Dead island that inspired Skyfall comes to Google Street View (video)

It goes by the name of Hashima, or Gunkanjima ("Battleship Island"), or even "The Dead Island", since it inspired the water-locked cyberterrorist HQ in Skyfall. As you can see for yourself, courtesy of the new Google Street View (and official "making of" video) embedded after the break, it's a very a real place off the coast of Japan's Nagasaki Peninsula, and it's even lonelier than its fictional counterpart in the Bond film (which wasn't actually filmed there). There are no tourist offices or giant Oedipus Complexes, as far as we can see, just long stretches of overgrown roads and collapsing apartment blocks that once housed 5,000 people, before they abandoned the island in 1974 following the demise of its coal industry. It took a Google employee two hours to map the place and preserve its crumbling visage for posterity using a special backpack, but don't be surprised if you want to leave it after just a few minutes.

Filed under: GPS, Internet, Google

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Source: Google's Japanese Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/28/hashima-island-added-to-google-streetview/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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DOMA: Supreme Court Rulings On Defense Of Marriage Act, Prop 8 Irk Haters

Anti-gay groups were immediately up in arms after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional. They argued that this decision will change life in the United States for the worse and that "God's judgment" will be upon us.

American Family Association spokespeople Fred Jackson and Sandy Rios expressed dismay over the DOMA strike-down, Right Wing Watch notes. Rios said the phrase "DOMA's dead" is "metaphorical" because "marriage is dead, too."

"Not a good day," Jackson said, adding, "There is no question that as a country, as a country, if God's judgment has not been upon us before this, God's judgment will be."

AFA mouthpiece Bryan Fischer thinks the worst is yet to come.

The Westboro Baptist Church thanked God for the decision because it means "USA's doom." They seem to think there is no quicker way to bring about the "destruction of this nation" than to allow this equal right.

Meanwhile, the Family Research Council, which released a statement on the decision, seems to be quite concerned about what will happen to all the country's florists.

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that DOMA, which bans the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even in states where the union has been legalized, is unconstitutional by a 5-4 vote. Justice Anthony Kennedy explained in the majority opinion that "treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others" is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

In a statement released after the ruling, President Barack Obama applauded the Supreme Court's decision to strike down DOMA saying it was "discrimination enshrined in law."

"This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents? marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better," he said.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/doma-supreme-court_n_3454838.html

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Hints And Guidelines For Using Payday Loans Wisely - Best Finance1

A payday advance is a relatively hassle-free way to get some quick cash. If an emergency arises, a payday loan may be the best option for you. Read the advice here before you make any decisions on payday loans.

Anyone who is considering accepting a payday loan must have a good idea of when it can be repaid. Interest on payday loans is ridiculously expensive and if you are not able to pay it back you will pay even more!

If you feel you must take out a payday loan, it is essential to shop around. If you are facing an emergency, you may be pressed for time and money. Regardless, it?s important to deliberate carefully before applying for a payday loan. This can save you a lot of time later so that you don?t have to spend your money on tons of interest.

Always check with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) before using a company for a payday advance. You will be able to get information about their business and if they have had any complaints against them.

Keep your account filled with enough money to actually pay back the loan. Though your payment may be missed, the lender is going to still make a collection attempt. Your bank may hit you with fees, which will just add to your debt. Try to have the money in your account so that you can avoid further issues.

Take the lessons offered by payday loans. You may be shocked to find out how much payday loans really charge you. You can put that anger to constructive use by using it as motivation to start building an emergency reserve fund. That way, you can borrow the money you need from yourself the next time you have a shortfall.

Ensure you know what your loan will cost you in the end. It?s common knowledge that rates for payday loans are extremely high. However, payday loan providers can also charge borrowers hefty administration fees for each loan that they take out. These administration fees often are hidden in small print.

Live and learn. Once you have taken one and paid it off, you might regret it, considering the fees and interest that you ultimately paid. Make use of this anger as a tool to motivate you to save more money when it comes to your paycheck, in order for you to have money if ever an emergency arises.

Avoid thinking it?s time to relax after you receive the payday loan. It is not a free pass; you still have to pay off the loan, and be well aware of the fees and due dates. Missing payment deadlines is a very expensive mistake.

Request only the necessary funds that are required to pay back what you need with a payday loan. Many times, you?ll be offered a lot more than you need. Don?t be tempted to borrow all that is available.

If payday loans have gotten you into trouble, there are organizations that can provide you with assistance. Such organizations work at no cost to you, and can help with negotiations that will free you from the payday loan trap.

It is a good practice to look for the best loan rates before filling out payday loan applications. While you have lots of options for payday loans online, consider searching for local lenders in order to find the best rate. If you do some research before applying, you may be able to save a lot of money.

How much will you owe on top of what you borrow? Such loans tend to charge very high rates of interest. The amount you will have to pay back will just increase if you can?t pay it back by the time it?s due.

A short-term payday loan should be your last resort, so always make sure to seek the money from other sources before applying. This is a great way to keep your interest down. For example, getting just a portion of the money you need from other sources means taking out a smaller payday loan. This will save you in interest, saving you money.

With any luck, you now have a greater understanding of payday loans. Take everything that you?ve learned in this article and put it into practice. These loans can end up being quite costly. These loans are in many cases the ultimate double-edged sword, so use them with caution.

Find out about all the personal loans durban by referring to our informative website. You can get tips and tricks on http://www.loansdurban.co.za/real-people-loans-durban/ when you visit the related web page today.

Source: http://bestfinance1.com/hints-and-guidelines-for-using-payday-loans-wisely

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Kristen Bell to Dax Shepard: Marry Me!

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Kardashian, West name baby girl North

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have taken a new direction in naming their baby girl.

They're calling her North ? as in North West.

The Los Angeles County birth certificate says little North was born to the celebrity and her rapper boyfriend at 5:34 a.m. Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The certificate doesn't mention a middle name. It also doesn't list her hair or eye color or weight.

The child was born several weeks early but Kardashian's sister Khloe has said that mom and baby are healthy.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kardashian-west-name-baby-girl-north-175648742.html

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Drinking Buddies Trailer: Beer + Attraction = Trouble

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/drinking-buddies-trailer-beer-plus-attraction-equals-trouble/

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FDA OKs Sale of 'Morning-After' Pill Without Age Limit ? WebMD

Girls of all ages will now have easier access to the emergency contraceptive

WebMD News from HealthDay

By EJ Mundell

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- The so-called morning-after pill is about to go over-the-counter, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcing Thursday that it has approved unrestricted sales of Plan B One-Step.

The move follows a decision earlier this month by the Obama administration to drop its effort to fight a court order that would make the emergency contraceptive pill available over-the-counter to all women and girls, regardless of age.

After fighting for an age threshold on the nonprescription use of the Plan B One-Step pill for months, the FDA said June 10 that it would heed the ruling of Judge Edward Korman, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The drug prevents conception if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse.

Korman first issued his order April 5, igniting a battle over whether young girls could gain access to emergency contraception without a prescription. Soon after, on April 30, the FDA lowered to 15 the age at which people could purchase the Plan B One-Step pill over-the-counter -- two years younger than the prior age limit of 17.

A day later, on May 1, the Obama administration stepped in to appeal the Korman decision.

At the time of the FDA's move to lower the age limit, agency Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said that "research has shown that access to emergency contraceptive products has the potential to further decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States.

"The data reviewed by the agency demonstrated that women 15 years of age and older were able to understand how Plan B One-Step works, how to use it properly and that it does not prevent the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease," she said.

Plan B prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in a woman's uterus through the use of levonorgestrel, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone used for decades in birth control pills. Plan B contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, more than the pill contains. It is considered a form of birth control, not abortion.

The Associated Press reported that the FDA's announcement Thursday only applied to Plan B One-Step. Other brands of emergency contraception include Next Choice and Ella.

Planned Parenthood has long pushed for wider access to emergency contraception. But conservative groups have objected to such a move.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20130620/fda-oks-sale-of-morning-after-pill-without-age-limit

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Khalil s Picks (21 June 2013)

LEGOs are in the news! Always a good thing, right? Well not necessarily. For the past few weeks, reports have been flying around about a new study which show that the faces of our favourite yellow brick people are getting less smiley. Not that big a deal in itself until you consider some suggestions that children?s development may be affected by this shift. Fortunately, enter Jordan Gaines and Arielle Duhaime-Ross who take closer looks at those suggestions for Scitable and Scientific American respectively.

This week?s picks also features the man who survived underwater for three days thanks to an air bubble, what your eyes can reveal about you, your skull resonates music and why coral reefs are awesome by Rachel Nuwer, Nadja Popovich, Colin Schultz, Jessica Carilli.

The other great up-and-coming science writers highlighted in this week?s picks are: Kathleen Raven, Amy Shira Teitel, Douglas Main, Jessica M. Morrison, Kate Yandell, Nick Stockton, Andrew Swale, James Keen, Pete Etchells,?Josh Howgego.

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LEGO Faces are Getting Angrier; So What? by Jordan Gaines

[...] There?s nothing quite like LEGO. And certainly there?s nothing quite like those ubiquitious yellow, blocky LEGO faces. But a piece in The Daily Mail last week cites that ?LEGO faces are getting angrier,? and that this may, in turn, ?be harming children?s development.?

Zero Evidence That Legos Harm Your Kids by Arielle Duhaime-Ross

LEGO toys have never been so controversial, or angry for that matter, but that should not stop your kids from playing with them. There has been a lot of noise over a study, released June 4, that looked into the evolution of the facial expressions printed on LEGO minifigures?those one and half-inch toy figurines that come with LEGO block sets. In the study, New Zealand researchers demonstrated that LEGO faces have become much more diverse in the past 35 years, but the finding that got the most attention is that LEGO is making more angry-looking minifigures than ever before, to a point where the proportion of angry faces rivals that of happy ones. But, contrary to what you might have read, the study did not look into the effect that these facial expressions are having on children and their emotional development. In fact, the study did not involve children at all.

Trapped in an Underwater Air Bubble for Three Days by Rachel Nuwer

Harrison Okene?s shipwreck survival wasn?t a miracle. It was fascinating physics. Being buried alive is usually near the top of any worst-ways-to-die list. But how about being buried alive 100 feet below the ocean surface in a tiny pocket of air? For Harrison Okene, a 29-year-old Nigerian boat cook, this nightmare scenario became a reality for nearly three grueling days.

Eye-Tracking Software May Reveal Autism and other Brain Disorders by Nadja Popovich

The eyes of people with neurological conditions, including ADHD and Parkinson?s, have a distinctive motion that could form the basis of clinical diagnosis. Eye-tracking has become the tech trend du jour. Advertisers use data on where you look and when to better capture your attention. Designers employ it to improve products. Game and phone developers utilize it to offer the latest in hands-free interaction.

The Unique Vibrations of Your Skull Affect How You Hear Music by Colin Schultz

What?s the difference between a metalhead and a raver? Why do you pick the wub wub of dubstep over the twang of a guitar? Musical preference seems to be as unique as your fingerprints?you love one song and hate another, when to the ear of another listener they sound basically the same. Sure, there?s a heaping dose of social construction going on?you listen to music that you grew up with, the music that gets you in with your self-selected social group, the music that you think is cool. But there might be some biology behind your musical preference, too. The natural resonance of your skull?the unique frequency at which the bones in your noggin tend to vibrate?affects how you hear sound, and could help explain why you really rock out to Pantera but hate Metallica.

Why Are Coral Reefs Important? by Jessica Carilli

You may have heard that coral reefs are being threatened by human activity. For instance, the Fight for the Reef campaign aims to raise awareness about how proposed increases in shipping traffic and development of large ports near the Great Barrier Reef would negatively impact the largest coral reef system in the world.

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Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=khalils-picks-21-june-2013

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Olympus PEN E-P5

The Olympus PEN E-P5 ($1,449.99 list with 17mm lens and EVF) is the latest addition to the Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera family, and it's a winner. The PEN features the same imaging engine and stabilization system as our Editors' Choice OM-D E-M5, but uses a removable add-on EVF rather than a built-in version. It's got built-in Wi-Fi, a first for the PEN family, and an innovative control system that lets you take command of four camera settings via a toggle switch and two control dials. It doesn't have the OM-D E-M5's weather sealed body or kit lens, but it does put a few additional controls at your fingertips.

Design and Features
The E-P5 is bundled with the excellent M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 lens and Electronic Viewfinder VF-4. If the $1,450 asking price is too much for you, it can be had as a body only for around $1,000, but you'll lose a bit of value by not buying it as a kit. The 17mm lens sells for $500 on its own, and the VF-4 is priced at $280. Buying the three separately would put you out of pocket around $1,780, so buying the three represents a $380 discount.

The camera measures 2.7 by 4.8 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and is very heavy for its size at 13.3 ounces. It feels solid in the hand. The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5, the midrange body in the PEN family, a good camera in its own right, feels almost toy-like in comparison. The E-PL5 is narrower and lighter?it measures 2.5 by 4.4 by 1.5 inches and weighs 11.4 ounces. Even though EP-5's body has the same depth as its smaller sibling, it feels a bit thicker. This is because its tilting rear LCD is flush to the body when closed; the E-PL5's screen juts out a bit.

Physical controls are ample. You'll find the Mode dial, as well as the power switch, shutter release, and Fn button on the top plate. There are front and rear control dials, each of which can control two functions, which will change based on the camera's shooting mode. When the rear toggle switch is set to position 1 the function will change based on the shooting mode?the rear dial controls the f-stop in aperture priority, and the shutter speed in shutter priority, while the front dial adjust exposure compensation in both those modes. If you're shooting in full manual mode, the rear dial controls the shutter speed and the front the aperture. There's some customization of these functions available in the menu system.

When you toggle the rear switch to setting 2, the dial functions change. In most modes the rear dial adjust the white balance and the front changes the ISO. There's some customization of what position 2 does. You can also set it to start movie recording, which some users may prefer to the record button that is located inside the toggle switch. It can also be used to toggle between automatic and manual focus.

There's also a control pad with a center OK button and four directional controls; they control exposure compensation, the flash output, the drive mode and self-timer, and the current focus point. You'll also find buttons to access the camera's menu, change the amount of information shown on the display, magnify the live view frame, enter playback mode, and delete images. Additional settings can be controlled via an overlay menu?it's launched by pressing the OK button. These include the ISO, image quality, focus mode, flash mode, and metering pattern.

The rear LCD display is 3 inches in size and features a stunning 1,037k-dot resolution. It's mounted on a hinge, so you can view it from above or below. Its resolution is greater than the 610k OLED display that the OM-D E-M5 uses, but looking at them side-by-side it's hard to see a big difference. I'd give an edge to the E-P5; the display is very bright and can be used outdoors, even on bright days. The display is touch sensitive, but the touch functionality is limited. It's possible to tap an area of the frame to choose a focus point, or to focus and fire the shutter. This is controlled by tapping a small box on the left side of the display. There's also an option to disable touch focus entirely. It's also possible to move the focus point using the E-P5's rear directional pad.

If you opt to use manual focus, the E-P5 offers a couple of aids to help you grab sharp shots. Turning the focus ring on a Micro Four Thirds lens will activate either focus peaking (which highlights in-focus areas of your image in white or black), frame magnification, or both. It could be better implemented in terms of activation. If you're using a native Micro Four Thirds lens with a focus clutch, like the kit lens, it doesn't actually work when the clutch is set to manual focus adjustment, even if the camera is set to manual focus mode. If you use peaking frequently, and fans of legacy lenses will want to, it's best to assign the Fn1 button to activate it. There's already a magnification button on the body. Once you do activate it, the peaking is extremely helpful in getting an in-focus shot.

If you buy the camera in a kit you'll also get an external EVF. The VF-4 is stunning. It's the best EVF I've used. It's bigger and sharper than the excellent OLED finders in the Sony Alpha NEX-7 and Fujifilm X-E1. The only downside is its size. It's pretty big, adding a big hump to the camera. Both the Sony and Fujifilm cameras managed to work an EVF into the body and also retain a built-in flash and hot shoe; it's unfortunate that Olympus wasn't able to do the same with the EP-5. On the other hand, if you have other Olympus cameras with the AP2 accessory port you'll be able to use the EVF with them (although they'll require a firmware update), and the finder can tilt straight up, which will make it easier to get shots from lower angles. The E-P5 automatically switches to the EVF when you bring your eye towards it, though that function will be disabled if the rear LCD is tilted.

The E-P5 is the first PEN camera with built-in Wi-Fi. It's an impressive, albeit limited, freshman effort from Olympus, in part to the very slick method the company used to pair the camera with your iOS or Android device. In order to do so, you simply need to scan a QR code that is displayed on the rear LCD with your phone. The network information and password are contained within. If you're not within range of another saved network, the camera and your phone will automatically connect when Wi-Fi is enabled on the camera (accessible via a touch-sensitive Wi-Fi icon on the rear display) and the app is launched on the phone. If you're already connected to your home or office Wi-Fi network, you'll first need to disconnect from that in order to get the app working.

So, pairing is easy. What can you do? Your options are limited. You can transfer JPG images and QuickTime videos from the camera to your phone?the app lets you select a downsized resolution or transfer them at full quality. But if you shoot Raw, you're out of luck?you can't transfer them. You'll have to first develop them as a JPG in camera. You can also use the phone's GPS to add geotags to photos, just make sure the clock is set correctly on the E-P5 and that you've enabled the location log in the OI Share app. Images are quick to transfer, though it did take a while to transfer a short video clip.

You can also use your phone as a remote control with a real time live view feed. The speed of the feed is quite good, it's not choppy like we've seen on other cameras with this capability. Touch focus is supported, but you can only shoot in iAuto mode?the only real control you have access to is a self-timer, which will let you put your phone in your pocket before posing for a shot.

Everything about the Wi-Fi works; it's just unfortunate that it doesn't do more. There's no way to connect the E-P5 to a home network or hotspot. So if you're having a party and want to post a few photos to Facebook, you have to first transfer them to your phone and then to your social media profile. You're also not able to email a photo directly from the camera. Other Wi-Fi enabled cameras, like the Samsung NX300 let you do this.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/XnRL_8CN06w/0,2817,2420696,00.asp

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Boy Charged With Murdering Sister Using WWE Moves

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/boy-charged-with-murdering-sister-using-wwe-moves/

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SAfrica: Former president says Mandela improving

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? A former South African president has said the health of Nelson Mandela is improving as the 94-year-old beloved anti-apartheid leader marked two weeks in the hospital Friday.

Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Mandela as president in 1999, made the comment Thursday night in an interview with Power FM, a South African radio station.

Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison during white racist rule, was taken to a Pretoria hospital on June 8 to be treated for a recurring lung infection. It marked the fourth time he has been hospitalized since December.

"I maintained very close contact with the family and the doctors about Nelson Mandela's condition," said Mbeki, who served two five-year terms as president.

"Nelson Mandela is in fact improving, in terms of his health," Mbeki said. "I think we really need to feel comforted that we still have him with us now."

The government had described Mandela's condition as serious but stable, but later said he was improving.

Ndaba Mandela, one of Mandela's grandsons, thanked the many people around the world who have sent messages of support for his grandfather during his illness.

"For us, as family, as long as he can still hear and understand what is said to him, and talk to us, we'll continue to celebrate him," The Star, a South African newspaper, quoted Ndaba Mandela as saying Thursday. He spoke at a media briefing about a football invitational in South Africa that will be part of celebrations surrounding July 18, Mandela's 95th birthday.

Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and became South Africa's first black president in all-race elections in 1994.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/safrica-former-president-says-mandela-improving-095940577.html

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Steps to start With Online marketing | The Lawyer

O nline online marketing began as a natural outgrowth of your use of ?linking? for some other sites. Putting it simple, online internet affiliate marketing is really a proven technique of generating income online. It it is a network of online partners who refer business to your web page.
It matters not whether you do have a website that sells an item or perhaps a website that?s absolutely nothing to sell. But by building online affiliate marketing programs, you can not only add value to your site, and also maximize potential revenue.

Online programs, they claim are a great solution to make your website profitable.
Online affiliate programs began inside mid-1990,s and are currently a common way to make money online. In fact, studies show that affiliate marketing online is easily the most cost-effective approach to generate online sales. The concept of revenue sharing paying commission for referred business, predates online marketing and the Internet. The translation of the revenue share principles to mainstream e-commerce happened almost 4 years following your origination around the globe Wide Web in November 1994.

The best way would be to just introduce any visitors for the businesses, products they need, and, ?make money online? depending on commissions on the market sales. The truth is, online internet affiliate marketing is a superb business from home offered to you are not a laptop as well as a want to run their own affiliate business.

However, we have a catch to ?affiliate-marketing?. To put it differently over 80% of affiliates never get yourself a check over $100, the 15% obtain the occasional check and it?s the residual 5% who really get monthly checks of the real size from affiliate marketing programs.
To begin with in internet affiliate marketing, you must understand the basic fundamentals. For which you are likely to need an ?affiliate marketing guide? to instruct a basics. When you?ve studied the basic fundamentals and grasped the ?idea?, I can?t think there is certainly any in hindsight.

Now, you can find lots of books advertised on various websites, making claims of massive earnings which can be achieved easily. Most of these guides are re-sale rights of other peoples? ideas which might be marketed within the marketers? name. Now, you?ll encounter a moment you may well be doing the same what they are doing now. It is a natural phase plenty of people go through and is not that what affiliate marketing is dependant on!

I am not saying those books are bad. But there are better ones around. You have the Online marketers Handbook and the Super Affiliate Handbook. Recently, another book which is drawing much attention, purely because of the number of sales it has generated in this particular little while will be the Rich Jerk. The name justifies his character. But his ideas seem to work as well as book is very much on top of the charts. Ok now what more is it possible to say, but to commend on his niche idea.

Also you can hunt for more such good product(s) and which might be in demand with the ClickBank Mall. Just type ?affiliate marketing? or affilate marketing guides and you also would get access to loads to such products. Provide them your charge card details and voila! you are able to instantly download the ebook that you picked.

Although most aaffiliate marketing books are fantastic in their own way, what boils down is always to how we implement the knowhow you gained from using it PRACTICALLY. Although this might take up some some time, it can be being noted that no books nor any marketing courses will come anywhere all-around pure experiences. Some good affiliate guides are provided below while in the resources section.

Learning how to market on the internet being an affiliate is merely step # 1. In case you are intent on online affiliate marketing online, then you?ve to plot as well as set up a rudimentary affiliate campaign. It is a beginning to end campaign to getting began in affiliate marketing. It explains keyphrase research, finding profitable partners and markets, facts about affiliate networks, guides and resources to making money online.

For more information about affiliate marketing please visit the website.

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Source: http://thelawyer.com.ng/steps-to-start-with-online-marketing/

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High court sets stage for frantic finale

The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 8, 2010. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

To the dismay of court watchers everywhere, the Supreme Court did not hand down decisions in the four biggest pending cases on Thursday, leaving their simultaneous release for the final, frantic week of the court's term.

Opinions that could drastically expand the rights of gays and lesbians in society, sharply curtail the use of race in college admissions and strike down civil rights legislation protecting minorities at the ballot box could all be released at the same time on Monday, unless the court adds more decision days to its schedule for later that week.

Though undoubtedly every case the nine justices decide has important effects on the legal system, each term a handful of controversial cases particularly captures the public's attention. This year, the court decided to wade into the gay marriage debate for the first time in its history, and it also took up two landmark cases involving race. One of the cases, a challenge to the University of Texas' affirmative-action program, was argued in front of the court all the way back in October, and many legal experts are stumped as to why the justices have taken such an unusually long time to release an opinion.

It's common for the court to delay releasing its biggest decisions until the very last day. Last year, the court did just that, releasing its bombshell decision upholding the health care law on June 28. This is often because the controversial cases are the most difficult and require more back-and-forth between the justices' dissents and the main opinion and concurrences.

Two highly anticipated gay marriage cases?Perry v. Hollingsworth and Windsor v. United States?are sure to have attracted just this sort of judicial shuffling.

In the Perry case, the court is expected decide whether California voters discriminated against gay people when they voted "yes" to Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, in 2008. In Windsor, the court is weighing whether the federal Defense of Marriage Act?which limits all federal marriage benefits to opposite sex couples?violates the constitutional rights of same-sex couples.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative-leaning swing vote on the court with a history of backing gay rights, is expected to decide the fate of both cases.

But it's possible that the justices could dodge the legal heart of those two cases?whether gays and lesbians have a fundamental right to marriage?and instead rule narrowly on procedural or standing grounds.

David Boies, an attorney representing same-sex couples in California in the Perry case, has said he believes the justices will rule that the proponents of Proposition 8 do not have the legal standing to challenge the lower court's ruling striking down the ban. (In the Proposition 8 case, California's elected officials opted not to appeal the lower court's ruling, and it's unclear if an unelected coalition of Proposition 8 supporters have the legal right to appeal on behalf of California voters.) If the court rules on these narrow grounds, it would make same-sex marriage legal again in California without having any implications for the dozens of states that currently ban same-sex marriage. This would punt the fundamental gay marriage question down the road for the court to decide later.

In the DOMA case, the justices may decide to strike it down based on the federalist argument that states should be allowed to define marriage for themselves. It's also possible that the justices will decide that Congress doesn't have the standing to defend the law, after the Obama administration's Justice Department declined to defend it in court. Either possibility would result in a narrow decision without much legal implications for the gay rights movement's larger argument that same-sex couples should be allowed to wed.

The two cases involving race, Shelby County v. Holder and Fisher v. University of Texas, will also most likely be released on Monday or another decision day next week.

In Shelby, the justices could significantly scale back the federal government's right to supervise states with a history of voting discrimination against minorities. If the justices decide to strike down this key part of the Voting Rights Act?a cornerstone of the civil rights movement that helped dismantle decades of discriminatory voting restrictions?states would have more leeway to pass laws the Obama administration considers to be discriminatory. These include laws that tighten identification requirements and limit early voting hours at the ballot box, which have passed in dozens of states in the past few years.

In Fisher, the court will decide whether universities can use race as a factor in undergraduate admissions. The Supreme Court established in 2003 in Grutter v. Bollinger that universities could use race as a factor in admissions as long as they did not use quotas (for example, that 10 percent of the class must be black). The justices said affirmative action was still necessary to counteract the effects of institutionalized racism that had prevented minorities from attending college in the past. The majority wrote that they believed that in 25 years, affirmative action would no longer be necessary and should be stopped.

It's possible that the justices will use Abigail Fisher's complaint that she was rejected from UT because she is white to step up the timeline set out in the 2003 decision, and reject the college's use of affirmative action as unconstitutional. The college argues that Fisher's grade point average and standardized test scores made her inadmissible regardless of her race, and that using race as one factor in admission helps it maintain a diverse student body.

The justices also have the option of not deciding some of the cases at all, which would mean they would have to be reargued in October. But that's rare. A hectic Monday full of four legal landscape-changing decisions is much more likely.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/supreme-court-holds-big-four-cases-final-frantic-170036331.html

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Chrissy Teigen Is Nude For GQ Magazine (PHOTO)

Chrissy Teigen is a free spirit who rarely seems to hold anything back.

That's why it comes as no surprise that the 27-year-old model didn't let a little thing like clothing come between her and the camera for her GQ photo shoot.

Teigen posed completely nude for the magazine (save for a pair of Marc Jacobs heels), and was totally game to offer readers some dating advice -- she's engaged to John Legend, so we'd say she knows what she's talking about.

Though it's Teigen's Sports Illustrated bikini photos that made her famous, it's her Twitter account that keeps people talking about her -- and she admits she sometimes wishes she thought before she typed:

"All the time! But not really a regret that I thought it, just that I said it," she told GQ, explaining that the nude photo she shared on Instagram in March is a prime example. "My naked-spray-tan thing comes to mind. What no one knows is that my mom took it! My mom frickin' threw me under the bus!"

For more with Chrissy Teigen, click over to GQ.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/chrissy-teigen-nude_n_3473681.html

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Obama says still wants to close Guantanamo Bay prison (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/313761726?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Microsoft Just Gave Up On Its Xbox One DRM (Updating)

Microsoft has caught a lot of heat for restricting the sale and trading of used games on Xbox One, and requiring the consoles to phone home every 24 hours for verification. Basically, for having hefty DRM. Well good news for whiners everywhere: Microsoft is giving up.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gMzQ7YktQ4k/microsoft-just-gave-up-on-its-xbox-one-drm-updating-514393553

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Researchers create micro-battery with 3D printer (video)

We often hear about the coming nanobot revolution, but just how are they planning on powering those future marvels? Well, researchers from Harvard and the University of Illinois may have found the solution in a 3D printed battery: it's smaller than a grain of sand, yet has areal energy and power densities comparable to your cellphone battery. The scientists used a custom 3D printer with a 1mm wide nozzle to deposit two separate lithium metal oxide pastes into comb-like shapes, which then hardened to create an anode and cathode. After adding an electrolyte, a sub-hair-width cell was created with "performance comparable to commercial batteries in terms of charge and discharge rate, cycle life and energy densities," according to the team. Those could someday wind up in medical devices, wearable electronics or tiny flying drones, for instance. To see how they did it, check the video after the break.

Filed under: Science

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Via: Gigaom

Source: Advanced Materials (subscription)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/19/researchers-create-micro-battery-using-3d-printing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Reno Man Shot by Two Police Officers Outside a Home

RENO, Nevada (June 19, 2013) ? Layne Michael Campbell, 40, was killed last Friday at about 4:30 a.m. by two deputies outside a south-side home in Reno. The owner of the home had called the police to report a suspicious person that may have been trying t break in. The two deputies that responded found Campbell on the property and shot him. Campbell was taken to a Reno hospital where he was pronounced dead. The two deputies were unharmed and both were placed on administrative leave while a multi-agency investigation by the Reno police commences.

?Hopefully the two deputies had a justified reason under the law for ending this man?s life,? states West Seegmiller, owner of The Seegmiller Law Firm. Mr. Seegmiller has represented clients in police brutality cases over a 35 year career in wrongful death and personal injury law.

Nevada?Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys

For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients injured in serious car accidents and other personal injury incidents. Our legal team has also handled hundreds of wrongful death claims for families of victims killed or injured in accidents. Indeed, the personal injury law firm has a proven track record with more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts.

There is no cost to clients until our experienced team of lawyers and legal professionals have won your case. Finding the best attorney can mean you will get the settlement you need to get your life back on track. Compensation for your injuries, loss of wages and pain and suffering can?t take away the trauma of the accident, but it can help you rebuild your life.

Leave the legal work to our experienced car accident attorneys by calling 1-855-275-9378 (1-855-ASK WEST). Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego, Sacramento and in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Source: http://theseegmillerlawfirm.com/blog/reno-man-shot-police-officers-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reno-man-shot-police-officers-home

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Huskers to Host Florida Gulf Coast in Pinnacle Bank Arena Opener

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Lincoln -- The Star City will welcome Dunk City, as Florida Gulf Coast will be the first regular-season opponent for the Husker men?s basketball program at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The matchup between the Huskers and the Eagles will take place on Friday, Nov. 8, as part of opening day festivities at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The start time will be announced at a later date, but the first game at the new arena will be televised nationally in primetime on BTN.

?We are excited to have ?Dunk City? be our first game at Pinnacle Bank Arena? said Nebraska coach Tim Miles. ?They play a style that I believe our fans will enjoy watching and have four starters back from a Sweet 16 team so it will be a challenge for the Huskers to start the season. Our players are excited for the opener in Pinnacle Bank Arena.?

The Eagles were the talk of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, becoming the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16, knocking off second-seeded Georgetown and seventh-seeded San Diego State by double figures before falling to Florida. FGCU, which became the first program to win its first two NCAA Tournament games since 1987, finished the 2012-13 season with a 26-11 mark and was ranked No. 25 in the final USA Today/Coaches poll. FGCU also knocked off ACC regular-season and tournament champion Miami during a record-setting season in 2012-13, as the program reached the NCAA Tournament in only its second year of eligibility. FGCU, now coached by former Kansas assistant coach Joe Dooley, welcomes back four starters, including Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP Brett Comer and Chase Fieler, a second-team A-Sun selection last season.

While the Eagles return four starters, Miles and the Huskers returns three starters from a team that went 15-18 in his first season, including guard Ray Gallegos and forwards David Rivers and Shavon Shields. Gallegos, who averaged 12.5 ppg in 2012-13, led the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game and ranked second in school history with 83 3-pointers, while Shields averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a true freshman. Rivers started NU?s final 17 games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. In all, 10 letterwinners return for the Huskers in 2013-14, while seven newcomers, including three scholarship redshirts, will suit up for the Scarlet and Cream this season.

This is the second meeting between the programs in the last three years, as Nebraska posted a 51-50 win over FGCU on Dec. 7, 2011. In that game, neither team led by more than three points in the final 11 minutes before Dylan Talley?s jumper with 10.4 seconds remaining proved to be the final margin.

NU?s season opener will be the first of five home games against 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 qualifiers during the first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena, a $179 million facility located in the Haymarket District blocks from the University of Nebraska campus. NU will also host Miami during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, as well as NCAA runner-up Michigan, Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana and Big Ten Tournament champion Ohio State during Big Ten play. All general-public tickets at Pinnacle Bank Arena are pre-sold for the 2013-14 season, while the entire student second of 1,650 tickets are sold out for the year in May.

The matchup with FGCU will be the nightcap of a monumental day-night doubleheader at Pinnacle Bank Arena, which will be completed in mid-August. The Husker women?s program, which went 25-9 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second time in program history, will take UCLA in the first regular-season event in the building at Noon. The Bruins finished the 2012-13 with a 26-8 record and reached the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

For fans unable to use their 2013-14 season or single-game tickets, Nebraska has partnered with StubHub! for the Nebraska Basketball Marketplace. This exciting new partnership allows more freedom in pricing and expanded payment and posting options that enable you to reach a broader audience than ever before. This integration also includes electronic ticket delivery and allows you to post tickets for sale right up until game time in a safe and secure environment, supported by Nebraska Athletics. Go to huskers.com/marketplace for more details.

Source: http://www.1011now.com/sports/headlines/Huskers-to-Host-Florida-Gulf-Coast-in-Pinnacle-Bank-Arena-Opener-212226321.html

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Billion-Pixel View of Mars Snapped By Curiosity

If it takes 900 images to make a 1 000 000 000 pixel image, that means it's a, wait for it, a 1.1 mega pixel camera!! While these numbers aren't exact they're in the ball park

Might as well go for the actual numbers, right? The original image is 1.3 billion pixels, not exactly 1 billion. The MastCam (2 cameras) can take true-color still pictures at 1600x1200, just below 2 million pixels. It can also take video at 10fps at 1280x720 (720p). There's another camera, the Mars Hand Lens Imager, which also takes 1600x1200 pictures but is meant for closeups, it has a focal length between 18 - 21 mm and can zoom up to 14.5 micrometers per pixel. The descent imager is also 1600x1200, but its job is done. There are 13 other cameras at lower resolution. The rover has far and away the best camera suite we've dropped on to Mars.

So please don't go thinking it's one picture taken by a camera that has a 1 giga pixel sensor on it.

Don't worry, anyone who got to the second sentence in the summary knows that.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/S9-Wq27cNrg/story01.htm

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NJ Man Admits Sexually Abusing Toddler & Streaming Video Online ...

TRENTON ? An Ocean County man admitted sexually abusing a 15-month-old boy and streaming footage of the assault over the internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Rodford W. Brindley, 68, of Toms River pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court on June 18 to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Brindley engaged in online chats with someone who he believed to be a parent living in Ohio, but who was, in fact, a law enforcement officer in Ohio. On one occasion, Brindley engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an approximately 15-month-old child, whom he had in his care at his Toms River home, and streamed live video of that conduct over the internet to Ohio undercover law enforcement officers.

The charge of child sexual exploitation is punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26.

Fishman thanked the Franklin County Sheriff?s Department in Ohio, the Ocean County Prosecutor?s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato; and the FBI?s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

Source: http://njtoday.net/2013/06/19/nj-man-admits-sexually-abusing-toddler-streaming-video-online/

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India to EU: Can?t sweeten trade pact

The author has posted comments on this articleSidhartha, TNN | Jun 20, 2013, 06.40AM ISTNEW DELHI: The government has run out of patience and will ask the European Union to sign a free trade deal "within a narrow political window" as India is unwilling to offer further tariff cuts for automobiles and has no room to provide flexibilities on pharmaceuticals and government procurement.

Top government sources said commerce & industry minister Anand Sharma has been advised to deliver a stern message to Karel De Gucht, his European counterpart as EU's list of demands seem unending even seven years after negotiations began. Sharma could not be reached for comment as he was travelling overseas, while commerce department officials refused to comment.

On India's demands, EU has refused to grant "data secure" tag to information technology companies and instead give data adequacy status, something that has also been given to the US. Data secure status will make it easier for mid-rung Indian companies to bag contracts in most of Europe. The sources said the issued raised on pharma related to pricing regulations, patents, counterfeit medicines and access to cheap drugs, which do not relate to FTAs, a position that has been clearly articulated to Brussels on several occasions.

Similarly, on government procurement, EU has demanded commitments based on the proposed public procurement law, which has not even been placed before Parliament. While India is willing to engage on the issue once the law is enacted, the trading bloc sees it as a critical element of any deal. EU is pushing for preference in government purchases for European companies, which is unacceptable to India. New Delhi has said it will only ensure that orders above a specified value are bid out and European bidders are not at a disadvantage.

The third issue that is holding up talks is EU's demand for a steeper tariff cut on automobiles that goes beyond the government's offer to lower import duty to 10% for a specified number of vehicles, and reduce it to 30% for cars beyond the threshold. But EU wants a shift towards zero duty and government says it is not possible.

The sources said EU is raising issues at the last minute, while the political window for a deal is narrowing given the impending general elections next summer. They pointed out that Indian negotiators had participated in the talks last month with the impressions that negotiations have to be concluded soon. But EU doesn't seem to be heading for a political closure before September ? instead of the agreed deadline of July. As a result, signing the deal cannot take place before March or April 2014, when India will be in the midst of general elections.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/India-to-EU-Cant-sweeten-trade-pact/articleshow/20674868.cms

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Rwanda lowers fuel prices, cites weaker global prices

KIGALI (Reuters) - Rwanda has reduced fuel prices after a decline in prices on the international market over the last three months.

Fuel prices and other components collectively have an impact on the rate of inflation in the central African economy, where urban inflation rose to 4.37 percent in the year to April from 3.25 percent last month.

The price for both Super Petrol and Diesel in Kigali was set at a top limit of 1,000 Rwandan francs per litre, down from 1,050 Rwandan francs, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Monday evening.

The new fuel prices will take effect on Tuesday June 18.

Fuel prices went up in mid-March by 50 Rwandan francs after the prices on the international market rose.

The increment in March had come three months after yet another reduction in December.

Fuel prices in the country have been fluctuating mainly due to unstable prices on the international market where petroleum products prices increased by an average of 10 percent since January, the ministry said earlier.

Rwanda has managed to keep inflation levels in check even when most countries in the wider East African region were affected by soaring inflation levels in 2011, after the global financial meltdown.

The country's major export routes Kenya and Uganda have since registered a steady decline in inflation levels due to stronger agricultural output.

Rwanda has said inflation has been project to gradually go up to 7.5 percent by the end of the year. The projected increase in inflation levels is attributed increasing commodity prices.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rwanda-lowers-fuel-prices-cites-weaker-global-prices-111339577.html

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From the ashes of Webvan, Amazon builds a grocery business

By Alistair Barr

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The online grocery start-up Webvan may have been the single most expensive flame-out of the dot-com era, blowing through more than $800 million in venture capital and IPO proceeds in just over three years before shutting its doors in 2001.

Twelve years later, though, Webvan is rising from the dead - in the form of an online grocery business called AmazonFresh.

Four key Amazon.com Inc executives - Doug Herrington, Peter Ham, Mick Mountz and Mark Mastandrea - are former Webvan officials who have spent years analyzing and fixing the problems that led to the start-up's demise.

Kiva Systems, the robotics company that Amazon bought last year for $775 million in one of its largest-ever acquisitions, was built on ideas and technologies originally developed at Webvan and is a key part of the AmazonFresh strategy.

Even Webvan's old Web address, webvan.com, is now part of the Amazon empire.

"We had a lot of Webvan DNA in the room and we drew on that experience a lot," said Tom Furphy, who helped start AmazonFresh with Herrington and Ham before leaving to become a venture capitalist. "That was a good formula for building the business responsibly."

Amazon declined to comment for this story, or make any AmazonFresh executives available for interviews.

Former Amazon and Webvan officials say Amazon drew three big lessons from the Webvan debacle: expand slowly, limit delivery to areas with a high concentration of potential customers, and focus relentlessly on warehouse efficiency.

The opportunity for Amazon is huge. The grocery business in the United States generated $568 billion in retail sales last year, with online accounting for less than 1 percent, and it's among the last major retail sectors that the online giant has yet to tackle.

But the risks are large as well. Groceries are a notoriously low-margin business, and the aggressive expansion of discounters like Walmart has made the business even more cutthroat than it was in Webvan's day.

And competition in the online grocery business is heating up. FreshDirect and Peapod have been plugging away for years, while traditional grocery chains like Safeway also do online ordering and delivery. Walmart is testing its own fast delivery service in some markets in the United States now.

SLOW EXPANSION

AmazonFresh now serves Seattle and Los Angeles, and it plans to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area later this year. If these cities go well, Amazon is eyeing 20 new markets for 2014.

But the big plans belie what has been one of Amazon's most cautious entries into a new business since founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos started selling books online in the 1990s.

The grocery service started in just two Seattle neighborhoods, Medina and Mercer Island, in 2007, and then slowly spread to other Seattle communities over the next five years. It didn't expand beyond Seattle until June 10 of this year, when it launched in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles roll-out is similarly modest, covering only a few zip codes initially. "We know customers value this service but the economics remain challenging," an Amazon spokeswoman said when describing the L.A. launch.

Webvan - which ironically was also the brainchild of a book-seller, Louis Borders - expanded to nine major metro areas just 18 months after it began serving the San Francisco Bay Area, former executives recall. (Borders, co-founder of the now-defunct Borders Books & Music, declined to comment for this story.)

Webvan began its big expansion in Atlanta while the San Francisco service was still "wobbly," recalls Krishna Hegde, Webvan's vice president of deployment and systems engineering.

After the Atlanta launch in April 2000, Hegde said he recommended that the company slow down. But another executive argued the company should press on because of promises made to Wall Street investors, Hegde said.

Webvan "committed the cardinal sin of retail, which is to expand into a new territory - in our case several territories - before we had demonstrated success in the first market," said Mike Moritz, a Webvan board member and partner at Sequoia Capital, one of the company's venture capital backers. "In fact, we were busy demonstrating failure in the Bay Area market while we expanded into other regions."

DELIVERY DENSITY

Webvan not only launched in many cities, it also offered service across entire metro areas. That resulted in the company's delivery trucks making many trips where they only dropped off a few orders.

"The biggest failure of Webvan was delivery density," said Gary Dahl, vice president of distribution at Webvan from 1997 to 2001. In the Bay Area, he said, Webvan made money delivering in San Francisco and Oakland, but lost a lot of money delivering in suburbs such as Orinda and Moraga.

"Mean travel time between delivery stops is the key to success in the home delivery business," Dahl explained. "Travel one block in San Francisco and you have passed 200 people, travel one block in Moraga and you have passed about six people."

AmazonFresh has tackled this problem by only delivering to densely populated areas of Seattle, and it's taking the same approach in LA, according to Keith Anderson, an executive at consulting firm RetailNet Group.

"If you drive into certain neighborhoods in Seattle you will see a lot of front doors with AmazonFresh totes," he said. "That's because Amazon expanded gradually into specific neighborhoods and tried to deliver to lots of homes in those specific areas."

FreshDirect covers more than 80 percent of the New York metro area, but it took the company about a decade to expand its delivery network this wide. Last year, FreshDirect launched in Philadelphia.

KIVA ROBOTS PROVE KEY

Webvan also suffered severely from weaknesses in the design and technology of its giant warehouses. At its first facility, there was a single conveyor belt that snaked about five miles through the building bringing items to workers, who would then pick and pack the products into totes, Webvan Chief Technology Officer Peter Relan said.

When the conveyor belt broke, the operation would grind to a halt, he recalled.

Mick Mountz, an MIT-trained Webvan executive, oversaw the picking and packing process, along with Mark Mastandrea, and together they tried out lots of technology to make the warehouse run more efficiently, according to Relan.

For each $100 bag of groceries, it cost Webvan about $30 to pick and pack; the company had to get that down to $10 to make the process economically viable.

Mountz came up with a solution based on multiple robots that would bring products from different parts of the warehouse to human workers for picking and packing. Unlike a conveyor belt, if a robot broke down it could be fixed while the other robots continued their work.

However, Webvan had spent so much on its original warehouse - about $100 million, according to Relan - that the company was loath to completely change the process in favor of robots.

After Webvan went bust in 2001, Mountz founded Kiva Systems, which designed and built robots that now zip around the warehouses of retailers including Staples Inc, Walgreen Co and Gap Inc.

Amazon bought Kiva in 2012 for $775 million. Mountz is still running Kiva, while Mastandrea became director of delivery experience at AmazonFresh in March.

"When there are a large number of products and the shapes and sizes vary, as they do in grocery, you still need a human at the end to do the picking and packing," said Ajay Agarwal of Bain Capital Ventures, which was an early investor in Kiva. "The Kiva System is the best solution out there for that combination of warehouse technology and human workers."

Amazon has one other thing Webvan never had: a huge, existing customer base. While Webvan had planned to expand into delivery of other goods once it had developed a base of grocery customers, Amazon is going the other way, and can help defray the cost of delivering groceries by delivering books or electronics at the same time.

There are other advantages that have accrued over time. The spread of cloud computing services - pioneered by Amazon's Web Services business - makes it cheaper to run online businesses, while consumers are more comfortable buying online through faster Internet connections.

Online shoppers who type "webvan.com" into an Internet browser today will find a website selling more than 45,000 non-perishable grocery items. In the top right-hand corner, it says Webvan is "part of the amazon.com family" and consumers can use their existing Amazon accounts to buy.

"Amazon purchased the name a couple of years ago," Dahl said. "Maybe they will revive it if sales are slow in the Bay Area."

(This version of the story was corrected to remove reference to Mark Zaleski in paragraph 18.)

(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Claudia Parsons)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ashes-webvan-amazon-builds-grocery-business-213317146.html

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What Are You Focusing On?

One of the seeming ?traps? when first starting out on a manifesting journey can be viewing honestly exactly where your focus lies.

I was reminded of this the other day ? when I was having to do some paperwork for a financial institution.? Not only did the company ignore my instructions totally, they followed their own policy to the letter (of which I was unaware ? as the paperwork did not state what their policy was) and to cut a super long story short ? I had to negotiate a seeming minefield of paperwork hassles, not to mention a phone wait of over an hour to speak to someone who could help me deal with my issues.

Frustrations and a frayed temper were slowly but surely destroying my day ? when it occurred to me ? that I hadn?t felt this way for a long, long time.

Why?

Because over the years I had built up a working theory that I would always be in the right time space for anything that came my way and that solutions and ?things? would come easily to me.

Quickly back tracking over the past few days, I suddenly realised that in my anger and stress at the first mistake, I had switched to a ?this isn?t fear, these people are miserable so and so?s and this isn?t going to easy? type mentality.? And sure enough ? it was going exactly as I had predicted!

It had been a while since I had felt such vitriol towards another and it was in that split second that I realised I don?t usually reside in that emotional state anymore and that is what switched me out of that particular state.

I must confess I also went to youtube and played our peace sound which immediately placates me as well.

So then, what to do next.? Shift the state of mind? that everything will resolve itself easily ? amazing how things move.? In the next couple of minutes I had a call back from a very pleasant young man who lead me through the minefield of how to fix my problem.

Five minutes later and the problem was resolved with a 24 hour wait for things to click over in computer land.

So what is the lesson here?? Well obviously you do get what you focus on and when you do, have the presence of mind to step back and see what was the trigger ? then reset and go.

Does this work for all situations ? to some degree yes ? but if the physical world doesn?t move quite so fast as you would wish ? at least your own internal world of emotions is better equipped to handle what is happening and then you can work your way back to sanity and serenity.

And remember ? we all fall of the horse once in a while.? The trick to get back on as quickly as possible and continue the ride.

?

Source: http://www.soundsfromsource.com/what-are-you-focusing-on/

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