Flip Charts 101: Basic Tips to Use This Lonely Versatile Tool

When I was in high school, every teacher used an overhead projector regularly. Many years later, I can?t recall the last time I saw one used as meeting rooms are increasing equipped with digital projectors to display PowerPoint and Keynote slides. This is a clear technology upgrade, and I don?t miss the overhead projector at all.

Similarly, the flip chart is another device my teachers used often; sadly, it also gathers dust often in dark, neglected corners of meeting rooms.?But flip charts are more than just relics; they remain one of the most versatile tools readily available to speakers.

In this article, we list the core benefits of using flip charts, and give several tips that will help you use this wonderful tool effectively.

Core Benefits of Flip Charts

Flip charts are both a static display tool (like slides or props) and a dynamic creation tool (like a whiteboard or the ubiquitous back of the napkin). This versatility offers many key benefits to speakers, including:

1. Writing or drawing on a flip chart is an active process, and energizes the speaker. Whenever I step up to the flip chart, my energy levels rise.
2. Audiences ask more questions. I don?t really know why, but perhaps it?s because the scribbles or sketches on a flip chart feel less permanent (than electronic slides), and thus more open to questioning and dialogue.
3. Writing takes time, and this provides healthy pauses for your audience to absorb information or take notes.
4. Flip charts and brainstorming go together like peanut butter and bananas (yummy!).?One of my favorite training techniques is using a flip chart to record brainstorming sessions. I ask questions, and then speedily record responses shouted out by my audience.
5. Flip charts are low tech and analog. You don?t need to worry about passwords, projector bulbs, or extension cords ? just present! (I?m not saying they are better than slides; rather, I think speakers should master both options.)

Flip Chart Do?s and Taboos

Using flip charts effectively is a basic skill every competent speaker must possess. You may not use flip charts in every presentation, but you should be able to wield one effectively when appropriate.

Here?s a few tips to help you:

1. Be prepared.
Check and double check that you have markers (and that they aren?t dried out) and enough paper.

2. Choose dark, saturated colors.
To maximize visibility all the way to the back of the room, stick to high contrast colors like black, blue, red, or dark green. Stay away from yellow or anything pastel-shaded.

3. Use colors consistently.
If you are using more than one color (you should), then use them consistently. I typically use black as my base color, but then use red or blue to emphasize key words, or annotate the text.

4. Position the flip chart to maximize visibility for your audience.
I?ve seen speakers use flip charts from exactly where they stood at the beginning of the session: in a far, dark corner. Don?t hesitate to move the flip chart to a more convenient location.

5. Minimize the time spent standing in front of the flip chart.
Lots of people advise standing to the side, even when writing. I find this difficult to do without compromising legibility. However, it is important to quickly move off to the side when you aren?t writing or drawing to avoid being an obstacle.

?Flip charts are more than just relics; they remain one of the most versatile tools readily available to speakers.?

6. Be neat? it matters.
If nobody can read it, it?s pointless.?Practice your penmanship. It?s not hard to do, but it does take practice as it is different than writing on a desk or table.

7. Print.
Don?t write.

8. Print large.
Make sure every word you print can be read by the person sitting in the back row of the room.

9. Print straight across.
Keep your words/phrases oriented straight along the page. Don?t dip down as if your words are tumbling down a waterfall. If you find this difficult, pre-trace some faint pencil lines along the flip chart pages.

10. Give the flip chart the focus.
If you are using both slides and a flip chart within the same presentation, consider whether the two are needed concurrently. If you don?t need your slides when using a flip chart, black out the slides (use the ?B? key in PowerPoint to do this) to put the entire focus on the flip chart.

11. Don?t use flip charts for lengthy sentences.
Focus on single words or short phrases. This will keep the tempo quick and active ? just what the flip chart should be.

12. Draw pictures. You don?t need to be an artist.
Of course flip charts are good for planned diagrams, but they shine when used for impromptu sketches. Use colors wisely.

13. Make tables, charts, or graphs.
Let your imagination go wild.

14. Pre-fill some pages, either in whole or in part.
It depends on your overall presentation plan, but sometimes it makes sense to pre-write or pre-draw some or all of the pages. On pages meant for brainstorming, I?ll often pre-write the column headings. When using diagrams, I?ll often draw out the main blocks using black marker before my session, and then add color labels and highlights during the presentation. If you do this, be sure to leave a blank page in between prepared pages so that the lines don?t show through.

15. Use pencil to give yourself invisible hints.
You can sketch diagrams in pencil beforehand, and nobody will be able to see them. (You can do this for an arbitrarily detailed figure by projecting it onto the flip chart and tracing in pencil.) Then, during your session, just draw over these invisible lines with markers. Alternatively, you can write reminders to yourself in the corner of the page in pencil. If you plan well, you can eliminate hand-held notes entirely, even for lengthy sessions.

16. Refer back to flip chart pages throughout your presentation.
Help your audience draw connections by referring back to relevant flip chart pages from earlier in your presentation. For example, I sometimes open by brainstorming some big picture questions the audience has about my topic. Then, as the presentation proceeds, I can refer back to those questions as they are answered. If necessary, rip off the pages and post them on the wall to ensure they are accessible.

17. Get your audience members at the flip chart.
You could have a volunteer act as a scribe for you, or you could have small-group activities planned using flip charts. There are endless training techniques you can employ? perhaps that?s another article.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have tips for using flip charts? Please share in the comments.

Source: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/flip-charts-101/

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Check out pictures from UFC on Fox 6

Check out UFC on Fox 6 pictures from the always-amazing Tracy Lee. She caught images of Demetrious Johnson outlasting John Dodson, Quinton Jackson's final UFC fight, and more from Saturday night's fights. To see more of Lee's work, follow her on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/check-pictures-ufc-fox-6-204314877--mma.html

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Vultures foraging far and wide face a poisonous future

Jan. 30, 2013 ? A first ever study of the range and habits of white-backed vultures across southern Africa shows that they often shun national parks, preferring to forage further afield on private farmland.

This behaviour and their tendency to scavenge in groups, means that vultures risk encountering dead cattle that have been administered veterinary drugs that are poisonous to them, or even poisoned carcasses intended to control other carnivores such as jackals.

The research, using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite transmitters to track the movements of adolescent vultures, is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The white-backed vulture is a widespread but declining species in Africa and it is now listed as endangered. In India, several vulture species are on the verge of extinction due to accidental poisoning from cattle carcasses that contain anti-inflammatory drugs administered by farmers. These drugs are non-lethal to cattle yet fatal to vultures. There is a concern that these drugs could become more widely used in Africa.

Vultures prefer to feed in savannah grassland habitats and away from other competing carnivores, such as lions, and the new study shows that the birds will go to considerable lengths to find food, crossing multiple state boundaries, with each bird on average ranging across an area twice the size of England.

Co-lead author, Dr Stephen Willis, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, said: "We found that young vultures travel much further than we ever imagined to find food, sometimes moving more than 220 kilometres a day. Individuals moved through up to five countries over a period of 200 days, emphasising the need for conservation collaboration among countries to protect this species."

"In South Africa, the vultures avoided the national parks that have been established to conserve wildlife. As a result, these parks are unlikely to protect such a wide-ranging species against threats in the wider landscape.

"The vultures may actively avoid parks with numerous large mammal predators due to competition for food, and find easier pickings on cattle carcasses in farmland outside these protected areas.

"We found evidence that individual birds were attracted to 'vulture restaurants' where carrion is regularly put out as an extra source of food for vultures and where tourists can see the birds up close. As a result, these individuals reduced their ranging behaviour. Such 'restaurants' could be used in future to attract vultures to areas away from sites where they are at high risk of poisoning."

The team tracked six immature African white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus): five for 200 days, and one for 101 days) across southern Africa using GPS tracking units which were carefully strapped to the birds' backs.

Co-lead author, Louis Phipps, who recently graduated from the University of Pretoria, said: "Modern farming practices mean that vultures face an increasing risk of fatal poisoning. The provision of an uncontaminated supply of food, research into veterinary practices, and education for farmers could all be part of a future solution, if vulture numbers continue to plummet."

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/EPAzNgl82z4/130130184314.htm

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Manti Te'o hoaxer tells Dr. Phil he had romantic feelings for the football star [VIDEO]

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

Source: http://politomix.com/daily-caller/152104/manti-teo-hoaxer-tells-dr-phil-he-had-romantic-feelings-for-the-football-star-video/

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SCGS - Family Tree Maker Software User Group - February 10

SCGS Family Tree Maker Software User Group ? Meeting Notice, February 10, 2013

Continuing with charts in the Publish Workspace, we will compare the various chart styles ? Pedigree, Descendant, Bow Tie, Fan, Hourglass, etc.

Additional topics will address PDF output for charts and demonstrate the installation of a free PDF printer driver.

Finally we will review major features of the Plan Workspace and revisit the saving of record images from Ancestry.com, noting the differences between the Standard and Advanced Image Viewers.

For questions, contact Dick Humphrey at rlh1335@gmail.com.

Sunday, February 10, 2013
4:00 p.m.? 6:00 p.m.
Southern California Genealogical Society Family Research Library
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, California 91504

Source: http://scgsgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/01/scgs-family-tree-maker-software-user.html

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UK shocker: BlackBerry PlayBook is outselling the new iPad

BlackBerry PlayBook

British electronics distribution specialist Context dropped a bit of a bombshell on Tuesday by claiming that Research In Motion?s (RIMM) PlayBook tablet outsold Apple?s latest iPad during the last two months of the 2012. Of course, Apple (AAPL) has its own retail stores in the UK where most in-store sales likely occur, but the sales channels monitored by Context still make up most of the electronics distribution in the UK.

[More from BGR: Apple unveils new 128GB iPad]

According to Context, the PlayBook shifted 160,000 units and the latest-generation iPad 113,000 units over the Christmas period, giving RIM a fairly substantial lead. All iPad models combined sold 203,000 units. Of course it?s important to note that the recommended retail price of the PlayBook was??129 while the fourth-generation iPad starts at??399, but this data emphasizes an important shift in the market.

[More from BGR: Purported ?iPad 5? case with major redesign revealed in leaked photos]

The PlayBook?s strong channel performance is only the latest sign of how rapidly the cheap tablets are gaining market share in the UK ? last week, sales updates from Argos and Carphone Warehouse stressed the same theme.

Interestingly, The Register points out that one of the reasons for the strong PlayBook sales may be the big profit margin RIM offers for retailers for pushing its tablet. This could very well be a stratagem RIM will also employ when it launches its new BlackBerry phones in the UK, possibly within one week.

If the PlayBook is still commercially viable in the UK after the drubbing it took a year earlier, then the new BlackBerry handsets also have a shot at redemption. British consumers have always been the most pro-RIM people in Europe by a fairly large margin; BlackBerry smartphones? market share topped 20% in the UK two years ago.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-shocker-blackberry-playbook-outselling-ipad-143523733.html

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Report: China may end ban on game consoles | Joystiq

China Daily reports that the Chinese government is reviewing its current policy against game consoles. The ban was enacted in 2000 in order to protect children's development.

Because of the ban, none of the current generation of consoles were able to officially launch in China. Nintendo did manage to release a console of sorts in 2003, in the form of the plug-and-play iQue Player (above), and has followed up with handhelds all the way up to the 3DS XL.

China Daily's anonymous Ministry of Culture source said it has talked with other ministries about possibly reopening the market. "However, since the ban was issued by seven ministries more than a decade ago, we will need approval from all parties to lift it," the unnamed source said. Recently, the PS3 obtained safety certification.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/28/report-china-may-end-ban-on-game-consoles/

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Chastened Congress takes on immigration, seeks Rubio's mojo

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles for a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, including a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

The deal, to be announced at a news conference Monday, also covers border security, non-citizen or "guest" workers and employer verification of immigration status.

Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.

President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting comprehensive immigration legislation and will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.

Passage of legislation by the full Democratic-controlled Senate is far from assured, but the tallest hurdle could come in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans who've shown little interest in immigration reform.

Still, with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the GOP say this time will be different.

"What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle ? including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle ? that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"I think the time is right," McCain said.

Besides McCain, the senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn't get enough GOP support.

The group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform."

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:

?Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on visas.

?Reforming the legal immigration system, including awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, math, technology or engineering from an American university.

?Creating an effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants in the future, including requiring prospective workers to verify legal status and identity through a non-forgeable electronic system.

?Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.

The principles being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide agreement in identifying problems with the current immigration system. The most difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.

In order to satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.

Even then, those here illegally would have to pass background checks and pay fines and taxes in order to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow them to live and work here ? but not qualify for federal benefits ? before being able to apply for permanent residency, a critical step toward citizenship. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.

That could be a highly cumbersome process, but how to make it more workable is being left to future negotiations. The senators envision a more streamlined process toward citizenship for immigrants brought here as children, and for agricultural workers.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement that the framework agreed on by the senators could provide important protections for illegal immigrants who are exploited by employers and live in "constant fear" over their immigration status.

But the ACLU took issue with the proposal to require employers to use an electronic employment-verification system, calling it "a thinly disguised national ID requirement" that would undermine employees' privacy and lead to discrimination against those "who look or sound 'foreign.'"

The debate will play out at the start of Obama's second term, as he aims to spend the political capital afforded him by his re-election victory on an issue that has eluded past presidents and stymied him during his first term despite his promises to the Latino community to act.

"As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support," a White House spokesman, Clark Stevens, said in a statement. "At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved."

For Republicans, the November elections were a stark schooling on the importance of Latino voters, who voted for Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent, helping ensure Obama's victory. That led some Republican leaders to conclude that supporting immigration reform with a path to citizenship has become a political imperative.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-reach-agreement-immigration-reform-085239296--politics.html

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AP NewsBreak: Harkin won't seek 6th Senate term

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

CUMMING, Iowa (AP) ? U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said Saturday he will not seek a sixth term in 2014, a decision that frees a new generation of Iowa Democrats to seek higher office and eases some of the burden Republicans face in retaking the Senate.

Harkin, chairman of an influential Senate committee, announced his decision during an interview with The Associated Press, and said the move could surprise some.

But the 73-year-old cited his age ? he would be 81 at the end of a sixth term ? as a factor in the decision, saying it was time to pass the torch he has held for nearly 30 years.

"I just think it's time for me to step aside," Harkin told the AP.

Harkin, first elected in 1984, ranks 7th in seniority, and 4th among majority Democrats. He is chairman of the health, education, labor and pensions committee, and chairman of the largest appropriations subcommittee.

Harkin has long aligned with the Senate's more liberal members, and his signature legislative accomplishment is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. He also served as a key salesman of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care bill to the wary left.

"I'm not saying that giving this up and walking away is easy. It's very tough," Harkin said at his rural Iowa home south of Des Moines. "But I'm not quitting today. I'm not passing the torch sitting down."

Harkin's news defied outward signals. Besides being beloved in his party, Harkin has $2.7 million in his campaign war chest, second most among members nearing the end of their terms, and was planning a gala fundraiser in Washington, D.C., next month featuring pop star Lady Gaga.

Although members of his family have been diagnosed with cancer, Harkin said his health is good ? and reported a recent positive colonoscopy. But he said "you never know," and that he wanted to travel and spend his retirement with his wife Ruth "before it's too late."

He also nodded to his political longevity: "The effect of that cascades down and it opens a lot of doors of opportunity" for future candidates, he said.

Indeed, the news creates a rare open Senate seat Iowa. Harkin, Iowa's junior senator, is outranked by Sen. Charles Grassley, who has held the state's other seat since 1980.

Attention will turn immediately to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a fourth-term Democrat from Waterloo, long mentioned as a possible Harkin successor. Braley, who was traveling in Iowa on Saturday, did not immediately return requests by the AP for comments beyond an emailed news statement calling Harkin a "mentor" and "progressive force" who leaves "a legacy few will ever match."

Harkin held open the possibility of endorsing a Democrat before the party's primary if the candidate fit the profile of "someone who is progressive, who is a pragmatic progressive."

Although no Republicans have stepped forward, Harkin's news gives the GOP's private huddles new life.

"There are lots of conversations, but it's very early still," said Nick Ryan, an Iowa Republican campaign fundraiser.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham of Clive is a seasoned Republican congressman, a veteran appropriations committee member and a robust fundraiser who has survived challenges to win 10 consecutive terms. Aides to Latham declined to comment beyond issuing a statement saying the congressman "respects Sen. Harkin's decision (and) looks forward to continuing to work with him."

But with opening a door in Iowa, Harkin has created a potential headache for his party nationally.

Democrats likely would have had the edge in 2014 with the seat, considering Harkin's fundraising prowess and healthy approval. A poll by the Des Moines Register taken last fall showed a majority of Iowans approved of his job performance.

Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, requiring Republicans to gain six seats to win back the chamber. But Democrats have more seats to defend in 2014_20 compared to only 13 for Republicans.

And the president's party historically loses seats in the midterm elections after his re-election.

Seats in other states will be tough for Democrats to hold onto. In GOP-leaning West Virginia, five-term Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller recently announced he would not seek re-election.

Democratic incumbents also face tough re-election races in Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Alaska ? all states carried by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November's presidential election.

Since then, Harkin has stepped up his role as one of the Senate's leading liberal populists.

He was a vocal opponent late last year of President Barack Obama's concession to lift the income threshold for higher taxes to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Harkin instead supported raising taxes on all earners making more than $250,000 a year.

He also endorsed Obama's call for banning assault rifles and larger ammunition magazines in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting last month

Despite Harkin's strong political position, he has faced questions about his and his wife Ruth's role in developing a namesake policy institute at Iowa State University, Harkin's alma mater. The Harkins and their supporters have been pushing for the institute to house papers highlighting his signature achievements, including the ADA and shaping farm policy as the former chairman of the agriculture committee.

Harkin has avoided questions about fundraising for the institute after disclosure reports showed some of its largest donors are firms that have benefited from his policies.

Harkin dismissed that those questions had any bearing on his decision.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-26-Harkin-Iowa/id-25593d51402947cfb4687ee317b0bf82

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Billions in gas drilling royalties transform lives

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Private landowners are reaping billions of dollars in royalties each year from the boom in natural gas drilling, transforming lives and livelihoods even as the windfall provides only a modest boost to the broader economy.

In Pennsylvania alone, royalty payments could top $1.2 billion for 2012, according to an Associated Press analysis that looked at state tax information, production records and estimates from the National Association of Royalty Owners.

For some landowners, the unexpected royalties have made a big difference.

"We used to have to put stuff on credit cards. It was basically living from paycheck to paycheck," said Shawn Georgetti, who runs a family dairy farm in Avella, about 30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

Natural gas production has boomed in many states over the past few years as advances in drilling opened up vast reserves buried in deep shale rock, such as the Marcellus formation in Pennsylvania and the Barnett in Texas.

Nationwide, the royalty owners association estimates, natural gas royalties totaled $21 billion in 2010, the most recent year for which it has done a full analysis. Texas paid out the most in gas royalties that year, about $6.7 billion, followed by Wyoming at $2 billion and Alaska at $1.9 billion.

Exact estimates of natural gas royalty payments aren't possible because contracts and wholesale prices of gas vary, and specific tax information is private. But some states release estimates of the total revenue collected for all royalties, and feedback on thousands of contracts has led the royalty owners association to conclude that the average royalty is 18.5 percent of gas production.

"Our fastest-growing state chapter is our Pennsylvania chapter, and we just formed a North Dakota chapter. We've seen a lot of new people, and new questions," said Jerry Simmons, the director of the association, which was founded in 1980 and is based in Oklahoma.

Simmons said he hasn't heard of anyone getting less than 12.5 percent, and that's also the minimum rate set by law in Pennsylvania. Simmons knows of one contract in another state where the owner received 25 percent of production, but that's unusual.

By comparison, a 10 to 25 percent range is similar to what a top recording artist might get in royalties from CD sales, while a novelist normally gets a 12.5 percent to 15 percent royalty on hardcover book sales.

Simmons added that for oil and gas "there is no industry standard," since the royalty is often adjusted based on the per-acre signing bonus a landowner receives. While many people are lured by higher upfront bonuses, a higher royalty rate can generate more total income over the life of a well, which can stretch for 25 years.

Before Range Resources drilled a well on the family property in 2012, Georgetti said, he was stuck using 30-year-old equipment, with no way to upgrade without going seriously into debt.

"You don't have that problem anymore. It's a lot more fun to farm," Georgetti said, since he has been able to buy newer equipment that's bigger, faster and more fuel-efficient. The drilling hasn't caused any problems for the farm, he said.

Range spokesman Matt Pitzarella said the Fort Worth, Texas-based company has paid "well over" $1 billion to Pennsylvania landowners, with most of that coming since 2008.

One economist noted that the windfall payments from the natural gas boom are wonderful for individuals, but that they represent just a tiny portion of total economic activity.

For example, the $1 billion for Pennsylvania landowners sounds like a lot, but "it's just not going to have a big impact on the overall vitality of the overall economy," said Robert Inman, a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school. "I think the issue is, what difference does it make for the individual families?"

Pennsylvania's total gross domestic product in 2011 was about $500 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Inman noted that total gas industry hiring and investment can have a far bigger effect on a state or region, and companies have invested tens of billions of dollars just in Pennsylvania on pipelines, infrastructure, and drilling in recent years.

For example, in North Dakota the shale oil and minerals boom contributed 2.8 percent of GDP growth to the entire state economy in 2011, according to Commerce Department data.

Another variable in how much royalty owners actually receive is the wholesale price of gas. That has dropped significantly over the past two years even as production has boomed in Pennsylvania and many other states. Average wholesale prices went from about $4.50 per unit of gas in 2010 to about $3 in 2012. For many leaseholders, that meant a decline in royalties.

The boom in natural gas royalties has even led to niche spinoff companies that look for lease heirs who don't even know they're owed money.

Michael Zwick is president of Assets International, a Michigan company that searches for missing heirs.

"It was an underserved niche," Zwick said of oil and gas leases. When a company can't find an heir to lease royalties, the money often goes to state unclaimed property funds.

Zwick said he has found a few dozen people whose gas lease money was being held in escrow, including one who was owed about $250,000 in drilling royalties. But the average amount, he said, is far lower.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/billions-gas-drilling-royalties-transform-lives-150830350.html

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Unpopular Dog Names: Monikers For Pets That Are No Longer Cool

From Vetstreet's Kristen Seymour:

Just as today?s second-grade classrooms are no longer filled to the brim with Jennifers and Jasons, the dog names that were most popular a decade or two ago are no longer at the head of the class.

After checking out the most popular and trendiest puppy names, we decided to try something different and determine which names are on the other end of current trends. Using Vetstreet?s data on close to 1.26 million dogs, we took a peek at which names have fallen in popularity since 2003. Here are the 10 male and 10 female dog names that have fallen the farthest in the past decade.

List and captions courtesy of Vetstreet

• #10 Sammy (Male) / Shadow (Female)

  Sammy was the No. 24 most popular male dog name a decade ago and fell to No. 66 last year. It?s worth noting that Sam is also losing popularity, falling from No. 14 to No. 35 over the same period of time. Shadow, which came in as the No. 51 most popular female dog name in 2003, has now fallen to No. 87.

• #9 Smokey (Male) / Madison (Female)

  Smokey hasn?t fallen out of the top 100, but after going from No. 43 to No. 87 over the last decade, it still earned a spot on this list. Madison, the No. 62 female dog name in 2003, dropped out of the top 100 in 2009. Its nickname, Maddie, has also lost popularity but at a slower pace.

• #8 Luke (Male) / Sheba (Female)

  Although Luke was the No. 56 most popular name for male dogs in 2003, it fell out of the top 100 in 2012. Sheba, a name that fell off the list of most popular female dog names in 2009, came in at No. 61 back in 2003.

• #7 Scooby (Male) / Casey (Female)

  Scooby (Dooby Doo), where are you? Not in the top 100 anymore. After coming in at No. 53 in 2003, the name of one of pop culture?s favorite pups fell out of the top 100 in 2008. Casey, which was the No. 58 most popular female name a decade ago, also fell off the most popular names list in 2008.

• #6 Rusty (Male) / Heidi (Female)

  Rusty had a home on the list of 20 most popular names a decade ago, coming in at No. 16, but last year it dropped to No. 63. Heidi is still in the top 100 most popular female dog names ? but only just, coming in at No. 92 after holding the No. 50 spot in 2003.

• #5 Joey (Male) / Lucky (Female)

  Joey, the No. 52 most popular male dog name in 2003, fell out of the top 100 in 2012, earning it the No. 5 spot on this list. Lucky was the No. 56 most popular female dog name in 2003 but dropped off the list in 2010.

• #4 Spike (Male) / Katie (Female)

  Spike has fallen drastically in popularity in the past decade, going from No. 29 in 2003 to No. 81 in 2012. Katie saw a similar drop, beginning at No. 33 a decade ago, then falling to No. 82 last year.

• #3 Rudy (Male) / Misty (Female)

  Rudy was in the top half of most popular names in 2003, coming in at No. 47, but fell out of the top 100 last year. After holding the No. 48 spot in 2003, Misty dropped off the 100 most popular names list in 2011.

• #2 Dakota (Male) / Holly (Female)

  Dakota, the No. 43 most popular male dog name in 2003, comes in second on our list after dropping out of the top 100 in 2009. Holly, the second least trendy female dog name, has a similar story, claiming No. 45 in 2003 and falling off the list of most popular names in 2012.

• #1 Scooter (Male) / Brandy (Female)

  Scooter earned the top spot on this list by declining the most in popularity over the past decade, falling from No. 34 on the list of most popular male dog names in 2003 to No. 98 in 2012. Brandy takes No. 1 for females on the least popular list, starting at No. 42 in 2003 and falling out of the top 100 in 2011.

• Also On The Huffington Post...

  Puppy Spaniels are playful creatures and enjoy play time in the garden.

More from Vetstreet:
5 Once-Popular Dog Breeds That Are Sadly Disappearing
10 Trendiest Dog Names for 2013
13 Largest Dog Breeds: Towering and Commanding
Why Does My Dog? Kick Grass After Pooping?
Most Popular Kitten Names

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/unpopular-dog-names-uncool_n_2551498.html

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Schmuck Insurance--So Easy Two Billionaires Can Do It

Ackman says Icahn reneged, proving the insurance really was for schmucks.

(Read More: Ackman, Icahn Showdown: Twitter Reaction.)

So I'm thinking of starting a company called Schmuck Insurance. If these two need it, we all need it. My suggested tagline, "Schmuck Insurance. All you need is a handshake."

Thoughts?

Other suggested taglines from Twitter include:

"Schmuck Insurance: don't get caught short."

"So easy two billionaire cavemen can do it."

"Schmuck Insurance: we won't bully you."

"When you're tired of the Duck, try the Schmuck."

"We putz the client first."

Thanks for the suggestions from @tomkorocz, @j2lovesfriday, @WillowGroveJoe, and @szorowitz. Add yours in the comments section below.

?By CNBC's Jane Wells; Follow her on Twitter: @janewells

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100409186

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QB Young says he 'probably' signed loan papers

DALLAS (AP) ? Former NFL quarterback Vince Young admitted under oath he probably signed at least some of the documents for a $1.9 million loan he claims he shouldn't have to repay.

"All I know is I probably could have signed some of them, and I feel like some of them are fishy," he testified in a videotaped deposition last month.

A copy of the deposition transcript was obtained by The Associated Press.

Young, who has been out of football since he was cut by the Buffalo Bills before the start of the 2012 season, is fighting a $1.7 million judgment against him obtained by New York-based Pro Player Funding LLC last July. The former University of Texas star has said he wasn't involved in seeking the high-interest loan, funded during the NFL lockout in 2011, and never got the proceeds.

But in the deposition, taken Dec. 13 in Houston, Young acknowledged he probably signed some of the paperwork in the presence of a notary during a visit to the office of a Houston lawyer.

"I went to sign some papers that my financial adviser asked me to go over and sign, but I don't remember what it was," he testified.

Asked by Pro Player's attorney if he bothered to request the documents in their entirety, Young replied: "No. I'd just go and sign and get out of there."

In court filings last year, Young said he didn't recall signing the paperwork. If he did sign something, it happened without the corresponding loan information being made available to him, he said. He also claimed no notary was present.

Young's attorney, Trey Dolezal, did not respond to requests for comment on the deposition.

As part of his testimony, Young acknowledged that he never questioned why $1 million of the salary he earned from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2011 season went directly from the team to Pro Player.

"I never have discussions about things like that when I'm playing football," he said. "I'm just too focused. ... Like I said, I put my trust in (his accountant) to find out what's going on and my lawyers to figure it out so I can focus on playing football."

At one point, Pro Player attorney Sean Bellew asked Young whether he understood the significance of having a judgment against him.

"I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know nothing about this," he replied. "Only information I know is what my lawyer explains to me and lets me know what goes on. I'm just trying to figure it out myself."

Young testified that he was "lied to" by advisers who falsely claimed to have put $5 million of his money in a "trust." He also acknowledged that he allowed people to have power of attorney over his affairs without understanding what that meant.

"If they do anything on your behalf, I thought they had to make sure it goes by you and I'm signing for it," he testified. "I didn't know that ... if they have a power of attorney, they can go do anything with your signature."

Young has sued his former agent, Houston attorney Major Adams, and a North Carolina financial planner, Ronnie Peoples, claiming they misappropriated $5.5 million. The lawsuit, filed five days after the Pro Player loan went into default, also contends that Adams and Peoples obtained the loan for their own benefit.

Adams and Peoples have denied wrongdoing, and Peoples has filed a countersuit in which he alleges that Young caused his money problems by overspending and allowing his uncle, a former middle school teacher, to oversee his finances.

Attempts by Bellew to seek detailed information from Young about his current financial condition were repeatedly cut off by Dolezal.

"He's kept up with his bills," Dolezal said at one point. "And that's about as far as that's going to go."

Financing statements reviewed by the AP show that Young was one of at least 16 current or former NFL players who obtained loans from Pro Player in 2011. Three NBA players also borrowed money from the company, according to the documents.

Pro Player sued Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie last year over what the company said was more than $4.5 million in unpaid loans. That matter was settled in July when McKinnie agreed to have 50 percent of his wages garnished during the 2012 season.

___

Follow Danny Robbins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RobbinsDanny

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/qb-young-says-probably-signed-loan-papers-193449115--nfl.html

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Britain's economy shrinks anew, flirts with 'triple dip' - InterAksyon.com

By: David Milliken and Olesya Dmitracova, Reuters
January 25, 2013 8:05 PM

InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

LONDON?- Britain's economy shrank more than expected at the end of 2012 with a North Sea oil production slump, lower factory output and a hangover from London?Olympics?pushing it perilously close to a "triple-dip" recession.

The country's gross domestic product fell 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday, a sharper fall than the 0.1 percent decline forecast by analysts.

The news is a blow for Britain's Conservative-led government, which a day earlier defended its austerity program against criticism from the International Monetary Fund. It needs solid growth to meet its budget targets, keep a triple-A debt rating and bolster its chances of winning a 2015 election.

Sterling fell to its lowest in 13-1/2 months against the euro and hit a five-month low against the dollar in response to the data. The euro was also buoyed by a stronger-than-expected German Ifo sentiment survey.

"This is a very disappointing outturn," said Philip Shaw, economist at Investec in London. "Clearly now the talk will focus on whether we are in a triple dip recession. Certainly the news is unwanted."

Britain's economy is now 3.3 percent smaller than its peak in Q1 2008, having recovered only about half the output lost during the financial crisis - a worse performance than most other major economies.

The country slipped back into recession in the last three months of 2011, and only emerged from it in the third quarter of 2012, after a boost from the London Olympics.

After a bout of inclement snowy weather in January - which is likely to have hit spending and output - the risk is that the economy will continue to shrink in the first three months of this year, technically pushing it into a rare and unwelcome "triple dip" recession.

Britain's biggest department store group, John Lewis JLP.UL, said earlier on Friday that snow was responsible for its sales growth stalling in the latest week.

Politically incendiary

In economic terms, the picture remains one of stagnation over the past year. But politically, the latest dip in national output is more incendiary.

"Stagnation is going to be the theme for the next couple of quarters or so. This obviously brings Osborne's strategy into sharp relief and also the (Bank of England) strategy of maintaining or not sanctioning further monetary policy action," said Rob Wood at Berenberg Bank. "The Bank of England were forecasting a return to some growth in Q1 and that is likely to be disappointed."

Finance minister George Osborne stuck fast to his austerity plan on Thursday, rejecting suggestions from the International Monetary Fund's chief economist that he should consider slowing his deficit reduction plan.

Prime Minister David Cameron this week staked his political future on offering a referendum on Britain's place in the European Union. But it is Osborne's gamble that austerity will deliver strong growth before a 2015 election that will be crucial in determining his Conservative party's chance of winning.

After the figures were released, the Treasury conceded that Britain still faced a "very difficult economic situation".

"While the economy is healing, it is still a difficult road," it said in a statement.

Britain's chief central banker Mervyn King expects no more than a "gentle recovery" this year, while this week the IMF cut its 2013 forecast for British economic growth to 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent predicted in October.

However, economists and business groups warn that even such lackluster growth could be derailed by a hit to firms' and consumers' confidence from talk of a triple-dip recession.

That prospect will add to pressure on the ruling coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to loosen its deficit-cutting drive and bolster the economy as George Osborne prepares his 2013 budget, due in March.

The biggest driver for the fourth-quarter fall in GDP was a 10.2 percent drop in mining and quarrying output, the biggest since records began in 1997, driven by disruption from extended maintenance affecting North Sea oil and gas fields.

This knocked 0.18 percent off GDP, while slightly smaller amounts of damage were done by falls in factory output and in the 'government and other services' category, where the Olympics had boosted sports and recreation services in the third quarter.

Friday's figures showed output in the service sector -- which makes up more than three quarters of GDP -- was flat in the fourth quarter. Industrial output was 1.8 percent lower.

?

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/53579/britains-economy-shrinks-anew-flirts-with-triple-dip

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bigHead sees growth in automotive applications | JEC Composites

Lightweight composite materials provide not only a reduction in weight over traditional materials such as steel and glass, but a significant opportunity to improve function and form.? Their adoption by design engineers can however lead to significant challenges in car assembly.? One of the key challenges is how to securely fasten such materials. Traditional fastening systems designed for sheet metal, such as rivets, bolts and clinched fixings are incompatible with lightweight composites, such as carbon fibre.? Increasingly therefore, design engineers are turning to bonding and bonding fasteners as a solution.

?

bigHead, UK based manufacturer of bonding fasteners, has seen an extension of demand for its fastening solutions from supercars to premium and luxury cars. bighead?s customer Aston Martin is using bighead fasteners to attach the carbon fibre diffusers. The fasteners provide a secure mechanical screw fixing by being surface bonded with adhesive on the inside of the diffuser.? From the outside they are completely discrete, with no rivets or drill holes and they are very simple to install.? Due to the unique design of the perforated ?Head?, the adhesive flows through the holes and hooks the fastener securely into position, achieving high load distribution and stability.

?

The bonding fasteners are simple to use, save time and reduce production cost. When integrated within car modules, sub-assembly manufacturers help their customers streamline final assembly.

bigHead can be embedded within the lightweight composite material or surface bonded.? For applications requiring surface bonding with adhesive bigHead is working with adhesive partners to significantly reduce the cycle time.? Current structural adhesives can take several minutes to cure which is not compatible with fast cycles times needed for high volume production.? bigHead has identified solutions that can bring the bonding cycle time down to just seconds while also removing much of the imprecision and mess associated with wet structural adhesives.

?

More information: www.bighead.co.uk

Source: http://www.jeccomposites.com/news/composites-news/bighead-sees-growth-automotive-applications

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Organic ferroelectric molecule shows promise for memory chips, sensors

Friday, January 25, 2013

At the heart of computing are tiny crystals that transmit and store digital information's ones and zeroes. Today these are hard and brittle materials. But cheap, flexible, nontoxic organic molecules may play a role in the future of hardware.

A team led by the University of Washington in Seattle and the Southeast University in China discovered a molecule that shows promise as an organic alternative to today's silicon-based semiconductors. The findings, published this week in the journal Science, display properties that make it well suited to a wide range of applications in memory, sensing and low-cost energy storage.

"This molecule is quite remarkable, with some of the key properties that are comparable with the most popular inorganic crystals," said co-corresponding author Jiangyu Li, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering.

The new carbon-based material could offer even cheaper ways to store digital information; provide a flexible, nontoxic material for medical sensors that would be implanted in the body; and create a cheaper, lighter material to harvest energy from natural vibrations.

The new molecule is a ferroelectric, meaning it is positively charged on one side and negatively charged on the other, where the direction can be flipped by applying an electrical field. Synthetic ferroelectrics are now used in some displays, sensors and memory chips.

In the study the authors pitted their new molecule against barium titanate, a long-known ferroelectric material that is a standard for performance. Barium titanate is a ceramic crystal and contains titanium; it has largely been replaced in industrial applications by better-performing but lead-containing alternatives.

The new molecule holds its own against the standard-bearer. It has a natural polarization, a measure of how strongly the molecules align to store information, of 23, compared to 26 for barium titanate. To Li's knowledge this is the best organic ferroelectric discovered to date.

A recent study in Nature announced an organic ferroelectric that works at room temperature. By contrast, this molecule retains its properties up to 153 degrees Celsius (307 degrees F), even higher than for barium titanate.

The new molecule also offers a full bag of electric tricks. Its dielectric constant ? a measure of how well it can store energy ? is more than 10 times higher than for other organic ferroelectrics. And it's also a good piezoelectric, meaning it's efficient at converting movement into electricity, which is useful in sensors.

The new molecule is made from bromine, a natural element isolated from sea salt, mixed with carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen (its full name is diisopropylammonium bromide). Researchers dissolved the elements in water and evaporated the liquid to grow the crystal. Because the molecule contains carbon, it is organic, and pivoting chemical bonds allow it to flex.

The molecule would not replace current inorganic materials, Li said, but it could be used in applications where cost, ease of manufacturing, weight, flexibility and toxicity are important.

Li is working on a number of projects relating to ferroelectricity. Last year he and his graduate student found the first evidence for ferroelectricity in soft animal tissue. He was co-author on a 2011 paper in Sciencethat documents nanometer-scale switching in ferroelectric films, showing how such molecules could be used to store digital information.

"Ferroelectrics are pretty remarkable materials," Li said. "It allows you to manipulate mechanical energy, electrical energy, optics and electromagnetics, all in a single package."

He is working to further characterize this new molecule and explore its combined electric and mechanical properties. He also plans to continue the search for more organic ferroelectrics.

###

University of Washington: http://www.uwnews.org

Thanks to University of Washington for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 67 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126465/Organic_ferroelectric_molecule_shows_promise_for_memory_chips__sensors

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Smartphone 4Q sales rise 36 pct led by Samsung

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Smartphone shipments rose 36 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter as the sleek devices supplanted personal computers and other gadgets on holiday shopping lists, according to a report released Friday.

The findings from the research firm International Data Corp. are the latest sign of the technology upheaval being wrought by the growing popularity of smartphones that can perform a wide variety of tasks, including surfing the Web and taking high-quality photos.

Companies whose fortunes are tied to the PC industry have been particularly hard hit by the shift to smartphones and tablet computers.

While some smartphone models were in short supply during the holiday season, fourth-quarter PC shipments fell by 6 percent from the previous year, according to another IDC report released earlier this month.

IDC estimates 219 million smartphones were shipped during the final three months of last year. That compares with nearly 161 million in the same 2011 period. Smartphones accounted for about 45 percent of all mobile phone shipments in the fourth quarter, the highest percentage recorded by IDC.

Samsung Electronics Co. retained its bragging rights as the smartphone leader, shipping nearly 64 million devices for a 29 percent share of the global market.

Apple Inc. ranked second with nearly 48 million iPhones shipped during the fourth quarter, translating into a market share of 22 percent.

For all of 2012, IDC estimated nearly 713 million smartphones were shipped worldwide, a 44 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, annual PC shipments fell 3 percent from 2011, IDC said. It was the first annual decline since 2001.

Entering 2012, Apple held a slight edge over Samsung in the smartphone market. But Samsung sprinted past Apple during the year as it introduced an array of models, most of which run on Google Inc.'s free Android software. Samsung's top-selling line, the Galaxy, boasts larger display screens than the iPhone and other features.

Apple alleges Samsung's devices illegally ripped off the iPhone's innovations. After a high-profile trial in federal court, a jury in San Jose, Calif. sided with some of the patent infringement claims last August and decided Samsung should pay more than $1 billion in damages. Samsung has been trying to overturn the verdict.

Lower-priced smartphones from Samsung and other device makers also have hurt Apple, whose slowing iPhone growth has contributed to a $250 billion decline in its market value since its stock price peaked in late September.

IDC says Huawei Technologies Ltd.'s emphasis on less expensive handsets helped it become the third largest smartphone maker with a market share of 5 percent at the end of the fourth quarter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/smartphone-4q-sales-rise-36-205118979.html

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Vine Swings To The Top Of Social In App Store, Claims 14th Spot In Free Apps

Vine was just released yesterday as Twitter's new standalone video-sharing iOS app. It lets users thread together tiny clips into one looping six-second video, with a UI very similar to Instagram's. The app expectedly made a splash with early adopters in the tech world and has seemed to gain momentum in the past 24 hours, becoming the top free app in the App Store's Social category. It's also risen to the number 14 top free app overall. The app was featured yesterday evening by Apple, which also helps the app climb the leader board. The real question, however, is whether or not Vine can keep its top placement in the App Store and continue to accrue downloads and new users.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Cvdpeqtc63Y/

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TSX near 18-month high, buoyed by Agrium, Potash

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index held near 18-month highs on Thursday, led in part by U.S. economic data as well as by fertilizer makers Potash Corp and Agrium Inc , which rose after Agrium raised its profit forecast.

In the United States, a private survey showed that factory activity advanced at the fastest pace in nearly two years this month, while the government reported the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits hit a five-year low last week.

Canadian stocks were also supported by data that showed Chinese manufacturing growth hit a two-year high this month.

"When you've got stronger economic growth in the two largest economies in the world, that can help," said Gavin Graham, president at Graham Investment Strategy, even as he noted that it was still a bit simplistic. "Nonetheless, undoubtedly it's the way the market's mind tends to work."

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse> rose 29.57 points, or 0.23 percent, to 12,823.62, after touching 12,863.47, its highest since August 2, 2011.

Eight of the 10 main sectors on the index finished in positive territory.

"There's a growing feeling that we're heading in the right direction. The U.S. economy is showing a little bit of life, and that's spilling over into Canada," said Fred Ketchen, director of equity trading at ScotiaMcLeod.

Potash was the most influential positive stock on the index, rising 1.7 percent to C$42.63, while shares of Agrium, among the top five weightiest gainers, climbed 2.9 percent to C$113.90.

Agrium rallied after it raised its fourth-quarter earnings forecast as strong grain and oilseed prices spurred demand for its fertilizer products over the fall season.

Ketchen, noting the activity in Agrium shares over the past few days, said, "People are taking another look at it, thinking maybe it's time to get back in."

The overall materials group was down 1.34 percent, however, dragged lower by slumping gold mining stocks, which slipped with the price of the precious metal. Bullion posted its biggest one day drop in three weeks, falling 1 percent after repeatedly failing to break above a key technical resistance.

Shares of Research In Motion Ltd also boosted the market, closing up 2.9 percent following Apple Inc's disappointing iPhone sales [ID:nL4N0AT4LX] and after a report that China's Lenovo Group said a bid for the BlackBerry maker was among the options available to boost its mobile business. [ID:nL1N0ATB47]

"RIM is doing better on the back of Apple's misfortunes," said Graham, adding that the Lenovo news was also a key factor.

The overall technology sector finished up 1.91 percent.

Energy stocks gained 0.7 percent and was the biggest contributor to the market's gains as U.S. crude oil prices rose. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd rose 1.6 percent to C$30.67.

Methanex Corp shares climbed 8.2 percent to C$34.88, touching a life high, after it signed a 10-year natural gas supply deal with U.S. oil and gas company Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Financials, the index's weightiest sector, added 0.4 percent.

(Additional reporting by John Tilak; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-opens-higher-buoyed-agrium-china-growth-144548806--finance.html

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Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S85

In many ways, the WorkForce Pro GT-S85 is nearly identical to the Epson Workforce Pro GT-S55 that I recently reviewed. It offers the same basic strengths and is aimed at the same kind of office, meaning one that is most likely using scan-related programs?like SharePoint or enterprise content management (ECM) systems or services?that run on a server or in the cloud. Like the GT-S85, it's sold primarily through value added resellers. For companies that need its faster speed and higher duty cycle, however, it can easily be worth the higher price.

The two models are also physically similar. Both measure 8.4 by 11.9 by 8.0 inches (HWD) with the input and output trays closed, or 15.9 by 11.9 by 15.0-inches with the trays extended. That makes both of them small enough to share a desk with as a personal scanner. However, the GT-S85 is even less likely than the GT-S55 to serve in that role.

The GT-S85 offers the same 75-page capacity as its less expensive cousin for its automatic document feeder (ADF), but it promises to churn through the pages faster, with a 60 percent boost in the speed rating, to 40 pages per minute (ppm) and 80 images per minute (ipm) for duplex (two-sided) scans. It also offers a 50 percent higher duty cycle, at 3,000 pages per day. These differences are enough to make the GT-S85 much more definitively a workgroup scanner, or even a departmental scanner, despite all the similarities between the two.

Setup and Software
For my tests, I installed the GT-S85 on a system running Windows Vista. Setup was standard fare, with a USB connection as the only choice.

The software side of the package is identical to the software that comes with the GT-S55, starting with the Document Capture Pro scan utility. In addition to controlling scanning, the utility offers some basic editing features, including de-skewing images and adding, inserting, or replacing pages.

The utility will also let you send scans to an assortment of destinations. Options include sending the file as an email attachment, sending it to a printer or an FTP site; sending it to SharePoint, Evernote, or Google Docs; or saving it to disk in searchable PDF (sPDF), image PDF, JPG, BMP, TIFF, or Multi-TIFF formats.

The one application program Epson provides is Abbyy FineReader 6.0 Sprint Plus, for optical character recognition (OCR). As you would expect, you can use it to turn scanned documents into editable text files. In addition, Document Capture Pro automatically calls on the program to recognize scanned text when you give the command to scan and save to sPDF format. Finally, for software, the scanner comes with Twain, WIA, and ISIS drivers, so you can scan using virtually any Windows program with a scan command.

Scan Speed and Document Management
As is common for document scanners, the GT-S85 offers a 600 pixel per inch (ppi) optical resolution, but its 40 ppm rated speed is based on a 200 ppi default setting. In my tests using the default settings, I timed the scanner on our standard 25-sheet text document at reasonably fast speeds in absolute terms. However, as with the GT-S55, it was substantially slower than its rating, managing only 31.3 ppm for simplex scans and 58.8 ipm for duplex scans.

As I pointed out in the GT-S55 review, most scanners come much closer to their ratings in our testing. The Ambir ImageScan Pro 940u, which is also rated at 40 ppm and 80 ipm, came in at 38.5 ppm and 75 ipm, and the Editors' Choice Canon imageFormula DR-C125, rated at 25 ppm and 50 ipm, came in at 25.4 ppm and 50 ipm.

Very much worth mention, however, is that I saw an obvious lag between giving the scan command and the scan actually starting. The more pages you scan in a batch, the smaller a percentage that lag will be of the overall time, and the faster the speed will come out in pages per minute.

The speed for scanning to sPDF format, which is generally preferred for document management applications, is potentially more of an issue. When adding the text recognition step for sPDF files, the GT-S85 takes longer than less expensive scanners with slower raw scan speeds.

I timed it at 2 minutes 6 seconds on our 25-sheet duplex text document, making it only 11 seconds faster than the Epson GT-S55, more than a minute slower than the Canon DR-C125, and about a half minute slower than the 30 ppm, 60 ipm Kodak i2400. If you need to scan primarily to sPDF files, in short, you can get equal or better performance with less expensive scanners.

Other Test Results
The software that comes with the GT-S85 also let me test its OCR accuracy for scanning to editable text format. Interestingly, the combination of FineReader and the GT-S85 did much better on OCR than the combination of FineReader and the GT-S55.

Using the default 200 ppi setting, the GT-S85 read both our Times New Roman and Arial text pages at font sizes as small as 10 points without a mistake. At 300 ppi, it managed to read both at 8 points without a mistake. More impressively, it also did as good a job or better with several fonts that aren't part of our official tests because few scanners or programs can handle them well.

Whether the Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S85 will be a better choice than its competition depends on your particular needs. If you need to scan primarily to sPDF format, less expensive scanners can do the job as quickly or faster. But the GT-S85 may give you better accuracy, as it does compared with the Epson GT-S55. If you need to scan primarily to image formats, however, you can take better advantage of its speed. So although the Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S85 isn't a compelling choice for every office it is aimed at, it may be the right choice, or at least a reasonable choice, for yours.

More Scanner Reviews:
??? Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S55
??? Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S85
??? Apparent Doxie One
??? Xerox DocuMate 3125
??? Epson WorkForce WF-3540
?? more

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/cjbRWJ4JTn8/0,2817,2414516,00.asp

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Is There Anything Left To Sanction in North Korea?

North Korea launched a rocket carrying a satellite into orbit on Dec. 12, 2012, an action the U.N. later condemned

Photo By KNS/AFP/Getty Images.

The United Nations voted to tighten economic sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday, and the international pariah responded by threatening to conduct another nuclear test. After so many rounds of trade restrictions on North Korea, is there anything left to sanction?

Tons of stuff. You can?t sell weapons or luxury goods (caviar, handbags, yachts, etc.) to anyone in the hermit kingdom. Otherwise, American companies are relatively free to peddle their wares in North Korea, as long as they avoid approximately 100 individuals, companies, and government agencies that have been blacklisted by the United States or the United Nations. (When the U.N. tightens sanctions, it?s often just a matter of adding more entities to the list.) Importing goods from North Korea, in contrast, requires a special license from the Treasury Department?but there?s not much to buy from the Democratic People?s Republic of Korea. Overall, economic restrictions on North Korea are light compared with other countries that are out of favor with the U.S. government, and the administration has left plenty of room to tighten the sanctions on Kim Jong-un. It could, for example, apply blanket trade restrictions on the DPRK, as it has against Iran, Cuba, and Syria.

That doesn?t mean trading with North Korea is easy or that the administration encourages it. The United States government offers several programs to facilitate trade with other countries. Let?s say, for example, that you wanted to export diapers to France. The Export-Import Bank of the United States would offer you a loan to buy polyethylene and fragrance to make the product and trucks to ship your wares. It may also loan money to your buyers abroad and insure you against their nonpayment. However, if you?re selling to a Marxist-Leninist state like North Korea, the Export-Import Bank won?t help you. (China, incidentally, is not considered a Marxist-Leninist state, so Chinese trading partners are eligible for loans from the bank.) Or maybe you?re looking to open a factory abroad, which will make potato chips for import into the United States. The federal government?s Overseas Private Investment Corporation could loan you money for an industrial deep fryer and some potatoes, but not if you try to build your plant in the hermit kingdom.

These impediments, combined with the lack of capital in North Korea, keep U.S. trade levels with the DPRK very low. Total exports to North Korea for 2012 were less than $12 million, and in some months there was no trade at all. By comparison, the United States sold nearly $39 billion worth of goods to South Korea last year.

Not every country takes the North Korea sanctions as seriously as the United States does. The vagueness of U.N. resolutions accounts for some of the laxity. The ban on the sale of luxury goods, for example, doesn?t say what constitutes a luxury good, leaving member states to create their own definitions. The European Union has a specific list of banned items, including expensive cigars, vehicles, and electronics, among many other items. China has been vague about its definition of ?luxury,? but by the U.S. or EU definition, the Asian giant sold more than $136 million worth of luxury goods to North Korea in 2009 alone, with tobacco, cars, and computers making up the bulk of the trade.

Many U.N. member states don?t support or simply don?t care about the sanctions. More than 100 countries have failed to file reports to the United Nations about their trade with North Korea. Using a complex network of shell companies, North Korean entities have been fairly successful at circumventing sanctions, presumably with the knowledge of their trading partners in some cases.

Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Stephen M. Haggard of the University of California?San Diego.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=80165c9d1b28606dbde37263fc53668e

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