Google giving away Zagat ratings in search results

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google is adding a new entree to its menu: free restaurant ratings from the Zagat review service.

Zagat, which Google bought in September, was charging $25 annually or $5 monthly for online access to its survey of diners. Those diners have rated about 35,000 restaurants in more than 100 cities around the world.

The reviews will be available for free on Zagat.com as well as several services on Google's website as part of a change announced Wednesday.

"Now, the world's highest-quality reviews are available to more people, whether they are at their desks or on the go," Zagat founders Nina and Tim Zagat wrote Wednesday on their Google Plus social-networking page.

Zagat will still charge $10 a year for using an application designed for Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad, although Google indicated it may eventually drop that fee. After a six-month free trial, Zagat charges $25 annually to see reviews on its app for mobile devices running on Google's Android software.

The Internet fees helped protect sales of the burgundy-colored guides that Zagat has been putting out since its 1979 inception. For now, Zagat still intends to publish the guides, which were listed Wednesday on Amazon for $8.75 to $16.

Google Inc. acquired Zagat for $151 million in September to compete against Yelp's popular online rating service. Google and Yelp Inc. are battling to attract more traffic to spur more sales of ads to neighborhood merchants.

Yelp explored a possible sale to Google for a reported $500 million in 2009 before deciding to go its own way. The two companies have since become prickly rivals, driven by Yelp's allegations that Google rigs its search results to favor its own services over its competitors.

The Federal Trade Commission is looking into the complaints lodged against Google by Yelp and other Internet companies as part of a broad antitrust investigation.

The decision to turn Zagat into a free online service comes as part of Google's expanded local business listings in its search results and the Plus service. The overhaul is being billed as "Google Plus Local" as the company continues to promote a social networking alternative to Facebook's popular online hangout.

A search request for a restaurant that has been reviewed by Zagat will now trigger a listing that includes a breakdown of the service's ratings. Zagat's scoring system provides separate ratings on a 30-point scale for the quality of food, decor and service in a restaurant.

The new business listings, which will also appear on Google's online mapping service and mobile device applications, will also include any pertinent recommendations from within a user's contacts on Plus.

Associated Press

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Accrued Interest: 5 Growth Sectors Worth Investing In

One of the hardest parts of investing is finding a growth sector that you can believe in. Talk to any stock market 'specialist' and he or she will tell you about buying in early to an industry that is about to take off. The Internet and financial circles are full of tips and premonitions regarding stocks and markets that are about to fly into the stratosphere, but the truth is most of this is thinly disguised guesswork, deductions based on smatterings of evidence and hearsay. Sometimes the best investing guide is to look at macroscopic trends in society, over-arcing patterns that are effecting the economy in multiple ways. What industries are actually growing and what factors are there that could impede this growth? If you can find no logical roadblock to stop an industry that's growing by leaps and bounds, it could make for a lucrative investment. That's why the following industries are considered by many to be extremely promising growth sectors: Life sciences The advances in the life sciences field have been nothing short of remarkable in recent years. Improved micro-arrays have increased our ability to study the human genome and fashion new pharmaceuticals. So has microfluidics and gene therapy. Biotechnology applications have also used artificial selection and hybridization in order to improve the domestication of animals and the cultivation of plants. The growth of life sciences has seen the evolution of findings that used to be contained in Ivory Towers leak down to have extremely valuable real-world applications in everything from agriculture to health care. The government has even invested in life sciences in order to ramp up its efforts to protect against bioterrorism. As advances continue to be made in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agrochemical and industrial chemical fields entrepreneurs who make a considerable life sciences investment are likely to see good to great returns if they are prudent and look for smart value plays. Green engineering Green engineering jobs are expected to see meteoric growth in the coming years as more and more homeowners and businesses renovate and upgrade their houses and office buildings in order to be more energy-efficient. Alternative energy is also expected to be a major growth sector, but picking out specific companies in this field will be a harder to do because of the political uncertainties inherent in the industry. On the other hand, green engineering projects don't require an entirely new infrastructure and are likely to be heavily invested in by both private firms and federal agencies because of their ability to both produce jobs and save money. Additionally, new regulations mandating certain CO2 emission levels will force many businesses to commission new installations. Many engineering education programs are now focusing intensely on green engineering, attempting to train a new generation of engineers to take seriously the challenge of energy efficiency and sustainable city planning. Digital information You don't have to look far to see the wide-ranging impact of digital information technology. Smartphones, high-speed Internet, GPS, and cloud services are now taking over our professional landscapes, changing the way businesses operate and the way people communicate with each other. It's no longer necessary for some colleagues to even be in the same room in order to have business meetings anymore; students can earn their degrees remotely; investors can organize their portfolios and move their money around while in transit. While a long term investment may be difficult in the digital information field?due to its ever-changing nature?short term goals could reap a significant harvest. Augmented reality, VoiP services, open source online education tools, and place-based messaging apps are all popular right now and are expected to grow in the near future. In particular, mobile Internet use is expected to continue to flourish, adding to the lure of companies who are building up 4G LTE network connections and other high-speed broadband systems. Clean technology Clean technology has seen a considerable uptick in funding since President Barack Obama was elected and we can expect that trend to continue if is he is reelected. Even before Obama was elected, the clean tech train was in motion. In 2007, $148 billion was invested in clean technology. This includes federal subsidies for renewable energy, information technology, green transportation, electric motors, and a wide range of projects attempting to reduce environmental pollution. By 2018, biofuels, wind power and solar photovoltaics will be $325+ billion dollar industries, making it one of the more promising fields for venture capitalists. Clean technology stocks in China and India have grown steadily for years now because of considerably federal investments. If similar efforts are made here, it is possible that clean technology could become one of the most promising investments on the market. Advanced technology Advanced technology is generally defined as the use of innovative technology to upgrade or improve a product or commercial process. In recent years this has included advances in computer technologies, high performance computing, high precision technologies, robotics, automation control systems, sustainable technologies, and new industrial technologies. Advanced technology can be hard to pin down, which at first could make it an unattractive investment. But the government, including the White House, has been enthusiastic about this field. Obama even put forth a $1 billion dollar proposal for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, which would create a network of institutes all across the country working on advanced manufacturing projects. The President has also recently submitted a budget for the National Institute of Standards and Technology that would significantly increase funding for the research facilities working on these projects. While no investor can be 100% certain that a particular company's stock will rise exponentially, following the trends in a particular growth sector can be a worthwhile strategy. It will also be necessary to track a company's financials over the course of many seasons, assessing the way it adapts to change. It may behoove you to invest in a mutual fund, which encompasses a wide-ranging portfolio of stocks in a certain industry. Therefore, your money is not dependent on the performance of any one company, but rather the overall growth of a network of technologies and processes. A mutual fund in any of the preceding industries would be highly likely to accrue value over the course of time and is much safer than buying a single stock. But this requires the investor being able to keep the money in the market over many years, possibly even a decade or more. If you're looking for short-term earnings, you will have to wing it like the rest of us. But at least you'll be starting in a verdant field that is primed for growth.

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Fighting in northern Syria kills 32: opposition

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Net Zero Is Bliss At Maharishi University In Iowa

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is best known for having brought Transcendental Meditation to the West, but he also founded the Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield, Iowa (yes). Now, the university?s Schwartz-Guich Sustainable Living Center will give students an opportunity to experience sustainable living firsthand.

Incorporating principles of Bau Biology (a German system that focuses on creating a healthy indoor environment), as well as Maharishi Vedic Architecture (an Indian system of architecture focused on the precise orientation, proportions and placement of rooms), the MUM Sustainable Living Center was designed to surpass LEED Platinum qualification while complying with most of the criteria of the Cascadia Living Building Challenge. It will operate entirely off the grid.

image via Maharishi University of Management

The building is one of the few in the country to qualify as net zero, and one of even fewer that can claim the banner of grid positive (i.e., it produces more energy than it consumes) via its solar power system.?A rainwater catchment system and on-site natural waste-water treatment likewise take the building off (sewer) grid with respect to water and waste treatment.

Additional green features include natural daylighting in evey room; natural, breathable earth block walls (which were made by the program?s students), purified rainwater for both potable and non-potable water functions; and an on-site water purification and recycling system consisting of plants, algae, and bacteria.

The building is named after MUM trustee Eric Schwartz and his wife, Mary Sue, and MUM alumnus Dr. Steve Guich. More about the building is available online.

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Hollande set for slim parliament win

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HP ePrint

HP ePrint (free) was one of the first Web-based services, if not the first, to let you print through the cloud to specific printers from a particular vendor?HP, in this case. The ePrint Web site, HP ePrint Center, assigns the printer an email address. You print by sending files as email attachments, a trick that can come in handy occasionally for almost anyone. That makes ePrint worth exploring if you already have a printer that supports it. More important, if you need cloud printing on a regular basis, and are considering an HP printer, you'll want to know if ePrint can do what you need it to do before buying the printer. The short answer is that it may or may not.

The first printer that supported ePrint was the HP PhotoSmart e-All-in One D110a ($100 street, 3 stars), which I reviewed in the second half of 2010. At the time, I took a quick look at ePrint to confirm it worked, but didn't run a rigorous set of tests. Since then, HP has added a number of printers with ePrint support, including the HP LaserJet Pro CM1415fnw color MFP ($449 direct, 4 stars), that I used for this look at ePrint. According to HP, most of the comments here should apply to all ePrint printers, but there may be some minor variations from one printer to the next.

Setup
Normally, you'll set up ePrint as part of the process of installing the printer. The main requirement is that you need to connect directly to your network, whether by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, with the network connected to the internet. The service won't work over a USB connection to your computer.

Initial setup assigns the printer an email address with random characters for the user name, but you can easily change it to something easier to remember. Other options let you limit ePrint to accepting emails only from specific senders, set it to print only in grayscale (although jpg and other photo formats will still print in color), set the paper size, and tell it whether to print jobs sent through Google Cloud Print. (You'll need to enter the printer's ePrint address in your Google Cloud Print account first.)

Also worth mention is that if you have more than one ePrint capable printer, you can add them all to the same HP ePrint Center account as well as set the options for each printer separately.

One setup issue I ran into was an error message on the ePrint Center screen warning me to update the printer's firmware "to avoid interrupting service."? The message didn't go away even after I ran the update, although it didn't keep anything from working. At this writing, HP is still checking into this issue.

Basics
HP ePrint has some important limitations. First, it will discard emails with more than 5 MBs of attachments, whether they consist of one file or several smaller files, and it will discard emails with more than 10 attachments, even if the total size is much smaller than 5 MB. It will also discard any image that would print at less than 100 pixels per inch.

Second, it can handle files in only a few file formats. The list includes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in both the current and most recent previous formats (both DOC and DOCX for example) plus TXT, HTML, and PDF. In addition, it can print BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF image formats. This is almost the same list of formats Epson offers for Epson Email Print (Free, 3.5 stars) but with TXT and HTML added.

Third and most important, is something HP doesn't seem to mention anywhere except on its ePrint troubleshooting page: ePrint provides convenience printing only.

As anyone who remembers convenience copy features on thermal paper-based fax machines knows, that's another way of saying you shouldn't expect too much. The troubleshooting page goes on to say that formatting may differ from the original documents, and in some cases you may need to print directly from your computer to print missing images. Given that large caveat, however, ePrint performed much better than expected.

How Well Does it Work?
For my tests, I printed the same files we use for testing printers, which includes a selection of files in most of the business application formats ePrint can handle?Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF?plus TIF and JPG image formats.

Not only did all of the pages print, but the only issue I saw for the business application formats was that Excel graphics were consistently a bit smaller?by perhaps 5 percent?than the same graphics printed directly to the printer. I didn't see the same issue with PowerPoint or PDF files, and ePrint maintained all the font styles and sizes correctly on our text quality tests. Impressively, it also maintained all of the line breaks correctly, even for our most heavily formatted pages?something that HP warns it may not do, and that Epson Email Print didn't do.

I ran into a more serious issue for image files, which ePrint insists on printing at 4 by 6. More precisely, according to HP, the size will vary somewhat depending on your printer's country code setting, which is based in turn on the language setting you chose during installation. But it won't print the files at letter size in any case. In addition, on both TIF and JPG images, ePrint cut off a small slice of the image from each of the four edges.

What these results make clear is that ePrint works much better for business application files, including PDFs, than for image files like JPG or TIF, unless you specifically want to print photos only in 4 by 6 format. This could be a serious issue if you want to print, say, a document scanned in JPG format. You can sidestep the problem by scanning in PDF format or converting the file to PDF before sending it. However, the workaround wouldn't be needed if ePrint let you specify the size for printing image files, which is something you can do (although without as much flexibility as I'd like) with Epson Email Print.

For the most part, HP ePrint works well enough. It will let you print files from your cell phone, say, or send a file to print elsewhere at higher quality than you'll get from faxing. And if the only image files you want to print are 4 by 6 photos, it's useful for that too. As my tests show, it doesn't print everything exactly the same way it would if you were printing directly to the printer, but it works better than you might expect from HP calling it a convenience feature. Overall, it does what it promises to do, and, with the notable exception of image file print size, it prints well enough for most purposes.

More Utilities Reviews:

??? HP ePrint
??? Google Drive
??? Ping Monitor Professional 4.7.2
??? Onavo Extend version 1.0 (for Android)
??? Win8 Metro Testbed (by Splashtop)
?? more

?

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U.S. data, Europe woes to set tone

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Seismic hazard: Faults discovered near Lake Tahoe could generate earthquakes ranging from 6.3 to 6.9

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) ? Results of a new U.S. Geological Survey study conclude that faults west of Lake Tahoe, Calif., referred to as the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone, pose a substantial increase in the seismic hazard assessment for the Lake Tahoe region of California and Nevada, and could potentially generate earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.3 to 6.9. A close association of landslide deposits and active faults also suggests that there is an earthquake-induced landslide hazard along the steep fault-formed range front west of Lake Tahoe.

Using a new high-resolution imaging technology, known as bare-earth airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), combined with field observations and modern geochronology, USGS scientists, and their colleagues from the University of Nevada, Reno; the University of California, Berkeley; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have confirmed the existence of previously suspected faults. LiDAR imagery allows scientists to "see" through dense forest cover and recognize earthquake faults that are not detectable with conventional aerial photography.

"This study is yet one more stunning example of how the availability of LiDAR information to precisely and accurately map the shape of the solid Earth surface beneath vegetation is revolutionizing the geosciences," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "From investigations of geologic hazards to calculations of carbon stored in the forest canopy to simply making the most accurate maps possible, LiDAR returns its investment many times over."

Motion on the faults has offset linear moraines (the boulders, cobbles, gravel, and sand deposited by an advancing glacier) providing a record of tectonic deformation since the moraines were deposited. The authors developed new three-dimensional techniques to measure the amount of tectonic displacement of moraine crests caused by repeated earthquakes. Dating of the moraines from the last two glaciations in the Tahoe basin, around 21 thousand and 70 thousand years ago, allowed the study authors to calculate the rates of tectonic displacement.

"Although the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone has long been recognized as forming the tectonic boundary between the Sierra Nevada to the west, and the Basin and Range Province to the east, its level of activity and hence seismic hazard was not fully recognized because dense vegetation obscured the surface expressions of the faults," said USGS scientist and lead author, James Howle. "Using the new LiDAR technology has improved and clarified previous field mapping, has provided visualization of the surface expressions of the faults, and has allowed for accurate measurement of the amount of motion that has occurred on the faults. The results of the study demonstrate that the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone is an important seismic source for the region."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Geological Society of America.

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Journal Reference:

1. J. F. Howle, G. W. Bawden, R. A. Schweickert, R. C. Finkel, L. E. Hunter, R. S. Rose, B. von Twistern. Airborne LiDAR analysis and geochronology of faulted glacial moraines in the Tahoe-Sierra frontal fault zone reveal substantial seismic hazards in the Lake Tahoe region, California-Nevada USA. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2012; DOI: 10.1130/B30598.1

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Serena Williams says sister Venus is 'inspiring'

PARIS (AP) ? Between bites of some "frites" at the players' restaurant, Oracene Price smiled at the thought of being back at the French Open with her daughters, Serena and Venus Williams.

The family wasn't at Roland Garros a year ago, making it the first Grand Slam tournament since 2003 without either Williams. Serena was still working her way back from a series of health scares, including two foot operations and blood clots. Venus revealed in August she'd been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.

Now they've returned.

"I'm happy about it. They're happy about it," Price said Friday. "Serena's thanking God that she's able to play at all. And so is Venus, with her illness; it's still there. They're doing the best they can do."

Which tends to be pretty good, of course.

Both have been ranked No. 1. Serena's 13 Grand Slam titles are by far the most among active women; Venus comes next with seven. None of the other entrants in the French Open, which begins Sunday, owns more career Grand Slam match wins than Serena's 211 or Venus' 210.

And it's certainly tough to match Serena's self-confidence on a tennis court.

When it was pointed out to her Friday that five women divvied up the past five Grand Slam titles ? Kim Clijsters at the 2011 Australian Open, followed by Li Na at the French Open, Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon, Sam Stosur at the U.S. Open, and current No. 1 Victoria Azarenka at January's Australian Open ? Serena needed only a second or two to formulate a response.

"Hopefully," she said, "it will be six this time ? with me."

She's 17-0 on clay this season and among the favorites heading into the French Open, which she won in 2002.

What would a second title, a decade later, mean to her?

"It would be really intense and really crazy," Serena said. "I mean, obviously there are several people here that want to win. I think I'm one of those people."

Price said a championship at Roland Garros "would be huge" for Serena, because it would make clear that "it doesn't look like she's ready to quit" at 30 years old.

Asked whether her younger daughter is ready to get her name etched on another Grand Slam trophy, Price chuckled.

"For sure," she said. "You know Serena. She's got to be on the list at least once a year, right?"

One challenging step along the way over the next two weeks could come in the quarterfinals, where Serena might have to face three-time major champion Maria Sharapova, who is seeded second and also a popular pick.

"She's such an experienced player that has been under so many different circumstances and achieved so much in her career," Sharapova said. "When she's fit, she's extremely strong on the court and hits a very powerful ball. That makes her very dangerous."

That sounds like a rather fair scouting report for Sharapova, too, even on clay these days. Having once described her movement on the slow red surface as something akin to a "cow on ice," the Russian can get around well on the stuff.

"I'm much more comfortable on this surface. Even though I don't play too many tournaments on it throughout the year, I feel like with every year that has come, and the clay-court season that arrives, I feel physically stronger," Sharapova said. "That's definitely helped me in the recovery process, as well. I'm enjoying it a bit more. Before, I felt like in matches I was saving myself a little bit because I didn't always believe that physically I could play seven matches in difficult, heavy conditions in Europe."

She's coming off her second consecutive title on clay at the Italian Open, where she beat Li in the final Sunday.

Citing a bothersome back, Serena withdrew before she was supposed to face Li in the Rome semifinals. But that feels "a lot better" after treatment, the American said.

If good health is one key to Serena's success, another is the mental boost she gets from having Venus alongside her.

Venus, who turns 32 next month, resumed playing in March after more than six months off the tour. A first-round match Sunday against 19-year-old Paula Ormaechea of Argentina will be her first Grand Slam competition since the first round of the U.S. Open on Aug. 29.

"I just don't know anyone out there who has gone through everything that she's gone through and just remaining completely positive," Serena said about her sister. "It's never easy for anyone who's going through what she's going through. To do what she's doing and play a professional sport is, I think, a whole new level of mental strength. ...

"Everything that she's doing is so inspiring for me."

___

Howard Fendrich can be reached at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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The Benefits of Detoxing for Fitness and Health

It seems to be a little disgusting when you are detoxing or cleansing. Your body shows some signs that you have built up toxins. These toxins can affect your whole body fitness and health.

There are times that you feel sluggish and feel the stressful. Your body may experience continuous aching, diarrhea, constipation, and feeling of clumsiness.

Rapid weight gain and the incapacity to lose the excess weight can also be signs of having toxins in the body. Moreover, the toxins found in the body are found and stored on your fat cells.

For Americans who are taking the usual American diet, a person may consume 70 trillion garbage cans for each cell.

In detoxing your body and cleaning that unwanted garbage in your cells, you should pay attention on your elimination organs.

There are particular organs in your body that deal on cell waste management. These organs play a major role in the detoxing process for a fit and healthy body.

1.Liver

Your liver is the organ that recycles the unwanted chemicals in the body. It sorts out the toxins and places them to the organ for elimination during the process of circulation.

The principal elimination organs will back up the liver on where these toxins will be stored and then eliminated.

2.The lymph glands

The lymph glands also play an important role in eliminating the toxins. A network of tubing brings out the excess waste of the cells from the body and to the final eliminating organs.

The appendix, thymus, tonsil, and spleens are major lymphatic glands that help the major organs of the body in cleansing and detoxing.

3.Kidneys

The kidneys help in the water management of the body. They are the ones that keep the good chemistry of the blood alkaline by eliminating the dissolved acid waste.

You can help your kidney to function very well by drinking plenty of water. It is much better if you drink fresh alkaline juices and purified water. You may take ? ounce of alkaline everyday to see positive results on your body weight.

4.Lungs

The lungs are the organs that keep the blood air purified. They allow the oxygen to go directly to the bloodstream.

It is also responsible in removing waste gases that are found in every cell of the body. Deep breathing and fresh air is very helpful in keeping the lungs healthy and free from toxins.

If you are in the urban area, it is recommended that you find an oxygen rich area where you can perform deep breathing.

5.Colon

The colon is a solid waste management organ in your body. Medical practitioners have found many peolpe that may have an 80-pound mucus and rubber like solid waste that are found on the walls of the colon.

Detoxing and cleaning the colon can be a real tough thing to do. However, having a free waste colon can certainly provide you good benefits of having a clean and healthy body.

If you are experiencing some signs of detoxification, you may try doing a regular walking exercise.

Exercise is a good key in having a fit and healthy body. Many diet doctors also suggest that you drink plenty of lemon water.

This is an effective way of maintaining a very good circulation and can increase the rate of detoxification inside the body.

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Facebook fizzles in debut, shares skirt IPO price

By Alexei Oreskovic

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc shares fizzled on their first day of trade on the Nasdaq, erasing early gains of as much as 18 percent to trade close to their initial public offering price.

The stock opened 11 percent higher and rose to $45 before rapidly heading south in frenzied trade, touching its initial public offering price of $38. The No. 1 online social network raised as much as $18.4 billion in one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history.

After a delay in the opening print that drove up anxiety levels among traders and onlookers outside the Nasdaq, the company's closely watched stock began trading at $42.05, compared with an IPO price of $38.

To rapturous applause from employees, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg -- flanked by Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and Nasdaq Chief Executive Robert Greifeld -- rang the bell to kick off trading at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters at 6:30 a.m. Pacific time.

The 28-year-old billionaire founder hugged and high-fived Sandberg and other employees in celebration after he pressed the remote button.

The area outside Facebook's offices at 1 Hacker Way was packed with throngs of photographers, more than 12 television trucks, and a TV news helicopter hovering overhead as the excitement reached fever pitch.

"A 15 to 20 percent pop is in the realm of possibility," said Tim Loughran, a finance professor at the University of Notre Dame, before the start of trade.

"Given they already moved their IPO range up and increased the size, that's bullish to begin with."

Some expect shares could rise 30 percent or more on Friday, despite ongoing concerns about Facebook's long-term money-making potential. An average of Morningstar analyst estimates put the closing price for Facebook shares on Friday at $50.

(Additional reporting By Edwin Chan in San Francisco and Yinka Adegoke in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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Health and Fitness

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Doctors around the globe such as chiropractors, psychiatrists, orthopaedist and cardiologists value the importance of fitness with their patients. And every therapist and trainer practically learned different exercise regimens to provide their clients having different lifestyles. Core fitness keeps individuals aware of the importance of strength and opportunity to be involved in a healthy form of exercise.

Core training includes exercises for the different parts of the abdomen and the back.? We need that today since most work involves sitting for long periods of time such as sitting in front of a computer for a clerical work. The result of any long term activity is tightness on the neck, lower back and weak abdomens. These also result to more serious issues as chronic headaches, cardiovascular stress, depression and impaired digestion. Everyone needs fitness and exercise so that we will be back on the right track ? the healthy way.

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Chiropractic care helps us get in shape. It get rids of limitations and brings out the normal growth and development of the body. See a chiropractor in Orlando? today and get the best ?treatment ever.

This entry was posted by admin on May 17, 2012 at 1:14pm. It is filed under Current Health News Articles.

Also, if you're feeling social, you can Digg this, add it to del.icio.us, add it to Technorati, or add it to Newsvine!

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Apartment Careers: Real Estate/Property Management jobs ...

Leasing/Marketing Consultant Job Code: Fitchburg POSTED: May 17 Salary: Open Location: Fitchburg, Massachusetts Employer: Peabody Properties, Inc. Type: Full Time - Experienced Category: Real Estate/Property Management ? ? About Peabody Properties, Inc. Peabody Properties, Inc. is a privately-held corporation founded by Edward A. Fish, incorporated in January 1976. At its inception, Peabody Properties was directed by three employees and managed 134 units of housing. Currently, Peabody Properties manages approximately 14,000 units of residential housing, commercial and industrial property in both inner city and suburban areas throughout New England and our workforce consists of 380+ employees. The company also maintains full-service divisional offices in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Florida and Georgia. View all our jobs About The Job Peabody Properties, Inc.?is has a great opportunity for a highly experienced and motivated marketing professional with property management experience, who will later become the Property Manager, to join our team.? ? The Leasing/Marketing Professional role is primarily responsible for leasing the property with a strong emphasis on customer service, meeting goals and achieving results.? He/She is responsible for preparing leases or rental agreements, developing and implementing ?strategic promotion through activities, campaigns and events to market property, building customer loyalty, developing relationship with university community, engaging in networking opportunities to effectively brand company, conducting tours, processing rental applications, advertising and daily administration of property marketing goals. ? The successful candidate will transition to a management role which will include directing the efficient operation of the student housing and operating within established financial guidelines and budget, ensuring established standards are met, maintaining occupancy at optimal levels, reviewing delinquent accounts and taking required action while responding to resident requests in a timely, efficient and courteous manner.? Candidates must have: ? At least 3 years experience in property management, student housing experience is preferred. Solid supervisory skills with the ability to lead. Strong marketing and leasing background Exceptional customer service skills Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task Strong marketing and negotiation background Solid financial, budgetary, computer and communications skills Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing ? ? Peabody Properties, Inc. Fitchburg MA http://www.peabodyproperties.com "); febox .html('') .addClass('featured-employer-box') .appendTo($('body')) .css({ "height":fWin.height() - 50, "width":980 }) .overlay({ top: 20, closeOnClick:true, load: false }); feframe = $('#featured-employer-frame'); }); $('body').delegate('.fe-popup','click',function(e) { var el = $(this); feframe.contents().find('body').html(""); feframe.attr('src',el.data('url')); febox.overlay().load(); }); })(jQuery);

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Knodes Made A Teaser Trailer For Our Hackathon Tomorrow And It?s Awesome!

The Hackathon is one of the best parts of Disrupt. Granted, it's not quite as emotional as watching the Battlefield rounds play out, but there's something sort of inspiring about the idea that you may be building the start of a company during a 24-hour beer/pizza/Red Bull-fest. Success stories like Group.me and Docracy were born at our Hackathon, but they'd be the first to tell you that none of it is possible without our awesome API sponsors. These include foursquare, The Echo Nest, metaLayer, Twilio, bitly, Tumblr, Spotify, Mobli and more. But one has gone above and beyond when it comes to teasing out the event, with the promise to offer "one thousand dolla dolla bills" to the hacker who makes the best use of their API. Knodes, who is offering up a context API which maps users' social graphs, has made a movie-type trailer ahead of the Hackathon and posted it to YouTube.

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Design a Room Online for Free: 5 Best Softwares |

Today you can easy design your house or design a room in realistic 3D online for free. There are many free online home design and interior design softwares. We found the top 5 of best online design tools for your home. Take a look!

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1. My deco

The worlds biggest range of furniture in 3D (120,000 real products available) from top brands is ready for you to test in your home. You can upload up to 2 floorplans for free and receive them back in 3D, just 1 business day later. 561,418 homes have been designed with mydeco 3D!

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2. Home Styler

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Autodesk Homestyler?s free* online home design software will bring your interior design ideas and remodeling dreams to life. Take the guesswork out of home decorating and remodeling projects by laying out floor plans with all the finishing touches such as doors, windows, furnishings and colors.

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3.IKEAHome Planner

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Become your own interior designer with the help of the IKEA Planner Tools. Drag and drop your choice of furniture into the room and fit them to the exact measurements of your home. Rearrange and try different styles until you?re satisfied with the result. View it in 3-D and print with all the measurements, just like an architect. See how much it will cost and get the list of all products.

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4. Floorplanner

It?s easy and fun to use and has so many options for flooring, wall coverings, furniture and objects that you?ll be able to design houses and rooms either for realistic use or to create your dream home. A ton of furniture choices, great tutorials and the ability to view your design in 3D catapults Floorplanner to the top.

5. Design a room

Picture the room you want from flooring and paint colors to cabinets and countertops. Get closer to your vision by seeing your product preferences in a real room scene.?Design your own room online at your own pace. It?s an easy way to start picturing the room you want.

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Syrian opposition head offers to resign

FILE - In this Monday, June 20, 2011 file photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad delivers a speech in Damascus, Syria, at Damascus University. In his first interview in six months, Syrian President Bashar Assad insists his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries and not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a year-long uprising. (AP Photo/SANA, File) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

FILE - In this Monday, June 20, 2011 file photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad delivers a speech in Damascus, Syria, at Damascus University. In his first interview in six months, Syrian President Bashar Assad insists his regime is fighting back against foreign mercenaries and not innocent Syrians aspiring for democracy in a year-long uprising. (AP Photo/SANA, File) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria's main opposition council is crumbling under the weight of infighting and divisions over issues that cut to the heart of the revolution, including accusations that the movement is becoming as autocratic as the regime it wants to drive out.

The slow disintegration of the Syrian National Council, which has become the international face of the uprising, could complicate Western efforts to bolster the opposition, just as President Bashar Assad's regime gathers momentum in its crackdown on dissent.

On Thursday, SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun said he was ready to step down once a replacement is found, amid mounting criticism of his leadership.

The decision came just days after he was re-elected for a third, three month term during a council vote held in Rome. The council has said it would rotate the presidency every three months, so Ghalioun's repeated appointments rankled some who wanted a new face.

"I will not accept under any circumstances to be a divisive candidate, and I am not after any post," said Ghalioun, an exiled Syrian and professor at the Sorbonne in Paris. "I will resign as soon as a new candidate is picked, either by consensus or new elections."

Ghalioun, a secular Sunni Muslim academic who has led the council since its formation in September, has been criticized by some opposition figures of being too close to the Muslim Brotherhood and of trying to monopolize power.

Fifteen months into the uprising, Syria's opposition is still struggling to overcome internal rivalries and power struggles that prevent the movement from gaining the traction it needs to present a credible alternative to Assad. Its international backers have repeatedly appealed for the movement to pull together and work as one unit.

But as the conflict becomes more violent, with rebel fighters and others taking up arms, attempts to operate under a single umbrella have become increasingly difficult.

"Although it (the SNC) was conceptualized as a formation designed to represent society as a whole, it has played a very polarizing role. By mishandling personality issues, it has alienated more prominent opposition figures than necessary," said Peter Harling of the International Crisis Group think tank.

The U.N. estimated in March that the violence in Syria has killed more than 9,000 people. Hundreds more have been killed since then as a revolt that began with mostly peaceful calls for reform has transformed into an armed insurgency.

Since its inception last September, the Syrian National Council has served as a reference point for Western leaders when it comes to the Syrian opposition.

But the SNC, whose leaders are largely Syrian exiles, has tried with little success to unify the opposition and has alienated minorities inside Syria, including the Kurds and the Alawites, the tiny sect to which Assad belongs. The Alawite community has largely stuck by Assad.

Some opposition figures accuse the SNC leadership of being out of touch with reality on the ground. Several prominent dissidents have already quit the organization, calling it "autocratic."

In response to the discord and perceived ineffectiveness of the group, some Syrian protesters have recently taken to carrying banners written on them: "The SNC does not represent me."

In the northern town of Binnish, protesters this week held a poster mocking Ghalioun, saying preparations were under way to "crown him as emperor because no alternative among Syria's 23 million population could be found."

Unlike Libya's National Transitional Council, which brought together most factions against Moammar Gadhafi's regime and was quickly recognized internationally, the SNC has no real leadership on the ground and has not been officially recognized by the major powers.

The opposition is already reeling from significant losses over the past few months when rebel fighters were largely driven out of key strongholds ? the city of Idlib near the northern border with Turkey and the Baba Amr district in the central city of Homs.

Despite his pariah status among much of the international community, Assad is still firmly in power and the U.N. has ruled out any military intervention of the type that helped bring down Gadhafi. Several rounds of sanctions and other attempts to isolate Assad have done little to stop the bloodshed.

The international community has now pinned its hopes on a peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan. More than 200 observers are on the ground in Syria to monitor a cease-fire, but violations are reported by both sides every day.

A key activist group called the Local Coordination Committees threatened to withdraw from the SNC on Thursday, saying the council had "drifted away from the spirit of the revolution."

Several members of the group had been preparing to withdraw before Ghalioun announced his pending resignation.

"We have seen nothing in the past months except political incompetence in the SNC and a total lack of consensus between its vision and that of the revolutionaries," the LCC said.

The LCC ? a network of activists based both inside and outside of Syria ? accused the SNC leadership of marginalizing council members and acting alone on major decisions.

Ghalioun ran against George Sabra, a Christian council member seen by many as a better choice to soothe concerns by Syria's religious minorities, some of whom have remained loyal to Assad out of fear for their future in case his regime collapses.

A conference sponsored by the Arab League in Cairo to help unite the disparate opposition was canceled this week, largely because of infighting between various groups.

In a rare acknowledgment of shortcomings, a leading council figure said the group needed an overhaul and should become more inclusive.

Bassma Kodmani, a Paris-based senior figure in the council, said by telephone Thursday that the LCC concerns were "justified and legitimate." But she also said differences within the Syrian opposition were a sign of democracy. "Otherwise we would be just like the Baath Party and the Assad regime."

Associated Press

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McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP process

Sarah Palin and John McCain in 2008 (Ross D. Franklin/AP)The adviser who led the team that vetted Sarah Palin for John McCain's presidential bid in 2008, said Wednesday that even the GOP ticket lost that election, he stands by the axiom: "high risk, high reward."

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, A.B. Culvahouse, an attorney who has helped vet Republican vice presidential candidates in four election cycles, wrote that while the process of appraising Palin was brief, it was thorough.

"I advised Sen. McCain that because her duties had never encompassed foreign policy or defense issues Gov. Palin would not be ready to be vice president on Jan. 20, 2009 ? but that I believed she had the presence and wherewithal to grow into the position," he wrote. "I summed up her selection as 'high risk, high reward.' I stand by that advice."

The necessary scrutiny of potential running mates and investigation of their backgrounds can be awkward for all parties involved. Culvahouse describes the imperative of asking a battery of questions so personal, he "would not dream of posing [them] in any other context."

"Short-listed potential VP nominees are required to hand over tax returns, medical histories, financial statements, court records, and anything else labeled 'private and confidential,' while also answering the most probing questions about themselves, their spouses, their children and their extended family," Culvahouse wrote. "We asked about infidelity, sexual harassment, discrimination, plagiarism, alcohol or drug addiction, delinquent taxes, credit history, and use of government positions or resources for personal benefit. Nothing was off-limits."

Culvahouse added that even though possible nominees act publicly coy about their prospects early in the process, he predicts few would turn down the opportunity to be vetted by the Romney campaign.

Read the whole thing.

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