Tuesday, January 31, 2012

ICICI Bank profit up 20 pct, bad loans down (AP)

MUMBAI, India ? India's ICICI Bank reported net profit growth of 20 percent Tuesday, as it shed non-performing loans and boosted interest income.

Analysts and policy makers have been watching the asset quality of Indian banks, on worries that high interest rates, policy bottlenecks and slowing economic growth are hampering the ability of borrowers to repay loans and slowing credit growth.

While ICICI Bank ? like other Indian banks ? surprised investors with better than expected data on bad loan exposure during the December quarter, analysts cautioned that things could get worse going forward.

"It's too early to extrapolate this benign trend of loan loss provisions into the next several quarters," said Vijay Sarathi, banking analyst at Nomura India.

India's power sector has been especially hard hit, with delays in building out transmission networks and constraints in access to affordable coal.

The central bank has raised rates 13 times in a row in an effort to beat down inflation. High interest rates are now imperiling loan repayment, especially among small- and medium-sized companies.

Sarathi expects loan loss provisions as a percentage of average assets at Indian banks to rise over the next year, from 70 basis points to 100 to 120 basis points.

Chief executive Chanda Kochhar emphasized that ICICI's lending to India's most troubled sectors is limited.

She said the power sector accounts for 7 percent of ICICI's outstanding loans. The bank, she added, has minimal exposure to small- and medium-sized companies. Cash flows from residential housing loans have been stable, and the bank has not seen any "pain" on account of its commercial real estate loans, she said. Direct exposure to India's aviation sector is not very large, she said.

ICICI earned 17.3 billion rupees ($325 million) in the December quarter, up from 14.4 billion rupees during the year ago quarter.

Net non-performing assets fell 28 percent from a year ago, to 20.8 billion rupees ($392 million). Provisions for bad loans totaled 3.4 billion rupees ($64 million), down 27 percent from a year ago. Net interest income increased 17 percent, to 27.1 billion rupees ($511 million), from a year ago.

Corporate demand drove loan growth up 19 percent from a year ago, Kochhar said.

"Corporate, we have already seen the growth, retail the growth is just about starting," she said.

Domestic lending to Indian companies grew 23 percent, while international loans ? mainly from Indian companies seeking to raise foreign currency loans ? grew 18 percent in constant currency terms. Retail loans grew 8 percent, Kochhar said.

"Even on asset quality, they continued their good performance despite this being a tricky quarter from the macroeconomic environment point of view," said Vaibhav Agrawal, vice president of research for Angel Broking.

He said India's private sector banks have been very conservative on issuing loans over the last six or seven quarters, making their asset quality better than their publicly owned peers, which dominate lending in India.

"Recognizing the difficult environment, they've gone very conservative on lending. That's paying off now," he said.

The stock rose nearly 6 percent on the news in Mumbai trading.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/as_india_earns_icici_bank

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Edinburgh Zoo pandas back on display after illness (AP)

LONDON ? Two giant pandas on loan to a Scottish zoo are back on public display after they were removed to be treated for colic.

Edinburgh Zoo officials say male panda Yang Guang, diagnosed with the condition earlier this month, is recovering steadily.

They added Monday that the female, Tian Tian, is much better after she, too, fell ill with the same condition on Saturday.

Zoo vet Romain Pizzi said colic is common in giant pandas, which have sensitive digestive systems. He said it is likely that the 8-year-old pandas are just adapting to eating different bamboo than what they were used to.

The animals ? whose names mean Sunshine and Sweetie ? arrived from China in December, and are the first pandas to live in Britain in nearly two decades.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_sick_pandas

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Ryman Auditorium getting new stage after 61 years (AP)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? It's time for a new stage at Ryman Auditorium, a significant moment in the history of a building known for its significant moments.

Scuffed by the heels of "The King," `'The Queen of Soul" and thousands of singers in cowboy boots, scarred by an uncountable stream of road cases and worn by six decades of music history, the Ryman's oak floorboards have reached the end of a very long, very successful run.

"That stage has had a wonderful life," said Steve Buchanan, senior vice president of media and entertainment for Gaylord Entertainment, owners of the Ryman.

The current stage is just the second in the 120-year history of the "Mother Church" after the original was installed in 1901 for a performance of the Metropolitan Opera. It was laid down in 1951 and has lasted far longer than expected. The stage was refinished during a renovation in 1993-94 and even then officials knew it would be the last resurfacing. Today it's heavily scuffed and scarred, its age easily visible from the Ryman's balcony.

The Ryman is still the building most associated with The Grand Ole Opry, though it moved to the Opry House in 1974, and has hosted a number of significant moments in American culture.

Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash stood together on those boards and changed music. Cultures clashed there too when the boo birds took on country rockers The Byrds. Today the Ryman is a much sought-after destination point for musicians of all genres and many shows take on a unique aura.

Dylan recently returned, more than 40 years after "Nashville Skyline." Taylor Swift sang there recently with her good friends, The Civil Wars. Even the heaviest of rockers get a little nostalgic, like Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who said it was an honor to get drunk while performing in the building last year.

Keith Urban, making his return from vocal surgery, will be among the last performers on the stage when the Opry plays its final winter date Friday at The Ryman. Dierks Bentley will play the last standalone concert Thursday.

As a young, aspiring performer in Nashville more than a decade ago, Bentley would run his fingers along the building's brickwork late at night as he walked home from performing on Lower Broadway, daydreaming of playing on that stage. He calls it "one of the most precious places in Nashville and in country music to me."

"The significance of that stage and who played there before me will definitely be in the back of my head all night," Bentley said in an email. "As a member of the Grand Ole Opry, I couldn't be any prouder."

That a busy venue needs a new stage is not necessarily news. The stage at the Opry's permanent home, for instance, has been changed multiple times over the years with little comment. But when the Ryman stage is replaced, officials in some sense are altering an icon that is closely watched by sometimes vocal guardians of its cultural significance.

Officials are prepared for questions. They point out the building has gone through many upgrades over the years and that each step was vital to preserving the building. Most recently the roof was replaced in 2009.

"We're not in the business of getting rid of old things just to get rid of them," Ryman general manager Sally Williams said.

They will retain an 18-inch lip of the blonde oak at the front of the stage, similar to the way the Ryman stage was commemorated in a circle of wood at the new Opry House. The rest of the stage will be stored and replaced with a medium brown Brazilian teak that will be far more durable and camera friendly.

Beneath the stage, the original hickory support beams will be kept and reinforced with concrete foundations, crossbeams and joist work that will help triple the stage's load capacity.

Work will begin Feb. 4 and continue seven days a week until Feb. 20, when rising country stars The Band Perry will make its Ryman debut with a sold-out show. Tours will continue throughout the work, allowing members of the public to watch.

Williams says she's gotten no negative feedback as word has spread because everyone understands the importance of the project.

"I think it will be interesting because I think it's obvious we're doing something ensuring that people will be coming here and having those Ryman moments in 120 years," she said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_en_ot/us_music_ryman_stage

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European ministers seek UN resolution on Syria (AP)

LONDON ? British and French foreign ministers are heading to New York on Monday to bolster Arab League efforts to press for a United Nations resolution aimed at halting Syria's violent crackdown on anti-regime protests.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe both confirmed they would attend U.N. talks scheduled for Tuesday.

Officials hope that Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim and Arab League officials, who will also attend, can help persuade Russia and China to back away from their opposition to a U.N. Security Council resolution.

Russia has insisted that it won't support any resolution which could enable foreign military intervention in Syria.

On Monday, it said Syria's government has agreed to come to Moscow for talks with the country's opposition representatives in. It was not immediately clear if Syria's opposition representatives would agree to such talks, but in the past they have said that an end to violence was their precondition for a meeting.

The French Foreign Ministry said Juppe would travel to New York "to convince the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in the face of the worsening of crimes against humanity by the Syrian regime."

In London, British Prime Minister David Cameron's office urged Moscow to reconsider its stance. "Russia can no longer explain blocking the U.N. and providing cover for the regime's brutal repression," a spokeswoman for Cameron said, on customary condition of anonymity in line with policy.

The U.N. estimates about 5,400 people have been killed in 10 months of violence.

Talks on Tuesday are scheduled to focus on a draft resolution based on an Arab League peace plan. That plan calls for a two-month transition to a unity government in Syria.

A British official, who requested anonymity to discuss negotiations on a resolution, said the U.N. would seek to approve a resolution calling for progress on halting the crisis.

The Security Council will threaten possible sanctions in no progress is made within two weeks, the official said.

However, the text would stress there are no plans for any military intervention in Syria ? though the option would not be explicitly, or permanently, ruled out, the official said.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said Sunday in Egypt that contacts were under way with China and Russia in the hope of overcoming their opposition to a resolution.

On Saturday, the Arab League halted the work of its observer mission in Syria because of the escalating violence there.

_____

Keaten reported from Paris.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria

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Firing of TV host a victory for Pakistani liberals (AP)

ISLAMABAD ? In a rare victory for Pakistani liberals, a private TV station decided to fire a popular morning show host after she sparked outrage by running around a public park trying to expose young, unmarried couples hanging out, a taboo in this conservative Muslim country.

Pakistani liberals derided host Maya Khan's behavior on Twitter and Facebook, comparing it to the kind of moral policing practiced by the Taliban, and started an online petition asking Samaa TV to end this "irresponsible programming" and apologize.

The company responded Saturday in a letter sent to reporters saying it had decided to fire Khan and her team and cancel her show because she refused to issue an unconditional apology for the Jan. 17 program.

Samaa TV's decision marked an unusual victory for Pakistan's beleaguered liberal minority, which has become more marginalized as the country has shifted to the right and whose members have been killed by Islamist extremists for standing up for what they believe.

Critics of the program also praised the company's decision as a positive example of self-regulation by Pakistan's freewheeling TV industry, which was liberalized in 2000 and has mushroomed from one state-run channel to more than 80 independent ones.

Some shows have been praised for serving the public good by holding powerful officials to account, but many others have been criticized for doing anything that will get ratings, including pandering to populist sentiments at the expense of privacy and sometimes truth.

"Samaa management has set a good example that some others need to follow," said prominent human rights activist and journalist Hussain Naqi.

During the program in question, Khan and around a dozen other men and women chased down young couples in a seaside park in the southern city of Karachi. Several couples raced away from the group. One young man put on a motorcycle helmet to hide his identity, while his female friend covered her face with a veil.

Khan finally accosted one couple sitting on a bench and pestered them with questions about whether they were married and whether their parents knew they were there. The man said the couple was engaged and asked Khan to shut off her cameras and microphone. She lied and said they were off.

"What is the difference between this kind of media vigilantism and that demonstrated by the Taliban?" said Mahnaz Rahman, a director at the Aurat Foundation, an organization that fights for women's rights in Pakistan.

Islamist extremists have been ruthless in targeting liberal Pakistanis who disagree with their hardline views. One of the most prominent examples was in last January, when a bodyguard shot to death the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, because of his criticism of Pakistani laws that mandate the death penalty for criticizing the Prophet Muhammad.

Following Khan's program, one headline in a local paper called the host and the other women who appeared on the show "Vigil-aunties," referring to the South Asian term "aunty" for a bossy older woman.

A petition posted online that criticized Khan's behavior as "highly intrusive, invasive and potentially irresponsible" and demanded an official apology attracted more than 5,000 signatures.

Khan reportedly rejected the criticism at first but eventually issued on apology on TV to anyone she may have offended, saying "it was not my objective to make you cry or hurt you."

This fell short of the apology that Khan's bosses demanded, according to a letter written by the chairman of Samaa TV, Zafar Siddiqi. It said Khan and her team would receive termination notices on Jan. 30 and her show would be canceled.

Siddiqi said the company did not "absolve such behavior irrespective of ratings the show was getting."

Scores of Pakistanis on Twitter praised Samaa TV's decision.

"Journalists must never forget the dividing line between public interest & private freedom," tweeted Najam Sethi, a prominent Pakistani journalist.

___

Khan reported from Karachi. Associated Press writer Zarar Khan contributed to this article.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_liberal_victory

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New SNB chief may be named in February: paper (Reuters)

ZURICH (Reuters) ? The new Swiss National Bank chief could be named in February, sooner than had been expected after the resignation of former chairman Philipp Hildebrand earlier this month, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Hildebrand was forced to step down after emails cast doubt on his claims not to have known about a big dollar trade made by his wife weeks before he imposed a cap on the soaring Swiss franc.

Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said the process of finding a successor could take until May. The government makes the appointment based on the recommendation of the bank council, the SNB's supervisory body.

Yet citing sources close to the government, the newspaper Der Sonntag reported that the announcement could come as early as February.

SNB Vice Chairman Thomas Jordan, who is now heading the bank ad interim, is a likely candidate to get the job permanently, the paper said. Fritz Zurbruegg, who is now in charge of the office of financial planning, is well liked both by the cabinet and at the SNB, the paper added.

In a separate interview with the same paper, Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) Chief Executive Josef Ackermann appeared to rule himself out of the running for the SNB job, adding that the uproar over the currency trade made by Hildebrand's wife had not hurt the bank's ability to defend the cap of 1.20 per euro on the Swiss franc.

"I was never asked. I also never said no," he was quoted as saying. "I wouldn't be available."

Ackermann said he would be spending more time in Switzerland as of late May, when he is due to retire as chief executive after more than a decade as the head of Deutsche.

However, when asked whether this would also mean he would be spending more time in Switzerland in a professional capacity, he said: "There are people who think so."

And when the paper asked him what he thought, Ackermann answered: "Pretty much the same thing."

(Reporting by Catherine Bosley; editing by Sophie Walker)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/bs_nm/us_swiss_snb

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Hands on with Garmin Pilot My-Cast for iPhone and iPad

Garmin may be best known for their driving navigation apps and devices, but they also have Pilot My-Cast, an iPhone and iPad app for pilots to plan their flights by not only mapping out their route, but checking the weather by overlaying real-time data and maps including radar, clouds, and lightning.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Y5anP4kZ7DM/story01.htm

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WrestleMania XXVIII Axxess tickets now available

The ultimate interactive WWE fan experience ? WrestleMania Axxess ? is coming to Miami from March 29 - April 1 at the Miami Beach Convention Center (Hall D). This is one event WWE fans of all ages will want to be part of! (WATCH)

TICKETS
Available now at:
?- Ticketmaster
?- Ticketmaster.com
?- Charge by phone: 800-745-3000

ATTRACTIONS
?- Live matches
?- Superstar Q&A's
?- Superstar signings
?- Photo stations
?- WWE Shop
?- Undertaker's Graveyard
?- WWE Championship Titles
?- Memorabilia Display
????? And much more! ?

LIMITED VIP TICKETS - $95*

VIP TICKETS INCLUDE:
?- Autograph from designated Superstar at VIP Autograph Stage
?- Entrance to VIP standing area next to ring at WrestleMania Axxess
?- 8x10 Superstar Photo
?- VIP wristband required for meet & greet (wristband will be provided once tickets are scanned on site)

VIP MEET & GREET WITH AUTOGRAPH SIGNING AND MORE!
Thursday, March 29 - Meet WWE Superstar CM Punk - SOLD OUT
Thursday, March 29 - Meet 2012 WWE Hall of Famer Edge - SOLD OUT
Friday, March 30 - Meet WWE Superstar Triple H - SOLD OUT
Friday, March 30 - Meet WWE Superstar John Cena - SOLD OUT
Saturday, March 31 - Meet WWE Superstar Randy Orton - SOLD OUT
Saturday, March 31 - Meet 2011 WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels - SOLD OUT
Saturday, March 31 - Meet WWE Superstar Chris Jericho - SOLD OUT
Saturday, March 31 - Meet WWE Legend Mick Foley
Sunday, April 1 - Meet WWE Superstar Sheamus - SOLD OUT
Sunday, April 1 - Meet WWE Superstar?Big Show - SOLD OUT
Sunday, April 1 - Meet WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio - SOLD OUT

GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS - $40*

SESSION SCHEDULE & TIMES
Thursday, March 29
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Friday, March 30
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 31
? Session 1: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
? Session 2: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
? Session 3: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 1
? Session 1: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
? Session 2: 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Children 3 years and under - FREE

*Prices are PER SESSION and do not include applicable fees or sales tax.

WrestleMania XXVII Axxess photos
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/axxess-tickets

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Apple claims top smartphone vendor spot after Q4 results, iPhone is now 8.3% of all mobile phones

Strategy Analytics has crunched most of the fourth quarter results announced this week (including Apple's), and figures the iPhone maker is now the top manufacturer, but only by a sliver.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/bkHLbkUcfUs/story01.htm

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Twitter Puts Its DMCA Takedown Requests Up For All To See

twixYesterday's announcement that Twitter would be selectively censoring tweets based on country was not well-received. But part of that announcement was the assurance that the process would at least be transparent. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. They also mentioned that they were working with Chilling Effects to make notices and orders sent to Twitter publicly available. At the time of the post yesterday, the site wasn't up yet, but you can now browse it at chillingeffects.org/twitter.

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

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EFF working to keep jailbreaking legal, wants your help

Android Central

Jailbreaking or rooting your smartphone is currently "legal" under Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but that exemption is set to expire in 2012.  The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) is looking for help and support to keep it that way, and they would like people to contact the US Copyright office and express their opinion.  They are offering up a handy set of questions and concerns readers can use in their appeal to the copyright office, and have done as much as they can to streamline the process and make it painless, with direct links and a petition.  

The idea behind it all is that once we pay our hard-earned money for our expensive electronic toys, they are ours to do with as we please.  As long as safety regulations are met, and we don't do anything to adversely affect our cellular carrier, we should be able to do anything we wish.  It's a great idea, and it's a shame that this even requires an exemption in the DMCA.

The DMCA has been used against people who hack game consoles, and used against people trafficking cell phones, but has anyone ever been prosecuted for rooting their smartphone?  I've searched the net for a few days, and every time I find something that sounds promising, it ends up being more than just someone jailbreaking their iPad or rooting their Bionic.  Yeah, carriers and manufacturers probably hate it, and we can't blame them, but I don't see a case like HTC vs. Jerry Hildenbrand for rooting his Wildfire S getting much traction in a court of law.  Unfortunately, we can't trust things will stay this way in a world full of companies like Microsoft and Apple.

It's absolutely ridiculous that we would require some sort of waiver to be allowed to mess up our own hardware.  It's even more ridiculous that carriers and device makers have acted in ways to put the fear of prosecution in us so we want an exemption in the first place.  It's mine.  If you want to tell me what to do with it, you need to pay me for it.  Until then, leave me the hell alone and let me enjoy my toys.

Hit the link below, and do your part to make sure the Copyright Office does the right thing.

EFF: Jailbreaking is not a crime

read more



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/q4rHz7aO0tc/story01.htm

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

RBS chairman waives $2.2 million bonus after Hester row (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS.L) Chairman Philip Hampton will not pick up a 1.4 million pound ($2.2 million) stock bonus, the bailed-out bank said, following public anger and political squabbling over a 1 million pound bonus for its chief executive.

Anger over bankers' earnings has shown few signs of abating, with many still set for million pound salaries while elsewhere thousands lose their jobs as the global economy stutters in the face of Europe's debt crisis.

In Britain, the salaries of top staff at RBS and Lloyds (LLOY.L) are particularly controversial because both banks were bailed out to the tune of 66 billion pounds during the credit crisis, with Britain ending up with an 83 percent stake in RBS along with a 40 percent holding in Lloyds.

"Sir Philip Hampton will not receive the 5.17 million shares he was awarded in 2009 when he joined RBS," said a spokesman for the bank.

Based on RBS's closing share price of 27.74 pence Friday, Hampton's share-based award would have been worth 1.4 million pounds. In 2010, Hampton received a basic salary of 750,000 pounds, with no extra performance bonus or benefits.

The decision not to proceed with Hampton's stock award comes after politicians from across the spectrum criticised the company's decision to give its chief executive Stephen Hester a stock bonus worth roughly 1 million pounds.

Earlier this week, RBS halved CEO Hester's stock bonus for 2011 to just under 1 million pounds from 2 million pounds in 2010, but resisted calls to axe the bonus altogether. Hester has a basic salary of 1.2 million pounds.

The decision by Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio to waive his bonus after he spent time off work on sick leave, had put further pressure on Hester to make a similar gesture.

CAMERON SEEKS TO DEFLECT CRITICISM OVER RBS PAY

RBS shares fell sharply over the course of 2011, losing approximately half their value, and the stock remains well below the average price of 49.90 pence at which the British taxpayer acquired its stake in the bank.

Hester has also had to cut more than 30,000 jobs since taking up his post in 2008, as part of a large-scale restructuring to sell off assets and businesses.

Britain's Conservative-led coalition government has also been criticised for not doing more to curb Hester's pay, facing attacks from not only the opposition Labor party but also from its own members.

Saturday, Prime Minister David Cameron sought to deflect criticism over his handling of the issue, arguing it would be worse for the taxpayer if RBS had to find a new management team.

"Let me get the facts straight, the fact is Stephen Hester was brought in by the last government, a contract signed by the last government, to turn round RBS, a bank that had got itself into a complete mess," Cameron told television reporters.

"The government has made its views known, and that is why his bonus was cut in half compared to last year. But we do have to bear in mind that the alternatives to what is happening now could be even more expensive if you had a whole new team coming into RBS," he added.

Hester joined RBS in October 2008 from property company British Land (BLND.L) as RBS was reeling from its disastrous acquisition of Dutch bank ABN AMRO.

Britain used some 45 billion pounds of taxpayers' money to rescue RBS, leading to the eventual resignation of former head Sir Fred Goodwin, who was replaced by Hester.

Hester, who had previously worked at rival banks Abbey National and Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX), was given a brief to restructure RBS and return it to health, and RBS said he deserved his stock bonus for making the bank "safer."

Britain aims to eventually sell its state holdings in RBS and Lloyds back to the private sector, although volatile financial markets have meant the timing of any disposal is uncertain.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Tim Castle and Toby Chopra)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/bs_nm/us_rbs

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Friday, January 27, 2012

1Weather for Android from OneLouder [Android Quick App]

 

When it comes to weather applications on Android there is no shortage of options, and quite honestly that is a good thing. 1Weather by OneLouder is one of the latest weather applications to enter the Android market and it has done so with some serious style of its own. So what's it all about?

1Weather provides you with ready access to a full suite of accurate, up-to-the-minute weather information, including animated maps and radar, daily weather alarms and severe condition alerts so that you can proactively prepare for changing conditions.

When looking for new applications to download most of us tend to look for something that is unique, clean, and very functional, and OneLouder has nailed all of this and more with this application. Let's hit the break together to check out some more information about the application and additional screen shots.

read more



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/UlkwJG4e6PE/story01.htm

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FACT CHECK: Debate over 'ghetto language' ad

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, look toward moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN as they participate in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, look toward moderator Wolf Blitzer of CNN as they participate in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talk during a commercial break at the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum participates in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

(AP) ? Mitt Romney accuses Newt Gingrich of calling Spanish a "ghetto language." Close, but not quite.

Gingrich denies doing so and said he merely promoted the use of English, "period." That's even more of a stretch.

The last Republican presidential debate before the GOP Florida primary Thursday brought viewers a blitz of charges and countercharges over immigration, the financial lives of the candidates and more. Here are how some of the claims compare with the facts:

GINGRICH: "It's taken totally out of context.... I did not say it about Spanish. I said in general about all languages. We are better for children to learn English in general, period."

THE FACTS: At issue is Romney's Spanish-language radio ad running in Florida that says Gingrich branded Spanish a ghetto language in a 2007 speech. In the contentious remarks in question, much more came after Gingrich's "period."

In his speech to the National Federation of Republican Women, Gingrich advocated making English the official language, a position he still holds, and added: "We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto."

He did not explicitly call Spanish a ghetto language. But at the time, the remark was widely taken to mean Spanish, overwhelmingly the main foreign language spoken in the United States and the primary language of many immigrants.

Gingrich recognized as much when, in response to a Hispanic backlash against his remark, he made an online video days after the speech in which he more or less apologized for his choice of words and for producing "a bad feeling within the Latino community."

___

ROMNEY on the same topic: "I doubt that's my ad, but we'll take a look and find out."

THE FACTS: It's his ad.

___

RICK SANTORUM: "You had a president of the United States that held (up) a Colombian free trade agreement. Colombia, who's out there on the front lines working with us against the narco-terrorists, standing up to Chavez in South America ? and what did we do? ... The president of the United States sided with organized labor and the environmental groups and held Colombia hanging out to dry for three years."

THE FACTS: When President Barack Obama took office, he actually tried to revive a free-trade deal with Colombia that had been negotiated by his Republican predecessor but left to languish without congressional approval, just as he tried to make similar progress with South Korean and Panamanian free-trade pacts. He bucked considerable opposition from organized labor and fellow Democrats in doing so.

Obama did hold off on submitting the three deals to Congress as his administration tried to negotiate more palatable terms to Democrats. He finally submitted them in 2011 and Congress approved them in the fall ? with substantial GOP support and a fair amount of Democratic opposition.

___

ROMNEY: "Obamacare takes over health care for the American people."

THE FACTS: Obama's health care overhaul does increase the role of the federal government in the health care system, but even after it is fully implemented in 2019, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says 56 percent of Americans under age 65 will be covered by employer plans, about the same share as today. That's hardly a takeover.

___

ROMNEY: Fannie and Freddie are "offering mortgages again to people who can't possibly repay them. We're creating another housing bubble, which will hurt the American people."

THE FACTS: If there is another housing bubble forming, most homebuilders, mortgage lenders and real estate agents would like to find it. Instead, the housing market remains depressed, with sales low and home prices falling.

Fannie and Freddie don't sell or offer any mortgages. Their function has always been to support the housing market by purchasing mortgages from banks, packaging them into bonds and guaranteeing the bonds against default. This proved costly when the housing bubble burst: The two entities were formally taken over by the government in 2008 and have since cost taxpayers $150 billion.

The two mortgage giants are still functioning under government receivership, and now own or guarantee nearly all new mortgages, because banks are reluctant to make loans without the agencies' support. But banks have significantly toughened their credit standards since the housing bubble and are requiring higher credit scores and bigger down payments. That is causing an increasing number of home sales contracts to fall through as would-be buyers are unable to get mortgage loans.

___

SANTORUM: Criticized the Obama administration for its "abysmal treatment" of allies in Latin America, and said Obama has a "consistent policy of siding with the leftists, siding with the Marxists, siding with those who don't support democracy."

THE FACTS: Obama has not sided with the leading leftists, such as those ruling Cuba and Venezuela, and instead has roundly criticized them.

It's true that Latin America has been on the back burner for much of Obama's tenure, as he concentrated on other parts of the world, including the Middle East. But Obama visited three countries in Latin America last year, and the Panamanian and Colombian trade agreements were part of the biggest round of trade liberalization since the North American Free Trade Agreement and other pacts of that era.

___

ROMNEY: "My investments are not made by me. My investments for the last 10 years have been in a blind trust, managed by a trustee."

THE FACTS: Not all of his investments have been in a blind trust. Romney's personal financial disclosure forms show he owned between $250,001 and $500,000 in the Federated Government Obligation Fund, which contained mutual-fund notes of politically sensitive Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. An addendum to Romney' disclosure forms says that certain assets ? including the federated fund ? were outside the scope of his blind trust.

The investment was not on Romney's 2007 financial form, making it a relatively new one ? just as the housing and financial crises were hitting Americans full force.

___

RON PAUL: Obama "promises to end the wars, but the wars expand."

THE FACTS: By the most obvious measures, the wars are shrinking. Last month, the U.S. pulled its last troops out of Iraq, fulfilling a pledge by Obama to end the war there.

Obama did escalate America's fight in Afghanistan, announcing in December 2009 that he was sending an additional 33,000 troops.

The U.S. and its NATO partners in late 2010 agreed to end the combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. As part of that plan, Obama fulfilled his promise to bring 10,000 troops home from Afghanistan by the end of last year, and is moving ahead with plans to pull an additional 23,000 out by this fall. There are now about 90,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

___

GINGRICH: "We're in a continuous state of war where Obama undermines the Israelis."

ROMNEY: "This president went before the United Nations and castigated Israel for building settlements. He said nothing about thousands of rockets being rained in on Israel from the Gaza Strip."

THE FACTS: Obama has spoken at length about the plight of the Israelis and has talked about an Israeli girl near Gaza who fears for her life because of the rocket attacks launched by Hamas. In a June 2009 speech in Cairo, Obama said both Israel and Palestine have a right to exist, but the U.S. does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. That's not only the view of his administration; it's long-held U.S. policy. Despite that, the administration sided with Israel by vetoing a U.N. resolution that would have condemned its settlement policy.

___

Associated Press writers Tom Raum, Lolita C. Baldor, Jim Drinkard, Christopher S. Rugaber, Jack Gillum and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-Republicans-Debate-Fact%20Check/id-96595fae44a14756ba3bd7076d8fa369

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Justin Bieber Fans Prepping Charity Single In His Honor

President/CEO of Together We Rise talks to MTV News about song, slated for March release.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a>'s fans are working to give back the same way the pop star readily does. Several of Bieber's biggest fan groups, as well as the nonprofit Together We Rise and Brush Buddies (the makers behind the singing Bieber toothbrush), have all teamed up to work on a charity single. "They're all working on pieces of the video and the lyrics. Right now, they're putting together videos and thank-you's.' We're working on the back end," Danny Mendoza, President/CEO of Together We Rise, which focuses on helping foster children in the U.S, told MTV News about the project. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:712657" width="240" height="211"></div><p> "It started with a young lady named Vivian, she runs the Justin Crew fan club and she approached it on Twitter. She approached it and she had a lot of fan support," he continued. "She took it upon herself to take a leadership role, and then she contacted me because she needed some guidance. We just decided we'll help you do it. Justin Bieber had tweeted about us in the past and helped us get some recognition, so it was a thank-you to him as well. Proceeds from the song will go toward <a href="/news/articles/1673555/justin-bieber-believe-charity-drive.jhtml">Bieber's <i>Believe</i> charity drive</a>. It will drop in March, just in time for his 18th birthday on March 1. "I'm almost 100 percent positive that they know," Mendoza said of Bieber's camp's knowledge of the project. "Justin Bieber inspired a lot of young people to give back. It's a thank-you for helping us and we want to give back in your honor." Bieber is certainly not a newbie to the world of charity. Mendoza said that having a pop star like Bieber being so socially conscious has been incredible for the charities he helps bring attention to. "He definitely has the right people around him ... They made it a priority that giving back is more. I think his relationship with [his manager Scooter Braun's brother] Adam Braun and his charity [<a href="/news/articles/1674628/justin-bieber-new-york-city.jhtml">Pencils of Promise</a>], he was able to see hands on a lot of it." After Bieber tweeted this week about the Trillium Gift of Life Network, the <a href="/news/articles/1677905/justin-bieber-organ-donor.jhtml">Ontario-based organ donation</a> network has seen registrations skyrocket to more than 1,200 people, four times the amount the network usually receives. <i>What charity do you want Bieber to promote? Leave your comment below.</i></p>

Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677983/justin-bieber-together-we-rise-charity-charity-single.jhtml

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Lobsang Sangay Discusses Self-Immolation Of Tibetan Buddhist Monks

By Vishal Arora
Religion News Service

DHARMSALA, India (RNS) At least three Tibetan Buddhist monks drank gasoline and set themselves ablaze in January, bringing the count of self-immolations to 15 since March 2011.

Lobsang Sangay, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, attributes the deaths to restrictions being imposed by the Chinese government on traditional Tibetan practices.

The U.S. State Department has raised concerns over the self-immolations. However, Beijing, which regards Tibet as part of China, alleges that Tibetan exiles are encouraging the monastic community to take this extreme step, disregarding the Buddhist principle of non-violence.

Sangay, a former scholar from Harvard Law School and the political successor of the Dalai Lama, spoke about religious restrictions and self-immolation in Tibet. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Why are monks and nuns self-immolating in Tibet?

A: Repressive policies of China have pushed them to the brink of desperation. Members of the Communist Party of China dictate what monks and nuns should do, how they should pray, and who should be allowed into the monasteries.

Those who give up worldly life to join a monastery see their follow monks as their world, their family. When they see their associates being expelled because they refused to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama or to stamp on his photograph, hopelessness sinks in. When they think their sufferings are not being noted, they take such a desperate step.

Q: Does Buddhism allow self-immolation?

A: It's a complex issue. One could refer to Jataka tales, which concern the previous births of the Buddha. In one story, the Buddha, in a previous incarnation, gives up his body to feed a starving tigress and her four cubs. Some other stories also talk about self-sacrifice by the Buddha.

Although suicide is violent and prohibited in Buddhism, some Buddhists believe it depends on the motivation. If you do it out of hatred and anger, then it is negative. But if you do it for a pure cause ... it's such a complex theological issue. You can't go either way or have a definitive answer. But the action is tragic, so painful.

Q: Do you discourage monks setting themselves ablaze?

A: My stand on self immolation is the same as that of the Dalai Lama, who has always discouraged drastic actions by Tibetans. He does not even endorse hunger strikes.

Q: Can you stop the wave of self-immolations?

A: I am expected to do something about it, but it has been challenging, difficult and painful. As a human being, it is so difficult to hear someone dying for a cause. And as a Buddhist, it is even more painful.

I went to the United Stated and Europe to get statements of support so that I could send a message of hope to Tibet. I tried my best to get everything I did covered by the Tibetan media. And during my visit -- almost until the last leg of my trip -- self-immolations stopped. I thought I was able to pass on the message of hope. But when I was in London, I heard there was one more self-immolation. That dampened my mood. I cancelled all my appointments for that morning.

Q: Do you see a solution to the Tibet-China conflict in sight?

A: I do believe so. That's why I have left Harvard to be in India to lead the movement. The Tibetan struggle has to go on. Had I not moved to India, where I am living on about $300 a month, my life would have been normal and boring.

One Buddhist lesson I have learned is that one who is born has to die. That means what you do is what you leave behind. If you live for yourself, you won't make much difference. I, as a Buddhist, as a Tibetan, want to live for a cause greater than myself and my life.

Also on HuffPost:

Below, an astoundingly beautiful collection of Buddhist pilgrimage sites in black and white:

Mt. Kailash in Tibet

1? of ?12

Mt. Kailash is a holy site for four different major religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism. A steady stream of pilgrims from India, Tibet, Nepal and other countries come to pay homage to the mountain, following a route that takes them to altitudes in excess of 5,000 meters.
We camped out for two days at a spot where the north face of Mt. Kailash can be seen beyond numerous piles of "Mani stones" that have been placed there by the pilgrims.
The snow that fell the night before had covered the "Mani stones" as well as Mt. Kailash. As the first rays of the sun touched the 6,656-meter peak, the fresh snow was blown in a gust of wind, and wrapping the sacred mountain in a white veil. It was an encounter with the "atmosphere" of the place, an atmosphere quite appropriate for such a holy place.
After the first exposure, I changed lenses and made another. A few minutes later, the sunlight had reached the lower mountains and the "atmosphere" of disappeared.

Mt. Kailash is a holy site for four different major religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism. A steady stream of pilgrims from India, Tibet, Nepal and other countries come to pay homage to the mountain, following a route that takes them to altitudes in excess of 5,000 meters.

We camped out for two days at a spot where the north face of Mt. Kailash can be seen beyond numerous piles of "Mani stones" that have been placed there by the pilgrims.

The snow that fell the night before had covered the "Mani stones" as well as Mt. Kailash. As the first rays of the sun touched the 6,656-meter peak, the fresh snow was blown in a gust of wind, and wrapping the sacred mountain in a white veil. It was an encounter with the "atmosphere" of the place, an atmosphere quite appropriate for such a holy place.

After the first exposure, I changed lenses and made another. A few minutes later, the sunlight had reached the lower mountains and the "atmosphere" of disappeared.

MORE SLIDESHOWS NEXT?> ??|?? <?PREV

Mt. Kailash in Tibet

Mt. Kailash is a holy site for four different major religions: Tibetan Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism. A steady stream of pilgrims from India, Tibet, Nepal and other countries come to pay homage to the mountain, following a route that takes them to altitudes in excess of 5,000 meters.
We camped out for two days at a spot where the north face of Mt. Kailash can be seen beyond numerous piles of "Mani stones" that have been placed there by the pilgrims.
The snow that fell the night before had covered the "Mani stones" as well as Mt. Kailash. As the first rays of the sun touched the 6,656-meter peak, the fresh snow was blown in a gust of wind, and wrapping the sacred mountain in a white veil. It was an encounter with the "atmosphere" of the place, an atmosphere quite appropriate for such a holy place.
After the first exposure, I changed lenses and made another. A few minutes later, the sunlight had reached the lower mountains and the "atmosphere" of disappeared.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/lobsang-sangay-immolation-tibetan-buddhist-monks_n_1231954.html

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Man lodges a nail in his brain and doesn?t realize it for 36 hours (Yahoo! News)

Miraculously, no permanent brain damage was suffered

A Chicago-area man accidentally drove a nail into his?brain last week, and didn't realize it for a full 36 hours.?Dante Autullo was working with a nailgun when the accident occured last Tuesday. Losing his grip while using the gun on top of a wall, it swung around and hit the back of his head. The collision fired a 3 1/2" nail into his skull so cleanly that the wound appeared to be minor.

The incident hardly fazed Autullo, who treated himself by taking a few Advil before finishing his nailing work. Afterward, he?put in an eight-hour shift of work at his job as a plow driver. It wasn't until Thursday that a strong headache sent him to his doctor, who discovered the nail via?X-ray.

Doctors removed the part of Autullo's skull which held the nail in a procedure that took about two hours.?Amazingly, Autullo does not appear to have lost any?brain function as a result of his injury. Doctors believe that complications are unlikely to develop.

[Image credit:?Rosser321]

(Source)

This article wash written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20120123/tc_yblog_technews/man-lodges-a-nail-in-his-brain-and-doesnt-realize-it-for-36-hours

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Sen. Kirk speaking, asking for phone after stroke (AP)

CHICAGO ? Sen. Mark Kirk was doing better than expected after suffering a stroke and undergoing emergency surgery, his neurosurgeon said Tuesday, noting the Illinois Republican was answering questions and even asking for his Blackberry.

Dr. Richard Fessler, who performed surgery on Kirk at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the 52-year-old "is doing very well."

"Everything is where we want it to be," Fessler said.

Kirk's stroke over the weekend affected his left side, particularly movement of his left arm. Surgeons removed a piece of his skull Sunday to alleviate pressure from swelling and Kirk remained in intensive care. Doctors have said he may not ever fully regain movement, but he was expected to make a full mental recovery.

Fessler said Tuesday that Kirk, who is right handed, was able to move his left side "very little." Kirk was speaking with a slight slur and has some facial paralysis, which doctors hope will be addressed with rehabilitation.

Doctors were able to remove a breathing tube and allow the senator to breathe on his own and Kirk appeared very aware of his surroundings and what had happened to him, Fessler said.

"He asked for his Blackberry yesterday so he's ready to go back to work," Fessler said. However, doctors did not give it to him, he added.

Fessler said Kirk will remain in intensive care for four to five days while swelling subsides. After that, they'll set a date to put back the 4-by-8-inch piece of Kirk's skull that was removed.

The senator likely will then need weeks and maybe months of inpatient physical rehabilitation. Doctors said it was too early to tell how long rehab would take.

Tests showed Kirk had a tear in the carotid artery on the right side of his neck, but Fessler said Tuesday the cause of the stroke is unknown and may never be clear. He said diet and stress did not appear to be behind Kirk's stroke.

"His lifestyle is the life style of a normal healthy person who works out and eats a reasonable diet," Fessler said.

Kirk, who won Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat for the Republican Party in 2010, is a Naval reserve commander who has to pass physicals each year.

___

Sophia Tareen can be reached at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_us/us_kirk_stroke

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Judge forces defendant to decrypt laptop, fuels debate over Fifth Amendment rights

A judge in Colorado yesterday ordered a defendant to decrypt her laptop's hard drive at the prosecution's request, adding new fire to the ongoing debate surrounding consumer technology and the Fifth Amendment. The defendant, Ramona Fricosu, is facing charges of bank fraud, stemming from a federal investigation launched in 2010. As part of this investigation, federal authorities used a search warrant to seize her Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop. Fricosu's legal team had previously refused to decrypt the computer, on the grounds that doing so would violate her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination. On Monday, though, US District Judge Robert Blackburn ruled against the defendant, arguing that the prosecution retained the right to access her device, as stipulated under the All Writs Act -- a law that requires mobile operators to comply with federal surveillance.

"I conclude that the Fifth Amendment is not implicated by requiring production of the unencrypted contents of the Toshiba Satellite M305 laptop computer," Blackburn wrote, adding that there was strong evidence to suggest that Fricosu's computer contained information pertinent to the case. Fricosu's lawyer, Phil Dubois, is hoping to obtain a stay on the ruling, in the hopes of taking the case to an appeals court. "I think it's a matter of national importance," Dubois explained. "It should not be treated as though it's just another day in Fourth Amendment litigation." It remains to be seen whether Dubois succeeds in his appeal, though civil libertarians are already paying close attention to the case, since the US Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the matter.

Judge forces defendant to decrypt laptop, fuels debate over Fifth Amendment rights originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wired  |  sourceCourt order (PDF)  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/SWttW5jEgQA/

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Automakers focusing on younger buyers

Gm / Wieck

Chevrolet is testing the interest of Millennial buyers in a pair of concepts, including the Tru 140S.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau

There?s a big gap between what people say they want and what they?ll actually spend their money on, as automakers are well aware of.?So, the industry is taking a cautious view of a new study by consulting firm Deloitte that finds six of 10 Millennials would like to buy a hybrid or electric vehicles rather than a conventionally powered car, truck or crossover.

That would suggest that manufacturers are positioning themselves well for the wave of young buyers just now entering the market ? also known as Gen-Y, the Millennials comprise a cohort of almost 80 million Americans, a group even bigger than the vaunted Baby Boomers that reshaped America over the last half century or so. Virtually every maker on the market is now offering at least one gas-electric model in its line-up, with an assortment of conventional hybrids, plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, to follow.

But young drivers aren?t the only ones who say they want to go with the latest, battery-based green technologies. Some other recent surveys have found that even older Americans routinely say they plan to ?consider? a hybrid next time they shop for a new car.?It?s just that those battery-based vehicles usually don?t make the cut, in the end. Last year, hybrids actually slipped as a percentage of the overall U.S. market to barely 2%.?Total sales of all battery-based vehicles barely matched demand for the Honda Accord.

Nonetheless, the new Deloitte survey echoes the results of other studies that have found Millennials to be more environmentally conscious than any other age group now in the automotive market.

?Gen Y is familiar and comfortable with hybrid technology,? said Craig Giffi, Deloitte?s vice chairman and head of its auto practice, suggesting that the Millennials will ?lead us away from traditional, gasoline-powered vehicles.?

The study looked at the automotive buying preferences of 1,500 consumers from the Gen Y, X and Baby Boom generations ? 250 of those surveyed being between the ages of 19 and 31. The group included consumers in China as well as Europe.

Significantly, while the Millennials were clearly comfortable with hybrids, as Giffi noted, they were less so with pure BEVs, only 2% saying they?d consider a vehicle running on battery power alone.

Stan Honda / AFP - Getty Images

Upscale sedans, electric vehicles and old-school muscle cars make their debuts at the 2012 North American International Auto show.

The auto industry is making a big push to understand what Millennials are all about ? and trying to differentiate between outward social and political stands and what they?re actually willing to spend their money on.

?It?s a big challenge,? said Clay Dean, head of advanced research for General Motors, but one that could pay off big in the long-term. As GM discovered when it lost much of the Baby Boom generation, it?s essential to get buyers into a brand?s products when they?re still young. Once they become loyal to the competition it?s difficult to those buyers them back.

Chevrolet unveiled two possible additions to its line-up, dubbed Code 130R and Tru 140S, during the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. One or the other could be put into production ?quickly,? according to Dean, if they generate much enthusiasm. The Code 130R is a sort of Baby Camaro, the 140S more of what he described as a ?poseur? sports coupe, one that could readily be outfitted with a hybrid drivetrain if GM found the demand there.

But the new Deloitte study makes it clear that green technology isn?t the only thing needed to make the Millennials happy. About just as many of those surveyed ? 59% ? said that in-dash technology is a critical differentiator. Of those, 75% said they wanted a touch-screen interface, with 72% wanting access to their smartphone apps.

The survey also showed they expect such high-tech safety features as advance collision warning and blind-spot detection.

Considering the budget most young buyers have at their disposal they might not be able to get everything they want, at least not immediately. So, manufacturers will have to read between the lines of the study to decide what they can afford to offer the Millennials now.

More from The Detroit Bureau:

Battery Fire Investigation Closed?-- But Volt?s Problems May Not Yet be Over

Picking Tomorrow?s Top Collector Cars

First 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible Set for Auction

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/23/10216471-automakers-focused-on-what-young-buyers-want

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Monday, January 23, 2012

[OOC] Mythical Hunt

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Mythical Hunt?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Mythical Hunt"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years



This will begin next week.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years




Okay let me check the spots left. If needed I will make two more.
EDIT: I'd rather not though.

Last edited by Zenia on Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years


Okay I have two spots left. One though is the traitor.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years


So glad to be back.

You said you would always be there for me...I guess you lied

User avatar
Nowfaleena
Member for 1 years


Good to have you back Meraradus.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years


Okay since two people want to be beings Tonks, and Vampire Mistress.
Are either of you okay with being the traitor?

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years


Got it sorted. ^-^
Forgot to put this in rules so I will put it here first. As I said this will start next week. Also wait until I make the world post and my charries posts.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years


Also these posts are probably gonna be in the 100 to 200 words. Everyone can handle that right? My post may be longer, like my intro posts. Also because I am controlling so far three characters.

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years



Of course. Hunters are human, you know that correct?

User avatar
Zenia
Member for 1 years




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