Amazon planning first real-world shop: report

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

Online retail titan Amazon will open its first real-world shop in just a few months, according to a blog devoted to news about electronic readers such as the popular Kindle.

Online retail titan Amazon will open its first real-world shop in its hometown of Seattle devoted mainly to books and the company’s Kindle tablets.

Amazon spokeswoman Mary Osako on Tuesday declined to discuss the report, telling AFP “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.”

Website goodereader.com cited unnamed sources close to the project as saying that Amazon intends to open a small boutique shop in its hometown of Seattle devoted mainly to books and the company’s Kindle tablets.

The shop will showcase digital books as well as ink-and-paper editions printed by Amazon’s publishing arm, according to goodereader.

Apple has had phenomenal success with its retail stores devoted to the California company’s coveted iPads, iPhones, iPods, and Macintosh computers.

The new Kindle Fire tablet has been touted as a viable challenger to the iPad, and Amazon may be following Apple’s winning model of providing a tailored buying experience that puts devices and accessories in shoppers’ hands.

Amazon’s fourth-quarter net profit sank to $177 million, compared to $416 million a year before, and earnings per share dropped to 38 cents from 91 cents, short of analyst forecasts.

Net sales grew 34.6 percent in the quarter to $17.4 billion, but a 37.6 percent rise in costs ate away at the Internet sales giant’s margins.

Despite a hugely successful holiday season for its Kindle e-reader and tablet devices, with sales up 177 percent from a year earlier, Amazon was challenged by price cutting from rivals on the Web and those with storefronts, and many with both.

The company said to expect more of the same for the first quarter — strong sales growth but narrowing profit margins.

It forecast at best a 69 percent fall in operating income for the current quarter, and allowed for a possible net loss.

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The Great Features of a Military Watch

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

Years ago a military watch was meant only for military people and police so that they could do their task and synchronize with their troops. those watches have extreme accuracy and precision along with great durability and functions such as altimeter to serve their purpose. however, the contemporary versions of military watches are even more packed with helpful and convenient functions, together with sleek and stylish designs so much that they are desired by people all over the world. They are suitable for diverse variety of consumers and add a touch of sophisticated look to their wardrobe.

Some of the amazing aspects of a military watch are:

Night vision. Military watches have amazing H3 tritium technology which allows the user to have a look at their watch even in complete dimness. this astonishing state of the art technology empowers the watch to glow for 25 years minus any battery.

Durability. These watches are the most durable ones in the market. They are made of titanium, one of the hardest elements which can endure tough physical contacts. Their straps are made of leather or nylon making it very sturdy.

It has precise Chronograph Movement and atleast 3 to 4 subdials. They not only have tremendous precision and accuracy, but also add to the sporty and high-tech charm that most guys love.

Military watches can be powered by solar power and can run up to 5 months without additional charge. Thus, there is unrestricted battery life and their users don’t have to worry about changing batteries at all.
Triple sensor. It’s quite a common feature among military watches. It comprises of a barometer, altimeter, and compass, showing that the generation of single functioned watches are gone.

Luminox blackout has numerous high-tech technological strides and defines Swiss standards. Its illumination aspect is absolutely exceptional and multipurpose. They can light up a specific source and are motorized by minute glass lights which are called as borosilicate glass capsules. They can offer great radiance even without a particular need for solar battery or power oriented versions and it lasts up to 25 years. in addition, their brilliance as compared to preceding watches is just simply amazing.

Luminox blackout looks very fashionable and can be worn by both older and younger people. They have stylish chronograph and round dials which express panache and elegance at its best. They are well-known for their sophistication and excellent and efficient functions.

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Mercury News editorial: Citizen Commission Got the Job Done on Redistricting

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

California’s grand experiment to let a nonpartisan citizen commission redraw election maps rather than having self-serving politicians do the job has made us — and other supporters of the idea — proud. The voter-approved initiative that made this change is a reminder that we can still put democracy into action.

The new maps released in August have survived five legal challenges. just this past Friday, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Republican group that argued the commission improperly considered race as a factor in drawing congressional districts. in the fall, the California Supreme Court unanimously rejected two other Republican challenges to the districts for state Senate and congressional seats.

It’s no surprise that fighting was fierce over the maps. Political fortunes of candidates and entire parties rise and fall on district changes. but getting the work done entirely in public instead of in backrooms is in the public’s interest, if not current officeholders’.

Redistricting is done once a decade, after the U.S. census, to reflect shifts in population. For many years, California’s Legislature drew the maps, and both political parties have manipulated the lines to protect incumbents or gain political advantage.

In response to this gerrymandering, voters approved a referendum in 2008 to give the redistricting job to a nonpartisan California Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The panel held more than 30 public hearings and heard from more than 3,000 residents before deciding what boundaries would be fair. The process wasn’t perfect — what in politics is? — but at least the public saw, for the most part, what went into making this sausage.

Of course, various groups tried to influence the panel. ProPublica, a nonprofit journalism foundation, reported that Democrats hired consultants who presented themselves as public interest groups making recommendations to the panel. but the presentations were made at public meetings, not behind closed doors, and politically savvy commissioners were well aware that many people testifying before them had special interests at heart. they followed their own publicly approved guidelines to decide on maps. Even ProPublica did not suggest that commissioners acted improperly. The federal and state court rulings upholding their work are another vote of confidence.

The maps may lead to more Democratic-leaning districts. However, that is a result of the state’s demographic changes rather than any political plot. The main factor is an increase in the state’s Latino population, which tends to vote Democratic.

While Democrats stand to gain in some respects from redistricting, they also face a potential loss in political clout for the party’s congressional delegation. Shifted boundaries likely will lead some senior Democrats to retire, leading to more contested races and less clout for newly elected Democrats.

The maps may face more challenges. The state Republican Party is trying to qualify an initiative for November to overturn them.

Bring it on. Voters could change their minds and decide they’d prefer to have politicians go back to drawing their own districts behind closed doors, but a whole raft of good government advocates will be betting otherwise.

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Invicta 8926 Diver Watch Real World Review

Posted on February 16, 2012 by admin

The Invicta 8926 Diver Watch is a well known Invicta watch. Which isn’t counting for a lot, except if you count yourself as something of a watch geek. though the 8926 is a clone of a famous Swiss company’s Submariner, it holds its own as a good watch. as far as my Invicta 8926 Diver Watch Review goes, I think that you will like the this watch if:

1) you are curious about self-winding timepieces but haven’t tried one yet.
2) you are a fan of a timepiece such as a Swiss-made Submariner but don’t want to spend north of over $6,000.
3) you are hoping for a watch that is durable, but not completely first rate, in terms of overall quality.

I bought my Invicta 8923 Diver Watch 2 years ago, finding one at a mall kiosk for around $110 with tax (It’s for sale cheaper on Amazon). I chose to buy someplace local so that if the watch was a total piece of garbage or fell apart right away, I could easily take it back. Fortunately, it wasn’t garbage, it didn’t fall apart, and some things about the watch ended up as a pleasant shock:

a) The Invicta 8926 is accurate, I only had to adjust it by a few minutes once a month or perhaps even less often.

b) it is rugged. I haven’t taken any special precautions, and the watch face is very scratch resistant. while it is easy to scratch the watch band, the metal appears okay even after it’s taken abuse.

In consideration of this, it would likely be prone to scratching if the band brushed on, say, the rocky sea bottom when you are using it on a dive. From my own experience, I know the band will get damaged when you reach in to extract a snack out of a vending machine and scraped the watch face along the vending machine door. Your results could be different.

c) With regard to the feel of the watch, the weight is ideal and it fits my wrist nicely. It’s the most comfortable watch that I own.

At the start, I went ahead and bought the 8926 Diver watch to see how an self-winding watch would work. I thought that if I decided that an automatic watch was a good fit for me, that I would upgrade to a classic Omega down the road. two years on, the 8926 Diver Watch has turned out to be such a nice timepiece that I am not in a hurry to get anything else.

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Rolex Glossary of Watch Parts & Terminology

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

Case – the body of the watch. it contains the movement and is attached to the band on its extremes.

Dial – the face of the watch on which the hands and hour markers are put on.

Hands – the hour hand, minute hand, and second hand that keeps time.

Crown – the round-shaped winder that allows one to adjust the time, day, date, and movement.

Crystal – the glass that covers the dial. it comes in either a sapphire or plastic crystal.

Bezel – the round, outer-ring that seals the case.

Lugs – the two pointed edges that attach to the bracelet on both top and bottom ends of the case.

Bracelet – or the band, is the piece that wraps around the wrist. it is usually made of stainless steel or gold.

End Piece – the small metal piece that allows the bracelet to be attached to the case.

Spring Bar – a pushpin that holds the bracelet together.

Link – each link makes up the bracelet and can be removed or added to fit one’s wrist.

Aftermarket Rolex parts – non-Rolex made parts that do not display counterfeit Rolex logos or hallmarks.

Arbor – the axle that a gear rides on.

Baguette – ladies style watch featuring a thin rectangular or oval shape.

Balance Spring – controls the swing of the balance.

Bubbleback – expression used to describe the early Rolex Perpetual models, due to the thickness of the case used to house the oversized movement.

Chronograph – in addition to conveying standard time, it also performs a time measuring function such as a stop watch.

Divers’ Extension – a hinged extension within the watch’s bracelet, which allows the bracelet to be lengthened, to fit the divers’ wet suit.

Quick Set – this feature allows the date to be rapidly set via the winding crown, without having the hour hand pass the 12 o’clock position.

Concealed Clasp – the clasp buckle is concealed under the bracelet’s links, appearing to have a continuous flowing bracelet.

Hallmark – a mark or stamp indicating the purity of the metal, or the date, and/or country of import.

Mainspring – the principal spring of a watch that supplies the force of motion to the gear trains.

Perpetual Movement – another term for an automatic or self-winding movement, this movement causes a weight inside the watch to rotate backwards and forwards, thus keeping it in constant tension.

Serial Number – an identification number of a watch, usually engraved between the lugs, this number can often be used to date the production of the watch.

Sweeping Movement – refers to the movement of the second hand quickly ‘ticking’ at approximately 5-8 times per second, thus giving the illusion of sweeping.

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YouTube High Quality Video – How to Watch, Upload and Embed

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

There are a lot of websites offering you advice on how to encode, upload and embed your YouTube high quality video. however I found a lot of them to be outdated or I didn’t understand what they were telling me.

So I decided to do some research to figure out exactly what you really need to do to get your video up in high quality on Youtube.

Firstly, I wanted to always play the high quality version of YouTube videos. I worked out that you can configure your YouTube account to force it to always play the high quality version if available.

You see, by default YouTube determines whether or not you get to see the high quality video and that is determined on their end. but there are a lot of factors that may influence whether or not you actually get to see it.

Some factors are; latency with your ISP (internet service provider), time of day (peak times can affect connection speed due to user activity), where you are in the world (overseas connections may not be as quick to connect). however, you have broadband and once connected, have no problem with speed.

So the best thing to do is change the option in your YouTube account settings to always play high quality videos.

Also, what about making your own high quality YouTube video? It’s not as hard as people think. I tried several times, watching videos, searching the internet, but I failed.

Until I put some information together and figured it out

Do you know can create Youtube High Quality [youtubehq.info/generate-high-quality-youtube-embed-code/] video using the latest H.264 codec?

Huh? what is H.264? It is the latest compression codec from Apple that beats Divx and Xvid hands down.why? Because not only is the file size a lot smaller, the quality is very comparable, if not better.

Youtube now supports the H.264 codec, and by using the newer video conversion tools, video editing software, or even Camtasia Studio V5.1 you can encode your video in the H.264 format ready for YouTube in High Quality.

Ok, but what if you want to put the high quality version in your web site or blog? By default YouTube only give you the embed code for the standard (low quality) version.

Well, there is some code you have to add to the standard YouTube embed code. It can be a little difficult to find out as there is a lot of information around that is just plain outdated.

However, it is possible, and there is an automatic code generator that will actually create the code you are looking for.

How cool is that?

With High Quality YouTube video becoming the way of the future, you cannot afford not to learn how to create, upload and embed high quality YouTube video.

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What Are the Requirements to Be a Natural Born Citizen of the United States?

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

It’s unambiguous in the Constitution:

No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

So.what exactly is a natural born citizen? Does it mean that children born by C-section aren’t eligible to run for President? no. That’s silly. but curiously, there hasn’t been a true legal definition of natural born citizen since the Constitution was written, so most courts apply the common law of the time. And when the Constitution was written, common law regarding citizenship was the same as common law of England.

In 1898, United States v Wong Kim Ark, the court ruled that:

It thus clearly appears that by the law of England for the last three centuries, beginning before the settlement of this country, and continuing to the present day, aliens, while residing in the dominions possessed by the crown of England, were within the allegiance, the obedience, the faith or loyalty, the protection, the power, and the jurisdiction of the English sovereign; and therefore every child born in England of alien parents was a natural-born subject, unless the child of an ambassador or other diplomatic agent of a foreign state, or of an alien enemy in hostile occupation of the place where the child was born. The same rule was in force in all the English colonies upon this continent down to the time of the Declaration of Independence, and in the United States afterwards, and continued to prevail under the constitution as originally established.

Long story made short, the common law of the United States is that if you are born on US soil, and your parents are not enemy combatants fighting against the US, or part of a hostile occupying force, or diplomats working in the US, or born on an Indian reservation (I’m not kidding), the child is a citizen. And being a citizen is entitled to every protection the law allows.

Oh, and it also allows children, born in the US, to foreign-born parents, to run for president.

So. Case closed. which is what the Indiana Court of Appeals cited when it dismissed a case challenging Obama’s citizenship in 2009.

There’s a post script to this, for all the birthers out there saying that natural born citizens have to be born to people who are citizens already. a great many Irish, Jewish, German, Polish, Italian, and Scottish immigrants were not citizens when they had their kids. that would make those children not citizens. And their children, being born to non citizens, also could not be citizens. Chances are, by the average birther’s definition, there are hundreds of thousands of non-citizens running around, even voting.

And oh, how I wish that would be the end of it.

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Nixon Watches Offer Many Options

Posted on February 15, 2012 by admin

The development of watches as fashion accessories has been significant during the last decade. the industry has revolutionized its approaches, methodologies and practices, to bring forth designs and concepts that are awe inspiring and define the personalities of the individuals to the maximum. One of the brands that have gained popularity due to the fashionable aspect of personal time pieces that they have introduced for people across the world is Nixon Watches.

According to the corporate history of this business entity, it is a Californian company which was founded in 1997, to manufacture customized watches of high quality for its respective target market, which encompassed the fashion conscious class. though the company was later bought by Billabong International, Nixon watches are still identified for their world class watches that they develop and their production of elegant personal time pieces.

One of the most popular of the Nixon watches range are the superdry watches. These watches follow a contemporary design philosophy and depict a certain Japanese influence in colour selection and art, featuring the patterns of clothes and accessories. This striking range of Nixon watches are available for both men and women. Keeping in mind the requirements and the style appeal of women, the superdry watches for women have slender straps and reduced dials.

Nixon watches offer the best value for money to their customers who can be sure of finding a personal wrist watch according to their style statement that represents personal exclusivity in terms of quality and class. These watches are sure to enhance not only one’s personality but, sure to blend in well with your season’s wardrobe too.

Whether one is a serious professional or an active sportsman; Nixon watches offer the apt choices for all lifestyles and preferences. Nixon has widened its scope of research and operations to add spectacular editions to their range, which include; stainless steel watches featuring hardened mineral crystals and have crafted designer pieces that represent a unique blend of bold and minimalist style for the fashion conscious, professionals and geeks at the same time. These sturdy watches, which offer shock resistance along with resistance up to 100 m of water and operate on Japanese quartz movement are popular amongst surfers, skateboarders and snowboarders across the nations.

The distinctive attributes for Nixon watches are their finesse, refinement and simplicity which are evident in the watch models both for men and women that are available in a dazzling array of options and refreshing colours and offer absolute watches that one can wear to express style and personality. So sift the impressive range of Nixon watches to find one that truly represents your fashion style and offer you the best features to match the lifestyle that you like to pursue.

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Watch Your Favourite Films on the HTC Rhyme

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin

Watch your favourite films on the HTC Rhyme by simply accessing the built-in Watch app on the handset and choosing what you want to see. The slim unibody handset offers a large 3.7 inch high definition display for you to watch movies on, or alternatively use the DLNA connection to watch them on a large screen.

There are often moments when you might want to do something different on your smartphone, play 3D games, listen to music, but also watch a movie. this handset allows you to do all of those things, and watching a movie can be a great way to pass time on a train, waiting for someone, or simply to combat boredom. through the large touch display and using the simple graphical user interface provided by both Android (the operating system) and Sense (the manufacturers add on software), you can access a world of movies including all of your favourites to download and watch on your handset, or as mentioned using the DLNA wireless connection to enjoy on a larger compatible television or similar device. this phone also comes ready for accessories including a docking station and wired headset which adds further to your ease and comfort to both listen to music or watch movies. While the preinstalled app is available on other handsets such as the HTC Explorer respectively, this device provides the additional hardware to assist you.

The Rhyme has seven home screens for you to customise through which you have a range of shortcuts and application icons in all Apps. Once you have looked through your apps and located the HTC Watch application, simply tap the basket icon to see movies to watch. To help, you can use the recommended and featured lists. Once you have seen a film you may like, tap the icon to view its information. You may be able to watch a trailer, and you can then rent or purchase through an Watch account. You can then download and start watching the film before it has ended downloading, or alternatively leave it to download and watch it another time by simply accessing the respective app again. Additionally, you can watch your movies on up to 5 HTC devices.

Enjoy films wherever and whenever you want with the HTC Rhyme, it provides an easy way to get them on your mobile phone, and you can watch them almost instantly, buy to keep it forever, or rent to watch it once. In addition to its many other features, this is a great resource to have on your phone.

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Protests in Greece as cabinet approves debt deal

Posted on February 14, 2012 by admin

Thousands of protesters massed in Greece under heavy police watch Saturday after the government approved unpopular austerity cuts to get vital rescue funds and avoid the “chaos” of a default.

A protester, wrapped in a Greek flag, stands in front of police officers during a 48-hour anti-austerity strike, in front of the Greek Parliament on February 11. Protesters massed in Greece under heavy police watch after the government approved unpopular austerity cuts to get vital rescue funds and avoid the “chaos” of a default.

More than 3,500 people streamed to Syntagma Square in Athens on a second day of protests and a general strike, with hundreds of riot police standing guard following clashes that erupted during rallies on Friday.

But only a few minor scuffles took place Saturday and the protest ended peacefully.

The coalition government, weakened by the defection of six of its members, approved in the early hours the painful belt-tightening measures that the EU and the IMF have demanded in return for a 130-billion-euro ($171 billion) rescue package that Athens needs to avoid default in March.

“We are here to say no to what they want to impose on us,” said Sophia, a 38-year-old researcher, as other protestors held up a banner reading: “They are Ruining our Lives.”

Turnout was affected by the general strike that halted public transport to a halt in the Greek capital, with no metro, bus or trolley services, but more were expected to demonstrate Sunday when the measures go to a parliamentary vote.

In the northern city of Thessaloniki, police estimated a crowd of some 4,000 at a similar protest.

As the cabinet debated the measures on Friday, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos issued a stern warning after six members of his coalition government — four on the far right and two socialists — resigned in protest at the new cuts.

“A disorderly default would plunge our country into a disastrous adventure,” he told the cabinet. “It would create conditions of uncontrolled economic chaos and social explosion.”

“Sooner or later, (Greece) would be led out of the euro,” he warned.

The remaining cabinet members finally approved the deal and the Athens News Agency (ANA) said parliament would vote on it on Sunday, with demonstrations expected during the vote.

Speaking to their respective parliamentary groups, the leaders of the socialist PASOK and centre-right New Democracy parties on Saturday urged their MPs to vote in favour of the new debt deal.

“The new programme is difficult and harsh, but it is our only hope for avoiding extreme situations,” said former prime minister and PASOK leader George Papandreou.

“Now is the time of responsibility towards the country,” he added.

“We can begin stabilising with the debt deal because we will remove 85 billion euros (of debt) from our shoulders,” New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras told his party’s MPs.

“Now we must tell the truth and only the truth. we must look each other in the eye and be honest with the people to move forward … to ensure the nation’s destiny,” Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos told PASOK’s parliamentary group.

Greece was explicitly told by its eurozone partners this week that it must agree to austerity measures in order to secure the release of further loans under the 130 billion euro bailout pending since October.

Greece needs the money to stave off bankruptcy on March 20, when Athens must repay nearly 14.5 billion euros in maturing debt.

Three texts will be put to Sunday’s vote: measures to recapitalise Greek banks, an authorisation for Papademos and the finance minister to sign the eurozone bailout, and a bond swap with private creditors designed to wipe out around 100 billion euros from Greece’s 350 billion euro debt, ANA said.

Details of the austerity measures will be included in a follow-up law to be introduced in the next two weeks, the agency said.

The measures, which include slashing minimum wages and facilitating layoffs, have sparked deep anger in a country where more than a million people, or more than 20 percent of the workforce, are unemployed.

The far-right LAOS party that was part of the coalition said it would not support the further austerity cuts, and its four members in government quit.

They were followed by the assistant foreign minister for European affairs, a socialist who accused the EU of “fixation” on a labour rights overhaul.

Another socialist, a deputy labour minister, had resigned Thursday.

The government intends to appoint replacements after the measures are approved by parliament on Sunday, state television NET said.

At least five socialist and conservative deputies have declared their intention to oppose the cuts on Sunday, and LAOS leader George Karatzaferis said his 16 lawmakers would do likewise.

“We are not going to vote,” Karatzaferis told a news conference, adding: “Humiliation was imposed on us. I do not tolerate this.”

In principle, the two senior coalition partners still have enough support to pass the measures.

Eurozone finance ministers on Thursday delayed a decision on a new bailout, giving Greek officials less than a week to meet tough conditions in exchange for fresh aid.

The ministers want Greek lawmakers to formally approve the measures, which include additional structural spending cuts of 325 million euros for 2012.

They also want a written pledge from coalition leaders that they will implement the reforms, Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker said. If those conditions are met, the Eurogroup would meet again on Wednesday.

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