tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11573759331559564712024-03-20T23:14:17.254-07:00Brad Maddoxbradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-26526148237786642022013-11-14T12:19:00.001-08:002013-11-14T12:19:50.441-08:00Trading is the Best Business Ever in the World..<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Trading is the Best Business Ever in the World.. All News updates about Forex Business, Latest Currency news updates, latest forex trading business updates, trading updates, forex trading latest news, forex brokers directory, forex brokers list, Dollars news affairs, Stock Markets, stock market news, stock market analysis, technology news, international forex markets, international forex business news and all updates about Forex Trading</u></span><br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href= http://bit.ly/17us8Cw rel=”nofollow”>ForexAffairs.Com</a></u></span>bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-27971083810709244852013-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:002013-11-10T09:03:11.839-08:00iFan charger - Wind powered battery charger for iPhone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><img alt="I-fan charger" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609597555288782962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68mNEEZyIqYJuEjpl2PjYyl7QgJrBre1dUtsKIeqOq9wqicZm2DrD_UWgOa090d8lJCXZqfGjxPIHJmmY588KBUqcYqRNTQVa-PgnJAB99LxBGODXDozhha_apmP7BDva45Iao-A2cq_j/s400/iFan-iPhone-Charger.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); display: block; height: 387px; margin: 0px auto 10px; padding: 6px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /><br />If you have a I-phone and you like to have eco-friendly green gadgets then the latest iFan charger will be a great device for charging your iPhone and you will love it.There are many green <span style="font-weight: bold;">cool gadgets</span> available in market but most of them are powered by solar energy or water powered like <a href="http://www.e-geeks.in/2011/04/water-powered-clock.html" style="color: #e01414; outline: none;">Water powered Clock</a> ,but I-Fan is something different because it uses wind energy to generate power.So you dont have to wait for sun light,you just need to keep it in some place where wind is available ,maybe just below your fan.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49nO-7Bmx7Upv9PgpcWNWjwYyjtLk8zmFMH6b8ksGwcL8SI-6YSdzCzHpJKdvc7zuRVkhFaFsGZekQ3WVz8pwtnTD798UwmTfOjW1vw3871Z3ZpJ3ozYdBBd1SnO7M4gGHCnNY1TGoOlw/s1600/iFan-charger.jpg" style="color: #e01414; outline: none;"><img alt="I-Phone charger" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609600856045567778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49nO-7Bmx7Upv9PgpcWNWjwYyjtLk8zmFMH6b8ksGwcL8SI-6YSdzCzHpJKdvc7zuRVkhFaFsGZekQ3WVz8pwtnTD798UwmTfOjW1vw3871Z3ZpJ3ozYdBBd1SnO7M4gGHCnNY1TGoOlw/s400/iFan-charger.jpg" style="background-color: white; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); float: left; height: 179px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; padding: 6px; width: 342px;" /></a>A wind turbine is attached to this latest gadget that helps to generate electricity for your I-phone from wind. The whole gadget comes with a rubber iPhone case along with a fan which is the modified version of the PC fan which acts like a dynamo. I-fan takes around 6 hours to fully charge your I-phone<br />Currently I-fan is in developing phase and its a concept.It will be in market very soon.Would you like to buy it ?</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-34112175890739884312013-11-07T06:25:00.001-08:002013-11-07T06:25:10.803-08:00Twenty Questions with Mark D. Sikes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mark D. Sikes is an <a href="http://interiordesign.markdsikes.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">interior designer</a>, retail consultant, stylist, <a href="http://markdsikes.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">blogger</a>, and trend setter whose popularity soared when his lovely West Hollywood home was the cover story of the December/January 2012 House Beautiful magazine.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdI9DqTX3IDxMM5P4w1uxSvMS_ZazdiKdCoh3_uxShfgrXidRsDfnsYxJfty_9PqSbi_RzlyyT75TVO4Hg8a-3U8ESxMOJ7Z4pRelZCv7lQmNZXUkDgZrPAJuzu-v8TLCV7pWzkK9liDy/s1600/MDScover.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdI9DqTX3IDxMM5P4w1uxSvMS_ZazdiKdCoh3_uxShfgrXidRsDfnsYxJfty_9PqSbi_RzlyyT75TVO4Hg8a-3U8ESxMOJ7Z4pRelZCv7lQmNZXUkDgZrPAJuzu-v8TLCV7pWzkK9liDy/s1600/MDScover.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012</span></i></div>
<br />There wasn't a blogger in the blogosphere that didn't blog about the house that Sikes shares with his partner Michael Griffin and their fawn French Bulldog, <a href="http://instagram.com/hrhlily" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Princess Lily</a>. Together, with help from <a href="http://instagram.com/hrhlily" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Her Royal Highness Lily</a>, Sikes and Griffin have turned both the 1920's home and their garden into a show stopping example of the classic but comfortable, easy California Style. It's been featured in House Beautiful, (above), on the popular <a href="http://www.lonny.com/magazine/November+2012/exBLL1AV0gR/1#88" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">interior design e-magazine Lonny</a>, and a host of interior design blogs, plus more publications to come.<br /><br />Mark started his own blog, <i><a href="http://markdsikes.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Chic People, Stylish Spaces, Glamorous Things</a></i> in 2011, and his detailed and beautiful posts range from the hottest trends in clothing for men and women, to glamorous and inspirational homes of his favorite designers. Connecting with his love for layers, and classic, timeless design, Mark has been an inspiration to me and I was elated when he agreed without hesitation to sit down with Color Outside the Lines readers to answer 20 questions. So settle in, this is a long, but beautiful one you are sure to enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqioWOP6elqs4WG336DKeJY2-SD7N2xGepBDDkoC7D4Mzj9KCXgYvM91mFemlnuwFj6wEbjl86QIuzaUGI-rP22hJx_DAhyphenhyphenY2etiJ5TGMz8qrNIXMhfB2PfeYUhlIOkuz7OhbEnqs88F0/s1600/MDSfoyer.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqioWOP6elqs4WG336DKeJY2-SD7N2xGepBDDkoC7D4Mzj9KCXgYvM91mFemlnuwFj6wEbjl86QIuzaUGI-rP22hJx_DAhyphenhyphenY2etiJ5TGMz8qrNIXMhfB2PfeYUhlIOkuz7OhbEnqs88F0/s1600/MDSfoyer.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012</span></i></div>
<br />COTL: How and when did you discover that you had a talent for interior design?<br />MDS: I used to do visual merchandising and marketing for a few well-known retail brands. Merchandising products in a store, what you put on tables, in walls, how everything relates, the range of color, solids mixed with prints ... I think you get the point, it's just like decorating a room. I never thought of it as a talent, it's just something I really enjoy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fiBt9aHH2x9F1AD-yzoXYuL57w_RpjDSrBe63vdP02WoE31Pp0gR5fLl2bJPY0hqpge9RmqdHJVKksZLneAVXvxDsSouQtcDkGkLZq3LIO-Iwnm0oJhcNiCjLCVQ71RZfAIWUioxReFM/s1600/MDSlivingroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fiBt9aHH2x9F1AD-yzoXYuL57w_RpjDSrBe63vdP02WoE31Pp0gR5fLl2bJPY0hqpge9RmqdHJVKksZLneAVXvxDsSouQtcDkGkLZq3LIO-Iwnm0oJhcNiCjLCVQ71RZfAIWUioxReFM/s640/MDSlivingroom.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012</span></i></div>
<br />COTL: Your style has been described as classic, effortlessly chic, and sophisticated but comfortable. Do you think of it that way?<br />MDS: Ha, ha, well I do think about chic things a lot, however, not sure my style is effortlessly chic - but I'll take it! I think my style is timeless and easy. I believe that everything should look and feel just as great as it does today in 20 years. That's why I love white shirts, chinoiserie Gracie wallpaper, jeans, blue and white porcelain, trench coats, and <a href="http://www.galeriedeslampes.com/front/presentation.php" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Galerie des Lampes</a> swing arm lights - all are classic, timeless, and yes, chic!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nIFIK40bg8d2G7cx4Yc-9XvoBTKve7oFrxXaXRP8M9QY4i7bda29WNMLUJrPFhM5I1jH69INp-3xlMIMLZhJ-1_CZE4krJ-nOHC2cPjuCxJIIUSwfvBsiRVkK_EBiyo9F4NL8lgTFyJ7/s1600/MDSinstagramlivingroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nIFIK40bg8d2G7cx4Yc-9XvoBTKve7oFrxXaXRP8M9QY4i7bda29WNMLUJrPFhM5I1jH69INp-3xlMIMLZhJ-1_CZE4krJ-nOHC2cPjuCxJIIUSwfvBsiRVkK_EBiyo9F4NL8lgTFyJ7/s1600/MDSinstagramlivingroom.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Sikes' Instagram Photo</a></span></i></div>
<br />You can see a pair of these gorgeous Galerie des Lampes swing arm floor lamps, finished in Lampes signature patinated antique unlacquered brass in Mark's living room from a photo he shared on his very popular<a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"> Instagram account.</a> If you don't follow him, I highly suggest you do! His posts are always a visual treat!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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COTL: How do you start your design projects? </div>
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MDS: With a contract, then a floor plan, then a mood board for every room. Showing a client is much better than trying to explain it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Sikes' Instagram Photo</i></span></div>
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COTL: Do you have any design rules? </div>
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MDS: Keep it pretty! </div>
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From the HouseBeautiful article, Sikes' "pretty" dining room, with its walls covered in hand painted, Gracie chinoiserie wall paper. </div>
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COTL: What inspires you today? Where do you get inspiration for your designs? </div>
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MDS: Everywhere - books, on-line, magazines, travel, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/markdsikes/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">pinterest</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">instagram</a>. I'm very studied and curious; I look a lot to the past - I feel inspired most of the time. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sikes' Instagram Photo</span></i></div>
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Like his popular and <a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">beautiful Instagram page</a>, if you're looking for inspiration ala Sikes, you'll benefit greatly from following<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/markdsikes/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"> his Pinterest page</a>, too!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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COTL: Your home has been published in several reputable, nationally syndicated publications. Has this publicity improved your business? </div>
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MDS: Yes - it's made my name and work recognizable, but what really makes a successful business is putting the client and their needs always first, providing value, quality and beauty. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RhGN83MH-GzhGp073jay12ZDFXDMp8E1JMpNrnMtfGegPaJxY0piFuISqW_eWuZsSSpRoQgDnJiGE6otOyT3Xp79kJ38UvxCP1xI3uHpW3jTC5uCcyo1BBekUz-7-l2hknTPnYj74TQb/s1600/MDSgardeninstagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RhGN83MH-GzhGp073jay12ZDFXDMp8E1JMpNrnMtfGegPaJxY0piFuISqW_eWuZsSSpRoQgDnJiGE6otOyT3Xp79kJ38UvxCP1xI3uHpW3jTC5uCcyo1BBekUz-7-l2hknTPnYj74TQb/s1600/MDSgardeninstagram.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Sikes Instagram Photo</i></span></div>
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COTL: Can you describe the Mark Sikes signature "look", and what two must haves Color Outside the Lines readers should add to their own homes to achieve that look. </div>
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MDS: That's a tough question. I think the "look" I'm known for is indoor/outdoor California living - neural interiors, comfortable furnishings, natural fiber rugs, black accents, eclectic and graphic art, wicker pieces, blue and white porcelain. I'm known for loving blue, too! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3DQPvXOh0KNLe2NmlT3iqX6xvtsUB9BKVAAHqQCxMlHerkT5vpGbF9DvrDbroUvnPrmTrQ1nBaUjb9a154iSciIHoqU2Gzs3yVcVMDm9-u8qZ9BeosQN5SWrATLPB5oWrpo2VGJ3XfFr/s1600/MDSlonnymagazines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3DQPvXOh0KNLe2NmlT3iqX6xvtsUB9BKVAAHqQCxMlHerkT5vpGbF9DvrDbroUvnPrmTrQ1nBaUjb9a154iSciIHoqU2Gzs3yVcVMDm9-u8qZ9BeosQN5SWrATLPB5oWrpo2VGJ3XfFr/s640/MDSlonnymagazines.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="512" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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Above, a library on the second floor of Sikes' home serves as storage to his vast collection of shelter and style magazines. </div>
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COTL: You have quite the collection of magazines. How many, roughly, would you say you have? </div>
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MDS: Thousands. I have about 25 publications that go back at least 15, some 20 years. They have moved everywhere with me. </div>
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COTL: In all that collecting and perusing, what would you say has been the one room you would say is your all-time favorite?</div>
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MDS: Just one? Bill Blass' Sutton Place living room, or Oscar de la Renta's Punta Cana living room, I also love Stephen Sills living room in Bedford. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbp3aITzrXDMglbzSSV1a95G933mK2wzYCzwLkB4X1F0SE6NVEZW3ySbdlsy-Y8u7FaA3KL2b6aLLBBmkXYxJAMLK-ZKblTchH6Vf5XxZ0JyKpL-dHg3LrGonECbzNS3io4fGHXqvVt9QA/s1600/BillBlassSuttonPlace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbp3aITzrXDMglbzSSV1a95G933mK2wzYCzwLkB4X1F0SE6NVEZW3ySbdlsy-Y8u7FaA3KL2b6aLLBBmkXYxJAMLK-ZKblTchH6Vf5XxZ0JyKpL-dHg3LrGonECbzNS3io4fGHXqvVt9QA/s640/BillBlassSuttonPlace.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://markdsikes.com/2012/02/03/american-chic-bill-blass/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Bill Blass' Sutton Place Living Room</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOqTOpfiM8YHtBRnZ929lWUj4DTuE3OCJmoEimhtN94f_5odWO_9LBj0uPLb06oVMafvb8b9XH4pId1KKFIOa6iRU4b7OSrVWumDv1S78IRmfFbHpP0cOCINQ-JOBWuAqxH74eUR-b5JK/s1600/ODLR+puntacana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOqTOpfiM8YHtBRnZ929lWUj4DTuE3OCJmoEimhtN94f_5odWO_9LBj0uPLb06oVMafvb8b9XH4pId1KKFIOa6iRU4b7OSrVWumDv1S78IRmfFbHpP0cOCINQ-JOBWuAqxH74eUR-b5JK/s640/ODLR+puntacana.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://markdsikes.com/2012/11/22/keeping-it-real/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Oscar de la Renta's Punta Cana Living Room</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiczD6e79V0FvZioZNqWd9c2cUCXOG3fvd225Av13RugWwQtOaMjWj5f7n_Sq5O24uH9PzvKagaXhbRlagEbqNnlGrTGeutLYN-I9j71hyax2RrDckSweGokfzVaft0UWNpoWFWznWaDxI/s1600/Sills.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiczD6e79V0FvZioZNqWd9c2cUCXOG3fvd225Av13RugWwQtOaMjWj5f7n_Sq5O24uH9PzvKagaXhbRlagEbqNnlGrTGeutLYN-I9j71hyax2RrDckSweGokfzVaft0UWNpoWFWznWaDxI/s640/Sills.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://markdsikes.com/2012/04/10/living-with-great-style/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Stephen Sills Bedford Living Room</a></div>
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COTL: Who are your design icons? </div>
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MDS: Bill Blass, Billy Baldwin, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Renzo Mongiardino ... the list is long. Today I love <a href="http://www.atelieram.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Atelier AM</a>, <a href="http://www.studioperegalli.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Studio Peregalli</a>, <a href="http://www.stephensills.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Stephen Sills</a> ... that list is long too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3gx8XudASeQKcgIo4PlpGU12QjYetc75Cj6_Ju6f-hI1J60VSctKKjkX8pWHg-gntUANW047ierjQNhSRkQsLTk2jRMFa_noV3U5CXmErAu06jafxlB-NjVk4E7GLkiVqzfsQq2DXw3/s1600/MDSguestroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3gx8XudASeQKcgIo4PlpGU12QjYetc75Cj6_Ju6f-hI1J60VSctKKjkX8pWHg-gntUANW047ierjQNhSRkQsLTk2jRMFa_noV3U5CXmErAu06jafxlB-NjVk4E7GLkiVqzfsQq2DXw3/s1600/MDSguestroom.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From the HouseBeautiful Article of 2012</span></i></div>
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COTL: Your <a href="http://markdsikes.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">blog</a> is a constant inspiration, not only to those interested in interior design, but also in fashion. What piece in your own closet gets the most wear? </div>
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MDS: A monogrammed blue oxford shirt, my favorite old gray sweatshirt a close second. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_5cNNbcslBVVcaK1iHiiWluqctdBWrSRN1Bhr29jBmOmjft6Rf4VRK2npvqkXAlaf0YA64P-rfS_qqYWhM5eMIQjR1nNAfSVYj4xnppMgtXOhuoDpICncjY7Jl3sdj_1c9vPEqaJl4K1/s1600/MDS_res_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_5cNNbcslBVVcaK1iHiiWluqctdBWrSRN1Bhr29jBmOmjft6Rf4VRK2npvqkXAlaf0YA64P-rfS_qqYWhM5eMIQjR1nNAfSVYj4xnppMgtXOhuoDpICncjY7Jl3sdj_1c9vPEqaJl4K1/s640/MDS_res_8.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="531" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://interiordesign.markdsikes.com/westhollywoodresidence.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From MDS Interiors Site</span></i></a></div>
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COTL: Looking at pictures of your home, we all know that you have an affinity for blue and white Chinese porcelains both inside and out. What other things do you collect most passionately? </div>
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MDS: Boxes, I love to stack them, abstract art and paintings, I love to lean them, hurricanes, books, Hermes ashtrays, dinnerware, and of course magazines. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklggPAme6E5b4TAqmG4HQBsUv83-AdJkWj3Sqhl0TmkLk1yuR8tnsvoQg-o4MUyC7eb2MFz9ZOxdZYhZ0JkDJY5oTYzsANOIgis1c-tLDB5HETRaGPbzjPBPVSIk5x8OdPph4ToVh0pcZ/s1600/MDSfoyerlonny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklggPAme6E5b4TAqmG4HQBsUv83-AdJkWj3Sqhl0TmkLk1yuR8tnsvoQg-o4MUyC7eb2MFz9ZOxdZYhZ0JkDJY5oTYzsANOIgis1c-tLDB5HETRaGPbzjPBPVSIk5x8OdPph4ToVh0pcZ/s1600/MDSfoyerlonny.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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A smidge of the vast collection of blue and white porcelain. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl2VAvlJIK5bCKWQnR3Y8zbLqf7bwHjmrFHqO7HuKkMkK7sEruohHeM8criCxLjjJAp49RkWy0CnMFFSHCmeJrUOfRoH-yxqXoEeFVU1iQuX8PBV8s1ry9UiFcawZ_ltquS8dnz66KMPJ/s1600/MDSboxeslonny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl2VAvlJIK5bCKWQnR3Y8zbLqf7bwHjmrFHqO7HuKkMkK7sEruohHeM8criCxLjjJAp49RkWy0CnMFFSHCmeJrUOfRoH-yxqXoEeFVU1iQuX8PBV8s1ry9UiFcawZ_ltquS8dnz66KMPJ/s1600/MDSboxeslonny.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Boxes, stacked on the living room coffee table. </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo from Lonny Magazine</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLT7qcu6ctALrK5zi106VOW0kzKZAdaMLAfkbUmZwAhVgkWaTxesUg4ZxVkchg-davO0F2oBPZSyxMyLHTxAUwYUfrn9XcXhyphenhypheng1OiQeonv4zCf_GHsGbiOegcDbQ-aijUg9RM3_0hWrTPX/s1600/abstract+art+MDS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLT7qcu6ctALrK5zi106VOW0kzKZAdaMLAfkbUmZwAhVgkWaTxesUg4ZxVkchg-davO0F2oBPZSyxMyLHTxAUwYUfrn9XcXhyphenhypheng1OiQeonv4zCf_GHsGbiOegcDbQ-aijUg9RM3_0hWrTPX/s1600/abstract+art+MDS.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Abstract art in the chic guest room with matte black walls.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaBjTpa_jV3FIoamrsorZykoGwYUlPy_bFEfpEGnQs107AD0H6v4l1c864TYXV96qn5hjoOXJofJKJs7y9OekXfQc-56rmNk0mZ9aPjTU7Lea562U_d4d5-K05t8RW65yzXa-quCtO0Lh/s1600/MDShurricaneslonny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaBjTpa_jV3FIoamrsorZykoGwYUlPy_bFEfpEGnQs107AD0H6v4l1c864TYXV96qn5hjoOXJofJKJs7y9OekXfQc-56rmNk0mZ9aPjTU7Lea562U_d4d5-K05t8RW65yzXa-quCtO0Lh/s1600/MDShurricaneslonny.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Silver Base Hurricanes atop the 2.5" thick marble counters of Sikes' kitchen island.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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Books under a gilded rococo table with white marble top. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from <a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Sikes' Instagram Page</a></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HHnIWXKbck_x17Tcx3FAQhgzHa80Ty-DrUxJsdHoz6jrDPc5eg73fGK4Jwoz2zgWoE-kkrqVO63hpZe0MaYdtB4W4j1YV-ftYPVF13WY4BOF15V-DdiGZATO4ZsSgkybAIsHJ7Yh8RIc/s1600/MDSashtrays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HHnIWXKbck_x17Tcx3FAQhgzHa80Ty-DrUxJsdHoz6jrDPc5eg73fGK4Jwoz2zgWoE-kkrqVO63hpZe0MaYdtB4W4j1YV-ftYPVF13WY4BOF15V-DdiGZATO4ZsSgkybAIsHJ7Yh8RIc/s1600/MDSashtrays.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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Beautiful Hermes ashtrays. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Lonny Magazine</span></i></div>
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COTL: Who would you most like to collaborate on a project with? </div>
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MDS: Hillary Clinton's White House. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTyfRvygbxbFyQslYlPHZIsIB5rol8RKDMWY1s9Tr3fBKAqnkghrUPLM6kNrfbHKkWMsh3z1VAQOPtu1NyAmkO-pPjfhJDzarcrgCbT9st2AvDsaWsRQirw8OITfAzqtni_d_d-vAx7X7/s1600/MDSmaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTyfRvygbxbFyQslYlPHZIsIB5rol8RKDMWY1s9Tr3fBKAqnkghrUPLM6kNrfbHKkWMsh3z1VAQOPtu1NyAmkO-pPjfhJDzarcrgCbT9st2AvDsaWsRQirw8OITfAzqtni_d_d-vAx7X7/s640/MDSmaster.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://interiordesign.markdsikes.com/westhollywoodgarden.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Photo from Portfolio</a></span></i></div>
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COTL: In interior design, and fashion, there is a time to splurge and a time to save. What would you suggest a client splurge on when it comes to interiors, and likewise, where should they save?</div>
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MDS: Splurge on fabrics, lighting and hand-painted wall papers. Save with natural fiber rugs, paint, slipcovers, and matchstick blinds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNi8Pw2X9ysqzDpLyOxGQOZFPxTlka_-PnJIlQ55czeGGcNb805OYZfaNYAnwUe4zYmBa91RSLMYXHHLpqq9Lq6KpaYBGdXkIfLylVNPBKB_nIGrTJux_8jqH0lCLN11rvYWO4IzpyihKK/s1600/MDSinstagrambedroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNi8Pw2X9ysqzDpLyOxGQOZFPxTlka_-PnJIlQ55czeGGcNb805OYZfaNYAnwUe4zYmBa91RSLMYXHHLpqq9Lq6KpaYBGdXkIfLylVNPBKB_nIGrTJux_8jqH0lCLN11rvYWO4IzpyihKK/s1600/MDSinstagrambedroom.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sikes' Instagram Photo</span></i></div>
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COTL: What's next for Mark D. Sikes? </div>
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MDS: A book, an on-line shop, several projects getting published, remodeling my house as I answer these questions, blog expansion, a real store, a fabric line, more happy clients and a lot more magazines to collect! </div>
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<a href="http://interiordesign.markdsikes.com/westhollywoodgarden.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Portfolio</span></i></a></div>
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I hope you enjoyed 20 Questions with Mark D. Sikes. For more information on Mark, his projects, and his life, make sure to check him out here: </div>
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<b><a href="http://markdsikes.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">MARK D. SIKES BLOG</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://interiordesign.markdsikes.com/interior_about.html#" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">MARK D. SIKES INTERIOR DESIGN HOMEPAGE</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/markdsikes/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">MARK D. SIKES PINTEREST PAGE</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://instagram.com/markdsikes" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">MARK D. SIKES INSTAGRAM PAGE</a></b></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-71048586614948575502013-10-26T05:57:00.002-07:002013-10-26T05:57:13.538-07:00PS4 will ship without many core features, requires 300MB day-one patch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sony has promised a number of outstanding features for its new game console, but today we learned of a substantial catch for early adopters. While features like Remote Play, game broadcast, and play-as-you-download are still slated for the PS4′s launch, they will not ship on the first production run. Instead, you’ll need to download a 300MB patch on launch day to gain access to a laundry list of promised PS4 features.</div>
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Earlier today, Sony announced that <a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2013/10/25/ps4-system-software-update-1-50-details/" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">software update 1.50</a> will be released alongside the initial launch of the PS4. It’ll weigh in at a hefty 300MB, and will enable a number of vital aspects of the new console. Specifically, this update will include Vita Remote Play, <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/168050-ps4-and-xbox-one-both-have-second-screen-functionality-but-does-it-matter" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">second screen functionality</a> with tablets, gameplay recording, game broadcast, play-as-you-download support, multi-account functionality, party chat, face recognition, voice commands, a background music player, online multiplayer, and the ability to play Blu-ray and DVD movies. If you can’t pull down the patch immediately, none of those core features will work at all on your shiny new $399 chunk of plastic and silicon.</div>
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<a href="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Wii-U.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;"><img alt="Wii U" class="alignright size-full wp-image-148788 aligncenter" height="198" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Wii-U.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block !important; float: right; height: auto; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: auto !important; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center !important; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;" width="300" /></a>If you recall, the <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/wii-u" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">Wii U</a> had a similar patch requirement on day-one. Unfortunately, Nintendo’s servers didn’t have nearly enough throughput, so it took a number of hours to get the Wii U up and running. In fact, the lengthy patching process even caused some consoles to fail before a single game was played. Sony’s <a href="http://www.geek.com/games/sony-bricked-ps3s-have-to-wait-until-the-27th-for-fix-1559780/" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">track record with patches</a> and download speeds is far from spotless, so don’t be surprised if the initial patching experience causes a few problems.</div>
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So, if Sony already knows the console needs an update, why can’t it patch the PS4′s firmware before launch? Unfortunately, that isn’t feasible with current production techniques. Since we’re only a few weeks out from the PS4 launch, most of the units are likely already off the assembly line, and being prepared for worldwide shipment. Clearly, the engineers were working on the <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/ps4" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">PS4</a> until the last possible moment, and that means a number of features got left on the cutting room floor. In previous generations, leaving this many features unfinished would likely call for a delay. Now, it’s simply standard operating procedure to ship a broken product with a day-one patch.</div>
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Keep in mind, the Xbox One will also receive <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/08/05/ask-microsoft-anything-about-xbox-one" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">a day-one update</a>, so many of the same issues may befall <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/xbox-one" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">that platform</a> as well. While it’s not clear what Redmond intends on patching, Marc Whitten claims that the download will only take 15-20 minutes. Hopefully, the network infrastructure will actually be able to handle the load of hundreds of thousands of customers updating at once. If not, we can expect a record amount of bellyaching across the entire internet.</div>
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Now read: <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/168945-ps4-confirmed-to-ship-with-easily-replaceable-2-5-inch-hard-drive" style="border: 0px; color: #c77100; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 0 !important;">PS4 co</a></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-5974150195775582962013-10-26T05:56:00.002-07:002013-10-26T05:56:44.533-07:00World’s most powerful MRI can lift a tank like Magneto, or see deep into your brain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="X-Men: Professor X plays chess against Magneto" class="attachment-full wp-post-image" height="360" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/43997-xmen_chess-640x360.jpg" style="border-style: none; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNovaRgRegular, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.99652862548828px;" width="640" /><br />
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<br /><img alt="A regular MRI brain scan." class="size-medium wp-image-169552" height="300" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/scan-300x300.jpg" style="border-style: none;" width="300" />If you’ve ever wondered how much energy it takes to perform a full body scan, consider this: a new MRI designed to probe the deep structure of the brain uses a magnet more powerful than the ones inside theLarge Hadron Collider. This magnet could pick up a 60-metric-ton tank. It could create a field strong enough to affect the weak diamagnetism of blood, even levitating small animals. Or, if used properly, it could align a good portion of the protons in your body, turning your atomic structure into the most powerful musical instrument of all time. In an MRI, applying the magnetic field puts tension on the atomic strings, and sudden removal of the field plucks them — the hydrogen-rich water molecules in your body snap back to their lowest energy state, and in the process give off radio waves that can be collected to show how those molecules were arranged.</div>
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A regular MRI brain scan. Booooooring.</div>
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So the resolution of an MRI is directly related to, among other things, field strength. Most medical imaging machines produce fields between 0.5 and three teslas in strength — that’s enough to align a good portion of the hydrogen nuclei (protons) in the body, enough to see large scale structures like tumors or loss of brain mass. However, for research purposes it’s often necessary to dramatically increase the strength of the magnetic field, aligning nuclei even more densely and thus creating more data points per cubic centimeter. Newer research MRI machines can produce fields of around nine teslas, but this upcoming machine, <a href="http://portal.uni-freiburg.de/inumac" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">called INUMAC</a>, can reach strengths of almost 12. It creates this field using coils made of more than 200 kilometers of superconducting cable.</div>
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INUMAC stands for Imaging of Neuro disease Using high-field MR And Contrastophores — even with all those skipped words and a price tag in excess of $250 million, they still couldn’t come up with a meaningful acronym. It is at least descriptive, however: INUMAC will use a high-powered magnetic resonance field to image neurological disease. To add to this field, it’s necessary to start looking at the brain on a much more detailed level than ever before. Where normal hospital scanners can see down to resolution of about a cubic millimeter (roughly 10,000 neurons per pixel), INUMAC will be able to see roughly ten times more acutely, with a resolution of 0.1 mm, or 1000 neurons. The brain also functions at an incredible pace, and the standard MRI “time resolution” of one second can lead to smudged images, almost like leaving the shutter open too long on a camera. INUMAC will be able to capture information across just one tenth of a second, which will dramatically reduce noise in its measurements.</div>
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<a href="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/magnet.jpg" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Powerful electromagnets use coils of superconducting cable to carry huge currents and create enormous magnetic fields." class="size-medium wp-image-169551" height="290" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/magnet-300x290.jpg" style="border-style: none;" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Powerful electromagnets use coils of superconducting cable to carry huge currents and create enormous magnetic fields.</div>
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There’s no telling what researchers might learn from watching the progression of neurological disease on this scale. There is still much to discover about how Alzheimer’s disease eats away at the tissue of the brain — and a higher resolution scanner could detect the onset of disease much earlier than currently possible. Functional imaging, which follows brain activity by watching neuron excitation, could be taken to a whole new level of detail and reveal structural complexities we currently cannot see. (See: <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/123461-easy-cloaking-with-superconductors-and-magnetic-tape" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">Easy cloaking with superconductors and magnetic tape</a>.)</div>
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In fact, INUMAC’s field is so strong it could even allow new forms of imaging. As mentioned, modern MRI machines look for the RF signals of realigning hydrogen nuclei, but a sufficiently powerful magnet could look with other elements like sodium or potassium. This could potentially reveal a whole new array of evidence about the brain, new tissues that incorporate few freely aligning hydrogen atoms and are thus underrepresented on “1H-MRI” scans. INUMAC’s super-magnet must be kept at a chilly -271 degrees Celsius or else lose its superconductivity, though, and the liquid helium required to do this makes an economy model impossible to imagine. Until we learn to make cheap, readily available<a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/superconductors" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">superconductors</a> that operate at or near room temperature, there’s no way to get this kind of functionality to the masses.</div>
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The team hopes to have INUMAC producing working research images by 2015.</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-66604957953620613112013-10-26T05:54:00.002-07:002013-10-26T05:54:50.178-07:00By Design | Impossibly Light, Totally Sleek Handmade Bikes Built by a Tokyo Shipwright<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="" height="395" id="100000002498854" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/11/03/t-magazine/03look-bike/03look-bike-tmagArticle.jpg" width="592" /><span class="credit" style="color: #909090; display: block; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2727em; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-top: 8px; text-align: right;">Deniz Saylan</span><span class="caption" style="color: #909090; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.2727em; margin-bottom: 0px;"></span></div>
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Sueshiro Sano, a ninth-generation shipwright, makes lightweight, bespoke wooden bicycles in his Tokyo workshop. His bikes, which take three months to assemble and can cost up to $20,000, use Honduras mahogany and are custom built for a 100-percent tailored fit. They’re also impossibly light — a result of Sano’s well-honed boat-building methods — and have become objects of worship, and in some cases, derision, for hipsters and bike experts everywhere. Case in point: at a <a href="http://2013.handmadebicycleshow.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">handmade-bike convention in Denver</a> earlier this year, several incredulous participants accused Sano of using carbon fiber in his designs. (He doesn’t.) But Sano, who built his first boat at 13 and subscribes to the Japanese principle of monozukuri (“making things”), shrugs off such accusations. “For me, it’s about pride,” he says. <em>011-81-3-5569-6567.</em></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-5598237979737133472013-10-26T05:53:00.002-07:002013-10-26T05:53:35.230-07:00The PS4 is so powerful that Killzone Shadow Fall was originally 290GB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Killzone Shadow Fall" class="attachment-full wp-post-image" height="353" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ksf_gun-640x353.jpg" style="border-style: none; color: #333333; font-family: ProximaNovaRgRegular, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 21.99652862548828px;" width="640" /><br />
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The PS3 and Xbox 360 ended this generation neck-and-neck in terms of sales. This is because, in the end, both systems provided a similar gaming experience. Aside from the argument of exclusives, the only major advantage the PS3 really had over the Xbox 360 was the vast storage capacity of Blu-ray discs. This generation, Microsoft caved in, and the Xbox One has adopted Blu-ray. However, Guerrilla Games — developer of the upcoming <em>Killzone Shadow Fall</em> — claims that the original build of the game was 290GB in size because the PS4 is powerful enough to output textures that high-res, whereas “competing systems” are not.</div>
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The statement comes directly from Guerrilla Games technical director Michiel van der Leeuw. He posited that the <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-10-24-why-killzone-shadow-fall-is-almost-40gb-it-used-to-be-290" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">ludicrous original 290GB</a> size of <em>Killzone Shadow Fall</em> is mainly because the game doesn’t have any assets that have been made for consoles with a lower spec. He did mention cross-generation games as a main reason for this, as the upcoming <em>Killzone</em> is PS4-only, rather than releasing on both the PS3 and <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/ps4" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">PS4</a> like the upcoming <em>Assassin’s Creed IV</em> or <em>NBA 2K14</em>. He also noted that <em>Shadow Fall’s</em> larger, open areas contribute to that ridiculous 290GB size, as the surface area of the zones are about five-to-10 times larger than those in <em>Killzone 3</em>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ksf_orb.jpg" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Killzone Shadow Fall orb" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-169577" height="360" src="http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ksf_orb-640x360.jpg" style="border-style: none;" width="640" /></a></div>
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Guerrilla Games was able to compress <em>Shadow Fall</em> down to 40GB in order to fit onto the Blu-ray, but interestingly, <em>Killzone 3</em> back on the PS3 reached 41.5GB in size. This was because not only had Guerrilla included copies of high quality videos in various languages on the disc, but because the developers duplicated each level’s textures in order to make the content stream from the Blu-ray faster.</div>
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Van der Leeuw notes that, originally, the <em>Killzone</em> <em>Shadow Fall</em> disc image was 180GB, and that was <em>before</em> all of the level data was added in, which is when the data reached 290GB. Guerrilla Games was the first developer to hit this snag of image size, so Sony made special libraries for the developer to use. Regardless of those special libraries, though, a 40GB game is a very large file to download if you opt for digital distribution. In this day and age, in large part thanks to <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/tag/steam" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">Steam</a> and smartphones, users have accepted digital distribution as a more convenient way to purchase a piece of media.</div>
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Though our internet speeds are relatively fast nowadays, downloading a 40GB file will still take quite a while, but Sony will allow you to play while you download. The startup file that’ll get you going will be 7.5GB in size, and you can play the first piece of the game while the next piece downloads in the background.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z3g_ES9BlG4" width="640"></iframe></div>
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If the impressive original image size is astounding, what’s perhaps equally impressive is that the game doesn’t feature any splash screens. All of the usual junk — the epilepsy warning, the Dolby logo — was negotiated to be put in the credits. Furthermore, after an initial 30-second load time, <em>Killzone Shadow Fall</em> does not experience any more in-game loading.</div>
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<em>Killzone Shadow Fall</em> will launch with the PS4 on November 15 of this year.</div>
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Now read: <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/168630-xbox-one-graphics-output-in-900p-worse-than-ps4s-1080p" style="color: #b1700a; text-decoration: none;">Xbox One graphics output in 900p, worse than PS4′s 1080p</a></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-31977211629188777182013-10-26T05:52:00.003-07:002013-10-26T05:52:42.038-07:00Samsung's profit up 26 percent on memory chip, smartphone sales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shipments for high-end smartphones were flat quarter-over-quarter for the company</h2>
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Samsung Electronics' net profit in the third quarter was up 25.6 percent year-over-year on record revenue driven by sales of its memory chips and smartphone products.</div>
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The South Korean electronics giant reported Friday a net profit of 8.24 trillion won ($7.8 billion), up from 6.56 trillion won in the same period a year ago.</div>
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<strong>[ For quick, smart takes on the news you'll be talking about, check out <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletters/subscribe?showlist=infoworld_techbrief&source=ifwelg_fssr" style="color: #0066cc; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">InfoWorld TechBrief</a> -- subscribe today. | Find out what topics and issues affect tech's biggest names and news makers in the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/category/tags/idge-ceo-interview-series?source=fssr" style="color: #0066cc; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">IDGE Insider CEO interview series</a>. | Read <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/blogs?source=fssr" style="color: #0066cc; outline: none; text-decoration: none;">Bill Snyder's Tech's Bottom Line blog</a> for what the key business trends mean to you. ]</strong></div>
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Revenue reached 59.08 trillion won, a year-over-year increase of 13 percent, and meeting the company's forecast.</div>
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Samsung is currently the world's largest smartphone vendor. But during the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company saw "intensifying market competition" in the mobile devices space, it said. Shipments of its high-end smartphones remained flat quarter-over-quarter, despite the release of the company's <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2048073/here-we-go-again-samsung-announces-the-galaxy-note-3.html" style="color: #0066cc; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Galaxy Note 3</a> phablet in late September.</div>
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The company, however, saw shipments of its "mass market" handsets in the mid- and low-end segments increase quarter-over-quarter. "Overall, total smartphone shipments increased in the mid-10 percent range" from the previous three-month period, the company said.</div>
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Samsung's tablet business, however, is growing at a faster clip. Sales for the devices increased in the "mid-20 percent range" from the previous quarter, partly on demand for the <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2040587/samsung-extends-galaxy-tab-3-lineup-with-8inch-and-101inch-models.html" style="color: #0066cc; font-weight: bold; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Galaxy Tab 3 products</a>.</div>
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The company expects both smartphones and tablets sales will pick up in this year's fourth quarter due to the holiday season and more of its "mass market" phones reaching the market.</div>
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Samsung's semiconductor business also reported big gains in its earnings, with revenue growing 12 percent quarter-over-quarter. Sales of the company's memory chips have been high from demand brought on by smartphones and tablets, servers, and game consoles.</div>
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But the company saw a 1 percent quarter-over-quarter decrease in sales in its panel business. Weakening demand for TV display panels in Europe and China led to a decline in shipments and price. TV panel sales, however, will rebound in the fourth quarter due to the holiday season, Samsung said.</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-89868088307318445702013-10-26T05:49:00.003-07:002013-10-26T05:49:58.168-07:00Trading in your iPad? Do it now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A new iPad is probably coming soon, and companies that buy used electronic devices say they're experiencing a surge of customers trading in their old tablets.</div>
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney)</div>
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With a new iPad likely around the corner, iPad trade-ins are on the rise -- and selling prices are falling fast.</h2>
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Companies like Gazelle and NextWorth, which buy used electronic devices, say they're experiencing a surge of customers trading in their old iPads. The spike began Tuesday, when <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Apple</span> <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(<span class="inlink_chart" style="background-image: url(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/img/5.0/buttons/assorted_icons.gif); background-position: -200px -160px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px 19px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="inlink" href="http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=AAPL&source=story_quote_link" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">AAPL</a></span>, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2013/snapshots/670.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortune 500</a>)</span> announced it has an upcoming event Oct. 22. Apple is widely expected to be giving its tablet its first big redesign in more than a year and a half.</div>
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At <a href="http://www.gazelle.com/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Gazelle</a>, iPad trade-ins have soared to their highest level this year. IPads now make up 20% of items traded in on Gazelle's website, up from 11% a week ago.</div>
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"Previous generations all look the same," said Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle's chief gadget officer. The new iPad could have more processing power, a better camera and even use Apple's latest <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/11/technology/security/iphone-fingerprint-scanner/index.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Touch ID fingerprint sensor</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/10/technology/mac-pc-sales/index.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Related story: Macs down, PCs up</a></div>
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Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.nextworth.com/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">NextWorth</a> saw its weekly iPad trade-ins more than triple this week.</div>
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But consumers looking for a good deal had better act fast, lest they be affected by the basic forces of economics. The surge in supply of trade-in iPads means trade-in prices are dropping.</div>
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Data provided by NextWorth show that iPad prices drop after Apple unveils a new tablet - and even more when a new iPad hits store shelves. Last year, trade-in values for the iPad dropped 4% when Apple unveiled its latest-generation iPad in October. The trade-in price fell by another 10% when the tablet hit store shelves in November.</div>
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Apple stores to get a shot of high-style</div>
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you're trading in:</strong> Let's say you've got a mid-range iPad 2 (black, 32 GB with WiFi) in good condition -- but not flawless. Last year, that could have fetched $300. How about now?</div>
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CNNMoney looked at the prevailing prices online Wednesday:</div>
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<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.222222328186035px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 13px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trade-In/b?node=2242532011" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">:</strong> If you're willing to wait around for a buyer, you post your iPad for sale on Amazon and easily sell it for $350. Amazon also has a trade-in program, offering $189.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/reuse_and_recycle" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Apple</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </strong>Probably the worst deal out there, because of how restrictive it is. The Apple Reuse and Recycling Program offers $136 -- but only in the form of an Apple Store gift card.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.gazelle.com/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Gazelle</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">:</strong> $190. It's also more forgiving on nicks and scratches.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.nextworth.com/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">NextWorth</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </strong>$180. It's also accommodating on the tablet's condition.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Electronics-Promotions/Online-Trade-In/pcmcat133600050011.c?id=pcmcat133600050011&DCMP=rdr101887" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Best Buy</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </strong>This one's a bit tricky, because "good" is the best listed condition. But if it's "fair," you only get $130.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.gamestop.com/recommerce/web/ChooseDevice.aspx?manufacturer=Apple&family=iPad" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">GameStop</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </strong>After an in-store inspection, you can choose between $161 in cash or a $202 in store credit.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://radioshack.cexchange.com/online/home/index.rails" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">RadioShack</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </strong>$150 if you include the power adapter.</li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_BIN=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_udlo=50&_udhi=800&_nkw=ipad+2+32gb+wifi+black&_sop=15" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">eBay</a></strong><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">:</strong> You're the seller so it's totally up to you. But it can easily go for $265 -- whenever a buyer eventually finds you.</li>
</ul>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-40431459258160861432013-10-26T05:49:00.000-07:002013-10-26T05:49:17.819-07:00Must-know privacy tips for Google, Facebook and other online services<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Recent headlines about shadowy <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2055660/facebook-cso-says-snowden-disclosures-brought-security-to-forefront.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">government agencies</a>, <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2052180/adobe-reports-massive-security-breach.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">high-profile hack attacks</a>, and <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053357/how-to-keep-your-real-name-and-face-out-of-googles-ads.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">your face in Google ads</a> drive home a crucial point: Your online privacy is best protected when you keep an iron grip on the information you're handing out. If your info is on a server somewhere, it's not truly yours.</div>
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So many core aspects of our lives have shifted to the cloud, mostly to our great benefit: Gmail and Outlook.com maintain our email archives. Dropbox and SkyDrive make your files available anywhere, anytime. Windows 8.1 searches include Bing results by default. Google Now dishes out the information you need before you even know you need it.</div>
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But every gain in convenience comes with a loss of control, and that loss of control all too often comes bundled with <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/250950/google_privacy_checklist_what_to_do_before_googles_privacy_policy_changes_on_march_1.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">privacy</a> or <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030052/evernote-hack-shows-that-passwords-arent-good-enough.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">security</a> woes.</div>
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You can take some simple precautions to minimize the amount of personal information that you have online. But before we get started, remember that this data checkup is about what you're comfortable with. You could follow all the tips in this post, tighten up on just a few of the practices mentioned below, or go even farther down the rabbit hole than the suggestions offered here. Digital privacy is not a zero-sum or a one-size-fits-all proposition. If nothing else, this article can help you make better decisions about the information you share with the services you love.</div>
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Giving Google the cold shoulder</h2>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="google-privacy" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/04/google-privacy-100032193-large.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;"></figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
When it comes to minimizing your digital footprint, we have to start with Google. Just imagine the dossier the company has on you: search history, sites you visit, Google Play purchases, location data from Android and Chrome and Maps, your Google Drive documents...it looks like a lot when it's all spelled out like that, doesn't it?</div>
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To its credit, Google takes data security seriously, receiving fairly good marks in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's annual "<a href="https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2013" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Who has your back?</a>" survey. But Google also makes heavy in-house use of your data, a point that touched a nerve with announcements of the company's plans to <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053357/how-to-keep-your-real-name-and-face-out-of-googles-ads.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">use your real name and face</a> in online advertising (not to mention Microsoft's "<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2028715/microsoft-steps-up-scroogle-campaign-against-google-with-advocacy-twist.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Scroogled</a>" campaign).</div>
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Divorcing Google isn't a realistic option for most people, though, given its superior services and sheer ubiquity. Switching to Microsoft's services still leaves your information in the cloud. So what can you do if you want to reduce the amount of data you're sharing with either online monolith?</div>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/firefoxprivate-100066103-orig.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="287" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/firefoxprivate-100066103-large.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /></a><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;">Firefox's private browsing mode kills cookies dead.</figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
To start, you can keep Google from collecting and sharing your data as much as possible. Using your browser's private/incognito mode will erase tracking cookies, including Google's, when you close it. You can also tell Google to stop trailing you in your account's <a href="https://history.google.com/history/settings?hl=en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Web History page</a> (at the expense of Google Now features) and take a minute to tweak your general <a href="https://www.google.com/settings/privacy" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Google privacy settings</a>.</div>
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Another solution is to replace what Google services you can with more private alternatives. Do you use Google Docs but don't really need its online capabilities? Try the open-source <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2042552/review-libreoffice-4-liberates-you-from-microsoft-office.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Libre Office suite</a>. If you need only basic image-editing capabilities, skip Picasa and <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/248297/paint_net.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">stick to Paint.net</a>. What about Google Drive's on-the-go docs? We'll talk more about cloud storage later.</div>
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And if you <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">can</em> cut the Google cord completely, there's always <a href="https://plus.google.com/downgrade/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the nuclear option</a>. (<a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/account-close-account" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Here's how to shutter your Microsoft account</a> for good measure.)</div>
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Facebook</h2>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="facebook" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/02/facebook-peeking-100026441-large.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;"></figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
Google may have a wide reach, but when it comes to mapping your social connections, no company knows more than Facebook. And just like Google, Facebook is practically impossible to shut out of your life. You need it to sign in to your favorite services, play games, chat, and keep in touch with pals.</div>
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Tweaking your Facebook profile's <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2053354/how-to-stay-private-now-that-anyone-can-find-you-on-facebook.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">privacy settings</a> can keep other people's eyes at bay—but Facebook itself has a reputation for questionable <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2055383/teens-public-facebook-posts-are-guaranteed-to-cause-controversy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">user data decisions</a>. How to give <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Zuck</a> the cold shoulder without divorcing Facebook completely?</div>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/facebook-tmi-embarassing-graph-search-100066108-orig.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="244" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/facebook-tmi-embarassing-graph-search-100066108-large.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /></a><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;">You don't want to be among the first Graph Search results for "Males in New York that like Drugs and Marijuana" or anything similar. Mind those Likes, and those privacy preferences.</figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
Easy: Stop hitting that "Like" button so much and consider <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/194784/How_to_Unlike_a_Fan_Page_on_the_New_Facebook.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">removing past thumbs-ups</a>. Don't add extra information to your profile such as life events, places you've lived, and so on. (Here's a video on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppwoTsHez8E" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">deleting life events</a>.)</div>
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Finally, decide whether you want to continue sharing your photo library online. Is anybody really looking at them, or are they just fodder for Facebook's <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2047749/facebook-s-data-policy-changes-put-your-face-front-and-center.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">face-detection algorithms</a>?</div>
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Facebook also tracks you as you travel from site to site, using the Like buttons embedded on each. Make sure you're signed out of Facebook to prevent that from happening, or use your browser's private mode.</div>
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You can <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2050324/how-to-delete-or-disable-your-facebook-account.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">delete your Facebook account</a> if you're able (and willing) to cut the socialite cord completely.</div>
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Cloud storage</h2>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/encrypt-cloud-storage-100066109-large.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;"></figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
If you slap your files in a cloud-storage locker for anytime, anywhere access, you probably don't want to give up that convenience. You <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">can</em>, however, seize control of your cloud documents by encrypting them, which helps protect against the data breaches (such as two that happened to <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241984/Developers_hack_Dropbox_show_how_to_access_to_user_data" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dropbox</a> and <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/260414/how_did_apple_allow_hackers_to_access_icloud_account_.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Apple</a>) and government information requests faced by many cloud providers.</div>
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Note that while many services (such as Dropbox) encrypt your data on their servers,<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">they</em> control the encryption keys in most cases. That means you are not in control of when or for whom that encrypted data is unlocked, but it also makes using the service easier—just enter your login information and go!</div>
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A truly <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2052813/3-essential-techniques-to-protect-your-online-privacy.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">"zero-knowledge" cloud provider</a> such as SpiderOak or Wuala, on the other hand, never has access to your encryption key, meaning that only <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">you</em> can unlock your data. (Don't lose the key!) Alternatively, you could manually encrypt files bound for SkyDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, or any other cloud service, using a tool like <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/242612/how_to_use_truecrypt_to_encrypt_your_sensitive_documents.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">TrueCrypt</a> or <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010296/how-to-encrypt-your-cloud-storage-for-free.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">the cloud-focused BoxCryptor</a>.</div>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/1253844_1160-100055787-orig.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/09/1253844_1160-100055787-large.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /></a><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;">Western Digital's My Cloud connected storage drive lets you build your own private cloud.</figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
Or, if you want anytime, anywhere access to your files but don't want to entrust your stuff to anyone else, you could use a Net-connected storage drive like <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2051347/wd-my-cloud-review-a-better-more-secure-alternative-to-cloud-storage.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Western Digital's My Cloud</a> to create your own personal cloud-storage solution.</div>
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All the rest</h2>
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We've taken care of your major online accounts, but what about all those random accounts you have connected to your social networks? Go through the settings of your <a href="https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=applications" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/settings/applications" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/apps" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Google+</a> accounts to see the list of apps and services connected to them. Then simply remove access permissions for the ones you no longer use.</div>
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Speaking of apps and services, part of good data hygiene is regularly deleting accounts you've left by the wayside. Go ahead: Close that MySpace profile and kill your Klout score if you're not using them.</div>
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The tip of the iceberg</h2>
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Now that you have at least some of your data under control, you could look at numerous other things, as well.</div>
<figure class=" large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="" border="0" height="435" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2013/10/internet_lock_security-100065707-large.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="580" /><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;"></figcaption></figure><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
We briefly touched on restricting who can track your browsing while online. For a real eye-opener, try using <a href="https://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Abine's DoNotTrackMe</a> add-on for a week and see how many tracking cookies the add-on blocks. You could also use a stand-alone email program configured using the POP3 protocol to save your email locally and wipe your messages from your provider's servers. (Here's the info you need to do just that with <a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/outlook/send-receive-from-app" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Outlook.com</a>, <a href="http://www.ghacks.net/2009/06/19/gmail-pop3-configuration/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gmail</a>, and Mozilla's <a href="https://support.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/kb/manual-account-configuration" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Thunderbird client</a>.)</div>
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For an even more comprehensive look at the topic, check out Macworld's seven-part series on <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1158113/protect_web_browsing_cookies.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">protecting your online privacy</a>—but note that some of the tips apply only to Apple's ecosystem.</div>
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Going off-grid online is <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3019847/think-you-can-live-offline-without-being-tracked-heres-what-it-takes" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">borderline impossible</a> these days, but taking just a short time to tidy up your online footprint can pay big dividends for your security and your privacy. And remember: It's up to you just how far down the rabbit hole you go. Happy deleting!</div>
</section></div>
bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-13112799967508743962013-10-26T05:47:00.001-07:002013-10-26T05:47:14.061-07:00Solar Flares Could Cripple Earth's Tech Infrastructure in 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 itemprop="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 38px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.13; margin: 0px 0px 12px;">
<span style="line-height: 1.7em;">This week's solar flare will likely go unnoticed by most people on Earth, but NASA says that might not be the case two years from now, when a peak in solar activity could cause trillions of dollars in damage to our high-tech infrastructure.</span></h1>
<section class="page" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
The sun released a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News060711-blast.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">huge solar flare Tuesday</a>, shooting a bunch of radiation in our direction. While the Earth isn't expected to take a direct hit from the flare, it could rub up against the planet's electromagnetic field on Thursday, possibly disrupting radio and satellite transmissions, not to mention creating some spectacular auroral light displays for those in the north.</div>
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<figure class="image large" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="Solar Flares Could Cripple Earth's Tech Infrastructure in 2013" height="612" src="http://images.pcworld.com/images/article/2011/06/solar_flare-5182130.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="606" /><figcaption class="caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;">Solar weather runs in cycles, and the current cycle is expected to peak in 2013.</figcaption></figure>NASA is calling the flare medium-sized and the biggest one seen in the last five years, but it's nothing compared to something called the "Carrington Event" in 1859, a huge solar flare that set telegraph machines on fire and produced an auroral glow in many parts of the world bright enough to read by. Even when telegraph operators disconnected their batteries, "aurora-induced electric currents in the wires still allowed messages to be transmitted," according to a <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/06may_carringtonflare/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">NASA historical account</a>.<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
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Solar weather runs in cycles, and the current cycle is expected to peak in 2013, and it's during that time that we're most likely to see something like the Carrington Event. Only problem is that if such an event happened today, it would cause much, much more damage than it did in the 19th century.</div>
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"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity," Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division, said last year. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms."</div>
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Basically, if the sun were to send a massive shipment of electromagnetic radiation our way, it could knock out the backbone of our digital civilization, taking power grids, satellites and other communications systems offline for hours, possibly even days. There's also the possibility for damage to that infrastructure that could run into the trillions of dollars.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">NASA Footage of the June 7 Solar Flare</strong></div>
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Fortunately, there are precautions, such as back-up systems, that can be put in place, and solar weather watchers have been urging politicians to do so through conferences and other efforts over the past few years. Whether we'll be ready when the solar "Big One" comes remains to be seen, but scientists say it's not an apocalyptic scenario.</div>
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So, presuming that the world doesn't end with the Mayan calendar in 2012, it also won't end with a huge solar flare in 2013, but it definitely has the potential to ruin a day or two.</div>
</section></div>
bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-17302712335766654892013-10-26T05:46:00.000-07:002013-10-26T05:46:01.863-07:0015 Hot New Technologies That Will Change Everything<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<section class="page" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;"><figure class="image right small" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px; max-width: 140px; overflow: hidden;"><br /><img alt="image" height="177" src="http://images.pcworld.com/news/graphics/152683-2612p088-1b.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: left; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;" width="140" /><figcaption class="credit" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: facitweb, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;">Illustration: Randy Lyhus</figcaption></figure>The Next Big thing? The <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145365/hp_researchers_build_intelligent_memory.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">memristor</a>, a microscopic component that can "remember" electrical states even when turned off. It's expected to be far cheaper and faster than flash storage. A theoretical concept since 1971, it has now been built in labs and is already starting to revolutionize everything we know about computing, possibly making flash memory, RAM, and even hard drives obsolete within a decade.<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.7em; margin: 0px 0px 0.7em;">
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The memristor is just one of the incredible technological advances sending shock waves through the world of computing. Other innovations in the works are more down-to-earth, but they also carry watershed significance. From the technologies that finally make <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-6/future_tech.html#14" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">paperless offices</a> a reality to those that deliver <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-3/future_tech.html#5" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">wireless power</a>, these advances should make your humble PC a far different beast come the turn of the decade.</div>
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In the following sections, we outline the basics of 15 upcoming technologies, with predictions on what may come of them. Some are breathing down our necks; some advances are still just out of reach. And all have to be reckoned with.</div>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-2/future_tech.html#1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Memristor: A Groundbreaking New Circuit</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-2/future_tech.html#2" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">32-Core CPUs From Intel and AMD</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-3/future_tech.html#3" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Nehalem and Swift Chips Spell the End of Stand-Alone Graphics Boards</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-3/future_tech.html#4" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">USB 3.0 Speeds Up Performance on External Devices</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-3/future_tech.html#5" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Wireless Power Transmission</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-4/future_tech.html#6" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">64-Bit Computing Allows for More RAM</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-4/future_tech.html#7" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Windows 7: It's Inevitable</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-4/future_tech.html#8" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Google's Desktop OS</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-5/future_tech.html#9" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Gesture-Based Remote Control</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-5/future_tech.html#10" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Radical Simplification Hits the TV Business</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-5/future_tech.html#11" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Curtains for DRM</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-6/future_tech.html#12" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Use Any Phone on Any Wireless Network</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-6/future_tech.html#13" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Your Fingers Do Even More Walking</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-6/future_tech.html#14" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Cell Phones Are the New Paper</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-6/future_tech.html#15" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">Where You At? Ask Your Phone, Not Your Friend</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/152683-7/future_tech.html#16" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #25a7d7; text-decoration: none;">25 Years of Predictions</a></li>
</ul>
</section></div>
bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-14948187809671952692013-10-26T05:44:00.003-07:002013-10-26T05:44:16.535-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/images/2013/10/timthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="453" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/images/2013/10/timthumb.jpg" title="" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" /></a></div>
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Transformative Design Award: Ballroom Luminoso</div>
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<br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.222222328186035px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;">Collaborators Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock took home a prize for Ballroom Luminoso, a public art work. The duo spruced up a forgotten area by adding color-shifting LED chandeliers to the underpass of a San Antonio bridge. </span></h4>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-87991099057226878422013-10-26T05:41:00.003-07:002013-10-26T05:41:37.890-07:005 most incredible discoveries of the week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week's discoveries ranged from a milestone in deep space to a head-scratcher about trees with gold in their leaves:</h2>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">1. <a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176404/newly-found-galaxy-is-oldest-one-yet.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176404/newly-found-galaxy-is-oldest-one-yet.html">Newly f</a></span><span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176404/newly-found-galaxy-is-oldest-one-yet.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176404/newly-found-galaxy-is-oldest-one-yet.html">ound galaxy is oldest yet</a>: </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Residents of the Milky Way, meet z8_GND_5296. That's the not-so-great name of a newly discovered galaxy that just happens to be the most distant — and thus oldest — ever spotted. The Big Bang might give up its secrets yet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">2. <a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176330/scientists-find-gold-in-eucalyptus-trees.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176330/scientists-find-gold-in-eucalyptus-trees.html">Scientists find gold in eucalyptus trees</a></span>: Money may not grow on trees, but gold might grow in them. Such is the fascinating conclusion of a group of Australian researchers who studied eucalyptus trees in two groves in the country's west and south. Gold diggers might do well to pay attention.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">3. <a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176471/rare-viking-thing-found-under-parking-lot.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176471/rare-viking-thing-found-under-parking-lot.html">Rare viking 'thing' found in Scotland</a>:</span> Archaeologists have uncovered another<a href="http://www.newser.com/story/162178/yep-skeleton-in-parking-lot-is-richard-iii.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/162178/yep-skeleton-in-parking-lot-is-richard-iii.html">parking lot find</a>, only this time it's in Scotland, and what they discovered is best described as a "Thing." Yep, that's the technical term for a Viking parliamentary gathering site, one of which has been unearthed in the town of Dingwall.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">4. <a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176492/big-find-in-perus-capital-mummies.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176492/big-find-in-perus-capital-mummies.html">Big find in Peru's capital: Mummies</a></span>: A site in Lima, Peru, that archaeologists have been excavating since 1981 has given up quite the find: an undisturbed tomb that's at least 1,000 years old — with two mummies inside. It looks like one was a master weaver.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">5. <a href="http://www.newser.com/story/176375/study-simon-garfunkel-tune-eases-chronic-pain.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/story/176375/study-simon-garfunkel-tune-eases-chronic-pain.html">Simon & Garfunkel tune may ease chronic pain</a></span>: Walk into select Lloyds Pharmacy locations in the UK complaining of a headache, and you may be more likely to walk out with a Simon & Garfunkel CD than a bottle of painkillers. The chain commissioned a study that found 41% of people suffering persistent pain felt better after listening to music, and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was one of the better performers. Fleetwood Mac made the cut, too, though.</div>
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<i>For more incredible <a href="http://www.newser.com/taggrid/2995/discoveries.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/taggrid/2995/discoveries.html">discoveries </a>visit <a href="http://www.newser.com/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.newser.com/">Newser</a>, a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.</i></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-42312367118361483642013-10-26T05:40:00.003-07:002013-10-26T05:40:25.892-07:00The week in Tech: 5 must-know things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Apple dominated tech headlines this week with product releases and software updates. Here's what you need to know about the week in Tech:</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/live-coverage-apple-ipad/3148741/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/live-coverage-apple-ipad/3148741/">1) Apple unveils iPad Air, iPad Mini with Retina display</a></span></div>
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Apple product announcements are hard to miss, but just in case you haven't been keeping up: the company introduced a range of new products on Tuesday, including two new iPads.</div>
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Here's what you need to know:</div>
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•<i>iPad Air: </i>The new 9.7-inch iPad is thinner and lighter than its predecessors, starts at $499 for a 16GB model and comes in space gray or silver.</div>
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•<i>iPad Mini: </i>The most notable feature on this tablet is its Retina display. The iPad Mini also features 10 hours of battery life and starts at $399.</div>
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•<i>Macs</i>: Apple's new Mac Pro personal computer is priced at $2,999. Its two new MacBooks start at $1,299 for the 13-inch model and $1,999 for the 15-inch model.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/apple-mavericks-free/3151093/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/apple-mavericks-free/3151093/">2) Apple gives away software in challenge to Microsoft</a></span></div>
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Apple also made a big update to its line of operating systems.</div>
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Apple executive Craig Federighi announced at Apple's event Tuesday that the company's newest operating system, OS X Mavericks, will be offered for free to new and existing users. The new OS will work on Macs up to 5 years old and will come with iLife and iWork, two suites of applications that include iPhoto, iMovie and Keynote.</div>
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Apple's move puts it in more direct competition with Microsoft, which charges up to $399.99 for its Office suite. Federighi made it clear that Apple wants to make its products available to a wider audience: "The days of spending hundreds of dollars to get the most out of your computer are over."</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/10/22/nokia-unveils-windows-tablet-lumia2520/3147577/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/10/22/nokia-unveils-windows-tablet-lumia2520/3147577/">3) Nokia unveils Windows tablet, supersized smartphones</a></span></div>
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Far from Apple's big product announcement in San Francisco, Nokia showed off its own new gadgets in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.</div>
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The company unveiled a Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520; and two large-screen smartphones (sometimes called "phablets"), the Lumia 1520 and the Lumia 1320.</div>
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USA TODAY's Ed Baig was <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/10/21/baig-microsoft-surface2-surfacepro2-review/3142673/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/10/21/baig-microsoft-surface2-surfacepro2-review/3142673/">less than thrilled</a> with two other Windows-powered products that came out this week. He got an early look at the Windows RT and Windows 8.1 Pro versions of the Surface 2 tablet. Baig said both are an improvement on the original Surface, but "challenges remain," and "as a tablet neither Surface can outduel the iPad."</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/21/blackberry-bbm-iphone-android-apps/3144269/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/21/blackberry-bbm-iphone-android-apps/3144269/">4) BlackBerry resumes rollout of BBM for Android, iPhone</a></span></div>
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BBM is back. Blackberry is continuing its relaunch of the popular BlackBerry Messenger service in two new apps for iPhone and Android.</div>
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But there's a catch: you need to wait your turn to get the app if you haven't signed up for it already. Visit <a href="http://bbm.com/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://bbm.com/">BBM.com</a> from your phone browser, and enter your information to reserve a spot.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/amazon-free-shipping-threshold/3157351/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/22/amazon-free-shipping-threshold/3157351/">5) Amazon lifts free-shipping threshold</a></span></div>
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Bad news, early holiday shoppers. Amazon raised the price level for free shipping this week. Shoppers need to spend at least $35 to qualify for free shipping, up from $25.</div>
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Amazon may have raised the price threshold to push more customers towards its Prime service, which costs $79 a year and offers free shipping on most items. But the higher shipping price might push third-party sellers on Amazon Marketplace to switch over to eBay.</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-52603256574038529142013-10-26T05:36:00.001-07:002013-10-26T05:36:34.047-07:00Apple Preparing 65-Inch TV for Release in 2014, Analyst Says<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-21/apple-preparing-65-inch-tv-for-release-next-year-analyst-says" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); color: #555555; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Apple Preparing 65-Inch TV for Release Next Year, Analyst Says" height="420" src="http://www.bloomberg.com/image/isfDWJqkwlXo.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Apple Preparing 65-Inch TV for Release in 2014, Analyst Says" width="630" /></a><div class="photo_caption" style="border: 0px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A logo sits on a sign outside Apple Inc.'s Covent Garden store in London, U.K.. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg</div>
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<span class="ticker_wrap" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Apple Inc.</span></span> (<a class="ticker" data-symbol="AAPL:US" href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=AAPL:US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); color: #007cd5; text-decoration: none;">AAPL:US</a>)</span> will probably start selling ultra-high definition televisions with 65- and 55-inch screens during the fourth quarter of next year, according to a Tokyo-based analyst at Advanced Research Japan Co.</div>
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The Cupertino, California-based company is deciding on specifications, and the models probably will have a frameless design, Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Advanced Research who tracks developments in the consumer-electronics industry, said in an interview Oct. 18. Ishino declined to identify the people who gave him the information.</div>
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Takashi Takebayashi, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple, didn’t respond to a telephone message seeking comment.</div>
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<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-10-21/apple-to-debut-new-ipads-as-rivals-crowd-market" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); color: #007cd5; text-decoration: none;"><span class="related_item-label" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: 16.666667938232422px; font-weight: bolder; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">VIDEO: </span>Apple to Debut New IPads as Rivals Crowd Market</a></div>
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Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, before he died in 2011, told his biographer he had “finally cracked” how to build a TV with a simple user interface that would wirelessly synchronize content with Apple’s other devices. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said May 29 that TV is an area of “intense focus” for Apple as it seeks to add products that can build on the success of Macs, iPhones and iPads.</div>
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Apple rose less than 1 percent to $525.41 at 10:05 a.m. in New York. The shares had declined 2 percent so far this year through yesterday.</div>
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LG Display Co. (034220), Samsung (005930) Electronics Co. and <span class="ticker_wrap" style="border: 0px; font-size: 16.666667938232422px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Corporation" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span itemprop="name" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Corning Inc.</span></span>(<a class="ticker" data-symbol="GLW:US" href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=GLW:US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); color: #007cd5; text-decoration: none;">GLW:US</a>)</span> may be among the suppliers for Apple’s TVs, which may be priced at about $1,500 to $2,500, Ishino said. LG Display may supply more than 70 percent of the liquid-crystal displays, Samsung may make graphic processing units and Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 may be used as the cover, he said.</div>
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<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2013-10-22/wang-says-apple-leads-industry-on-64-bit-technology" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(255, 102, 0); color: #007cd5; text-decoration: none;"><span class="related_item-label" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: 16.666667938232422px; font-weight: bolder; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">VIDEO: </span>Wang Says Apple Leads Industry on 64-Bit Technology</a></div>
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Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group probably will be hired to assemble the devices, according to Ishino.</div>
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Apple is upgrading top-selling products ahead of the holiday shopping season. The company introduced the iPhone 5s and 5c last month, selling more than 9 million devices in the opening weekend. Cook will debut a high-definition iPad mini and a thinner iPad at a San Francisco event today, people with knowledge of the plans have said.</div>
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Samsung and LG Electronics Inc. (066570) released 65- and 55-inch ultra-high definition TVs earlier this year to spark demand for sets and to combat competition from China and Japan. Ultra-high definition sets use conventional LCDs that offer resolution rivaling that of more expensive organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screens.</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-79228351915288253892013-10-26T05:30:00.004-07:002013-10-26T05:30:59.560-07:00Study finds iPhone 5s and 5c touchscreens inaccurate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="entry half-bottom" id="blog-entry" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #444444; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 20.98958396911621px; margin-bottom: 10px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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So, iPhone touchscreens are <a href="http://blog.gsmarena.com/iphone-5-touchscreen-found-to-be-over-twice-as-fast-as-its-android-based-rivals/" style="border: 0px; color: #4b3c22; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fast</a> in terms of responsiveness but are they accurate? They are not, says test automation firm OptoFidelity. Using a couple of home-brewed machines the company found that the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are quick to react to user input but can’t track your finger as accurately as a 18 months-old Samsung Galaxy S III.</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics/13/10/optofidelity/gsmarena_001.jpg" style="border: none; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="660" /></div>
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The test was performed by an accurate robotic finger that touched the screen at specific coordinates and compared it to what the phone reports as the touch coordinates. You can see one of their machines<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw3OkC5CaZU&feature=c4-overview" style="border: 0px; color: #4b3c22; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">here</a>.<span id="more-56601" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics/13/10/optofidelity/gsmarena_002.jpg" style="border: none; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="660" /></div>
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The Samsung Galaxy S III is accurate over the whole screen except for the very edge, while both the iPhone 5s and 5c screens are accurate only over a relatively small area in the bottom half of the screen (which, not coincidentally is where the on-screen keyboard is).</div>
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Here’s the chart made by OptoFidelity – green means the reported coordinates are accurate to within a millimeter, while red means an error of over a millimeter.</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics/13/10/optofidelity/gsmarena_003.jpg" style="border: none; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="660" /></div>
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One millimeter doesn’t sound like much, right? The real-life implications are bigger than the number would suggest though. The iPhones are especially inaccurate around the edges, which means that letters Q, O and P are on the on-screen keyboard are hard to hit. Here’s how the accuracy chart overlays the top row of the iPhone keyboard.</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics/13/10/optofidelity/gsmarena_004.jpg" style="border: none; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="660" /></div>
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And here’s the same image for the Galaxy S III.</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics/13/10/optofidelity/gsmarena_005.jpg" style="border: none; clear: both; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="660" /></div>
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Have you ever had problems with accuracy on your iPhone 5s or 5c? If you have, now you know why<br />.</div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-27961324294904396082013-10-24T05:29:00.003-07:002013-10-24T05:29:14.666-07:00Why FX Traders Should Be Skeptical About Payrolls<br /><div class="arial_11 lightgrayFont contentSectionDetails" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: grey; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
By <span itemprop="author" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.investing.com/members/51840" itemprop="author" rel="author" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Kathy Lien</a></span> | <a href="http://www.investing.com/analysis/forex" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Forex</a> | Oct 21, 2013 08:25PM GMT | <a class="commentsBubbleCnt" href="http://www.investing.com/analysis/why-fx-traders-should-be-skeptical-about-payrolls-188763#comments" id="scrollToComments" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;"><span class="newSiteIconsSprite commentIcon" style="background-image: url(http://c1308342.r42.cf0.rackcdn.com/newSiteIconsSprite_v28e.png); background-position: -124px -628px; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 12px; left: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 1px; width: 12px; zoom: 1;"></span>Add a Comment</a></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why FX Traders Should be Skeptical About Payrolls</strong><br />The September nonfarm payrolls report will finally be released on Tuesday and based on Monday's consolidative price action in the foreign-exchange market, investors are waiting with bated breath for its release. Nonfarm payrolls have always been an important report for the financial markets and currencies in particular but since the Federal Reserve tied monetary policy to the level of unemployment, it has become an even greater focus. Unfortunately with the government shutdown, FX traders should eye every piece of U.S. data released over the next month with skepticism for a number of reasons. First the U.S. government has only been reopened for a few days, so there could be more extrapolation than usual in U.S. data, which means revisions in the next month or two could be particularly large. Secondly, any pickup in hiring in September could be offset by slower job growth in October as the government shutdown delays investment and expansion plans for U.S. corporations. Finally, even if is job growth is very strong, central bank officials will question its sustainability in light of the recent shock to the U.S. economy. Therefore FX traders have every reason to be skeptical of Tuesday's release from the perspective of the data's validity and the potential for impact on Fed policy.<br /><br />If job growth misses expectations, the dollar could be in even more trouble because October payrolls are expected to be much weaker. Unfortunately there's scope for a downside surprise because service sector activity slowed last month and in turn labor market growth slowed. Consumer confidence was also very weak but that was in a large part due to the fiscal crisis. Even if the data beats expectations, FX traders should not expect the same pomp and circumstance around the release because in 2.5 weeks time, the October payrolls report will be out. We believe that the central bank will keep monetary policy unchanged for the rest of the year because they need to be confident in the data and strength of the labor market recovery before kick starting a major change in policy. Federal Reserve President Evans, who is a voting member of the FOMC this year made it clear in his comments this morning that the central bank is watching incoming data and unsurprisingly, he believes that it will take a few months to sort out the U.S. labor market picture. It will be difficult for the central bank to pull the trigger on tapering asset purchases over the next few months because of the potential distortion in many upcoming economic releases. We won't get a true indication of how well the U.S. economy is holding up until December, when the November reports are released and that timing is too tight in our opinion for the Fed to legitimately pull the trigger on tapering. As this leaves the first move for the Fed in 2014, rates will remain suppressed for the rest of the year, making it difficult for the dollar to rally. So even if the dollar rises on Tuesday's payrolls report, the gains should be limited to another relief rally.<br /><br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">EUR: Potential For Fundamental Support This Week</strong><br />With no major euro zone or U.S. economic reports released Monday, the euro held steady against the U.S. dollar. Since the beginning of September, we have seen significant gains in the euro that was driven largely by the disappointment in U.S. fiscal policy and its impact on U.S. monetary policy. With a short-term resolution to the first issue, the second factor should become the leading driver of the dollar over the next 2 months but euro fundamentals will also take on increased importance as the focus returns to relative growth and monetary policy. The ECB is not in any position to tighten monetary policy but there's a lot of euro-zone data scheduled for release this week and depending on how they fare, expectations for euro-zone growth could change. The central bank is cautious but there is a lot of hope that the region will benefit from the opportunity for renewed growth in the U.S. and China. We have already seen a significant pickup in investor confidence as measured by the ZEW survey and this week the latest PMI reports and the German IFO survey are scheduled for release. Economists are looking for mild but broad based improvements. If U.S. payrolls surprise to the downside and the PMI reports surprise to the upside, the<a href="http://www.investing.com/currencies/eur-usd" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro Dollar">EUR/USD</a> could rise to fresh 2013 highs this week. Over the next 24 hours, U.S. data will be the primary driver of the <a href="http://www.investing.com/currencies/eur-usd" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Euro Dollar">EUR/USD</a> flows but by Wednesday that will change with the influx of euro zone economic reports. Switzerland's trade balance is also due for release Tuesday and the country's surplus is expected to have increased significantly in the month of September.<br /><br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GBP: Near-Term Top?</strong><br />The British pound traded lower against the euro and U.S. dollar despite an uptick in house prices. According to property website Rightmove, house prices rose 2.8% in the October, erasing last month's 1.5% decline. There are a number of U.K. event risks worth watching this week but they will not come into focus until Wednesday. At the time, the minutes from the most recent Bank of England meeting will be released and we will get a much better sense of how the central bank feels about the recent deterioration in U.K. data. Given that the U.K. experienced three months of positive data surprises, one month of weakness is not going to make the central bank overly concerned in our opinion. Therefore the near term outlook for the <a href="http://www.investing.com/currencies/gbp-usd" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Pound Dollar">GBP/USD</a> hinges on U.S. data. After rising strongly at the end of last week, the currency pair is consolidating below its 2013 high. The strength of U.S. payrolls will determine whether this is a near term top for the pair or a pause before further gains. In the long run, we are still bullish sterling and see any move down to 1.60 as an opportunity to come in at lower levels.<br /><br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CAD: Weaker Consumer Spending Could Reverse CAD Gains</strong><br />All three of the commodity currencies lost value against the greenback. The steepest loss was in the New Zealand dollar, followed by the Australian and Canadian dollars. Thankfully the sell-off was modest for all three and represents nothing more than a corrective pullback. Canada was the only country with data on the calendar and according to the report wholesale sales grew at a slower pace in the month of August. Wholesale sales rose 0.5% in the month of August compared to 1.7% the previous month but the headline release was not nearly as weak because of the upward revision to the July report and the larger than expected increase in August. Most importantly however, wholesale sales are a leading indicator for Tuesday's retail sales report. The data suggests that consumer spending growth in Canada slowed which could reverse some of the recent gains in the CAD. Signs of vulnerability in the domestic economy and questions about the cost of the U.S. government shutdown on the U.S. economy will keep the Bank of Canada on hold later this week. We expect <a href="http://www.investing.com/currencies/usd-cad" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Dollar Canadian Dollar">USD/CAD</a> to have a delayed reaction to its retail sales report because it will be released at the same time as U.S. nonfarm payrolls.<br /><br /><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.investing.com/currencies/usd-jpy" style="border: 0px; color: #1256a0; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Dollar Yen">USD/JPY</a> Lifted By Bond Yields And Nikkei</strong><br />The nearly 1% rally in the Nikkei and rise in U.S. 10-year bond yields drove the U.S. dollar higher against the Japanese Yen. This move helped to lift all of the Yen crosses. Last night's Japanese economic reports did not have a large impact on stocks but could have contributed to the weakness of the Yen. Japan's trade balance widened in the month of September with exports growing at a slower pace and imports rising but both numbers fell short of expectations. Convenience store sales also fell by a larger amount in September while the all industry activity index grew at a slower pace. Taken together, Japanese data weakened last month. However this slowdown will only keep the Bank of Japan committed to its easy monetary policy stance. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda reaffirmed the central bank's commitment to achieving 2% inflation and he believes that monetary easing is having an expected impact on the economy which reflects their confidence in current policies.<br /><br /><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kathy Lien, Managing Director of FX Strategy for BK Asset Management.</i></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-78653668446648007312013-10-24T04:29:00.002-07:002013-10-24T04:29:10.507-07:00Tron Uprising Update<h3 class="post-title" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">here's a bunch of designs i did for Tron Uprising. one of the most amazing shows on TV and i am so proud to have contributed to its awesomeness. thanks Alberto and Charlie</span>!</div>
bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157375933155956471.post-32101585096514710572013-10-22T12:57:00.001-07:002013-10-22T12:57:37.406-07:00IF: GATHERING and Country Living Fair Ticket Winners<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 23.33333396911621px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Happy Weekend Friends!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and enjoying some family time. I’m so thankful today for glorious Fall weather here in Louisiana.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Thanks for entering the Giveaway for </span><a href="http://www.countryliving.com/cl-fair/country-living-fair-atlanta" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Tickets to The Country Living Fair in Atlanta</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">HERE are the winners:</span></div>
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<a href="http://emptynestfulllife.blogspot.com/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Jackie at Empty Nest Full Life</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">The Simply Prim Shoppe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Congratulations Ladies! I’ll be sending you an email shortly :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">(all photos courtesy of </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/blog/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">IF: Gathering</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">I want to tell you about an amazing event coming YOUR way in 2014…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Have you heard of the </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/blog/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">IF: GATHERING- LOCAL</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Well, I’m telling you, it may be one of the best ideas ever :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wFUbelo6jqs/UmNb5uyeV5I/AAAAAAAAFkc/D46vdrkEYIM/s1600-h/10272290786_ee75517ed5_z%25255B3%25255D.jpg" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="10272290786_ee75517ed5_z" border="0" height="370" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jmsfPfb3w1s/UmNb6fbFahI/AAAAAAAAFkk/4qvn7JfLKIM/10272290786_ee75517ed5_z_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px; display: inline; padding: 0px;" title="10272290786_ee75517ed5_z" width="552" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">What is </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/blog/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">an If: Gathering?</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">It was an idea sparked by </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/who-we-are/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Jennie Allen</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">…founder of IF.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">It’s an invitation to gather and dream with ladies in your community to discuss and dream about the things God wants to do through women…women who want to be used by HIM. It’s a chance to change your perspective about who you are in HIM…and to encourage all the women in your life to unleash their calling and be bold to follow their hearts and passions for the LORD.</span></div>
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vZgr5hs_sCk/UmNb7GQMndI/AAAAAAAAFks/WPPQcX23k18/s1600-h/If_February_blog%25255B3%25255D.png" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="If_February_blog" border="0" height="283" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R4oaoQbSDqs/UmNb71kID2I/AAAAAAAAFk0/5pXmJtH9Ivw/If_February_blog_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border: 0px; display: inline; padding: 0px;" title="If_February_blog" width="552" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">On February 7 & 8, women will gather in living rooms, churches, cabins, colleges, and trailers to watch a livestream of the </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/blog/story/the-bigger-if-vision/#.UmKzf_mkp8E" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Austin IF: Gathering</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">I’m hosting </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1430735280487514/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">IF: Gathering- Stonewall</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">, here in my community. And I’d love for anyone local to join us. However, if you are in another city…check the website below to see if someone is hosting near you. Also, if you feel led to host one of the </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/register/" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">IF:Gatherings, GO HERE</span></a><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">. Anyone can host…all you need to do is invite your family & friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">The IF: Gathering leadership team explains it like this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">“We need your voice, your leadership, your passion, your skills, your homes, and your gathering spaces. We need your invitations, your mad cooking skills, conversation starters and ice breakers. We need it all. We need your eyes and ears, your prayers, and ultimately, your heart.'’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">I’d love to know if you are hosting in your city…or you are joining an IF: Gathering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">You can read MORE about </span><a href="http://ifgathering.com/blog/story/if-local-registration-open/#.UmNXm_mkp8E" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">IF: Gathering HERE</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/IFgathering" style="color: #373737; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">You can LIKE IF: Gathering on FACEBOOK HERE</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Please let me know if you have any questions :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Gabriola; font-size: large;">Blessings</span></div>
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bradmaddoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14839427415714509223noreply@blogger.com1