Origin Genesis (i7-3930k)

The Origin Genesis (Core i7-3930K) ($5,894 direct) is an update to the Origin Genesis ($6,499 direct, 4 stars) gaming desktop we looked at in 2010. It has a new six-core Intel Core i7-3930K processor (aka Sandy Bridge?E) and three Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 graphics cards. These are some of the most powerful components you can currently buy, and naturally the system is made to achieve the pinnacle of performance on multiple tasks including multimedia and gaming. Is the Genesis better than our current ?ber-gaming Editors' Choice, the Maingear Shift Super Stock (Core i7-3930K) ($5,289 direct, 4.5 stars)? Read on to find out.

Design and Features

This version of the Genesis uses a lightly customized Bitfenix Shinobi XL chassis, which is a towering, black-painted behemoth with a windowed side panel. It has the look of an imposing gaming rig, worthy of inclusion in the $5K club. The system has six USB 3.0 ports (four on the top panel), whereas others are limited to two inconveniently placed ports in the back. There are seven USB 2.0 ports as well, for slower peripherals like game controllers, keyboards, and mice. There's a specialized "SuperCharge" port on the top of the system, which is a 2.5-amp USB port for charging your phone or tablet; it's a nicety that gadget-laden folk will welcome. The Genesis also has a FireWire 400 port, two Ethernet jacks (each can access a separate network), S/PDIF digital audio out, and analog audio jacks. The three GTX 680 cards provide a total of six DVI ports, three DisplayPort, and three HDMI ports; you can funnel all of this power through a single DVI port, or you can configure a surround setup with three monitors and 3D glasses (sold separately). The Genesis comes with a BD-RE Blu-ray burner that also reads and burns CDs and DVDs. With this system, you're well covered for entertainment.

The inside of the system is roomy, although the video cards restrict expansion somewhat. There is one free PCI Express (PCIe) x1 slot, but the video cards block your access to it. Two solid-state drives (SSDs) in a RAID Level 0 array provide a speedy platform for running your OS and programs, and a 2TB 7,200rpm drive gives you plenty of extra capacity as well. There is also room for an additional three optical drives or 5.25-inch devices and up to five hard drives (which you install on removable sleds). There are only two free SATA ports on the motherboard to service any additional drives, however. There are four free DIMM slots in case you need more than the included 16GB. A 1,200-watt power supply gives the necessary juice to everything, including the interior lighting, accomplished with multiple red LEDs, that gives you a uniform glow by which you see the hardware you've paid so dearly for.

Like most custom-built gaming systems, the Origin Genesis comes preinstalled with the operating system (Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit), the hardware drivers, minimal utilities, and not much more. That's a good deal for gamers, who never want to be have an extra piece of bloatware to blame for a poor showing on the game grid.

Performance

The Genesis oozes performance. The six-core processor has been overclocked to an insane 4.9GHz, which is 100MHz faster than the overclock on the Maingear Shift Super Stock (Core i7-3930K). (Both are miles ahead of the Core i7-3930K's 3.2GHz stock clock speed.) As such, the Genesis is faster than the Maingear on multimedia benchmarks like our Handbrake video conversion (51 seconds for the Genesis, 54 seconds for the Shift) and Photoshop CS5 (2:12 Genesis, 2:15 Shift) tests. But to be honest, you'll hardly notice a difference of three seconds when you're rushing through a project. Both are faster than stock-clocked Core i7-3930K systems like the iBuypower Chimera 4-V1 ($2,499 direct, 4 stars).

The Genesis' three graphics cards are good for more-than-playable scores on all our benchmark tests at all settings, though ultimately the Maingear proved faster at the DX11-heavy Lost Planet 2. That said, both delivered insane frame rates, though you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between 207 frames per second (fps) and 232fps during real gameplay. If there's any nit to pick about the system's 3D performance, it's that the cooling fans on the graphics cards kick into full-power mode during strenuous gameplay and therefore push a lot of air through the system. It's not a lot compared to some older gaming PCs, but it still produces a din that's hard to ignore in a quiet room unless you're wearing noise-cancelling headphones.

Ultimately, the Origin Genesis (Core i7-3930K) provides an excellent high-end gaming experience, but it's not that much faster than the Maingear Shift Super Stock (Core i7-3930K), which costs more than $600 less. The Genesis is worth keeping on your short list, to be sure, but the better buy remains the Maingear Shift Super Stock.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Origin Genesis (Core i7-3930K) with several other desktops side by side.

More desktop reviews:
??? Origin Genesis (i7-3930k)
??? Dell XPS One 2710
??? Cyberpower Gamer Xtreme 4000SE
??? Asus ET2700INKS-B062C
??? Dell XPS 8500
?? more

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AP Exclusive: Video draws animal cruelty charges

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) ? Prosecutors have filed animal cruelty charges against the owner and seven employees at a Southern California livestock auction house after undercover video shot by an animal rights group showed workers kicking, hitting and tossing the animals as they were readied for sale.

The grainy video, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press and shot by the Los Angeles-based group Mercy for Animals, shows workers at Ontario Livestock Sales in Ontario, Calif., kicking and stomping on pigs to get them to move through a narrow chute, hitting emus with a baton and slinging baby goats by the neck and hind legs. In one shot, two workers drag a sick sheep that can't walk by its ears and heave it into the back of a van.

Prosecutors have filed a total of 21 misdemeanor counts against the owner, Horacio Santorsola, and seven employees after conducting further investigation with the help of the Inland Valley Humane Society, said Reza Daghbandan, a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office.

The defendants, who are not in custody, have a July 20 court date and face a maximum of a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, he said.

Santorsola, 73, said the case was exaggerated and he and his employees had done nothing wrong.

He has not been cited once in the 18 years he's owned the business, he said, and grabbing animals by their necks and legs is necessary because they are not tame.

"I think it's a bunch of crap," Santorsola said. "How are you going to pick them up? They don't have a leash. They run, believe me, they do run."

The video was taken earlier this year over a seven-week period by an undercover investigator using a buttonhole camera, said Matt Rice, director of investigations at Mercy for Animals.

Prosecutors relied on the help of veterinarians to determine which actions crossed the line into criminal behavior, Daghbandan said.

"This isn't the same standard of care as a house pet would get ... but we felt comfortable that these instances went too far," he said.

Animal handling experts who reviewed the footage called the treatment of the animals, which include emus, pigs, goats, sheep and cows, "brutally improper."

"If they were to do this to a companion animal like a dog or a cat, everyone would jump up in outrage," said Holly Cheever, a veterinarian and expert witness in animal cruelty cases who is also vice president of New York State Humane Association.

Cheever said in one shot, a cow appears to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus and is bleeding.

"Even food animals are supposed to be given proper care and protection from abuse and this is very clear cut abuse," she said. "The dragging of the downed animals, the tossing of the baby animals onto the floor, leaving them gasping and dying: It's hard to choose any one aspect because it's pretty unpleasant from beginning to end."

A website for Ontario Livestock Sales says the family-owned business 40 miles east of Los Angeles holds auctions every Tuesday and handles horses, cattle, goats, hogs and exotic animals. The facility, which was founded in 1936, sells 1,000 to 1,300 animals every week, according to its website.

Mercy for Animals has filmed at livestock facilities around the U.S., including footage at a poultry farm that last year led Target and McDonald's to drop their egg supplier after undercover footage showed hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chicks' beaks.

___

Online:

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/

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China detains hundreds in Tibet capital: report

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SpaceX Dragon ship aims for Earth

30 May 2012 Last updated at 20:36 ET By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

The American SpaceX company's Dragon cargo capsule returns to Earth on Thursday having spent a week attached to the International Space Station.

The unmanned vehicle will fall through the atmosphere to make a splashdown in the Pacific off the California coast.

Dragon made history last Friday by becoming the first privately produced craft to visit the orbiting platform.

The mission has been a demonstration of the freight service SpaceX intends to run to the station.

It has a $1.6bn contract with the US space agency (Nasa) waiting to be triggered on the successful recovery of Dragon from the ocean.

"It's a very challenging phase of flight. Only a few countries have done this before so we're not taking this lightly," said SpaceX mission director John Coulurlis ahead of the re-entry.

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) closed the hatch on Dragon on Wednesday after filling it with 660kg (1,450lb) of experiments and failed equipment that need to come back to Earth.

The crew have to unberth the cargo ship from the platform using its big robotic arm before releasing it to fly free.

Dragon must then fire its thrusters several times to take itself down and away from the station. A final burn will put it on a course for re-entry into the atmosphere.

SpaceX has organised a range of ships, planes and ground stations to track the descent of the capsule, which will be slowed in the final minutes by three big parachutes.

Dragon is projected to hit the water at 15:44 GMT (11:44 EDT; 16:44 BST).

"Our splashdown zone is about 490 nautical miles south-west of Los Angeles," explained Coulurlis.

"The recovery boats - it's a fleet of three vessels with supporting fast boats that go out to safe the spacecraft.

"It will take about two to three days to return to port. We'll then go direct to our facility in Texas for cargo unloading and further spacecraft inspection."

SpaceX - Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - has been engaged by Nasa to fulfil a logistics role at the station just as soon as it has proved its systems. The current mission was designed to see it complete a final set of performance milestones.

Nasa has another such arrangement with Orbital Sciences Corporation of Virginia, although its freighter, known as Cygnus, is still several months from making its maiden flight.

The agency hopes that by contracting out the carriage of freight it will save money which can then be re-invested in more daring activities beyond the station, at destinations such as asteroids and Mars.

The commercial cargo approach will be followed later this decade by crew transport services.

SpaceX wants this business as well, and is developing the safety and life-support equipment that would allow Dragon to double up as an astronaut taxi.

Dragon reaches the station: 'Looks like we got us a dragon by the tail'

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

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Ipl acne treatment reviews - Health and Fitness

To treat the Adult cystic acne or adult acne cysts, lemon astringent in acne a additional diluted concentration is often employed. It is also effective when taken orally. Besides over- the- counter treatments and traditional prescription medications, now people have a tendency to find natural and simple methods to fight acne because of their busy schedules and high medical expenses. These can leave you with adult acne. One of these controllable items is facial hair growth. There have been a lot of instances that people who use chemical peels get 2nd degree burns after applying the peel on their skin. Suffering With tri sprintec acne Acne Scars Can Be Reduced By Trying A Removal Cream At acne some point in our life we have suffered with some form of acne, whether it be minor or more intense. Well, it is pretty much proven to be quite useful as acne treatment although it does not guarantee crystal clear skin. For years acne has been being treated by benzoyl peroxide, an acne tri fighting active ingredient, the problem is that it has some serious side effects ipl acne treatment reviews that have been causing skin problems for years, up to and including severe premature aging and skin cancer. There are many ways which you can follow at home to control your acne or pimples problems. Of course, that does not mean that your problems are just going to go away as an adult, and if you are reading this you are more than likely suffering from adult acne right now. Together, they are a ? dirty? colon and a specific parasite known as candida. Mild acne, moderate acne, and severe acne all have different treatments. So, do not ever squeeze or break the pimples on the skin. These medications are intended to stop the severe acne from leaving behind noticeable scarring. Do you have any ideas on zyporex acne treatment ? Wash your face and let your pores open. The injection works by ipl melting ipl acne treatment reviews the cyst over a period of time, until it has dried out. The water should taste heavily salted. Acne problems become even worse when they start scarring the face. Proactiv Solution in the treatment extra strength formula is available through the catalog only ( the regular formula and other products are available online and at kiosks in local malls) and Murad Acne Complex Kit and other products are available at most beauty stores and online as well. 4. Avoid popping it ? This will only give you temporary satisfaction, but the scar will last longer than expected. Nope ? but that doesn? t mean you shouldn? t rely on them. We might see ourselves as ugly and in result, be very shy towards others. Picking the acne scabs or acne can also contribute to acne scars and sometimes even pits on the skin. Foods that contain trans- fatty acids such as milk products, margarine, cookies, chocolates and hydrogenated oils should also be sprintec avoided. Zinc should be taken separate from copper as they interfere with each other? s absorption. A great deal of the research surrounding acne causes and cures is focusing on the role of diet and nutrition. that are not artificial but naturally occurring in the world. Home Remedies for Clearing Acne Scars Lemon Juice Lemon juice contains citric acid that is very effective in clearing acne blemishes. Another example of an organic ingredient found in some acne scar creams is a hexapeptide by the name of Collaxyl. reviews As it stands, the medical profession has been slow to respond and so the cosmetics industry has been making excessive profits with products to clean the skin and cover up the spots. As you may already know, acne can really affect us emotionally and prevent us from doing what we really want to do.

Related Post Ipl acne treatment reviews

When you cant eat the best foods for your skin, you can take a great multivitamin to help fill in the gaps. If you For more important health articles visit for Donald? s Health Website. Because of it is potency, dilute tea tree oil with some water prior Let Accutane be treatment your chance to live without acnes. How to ensure that you have enough zinc in your diet? This step may But, the best benefit post of using benzoyl peroxide for acne is visible in its cleansing property. Isotretinion has emerged as a very effective However, the results vary from one person to another. Make changes to your diet by eating more natural foods, avoid foods that cause acne

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Lockerz Acquires Fashion Community ?Chick Approved?

Social commerce startup Lockerz just announced that it has acquired online fashion community Chick Approved. Lockerz allows its members to earn "PTZ" by sharing content and other activity on the site, which are then redeemed for discounts in the Lockerz store. Fashion, style, and beauty are the company's fastest growing categories, says founder and CEO Kathy Savitt, and she describes this acquisition as a way to "really double down" in that area.

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London stocks rise at the open on austerity hopes

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Roundup: for the week ending 27 May 2012 | ICT Pulse

A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 21 May to Sunday 27 May 2012.

Monday, 21 May 2012

BTC improving customer service by constructing contact center

Bahamas ? Improving customer service is a top priority for the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), which has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to establish a contact center, Guardian Business can confirm? more

BTC launches 4G in Abaco

Bahamas ? Thousands of Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) customers can now experience improved cellular service, as the company launched its 4G network in Abaco over the weekend? more

BTC opens Treasure Cay retail store

Bahamas ? The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has opened its seventh retail store? more

Vehicle Tracking

Grenada ? Digicel, the fastest-growing mobile operator in the Caribbean has launched in Grenada the ?Digicel Vehicle Tracking? system, an easy to install EDGE electronic device for fleet management companies across the spice isle that tracks the location of vehicles? more

Credit-Card Alarm

Jamaica ? Criminals lurking in legitimate business places are swindling huge chunks of money from unsuspecting Jamaicans and Jamaican companies by way of wire fraud, according to information coming from the police?s Cybercrime Unit? more

IT company launches cash recycler machine

Jamaica ? Information Technology Company Management Control Systems (MC Systems) has introduced cash-notes accepting and recycling Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to the Caribbean? more

Lottery scam ?crumbling? with arrests including alleged mastermind

Jamaica ? The police here are reporting that a lottery scam worth billions of Jamaican dollars (one Jamaica dollar=0.011 US cents) is crumbling after the weekend arrest of several people including an alleged mastermind? more

Monday Talk With Michelle English ? Going With The Jamaican Flow

Jamaica ? A blonde bundle of energy all but whizzed into the office as we settled down at Flow?s New Kingston head offices. A firm handshake and a bright musical ?hello? later, Michele English was whirling into her seat while flashing her tresses into place? more

St Lucia to become ?WiFi country with free islandwide access?

Saint Lucia ? St Lucia is taking steps to increase wireless broadband (WiFi) Internet penetration with an ultimate plan to make it free across the country, Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony has announced? more

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

The Transition to Digital Television

Barbados ? Telecommunications providers across the region need to present a unified approach in the move to Digital Television Broadcasting? more

In Cuba, mystery shrouds fate of Internet cable

Cuba ? It was all sunshine, smiles and celebratory speeches as officials marked the arrival of an undersea fiber-optic cable they promised would end Cuba?s Internet isolation and boost web capacity 3,000-fold. Even a retired Fidel Castro had hailed the dawn of a new cyber-age on the island? more

Ex-Haiti official gets US prison for telecom bribery

Haiti ? A former senior telecommunications official in Haiti was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday for accepting about $500,000 in bribes from two US companies that secured lucrative long-distance phone contracts in the Caribbean nation? more

Put more youth online, urges World Bank

Jamaica ? Jamaica is being urged to steer its youth toward online commercial innovation if it is serious about fast-tracking national development? more

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

C&W Monopoly About to End

Antigua & Barbuda ? Cable & Wireless? monopoly on international calls will expire on June 23? more

Cheaper Overseas Calls

Antigua & Barbuda ? Overseas telephone rates could be reduced by as much as 50 percent with the end of the Cable and Wireless monopoly? more

OECS judges meet on intellectual property laws

Antigua & Barbuda ? OECS High Court judges met here for a one-day workshop on Tuesday aimed at enhancing efficiency, consistency, and fairness in the adjudication of intellectual property cases? more

BTC Warns: Cellular Service Disruptions Coming

Bahamas ? Cellular customers will experience disruptions in services Telecommunications Company (BTC) carries out upgrades in the coming weeks, according to a BTC official? more

Atlantic Bank and Smart team up to Go-Mobile

Belize ? Banking in your hands, it?s the slogan for the new mobile banking services being provided by Smart in collaboration with Atlantic Bank? more

Smart P.R. says service restored in southern communities

Belize ? While the new service will be convenient, Smart customers in the south experienced difficulties connecting on Saturday and this past Tuesday? more

Thursday, 24 May 2012

Jobs extended for call center workers

Antigua & Barbuda ? The 156 call centre workers to be sent home next month have been given a three-week reprieve? more

Jobs For Youth

Antigua & Barbuda ? Government has announced a major training programme that will involve up to one thousand youth? more

BTC Undergoes Massive Cellular Upgrades

Bahamas ? BTC customers will experience a leap in the quality, speed and consistency of cellular service when the company completes critical milestones of an ongoing 18-month, $42 million upgrade this June officials said today, a transformation that when completed by late summer will make wireless device service in The Bahamas among the best and fastest in the world? more

Houston dispels notion of BTC blackouts

Bahamas ? The CEO of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is allaying concerns over supposed ?blackouts? and setting the record straight over the provider?s $42 million upgrade? more

New cable provider rolls out service in Barbados

Barbados ? Backed by a $65 million initial injection, and the hope of creating more than 200 new jobs in Barbados, Karib Cable is promising to deliver business at the speed of light? more

Slowdown in tourists to Caribbean hits revenues at Cable & Wireless Communications

Regional ? The British telecoms business, formed in 2010 following the demerger of Cable & Wireless, operates in the Caribbean islands, Macau, Monaco and Panama? more

World Bank approves US$25M for Caribbean ICT infrastructure

Regional ? The World Bank yesterday approved a US$25 million financial package for the first phase of a Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme that will provide 27 million people with access to better and affordable broadband services? more

Leewards Times website hacked

St. Kitts & Nevis ? A local media house?s website was hacked overnight by an apparently international hacker, who goes by the name of Saudi Terrorist? more

Friday, 25 May 2012

BTC appoints Major to executive team

Bahamas ? Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) announced yesterday the company has named leading Bahamian business executive Gershan Major to its expanded management team, as vice president of channels and marketing? more

BTC Delivers Strong Financial Performance

Bahamas ? BTC?s parent company, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), announced its annual results for the 2011/12 year today, the first time the company?s performance included a contribution from BTC, the local telecom which CWC formally acquired a majority share in April 2011, at the start of CWC?s financial year? more

BTC?s $91m Boost ?All The Uplift For? Parent

Bahamas ? THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company?s (BTC) $91 million operating income (EBITDA) performance generated ?pretty much all of the uplift? for Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) during the 12 months to end-March 2012, it was revealed yesterday, accounting for almost one-third of its Caribbean regional earnings? more

CAB?s net income jumps 37%

Bahamas ? Cable Bahamas Limited (CAB) experienced a 37.3 percent increase in its net income for the first quarter of the fiscal year, with its profits rising to $6.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012? more

CWC: ?No Major Problems? With Gov?t Over BTC

Bahamas ? The Bahamas Telecommunications Company?s (BTC) majority owner yesterday said it did not ?anticipate significant problems? with the newly-elected Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government, and its top executive plans to meet Prime Minister Perry Christie in three weeks? time to further build their relationship? more

St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent to Receive Broadband Improvements

OECS ? St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines will be part of the first phase of a 10-year Information and Communication Technology programme funded by the World Bank? more

Saturday, 26 May 2012

Exercise Region Rap Tests Emergency Telecommunications Systems

Barbados ? The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) conducted its annual Region Rap Exercise on Friday? more

Caribbean Telecommunications Union seminar to hear update on network security

Regional ? Delegates to the 10th Ministerial Strategic Seminar of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), which opens in Miami on May 29, will receive an update by Fortinet Inc, a world leader in high performance network security, on network threat landscape trends, vulnerability and the best ways to mitigate them? more

Sunday, 27 May 2012

BlackBerry maker aims to tighten hold on regional market

Colombia ? Research In Motion (RIM) made no bones about it. It is coming back for leadership of the lucrative world market for smartphones with its sleek and more advanced BlackBerry Curves, officially unveiled in this ancient Colombian city on Wednesday? more

?

Image courtesy of Gary Thomson?and?RambergMediaImages, flickr; and The Eleutheran.

________________

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Code Red: Emergency Illness and Your Bird | tvrlive.com

Article by Rob James II

When you bird suddenly becomes ill, your very first step should be to call your vet. However, there are things you can do to prevent your bird from dying and to make your bird more comfortable while waiting for your vet or while on the way to the animal hospital. Birds make wonderful pets, but they require lots of work and attention, so if your bird becomes ill suddenly, it is important to provide the best care possible.

First, keep your bird hydrated. Just like humans, a sick bird can easily lose hydration, which can lead to a number of problems. Eating is important as well. If necessary, force-feed your bird. This will provide your bird?s body with the needed energy for fighting the illness. Your vet can instruct you on what to feed your bird and how to do it. In general, you should remove other foods from the cage to ensure that your bird is eating only the healthy foods for sick birds that you are providing.

It is also important that your bird be warm. A heater or light can make your bird uncomfortable, but make sure that your bird?s cage is in a warm room and provide a hot water bottle in the cage for your bird. Sick birds should have an environmental temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius, unless instructed otherwise by your vet.

When your bird is sick, quarantine from other birds or pets is usually recommended. Have an extra, smaller cage on hand use for this purpose and keep the ill bird in a different room. Use disinfecting sprays when handling he sick bird and clean his or her cage often to kill bacteria. To keep the germs low, keep the water levels in the cage as low as possible and replace often in order to stop bacteria from breeding.

If your bird is very ill, do not hesitate to take him or her to the local animal hospital. If possible, have someone else call or announce that you will be coming and get on the road, early treatment is the key to saving your bird?s life in many cases. Sometimes, no matter how well you care for your pet bird, his or her health will simply suffer. Make sure that you are providing the best home possible, and the rest is up to chance. The important thing is to look after your bird when he or she is sick to help your bird heal and become well again as soon as possible.

About the Author

Rob is a writer from San Diego. Are you neglecting your beloved pet? Find out here. Rob?s other sites: AgilitEase, Shop.AgilitEase, Google Magic Formula Review

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

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Apple Releases Revised iOS 5.1.1 (Build 9B208) For GSM iPhone 4 [Updated]

By | Published: May 26, 2012

This is interesting. As pointed out by 9to5Mac, Apple has quietly released a revised version of iOS 5.1.1.
The build number of the revision iOS 5.1.1 is 9B208, where as the build number of iOS 5.1.1 released last week was 9B206.
Continue reading ?

Read the original post by iPhoneHacks

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can .

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Women get less information on post-cancer fertility: study

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Zareena Arabian Wedding Dresses, Beautiful Arabian Wear, 2012-2013 Wedding Middle East Dresses

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Apple and Google Are Running Away With It

Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM??) is losing it. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT??) feels that it can buy its way in. Nokia (NYSE: NOK??) is willing to switch allegiances -- at the right price.

These are just some of the many losers in the quest for market share in the booming smartphone market.

Fumble through your pockets until you find your smartphone. Is it an iPhone? Is it an Android? If not, you're probably cradling an endangered species.

Two kingdoms rule the world
Fresh data out of tech tracker IDC leave little doubt that we're living in a world of Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL??) iOS and Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG??) Android.

Of the 152.3 million smartphones shipped during the first three months of the year, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, iPhones and Androids accounted for 82% of the market. To put this into the appropriate mind-blowing perspective, the two platforms combined for just 54.5% of the units shipped during last year's first quarter.

Didn't it seem as if Apple and Google were already cornering the market a year ago? Yes, but the growing global popularity of iOS and Android at the expense of older mobile operating systems is finally starting to take its toll overseas.

Nokia-championed Symbian -- a former fave around the world -- has seen its market share slip from 26% a year ago to less than 7% today. RIM's BlackBerry has seen its share of smartphone shipments cut in half to 6.4%. There were more devices powered by Linux and Windows shipped than there were a year ago, but neither platform is growing as quickly as the smartphone market itself. In other words, they too are surrendering market share.

Apple vs. Android
It's hard to complain about Apple. The world's most valuable technology company is the only one making some serious money in mobile since Google pitches Android as an open-source platform to handset manufacturers.

However, even though Apple and Google combine for 82% of the market, there really is just one company that's a threat to run away with the market on its own. In terms solely of market penetration, Android is the Simon to Apple's Garfunkel.

Android accounted for 89.9 million -- or 59% -- of the 152.3 million smartphones that were shipped this past quarter. That's a 145% surge over the past year.

Apple's no slouch. The 35.1 million iPhones it sold during the first three months of this calendar year -- a figure confirmed by the company in its fiscal second quarter -- represents an 89% improvement. Over the past year Apple has seen its share of the smartphone market grow from 18% to 23%. That's great, especially in a growing market, but the chin-scratching reality is that Apple's now a more distant silver medalist.

Apple fans don't care, and rightfully so. Apple's the one making most of the money in mobile. Google's giving it away. However, Apple isn't going to be happy if the Android continues to pad its lead. The moment that developers turn their attention to Android apps first may be a game changer.

Mr. Softy's Hail Mary pass
Windows may be a forgotten sixth-place finisher with just 2.2% of the market, but no one should be surprised if Microsoft pole vaults its way to the bronze medal in a year. Microsoft is rewarding Nokia handsomely to champion Windows Phone instead of Symbian. RIM is on a downward spiral. Linux may have its fringe fans, but there's no one financially backing the platform the way that Microsoft is invested in mobile.

If you've been watching TV over the past few weeks you've been bombarded with ads for Nokia's Lumia 900. Microsoft is taking this seriously, and it's never afraid to cut a big check. Reports earlier this year surfaced indicating that the world's leading software company is paying developers of hot iOS and Android titles to make sure that they back its fledgling platform.

The market seems to be carved in two right now. Apple has the well-to-do and fashion-forward markets covered. Android is gunning for the masses. If Microsoft succeeds -- and that's a big "if" right now -- it remains to be seen if it will simply come at the techie expense of BlackBerry or if it will be truly successful and disrupt Apple and Google.

Then again, why rain on the parade. This is the moment to shine for Android and iOS. Everyone else at this point is just jealous.

Apple jacks
The next trillion-dollar revolution will be in mobile, but the best investing play isn't necessarily Apple. If you want to cash in on the upcoming trend, a new report will get you up to speed. Yes, it's as free as this article, but it won't last forever so check it out now.

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iPhone 5 Launch Date is Confirmed

According to Boy Genius, the online mobile phone blog, the iPhone 5 will be announced in late August and launched in the first half of September. It is said that AT&T is currently preparing for the launch of GSM-version iPhone 5. According to Verizon Wireless spokesmen, iPhone 5 will offer global roaming capabilities. Are you ready to upgrade your iPhone? I am!

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Fitness May Boost Survival for Women With Breast Cancer

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Social Justice on Trial in Canada

Social Justice on Trial in Canada

by Stephen Lendman

Destructive neoliberal mandates harm US and European societies. Canada's conservative government force-feeds similar policies.

They include wage and benefit cuts, less social spending, privatization of state resources, mass layoffs, deregulation, tax cuts for corporations and super-rich elites, and harsh crackdowns against resisters.

It's also about sharply hiking college tuition fees, student anger, and criminalizing public responses. More on that below.

In the 1980s, it was called Reaganomics, trickle down, and Thatcherism. In the 1990s, it was "shock therapy." Today, it's austerity. The result is unprecedented wealth transfers to corporate favorites and privileged elites.

Capital's divine rights are prioritized. Social justice is on the chopping block for elimination. Living standards are sacrificed. Ordinary people lose out. Vital services are cut. Human needs go begging. Unemployment and poverty soar. So does rage for change.

Years ago Canada lost its moorings. In December 1984, conservative prime minister, Brian Mulroney, addressed policies that began in the 1970s. Speaking before the New York Economic Club, he announced:

"Canada is open for business."

He meant US companies were welcome. Both countries cooperated for greater economic integration. Corporate interests were prioritized. Ordinary people lost out.?

Oh Canada took on new meaning. Sacrificing pluralist Canadian democracy and social justice traditions became policy. Major parties formed consensus the way Democrats and Republicans do in America.

Neoliberal harshness was institutionalized. The conservative Harper government stiffened earlier policies. It serves Canada's ruling class. Finance capital is dominant. What big money wants it gets. Corporate power overall makes policy.

Canada shifted hard right under Mulroney. Harper institutionalized it further. Last January, he addressed Davos World Economic Forum participants. He pledged "transformative" pro-business policies.

They include more tax cuts, privatizations, deregulation, and austerity hitting ordinary people hardest. "We will do more, much more," he promised.?

Socio-economic policies established represent some of much more to come. Social Canada was hardest hit. Rights for ordinary Canadians no longer matter.

Last March, Canada's House of Commons passed budget cuts and austerity measures on top of others enacted earlier.?

They included eliminating thousands of public sector jobs, cutting billions from federal programs, raising the retirement age to 67, and calling federal debt the problem to be addressed. It's the same canard America and European countries use to justify neoliberal harshness.

Canadian social justice follows the same downward trajectory as America and across Europe. Eliminating it altogether is planned. Higher education is affected. Once it was affordable. No longer for many as tuition and fees soar.

Last winter, Quebec's Liberal government announced tuition fee increases over the next five years of around 75% (or $1,625). Stiff annual increases are policy. Other measures slashed vital services and benefits. Thousands of students reacted.

In mid-February, protests and strikes began. One of three provincial student associations initiated them: the Coalition large de l'association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante (CLASSE: the Broader Coalition of the Association of Student-Union Solidarity).

Others joined in: FEUQ (the Quebec Federation of University Students) and FECQ (Quebec Federation of College Students).

Thousands swelled to 200,000 or more. Most Quebecers support them. Sharp tuition and fee increases force students and families into debt. Others drop out. Available aid is meager compared to years earlier. Higher education grows more unaffordable.

Students react by strikes and protests. They continue into their fourth month. Police confront them. Clashes and arrests follow. The usual pattern repeats against all social justice demonstrations. Legitimate struggles are criminalized.?

Money power decides what's right or wrong. Ordinary people haven't a chance. In neoliberal societies like Canada, young people have most to lose. Increasingly shut out of higher education, decent jobs, and bright futures, fighting back remains their only option.

Criminalizing dissent became policy. On May 18, Quebec's Liberal government passed Bill 78. Provisions prohibit student protests or other "form(s) of gathering" within 50 meters of the "outer limits" of the "grounds" of any university or CEGEP (College of general ?and vocational education) building.

In Quebec, high school ends at grade 11. Completing CEGEP grades 12 and 13 are required for college or university admission. Doing it successfully earns them DECs (dioplomes d'etudes collegial).

CEGEPs also offer three-year programs in vocational studies, computer science, nursing, and other fields. With DEC credits, Bachelor's degrees can be completed in three years. Supporters and critics disagree on the system's merits or disadvantages. It's unique to Quebec.

Bill 78 also requires student associations, unions representing teachers, and CEBEP staff to "employ appropriate means to induce" compliance with enacted measures or face prosecution.

Article 9 authorizes the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports to modify any law to ensure school sessions throughout the bill's time frame.

All demonstrations exceeding 50 people were declared illegal without provincial police approval. Offenders face daily fines. A date for education employees to return to work was established.?

Winter semester classes at 11 universities and 14 CEGEPs were suspended. Completing them by August or September was mandated. The law expires July 1, 2013. It's patently illegal.

The 1982 Constitution Act established the Constitution of Canada. It contains a bill of rights called The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It states:

"Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

(d) freedom of association.?

Article 7 assures ?Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person and the right not to be deprived thereof in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.?

Academic and speech freedoms are fundamental in free societies. So are public assembly and association rights. Without them, all others are threatened.

Howard Zinn called dissent "the highest form of patriotism." Voltaire said, "I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Jefferson said, "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive."

Bill 78 violates Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. So does a newly passed Montreal City Council ordinance criminalizing face paint, niqads, and other face or head coverings while demonstrating.

On May 22, it was invoked. Baton-wielding police confronted downtown Montreal protesters violently.?

Tear gas was used. Dozens were arrested. Charges claimed protesters wore illegal masks and/or confronted police violently.?

On May 21, confrontations occurred in Sherbrooke. It's Quebec Premier Jean Charest's home city. Dozens of arrests followed. Charges included demonstrating illegally.

A Final Comment

Student anger shows no signs of ebbing. Social justice rights are too important to sacrifice. Affordable education is vital. Resolution is nowhere in sight. Quebec officials are determined to force-feed austerity. They include stiff annual tuition and fee hikes.

Students are on their own. Union officials sold out to power. Who knows where this ends. Hopefully working Canadians will join them. Social justice includes more than affordable education.?

Class war rages in Canada and other Western societies. Governments serve wealth and power. Eroding social justice heads faster toward total elimination. Popular interests suffer.?

Ordinary people face neo-serfdom, debt peonage, and police state harshness for resisting. Fighting back is the only chance for change.?

A long struggle remains. In fact, it's just begun. Staying the course is key. It's how all great victories are won. They never come easily or quickly. Hopefully Quebec students understand and won't quit. There's too much at stake.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.?

His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour.

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Democratic, GOP officials post Facebook photos of their absentee ballots _ a felony in Wis.

MILWAUKEE ? ?High-ranking members of both political parties were unaware that posting photos of completed ballots on Facebook or Twitter is illegal in Wisconsin, and they promised to quickly take down the posts Friday after election officials reminded voters of the law.

The law bars voters from showing their completed ballots to anyone. The intent is to prevent people from selling their votes and then showing their ballots as proof they voted as requested, Wisconsin Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney said.

But some voters ? including Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate and St. Croix County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garza ? were unaware that the posts violated state law. Tate and Garza said they were immediately taking down photos of their absentee ballots.

The warning comes ahead of Wisconsin's heated June 5 recall elections targeting Republican Gov. Scott Walker and five other elected Republicans.

The violation is a Class I felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. However, it's unlikely prosecutors would be aggressive about seeking charges.

"We're just pointing this out, that voters are not supposed to be doing this," Magney said. "We're not aware of anyone that's been charged as a result of this."

Walker and the other Republicans facing recall elections were targeted largely because of a law Walker pushed last year that essentially stripped most public workers of their collective bargaining rights. The law prompted tens of thousands of people to protest at the state Capitol.

Tate posted a photo Wednesday showing an absentee ballot marked for two Democrats ? Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who is challenging Walker, and Madison firefighter Mahlon Mitchell, who is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch. Four state senators also are facing recall elections.

The caption read: "May have never been more proud of a vote than casting my ballot this am. For everyone who marched, canvassed, called and collected signatures; here is to you."

Tate told The Associated Press he posted the picture because he was proud to support Barrett and Mitchell. When told of the GAB's warning, he said he wasn't aware of the law.

"If that's the law I absolutely will take it down," he said. "And I'll encourage anyone else who's done so to take theirs down."

A similar picture showing Republican votes was posted Tuesday on Garza's Facebook page with the caption: "I just voted absentee. One vote for Walker and Kleefisch in the bank, 1.2 million to go!"

Garza also said he didn't intend to break any laws. He called the GAB warning "a good cautionary tale," but added that voters should have the right to show support for their candidates.

"I think they should revisit the law," he told AP. "I removed mine, and I know others removed theirs, but I should have the right to state who I support."

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said he couldn't immediately say whether he would charge voters who violated the law. He said he'd have to consider whether the post was meant to influence others, or if it were being used in connection with a vote-buying scheme.

"We'd obviously have to take a look at the facts," he said. "I guess you'd have to look at how the material was being used, what information was in the posting. But I'm not aware that anyone has been charged for that. This is the first I'm hearing of it."

___

Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde(at)ap.org.

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Wisconsin Governor, Democratic Challenger Exchange Shots in Recall Election Debate (WSJ)

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Scotland launches independence campaign with 007's support

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party attends a campaign for Scottish independence with supporters at Cineworld on May 25, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

By Reuters

With rousing speeches, patriotic music and support from actor Sean Connery, supporters of independence for Scotland launched a campaign on Friday that they hope will lead to the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain.

"This is the beginning of something really special - the beginning of the campaign to restore nationhood to Scotland," Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told hundreds of supporters in a hall in the capital Edinburgh.

"We want a Scotland that is fairer and more prosperous."

---

The campaign hopes to tap into a blend of historical rivalry, different political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not safeguard Scotland's interests to win a referendum in 2014, which would pave the way for full independence two years later.

If successful, the drive could create serious problems for Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales (Britain is in turn part of the United Kingdom, which also includes Northern Ireland).

Bates College student dies after going swimming at Scottish beach

With its kilts and tartans, bagpipes and whiskey, Scotland has a distinctive, if romanticized, culture. It also has a darker history of poverty, violence and ill health, notably concentrated in the largest city Glasgow, once an engine of the British Empire.

Scotland already has many of the trappings of an independent nation such as its own flag, sports teams, and a history of achievements in science and literature.

Britain's current government, a coalition between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party, is opposed to Scottish independence, as is the opposition Labour Party. Britain is stronger as a union, they argue, and an independent Scotland might struggle on Europe's fringes.

The SNP's Salmond, speaking in front of a giant screen showing a cloud-flecked blue sky, had no such doubts.

He said his aim was to get one million Scots to sign the "Yes Declaration" before the referendum.

Support from Sean Connery
Under a devolved system of government, the Scottish parliament created in 1999 controls health, education and prisons, while the British government in London controls everything else, including foreign policy and defense.

"If the parliament can run education, why can't we run the economy? And if we can protect our old people why can't we protect ourselves without the obscenity of nuclear weapons?" Salmond told the audience.

The launch event drew on rousing patriotic music and a film showing the country's stunning Highland landscapes, fishermen, universities, and, inevitably, leaping kilt-clad dancers.

It also relied on celebrity endorsement. A message of support was read out from actor Sean Connery, an Edinburgh milkman before he found fame as secret agent James Bond.

Hollywood actor Brian Cox called Scotland's current predicament "centralized servitude" and related how, like many Scots, he had become disenchanted by previous Labour governments led by former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

"The parliament at Westminster can see no further than the end of its own bridge," he said.

Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead read out a poem focused on English-Scottish rivalry in the 16th century.

Opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scottish people are sympathetic to independence, with around 10 percent undecided and the remaining 50 percent opposed. South of the border in England, polls show people are largely apathetic.

Author Harry Reid said the referendum's success may hinge on whether the Labour Party, traditionally popular in Scotland, can revive its fortunes.

Scotland is more inclined to vote for the left, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for the right, underscoring a political fault line between north and south.

Although the Conservative Party won more votes than any other party at the last British general election in 2010, it won only one parliamentary seat in Scotland.

Move over, Al Roker! Prince Charles becomes TV weatherman

One joke doing the rounds since two Chinese pandas took up residence in Edinburgh Zoo notes that there are now more pandas in Scotland than Conservative MPs.

Diminished role?
Scotland's preference for a more center-left brand of politics that favors egalitarianism over the free market is reflected in education policy. In England, students have to pay large tuition fees to attend university, whereas in Scotland such education remains free for Scots.

Reid said disenchanted Labour voters who switched to the SNP in disgust at Labour's support for U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan may yet return to the fold. If they do, Scotland's dreams of independence could evaporate, he said.

"If we're going to get a decent Labour government back in 2015 people might wonder whether they really need independence."

Despite its relatively small population of just over five million, compared to England's population of just over 52 million, there are also fears that a "yes" vote would diminish Britain's voice on the world stage.

"The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde told Reuters in a phone interview.

Total plugs gas leak off Scotland's coast after 7 weeks

Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice within international bodies such as at the U.N. Security Council or the European Union.

There are also questions about whether Britain would be able to keep its nuclear submarine fleet in Scotland, where it's now based. Also, revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers.

But history runs deep and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, when an army commanded by England's King Edward II was defeated by a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots.

Scotland and England have shared a monarch since 1603 and have been ruled by one single parliament in London since 1707. The SNP's Salmond has said an independent Scotland would retain Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch.

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