The Rise of the Apple TV: What should be Apple's next step?

Frost & Sullivan recently reported that Apple TV made up more than half of the streaming device market for 2012, beating competitors like Roku and TiVo. Not bad for something that Steve Jobs once referred to as "a hobby" for the company. What should be Apple's next step for the little black box?

First, let's put that news into some context. The Apple TV is the most popular streaming box out there, according to this report - and that's a device that Apple doesn't separately report in its quarterly revenue figures. In fact, the Apple TV's contribution to Apple's balance sheet this past quarter is buried in the "Accessories" portion of its quarterly statement, which for the most recently reported quarter was $1.18 billion (out of $35.23 billion in total revenue).

Compared to the gargantuan revenues of the iPhone ($18.15 billion), the sizable revenues of the iPad ($6.37 billion), or even the Mac ($4.89 billion), that Accessories number is pretty small - especially when you consider that it includes all other Apple-branded hardware peripherals, and accessories made for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

But Tim Cook did offer details earlier this year that may give some insight about the success of the Apple TV. In May, Cook said that Apple has sold 13 million Apple TVs to date. About half of those were sold within the previous year, Cook revealed.

That's an average of almost 1.63 million Apple TVs sold each quarter. At $100 a piece, that's $163 million in Apple's coffers from Apple TV each quarter. Some quick back of the envelope math suggests that Apple TV is contributing a little less than 14 percent to Apple's overall "Accessories" revenue numbers. Small potatoes for Apple's balance sheets, perhaps, but if Frost & Sullivan's analysis is correct, a huge chunk of the streaming box market. Apple's biggest competitor, Roku, grabs less than half the remaining pie, according to the report. Other competitors divide what remains into even smaller slivers.

The Apple TV has been around for six years and is already in its third hardware generation. Apple doubling its installed base of Apple TVs in the last twelve months certainly indicates that public momentum for the device is picking up.

But the overall small numbers demonstrate just how nascent the streaming box market really is. While many of us Apple enthusiasts have bought Apple TV, there are still a huge number of consumers who don't find the device particularly useful or interesting, or feel that their TV viewing needs are serviced well enough by cable TV, DVRs and other set-top devices.

Apple's gobbled up a huge piece of a very small pie. But that small market is growing.

Where does Apple go from here?

The second and third generation Apple TV - the small black box - lacks any sort of local storage capability, but makes up for it by being more programmable than its predecessor. Not only is it easily updatable with firmware improvements and other enhancements, but it can be programmed with entirely new apps.

In mid June, Apple rolled out an update for the Apple TV that added support for several new content services including ESPN, HBO, subscription-based anime service Crunchyroll and more.

Some analysts and pundits hope to see the Apple TV become a disruptive technology for television watching - something that people could use in place of cable television altogether. And indeed, some Apple TV users find the content from iTunes, Netflix, Hulu and the other services the Apple TV supports to be sufficient for their viewing habits.

But it's clear that Apple is taking a more iterative approach with the device - an approach that requires customers to have other media at their disposal. Take HBO Go, for example. The app works the same way on the Apple TV that it does on the iPhone and iPad - you can stream HBO content, including current and archived TV series, but it requires you to validate by entering your cable service provider account information first. You can't subscribe to the service a la carte, as it were.

Tim Cook describes a "grand vision" for the Apple TV and calls television itself an "area of intense interest" for the company, but so far he hasn't publicly articulated what that vision is.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the secret to the Apple TV's success is AirPlay, which enables iOS devices and Macs to stream audio and video content to the Apple TV. AirPlay is the killer app for the Apple TV, because it enhances the experience of users of other Apple products by making it easier for them to share content on their television.

Apple implicitly understands this - the company's executives have spoken for years about the "halo effect" of people buying one Apple product and having a great experience with it, then that driving their purchase of more Apple hardware. To that end, AirPlay is getting a big boost in OS X Mavericks, due out later this year. Apple TV owners can already mirror the Mac's display to their television. But with Mavericks' improved Multiple Display support, Mac users will be able to use an Apple TV-connected television as a completely independent display.

The television question

Analysts like Gene Munster have long prognosticated that Apple will build an actual television, but the economics of doing so don't make a lot of sense, at least not right now. Flat panel TVs are an increasingly commodity-drive market, with inexpensive Chinese manufacturers flooding the market with cheap sets you can buy at Walmart and Target.

There may be a window for some new brands to be established in the Ultra HDTV market - the new 4K sets that are coming out. Apple could leverage its legendary supply line muscle with Chinese manufacturers to produce 4K televisions.

And Apple does appear to be making a play for 4K on some of its hardware, like the new Mac Pro, which will feature Thunderbolt 2 interfaces capable of driving 4K resolution displays. But that's a technology that is squarely focused on the high end of Apple's Mac line at the moment, and for the Mac Pro that makes a lot of sense: it's a machine that's historically had a high penetration in the professional digital video and film editing market.

But what, ultimately, would an actual Apple television - 4K or otherwise - gain Apple in the long run? It could establish itself as a niche player - a high end boutique brand, perhaps, but could it muscle itself onto store shelves the same way that competitors like Samsung, LG and Vizio, or long-time players in the field like Sony and Panasonic, have?

Stay the course

It's a smarter play for Apple to continue to to refine the black box with software updates, then roll out a new generation as it makes sense with new features like UHDTV support as it becomes something more consumers are looking for.

While more and more televisions are coming from the factory with "smart" capabilities like connecting to the Internet and to services like Netflix, many consumers continue to use them as simple dumb terminals for their set top boxes and their streaming devices.

For as long as that's the case, Apple's best strategy for the Apple TV remains building a black box that can connect to any of them, instead of building its own branded television. Compared to a television, the Apple TV is almost an impulse buy, and it capitalizes on the halo effect that continues to drive consumers to new Apple products.

Would you buy an Apple-branded television if they make one? Is the Apple TV a better solution? Or is the whole thing stupid? Tell me what you think in the comments.

Source: http://www.imore.com/rise-apple-tv

american idol memphis grizzlies aretha franklin Beyonce Pregnant Riot Fest Granbury Tx Jaden Smith

Samsung Galaxy S 4 and S 4 Mini unveiled with dual-mode LTE

As we saw yesterday with the look into Android fragmentation, Samsung is no stranger to releasing a wide variety of handsets. While this often means a variety of display sizes and price points, today we are seeing another variant of the Galaxy S 4 and the Galaxy S 4 Mini. Both of these models will soon be available in a dual-LTE variant.

Samsung has said these two devices will bring support for TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE. Perhaps more important for some is how Samsung is also promising them to arrive with ?seamless handover technology.? At the moment there hasn?t been any timeline for release given.

Instead Samsung has shared a bit about how this makes them the ?first player in the global mobile industry to provide dual-mode? smartphones. Samsung also announced plans to continue launching TDD-LTE devices in other (still unspecified) markets during the third quarter of 2013.

At present FDD-LTE technology accounts for majority of the global LTE market. Moving forward though, TDD-LTE is expected to gain wider usage in the US as well as in Australia, China, the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Northern and Eastern Europe. Basically, these dual-LTE handsets should make for a better user experience in places where both LTE modes are being used.

', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, buttons: { twitter: {via: 'androids'}}, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('twitter'); } }); jQuery('#facebook').sharrre({ share: { facebook: true }, template: '

{total}

', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('facebook'); } }); jQuery('#googleplus').sharrre({ share: { googlePlus: true }, template: '

{total}

', enableHover: false, enableTracking: true, urlCurl: 'http://androidcommunity.com/wp-content/themes/ac/js/sharrre.php', click: function(api, options){ api.simulateClick(); api.openPopup('googlePlus'); } }); });

Source: http://androidcommunity.com/samsung-galaxy-s-4-and-s-4-mini-unveiled-with-dual-mode-lte-20130731/

Ray Harryhausen elizabeth smart chipotle Shakira Farrah Abraham Sex Tape Met gala lauryn hill

Lifelike cooling for sunbaked windows: Adaptable microfluidic circulatory system could cut air-conditioning costs

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Sun-drenched rooms make for happy residents, but large glass windows also bring higher air-conditioning bills. Now a bioinspired microfluidic circulatory system for windows could save energy and cut cooling costs dramatically -- while letting in just as much sunlight.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/YvazV-TSEUw/130730101748.htm

Mothers Day Cards Players Championship 2013 rod stewart derrick rose lena horne klay thompson kate upton

PSA: Free Cupcakes on the Hill From Ford Motor Co.

By Warren Rojas Posted at 11:41 a.m. today

?

(Courtesy Stephanie Lundberg)

To commemorate what would have been original hot rodder Henry Ford?s 150^th birthday, Ford Motor Co. is treating Congress ? as well as anyone in the general vicinity of the Capitol South Metro stop ? to free cupcakes.

The promotion is being run in conjunction with motorized snack slingers Curbside Cupcakes, which will be distributing 1,400 cupcakes ? 700 at Cap South and another 700 around Metro Center ? today between noon and 2 p.m.

The giveaway is limited to one per person, with a choice of red velvet or vanilla bean. Curbside is also running a trivia contest via its Twitter account.

An event promoter said Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., is expected to pop by for part of the festivities, and held out hope that other members of the Michigan delegation would also be able to attend.

The company is hoping to sweeten the deal by hauling out a 1909 Model T for antique car lovers to gawk at.

Source: http://www.rollcall.com/news/psa_free_cupcakes_on_the_hill_from_ford_motor_co-226738-1.html

college football scores khan academy Espn College Football Eddie Murphy died Suzanne Barr Clint Eastwood speech Maria Montessori

Israelis, Palestinians start arguing even before peace talks start

Charles Dharapak / AP

Secretary of State John Kerry, accompanied by former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk speaks at the State Department in Washington, Monday, July 29, 2013, where he announced that he Indyk will shepherd the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday appointed former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk as the envoy tasked with shepherding the delicate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks set to begin later in the day.

Indyk?s appointment comes one day after the State Department announced talks ? which have been stalled for three years ? would resume between the two countries.

?I know the negotiations are going to be tough, but I also know that the consequences of not trying could be worse,? Kerry told reporters. ?To help the parties navigate the path to peace and to avoid its many pitfalls, we?ll be very fortunate to have on our team, on a day-to-day basis, working with the parties wherever they are negotiating, a seasoned American diplomat ? ambassador Martin Indyk.?

To take on his new role, the former diplomat gave up his post as director of the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C. Before that he served in a variety of diplomatic roles during President Bill Clinton?s administration.

Indyk called the appointment a ?daunting and humbling challenge? but said he believes a lasting peace agreement is achievable.

But before negotiations resumed, leaders from both sides put forward clashing views over what a final agreement needs to look like. Negotiations in 2010 broke down over Israel?s settlement of occupied land where Palestinians seek a state.

Previous attempts to resolve the decades-old conflict had sought to ward off deadlock and the risk of knock-on violence by tackling easier disputes first and deferring the most emotional ones like the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

This time "all of the issues that are at the core of a permanent accord will be negotiated simultaneously," Silvan Shalom, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu's cabinet and rightist Likud party, told Israel's Army Radio.

The Palestinians, with international backing, want their future state to have borders approximating the boundaries of the West Bank, adjacent East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip before Israel captured them in the 1967 Middle East war.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top official in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the U.S. letter of invitation to the Washington talks had not specified which disputes were to be discussed.

But Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio the talks "will begin, in principle, on the issues of borders and security."

Netanyahu had resisted Abbas's calls to accept the 1967 border formula before talks resumed. Shalom said that the Israeli position would help keep the talks, which are slated to last nine months, comprehensive.

"Had the matter of borders and territory been given over, what incentive would they (Palestinians) have had to make concessions on the matter of refugees or Jerusalem?" Shalom asked.

Israel deems all of Jerusalem its capital - a status rejected internationally - and wants to keep West Bank settlement blocs under any peace accord. It quit Gaza in 2005 and that enclave is now ruled by Hamas Islamists hostile to the Jewish state and opposed to Abbas's peace strategy.

Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war at Israel's founding, along with millions of their descendants, claim the right to return to their original homes in what is now Israel. The Israelis rule that out as demographic suicide, saying the refugees should resettle in a future Palestine or elsewhere.

Netanyahu says any peace accord must safeguard Israel, which has often clashed with Hamas in Gaza and fears the Islamist movement could gain ground in the West Bank. Kerry has also described Israel's security as ?paramount.?

Abed Rabbo said Israel and the United States had been conferring about security without including the Palestinians.

"This is a big shortcoming in the Israeli and the American behavior because they are not discussing their bilateral security, they are discussing a central and a fundamental issue of ours and it concerns our future as a whole," he said.

After months of intensive and discreet mediation, Kerry announced on July 19 in Amman, Jordan, that the parties had laid the groundwork to resume negotiations on the so-called "final status" issues that must be resolved to end the dispute.

"The meetings in Washington will mark the beginning of these talks," Kerry spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "They will serve as an opportunity to develop a procedural work plan for how the parties can proceed with the negotiations in the coming months."

In what it dubbed a goodwill gesture required to restart diplomacy, the Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved the release of 104 long-serving Palestinian security prisoners in stages. Thousands more Palestinians remain in Israeli jails.

Still, Indyk, who said he has believed a peace agreement is achievable since his time studying in the Middle East nearly 40 years ago, remained optimistic.

?I look forward with great excitement?to do our best to achieve President Obama?s vision of two states, living side-by-side in peace and security,? he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663309/s/2f4a74f1/sc/20/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C290C197517820Eisraelis0Epalestinians0Estart0Earguing0Eeven0Ebefore0Epeace0Etalks0Estart0Dlite/story01.htm

Tropical Storm Isaac amber portwood Phyllis Diller Darla Moore newsweek Tony Scott UFC 151

You Can Compare 16 Cities 35 Different Ways With This One Mapping Tool

These days we?ve got plenty of ways to visualize data within our cities, from car crashes to Flickr photos. But there aren?t many tools that let us compare information about multiple cities at once?until now. Meet Urban Observatory, a site that compares data from 16 global metropoli.

Read more...

Source: http://gizmodo.com/you-can-compare-16-cities-35-different-ways-with-this-o-950593096

Real Madrid Neverwinter George Jones Farrah Abraham Tape amber heard Google Now Jason Collins

Using Humor To Get Serious About Success: Marlon Doll And ...

If you?re having fun doing something, you?ll probably want to keep doing it. When fun is incorporated into the learning process, you?ll want to keep learning. Marlon Doll and the team at Humorcials.com know this, and it?s the basis for their new series of educational videos on topics designed to help people reach their full potential and get the success they want. We talked to Marlon recently about his goals for the website and the videos he?s producing.

7S: What made you decide to start this website and create these videos?

MD: About two years ago I felt like my life wasn?t progressing how I had imagined it to. I realized I would have to start make some drastic and continuous improvements in my life and mindset if I wanted to reach my goals. To jump-start my personal growth, boost my confidence, and motivate myself, I decided to backpack through South East Asia. I saved up and started my journey where I spent three months travelling 6 different countries.

My adventure had plenty of solitary downtime so I began reading much more than I ever had. I was particularly good at finding authority sources of information and interesting articles and videos online. In my research process, I discovered many fascinating but unconventional and overlooked skills such as Speed Reading and Lucid Dreaming. I was attracted mostly to topics that would add significant value to my life. To help the information sink in, I would apply the techniques and would teach what I had learned to other travelers. The people I taught were enthusiastic about the topics and it sparked my desire to reach a much larger audience.

It bothered me that people were so unaware of these valuable life skills. The information was accessible but the majority had never heard of it, or their original introduction to the topics made it seem boring. So I thought, if I began creating humorous but informative videos on these subjects, I could potentially get people interested and the humor would aid in retention; this would also force me to apply these skills and principles to grow in my own life and help me achieve my goals.

When I arrived back from South East Asia, I enrolled into an Entertainment Business Management Program. Fast-forward a year and a half later with a ton of new skills, I presented the idea to a few friends and colleagues. From there, Humorcials and the Success with a Punchline series was born!

7S: You?ve got a funny video about speed reading that?s already gotten thousands of views. What are some of the self-improvement topics you?re working on right now?

MD: Thanks for thinking it?s funny! We have had many great responses to our first few videos. We currently released 4 videos on Lucid Dreaming, Speed Reading, Accelerated Learning, and Introvertism. We also have a couple more in the process of editing at the moment! The next two that will be released are ?How to Avoid Procrastination? and? ?How to Make a Great First Impression?- titles pending! The next one we?re filming is on the topic of Focus and Concentration, which we are all really excited to shoot and share.

7S: How do you get the ideas for your videos? Are they things that you want to learn yourself, or do people contact you and suggest topics?

MD: We have a growing list of topics based on life skills we have acquired or want to learn more about. So far we have started with topics we think our audience will value the most from learning. We usually start with a solid understanding of each of the topics, but once we choose a topic, we delve into various sources of information, scrutinize it, and start applying the techniques into our own lives. We take note of authoritative information and the most effective techniques and, as a team, compile what we?ve learned. We try and repackage the more valuable takeaways into funny succinct videos. We really want to cover the most important points to give our audience a solid understanding of the topic, even if they?re just being introduced to it.

That being said, we are extremely interested in what our audience would like to learn more about. We are easy to get in touch with by email or any of our social media channels, so we encourage anyone and everyone to contact us!?

7S: In a recent blog post you talked about making learning part of every day, by listening to podcasts while you clean house or exercise or commute to and from work. Doesn?t it make it harder to concentrate on what you?re hearing if you?re also focused on doing something else, like scrubbing the kitchen floor?

MD: I?m a strong believer in life-long learning. Our brain is a muscle and if we do not continue to exercise and grow it, then we risk not reaching our full potential. Worse off, we risk facing cognitive deterioration and possibly mental illness as our bodies outlive our brain. Use it or Lose it.

Everybody has downtime in the day; being able to learn in that downtime is greatly beneficial. In our present information age, the more you know, the further you will advance in your personal and professional life. We are overloaded with valuable and free information in various forms. The tough part is avoiding psychobabble and having the time to source and absorb the information that will add value to your life. Cleaning your kitchen, going for a run, or commuting are all great opportunities to listen to free podcasts as they are all relatively low mental activities. You don?t need to consciously think about these things as you already know how to run or scrub the floor; why not reserve your mental processing to the podcast or audiobook plugged into your brain.

On the other hand, working or doing homework while audio learning is counter productive as your focus will just be switching back and forth which is highly ineffective. You can multitask but you can?t multi-think.?Just remember to give yourself time to reflect on what you just listened to, get your thoughts on paper, and recite it to your friends or teddy bear!

7S: You also mentioned that a good way to make sure you?ve learned something is to teach it to someone else. Do you recommend that people add humor into this process of teaching others, like you do with your videos?

MD: I strongly believe teaching is one of the best methods for memory retention. Teaching forces you to have a better understanding of the material, improve accuracy of recall, and to apply your knowledge more effectively.

I do recommend that people add some fun and humor when teaching others. People tend to tune out when they?re bored; effective humor keeps people engaged, reduces anxiety, and can make the learning process much more enjoyable. The most effective teacher I had in Film School would add bits of humor into every lesson. This kept the energy levels high and his lessons more memorable.

However, it?s also about balance. Too much humor may cause your pupil to lose focus on what is being taught as your mentally preparing for the next joke instead of the information. One term for this kind of learning is Edutainment. Edutainment is learning through a medium that both entertains and educates. Think Sesame Street, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Magic School Bus. They were all highly successful edutainment programs that effectively taught my generation and others outside of the classroom.?With the Success with a Punchline series, we strive to create excellent edutainment videos with an optimal balance of humor and information for effective learning and enjoyment!

Source: http://www.7speedreading.com/using-humor-to-get-serious-about-success-marlon-doll-and-humorcials-com

louisiana primary syracuse basketball chipper jones chipper jones mickael pietrus heart transplant the international

PlayStation 4 friends list will accomodate up to 2,000 of your best buds

So it seems that PlayStation 4 owners will have more friends than their Xbox One counterparts -- well, you know, in theory, at least. Sony announced this morning, by way of rather chipper Q&A video, that the PS4 will have a Party Chat to call its own, along with friends lists that support up to 2,000 users -- that's double the number that Microsoft announced toward the end of May (though, all said, both numbers are a big improvement over the last gens' 100-person cap). Good news for social PlayStation gamers, though you might want to start saving up now -- that's a whole lot of extra birthdays gifts next year.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Sony

Comments

Via: Joystiq

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/XGyHZydzoL4/

adam scott venezuela xbox live aurora borealis Psy Cat Zingano DMX

Savvy Secrets For Traveling On A Budget | Content for Reprint

Author: Tony Shawrtz | Total views: 67 Comments: 0
Word Count: 787 Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 7:17 PM

Traveling is fun, even if it's just for business. One thing which can take some of the joy out of traveling is spending a lot of cash to do it. In this article, we will share strategies to get you to your desired location without spending too much cash.

If you are traveling with your child, carry a photo of your child just in case he or she gets lost. Losing track of a child can be very frightening. However, in case it happens, you should be prepared. If you have a picture of your child on hand, it can really help to locate him or her in a crowd more quickly.

If you have known food allergies, be very careful about food when traveling in foreign countries. You need to know the language's food related words, particularly if you have bad reactions to foods. This will enable you to tell your staff about your allergies and in times of emergency, you will be able to tell medical professionals about your condition.

Try to purchase tickets to amusement parks in advance so that you could print them out. Although you may pay a service fee for this option, it is worth it to bypass long lines for entrance to the park. If the park you are visiting has a timed entry, you can skip admission lines too.

Make sure to get to the port city the night before your cruise to avoid the chance of missing it. Ask the hotel's staff when it comes to parking deals even though none are published.

Many stores charge too much for these types of products. Try to save space in other ways, like packing more efficiently or eliminating unnecessary items. You can have more space in your bags than you thought if you pack properly.

Deserts offer remarkable and memorable vistas and exotic plant and animal life. Everyone should experience the majesty and austerity of the desert at some point in their life.

Making your travel arrangements online is now easier than ever before. Travel sites will help you plan your travel itinerary with minimal effort. Booking flights, hotels or rental cars can all be done on the Internet. Many of these sites offer package deals that can save you a lot of money. Travel websites also offer good deals in planning your trip, as well as discounts on last minute travel.

Make sure you get the latest e-newsletters of the airlines you use. Their online newsletters often include last-minute discounts, special offers and other promotions not offered to any other consumers. Yes, they will fill your inbox more, but the rewards and savings can be worth it.

Traveling to far away places is not the only way to have a wonderful quick get-away or enjoyable day trip. You may enjoy yourself right around your home or in a neighboring state. You can significantly reduce travel expenses and support local businesses by remaining close to home. You may be surprised to find a real gem, hiding in your own "backyard".

Road trips can be fun if you bring along a few of your favorite tunes. Often your radio signal will die as you drive from town to town, but you can avoid that by having your own music with you.

Staying awake until about 8pm in local time will help you to adjust better in the new time zone. If you go to bed early, even if you're tired, it can make your jet lag stay longer because you keep your body in sync with the time zone from home. Getting over jet lag quicker will give you more time to enjoy your vacation.

Take some bottled water along on your journey if you are traveling abroad. Drinking water in most other countries hasn't been purified and may cause a range of different illnesses. Use bottled water when you brush your teeth. This is one subtle way that tap water can make you sick.

If the site you are using offers an online tracking feature, use it. They will give you the most up-to-date information on travel fees. Email alerts will be sent to you if there is a lower price available on the flight you are monitoring or have booked.

As stated initially in this guide, travel is fun although planning for a trip may not be. There are certain ways to help make planning a trip easier, creating a more successful journey. Keep this advice in mind to make sure that your trip will stay on track.

If your kids want to travel to Disney and you are on a tight budget, then you better know how to save when you travel there. You should know about insider secrets and here's one of the guides you should take disney world insider review

Related to: Traveling - budget - savings - plane tickets - travel - children - adventure - family vacation - disney world insider - nbsp

-- HTML code --

1: Turn This Year's Renter Into An Annual Vacation Rental Guest

In the business world, success depends on repeat customers and their referrals - the vacation home rental business is no exception. Which is why it is startling to note that repeat renters in this business account for only 10% of all bookings.

by: smontpetit on: Fri, 28 Aug 2009

2: Palace On Wheels And Other Heritage Trains In India - Combining Extravagance With Holidays

If you want to discover India, the most convenient and pleasant way is to travel by one of the several luxurious trains of the Indian Railways.

by: Linda Washington on: Sun, 31 Mar 2013

3: The Latest News On Tibet Travel Permit 2013

Tibet Permits are issued to solo travelers in 2013. The regulation that a group must have two or five with the same nationality has been CANCLLED.

by: Catherine Go on: Thu, 18 Apr 2013

4: 5 Top Snow Boarding Destinations

Now let me tell you about some of the greatest places that there are to snow board in the world. I really mean I am going to tell you about the places, that if you are a snow boarder you simply must visit if you want to have experienced the greatest snow boarding that is out there.

by: albertarticle on: Tue, 15 Apr 2008

5: Cirrus SR22: A Magnificent Demo Flight

Wow Recently I enjoyed what has to be considered a "milestone day" in the life of an aviator, as myself and one of my best buds in Eugene got to go flying

by: Dan Pimentel on: Fri, 11 Apr 2008

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/recreation-and-leisure/travel/savvy-secrets-for-traveling-on-a-budget.htm

Lilly Pulitzer Ben And Jerrys Accidental Racist Lyrics Mad Men Jenna Jameson melissa mccarthy Andy Dick

Firestone union members reach deal late Friday; strike averted

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130727/BUSINESS/307270040/1001/

Democratic National Convention 2012 myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan courtney stodden

Search engine giant Google celebrated British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin's 9...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/britainnews/posts/600783379944629

gay kobe bryant first day of summer Abby Wambach Xcel Energy Super Moon 2013 miami heat

21 dead as floods strike quake-hit Chinese province

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: news.malaysia.msn.com --- Saturday, July 27, 2013
At least 21 people have been killed and four reported missing in floods and mudslides that hit a Chinese province where at least 95 others died this week in twin earthquakes, state media reported on Saturday. ...

Source: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/top-stories/21-dead-as-floods-strike-quake-hit-chinese-province-5

hopkins dear john derrick rose torn acl undrafted free agents braveheart roy orbison the third man

Magazine Cover of the Year (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/321991624?client_source=feed&format=rss

north country brian mcknight sbux nfldraft asante samuel salton sea arizona immigration law

Three Reasons To Love Solar Power | www.greenlivingsavings.com

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the amount of solar panel manufacturing companies has more than quadrupled from the year 2000 to 2009.? The number of solar panel manufacturers has gone up due to solar power becoming a popular alternative energy source here in America.? Thanks to government subsidies and discounts from companies, it?s now more affordable than ever for the average US company to rely on solar power for their energy needs.? Are you still on the fence about installing solar panels for your business?? After you learn about the benefits of solar power you?ll be eager to start using solar power.

Clean and Renewable Energy

Today people need to think more about how their energy usage impacts the environment.? Popular fossil fuels like oil and coal pollute the environment and are finite, but since these have been the dominant forms of energy for more than a century people are reluctant to give it up.? Solar energy is a form of energy that isn?t just clean, but its renewable as well.? There?s an abundance of solar energy we can use to power the planet, and it doesn?t show signs of running out anytime soon unlike other important fossil fuels.

Solar power is also clean.? Traditional power plants can create pollution in forms of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and other harmful substances.? Solar energy systems don?t create pollution in the process of turning solar energy into a usable form of energy.? Photovoltaic systems don?t even use moving parts, so the only pollution that comes from the energy comes from the actual process of making the cells.?

Solar Energy Reduces Your Energy Costs

The initial cost of installing your solar panels may be costly, but over time you?ll more than make up for the installation costs because of the money you?ll be saving on your energy bills.? Commercial solar power can help save you a lot of money.? Solar power doesn?t have to be carefully harvested from the ground or another source; it simply beams down on your building every day for no cost.? Your solar power system will create energy for you to use at work every day.? Since your panels will be producing an abundance of energy, you?ll have to rely very little on your public electrical grid.? If your system generates more power than you can use, your public utility company may be able to buy some of your energy, giving you an extra flow of income.

Power In Case Of an Emergency

Summer is the season for brown-outs and power failures, and if you?ve lost power before you know how much of an inconvenience it can be.? Backup generators can be helpful, but if they run on diesel fuel or gasoline they?ll be smelly, noisy, and you would have to dedicate space to them within your building.? If you install solar panels on your building, you may be able to avoid the annoyance of a power outage.? Most solar energy systems come with a battery to store extra energy in case of an emergency.? If the power in your neighborhood goes out for any reason, your solar system can keep supplying your workplace with power through the back up battery.

Featured images:

Tim Dunn is a home improvement specialist who specializes in solar pannel installation and loves blogging about different home improvement topics.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Source: http://greenlivingsavings.com/love-solar-power/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=love-solar-power

detroit red wings jose canseco zimmerman derek fisher lyrid meteor shower hippocrates andrew breitbart

'Justice for Trayvon' rallies set for 100 cities

FILE -This combo image made from file photos shows Trayvon Martin, left, and George Zimmerman. The jury in the trial of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman began deliberating his fate, Friday, July 12, 2013, on charges in the 2012 shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. (AP Photos, File)

FILE -This combo image made from file photos shows Trayvon Martin, left, and George Zimmerman. The jury in the trial of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman began deliberating his fate, Friday, July 12, 2013, on charges in the 2012 shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. (AP Photos, File)

ATLANTA (AP) ? One week after a Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty in the death of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, rallies are scheduled in 100 cities to press for civil rights charges against the former neighborhood watch leader.

Zimmerman claimed self-defense after shooting Martin during an altercation. The case has become a flashpoint in national debates over guns, race relations and self-defense laws. Zimmerman identifies as Hispanic. Martin was black.

The Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network has organized the "Justice for Trayvon" rallies and vigils outside federal buildings from New York and Los Angeles to Des Moines, Iowa, and Little Rock, Ark. He wants the Justice Department to pursue a case.

The group says Martin's mother and brother will attend the New York event. His father will appear in Miami.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-07-20-US-Neighborhood-Watch-Rallies/id-cb704f91acf648778b1c0bd0444b2856

Richard Engel Daniel Inouye steelers scarlett johansson peter frampton Sandy Hook Elementary School Colors Victoria Soto

WhatsApp messaging on iOS to tack on yearly $1 fee

whatsapp

Devin Coldewey NBC News

21 hours ago

WhatsApp

WhatsApp, a messaging app with 250 million users, is planning on moving its iOS app to the subscription model it uses on Android and other platforms, charging users $1 per year.

The app allows users to exchange messages and pictures without paying SMS or MMS fees to their carrier; it was one of the earlier apps to provide an alternative to texting and has grown extremely popular.

The company's CEO, Jan Koum, discussed the news in an interview with Dutch journalist Alexander Klopping, which appeared on two Dutch blogs and later appeared on TechCrunch.

The reason behind the change is simple. When WhatsApp first launched, it was iOS-only, and cost 99 cents. Later, when it launched on other platforms, the company moved to the subscription model: free for the first year then 99 cents yearly thereafter.

Now it's time for iOS to join the rest in the yearly fee stable. Anyone who already downloaded it won't have to change anything, but starting later this year (Koum didn't specify a date) new users will get the app for free but have to put down a buck yearly.

So if you've been thinking about getting the app, you may want to pick it up quick on iOS while it's still 99 cents for a lifetime of chatting.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663301/s/2ecca71f/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cwhatsapp0Emessaging0Eios0Etack0Eyearly0E10Efee0E6C10A660A698/story01.htm

food network star British Open 2012 bane Aurora Colorado Rajesh Khanna friday the 13th toy story 4

Met office issues heatwave warning as Britons bake

LONDON (Reuters) - The Met Office warned healthcare providers to be ready to help high-risk groups on Wednesday as Britain's heatwave looks set to intensify.

Temperatures were expected to reach 32C (89.6F) in London and 31 in the southeast on Wednesday, while other areas of the country could see daytime temperatures of 28 to 30C.

Forecasters say the hot and humid conditions -- Britain's first prolonged heatwave for seven years -- could continue for the rest of the month and into the early part of August.

"There is a 90 percent probability of heatwave conditions between 0900 on Wednesday and 2100 on Thursday in parts of England," the Met Office said on its website.

It raised its three-stage hot weather warning for those looking after potentially vulnerable groups like children and the elderly to "be prepared" from "be aware."

The Department of Health issued its own advice on how to cope with the heat.

"Keeping the home as cool as possible during hot weather and remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk is essential," it said.

"The elderly and those who are ill are particularly vulnerable during hot weather, and the most oppressive conditions occur in our towns and cities."

Heat can make heart and respiratory problems worse, and in extreme cases can lead to potentially fatal heat stroke, it added.

Despite the dangers, the heatwave makes a pleasant contrast for many Britons after last year's washout Summer and the coldest Spring this year for more than 50 years.

Britain's hottest July temperature was 36.5C, recorded in Surrey in 2006. The hottest ever in the UK was 38.5 (101.3F) degrees recorded in Kent in 2003.

(Reporting By Mark Anderson; editing by Stephen Addison)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/met-office-issues-heatwave-warning-britons-bake-115825771.html

stevie nicks anchorman capybara duggars peter facinelli bobby rush supreme court justices

Stocks edge higher on earnings news, Bernanke

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks are closing with slight gains after earnings gains from major U.S. companies and reassurance from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke that there was no "preset course" for ending the bank's massive bond-purchasing program.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 18 points, or 0.1 percent, to 15,470 Wednesday. American Express and Caterpillar held the Dow back.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose four points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,680. The Nasdaq composite rose 11 points, 0.3 percent, to 3,610.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.49 percent from 2.53 percent.

Toy maker Mattel sank 7 percent to $43.16 after its second-quarter income plunged.

Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was thin at 3.1 billion shares.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-edge-higher-earnings-news-bernanke-155027895.html

solar flares mary j blige gcb patricia heaton arsenic and old lace dionne warwick leslie

Wolves' Muhammad adjusting in his NBA role

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? As hard as the start of his NBA career has been, Shabazz Muhammad wouldn't have it any other way.

The rookie swingman for the Minnesota Timberwolves got off to a quiet start in his first two games in the NBA summer league, averaging 7.5 points in 24 minutes while shooting 6 of 16 from the field.

It's a big difference, from playing with boys to men, as he found out Monday as the Phoenix Suns squad overcame a 24-point deficit and closed on a 10-2 run thanks in part to a turnover by Muhammad. With the score tied at 89 and 3.3 seconds remaining in the game, Marcus Morris took a sideline inbounds pass, dribbled twice and nailed a jumper just in front of Phoenix's bench.

Moments earlier, the spotlight was on Muhammad. And while taking an inbounds pass, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward fumbled the ball away.

"It was a hard one for us today, we were up (big) and gave up the lead and it just didn't go our way tonight," Muhammad said. "I tried to get on the floor and it didn't do my way, some plays go like that. We want to win. This is hard; this feels like a real game. You see the environment over here; everybody is pretty upset, as I am."

Nevertheless, with all he has been through since the days he played AAU basketball, through his short-lived career at UCLA and plenty of off-court distractions surrounding his father, Muhammad is exactly where he wants to be.

"It's hard on me, I'm a young guy trying to figure it out," Muhammad said. "(But) my confidence level is always high. There are a lot of good guys in the summer league, and I'm just going to continue to do what I've got to do and just play a little bit better."

When Muhammad arrived at UCLA last year, he was expected to help lead the Bruins back to glory. But he had to sit out the first three games of the season and repay $1,600 in impermissible benefits after the NCAA and UCLA found Muhammad accepted travel and lodging during three unofficial visits to Duke and North Carolina, travel arrangements made by his father, Ron Holmes.

It was also revealed in a Los Angeles Times story in March that Holmes shaved a year off of his son's age when he was young to give Muhammad an advantage against younger competition on the summer AAU circuit and in high school. Holmes also ran into trouble of his own with the law.

Minnesota summer league coach David Adelman, son of Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, said the team's first-round draft pick may find things easier in the NBA.

"In some ways," Adelman said, "I hope this is kind of a breath of fresh of air, like: 'You've made it, you're in the NBA and now let's just learn the NBA game and get better every day and there's nothing to prove.' We just want him to get better every day. His attitude has been very forthright and he just wants to learn."

Adelman said Muhammad needs to improve his physicality and ball handling.

"In the NBA, the guys, they range from being so big, or so quick, or so physical," Adelman said. "And every night you have to have a different game in how you play. I think that's something that's going to grow. I think he's always been the strongest guy, and a lot of guys are like that when they come into the NBA. Now it's a matter of how do you change up your game night to night with the matchups you have."

Muhammad said summer league assistant coach Shawn Respert has been instrumental in working with him daily.

"I love that he has a tremendous motor and great knack to compete," Respert said. "Until he learns some of our system and some of the progression we have in our offense, he's got to just slow down a little bit, and that way his brain can just process what we're trying to accomplish after the first option, and to the second and third options of our plays. And then when he gets that down, he can speed up again."

Perhaps slowing down a bit might have helped on that sideline with less than 8 seconds left against the Suns on Monday, but Adelman doesn't regret drawing up the play for the young star.

"I think Shabazz has been through a lot the last year, where this is just one day and he'll forget about it," Adelman said. "We gave him the ball because we trust him. ... It was unfortunate, he lost control of the ball. That stuff happens to better and worse players than him. It's a summer league; he's going to learn a lot from it."

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/Wolves-Muhammad-adjusting-in-his-NBA-role-4668723.php

the sound of music celebration church new york auto show 2012 tulsa easter eggs pineapple upside down cake free ecards

South Africa's Du Plessis admits: I'm cheering for the Aussies in the Ashes......

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151443623681324&id=78819211323

patricia heaton arsenic and old lace dionne warwick leslie varez ward solar storms uganda

Lamar Odom?s Alleged Mistress Jennifer Richardson Speaks Out!

Lamar Odom’s Alleged Mistress Jennifer Richardson Speaks Out!

Most of us heard reports that Lamar Odom was picking up a little on the side during his marriage to reality star Khloe Kardashian, but brushed it off as simply rumors. But, the other woman Jennifer Richardson has come forward and said she had a full-on relationship with Lamar and they even talked about having ...

Lamar Odom’s Alleged Mistress Jennifer Richardson Speaks Out! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/07/lamar-odoms-alleged-mistress-jennifer-richardson-speaks-out/

Meteor Russia jay z Oscar Pistorius Carnival Triumph charles barkley valentines valentines day

Report: Arizona wildfire grew quickly, was erratic

PHOENIX (AP) ? A wildfire that began with a lightning strike and caused little immediate concern because of its remote location and small size quickly blazed into an inferno, leading officials to rapidly order more resources in the hours before flames killed 19 members of an elite Hotshot crew, according to a report released Monday.

The report provides precise detail about the response to the fire that began June 28 outside the small town of Yarnell, Ariz., including the unpredictable weather around the blaze and the exact times in which it escalated and key resources were deployed. The report described how the fire worsened hour by hour ? causing flames up to 20 feet high ? as managers called in inmate and Hotshot firefighting crews and air support.

The report does not address the question of why the fire crew was still on the mountain above the town more than an hour after the winds shifted about 180 degrees and brought the fire back toward them.

After the fire was ignited about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix, it was assessed by an aerial unit and found it to be "less than one acre, in a large boulder field ... showed very little smoke" and no structures were at immediate risk.

Officials ordered two inmate crews, an engine and a helicopter to report to the scene early Saturday morning, June 29, to "work multiple lightning fires" in the area.

By the next day, the Yarnell Hill Fire was the only one still burning and had grown only slightly, to about 4 acres. Small, single-engine aircraft were used throughout the day as crews worked the ground.

By 5:30 p.m., the fire was only about 6 acres in size.

Air support was ordered but couldn't respond due to thunderstorms and high winds, according to the report. Later, a DC-10 capable of dropping large amounts of fire retardant to prevent the spread of flames was available but not ordered due to concerns about its effectiveness in the steep, boulder-strewn terrain and because darkness was setting in.

By 7:38 p.m., the blaze had grown to about 100 acres but was still "advancing slowly."

On Sunday at about 8 a.m., the 20-member Granite Mountain Hotshots team arrived and headed in to fight the fire, as small aircraft and helicopters worked the blaze from above. Heavy air tankers were ordered just after noon, but only one was able to respond, making multiple retardant drops on the fire.

According to the report, the fire had now increased in size to about 1,000 acres and was burning swiftly through an area that hadn't experienced a significant wildfire in nearly 50 years.

Two large air tankers were sent back to the Yarnell Hill Fire to try to stall its advance.

A few hours later, at 3:26 p.m., officials received word of heavy winds from a thunderstorm moving into the area as the fire grew.

Soon thereafter, the blaze was so out of control that officials asked for half of the available western U.S. heavy air tanker fleet ? six planes. It was about 4 p.m.

Five of the planes weren't deployed because of the limited number of tankers in the nation's aerial firefighting fleet and the dangerous weather conditions at the time. Jim Paxon, a spokesman for the Arizona Division of Forestry, which was managing the fire, said one plane had been headed to the fire from California, but engine problems forced it to turn back.

Paxon noted that even if the planes had been available, winds were so strong they couldn't have been used to save the firefighters' lives.

"We could have had air tankers stacked up from here to the stratosphere and it wouldn't have made a difference," he said Monday. "The fire went through retardant lines like they were non-existent."

Within 45 minutes, at 4:47 p.m., the Hotshot crew radioed that they were trapped and deploying their emergency shelters. Less than two hours later, 19 of them were found dead. Only one crew member who was assigned as the lookout survived.

A national team of investigators is working to understand more about the firefighters' deaths and is expected to finish an initial report in about two months.

Paxon said the behavior of the fire and the enormous "blowup" when the winds shifted was highly unusual.

"It was just an extreme situation," he said.

The fire destroyed more than 100 homes before it was fully contained July 10.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-arizona-wildfire-grew-quickly-erratic-020055060.html

libya twin towers gizmodo iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims

Rallies, marches follow Zimmerman verdict

NEW YORK (AP) ? Thousands of demonstrators from across the country ? chanting, praying and even fighting tears ? protested a jury's decision to clear George Zimmerman in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager while the Justice Department considered whether to file criminal civil rights charges.

Rallies on Sunday were largely peaceful as demonstrators voiced their support for 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's family ? and decried Zimmerman's not guilty verdict as a miscarriage of justice. A march in Los Angeles had minor unrest when a group threw rocks and batteries at police.

The NAACP and protesters called for federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted Saturday in Martin's February 2012 shooting death.

The Justice Department said it is looking into the case to determine whether federal prosecutors should file criminal civil rights charges now that Zimmerman has been acquitted in the state case. The department opened an investigation into Martin's death last year but stepped aside to allow the state prosecution to proceed.

The evidence generated during the federal probe is still being evaluated by the criminal section of the Justice Department's civil rights division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office for the Middle District of Florida, along with evidence and testimony from the state trial, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama and religious and civil rights leaders urged calm in hopes of ensuring peaceful demonstrations following a case that became an emotional flash point.

Sunday's demonstrations, held in cities from Florida to Wisconsin, attracted anywhere from a few dozen people to a more than a thousand.

At a march and rally in downtown Chicago attended by about 200 people, some said the verdict was symbolic of lingering racism in the United States. Seventy-three-year-old Maya Miller said the case reminded her of the 1955 slaying of Emmitt Till, a 14-year-old from Chicago who was murdered by a group of white men while visiting Mississippi. Till's killing galvanized the civil rights movement.

"Fifty-eight years and nothing's changed," Miller said, pausing to join a chant for "Justice for Trayvon, not one more."

In New York City, hundreds of protesters marched into Times Square Sunday night, zigzagging through Manhattan's streets to avoid police lines. Sign-carrying marchers thronged the busy intersection, chanting "Justice for! Trayvon Martin!" as they made their way from Union Square, blocking traffic for more than an hour before moving on.

In San Francisco and Los Angeles ? where an earlier protest was dispersed with beanbag rounds ? police closed streets as protesters marched Sunday to condemn Zimmerman's acquittal.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged protesters to "practice peace" after the rock- and bottle-throwing incident. Police arrested one man.

Rand Powdrill, 41, of San Leandro, said he came to the San Francisco march with about 400 others to "protest the execution of an innocent black teenager."

"If our voices can't be heard, then this is just going to keep going on," he said.

Earlier, at Manhattan's Middle Collegiate Church, many congregants wore hooded sweatshirts ? the same thing Martin was wearing the night he was shot ? in a show of solidarity. Hoodie-clad Jessica Nacinovich said she could only feel disappointment and sadness over the verdict.

"I'm sure jurors did what they felt was right in accordance with the law but maybe the law is wrong, maybe society is wrong; there's a lot that needs fixing," she said.

At a youth service in Sanford, Fla., where the trial was held, teens wearing shirts displaying Martin's picture wiped away tears during a sermon at the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

Protesters also gathered in Atlanta, Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., along with a host of other cities.

In Miami, more than 200 people gathered for a vigil. "You can't justify murder," read one poster. Another read "Don't worry about more riots. Worry about more Zimmermans."

Carol Reitner, 76, of Miami, said she heard about the vigil through an announcement at her church Sunday morning. "I was really devastated. It's really hard to believe that someone can take the life of someone else and walk out of court free," she said.

In Philadelphia, about 700 protesters marched from LOVE Park to the Liberty Bell, alternating between chanting Trayvon Martin's name and "No justice, no peace!"

"We hope this will begin a movement to end discrimination against young black men," said Johnathan Cooper, one of the protest's organizers. "And also to empower black people and get them involved in the system."

In Atlanta, a crowd of about 75 protesters chanted and carried signs near Centennial Olympic Park.

"I came out today because a great deal of injustice has been done and I'm very disappointed at our justice system; I'm just disappointed in America," Tabatha Holley, 19, of Atlanta said.

Civil rights leaders, including the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, urged peace in the wake of the verdict. Jackson said the legal system "failed justice," but violence isn't the answer.

But not all the protesters heeded those calls immediately after the verdict.

In Oakland, Calif., during protests that began late Saturday night some angry demonstrators broke windows, burned U.S. flags and started street fires. Some marchers also vandalized a police squad car and used spray paint to scrawl anti-police graffiti on roads and Alameda County's Davidson courthouse.

In Los Angeles, police said a crowd of about 100 protesters surrounded an officer and eventually had to be dispersed by officers firing beanbag rounds.

___

Associated Press reporters Suzette Laboy in Miami, Terence Chea in San Francisco, Keith Collins in Philadelphia, Pete Yost and Eric Tucker in Washington and Luisa Leme contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rallies-marches-zimmerman-verdict-064105495.html

Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky

KU researchers hope to draw attention to financial-aid ideas in Washington next week

There's a chance you could see some KU researchers in the news on Monday, when a group of KU social welfare researchers is going to present a report about financial aid in Washington, D.C., with the help of the policy group the New America Foundation.

More details will be in their report, but I wrote about the group, the Assets and Education Initiative, earlier this year. The idea these KU researchers advocate, and what I imagine they'll be pitching in their first biannual report next week, is that America would be better off if it focused financial aid for college students less on loans and more on government-funded savings accounts that would be created at birth.

When I talked with the initative's director, William Elliott, about what to expect, he noted that this will be happening while financial aid is a frequent subject in the news, thanks to the recent doubling of subsidized federal student loan rates. For him and his colleagues, he said the aim would be to shift that conversation to the bigger picture, asking if student loans are really the best way to make higher education more accessible in the first place.

"There are different ways of thinking about the college debt situation, and how we can potentially maximize the dollars that we're already spending," Elliott said.

He says people should think not just about providing aid so students can attend college ??they should think about providing aid that will help students be more successful in college and in their lives afterward. And his research has suggested that college savings accounts for children, even ones smaller than $500, would do just that.

Elliott says a contingent of four people from KU will spend Monday in Washington rolling out their report and hoping to draw some media coverage, and on Tuesday they'll meet with some U.S. senators and their staffs.

Your KU news tips are like a college savings account for me: They correlate strongly with my future success. So send 'em to merickson@ljworld.com.

More LJWorld KU News Coverage

Recent Kansas University news stories

Heard on the Hill KU news blog

Follow @LJW_KU on Twitter

Source: http://www2.ljworld.com/weblogs/heard_hill/2013/jul/12/ku-researchers-hope-to-draw-attention-to/

mexico city mexico earthquake aziz ansari aziz ansari katherine jenkins peyton manning broncos mexico city earthquake

Salvage crews rush for 1 chance to move Concordia

GIGLIO, Italy (AP) ? Salvage crews are working against time to remove the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship, which is slowly being crushed under its own weight on its perch of granite seabed off the Tuscan island of Giglio. Officials said Monday that if this attempt fails, there won't be a second chance.

Nick Sloane, the leader of the salvage operation, said the Concordia has compressed some 3 meters (10 feet) since it came to rest on its side on the rocky perch Jan. 13, 2012, after ramming a jagged reef when it skirted too close to the island during a publicity stunt allegedly ordered by the captain; 32 people were killed.

Sloane, an engineer for U.S.-owned company Titan Salvage, said experts would have one chance to pull the ship upright and float it away to the mainland for demolition. The attempt will probably take place in mid-September. "We cannot put it back" down and start over, said Sloane.

Sloane spoke aboard a work boat as he accompanied journalists for a close-hand look of the wreckage on the eve of the trial of Capt. Francesco Schettino, who is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all passengers had been evacuated.

The trial, which was supposed to get under way July 9, was postponed until Wednesday due to a lawyers' strike. The Italian captain denies wrongdoing, and claims his skillful guiding of the ship after the collision helped save countless lives.

The timetable to remove the Concordia has also been back. The original plan envisioned removal before start of this summer, but bad weather undermined those plans.

"We lost two months to weather," said salvage master Sloane, explaining that the season's harsh sea conditions made it risky for diving teams to work, including installing bags that are filled with cement to provide a more stable base when the flat-keeled ship is pulled upright.

Sloane said the granite seabed also proved more resistant to drilling than imagined. It was "like trying to drill through glass at a 45-degree angle."

Pressure to make the unprecedented operation succeed is mounting as experts worry that a small window of opportunity to pull off the ambitious feat could shut in a few months.

"Another winter and we might not be able to parbuckle," Sloane said, using the nautical term for righting a ship. He expressed concern that the ship might compress even further, making it impossible to pull it up upright and into a position so it can be floated away.

The project calls for dozens of crane-like pulleys flanking the ship to slowly start tilting the vessel upright at a rate of 3 meters (yards) per hour. In all, the parbuckling should take about 12 hours.

On Monday several welders moved like Spiderman on the now horizontal hull, securing steel pieces which will function like hooks. Steel chains weighing 17,000 tons are being looped under the wreck to help pull it upright. So far 18 chains have been laid, with the remaining four to be put in place over the next few days.

To work on the tilted wreck, the welders were given five days of climbing training on nearly sheer granite rocks on the island by instructors from Italy's Dolomite mountains.

Crews are also attaching caissons, or tanks, to the exposed flank of the Concordia. The caissons will be filled with water to add weight and help pull the ship upright. Identical caissons will be attached to the submerged side of the ship once it's righted. The caissons on both sides will then be filled with air to float the ship up off the rocks so it can be towed away.

The 70-meter-long gash on the Concordia's hull has been largely covered with metal plates, though an exposed 3-meter (10 foot) wide hole remains, resembling a truck garage entrance. Crews said there was no need to cover that remaining hole. The gash itself wasn't repaired, since engineers said it wasn't necessary. The salvage operation extracted 96 tons of granite reef from the hole, Sloane said.

Just inside the gashed area were four compartments designed to be water-tight, including engine rooms, Sloane noted.

At the very top level of the luxury liner, just over the area where the reef speared the ship like a jagged knife, was the passenger dining room. Its big picture windows gave diners a view of the lights of Giglio as the Concordia tried to glide close to the coast, the inky blackness of a winter's night view broken only by the lights in islanders' houses.

Survivors have recounted how, many of them dressed in cocktail dresses and suits, were just sitting down for a gala first-night meal when the collision occurred, setting off panic and confusion with no quick word from the crew about what exactly had happened.

After slamming into the reef off Giglio, the ship drifted toward port, where, badly listing as it rapidly took on seawater, it capsized. Passengers described a frantic and delayed evacuation, with the bridge initially insisting to inquiring coast guardsmen that the ship had merely suffered a blackout.

Bodies of two of the victims ? an Italian passenger and of a Filipino waiter ? were never found.

Every day, divers "see mattresses and towels hanging from balconies. Every time they see it, they are very aware ... there are still bodies" possibly under the wreck, Sloane said. The removal projects' divers haven't gone into the wreckage; the futile search for the last two victims' bodies was conducted earlier by fire department and coast guard divers.

Franco Porcellacchia, coordinator of removal plans for Costa, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp., estimated that the removal would cost about 500 million euros, paid for by insurers.

Where the wreck will be towed for demolition ? assuming it can be floated away ? has yet to be decided, although Italian media have mentioned the Tuscan port of Piombino as a possibility. Porcellacchia said one difficulty is finding a port that can handle the cruise ship's dimensions, which will be made even wider by the caissons that will be attached to each side.

While Giglio has fretted about losing tourists because of the wreck, the island's port bustled with vacationers Monday. And the removal has brought new business: Two hotels overlooking the wreck are booked year-round by crews.

At cafes near the port on Monday, welders in work jumpsuits and rubber boots rubbed elbows with sunbathers in shorts and flip-flops.

A bronze plaque along a harbor wall lists the name of the 32 people who perished on what was supposed to be a pleasure cruise.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/salvage-crews-rush-1-chance-move-concordia-131325849.html

Johnny Manziel Anna Benson Kyle Massey Tyson Gay Jordan Spieth Rembrandt van Rijn Twinkies