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Highlighted Features Include a New DIGIC 6 Processor With Impressive Low-Light Performance,
Shooting Speed of up to 14 Frames-Per-Second and Enhanced Image Quality
MELVILLE, NY March 21, 2013 -– Fusing portability with high-quality image technology, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the new 12.1-megapixel PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera with built-in Wi-Fi® technology and an impressive 20x Optical Zoom lens. Amazingly compact, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is the first Canon camera to feature Canon's DIGIC 6 Image Processor, the most advanced processor to date, delivering incredible detail and fast continuous shooting performance.
"Canon recognizes the importance of capturing the highest quality images possible and sharing them instantly and easily," said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. "The PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera with its impressive features provides users the resources to shoot in almost any situation and the creative tools to help capture their vision."
Share Great Images Wirelessly
The PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera's Wi-Fi® connectivity offers users connectivity options to share their beautiful images. With the download of the free Canon CameraWindow app1 from an Android TM or IOS® store, users can connect to both iOS® or AndroidTM smartphones and tablets2 to wirelessly transfer photos and videos from their camera to their device. This camera also has the ability to connect directly to social networking sites and to Canon's iMAGE GATEWAY3, making photos easily accessible and ready to share. In addition, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera has the ability to connect wirelessly to computers, select PowerShot wireless cameras, and wireless PictBridge4 compatible printers, such as the PIXMA MG6320 and MG5420 Wireless Photo All-In-One printer models.
Powerful and Versatile 20x Optical Zoom Lens
Providing users the ability to capture images with stunning quality, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera features a 25mm wide angle lens and impressive 20x optical zoom (up to 500mm) providing versatility in a pocket–sized camera. At wide angle, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is ideal for capturing lasting memories of family and friends at get-togethers as well as stunning landscapes. The lens' super telephoto reach allows photographers to bring subjects in close and is perfect for capturing images at sporting events, distant nature scenes and wildlife in their natural habitat.
Exceptional Images and Fast Performance
The PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is packed with a variety of impressive imaging features that help ensure moments are preserved in stunning quality. In conjunction with the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera's 12.1-megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS image sensor, the DIGIC 6 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM. This system is responsible for the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera's improved low-light performance up to ISO 6400, with minimal noise and maximum detail.
In addition, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera features advancements in Canon's Auto Focus (AF) system with improved AF times and reduced lag over previous SX-series models. The responsive high-speed AF helps users to capture great shots as they happen, with reduced lag time. Adding to the camera's diverse feature-set is High-Speed Burst HQ which allows for continuous, fast-action, high-resolution shots at up to 14fps. With incredible zoom capabilities, fast and responsive AF, stunning resolution and easy-to-use features, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is the perfect camera for vacationing or capturing a morning soccer game.
Further advancements attributed to DIGIC 6 Image Processor can be experienced in movie mode, which records in MP4 format. For added flexibility, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera allows you to shoot video in a selectable frame rate of up to 60 fps or up to 30 fps resulting in smooth and rich 1080p Full HD video. Users will also notice improved image stabilization with Dynamic IS, which detects and can compensate for tilt and parallel movement (shift blur) to help create improved video clarity.
Simplicity and Convenience
The PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera offers a variety of easy-to-use features that help take the guesswork out of capturing captivating, imaginative photos. With Smart AUTO, the camera identifies an ideal image setting by intelligently selecting from one of 58 pre-defined modes. To combat blurry images, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera utilizes its Intelligent IS system, which draws from six different stabilization modes to choose the best IS for the current shooting condition. The Intelligent IS system, combined with Smart AUTO creates the camera's Hybrid AUTO mode which helps create a beautiful and steady HD video clip (up to approximately 4 seconds) in Movie Digest mode every time a user shoots a still image while the Movie Digest mode is activated.
Adding to the camera's diverse feature set, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is also equipped with a built-in GPS receiver5, and when activated, data is recorded along with each image. Users can easily access the location where their photos were taken without depending on their often vague post-vacation memory. The built-in GPS receiver not only records the exact location of the shot, but users can create a visual log of their journeys on a map using the bundled Canon software.
To further help ensure that an image is never missed, the PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera comes equipped with ECO mode to assist with battery conservation. ECO Mode manages the 3.0 inch, 461k LCD screen brightness and turns off when the camera is inactive. ECO Mode can be activated for easy power preservation when an additional battery is out of reach or the moment is too exciting to put the camera down.
Pricing and Availability
The PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is expected to ship in April 2013 for an estimated retail price of $329.99.
For more information about the new Canon PowerShot cameras, visit www.usa.canon.com/powershot.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $40 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2012† and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2013. In 2012, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers' Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the ninth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past two years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility.
# # #
Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. IOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license. All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
Availability, prices, and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.
1 This software enables you to upload images to social network services. Before uploading images, please be aware that image files may contain privacy related information such as people and places. If necessary, please delete such information. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this software
2 Compatible with iOS version 5.1/6.0 or later and Android devices version 2.3/4.0 or later. Data charges may apply.
3 One-time registration is required on CANON iMAGE GATEWAY ONLINE PHOTO ALBUM.
4 PictBridge (Wireless LAN) certified printer is required.
5 In certain countries and regions, the use of GPS may be restricted. Therefore, be sure to use GPS in accordance with the laws and regulations of your country or region. Be particularly careful when traveling outside your home country. As a signal is received from GPS satellites, take sufficient measures when using in locations where the use of electronics is regulated.


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If asked to invent a dramatically different Les Paul we doubt anyone could have imagined this utterly modern version of Gibson's iconic guitar.
Okay, so we've known about the Gibson digital guitar for a while but we were beginning to wonder if it was more fantasy than fact. Gibson has finally offered it for sale and the nattily named HD.6X-Pro aims to blend tradition with cutting-edge technology.
A Les Paul to meet the new digital frontier head on and which will no doubt polarise opinion. Let the debate begin…
What it does
The HD.6X Pro does one major thing that no other guitar does: it can output the sound of each of the six strings individually. Not a very practical proposition for the gigging guitarist, but with the capability to adjust the volume, panning and EQ of each string individually, and to apply completely separate effects processing and amplification to each string, the whole panorama of guitar sound has suddenly expanded.
Separating the strings to such an extent has not been done before. There have been 'stereo' guitars, the most complex of these probably being the mid-eighties Ripley Stereo (as used by Eddie Van Halen on the song Top Jimmy) that fed the output from what the company said was a separate humbucker for each string via its own panpot to a stereo output.
It wasn't an exact science; the quoted actual string separation on this Gibson is 90dB - effectively meaning that when an individual string is sent to a separate output you simply do not hear any of the other five strings.
The HD.6X-Pro is basically two guitars in one - it is a conventional Les Paul complete with a pair of humbuckers and the usual array of controls at the same time as being an instrument that can output a digital signal from a hexaphonic pickup. It can produce both sets of sounds simultaneously, in fact.
The hex pickup is close to the bridge and on the elongated silver jack plate the standard jack sits next to an Ethernet port for the digital output, a mini-jack mic input (for a headset mic) and a mini-jack headphone socket complete with knurled-wheel volume control to monitor the sound.
The technology
Onboard the guitar is an analogue-to-digital converter that takes the signals both from the hex pickup and from the humbuckers and converts them to 24-bit digital audio to be transmitted via a Cat 5 Ethernet cable to a Breakout Box. The digital signal is completely free from interference with no noise or dropouts and can be transported for much longer distances down an Ethernet cable than would be possible with a standard guitar lead.
The powered Breakout Box (BoB) is the input/output hub for the system. It takes the digital signal from the guitar and converts it back to analogue again so the audio can be sent to separate amps or separate tracks of any recording setup. There are three options available on 6.4mm jack outputs for the output from the hex pickup - each string can be sent to a separate output, you can have stereo sound with strings 1, 2 and 3 out of one output and 4, 5 and 6 from another or you can have a mono output with the sum of all six strings.
In addition to this there is a mono 'Classic Mode' output jack that outputs the previously digitised signal from the traditional humbuckers now back in analogue form again. This is an alternative to just taking a signal directly from the guitar's normal jack output, the advantage of it being that longer cable runs are possible due to the use of Ethernet cable. Another output jack on the BoB handles the signal from the guitar's mic input. Left and right input jacks on the BoB can send a signal (most probably the output of a computer's audio interface) back up the Ethernet cable to the guitar for monitoring through the headphone socket.
Cosmetically the HD.6X-Pro has its own aesthetic with its cobalt blue burst finish complemented handsomely by platinum-finished speed knobs, hardware and truss rod cover. The cylindrical knurled tuning machines are a departure from tradition, as are the reflective carbon fibre fretboard markers. The whole package - guitar, Breakout Box and leads - comes in a plush-lined hard-wearing case with airport-friendly wheels.
In use
The HD.6X-Pro plays and sounds like a Les Paul. The well-finished frets and ebony fingerboard make playing a breeze and all the classic twin humbucker tones are present and correct.
A smart blue LED next to the neck pickup lets you know that the Ethernet connection is powered up and the bridge pickup volume knob doubles up as the volume knob for the digital output. First impression of the hex pickup is that there is a load of dynamic range to track every nuance of your playing: the whole thing is latency-free and there is no need to adjust your playing as you might do with pitch-to-MIDI conversion.
The sound is also clearer and somewhat brighter, by design, than you might expect from a standard direct output from a conventional guitar - the idea being that a full clear sound gives more potential for manipulation further on up the signal chain. By contrast the classic mode sound that is digitised from the pickups is darker and more conventionally Les Paul.
Using all six separate outputs into a multi-input audio interface we were able to record a selection of playing to six separate tracks and then manipulate them. The obvious first thing was to pan the six strings fully across the stereo image creating a completely different kind of stereo spread - a sound with a great sense of movement that gave the impression that more than one guitar was playing.
With a powerful computer-based recording system well equipped with plug-ins there are almost unlimited possibilities. It is possible using AmpliTube, Guitar Rig or any other amp simulations to apply different amp and speaker combinations to each string or different amounts of drive from the same amp... bring in various effects and the options just multiply.
Another creative opportunity is to record the guitar and then mute the audio from one or more strings at various points creating a new part that would have been very difficult or impossible to play conventionally. The classic mode full six-string sound can be recorded on its own track alongside the six individual strings so is there to be used, even if just as a reference.
Feeding the output of the computer back up the cable to the guitar for monitoring on headphones worked a treat with no apparent latency delay, even playing live through the plug-ins.
But there is one very obvious flaw in the system. The Breakout Box is necessary to get the digital signal back into the analogue domain if the hexaphonic pickup output is to be sent to conventional amplification, but what if that output is to be sent to a computer?
The fact is that the signal is converted from digital to analogue in the Breakout Box then has to travel in analogue form from Breakout Box to the computer's audio interface to be then converted back to digital again - doh! And if you are going to record all six strings to individual tracks then you need an audio interface with at least six analogue inputs and six jack to jack leads to connect it all up - Gibson supplies six colour-coded leads with the package but it's hardly elegant. This is a digital guitar so wouldn't it make more sense if it could connect to a computer with a single cable and the signal stay in the digital domain all the way there?
The fly in the ointment is that the MaGIC technology is, so far, only utilised in the HD.6X Pro - there is, as yet, no computer interface that can take the MaGIC signal. For now we are stuck with the clunky interfacing and cable spaghetti. This doesn't dilute the potential but it does illustrate the perhaps uncomfortable truth that the HD.6X-Pro package is a pioneering first step on the way to a refined and integrated digital guitar system, rather than the finished article. It's so far ahead that it is waiting for others to catch up.

subset: commoncrawl


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Giddy Up Little Pony!
Jaye Torley
October 21, 2014
Organization Name: Hyundai Industry: Automotive Name of Contact: Ted Troughton, National Manager for Market Representation for Hyundai Canada In 1988 I bought a two year old Hyundai Pony. At that time they were referred to as "throw away cars", you know, you drive it for 3-4 years and, well, you throw it away. Oh my, how things have changed! You ask the… Read more »


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J-Line Pump Co. has paid $1.4 million for the manufacturing/processing mill at 550 South St. in Collierville.
The company bought the 79,350-square-foot facility in a Jan. 25 special warranty deed from RockTenn CP LLC, a Norcross, Ga.-based entity that operates more than 245 facilities in the U.S. – including two in the Memphis area – Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and China, according to the company's website.
J-Line Pump, a division of American-Marsh Pumps, "focuses on the irrigation, water well and fire protection markets worldwide," according to its website.
The 12.41-acre property J-Line Pump bought sits on the north side of South Street and includes a mill that was built in 1975, whose Shelby County Assessor of Property 2012 appraised value was $1.8 million. It is adjacent to another J-Line property that faces Progress Road.
No financing was associated with the transaction.
Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports
– Daily News staff
The ownership group of Memphis International Raceway has acquired the International Hot Rod Association from Feld Motor Sports.
The ownership group, under the corporation IHRA Entertainment LLC, takes over management immediately of what will become IHRA Motorsports.
The hot rod association is 43 years old. It sanctions more than 100 drag racing venues in North America with 12,000 racers as members.
The ownership group includes managing partners Michael Dezer of Dezer Properties, Joseph Lubeck of Landmark Apartment Trust of America Inc., Edward Kobel of DeBartolo Development, and Jason Rittenberry, president and CEO of IHRA Entertainment.
The partners bought the Memphis Motorsports Park from Dover Motorsports Inc. in 2011 and added it to a portfolio that included the old Moroso Motorsports Park in Palm Beach, Fla., in 2008.
The group recently invested $30 million in a multi-track venue in Jupiter, Fla.
– Bill Dries
Kroger's new store in Poplar Plaza shopping center is scheduled for a March 20 opening.
The 81,500-square-foot building will back up to Prescott Street and face east. It will be Kroger's biggest store in Memphis.
The new store will include extensive bulk nutrition, Boars Head, organics, locally grown products, as well as fresh seafood and complete deli and bakery.
Kroger kicked off construction on its own building last year, a project that involved the Burlington, Mass.-based owner of Poplar Plaza, Finard Properties LLC, to reconfigure the layout of several tenants within the 360,000-square-foot center in the University of Memphis area. Upon the Kroger completion, the old Kroger will be razed for a parking lot.
– Sarah Baker
The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index shows that business owners have regained some optimism with the start of the new year.
That's a reversal from November, when the survey had dropped to its most pessimistic level in two years. The latest Index improved 20 points (to positive 9) in January, up from negative 11 in November.
Key drivers of the improvement in the survey, conducted Jan. 7-11, include increased business owner optimism about revenue, capital spending, jobs over the past 12 months, more optimism about overall financial situations, cash flow, and jobs over the next 12 months. A year ago, in January 2012, the Index was at positive 15.
While optimism improved from the fourth quarter, the survey paints a mixed picture with respect to jobs and hiring. More business owners (71 percent) expect the number of jobs at their companies to stay the same over the next 12 months, and business owners planning to add jobs during the same period remained unchanged at 17 percent.
– Andy Meek
Shelby County Commissioners voted Monday, Jan. 28, to disband the 10-year old Needs Assessment Committee that reviewed and prioritized school construction projects for both of the county's public school systems.
The appointed committee, which included architects and construction contractors, has not met in the last year and a half and no new appointments to the city-county body have been made because of the coming consolidation of the two school systems that begins in August.
Also at a 45-minute commission meeting Monday, the body delayed action on a resolution that is the second quarter financial statement from County Trustee David Lenoir. The commission delayed accepting the report as they await further figures from Lenoir.
Commissioners want to know whether the stable property tax rate the commission approved last spring amounted to a tax hike in terms of the revenue it produced for Shelby County government.
The numbers are part of a larger discussion the commission has had as it prepares to recertify the property tax rate following the 2013 property reappraisal.
State law says the recertified rate cannot produce a windfall of more revenue than county government made from the old tax rate. From that point, the commission then votes separately on any tax hike that might be proposed.


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July 9–15, 2009 in Chicago, IL
Cataloging Digital Media Back to the Future! (Thursday)
Sponsored by ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section. Cosponsored by OLAC. This preconference workshop provides practical information on the descriptive cataloging of diand get energized for an overview of descriptive cataloging of digital media. Some hands-on exercises will be provided. The following digital media types will be covered: DVD-Video, Blu-Ray Discs, DVD-Audio, DualDisc, DVD-ROM, Playaways, and Streaming Media. This preconference highlights the recent cataloging guides published by OLAC (Online Audiovisual Catalogers, Inc.) (DVD, Playaways, and Streaming Media). There will be a presentation of future trends of cataloging digital media, especially with regard to RDA.
- Jay Weitz, Senior Consulting Database Specialist, OCLC
- Robert Ellett, Lecturer, School of Library & Information Science, San Jose State University
- Anchalee (Joy) Panigabutra-Roberts, Metadata & Multicultural Services Librarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Streaming Media and Proliferating E-Books: Acquiring and Managing Emerging Formats (Thursday)
Sponsored by the ALCTS Acquisitions Section. Cosponsored by OLAC. Streaming media and e-books present unique ordering, licensing, and long-term management challenges. In this preconference for technical services staff and managers in libraries of all kinds, you will learn how to integrate electronic books into acquisitions workflows. We will also explore streaming and other emerging media as growing areas of content with new roles for technical services. Regardless of format, copyright, licensing and delivery are key considerations to plan into your processes.
- deg farrelly, Librarian for Communications and Women Studies, Arizona State University at the West;
- Cris Ferguson, Electronic Resources/Serials Librarian, Furman University;
- Jesse Holden, Coordinator of Technical Services, Millersville University;
- Nathan D.M. Robertson, Director of Information Policy and Management, University of Maryland School of Law.
Metadata Standards and Applications: for 21st Century Catalogers and Metadata Librarians (Thursday and Friday)
This two-day preconference explores metadata standards and applications for bibliographic control in the 21st century. The goal is to relate what participants already know about library catalog metadata to digital library metadata, preparing them to apply current knowledge to new areas. Rather than being a workshop for learning metadata creation, this preconference presents fundamental concepts and exercises designed to provide participants with a solid foundation for meeting new application challenges in today's rapidly-changing metadata landscape. ALCTS thanks OCLC for their support of this preconference.
- Steven Miller, Senior Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;
- Jennifer Lang, Electronic Resources Cataloging Coordinator, Princeton University Library.
RDA, FRBR, and FRAD: Making the Connection (Friday)
Sponsored by the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section. This preconference concentrates on the role of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and the Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD) in Resource Description and Access (RDA). The necessity of understanding these new conceptual foundations is key to the transition to the future cataloging environment. Participants will hear from a panel of experts on FRBR and FRAD attributes and relationships, new terminology and concepts, and participate in practical hands-on exercises.
- Barbara Tillett, Chief, Cataloging Policy and Support Office, Library of Congress;
- Robert Maxwell, Metadata & Special Collection Cataloging Dept. Chair, Brigham Young University;
- Tom Delsey, RDA Editor, JSC;
- Glenn Patton, Director, WorldCat Quality Management, OCLC.
Manipulating Metadata: XSLT for Librarians (Friday)
Cosponsored by LITA. This full day workshop is designed to introduce participants to XSLT for manipulation of metadata and other sets of data. Instruction will cover the basics of XML and XSLT as well as more advanced commands and control structures. With particular focus on use of XSLT for working with metadata in a library context, this hands-on workshop will allow participants to practice the principles discussed by the instructors.
- Frances Knudson, Los Alamos National Laboratory;
- Christine Ruotolo, University of Virginia Library.
The Open Knowledge Commons and Library Collections: The Other Scan Plan
Workflow Tools for Automating Metadata Creation and Maintenance
Look Before You Leap: Taking RDA For a Test-Drive
Collection Development 2.0: The Changing Administration of Collection Development
Conserving and Stabilizing Materials for Digitization
Leadership Development in Transition: Steering the Ship from the Helm and Deck
Swingin' With the Pendulum: Facing Cancellations in the Age of E-Journal Packages
Re-Thinking Staff Resources in the E-Serials Environment
E-Books: You Bought Them? Was It Worth It?
New Selectors and Selecting in New Subjects: Meeting the Challenges
Collecting for Digital Repositories: New Ways to Disseminate and Share Information
Managing Preservation without a Preservation Librarian
Resuscitating the Catalog: Next-Generation Strategies for Keeping the Catalog Relevant
Electronic Resource Management Systems: The Promise and Disappointment
Going Global! Finding Non-English Language Specialists
ALCTS President's Program:
Who Owns Antiquity? Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage


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Microsoft's Surface made a huge splash in 2012, but was largely disappointing because the initial model, based on ARM, offers limited compatibility with the applications and hardware people still use and the more powerful version, Surface Pro, won't ship until the very end of January. But Microsoft needs to double-down on Surface in 2013, and dramatically expand the lineup. Here's what I'd like to see.
To be clear, for all the negativity around Surface with Windows RT, which has sold well under expectations both inside and outside of Microsoft, this device is rock-solid from a design standpoint. I've previously described the look and feel and build quality of this device as being on par, if not better than, anything that Apple makes, and have compared it to a non-existent "Pro" line that Apple could (and should) sell to prosumers.
But today's Surface with Windows RT is only the start. And while we eagerly await the fan-laden, single USB device that is Surface with Windows 8 Pro, I think Microsoft can do more. A lot more. And here's what I recommend the company get to market in 2013, with each device expanding Surface into lucrative markets, bringing along the vaunted Surface look and feel and build quality to each. I can't wait, and if even half of these are sold by this time next year, 2013 could be a huge year for Microsoft's devices efforts.
Surface Xbox: A consumption device for games and media
As Microsoft's media ecosystem improves in an admittedly weak-kneed way, the firm should consider a 7-inch consumption-oriented tablet to compete with the market leaders in this segment: The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, Google Nexus 7, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and Apple iPad mini. This device would work as they do, providing access to first- and third-party media services such as Xbox Games, Xbox Music, Xbox Video, Amazon MP3/Instant Video/Kindle, iTunes, Barnes & Noble NOOK, and so. Given the form factor, this is one area where an ARM-based device might actually make sense, and my recommendation is to kill off the Surface with Windows RT with the Clover Trail-based device mentioned below. Another excellent idea for this product, which would justify the Xbox branding: Make it compatible with Windows Phone 8 apps and games: Now we have a product that really makes sense.
Surface with Windows 8 (Core): A Clover Trail tablet
Microsoft should replace the Surface with Windows RT in 2013 with the Surface with Windows 8 Core, which would be based on Intel's Clover Trail platform (or newer), delivering the same fanless form factor and battery life as the current RT product but with dramatically better software and hardware compatibility. This one is a no brainer.
Surface Ultrabook: For mainstream PC users on the go
Microsoft should deliver a full lineup of multi-touch-based Ultrabooks—in 11-, 13- and even 15-inch versions—that will compete head-to-head with Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lineups. Each should ship with high-resolution screens—1366 x 768 for the 11-inch version, 1600 x 900 for the 13-inch version, and 1980 x 1080 for the 15-inch version—and each should feature Intel chipsets and run Windows 8 Pro.
Surface All-in-One: For mainstream PC users at work and home
While the desktop PC market is shrinking, one area is growing, and that's all-in-one (AIO) PCs that are modeled on Apple's iMac. Here, Microsoft should deliver 23- and 27-inch versions (with 1920 x 1080 and 2560 x 1440 resolutions), wireless keyboard and mouse, and superior expandability. The screens should be dramatically mobile, so that you could bring one down towards your lap and type on it like a giant piano keyboard.
Surface Phone: Microsoft's only chance against Android and iPhone
If Nokia has shown us anything this year, it's that they lack the leadership and capacity to take Windows Phone to the next level. So in tandem with Microsoft purchasing the important intellectual parts of Nokia as that firm inevitably disappears, the software giant should also release its own lineup of Surface-branded Windows Phone handsets which would feature quad-core processors, 32 GB of onboard storage with microSD expandability and come in 4-, 4.5-, and 5-inch "phablet" screen sizes, all offering 1280 x 768 resolutions.
So what marks a Surface device? Aside from the afore-stated look and feel and build quality aspects, each of these devices would share a number of interesting commonalities under the hood. Each is based on solid state storage, with the complete removal of hard disk-based storage from the equation. Each is essentially a sealed box, like an appliance, with only minor concessions to internal expandability, a move that will improve the devices' thinness and lightness. Each is designed to be best of breed in the market in which it competes. And each, together, forms a cohesive family of products with consistent hardware and software design that will win over customers from other platforms.
You can do this, Microsoft. It's time.


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Two former employees of a popular Victoria grocery store have filed a class action suit over illicit images of themselves that were allegedly taken in an employee washroom and shared over the internet.
The claim alleges these images were taken by a former employee of the Red Barn Market, a popular local grocery chain with seven locations throughout Greater Victoria. This employee worked at the Mattick's farm location in Cordova Bay, and it's alleged they set up a video camera in the washroom at various times between 2009 and 2014. The claim also alleges there are at least six more victims.
It wasn't until 2016 that one of the plaintiffs was approached by police in Greater Victoria and shown images of herself on a Russian-based porn site (including her name in caption), that she learned she was a victim of the alleged behaviour, said a release to media.
"In January of 2016 we started the investigation into a voyeurism complaint regarding a grocery store employee in Saanich," said Saanich Police Sgt. Jereme Leslie. "We had a complainant come forward stating they had found images of them self online, that's how we began the investigation, and through that process we were able to identify and speak to nine potential victims."
Saanich Police executed search warrants of the alleged suspect and gathered evidence from those search warrants which led to an arrest. However, charges against the suspect have not been sworn and Leslie is unsure when those will come in.
"Saanich Police is satisfied that we've identified and contacted the potential victims but the investigation is still ongoing." Leslie said. "They can be very complicated in these types of cases, long in nature, with a lot of information to sort through."
The first plaintiffs in the claim worked there between 2012 and 2014 and second between 2007 and 2012, while the alleged suspect worked there from 2009 2014.
The second plaintiff alleged that in February of 2016 members of the Saanich Police made her aware of images on the internet that included a picture from her Facebook page, her identity and explicit photos taken from the Red Barn washroom.
In all, the claim seeks damages to compensate for the emotional and physical harm, in an amount to be assessed by the court.


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La Luce has announced their first Wine Dinner at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek resort (within the gates of Walt Disney World Resort!). We love this place for awesome risotto specials each day, killer fresh pastas and sauces, and…wait for it…the Butterscotch Pudding! No, I'm serious! Check out a review of La Luce here.
Il Cibo Della Vita – La Luce's Celebration of Food & Wine
Chef Donna Scala and the La Luce family are proud to announce this Wine Dinner featuring Antinori Wines from Italy.
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012
Reception: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7 pm
Price: $85++ per person. Price does not include tax or gratuity
The Antinori Family has been making wines for over 600 years, and the menu (below) created exclusively by Chef Donna Scala will [Read more…]


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Male Grooming: Everything the Modern Man Needs to Know
There are hundreds of guides to female grooming, but the modern man can be left scratching his head about how to approach the fine art of male grooming. Here is everything you've always wanted to know about each of the key areas that you need to groom, including vital information about how much hair to remove and what gadgets you need to use. However, don't forget that grooming is also a matter of personal preference, and if you have a partner then she might want to have a say in these decisions as well!
Shave your chest in moderation
While hairless chests were once more fashionable, grooming experts now advise that the trend is trimmed chest hair instead. You can decide how much to remove by considering your body type, as heavier men can actually benefit from the slight camouflage provided by a bit more hair. To get an even and attractive look, you'll need a good quality pair of clippers. Use these clippers to trim all over your chest, moving against the grain to get the right results. If you have sensitive skin, using a moisturising body lotion after shaving can help to dull any redness and minimize potential itching. Finally, consider whether your chest hair will look odd next to your facial hair. While that suggestion might sound strange, a bushy beard next to a shaved chest can be quite jarring, so try your best to match hair length.
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Posted in: Lifestyle
Tags: back hair, body hair, chest hair


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Soul Detox reveals how to overcome the three forces that work against us daily: toxic influences, toxic emotions, and toxic behaviors.
Every day we are surrounded by secondhand spiritual toxins--influences, emotions, and behaviors--that threaten to stunt our spiritual growth.
When we recognize the toxins that assault us, and discover ways to live in this world without absorbing these toxins into our souls, we can experience the ultimate spiritual intervention.
With a fresh look at the Word of God, vulnerable honesty, and his trademark humor, bestselling author Craig Groeschel unpacks ways to strengthen our spiritual health and our positive influence on others. He will help you to:
More than an insightful look at the negative aspects of our day-to-day culture, this grace-filled guide will challenge you out of complacency and into a life of clean, pure, and focused living based on the freeing standard of God's holiness.
Also available: Spanish edition, video curriculum, and study guide.


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The Enlargement of an 'Area of Freedom, Security and Justice': Managing Migration in a European Union of 25 Members
As the European Union prepares to include ten new Member States, this policy brief explores two key policy issues at the center of the May 2004 enlargement: the potential for migration from the new Member States to the existing ones; and the need to develop a coherent immigration, asylum, and border control policy for the Union. It examines these debates within the wider context of growing anti-immigrant sentiment and the prevailing climate of distrust between existing and new Member States.
In general, EU citizenship confers the right to move to, reside, and work freely in any country within the European Union. However, due to concerns that the economic weakness of all but two acceding states will provoke large-scale migration to the EU-15, governments have restricted freedom of employment for citizens from eight of the ten new states through transition agreements. Counter to this belief, the report concludes that actual emigration from new Member States will be negligible, with or without transition agreements, based on the outcomes of previous enlargements involving countries experiencing similar per-capita income gaps at the time. On the other hand, such agreements impose two levels of citizenship, likely leading to feelings of exclusion until citizenship rights are equalized for all EU nationals.
Pre-enlargement attempts to agree upon a common EU-wide immigration, border, and asylum policy, and establish a strategy for collective implementation have achieved limited success largely due to EU-15's reluctance to relinquish sovereign control and individual states' desire to uphold their own national priorities. These factors also manifest in widespread skepticism over acceding states' ability to carry their weight in controlling their borders and managing immigration and asylum systems. Despite these challenges, authors are optimistic that enlargement offers unique opportunities to explore integration issues at the EU-level, develop a new and better understanding of refugee protection needs by leveraging the experience of former refugee source countries, and finally establish the mutual trust necessary to put the goal of an area of freedom, security, and justice into practice.


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Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) announced the completion of a VoLTE test on China Mobile's TD-LTE network.
NSN performed a live VoLTE call and ran through multiple test cases on a pre-commercial network in Fuzhou. NSN deployed its enhanced Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (eSRVCC) solution during the testing process.
"Our hard work in integrating the VoLTE solution in China Mobile's pre-commercial TD-LTE network paid off when we were able to complete this set of tests ahead of our competition," Markus Borchert, president of Greater China Region at NSN, said in a statement.
NSN announced its solution will be available commercially in March for both TDD and FDD LTE variants.
China Mobile only just launched its TD-LTE service in December. The rapid follow-up with VoLTE stands in contrast to major U.S. carriers like AT&T and Verizon, both several years into their respective LTE deployments and still without VoLTE. Both are expected to launch VoLTE service and devices in 2014.
T-Mobile, which last year bought MetroPCS and inherited its VoLTE service, could be planning to launch its own this year. Sprint recently partnered with Broadsoft for VoLTE but did not offer a date of when the service would become available.


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Most years, the cost of filling up at the pump drops in February. Why? Demand for gas decreases during the mid-winter as people go into semi-hibernation, and gas prices tend to follow on a downward trajectory, before rising again when the weather starts to warm up. Thus far in 2012, however, while demand remains low, prices are soaring, reaching all-time highs for this time of year.
The current national average for a gallon of regular is about $3.52. That's a penny below the average for all of 2011, which was the priciest year ever for gasoline.
But February is typically one of the cheaper months for prices at the pump. One year ago at this time, the national average was just $3.12 per gallon. If pricing follows standard seasonal patterns, most drivers will be paying $4 a gallon by springtime, and 2012 will easily beat out 2011 for the dubious title of Most Expensive Year Ever for Gas.
(MORE: Gas Price Hike: Expect $4 a Gallon — Or Perhaps $6! — By Springtime)
Drivers in some cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, are already paying close to $4 a gallon. The Los Angeles Times reports that the average for a gallon of regular for all of California is now $3.835, up 7.7¢ from the week before. The state has never seen such high prices so early in the year:
In the past, the state's average had never topped the $3.80 mark before March. And February is usually a month when prices fall.
Consumer Reports notes that over the past week, gas prices rose 5¢ or more in most parts of the U.S., including New England, the Lower and Central Atlantic, the Gulf Coast, and the West Coast.
Why are prices rising? As mentioned, normally, prices rise at least partly as a result of increasing demand. That's not the case this year, reports Bloomberg Businessweek:
"Petrol demand is as low as it's been since April 1997," says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. "People are properly puzzled by the fact that we're using less gas than we have in years, yet we're paying more."
If demand isn't playing a role, what's causing the price hike? Apparently, the current rise in prices is partly being caused by the expectation that prices will rise even more substantially in the near future. Hedge funds and large money managers are putting lots of speculative money into gasoline futures, and prices for crude oil—from which refineries make gasoline—are much higher than they normally are at this time of year. As a result, prices at the pump are also much higher than they normally are at this time of year.
(MORE: 2011 Is Priciest Year Ever for Gasoline: $3.53 Per Gallon, Over $4K Spent Per Household)
Instead, drivers who usually could expect to get a break at the pump during cold mid-winter days are facing gas prices that they don't like to see even in the summer.
Brad Tuttle is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @bradrtuttle. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.


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Columbia Set to Launch on July 20, 1999
News story originally written on July 16, 1999
Space Shuttle Columbia was scheduled to launch on July 20, 1999, but was postponed at the last second. With six seconds left before launch, the mission was haulted due to faulty equipment. The mission has been rescheduled for July 22, 1999, between 12:28 and 1:14 am EDT.
Five astronauts, led by Air Force Col. Eileen Collins, will haul the new Chandra X Observatory into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. This will be the 95th shuttle mission to date. At one time, we didn't know if the launch would occur.
This will be the first time a shuttle has been commanded by a woman. Collins will be making her third trip into space. She says her crew is ready to go.
The Chandra X Observatory is the newest tool scientists have for researching the deepest areas of the universe. The $1.5 billion telescope will be more powerful than the Hubble Telescope. Plans involve using the telescope for at least the next ten years. The crew is especially excited about this powerful machine.


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Greetings all and welcome to the December Devlog update!
A lot has happened since our last update, and we are anxious to share the results - and plans for the future - with you all.
Build v0.3 – Current public release
First off, let's talk about the current build on Itch.io – v0.3
Early November we finally swapped out or old Test Ketches with our test Brigs – Which first of all meant MORE size and MORE firepower! The same model used is the low poly version of the more detailed model that the player will use in the coming entirely new build of ToW – v0.4
We moved to Itch.io for our releases and updates, therefore making patching and updating clients MUCH easier. Be sure to download the demo through the Itch.io client to keep up to date!
What does Build v0.3 consist of so far?
- 5 Nations to play as; English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Pirate – More nationalities will come at a later point, such as China, Russia and young America.
- 26 gun Naval Snow, based on the HMS Ontario
- Admin panel to set up your test scene
- 3 swappable ammunitions:
- Basic Shot (Hull/Armor damage)
- Chain Shot (Sail, Rigging and Mast damage)
- Hot Shot (Heated to cause fire – which left unattended makes the gunpowder magazine explode)
- Canister (Crew damage) and other munitions will be added later when other mechanics are implemented
- Basic AI intelligence for the NPS's (Non Player Ships)
- Functioning flooding and fire system on board that must be fought if occurring.
- Test map with islands for tactical play
- A fully working day cycle system. You can let it run its course or freeze it at a certain time of day/night
- A fully working and customizable weather system with calms, storm, fog, rain, thunder and even snow dynamically being added to your ship
The last week we have also added to v0.3 the beginnings of new incoming systems you meet in v0.4:
- A basic dynamic damage texture system showing the damage done by the cannons on both yours, and your allies/enemies ships
- More dramatic updated explosions when the powder magazine explodes
- Updated explosions sounds
- New fire sounds
- More visible water splashes (still needs some colour tweaking)
- New Cannons particles
Open Testing
In addition to testing it for hours and hours internally, we have also run open servers and tested the current build with many outside testers. And we have also joined privately set up servers. It has been a blast and taught us a lot! Although the build is running smooth and very stable we did encounter a minor Networking issue that sometimes does not allow the player to connect to a server if they have just jumped out of another due to a long running master server timeout. Normally they have only had to wait for about 5 minutes and it was sorted out. Although we have looked into the matter, we are focusing on fixing this bug for the coming .0.4 build.
Should you NOT prefer to play PvP (who doesn't love a good single player match?), and purely want to test your skills against the computer, - or simply want to train and hone your skills before you meet your nemesis - you are of course fully able to set up your own server and play as single player against as many NPC/AI ships as you choose. Or even just spawn ships of any available nationalities you wish, and just spectate the carnage…
That concludes for v0.3 features. We will not add much more to v0.3 in anticipation of build v0.4
Build v0.4 – Coming soon
The next build is the biggest update so far and features a completely reworked/rebuilt game with increased performance and vastly improved code, furthermore it will also mark a new milestone for further development as we now will start to put in the finer details such as skill systems, upgrading systems and more. Features that will be added to the existing ones to expand the game to new heights.
Here are some of the highlights of what's to come:
- New and even further improved water system
- Improving and building on the implemented damage system
- Basic skills system allowing to specialize more
- More detailed ships for the player (Also adding a different version of the Naval Snow)
- New Texture system to the ships – to increase the graphical visual experience for the player and allow players to customize their own paint job (based on historical colour schemes)
- High quality cannon models and a few other objects on deck when hit/damaged can reflect that damage (or destruction)
- Basics of the coming ship customization and upgrade systems implemented – tailor the ship to your own play style
- Basic levelling system with implementation of new ships and ship classes
- New WIP Menu System
Ship Modelling work & Progress
Finally, it is exciting to show you some updated screenshots of the ongoing modelling work. All of these models near completion and consequently will lead to more ships making their way into the game when finalized.
Ships based on known ships, and not 100% accurate copies
- HMS Unicorn
- HMS Fly
- Pirate Brig
- Merchant Brig
- East Indiaman
- 3rd rate Warship
- USS Essex
Other ships in the making are:
- Redone Pirate Ketch/Schooner/Brig (A facelifted version of the test Ketch)
- Queen Anne's Revenge (The original Blackbeard's ship built on plans of La Concorde)
- 4th Rate Warship
In conclusion, download a copy today and give it a spin. We look forward to see you on our test servers! Who knows, we might hop in and say hello!
May the winds always be in your favour and lady luck on your side!
Best regards from the Salty Sea Dogs development team


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Allan Cossentine of Hanford has a reputation that might be considered the gold standard for performance as sales representatives go. A loyal employee of All West/Select Sires for 33 years, Cossentine has surpassed the 3-million dose mark in semen sales and is now one of only three individuals in America to have ever reached this milestone.
Jim Wells, general manager for All West/Select Sires says, "Allan Cossentine has always gone to great lengths to provide his customers with exceptional service to go along with excellent guidance on genetic selection. He has a unique willingness to serve, a servant attitude that puts his customer first in everything he does."
Bill Genasci, regional manager, said "for more than 30 years, Allan has been the face of Select Sires to his many customers in the South Valley. Reaching the milestone of 3 million units is a testament to how well he has been received in his area. Forming lasting relationships with both his customers and the technicians he works with has taken him to a level that few will ever reach."
He started selling semen in 1978 with Eastern AI in Fresno, Kern, and Kings counties. But his journey with All West/Select Sires began in February 1980, working with Tom Olson and Lloyd Vierra, covering a territory from Bakersfield to Turlock, and along the coast from Salinas to Santa Maria.
Cossentine has served dairy producers in Fresno, Turlock, Bakersfield and the Central Coast area and was sales manager for the company for a few years on the Coast and in Kern County.
"They treat their employees like family. It's a company culture, which has been maintained by the present leadership of Bill Genasci and Jim Wells. Their doors were always open," Cossentine said. "There are not too many places I could have worked for so many years and been treated so well."
The company literally runs in his blood. He is passionate about what he does in the industry and is so connected with All West that he has the company logo tattooed on his arm. He and his wife, Suzi, raised some of the first Pinzgauer cattle in California in the mid-1970s on their small 10-acre ranch at the edge of Stockton. The cattle are a rare breed with origins in the Pinzgau region of Austria.
Today, while Pinzgauer cattle are on the endangered list, Cossentine has thrived in his more than 3 decades with All West/Select Sires. "I believe what success I've had is the result of being blessed to work for this company for the last 33 years, and working with producers in the concentrated dairy area of Central California," Cossentine said.
Many good memories flashed through his mind as he looked back and talked about his career. He said he considered his customers to be friends, and always put them first, making himself available, whenever or wherever they needed him.
"I've always looked at myself as more of a caretaker than a salesman. Years ago I heard someone describe a good salesman as someone who could sell somebody something they don't want or need. I never wanted to be that guy," Cossentine confided.
"So to me, this job was all about working in a wonderful industry with great people that I really have a personal interest in helping get their cows bred and pregnant with the best genetics in the world." Cossentine said he picks the bulls in their Select
Mating Service for his customers and then he works extensively with Greg Silva, who handles most of the mating on the herds Cossentine serves.
"One thing that I believe has made me different from some of the other sales people is when I first started in this business I was talking to a dairyman and I made it clear I was interested in a long-term relationship. I hoped to be selling him semen when my children were in college." And for the most part, that's the way life has been for Cossentine. "As it turned out, I'm still selling semen and I now have grandchildren who are close to starting college."
"I could single out some of my long-time customers that helped me reach this milestone, but I really need to say thanks to ALL my customers over the years. I've enjoyed my friendships with my clients and couldn't have accomplished what I've done without every one of them," Cossentine declared. "Large dairies or small ones, I've tried to treat each customer with the same integrity and respect.
"I would be remiss if I didn't thank Lloyd Vierra and Tom Olson for giving me a job 33 years ago. They put together a group of co-workers who not only became my dearest friends, but like family. With Lloyd and Tom at the head of that family, it was impossible to fail."
Cossentine's work ethic also carried over into his private life. So, whether it was youth sports with his kids, activities at First Baptist Church, charity work, or the dairy industry, Cossentine has always been heavily involved in his community –– with an extra strong commitment to be a positive influence in the lives of young people.
Over the years, he has coached Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, and soccer.
"While I loved baseball, I really didn't know much about soccer, but we had a great time and I guess I offered a lot of encouragement as much as actual coaching," he said.
He and Suzi have four children and six grandchildren. They celebrated 37 years of marriage in February 2013. "I would like to also thank my wonderful wife and partner for all the support and all those nights she was alone caring for our children while I was on the road."


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Gold Edges Up, Gaining For A 12th Consecutive Year
Gold prices edged higher Monday after President Obama said that a budget deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" was in sight, if not yet complete. The advance capped a 12th consecutive year of gains.
February gold rose $19.90, or 1.2 percent, to $1,675.80 an ounce.
Gold gained almost 7 percent in 2012 after starting the year at $1,566.80.
Investors have been buying gold as a safe haven and as protection against inflation while the value of the dollar declined. The metal has gained almost six-fold since the start of 2000.
In other metals trading, copper advanced 6.3 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $3.6525 a pound, after a report showed that Chinese manufacturing hit a 19-month high in December, indicating that the world's second-largest economy is gaining momentum following a global slowdown. Copper is used in many industries and its price fluctuates with the outlook for global economic growth.
Silver, platinum and palladium also gained.
Silver for March delivery rose 25.20 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $30.277. April platinum advanced $20.80, or 1.4 percent, to $1,542.40 an ounce and March palladium gained $3.05, or 0.4 percent, to $703.35 an ounce.
In energy trading, crude oil futures prices ended higher on the New York Mercantile Exchange, rising $1.02, or 1.1 percent, to close at $91.82 a barrel.
Gasoline for January rose 1.21 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $2.8120 a gallon. Heating oil was little changed at $3.0451 a gallon. Natural gas for February fell 11.8 cents to $3.3510 per 1,000 cubic feet, a drop of 1.1 percent.
Prices for agricultural commodities were mixed. In March contracts, wheat fell 0.75 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $7.78 a bushel. Corn rose 4.25 cents, 0.6 percent, to $6.9825 per bushel. Soybeans fell 8.5 cents to $14.095 per bushel, a drop of 0.6 percent.
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This article is more than 1 year old
AT&T may charge fanbois for FaceTime vid chat, hints iOS 6
Video calling on 3G? There's a bill for that
Early adopters playing with iOS 6 fear users will have to beg AT&T to let them make FaceTime video calls over the cellular network.
An alert box, shown over at MacRumours, pops up and urges fanbois to have a word with the telco if they attempt to make a FaceTime call and Wi-Fi isn't available.
The discovery sparked rumours that AT&T plans to charge for Apple's video-calling service. The network operator hasn't responded helpfully and Apple is as taciturn as ever, so punters will just have to wait until the official launch of iOS 6, the iPad and iPhone operating system.
AT&T already demands a fee for tethering (sharing a phone's mobile internet connection with other devices over Wi-Fi) so the concept of flat-rate data charing is already broken. However, US blogopundits have spilled their cinnamon dolce lattes in shock at the idea that AT&T may bill customers for the privilege of making video calls.
They could use Skype, of course, which happily supports video calling over mobile networks, but Skype is owned by Microsoft and that will be enough to prevent most Apple users from considering it.
FaceTime is baked into iOS, although it hasn't led to the explosion in video calling predicted by the late Apple founder Steve Jobs when it was launched. The killer application for Skype video seems to be, from our limited experience, the ability to link teenage bedrooms together in ad hoc connections lasting days, and enabling language students to connect with locals for cheap lessons, both of which depend on the free nature of the call to be economical.
Most phone calls don't need or want video. In fact communication is increasingly eschewing audio too, so one wonders why AT&T would insist on charging for FaceTime.
Our guess, and it's little more than that, is that AT&T hasn't yet decided whether the iOS feature will be a premium service, but has anyway asked Apple to put hooks into the OS to allow it to happen. FaceTime is blocked in certain counties, where telecommunication companies have to abide by communication interception laws that Apple refuses to obey, so blocking by network is technically trivial.
The newly found on-screen box suggests the user should contact AT&T, and we'd not be surprised to see that disappear before the final release of iOS 6, but it serves as a useful reminder that it's AT&T that pays for most of the iPhones in America, so it's AT&T that Apple has to respond to first. ®


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
Click on the link below to see the Calendar of Events.
Under the tabs "Experiences" on the home page you will find listings of attractions and events that will inspire you to "Get the Heck INTO Dodge".
Dodge City has several locations that are available for rent. The Boot Hill Casino and Resort Conference Center is a new state-of-the-art facility that can meet the needs of most events. The Meeting Facilities Guide on this website has a listing of all facilities with contact information. If you have further questions, contact our office for assistance. firstname.lastname@example.com
Click on the following link.
The Hampton Inn & Suites opened spring of 2012 with 108 deluxe rooms, including over 50 studios and two room suites, a state-of-the-art fitness area and an indoor swimming pool. There are also 18 other hotels in Dodge City, some with shuttle service. Check the listing for lodging facilities in Dodge City.


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Hello and Happy Easter to you all!
My regular class attendees will know that I have had 2-3 weeks off scheduled from classes recently, partly due to Easter and partly due to the fact that I was supposed to be moving house (postponed – insert sad face!)
I thought I would take time to remind you of my upcoming classes at the end of the month.
My most popular class – the STAMP A STACK is on Friday 26th April from 7pm
We will be doing something different this time, in that all the cards will be male themed! It is £15 to make 12 cards in one evening OR FREE with an order of £45 on the night.
Then the day after – SATURDAY 27th APRIL – We have out Technique club where we will use the Dress Up Framelit dies. This is a small class where I guide you through the various teachniques and I have some fun things planned for these dresses!
Also at the same time as my Technique Club I have my Scrapbook ladies. This month our layout will be Masculine themed – the photo below was last months layout.
I would love to see you at any of the classes. Please email me for more information


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This article is more than 1 year old
Nokia locks* out Symbian staffers
Early baths ahead of job cuts
Exclusive Nokia staff working on Symbian development in Cambridge were sent home yesterday, while the London crowd sloped off early after being told that 300 will lose their jobs.
Nokia's decision to focus on Qt as a development environment has already been felt in Nokia's Symbian team. With around 300 up for redundancy and the Cambridge office almost certainly for the chop, the power behind Symbian is rapidly disintegrating.
Around 100 staff at the Cambridge office were given the rest of the day off yesterday morning, having been handed letters saying that they should head home. Officially there's a 90-day consultation period which hasn't started just yet, but it seems unlikely the Cambridge office will survive it.
Things are little better in London, where staff were called to the Oval to discuss the their future, or lack thereof.
Nokia can't announce that the Cambridge site will close until the "consultation" period is over, but the company was at pains to point out that the Nokia Research Centre (where they do cool stuff involving nano-technology; pressure-sensitive screens and the like) isn't involved and will continue as normal.
Nokia is laying off 1,800 people worldwide, as part of its strategy to simplify its smartphone portfolio. Mostly that means dropping support for Symbian as a developers' platform, but Nokia has long been the driving force behind Symbian, and with such reduced force it's hard to see Symbian driving anywhere. ®
* Nokia has been in touch to clarify that the doors weren't actually locked, and that any staff who choose to stay the rest of the day were permitted to do so.


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In the American Revolution the British and later colonial troops occupied Nassau Hall (of Princeton Univ.) as barracks. Shortly after the battle of Trenton, Princeton was the scene of a battle (Jan. 3, 1777) in which Washington surprised and defeated a superior British force. Gen. Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded in the attack. A monument with sculptures by Frederick MacMonnies commemorates the battle. "Morven" (1701), home of Richard Stockton, was Cornwallis's headquarters and a center of social and political life during and after the Revolution. The Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall from June to Nov., 1783. In 1869 the first intercollegiate football game (between Rutgers and Princeton) took place. William Bainbridge's birthplace is the headquarters of a historical society. Palmer Square, a civic center on Nassau St., has buildings designed in colonial style by Thomas Stapleton. Paul Robeson was born in Princeton, and Albert Einstein spent the last 20 years of his life there.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography


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Once you pay the fee here, you not worry much. The main responsibility will be with us. We will be convincing other party to some extent the ultimate decision will be you both parties. Fees is very important in running matrimony services. Fees is the blood of the organization. Most of the fee collected will be spent back on various advertisements to collect data. Most people do not understand the expenses incurred by matrimony service. Many people hesitate in paying fee, They think of saving money. The bride and groom of such parents suffer a lot. Time will be wasted. Chance of getting children will come down as the lady gets older. By the time they get older the children should be settled. Members who become paid members try seriously consider every match carefully. We give top priority to paid members and their requirements. We make special ads in different ways if requirement not found. We also have links with almost 600 marriage bureaus located urban and rural areas through out Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Once the match is fixed, you are ready to spend lakhs of rupees just for arrangements. But actually this selection process is very important the crucial point. Giving time and making appropriate decision is worth a lot to make your family happiness.


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Bella Abzug convenes National Women's Conference in Houston
On November 18, 1977, 20,000 women, men and children gathered in Houston to participate in an unprecedented event, the first federally funded National Women's Conference. Longtime feminist activist and U.S. Representative Bella Abzug presided over the conference, for which she had paved the way two years earlier by authoring a bill in Congress that provided the conference's funding.
Preparation for the national Houston meeting included conferences organized in each state to discuss women's needs and public policy and to consider a "National Plan of Action" to improve the lives of women. The Houston Conference subsequently approved the National Plan. While many grassroots women's organizations used these meetings as an opportunity to mobilize and use government to achieve feminist goals, opponents approached them as an opportunity to unite in a fight against feminist causes. Phyllis Schlafly and others attacked the Houston conference and its agenda and created the basis for a new anti-feminist constituency in American public life.
Over the course of the conference's three days, a diverse group of about 2,000 official delegates ratified a National Plan of Action dealing with everything from the Equal Rights Amendment to Civil Rights to disarmament. This set of recommendations was then presented to the White House and to Congress. The National Plan of Action called for equal opportunities for women in artistic, professional, and political fields, comprehensive childcare facilities, a national healthcare system, civil rights for lesbians, protection against rape and child abuse, and a better welfare system, among many other issues.
On November 10-11, 2007, the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, directed by Bella's daughter, Liz Abzug, celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Houston Conference by convening a "national women's and girls conference," entitled Freedom on Our Terms.
To learn more about Bella Abzug, visit the Women of Valor exhibit and Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia.
Sources: jwa.org/womenofvalor/abzug; www.jofreeman.com/photos/IWY1977.html; womhist.alexanderstreet.com/dp59/doclist.htm; Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution, jwa.org/feminism.
Barbara Jordan gave a great speech there--I can still hear her voice ringing...'Women, Women...."
It was a great conference!


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A "working class hero," John Lennon told us in his song of that title, "is something to be/ Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV/ And you think you're so clever and classless and free/ But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see."
The delusion of a classless America in which opportunity is equally distributed is the most effective deception perpetrated by the moneyed elite that controls all the key levers of power in what passes for our democracy. It is a myth blown away by Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz in the current issue of Vanity Fair. In an article titled "Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%" Stiglitz states that the top thin layer of the superwealthy controls 40 percent of all wealth in what is now the most sharply class-divided of all developed nations: "Americans have been watching protests against repressive regimes that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of an elite few. Yet, in our own democracy, 1 percent of the people take nearly a quarter of the nation's income—an inequality even the wealthy will come to regret."
That is the harsh reality obscured by the media's focus on celebrity gossip, sports rivalries and lotteries, situations in which the average person can pretend that he or she is plugged into the winning side. The illusion of personal power substitutes consumer sovereignty—which smartphone to purchase—for real power over the decisions that affect our lives. Even though most Americans accept that the political game is rigged, we have long assumed that the choices we make in the economic sphere as to career and home are matters that respond to our wisdom and will. But the banking tsunami that wiped out so many jobs and so much homeownership has demonstrated that most Americans have no real control over any of that, and while they suffer, the corporate rich reward themselves in direct proportion to the amount of suffering they have caused.
Instead of taxing the superrich on the bonuses dispensed by top corporations such as Exxon, Bank of America, General Electric, Chevron and Boeing, all of which managed to avoid paying any federal corporate taxes last year, the politicians of both parties in Congress are about to accede to the Republican demand that programs that help ordinary folks be cut to pay for the programs that bailed out the banks.
It is a reality further obscured by the academic elite, led by economists who receive enormous payoffs from Wall Street in speaking and consulting fees, and their less privileged university colleagues who are so often dependent upon wealthy sponsors for their research funding. Then there are the media, which are indistinguishable parts of the corporate-owned culture and which with rare exception pretend that we are all in the same lifeboat while they fawn in their coverage of those who bilk us and also dispense fat fees to top pundits. Complementing all that is the dark distraction of the faux populists, led by tea party demagogues, who blame unions and immigrants for the crimes of Wall Street hustlers.
The veterans of the Clinton years, so prominent in the Obama they are valiantly holding back the forces of evil when they actually have continuously been complicit.
The lobbyists are deliberately bipartisan in their bribery, and the authors of our demise are equally marked as Democrats and Republicans. Ronald Reagan first effectively sang the siren song of ending government's role in corporate crime prevention, but it was Democrat Bill Clinton who accomplished much of that goal. It is the enduring conceit of the top Democratic leaders that administration, still deny their role in the disaster of the last 25 years. Yet the sad tale of income inequality that Stiglitz laments is as much a result of their policies as those of their Republican rivals. In one of the best studies of this growing gap in income, economists Emmanuel Saez and Thomas Piketty found that during Clinton's tenure in the White House the income of the top 1 percent increased by 10.1 percent per year, while that of the other 99 percent of Americans increased by only 2.4 percent a year. Thanks to President Clinton's deregulation and the save-the-rich policies of George W. Bush, the situation deteriorated further from 2002 to 2006, a period in which the top 1 percent increased its income 11 percent annually while the rest of Americans had a truly paltry gain of 1 percent per year.
And that was before the meltdown that wiped out the jobs and home values of so many tens of millions of American families. "The top 1 percent have the best houses, the best educations, the best doctors, and the best lifestyles," Stiglitz concludes, "but there is one thing that money doesn't seem to have bought: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. Throughout history, this is something that the top 1 percent eventually do learn. Too late."
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Facebook unveils 'Home,' a family of apps for your Android phone
The social network dials up a new way to hook people on its mobile-phone software. And HTC will release the first phone with Home pre-installed.
Facebook unveiled a new "Home" on Android at a press event at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters today -- a family of apps meant to keep mobile audiences always affixed to its social network.
Facebook Home consists of a set of the social network's apps that become the home of your Android phone. With Home, the device's home screen transforms into "Cover Feed," or a visually rich and swipe-able version of News Feed for your phone. Home also includes a more picture-perfect version of messaging, complete with a Facebook-invented feature called "Chat Heads," with colorful notifications that include friends' pictures.
"We're not building a phone and we're not building an operating system," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. "We're building something a whole lot deeper than an ordinary app."
Facebook showed off the software, which can be downloaded to a limited number of Android phones starting April 12, and also invited partner HTC to unveil the HTC First, the first smartphone to come with Facebook Home pre-installed. (See CNET Reviews' Editor's Take here.) HTC CEO Peter Chou said the new device, arriving exclusively with AT&T, represented a "great opportunity to bring mobile and social together."
Today, phones are designed around apps, not people, Zuckerberg said. "We want to flip that around."
The social network aims to turn the current model on its head with a Facebook-centric view of your world. With Home, Messaging in particular has been tailored around people. The Facebook Home-modified functionality offers users a way to engage in multiple conversations with a single tap, and includes something called "Chat Heads," which are basically interactive profile pictures that you can have a little extra fun with.
Chat Heads offer message previews and allow members to dive into conversations with one tap. They're enmeshed within the entire phone experience, which means you'll find active Chat Heads sitting atop the screen as you do other things. The flying heads, which you can flick around with reckless abandon, work with both Facebook messages and standard text messages.
Advertisements will not be a part of Facebook Home at launch, but ads will find their way over to the experience at some point, Zuckerberg said.
Today's event clarifies a number of reports from a rumor mill that's been running fast and furious ever since Facebook announced the event one week ago. The company, according to a bevy or credible-sounding reports and alleged photo leaks, was expected to showcase a new HTC device running a tweaked version of Android that makes the social network's apps and functions native to the smartphone.
Investors initially weren't all that keen on the suspected Android news, though some seemed to have a change of heart Wednesday after JPMorgan analysts quelled fears about the social network's mobile users jumping ship to other applications. JPMorgan has a $35 price target for Facebook, which closed Wednesday at $26.25 a share.


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The NY Times has coverage of the awful story about the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by US Marines.
I don't have time to be sure I am expressing myself correctly, but I don't want to duck this, either, so let me blurt this out - this sort of incident is a deplorable but predictable consequence of putting people in a violent and confusing situation. Obviously, almost all of our troops conduct themselves with a high degree of professionalism and appropriate restraint, but this sort of incident can not be a complete surprise. Folks who supported this war (as I did) need to shoulder some responsibility for the consequences.
Well. An excerpt:
A military investigation into the deaths of two dozen Iraqis last November is expected to find that a small number of marines in western Iraq carried out extensive, unprovoked killings of civilians, Congressional, military and Pentagon officials said Thursday.
Two lawyers involved in discussions about individual marines' defenses said they thought the investigation could result in charges of murder, a capital offense. That possibility and the emerging details of the killings have raised fears that the incident could be the gravest case involving misconduct by American ground forces in Iraq.
Evidence indicates that the civilians were killed during a sustained sweep by a small group of marines that lasted three to five hours and included shootings of five men standing near a taxi at a checkpoint, and killings inside at least two homes that included women and children, officials said.
That evidence, described by Congressional, Pentagon and military officials briefed on the inquiry, suggested to one Congressional official that the killings were "methodical in nature."
Congressional and military officials say the Naval Criminal Investigative Service inquiry is focusing on the actions of a Marine Corps staff sergeant serving as squad leader at the time, but that Marine officials have told members of Congress that up to a dozen other marines in the unit are also under investigation. Officials briefed on the inquiry said that most of the bullets that killed the civilians were now thought to have been "fired by a couple of rifles," as one of them put it.
...Women and children were among those killed, as well as five men who had been traveling in a taxi near the bomb, which killed Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas of El Paso.


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Activist and free software guru Richard Stallman on Friday hammered Ubuntu for including what he termed spyware in new versions of the popular open-source operating system and urged GNU and Linux users to avoid the distribution.
PREVIOUSLY: Uproar over Amazon integration into Ubuntu search results 'FUD,' says Shuttleworth
In a lengthy article posted to the Free Software Foundation's website, Stallman decries the presence of an advertising search result pane in Ubuntu, which, he says, is a way to collect personal information from users. The Amazon pane, which is enabled by default, provides a separate category of search results, which are provided by the online retail giant, to users making general search queries from the Ubuntu desktop.
"Canonical says it does not tell Amazon who searched for what. However, it is just as bad for Canonical to collect your personal information as it would have been for Amazon to collect it," Stallman writes.
Although Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth has dismissed the concerns as "FUD," Stallman argues that the Amazon integration is a real threat to user privacy, and urges "community opinion leaders" not to fall for the argument that the feature can simply be turned off.
"Even if it were disabled by default, the feature would still be dangerous: 'opt in, once and for all' for a risky practice, where the risk varies depending on details, invites carelessness. To protect users' privacy, systems should make prudence easy: when a local search program has a network search feature, it should be up to the user to choose network search explicitly each time," he writes.
Even before the Amazon feature was introduced, the FSF did not endorse the use of Ubuntu, saying that its use of "nonfree" software and rights restrictions mean that it didn't comply with the organization's strict guidelines. The organization's official website describes the Amazon ad linkage as "a malicious feature."
Stallman -- who founded the FSF in 1985 -- says that Canonical now faces the prospect of free software adherents moving en masse away from Ubuntu and onto an Amazon-free fork of the project.
"Most free software developers would abandon such a plan given the prospect of a mass switch to someone else's corrected version," he writes.
Canonical's partnership with Amazon has already drawn a great deal of fire from parts of the free software/open-source community, members of which have objected strongly to the idea that their search queries could be shared with the online retailer.
Email Jon Gold at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.
Read more about software in Network World's Software section.


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Yes. Applicants complete two physical ability tests that are intended to mimic functional movements of the job. Click to view our videos of the Firefighter Physical Ability Test and the EMS Physical Ability Test.
Show All Answers
You must be 18 years of age with a high school diploma or equivalent and hold a valid driver's license. We do not have an age limit for any of our careers and, in fact, we encourage applicants with a variety of life experience to apply.
The physical ability test is pass or fail, with only one attempt allowed. If you fail the test, you may reapply in the next application period.
Fire Academies are typically held once or twice per year in the Fall and in the Spring. However, frequency can depend on hiring needs.
There is a lot you can do to help you prepare for the application process! First, check out our Hiring Process page. Go on a ride along with our agency and learn as much as you can from the crews currently doing the job you seek. Visit the City of Grand Junction website to learn about our community. Also, follow us on social media where we'll post pre-hiring events for potential applicants. Ask questions! Reach out to our Training Division or Human Resources team directly, and we'd be happy to visit with you about the process.
Typically, the entire process takes an average of seven (7) months to complete.
As simple as it sounds, read and follow the directions on the application, include as much detailed information as possible, and triple check it before you submit! Many applicants are disqualified due to an incomplete application, so be sure to complete all sections, include all attachments, and answer every question. Communicate your passion for the job and demonstrate that you've done your research on the department when completing your cover letter and application. Finally, honesty is the best policy; be yourself, and be truthful.
Yes, we accept National Registry and Colorado EMT certifications. For information on out of state, expired, or upgrading certifications check here.
The EMS Academy is six weeks, and the Fire Academy, which includes the EMS Academy, is 19 weeks.
As a rapidly growing fire department, a position typically becomes available within 6-12 months for candidates deemed eligible for a future position at GJFD.
Yes! Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, and Firefighter Paramedic are positions that our firefighters may aspire to. Our EMTs and Paramedics may become EMS Officers or Firefighter Paramedics.


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[youtube_sc url="http://youtu.be/pwfFIM8K9gQ"]
(Paul Joseph Watson) Grammy award-winning singer Lauren Hill has been ordered by a judge to "undergo counseling because of her conspiracy theories." What was her conspiracy theory? That the music industry oppresses people with actual talent in favor of pumping out mindless nonsense.
Yesterday Hill was sentenced to 3 months in jail followed by three months' home confinement after failing to pay a tax bill because she had withdrawn from society following threats to her family.
In June last year, Hill posted a diatribe to her Tumblr account complaining of how the music industry is "manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex."
As we've highlighted numerous times in the past, other recording artists have made it clear that anyone who doesn't conform to the strict demands of the music industry or even, as Nicole Scherzinger recently remarked, sell their soul to satan, tends to find success hard to maintain in an industry that punishes individuals who dare to speak their mind.
In numerous performances and speeches over the last few years, Hill has attempted to warn young people about how "pop culture cannibalism" and the deliberate reductionism of art and music is damaging a whole generation and turning them into passive, unthinking consumers – destroying inspiration and true creativity in the name of profit.
The Judge's order that Hill undergo what amounts to brainwashing and re-education simply for publicly proclaiming the fact that the music industry is designed to strangle true talent while promoting amoral, vacuous, mindless, turgid drivel, is part of the increasing trend towards labeling common sense as a mental illness if it goes against the establishment grain in any way.
Since people who post vehement political opinions on Facebook are already being kidnapped and taken to psychiatric wards across the country, how long before criticism of the state is officially recognized as a mental disorder?
Those considered hostile to authority have already been tagged as sufferers of "oppositional defiant disorder" under the the DSM-IV-TR Manual.
The definition of this mental illness is, "a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient. and hostile behavior toward authority figures that persists for at least 6 months."
The attempt to frame alternative opinions as dangerous mental disorders has also entered the political realm. In 2009, Psychology Today wrote a hit piece on Alex Jones insinuating that anyone who believes in a secret cabal ruling the world, which is a perfectly accurate description of the Bilderberg Group, has a mental disorder.
We also reported recently on how Floridians are being encouraged to report their neighbors to authorities for making hateful comments about the government, leaving them to be targeted for home visits by police and "mental health professionals and caseworkers."
Lauren Hill's case reminds us that the establishment not only seeks to ridicule, ostracize and sideline those who utter "conspiracy theories," which has become a pejorative term for questioning authority, but they actually seek to have all dissent against the system classified as a form of mental illness in order to grease the skids for legally imposed "treatment" including re-education and even pharmacological lobotomy.
[youtube_sc url="http://youtu.be/Pl0u_m0TeB4″]
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WASHINGTON -- Aspiring doctors will face a major change on the medical school admission exam starting in 2015, when the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) moves away from its focus on natural sciences and begins to incorporate more social sciences.
The change means that the MCAT will stop focusing solely on biology, physics, statistics, and chemistry, and also will begin asking questions on psychology, ethics, cultural studies, and philosophy.
The announcement of the change -- made Thursday by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which administers the test -- represents a major shift in thinking on what makes a good doctor. Instead of training doctors that can spout off disease causes and treatments with encyclopedic knowledge, the new test is meant to begin training doctors to empathize and communicate better with patients, and to improve their bedside manner.
According to AAMC president and CEO Darrell Kirch, MD, a recent survey showed that the public has high confidence in the medical knowledge and ability of doctors, but feels physicians often lack the basic social skills required to really connect with a patient.
"Bedside manner is a complex mix of understanding people, where they come from, and why they behave the way they do, and we think this shift in emphasis [of the test] will actually help us round out that dimension of a good doctor," Kirch said on a Thursday afternoon call with reporters.
The MCAT was created in 1928 and has been used for decades as a crucial component of getting into medical school. The standardized test hasn't seen a major change since 1991, when a writing sample was added. The current test has two natural science sections (including concepts taught in college biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics classes), as well as a reasoning and a writing portion.
The new test will add a section called "Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior," which includes questions on behavior and behavior change, cultural and social differences that influence well-being, and socioeconomic factors, such as access to resources.
Adam Kosteva, who lives in Chicago and took the MCAT two years ago, said that extra emphasis on socioeconomic factors will benefit future doctors as well as patients.
"I think having a more rounded understanding of health is important to becoming a great doctor," Kosteva told MedPage Today. "After volunteering in a free clinic here in Chicago, I saw how important it was not only to get the sciences down; you [also] have to have a broader range of what these people are going through."
Kirch said understanding other people is one of the most important components of medicine. "Being a good doctor isn't just about understanding science, it really is about understanding people and they really must go hand in hand."
A "Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills" section also will be added to the test, which will test students' ability to analyze and apply information from social sciences and humanities including ethics and philosophy, cross-cultural studies, and population health.
In addition, the writing portion will no longer be on the test. Kirsch said medical school admissions officers said the writing samples were the least helpful portion of the test in helping them judge the students' abilities.
He also said he hoped the new test would attract students beyond those who majored in a hard science. Kirch, who graduated from medical school exactly 35 years ago, was a philosophy major. If it weren't for his mentors, he wouldn't have thought a career in medicine aligned with interests, he said.
"We are hoping these changes might help more individuals say that 'I can have a passion for English literature, history, economics and still have a vital career as a physician,'" he said. "That there's not a narrow expectation of where your intellectual interests reside."
He added, "It's a signal that somebody who was a psychology major, or conceivably someone who majored in cross-cultural studies, has as much potential to enter medical school as someone who was a physics major."
One such student is Adam Gardner, 29, of Somerville, Mass., who received his masters degree in international affairs before deciding he wanted to become a doctor. He is currently taking a full load of science prerequisites in order to be up to speed for the MCAT, which he'll take in June.
He said that while he appreciates the idea behind trying to create a more well-rounded doctor who can interact on a deeper level with patients, he worries that the additional test sections may require students like him who decide later in life to go to medical school, to take a greater number of classes in order to prepare for the test.
"Adding these new things to the test could drag this out even longer for people who want to get it done," he said.
But then again, Gardner said having a knowledge of social sciences would lead to a better doctor-patient relationship.
"I've met a lot of doctors ... and some of them are pretty cool people," he said. "But a lot of them are not terribly social and easy to get along with, and I think having a more rounded background will create doctors who can deal with patients better."
The updated MCAT exam was developed by a 21-member advisory panel that has been working on the updated test for the past three years. The panel received input from stakeholders at more than 90 outreach events and reviewed more than 2,700 informational and opinion surveys from undergraduate and medical school faculty, administrators, residents, and medical students.


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This grand tomb, belonging to the Cust Family, stands in the churchyard of St.Peter and St. Paul's Parish Church, that adjoins the Brownlow Cust
Family's Ancestral home, Belton House in Lincolnshire.
Belton House is now owned by The National Trust
Although I took these and a few other photos of interest whilst visiting Belton. My picture of this stone tablet inside the vault, has not turned out as legible as I'd hoped for, so reading it has been made difficult. The inscription on it below, is the best that I can decipher at the moment, but we will return there and I will update this post later.
Beneath this Shrine are deposited the mortal remains of,
Charles William Duke of Buccleuch and ?
and wife of the Hon. Peregrine Francis Cust ME
by the fatal progress of an unrelenting ?
after child-birth on the sixth anniversary of their marriage
She died on the 29th year of her age
Click bold type above for more info.


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The Golden Thread: The Ageless Wisdom of the Western Mystery Traditions by Hermetic Library fellow Joscelyn Godwin, with an foreword by Richard Smoley, a 2007 paperback from Quest Books, is part of the collection at the Reading Room.
"The ancient sages of the Western Mystery Traditions passed on a knowledge beyond reason, allowing us to access transcendent states that reveal our own nature and that of the cosmos. Such sages exist in every age and elevate all of humanity, says Joscelyn Godwin, whether we realize it or not. Among those whose wisdom traces from antiquity to the present include:
- Hermes Trismegistus
- Zoroaster
- Orpheus
- Pythagoras
- Plato
- the Gnostics, the alchemists
- and the Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and Theosophists
Each stage is always with us, Godwin emphasizes, and so each offers a potential source of inspiration and action for today." — back cover
The Hermetic Library Reading Room is an imaginary and speculative future reification of the library in the physical world, a place to experience a cabinet of curiosities offering a confabulation of curation, context and community that engages, archives and encourages a living Western Esoteric Tradition. If you would like to contribute to the Hermetic Library Reading Room, consider supporting the library or contact the librarian.