German government raises 2014 growth forecast

The German government raised forecast for its economic growth in 2014 on Wednesday, citing a stable labor market and recovery of investment.The economic ministry predicted that Europe's largest economy would expand by 1.8 percent in the new year, 0.1 percentage point higher than its previous expectation."The German economy has embarked on a stable and broad-based recovery," said German Economic Minister Sigmar Gabriel in a statement.The stable labor market played a central role in the domestic dynamics, expecting the number of employed to increase by 0.6 percent to 42.1 million people, a new high record in history, said the government.Stable labor market and wage rises would encourage private consumption, and the capital investment and garage equipmentsexports growth would also stimulate the economic expansion, according to the ministry.Investment in machinery and equipment would increase by 4.0 percent, following a 2.2 percent decline in 2013, and in construction to grow by 3.2 percent.Exports would regain its strength in the new year, with a growth rate of 4.1 percent. In the previous year, German exports only grew slightly by 0.6 percent.The export growth, however, would be outpaced by imports, which was expected to increase by 5.0 percent. Trade surplus should be narrowed, said the government.

"Dynamics of German domestic economy is not only good news for Germany,uv resin but also for our partners in Europe. We come to our goal of reducing the imbalances in the euro area a little closer," Gabriel said.The government also said on Wednesday that it expected German economy to grow by 2.0 percent in 2015, adding that in a long term, the country's economy faces challenges, including insufficient investment in infrastructure and restructure of energy supply.China visaSuffered from recession in its European neighbours and restrained growth of the global economy, Germany's economic output grew slightly by 0.4 percent in 2013, following an expansion of 0.7 percent in 2012, and a more dynamic growth of 3.3 percent in 2011.Consumption from private households and government were the main engine of the growth, rose by 0.9 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. Total investment decreased by 0.8 percent, while net exports made a negative contribution of minus 0.3 percentage points to GDP.Economists expected that German economy would accelerate in 2014. With receding of uncertainties in euro zone, and loose monetary policy in the common currency area, investment would be another pillar besides consumption to support the growth.

BoE expected to raise interest rate in second half 2015

Although the Bank of England (BoE) has revised its forward guidance policy, scrapping its 7 percent unemployment target, the central bank will not raise the benchmark interest rate until the second half of 2015, said economists in London Wednesday.During the press release of its quarterly Inflation Report, Mark Carney, the governor of BoE said the central bank would now be looking at wider range of indicators, including wages, labor participation,Tampon productivity and unemployment rate, as the policy targets.He said the recovery is gaining momentum and better than expectation, but there was still "scope" for the economy to maintain the interest rate at record low of 0.5 percent, and the assets purchasing plan would not be scaled back until the base rate rising.BMW ICOMFollowing Federal Reserves, British central bank implemented the forward guidance policy last August, asserting to remain the ultra low interest rate target and 375 billion pounds (621.67 billion U.S. dollars) quantitative easing policy until unemployment rate hit the 7 percent threshold.Peter Spencer, chief economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, a London-based independent economic think tank, commented that "Today's update to forward guidance was inevitable, with the recent unemployment having forced Mark Carney's hand."

BoE has also raised its economic growth forecast for 2014 to 3.4 percent, revised from 2.8 percent it made previously. In medium term, however, unemployment rate in Britain will sink to 6-6.5 percent, down from 7.1 percent in the three months to last November."Carney has insisted that rates will remain low for some time, which should put the bed the uncertainty surrounding the immediate path of monetary policy.Antique bath fixtures But the outlook for the next couple of years is less certain and there will be an onus on BoE to steer the markets through greater levels of communication, in particular more interviews and speeches," said Spencer in his email comment.Spencer also said BoE's new guidance for the pace of tightening do not alter their view that the first rate rise will come in the third quarter of 2015, because the central bank wants to sustained pickup in real wages and a more balanced recovery.Jonathan Loynes, Chief European Economist at Capital Economist, that the basic message that BoE is in no hurry to tighten monetary policy, and will tread very cautiously when it does.The central bank will seek to use policy to absorb the economy's spare capacity, and there is scope to use up spare capacity further before raising rates, said Loynes.Even "when BoE raises rates, it will do so only gradually. Any rises in rates will be limited, and that the shock of asset purchases will remain unchanged until rates rise," added Loynes.The London-based economic research company remains its forecast on the first rate hike happening late next year.

Postal Service had $354 million first-quarter loss

The Postal Service lost $354 million over the last three months, and officials warned that mounting losses could lead to cash flow problems for the rest of the year, the agency said Friday.The loss was far less than the $1.3 billion in the comparable quarter the previous fiscal year, but Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe continued to press Congress to give the agency more flexibility to Tamponmanage its finances.The report for the financial quarter ending December 31 comes as Congress works toward fixing the agency’s troubled finances. On Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill that would end Saturday mail delivery and make permanent a temporary hike in the cost of a first-class stamp, which went from 46 to 49 cents on Jan. 26.The Senate measure also would restructure a congressional requirement that forces the agency to make a $5.6 billion annual payment for future retiree health benefits.China visa houston The Postal Service has been urging Congress to reform the service’s finances as it continues to cope with steep financial losses. The Postal Service lost $5 billion in the last fiscal year, down from $15.9 billion in 2012.

‘‘We cannot return the organization to long-term financial stability without passage of comprehensive postal reform legislation,’’ Donahoe said.On the positive side, the Postal Service said revenue grew by $334 million, driven by a 14.6 percent growth in shipping and package services that saw a boost from the holiday season. But first-class mail declined 4.6 percent, as more customers shift to the Internet to pay bills and send emails.Postal unions have complained that the Senate bill goes too far in calling for an end to Saturday mail delivery once mail volume drops below 140 billion pieces over four consecutive quarters. They claim the move would hurt consumers and lead to thousands of job cuts.BMW ICOM‘‘Today’s Postal Service figures for the first quarter of 2014 are highly encouraging and show why the postal network must be maintained and strengthened, not degraded,’’ said Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.The bulk of the agency’s financial problems stem from the federally mandated annual payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees. It has defaulted on three of those payments and warned Friday that it is likely to default again when the next payment is due on Sept. 30.The federal budget bill that Congress approved last month requires six-day delivery to continue, meaning the U.S. Postal Service won’t be able to cut Saturday mail anytime soon.

Google Loses Appeal, Forced to Publish €150,000 Fine on Google.fr

Google lost a last-minute appeal to French courts on Friday, and was forced to display a huge, 13-point text block on its otherwise sterile Google.contemporary lightingfr webpage for 48 hours.The text within the block – for those who don't speak French and/or are too lazy to Google Translate the page – refers to the €150,000 fine Google will have to pony up for violating French data collection laws.Google unveiled a universal privacy policy across all of its services in 2012, designed to address how the company uses and shares user data across all of its various platforms. A coordinated action by European regulators from various countries found that this new privacy policy violated European privacy law. Regulators asked Google to make changes; Google seemingly did not. Therefore, various countries have taken it upon themselves to take Google to task for violation of their individual data protection laws.In the case of France, the country's Commissions Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) in January came to the conclusion that Google did "not comply with several provisions of the French Data Protection Act." As a result, the committee fined Google the aforementioned €150,000 and demanded that the company publish a communication on its website to inform users about the committee's decision.

"This publicity measure is justified by the extent of Google's data collection, as well as by the necessity to inform the persons concerned who are not in a capacity to exercise their right," reads a January statement from CNIL.modern lightingGoogle on Thursday asked France's highest administrative court to suspend CNIL's order requiring Google to publicize the fine on its website, arguing that the paragraph notice – demanded by CNIL to be of a font size no smaller than 13 points and located directly beneath the search bar on Google's primary French website – would cause its reputation to be "irreparably damaged." Additionally, argued Google, the company shouldn't have to publish the announcement while it appeals CNIL's decision.As you might expect, France's Conseil d'état disagreed. Google, therefore, had to publish the notice while it continues its appeal —a move that could take up to six months for the French court to figure out.Google is also in the midst of appealing a €900,000 fine in Spain related to data privacy, and it might ultimately face more legal scrutiny (and fines) from regulators in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom related to its data privacy practices.knives wholesaler

Shopping for Car Accessories – A Simple Guide

Until about a couple of years ago, the most desired car accessories used to be dashboard compasses and 8-track players. Those days are gone now and these days even the owners of vintage vehicles can incorporate high-tech accessories and gadgets of their choice in their vehicles. Yet, one should be warned of certain issues.Automobiles being manufactured today are not just means of reaching you destinations. Modern vehicles are used as a means of mass transportation for people. Because of the changed uses of present day vehicles, it became necessary to include additional gadgets and accessories to add to the comfort of people commuting by road. Some of the popular accessories included in most vehicles of today vary from simple cup warmers to DVD players and gateways to video games.For many hobbyists and professionals, trucks and cars are not just items of luxury but a necessity. Because of that,Slap Bracelet the manufacturers of vehicles had to make necessary changes in designing vehicles to suit the requirements of drivers. You can get a wide range of accessories to match the requirements of the drivers of any kind of vehicle. As the market continues to get flooded with numerous accessories, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the best accessories for your needs. Following are some guidelines to help you choose:

Your shopping for any item becomes easy if you precisely know your requirements. One you know your requirements, you should compare the prices offered by different vendors and you should not hesitate to negotiate the prices. This may not help at times, but is always worth at attempt.Whatever product you may be buying, always inquire about the warranty offered before making any decision. Know the policies concerning the replacement or return of the item to be procured, should it fail to work satisfactorily or to match the specifications of your vehicle.Given an opportunity, do inspect the item before paying for the same. This may not be a very valid option for goods ordered online but it helps dealing with reputed stores, online or otherwise. It’s a policy with certain suppliers to ask the buyer to confirm satisfactory condition of the product at the time of signing receipt.tyre changer This may deprive you of the right to send the item back to the vendor if found in damaged condition later.As far as possible, stick to buying items offered by the original equipment manufacturers. That ensures the quality of the product and one can expect the warranty clause to be honored.Car accessories are designed to add to your safety, convenience and pleasure of driving. Carefully select the items you require from reputed vendors only. It is not always helpful to go by the lowest price alone. Do not make any compromises on the quality,Antique tubs as this could prove very risky for any driver.

Trusted Chrome extensions being used for spreading malware, hackers buy extensions

This is going to amaze many people across the world. Trusted Chrome extensions are now being used for spreading malware and hackers are buying extensions too with large members.Hackers are now taking their business rather more seriously than we thought. They are now trying to make their business look legit to attract more and more people get to feel them trust worthy. Now there are reports that these people who have made the life difficult for millions and millions of people across the world are going to the extent of buying trusted chrome browser extensions. Through the new trick they are able to hoodwink others about their intention and appear legit.So the features that were meant to increase privacy and protect people are MB STARnow being misused to befool people. Extensions are extra features and functionality that you can easily add to Google Chrome. By using extensions, you can customize Google Chrome with features you like, while keeping your browser free of things that you don’t use. A report says that hackers have now become so much smart that they are buying well-known and respected Chrome browser extensions with a large installed-base and exploiting their auto-update status to push out adware.

Now hackers and other people with bad intentions who want to infect computers besides tablets and smartphones are now taking an advance route. In order to entice you into installing their malware like adware, online ad affiliate marketers are exploiting Google’s “autoupdating” policy for Chrome extensions. So one thing that was meant to improve your security is being misused to compromise the security.x431 IV But now reports suggest that search giant seems to have started taking tough action against these people and reports suggest the company has removed two Chrome extensions from its web store for breaching its developer policies. But this didn’t happen automatically and people had to complain over a period of time to get Google act on the issue.Amit Agrawal who had made a Chrome Extension ‘Add to Feedly’ that was recently removed by Google was surprised when his extension was bought for a huge sum by an unknown person. “I had no clue about the buyer and was also curious to know why would anyone pay this kind of money for such a simple Chrome extension…These aren’t regular banner ads that you see on web pages, these are invisible ads that work the background and replace links on every website that you visit into affiliate links.akupunktur kolding In simple English, if the extension is activated in Chrome, it will inject adware into all web pages”. Other extension developers were also approached by these fraudsters, but many refused.

Samsung Electronics still leads over Apple Inc. in Q4 shipments

International Data Corp. reported that the largest smartphone maker in the world – Samsung Electronics Co. kept its lead over its most serious rival Apple Inc. during the fourth quarter of 2013. Both companies are said to have lost ground to Chinese vendors.The market researched IDC, which is based in Massachusetts, made a statement saying that Samsung Electronics posted 28.8% of global smartphone shipments in the three months ended December the 31st, which is a bit lower than the result reached for the same period in 2012 – 29.1%. Apple Inc.contemporary lighting’s share posted a more serious decrease – from 20.9% to 17.9% of global smartphone shipments.The Program Director for IDC’s Wordlwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker – Ryan Reith, said for Bloomberg: “Cheap devices are not the attractive segment that normally grabs headlines, but IDC data shows this is the portion of the market that is driving volume.

Markets like China and India are quickly moving toward a point where sub-150-dollar smartphones are the majority of shipments.”The leadership in total mobile phone shipments during the fourth quarter of 2013, which includes the traditional mobile debices used mainly for voice calls or texting is also awarded to Samsung Electronics Co. International Data Corp. reported that Samsung’s share of total mobile phone shipments fell from 23.5% to 22.9%. Nokia Oyj, which market share fell from 17.8% to 13%, took the second place. IDC said that Apple Inc.Thai basil ranked third in total mobile-phone shipments with 10.4-percent-share. LG occupied the fourth place in the ranking with its 3.8-percent-share, and Huawei is fifth with 3.7%.

Strategy Analytics released some data showing that Samsung have posted a small increase in its smartphone share for the fourth quarter of 2013. It also revealed, like IDC, that Huawei and Lenovo slowly gain market share, which helped the companies rank among the world’s top five smartphone makers for the full year.According to Bloomberg, the current share price of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd is 0.23% down, and its one-year return rate is 10.70% down.According to CNN Money, the current share price of Apple Inc. is 7.99% down, and its one-year return rate is 9.72% down. The 45 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for Apple Inc. have a median target of 600.00, with a high estimate of 777.00 and a low estimate of 360.00. The median estimate represents a +18.46% increase from the last price of 506.50.acrylic resin

KSE lacks support, falls big in final weekly session

Pakistan's Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) recorded major bearish activities on final trading day of the week on Friday as lack of institutional support forced smaller participants to go for profit-booking.The benchmark KSE 100-Index shed 0.67 percent or 180.73 points to 26,681.78 points Fresh basilFriday as against 26,862.51 points recorded Thursday.During the four-day week ending on February 7, 2014, the key index declined by 102.56 points with two out of four trading sessions ending on bearish note.The KSE All Share Index gave away 0.84 percent or 167.86 points to 19,881.18 points, the KSE 30-Index fell 0.6 percent or 115.84 points to 19,255.94 points, whereas the KMI 30-Index slumped 0.69 percent or 308.16 points to 44,090.97 points Friday.During Friday's session, the key index hit an intraday high of 26,925.64 points as against an intraday low of 26,640.44 points.Lack of institutional interest with low participation resulted in bearish trade at Karachi bourse.

Moreover, mixed results' announcement failed to lift the spirits at the bourse.Selling pressure was seen in index heavy weights like Oil and Gas Development Company, Pakistan State Oil, Engro Corporation, Hub Power Company,Vintage bath fixtures Fauji Cement, and Maple Leaf Cement.Market volumes dropped by 33.43 million shares to 287.64 million shares, capitalization reduced by 54.732 billion rupees ( 521.26 million U.S. dollars) to 6.482 trillion rupees (61.736 million U.S. dollars), whereas trading value shed 431.983 million rupees (4.114 million U.S. dollars) to 7.678 billion rupees (73. 127 million U.S. dollars).During the week under review, the Karachi bourse recorded total volumes of 1.134 billion shares at average daily turnovers of 283. 532 million shares.Among 383 active scrips Friday, prices of 265 issues declined, 101 advanced, whereas values of 17 other companies stayed unchanged.Jahangir Siddiqui Company, Azgard Nine, and Vintage tubsEngro Fertilizers were the top traded companies with turnovers of 46.801 million shares, 23.471 million shares, and 13.869 million shares, respectively.Wyeth Pakistan was the top price gainer with increment of 227. 60 rupees (2.16 U.S. dollars) to 4,989 rupees (47.51 U.S. dollars) while Unilever Foods led major decliners with decrement of 476.63 rupees (4.53 U.S. dollars) to 9,076 rupees (86.43 U.S. dollars).

U.S. trade deficit widens in December

The U.S.Clawfoot tubs trade deficit widened in December as exports fell, but the annual gap in 2013 shrank to the lowest since 2009 with exports climbing to record high.The deficit of goods and services increased by 12 percent to 38. 7 billion U.S. dollars in December, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.Exports fell 1.8 percent to 191.3 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting decreases in industrial supplies and materials, automotive vehicles and parts. Imports increased 0.3 percent to 230 billion U.S. dollars, boosted by capital goods, engines and consumer goods.In December, the goods deficit increased to 58.8 billion U.S. dollars, and the services surplus increased to 20.1 billion U.tyre equipmentsS. dollars.Analysts said the larger-than-expected trade deficit could trim the de-facto fourth quarter gross domestic product which grew 3.2 percent based on preliminary calculation.In terms of the annual reading, trade deficit improved 63.1 billion U.S. dollars from the past year to 471.5 billion U.S. dollars, the lowest since 2009.

Exports reached 2.3 trillion U.S. dollars last year, setting a new record for a fourth straight year.The goods export sectors reached all-time highs across the board last year, while surplus in services exports reached a record 231.6 billion U.S.Antique bath fixtures dollars, an increase of 12 percent from 2012."We've achieved a fourth-consecutive year of record-breaking export levels, demonstrating the strong momentum behind President Obama's export agenda," said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.Every 1 billion U.S. dollars in additional exports support approximately 5,000 U.S. jobs, and as such, trade and investment are critical to the strength of our economy, he noted.Since President Obama launched the National Export Initiative in 2010, an ambitious plan to sell more American goods and services into foreign markets, the United States has not only seen record exports but has seen an increase of 1.3 million export- related jobs, the department said in a statement.In terms of countries, the U.S. trade deficit with Canada stood at 3.39 billion U.S. dollars, and 11.3 billion U.S. dollars with the European Union, 4.17 billion U.S. dollars with Mexico, and 24. 5 billion U.S. dollars with China.

Australian mining firm defends project in Zambian national park

Australian exploration and mining firm, Zambezi Resources, defended its mining project in a national park in Zambia Tuesday, saying it will be the "cleanest, greenest and safest copper mine ever built."The Australian firm has been given a go-ahead by the Zambian government for its 494-million-U.S dollar open-cast project in Lower Zambezi National Park, situated southeast of Lusaka, capital of Zambia,Waterborne resin despite resistance from environmental lobby groups.Last month, the Zambian government overturned a decision by the country's environmental regulator, the Zambia Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), which rejected the project on grounds that it may have negative environmental implications on the park.Over 100 environmental lobby groups have since filed with the court an injunction request to have the project halted.But David Vilensky,Sweet basil Zambezi Resources's chairman, said the company would not do anything that may jeopardize the park's environment and the company will work with local people and environmentalists to ensure the conservation of the park."Zambezi Resources is a responsible Australian company and understands the importance of conserving the environment, particularly in a sensitive area such as the Lower Zambezi National Park.

"For this reason, we are keen to engage with local environmentalists to ensure we can achieve a win-win situation: bringing jobs and prosperity to local communities while protecting, and indeed enhancing,China visa the flora and fauna of the area," he added.The project, he said, will create an initial 500 jobs for people living in the surrounding area, adding that traditional leaders in the area have backed the project."The construction and development of the mine is subject to strict conditions issued by ZEMA to ensure total compliance with the objectives of the Environment Management Act of 2011, which will be monitored and supervised by ZEMA," he said.Of the 4,092 square km covered by the Lower Zambezi National Park, less than 6 percent, or 245 square km, is under the mining license, said the statement.The statement also claimed that the mine site lies in remote and inaccessible part of the park.The Australian Stock Exchange-listed company has so far spent 60 million dollars on its mining project in Zambia.

iPhone 5s Owners Gobbling “Unprecedented” Levels Of Data, Study Finds

Users of flagship smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone 5s and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 are continuing to suck down more data than their tablet-wielding counterparts, according to a large-scale survey of mobile data consumption in 2013 conducted by JDSU (which last year bought mobile data analytics company Arieso, the company that previously ran the annual survey).Sanitary napkinLast year’s mobile data consumption survey,tire changer which looked at 2012 data, also found flagship smartphone device users outpacing the data consumption rates of tablet users.But the most data thirsty phone users of all have an iPhone 5s burning a hole in their pocket.As with the 2012 study, the 2013 survey examined the data demands of more than one million subscribers using more than 150 different devices over a single, 24-hour weekday in a Tier-1 European market, which had a mixture of urban and suburban morphologies. But for the first time the survey also studied a developing market for comparative purposes — with a further one million+ subscribers studied in this market over the same 24-hour period. To ensure statistical validity the study only looked at the data demands of popular devices — i.e. those represented by at least 1,000 subscribers (conversely, the most popular devices had subscriber rates of well over 10,000 apiece).

The results are pretty telling about the habits of flagship smartphone owners, if not entirely surprising. You guys are a data-demanding bunch. Especially if you happen to own the latest iPhone.Continuing the trend of the past three years’ findings, the 2013 study found that mobile subscribers using Apple’s flagship smartphone are the most data-hungry smartphone users of all. And they’re getting hungrier still: users of the new iPhone 5s are even more data-hungry than previous top-of-the-line iPhone owners — with the study describing them as the most voracious smartphone users it’s yet seen, with “unprecedented increases in uplink and downlink data demands”.According to the findings, iPhone 5s users demand 7x as much data as iPhone 3G users in developed markets (the study uses the iPhone 3G as its mid-range benchmark device), and 20x as much data in developing markets.akupunktur odenseThe most data-demanding device in 2013 was the iPhone 5 — but iPhone 5s users are demanding a fifth (20%) more data than iPhone 5 users in developed markets, and 50% more data in developing markets.

Owners of Apple’s current flagship phone also have a greater data consumption than the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S4, which had a 5x data generation rate vs the iPhone 3G in developed markets and 11x in developing markets.The SGS4 did rank a lot higher for uplink data generation — coming third in developed markets (vs sixth place for the iPhone 5s). The study goes on to note that the average user of the SGS4 generates almost as much uplink data as eleven iPhone 3G users in the developing market it analysed.The SGS4′s “prolific” uplink data generation usage is described as “consistent with the improved high-resolution 13-megapixel primary camera and the 2-megapixel front-facing camera”.Both Apple and Samsung are amply represented in the top data gobbling devices across developed and developing markets, as the below tables from the report show:

2015 Hyundai Genesis Video First Look: 2014 Detroit Auto Show

The 2014 Detroit Auto Show brought a sense of deja vu to the Hyundai stand. In 2009,Randers Akupunktur the Korean carmaker introduced its luxury Genesis sedan to Detroit crowds. This year, it's shown off the second-generation Genesis, and promises a few leaps and bounds forward on the luxury and infotainment fronts, as well as in handling.Hyundai says the Genesis is the first vehicle to show off the evolution of its "fluidic sculpture" design language. It's smoother for sure,knife manufacturer with elements of sleekness like those on the Audi A7 and BMW 7-Series, from the big framed grille to the plump haunches.akupunktur københavn The badgework owes something of a debt to Bentley, too, but the interior is all its own, a tasteful diversion from the overt Lexus cues of the first-gen car.

For the U.S. market, performance will come from a choice of six- and eight-cylinder engines. The 3.8-liter V-6 is rated at 311 horsepower, while the 5.0-liter V-8 is good for 420 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic is standard.The Genesis remains a rear-driver, but a new HTRAC all-wheel-drive system is offered for the first time, giving Hyundai a better shot at drivers in the northern tier of states--a move that's helped Jaguar grow its sales strongly this past year. Hyundai's system can split torque dynamically from the front to rear axles, with driving modes that accommodate varying levels of grip.

Hyundai says the new Genesis has a stiffer body structure, which helps the Lotus Engineering-tuned electric steering and multi-link suspension respond with sharper reflexes.The 2015 Genesis has a wheelbase almost 3 inches longer than before, giving the rear seat more space. Materials are improved over the prior version, and so is connectivity. The main 9.2-inch touchscreen display is mounted in the dash, and the driver controls its functions via its next-generation Blue Link telematics and infotainment system, which features Apple Siri voice-activation and Eyes Free as well as Google Maps navigation services and Google Glass integration.

Gmail outage, from US to India, lasted 71 minutes ... but felt like days

At 2:12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Google reported it was “investigating” a Gmail outage. By 3:23 p.m. the company reported on its Google Apps dashboard that: “The problem with Gmail should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support.”Still, the Gmail outage was magnified by its wide reach, reportedly affecting parts of Europe,key programmer the US, Canada, India, and elsewhere, according to TechCrunch, the technology reporting website. It also, predictably perhaps, sent the Twitter-sphere into overdrive with speculation and beefing about the outage.RECOMMENDED: E-mail overload? Three ways to tame your in box.“I have had nothing but TROUBLE with my Gmail accounts today!! I had so much to do now I have to work through the night,” tweeted Tina Graves, who is described on her Twitter page as an aspiring author."Oh, thank goodness, GMail is back,” another Twitterer opined. “I was nervous I'd miss out on my Bed, Bath, and Beyond newsletter.”As Gmail outages go, this one was not huge – lasting 1 hour, 11 minutes, according to the company’s Google Apps dashboard webpage. Google experienced a widespread Gmail outage in 2009. On Sept. 23 of last year, a Gmail outage lasted more than four hours and delayed 29 percent of all e-mails sent during the work day, with 1.5 percent of e-mails delayed for hours. Gmail was reported last year to have at least 400 million users.In that case, the problem was attributed to a rare double network failure of two independent systems that were supposed to back each other up. In Friday's case, the company is still investigating the cause. Past cases have often involved internal upgrades that went awry,Thai basil data industry experts say.

On at least four occasions, Gmail downtime has been traced to software updates in which bugs triggered unexpected consequences, reports Data Center Knowledge, an industry trend-watching website. In February 2009, a software update “overloaded some of Google’s European network infrastructure, causing cascading outages at its data centers in the region that took about an hour to get under control,” DSK reported. In September 2009, Google underestimated the impact of a software update on traffic flow between network equipment, overloading key routers – until other equipment was added to dilute the flow, it said.The timing of the outage was unfortunate for Google for another reason: Its system-reliability engineers were – at almost the same moment that Gmail went down – making themselves available to answer questions from the curious on the news site reddit.com, via chat, about how Google ensures its system reliability.“Hello, reddit! We are the Google Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team. Our previous AMA from almost x431 GDSexactly a year ago got some good questions, so we thought we’d come back and answer any questions about what we do, what it’s like to be an SRE, or anything else.”

Motorola Moto X Accessories: Chargers, Car Mounts and more

Ready to accessorize your Moto X? We take a look at some choice additions to your Android arsenal including screen protectors, car mounts, chargers, headsets and even stylus!When shopping for Motorola Moto X accessories you don't always need to pay top-dollar for OEM gear.Clawfoot tub faucets More often than not, you'll find much better deals for equally useful commodities. Then again, there's nothing wrong with sticking to a brand you trust. The fact of the matter is we want the accessory that will make our Moto X experience better and more convenient.tyres and wheels service & repair equipmentJump past the break to check out some top accessories for the Motorola Moto X.It's no secret, everyone needs a charger. A spare for the office or one for the car; you can't go wrong with having more than one for any given occasion. One of our customer favorites is the Motorola Micro-USB High Performance Charger. This sexy Moto X car charger (pictured above) plugs into your vehicle's DC port and rapidly juices up your device. While the charger does its business the clear lens illuminates blue, showing off the Motorola logo.Protecting your display against scratches is always a top priority. You want to be sure the Motorola Moto X screen protector you pick up will shield against dirt, debris, and the dreaded keys in your pocket. BodyGuardz makes a real solid screen protector for the Moto X that not only ensures tough protection, but is one of the easiest brands to apply. Still not convinced? It's also made from the same material used to shield the front of vehicles from road debris.

There's no safer way to travel than with a sturdy car mount for the Moto X. Many popular styles include windshield mounts, dashboard mounts and even vent mounts. The particular model you see above is the iGrip Universal Traveler Kit. This Motorola Moto X car mount offers the best of both worlds: a secure suction cup mount for windshield mounting which can then be flipped to provide a sturdy dashboard mount. The arms of device easily extend to fit your Moto X, even with a case on. The bottom feet are also adjustable so you can plug in your car charger without hassle.Stylus offer a drastic increase in precision, whether you're typing, drawing or navigating your device. One of our favorites here at ShopAndroid is the Incipio Inscribe Executive Stylus and Pen. This Moto X stylus also can be used as an ink pen when you're not combing your touchscreen. Its omni-directional tip offers increased control when writing or sketching and the integrated clip easily attaches to your pocket while you go about your day. But what's really the key feature of any stylus? No fingerprints or smudges!

If you haven't already made the jump to a handsfree mobile lifestyle, now's the time to compliment your Moto X with a quality headset. You can rock a wired headset or a wireless Bluetooth; both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the particular brand, model, etc. One wireless headset for the Moto X that truly stands out is the Blueant Q2. This miniature beast provides incredible sound quality for handsfree calls and can even do A2DP audio streaming when you want to crank up your tunes. If that wasn't enough,Cast iron clawfoot tubs you've also got text to speech capabilities and dual high performance mics.There's a plentiful selection of Moto X cases available, ranging from skins and hard cases to holsters and waterproof cases. Check out our buyer's guide for the most popular cases for the Moto X for a more thorough look at what's available for protecting your device.

The Most Expensive Car Accessory

Tim has a thing for cars, as apparent by the Lamborghini that he owns and the porches he is currently looking at. I remember last summer when he was asking everyone which lambo to buy, and the crazy number of pictures that he has of it filling his instragram feed.akupunktur århus The one below is of the car parked in the driveway to his Miami mansion that he also purchases not too long ago. As always, these pictures are meant to show you the lifestyle you can live and the lifestyle you deserve if you are willing to work hard enough. Some of you may recognize the girl in the second photo as Bianca from America’s Next Top Model. She recently became the second Ms. Pennystock, a competition that Tim started last year and was a huge hit.Sanitary napkinAll of this car shopping made me want to do a post about expensive cars, and I came across an article on BornRich that discussed the most expensive car key in the world. Yes, now the type of key you have is even important when living a life of luxury.The most expensive car key in the world is now a big race amongst the elite. We all know that the race to become the most expensive car in the world is always on, with companies introducing every possible technology and comfort to take the car to the next level of luxury and comfort as well as in terms of price. But you have to see how auto gurus have taken car keys to a new level with both technology and fashion. Car enthusiast also fancy those ultra chic James Bond cars or Sci-fi cars, as well as cars driven by super heroes in movies (who doesn’t like to feel like Batman when driving down the street). Some of the most loved and wanted cars are some of those fancy four-wheelers depicted in spy thrillers. The latest entrant in the line of luxury items is a car key right out of the James Bond Movies or similar such thrillers.

Models such as Bugatti Veyron might have a one-up against Aston Martin, especially Aston Martin DBS and Aston Martin Rapide, in terms of being priced on the higher side, but when looking at the Rapide and DBS from Aston Martin, the owner can now boast of a car with one of the most expensive car accessories. If you have watched some of the James Bond movies, you would know that Aston Martin has been one of the most favored cars in that seires. But did you know that Aston Martin Rapide and Aston Martin DBS can now be bought with a James Bond like watch the doubles up as the most expensive car key in the world?Sure these watches aren’t quite as cool as the ones actually worn by the likes of Bond himself, but you really need to take a look at this thing. This is definitely a first step towards being such a gadget. Engineers at Jaeger-LeCoultre designed this masterpiece, which is both stylish and elegant, with a muscular look and feel. Both cutting edge technology and high fashion have been used to manufacture this piece, made by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s engineers. The AMVOX2 DBS and Rapide transponders have been deftly integrated in knives wholesalerthe watches to make them AMVOX2 Chronograph that acts a key and more for Aston Martin mobiles. Some of the features of the AMVOX2 chronograph include ground breaking vertical trigger technology and some other attention grabbing features. It is equipped with a crystalline sapphire surface, which can be pressed to start, reset and stop the stopwatch function.

Tokyo stocks end mixed following disappointing U.S. earnings reports

Tokyo stocks ended mixed Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index shedding 0.08 percent as the yen's slide against the U.S. dollar halted and diminishing purchasing sentiment was sparked by Wall Street closing lower overnight following worse-than-expected corporate earnings results.While the U.S. Department of Labor released data showing that jobless claims had fallen to 326,000, a sign that the employment situation is improving in the world's largest economy, and consumer prices show an upwards move, corporate earnings coming in lower than expected soured the market mood here, brokers said.Local traders highlighted Intel Corp's earnings as missing forecasts. The chip maker said its profits for 2013 dropped by 13 percent and likely had a knock-on effect on chip-related and PC issues in Japan, they said.Takashi Matsumoto, director at Okasan Securities, said that Intel's earnings results coming in far worse than expected would have a notable impact on Japanese stocks and the meagre outlook for the firm would also take its toll on chip and PC-related issues here, he said.Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy also helped drag Wall Street lower, diving 28.6 percent following poor end of year sales that came in 0.8 percent lower than the Nov-Dec shopping season a year earlier.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 12.74 points from Thursday to end the week at 15,734.46, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 3.00 points, or 0.23 percent, to close at 1,297.39.An absorbent pad worn externally by women during menstruation to absorb the menstrual flow.Sanitary napkinMarket players here looked to square their short positions ahead of the weekend,x431 GDS traders said, and buying also eased as the yen's slide against the U.S. dollar also briefly halted, sending export-related issues here lower, they added.Among automotive issues, Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest carmaker, retreated 1 percent to 6,200 yen, while smaller rival Honda dropped 1 percent to finish at 4,141 yen.Mitsubishi Motors, meanwhile, bucked the downward trend Friday,Seventh Generation Sanitary Pads, Sanitary Napkin, Sanitary Napkin Pads. Featuring a natural absorbent material derived from wheat.Soft cup surging 10 percent to 1,280 yen, the biggest percentage gain on today's Nikkei.But consumer electronics maker Sony Corp. fell 1.3 percent to 1, 780 yen and industrial robotics maker Fanuc lost 1.0 percent to close at 17,435 yen.Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo chain of high street apparel stores, relinquished 0.5 percent to 38,630 yen, but real estate issues found traction on the last trading day of the week.Mitsubishi Estate, Japan's biggest developer, advanced 0.7 percent to 2,944 yen, while Mitsui Fudosan gained 0.9 percent to 3, 628 yen. Sumitomo Realty & Development, meanwhile, gained 1.4 percent to end the week at 4,963 yen.Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal ended the week on a sour note, losing 1.46 percent to 337 yen following reports of a fire breaking out at one of its steel plants in central Japan on Friday.Trading volume on Friday dropped to 2.74 billion shares on the Tokyo Exchange's First Section, down from Thursday's volume of 3. 15 billion shares, with advancing issues outnumbering declining ones by 1,281 to 404.

WeChat to manage wealth

Tencent Holdings Ltd pushed into the nation's booming online financial services sector on Thursday as it announced plans to launch a wealth management service on its dominant mobile messaging app WeChat.The service, called Licaitong, was jointly developed by Tencent and four fund companies, including China Asset Management Co and GF Fund Management Co.The service, with a minimum investment of just 0.acrylic resin01 yuan ($0.0017), will enable WeChat users to buy and sell money market funds via mobile devices and get higher interest rates than typical banking deposits.Tencent, China's largest Internet company by revenue, didn't reveal when the service will be officially launched and open to all WeChat users.It did, however, say that its cooperation with the four fund companies isn't exclusive and it seeks to cooperate with more fund companies.Sources said Tencent has been working on the service for months after its archrival, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, introduced Yu'E Bao, an investment service, in June 2013 through its e-payment affiliate Alipay.The tremendous popularity of Yu'E Bao, which reported more than 250 billion yuan under management and 49 million users as of Wednesday, has prompted many Internet companies and fund managers to follow in its path.Baidu Inc, China's leading search engine, joined forces with China Asset Management Co in October 2013 to launch its first wealth management product, known as Baifa.Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd earlier this month launched its first online investment service, Lingqian Bao, with GF Fund Management Co and China Universal Asset Management Co Ltd.Analysts said Licaitong is the strongest competitor so far for Yu'E Bao, which is the largest money market fund in China.Wang Weidong, an analyst at iResearch Group, a Beijing-based consulting firm, said that given the business model and the huge user base of WeChat, Tencent's offering would be a real challenge to Yu'E Bao.

"The most difficult part in selling wealth management products is to find a large pool of customers. WeChat, which already has more than 400 million registered users and boasts 272 million global monthly active users, is a great gateway to allow fund companies to gain access to potential customers," said Wang.Chai Bin, a manager of e-business at GF Fund Management Co, told China Daily in an earlier interview: "With the increasing number of netizens in China, there is no better vehicle for reaching these potential clients than the Internet."He said that more than 90 percent of fund products are currently sold through banks in China.Despite Tencent's huge user base, analysts said it is still too early to tell whether Licaitong will surpass Yu'E Bao and become the largest online financial service in China."Yu'E Bao has already accumulated a large number of customers because it was the first product of its kind in China, which makes it difficult for others to overtake it," said Wang.But even if Licaitong cannot capture Yu'E Bao's current customers, it still has the potential to become a giant player in the sector, Wang added.Antique tubsDing Xuemei,Antique faucets a spokeswoman for Tian Hong Asset Management, which jointly launched Yu'E Bao with Alipay, said her company welcomes Tencent's move. "We are happy to see innovation in the sector, and competition is good for the market's development," said Ding.The Beijing-based Tian Hong was a nonentity in China's public fund industry before launching Yu'E Bao with Alipay in June 2013.According to Ding, the company had risen to become the second-largest public fund in China by the end of 2013.

World Bank projects global economy to grow 3.2 pct this year

The global economy is estimated to expand 3.2 percent this year, up from 2.4 percent in 2013, with growth picking up in developing countries and high-income economies, the World Bank said Tuesday.Wedding favorsBut growth prospects remain vulnerable to U.S.tapering, the global lender said in its semi-annual Global Economic Prospects report.The firming of growth in developing countries is being bolstered by an acceleration in high-income countries and continued strong growth in China, it said.However,Antique bath fixtures global growth outlook will be sensitive to headwinds from rising global interest rates and potential volatility in capital flows, as the U.S. Federal Reserve begins withdrawing its massive monetary stimulus, the report noted.Growth in developing countries will pick up from 4.8 percent in 2013 to a slower-than-expected 5.3 percent this year, reflecting a cooling off of the unsustainable turbo-charged pre-crisis growth.For high-income economies,BMW ICOM the drag on growth from fiscal consolidation and policy uncertainty will ease, helping boost economic growth from 1.3 percent in 2013 to 2.2 percent this year.Among them, the recovery is most advanced in the United States, as it is projected to grow by 2.8 percent this year after expanding for ten quarters.The eurozone, after two years of contraction, is projected to grow by 1.1 percent this year. 

"The strengthening recovery in high-income countries is very welcome, but it brings with it risks of disruption as monetary policy tightens." said Andrew Burns, acting director of the development prospects group and lead author of the report."The gradual withdrawal of quantitative easing has gone smoothly. However, if interest rates rise too rapidly, capital flows to developing countries could fall by 50 percent or more for several months - potentially provoking a crisis in some of the more vulnerable economies," he said at the briefing.However, Kaushik Basu, the World Bank's senior vice president and chief economist, contended that there is no big turbulence ahead as he expected the tapering to happen slowly and smoothly."When you get the tapering starting, it usually comes in with the good news of the strength of the economy that is doing that and when that economy is the U.S., which is a very powerful global economy, and that is good news which tends to outdo a lot of the bad news," he added.

Malware in Target attack partly in Russian

The malware at the center of Target's recent data breach affecting millions of customers was partly written in Russian, according to a report issued Thursday by U.S. government authorities and cyber security researchers.The report, which was only distributed to organizations that are involved or may have been attacked, describes a sophisticated cyber attack operation authorities are calling Kaptoxa, a Russian word that comes from a piece of code in the malware.Some parts of the malware code were written in Russian and BlackPOS, the malware from which this latest malware derived, was originally developed by a Russian cyber crime master, according to Tiffany Jones, an executive at iSIGHT Partners.iSIGHT, an online security firm, helped research and produce the report, along with the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S.China visa Secret Service and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center. iSIGHT posted a summary of the report on its website Thursday.Target said last week that cyber thieves compromised the credit card data and personal information of as many as 110 million customers through point of sale, or POS, systems the company uses. The stolen data includes phone numbers, e-mail and home addresses, credit and debit card numbers, PINs, expiration dates. 

Luxury department store operator Neiman Marcus disclosed a similar breach recently and cyber security experts see more attacks on the retail industry this year."The use of malware to compromise payment information storage systems is not new. However, it is the first time we have seen this attack at this scale and sophistication," iSIGHT said in its summary of the report."This software contains a new kind of attack method that is able to covertly subvert network controls and common forensic tactics, concealing all data transfers and executions that may have been run, rendering it harder to detect,Check out our site for knife manufacturer knives swords daggers and much more quality products for discounted prices." the firm added. "Many retail organizations may not know that they have been infected, or that they have already lost data."The Department of Homeland Security and its government and private-sector partners are investigating the Target hack and issued the report Thursday so that companies and other industry organizations can get technical information to try to defend against such attacks."Information sharing is a key part of the Department of Homeland Security's important mission to create shared situational awareness of malicious cyber activity," DHS spokesman S.Y. Lee said. "This product is part of that important effort."The fact that some of the malware code from Operation Kaptoxa was written in Russian does not necessarily mean the attacks came from Russia, iSIGHT's Jones noted.Since early 2013, different variations of this malware were available for sale online, so, in theory, anyone could have purchased it and then launched an attack,Online shopping for Sanitary Napkins from a great selection of Health & Personal Care; Feminine Care & more at everyday low prices.Tampon she explained.The malware was on offer for about $1,000 and in the case of Target it has produced hundreds of millions of pieces of information that will be valuable to online fraudsters, meaning the up-front investment has likely yielded a huge return for the hackers involved, she said.

Web business costs may rise after court ruling

It may soon become more costly to run businesses that use more than their fair share of Internet bandwidth, thanks to a ruling in a federal appellate court Tuesday.The U.S. A reusable silicone cup, worn internally to collect menstrual flow. Includes FAQ and testimonials.Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Federal Communications Commission does not have the power to “treat all Internet traffic the same regardless of the source.” That means that Internet service providers such as Verizon Communications Inc., one of the companies that brought the case, could effectively charge customers different rates based on what websites they access. They also can charge businesses a premium for taking up more bandwidth.The chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, released a statement after the ruling, affirming his own position on what is often referred to as “net neutrality.Waterborne resin” “The FCC also is not going to abandon its responsibility to oversee that broadband networks operate in the public interest,” Wheeler said.Video-streaming sites Netflix.com and YouTube.com account for half of broadband usage in America, according to a study recently released by Sandvine Inc., a broadband network solutions company.

YouTube is a free website owned by Google Inc. that has recently started to experiment with paid-for content. Netflix Inc. is a website where users can watch television shows and movies for a fixed monthly fee.While the ruling theoretically allows Internet providers to modify how they charge customers, Verizon has said it is committed to an “open Internet.” In a statement, Randal Milch, Verizon’s executive vice Menstrual Cuppresident and general counsel, said: “One thing is for sure: Today’s decision will not change consumers’ ability to access and use the Internet as they do now.”Verizon declined to answer questions on whether its charging structure would change for media providers. Some businesses are already nervous about the future. Nick Balletta, the CEO of TalkPoint Holdings LLC, a business-to-business webcasting service, said in an email, “If you are in the content business and you use the Internet for delivery, you should not be neutral about this ruling.”“There is going to be a new normal on the net, and we don’t really know what it is yet.modern lamps Rest assured, prices for content services on the Internet are going up, and stock prices are going down,” Balletta added.The FCC has not said whether it will appeal the federal court’s ruling. If it were to appeal, the case would be sent to the U.S. Supreme Court for consideration.

Tokyo stocks rebound on U.S. retail data,yen's retreat

Tokyo stocks rose sharply Wednesday reversing losses from the previous day's slump, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index adding 2.5 percent as upbeat U.S.Cast iron clawfoot tubssales data restored faith in the world's largest economy and the yen snapping a three-day rally further prompted investors to pick up export, real estate and insurance-related issues.Market players here said that investors followed leads from Wall Street overnight that saw indices rise significantly following better-than-expected data from the U.S. Commerce Department showing that retail sales rose 0.2 percent in December, on year-end, festive shopping.Senior economists here said that investor anxiety was eased by the upbeat retail sales data, which saw sales in the recording period total 431.9 billion U.S. dollars in December, rising 0.2 percent from a month earlier and beating median economists' forecasts of a 0.1 percent increase.Mitsushige Akino, a chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment Management, noted that based on Wednesday's data and market reactions, the U.S. economy would continue to recover steadily, supported by ongoing monetary stimulus.Local fund managers also added that prior concerns about the health of the U.S. economy, following Clawfoot tub faucets disappointing jobs data that sent the Nikkei plunging more than 3 percent on Tuesday, abated during trading hours Wednesday and investor appetite for riskier assets returned, buoyed by the yen snapping a three-day rally and sliding 0.2 percent to 104.42 against the U.S. dollar following a 1.2 percent drop on Wednesday.

Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co.'s senior strategist, Masaru Hamasaki, said that the yen was a major influence on markets here and that stocks were sold based on the robust retail data, and, following Tuesday's slump, became affordable propositions.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 386.33 points to close at 15,808.73, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 25.44 points, or 2.0 percent, to finish the day at 1,294.52.All of the 33 sector indexes advanced Wednesday with export- related issues gaining traction from the yen's retreat against other major currencies.Panasonic leapt 3.7 percent to 1,368 yen, logging the consumer electronics maker's highest close since April 2010, while Sharp Corp. gained 2.4 percent to close at 342 yen.Hitachi Ltd. jumped 4.1 percent to 867 yen, booking its highest closing level since July 2007, following reports of a potential record third-quarter earnings report. Toshiba surged 4.6 percent to 483 yen, on news it will buy a major stake in NuGen,Among insurance-related issues that advanced, Dai-ichi Life Insurance leapt 4.4 percent to 1,769 yen, while Tokio Marine Holdings gained 2.9 percent to close at 3,361 yen.Despite Japan Airlines tyre equipmentsannouncing it had grounded one of its Dreamliner jets following white smoke being detected during a maintenance check and possibly connected to the Dreamliner's ongoing battery issues, the carrier rose 1.33 percent to 5,300 yen. All Nippon Airways, meanwhile, advanced 0.89 percent to finish at 225 yen.Trading volume on Wednesday dropped to 2.68 billion shares on the Tokyo Exchange's First Section, down from Tuesday's volume of 3.01 billion shares, with advancing issues outnumbering declining ones by 1,555 to 159.

If only Justin Bieber had a Google Nest home

The technology question of the day: If Justin Bieber had a Google Nest home of the future, would it tell him he needed eggs?You may have missed the announcement that Google is buying Nest Labs, a company known mostly for its “smart” thermostats. You probably didn’t miss the news that Bieber had his home searched Tuesday by no fewer than a dozen sheriff’s detectives, who were responding to allegations that the pop star egged his neighbor’s house.(Apparently, L.A.Cast iron clawfoot tubs’s record-low crime rate has given local law enforcement more free time than you thought. Though a personal aside: My car got egged one night recently while I was driving past our local elementary school, and when I called the sheriff’s station,Clawfoot tub faucets they seemed — well, let’s just say there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of urgency there.tyre equipments)Anyway, back to Google/Nest. Smarter folks than me are saying that Google didn’t spend $3.2 billion in cash because it needed better thermostats and smoke alarms at its headquarters. No. Google is apparently getting ready for something called the Internet of Things.As my colleague Jessica Guynn describes it, the Internet of Things refers to “wireless devices that collect data in the home and can be controlled with a smartphone. Many people believe this represents the next big growth phase of the Internet.”Of course, not everyone is excited about this George Jetson future. Guynn says some folks are threatening to return their Nest thermostats. “Their reasoning: Buying Nest could help Google hoover up a whole lot more of our personal information to slice and dice for advertisers.”

You mean, they’re thinking that, 10 years from now in their Google Nest homes, they’ll go to turn on a bit more heat one chilly evening and get bombarded by Google ads for sweaters, new furnaces or trips to Hawaii? You mean that future?C’mon. It’s just the Internet of Things; nothing to fear here; move along. (Next someone will try to tell me that the NSA is tracking every call I make. Sheesh!)Anyway, back to Bieber. Though you and I might not, here’s someone who obviously would benefit from a “smart” home.For example, as The Times reported Wednesday: “Officials did find drugs in plain view at Bieber’s home and are conducting tests to determine whether it was Ecstasy, cocaine or something else, sheriff’s officials said. Xavier Dominique Smith, 20, known as Lil Za, was taken into custody at Bieber’s home on suspicion of felony drug possession. He was later accused of vandalism after allegedly damaging a phone at a sheriff’s station.”Now, if Bieber had a “smart” home, it would have undoubtedly warned him: “Yo, Biebs, the cops are coming. Hide the eggs.”It might even have said: “Justin, you have idiots for friends. Get rid of these losers.”See, it’s more than home, it’s Mom — minus the free laundry and meals.

Wall Street rises on Bank of America, data boost

Bank of America shares climbed 2.7 per cent to $17.22 as one of the biggest boosts to the S&P 500 after the second-largest US bank reported stronger-than-expected quarterly profit, driven by a steep fall in provisions to cover bad loans. The S&P financial index advanced 0.7 per cent.Data showed the seasonally adjusted producer price index rose 0.4 per cent last month, the biggest rise since June, although inflation pressures remained benign.In addition, the New York Federal modern lampsReserve's "Empire State" index of general business conditions rose to its highest level in 20 months."That is in line with the theme the economy is slowly but surely accelerating," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York."The knee-jerk inflation is 'oh my god higher inflation, the Fed is going to accelerate tapering,' but really this was a very minor increase and it really doesn't show the economy or inflation accelerating to a point where the Fed is ready to take its foot off the accelerator."Investors have been concerned that stock prices may have become extended and are looking to earnings season to justify further gains in equity prices. The S&P 500's forward price to earnings ratio is at its highest level in nearly seven years. The benchmark S&P 500 surged about 30 per cent in 2013.Later in the session at 2:00 p.m. (1900 GMT), the Federal Reserve will release its Beige Book of economic conditions.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 43.96 points or 0.27 per cent, to 16,417.82, the S&P 500 gained 5.13 points or 0.28 per cent, to 1,844.01 and the Nasdaq Composite added 18.313 points or 0.44 per cent, to 4,201.329.The S&P 500 rose 1.1 per cent on Tuesday, its biggest climb since Vintage tubsDec. 18, as a strong December retail sales reading eased concerns that economic growth might be slowing and stocks may be expensive.Fastenal Co slumped 5.6 per cent to $45.06 after the industrial and construction supply company reported fourth-quarter earnings below expectations.China visa applicationOther S&P 500 companies scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday include CSX Corp and Kinder Morgan Inc after the closing bell.General Motors Co said it will pay the first quarterly dividend on its common stock in almost six years. The automaker's new executive team said while it expects a slight uptick in pretax profits this year, margins likely would remain flat until 2015. GM's shares lost 0.9 per cent to $39.66.Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd surged 116.1 per cent to $4.97 after an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration concluded on Tuesday a drug to treat a rare form of low blood pressure made by the company is effective enough to warrant regulatory approval.

Young People are Enrolling in ObamaCare, But Numbers Still Lag

The third progress report from the White House regarding enrollment numbers in the Affordable Care Act is a stark improvement from the first two, but there’s still a long way to go to hit the administration’s own projections.The Department of Health and Human Services released on Monday demographic information of the 2.Vintage tubs2 million ObamaCare enrollees via state and federal exchanges through Dec. 28.Thirty percent of enrollees are ages 34 and under, HHS reports while 24% are between the ages of 18 and 34. Fifty-four percent are female and 46% of enrollees are male.The exchanges saw a surge in enrollment in December with 1.8 million people making plan selections that month. The numbers still fall about 1 million short of the Obama Administration’s original goal of having 3.3 million enrolled through the end of December 2013. For year one of the ACA, the administration had projected to have 7 million enrollees, 2.7 million of which are young and healthy people needed to keep premium levels down.Under the Affordable Care Act, every individual in the country has to have insurance by the end of open enrollment period on April 1, or they will face a penalty of $95 or 1% of their annual income for failing to comply.
Experts have been holding their breath over whether young people will opt to enroll in plans or just get coverage when they need it. Under the ACA, adult children can stay on their parents’ plans until their 26.Yevgeniy Feyman,Try these must-have Chefs Kitchen Knives for a perfect manicure, including remover, primer, polish, and top coat picks from the beauty experts at Meinys Manhattan Institute scholar, says the preliminary data isn’t promising. Feyman crunched census data for 2011 and 2012, finding that 37% of 18-to-30-year-olds were uninsured.“It’s not good news if only 24% of those in that age group are joining the enrollment pool,” he says. “They are enrolling at a lower rate, relative to their population.”Sixty percent of all enrollees selected the mid-tier silver plan while 20% selected a bronze plan. HHS projects the average American would pay about $328 per month for a mid-tier silver plan, pre-subsidy.Almost 80% of enrollees selected a plan with financial assistance. Under the ACA, those making up to 400% of the federal poverty level are eligible for subsidies for care. This is about $45,000 for an individual and $94,000 for a family of four.Seventh Generation Sanitary Pads, Sanitary Napkin, Sanitary Napkin Pads. Featuring a natural absorbent material derived from wheat.Soft cupFeyman says he is most interested in the health status of those who are enrolling in plans, and says insurers likely priced their initial plans low to garner more interest and because they know have a safety net through 2016.“Insurers still want healthy 45 year olds,” he says. “When claims start coming in from insurers, that will be the next big picture: the healthy-to-sick ratio.”In the law’s risk corridors provision, if insurers have losses greater than 3% of their targeted costs, the government is on the hook to pay them 50% of these losses. If insurers have costs higher than 8% of their initial targets, the government is on the hook for 80% of these costs.“There are reasons for pricing plans low,” he says. “You want to capture market share, be competitive and state regulators are more likely to approve rates that are lower rather than higher. We will probably have to use quite a bit more money for these risk corridors in the first year.”

S.Korea's foreign currency deposits fall in 7 months

South Korea's foreign currency deposits reduced for the first time in seven months due to a fall in deposits denominated in the U.S. dollar that offset the continued growth in the Chinese yuan deposits, central bank data showed Monday.Foreign currency retail deposits came in at 48.44 billion U.S. dollars as of the end of December, down 0.17 billion dollars from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The deposits refer to those deposited by local residents and foreigners staying here for more than six months.It was the first decline in seven months as deposits denominated in the greenback reduced sharply amid strong demand for dollar funds from local importers for the settlement purpose by the year-end.The dollar deposits tumbled 2.An absorbent pad worn externally by women during menstruation to absorb the menstrual flow.Sanitary napkin9 billion dollars in December from a month earlier, but it was offset by a sharp rise in the yuan deposits that increased 2.5 billion dollars last month after gaining 2.53 billion dollars in the previous month."After the forward yuan-dollar exchange rate fell, arbitrage trading increased among local currency traders to gain interest rate differentials between Hong Kong and Seoul," a BOK official told Xinhua. 

Local currency traders converted the South Korean currency funds into the dollar funds in the won/dollar currency swap market,drives his golf cart across the street to the high school and unlocks the key programmer. before converting the dollar funds into the yuan funds in the Hong Kong yuan/dollar currency swap market, said the official.Expectations for the appreciation of the Chinese yuan led to the lower borrowing costs in Hong Kong through the yuan/dollar currency swap market, leading local brokerages to deposit yuan funds earned via the swap trading into the local yuan deposit accounts.Retail deposits denominated in the U.S. dollar ranked first in terms of deposit size with 35.91 billion dollars. It was trailed by the yuan deposits with 6.67 billion dollars, the Japanese yen with 2.6 billion dollars and the European single currency with 1. 95 billion dollars.Corporate deposits fell 0.26 billion dollars from a month earlier to 43.01 billion dollars as of end-December,united-promo but those for individual clients rose 0.09 billion dollars to 5.43 billion dollars.

Singapore stocks end lower on surprising U.S. job data

Singapore shares closed 0.27 percent lower on Monday, as surprisingly weak U.S. jobs numbers revived speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve could keep policy loose for longer.U.S. payrolls rose just 74,000 in December, the smallest increase in nearly three years and far below the market forecast of 196,000. But the jobless rate fell sharply to 6.7 percent, largely because of a fall in the participation rate as people dropped out of the labor force.Still, the unemployment rate is now very close to the 6.5 percent threshold that the Federal Reserve had nominated as aBMW ICOM level where it might start considering raising interest rates. The U.S. central bank had recently said it would keep rates near zero well past the time when the jobless rate slips under 6.5 percent.Investors will watch for figures on U.S. retail sales and on inflation in both the United States and Europe this week, as well as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech on Thursday.The benchmark Straits Times Index dropped 8.38 points to close at 3,135.49 points. Trading volume was 3.40 billion shares worth only 825 million Singapore dollars (650 U.S. dollars). Decliners outnumbered advancers 245 to 169, while 531 stocks closed unchanged.DBS Group Research said that if the downward earnings revision trend can be halted, the Straits Times Index would likely return to or even exceed 3,230 points and 3,350 points by June.But Phillip Securities Research said the immediate supports for local bourse will be at 3,075 points, 3,050 points and 3,Online shopping for Sanitary Napkins from a great selection of Health & Personal Care; Feminine Care & more at everyday low prices.Tampon points respectively.

CIMB Research also said it "expects prices to fall below 3,025 points in due time. However, we would need to reassess our bearish view if prices take out the 3,260 points high."Mapletree Logistics Trust dropped 1.4 percent to 1.035 Singapore dollars. It announced the proposed acquisition of an industrial warehouse in Iskandar Malaysia for 88.5 million Malaysia Ringgit.Unionmet jumped 3.8 percent to 8.1 Singapore cents. It is proposing to undertake a renounceable non-underwritten rights issue of up to 306.8 million new shares at an issue price of 7.5 Waterborne resinSingapore cents for each rights share, on the basis of one rights share for every two existing shares held.The net proceeds of about 22 million Singapore dollars will be mainly used for the Group's new property development business and the oil blending business.Among the top gainers, Jardine Matheson rose 0.9 percent to close at 54.10 U.S. dollars, while Jardine Strategic became one of the top losers by falling 0.7 percent to 32.87 U.S. dollars. (1 U. S. dollar = 3.26 Malaysian Ringgit, 1 U.S. dollar = 1.27 Singapore dollars)

The Luxurious Smart Kitchen Design is comfortable for luxury property with artistic ideas specially for small house

All of us aware that small interior room is certainly one of the thing in types an interior design. thus what need to we do? many creative designers inspire to specify functional property accessories including outdoor furniture, unique lighting, and so forth. Valuable furniture will help people to acheive double functions in one furniture. house decoration like small kitchen need high quality furniture. you will find many types like ottoman that made of top components. Moreover, modular is the correct actions for small kitchen and other rooms of a residence. When we are talking types models we will knew the key theme which utilize there. thus much segments of residence require to construct. We can add various stylish property decor ideas. For example: wall artwork and wall murals are immediate guidelines to make a dwelling to be trendy. The kitchen also expend other pretty pieces like floor lamps, rattan furniture ideas, natural tiles for wall and floor, many more. Remeber to find the images kitchen decor for obtaining best creativities.Check out our site for knife manufacturer knives swords daggers and much more quality products for discounted prices.Contemporary is one of the most popular models when human beautify a residence. Every home designer have individual home interior design to construct the property to be more Contemporary. The Luxurious Smart Kitchen Design offers all requisite as the Contemporary home types ideas. When you want to make and reface your apartment interior, the images may allow you a lot of ideas. In fact, there are shown more artistic design for both inside and exterior. For that reason,China visain this page has been provided various design creations for Kitchen and other dramatic home models photos. Remeber to find the greatest gallery Kitchen of in this page to acheive it!

With clean lines, modern appliances and good lighting your contemporary kitchen will show off your sense of style at its best and not only does it look great it will be a joy to cook in too. There are a large amount of companies now offering contemporary kitchens at some fantastic prices, of course the kitchen you get depends on how large your space is and the specifications you desire. You could include an island into Antique faucets your kitchen, shelving and integrated appliances, with contemporary styled kitchens it is possible to fulfill all of your kitchen dreams. Many colors are available and most kitchens have that ultra modern look that is so pleasing on the eyes.A contemporary kitchen looks stunning in any home, you can mix and match different colored units for an unusual effect or stick with classic colors that can bring warmth and light to a bland kitchen area. With many types of contemporary kitchens having a wonderful high shine finish you can be sure that people will take notice of the clean feel to this style of kitchen, although they can look somewhat clinical at times. Adding your own touches and accessories will turn your kitchen into a show piece that will stand the test of time and help make happy memories of spending time with family and friends.

When you are designing your modern bathroom

When you are designing your modern bathroom,An absorbent pad worn externally by women during menstruation to absorb the menstrual flow.Sanitary napkin you will need to take care of many items at the same time

But today, we will present the various beautiful designs for the sink. The bathroom sink may be just a little detail among the bathroom space.Although it does not provide the same level of luxury, unlike the bathtub space, yet the sink will be a gorgeous décor that is coming in function. The Bathrooms project by Adriana Aristizabal will be a great inspiration for you in retouching your bathroom sink area.In fact, the bathroom sink area offers you not only the sink for you to clean your hands. You can utilize the space for brushing your teeth; even you can do it with your kids as well. Don’t you think it is a great opportunity to teach your kids a good lifestyle and get them used to the habit of brushing teeth at least twice a day?Well,united-promo just take a look at this stunning modern bathroom that features the clean white bowls for the sink that is refreshed by the beautiful green plants placed by. Along with the clean white table top, this design will be a perfect choice for your minimalist bathroom as well.The bathroom sink space is often used for the storage space. Placed below the sink is often the shelf or cabinet where you can store various items like towels and toiletries. Thus, you will have to mind the design of the shelf or the cabinet as well.You can go simple by using this wooden cabinet in walnut finish that will get along easily with the beige nuance of the bathroom. Yet, you can also add the toothbrush holder on the sink as well, which will help you to keep your toothbrush looking good and clean.Other way, you can see this stunning modern bathroom sink in clean white appearance and rectangular shape placed on the sleek white top. Placed below are the drawers and the open shelves which will ease you in grabbing items quickly. Decorating the sink is the use of modern faucet in silver splash along with the glass vase filled with fresh green plant that will keep your bathroom looks fresh and cool all day.

The galleries of Comfortable Bathroom Designs For Small Bathrooms Paint Colors is among the best gallery from home designers. Just about every creative designers have numerous expertise and curiosty.According to regional dementia project officer Carolyn Gargiulo key programmer. Therefore, we will acheive some themes of house decoration design. This bathroom ideas collect us how inspirational the bathroom. If you wish to makeover your old bathroom and you have more cost, hiring designers is the good select. The interior designer will offer you functional pict gallery to design your house decorating styles becomes elegance impression. You might inquire to developers regarding home decor etcetera. The big city as well as Nashville live much well known designers.From time to time we prefer to remodel bathroom in our household. You probable require awesome pic as well as Comfortable Bathroom Designs For Small Bathrooms Paint Colors for recommendations. this weblog you may acquire a lot of home decoration decorating such as luxury and rustic. By browsing various pictures we may makeover our household alone. selecting the correct painting color and best materials are much of critical guidelines when we have plan to redesign bathroom to be more elegance and best. We think, you could acquire the best bathroom galleries in high definition. in this page.