Smart watches gain interest and popularity

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. These new watches not only tell time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. These new watches not only tell time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connects to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connect to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, displays his company's smart watch in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. This new watch not only tells time, but also connects to smart phones within 10 meters. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) ? On a sunny day at a picnic table in Silicon Valley, Eric Migicovsky glanced down at his wristwatch. He wasn't checking the time, he was checking his email. Glancing up, he grinned. The message was from yet another journalist.

In this corner of a world obsessed with the latest tech gadget, Migicovsky is this week's hotshot as his start-up company rolls out its new, high-tech Pebble smart watches. The $150, postage stamp-sized computer on a band is tethered wirelessly to a wearer's Android or iPhone.

With hands truly free, wearers can also read texts, see who is calling them, scan Twitter or Facebook feeds and yes, check the time, while digging in their garden, barbequing a steak or ? as he was doing when he conceived of the idea ? riding a bike when his phone began to ring.

And that's just the first version. Apps are being developed that could eventually bring everything from Angry Birds to eBay bidding onto our wrists.

"I like it when I'm running," says Migicovsky, "I like it on the subway, on an airplane, anytime I want to see what's on my phone without pulling it out of my pocket."

Pebble, which began shipping in January, is not the first to make a play for the watch market, which dwindled when consumers added smartphones to their purses and pockets. But this little firm of 11 is the most popular in the smart watch sector today, bubbling up amid rampant rumors that Apple has its own iWatch in the works.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison declined to comment, but it wasn't the first time she'd been asked. Apple has several patents for high-tech watches.

Tim Bajarin, a Creative Strategies analyst who's followed Apple for more than three decades, said he's been waiting for an iWatch ever since the company introduced a tiny Nano in 2010 and consumers began strapping them to their wrists.

"I do believe that Apple could potentially disrupt the watch market if they took their innovative design and tied it to their smartphones and ecosystems," he said. "We have no knowledge that they are doing this, but the area is ripe for innovation."

Meanwhile, Bajarin has one of the first 6,000 Pebbles shipped out so far, and he was gushing over it.

"I love it," he said. "I have four or five people who message me consistently, mostly my wife. In the past, I was always being forced to look at the face of my smartphone to see who it was, now I just glance at my wrist."

The next step? He wants a "Dick Tracy watch" that he could verbally order around, instead of pushing buttons.

Even without Apple, Pebble already faces serious competition with a handful of other smart watches.

The Cookoo, selling for $130, has a battery that lasts a year, compared to Pebble's once-a-week charge. The Sony SmartWatch, at $129.98, has a touchscreen, Motorola's $149 MOTOACTV includes a heart rate monitor and MetaWatch's $299 STRATA has a more feminine design.

These newly emerging devices are innovative not only for what they do, but also for how they were funded.

Last April, after failing to convince venture capitalists to fund Pebble, Migicovsky pitched it on Kickstarter, a website where any Internet user can support a project. He asked for $100,000. He got $10.3 million before capping his request. Supporters who spent $115 were promised a watch, which means Pebble has already sold about 85,000 watches. Cookoo and STRATA also turned to Kickstarter for start-up funding.

Michael Gartenberg, research director for technology research firm Gartner Inc., warned all of these start-ups face major challenges.

"There's been a lot of failed efforts to create smart watches and the key will be for vendors to understand the watch isn't just another digital device," he said. "Consumers wear watches for many reasons that have nothing to do with telling time, as evidenced by watch companies such as Rolex."

Gartenberg said that so far, none of the smart watches are really designed for the mass market. "The real question is will Apple or Google get into this space?" he asked, noting that Microsoft tried some years ago with their failed SPOT watches.

Any new device, even a watch, also raises regulatory questions. Are they safe to use on airplanes? Could they interfere with other devices? California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Erin Komatsubara said drivers are allowed to glance at a smart watch but it's not recommended to try to read anything at all while driving.

"It's considered a distraction," she said. "Two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel, that's what we really, really want."

Manuel Yazijian, president of The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, said mechanical watches have a mystique of their own. But he said watchmakers may eventually turn their focus, attention to detail and ability to work on small items to smart watches.

"It's a different ballgame. I just don't know if they'll need maintenance and repair yet," he said. "Time will tell, no pun intended."

And the app Yazijian would like to see? "Our industry likes the old school mechanical stuff that ticks, like a heartbeat, like a live animal on your wrist," he said. "It would be so cool if the smart watch could make a ticking sound, right?"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-28-What's%20On%20Your%20Wrist?/id-36cabe55c072456ab0d241a0b5d1caaa

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Las Vegas seen as dangerous even as crime drops

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2013 file photo, law enforcement personal investigate the scene of a multi-vehicle accident and shooting in Las Vegas. Variously known as an adult playground and Disneyland for grown-ups, Las Vegas has worked to brand itself as a place where tourists can enjoy a sense of edginess with no real danger. But a series of high-profile and seemingly random incidents that have left visitors to the Strip dead or in the hospital is threatening Sin City?s reputation as a padded room of a town where people can cut loose with no fear of consequences. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid, File) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2013 file photo, law enforcement personal investigate the scene of a multi-vehicle accident and shooting in Las Vegas. Variously known as an adult playground and Disneyland for grown-ups, Las Vegas has worked to brand itself as a place where tourists can enjoy a sense of edginess with no real danger. But a series of high-profile and seemingly random incidents that have left visitors to the Strip dead or in the hospital is threatening Sin City?s reputation as a padded room of a town where people can cut loose with no fear of consequences. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid, File) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2013 file photo, law enforcement personal investigate the scene of a mulit-vehicle accident on Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo Road. Variously known as an adult playground and Disneyland for grown-ups, Las Vegas has worked to brand itself as a place where tourists can enjoy a sense of edginess with no real danger. But a series of high-profile and seemingly random incidents that have left visitors to the Strip dead or in the hospital is threatening Sin City?s reputation as a padded room of a town where people can cut loose with no fear of consequences. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid) LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; LAS VEGAS SUN OUT

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Variously known as an adult playground and Disneyland for grown-ups, Las Vegas brands itself as a place where tourists can enjoy a sense of edginess with no real danger.

But a series of high-profile episodes of random violence amid the throngs of tourists is threatening Sin City's reputation as a padded room of a town where people can cut loose with no fear of consequences.

A car-to-car shooting and fiery crash that killed two bystanders and an aspiring rapper Thursday followed a bizarre elevator stabbing and a movie theater parking lot shooting.

Though crime has been falling on the glitzy stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that houses most of the city's major casinos, tourism officials worry that vacationers and convention planners could begin to steer clear of the town because of a perception of mayhem.

"We are concerned because it can create misperceptions about the safety of the city, the safety of the Strip," said Gary Thompson, spokesman for Caesars Entertainment, which owns 10 resorts in the tourist zone, including Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas.

Casinos are particularly worried about convention business, which helps fill rooms and gambling tables between weekends. Corporate planners can swing the market with a few decisions, said Gordon Absher, spokesman for MGM Resorts International.

"And that decision will bring thousands of people," he said. MGM operates several major casino-hotels, including CityCenter, where Thursday's convulsion of violence originated.

Violent crime, which includes murder, rape, robbery and assault, in the city's main tourist hub fell 13 percent in 2012, from 256 to 223 incidents, and is down 11 percent for the first part of 2013, with 50 incidents reported. The number of rapes has fallen by more than a third.

There have been two homicides just off the Strip this year, in addition to the three deaths Thursday, compared to none in the area during the first month and a half of 2012.

Had they taken place elsewhere, the incidents that made headlines in recent weeks would never have become national stories, Thompson said. But when the crime happens in a city that welcomes 40 million visitors a year, people tend to care even if they haven't seen the neon lights in years.

"It's like, 'I was there! I stayed in there in Las Vegas! I walked that part of the Strip!'" he said.

The spate of violence started just before the new year, when a man shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, an Excalibur hotel-casino concierge clerk, before fatally shooting himself.

The following week, a blackjack dealer was wrestled to the ground at the Bellagio with razor blades in both hands. She is charged with killing a 10 year-old girl and then slashing her co-worker's face.

On New Year's Eve, a man allegedly fired a gunshot into the floor of the crowded Circus Circus casino during an argument. A Saudi air force sergeant is accused of raping a 13-year-old boy in the rooms above the same night.

A nighttime shooting outside a Strip movie theater left two people critically wounded earlier this month. Last week, two random men allegedly assaulted a visitor in the elevator at the Mandalay Bay property, tackling him and stabbing him in such a frenzy that they also stabbed each other.

During the same period, Las Vegas courts sentenced a Florida teacher for killing a stranger with a single punch after trading words in a casino bathroom, and heard the case of two law students charged with beheading an exotic bird at the Flamingo casino-hotel.

The shoot-'em-up car chase that closed the Strip for 12 hours Thursday was the most public and deadly incident yet.

A person in a luxury SUV opened fire on an aspiring rapper in a Maserati near one of the busiest intersections on the iconic corridor. As the bullets flew, the Maserati ran a red light and crashed into a taxi, which burst into flames. The taxi driver, a passenger and the rapper were killed, and six people were injured.

Casino executives say they do all they can to keep visitors safe, with armies of guards, networks of high-definition survielence cameras and undercover security workers scattered throughout nearly every major attraction.

"Unless you are a complete idiot, you're not going to want to commit many crimes in or around a casino because you're going to get caught," Thompson said.

But catching a criminal isn't the same as stopping the crime.

Commissioners in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, are weighing steps to increase safety, including installing additional cameras in public spaces and broadening the sidewalks. In October, they banned potentially dangerous objects including fireworks, knives and toy guns from the Strip.

But real guns remain permissible. Nevada's relaxed gun laws, including the ability to carry them openly, have made Las Vegas an attractive spot for shooting ranges and gun shows.

Some observers think police should step up their presence on the Strip, just as they did after three slayings in 2011.

"Clearly they should be looking into this because they have had a string of incidents now, and while they've all been random incidents, they all did happen," said David Schwartz, the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

On Thursday, police spokesman Jose Hernandez said the department had no plans to send additional officers to the Strip, noting that crime remains relatively low for a town that accommodates so many visitors each day.

But with violent crime, as with so much else in Vegas, perception may outweigh reality. As a place built on the promise of letting loose, the city must work extra hard to banish all fear of danger, said Tony Henthorne, a marketing professor at the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration in Las Vegas.

"It's important for any destination that relies on tourism for a major percentage of its income to appear safe," he said, "and also actually to be safe."

___

Hannah Dreier can be reached at http://twitter.com/hannahdreier

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-23-US-Vegas-Safety-Fears/id-6b65add93bf843f9933bfc237e95a672

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We're live from MWC 2013 in Barcelona!

We've arrived in Catalonia's capital city, where snow, apparently, has marked the start of this year's Mobile World Congress. That's right, the hills surrounding this typically warm Mediterranean metropolis have been blanketed in a thin layer of flurries, but we're nonetheless optimistic about this week's smartphone show in Barcelona. As MWC 2013's massive new venue begins to take shape, we're preparing to deliver the hottest hands-ons, directly from Fira Gran Via. Some manufacturers, such as HTC and LG, have already demoed their latest handsets, and other devices have made an early debut, but there's plenty of excitement still to come, as you'll discover in our show preview. We'll be sharing our liveblog lineup in a few hours -- for now, it's time to bookmark our event page, and check back often throughout the next week.

Gallery: We're live from MWC 2013!

Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones, Laptops, Mobile

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/23/live-from-mwc-2013/

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Is Releasing Alex Smith the Likeliest Scenario for the San Francisco 49ers? - Yahoo! Sports

Finding a new team via free agency does not appear to be an option for Alex Smith -- at least not this offseason.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting sources have told him the 49ers are "highly, highly, highly unlikely" to release Smith into free agency.

Is this another way of saying the 49ers really, really, really expect to have suitors for Smith in a trade beginning on March 12, or that the team would rather keep Smith and the $8.5 million owed to him in 2013 rather than let him walk with nothing in return.

Smith is owed $7.5 million of the $8.5 million he will make in 2013 on April 1, forcing the 49ers to make a decision on his future before that deadline.

Several teams are presumably interested in Smith. The Cleveland Browns appear to be a nice fit, especially with Norv Turner as their new offensive coordinator. As offensive coordinator for the 49ers in 2006, Turner guided Smith to a 58.1 completion percentage and 2,890 yards passing in a 7-9 year.

The Chiefs seem to be the favorite at the moment, however, based on new general manager John Dorsey's comments on the caliber of the quarterbacks in the 2013 draft class.

"There is no quarterback where personnel guys can definitely say, 'He's a first-round pick,'" Dorsey said. "There were so many inconsistencies in the collective group. There was not one guy that stood up and said, 'I'm the guy in the position this year.' There really wasn't one clear-cut guy."

The Chiefs desperately need a quarterback, and with Smith arguably being the best available at the position this offseason, it is no surprise that the two would be linked.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and Smith have discussed the future of the high-paid backup quarterback.

"We had a great meal," Baalke said. "We had a great discussion. I can't say enough good things. And I think if you ask anyone in our organization they would say the same thing: He is a pro's pro. And I have nothing but great respect for him, his family, and we're certainly going to do everything in our power to make the best decision for everyone involved."

The best decision for the 49ers is by no means the best decision for Smith, though. The ideal situation for the 49ers is to trade Smith and receive decent draft picks and/or players in return. For Smith, immediate release from the 49ers allows him to receive the maximum attention from prospective teams looking for a starting quarterback starting on March 12.

San Francisco is going to do what is best for the team, as Mortensen's report further confirmed. The 49ers will pursue trading Smith up until April 1, at which time they will need to reevaluate the situation by either cutting Smith loose and saving $7.5 million, or keeping him as a rather expensive backup quarterback in 2013.

All indications are that the team is leaning towards keeping Smith as their backup to starter Colin Kaepernick if a trade is no longer an option. But Smith's leadership and guidance on the sideline for Kaepernick would be a major positive for the 49ers, as well as a bit of safety if the injury-prone "pistol" offense decides to backfire on Kaepernick.

Scott Semmler is a senior at San Jose State University fortunate enough to have covered nearly every Bay Area professional sports team, including the San Francisco Giants' 2012 World Series title. Follow him on Twitter @ScottSemmler22.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ObrNewswire/~3/p7cs30HFcZI/releasing-alex-smith-likeliest-scenario-san-francisco-49ers-161200367--nfl.html

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Obama: Parks statue dedication a 'powerful moment' (The Arizona Republic)

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Expanding your reach using video streaming to mobile devices ...

Using wowza to stream to mobile devices

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How could using video streaming to mobile devices help your marketing strategy? As a business owner, you need to spread your reach to as many potential customers as possible. Since nowadays most people own modern mobile devices, it only seems natural that you should expand your reach to mobile platforms as well. It is predicted that in the next few years there will be more people browsing the internet from their mobile phones rather than from their desktop computers.

Every respectable business should be looking to expand its reach to as many people as possible. After all, the more potential customers a business has, the more money they will have in thier pocket. With Wowza media server you are able to broadcast live and on-demand video content to even thousands of users simultaneously.?Even though there are other software programs able to stream to mobile devices, Wowza media server is probably your best bet.

February 21st, 2013 ?

Source: http://blog.serverroom.us/mobile-video-streaming/

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Romney to address conservative conference in March (The Arizona Republic)

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Bilingual children have a better 'working memory' than monolingual children

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A study conducted at the University of Granada and the University of York in Toronto, Canada, has revealed that bilingual children develop a better working memory ?which holds, processes and updates information over short periods of time? than monolingual children. The working memory plays a major role in the execution of a wide range of activities, such as mental calculation (since we have to remember numbers and operate with them) or reading comprehension (given that it requires associating the successive concepts in a text).

The objective of this study ?which was published in the last issue of the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology? was examining how multilingualism influences the development of the "working memory" and investigating the association between the working memory and the cognitive superiority of bilingual people found in previous studies.

Executive Functions

The working memory includes the structures and processes associated with the storage and processing of information over short periods of time. It is one of the components of the so-called "executive functions": a set of mechanisms involved in the planning and self-regulation of human behavior. Although the working memory is developed in the first years of life, it can be trained and improved with experience.

According to the principal investigator of this study, Julia Morales Castillo, of the Department of Experimental Psychology of the University of Granada, this study contributes to better understand cognitive development in bilingual and monolingual children. "Other studies have demonstrated that bilingual children are better at planning and cognitive control (i.e. tasks involving ignoring irrelevant information or requiring a dominant response). But, to date, there was no evidence on the influence of bilingualism on the working memory.

The study sample included bilingual children between 5 and 7 years of age (a critical period in the development of the working memory). The researchers found that bilingual children performed better than monolingual children in working memory tasks. Indeed, the more complex the tasks the better their performance. "The results of this study suggest that bilingualism does not only improve the working memory in an isolated way, but they affect the global development of executive functions, especially when they have to interact with each other", Morales Castillo states.

Music Education

According to the researcher, the results of this study "contribute to the growing number of studies on the role of experience in cognitive development". Other studies have demonstrated that children performing activities such as music education have better cognitive capacities. "However, we cannot determine to what extent children perform these activities due to other factors such as talent or personal interest".

"However, the children in our study were bilingual because of family reasons rather than because of an interest in languages.

###

University of Granada: http://www.ugr.es

Thanks to University of Granada for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126939/Bilingual_children_have_a_better__working_memory__than_monolingual_children

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Chinese company named official flooring sponsor for table tennis at Nanjing 2014...

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Gas prices at 4-month high after 32 days of increases

Keith Bedford / Reuters

Fuel prices are displayed at a gas station in New York, on Feb. 18. According to the American Automobile Association, U.S. gas prices have risen for the last 32 days.

By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

U.S. gas prices have hit a four-month high with 32 straight days of increases at the pump bringing misery to spring breakers and job hunters.

The Automobile Association of America said Monday that the national average for a gallon of regular is $3.73 -- 43 cents more than a month ago -- with prices topping $4 in California and Hawaii.

"It's become the perfect storm," AAA spokeswoman Nancy White said.

White and other experts blamed a series of factors for the uptick that started in mid-January:

-- Some refineries are switching over from winter to summer fuel, which is more expensive to produce.

-- A Hess refinery in New Jersey that supplies 7.5 percent of the Northeast's gas is closing.

-- Midwinter maintenance has led some refineries to go offline temporarily.

-- Demand for gas is up, fueled in part by the return of more people to working.

The price hikes come at a bad time, however, for Americans who are still out of work or facing smaller paychecks because of higher payroll taxes.

"Try the bad gas prices while trying to find a job," one unemployed driver vented on the Facebook page for GasBuddy.com, which tracks fuel prices around the nation.

Patrick DeHaan, an analyst with the website, said many cities have seen increases of 8 cents to 20 cents in just the past week. "This is what we usually see in late winter, early spring, but prices have started to rally two months earlier than usual," he said.

He said his firm's unscientific user surveys suggest that the pinch at the pump could lead to less travel over spring break in March and April and changes in plans for Memorial Day and even the summer.

"There are people predicting that it will go over $5 a gallon," DeHaan said. "I don't believe that's possible, but it shows how concerned motorists are."

On the Facebook page, many posters were worried that the rise in gas prices could cause an economic meltdown.

"When you raise prices on gas people will stop spending money because they need to get back and forth to work and pay their bills each month," one wrote.

"If it's this high right now, imagine what it's gonna be here in a few months!" another fretted.

White of AAA said that based on historical trends, prices will likely continue to rise into the warmer months and driving season, but not at the same pace they did in 2011 and 2012, when developments in Libya and Iran caused big spikes.

"That is not so much part of the picture right now," she said. "But that could change should something else happen overseas."

This story was originally published on Mon Feb 18, 2013 3:24 PM EST

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17005861-gas-prices-at-four-month-high-after-32-days-of-hikes-at-the-pump?lite

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EU privacy regulators take aim at Google privacy policy

Claire Davenport , Reuters ? ? ? 22 hrs.

European data watchdogs said on Monday they plan to take action against Google by this summer for its privacy policy, which allows the search engine to pool user data from across all its services ranging from YouTube to Gmail.

The move is the latest in a skirmish between the Web giant and Europe's data protection regulators who view the privacy rules put in place in March by Google as "high risk," although have stopped short of declaring them illegal.

Regulators view the bundling of data on users as potentially constituting a high risk to individuals' privacy.

Google last year consolidated 60 privacy policies into one, combining data collected on individual users across its services, including YouTube, Gmail and social network Google+. Users cannot opt out.

In October, Europe's 27 data regulators gave Google four months to change its approach, listing 12 "practical recommendations" for it to bring its privacy policy into line.

On Monday the French privacy regulator, which last year led an initial inquiry into the tech giant's new policy, said it would set up a further inquiry because Google had not yet addressed their concerns.

"Google did not provide any precise and effective answers," the French regulator CNIL said.

"In this context, the EU data protection authorities are committed to act and continue their investigations. Therefore, they propose to set up a working group, led by the CNIL, in order to coordinate their reaction, which should take place before summer."

Google said it did respond to CNIL on Jan. 8 by listing steps already taken to address their concerns.

"We have engaged fully with CNIL throughout the process and will continue to do so," Al Verney, a spokesperson said.

He added that the privacy policy did respect European law.

The pooling of anonymous user data across Google services, is a big advantage when selling online ads.

Google and other large internet groups such as Facebook provide free services to consumers and earn money from selling ads that they say are more closely targeted than traditional TV or radio campaigns.

(Reporting by Claire Davenport; editing by Leila Abboud and Keiron Henderson)

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/eu-privacy-regulators-take-aim-google-privacy-policy-1C8415363

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Source: http://blog.jasonberkes.net/2013/02/18/small-business-accounting-in-lower-hutt-your-business-counts/

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iMore Editors' Choice: Uber, Little Inferno, Jot mini, and more

Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a stylus, a service that will make it easier than ever to call a taxi or car, an app that will tell you everything you need to know about your favorite brands by simply taking a photo of their logo, a news app that speaks to you, a fiery hot game, and a nutrition app.

Little Inferno - Simon Sage

Little Inferno brings the simple joy of lighting things on fire to your iPad. This more-than-slightly-off-kilter game has players toss various objects into a Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace to earn Tomorrow Bucks. Tomorrow Bucks are spent on ordering new objects from catalogs, which, when burned up in certain combinations, award Tomorrow Stamps. Tomorrow Stamps can speed up the delivery of new objects, while achieving a certain number of combinations will unlock new catalogs.

Every object you can order has a high amount of visual polish a reacts realistically to being light on fire and moved around, right down to sound effects, physics, and the way it crumbles under a blaze. Little Inferno was made by the same crazy people that made World of Goo happen, so pick this one up if you?re looking for something out of the norm.

• $4.99 - Download now

Jot mini - Chris Oldroyd

As part of my quest to become paper free I decided it was about time to start using my iPad to take hand written notes at meetings etc. I currently own a Pogo Sketch stylus and to be honest it?s like having a marshmallow on a cocktail stick. I needed something more accurate and more like a pen.

I did some research and decided to pick up a Jot mini stylus and I am so glad that I did. The Jot started life as a Kickstarter project and is known as the stylus with the small clear disc on the end but the feel of an actual ball point pen. Well I can tell you one thing, it is absolutely superb. It is highly accurate and feels just like you are using a real pen and I can?t praise it highly enough.

The Jot mini is simply a cut down version of the Jot Pro stylus and it may not be the best choice if you have bi hands. For me it is perfect and if you are in the market for a stylus, you would be mad not to get one of these!

$21.99 - Buy now

BizVizz - Ally Kazmucha

BizVizz is one of those apps that doesn't have any real world application but does provide a lot of interesting information. The main concept behind it is that you can scan any company logo by taking a photo of it, BizVizz will then spit out all kinds of information on that company from their tax rates to campaign contributions they've made.

While it's not something that everyone will want to know, for those who are interested about their favorite brands, how much they make, what political parties they've been affiliated or contributed to, and more - it's definitely an interesting find.

BizVizz may be intriguing to iPhone users that have strong political affiliations or the ones that care about who they are buying from and what they're doing with the money they put in their pockets. I've been scanning random logos for a few days now and have found BizVizz to be very enlightening in some cases.

• Free - Download Now

Winston - Joseph Keller

Sometimes I wish Siri would bring me information at certain points in my day, telling me about news items while I do other things. That?s exactly what Winston does. Winston is an app that speaks to you, reading out news, weather, and your social feeds. There are a number of channels to to choose from as news sources, with politics, technology, and gaming just a few examples. You can also allow Winston access to your Twitter and Facebook feeds so that he can read them out to you. When you enter the app, tap the Briefing section at the top of your screen to get a rundown of the news since you last opened the app, along with the time and weather.

Winston isn?t perfect. Pronunciation can be an issue, and when parsing social feeds for relevant information, Winston sometimes fixates on a single word that is strange out of context. But though it?s still definitely a work in progress, Winston is still solid enough to use for quick information updates. Winston is currently free on the App Store.

• Free - Download Now

Uber - Rene Ritchie

I don't have the Uber car service here in Montreal yet, but they sure do have it in San Francisco and I made use of it several times while at Macworld|iWorld 2013.

Here's how it used to work: I'd leave a restaurant or party, walk for blocks looking for an ATM, make sure I was secure while getting money, walk a bunch more blocks looking for a taxi, and then finally, maybe, get a ride, then fumble for cash and change and stumble off.

Here's how it works with Uber: Leave a restaurant or party, tap a button, get told a car is 2 to 4 minutes away, watch the car approach on a map, get a call to make sure it finds me, get in, go, get out, get on with my life.

It feels like a luxury, but when you need a car to take you some place, it also feels like a necessity.

The app is free, the rides get billed to your credit card.

• Free - Download now

Healthy Diet & Grocery Food Scanner by ShopWell - Leanna Lofte

Nutrition Week at iMore and Mobile Nations Fitness Month is coming to a close, so this week I went on a hunt for an app that promotes healthy eating and stumbled upon this app that tells you if your groceries are good for your diet. It's called Healthy Diet & Grocery Food Scanner by ShopWell and here's how it works:

After you sign up with an account, or login with Facebook, you go through a series of menus to tell ShopWell what your diet goals are, what foods you value, which ones you want to avoid, and which ones you're allergic to. Once you've completed the setup, you simply scan the barcodes of food in the grocery store or your cupboards and ShopWell will tell you if it's a good match for your needs and why, and color-coded nutrition facts and ingredients.

If you're trying to be a little more health-conscious with what you eat, ShopWell is a great app to help you with that endeavor.

• Free - Download now

Searchpath - Rene Ritchie (Bonus!)

Noted developer Manton Reece has just released a new web service called Searchpath. It's a fast, easy, elegant way to add search to a website. Results are returned in a fancy popover interface, which not only keeps people on your page, but keeps your page visible to them around the popover. It comes in the form of a JavaScript snippet, gives stats, and doubles as a handy site backip.

There's a free demo, and if you like it, you can get the whole service for $8 a month.

• $8/month - View now

Your choice?

Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Atvv4XWqWY0/story01.htm

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Microsoft Lets Skypers Leave Face Mail

Microsoft announced on Friday that Skype users will now be able to leave video messages via the Voice over IP service. This new messaging service, which is now undergoing a beta test, will allow users to send video recordings to contacts even if they're offline or on another call.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/289cf5d9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C773220Bhtml/story01.htm

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Tunisie: L'Union pour la Tunisie appelle ? un congr?s national de salut et r?it?re son soutien ...

Les cinq partis formant l'Union pour la Tunisie, ? savoir ; Al-Jomhouri, Nidaa Toun?s, le Parti socialiste, le Parti du travail patriotique et d?mocratique et Al Massar, ont donn?, vendredi ? Tunis, une conf?rence de presse pour annoncer officiellement la cr?ation de ladite union en tant que front politique ?lectoral.

Cette conf?rence de presse est la premi?re depuis la signature du document constitutif de l'Union pour la Tunisie le 11 f?vrier 2013.

Les repr?sentants de ces partis ont profit? de l'occasion pour souligner le caract?re crucial de cette phase que traverse le pays et qui requiert d'unir les forces politiques, r?it?rant leur appel ? un congr?s national de salut et leur soutien ? l'initiative du chef du gouvernement provisoire Hamadi Jebali.

Auparavant, ils ont observ? une minute de silence et r?cit? la F?tiha ? la m?moire du leader politique et militant des droits de l'Homme Chokri Belaid, assassin? le 6 f?vrier 2013 devant son domicile.

Maya Jribi, secr?taire g?n?rale d'Al-Jomhouri a soulign? que la Tunisie a besoin aujourd'hui d'un nouveau gouvernement bas? sur la concorde nationale autour des dossiers urgents notamment la lutte contre la violence.

De son c?t?, Samir Taieb (Al Massar) s'est dit pr?occup? de la situation ?conomique, sociale et s?curitaire qui pr?vaut dans le pays.

Taieb Baccouche, secr?taire g?n?ral de Nidaa Tounes, a, pour sa part, soulign? ? l'?chec du gouvernement provisoire actuel dans la r?alisation des objectifs qu'il s'?tait fix?s ?, r?affirmant son soutien ? l'initiative de Jebali pour la constitution d'un gouvernement de comp?tences nationales, initiative qui, selon lui, n'est pas en contradiction avec l'organisation d'un congr?s national de salut. Baccouche a exprim? son souhait de voir le congr?s couronn? de succ?s et de ne pas le voir boycott? par les partis qui s'?taient oppos?s ? l'initiative de l'Union g?n?rale tunisienne du travail pour un dialogue national, le 16 octobre 2012. Il a, ?galement, critiqu? le rendement de l'assembl?e nationale constituante qui devrait, ? ses dires, ? se concentrer sur les questions fondamentales telles le parach?vement de la constitution, la mise en place de l'instance sup?rieure ind?pendante pour les ?lections et l'?laboration de la loi ?lectorale ?.

Le secr?taire g?n?ral du parti socialiste, Mohamed Kilani a, quant ? lui, indiqu? que l'Union pour la Tunisie constitue une initiative permettant d'unir les efforts et d'avancer dans l'int?r?t du pays, insistant sur ? la n?cessaire ouverture de l'union sur le reste des forces politiques d?mocratiques ?.

De son c?t?, le secr?taire g?n?ral du parti du travail patriotique et d?mocratique, Abderrazek Hammami, a renouvel? son appel au soutien de la l?gitimit?, ? travers un consensus national qui trouve ?chos dans la tenue d'un congr?s national de salut.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/babnet/MdlY/~3/3vNQnFnkdKI/cadredetail-60565.asp

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Sedona, Arizona For An Exclusive Destination Wedding

Destination weddings are special and different. They don't happen all of the time. They are a lovely way to invite family and friends to a place that will hold special meaning in everyone's hearts. Somewhere away from the mundane, somewhere that will be remembered as the place where something extraordinary happened - your wedding. Sedona, Arizona is a hidden gem when it comes to destination weddings. More accessible and affordable than remote islands, Sedona offers everything a wedding party could ask for in a destination: breathtaking views, spectacular outdoor spaces, stunning indoor architecture, gorgeous mountains, among many other things.

Sedona, Arizona is unique among many towns its size. There are few other places that provide the scenic nature, enthralling day trips, boutique shopping, outdoor adventures, and quiet relaxation all within the same geographic location. This eclectic mix means that Sedona offers something for everyone, making it ideal when it comes to brides, grooms, wedding parties, and guests with different tastes. Take a day trip to the Grand Canyon, a jeep tour of the beautiful red rock mountains surrounding Sedona; hike one of the many trails in the area. Or if classic vacations are more appealing, there are world-class golf courses, relaxing spas, and boutique shopping in the renowned Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. But of course, friends and family are not there solely for a vacation! They are there for a wedding, andSedona is a spectacular destination for your wedding day.

There is a location to suit anyone's ceremony preferences. There are churches and chapels with features like stained glass for a more traditional wedding. Or to enjoy the delightful weather, have an outdoor wedding in a garden with flower-gilded arches, fresh air and a background of the majestic red rocks for something different. On top of the plentiful wedding venue locations, Sedona also has more than enough places to choose for your reception. With unique restaurants, dining halls, and many more options available, it will be simple to find a place for everyone after the ceremony has ended and the festivities begin. After the ceremony, the reception, the dancing, and the greetings the two of you can steal away with to a quiet, secluded suite in one of the many boutique hotels peppered through out Sedona.

One of these boutique hotels is El Portal Sedona Hotel, located in the heart of Sedona. It is a truly exceptional place to have your wedding. The twelve room boutique Sedona hotel was designed and built with careful attention to detail, featuring turn of the century Southwestern design, 18-inch thick handmade adobe walls, recycled wood trim and natural native stone. The property features an intimate, romantic courtyard with dramatic surroundings of towering red rocks that is wonderful for a cherished wedding. The inn also features a spacious great room that can serve as the perfect room for an intimate reception. That same meticulous attention to detail will be there in planning your wedding. El Portal provides guests with unparalleled personal concierge services for Sedona and area, and has created many memorable weddings for up to thirty guests.

Brides who entrust their special day to their hosts at El Portal Sedona Hotel will feel pampered and well taken care of, as they create unforgettable memories in one of the most beautiful places in the world. It's your very own wedding getaway. No need to rush to a taxi and off to the airport, relaxation and seclusion are already at your fingertips.

About the Author:
El Portal Sedona Hotel is a luxury inn where guests can enjoy Sedona and area in historic yet luxurious surroundings. El Portal is a pet friendly bed and breakfast with fenced-in pet patios. This boutique hotel is the perfect place for Sedona destination wedding!

Contact Information:
El Portal Sedona Hotel
95 Portal Lane, Sedona, AZ 86336
928-203-9405
800-313-0017
Fax: 928-203-9401
info@elportalsedona.com
Steve Segner, Owner

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Sedona--Arizona-For-An-Exclusive-Destination-Wedding-/4438515

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NBRI Lucknow Walk in JRF Project Asst Jobs Recruitment 2013

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Source: http://current.com/community/94051952_nbri-lucknow-walk-in-jrf-project-asst-jobs-recruitment-2013.htm?xid=RSSfeed

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Visual Graphic Design Conference February 2013 | Bemmygail ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://malonao0.blogspot.com/2013/02/visual-graphic-design-conference.html

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ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide - What You Need To Know

Preparing for Your ACS Examination in General Chemistry - What Is It?

This is usually referred to as The General Chemistry Study Guide. This includes 113 pages in three categories. The first part is a brief explanation of content in general chemistry. In the second part there are example exam questions. In the final part of the guide, there are practice questions. Content is derived from both semesters of General Chemistry and includes: Descriptive Chemistry / Periodicity Electrochemistry / Redox Molecular Structure and Bonding States of Matter / Solutions Atomic Structure Energetics Dynamics Stoichiometry Equilibrium Laboratory Chemistry

ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide - How To Handle Test Anxiety

Many of you experience the dreaded 'test anxiety' when you first see the exam. This is very natural, and it stems from uncertainty. It is all material that has already been presented to you in class. It is true that you must read the directions, but nothing on the exam is meant to trick you.

ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide - How To Study For It.

Do start the serious studying at least one week before the exam. The best way to learn the material is by writing it, not reading it. Reading is good for the initial exposure to the material, but to really learn it you have to write it. Many of you use flash cards - the first time you write the reaction scheme on a flash card you are performing the same operation that will be required of you on an exam (and that's great), but after that, when you 'study' the cards, all you are really doing is reading them.

Remember you have a whole week so you don't need to do all the reactions in one day. Make it more difficult by changing the direction of the reaction. You might see the reaction presented from left to right, but the exam will often test your knowledge from right to left

The best way to learn most anything is through repetition. This is why you need to start as early as possible and do a few reactions everyday. Do learn the mechanisms in the same way - write them over and over.

ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide - What Not To Do

Don't wait too long before you start seriously studying the ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide.
Time is not on your side. You have many classes and they all require a time commitment, but this can be managed if you do some organic studying everyday.

Don't depend on tutors or group-study to learn the material. Tutors and group study work best when used to clarify complex points or help confirm that you already know the material when you have to explain it to others.

ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide - Final thoughts

What I hope to give you in this study guide are my strategies regarding the best, most effective, way to study organic chemistry. Your goal is to manage and learn the vast amount of material that is presented to you in this class.
For more information on how to study more effectively for the ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide, click here.

Jasmine blogs about educational topics such as how to improve your grades in college, ACS Organic Chemistry Study Guide and the Good Grades Guide.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/acs-organic-chemistry-study-guide-what-you-need-to-know-316332

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Real Estate Investors Flock To Multi-Unit Homes - The Mortgage ...

Mortgage rates and markets change constantly. Stay 100% current by taking The Mortgage Reports by email each day. Click here to get free email alerts, or subscribe to the RSS feed in your browser.

Real estate investors made the most of Q4 2012.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), originations of multi-family and commercial mortgages increased nearly 50 percent during October, November and December 2012 as compared to the 3 months prior.

Low mortgage rates and a recovering U.S. housing market sparked a real estate investment frenzy which appears to have carried over into 2013.

Demand for home loans remains high across all loan and buyer types.

Click here for today's mortgage rates.

Multi-Unit Homes In High Demand

Multifamily and commercial mortgage originations surged between Q3 2012 and Q4 2012, climbing by close one-half. Furthermore, as compared to Q4 2011, as the housing market was renewing off its bottom, originations were up 50 percent as well.

Using investment in real estate as a proxy, then, this year's housing market looks decidedly stronger than last. Multi-family and commercial mortgage lending has climbed to its highest point in five years, and 2013 is expected to remain similarly strong.

It's notable, too, that multi-family homes accounted for a huge portion of the year-end gains.

With residential mortgage rates ending the year below 3.5% and rents rising more than 6% annually, real estate investors snapped up homes for purposes of building a portfolio.

According to real estate web company Trulia, several cities in which rents made large year-over-year gains include :

• Houston, Texas : 15.8% average rent increase for most recent 12 months
• Miami, Florida : 9.1%?average rent increase for most recent 12 months
• Boston, Massachusetts : 6.0% average rent increase for most recent 12 months

Rents in Oakland climbed 10.0% percent year-over-year.

Click here for today's mortgage rates.

Mortgage Applications Also Increasing

The MBA also recently released its weekly Mortgage Applications Survey which showed, for the week ending February 1, mortgage applications climbed 3.4 percent as compared to the week prior.

Despite persistently rising mortgage rates, refinance activity has remained high. Mortgage rates have climbed from a New Year's Day rate of 3.31 percent to today's average rate of 3.53 percent for borrowers willing to pay 0.8 discount points plus a full set of closing cost.

Mortgage rates for a zero-closing cost mortgage are slightly higher. ??

78% of last week's mortgage applications were for home refinances, comprised of?FHA Streamline Refinances,?VA Streamline Refinance, HARP loans, and rate-and-term refinancing, among others.?

Purchase mortgage applications account for the remaining 22 percent of applications.

Click here for today's mortgage rates.

Renting An Owner-Occupied 3- or 4-Unit Home

Demand for multi-unit homes was supported by more than just experienced real estate investors -- everyday home buyers bought them, too. Sometimes, to live in one unit and to rent the remaining ones.

This real estate investment strategy is allowable via the FHA or via conventional financing means. You can buy a 2- unit, 3-unit or 4-unit home, live in one of the "For Rent" units, then find tenants for the others. It's a savvy way to offset monthly homeownership costs.

The FHA will allow for its standard 3.5% downpayment on a multi-unit home. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require 20% downpayment for a 3- or 4-unit home. Ask your lender for how much home you'll qualify.

Click here for today's mortgage rates.

Source: http://themortgagereports.com/12444/real-estate-investors-flock-to-multi-unit-homes

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GT&T gives Blind Society free DSL for CSEC ... - Stabroek News

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co (GT&T) has made its DSL internet facility available free of cost to the Guyana Society of the Blind (GSB) at its St Phillip?s Green, Werk-en-Rust location.

According to a release from the company, the society had approached GT&T for assistance to undertake a programme that would allow it to offer its younger members the opportunity to write various subjects at the Caribbean??..To continue reading, login or subscribe now.

Source: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2013/news/stories/02/12/gtt-gives-blind-society-free-dsl-for-csec-programme/

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LT 3.0 online gaming question about update

This is why you'll find I usually don't give 3 word answers like "No" (oops that was 1 word).

Yeah, I sometimes give others a hard time if they're asking for help for something that takes less time to easily search for and find than waiting around for an answer (makes no sense in this day of instant info), but I also make an attempt to explain the "why" to try to educate others.

I don't have a superior claim to any of this info.

Source: http://www.ixtreme.net/open-forum/35113-lt-3-0-online-gaming-question-about-update.html

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Egypt floods Gaza tunnels to cut Palestinian lifeline

GAZA (Reuters) - Egyptian forces have flooded smuggling tunnels under the border with the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip in a campaign to shut them down, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said.

The network of tunnels is a vital lifeline for Gaza, bringing in an estimated 30 percent of all goods that reach the enclave and circumventing a blockade imposed by Israel for more than seven years.

Reuters reporters saw one tunnel being used to bring in cement and gravel suddenly fill with water on Sunday, sending workers rushing for safety. Locals said two other tunnels were likewise flooded, with Egyptians deliberately pumping in water.

"The Egyptians have opened the water to drown the tunnels," said Abu Ghassan, who supervises the work of 30 men at one tunnel some 200 meters (yards) from the border fence.

An Egyptian security official in the Sinai told Reuters the campaign started five days ago.

"We are using water to close the tunnels by raising water from one of the wells," he said, declining to be named.

Dozens of tunnels had been destroyed since last August following the killing of 16 Egyptian soldiers in a militant attack near the Gaza fence.

Cairo said some of the gunmen had crossed into Egypt via the tunnels - a charge denied by Palestinians - and ordered an immediate crackdown.

The move surprised and angered Gaza's rulers, the Islamist group Hamas, which had hoped for much better ties with Cairo following the election last year of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist who is ideologically close to Hamas.

A Hamas official confirmed Egypt was again targeting the tunnels. He gave no further details and declined to speculate on the timing of the move, which started while Palestinian faction leaders met in Cairo to try to overcome deep divisions.

CRITICISING CAIRO

Hamas said on Monday the Egyptian-brokered talks, aimed at forging a unity government and healing the schism between politicians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, had gone badly but had not collapsed.

While Gaza's rulers have been reluctant to criticize Mursi in public, ordinary Gazans are slightly more vocal.

"Egyptian measures against tunnels have worsened since the election of Mursi. Our Hamas brothers thought he would open up Gaza. I guess they were wrong," said a tunnel owner, who identified himself only as Ayed, fearing reprisal.

"Perhaps 150 or 200 tunnels have been shut since the Sinai attack. This is the Mursi era," he added.

The tunnellers fear the water being pumped underground might collapse the passage ways, with possible disastrous consequences.

"Water can cause cracks in the wall and may cause the collapse of the tunnel. It may kill people," said Ahmed Al-Shaer, a tunnel worker whose cousin died a year ago when a tunnel caved in on him.

Six Palestinians died in January in tunnel implosions, raising the death toll amongst workers to 233 since 2007, according to Gazan human rights groups, including an estimated 20 who died in various Israeli air attacks on the border lands.

Israel imposed its blockade for what it called security reasons in 2007. The United Nations has appealed for it to be lifted.

At one stage an estimated 2,500-3,000 tunnels snaked their way under the desert fence but the network has shrunk markedly since 2010, when Israel eased some of the limits they imposed on imports into the coastal enclave.

All goods still have to be screened before entering Gaza and Israel says some restrictions must remain on items that could be used to make or to store weapons.

This ensures the tunnels are still active, particularly to bring in building materials. Hamas also prefers using the tunnels to smuggle in fuel, thereby avoiding custom dues that are payable on oil crossing via Israel.

(Additional reporting by Youssry Ahmad in Egypt; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-floods-gaza-tunnels-cut-palestinian-lifeline-123746900.html

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