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Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Canada's small cap-focused hedge fund Alpha North Asset Management closed 2017 on a high note with two of its funds generating double-digit returns, outperforming its benchmarks.
The firm's main hedge fun
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: CTA (commodity trading advisor) strategies had a strong week as indicated by the Lyxor CTA Broad Index being up 1.4% from 09 January to 16 (+3.5% YTD). Particularly the commodity bucket - long positions on aluminum and short on wheat and corn - was doing well,
By: Philip Gross, Kleinberg Kaplan, Wolff&Cohen
Year-end has always been a time for tax planning and we send our clients our year-end tax planning newsletter on an annual basis. Tax planning for this year-end, however, is even more important (and more complex and more uncertain) because of th
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: The Malta Financial Services Authority has released a new consultation paper on cryptocurrency. The regulator has considered early feedback on the development of cryptocurrency and is considering both how to support the development of cryptocurrency technology
In the week ending 19 January, 2018, the asset base for the hedge fund industry grew by $219.0bn in 2017 - the highest growth in AUM since 2014. York Capital is planning a €25
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Hedge fund managers have a new option for protecting their business. Launching this week at the annual MFA Conference, Statsure Financial is offering a captive insurance solution for hedge fund managers.
Many large companies have captive insurers - insurance
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York for New Managers: New hedge funds are launching every day in Asia, according to delegates at the recent Opalesque Hong Kong Roundtable, but staying in business is a tall order.
Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Westbeck Capital Management, a hedge fund in London set up by veteran investors Will Smith, Jon Hykawy (PhD), and Jean-Louis Le Mee, has launched a UCITS fund focused on el
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Asian investors are looking for ways to protect recent gains and are starting to take a global view, according to delegates at the recent Opalesque Hong Kong Roundtable.
"When I meet investors, most of them are saying they had a great run and their big
Matthias Knab, Opalesque: Pricing risk factor premia accurately is the cornerstone of optimal portfolio creation. New research by SFI
professors Ines Chaieb and Olivier Scaillet from the University of Geneva and coauthor Professor Hugues
Langlois from HEC Paris shows that reduced portfolio risk c
Matthias Knab, Opalesque: Blue Sky Alternative Investments Limited has announced that its hedge fund division has partnered with MCAM Group to better service their European investor base. Blue Sky, Australia's only listed diversified alternative asset manager has A$3.4 billion assets under manage
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: South Africa's hedge fund industry is changing. New regulations have increased operational costs and placed limits on what hedge fund managers can do. However, delegates at the recent Opalesque South Africa Roundtable note that these changes are also driving
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Humans will not step out of the way and let the machine drive the entire decision process, nor will at some point everything be fully turned over to a machine - at least not within the current generation. That is the belief of Scott Billington, co-founder of
In the week ending 12 January, 2018, the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index had a perfect year and is up 8.5% in 2017 (+0.9% in December). The index a
Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Following a successful 2017, Yield Solutions, the systematic multi strategy investment manager, founded in 2016 by hedge fund pros Boudewijn van Vliet (Transtrend, Citi, Me
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York for New Managers: According to recent data from EY, asset flows into ETFs could increase by as much as 73 percent over the next two to three years. As investors flock to these lower
In the week ending 05 January, 2018, it was reported that Michael Gelband will start his long-anticipated hedge fund in the next six months after resolving a hiring dispute with billionaire Izzy Englander; Disciplina Asset Management
By: Gerard O'Beirne, Eisner Amper
As of the date of this article, both the House and Senate have voted on and approved separate versions of tax reform legislation. The process of reconciliation is now underway. Although tax planning decisions, both long term and short term, cannot be final
Walter Davis, Alternatives Investment Strategist Invesco
I recently have been traveling around the country participating on a panel titled: "Alternatives: Time to Buy When Others Are Selling?" Spoiler alert - my answer to that question is a resounding "yes." There are two reasons why.
First, loo
by Stephen Scott, Partner, BRI Partners
Don't worry: investors will end up paying less - and here's why:
The conventional wisdom is that everything on Wall Street gets cheaper over time. From trading costs to management fees, capitalism forces competition and efficiency.
In the h
By Ian Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Augentius
Enthusiasm for private equity as an asset class continues to rise in a time of opportunity for fund managers - Prequin data shows the number of private equity funds in the market continued to
grow in Q3 2017, with a 10 percent rise in the number
By Ben Taylor, Chief Data Officer at ZIFF, Inc.
Everyone has AI on their 2017/2018 roadmap these days. Bottom-tier innovation verticals like HR, multi-level marketing, entertainment, fashion, medical, supply chain (anyone else we should throw under the bus?) are even starting to talk about it.
Matthias Knab, Opalesque: From Donald A. Steinbrugge, CFA: Most institutional investors understand the uncorrelated, diversification benefits of property catastrophe reinsurance. Many have been waiting on the sidelines for a large event to happen that would drive up pricing before allocating t
By Doug Schwenk, Founder & CEO, Advise Technologies
Given the dramatic impending changes in regulatory reporting requirements for asset management firms, their chief operating officers, administrators and compliance officials have pretty "full plates" these days. There is no shortage of reporti
By Lars Jaeger: The billionaire and acclaimed tech visionary Elon Musk just expressed another dire warning about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). In a Twitter message (where else, we are to ask today) a few days ago he warned that this technology represents a greater risk to world p
Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Hedge fund managers have a new option for protecting their business. Launching this week at the annual MFA Conference, Statsure Financial is offering a captive insurance solution for hedge fund managers.
Many large companies have captive insurers - insurance
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: The emergence of a late-cycle economy in the U.S., the mystery of inflation and growth from a domestic and global perspective, and the potential for alternative investments to prosper against a backdrop of rich valuations, low yields, and higher volatility are the t
Some hedge funds deliver double-digit gains for 2017
From Reuters/Investing.com: A handful of hedge funds ended 2017 with double digit returns, their investors said, at a time the $3 trillion industry took in fresh money and posted its best returns in years, industry data show.
Hedge funds start 2018 with record $19 billion bet on the euro
From Reuters.com: Hedge funds have kicked off 2018 with their biggest bet ever on the euro rising, a clear vote of confidence in the single currency but, with positioning so stretched, one which could backfire in the near ter
Mobius to retire from Franklin Templeton
Emerging markets pioneer Mark Mobius will be stepping down as executive chairman of the Templeton Emerging Markets Group (TEMG) and formally retire from Franklin Templeton on 31 January. He will also be relinquishing his post as portfolio manager
Featuring : BREXIT: Don't leave it to the last minute.At this point probably nobody knows whether Brexit will occur or not or what form it may take. However, Scotstone's Brexit Solution is an immediate option for UK Fund Managers taking the present uncertainty worries away.Ian Ham...» Watch the video
» More
Near Term Trend: BullishAs of 1/12/18 close: 0.79112UPDATE: Last week, I suggested buying AUDUSD near 0.77277 with stops below 0.7637 and with a target of 0.8189.The AUDUSD finished higher for the week and should work higher still. I'd be trying to buy dips to support.Buy a drop in AUDUSD to 0.78655 with stops on a daily close below 0.78 and with an upside target of 0.79798.
Near Term Trend: Bullish
As of 1/12/18 close: 0.79112
UPDATE: Last week, I suggested buying AUDUSD near 0.77277 with stops below 0.7637 and with a target of 0.8189.
The AUDUSD finished higher for the week and should work higher still. I'd be trying to buy dips to support.
Buy a drop in AUDUSD to 0.78655 with stops on a daily close below 0.78 and with an upside target of 0.79798.


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Fire the CEO: When the Time Has Come
The Rundown
- Credit union CEO firings are rare events.
- CU directors usually have a long tenure and many have built a friendship with the CEO and are reluctant to act.
- Boards can help insure good performance by setting targets.
No job is harder for a board of directors of a credit union, but no job is more crucial than knowing when to separate the cooperative from a lagging chief executive officer and having the strength to act.
That is the gist of what many experts, sitting CEOs, retired CEOs, third-party experts, credit union legal advisers and others, told Credit Union Times. "The key job of the board is managing the CEO and that means hiring and firing," said Richard Powers, a senior lecturer at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto who also is lead faculty for the CUES Governance Institute.
"It is surprising how infrequently CEOs are let go," said consultant Tom Glatt Jr. "Perhaps it should happen more often."
Powers agreed. "It is very rare to see a change at the top," he said.
It definitely does happen much more often at community banks, said Michael Lozoff, chair of the credit union practice group at Miami law firm Shutts and Bowen. Partly, said Lozoff, the reduced incidence is because credit unions are not subject to the hostilities of distressed investors seeking revenge for poor quarterly financial reports. Partly, too, credit union boards incline to stay the course with their CEOs. Powers said that in his experience "directors tend to be longstanding directors, in excess of 10 years. Relationships develop over that time. They often are friends with the CEO. This puts them in a difficult situation. A complacency may develop."
Steve Cohen, author of Mess Management: Lessons from a Corporate Hit Man and president of the Labor Management Advisory Group, put this issue more bluntly. "Often the board is a lapdog for the CEO. I'd say around 40% of boards are lapdogs."
It obviously is hard to fire a friend, and it may be even harder to do if one is a volunteer director, suggested multiple experts.
Steve Winninger, retired CEO at Lake Trust, a $1.5 billion credit union in Lansing, Mich., offered his insights into the board vs. CEO boundaries. "The board is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in the credit union, and they have to delegate to the CEO because the board isn't there every day. Delegation with good targets and boundaries goes a long way to ensuring good performance by the CEO because the standards are known and articulated. When this is done, there is clarity of role and purpose and the chances of success are greater."
Winninger added, "CEO turnover is very costly so setting the stage for success makes more sense."
Success may be the preferred path, but there are multiple ways a CEO can get him or herself fired, said Lozoff. And these exit routes are detailed in the CEO contracts he writes for his clients. The first route is what might be called moral lapses that bring shame on the institution and this could be anything from a DWI conviction through a sex offense or even filing bankruptcy. Lozoff stressed that committing the offense does not necessarily trigger termination. With a DWI, for instance, the board might instead require the CEO to undergo counseling and possibly join AA.
Credit union governance expert Stuart Levine elaborated that "defalcation and theft are also causes for immediate dismissal."
Reason two, said Lozoff, is failure to meet specific performance targets. Typically, these are measures such as new account openings or asset growth or overseeing a smooth core system conversion. Rarely, stressed Lozoff, will one bad year result in the board exercising this option, but several successive bad years, coupled with much stronger results at competitors, might.
The third reason written into many CEO contracts is that the board can elect to part ways with the CEO for no reason at all. This usually requires a two-thirds vote of the board and usually involves paying a sizable, predetermined severance to the CEO. What can trigger this are intangibles, including philosophical differences about the institution's mission.
Another prod to terminate the CEO may be pressures from regulators to do so, which some experts said have become clearer and louder.
"We have seen cases where the NCUA has a frank talk with a board. There has been heightened emphasis on the 'M' in CAMEL," said Lozoff, where 'M' is for management in the NCUA's formula for rating credit union performance.
Clear as the reasons to terminate may be on paper, in practice there may be substantially more murkiness. Henry Wirz, CEO of Safe, the $1.9 billion credit union in Sacramento, Calif., said. "Over the years, we have had the opportunity to merge or conduct due diligence on about 30 credit unions, and we have gone through financial analysis on about 50 other credit unions. I believe that most boards do not have a good evaluation process. The failures in the evaluation process run the gamut from not setting measurable goals to not even doing evaluations. When goals are set, they are often not reasonable. So many credit unions operate in isolation without using peer statistics to benchmark their own performance. That fosters unrealistic goal setting."
How a CEO firing typically plays out in practice, said Lozoff, is that a dissatisfied board will call in a firm such as his and indicate they are thinking about a CEO change due to performance shortfalls. Lozoff then drafts a contract with the CEO that sets out clear targets and from there, the CEO's fate is in his own hands.
Discomfiting as firing the CEO may be, it could be the easy part of the job. That's because actually firing a CEO triggers substantial work for board members. "If you don't have potential successors identified, the process of transitioning from one CEO to another can be complicated and expensive," warned Matt Fullbrook, manager of the Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics and Board Effectiveness at the University of Toronto and an expert in credit union governance,
Added Bob Hoel, author of the recent Filene Research report, "Boards and CEOs: Who's Really in Charge," "Replacing a CEO is very stressful for a credit union, Most board members dread the prospect of searching for a new CEO. It's a great deal of work. You don't undertake this casually."
Levine, however, noted that he has observed a recent deepening of the board's willingness to engage "at a strategic level with the CEO. They are more willing to confront," a trend he said he expects to see continuing. More activist and vocal boards seem a probable outcome of multiple forces at work in credit unions, said Levine.
That might result in fewer CEO firings, said Hoel, who explained the paradox by pointing out that early discussions, before disharmony hits a permanent sourness, sometimes is key to saving a CEO's relationship with his or her board. "The advice to a board is to express discomfort early. If you let it fester, somebody usually departs," said Hoel.
"The board has to recognize its responsibility is not to the CEO but to the members," said Powers. "The board has to be prepared to make the call when it needs to be made."

subset: commoncrawl


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Hosmer replaces Teixeira on USA Classic roster
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- First baseman Eric Hosmer came into the Royals' clubhouse on Wednesday morning and started packing up his equipment. But he's not going far.
Hosmer was selected to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic, replacing injured Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira.
|Bracket | Full scoreboard
"It's a great opportunity. Any chance you get to represent your country, you're obviously going to jump at the opportunity, so I'm very excited," Hosmer said.
Hosmer's chance came after Teixeira strained his right forearm on Tuesday at a Team USA workout at Glendale, while taking light swings off a tee. X-rays were negative, but he went to New York for a further examination.
"I don't know what the situation is or what my role is going to be, but I'm going to get over there today and find out," Hosmer said. "I'm excited to get started."
His role is likely to be playing a lot of first base because Teixeira was the only pure first baseman on the squad. Joe Mauer, Ben Zobrist and Willie Bloomquist are other USA players with experience at first.
Hosmer was to join Team USA and manager Joe Torre on Wednesday night for an exhibition against the Rockies at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, where, incidentally, the Royals were playing on Wednesday afternoon against the D-backs. The United States will meet Mexico on Friday night at Chase Field in Phoenix in a game that can be watched live on MLB Network and ESPN Deportes at 7 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET.
A left-handed hitter, Hosmer was leading the unbeaten Royals with eight RBIs in nine games and had a .391 (9-for-23) average with two doubles, one triple and one home run.
Hosmer was contacted on Tuesday night as Classic officials were getting permission from Royals general manager Dayton Moore.
"I got a call from Tony Clark from the [MLB] Players Association and he asked if I was interested in doing it, and I told him, 'Yeah, absolutely,'" Hosmer said. "And then [U.S. manager] Joe [Torre] called me about five minutes later. I guess he was trying to get a hold of Dayton last night and make sure it was OK for me to play, and everything was good to go after that."
Hosmer will join Royals teammate Tim Collins, a left-handed reliever, on Team USA. He and Collins were among six Royals farmhands who played on the USA team in the 2010 Pan American Qualifying Tournament.
"I've played with a couple of USA teams before and it's always a fun experience, and I'm ready to see what this is all about," Hosmer said.
He's especially looking forward to playing for Torre.
"Absolutely," Hosmer said. "When it comes to managing in baseball, that's one of the first names you think of, so it'll be a pretty fun experience with the amount of talent and coaches that they have on this team."
Hosmer is among nine from the Royals' organization on a Classic roster. Others are pitchers Collins, Luis Mendoza (Mexico), Kelvin Herrera and Atahualpa Severino (Dominican Republic); catcher Salvador Perez (Venezuela); infielders Miguel Tejada (Dominican) and Irving Falu (Puerto Rico), and outfielder Paulo Orlando (Brazil).
"I'm happy for him," manager Ned Yost said. "It's good for him, it's good for our organization and I'm pleased he's going. He's playing extremely well and I think he'd be a great addition to the USA team."
Yost believes the experience will be a plus for Hosmer.
"Regular spring games don't mean a dadgummed thing but ... they're playing in a tournament that means something," Yost said. "It's great playing with stars from different organizations; there's a lot you can learn in those types of situations and it's a very competitive tournament that is going to be watched by a lot of people.
"And it's to be played to win, so there are a lot of benefits to be playing in it for a guy like Hoz, for a guy like Timmy Collins, Herrera, all these kids. It's a great experience."
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Will Google or Apple Disrupt Intel?
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Google, Apple, or a smart startup could unseat Intel in microprocessors, the microprocessor design veteran Davd Ditzel said after an interview about his Hot Chips paper.
Google, Apple, or a smart startup could disrupt Intel, which increasingly looks awkwardly poised as the world's largest maker of microprocessors.
That's the view of Dave Ditzel, a veteran microprocessor designer. I talked to him about the microprocessor landscape after an interview for his upcoming paper at Hot Chips.
Ditzel led Sparc designs at the former Sun Microsystems before founding his own startup, Transmeta, that designed an x86-compatible chip. Most recently, he spent a little time at Intel on a microprocessor design that apparently got the axe from Brian Krzanich, Intel's new CEO. So he's been around the block and has something of an underdog's perspective.
Google may undermine Intel's x86 in servers with its work with IBM on the OpenPower Consortium, Ditzel said, and he makes a good case. The search company could probably save a lot of money and maybe even gain some performance/watt advantages if it could come up with a custom Power design for its data centers.
We know from seeing job reqs that Google has been hiring circuit designers and other kinds of chip engineers. Google's head of data center server technology leads the OpenPower group and has shown custom Power board designs.
I'm skeptical because I know Google tries everything and has the cash to do it. Nevertheless, Ditzel helped me see it also has the motive to make something real here that could deprive Intel of many hundreds of thousands of Xeon sales a year.
If Google gets something working, it might motivate Amazon, Facebook, and other big data center companies to follow. These folks represent 20% of the server business -- the hungry 20%.
Apple could put one of its next-generation A-series SoCs in a MacBook Air in the not-too-distant future, Ditzel said. Once it got the SoC up and running on its full Mac OS, it could easily spread use of the chip to other Mac notebooks and eventually desktops.
That's not a game changer for Intel, but it's another loss of x86 sockets and part of a scenario of death by a thousand cuts.
Finally, Ditzel said there's ample opportunity for a startup to do something really kick butt in microprocessors these days.
"Most of mainstream microprocessor design has slowed to a crawl. It's not happening at big companies, because they have lost the ability to design new architectures," he said, perhaps unconsciously thinking about his last project.
Multicore designs are running out of gas, given the lack of parallelism in most software. Nevertheless, "there are several really interesting opportunities for new microprocessors."
One path is in designing the first SoC from the ground up for 3D stacks, he said. No surprise there, given Ditzel is now working with ThruChip Communications, a startup with an inductive coupling technique for chip-to-chip communications.
When asked about what will be hot at Hot Chips -- beyond his paper -- Ditzel agreed with analyst Kevin Krewell, who said in a Hot Chips preview that a paper about Nvidia's long-secret Project Denver will be hot.
"No one knows the details yet, but it looks like this may be first big disclosure," Ditzel said. "It's been a long time coming."
The project, believed to be Nvidia's first general-purpose CPU, was expected to be x86-based but now is reportedly a 64-bit ARM SoC. In this era when so many companies, including Intel's old rival AMD, are jumping on the ARM bandwagon for everything from mobile systems to servers, Denver may not be that disruptive in the long run.
There's no doubt Intel is on shaky ground, given its core PC market has slowed to a crawl, and the company still has not made significant progress in hot mobile markets where Qualcomm is king. For now, I'm keeping my eyes on Google, some still stealthy startup, or maybe those RISC-V folks at Berkeley for the next big disruption in microprocessors.
— Rick Merritt, Silicon Valley Bureau Chief, EE Times
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Eli Lilly FCU Wins International Marketing Honors (With Video)
The $1 billion Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union in Indianapolis was named a three-time bronze winner for a marketing video from the Telly Awards, which honors outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercial and programs, web commercials, film and video productions.
The credit union's video was selected for the award from among 11,000 entries from 50 states and several countries. ELFCU won the bronze award for non-broadcast corporate image, non-broadcast direct marketing and non-broadcast health and wellness.
The credit union's production titled, "No One Leaves Their Money at the Office Door," tells the story of a typical workplace with characters who might as well be your own coworkers.
In just three minutes, the YouTube based video introduces nine scenarios, covering the gamut of money challenges typical Americans face daily, even while at work. One person is divorcing; another is behind on her mortgage; while another can't afford gas for her drive home. The story culminates with a woman who learns that her husband has just lost his job. The ultimate message to the viewer is: "you are not alone."
A panel of more than 500 industry professionals judged the entries to recognize distinction in creative work against a high standard of merit, the credit union said.
"The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video," said Linda Day, executive director of the Telly Awards. "ELFCU's accomplishment illustrates its creativity, skill, and dedication to its craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production."


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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Census of Population and Housing, 1980 [United States]: Summary Tape File 3D (ICPSR 8157)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
This data collection is a component of Summary Tape File (STF) 3, which consists of four sets of computer-readable data file containing detailed tabulations of the nation's population and housing characteristics produced from the 1980 Census. The STF 3 files contain sample data inflated to represent the total United States population. The files also contain 100-percent counts and unweighted sample counts of persons and housing units. All files in the STF 3 series are identical, containing 321 substantive data variables organized in the form of 150 "tables," as well as standard geographic identification variables. Population items tabulated for each person include demographic data and information on schooling, ethnicity, labor force status, and number of children, as well as details on occupation and income. Housing items include size and condition of the housing unit as well as information on value, age, water, sewage and heating, vehicles, and monthly owner costs. Each dataset provides different geographic coverage. STF 3D provides summaries for state or state equivalent, congressional district (as constituted for the 98th Congress), county or county equivalent, places of 10,000 or more people, and minor civil division/census county division. There are 51 separate files, one for each state and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau's machine-readable data dictionary for STF 3 is also available through CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 1980 [UNITED STATES]: CENSUS SOFTWARE PACKAGE (CENSPAC) VERSION 3.2 WITH STF4 DATA DICTIONARIES (ICPSR 7789), the software package designed specifically by the Census Bureau for use with the 1980 Census data files.
Series: Census of Population and Housing, 1980 [United States] Series
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Study Description
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. Census of Population and Housing, 1980 [United States]: Summary Tape File 3D. ICPSR08157-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2008-02-15. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08157.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08157.v1
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Scope of Study
Subject Terms: automobile expenses, census county divisions, census data, census regions, congressional districts, counties, demographic characteristics, education, employment, ethnicity, family history, Hispanic or Latino origins, household composition, household expenditures, housing, housing conditions, income, minor civil divisions, native language, occupations, population, population characteristics, property values, real estate, states (USA)
Geographic Coverage: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York (state), North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- 1980
- 1980
Universe: All persons and housing units in the United States in 1980.
Sample: Two sampling rates were employed. In incorporated places of less than 2,500 persons, half of all housing units and persons in group quarters were included. In all other places, one-sixth of the housing units or persons in group quarters were sampled.
self-enumerated questionnaires
Original ICPSR Release: 1984-06-28
- 2008-02-15 SAS and SPSS setup files have been added to this data collection.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 80 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 80 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
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so now that he is officially a Raptor, when are we making the "Everything Gay" thread haha
so now that he is officially a Raptor, when are we making the "Everything Gay" thread haha
I tweeted raptorsMR and like Matt said they will waive hadaddi's physical since he can't report within 48 hours.
How much is true? Who knows.
Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-pho...eWo6voqJelF.99Why the Grizzlies Traded Rudy Gay Now
Why didn't the Memphis Grizzlies wait until after the season to trade Rudy Gay? That's one of the biggest questions being asked after the Grizzlies decided to trade Gay to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday evening. They were already out of luxury tax territory after trading Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby to the Cleveland Cavaliers so why not wait and give their core group one more postseason to try to contend in the Western Conference?
While that's a fair question, the answer is simple: Gay had grown unhappy with the situation in Memphis and it was time for both parties to move on.
Grizzlies brass had met with Gay last weekend and the small forward made it clear that he would welcome a trade.
Gay was also tired of hiding his frustration. While players like Mike Conley made it clear that they didn't want management to make a trade and would be upset to see the team broken up, Gay didn't seem like he cared what happened before the deadline. If the Grizzlies traded him, that'd be fine with him. Last week prior to the Grizzlies' game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Gay was asked if he thought the front office would keep the team's core together. He used this opportunity to voice his frustration and take a shot at management.
"It really doesn't matter what they think about us," Gay said of Memphis' front office last week. "It's all about what's in the locker room and what we think we can do. It really doesn't matter what they think."
Gay was sick of the trade rumors. He was tired of seeing his name surface in report after report.
For quite awhile, Gay had told people in his inner circle that he would welcome a trade from Memphis. Last offseason, he reached out to several players on teams that were pursuing him to discuss the possibility of playing together. Gay was never too fond of Memphis. He seriously considered leaving when he became a free agent in 2010, but he couldn't turn down a maximum extension. Gay signed for the money, not because he was attached or in love with Memphis.
Also, the Grizzlies were concerned that if they waited until the offseason to trade Gay, he would be able to hold the team hostage since he has a player option for the 2014-15 season. If Gay decided he was going to opt out of the final $19,317,326 of his contract to sign a new long-term deal, he would have some control over where he landed since he could scare teams off by refusing to make a long-term commitment. The Grizzlies didn't want this situation to mirror what the Denver Nuggets had to go through when they traded Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was in the final year of his contract and he refused to commit long-term to any team other than the New York Knicks, which left Denver with limited options.
Another aspect that has been overlooked is Gay's shaky relationship with Zach Randolph. Behind the scenes, Gay and Randolph had butted heads for quite awhile. While Gay and Randolph tolerated each other, they weren't close and had several spats over the years.
There were a lot of things happening behind the scenes that forced the Grizzlies' hand. Gay was already upset with the trade rumors and delaying the inevitable would have made things worse, especially considering their options could've been severely limited if Gay played his cards right. Not to mention, Gay and Randolph had butted heads, so it's not like the Grizzlies broke up a perfect team that was guaranteed to make a deep postseason run. This was a dysfunctional situation.
Now, the Grizzlies not only shed some salary, but they also acquired Tayshaun Prince, who is a good fit in Memphis, as well as a very promising young player in Ed Davis.
This was the right time to trade Gay, even if it seemed questionable from the outside looking in.
ESPN Twitter poll (@ESPNNBA) asked which team won the Gay trade:
53% say Toronto
24% say Detroit
23% say Memphis
Anyone remember this?
Yes! I'm missing fridays game, so I guess I'll get to see his debut!
Too bad its against the Heat..
Forgot about him being one of the last cuts for 2012 Olympic team.Ryan Wolstat @WolstatSun
Rudy Gay helped the 2010 USA team win its first gold at the FIBA worlds since 2010. Also is Memphis all-time leader in steals
It'll be a great test for us, although, team will be unsure as so will Rudy Gay be with the system.
We'll either get destroyed, or play very well like last time.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
Don't forget, Rudy Gay is actually a Heat killer in the last few years.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
Just wondering when the "Everything Gay" thread is going to open?
i still cannot get over his ridiculous salary just for him to hit buzzer beaters
how about getting the rest of the team to actually improve and not blow big-pt leads?
Doh! Didn't notice somebody already beat me to the "everything gay" idea.....was too lazy to read the whole thread
I liked this quote from Lowry about Rudy Gay:
"He's excited, he's looking forward to the opportunity," Lowry said. "He definitely knows the situation, he knows how people are going to be looking at him to becoming that player and I think he's going to prove it. He's going to be able to be the All-Star that he should always be."
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This study is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), the aging program within ICPSR. NACDA is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Heath (NIH).
Australian [Adelaide] Longitudinal Study of Aging, Waves 1-5 [1992-1997] (ICPSR 6707)
Principal Investigator(s): Andrews, Gary R., Flinders University of South Australia. Centre for Ageing Studies; Myers, George C., Flinders University of South Australia. Centre for Ageing Studies
The general purpose of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ALSA) is to gain further understanding of how social, biomedical, and environmental factors are associated with age-related changes in the health and well-being of persons aged 70 years and older. Emphasis is given to the effects of social and economic factors on morbidity, disability, acute and long-term care service use, and mortality. The aim is to analyze the complex relationships between individual and social factors and changes in health status, health care needs, and service utilization dimensions. Components of Wave 1 (1992-1993) (Part 1) included a comprehensive personal interview conducted via the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system, a home-based assessment of physiological functions, self-completed questionnaires, and additional clinical studies. Wave 2 (1993-1994), Wave 3 (1994-1995), Wave 4 (1995-1996), and Wave 5 (1996-1997) (Parts 2, 7, 8, and 10, respectively) included questions regarding changes in domicile, current health and functional status, new morbidity conditions, changes in medication, major life events, general life satisfaction, and changes in economic circumstances. For Wave 3 Clinical Data (Part 9) information about the health histories of the respondents was elicited, including information on medication, blood pressure, and physical and mental disabilities.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
Andrews, Gary R., and George C. Myers. Australian [Adelaide] Longitudinal Study of Aging, Waves 1-5 [1992-1997]. ICPSR06707-v3. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2000. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06707.v3
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06707.v3
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- South Australian Health Commission
- Australian Rotary Health Research Fund
- United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health (AG-08523-02)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: aging, environment, health, health care, health problems, health services utilization, health status, life events, life satisfaction, long term care, older adults, social indicators
Geographic Coverage: Australia, Global
- 1992--1997
Universe: Persons aged 70 and older living in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia.
Sample: The sample was randomly generated from within the Adelaide Statistical Division using the State Electoral Data Base as the sampling frame. The sample was stratified by gender and by the age groups 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85 and older. Both community and institutionalized individuals were included. In addition, spouses aged 65 and older of specified persons also were invited to participate, as were other household members aged 70 years and older.
personal interviews, self-enumerated questionnaires, and clinical and home-based assessments
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Performed recodes and/or calculated derived variables.
Original ICPSR Release: 1996-10-08
- 2005-11-04 On 2005-03-14 new files were added to one or more datasets. These files included additional setup files as well as one or more of the following: SAS program, SAS transport, SPSS portable, and Stata system files. The metadata record was revised 2005-11-04 to reflect these additions.
- 2000-05-01 Part 9, Wave 3 Clinical Data (1994-1995), has been added to the collection as an SPSS export file with a PDF codebook. In addition, Wave 5 Data (1996-1997) have been added as Part 10, with SAS and SPSS data definition statements, an SPSS export file, and a PDF codebook.
- 1999-04-26 Data for Wave 3 (1994-1995) and Wave 4 (1995-1996) have been added as Parts 3 and 4, along with corresponding SAS and SPSS data definition statements, SPSS export files, and PDF codebooks.
Related Publications
- List all ~37 citations associated with this study
Most Recent Publications
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- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


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TCPDF is a PHP class for generating PDF documents without requiring external extensions. TCPDF supports all ISO page formats and custom page formats, custom margins and units of measure, UTF-8 Unicode, RTL languages, HTML, barcodes, TrueTypeUnicode, TrueType, OpenType, Type1, and CID-0 fonts, images, graphic functions, clipping, bookmarks, JavaScript, forms, page compression, digital signatures, and encryption.
TXR is a new data munging language. TXR's special pattern language provides template-based matching of entire documents or large sections of documents. It also contains a language for functional and imperative programming. It is written in C and takes the form of a utility that is portable to Unix-like platforms and Windows.
The SeaMonkey project is a community effort to develop an all-in-one Internet application suite. It contains an Internet browser, email and newsgroup client with an included Web feed reader, HTML editor, IRC chat, and Web development tools, and is sure to appeal to advanced users, Web developers, and corporate users. It uses much of the Mozilla source code powering such successful siblings as Firefox, Thunderbird, Camino, Sunbird, and Miro.
Recoll is a personal full text desktop search tool based on Xapian. It provides an easy to use, feature-rich, easy administration interface with a Qt-based GUI. Text, HTML, PDF, PostScript, MS Word, OpenOffice, Wordperfect, KWord, Abiword, maildir, and mailbox mail folder formats are supported, along with their compressed versions and quite a few others. Powerful query facilities are provided. Multiple character sets are supported, and internal processing and storage uses Unicode UTF-8. Stemming is performed at query time and the stemming language can be switched after indexing.
This library provides an implementation of tables indexed by strings. The binary search is used for names of known length. It is also possible to search a table for names of unknown length, i.e. to parse a string using some table. Table elements can be of any private type. Key- insensitive tables are supported.
doclifter helps with lifting documents with nroff markup to XML-DocBook. Lifting documents from presentation level to semantic level is hard, and a really good job requires human polishing. This tool aims to do everything that can be mechanized, and to preserve any troff-level information that might have structural implications in XML comments. TBL tables are translated into DocBook table markup, PIC into SVG, and EQN into MathML (relying on pic2svg and GNU eqn for the last two).
ANTLR (ANother Tool for Language Recognition) is a language tool that provides a framework for constructing recognizers, compilers, and translators from grammatical descriptions containing C++, Java, or Sather actions. It is similar to the popular compiler generator YACC, however ANTLR is much more powerful and easy to use. ANTLR-produced parsers are not only highly efficient, but are both human-readable and human-debuggable (especially with the interactive ParseView debugging tool). ANTLR can generate parsers, lexers, and tree-parsers in either C++, Java, or Sather. ANTLR is currently written in Java.
Vrapper is an Eclipse plugin which acts as a wrapper for Eclipse text editors to provide a Vim-like input scheme for moving around and editing text. Unlike other plugins which embed Vim in Eclipse, Vrapper imitates the behavior of Vim while still using whatever editor you have opened in the workbench. The goal is to have the comfort and ease which comes with the different modes, complex commands, and count/operator/motion combinations which are the key features behind editing with Vim, while preserving the powerful features of the different Eclipse text editors, like code generation and refactoring.
4Suite is a Python-based toolkit for XML and RDF application development. It features a library of integrated tools for XML processing, implementing open technologies such as DOM, RDF, XSLT, XInclude, XPointer, XLink, XPath, XUpdate, RELAX NG, and XML/SGML Catalogs. Layered upon this is an XML and RDF data repository and server, which supports multiple methods of data access, query, indexing, transformation, rich linking, and rule processing, and provides the data infrastructure of a full database system, including transactions, concurrency, access control, and management tools. It also supports HTTP, RPC, SOAP, and FTP, plus APIs in Python and XSLT.


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so LK playing well. zone defence got us back in the game and what does casey do? take LK out the game, go away from zone and get trashed in the fourth. My marriage with the raps is not working out.
so LK playing well. zone defence got us back in the game and what does casey do? take LK out the game, go away from zone and get trashed in the fourth. My marriage with the raps is not working out.
It doesn't even make sense that Kleiza wasn't in the game during the 4th quarter... why play Ross when he was obviously struggling. Kleiza comes in with 1 minute left and then drills a three... almost like a statement.
its beyond ridiculous. Watching these games are just dumb. It just doesnt make any sense. Am i missing something???? We play 3 quarters and thats it.
I don't know what to say. If people think that us beating a healthy Clipper team with our squad is simply a matter of coaching, then they are being ignorant of the fact that his coaching kept up with the clippers for over 3 quarters.
I just think we have a lot of sub par starters that are not top tier talent. The 4th is when guys like Blake and Paul shine, and guys like Derozan fade. We are a poorly constructed team (for competition, we are instead constructed for development, we need to pick one or the other, we don't have the squad/luxury to do both).
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Sun Dec 9th, 2012 at 06:20 PM.
This team is bad. Thats the problem, period!
I'm not interested in playing Kleiza at all. Not even for half a minute.
Well, losing by 19 instead of 31 is a step in the right direction. My beloved Raptors are making progress. Soon we'll only be losing by 10 and then by 1 and who knows maybe we'll squeak of a victory some time soon. Go Raptors Go.
also, no one is drooling over val or ross today
the anger is focused, elsewhere
I just hate the clippers. Dancing like a bunch of idiots whenever they get a chance. It's like they try to one up each other's reaction to get camera time. Pathetic. And yes coaching in the 4th was an issue. So was not making any open looks.
His coaching was good enough in the 3OT against pops, it was good for 3 quarters against the clippers, but suddenly its casey alone that losses it. (with a team whose starters are questionable if they were competing for jobs on the clippers)
I see threads on how dumb casey is for benching val and tross, and today how dumb he is for not playing kleiza... I don't think he can win. With this squad you are bound to fail in a given quarter. Frankly, I am surprised we have been as close as we have with so many quality opponents. (maybe that is a credit to his coaching considering our team has no sparkly assets)
Last edited by BasketballCrush; Sun Dec 9th, 2012 at 07:24 PM.
I am not sure it is the coaching at all. I think that BC loves the run and gun offense, and told Casey that he needs more offense and that should be done at the expense of the defense that was taking hold. Take a look at the video of him on Raptors.com with Devlin and Armstrong.
Derozen misses a steal leading to an easy open shot, then at the other end Lowry dribbles himself into a jam and throws the ball away for a Clippers slam. Sound a bit like the season. And then blame the troubles on the fact you have a 20 year old centre? Whose fault is it that he is not coming off the bench. Maybe if he would have not kept trying to get new point guards, and actually tried to get a centre, we would be better off.
I think we should hire some offensive coordinator, because while Casey's a good coach, the coach I think should coach this team, but it's obvious that he doesn't exactly know how to run an offence. I suggest we hire an offensive coordinator or something, seriously. I also suggest we fire BC, because it seems he still likes the run 'n' gun offence he used in Phoenix, that's not happenin' with this team.
The coaching is bad but I would more commas in the statement, not a period. And I would add another sentence to follow.
The coaching, management, talent, and composition of the team is bad. The team has no identity. Period.
In his defense (lol, the irony of the word defense when referring to him), no coach can really win with this team.
I find this team lacks serious leadership and character though, and this has been a major problem in this organization for a decade now. We need players who know how to win and have experience winning and BC fails in that category and has serious issues cutting the cord on Bargnani who is clearly not a good fit here.
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Expedia Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this property
Get an overview of this hotelMaximum relaxation amid minimalist design in Cancún
Popular property highlights
Adults-only oasis
Situated along 250 yards (230 meters) of Cancún's white sands, the Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Adults Only is less than 1 mile (2 kilometers) from the shops of Plaza La Isla Mall and the Cancún Convention Center.
All-Inclusive resort
All food and drink at restaurants and bars, including 2 swim-up bars, room service, and minibars, plus nightly entertainment are included in the Le Blanc's room rate.
Ocean, lagoon views
The 260 rooms offer balconies with ocean or lagoon views. Minimalist décor, jetted tubs, LED TVs with Apple TV® and satellite channels including HBO and ESPN, Bvlgari® bath amenities, and butler services add luxury touches.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us! Opens in a new window.
Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Adults Only
Resort Amenities
All-Inclusive Details
This resort is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).
Gratuities and taxes
Gratuities and taxes are included. Additional gratuities at guests' discretion are accepted.
Food and beverages
- All buffet and à la carte meals, snacks, and beverages included
- 24-hour room service
- In-room minibar (all beverages included)
- Meals and beverages at companion properties
Activities and facilities/equipment
All onsite activities and use of facilities and equipment are included.
Land activities
- Fitness facilities
- Volleyball
- Pilates
- Water fitness
- Yoga
- Onsite entertainment and activities
- Onsite live performances
- Theme parties
Not included
- Golf green fees
- Use of golf cart
- Use of golf equipment
- Motorized water sports
- Sailboats
- Scuba-diving certification
- Scuba-diving excursions
- Scuba-diving lessons
- Snorkeling excursions
- Snorkeling gear
- Premium food items
- Premium or imported alcoholic beverages
- Airport transfers
- Laundry/dry cleaning services
- Spa/beauty facilities and services
- Activities and services offered by independent operators
- Offsite tours
- Transportation to offsite activities
Resort Amenities
This resort lies along a 230-meter (250-yard) beach of powdery white sand on Cancún Island's eastern shore.
A fitness center, equipped with Life Fitness machines and a studio for classes, such as yoga and tai-chi, is on site. Evening entertainment shows are presented on an outdoor stage on the third floor or in the ballroom. Business travelers appreciate the meeting facilities which include Blancpatio, a 252-square-meter (2,714-square-foot) patio where cocktails are served. Complimentary WiFi is available throughout the property. Shops sell spa products, jewelry, resort wear, and souvenirs. The resort purifies its water.
- Beach bar
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Number of outdoor pools - 3
- Elevator/lift
- Number of bars/lounges - 4
- Fitness facilities
- Number of poolside bars - 2
- Full-service spa
- 24-hour front desk
- Beach umbrellas
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Free breakfast
- Business center
- Porter/bellhop
- Beach cabanas (surcharge)
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Meeting rooms 6
- Coffee shop or café
- Beach sun loungers
- Free self parking
- Steam room
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Pool sun loungers
- Free WiFi
- Sauna
- Free valet parking
- Smoke-free property
- Spa services on site
- Terrace
- Luggage storage
- Hair salon
- ATM/banking
- Number of restaurants - 5
- Concierge services
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shopping on site
- Pool umbrellas
- Beach towels
- Total number of rooms - 260
- Number of floors - 9
- Wedding services
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, Free valet parking
Room Amenities
- Free local calls
- Pillow menu
- iPod docking station
- Premium TV channels
- Room service (24 hours)
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free bottled water
- Minibar (stocked, free items)
- DVD player
- Turndown service
- Designer toiletries
- Private bathroom
- Bathrobes
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Jetted bathtub
- Slippers
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Rainfall showerhead
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Desk
- Iron/ironing board
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Satellite TV service
- Daily housekeeping
- Hydromassage showerhead
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Blancintl - In the central lobby, this casual restaurant serves International cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wet clothing or uncovered swimwear is not allowed. The evening dress code is semi-formal.
Blancitalia - Found in the central lobby, this Italian specialty restaurant serves à la carte dinner. Dress code: Casual elegant (long pants, collared shirt, and shoes required).
BlancAsia - Specializing in Asian fare, this restaurant in the central lobby serves à la carte dinner. Reservations are not required. Dress code: Casual elegant (long pants, collared shirt, and shoes required).
Lumiere - Serves French-fusion fare. Features an eight-course menu comprising small dishes. Open for dinner; formal dress code.
Blancbar - This lobby bar offers an ocean view.
Blancluna - Lagoon snack bar.
Blancsol - Beach/pool snack bar.
The resort also features two swim-up bars.
Nearby Things to Do
Two of the three swimming pools are infinity pools. Besides enjoying water volleyball at the resort, guests can try water sports such as kayaking and windsurfing at the Wet 'n Wild marina, about a 10-minute drive away. (Transportation provided.)
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Snorkeling nearby
- Volleyball on site
- Beach volleyball on site
- Skydiving nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Ecotours nearby
- Fitness classes on site
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Kayaking nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Scuba diving nearby
Spa Services
Boasting an elegant and soothing architectural design, Le Blanc Spa in Cancun offers the ultimate space for your total relaxation and well-being.
Facilities include 2 hydrotherapy areas, 10 multifunctional spa suites, 4 spa master suites, 4 indoor spa couples suites, and 1 golden suite. Unwind in your own personal sanctuary, where tranquility prevails.
- Number of treatment rooms 19
- Couples treatment rooms
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body treatments
- Body scrubs
- Facial treatments
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Hot stone massage
- Swedish massage
- Sauna in spa
- Spa tub in spa
- Steam room in spa
- Reflexology
- Sports massage
- Detoxification wrap
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Resort Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children 18 and younger are not allowed at this adults-only property. All guests older than 18 are welcome.
- Cribs (infant beds) are not available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Resort Name
- Blanc Resort
- Blanc Spa
- Blanc Spa Resort
- Le Blanc Spa
- Le Blanc Spa Cancun
- Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Adults Cancun
- Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Cancun
- Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Cancun
- Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive
- Blanc Spa Cancun
- Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Adults
- Blanc Spa Adults Cancun
- Blanc Spa Adults
- Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the resort prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Guests under 18 years old are not permitted at this adults-only property.
Awards & Affiliations
- Le Blanc Spa Resort All Inclusive Adults Only is listed in the 2013 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List of the world's best places to stay and the 2014 Travel + Leisure 500.
Unlimited Phone Calls Promotion
All calls made from guestrooms to phone numbers within Mexico (excluding cell phones), the Continental United States of America, and Canada are complimentary.
Calls must be made from guestrooms. Other international calls are charged at a special rate. If unused, this service cannot be exchanged for cash value. Excludes calls to Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other international calls. Excludes -800 calls, calls through an outside operator, collect calls, calls using other phone companies, and calls to cell phones within Mexico.
Resort Credit Offer
Book a minimum 3-night stay in any room or rate category now - December 23, 2018, for travel during the same period, and receive a resort credit valid for select resort services and amenities including spa treatments, tours, romantic dinner, and scuba diving. Resort credit is offered in the following amounts, based on length of stay: USD 500 resort credit for 3-night stay; USD 750 resort credit for 4-night stay; USD 1,500 resort credit for 5-8 night stay; USD 2,000 resort credit for 9-11 night stay; or USD 2,500 resort credit for minimum 12-night stay.
Must book minimum 3-night stay to receive benefits. Credit applied to guest's final bill at check-out. 1 credit per booking, per stay. Complete details of inclusions, exclusions, and limitations available from the property directly either upon check-in or by contacting the property after booking; contact information appears on the confirmation. All services and products are subject to availability. Unused credit valid for up to 1 year from the check-out date and transferable once to 1 guest. Unused credit option is only available for check-in as of December 24, 2018. When using resort credit for My Palace Memories, resort credit shop, and other products and services of this promotion, taxes and fees will apply. These taxes and fees can be paid with cash, credit card, or other authorized means. Resort credit cannot be redeemed for cash. No refunds for any unused portion of credit. Offer is subject to change. Other restrictions may apply.
Complimentary Honeymoon Offer
Book a 4-night minimum stay in any room and rate category and contact the property after booking using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking to receive the following benefits: Special honeymoon amenity; 1 bottle of sparkling wine; 2 keepsake bathrobes; breakfast in bed (upon request); guaranteed turndown service; honeymoon desk and late check-out until 6 PM (subject to request and availability),
Proof of marriage required at check-in; marriage date must be less than 1 year prior to arrival. Upon arrival, guests will be directed to the Honeymoon Desk to make arrangements. Taxes and gratuity may not be included. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.
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I remember reading something about DeMar playing against Ross during summer league and to see these two players duke it out was a sight to behold.
Which matchups behind the scenes would be interesting?
I remember reading something about DeMar playing against Ross during summer league and to see these two players duke it out was a sight to behold.
Which matchups behind the scenes would be interesting?
Lowry vs. Calderon! The athletic, tough, skilled PG versus the smart, experienced, pass-first PG. Also, Fields vs. Kleiza would be intriguing.. the battle for the starting 3!
Fields vs Kleiza. They'd both be laughing constantly but at different things. Fields when the ball bounces off Kleiza's forehead. Kleiza at broken bone ends sticking out of limbs.
Amir vs. Davis....until Davis is traded.
I guess no one has really mentioned Kleiza as being a potential starter. 2 years ago the thought coming out of training camp was he was the best player in training camp. that was coming off a great showing at the worlds and before he destroyed his knee. I wonder what he will bring this season. He may be the biggest question mark
Demar vs T Ross AND Bargnani vs JV
i'm not talking about positional battles. They will be guarding each other in practice, I would like to see how JV is at defending a player of Bargnani's skill set in the post; how Bargs responds to the rookie bumping and battling him down low, and how bargnani does containing JV around the basket.
I can not see how guarding a Bargnani would be beneficial to J-V. Bargnani has too many weapons for a raw rookie.
I think guarding Aaron Gray/Amir Johnston would tell a lot more about how NBA-ready he is defensively.
The best way to predict your future is to create it - Peter Drucker
the most important matchup has to be ed davis vs amir johnson.
they pretty much do the same thing on the court. one of them has to step up and play a huge role on this team. and the other needs to be shipped off along with jose calderon for a piece that we can actually use to help this team get to the next level.
theres no point in having both of them on this roster with quincy acy, aaron gray, jamal magloire (maybe), andrea bargnani and jonas valanciounas. having 6 or 7 pf/c's on a roster is not logical.
I think Amir vs. JV should be interesting. No facts to back this up, but I'm guessing JV did not face a lot of pogo-stick kind of players like Amir overseas. I think JV probably has more experience guarding Aaron Gray-style players and will need to learn how to contend with the uber-athletes in the NBA.
He downplays the PG battle, but man you gotta love his mindset. Such a great team-first guy
I hope Calderon can remain a Raptor for his entire career. I know he'll be an expensive backup for the time being, but once his contract is complete I hope he's willing to take a lower salary and remain a Raptor.
your pal,
Looks like the guys spent some time working out at the Skydome today (I refuse to call it the Rogers Centre).
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Keenan Reynolds scored the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter in a 17-13 victory over Army.
PHILADELPHIA — Keenan Reynolds extended Navy's dominance against Army, scoring the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter in a 17-13 victory in the 113th rivalry game Saturday.
Navy (8-4) beat Army for the 11th straight time and won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy awarded to the team with the best record in games among the three service academies. Army and Navy each beat Air Force, putting the prestigious trophy up for grabs in the regular-season final� for the first time since 2005.
Army (2-10) hasn't hoisted the CIC trophy since 1996.
The Black Knights came close, but Navy recovered a late fumble, and Reynolds' 8-yard rushing score made it 17-13.
In front of 69,607 fans and Vice President Joe Biden at Lincoln Financial Field, Navy caught a break when Army missed a late field goal attempt.
Reynolds quickly found Ejay Turner down the sideline for a 49-yard gain. Reynolds then escaped a rush and followed with the 8-yard touchdown run with 4:41 left in the game.
Unlike previous games over the last decade, the Black Knights were in this one until the final drive. Army had driven to the 14 when fullback Larry Dixon fumbled on a sloppy exchange. Navy recovered and the Midshipmen went wild and rushed the field.
The CIC trophy was coming back to the Naval Academy for a record 13th time after a two-year stint at Air Force. Before Navy started its 11-game winning streak, the longest one in the series was only five games for either team.
The Midshipmen gathered at midfield and posed with the trophy while their classmates in the stands celebrated.
Late in the third, Army's James Kelly stripped the ball and linebacker Alex Meier recovered to give the Black Knights the ball at Navy's 37. Eric Osteen kicked a 21-yard field goal 10 plays later for a 13-10 lead. Osteen, however, was wide left on a 37-yard attempt with 6:57 left in the game. Navy made them pay on Reynolds' score.
Navy not only won 10 straight, but pretty much dominated the Black Knights, winning games in 2007 and 2008 by a combined 74-3 score.
Navy's 27-21 win last season was the tightest margin since the streak started. Last year was just a start at nudging closer toward ending the winning streak.
After a scoreless first quarter, Army and Navy swapped rushing scores in the second. Navy fullback Noah Copeland plowed straight up the middle for a 12-yard score. Trent Steelman matched him with an 11-yarder for his program-tying 17th touchdown run of the season, then saluted the cadets after the score.
Nick Sloan put Navy up 10-7 with a 31-yard field goal.
Then came the ugly — yet, so sweet — kick for Army that sent the game into halftime tied at 10. Navy twice tried to freeze Osteen with consecutive timeouts. They didn't work. There was a high snap, a line drive kick, a glance off the upright and — good! Osteen's 41-yarder as time expired had the cadets rocking the Linc and put a potential upset firmly in sight for Army.
Instead, it was just the latest loss for the Black Knights.
With cadets and midshipmen standing, bouncing and cheering under gloomy skies, it was clear how much the rivalry means to both sides.
Biden handed off coin flipping duties to a referee before the game and made the traditional switch from the Navy side to the Army side at halftime. Team highlights were played to "Gonna Fly Now." Billed as "America's Game," the hours before kickoff were highlighted by the Army Corps of Cadets and the Brigade of Midshipmen march onto the field. The cadet glee club performed the national anthem.
Cadets even brought one of those oversized goofy cutouts of Biden's head to show off during the game.


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The Fund invests in other Harbor mutual funds according to an asset allocation strategy designed for investors planning to retire within a few years of 2010. The Fund's asset allocation will become more conservative over time. Within 5 years after 2010, the Fund's asset allocation should become similar to that of the Harbor Target Retirement Income Fund.
As of Quarter Ended 09/30/2014
YTD 1 Year 5 Year 10 Year Since Inception 2.73% 4.56% 6.59% N/A 8.21%
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I'm interested to see what people think about Demar these first 3 games.
Any improvement over last year? Any progress?
Basically, I'm wondering if he should continue to be a central part of the re-build? Any chance he'll become a consistent all-star on a contender?
Personally, having only been able to watch portions of the first 3 games, I'm not sure about him. Does he just need maturing? Does he have it to become the total package?
Also, while he still has intriguing potential upside, should BC look to make a trade for someone, maybe with less athleticism, but with more aptitude and attitude?
What do the experts think?


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The Raptors have the No. 5 pick in the draft, and Thompson said it would a dream to play for his hometown team.I think it (would) be a national headline, especially with Toronto the only NBA team in Canada and having a hometown kid come back, Thompson said of going to the Raptors. Its almost like the Derrick Rose effect (of the Chicago native going to the Bulls) maybe times two.Source: NJ.comThompson averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.39 blocks as a freshman last season with Texas.
While he still has some rough edges, Thompsons athleticism and upside has scouts salivating.
Hes one of the most athletic guys in this draft, said forward Jordan Hamilton, Thompsons teammate at Texas who also is expected to be a first-round pick.
Once hes able to really work on his jump shot, hell be a lot better. Hes a terrific talent, and he can play defense on guys and block shots.
Thompson has been working on his jumper with former NBA player and coach John Lucas in Houston, shooting about a thousand shots a day. The workouts also include Cory Joseph, another Canadian who has known Thompson since the two were both 10 and who also was Thompsons teammate at Findlay Prep.
If Thompson can hit some shots in his pre-draft workout with Toronto, that certainly would help his chances of being taken by his hometown team. Going No. 5 to the Raptors would likely be the highest possible selection for Thompson.


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text:
2 surgical procedures for MDS include:
- Bone marrow biopsy (both to diagnose and monitor the disease)
- Central venous infusaport placement
Bone Marrow Biopsy
One minor surgical procedure you will need is a biopsy of your bone marrow. In a bone marrow biopsy, a sample of bone marrow and a small piece of bone are removed and tested for cancer cells. The samples are obtained by inserting a needle through either the top of your pelvis or your breastbone into the soft, spongy marrow. Once there, firm suction on a syringe draws out approximately 2 teaspoons of marrow fluid. Then, a second puncture with the core biopsy needle removes a small piece of tissue.
Some of the biopsy sample will be evaluated by the hematologist and pathologist under the microscope. Some will be sent to the lab to evaluate the chromosomes and DNA for damage. This evaluation, called a cytogenetic study, will help your doctor determine the prognosis of your type of MDS.
A bone marrow biopsy is necessary to identify your disease precisely. Subsequent marrow biopsies may be helpful to assess your progress, but the first one is essential.
Central Venous Infusaport Placement
Your doctor may place a central venous access device under the skin, usually beneath the collarbone. This device, referred to as a "port" can be used to draw blood and to administer blood products or antibiotics. It is often useful if your veins are small or few in number. Because patients with MDS require frequent transfusions in many cases, this device can improve the quality of life for patients by decreasing the need for needle punctures in the arms. Your doctor can discuss the risks and benefits of having such a port with you.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Mohei Abouzied, MD
- Review Date: 12/2015 -
- Update Date: 12/20/2014 -


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INTERPOL conference says coordination essential to combat match-fixing
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Effective partnerships through enhanced cooperation and information sharing were identified as key areas to more effectively combat match-fixing in football by delegates at an INTERPOL conference.
The importance of consistent legislation globally in relation to 'sporting fraud' was also highlighted by the some 170 representatives from law enforcement, international organizations including FIFPro, Sportaccord, national football associations, betting organizations and gambling regulatory authorities.
The two-day conference (20 and 21 February) entitled 'Match-fixing: The ugly side of the beautiful game' organized under the auspices of the INTERPOL / FIFA Training, Education and Prevention initiative, supported by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The need to develop and implement a broad range of prevention activities through education and training was also highlighted as vital in protecting football from organized crime and professional criminals which make billions from illegal betting through match-fixing and other associated illegal activities.
The conference for representatives from national Football Associations and law enforcement was INTERPOL's first match-fixing conference in Asia.


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Euro 2012 security focus of INTERPOL Chief mission to Poland
WARSAW, Poland – Security measures implemented for EURO 2012 and beyond were key areas for discussion during INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble's mission to Poland, which is co-hosting the football championships.
In addition to high-level meetings with Minister of Interior, Jacek Cichocki and Commander in Chief of the Polish Police, Marek Działoszyński, the head of the world police body will also visit the Police Management Centre for EURO 2012, where an INTERPOL Major Events Supports Team (IMEST) has been deployed to provide assistance and support to national authorities ahead of and during the tournament.
"With the eyes of the world on Poland as it hosted the last semi-final match of EURO 2012, its police and security services have worked tirelessly to ensure that spectators and athletes see this championship end as safely as it began," said Secretary General Noble.
During his mission, Mr Noble will also visit the International Training Centre for Combating Clandestine Laboratories in Legionowo.
Interview: Lieutenant Colonel Rafal Lysakowski - Head of NCB Warsaw


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The Indiana post made me think of players we could of potentially drafted. I thought it would be fun to see what 'could of been'. I know that if we had drafted certain players in earlier years we wouldn't have been in the position to draft other players in latter years.
Also some of our picks were based on position/need rather than talent. So, this is a completely fruitless exercise but meh.
I decided to start with 2004 because the Araujo pick still haunts me at night.
2004 #8 pick - Rafael Araújo (C) -- Andre Igoudala (G/F)
2005 #7 pick - Charlie Villanueva (PF) -- Andrew Bynum (C)
#16 pick - Joey Graham (G/F) -- Danny Granger (SF)
#47 pick - Roko Ukić (G) -- Louis Williams (G)
* we were one pick shy of Monta Ellis and Gortat also went after Roko
2006 #1 pick - Andrea Bargnani (PF/C) -- LaMarcus Aldridge (PF/C)
#35 pick - P.J. Tucker (F) -- Paul Millsap (PF)
2008 #17 pick traded to Indiana (we know how that turned out)
2009 #9 pick DeMar DeRozan (SG) -- Ty Lawson (PG)
* very debatable but he impressed me in the play-offs (Jennings and Jrue Holiday other options)
2010 #13 pick Ed Davis (PF) -- Landry Fields (G/F)
2011 #5 pick Jonas Valančiūnas (C) -- Jonas Valančiūnas (C)
* I'm at the front of the JV badwagon but there are definite stand out that proved their worth this past year Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried, and Bismack showed flashes of what he is capable of
2012 #8 pick Jeremy Lamb (SG) [watch this be a terrible pick proving hindsight is 20/20]
2012/2013 Lineup
PG Lawson / Williams
SG Igoudala / Lamb
SF Granger / Fields
PF Aldridge / Millsap
C Bynum / Valančiūnas


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Fuk deng,,,, I don't care if ur on my fantasy team
Fuk deng,,,, I don't care if ur on my fantasy team
nice push deng
No call obviously cuz we're the Raptors...
refs give tack foul to derozan, but miss the push off, ***
that bitch deng, I swear he pulled that shit last year two.
I want 2 apologies for this game.
wow we are getting worked by the zebras
Are you f-ing serious?
That was a shooting foul... Fuck these refs
Where do they get these damn refs? Foot locker?
on to Philly. I Expect another big one from Lowry
I know there were a million mistakes throughout the game and missed foul shots.. But damn... If Amir hit that last one we woulda won
now we get to see more luol deng game winner highlights. gotta love being a raptor fan
Great game, sad loss. #ThoseRefsSuck
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Apple today released a revamped MacBook Pro
lineup. Those expecting fresh new case designs and SSD
boot drives will be disappointed.
The smallest member of the MacBook Pro lineup, the 13"
model, is finally moving into the modern era by ditching its base Core 2 Duo
processor for a Core i5 processor running at 2.3GHz. Standard storage capacity
has been bumped from 250GB to 320GB and the standard 4GB of DDR3 memory is now
running at 1333MHz.
While the sleek
13" MacBook Air is sporting a 1400x900 display, the 13" MacBook
Pro still soldiers on with a 1280x800 display. When it comes to graphics, Apple
has ditched the NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics for the on-chip Intel HD 3000
graphs solution with 384MB of shared memory.
Other features worth noting are FaceTime HD (triple the
resolution of the previous FaceTime camera), support for SDXC memory cards, and an implementation of Intel's Light Peak that it dubs "Thunderbolt".
"Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that
delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O
standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro," said Philip Schiller,
Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
Apple further describes ThunderBolt:
enables expandability never before possible on a notebook computer. Featuring
two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to an amazing 10Gbps each,
Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance
peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire and USB consumer
devices and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports
DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for
HDMI, DVI and VGA displays. Freely available for implementation on systems,
cables and devices, Thunderbolt technology is expected to be widely adopted as
a new standard for high performance I/O.
The 15" and 17" MacBook Pros also get processors
upgrades, and both are now available with quad-core Core i7 processors (2.0GHz
in the 15" model, 2.3GHz in the 17" model). Like their little
13" brother, the 15" and 17" MacBook Pros also gain SDXC slots
and Thunderbolt. Standard storage on the 15" and 17" MacBook Pros are 500GB and
750GB respectively.
The biggest news for the two largest members of the MacBook
Pro family is the removal of NVIDIA discrete GPUs to accommodate new AMD Radeon
graphics. The 15" model comes packing a standard Radeon HD 6490M with
256MB of memory while the 17" is equipped with a Radeon 6750M with 1GB of
As is typically the case with Apple's notebooks, the latest
MacBook Pros will cost you quite a bit more than comparable Windows 7-based
machines. The 13" MacBook Pro still starts at $1,199 -- Apple also offers
a 13" MacBook Pro with a 2.7GHz Core i7 processor and 500GB HDD for
$1,499. The 15" MacBook Pro starts at $1,799 and the 17" MacBook Pro
starts at $2,499.


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Cordray: Regulators Shouldn't Steer Lenders to Qualified Mortgages
Credit union trade association representatives were told during a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau industry briefing Thursday that recent rules defining qualified mortgages aren't intended to pressure lenders into meeting QM standards on all mortgages.
Both NAFCU and CUNA, which had representatives at the meeting, reported the clarification.
NAFCU reported that CFPB Director Richard Cordray said it would be a mistake for prudential regulators to examine institutions in a way that steers them toward only providing mortgages defined as qualified under the ability-to-repay rule, which was finalized Jan. 10.
CUNA said Cordray stressed that some borrowers who are in good financial standing but may not meet the parameters of a QM should nonetheless be allowed to obtain a mortgage.
CFPB staff also said they expect the percentage of qualified mortgages in the market to decline after an exemption for loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expires after seven years, or when the GSEs are no longer in conservatorship.
Cordray will testify Thursday, Feb. 14 before the Senate Banking Committee on Dodd-Frank Act implementation.
That hearing, titled "Wall Street Reform: Oversight of Financial Stability and Consumer and Investor Protections," also features regulators from the FDIC, Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve, among others; however, the NCUA was not included on the witness list.


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Embedded Vision Slideshow: New Age of Machines That See
2 comments
According to MIT neuroscientist Mriganka Sur, half of the human brain is devoted to vision. Why? I'm no neuroscientist, but I imagine that there are two reasons: First, vision is extremely valuable: humans use it constantly, and for an endless variety of tasks, from reading to navigation to creating all manner of objects. Second, vision is a hard problem, considering all of the things that we're able to discern visually--under widely varying and often very challenging conditions, such as glare and low light.
Computer vision enables machines to understand things through visual inputs, sometimes even exceeding the capabilities of human vision. For decades, computer vision has been a niche technology, because computer vision equipment has been large, expensive, and complex to use. But recently, products like the Microsoft Kinect and vision-based automotive safety systems have demonstrated that computer vision can now be deployed even in cost-sensitive applications, and in ways that are easy for non-specialists to use. The term "embedded vision" is often used to refer to the incorporation of visual intelligence into a wide range of systems.
On April 25, 2013 at the San Jose Convention Center, the Embedded Vision Alliance will host the Embedded Vision Summit, a technical educational forum for engineers interested in incorporating visual intelligence into electronic systems and software. The Summit will include presentations on the key technologies that are enabling the widespread use of computer vision, including vision sensors, algorithms, processors and development tools. The Summit will also showcase over 20 demonstrations of state-of-the-art embedded vision technologies. This image gallery highlights some of the technologies and applications that will be presented at the Summit.
For more information about the Embedded Vision Summit, or to register, visit www.embedded-vision.com/embedded-vision-summit.
Car and driver
Click on image to enlarge.
In cars, embedded vision is being deployed to reduce accidents. The demo pictured here is a Xilinx reference design that uses four cameras mounted on the exterior of the car. Using the video feeds from these cameras, an embedded vision system can perform numerous safety functions. For example, it can provide the driver with a bird's-eye view of the car and its surroundings to aid in safe parking. And it can detect and read road signs and warn the driver if they're exceeding the speed limit. At the Embedded Vision Summit, Paul Zoratti, Xilinx Automotive Driver Assistance System Architect, will present some of the key challenges and techniques of automotive vision systems. Registration for the Summit is free for qualified engineers, but space is limited.