Thursday, December 29, 2011

Bleakest outlook takes prize for forecasting

By Martin Wolk

For msnbc.com's panel of economic forecasters, the most pessimistic were the most accurate this year as the economy failed to meet even the relatively modest expectations of most experts.

David Rosenberg, the Canadian economist frequently known for his bearish views, takes the prize this year for the closest forecast among the 12 economists on our panel.

Gluskin Sheff

David Rosenberg says "retirement will become an increasingly elusive dream for many."

Rosenberg, chief economist for Gluskin Sheff & Associates, a wealth management firm, wins honors mainly because he correctly anticipated a year ago that 2011 would be a year of slow growth. Rosenberg projected U.S. economic growth of 2.3 percent for this year, compared with current projections that put GDP growth at just 1.7 percent for the year.

Rosenberg sees plenty of peril in the year ahead, especially with Europe in the midst of what he describes as a recession and China coming down from a heady period of rapid growth.

"2012 is probably going to be even more of a challenging year than 2011," he said.

While industrial companies have been driving the weak economic recovery for the past two years, they will be pressured this year by the strengthening dollar and the weakening of their primary markets in Asia and Europe, he said.

The expected expiration of Bush-era tax cuts at the end of 2012 also will cause anxiety and dampen consumer spending as Americans boost their personal savings in anticipation of lower take-home pay, he said.

While the labor market is "healing," most of the growth is in low-wage industries such as retail and hospitality, while high-paying industries such as?manufacturing and finance are laying off workers, Rosenberg said. As for housing, sales activity has picked up but prices are still declining, which has a negative impact on consumer confidence and perceptions of wealth.

Rosenberg just barely beat UCLA's Ed Leamer, another frequently bearish forecaster. Our methodology looked at how accurately forecasters predicted overall economic growth, consumer inflation, unemployment and short-term interest rates.

Most panelists, including Rosenberg, were overly pessimistic about the employment market, which has been weak but not?quite as bad as some had feared. Most economists predicted the unemployment rate would remain above 9 percent for the full year, but a sharp drop last month puts the current rate at 8.6 percent.

Most economists on our panel badly underestimated inflation, predicting consumer prices would rise less than 1 percent in 2011, compared with the actual 2.2 percent rate, excluding volatile food and energy prices.

Most economists predicted correctly that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates at their current level of about zero percent, which the central bank has now virtually promised to leave in place through at least mid-2013.

With this ninth edition of our annual economic roundtable we are suspending the feature, although we continue to turn to our experts frequently for their regular analysis of the economy.

This year, for a change, we are turning to a different kind of expert and asking small business owners what they think about the prospects for the economy. We will be checking back with them often for their views on the economy.

?

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/28/9642067-bleakest-outlook-takes-prize-for-forecasting

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Washington Wizards Preview: Eight Storylines

WASHINGTON (WUSA/The Wiz Kid) -- Our insider Kevin "Wiz Kid" Jones previews eight burning questions about the Wizards 2011-2012 season.

Is this the season John Wall makes a Russell Westbrook/Derrick Rose like jump into becoming an elite scorer?

My view is that Wall will continually give us a glimpse of jaw-dropping ability?that he could one day become an MVP candidate like Rose, but I don't think this is the year he averages 20 points per game. Look around at the roster. There are too many guys who like firing up shots as soon as they get the ball (Blatche, Young, McGee, Lewis and Crawford). Wall won't reach his true potential surrounded by a bunch of me-first type of guys.

If you're looking to see improvements from John Wall, then?it hopefully will come in the midrange shooting variety. Opposing defenses can have success against the 6-foot-4 guard when sagging off on him and forcing jump shots. As soon as his midrange game becomes potent, Wall will have all the tools of a franchise cornerstone.

Who is more valuable to this team: JaVale McGee or Nick Young?

Both are free agents following the season. Both will want around $10 million a season. Also, if both were kept on long term contracts it might be time for Wizards fans to burn all of their merchandise.

I'm torn on this one because I'm not sold on either, but give me McGee. He's just 23-years-old and at times can be a defensive stalwart. One of JaVale McGee's problems is that he has the touch of an axe murderer from five-eight feet from the basket. It would be enormous to see his rebound numbers get into the double digits this year.

Nick Young could be replaceable through the draft, although we saw how bad the Washington offense was without him against the 76ers in the preseason opener. He's solely a scorer, which means people completely overrate him when looking at the numbers. ??

Will we notice anything different about Andray Blatche?

I think so. Blatche has taken on the more serious role as a team spokesman in the locker room to the press. In doing so, I think he will hold his basketball game more accountable. According to HoopData.com, last season Blatche averaged 4.1 shot attempts per game from 16-23 feet away. I think you'll see that number lower and some increased defensive intensity from Andray Blatche.

Is there a possibility Flip Saunders resigns?

There is absolutely a chance. If you haven't heard the Saunders presser from last Friday, please go ahead and listen to his cynical tone after just one preseason game. Flip just seems drained from the lack of team work and defensive effort put out from the Wiz. It reflects poorly on him as a coach. The team is a depressing 49-115 during this regime.

As much as I like Saunders as a coach, maybe a change would spark the Wizards. Washington assistant coach and longtime NBA point guard Sam Cassel would be my first choice to replace Saunders if some kind of change is deemed to be made. Cassel is a three-time NBA champion (most recently in 2008 with the Celtics) and is known for his feistiness.

Which rookie will make the biggest impact?

Chris Singleton. After just one preseason game I'm almost ready to anoint the Florida State alum as the Wizards' best wing defender. Singleton's great because he also forces turnovers on either blocks or deflected passes because of his 7-foot-1 wingspan. Also watch out for his baseline shooting. I think by February Singleton will be ready to replace Rashard Lewis in the starting lineup.

Will the additions of Roger Mason Jr. and Ronny Turiaf matter?

Yes and no. Mason is willing to give free advice to guys like Wall, Young and Shelvin Mack. The question is will they listen? I'm a huge Ronny Turiaf guy, but I'm also huge on letting younger pieces get experience during a rebuilding mode. Turiaf's addition will limit Kevin Seraphin and especially Trevor Booker from becoming potential impact players.

What/who will be the biggest surprise in 2011-2012

I have this little feeling that Nick Young could play with a vengeance this season after getting spurned by the Wiz and the NBA without a big contract reward. Even if he is a ball-hog (and lord knows the NBA is full of ball-hogs), the 26-year-old excelled in his first real chance of playing time. I say Nick Young averages 20 points per game, flashing his pure scoring ability night-in and night-out. Will that be enough for the Wizards to re-sign him? Hopefully not.

What percent chance do the Wizards have of making the playoffs?

15 percent. The only bottom barrel teams in the eastern conference that are worse than Washington are Charlotte, Cleveland, Toronto and maybe Detroit. I'd argue Indiana and Philadelphia are locks for the playoffs, meaning the Wizards are competing with Milwaukee and New Jersey for the final eighth seed. If Wall makes a tremendous leap, don't rule out anything. ?

Source: http://charlescounty.wusa9.com/news/news/86081-washington-wizards-preview-eight-storylines

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Oil from 2007 spill surprisingly toxic to fish, scientists report

Thick, tarry fuel oil disgorged into San Francisco Bay from a damaged cargo ship in 2007 was surprisingly toxic to fish embryos, devastating the herring population that feeds seabirds, whales and the bay's last commercial fishery, scientists reported Monday.

Although the bay's herring spawning grounds are now free of toxic oil, studies have found that the moderate-size spill of 54,000 gallons had an unexpectedly large and lethal effect.

The culprit, a common type of ship fuel called "bunker fuel," appears to be especially toxic to fish embryos, particularly when exposed to sunlight, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"That's the big lesson," said John Incardona, a toxicologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service. "This bunker oil is literally the dregs of the barrel, and it's much more toxic than crude oil."

The container ship Cosco Busan spilled low-grade bunker fuel after it sideswiped the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on a foggy November morning four years ago. This type of sludge-like fuel is cheap and thus popular among operators of commercial shipping fleets that transport raw materials and goods around the globe.

Scientists have traditionally focused on larger crude oil spills, such as last year's Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico or 1989's Exxon Valdez tanker disaster, in which 11 million gallons of oil were discharged into Alaska's Prince William Sound. The Exxon spill is suspected of wiping out the sound's herring fishery, which has never bounced back.

From studies in Alaska, scientists knew that oil could cause heart deformities to developing herring in their embryonic sacs.

But after examining herring embryos placed in cages in shallow waters near the Cosco Busan spill site, researchers were surprised to find that nearly all had died, and their tissues were deteriorating faster than expected in the bay's chilly water.

"We didn't think there was enough oil spilled to cause this much damage," said Gary Cherr, a study coauthor and director of the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. He described the total spill as similar in size to a large backyard swimming pool.

Oil and water don't mix. The fat-filled herring egg sacs can act like little sponges, soaking up the highly toxic compounds from the bunker fuel. Once exposed to sunlight during low tides, the oil compounds became even more lethal to developing fish.

"Bunker fuel is used worldwide and is spilled relatively often," Cherr said. "It is important to look at small spills in sensitive areas," he added, now that science understands the lethal potential of low concentrations.

The owners and operators of the Cosco Busan in September agreed to pay $44.4 million to cover government claims, the cost of the cleanup ? about half of the spilled oil was captured ? and bay restoration programs. Besides tarring about 30% of the bay's herring spawning grounds, the spill killed about 6,800 seabirds and closed beaches for months.

ken.weiss@latimes.com

Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-herring-kill-20111228,0,4022950.story?track=rss

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Jordan Romero Climbs Mt. Vinson Massif: Calif. Teen Becomes Youngest To Climb 7 Summits

BIG BEAR, Calif. -- A Southern California teenager became the youngest person to successfully climb to the summit of the seven tallest mountains on Earth's seven continents, according to his website.

Jordan Romero, 15, called his mother Leigh Ann Drake on Saturday to confirm that he'd achieved his goal of reaching the top of Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica.

The Big Bear, Calif.-native beat the record previously held by British climber George Atkinson, who completed the ascents at age 16 in May.

Romero's team began the climb Wednesday. Romero's Facebook page, "Find Your Everest," marked reaching the summit, but the climb is hardly over.

"It's in the books. The kid and team summit with all fingers and toes. Descent still to come then we celebrate," a post to the Facebook page read.

Romero completes the climbs with his father and stepmother.

"It's my dream we are following to the highest points on every continent," Jordan says on his blog. "I know it's a big goal and lucky for me my family is supporting me every step of the way."

At age 10, Romero climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and at age 13 he climbed the world's highest mountain, at 29,035 feet, Mt. Everest in Asia.

Drake declined further comment, saying the family is not seeking attention for the boy's achievement.

___

Online:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/24/jordan-romero-mt-vinson-calif-teen-seven-summits_n_1169101.html

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Facebook On Android Gets 58.3 Million Daily Active Users

Sites include Android.com , Facebook.com . Published on December 25th, 2011. Written by Anthony West.

The battle between Apple?s mobile platform and Android is intense and it is happening on all fronts, especially on the social networks. Apple seems to have switched focus away from Facebook and is now looking to build on its partnership with Twitter. Android on the other hand, has cemented its commitment to Facebook.

These establishment of a central focus of course, has resulted in a shift in popularity on the Facebook platform. According to a recent report, Facebook?s native app for Android now has a whopping 58.3 million daily active users (DAU), while Facebook for iPhone is now falling behind with 57.4 million DAUs. Things weren?t always like this though, and for a long time, Apple?s Facebook App was leading so badly, many thought Android would never catch up. This lag that Android suffered was due largely in part to the fact that Facebook released the Android App more than 12 months after it created and launched the iPhone App.

Will things change round again or will Facebook for Android rule supreme indefinitely? The answer is hard to ascertain at this point for many reasons, the chief one being that Facebook has launched another official iPhone App. This App currently stands at 5.5 million DAUs and many are speculating that it will soon mount a challenge to Android. But on the flip side of the coin, Facebook for Android is adding users 550,000 activations per day.

This sort of dynamic in the competitive process means that anything can happen?we?ll just have await the outcome.

Source: http://www.sitetrail.com/2011/12/25/facebook-on-android-gets-58.3-million-daily-active-users/

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Washington Vs. Cal State Northridge Score Update: Huskies Up 38-19 At Halftime

Washington leads Cal State Northridge in the first half in Thursday's game at Alaska Airlines Arena

Dec 22, 2011 - Washington dominated the first five minutes of the game against Cal State Northridge, storming out to 14-2 lead. The Huskies are leading the Matadors 38-19 at halftime. The Matadors did not make their first field goal until the 14:01 mark.?

Huskies' center Aziz N'Diaye saw his first action after missing two games. The seven-footer came off the bench, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds in ten minutes of action.

Head Coach Lorenzo Romar will be happy with his team's defense; Washington held the Matadors to 4-for-25 (16%) shooting in the first half. The Huskies also have the rebounding edge, 27-13. Terrence Ross leads all scorers with 10 points.?

The game is not televised, but can be heard on 950 KJR. Gregg Bell of Washington Athletics is holding a live chat at?GoHuskies.com?covering the game. Also, Percy Allen from the Seattle Times has a running game thread at his?Husky Men's Basketball Blog.

For more on the Huskies, check out?UW Dawg Pound.

Do you like this story?

Source: http://seattle.sbnation.com/2011/12/22/2656719/uw-huskies-basketball-cal-state-northridge

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Caltech sets 186Gpbs Internet speed record, makes our 5Mbps look even more inadequate (video)

Did you know that the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has already produced 100 petabytes of data that needed to be sent out to labs across the world for analysis? Pushing that amount of information across the Internet is a gargantuan task, which is why Caltech teamed up with the Universities of Victoria, Michigan and Florida (International) amongst others to try and break the internet speed record. Using commercially available gear (including Dell servers with SSDs), it was able to push 98Gbps and pull 88Gbps down a single 100Gbps fibre-optic connection between the Washington State convention center in Seattle and the University of Victoria computing center in British Columbia. Head on past the break for a video that shows you how it was done and why it probably won't be commercially available in time to super-size your Netflix queue.

Continue reading Caltech sets 186Gpbs Internet speed record, makes our 5Mbps look even more inadequate (video)

Caltech sets 186Gpbs Internet speed record, makes our 5Mbps look even more inadequate (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Extreme Tech  |  sourceCaltech  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/caltech-sets-186gpbs-internet-speed-record-makes-our-5mbps-look/

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Click Keypad Watch

  Are you a retro computer geek (with big wrists)? Perhaps the Click Keypad Watch ?available from Watchismo is for you. Based on a numeric keypad, blinking lights on the number keys are capable of ?indicating both the time and date. It’s 40mm x 46mm x 10.5mm ?(1.6′ x 1.8″ x .4″) ?so not the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/12/13/click-keypad-watch/

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Monday, November 28, 2011

oceanshaman: rt @hornets NBA and NBA Players reached a tentative agreement early this morning. Get the latest NBA Labor news here: http://t.co/cJNNDsfD

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rt @hornets NBA and NBA Players reached a tentative agreement early this morning. Get the latest NBA Labor news here: on.nba.com/ugRIAi oceanshaman

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Source: http://twitter.com/oceanshaman/statuses/140915814642622465

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HP ProBook 4430s


Big businesses and corporate IT departments may be able to afford to spend a grand or two when purchasing a business laptop, but the latest offering from HP caters to the little guy; the small business with a correspondingly small budget. For the price of an entry-level consumer laptop, you can pick up the HP Probook 4430s ($620 street), a slim, portable business laptop that won't embarrass you in front of a client or leave you high and dry during a major project.

Design
The HP ProBook 4430s has an all-metal design that brings to mind the MacBook Pro, but deeper inspection shows a myriad of differences. Unlike the MacBook Pro, with its silver unibody and rounded corners, the 4430s has a design that's all right angles, and a two-tone look that shows off its two metal constructions. The lid and palm rest of the sport bare brushed aluminum, but the frame is made of light and tough magnesium alloy. The underside is magnesium alloy as well, but it's hidden behind a coat of black soft-touch rubberized paint, which provides a better grip and traction than bare metal.

While most of the laptop features metal construction, you'll find black plastic surrounding the 14-inch screen. The display offers 1,366-by-768 resolution, which is average for this size screen, but the SRS Premium Sound does provide better than average sound, whether listening to music or teleconferencing. Speaking of teleconferencing, an HD webcam sits just above the screen, ready for use with Skype or your preferred video conferencing tool. It's also commuter friendly, weighing only 4.75 pounds, nearly the same as the Dell Vostro 3350 ($741 direct, 4 stars), though it's a bit bigger, measuring 1.11 by 13 by 9.26-inches (HWD).

The 4430s has a chiclet-style keyboard, and its matte-black keys are actually rather stout. Where many laptops use low-profile keys for a light and effortless typing experience, the keys of the Probook feel sturdy under the finger tips, and no comfort in typing is lost. It's also spill resistant, so you can use it during a working lunch without experiencing beverage anxiety. Below the keyboard is a multitouch trackpad that lets you scroll, swipe, and zoom with two or three fingers. The trackpad is covered with a layer of chemically-strengthened glass, which feels superb beneath the fingers, as do the separate right and left mouse buttons.

Features
The 4430s has a full feature set, offering three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, VGA and HDMI outputs, Microphone and Headphone jacks, a multi-format card reader (SD, MMC, MS/Pro), and an ExpressCard slot on the left hand side of the laptop. You also get a full selection of networking options, with Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0. The only feature that was missing was WiMAX or another wireless 4G broadband solution, as on-the-go connectivity is a must have for many business users. In addition to the regular collection of ports and connectors, the ProBook also features HP's ProtectTools, a built-in security suite that includes everything from secure log-in with fingerprint or facial recognition to full disk encryption and BIOS-level password security.

The 4430s is equipped with a DVD +/- RW dual-layer optical drive, though configurations are also available with Blu-ray. A 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive offers enough storage for all your daily work, and is the same size and speed as the hard drive found in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 ($1,399.99 direct, 3.5 stars). HP protects this hard drive with its 3D DriveGuard, which automatically slows or stops the spinning disk when the laptop is moved or dropped. They further protect the laptop with a one-year warranty covering parts and labor.

Performance
HP Probook 4430s The 4430s is available in a variety of configurations, with a wide selection of processors, graphics solutions, and drives to meet whatever your specific needs may be. Our review unit, however, was equipped with an Intel Core i3-2310M processor, a 2.1GHz dual-core CPU from Intel's second-generation line-up. With 4GB of RAM, this combination offers significant productive power while still fitting into the budget of a small-business. In our PCMark 7 benchmark, the 4430s scored 1,988 points, on par with the consumer focused Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210 ($639.99 list, 3.5 stars) (2,035) and indicating that the system is well equipped to handle any business task you throw at it. In our CineBench R11.5 processor speed test, the 4430s scored 2.02 points, but it fell behind the speeds of other portable business systems that were equipped with Core i5 and i7 processors. For example, the Lenovo X1 scored 2.25.

Despite relying on Intel's integrated graphics, the 4430s still produced respectable scores in our graphics benchmark tests. In 3DMark 06, the 4430s scored 3744 points at medium resolution settings and 3181 points at full 1366 by 768 resolution. These scores show a huge improvement over the integrated graphics found in previous Intel systems, like the Dell Latitude E5510 ($884 direct, 4 stars), which scored only 1,864 (medium) and 1,418 (native). Even if you don't plan on gaming with the Probook, the graphics capabilities are enough that you could, with the 4430s producing 13.78 frames per second in Crysis and 13.1 fps in Lost Planet 2 when running at medium resolution settings. While neither game is playable at this level, and neither would even run at native resolution, these scores indicate that gaming is not out of reach for lighter 3D games like Team Fortress 2. More importantly, the underlying capability is strong enough to handle the graphics load of most any business application.

If your work ever ventures into the realm of multimedia presentations, you'll be pleased to know that the 4430s handles those demands as well. It completed our Handbrake video encoding test in 2 minutes 23 seconds, besting consumer oriented laptops like the Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210 (3:10) and HP Pavilion dv6-6013cl ($649.99 list, 4.5 stars) (3:13), and even edging past the Dell 3350 (2:33). It also cranked through our Photoshop CS5 test in 5 minutes 37 seconds, beating the Toshiba L745-S4210 (6:35) and HP dv6-6013cl (5:48), but failing to match the Lenovo X1 (3:55) and the Dell 3350 (4:17). While this performance won't match anything used by professional graphic designers, you can rest easy knowing that you can still do multimedia work on the road with the 4430s.

The 4430s comes equipped with a 6-cell 47Wh battery. In our MobileMark 2007 battery-life test it lasted 3 hours 31 minutes. This actually beats out the Lenovo X1, which managed only 3:10 with its 40Wh battery, but other systems are better equipped for the road, like the Dell Vostro (9:37, 80Wh), which offers a battery twice as large and lasts three times as long.

For small businesses having to make do with a tight budget, the HP ProBook 4430s provides a competent, professional looking laptop that can meet the demands of a busy professional, whether in the office or on the road. While you'll still feel the compromise in a few areas, like the lack of mobile broadband or the 3:31 battery-life, overall the 4430s is a solid solution for small business and home-based professionals. Anyone who demands faster performance or a better feature set will probably be better off with the Editors' Choice Dell Vostro 3350.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the HP ProBook 4430s with several other laptops side by side.

More laptop reviews:
??? Asus Zenbook UX31-RSL8
??? HP ProBook 4430s
??? HP Pavilion dv7-6b55dx
??? Sony VAIO VPC-F237FX/B
??? Samsung Series 9 (NP900X3A-B01UB)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/knNhj2Ql7BM/0,2817,2396788,00.asp

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