Alibaba pushes into social networking with Weibo investment

By Sayantani Ghosh and Sruthi Ramakrishnan

(Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group acquired an 18 percent stake in web portal Sina Corp's microblogging service Weibo in its first big move into selling advertising on China's highly competitive social networks.

Sina's U.S.-listed shares surged 21 percent to $60.81 in early trading, before easing back to $56.90.

The $586 million deal, which values Weibo at over $3 billion, will provide more advertising revenue to Weibo as Sina tries to monetize the service and increase its lead over rival Tencent Holdings' social messaging product, WeChat.

The deal, seen by analysts as generously priced, should drive more web traffic to Alibaba's Taobao Marketplace, China's largest e-commerce website with a consumer focus.

Alibaba is tipped to go public within the next year.

Weibo, China's version of Twitter, has grown at a fast clip since its launch in 2009 and has gained from the blockage of Twitter by the Chinese government.

More than 500 million Chinese use Weibo to opine on everything from Korean soap operas to China's latest political intrigue.

"(The stake purchase) is as an endorsement from Alibaba ... of the value of Sina's Weibo platform," Morningstar analyst Dan Su said.

"This indicates the tremendous value of the data that is present on the Weibo platform that can be mined for a lot of activities, such as ecommerce."

Unlisted Alibaba, controlled by charismatic Chinese internet entrepreneur Jack Ma, also runs Alibaba.com, the country's largest business-to-business commerce platform, and Alipay, a PayPal-like online payment platform.

Ma, one of China's best known corporate leaders, reckoned to be worth $3.4 billion by Forbes late last year, built his e-commerce empire from scratch.

He plans to step down as CEO on May 10 and become executive chairman. Alibaba is likely to go public in a listing in Hong Kong that could value the company at about $100 billion, according to industry sources.

Alibaba has kept mum about its IPO plans, but its listing will likely be a windfall for Yahoo Inc, which owns nearly a quarter of the company.

GENEROUS FOR SINA

Some analysts, who had valued Weibo between $600 million and $2.5 billion, said the deal offered by Alibaba was generous.

"We believe this deal is very positive for Sina. It instantly gives pricing to Sina Weibo with a valuation of $3.26 billion; the per share base could be $48," T.H. Capital Research analyst Tian Hou said.

"Sina's resource consolidation with Alibaba Group, which has a huge dominant position in China's e-commerce, can escalate Weibo's development," she said.

Sina, which makes most of its revenue from online advertising both on its website and Weibo, has had investors worried as the growth rate of Chinese online advertising slows. Its shares have slipped 15 percent in the last 12 months.

Maxim Group analyst Echo He said the Alibaba deal would help Sina in the longer term, but giving Sina cash would not solve its problems and its valuation would still depend on its own profitability.

This is not the first time Sina has tied up with a major Chinese company to seek new streams of revenue.

Sina allied with Baidu Inc last year, integrating Baidu search in its mobile website, while Baidu said its cloud initiative would come with the Weibo app preinstalled.

The analysts said Sina could potentially team up with many other companies, while Morningstar's Su said the deal ruled out any near-term plans for another such major alliance.

Sina has also granted Alibaba the option to increase its stake in Weibo to 30 percent within a stipulated time, which it did not specify.

The alliance is expected to generate about $380 million in advertising and social commerce services revenue for Weibo over the next three years, Sina said in a statement.

(Additional reporting by Supantha Mukherjee; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sina-says-alibaba-buys-18-percent-stake-weibo-121859682.html

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Owner of collapsed building captured in Bangladesh

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) -- The fugitive owner of an illegally constructed building that collapsed and killed at least 377 people was captured Sunday by a commando force as he tried to flee into India. At the disaster site, meanwhile, fire broke out in the wreckage and forced authorities to suspend the search for survivors temporarily.

Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested in the western Bangladesh border town of Benapole, said Jahangir Kabir Nanak, junior minister for local government. Rana was brought back by helicopter to the capital of Dhaka where he faced charges of negligence.

Rana's capture was announced by loudspeaker at the disaster site, drawing cheers and applause from those awaiting the outcome of a continuing search-and-rescue operation for survivors of Wednesday's collapse.

Many of those killed were workers at clothing factories in the building, known as the Rana Plaza, and the collapse was the deadliest disaster to hit the garment industry in Bangladesh that is worth $20 billion annually and is a mainstay of the economy.

The fire that broke out late Sunday night sent smoke pouring from the piles of shattered concrete and halted some of the rescue efforts ? including a bid to free a woman who was found trapped in the rubble.

The blaze was caused by sparks as rescuers tried to cut through a steel rod to reach the woman, said a volunteer, Syed Al-Amin Roman. At least three rescuers were injured in the fire, he said. It forced them to retreat while firefighters frantically hosed down the flames.

Officials believe the fire is likely to have killed the trapped woman, said army spokesman Shahinul Islam. Rescue workers had delayed the use of heavy equipment for several hours in the hope that she could be extricated from the rubble first. But with the woman presumed dead, they began using heavy equipment around midnight.

An exhausted and disheveled Rana was brought before reporters briefly at the Dhaka headquarters of the commando team, the Rapid Action Battalion.

Wearing a printed shirt, Rana was sweating as two security officers held him by his arms. A security official helped him to drink water after he gestured he was thirsty. He did not speak during the 10-minute appearance, and he is likely to be handed over to police, who will have to charge him and produce him in court within 24 hours.

A small-time politician from the ruling Awami League party, Rana had been on the run since the building collapsed Wednesday. He last appeared in public Tuesday in front of the Rana Plaza after huge cracks appeared in the building. Witnesses said he assured tenants, including five garment factories, that the building was safe.

A bank and some shops on the first floor closed Wednesday after police ordered an evacuation, but managers of the garment factories on the upper floor told workers to continue their shifts.

Hours later, the Rana Plaza was reduced to rubble, crushing most victims under massive blocks of concrete.

Rana's arrest was ordered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the Awami League leader.

On Saturday, police arrested three owners of two factories. Also detained were Rana's wife and two government engineers who were involved in giving approval for the building design. Local TV stations reported that the Bangladesh High Court has frozen the bank accounts of the owners of all five garment factories in the Rana Plaza.

Three floors of the eight-story building apparently were built illegally.

A garment manufacturers' group said the factories in the building employed 3,122 workers, but it was not clear how many were inside when it fell. About 2,500 survivors have been accounted for.

Army Maj. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, the coordinator of the rescue operations, said the next phase of the search involved the heavy equipment such as hydraulic cranes that were brought to the disaster site Sunday. Searchers had been manually shifting concrete blocks with the help of light equipment such as pickaxes and shovels, he said.

The work will be carried out carefully so as not to mutilate bodies, he said. "We have engaged many private sector companies which supplied us equipment, even some heavy ones," Suhrawardy said.

In a rare bit of good news, a female worker was pulled out alive Sunday. Rescuer Hasan Akbari said when he tried to extricate a man next to the woman, "he said his body was being torn apart. So I had to let go. But God willing, we will be able to rescue him with more help very soon."

The collapse and previous disasters in garment factories have focused attention on the poor working conditions of workers who toil for as little as $38 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.

The death toll surpassed a fire five months ago that killed 112 people and brought widespread pledges to improve worker-safety standards. But since then, very little has changed in Bangladesh.

Its garment industry was the third-largest in the world in 2011, after China and Italy, having grown rapidly in the past decade.

Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether, they produced several million shirts, pants and other garments a year.

The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for several major North American and European retailers.

Britain's Primark acknowledged it was using a factory in Rana Plaza, but many other retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.

Wal-Mart said none of its clothing had been authorized to be made in the facility, but it is investigating whether there was any unauthorized production.

__

AP writers Farid Hossain and Gillian Wong in Dhaka contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/owner-collapsed-building-captured-bangladesh-184621056.html

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How Siri, Google Now respond to 5 questions

With Google's voice assistant now available on iPhones and iPads, The Associated Press used an iPad Mini to throw five test questions at Google Now and Siri on Monday afternoon in New York. Here's what the two digital assistants had to say for themselves:

___

Question: What is the meaning of life?

Siri: "I can't answer that now, but give me some time to write a very long play in which nothing happens." Siri has more than a dozen prepared responses to that question.

Google Now: The voice assistant was silent. Instead, keywords in that question triggered an ad for the Mormons on the top of the search results page. That was followed by links to a Wikipedia entry for "meaning of life" and other sites.

___

Question: What is the weather like Friday?

Siri: "It should be nice Friday... up to 61 degrees and sunny." Siri also presented a graphic with day-by-day conditions over the next six days, using information from Yahoo.

Google Now: "Friday's forecast for New York, New York, is 64 degrees and clear." Google then presented a box with day-by-day conditions over the next 10 days, as well as current conditions.

___

Question: What movies are showing this weekend?

Siri: "I found five movies playing nearby on Friday." Siri then presented a card with show times, parental ratings and favorability ratings from the Rotten Tomatoes website. Four of the movies were at art-house cinemas, as theater chains hadn't released weekend schedules yet. Links to buy or rent those movies on iTunes were offered when available.

Google Now: "Movies playing in New York on Friday." Google then offered a page with times, descriptions and other information for 13 movies, including six IMAX movies playing at science museums in New York and Jersey City, N.J. As with Siri, most of the rest were at art-house cinemas.

___

Question: How did the Mets do?

Siri: "The Mets lost to the Phillies yesterday. The final score was 5 to 1." An inning-by-inning scoreboard was presented.

Google Now: "The Mets lost to the Phillies 5 to 1." An inning-by-inning scoreboard was offered up.

___

Question: Please set my alarm for seven.

Siri: "I've set an alarm for 7 a.m." Siri assumed 7 the next morning rather than 7 that evening. Siri then showed a digital clock with a lever at "on," which you can switch to "off."

Google Now: The voice assistant was silent. Instead, search results appeared, including an article on "How to Use Siri's Clock - For Dummies."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-29-Google-Apple-Five%20Questions/id-e95e51051f4740d98845254c0ce73360

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SRI EV1 brings all-electric racing to the Mexican 1000 rally (video)

We've seen electric off-roaders tackle the Dakar Rally, but racing on the Baja peninsula has proven elusive -- until this weekend. After driving in smaller races, SRI's EV1 has joined the big leagues by starting in NORRA's Mexican 1000 rally. The 535HP, 400kW open-wheeler has participated in at least the first trio of special stages, and it will ideally join a handful of further stages that fit within the vehicle's 100-mile range. While the EV1 is far from the front of the Evolution class, at 36th place as of this writing, winning isn't the point -- SRI wants to drum up enough funding to hot-swap batteries and complete every stage in future races. Its project should at least be proof that smaller EVs can thrive in some of the world's harshest racing conditions.

Filed under: Transportation

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Via: Autoblog

Source: SRD (Facebook), SRI, NORRA

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/29/sri-ev1-brings-all-electric-racing-to-the-mexican-1000-rally/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Wife accidentally kills husband during gun lesson: Police

David Chang, NBCPhiladelphia.com

A fun night for a Pennsylvania couple turned deadly after police say the woman accidentally shot and killed her husband.

On Friday, around 9 p.m., police say Michael Wanko, 43, and Michele Wanko, 42, were ?casually drinking? vodka and lemonade together inside their home on West Roland Road in Parkside, Penn. Around 3:30 a.m., police say the couple went into their basement so that Michael could show his wife how to use a semiautomatic pistol. The couple went into a work room where several weapons were kept inside a safe.

?He took several of the weapons out, handguns and was demonstrating to her how the weapon worked as far as taking the magazine out, making sure it was safe, and how to pull the slide back,? said Parkside Police Chief John Egan.

As Michael reached into a safe to grab a gun, police say Michele picked up another gun and pulled the slide back, just as her husband had instructed her.

?When she let go of the slide, the weapon went off,? said Chief Egan.

Michael was struck in the upper chest. At the time, police say, the couple?s 2-year-old and 5-year-old sons were sleeping upstairs. Police say the 5-year-old was awakened by his mother?s frantic screams as she called 911.

Police arrived at the home around 4 a.m. Michael was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Michele was charged with involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possessing an instrument of crime. She was processed at the Chester City Jail and released on $250,000 unsecured bail. Her two children are currently staying with relatives.

Police say the gun Michele used was turned over to the Delaware County ballistics unit where investigators would ?ascertain if the weapon malfunctioned or if it operated properly.?

Neighbors described the Wanko family as ?nice people? who always did things with their children and were well respected throughout the neighborhood. Chief Egan says police were called to their home a year ago for a domestic dispute but that it was only ?a shouting match between the two.? No one was charged in that incident.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b4805bf/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C280C179594980Ewife0Eaccidentally0Ekills0Ehusband0Eduring0Egun0Elesson0Epolice0Dlite/story01.htm

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Earnings beating forecasts but jury's out on rest of season

By Caroline Valetkevitch and Ben Berkowitz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. companies have easily beaten expectations for first-quarter earnings so far in the reporting season, but nearly half of the members of the S&P 500 are yet to announce results and they are unlikely to be as robust.

With results in from 271 of the S&P 500 companies, year-over-year earnings growth is projected at 3.9 percent, compared with a forecast for 1.5 percent growth at the start of the earnings season, Thomson Reuters data shows. That figure includes those that have reported and analyst estimates for those who have not.

The companies yet to report are expected to post an aggregate earnings decline of 0.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data - whereas the companies that have already reported have posted growth of 6.1 percent.

Among the biggest companies yet to report are Dow components Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Home Depot .

Some 69 percent of the S&P 500 have beaten forecasts, once again conforming to the pattern of lowering expectations enough to "surprise" by beating them. The 69 percent figure exceeds the long-term average of 63 percent. This has been the pattern for the last 15 quarters, with growth estimates at the beginning of earnings ultimately being beaten by at least a full percentage point.

From April 1 to April 24, S&P 500 earnings growth expectations fell 170 basis points for the second quarter, 130 basis points for the third quarter and 70 basis points for the fourth quarter.

"If this recent pattern holds, you're going to find that those beats will continue and therefore lead earnings season to be one of continued positive surprise," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia.

So far, this has been good enough for investors. Since earnings season began with Alcoa's report on April 8, the S&P 500 has gained 1.2 percent, and it closed Friday less than 1 percent from its all-time high of 1,593.37 reached on April 11. So far this year, it has climbed nearly 11 percent.

GOING FORWARD, WITH CAUTION

Even though profits have been better than expectations, revenue forecasts have declined, a sign, once again, that companies are exceeding results on the bottom line because of reduced expenses, and not because of stellar sales. So far, just 42 percent of companies are beating revenue expectations, below the long-term average.

First-quarter revenue now is expected to fall 0.3 percent, which is worse than the forecast for 1 percent growth when the season started.

That means companies - yet again - have been able to squeeze out higher profits through cost-cutting and other measures. But that does not bode well for hiring and stands as a potential headwind to the economy in coming quarters.

"It does concern me. It's not sustainable over the medium or the long term. There's only so much companies can do to sustain growth without increasing sales," said Paul Zemsky, head of asset allocation at ING Investment Management, in New York.

There are plenty of examples of major companies that were deeply reserved about the second quarter or the remainder of the year.

Among those were Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc . Apple, until recently the world's biggest company by market value, saw its first quarterly profit decline in a decade and issued a soft outlook for the second quarter that fell short of investor hopes. The stock has lost about 40 percent of its value since September.

"The market was telling you the numbers were too high," BGC analyst Colin Gillis said of Apple's outlook, adding that it was "pretty much even worse than even I was expecting."

(Additional reporting by Rodrigo Campos and Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/earnings-beating-forecasts-jurys-rest-season-211325703.html

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A new front for gun background checks: the ballot

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) ? After struggling to sway both state and federal lawmakers, proponents of expanding background checks for gun sales are now exploring whether they will have more success by taking the issue directly to voters.

While advocates generally prefer that new gun laws be passed through the legislative process, especially at the national level, they are also concerned about how much sway the National Rifle Association has with lawmakers. Washington Rep. Jamie Pedersen, a Democrat who had sponsored unsuccessful legislation on background checks at the state level, said a winning ballot initiative would make a statement with broad implications.

"It's more powerful if the voters do it ? as opposed to our doing it," Pedersen said. "And it would make it easier for the Legislature to do even more."

On Monday, proponents of universal background checks in Washington will announce their plan to launch a statewide initiative campaign that would require the collection of some 300,000 signatures, according to a person involved in the initiative planning who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to pre-empt the official announcement. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility has scheduled a fundraiser in Seattle at the end of next month and hopes to have a campaign budget in the millions of dollars.

Ballot measures may be an option elsewhere, too. Hildy Saizow, president of Arizonans for Gun Safety, said an initiative is one of the things the group will be considering as it reconsiders strategies. An organizer in Oregon was focused on the Legislature for now but wouldn't rule out a ballot measure in the future if lawmakers fail to pass a proposed bill there.

While advocates have had recent success on background checks in places like Connecticut and Colorado, they've been thwarted in some other states and in Congress. The U.S. Senate rejected a plan to expand background checks earlier this month, although lawmakers in the chamber are still working to gather additional votes.

Brian Malte, director of mobilization at the national nonprofit lobbying group Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said passage through Congress is the ideal in order to have a national solution and so that states with strong gun laws aren't undermined by nearby states with weaker standards. He noted that initiative campaigns are costly endeavors that can drain important, limited resources.

Still, Malte said, the ballot measures are an option to consider.

"At some point, certainly decisions need to be made about what the right time is to say we take it to the people," Malte said.

Brian Judy, a lobbyist who represents the NRA in Washington state, did not return calls seeking comment about the new initiative. He has previously said the NRA would likely oppose such an effort, arguing that the recently proposed laws on background checks would largely impact law-abiding citizens instead of the intended targets such as criminals and the mentally ill.

Gun measures have had mixed results at the ballot. More than 70 percent of Washington state voters rejected a 1997 initiative campaign that would have required handgun owners to pass a safety course. After the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, voters in Colorado and Oregon approved ballot measures the next year to require background checks for buying weapons at gun shows.

Following another massacre in Colorado earlier this year, state lawmakers approved a bill to expand background checks to private transactions and online purchases. A similar expansion plan in Oregon is stalled in the state Senate.

Some states don't see initiatives as a viable option right now. In Missouri, state Rep. Stacey Newman has been pushing for background checks with little success. While she spoke positively about the idea of a ballot initiative, she said there's no serious consideration of it because of the cost and coordination required just to get it on the ballot. Instead, the supporters of background checks in the state are simply working to prevent NRA-supported legislation from passing the state's General Assembly.

"We're continually on defense," she said.

Gun buyers currently must undergo a background check when they purchase a weapon from a federally licensed firearms dealer but can avoid checks through private purchases or at some gun shows.

Washington state advocates believe polls show the public is sufficiently on the side of expanding background checks further. An independent Elway Poll conducted two months ago found that 79 percent of registered voters in Washington state supported background checks on all gun sales, including private transactions.

That wasn't enough to shepherd the bill through the Legislature. Even in the state House, which is controlled by Democrats, supporters fell short after an NRA campaign put pressure on some lawmakers. Pedersen had offered concessions through the process, including the option of sending the measure out for a public vote and exemptions for people who already have concealed pistol licenses or law enforcement credentials.

Pedersen said he was working with the initiative organizers on language for the proposal, and he said the Legislature would first have another chance to adopt the measure early next year. If it fails among lawmakers again, the proposal would then automatically go to the ballot, where Pedersen said he welcomed a campaign competing against groups like the NRA.

"I'm not afraid of it at all," Pedersen said. "The public is really with us. It's the right policy. I think it can be useful for further progress."

___

AP Writer Mike Baker can be reached on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/HiPpEV

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/front-gun-background-checks-ballot-180644861.html

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Kenya's March tea output rises 87 pct yr/yr, exports edge up

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's tea production in March jumped 87 percent on a year ago to 33.3 million kg due to favourable weather, according to national regulator, the Tea Board.

Kenya, east Africa's largest economy, is the world's top exporter of black tea, which is a major source of foreign exchange, earning it 112 billion shillings last year.

Tea exports last month also inched up to 36.1 million kg from 35.4 million kg in March 2012 on higher supply, the Tea Board said in a statement issued on Friday.

"Higher production was largely attributed to scattered light rainfall conditions experienced in tea growing areas during the second half of the month owing to the gradual onset of the March-May 'long rainfall' season as opposed to severe hot and dry weather conditions experienced in March last year," Sicily Kariuki, the board's managing director said in a report.

Kariuki added that higher export volume was the main reason for an increase in exports.

During the month 24.4 million of tea was sold through the country's weekly auction at the port of Mombasa, a rise from 19.1 million kg in the same period of 2012.

The average tea auction price fell to $2.81 per kg from $3.03 in the same period a year ago.

"Marginal drop in prices was due to anticipation of supply increase owing to the onset of the 'long rainfall' season," Kariuki said.

Pakistan was the biggest buyer of Kenyan tea in March, at 22 percent of total exports.

The country's top five export destinations in March, which account for 75 percent of Kenyan tea exports, were Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, UK and Sudan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyas-march-tea-output-rises-87-pct-yr-130129142.html

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Business Etiquette in China | The Secrets of Negotiation with ...

Whether you are looking to open an office in China or just looking to form a partnership with a Chinese company there are several nuances that are beneficial to understand about their business etiquette. Making sure that you do your homework and comply with their traditional way of doing business will increase your success and can improve your negotiation terms with your potential Chinese partners.

Attending and Conducting Meetings

If there are two tips that you should take away from the business etiquette of meetings in China, they are regarding punctuality and figuring out who is actually in charge. Although the meetings may be a little more ritualistic in nature they follow the same format as any meeting that you are used to going to. Making sure that you check the Chinese calendar will help to make sure that you are not trying to schedule meeting around any of their national holidays, such as Chinese New Year. Spend a little extra time preparing and getting to know their business, as they have spent a great deal understanding yours. It is definitely crucial to make sure that you have an interpreter and bringing your own is the best way to ensure that you get the most balanced conversation.

Addressing others

Seniority is highly valued in China and it is important to address everyone in a business setting by their respective titles (Chairman, Director, Vice President, etc.) It is imperative to find the most senior person in the room and address them first.

Handshakes

For a business meeting or encounter there are usually a set of handshakes at the beginning of the meeting and to conclude the interaction. The key is not to be too aggressive and don?t be offended if your Chinese partners offer a weak handshake. At the end of the meeting you may also find yourself in a prolonged handshake where it is customary to keep the contact for a while longer than you are probably used to.

Giving/Receiving business cards

Similar to the introductions you want to make sure that you hand your business card to the most senior official first. It is also customary to offer your cards with both hands as if you were presenting a gift. If you can, have your title translated into Chinese, as this will be how your hosts decide who should be invited to which event and where you will be seated.

What are you think about it? Please ?leave a response in comment?.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://china-business-connect.com/business-etiquette-in-china.htm

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Microsoft working on redesigns for Xbox, Yammer, Skype and Bing

Considering Microsoft's efforts to rebrand, redesign and rebuild its Windows platform, it's no surprise to hear the company is tweaking the visual aesthetics of its other brands, too. Speaking at Design Day 2013, Wolff Olins creative director Todd Simmons and Windows Phone design studio manager Albert Shum talked about the challenges of rebranding a company like Microsoft. "We're still trying to figure out how to put a consumer face on this brand, as an ecosystem," Simmons said, explaining how the team wanted to get away from the idea of Microsoft being a top-down, monolithic entity. The discussion touched on the creation of the Windows 8 logo, but also shed light on efforts to revamp other Microsoft brands. "Other brands are coming along too," Simmons explained, teasing the audience with a pair of sketches. "Bing, Skype, Yammer, Xbox -- everything is under development." With Microsoft's next generation gaming hardware lurking just around the corner, the time for a new logo might just be nigh. Read on to see the pair's full 45-minute presentation for yourself.

Filed under: Misc, Microsoft

Comments

Via: Verge, Travis Lowdermilk (Twitter)

Source: Vimeo, Design Day 2013

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/28/microsoft-working-on-brand-redesigns-for-xbox-yammer-skype/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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The ?That Dime Bag Will Be $14.50 With Tax? Gabfest

Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook. We post to the Facebook page throughout the week, so keep the conversation going by joining us there. Or follow us @SlateGabfest!

To listen to the discussion, use the player below:

On this week?s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the challenges of questioning and prosecuting Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the handling of terror suspects since 9/11. They also assess fresh critiques of President Obama?s inability to negotiate with Congress, and they discuss the complexities that confront Colorado as it tries to regulate its new marijuana industry.

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Jeff Friedrich.

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Eva Longoria Talks About Life After Divorce | Video - PopSugar

by Becca Frucht 0

Eva Longoria chatted with Dr. Oz recently, and in the interview that airs today, the actress reflected on her painful 2011 divorce from NBA player Tony Parker. Eva admitted that while she might have looked great from the outside, she was really struggling on the inside. Hear Eva explain why depression surprised her, plus Nicki Minaj's silver-screen debut, Tribeca Film Festival winners, and a Scream TV show on the way!

View Transcript??

Source: http://www.popsugar.com/Eva-Longoria-Talks-About-Life-After-Divorce-Video-29911971

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Roundworm quells obesity and related metabolic disorders

Friday, April 26, 2013

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, have shown in a mouse model that infection with nematodes (also known as roundworms) can not only combat obesity but ameliorate related metabolic disorders. Their research is published ahead of print online in the journal Infection and Immunity.

Gastrointestinal nematodes infect approximately 2 billion people worldwide, and some researchers believe up until the 20th century almost everyone had worms. In developed countries there is a decreasing incidence of nematode infection but a rising prevalence of certain types of autoimmunity, suggesting a relationship between the two. Nematode infection has been purported to have therapeutic effects and currently clinical trials are underway to examine worms as a treatment for diseases associated with the relevant cytokines, including inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and allergies.

In the study researchers tested the effect of nematode infection on mice fed a high-fat diet. Infected mice of normal girth gained 15 percent less weight than those that were not infected. Mice that were already obese when infected lost roughly 13 percent of their body weight within 10 days. Infection also drastically lowered fasting blood glucose, a risk factor for diabetes, and reduced fatty liver disease, decreasing liver fat by ~25 percent, and the weight of the liver by 30 percent.

The levels of insulin and leptin also dropped, "indicating that the mice restored their sensitivities to both hormones," says corresponding author Aiping Zhao of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. Leptin moderates appetite. As with too much insulin, too high a level of leptin results in insensitivity, thus contributing to obesity and metabolic syndrome, Zhao explains.

The mechanism of the moderation of these hormones "was associated with a parasite-induced reduction in glucose absorption in the intestine, reduced liver triglycerides, and an increase in the population of cells called "alternatively activated macrophages," which regulate glucose metabolism and inflammation," says coauthor Joe Urban of the United States Department of Agriculture. Some of these changes involved "a protein called interleukin-13 and related intracellular signaling mechanisms," he says. "This suggests that there are immune related shifts in metabolism that can alter expression of obesity and related metabolic syndrome."

The incidence of obesity has been climbing dramatically, worldwide. It is a key risk factor for many metabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Recent studies indicate that it is accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissues, causing the release of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

Parasitic nematode infection induces a marked elevation in host immune Th2-cells and related type 2 cytokines which, besides combating the infection, also have potent anti-inflammatory activity, according to the report.

###

Z. Yang, V. Grinchuk, A. Smith, B. qin, J.A. Bohl, R. Sun, L. Notari, Z. Zhang, H. Sesaki, J.F. Urban, Jr., T. Shea-Donohue, A. Zhao, 2013. Parasitic nematode-induced modulation of body weight and associated metabolic dysfunction in mouse models of obesity. Infect. Immun. Published ahead of print 18 March 2013, doi:10.1128/IAI.00053-13.

American Society for Microbiology: http://www.asm.org

Thanks to American Society for Microbiology for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127965/Roundworm_quells_obesity_and_related_metabolic_disorders

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Sea surface temperatures reach highest level in 150 years on Northeast continental shelf

Apr. 26, 2013 ? Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). These high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are the latest in a trend of above average temperature seen during the spring and summer seasons, and part of a pattern of elevated temperatures occurring in the Northwest Atlantic, but not seen elsewhere in the ocean basin over the past century.

The advisory reports on conditions in the second half of 2012.

Sea surface temperature for the Northeast Shelf Ecosystem reached a record high of 14 degrees Celsius (57.2?F) in 2012, exceeding the previous record high in 1951. Average SST has typically been lower than 12.4 C (54.3 F) over the past three decades.

Sea surface temperature in the region is based on both contemporary satellite remote-sensing data and long-term ship-board measurements, with historical SST conditions based on ship-board measurements dating back to 1854. The temperature increase in 2012 was the highest jump in temperature seen in the time series and one of only five times temperature has changed by more than 1 C (1.8 F).

The Northeast Shelf's warm water thermal habitat was also at a record high level during 2012, while cold water habitat was at a record low level. Early winter mixing of the water column went to extreme depths, which will impact the spring 2013 plankton bloom. Mixing redistributes nutrients and affects stratification of the water column as the bloom develops.

Temperature is also affecting distributions of fish and shellfish on the Northeast Shelf. The advisory provides data on changes in distribution, or shifts in the center of the population, of seven key fishery species over time. The four southern species -- black sea bass, summer flounder, longfin squid and butterfish -- all showed a northeastward or upshelf shift. American lobster has shifted upshelf over time but at a slower rate than the southern species. Atlantic cod and haddock have shifted downshelf."

"Many factors are involved in these shifts, including temperature, population size, and the distributions of both prey and predators," said Jon Hare, a scientist in the NEFSC's Oceanography Branch. A number of recent studies have documented changing distributions of fish and shellfish, further supporting NEFSC work reported in 2009 that found about half of the 36 fish stocks studied in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the past four decades.

The Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) extends from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The NEFSC has monitored this ecosystem with comprehensive sampling programs since1977. Prior to 1977, this ecosystem was monitored by the NEFSC through a series of separate, coordinated programs dating back decades.

Warming conditions on the Northeast Shelf in the spring of 2012 continued into September, with the most consistent warming conditions seen in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank. Temperatures cooled by October and were below average in the Middle Atlantic Bight in November, perhaps due to Superstorm Sandy, but had returned to above average conditions by December.

"Changes in ocean temperatures and the timing and strength of spring and fall plankton blooms could affect the biological clocks of many marine species, which spawn at specific times of the year based on environmental cues like water temperature," Kevin Friedland, a scientist in the NEFSC Ecosystem Assessment Program, said. He noted that the contrast between years with, and without, a fall bloom is emerging as an important driver of the shelf's ecology. "The size of the spring plankton bloom was so large that the annual chlorophyll concentration remained high in 2012 despite low fall activity. These changes will have a profound impact throughout the ecosystem."

Michael Fogarty, who heads the Ecosystem Assessment Program, says the abundance of fish and shellfish is controlled by a complex set of factors, and that increasing temperatures in the ecosystem make it essential to monitor the distribution of many species, some of them migratory and others not.

"It isn't always easy to understand the big picture when you are looking at one specific part of it at one specific point in time," Fogarty said, a comparison similar to not seeing the forest when looking at a single tree in it. "We now have information on the ecosystem from a variety of sources collected over a long period of time, and are adding more data to clarify specific details. The data clearly show a relationship between all of these factors."

"What these latest findings mean for the Northeast Shelf ecosystem and its marine life is unknown," Fogarty said. "What is known is that the ecosystem is changing, and we need to continue monitoring and adapting to these changes."

Ecosystem advisories have been issued twice a year by the NEFSC's Ecosystem Assessment Program since 2006 as a way to routinely summarize overall conditions in the region. The reports show the effects of changing coastal and ocean temperatures on fisheries from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border. The advisories provide a snapshot of the ecosystem for the fishery management councils and also a broad range of stakeholders from fishermen to researchers.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/OO7wc-3mfWU/130426115614.htm

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PHOTOS: Politics, press and stars mix at dinner

* Lewandowski scored four goals against Real Madrid * Poland international refuses contract extension (adds details, background) BERLIN, April 26 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski have not signed a deal, the newly-crowned champions said on Friday, shooting down widespread speculation of another imminent surprise transfer. "Bayern, as opposed to some reports, has no contract with Robert Lewandowski," the Bavarian Champions League semi-finalists said in a brief statement. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos-politics-press-stars-mix-dinner-035833191.html

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Surprise after surprise

Friday, April 26, 2013

Billed as the most unpredictable draft in recent memory, Thursday night?s first round lived up to the hype. For the first time in NFL history, offensive tackles went 1-2. For the first time since 1963, no running backs went in the first round. And for the first time since 2001, only one quarterback was selected. To the headlines:

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT
West Virginia QB Geno Smith got all dressed up and had nowhere to go. Stuck in the green room at Radio City Music Hall all night long, cameras were in Smith?s face as he played with his phone. The Jets passed on him at both No. 9 and 13, the Raiders went with CB D.J. Hayden at 12 and the Bills pulled a stunner with E.J. Manuel at 16 (more on that below). That left Smith in the Warren Sapp/Brady Quinn chair, sporting a long face and big chip on his shoulder. Smith may not have to wait too long on Friday night, as the quarterback-needy Jaguars hold the first pick of the second round. The Jags had been linked to Smith at No. 2 overall early in the evaluation process. ?

QUOTABLE
?Hang in there Geno, ?good things come to those who wait,? ? Paul Tagliabue.? That?s a tweet Aaron Rodgers sent out during the draft, offering support to Geno Smith. Rodgers, tabbed by some as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, went 24th to the Packers.

MEET YOUR NO. 1 OVERALL PICK
Never heard of new Chiefs LT Eric Fisher? You?re not alone. Fisher was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of high school in Michigan, only receiving serious interest from Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. He was merely a third-team All-MAC pick in 2011 before coming on big in 2012 and nipping the small/less athletic Luke Joeckel at the finish line to be the No. 1 overall pick. Fisher is the first player from the MAC to ever go No. 1 and is the highest pick from the MAC since Byron Leftwich in 2003. He?ll be slotted in at left tackle after the Chiefs complete the impending Branden Albert trade with the Dolphins.

THE MANTI MOMENT
The Vikings looked like an ideal landing spot for Manti Te?o. They started the night desperate for help at middle linebacker, held two first-round picks and have been a pipeline for Notre Dame players of late. John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph, John Sullivan, Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith are all Golden Domers currently residing in Minnesota. So it was an awful sign for Te?o when the Vikings ? who ended up making three picks in the first round ? passed on him. It had little to do with the fake girlfriend saga and everything to do with Te?o?s skill set. He lacks the athleticism to play in coverage and couldn?t get off blocks against Alabama?s NFL-caliber offensive line in the BCS title game. Te?o, holed up with his family in Hawaii, could be a Day 2 target for the Bears at No. 50 overall.

REACH OF THE NIGHT
The Cowboys traded out of the No. 18 hole, only receiving picks Nos. 31 and 74 from the 49ers. And at No. 31, they bungled the selection. Instead of shoring up their needs at safety, guard or backup running back, they reached for Wisconsin C Travis Frederick. Our draft guru Josh Norris didn?t even think unathletic Frederick was worth a third-round pick and NFL Network?s Mike Mayock had a third-round grade on him.

BIGGEST MISS BY MOCK DRAFTERS
At one point last week, the majority of mock drafts had Florida DT Sharrif Floyd going third overall to the Raiders. Some had him sliding to the back end of the top-10, but no further. But when the chips were down, Floyd slipped, slid and fell some more. When the carnage finally ended, the Vikings took him as a value pick at No. 23. Credit the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel for securing this quote from a scout: ?Those idiots on TV made Floyd. He?s not that good. He?s not better than Ziggy Hood.? NFL Films? Greg Cosell had tabbed Floyd as ?without question? the draft?s No. 1 player on film even though he produced just 4.5 sacks over 26 starts at Florida.

BEST DRESSED AWARD
This one goes to Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson, and it wasn?t even close. He was rocking a zig-zag bow tie, a white tuxedo jacket and Louis Vuitton belt/suspenders. As our Pat Daugherty noted, he looked like a waiter from the Titanic. Here's a link to his duds.

SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT
Everyone knew that the Bills were in the market for a quarterback. Everyone also thought that quarterback was Syracuse?s Ryan Nassib, who played for new Bills coach Doug Marrone. Nope. Showing a rare ability to keep a secret, the Bills shocked the collective NFL universe when they used the No. 16 pick on Florida State QB E.J. Manuel. He?s a project that will learn behind Kevin Kolb before eventually taking the reins.

BIGGEST TRADE OF THE NIGHT
The Rams identified a need to get playmakers for Sam Bradford. So they swooped in for the premier skill guy in the entire draft, giving Nos. 16, 46, 78 and 222 to the Bills and then snagging West Virginia WR Tavon Austin at No. 8. It?s a deal the Rams were able to do thanks to the picks acquired in last year?s Robert Griffin III trade. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb, Austin is going to be a four-down difference maker for the Rams.

QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL
Florida State?s E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback to go. That leaves Ryan Nassib, Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Tyler Wilson all there for the taking. The Jaguars, Eagles, Cardinals, Browns and Jets all need a quarterback and hold five of the first seven picks in the second round.

BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
No one came away with more raw talent than the Vikings. Sharrif Floyd's natural skills are eye-popping even if his production at Florida wasn't. Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes, who has drawn favorable comparisons to Aqib Talib, has the ability to step in as a Week 1 starter immediately. And although they gave up four picks to get him, Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson is a special athlete with the ball in his hands. He'll quickly help a team that went to the playoffs last year despite closing out the season with Jerome Simpson as their No. 1 wideout.

INSTANT FANTASY IMPACT
Only three wide receivers, one tight end and one quarterback were drafted Thursday night. No running backs were selected. While Tavon Austin is the most electrifying rookie that will hit the field this fall, Clemson?s DeAndre Hopkins landed in the best situation when the Texans took him 27th overall. The Roddy White clone fits perfectly as a ?Z? receiver and has no competition for the job. He?ll see single coverage all day long thanks to Andre Johnson?s presence on the other side of the formation.

Billed as the most unpredictable draft in recent memory, Thursday night?s first round lived up to the hype. For the first time in NFL history, offensive tackles went 1-2. For the first time since 1963, no running backs went in the first round. And for the first time since 2001, only one quarterback was selected. To the headlines:

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT
West Virginia QB Geno Smith got all dressed up and had nowhere to go. Stuck in the green room at Radio City Music Hall all night long, cameras were in Smith?s face as he played with his phone. The Jets passed on him at both No. 9 and 13, the Raiders went with CB D.J. Hayden at 12 and the Bills pulled a stunner with E.J. Manuel at 16 (more on that below). That left Smith in the Warren Sapp/Brady Quinn chair, sporting a long face and big chip on his shoulder. Smith may not have to wait too long on Friday night, as the quarterback-needy Jaguars hold the first pick of the second round. The Jags had been linked to Smith at No. 2 overall early in the evaluation process. ?

QUOTABLE
?Hang in there Geno, ?good things come to those who wait,? ? Paul Tagliabue.? That?s a tweet Aaron Rodgers sent out during the draft, offering support to Geno Smith. Rodgers, tabbed by some as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, went 24th to the Packers.

MEET YOUR NO. 1 OVERALL PICK
Never heard of new Chiefs LT Eric Fisher? You?re not alone. Fisher was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of high school in Michigan, only receiving serious interest from Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. He was merely a third-team All-MAC pick in 2011 before coming on big in 2012 and nipping the small/less athletic Luke Joeckel at the finish line to be the No. 1 overall pick. Fisher is the first player from the MAC to ever go No. 1 and is the highest pick from the MAC since Byron Leftwich in 2003. He?ll be slotted in at left tackle after the Chiefs complete the impending Branden Albert trade with the Dolphins.

THE MANTI MOMENT
The Vikings looked like an ideal landing spot for Manti Te?o. They started the night desperate for help at middle linebacker, held two first-round picks and have been a pipeline for Notre Dame players of late. John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph, John Sullivan, Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith are all Golden Domers currently residing in Minnesota. So it was an awful sign for Te?o when the Vikings ? who ended up making three picks in the first round ? passed on him. It had little to do with the fake girlfriend saga and everything to do with Te?o?s skill set. He lacks the athleticism to play in coverage and couldn?t get off blocks against Alabama?s NFL-caliber offensive line in the BCS title game. Te?o, holed up with his family in Hawaii, could be a Day 2 target for the Bears at No. 50 overall.

REACH OF THE NIGHT
The Cowboys traded out of the No. 18 hole, only receiving picks Nos. 31 and 74 from the 49ers. And at No. 31, they bungled the selection. Instead of shoring up their needs at safety, guard or backup running back, they reached for Wisconsin C Travis Frederick. Our draft guru Josh Norris didn?t even think unathletic Frederick was worth a third-round pick and NFL Network?s Mike Mayock had a third-round grade on him.

BIGGEST MISS BY MOCK DRAFTERS
At one point last week, the majority of mock drafts had Florida DT Sharrif Floyd going third overall to the Raiders. Some had him sliding to the back end of the top-10, but no further. But when the chips were down, Floyd slipped, slid and fell some more. When the carnage finally ended, the Vikings took him as a value pick at No. 23. Credit the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel for securing this quote from a scout: ?Those idiots on TV made Floyd. He?s not that good. He?s not better than Ziggy Hood.? NFL Films? Greg Cosell had tabbed Floyd as ?without question? the draft?s No. 1 player on film even though he produced just 4.5 sacks over 26 starts at Florida.

BEST DRESSED AWARD
This one goes to Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson, and it wasn?t even close. He was rocking a zig-zag bow tie, a white tuxedo jacket and Louis Vuitton belt/suspenders. As our Pat Daugherty noted, he looked like a waiter from the Titanic. Here's a link to his duds.

SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT
Everyone knew that the Bills were in the market for a quarterback. Everyone also thought that quarterback was Syracuse?s Ryan Nassib, who played for new Bills coach Doug Marrone. Nope. Showing a rare ability to keep a secret, the Bills shocked the collective NFL universe when they used the No. 16 pick on Florida State QB E.J. Manuel. He?s a project that will learn behind Kevin Kolb before eventually taking the reins.

BIGGEST TRADE OF THE NIGHT
The Rams identified a need to get playmakers for Sam Bradford. So they swooped in for the premier skill guy in the entire draft, giving Nos. 16, 46, 78 and 222 to the Bills and then snagging West Virginia WR Tavon Austin at No. 8. It?s a deal the Rams were able to do thanks to the picks acquired in last year?s Robert Griffin III trade. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb, Austin is going to be a four-down difference maker for the Rams.

QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL
Florida State?s E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback to go. That leaves Ryan Nassib, Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Tyler Wilson all there for the taking. The Jaguars, Eagles, Cardinals, Browns and Jets all need a quarterback and hold five of the first seven picks in the second round.

BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
No one came away with more raw talent than the Vikings. Sharrif Floyd's natural skills are eye-popping even if his production at Florida wasn't. Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes, who has drawn favorable comparisons to Aqib Talib, has the ability to step in as a Week 1 starter immediately. And although they gave up four picks to get him, Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson is a special athlete with the ball in his hands. He'll quickly help a team that went to the playoffs last year despite closing out the season with Jerome Simpson as their No. 1 wideout.

INSTANT FANTASY IMPACT
Only three wide receivers, one tight end and one quarterback were drafted Thursday night. No running backs were selected. While Tavon Austin is the most electrifying rookie that will hit the field this fall, Clemson?s DeAndre Hopkins landed in the best situation when the Texans took him 27th overall. The Roddy White clone fits perfectly as a ?Z? receiver and has no competition for the job. He?ll see single coverage all day long thanks to Andre Johnson?s presence on the other side of the formation.

Adam Levitan is in his fourth season covering football and basketball for Rotoworld. He won the Fantasy Sports Writers Association award for Best Series in 2011 and 2009, and ESPN's overall fantasy football title in 2000. Find him on Twitter.
Email :Adam Levitan

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/43147/365/nfl-draft-round-1-recap

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The Most Extravagant Celebrity Weddings!

As The Big Wedding hits theaters, take a look back at the most lavish celebrity nuptials. Bring on the champagne and caviar!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/extravagant-celebrity-weddings/1-b-123448?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aextravagant-celebrity-weddings-123448

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Swedish police find drugs on Justin Bieber bus, no suspects

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish police said on Thursday they found drugs on teen idol Justin Bieber's tour bus in Stockholm, but had no suspects and were unlikely to pursue the case further.

A police officer on crowd duty smelled marijuana on an empty tour bus outside the hotel where Bieber was staying just before his concert in the capital on Wednesday night, police spokesman Kjell Lindgren said.

Police searched the empty bus after it had taken 10 to 15 individuals to the concert venue.

"The police went onto the bus and searched it and found a small amount of narcotics," Lindgren said. "We don't know who had the drugs or who smoked them, so it will be hard to link them with any individual."

The drugs have been sent for analysis and Lindgren said the police did not plan further action unless they got more information.

Bieber is travelling Europe on his "Believe" tour and is due in Finland for a concert on Friday.

Bieber got into trouble earlier this month after a museum dedicated to Anne Frank said the 19-year-old had written that he hoped the young Holocaust victim would have been a "belieber", the word used by his fans to describe themselves.

Anne Frank, who died aged 15 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, is one of the best-known Jewish victims of the Holocaust due to her diary.

(Reporting by Simon Johnson; Editing by Alistair Scrutton and Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-police-drugs-justin-bieber-bus-no-suspects-132755019.html

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Theravance to split into two listed companies

(Reuters) - Biopharmaceutical company Theravance Inc said it plans to split into two publicly traded companies, one of which would independently manage the development of the respiratory drugs it is working on with GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

The split plan comes after weeks of speculation that the company could be bought by Glaxo, Theravance's largest shareholder with a stake of about 27 percent.

Theravance shares were up about 10 percent at $33.50 in after-hours trading on Thursday.

The other company to result from the split will focus on development of small-molecule compounds in rare disease areas.

Theravance Chief Executive Rick Winningham said the split would unlock potential value from two disparate sets of assets, better align employee incentives and provide a consistent return of capital to stockholders of the Glaxo partner, to be called Royalty Management Co.

The second company will be called Theravance Biopharma.

Theravance's shares rose sharply in early March after Piper Jaffray said in a research report that Glaxo could take over Theravance if U.S. health regulators ruled positively on the companies' respiratory drugs, Breo Ellipta and Anoro.

An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended earlier this month that the agency approve Breo Ellipta to treat smoking-related lung damage.

Theravance's shares have risen more than 10 percent since then up to Thursday close of $30.92. The stock was trading at $33.50 after hours.

Theravance also reported a first-quarter net loss of $37.4 million, or 39 cents per share, compared with a profit of $84.6 million, or $1.01 per share, a year earlier.

Revenue fell by $125.8 million to $1.3 million. The steep fall in revenue reflected the scrapping in January of Theravance's global deal with Japan's Astellas Pharma Inc to develop and market its antibiotic Vibativ.

Analysts on average had expected a loss of 38 cents per share on revenue of $2.3 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Zeba Siddiqui in Bangalore; Editing by Don Sebastian, Maju Samuel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/theravance-split-two-listed-companies-215253650--finance.html

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More Google Glass specs emerge: Dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM and Android 4.0

* Lewandowski scored four goals against Real Madrid * Poland international refuses contract extension (adds details, background) BERLIN, April 26 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski have not signed a deal, the newly-crowned champions said on Friday, shooting down widespread speculation of another imminent surprise transfer. "Bayern, as opposed to some reports, has no contract with Robert Lewandowski," the Bavarian Champions League semi-finalists said in a brief statement. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/more-google-glass-specs-emerge-dual-core-cpu-195545542.html

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Sony revises its 2012 earnings forecast, doubles expected net profits

Just like last year, we're reporting on a revision Sony's making to its expectations for last year's profits, but this time around there's some positive news. According to Sony, selling some of the buildings it owns and a weakening yen have doubled its expected net profit from 20 billion yen announced in February to 40 billion yen ($403 million). The complete results will be announced May 9th, and despite Sony managing its first profit since 2008 investors are hoping to hear how it plans to keep the streak going with business gains next year. The PlayStation 4 is expected to headline CEO Kaz Hirai's plans for future products, we should hear just how optimistic Sony is about those prospects in a couple of weeks.

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Sony

Comments

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Sony (PDF)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/sony-revises-its-2012-earnings-forecast-doubles-expected-net-pr/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Thinx upgrades the video monitor with embedded LTE and SMS alerts; ships in Q3 for around $500

As part of our tour through Verizon's Waltham, Mass.-based Innovation Center this week, we were able to see a brief demo of the Thinx 4G LTE video monitor -- a product that was briefly teased at CES, but we've heard precious little about since. Essentially, this is a rather sophisticated 1080p video monitor, designed for small businesses that would prefer that their monitors do more than just capture reels of archived footage. Thinx's solution throws in an admin panel and a smartphone app; users can install the camera and then define hot zones for the sensor to keep tabs on. If and when a specific event occurs (e.g. 50 individuals cross a virtual line), owners can be alerted via SMS -- and, of course, they can then view only the footage pertaining to said event with merely a click.

Those apps (available for iOS and Android) will allow owners to look in live at any time, with recorded video automatically stored on the included 4GB SD card, a personal NAS or a cloud storage facility like Dropbox. Better still, the control panel supports multiple cameras for those trying to cast eyes over an entire office complex, and there's room for a 12V battery that'll keep it humming along "for a few hours" should the power cut out. Tom Thomasson, vice president of marketing at Thinx, told us that the product is slated to go on sale in the US during the third quarter of this year, and it's one of "over 30" new products that Verizon will help launch during the 2013 / 2014 time frame.

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon

Comments

Source: Thinx

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WZv98bjGvUA/

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Kazakhstan's Nazarbayev urges religious leaders to protect youth ...

24 April 2013, 18:31 (GMT+05:00)

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has called on religious leaders to protect young people from radical movements.

"Given global trends, we need to find an effective model of cooperation between the state, society and religion. Our historic choice is a secular state. However, secular does not mean atheist. Secular means peaceful, progressive and tolerant. We support our traditional religion and categorically deny any extremism. I believe the youth should be protected from radical religious movements that are alien to us. Therefore, I hope our religious leaders of all major faiths will work on this path," the president said at the Twentieth Session of the People's Assembly of Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

"During the past two decades, Kazakhstan's path became a role model for national success for many independent countries. This is a result of hard work and the unity of all people of Kazakhstan. This is a great ability of only strong nations," Nazarbayev said.

The president reiterated his compatriots of the need to appreciate the peace and cherish it.

"What kind of investment, what kind of development, what kind of consent is observed in countries at war today? They fell back by 10-20 years, instead of developing. Almaty will soon host a special conference on Afghanistan; this country's people have been engaged in civil war for the past 30 years. A person born 30 years ago has never held anything in his hands except for a Kalashnikov rifle. Not even a shovel, nothing. How long do these people need to get up from their knees? Therefore, we need to appreciate this golden heritage... Kazakhstan is one land and one people," Nazarbayev said.

Source: http://www.azernews.az/region/52853.html

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