Kingston Retirement

Interest Only Loans

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:17:55 +0000

Interest only loans are ‘interest centric’. In, this kind of loan a borrower only pays the interest due on the principal balance. In such cases, the principal balance does not change over the set term. After the expiry of the interest only term, the borrower has an option to go for the following:·The borrower can covert the existing loan to an amortized loan wherein he makes regular payments on the principal and the interest.·The borrower can also enter what is known as interest only mortgage, wherein he can make the payment on the principal amount.The interest-only period varies from one country to another. In the United States, the interest-only period, typically, is for five or ten years. This essentially means that if a borrower has to pay a loan over a period of thirty years, he can only go for the interest-only option for the first five years or first ten years. This is dependant on the choice he/she makes and the money lending organization.After the interest-only term is over the amortization of the principal balance takes place for the remaining years. The primary advantage of the interest-only loan is that the initial payments are much lower than the payment that a person makes later on. This enables borrowers to plan accordingly and they can borrow more amount of money than they can afford. This is done by taking into consideration the hope that their salaries might just see a substantial increase over the term of the loan.It can be said that when a person takes an interest-only mortgage (as in the US), the individual is paying the rent for the house. This is because there is no decrease in the amount of the principal loan. In countries like the United Kingdom, interest only loans are getting increasingly popular, as this is one way to buy any asset, whose price is not likely to depreciate much over time. If, at the end of the loan period a person is unable to pay the principal amount, the asset can be sold to repay the capital. Some countries allow a person to combine the interest-only loan with a myriad of financial options. This is illustrated by an example of Canada, which allows a combination of interest-only mortgage with options like corporate bonds etc.While going for interest only loans, you must evaluate your options very carefully. As in the case of all loans, there are a few disadvantages as well. In many cases, you might have to pay property tax. In other cases, you have to buy property insurance that is a mandatory requirement when you take an interest-only loan. At times, a person has to pay a tax on his/her property and purchase the property insurance.

Escape Velocity Process ERP Perfect Fit Ictc According to Morphix

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:48:30 +0000

Morphix Business Consulting (www.morphix.biz), the strategic alliance consulting firm working with Escape Velocity Systems, was instrumental in helping ICTC select O2. Morphix came into ICTC very “low key” without pressure to buy; spoke about needs, business issues and pains without software pushing. The initial consultation was followed up with a demonstration to the main ICTC contact who was quite excited with the initial presentation and Morphix followed up with a second demonstration with a few other key players including lab and sales and the direct reporting vice-president.

Kim Olesen, B.Sc.,C.P.P., Distribution Manager of Innovative Chemical Technologies Canada Ltd. (ICTC), is the Project Manager for the selection of a Process Manufacturing ERP (enterprise resource planning) system and worked on three other implementations in previous positions from a very large corporate environment to a small company size. Olesen selected O2, by Escape Velocity Systems (EVS) (www.evs-sw.com).

What prompted the need for this new ERP system was the rapid growth ICTC experienced in recent years. According to Olesen, “We needed a system that would handle growing financial and process manufacturing needs; with O2 by Escape Velocity Systems, ICTC was able to get the scope and breadth out of the system needed plus the ability of the system to scale as ICTC continues to grow.”

ICTC’s next step was to take to the project to the executives (including President/CFO); following this demonstration Morphix was asked to prepare a quote immediately; the project was approved without being budgeted (extra-ordinary purchase). Customer testimonial on the software solution were shared and Morphix had patience with ICTC during the buying process (15-month buying cycle), and helped with proving the ROI (return-on-investment) in the ERP purchase.

ICTC is a process manufacturer; process manufacturing describes a manufacturing process whereby materials are blended, cooked, or mixed as opposed to assembled from discrete units. Some needs common to process manufacturing industries are:

• Formulas (or recipes) are ratios, not static bills of material

• Split bill of material: several products can share one formula, yet have different packaging

• Flexibility with units of measure

• Stringent quality control, with recall ability

• Lot grading / attribute tracking and calculation

Escape Velocity Systems (EVS) was formed in 2002 to combine specific industry knowledge related to process manufacturing, distribution, and ERP implementations with cutting edge software development. The company focus is to create tools that enable mid-market enterprises to achieve their goals, focusing on lean processes and ROI. According to President Evan Garber, “We realize that good ERP software is the hub of information in any process manufacturing enterprise. Timely, reliable, and centralized data are non-negotiable elements for businesses competing in the 21st century.”

The term escape velocity refers to the speed that is necessary for an object to overcome gravity and soar into space. EVS provides direct applications for businesses looking for a catalyst, not just a software package. Process manufacturers require the best software solution coupled with industry experience that will accelerate the velocity with which they race towards their goals. The gravity of status-quo opposes aggressive, cutting edge organizations as they strive towards high quality and short lead time delivery while reducing inventories and operating costs.

Tax Concerns For Ecommerce And Small Business

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:22:08 +0000

One of the most complex and confusing aspects of running a small business, especially an ecommerce business, is the bookkeeping. Each state and country has different tax requirements, different expenses that can be written off, and different percentages.
One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is by putting their receipts in a shoe box and then taking it to a bookkeeper once a year. This type of financial management costs small businesses thousands of dollars a year. ‘A penny saved is a penny earned.’ This adage applies to small business.
The ability to save $500 – $5000 in a year is the same as earning that money. However, to do this, a business needs to keep solid records. They need to know what they can write off. For example, small businesses are allowed to write off a percentage of their home. This not only includes the floor space used by the business, it includes everything from the cleaning supplies, yard care products, hydro, taxes, insurance, and mortgage interest.
Very few business owners keep receipts for things such as light bulbs, vacuum bags, window cleaner. Most business owners do not even keep all the receipts for their office supplies. They run to the store and buy a package of printer paper, or while they are shopping for Christmas they will treat themselves to a new keyboard. They have good intentions, and plan to save these receipts, but they never do.
A business person that must do sales calls can claim their clothing, grooming products, and dry-cleaning costs. However, they may only claim a certain percentage of their food, entertainment, and auto expenses.
Auto expenses includes everything from car washes, insurance, car repairs, tires, interior detailing, and even air fresheners and oil jobs.
Take a look at these figures for food. Assume that a small business owner drinks two coffees a day, at $1.20 each. That is $48 a month, or about $625 a year. Add to this the cost of an occasional lunch, fast food, and the bill can grow to $1000. Writing off 50%, $500, at a 25% income tax bracket, saves the business owner $125.
Do this with cleaning products, office supplies, oil jobs, and the small business owner can easily recoup thousands of dollars. Now, here it the key.
Some states and countries will repay the small business owner income tax money, even if they haven’t paid any. For example, in Canada, a company that takes a $5000 loss in a sole proprietorship, and the business owner did not pay income tax, they may still see a $400 – $1000 refund.
The second concern is that small business owners are not concerned with $1000 – $5000 in random or inconsequential receipts. However, three years down the road when the business is earning a profit, those ‘write offs’ will come in handy.
It is also possible to earn a tax break by volunteering services. The small business owner gives their services, and bills the service. Then, they take a tax receipt for the ‘donation.’ The business owner has built their credibility and exposure, and received a receipt to lower their taxes.
This is one area where it becomes tricky. Many businesses barter. There are even B2B bartering organizations. This is ‘real’ cash from the Tax man’s perspective. The business must charge the other business at ‘real value’ and in return, accept a bill for ‘real value.’ This money is taxed as if it was cash. Many businesses never consider this when accepting ‘free’ help, or services in exchange for help they must pay federal, state, and income tax, on the service.
Retail tax is another area that business owners overlook. This is a legitimate tax deduction. In fact, a business may be able to claim ‘tax exempt’ status, so they do not need to pay tax to their vendors and suppliers.
Taking advantage of the legitimate tax breaks offered by the government is one way to help launch a business and increase cash flow.

Mobile Home Dealers Around the US

admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:12:55 +0000

Mobile homes are an inexpensive type of housing for the Americans. It was seen as an alternative for those who cannot afford to build their home in the traditional manner or rent an apartment.
Everybody dreams of owning a house of their own where they will raise and nurture their family. However, not all are able to do so because they are not financially capable. The advent of mobile homes gave this dream a chance to become a reality. Mobile homes may be like on-site built homes but may not have the advantages of the latter. The thing that matters most is the affordability of buying a home, since mobile homes are less expensive than the traditionally built homes.
All homes that were made prior to 1976 are known as “mobile homes” but since the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUB) implemented stricter rules in relation to the quality and standards of these factory made homes, all homes made from the year 1976 onwards will be called “manufactured homes”.
These homes are actually made and manufactured inside factories. They come in two sizes: the singlewide and the doublewide. This is even though there may be triple-wide and other sizes, but these types are rarely made. These manufactured homes are transported to the areas where it will be occupied by tractor-trailers. They may stay in these areas for a long period of time.
Hence, the ability to move to another place is still possible. However, at present, once these manufactured homes have been built and transported to a specified area, it is usually left permanently there.
In comparison to the traditionally built home, usually you won’t be able to distinguish the difference between the two. This is because both are made of the same materials. Thus, unlike the site-built homes, manufactured homes tend to depreciate in value just like motor vehicles. However, with the double-wide, which were built with higher quality and are able to meet the standard of the building codes of certain areas, they are able to prevent further depreciation.
Plus, due to the rapid depreciation of modular homes, it has affected the surrounding structures around it, causing distress in the area where a manufactured home will be moving. This factor led to the application of zoning regulations and the limitation of the number of modular homes that can be placed in a certain area. Single-wide homes were discouraged because of its rapid depreciation as compared to the double-wide home.
Moreover, due to the spaciousness and the similarity of the double-wide with the traditionally built homes, it has become the preferred choice of manufactured homes. In fact, single wide units are still sold and are used as temporary housings for areas that are affected by natural disasters.
California, Alabama, Indiana, and Texas are the most popular states that purchase manufactured homes. The demand for housing continues to grow and presently people are treating the new, higher end modular homes like the traditional home. More people are now making this as an alternative and a way to own their own dream house.
To know more about manufactured homes and to have a good deal, here are the known manufacturers and dealers of modular homes in the U.S.
CHAMPION HOMES
Founded in 1953 by Walter Clark and Henry George, in Dryden Michigan, Champion homes have been building homes for 55 years. This is from trailer homes, campers, RV’s, to mobile home. They have acquired several well respected and famous brand names in the business such as Dutch, Fortune, Summit Crest, and Highland Manufacturing just to name a few.
With the distinction of being the biggest modular manufacturer in North America, Western Canada, and the United Kingdom, they have provided a wide range of factory built homes from single and multi family homes, to government and commercial buildings. Champion homes can be found in rural and urban areas.
Capable of providing the needs of each and every family, Champion has a diverse range of floor plans that will suit any lifestyle. Each home is professionally designed and is built with the highest standard at affordable prices while meeting the state building code.
Through the years, Champion has always promoted change and advancement in the manufactured housing business. And these are the few accomplishments they have achieved:
? In 2001 – the first manufactured housing company to receive Energy Star® certification from the United States Department of Energy.
? In 2002, the DOE named Champion Energy Star Partner of the Year
? In 2003, the Ultimate Kitchen was introduced. Featuring stainless steel G.E.® appliances, a euro-style range hood
? In 2005 and 2006, “Country Living Home of the Year”. Was built in partnership with Country Living Magazine
? Also in 2005 – first manufacturer to build privatized modular housing for the military.
? In 2006, the Suite Retreat was launched, a luxurious and elegant master bath that was designed having a shower with glass surround, an oversized tub, electric fireplace, plantation shutters, large furniture-style vanity and more.
Champion was honored with 17 industry design awards in the past 8 years to name a few:
? “Best New Home Design”
? “Excellence in Home Design” from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB).

Aviation – How to Succeed 3

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:09:15 +0000

Air Transport

The most important manufacturers of civil transport aircraft, taken on a worldwide basis, include the following:

Airbus – It is a subsidiary of EADS, a huge European aerospace corporation, and manufactures aircraft on their behalf. Airbus has its base in Toulouse in France, and it manufactures nearly half of the world’s jet airliners. It has sixteen sites within Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, and employs a total of around 57,000 people across these sites.

Boeing – It is a major defense and aerospace company with a manufacturing function based in Seattle. In terms of revenue, it is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, as well as the second-largest aerospace and defense contractor, globally. In fact, it holds the position of being the largest exporter in the United States.

Bombardier – It a major aircraft manufacturer with headquarters in Quebec in Canada. It has a versatile product range including regional aircraft, business jets, mass transportation equipment, recreational equipment, such as snowmobiles, and is a financial services provider. The aerospace division accounts for around 50% of the company’s income. It’s best selling aircraft include the Dash 8 and CRJ lines of regional airliners. The Learjet company is a subsidiary of Bombardier and manufactures jets under the Learjet name.

Embraer – It is a Brazilian aerospace company that manufactures commercial, military, and corporate aircraft, together with associated aerospace services. In respect of worldwide aircraft manufacturers, it has the third largest yearly delivery of commercial aircraft, behind Boeing and Airbus. Its headquarters and principal production facilities are in São Paulo.

Tupolev – It is a renowned Russian aerospace and defence company, with headquarters centred in Moscow. It is understood that the Russian government is planning to merge Tupolev with other famed aircraft manufacturers, including Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Irkut, Sukhoi, and Yakovlev as a new company named United Aircraft Corporation. Development, manufacturing and overhaul of both civil and military aircraft and weapons systems are just some of the aerospace ventures that the company is involved in. It is also involved in the technologies associated with missile and naval aviation.

In terms of individual specialisations, it can be said that:

Boeing, Airbus, and Tupolev concentrate on wide and narrow-bodied jet airliners

Bombardier and Embraer concentrate on regional airliners, which refer to small airliners designed to fly between 35 and 100 passengers from point to point on short-haul flights. Such small airliners are most suitable for the regional divisions of the larger international airlines.

In order that these manufacturers may function efficiently, extensive networks of parts suppliers, from around the globe, specialising in their own niche areas, provide appropriate support. Such backup is all the more necessary since, in some instances, the manufacturer will provide only the initial design, with final assembly in their own plants.

The Chinese ACAC consortium, a subsidiary of Aviation Industries of China I (AVIC I), formed in 2002 by various Chinese aviation companies, will also soon enter the civil transport market with its ACAC ARJ21 regional jet. The ARJ21 is a twin-engined airliner and the first passenger jet to be developed and manufactured by the People’s Republic of China.

Aviation – How To Succeed

Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a wide range of subjects. Aviation Articles cover Historical Development, Civil/Military/Transport Aircraft, Air Traffic Control, Environmental Impact.

His Website contains a total of 75 Aviation Articles, written by others and carefully selected

View his Website at: aviation-how-to-succeed.com

View his Blog at: aviation-how-to-succeed.blogspot.com

The casual luxury that is distinctively Abercrombie & Fitch

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:21:26 +0000

Anyone who is into fashion and signature clothing including accessories knows about the style and comfort that is brought about by the Abercrombie & Fitch fashion line. Whether one is after contemporary or classic men’s look, there are many choices that will suit anyone’s taste on any particular occasion one might find himself in. For men with impeccable taste in fashion and clothing, you’d find few that will match the comfort and the looks that the Abercrombie line offers. The Abercrombie & Fitch clothing actually encompasses five brands including Abercrombie Kids, Abercrombie & Fitch, RUEHL No. 925, Gilly Hicks and Hollister Co. They have a store chain that operates across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. There are stores either planned or recently opened in other European countries as well as Japan. David T. Abercrombie founded it in 04 June 1892, starting off as an outfitter of excursion and sporting goods. Struggling financially in the late 1960’s, the brand was purchased by The Limited in 1988 and repositioned as the casual luxury brand until the present. Today, Abercrombie & Fitch brand enjoys a wide following and delivers a strong image through marketing ads. They released provocative catalogues on the market, targeting first and foremost the teenage market. Abercrombie & Fitch always impressed by offering something new, something that could only demonstrate the quality Abercrombie is associated with.Abercrombie has been compared many times to other designer clothing lines such as Armani, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci. The opinions regarding the quality and the price were diverse, but the truth is that there many people loyal to the Abercrombie brand. While they have a line that caters to teenagers, they also provide plenty of interesting offers for middle ages people.

Web 3.0, Schmeb 3.0

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:27:54 +0000

Sometime…oh, around 2004…you probably started hearing buzz about “Web 2.0…The next generation of the Internet.” The term was coined by O’Reilly Media. And though everyone you ask gives you a different definition of the way Web 2.0 should look and feel, perhaps the best definition can be found in the company’s own archives, here: O’Reilly Publishing’s Original Web 2.0 Description.

And O’Reilly continues to call Web 2.0 a “transformative force.” But have you felt it yet? You may just have.

O’Reilly’s early definition differentiated Web 2.0 from Web 1.0 (the old “cloud”) in that:

Companies even advertised that their products and services were “Web 2.0?ready,” subtly implying that Web 2.0 was some sort of official specification, which it wasn’t. Some even speculated that the Web 2.0 Internet would become a 3D virtual world like Second Life (SL). And the fact that IBM and Microsoft were big SL backers did blow some wind into that sail.

In reality, O’Reilly’s Web?2.0 description has been materializing all around us, unnoticed by most for what it was. The above bullets sound mighty familiar, don’t they? Wikis and blogs are everywhere now. We increasingly friend and track each other in sites like FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. And through them, our small, personal, “e?Villages” are merging into global meshes.

Most of us in the e?Learning world live and work online, like tropical fish in an aquarium. And the water in which we’ve been swimming all along has picked up Web 2.0 colors even as we breathe it in.

And Now Comes “Web 3.0”

Many people are now describing the “next” Web 3.0 Internet as a “personal assistant” that:

And once again, Second Life is being held out as a possible model for the look and feel of this “next” Internet (which is also being called “Web 3D”). I won’t hold my breath on that, though! If I go to IBM’s, Microsoft’s, and Amazon’s web sites (all long?time SL partners), their Web interfaces are still glaringly 2D. I can’t click amazon.com and find myself walking through a 3D virtual store, able to browse shelves, pick up books, scan their pages, carry purchases to a virtual check?out station, and enter payment and shipping data by swiping a secure virtual ID card. Not today, anyway.

But several companies are working on experimental 3D browsers. For more information about that, just Google phrases like “3D browser”, “Google 3D browser”, “Google SketchUp”, Firefox 3D Browser”, and “AT&T 3D browser”. From what I’ve seen, they all look like 2D interfaces with slickly layered 3D effects… not like truly immersive, 3D, information environments.

Some have even claimed that Web 3.0 may need to run on its own separate network and use its own new protocols…implying that it will be easier to build the next Internet from scratch. I personally know how hard it is to release just one new version of a single software product. I know how tough it is to keep it both forward compatible with future plans and backward compatible with existing users. So I don’t for one minute believe that an entirely new Web 3.0 network will one day “replace” our familiar Internet.

More likely, Web 3.0 will sneak up on us bit by bit…in the night…just as Web 2.0 did (and is still doing).

About SyberWorks

SyberWorks, Inc. (http://www.syberworks.com) is a leader in the custom e-Learning Solutions and Learning Management System industries for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other organizations. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions to create, manage, measure, and improve e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries.

H1N1 pandemic; media outlets still using â??Swine fluâ??

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:41:08 +0000

H1N1 pandemic; media outlets still using â??Swine fluâ??

Dr.Kedar Karki

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that they have raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6. Some serious misunderstandings around the safety of pork exist due to the initial unfortunate naming of H1N1 Influenza A as swine flu. Influenza viruses do not affect the safety of pork or pork products.

Many major reporting outlets (BBC, CNN and newspapers globally) are still using the media-friendly term â??swine fluâ?? when covering the rise in pandemic level, prompting an immediate response from within the pork producing industry.

WHOâ??s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. Itâ??s uncertain at this time how serious or severe this novel H1N1 pandemic will be in terms of how many people infected will develop serious complications or die from novel H1N1 infection. Experience with this virus so far is limited and influenza is unpredictable. However, because novel H1N1 is a new virus, many people may have little or no immunity against it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against novel H1N1 virus.

The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) had reminded everyone that the H1N1 Influenza A virus, often referred to as â??swine fluâ??, is not transmissible to people through eating properly handled and prepared pork or other products derived from pigs. The safety of the food supply is not affected and Canadian pork continues to be safe to eat.â?

Health authorities have been telling consumers in relation to the spread of H1N1 Influenza A that you cannot get the flu by consuming pork or pork products. This view is shared by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. Itâ??s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching your nose or mouth. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency and has been actively and aggressively implementing the nationâ??s pandemic response plan.

Since the outbreak was first detected, an increasing number of U.S. states have reported cases of novel H1N1 influenza with associated hospitalizations and deaths. By June 3, 2009, all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of novel H1N1 infection. While nationwide U.S. influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the country at this time, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense activity.

CDC is continuing to watch the situation carefully, to support the public health response and to gather information about this virus and its characteristics. The Southern Hemisphere is just beginning its influenza season and the experience there may provide valuable clues about what may occur in the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter.

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.

Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Hog farmers are suffering huge financial losses â?? which increase every time the virus is incorrectly called the â??swine fluâ??.Â Since the virus was found, average industry losses have increased by $10 per hog due to the misunderstanding about the relationship between pork and the virus.

To protect from this disease if we cover our nose and mouth with a tissue when we cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. We can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners. Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Stay home from work or school if you are sick.

Although in last fortnight there have been reports from many part of our country about flu like illness but still none of these illnesses neither suspected for this dreaded illness till date for us it seems to be some relief. But as the disease has been detected in Delhi and city of Punjab our own public health authorities need to be alerted at air and land embarkment site.Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

Online Poker, The Leading Edge

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:17:01 +0000

As a gaming software developer, CyberArts is often asked about the future direction of online poker. Here are some of the more interesting developments we see on the horizon. Online Gaming Software Grows Up The next generation of gaming software must be reliable and stable. The market and the high cost of player acquisition demand no less. Technology exists that provides the same kind of robustness and scalability found in numerous fail-safe platforms like mission-critical financial systems and air traffic control systems. Developing such platforms requires careful, rigorous design, implementation and testing, and takes years to complete, but what gaming company can settle for less? Early online gaming software was PC-based, single-user games downloaded or on CD. Developers extended these games to support multiple players online. The popularity of online poker caught those developers by surprise. The underlying architecture was not designed to support thousands of simultaneous users, playing frequent large tournaments. Compounding these challenges were poor internet connections including modems. As online poker took off, leading sites attracted more players than the designers had anticipated. The early systems failed and crashed spectacularly – sometimes taking down gaming sites for hours every day, interrupting tournaments and alienating players. Gaming software developers reacted by re-architecting with countless patches and fixes, forcing time-consuming client downloads. Many do not realize that poker software is still not as stable as the industry requires and nowhere close to the stability of online stock trading applications. As recently as last year, two of the top five sites suffered damaging multi-day outages. Most networks crash or experience unacceptable lag every few days. MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) is a measure of how often you can expect your online poker room to crash. Ask vendors to document in writing their historical MTBF. Poker and Social Networking Gaming has always been about entertainment. Social networks like MySpace and Facebook have attracted tens of millions of users, and their growth continues. The popularity is based on the simple fact that people like to congregate, share interests and “play together.” Poker software developers have started to build social networking concepts into their platforms – allowing players, for example, to congregate in private rooms. This functionality may be superseded, though, by a parallel trend. Spurred by Facebook “opening up” their platform to allow embedded applications, poker operators have created versions of their games that can be played right “inside” Facebook pages. CyberArts recently created such an application for its licensee PurePlay, which operates highly successful online poker tournaments in a U.S-legal subscription model. The PurePlay Facebook client is downloadable from within any user’s Facebook page, and users can invite friends and acquaintances to play. A Flash-based version of the client will allow game play within a Facebook page. A page can be an individual Facebook profile, or can be a special page created for a group or organization. This capability will give rise to informal groups and teams. Players can organize tournaments around schools, football clubs, brands, hobbies – the possibilities are limitless, and such groups can come together quickly and with little or no investment in software development. Big Media and Advergaming Gaming is increasingly about branding and transmitting a marketing message to mass audiences of players. We’ve recently seen a growing interest in online poker from “Big Media,” i.e., television, news and other print companies. They reason that free online poker is a good way to attract players to their sites, cementing brand loyalty and providing “eyeballs” for advertising. These companies require flexible interfaces where the cards, chips and especially the table felt may be branded to reflect an advertisers’ look and messages. CyberArts’ flexible interface allows ads to be embedded into the game – on the game table, chips and cards. High definition interfaces are possible, freeing marketers from a me-too look and feel. An example is shown above – a free online poker game offered by CyberArts licensee The Score, which is Canada’s leading sports television and radio network. Built into ScorePoker is sophisticated “advergaming server” software built by Toronto based Advertising Gaming Network. AGN’s software displays ads intelligently. It draws data about players from The Score’s member database – say, the player’s geographic location, and sports interests – and combines it with player history data. It then displays ads tailored to each player. A Vancouver player might see local ads, while a football fan who’s won a big tournament might see a congratulatory banner from his favorite team and Molson Ale. Players see ads at the appropriate time during a game, for instance after a hand is folded or during a break. No player is going to click on an ad when they are thinking about whether to call a big raise. Why bother to show ads at times like that? Games Beyond Poker Finally, the future of online poker will surely include other games that can be cross-sold to the same audience. Having built a profitable base of players that enjoy gaming, it makes sense to offer them allied products such as other games. Of course, a consistent look and feel, with single sign-on and shared wallet, is the only way to go. A universal gaming platform built to enterprise class standards of reliability should be part of the strategic plan for every successful operator.

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admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:21:04 +0000

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