Barack Obama Is Looking Relaxed At The NCAA ... - Business Insider

President Barack Obama was in attendance at Saturday's regional final of the NCAA tournament in Washington D.C. between Syracuse and Marquette.

He looked relaxed wearing his Under Armour jacket and with his leg up on the wall. He was seated with NCAA president Mark Emmert (far left) and the president's personal aide, Reggie Love (left). The CBS commentators identified the man on the right as? the president's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, head coach of the Oregon State men's basketball team. But it is not clear if that is him ...

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-is-looking-relaxed-at-the-ncaa-tournament-2013-3

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Incomes rose in February, helping to boost spending

Reuters ? ? ? 5 hrs.

U.S. consumer spending rose in February and income rebounded, further signs economic activity accelerated in the first quarter, even though part of the increase in consumption reflected higher gasoline prices.

The Commerce Department said on Friday consumer spending increased 0.7 percent last month after an upwardly revised 0.4 percent rise in January. Spending had previously been estimated to have increased 0.2 percent in January.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, to increase 0.6 percent last month.

After adjusting for inflation, spending was up 0.3 percent after advancing by the same margin in January.

While Americans paid 35 cents more for gasoline last month, they also bought long-lasting goods such as automobiles and spent more on services, thanks to a bounce-back in income growth.

Income increased a healthy 1.1 percent after tumbling 3.7 percent in January. A sustained pace of steady job gains is starting to boost wages, which should help to provide some cushion for households from higher taxes and support economic growth.

Personal income in December was sharply higher because of a rush to pay dividends and bonuses before tax hikes took effect this year. That also skewed data for January.

A 2 percent payroll tax cut expired on January 1 and tax rates for wealthy Americans also went up. Data ranging from employment to factory activity has so far shown little sign the tighter fiscal policy has been a major drag on the economy.

First-quarter GDP growth estimates currently range as high as a 3.2 percent annual rate. The economy grew at only a 0.4 percent pace in the fourth quarter.

Last month, the income at the disposal of households after inflation and taxes increased 0.7 percent in February after dropping 4.0 percent in January.

With income growth outpacing spending, the saving rate - the percentage of disposable income households are socking away - rose to 2.6 percent from 2.2 percent in January.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a224117/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Ceconomywatch0Cincomes0Erose0Efebruary0Ehelping0Eboost0Espending0E1C9140A0A0A2/story01.htm

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Romo gets paid

AP

Sometimes, wishes are quickly granted.? Sometimes, they already were.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu wants player input in rule changes.? But the players already have input.

?I do wish . . . that the NFL did have a voice from the players? side, whether it?s our players? union president, or team captains, or our executive committee on the players? side,? Polamalu said earlier today on ESPN.? ?Because we?re the guys that realize the risk, we?re the guys on the field.?

As MDS pointed out, the players have a voice in the rule-revising process.? Specifically, this year?s the rule changes were discussed with NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth, who worked with Lester Archambeaux, Charlie Batch, Ernie Conwell, Matt Hasselbeck, Brandon Moore, Jeff Saturday, Ben Watson, and Eric Winston in providing input to the Competition Committee.

Also, Will Montgomery of the Redskins presented video to the Competition Committee in connection with the rule that makes the snapper a defenseless player.

Former players also had a voice with the Player Safety Advisory panel, which includes John Madden, Ronnie Lott, Ernie Accorsi, Antonio Freeman, Patrick Kerney, Willie Lanier, Oliver Luck, Steve Mariucci, Anthony Munoz.

So, basically, Polamalu already got what he wanted, without finding a lamp or losing an eyelash.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/report-deal-done-romo-gets-more-guaranteed-money-than-flacco/related/

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iFixit breaks open an HTC One, literally

Considering its sleek, primarily aluminum construction we never thought the HTC One was going be easy to crack open. But, it seems not even iFixit was completely prepared for the challenge of picking one apart. Since there are no screws used in the construction of the body, the fearless hackers needed to turn to a heat gun, a suction cup and a metal spudger to gain access to the internals. Underneath the swaths of aluminum and glass it turns out most of the components are covered in foil-like copper shielding that is quite difficult to deal with. There are a few screws inside, however, like the pair of fasteners that connect the 2,300mAh battery's cable to the motherboard. In the end, iFixit handed the One its namesake on the repairability scale -- meaning this sucker is practically impossible to pull apart and reassemble. To see the complete and careful destruction of HTC's latest flagship hit up the source.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, HTC

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Source: iFixit

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/G6HMIRLVyy0/

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2013 Kia Optima SX - A Mom's Review

The post is sponsored by Kia who provided a car for my family to drive for a week?. unfortunately I had to return the car.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed the sporty, awesome car I was driving a few weeks ago. ?My family had the opportunity to test drive the 2013 Kia Optima SX for a week and we absolutely loved it. ?My son, Jonah, wanted to ride in the ?race car? every time we went somewhere. ?He was probably the saddest one in the family when we had to return it. ?He is still asking when we can go and get the ?race car? again and keep it.

I have never claimed to know a lot about cars. ?My review here is strictly from the point of view of a working mom and the things that are important in a vehicle for my family.

So onto the most important part of a vehicle (in my opinion) the features.

Safety Features	Active Head Restraints Brake Assist Child Seat Anchors (LATCH) Driver and Passenger Seat Airbags Front Fog Lights Hill-start Assistance Rear Center 3-point Belt Rear Door Child Safety Locks Side/Curtain Airbags Stability Control Tire Pressure Monitoring Traction Control?
Interior Features	A/C with Climate Control Auto-dimming Rearview Mirror Auxiliary Audio Input Jack Bluetooth Hands-free Calling Keyless Ignition Leather Upholstery Power Exterior Mirror Control Power Seat(s) Satellite Radio USB / iPod Connection ?
Exterior Features	All-season Tires Alloy Wheels

I absolutely fell in love with the interior of the Optima. ?The front seats were extremely comfortable and the console was positioned to where I could get to everything I needed with ease. The Optima also synced with my iPhone so I could have my own music as well as hands free calling. ?There was a few new features in the Optima that I have never seen before like the heating and cooling seats. ?We have heated seats in one of our vehicles now, but the cooling feature would be great in the summertime (if summer ever comes to Indiana) especially with the dark interior. ?The back seat also has heated seats!

The Optima also has a push button parking break. ?I love this feature. ?In most cars you have to push down a pedal or pull a leaver to put on the parking break. ?Having a push button is so convenient.

My favorite feature was the panoramic sunroof. ?I am used to driving a small SUV and I was a little worried about how closed in I would feel in a sudan. ?To be honest, it felt a little snug until I hit the button to open the sunroof. ?Within seconds the extra large sunroof let in a lot of light and my claustrophobia disappeared in an instant.

Some other features I love:

• Navigation System? I would have gotten lost when I went to IKEA without it!
• The rear view camera.
• Sound System was fantastic and had a great sound.
• All of the ports in the car for our USB devices.
• The steering wheel? I loved how the polished wood felt and the easy access to volume control, cruise control and the Bluetooth system.

I decided to take the Optima on a trip to Cincinnati to visit the closest IKEA. ?My two little ones came with me. ?Installing their car seats in the backseat was a breeze (I had my husband do it). ?With the LATCH system it took a matter of moments. ?They fit without any problems. ?The only thing that I didn?t like was that my infant seat couldn?t click down and latch until after I started the car and the front seat moved up. ?If you have an infant seat that is large like mine I suggest moving it to the passenger side of the car for this reason. ?There was plenty of room for both carseats and a person in-between if they didn?t mind it being tight. ?My mother in law actually had to get back there to feed Caroline on our trip. ?I like that the two kids weren?t right on top of each other.

The trunk space was amazing for a sedan. ?I could fit a stroller and all of my purchases in the back end without any problems. ?I got a rug and several other items at IKEA and had extra space after loading them into the trunk.

Look at all this trunk space. I didn?t have any problem loading in all of my shopping stuff!

Overall? the 2013 Kia Optima SX is a very sleek, sporty mommy vehicle that is perfect for a small family. ?The features are amazing and plentiful and make this mommy feel extremely spoiled. ?I felt that the ride was smooth and it had a lot of power. ?At times I needed to use the cruise control because I didn?t realize how fast I was actually going. ?I love that it tells you how many miles you have left before you need to fill up, and the gas mileage is great (about 25 in city and 30 highway).

This 2013 Kia Optima SX has a MSRP of $35,275 will all of these options.

Visit ?Kia to learn more about the?Optima?and all it has to offer. ?You can also find them on?Facebook?and?twitter!

A huge thank you to Kia who provided our family with this amazing car to drive for a week. ?All opinions are 100% mine!

Source: http://amomsimpression.com/2013/03/29/2013-kia-optima-sx/

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Smith leads Louisville to 77-69 victory over Ducks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Louisville coach Rick Pitino is baffled by Russ Smith.

Not by the star guard himself, who is managing to outdo himself each time he steps on the court. No, Pitino doesn't understand why the rest of the country isn't as impressed with Smith as he ? and every opponent who's faced him ? is.

"I look at (player of the year) lists, and I don't see Russ Smith. I don't see him on the All-America teams," Pitino said. "I'm baffled, just baffled, because it wasn't like he was a Johnny-come-lately. He carried us on his back to a Final Four last year."

And he's one game from doing it again.

With Louisville having a rare off night, Smith lifted the Cardinals to a 77-69 victory over Oregon on Friday that put them in the Midwest Region finals. He matched his career high of 31 points, including seven during what would wind up being the game's decisive run.

Smith is averaging 27 points through the first three games of the tournament.

"Russ Smith is a talented young man," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "When he got going, we didn't have an answer."

Louisville (32-5) plays Duke on Sunday, the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski have met in a regional final since Christian Laettner's shot in 1992.

The 12th-seeded Ducks managed to make a game of it, though, which is more than most of Louisville's recent opponents can say.

After Louisville went up 66-48 with 9:01 left, Oregon made six straight field goals to close to 70-64. But Kevin Ware scored on a layup and Chane Behanan threw down a monstrous dunk to put the game out of reach.

Ware finished with 11, topping his previous career best by one, and Gorgui Dieng had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

E.J. Singler's 15 points led five Ducks in double figures. But Damyean Dotson had an off night, held without a field goal until five minutes were gone in the second half, and Oregon could never recover from its poor start.

Early foul trouble didn't help, with Johnathan Loyd picking up his third before halftime and Dominic Artis and Carlos Emory playing the last six minutes of the half with two.

"If it wasn't for the beginning, it would have been a completely different game," Loyd said. "We just came out, we weren't ready and we got smacked. If we were playing the way were playing in the second half the whole game, it's a completely different story."

The Cardinals were barely tested in either of their first two games in the NCAA tournament, beating North Carolina A&T by 31 and Colorado State by 26. They set an NCAA tournament record with 20 steals against A&T, outrebounded one of the country's best rebounding teams in Colorado State and left both teams with ugly shooting lines.

But a hacking cough that Smith has had the last few days is making its way around the Louisville team, and it was clear from the start this wasn't going to be another juggernaut performance by the Cardinals.

Peyton Siva spent the last 15:19 of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul, and Louisville wasn't nearly as stingy on defense as it's been. The Cardinals (13) actually had more turnovers than the Ducks (12), and Oregon is only the third team to shoot 44 percent or better during Louisville's winning streak.

Thanks to Smith, however, the Cardinals finished like they always do lately: with a win.

After Siva went out, Smith hit a 3 to spark a 14-3 run that put Louisville up 24-8. When he capped the spurt with a layup, it was Russ Smith 9, Oregon 8.

"We really dug ourselves a big hole," Singler said. "We tried to figure back as much as possible, but Louisville's a really, really good team. They just played better than us today."

But the Ducks aren't a team that gives in.

After losing six of their last 11 regular-season games, the Ducks have been on a tear. They won the Pac-12 tournament, then upset Oklahoma State and Saint Louis last weekend.

They went on a 16-4 run that cut Louisville's lead to six points, the smallest it had been since the opening minutes of the game.

"We watched film and seen how they run, and we kind of figured out that would happen," Chane Behanan said.

Instead of panicking, the Cardinals regrouped and regained control. After Ware and Behanan's baskets, Smith shot 3-of-4 from the line to seal the win.

"Coach has been telling me to fight through (his cold), fight through it, dig in. My teammates as well," Smith said. "We're fighting through it and just doing whatever we can to get a win."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/smith-leads-louisville-77-69-victory-over-ducks-013024595--spt.html

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The Daily Roundup for 03.29.2013

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/aF1lN5J0slo/

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Why We Should All Relax About 'The Biggest ... - Business Insider

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc./IMDB A scene from the movie "War Games."

There has been a wave of skepticism about the severity of this month's "biggest ever" denial-of-service attack ? that a fight between website hosts and spam fighters may or may not have?sunk the DNS servers that run the entire Internet?? and, well, it's OK to be a little scared of the enormity of this thing. Just not that scared.

The New York Times's source compared the DDoS attacks to "nuclear bombs," while?the BBC?quoted the head of the spam company, Spamhaus, as claiming that their attacks would be strong enough to bring down a major government's Internet infrastructure "instantly."?

Gizmodo?and?Venture Beat?both countered with no-big-deal posts, with Gizmodo's Sam Biddle going so far as to call the "Internet War Apocalypse" a "lie."?Not everyone agrees. So, if even the tech nerds are fighting over the fight that maybe slowed down the whole Internet, how should regular Internet users approach this thing? Like this:

Think Local, Not Global

The "nuclear bomb" analogy seems to have paint a picture that this DDoS attack leveled the entire web, and world-wide. That's not what happened. Parts of the Internet, however, did see some down time as a result of the attack.?The Verge's Russell Brandom pointed?to the following chart showing a dip at the London Internet Exchange, which is legally designated as "critical infrastructure":

Akamai's Real Time Global Web Monitor?also showed congestion Wednesday in The Netherlands, where this whole fight originated, and in the U.K, per this chart:

Akamai

Akamai's Real Time Global Web Monitor

A Sophos analyst also confirmed these European outages to?ZDNet. And, according to?Naked Security,?there were reports of 21.7 million?insecure/misconfigured DNS servers on the IPv4 yesterday. So, some people did see a slow down in their usage yesterday. Those people just don't live in America, where a lot of the scary media reports originated.

Be Scared in Theory, Not in Practice

That "biggest ever" 300gbps figure is a "massive amount of bandwidth to a single enterprise or service," as a spokesperson for NIT, a tier 1 Internet operator,?told Biddle. And it?is?the biggest ever, which?does?mean something ? these hacks are getting more serious, as this Arbor Network chart of previous DDoS attacks shows:

But the DNS servers that run much of the Internet?can?handle something like that. Even the LINX dip from above managed okay, as The Verge's Brandom explains: "The web is built on redundancy, so the extra terabyte-per-second of bandwidth could be spread across the network without any catastrophic failures."

Still, there is a reason for a little bit of alarmism: "The wake-up call for telecoms is real," Brandom writes. "There's never been a DDoS attack against an internet exchange before, and exchanges aren't set up to protect against them."?As we pointed out yesterday, there is also a reason these DDoS attacks are possible in the first place, and it comes in the form of a security hole, which has to do with Open DNS resolvers, as opposed to closed ones.?

Give in, Because There Is Nothing You Can Do

You might as well going on Internetting as usual, to be honest. For the hyper nervous users out there, though, this particular issue doesn't sound that hard to fix. CloudFare, the anti-DDoS firm Spamhaus enlisted to ward off the attack, suggests closing up these "openings." NakedSecurity's?Chester Wisniewski?reiterates this point: "If you are an administrator of DNS services, it is critical that you configure your recursive name servers to only reply to your own network."

Of course, the specific type of "reflection" DDoS attack is just?one of the many possible ways to take down the Internet. But the hyper-awareness for this "biggest ever" attack might encourage higher security standards in the future. Still: Relax.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-we-should-all-relax-about-the-biggest-cyberattack-ever-2013-3

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Obama hopes Supreme Court treats same sex couples fairly (Washington Bureau)

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

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Boeing 787 faces new risk: limits on extended range: sources

By Andrea Shalal-Esa and Mari Saito

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - As Boeing works to regain permission for its 787 Dreamliner to resume flights, the company faces what could be a costly new challenge: a temporary ban on some of the long-distance, trans-ocean journeys that the jet was intended to fly.

Aviation experts and government officials say the Federal Aviation Administration may shorten the permitted flying time of the 787 on certain routes when it approves a revamped battery system. The plane was grounded worldwide two months ago after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two separate aircraft.

Losing extended operations, or ETOPS, would deal a blow to Boeing and its airline customers by limiting use of the fuel-saving jet, designed to lower costs on long-distance routes that don't require the capacity of the larger Boeing 777. Such a loss could even lead to cancellation of some routes.

"If the FAA approves (only) over-land operations it would be a very damaging blow to the 787 program," said Scott Hamilton, an aviation analyst with Leeham Co in Seattle.

"Depending on how long that restriction remains in place, it would completely undermine the business case for the airplane, which was to be able to do these long, thin intercontinental routes" over water, he said.

Grounding the 787 already has cost Boeing an estimated $450 million in lost income and compensation payments to airlines. Further restrictions on the 787's range could send the airlines' claims - and Boeing's costs - higher.

Until it was grounded on January 16, the 787 was permitted to fly routes that ranged as much as three hours away from an airport. Boeing has asked the FAA to extend that range to 5-1/2 hours. That change would enable airlines to fly many more routes across remote areas such as the North Pole.

Now the jet faces the potential temporary loss of its ETOPS approval or a roll-back to two hours, according to government officials and aviation experts.

"It is completely within expectations for FAA to limit ETOPS for the 787," one regulatory source in Japan told Reuters. He said that reducing the range to two hours would force Japanese airlines to fly more circuitous routes, burning up more fuel and cutting efficiency.

A former senior U.S. government official said there was "a distinct possibility" that Boeing could win the battle over FAA flight certification for the battery only to lose permission for extended operations - at least temporarily.

An FAA spokesperson said it was too early to discuss ETOPS approval since Boeing's battery fix was still being tested.

"It's really premature to talk about what ETOPS certification we would give them right now," said the spokesperson. "We'll be in a better position to answer questions like that after we get through all this battery testing."

Boeing referred questions to the FAA. During a recent news conference in Japan, Boeing executives said there had not been any conversations with regulators about extended range operations. They said the proposed certification plan did not foresee further limitations once the plane was allowed to resume flight operations.

The issue is heating up as Boeing nears the end of testing the new battery system, designed to prevent the meltdowns that occurred in January. Boeing executives say the FAA could approve the new battery system within weeks. The first flight test of the system took place Monday, and a second, final test flight is expected in coming days, Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said.

Analysts and industry executives say any decision to limit the flying time of the new aircraft would have serious consequences.

The change would not rule out all international routes, but some specific routes, such as Japan Airlines Co's Tokyo-to-Boston flight, might have to be canceled, said the Japanese regulatory source.

The 787's biggest customers so far include All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines , which fly extended routes to the United States and Europe, and Qatar Airways. In the U.S., United Airlines is the only carrier to have taken delivery of 787s. The airlines declined requests for comment on how loss of ETOPS could affect operations.

A step-by-step return to full, extended flight would give regulators more time to study the effectiveness of Boeing's battery fix, and could help the Obama administration prove that it was making good on Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's promise to ensure the plane was "1,000-percent" safe, some experts said.

It would also address concerns voiced by Japanese aviation regulatory authorities in recent weeks.

Nor is it without precedent. Until the late 1980s, the FAA required airlines to fly a certain number of hours over land before it approved extended-range operations over water or remote areas. It started granting permission for those flights in tandem with flight certification when engine safety improved.

But the highly electrical nature of the 787 has raised new questions, said another former U.S. official, noting that the importance of the lithium-ion batteries for the plane's operation made it a bigger risk factor than past batteries.

"In the past, if you lost a battery, or a battery malfunctioned, it wasn't that big of a deal," said that former U.S. official.

"But if Boeing's battery is needed to start the engine - and that battery is susceptible to fire - isn't that a turn back condition? Isn't that something you have to go land at an airport to address? That's the question."

(Additional reporting by Tim Kelly in Tokyo and Tim Hepher in Paris.; Editing by Alwyn Scott and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-787-faces-risk-limits-extended-range-sources-000633878--finance.html

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You Talk, We Listen, Then We Design! | Full Service Web Design ...

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Violeta Leyva in Blog

The SD Internet Marketing Planning Process: You Talk, We Listen, Then We Design! (This is how we learn about your business so we can build your perfect web presence, not just a pretty but empty site.)

We build sites from the ground up made to deliver results.

Before we start a web design project we evaluate how your customers view you online and how you would like to present yourself to the Internet public. When we start a project, the first step in our evaluation provides you with a questionnaire. Having a clear, comprehensive vision determines your journey to market dominance. We begin this trip with you by asking you where you are starting from, which is your current presence and how you would like to be seen. This may be annoying to some of our clients, but it?s really important for us so we can take into account and properly analyze many important factors like:

• What are your business goals.
• What is your current sales process.
• Who is your target audience or market.
• Determine what features you will need.
• What is the most wanted response from visitors.

It?s really important for us to understand what you want, but specially, to determine what you will need. So, in order for you to easily understand our process we developed this infographic:

Source: http://sdinternetmarketing.com/blog/you-talk-we-listen-then-we-design/

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World stocks rise ahead of release of US data

BANGKOK (AP) ? World stock markets staged a comeback Tuesday from losses the day before as traders awaited data that is expected to show strengthening orders for U.S. durable goods such as cars and appliances.

Asian markets were muted but European shares and U.S. futures rose ahead of the U.S. Commerce Department's release of business orders for durable goods in February. The consensus forecast is that orders rose 3.7 percent after a 4.9 percent drop in January. That data is expected to outshine reports showing some lag in consumer confidence and new home sales.

Analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in a market commentary that market sentiment should be "supported by a sharp gain in US durable goods orders, even though consumer confidence and new home sales are set to retreat from healthy levels."

Britain's FTSE 100 slipped less than 0.1 percent to 6,374.71. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent to 7,886.88. France's CAC-40 advanced 0.5 percent to 3,745.03.

Wall Street appeared set for a higher open, with Dow Jones industrial futures rising 0.2 percent to 14,413 while S&P 500 futures advanced 0.2 percent to 1,550.

Earlier in the day, stock markets in Asia wavered as worries emerged about the terms of the deal that prevents the collapse of Cyprus' banking system but that requires an industry overhaul and inflicts big losses for bondholders and depositors.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6 percent to close at 12,471.62. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.3 percent to 22,311.08. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.8 percent to 4,950.20. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.3 percent to 1,983.70.

Mainland Chinese shares fell, with the Shanghai Composite Index losing 1.2 percent to 2,297.67 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index lost 0.7 percent to 953.36. Losses were attributed to moves by the government to cool off the real estate sector.

Concerns over Cyprus intensified late Monday after a key official indicated that the rescue it was provided may have to be repeated in other nations with struggling banks. Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said that bondholders and depositors should be prepared to take losses if the banks they put their money in run into trouble.

In return for a 10 billion euros ($13 billion) bailout from international lenders, Cyprus agreed to drastically shrink its banking sector, cut its budget, implement economic reforms and privatize state assets.

Cyprus must contribute 5.8 billion euros to the deal. To do so, the country's second-largest bank, Laiki, will be restructured and bondholders and depositors with more than 100,000 euros will have to take significant losses.

Depositors in the biggest bank, the Bank of Cyprus, with over 100,000 euros will also bear a cost but those with savings up to 100,000 euros will covered by the EU's deposit insurance guarantee.

Some analysts said, however, the deal was a short-term solution that quickly relieved a small-sized crisis that could have spiraled rapidly downward.

"Cyprus is less than 1 percent of the European Union's GDP," said Dickie Wong of Kingston Securities in Hong Kong. "But those savers and bondholders are in deep trouble."

Among individual stocks, Tomy Co. tumbled 5.5 percent after the Japanese toy maker revised down its earnings projection for the current business year ending March, Kyodo News Agency said.

In energy markets, benchmark oil for May delivery was up 25 cents to $95.05 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.10 to finish at $94.81 a barrel on the Nymex on Monday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2873 from $1.2851 late Monday in New York. The dollar fell to 94.07 yen from 94.16 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-stocks-rise-ahead-release-us-data-094104341--finance.html

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Zynga CIO Debra Chrapaty Named Nirvanix CEO, Sees Analytics Play For Storage Company, Continued Rivalry With AWS

Zynga CIO Debra?Chrapaty has a new job as the CEO at Nirvanix, the Khosla Ventures backed enterprise storage company that she expects to further compete with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and extend into the business analytics market.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XcFZeQ3gQuw/

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Early number sense plays role in later math skills

WASHINGTON (AP) ? We know a lot about how babies learn to talk, and youngsters learn to read. Now scientists are unraveling the earliest building blocks of math ? and what children know about numbers as they begin first grade seems to play a big role in how well they do everyday calculations later on.

The findings have specialists considering steps that parents might take to spur math abilities, just like they do to try to raise a good reader.

This isn't only about trying to improve the nation's math scores and attract kids to become engineers. It's far more basic.

Consider: How rapidly can you calculate a tip? Do the fractions to double a recipe? Know how many quarters and dimes the cashier should hand back as your change?

About 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. lacks the math competence expected of a middle-schooler, meaning they have trouble with those ordinary tasks and aren't qualified for many of today's jobs.

"It's not just, can you do well in school? It's how well can you do in your life," says Dr. Kathy Mann Koepke of the National Institutes of Health, which is funding much of this research into math cognition. "We are in the midst of math all the time."

A new study shows trouble can start early.

University of Missouri researchers tested 180 seventh-graders. Those who lagged behind their peers in a test of core math skills needed to function as adults were the same kids who'd had the least number sense or fluency way back when they started first grade.

"The gap they started with, they don't close it," says Dr. David Geary, a cognitive psychologist who leads the study that is tracking children from kindergarten to high school in the Columbia, Mo., school system. "They're not catching up" to the kids who started ahead.

If first grade sounds pretty young to be predicting math ability, well, no one expects tots to be scribbling sums. But this number sense, or what Geary more precisely terms "number system knowledge," turns out to be a fundamental skill that students continually build on, much more than the simple ability to count.

What's involved? Understanding that numbers represent different quantities ? that three dots is the same as the numeral "3'' or the word "three." Grasping magnitude ? that 23 is bigger than 17. Getting the concept that numbers can be broken into parts ? that 5 is the same as 2 and 3, or 4 and 1. Showing on a number line that the difference between 10 and 12 is the same as the difference between 20 and 22.

Factors such as IQ and attention span didn't explain why some first-graders did better than others. Now Geary is studying if something that youngsters learn in preschool offers an advantage.

There's other evidence that math matters early in life. Numerous studies with young babies and a variety of animals show that a related ability ? to estimate numbers without counting ? is intuitive, sort of hard-wired in the brain, says Mann Koepke, of NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. That's the ability that lets you choose the shortest grocery check-out line at a glance, or that guides a bird to the bush with the most berries.

Number system knowledge is more sophisticated, and the Missouri study shows children who start elementary school without those concepts "seem to struggle enormously," says Mann Koepke, who wasn't part of that research.

While schools tend to focus on math problems around third grade, and math learning disabilities often are diagnosed by fifth grade, the new findings suggest "the need to intervene is much earlier than we ever used to think," she adds.

Exactly how to intervene still is being studied, sure to be a topic when NIH brings experts together this spring to assess what's known about math cognition.

But Geary sees a strong parallel with reading. Scientists have long known that preschoolers who know the names of letters and can better distinguish what sounds those letters make go on to read more easily. So parents today are advised to read to their children from birth, and many youngsters' books use rhyming to focus on sounds.

Likewise for math, "kids need to know number words" early on, he says.

NIH's Mann Koepke agrees, and offers some tips:

?Don't teach your toddler to count solely by reciting numbers. Attach numbers to a noun ? "Here are five crayons: One crayon, two crayons..." or say "I need to buy two yogurts" as you pick them from the store shelf ? so they'll absorb the quantity concept.

?Talk about distance: How many steps to your ball? The swing is farther away; it takes more steps.

?Describe shapes: The ellipse is round like a circle but flatter.

?As they grow, show children how math is part of daily life, as you make change, or measure ingredients, or decide how soon to leave for a destination 10 miles away,

"We should be talking to our children about magnitude, numbers, distance, shapes as soon as they're born," she contends. "More than likely, this is a positive influence on their brain function."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/early-number-sense-plays-role-later-math-skills-173349630--politics.html

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Discovery may allow scientists to make fuel from CO2 in the atmosphere

Mar. 26, 2013 ? Excess carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over are looking for new ways to generate power that leaves a smaller carbon footprint.

Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found a way to transform the carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere into useful industrial products. Their discovery may soon lead to the creation of biofuels made directly from the carbon dioxide in the air that is responsible for trapping the sun's rays and raising global temperatures.

"Basically, what we have done is create a microorganism that does with carbon dioxide exactly what plants do-absorb it and generate something useful," said Michael Adams, member of UGA's Bioenergy Systems Research Institute, Georgia Power professor of biotechnology and Distinguished Research Professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

During the process of photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to transform water and carbon dioxide into sugars that the plants use for energy, much like humans burn calories from food.

These sugars can be fermented into fuels like ethanol, but it has proven extraordinarily difficult to efficiently extract the sugars, which are locked away inside the plant's complex cell walls.

"What this discovery means is that we can remove plants as the middleman," said Adams, who is co-author of the study detailing their results published March 25 in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "We can take carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and turn it into useful products like fuels and chemicals without having to go through the inefficient process of growing plants and extracting sugars from biomass."

The process is made possible by a unique microorganism called Pyrococcus furiosus, or "rushing fireball," which thrives by feeding on carbohydrates in the super-heated ocean waters near geothermal vents. By manipulating the organism's genetic material, Adams and his colleagues created a kind of P. furiosus that is capable of feeding at much lower temperatures on carbon dioxide.

The research team then used hydrogen gas to create a chemical reaction in the microorganism that incorporates carbon dioxide into 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a common industrial chemical used to make acrylics and many other products.

With other genetic manipulations of this new strain of P. furiosus, Adams and his colleagues could create a version that generates a host of other useful industrial products, including fuel, from carbon dioxide.

When the fuel created through the P. furiosus process is burned, it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide used to create it, effectively making it carbon neutral, and a much cleaner alternative to gasoline, coal and oil.

"This is an important first step that has great promise as an efficient and cost-effective method of producing fuels," Adams said. "In the future we will refine the process and begin testing it on larger scales."

The research was supported by the Department of Energy as part of the Electrofuels Program of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy under Grant DE-AR0000081.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by James Hataway.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Matthew W. Keller, Gerrit J. Schut, Gina L. Lipscomb, Angeli L. Menon, Ifeyinwa J. Iwuchukwu, Therese T. Leuko, Michael P. Thorgersen, William J. Nixon, Aaron S. Hawkins, Robert M. Kelly, and Michael W. W. Adams. Exploiting microbial hyperthermophilicity to produce an industrial chemical, using hydrogen and carbon dioxide. PNAS, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1222607110

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/most_popular/~3/Q5Tm_1ZgQ84/130326112301.htm

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Yahoo acquires mobile news start-up Summly

CALABAR, Nigeria, March 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria, crowned African Nations Cup champions six weeks ago, needed a dramatic late equaliser to rescue a 1-1 home draw with bottom team Kenya in World Cup Group F qualifying on Saturday. Substitute Nnamdi Oduamadi, who plays for Italian second-tier club Varese, scored three minutes into stoppage time to save the Nigerians from an embarrassing defeat. It was the second draw in three games for Nigeria who have five points, level with Malawi at the top of the group. Namibia have three points from three matches and Kenya are bottom on two points. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yahoo-acquires-mobile-news-start-summly-143638799--sector.html

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WALL STREET ANALYST: Twitter Is Disrupting The Main Service That I Provide

Last week after the Cyprus story first exploded, we pointed out that Twitter proved to be a far more useful source of serious analysis on the topic than Wall Street, which was fairly slow in producing research on the subject. This was partially due to the fact that it was a weekend as well as the lack of expertise.

SocGen currency strategist Kit Juckes ? who is on Twitter and grasps the medium better than most ? has written a great post on his blog (who knew he had one?) about just this topic. He explains exactly what it is about Twitter that makes it so disruptive to the traditional model of Wall Street houses providing research and analysis to their trading clients:

The?tightening?up of?standards?and rules surrounding research published by investment banks, has left a gap which social media are filling enthusiastically. A traditional research?note?on the?impact?of?events in?Cyprus?this weekend can't clear compliance much before 9 a.m on?Monday?morning, too late for markets in search of instant gratification. But then, what market participants want isn't a traditional?research?note,?with?'buy' and 'sell' recommendations carefully vetted and caveats strewn around like confetti. "What has happened, and what does it mean?" is the first question, followed by a deluge of follow-ups "yes, but what if ..." and so on.

Whether you are ?a trader, a salesperson, a fund manager, a Master of the Universe to?indeed?an interested by-stander, ?what you want is information, opinion and debate and Twitter?gives?it to?you. For the?traditional?common-or-garden sell-side analyst, this demands a change of approach. The public?dissemination?of non market-moving?information?and?broad macro-economic views should not be subject?to restraint by?regulatory?authorities. At the same time, the analyst does not?necessarily?know for sure how markets will react to news. In the instance of Cyprus' woes, we have all known for a long time that a bailout was needed as a result of losses?incurred?by over-leveraged banks as the?Greek?crisis deepened. Whether?the terms of a bailout will cause further risk aversion and contagion is a matter of opinion, and the best way to?establish?how the mood in financial markets will?evolve, is to express an opinion and open it up to a wider debate.

There's a lot of meat there, but this is something that might not be well understood or appreciated by many people outside of the financial world. Analysts create a lot of value by providing good information and data. Investors managing billions of dollars crave that more than "recommendations" or the analyst's "take," although there are some individuals out there (Kit is one of them) that people actually want to read due to their unusual intelligence or insight.

In a case like Cyprus, there's just no way to beat the instant access to data, insight, and on-the-ground observations that can be attained through a well-curated twitter stream. In a fast-moving story that combines lots of moving parts (economics, markets, politics) no research shop could compete.

This story has legs for the industry, in part because regulations and guidelines will clash more and more. Just this week, a bank economist we spoke to expressed some of the same points Kit made above, that communicating through Twitter is just natural given end-user demands for information.

Watch this space.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-is-disrupting-sell-side-research-2013-3

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Blue and Marquette show Butler the door, 74-72

Marquette guard Trent Lockett (22) reacts after defeating Butler 74-72 in a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Marquette guard Trent Lockett (22) reacts after defeating Butler 74-72 in a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Marquette bench reacts after a basket in the second half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Butler, Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Butler center Andrew Smith (44) shoots as Marquette forward Davante Gardner (54) defends in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Butler guard Rotnei Clarke (15) drives against Marquette center Chris Otule (42) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Butler guard Rotnei Clarke (15) shoots against Marquette guard Derrick Wilson (12) in the first half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) ? Back and forth went Marquette and Butler, trading makes and misses in an intense rematch that made a case for being the best game so far of this NCAA tournament.

In the end, Vander Blue and the Golden Eagles pulled out another nail-biter as the Bulldogs couldn't muster any more of their March magic.

Blue scored 19 second-half points to rally third-seeded Marquette out of another hole, and the Golden Eagles survived 74-72 on Saturday to reach the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

"I know everybody in our team, we weren't ready to go home," said Blue, who made a last-second layup to win Marquette's first game of this tournament. "We had two close games ? we had a lot of those this year. What we went through earlier this year prepared us for this weekend."

Like November's first meeting between the teams at the Maui Invitational, won 72-71 by Butler on Rotnei Clarke's buzzer-beating 3-pointer, it came down to the final shot. Only this time, Butler missed.

"The difference in the game was the level of pressure they put on us in the second half and certainly the shots they made," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "They had a few I didn't think were going in that bounced in.

"Our guys gave great effort on both ends of the floor. Our guys played their hearts out. I told them they had nothing to be ashamed about."

Marquette (25-8) will meet the winner of Sunday's game between Illinois and Miami on Thursday in the East Regional semifinals at Washington, D.C.

"We could have easily been beat by Davidson," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "We could easily have been beaten tonight. Our character, toughness and the resiliency of our guys is maybe unlike any team I've ever been around. I stand at attention and respect for how those kids are...

"It's just another Marquette game. We're not good enough to blow anybody out. We're just good enough to get blown out. And if we can turn it into a fight and make it ugly, then it probably trends toward it helps us the most."

It will be Marquette's third consecutive round of 16 appearance, but the Golden Eagles are seeking to move past that round for the first time since 2003, when Dwyane Wade led them to the Final Four.

"There were multiple times we could have gave up," said Blue, who finished with 29 points. "But there's something about this group. We're relentless and we want to win. We're not ready to go home yet."

Clarke's 24 points led Butler (28-9).

Blue led the Golden Eagles' rally from a 35-27 halftime deficit and tied the game at 69 on 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining.

That set the stage for more late-game drama by his teammates.

After Jamil Wilson's two free throws made it 71-69, Davante Gardner deflected Clarke's pass intended for Kellen Dunham underneath and then made the first of three late free throws for 74-70 lead with 4.7 seconds left.

After Wilson's goaltend on what would have been a layup by Andrew Smith cut the lead to two 2 seconds later, Blue almost became the goat by throwing away the inbounds pass intended for Wilson with 2.9 seconds left.

The Bulldogs, who seem to win every close game at this time of year, couldn't get a good last look. Smith took an off-balance 3 from up top that was way off, slamming into the backboard and setting off another Marquette celebration.

"We were trying to get a look for a 3," Butler guard Alex Barlow said the final shot. "If that wasn't open, we had options off of that. Marquette did a great job guarding it and unfortunately Andrew was unable to make the shot."

This could be the start of quite a rivalry. Next year, Butler joins the new Big East with Marquette.

Stevens' Bulldogs reached the championship game in 2010 and '11, but won't make the second weekend this year.

"You can control some things, you can't control others," Stevens said. "We're going to go back and wish we controlled a few things little bit better. ... We talk about all the close wins ... but the only commercial I ever see is a close loss, Butler vs. Duke (in the 2010 championship).

"We've been here before, we've lived it. And we'll move on."

Blue shot 9 of 15 from the field with three from long range, finishing just four points off his career high. Trent Lockett and Wilson each added 13 points for Marquette, which shot 23 of 54 (43 percent) and was 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Bulldogs' defense also held Clarke to just six second-half points after he seemed ready to dominate the game by himself. Smith finished with 17 points.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-24-BKC-NCAA-Butler-Marquette/id-31daadc6683d45b49c37e206757d8731

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Ex-Pakistani strongman vows return ahead of vote

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) ? Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf said he doesn't fear arrest despite facing criminal charges as he vowed Saturday to return to his homeland and contest upcoming elections after more than four years in exile.

But legal problems are only one challenge facing Musharraf as the Taliban warned they have an assassination team ready to kill the one-time military strongman if he sets foot in the country on Sunday as promised.

Musharraf announced in early March that he would return to Pakistan March 24 to take part in upcoming elections, despite allegations he was part of a conspiracy to assassinate ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, militant threats to his safety and a waning popularity. The deposed general said he would lead his party in elections scheduled for May 11.

"I am going back to save Pakistan," he told reporters Saturday during a press conference in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Musharraf has earned a reputation as a strongman who cried wolf after failing to follow through on previous promises to return home, but the likelihood of his return this time got a boost on Friday when a Pakistan court granted him preemptive bail ? essentially preventing his immediate arrest ? in three cases in which he's implicated, including Bhutto's death. Under the preemptive bail, he has ten days to appear in court, which Musharraf promised he would do.

"I will face these cases with bravery," he said. Musharraf said that "elements in Pakistan and outside" were spreading rumors that he was not returning, but that the granting of the bail would address some of those concerns.

The former general plans to travel to Karachi from Dubai accompanied by journalists and supporters of his political party, All Pakistan Muslim League.

Musharraf took power in a 1999 coup after then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to dismiss the general while he was out of the country. Officers loyal to Musharraf put Sharif under house arrest. Upon return Musharraf took control of the government, eventually naming himself president in 2001. He ran the country for nearly a decade until he was forced to step down in 2008 after growing discontent with his rule.

His return comes as Pakistan is faces a historic election marking the first time an elected government has fulfilled its term and handed over power to another elected government. In a country that has undergone three coups, including Musharraf's, there are precious few democratic milestones. Pakistan is struggling with rolling blackouts, rising inflation and widespread security problems.

While he was given a reprieve from the legal charges, he received no such leniency from militants who have been gunning for him for years. Just hours after his announcement Saturday, the Pakistan Taliban released a video threatening to unleash suicide bombers and snipers against Musharraf if he comes back. One of the two people speaking in the video was Adnan Rashid, a former Pakistani air force officer convicted in an attack against Musharraf. The Taliban broke Rashid, along with nearly 400 other detainees, out of prison last year.

"The mujahedeen of Islam have prepared a death squad to send Pervez Musharraf to hell," said Rashid, who spoke in the video in front of a group of about 20 militants holding rifles.

"We warn you to surrender yourself to us. Otherwise we will hit you from where you will never reckon," he said.

Musharraf had been expected to address supporters at a gathering Sunday in Karachi near the mausoleum of Pakistan's founding father Mohammed Ali Jinnah. But police decided to cancel his permit because of a "very serious threat," said Tahir Naveed, the deputy inspector general of Karachi police. He said Musharraf would be provided with an armored vehicle to protect him due to the threats. Banners and billboards welcoming Musharraf back to Pakistan lined the street from the airport where he is expected to land.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, Musharraf came under intense pressure from the U.S. to back the Americans in the coming war and cut off ties with the Taliban, which he did. For that, militants as well as many other Pakistanis see him as carrying out the American agenda in Pakistan.

He's also vilified by militants for ordering the 2007 raid against a mosque in downtown Islamabad that had become a sanctuary for militants opposed to Pakistan's support of the war in Afghanistan. At least 102 people were killed in the weeklong operation, most of them supporters of the mosque.

Militants tried to kill Musharraf twice in December 2003 in Rawalpindi, where the Pakistani military is headquartered. First they placed a bomb intended to go off when his convoy passed by. When that didn't work, suicide attackers tried to ram his motorcade with explosives-laden vehicles. The president was unhurt but 16 others died.

The preemptive bail decision will delay his legal troubles but not necessarily get rid of them altogether.

Musharraf faces charges related to the assassination of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in 2007, as well the killing of Akbar Bugti, a Baluch nationalist leader who died in August 2006 after a standoff with the Pakistani military. In another case, he's accused of illegally removing a number of judges including the chief justice of the supreme court.

Musharraf has called the charges baseless.

Human Rights Watch called on the Pakistani government to hold Musharraf responsible for abuses committed while he was in office.

Although Musharraf comes from the military, analysts say it is unlikely that they support his return to Pakistan. The head of the army, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has shown a reticence to involve himself directly in politics.

Perhaps the biggest shock to Musharraf upon his return may be his lack of popularity. He appears to be banking on widespread voter disgust with the coalition government headed by Pakistan Peoples Party that just ended its five year term, but analysts say he has little support and will likely only win a few seats in parliament.

"He's always had a very high opinion of himself," said Talat Masood, a former Pakistani army general and political analyst. "He thinks he can play a major role, and he can be a savior to Pakistan."

__

Khan reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-pakistani-strongman-vows-return-ahead-vote-193057339.html

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5 Under $5: Five Stocks You Should Consider Right Now - Seeking ...

Before I start, I believe it is necessary to disclaim that cheaper stocks are not stress-free to buy and do not necessarily offer a smoother path to profitability than more costly offerings. Nonetheless, it's indisputable that many investors have natural inclinations toward low-priced equities, which are more volatile than their high-priced peers. This naturally higher volatility opens up the possibility of bigger gains in a shorter period of time, however, I advise you to assess your individual risk tolerance and fiscal situation to determine which investing strategy is best for you.

The following five stocks have certain positive fundamentals or characteristics and share prices trading at or below $5. The usual caveats apply, but these low-cost shares have positive upsides that make them viable options for the rest of March 2013.

1. Zix Corportation - (ZIXI)

The Breakdown

Zix Corporation provides the only email encryption services designed with your most important relationships in mind. The most influential companies and government organizations use the proven ZixCorp Email Encryption Services, including WellPoint, the SEC and more than 1,200 hospitals and 1,600 financial institutions. ZixCorp Email Encryption Services are powered by ZixDirectory, the largest email encryption community in the world. The tens of millions of ZixDirectory members can feel secure knowing their most important relationships are protected.

Analyst Ratings and Analysis

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)Fundamentally, ZIX Corporation is very solid. The company has a gross profit margin of 82.18% and net profit margin of 52.92%, ranking it in the 90th percentile of the computer services industry. Zix has no debt and it has a very low trailing P/E of 10.95. The average annual earnings growth for the past 5 years was extremely high at 50.83% and the average annual earnings growth estimates for the next 5 years is also very high at 20%. The company is trading 7% below its 52-week high and has 39% upside potential based on the consensus mean target price of $5.08. In the latest annual report, Zix delivered a profit that beat Wall Street's expectations - adjusted earnings per share increased 25% to $0.05 in the quarter versus EPS of $0.04 in the year-earlier quarter. Analysts Thomson Reuters, MarketEdge and Smart Consensus all recommend the stock and rate it as a buy.

Next Earnings Date: April 22nd, 2013

The Bottom Line

Zix corporation has outstanding fundamentals and even better growth potential. Revenue rose 18.3% to $11.7 million from just a year ago and will continue to grow under the direction of Richard Spurr. I believe this stock is an excellent option for any investor looking for a high-value stock.

2. ValueVision Media- (VVTV)

The Breakdown

The multi-channel electronic retailer recently reported a larger loss for the fourth quarter reflecting a large asset valuation charge, but showed revenue increase of 20 percent - rising from 147.5 million to 177.5 million. In early March, ValueVision Media announced that its home and beauty businesses did well and its consumer electronics unit recovered from a year earlier.

Analyst Ratings and Analysis

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MarktEdge, Smart Consensus and Thomson Reuters are all specifying positive growth and strong buy signals. VVTV's Gross Margin is more than 83% of other companies in the Retail (Department & Discount) industry, has an EPS Growth Rate greater than 95% of its peers, and is proving to be one of the fastest growing electronic retailers in the industry. In January of 2013, there was some significant insider activity as Keith Stewart (CEO), Sean Orr (Director), and Joseph Berardino (Director) purchased more than 154,000 shares for a combined market value of $337,000.

Next Earnings Date: May 13, 2013

The Bottom Line

ValueVision is one of the fastest growing companies in the retail industry. Although ValueVision had a loss and missed Wall Street's expectations, the electronic retailer beat the revenue expectation and is great option for an investor seeking high growth out of the company.

3. Alcatel-Lucent - (ALU)

The Breakdown

Alcatel-Lucent provides networking and communications technology, products, and services to service providers, enterprises, and governments worldwide. The company designs routers, multi-service wide-area-network switches, and content delivery network appliances. In addition, the company manufactures and markets microwave wireless transmission and optical networking equipment and wireless products for 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.

ALU's stock had a mixed year; the stock started rising after the company was able to raise funds at the end of the last year. However, fourth-quarter and full-year results had negative impact on the price and the stock again came down. There have been a lot of changes at the company, which may prove to be important for the company in the long term. Alcatel-Lucent will have a new CEO by the start of April, who is expected to turn the company around. Furthermore, the company may go through another merger for consolidation in the industry.

Analyst Rating and Analysis

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Thomson Reuters rates ALU has a buy, but make no mistake, fundamentally, Alcatel-Lucent needs to make adjustments. Alcatel-Lucent desperately needs to cut costs and increase revenue, as the company cannot carry on in the current condition for long. However, there are some positives - EPS growth for next year is expected to increase by 65% and the company has a book value of 1.33x - one of the lowest in the industry.

Next Earnings Date: April 26th, 2013

The Bottom Line

This stock is definitely risky, but with new management starting in April, I believe ALU has the ability to turn over a new egg. The competition is intense in the market; however, due to increasing demand for data services and networking equipment, there is also attractive opportunity available. Alcatel-Lucent shareholders will have to be patient and see what the new leadership has in mind. If the new CEO is able to present a clear plan and implements it successfully; Alcatel-Lucent might reach its previous heights.

4. Nokia - (NOK)

The Breakdown

Nokia Corporation (Nokia) has three operating segments: Devices & Services, NAVTEQ, and Nokia Siemens Networks which are responsible for developing mobile products and other applications. Nokia has around 97,798 employees across 120 countries, sales in more than 150 countries and is the world's 2nd largest mobile phone maker by units produced (Samsung is 1st). Over the past five years, Nokia has suffered a declining market share as a result of the growing use of smartphones from other vendors, principally the Apple iPhone and devices running on Google's Android operating system. As a result, its share price has fallen from a high of US$40 in late 2007 to under US$2 in mid-2012.

Analyst Rating and Estimates

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The company is currently trading 37% below its 52-week high. Fundamentally, Nokia has several positives. The stock is trading for 1.3 times book value, 33% of sales and has $3.07 in cash per share. EPS next year is expected to rise by 78%.

Technically, the stock has rebounded nicely since July and has established an uptrend. In a recent stock pick analysis of mine, I suggested the stock was currently in a breakout position at the apex of a descending triangle and a major breakout move was about to occur. The stock is up 33% since that call.

All though all current analyst estimates rate Nokia as a "Hold," Trefis currently values Nokia at $5/share - 44% below its current price.

Next Earnings Date: April 18, 2013

The Bottom Line

Nokia is a risky investment indeed, but it is currently undervalued. Rumors of upgrades coming could potentially spur the stock even higher. The Lumia 920 has sold out in many stores and with Microsoft's backing, the risk/reward ratio looks positive for this stock.

5. MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc - (WFR)

The Breakdown

MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. is engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of silicon wafers. Through SunEdison, MEMC is a developer of solar energy projects. Originally established in 1959 as the Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, a business unit of Monsanto Company, the company is based in St. Peters, Missouri. During the 1970s, MEMC opened a production plant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Step by step, diameters of wafers were increased to 5 inches. In 1981 MEMC constructed a production and R&D-facility in Japan, specifically in Utsunomiya, as the first non-Japanese corporation. Three years later, the production of 200 mm wafers was started by MEMC on economic scale, with the corporation taking on a pioneering role again.

With the boom of the photovoltaic industry MEMC was able to agree on several long-term contracts for delivery of solar wafers. Starting in 2006 a volume of several billion USD is contracted with Suntech Power.

Analyst Ratings and Analysis

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MEMC has a price-to-book value of 1.86x, low debt-to equity (4.3x) and a gross margin of nearly 14%. Thomas Reuters, MarketEdge and Standard & Poor's all rate MEMC has a buy. Analyst estimates also forecast EPS to increase in subsequent years as depicted above. Management has continued to initiate growth programs over the years under the direction of Emmanuel Hernandez and is committed to make MEMC a widely recognized company.

Next Earnings Date: May 6th, 2013

The Bottom Line

With determined management, strong growth prospects and trading 27% lower than its 52 week high, MEMC is a solid option for any investor looking for a steal.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1295711-5-under-5-five-stocks-you-should-consider-right-now?source=feed

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