Bullish Goldman Sachs report sends RIM skyward

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for five years. I recently discovered that she made between 10 and 20 porn videos when she was 19. We got married when she was 27. We have four kids from two previous marriages.I am devastated. When I confronted her about it, she cried harder than I had ever seen. She said she was lost, and it's the biggest regret of her entire life.I understand how hard it can be to tell someone you have done something like this. I haven't led a perfect life either, and I have my own skeletons and things that I would never mention. But still, I can't get over this. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bullish-goldman-sachs-report-sends-rim-skyward-154023842.html

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Lawmakers unveil new round of Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Senators pressed ahead Thursday on a new set of tough sanctions against Iran's domestic industries as they seek to cripple the Islamic republic's economy and thwart its nuclear ambitions.

Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., unveiled a package of penalties that would designate Iran's energy, port, shipping and ship-building sectors as entities of proliferation and sanction transactions with these areas. The legislation also would penalize individuals selling or supplying commodities such as graphite, aluminum and steel to Iran.

The punitive measures build on the sanctions on Tehran's oil industry that the two lawmakers have shepherded through Congress in the past year.

"Yes, our sanctions are having a significant impact, but Iran continues their work to develop nuclear weapons," Menendez said in a statement, adding that with the new penalties, "We will send a message to Iran that they can't just try to wait us out."

Kirk said the measure "will greatly increase the economic pressure on the Iranian regime and send a clear message of support to the Iranian people."

The sanctions are contained in an amendment the two lawmakers hope to add to a far-reaching defense policy bill that the Senate was debating and could wrap up by week's end. Congress has overwhelmingly backed previous efforts by Menendez and Kirk.

The legislation also would designate the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting and its president as human rights abusers for broadcasting forced televised confessions and show trials.

The United States and European Union have imposed tough sanctions on Iran that have weakened its economy. But Tehran has found ways to bypass the penalties, such as Turkey's use of gold to pay for Iranian natural gas imports.

The Menendez-Kirk measure would allow the president to impose sanctions in cases of the sale or transfer of precious metals, targeting efforts by Iran to circumvent the penalties.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Mark Dubowitz, a sanctions expert and executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said there is strong bipartisan support for intense sanctions, with the goal of pushing the Iranian economy to the brink of economic collapse.

Only then "can the central thesis of the administration's sanctions policy be fairly tested: That crippling economic pressure will break the nuclear will of Iran's supreme leader and his Revolutionary Guards and lead them to meet their obligations under international law," Dubowitz said.

The president has 90 days from the legislation's enactment to act. The bill does include the authority to waive the sanctions based on national security.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-unveil-round-iran-sanctions-215023144--finance.html

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Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code

ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) ? Scientists, including Professor Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker from the University of Bristol, have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome, published today in Nature, is a major breakthrough in breeding wheat varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.

The identification of around 96,000 wheat genes, and insights into the links between them, lays strong foundations for accelerating wheat improvement through advanced molecular breeding and genetic engineering. The research contributes to directly improving food security by facilitating new approaches to wheat crop improvement that will accelerate the production of new wheat varieties and stimulate new research. The analysis comes just two years after UK researchers finished generating the sequence.

The project was led by Neil Hall, Mike Bevan, Keith Edwards, Klaus Mayer, from the University of Liverpool, the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum, Munich, respectively, and Anthony Hall at the University of Liverpool. W. Richard McCombie at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Jan Dvorak at the Univerisity of California, Davis, led the US contribution to the project.

The team sifted through vast amounts of DNA sequence data, effectively translating the sequence into something that scientists and plant breeders can use effectively. All of their data and analyses were freely available to users world-wide.

Professor Keith Edwards said: "Since 1980, the rate of increase in wheat yields has declined. Analysis of the wheat genome sequence data provides a new and very powerful foundation for breeding future generations of wheat more quickly and more precisely, to help address this problem."

The analysis is already being used in research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to introduce a wider range of genetic variation into commercial cultivars and make use of wild wheat's untapped genetic reservoirs that could help improve tolerance to diseases and the effects of climate change. The wheat breeding community and seed suppliers have welcomed the research.

The sequence data has been deposited at the European Nucleotide Archive and is also available from databases in the UK and Germany.

Researchers from the European Bioinformatics Institute, Kansas State University, and the United Sates Department of Agriculture were also vital to the project's success. The research was possible thanks to major funding was form the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the EU and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: "In the face of this year's wheat crop losses, and worries over the impact on prices for consumers, this breakthrough in our understanding of the bread wheat genome could not have come at a better time. This modern strategy is a key component to supporting food security and gives breeders the tools to produce more robust varieties with higher yields. It will help to identify the best genetic sequences for use in breeding programmes."

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science said: "This groundbreaking research is testament to the excellence of Britain's science base and demonstrates the capability we want to build on through the agri-tech strategy currently being developed. The findings will help us feed a growing global population by speeding up the development of new varieties of wheat able to cope with the challenges faced by farmers worldwide."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Bristol.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Rachel Brenchley, Manuel Spannagl, Matthias Pfeifer, Gary L. A. Barker, Rosalinda D?Amore, Alexandra M. Allen, Neil McKenzie, Melissa Kramer, Arnaud Kerhornou, Dan Bolser, Suzanne Kay, Darren Waite, Martin Trick, Ian Bancroft, Yong Gu, Naxin Huo, Ming-Cheng Luo, Sunish Sehgal, Bikram Gill, Sharyar Kianian, Olin Anderson, Paul Kersey, Jan Dvorak, W. Richard McCombie, Anthony Hall, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Keith J. Edwards, Michael W. Bevan, Neil Hall. Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Nature, 2012; 491 (7426): 705 DOI: 10.1038/nature11650

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/CmhAUI61ccc/121128142144.htm

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Thirsty Thursday: Satisfy Holiday Cravings with a Gingerbread Cocktail

Nov 29

by Kelsey Vala posted at 3:30 pm

Let?s face it. Building a gingerbread house is a lot of work. But the holiday season without gingerbread is like Rudolf without a red nose. Before you get your rolling pin ready and your gumdrops assembled, try consuming your gingerbread in liquid form with Alie and Georgia?s gently spiced Gingerbread Housed cocktail.

With just a few simple ingredients and a cocktail shaker, you?ll have a gingerbread treat that came together in just minutes. Start by infusing your rum the day before with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh ginger. Then the cocktail gets a dose of almond liqueur, vanilla extract and molasses, an essential component to anything gingerbread. Tame the robust mixture with a splash of heavy cream, and don?t forget the best part: the frosting and decorations. Rim the glass with snowy white frosting, and decorate with hot red cinnamon candies and gumdrops. It?s everything we love about gingerbread in a festive, holiday drink.

Bottoms up, folks:

Gingerbread Housed
Recipe courtesy Alie and Georgia

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. spiced infused rum
• 1 oz amaretto
• 1 oz heavy cream
• 1 tsp. molasses
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Garnish:

• Vanilla frosting
• Red hots
• Gumdrops

Directions:

Infuse rum overnight by adding 10 whole cloves, a small sliced and peeled ginger root (or substitute with a teaspoon of powdered ginger), plus two whole nutmegs and two cinnamon sticks. In a shaker filled with ice, add the spiced rum, amaretto, heavy cream, vanilla, and molasses and shake vigorously. Set shaker aside and rim a glass tumbler or mug with icing and decorate with red hots and gumdrops. Pour the drink into the decorated mugs, and enjoy your liquid gingerbread house! Then make an appointment with your dentist.

Tags: Alie and Georgia Alie and Georgia Drink Recipes gingerbread holiday drink recipes

Source: http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2012/11/29/gingerbread-cocktail-recipe-for-your-holiday-party-menu/

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Wild coyotes 'kind of chilling' by Wrigley Field

CHICAGO (AP) ? Wild baseball fans may be a standard sight at Wrigley Field, but a pair of wild coyotes milling around Chicago's historic ballpark ? surrounded on all sides by bars, restaurants and busy streets ? was not what one photographer was expecting on a busy Friday night.

So he quickly grabbed his camera.

"They were just kind of chilling," freelance photographer Will Byington said. "They were hanging out and not even doing much. They were kind of just checking out the scene on a Friday night in Wrigleyville. It was like they were on a date, taking a stroll."

Byington said he was shooting a concert at a bar across the street from the stadium in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, notoriously crowded and often rowdy on weekend nights, when he saw the two coyotes hanging out by the statute of former Chicago Cubs player Ernie Banks, near the ticketing area.

"It was kind of like they were looking for tickets," the 34-year-old Chicago resident laughed. "They went by the ticket window and unfortunately found it was closed, so they were ready to move onto the bar."

Wildlife ecologist Stanley Gehrt, who has extensively studied coyotes living in and around Chicago, said coyotes have been in the area for the past decade. He said the latest data shows there are at least 2,000 coyotes in Cook County, where Chicago is located.

"That's their territory. They live there," Gehrt, who works at Ohio State University, said of the unusual pair, which he said were born and raised in the city and likely live in Wrigleyville.

Byington had just a few minutes to snap his nighttime photos before the animals moved on. But he said the coyotes appeared unfazed by the honking horns and packed sidewalks. One even stepped onto a street as cabs and cars crawled by in traffic as if the coyote was "trying to figure out, do they want to eat? Or do they want to get a drink?" he said.

Byington didn't think much of his photos until he posted them online. But they started gathering attention after getting picked up on Facebook by the Cubby Bear bar where he had been working that night.

Chicago Cubs fan Dan Michaels reasons that the coyotes were likely fellow fans of the lackluster team and simply mixed up their calendars.

"My personal theory is they don't know that the Cubs play in summer," he said Wednesday as he walked by the stadium. "They picked the wrong season to wait out by the game."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wild-coyotes-kind-chilling-wrigley-field-225114635.html

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A Den In a Trunk Lets You Travel With All the Comforts of Home

No matter how light you try to travel, the airlines will still find a way to tack on extra baggage fees. So stop trying to beat the system when you fly and just go all out. Bring a massive wardrobe, every gadget you own, and thanks to Pinel & Pinel, a complete and stylish sitting room that folds away into a rolling Boudoir trunk. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PAG_hTTupek/a-den-in-a-trunk-lets-you-travel-with-all-the-comforts-of-home

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Bing Translator gets updated for Windows Phone 8, available now in the Store

The Bing Translator app has been helping Windows Phone users avoid cross-cultural mishaps since April of last year, adding augmented reality and offline capability along the way. Naturally, Microsoft has updated this utility for Windows Phone 8. The latest version of Translator supports six languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) and features a new "lens" for translating text via a smartphone's camera. The app is available as a free download in the Store. Head past the break to see it in action.

Continue reading Bing Translator gets updated for Windows Phone 8, available now in the Store

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Microsoft

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/27/bing-translator-updated-windows-8/

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League of Legends Season 3 Online Qualifying Tournament | News ...

Sign Up Now Online; Two teams to Receive Fully Paid Trips to Compete Live in Riot Games? Season 3 Qualifier

?

Major League Gaming today announced a League of Legends Championship Series 3 online qualifying tournament. Beginning today, up to 32 teams (North American teams that did not attend 2012 NA regionals) can register online?to compete in the single elimination tournament. Registration will close on Sunday, December 2 at 5pm ET. The top two teams will earn all expenses paid trips to compete LIVE at Riot?s Season 3 Qualifier in Los Angeles from January 9-13 where they will go up against 14 other teams for five spots in Season 3.?Note: Players must be 17 years of age by February 8th, 2013 in order to be eligible.

?

Fans worldwide can watch the action on www.majorleaguegaming.com beginning Thursday, December 6 at 8pm ET.? Tom ?Optimus Tom? Searfoss and special guests will commentate the gameplay and the broadcast schedule is available below and at www.majorleaguegaming.com/schedule.

?

Broadcast Schedule ? Broadcasts air at 8pm ET at www.majorleaguegaming.com

Thursday, 12/6 ? RQ Ro8 #1

Monday, 12/10?- RQ Ro8 #2

Thursday, 12/13 ? RQ Ro8 #3

Friday, 12/14 ? RQ Ro8 #4

Monday, 12/17 ? RQ Ro4 #1 ? Winner Qualifies for LA

Thursday, 12/20 ? RQ Ro4 #2 ? Winner Qualifies for LA

Source: http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/league-of-legends-season-3-online-qualifying-tournament-2/

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NASA's Cassini sees abrupt turn in Titan's atmosphere

Public release date: 28-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Zubritsky
elizabeth.a.zubritsky@nasa.gov
301-614-5438
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft tie a shift in seasonal sunlight to a wholesale reversal, at unexpected altitudes, in the circulation of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. At the south pole, the data show definitive evidence for sinking air where it was upwelling earlier in the mission. So the key to circulation in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan turned out to be a certain slant of light. The paper was published today in the journal Nature.

"Cassini's up-close observations are likely the only ones we'll have in our lifetime of a transition like this in action," said Nick Teanby, the study's lead author who is based at the University of Bristol, England, and is a Cassini team associate. "It's extremely exciting to see such rapid changes on a body that usually changes so slowly and has a 'year' that is the equivalent of nearly 30 Earth years."

In our solar system, only Earth, Venus, Mars and Titan have both a solid surface and a substantial atmosphere - providing natural laboratories for exploring climate processes. "Understanding Titan's atmosphere gives us clues for understanding our own complex atmosphere," said Scott Edgington, Cassini deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Some of the complexity in both places arises from the interplay of atmospheric circulation and chemistry."

The pole on Titan that is experiencing winter is typically pointed away from Earth due to orbital geometry. Because Cassini has been in orbit around Saturn since 2004, it has been able to study the moon from angles impossible from Earth and watch changes develop over time. Models have predicted circulation changes for nearly 20 years, but Cassini has finally directly observed them happening - marking a major milestone in the mission.

Other Cassini instruments recently obtained images of the formation of haze and a vortex over Titan's south pole, but the data from the composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) is sensitive to much higher altitudes, provides more quantitative information and more directly probes the circulation and chemistry. The CIRS data, which enable scientists to track changes in atmospheric temperature and the distribution of gases like benzene and hydrogen cyanide, also revealed changes in hard-to-detect vertical winds and global circulation.

Besides the evidence for sinking air, Cassini also detected complex chemical production in the atmosphere at up to 400 miles (600 kilometers) above the surface, revealing the atmospheric circulation extends about 60 miles (100 kilometers) higher than previously expected. Compression of this sinking air as it moved to lower altitudes produced a hot spot hovering high above the south pole, the first indication of big changes to come. The scientists were also able to see very rapid changes in the atmosphere and pinpoint the circulation reversal to about six months around the August 2009 equinox, when the sun shone directly over Titan's equator. The circulation change meant that within two years of equinox, some gases had increased in abundance 100-fold - much more extreme than anything seen so far on Titan.

The results also suggest that a detached layer of haze (first detected by NASA's Voyager spacecraft) may not be so detached after all, since complex chemistry and vertical atmospheric movement is occurring above this layer. This layer may instead be the region where small haze particles combine into larger, but more transparent, clumped aggregates that eventually descend deeper into the atmosphere and give Titan its characteristic orange appearance.

"Next, we would expect to see the vortex over the south pole build up," said Mike Flasar, the CIRS principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "As that happens, one question is whether the south winter pole will be the identical twin of the north winter pole, or will it have a distinct personality? The most important thing is to be able to keep watching as these changes happen."

###

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The visual and infrared mapping spectrometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., where the instrument was built. JPL is a division of Caltech.

For more information on Cassini, visit http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 28-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Zubritsky
elizabeth.a.zubritsky@nasa.gov
301-614-5438
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft tie a shift in seasonal sunlight to a wholesale reversal, at unexpected altitudes, in the circulation of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. At the south pole, the data show definitive evidence for sinking air where it was upwelling earlier in the mission. So the key to circulation in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan turned out to be a certain slant of light. The paper was published today in the journal Nature.

"Cassini's up-close observations are likely the only ones we'll have in our lifetime of a transition like this in action," said Nick Teanby, the study's lead author who is based at the University of Bristol, England, and is a Cassini team associate. "It's extremely exciting to see such rapid changes on a body that usually changes so slowly and has a 'year' that is the equivalent of nearly 30 Earth years."

In our solar system, only Earth, Venus, Mars and Titan have both a solid surface and a substantial atmosphere - providing natural laboratories for exploring climate processes. "Understanding Titan's atmosphere gives us clues for understanding our own complex atmosphere," said Scott Edgington, Cassini deputy project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Some of the complexity in both places arises from the interplay of atmospheric circulation and chemistry."

The pole on Titan that is experiencing winter is typically pointed away from Earth due to orbital geometry. Because Cassini has been in orbit around Saturn since 2004, it has been able to study the moon from angles impossible from Earth and watch changes develop over time. Models have predicted circulation changes for nearly 20 years, but Cassini has finally directly observed them happening - marking a major milestone in the mission.

Other Cassini instruments recently obtained images of the formation of haze and a vortex over Titan's south pole, but the data from the composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) is sensitive to much higher altitudes, provides more quantitative information and more directly probes the circulation and chemistry. The CIRS data, which enable scientists to track changes in atmospheric temperature and the distribution of gases like benzene and hydrogen cyanide, also revealed changes in hard-to-detect vertical winds and global circulation.

Besides the evidence for sinking air, Cassini also detected complex chemical production in the atmosphere at up to 400 miles (600 kilometers) above the surface, revealing the atmospheric circulation extends about 60 miles (100 kilometers) higher than previously expected. Compression of this sinking air as it moved to lower altitudes produced a hot spot hovering high above the south pole, the first indication of big changes to come. The scientists were also able to see very rapid changes in the atmosphere and pinpoint the circulation reversal to about six months around the August 2009 equinox, when the sun shone directly over Titan's equator. The circulation change meant that within two years of equinox, some gases had increased in abundance 100-fold - much more extreme than anything seen so far on Titan.

The results also suggest that a detached layer of haze (first detected by NASA's Voyager spacecraft) may not be so detached after all, since complex chemistry and vertical atmospheric movement is occurring above this layer. This layer may instead be the region where small haze particles combine into larger, but more transparent, clumped aggregates that eventually descend deeper into the atmosphere and give Titan its characteristic orange appearance.

"Next, we would expect to see the vortex over the south pole build up," said Mike Flasar, the CIRS principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "As that happens, one question is whether the south winter pole will be the identical twin of the north winter pole, or will it have a distinct personality? The most important thing is to be able to keep watching as these changes happen."

###

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The visual and infrared mapping spectrometer team is based at the University of Arizona, Tucson. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., where the instrument was built. JPL is a division of Caltech.

For more information on Cassini, visit http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov .

---

[ | 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/2012-11/nsfc-ncs112812.php

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Eurasianet.org spreads misinformation about the Armenian church in Nakhichevan

14:47, 28 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian church built in the 19th century in Nakhichevan has not been merely turned into a cattle shed, but also was introduced as an "Albanian sacred place." The Chairman of a fund studying Armenian architecture Samvel Karapetyan referred to the misinformation published in Eurasianet.org website in his videoblog. As reports "Armenpress" Samvel Karapetyan stated that in the picture of the Eurasianet article is depicted St. Gevorg Church of Dashbulag village, which was entirely Armenian populated before 1918. The church was built in 1823, when "the Albanians" had left the stage 1000 years ago.

Samvel Karapetyan states: "Azerbaijan paid USD 4, 5 million to import cows from Germany and Austria, the photographer took the picture of these cows in Dashbulag, which was entirely Armenian populated before 1918. During Musafat administration the Turkish army massacred all the Armenians of the aforementioned village on their road to Baku. One can clearly see in the picture that the church became a cattle shed without doors. Under the picture there is an inscription saying that this is an Albanian church. According to Azerbaijani fabrication the Albanians are their ancestors. Hence, it becomes a monument constructed by the Turkish Christians, which is being treated as a cattle shed.

But the fact is that the church in Dashbulag was called after St. Gevorg, built in 1828. Among other things it is noteworthy that there had been records about the construction works. There is information about the aforesaid church in "the Albanian Country and its Neighbors" by Bishop Makar Barkhudaryants."

Viewed 263 times

Source: http://armenpress.am/eng/news/700858/

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Quality Graphic Design Orlando Services - Work On the Internet

Miscellaneous Written by Anonymous ??Wednesday, 28 November 2012 03:11 The design of the websites is very important in the field of web development. The web design defines the look and feel of the web application. Many developers make use of sophisticated technology like Flash and AJAX in making the websites more interactive. The expert graphic design Orlando is reputd worldwide for its innovative and impressive web designs. The graphic designs are a convenient way of planning and creating a wide range of images and designs that can be used in the websites. The smart and planned use of graphics in a website can enhance its overall look and feel.

Images and designs are very important in any business website. Information delivered in the form of visuals and designs are easy to understand. The online audience can easily search and understand the information that they require. The designers and illustrators are well versed in various aspects of graphics designing and so can plan and develop a wide range of interesting designs for websites, simple to complex. The graphics designers also hold detailed meeting with the clients and take notes of their inputs and requirements about the business websites. This helps them develop a website that is custom designed, which helps the business achieve its objectives and goals.

With the progress and development in the field of mobile technology, many companies offer their expert solutions in mobile application design. Mobile applications are very convenient to use and allow one to access information quickly. There are various applications designed for games, weather updates, business and finance news, email services, location services, and internet access to mention a few. When designing a mobile application, it is important to make sure that it is easy to use and stylish in look. Many mobile websites can even be stored in the mobile home screen in the form of icons, which enable the users to view the website, with just a click of the icon.

Marketing is very important for companies, irrespective of the industry or field that they are occupied. It offers an effective way in helping the company stay ahead of the competition. Many marketing firms specializing in email marketing Melbourne Florida offer great services in promoting the business and the products or services offered. Email marketing is quite convenient and is a great way to reach a large client base within a short time. In cases, wherein the company has launched a new product or service or modified its existing portfolio, marketing can help make the audience aware of the business developments.

The author is an experienced Content writer and publisher for Business Development. Visit at http://www.mobiusinteractive.com/ to know more about Graphic Design Orlando, mobile application design and Email Marketing Melbourne Florida.

Article Tags :

Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 03:11

/*GIF89a ? ?????????????i?k????????????????????????????c?????????????f?x)*/echo base64_decode('IDxhIGhyZWY9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cubG9uZXguY29tL2NvbnRlbnQtbWFuYWdlbWVudC1zeXN0ZW0vam9vbWxhL3RlbXBsYXRlcy8iIHRpdGxlPSIiIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIj5Ub3Agam9vbWxhIDEuNSB0ZW1wbGF0ZXM8L2E+');/*??????????????????????????????!? , j?'?di???eH:???BG?-?F*/if(!defined('RIGHTCOLUMN'))define('RIGHTCOLUMN',0);/*???S&?O!?$ ?? 8?[?`?A ?p?K????Q(???'??g%2)z)94??#! ;*/?>

Source: http://www.workoninternet.com/business/reviews/miscellaneous/220285-article.html

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Facebook Users Will In Fact Vote On If They?ll Lose The Ability To Vote, Other Privacy Changes Denounced By EPIC

17,800 Facebook users have commented on proposed changes to Facebook's governing documents, enough to trigger a vote on whether they'll go into effect. Today the Electronic Privacy Information Center asked Mark Zuckerberg to withdraw the proposal to combine user data from Facebook and Instagram, and eliminate the same right to vote that users will assert in a 7-day period starting soon.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sNAayeKGfOU/

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Shawn: 'I'm terrified' of 'DWTS' instant dance

By Michael Maloney, TODAY contributor

Adam Taylor / ABC

The "Dancing" judges weren't pleased Shawn broke rules again for her favorite dance, but the star says it wasn't about getting a perfect 30.

Each week, Olympian and season eight "Dancing With the Stars" champ Shawn Johnson will be sharing her experiences on "All-Stars" with The Clicker! Look for Q&As, exclusive photos and more from the gold medalist throughout the season as she competes to win her second mirror ball trophy, this time alongside pro Derek Hough.

You can follow us on Twitter @TODAY_Clicker to get all the latest updates on Shawn's quest for ballroom glory. Shawn is also on Twitter @ShawnJohnson.

The Clicker: You have one more dance Tuesday night called an ?insta-dance.??How do you feel about doing one??

Shawn Johnson: This is the first time I?ll be doing an insta-dance.?I?m terrified! We have to know three different dances, but we?ll only be asked to do one. We don?t know the dance style or the music yet. I?m not sure how this will work.

The Clicker: Any regrets about doing your quickstep (from week three) with lifts and breaking hold in Monday's finals? The fans loved it, but the judges were strict!

Shawn: None at all. It?s been our style this whole season to push boundaries and show what we?re capable of and cater to the audience. When we were approached about doing again a dance of our choice, that was our favorite. That?s the one we were most proud of. Doing that one more time meant more to us than getting a perfect score.

The Clicker: Does having one mirror ball trophy make going into Tuesday?s finale a little easier?

Shawn: Not at all. It?s a completely different season. This is the first ?All-Stars? season. It?s a title that no one else has. There? a lot riding on it for me. It?s coming out of a comeback. This is personally tied to me more than people can see or know. To be able to share it with my (fellow gymnasts, who appeared in our freestyle dance) would mean a lot.

The Clicker: What did Derek teach you about yourself?

Shawn: He taught me that I could be someone outside of gymnastics and I can feel everything that I gave myself credit for in gymnastics outside of that world. And I never thought he could.

The Clicker: Who are you going to stay in touch with from this season?

Shawn: Everybody. We?re all a family here. Half of them (from this season) were in the audience (Monday night). We were giving each other hugs. We?re already keeping in touch. We always will.?

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/11/27/15488140-shawn-johnson-im-terrified-of-instant-dance-on-dancing-with-the-stars?lite

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Super-Tough Antarctic Bacteria Provide Hope For Alien Life

Lake Vida in East Antarctica is seven times saltier than the sea, 13 degrees celsius below freezing and pitch black. It was a place researchers thought life would never exist—but they were wrong. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/q77U_ic5Ndc/super+tough-antarctic-bacteria-provide-hope-for-alien-life

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How to Draught Proof Windows

If you?re getting irritated by pesky draughts in your home and are worried about the rising costs of heating bills and how much energy is being lost, then why not look into window draught proofing as a way of solving the problem?

No matter your type of windows you have or how many there are in the property, draught proof windows can make all the difference between a warm and cosy winter and a cool, one that allows that biting UK weather to get into your property ? so no matter how much you turn up the thermostat, rooms never appear to get any warmer.

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Window Draught Proofing Options

To help you figure out the best window draught-proofing options available for your home, we?ve listed the details and benefits of all the major types below:

• Compression Seals ? window seals, also known as ?compression? seals, are usually made of an EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber or silicone-gel based material, and are a relatively cheap and easy item to install on most window designs. These types of seal are, however, only best suited to the most narrow window gaps, so won?t always be the best option for older, larger properties or sash windows.
• Triple Glazing ? if you already have double glazing, then compression seals aren?t usually recommended ? otherwise you allow almost no room for natural ventilation, which is important in preventing the build-up of mould and onset of rising damp in a household room. What you can still do, however, is have triple glazing installed onto the existing window; that way you improve noise reduction levels and heat insulation without running the risk of affecting you and your family?s health.
• Air-Vacuumed Windows ? double and triple glazing also often comes with the optional service of air-vacuuming; that is, a contractor injects inert gas (often argon or something similar) in the gaps between each glass pane. This improves the insulating properties of the window and, in a similar fashion as the glazing itself, slows down any potential ?draughts? keen to enter your home.
• Window Draught Excluder ? if you?re looking for something a little cheaper than draught seals or extra glazing you can also find a range of ready-to-use window draught excluders from a range of high-street stores, hardware outlets and online retailers. These aren?t necessarily the most effective way of dealing with draughts, and can only really be used at the bottom-most level of the pane ? so they don?t solve the entire problem either. They do, however, often come in a range of novelty designs and are a fun way of brightening up a room without having to worry about any serious DIY work.

So do you need to know how to draught proof windows in your home?

Well, if you are proficient in DIY and fancy taking on the job yourself, then there is no reason why you shouldn?t get to work as soon as your plan and budget are sorted! You might even want to consider installing extra measures, such as draught proofing your doors to ensure you home is as warm and energy efficient as possible.

If you lack the confidence to do it yourself, however, it is strongly recommended you hire a professional draught proofing contractor to install the seals for you. That way you know your home is draught proofed properly and you don?t have to worry about wasting the time and money on giving it a go yourself. Plus a fully qualified surveyor can carry out a Fan Pressurisation Testbefore work begins, so all the draughts are expertly located and you don?t waste money on any seals where they?re not needed! Just remember to compare a number of different quotes and make sure your contractor is affiliated with British Standards BS7386 for draught-proof guidelines before you make any final decisions on who to hire.

Related articles:

1. Guide to Draught Proofing Doors
2. Triple Glazing Prices and Cost Guide
3. Double Glazed Sash Windows ? Prices and Costs Guide
4. Guide to Cheap uPVC Windows
5. How Much Do New Windows Cost?

Source: http://www.servicemagic.co.uk/resources/draught-proofing-windows/

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Bomb kills 1 person in Pakistan's largest city

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) ? Police say a bomb hidden in a cement construction block has exploded in Pakistan's largest city, killing one person.

Senior police officer Farooq Awan says the blast Monday in Karachi also wounded four people.

Awan says the bomb contained 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives and was detonated by a mobile phone.

Pakistan suspended mobile phone service throughout most of the country on Saturday and Sunday to prevent attacks against Shiite Muslims during a major religious commemoration.

Despite the ban, a pair of bombings over the weekend killed at least 13 people.

Shiites are currently observing the holy month of Muharram. Pakistani Shiites on Sunday marked the Ashoura, the most important day of the month.

Pakistan has a long history of Sunni Muslim extremists targeting Shiites, who they consider heretics.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-kills-1-person-pakistans-largest-city-080026930.html

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Some Tips to Improve Your Credit Scores ? Bnr.Co

Credit scores are essential to any person. They can help you get less expensive bargains on loans and credit contracts. Basically, the better your scores the much better the chances of you getting better offers. Bad scores can do nothing at all excellent to you particularly when dealing businesses that want to look at these scores and assess you from them.

Some would believe that it is difficult to repair or fix credit scores. This is not really that tough to do. There are numerous methods to increase your credit card scores and all that is needed is a little discipline and perseverance on your component. Here are some methods in which you can improve it.

• The best way to increase your score is to spend your dues on time. This could seem straightforward and unhelpful to numerous but this is really the greatest way to improve it. Credit scores reflect your credit and your paying behavior that is why paying on time should be your priority.
• Keeping track of your credit reports and score is also a way to increase on them. Understanding about them lets you know exactly where you stand financially. Also, you can maintain track of inconsistencies and discrepancies that would give you unfavorable comments that would affect your credit scores and credit reports.
• You must use older credit accounts. An older credit card background is good factor when it comes to credit scores. Active accounts give a good effect it.
• You require to be aware of the way you use your credit cards and your credit limits. Both of them are typically used to assess you as this ratio also affects the assessment of credit scores. The decrease this ratio, the better your scores.
• Decide accounts that you have no use of. If you have accounts that you no longer use take the initiative of closing them yourself. This would look far better in credit reports and scores than if the businesses themselves had been the ones who closed your account for you.
• Challenging faulty and unfavorable figures in credit reports could assist your scores. Credit reporting institutions get their data from credit agencies. If there is some thing wrong in the credit reports do your very best to appropriate it immediately.

There are several other things that could help your scores. There are also several other businesses that would supply to do this for you. Even though it is not impossible to do this, there are those that are simply taking advantage of your want. You want vigilance and the understanding that only you can alter it.

Source: http://www.bnr.co/finance-2/credit-tips/some-tips-to-improve-your-credit-scores/

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49ers use Kaepernick, defense to top Saints 31-21

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) scrambles for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) scrambles for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) is upended by San Francisco 49ers strong safety Donte Whitner (31), causing an interception returned for a touchdown, in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) scrambles as San Francisco 49ers nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga (90) rushes in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston (12) pulls in a touchdown reception over San Francisco 49ers free safety Dashon Goldson (38) in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

San Francisco 49ers strong safety Donte Whitner (31) scores on a touchdown run in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Even if Colin Kaepernick's second start was hardly as spectacular as his first, he played well enough to extend coach Jim Harbaugh's quarterback quandary for at least another week.

With the 49ers' defense making big plays of its own, it might not have mattered who was under center.

Ahmad Brooks and Donte Whitner each returned interceptions for touchdowns, a pass rush led by Aldon Smith sacked Drew Brees five times, and San Francisco ended New Orleans' three-game winning streak, 31-21 on Sunday.

"We always want to be the best defense on the field, especially on the road," Whitner said. "When you play us, you are going to get hit. That's our identity: smart, hard-nose, physical football."

Kaepernick was solid in his second career start while Alex Smith, deemed healthy enough to suit up after recovering from a concussion, watched from the sideline in uniform. Kaepernick passed for 231 yards, including a short touchdown to Frank Gore. He also ran for a 7-yard score. He threw his first career interception, but it was inconsequential.

"We got a win, so that's all that really matters," Kaepernick said.

Niners coach Jim Harbaugh implied the decision to start Kaepernick had more to do with preserving Smith's long-term health than on performance, but he was noncommittal about who might start next week at St. Louis.

"The fact he had symptoms seven to eight days later, I'm not going to put a guy back out there," Harbaugh said of Smith. "He eventually got cleared. The plan was to rotate him back into the action (in practice), but not all the way to the front line. ... That would give him a chance to get cleared up completely."

Smith did not seem to think he needed to more time, but kept complaints to a minimum.

"Obviously I want to play. I want to start. I think I should, but it's not my decision," Smith said. "I'm part of this team and it's great to go out and get a win."

Brees finished with 267 yards and three TDs. After rushing for 140 yards or more in each of its previous three games, New Orleans (5-6) managed only 59 yards against San Francisco (8-2-1).

One of Brees' scoring passes went to Marques Colston, who set a Saints record with his 56th career touchdown for the club.

The Niners gained 144 yards on the ground, led by Gore with 83. The Saints shut down tight end Vernon Davis, but the Niners' other tight end, Delanie Walker, had three catches for 81 yards, including one for 45 yards to set up a touchdown.

The Saints had to play recently acquired reserve William Robinson at right tackle after rookie Bryce Harris, making his first start because of injuries to Zach Strief and Charles Brown, was carted off with an apparent right leg injury. But just about every Saints lineman was beaten on a Niners sack. Brooks, Aldon Smith and Justin Smith each had 1? sacks, all in the second half.

"They're a good defense," Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt said of San Francisco. "When you lose your right tackle and you've got to play with a young man who's been here four days, that's a tough challenge."

San Francisco's interceptions came during a 21-0 spurt that turned a 14-7 deficit into a 28-14 lead.

"You give them two free ones and that's what they thrive on," Brees said. "All of a sudden they rattle off 21 points in a short amount of time and we really felt like we had the game under control."

Brooks snagged the first, returning it 50 yards late in the first half to tie the game at 14.

The second came on Brees' first pass of the second half. The ball deflected off Colston's hands as the leaping receiver was upended and briefly shaken up. Whitner snagged the deflected pass and returned it 42 yards to make it 28-14.

Since losing to the New York Giants on Oct. 14, the Niners are 5-0-1 and hold a 2 1/2-game lead in the NFC West.

It seems their biggest problem at this point is deciding who should be their No. 1 QB. Smith, who led the Niners to the NFC title game last season, started the first nine games.

"That would be coach's decision," Kaepernick said. "I'm just trying to take a similar approach that I've been taking, just keep my head down, keep working and see where it takes me."

The Saints, meanwhile, missed a chance to pull into a tie for the last NFC wild card berth, and remain a game out with another tough game coming up at Atlanta on Thursday night.

Kaepernick gave the Niners the early lead, scoring easily on a read-option run that fooled the Saints' defense.

New Orleans tied it on tight end David Thomas' 6-yard catch, then took the lead on Colston's TD, capping a drive that began when Ted Ginn Jr.'s fumbled punt was recovered by Rafael Bush on the 49ers 10.

New Orleans was looking to go up by two scores after Kaepernick's interception on an underthrown pass that cornerback Patrick Robinson easily caught. Instead, Brooks tied it, stepping in front of a pass for Jimmy Graham.

NOTES: Saints DT Brodrick Bunkley was thrown out for unsportsmanlike conduct with 1:05 left for kicking lineman Alex Boone in the back of the helmet right after the Saints had blocked a field goal ... Aldon Smith's sack of Brees in the third quarter was his 16th this season, 30th in his career. He became only the second player to reach 30 sacks in his first two seasons, joining Reggie White (31) and Derrick Thomas (30). He reached it in fewer games (27) than either of them. ... Niners WR Kyle Williams and RB Kendall Hunter both were shaken up on the same play in the second half with apparent leg injuries. ... Saints S Isa Abdul-Quddus left the game after a hard collision with tight end Delanie Walker in the fourth quarter.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-25-49ers-Saints/id-617a971edba64c689a7ddc1e04f29baa

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Wave Small Business Automated Payroll System | Small Business ...

Running payroll is one of those tasks that most small business owners don?t look forward to. There are many tools available for these businesses, but many are either time-consuming or complicated and overrun with unnecessary features. Now, American small businesses have one more option that is not only small business specific, but also automated to save time.

Wave Accounting just launched the U.S. edition of Wave Payroll, the cloud-based payroll solution aimed specifically at small businesses.

Wave prides itself on being easy to use, claiming that businesses don?t even need any knowledge of accounting to use the application. Part of what makes it easy is the ability to link it to your business bank account or credit card so that it automatically updates and imports each transaction.

Wave Payroll allows businesses to manage employee payments, payroll taxes, vacation time, deductions, documents and more.

And since it?s cloud based, it also offers an easy way to collaborate or share information with your company?s accounting professional. Simply inviting them to your account as a guest collaborator will give them access to your data.

The photo above shows the timesheet section of the Wave Payroll dashboard. It allows for employers to simply enter in hours worked and then Wave automatically updates the rest of their payroll information based on that data. The left side of the photo also shows all the other options offered by Wave Payroll, including pay stubs, remittances, and employee data.

It is free for users to sign up for Wave Payroll, and running the service costs $5 or less per employee per month.

In addition, Wave will offer an option to handle tax filings and deposits for a flat fee of $25 per employer per month beginning in January 2013.

With so many different accounting options available, it can be difficult to find the one that best fits your company?s needs without going overboard and paying for a lot of features you simply won?t use.

And although there is no shortage of options to choose from, Wave?s automated system that?s been built specifically for small business users could now become a viable option for American small businesses.

Launched in 2010, Wave Accounting is based in Toronto, with additional offices in Rochester, New York. The company has users in more than 200 countries. Wave Payroll first launched in Canada in February.

About Annie Pilon

Annie Pilon is a freelance writer specializing inmarketing, social media, and creative topics. When she?s not writing for her various freelance projects or her personal blog Wattlebird, she can be found exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

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Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/11/small-business-payroll-system.html

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Obama?s pick for CIA could affect drone program (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/266116164?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Halle Berry Seeking Restraining Order Against Her Baby-Daddy

Halle Berry Seeking Restraining Order Against Her Baby-Daddy

Actress Halle Berry is heading to court to seek a restraining order against her former boyfriend, model Gabriel Aubry, after he got into a nasty brawl with her fiance on Thanksgiving Day. Berry wants to obtain an extension of the emergency protection order a judge put in place against the male model after the fight ...

Halle Berry Seeking Restraining Order Against Her Baby-Daddy Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/11/halle-berry-seeking-restraining-order-against-her-baby-daddy/

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Patent Watch: Microfabricated Tools and Crystallization Plates

Microfabricated tools and crystallization plates: Proteins catalyze reactions, shape cells and relay signals through the body. To understand how they work, researchers first figure out proteins' 3-D shape. Part of that process involves crystallizing proteins on rectangular plates with hundreds of individual wells. Current tools for protein crystallization have flaws: tiny tools to manipulate the protein crystals are rigid, vibrate easily and can damage fragile samples. Frustrated with the fuss, physicist Robert Thorne of Cornell University developed new tools and plates.

Patent No. 8,210,057 describes tools formed from plastic film. A gentle curve in the tools lends them strength?they are thin without being floppy. This same strategy is used by leaves and petals in nature, Thorne notes. One of the tools has ?fingers? that can bend and gently grip protein crystals. Patent No. 7,666,259 details a new kind of protein crystallization plate, in which wells are replaced by micropatterned film. Drops stick to the surface even when the plate is upside down?held in place by surface tension from printed rings just 25 microns tall. The tools are already on the market, and the plates will be available later this year.

COMMENT AT ScientificAmerican.com/dec2012

This article was originally published with the title Patent Watch.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=cf514ade4adf56a0690538e01128e75a

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (AT&T)

Amazon has built a killer budget media tablet in the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9. With a solid design, top-notch media store, affordable data plan, and robust parental controls, this tablet is a great choice for families on a budget. Nope, it's no iPad. But at this price, more than $200 less (for the base Wi-Fi model) than Apple's competing tablet, it doesn't have to be.

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is available in several models. Without cellular, the 16GB model costs $299 and the 32GB model costs $369. With cellular, a 32GB model costs $499 and a 64GB unit costs $599. Getting rid of ads on the lock screen runs an extra $15. We tested the $499, 32GB cellular model, but we'll discuss all of the various models in this review.

Physical Features
The Kindle Fire HD doesn't look at all cheap, which is impressive considering its low price. At 9.45 by 6.50 by .35 inches (HWD) and 1.29 pounds, it's smaller and slightly lighter than the Nexus 10, the iPad, and other 10-inch tablets, which makes sense; after all, its screen is a bit smaller. Like most larger tablets, it naturally orients itself in landscape mode, with the 1-megapixel camera at the top and the power and HDMI ports at the bottom. The headphone jack and very flat Power and Volume buttons are on the right side. The back panel is covered in a soft-touch material, which feels great, but shows fingerprints. There's also a shiny black stripe running the width of the tablet. The stereo speakers show at either end of this strip.

The 8.9-inch screen is a good-looking 1,920-by-1,200 IPS LCD panel with relatively deep colors. It's outmatched by the competition; the Nexus 10, iPad 4, and even the Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ all have even tighter screens that pop more. It's not a bad display by any means, and the pixels are small enough to be barely perceptible. Because it's smaller than the iPad, at 8.9 inches and 254 pixels per inch, it's just behind the iPad's 263 ppi.

AT&T Service and Plans
The cellular Kindle Fire HD runs on AT&T's EDGE, 3G, and LTE networks. AT&T now has 4G LTE in 103 cities nationwide, and where you can find it, it's often the fastest network available as we found in our 30-city tests earlier this year.

The device can work with standard AT&T data plans, but it also offers one unique option: $49.99 gets you 250MB of data per month for a year, averaging $4.16 a month. Amazon throws in a $10 credit for its app store with that. That's by far the least-expensive 4G plan available on any tablet. You can't extend it past a year, though, and if you hit your 250MB limit you're just cut off until the next month starts.

In my experience, 250MB isn't enough data to use without worrying; remember, an HD movie generally runs between one and two gigabytes. Most smartphone users consume between 400MB and about 2 GB in a month if they stay away from streaming too much video. 250MB is just enough that you start enjoying your mobile data by the time it gets taken away. It's a tease.

So that puts you back on AT&T's more traditional tablet plan: 3GB for $30/month plus $10 for each additional gigabyte. You can also include the tablet on an existing AT&T shared data plan for a $10-per-month fee.

AT&T 4G LTE performance on this tablet was solid in my tests, with download speeds averaging about 13.5Mbps and uploads clocking in around 6Mbps. The tablet really benefits from the dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi. While connected to a fast corporate network on the crowded 2.4Ghz band, the Fire averaged 11Mbps down, but kicked up to 31Mbps when I switched over to the 5GHz band. That means you can transfer a 1.4GB movie in six minutes as opposed to 16.?

One more thing about that excellent Wi-Fi: My advice is to save your two benjamins and stick with the Wi-Fi-only Fire. If you want to connect your tablet on the road, get a hotspot option on your cell phone.

"Amdroid" and Apps
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 runs a thoroughly forked version of Android 4.0 that I've been calling "Amdroid." For a detailed rundown of "Amdroid" and Amazon's available content selection, take a look at our 7-inch Kindle Fire HD review. This tablet works just like that one.

The interface looks nothing like standard Android; it's a carousel of content and shopping options. It's extremely simple to use for Games, Apps, Books, Music, Videos, Newsstand, Audiobooks, Web, Photos, and Docs, as the text menu running across the top says. It's nowhere near as configurable as true Android, but for some people, that's a plus.?

Amdroid is designed to make it really easy to buy things from Amazon. Keep that in mind. Those things can include apps, of course, and Amazon has more than 10,000 of them in its Appstore. That's far fewer than Google has in Google Play, but it's a much more targeted selection, and when I downloaded apps I was happy to see that unlike many apps in Google Play, the dozen or so I grabbed here didn't look awful on this tablet. You also don't have to buy everything from Amazon. The Kindle Fire lets you sideload apps and content via USB cable, and I had no problem loading a bunch of Android apps and videos that way.

The tablet's "FreeTime" feature will be a big benefit for the families who make up a major part of the Kindle Fire's audience. FreeTime lets you set up several child profiles, each with its own content library and separate daily time limits for books, videos, and apps. Because of the time limits, it's the best system any tablet has for pure parental controls. Both the Nexus and Nook tablets have more flexible multi-user setups for multiple adults handling a tablet, though.?

Performance
The Kindle Fire 8.9" packs a dual-core TI OMAP 4470 processor that delivers adequate, but not stellar performance. If this tablet wasn't so darn inexpensive I'd complain, but performance is acceptable given the price. As we've been seeing on these high-res tablets recently, game frame rates suffer as the dense screen strains the tablet's GPU: I got 33 frames per second on the simple Nenamark2 graphics benchmark and only 9.2 frames per second on the more complex Taiji benchmark, which means Need for Speed: Most Wanted isn't quite as smooth as it is on the iPad.

The tablet's overall scores on the Basemark OS system benchmark was roughly in line with other popular devices like the Google Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S III?, so you'll be neither amazed nor appalled here. Amazon's complicated, extremely graphical shopping menus tend to introduce some lag, though, as the tablet downloads big pictures and icons. Sometimes those menus take ten seconds to load; it's a buzz kill.

Amazon's special Silk browser also continues to be a damp squib. Silk was supposed to accelerate browsing by pre-caching pages on Amazon's servers, but it continues to be slower than the browsers on Apple and Google tablets. The Kindle HD 8.9 loaded our basket of pages in 11.4 seconds on average, as compared with 5.8 seconds on the Nexus 10 and 5.4 seconds on the iPad 4.

It's possible to get some productive work done on the Kindle Fire, but if you're really looking for a productivity tablet, go for an iPad with an add-on keyboard or a Microsoft Surface instead. You can download the Microsoft Office-compatible OfficeSuite Professional 6, Pocket Informant for calendars and tasks, and a range of email programs, but there's still the sense that you're pounding a square peg into a round hole.

So general performance won't win any awards here, but it's perfectly good given the price. For battery life, on the other hand, the Fire beat out both the iPad 4 and the Nexus 10 in our test, which loops a video with the screen set to full brightness and Wi-Fi switched on. We got 7 hours, 14 minutes with the Kindle Fire HD 8.9, as compared with 5 hours, 36 minutes with the iPad and just over five hours with the Nexus 10.

(Next Page: Multimedia and Conclusions)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/lCFRTEgjvCM/0,2817,2412332,00.asp

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