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Monday, February 25, 2013

A Magnetized Bull Nose Keyring Keeps Your Wandering Keys Captive

You might feel like you're always losing your keys. This bull has a magnet in its nose to hold onto them for you. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/QYpGuVI2v-M/a-magnetized-bull-nose-keyring-keeps-your-wandering-keys-captive

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Safety on everyone's mind at Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III speaks during a news conference before the start of the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Several spectators were injured when a car crashed into the catch fence during the Nationwide Series auto race on Saturday sending debris into the grandstand. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Emergency officials put out a fire from driver Kyle Larson's engine after his car hit the wall and safety fence along the front grandstands on the final lap of a NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Larson's crash sent car parts and other debris flying into the stands injuring spectators. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Injured spectators are treated after a crash at the conclusion of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Driver Kyle Larson's car hit the safety fence sending car parts and other debris flying into the stands. (AP Photo/David Graham)

A wheel, tire and suspension parts sit in the stands after crash on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Several fans were injured when large chunks of debris sailed into the grandstands after a car flew into the fence. (AP Photo/David Graham)

Kyle Larson (32) goes airborne and into the catch fence in a multi-car crash involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Parker Kligerman (77), Justin Allgaier (31) and Brian Scott (2) during the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Raymond Gober parked his motorcycle outside Daytona International Speedway, climbed off and briefly considered bringing his helmet into the track.

"I was about to wear it in, but I knew everyone would be laughing at me," said Gober, a pastor from outside Atlanta.

Maybe not.

Safety was on everyone's mind before and during the Daytona 500 on Sunday, a day after a horrific wreck in a second-tier NASCAR series race hurled chunks of debris, including a heavy tire, into the stands and injured nearly 30 people.

With small spots of blood still soaked into the concrete seating area, the accident raised questions about the safety of fans at race tracks. Should fences be higher and sturdier? Should grandstands be farther from the track?

NASCAR has long been a big draw because of its thrilling speeds, tight-knit racing, frantic finishes and the ability to get so close to the action.

That proximity comes with some risk.

And after Saturday's 12-car melee on the final lap of the Nationwide Series opener, some questioned whether that risk outweighed the reward.

"These are the best seats in the house, but they're also dangerous," Gober said.

Gober was one of thousands of fans who returned to Daytona less than 24 hours after Kyle Larson's car flew into the fence, crumbled into pieces and sprayed parts at spectators.

Early in the 500-mile "Great American Race," a nine-car wreck took out several top contenders.

Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and 2007 race winner Kevin Harvick were knocked out.

The wreck started when Kasey Kahne let off the gas to slow as they neared the first turn at Daytona International Speedway ? not too far from Saturday's near-disaster. Kyle Busch tried to do the same, but couldn't avoid contact.

Busch sent Kahne spinning across the track. Juan Pablo Montoya, 2010 race winner Jamie McMurray and defending series champion Brad Keselowski also were involved.

Thankfully, the wrecking cars stayed on the track. Things would be considerably different had they done the same Saturday.

"You don't have time to react, but I just remember thinking, 'This is gonna hurt,'" said Steve Bradford, of Dade City. "We were showered with debris."

Gober picked up a bolt that landed next to his left foot and plans to take it home as a souvenir from a crash that could have considerably worse.

He and Bradford have been coming to races at Daytona for years, always seeking out scalped tickets so they can get ultra-close to the cars zooming by at 200 mph.

Now, though?

"Needless to say, we won't be here next year," Bradford said ? meaning the seats, not the race.

He pointed at the upper level.

"Next year, we'll be up there," he said.

Not everyone felt the same way.

John and Andrea Crawford, of Streetsboro, Ohio, love sitting a few rows up. They were there Saturday and back again Sunday, just like so many in that seating section.

The area had rubber marks on seats hit by the tire. Several fans pointed out a chair bent backward, the spot one man was sitting when he got pummeled by the 60-pound tire and wheel.

"I'm not nervous," Andrea Crawford said. "It doesn't happen that much."

When Rick Barasso arrived at his seats, he noticed a few reporters and some tire marks. He asked what was going on and then couldn't stop smiling as he waved his friends over and shared details with them.

"These should be good seats," he said. "I mean, what are the chances?"

Maybe small, but there's little doubt the latest fallout could prompt NASCAR and track officials to consider changes ? at Daytona and elsewhere.

Daytona has plans to remodel the grandstands. Track President Joie Chitwood said Saturday's wreck could prompt sturdier fences or stands farther from the action.

"It's tough to connect the two right now in terms of a potential redevelopment and what occurred," Chitwood said. "We were prepared yesterday, had emergency medical respond. As we learn from this, you bet: If there are things that we can incorporate into the future, whether it's the current property now or any other redevelopment, we will.

"The key is sitting down with NASCAR, finding out the things that happened and how we deal with them."

Daytona reexamined its fencing and ended up replacing the entire thing following Carl Edwards' scary crash at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama in 2009. Edwards' car sailed into the fence and spewed debris into the stands.

"We've made improvements since then," Chitwood said. "I think that's the key: that we learn from this and figure out what else we need to do."

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford said Sunday that things should be done across auto racing. It was just 16 months ago that IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon was killed when his car crashed into a fence at Las Vegas.

"Maybe we need a double fence, one behind the other, with maybe a space in between to do something to stop this," Rutherford said. "There's a lot of things. I'm sure NASCAR and the IndyCar series are looking at everything to make it safer. What happened yesterday was a terrible thing.

"The drivers, we accept that. That's part of the game. We have to roll the dice and move on. But you don't want to involve the fans."

Chitwood said any fans who felt uncomfortable with their up-close seating for the Daytona 500 could exchange their tickets for spots elsewhere.

"If fans are unhappy with their seating location or if they have any incidents, we would relocate them," Chitwood said. "So we'll treat that area like we do every other area of the grandstand. If a fan is not comfortable where they're sitting, we make every accommodation we can."

Few fans seemed willing to relocate.

"Real NASCAR fans ain't scared," said Zeb Daniels, who was attending his fifth Daytona 500 with his daughter. "If we see anything coming to the fence, we'll hit the floor and pray."

So why take a chance?

"We come for the thrill, the excitement," Daniels said. "We can feel the heat, the tire rubber in our eyes."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-24-NASCAR-Daytona%20500-Safety/id-b21d05fdccac496e8ec80f076f5dc46f

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Tragedy for dinosaurs, opportunity for mammals, us

This 2012 artist?s rendering provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a hypothetical placental mammal ancestor, a small, insect-eating animal. A study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 details the family tree of mammals that have lengthy gestations before birth. It goes back to this shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago - just after the cosmic crash which is theorized to have caused the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, Carl Buell)

This undated image provided by the American Museum of Natural History shows a shrew-sized Cretaceous-age animal, Ukhaatherium nessovi, which is one of the many mammals used in a mammal tree-of-life study released Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. The fossil was discovered in 1994 in the Gobi Desert by the Mongolian Academy and the American Museum of Natural History. A team led by Maureen O'Leary of Stony Brook University looked at 4,541 different characteristics of mammals still around and extinct and traced their DNA and their physical features back until it seemed there was a common - and hypothetical - ancestor. They never named the hypothetical creature, not even nicknamed it, but they had an expert draw it based on the features they're pretty sure it had. (AP Photo/American Museum of Natural History, S. Goldberg, M. Novacek)

In this July 6, 2012 photo provided by Courtney Sprain, Paul Renne collects a volcanic ash sample from a coal bed in Montana, within a few centimeters of the dinosaur extinction layer. Two studies published Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 in the journal Science better explain the Earth-shaking consequences of a catastrophic cosmic collision 66 million years ago when a comet or asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico. The crash seemed to end the reign of the dinosaurs, according to a study by led Renne. And it gave way to the age of mammals that probably started with a cute squirrel like critter and eventually led to us, a second study said. (AP Photo/Courtney Sprain)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? New research pinpoints how the torch passed from one dominant creature on Earth to another, from the brutish dinosaur to the crafty mammal.

Two studies published Thursday in the journal Science better explain the Earth-shaking consequences of a catastrophic cosmic collision 66 million years ago when a comet or asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

The crash seemed to end the reign of the dinosaurs. And it gave way to the age of mammals that probably started with a cute squirrel-like critter and eventually led to us, the researchers report.

"I think it's fair to say, without the dinosaurs having gone extinct, we would not be here," said Paul Renne, director of the Berkeley Geochronology Center, who led the research on the dinosaurs and cosmic crash. The dinosaurs' disappearance "essentially releases the little timid mammals to become the big guys."

Renne demonstrated how the timing of the cosmic crash exquisitely matches the disappearance of the slow-footed dinosaurs of Jurassic Park fame. His findings provide more evidence for the theory that an extraterrestrial crash was most responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs.

Scientists have long thought that there were 200,000 years between the big crash and the end of the dinosaurs, but Renne's more detailed examination of fossils and soil at Hell Creek in northeast Montana puts the two events within 32,000 years of each other. That strengthens the case for the space crash as the "straw that broke the camel's back" and killed off the dinosaurs, said Renne.

He said other environmental factors, such as a changing climate from volcanic eruptions, also had made life harder for the dinosaurs, but that the big final dagger was the giant collision that caused a now-filled crater more than 100 miles wide at Chicxulub, on the coast of the Yucatan peninsula.

"The asteroid really rang the bell of the planet," said Smithsonian Natural History Museum Director Kirk Johnson, who wasn't part of either study, but praised them both. Together they showed how that one event "had a profound impact on the nature of organisms that live on this planet."

Dinosaurs are a distinct grouping of species, some of which evolved into birds. Scientists don't know how long it took for the large non-avian kinds like Tyrannosaurus Rex to die off.

The second study painstakingly details the family tree of the most predominant type of mammal, those that give birth after a long gestation period. The researchers propose that the first such mammal was a shrewish critter slightly bigger than a mouse with a nasty set of teeth. And it first popped in the world a little more than 65 million years ago ? just after that cosmic crash.

When an asteroid or comet hits Earth and kills off the dinosaurs, it's both a tragedy and an opportunity, said Maureen O'Leary of Stony Brook University and lead author of the mammal study: "In some sense, we are a product of that opportunity."

O'Leary's team looked at 4,541 different characteristics of mammals still around and extinct and traced their DNA and their physical features back until it seemed there was a common ? and hypothetical ? ancestor.

"This isn't something that is just a guess; this is something that is a result of the analysis," O'Leary said. "This thing had a long furry tail. It had a white underbelly and it had brown eyes."

It was smaller than a rat, but bigger than a mouse and likely ate insects.

That first mammal evolved over the years into all sorts of different types, eventually including bats, whales, elephants and primates like us.

"Boy, did a lot happen in about 200,000 years," said study co-author Michael Novacek, curator of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Unlike the slow-witted dinosaurs, which weren't known for their ability to adapt, mammals in general are more intelligent and can adapt well, O'Leary said.

Scientists examining ancient plants had already estimated that just before the dinosaurs died off world temperatures plunged by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, causing a loss of many species. Then when the asteroid or comet hit, material spewed into Earth's atmosphere causing temperatures to spike, before dropping again.

Princeton University scientist Gerta Keller, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the impact theory, said the new work still doesn't resolve her doubts. She notes it only looks at soil in Montana.

Renne said there are no impact records anywhere else that are different from what he found in Montana.

___

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-02-07-US-SCI-Dinosaur-Mammal-Divide/id-a56c56667f204925972f80a11ce847e3

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Website for Business: Why Choose Professional Ecommerce Web ...

Choosing a professional ecommerce web design services provider in Santa Clara California can benefit online businesses in a number of ways. Ecommerce sites are gaining much importance in the recent years. More people depend on the Internet for buying and selling products. Businesses that aim in selling products via Internet are increasing day by day. The main purpose of an ecommerce site is to earn income from online sales. A professional website design company can help you create an ecommerce site tailored to your business requirements and your customer preferences.

eCommerce website design is an important thing to consider in creating a successful online business. If you are creating a new site or redesign an existing one for your online store, the website should be designed in such a way that it should attract targeted customers. It should be appealing, user friendly and should have a professional look. The site should be search engine friendly to enhance online visibility and to increase sales and revenue.

Gain Maximum Benefits from Your eCommerce Site
A professional designer can help you gain maximum benefits from your ecommerce site. A professional web development firm adopts the latest techniques and modern advancements including open source technologies in creating sites. Web designers and web developers will work closely with businesses to turn their vision into reality. Ecommerce sites are created with easy navigable product pages and easy accessible menu options.

A professional and reliable web design company provides everything needed for an ecommerce site at an affordable and reasonable price. The company provides ecommerce solutions ranging from design and development to secure shopping cart, payment gateway integration, ecommerce hosting, and more. Such firms provide necessary suggestions regarding an ecommerce site which will be helpful especially for startup companies and small businesses. Such firms work with you in all stages of website development from initial planning to website maintenance and updates.

Other Services Offered
There are many companies in California providing ecommerce web design Santa Clara, San Jose, Campbell, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Fremont, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, Mountain View, and other cities, towns, and suburbs nearby. Such companies provide additional services including PHP web development, flash and graphic design, logo design, software development, mobile applications (iPhone, iPad, and Android), domain registration, web content development, Internet marketing, social media optimization, and SEO services. Outsourcing to a professional web designing company can help companies choose additional services required to enhance their business.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-design-articles/why-choose-professional-ecommerce-web-design-services-in-santa-clara-california-6376921.html

Source: http://websitesforbusiness.blogspot.com/2012/12/why-choose-professional-ecommerce-web.html

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Flood Insurance: Some Things to Consider - Donald Pennington

The United States has its fair share of natural disasters, and flooding is no exception. The federal government established the National Flood Insurance Program in 1969 to help protect homeowners against food damage. If you are not covered by flood insurance, you could suffer catastrophic losses during a flood.

?Price of Coverage

Your flood insurance premium is determined in part by the risk of flooding to your area. Homeowners who live in high risk flood zones will pay more for flood insurance than those living in low-risk flood areas. You can find out what flood zone your property is located in by typing your address in at www.floodsmart.gov. There is no predetermined price for flood insurance. There are several factors that affect your cost for coverage including what flood zone your home is located in, the age of your home, your deductible amount and the amount of flood coverage you buy. The best way to determine the cost of flood insurance is to get a quote from an insurance agent approved by the NFIP.

Lowering Your Cost for Flood Insurance ?
There are some ways for you to lower the price you pay for flood insurance. If you live in a flood zone, elevating your home could reduce your rates. If possible, you could also relocate your house to an area of your property that is on higher ground and above the flood base elevation. Of course, choosing a higher deductible will also lower your flood insurance premium.

Do You Need Flood Insurance??
Flood insurance is not just for homeowners in high risk flood zones. Flooding can occur in areas that do not normally flood when rivers and streams overflow banks. If you are buying a home, your mortgage company may require you to purchase separate flood insurance. Your homeowner's policy provides no flood coverage.

Eligibility
Your local community must participate in the NFIP program for you to purchase flood insurance. Communities participating in the NFIP program must implement measures to reduce the risk of future flooding. When a community enters the NFIP program, FEMA conducts a yearlong study to evaluate flood plains. The results of these studies are used in rating flood insurance policies. If you are not sure if your community participates in the NFIP program, ask for FEMA's Community Status Book which gives a list of communities participating in the program. It also lists communities that have been suspended from the program or withdrew from the program voluntarily. Your local insurance agent is a good resource to find out more about your community's NFIP status.

What is Covered?
Damage to your dwelling structure caused by flooding is covered by your flood insurance policy. A mobile home is an eligible structure as long as it is anchored to a permanent foundation. Contents and personal belongings kept inside your home can also be covered but you must purchase contents coverage separately.

What is not Covered

Structures not attached to your home including sidewalks, driveways, lawns, gardens and other land are not covered against damage by your flood insurance policy. Automobiles, business personal property of others and floating structures, such as houseboats, are not covered.

Where to Buy Flood Insurance

The NFIP allows insurance agents who are certified in flood insurance to sell policies to homeowners. You can locate an approved insurance agent at the NFIP website, www.Floodsmart.com.

References:

Floodsmart.gov: Residential Coverage
Floodsmart.gov: Policy Rates
Floodsmart.gov: What's Covered?

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Source: http://donpennington.blogspot.com/2012/12/flood-insurance-some-things-to-consider.html

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Home Seller: Find an ASP? Real Estate Agent at Stagedhomes.com ...

Are you about to put your home on the market? Are you in the process of interviewing real estate agents to determine who will assist you? Great News! Stagedhomes.com can help you find an agent who will make your property stand out among others in your marketplace and guide you to how to sell your home faster and for the highest price possible.

I?m proud to introduce to you thousands of ASP^? Real Estate Agents all across North America who have made the commitment to add Home Staging expertise to their businesses. ASP^? Real Estate Agents have completed the Accredited Staging Professional^? Course provided by StagedHomes.com, which includes hands-on instruction of a home that was listed on the market. ASP^? Real Estate Agents have also pledged to abide by the ASP^? Staging Code of Ethics and adhere to the Principles of Excellence as provided by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals^?, IAHSP^?.

Teamwork to Sell a Home

In addition to providing you with the traditional tasks provided by real estate agents, your ASP^? Real Estate Agent will work with you to prepare your home for a sale. When appropriate, the ASP^? Real Estate Agent will likely introduce you to a local ASP^? Home Staging Professional. Home Staging requires teamwork between the agent, Stager, and the seller, and everyone has an important role. The agent manages the client relationship; the Stager helps set the scene to get the home sold faster and for more money.

Will Staging help sell my home?

Yes it will, and we have the numbers to proof it! Statistics gathered by Stagedhomes.com shows that 94% of homes Staged? by an Accredited Staging Professional?, ASP?, sell within 29 days compared to an average of 145 days for non-Staged? homes. ASP? Staged? homes are on the market 83% less time than a non-Staged? home.

You may have seen a Staging phrase I developed: ?Buyers ONLY know what they see, not the way it?s going to be,? and it?s one of the key reasons you need to Stage your home. Your ASP^? Real Estate Agent will work closely with you and an ASP^? Home Stager to make sure your home will helps prospective buyers visualize what it will be to live in a home.

When Should I Stage My Home?

These days most consumers start their search online and it is absolutely essential that a home for sale shows well before a prospective buyer has visited the property. A Staged home will have a tremendous impact both online and in person.

Virtually every day I hear from ASP^? Real Estate Agents and Home Stagers who were hired to assist property owners after the home had been on the market for months and even years. Many are those who tell me about contracts being written as quickly as the day after Staging. Another Staging saying I created and encourage you to always remember is ?the investment of Staging your home is less than your first price reduction.?

Please click here to search our international database of Accredited Staging Professional^? Real Estate Agents at Stagedhomes.com.

Barb Schwarz, ASP?, ASPM?, AB, IAHSP?
The Creator of Home Staging?
CEO www.Stagedhomes.com
IAHSP? Founder and Chairwoman of The Board of The International Association of
Home Staging Professionals? and Foundation www.iahsp.com

Tags: ASP, ASPM's, Barb Schwarz, Real Estate Agents, real estate staging, Real Estate Training, Realtor, Realtor Association, Stagedhomes.com, success tips

Category: ASP's, ASPM's, international association of home staging professionals, Stagedhomes.com

Source: http://www.stagedhomes.com/blog/?p=2171

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Oppo previews sample shots taken with Find 5's Sony-made Exmor RS sensor

Sony pulled the plug on the original specs for its next-gen Exmor RS sensor, pushing a rollout for those modules into the new year. So while that move, made for quality control purposes, guarantees that a new batch of Xperias outfitted with the tech won't appear until 2013 at the earliest, imaging fanatics curious for a preview can get a sneak peek courtesy of Oppo. Baked into the Chinese manufacturer's newly announced Find 5 -- a quad-core S4 Pro Android Jelly Bean handset with a 5-inch 1080p display -- is the top shelf 13-megapixel version of Sony's sensor tech. Oppo's provided a few curated snapshots taken with the camera on its site and, as you'll see, the resulting images are rich with color and exhibit a fine level of detail. We'll reserve judgement until we can get our hands on a review unit for extensive testing. Until then, feast your eyes on the samples at the source below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Sony