3 distinguished keynote speakers to present during ARVO 2013 Annual Meeting

Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
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Contact: Katrina Norfleet
knorfleet@arvo.org
240-221-2924
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Rockville, Md. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2013 Annual Meeting will feature lectures from three keynote speakers, including two Nobel laureates, during the organization's five-day conference, May 5 9 in Seattle, Wash.

New this year, the ARVO/Alcon Keynote Series will include Oliver Smithies, DPhil; Roger Tsien, PhD and Christopher Murray, MD, DPhil.

Smithies, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a 2007 Nobel laureate in Physiology/Medicine. His lecture, "On Being a Scientist for 60 years," will present highlights from his "deeply satisfying life in science," which includes his co-discovery of homologous DNA recombination, a technique to introduce DNA material in cells. His research has led to the creation of "designer mice," which replicate human disease such as cystic fibrosis and high blood pressure and "knock-out mice," which have become commonplace in biomedical research. His lecture will take place Sunday, May 5, 3 4:30pm.

Tsien, of the University of California, San Diego, will present "Engineering Phototransducing Molecules for Fun and Profit," a closer look at molecules that enable us to photostimulate biochemical pathways in living cells and tissues, as well as possible challenges investigators face and examples of successes and failures within his experience. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2008 for his discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) with two other chemists. Tsien's lecture will be held Tuesday, May 7, 5:30 6:45pm.

Murray is a scholar in global health and public health at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. His lecture, "Global Burden of Disease Study 2010: Key Findings and Implications for Vision Research" will discuss the study with a focus on vision loss in the context of the other diseases, and injuries and risk factors that were studied to demonstrate this impairment's global impact over the past two decades and what it means for the future. Murray will present Thursday, May 9, 2 3:15pm.

For information about the ARVO 2013 Annual Meeting, visit www.arvo.org/am.

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 13,000 eye and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.

Visit us at:

Website: www.arvo.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ARVOinfo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARVOinfo
Flicker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ARVOinfo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ARVOinfo

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 26-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Katrina Norfleet
knorfleet@arvo.org
240-221-2924
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Rockville, Md. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2013 Annual Meeting will feature lectures from three keynote speakers, including two Nobel laureates, during the organization's five-day conference, May 5 9 in Seattle, Wash.

New this year, the ARVO/Alcon Keynote Series will include Oliver Smithies, DPhil; Roger Tsien, PhD and Christopher Murray, MD, DPhil.

Smithies, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a 2007 Nobel laureate in Physiology/Medicine. His lecture, "On Being a Scientist for 60 years," will present highlights from his "deeply satisfying life in science," which includes his co-discovery of homologous DNA recombination, a technique to introduce DNA material in cells. His research has led to the creation of "designer mice," which replicate human disease such as cystic fibrosis and high blood pressure and "knock-out mice," which have become commonplace in biomedical research. His lecture will take place Sunday, May 5, 3 4:30pm.

Tsien, of the University of California, San Diego, will present "Engineering Phototransducing Molecules for Fun and Profit," a closer look at molecules that enable us to photostimulate biochemical pathways in living cells and tissues, as well as possible challenges investigators face and examples of successes and failures within his experience. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2008 for his discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) with two other chemists. Tsien's lecture will be held Tuesday, May 7, 5:30 6:45pm.

Murray is a scholar in global health and public health at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. His lecture, "Global Burden of Disease Study 2010: Key Findings and Implications for Vision Research" will discuss the study with a focus on vision loss in the context of the other diseases, and injuries and risk factors that were studied to demonstrate this impairment's global impact over the past two decades and what it means for the future. Murray will present Thursday, May 9, 2 3:15pm.

For information about the ARVO 2013 Annual Meeting, visit www.arvo.org/am.

###

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 13,000 eye and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.

Visit us at:

Website: www.arvo.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ARVOinfo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARVOinfo
Flicker: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ARVOinfo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ARVOinfo

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/afri-tdk022613.php

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Did Dame Shirley Bassey's ?Goldfinger? Performance Save The ...

Did You Hear?

:: Yes, Adele won Best Original Song for her 007 theme ?Skyfall? last night. But the musical highlight, some are saying, of the 2013 Oscars was Shirley Bassey?s performance (watch above) of classic James Bond tune ?Goldfinger.? Leave it to a Dame. [Los Angeles Times]

BONUS: Read what critics say about Shirley Bassey?s ?Goldfinger? performance too.

:: Is MC Hammer heading to the slammer? The iconic rapper was arrested in Northern California on Thursday (February 21) last week for obstructing an officer while sitting in a car outside a shopping center. The artist claims he was the victim of racial profiling. [Rolling Stone]

:: For ?artistic reasons,? Michael Jackson?s brother Jermaine has legally changed his last name to Jacksun. Meanwhile, stay tuned, as we?re currently in the process of officially changing this site?s name to EyeDollUhTer. [The Hollywood Reporter]

:: We love moody British duo Hurts, and so do many others. But apparently their new album is not quite up to scratch. [PopJustice]

After the jump, find out which music acts you can catch on TV today.

Music On TV:

:: Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) ? Aaron Neville
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) ? Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
:: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) ? Tame Impala
:: Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) ? Blitzen Trapper

Source: http://idolator.com/7443315/dame-shirley-bassey-goldfinger-performance-oscars

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Wall Street cash bonuses rose in 2012 - New York comptroller

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street cash bonuses rose in 2012 but were still below pre-crisis levels, and the industry is gearing up for more layoffs as it continues to adapt to more regulation and heightened competition, New York's top financial official said.

The securities industry's bonus pool was expected to total $20 billion, New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said at a press conference on Tuesday, up 8 percent from 2011 but below levels seen in 2006 and 2007, before the financial crisis.

The estimate is not an exact view of 2012 bonuses because it is based on income tax withholdings and includes bonuses that were deferred from earlier years. The comptroller's office compiles estimates on Wall Street bonuses because of their importance to state and city tax revenues.

The rise in bonuses comes as profits for broker-dealer operations on New York Stock Exchange member firms tripled to $23.9 billion in 2012 compared to $7.7 billion in 2011. It was one of the most profitable years on record, the report said.

"As we all know and acknowledge the securities industry in New York City is a major driver of the city and state economy," said DiNapoli. "It's no secret that if Wall Street is strong all New Yorkers benefit."

In 2012, about 14 percent of New York State tax revenue came from Wall Street, down from 20 percent before the financial crisis, while the industry's contribution to New York City's tax fell from a peak of more than 12 percent to less than 7 percent.

The average cash bonus rose 9 percent to almost $121,900 in 2012, the comptroller said. Although pay in the sector is well down compared to 2006 when the average bonus was over $190,000, it is still way ahead of what most New Yorkers make.

DiNapoli said that the average salary in the securities industry is 5.3 times more than the average salary in the rest of the private sector.

"They're good jobs if you have them and certainly very significant salaries," he said.

The securities industry on Wall Street and elsewhere is still going through a period of major change after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, with increased oversight from regulators. The industry has far fewer employees and is changing it compensation practices to include more deferred bonuses.

Morgan Stanley is taking three years to pay out 2012 bonuses to high-earning employees, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters in January, a step that will better align incentives with shareholder interests and make it harder for employees to leave.

DiNapoli said he expects Wall Street to continue to cut jobs in 2013. Employment totaled 169,700 in December 2012, 1,000 fewer than the year before, according to the report. The securities industry in New York has regained only about 30 percent of the 28,300 jobs it lost during the crisis.

"I think we're still in a recovery mode," said Joe Sorrentino, a managing director at Steven Hall & Partners, a compensation consultant to Wall Street firms. "In essence, all they are saying is that things are better than in 2011. That doesn't sound too confident to me."

Still, the report was another sign the industry is stabilizing after the ravages of the crisis.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said earlier that the banking industry's full-year earnings were the second-highest on record at $141.3 billion, an increase over 2011 of $22.9 billion, or 19.3 percent. Bank earnings peaked in 2006 at $145.2 billion.

Much of the earnings growth in 2012 came from banks reducing the amount they set aside for losses on loans, the FDIC said. Banks also saw gains on loan sales and higher servicing income.

"The industry is still adjusting to the current economic and regulatory environment, working through the fall out of the financial crisis," said DiNapoli. "The industry continues to announce layoffs and will likely continue to restructure."

The comptroller's estimate does not include stock options or other forms of deferred compensation.

(Additional reporting by Jed Horowitz; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Nick Zieminski and Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-cash-bonuses-rose-2012-york-comptroller-200030509--sector.html

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Deaths up among teen drivers, research shows

By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

The number of 16- and 17-year-old drivers who died in traffic accidents rose significantly in the first half of 2012, creeping back toward what traffic safety experts called "unacceptable" levels, according to research published Tuesday.

The report ? a preliminary compilation of data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia by the Governors Highway Safety Association ? found that 240 16- and 17-year-olds died behind the wheel from January through June 2012. That's a 19 percent increase over the same period in 2011 and a startling 26 percent more than in the first half of 2010.

It also outpaces the rise in overall traffic deaths last year, which increased by 5 percent, the National Safety Council reported?last week.

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The report identified no single overarching reason teen mortality jumped. Instead, it theorizes that two-decade-old state regulations on the youngest drivers haven't kept up with the teen driving population, which has been given more reasons to drive by the improving economy.?And like numerous other traffic safety groups, the governors association warned of the distractions posed by cellphones and other electronics.

"We know from research and experience that teen drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but also a danger to others on the roadways," said Kendall Poole, chairman of the governors' safety organization and director of the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office.

The rise in deaths last year is "unacceptable," he said.

Separate data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, peg traffic accidents as the single biggest killer of U.S. teens, accounting for more than third of all deaths among Americans 15 to 20 years old.

Read the full report, including state-by-state data (.pdf)

Until 2011, the number of deaths among beginning drivers had been falling since 2002, when it hit a modern annual record of 544. That was roughly a decade after states began adopting so-called graduated driver licensing laws, which impose restrictions on the youngest drivers in stages as they approach age 18.?

All 50 states now have such laws, and increases in deaths over the last two years could simply reflect officials' and parents' letting their guard down as the laws have become a part of everyday life, said Allan Williams, former chief scientist for the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute, who conducted the study.

The improving economy may also be an incentive for more teenagers to drive, statistically increasing their risk, Williams said.

Whatever the reason, "based on 2011 final data and the early look at 2012, it appears that we are headed the wrong direction," he said.

The report called on states to renew their focus on graduated driving laws and to establish programs to help parents keep their children safe.

"Parents have a huge responsibility to ensure safe teen driving behavior," said Barbara Harsha, executive director the governors group. "States can facilitate this by providing innovative programs that bring parents and teens together around this issue."

The NHTSA has proposed new federal grants to help states fine-tune and enforce their graduated driver laws. To qualify for the money, states would have to require new drivers to go through a learner's permit stage and an intermediate permit stage before they could get full licenses.

Public comment on the proposals closes April 23.

The proposals closely mirror a three-part program to restrict beginning drivers recommended by the governors safety group. That template calls for:

• A learner's permit beginning no earlier than age 16, lasting at least six months and requiring 30 to 50 hours of parent-certified supervision.
• An intermediate stage lasting at least until age 18, including a ban on driving after 9 or 10 p.m., with a limit of one teen passenger.
• A ban on all cellphones and other electronic devices.

"Our main goal is to save lives," said Jeff Bledsoe, sheriff of Dickson County, Tenn., whose state has already put most of those ideas in place.

Dickson especially stressed the ban on electronics behind the wheel, telling NBC station WSMV of Nashville: "With all of the technology we have these days ? with cell phones and other items in the vehicle that could take our focus off the roadway ? we have to be cautious and know what a huge responsibility it is when we operate a vehicle."

Related

National Safety Council: Traffic deaths surged in 2012

Red state, blue state divide reflected in fatal traffic accidents

Authorities could go even further in West Virginia, where a measure was introduced in the state House last week to require beginning drivers to pass drug tests ? three of them, once before they could get a learner's permit, again before they could step up to an intermediate license and one last time before they could get a full license.

"Obviously, any time you can take an opportunity to try and eliminate drugs ? and especially in driving ? that's obviously a good thing," said Bernie Buttrey, a driver's education instructor in Parkersburg, W.Va.

Buttrey told NBC station WTAP of Parkersburg that he was hesitant because of the constitutional implications, but he said such tests may be reasonable to ensure that beginning teenage drivers remain safe.

"We've passed laws that some people think maybe are excessive in the use of your cellphones, but I think evidence proves that the less you use your cellphone, the less you're distracted," he said. "So this is just maybe another step in the right direction."

More from Open Channel:

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Source: http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/25/17089961-deaths-among-beginning-drivers-on-the-increase-research-shows?lite

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China takes aim at extravagance in military spending

BEIJING: China's military has introduced new rules to combat "extravagance and waste" in spending, state media said Sunday, as the country's new leaders stress austerity to fight official corruption.

New Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, approved the rules which aim to promote austerity and control expenditure, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Xi, who is set to become president next month, has repeatedly pledged to fight graft amid rising social discontent at government corruption and political scandals that have tarnished the ruling party.

The new rules require strict control of spending on non-essential infrastructure, procurement and official receptions, Xinhua said.

The military must "resolutely prevent redundant construction, the craving for things big and foreign, extravagance and waste", it said.

Spending should be directed towards the military's core mission, including being able to fight and win a battle, Xinhua said, repeating a slogan which has been described by state media as a key goal for this year.

China is due to announce its annual military budget in early March at a meeting of the National People's Congress, the country's legislature.

Last year, it projected the military budget would rise 11.2 per cent year-on-year to $106 billion, an increase that has caused unease among Asian neighbours including Japan, which is locked in a territorial dispute with China.

In December, the military banned high-ranking officers from being treated to receptions featuring expensive liquor and luxury banquets, in line with similar rules for party officials.

Those rules also called on military officers to prevent family members and associates from accepting bribes.

A corruption watchdog, Transparency International, said last month that China's military is battling a major corruption problem, with little political oversight and no whistleblower mechanism to counter graft.

One of the major problems was the absence of private military defence contractors, meaning less scope for competition, the Berlin-based group said.

It claimed thousands of military-linked enterprises in China were engaged in profit-oriented business.

- AFP/fa

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1256181/1/.html

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Medal for cyber troops draws jibes, dismay

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Zingers about the Distinguished Warfare Medal, fired with the same deadly accuracy as drone strikes unleashed from computer screens, mock the U.S. military?s latest ribbon as ?The Purple Buttocks? and ?The Chairborne.?

A website about war-zone burn pits offers a photoshopped version of the medal as a glossy, gold Xbox controller.?At Stars and Stripes, one writer quipped the fresh decoration ? announced Feb. 13 by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta?to honor troops who direct cyberattacks and drone strikes ? has ignited ?an avalanche of Whiskey Tango Foxtrots.? And at an online store run by current and ex-military members, retailers joke that any recipients will have earned the award from ?the safety of some air conditioned box while sipping on their mocha-frapachino [sic] that they picked up on the way in to work that day, and waiting for Papa John?s to show up with lunch.?

Boom.?

The shrapnel-packed jabs seem to be fueled as much by the non-combat medal's mere existence as by the decoration's rank: the Distinguished Warfare Medal is slotted by military brass slightly above the Bronze Star, long the fourth-highest combat award granted for heroism and/or?meritorious service in battle.

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Many of the so-called "Distant Warfare Medal" critics ? and cutups ? fully acknowledge the strategic value of cyber experts within the U.S. armed forces, especially as President?President Barack Obama on Friday deployed American service members and drone aircraft to the African country of Niger, where they could be used to support a French counterterrorism mission in neighboring Mali.

Still, some can't help but smirk at the thought of a keyboard clicker eventually being pinned with a ribbon. And there are those in the service who thought the first mentions they read about the medal were a just a dash of military satire. After all, for men and women in uniform, sarcasm and dark humor are as common as camo and Hesco (a protective barrier).?

"I thought it was a joke at first," said Marine Sgt. Jeremy Lattimer, 26, who earned a Bronze Star for his actions in Afghanistan's Helmand Province where, in one three-hour stretch on Nov. 22, 2009, he led his squad as they maneuvered through enemy machine gun fire then helped another squad escape an ambush.

"When I saw that this has a higher rating than the Bronze Star, it seemed a little bit extreme," added Lattimer, reached by phone at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he's receiving treatment for a traumatic brain injury sustained in combat. "Whenever you start getting into (awarding) valor for someone in a box?behind a computer in who knows where, I think that's a point where it starts rubbing people the wrong way."

Meanwhile, some military families are so disturbed by the new medal that punchlines seem out of line.?

Courtesy of Veronica Ortiz-Rivera

Marine Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz-Rivera was heavily decorated in life. After dying in action, he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 2009, he and his wife, Veronica (left), attended the Marine Corps Ball.

Near Camp Lejeune, N.C., where Marine Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz-Rivera was based before his 2010 IED-blast death in Afghanistan, his wife, Veronica, speaks softly and somberly about the value of the Bronze Star that the Marine earned posthumously.?

"To know that somebody sitting at a computer who never risked their life is going to get something that?s worth more, it almost puts less of a value on what my husband did and what so many other men have done," Ortiz-Rivera said. "To take that new medal and give it a higher classification than the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart is disrespectful. Maybe I?m just biased because my husband was killed in combat.

"It feels like it almost strips away a little of his heroism, honestly, although he is and always will be a hero to us," she added. "I'm not at a point where I can joke about" this new medal.

And for Army veteran Andrew O'Brien, who served in Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009, any humorous takes about any medals ? no matter how they are earned ? simply feels wrong, he said.?

"We are all on the same team," O'Brien said. "I believe they (drone operators) deserve medals just as much as anyone else and recognition for the things they do. I also feel (the humor) is an attack on them for what they do. To mimic a video game as an award? We are all part of the same fight."

Related:

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17058421-medal-for-cyber-troops-draws-jibes-dismay-and-whiskey-tango-foxtrots?lite

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Dell XPS 10

If you think you need to carry all of your digital files (especially videos and multimedia) with you at all times, stop reading this and go read a review for a more power user-oriented system. Still here? Okay, the Dell XPS 10 ($679.99 bundled with keyboard dock) has one of the longest battery life test results we've seen. You can use this convertible tablet on the longest flight in the world, and still have battery power left over to check your email when you land. An even better use would be for a busy student or business corridor nomad who rarely has a chance to plug in: 20+ hours of battery life means that you can stay connected all day and well into the night. If "Office and the Internet" are your primary needs on a computer, then our new (and first) Editors' Choice winner for Windows RT tablets is the everyday computer you can carry everywhere.

Design and Features
The XPS 10 follows the now familiar hybrid tablet format. Primarily, it's a slate tablet, measuring a slim 0.36 by 11 by 7 inches (HWD) and weighing 1.36 pounds. Connected to its keyboard dock, the system grows to just under an inch thick (0.94 inch) while keeping its other dimensions, and the combo weighs in at 2.63 pounds.

Like other tablets, the XPS 10 is constructed from magnesium alloy and has a soft touch finish. The screen is covered by seamless Asahi Dragontail glass, and has a five-point touch capability. (Asahi Dragontail glass is a strengthened glass competitor to Corning's Gorilla Glass.) The tablet latches to the keyboard dock easily, and can be removed just as easily by pushing a sliding tab on the keyboard dock hinge. When the two are connected, the XPS 10 looks and acts like a small laptop, with a comfortable keyboard and one-piece multitouch trackpad.

Around the edges of the XPS 10 are the tablet's docking/charging connector, a micro-USB port (with included full sized USB port dongle), volume control, micro-SD card slot, and headset jack. The keyboard dock has a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a mini-HDMI port (with included mini-HDMI to full HDMI dongle), and charging port. You can plug the AC adapter into the dock or the tablet's docking connector for charging, one AC adapter is included with the tablet, and one with the keyboard dock ($180). Since you have both chargers, you can leave one at home and carry the other with you in your travel bag. If you're in a pinch, you can use a standard micro-USB cable and USB charger to recharge or power the XPS 10, albeit at a slow trickle rate.

One nicety we found during testing are the keyboard dock's built-in speakers. When the tablet is used alone, the sound is fine for Web surfing and alert sounds. When you connect the keyboard dock, the speakers in the dock work in concert with the speakers in the tablet to give you a louder, richer audio experience. The combo won't replace an external soundbar for critical viewing/listening, but with this combo you won't have to turn on closed captioning to understand what's going on (in dialogue-heavy movies), especially if you're sharing the screen with a friend.

The XPS 10's IPS screen measures 10.1 inches (diagonally), which matches the screen size of its other hybrid docking tablet rival, the Asus VivoTab RT. Both screens are physically smaller than the 10.6-inch screen on the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT, even though all three screens sport a 1,366-by-768 resolution. The XPS 10's IPS screen is easily viewable from many angles, and its resolution supports 720p HD video. Any 1080p HD video can be downscaled for viewing on the system's screen, but it's a better viewing experience to watch 720p videos natively instead.

Accelerometers make sure the screen is always pointing "up" whether you are holding the system in portrait or landscape mode. Taps and swipes on the screen were responsive, as were the controls on the physical keyboard dock and trackpad. The responsive trackpad is an improvement over the VivoTab RT and even some ultrabooks like the Vizio 14-Inch Thin + Light (CT14-A4) .

There are two major drawbacks with Windows RT: compatibility and the closed ecosystem. Since the XPS 10 and other RT-based systems run a version of Windows over an ARM processor (the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4), older programs are not compatible with RT. The only source for programs is the Windows Store in the system's Start screen. You can't download and install your favorite browser, you can't buy programs from a third party site (like Steam or Origin), and you can't install many browser plug-ins either. The one plus on the program side is that the system comes with Microsoft Office 2013 RT (Home and Student) pre-loaded, and that the system is somewhat protected from viruses (through Windows Defender and the fact that x86 code won't run on it).

The system is bloatware free, since the only pre-loaded programs are Office, Skype, Dell Shop (physical products from Dell), Getting Started with Windows RT (a help program), and Dell dock settings. Getting Started with Windows RT is a good set of videos and documentation to help new users learn how to use Windows RT and the new user interface. When we pulled the XPS 10 out of its box, we noticed that it only has 15.9GB free out of a 23.8GB indicated. This means that you better view most of videos from online, as you won't have too much local storage unless you pop a microSD card into the XPS 10. Still, 16 GB should be enough for Office files like Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. You can also use Microsoft's SkyDrive for cloud storage.

When connected to the Web, the XPS 10 is an excellent tool. Internet Explorer starts up quickly, and websites load quickly as well. Programs like Netflix and Hulu+ work as you'd expect. However, as stated above, the number of Windows RT compatible apps is still severely limited compared with those for Android Tablets and iPads. About the only thing that RT tablets have over the other mobile platforms are the fully compatible copy of Office and the fact that the OS on RT tablets acts like a typical Windows OS. The XPS 10 comes with a one-year warranty standard with options for extending that warranty through Dell's ProSupport service.

Performance
Because of its ARM-based processor, the Dell XPS doesn't run our Windows benchmark tests like 3DMark 11 or PCMark 7. The test that we can run is one of the most important: battery life. The XPS 10 lasts a staggering 11 hours and 34 minutes alone, and tops 20-and-a-half hours (20:36) when connected to its fully charged keyboard dock. This is a phenomenal amount of battery life. It's certainly enough to last the whole flight between virtually any two nonstop points on the planet (currently the Newark to Singapore flight SQ21, at 18 hours, 50 minutes). This means the XPS 10 and dock last a lot longer than the Asus VivoTab RT with its dock (16:03) or alone (9:37). The XPS 10 also outlasted the Microsoft Surface RT (7:45). While all of the RT tablets outlast laptops and tablets with ultrabook-class processors like the Microsoft Surface Pro (4:58), Atom-powered tablets can give you full Windows 8 compatibility and long battery life like the Dell Latitude 10 (19:38 with extended battery).

Essentially, it comes down to what you need out of your tablet. If you need the ultimate in portability and don't care at all about compatibility with Windows, then grab an iPad or Google Nexus 7. If you absolutely, positively need legacy program support or Windows 8 Pro compatibility, then a full-blown Windows 8 tablet like the Editors' Choice Dell Latitude 10 or Microsoft Surface Pro is worth the added expense. However, if you need insanely long battery life and your critical "Windows compatibility" needs are limited to Office documents, then you can get a Windows RT tablet like the Dell XPS 10. It's one of the better RT tablets we've seen so far, and our new Editors' Choice for Windows RT tablets.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Dell XPS 10 with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2
??? Dell XPS 10
??? Dell Latitude 10
??? MSI GT70 One-609US Dragon Edition
??? Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro
?? more

laptop

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Oscar Pistorius Brother?s Twitter Account Hacked!

MEDIA RELEASE

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PISTORIUS FAMILY TWITTER ACCOUNTS HACKED

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SOUTH AFRICA, PRETORIA, FEBRUARY 23, 2013

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It is most unfortunate that during this sensitive time, someone would choose to hack into Oscar Pistorius older brother, Carl Pistorius? Twitter handle.

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Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva. We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar?s brother and his sister.

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From Janine Hills spokesperson of Oscar and the Pistorius family.

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Issued by Vuma Reputation Management

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Janine Hills

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/foxnewsinsider/gretawire/~3/7CU8wsx8GyU/

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92% Silver Linings Playbook

All Critics (228) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (202) | Rotten (17)

It's a rom-com that succeeds in revitalizing that discredited genre where so many others have failed, injecting it with the grit and emotion of realist drama rather than with amped-up whimsy or social satire or montages of people walking on the beach.

Silver Linings Playbook tells us that happily-ever-after may depend on finding people who coexist with our lunacy, not ones who can lead us out of it. In any case, it's crazy good.

A crazy beaut of a comedy that brims with generosity and manages to circumvent predictability at every turn.

An edgy romantic dramedy that suits our anxious times.

This meaningful film keeps the laughs, giddy anxiousness and warm butterflies from the trailer and sustains it all through two full hours of a love story.

Silver Linings Playbook is defined by the positive decisions that are made in the face of imperfection, desperation, and the desolate wasteland of your world in pieces.

Director David O. Russell forms a unique and incredible romance dramedy...

There is some charm to the story, but the final act is very neat, predictable, contrived, and not up to originality of the first two.

Director David O. Russell is a little too chipper at times - breaking a restraining order is really no joke - but he brings a breeziness to this likeable tale of two misfits trying to make it work.

It may be a Hollywood comedy, but it's one that feels beautifully alive.

On the surface Silver Linings Playbook is a raucous romantic comedy, but its real interests are superstition and delusion.

A volatile mix of familial drama and madcap comedy, infectious optimism and razor-wire wit, it's one of the most purely enjoyable films released in the past twelve months.

Parece desistir de qualquer tra?o de originalidade em seu cl?max, quando se entrega a todos os clich?s do g?nero: mal-entendidos, mocinhos obrigados a correr atr?s da mocinha pela rua e, claro, o insuport?vel travelling circular do beijo rom?ntico.

I suppose the phrase 'serious romantic comedy' sounds like a paradox. But that's exactly what 'Silver Linings Playbook' is: an intelligent, edgy dark comedy with romance at its core.

This is a rom-com dressed up as an Oscar-baiting "dramedy". It's a good rom-com thanks to it's edge... but occasionally has the bad traits of a bad rom-com.

Silver Linings Playbook puts the "fun" in "dysfunction." And sure, that sounds glib, but actually, it's a rather extraordinary achievement. Especially when you're skirting on the edges of sanity.

A bittersweet pill that's a mixture of an endearing family drama and modern romance that's an absolute delight.

tows the line of conventional, feel-good Hollywood rom-com, albeit dressed up in just enough art-house quirk to make it feel like something slightly radical

A reminder that 'sanity' doesn't make your flaws any more orderly.

Silver Linings Playbook is a fine, funny film, and one that should charm viewers who haven't been tricked by all those Oscar nominations into anticipating it as some kind of world-changing work of art for the ages.

David O. Russell's latest buzz film straddles a fine line between farce and kitchen-sink drama before settling into a groove that gets under one's skin.

It starts to fray about halfway through as it shifts into a more conventional mode, taking on the usual trappings of the genre and making its way to a predictable resolution

Both charming and gritty... Cooper is edgy, while Lawrence is dynamite

If there's one reason why you should see this film, it's to admire the wonderful performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Cooper and Lawrence Shine in Linings.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/

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Another Dingbat Sexual Selection Theory

Science, the world, etc., revolves around what males find attractive

Photo by Reuters

On Valentine?s Day, the New York Times ran an article in its science section linking physical traits common in East Asians?thick hair, distinctively-shaped teeth, small breasts, and extra sweat glands?to a 35,000-year-old mutation in a gene called EDAR. Researchers reproduced the mutation, which is carried by East Asians but not Africans or Europeans, in mice. The animals had more lustrous fur, more sweat glands, and smaller chests.

The article, by Nicholas Wade, starts off with plausible explanations for why natural selection might have favored the deviation in EDAR when it emerged thousands of years ago in central China. One or two of the traits influenced by the gene may have been advantageous for survival; as those features persisted in the population, the other attributes came along for the ride. And he tracks down a reasonable hypothesis about which characteristic made EDAR so valuable: the sweat glands. For people hunting and gathering in China?s formerly warm and soupy climate, staying cool was crucial.

Fine. But then Wade derails the whole thing with a perfectly silly evolutionary biology just-so story. He quotes Joshua Akey, a geneticist at the University of Washington in Seattle, as saying it all comes down to pretty ladyparts.

According to Akey, ?thick hair and small breasts are visible sexual signals which, if preferred by men, could quickly become more common as the carriers had more children.? In fact, he claims, ?the sexually visible effects of EDAR are likely to have been stronger drivers of natural selection than sweat glands.?

Basically, the genetic mutation flourished because men wanted to do the no-no-cha-cha with women who carried it. Oops, I?d forgotten that science, the world, etc., revolves around what males find attractive. Never mind that this assumes an alarming passivity on the part of the females. Did they have no say in their mating partner? (That?s a rhetorical question: Studies throughout the animal kingdom show that it?s usually the females who decide who gets action and who doesn?t.) And even supposing that the women had no agency, were prehistoric East Asian men really so very picky? Did they typically refuse intercourse with large-breasted or fine-haired women? I am trying to imagine a caveman turning down a willing sexual partner on account of a triviality like insufficiently luxuriant tresses, and not just one caveman but the entire sperm-producing Pleistocene population. ?

To be fair, the paper itself, written by a team led by Yana G. Kamberov and Pardis C. Sabeti at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., largely avoids speculating about how the EDAR mutation perpetuated. ?The problem with all selection, but especially sexual selection, is that it?s impossible to test on humans,? co-author Daniel Lieberman told me. ?We were careful not to make assumptions about the selective benefits of the gene.? When I asked him whether he found Akey?s hypothesis plausible, he replied, ?Frankly, no.??

He?s not alone. The variability of erotic desire is just one reason many biologists believe that sexual selection played a relatively small role in the evolution of human appearance. Other factors proved much more crucial for survival and only incidentally influenced what we look like today. For instance, populations that migrated north had less exposure to ultraviolet light and thus risked vitamin D deficiency; light skin, which makes it easier to produce vitamin D, evolved independently several times. Efficient fat storage allowed humans to weather periods of famine.

Jerry Coyne, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Chicago who blogs at Why Evolution Is True, describes Akey?s hair-and-breast theory as ?extremely dubious.? He says that sexually selected traits tend to arise in one sex only, as the choosier adults?usually the females, not the males?mate with partners on the basis of a characteristic that is otherwise less than optimal. That feature would normally disappear from a population, except that the picky sex keeps selecting for it. (The less picky sex, on the other hand, generally just reproduces with whoever is around, which happen to be the fittest animals. Hence, male birds often boast showy, unwieldy tails that females prefer; female birds have shorter, practical tails that neither hamper flight nor lure suitors.)

Coyne also takes issue with the study in general. He wonders how the researchers concluded that the variant EDAR gene shrinks breasts at all, given that mice don?t have breasts??at least, they don?t have pronounced lumps on their chests the way people do. (Daniel Lieberman answered this criticism on the phone by noting that the animals? mammary tissue was carefully weighed, but even then, anatomical differences make it hard to extrapolate from rodents to humans.) The entire effort, Coyne says, shows ?evolutionists indulging in their favorite game?adaptionism?by imagining scenarios of evolution fixing various things, regardless of evidence.?

Yet in some circles (ones that get print space in the New York Times), the explanatory power of the primordial dude surveying his pack of womenz and picking the hottest one apparently remains unequalled. As our distant great grandmothers might say, ugh. ?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=5bc9f8f731c68f3cb54650e95d5a9241

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Video: Money In Motion Web Extra: FOMC Minutes

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

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50913513/

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Astrophile: Icy Titan spawns tropical cyclones

Astrophile is our weekly column on curious cosmic objects, from the solar system to the far reaches of the multiverse

Object: Mini-hurricanes of methane rain
Location: North Pole of Saturn's moon Titan

With a maximum surface temperature of -180??C, Saturn's icy moon Titan is no tropical paradise, at least by earthly standards. But it may still have tropical cyclones, and at what sounds like the unlikeliest of places ? near its north pole.

These mini-hurricanes have never been observed anywhere but Earth. If they exist on Titan, that would add to a growing list of features that the distant moon shares with our planet, from lakes, hills, caves and sand dunes to fog, mist, smoggy haze and rain clouds.

Though cyclones - a large family of storms in which winds spiral inward to a low-pressure zone, such as the eye of a hurricane or tornado ? have been glimpsed on Mars and Saturn, a tropical cyclone is a special case that is driven by the heat of evaporation from a warm sea. These storms involve a lot of rain as well as gale-force winds, and have not been glimpsed anywhere but Earth.

As Titan is the only body in the solar system apart from Earth known to have liquid on its surface and, therefore, rain (Titan is so cold that its rain is in the form of liquid methane, not water), Tetsuya Tokano of the University of Cologne in Germany decided to calculate what it would take for Titan to have its own mini-hurricanes.

Methane seas

The first thing that would be required, he says, is the right blend of hydrocarbons in the moon's lakes and seas. "We know ethane is present, and methane probably is," he says. The methane is crucial because it evaporates much more readily, and could deliver the heat needed to drive the storm.

Assuming the methane fraction is large enough, Tokano calculated the heat it would carry and how that would be converted into kinetic energy to power a storm. He reckons that the resulting storm would not be as powerful as hurricanes or typhoons on Earth, but that they could produce surface winds of up to 20 metres per second (72 kilometres per hour). That's 10 times the average wind velocity on Titan: on Earth, it's equivalent to the wind speeds of a midsize tropical storm ? and two-thirds those needed for a full-scale hurricane.

Tokano also looked at where these could storms could form ? and discovered that the 1200-kilometer-long Kraken Mare, and the smaller Ligeia and Punga mares, are the only seas on Titan large enough to support the growth of a tropical cyclone. All three are situated near Titan's North Pole, making a contrast to the tropical cyclones on Earth.

As on Earth, however, any mini-hurricanes on Titan would be seasonal. Tokano says the storms could form in Titan's northern summer, lasting up to 10 days and reaching hundreds of kilometres in diameter, limited by the size of the lakes.

Spectacular storm

It's now spring on northern Titan, and solar warming of the north pole should make the storms possible from 2015 to 2021. (Because Titan is so much further away from the sun than Earth, its year ? and therefore its seasons - are much, much longer.)

That means that when mini-hurricane season next returns to Titan, the Cassini spacecraft, which started orbiting it in 2004, will still be watching. The craft's orbit gives it a better view of Titan's poles than terrestrial telescopes, and its mission is scheduled to continue until 2017.

"It would be spectacular to see this kind of storm over Kraken Mare," says Elizabeth Turtle of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. "This gives us a specific type of storm to look for."

Failure to spot a storm during this period would not tell us much, however, says Tokano, as any of a number of factors might cause Cassini to miss it, or it might just be a slow season.

Because of its similarities to Earth, Titan looks like a good place to hunt for extra-terrestrial life. Though Tokano wouldn't be drawn on how tropical cyclones might feed into this picture, one thing is clear: the frigid moon is certainly living up to its reputation as one of the most intriguing places in our solar system.

Journal reference: Icarus, doi.org/kkx

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/28db7c65/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn2320A90Eastrophile0Eicy0Etitan0Espawns0Etropical0Ecyclones0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Russian Ghost Cruise Ship Reappears

This is the Russian cruise ship MV Lyubov Orlova. It disappeared shortly after it left Canada en route to the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Now it has reappeared, floating adrift 2,400 kilometers off the west coast of Ireland. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/f_4NMKXOJkY/russian-ghost-ship-mysteriously-reappears-after-two-months

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93% Amour

All Critics (174) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (162) | Rotten (12)

Trintignant perfectly captures the resolve that eventually borders on obsession, as the woman he loves gradually, maddeningly, disappears before his eyes, and he does whatever he can to prevent it, though he knows it's impossible.

Many viewers will find echoes of their grandparents, parents, or even themselves in these characters.

A movie that is utterly worthy of its all-encompassing title.

The resulting interplay of ruthless restraint and unavoidable passion, plus the film's refusal to shrink from depicting the inevitable horrors of physical deterioration, is devastating.

In many ways it's the best horror film I've ever seen. At the same time, it's hard to recommend; I believe I will be struggling to forget this film as long as I live. I doubt I'll succeed.

As remarkable as Haneke's films are, not a one has been as transcendently generous as Amour, which is nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, best director and best foreign-language film.

This is a profound look at love about a couple who have lived with each other for so many years, know each other so well and this terrible thing that is facing them and there's a serenity there which makes it even more moving, I think.

It's Haneke's searing honesty and lack of sentimentality, and his talent as a writer-filmmaker that lifts this film to the heights of achievement. I know that the storyline may sound gloomy, the film is not. It is beyond wonderful.

Ultimately, the title of the film demands to be taken as a question: is this truly what love looks like? A little smugly, Haneke refuses to answer.

A multiple award winner at film festivals around the globe, and it is easy to see why. Highly recommended.

Michael Haneke's most intimate and painfully truthful film - an exploration of what love means at the far end of life.

This is a movie almost too painful to watch at times, yet so masterfully composed and acted - Riva absolutely deserves her Oscar nomination, while Trintignant was robbed - that it's impossible to turn away.

Georges' irreversible decision may be courageous, but it requires no sacrifice on the part of his creator: for Haneke, it's business as usual.

Trintignant and Riva are unforgettably brilliant as the aging couple we can all identify with.

Haneke's startling film stands in stark contrast with other recent, comedic fare that seemingly addresses similar issues.

My review is categorized as 'favourable' not because I enjoyed the film (that's not Michael Haneke's intent) but because I recognise what he is trying to say and that he says it with a unique cinematic voice

Debilitation and loss of control is a harsh topic, yet Haneke's film is surprisingly gentle, exploring the constraints and options faced, as old age delivers its ultimate blow - the loss of self and ability to function with dignity

Amour is a pure depiction of love, in all its many forms.

The furthest thing from sweet sorrow imaginable, Amour gets real about the pain of parting in every sense of the word.

This subject matter is ripe for sentimentalization, but Haneke resists it at every turn, opting instead for unflinching honesty. It is the economy of theme paired with the subtle richness of character that make Amour so powerful.

Clearly, Amour, Michael Haneke and Emmanuelle Riva don't really need me to additionally sing their praises (although praise is indeed all I have), so let's discuss Jean-Louis Trintignant for a moment.

All is presented in Haneke's exacting style, one that I find controlling and a bit, well, smothering.

An insightful, memorable film about what it means to love.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771307454/

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GOP senators are treading carefully with tea party

WASHINGTON -- Twice burned, Republicans are treading carefully around tea party groups as they pursue a Senate majority that slipped through their fingers in 2010 and 2012.

"You'd have to be an idiot not to prepare" for primary election challenges from the right, no matter the state, says Rob Jesmer, who was executive director of the GOP Senate campaign committee when flawed, conservative candidates captured primaries, only to lose winnable races in the fall.

While incumbents work to ward off or repel challenges from within their party, a Republican tempest already is flaring in Georgia, where GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss is stepping down. Party officials also look apprehensively toward Iowa, where Sen. Tom Harkin's decision to retire down opens up a seat long in Democratic hands.

The developments come at a time the Republican Party nationally is involved in a well-chronicled period of introspection after failing to win the White House last fall. President Barack Obama's support reached 53 percent among women who cast ballots, 60 percent among voters under 30, some 71 percent among Hispanics and 93 percent among blacks. Numerous officials have said the party must find a way to broaden its appeal rather than continue to steer rightward.

Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for Republicans, said consternation about a replay of recent politically damaging primaries "at least for the moment, doesn't seem to be an issue" for the GOP. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who chairs the campaign committee, declined a request for an interview.

Yet the divisions that pit the party establishment against insurgents and self-styled grass-roots groups show no signs of abating.

Karl Rove, a prominent strategist with deep ties to the Republican establishment, recently disclosed creation of a Conservative Victory Fund with the stated goal of backing electable conservatives in party primaries.

But when Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, a longtime conservative and possible Senate contender, was quoted in the National Review as saying he didn't oppose the objectives espoused by Rove's group, he drew a slap from a rival organization with close tea party ties.

"The Republican establishment is becoming increasingly hostile to the conservative movement, and Congressman Price should openly and aggressively oppose their efforts, not defend them," blogged Matt Hoskins, head of the Senate Conservatives Fund, an organization founded by former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.

Price's office declined comment.

Steven Law, head of the Conservative Victory Fund, said it was too early to predict which races it would become involved in. He said the organization hopes to "work with other groups that share that mission to see if we can ensure more rigorous evaluation of candidates, find consensus where possible and perhaps most importantly prevent the Democrats from picking our nominees for us."

Incumbent Republicans seem eager to avoid antagonizing groups that have helped elect tea party favorites such as Sens. Mike Lee in Utah, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Marco Rubio in Florida and Ted Cruz in Texas in recent years.

Even before the beginning of the year, the party's Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, hired the campaign manager who guided Paul to his establishment-upending victory in 2010.

The party's second-ranking leader, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, was one of only three Senate Republicans to oppose John Kerry's confirmation as secretary of state. He has said he expects a primary challenge and Democrats recently accused him of being on "Cruz control," as he seeks a new term.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/21/3246397/gop-senators-are-treading-carefully.html

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Intel Will Lead Us to ? la Carte Pay TV

Of all the things that irritate us about pay TV, bundled packages that make us buy 80 lousy channels just to get the premium stuff tops the list. Intel and Dish realize this, and are leading the way to à ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/zxe1j9hRzgM/

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Southern Hemisphere apple exports will increase by 4%

Southern Hemisphere apple exports will increase by 4%

According to figures provided by the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA), apple production in the Southern Hemisphere is expected to total around 5,468 million tonnes, representing an approximately 1% growth when compared to the previous year. As for exports, they are expected to reach a total of approximately 1,667,369 tons, equivalent to a 4% growth.

In the case of pears, the report details that production is projected to be around 1.52 million tons, a 2% increase, while exports would increase by 5%, with a projected order volume of 749,821 tonnes.

According to the study, apple production in Chile and Brazil would total 1.627 million and 1.27 million tons respectively.

In the case of the Chilean industry the agency also makes reference to an 8% drop in production.

The ranking is followed by Argentina, with an estimated 937,000 tons, South Africa, with 826,000, and New Zealand with 519,000 tons.

Moreover, the study mentions that Argentina leads pear production, with an estimated 828,000 tonnes in 2013 and a projected production growth of 3%. Followed by South Africa, with 363,000 tons, Chile, with 191,000, and Australia, with 129,000 tons.

Local sources report that pear shipments will increase by 15% this season when compared with the year 2012.

Source: WAPA/Rionegro

Publication date: 2/21/2013

Source: http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=106184

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Rome: Cardinal Retreat Master Calls TV ?Great Moloch?

"Cowards, Bullies and Killers: Feminization of the Western Man and Christian Church" by R. Cort Kirkwood. Available on CD or MP3If you are selling your home, you can help our apostolate without spending a dime: Real Estate for Life

CWN:?Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, who is leading the annual Lenten retreat for the Pope and leaders of the Roman Curia, preached on February 20 on Psalms 131 and 39. More here.

?

Source: http://catholicism.org/rome-cardinal-retreat-master-calls-tv-great-moloch.html

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Rasmussen College Career and Networking Expo Today

ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- Rasmussen College is hosting its bi-annual, Winter Career and Networking Expo on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The expo will give job seekers the opportunity to connect with employers and organizations, explore career opportunities, and gain valuable job-seeking knowledge.

What: Career and Networking Expo

When: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Tebala Shrine Center, 7910 Newburg Road Rockford, IL 61108

For additional information visit www.Rasmussen.edu/CareerExpo

Source: http://www.wifr.com/news/headlines/Rasmussen-College-Career-and-Networking-Expo-192261661.html

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Melanie Brown to Take Over on America's Got Talent

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/melanie-brown-to-take-over-on-americas-got-talent/

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Brad DeLong : Ann Marie Marciarille: California's Health Insurance ...

Ann Marie Marciarille:

Missouri State of Mind: California's Health Insurance Exchange Web Presence is Up and Running: Lots of people ask me what a health insurance exchange will look like. ?I've been telling them that they may visit the Massachusetts connector for one example and that California's site will be up soon. ?Now I have to amend that: Covered California may be visited here:?http://www.coveredca.com/

Now the harder question still remains unanswered: what will it be like to actually use the health insurance exchange to try to acquire health insurance? The conventional response seems to be that the exchanges will be modeled on Travelocity. I guess it all depends on your most recent experience with Travelocity and whether you think the kind of sophisticated value-driven computer-savvy consumers that use a site like Travelocity were the ones I am most worried about in the Exchanges.

I would add a worry: Travelocity needs to attract customers or its people will lose their jobs, the Director of Human Resources at a large company needs to have an HR website that does not get the CEO mad enough to fire them. The exchanges, by contrast, will work according to a less consumer-is-always-right more political-horse-trading logic. How will that work?

Source: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2013/02/ann-marie-marciarille-californias-health-insurance-exchange-web-presence-is-up-and-running.html

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