Mittal shuts Vanderbijl electric-arc furnace

Instead of completing the R230-million dust-extraction system at its Vanderbijlpark plant to abate fugitive emissions that escaped from electric-arc furnaces, steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (Mittal) had taken the decision to close its furnaces indefinitely, CEO Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita said Wednesday.

The plant's three electric arc furnaces were shut on October 16, reducing Vanderbijlpark?s 4.7-million-ton-a-year production capacity by 500 000 t/y.

Nyembezi-Heita said the electrical furnace was the fourth unit cited in the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development compliance notice issued in October, which alleged that various units at the Vanderbijlpark works did not comply with certain conditions stated in its atmospheric emission licence.

Other units cited were the coke battery, baghouse and sinter plant.

?We had a deadline of October 16 by which to comply, but given the cost of doing so, as well much weaker consumption environment, we decided to rather shut the unit,? she said in a conference call.

Mittal had lodged an application to suspend the compliance notice where after an appeal process would follow.

?We are complying with the conditions in our licence that were allegedly breached and are therefore contesting the compliance notice. We remain fully committed to maintaining and improving our environmental performance and the recent completion of various improvement projects bears testimony to this,? Nyembezi-Heita commented.

In efforts to abide by set emissions standards, the company also recently completed the R250-million emission abatement system for the sinter plant at Vanderbijlpark works, which would reduce particulate emissions from this facility by 80%.

Nyembezi-Heita said Mittal experienced commissioning problems with the abatement equipment at the sinter plant, which had led it also being cited in the notice.

?By the time that the compliance notice was issued, we had ironed out all the commissioning problems and the abatement equipment was operating to design specifications,? she pointed out.

Commenting on the coke battery at the Vanderbijlpark plant, which was also at fault, COO Hans-Ludwig Rosenstock said the company was looking at upgrading it in 2013.

He added that the plant?s Blast furnace 3, which was shut down on Tuesday for repairs, would be restarted before Christmas.

STEEL SALES DOWN, LOSS NARROWS

Meanwhile, the company managed to narrow its headline loss for the quarter under review to R168-million from R177-million in the previous quarter, as the negative impact of the challenging global and local steel market was somewhat offset by a softening in some raw material prices.

This was especially evident in coking coal, pellets and scrap, with commercial coking coal sales rising 24% owing to ferrochrome operators restarting furnaces following the end of State-owned Eskom?s electricity buy-back period in which Mittal participated.

The quarter?s loss marked a significant improvement on the loss of R460-million recorded during the corresponding period in 2011.

Similarly, Mittal?s net loss also improved to R148-million for the quarter from R177-million in the June quarter.

The company?s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation increased to R238-million, marginally up from R224-million in the previous quarter, while showing a recovery from the R3-million reported during the same period in 2011.

However, revenue decreased 12% quarter-on-quarter to R7.6-billion, as total steel shipments declined 12%. Domestic and export shipments fell 5% and 27%, respectively, with flat and long steel products posting declines of 12%.

Liquid steel production increased by 140 000 t, resulting in capacity utilisation for flat steel rising to 67%, compared with last year?s 64%, and for long steel, 63% compared with 46% a year earlier.

With the exception of the Newcastle plant, production levels were stable at all operating units. The KwaZulu-Natal operation experienced a longer-than-anticipated restart of the blast furnace following a scheduled stop to repair a taphole.

?One big issue in our lives is the immanent reline of the blast furnace at Newcastle, it is coming close the end of its life we do pick up additional difficulties keeping that alive. This remains a source of concern into 2013, but mid-2014 remains the time of reline,? Nyembezi-Heita indicated.

Total steel sales were 152 000 t lower quarter-on-quarter at 1.1-million tons, with the domestic component declining by 42 000 t to 802 000 t, while exports were 110 000 t higher at 295 000 t.

Further, rand-denominated net realised prices were higher compared to 2011, but were offset by lower dispatches.

?We have had higher operational stability across the group in the first nine months of the year, compared to almost any other period over the last four-and-a-half years,? Nyembezi-Heita noted.

Looking ahead, she said seasonal slowdown in domestic demand during the December month, aggravated by production losses following an extended taphole repair of the blast furnace at Newcastle, fuelled expectations that the fourth-quarter earnings loss would be substantially more than the third quarter?s loss.

However, she maintained a bullish medium-outlook, saying lower prices for some raw materials, as well as the recent weakening of the rand/US dollar exchange rate would partially offset the negative impact on earnings.

Edited by: Mariaan Webb

To subscribe to Engineering News's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.

Source: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/mittal-shuts-vanderbijl-electric-arc-furnace-2012-10-31

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The controversy over flame retardants in millions of sofas, chairs and other products

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
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Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

Flame retardants in the polyurethane foam of millions of upholstered sofas, overstuffed chairs and other products have ignited a heated debate over safety, efficacy and fire-safety standards -- and a search for alternative materials. That's the topic of a cover story package in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of ACS, the world's largest scientific society.

An overview of the package describes the controversy, fostered largely by a California chemist, who claims that flame retardants pose unacceptable toxic hazards and do not work as effectively as widely believed. It points out, however, that numerous fire-safety experts question those claims about flame retardants, which have saved thousands of lives.

A second article, by William G. Schulz, C&EN news editor, takes a closer look at the anti-flame retardant campaign and how it has outraged fire-safety scientists. In another article, C&EN Senior Correspondent Cheryl Hogue describes how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to make sure flame retardants are safe for people and the environment. An additional article by Alexander H. Tullo, C&EN senior editor, describes efforts to develop new polymeric materials that will put to rest uncertainty over brominated flame retardants.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

Flame retardants in the polyurethane foam of millions of upholstered sofas, overstuffed chairs and other products have ignited a heated debate over safety, efficacy and fire-safety standards -- and a search for alternative materials. That's the topic of a cover story package in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of ACS, the world's largest scientific society.

An overview of the package describes the controversy, fostered largely by a California chemist, who claims that flame retardants pose unacceptable toxic hazards and do not work as effectively as widely believed. It points out, however, that numerous fire-safety experts question those claims about flame retardants, which have saved thousands of lives.

A second article, by William G. Schulz, C&EN news editor, takes a closer look at the anti-flame retardant campaign and how it has outraged fire-safety scientists. In another article, C&EN Senior Correspondent Cheryl Hogue describes how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to make sure flame retardants are safe for people and the environment. An additional article by Alexander H. Tullo, C&EN senior editor, describes efforts to develop new polymeric materials that will put to rest uncertainty over brominated flame retardants.

###

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/acs-tco103112.php

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Ghosts said to mingle with guests at haunted Arizona hotel

DOUGLAS, Arizona (Reuters) - Manager Robin Brekhus was sceptical about her Arizona hotel's supernatural history until the day she went to the basement in search of candles during a power outage and glimpsed a figure in a long duster coat and cowboy hat in the beam of her flashlight.

"It was like he wanted me to make eye contact with him and acknowledge that I saw him," she said, recalling how she then sprinted up the steps to the spacious lobby with its Italianate columns and Tiffany & Co. stained glass mural - a new believer.

In its heyday in the early decades of the last century, the lobby of the Gadsden Hotel was known as the "living room" of the remote Arizona ranching town of Douglas, hosting cattle barons, cowboys and executives from the local copper mining industry.

While many hotels in the United States claim ghosts, staff and guests at the Gadsden have recorded scores of supernatural encounters from the top floor right down to the maze-like basement - not just at Halloween, but year round.

This Halloween, the hotel is embracing its haunted history as never before, with a visiting blues band from Tennessee set to play at a bash in the lobby. Guests can come dressed up or not, and ghosts are more than welcome.

The 160-room Gadsden Hotel, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1907, but was badly damaged by a fire, and reopened in 1929. Since then, little has changed.

The lobby retains the original white marble steps leading to the large mezzanine, up which Mexican bandit-turned-revolutionary Pancho Villa once reportedly rode his horse.

Visitors ride one of the oldest manual elevators west of the Mississippi to their rooms, many fitted out with original furnishings, aging drapes and pictures that recall the hotel's bustling heyday.

SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTERS

Many of the alleged supernatural encounters have been recorded by guests themselves and are kept in two binders behind the front desk. Accounts include televisions turning on and off in Room 333, supposedly the most haunted, and mysterious knocks coming from radiators.

"My heart almost came out of my chest," one guest wrote of her experience. "But then I thought ?Pray the Hail Mary,' all was fine."

In another testimonial, a guest reported hearing a key turning in a lock, then two figures walking into the room "as if they just finished a day of shopping." Then they were gone.

One woman visitor wrote of something pulling on her hair during the night, while another said she felt someone "sit on the edge of the bed, then ... felt pressure as the person laid down next to me."

"She came down the next morning and said, ?You know what? It felt like someone got in bed with me,'" deputy manager Brenda Maley recalled as she stood in the spacious sunlit lobby.

Maley, who said a ghost once pinned her to a bed in room 114, said she apologized and offered up a new room. But the woman happily declined.

Television paranormal sleuths and amateur ghost hunters have probed the Gadsden, some toting thermal image cameras. Enthusiasts have also sent in photographs of purported paranormal phenomena, including an eerie snap of a shadowy translucent cowboy sitting on a couch in the lobby.

But not all guests are believers: "The only thing haunted about Room 333 is the toilet, which won't stop running," wrote one sceptic.

Some newer staff are a little uncomfortable. Ana Yanez, a server in the Cattleman's Coffee Shop, said she hears coffee spoons tinkling sometimes, and shudders at the thought of working the front desk "graveyard shift" at night.

But for Maley, who has worked at the hotel for 36 years, the ghosts provide company in an isolated town.

"You get used to it," she said. "You would be lonely without them."

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ghosts-said-mingle-guests-haunted-arizona-hotel-130454846.html

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Residents blocked from returning to captured Libyan town

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Thousands of Libyans who fled fighting in the former Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid will not be allowed to return home for several more days until work was complete to make the town safe and restore services, officials said on Monday.

Militias aligned with the defense ministry took control of Bani Walid - one of the last towns to fall to rebels in last year's war - on Wednesday after fighting that has underlined the weakness of central authority a year after dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed.

The violence sent thousands fleeing from the hilltop town of 70,000 people in scenes reminiscent of last year's war.

Uncertain of the damage their homes may have sustained, some have tried to go back - however the town remains closed off as security forces and officials say they are working on making it safe and restoring water, electricity and communications.

"We want to make sure there isn't anything left over from the military operation. Services were destroyed," army spokesman Ali al-Sheikhi said. "We expect that in about three days (residents) will be able to go back to Bani Walid."

Fleeing residents spoke of no water or power and little food and medicine in town. The scale of destruction remains unclear.

"After what happened in Bani Walid you can say almost all of the population fled," said Mohammed al-Swai of the Libyan Relief agency. "We will try to get them back to their homes with the help of the authorities."

Local Governance Minister Mohammed al-Hrari said the lack of services was one of the main obstacles: "How can people go back if there is no water or power."

Aid workers said they had heard of a small number of the displaced trying to return through smaller roads.

At a road block made up of large stones a few kilometers from Bani Walid on Sunday, three army pickup trucks mounted with weapons stood guard, closing off the north entrance to the town. A few dozen civilian cars were parked in lines in front.

"Each day when I ask if I can check on my house, they say 'Tomorrow'," resident Abdelmanam, 20, said as he waited to see whether he could go through. He was refused entry.

Foreign reporters who arrived at the road block, in the area of Wadi Dinar, were also not allowed through to Bani Walid.

"There is graffiti on the walls inside, it may incite strife," army official Ahmed Salem said, without elaborating.

Hours after taking control of the town, militias - many from the rival town of Misrata - fired ferociously at empty public buildings, crying "Bani Walid is free!" in chaotic scenes.

"Some of the first fighters who went in were a little young ... We are erasing this graffiti because it might cause an adverse reaction," Sheikhi said, adding there would also be an investigation into reports of houses being burnt down.

The fighting erupted over a government demand Bani Walid hand over those who had kidnapped and tortured Omar Shaaban, the rebel who caught Gaddafi hiding in a drain in Sirte last year.

Shaaban, from Misrata, a city that underwent a harsh siege by Gaddafi's forces, died in a Paris hospital last month from injuries inflicted during two months of captivity in Bani Walid.

Bani Walid residents baulked at turning over the wanted men to unruly groups while the justice system remains in disarray.

The violence shows the government's inability to reconcile groups with long-running grievances and failure to bring many of the militias that deposed Gaddafi fully under its control.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Ghaith Shennib; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/residents-blocked-returning-captured-libyan-town-131559994.html

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Video Marketing Tip of the Day | Jaden Daniels

Video Marketing can be a great way to build your business. I use video marketing as well as blogging.

Internet marketing consists of an array of techniques, and you should choose one or two that you like to do the most?for me that is video marketing.

In the video above, I show you how to make one video that you can use for multiple keywords. If you follow my tip, you can make that one video in to 5 different ones.

Youtube is one of the biggest search engines around right. People search on Youtube to find out about any and everything. Right?

A person can watch a video to get to know you as a person. I know you are saying??Your video doesn?t have your face in it.? That is true, but it has something a person can learn, so that means it is value to that person.

Videos Marketing and Google

Videos also rank high in Google. I know you have noticed that when you Google something that Youtube videos rank on the first page almost all the time. So why wouldn?t you want to do video marketing.

If you like this please comment and share.

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Jaden Daniels

jadendaniels1@gmail.com

843-259-2864

Skype: jadendaniels1

http://youtube.com/jadendaniels1

Stay tuned for more Video Marketing Tips.

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Source: http://www.jadendaniels.com/1379/jaden-daniels-online-marketing-secrets/video-marketing-tip-of-the-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=video-marketing-tip-of-the-day

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Weekly US jobless aid applications fall to 369K

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Weekly applications for U.S. unemployment aid fell last week to a seasonally adjusted 369,000, a level consistent with modest hiring.

The Labor Department said Thursday that unemployment benefit applications dropped by 23,000, from a revised 392,000 the previous week. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose to 368,000.

The figures appear to have stabilized after being distorted in the previous two weeks by seasonal adjustment problems.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. When they fall below 375,000, it suggests hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

Applications have fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 since January. At the same time, employers have added an average of nearly 150,000 jobs a month. That's barely enough to lower the unemployment rate, which has declined from 8.3 percent to 7.8 percent this year.

Employers are hesitant to add more workers as long as growth remains tepid and Europe's financial crisis threatens to push that region into recession. Many also are holding off because they are worry about tax increases and government spending cuts that would kick in next year if Congress doesn't reach a budget deal to avert them.

The weak job market has been a key topic in this year's presidential election, which is down to its final days. Voters will have one final employment report to consider, which comes out four days before Election Day.

There have been some signs that the economy is improving.

The unemployment rate fell in September to 7.8 percent. That's the lowest level since January 2009 ? President Barack Obama's first month in office. The rate fell because a government survey of households found a huge increase in the number of people who had jobs. Still, a jump in part-time employment accounted for most of the gain.

Retail sales grew in September at a healthy clip. And home sales and residential construction have shown steady improvement this year, helped by stable gains in home prices and the lowest mortgage rates in decades.

Still, the economy is not growing fast enough to generate much hiring. Growth slowed to a tepid annual rate of 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter, down from 2 percent in the previous quarter. Most economists see growth staying at or below 2 percent in the second half of the year. The Commerce Department will issue its first estimate of growth in the July-September quarter on Friday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-10-25-Unemployment%20Benefits/id-16045fbc5770432b885bf382958b537a

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MARKET EYE WEEKAHEAD - RBI review, earnings key for shares

REUTERS - The RBI policy review on Tuesday will be key in determining the direction for Indian shares.

Most analysts polled by Reuters say the RBI is unlikely to lower India's key interest rate as inflation remains sticky, but may opt to cut the amount of deposits lenders must keep with the central bank.

A cut in the repo rate has the potential to spark gains in shares, which have consolidated this month with the BSE index <.bsesn> down 0.7 percent in October, after the government's fiscal and economic reforms sparked a rally in September.

Sectors benefiting from rate cut such as property and autos will also be in focus as a favorable decision by the RBI could bolster demand for big ticket items ahead of the Diwali festival in mid-November.

Earnings will remain a focus, with earnings broadly well received, despite disappointment in some sectors, such as state-run lenders.

KEY EVENTS

Sunday: Possible reshuffle in India cabinet; JSW Steel earnings

Monday: BHEL earnings, RBI macro-economic report on Indian economy (1700 IST)

Tuesday: Key earnings: Maruti Suzuki India , Glenmark Pharma , Dr. Reddy's Laboratories , Biocon ; RBI policy decision (1100 IST)

Wednesday: Fiscal deficit data, infrastructure output data

Thursday: HSBC manufacturing PMI for October (1030 IST)

Friday: Wipro earnings; bank credit and forex reserves data

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/market-eye-weekahead-rbi-review-earnings-key-shares-113518070--sector.html

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Google Lets Advertisers Track Consumers On iOS6 - Business Insider

Marketers and advertisers using iOS applications can now monitor app downloads on Google's AdWords This function has been available on Android phones since April.?

Gap?is no longer planning to work with just Ogilvy on its advertising campaigns. While the company told Ad Age that it is not doing an agency review, Gap has reached out to PNH and AKQA to do new campaigns.

Think you've seen enough political ads? Well get ready because one-third of all political spots will air between now and November 6.

The Martin Agency chose Joe Alexander, formerly an ECD at the shop, to be its new CCO. Alexander has worked on campaigns for UPS and Wal-Mart.

TED?launched "Ads Worth Spreading" for the third time.

Months after retiring as chairman of Siegel & Gale,?Alan Siegel?opened a brand and corporate identity consulting firm called Siegelvision.

There's talk that LG's bottomless elevator stunt is actually fake.

Previously on Business Insider:?

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-lets-advertisers-track-consumers-on-ios6-2012-10

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Goodbye, galaxy gold! Here?s the Space Needle?s new look

The votes are in, and Seattle?s Space Needle will soon be green.

Click image for larger view

The Space Needle announced the winning design from it?s ?Top off our 50th? contest, which compelled local artists to submit ideas for the Needle?s next paint job. The top six designers, featured in the gallery above, were selected by Space Needle staff earlier this year.

The public voted on their favorite, and the trees have it.

The winning entry was designed by Nicole Commins, 29, She?s a freelance graphic designer who lives in Seattle. Commins submitted this explanation with her entry:

THE EMERALD CITY!? Luscious green, as far as the eye can see.? Such a beautiful state we live in.? Having traveled to many different parts of the world, I can truly say that Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities that we live in.? The city is inspiration in itself. Picture our cities beautiful skyline, with its unique Space Needle, painted a top, beautiful, vibrant shades of green.? And what kind of green what you ask? TREES of course!? Beautiful Evergreen trees, as if you were standing in the middle of one of Washington?s state parks, looking up to the tree tops!? And what better foreground to have before the mighty Mt. Rainer in the background of this lovely scene besides trees?? Trees within our beautiful city. A stand out amongst Seattle?s, all too well known, grey sky. ?

The roof-top design contest was put to the public following a throwback paint job that honored the Needle?s original color: galaxy gold. Commins?s design will now top the Needle for six months.

If you think an evergreen design is unusual, check out some of the Space Needle?s past looks in the gallery below. As you can see, the Needle has had much, much stranger looks.

Visit seattlepi.com?s home page for more Seattle news. Contact Amy Rolph at amyrolph@seattlepi.com. Find more of her stories on Twitter via @amyrolph and @bigblog or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/10/22/goodbye-galaxy-gold-heres-the-space-needles-new-look/

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New hire requests FMLA? Beware retaliation ? Business ...

Employees who can foresee the need for FMLA leave are supposed to let their employers know 30 days in advance. The idea is to help employers manage staffing needs by giving them a heads-up.

Because only employees who have worked 1,250 hours in the past year and have worked for their employer for at least one year are eligible for FMLA leave (provided they work for a covered employer and have a serious health condition or other covered need), some requests naturally come in before the employee is eligible.

That raises a question: Is it protected activity that can?t be punished if an employee who is not yet eligible asks to take FMLA leave? Put another way, can an employer fire an employee who requests FMLA leave before the employee is actually eligible?

A federal court has said, ?No!? That?s illegal retaliation.

Recent case: Liquor distributor employee Angella became pregnant and told her boss she would need FMLA and other medical leave before, during and after the birth of her child. At the time of the request, she wasn?t technically eligible since she hadn?t worked for the company for at least a year yet. She was fired before she gave birth or hit the one-year milestone.

Angella sued, alleging FMLA retaliation.

The company argued she wasn?t eligible at the time she requested leave and therefore hadn?t engaged in protected activity.

The court ruled in Angella?s favor. It reasoned that the law would be a sham if employers could simply fire employees who would soon need FMLA leave (and would be otherwise eligible for leave) and who by law are required to report their need for leave before they become eligible. That would punish the employee for doing the right thing. (Williams v. Crown Liquors, No. 11-Civ-61341, SD FL, 2012)

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Looking for financial security? Temporary credit cards may be an ...

With billions of dollars in credit card fraud every year, shoppers may be looking for more secure ways of doing their business. One such way is to use ?temporary? credit card numbers.

They?re sometimes referred to as ?virtual? or ?disposable? numbers. They work in a variety of ways; while not foolproof, they may help consumers to head off abuse or misuse of their credit cards.

Most issuers of major credit cards will let you use a number (not the one on your plastic card) temporarily, often for just a single purchase. After that transaction is complete, the number becomes worthless to a thief or anyone else. The number is truly disposable, so even if a thief gets access to it, the number can?t be used for unauthorized purchases.

You use that number as you would your regular credit card, and your transactions show up on your regular credit card bill. Just as you save receipts from your regular credit card purchases, you should hang onto receipts from any temporary numbers you use.

Every issuer has its own rules for issuing temporary numbers; some tie the service to their online banking and may require you to sign up for it. Others offer a downloadable program that will pop up when you make an online purchase and ask if you want to use a virtual number. Still others require that you log onto their website when you want a virtual number.

What you should not do is click on anything in an unsolicited email offering you a temporary number. That?s likely a phishing scam, designed to harvest your personal information. Since the whole point is to keep that information away from the bad guys, don?t give it away to someone you don?t know. Also, when dealing online, make sure the websites you visit are the ones that truly match your intended destination, not some crook?s computer. Type in the address yourself, or use a bookmark if you?ve made one, rather than clicking on a look-alike link.

You also can request to use a disposable number more than once, and this is where things can get a bit tricky. Discover uses the term ?secure account numbers,? and they expire on the same date your regular card expires. Bank of America calls its service ?ShopSafe,? and its numbers expire after one year. Those types of temporary numbers are useful to people who want to use virtual numbers when they pay recurring charges.

Disposable numbers also can help prevent repeat charges that you don?t want. Say you sign up for a trial offer of some service at an introductory discount rate. Pay initially with a one-purchase number you?ve generated, and the vendor won?t be able to bill you automatically for a renewal.

The flip side of that issue concerns returns. A retailer who is unfamiliar with temporary numbers may hesitate to refund money on a number that?s no longer valid. A buyer heading into the holiday season might request that the temporary number be valid for two or three weeks into the new year, in case returns are necessary.

We?re told people who go through the process of credit repair often choose to use temporary numbers. The practice may give nervous consumers some reassurance, but they can?t defeat all fraud; as long as a disposable number is active, thieves might still make bogus charges with it. Some experts advise using only one-time numbers and that each number applies to a specific merchant.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine?s all-volunteer, nonprofit consumer organization. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for information, write Consumer Forum, P.O. Box 486, Brewer 04412, visit http://necontact.wordpress.com or email contacexdir@live.com.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/20/business/looking-for-financial-security-temporary-credit-cards-may-be-an-answer/

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Goodness, gracious, great balls of lightning!

ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2012) ? Australian scientists have unveiled a new theory which explains the mysterious phenomenon known as ball lightning.

Sightings of balls of lightning have been made for centuries around the world -- usually the size of a grapefruit and lasting up to twenty seconds -- but no explanation of how it occurs has been universally accepted by science. Even more mysterious are sightings of balls of lightning forming on glass and appearing in homes and in airplanes.

CSIRO scientist John Lowke has been studying ball lightning since the sixties. He's never seen it, but has spoken to eye witnesses and in a new scientific paper, he gives the first mathematical solution explaining the birth of ball lightning -- and how it can pass through glass.

Previous theories have cited microwave radiation from thunderclouds, oxidizing aerosols, nuclear energy, dark matter, antimatter, and even black holes as possible causes. Lowke disputes these theories.

He proposes ball lightning is caused when leftover ions (electric energy), which are very dense, are swept to the ground following a lightning strike. As for how they pass through glass, he says this is a result of a stream of ions accumulating on the outside of a glass window and the resulting electric field on the other side excites air molecules to form a ball discharge.

According to Lowke ball lightning is rare, but it has been witnessed in Australia many times. People just don't realize what it is when they see it.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by CSIRO Australia.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/fLGI_75m14k/121019102800.htm

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Pc Spyware Is A Destructive Plan Produced And Distributed For ...

Pc spyware is a destructive plan produced and distributed for collecting info about the web behaviour of the internet user. Spyware collects the data about the web site visits, page views and time invest on a particular site by the consumer and transfers the day to the author or the distributor of the spyware. These data is then analyzed to figure out the passions of the consumer and to operate focused on-line advertising and spamming. This is an unethical practice that exposes your internet use with out your information and permission. Spywares also make your system and internet link slower as they use the system source of your computer to collect and store data about your internet practices. They also utilize the bandwidth of your internet link to send the information.

There are some computer spyware that are also used to gather email addresses from the hard disc and browser of the contaminated pc. These e-mail addresses are then utilized for delivering unsolicited email messages or spam. Spywares are also utilized by the hackers and crackers to steal confidential information from your computer. The applications can gather your financial institution account numbers, credit card figures and passwords by logging the keystrokes when you enter this info into the on-line forms. So even if you are utilizing an encrypted form and secured server your confidential information is not safe from hackers. These data is transferred to the hackers who use the info for fund transfers, financial frauds and other criminal actions.

These are just some of the destructive steps that a spyware can perform. It is quite obvious that you would not like your pc to be vulnerable to these threats. But there is no sure-hearth way that can make sure spyware safety other than anti spyware software program. As the pc spyware is various from the usual pc virus, it is not detected by the normal anti virus software program. Furthermore, if your computer is getting a spyware there is elevated chance that your Computer will get additional infection from other spywares. Therefore, spyware elimination is very much important if you want to keep your online transaction secured and make sure online privateness.

A spyware cleaner can give you total protection from the pc spyware. It will scan the Pc for spywares and eliminate the traces of spyware if it finds 1. Furthermore the on-line protection will also ensure that you do not get additional infection from new spywares.

for more on virus protection ipad and ipad virus checker and anti virus on ipad see our website
Typical New Year?s resolutions include improving physical fitness or taming the bulge. These are all worthwhile. However, if you function a SaaS or ecommerce website, you?d better move a review of your privacy coverage to the leading of your checklist.

Current authorized developments regarding privacy and data security have additional new specifications, and the failure to comply could result in substantial liability.

2 Cardinal Guidelines Concerning Privacy and Information Safety

As you begin your evaluation, it?s important not to overlook the forest for the sake of the trees, so to speak. There are two cardinal rules to always maintain in thoughts.

Rule No. 1: The basic purpose of a privateness coverage is to disclose clearly the categories of info you gather, how you use the info, and with whom you share the info (or offer the means to entry it).

Rule No. two: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) views a privateness coverage nearly like a contract with your website?s guests. If you guarantee certain actions or practices in your privacy coverage, but fall short to deliver on a promise, the FTC states you are liable for damages.

Study through your present privateness policy with the cardinal rules in thoughts. As you read, think about all that your website does concerning the collection, use, and sharing of info, especially regarding your advertising practices.

* Does your privateness policy disclose all of the classes of info collected? * Does it describe all the ways you use the information? * Does it explain with whom you share the info (or provide the indicates to access it)? * Compare what you guarantee in your privacy coverage with the advertising practices you actually adhere to.

Privateness Coverage Checklist

Here is a checklist of issues to consider as you review your online privacy policy.

* Collection of Anonymous, Passive Information. Disclose how you collect anonymous, passive information with technology this kind of as cookies, Internet tags, log files, and server logs, and so on.

* Cookies. Cookies need unique disclosures. Distinguish between 1st celebration cookies that you serve and 3rd celebration cookies served by others such as by Google for its Google Analytics services. Given the current controversy and litigation more than Flash cookies, it?s recommended that you do not use them, but if you do, you should explain clearly what they are and their effect on information assortment.

* Behavioral Ads. Disclose whether you reserve the correct to provide third celebration cookies for functions of serving behavioral advertisements, such as participation in Google?s AdSense network. Behavioral advertisements are based on anonymous data collected on how a user?s pc browses the Web, including websites visited, queries produced, and content material study.

* Categories of Individual Info. You ought to clearly disclose all of the categories of individual info gathered on your site. Individual information includes any information that may be utilized to identify a individual, such as an email address.

* Sharing of Individual Information. Make certain that you identify all of the ways you reveal individual information, particularly info that might be shared for purposes of direct marketing. Also, identify any kinds of parties that you reserve the right to share personal info with this kind of as company affiliates, service companies, and any celebration that may obtain your web site business in the long term.

* Links to Other Websites. State that visitors ought to evaluation the privateness policies on these sites and that you have no duty for the insurance policies and practices of these sites.

* Data Security. Disclose your requirements for information safety. Even if you are silent regarding information security standards, the FTC demands that you initiate and preserve ?reasonable and appropriate? information safety procedures.

* Kid?s On-line Coverage. If you do not knowingly gather info from, or promote to, kids under the age of thirteen, you ought to state appropriately. However, if you knowingly offer with children below the age of thirteen, you ought to strictly comply with the Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

* Updating Personal Info. Explain how a user who has an account with your site may update the user?s personal information.

Privateness and Security Methods Checklist

The FTC has made it clear that your privacy policy is only the tip of the iceberg. You have other obligations that fall into the category of privacy and safety practices which are individual, but related to, your privacy policy.

The FTC is empowered to represent the passions of consumers in the region of ?unfair and misleading trade methods?. The FTC has filed over thirty ?unfair and deceptive trade methods? lawsuits in the final couple of many years for what the FTC believes are lax practices regarding privacy and information security.

Here is a checklist of privateness and safety methods to consider.

* Bodily Information Security. As said above, the FTC requires that you initiate and preserve ?reasonable and appropriate? data security methods. These procedures include bodily safety actions and rational information access protection with strict controls more than inner and exterior entry to information.

* Services Companies. The FTC has produced it distinct that any 3rd party, such as your website developer, web site upkeep service supplier, or internet hosting services provider, who has entry to personal information in your website?s server, ought to be bound contractually to maintain the privacy and safety of individual info.

* Outsourcing Web site Hosting. Internet internet hosting service providers require unique consideration. The key is to make sure that the services provider?s safety practices equal or surpass your methods if internet hosting were not outsourced.

* Administrative Security. A current FTC case highlighted the FTC?s specifications for ?administrative controls? for data safety, such as necessitating directors to use difficult-to-guess passwords that are changed frequently, suspense or disablement of administrative passwords after a reasonable quantity of unsuccessful login attempts, and limited access to administrative controls.

* Red Flag Identification Theft Policy. If your site acts as a ?creditor? by using customer reviews with credit transactions, furnishing info to a consumer reporting company for a credit score transaction, or advancing money to or on behalf of a person primarily based on a person?s obligation to pay back the money or on repayment from specific property pledged by or on the person?s behalf, then you?re required to implement a policy by the Honest and Accurate Credit score Transactions Act of 2003. The objective of the coverage is to help determine, detect and reply to patterns, practices or particular activities that indicate possible identity theft.

Conclusion

A evaluation ? and possible update ? of your privacy coverage and associated privateness and safety practices should be a leading priority as you move ahead in 2011. The checklists supplied in this post are not exhaustive, but they will get you pointed in the right path.

New regulations are emerging and creating at a rapid pace. Failure to comply might outcome in significant liability.

for more on can an ipad get a virus and ipad anti virus protection and can you get virus on ipad see our website

Source: http://www.mylife-coach.net/5973/pc-spyware-is-a-destructive-plan-produced-and-distributed-for-collecting-info-about-the-web-behaviour-of-the-internet-user-spyware-collects-the-data-about-the-web-site-visits-page-views-and-time-inv/

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Recession drives down national park visitation, new UGA study finds

Public release date: 19-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Neelam Poudyal
npoudyal@uga.edu
706-583-8930
University of Georgia

Athens, Ga. A national recession doesn't just affect Americans' wallets. It also impacts their travel to national parks, a new University of Georgia study has found.

Recent visitation statistics released by the U.S. Department of Interior already noted the significant decrease in national park visitationdropping nearly 10 million since 1998 to 278 million visitorsbut this is the first study to link the drop to a bad economy. The findings could help park managers plan ahead for revenue shortfall and a decrease in visitation, particularly as the economic forecast remains bleak.

Researchers in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Catholic University of Korea's department of economics conducted the new study recently published in Tourism Management.

"Economic downturns come and go, but the impact on resource conservation and visitor management could last longer," said Neelam Poudyal, an assistant professor in the Warnell School. "Therefore, understanding whether and how recession impacts visitation could inform mangers of what to expect during these tough economic times."

The study was led by Poudyal and Michael Tarrant, a Warnell School professor and director of the study abroad program Global Programs in Sustainability.

Although overall national park visitation has dropped the decrease has not been uniform, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Yellowstone and Yosemite, for instance, have experienced notable increases in visitation between 2000 and 2011. However, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., saw a 7 percent decrease in visitation over the same time period. Other state parks have seen similar or worse declines in visitation.

The increases for Yosemite and Yellowstone could be because the parks have high international recognition, Tarrant said.

"Visitation to some national parks may be incidental to tourism," Tarrant said. "For example, U.S. Highway 441 is the only main road in the Smokies and receives substantial non-tourism and thoroughfare traffic. Consequently, reduced visitation to such parks may be a function of lower vehicle miles traveled in the past decade. National transportation statistics show that traffic on U.S. 441 has had a reduction from 3.03 trillion in 2007 to 2.96 trillion miles in 2011."

The study suggests consumers cut out non-essential goods and services and visit local city or neighborhood parks rather than drive to national parks when faced with tighter budgets. In addition to gasoline prices, several indicators of recessionincluding a high unemployment rate, a decline in personal saving and a decrease in consumer confidence in the state of the economywere all negatively related with national park visitation.

"While the recession affected all types of park visitation," Poudyal said, "trips involving longer timeframes and higher costs such as overnight visits, concessioner lodging and backcountry camping are likely to be hit harder than shorter and relatively cheaper trips such as day visits, front country camping, etc. This suggests a potentially disproportionate burden of the effect" of the recession on certain sectors of the national park system.

Researchers have linked many factors to a decline in park visitation, including natural disasters and the growing reliance on indoors technology for recreation, but this study was the first to examine economic factors.

Another factor to consider is that while national parks are a bargain in comparison to theme parks, they don't offer the same kind of recreation experience.

"It has been claimed that national parks are America's best idea, and there is simply no substitute for the visitor experience they provide," Tarrant said. "Moreover because they are publicly funded, national park entrance fees are discounted relative to other entrance fees to private parks across the nation."

Some researchers speculated that when money is tight, people would turn to national parks for cheaper recreation options. But that does not seem to be happening, or the substitution is perhaps limited to national parks of national and international reputation only, such as Yosemite or Yellowstone, he said.

###

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 19-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Neelam Poudyal
npoudyal@uga.edu
706-583-8930
University of Georgia

Athens, Ga. A national recession doesn't just affect Americans' wallets. It also impacts their travel to national parks, a new University of Georgia study has found.

Recent visitation statistics released by the U.S. Department of Interior already noted the significant decrease in national park visitationdropping nearly 10 million since 1998 to 278 million visitorsbut this is the first study to link the drop to a bad economy. The findings could help park managers plan ahead for revenue shortfall and a decrease in visitation, particularly as the economic forecast remains bleak.

Researchers in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Catholic University of Korea's department of economics conducted the new study recently published in Tourism Management.

"Economic downturns come and go, but the impact on resource conservation and visitor management could last longer," said Neelam Poudyal, an assistant professor in the Warnell School. "Therefore, understanding whether and how recession impacts visitation could inform mangers of what to expect during these tough economic times."

The study was led by Poudyal and Michael Tarrant, a Warnell School professor and director of the study abroad program Global Programs in Sustainability.

Although overall national park visitation has dropped the decrease has not been uniform, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Yellowstone and Yosemite, for instance, have experienced notable increases in visitation between 2000 and 2011. However, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., saw a 7 percent decrease in visitation over the same time period. Other state parks have seen similar or worse declines in visitation.

The increases for Yosemite and Yellowstone could be because the parks have high international recognition, Tarrant said.

"Visitation to some national parks may be incidental to tourism," Tarrant said. "For example, U.S. Highway 441 is the only main road in the Smokies and receives substantial non-tourism and thoroughfare traffic. Consequently, reduced visitation to such parks may be a function of lower vehicle miles traveled in the past decade. National transportation statistics show that traffic on U.S. 441 has had a reduction from 3.03 trillion in 2007 to 2.96 trillion miles in 2011."

The study suggests consumers cut out non-essential goods and services and visit local city or neighborhood parks rather than drive to national parks when faced with tighter budgets. In addition to gasoline prices, several indicators of recessionincluding a high unemployment rate, a decline in personal saving and a decrease in consumer confidence in the state of the economywere all negatively related with national park visitation.

"While the recession affected all types of park visitation," Poudyal said, "trips involving longer timeframes and higher costs such as overnight visits, concessioner lodging and backcountry camping are likely to be hit harder than shorter and relatively cheaper trips such as day visits, front country camping, etc. This suggests a potentially disproportionate burden of the effect" of the recession on certain sectors of the national park system.

Researchers have linked many factors to a decline in park visitation, including natural disasters and the growing reliance on indoors technology for recreation, but this study was the first to examine economic factors.

Another factor to consider is that while national parks are a bargain in comparison to theme parks, they don't offer the same kind of recreation experience.

"It has been claimed that national parks are America's best idea, and there is simply no substitute for the visitor experience they provide," Tarrant said. "Moreover because they are publicly funded, national park entrance fees are discounted relative to other entrance fees to private parks across the nation."

Some researchers speculated that when money is tight, people would turn to national parks for cheaper recreation options. But that does not seem to be happening, or the substitution is perhaps limited to national parks of national and international reputation only, such as Yosemite or Yellowstone, he said.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uog-rdd101912.php

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Common Traps in Small Business Risk Management | Colorado ...

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Colorado Computer Support

Risk management and security have been major concerns for all companies.? Business leaders heavily invest in security risk management, which aims to remove guesswork and ensure that operations run smoothly and efficiently. On average, companies spend millions on security experts and solutions. However, in the process, they also make a number of mistakes. In this article, we will be telling you about some of those common traps in risk management that make organizations vulnerable to threats.

The first mistake that organizations make in risk management is to change their entire systems instead of targeting the shortfalls. Whenever there is a problem, the officials would simply switch to a new risk management system or drastically change the current one. This is more costly and time consuming than troubleshooting problems. The second mistake that organizations make in their risk management is to replicate the audit department. An efficient risk management system should focus on potential frequency and the impact of risks, not the possible breakdowns only.

Another common mistake in risk management is overemphasizing the risk register. A risk register, which is actually a list of all possible risks, might not be much help. Most of the time people get bogged down with threats that are obsolete and a complete waste of time and resources. Business leaders are always advised to create a risk register that reflects only the probable real-world risks.

A similar problem that organizations face with risk management is using undefined risk concepts. As experts rely on an undefined scale to evaluate risks, it becomes difficult for them to identify the biggest risk and prepare for it.

Not using a risk intelligence program is also a big mistake. Without a risk intelligence program, it becomes quite difficult to identify and prevent risks. In addition, multiplying ordinals in assessing risks is a big mistake in risk management. When people multiply ordinals, they only focus on the ranking of a threat but not the probability of attacks.

These are some of common mistakes in risk management that you should try to avoid if you want your business to succeed.

Source: http://blog.coloradosupport.com/common-traps-in-small-business-risk-management/

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With a Playable NES for a Head, One Vinyl Toy Is Not Completely Pointless

The words 'vinyl' and 'toy' should never have been put side by side. At least not when it comes to describing those plastic miniature sculptures that are most often used as cubicle decor. But we'll make an exception for Hannes Hummel's Super Gigan, which has a tiny playable NES for a head. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/w4snMRPl3WE/with-a-playable-nes-for-a-head-one-vinyl-toy-is-not-completely-pointless

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PFT: Castillo not angry with Reid? |?? Why fired

AP

Lightning-rod Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli accepted responsibility for the team?s 1-5 record, but side-stepped talk about his contract situation, in a get-right conversation with the local media.

Pioli has been pilloried locally, largely because his hand-picked quarterback Matt Cassel has underperformed.

But Pioli jumped on the grenade, saying it all comes back to him, when asked the most disappointing part of the situation.

?The record, the overall performance, the performance by everybody,? Pioli said, via Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star. ?We all have a hand in this thing, starting with me. Ultimately I?m responsible for the football operation, and we?re 1-5.

?We all need to do our jobs better, starting with me.?

He was also asked about the conflicting reports?about his contract status, but fell back on owner Clark Hunt?s statement to the Star that they weren?t going to discuss contracts.

?Clark spoke to The Star last week, and that?s our organizational philosophy,? Pioli said. ?We don?t talk about players? contracts, we don?t talk about coaches? contracts, anybody who has a contract, we don?t talk about those things. It?s an organizational philosophy that I believe in as well. That?s where it?s at.?

Asked where the extension report originated, if no one talked about such things, Pioli said it wasn?t important.

?I don?t waste energy on that stuff,? he said. ?You know what I?ve got to do? I?ve got to get this thing fixed. That?s where I need to spend my time, energy and emotion on is getting this football team fixed. Not chasing rumors because those are the things that are offshoots of what the real problem is. It becomes a rumor, it becomes a story because we?re not winning.

?This isn?t about me and my contractual situation. This is about getting the team right.?

Pioli?s contract runs through the 2013 season, which means if nothing changes, he?ll have a chance to fix things this offseason.

The first step needs to be at quarterback, though Pioli pointed that away from Cassel when asked if an elite quarterback was a necessity.

?You need a good football team to win in this league,? he said. ?You need a good football team that is going to do all the things the right way. Heck yes, you need a quarterback to play well, and you need a team to play well.?

At the moment, he has neither.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/17/juan-castillo-i-love-andy-reid-id-take-a-bullet-for-him/related/

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Why Your Next Car Should&#151;And Shouldn't&#151;Be a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Which of the following features offered in the $48,800 2013 Audi Allroad Prestige model seems like more trouble than it's worth? Power leather seats, panoramic sunroof, adaptive xenon headlamps, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio, voice?controlled navigation system, rearview camera, radar-based blind-spot detection, or a six-month subscription to the Audi Connect T-Mobile in-car Internet system with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot?which costs $30 a month after that.

In-car Internet access and built-in Wi-Fi aren't entirely new. Since 2008, Chrysler's Mopar parts division has offered a dealer?installed Wi-Fi modem from Autonet Mobile that can tap into 3G networks and create an in-car hotspot. But Internet modems and Wi-Fi hotspots are evolving from bolt-on accessories to factory?integrated options?Audi offers Connect on both the Allroad and the A7, and Dodge offers a similar system on the new 2013 Ram pickup. Mark Dahncke, a spokesman for Audi of America, sees his company's system as both a technological differentiator and a natural step toward the connected car of the future, one that will be "able to benefit from even further efficiency, safety, and infotainment offerings."

Internet access in cars is a tricky proposition. Some of the functionality that it enables has undeniable appeal (real-time traffic data, enhanced maps, streaming music). The car-as-Wi-Fi-hotspot idea is more dubious. Is this just the next logical step in rear-seat entertainment or an invitation to even more driver distraction? Even if you put aside the potential safety concerns, the question arises: Is this even necessary? After the free trial period expires, the $30-a-month bill seems awfully redundant given the fee you're likely already paying for a data plan on your smartphone. And the service seems pretty redundant too. Basic Android and Apple iOS devices can already access the same 3G networks that are offered by T-Mobile or, in Chrysler's case, Sprint?in fact, they can also access the much faster 4G networks of Verizon Wireless and AT&T. And most modern smartphones can spawn a Wi-Fi hotspot without the need for any extra equipment in the car.

Many automakers seem content to hand off any Internet connection to a driver's phone. Ford's Sync system connects with Android, BlackBerry, and Apple iOS devices to run apps and can turn the phone's data connection into a Wi-Fi hotspot. BMW's ConnectedDrive system does the same thing with a user's own LTE SIM card. Praveen Chandrasekar, telematics and infotainment analyst for Frost & Sullivan, thinks Audi and Dodge are catering to premium and business customers who might be willing to pay an extra monthly charge for the convenience of built-in connectivity. "These systems are trying to target the upper market," he says. "The carmakers know very well that this kind of solution will not appeal to everybody."

For those customers who do see some utility in a rolling Wi-Fi network and don't mind paying $30 a month for the use of it, built-in systems may still prove problematic in the long term, since automotive and tech life cycles are notoriously out of sync. Each year brings faster connections and new capabilities that can swiftly outmode in-car equipment. Just ask owners of OnStar-equipped vehicles built before 2004?those cars and trucks accessed an analog cellular network that was shut down in January 2008. It's not at all inconceivable that today's 3G networks, or the current Wi-Fi protocol, will be outmoded or even out of service a few years from now?making the technology in the current Allroad a mobile anachronism.

WHY-FI?

In-car Wi-Fi may one day save your life. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently conducting a yearlong field trial in Ann Arbor, Mich., to determine whether an offshoot of the 802.11 protocol known as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) could serve as the glue that connects cars to help reduce accidents.

Unlike traditional Wi-Fi, DSRC isn't useful for throwing Internet connections around; instead, it serves as a datalink that lets one vehicle automatically warn another when congestion is ahead or if a collision is imminent at a blind intersection. DSRC has a longer range than the traditional Wi-Fi (about 1000 feet, compared with 300 for Wi-Fi). If the tests prove successful, DSRC may one day be mandated by the federal government.

This raises inevitable questions about who would pay for the technology. "The reality is that adoption of DSRC technology is at least 10 years away and will require investments that federal and local governments may be unwilling to make, while the resistance of carmakers will also be strong," Roger Lanctot, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, says.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/industry/why-your-next-car-should-and-shouldnt-be-a-wi-fi-hotspot-13852868?src=rss

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Klinsmann 'not happy' despite US win

Associated Press Sports

updated 2:26 a.m. ET Oct. 13, 2012

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) - Eddie Johnson rewarded his coach's faith in him - twice.

In his first game back with the U.S. national team, Johnson scored a pair of goals Friday night, including the winner in second-half injury time, lifting the United States to the verge of advancing in World Cup qualifying with a nervous 2-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda.

"We are not happy with what we saw, but we expected a very difficult challenge and they gave us that challenge and it came down to the wire," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "I'm happy for Eddie, getting this moment back in the team. He was all excited the last couple of days."

If the Americans win or draw with Guatemala on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Kan., they would move into the six-nation final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The U.S. (3-1-1) has 10 points and so does Guatemala after a 2-1 win over Jamaica (2-2-1), which has seven points. The top two teams in the group advance.

Johnson connected on headers in the 20th minute and then in the dying moments in his first game for the U.S. team in two years. The 28-year-old forward was added to the squad by Klinsmann, ostensibly replacing the disappointing Jozy Altidore, and the move paid off.

"It was a lot of thinking before the second goal. It was 1-1 and I remember the Olympic team was in a (similar) situation," Johnson said. "At the end of the day, you don't want to be a part of a team that didn't qualify for a World Cup."

Johnson was on the U.S. roster for the 2006 World Cup under coach Bruce Arena, but was making his first appearance for the national squad since a May 2010 exhibition against the Czech Republic. His previous goals for the national team came in 2008 in an 8-0 romp over Barbados.

"We see a player that is extremely proud to be back in this group," Klinsmann said. "We see a player that has matured a lot and knows now that he has a point to prove, he gets that opportunity and knows that maybe at his age there might not be that many opportunities coming and he takes that one similar to Herculez Gomez how he took his chance in May and June in these games and put himself back into that team."

Until Johnson's second goal, the Americans struggled, particularly with the wind in their face on the wet cricket pitch at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The field was exceptionally tight, too, hindering the Americans' attack.

The wind picked up in the second half, and the footing remained tricky. Gomez crashed into goalkeeper Molvin James in the 49th and James needed several moments before he returned to his feet, holding his chest and left shoulder.

Taking advantage of that wind, the Antiguans several times barely missed shots wide. But the best scoring opportunities in the late going were by Sacha Kljestan in the 81st and Michael Bradley in the 86th before Johnson pounced.

Kljestan's hard right-footed shot was punched away by James, and then he got his hands on Bradley's header. Soon after, things got rough and ragged, with Bradley challenging several opponents following a hard tackle by George Dublin, who undercut him.

Then Johnson got free in the box and smartly headed Gordon's cross back to his right past the sprawling James. Gordon was making his first international appearance.

The Americans broke through in the 20th minute after controlling much of the early play. Off a corner kick, Graham Zusi took the ball on right wing, fed Bradley and got a return pass as he curled outside the penalty area. Zusi's left-footed cross was met perfectly by Johnson, who headed the ball down, making it skid off the turf past James.

But Antigua's speed began to pay off and, as has been their tendency throughout qualifying, the Americans got lax on defense. A quick burst by Peter Byers got him free in the area on right wing and when center back Clarence Goodson fell, Byers tapped the ball to an uncovered Blackstock for the equalizer.

"We had our chances and could have won the game," Antigua and Barbuda coach Tom Curtis said. "I don't think it went wrong, I think we lapsed for 10 seconds and I'm proud of the guys for their performance against a team full of world-class players."

As rain intensified late in the first half, the United States again took charge of possession, but couldn't connect. Bradley was just off-target with a 25-yard blast in the 40th minute, his shot glancing off the right goalpost. The hosts then challenged Howard with a quick counterattack, but the veteran keeper caught the shot from Byers.

Blackstock shot wide in the final seconds of the half with the Americans off-balance in their end.

"It was ugly, real ugly," U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. "It's three points and sometimes in CONCACAF it's like this, so on Tuesday night we'll go out there on the front foot and get a win hopefully."

NOTES: Johnson now is tied for second-most goals for the U.S. in qualifying games with Brian McBride. ... Substitute midfielder Jermaine Jones drew a yellow card for a hand ball and is suspended for the Guatemala match. ... Bradley returned to the lineup after missing the prior two qualifiers with a muscle injury. ... This was the first time Antigua and Barbuda hosted the U.S.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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US finds hero in win over Antigua

PST: Not even the most ardent Eddie Johnson fan would have predicted he would be the man to pull the U.S. national team back from its World Cup qualifying ledge. But he scored both goals in the 2-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49398941/ns/sports-soccer/

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