text:
Millions of people have tried Alpha. For the first time ever, we are coming together to invite the rest of the world to #TryAlpha.
On 1 September 2016, churches all around the world will invite their communities to explore life, faith and God on Alpha.
The Global Alpha Campaign 2016 is going to be the most visible, widespread and exciting global invitation to encourage people to explore the meaning of life. It features world-renowned TV outdoor survivalist, Bear Grylls, and his greatest adventure—finding a simple faith in God through Alpha. Our aim is for people to be impacted by Bear's story and be persuaded to try Alpha themselves.
Churches of all denominations are coming together in a coordinated effort to use this historic opportunity to simultaneously run Alpha in 2016/2017.
Invitation materials include postcards, posters, banners and a campaign video. Watch the trailer below and download it here:
Who is Bear Grylls?
Bear Grylls has become known as the face of adventure and outdoor survival. He has climbed Mount Everest, ventured to the depths of Antarctica and completed the first unassisted crossing of the north Atlantic Arctic Ocean. Bear is currently the youngest ever Chief Scout to the UK Scout Association and is an honorary Colonel to the notoriously tough Royal Marines Commandos.
His TV show, Man vs. Wild, was the number one ranked reality show in the US last year (2015). In his current adventure TV show, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, Bear goes on a two-day trip into the wilderness with celebrities such as Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, and President Obama. The six-episode series Mission Survive was distributed to 150 countries, including Canada, Australia, Latin America, Europe and Hong Kong.
With 1.5 billion viewers worldwide, he is recognised from New York to New Delhi, and his fastest growing market is now China. Bear has recently signed on with Dragon TV, one of the top TV stations in China, for an adventure show, Survivor Games. It was aired last autumn and was ranked in the top five most watched shows in China. He's also authored six best-selling books, including Mud, Sweat and Tears.
We are blessed to have Bear Grylls as the face of our Global Alpha Campaign. He is passionate about Alpha and, having been a guest on Alpha himself, knows how God can impact each person in attendance.
Global Alpha Campaign 2016 featuring Bear Grylls: Invite a Generation


text:
First project at AHO – Enhanced Cards
I want to show you our first project in Tangible Interactions at AHO, because my blog was created after this project. This was a one week project with Gjermund.
An interactive invitation to an exclusive Nintendo event, aimed at members of Club Nintendo.
The invitation is delivered in a box resembling the questionmark-blocks from the NES-era Mario games, which indicate a mystery inside. The graphics on the box aims to build on the expectations of the recipient. The box contains a piranha plant, a known figure from Mario games. Two hand-stickers indicate a hidden functionality. If the pipe is squeezed the piranha plant will open its mouth and eject a rolled up piece of paper, containing the information about the event, to the surprise and delight of the recipient.
This project was my first meeting with tangible interactions, I used to look at interaction design as screen based design. I was way out of my comfort zone the first week, for example working with silicon at the plastic workshop. I am still out of my comfort zone compared to graphic design and screen based solutions, but I will admit that my geek level has raised a few points.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Generally speaking, I have a problem with authority. I don't like being told what to do or how to do it. I'm not proud of that.
I recall debating with my High School Trigonometry teacher regarding the value of the homework "process." Specifically, in those situations where the student in question did not require practice to get an A. And, if said student was getting a 98% on the exams, why spend effort trying for those last 2 points? In the world of cost/benefit analysis, what's the point? That homework effort may have cut into said student's social time and said student had to make choices.
To this day, I believe that I had a valid point. Although I'd recommend, based on an unfortunate turn of events that resulted in an 89% and a difficult explanation to my parents, there's probably a time and place to disagree with process. Touché, Mr. Petrunyak. Touché.
Fast forward many decades, and now my job is to deliver products in the most effective and efficient way possible and to continuously improve upon our methods and approaches to doing just that. And that often involves "process," including analysis, diagrams, checklists, etc. Getting better and better at what we do. While I have no personal vendetta against process diagrams, checklists and general process of getting better, I believe, as with homework, they are tools that have their time and place.
Case in point.
Minitab, like many companies, has a variety of products at different stages of the product lifecycle. We have products that have been around for a while, products newly introduced or on the cusp of introduction and products that are a mere twinkle in a statistician's eye. So, while we actively pursue process improvement, its application varies dramatically based on this and other factors.
"Established" Stage
Products that have been in the field for years tend to have a developed architecture and team. We also have plenty of data available on usage, issues, etc. In these cases, we are often interested in improved cadence or efficiency, so we'll employ many traditional CPI methods. We regularly assess the data and make improvements in the development methodologies to improve our ability to get features to our customers in a more efficient manner. We can glean from the data how best to "spend" our testing dollars based on configurations in the field, risk areas of the applications, etc. We can use the data to identify high-risk areas requiring mitigation strategies. It's the perfect place for some good, old fashioned data analysis.
The example below is from a one-year post-release assessment performed by our product development team. At Minitab, the product development team owns the release, pre- and post-release. They own the results and adjust based on their findings. The Pareto Chart depicts the types of issues found. From that, they identify and implement areas of improvement.
"Show Time" Stage
For products that are newly introduced or on the cusp of introduction, it's a different ballgame. We don't jump out of the gate thinking "Great—let's pull out the Pareto Charts!" Instead, we step back, observe and learn. We don't have an excessive amount of data on usage, yet so we aren't churning out a variety of charts. We evaluate the information as it comes and we adjust, but it's not process-heavy. We are evolving the process as we are learning.
"Twinkle in the Eye" Stage
This is someplace we don't go peddling our CPI wares. Innovation drives this guy, not process. Sure there's market data and analysis. And, sure, there's learning. But, we aren't evaluating the development process like we do with products in the field. For example, we aren't assessing how "buggy" the code was the first time we prototyped something—it doesn't matter at this point, and it's not how to win statistician friends. If anyone would ever want to win a statistician friend, that is.
So, we learn and we get better. But we recognize the limits of standardizing our improvement processes. What fits for one part of the business doesn't necessarily fit for another. But through careful consideration and effective data analysis, the way we've tailored our approach works for us.


text:
Capitol Alert
Time names leader of California anti-harassment movement a 'Person of the Year'
Adama Iwu, the leader of a movement calling out sexual harassment in California politics, is featured on the cover of Time Magazine's Person of the Year edition and in a story highlighting women from all over the country who "started a revolution of refusal."
Days after a fellow lobbyist inappropriately touched Iwu at a political event, the Sacramento lobbyist launched a campaign to draw attention to sexual harassment at the hands of powerful men at the Capitol. Iwu and more than 140 other women signed a "We Said Enough" letter that described a pervasive culture of harassment in political circles and engulfed Sacramento in a scandal that rippled across the nation.
"It's hard to call 147 women liars," Iwu, the head of Visa's western U.S. government relations program, said in the Time article. "We can't all be crazy. We can't all be sluts."
.#WeSaidEnough and our co-founder @Adamanation are honored to be part of #TheSilenceBreakers for @TIME Magazine's #PersonoftheYear. We stand on the shoulders of women like @TaranaBurke and Anita Hill. Our hope is now-together-we can secure lasting culture change. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/nDv83c9A6S— We Said Enough (@WeSaidEnough) December 6, 2017
The letter, which published on Oct. 17, served as a rallying cry for female lobbyists, legislative employees, publicists and others to stand up against a system they say long silenced women and protected the men who mistreated them. Many women say they do not feel safe naming names without suffering retaliation.
Iwu told Time that she's also been forced to consider the risks of speaking out. She said people were wary when she described the campaign before it got off the ground. "Remember Anita Hill," she said others reminded her.
She appears on the Time cover alongside actress Ashley Judd, musician Taylor Swift, agricultural worker Isabel Pascual and former Uber engineer Susan Fowler. The women were among others Time dubbed "The Silence Breakers" and honored with the Person of the Year title.
Some women in California political circles have spoken openly about their experiences. As a result Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Los Angeles Democrat accused of groping women, resigned from the state Legislature and two other state lawmakers – Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, and Assemblyman Matt Dababneh, D-Los Angeles – lost their committee chairmanships after allegations surfaced about their behavior. Both Mendoza and Dababneh are under official investigation, according to leaders in the Senate and Assembly.
The scrutiny prompted leaders of both houses of the California Legislature to pledge to change the way the institution handles sexual harassment and assault allegations.
A bill to provide legislative employees with whistleblower protections has failed repeatedly in the California Senate. Now leaders say they intend to introduce and pass similar legislation in 2018.
The state Senate said it would strip its internal employees of some control over sexual harassment, abuse and assault investigations, instead requiring an outside law firm to probe allegations. The firm will also be tasked with establishing a confidential hotline for Senate staff to report their experiences, the pro tem's office has said. The Senate is interviewing law firms this week.
The California Assembly held a hearing last week to begin a review of its sexual harassment policies. Lawmakers sharply criticized the house for not tracking of harassment complaints. The state Senate has not announced any plans to hold its own hearings.
The Assembly said outside investigators already handle some of its harassment allegations. Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, who led the sexual harassment hearing, said she's pushing the house to set up a confidential hotline. Friedman also said she's requesting that the Assembly begin tracking sexual misconduct complaints.
More Assembly hearings are expected in January. Time's Person of the Year edition hits newsstands Thursday.
Taryn Luna: 916-326-5545, @TarynLuna


text:
Hugh Kretschmer is a photographer based in Los Angeles and specializing in photo-illustration, advertising and editorial photography and design. Of his work, he says: 'The idea is the most important ingredient. I've always appreciated concept because it adds another layer to the photograph and invites participation from the viewer. When I see something that is done well, where the artist really nails it, I find myself just staring. I can't think of anything else that would be more of a compliment than that'. Kretschmer's clients include Mastercard, Evian and the New York Times magazine.
Your work is highly conceptual. Can you talk a bit about your inspiration and how you decide what idea is worth putting into production?
'My inspiration comes from many unidentifiable sources and is probably more like an amalgamation of different influences from many years of absorbing. I come from a very artistic family and there was a lot of reference around the house. As a result, my early work was heavily influenced by twentieth century painting and sculpture. I think the thread is still there and, perhaps, evident in the photos I did last week.
'As far as the next personal project I put into the works, the decision is based on what will bring me the most creative satisfaction and push my book forward. It is best if it also gets me out of my comfort zone and has me trying things that I have not done: build a prop in a way that is untried or solve a visual problem by a technique I have not used before. I may sweat and I may fail. But at the end of the day, I can at least say I tried'.
Your personal, editorial and advertising work blend together well through mood and color palette. What conscious choices do you make to ensure that this happens?
'I try my best to treat my subject with respect. I am not talking about the model I am photographing so much as the subject I am illustrating. I do my best to keep in mind what is important. I think this drives my choices in set design, styling, lighting and color scheme. Hopefully, with all these elements painstakingly put in place, the message is preserved and allowed to come through quickly with just enough extra detail to let the eye linger for a few more moments'.
You currently have a show up at Clark | Oshin Gallery. How did you make the selections for this show and is it mainly your personal work that is included?
'The collection is very close to an even split between assignment and personal work. The selections were really based on my heart of hearts and the projects that will always have a place there. There are some real favorites from ten years ago that I look at today and I still say to myself, "That was a great day".
'But, I had help, too. I presented the first cut to Nan and Kathleen, the curators, and we worked together from there. There was very little back and forth because I think they were both in sync with my sensibilities'.
Among other things, your work is very playful. Do you have specific goals that you want it to achieve?
'My work has been described as many things, from "dark" to "whimsical". I like that and I take it as a compliment. I appreciate a great many things and, perhaps, that's showing up in my work. Regardless, I think the biggest goal it has to achieve is fulfilling me creatively. That is first and foremost and has always been that way. I would love it to bring me the next great job and I would not be honest if said otherwise. Lately, I have been pushing a few projects in a brighter, more colorful direction while maintaining a fanciful approach'.
How do you see the movement of more and more content online changing the way that you work in the future?
'Good question! More and more photographers and less and less print jobs. The equation can be overwhelming. Or an opportunity to evolve. I have done two such evolutions in my career and each has been uncomfortable. Growth always has its pains. But the rewards have been amazing and I am glad I went through them. I think this, too, will be one of those times and, hopefully, bring more creativity and innovation'.


text:
Hotels near a beach in Westport
We have found 1 properties to book, based on your search for Hotels near a beach in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland.
Clew Bay Hotel Mayo
Hotel in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland
Clew Bay Hotel Mayo. Hotel Accommodation in Westport, County Mayo. Luxury 3 star Hotel. Hotel near a beach on the coast of County Mayo, Ireland.
€ 45.00 - € 220.00 per night
Please wait while loading...


text:
Finished: T-Shirt Bath Mat
I'll definitely weave another one of these, but next time I'll use the 24" wide Erica loom instead of the 19" Glimakra Emilia. It "shrunk" off the loom to about 15" wide, and I haven't even washed it yet. This is so cushy and soft, though, that it'll still be used as a bath mat, only we may need to stand sideways on it!


text:
Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Show All Answers
View and print a property record card for any parcel located within the city limits of St. Cloud through a property search on the GIS map. Instructions for accessing a property record card can be found here.
Your property taxes are paid to the County Auditor/Treasurer in the county where your property is located. In St. Cloud, your property could be located in Benton, Sherburne or Stearns County. For more information please visit their websites below or contact the county offices.
Homestead classification applies to properties occupied as primary residence by their owners or a qualifying relative. Classification as homestead may qualify the property for a reduced classification rate, reduced taxable market value, property tax refund and/or special program eligibility. For more information and available homestead applications click here.
If you have questions regarding your classification or estimated market value for your property, please contact your assessor's office to discuss your concerns. For questions regarding the formal appeal process please review this form.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue provides resources available to read or download right from their website. You can find their property tax fact sheets here.


text:
CBS2's Reena Roy has the latest on the deadly plane crash in Union Vale that killed one and destroyed a home. Another person is also missing.
One Dead After Fiery Plane Crash In Dutchess County
Sponsored By
Program: CBS2 News At 11Categories: Local News, Air Travel, WCBSTV, Top Story
Latest Videos
Woman Sought For Spraying Unknown Substance On Bus DriverPolice are searching for a woman accused of spraying an unknown substance on an MTA bus driver in East Harlem. Katie Johnston reports.
Sneak Peek Of 'Salon Du Chocolat' ShowcaseChocolatiers from around the world are set to showcase their sweets at the Salon du Chocolat this weekend at the Javits Center.
Alicia Keys To Host GRAMMYs AgainFifteen-time GRAMMY Award winner Alicia Keys says she's returning to host the star-studded event in January.
NJ Lawmakers To Convene On Vaping CrisisNew Jersey lawmakers will attend Assembly committees today to discuss regulating the e-cigarette industry.
Group On Bikes Appears To Terrorize OfficerNew video appears to show an NYPD officer being taunted by a group of dirt bike riders in the Bronx. CBSN New York's Jenna DeAngelis reports.
Beautician Faces Sentencing For Deadly InjectionAn unlicensed beautician who pleaded guilty to killing a woman during a botched butt injection procedure in a Queens basement in 2015 will hear her sentence today.
Opening Statements In Thomas Spota TrialOpening statements are scheduled today in the federal trial of former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota.
Suspect Arrested In Brooklyn Egg AttacksPolice have arrested an 18-year-old man for allegedly throwing eggs at Jewish targets in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
NJ DEP To Trap Toms River TurkeysNew Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection is now working to trap and remove the wild turkeys that have been overrunning neighborhoods in Toms River.
Candy Vendor Arrested At East Harlem Subway StationPolice were seen on video arresting a man at an East Harlem subway station for allegedly selling candy without a permit.
Caught On Camera: Dirt Bike Riders Surround NYPD OfficerNew video appears to show an NYPD officer being taunted by a group of dirt bike riders in the Bronx. CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reports.
New York Weather: Slight Warm-UpCBS2's Elise Finch has the latest weather forecast.
New York Weather: CBS2 11/13 Nightly Forecast at 11PMCBS2's Lonnie Quinn has your weather forecast for November 13 at 11 p.m.
Are Colleges Buying Student Info For Their Own Benefit?CBS2's Ali Bauman has the latest on colleges allegedly buying student information to help boost their own admission rankings.
Bronx Dogs StolenPolice are looking for four dogs that were stolen by a suspect in the Bronx.
Muslim Family Claims Child Was Unfairly Punished At SchoolCBS2's Valerie Castro has the latest on the Brooklyn family claiming their son was unfairly punished while fasting for a religious holiday at school.
Subway Delays Leave Riders StrandedA switch problem in Brooklyn left subway riders on several lines facing major delays Wednesday.
Trespasser Struck By Train In New JerseyA trespasser was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Newark.
Bloomberg Will Not Appear On New Hampshire BallotMichael Bloomberg will not appear on the Democratic Primary ballot in New Hampshire.
Trump Impeachment Hearing BeginsCBS2's Jessica Layton has the latest on the opening testimony in the President Trump impeachment inquiry.
East Village Explosion Case Heads To JuryCBSN New York's Alice Gainer has the latest on the trial of three people being held responsible for an explosion in an east Village building in 2015.
Organization Collecting Socks For the HomelessCBS2's Ali Bauman has the latest on efforts to collect socks for the thousands of people in homeless shelters in New York.
Hospital Employees Spreading Kindness With Greeting CardsHospital employees in Yonkers are spreading kindness by making greeting cards for patients.
National Grid Says It Will Meet TimelineGas utility National Grid says it will meet the timeline given by Gov. Cuomo to restore gas services to customers.


text:
The skill of the speech
Afraid of public speaking? Know your audience and what they want
In his new book, "Everyone Can Be a Dynamic Public Speaker: Yes, I Mean You!," speaking coach Mark Grimm of Guilderland reminds readers that Americans' No. 1 fear, ahead even of dying, is public speaking. He paraphrases Jerry Seinfeld: "That means at a funeral the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy."
Even the most successful leaders can dread public speaking. Grimm worked with an Army colonel who had commanded an entire battalion in Iraq but who went weak in the knees at the thought of giving a speech.
But whether it's presenting an idea to co-workers, pitching a design to a potential client, or giving a paper at an industry conference, public speaking is hard to avoid at work. And as your level of responsibility rises, Grimm notes, the opportunities and the pressure to perform as a speaker only increase.
When most people learn they will have to give a speech, Grimm said, they start worrying about how they will come across and what they will wear. "Wrong approach," he said.
He suggests, instead, making it all about your listeners. "What we should be asking is, 'Who is the audience, and what do they want?'" The best way to deliver what the audience wants, he said, is to know what that is.
So whenever he's scheduled to give a presentation about the topic of public speaking, he emails the person in charge — and all the participants as well, when possible — in advance to ask for one specific thing they'd like to take away from the talk.
An example of a helpful response Grimm has received is: "I would say my greatest weakness actually comes at the end of the presentation, when the questions start. How can I really pay attention to what people are asking, while formulating a response?"
This is a question that another expert, public speaking presence coach Carla Kimball of Hartland, Vt., also loves to be asked.
Kimball, founder of RiverWays Enterprises, said she encourages clients to slow down and take a breath, not only before but also during a presentation. Kimball said slowing down internally helps people to find an answer and to "trust that their natural response will be enough."
"It's OK to repeat the question," she said. "You can say, 'Let me think about that for a second.' Or open it up to general discussion and say, 'That's an interesting question. Does anyone have any thoughts about it?'"
Speakers sometimes hope that if they don't really look at anyone, but just stare at the wall behind the audience's heads, they will feel less frightened. In fact, she said, that only makes them feel more alone. Connecting with one listener at a time, instead, is key.
Her work focuses on encouraging clients to drop all pretenses and become "fully authentic," so that they can really connect.
Another local expert, Dale Klein, also talks about presence, but with a different emphasis. Klein is a corporate communication and speech specialist and the owner of Profitable Speech in Clifton Park. Klein works with clients, many of whom are concerned about their credibility or professional presence, on increasing their "entire presence."
Be aware, she recommends, of your posture, both when standing and sitting. Women speakers in particular, she said, have a tendency to "take more of a diminutive stance." This can mean slouching, leaning over, or even just crossing their legs when seated. One important element in her training, she said, is learning to "really fill the space that you occupy."
Using the voice effectively is important, too, Klein said. Learning to improve your breath support helps not only with projection but with managing nerves, she said.
More Information
Talk that talk
All three experts offered a few tips on things you can start to do right away to improve your skills as a public speaker:
Mark Grimm, speaking coach from Guilderland
"There are plenty of opportunities out there for practicing public speaking. Take advantage of them! In a meeting at work, when someone asks for input, speak up. Attend a political forum and ask a question or offer your opinion. Civic organizations such as Rotary, Girl Scouts or the United Way always need speakers to speak at meetings or to the public. Try getting up to speak at a social or religious event at your place of worship — you will not find a friendlier audience."
Dale Klein, corporate communication and speech specialist and the owner of Profitable Speech in Clifton Park
"Use audiotapes and videotapes to become more aware of your own presence. Sometimes with clients I will ask to videotape them. Often they aren't thrilled by that, but it helps us to see what are some things that can be improved."
Carla Kimball, public speaking presence coach in Hartland, Vt.
"Clients are often surprised when I encourage them to start a daily meditation practice, and to take time every day to slow down and get quiet. These are skills that I want them to develop on a long-term basis, integrated into their lives so that when they're feeling anxious, they're able to manage it better."
About their books
Mark Grimm: "Everyone Can Be a Dynamic Speaker: Yes, I Mean You!" (Mark Grimm Communications, November 2013) 96 pages, $13.89 http://www.markgrimm.com
Dale Klein: "In 30 Seconds ... Speak Like You Mean Business: You Are Your 30-Second Commercial!" (Profitable Speech LLC, October 2013) 81 pages, $30 http://www.profitablespeech.com
Carla Kimball: two PDF workbooks are available on her website — "The Speaking Presence Toolkit" and "The ABCs of Presence in Speaking, Leading, and Life!" $35 each, or $65 for both http://www.riverways.com
Klein has one client she has never actually met, a banker in Texas, who she works with by Skype. Each time the client comes up for a promotion, she contacts Klein, who advises her on specific techniques she can use in interviews. The client has gotten all of the promotions, Klein said.
Grimm points out in his book that many speakers are afraid of feedback.
"Every speech is an opportunity to get better," he writes, "provided we ask for feedback, and we have enough humility to capitalize on it."
Elizabeth Floyd Mair is a freelance writer. Reach her at email@example.com.


text:
EVERY so often some gifted thinker stares at a long-entrenched product or tradition, and with sudden inspiration redesigns it and changes the world for the better. Thanks to these little moments of brilliance, society now takes for granted such advances as self-adhesive postage stamps, seedless watermelon and waxed dental floss.
In 1984, Steve Jobs, Apple Computer's co-founder, pulled off just such a stunt with the Macintosh, whose icons and menus banished the cryptic commands of DOS to the great computer museum in the sky.
Now Mr. Jobs and his team have taken another dysfunctional, user-hostile product and bashed the ugliness out of it: the downloadable-music service.
Online music has a brief but eventful history. With the rise of high-speed Internet connections and file-sharing programs like Napster, fans began circulating their collections online. CD sales slowed for the first time. The recording industry cried piracy, drove Napster out of business, and then created music-download services of its own -- legal, profit-seeking Web sites like Pressplay, Rhapsody, MusicNet and MusicNow.
So far, those services have bombed, and it's easy to see why. For starters, you must pay $10 or $20 a month even if you don't listen to a single song. That's an unpleasant switch from the pay-per-album system that has been in place since the dawn of recorded music. Besides, expecting pop music's largely youthful audience to pay hundreds of dollars a year may be a gross miscalculation of their disposable income.
Furthermore, that monthly fee generally buys you only the right to listen to the music while you're sitting, like the ultimate nerd, at your PC -- and only while you're still paying. You're not buying music, you're renting it. Some services let you burn selected songs onto a CD for an extra fee. Pressplay lets you save certain songs onto certain portable music players -- but not the Apple iPod, which happens to be the best-selling one.
In short, the existing download services are complex, expensive and limiting. They're failing because they were created to serve the interests of the record companies, not their customers.
Apple's new service, called the iTunes Music Store (www.applemusic.com), succeeds precisely because it avoids those pitfalls. You can buy any of its 200,000 songs for $1 each; it's the first music service that requires no monthly fee. You can also buy an entire album for $10; it's the first music service that makes downloading an album less expensive than buying a CD. And you can do almost anything you like with the music you buy (like copying it to CD's, to other Macs or to iPods); it's the first music service that doesn't view every customer as a criminal-in-waiting.
Using complex background technology to create simple-seeming products has always been Apple's most important talent, and the iTunes Music Store is a classic example. The truth is, you can't exactly do anything with the music you buy. For example, you can burn your downloaded music onto as many CD's as you like, but only 10 consecutive times without rearranging their playback order. It's a precaution that prevents mass production of illegal CD copies, but couldn't possibly inconvenience everyday music fans.
Similarly, you can copy the songs onto as many as three computers, two more than the rival services permit. After all, if you've paid for music, you should be entitled to listen to it at home, at work and on your laptop. You don't have to worry that you'll lose your songs when you upgrade to a new Mac; a single menu command adds or removes a computer from your set of three. (An irresistible new feature of iTunes 4 is its ability to ''publish'' its song list, so that other Macs on the same network, or even across the Internet, can play them. As a result, you can even authorize a friend's Mac to be your third machine; the software checks in with Apple's Web site to confirm that you're within your limit. That way, you can listen to your collection wherever you happen to be.)
In short, copy protection is built in, but it's artfully designed. To find it limiting and intrusive, you'd have to be a music pirate so dedicated you'd wear an eye patch and walk around saying, ''Arrrgh, matey.''
For the moment, getting started with the iTunes Music Service involves downloading quite a bit of free software: a QuickTime updater, an iPod updater (not necessary for the new iPods that are to become available tomorrow), and a new version of Apple's jukebox software, iTunes 4. For the moment, you also need a Mac running Mac OS X.
When you click on the Music Store icon, the iTunes window changes to resemble a Web page. A Browse button lets you drill down from a genre (like Blues, Rock or Books & Spoken) to a performer, album and song. A Search command lets you type in any part of an artist, song, album or composer name. Top 10 lists, Staff Favorites, New Releases and other links round out the main screen. The cover art of the album for the song you're examining is always on display.
Once you've selected some songs to consider, you double-click on a song's title to hear a 30-second preview. (The music even fades in and out gracefully, a typical Apple touch.) One click on a Buy Song button adds it to your collection in the form of an Advanced Audio Coding file.
Apple adopted AAC for the same reasons that Microsoft invented WMA files: because they sound better than MP3 files, take up less disk space and can be copy-protected. Of course, two kinds of people would probably prefer the more popular MP3 format: music thieves, and occasional oddballs whose music players are not iPods. If such people really need their downloaded music in MP3 format, they can theoretically burn their AAC or WMA files onto an audio CD, then convert its songs into MP3 files. Then again, such people are likely to skip all of that effort -- and commercial music services, for that matter -- and head straight for the free piracy sites like KaZaA.
Apple's system can be slow with a dial-up modem, and it's a little annoying that no search by artist name produces more than 100 results (a tactic to prevent sluggishness, Apple says; if you want that 101st Carly Simon song, you have to search for it by name). Still, it's extremely easy to navigate the service, and it's extremely easy to become hooked. Six months from now, you'll no doubt read shocking tales of $700 iTunes bills racked up by the kind of teenagers who used to bankrupt their parents with phone calls to 900 numbers.
Apple's library holds songs from all five major record companies, including several dozen exclusives from Eminem, Fleetwood Mac, Sting, Sheryl Crow and others; several have music videos that play right in the iTunes window. And only Apple has anything from Andrea Bocelli or the Eagles. Maybe Apple was able to secure these permissions because musicians are famously Mac-crazy to begin with. Or maybe they, too, are grateful to escape the byzantine pricing schemes of the earlier download services.
Still, even Mr. Jobs's high-gear charisma hasn't swayed all agents and bands to permit their music to be sold online. That's why the Beatles, Britney Spears, Metallica, Madonna, the Backstreet Boys, the Rolling Stones and other top-tier names are absent so far from all commercial download services, including Apple's. Apple lists hundreds of other bands but sometimes offers only older albums or selected tracks. But if anything will persuade these musicians to try selling their music online, it's the iTunes Music Store.
Apple has big plans for its new service. First, the company plans to roll out a Windows version of iTunes and the Music Store later this year. Second, once record companies are reassured that the iTunes formula can work, Apple hopes that they will relax the contract restrictions that limit the service to United States residents only. Most important, Apple intends to expand its song offerings weekly, in part by giving reluctant performers personal demos by Mr. Jobs, who is something of a rock star himself.
Among the Music Store's many grace notes and pleasant surprises, the most amazing is the balance it strikes between the apparently irreconcilable interests of the three interested parties. The record companies get a reasonable amount of money. The bands get both exposure and protection. And the once-neglected customer finally gets what online music libraries should have been delivering all along: high-quality recordings, free from the viruses and deliberately corrupted files that increasingly poison the wells of free music-trading services like KaZaA; the freedom to cherry-pick songs without having to pay for a bunch of grade-B filler; the liberty to spend as little or as much as one likes, whenever one likes; and the flexibility to copy the music to other computers, iPods or CD's.
At this very moment, executives at Pressplay, MusicNet and their ilk are surely sprinting into hastily assembled meetings to discuss how they can mimic Apple's model. But that's all right; Apple will surely find other messy, dysfunctional institutions to reinvent. Do you suppose Mr. Jobs has seen the federal tax code lately?
A Slimmer, Lighter iPod, With Room for More Music
UPDATING a classic can be tricky business. Tinker too much with the formula and you risk spoiling what made it a hit. (Just ask the creators of New Coke.)
Tomorrow, Apple's best-selling chrome-and-white iPod music player will go on sale in three revamped models, with a 10-, 15- or 30-gigabyte hard drive inside (for $300, $400 or $500, respectively). That's enough to hold 2,500, 3,700 or 7,500 songs, which ought to suffice for most workouts, commutes and parties. Each of the two higher-priced models comes with an exquisitely designed belt-clip carrying case, a recharging-synchronizing dock and a wired remote control in gleaming chrome.
Despite the expanded capacity, the player is even thinner and lighter than before. You can no longer describe the machine as ''about as thick as a deck of cards''; you now have to add, ''or at least the clubs and spades.''
There are, however, a few tradeoffs. For one, the svelte shape is easier to carry, but it leaves less room for a battery, so these iPods run for only eight hours on a charge instead of 12 hours as their predecessors did.
Similarly, the Play, Menu, Previous and Next buttons are now four round, backlighted buttons just below the screen. Because they're touch-sensitive and don't actually move, you don't have to worry about beach sand getting inside. But because they are no longer arranged around the iPod's famous scroll dial, it's much harder to navigate blindly with minimal thumb motion, as iPodders worldwide love to do.
And because the new iPod is too thin to accommodate a standard FireWire cable, it comes with a proprietary, slitlike FireWire connector on the bottom. If you lose the cable it came with, you can no longer charge your iPod or sync it with the music collection on your Mac or PC. On the other hand, this single connector conducts not only electricity and music data but also sound; when you're not actually out there jogging or hang-gliding, you can slip the iPod into its charging dock, which you can leave hooked up to your stereo system.
There are no longer separate versions of the iPod for Mac and Windows; the new crop is compatible with both. Better yet, to accommodate Windows fans whose PC's don't include a FireWire jack (as all Macs do), Apple now makes a U.S.B. 2.0 cable available for $20 more.
Software enhancements bring the iPod dangerously close to palmtop territory. The crisp, square, backlighted screen can now display your calendar, address book, to-do list, text documents and news headlines; play a choice of three games; and even set beeping alarms. As before, you can also use the iPod as an external hard drive for everyday backups and file transport.
Apple has tinkered with the formula, but the new iPod holds more music for less money and takes up even less pocket space. And it's still the best, and best-looking, music player on the market. DAVID POGUE


text:
Aging Natural Gas Infrastructure Suspected in Deadly NYC Explosion
Aging, cast iron pipes carry much of New York City's natural gas to buildings. Earlier in the week, "a report from the Center for an Urban Future found many items such as water mains, subways, roads and public buildings, in need of serious repair," writes Alec Hamilton.
On WNYC, Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the center, appears as a guest.
"So when you first heard about the explosion..., did your mind immediately go to aging infrastructure?", asks the moderator.
"It really did," Bowles replies. However, he adds that "it's rare that aging infrastructure leads to disaster on this scale but some parts of the city's gas system aren't in good shape," writes Hamilton.
"There's a ton of cast iron gas mains all over the city, and they're not leading to these kind of disasters every day or every week" he said, "But there are a lot of leaks."
"The report found that more than half of the city's gas lines are made up of cast iron or unprotected steel—the most leak-prone material," writes Hamilton, adding that replacing it woud be an exorbitant cost: "$2 million to $8 million per mile and more than a thousand miles under ConEd's portfolio."
However, fines for preventable explosions caused by leaking gas pipelines can be exorbitant as well. Take the San Bruo, Calif. explosion in 2010 that killed eight, for example. Last year, PG&E agreed to pay $565 million to victims.
However, that's in addition to a $2.25-billion penalty proposed by the California Public Utilities Commission, "but the San Francisco-based utility claims the true cost to its shareholders would approach $4 billion," according to ENR California.
Bowles tells WNYC that it's "probably not realistic to expect" all those cast iron pipelines to be replaced, "but we do think there could be an acceleration of the replacement of these gas mains." Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of alerting the utility immediately when the odor of natural gas is detected.
The Brian Lehrer Show has Thursday coverage on the explosion and a Tuesday interview (before the explosion) of onathan Bowles and the Center for Urban Futures report.
For an image of the original tenements that had a church and a piano store on the ground levels and a photo gallery and video of the scene of the explosion, see the New York Times article.


text:
Football is finally back! While international football is not awful, it does not have the same vibe as our regular league football. But you know what the best thing is? There will not be any more international breaks for 5 months! But let us get to the boot spotting, and as usual, we have scoured through the week of football just past to leave you with only the best boot spots to kick-start your Monday. From boot switches to custom boots and everything in between, check out what caught our eye this week…
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) – adidas F50 adiZero TRX
Last week, it was his team mate Karim Benzema who stubbornly held onto to his third generation F50 adiZeros, now Gareth Bale has followed suit as he wore the old boot during Real Madrid's destruction of Almeria. It is never a good sign when your sponsored athletes do not wear the latest generation of boots, and maybe there is something with the F50 Bale does not really like. Bale has always been a fan of Sprintskin, perhaps the major change to Hybridtouch is something Bale cannot quite get over. Either way, it's a situation worth keeping an eye on.
Mario Balotelli (AC Milan) – Nike CTR360 Maestri III (Custom)
There are normally two giveaway signs when a player is going through contract negotiation issues with their footwear. One, they wear blackout boots. Two, they cover up the company logo. The former applies here to Balotelli, who has blacked out his Hi-Vis CTR360 Maestri III. Balotelli has a huge amount of marketing power behind him, and if you ask us, Nike really do not maximize him to his full capacity in their ad campaigns. If Nike do in fact lose out on Balotelli, it will be a big blow for Nike coming up to a World Cup year.
Gary Cahill (Chelsea) – adidas F50 adiZero TRX
When a new boot comes out, it is never uncommon to see players switch out of their old boots into the new model. We did not, however, expect to see Gary Cahill trade in his Predator LZ IIs for the new F50. We see the hardy Cahill as the sort of player who would prefer the solid nature of the Predator, making his switch to the lightweight F50 that little bit more interesting. Cahill wore the Predator LZ only a few days ago for England and no photos of Cahill wearing the adiZero in training leading up to the game, it seems to be a snap decision by the Chelsea centreback…
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) – Nike Hypervenom Phantom
While the Hypervenom got off to a slow start earlier this season, the boot has slowly been picking up admirers as the season has gone on. It definitely does not hurt if the EPL's most in-form striker is parading your boots, but Nike probably will not be too happy with Sturridge dominating EPL defences with the old Black/Lime Green Hypervenom Phantom. Perhaps Sturridge is superstitious like RVP was in wearing the slime adiPower for the whole of last season, but we wonder how long it will be until we see Sturridge put on the Hi-Vis Hypervenom.
Yaya Toure (Manchester City) – Puma King
He may have worn the old launch colourway of the Puma King last week whilst playing for the Ivory Coast, but Yaya Toure has come back in the new Black/White/Blue Puma King launched just this week by Puma. After the major snub of the peacoat colourway by the pros, Yaya Toure, as well as Cardiff's Steven Caulker, ensured the new Puma King colourway had some exposure in the EPL this weekend. With Nike and adidas releasing some ridiculously bright colourways for winter, it is refreshing to see a classy black boot being released by Puma.
Ranko Despotovic (Sydney FC) – Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII (Custom)
There is something about predominantly white boots that makes us fall weak at the knees in love. Even though it is an old Vapor, we are loving Ranko Despotovic's minimalistic White/Red Vapor VIIIs. In days where fluorescent yellow and pink appears on a regular basis, a classy white and red boot is proof that you do not need bright boots to stand out on the pitch. It reminds us of the limited edition 'Don't tread on me' Vapor SL worn by Clint Dempsey back in 2009, but these are certainly a tidy NikeiD effort by Despotovic.
Robbie Kruse (Australia) – adidas F50 adiZero TRX
Sometimes, a good indication of a new boot release is if you see players switching out of the rival boot into the newly released boot. Robbie Kruse has been wearing Mercurial Vapors for much of his career, but the Australian has made the switch into the new F50 adiZero. It is perhaps a testament to the new F50. The F50 has been very popular amongst the pros since the boot was released, and we certainly cannot wait to get our pair to review.
Austine Ejide (Nigeria) – Nike Tiempo Air Legend II
You have got to love a retro boot spot, but it is not too often we have a retro boot spot featuring boots from the Tiempo range. Released way back in 2008, the Tiempo II was released way before Sprintskin, Kanga-Lite and speed control technology was even thought of. Austine Ejide has done well to keep his boots in such good condition, but it is perhaps a reminder of how much things have changed since the Tiempo Legend II was around. Cesc Fabregas was the headline athlete of the boot back in 2008, now he has gone through not only the CTR, but also the Powercat. Who would have thought of that 5 years ago…


text:
Bubba's bad mood
Sean Zak does a good job covering the Masters champion's fall from grace on a day he'd rather forget.
Day 2 of the PGA Championship and the, "the worsening weather had worsened his mood. That's when Bubba started complaining to Ted Scott, his long-suffering caddie."
"I can't play golf, man," Watson said. "I got nothing."
"Water on the clubface, water on the clubface bro, I've got no chance'
Scotland in September
Come Scotland in September he'd better get over it. Chances are they'll have a wee bit of rain during the Ryder Cup and Captain Tom will definitely tell him off should Bubba bitch about bad weather.
What's bugging Bubba?
It wasn't just one bad day for Bubba. Reading Sean's story makes me think there's something more than bad weather bugging Bubba.
Practice day and most of the pros participated in the long driving competition but Bubba didn't like the idea of participating in a fun competition for charity. Instead he chose to hit 3-iron shots off the 10th tee instead of his iconic pink driver.
Don't show or tell!
But wait there's more about Bubba which is bit of worry for those people trying to promote the game as a spectator sport on television.
"But that wasn't all. During his first round, Watson told Scott [his caddie] not to provide on-course TV commentators with his club selection or distance to the hole. It is by no means a requirement that caddies help on course television crews by providing their club selection or distances, but it's something that many caddies do to improve the experience for those viewing from home."
It's not on record if Tim Finchem read Bubba's tweet and has forgiven him.
Here's the link to Sean Zak
Quote of the Day
"Thanks to everyone for holding me accountable for my actions, it's helping me to get better"
- Bubba Watson


text:
Friday, October 29, 2010
Handset Makers Worldwide
>>Global shipments rose 14.6 million to 340.5 million units according to Framingham, Massachusetts-based IDC. Strategy Analytics pegged them lower, at 327 million units, noting that the rate of growth slowed from the first half as component shortages trimmed sales.
The analysts' totals and market share figures differed because IDC counted a larger number of handsets for the "other" category, which included new vendors in Asia.
Q3 Global Handset Shipments Rose 13%
>>Global handset shipments rose 13% to 327 million units in the third quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
Some details:
- The report noted that Nokia (NOK) lost share in the quarter, shipping 110.4 million handsets, up 2%. It was the ninth straight month the company had below average growth. Nokia's market share fell to 34%, from 37%. Nokia's handset ASP was up 2% to 64 Euros, the first increase in at least a decade, as smart phone units increased.
- Samsung shipped 71 million units, up 19% form a year ago. The Korean firm had 22% market share, up from 21% a year ago.
- LG shipped 28.4 million handsets, down 10% from a year ago, as it suffered from a limited selection of smart phones.
Samsung 3Q profit at record high but outlook mixed
>>Sales of mobile phone handsets rose 19 percent from a year earlier to 71.4 million units, helped by the launch of the Galaxy S and Wave smartphones.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Oakwood gets CyberKnife cancer treatment system
>>Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn this week began offering the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, just one of three Michigan hospitals to have the noninvasive cancer-fighting technology.
Equinix Raises 2011 Forecast
>>The firm's 2011 forecast was a positive surprise. Equinix is now guiding for revenue of $1.5 billion and $675 million in EBITDA, which is ahead of consensus expectations although still slightly below our projections. The firm's pipeline seems to be very healthy and Equinix has seen an uplift in bookings since the quarter ended. As we mentioned in our last note, pricing is holding firm. Monthly recurring revenue was up across the board, and the firm is realizing the synergies from the Switch and Data merger at an accelerated rate. We will be interested to hear more about the firm's 2011 strategic agenda on its analyst day Nov. 11 (specifically, what it plans to do with the cash on the balance sheet), but we remain confident that Equinix's and the industry's long-term growth prospects are intact.
IMV: U.S. radiation therapy growth soars to 15%
>>An estimated 1.1 million patients were treated in 2009 with radiation at 2,170 radiation therapy locations in the U.S., which represents a 15 percent increase from just more than 954,000 patients, for an annual average increase of about 7 percent compared with 2007, according to research published by IMV Medical Information Division.
The top three cancer site types treated with radiation are breast, prostate and lung cancer, which account for 24 percent, 20 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
The IMV report also found:
- More than one-third of the radiation therapy sites are planning to purchase external beam therapy units as replacement or additional units over the next three years, including linear accelerators, CyberKnife (Accuray), Gamma Knife (Elekta) and TomoTherapy technology.
Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis seeks to get cutting edge with new CyberKnife
>>** Saint Francis Hospital of Memphis plans to acq a CK too. If both CKs are installed, Saint Francis's would be the 4th CK and Baptist Memorial's the 5th CK in Tennesse.
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis TN
By Toby Sells
October 27, 2010
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis aims to purchase a CyberKnife surgery suite in a project that would cost $7.54 million, according to government documents.
The hospital filed a letter of intent with the Tennessee Health Services Development Agency this month to buy the robotic, knife-and-scalpel-free surgery system that is used to remove certain cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System uses beams of high-dose radiation to remove tumors anywhere in the body including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney.
Letters of intent are typically turned into formal requests to the agency the following month, when it would give the project an up or down vote.
Should the hospital be allowed to buy the CyberKnife system, it would make room for the device by removing an existing linear accelerator. That space would then be renovated for the new system, according to its letter of intent.
The board allowed Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis to purchase a CyberKnife system in July 2008 in a $6.7 million project.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Benchmark Co. Raises Its Price Target on Equinix
>>The Benchmark Company is out with a research report this morning, where it reiterates its Buy rating on Equinix Inc.; it also raised its price target to $95.00, from $83.00.
The analysts cited the company's recently announced quarterly guidance, which now matches their estimates from before the pre-announcement. After hours, Equinix traded to $80 per share, representing 8x 2011E EBITDA and 9x 2011 recurring free cash flow.
The analysts said, "Equinix guidance and industry trends indicate that growth could average 20% for the next few years. As such, the stock appears attractive. Our price target rises from $83 to $95 per share, or 9x 2011E EBITDA."
Color On Quarter
>>- Cowen reits Outperform noting quarterly revenue and EBITDA results were slightly above reduced guidance Equinix issued on October 5, however they were more encouraged with initial 2011 revenue and EBITDA guidance of >$1.500B (Street: $1.491B) and >$675MM (Street: $660MM).
- Deutsche reits Buy and $100 target saying their overall takeaway from full 3Q results is that this should help investors begin to get more comfortable that the 3Q miss was company specific and fixable. The company did a good job on the call providing further clarity into the issues (churn, pricing) and provided 2011 guidance that was ahead of expectations. As a result, they are raising their forecasts and reiterate their Buy and $100 target.
- Morgan Stanley is a bit more cautious on the name saying that despite better than expected MRR / cabinet results, they see risks to 2011 EBITDA guidance on higher churn (set to average 2.7% in 2H) and expense pressures. While management's plan to address SDXC was encouraging, they believe that efforts may be in their early stages, with a turnaround unlikely until mid-2011.
- Piper reits OW & $110 target noting Equinix is beginning to make the transition from a high growth company to one focused on balanced growth and free cash flow generation. They believe management is now focused on free cash flow generation with growth layered on top. As the firm noted in their October 21 note ("What Is Equinix Worth?...), they estimate that valuing the free cash flow generation could yield to a 2012 valuation of $108.
a very strong quarter in North American with cross connects.
>>It sold over 1,600 for the three month period, excluding Switch & Data, compared to less than 1,200 in the second quarter.
The company mentioned cross connect activity was particularly strong in New York and Washington, which I would imagine is coming from the many financial traders and market data providers located at its NY4 building in Secaucus, as well as from the credit card companies, consulting firms, and popular websites located at the DC2 building in Ashburn.
What CIOs can learn from postseason baseball
They don't call him coach for nothing. Equinix CIO, Brian Lillie, recently attended a San Francisco Giants postseason game against the Philadelphia Phillies and it got him thinking. About what? The World Series? Sure, the Giants were fortunate to advance and will play the Texas Rangers. Brian came up with his own Octob...er classic: "What CIOs can learn from postseason baseball."
Equinix exceeds revised guidance, addresses concerns about Switch and Data, churn
- Revenue for Equinix topped newly revised revenue guidance at $330.3m in the quarter and the company exceeded revised guidance for EBITDA. Equinix raised FY guidance for revenues and EBITDA slightly.
- Equinix's Q3 now fully includes results from the acquisition of Switch and Data
Lombardi Research: Robotic Radiosurgery Offers Palliative Care for Hilar Lung Tumors
Washington, DC – Patients report decreased pain and improved breathing following treatment of their hilar tumors with robotic radiosurgery, but researchers say the therapy falls short of improving survival. Still, the study, conducted by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical Center, and presented today at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Vancouver, BC, represents the first of its kind to document the use of radiosurgery for hilar lung tumors and presents a novel therapy option.
For the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with inoperable primary and metastatic hilar lung tumors. Hilar tumors abut or invade the mainstem bronchus. All the patients in the study were treated with five courses (30 to 40 Gy in 5 fractions) of radiotherapy using CyberKnife at Georgetown University Hospital. Imaging studies with a combined PET/CT scan were performed at three and six-month follow-up intervals to track tumor progression.
The record review included 24 patients -- four with inoperable primary hilar lung tumors and 20 with hilar tumors that had spread there from other primary sites. The mean radiation dose administered to the esophagus was 27 Gy (ranging from 11 to 40 Gy) and mean radiation dose administered to the mainstem bronchus was 45 Gy (ranging from 30 to 50 Gy).
At one-year, the overall survival rate was 61 percent and local control (ability to keep the tumor from growing) was 71 percent. The review found that most deaths were attributed to the spread of the patients' cancers. However, there was one death that was attributed to an opening in the mainstem bronchus in a patient who was previously stented.
While no uniform data was collected from patients about quality of life at the time of their treatment, the study's lead author says the patient records reflect comments made by patients about their symptoms.
"Patients reported improvement with coughing, breathing, and they reported less pain," said Brian Collins, MD, a radiation oncologist with Lombardi and lead author of the study.
"Our study suggests that CyberKnife is a palliative treatment option for hilar lung tumors," explains Collins.
"We'd like to investigate outcomes with increased radiation doses to see if we can improve local control and overall survival rates. And we'd like to study the impact of administering a drug to make the tumors more sensitive to radiation.
"This is an important first step that gives us a new option to treat potentially morbid hilar tumor," Collins concludes. "Future studies would likely involve drugs to make the tumor more sensitive to radiation."
Collins is a compensated speaker for ACCURAY, the maker of the CyberKnife.
Equinix Expectations Multiple Coming in Around 17%
>>The expectations multiple is at work again this afternoon, with Equinix shooting up 7% to over $82 after hours after revenue came in 4/10th of one percent over the midpoint of the guidance range it gave three weeks ago. So it lost over a third of its value after guiding down 2%, and has gotten 7% back after coming .4% higher, an expectations multiple of around 17 in each case.
Wall Street is simply not able to handle the fundamentals of the data center industry calmly.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Jay Adelson speaking at FailCon 2010.
Read more at www.siliconbeat.com.
Data Hosting Centers & Data Storage Report
>>TWST: What about Equinix (EQIX). What's your rating on them right now?
Mr. Breen: We have a "market perform," although our ratings are relative to the stocks we cover. For me, I think Equinix is a good company, it's just a matter of if I think it will go up as much as something else in my space. I think that they're uniquely positioned in the data center space. They've been building out significantly over the last couple of years, and I think that the demand for their product, pure collocation, will continue to be strong, given what we are looking at right now in terms of bandwidth demand. It's always hard to tell what's going to happen three or four years out, but at some point, the top line will start to slow, either because they'll build out less or they'll see some pricing pressure, at which point they should be able to generate some decent cash flows.
TWST: They added quite a number of facilities in different markets here in the U.S. with the Switch & Data acquisition. Was that a good strategic buy for them?
Mr. Breen: I think there were a couple of things going on. I think they were trying to protect that asset from falling into the hands of someone that maybe had deep pockets in terms of cash, allowing another competitor to come into the market. I think that was part of the motivation there, and I think part of it was they had a good Tier 1 market data center presence, and Switch gave them some additional data centers in areas where they weren't. It becomes a buy-versus-build decision ultimately, but I think they felt as though some of the Switch data centers weren't yielding as much on a revenue basis as they could have, and under their model they can yield more. I think they felt there were some synergies there in terms of the revenue per square foot that they can take advantage of.
Citi Sees Nearly $20 In Upside In Equinix
>>Citi Investment Research sees nearly $20 in upside in shares of Equinix, Inc., as the company it set to report earnings next Tuesday after the bell. It has a $94 price and a Hold rating on shares.
In a note to clients, Citi writes, "We maintain our Hold rating given our expectations for an absence of meaningful acceleration in revenue growth during 2H/10, our outlook for slower pro forma revenue growth during '11 of 14-15%, & the uncertainty for EQIX to slow the rate of capital reinvestment in the domestic segment to increasingly focus on cash flow generation. We may revisit our thesis on EQIX to the extent: 1) visibility improves for the pace of churn; 2) revenue growth increases from the SDXC assets; & 3) EQIX retains its discipline on price & reduces the rate of capital reinvestment in the U.S. until the sales strategy can show success at accelerating the level of booking activity."
Cloud users should not ignore geography
>>The notion that distance doesn't matter when it comes to cloud computing is a misguided one according to new research from Forrester. Ignoring geographic issues may be "perilous" for corporate customers warned the company in a new report, Infrastructure-As-A-Service (IaaS) Clouds Are Local And So Are Their Implications
Forrester's advice on cloud computing is to "Think globally but act locally" and bear in mind privacy laws pertaining to different countries. It said that cloud computing hype "is far from reality" and companies going down this route should pay close attention to where data centres will be situated.
AuntMinnie.com deemed the CyberKnife VSI System as the winner in the Best New Device category of the "Minnie Awards"!
AuntMinnie.com deemed the CyberKnife VSI System as the winner in the Best New Device category of the "Minnie Awards"!
x.asp?Sec=nws&sub=rad&pag=dis& ItemId=92410&wf=4002&d=1
Equinix Earnings Preview: Focus on Cross Connects
>>Equinix did make a point in its warning call about the desirability of customers who buy cross-connects with their cabinets. Now it didn't say which kind of cross-connects it likes best - high revenue extended cross-connects, cross-connects between cages, or higher-bandwidth fiber cross connects - just cross connects. I agree with where they're going with this though. Plenty of companies can build data centers, but few can match the network connections that have accumulated inside existing Equinix (and Switch & Data) buildings. This is why we here the cringe-worthy term "network density" constantly from co-lo providers. That catchphrase is the new, updated version of "network effect", which got a lot of play in the 90s after Ethernet creator Robert Metcalfe starting mesmerizing audiences with the concept.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Equinix Earnings Preview
Equinix (EQIX) will be reporting 3Q 2010 results on Tuesday, October 26th.
It is impossible to write an Earnings Preview without mentioning first the recent drop in share price (more than 30%) due to the revenue warning issued by the Company on October 5th.
According to this update, third quarter revenues will be in the range of $328.0 to $330.0 million, and adjusted EBITDA greater than $140.0 million (better than expected).
As we mentioned, most investors quickly took the exit door after Equinix's management seemed to indicate that growth wasn't as strong as expected, and some price concessions were necessary to secure long term contracts with key customers.
Institutional investors seem to have behaved more cautiously, and so far only one institution owning more than 5% of the Company filed a reduction in ownership, with other funds like Goldman Sachs and Bamco apparently still holding their shares.
We still believe that, in spite of a few problems, the fundamental positive trends for the sector and the Company are still in place, as expressed by Equinix in their recent filing "Responses to Questions Pertaining to Business Outlook" that followed the post warning conference call.
Investors confidence will probably take some time to restore, and execution will be closely followed in the next few quarters.
The Company will also address growth expectations as it will release a first forecast for 2011, on the conference call following the earnings release.For a recent research on colocation trends, you may also refer to TeleGeography's "Colocation Capacity Struggles to Keep Up with Demand"
There will be several metrics under scrutiny by the investing community at this call. Among them, weighted average recurring revenue per cabinet, which has been growing steadily in the last few quarters, and might be an important indication of price stability in the sector.
For those of you interested in tracking the most useful metrics for this sector and this specific Company, we have compiled an interactive spreadsheet which is available, in partnership with Data Center Knowledge, at this link.
We will also be closely monitoring guidance and sales results, for confirmation that the warning was just an unexpected road bump, and we believe that a few data will show a positive trend, as the Company continues to execute its integration of Switch and Data and improves margins in the acquired entity:
According to management's comments in the last conference calls, Switch and Data's Adjusted EBITDA performance has already improved, and Equinix is still targeting 50% Adjusted EBITDA margins in the long term for the combined Companies.
While we remain optimistic about the long term prospect for Equinix, it is important to underline that some analysts share several concerns about the Company, as expressed for example by Morgan Stanley's analysts Simon Flannery and Edward Katz, here reported by MySmartTrend:
"Although management sized the potential impact of turnover at 25% of the base in North America, visibility on customer vertical and geographic mix remains lacking. Additionally, integration issues surrounding soft Switch and Data bookings are unresolved. Unlike consensus, we continue to believe that FCF burn is likely through 2011. Despite the stock's valuation (apart from the credit crisis) at historical trough levels of 7.3x our 2011E EBITDA, we view EQIX as a show me story."
Preview: Equinix Earnings Due Tomorrow
Full article at Data Center Knowledge.
Morgan Stanley Remains Concerned That Revenues For Equinix Could Slow
>>Morgan Stanley analysts remain concerned that Equinix Inc.'s revenues could slow materially given substantially higher churn risk from large customer deployments outside of key ecosystems.
Analysts Simon Flannery and Edward Katz said, "Although management sized the potential impact of turnover at 25% of the base in North America, visibility on customer vertical and geographic mix remains lacking. Additionally, integration issues surrounding soft Switch and Data bookings are unresolved. Unlike consensus, we continue to believe that FCF burn is likely through 2011. Despite the stock's valuation (apart from the credit crisis) at historical trough levels of 7.3x our 2011E EBITDA, we view EQIX as a show me story."
The bank maintained its equal-weight rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley sees fiscal 2010 EPS of $1.01, vs. consensus estimates of $0.95 per share, and fiscal 2011 EPS of $2.17, vs. consensus estimates of $2.25 per share.


text:
How to rent a limo\bus for your Church Trips
Your church group wants safety, comfort and conscientious chauffeurs. Manhattan's, New Jersey and Long Islands, premier Limousine service, NYC Limo. Our drivers are not only prompt and polite. There rated G plus they will be there when you need them. Our Limos, Van, and Buses aren't to bad either!
1. We Take You Anywhere in the Tri-State Area From the Sight & Sound Theater in PA to Ellis Island Ferry. How about white water rapids in the Poconos for the men in your congregation. Sights & Sounds offers everyone in the family a Broadway like plays of some of the most famous Bible Stories ever told.
2. Multiple Vehicles for your needs. Limos, SUV's to Buses. We have buses that can seat up to 36 passengers for traveling throughout, New York, Long Island, New Jersey and PA. Let us know your group size so we can fit you with the best experience.
3. Your Retreat Transport. Maybe you just want safe, clean, prompt and reliable transportation to your marriage retreats, teen getaways, church picnics etc. Choose NYC Limo, you excel to please.
4. We Are Your Tour Guides. Everyone at the church has ideas what would be the best Church Trip. Some may want to go to Mountain Mohonk for some exciting hiking and breath taking scenery or the Delaware River Gap Recreation Area. Let NYC Limo Assist you in choosing the most heavenly trip possible.


text:
We wanted to generate dynamic colour CSS palettes on the fly, so we created a Sass mixin, built on Compass. In this article we have a look at what mixins are, how they are helpful and how they can be used to solve web design problems.
Choosing winning website colour combinationsTags: colours, how-to guide & Tool
As a follow up to our recent blog post on choosing colours for your web design project we thought it might be a good idea to take a closer look at some of the different types of colour combinations you can use when coming up your colour scheme.
In this blog post we will be exploring the use of colour triads as a means of coming up with a colour palette for your project.
Web design guidelines for color blind usersTags: App design, colour blindness, colours, how-to guide & Web design
For most designers, designing for colour blind users is not even something that is on their radar. So you will be surprised to learn that about 8% of the world's population are actually colourblind. In this article we'll share with you a few guidelines for designing for the colour blind and how you can implement it into your current design workflow.
Best color tools for web designersTags: App design, colours, Design, how-to guide, Web design & Zing Design
Ever found yourself completely uninspired when it comes to picking a new colour palette for a design? Yeah, we have all been there at one point or another I'm sure. So what can be done about it? Luckily there are several tools are resources on the web that can help you with that.
How to choose colours for your websiteTags: App design, colours, Design, how-to guide, Web design, Website width & Zing Design
As a designer you have to make many decisions during a project, some of which will impact it more than others. One such decision is what colours to go with when design or redesign a website. In this article I'll take you all through our process when it comes down to deciding the colour scheme for a new project.


text:
Table of Contents
- Account creation and signup
- Nutrition
- Workouts
- Premium Subscription
- Advisors
- Billing
Account email links expire after a period of time. The original ones expired after an hour. The new ones expire after 1 day. If you have a problem with the email verification link, don't worry we've still captured your sign-up and your account will not be impacted.
Just contact support and we can get that changed for you.
If you want access to a large database of foods, you'll need to switch to the Calorie / Macro Counting tracking system. The Meal plan option gives you macros for reference but the app calculates the portions you need to consume of those items.
You can change your nutrition tracking system at any time by going to "My Profile" and changing the "What are you more likely to do?" option.
When calculating Macros for Portion control and Meal plan, we take into consider sex, weight, and your fitness goals. This is a basic macro calculation that is "good enough" for most people.
For Premium users using Calorie / Macro counting, we look at sex, weight, goal weight, activity level, and fitness goal, and then macro preference to calculate macros specifically for you. Depending upon your goals and various stats, the two can be very different.
If you make changes to your options under My Profile, you will see the results immediately reflected in your macros:
Yes! Premium subscribers can use custom macros (including keto). To customize your macros go to "My Profile" and then scroll down to the Nutrition section. Make sure you have Calorie / Macro counting selected. You will see a button that says Customize my macros:
From the nutrition screen, you can tap on the pencil icon and customize them:
You can change your workouts at any time by going to My Profile and then changing the workout preferences there. If you've already completed a workout for today, you'll see the new workouts tomorrow. Just use the arrows to go to the next days and see what's coming up.
No, you cannot make changes to the workouts at this time.
The rest days are built into the workouts. However, you could just swap the rest day and mark off the workout as completed.
The free version comes with a standard body-building workout. If you want to access the at-home, EMOM, and other workouts, then you'll need a premium membership.
Once you go Premium, you'll need to go My Profile and change your workout and / or nutrition preferences there.
If that happens, please try the following:
For iOS:
If this does not fix it for, you try uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
For Android:
If that does not work, please contact support.
Please note that 1st Phorm does not have your credit card and we are unable to manage your subscription for you.
If you purchased the subscription on an iPhone please see this article for help in managing or cancelling your subscription.
If you purchased the subscription on an Android device please see this article for help in managing or cancelling your subscription.
You can drop your advisor at any time. Just go to "My Advisor" and at the bottom tap "Drop Advisor". Then you can go and request a new one. If you need help finding an advisor contact us and we'll help you find one.
1st Phorm does not have access to credit cards and cannot help you with billing related questions. If you have billing related questions, please contact Apple or Google Play directly.
We'd love your feedback! If you've got an idea or something you'd like to see. Use the support link to let us know.
If you need help finding a trainer, please contact Jeremy. He can help you find a trainer that will work for you.
If you run into errors like "something went wrong" or other technical issues, please contact support.


text:
By Jared Young (@jaredeyoung)
Time for soccer analysts to perk up because D.C. United's 2015 season is the one to watch if you are into numbers. Why? Because in 2014, D. C. United defied them. And the story of the year, at least for the geeks, is whether or not D.C. United can do it again.
After one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2013, D.C. United shocked the league and won the Eastern Conference in 2014. A turnaround like that required improvement on both sides of the ball. United went from easily the worst offense in the league with 22 goals to a solid offense with 52. And they turned the worst defense in the league with 59 goals allowed to tied for the league's best with 37 goals.
So what's the problem? The issue is that the numbers say it shouldn't have happened. The ASA expected goals model says that D.C. United should have scored just 38 goals compared to their 52. And on the defensive side the ASA models thinks that 48.6 goals against would have been a more likely number, compared to the actual 37. Their expected goal ratio in fact was 3rd worst in MLS. Michael's Caley's expected goals model suggests a similar story to that of ASA. Were D.C. United just lucky or are they doing something that the models don't contemplate? On the offensive side of the equation the positive story can be traced to two dynamics scorers.
D.C. United's dynamic duo
If United fans had their way, they'd pair Luis Silva and Fabian Espindola at the top of Ben Olsen's 4-4-2 formation. And despite the fact that the two play a very similar style of forward, they'd be right. That pair was the reason for the strong shooting from United. The paid scored 22 goals last season, but the ASA expected goals model suggest they should have 11.4. That 10+ goal gap is most of the team's "overproduction" last year.
Espindola's finishing prowess is puzzling because he actually took his shots on average four feet further from the goal than other shooters. Remarkably he was terrific at avoiding blocked shots. While shooters on average have their shots blocked one in every four attempts, Espindola had that happen approximately once in almost eight attempts. He may have been more focused on getting open looks versus how far he was from the goal. Silva's ability is tougher to figure. Everything but his finishing rate appears average. His shots on target level was slightly higher than average and the percentage of his shots that were blocked was 23 percent. Unless the team finds new ways to increase their shot totals, the duo's ability to shoot better than expected will be depended on going into 2015.
What's changed going into the 2015 season?
The biggest change for the red and black this offseason was actually confirmation of a new soccer specific stadium to be built for the 2017 season. That stadium has the opportunity to enhance the soccer experience in the D.C. area and build a bigger base of fans for the team.
From a roster perspective there were just a few changes. United added Jairo Arrieta from Columbus Crew as forward depth. He will be a key contributor, especially in the early going. The most intriguing acquisition was nearly 31 year old Malmo FF and Finnish national midfielder Markus Halsti. Halsti is a versatile defensive minded midfielder who also adds depth for the defense. He should fit in well with Perry Kitchen, Davey Arnaud, Nick DeLeon and Chris Pontius. D.C. United also signed their first round pick Miguel Aguilar, who figures to get his feet wet on the wings this season.
No change is good news for the defense that led the league is goals against. Second year emerging star Steve Birnbaum and Bobby Boswell anchor the center of the defense while Sean Franklin, Taylor Kemp, and Chris Korb will rotate at the fullback.
What to expect in 2015
When expected goals models fail how can you expect what to expect? The defense-first United stand to keep up their stingy ways despite the models. The return of the core defense and the continued development of one of the bright young keepers in MLS, Bill Hamid, should mean Ben Olsen's squad maintains their perch near the top of MLS.
The offense could prove to be more difficult to maintain, at least to start the season. Espindola starts the campaign with a six game suspension and Silva has been nursing a hamstring all preseason. Eddie Johnson's playing future is uncertain at this point due to an enlarged heart, and that leaves Chris Rolfe and Arrieta to maintain status quo. It could be a rocky opening to the season, but one of United's strengths is that they have a number of players that can play multiple positions. Rolfe and Pontius, for example, are hybrid offensive players that give Olsen flexibility with both lineups and styles of play.
And therein lies United's core strength; while they prefer to play defense first and are usually more reactive than their competition, they can win playing all styles. Early on Ben Olsen will need to mix and match players until he lands on a core group and formation. There's no reason to think that D.C. United will slip so far as to miss the playoffs, unless of course you believe that numbers never lie.


text:
Alarms & Messages
COBS solutions for alarms and messaging are based on years and years of expertise in the field of high risc situations.
The information from for example fire alarms or other superior systems can be sent directly to your phone. You also have the possibility to choose whether the information shall be sent to colleagues, guardian or directly to the police.


text:
Home Style Chicken Soup
(SD Diabetes Control Program cookbook, Healthy Diabetes Recipes and More . . .)
2 diced carrots
1 chopped medium onion
2 chopped stalks of celery
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces uncooked noodles
2 cooked and cubed skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
Put carrots, onion, celery, and broth into a dutch oven. Heat to boiling. Cover and boil gently about 10 minutes. Add noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender. Add chicken and salt. Heat to boiling. Makes 6 servings.
Nutritional Information (1 serving):
Calories: 213
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Protein: 18 grams
Fat: 4 gram
Saturated fat: 4 grams
Cholesterol: 51mg
Fiber: 2 gram
Sodium: 208 mg
Potassium: 447 mg
Calcium: 29 mg
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 2 lean meat


text:
This is a piece of work exploring the myriad different kinds of walls that confront us every day.
I want to explore trying to create work in a faster and more fluid way without allowing to myself to slow down and to stop myself perfecting things. Think of this project as more like work in a sketch book rather than a finished piece of work.
Those of you that follow my insta will have seen each video appear every evening for thirty days.
The constraint that I placed on myself was to publish each days work before midnight on the day of creation on Instagram. And this proved a challenging task as each day I had to explore a new idea, create the film, edit and publish it while trying to get a mass of other things done at the same time.
At the end of the 30 days I created a single edited film of all 30 films. If you want to see the individual films goes to my Instagram account.


text:
Looking for Psychic Consulting & Healing ? Find in our list of Psychic Consulting & Healing companies offering Psychic Consulting & Healing products and services
Astrology & Crystals provides you with real answers from real Psychics. Services are performed by a practitioner with over 20 years experience.
If you visit Hawaii looking for Psychic Consulting & Healing products, dont miss Divine Receptivity at Ocean View, HI.
Do you firmly believe in numerology? Would you like to obtain advice, learn more about yourself and gain more insight into your life with accurate readings? Contact a Real Psychic Reader in Los Angeles, California, today.
Call Psychic Now is a website dedicated to putting you in touch with a psychic advisor that can tell you more about what it is that you want to know about.
Tarot card reading can empower you to live your life with a renewed zeal and enthusiastic productivity. For tarot card reading and palm reading services, come to Psychic Marie Palm and Card Reader.
Voted best Psychic in Atlanta! Love Spell specialist. Accurate, professional and experienced.
Find the Psychic Consulting & Healing product you need at Psychic Tarot by John Terolla.
Intuitive Mind Private Sessions and program of courses are for those seeking health, wellness and clear intuitive insight to enhance your ability to heal yourself and to see clearly what choices are best for you along your path in life. This includes physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness.
We are here to make things crystal clear and help you attain the joys of life with life coaching, psychic reading, past life regressions, at The Life Path Lady in Lakewood, CO!
To know the careers and relationships that are good and that not so, avail the psychic reading services of our spiritual healer, at Psychic Reader & Spiritualist in Spring, TX!
Professionalism, reliability and trust is the identity of Tarot Reader with 15 Years Experience 1(800)275-5336 ext 02050003.
Specialists in Psychic Life Readings products always buy at Morris Fonte Telepsychic at New York.


text:
And it made me wonder - does this man even KNOW he impacted my husband? Does he know his words still run through his mind, challenging and encouraging him a decade later? Does he know that Dennis now asks some of those same questions to the young men he disciples? I imagine this mentor would be humbled and thrilled to know that he made a difference in the life of a young man ... a young man who is still walking with the Lord ... and is now taking the gifts he was so freely given, and sharing them with other young men who are struggling like he once did.
Do the people who invested in us, leaving a lasting mark on our lives know they have done so?
The only way they will know is if we TELL them!
We have to tell people why they matter!
~ meeting you for lunch to listen to your struggles as a new mom
~ holding you while you cried as you grieved the loss of a loved one
~ listening to your sorrows
~ serving you through acts of love - meals, babysitting, buying you a new outfit when you could not afford it
~ praying for you faithfully
~ sending you notes of encouragement
~ keeping you accountable to read and study the Word because you shared it was a struggle
~ remembering your birthday or the anniversary of a significant event
We do not need to tell them every time we see them, but a thoughtful note or meaningful gift a few times a year is always appreciated. And needed. Even your closest friend needs to be reminded why she matters to you. She may 'know' you love her, but affirmation is a good thing - for all of us!
When we express our gratefulness for the way others have influenced our lives and pushed us towards Christ, they will be encouraged with the knowledge that the Lord used them to stir another up for love and good deeds - and He was glorified because of it.
God created words. He has a purpose for them! And when used the right way, they can bring untold joy to the hearer - and make a difference that can last a lifetime.
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Proverbs 16:24
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Proverbs 27:2
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Proverbs 12:25
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
I Thessalonians 5:11
Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees.
Job 4:4
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! Proverbs 15:23
Pray and ask the Lord to bring to mind every single person He has used to encourage you this past year. I guarantee you will not have to wait long before your hand starts flying across the page writing out every name He brings forth! And then, place the list somewhere you will see it every day, and write to/call/visit each person over this next year, to say Thank You.
Seeing 1,000 people pour into the seats for a memorial service is a great testimony of a life that influenced and touched the hearts and lives of others. But singing the praises of someone beloved and adored at their graveside does them no good. They need to hear from us today.
When you needed them - they ministered to you. Even when you didn't know you needed that kind word, that kick in the backside, that intimate moment of prayer together ... they were obedient to meet you where God told them to meet you. And you were changed.
And one day it will be your turn to minister to someone who is hurting, struggling, or sinning - just like you were - and the Lord will use YOU.
Take the challenge. Ask the Lord to recall every kind word and action shown to you this past year.
And then act on it!
Because when you do, you will be living out one of the most beautiful and always-needed joys of the body of Christ ...
that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. Romans 1:12