HTC One SV hands-on (Cricket Wireless)

HTC One SV.

Android Central @ CES

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the HTC One SV. One S, meet the people. What you see before you here is the second of a pair of entry-level(ish) phones from HTC in recent weeks. This one's on Cricket Wireless. Its cousin, the HTC One VX, is on AT&T. 

The One SV, while simple, is very nicely designed. It's not quite a solid piece of kit, but chances are you might not notice. While the battery cover comes off, there's no obvious notch to get a fingernail into. Pry it open, though, and you get the power source, SIM card and microSD card slot. You'll need that microSD card, as there's just 5 GB of storage available in the phone for apps and pictures and what-not. 

But, really, it's not the specs, which won't overwhelm you -- it's the no-contract pricing of $349 (which is the way you think you should buy phones), plus Cricket's data plans and Muve music that make the One SV a rather attractive device. It'll be available January 16.

We've got more pics and video after the break.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/0vgyievC4FY/story01.htm

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Drilling barge pulled from rocks off Alaska island

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the conical drilling unit Kulluk sits grounded 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012. The Kulluk grounded after many efforts by tug vessel crews and Coast Guard crews to move the vessel to safe harbor during a winter storm.Calls for federal scrutiny of Royal Dutch Shell PLC drilling operations in Arctic waters swelled Thursday with a request for a formal investigation by members of Congress. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter)

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the conical drilling unit Kulluk sits grounded 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012. The Kulluk grounded after many efforts by tug vessel crews and Coast Guard crews to move the vessel to safe harbor during a winter storm.Calls for federal scrutiny of Royal Dutch Shell PLC drilling operations in Arctic waters swelled Thursday with a request for a formal investigation by members of Congress. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter)

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the conical drilling unit Kulluk sits grounded near a beach 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2012. The Kulluk grounded after many efforts by tug vessel crews and Coast Guard crews to move the vessel to safe harbor during a winter storm. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Painter)

(AP) ? A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill vessel pulled from rocks off a remote Alaska island reached shelter Monday morning in a Kodiak Island bay.

The Kulluk (CULL'-uck) was lifted off rocks at 10:10 p.m. Sunday.

It reached its anchoring point about 12 hours later in Kiliuda (kih-LOO'-dah) Bay, where it's out of the worst of waves and wind offered by the Gulf of Alaska.

Shell incident commander Sean Churchfield says the vessel came off the grounding relatively easy under tow by the 360-foot anchor handler Aiviq (EYE'-vick).

Salvors reported swells of 15 feet, which diminished after the vessels reached protected waters.

The trip covered about 45 nautical miles at about 4 mph.

The Kulluk was attached to a second vessel, a tugboat, after it reached the bay.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-01-07-Shell-Arctic%20Drill%20Ship/id-f0eb3bf695274426bc0e49a1095cebb0

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Tampa Kitchen Remodelling ? A Superior Way to Enhance the Look ...

The kitchen is that zone of your home which is being used for maximum number of times. As known, Kitchen is never a leisure place like a bedroom or a living room. It is a place which serves the most important part of life ? cooking, washing and refrigerating. Thereby, it ought to look the best so that the time spent there does not seem tedious.

When it comes to the improvement of your kitchen, Tampa Kitchen Remodeling stands out among all other services in Florida. It has the best of designs that have been formulated to cater to the fine taste of the people. There are a number of contractors in Tampa who work with a team of talented designers, craftsmen and builders who would work in a professional manner to meet the taste of people.

What you Need to Look For in a Kitchen:
Exquisite aesthetics, innovative functional elements, space for easy movement and easy accessibility to all the required materials are the basic things that should be kept in mind while doing up your kitchen. There is a professional kitchen consultant who will have a one-to-one interaction with the client and advise him as per his taste and requirement. Firstly, you need to identify the changes you would like to make in your kitchen and also why you want those changes. Once you have sorted them out, your kitchen consultant will draw a kitchen plan incorporating all your requirements.

Basics of a Kitchen:
There are a variety of things to take care of in a kitchen. Each and everything in the kitchen is important. Each accessory in a kitchen is connected to each other. The kitchen should always be spacious yet not that spacious so that one finds it difficult to reach out to the stuffs. The wash basin should be placed in a convenient place as it being frequently used and it is always better to have space surrounding the wash basin as you might require to place your dishes after you have washed them. Kitchen cabinets are another important part of the kitchen. They have a huge variety as well, such as, traditional, Victorian, French country and contemporary. You can also opt for a contemporary style for your kitchen with sleek lines and stainless steel accessories or you might also go for a luxurious kitchen with rich d?cor.

Home Improvement:

Home remodeling requires a lot of planning. You have to be well-planned in your move as you will be working upon your already built home. There are home remodeling contractors who help you in redesigning your house. These home remodeling contractors is registered under Home Improvement Contractor (?HIC?) and their work is being regulated by The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (?OCABR?).

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Source: http://jgmcontracting.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/tampa-kitchen-remodelling-a-superior-way-to-enhance-the-look-of-your-home/

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EPA fracking study may dodge some tough questions

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- An ongoing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study on natural gas drilling and its potential for groundwater contamination has gotten tentative praise so far from both industry and environmental groups.

Glenn Paulson, the EPA's science adviser, describes the project as "one of the most aggressive public outreach programs in EPA history."

The final report won't come out until late 2014. But a 275-page progress report was released in December and, for all its details, shows that the EPA doesn't plan to address one contentious issue ? how often drinking water contamination might occur.

Congress ordered the EPA to study the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which entails blasting a mixture of water, sand and hazardous chemicals at underground shale to release the gas or oil captured in the rock.

As a gas rush surged in parts of the Marcellus Shale region that underlies Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia concerns arose for the watershed that provides drinking water for 17 million people from Philadelphia to New York City.

For the study, the EPA is talking to experts from the industry, the environmental community, and universities. It's conducting its own research and using federal supercomputers to analyze the possibility of contamination.

In the report, the EPA describes what it is and isn't studying. The agency also indicates its final report won't provide a measurement of the likelihood of contamination ? for example, once every 100,000 wells or once every 1,000.

The industry and many federal and state officials say fracking is safe when done properly, but environmental groups and some scientists contend the risk of contamination is too great.

Earthworks, an environmental group based in Washington, said it welcomes the EPA study but has concerns with plans not to include some probability of groundwater contamination in the final report.

The EPA had planned to do both computer simulations of water contamination and actual field tests at drilling sites. But the agency hasn't found a drilling company to partner with to test groundwater around a drilling site. That leaves the computer simulations. But the EPA said those won't be able to address the likelihood of contamination "occurring during actual field operations."

"In its inability to find a single company willing to test water quality before and after drilling and fracking, the EPA is being thwarted in perhaps the most important part of its study of fracking's impacts," Earthworks said in a statement.

"Computer simulations are not enough," Alan Septoff, a spokesman for Earthworks, said.

He said the EPA study and any future studies should consider the likelihood of water contamination.

The EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The progress report says the EPA is studying the possible impact on drinking water at several stages of the fracking process: when water is drawn from reservoirs or underground sources and used for fracking; when a chemical mix is injected into the ground to break up rock; when wastewater from fracking is disposed of; how the drilling wells and wastewater-storage wells are constructed; and the potential for toxic fluids to migrate from deep underground to near-surface drinking water supplies.

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobby based in Washington, said in a statement that the progress report "is just the first step in a multi-year research study."

"More collaboration, continued transparency and stakeholder involvement are essential elements for any scientifically sound study, and we hope that the rest of this process remains open and any data released has the necessary context," API policy adviser Stephanie Meadows said.

Despite its concerns, Earthworks described the EPA study as a positive step.

"It represents a step towards EPA's first real scientific inquiry into the safety of fracking," the group said.

___

Online:

http://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-fracking-study-may-dodge-161901879.html

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Outsourcing HR - Business 2 Community

Perhaps the greatest burden for small business starters lies in the area of business management. Our most talented veterinarians, bakers and plumbers are not likely to find their forte in the exacting demands of employee recruitment, training, payroll, taxation, workers? compensation, benefits, company policies and the labyrinth of government regulatory compliance. What a headache!

Background

Professional employer organization (PEO) firms obtained popularity in the 1980s as a way to outsource the HR burden for small to medium sized businesses. PEOs operate by hiring a company?s employees in its stead. As the employer of record, a PEO becomes legally responsible for the hiring, firing, payment, insurance, taxation and regulation of all employees of the company.

According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), approximately 700 PEOs were operating in the United States as of 2010, co-employing 2 to 3million workers in fields as diverse as accounting, technology, manufacturing and government agencies. Small businesses comprise the majority of PEO clientele.

Advantages

The most immediate benefit of utilizing PEO services is saving time and staff. When tedious HR responsibilities are eliminated, managers are freer to focus on core competencies and grow their business. A second advantage is the access to higher caliber benefits packages. PEOs can offer Fortune 500 quality benefits that will attract more skilled workers. Another advantage is the lower cost of worker?s compensation insurance that PEOs are able to negotiate.

PEOs can also provide turnkey advanced HR services such as conducting professional candidate interviews and preparing employee handbooks and company policies. Fifthly, using a PEO reduces a company?s legal liabilities and obligations toward employees. The PEO conducts all statutory compliance training and manages all employee risk and safety issues.

Disadvantages

Despite the numerous merits, there are several reasons why a company may not want to outsource its HR management. First is the loss of control that any transfer of administrative power implies. For example, a company?s choice of benefits packages will be limited to those offered by the PEO. Also, the company?s power to hire and terminate workers may be limited by its PEOs policies.

A second drawback is excessive subjection to business statutes. Many governmental regulations designed for larger enterprises do not apply to smaller businesses. Nonetheless, a large PEO firm, being the legal employer of a company?s workers, will enforce all such regulations on its co-employer. A third disadvantage is the possibility of employee dissatisfaction. Suppose that all one?s employees are summarily terminated and rehired by an unfamiliar outside entity and forced to cooperate with it. This can understandably be a confusing and undesirable situation for many workers.

Saving time and staff, lower insurance costs, superior benefits packages, advanced HR services, and reduced liabilities render PEOs an attractive option to businesses that do not mind some loss of administrative control, increased regulation, and possible employee inconvenience. Entrepreneurs in diverse fields have found HR outsourcing a lifesaver for over 30 years, and it continues to merit the serious consideration of every business start-up.

Author: Georgina Clatworthy????

I am a writer with many years experience writing on legal topics, business, marketing and communications. ?I am based in the UK, married with 3 children and a crazy collie!? View?full?profile

Source: http://www.business2community.com/human-resources/outsourcing-hr-the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-peo-service-0370339

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Video: Couple in claim battle upset their home was used in insurance ad

>>> island. superstorm sandy destroyed their storm and adding insult to injury, they are battling their insurance company and their home was showed in a television ad for allstate . here is michelle franzen .

>> reporter: it is a view sheila and dominique trena still can't believe is real.

>> it is our home, our white picket fence .

>> reporter: the couple's staten island home where they lived for more than 40 years and raised four children was destroyed by sandy.

>> the grandkids would come over.

>> that was their clubhouse. they loved it.

>> reporter: their possessions, mementos and investment gone. the couple says their insurance company , allstate , is refusing to pay their full claim, instead, offering them a $10,000 payout for their house.

>> we didn't sign it. we didn't cash it. we don't even want $10,000. that's a joke.

>> reporter: at the same time, allstate recently featured their destroyed home in a television ad thanking employees who were also affected by the storm.

>> some of them lost their houses.

>> they used our house and said they were caring. this is no the caring. this is a money thing.

>> reporter: the trenas say the insurance company concluded their home was damaged by flooding. they don't have flood insurance and say they canceled their policy several years ago but they believe their home was damaged by wind, not the storm surge .

>> we know what our neighbor had told us, that the wind hit it and knocked it down.

>> reporter: a big difference, experts say, that could determine what is covered under a standard home insurance policy.

>> the two big disasters that are not covered, one is flooding, and the other is earthquake.

>> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, allstate says it continues to reach out to the trainas to discuss their concerns. it is our understanding that they chose to drop their flood insurance policy before sandy struck. as for the tv ad , allstate says it does not reference them as customers or in any way imply they are satisfied with the status of their claim and added the company regrets any concern the commercial caused them. meanwhile, sheila and dominic are staying with friends and family members have created a website so people can donate to help them rebuild their lives.

>> i don't know where we'll go.

>> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen , nbc news, new york.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50378103/

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Packers show off depth in 24-10 win over Vikes

Green Bay Packers fullback John Kuhn celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers fullback John Kuhn celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers fullback John Kuhn celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb (14) tries to throw the ball away as Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden (93) tackles him during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Erik Walden (93) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb (14) during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) ? Deep on offense and scary-good on defense, the Green Bay Packers were way too much for the Minnesota Vikings.

Maybe everyone else in the NFC, too.

Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson and the Packers reminded everyone of how dangerous they can be when they're at full strength Saturday night, overwhelming the Vikings 24-10 in an NFC wild-card game that was never really close.

"Our defense played great," Rodgers said. "Our defense tonight played at a championship level and that's what you need in the playoffs."

John Kuhn scored two touchdowns, DuJuan Harris added another and Rodgers connected with an NFL playoff-record 10 receivers as he threw for 274 yards in his first playoff victory at home. Defensively, the Packers (12-5) finally managed to contain Adrian Peterson and were all over Vikings backup Joe Webb, pressed into service because of Christian Ponder's triceps injury.

Peterson was held to 99 yards ? an improvement after gaining 199 and 210 in the first two games against Green Bay. It was only the second time in the last 11 games that he was held below 100 yards. Webb, who hadn't thrown a pass all season, was sacked three times and off target all night. His only highlight was a 50-yard scoring pass to Michael Jenkins late in the fourth quarter, but it was far too late for the Vikings (10-7).

"No disrespect to Ponder, but ... it's about one guy and that's Adrian Peterson," said Woodson, who played his first game since breaking his right collarbone Oct. 21. "Our main focus, whether it was Ponder or Webb, was to keep 28 (Peterson) from getting off. And if we were going to keep him from getting off, put the ball in the quarterback's hands, whatever quarterback it was, we felt good about what was going to happen."

With a little over a minute left, Packers fans began taunting the Vikings (10-7) with chants of "Nah-nah-nah-nah ... goodbye." The win snapped a two-game losing streak at Lambeau Field in the playoffs, and sent the Packers to San Francisco next Saturday for an NFC divisional game with the 49ers. The teams met in the season opener, with San Francisco winning 30-22.

"A lot has happened since we played San Francisco," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We're a different team."

This was the third game in six weeks between Green Bay and the Vikings, and second in six days. The Packers' loss in Minnesota last weekend cost them the No. 2 seed in the NFC, along with a bye this weekend, and left them looking ? dare we say it? ? vulnerable going into the playoffs. But with Woodson back and Rodgers having all four of his top receivers for, essentially, the first time since Sept. 30, Green Bay looked like a team that could make the kind of deep run it did two years ago when it won the Super Bowl.

Rodgers used so many different options other NFL quarterbacks must have been drooling. He went with Harris on Green Bay's first scoring drive, mixed it up between James Jones, Tom Crabtree and Greg Jennings on the second, and had 22- and 23-yard completions to Jordy Nelson before Kuhn scored on a 3-yard run that put the Packers up 17-3 just before the half.

And pretty much everyone got in on the fun on the last score, a 12-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up more than 5 ? minutes. Rodgers connected with Jones on a 19-yard completion to put the Packers in Packers territory, then connected with Harris for 14 yards two plays later to reach the red zone. Rodgers threw incompletes on second and third downs, but just when the Packers thought they'd have to settle for a field goal, the Vikings were whistled for 12 men on the field, giving Rodgers another crack at the end zone.

He found Kuhn for the 9-yard score, and the game was all but over.

"That was tough. We were down seven and they went and scored and they were coming out of the half, too, getting the ball, too, and they got it and scored again," Antoine Winfield said. "Can't do that against the Green Bay Packers."

Harris, who didn't play in the first game against Minnesota this season because he'd only been elevated from the practice squad a day earlier, led the team in receiving (five catches for 61 yards) and rushing (47 yards on 17 carries). Jennings and Jones had four catches each and Nelson had three before hobbling off late in the fourth quarter.

"We have some stuff to work on," Rodgers said. "We've got to help our defense out more, close a team out like that. Tough test next week back in San Francisco."

Hey, at least the Packers are still playing. That's more than the Vikings can say.

Ponder was hurt last weekend when Morgan Burnett slammed into him on a blitz. Though initially thought to be an elbow injury, Ponder said it was actually a deep bruise in his right triceps. It limited his flexibility along with his power and, though it is better, there simply wasn't enough time to recover with the short, six-day turnaround.

After testing the arm before the game, the Vikings decided to go with Webb, whose only playing time this year was a couple of handoffs at the end of a blowout of Tennessee in early October.

"I can play with pain. The biggest thing is the loss of flexibility," Ponder said. "I couldn't get the ball in the position to where I could throw it normally and lost a lot of power and everything. It wouldn't have been wise to play."

It was the first time Buffalo's Frank Reich in 1993 a quarterback had started a playoff game after not starting during the regular season, according to STATS Inc. And, in the first series at least, he seemed to have caught the Packers off guard. That or they were too busy trying to bottle up Peterson, who bulldozed them for 409 yards in their first two games, to pay attention.

With what seemed like every Packers defender focused on Peterson, Webb converted a third-and-3 with a 17-yard pickup. His 5-yard run four plays later put the Vikings at the Green Bay 13. But Webb's first pass of the night went into the ground, and the Vikings were forced to settle for Blair Walsh's 33-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 lead.

But the Packers quickly settled down and Webb and the Vikings never stood a chance. Especially with Peterson not allowed to roam free as he's done against the Packers in the past.

"The energy level was at an all-time high," Woodson said. "This week, like last week, we buzzed around. But this week we made the tackles, we didn't allow (Peterson) to get through the line of scrimmage and get yards after first contact. We just kept putting heat on them. That was the difference."

Notes: With two sacks of Webb, Matthews joined Reggie White as the only Packers to have two or more sacks in two postseason games. ... Minnesota had 157 of its 324 yards in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of hand. ... Kuhn is the only player in the NFL to score a touchdown in each of the last four postseasons. ... Mason Crosby's 20-yard field goal in the second quarter was his sixth straight in the postseason, a Packers record. ... Vikings S Harrison Smith left the game briefly with a left knee injury, but was able to return. Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier said after the game he was fine.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-06-FBN-Vikings-Packers/id-15033dd2b7e34a5a85f1969f2a7ba30d

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NHK proposes new 3D broadcast format: transmits dual images at higher resolution (video)

NHK proposes new 3D broadcast format transmits dual images at higher resolution video

A technical arm of Japan's national broadcaster, NHK Media Technology, is proposing a new Advanced Stereo 3D format for broadcasting high-quality 3D content. It would be able to transmit programming to both 3D-capable TVs and standard HD sets, all while holding hands with existing broadcast standards. According to DigInfoNews, the new format is being submitted to the ARIB, which decides broadcasting standards. What's different here is that NHK would be able to offer both images in full high-definition -- independently transmitting both left and right images instead of side-by-side at a reduced resolution. The Japanese broadcaster has noted that Korean developers are working on similar tech and a compatible format between both projects could be very likely, and hopefully lay the groundwork for global take-up of the standard.

Continue reading NHK proposes new 3D broadcast format: transmits dual images at higher resolution (video)

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