Valentine's Day is usually a day for celebrating love with a significant other - but not for Miley Cyrus, who said that was the day she knew she and former fiance Liam Hemsworth were done.
Cyrus spoke with Fashion Magazine for its November issue, which hits newsstands Oct. 7, and said her new song "Drive" was written about Hemsworth in February, months before their split in September.
Read: Miley Cyrus Breaks Down During 'Wrecking Ball'
"I wrote ["Drive"] while I was working on Valentine's Day-emotionally it was such a hard time," she told the magazine. "It is about needing to leave someone but not really wanting to completely cut yourself off from the relationship," she added. "It's a time when you want to leave but you can't. It's also about moving on."
And move on she eventually did.
After a shocking VMAs performance by Cyrus - the twerk heard 'round the world - and months of speculation that the couple were indeed over, the couple announced Sept. 16 that they had split.
Related: Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth Call Off Engagement
The couple met in 2009 on the set of the film "The Last Song," and got engaged in the summer of 2012.
Cyrus also brought the claws out a bit and told the magazine that other pop music princesses better watch their back because she's the queen.
"What I wear adds a factor that other girls can't compete with," she added.
3 FATAL MISTAKES THAT BLACKBERRY DOOMSDAY
BlackBerry is getting squeezed by innovation smart phones Android and iOS operating system. BlackBerry phones are increasingly not sell and make a Canadian company that lost $ 950 million (Rp10, 7 trillion) to U.S. $ 995 million (Rp11, 2 trillion).
TIME launch on 25 September 2013, BlackBerry has signed a sales agreement with a consortium company Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited. Fairfax bought a BlackBerry for U.S. $ 4.7 billion, equivalent to Rp53, 7 trillion. BlackBerry will also receive U.S. $ 9 for each stock that the consortium was taken over in cash.
"The special committee was formed to find the best way to save the company," said Chairman of the Board of Directors of BlackBerry Barbara Stymiest.
BlackBerry collapse similar to Nokia. The two firms together have led the mobile market, but their dominance finally collapsed. BlackBerry phones have a place just 3 percent in the mobile market, the rest is dominated by Apple and Google.
The collapse of the dominance of the BlackBerry into a special study of the technology giant failed to innovate in the consumer technology market is developing very fast. Clear. BlackBerry failure to compete with Apple and Google is a consequence of the company's vision and strategy errors.
There are three fatal flaws BlackBerry. First, after dominating the mobile phone market, BlackBerry failed to anticipate that the consumer is the determinant of the smart phone revolution.
Second, surprisingly BlackBerry mobile applications which later gave rise massively adopted by Apple and Google. Third, failing to realize that the BlackBerry smartphone continues to evolve from communication devices to entertainment devices.
Not only that, the BlackBerry also insisted produce phones with keyboard (QWERTY), but many mobile phone users who want a phone with a touch screen. Although then launches BlackBerry touchscreen phone, but it was too late. Consumers are comfortable with touch screen phones Android and iOS which had first appeared.
This collapse either BlackBerry or just past the break for good. Companies that have earned the nickname of Waterloo Canada's Silicon Valley seemed to be looking for a way to win again in the global handset market.
OBAMA MAY EXTEND HIS HAND TO IRAN'S ROUHANI AT U.N.
Next week's U.N. General Assembly meetings will offer U.S. President Barack Obama a chance to extend a hand, both literally and figuratively, to new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
The White House said on Thursday a meeting was possible, the first between U.S. and Iranian presidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
"It's possible, but it has always been possible," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. "The extended hand has been there from the moment the president was sworn in.
It looks more likely to be a handshake and brief exchange of pleasantries - probably in the U.N. building - rather than a formal meeting where the leaders could talk at greater length
With conciliatory overtures and gestures emanating from Iran's ruling echelon at a surprising pace in recent days, the White House is looking for the right balance in forming a response.
Obama eventually wants to encourage Iran to make concessions in talks over its nuclear program. But if he embraces Tehran too warmly before it takes concrete actions, he would risk criticism that he is fumbling another foreign policy issue after struggling to handle crises over Syria and Egypt.
SIGNS OF WARMING
Iran's rhetoric has softened markedly since Rouhani took office in August. Recent gestures include a promise never to develop nuclear weapons, tweeted greetings on the Jewish New Year and the release of prominent political prisoner and rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.
On Thursday, Rouhani published an opinion piece in the Washington Post urging other leaders "to respond genuinely to my government's efforts to engage in constructive dialogue."
For its part, the White House said this week Obama had written Rouhani to convey the message "that the U.S. is ready to resolve the nuclear issue in a way that allows Iran to demonstrate that its nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes."
A U.S. official said the White House hoped to engineer a handshake in the U.N. building between the two leaders, but by no means a full meeting, and a second official also bet on a handshake, while saying there were currently no such plans.
Regardless of whether Obama and Rouhani shake hands, the more serious issue is whether both countries are ready to get into a direct bilateral discussion.
The United States suspects Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons, something it sees as a threat to Israel and to oil-producing U.S. allies in the Gulf. Iran denies that, saying its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes.
A decade of negotiations between Iran and the West has yet to resolve the dispute and the United States has said it would not take any option off the table - code for a possible military strike - in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.
Speeches by Obama and Rouhani, who address the United Nations next Tuesday, will attract scrutiny for signs of a thaw. Another closely watched address will be that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who views a potential Iranian bomb as an existential threat to Israel and is wary of Iran's new tone.
Rouhani may extend what many analysts regard as a charm offensive by distancing himself from remarks by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was widely vilified in the West for doubting the Holocaust and questioning Israel's right to exist.
Obama's speech must strike a balance, analysts said, between showing a readiness to engage Iran - a message he conveyed in his first week as president in 2009 by saying he would extend a hand if they would "unclench their fist" - and stressing that talks could not be endless and Iran must curb to its nuclear program.
In so doing, Obama needs to keep the door open to talks while protecting himself from attacks from conservatives who may regard his willingness to talk as weakness, particularly after his recent decision not to bomb Syria.
Elliott Abrams, who served under former Republican President George W. Bush and is now at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said Obama was right to test whether Iran was willing to negotiate but should avoid an encounter with Rouhani himself.
Saying the two are not equals because Rouhani serves under Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Abrams said: "Such a meeting is likely to be read in Tehran as showing how anxious Obama is for a deal. It ought to be avoided."
Abrams also said Obama had undercut his leverage with Iran by striking a diplomatic deal with Russia to try to eliminate Syrian nuclear weapons rather than launching a military strike that he appeared poised to order in late August.
"What happened with regards to Syria (suggests) that the Americans don't want any kind of military engagement, so all options are not on the table with regards to Iran," he said, saying that might make Israel more likely to strike Iran if the Jewish state thinks Washington is not engaged.
LOWER-LEVEL CONTACTS?
While there has been speculation of talks between the two presidents or between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif during the U.N. meetings, current and former U.S. officials said lower-level contact might make more sense.
"That's often the way they start because you're not really sure what you're dealing with," said a third U.S. official. "You can survive a lower-level meeting that doesn't work, but you can't survive a higher-level that doesn't work."
The United States has several potential candidates to lead the talks, including Wendy Sherman, undersecretary of state for political affairs, who currently leads U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran, and Bill Burns, deputy secretary of state, who is a past negotiator with Iran and a Middle East expert.
"The level and the negotiator will not be difficult to arrange ... the formal trappings, they'll figure out," said Dennis Ross, a former senior White House official under Obama now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.
"If the decision has been made to do it, you cut through that. If they are still fencing around trying to determine how to do it, then that is an indication that there isn't quite the readiness there otherwise would appear to negotiate," he added.
Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said a genuine rapprochement between Iran and the United States was unlikely but that an Obama-Rouhani handshake "could open a path toward detente."
"As long as Ayatollah Khamenei remains supreme leader of Iran, this is the best group of interlocutors that the U.S. will ever have to work with in Tehran, particularly Foreign Minister Zarif," Sadjadpour said.
He argued that Rouhani and his foreign minister might succeed in impressing other Western nations with their more conciliatory tone and that could, over time, make it harder for the United States to sustain economic sanctions on Iran.
"I think the double-edged sword Rouhani and Zarif present to the United States and Israel is that Iran is now easier to engage, but more difficult to isolate," he added.
(Additional reporting by Marcus George and Yeganeh Torbati in Dubai; Editing by Alistair Bell, Frank McGurty and Peter Cooney)
The Fed Stimulus Clear Cut, Gold Prices Soaring
The Fed Stimulus Clear Cut, Gold Prices Soaring
The price of gold futures jumped as much as U.S. $ 59 and beyond the settlement price (settlement price) at closing time Wednesday New York.
It was, as quoted from page Market Watch, Thursday, September 19, 2013, came after the Federal Reserve said it would not cut its monetary stimulus for the current economy.
In electronic trading, gold for December delivery rose as much as U.S. $ 59.30 or 4.5 per cent at U.S. $ 1,366.90 per ounce.
Before the announcement of the Fed, the settlement price Wednesday, gold for December delivery fell $ 1.80 or 0.1 percent to U.S. $ 1,307.60 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Sebeluimnya jsempat prices slid to around U.S. $ 1,300 per ounce, which is a six-week lows last seen. However, the price quickly reversed direction (higher) after the Fed said it would delay purchase of some assets decline.
"The rise in gold prices, however should be seen as a mere short-term gains rather than long-term investment," said James West, consultant Midas Letter Opportunity Fund's portfolio in the comment through his research.
Meanwhile, domestically reported, the price of gold in Processing and Refining Business Unit Precious Metals PT Antam Tbk, today, come back stronger than trade Wednesday, September 18, 2013.
Antam sold price of gold bullion 1 gram Rp549.000 for size, or down Rp24.000 compared Rp525.000 in trading yesterday.
As for the size of 5 grams of gold is now removed at Rp2.600.000, size 10 grams Rp5.150.000, 25 grams Rp12.800.000 size, and size 50 grams Rp25.550.000. Gold price 250 gram size is now sold at a price and the price for the size Rp127.500.000 500 grams is Rp254.800.000.
Repurchase price (buy-back) Antam's gold today rose and set on the previous Rp479.000 Rp464.000 per gram.
The price of gold futures jumped as much as U.S. $ 59 and beyond the settlement price (settlement price) at closing time Wednesday New York.
It was, as quoted from page Market Watch, Thursday, September 19, 2013, came after the Federal Reserve said it would not cut its monetary stimulus for the current economy.
In electronic trading, gold for December delivery rose as much as U.S. $ 59.30 or 4.5 per cent at U.S. $ 1,366.90 per ounce.
Before the announcement of the Fed, the settlement price Wednesday, gold for December delivery fell $ 1.80 or 0.1 percent to U.S. $ 1,307.60 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Sebeluimnya jsempat prices slid to around U.S. $ 1,300 per ounce, which is a six-week lows last seen. However, the price quickly reversed direction (higher) after the Fed said it would delay purchase of some assets decline.
"The rise in gold prices, however should be seen as a mere short-term gains rather than long-term investment," said James West, consultant Midas Letter Opportunity Fund's portfolio in the comment through his research.
Meanwhile, domestically reported, the price of gold in Processing and Refining Business Unit Precious Metals PT Antam Tbk, today, come back stronger than trade Wednesday, September 18, 2013.
Antam sold price of gold bullion 1 gram Rp549.000 for size, or down Rp24.000 compared Rp525.000 in trading yesterday.
As for the size of 5 grams of gold is now removed at Rp2.600.000, size 10 grams Rp5.150.000, 25 grams Rp12.800.000 size, and size 50 grams Rp25.550.000. Gold price 250 gram size is now sold at a price and the price for the size Rp127.500.000 500 grams is Rp254.800.000.
Repurchase price (buy-back) Antam's gold today rose and set on the previous Rp479.000 Rp464.000 per gram.
The Fed decided to continue the purchase of securities
The Fed decided to continue the purchase of securities
Market participants responded positively to the decision to continue with the purchase of Federal securities amounted to U.S. $ 85 billion per month . Today, the stock market and the exchange rate looks significantly strengthened .
Indonesian stock market , stock price index ( JCI ) rose sharply 207.4 points ( 4.65 percent ) to 4670.73 position . The index recorded its highest level of 4791.76 .
During the transaction , trading volume reached 19.8 million lots worth Rp12 , 2 trillion, with a frequency of 287 thousand times . A total of 270 stocks rose , 60 fell , and 70 stocks unchanged .
The whole sectoral stock index rose to the highest growth in the property sector , which rose 9.18 percent . Followed by the financial sector index gained 6.31 per cent and 5.5 per cent of basic industries .
Analyst PT Panin Securities Tbk , Purwoko Sartono , said CSPI increased significantly driven by the surprise decision from the Fed . The U.S. central bank was canceled reduce stimulus previously estimated at U.S. $ 10-20 billion .
" The Fed is still waiting for a signal that ensures the current economic recovery is not only temporary , " said Purwoko .
In addition , the Fed wary of rising interest rates that could threaten the sustainability of the economic recovery in the U.S. . Because , he said , since the emerging discourse of stimulus reduction , rising interest rates from a record low 1.4 percent in July 2012 to 2.99 per cent per 13 September 2013 .
The Fed also cut its forecast for economic growth this year from 2.3 percent to 2 percent . Meanwhile , for the next year , economic growth was revised from 2.6 percent to 2.3 percent .
" Global Exchange also hit sentiment stimulus delay reduction ," he said .
Rupiah under Rp11.000
In addition, the direct exchange rate rose sharply . However , investors are reminded that the strengthening of the rupiah today not because of macro- economic improvement , and reduction of stimulus sooner or later it will happen .
" So , this gain is only short term , " he said .
As of this afternoon , the exchange rate rose sharply to Rp10.855 per U.S. dollar . The rupiah exchange rate rose 469 points, or 4.14 percent .
Market participants responded positively to the decision to continue with the purchase of Federal securities amounted to U.S. $ 85 billion per month . Today, the stock market and the exchange rate looks significantly strengthened .
Indonesian stock market , stock price index ( JCI ) rose sharply 207.4 points ( 4.65 percent ) to 4670.73 position . The index recorded its highest level of 4791.76 .
During the transaction , trading volume reached 19.8 million lots worth Rp12 , 2 trillion, with a frequency of 287 thousand times . A total of 270 stocks rose , 60 fell , and 70 stocks unchanged .
The whole sectoral stock index rose to the highest growth in the property sector , which rose 9.18 percent . Followed by the financial sector index gained 6.31 per cent and 5.5 per cent of basic industries .
Analyst PT Panin Securities Tbk , Purwoko Sartono , said CSPI increased significantly driven by the surprise decision from the Fed . The U.S. central bank was canceled reduce stimulus previously estimated at U.S. $ 10-20 billion .
" The Fed is still waiting for a signal that ensures the current economic recovery is not only temporary , " said Purwoko .
In addition , the Fed wary of rising interest rates that could threaten the sustainability of the economic recovery in the U.S. . Because , he said , since the emerging discourse of stimulus reduction , rising interest rates from a record low 1.4 percent in July 2012 to 2.99 per cent per 13 September 2013 .
The Fed also cut its forecast for economic growth this year from 2.3 percent to 2 percent . Meanwhile , for the next year , economic growth was revised from 2.6 percent to 2.3 percent .
" Global Exchange also hit sentiment stimulus delay reduction ," he said .
Rupiah under Rp11.000
In addition, the direct exchange rate rose sharply . However , investors are reminded that the strengthening of the rupiah today not because of macro- economic improvement , and reduction of stimulus sooner or later it will happen .
" So , this gain is only short term , " he said .
As of this afternoon , the exchange rate rose sharply to Rp10.855 per U.S. dollar . The rupiah exchange rate rose 469 points, or 4.14 percent .
Toll Rates Up to Reduce Density
Toll Rates Up to Reduce Density
PT Jasa Marga reluctant to impose a dynamic toll rates. Director of Jasa Marga, Adityawarman, Thursday, September 19, 2013, stating that the company's performance would likely be disrupted if the toll rates down on the hours that are not busy.
"Toll rates already in effect are already cheap.'s No aspiration for increased rates is not so solid," said Adityawarman in Jakarta.
This is a dynamic toll rate adjustment based on future toll ticket price. At rush hour, toll rates are more expensive than off peak hours. Toll rates as it aims to reduce congestion at peak hours.
Actually, Jasa Marga support this discourse and never submit it to the government. However, the government rejected the proposal. The reason is, there are no regulations governing the toll rates.
Nonetheless, Jasa Marga was admitted in discussions related to the problem. "We are reviewing and talking about it at every meeting," said Adityawarman.
In contrast to Jasa Marga, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Sudaryatmo, it approved the implementation of this dynamic toll rates. "So not only concentrated in the rush hour," said Sudaryatmo.
Previously, the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) will prepare a toll road tariff hike decision by 12-15 percent. Later, the rates will be effective one week after the decree was issued.
"SK rate increase that came out 28 September 2013," said Chief BPJT, Ahmad Ghani Ghazaly, after a discussion titled "Probe Fulfillment Services Toll Road" in Jakarta, Thursday, September 19, 2013....
PT Jasa Marga reluctant to impose a dynamic toll rates. Director of Jasa Marga, Adityawarman, Thursday, September 19, 2013, stating that the company's performance would likely be disrupted if the toll rates down on the hours that are not busy.
"Toll rates already in effect are already cheap.'s No aspiration for increased rates is not so solid," said Adityawarman in Jakarta.
This is a dynamic toll rate adjustment based on future toll ticket price. At rush hour, toll rates are more expensive than off peak hours. Toll rates as it aims to reduce congestion at peak hours.
Actually, Jasa Marga support this discourse and never submit it to the government. However, the government rejected the proposal. The reason is, there are no regulations governing the toll rates.
Nonetheless, Jasa Marga was admitted in discussions related to the problem. "We are reviewing and talking about it at every meeting," said Adityawarman.
In contrast to Jasa Marga, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), Sudaryatmo, it approved the implementation of this dynamic toll rates. "So not only concentrated in the rush hour," said Sudaryatmo.
Previously, the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT) will prepare a toll road tariff hike decision by 12-15 percent. Later, the rates will be effective one week after the decree was issued.
"SK rate increase that came out 28 September 2013," said Chief BPJT, Ahmad Ghani Ghazaly, after a discussion titled "Probe Fulfillment Services Toll Road" in Jakarta, Thursday, September 19, 2013....
The Rise of No-Contract Cellphones
With Apple's release of the new iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S last week, tech-hungry consumers will likely renew their cellphone contracts for another two years so they can get their hands on a shiny new iPhone at a price subsidized by their carrier ($99 to $199 compared to $650 or more without a contract). For those who aren't yet eligible for a two-year phone upgrade, carriers are also introducing plans like T-Mobile's JUMP! program that allow consumers to upgrade more than every other year.
At the same time, many consumers are opting out of two-year cellphone contracts that offer subsidized phones but keep them tethered to their mobile carrier. Instead, they're moving to prepaid month-to-month plans that offer greater flexibility. CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that 76.4 million consumers had prepaid plans in 2012, up from 71.7 million in 2011.
Mark Walters, a consumer electronics expert at TechBargains.com, is among those consumers. After he finished paying about $75 a month plus taxes during a two-year contract with a major carrier, Walters sold his iPhone on eBay, bought an Android phone and switched to a no-contract plan that cost about $35 for data and unlimited texting but fewer minutes (he says he never used all his minutes anyway).
Walters wasn't thrilled with the cell signal he got with his new carrier, so returned the phone and switched again to a no-contract plan with T-Mobile (in addition to smaller providers, many large carriers offer no-contract plans too). "The great thing about prepaid is you can switch at a moment's notice," he says. "No huge early termination fees."
Now Walters has a Galaxy Nexus and pays about $30 a month for a pay-in-advance plan with unlimited Internet use and texting and 100 minutes. "I couldn't be happier," he says. "The process wasn't without issues, but the savings more than made up for it."
Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at market intelligence firm Current Analysis, says the flexibility to switch carriers or change phones at will appeals to people who move around, especially those in the military who might be sent overseas. "If you move and you find that a different carrier offers better coverage, you aren't stuck with the contract," he explains.
Prepaid plans also appeal to consumers who may not qualify for a two-year contract because of credit issues. "[With a prepaid plan] the carrier isn't extending any subsidy to you, so they don't have to check if you're a good credit risk or not," Greengart explains.
Parents of teens may use prepaid plans to moderate minutes. "It's a great way to make sure that there are very clear limits and absolutely zero chance of overage," says Amy Storey, a spokesperson for CTIA-The Wireless Association. "Once you're done, you're cut off. You can always reload at any point, but it is an easy way for parents to keep track of their child's usage."
Prepaid plans once offered a limited selection of phones, but that's changing. Many now allow consumers to use smartphones, including iPhones. But here's the kicker: Those smartphones can cost $650 or more without a carrier's subsidy. "The vast majority of phones are sold with a two-year contract, and that two-year contract masks the true cost of the phone," Greengart says. "That's one of the reasons people like two-year contacts because they get a really high-end device without having to pay the really high-end prices upfront."
Carriers typically build the cost of the phone into the monthly cost of a two-year contract, so consumers who don't take the upgrade may be overpaying. "If you keep your phone for three or four years' time, you can save a lot of money by owning your phone and attaching it to a very low-cost service that meets your needs," Greengart says. Some carriers have moved to a hybrid model where consumers can finance the cost of the phone over the life of the contract, which is similar but more transparent than building it into the monthly cost.
Beyond paying full price for a phone, another disadvantage is that consumers on prepaid plans sometimes pay more per minute than they would on a contract, according to Storey. And while contract plans typically offer a discount for a family or business plan, prepaid plans often don't. However, whether you're switching to another contract carrier or a prepaid plan, phone numbers are typically transferable.
Before switching phone plans, consider how you use your phone. Do you make calls for emergencies only? Or you do you send hundreds of texts per month? Storey says discussing your needs with your carrier can help you find the plan that makes the most sense for you.
Also do your homework on which phones work with your carrier's technology. "If you're going be buying a phone from one place, be certain the technology of the phone matches the technology that the carrier uses," Greengart says. "Device portability doesn't always work, depending on which carrier your device was designed for and which carrier you're going to."
At the same time, many consumers are opting out of two-year cellphone contracts that offer subsidized phones but keep them tethered to their mobile carrier. Instead, they're moving to prepaid month-to-month plans that offer greater flexibility. CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that 76.4 million consumers had prepaid plans in 2012, up from 71.7 million in 2011.
Mark Walters, a consumer electronics expert at TechBargains.com, is among those consumers. After he finished paying about $75 a month plus taxes during a two-year contract with a major carrier, Walters sold his iPhone on eBay, bought an Android phone and switched to a no-contract plan that cost about $35 for data and unlimited texting but fewer minutes (he says he never used all his minutes anyway).
Walters wasn't thrilled with the cell signal he got with his new carrier, so returned the phone and switched again to a no-contract plan with T-Mobile (in addition to smaller providers, many large carriers offer no-contract plans too). "The great thing about prepaid is you can switch at a moment's notice," he says. "No huge early termination fees."
Now Walters has a Galaxy Nexus and pays about $30 a month for a pay-in-advance plan with unlimited Internet use and texting and 100 minutes. "I couldn't be happier," he says. "The process wasn't without issues, but the savings more than made up for it."
Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at market intelligence firm Current Analysis, says the flexibility to switch carriers or change phones at will appeals to people who move around, especially those in the military who might be sent overseas. "If you move and you find that a different carrier offers better coverage, you aren't stuck with the contract," he explains.
Prepaid plans also appeal to consumers who may not qualify for a two-year contract because of credit issues. "[With a prepaid plan] the carrier isn't extending any subsidy to you, so they don't have to check if you're a good credit risk or not," Greengart explains.
Parents of teens may use prepaid plans to moderate minutes. "It's a great way to make sure that there are very clear limits and absolutely zero chance of overage," says Amy Storey, a spokesperson for CTIA-The Wireless Association. "Once you're done, you're cut off. You can always reload at any point, but it is an easy way for parents to keep track of their child's usage."
Prepaid plans once offered a limited selection of phones, but that's changing. Many now allow consumers to use smartphones, including iPhones. But here's the kicker: Those smartphones can cost $650 or more without a carrier's subsidy. "The vast majority of phones are sold with a two-year contract, and that two-year contract masks the true cost of the phone," Greengart says. "That's one of the reasons people like two-year contacts because they get a really high-end device without having to pay the really high-end prices upfront."
Carriers typically build the cost of the phone into the monthly cost of a two-year contract, so consumers who don't take the upgrade may be overpaying. "If you keep your phone for three or four years' time, you can save a lot of money by owning your phone and attaching it to a very low-cost service that meets your needs," Greengart says. Some carriers have moved to a hybrid model where consumers can finance the cost of the phone over the life of the contract, which is similar but more transparent than building it into the monthly cost.
Beyond paying full price for a phone, another disadvantage is that consumers on prepaid plans sometimes pay more per minute than they would on a contract, according to Storey. And while contract plans typically offer a discount for a family or business plan, prepaid plans often don't. However, whether you're switching to another contract carrier or a prepaid plan, phone numbers are typically transferable.
Before switching phone plans, consider how you use your phone. Do you make calls for emergencies only? Or you do you send hundreds of texts per month? Storey says discussing your needs with your carrier can help you find the plan that makes the most sense for you.
Also do your homework on which phones work with your carrier's technology. "If you're going be buying a phone from one place, be certain the technology of the phone matches the technology that the carrier uses," Greengart says. "Device portability doesn't always work, depending on which carrier your device was designed for and which carrier you're going to."
A WHOLE NEW IPHONE EXPERIENCE IOS 7
Your iPhone is about to get a giant makeover: Apple is pushing out iOS 7 to iPhone users on Wednesday.
The new iPhone operating system is the most substantial update in the software's history. Apple not only added new features and functionality, but the company radically reinvented the six-year old operating system's appearance.
For the most part, Apple (AAPL) succeeded in making iOS easier on the eyes and simpler to use. Apple trimmed the fat where necessary and added some meat to areas that were lacking.
New look: The most noticeable difference in iOS 7 is the design. Gone are the core apps that look like real-life objects. In their place is a far more modern, streamlined, flatter digital aesthetic.
Apple didn't eliminate depth and texture altogether, but it redefined how it uses those effects. For instance, Apple made some menus and features appear translucent, like a frosted sheet of glass. That not only provides a stylish touch, but it produces a layered effect to help visualize how different parts of an app are linked, and how they are separate.
You'll notice this everywhere from the home screen icons to the design of the lock screen to the screen that shows up when you receive a call. But the way you use those elements is more or less the same as before.
And there are still touches of the old version of iOS throughout the new iOS 7. For example, the Messages app still uses speech bubbles, and the camera app still uses an on-screen shutter button. But the look of those features has been spruced up as well.
There was a time when Apple had to demonstrate how its flat, glass screen could replace many self-contained gadgets people already owned. So everything had a glassy, textured layer applied to it. The calendar had to look like a paper calendar. The compass had to look like something you'd see in a 16th-century Spanish galleon.
Now that the vast majority of us understand our smartphones, Apple has been able to ditch those visual analogs and become truer to its sleek, modern hardware.
New features: Perhaps the most useful addition to iOS 7 is Control Center. It's your metaphorical junk drawer full of settings, media playback controls, and shortcuts to utility apps, like the clock, camera and calculator. You can now also toggle the LED on and off from control center, functioning as a de facto flashlight. And it's easily accessible: just swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Control Center isn't a revelation: Having quick access to Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is something that's long been on Android. But it's a welcome addition -- and frankly should have already been added to iOS a long time ago.
Siri's functionality has been expanded some. It can now be used to search for Wikipedia and Twitter. That's nice, but it's still no Google (GOOG) Now, which can tell you to leave home earlier than usual because there's an accident on the freeway.
The new weather app in iOS 7 is more informative than ever, and the App Store can automatically update your apps.
The Photo app has mostly been changed for the better by automatically arranging your photos according to time and place. But the new shared photo streams addition felt incomplete. It allows multiple people to share and comment on photos -- think of it as a remixed version of group MMS. But with so many people already using Apple's iMessage to share photos, it's unclear why people are supposed to use the new feature.
The Notification Center in iOS 7 now has three separate sub-pages, making it feel more bloated and confusing than its previous iteration. For example, if you don't use a calendar, one of the sub-pages is just a completely empty screen.
Question marks: Apple overhauled multitasking in iOS 7, giving apps the ability to fully run in the background. That means apps like Twitter and Facebook will be able to automatically update their feeds without you having to open the app. Apple even promises that iOS 7 will learn which apps you use the most, when you use them, and will make sure they're always updated at that time. But it will be hard to tell how well this feature will work until app makers begin to support it.
Airdrop is Apple's file sharing protocol, allowing iPhone users to share photos, contacts and things like passbook cards with one another. In theory, it is a wonderfully simple way to transfer files. But you can't use it with the Mac version of Airdrop. And the main appeal of Airdrop seems to be photos -- which is confusing since that's what shared photostreams are for. Until there is a critical mass of people running iOS 7, it's hard to gauge how useful Airdrop will be.
Bottom line: Despite a few hiccups in execution, Apple has successfully re-thought iOS for the better.
The biggest achievement of iOS 7 is Apple's willingness to acknowledge that it's immensely successful hardware had gone a bit stale. Apple had the awareness and courage to make some major changes without doing anything so drastic that it risked alienating its user base.
IOS 7 isn't perfect, but it's still as worthy a mobile OS as Google's Android. IOS 7 lays down the foundation for the next five or so years that will allow Apple to keep the iPhone feeling modern and progressive.
STYLES AND TYPES OF PROM DRESSES TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Are you bewildered when it comes to shopping for prom dresses? With all types of formal gowns and dresses available, there are also many terms that describe the length, design, neckline, and style of a prom dress. You might feel overwhelmed when speaking with a salesperson in a formal wear shop or even while shopping online for prom dresses. Below we have compiled some helpful terms and definitions to help you be an informed shopper for prom dresses and other items related to the dance of the interests of women.
Prom Dress Styles
Some of the prom dress styles you might see include clothing, line (Princess), cover, lace-covered, high-low, doll, chiffon, one-shoulder, empire, golden glamor, modest, and Halter.
Prom Dresses and Prom Dresses A-Line
A ballroom gown has a skirt that was too big waves from waist to mid-calf or ankle. It might have a fitted waist and top or corset type top. The A-line or Princess Dress flares toward hemline and is narrow near the waist. It forms an “a” shape as it fits to your body from top to bottom.
High-Low, Lace and chiffon covered prom dresses
The dress zigzags vertically in high low hemline so it is short in some spots and long in others. The prom dress is a sheath that clings to the body and hides nothing concerning your figure. The covered lace dress can be a satin or satin material, lace and below as top layer. Chiffon dresses look similar to a fancy night robe worn by the women of Rome or Greece. With a high empire waist, the dress is long and flows from the hips to the ankles. It is ideal for almost any figure.
Baby Doll, One-Shoulder, and Sleeveless
The baby doll prom dress is typically very short and cute. Generally, fits into the top and flows in the bottom with a high waist in the middle. Baby doll dresses usually come with a tied ribbon or belt around the stomach area to give the “baby dress” look. One shoulder prom dresses have only one shoulder strap, of course, the other side being sleeveless. These are usually long and elegant gowns. There are also completely strapless formal gowns and prom dresses. These can be used with or without a jacket or coat.
Halter, Golden Glamour, and Modest Prom Dresses
The halter dress dance is similar to a halter top at the sleeves and then flows toward the knees. Usually, no more below the knees and can be similar to a high-low dress hem. The golden glamor dress is usually shiny gold to appear like clothing style “Hollywood”. The modest prom dress is beautiful, simple and modest. It covers everything while still giving the user a touch of glamor and elegance.
Types of sleeves
Cap sleeves are short and cover only the arms and shoulders. Juliet sleeves are puffy at the shoulders and tapered down to the wrist. Some sleeves start below the shoulders or appear to “hang” the shoulders. Also, spaghetti straps are thin bands sleeveless.
Necklines
Necklines are also important when choosing a prom dress. The empire neckline scoops out and then connects with a very high waistline. A sweetheart neckline looks like the top of a heart. A jewel neckline is simple and round, located just above the collarbone. The boat neckline (Bandeau), returns to each collarbone, similar to a sailor suit.
Other terms of dance you should know
There are also handbags, or small purses, and clutches that can match your prom dress. Clutches are small handbags strapless. Shawls and wraps are not jackets but fit loosely around his shoulders. You can use when outdoors during cold weather and easily remove them for dancing. A tiara is a princess-type wig that can be worn with hair up or down. There are elbow gloves and wrist gloves. Elbow gloves reach to your elbow, covering the bottom of your arm while wrist gloves only cover the hands.
Before buying a prom dress, know what styles and accessories you are looking for you can save time. Also, go online to see all the different styles available. You can even find great deals online on prom dresses by designers such as Mori Lee, Jovani, Clarisse, Niteline, Dave and Johny, Paris, Riva and Alyce Designs. There are often beautiful dresses online for the prom, Homecoming, and other formal events that a local formal wear can not offer.
THE MODERN INFLUENCE OF ART ON FASHION
Fashion has enjoyed, and often later lamented, it’s synergistic bond with the art world over the last century. From the Cubist motifs of Art Deco era dress to the Minimalist expression that exposed itself in clothing two decades after the movement ended, art and fashion have proven themselves to be less strange bedfellows and more passionate lovers who occasionally don’t get along. Whether art or fashion serves as the catalyst is of note, as fashion driven by art is almost always inspired while the alternative brings to mind the late 70′s/early 80′s Patrick Nagel atrocities which still somehow manage to find wall space in the instant time warp of style deprived neighborhood hair salons everywhere.
Enter the modern era, where art defies the conventions of labeling and boundaries have been distorted to the brink of extinction. What fashion borrows from art today is anything but derivative and often direct. As the art world has expanded, so has the fashion industry. The inclusion of avant garde art into the realm of acceptability as a fashion influence has nothing to do with consumerism and everything to do with the demand for personalization of the elements that the art itself is comprised of. From social commentary to the current political landscape, passions expressed in art are finding their way into the wardrobes of the disenfranchised. What was once born in the back of the mind and realized in an artistic medium can now be worn on the back of a shirt. Never before have options for self expression been so poignant, piercing and available.
Fashion itself has served as a canvas of purpose for thousands of years. From the finely gilded armor of crusaders long deceased to the red or blue handkerchiefs that indicate gang affiliation today, fashion has expressed every sentiment known to man, yet none so convincingly as conflict. Perhaps the expressions against complacency that are evident in art are making their way into the world of fashion in preparation for another conflict of sorts, one in which individuals are railing against the societal injustices and political malfeasance of the day.
Leaders disappointed over exit of NAACP's Jealou
Leaders disappointed over exit of NAACP's Jealous
Civil rights leaders who've worked closely with exiting NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said Monday they regretted that he plans to leave his post by year's end and recalled moments protesting and working with him dating back to his student days at Columbia University.
Jealous told USA TODAY that he decided to resign, effective Dec. 31, to spend more time with his wife, Lia Epperson, and children Morgan, 7, and Jack, 13 months.
National Urban League President Marc Morial said Jealous called him and told him the news on Saturday, one day before it became public.
"I wish he'd change his mind. 'We need you. Rethink it,' " Morial said. "It's always tough times (in demanding roles) and sometimes you wake up and say, 'Am I doing the right thing?' "
He added, "There's no doubt that these jobs are incredibly challenging because you are a national organization and you are also visible and in high demand."
Morial, Jealous, Al Sharpton of the National Action Network and Melanie Campbell of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation had increasingly been working together to present a unified front on issues ranging from the government's response to Hurricane Katrina to jointly expressing beliefs that black Florida teen Trayvon Martin was racially profiled when neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman fatally shot him in February 2012.
Morial said the most effective project he thinks the group put together was a convening of civil rights and grass-roots leaders in Washington last year to share ideas and thoughts on what issues should be their priorities.
"I think it was historic because something of that magnitude had not been achieved in many, many decades," he said.
Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network, said he received the news of Jealous' upcoming departure with "mixed emotions." He said he has worked with Jealous since the NAACP president was a student leader at Columbia University and was arrested in protesting the fatal shooting by four NYC police officers of African immigrant Amadou Diallo, said to resemble a rape suspect.
"I am happy that he has done so well and leaves his post with no scandal, shame or physical challenges, and young enough to have a bright future," Sharpton said in a statement. "There is sadness, however, because for the last several years, he has joined Marc Morial, Melanie Campbell (of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation) and me as we tried to broaden the civil rights leadership of the 21st century movement."
Sharpton said Jealous has "operated with integrity."
"Not only was he able to revive the NAACP and raise its budget to higher heights, he joined us in the streets in real civil rights activity on the ground," Sharpton said. "From the 'suites to the streets' he will be missed as head of the NAACP but I am sure he will not leave us in his contribution to the struggle."
Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civil participation, said she's known and worked with Jealous for many year, even when he headed the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a coalition of black newspapers, from 1999 to 2001.
"Knowing how much of a family man he is, I can only respect that his decision is one that's good for him," Campbell said.
She said she expected to continue working with him, no matter what capacity. "The work continues. It's like a river. It never stops," Campbell said.
Jealous suggested to USA TODAY that the NAACP might be looking at installing its first female president. Campbell said she thought the idea is a great one. When asked, she said she had not been approached about the job.
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a group that operates separately from the NAACP, credits Jealous with strong coalition building and voter mobilization.
"We have been particularly happy to work with Ben Jealous, who has brought energy, strategic vision and tireless advocacy to his work as the NAACP president," she said in a statement.
Civil rights leaders who've worked closely with exiting NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous said Monday they regretted that he plans to leave his post by year's end and recalled moments protesting and working with him dating back to his student days at Columbia University.
Jealous told USA TODAY that he decided to resign, effective Dec. 31, to spend more time with his wife, Lia Epperson, and children Morgan, 7, and Jack, 13 months.
National Urban League President Marc Morial said Jealous called him and told him the news on Saturday, one day before it became public.
"I wish he'd change his mind. 'We need you. Rethink it,' " Morial said. "It's always tough times (in demanding roles) and sometimes you wake up and say, 'Am I doing the right thing?' "
He added, "There's no doubt that these jobs are incredibly challenging because you are a national organization and you are also visible and in high demand."
Morial, Jealous, Al Sharpton of the National Action Network and Melanie Campbell of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation had increasingly been working together to present a unified front on issues ranging from the government's response to Hurricane Katrina to jointly expressing beliefs that black Florida teen Trayvon Martin was racially profiled when neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman fatally shot him in February 2012.
Morial said the most effective project he thinks the group put together was a convening of civil rights and grass-roots leaders in Washington last year to share ideas and thoughts on what issues should be their priorities.
"I think it was historic because something of that magnitude had not been achieved in many, many decades," he said.
Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network, said he received the news of Jealous' upcoming departure with "mixed emotions." He said he has worked with Jealous since the NAACP president was a student leader at Columbia University and was arrested in protesting the fatal shooting by four NYC police officers of African immigrant Amadou Diallo, said to resemble a rape suspect.
"I am happy that he has done so well and leaves his post with no scandal, shame or physical challenges, and young enough to have a bright future," Sharpton said in a statement. "There is sadness, however, because for the last several years, he has joined Marc Morial, Melanie Campbell (of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation) and me as we tried to broaden the civil rights leadership of the 21st century movement."
Sharpton said Jealous has "operated with integrity."
"Not only was he able to revive the NAACP and raise its budget to higher heights, he joined us in the streets in real civil rights activity on the ground," Sharpton said. "From the 'suites to the streets' he will be missed as head of the NAACP but I am sure he will not leave us in his contribution to the struggle."
Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civil participation, said she's known and worked with Jealous for many year, even when he headed the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a coalition of black newspapers, from 1999 to 2001.
"Knowing how much of a family man he is, I can only respect that his decision is one that's good for him," Campbell said.
She said she expected to continue working with him, no matter what capacity. "The work continues. It's like a river. It never stops," Campbell said.
Jealous suggested to USA TODAY that the NAACP might be looking at installing its first female president. Campbell said she thought the idea is a great one. When asked, she said she had not been approached about the job.
Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a group that operates separately from the NAACP, credits Jealous with strong coalition building and voter mobilization.
"We have been particularly happy to work with Ben Jealous, who has brought energy, strategic vision and tireless advocacy to his work as the NAACP president," she said in a statement.
Obama undecided on Syria strike if Congress says no
Taking his case against Syria to the nation's airwaves, President Obama said Monday he doesn't yet know if he will order military strikes even if the House or Senate reject the idea.
"It's fair to say I haven't decided," Obama told NBC News, one of six television interviews conducted at the White House.
Obama also told network anchors he is aware of public opposition, isn't confident he has the support of Congress right now, and that final Senate and House votes could be delayed.
"We're going to spend this week talking to members of Congress, answering their questions, and I'm going to speak to the American people tomorrow night directly," Obama told NBC News, adding that he'll evaluate military plans after Congress votes.
"I've made my decision about what I think is best for America's national interests," he said, "but this is one where I think it's important for me to pay close attention to what Congress and the American people say."
VOTE LOOMS: : Will Congress support a military strike on Syria"
In a session with ABC News, Obama said that "I don't anticipate that you would see a succession of votes this week or anytime in the immediate future."
One reason: A new proposal by Russia -- a Syria ally -- to have Bashar Assad's government place its chemical weapons under international control.
The United States will evaluate that plan, Obama said, though he told CBS News "we don't know the details of it yet."
But, he told CNN, "we're going to take this seriously," and said to PBS that he has discussed the idea with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and "my intention throughout this process has been to ensure that the blatant use of chemical weapons that we saw doesn't happen again."
On Fox, Obama said, "we will pursue this diplomatic track" and "I fervently hope that this can be resolved in a non-military way."
Obama also dismissed Assad's threats of retaliation against the United States for an attack. He told CBS that "Mr. Assad doesn't have the capacity to strike us in a significant way."
The president's prime time speech on Syria is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Obama plans to attend the weekly policy luncheons of Senate Democrats and Republicans.
Obama and aides are also providing briefings to members of the Republican-run U.S. House.
As polls reflect major public opposition, Obama faces uphill battles in both chambers.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said Monday she would vote to oppose military force, adding that the proposed resolution "falls short because it calls for military action in Syria without carefully looking at diplomatic or alternative solutions."
Heitkamp said she would work with another Senate opponent, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on an alternative giving Assad 45 days to sign an international chemical weapons ban and begin turning over his own stockpiles.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he would vote against the resolution, citing "too much uncertainty about what comes next." Other Senate Republicans expressed similar sentiments.
On PBS, Obama said he understands the resistance to a military strike on Syria, after years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the days ahead, Obama said he will stress to Congress and the public that he is planning a limited military strike designed to degrade Assad's weapons capability.
OBAMA SHRINKING SECOND TERM HASTENED BY SYRIA OPPOSITION
OBAMA SHRINKING SECOND TERM HASTENED BY SYRIA OPPOSITION
As Barack Obama seeks approval for a military strike in Syria, he finds the footprint of his historic presidency shrinking.
It’s the fate of most second-term presidents as it becomes harder to keep public support and win legislative fights while their power wanes. For Obama, it’s arrived early.
He has implored Congress, the American public and U.S. allies around the world to support a military strike in Syria to deter its use of chemical weapons, yet even many fellow Democrats have failed to rally to his call.
In some respects, he circumscribed the office by design, saying on Sept. 4 that after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “it is important to get out of the habit of letting the president stretch the boundaries of his authority.”
He has much at stake in testing that theory. If he loses the vote on Syria, the Republicans will be emboldened to challenge him on fiscal issues, immigration and on his nominee to be chairman of the Federal Reserve. If he orders military action without congressional approval, at least one Republican House member, Duncan Hunter of California, said impeachment would be warranted.
If Obama wins, his position on those issues, along with immigration, will be strengthened just as he also is starting enrollment for his health-care law.
“Shrinkage is the lot of a re-elected president,” said John Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College in California and co-author of “After Hope and Change,” an analysis of the 2012 election. “A second-term president no longer has the power of novelty.”
Sized Up
“Sometimes, a first-year president gains the upper hand because lawmakers think that he or she may represent some larger political force. By year five, they’ve sized up the person in the Oval Office, and are a lot harder to intimidate,” Pitney said.
Beyond Syria, Obama has unusual competition for attention so early in a second term. His former campaign rival and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has often been in the spotlight as much as the president, all over the question of whether she will seek to replace him -- more than three years from now.
Clinton, after discussing Syria with Obama, said at a White House event today that the regime’s use of chemical weapons demands “a strong response” and urged Congress to support the president. While immediate surrender of Syria’s stockpiles, as endorsed by Russia, “would be an important step,” she said, it “cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction.”
Obama also is finding the argument that the U.S. is the world’s indispensable nation isn’t having the same resonance it once did, with Americans more concerned about domestic issues such as the economy. And abroad, where his approval ratings are consistently higher than at home, he has been able to generate only modest support for taking action in Syria.
To be sure, the president could reset his standing, either by his own actions or world events that force it. In television interviews scheduled for today and in an address to the nation tomorrow, Obama will try to persuade the public that the U.S. must stand behind its assertion that the use of chemical weapons by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad requires a military response.
“There is a growing recognition that the world cannot stand idly by” and “there needs to be a strong response,” Obama said Sept. 6 during a news conference at the close of an international economic summit in Russia.
‘In the Game’
Tad Devine, who has advised several Democratic presidential candidates, said Obama “is still very much in the game. He could soon be leading a high wire, military action in the Middle East which would showcase him as commander-in-chief.
‘‘And he has demonstrated a unique electoral appeal in 2008 and 2012. He personally turned out an ‘Obama Electorate’ that was younger and more diverse that any American electorate we have seen before,’’ he said.
‘‘If he can show members of Congress and his own party leaders that he can help to mobilize that electorate again, even without his name on the ballot, he will continue to have a lot of political capital beyond the enormous powers of the presidency,’’ Devine said.
Younger Voters
Mobilizing younger voters, whose opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan helped propel Obama as an antiwar candidate in 2008, could prove difficult. The president’s effort to summon support for a Syria strike is failing with the American public so far as well.
In a poll released today by the Pew Research Center, the share of Americans who oppose military air strikes in Syria jumped 15 percentage points since a Sept. 3 survey, to 63 percent from 48 percent, with 28 percent favoring action.
President Bill Clinton faced a similar issue in 1999 when he asked Congress to authorize air and missile strikes in Kosovo in cooperation with NATO. As the Washington-based Cook Political Report noted, the resolution passed the Senate 58-41, with Democrats providing 73 percent of the ‘‘yes’’ votes.
The resolution failed in the House 213-213 with 213 affirmative votes from Democrats. Clinton’s approval rating at the time was 60 percent, while Obama’s is 44 percent.
At the time, Clinton had the support of then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, a Republican. The House later passed a bill funding military operations in Kosovo. The bombing campaign started after the Senate vote and before the House one, according to Politifact.com.
First-Term Record
While Obama, like most second-term presidents, isn’t the force he was, he can still point to accomplishments, including passage of a landmark health-care law that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, saving the auto industry, pushing for tougher regulations on Wall Street, and steering the country through a financial crisis.
Since Obama took office in 2009, the economy has averaged 1.7 percent quarter-on-quarter economic growth and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (SPX) has risen almost 95 percent. Unemployment (USURTOT) in August was 7.3 percent, the lowest in his term after rising as high as 10 percent in October 2009.
John Geer, chairman of the department of political science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, said that while Obama has ‘‘hit some rough patches of late, that often happens to presidents in a second term.”
“I do not think his presidency is shrinking, just struggling as second termers tend to do,” Geer said. “If we start to get better and better job numbers, he will start looking better and better too.”
As Barack Obama seeks approval for a military strike in Syria, he finds the footprint of his historic presidency shrinking.
It’s the fate of most second-term presidents as it becomes harder to keep public support and win legislative fights while their power wanes. For Obama, it’s arrived early.
He has implored Congress, the American public and U.S. allies around the world to support a military strike in Syria to deter its use of chemical weapons, yet even many fellow Democrats have failed to rally to his call.
In some respects, he circumscribed the office by design, saying on Sept. 4 that after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “it is important to get out of the habit of letting the president stretch the boundaries of his authority.”
He has much at stake in testing that theory. If he loses the vote on Syria, the Republicans will be emboldened to challenge him on fiscal issues, immigration and on his nominee to be chairman of the Federal Reserve. If he orders military action without congressional approval, at least one Republican House member, Duncan Hunter of California, said impeachment would be warranted.
If Obama wins, his position on those issues, along with immigration, will be strengthened just as he also is starting enrollment for his health-care law.
“Shrinkage is the lot of a re-elected president,” said John Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College in California and co-author of “After Hope and Change,” an analysis of the 2012 election. “A second-term president no longer has the power of novelty.”
Sized Up
“Sometimes, a first-year president gains the upper hand because lawmakers think that he or she may represent some larger political force. By year five, they’ve sized up the person in the Oval Office, and are a lot harder to intimidate,” Pitney said.
Beyond Syria, Obama has unusual competition for attention so early in a second term. His former campaign rival and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has often been in the spotlight as much as the president, all over the question of whether she will seek to replace him -- more than three years from now.
Clinton, after discussing Syria with Obama, said at a White House event today that the regime’s use of chemical weapons demands “a strong response” and urged Congress to support the president. While immediate surrender of Syria’s stockpiles, as endorsed by Russia, “would be an important step,” she said, it “cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction.”
Obama also is finding the argument that the U.S. is the world’s indispensable nation isn’t having the same resonance it once did, with Americans more concerned about domestic issues such as the economy. And abroad, where his approval ratings are consistently higher than at home, he has been able to generate only modest support for taking action in Syria.
To be sure, the president could reset his standing, either by his own actions or world events that force it. In television interviews scheduled for today and in an address to the nation tomorrow, Obama will try to persuade the public that the U.S. must stand behind its assertion that the use of chemical weapons by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad requires a military response.
“There is a growing recognition that the world cannot stand idly by” and “there needs to be a strong response,” Obama said Sept. 6 during a news conference at the close of an international economic summit in Russia.
‘In the Game’
Tad Devine, who has advised several Democratic presidential candidates, said Obama “is still very much in the game. He could soon be leading a high wire, military action in the Middle East which would showcase him as commander-in-chief.
‘‘And he has demonstrated a unique electoral appeal in 2008 and 2012. He personally turned out an ‘Obama Electorate’ that was younger and more diverse that any American electorate we have seen before,’’ he said.
‘‘If he can show members of Congress and his own party leaders that he can help to mobilize that electorate again, even without his name on the ballot, he will continue to have a lot of political capital beyond the enormous powers of the presidency,’’ Devine said.
Younger Voters
Mobilizing younger voters, whose opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan helped propel Obama as an antiwar candidate in 2008, could prove difficult. The president’s effort to summon support for a Syria strike is failing with the American public so far as well.
In a poll released today by the Pew Research Center, the share of Americans who oppose military air strikes in Syria jumped 15 percentage points since a Sept. 3 survey, to 63 percent from 48 percent, with 28 percent favoring action.
President Bill Clinton faced a similar issue in 1999 when he asked Congress to authorize air and missile strikes in Kosovo in cooperation with NATO. As the Washington-based Cook Political Report noted, the resolution passed the Senate 58-41, with Democrats providing 73 percent of the ‘‘yes’’ votes.
The resolution failed in the House 213-213 with 213 affirmative votes from Democrats. Clinton’s approval rating at the time was 60 percent, while Obama’s is 44 percent.
At the time, Clinton had the support of then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, a Republican. The House later passed a bill funding military operations in Kosovo. The bombing campaign started after the Senate vote and before the House one, according to Politifact.com.
First-Term Record
While Obama, like most second-term presidents, isn’t the force he was, he can still point to accomplishments, including passage of a landmark health-care law that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, saving the auto industry, pushing for tougher regulations on Wall Street, and steering the country through a financial crisis.
Since Obama took office in 2009, the economy has averaged 1.7 percent quarter-on-quarter economic growth and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (SPX) has risen almost 95 percent. Unemployment (USURTOT) in August was 7.3 percent, the lowest in his term after rising as high as 10 percent in October 2009.
John Geer, chairman of the department of political science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, said that while Obama has ‘‘hit some rough patches of late, that often happens to presidents in a second term.”
“I do not think his presidency is shrinking, just struggling as second termers tend to do,” Geer said. “If we start to get better and better job numbers, he will start looking better and better too.”
Environmental Control Robot with Controller Android Smartphone
Takanishi Laboratory Researchers in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Waseda University Japan has recently announced the construction of a robot co-developed regulatory environment Kokushikan University and Japan Robotech.
The uniqueness of the robot's environment watchdog is the existence of an Android smartphone to perform its functions.
This robot uses the Android smartphone Sony Xperia So-05D. In the smartphone also pinned a special application which is used to control the movement of motors and sensors on the robot.
The specific applications will be periodically measured data from the GPS, camera or external sensor. Furthermore, these data will be uploaded to the cloud service Google Drive to use the mobile network.
This robot is likely to be priced at between U.S. $ 1,500 to U.S. $ 5,000. The researchers say that the robot is built aims to monitor the activity of animals in the forest, radiation monitoring in mining and others.
The robot moves with six legs and is equipped with two DC motors. Each motor is used to drive the three legs are located on the left and right. The robot was able to move forward, backward, or turning left and right. Moreover this robot has a speed of 0.1 meters per second.
U.S. raid into Syria jeopardize JCI and Rupiah
Rate of composite stock price index (CSPI) in the period 9-10 days ahead are crucial period. Therefore, the market will be faced with two important decisions. First, the Fed's decision on the proposed reduction of the stimulus package.
"The Fed is likely to reduce the amount of short-term bond purchases around USD 20-30 billion to $ 65-55 billion per month," said analyst at MNC Securities, Edwin Sebayang in daily research, Jakarta, Monday (9/9).
The second is the decision to plan a military attack on Syria which of course if this happens, then the price of crude oil will 'fly' and will grow stronger USD as market participants will be looking for a safe place quality at times of uncertainty like that.
From within the country, Edwin said, the important thing to watch over the military to attack Syria if it happens then the price of Brent crude oil or crude closer to the ICP price could reach $ 120 per barrel in which the rise in oil prices could further increase the trade deficit that in January-July reached USD 5.65 billion.
"Where's widening deficit because of the large number of oil and gas imports reached USD 4.1 billion as of the end of July," he explained.
Rising crude oil prices combined with a weakening Euro will further endanger the budget.
"If the tapering is issued, whether Indonesia can survive if foreign funds exit where the last one year alone, approximately USD 50 billion of hot money into the local financial markets?'s Happened since the Fed boosted spending stimulus (Quantitative easing) to about USD 2 trillion , "he explained.
"The Fed is likely to reduce the amount of short-term bond purchases around USD 20-30 billion to $ 65-55 billion per month," said analyst at MNC Securities, Edwin Sebayang in daily research, Jakarta, Monday (9/9).
The second is the decision to plan a military attack on Syria which of course if this happens, then the price of crude oil will 'fly' and will grow stronger USD as market participants will be looking for a safe place quality at times of uncertainty like that.
From within the country, Edwin said, the important thing to watch over the military to attack Syria if it happens then the price of Brent crude oil or crude closer to the ICP price could reach $ 120 per barrel in which the rise in oil prices could further increase the trade deficit that in January-July reached USD 5.65 billion.
"Where's widening deficit because of the large number of oil and gas imports reached USD 4.1 billion as of the end of July," he explained.
Rising crude oil prices combined with a weakening Euro will further endanger the budget.
"If the tapering is issued, whether Indonesia can survive if foreign funds exit where the last one year alone, approximately USD 50 billion of hot money into the local financial markets?'s Happened since the Fed boosted spending stimulus (Quantitative easing) to about USD 2 trillion , "he explained.
Japanese Build 20 Shopping Center in Indonesia Rp 8.7 Trillion Worth
Shopping center development company based in Japan , AEON Mall plans to bury investment in Indonesia worth 80 billion yen or equivalent to Rp 8.7 trillion . Investment of the funds allocated to build 20 malls until 2020.
Chief Executive Officer of AEON Mall Indonesia , Ryuma Okazaki , said the fund is derived from company and share equity loan holding company . Location 20th shopping center with flag AEON Mall is located in the area of Jakarta , Depok , Bogor , Tangerang and Bekasi .
" We are targeting as many shopping centers that are motivated by consumption growth in Indonesia's high society into segments shooting , " said Okazaki to Kompas.com , in Serpong , Saturday ( 08/24/2013 ) .
20 The construction of shopping centers , according to Okazaki , will be done through a variety of schemes with different developers or land owners .
" Cooperation with Sinarmas Land is not exclusive . They have the right to build a sub-urban mall with other parties , so it is with us . Till now , we open up the opportunity for other landowners and developers to work together , " said Okazaki .
There were seven to eight ( including AEON Mall in BSD City and in the City of Delta Mas , Cikarang ) , among 20 shopping center will be built through a joint venture capital schemes ( joint venture ) . Most of the rest are developed through a master lease offers .
Schema master lease , is actually not a new thing . In Indonesia has been implemented in Lotte Shopping Avenue ( LOVE ) @ CWJ and Seibu in Pasaraya period of the 1990s .
General Manager of Corporate Planning Department AEON Mall Indonesia , Djono Karjadi explains , the concept of the master lease is a pattern of cooperation in the form of offer management of AEON Mall on land and buildings owned land lord ( the developer ) .
In a partnership like this , AEON Indonesia acts as the manager who has the authority to sub-lease spaces to prospective tenants of shopping centers , establish zoning stores , tenancy mix and the rental price .
" While the developer or landowner role physical build property with interior design and specification of building materials as needed . Tenan major or anchor tenant must AEON Indonesia, a retail company ( sister company ) our group , " said Djono .
Jakarta Added 11 New Shopping Center
Jakarta Added 11 New Shopping Center
After experiencing the " deficit " supply the first quarter of 2013 , Jakarta redeem it with three new shopping centers opened in the next quarter the Street Gallery in Pondok Indah Mall , Lotte Shopping Avenue in Ciputra World Jakarta and Cipinang Indah Mall . All three increase the space as much as 107,100 square feet of total space Jakarta shopping center to 4.2 million square meters .
Not just only three , from recent research reported by Colliers International Indonesia , the capital will be met eleven shopping center again until 2016. The shopping center is The Bay Walk in Green Bay Pluit , St . Moritz at Puri Indah Mall , Mal Puri Indah Extension , Mal Kelapa Gading III Extension , Pantai Indah Kapok Mall , Central Park Mall Extension , Grand Cipulir , Shopping Mall @ Jewel, Mal Puri Indah II , Holland Village Mall , and the Mall @ The City Center .
Overall the shopping center area of 498 200 square meters . So if dikumulasikan , the total area of retail space will reach 4.698 million square meters .
Unlike the supply growth , the level of occupancy ( occupancy rate) experienced a small decline . From the previous 88.9 percent , to 87.3 percent in the second quarter of 2013 . The decrease in occupancy rate , according to Colliers , occurs in old malls .
While the new malls are located in Central and South Jakarta have increased occupancy by 10 percent since the new lease transaction activity . Call it Kasablanka City and Mal Lippo Mall Kemang . There was an average rental rate per square meter reaches 469 818 per month .
Associate Director of Research Colliers International Indonesia , Ferry Salanto , say , the growth of shopping centers is influenced by a growing retail business . The increasingly expansive retail businesses to open their newest outlets .
"The expansion of foreign retailers that carry the brand for the Indonesian market will continue to happen in the future , " Ferry said in a research report .
Uniqlo , a clothing brand based in Japan will even expand their market share in Indonesia by adding stores. After LOVE , they will be present in Kelapa Gading mall and corridor S Parman .
While the Swedish retailer , H & M will open two stores at once ie at Gandaria City in the 3rd quarter of this year and in which they made the Grand Indonesia flagship store next year .
After experiencing the " deficit " supply the first quarter of 2013 , Jakarta redeem it with three new shopping centers opened in the next quarter the Street Gallery in Pondok Indah Mall , Lotte Shopping Avenue in Ciputra World Jakarta and Cipinang Indah Mall . All three increase the space as much as 107,100 square feet of total space Jakarta shopping center to 4.2 million square meters .
Not just only three , from recent research reported by Colliers International Indonesia , the capital will be met eleven shopping center again until 2016. The shopping center is The Bay Walk in Green Bay Pluit , St . Moritz at Puri Indah Mall , Mal Puri Indah Extension , Mal Kelapa Gading III Extension , Pantai Indah Kapok Mall , Central Park Mall Extension , Grand Cipulir , Shopping Mall @ Jewel, Mal Puri Indah II , Holland Village Mall , and the Mall @ The City Center .
Overall the shopping center area of 498 200 square meters . So if dikumulasikan , the total area of retail space will reach 4.698 million square meters .
Unlike the supply growth , the level of occupancy ( occupancy rate) experienced a small decline . From the previous 88.9 percent , to 87.3 percent in the second quarter of 2013 . The decrease in occupancy rate , according to Colliers , occurs in old malls .
While the new malls are located in Central and South Jakarta have increased occupancy by 10 percent since the new lease transaction activity . Call it Kasablanka City and Mal Lippo Mall Kemang . There was an average rental rate per square meter reaches 469 818 per month .
Associate Director of Research Colliers International Indonesia , Ferry Salanto , say , the growth of shopping centers is influenced by a growing retail business . The increasingly expansive retail businesses to open their newest outlets .
"The expansion of foreign retailers that carry the brand for the Indonesian market will continue to happen in the future , " Ferry said in a research report .
Uniqlo , a clothing brand based in Japan will even expand their market share in Indonesia by adding stores. After LOVE , they will be present in Kelapa Gading mall and corridor S Parman .
While the Swedish retailer , H & M will open two stores at once ie at Gandaria City in the 3rd quarter of this year and in which they made the Grand Indonesia flagship store next year .
Mujahidin Assembly Asks Police Clearance Maintenance Unplug Miss World
MMI went to Police Headquarters in Jalan Trunojoyo Indonesia, South Jakarta, Thursday (09/05/2013). They requested that the National Police revoke the operating license of Miss World 2013, which is currently being held in Bali quarantine process.
"We want to convey to the Chief of Police, as the institution responsible for the permission of Miss World 2013 contest, so pleased to revoke the operating license," said Chairman Abdullah Greater Jakarta branch of the Majelis Mujahidin Ricko when it comes to Police Headquarters.
He claims, at least there are 60 Islamic organizations that reject the implementation of the universal beauty pageant. If the contest is still held, he claimed to fear it would provoke anger Islamic organizations refused.
"To this day, nearly 60 Islamic organizations that have been formally rejected. Means, if this is ignored, this is considered harassment. Finally, this morning, Muhammadiyah and NU official also said refuse," he said.
According to him, the aspirations of rejection have also been submitted to the MNC Group as the event organizer. "MNC considers this refusal is a breeze and if you see a statement from them. They see this as the only culture, not seen as religious (moral)," said Abdullah.
Miss World participants from Latin America and Asia Arrive in Bali
Miss World 2013 participants from a number of countries began arriving through Ngurah Rai International Airport , Badung regency , Bali , starting on Tuesday ( 03.09.2013 ) to Wednesday ( 09/04/2013 ) this . The number of participants who expressed gone after the Miss World 2013 until Wednesday afternoon carrying 130 people .
" Until this afternoon , participants who said they would come in as many as 130 people . Those who have come from the Latin and Asian countries . Participants awaited his arrival to 6 September, " said Head of Media Affairs Arief Soeditomo Miss World 2013 in Germany when contacted on Wednesday afternoon .
The plan , the participants will follow some of the activities in Bali and Jakarta . On 8 September, the participants followed the opening of the Miss World 2013 in the Westin Hotel , Nusa Dua .
In addition to the opening , participants will visit some tourist sites , including the Pura Besakih , Karangasem regency . Bali is ready to receive participants of the Miss World from a number of countries .
Local authorities reminded the organizers continue to promote civility and politeness , especially in the choice of clothing . The reason , Bali upholds local customs as intended and site visits , like to pretend . In addition , the island will be a representation of Indonesia in the eyes of the world .
Should follow the ethics Bali
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika confirmed, it still gives the terms in order to adapt to the local venue organizers are to be respected .
" We are reminded , if you want to be held in Bali , the condition must follow applicable ethical deontology in Indonesia in general and Bali in particular , " said Pastika .
He supported the event by the organizers keep these conditions guarantees . In addition , the election is expected to have a positive impact for Bali and Indonesia , for example upon tourism .
According to Pastika , country ambassadors who participated will give good ratings on Indonesia , especially Bali , and delivered to several people in the country .
Media reporter from another country , he added , will preach this implementation so that Indonesia could increasingly recognized . " Positively, it is able to be a free promotional tourism industry , " said Pastika .
While Police Chief ( Police ) Inspector General Arif Wachyunadi Bali says ready to oversee security during the Miss World concert in Bali . He claimed to seriously handle this agenda because adjacent to the APEC summit .
Hundreds of Bali Police personnel involved in the whole agenda . " Moreover , the agenda of the Miss World are located in multiple locations , " said Head of Bali Police .
Agenda for the Miss Word planned in several locations in Bali . Locations include Nusa Dua ( Badung ) , Gianyar , Tabanan , Denpasar . Balinese traditional clothes is also one of the participants to wear clothing in Bali .
Iran to Syria to End Support
Iran to Syria to End Support
asserts keep supporting Syria "until the end" in the face of possible attack the U.S. military and its allies. This statement of the commander of Iran's elite forces, Quds Qassem Soleimani.
"The U.S. goal is not to protect human rights, but rather to destroy the front line of resistance (against Israel)," Soleimani said.
"We will support Syria until the end," said Soleimani in a speech to the Council of Experts, a body which advises the spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, Soleimani did not explain in detail what kind of support will be given. Moreover, Iran has always denied charges that accused the West of the country sent weapons and troops to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
A year ago, the leader of Iran's revolutionary guard forces, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that members of the Quds forces overseas operating units are in Syria only to provide "advice and suggestions" to the Syrian military.
Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan denied his country was sending troops and weapons to Syria.
"Syria does not need weapons because of our own Syrian anti-aircraft system," said Dehqan.
Meanwhile, President Hassan Rohani confirmed, Iran will do anything to prevent a military strike against the Assad regime.
"Any attack on Syria is not only contrary to the interests of the region, but also contrary to U.S. allies in the region," said Rohani.
"Military attack will not help anyone," said Rohani.
Some western countries accuse Syria of masterminding the attack of chemical weapons on Aug. 21 near Damascus, which the U.S. has claimed more than 1,400 people.
President Obama is currently awaiting Congressional support and the international community regarding the plan to attack the U.S. military.
asserts keep supporting Syria "until the end" in the face of possible attack the U.S. military and its allies. This statement of the commander of Iran's elite forces, Quds Qassem Soleimani.
"The U.S. goal is not to protect human rights, but rather to destroy the front line of resistance (against Israel)," Soleimani said.
"We will support Syria until the end," said Soleimani in a speech to the Council of Experts, a body which advises the spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, Soleimani did not explain in detail what kind of support will be given. Moreover, Iran has always denied charges that accused the West of the country sent weapons and troops to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
A year ago, the leader of Iran's revolutionary guard forces, Mohammad Ali Jafari, said that members of the Quds forces overseas operating units are in Syria only to provide "advice and suggestions" to the Syrian military.
Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan denied his country was sending troops and weapons to Syria.
"Syria does not need weapons because of our own Syrian anti-aircraft system," said Dehqan.
Meanwhile, President Hassan Rohani confirmed, Iran will do anything to prevent a military strike against the Assad regime.
"Any attack on Syria is not only contrary to the interests of the region, but also contrary to U.S. allies in the region," said Rohani.
"Military attack will not help anyone," said Rohani.
Some western countries accuse Syria of masterminding the attack of chemical weapons on Aug. 21 near Damascus, which the U.S. has claimed more than 1,400 people.
President Obama is currently awaiting Congressional support and the international community regarding the plan to attack the U.S. military.
BBM on Android and iPhone Clear Glide September
BBM on Android and iPhone Clear Glide September
The applicants BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for Android and iOS seem to be patient a little longer to try and use the popular chat application.
A BlackBerry executives who declined to be named said, popular application is yet to be released in the month of September 2013.
According to executives from Canada's, as quoted by The Droid Guy, Tuesday (03/09/2013), a new application is likely to be present at the end of next month or in October.
"Applications can be expected to be present, both in Android and iOS, at the end of next month (October) with some new messaging features to compete with popular apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp," officials said the BlackBerry.
Executive statement that contrary to the claims BlackBerry India officials some time ago. Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director BlackBerry India, ever divulge information, the app will be available in September 2013.
"Service (BBM) Android will visit this summer. But this summer in North America, which means it will last until September," said Sunil few moments ago.
When asked whether that meant BBM for Android will be available before the end of September, Sunil firmly justify it.
BlackBerry itself is known to be menghelat gathering of developers, BlackBerry Jam Asia, on 27 to 28 September 2013 in Hong Kong next. Many believe, will unveil the BlackBerry BBM for Android and iOS in the event.
The applicants BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for Android and iOS seem to be patient a little longer to try and use the popular chat application.
A BlackBerry executives who declined to be named said, popular application is yet to be released in the month of September 2013.
According to executives from Canada's, as quoted by The Droid Guy, Tuesday (03/09/2013), a new application is likely to be present at the end of next month or in October.
"Applications can be expected to be present, both in Android and iOS, at the end of next month (October) with some new messaging features to compete with popular apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp," officials said the BlackBerry.
Executive statement that contrary to the claims BlackBerry India officials some time ago. Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director BlackBerry India, ever divulge information, the app will be available in September 2013.
"Service (BBM) Android will visit this summer. But this summer in North America, which means it will last until September," said Sunil few moments ago.
When asked whether that meant BBM for Android will be available before the end of September, Sunil firmly justify it.
BlackBerry itself is known to be menghelat gathering of developers, BlackBerry Jam Asia, on 27 to 28 September 2013 in Hong Kong next. Many believe, will unveil the BlackBerry BBM for Android and iOS in the event.
"Human Rp 315.11 trillion" Buy British Club
League One, Sheffield United, sold part of the club to one of the Prince of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. It was said to be the owner Kevin McCabe at Sheffield United's official website on Tuesday (03/09/2013).
"We are looking forward to running this cooperation. Agreement is like changing the club game and the funds invested into the club is substantial," said McCabe.
"Money is available to increase investment in the first team. That could mean building a squad to get back to the top competition in the UK. Cooperation will be established in the long run. I know it well and I'm glad he sat as directors club," he added .
As reported by the Telegraph, Prince Abdullah is the former president of one of Saudi Arabia's successful club, Al Hilal. Prince Abdullah estimated wealth of 18 billion pounds (about Rp 315.11 trillion). Although relatively wealthy, Prince Abdullah was reluctant to pour money vying to build the club.
"The money will be used wisely. We have to respect the rules imposed salary cost management," said Prince Abdullah.
3 Business Unit Nokia Not Come Sold to Microsoft
Nokia ready to turn a new page after the board of directors removing devices and services business unit business to Microsoft . Nokia three business units that are not purchased by Microsoft will remain independent and stay focused to give service and develop products .
In a press release from Nokia headquarters in Espoo , Finland , Nokia said it will continue to play with the powers that be , namely the digital maps and location services ; telecommunications network infrastructure and services , as well as technology development .
"Today is an important moment for change and creation of new Nokia and its employees , " said Risto Siilasmaa , CEO of Nokia who previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nokia . " With a strong corporate identity , assets and leading talent , and with the new financial position , we will build the next chapter for Nokia . "
Nokia will continue to offer a platform of digital maps and location -based cloud . The company has long provided digital mapping system .
Digital map products Here is the latest Nokia , which is available for a variety of mobile devices and the web site . Here will be developed in order to be a product that integrates with corporate solutions and automotive industry .
The company also will remain a player in the industry of telecommunications network infrastructure and services . In August 2013 , Nokia fully become the owner of Nokia Siemens Network ( NSN ) , after buying a 50 percent stake in the joint venture Siemens NSN , amounting to 1.7 billion euros .
NSN optimistic can be a major player in the wireless technology 4G LTE . According to Gartner research institute , NSN controls 15 percent share of the global mobile network equipment market in late 2012 . The first position is occupied by Ericsson of Sweden with 35 percent , followed by Huawei from China with 17 percent .
In addition , Nokia also has Advanced Technologies , a business unit for technology development and patent licensing . This business unit is expected to create new business opportunities in connectivity , material technology , the web , to cloud computing .
Microsoft will spend 5.44 billion euros ( about 7.2 billion U.S. dollars ) to acquire Nokia's main business . Amounted to 3.79 billion euros ( 5 billion dollars ) to buy a business unit of Nokia devices and business services , and 1.65 billion euros ( 2.2 billion dollars ) to license Nokia patents .
Timo Ihamuotila , CFO and President while Nokia , said the transaction is expected to have a positive effect on our financial condition Nokia and can increase revenue significantly. " Overall, we will continue to focus on managing and maximizing the assets of Nokia Group , as well as cautious and pragmatic in creating value for shareholders Nokia , " said Ihamuotila .
Nokia Lumia Successfully Defeat iPhone
Nokia seemed to improve performance in the two major countries that exist in parts of continental Europe. In fact, in one country, the Finnish company is able to defeat the popular homemade Apple's smart phone, the iPhone.
According to IDC, as quoted from Phone Arena, Monday (08/26/2013), Nokia looks better business in the UK and Italy.
In the land of pizza, Nokia smart phone sales in the second quarter increased 17 percent from year to year or from the same quarter the previous year.
With these achievements, the position of Nokia in Italy rose to second place, still less than the South Korean smartphone vendor, Samsung. Even so, Nokia is still capable of winning on the iPhone.
In the UK, Nokia managed to double smartphone sales to 396,000 units in the second quarter. Unfortunately, the high sales do not improve their position. Nokia still outside the top 5 smart phone UK sellers.
Overall, Nokia sold 1.8 million units of smartphones in Western Europe. This value represents the 11 percent decline from 2012, but still able to bring Nokia to rank 5 companies with the best market in the area during April to June 2013.
Nokia looks to work hard to get back into the competitive landscape of the smart phone world. In recent months, Nokia released a variety of phones based on Windows Phone, such as the Lumia 925 and Lumia 926. Lumia Nokia has also released the 40-megapixel camera, 1020. Nokia Lumia also has a low end to mid end, Lumia 520 and Lumia 625.
Taken Microsoft, Nokia Employees How fate?
Nokia's main business units, namely devices and services division, certain to be taken over by Microsoft. This shocking news was announced by Microsoft on Tuesday (09/03/2013) this.
Microsoft had to spend 5.44 billion euros ($ 81.2 billion) for its plan to acquire Nokia's main business. In addition to their two business units, Microsoft is also entitled to a patent license, property, and employees of Nokia.
Once annexed Microsoft, how about the thousands of other Nokia employees?
As quoted from AllThingsD, as part of the agreement, approximately 32,000 Nokia employees planned to be transferred to Microsoft. Around 18,300 employees of whom are directly involved in the manufacture of the products and services of Microsoft.
This means, not all Nokia moved to Microsoft employees. A total of 56,000 employees will remain under the management of Nokia Group and worked for three business units that are not purchased Microsoft, the digital map and location services; telecommunications network infrastructure and services, as well as technology development.
Nokia Group itself maintains its headquarters in Espoo, Finland.
Several Nokia executives will likely be transferred to Microsoft, including Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, Jo Harlow, Juha Putkiranta, Timo Toikkanen, and Chris Weber. They are the big names that have been caring for Nokia devices and services business.
Stephen Elop, who served as CEO of Nokia since September 2010, had to remove his post. He will work for Microsoft and served as Vice President of Devices and Services Division Business Unit Nokia annexed Microsoft.
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