3 record in Big South doubles play
• Won six out of final 10 matches in both singles and doubles action
• Named Big South Player of the Week twice (March 12-18, April 1-8)
• Earned Big South All-Conference singles award
2010-11 (So.):
• Named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll
• Went 6-5 in singles matches during fall tournament play
• Produced two wins at ITA Regional
• 5-3 doubles record during fall
• Went 12-9 during the spring dual season, playing all but one singles match at the lead spot
• Produced a five-match singles win streak … provided clinching victory in Longwood match, helping the Flames to a 4-3 win on April 5
• Also posted 12 wins in doubles matches, going 12-10
• Included an eight-match win streak with teammate Benjamin Wirth at the No. 1 slot
• Won both his singles and doubles matches against No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina, leading the Flames to their second Big South semifinal appearance in program history
• Named Big South all-conference for singles
2009-10 (Fr.):
• Named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll
• Recorded marks of 9-8 in singles and 5-3 in doubles during his first fall tournament season
• Stepped into Liberty's lineup as the No. 1 singles player and posted a 7-14 mark
• Posted two wins over nationally ranked opponents, defeating Radford's No. 80 Ivan Salec and William & Mary's No. 119 Keizel Juneau in the same week
• Win over Salec helped the Flames hand Radford its first Big South regular-season loss since 2007
• Named Big South Men's Tennis Player of the Week after his wins over ranked opponents
• Produced 11-11 mark in doubles matches
• Named Big South Men's Tennis Freshman of the Year as well as Big South all-conference for singles.


text:
HTC One mini 2 Reviewby Anand Lal Shimpi & Joshua Ho on 5/26/2014 3:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Mobile
- One mini 2
76 Comments
Back to Article
flyingpants1 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkThought so. Inferior device at a high price point. Get a Nexus 5 instead. Reply
piroroadkill - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkEvery single time. Only Sony gets it - the Xperia Z1 Compact doesn't use a second-rate SoC or camera compared to the Z1. It's a full-fat version, just smaller. Reply
Chaitanya - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkSony did everything right that neither Samsung or HTC have been able to do with their mini versions of flagship smartphones. Reply
teiglin - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkCouldn't agree more. I finally bit the bullet and bought an imported Z1 Compact about a month ago and am very happy with it. I don't have the words to express my disappointment that Sony's example is not being followed, nor that American operators aren't interested in picking up a great device like the Z1 Compact.
On the topic of the One mini 2 itself, it seems like a perfectly decent phone, but you guys really hit it on the head with the "two worlds" thing--on the one hand, the same money gets you a G2, which is still a great phone by any account; on the other, it has the specs of a Moto G, which is half as much. I love HTC's industrial design, but it is hard to argue that the One mini 2 is competitive. Reply
seanleeforever - Monday, June 02, 2014 - linkagreed.
and i might also add LG L6, a phone that you can purchase right off the ebay for 120 (or 100 if it is on the ebay daily deal). that has almost the same spec as the original one mini (actual performance is better since the skin isn't as heavy). i recently get one and my god the battery is godly. i can go with 3 days (as in 3 day+ 3 night) on a charge when using it to check email, facebook and occasionally web browsing. on comparsion my N4, if used the similar manner, would be dead before the second day.
with that all said, there isn't a single reason to pay 400 dollars for a mini 2 over the aluminum body when you can get L6 for 100 dollars, or Note 3 neo for about 360 dollars. Reply
ColinByers - Monday, September 29, 2014 - linkHTC One mini 2 is really good, but I would recommend going for the flagship HTC One M8 instead, it is currently the best phone on the market. /Colin from http://www.consumertop.com/best-phone-guide/ Reply
synaesthetic - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI don't understand why nobody except Sony seems to understand this concept. Both HTC and Samsung cripple the specs of their "mini" variants. Why... why would you do that? Don't you understand that some people just don't want monster screens, but still want top-tier performance? :/ Reply
Spunjji - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkThis, a thousand times! Reply
AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkIf the Z1 is so high-end, then why is the camera latency so bad? Reply
pjcamp - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - linkEverything has its problems.
Sony's problem is that they can't seem to figure out how to sell things in the US. Reply
Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkaye my first thought too. "Oh look its worse than last year's mini but with a bigger battery" eurgh. Reply
krazyfrog - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI can't help but be amazed every time how well the Nexus 5 does in these tests with so few compromises, especially at that price. Still the best Android phone on the market all things considered, in my opinion. Reply
pppp6071 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkSame here. Proud owner of Nexus 5 32 GB black and eagerly waiting for next version. Reply
Strk - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkNexuses still struggle with the external speaker, but otherwise, I agree. Reply
sprockkets - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkThey fixed that in rev 2 of the hardware Reply
sigmatau - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkThe headphone voltage is very sad on the Nexus. I own both an HTC One and a Nexus 5 and the One is about two times louder than the Nexus when using headphones. The cameras on both phones are below average. I will not be buying another Nexus phone as the HTC spoiled me on what better parts can do for smartphones. Reply
mkygod - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkNexus 5 owner here. The speaker and battery life are the only real compromises.The camera is merely average. Performance in real-world usage blazes though compared to just about any other android phone, mostly due to stock Kitkat. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkif it had an sd slot it would be a very appealing phone indeed. Reply
happycamperjack - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkNexus 5's camera is less than desirable though. These days, camera on smartphones is pretty much the distinguish factor for most smartphone buyer. I wouldn't get Nexus 5 based on this alone. Reply
pjcamp - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - linkNo SD? No sale. I carry a lot of media around with me and mass storage is essential. The cloud is not always accessible. To me, that absence is a very serious compromise. And it saved them what? $5? Reply
devione - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkWhy, oh why, can't more manufacturers follow the Sony Z1 Compact route.. Reply
Johnmcl7 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI'd be interested to see the sales figures for the Z1 Compact in Europe where the phone is widely available to see if Sony's strategy of producing a flagship phone with a smaller screen has worked out for them. On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android with a top end SoC, camera, micro SD, decent screen even weather sealing and without much compromise either as the price is reasonable as is the batterylife. It makes a complete mockery of the HTC Mini 2 as they both appear to be a similar price despite the Sony being a much more capable device.
Yet I've not seen anyone with a Z1 Compact despite plenty of other Android phones and I've hardly seen any second hand for sale (I want a cheap one for going out cycling) whereas there's quite a few S5's around even though it's only recently released. I realise none of that's statistically relevant hence I'd like to see the sales data.
I do think Sony were too slow releasing the Z1 Compact, I think if they'd released it around two years after the Galaxy S2 they'd have been in the perfect position to catch those who wanted a similar sized phone with top end specs. I knew quite a few people who had S2's and didn't want an S4 due to the increase in size however as there wasn't anything suitable in a smaller form factor with Android they went with the S4 and find the size is fine.
A few friends and family have 'mini' phones particularly the S3 Mini and S4 Mini but they didn't just want a smaller phone they also wanted a cheap phone so wouldn't have considered a Z1 Compact if available. Reply
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkMy brother just bought the Z1 Compact, and it's an impressive piece of kit. I only wish it had OIS and a better camera app(like Nokia Camera on the Lumias) Reply
Death666Angel - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkFrom the article: "HTC then proceeded to launch the One mini, a phone that was the size that everyone had been asking for"
From Johnmcl7: " On paper the phone looks pretty much exactly what everyone has been wanting for a while in Android".
Really? Everyone wanted a phone like that? I didn't. I was fine with 4.3" in my SGS2 when the iPhone established the 3.x" form factor. I liked my 4.65" Galaxy Nexus when that was becoming the norm and I like the 5.2" LG G2 which is doesn't feel much larger than the GN. So count me out of that "everyone" group, please. Not everyone is looking for smaller flag ship phones, just like not everyone is looking for microSD card slots, replaceable batteries or phones made out of aluminum. Some are, others aren't. I'm someone who is fine with lugging around his Nexus 7 when I'm wearing a jacket. The 5.2" G2 fits perfectly fine in all my trousers and I have never thought "bly me, that size is really bothering me". Reply
Johnmcl7 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkOK, wrong turn of speech - my own phone is a Sony Z Ultra (6.4in screen) so I certainly appreciate the benefits of a larger screen. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linki'm really happy for you and you're right, not "everyone" wants all those things you list. the problem is that for people who are happy with 5"+ phones there already are many options - the whole flagship-segment caters to them.
but for those who want all the power in a slightly smaller form factor there is exactly one viable offering - not much considered the dozens/hundreds of models on the market. and even this lonely smartphone will be "obsolete" in a matter of months, considering the specs of current and coming flagships.
in a market like this, i think it's clear and also warranted, that people are complaining. but even if we aren't "everybody", it's still important that we voice our opinions. sorry if you felt collateralized ;) Reply
sfuzzz - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI feel exactly the same. Z1 Compact is a great phone (with some flaws like other) and the right size for everyday life, you don't have to carry a bag or a jacket only for your phone. I own a Nexus 5, coming from a Xperia U (perfect size for me) and this summer will see if i go mad feeling it in my pockets all day. As for the sales (of Z1 compact) It's difficult to tell the real figures, here in Italy is available for 450/420 euros or less, but anything that is not Samsung or iPhone is a "niche" phone. I own a N5, my sister owns a Moto G, and we are considered some kind of "geeks" only for that :) Reply
Gich - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link4xCortex-A7 can't keep up with 2xKrait 200 on benchmarks that do stress all core... and it should be worst on "normal" apps.
Isn't this... very bad? Reply
Gich - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkAlso "it's not much of an improvement"? I feel is more of a step back. Reply
tipoo - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkYeah, I'd take dual krait over any number of A7 cores any day. Reply
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkIt baffles me that this "mini" is the same size as the M7. What does this offer that the M7 don't have on a lower price point? Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkslightly better battery life, slightly better camera in daylight, sd slot. Reply
Morawka - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linki like last year's metal unibody much better than this. Satin aluminum feels much better in the hand, (and looks better) than this brushed aluminum look. Reply
krazyfrog - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkThe brushed aluminum finish is only on the grey model. The silver and gold look like the M7. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linki also like the m7 design better, but not because of the brushed finish - i love brushed metal! - but the corners look better imho. it doesn't look all that rounded, more simple and also the top speaker grille is more centered. also the speaker grilles were real metal on the m7 and if you look closely at the m8 you can see that theres a rather thick clear coat on the grilles, plus not all holes are drilled all the way through. "nitpicking", yes, but on a phone that lives for its design i think those are still valid points.
also the second (duo-) camera looks goofy and the black m7 is just absolutely gorgeous, compared to the black m8 with its appalling gold speaker grilles (sprint version).
also (sorry for saying "also" so much!), i don't get how they get their numbers like "90% metal", or "50% metal". shure, the surface of the m8 features a couple percent more metal than the m7, but not to the extent of 90% vs. 70%. and the mini 2 sure as hell isn't down to only 50%. i'm really wondering how they calculate this to get those numbers. Reply
SetiroN - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkYou are being WAY too kind.
These "mini" marketing devices deserve to be bashed and put to shame. People buy them thinking they're getting a mini flagship and end up hating android.
This is a terrible device at that price point. Reply
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkIt is. The M7 is a much better buy. It might be a year old, but it's still a great smartphone. It looks better as well. Reply
hangfirew8 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkExactly what I was thinking! If they had put an 8MP camera on the M7 it would have been a better phone than this. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkthe m7 with a larger 8mp sensor with OIS and an sd slot would have been perfect!! plus the sd801 from the m8 to seal the deal and they would have one customer more. Reply
r3loaded - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link4.5 inches is "mini" now? Reply
Fergy - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkYeah. In my mind it is: 4 small, 4.5 normal, 5 large, 5.5 extra large
But apparently 5 inch is normal and anything below is small. Apple iPhone becomes nano of course. Reply
Daniel Egger - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkStrange world indeed. My current phone has 4,3" and that's already on the border of being acceptable size wise... "Is that a smartphone in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" Reply
torp - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkTo be more accurate: "Is that a smartphone in your wheelbarrow?" Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linki also reluctantly upgraded from 3,7" to 4,3" two years ago. for the next upgrade i _might_ go as far as up to 5", if the bezels are as slim as on the g2 or g3. but a 5" display in a package as the m8 is just too much, tyvm. Reply
HisDivineOrder - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkHey, this isn't an Apple phone article! Anand, you looked at a non-Apple device!? For reals?
Of course, you DO share a byline, so I'm thinking this is one of those things where you glanced over the article and added a paragraph, but let the other guy do most/all of the work. Perhaps it didn't seem like you were exactly "fair and balanced" if all you ever had your name attached to were Apple device and AMD Center articles?
Hm. Reply
Death666Angel - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkHm indeed. Haven't taken your meds today, have you? Reply
Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkClearly not xD Reply
pixelstuff - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkPerhaps you are on on the wrong site? Or perhaps you just don't remember the hundreds of articles not centered around Apple or AMD? Reply
JBVertexx - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkDisappointing. I'm a One (M7) owner, very happy with that. But it's disappointing to see there is nothing in the new HTC lineup worth looking forward to. Reply
Myrandex - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI still wonder where the Nokia cameras stack up in the tests. At least one of their models should make an appearance in the comparison charts. Reply
Drumsticks - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkIf Anandtech didn't seem to have some irrational aversion to windows phone, then maybe they might :( Reply
Thermogenic - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkAs an owner of a Lumia 920 & 925 as well as an iPhone 5s, I'd say that the well light pictures are slightly worse than the iPhone 5s and the low light pictures are better than anything else they show. That would put these phones among the very best for camera, depending on your shooting needs.
The Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520/930/Icon should best all of these phones, but I don't have them to test. Between high resolution, solid optics, OIS, and Xenon flash, they have specs that are second to none. The Sony's should be competitive though, and they are also missing from these reviews.
I really wish Anandtech would make nice with Microsoft and start reviewing their phones again. Reply
hangfirew8 - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - linkOur 1520's camera is freaking amazing and puts my M7 to shame under all circumstances. I haven't reviewed AT's stance on this but IMHO a higher-end Lumia should be in every comparison test. Reply
PHlipMoD3 - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkI hate to be late to the party or the last dude to know, but... wtf happened to Brian? Not complaining, I like Anand's reviews, but I would like to know... Reply
Laxaa - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkNobody knows and Anand won't tell. Reply
Arbie - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkNo microSD slot = no sale. Still. Reply
piroroadkill - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkWhat the hell? It has a microSD slot. Now you're just talking nonsense. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkhe just cited a fact of life /s Reply
superflex - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkNo reading comprehension still?
Troll on baby. Reply
samsung galaxy guide - Monday, May 26, 2014 - linkAnand, what happened to Brian? Has he moved on to a different site? Reply
althaz - Monday, May 26, 2014 - link"I don't know that there's a better feeling smartphone priced below $400"
Lumia 925 is a class above this in terms of feel and quality (and cpu performance and camera performance) and is cheaper too :). Reply
Alexey291 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linklets be fair - this device is terrible and one is better off getting last year's M7 than this for eg... Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkcan't say anything against the lumia, but the metal build on the m7 onwards is hard to reach from a touch and feel perspective. Reply
Ev1lAsh - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkSorry if I misread this, but in the HTC One Cameras table in Camera Architecture the table shows the Rear Camera - Max Aperture for the HTC One mini 2 as f/2.0 whereas its referred to as f/2.2 in the article.
Just so you can update. Reply
JoshHo - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkD'oh. The error has been corrected, thank you for pointing this out. Reply
Arbie - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkGlad to hear that, if it's true. MicroSD is not in the spec list posted, and I wouldn't expect such a significant feature to go unmentioned there. Reply
Arbie - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - linkSorry, my error. It does show MicroSD in the specs. Somehow I overlooked that. Reply
firstname.lastname@example.com - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link"For those that see the iPhone 5 and 5s as the absolute largest phone that they're willing to tolerate, this may be too much"
makes no sense...
icrap 5 and 5s are the smallest crap there is... nothing is crappier or smaller.. most would prefer a larger phone anyway. Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkyour anti-apple stance aside, they also mentioned that people who are ok with the moto x' size should be happy with the mini 2. i have to object a bit here since the mini 2 is significantly larger despite having a .2" smaller display:
http://mobiledevicesize.com/compare/#359,432;1 Reply
hangfirew8 - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link"the One mini 2 is easily one of the best in its class." And just what class was that, anyway? Reply
beardybuck - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkI just cannot understand why the Z1 Compact isn't even mentioned in reviews?
Okay, I understand that as a US site the penetration of Sony is considerably less than other markets, but as an enthusiast site, it surely merits some reference? Reply
fokka - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkthis article, especially the conclusion, sums up my thoughts about the mini 2 nicely. for what you get it's just priced too high and for what it should be, it just makes too many compromises.
i would be extremely interested in a smaller flagship phone and think the design of the m7/m8/mini2 is second to none. but the m7 lacks expandable storage (i just ordered a 128gb sandisk...), the m8 is just too big for my taste and needs and the mini 2 has its own set of problems, as we can clearly see.
it's still a very nice phone, but for me it is too compromised (1gb of ram? really??) and much too expensive.
also, with those internals it has no right to be about the same size as the m7, plus htc would have done good if it would have implemented optional capacitive buttons on the black bar, like the 1+1. at least then we would have more available space on-screen. Reply
AnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 - linkWhy the heck did you measure camera shot time, instead of the IOPS transferring then? I mean that's your SSD measurement strategy. Just give a graph of IOPS for each model. Reply
Archipelago - Thursday, May 29, 2014 - linkI too just do not understand the lure of metal and faux metallic cellphones. Quality plastic (such as the Lumias polycarbonite) is cheaper and better and probably tougher. Reply
jnkweaver - Sunday, June 01, 2014 - linkHow do you do a smartphone review and not even mention call quality? I can find no mention of using it as a phone. Reply
RDR99 - Friday, May 15, 2015 - linkI am voting with my feet .. after using HTC since their first smartphone, the HTC Mini 2 really disappointed me and HTC refused to admit that the Mini 2 is totally crippled and underpowered as a phone .. but after trying to use it for over 3 months I had enough .. recently I have delays of 15-20 seconds switching apps .. turning on the phone .. and it keeps freezing .. uninstalled loads of apps .. same result ..
So .. HTC Mini 2 is such a bad phone that I just changed to a Sony Z3 compact, after switching to Sony for my Tablet (from a Samsung Note 2 which also was as slow as a crippled dog) and have been incredibly impressed by both products that all I have to say is ... Bye Bye HTC !! Reply


text:
Discover a selection of top forums jokes on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums jokes and meet other fans of jokes. Then, why don't you create your own forum of jokes ?
Zan's Zone is an all in one Message Board, Blog & Website. Most forums are open for guest replies as well as member only chat and fun forums. - All are welcome to affiliate including guests.
blog, forum, faith, spirituality, cycling, filofax, planners, blogging, #jokes, affiliates, board, directory, blogs, quotes, politics, christianity, religion, bicycling, journals, diary, support, website
Rock Island is a forum for discussing rock, hard rock, heavy metal, Gothic, and many other types of music. We also discussed other topics such as sports, spirituality, entertainment, and many more.
heavy, metal, music, friends, sports, religion, spirituality, movies, entertainment, #jokes, funny, pictures, videos, family, christianity, bible, baseball, basketball, football, discussion
Clarity: The search for truth . Clarity: The search for truth .
truth, discussion, clarity, message, canadian, center, conservative, liberal, biochar, #jokes
Free forum : The OOTIKOF, an internationally renowned society of flamers since 1998, invites you to join in the fun. Word smithing on most any topic is encouraged.
free, forum, ootikof, katzenjammer, stocks, investments, cats, politics, insults, music, #jokes, photography, space, movies, television, arts, entertainment, games, business, society, world
We bring you update on news and current affair, jokes
Find latest non veg jokes http://nonvegjoke.in
#jokes, latest, http, //nonvegjoke
Welcome to the discussion forum for all Educational Justice Activists! Post any and all of your questions, ideas, and jokes for the community!
educational, justice, activists, discussion, activists!, post, questions, ideas, #jokes, community!
This Forum is For nimbuzz lovers where they can discuss about nimbuzz and can share tools and softwares, Also this forum will provide other helpful Softwares and much more.
nimbuzz, badboys, team, lovers, discuss, share, tools, softwares, provide, helpful, soft, cracker, cracking, server, flooder, spybot, quiz, nuke, poetry, #jokes, funny, clips, windows, programming, coding, python
Free forum : Discuss about armies, the ACP, Club Penguin and more.
free, official, forums!, army, club, penguin, rapidy, shab, shaboom, shaboomboom, boomer, oagal, legend, #jokes, active


text:
Wonderful Creatures
Birds' Techniques for Gliding
It requires a great deal of energy to fly. However, birds are small creatures and the energy they can store in their bodies is limited. Birds obtain most of the energy they need by means of applying special flying techniques. Gliding in the air without flapping their wings is one of the techniques that they use most. For example, vultures employ a special method based on rising heat currents in order to glide at a convenient altitude. Gliding from one current to another, they can cover a vast area in a day.
Migratory birds, too, make use of gliding techniques to save energy. Storks, for example, use heat currents to fly during migration. White storks of central Europe migrate to spend winter in Africa and cover a distance of about 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles). If they were to flap their wings all the way to their destination, they would have to take four breaks during the journey. Yet white storks complete their journey in three weeks by gliding between the heat currents for 6-7 hours a day and thus saving most of their energy.
Since the sea warms up more slowly than the land, there are no heat currents over the sea. For this reason, migratory birds prefer to migrate over land instead of making long sea journeys. You may have seen flocks of storks that cover the sky at certain times of the year. That is because storks, too, prefer to migrate over land. You may not be aware of the fact that there is no warm air over the sea, but storks know it very well.
On the other hand, albatrosses, seagulls and other sea birds save energy by using air currents caused by high waves. These sea birds that fly over the waves benefit from the lift force of the air that turns upwards.
As seen in the examples given here, all birds know which techniques they will use, where they will go and which route they will take. No confusion arises for those that fly by using warm air currents and those that fly by using air currents caused by the waves. This is because Allah inspires every creature with the knowledge it needs. In the Qur'an, Allah points out birds' movements in the air and states:
Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. Allah knows what they do. (Surat an-Nur: 41)


text:
Elementals HD – Upcoming iPhone Game
A new upcoming game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Elementals HD is a strategy / puzzle game that is sure to keep you addicted for hours. Read more about it.
Tutorial: Change Eye Color in Photoshop CS4
A Screen Cast Tutorial showing you how to change a persons eye color using Photoshop.
Download Games, Movies, TV Shows Safe & Fast
A Step by Step Guide demonstrating how to download just about anything, using newsgroups, news servers and a news reader.
What To Look For When Purchasing a Used Computer
A quick look at some guidelines when shopping for a used PC.
More Featured Posts
Over the Hill
You may have noticed that there have been a lack of posts on chris-fletcher.com for quite some time now. I have decided after a lot of back and forth to retire chris-fletcher.com. I have since started a new blog which can be found at http://0xcf.com. I will be posting all new articles at this blog. chris-fletcher.com started with the first post in May of 2009. Since then the blog had 912,868 unique... [Read more]
Novus: Tanaak's Quest on Kickstarter
The basis of Novus: Tanaak's Quest is you are a Toloran named Tanaak from the country Tolora which is on the planet Novus who must journey through underground facilities spanning multiple laboratories that were setup by some of the first Toloran's to to settle on Novus in hopes of saving the ancient race from bio-mechanical infestations that are responsible for wiping out most of the Toloran... [Read more]
Using External fonts with Cocos2D for Mac
Hi everyone. It's been forever since my last post and with good reason. I've been working non-stop on updating all of my apps in the Mac App store to support sandboxing as well as working on my first Mac game, more on that in another post. This post is mainly for reference so that I don't forget how to do this but I thought that maybe this would help out some of you as well. So basically... [Read more]
Phoenix Comicon 2012
Yes, I'll be attending the Phoenix Comicon this year May 24th – 27th, Memorial Day weekend. I'm pretty excited about it since this will be the first time I've ever gone to an event like this. I'm definitely looking forward to all of the creativeness that people have come up with for costumes this year. Being a Star Trek fan, it will be exciting to meet some of the cast... [Read more]
New App: Screen Vault
Screen Vault brings you a brand new innovative way to lock and unlock your Mac. Remember the old combination dial lock on your locker from high school? Well, Screen Vault brings that same experience to your Mac. Using the rotate gesture of the track pad, you can use the combination dial to unlock your Mac with your personal 3 digit combination. Don't have a track pad or don't want to use... [Read more]
"Bouletcorp" explains Quantum Pixels
Forget Quantum Physics and give the quantum theory of pixels a try.. Be careful though, brains have been known to explode with the following information. Read More →
Classic: Website is Down Sales Guy vs. Web Dude
Not sure how many of you have seen this video. I just stumbled across it on YouTube and thought I would share. Enjoy Read More →
The Truth About Mac's vs. PC's
Over time I've read many articles and comments about Mac's vs. PC's. The articles are mostly bias to one or the other and the comments are mostly the opposite. In the world of computers today, it is very difficult for someone to make an educated decision as to what platform is best for their use. There are so many factors to take part in the decision making process and in my opinion... [Read more]


text:
Two of our animals have been very popular over the past few months. Do you know who they are? They are Nikko and Gladys, our white-handed gibbon residents. You may be wondering what makes these two so special? Well, not only are they the only two white-handed gibbons at the Oakland Zoo, but they are also a new couple.
Gibbons are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. However, sadly this past year, Nikko, our male white-handed gibbon, lost his mate to a medical illness. He handled the loss similar to how humans would and went through a mourning cycle. During this time, zookeepers got to work searching for a potential companion for him. Luckily, they came across Gladys, a blonde-haired Texan gibbon from the Gladys Porter Zoo, who needed a new home.
Thus began the love connection process to bring Gladys to Oakland Zoo to meet Nikko. After thirty days of quarantine and proper introductions, the gibbons began residing on Gibbon Island together.
Nikko and Gladys are not just 'roomies,' but have become mates. Signs that they are getting along well include hugging, grooming, and even singing duets during their morning songs. Everyone here at the Zoo is extremely elated that this match has worked out; media and visitors have enjoyed watching the new couple too.
Quick Facts:
Similar to human hair color, gibbons also have a wide range of color variations. Nikko represents the darker end of the color spectrum, while Gladys, with her blonde hair, represents the lighter end. Gibbons are lesser apes originating from southeast Asia. One can tell the difference between an ape and a monkey by whether or not the primate has a tail or not. Tail equals monkey; no tail equals ape. Here's a word of the day that applies to this species: brachiation. Brachiation is simply the movement of swinging with the arms from one hold to the next, similar to how children play on the 'monkey bars' on the school playground.
Thanks for reading the Oakland Zoo Blog. Now don't forget to share this blog and impress your friends with all your newly gained knowledge about the gibbon species and our very special residents, Gladys and Nikko, at the Oakland Zoo. Don't miss out on all the great media attention about this love story either. Check it out.


text:
This podcast is part of the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project Deepening our Roots project. This podcast will help you identify and understand ten components of strong sexual assault services in dual/multi-service agencies. You will learn about effective strategies in organizational structure, staff training, and community partnerships that successfully balance programmatic needs and meet the unique needs of sexual violence survivors.
This resource was written by the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project and produced by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. For more information on strengthening your advocacy skills please see the companion quiz (requires log in to NSVRC campus) and publication.
This project was supported by Grant No. 2008-TA-AX-K043 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


text:
Yeasayer will release their anticipated new album Fragrant World on 20 August 2012 on Mute, the follow up to 2010's crossover hit Odd Blood. Having set the internet alight with the teaser track 'Henrietta' last month, as well as Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record In The World Right Now' on Radio 1, the psychedelic experimentalists from Brooklyn are set to make an assured return with their most accomplished album to date.
Odd Blood was widely regarded as one of the best albums of 2010, hitting everyone's end of year lists including NME, Mojo, Q, Uncut, The Fly and The Sunday Times. It took Yeasayer from the warm embrace of the Brooklyn scene straight into the mainstream with playlists on Radio 1, 6 Music and Xfm as well as gracing the covers of The Fly, Guardian Guide and more.
A hard act to follow, certainly, but Fragrant World does not disappoint. Produced once again by Yeasayer themselves (and mixed by Dan Carey), it is a wholly immersive record. Keyboards clank and wheeze, tiny claps stumble against busted drum machines, and there's very little obvious guitar. It is an album that grapples with the schizophrenia of the modern world by gathering piles of electronics and moulding them into something vast and rather gorgeous.
After touring endlessly in support of Odd Blood, Chris Keating, Ira Wolf-Tuton and Anand Wilder holed up in Gary's Electric Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to record Fragrant World. While Odd Blood played with electronic textures and future paranoia, Fragrant World fully immerses itself in those themes, virtually dripping with anxiety, love and concern for the world. Keating's vocal is as idiosyncratic and affective as ever, and sometimes, like on 'Longevity', piling so many effects on his voice that the music takes on an otherworldly sheen. In direct contrast are Wilder's vocal contributions, which hover serenely over droning synths on 'Blue Paper' and later weave in and out of staccato beats and what sounds like a vintage computer dying, on 'Devil and the Dead'.
Across Fragrant World's 11 tracks, genre mashing is taken from a broad spectrum of sources; updated takes on dusky pop, jittery funk, exotic keyboard experimentation, haunting whirs of backward organ, exuberant bass; "I wanted to make a record that was legitimately, to use a bad word, funky" Chris Keating told Under the Radar magazine. Even at its darkest, that statement holds true. On their first single and album centre piece 'Henrietta' Keating is in great form. The track is loosely based on Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cells were cultured by a doctor in the 1950s without her permission. Those cells would later go on to be the most commonly used human cell line for medical research. Keating teases out universal ideas from bizarrely specific moments in history, repeating the refrain, we will live on forever, referencing Lacks' story directly, contrasted against a darkly optimistic world view.
It is a testament to their sound and the unique identity they've carved out for themselves in the music community. They have managed to grow and expand into what they are now without losing touch with what made them so compelling in the first place; their willingness to pull from every musical source imaginable. Whether it's the warped and clipped alien-dancefloor banger 'No Bones', or the gothic, almost industrial pulse of 'Reagan's Skeleton', Yeasayer are truly making 21st century music. Couched in healthy fear, yet unafraid to move forward and expand, pulling in new influences just as frequently as new worries, Yeasayer have created a dense and beautiful record. It is as much a synthesis of the last three decades of pop music as it is a way of dealing with the oddities of life.
Yeasayer will be in the UK for Latitude this summer, with a string of UK dates to be announced soon


text: i just read over on indystar that someone saw kwame at the Fever game tonight. evidently someone tried to interview him and denied/couldnt accept. what does this mean? is it true? i dont know. i sure hope so tho. cuz, having kwame on the team would be just one more reason to be a pacer fan (not like i needed one) cuz kwame went to my hs and his younger brother was a friend of mine in elementary/middle school. i also had the same 4th grade teacher as kwame. i guess that makes me part of his entourage or something.