An Apple Maps-bashing #iLost ad posted by Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility has been criticised for using a fake address in order to make Apple?s new Map service look faulty.
Apple?s new Maps apps was launched with iOS 6 on September 19, and was blasted by critics for its inaccuracies, which include misspelt places, relocated landmarks, buildings in rivers and missing train stations.
Motorola Mobility took this opportunity to create an advert for the DROID RAZR M with the tagline: ?The real world that?s fit for your hand,? showing someone holding Motorola?s device that has apparently correctly located an address that Apple?s Maps app on an iPhone 5 has been unable to find.
The advert was posted on Motorola Mobility?s Google+ site, with a description that reads: ?Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan? Google Maps on DROID RAZR M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn.?
However, as pointed out by Apple Insider, 315 E 15th Street is not a real address in Manhattan, because only even numbers exist on that road. ?The number will never be a valid address in Manhattan.?
When using Apple?s Maps app, users will be able to correctly find 318 E 15th Street, which is right across the road from Motorola?s fictional address.
The reason Apple?s Maps leads to a location in Brooklyn is because Marlborough Road was previously called E 15th Street, but has been renamed, says Apple Insider.
Apple Insider also notes that searching 315 E 15th Street Manhattan results in a pin drop in the same location shown in Motorola?s ad.
This is not to say that Apple?s Maps doesn?t have its faults, of course. Even Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak admitted that he is ?disappointed? with Apple?s iOS 6 Maps app, but he says that the problems aren?t ?severe?.
Apple has said that it is ?just getting started? with Maps, and ?the more people use it, the better it will get.?
Despite the recent global economic crisis, the Islamic finance industry has continued pushing forward strongly. Entering 2012, the industry increased its total assets by 23.8 per cent by the end of 2011? comprising a hefty 22.4 per cent of the total assets of the banking system.
Global recognition has not been in short supply either as evidenced by The Banker Magazine?s 2011 rankings of top Islamic financial institutions which saw 21 Malaysian institutions listed.
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By all appearances, Malaysia?s Islamic finance industry is well on its way?to fulfilling its aspirations to becoming an international Islamic financial centre.
Is it all hunky dory?
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Missing element: ?The government should look into establishing a special court for Islamic banking,? says Datuk Ahmad Zaini Othman, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Building Society Berhad (MBSB). ?This is something I think is still missing in this country.?
?If they want Islamic financing in Malaysia to be recognised internationally, they need to do this,? the CEO stresses.
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Zaini points out that at present the legal aspects such as legal settlements still go through conventional courts. While the conventional judiciary may be familiar with Islamic financing law, Zaini stresses that we need judges who not only know the Islamic financing law but who also possess deep understanding of the religious aspects that go beyond laymen comprehension.
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?It is all there in the Quran and Sunnah, but we need people who can correctly interpret them,? says Zaini, emphasising that ?interpretation is important.?
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?For example, riba is not right and forbidden; however excessive profit, such as selling a property for 150 per cent profit, is wrong too.?
Mismatched avenue:?Zaini believes that continuing to rely on conventional courts for Islamic financing?s legal matters would be detrimental in the long run.
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?Conventional court in itself is a mismatch,? says Zaini, clarifying that the word ?conventional? does not match with ?Islamic?.
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?Because it is religion-based, at the end of the day we need to return to that essence and adhere to it,? says Zaini. ?That means having the necessary infrastructure to uphold it in a dedicated manner.?
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What might happen if conventional courts continue to be used to deal with legal matters pertaining to Islamic financing?
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?For one, you will continue looking at it through a secular way of thinking,? replies Zaini, adding that it may lead to oversight of some aspects based on Islamic principles. According to Zaini, another effect would be the stagnation of Islamic financing expertise in the country.
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?One example is the musharakah mutanaqisah product ? this product is not feasible for properties under construction as some aspects of the law do not recognise certain parts of the transaction,? highlights Zaini. ?So if a developer goes ahead with the product, there is no protection for the developer under any law.?
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The CEO further points out how the lack of protection in certain scenarios is limiting the industry. ?If you want to attract foreign Islamic investment in a big way, you need to have a strong Islamic legislative framework in place.?
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?Foreigners would not come here and invest hundreds of millions if they are not protected,? Zaini emphasises. ?With a proper legal framework, we can do much bigger business.?
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In addition, Zaini also points out that such a framework would also mean that the country would be more attractive to top talents in the industry.
If you do not have a very strong framework, you may not have a strong image of the Islamic platform,? says Zaini, asking rhetorically, ?why would an Islamic financing talent from the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) come to work in Malaysia if we don?t even have a court for Islamic banking??
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?He would probably much rather go to GCC countries where the legislation is more developed in this respect.?
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Challenging:?However, Zaini admits that putting in place a legal framework for Islamic financing would be challenging. Differing opinions and interpretations worldwide pose a daunting obstacle ? Zaini cites the introduction of Profit Equalisation Reserve (PER) by Bank Negara as an example.
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?The Islamic deposit programme is based on profit and loss whereby banks pay dividends based on the allocated profits,? says Zaini, explaining that this means the dividends are higher if the Islamic banks make good profit and vice versa. ?In comparison, conventional banks pay based on a fixed amount of interest.?
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?So when Islamic banks report good profits and subsequently pay more dividends than conventional banks, there would be a flow of customers from the conventional banking market to the Islamic financing market.?
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Zaini explains further that PER was introduced to avoid the mass movement between markets by fixing the percentage of profit shared as dividends by the Islamic banks.
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?Say they make profit and are able to pay 9 per cent, PER means they can only pay for example 4 per cent while 5 per cent would be kept in reserve.?
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?There might come a time when the profit margin is smaller, in such an event, the reserve would be used to top up the dividends to be paid out,? says Zaini. ?The GCC is against this and do not recognise the practice because it is not in line with shariah.?
(However, Zaini feels the way forward would be to ignore the differences and focus on what can actually be done.
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?Malaysia is heading towards a two-system financial system and for the Islamic part of it, we need a strong legal platform,? says Zaini. ?I think we have a sufficient pool of shariah legal expertise, and our universities are also producing enough experts in the area of Islamic financing.?
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?But I think we also need to bring in scholars from abroad with a different perspective of the international market so that when we formulate the legal framework, it will be more comprehensive,? adds Zaini, explaining that doing so would enable Islamic financing in the country to reach greater heights.
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?Like the English law, this will not happen overnight but instead through years of practice and experience.?
(Real Estate And Decor / 28 Sep 2012)
--- Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur:?www.alfalahconsulting.com Islamic Investment Malaysia:?www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com
Despite being somewhat overshadowed by the Jelly Bean toting Samsung Galaxy Camera, we shouldn't forget about the Nikon Coolpix S800c. Having been announced prior to IFA 2012 where we first saw the Galaxy Camera, all fell quiet ahead of an expected late September release. It's now late September, and we're starting to see some of the first retailers with stocks of the camera.
Down under, in Australia, the S800c is showing up in stock at CameraCity for AU$399 plus delivery and is available in black or white. According to the guys at Ausdroid, no local retailers are showing the device in stock, but some are showing up in retailers systems to place orders for.
Considering the expected price for the Galaxy Camera, the Nikon could be a bit of a steal. The Galaxy Camera offers more on the Android front, that goes without saying, with the Nikon languishing on Gingerbread. But, we should remember this is supposed to be a camera first and foremost, and it's really this end of the device that matters the most. If you're thinking of picking one of these up, or have already taken possession, hit us up in the comments below and let us know your thoughts.
I recently had the opportunity to test out one of Hasbro?s newest board games, Monopoly Millionaire.?Now, I?m a natural lover of all Monopoly games due to my competitive nature, but this one was really a blast! I loved the little twists and turns as we worked our way through the game. The goal of the game is a little different from other Monoplys in that you want to be the first person to reach a million dollars.
Also, as you get further along in the game you have the opportunity to upgrade your salary and?gamepeice ? you may start off with a paper airplane, but the you might be flying high in a private jet by the end of the game.
Due to the focus on getting as rich as possible, I?m not sure I would use this particular Monopoly as a teaching tool for kids, but I do think it was a lot of fun to pretend to be rollin? in the dough for a few hours.
To celebrate this new game, Hasbro has a MONOPOLY Live Like a Millionaire Online Instant Win??game where kids get the chance to win an opportunity to live out their real life millionaire fantasies! Kids ages 6 through 16 can enter to win 1 of 5 millionaire VIP experiences such as a concert, movie premiere or sporting event, or 1 of 3,000 $25 iTunes gift cards.
Hasbro?has also?provided me with an exclusive giveaway opportunity to share with all of?you awesome Bargain Blessings readers! I will be giving away one Monopoly Millionaire?board game today!
Here are your options for entering this giveaway:
1. Leave a comment to share what your favorite family board game is.
2. Become a Bargain Blessings Daily Deal E-mail subscriber. Leave a comment telling me you?ve done so. *Subscription must be verified to count as a qualified entry
3. Become a Bargain Blessings Facebook Liker and leave a comment letting me know you?ve done so. *Facebook like must be verified to count as a qualified entry
Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry method you complete. E-mailing me is not a valid entry.
The winner will be selected?TODAY?Friday (September 28th) at 4:00pm MT!
*This giveaway is sponsored by Hasbro. I was also provided with a Monopoly Millionaire game to review. As always, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. *By entering this giveaway you are agreeing to the Bargain Blessings Giveaway Rules and Disclosures.
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Despite efforts by civil-rights leaders, education advocates, elected leaders, and private benefactors, the road to a higher education for blacks, Hispanics, and first-generation students is steep. College attainment for these groups remains elusive.
An article in?The Next Economy, a quarterly supplement to National Journal magazine, reports that only half of Hispanics who start a four-year degree actually finish within six years. For blacks, it?s 40 percent. Completion rates for those in two-year community colleges, which have open enrollment and lower tuition fees, are even lower, at 20 percent.
What keeps Hispanics and blacks from completing a college degree? Partly responsible for low completion rates, writes?New York Times business columnist Alina Tugend in ?That Elusive Diploma,? are skyrocketing costs and a lack of preparation to meet the classroom challenges, or both.
The following Next America articles offer deeper insights into the complex issues of minority education:
The Federal Trade Commission is working on an update of the rules governing the online collection of personal information, which have remained pretty much the same since 1998. The changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, however, are likely to do as much to invade children's privacy as to protect it. The proposed changes have been debated since 2009.
LONDON (AP) ? Markets stuttered Friday as investors continued to fret over the economy of Spain, which this week announced big spending cuts it hopes will convince potential bailout creditors and investors it has a rock-solid plan to heal its public finances.
The positive momentum generated by Thursday's Spanish budget has ground to a halt as investors await more news out of the country, including stress test results into 14 banks that are due after European markets close.
The Moody's rating agency is also expected to pronounce on its view on Spain's creditworthiness. There are concerns in the markets that Moody's will downgrade Spain's government debt to junk status.
Craig Erlam, markets analyst at Alpari, said a downgrade to junk status could "create some panic" among holders of Spanish debt that could prompt a sell off and force yields higher.
"The positive side to this is this could accelerate the bailout request," Erlam said. Eurozone countries and the European Central Bank are prepared to help Spain financially, should it need it, but Madrid has so far put off a request.
By midday in Europe, shares were mixed, with Madrid's IBEX index underperforming its peers.
The IBEX was trading 1.1 percent lower at 7,756. Germany's DAX was 0.2 percent lower at 7,275 while the CAC-40 in France fell 0.5 percent to 3,421. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was one of the stronger performing indexes, trading 0.1 percent higher at 5,785.
Wall Street was posed for a slightly lower open, too, with both Dow futures and the S&P 500 futures down 0.2 percent.
On Thursday, the Spanish government said it planned to cut overall spending by ?40 billion ($51 billion) in 2013, a move that won a generally-positive response in financial markets. Many investors think the cuts will lay the ground for Spain, the fourth largest economy in the eurozone, to seek financial help from fellow countries in the bloc and the European Central Bank.
Earlier this month, the ECB announced a new bond-buying plan largely designed to keep a lid on Spain's borrowing costs. However, Spain would first have to ask for financial aid from fellow eurozone countries.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has balked at doing so, partly because it could require new austerity cuts. The hope is that the new budget measures are enough to stem any further requirements in the event of a request for help.
"Yesterday's news was clearly a move to forestall the kind of punitive measures we saw imposed on Greece and others," said Chris Beauchamp, market analyst at IG.
Other financial markets were fairly subdued, with the euro up 0.2 percent at $1.2936 and a barrel of oil up 38 cents at $92.23.
Earlier in Asia, stocks had been buoyed by speculation that China's central bank will act soon to help the world's No. 2 economy.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.4 percent to 20,840.38. South Korea's Kospi added nearly 0.4 percent to 1,996.21. But Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9 percent to 8,870.16, sinking on a government report that showed industrial production fell a further 1.3 percent in August.
Mainland Chinese shares rose ahead of an extended holiday next week. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 2,086.17 and the Shenzhen Composite Index rose 1.9 percent to 853.83.
Benchmark oil for November delivery was up 41 cents to $92.26 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.87 to finish at $91.85 on the Nymex on Thursday.
In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2934 from $1.2917 late Thursday in New York. The dollar fell to 77.59 yen from 77.62 yen.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Mark Sanchez was mostly miserable in Miami. Tim Tebow was ineffective despite getting more snaps than he had in the New York Jets' first two games.
Sanchez has shown a knack for coming through late in games - as he did late in the Jets' 23-20 overtime victory over the Dolphins last Sunday. But in several situations that appeared perfect for Tebow, the playmaking backup remained on the sideline.
That had many fans and media wondering: Where's Tebow?
Tebow's role on the offense remains a mystery as the once-secret wildcat package has been rarely used. Tebow continues to say he'll do whatever the coaches tell him, but it seems the Jets' struggling offense could benefit from him being in games for more than just a few plays here and there.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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NFL, refs?reach tentative deal
??The NFL and the referees' union have reached a tentative contract agreement, ending an impasse that began in June when the league locked out the officials and used replacements instead.
Goodell deserves praise, not scorn
??PFT Live: The man who is taking the most responsibility for the referee lockout is commissioner Roger Goodell. Mike Florio believes that the commissioner is merely taking the blame for the league's 32 owners.
An Arizona man was arrested after posting a video showing a 16-year old boy walking the streets of Phoenix with a fake rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The man said the incident was staged to test police response time following the deadly theater shooting in Colorado. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
By NBC News wire services
PHOENIX -- Police have arrested an Arizona man who allegedly filmed his 16-year-old nephew walking city streets dressed in a sheet and carrying a fake grenade launcher, authorities said on Wednesday.
Michael David Turley, 39, was arrested Monday over the making of the video, in which an unidentified narrator says he aims to discover how quickly police in Phoenix would respond following the fatal shooting of 12 people at the screening of the ?Dark Knight Rises? Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado, in July.
The?bizarre, amateurish video?depicts a person with a fairly realistic but fake grenade launcher walking around a Phoenix intersection in what appears to be a blue sheet with dark material covering his head and face.
Made eight days after the shooting at a screening of a Batman movie, the film was posted on YouTube and titled, "Dark Knight Shooting Response, Rocket Launcher Police Test."
"Given this event, I wanted to run a little test here in Phoenix, Arizona," the narrator says in the film. "I want to find out how safe I really am, and I want to know the response time of the Phoenix police department."
The filmmaker claims it took 15 minutes for police to respond.
The first officer finds the filmmaker and the teen standing in a driveway.?The officer calmly tells the boy to put down the weapon and the man to put down the camera. He didn't draw his gun.
Officer James Holmes, a police spokesman, said Turley told the officer they were just filming a movie, and the officer took down their names and left.
Three Aurora theater shooting victims suing Cinemark; theater to reopen in 2013
After interviewing people who called 911 and later seeing the video posted on YouTube, police arrested Turley.
"It surprised us that he actually put that video on YouTube," Holmes said.
Not 'fun and games' Holmes said the police response took just over three minutes from the first call, and a helicopter and SWAT team was dispatched as backup.
The Anonymous Filmmaker explores how the Phoenix Police Department reacts days after the event at the Century 16 Movie Theater in Aurora, Colorado where a gunman, James Holmes, killed 12 people and injured 58 more at the premiere of Batman The Dark Knight Rises. In our Hollywood style video, a man resembling a terrorist paces around a busy street in Phoenix Arizona carrying a rocket launcher until the police apprehend him. This film explores the response time and reaction of law enforcement within the Phoenix rural community. You will be shocked to see what happens.
Turley was charged with knowingly giving a false impression of a terrorist act, endangerment, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misconduct involving a simulated explosive.
He is being held in county jail on a $5,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 45 months in prison, said Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman Jerry Cobb.
"We take something like this seriously," Phoenix police spokesman Officer James Holmes said. "It wasn't fun and games to all the people who were affected by this. We don't behave like this in this country to prove a point."
Read more U.S. stories from NBC News
The 16-year-old has not been arrested, Holmes said.
"The video told us what Turley was intentionally trying to do -- creating a terrorist hoax for his own personal ideals," he said.
Turley doesn't have a listed phone number. He didn't immediately respond to messages sent Wednesday through the YouTube account.
An attorney for Turley could not be immediately reached for comment.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Did you honestly think Eric Schmidt went all the way to Seoul just to launch the Nexus 7 for South Korea, hang out with Samsung's JK Shin and moan about the patent war with Apple? Of course not. The Google chairman also found some time to learn the legendary "invisible horse" dance with PSY, the charismatic oppa in the Korean chart-topper Gangnam Style. While Google Korea was happy to supply a few photos, the only video we could dig up was a surprisingly short one hosted by Daum -- it's embedded right after the break.
Brian: "Man, not being the CEO of a multinational corporation sure is hard work."
Terrence: "I see you are a fellow disciple of the Carlton Banks school of dance."
Don: "Gangnam Style, 2012-2012."
Billy: "This song is really about the time I set my socks on fire. I see you still have yours. One moment."
Edgar: "Hm... I think we forgot the horse."
Richard Lai: "PSY, please Google+ me when this comes out on Dance Central."
Dan: "Doenjang Girls, would you like to buy a Nexus 7? It's wayyy more expensive than a latté."
Darren: "Soooo glad this guy put this video on YouTube and not Vimeo. $$$$$$$$"
Jon Fingas: "Oppan Google sty-- no, even I can't go that far."
Those of you rocking a Nook Tablet will have more video options in the weeks and months ahead. Barnes & Noble this morning announced Nook Video, which will stream, erm, video from HBO, Sony, STARZ, Viacom, Warner Bros. and Disney to the Android-based e-reader. That brings it a little more in tune with the likes of Amazon's Kindle Fire, which long has taken advantage of streaming video
Also, you'll be able to link your purchases of physical DVD and Blue-ray discs to your Nook via UltraViolet, making the deal that much sweeter.
Customers in the U.S. will get Nook Video this fall; those in the UK have to wait until the holiday season.
Many small business owners might be tempted to utilize consumer financing options rather than commercial financing when seeking out funds for their business.? Though fairly easy to get, when it comes to financing your business, consumer financing options likely won?t be the best bet for either you or your business.
Nearly everyone, from a school teacher to a CEO, has had a personal financing need at some point in their lives ? from a personal credit card, to a home equity line of credit (HELOC), a personal loan from a bank or a manufacturer retail finance program.? ?So it?s no wonder that almost everyone knows at least one place to turn for consumer financing, likely from a lender used previously or one of the many consumer financing providers on radio, TV, or billboards. With so many consumer financing options out there, there?s bound to be a lender that will approve just about any need and any applicant.? To make them even more appealing, many approvals can happen in as little as just a few minutes.
But, there?s a dark side.
Unlike commercial financing, using consumer financing will impact your personal credit.? Every time you get another loan or open another line of credit, you are accumulating more debt.? More debt almost always means a lower credit score.? If that?s not bad enough, if you?ve obtained a home equity line of credit, you?ve now put your home on the line.
Commercial financing might seem to be a little bit of a dark horse in the financing game, due to the saturation of consumer financing in the industry.? But, commercial financing could be your saving grace? without having to put your home and personal credit at risk.
The trick to commercial financing is ensuring that it?s used in the right instances.? For one, it can only be used to purchase equipment or other products that will be put into use by a business for a related business purpose.? Second, you?ll need to prove that you are purchasing on behalf of a legitimate business.? These minor ?hassles? definitely pay off as commercial financing does not add a trade line of any additional debt to your personal credit.? So, there is no need to worry about a lowered credit score and subsequent decline when they come back to buy more equipment.
Nokia's Lumia 920 packs the industry's best image stabilization -- there's no questioning that -- thanks to a camera module that pairs both sensor and lens-based optical IS. The iPhone 5 also offers a notable improvement over its Apple-made predecessor on the video front, but considering that its stabilization is of the digital variety, we wouldn't expect it to top Nokia's new flagship. We had an opportunity to test both smartphones in a head-to-head demo at Nokia's research and development facility in Tampere, Finland, about two hours north of the company's Espoo headquarters. In fact, we're told that this is the very first such comparison shoot in the world, considering that the iPhone made it to market just last week and the only opportunity to shoot with a Lumia 920 is currently in the European country where the device was born.
As expected, the Nokia phone was able to capture far smoother video than what we snapped with the iPhone, with both devices secured side-by-side in a homemade foam holster. Unlike our handheld interview shoot earlier today, we pushed the limits a bit further this time, running through Nokia's parking lot and turning every which way as well. It's important to note that the Lumia 920 we used was a prototype, but its performance was still quite solid. You'll find the side-by-side video just past the break -- the Lumia 920 is on the left, with the iPhone clip on the right.
A new crowdfunding platform built specifically for games developers is now live.
Gambitious is selling itself as ?the first professional crowdfunding platform exclusively dedicated to the video game industry?. Though it takes its inspiration from the likes of Kickstarter, it differs in that it provides for both fan donations and equity investment.
The launch lineup includes seven titles, with a project by Duke Nukem?s 3D Realms also on the way.
Equity investing options are currently only legal in the EU, but it is expected that the practice will be legalised in the US in 2013. Until then American backers will only be able to participate via donations.
?Crowdfunding is causing a great seismic shift in how projects get funded, however, there are risks of crash-and-burn due to unfulfilled projects and unfinished games,? Gambitious CEO Paul Hanraets explained.
?Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, Gambitious is designed specifically for the video game industry and ups the ante of developer credibility, investor engagement and development cycle understanding.?
The day one lineup is as follows:
? ????????? Candy Kids by Abstraction Games, The Netherlands ? ????????? Cosmic DJ by Gl33k, USA ? ????????? Mushroom Men by Red Fly Studio, USA ? ? ????????? Piratoons by Fishing Cactus, Belgium ? ????????? Super Micro Heroes by Mutant Games, Spain ? ????????? Tink by Mimimi Productions, Germany ? ????????? Train Fever by Urban Games, Switzerland
Upcoming projects include:
? ????????? Earth No More by 3D Realms, USA ? ? ????????? Pantzer Pets by Gamundo, The Netherlands ? ????????? Stronghold Crusaders 2 by Firefly Studios, England
1) What is your roleplay about? -It's a band roleplay. Why'd we make it? 'cause there just ain't enough band roleplays around this site. Band roleplays offer a unique setting and potential for plenty of fun and interesting interactions, and plus, who doesn't like to live out their dreams of playing in a band of their favourite genre without actually going out and taking the time and effort to actually make it happen in reality?
...okay, I could have phrased that a bit more appealingly.
2) Why is your idea so much better than the rest? -We're not bringing anything 'amazing' to the table. If you've been in a band roleplay before, you know that it tends to be similar with regard to the premise itself--it's the characters that give life to the thing and make it truly go. If you're the type who prefers a fun roleplay with plenty of emphasis on the characters themselves and their interactions rather than a preset plotline--and, of course, if you like rock music--this is the RP for you.
3) What do you want from potential roleplayers? -The simple answer is, keep it reasonable, use common sense. Ideally, though it's not a straight requirement, you should be available to post at least once a day on average, for the most part (barring, of course, special circumstances), and at maximum it's preferable that you don't go several days without posting, assuming everyone else is keeping a brisk but relaxed posting rate (again, barring special circumstances). Post length, preferably about 300 words, and there's no real maximum (just be aware of people's attention spans when you make a four thousand word intro post :v). As to level of writing--again, common sense. I don't expect I'll need to bust out a dictionary every other word, nor do I expect mammoth posts that dwarf War and Peace in its entirety. But I do expect literacy--and it should really only require common sense to gauge what level of literacy I mean.
4) Who are you? -Just a small-town girl...livin' in a lonely wo--
Yeah, I couldn't resist that. We're both experienced roleplayers who have been on this site nearly a year, and act as co-GMs of this roleplay.
So! Intrigued! ...no? Well, here's the link to the roleplay anyway. Plenty of roles are open, and the field is wide open. We plan on making this a fun roleplay with interesting characters with their own stories to share (or perhaps not share) and their own unique personality to bring to the mix.
I am not, in fact, a woman. Apparently, I have to affirm this. :v
Bowers and Wilkins just keep the hits coming. You might think this British audio powerhouse would take a break, but they obviously have no intention of doing that. Apple has just changed their 30-pin dock, making every single dock speaker obsolete without a $30 adapter. One of the reasons Apple did this is to urge [...]
MIAMI (AP) - First, the Miami Dolphins missed a potential game-winning field-goal attempt in overtime, and then the New York Jets had a kick blocked with a chance at a victory, and then ...
Timeout!
Kicker Nick Folk received a reprieve that gave the Jets a wild win.
After Folk's blocked field-goal attempt in OT was negated by a timeout, his retry was a successful 33-yarder with 6:04 left, and the Jets beat the Dolphins 23-20 on Sunday.
Mark Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 38-yard gain to set up the kick. Two plays later, Folk's attempt was blocked by Randy Starks charging up the middle, but the officials whistled the play dead just as the ball was snapped because Dolphins coach Joe Philbin had called timeout.
"I thought it was the right call," Philbin said. "I was planning all along to call timeout right before he kicked the ball. ... Typically we're going to ice the kicker."
Folk said he had a similar experience with Dallas in 2008, when a negated kick was blocked and he made the retry. He said he and his Jets teammates heard the whistle when Philbin called timeout, and his blockers eased up.
"I'd rather kick it than sit there and not kick it," Folk said. "I got another warmup kick."
Philbin managed a sheepish grin as Folk lined up for his second attempt. The Jets kicker then made the winner.
"You never see that happen," Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "It's a weird thing. It's one of those things where you say the odds were not in your favor today. It just wasn't meant to be."
On the previous possession, the Dolphins' Dan Carpenter was wide left on a 48-yard field-goal attempt that would have given them the victory. Carpenter also missed from 47 yards early in the fourth quarter.
"I let the team down," Carpenter said.
"We got breaks, no doubt about it," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We'll take the win. We're not going to give it back."
New York improved to 2-1, and the Dolphins dropped to 1-2.
"It's a tough game," Miami linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "We were inches away from 2-1."
The Jets' Darrelle Revis and Miami's Reggie Bush left the game with left knee injuries. Revis is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam Monday.
New Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano had trouble getting his unit moving much of the day, but in the end he called the right play just enough to beat the team that fired him as head coach last December.
"I think he's happy to get the victory for the team, not just himself," Ryan said.
Tim Tebow called a fake punt and ran for 5 yards and a first down, but otherwise again contributed little to the Jets' offense. He still has yet to throw a pass this year, and a third-down throw from Sanchez bounced off Tebow's helmet and fell incomplete.
"I was not expecting it that quick, but I guess I'll learn," Tebow said. "We got a win. That's all that matters."
Sanchez redeemed himself at the end of an erratic afternoon. His 7-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley with 3:01 left to give the Jets their first lead, 20-17.
Tannehill then moved Miami 48 yards, including 19 yards on a third-down pass interference penalty against Revis' replacement, Kyle Wilson. Carpenter's 41-yard field goal with 16 seconds left forced overtime.
Miami lost despite trailing for less than 3 minutes of the game.
"That's the NFL," Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake said. "There's no script. It just happens."
The Dolphins had the better ground game, outrushing the Jets 185-88 despite the loss of Bush. But the Jets' LaRon Landry scored on an 18-yard interception return.
Sanchez twice missed open receivers for potential scores, made several wild throws and had a handful of passes dropped. He finished 21 for 45 for 306 yards and two interceptions. Holmes made nine catches for 147 yards.
"It was a roller coaster, no doubt," Sanchez said. "The defense and the other players picked me up when I didn't have it. It was an ugly win."
Like Sanchez, Tannehill had an up-and-down day. The rookie went 16 for 36 for 196 yards with the one costly interception.
"We expected to win," Ryan said. "But my goodness, it was tough."
Bush hurt his knee on a carry when the Dolphins were running out the clock in the second quarter. He returned to the bench after halftime in uniform and rode an exercise bike, but remained on the sideline.
All-Pro cornerback Revis departed in the third quarter with a non-contact injury.
Some Tebow trickery led to a field goal by New York. Exercising his option to call a fake, he took a short snap from punt formation on fourth-and-3 at the Jets 30 and ran 5 yards for a first down. He was glad the call worked.
"Makes it a lot easier to go back to the sideline," he said. That jump-started a 16-play drive that ended with a 3-pointer.
Tebow also drew a big cheer from the crowd when the scoreboard "Kiss Cam" showed him next to teammate Clyde Gates on the sideline. A teammate encouraged them to kiss, but they declined.
Notes: Jets WR Stephen Hill left the game with a right hamstring injury but afterward said he was fine. ... The Dolphins were 10 for 19 converting third down. The Jets came into the game last in the NFL in third-down defense. ... Former Dolphins Yeremiah Bell had seven tackles. ... Miami's Brandon Fields averaged 58.8 yards on four punts.
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Online: http://bigstory.ap.org/NFL-Pro32 and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Return of the Aints? Still winless
New Orleans blows 24-6 lead as Drew Brees and offense crumble in fourth quarter and overtime before losing 27-24. Jamaal Charles carried the Chiefs with 233 rushing yards.
Vikings take down 49ers in odd finish
The Vikings' Christian Ponder threw two touchdown passes to tight end Kyle Rudolph and ran for another score as Minnesota gave the 49ers their first loss, 24-13.
As we enter the last stretch of the presidential election, voters are starting to take a closer look at the candidates and what they stand for.
While social and foreign policy issues have dominated elections in the recent past, this year?s polls suggest it is all about ?the economy.?
But what does that really mean? What about ?the economy??
What is ?The Economy??
It is tricky to know for sure because ?the economy? as a construct is so abstract that it could mean very different things to different people.
Does it have to do with industrial output, taxes, jobs, entitlements, trade, the budget, the national debt or all or none of the above?
In general, it seems to be related to mood, which can be answered, at least in part, by the now clich?d phrase, ?Are you better off today than you were four years ago??
Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, raised the famous Reagan question in his convention speech a few weeks back and got people talking.
While most people tend to answer this question in a partisan manner, it is worth taking some time to figure the answer out for yourself.
There are lots of questions here, but answers are hard to come by. The idea of ?the economy? as a construct is very personal, making it hard for politicians to target one or two key issues.
If you feel like crunching some numbers, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis provides a database of 55,000 economic time series gathered from 45 sources.
If you don?t have time to go through them all, Business Insider grabbed some of the best screen shots here.
Each week, from now until the election, Mint is going to take a closer look at an economic topic that may be of importance to you.
If there is an economic topic you want to learn more about, go ahead and suggest one in the comment section below. Your question could be featured the following week.
This Week: Federal Income Taxes
This week we are going to take an initial stab at a biggie: taxes. More specifically, Federal income taxes.
For many Americans, the amount of money leaving their pockets and headed to Washington is a key indicator of how well the economy is doing ? their own personal economy.
If someone feels they are currently paying more to the government than they did in the past, then they are probably not going to feel they are better off today.
Federal income taxes are one of the largest expenditures in a person?s budget, so a slight increase or decrease can make a major impact on how ?rich? they feel.
US Tax Structure
The US has a progressive tax structure, which means a person should (in theory) pay a higher percentage of their income to the government in taxes as they make more money (up to a certain amount).
In the US we have six tax brackets based on individual income levels. Here is what they look like in 2012:
Tax Bracket
Married Filing Jointly
Single
10% Bracket
$0 ? $17,400
$0 ? $8,700
15% Bracket
$17,400 ? $70,700
$8,700 ? $35,350
25% Bracket
$70,700 ? $142,700
$35,350 ? $85,650
28% Bracket
$142,700 ? $217,450
$85,650 ? $178,650
33% Bracket
$217,450 ? $388,350
$178,650 ? $388,350
35% Bracket
Over $388,350
Over $388,350
Does that look familiar? It should, because after adjusting for inflation, the Federal tax rate hasn?t changed since the so-called ?Bush era tax cuts? came into effect in 2001 and 2003.
The tax cuts were supposed to end in 2010, but they were extended for another two years. The tax cuts are now set to end at the end of this year unless Congress and the President vote to extend them again.
Tax Credits and Payments
Do you feel like you are paying more or less than that?
Chances are you are paying less, but you think you are paying more.
You think you are paying more because this tax rate doesn?t take into account payments made to Social Security, Medicare, and state and regional governments.
This can add up to around 8% or more of your income based on where you are located and your income level.
But the reality is that you probably pay less than you think because of the multitude of tax deductions and tax credits you receive.
There are tax credits for things like children and there are deductions for things like the amount of interest paid on your mortgage.
The 47% Percent
Mitt Romney was heard on tape last week saying 47% of Americans don?t pay taxes at all.
That number is a bit misleading because it also counts retired people and students, who, of course, do not work and therefore do not pay taxes.
But there are a number of Americans who do work and still don?t pay income taxes ? Federal income taxes.
The Tax Policy Center illustrates how this is possible:
?For example, a couple with two children earning less than $26,400 will pay no Federal income tax this year because their $11,600 standard deduction and four exemptions of $3,700 each reduce their taxable income to zero.?
That same couple could theoretically earn around another $20,000 without paying any Federal income taxes due to the myriad of credits and deductions available to them.
If we just look at the Federal income tax, then it is true that a large number of Americans do not pay into the system.
That means 53% of people do ? but those people haven?t seen their tax burden go up, as there have been no major increases in the tax code since President Obama took office.
In fact, taxes for many Americans fell thanks to the ?Making Work Pay? tax credit passed in 2009, which gave people a ?stimulus check? of $400 per working individual in a household (up to a maximum of $800).
If anything, for most Americans, it appears that the amount they pay in taxes, at least in real terms, has gone down in the last four years because people?s incomes have fallen.
In the last quarter of 2008, when Mr. Obama was elected but not yet sworn in, the median household income was around $55,380.
And in the last quarter of 2011, the median household income was $52,377 ? a whopping $3,000 difference.
With the gap between the high and low income earners diverging, it means most Americans have seen their Federal tax bill fall along with their incomes.
The Federal Tax Burden
So what does this all mean in terms of the overall Federal tax burden of Americans?
Well, we have a rough estimate thanks to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. They recently updated their insightful report on the Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes through 2009, the first year of the Obama presidency.
While it is not as current as other statistics, it is the most thoughtful on this subject.
The CBO found that overall Federal tax rates, including income taxes, payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), excise taxes (tobacco, gasoline and alcohol) and individual share of corporate income taxes was at its lowest point since they started taking data in 1979 at 17.4%.
The all-household Federal tax rate hit its peak at 22.7%, which was also the year before President George W. Bush took office. But the rate fell throughout his presidency as the Bush-era tax cuts went into effect.
So in terms of your tax burden, it appears that due to the stimulus checks and falling incomes, chances are you are paying less in Federal income taxes today than you did four years ago.
It is understandable if you are not jumping for joy here. After all, most people would probably prefer to have more money in their pockets, even if they are paying more in taxes.
That?s why taxes can?t be looked at in a vacuum and why there is so much more to consider when casting your vote based on ?the economy.?
Next week we will be looking at the two candidates? tax plans and see how they mesh with economic reality.
Cyrus Sanati is a frelance financial journalist whose work has appeared in dozens of leading publications, including The New York Times, BreakingViews.com, and WSJ.com. Follow Cyrus on Twitter @csanati.
If you didn't stay up until 3 a.m. to pre-order an iPhone 5 last week, you were probably?too late to get one confirmed for shipment by Frida... Read more
5 hrs.
Randy Nelson, Tecca
One of the?most useful ? but likely misunderstood ? new features introduced in Apple's iOS 6 software for the iPhone is called Passbook. At first glance, the app might even seem like it doesn't serve a purpose. While it might not exactly be well-explained, it can simplify the process of keeping track of various passes ? such as tickets, coupons, and gift cards ? once you know how it works.
Step 1: Downloading supported apps
In order to do things with Passbook, you need to have apps that work with it installed on your phone. Getting them is easy enough: When you load up the Passbook app for the first time, you'll see a screen describing what it can do, along with a button that, when touched, whisks you away to a special Passbook section of the App Store.
Once there, you'll see a current list of all the Passbook-compatible apps available for download. They include those from United Airlines, American Airlines, Fandango, Target, Walgreens, and more. For the purpose of this article, we've downloaded the latter two.
Step 2: Finding things to add to Passbook
In the case of Walgreens' app (download for iPhone) you can add the chain's rewards card, called Balance Rewards, to your Passbook. This involves scanning your physical card's barcode or entering your info, after which you're able to store a virtual version of the card in Passbook. You also have the option of selecting your nearest store, so that when you're near it your phone will automatically display your card.
Target's app (download for iPhone) gives you to special mobile coupons redeemable at your local store. The latest version of the app lets you add these coupons to Passbook so they can be quickly accessed without having to load the actual Target app.
For other apps, such as Fandango and Major League Baseball (MLB), you can add movie and event tickets to Passbook in a similar fashion, then have them scanned at the theater or sporting venue. Airline passes for United, American Airlines, and Lufthansa will be automatically displayed when you arrive at the airport, and Passbook can even alert you to your gate number and any changes to your flight that might occur.
Step 3: Using Passbook in everyday life
As we mentioned earlier, with location-aware Passbook passes you can have your iPhone alert you when you're near somewhere they can be used. For example, with the Walgreens Balance Rewards card, a notification will appear on the iPhone's lock screen anytime you're near the Walgreens you've designated as your home store. Sliding the notification causes the virtual card to slide onto the screen so that it can be scanned. Pressing the menu button makes it slide back off so you can unlock your phone.
Passes such as the Target mobile coupons aren't location-aware, so you actually need to run the Passbook app and tap on them so they can be scanned. Tickets, boarding passes, and gift cards can be set to automatically alert you when you're near where they can be used. It really just depends on the way the apps that create the passes are designed.
When you're done using a pass, you get to use one of our favorite features ? well, at least the most fun ? of Passbook, the shredder. Tapping the small information icon on a pass will flip it over to reveal settings, such as the ability to turn its location-awareness on and off, or determine whether or not it'll display on your lock screen. If you tap the trash can icon, you'll be asked if you want to delete the pass. Tap yes and an animated shredder will slide up the screen, cutting the pass into strips, removing it from Passbook.
Handy, and sure to get better
Passbook has only been available for a matter of days, but we're already finding it pretty handy. Its usefulness will only improve as more retailers and businesses design their apps to make use of it. Before long, we'll all hopefully have a lot more room in our wallets because of fewer cards and papers we'll need to worry about losing thanks to this handy app.
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By Adam C. Smith, Times Political Editor Adam C. SmithTampa Bay Times In Print: Sunday, September 23, 2012
It's Florida, after all, so what would you expect?
After a constant stream of Sunshine State visits by President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, after many millions spent on TV ads, and even after a Republican National Convention in Tampa, Obama and Romney are essentially tied in America's ultimate battleground state.
A new Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll finds 48 percent of likely Florida voters backing Obama, 47 percent supporting Romney, 1 percent with Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and just 4 percent undecided.
"It's still very much a toss-up. It's a turnout game," said Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research.
The needle has barely budged since the last Times/Herald/Bay News 9 poll in July showed Obama leading 46 percent to 45 percent, though Obama's lead with independents grew 6 percentage points while the number of undecided voters dropped 3 points.
The good news for Romney? Fifty-two percent of Florida voters say the country is heading in the wrong direction and only 43 percent say it's on the right track.
What's more, Romney's recent spate of negative publicity, including the release of a secret recording of him suggesting that the 47 percent of voters backing Obama are dependent on government and view themselves as victims, appears to have done little or no damage to the Republican nominee in Florida.
"We've had this swirl of coverage over the last couple of weeks, and it doesn't seem to have made a real impact with average voters," said Coker, who led the poll last week just as Romney's 47 percent comment dominated the news. "The talking class and the analysts, and the inside the beltway bubble people all think this stuff is big and important, and the voters don't think it's all that important."
Romney's comment about people dependent on government certainly didn't bother Lake City resident Dale Varnes, 52.
"He was preaching the truth, he knows that Obama has those people on his side and he's going to get them automatically because he's giving them what they want," said Varnes, who is disabled.
The phone survey of 800 registered Florida voters ? all likely to vote in the November election ? was conducted Sept. 17-19 for the Times, Herald, El Nuevo Herald, Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13. The poll, which included respondents using landlines and cellphones, was conducted by Mason-Dixon, a nonpartisan, Jacksonville-based company. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points.
The bad news for Romney? It's close to impossible for him to win the presidency Nov. 6 without Florida's 29 electoral votes. And contrary to widespread early predictions that Florida would lean Republican by this point, the poll underscores how much work Romney still has to do here in the final six weeks while still trying to gain ground in other battleground states.
Most troubling for the former venture capitalist and Massachusetts governor, his central argument ? that he's best equipped to turn around the economy ? is falling short. Florida voters are evenly divided on whether they trust Romney or Obama more to improve the economy, with independent voters giving Obama the edge.
"That probably is the one number that is the most worrisome if I were in the Romney camp," Coker said.
Mary Ann Krueger, a registered Republican and retired office supply store owner in Sebastian, said it's Romney's background that makes her think he wouldn't do much to help small businesses like the one she used to own.
"Romney doesn't have a clue as to what it's like to struggle in life," said Krueger, 74. "He doesn't have a background in small business."
More ominous signs for Romney: He trails Obama, 49 percent to 45 percent, in Tampa Bay, the battleground region that typically decides statewide elections, and he trails Obama by 11 percentage points statewide among independent voters.
Overall, 47 percent approve of Obama's job performance and 45 percent disapprove. Forty-six percent have a favorable impression of Obama and 43 percent have an unfavorable one, similar to Romney who is viewed favorably by 43 percent and unfavorably by 39 percent.
Romney has an 11-point advantage over Obama among men, and Obama has a 15-point advantage among women. Romney leads among white voters, 55 percent to 40 percent, while 95 percent of African-Americans back the president. Obama leads Romney by 9 points among Florida's coveted Hispanic voters, less than his margin of victory four years ago, though those questions have a higher margin of error.
The survey points to a Florida electorate as polarized as ever, with 87 percent of Democrats behind Obama and 92 percent of Republicans backing Romney.
Nor do many minds appear to be changing. The July Times/Herald/Bay News 9 poll also found Obama leading by 1 percentage point, though he has slightly strengthened his advantage among independents since then, when more Floridians disapproved of the president's job performance than approved.
In the new poll, voters younger than 35 overwhelmingly support the president, voters between 35 and 50 are closely divided, and Romney leads by 6 percentage points among those 65 and older.
Democrats had hoped to chip away at the GOP's typical advantage among seniors by highlighting Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's proposal to change Medicare's guaranteed benefit for younger people. The poll shows little sign that has worked.
Asked whether they trust Obama or Romney more to keep Medicare financially stable, 49 percent of voters said Obama and 47 percent Romney. Voters 50 and older said they trusted Obama more, but not significantly.
"I don't think that Medicare is as big a wedge issue as it has been," Coker said, noting that the unpopular Affordable Care Act has helped change the political dynamic. "The health care law is very unpopular and it's almost a neutralizer with the traditional attack the Democrats make on Medicare."
Jean Auris, a registered independent and retired pharmacy technician in Homosassa, however, said she resents the criticism she hears of entitlement programs and beneficiaries.
"I take Social Security and I take Medicare, those are social programs. And I can't understand these older people that turn against it. They don't want to admit that they're a middle-class poorer person,'' said Auris, one of those surveyed. "I think that sometimes people look at Fox News and Fox News tells them that they're better than that. You're not better than that, you're a poor middle-class person. Come to the reality."
Florida voters have a bleak view of the economy ? 51 percent say they are worse off today than four years ago, and 41 percent say better off ? but don't necessarily blame Obama. One in three says Obama deserves most or all of the blame for the current economic situation, about equal to the number of voters who say he deserves none of the blame.
Scott Hudson, 47, owns an electrical engineering firm in Tallahassee and says Romney's business experience makes him a better candidate.
"He's made money, he's made decisions that have changed the financial outlook of companies," Hudson said. "Obama hasn't done anything with the economy. After four years of not seeing anything drastically change with the economy, I can't support Obama."
While a majority of voters see the country heading on the wrong track, they are not entirely pessimistic about Florida. One in three sees the state's economy getting better, one in five sees it getting worse, and 45 percent say it seems to be staying about the same.
The economy has been the dominant issue in the campaign to date, though recent turbulence in the Middle East, including attacks on U.S. facilities in Libya and Egypt, have elevated foreign policy as an issue. Obama has an advantage there, with 51 percent of voters saying they trust the president more and 45 percent saying Romney.
Times staff writers Katie Sanders and Michael Van Sickler contributed to this report. Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@tampabay.com.
An Apple Maps-bashing #iLost ad posted by Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility has been criticised for using a fake address in order to make Apple?s new Map service look faulty.
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