Facebook investors react ... on Twitter

Facebook beat fourth-quarter earnings and revenue estimates, and improved mobile ad sales, but investors weren't all that impressed.

Facebook (FB) stock tanked 10% within minutes in after-hours trading following the earnings release. But the stock nearly fully recovered before edging lower again as CEO Mark Zuckerberg, CFO David Ebersman and COO Sheryl Sandberg answered questions from analysts on a conference call. Shares were down 4% at the conclusion of the call, trading just below $30 a piece. Facebook finished the day's regular trading up almost 1.5% to $31.24.

The results and the stock reaction lit up that other big social networking site: Twitter.

Revenue from mobile advertising represented about 23% of total ad revenue during the fourth quarter, the company said. That's an improvement from 14% in the third quarter. Prior to that, Facebook had practically no mobile revenue.

Though mobile advertising revenue increased, the growth of mobile users slowed. During the fourth quarter, monthly active users of Facebook's mobile app rose by 57%, down from a 61% growth rate in the third quarter and 67% in the second quarter.

Still, Zuckerberg cemented the social network's direction, noting that "there is no argument today. Facebook is a mobile company." And he thinks that's a really good thing.

But some users quipped that Facebook's ad strategy could impact the overall user experience of the social network.

While Facebook didn't provide formal guidance for the year, Ebersman warned that the company's expenses will rise throughout the year as it expands its workforce.

Ebersman also noted that Instagram, which Facebook purchased last year for $1 billion, is continuing to grow rapidly.

Zuckerberg was also optimistic about the site's newer features, including Gifts and Graph Search, but doesn't expect them to be big money makers right away.

Also during the call, Zuckerberg reiterated that the company isn't building a phone, and revealed some interesting details about the company's relationships with Google (GOOG) and Apple (AAPL).

Though Zuckerberg and team continued to stress the the company has improved and remains focused on its mobile strategy, Facebook shares declined 4% Wednesday evening.

But some investors are willing to sleep on it and wait to see how the stock performs Thursday.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/T7NcaXK63CY/

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Olympus Officially Made the Worst Lens In the World

Here it is, ladies and gentleman, the worst camera lens in the world. The benchmarking authority, DXO Labs, has spoken, and the new Olympus 15mm body cap lens is the worst lens it has ever tested. It scored just a 4/40, earning the ranking of "Poor." Its official rank amongst all the lenses ever made: 2872. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UdHNSIDwt_s/olympus-officially-made-the-worst-lens-in-the-world

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Husband deported to Mexico, wife hopeful about immigration reform

PLANT CITY, Florida -- For now, Cristina remembers her husband by his shoes at the front door and his photo on her cell phone. On Monday, he was deported back to Mexico.

"I guess he was going over the speed limit because there was a cop there checking the speed," she says through a translator. "When they saw he had no driver's license, they pulled him out of the car and put him under arrest."

She says they moved to?the United States?after facing extreme poverty in Mexico. They found work here in the fields picking crops so they could support their two young children.

Under the current proposals for immigration reform presented by President Obama, and?a separate plan developed by a group of?eight senators, Cristina says she'd be happy to embark on the path to citizenship.

"It signifies to?me that?I will have papers, that it will be better for?me here," she says.

Right now, as an undocumented immigrant, she can't drive. That concerns her, especially in?the event her children get sick and?she needs to seek care.?That's one of the biggest reasons why she says she would want legal citizenship: to help her children live the best life possible.

At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, several groups will meet at Centennial Park in Ybor City to discuss their reaction to the president's speech about immigration reform.

Source: http://plantcity.wtsp.com/news/news/163973-husband-deported-mexico-wife-hopeful-about-immigration-reform

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But who says new construction homes don't need inspecting?

?

Take a look at the following pictures very carefully.

What I am hoping you will notice is that the handle on the hot side is in a different position in each photo.?

In the first picture the hot water is turned off and we can see the ?cold water? temperature is 41.2 degrees F.

In the second picture the hot water is turned on and we can see the ?hot water? temperature is 41.0 degrees F.

?

Whoops.

It is actually a little hard to imagine how this could happen, but it is another in an endless list of reasons to get new construction inspected.

Turning on the taps for that nice relaxing bath on move-in day might leave the home owner a little ?cold.?? And the call to the agent and inspector might not be too warm either.?

On this particular home I found this issue particularly interesting because water temperature at all of the other taps was 158 degrees F.

For those of you that have been living under a log---158 degrees is WAY too hot and will cause 2^nd and 3^rd degree burns in less than a second.?

Modern fixtures to showers and tub/shower combos are required to be regulated such that these kinds of temperatures cannot be reached?even if the water heater is set too high.? Temperature control devices for this new construction home were either missing or not adjusted properly.

But who says new construction homes don?t need inspecting?

?

Charles Buell, Real Estate Inspections in Seattle

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Seattle Home Inspector

Click on the Rose to check out: AHA!---A Forum of Landmark Proportions---your Group

PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.

My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.

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WA State, Home Inspector Advisory Licensing Board

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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3605905/but-who-says-new-construction-homes-don-t-need-inspecting-

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Texas home built from salvaged cattle bones & other trash

Dan Phillips believes in building homes with recycled and local materials, but he goes far beyond scrap wood. He?s used bottle tops and corks for floors, broken mirrors and dvds for wall-covering and license plates and gas station signs for roofing. His homes often reach 80% recycled elements, but arguably his most unique material is cattle bones.

In one of his homes in Eastern Texas, he- and his team from The Phoenix Commotion- have used bones for countertops, floor tiles, door handles and even patio furniture. The Bone House is a one-of-a-kind place, but Phillips doesn?t see it as odd to use animal parts in building. ?Back when I was restoring art and antiques, finding ivory was very difficult because it's illegal and the only difference between bone and ivory is that bone is free and not illegal.?

Given his location in Huntsville, Texas (70 miles north of Houston), cattle bones are also a very local resource. ?Every rancher in Texas has a bone yard. I'll say, 'Can I raid your bone yard' and they'll say, 'Help yourself'?.

Phillips began his company 15 years ago with the goal of building low-income housing out of trash. He and his team of apprentices have now built 14 homes- including a ?Budweiser house? and a treehouse. Phillips tries to provide affordable housing for low-income folks, single mothers and artists (for more, see the soon-to-be-released book Resurrecting Trash: Dan Phillips and the Phoenix Commotion).

One of his apprentices, Elizabeth ?Neko? Richardson- who is a first-time builder currently constructing her own home - filmed for us this tour of the Bone House and interview with Dan Phillips.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/faircompaniesLatestVideos/~3/0878Oy8GId0/

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Standoff: Ala. gunman holed up with kidnapped boy

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) ? A gunman holed up in a bunker with a 5-year-old hostage kept law officers at bay Wednesday in an all-night, all-day standoff that began when he killed a school bus driver and dragged the boy away, authorities said.

SWAT teams took up positions around the gunman's rural property and police negotiators tried to win the kindergartener's safe release.

The situation remained unchanged late Wednesday, with negotiations ongoing, Alabama State Trooper Charles Dysart told a news conference. He said no additional information would be released until Thursday morning.

The gunman, identified by neighbors as Jimmy Lee Dykes, a 65-year-old retired truck driver, was known around the neighborhood as a menacing figure who once beat a dog to death with a lead pipe, threatened to shoot children for setting foot on his property and patrolled his yard at night with a flashlight and a shotgun.

He had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump.

The standoff along a red dirt road began on Tuesday afternoon, after a gunman boarded a stopped school bus filled with children in the town of Midland City, population 2,300. Sheriff Wally Olson said the man shot the bus driver when he refused to hand over a 5-year-old child. The gunman then took the boy away.

"As far as we know there is no relation at all. He just wanted a child for a hostage situation," said Michael Senn, a pastor who helped comfort the traumatized children after the attack.

Authorities initially said the boy was 6, but state Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's family, said he does not turn 6 until next week.

The bus driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed by locals as a hero who gave his life to protect 21 students.

The boy's classmates, their parents and other members of this small Bible Belt community gathered in several churches and held a candlelight vigil in the town square Wednesday evening to pray for Poland and for the boy's safety. Some in the square joined together to sing "Amazing Grace."

Authorities gave no details on the standoff, and it was unclear if Dykes made any demands from his underground bunker, which resembled a tornado shelter.

The sheriff said in a brief statement Wednesday evening that negotiators continued talking to the suspect and "at this time we have no reason to believe that the child has been harmed."

About 50 vehicles from federal, state and local agencies were clustered at the end of a dirt road near where Dykes lived in a small travel trailer. Nearby homes were evacuated after authorities found what was believed to be a bomb on his property.

Clouse, who also has met with authorities, said the bunker had food and electricity, and the youngster was watching TV. He said law enforcement authorities were communicating with the gunman, but he had no details on how.

At one point, authorities lowered medicine into the bunker for the boy after his captor agreed to it, Clouse said. The lawmaker said he did not know what the medicine was for or whether it was urgently needed.

Chris Voss, a former international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, said negotiators at the scene should remain patient and calm, resisting the urge to force a quick resolution.

"Getting what you want is not the same as getting even," said Voss, whose firm, the Black Swan Group, now consults on high-stakes negotiations. "Flooding the zone will not save lives."

Mike and Patricia Smith, who live across the street from Dykes and whose two children were on the bus when the shooting happened, said their youngsters had a run-in with him about 10 months ago.

"My bulldogs got loose and went over there," Patricia Smith said. "The children went to get them. He threatened to shoot them if they came back."

"He's very paranoid," her husband said. "He goes around in his yard at night with a flashlight and shotgun."

Patricia Smith said her children told her what happened on the bus: Two other children had just been dropped off and the Smith children were next. Dykes stepped onto the bus and grabbed the door so the driver couldn't close it. Dykes told the driver he wanted two boys, 6 to 8 years old, without saying why.

According to Smith, Dykes started down the aisle of the bus and the driver put his arm out to block him. Dykes fired four shots at Poland with a handgun, Smith said.

"He did give his life, saving children," Mike Smith said.

Patricia Smith said her daughter, a high school senior, began corralling the other children and headed for the back of the bus while Dykes and the driver were arguing. Later, Smith's son ran inside his house, telling his mother: "The crazy man across the street shot the bus driver and Mr. Poland won't wake up."

Patricia Smith ran over to the bus and saw the driver slumped over in his seat. Her daughter used another child's cellphone to call 911.

Another neighbor, Ronda Wilbur, said Dykes beat her 120-pound dog with a lead pipe for coming onto his side of the dirt road. The dog died a week later.

"He said his only regret was he didn't beat him to death all the way," Wilbur said. "If a man can kill a dog, and beat it with a lead pipe and brag about it, it's nothing until it's going to be people."

Dykes had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to face a charge of menacing some neighbors as they drove by his house weeks ago. Claudia Davis said he yelled and fired shots at her, her son and her baby grandson over damage Dykes claimed their pickup truck did to a makeshift speed bump in the dirt road. No one was hurt.

"Before this happened, I would see him at several places and he would just stare a hole through me," Davis said. "On Monday I saw him at a laundromat and he seen me when I was getting in my truck, and he just stared and stared and stared at me."

__

Associated Press writers Melissa Nelson-Gabriel in Midland City, Bob Johnson in Montgomery, and Jay Reeves in Birmingham contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/standoff-ala-gunman-holed-kidnapped-boy-044359841.html

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Stocks mixed as earnings offset news on economy

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks opened mixed Wednesday as encouraging earnings reports helped to offset disappointing news that showed the U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 4 points to 13,949 as of 9:58 a.m. EST. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 1 point to 1,509. The Nasdaq composite gained 9 points to 3,162.

The U.S. economy shrank from October through December for the first time since the recession ended, hurt by the biggest cut in defense spending in 40 years, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter. That's a sharp slowdown from the 3.1 percent growth rate in the July-September quarter.

Amazon jumped $14.25 to $274.40 after the world's biggest online retailer showed improving profit margins when it posted fourth-quarter earnings late Tuesday. Boeing gained 30 cents to $73.95 after it reported earnings that beat analysts' expectations, as rising profits from commercial jets offset a smaller profit from defense work.

The Dow Jones average has surged since the start of the year climbing close to 14,000 and to within touching distance of its record level. Investors bought stocks after lawmakers reached a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" and on optimism the U.S. housing market is recovering and the jobs market is slowly healing.

Investors will parse the Federal Reserve's statement later Wednesday following the conclusion of the central bank's first two-day meeting this year.

Economists are expecting the Fed to affirm that it intends to keep short-term rates near zero until joblessness dips below 6.5 percent from the current 7.8 percent. The statement is scheduled to be released at 2:15 p.m. EST.

Among other stocks making big moves Wednesday;

? Chesapeake surged $1.33 to $20.35 after the company said late Tuesday that its embattled CEO Aubrey McClendon will leave the company this spring.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-30-US-Wall-Street/id-fabd3678b6f74d37ab8ff31814b42405

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Kansas Legislature muscles through anti-union bills

Staff Kansas City Business Journal

The Kansas Legislature is taking up a pair of bills aimed at limiting the power of unions, The Lawrence Journal-World reports.

HB 2023 would prevents the Kansas National Education Association from using voluntary paycheck donations for political activities, according to the Journal-World. That bill is ready for debate.

A bill introduced Tuesday, HB 2123, would limit the ability of public workers, police and firefighters to bargain for better pay or working conditions. The United Steelworkers of America and Working Kansas Alliance said the bill basically strips public workers of their bargaining rights.

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/blog/morning_call/2013/01/kansas-legislature-muscles-through.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search

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Exhibit features Spanish painter's long-time romance with the Manila ...

Posted at 6:43 pm January 29, 2013

Tags: Paintings, Visual arts

By Anna Valmero

PASAY CITY, METRO MANILA ? Betsy Westerndrop?s love affair with the Manila Bay sunset started in the 1950s as a young bride who came to the country accompanying her Filipino-Spanish husband Antonio Brias to his homeland.

The skyscape reflected in the clear water has always been a fascination for the Spanish painter, with the symphony of changing colors and moving clouds remains vivid in her memory like the first time she saw them.

Betsy?s husband, who was then working for San Miguel Corporation, would fetch her from their Ermita apartment and drive by Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) to witness the sunset.

?Filipinos are very lucky to have the Manila sunset, it is very beautiful. This is a very special part of the Philippines that I love and feel very deep connection for,? she says.

Years later after her husband died, she continued to stay in their home ? a large part of which doubles as her studio ? that overlooks Manila?s iconic sunrise and sunset.

Returning to Madrid, she often told friend she will never exchange those years of basking in the beauty of Manila Bay sunset. It was her favorite subject despite friends requesting that she paint Spanish sunsets for a change.

Prior to visiting the Philippines, Betsy was already a well-known figure among Spain?s aristocrats for her detailed portraits and lush floral bouquets. The transition of her work to more personal subjects such as personal portraits and now, the abstract skyscapes or atmosferografias, depicts the evolution and personal journey of the artist.

What separates her work from other ?nature painters ? is that her skyscapes ?evolved into more abstract passages of light, color and movement, a mirror of her own personal and worldly musings,? says Singapore-based art dealer Valentine Willie.

?I paint not the water, not the sea. I paint the sky. There is no movement in the water. It is like a mirror,? explains Betsy, who, at the age of 95, still paints at her home studio every day.

Her paintings average from four to seven high, which allows for more space to see the patterns of color and movements in her painting ? quite different from usual sunset paintings that depict the sky and the sun as just part of the bigger picture.

During an interview at her Makati studio, Betsy showed some of her unfinished work still tied to a scaffolding.

?I paint every day. Some paintings I finish in just hours, others I finish in months. The colors I use and the brushstrokes also depend on my mood and how I remembered the sunset,? she says while pointing toward the calm aquamarine skyscape painting framed alongside a bold skyscape with lots of red and violet and harsh brushstrokes.

One can also see the numerous brushes dipped in water to clean off the acrylic paint that Betsy must have used the prior day. The artist has long discarded oils and prefers water-based acrylic, which has a consistency of oil minus the long drying time and fumes.

Art critic Cid Reyes compares Betsy?s skyscape series to the works JMW Turner, the 18^th century British Romantic painter known for his storm-tossed seascapes, lashing rains and winds.

Eva McGovern, curator of Manila Contemporary, says Betsy?s classic approach makes her work more accessible to art collectors. The sheer size of the skyscape paintings are actually some of the biggest that Manila Contemporary has exhibited so far.

?Landscapes are a very popular subject but Betsy?s approach is unique. The atmosferografias are like windows to Betsy?s emotions?they evoke feelings of serenity, joy and anger,? Eva says.

The exhibit also features never-before seen paintings from Betsy?s personal collection, including portraits of her and her family in intimate moments placed alongside a domestic interior setting for backdrop so museum-goers can fully appreciate their beauty.

The paintings are on view until February 10 at Manila Contemporary?s showroom in Whitespace along Pasong Tamo Extension. Betsy says she will be present for the duration of the exhibit to welcome questions from anyone interested in her work.

Get more information on Manila Contemporary
Related stories:

How to relax and experience the Manila Bay sunset

San Miguel by the Bay is a favorite destination along the seaside strip in Pasay

The world awakes when the sun sets on the Philippines

Source: http://loqal.ph/arts-and-entertainment/2013/01/29/exhibit-features-spanish-painter%E2%80%99s-long-time-romance-with-the-manila-bay-sunset/

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Earned income tax credit benefits low-income workers | Biz Beat Blog

Each tax filing season, the Internal Revenue Service sets out to raise awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

It?s worth mentioning because some eligible taxpayers aren?t taking advantage of it.

?One-third of the eligible population changes each year as their financial, marital and parental statuses change,? said Clay Sanford, IRS spokesman in Dallas. ?Although an estimated 4 out of 5 eligible workers and families get the credit, 1 in 5 still miss out on it, either because they don?t claim it when filing, or don?t file a tax return at all.?

The credit is aimed at low- and medium-income individuals and couples, primarily for those who have qualifying children.

When the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund to those who qualify and claim the credit. This makes the credit refundable.

The EITC varies by income, family size and filing status. People can see if they qualify by visiting IRS.gov and answering a few questions using the EITC Assistant. In tax year 2011, over 27 million eligible workers and families received nearly $62 billion total in EITC, nationwide.

Last year, more than 2.5 million families in Texas received the EITC, with an average amount of $2,576.

Source: http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2013/01/earned-income-tax-credit-benefits-low-income-workers.html/

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I'm In Lust With You

Sneaky little lust.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?I'm In Lust With You?. 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 "I'm In Lust With You"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

?Whenever you take on playing a villain, he has to cease to be a villain to you. If you judge this man by his time, he's doing very little wrong.?

? Colin Firth

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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| Name | Female | The Girl Who Is Picked | FC: Taylor Momsen | Open

Could I reserve?

[i]Many long for immortality but haven't a clue what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

ChaosxChild13

Member for 2 years

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Taylor Momsen Please Love this Idea

?I find that with anything, you have to focus on the micro. If I look at the whole thing, I?ll get overwhelmed.?
-Aaron Tveit

Foxxheart

Member for 0 years

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oh and 'Hey, Musa! Rawr!'

Foxxheart

Member for 0 years

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Hey, Musa! Rawr! [Rawr means I love you in dinosaur, just saying. :3] I'm going to submit a sheet, if you don't like, you don't like. <3

Last edited by bandgeek on Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

"She offered herself to the big, bad wolf and didn't scream when he took the first bite."

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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Wow. Didn't think I'd get this much feedback so quickly. Consisting there is only one spot, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but perhaps you two could battle for the spot? Which CS is better could take the spot. Or one of you can agree to drop the reservation.

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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So many people want the spot. 0.o
Lmao. I'm horrible at decision making! *cowers in corner*

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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I'm stunned as to how quickly you put Kellin together bandgeek. I love her. As for Jay, I still need a bit more detail and remember between age 15-17. I'm going to give everybody time to submit their character and finish them up until tomorrow around 6 pm. Unless everyone magically gets it done tonight. God, I'm horrible at comparing and rejecting characters. 0.o

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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Haha, well don't feel bad if you end up rejecting mine. :3 I know there is definitely better writers out there. :D Besides, maybe you and I can do a different 1x1 at some point. :P I was really looking forward to RPing with you in, well two roleplays by now, but neither of them worked out. D: I really like this idea though, did you come up with it yourself? Or like, a TV show or something?

Last edited by bandgeek on Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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of course, sorry, haha my brain is in twenty places at once with this character.... blah. I feel silly. Oh well, someone else can take it. like someone said, there are better writers out there

ChaosxChild13

Member for 2 years

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@bandgeek, haha I know that feeling I've been curious as to your RPing abilities. Lol. And actually I got the idea while napping in my car. My subconscious is freaking twisted! XD
And if you dont get accepted, which at this point you're in the lead, we could make a new 1x1 story plot. :)

@Chaos, hey it's fine. I do that ALL the time. Literally. But you dont have to give up on the competition. This is somewhat entertaining. :p

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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Do you want really in-depth details on the history of the character? or could we leave that up to play out in the RP

ChaosxChild13

Member for 2 years

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I totally just PMed you about that Musa... so don't think I'm crazy or anything. XD If I had seen this first I would have edited it.

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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@Chaos, I'd prefer just a quick over-view of the history. You dint have to go too in depth.

@bandgeek, alrighty! ^.^

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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Well i think i'm finished with Jay

ChaosxChild13

Member for 2 years

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I keep adding more to Kellin. *this is my twitchy impatient face* D:

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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WHY MIST YOU BOTH BE SO GOOD AT THIS?!
*weeps in corner* God talk about pressure!

@Chaos, Jay's great and beautifully written!

@bandgeek, Kellin's also great and I see we as almost being a real person!

Why can't one of you suck at writing so this will be easy? :(

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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Well I would hope she'd be like a real person, she was designed as another version of me. :P As are all my characters, improved versions nonetheless. And hey, I'm still stalking to see your character, M. :P

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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Haha let me say he won't be as good as either of yours but I hope he's good enough. :p
I'm still working on him as we speak. :D

MusaMe

Member for 0 years

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Ooo, question. Who are you using for your FC? Adam, or Logan? :3

bandgeek

Member for 1 years

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Boy Scouts consider end to gay ban

Boy Scouts recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Charlottesville, Va. (Getty)

The Boy Scouts of America is considering an end to its longstanding policy of banning gay scouts and scout leaders, the organization said on Monday.

The new policy would eliminate the ban on gays from its national rules, allowing local chapters to decide for themselves.

?The BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation," Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, said in an emailed statement. "This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation. The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver scouting to determine how to address this issue."

The 102-year-old scouting organization represents 290 local councils and more than 116,000 local organizations.

The move would allow parents to then "choose a local unit which best meets the needs of their families,? Smith added. The new policy could be announced as early as next week.

It would also be a public reversal of policy for an organization that recently rejected calls for change. In 2012, following an internal study on the issue, the Boy Scouts of America's executive board issued a statement affirming the ban, saying it was ?the best policy for the organization.?

The decision followed the forced resignations of gay scout leaders and the denial of an Eagle Award to Ryan Andresen, a California high-school senior who had recently come out to his friends and family. It also prompted a response from the White House, which said President Obama sharply opposed the Boy Scouts' ban on gays.

?He also opposes discrimination in all forms,? the White House said in a statement, "and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation."

According to NBC, some board members urged the youth organization to reconsider its policy as some sponsoring organizations responded by withdrawing their financial support of the group.

Change.org petitions opposing the ban have collected more than 1.2 million signatures. And according to Scouts for Equality, at least 350 Eagle Scouts returned their pins in protest.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/boy-scouts-end-ban-gays-193808487.html

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Live from The BlackBerry 10 Experience!

Are you ready to see a phone running a QNX-based operating system? How about two such phones? It's BlackBerry 10, and RIM can't wait to show it to you -- and we can't want to bring you along with us, live from New York City. Tune in at this very page at the time listed below and get ready for a ride.

January 30, 2013 10:00 AM EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, RIM

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/blackberry-10-liveblog/

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Children's magazine promotes adult video games

LONDON (Reuters) - A British magazine distributed by a joint venture of Conde Nast and Hearst Corporation and aimed at primary school children has been featuring images of adult-rated video games.

The most recent issue of Cool Kidz, which is published by privately-owned LCD Publishing, contained images of five games that carried age ratings of 18 years, under the European gaming industry's PEGI rating scheme.

Screenshots appeared as double-page spreads, for use as posters, and were reproduced in spot-the-difference and other puzzles. Earlier issues also had images from 18- and 16-rated games.

Children's campaigners said the images reflected a growing problem of young children being exposed to violent video games, thereby increasing the chance they start playing them earlier.

It also highlighted what some critics describe as an apparent gap in regulation of children's magazines since LCD does not appear to have broken any law or industry rule.

LCD Publishing, which is based in Exeter, southwest England, said it took its responsibilities to young readers seriously.

"We censor the images we use to ensure that there is no blood or apparent body damage," owner Allen Trump said in an emailed statement.

He said the images used were suitable for children 12 or older, although he added the magazine was targeted at children up to 12 years.

The pictures printed depicted life-like computer generated images of men carrying weapons including assault rifles, Bowie knives, an axe, an anti-tank weapon and pistols.

The images showed explosions but not the visceral, bloody combat or scenes of a sexual nature for which the games are frequently criticized by parents' groups and women's rights advocates.

Cool Kidz is distributed by Comag, which is controlled by privately-owned U.S. magazine publishers Conde Nast, owners of Vogue magazine, and the Hearst Corporation, owner of Cosmopolitan magazine.

All three groups declined repeated requests for comment.

London-based Comag is one of the largest magazine distributors in the UK with annual turnover of around 230 million pounds ($360 million), according to its most recent accounts.

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Trump said LCD downloaded the game images from the Internet although he was also occasionally approached by public relations firms seeking coverage of their clients' games.

Games publishers regularly post images on their websites, for use by online and print publishers, thus helping create awareness of their game.

Games firms contacted by Reuters said they were unaware Cool Kidz, which has been published for seven years, had been using their images.

The adult games Cool Kidz featured included Hitman: Absolution, Call of Duty Black Ops II, Assassins Creed III, Farcry 3 and Dishonored.

Representatives for Japan's Square Enix, publisher of the Hitman series, privately-owned Bethesda Softworks, publisher of Dishonored, and Ubisoft Entertainment, publisher of Assassins Creed III and Farcry 3, said they opposed the use but declined to say whether they would take any legal action against LCD.

Call of Duty publisher Activision declined to comment.

Alison Sherratt, senior vice-president of teachers union ATL, said publishers and government needed to do more to limit children's' exposure to games.

"It puts peer pressure on children .. If they see these images, it gives them the idea it's ok, it's all right to play these games," she added.

A spokeswoman for the Advertising Standards Authority said games companies could not advertise 18 rated games in children's magazines and a spokesman for the Video Standards Council (VSC), the UK affiliate of PEGI, said its rules also prohibited this.

However, since the images were not paid-for advertising, or supplied to Cool Kidz by the games publishers, these rules do not apply.

The Press Complaints Commission can adjudicate on complaints against magazines but only in respect of its members. LCD is not one.

The Office of Fair Trade and the Professional Publishers Association, trade group for magazine publishers, said they were unaware of any bodies that had regulatory powers over the content of children's magazines.

(Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/childrens-magazine-promotes-adult-video-games-110204979--sector.html

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Kings sale: Legal delays could be blessing or nothingburger for ...

Tuesday brought potential delays in the bankruptcy case of Bob Cook's 7 percent of the Sacramento Kings franchise. That could be a blessing ... or not.

The Bee reported Tuesday that the trustee running Sacramento Kings minority owner Bob Cook's bankruptcy will bring in a special litigation counsel to pursue the right of first refusal issue. The trustee, David Flemmer, is trying to sell Cook's assets for the highest price possible. The 7 percent stake in the Kings that Cook owned and used as collateral for a loan he's defaulted on is much more valuable, says Flemmer, if there is a right of first refusal that is respected in the sale of the team.

Legitimizing that right of first refusal would be extraordinarily good news for Sacramento, because that would provide a strong path to purchase by a current minority with potential investor (Burkle/Mastrov) backing despite what the NBA wants. But while most seem to be saying delaying the sale of the 7 percent helps Sacramento, that is, I believe, a short-sighted view. The best path at this point is not infinite delay of the purchase of the team by Chris Hansen. The best path is purchase of the team by Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle. And if the NBA determines that keeping the Kings in Sacramento is the way to go, and a court drags the sale of the Kings to anyone through a tar pit ... that's not good for Sacramento.

The 7 percent stake is an important piece of the puzzle because it can force resolution on the right of first refusal. But the city's best chance at winning this war remains producing a viable plan that includes a strong local ownership component with the whales and a viable downtown arena plan and potentially the stake of a current major minority owner, like the Benvenuti family.

Of course, if Chris Hansen wants to withdraw the purchase agreement and yank his $30 million out of escrow before Friday because of Flemmer's muckraking, I'm A-OK with that. I just think this news about potential delays is more a nuisance to Seattle than a real threat. The real threat is in the news about the special counsel looking into right of first refusal, which despite the deepest wishes and assertions of the Seattle crowd is a very legitimate issue.

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Source: http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2013/1/29/3931090/sacramento-kings-sale-legal-delays-david-flemmer

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Texas joins list of states considering electric car tax

Texas is the latest to consider an extra tax on electric cars to make up for lost gas revenue, Ingram writes, helping to raise money for road maintenance.

By Antony Ingram,?Guest blogger / January 29, 2013

An electric car is charged in Montpelier, Vt. Electric car taxation isn't an issue that's likely to go away any time soon, Ingram writes.

Toby Talbot/AP/File

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If you bought an electric car to try and save a few dollars on gas, you may start to find it a little more difficult in some states.

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The website focuses on the auto industry?s future, the evolution of cars beyond fossil fuels, and the green movement's relevance to car shoppers today. For more stories on green cars, click here.

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Texas is the latest to consider an extra tax on electric vehicles to make up for lost gas revenue, helping to raise money for road maintenance.

According to state Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo), increasing registration fees for electric car owners is "one of the options on the table",?The Texas Tribune?reports.

Such a scheme would follow on from similar arrangements?considered by Virginia, and a?$100 fee due in February?in Washington state.

Much, like Virginia, Texas gasoline taxes have remained unchanged in 20 years, at 38.4 cents per gallon.?

Why Your Boss Might Be the Only Thing Between You and the Flu

All over the media, we hear public health experts explain ways to limit the flu outbreak. Get a flu shot, they advise, wash your hands?and if you get the flu, stay home until 24 hours after your fever?s gone. ?

It makes sense. During the H1N1 flu, more than seven million people caught the bug from coworkers who came to the job sick.

The Most Vulnerable Pay a High Price for Flu Infection?

But the recommendation to take a sick day is more complicated for 44 million people in this country who don?t earn any of these days. In fact, for many, including workers like my friend Denise, a cashier in Milwaukee, it?s a choice between a health crisis and a financial crisis. ?Since I?d been sick twice this year?one day each time?I was told I?d be suspended for three days if I stayed home,? Denise said. ?That amounted to about $240 before taxes. So even though I had the flu, it was go in or [stay home and] not make the rent. I sat as a cashier all day touching customers? groceries. People kept asking me why I was working. All I could say was that my boss made me.?

Some management consultants acknowledge that sick workers may spread the flu to coworkers out of fear that they?ll be fired if they stay home to recover. ?The economy is still on shaky ground and many workers continue to be worried about losing their jobs,??said John A. Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., an outplacement consulting firm. ?Of course, this has significant negative consequences for the workplace.?

Post Your Symptoms at Flu Near You

The fear is real.?University of Chicago researchers?found nearly one in four workers reported that he/she or a family member had been fired, suspended, punished, or threatened with being fired for taking time off due to personal illness or to care for a sick child or other relative. And job loss isn?t the only fear. In this economy, who can afford to lose even one day?s pay? Ask the people who serve our food, clean our offices, and care for our young or elderly. They?re among those?half the workforce and three quarters of low-wage workers?who lack paid sick days.

As a Miami cook put it, ?Every penny goes somewhere. I have no choice but to suck it up if I?m sick.?

More than one-third of flu cases are transmitted in schools and workplaces. Those same Chicago researchers asked respondents, ?Have you ever had to go to work when you were sick with a contagious illness like the flu?? Nearly 70 percent of those lacking paid sick days answered, ?Yes.?

Flu Is Packing a Punch Across the Nation

Studies show that when sick workers stay home, the number of people affected by pandemic flu can be reduced by 15 to 34 percent, according to Jonathan Heller, director of Human Impact Partners.

Public school teachers and nurses will tell you how often children come to school sick, or can?t get picked up if they fall ill during class because their parents have no paid sick time. They?ll describe the heartbreak of having a child say, ?Please don?t call my mom. She?ll get in trouble if you do.? They?ll give you examples of kids?sometimes as young as eight years old?who miss school to care for a younger sibling.

To avoid the spread of germs, we have to ensure that no one will lose income or a job for staying home sick.?

How to Avoid the Flu: 8 Easy Ways Not to Get Sick

Corporate lobbyists want to rig the system so it works only for them. But from coast to coast, working people have created large and diverse coalitions ?restaurant workers and restaurant owners, those who fight asthma and those who fight poverty, faith leaders and advocates for marriage equality and many more?who know that together we can change the rules so they work for everyone.

And from coast to coast we?re winning. In 2006, San Francisco established a paid sick leave policy that now gets?favorable reviews?from most employers. In 2007, Washington, D.C. followed suit. Milwaukee voted overwhelmingly for paid sick days in 2008 (Scott Walker and crew later axed it). In 2011, Connecticut became the first state to pass paid sick days, as did the city of Seattle; Philadelphia extended it to workers covered by the municipal living wage ordinance. Soon Philly?s City Council will vote again to cover everyone. Across the country, Portland?s City Council is moving a sick days bill right now. New York City and several states, including Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, are all considering bills as well.

You can make a difference by telling elected officials what this policy means to you:

Take part for your kids:?Make sure your child doesn?t have to sit next to a classmate with the flu whose mom or dad couldn?t risk staying home.

Take part for yourself: Even if you have paid sick days, you don?t want to be served flu with your fries.?

In an economy where more and more families are living paycheck-to-paycheck, we need paid sick days to make sure that a public health crisis doesn?t become an economic crisis.?

Have you had to go to work when you were ill because you had no paid sick leave? Did you fear losing your job? Do you know someone who's had to work when sick??

?

Related Stories on TakePart:

? Would You Get a Flu Shot Made from Insects?

? Researchers Are Closing In On a Method to Predict Flu Outbreaks

? Flu Vaccines in Grade Schools Significantly Curb Illness

?

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Ellen Bravo is the executive director of the?Family Values @ Work Consortium.

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?

Watch Family Values at Work's video about the Participant Media film "Contagion."

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These are solely the author's opinions and do not represent those of TakePart, LLC or its affiliates.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-boss-might-only-thing-between-flu-195622971.html

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Iran launches monkey into space

Lisa Grossman, physical sciences reporter

Last summer, the Iranian Space Agency announced their plan to send a monkey into space - and now they've apparently done it.

According to Iranian state-run television, a press release on the space agency's website, and photos of the event, Iran sent a live rhesus monkey into sub-orbital space aboard a small rocket called Pishgam, or Pioneer. There's even a video posted on YouTube that appears to be of the launch (though New Scientist could not confirm its authenticity).

The report has not been confirmed independently, however, and the US air force's North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has not reported seeing any missile launches from Iran.

But independent observers say the launch looks legitimate.

"Really, I see no reason not to take their word for it," says Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who also keeps a log of space launches. He says he's convinced by the photos and discussions he's had with several knowledgeable source in online forums.

In photos released on the Iranian Space Agency's website, the rocket looks like the same kind the agency has launched before, but with a larger nose cone designed to fit a small chamber that can support life. Images also showed a live rhesus monkey strapped to a small seat.

The reports say the rocket went straight up 120 kilometres, which McDowell says qualifies as outer space, but not high enough to reach orbit, and came back down with a parachute.

It's unclear exactly when the launch took place. The press release says that the launch happened on the birthday of Mohammed the Prophet, which is celebrated by Shiites on 29 January, but was celebrated last week elsewhere in the world.

Some countries worry that Iranian rockets capable of carrying animals or people could also carry weapons. Iran has denied any military intention.

"This is not a scary thing because this is not a big new rocket that could hit America or anything like that," McDowell says. "There's nothing military to this. It's purely for propaganda. Nevertheless, it advances their science and their technology by being able to do it."

Iran says the launch is a first step towards sending humans into space, which they intend to do in the next 5 to 8 years. To do that, McDowell says, they'll need to build a larger rocket. The country currently has a vehicle called Safir that has successfully put satellites in orbit, and is developing a more powerful launcher called Simorgh.

The next step will probably be to either launch Safir to carry a human to sub-orbital space, or an unmanned Simorgh flight into orbit to make sure mission controllers can return it to the ground safely.

"They don't want to repeat what the Soviets did" in 1957, McDowell says, "which is put a living being in orbit before you figure out how to get it back."

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/27fcf368/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A130C0A10Ciran0Elaunches0Emonkey0Einto0Espac0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified

New study finds that 48 percent of college graduates are in jobs that do not require a college degree, fueling consumer doubts over whether a college education is worth the cost.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / January 28, 2013

Martina Ryberg (r.) of Plymouth State University talks with Tara Rossetti of On Call International during a job fair for college students in Manchester, N.H., last year. Many college grads are entering jobs for which they are overqualified.

Jim Cole/AP/File

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Here?s a new data nugget in a high-stakes debate over the state of working America: A new study finds that about half of all workers with a college degree are overqualified for their current jobs.

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Some 48 percent of the degree holders, to be precise, are in positions that the US Labor Department classifies as requiring less than a four-year college education.

This finding, released by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, a research group in Washington, underscores growing public concerns about the availability of good jobs and the value of college education.

?In the three occupations ?retail sales person,? ?cashier,? and ?waiters and waitresses? there are more than 1.7 million college graduates employed,? says the study, by researchers Richard Vedder, Christopher Denhart, and Jonathan Robe.

Today, 15 percent of US taxi drivers have a college degree, up from fewer than 1 percent in 1970.

The study arrives at a time when news articles asking, ?Is college worth it?? have become commonplace.

But, although the new report suggests the answer often is ?no,? this is a complicated issue, with other scholars defending the idea that expanding higher education will benefit individuals and the economy.

For instance, for people focused on their own financial well-being, it?s worth noting that a college degree tends to result in both higher pay and lower unemployment. The jobless rate is currently 3.9 percent for workers with a college degree or higher, versus 8 percent for high-school grads and 11.7 percent for people without a high school diploma.

Plenty of economists defend the goal of bringing higher education to a larger share of the work force, arguing that it?s the best way for the US to maintain prosperity in an era of stronger global competition for good-paying jobs.

Both sides in this debate may be contributing important grains of truth.

Lots of people are overqualified for the jobs they hold, and this is a challenge that emerged before the deep recession?in 2007-09, which created a particularly challenging job market for new college grads.

At the same time, the story of economic progress is one of continuous development of new tools and the skills to use them ? and good jobs will flow to nations that can keep pushing further down this path. And millions of individuals have the means to educate themselves, and hope to be useful in jobs that match their talents and aspirations.

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP), in its report, emphasizes the risks of pushing too much education on too many people, with too little thought about its usefulness.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/tJQDG1EB5jU/Have-degree-driving-cab-Nearly-half-of-college-grads-are-overqualified

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Fiction Writers Review ? Blog Archive ? Close Up the Little Devil: An ...

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App d to Fail: Mobile Health Treatments Fail First Full Checkup

Early trials using mobile technology including text messaging and apps lack rigor and show mixed results

By Lucas Laursen

SMS messages in Africa provide reminders to patients to take antiretroviral drugs, reducing HIV virus counts. Image: Flickr/The Reboot

Health care via mobile technology is still in its infancy. Of 75 trials in which patients used mobile tech, such as text messaging and downloadable apps, to manage a disease or adopt healthier behaviors, only three showed reliable signs of success, according to a systematic survey. In an accompanying survey of medical personnel who used smart phones and other devices, to help deliver care, the same team found more success: 11 of 42 trials had positive, reliable results.

Yet mobile device-aided health care, called mHealth, attracts a lot of attention and dollars, as U.S. National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins wrote last year in Scientific American. In 2012 venture capital firms invested more than $900 million in mHealth, according to a report by Mobile Health Market News.

?There?s a lot of enthusiasm for [mHealth] but [its effectiveness] wasn?t very clear,? says epidemiologist Caroline Free of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in England, the lead author of the reviews. In 2011, for example, the World Health Organization found that only 12 percent of mobile health initiatives included an evaluation.

So Free and colleagues conducted the reviews, which appear in PLoS Medicine, she says, to ?put us in the position of knowing exactly in which areas there was good evidence where the evidence was promising.? That information could help investors and researchers make better decisions about how to identify, improve and promote the best mobile health treatments.

In the first review, the team identified 334 relevant mHealth trials in seven medical databases. Most of the trials used text messaging to interact with patients, although some interacted through dedicated applications, downloadable audio and video or the Web. Only 75 of those trials included a control group, which allows researchers to compare experimental interventions with doing nothing.

Of the 75 controlled trials, 26 sought to change patient behavior by methods that included increasing exercise and 49 sought to help patients manage diseases medically such as by taking pills on time. That may not seem like many studies, but medical doctor Rahul Chakrabarti at Monash University in Australia, co-editor of the Journal of Mobile Technology in Medicine, calls it the most comprehensive meta-analysis of mHealth evidence to date.

The bad news is that most trials had weak designs, such as failing to randomize participants in the control group and the experimental group. Others relied on participants to self-report the results, but such methods can be unreliable. Free says such trials should use biochemical tests, instead. In some cases, it?s too early to tell whether a result, such as smaller waist size, would last long enough to improve participants? health. Most trials also neglected the developing world, where mobile phones have the most potential to improve access to health care. ?This does not undermine the outcomes,? Chakrabarti says, ?but shows that going forward, there is a clear need for improved methodology.?

There were a few promising, reliable trials: For instance, receiving text messages helped smokers quit in one trial that did verify its results with biochemical tests. Reminders also helped diabetics stick to their treatments in another trial. In the only successful developing-world trial, in Kenya, SMS reminders to take antiretroviral drugs helped reduce HIV virus counts.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=804d779ad6611741c609d4f2a8f83e86

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