Budweiser maker AB InBev reports lower Q4 profit

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's largest brewer, said Wednesday that profit fell 4.9 percent in the fourth quarter due to higher financing costs, and it forecast weak first quarter sales volumes in the United States and Brazil.

The maker of Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Beck's said net profit was $1.76 billion (?1.35 billion), down from $1.85 billion in the same period a year ago. Exchange rate-linked losses in the fourth quarter of 2012 and gains on derivatives a year earlier caused a combined $400 million downward swing.

Revenues rose 8.8 percent to $10.3 billion, due to price hikes, and operating profit rose 10.7 percent, thanks to cost-cutting, the company said.

AB InBev said it expects weak first quarter volumes in the U.S., its most profitable market, as consumers there have less disposable income and weather has been worse than a year ago.

But the company, based in Leuven, Belgium, reported that sales volumes had grown in the U.S. in 2012 for the first time since 2008 and "market share is showing signs of stabilizing."

It also expects first quarter "softness" in Brazil, where it has a 68.5 percent market share with brands Skol, Brahma and Antarctica, due to an early carnival and wet weather.

Volumes in China, the company's third-largest market, grew 1.9 percent and AB InBev said it gained market share in the fourth quarter, with Budweiser becoming the best-selling "premium" beer in the country. AB InBev expects better growth in China this year.

More than half of Budweiser sales now take place outside the U.S., the company said.

AB InBev didn't outline whether it expects to increase profits in 2013, saying only it expects its revenue per gallon sold to increase faster than the rate of inflation, and costs to rise "in the mid-single digits."

Shares erased early losses to rise 0.5 percent to ?70.15 in Brussels.

The numbers were "below market expectations at the earnings level," but better than expected in terms of revenues, said Jonathan Jackson, head of equities at Kilik & Co. He said the company is "well positioned to capture rising emerging market incomes and recovering Western economies." However, he repeated a "neutral" rating on shares, because those strengths are already reflected in the share price.

AB InBev has been attempting since June to take over the half of Corona maker Grupo Modelo it doesn't already own for $20.1 billion, but the deal was challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice over concerns it would make the company too dominant in the U.S.

In response, AB InBev announced a side-deal this month to sell the rights to market Corona in the U.S. to smaller competitor Constellation Brands, hoping that would appease regulators. For now the deal "remains subject to the existing challenge," AB InBev said Wednesday.

The company's U.S. subsidiary, Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri, is facing a lawsuit from consumers who on Tuesday accused it of watering down its beers, including Budweiser and Michelob, so that they carry a lower alcohol percentage than their label suggests.

"Our beers are in full compliance with all alcohol labeling laws. We proudly adhere to the highest standards in brewing our beers, which have made them the best-selling in the U.S. and the world," said Peter Kraemer, vice-president of brewing and supply, in a statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/budweiser-maker-ab-inbev-reports-lower-q4-profit-124632780--finance.html

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Oscar Pistorius Plans Private Memorial For Reeva Steenkamp

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Researchers say Stuxnet was deployed against Iran in 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Researchers at Symantec Corp have uncovered a version of the Stuxnet computer virus that was used to attack Iran's nuclear program in November 2007, two years earlier than previously thought.

Planning for the cyber weapon, the first publicly known example of a virus being used to attack industrial machinery, began at least as early as 2005, according to an 18-page report that the security software company published on Tuesday.

Stuxnet, which is widely believed to have been developed by the United States and Israel, was uncovered in 2010 after it was used to attack a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, Iran. That facility has been the subject of intense scrutiny by the United States, Israel and allies, who charge that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

Symantec said its researchers had uncovered a piece of code, which they called "Stuxnet 0.5," among the thousands of versions of the virus that they had recovered from infected machines.

Stuxnet 0.5 was designed to attack the Natanz facility by opening and closing valves that feed uranium hexafluoride gas into centrifuges, without the knowledge of the operators of the facility, according to Symantec.

The virus was being developed early as 2005, when Iran was still setting up its uranium enrichment facility, said Symantec researcher Liam O'Murchu. That facility went online in 2007.

"It is really mind blowing that they were thinking about creating a project like that in 2005," O'Murchu told Reuters in ahead of the report's release at the RSA security conference, an event attended by more than 20,000 security professionals, in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Symantec had previously uncovered evidence that planning for Stuxnet began in 2007. The New York Times reported in June 2012 that the impetus for the project dated back to 2006, when U.S. President George W. Bush was looking for options to slow Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Previously discovered versions of Stuxnet are all believed to have been used to sabotage the enrichment process by changing the speeds of those gas-spinning centrifuges without the knowledge of their operators.

Since Stuxnet's discovery in 2010, security researchers have uncovered a handful of other sophisticated pieces of computer code that they believe were developed to engage in espionage and warfare. These include Flame, Duqu and Gauss.

Stuxnet 0.5 was written using much of the same code as Flame, a sophisticated virus that researchers have previously said was primarily used for espionage, Symantec said.

(Reporting By Jim Finkle; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/researchers-stuxnet-deployed-against-iran-2007-175155040--sector.html

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Rosa Parks statue set to be unveiled at Capitol

FILE -- In a June 15, 1999 file photo Rosa Parks smiles during a Capitol Hill ceremony where Parks was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington. Parks will become the first black woman to be honored with a full-length statue in the Capitol?s Statuary Hall on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Khue Bui, file)

FILE -- In a June 15, 1999 file photo Rosa Parks smiles during a Capitol Hill ceremony where Parks was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington. Parks will become the first black woman to be honored with a full-length statue in the Capitol?s Statuary Hall on Wednesday Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Khue Bui, file)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Rosa Parks is famous for her 1955 refusal to give up her seat on a city bus in Alabama to a white man, but there's plenty about the rest of her experiences that she deliberately withheld from her family.

While Parks and her husband, Raymond, were childless, her brother, the late Sylvester McCauley, had 13 children. They decided Parks' nieces and nephews didn't need to know the horrible details surrounding her civil rights activism, said Rhea McCauley, Parks' niece.

"They didn't talk about the lynchings and the Jim Crow laws," said McCauley, 61, of Orlando, Fla. "They didn't talk about that stuff to us kids. Everyone wanted to forget about it and sweep it under the rug."

Parks' descendants now have a chance to be first-hand witnesses as their late matriarch makes more history, this time becoming the first black woman to be honored with a full-length statue in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. The statue of Parks joins a bust of another black woman, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, which sits in the Capitol Visitors Center.

President Barack Obama, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner are among the dignitaries taking part in the unveiling Wednesday. McCauley said more than 50 of Parks' relatives traveled to Washington for the ceremony.

In a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus in segregated Montgomery, Ala. She was arrested, touching off a bus boycott that stretched over a year.

Jeanne Theoharis, author of the new biography "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks," said Parks was very much a full-fledged civil rights activist, yet her contributions have not been treated like those of other movement leaders, such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Rosa Parks is typically honored as a woman of courage, but that honor focuses on the one act she made on the bus on Dec. 5, 1955," said Theoharis, a political science professor at Brooklyn College-City University of New York.

"That courage, that night was the product of decades of political work before that and continued ... decades after" in Detroit, she said.

Parks died Oct. 24, 2005, at age 92. The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor on Feb. 4, which would have been her 100th birthday.

Parks was raised by her mother and grandparents who taught her that part of being respected was to demand respect, said Theoharis, who spent six years researching and writing the Parks biography.

She was an educated woman who recalled seeing her grandfather sitting on the porch steps with a gun during the height of white violence against blacks in post-World War I Alabama.

After she married Raymond Parks, she joined him in his work in trying to help nine young black men, ages 12 to 19, who were accused of raping two white women in 1931. The nine were later convicted by an all-white jury in Scottsboro, Ala., part of a long legal odyssey for the so-called Scottsboro Boys.

In the 1940s, Parks joined the NAACP and was elected secretary of its Montgomery, Ala., branch, working with civil rights activist Edgar Nixon to fight barriers to voting for blacks and investigate sexual violence against women, Theoharis said.

Just five months before refusing to give up her seat, Parks attended Highlander Folk School, which trained community organizers on issues of poverty but had begun turning its attention to civil rights.

After the bus boycott, Parks and her husband lost their jobs and were threatened. They left for Detroit, where Parks was an activist against the war in Vietnam and worked on poverty, housing and racial justice issues, Theoharis said.

Theoharis said that while she considers the 9-foot-statue of Parks in the Capitol an "incredible honor" for Parks, "I worry about putting this history in the past when the actual Rosa Parks was working on and calling on us to continue to work on racial injustice."

Parks has been honored previously in Washington with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, both during the Clinton administration.

But McCauley said the Statuary Hall honor is different.

"The medal you could take it, put it on a mantel," McCauley said. "But her being in the hall itself is permanent and children will be able to tour the (Capitol) and look up and see my aunt's face."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-27-Black%20History-Rosa%20Parks%20Statue/id-0f133c284eb04e4da5a6fc0780f0c752

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Linpus Gesture2Launch brings neat, customizable touch control to Windows 8 (hands-on)

You might remember Linpus from its various Linux projects, but these days the outfit is getting into apps in a big way. We've just been hands-on with its latest offering, Gesture2Launch, a straightforward concept that could prove seriously useful to those with Windows 8 touch-enabled devices. The current app has default gestures that can be assigned to an array of functions -- both to launch applications and to trigger system actions. Most of the gestures are based on letters, so to launch the calculator you'd just bring up the charms bar (which primes the system for your input) and then draw the letter 'C'. An upside-down 'U' would bring up the lock screen.

The version we played with, however, takes things a step further. It lets you create your own gestures, which ought to make them a tad easier to remember. This feature should be added soon, but for now you can see how we fared with the app in the video after the break (demoed on a rather nice Acer Aspire S7) and then try out the basic version for yourself via the link below. It leaves us wondering why Microsoft didn't implement something like this out of the box.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software

Comments

Source: Linpus

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

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Rotoworld: Ranking the?free agents

The Scouting Combine is all the rage right now, but it's just a steppingstone toward the late-April NFL draft. While forty times and vertical leaps are great fun, an NFL steppingstone that will impact draft results to a much greater extent than the Underwear Olympics is free agency. And it kicks off in just over two weeks.

Here is my ranking of this year's top-50 NFL Free Agents, with guesses on where each player will land, and for roughly how much.

1. Quarterback Joe Flacco -- The Ravens want it. Flacco wants it. And the amount of money is no longer a topic of debate. Flacco will average $20 million on his forthcoming extension, leaving only length and structure to be negotiated. A tag will be wielded if it comes to that, but look for Ozzie Newsome to wrap this thing up within the week, allowing the Ravens' offseason to move forward.

Free Agent Forecast: Ravens on a seven-year, $140 million contract.

2. Left tackle Ryan Clady -- VP of Football Operations John Elway has made it clear Clady isn't going anywhere. He'll be slapped with the franchise tag, and the Broncos will explore something more long term when Clady proves he's fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.

Free Agent Forecast: Broncos via the franchise tag.

3. Defensive end Cliff Avril -- Avril projects to break the bank in free agency because he's the top natural pass rusher available, just about to turn 27, and offers scheme versatility. He'll appeal to 4-3 and 3-4 clubs alike. With 39.5 sacks, 13 pass breakups, and 16 forced fumbles over the past five seasons, Avril disrupts offenses in a variety of ways. Indy is flush with salary cap space, and Avril's versatility-athleticism combo would be put to great use in Chuck Pagano's hybrid defense.

Free Agent Forecast: Colts on a five-year, $64 million contract.

4. Cornerback Aqib Talib -- The Patriots are rolling the dice a bit with Talib, but they could emerge looking awfully smart. They'll let him hit the market, gambling that corner-needy teams will instead focus on players with cleaner off-field histories at free agency's deepest position. Expect Talib to be disappointed with offers elsewhere and ultimately re-up in Foxboro at a team-friendly rate.

Free Agent Forecast: Patriots on a four-year, $30 million contract.

5. Outside linebacker Paul Kruger -- Kruger's free agency buzz was red hot just ahead of and following Super Bowl 47, but it's come back to Earth the past few weeks. While Kruger is a good player and will command a pretty penny, he's a complementary as opposed to franchise pass rusher. He's Brian Robison, and he's going to get paid like Jared Allen. In Cleveland, Kruger could still complete a formidable rush 'backer duo with Jabaal Sheard in Ray Horton's new 3-4 defense.

Free Agent Forecast: Browns on a five-year, $60 million contract.

6. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe -- All signs out of Indianapolis point to Bowe getting a second straight franchise tag. Teams such as the Bills and Vikings would love to get their hands on a receiver like Bowe, but it's not happening. Look for the Chiefs to let Branden Albert walk, tag Bowe, and target a long-term extension worth roughly $11 million annually down the road. Alex Smith is going to be Kansas City?s quarterback, and an offensive tackle figures to be the No. 1 pick.

Free Agent Forecast: Chiefs via the franchise tag.

7. Wide receiver Mike Wallace -- Both the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel have reported that Wallace tops GM Jeff Ireland's free-agent wish list. "60 Minutes" would give Ryan Tannehill a playmaker on the perimeter capable of both catching bombs and attracting frequent double coverage. Signing Wallace could open up Miami's offense underneath.

Free Agent Forecast: Dolphins on a four-year, $50 million contract.

8. Safety Jairus Byrd -- Adept in center-field coverage and a hawk on the ball, Byrd has developed into perhaps the premier free safety in football, forcing 28 turnovers through four NFL seasons. The Bills could use the franchise tag as a steppingstone in long-term contract talks. Soon, Byrd will join Eric Berry, Troy Polamalu, and Eric Weddle as one of the NFL's highest paid safeties.

Free Agent Forecast: Bills via the franchise tag.

9. Defensive tackle Henry Melton -- The surest way to torpedo an opposing passing game is to attack it with interior pressure. Melton does that like a rolling ball of butcher knives from his three-technique tackle position, registering 13 sacks over the past two seasons and getting better every year. The 2013 franchise number for interior defensive linemen costs a reasonable $8.306 million.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears via the franchise tag.

10. Safety Dashon Goldson -- If Byrd is the top ballhawk in the game, Goldson might be the premier pure cover safety. Toward the end of the season, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio cost the Niners some leverage by publicly acknowledging Goldson was "right up there" with Ed Reed. Goldson wanted Eric Weddle money last offseason. He may get more after a career-best year.

Free Agent Forecast: 49ers on a five-year, $42 million contract.

11. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer -- Sporting the Cowboys' franchise tag in 2012, Spencer delivered career bests in tackles (95) and sacks (11). Despite changing its defensive alignment from 3-4 to 4-3, Dallas has made no bones about wanting Spencer back. They could clear enough space to make it happen by signing Tony Romo to an extension, which they already plan to do.

Free Agent Forecast: Cowboys on a four-year, $44 million contract.

12. Tight end Tony Gonzalez -- Gonzalez seemed dead set on retirement late in the 2012 season, but ESPN's Ed Werder has since reported the future Hall of Famer is "wavering" and may return for one more Super Bowl run. Although he is 37 years old, Gonzo has plenty of good football left, coming off a 93-reception season. Expect the allure of a championship to bring Gonzalez back.

Free Agent Forecast: Falcons on a one-year, $7 million contract.

13. Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant -- Flying under the radar only because he played on a bad team, Bryant has highly impressive game tape and possesses scheme versatility at 6-foot-6, 300. With nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and productive starts at both tackle and end the past two seasons, 27-year-old Bryant was this year's sleeper for a white-hot market before last week's arrest. Pete Carroll's forgiving Seahawks aren't afraid to take chances on players, and they were looking for an interior pass rusher like this when they signed Jason Jones last spring.

Free Agent Forecast: Seahawks on a five-year, $25 million contract.

14. Left tackle Branden Albert -- At the Scouting Combine, coach Andy Reid greased the skids for Albert's departure by calling a 2012 back issue that only cost him three games "a fairly significant injury." Significant or not, the comments were telling. Bears GM Phil Emery's team is needy at tackle, and Albert was drafted by the Chiefs in Emery?s first year as Kansas City's college scouting director.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears on a five-year, $37 million contract.

15. Offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer -- Primarily a right tackle in New England, 28-year-old Vollmer's value is enhanced by his capability of adequately protecting the blind side. Lean and athletic at 6-foot-8, 315, Vollmer would be coveted on the market even after arthroscopic knee surgery. The Pats are unlikely to let him get there, prioritizing Vollmer over Talib and Wes Welker.

Free Agent Forecast: Patriots on a five-year, $36 million contract.

16. Defensive end Michael Johnson -- In a breakout contract year, Johnson amassed 11.5 sacks -- the same amount he totaled across his first three seasons in the league. The fact that Johnson was an underachiever before 2012 suggests the Bengals would be savvy to keep him in another contract year. They could do so with the franchise tag, worth $10.98 million at defensive end.

Free Agent Forecast: Bengals via the franchise tag.

17. Wide receiver Wes Welker -- Although they eventually leaned on him due to Aaron Hernandez and Julian Edelman's injuries, the Pats opened last season essentially phasing Welker out of their offense. It's probably a sign of things to come. Welker is 32 and not under consideration for New England's franchise tag. The Patriots simply don't value him as highly as it seems like they should.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears on a three-year, $27 million contract.

18. Running back Steven Jackson -- Jackson will void his $7 million player option for 2013, but the Rams still view him as a key component in their offense. The expectation here is that S-Jax signs a deal to finish his career in St. Louis. If he doesn't, the Falcons, Packers, Steelers, and Broncos would be sensible suitors. Jackson would surely look at playoff-contending teams first.

Free Agent Forecast: Rams on a three-year, $17.5 million contract.

19. Cornerback Sean Smith -- The Miami Herald is South Florida's most plugged-in paper and vehemently insists Smith won't be franchise tagged. Look for Smith to hit the market targeting $8 million per year. In Jacksonville, new coach Gus Bradley is in pursuit of big, physical corners.

Free Agent Forecast: Jaguars on a four-year, $32 million contract.

20. Right tackle Andre Smith -- Smith would be an interesting case in free agency. He has a worrisome history of weight issues, but played like the best right tackle in football last season. While the Bengals don't always pony up for free agents, they realize Smith is critical in their offense. They may let him reach the market initially, then re-sign him if bidding is lukewarm.

Free Agent Forecast: Bengals on a six-year, $39 million contract.

The Scouting Combine is all the rage right now, but it's just a steppingstone toward the late-April NFL draft. While forty times and vertical leaps are great fun, an NFL steppingstone that will impact draft results to a much greater extent than the Underwear Olympics is free agency. And it kicks off in just over two weeks.

Here is my ranking of this year's top-50 NFL Free Agents, with guesses on where each player will land, and for roughly how much.

1. Quarterback Joe Flacco -- The Ravens want it. Flacco wants it. And the amount of money is no longer a topic of debate. Flacco will average $20 million on his forthcoming extension, leaving only length and structure to be negotiated. A tag will be wielded if it comes to that, but look for Ozzie Newsome to wrap this thing up within the week, allowing the Ravens' offseason to move forward.

Free Agent Forecast: Ravens on a seven-year, $140 million contract.

2. Left tackle Ryan Clady -- VP of Football Operations John Elway has made it clear Clady isn't going anywhere. He'll be slapped with the franchise tag, and the Broncos will explore something more long term when Clady proves he's fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.

Free Agent Forecast: Broncos via the franchise tag.

3. Defensive end Cliff Avril -- Avril projects to break the bank in free agency because he's the top natural pass rusher available, just about to turn 27, and offers scheme versatility. He'll appeal to 4-3 and 3-4 clubs alike. With 39.5 sacks, 13 pass breakups, and 16 forced fumbles over the past five seasons, Avril disrupts offenses in a variety of ways. Indy is flush with salary cap space, and Avril's versatility-athleticism combo would be put to great use in Chuck Pagano's hybrid defense.

Free Agent Forecast: Colts on a five-year, $64 million contract.

4. Cornerback Aqib Talib -- The Patriots are rolling the dice a bit with Talib, but they could emerge looking awfully smart. They'll let him hit the market, gambling that corner-needy teams will instead focus on players with cleaner off-field histories at free agency's deepest position. Expect Talib to be disappointed with offers elsewhere and ultimately re-up in Foxboro at a team-friendly rate.

Free Agent Forecast: Patriots on a four-year, $30 million contract.

5. Outside linebacker Paul Kruger -- Kruger's free agency buzz was red hot just ahead of and following Super Bowl 47, but it's come back to Earth the past few weeks. While Kruger is a good player and will command a pretty penny, he's a complementary as opposed to franchise pass rusher. He's Brian Robison, and he's going to get paid like Jared Allen. In Cleveland, Kruger could still complete a formidable rush 'backer duo with Jabaal Sheard in Ray Horton's new 3-4 defense.

Free Agent Forecast: Browns on a five-year, $60 million contract.

6. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe -- All signs out of Indianapolis point to Bowe getting a second straight franchise tag. Teams such as the Bills and Vikings would love to get their hands on a receiver like Bowe, but it's not happening. Look for the Chiefs to let Branden Albert walk, tag Bowe, and target a long-term extension worth roughly $11 million annually down the road. Alex Smith is going to be Kansas City?s quarterback, and an offensive tackle figures to be the No. 1 pick.

Free Agent Forecast: Chiefs via the franchise tag.

7. Wide receiver Mike Wallace -- Both the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel have reported that Wallace tops GM Jeff Ireland's free-agent wish list. "60 Minutes" would give Ryan Tannehill a playmaker on the perimeter capable of both catching bombs and attracting frequent double coverage. Signing Wallace could open up Miami's offense underneath.

Free Agent Forecast: Dolphins on a four-year, $50 million contract.

8. Safety Jairus Byrd -- Adept in center-field coverage and a hawk on the ball, Byrd has developed into perhaps the premier free safety in football, forcing 28 turnovers through four NFL seasons. The Bills could use the franchise tag as a steppingstone in long-term contract talks. Soon, Byrd will join Eric Berry, Troy Polamalu, and Eric Weddle as one of the NFL's highest paid safeties.

Free Agent Forecast: Bills via the franchise tag.

9. Defensive tackle Henry Melton -- The surest way to torpedo an opposing passing game is to attack it with interior pressure. Melton does that like a rolling ball of butcher knives from his three-technique tackle position, registering 13 sacks over the past two seasons and getting better every year. The 2013 franchise number for interior defensive linemen costs a reasonable $8.306 million.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears via the franchise tag.

10. Safety Dashon Goldson -- If Byrd is the top ballhawk in the game, Goldson might be the premier pure cover safety. Toward the end of the season, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio cost the Niners some leverage by publicly acknowledging Goldson was "right up there" with Ed Reed. Goldson wanted Eric Weddle money last offseason. He may get more after a career-best year.

Free Agent Forecast: 49ers on a five-year, $42 million contract.

11. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer -- Sporting the Cowboys' franchise tag in 2012, Spencer delivered career bests in tackles (95) and sacks (11). Despite changing its defensive alignment from 3-4 to 4-3, Dallas has made no bones about wanting Spencer back. They could clear enough space to make it happen by signing Tony Romo to an extension, which they already plan to do.

Free Agent Forecast: Cowboys on a four-year, $44 million contract.

12. Tight end Tony Gonzalez -- Gonzalez seemed dead set on retirement late in the 2012 season, but ESPN's Ed Werder has since reported the future Hall of Famer is "wavering" and may return for one more Super Bowl run. Although he is 37 years old, Gonzo has plenty of good football left, coming off a 93-reception season. Expect the allure of a championship to bring Gonzalez back.

Free Agent Forecast: Falcons on a one-year, $7 million contract.

13. Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant -- Flying under the radar only because he played on a bad team, Bryant has highly impressive game tape and possesses scheme versatility at 6-foot-6, 300. With nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and productive starts at both tackle and end the past two seasons, 27-year-old Bryant was this year's sleeper for a white-hot market before last week's arrest. Pete Carroll's forgiving Seahawks aren't afraid to take chances on players, and they were looking for an interior pass rusher like this when they signed Jason Jones last spring.

Free Agent Forecast: Seahawks on a five-year, $25 million contract.

14. Left tackle Branden Albert -- At the Scouting Combine, coach Andy Reid greased the skids for Albert's departure by calling a 2012 back issue that only cost him three games "a fairly significant injury." Significant or not, the comments were telling. Bears GM Phil Emery's team is needy at tackle, and Albert was drafted by the Chiefs in Emery?s first year as Kansas City's college scouting director.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears on a five-year, $37 million contract.

15. Offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer -- Primarily a right tackle in New England, 28-year-old Vollmer's value is enhanced by his capability of adequately protecting the blind side. Lean and athletic at 6-foot-8, 315, Vollmer would be coveted on the market even after arthroscopic knee surgery. The Pats are unlikely to let him get there, prioritizing Vollmer over Talib and Wes Welker.

Free Agent Forecast: Patriots on a five-year, $36 million contract.

16. Defensive end Michael Johnson -- In a breakout contract year, Johnson amassed 11.5 sacks -- the same amount he totaled across his first three seasons in the league. The fact that Johnson was an underachiever before 2012 suggests the Bengals would be savvy to keep him in another contract year. They could do so with the franchise tag, worth $10.98 million at defensive end.

Free Agent Forecast: Bengals via the franchise tag.

17. Wide receiver Wes Welker -- Although they eventually leaned on him due to Aaron Hernandez and Julian Edelman's injuries, the Pats opened last season essentially phasing Welker out of their offense. It's probably a sign of things to come. Welker is 32 and not under consideration for New England's franchise tag. The Patriots simply don't value him as highly as it seems like they should.

Free Agent Forecast: Bears on a three-year, $27 million contract.

18. Running back Steven Jackson -- Jackson will void his $7 million player option for 2013, but the Rams still view him as a key component in their offense. The expectation here is that S-Jax signs a deal to finish his career in St. Louis. If he doesn't, the Falcons, Packers, Steelers, and Broncos would be sensible suitors. Jackson would surely look at playoff-contending teams first.

Free Agent Forecast: Rams on a three-year, $17.5 million contract.

19. Cornerback Sean Smith -- The Miami Herald is South Florida's most plugged-in paper and vehemently insists Smith won't be franchise tagged. Look for Smith to hit the market targeting $8 million per year. In Jacksonville, new coach Gus Bradley is in pursuit of big, physical corners.

Free Agent Forecast: Jaguars on a four-year, $32 million contract.

20. Right tackle Andre Smith -- Smith would be an interesting case in free agency. He has a worrisome history of weight issues, but played like the best right tackle in football last season. While the Bengals don't always pony up for free agents, they realize Smith is critical in their offense. They may let him reach the market initially, then re-sign him if bidding is lukewarm.

Free Agent Forecast: Bengals on a six-year, $39 million contract.

21. Left tackle Jake Long -- This year's free-agent tackle class is incredibly deep, and there are three top-ten left tackle picks in the draft. The result is a buyer's market, where veterans perhaps past their primes like Long will receive disappointing offers. Expect Long's price tag to drop after waiting a day or three in free agency, and the Dolphins to re-sign him at a club-friendly rate.

Free Agent Forecast: Dolphins on a five-year, $37.5 million contract.

22. Cornerback Brent Grimes -- Before Grimes tore his Achilles' early last September, he had quietly emerged as a top-five NFL corner. By all accounts, Grimes' recovery has gone smoothly and he's now performing strenuous workouts on land. Turning 30 this July, Grimes remains a red-light injury risk and will probably have to accept a short-term, incentive-laden deal. The Falcons know Grimes best and could clear enough cap space to re-sign him by cutting Dunta Robinson.

Free Agent Forecast: Falcons on a one-year, $7.5 million contract.

23. Guard Andy Levitre -- Levitre and Louis Vasquez are the cream of the crop in a top-heavy free-agent guard class, and Levitre is better than Vasquez. 27 in May, Levitre is young and versatile, capable of starting at any of the three interior line spots as well as tackle in a pinch. Ex-Bills offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins is now on the Lions' staff, and Detroit is needy at guard.

Free Agent Forecast: Lions on a six-year, $38 million contract.

24. Cornerback Derek Cox -- Despite his client's laundry list of durability woes, Cox's agent expects a "vigorous" market for the 26-year-old corner. Per the agent, Cox permitted a 69.0 passer rating last season, better than more heralded CBs Talib (98.7), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (87.7), and Sean Smith (85.1). Cox and his agent may be slightly disappointed, but they'll get a solid deal. Broncos DC Jack Del Rio knows Cox well from their Jacksonville days.

Free Agent Forecast: Broncos on a four-year, $28 million contract.

25. Strong safety William Moore -- Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan made Moore a featured player in his first season with Atlanta. Moore responded with a breakout year, setting a career high in tackles (75) and intercepting four balls. While the Falcons seem unlikely to slap Moore with the franchise tag, re-signing him is an obvious priority and they are likely to get a deal done. At $6.65 million annually, Tyvon Branch's 2012 contract figures to be a starting point in negotiations.

Free Agent Forecast: Falcons on a five-year, $33.5 million contract.

26. Wide receiver Greg Jennings -- If Jennings truly believes he's worth $14 million annually -- as has been reported -- he'll be sorely disappointed. Going on age 30 with 11 missed games the past two seasons, Jennings would do well to surpass Reggie Wayne's three-year, $17.5 million deal. He probably will, but not by much. Minnesota is desperate for an established, playmaking receiver.

Free Agent Forecast: Vikings on a four-year, $25 million contract.

27. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora -- Still an effective situational pass rusher at age 31, Umenyiora registered six sacks and two forced fumbles last season while playing 61 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps. The Bucs are starving for an improved pass rush, and Osi is familiar with Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan from his five-year stint (2005-09) on the Giants' staff.

Free Agent Forecast: Buccaneers on a three-year, $20 million contract.

28. Defensive end Michael Bennett -- Bennett is a complementary-type pass rusher, but will be coveted by teams that run 4-3 defenses because he can affect the offense from both left end and tackle. At 6-foot-4, 274, he's like a poor man's Justin Tuck. 27-year-old Bennett is coming off career bests in tackles (41), sacks (9), and forced fumbles (3). The cap-rich Bucs not only need to re-sign Bennett, they need to add another outside-edge rusher to join him. (See Umenyiora.)

Free Agent Forecast: Buccaneers on a five-year, $36 million contract.

29. Left tackle Will Beatty -- Gifted athletically and 28 years old, Beatty graded out as a top-ten left tackle in Pro Football Focus' 2012 ratings and is in the midst of his prime. The Giants aren't willing to pay Beatty franchise-tag money, but do want to complete a long-term deal. Look for the G-Men to get Beatty re-signed without breaking the bank. About $6.5 million annually ought to get it done.

Free Agent Forecast: Giants on a five-year, $32.5 million contract.

30. Wide receiver Danny Amendola -- If Amendola hits the market, expect the Broncos and Patriots to show interest. More likely, the Rams will identify him as a core offensive player and make a competitive offer closer to the eve of free agency. Amendola is St. Louis' only reliable on-field receiver, and his 20 missed games over the past two seasons should bring down his price.

Free Agent Forecast: Rams on a three-year, $18.5 million contract.

31. Right tackle Phil Loadholt -- Vikings GM Rick Spielman realizes Loadholt's worth. Minnesota plays run-first offense, and Loadholt is a crucial puzzle piece as a 343-pound mauler. The sides have discussed an extension off and on since last fall. 27 and coming off a career-best season, Loadholt may use Doug Free's four-year, $32 million deal as a jump-off point in negotiations.

Free Agent Forecast: Vikings on a three-year, $27 million contract.

32. Free safety Ed Reed -- Reed played last season on a $7.2 million salary. If he really wants another Super Bowl ring, he'll have to take less. Going on 35 and entrenched in his decline phase, Reed may only have a year or two left. A mutual admirer of Pats coach Bill Belichick, Reed spoke of signing with New England in January and there's a good chance that dream will become reality.

Free Agent Forecast: Patriots on a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

33. Defensive tackle Randy Starks -- Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland conceded at the Combine that he's "likely" to wield the franchise tag ahead of next Monday's deadline. Sean Smith won't get it, and neither will Jake Long. At $8.306 million, the defensive tackle franchise number would be more cost effective than Smith and Long's positions, and a sensible way of retaining 29-year-old Starks.

Free Agent Forecast: Dolphins via the franchise tag.

34. Guard Louis Vasquez -- The Chargers made overtures to Vasquez at the Combine, identifying him as a priority to keep on an otherwise poorly-assembled offensive line. Expect the sides to hammer out a deal worth over $6 million annually. San Diego can't afford to let him get away.

Free Agent Forecast: Chargers on a seven-year, $44 million contract.

35. Tight end Martellus Bennett -- Bennett fit the Giants well in 2012, flashing Pro Bowl-caliber ability when he was healthy and the offense clicked. John Carlson's $25 million over five years should be a baseline in negotiations. Bennett is only 26 and could bet on himself in the short term.

Free Agent Forecast: Giants on a three-year, $16 million contract.

36. Wide receiver Brian Hartline -- Hartline falls into tier two of this year's receiver free-agency class; in the Danny Amendola group behind Bowe, Wallace, and Jennings. Teams around the league realize Hartline is only a competitive No. 2 receiver, but his $6 million-per-year target price is not unreasonable. The Dolphins want Hartline back, and they have ample money to keep him.

Free Agent Forecast: Dolphins on a three-year, $18 million contract.

37. Tight end Dustin Keller -- The Jets can't afford to retain Keller, and he's destined for the open market. Last year's injuries may depress Keller's value some, even if he'll be the premier seam-stretching tight end available with Jared Cook returning to Nashville on the franchise tag. Reunited with Brian Schottenheimer, the Rams could pair Keller with Lance Kendricks in two-tight end sets.

Free Agent Forecast: Rams on a four-year, $22 million contract.

38. Defensive end Dwight Freeney -- 33 and best suited for a specialist's role on limited snaps, Freeney can still bring heat on passing downs as a "wave" rusher. He could be a short-term fix for a Seattle team needing pass-rushing reinforcements as Chris Clemons recovers from a torn ACL.

Free Agent Forecast: Seahawks on a two-year, $10 million contract.

39. Running back Reggie Bush -- Although Bush didn't embarrass himself as the Dolphins' feature back the past two seasons, NFL teams still envision him as a "space" player who's at his best on limited touches, mostly in the pass game. The Lions badly need to add juice to their backfield, and Bush's fit would be ideal in the league's pass-heaviest offense. He's not going to break the bank.

Free Agent Forecast: Lions on a four-year, $16.5 million contract.

40. Left tackle Sam Baker -- Baker is coming off a career year, but past back issues will concern tackle-needy clubs, and his value will be further depressed by a rich market at his position. The Falcons would be smart to let Baker reach free agency unsigned, because he'd likely come back willing to take less money. It's safe to say the Sam Baker "sweepstakes" would not be fierce.

Free Agent Forecast: Falcons on a five-year, $27 million contract.

41. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie -- Rodgers-Cromartie is a maddeningly poor tackler and returning from an inconsistent year in coverage, but he oozes talent and is only 27 years old. "DRC" had the best season of his career in 2009 under then-Cardinals defensive coordinator Billy Davis. Davis just so happens to be running Chip Kelly's defense in Philly now.

Free Agent Forecast: Eagles on a three-year, $17 million contract.

42. Cornerback Keenan Lewis -- Lewis took off in 2012, playing physical and consistent coverage and tackling efficiently opposite Ike Taylor for the Steelers' top-ranked pass defense. Pittsburgh now lacks the financial means to retain Lewis, who entered the league when Ray Horton was the Steelers' defensive backs coach. Horton is now coordinating the division-rival Browns defense.

Free Agent Forecast: Browns on a five-year, $36 million contract.

43. Cornerback Chris Houston -- Much better suited as a No. 2 than No. 1 corner, Houston has nevertheless spent the past three seasons in the latter role with Detroit. Unfortunately for Houston, he's another middling option in a free-agent cornerback class full of No. 2s. Expect him to re-sign affordably with the Lions, and GM Martin Mayhew to target a future No. 1 in April's draft.

Free Agent Forecast: Lions on a two-year, $11.5 million contract.

44. Defensive tackle Jason Jones -- Jones never really found a home in Seattle's 2012 defense, playing under 30 percent of the defensive snaps and notching three sacks as an interior pocket pusher off the bench. If he's healthy, Jones is capable of injecting explosive rush ability into a defensive front seven. Old Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is now Jacksonville's head coach, and the Jaguars are desperate for pass rushers both inside and off the outside edge.

Free Agent Forecast: Jaguars on a three-year, $12 million contract.

45. Right tackle Gosder Cherilus -- Cherilus was arguably Detroit's best offensive lineman in 2012, but he's a right-tackle only with a long history of knee problems and no longer part of the Lions' long-term plans. Cherilus will likely be viewed on the open market as a short-term fix. The Texans make sense as a landing spot because their primary weakness up front is right tackle.

Free Agent Forecast: Texans on a two-year, $10.5 million contract.

46. Free safety Louis Delmas -- Delmas would be much higher on this list if not for persistent injuries. A difference maker when in the lineup, Delmas has missed 13 games the past two seasons due to knee and groin surgeries. Delmas hasn't yet turned 26, so he could pursue a one-year, prove-it deal to display durability before re-testing free agency in 2014. The Chiefs are needy at free safety across from Eric Berry and should be willing to give Delmas a shot.

Free Agent Forecast: Chiefs on a one-year, $5 million contract.

47. Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton -- Knighton never met expectations in Jacksonville, but he's a 340-pound 26-year-old long on run-clogging potential. A one-year, prove-it deal with the 2014 market in mind might serve Knighton best in the big picture. Denver needs an anchor for its defense, and coordinator Jack Del Rio was Knighton's head coach for three years with the Jags.

Free Agent Forecast: Broncos on a one-year, $4.75 million contract.

48. Linebacker Daryl Smith -- Smith is coming off a lost season due to injury, but should have quality football left at age 31. His "SAM" linebacker position is also critical in new coach Gus Bradley's 4-3. Look for the sides to reunite and career Jaguar Smith to finish things up in Jacksonville.

Free Agent Forecast: Jaguars on a three-year, $15 million contract.

49. Tight end Jared Cook -- Cook played roughly 60 percent of his 2012 snaps lined up in the slot or out wide. He wants to be franchise tagged at the wide receiver number of $10.5 million. The Titans prefer him at the tight end number ($5.962 million), and the sides figure to agree to meet somewhere in the middle. Tennessee's coaches and front office seem dead set on keeping Cook.

Free Agent Forecast: Titans via the franchise tag.

50. Cornerback Antoine Cason -- Although susceptible deep, 26-year-old Cason can make plays on the football and offers impressive corner size at 6-foot-1, 195. Indianapolis is rich on salary cap space and in the market for a bookend across from Vontae Davis. Cason is young, should be relatively affordable, and fits defensive-minded coach Chuck Pagano's press coverage scheme.

Free Agent Forecast: Colts on a three-year, $16.5 million contract.

Best of the Rest Free Agents: Kenny Phillips, Connor Barwin, Israel Idonije, Rashard Mendenhall, Bradley Fletcher, Glenn Dorsey, Jermon Bushrod, Bryant McKinnie, Cary Williams, Richard Seymour, Matt Moore, Fred Davis, Ahmad Bradshaw, Mike Jenkins, James Casey, Brandon Moore, Ronde Barber, Shaun Phillips, LaRon Landry, Leodis McKelvin, Pat Chung, Charles Woodson, Jerome Felton, Dannell Ellerbe, Jerraud Powers, Victor Butler, Glover Quin.

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/42620/309/top-50-free-agency-forecast

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Intel?s Dual-Core CloverTrail+ Atom Z2580 Impresses, But Likely Won?t Be Intel?s Smartphone Savior

Intel officially launched its new dual-core "CloverTrail+" Atom system-on-a-chip today at MWC in Barcelona. The CloverTrail+ is a direct successor to Intel's first smartphone SoC, Medfield, but gets its name from the company's tablet-focused CloverTrail platform. The Atom Z2580 dual-core processor is the top-of-the-line SKU in the new lineup, which you can see powering a mobile graphics rendering demo featuring Epic Citadel in the video above.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gLF5cVBVuQw/

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First lady to press governors on veterans' jobs

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sits next to first lady Michelle Obama as President Barack Obama welcomed the governors of the National Governors Association to the 2013 Governors? Dinner at the White House in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sits next to first lady Michelle Obama as President Barack Obama welcomed the governors of the National Governors Association to the 2013 Governors? Dinner at the White House in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? First lady Michelle Obama will challenge governors to make it easier for military members to transfer their skills to civilian jobs.

Mrs. Obama wants states to pass legislation or take executive action allowing veterans to receive professional credentials or licenses based on their experiences in the military. Administration officials said that would allow veterans to apply for jobs more quickly rather than having to take courses for skills they already have.

Mrs. Obama will announce her proposals Monday during remarks to governors who are in Washington for their annual meeting. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will also address the governors during the event at the White House.

The veterans' initiatives are part of Mrs. Obama's "Joining Forces" program, which aims to help veterans and their families. The program has focused in particular on assisting military personnel find civilian jobs, an effort that is expected to take on more urgency as more than 60,000 U.S. troops return home from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Mrs. Obama will ask states to focus in particular on making it easier for veterans to obtain credentials and licenses for commercial driving, nursing, and emergency medical services, administration officials said. The White House has outlined suggested legislative language states can use for implementing the changes.

Officials did not have an estimate for how much it would cost states to implement the credentialing programs. But they suggested the programs could eventually be a cost-saver by keeping veterans off unemployment.

Mrs. Obama has previously called on states to help military spouses transfer their state-specific credentials when their families move due to changes in deployment. Seventeen states have passed such legislation over the past year, joining 11 states that already had laws on the books.

The officials requested anonymity in order to speak ahead of Mrs. Obama's announcement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-25-Michelle%20Obama-Veterans/id-d5f1ac08cdf8441daf29d56d8d1c98d8

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Ability of brain to protect itself from damage revealed

Feb. 24, 2013 ? The origin of an innate ability the brain has to protect itself from damage that occurs in stroke has been explained for the first time.

The Oxford University researchers hope that harnessing this inbuilt biological mechanism, identified in rats, could help in treating stroke and preventing other neurodegenerative diseases in the future.

'We have shown for the first time that the brain has mechanisms that it can use to protect itself and keep brain cells alive,' says Professor Alastair Buchan, Head of the Medical Sciences Division and Dean of the Medical School at Oxford University, who led the work.

The researchers report their findings in the journal Nature Medicine and were funded by the UK Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK. Every year around 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke.

It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly, and they begin to die.

'Time is brain, and the clock has started immediately after the onset of a stroke. Cells will start to die somewhere from minutes to at most 1 or 2 hours after the stroke,' says Professor Buchan.

This explains why treatment for stroke is so dependent on speed. The faster someone can reach hospital, be scanned and have drugs administered to dissolve any blood clot and get the blood flow re-started, the less damage to brain cells there will be.

It has also motivated a so-far unsuccessful search for 'neuroprotectants': drugs that can buy time and help the brain cells, or neurons, cope with damage and recover afterwards.

The Oxford University research group have now identified the first example of the brain having its own built-in form of neuroprotection, so-called 'endogenous neuroprotection'.

They did this by going back to an observation first made over 85 years ago. It has been known since 1926 that neurons in one area of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory, are able to survive being starved of oxygen, while others in a different area of the hippocampus die. But what protected that one set of cells from damage had remained a puzzle until now.

'Previous studies have focused on understanding how cells die after being depleted of oxygen and glucose. We considered a more direct approach by investigating the endogenous mechanisms that have evolved to make these cells in the hippocampus resistant,' explains first author Dr Michalis Papadakis, Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Cerebral Ischaemia at Oxford University.

Working in rats, the researchers found that production of a specific protein called hamartin allowed the cells to survive being starved of oxygen and glucose, as would happen after a stroke.

They showed that the neurons die in the other part of the hippocampus because of a lack of the hamartin response.

The team was then able to show that stimulating production of hamartin offered greater protection for the neurons.

Professor Buchan says: 'This is causally related to cell survival. If we block hamartin, the neurons die when blood flow is stopped. If we put hamartin back, the cells survive once more.'

Finally, the researchers were able to identify the biological pathway through which hamartin acts to enable the nerve cells to cope with damage when starved of energy and oxygen.

The group points out that knowing the natural biological mechanism that leads to neuroprotection opens up the possibility of developing drugs that mimic hamartin's effect.

Professor Buchan says: 'There is a great deal of work ahead if this is to be translated into the clinic, but we now have a neuroprotective strategy for the first time. Our next steps will be to see if we can find small molecule drug candidates that mimic what hamartin does and keep brain cells alive.

'While we are focussing on stroke, neuroprotective drugs may also be of interest in other conditions that see early death of brain cells including Alzheimer's and motor neuron disease,' he suggests.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Oxford, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Michalis Papadakis, Gina Hadley, Maria Xilouri, Lisa C Hoyte, Simon Nagel, M Mary McMenamin, Grigorios Tsaknakis, Suzanne M Watt, Cynthia Wright Drakesmith, Ruoli Chen, Matthew J A Wood, Zonghang Zhao, Benedikt Kessler, Kostas Vekrellis, Alastair M Buchan. Tsc1 (hamartin) confers neuroprotection against ischemia by inducing autophagy. Nature Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3097

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/ySYOgQpRh0A/130224142823.htm

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South Carolina Car Insurance | Car Insurance Quotes

If you are a male driver looking for cheap South Carolina Car Insurance, then simply enter your zip code above. Our website can help you by providing a list of insurance quotes. With the car insurance quotes presented, finding the insurance provider is a lot easier.

We are all aware that male drivers are more expensive to insure than women. A male driver in the early 20s and not more than 25 years old are more expensive to insure. This is because according to statistics, men are usually more involved to accidents. Along with this, male drivers are usually ticketed for violating road rules such as driving under the influence of alcohol, while using their phone, and the like. Driving while there is any distraction can lead to serious collision and this undoubtedly is a grave offense. But why are men higher risk drivers than women?

This can be an issue that involves their testosterone. They easily get aggressive once in a particular driving situation unlike women. This usually happens to younger male drivers. They often get involve to road rage, and when accompanied by attacks of ego, they are influenced to race other cars and disobey traffic rules.

Higher insurance premium are given to those who are less than 25 years old, regardless of gender. Because young drivers have less experience, they are usually involved to accidents on the road. And since they are high risk drivers, they are charged with higher premiums. What more if you are a male driver less than 25? What can you do to lower the premium cost?

First thing that matters is the type of car you are driving. The more expensive your car is, the more it will cost you on auto insurance. This is because when you are driving an expensive car and you get into trouble, cost of the repairs and replacements to be shouldered by the insurance company is undoubtedly huge. So if you are a driver less than 25, it will be best to get an inexpensive vehicle. Don?t drive sports car as they are fast and more prone to accidents. Luxury cars, on the other hand, are attractive to thieves and can also increase the premium.

Another factor that can help lower your premium is to modify your car with safety devices instead of other enhancements. The better your security systems are, the lower will you get your premium. Car enhancements will only increase the value of your vehicle. Therefore, your premium, again, will go higher.

Lastly, you have to maintain a clean driving history. Because if not, you will carry this all along, every time you need to purchase a policy.

Source: http://smartcarinsurancequotes.net/states/south-carolina-car-insurance/

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Oscars 2013 Red-Carpet Live Stream: Watch Now!

We've got you covered tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET as we bring you the A-list stars, fashion and pre-show madness.
By MTV News staff

Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Affleck and Anne Hathaway
Photo: Getty Images / MTV

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702493/oscar-2013-red-carpet-live.jhtml

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Falcon Northwest Mach V (Triple Titan)

The launch of Nvidia's new GeForce GTX Titan graphics card has lit a fire underneath multiple boutique computer manufacturers. Falcon Northwest has built a new version of its Mach V desktop tower?the Mach V (Triple Titan)?to take advantage of the Titan's capabilities, with support for up to three of the new graphics cards and a six-core Intel Core i7 3970X CPU overclocked to 4.7GHz. The system's price tag as configured was $7,394. Yes, you read that right. The three graphics cards account for about $3000 of the eye-popping figure; this much power doesn't come cheap. The system's performance blew away the competition for the most part, setting a new standing for PC gaming. Thus, the Mach V (Triple Titan) takes the Editors' Choice for high-end gaming rigs.

Design and Features
The Mach V uses the same vertical chassis design as the Maingear Shift Super Stock (Core i7-3930K) ($5289 4.5); both cases orient video cards and components upwards to take advantage of the fact that hot air naturally rises. From the outside, the chassis design is simple, even understated, but the hardware inside the box is some of the most powerful that money can buy. There's 32GB of DDR3-1866 RAM, the aforementioned Intel Core i7-3970X, and a 256GB Crucial M4 SSD, backed up by a 2TB Western Digital Caviar Green hard drive. The entire system is powered by a 1200W PSU; optical storage comes courtesy of a 16x Asus DVD-RW drive.

The disadvantage to this triple-GPU configuration is that the GPUs consume every available slot; there's literally no room for any additional hardware. Falcon Northwest makes up for the lack of free PCI-Express ports with a whopping nine USB 2.0 ports and six USB 3.0 ports. Two of the latter are mounted at the top of the case for convenient access while working.

The vertical design presents two other challenges. First, a desk that's designed to exhaust hot air at the back may end up trapping that air if the system exhausts at the top. Second, there's the cabling issue. If you don't have many external drives or peripherals, the Mach V presents a very clean, crisp profile. Add three monitors' worth of cables, a few external drives, and a keyboard + mouse, and the top of the system looks like a rat's nest.

The trade-off is that cooling performance is typically better in a vertical case?and with three GPUs and a 4.7GHz overclocked CPU, the Mach V needs to balance cooling performance and noise. It does so quite well. The next-generation GPU Boost technology built into the Titan family keeps each GPU's temperature pegged at 80C. Customers can override this manually if they wish, but the system automatically adjusts frequencies to ensure that even a three-GPU system runs no risk of overheating.

Performance
The three Titan graphics cards are the showcase of the system and its strongest point. The Mach V (Triple Titan) sweeps even the Maingear F131 Super Stock (GTX Titan) in our 3D benchmark tests. Its 3DMark 11 Extreme score of 12,505 is 18% faster than the previous record-holder ? the Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core i7-3770K), which was equipped with a pair of dual-GPU GTX 690s (four GPUs in total). In Aliens vs. Predator at 1,920-by-1,080 with 4x anti-aliasing (AA) and 4x anisotropic filtering (AF) turned on, the Mach V (Triple Titan) turned in 222 frames per second (fps) compared with the dual-Titan-equipped Maingear F131's 182fps. Performance in version 3.0 of Unigine's Heaven benchmark test at 1,920-by-1080 with 4x AA / AF was 198fps, compared to 155fps for the Maingear F131.

In other areas, the Maingear F131 and Mach V (Triple Titan) came in neck and neck. Both systems completed a Handbrake decode in 23 seconds. The Maingear F131 led in PCMark 7 (6,523 vs. 6,241 for the Mach V) and in Photoshop CS6 (2 minutes, 35 seconds to apply a dozen filters, vs. the Mach V's time of 2:41). The Mach V (Triple Titan) outperformed Maingear F131 in Cinebench, where the hexa-core 3970 got to stretch its legs. The multithreaded Cinebench R11.5 score for the Mach V (Triple Titan) was 13.62. Only the Origin Genesis (Core i7-3930K), with its 4.9GHz CPU, was faster.

Those performance figures provide an accurate model of how the Falcon-Northwest compares to other gaming systems. What they don't explain is how Falcon and its boutique competitors have leveraged the new cards to create better gaming experiences. We had the opportunity to test the Mach V in a 5,760-by-1,080 configuration across three 27-inch displays. A standard 1,920-by-1,080 display contains two megapixels? 5,760-by-1080 more than triples that, to 6.2MP. For comparison, 2,560-by-1,600 is 4 MP.

Yes, three GTX Titan GPUs pushing nearly 200fps in Heaven is impressive. What's more impressive yet is seeing the Mach V (Triple Titan) maintain 90fps in the same benchmark test when running across three displays at once. It's not a capability that's limited to synthetic benchmark tests?while multi-monitor gaming is still not standard, many recent titles like Shogun 2, Serious Sam BFE, World of Warcraft, and Batman: Arkham City all support it.

With three GTX Titan GPUs, the Falcon Northwest Mach V (Triple Titan) is capable of fielding game experiences that other configurations don't offer. Serious Sam BFE at 5,760-by-1,080 with 4x super-sampled AA, 16x AF, and all GPU and CPU options set to maximum, for example, still maintains a consistent 75fps.

The three-monitor experience isn't perfect?the view on the side panels is often distorted and, in some games, magnifies the landscape and enemies to appear closer than they are. Despite these flaws, multi-monitor gaming support is growing, and the immersion in these games is superior to single-panel play. Game for a few hours across three monitors, and you'll find that dropping back to one is jarring.

That said, what's also jarring is the Mach V (Triple Titan)'s price tag. At $999 each, there's no such thing as a cheap Titan GPU, but gamers who are interested without having quite that much scratch to spare should consider a single GPU configuration built around one of Falcon's lower-cost alternatives like the Tiki or FragBox.

If you've got the funds, this is an excellent system. It's a configuration that can handle multi-monitor gaming, 3D gaming, or both without breaking a sweat. Given the strength of the underlying hardware, this Mach V could be the center of a gaming platform for years to come. Buyers who prefer to buy a high-end system and use it for a number of years rather than upgrading on a regular basis should give the Mach V (Triple Titan) serious consideration. Of course, if you want to use this to replace the high-end gaming rig you bought last year because that system was the "fastest," that's also your prerogative. Regardless, with its record-breaking performance, triple-monitor capability, and smart power-saving functionality, the Falcon Northwest Mach V (Triple Titan) earns our Editors' Choice for high-end gaming desktops.

More Desktop Reviews:
??? Maingear F131 Super Stock (GTX Titan)
??? Falcon Northwest Mach V (Triple Titan)
??? Zotac ZBox Nano AD12 Plus
??? HP Pavilion 20-b010z
??? HP Envy Phoenix h9-1320t
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/cDU1aZ7ed-o/0,2817,2415720,00.asp

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Rumor: New Feature Looming? With a possible launch in March...

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Are you smarter than a football player? Sample Wonderlic Test

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Risk Averse: Will iOS Become Apple's Windows XP?

Until recently Apple has been on an unstoppable roll. Apple's iPhones and iPads have been flying off the shelf. But when Apple's latest quarterly results got a thumbs down from Wall Street, from the market, lots of people started wondering if Apple had lost its mojo.

Dan Lyons put it this way here here at ReadWrite, ?It seems Apple has hit a wall. It?s not just about sales and earnings, but also about innovation. It?s been years since Apple did something truly revolutionary.?

A Delicate Balance Of Innovation

But truly revolutionary can also be truly risky. With 75 million iOS devices sold in Q1 of its 2013 fiscal year, Apple?s success is now increasingly all about iOS. To keep the iOS train moving and churning out profits, Apple needs to innovate - but not so much that it scares away the legions of happy iPhone and iPad users.

Might iOS, the very product that helped put Apple on top, require risk taking beyond what the new Apple can handle? Current users love iOS - but Apple seems to losing the numbers war to Android.

To turn the tide, iOS may need to be re-invented. That often happens to operating systems, but it is not easy to pull off without killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Other companies have seen inordinately popular operating systems actually hold them back from getting fully behind new and improved versions.

The Windows XP Comparison

Look at Microsoft. Windows XP was released on October 25, 2001 and it took until August 2012 before Windows 7 had more users. Windows 8 - given its challenging new interface - might have an even tougher time moving the needle.

Windows XP was successful because - as David Johnson, an analyst with Forrester has noted - ?It was a very, very good operating system... a superb OS because it removed a lot of pain.? While the Macintosh was often called great, Windows XP was often said to be ?good enough? and with inexpensive hardware as a platform, it won the desktop computing war.

Windows XP retains a strong hold on many users, to Microsoft's chagrin. The company would like to see them buying new computers loaded with Windows 8.

Is it conceivable that Apple has achieved that magic ?good enough? formula with iOS on its current iPhones? People hang onto to their iPhone because it has been a positive experience for them and it works - will that affect Apple's ability to get the to try something new and presumably better?

The iPhone and iOS revolutionized smartphones and tablets much like the Mac popularized graphical user interfaces. Now, in spite of huge Apple numbers, the smartphone and tablet markets are slipping away to Android much like the computer market went to Windows XP.

Is iOS Falling Behind?

Where does iOS stand today? Erica Ogg at Gigacom argues that while there have lots of releases of iOS, there has been little change.

?While iOS has seen six new releases since its debut in 2007, there have been few major changes. The arrival of the App Store in 2008, and push notifications in 2009 were the last big adjustments in how the software works.?

John Martellaro, a Mac Observer writer who used to work for me at Apple, recently had this to say in his article, We?ve Changed and Grown. Apple?s iOS Hasn?t:

?iOS, now roughly six years old, was designed in an era of much less hardware capability and launched on the small 3.5-inch display of the original iPhone. Now, it's being pressed into service on ever larger iPhone and also iPad displays. One of the big annoyances is the single foreground app/single window design.?

The iPhone is also losing some notable users and influencers, including Steve Wozniak and Robert Scoble. Yet in spite of all this, the number of people who own iPhones and who are planning to switch to another platform remains small. A recent study suggests that the number of iPhone users planning to buy another iPhone has dropped only from 88% to 75%.

Why Change Will Be Hard

If the iPhone and the iPad are no longer the clear technology leaders, big change seems in order. Ironically, Apple's loyal customers who still plan to buy a new iPhone might be a hurdle. How much Apple can change iOS without losing the loyalty of those customers?

In a recent Ars Technica survey - iPhone users: what does Android have that you want? - 8% said they wanted bigger displays - but 10% said they would never switch from their iPhone.

Apple Has Been Here Before

Finding just the right amount of change in that environment won't be easy. But Apple has successfully faced this type of pivotal moment before - sometimes even without the help of Steve Jobs. Apple's history demonstrates a willingness to make technology breaks when needed.

Today's need for innovation while maintaining a satisfied customer base calls for the same boldness that Apple displayed when it moved users from the Apple II line to the Macintosh line, and later from Mac OS9 to Mac OSX and finally to Intel processors. Apple users gave Apple high marks for these difficult transitions.

Can Apple Do It Again?

But this is a different Apple - and a different, arguably less-forgiving market. As Blackberry and Nokia so clearly demonstrate, things happen quickly in the mobile space, with little room for error.

Whether Apple can innovate enough to stem the Android march while keeping current users happy might be the first big test for the new, post-Jobs Apple.

Apple still has one key advantage. Apple owns the whole widget, the hardware and the software. In the past it has made the ecosystem change so compelling that loyal customers followed without hesitation. But Google and Microsoft are starting to copy Apple?s whole-widget strategy - and that could make any iOS transition even harder.

What's Next?

All things point to Apple making significant changes in iOS in 2013. Most Apple iOS users will follow wherever Apple goes - but that is only half the battle.

It all boils down to two things. Does Apple have the vision to make the next version of iOS a true advance? And even if the next iOS is a huge hit among current users, will it be enough to stem the tide toward Android?

If Apple can pull off this difficult transition, it could find itself set for another 5 years. If not, it will face increasing pressure from many sides.

?

Image by Fredric Paul.

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The Most Memorable Oscar Dates of All Time!

Angelina & her brother! Madonna & Michael! Take a look back at iconic pairings who have hit the red carpet at the Academy Awards.

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Crisis forces Greeks to skimp on weddings, funerals

ATHENS (Reuters) - Fewer Greeks are walking down the aisle as their country's deep economic crisis takes a toll on their famously lavish weddings, an age-old ritual that has become an unbearable cost for those struggling to make ends meet.

Religious wedding ceremonies in bell tower chapels overflowing with flowers, meter-high candles and candy wrapped in tulle, are a deeply ingrained tradition in Greece, where the powerful Orthodox Church plays an influential role in society.

But as recession slides into its sixth year, unemployment rises and poverty spreads, a church wedding is a luxury many couples can no longer afford.

For 28-year-old bride Nafsika Koutrokoi, who works at a butcher shop, fulfilling her dream of marrying her fianc?, a cable technician, in church was a difficult decision that required huge sacrifices.

"Things are quite tough right now," she said after the wedding. "We cut down on many things, from invitations to the reception, on everything."

The number of Greek couples who tied the knot in church tumbled to 28,000 in 2011, two years into Europe's debt crisis, compared to the pre-crisis level of 40,000 in 2008, according to the country's statistic service ELSTAT.

In contrast, the number of low-key civil unions skyrocketed to 26,000 in 2011 from about 8,000 a decade earlier.

As Greece's crisis deepens and successive governments are forced to impose wage cuts and tax rises in exchange for the foreign aid keeping the economy afloat, the wedding industry's countless shops and planners are also feeling the pinch.

"They want whatever is cheapest, which often is not possible because the cost of everything is rising," said wedding shop owner Anastasia Theophanopoulou, whose family business has sold wedding supplies for decades. "There is a drastic drop."

The downturn has also had an unexpected effect on another ceremony revered by many Greeks - funerals.

With more and more Greeks having trouble paying for funerals, municipal authorities in Athens have reduced the cost of burial in the capital's cemeteries.

"There was always money for the deceased, but now people are in a very bad state," said Athens City Councillor Nikos Kokkinos, who is responsible for cemeteries.

Some Greeks do not collect their dead loved ones from the hospital to avoid having to pay for the funeral. Others can no longer afford a traditional marble tombstone and so leave plots as simple dirt mounds overgrown by weeds, a cemetery official said.

Funeral home director Vassilis Tranou has been forced to lower prices at his family-run business and sometimes will do a funeral - which costs at least 1,500 euros - for free.

"People don't have the money anymore or they don't spend like they used to, and Greeks are usually people who take great care with the people they have lost," Tranou said.

"It makes your hair stand on end," he said, recounting the story of a man who was only able to bury his mother by selling a family heirloom of four gold coins.

(Writing by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Roger Atwood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/crisis-forces-greeks-skimp-weddings-funerals-183753520.html

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